“My health has not been grand for years, Graves, and I am sorry to say that it gets steadily worse. Heart trouble, you know; and that is not a pleasant thing for a man to have, especially,” he added significantly, “if his worldly affairs are in an unsettled condition. I have been a good deal worried of late, and it has told upon me. The truth is that my life is most precarious, and the sooner I can reconcile myself to the fact the better.”
“I did not know that things were so serious,” Henry answered, and then hastened to change the subject. “I received your notice, Mr. Levinger, and thought that I had better talk the matter over with you. To be plain, as executor to my father’s estate I find myself able to pay the sum of five hundred pounds on account of the interest of these mortgages, and no more.”
“Well, that is something,” said Mr. Levinger, with a little smile. “For the last two years I have been accustomed to receive nothing.”
“I know, I know,” said Henry: “really I am almost ashamed to look you in the face. As you are aware, the position was not of my making, but I inherit it, and am therefore, indirectly, to some extent responsible for it. I really think, Levinger, that the best thing you can do will be to sell us up, or to take over the property and manage it yourself. In either case you must, I fear, suffer a loss, but as things are at present that loss grows daily greater. You see, the worst of it is that there are several farms coming on hand at Michaelmas, and I can neither find money to work them nor tenants to take them. Should they be suffered to go out of cultivation, your security will be still further depreciated.”
“I should be most sorry to take any such course, Graves, for many reasons, of which friendship to your family is not the least; and I have no desire to find the management of a large estate thrust upon me in my condition of health. Of course, should no other solution be found, some steps must be taken sooner or later, for, after all, I am only a trustee, and dare not allow my daughter’s property to be dissipated; but I still hope that a solution may be found—though, I admit, not so confidently as I did a few months back.”
“It is no good playing with facts,” answered Henry doggedly: “for my part I have no such hope.”
Mr. Levinger rose, and laying his hand upon Henry’s shoulder spoke earnestly.
“Graves,” he said, “think again before you say that. I beg of you not to force me to measures that would be most distasteful to me, as I shall be forced if you persist in this declaration—not from any motives of pique or revenge, mind you, but because I am bound to protect the financial interests of another person. Will you forgive me if I speak more clearly, as one friend to another?”
“I’d rather you didn’t; but as you like,” answered Henry.
“I do like, my dear fellow; because I wish, if possible, to save you from yourself, and also because my own interests are involved. Graves, what is there against her? Why don’t you marry her, and have done with all this miserable business? If you could find a sweeter or a better girl, I might understand it. But you cannot. Moreover, though her pride may be a little hurt just now, at heart she is devoted to you.”