“Why, indeed, I did urge you to pay off that moiety of your debts left unpaid, with your allowance. Had you done so, all had been well.”
“Yes; but poor Borrowell got into such a scrape at Goodwood, I could not resist him; a debt of honour,—that must be paid; so when I signed another bill for him, he could not pay it, poor fellow! Really he would have shot himself, if I had not renewed it. And now it is swelled to such an amount with that cursed interest, that he never can pay it; and one bill, of course, begets another,—and to be renewed every three months; ‘t is the devil and all! So little as I ever got for all I have borrowed,” added Frank, with a kind of rueful amaze. “Not L1,500 ready money; and the interest would cost me almost as much yearly,—if I had it.” “Only L1,500!”
“Well; besides seven large chests of the worst cigars you ever smoked, three pipes of wine that no one would drink, and a great bear that had been imported from Greenland for the sake of its grease.”
“That should, at least, have saved you a bill with your hairdresser.”
“I paid his bill with it,” said Frank, “and very good-natured he was to take the monster off my hands,—it had already hugged two soldiers and one groom into the shape of a flounder. I tell you what,” resumed Frank, after a short pause, “I have a great mind even now to tell my father honestly all my embarrassments.”
RANDAL (solemnly).—“Hum!”
FRANK.—“What? don’t you think it would be the best way? I never can save enough,—never can pay off what I owe; and it rolls like a snowball.”
RANDAL.—“Judging by the squire’s talk, I think that with the first sight of your affairs you would forfeit his favour forever; and your mother would be so shocked, especially after supposing that the sum I brought you so lately sufficed to pay off every claim on you. If you had not assured her of that it might be different; but she, who so hates an untruth, and who said to the squire, ‘Frank says this will clear him; and with all his faults, Frank never yet told a lie!’”
“Oh, my dear mother!—I fancy I hear her!” cried Frank, with deep emotion. “But I did not tell a lie, Randal; I did not say that that sum would clear me.”
“You empowered and begged me to say so,” replied Randal, with grave coldness; “and don’t blame me if I believed you.”