第17章
OF THE WEST DIDDLESEX ASSOCIATION, AND OF THE EFFECT THE DIAMOND HAD THEREWell, the magic of the pin was not over yet.Very soon after Mrs.Brough's grand party, our director called me up to his room at the West Diddlesex, and after examining my accounts, and speaking awhile about business, said, "That's a very fine diamond-pin, Master Titmarsh" (he spoke in a grave patronising way), "and I called you on purpose to speak to you upon the subject.I do not object to seeing the young men of this establishment well and handsomely dressed; but I know that their salaries cannot afford ornaments like those, and I grieve to see you with a thing of such value.You have paid for it, sir,-- I trust you have paid for it; for, of all things, my dear--dear young friend, beware of debt."I could not conceive why Brough was reading me this lecture about debt and my having bought the diamond-pin, as I knew that he had been asking about it already, and how I came by it--Abednego told me so."Why, sir," says I, "Mr.Abednego told me that he had told you that I had told him--""Oh, ay-by-the-bye, now I recollect, Mr.Titmarsh--I do recollect-- yes; though I suppose, sir, you will imagine that I have other more important things to remember.""Oh, sir, in course," says I.
"That one of the clerks DID say something about a pin--that one of the other gentlemen had it.And so your pin was given you, was it?""It was given me, sir, by my aunt, Mrs.Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty," said I, raising my voice; for I was a little proud of Castle Hoggarty.
"She must be very rich to make such presents, Titmarsh?""Why, thank you, sir," says I, "she is pretty well off.Four hundred a year jointure; a farm at Slopperton, sir; three houses at Squashtail; and three thousand two hundred loose cash at the banker's, as I happen to know, sir,--THAT'S ALL."I did happen to know this, you see; because, while I was down inSomersetshire, Mr.MacManus, my aunt's agent in Ireland, wrote to say that a mortgage she had on Lord Brallaghan's property had just been paid off, and that the money was lodged at Coutts's.Ireland was in a very disturbed state in those days; and my aunt wisely determined not to invest her money in that country any more, but to look out for some good security in England.However, as she had always received six per cent.in Ireland, she would not hear of a smaller interest; and had warned me, as I was a commercial man, on coming to town, to look out for some means by which she could invest her money at that rate at least.
"And how do you come to know Mrs.Hoggarty's property so accurately?" said Mr.Brough; upon which I told him.
"Good heavens, sir! and do you mean that you, a clerk in the West Diddlesex Insurance Office, applied to by a respectable lady as to the manner in which she should invest property, never spoke to her about the Company which you have the honour to serve? Do you mean, sir, that you, knowing there was a bonus of five per cent.for yourself upon shares taken, did not press Mrs.Hoggarty to join us?""Sir," says I, "I'm an honest man, and would not take a bonus from my own relation.""Honest I know you are, my boy--give me your hand! So am I honest- -so is every man in this Company honest; but we must be prudent as well.We have five millions of capital on our books, as you see-- five bona fide millions of bona fide sovereigns paid up, sir,-- there is no dishonesty there.But why should we not have twenty millions--a hundred millions? Why should not this be the greatest commercial Association in the world?--as it shall be, sir,--it shall, as sure as my name is John Brough, if Heaven bless my honest endeavours to establish it! But do you suppose that it can be so, unless every man among us use his utmost exertions to forward the success of the enterprise? Never, sir,-- never; and, for me, I say so everywhere.I glory in what I do.There is not a house in which I enter, but I leave a prospectus of the West Diddlesex.There is not a single tradesman I employ, but has shares in it to some amount.My servants, sir,--my very servants and grooms, are bound up with it.And the first question I ask of anyone who applies tome for a place is, Are you insured or a shareholder in the West Diddlesex? the second, Have you a good character? And if the first question is answered in the negative, I say to the party coming to me, Then be a shareholder before you ask for a place in my household.Did you not see me--me, John Brough, whose name is good for millions--step out of my coach-and-four into this office, with four pounds nineteen, which I paid in to Mr.Roundhand as the price of half a share for the porter at my lodge- gate? Did you remark that I deducted a shilling from the five pound?""Yes, sir; it was the day you drew out eight hundred and seventy- three ten and six--Thursday week," says I.
"And why did I deduct that shilling, sir? Because it was MY COMMISSION--John Brough's commission; honestly earned by him, and openly taken.Was there any disguise about it? No.Did I do it for the love of a shilling?No," says Brough, laying his hand on his heart, "I did it from PRINCIPLE,--from that motive which guides every one of my actions, as I can look up to Heaven and say.I wish all my young men to see my example, and follow it: I wish--I pray that they may.Think of that example, sir.That porter of mine has a sick wife and nine young children: he is himself a sick man, and his tenure of life is feeble; he has earned money, sir, in my service--sixty pounds and more--it is all his children have to look to--all: but for that, in the event of his death, they would be houseless beggars in the street.And what have I done for that family, sir? I have put that money out of the reach of Robert Gates, and placed it so that it shall be a blessing to his family at his death.Every farthing is invested in shares in this office; and Robert Gates, my lodge- porter, is a holder of three shares in the West Diddlesex Association, and, in that capacity, your master and mine.Do you think I want to CHEAT Gates?""Oh, sir!" says I.