The Last Chronicle of Barset [222]
needed at the present moment. 'I suppose I may stand a glass of wine to a fellow in my own room, if I like it.'
'I will take no wine, thank you,' said Crosbie.
'Then you can to do the other thing. When I ask a gentleman to take a glass of wine, there is no compulsion. But about the bill there is compulsion. Do you understand that? You may drink, or let it alone; but pay you must. Why, Mussy, what d'ye think?--there's Carter, Ricketts and Carter;--I'm blessed if Carter just now didn't beg for two months, as though two months would be all the world to him, and that for a trumpery five hundred pounds. I never saw money like it is now; never.' To this appeal, Musselboro made no reply, not caring, perhaps, at the present moment to sustain his partner. He still balanced himself in his chair, and still kept his hat on his head. Even Mr Crosbie began to perceive that Mr Musselboro's genius was in the ascendant in Hook Court.
'I can hardly believe,' said Crosbie, 'that things can be so bad that I cannot have a bill for two hundred and fifty pounds renewed when I am willing to pay for the accommodation. I have not done much in the way of bills, but I never had one dishonoured yet.'
'Don't let this be the first,' said Dobbs Broughton.
'Not if I can prevent it,' said Crosbie. 'But to tell you the truth, Mr Broughton, my bill will be dishonoured unless I can have it renewed. If it does not suit you to do it, I suppose you can recommend me to someone who can make it convenient.'
'Why don't you go to your bankers?' said Musselboro.
'I never did ask my bankers for anything of the kind.'
'Then you should try what your credit with them is worth,' said Broughton. 'It isn't worth much here, as you can perceive, Mr Crosbie.'
Crosbie, when he heard this, became very angry; and Musselboro, perceiving this, got out of his chair, so that he might be in readiness to prevent any violence, if violence were attempted. 'It really is no good your staying here,' he said. 'You see that Broughton has been drinking. There is no knowing what he may say or do.'
'You be blowed,' said Broughton, who had taken the arm-chair as soon as Musselboro had left it.
'But you may believe me in the way of business,' continued Musselboro, 'when I tell you that it really does not suit us to renew the bill. We're pressed ourselves, and we must press others.'
'And who will do it for me?' said Crosbie, almost in despair.
'There are Burton and Bangles there, the wine-merchants down in the yard; perhaps they may accommodate you. It's all in their line; but I'm told they charge uncommon dear.'
'I don't know Messrs Burton and Bangles,' said Crosbie.
'That needn't stand in your way. You tell them where you come from, and they'll make inquiry. If they think it's about right, they'll give you the money; and if they don't, they won't.'
Mr Crosbie then left the office without exchanging another word with Dobbs Broughton, and went down into Hook Court. As he descended the stairs he turned over in his mind the propriety of going to Messrs Burton and Bangles with the view of relieving himself from his present difficulty. He knew that it was ruinous. Dealing even with such men as Dobbs Broughton and Musselboro, whom he presumed to milder in their greed than Burton and Bangles, were, all of them, steps on the road to ruin. But what was he to do? If his bill were dishonoured, the fact would certainly become known at his office, and he might even ultimately be arrested. In the doorway at the bottom of the stairs he stood for some moments, looking over at Burton and Bangles', and he did not at all like the aspect of the establishment. Inside the office he could see a man standing with a cigar in his mouth, very resplendent in his new hat--with a hat remarkable for the bold upward curve of its rim, and this man was copiously decorated with a chain and seals hanging about widely over his waistcoat. He was leaning with his back against the counter and was talking to someone on the other side of it. There was something in the man's look and manner
'I will take no wine, thank you,' said Crosbie.
'Then you can to do the other thing. When I ask a gentleman to take a glass of wine, there is no compulsion. But about the bill there is compulsion. Do you understand that? You may drink, or let it alone; but pay you must. Why, Mussy, what d'ye think?--there's Carter, Ricketts and Carter;--I'm blessed if Carter just now didn't beg for two months, as though two months would be all the world to him, and that for a trumpery five hundred pounds. I never saw money like it is now; never.' To this appeal, Musselboro made no reply, not caring, perhaps, at the present moment to sustain his partner. He still balanced himself in his chair, and still kept his hat on his head. Even Mr Crosbie began to perceive that Mr Musselboro's genius was in the ascendant in Hook Court.
'I can hardly believe,' said Crosbie, 'that things can be so bad that I cannot have a bill for two hundred and fifty pounds renewed when I am willing to pay for the accommodation. I have not done much in the way of bills, but I never had one dishonoured yet.'
'Don't let this be the first,' said Dobbs Broughton.
'Not if I can prevent it,' said Crosbie. 'But to tell you the truth, Mr Broughton, my bill will be dishonoured unless I can have it renewed. If it does not suit you to do it, I suppose you can recommend me to someone who can make it convenient.'
'Why don't you go to your bankers?' said Musselboro.
'I never did ask my bankers for anything of the kind.'
'Then you should try what your credit with them is worth,' said Broughton. 'It isn't worth much here, as you can perceive, Mr Crosbie.'
Crosbie, when he heard this, became very angry; and Musselboro, perceiving this, got out of his chair, so that he might be in readiness to prevent any violence, if violence were attempted. 'It really is no good your staying here,' he said. 'You see that Broughton has been drinking. There is no knowing what he may say or do.'
'You be blowed,' said Broughton, who had taken the arm-chair as soon as Musselboro had left it.
'But you may believe me in the way of business,' continued Musselboro, 'when I tell you that it really does not suit us to renew the bill. We're pressed ourselves, and we must press others.'
'And who will do it for me?' said Crosbie, almost in despair.
'There are Burton and Bangles there, the wine-merchants down in the yard; perhaps they may accommodate you. It's all in their line; but I'm told they charge uncommon dear.'
'I don't know Messrs Burton and Bangles,' said Crosbie.
'That needn't stand in your way. You tell them where you come from, and they'll make inquiry. If they think it's about right, they'll give you the money; and if they don't, they won't.'
Mr Crosbie then left the office without exchanging another word with Dobbs Broughton, and went down into Hook Court. As he descended the stairs he turned over in his mind the propriety of going to Messrs Burton and Bangles with the view of relieving himself from his present difficulty. He knew that it was ruinous. Dealing even with such men as Dobbs Broughton and Musselboro, whom he presumed to milder in their greed than Burton and Bangles, were, all of them, steps on the road to ruin. But what was he to do? If his bill were dishonoured, the fact would certainly become known at his office, and he might even ultimately be arrested. In the doorway at the bottom of the stairs he stood for some moments, looking over at Burton and Bangles', and he did not at all like the aspect of the establishment. Inside the office he could see a man standing with a cigar in his mouth, very resplendent in his new hat--with a hat remarkable for the bold upward curve of its rim, and this man was copiously decorated with a chain and seals hanging about widely over his waistcoat. He was leaning with his back against the counter and was talking to someone on the other side of it. There was something in the man's look and manner