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Daffy knew nothing more than that it was connected with colonial enterprise. Since that date Charles Edward had made no report of himself, and his father had ceased to write letters which received no reply. Presently, Mr. Lott moved so as to come nearer to his travelling companion, and said in a muttering, shamefaced way 'Have you heard any talk about my daughter lately? Mr.
Job Lott, he farmed it for a while; but Miss Lott's father, he was took sick over to Machias, and they moved up to look after him, and nobody's been there since, unless the boys for blueberries. I guess your Pa'll find plenty to do to get things straightened out, and so will the rest of you." "There isn't any 'rest' but me." "Do tell now. Hain't you any Ma?" "No," said Eyebright, sadly.
"Young Mistuh Hollister I should say, Suh," says he. "Well, well!" says I, gawpin' at him. "You lookin' for Robin Hollister too? Why, so am I!" "Then we ought to find him between us, hadn't we?" says he, smilin' friendly. "Lott's my name, Suh." "Wha-a-at!" says I, grinnin' broad as the combination strikes me. "Not Uncle Noah Lott?"
Lott led the way into the street again, where they planned the rest of their day. By five o'clock they were at Clapham. Charles Daffy occupied the kind of house which is known as eminently respectable; it suggested an income of at least a couple of thousand a year. As they waited for the door to open, Mr. Lott smote gently on his leg with the new riding-whip.
At once he plunged into the business by seizing and waving in front of my eyes a bulky bundle of letters tied together with red tape. "One hundred and seventeen answers to an advertisement," he cried with evident satisfaction, "in one day! That shows you the state of the labour market!" I agreed it was appalling. "Poor devils, poor devils!" murmured Mr. Lott "what will become of them?
Lott," I replied, with dignity; "I have an appointment." I produced the letter from my pocket, and leaning across a sewing-machine, I handed it to him for his inspection. Having read it, he suddenly took from its socket the eye with which he had been hitherto regarding me, and proceeding to polish it upon his pocket handkerchief, turned upon me his other.
And, in any case, I don't really owe him half the sum he has down against me. I've paid that black-hearted scoundrel hundreds of pounds honourably paid him debts of honour, and now he has the face to charge me sixty per cent, on money I was fool enough to borrow from him! Sixty per cent. what do you think of that, Mr. Lott? What do you think of it, sir?
But when it comes to robbing and ruining the friends of your own family why, I never heard a more disgraceful thing in my life. How I'm going to stand in my shop, and hold up my head before my customers, I do not know. Of course, it'll be the talk of the town; we know what the Ropers are when they get hold of anything. It'll drive me off my head, Mr. Lott, I'm sure it will.
Daffy's son was married, and dwelt in London; the same formula applied to Mr. Lott's daughter. And, as it happened, the marriages had both been a subject of parental dissatisfaction. Very rarely had Mr. Lott let fall a word with regard to his daughter, Mrs. Bowles, but the townsfolk were well aware that he thought his son-in-law a fool, if not worse; Mrs.
When the clamour had lasted long enough to be really alarming, knocks sounded at the door, which at length was thrown open, and the startled face of a domestic appeared. At the same moment Mr. Lott, his right arm being weary, brought the castigatory exercise to an end. Charles rolled to his feet, and began to strike out furiously with both fists.
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