The Quiet Gentleman

The valet bowed, and withdrew, bearing with him the cherished boots. St. Erth poured out two glasses of brandy, gave one to his cousin, and sank into a deep chair on the other side of the fire. Theo, who had blinked at the magnificence of the dressing-gown, openly laughed at him, and said: “I think you must have joined the dandy-set, Gervase!”

“Yes, so Martin seemed to think also,” agreed Gervase, rolling the brandy round his glass.

“Oh — ! You heard that, then?”

“Was I not meant to hear it?”

“I don’t know.” Theo was silent for a moment, looking into the fire, but presently he raised his eyes to his cousin’s face, and said abruptly: “He resents you, Gervase.”

“That has been made plain to me — but not why.”

“Is the reason so hard to seek? You stand between him and the Earldom.”

“But, my dear Theo, so I have always done! I am not a lost heir, returning to oust him from a position he thought his own!”

“Not lost, but I fancy he did think the position might well be his,” Theo replied.

“He seems to me an excessively foolish young man, but he cannot be such a saphead as that!” expostulated Gervase. “Only I could succeed to my father’s room!”

“Very true, but dead men do not succeed,” said Theo dryly.

“Dead men!” Gervase exclaimed, startled and amused.

“My dear Gervase, you have taken part in more than one engagement, and you will own that it could not have been thought surprising had you met your end upon a battlefield. It was, in fact, considered to be a likely contingency.”

“And one that was hoped for?”

“Yes, one that was hoped for.”

The Earl’s face was inscrutable; after a moment, Theo said: “I have shocked you, but it is better to be plain with you, I think. You cannot have supposed that they loved you!”

“Not Lady St. Erth, no! But Martin — !”

“Why should he? He has heard no good of you from my uncle, or from his mother; he has been treated in all things as though he had been the heir; so much indulged and petted — well, talking pays no toll, or there is much I could say to you! To him, you are a usurper.”

Gervase finished his brandy, and set down the glass. “I see. It is melancholy indeed! Something tells me that I shall not be at Stanyon for very long.”

“What do you mean?” Theo said sharply.

Gervase looked at him, a little bewildered. “Why, what should I mean?”

“Martin is rash — his temper is uncontrollable, but he would not murder you, Gervase!”

“Murder me! Good God, I should hope he would not!” exclaimed the Earl, laughing. “No, no, I only meant that I think I should prefer to live at Maplefield, or Studham — ah, no! Studham was not entailed, was it? It belongs to Martin!”

“Yes, it belongs to Martin, along with the Jamaican property,” said Theo grimly. “And your stepmother has the London house and the Dower House for the term of her life!”

“I grudge her neither,” replied the Earl lightly.

“When I can bring you to pay a little heed to the way in which things are left, you may well grudge the pair of them a great deal of what they now stand possessed!” retorted Theo. “I have sometimes thought that my uncle had taken leave of his senses! You have me to thank for it that the estate is not cut up even more!”

“I think I have you to thank for more than you would have me guess,” St. Erth said, smiling across at him. “You have been a good friend to me, Theo, and I thank you for it.”

“Well, I have done what lay in my power to keep the property intact,” Theo said gruffly. “But I am determined you shall be made to attend to your affairs, and so I warn you!”

“What a fierce fellow you are, to be sure! But you wrong me, you know! I did read my father’s will, and I fancy I know pretty well how things stand.”

“Then I wonder that you will be so expensive, Gervase!” said Theo forthrightly. “The charges you have made upon the estate this past twelvemonth — !”

“Oh, won’t it bear them? I shall be obliged to marry an heiress!”

“I wish you will be serious! Things have not come to such a pass as that, but you will do well to be a little more careful. When I have shown you how matters stand, I hope you may be persuaded to take up your residence here. It will not do to leave Stanyon masterless, you know.”

“Stanyon has a very good master in you, I fancy.”

“Nonsense! I am nothing but your agent.”

“But I should find it a dead bore!” objected Gervase. “Only consider the dreadful evening I have spent already! I have not the remotest guess where Martin went to, but I am sure he was not to be blamed for his flight. I wish I had had the courage to follow his example! And who, pray, is that little squab of a female? Was she invited for my entertainment? Don’t tell me she is an heiress! I could not — no, I really could not be expected to pay my addresses to anyone with so little countenance or conversation!”

“Drusilla! No, no, nothing of, that sort!” smiled Theo. “I fancy my aunt thinks she would make a very suitable wife for me!”

“My poor Theo!”