`You don't want to go to sleep yet, papa, do you?' she said, as she brought up her stool and opened the large fingers that clutched the snuff-box.
`Not yet,' said Mr Deane, glancing at the reward of merit in the decanter.
`But what do you want?' he added, pinching the dimpled chin fondly.
`To coax some more sovereigns out of my pocket for your bazaar? Eh?'
`No, I have no base motives at all today.I only want to talk, not to beg.I want to know what made you ask Philip Wakem about his father's farming today, papa? It seemed rather odd, because you never hardly say anything to him about his father - and why should you care about Mr Wakem's losing money by his hobby?'
`Something to do with business,' said Mr Deane, waving his hands, as if to repel intrusion into that mystery.
`But, papa, you always say Mr Wakem has brought Philip up like a girl - how came you to think you should get any business knowledge out of him?
Those abrupt questions sounded rather oddly.Philip thought them queer.'
`Nonsense, child!' said Mr Deane, willing to justify his social demeanour, with which he had taken some pains in his upward progress.`There's a report that Wakem's mill and farm on the other side of the river - Dorlcote Mill, your uncle Tulliver's, you know - isn't answering so well as it did.Iwanted to see if your friend Philip would let anything out about his father's being tired of farming.'
`Why? Would you buy the mill, papa, if he would part with it?' said Lucy, eagerly.`O, tell me everything - here, you shall have your snuff-box if you'll tell me.Because Maggie says all their hearts are set on Tom's getting back the mill some time.It was one of the last things her father said to Tom - that he must get back the Mill.'
`Hush, you little puss,' said Mr Deane, availing himself of the restored snuff-box.`You must not say a word about this thing - do you hear? There's very little chance of their getting the mill - or of anybody's getting it out of Wakem's hands.And if he knew that we wanted it with a view to the Tullivers getting it again, he'd be the less likely to part with it.
It's natural, after what happened.He behaved well enough to Tulliver before;but a horse-whipping isn't likely to be paid for with sugar-plums.'
`Now, papa,' said Lucy, with a little air of solemnity, `will you trust me? You must not ask me all my reasons for what I'm going to say - but I have very strong reasons.And I'm very cautious - I am, indeed.'
`Well, let us hear.'
`Why, I believe, if you will let me take Philip Wakem into our confidence - let me tell him all about your wish to buy and what it's for - that my cousins wish to have it and why they wish to have it - I believe Philip would help to bring it about.I know he would desire to do it.'
`I don't see how that can be, child,' said Mr Deane, looking puzzled.
`Why should he care?' - then, with a sudden penetrating looking at his daughter, `You don't think the poor lad's fond of you - and so you can make him do what you like?' (Mr Deane felt quite safe about his daughter's affections.)`No, papa; he cares very little about me - not so much as I care about him.But I have a reason for being quite sure of what I say.Don't you ask me.And if you ever guess, don't tell me.Only give me leave to do as I think fit about it.'
Lucy rose from her stool to seat herself on her father's knee, and kissed him with that last request.
`Are you sure you won't do mischief, now?' he said, looking at her with delight.
`Yes, papa, quite sure.I'm very wise - I've got all your business talents.
Didn't you admire my accompt-book, now, when I showed it you?'
`Well, well, if this youngster will keep his counsel, there won't be much harm done.And to tell the truth, I think there's not much chance for us any other way.Now, let me go off to sleep.'
