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There's nothing more to come to me or Sexty let it be ever so." "Why does he do it?" "Why does who do it?" "Your husband. Why don't you speak to him as you do to me, and tell him to mind only his proper business?" "Now you are angry with me." "Angry! No; indeed I am not angry. Every word that you say is good, and true, and just what you ought to say. I am not angry, but I am terrified.
Emily of a sudden drew herself up, unconsciously, and then at once relaxed her features and smiled. If her husband chose that it should be so, she would make no objection. "Upon my honour, Sexty, you are very familiar," said Mrs. Parker. "It's a way we have in the city," said Sexty. Sexty knew what he was about. His partner called him Sexty, and why shouldn't he call his partner Ferdinand?
All these bitter things had been said, not because Lopez had thought that he could further his own views by saying them; he knew indeed that he was injuring himself by every display of ill-temper; but she was in his power, and Sexty Parker was rebelling. He thought a good deal that day on the delight he would have in "kicking that ill-conditioned cur," if only he could afford to kick him.
"Sometimes he's as though the Bank of England was all his own. And there's been more money come into the house; that I must say. And there isn't an open-handeder one than Sexty anywhere. He'd like to see me in a silk gown every day of my life; and as for the children, there's nothing smart enough for them.
He was cut by his old friends. And he had been told very plainly by the Secretary in Coleman Street that his presence there was no longer desired. What should he do with himself if Mr. Wharton's money were now refused, and if the appointment in Guatemala were denied to him? And then he thought of poor Sexty Parker and his family. He was not naturally an ill-natured man.
The reader may, perhaps, remember that in the month of April Ferdinand Lopez had managed to extract a certain signature from his unfortunate city friend, Sexty Parker, which made that gentleman responsible for the payment of a considerable sum of money before the end of July. The transaction had been one of an unmixed painful nature to Mr. Parker.
"I hope not. Why should you ask?" "Believe me, a woman should never be afraid of 'em. I never would give in to be bullied and made little of by Sexty. I'd do a'most anything to make him comfortable, I'm that soft-hearted. And why not, when he's the father of my children? But I'm not going not to say a thing if I thinks it right, because I'm afeard."
In spite of all that he had done he had still some hope that he might avoid that banishment. He had spoken the truth to Sexty Parker in saying that he intended to get the £5000 from Mr. Wharton without that terrible personal sacrifice, though he had hardly spoken the truth when he assured his friend that the greater portion of that money would go to him.
Ferdinand, he always now called his friend by his Christian name, Ferdinand was beautifully, seraphically confident. And Sexty, who had been in a manner magnetised by Ferdinand, was confident too at certain periods of the day. He was very confident when he had had his two or three glasses of sherry at luncheon, and he was often delightfully confident with his cigar and brandy-and-water at night.
Sexty Parker had been sucked nearly dry, and was in truth at this moment so violent with indignation and fear and remorse that Lopez did not dare to show himself in Little Tankard Yard; but still there were, even yet, certain hopes in that direction from which great results might come.
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