The earl colored slightly.
"Now look here, Drake; I'm always suspicious of that d----d quiet way of
yours! I was very glad when Lady Angleford told me that you were coming
here, and I made up my mind that I would let bygones be bygones and act
squarely by you. As I said, I'm not a bit sorry that I married; no,
indeed!--you've seen Lady Angleford--but I don't want to leave you in
the lurch. I don't want you to suffer more than--than can be helped.
I've been thinking the matter over, and I'll tell you what I'll do. Have
some more port."
Unluckily for Drake, the old man filled his own glass before passing the
bottle. Drake sipped his port and waited, and the earl went on: "Of course, I meant to continue your allowance; but I can see that under
the circumstances that wouldn't be sufficient. Something might happen to
me----"
"I sincerely trust nothing will happen to you, sir," said Drake.
The earl grunted.
"Well, I'm not so young as I was; and I might get chucked off my horse,
or--or something of that sort; and then you'd be in a hole, I imagine;
for I suppose you've got through most of your mother's money?"
"A great deal of it," admitted Drake.
"Yes; I thought so. Well, look here; I'll tell you what I'll do, Drake.
As you may know, Lady Angleford has a fortune of her own. Her father was
a millionaire. That leaves me free to do what I like with my own money.
Now, I'll settle ten thousand a year on you, Drake--but on one
condition."
Drake was considerably startled. After all, ten thousand a year is a
large sum; and though the earl was immensely rich, Drake had not
expected him to be so liberal. On ten thousand a year one can manage
very comfortably, even in England. Drake thought of his debts, of all
that a settled income would mean to him, and his heart warmed with
gratitude toward his uncle.
"You are more than kind, sir," he said. "Your liberality takes my breath
away. What was the condition?"
The earl fidgeted a little in his chair.
"Look here, Drake," he said, "I've never worried you about your way of
life; I know that young men will be young men, and that you've lived in
a pretty fast set. That was your business and not mine, and as long as
you kept afloat I didn't choose to interfere. But I think it's time you
settled down; and I'll settle this money on you on condition that you do
settle down. You're engaged to a very nice girl--just you marry and
settle down, and I'll provide the means, as I say."