“Dudley’s!” said that individual, in frank explanation to his City friends. “Devilish neat and taking, ain’t it? Bring in the parsons; they’ll think the whole thing has been drawn up by some Oxford man, as the Latin was, for that matter, out of a well which has not had any water pumped from it for Heaven knows how long. If you have any suggestion to make on the subject make it, or else hereafter hold your tongues, for I am going to have the prospectus printed off to-morrow.”
“Could not be better!” answered his friends in chorus; and the programme of the “Protector Bread and Flour Company, Limited,” was accordingly sent down to Harp Lane, where it was printed (on credit) by a protégé of Mr. Black’s, on a very superior satin paper, procured on credit likewise.
Next day after delivery, proof was duly forwarded, and the day afterwards the prospectus was returned—pressed, folded, multiplied a thousand-fold—to Peter Black, Esq., at the Temporary Offices of the Company, 220, Dowgate Hill. The bundle, containing programmes of the “Protector Bread and Flour Company, Limited,” was flung down on the counter in the outer office of 220, Dowgate Hill, at five to five precisely, and, at three minutes to six, four hundred and twenty-five prospectuses were wrapped up, directed, stamped, and posted at the chief office, Lombard Street.
“She’s off the stocks at last, thank God!” said Mr. Black to Squire Dudley, who stood beside him; “she’s off the stocks and afloat!”
CHAPTER II.
MRS. PIGGOTT’S ASSISTANT.
It was late on in the autumn by this time, and most of the visitors who had come down to the Hollow in the bright summer weather were now elsewhere.
Miss Hope, having patched up a peace with her nephew, was at Copt Hall; Mrs. Ormson at Torquay, with her eldest son, the state of whose health was considered unsatisfactory; Mrs. Black, at Hastings; Mr. Black, much in town; Mr. Harcourt, in Scotland; and Bessie, at home, keeping house for her father.
There was no one left at Berrie Down, in fact, excepting Master Marsden, who remained on at the Hollow, because the state of Dr. Marsden’s finances prevented the boy being sent to school; while the state of his mother’s health rendered it an act of real charity to keep the “noisy, ill-mannered, ill-conditioned young whelp” (this was Arthur’s summary of him) away from that small, uncomfortable, wretchedly-managed suburban house.
Early in November, Alick was to enter on his new duties; and at Christmas, by special desire of Arthur, there was to be another and, larger family gathering in Berrie Down. All kinds of people were to meet all other kinds of people; and the Hollow, he said, “should see Christmas kept in thorough good old English style, for once.”
Already the younger Dudleys were speculating as to whether there would be an abundance of berries on the holly bushes, and Mrs. Piggott was looking to the fattening of her turkeys, and meditatively calculating how many of those unfortunate birds the expected guests would, in all probability, consume.