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The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton, a novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim |
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Chapter 22. Doubts |
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_ CHAPTER XXII. DOUBTS Mr. Bomford in his town clothes was a strikingly adequate reflection of the fashion of the times. From the tips of his patent boots, his neatly tied black satin tie, his waistcoat with its immaculate white slip, to his glossy silk hat, he was an entirely satisfactory reproduction. The caretaker who admitted him to Burton's rooms sighed as she let him in. He represented exactly her ideal of a gentleman. "Mr. Burton and the little boy are both in the sitting-room, sir," she announced, opening the door. "A gentleman to see you, sir." Burton looked up from his writing-table for a moment somewhat vaguely. Mr. Bomford, who had withdrawn his glove, held out his hand. "I trust, Mr. Burton, that you have not entirely forgotten me," he said. "I had the pleasure of dining with you a short time ago at Professor Cowper's. You will doubtless remember our conversation?" Burton welcomed his visitor civilly and motioned him to a seat. He was conscious of feeling a little disturbed. Mr. Bomford brought him once more into touch with memories which were ever assailing him by night and by day. "I have taken the liberty of calling upon you, Mr. Burton," the newcomer continued, setting down his silk hat upon a corner of the table, and lifting his coat-tails preparatory to sinking into a chair, "because I believe that in the excitement of our conversation a few nights ago, we did not do adequate justice to the sentiments which--er--provoked our offer to you." Mr. Bomford sat down with the air of a man who has spoken well. He was thoroughly pleased with his opening sentence. "It did not occur to me," Burton replied, "that there was any possibility of misunderstanding anything you or Professor Cowper said. Still, it is very kind of you to come and see me." Alfred, who was drawing in colored chalks at the other end of the room, rose up and approached his father. "Would you like me to go into the other room, father?" he asked. "I can leave my work quite easily for a time, and I have several books there." Mr. Bomford screwed an eyeglass into his eye and looked across at the child. "What an extraordinarily--forgive my remark, Mr. Burton--but what an extraordinarily well-behaved child! Is it possible that this is your boy?" Alfred turned his head and there was no doubt about the relationship. He, too, possessed the deep-set eyes with their strange, intense glow, the quivering mouth, the same sensitiveness of outline. "Yes, this is my son," Burton admitted, quietly. "Go and shake hands with Mr. Bomford, Alfred." The child crossed the room and held out his hand with grave self-possession. "It is very kind of you to come and see father," he said. "I am afraid that sometimes he is very lonely here. I will go away and leave you to talk." Mr. Bomford fumbled in his pocket. "Dear me!" he exclaimed. "Dear me! Ah, here is a half-crown! You must buy some chocolates or something to-morrow, young man. Or a gun, eh? Can one buy a gun for half-a-crown?" Alfred smiled at him. "It is very kind of you, sir," he said slowly. "I do not care for chocolate or guns, but if my father would allow me to accept your present, I should like very much to buy a larger drawing block." Mr. Bomford looked at the child and looked at his father. "Buy anything you like," he murmured weakly,--"anything you like at all." The child glanced towards his father. Burton nodded. "Certainly you may keep the half-crown, dear," he assented. "It is one of the privileges of your age to accept presents. Now run along into the other room, and I will come in and fetch you presently." The child held out his hand once more to Mr. Bomford. "It is exceedingly kind of you to give me this, sir," he said. "I can assure you that the drawing block will be a great pleasure to me." He withdrew with a little nod and a smile. Mr. Bomford watched him pass into the inner room, with his mouth open. "God bless my soul, Burton!" he exclaimed. "What an extraordinary child!" Burton laughed, a little hoarsely. "A few weeks ago," he said, "that boy was running about the streets with greased hair, a butcher's curl, a soiled velveteen suit, a filthy lace collar, dirty hands, torn stockings, playing disreputable games with all the urchins of the neighborhood. He murdered the Queen's English every time he spoke, and spent his pennies on things you suck. His mother threw two of the beans I had procured with great difficulty for them both into the street. He picked one up and ate it--a wretched habit of his. You see the result." Mr. Bomford sat quite still and breathed several times before he spoke. It was a sign with him of most intense emotion. "Mr. Burton," he declared, "if this is true, that child is even a greater testimony to the efficacy of your--your beans, than you yourself." "There is no doubt," Burton agreed, "that the change is even greater." There was a knock at the door. Burton, with a word of excuse, crossed the room to open it. The postman stood there with a packet. It was his novel returned once more. He threw it on to a table in the corner and returned to his place. "Mr. Burton," his visitor continued, "for the first time in my life--and I may say that I have been accustomed to public speaking and am considered to have a fair choice of words--for the first time in my life I confess that I find myself in trouble as to exactly how to express myself. I want to convince you. I am myself entirely and absolutely convinced as to the justice of the cause I plead. I want you to reconsider your decision of the other night." Burton shook his head. "I am afraid," he said, uneasily, "that that is not possible." Mr. Bomford cleared his throat. He was only externally a fool. "Mr. Burton," he declared, "you are an artist. Your child has the makings of a great artist. Have you no desire to travel? Have you no desire to see the famous picture galleries and cities of the Continent, cities which have been the birthplaces of the men whose works you and your son in days to come will regard with so much reverence?" "I should like to travel very much indeed," Burton admitted. "It is the opportunity to travel which we offer you," Mr. Bomford reminded him. "It is the opportunity to surround yourself with beautiful objects, the opportunity to make your life free from anxieties, a cultured phase of being during which, removed from all material cares, you can--er--develop yourself and the boy in any direction you choose." Mr. Bomford stopped and coughed. Again he was pleased with himself. "Money is only vulgar," he went on, "to vulgar minds. And remember this--that underlying the whole thing there is Truth. The beans which you and the boy have eaten do contain something of the miraculous. Those same constituents would be blended in the preparation which we shall offer to the public. Have you no faith in them? Why should you not believe it possible that the ingredients which have made so great a change in you and that child, may not influence for the better the whole world of your fellow-creatures? Omit for a moment the reflection that you yourself would benefit so much by the acceptance of my offer. Consider only your fellow human creatures. Don't you realize--can't you see that in acceding to our offer you will be acting the part of a philanthropist?" "Mr. Bomford," Burton said, leaning a little forward, "in all your arguments you forget one thing. My stock of these beans is already perilously low. When they are gone, I remain no more what I hope and believe I am at the present moment. Once more I revert to the impossible: I become the auctioneer's clerk--a commonplace, material, vulgar, objectionable little bounder, whose doings and feelings I sometimes dimly remember. Can't you imagine what sort of use a person like that would make of wealth? In justice to him, in justice to the myself of the future, I cannot place such temptations in his way." Mr. Bomford was staggered. "I find it hard to follow you," he admitted. "You will not accept my offer because you are afraid that when the effect of these beans has worn off, you will misuse the wealth which will come to you--is that it?" "That is the entire truth," Burton confessed. "Have you asked yourself," Mr. Bomford demanded, impressively, "whether you have a right to treat your other self in this fashion? Your other self will assuredly resent it, if you retain your memory. Your other self would hate your present self for its short-sighted, quixotic folly. I tell you frankly that you have not the right to treat your coming self in this way. Consider! Wealth does not inevitably vulgarize. On the contrary, it takes you away from the necessity of associating with people calculated to depress and cramp your life. There are many points of view which I am sure you have not adequately considered. Take the case of our friend Professor Cowper, for instance. He is a poor man with a scientific hobby in which he is burning to indulge. Why deprive him of the opportunity? There is his daughter--" "I will reconsider the matter," Burton interrupted, hastily. "I cannot say more than that." Mr. Bomford signified his satisfaction. "I am convinced," he said, "that you will come around to our way of thinking. I proceed now to the second reason of my visit to you this afternoon. Professor Cowper and his daughter are doing me the honor to dine with me to-night at the Milan. I beg that you will join us." Burton sat for some time without reply. For a moment the strong wave of humanity which swept up from his heart and set his pulses leaping, set the music beating in the air, terrified him. Surely this could mean but one thing! He waited almost in agony for the thoughts which might fill his brain. "Miss Cowper," Mr. Bomford continued, "has been much upset since your hasty departure from Leagate. She is conscious of some mistake--some foolish speech." Burton drew a little sigh of relief. After all, what he had feared was not coming. He saw the flaw, he felt even now the revulsion of feeling with which her words had inspired him. Yet the other things remained. She was still wonderful. It was still she who was the presiding genius of that sentimental garden. "You are very kind," he murmured. "We shall expect you," Mr. Bomford declared, "at a quarter past eight this evening." _ |
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