United States or Åland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
His troubles arose from the overstrained economy of his noble wife. She would have it, that as she had married a poor man Mr Gazebee, however, was not a poor man it behoved her to manage her house with great care. Such a match as that she had made this she told in confidence to Augusta had its responsibilities as well as its privileges.
"Go with your mother and aunt, de Courcy," the attorney said to the lingering child after dinner; and then Crosbie was left alone with his wife's brother-in-law. This was the period of the St. John's Wood purgatory which was so dreadful to him. With his sister-in-law he could talk, remembering perhaps always that she was an earl's daughter. But with Gazebee he had nothing in common.
But as an earl he was entitled to an amount of service which no commoner could have commanded from Mr Gazebee. Mr Gazebee, having thus tied up all the available funds in favour of Lady Alexandrina's seemingly expected widowhood, was himself providing the money with which the new house was to be furnished.
All of these would be excellent arguments to use in favour of Mr Gazebee as a suitor, had his proposals been made to any one in his own rank of life. But you, in considering the matter, should, I think, look on it in a very different light. The very fact that you pronounce him to be so much superior to other attorneys, shows in how very low esteem you hold the profession in general.
When this great firm was applied to, to get Mr Gresham through his difficulties, and when the state of his affairs was made known to them, they at first expressed rather a disinclination for the work. But at last, moved doubtless by their respect for the de Courcy interest, they assented; and Mr Gazebee, junior, went down to Greshamsbury.
But Mr Gazebee's proposition opened a door by which her point might be gained. "Well," said she, at last, with infinite self-denial, "if you think it is for Mr Gresham's advantage, and if he chooses to ask Dr Thorne, I will not refuse to receive him." Mr Gazebee's next task was to discuss the matter with the squire. Nor was this easy, for Mr Gazebee was no favourite with Mr Gresham.
He could not quite analyse the circumstances of his own position, but he felt as though he were a cock with his spurs cut off, as a dog with his teeth drawn. He found himself becoming humble and meek. He had to acknowledge to himself that he was afraid of Lady Amelia, and almost even afraid of Mortimer Gazebee. He was aware that they watched him, and knew all his goings out and comings in.
There are men who, in marrying such as Lady Alexandrina de Courcy, would get the article best suited to them, as Mortimer Gazebee had done in marrying her sister. Miss Griselda Grantly, who had become Lady Dumbello, though somewhat colder and somewhat cleverer than Lady Alexandrina, had been of the same sort.
But you cannot be surprised, Mortimer, that my mother under such circumstances should wish to know what are the facts of the case." "Not at all surprised," said Gazebee. "Then once for all, I'll tell you the facts. As I got out of the train a man I'd seen once before in my life made an attack upon me, and before the police came up, I got a blow in the face. Now you know all about it."
How much do you think he spent about the house and grounds, pineries included, you know, and those sort of things?" Lady Arabella shook her head. "Now guess, my lady," said he. But it was not to be supposed that Lady Arabella should guess on such a subject. "I never guess," said she, with a look of ineffable disgust. "What do you say, Mr Gazebee?" "Perhaps a hundred thousand pounds."
Word Of The Day