Miser Farebrother: A Novel (vol. 3 of 3)Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
General
Miser Farebrother: A Novel (vol. 3 of 3)
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
Fiction
"Good. You can manage that for him. Now, how do _you_ benefit by the
transaction? First and foremost, you get six thousand pounds from the
governor; you hand me four and keep two. From what you let drop, friend
Jeremiah, you need some such sum of ready money to replace the cash you
lost at Doncaster. Well, there you have it, and you will be spared
acquaintance with the criminal court. In a month you will receive four
thousand pounds interest on the loan, of which you hand the governor one
thousand, retaining three, which you pay to me off what you owe the
book-maker. To oblige me, he will wait. The personal accounts between
you and me we will go into by-and-by. You see, friend Jeremiah,
something very disagreeable, shockingly disagreeable, stares you in the
face, and this is the only way out of it. I shall expect you to show
your gratitude. That such a slice of luck should fall to you just in the
nick of time is nothing less than miraculous. Now, then, how does the
thing strike you? Farebrother will lend the money, won't he? If he
doesn't, or if you have any doubt of it, I can take the diamonds
somewhere else."
"I don't think," said Jeremiah, slowly, "that there is any doubt he will
lend the money."
"Very well, then. Carry it through, and keep it dark. See the governor
to-morrow and arrange it. You'll do it?"
"Yes."
"There's nothing more to say, then. Just see the confidence I have in
you, leaving you this treasure without so much as a receipt for it. But
I know you can be trusted just now, because of the fix you're in. I must
see you to-morrow night to hear what you have to tell. Best not to meet
at my place or yours till this little matter is concluded. Say at ten
o'clock, just outside Whitechapel Church."
"You will be punctual?" said Jeremiah.
"Oh yes," said Captain Ablewhite, laughing; "I will be punctual. Ta-ta!
Call to the driver to stop."
He jumped from the cab as the driver was pulling up, leaving Jeremiah to
make his way back to London alone.
On the following night, at ten o'clock, they met outside Whitechapel
Church, and Jeremiah informed Captain Ablewhite that Miser Farebrother
had consented to lend the money. On Tuesday evening Captain Ablewhite
received four thousand pounds from Jeremiah, and the gallant Captain
walked off with a very peculiar smile on his face. A few hours afterward
he was whirling away in the night train to Dover, bound for Italy.
CHAPTER III.
SISTER AND BROTHER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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