Mr. Richard Hardie was not prepared to encounter one of his unhappy
creditors thus publicly, and, to shorten the annoyance, would have
dismissed him roughly: but he dared not; for Maxley was no longer alone
nor unfriended. When Jane left him to intercede for him, a young man
joined him, and was now comforting him with kind words, and trying to get
him to smoke a cigar; and this good-hearted young gentleman was the
banker's son in the flesh, and his opposite in spirit, Mr. Alfred Hardie.
Finding these two in contact, the Doctors interchanged demurest glances.
Mr. Hardie asked Maxley sullenly what he wanted of them.
"Well, sir," said Maxley despondingly, "I have been to all the other
magistrates in the borough; for what with losing my money, and what with
losing my missus, I think I bain't quite right in my head; I do see such
curious things, enough to make a body's skin creep at times." And down
went his head on his chest
"Well?" said Mr. Hardie, peevishly: "go on: you went to the magistrates,
and what then?"
Maxley looked up, and seemed to recover the thread: "Why they said 'no,'
they couldn't send me to the 'sylum, not from home: I must be a pauper
first.
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