"You don't mind if we--drive about a bit, do you, Beverley?"

"Not in the least."

"I--er--I generally go the longest way round when I have to call on--"

"On Gaunt?"

"Yes."

Now as they went, Barnabas noticed that a change had come over his

companion, his voice had lost much of its jovial ring, his eye its

sparkle, while his ruddy cheeks were paler than their wont; moreover

he was very silent, and sat with bent head and with his square

shoulders slouched dejectedly. Therefore Barnabas must needs cast

about for some means of rousing him from this depression.

"You drive a very handsome turnout," said he at last.

"It is neat, isn't it?" nodded Slingsby, his eye brightening.

"Very!" said Barnabas, "and the horses--"

"Horses!" cried the Captain, almost himself again, "ha,

b'gad--there's action for you--and blood too! I was a year matching

'em. Cost me eight hundred guineas--and cheap at the money--but--"

"Well?"

"After all, Beverley, they--aren't mine, you see."

"Not yours?"

"No. They're--his!"

"You mean--Gaunt's?"

The Captain nodded gloomily.

"Yes," said he, "my horses are his, my curricle's his, my clothes

are his--everything's his. So am I, b'gad! Oh, you needn't look so

infernal incredulous--fact, I assure you. And, when you come to

think of it--it's all cursed humorous, isn't it?" and here the

Captain contrived to laugh, though it rang very hollow, to be sure.

"You owe--a great deal then?" said Barnabas.

"Owe?" said the Captain, turning to look at him, "I'm in up to my

neck, and getting deeper. Owe! B'gad, Beverley--I believe you!" But

now, at sight of gravefaced Barnabas, he laughed again, and this

time it sounded less ghoul-like. "Debt is a habit," he continued

sententiously, "that grows on one most damnably, and creditors are

the most annoying people in the world--so confoundedly unreasonable!

Of course I pay 'em--now and then--deserving cases, y' know. Fellow

called on me t' other day,--seemed to know his face. 'Who are you?'

says I. 'I'm the man who makes your whips, sir,' says he. 'And

devilish good whips too!' says I, 'how much do I owe you?' 'Fifteen

pounds, sir,' says he, 'I wouldn't bother you only'--well, it

seemed his wife was sick--fellow actually blubbered! So of course I

rang for my rascal Danby, Danby's my valet, y' know. 'Have you any

money, Danby?' says I. 'No sir,' says he; queer thing, but Danby

never has, although I pay him regularly--devilish improvident fellow,

Danby! So I went out and unearthed Jerningham--and paid the fellow

on the spot--only right, y' know."

"But why not pay your debts with your own money?" Barnabas inquired.

"For the very good reason that it all went,--ages ago!"

"Why, then," said Barnabas, "earn more."

"Eh?" said the Captain, staring, "earn it? My dear Beverley, I never

earned anything in my life, except my beggarly pay, and that isn't

enough even for my cravats."




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