‘No, I’m very sorry I can’t,’ said Accrington, ‘can you?’ But nobody laughed at this; the situation was altogether too grave.
It appeared from a perusal of these documents that Messrs. Hooper, of the High, and Daniel Dickens and Co., the picture dealers, had taken out a summons signed by a certain Frank Bolton, Mandatory,—whatever that might be—which bade ‘Stephen Kirkbury Accrington appear personally or by his proctor at the Apodyterium of the Convocation House to answer the plaintiff’s claim.’
Some paragraphs on the back remarked ‘that if the debt claimed is more than six years old, that if you were then or are now a married woman, or have been discharged under the Bankruptcy Act, notice must be given three days before the hearing.’
These parting shots did not appear to give Accrington any comfort, and he said that he was trying to raise a loan from the family lawyer. We condoled with him, and then seeing clearly that there was no hope for us in that quarter, hastened back to pawn the candlesticks before Squiff’s return.
On the stairs of their digs we met Mrs. Corker, who was, as usual with her during working hours, very much out of breath, but she managed to pant at Freddy,
‘’Ave you seen Mr. O’Roozer, me lord?’
‘No,’ said Freddy, ‘has he been in?’
‘O yes, me lord,’ replied the old lady, ‘’e came in about ’arf an hour ago and asked for your lordship, ’e said as ’ow ’e wanted to see your lordship most pertickler.’
‘But about ten minutes ago,’ she continued, now in a tone of mingled wonder and indignation, ‘as I was a-goin up these ’ere stairs, I met ’im a comin’ down with them there ’andsome candlesticks under ’is harm, and when I says, “I’ll clean ’em for yer, Mr. O’Roozer, if that’s what yer wants,” ’e said, “No thank yer, Mrs. Corker, I’m afraid nothin’ what you could do wouldn’t be no use, I think I shall ’ave to soak them,” and then blessed if ’e didn’t rush out of the front door an’ get into a cab, silver candlesticks an’ all, a laughin’ most haffable.’
There might have been more of these appalling revelations to follow, but at that moment I caught sight of Freddy’s face, on which there had settled a blank look of consternation, and we marched upstairs together, much sadder if wiser men.