There Sir William talked of the future, asked what Gaston’s ideas were, and questioned him as to his present affairs. Gaston frankly said that he wanted to live as his father would have done, and that he had no property, and no money beyond a hundred pounds, which would last him a couple of years on the prairies, but would be fleeting here.
Sir William at once said that he would give him a liberal allowance, with, of course, the run of his own stables and their house in town: and when he married acceptably, his allowance would be doubled.
“And I wish to say, Gaston,” he added, “that your uncle Ian, though heir to the title, does not necessarily get the property, which is not entailed. Upon that point I need hardly say more. He has disappointed us.
“Through him Robert left us. Of his character I need not speak. Of his ability the world speaks variably: he is an artist. Of his morals I need only say that they are scarcely those of an English gentleman, though whether that is because he is an artist, I cannot say—I really cannot say. I remember meeting a painter at Lord Dunfolly’s,—Dunfolly is a singular fellow—and he struck me chiefly as harmless, distinctly harmless. I could not understand why he was at Dunfolly’s, he seemed of so little use, though Lady Malfire, who writes or something, mooned with him a good deal. I believe there was some scandal or something afterwards. I really do not know. But you are not a painter, and I believe you have character—I fancy so.”
“If you mean that I don’t play fast and loose, sir, you are right. What I do, I do as straight as a needle.” The old man sighed carefully.
“You are very like Robert, and yet there is something else. I don’t know, I really don’t know what!”
“I ought to have more in me than the rest of the family, sir.”
This was somewhat startling. Sir William’s fingers stroked his beardless cheek uncertainly. “Possibly—possibly.”
“I’ve lived a broader life, I’ve got wider standards, and there are three races at work in me.”
“Quite so, quite so;” and Sir William fumbled among his papers nervously.