But it was too late. Lord Spendquick was in the hall, and presently within the room. How d’ye do’s were exchanged and hands shaken.
LORD SPENDQUICK.—“I have a note for you, Hazeldean.”
FRANK (lazily).—“From whom?”
LORD SPENDQUICK.—“Levy. Just come from him,—never saw him in such a fidget. He was going into the city,—I suppose to see X. Y. Dashed off this note for you, and would have sent it by a servant, but I said I would bring it.”
FRANK (looking fearfully at the note).—“I hope he does not want his money yet. ‘Private and confidential,’—that looks bad.”
SPENDQUICK.—“Devilish bad, indeed.”
Frank opens the note, and reads, half aloud, “Dear Hazeldean—”
SPENDQUICK (interrupting.)—“Good sign! He always Spendquicks me when he lends me money; and ‘t is ‘My dear Lord’ when he wants it back. Capital sign!”
Frank reads on, but to himself, and with a changing countenance,
DEAR HAZELDEAN,—I am very sorry to tell you that, in consequence of
the sudden failure of a house at Paris with which I Had large
dealings, I am pressed on a sudden for all the ready money I can
get. I don’t want to inconvenience you, but do try to see if you
can take up those bills of yours which I hold, and which, as you
know, have been due some little time. I had hit on a way of
arranging your affairs; but when I hinted at it, you seemed to
dislike the idea; and Leslie has since told me that you have strong
objections to giving any security on your prospective property. So
no more of that, my dear fellow. I am called out in haste to try
what I can do for a very charming client of mine, who is in great
pecuniary distress, though she has for her brother a foreign count,
as rich as a Croesus. There is an execution in her house. I am
going down to the tradesman who put it in, but have no hope of
softening him; and I fear there will be others before the day is
out. Another reason for wanting money, if you can help me, mon
cher! An execution in the house of one of the most brilliant women
in London,—an execution in Curzon Street, May Fair! It will be all
over the town if I can’t stop it.
Yours in haste,
LEVY.
P.S.—Don’t let what I have said vex you too much. I should not
trouble you if Spendquick and Borrowell would pay me something.
Perhaps you can get them to do so.