Here there was a shuffling of feet, and fearing they might be coming into the salon, I beat a hasty retreat to my own room. Of course I could form no conception of what they were talking about, and went to bed trying to put meaning into the maze of words.
Some days after this, while brooding over our absurd and unfettered prodigality, I resolved to ask Torrence for another and larger check. My object was, as before, to save something out of the whirlwind of our extravagances, fearing my brother's improvidence. I pretended that there was an investment which I was anxious to make, that would take quite a large sum. Without a word of inquiry he turned with alacrity and said:
"Why, certainly! How much?"
I began an explanation which partook of the nature of a sermon on the expediency of putting by something for a rainy day, but he cut me short:
"Now, my dear fellow, I can't really stop for the lecture to-day; keep that for to-morrow; but as to the money, why it's yours anyhow, and you might as well take it now as at any other time. How much did you say?"
"Well, I didn't say exactly, but a good deal would be necessary to do what I thought of doing," I replied.
"Since you don't seem to know exactly how much, take this," he said, "and if it isn't enough, let me know!"
Without another word he sat down and dashed off a check for twenty thousand pounds, and handed it to me.
"Here, take it," he said, "it's only a small payment on account at best. Let me know if you want more."
He was off in a second, and left me standing like one petrified with the paper in my hand. I placed the amount to my credit with Whitehouse, Morse & Plunket, and got a friend to identify me as Gurthrie, instead of Torrence, Attlebridge.