The Last Chronicle of Barset [383]
that a sum of fifty pounds should be given. It should be given by Mrs Arabin, but it was thought that the gift would come with more comfort to the recipient from the hands of his old friend than from those of his wife. There had been much discussion between them as to the mode in which this might be done with the least offence to the man's feelings--for they knew Mr Crawley and his peculiarities well. At last it was agreed that the notes should be put into an envelope, which envelope the dean should have ready with him. But when the moment came the dean did not have the envelope ready, and was obliged to leave the room to seek his wife. And Mrs Arabin explained to John Eames that even she had not had it ready, and had been forced to go to her own desk to fetch it. Then, at the last moment, with the desire of increasing the good to be done to people who were so terribly in want, she put the cheque for twenty pounds, which was in her possession as money of her own, along with the notes, and in this way the cheque had been given by the dean to Mr Crawley. 'I shall never forgive myself for not telling the dean,' she said. 'Had I done that all this trouble would have been saved.'
'But where did you get the cheque?' Eames asked with natural curiosity.
'Exactly,' said Mrs Arabin. 'I have got to show now that I did not steal it--have I not? Mr Soames will indict me now. And, indeed, I have had some trouble to refresh my memory as to all the particulars, for you see it is more than a year past.' But Mrs Arabin's mind was clearer on such matters than Mr Crawley's, and she was able to explain that she had taken the cheque as part of the rent due to her from the landlord of 'The Dragon of Wantly', which inn was her property, having been the property of her first husband. For some years past there had been a difficulty about the rent, things not having gone at 'The Dragon of Wantly' as smoothly as they had used to go. At once time the money had been paid half-yearly by the landlord's cheque on the bank of Barchester. For the last year-and-a-half this had not been done, and the money had come into Mrs Arabin's hands at irregular periods and in irregular sums. There was at this moment rent due for twelve months, and Mrs Arabin expressed her doubt whether she would get it on her return to Barchester. On the occasion to which she was now alluding, the money had been paid into her own hands, in the deanery breakfast-parlour, by a man she knew very well--not the landlord himself, but one bearing the landlord's name, whom she believed to the landlord's brother, or at least his cousin. The man in question was named Daniel Stringer, and he had been employed in 'The Dragon of Wantly', as a sort of clerk or managing man, as long as she had known it. The rent had been paid to her by Daniel Stringer quite as often as by Daniel's brother or cousin, John Stringer, who was, in truth, the landlord of the hotel. When questioned by John respecting the persons employed at the inn, she said that she did believe that there had been rumours of something wrong. The house had been in the hands of the Stringers for many years--before the property had been purchased by her husband's father--and therefore had been an unwillingness to remove them; but gradually, so she said, there had come upon her and her husband a feeling that the house must be put into other hands. 'Yes, I said a good deal about it. I asked why a cheque of Mr Soames's was brought to me, instead of being taken to the bank for money; and Stringer explained to me that they were not very fond of going to the bank, as they owed money there, but that I could pay it into my account. Only I kept my account at the other bank.'
'You might have paid it in there?' said Johnny.
'I suppose I might, but I didn't. I gave it to poor Mr Crawley instead--like a fool, as I know now that I was. And so I have brought all this trouble on him and on her; and now I must rush home, without waiting for the dean, as fast as the trains will carry me.'
Eames offered to accompany her, and this offer was accepted.
'But where did you get the cheque?' Eames asked with natural curiosity.
'Exactly,' said Mrs Arabin. 'I have got to show now that I did not steal it--have I not? Mr Soames will indict me now. And, indeed, I have had some trouble to refresh my memory as to all the particulars, for you see it is more than a year past.' But Mrs Arabin's mind was clearer on such matters than Mr Crawley's, and she was able to explain that she had taken the cheque as part of the rent due to her from the landlord of 'The Dragon of Wantly', which inn was her property, having been the property of her first husband. For some years past there had been a difficulty about the rent, things not having gone at 'The Dragon of Wantly' as smoothly as they had used to go. At once time the money had been paid half-yearly by the landlord's cheque on the bank of Barchester. For the last year-and-a-half this had not been done, and the money had come into Mrs Arabin's hands at irregular periods and in irregular sums. There was at this moment rent due for twelve months, and Mrs Arabin expressed her doubt whether she would get it on her return to Barchester. On the occasion to which she was now alluding, the money had been paid into her own hands, in the deanery breakfast-parlour, by a man she knew very well--not the landlord himself, but one bearing the landlord's name, whom she believed to the landlord's brother, or at least his cousin. The man in question was named Daniel Stringer, and he had been employed in 'The Dragon of Wantly', as a sort of clerk or managing man, as long as she had known it. The rent had been paid to her by Daniel Stringer quite as often as by Daniel's brother or cousin, John Stringer, who was, in truth, the landlord of the hotel. When questioned by John respecting the persons employed at the inn, she said that she did believe that there had been rumours of something wrong. The house had been in the hands of the Stringers for many years--before the property had been purchased by her husband's father--and therefore had been an unwillingness to remove them; but gradually, so she said, there had come upon her and her husband a feeling that the house must be put into other hands. 'Yes, I said a good deal about it. I asked why a cheque of Mr Soames's was brought to me, instead of being taken to the bank for money; and Stringer explained to me that they were not very fond of going to the bank, as they owed money there, but that I could pay it into my account. Only I kept my account at the other bank.'
'You might have paid it in there?' said Johnny.
'I suppose I might, but I didn't. I gave it to poor Mr Crawley instead--like a fool, as I know now that I was. And so I have brought all this trouble on him and on her; and now I must rush home, without waiting for the dean, as fast as the trains will carry me.'
Eames offered to accompany her, and this offer was accepted.