“Tell him I want it done at once,” he said, authoritatively, as if he knew his name carried weight with it; then turning to grandpa, he asked again if he were hurt.
“No, not specially—jolted my old bones some. You are very kind, sir,” grandpa replied, brushing the dust from his pantaloons and then involuntarily grasping Guy’s arm for support, as his weak knees began to tremble from the effects of excitement and fright.
“That darkey shall rue this job,” Guy said, savagely, as he gazed pityingly upon the shaky old creature beside him. “I’ll discharge him to-morrow.”
“No, young man. Don’t be rash. He’ll never do’t again; and sprigs like him think they’ve a right to make fun of old codgers like me,” was grandpa’s meek expostulation.
“Do, pray, Guy, how long must we wait here?” Agnes asked, impatiently, leaning out of the carriage and partially drawing her veil over her face as she glanced at Grandpa Markham, but a look from Guy silenced her; and turning again to grandpa, he asked:
“What did you say? You have been to Aikenside to see me?”
“Yes, and I was sorry to miss you. I—I—it makes me feel awkward to tell you, but I wanted to borrow some money, and I didn’t know nobody as likely to have it as you. That woman up to your house said she knowed you wouldn’t let me have it, ’cause you hadn’t it to spare. Mebby you haven’t,” and grandpa waited anxiously for Guy’s reply.
Now Mrs. Noah had a singular influence over her young master, who was in the habit of consulting her with regard to his affairs, and nothing could have been more unpropitious to the success of grandpa’s suit than knowing she disapproved. Beside this, Guy had only the previous week lost a small amount loaned under similar circumstances. Standing silent for a moment, while he buried and reburied his shining boots in the hills of sand, he said at last, “Candidly, sir, I don’t believe I can accommodate you. I am about to make repairs at Aikenside, and have partially promised to loan money on good security to a Mr. Silas Slocum, who, ‘if things work right,’ as he expresses it, intends building a mill on some property which has come, or is coming, into his hands.”
“That’s mine—that’s mine, my homestead,” gasped grandpa, turning white almost as his hair blowing in the April wind. “There’s a stream of water on it, and he says if he forecloses and gets it he shall build a mill, and tear our old house down.”
Guy was in a dilemma. He had not asked how much Mr. Markham wanted, and as the latter had not told him, he naturally concluded it a much larger sum than it really was, and did not care just then to lend it.