Mrs. Bassett went
crying to her father, and told him she feared the worst if Richard's
mind could not be diverted from the Huntercombe estate and his hatred
of Sir Charles and Lady Bassett, which had been the great misfortune of
her life and of his own, but nothing would ever eradicate it. Richard
had great abilities; was a linguist, a wonderful accountant; could her
dear father find him some profitable employment to divert his thoughts?
"What! all in a moment?" said the old man. "Then I shall have to _buy_
it; and if I go on like this I shall not have much to leave you."
Having delivered this objection, he went up to London, and, having many
friends in the City, and laying himself open to proposals, he got scent
at last of a new insurance company that proposed also to deal in
reversions, especially to entailed estates. By prompt purchase of
shares in Bassett's name, and introducing Bassett himself, who, by
special study, had a vast acquaintance with entailed estates, and a
genius for arithmetical calculation, he managed somehow to get him into
the direction, with a stipend, and a commission on all business he
might introduce to the office.
Bassett yielded sullenly, and now divided his time between London and
the country.
Wheeler worked with him on a share of commission, and they made some
money between them.
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