I was astonished to find him in deep mourning. "My dear Carbonnell," said I, inquiringly, "I hope no severe loss?"
"Nay, my dear Newland, I should be a hypocrite if I said so; for there never was a more merry mourner, and that's the truth of it. Mr M——, who, you know, stood between me and the peerage, has been drowned in the Rhone; I now have a squeak for it. His wife has one daughter, and is enceinte. Should the child prove a boy, I am done for, but if a girl, I must then come in to the barony, and fifteen thousand pounds per annum. However, I've hedged pretty handsomely."
"How do you mean?"
"Why they say that when a woman commences with girls, she generally goes on, and the odds are two to one that Mrs M—— has a girl. I have taken the odds at the clubs to the amount of fifteen thousand pounds; so if it be a girl I shall have to pay that out of my fifteen thousand pounds per annum, as soon as I fall into it; if it be a boy, and I am floored, I shall pocket thirty thousand pounds by way of consolation for the disappointment. They are all good men."
"Yes, but they know you never pay."
"They know I never do now, because I have no money; but they know I will pay if I come into the estate; and so I will, most honourably, besides a few more thousands that I have in my book."
"I congratulate you, with all my heart, Major. How old is the present Lord B——?"
"I have just been examining the peerage—he is sixtytwo; but he is very fresh and hearty, and may live a long while yet. By-the-bye, Newland, I committed a great error last night at the club. I played pretty high, and lost a great deal of money."
"That is unfortunate."
"That was not the error; I actually paid all my losings, Newland, and it has reduced the stock amazingly. I lost seven hundred and fifty pounds. I know I ought not to have paid away your money, but the fact was, as I was hedging, it would not do not to have paid, as I could not have made up my book as I wished. It is, however, only waiting a few weeks, till Mrs M—— decides my fate, and then, either one way or the other, I shall have money enough. If your people won't give you any more till you are of age, why we must send to a little friend of mine, that's all, and you shall borrow for both of us."