“Charles Townley, sir, is no better than a scoundrel,” said Mr. Livingstone slowly. “He had all my wife’s money, and nearly all of mine—but DAMME, sir, do you suppose I care for the money? If Charles Townley were sitting here with me again—I would give him— If Charlie Townley were sitting here, I—” The old man’s voice grew weak, and he broke off in a sob.
The young men shifted about uneasily; and Derwent, in his corner, put up his newspaper before his face and tried to read.
Lucie Gower came in. He had just got home from a shooting trip down South. “Is Mr. Townley here?” said he. “I stopped at Wall Street on my way up-town; and they tell me that the officers have gone to arrest him.”
“No,” said someone. Then there was a long silence. Mr. Livingstone spoke again. “Charles Townley was the oldest member of this club. And I am the next; and was his oldest friend. And Charles Townley is a scoundrel.” The old man rose; and the younger men thought he was going out, and made way for him at the door. But he walked over to the printed list of members that was opposite him upon the wall. “Charles Townley—1839,” he muttered, as he found the place; and taking a pen that lay on the table beneath, he filled it with ink, and drew it, with a trembling hand, heavily across the name. Then he turned, and went to the door; while the younger men sat silent. There he stopped a moment. “We are gentlemen in this club. That is all.” And they heard his uncertain step across the hall.
All the men sat and looked at one another; but no one cared to speak. After some minutes a group gathered around Gower, and conversed in undertones. “It was the only thing to do,” said one. “He will never come here to see.”
“We could not have expelled the poor old gentleman,” said Van Kull.
“But is it really as bad as he says?”
“I have no doubt of it. Tamms has made a clean sweep. And the old gentleman must have given him access to his own trusts.”
“Poor old fellow! But what will Charlie do?”
“Oh, Charlie will fall on his legs. Wasn’t it plucky, the way he faced the market yesterday?”