第124章

'Yes, yes, yes; that's true. I think of that sometimes, though perhaps not so much as I ought to do. But the best way to be thankful is to use the goods the gods provide you. "The lovely Thais sits beside you. Take the goods the gods provide you." I often say that to my wife, till the children have got calling her Thais. The children have it pretty much their own way with us, Mr Crawley.'

By this time Mr Crawley was almost beside himself, and was altogether at a loss how to bring in the matter on which he wished to speak. He had expected to find a man who in the hurry of London business might perhaps just manage to spare him five minutes--who would grapple instantly with the subject that was to be discussed between them, would speak to him half-a-dozen hard words of wisdom, and would then dismiss him and turn on the instant to other matters of important business;--but here was an easy familiar fellow, who seemed to have nothing on earth to do, and who at this first meeting had taken advantage of a distant family connexion to tell him everything about the affairs of his own household. And then how peculiar were the domestic affairs which he told! What was Mr Crawley to say to a man who had taught his own children to call their mother Thais? Of Thais Mr Crawley did know something, and he forgot to remember that perhaps Mr Toogood knew less. He felt it, however, to be very difficult to submit the details of his case to a gentleman who talked in such a strain about his own wife and children.

But something must be done. Mr Crawley, in his present frame of mind, could not sit and talk about Thais all day. 'Sir,' he said, 'the picture of your home is very pleasant, and I presume that plenty abounds there.'

'Well, you know, pretty toll-loll for that. With twelve of 'em, Mr Crawley, I needn't tell you they are not all going to have castles and parks of their own, unless they can get 'em off their own bats. But Ipay upwards of a hundred a year each for my eldest three boys' schooling, and I've been paying eighty for the girls. Put that together and see what it comes to. Educate, educate, educate; that's my word.'

'No better word can be spoken, sir.'

'I don't think there's a girl in Tavistock Square that can beat Polly--she's the eldest, called after her mother, you know--that can beat her at the piano. And Lucy has read Lord Byron and Tom Moore all through, every word of 'em. By Jove, I believe she knows most of Tom Moore by heart. And the young uns a coming on just as well.'

'Perhaps, sir, as your time is, no doubt, precious--'

'We'll tackle to? Very well; so be it. Now, Mr Crawley, let me hear what it is I can do for you.' Of a sudden, as Mr Toogood spoke these last words, the whole tone of his voice seemed to change, and even the position of his body became so much altered as to indicate a different kind of man. 'You just tell your story in your own way, and I won't interrupt you till you've done. That's always the best.'

'I must first crave your attention to an unfortunate preliminary,' said Mr Crawley.

'And what is that?'

'I come before you in forma pauperis.' Here Mr Crawley paused and stood up before the attorney with his hands crossed one upon the other, bending low, as though calling attention to the poorness of his raiment.

'I know that I have no justification for my conduct. I have nothing of reason to offer why I should trespass upon your time. I am a poor man, and cannot pay you for your services.'

'Oh, bother!' said Mr Toogood, jumping from his chair.

'I do not know whether your charity will grant me that which I ask--'

'Don't let us have any more of this,' said the attorney. 'We none of us like that kind of thing at all. If I can be of any service to you, you're as welcome as flowers in May; and as for billing my first-cousin, which your wife is, I should as soon think of sending an account to my own.'

'But, Mr Toogood--'

'Do you go on now with your story; I'll put the rest all right.'

'I was bound to be explicit, Mr Toogood.'

'Very well; now you have been explicit with a vengeance, and you may heave ahead. Let's hear the story, and if I can help you I will. When I've said that, you may be sure I mean it. I've heard something of it before; but let me hear it all from you.'

Then Mr Crawley began and told his story. Mr Toogood was actually true to his promise and let the narrator go on with his narrative without interruption. When Mr Crawley came to his own statement that the cheque had been paid to him by Mr Soames, and went on to say that that statement had been false--'I told him that, but I told him so wrongly,' and then paused, thinking that the lawyer would ask some question, Mr Toogood simply said, 'Go on; go on. I'll come back to all that when you've done.' And he merely nodded his head when Mr Crawley spoke of his second statement, that the money had come from the dean. 'We had been bound together by close ties of early familiarity,' said Mr Crawley, 'and in former years our estates in life were the same. But he has prospered and I have failed. And when creditors were importunate, Iconsented to accept relief in money which had previously been often offered. And I must acknowledge, Mr Toogood, while saying this, that Ihave known--have known with heartfelt agony--that at former times my wife has taken that from my friend Mr Arabin, with hand half-hidden from me, which I have refused. Whether it be better to eat--the bread of charity --or not to eat bread at all, I, for myself, have no doubt,' he said; 'but when the want strikes one's wife and children, and the charity strikes only oneself, then there is a doubt.' When he spoke thus, Mr Toogood got up, and thrusting his hands in his waistcoat pockets walked about the room, exclaiming, 'By George, by George, by George!' But he still let the man go on with his story, and heard him out at last to the end.

'And they committed you for trial at the next Barchester assizes?' said the lawyer.

'They did.'

'And you employed no lawyer before the magistrates?'

'None;--I refused to employ anyone.'

'You were wrong there, Mr Crawley. I must be allowed to say that you were wrong there.'