‘We hope so,’ said Mr. Levison; ‘but it is a long figure.’
‘Well, but you get capital interest?’
‘Pish!’ said Mr. Levison; ‘ten per cent.! Why! it is giving away the money. Why! that’s the raw, Captin. With this here new bill annuities is nothink. Me and my pardner don’t do no annuities now. It’s giving money away; and all this here money locked up; and all to sarve you.’
‘Well; you will not help me,’ said Ferdinand, rising.
‘Do you raly want fifteen hundred?’ asked Mr. Levison.
‘By Jove, I do.’
‘Well now, Captin, when is this marriage to come off?’
‘Have I not told you a thousand times, and Morris too, that my cousin is not to marry until one year has passed since my grandfather’s death? It is barely a year. But of course, at this moment, of all others, I cannot afford to be short.’
‘Very true, Captin; and we are the men to sarve you, if we could. But we cannot. Never was such times for money; there is no seeing it. However, we will do what we can. Things is going very bad at Malta, and that’s the truth. There’s that young Catchimwhocan, we are in with him wery deep; and now he has left the Fusiliers and got into Parliament, he don’t care this for us. If he would only pay us, you should have the money; so help me, you should.’
‘But he won’t pay you,’ said Ferdinand. ‘What can you do?’