It did not take him ten days to put the simple trials of his earlier life to rights. The small sums—to him now small—very large to the recipients, which were needed to give him an immediate occupation of the old place, to give the mortgagees compensation for his haste, he had sacrificed, as he would have sacrificed a sixpence. And only the clerks in the Patcham Branch of the Empire Bank knew about it. Mr. Blagden, of Harrington Hall, had done famously in America. He had made a deal with the great John K. Petre, and netted close on £50,000.
As for the American land, Mr. Blagden had cabled to London that power was following by mail to let it go. His agent there could sell or let ’em foreclose, just as he willed. He was indifferent; he only desired to hear no more of it. He had visited the old place and strolled round its gardens, pleased with everything, except to note this or that slight disorder, this or that slight mark of an alien presence now vanished. He had recalled in a flood the years of his childhood and of his early manhood. He had made friends of every chair and table and picture and book. He was bathed in content.
He retained his rooms in St. James’s Place. He was used to them, they suited him, he wanted no more. Here was a good end to life. What would he do with the inordinate excess? He should put it somewhere apart from him so that he should not be troubled by the violence of men, or even by their needs beyond reason.
He was bathed in content; and mighty peace had spread her wings again over a world new blessed.
CHAPTER X
And mighty Peace had spread her wings again over a world new blessed?
Not at all. Far from it!
When they have a holiday in Heaven they suck it out to the last half-minute, and beyond if they can; for Heaven has been hard-worked since the Fall, and play is precious to it.
That merry Dæmon to whom Mr. Petre had been handed over for a plaything still had a few days to disport himself—a few minutes, as they call them in Heaven—and he was not going to waste them. He wasn’t going to drop his toy till Higher Powers should come and take it from him. Not he! Mr. Petre was still in for it.