Soon Train senior became rich, very rich, and, having improved his
manners and suppressed his parents, he was taken up by people of good
position who needed ready money. He bought his way into the fringe of
the fashionable world, and finally married a rather elderly lady, who
had blue blood, extravagant tastes, and no money. She presented him
with Leonard, and then, thinking she had done her duty, arranged to
enjoy herself. Mrs. Train spent the proceeds of the Trump Pill
recklessly, and before her husband died she managed to get through the
greater part of his wealth. Train settled an income of five thousand a
year on his son, and let Mrs. Train do what she liked with the rest.
Then he died, and Mrs. Train sent Leonard to Eton, afterward to
college. When he was thus off her hands she enjoyed herself amazingly,
and finally died in Paris, after spending every penny of the principal
and interest of the large fortune left by her husband. Leonard mourned
his mother, although he had seen very little of her. Then he settled
in London on his five thousand a year and posed as a literary man. But
the desire of his life was to be fashionable. Hence his delight at the
letter.
"Of course I'll go," soliloquized Leonard, when calmer. "I wonder if
George will be there. He loves that Ward girl, so he might. Mrs. Ward
does not approve of the match, so he might not. I wonder if there is a
regular engagement. If not, I might have a shot myself. The Honorable
Mrs. Train--no, that would be the mother."
It will be seen that Leonard was not very faithful to his absent
friend; but the fact is that Train was less devoted to Brendon than he
had been. The episode of Amelia Square made him fight rather shy of
George. The story of the marriage was shady, and in some way--Leonard
couldn't exactly explain how--seemed to be connected with the murder
of Mrs. Jersey. Moreover, Leonard knew something which he had not
mentioned to Brendon, and would not have mentioned it for the
fashionable world. However, he had said nothing about George's
history, and so far had kept faith. But Brendon saw that Leonard was
no longer so pleased to see him as formerly. He therefore avoided the
fat young man, and Leonard did not seem to mind the avoidance. Indeed,
he appeared to be rather relieved than otherwise. Brendon never asked
himself the reason of this behavior, as he thought it best to let
sleeping dogs lie. That Leonard would speak never entered his head.