“Yes, of course, but give me your bills!”
“I don’t deserve anyone should do anything for me!” Bertram said, overcome.
“The bills!”
Bertram, already floating in some beatific dream, started, and said: “The bills? Oh! Oh, yes, I have them all here—only you will be very much shocked to see how much I have spent, and—”
“Nothing, ever shocks me,” replied Mr. Beaumaris, holding out a hand. He stuffed the sheaf of crumpled papers into the pocket of his driving-coat, and said: “I will settle all these so that none of your creditors will know that it was not you who paid them. Do you owe anything in this neighbourhood beyond your shot here?”
Bertram shook his head. “No, for Bella gave me all the money she had, when she came to see me. I am afraid you would not have liked her doing so, sir, and nor did I, but Felix brought her, like the saphead he is! It—it was a horrid place, and I think I ought to tell you that it was all my fault that she ever went to such a back-slum!”
“You fill me with dismay,” said Mr. Beaumaris. “I do trust she did not set eyes on any destitute person whom she may feel it to be her duty to befriend?”
“Well, I don’t think she did,” Bertram replied. “Felix did say that she told a woman they all call Quartern Sue not to give her baby gin to drink, and gave her a shilling to buy it some milk. And I am excessively sorry, sir, and I would not have had it happen for the world, but Felix says that they walked smash into Leaky Peg, who—who took me to the place when I was so castaway I didn’t know even where I was, or how I came there. She—she was very good to me, in her way, you know, and Bella got it into her head she owed her a debt of gratitude for looking after me! But that’s all right, because I gave Peg five pounds out of the money Bella left for me!”
“Heaven help me!” said Mr. Beaumaris. “She will undoubtedly expect me to house this doxy! Leaky Peg, did you say? Good God!”
“No, no, sir, of course she won’t!” exclaimed Bertram. “Why should she?”