The Irish lord came in--with his medical friend sulkily in attendance
on him. He looked at Fanny, and asked where her mistress was.
"My lady is in her room, sir."
Hearing this, he turned sharply to Mountjoy. On the point of speaking,
he seemed to think better of it, and went to his wife's room. The maid
followed. "Get rid of him now," she whispered to Hugh, glancing at the
doctor. Mr. Vimpany was in no very approachable humour--standing at the
window, with his hands in his empty pockets, gloomily looking out. But
Hugh was not disposed to neglect the opportunity; he ventured to say:
"You don't seem to be in such good spirits as usual."
The doctor gruffly expressed his opinion that Mr. Mountjoy would not be
particularly cheerful, in his place. My lord had taken him to the
office, on the distinct understanding that he was to earn a little
pocket-money by becoming one of the contributors to the newspaper. And
how had it ended? The editor had declared that his list of writers was
full, and begged leave to suggest that Mr. Vimpany should wait for the
next vacancy. A most impertinent proposal! Had Lord Harry--a
proprietor, remember--exerted his authority? Not he! His lordship had
dropped the doctor "like a hot potato," and had meanly submitted to his
own servant. What did Mr. Mountjoy think of such conduct as that?
Hugh answered the question, with his own end in view. Paving the way
for Mr. Vimpany's departure from the cottage at Passy, he made a polite
offer of his services.
"Can't I help you out of your difficulty?" he said.
"You!" cried the doctor. "Have you forgotten how you received me, sir,
when I asked for a loan at your hotel in London?"
Hugh admitted that he might have spoken hastily. "You took me by
surprise," he said, "and (perhaps I was mistaken, on my side) I thought
you were, to say the least of it, not particularly civil. You did
certainly use threatening language when you left me. No man likes to be
treated in that way."
Mr. Vimpany's big bold eyes stared at Mountjoy in a state of
bewilderment. "Are you trying to make a fool of me?" he asked.
"I am incapable, Mr. Vimpany, of an act of rudeness towards anybody."
"If you come to that," the doctor stoutly declared, "I am incapable
too. It's plain to me that we have been misunderstanding each other.
Wait a bit; I want to go back for a moment to that threatening language
which you complained of just now. I was sorry for what I had said as
soon as your door was shut on me. On my way downstairs I did think of
turning back and making a friendly apology before I gave you up.
Suppose I had done that?" Mr. Vimpany asked, wondering internally
whether Mountjoy was foolish enough to believe him.