Wives and Daughters: An Every-Day Story
Page 217When Roger came home Osborne did not let a day pass before telling
his brother of his plans. He never did conceal anything long from
Roger; the feminine part of his character made him always desirous of
a confidant, and as sweet sympathy as he could extract. But Roger's
opinion had no effect on Osborne's actions; and Roger knew this full
well. So when Osborne began with--"I want your advice on a plan
I have got in my head," Roger replied: "Some one told me that the
Duke of Wellington's maxim was never to give advice unless he could
enforce its being carried into effect; now I can't do that; and you
know, old boy, you don't follow out my advice when you've got it."
You're thinking about this concealment of my marriage; but you're
not up in all the circumstances. You know how fully I meant to have
done it, if there hadn't been that row about my debts; and then my
mother's illness and death. And now you've no conception how my
father is changed--how irritable he has become! Wait till you've been
at home a week! Robinson, Morgan--it's the same with them all; but
worst of all with me."
"Poor fellow!" said Roger; "I thought he looked terribly changed:
shrunken, and his ruddiness of complexion altered."
wonder. He has turned away all the men off the new works, which used
to be such an interest to him; and because the roan cob stumbled with
him one day, and nearly threw him, he won't ride it; and yet he won't
sell it and buy another, which would be the sensible plan; so there
are two old horses eating their heads off, while he is constantly
talking about money and expense. And that brings me to what I was
going to say. I'm desperately hard up for money, and so I've been
collecting my poems--weeding them well, you know--going over them
quite critically, in fact; and I want to know if you think Deighton
daresay he would look at them if you offered them to him."
"I can but try," said Roger; "but I'm afraid you won't get much by
them."
"I don't expect much. I'm a new man, and must make my name. I should
be content with a hundred. If I'd a hundred pounds I'd set myself to
do something. I might keep myself and Aimée by my writings while I
studied for the bar; or, if the worst came to the worst, a hundred
pounds would take us to Australia."