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"My lord," said Kimberley, as he met the earl of Windgall outside the London hotel where the earl was staying, "can you give me a very few minutes?" "Certainly," said his lordship. "You are not well?" he added, with solicitude. He had brought a dispatch-box with him; he put it on the table and slowly unlocked it. The earl's heart beat violently as he looked once more upon the precious documents.
You're under no obligation to me, my lord. But" he blushed and stammered "I want to ask you for the hand of Lady Ella." It took Windgall a full minute to pull himself together. He had schooled himself to the trembling hope that Alice might be chosen; but Ella! "Forgive me," he began, "I was unprepared I was not altogether unprepared " Then he lapsed into silence.
"You are in trouble, dear," she said. "Can I help you?" "No," said the poor nobleman. "There's no help for it, Beggs says, and they'll have to cut down the timber in the park. Poverty, my dear, poverty." This was a blow, and a heavy one. "That isn't the worst of it," said Windgall, after a pause. "I am in the hands of the Jews.
"I I do not think, Kimberley," he said with quivering lip, "that I have ever known so noble an act before." "If I die," said Kimberley in a loud voice which quavered suddenly down into a murmur, "everything is to go to Lady Ella, with my dearest love and worship." Windgall caught only the first three words; he tugged at the bell-pull, and sent for a doctor.
Her cheek was like ice and her whole figure trembled. It was a dull, dreadful meal to all three who sat at table, and the millionaire's heart was the heaviest and the sorest. If Ella suffered, she had the consolation, so dear to the nobler sort of women, that she was a sacrifice. If Windgall suffered, he had a solid compensation locked in the drawers of his library table.
At last a chapman approached, and, after he had for a good while examined the horse round, finding him blind of one eye, he would have nothing to say to him: a second came up; but observing he had a spavin, declared he would not take him for the driving home: a third perceived he had a windgall, and would bid no money: a fourth knew by his eye that he had the botts: a fifth, wondered what a plague I could do at the fair with a blind, spavined, galled hack, that was only fit to be cut up for a dog kennel. By this time I began to have a most hearty contempt for the poor animal myself, and was almost ashamed at the approach of every customer; for though I did not entirely believe all the fellows told me; yet I reflected that the number of witnesses was a strong presumption they were right, and St Gregory, upon good works, professes himself to be of the same opinion.
Ragshaw, with profound respect, "that a little something " They were outside the Windgall Arms, and Kimberley understood. "Why, yes, sir," he said; "but I never keep it in the 'ouse, and having had to pay a tailor's bill this week, I don't happen " "My dear sir, allow me!" said Ragshaw, with genuine emotion.
"You sent these back to me," said Kimberley. "Will you take 'em now? My lord, my lord, marry lady Ella to the man she loves, and take these for a wedding gift. I helped to torture her. I have a right to help to make her happy." Windgall was as wildly agitated as Kimberley himself. He recoiled and waved his hands.
Next day, when Kimberley, preposterously overdressed and thoroughly ashamed of himself, was trying to talk business in Mr. Begg's office, the Earl of Windgall was announced. There was nothing in the world that could have terrified him more. And when the father of his ideal love, Lady Ella Santerre, shook him by the hand, he could only gasp and gurgle in response.
I should like to see him," added the grey little nobleman. "I suppose you will act for him as you did for poor young Edward?" Poor young Edward was the deceased minor whose early death had wrecked the finest chances the Windgall family craft had ever carried. "I suppose so," said Begg. "I presume," said the earl, "that even if he wanted to call in his money you could arrange elsewhere?"
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