‘I’ll be all right.’
‘Pray don’t miss the train that afternoon. Somebody would be sure to suspect something if we were seen together in the same train. We leave at 7 a.m. I shan’t go to bed all night, so as to be sure to be in time. Robert — he’s the man — will start a little earlier in the cab with my heavy box. What do you think is in it?’
‘Clothes,’ suggested Felix.
‘Yes, but what clothes? — my wedding dresses. Think of that! What a job to get them and nobody to know anything about it except Didon and Madame Craik at the shop in Mount Street! They haven’t come yet, but I shall be there whether they come or not. And I shall have all my jewels. I’m not going to leave them behind. They’ll go off in our cab. We can get the things out behind the house into the mews. Then Didon and I follow in another cab. Nobody ever is up before near nine, and I don’t think we shall be interrupted.’
‘If the servants were to hear.’
‘I don’t think they’d tell. But if I was to be brought back again, I should only tell papa that it was no good. He can’t prevent me marrying.’
‘Won’t your mother find out?’
‘She never looks after anything. I don’t think she’d tell if she knew. Papa leads her such a life! Felix! I hope you won’t be like that.’— And she looked up into his face, and thought that it would be impossible that he should be.
‘I’m all right,’ said Felix, feeling very uncomfortable at the time. This great effort of his life was drawing very near. There had been a pleasurable excitement in talking of running away with the great heiress of the day, but now that the deed had to be executed — and executed after so novel and stupendous a fashion, he almost wished that he had not undertaken it. It must have been much nicer when men ran away with their heiresses only as far as Gretna Green. And even Goldsheiner with Lady Julia had nothing of a job in comparison with this which he was expected to perform. And then if they should be wrong about the girl’s fortune! He almost repented. He did repent, but he had not the courage to recede. ‘How about money though?’ he said hoarsely.
‘You have got some?’
‘I have just the two hundred pounds which your father paid me, and not a shilling more. I don’t see why he should keep my money, and not let me have it back.’
‘Look here,’ said Marie, and she put her hand into her pocket. ‘I told you I thought I could get some. There is a cheque for two hundred and fifty pounds. I had money of my own enough for the tickets.’
‘And whose is this?’ said Felix, taking the bit of paper with much trepidation.
‘It is papa’s cheque. Mamma gets ever so many of them to carry on the house and pay for things. But she gets so muddled about it that she doesn’t know what she pays and what she doesn’t.’ Felix looked at the cheque and saw that it was payable to House or Bearer, and that it was signed by Augustus Melmotte. ‘If you take it to the bank you’ll get the money,’ said Marie. ‘Or shall I send Didon, and give you the money on board the ship?’
Felix thought over the matter very anxiously. If he did go on the journey he would much prefer to have the money in his own pocket. He liked the feeling of having money in his pocket. Perhaps if Didon were entrusted with the cheque she also would like the feeling. But then might it not be possible that if he presented the cheque himself he might be arrested for stealing Melmotte’s money? ‘I think Didon had better get the money,’ he said, ‘and bring it to me to-morrow, at four o’clock in the afternoon, to the club.’ If the money did not come he would not go down to Liverpool, nor would he be at the expense of his ticket for New York. ‘You see,’ he said, ‘I’m so much in the City that they might know me at the bank.’ To this arrangement Marie assented and took back the cheque. ‘And then I’ll come on board on Thursday morning,’ he said, ‘without looking for you.’
‘Oh dear, yes; — without looking for us. And don’t know us even till we are out at sea. Won’t it be fun when we shall be walking about on the deck and not speaking to one another! And, Felix; — what do you think? Didon has found out that there is to be an American clergyman on board. I wonder whether he’d marry us.’
‘Of course he will.’
‘Won’t that be jolly? I wish it was all done. Then, directly it’s done, and when we get to New York, we’ll telegraph and write to papa, and we’ll be ever so penitent and good; won’t we? Of course he’ll make the best of it.’
‘But he’s so savage; isn’t he?’
‘When there’s anything to get; — or just at the moment. But I don’t think he minds afterwards. He’s always for making the best of everything; — misfortunes and all. Things go wrong so often that if he was to go on thinking of them always they’d be too many for anybody. It’ll be all right in a month’s time. I wonder how Lord Nidderdale will look when he hears that we’ve gone off. I should so like to see him. He never can say that I’ve behaved bad to him. We were engaged, but it was he broke it. Do you know, Felix, that though we were engaged to be married, and everybody knew it, he never once kissed me!’ Felix at this moment almost wished that he had never done so. As to what the other man had done, he cared nothing at all.
Then they parted with the understanding that they were not to see each other again till they met on board the boat. All arrangements were made. But Felix was determined that he would not stir in the matter unless Didon brought him the full sum of ￡250; and he almost thought, and indeed hoped, that she would not. Either she would be suspected at the bank and apprehended, or she would run off with the money on her own account when she got it; — or the cheque would have been missed and the payment stopped. Some accident would occur, and then he would be able to recede from his undertaking. He would do nothing till after Monday afternoon.
Should he tell his mother that he was going? His mother had clearly recommended him to run away with the girl, and must therefore approve of the measure. His mother would understand how great would be the expense of such a trip, and might perhaps add something to his stock of money. He determined that he could tell his mother; — that is, if Didon should bring him full change for the cheque.
He walked into the Beargarden exactly at four o’clock on the Monday, and there he found Didon standing in the hall. His heart sank within him as he saw her. Now must he certainly go to New York. She made him a little curtsey, and without a word handed him an envelope, soft and fat with rich enclosures. He bade her wait a moment, and going into a little waiting-room counted the notes. The money was all there; — the full sum of ￡250. He must certainly go to New York. ‘C’est tout èn regle?’ said Didon in a whisper as he returned to the hall. Sir Felix nodded his head, and Didon took her departure.
Yes; he must go now. He had Melmotte’s money in his pocket, and was therefore bound to run away with Melmotte’s daughter. It was a great trouble to him as he reflected that Melmotte had more of his money than he had of Melmotte’s. And now how should he dispose of his time before he went? Gambling was too dangerous. Even he felt that. Where would he be were he to lose his ready money? He would dine that night at the club, and in the evening go up to his mother. On the Tuesday he would take his place for New York in the City, and would spend the evening with Ruby at the Music Hall. On the Wednesday, he would start for Liverpool — according to his instructions. He felt annoyed that he had been so fully instructed. But should the affair turn out well nobody would know that. All the fellows would give him credit for the audacity with which he had carried off the heiress to America.
At ten o’clock he found his mother and Hetta in Welbeck Street — ‘What; Felix?’ exclaimed Lady Carbury.
‘You’re surprised; are you not?’ Then he threw himself into a chair. ‘Mother,’ he said, ‘would you mind coming into the other room?’ Lady Carbury of course went with him. ‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ he said.
‘Good news?’ she asked, clasping her hands together. From his manner she thought that it was good news. Money had in some way come into his hands — or at any rate a prospect of money.
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Chapter XLVIII Ruby a Prisoner
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