It was not because she was feeble that she was thought to be old. They who so judged of her were led to their opinion by the extreme thinness of her face, and by the brightness of her eyes, joined to the depth of the hollows in which they lay, and the red margin by which they were surrounded. It was not really the fact that Mrs Van Siever was so very aged, for she had still some years to live before she would reach eighty, but that she was such a weird old woman, so small, so ghastly, and so ugly! 'I'll sew him up, if he's robbing me,' she said. 'I will indeed!' And she stretched out her hand to grab at the ledger which Musselboro had been using.
'You won't understand anything from that,' said he, pushing the book over to her.
'You can explain it to me.'
'That's all straight sailing, that is.'
'And where does he keep the figures that aren't straight sailing? That's the book I want to see.'
'There is no such book.'
'Look here, Gus--if I find you deceiving me I'll throw you overboard as sure as I'm a living woman. I will indeed. I'll have no mercy. I've stuck to you, and made a man of you, and I expect you to stick to me.'
'Not much of a man,' said Musselboro, with a touch of scorn in his voice.
'You've never had a shilling yet but what I gave you.'
'Yes; I have. I've had what I've worked for--and worked confounded hard too.'
'Look here, Musselboro; if you're going to throw me over, just tell me so, and let us begin fair.'
'I'm not going to throw you over. I've always been on the square with you. Why don't you trust me out and out, and then I could do a deal better for you. You ask me now about your money. I don't know about your money, Mrs Van Siever. How am I to know anything about your money, Mrs Van Seiver? You don't give me any power of keeping a hand upon Dobbs Broughton. I suppose you have security from Dobbs Broughton, but I don't know what security you have, Mrs Van Siever. He owes you now 915 pounds 16s 2d on last year's account!'
'Why doesn't he give me a cheque for the money?'
'He says he can't spare it. You may have 500 pounds, and the rest when he can give it to you. Or he'll give you his note-of-hand at fourteen days on the whole.'
'Bother the note-of-hand. Why should I take his note-of-hand?'
'Do as you like, Mrs Van Siever.'
'It's the interest on my own money. Why don't he give it me? I suppose he has had it.'
'You must ask him that, Mrs Van Siever. You're in partnership with him, and he can tell you. Nobody knows anything about it. If you were in partnership with me, then of course I could tell you. But you're not.
You've never trusted me, Mrs Van Siever.'
The lady remained there closeted with Mr Musselboro for an hour after that, and did, I think, at length learn something more as to the details of her partner's business than her faithful servant Mr Musselboro had at first found himself able to give to her. And at last they came to friendly and confidential terms, in the midst of which the personal welfare of Mr Dobbs Broughton was, I fear, somewhat forgotten. Not that Mr Musselboro palpably and plainly threw his friend overboard. He took his friend's part--alleging excuses for him, and pleading some facts.
'Of course, you know, a man like that is fond of pleasure, Mrs Van Siever. He's been at it more or less all his life. I don't suppose he ever missed a Derby or an Oaks, or the cup at Ascot, or the Goodwood in his life.' 'He'll have to miss them before long, I'm thinking,' said Mrs Van Siever. 'And as to not cashing up, you must remember, Mrs Van Siever, that ten per cent won't come in quite as regularly as four or five. When you go for high interest, there must be hitches here and there. There must, indeed, Mrs Van Siever.' 'I know all about it,' said Mrs Van Siever. 'If he gave it to me as soon as he got it himself, Ishouldn't complain. Never mind. He's only got to give me my little bit of money out of the business, and then he and I will be all square. You come and see Clara this evening, Gus.'
Then Mr Musselboro put Mrs Van Siever into another cab, and went out upon the 'Change--hanging about the Bank, and standing in Threadneedle Street, talking to other men just like himself. When he saw Dobbs Broughton he told that gentleman that Mrs Van Siever had been in her tantrums, but that he had managed to pacify her before she left Hook Court. 'I'm to take the cheque for the five hundred tonight,' he said.