Blind Love

Hugh advanced a little nearer to the design that he had in view.

"You might have found me more kindly disposed towards you," he said,

"than you had anticipated."

This encouraging reply cost him an effort. He had stooped to the

unworthy practice of perverting what he had said and done on a former

occasion, to serve a present interest. Remind himself as he might of

the end which, in the interests of Iris, did really appear to justify

the means, he still sank to a place in his own estimation which he was

honestly ashamed to occupy.

Under other circumstances his hesitation, slight as it was, might have

excited suspicion. As things were, Mr. Vimpany could only discover

golden possibilities that dazzled his eyes. "I wonder whether you're in

the humour," he said, "to be kindly disposed towards me now?"

It was needless to be careful of the feelings of such man as this.

"Suppose you had the money you want in your pocket," Hugh suggested,

"what would you do with it?"

"Go back to London, to be sure, and publish the first number of that

work of mine I told you of."

"And leave your friend, Lord Harry?"

"What good is my friend to me? He's nearly as poor as I am--he sent for

me to advise him--I put him up to a way of filling both our pockets,

and he wouldn't hear of it. What sort of a friend do you call that?"

Pay him and get rid of him. There was the course of proceeding

suggested by the private counsellor in Mountjoy's bosom.

"Have you got the publisher's estimate of expenses?" he asked.

The doctor instantly produced the document.

To a rich man the sum required was, after all, trifling enough.

Mountjoy sat down at the writing-table. As he took up a pen, Mr.

Vimpany's protuberant eyes looked as if they would fly out of his head.

"If I lend you the money--" Hugh began.

"Yes? Yes?" cried the doctor.

"I do so on condition that nobody is to know of the loan but

ourselves."

"Oh, sir, on my sacred word of honour--" An order on Mountjoy's bankers

in Paris for the necessary amount, with something added for travelling

expenses, checked Mr. Vimpany in full career of protestation. He tried

to begin again: "My friend! my benefactor--"

He was stopped once more. His friend and benefactor pointed to the

clock.

"If you want the money to-day, you have just time to get to Paris

before the bank closes."