"Do they know it at home?" asked Fred.
"Yes."
"And you have left all of them in trouble?"
"They are heart-broken," sobbed Uncle Leth; "and so am I!"
"Now, Uncle Leth," said Fred, with a comfortable squeeze at Uncle Leth's arm, "just you listen to me a moment. There is nothing to be heart-broken about when you have a friend like me at your elbow."
"Don't mock me, Fred."
"God forbid that I should! What! After all your sweet goodness to my darling Phœbe! after all your kindness to me, to think that I should mock you! I am going to get you out of your trouble. A nice thing friendship would be if it wasn't equal to such a little matter as this!"
"A little matter, Fred! You call it a little matter!"
"Of course I do. On my word and honour as a man, as a true friend, you shall have the acceptance for three hundred pounds in your hands, if not to-night, at all events to-morrow. Give me the name and address of the man who holds it and who demands his pound of flesh. He shall have it to the last grain. Leave it to me, and go to your work with a cheerful heart."
"Do you mean it, Fred?" asked Uncle Leth, solemnly.
"As truly as I stand here! As truly as I love my Phœbe, the dearest girl in all the wide world, of whom I should be unworthy if I failed you at such a pinch as truly as I hope, despite all obstacles, to make her my wife, and to live a long and happy life with her! Quick, now, your time is almost up. Give me Shylock's name and address, and the thing is done. Ah; that is it, is it? I shall be able to settle the affair with him."
"God bless you, Fred!" said Uncle Leth, carried away by the young man's impetuous enthusiasm. "God in heaven bless you!"
"I hope so.
And you and yours, and my own dear girl! Why, here's a telegraph office, three doors from the bank! We have just forty-five seconds to send a telegram to Aunt Leth. I will write it out. 'My dear Wife, Do not worry about the bill. It is paid, and I am happy. God bless all at home! Uncle Leth.' How much? One-and-a-penny-ha'penny. How is that? Oh yes, the address! Quite right. Tenpence-ha'penny change. Thank you. Now, here we are outside, and there's your bank; and hi! here's a hansom. Good-bye, Uncle Leth. What a lovely morning!"
He rung Uncle Leth's hand, gave him a bright smile, jumped into the cab, and was whirled away.
How he managed it need not be here recapitulated. Sufficient that he did manage it, and that the affair was arranged before one o'clock. Perhaps he borrowed a trifle from a friend or two; perhaps he scraped up every shilling of his own; perhaps he paid a business visit to a gentleman whose trade-mark was three beautiful golden balls; perhaps he left another acceptance for a smaller amount than the original bill, with his own and a good friend's name on it, in Shylock's hands. But all the "perhapsing" in the world would have been useless had he not succeeded in bringing the matter to a satisfactory issue. And there he was at the bank exactly as the clock struck one, and asking to be allowed to say a word to Mr. Lethbridge, whispered in his ear, "It is all right."
CHAPTER VIII PHŒBE IN PERIL
Mr. Beeminster stared at her, and answered: "No, not that I am aware of. The inquiry upon which I am engaged relates to Miss Farebrother your niece and her father."
A sigh of relief escaped Aunt Leth's bosom, and Mr. Beeminster stared the harder at her.
"Have you heard anything?" he asked. "Do you know what has occurred?"
"I do not understand you," she replied.
"Miss Farebrother has resided with you for how long?"
"I cannot exactly say. For some time; since she left her father's house and came to us. But why do you question me?"
"You are not compelled to answer. It may be that you have something to conceal."
"I have nothing to conceal," said Aunt Leth indignantly.
"Or that, Miss Farebrother having got herself into trouble, it is your wish to screen her."
"My niece has not got herself into trouble," said Aunt Leth, feeling herself in a certain sense helpless in the hands of this man. "She is not capable of doing anything wrong. I will answer any reasonable questions you may put to me."
"It may be as well. Otherwise you might be suspected of a guilty knowledge. Miss Farebrother left her father's house and came to reside with you?"
"Yes; she has been in the habit of coming and stopping with us, from time to time, since she was a child."
"But never for so long a time as this?"
"That is true. We have a deep love for her. Our home is hers."
"She ought to be grateful for it."
"She is."
"Her friends will best serve her by being open and frank."
"But what has our dear child done?" asked Aunt Leth, in an imploring tone. "What has she done?"
"You will hear presently, if you have a little patience. On this last occasion of her coming to you did she do so with her father's consent?"
"It is a family secret," replied Aunt Leth despairingly.
"It will tell against her if you refuse to answer. I am here in the cause of justice."
"Of justice?"