“Ah, I know all that,” protested the Earl. “But you have no damned position to keep up. You must remember that, Davie, It’s a very important fact. It makes all the difference in the world.”
“But you only keep it up in your own mind, and that’s not an expensive place. There’s been no year since I first knew you, either as Master of Linkhaw or since you came into the whole of it, that you’ve spent the half of your income. To hear you talk, one would think you’d been scattering your capital as well with both hands.”
“Ah, but those lawyers’ bills, Davie! What think you now should they be like? Six hundred, eh? Or may be seven?”
“You’ll know soon enough. I’ll not encourage you to pass a sleepless night. Come now. You’ve got things in your bag here, haven’t you? I can let you have whatever you lack.”
“No, you keep your bed. I’ll sleep out here,” said Drumpipes. “I’m a deal more used to roughing it than you are. I give you my word, I shall sleep here like a top.”
Mosscrop strove to resist, but his friend was resolute, and the sofa had to be surrendered to him. He rose, yawning, and began to throw off his outer garments. “I’ve paid as high as eleven shillings for a bedroom for one night in New York city!” he affirmed, drowsily, “although, to give the Devil his due, they make no charge for candles and soap. Man, if they’d known I was an Earl, they’d have lifted all seven of my skins.”
“Oh, but they have a reputation for acumen,” urged Mosscrop, drily. “They’d have comprehended fine that you were but a Scotch Earl. Good night!”
The broad daylight woke David up nearly an hour later than it should have done. He had produced upon himself during the night an impression of sleeping very little—and that a light and dainty slumber, ready and eager on the instant of need to dissolve into utter wakefulness. Yet it was the fact, none the less, that he had ingloriously overslept himself. The watch on his table pointed to halfpast eight.
He hurriedly drew on some of his garments, and stepped into the sitting-room to rouse the Earl. To his great surprise that nobleman had disappeared. The tumbled bed-clothes showed where he had slept. There was his hand-bag, duly packed and closed, at the foot of the sofa.