"Yet madame knows that I am in possession of a portion of zie discovery, and that it is in my power to pursue it further, though, for family considerations, I offer her to take me into confidence, so that all may profit in unison," said the Greek, in his blandest manner.
"The very word profit shows your utter want of appreciation," said Mrs. Brownlow, with dignity. "Such discoveries are the property of the entire faculty, to be used for the general benefit, not for private selfish profit. I do not know how much information may have been obtained, but if any attempt be made to use it in the charlatan fashion you propose, I shall at once expose the whole transaction, and send my husband's papers to the Lancet."
Hermann shrugged his shoulders and looked at Lucas, as if considering whether more or less reason could be expected from a soldier than from a woman. It was to him that he spoke.
"Madame cannot see zie matter in zie light of business. I have offered freely to share all that I shall gain, if I may only obtain the data needful to perfect zie discovery of zie learned and venerated father. I am met wit anger I cannot comprehend."
"Nor ever will," said Caroline.
"And," pursued Dr. Hermann, "when, on zie oder hand, I explain that my wife has imparted to me sufficient to enable me to perfectionate the discovery, and if the reserve be continued, it is just to demand compensation, I am met with indignation even greater. I appeal to zie captain. Is this treatment such as my proposals merit?"
"Not quite," said Jock. "That is to be kicked out of the house, as you shortly will be, if you do not take yourself off."
"Sir, your amiable affection for madame leads you to forget, as she does, zie claim of your sister."
"No one has any claim on my mother," said Jock.
"Zie moral claim-zie claim of affection," began the Greek; but Caroline interrupted him-
"Dr. Hermann is not the person fitly to remind me of these. They have not been much thought of in Janet's case. I mean to act as justly as I can by my daughter, but I have absolutely nothing to give her at present. Till I know what my own means may prove to be I can do nothing."
"But madame holds out zie hope of some endowment. I shall be in a condition to be independent of it, but it would be sweet to my wife as a token of pardon. I could bear away a promise."
"I promise nothing," was the reply. "If I have anything to give- even then, all would depend on your conduct and the line you may take. And above all, remember, it is in my power to frustrate and expose any attempt to misuse any hints that may have been stolen from my husband's memoranda. In my power, and my duty."
"Madame might have spared me this," sighed the Athenian. "My poor Janette! She will not believe how her husband has been received."
He was gone. Caroline dropped into a chair, but the next moment she almost screamed-
"Oh, we must not let him go thus! He may revenge it on her! Go after him, get his address, tell him she shall have her share if he will behave well to her."
Jock fulfilled his mission according to his own judgment, and as he returned his mother started up.
"You have not brought him back!"
"I should rather think not!"
"Janet's husband! Oh, Jock, it is very dreadful! My poor child!"
She had been a little lioness in face of the enemy, but she was trembling so hopelessly that Jock put her on a couch and knelt with his arm round her while she laid her head on his strong young shoulder.
"Let me fetch you some wine, mother darling," he said.
"No, no-to feel you is better than anything," putting his arm closer-
"What was it all about, mother?"
"Ah! you don't know, yet you went straight to the point, my dear champion."
"He was bullying you, that was enough. I thought for a moment the brute was going to strike you."
"That was only gesticulation. I'm glad you didn't knock him down when you made in to the rescue."
She could laugh a little now.
"I should like to have done it. What did he want? Money, of course?"
"Not solely. I can't tell you all about it; but Janet saw some memoranda of your father's, and he wants to get hold of them."
"To pervert them to some quackery?"
"If not, I do him great injustice."
"Give them up to a rogue like that! I should guess not! It will be some little time before he tries again. Well done, little mother!"
"If he will not turn upon her."
"What a speculation he must have thought her."
"Don't talk of it, Jock; I can't bear to think of her in such hands."
"Janet has a spirit of her own. I should think she could get her way with her subtle Athenian. Where did he drop from?"
"He overtook me on my way back from the Church, for indeed I did not mean to break my appointment. I don't think the servants knew who was here. And Jock, if you mention it to the others, don't speak of this matter of the papers. Call it, as you may with truth, an attempt to extort money."
"Very well," he gravely said.
"It is true," she continued, "that I have valuable memoranda of your father's in my charge; but you must trust me when I say that I am not at liberty to tell you more."
"Of course I do. So the mother was really coming, like a good little Red-riding-hood, to bring her son's dinner into the forest, when she met with the wolf! Pray, has he eaten up the two kids at a mouthful?"
"No, Miss Parsons had done that already. They are making the Church so beautiful, and it did not seem possible to spare them, though I hope Armine may get home in time to get his work done for Bobus."
"Is not he worked rather hard between the two? He does not seem to thrive on it."
"Jock, I can say it to you. I don't know what to do. The poor boy's heart is in these Church matters, and he is so bitterly grieved at the failure of all his plans that I cannot bear to check him in doing all he can. It is just what I ought to have been doing all these years; I only saw my duties as they were being taken away from me, and so I deserve the way Miss Parsons treats me."
"What way?"
"You need not bristle up. She is very civil; but when I hint that Armine has study and health to consider, I see that in her eyes I am the worldly obstructive mother who serves as a trial to the hero."
"If she makes Armine think so-"
"Armie is too loyal for that. Yet it may be only too true, and only my worldliness that wishes for a little discretion. Still, I don't think a sensible woman, if she were ever so good and devoted, would encourage his fretting over the disappointment, or lead him to waste his time when so much depends on his diligence. I am sure the focus of her mind must be distorted, and she is twisting his the same way."
"And her brother follows suit?"
"I think they go in parallel grooves, and he lets her alone. It is very unlucky, for they are a constant irritation to Bobus, and he fancies them average specimens of good people. He sneers, and I can't say but that much of what he says is true, but there is the envenomed drop in it which makes his good sense shocking to Armine, and I fear Babie relishes it more than is good for her. So they make one another worse, and so they will as long as we are here. It was a great mistake to stay on, and your uncle must feel it so."
"Could you not go to Dieppe, or some cheap place?"
"I don't feel justified in any more expense. Here the house costs nothing, and our personal expenditure does not go beyond our proper means; but to pay for lodging elsewhere would soon bring me in excess of it, at least as long as Allen keeps up the yacht. Then poor Janet must have something, and I don't know what bills may be in store for me, and there's your outfit, and Bobus's."
"Never mind mine."
"My dear, that's fine talking, but you can't go like Sir Charles Napier, with one shirt and a bit of soap."
"No, but I shall get something for the exchange. Besides, my kit was costly even for the Guards, and will amply cover all that."
"And you have sold your horses?"
"And have been living on them ever since! Come, won't that encourage you to make a little jaunt, just to break the spell?"