And now there fell a silence so utter that Barnabas could distinctly
hear the tick of Natty Bell's great watch in his fob; a silence in
which Mr. Smivvle stared with wide-eyed dismay, while Barrymaine sat
motionless with his glass half-way to his lips. Then Mr. Chichester
laughed again, but the scar glowed upon his pallid cheek, and the
lurking demon peeped out of his narrowed eyes.
"And for this," said he, shaking his head in gentle disbelief,
"for this our young Good Samaritan is positively eager to pay twenty
thousand odd pounds--"
"As a loan," muttered Barrymaine, "it would be only a loan, and I--I
should be free of Jasper Gaunt f-for good and all, damn him!"
"Let us rather say you would try a change of masters--"
"Now--by God--Chichester--!"
"Ah!--ah, to be sure, Ronald, our young Good Samaritan having
purchased the brother, would naturally expect the sister--"
"Have a c-care, Chichester, I say!"
"The sister to be grateful, my dear boy. Pah! don't you see it,
Ronald? a sprat to catch a whale! The brother saved, the sister's
gratitude gained--Oh, most disinterested, young Good Samaritan!"
"Ha! by heaven, I never thought of that!" cried Barrymaine, turning
upon Barnabas, "is it Cleone--is it? is it?"
"No," said Barnabas, folding his arms--a little ostentatiously,
"I seek only to be your friend in this."
"Friend!" exclaimed Mr. Chichester, laughing again, "friend, Ronald?
Nay, let us rather say your guardian angel in cords and Hessians."
"Since you condescend to mention my boots, sir," said Barnabas
growing polite, "may I humbly beg you to notice that, in spite of
their polish and tassels, they are as strong, as serviceable for
kicking purposes as those I wore when we last--sat at table together."
Mr. Chichester's iron self-control wavered for a moment, his brows
twitched together, and he turned upon Barnabas with threatening
gesture but, reading the purpose in the calm eye and smiling lip of
Barnabas, he restrained himself; yet seeming aware of the glowing
mark upon his cheek, he turned suddenly and, coming to the dingy
casement, stood with his back to the room, staring down into the
dingy street. Then Barnabas leaned forward and laid his hand upon
Barrymaine's, and it so happened it was the hand that yet held the
slopping wineglass.
"Think--think!" said Barnabas earnestly, "once you are free of Gaunt,
life will begin afresh for you, you can hold up your head again--"
"Though never in London, Ronald, I fear," added Mr. Chichester over
his shoulder.
"Once free of Gaunt, you may attain to higher things than you ever
did," said Barnabas.
"Unless the dead past should happen to come to life again, and find
a voice some day," added Mr. Chichester over his shoulder.
"No, no!" said Barnabas, feeling the quiver of the fingers within
his own, "I tell you it would mean a new beginning--a new life--a
new ending for you--"