trembling knees, evidently with one foot in the grave, Harry could not help hoping that he might never become like one of them, and he longed once more to be back at Stanmore in the company of Mabel. He thought, too, of her dying cousin, for the last account which had been received gave no hopes of her recovery, and every day he expected to hear that she was no more. He was thankful when at length he received Lady Tryons commands to order her coach. She was in a worse humour even than usual.
Fortune wont desert me, she said at length, as they were nearing home; theres another chance; I intend to purchase some lottery tickets: they can bring me through, though nothing else can, unless, Harry, when you marry the little heiress you take care of your old grand-dame; you owe her something for bringing you up as a gentleman, for if I had not taken you up you would have been even now a merchants clerk in the city! Faugh! that such should be the fate of a grandson of General Tryon.
Harry did not venture to remark that her ladyships brother was a merchant, and probably had been a merchants clerk in his younger days; however, he thought as much.
Chapter Nine. Played Out. The Last Throw
He thought this as he came up from his room. The post arrived at the same moment. A letter was delivered to him. It was from Mabel, announcing her cousins death. She called him her dear Harry, and concluded with ever the same. Had he been alone he would have pressed the letter to his lips; as it was, he merely repeated the more important part of its contents to his grandmother. Utterly worldly, and devoid of any higher feeling, the old lady received the news in a heartless way. She scarcely uttered an expression of regret; indeed, Harry could not help seeing that she was highly pleased.
You must marry the heiress, she said; you must praise her to Mr Kyffin, and I will back you up, and we will see what he can do for you.
She suddenly seemed to think Harry appeared doubtful as to what he should do.
I tell you, boy, Ill cut you off to a shilling, she said, getting up and laying her hand on his arm. You will be a beggar, and a wretched beggar, if you dont follow my advice. I will not say more; I have said enough; but remember.
Yes, your ladyship has said enough, answered Harry. I love Mabel too well to have her for the sake of her fortune, and I have no wish to see her father die that I may become its possessor.
Nonsense, boy! exclaimed the old lady, in a harsh, shrill voice. Youre a fool, Harry.
The unpleasant conversation was interrupted by a servant entering, and announcing a visitor.
Mr Flockton, who is he? asked Harry, as he looked at the card.
I know him; I am glad he has come, said Lady Tryon; it will save me a long drive into the city.
As she spoke, a middle-aged gentleman in fashionable costume entered the room. He was a somewhat short man, broadly built, with regular features, and a shining bald forehead, from which his lightly-powdered hair was completely drawn off, and fastened behind in a pigtail. The expression of his countenance was bland, with an apparently candid manner, a smile showing his fine white teeth; and an air of nonchalance, though rather evidently the result of artificial politeness than of natural courtesy or good breeding. He bowed with a flourish of his hat to Lady Tryon, and gave a familiar nod to the young gentleman as he sank back in the seat placed for him by the servant. Lady Tryon had had some previous transactions with Mr Flockton, who was the great lottery contractor. It was part of his business to know everybody, as well as their private concerns, in all parts of the United Kingdom. Many was the lady of rank, a merchants or a shopkeepers wife in London, with whom Mr Flockton had managed to scrape acquaintance, but his chief constituents were among the great masses of society that underlie the noble and the wealthy. His baits and nets lay ready for fish of the smallest size, also, many who could with difficulty raise the sum of 1 pound 11 shillings 6 pence, whereby a sixteenth share of the 20,000 pound prize might by two lucky turns of the wheel of fortune be gained. He caught others by half and even whole tickets at various prices. In country inns Mr Flocktons advertisements were found fastened up among the
political ballads on the walls of the public rooms. They were often circulated by the same book-hawkers who supplied the vast numbers of tracts and verses then published on The rights of man, and Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, advocated by the French Revolutionists and the English Jacobins. In every manufacturing town and district they came round with parcels of goods and patterns, and were eagerly read by workpeople and masters alike. They circulated in the servants halls, even before they were read in the oak parlours and cedar galleries of the granges and lordly castles of the land, and many a poor clergyman dreamed of education for his boys and portions for his girls from the result of a lottery ticket.