"I understand, then," said Lord Marney to his brother, as on
the evening of the same day they were seated together in the
drawing-room, in close converse "I understand then, that you
have in fact paid nothing, and that my mother will give you a
thousand pounds. That won't go very far."
"It will hardly pay for the chairing," said Egremont; "the
restoration of the family influence was celebrated on so great
a scale."
"The family influence must be supported," said Lord Marney, "and my mother will give you a thousand pounds; as I said, that will not do much for you, but I like her spirit. Contests are very expensive things, yet I quite approve of what you have done, especially as you won. It is a great thing in these ten pound days to win your first contest, and shows powers of calculation which I respect. Everything in this world is calculation; there is no such thing as luck, depend upon it; and if you go on calculating with equal exactness, you must succeed in life. Now the question is, what is to be done with your election bills?"
"Exactly."
"You want to know what I will do for you, or rather what I can
do for you; that is the point. My inclination of course is to
do everything for you; but when I calculate my resources, I
may find that they are not equal to my inclination."
"I am sure, George, you will do everything, and more than
everything you ought."
"I am extremely pleased about this thousand pounds of my
mother, Charles."
"Most admirable of her! But she always is so generous!"
"Her jointure has been most regularly paid," continued Lord
Marney. "Always be exact in your payments, Charles. There is
no end to the good it produces. Now if I had not been so
regular in paying my mother her jointure, she would not in all
probability have been able to have given you this thousand
pounds; and, therefore, to a certain extent, you are indebted
for this thousand pounds to me."
Egremont drew up a little, but said nothing.
"I am obliged to pay my mother her jointure, whether ricks are
burnt or not," said Lord Marney. "It's very hard, don't you
think so?"
"But these ricks were Bingley's?"
"But he was not insured, and he will want some reduction in
his rent, and if I do not see fit to allow it him, which I
probably shall not, for he ought to have calculated on these
things, I have ricks of my own, and they may be burnt any
night."
"But you, of course, are insured?"
"No, I am not; I calculate 'tis better to run the risk."
"I wonder why ricks are burnt now, and were not in old days," said Egremont.
"Because there is a surplus population in the kingdom," said
Lord Marney, "and no rural police in the county."
"You were speaking of the election, George," said Egremont, not without reluctance, yet anxious, as the ice had been broken, to bring the matter to a result. Lord Marney, before the election, had written, in reply to his mother consulting him on the step a letter with which she was delighted, but which Egremont at the time could have wished to have been more explicit. However in the excitement attendant on a first contest, and influenced by the person whose judgment always swayed, and, in the present case, was peculiarly entitled to sway him, he stifled his scruples, and persuaded himself that he was a candidate not only with the sanction, but at the instance, of his brother. "You were speaking of the election, George," said Egremont.
"About the election, Charles. Well, the long and short of it
is this: that I wish to see you comfortable. To be harassed
about money is one of the most disagreeable incidents of life. It ruffles the temper, lowers the spirits, disturbs the rest, and finally breaks up one's health. Always, if you possibly can, keep square. And if by any chance you do find yourself in a scrape, come to me. There is nothing under those circumstances like the advice of a cool-headed friend."
"As valuable as the assistance of a cold-hearted one," thought
Egremont, who did not fancy too much the tone of this
conversation.