Any money she may need at this - at
this unhappy crisis in her life, she will find amply supplied. She
has no claims on me, but that makes little difference where the
family honor is concerned. Her mother's husband was my brother - the
girl shall have all she needs. I will write her so."
He was moving toward his carriage.
"Fine turnout?" he interrogatively remarked.
I assented with all the surprise, - with all the wonder even - which
his sublime egotism seemed to invite.
"It is the best that Downey could raise in the time I allotted him.
When I really finger the money, we shall see, we shall see."
His foot was on the carriage-step. He looked up at the west. The
sun was almost down but not quite. "Have you any special business
with me?" he asked, lingering with what I thought a surprising
display of conscientiousness till the last ray of direct sunlight
had disappeared.
I glanced up at the coachman sitting on his box as rigid as any
stone.
"You may speak," said he; "Caesar neither hears nor sees anything
but his horses when he drives me."
The black did not wink. He was as completely at home on the box
and as quiet and composed in his service as if he had driven this
man for years.
"He understands his duty," finished the master, but with no outward
appearance of pride.
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