Lord Eltham, within a year
after it, found a lucrative position in the colonies for his son
George, and advised his withdrawal from the firm of "Hallam & Eltham."
The loss of so much capital was a great blow to the young house, and
he did not find in the Darragh connection any equivalent. No one could
deny that Antony's plans were prudent, and dictated by a far-seeing
policy; but perhaps he looked too far ahead to rightly estimate the
contingencies in the interval. At any rate, after the withdrawal of
George Eltham, it had been, in the main with him, a desperate struggle,
and undoubtedly, Lord Eltham, by the very negation of his manner, by
the raising of an eye-lash, or the movement of a shoulder, had made
the struggle frequently harder than it ought to have been.
Yet Antony was making a brave fight for his position; if he could hold
on, he might compel success. People in this age have not the time to
be persistently hostile. Lord Eltham might get into power; a score
of favorable contingencies might arise; the chances for him were at
least equal to those against him. Just at this time his succession
to the Hallam estate might save him. He was fully determined if it
did come into his power never to put an acre of it in danger; but it
would represent so much capital in the eyes of the men with whom he
had to count sovereigns.
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