CHAPTER VI. MR CUDEMORE AT HOME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2209, 4 September 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VI. MR CUDEMORE AT HOME.

Mr Cudemore occupied a small house in Spring Garden?, the ground floor of which he had turned into office*. On the first he had a dining-room opening into a large apartment fitted up an half amok • ing-room, half library, while aboTe he had his bedroom and dressing-room. He is lounging at the window of this nondescript apartment on the first floor this afternoon, engaged in earnest converaation with a plight fashionably-dressed man, who seemed more interested in the flower in his button-hole than Mr Cudemore' 8 discourse. Only he looked so indifferent he might hare been deemed one of Mr Cudemore's clients; but people who are engaged in borrowing money seem usually more absorbed in the business in hand. Mr Sturton was the well-known Bond-street tailor, who had found it expedient to do no little business with Mr Cudemore. Sometimes he wanted that gentleman's opinion about bills he had received in the course of legitimate business; sometimes he wanted to get some he considered doubtful discounted, and Cudemore could very often get that done at a considerable sacrifice among his brethren, who will at times speculate in such commodities if they can pick them up at a low rate, on the chance of their coming in some day when more legitimate traders decline to have anything to say to such paper. Further, Mr Sturton at times advanced money t*> his customers through the medium ot Cudemore, He never affected to do such a thing himself, but when he had every reason to believe they were men of substance, would say, if they confided their troubles to him, that he believed Mr Cudemore, of Spring Gardens, was a liberal gentleman iv thas line. Professing amongst his friends the moat democratic opinious, Mr Sturton had a sneaking regard for his aristocratic patrons, and measured a marquis with an unctuous admiration most edifying to witness. He further affected a languid interest in the turf, about which he knew nothing and cared less, but he thought it the proper thing to do, and one of his

aspirations was to be as fashionable a3 his customers. It waa of him that the following anecdote wan nartated :— Lady R.. well-known over the Leicestershire grass country, once entered his shop accompanied by her liege lord to give an order - 'I think I had the pleasure of seeing your ladyship at the opera last night," remarked Mr Sturton, in his moat dulcet tones. • Good gracious, Dick ! what does the man mean ?' exclaimed the sporting countess. 'Please tell him I've come to order a habit.' Poor Mr Sturton, he perhaps never was more completely extinguished, and his talk waxed more fiercely Radical than ever, and though numbering many members of the House of Lords on his books, yet he vehemently demanded the extinction of the Hereditary Chamber. • The security is excellent, I can vouch for ; however, of course, 111 make that all clear to you. I have jrot so much money out just now that I can't quite manage this business alone, and I'm particularly anxious to help Foxborough.' I Why ?' lisped Mr Sturton. He might affect a languid, linping manner, but he was quite as keen '» man of business aa the moneylender. 4 Well, it don't matter to you. I want you to find half this money at tcti per cent, — not quite such interest ai we have had, but then the security's better, and I'll buy you out again at the end of six months.' I 1 should rather like to know your object in being particularly anxious to help Foxborough. That he is a friend, and that you rather like him, is, you know as well as I do, no argument in moneylending, which trade consists in obtaining the highest possible interest at the lowest possible risk.' 1 You needn't teach me my business.' returned Gudomore ; 'I'm not quite a fool in it, as you must ndmit by this time. I have my reason for wishing to have some hold over James Foxborough. I could fancy your finding money for Lady Jane or Lord Augustus with a similar view. What would that be to me ? Nothing ! What concerns mo is, is it safe and good enough to risk coin in. I tell you—nay, have shown you— that is; what more do you want? If it isn't good enough for you, it will be, no doubt, for aornebody else ;" and Mr Cudemore threw himself back into hia chair, as a man whose argument is spent. 'Now, it is no use going on like that.' rejoined the other in his usual langnid fashion. •Of course, I am curious to know your special interest in making this loan, but there is no necessity I should. Show me the security is all you say, and I'll find my share of the money. I suppose that's sufficient,' and Mr Sturton looked with keen glance at his companion. He had no wish to quarrel with the money-lender, had many excellent reasons indeed for not doing so. ' Now what about that bill of young Morant's— is that good? I suppose you have made iuquiries ?' ' Yes, that's good enough. I fancy we might go a little further with him if he wants it. What is it for ?' 1 Part payment of his account. He was hard up for ready money, a common complaint among my customers, as you know.' •Men don't quite expect to pay your prices, Sturton, and not get credit. Like the betting ring, if you've only capital your busiiicsa is sure to be profitable in the long run.' ' Yes ; only, like the bookmakers, our brxd debts beat us at times,' retorted Mr Sturton, a little sharply, ' However, I suppose we have nothing more to talk about. You'll want this money pretty soon,' he observed, as he rose to depart. •At once. Jim Foxborough i.i coming here to see me almost immediately about it. I told them to show him into the olfice if you had not left.' ' Well. lam olTnow. You can depend on me for the coin in the course of two or three days. Adoo !" and with this Mr Sturton leisurely disappeared from the apartment. 'Now, for Foxborough, I must impose terms upon him that won't be exactly in the bond, but when a man wants money badly he's apt to assent to a good deal he wouldn't otherwise. Six thousand pounds, too, is not quite so easy to borrow even 'when your security i» pretty good. I wonder what he wants it for ; he always has been a close man about his affairs, bar the Syringa, and that I was too rr.uch in to be kept in the dark ab"«t." soliloquised the money lender, "iff may have hit upon something of the »at»e sort down at Birmingham or Leeds, promising to turn out as good a spec as the Syringa. Crafty beggar don't mean to have me in'it this time, and perhaps he's about right,' and Cudemore indulged in a dry chuckle as he reflected over the money he had made out of the Syringa. vVhat with advancing a few hundreds on loan at usurious interest, and taking a share in the venture, which it afterwards cost Foxborough a pretty penny to get back into his own hands, Cudemore had done uncommonly well over that business. A tap at the door, and the moneylender's clerk announced that Mr Foxborough was in the house. 'Show him up in five minutes, Cooper," rejoined Mr Cudemore as usual. Mr Cudemore's system was peculiar. His offices consisted of three rooms communicating. The outer and smaller one was tenanted by the office boy, the second served for the two clerks, the younger of whom was, though a boy, of preternatural acuteness ; while the inner sanctuary was reserved for the moneylender himself. A second door enabled him, if he pleased to leave the room and gain the stairs leading to the rooms pyerhead. If he waa in the office the viaitor was requested to wait in the clerk's room ; if not, he was ushered into Mr Cudemore'a sanctum, and left to wait there. All known clients were after a little delay shown up to the first floor, but the unknown were invariably interviewed to commence with in the office, the moneylender decending from above for that purpose, 'like a hawk upon a wild dnck,' as an imaginative victim ! once described it, if he did not happen to be in his own private den. The five minutes' wait was often very much prolonged with a now or a shaky clinent, especially with a new one. 'It don't do to have 'em think I sit here dying to lend money," argued that gentleman ; •'the sooner they understand the difficulty of borrowing it, the sooner they get reconciled to forty per cent, and acquire a taste for rare wines, fancy pictures, and other things that accompany the last agonies." Except with very big fish be in no hurry to strike, was the moneyleuder'a maxim, and ho was doing a pretty thriving trade. 'Mr Foxborough, sir,' said the clerk, once more opening the door, and that gentleman entered the room, to which this was by no means his first visit. Mr Cudemore shook hands cordially with his visitor, and immediately prof* ford a cigar and a glass of amontillado. 'Unless you prefer a brandy and seltzer,' he added thoughtfully, 'Your business looks like coming all right, but we must have a talk over it ; you see you want it ao quickly.' ' Getting the money to go into a speculation a month after the chance has gone by is not of much use,' rejoined Jim Foxborough, sententiously. 1 Ah, it's so urgent as that is it ?' You must think it a very good thing to be so swcot upon it ?'

1 Perhaps I do. It looks like it, or I shouldn't be so anxious to borrow money for it. It'll pay me pretty well, I fancy, but remember what it may be is no business of yours, nor have I any intention of telling you,' • Well, as you say, it is no business of mine further than that natural curiosity about our fellows' cencerns that becomes a habit of my trade. You might want a few thousands more you see, my dear friend,' and Mr Cudemore looked inquiringly at his visitor. •We might even find that, if one knew what it was for.' 1 Never fear, I shan't come to you for them, even if I should. You might not think the security good enough, you know. When can I have this money !' ' Oh, in a few days, if we can arrange one other trifling matter,' rejoined Mr Cudemore, slowly. • The fact is,' he continued, assuming an air of bnuhonnnic, which did not sit particularly well upon him, 'I am getting on, Foxborough, although I can still cUim to be a young man.' The .proprietor of theSyringa nodded. ' It is getting time, in short, that I ■ettle down — in tact, married.' ' Well, fire away,' rejoined Foxborough. 1 I'm not your guardiau. You don't want my concent, nor, d— me, I should think, anyone else's.' • Excuse me, but you can't marry a cirl in this country without her consent, at all events.' ' No, providing- she's twenty-ono ; except, I'm told, in fashionable ci rules, and higher bivd the less, so I hetir, they have to say to it However, Cudemore, I don't suppose you have net your affections on ' A nobleman's daughter — a. lady of rank !' gang Mr Foxborough, ribaldly chnntiug ft well-known music-hall eong of thwday. 'I'm talking to you in earnest,' said the money-lender sternly, ' and the sooner you understand that the better it will be for both of us. Foxborough immediately assumed a more decorous manner. The idea of Mr Cuderaore's marriage had rather tickled him, but he now remembered that men didn't Hko to be joked on the point, and that • ridiculing the noblest feelings of our nature' wns always an admittedly good text to go into tt passion and use fervid oratory. • I beg your pardon, Cudemore,' he exclaimed, • but the old fox that has 10-<t his tail must have his joke at the young one who persists in entering 1 the trap. I hincerely trust you will be happy, and allow me to bv one of tho wedding party," Ho had utterly forgotten his wife's warning on this point, had in fact deemed it so ridiculous that he had no more idea of what Cudemore was driving 1 at than the verievst stranirer could have had. ' Your absence could be scarcely spared on the occasion,' replied the monoylender a little huskily, for ho recognised that his visitor had as yet no idea of what he meant. *I want your interest with Miss Foxborough on my behalf, and your permission to make her my wife.' • You wont to marry Nid ? Why, she's a mere child. Preposterous ! impossible ! absurd !" ' I don't see anything 1 absurd about it, 1 replied Mr Cudemore tartly ; for even money lenders when smitten of the tender p.ission are a* sensitive as other men. ' Many girls marry younir, and as for the disparity of age, the fifteen j-eara betwpori us is no more th.m exi-ts in hundreds of oases, and very often there is a great deal more ." 4 Why, the child 'h only fifteen or so,' exclaimed Jim Foxborongh in all honosty, for that Nid was grown up nearly and turned of seventeen had e-caped his notice as it lihs that of many another father immersed in business which took him much from home. ' She's iv her eighteenth year, I have her mother* word for ii, and I'.n in my thirty - fourth, 1 rejoined Mr Cudemore. ' Shouldn't have fancied you'd ev< r *cc thirty-eight again,' retorted Mr F >xborough, with undue discretion, for the money lender might havo been anything between thirty and forty almost. •It is just possible I may find the arrangement of this loan not to bo managed jf we can't come to some terras on thi» matter,' returned Mr Cudimore, grimly. 'And by God, sir!' exclaimed Foxborough, • if you think Nid is to be thrown in as a bonus on tho transaction you very much mistake nic I'd sooner bust up and go to piison than consent to such an iniquitous agreement. I'll not pretend that this money is not of great moment to me,' ho continued, mastering his passion ; ' that tho speculation I want, it for is— is a thing — in fact, it is of uigent necessity ; bat. it is possible, no doubt, to raise the funds elsewhere, and I tell you ngain, sooner than tnido my daughter away as if she was a slave girl I'll do without it altogether.' Mr Cudemore might bo a little milled, but the training- of his profession hud demonstrated to him long ago the absurdity of losing his temper. He could not, therefore, fail to mark tho incoherence of Jim Foxborough's speech. To quairel with him was tho last thing he intended. He had s-efc his heart as mni of his age do at times, on marrying a scarcely emancipated schoolgirl. A rupture with her father was not likely so assist his wishes, and moreover this proposed loan was a safe, comfortable ten per cent, investment, with sundry legal charges of which Mr Cudemoro might count upon appropriating the lion's share, for he had qualified as a solicitor, though he never practised out of his own special business. • I don't see,' he said, at length, * that you have any call to get violent, because I want to marry your daughter. Miss Foxborough is a sweet, pretty girl, and good, I bolieve, as she's pretty, She's grown up, though you mayn't see it. Will have plenty of sweethearts before long, no doubt, and that I should want to be first in the field wtis mere common prudence on my part. I can give her a real good home. She may have her carriage, and need have no occasion to out things fine in either milliners' bills or her housekeeping, I don't know, as far as position goes, there's tnuoh to choose between you and me. I don't want to marry her against her inclination. I only want your good wishes for my success, that's all.'