Just as father was. Don't you remember how he lost parish after parish because he couldn't smooth over the big men in them?
Lossing is every bit as pig-headed. I am not going to have my daughter lead the kind of life my mother did.
I want a son-in-law who ain't going to think himself so much better than I am, and be rowing me for my way of doing business.
If Esther MUST marry I'd like her to marry a man with a head on him that I can take into business, and who will be willing to live with the old man. This Lossing has got his notions of making a sort of Highland chief affair of the labor question, and we should get along about as well as the Kilkenny cats!"Mrs. Ellis knew more than Esther about Armorer's business methods, having the advantage of her husband's point of view; and Colonel Ellis had kept the army standard of honor as well as the army ignorance of business. To counterbalance, she knew more than anyone alive what a good son and brother Horatio had always been.
But she could not restrain a smile at the picture of the partnership.
"Precisely, you see yourself," said Armorer. "Meg"--hesitating--"you don't suppose it would be any use to offer Esther a cool hundred thousand to promise to bounce this young fellow?""Horatio, NO!" cried Mrs. Ellis, tossing her pretty gray head indignantly;"you'd insult her!"
"Take it the same way, eh? Well, perhaps; Essie has high-toned notions.
That's all right, it is the thing for women. Mother had them too.
Look here, Meg, I'll tell you, I want to see if this young fellow has ANY sense! We have an ordinance that we want passed.
If he will get his council to pass it, that will show he can put his grand theories into his pockets sometimes; and I will give him a show with Esther. If he doesn't care enough for my girl to oblige her father, even if he doesn't please a lot of carping roosters that want the earth for their town and would like a street railway to be run to accommodate them and lose money for the stockholders, well, then, you can't blame me if I don't want him! Now, will you do one thing for me, Meg, to help me out?
I don't want Lossing to persuade Esther to commit herself;you know how, when she was a little mite, if Esther gave her word she kept it. I want you to promise me you won't let Esther be alone one second with young Lossing. She is going to-morrow, but there's your whist-party to-night; I suppose he's coming?
And I want you to promise you won't let him have our address.
If he treats me square, he won't need to ask you for it. Well?"He buttoned up his coat and folded his arms, waiting.
Mrs. Ellis's sympathy had gone out to the young people as naturally as water runs down hill; for she is of a romantic temperament, though she doesn't dare to be weighed.
But she remembered the silver service, the coffee-pot, the tea-pot, the tray for spoons, the creamer, the hot-water kettle, the sugar-bowl, all on a rich salver, splendid, dazzling;what rank ingratitude it would be to oppose her generous brother!
Rather sadly she answered, but she did answer: "I'll do that much for you, 'Raish, but I feel we're risking Esther's happiness, and I can only keep the letter of my promise.""That's all I ask, my dear," said Armorer, taking out a little shabby note-book from his breast-pocket, and scratching out a line.
The line effaced read:
"_See E & M tea-set_."
"The silver service was a good muzzle," he thought.
He went away for an interview with the corporation lawyer and the superintendent of the road, leaving Mrs. Ellis in a distraction of conscience that made her the wonder of her servants that morning, during all the preparations for the whist-party. She might have felt more remorseful had she guessed her brother's real plan. He knew enough of Lossing to be assured that he would not yield about the ordinance, which he firmly believed to be a dangerous one for the city.
He expected, he counted on the mayor's refusing his proffers.
He hoped that Esther would feel the sympathy which women give, without question generally, to the business plans of those near and dear to them, taking it for granted that the plans are right because they will advantage those so near and dear.
That was the beautiful and proper way that Jenny had always reasoned; why should Jenny's daughter do otherwise?
When Harry Lossing should oppose her father and refuse to please him and to win her, mustn't any high-spirited woman feel hurt?
Certainly she must; and he would take care to whisk her off to Europe before the young man had a chance to make his peace!
"Yes, sir," says Armorer, to his only confidant, "you never were a domestic conspirator before, Horatio, but you have got it down fine!
You would do for Gaboriau"--Gaboriau's novels being the only fiction that ever Armorer read. Nevertheless, his conscience pricked him almost as sharply as his sister's pricked her.
Consciences are queer things; like certain crustaceans, they grow shells in spots; and, proof against moral artillery in one part, they may be soft as a baby's cheek in another.
Armorer's conscience had two sides, business and domestic;people abused him for a business buccaneer, at the same time his private life was pure, and he was a most tender husband and father. He had never deceived Esther before in her life.
Once he had ridden all night in a freight-car to keep a promise that he had made the child. It hurt him to be hoodwinking her now.
But he was too angry and too frightened to cry back.
The interview with the lawyer did not take any long time, but he spent two hours with the superintendent of the road, who pronounced him "a little nice fellow with no airs about him.
Asked a power of questions about Harry Lossing; guess there is something in that story about Lossing going to marry his daughter!"Marston drove him to Lossing's office and left him there.
