While Mr. Pounce and Mr. Quod, after their own quaint fashion, are doing
decisive battle with each other in a remote corner of the field of
action; and while--to change the figure--Mr. Titmouse's pedigree is
being subjected to the gloomy, silent, and mysterious inquisition of the
ecclesiastical court, let us turn for a moment to contemplate a pitiable
figure, a victim of the infernal machinations of Mr. Gammon--I mean the
poor old Earl of Dreddlington. He was yet--a month after the death of
his unhappy daughter, Lady Cecilia--staggering under the awful shock
which he had experienced. Before he had been in any degree restored to
consciousness, she had been buried for nearly three weeks; and the
earliest notification to him of the melancholy occurrence, was the deep
mourning habiliments of Miss Macspleuchan, who scarcely ever quitted his
bedside. When, in a feeble and tremulous voice, he inquired as to the
cause of his daughter's death, he could get no other account of
it--either from Miss Macspleuchan, his physicians, or the Duke of
Tantallan--than that it had been occasioned by the shock of suddenly
seeing his Lordship brought home seriously ill, she being, moreover, in
a very critical state of health. When, at length, he pressed and
challenged Miss Macspleuchan upon the matter--viz. the reality of the
blighting discovery of Mr. Titmouse's illegitimacy--she resolutely
maintained that he was laboring altogether under a delusion--indeed a
double delusion; first, as to his imaginary conversation with Mr.
Gammon; and secondly, as to his supposed communication of it to Lady
Cecilia. Her heart was smitten, however, by the steadfast look of
mournful incredulity with which the earl regarded her from time to time;
and, when alone, she reproached herself in tears with the fraud she was
practising upon the desolate and broken-hearted old man. The duke,
however, seconded by the physician, was peremptory on the point,
believing that otherwise the earl's recovery was impossible; and as his
Grace invaluably joined Miss Macspleuchan in treating the mere mention
of the matter as but the figment of a disordered brain, the poor earl
was at length silenced if not convinced. He peremptorily prohibited Mr.
Titmouse, however, from entering his house--much more from appearing in
his presence; and there was little difficulty in making that gentleman
seem satisfied that the sole cause of his exclusion was his cruelty and
profligacy towards the late Lady Cecilia:--whereas, he knew all the
while, and with a sickening inward shudder, the real reason--of which he
had been apprised by Mr. Gammon. Very shortly after the earl's illness,
the Duke of Tantallan had sent for Mr. Titmouse to interrogate him upon
the subject of his Lordship's representations; but Mr. Gammon had been
beforehand with the duke, and thoroughly tutored Titmouse--dull and weak
though he was--in the part he was to play, and which Mr. Gammon had
striven to make as easy to him as possible. The little ape started with
well-feigned astonishment, indignation, and disgust, as soon as the duke
had mentioned the matter, and said very little--(such were Gammon's
peremptory injunctions)--and that little only in expression of
amazement--that any one could attach the slightest importance to the
mere wanderings of a brain disturbed by illness. 'Twas certainly a
ticklish matter, the duke felt, to press too far, or to think of
intrusting it to third parties. His Grace very naturally concluded,
that what his own superior tact and acuteness had failed in eliciting,
could be detected by no one else. He frequently pressed Mr. Gammon,
however, upon the subject; but that gentleman maintained the same calm
front he had exhibited when first questioned by the duke; giving the
same account of all he knew of Titmouse's pedigree--and clinching the
matter by sending to his Grace a copy of the brief, and of the
short-hand writer's notes of the trial--challenging, at the same time,
the most rigorous investigation into every circumstance in the case. It
was very natural for the duke, under these circumstances, to yield at
length, and feel satisfied that the whole affair rested on no other
basis than the distempered brain of his suffering kinsman. Nothing shook
his Grace more, however, than the sight of Titmouse: for he looked,
verily, one whom it was exceedingly difficult to suppose possessed of
one drop of aristocratic blood!--Miss Macspleuchan, a woman of superior
acuteness, was infinitely more difficult to satisfy upon the subject
than the duke; and though she _said_ little, her manner showed that she
was satisfied of the existence of some dreadful mystery or other,
connected with Mr. Titmouse, of which Mr. Gammon was master--and the
premature discovery of which had produced the deplorable effects upon
the earl under which he was at that moment suffering. The earl, when
alone with her, and unconscious of her presence, talked to himself
constantly in the same strain; and when conversing with her, in his
intervals of consciousness, repeated over and over again, without the
slightest variation, facts which seemed as it were to have been burned
in upon his brain. Miss Macspleuchan had--to conceal nothing from the
reader--begun to cherish very warm feelings of attachment to Mr. Gammon;
whose striking person, fascinating conversation, and flattering
attention to herself--a thing quite unusual on the part of any of the
earl's visitors--were well calculated to conduce to such a result. But
from the moment of Lord Dreddlington's having made the statement which
had been attended by such dreadful consequences, her feelings towards
Mr. Gammon had been completely chilled and alienated. Her demeanor, on
the few occasions of their meeting, was constrained and distant; her
countenance clouded with suspicion, her manners frozen with reserve and
hauteur.
Mr. Gammon's first interview with the earl, after his illness and
bereavement, had become a matter of absolute necessity--and was at his
Lordship's instance; his wishes being conveyed through the Duke of
Tantallan, who had intimated to him that it was indeed indispensable, if
only to settle some matters of business, of pressing exigency, connected
with the failure of the Artificial Rain Company. The duke was with his
noble kinsman at the time of Mr. Gammon's calling--having intended to be
present at the interview. They awaited his arrival in the earl's
library. It is very difficult to describe the feelings with which Mr.
Gammon anticipated and prepared for the appointed interview with the man
on whom he had inflicted such frightful evil, towards whom he felt that
he had acted the part of a fiend. How had he dealt with the absolute and
unrestrained confidence which the earl had reposed in him! The main prop
and pillar of the earl's existence--family pride--Gammon had snapped
asunder beneath him; and as for fortune--Gammon knew that the earl was
absolutely ruined. Not, however, that Gammon really felt any
commiseration for his victim: his anxiety was only as to how he should
extricate himself from liability in respect of it. And had not a man of
even his marble heart cause for apprehension, in approaching the earl on
that occasion, to be interrogated concerning Titmouse--to look the earl
in the face, and deny what had passed between them;--and that, too,
when the rigid investigation was pending which might, within a few short
weeks, convict and expose him to the scorn--the indignation--of society,
as a monster of fraud and falsehood?
The earl sat in his library, dressed in deep black, which hung upon his
shrunk attenuated figure, as upon an old skeleton. He looked twenty
years older than he had appeared two short months before. His hair,
white as snow, his pallid emaciated cheek, his weak and wandering eye,
and a slight tremulous motion about his head and shoulders--all showed
the mere wreck of a man that he had become, and would have shocked and
subdued the feelings of any beholder. What a contrast he presented to
the portly and commanding figure of the Duke of Tantallan, who sat
beside him, with a brow clouded by anxiety and apprehension! At
length--"Mr. Gammon, my Lord," said the servant, in a low tone, after
gently opening the door.
"Show him in," said the duke, rather nervously, adding to the earl in a
hurried whisper,--"now be calm--my dear Dreddlington--be calm--it will
be over in a few minutes' time."--The earl's lips quivered a little, his
thin white hands trembled, and his eyes were directed towards the door
with a look of most mournful apprehension, as the fiend entered. Mr.
Gammon was pale, and evidently nervous and excited; his habitual
self-command, however, would have concealed it from any but a practised
observer. What a glance was that with which he first saw the earl!--"It
gives me deep pain, my Lord," said he, in a low tone, slowly advancing
with an air of profound deference and sympathy, "to perceive that you
have been so great a sufferer."
"Will you take a chair, sir?" said the duke, pointing to one which the
servant had brought for him, and in which Gammon sat down, with a
courteous inclination towards the duke; and observing that Lord
Dreddlington's face had become suddenly flushed, while his lips moved as
if he were speaking, "You see," added his Grace, "that my Lord
Dreddlington is but slowly recovering!"--Gammon sighed, and gazed at the
earl with an expression of infinite concern.
"_Is it true, sir?_" inquired the earl, after a moment's interval of
silence--evidently with a desperate effort.
Gammon felt both of his companions eying him intently, as he answered
calmly--"Alas!--your Lordship of course alludes to that unhappy
Company"----
"Is it true, sir?" repeated the earl, altogether disregarding Gammon's
attempt at evasion.
"You cannot but be aware, Mr. Gammon, of the subject to which my Lord
Dreddlington is alluding"--said the duke, sternly, in a low tone.
"Oh!" exclaimed Gammon, with a slight shrug of his shoulders and a
sigh--"I understand that your Lordship is referring to some conversation
which you supposed has passed between your Lordship and me concerning
Mr. Titmouse!"
"Sir--sir--yes! yes!" gasped the earl, gazing at him intently.
"Well, my Lord, I have heard with inexpressible astonishment that you
suppose I told your Lordship that he was _illegitimate_."
"Ay," said the earl, with tremulous eagerness.
"Oh, my Lord, you are really laboring under as complete a delusion as
ever man"--commenced Gammon, with a melancholy smile.
"Sir--Mr. Gammon--do you believe that there is NO GOD?--that HE does not
know the--the"--interrupted the earl, but ceased, apparently overpowered
by his emotions. Gammon looked in appealing silence at the duke.
"What makes you imagine, sir, that I am bereft of reason and memory?"
presently inquired the earl, with a strength of voice and manner which
alarmed Gammon.
"I cannot account, my Lord, for the extraordinary hallucination which
seems"----
"And I suppose, sir, I am equally dreaming about the rent-charge for two
thousand a-year, which you have got on the Yatton pro"----
"Oh, pardon--pardon me, my Lord! All pure--absolute delusion and
fiction!" interrupted Gammon, with a confident smile, a look, and a tone
of voice, which would have staggered the most incredulous.
The earl raised his thin white trembling hand, and pressed it against
his forehead for a moment; and then said, turning to the duke--"He would
deny that he is now in our presence!"
"My dear Dreddlington--don't, for God's sake, excite yourself," said the
duke, anxiously; adding after a pause, "I am as persuaded as I am of my
existence, that you're under a complete delusion! Recollect your serious
illness--every one is subject to this sort of thing when he's been so
ill as you have!"
"Oh, Tantallan! Tantallan!" replied the earl, mournfully shaking his
head--"I take God to witness how this man is lying!" The duke glanced
hastily at Gammon as these words were uttered, and observed that he had
gone suddenly pale, and was in the act of rising from his chair.
"Pray, Mr. Gammon"----commenced the duke, imploringly.
"I can make very great allowance, I assure your Grace, for his
Lordship's situation--but there are bounds which I will permit no man
living, under any circumstances, to overstep with impunity," said
Gammon, calmly but resolutely--overjoyed at obtaining such a pretext for
abruptly terminating the embarrassing interview--"and unless his
Lordship chooses instantly to retract what he has said, and apologize
for it, I will never enter his presence again!"
"Oh--he had better go!" said the earl, feebly, addressing the duke,
evidently averting his face from Gammon with disgust and horror.
"Mr. Gammon, _pray_ resume your seat," said the duke,
significantly--"You are bound to regard the words as not having been
spoken."
"I thank your Grace," replied Gammon, determinedly--"but I require an
explicit retractation. I entertain a deep deference towards your Grace,
but am also aware of what is due to myself. My Lord," he added, as if at
a sudden impulse, addressing the earl, "do permit me to request your
Lordship to withdraw and apologize for"----But the earl turned his face
aside; and extending his hand towards Gammon, feebly motioned him away;
on which, with a low bow to the Duke of Tantallan, Gammon took his hat
and moved towards the door.
"Sir--Mr. Gammon--you _must_ not go," said the duke, in an earnest and
commanding manner--"you are here on business, of pressing
importance--all _this_ must pass away and be forgotten."
"_Your Grace_ I shall be most happy to attend at any time, and anywhere;
but this room I quit instantly."
"Then, sir, have the goodness to walk into the next," said the duke,
somewhat imperiously, "and I will come to you presently." Mr. Gammon
bowed and withdrew.
"Oh God! how atrocious is the conduct of that man!" said the earl, when
they were left alone.
"Really, Dreddlington, you must get rid of these--these--absurd
notions."
"Let me never see his face again!" replied the earl, feebly. "I have but
a short time to live, and that time the sight of _him_, I feel, makes
still shorter!" The duke looked both vexed and embarrassed.
"Come--come--now he's here," continued his Grace, "and on a very
important errand--let us have done with the fellow--let us have him
back, and I'll tell him you withdraw"----
"Withdraw? He _is_ withdrawn," replied the earl, confusedly.
"What d'ye mean, my dear Dreddlington? I say--let me tell him"----
"I mean, it was at his chambers, in Holborn--I pledge my honor, I
recollect as if it were yester"----
"Pho, pho!" cried the duke, rather impatiently--"it must be done! He's
come on matters of the very last importance--the thing's been put off to
the very latest moment on your account--that cursed Company!" The earl
looked up at his companion, and a faint smile flitted over his wasted
features.
"Ah--I'm now satisfied," said he, shaking his head--"that they must dig
a very great depth, indeed, before they come to the copper." The duke
looked puzzled, but said hastily, "That's right!--I'll have him back,
and you'll allow me to say it's all a mistake?"
"Certainly--I am satisfied of it."
"That will do, my dear Dreddlington!--That's the way such nonsense
_should_ be put an end to," said the duke, and, ringing the bell,
ordered the servant to request Mr. Gammon to return. After a brief
interval, that gentleman re-entered the library, but with some sternness
and reluctance of manner.
"Mr. Gammon," replied the duke, a little quickly, "my Lord Dreddlington
owns he was mistaken--he, of course, withdraws the expression--so we
had better at once to business"----
"Ay--certainly!--certainly! Have you the papers with you, Mr. Gammon?"
inquired the earl, while his trembling fingers held his gold spectacles.
Mr. Gammon bowed rather haughtily, and resuming the chair he had
quitted, drew it to the table, and opened a little packet.
"It was a ridiculous affair, I am afraid, sir," said the earl,
addressing Mr. Gammon, who felt a little surprised at the altered look
and tone of the earl.
"I fear it was extremely _unfortunate_, my Lord, in its issue," he
replied gravely, arranging his papers.
"The thing did not look so absurd _at first_, Tantallan, I assure you!"
said the earl, addressing the duke, who was eying Mr. Gammon's movements
with much anxiety; for he had come prepared to state the final result of
long negotiations between the creditors and the directors and
shareholders of the "Artificial Rain Company."
"These things never do--at first," his Grace replied with a sort of
sigh.
"Just show us, Mr. Gammon," said the earl, "if you please, the diagrams
and the sections of the strata"-----
"The _what_?" inquired the duke, turning surprisedly to the earl--so did
Mr. Gammon, and for a moment ceased arranging his papers. Both the duke
and he turned pale, and gazed in silent dismay at their companion.
Gammon felt momentarily sick at heart. It was evident that Lord
Dreddlington's mind had gently given way!--There was a smile of
indescribable weakness flickering about the mouth; the eyes were
unsteady; all sternness had vanished from his brow; and his manner was
calm, with even an approach towards cheerfulness. Gammon's face was
suddenly blanched, and he glanced with horror at the duke, who, without
removing his eyes from Lord Dreddlington, unconsciously exclaimed, "Oh
my God!"
"Is it your Lordship's pleasure"----faltered Gammon, his hands trembling
visibly.
"You are right, Tantallan," said Lord Dreddlington, as if suddenly
struck by the peculiar look with which the duke continued to regard him.
"You shall hear all; but we must be alone. Sir, you may retire, and be
in attendance another day," he added, abruptly addressing Gammon, with
all his former stateliness of manner, but with a feeble voice. Mr.
Gammon, very greatly agitated, hastily put together the documents which
he had partially arranged on the table, and with a profound bow
withdrew.
"At nine this evening--in Portman Square, sir, if you please," said the
duke, tremulously.
"I will attend your Grace," said Gammon, and with not a little
trepidation closed the door after him; on which the earl proceeded, in a
very anxious and mysterious manner, to intimate the existence of a
conspiracy on the part of the Earl of Fitzwalter and others, to prevent
his--Lord Dreddlington's--obtaining a marquisate, on the ground that he
had been connected with Sir Sharper Bubble in a swindling company; and
his Lordship had good grounds for believing that Mr. Gammon was secretly
lending his assistance to the undertaking, and his coming there that
morning with the papers relating to the intended purchase of the Isle of
Dogs, was in furtherance of his treacherous objects! The duke listened
in silent dismay to this rambling account of the imaginary conspiracy,
and had just determined upon quietly sending for Miss Macspleuchan, when
the earl abruptly paused, and after a confused stare at his companion,
pressed his hand to his forehead, and said with hesitation and
embarrassment--"Pray, Tantallan, don't think anything more about
what I have been saying! I--I--feel that I have been talking
nonsense--incoherently--Surely it must have struck _you so_? Eh,
Tantallan?"
There was something so imbecile and miserable in the look with which the
earl regarded his companion, that the duke for a moment could not reply
to him. At length, "My dear Dreddlington," said he, gently grasping his
hand, "you are at present only a little excited--you will soon recover
yourself. Let us ask Miss Macspleuchan to join us, as she is sitting all
alone up-stairs."
"Not just now, Tantallan--I feel I have wandered a little, but all is
now right again. He is gone, is he?" The duke nodded. "The sight of that
man was at first too much for me; I felt oppressed and confused, but I
thought it right to struggle against it!--He denied it all?--Is not that
enough to drive a man out of his senses?"
"My dear Dreddlington, we shall get wrong again--let us quit the
subject," said the duke, anxiously.
"No," replied the earl, languidly, "do not fear me; I feel quite myself
again! I can only repeat to you, that that man's conversation with me
about--about"--he shuddered--"as certainly happened, as the heavens are
above us!" The earl had really, at all events for the present, recovered
from the temporary confusion into which his thoughts had fallen; and
proceeded, with as much energy as his shattered condition would admit
of, to give the duke, as he had often done before, a distinct and
consistent account of all that had taken place at Mr. Gammon's
chambers:--and as he went on, it all of a sudden occurred to his Grace,
for the first time--how improbable is it that Lord Dreddlington should
have _invented_ a scene, which he has uniformly delineated in almost the
same words? What but truth and reality could enable him to preserve such
a consistency in describing a transaction with such minute
circumstantiality? Having once looked at the matter in this new light,
every succeeding moment saw him more and more satisfied that such was
the true view of it; and before he had quitted his unfortunate kinsman,
he had pretty nearly convinced himself of three things; first, that Mr.
Titmouse was a hideous little base-born miscreant and impostor;
secondly, that Mr. Gammon must be the profoundest scoundrel living; and
lastly, that it was very singular that he--the duke--had been so long in
arriving at such a conclusion. But then, it subsequently occurred to the
sagacious duke--how was he to act? What position was he to assume with
Mr. Gammon, when he came, in the evening, in obedience to his Grace's
own appointment? What reasons could he assign for his sudden change of
opinion? Nothing new had occurred: and he felt a little embarrassed,
seeing that all he should be able to say would be that he had at length
suddenly taken a different view of facts long well known! At all events,
he determined to put the brief of Mr. Titmouse's case, used at the
trials, and which Mr. Gammon had some time before forwarded to his
Grace's house, into the hands of some eminent lawyer, for a candid and
confidential opinion.
Mr. Gammon, on quitting Lord Dreddlington's house, quickly recovered
from the momentary shock which he had suffered in the earl's presence;
and--shall I record the fact?--all other feelings and all his fears were
merged in one of delight and exultation at the awful calamity which had
befallen Lord Dreddlington: no one, Mr. Gammon considered, would
thenceforth think of attaching the least importance to anything the earl
might say, or had said, but would doubtless deem it the mere creation of
a disordered brain. Then all that would be necessary, would be the
silencing Titmouse--no difficult matter, since even he could comprehend
that secrecy was to him a matter of salvation or destruction! But then,
again, like a criminal's chance glance at the hideous guillotine or
gallows in the distance--a recollection of the ecclesiastical inquiry,
at that instant in vigorous action, blanched the cheek of Mr. Gammon,
and dashed all his new hopes to the ground. If those infernal
inquisitors _should_ discover all, and thereby demonstrate Titmouse's
illegitimacy, how perfectly frightful would be the position of Mr.
Gammon! What would then avail him the insanity of Lord Dreddlington?
Would it not, on the contrary, be then attributed to the right
cause--the atrocious cruelty and villany which had been practised upon
him? How irretrievably was Gammon committed by his repeated and solemn
asseverations to Miss Macspleuchan and the Earl of Dreddlington? The
evidence which sufficed to entitle Mr. Aubrey, in preference to Mr.
Titmouse, to administer to Lady Stratton, would also suffice to entitle
him to an immediate restoration to the Yatton property! And would the
matter rest there? Would no steps be taken, in such an event, to fix
him--Gammon--as a partner, or a prime mover, in the frauds and
conspiracy by which alone, it would then be alleged, Titmouse had been
enabled to recover the property? Absorbed by these pleasant
contemplations, he was so lost to all around him, that he was within an
ace of being crushed to death under the wheels of an enormous
coal-wagon, which he had not seen approaching, as he crossed the street.
It might, perhaps, have been well had it been so--the accident would
certainly have saved him from a "_sea of troubles_," on which, for aught
we can at present see, he may be tossed for the remainder of his life.
The chief object of Mr. Gammon's interview with the Earl of
Dreddlington, had been to communicate to his Lordship information
concerning the alarming position in which he stood with reference to the
defunct Artificial Rain Company. The very prominent and active part
which his Lordship had been seduced into taking, in the patronage and
management of that Company, had naturally marked him out as the fittest
object of attack to the creditors. The Company had no Act of Parliament,
nor charter, nor deed of settlement; it was simply a huge unwieldy
_partnership_, consisting of all such persons as could be shown to be
interested, or to have held themselves out to the world as interested,
in it: and consequently, whether individually known or not, liable to
the public who had dealt with the Company, and given credit to it; on
the very obvious principle of equity, that all who would seek to share
the profits of a speculation must be responsible for its liabilities. In
the present instance, had it not been for the circumstance of there
being a considerable number of weak, inexperienced, but responsible
adventurers, who, by entering into the affair, had become liable to
share Lord Dreddlington's burden of responsibility, his Lordship must
have been totally ruined to all intents and purposes.[16] As soon as Sir
Sharper Bubble's absconding had opened the eyes of the public, and of
the shareholders, it became necessary to take instant measures for
ascertaining the exact state of affairs--and the liabilities which had
been contracted. Heavens! what a frightful array of creditors now made
their appearance against the Artificial Rain Company! It was
inconceivable how so many, and to so immense an amount, could have
arisen during the short period of the Company's being in existence; but
the fact is, that there are always thousands of persons who, as soon as
they once see individuals of undoubted responsibility fairly committed
to a speculation of this sort, will give almost unlimited credit, and
supply anything which may be ordered on behalf, or for the purposes, of
the Company. It had originated in a supposed grand discovery of our
philosophical friend, Dr. Diabolus Gander, that there were certain
modes of operating upon the atmosphere, by means of electrical agency,
which would insure an abundant supply of rain in seasons of the greatest
drought. Now, first and foremost among the creditors of the Company, was
that distinguished philosopher himself; who, to constitute himself
effectually a creditor, had cunningly declined to take any shares in the
concern!--He now claimed £1,700 for a series of "preliminary
experiments," independently of compensation for his time and services in
conducting the aforesaid experiments;--and, in order to put the question
of _liability_ beyond all doubt, the doctor had taken care, from time to
time, to invite the more distinguished and wealthy of the shareholders
to come and witness his doings--always carefully noting down their
names, and the names also of the witnesses who could prove such
attendance--the interest they took in the experiments--their expressed
good wishes for the success of the Company, &c. &c., and their repeated
acknowledgments of the uniform courtesy of the worthy doctor, who
thought no pains too great to explain the nature of his surprising
operations. Then, again, he had entered into an agreement, signed by
Lord Dreddlington, and one or two others on behalf of the Company, by
which he was appointed "permanent scientific director" for a period of
ten years, at a salary of £1,000 a-year, over and above the sums agreed
to be paid him for "collateral and supplementary services." This latter
claim, however, the doctor very generously offered to compromise, in
consideration of the exhalation of the Company, on payment of four
thousand pounds down!! Then came a demand amounting to little short of
£25,000 for an inconceivable quantity of copper wire, which had been
purchased for the purpose of being used in all the cities and towns
which chose to avail themselves of the services of the Company, in the
following way:--viz. a complete circle of electric communication was to
be obtained, by attaching wires to the summits of all the church
steeples, and it was necessary that such wires should be of considerable
strength and thickness, to prevent their being broken by birds flying
against, and perching upon them: (But Dr. Gander intimated that he had
very nearly discovered a mode of charging the wires, which would cause
any bird coming into contact with them, immediately to fall down dead.)
Then there were fearful charges for at least nine miles' length of
leaden pipes and hose, and for steam-engines, and electrical machines,
and so forth; particularly an item of eight thousand pounds for the
expenses of trying the experiment in a village in the extremity of
Cornwall, and which was very nearly completed, when the unfortunate
event occurred which occasioned the sudden break up of the Company. This
will suffice to give the uninitiated reader a glimpse of the real nature
of the liabilities incurred by those who had become partners in this
splendid undertaking. Dr. Gander got two actions commenced the very day
after the departure of Sir Sharper Bubble, against six of the principal
shareholders, in respect of his "preliminary experiments," and his
agreement for ten years' service; and writs came fluttering in almost
daily; all which occurrences rendered it necessary to take measures for
coming speedily to an amicable compromise. After very great exertions,
and attending many meetings, Mr. Gammon succeeded in provisionally
extricating Lord Dreddlington, on his paying down, within twelve months,
the sum of £18,000; the Duke of Tantallan was in for some £8,000, the
Marquis of Marmalade for £6,000: and the latter two peers made the most
solemn vows never to have anything to do again with joint-stock
companies: though it must be owned that they had been, as the phrase is,
"let off easily." But I must not disguise from the reader that the
Artificial Rain Company was not the only one with which these
distinguished individuals, together with Lord Dreddlington, had become
connected--there was the Gunpowder and Fresh Water Company, of which
Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap, were the solicitors--but _sufficient
for the day is the evil thereof_; and let it suffice for the present to
say, that some short time afterwards, the Duke of Tantallan, on the part
of the Earl of Dreddlington, paid down the sum of £10,000 on account of
the above-mentioned sum of £18,000, the remainder of which was to be
called for in six months' time. Mr. Gammon, however, could not think of
the possibility of the Gunpowder Company's explosion without a shudder,
on account of the dreadful extent to which Lord Dreddlington was
implicated, and from which Gammon feared that there really were no means
of extricating him. What would he have given never to have seduced the
earl into embarking into any such speculations? Nay, what would he not
have given, never to have set eyes upon either the Earl of Dreddlington
or the Lady Cecilia? What advantage had he ever gained, after all, by
his desperate grasp after aristocratic connection? If, however, the earl
should prove really and permanently insane, what a godsend would such an
event be, in every point of view, to Gammon--silencing forever the chief
sufferer and witness--and saving Gammon from all the endless vexations
and anxieties arising out of personal explanations and collisions with
the man, whom he had drawn into the vortex of pecuniary ruin--shielding
Gammon, in short, from a world of reproaches and execrations.
As for Mr. Titmouse, the _fortunate_ (!) possessor of ten thousand
a-year--as thousands, with a sigh of envy, regarded him--the uninitiated
who had an opportunity of watching his public motions, gave him credit
for feeling very deeply the melancholy bereavement which he had
sustained in the loss of the Lady Cecilia; but those more intimately
acquainted with his family circumstances, could not help remarking one
little ingredient of pleasure in his recent cup of bitterness; viz. that
as Lady Cecilia had left no offspring--no dear pledge of affection--Mr.
Titmouse was not only saved a vast deal of anxiety as to the bringing up
of the child, but had become himself heir-apparent to the barony of
Drelincourt, on the death of the Earl of Dreddlington; who, whatever
might be the effect of his whispered misfortunes in his pecuniary
speculations, had not the power, being merely tenant for life under the
entail, of injuring the fortune annexed to the title. Though Mr. Gammon
loathed the very sight, the very thought, of Titmouse, he was yet the
centre of prodigious anxiety to Gammon, who felt that he had, at all
events at present, a deep stake in the upholding, to the world, of Mr.
Titmouse's position and credit. He had been frightened by Gammon into a
state of the most abject submission to all his requirements--one of
which was, the preservation of that external decorum, when in public,
which had produced the very favorable impression already adverted to.
The other was--a vast contraction of his expenditure. Mr. Gammon
insisted upon his disposing of his house in Park Lane--which had,
indeed, been for months almost destitute of furniture, that having
fallen a prey to divers of his execution-creditors--but engaged for him
a suit of handsome furnished apartments in Chapel Street, May Fair,
allowing him the attendance of a valet, as usual; and also hiring for
him a cab, tiger, groom, and a couple of saddle-horses, with which Mr.
Titmouse contrived to make an appearance, before so much of the world as
was left in London during the autumn, suitable to his station. Some of
the more clamorous of his creditors, Mr. Gammon had contrived to pacify
by considerable payments on account, and a solemn assurance that every
one of Mr. Titmouse's debts was in train for rapid liquidation. Could
his creditors, indeed--Gammon asked--fail to see and judge for
themselves, what an altered man, in his person and habits, Mr. Titmouse
had become, since the shock he had received on the death of Lady
Cecilia? Had, indeed, he felt never so disposed to re-enter the scenes
of gay and expensive profligacy in which he had revelled so madly during
the first eighteen months after his extraordinary exaltation; there was
a serious obstacle to his doing so, in his having neglected to pay
divers heavy "debts of honor," as they are strangely called; for which
delinquencies he had twice had his nose pulled in public, and once been
horsewhipped. The gates of the sporting world were thus finally closed
against him, and thus was at least one source of profligate expenditure
shut out. Though, however, he was free to ride or drive whithersoever he
chose--and that, too, as became a man of fashion, in respect of
appearance and equipment--he felt but a prisoner at large, and dependent
entirely upon the will and pleasure of Mr. Gammon for his very means of
subsistence. Most of his evenings were spent in such of the theatres as
were open, while his nights were often passed amid scenes which were
very strange ones indeed for a young widower to be seen in! Though he
was a frequent visitor at Brookes', I must nevertheless do that
respectable club the justice of saying, that its members were not very
anxious for the presence or company of Mr. Titmouse. In fact, but for
the continued countenance afforded to him, for reasons best known to
that gentleman, by Mr. O'Gibbet, my friend would have been, some time
before, unceremoniously expelled from the club, where he had made,
certainly, one or two exceedingly disagreeable exhibitions. Liquor was
made for fools to get drunk with, and so shorten their encumbering
existence upon the earth; and as for Titmouse, I really do not think he
ever went to bed completely sober; and he avowed, that "whenever he was
alone, he felt so miserable;" and there was only one way, he said, which
he knew of to "drive dull care away." Though aware of it in point of
fact, Titmouse had neither sense nor sensibility enough to appreciate
the fearful frailty of that tenure by which he held his present
advantages of station--never reflecting that he was liable at any moment
to be precipitated down from his elevation, into far deeper obscurity
and poverty than he had ever emerged from! He had no power of enhancing
his enjoyment of the present, either by vivid contrast with the past, or
with the possible reverses of the future. A wealthy and profligate fool
is by no means the enviable person he may appear to silly lookers-on;
but what must he be when placed in the circumstances of Titmouse? He
found town, at a dull season--the fall of the year to be sure--become
daily duller, the sphere of his enjoyments having become so miserably
contracted; and Mr. Gammon more and more stern and gloomy; in fact,
Titmouse always dreaded to go near him, for he enjoined on Titmouse,
whenever they met, a circumspection which was new and intolerable. He
was refused admission at Lord Dreddlington's; the Duke of Tantallan's he
dared not go near. When, in the Park, he met the earl's chariot--a
dismal object indeed to him--driving slowly along--all in deep
mourning--the place of Lady Cecilia occupied now by Miss Macspleuchan,
and the shattered old white-haired man beside her, taking evidently no
notice of anything about him; if Titmouse caught Miss Macspleuchan's
eye, it was instantly removed, as from a disgusting object. He never met
that carriage without a shudder, and a violent one, at thought of the
frightful fraud of which he had been at first the unconscious
instrument, but to which he was now a consenting party. He had
earnestly besought Mr. Gammon to allow him to spend a few months on the
Continent, and provide him with funds to do so; but on due
consideration, Mr. Gammon refused, in the very critical conjuncture of
existing circumstances--at all events till he should have been furnished
with some clew to the course which the pending investigation was taking.
But Mr. Gammon consented to his going down to Yatton; so down he went,
but to encounter only sullen faces; servants whose wages were in arrear;
tenants whom his exactions were ruining; the friends of Mudflint and
Bloodsuck indignant at his not coming forward to rescue them from
impending destruction; and his constituency furious at the number of
bills remaining unpaid; at his total disregard of their interests in
Parliament; and his contemptible and ridiculous conduct and appearance
there, which had made them the laughing-stock of the nation. As for any
of the nobility or gentry of the neighborhood, of course their notice of
him was quite out of the question. From good little Dr. Tatham, even, he
could get nothing more than a cold and guarded civility; in fact, Mr.
Titmouse was fifty times more miserable at Yatton than he had been in
London; and, moreover, the old Hall had been completely stripped of the
handsome furniture that had been put into it on his coming into
possession, by his voracious execution-creditors; and all he could do
here to enjoy existence, was to smoke, and drink brandy and water. He
felt an impostor; that he had no right to be there; no claim to the
respect or attention of any one. Through the noble grounds of Yatton,
amid the soft melancholy sunshine of October, he walked, frightened and
alone; a falling leaf alighting on him would make him start with
apprehension, and almost drop his cigar. While such was the dreary
aspect of things at Yatton, what was the condition of Mr. Gammon in
London?
It is not possible that any one who betakes himself to tortuous modes of
effecting his purposes, and of securing the objects which a keen
ambition may have proposed to him, can be _happy_. The perpetual dread
of detection and failure, causes him to lie, as it were, ever writhing
upon a bed of torture. To feel one's self _failing_, irretrievably, in
spite of deeply-laid, desperate, and dishonorable schemes for securing
success, is sickening and miserable indeed. One in such circumstances
feels that the bitterness of disappointment will not be mitigated or
assuaged by a consciousness of the sympathy and respect of those who
have witnessed the unsuccessful attempts--a thought which is deadening
to the soul; and Gammon felt himself among the most miserable of
mankind. All other anxieties were, however, at present absorbed in
one--that concerning the issue of the inquiry then pending; and which,
as it were, darkened his spirit within him, and hung round his neck like
a millstone. If the issue of that investigation should be adverse--he
had absolutely nothing for it but instant flight from universal scorn
and execration. Of what avail would then have been all his prodigious
anxieties, sacrifices, and exertions, his deep-laid and complicated
plans and purposes? He would have irretrievably damned himself, for
what? To allow the wretch Titmouse to revel, for a season, in unbounded
luxury and profligacy! What single personal advantage had Mr. Gammon
hitherto obtained for himself, taxed to their utmost as had been his
powerful energies for the last three years? First of all, as to Miss
Aubrey, the lovely object of his intense desires--what advance had he
made towards the accomplishment of his objects after all his profound
and cruel treachery against her brother? Not a hair's-breadth. Nay, on
the contrary, the slight footing of intimacy which he had contrived, in
the first instance, to secure, he had now lost forever. Could they have
failed to perceive, in spite of all his devices, his relentless hand in
the recent persecution of Mr. Aubrey? The stern deportment of Mr.
Runnington, who had expressly prohibited Mr. Aubrey from all
communication with Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap, except through Mr.
Runnington himself--spoke volumes. Moreover, Mr. Gammon had chanced to
be prowling about Vivian Street on the very evening on which Lord De la
Zouch made his unexpected appearance with Mr. Aubrey, as already
described; and Gammon had seen Mr. Aubrey, Mrs. Aubrey, and Miss Aubrey,
followed by his Lordship, enter his carriage in dinner-costume; and he
thought with a violent pang of one Mr. Delamere! He had also ascertained
how suddenly his Lordship had come over from Paris--just at that crisis
in the circumstances of the Aubreys; and how probable was it, that his
Lordship's potent interference had originated the formidable proceedings
of the ecclesiastical court! And suppose the result of them should be,
to detect the imposition by means of which Titmouse had been enabled to
oust Mr. Aubrey from Yatton--what must _she_--what must they all--think
of Mr. Gammon, after his avowal to Miss Aubrey? Inevitably, that he had
either originally contrived, or, having long since discovered, was now
conniving at, the imposture! And what if she really were now all the
while engaged to the future Lord De la Zouch? And if the present Lord De
la Zouch, with his immense revenues, were resolved to bear Mr. Aubrey
through all his difficulties and troubles with a high hand? Had not
Gammon already felt the power of Lord De la Zouch in the late accursed
bribery actions? And imagining his Lordship to have been stimulated to
set on foot the pending proceedings, by the communication of Miss Aubrey
concerning Mr. Gammon's own admissions to her--was his Lordship likely
to falter in his purposes?
Look again at the financial difficulties which were thickening around
him. Between sixty and seventy thousand pounds had been already raised
on mortgage of the Yatton estates!--and not a shilling more could now be
obtained without additional and collateral security, which Gammon could
not procure. Then there was the interest payable half-yearly on these
mortgages, which alone swallowed up some £3,500 annually. In addition to
this, Titmouse was over head-and-ears in debt; and he must be supported
all the while in a manner suitable to his station; and an establishment
must be kept up at Yatton. How, with all this, was Mr. Gammon's own
dearly bought rent-charge to be realized? The already overburdened
property was totally unequal to bear this additional pressure. Again, if
his motion, which was to be made in the ensuing term for a new trial in
the case of _Wigley_ v. _Gammon_, should fail, there he was left at the
mercy of the plaintiff for a sum very considerably exceeding £3,000
(including the heavy costs,) and capable of being immediately enforced
by incarceration of his person, or seizure of his goods! Mr. Gammon,
moreover, had been unfortunate in some gambling speculations in the
funds, by which means the money he had so quickly made, had been as
quickly lost. It was true, there were the probable proceeds of the two
promissory notes now put in suit against Mr. Aubrey, and also the bond
of Lord De la Zouch himself, in all amounting to twenty thousand pounds,
with interest: but months must necessarily elapse before, even in the
ordinary course, the actions for the recovery of these sums could be
brought to a successful issue--to say nothing of any disastrous
occurrence which Gammon could just conceive the possibility of, and
which might have the effect of fatally impugning the right of action of
Mr. Titmouse. Gammon had repeatedly turned in his mind the propriety of
raising money by assignment of the bond of Lord De la Zouch, but for
several reasons had deemed it inexpedient to venture upon such a step.
For instance, the bond would be due within a month or two; and who would
advance any serious sum on so large a security, without rigorous
inquiries into the original validity of the instrument, and into the
right of the obligee to put it in suit. Supposing the issue of the
ecclesiastical inquiry to be adverse, and Titmouse's title to the Yatton
property to be destroyed; would not that at once invalidate his claims
upon the bond, and also upon the two promissory notes--at all events in
equity? Lastly, his hopes of political advancement, to which he clung
with incredible tenacity, full blooming though they had been till the
moment of his being sued for the bribery penalties, were all in danger
of being blighted forever, unless he could succeed in defeating the
verdict during the ensuing term, of which he entertained scarce any
expectation at all. But even supposing him successful there--what was to
become of him if the issue of the pending ecclesiastical proceedings
should brand him as abetting imposture of the most gross and glaring
description--nay, as being in fact its originator? Once or twice, during
his frequent agitating reviews of all these events and circumstances, he
caught, as it were, a ghastly glimpse of a sort of system of RETRIBUTION
in progress--and was able to trace evil consequences--of defeat and
misery--from every single act which he had done!
Success or failure in the ecclesiastical suit, was now in fact the pivot
upon which everything turned with Mr. Gammon--it would be either his
salvation, or his destruction; and the thought of it kept him in a state
of feverish trepidation and excitement, from morning to night--rendering
him almost wholly incapable of attending to his professional business.
He had gone down several times, accompanied by Mr. Quod, to ascertain,
as far as was practicable, the course which things were taking. Mr.
Quod was very sanguine indeed as to the issue; but, alas! Gammon had not
ventured to tell him the true state of the case: so that Quod naturally
confined himself to the substantiating of Mr. Titmouse's pedigree, as it
had been propounded, and with success, at the trial of the ejectment.
Mr. Gammon trembled at the systematic and vigorous prosecution of the
cause on the part of Mr. Aubrey; what might it not elicit? Regardless of
the consequences, he had several times tried to discover from those who
had been examined, the course of inquiry which had been pursued, and the
evidence which had been obtained from them--but in vain: some of the
witnesses were in a station of society which repelled his advances; and
others were effectually deterred from communicativeness by the
injunctions of the commissioner. Thus Mr. Gammon could ascertain
nothing--and was left to await, in fearful suspense, the legitimate
issue of this tantalizing and mysterious process, till the day when both
parties should be put in possession of all the evidence which had been
obtained.
The prospects of the Aubreys, brightened though they had been by the
sudden interference of Lord De la Zouch at the very moment of their
deepest gloom, did not disturb that calm and peaceful course of life
which they had maintained through all their troubles. Oh, how animated
and happy, however, was now that little family!--and that, not through
any overweening confidence as to the result of Lord De la Zouch's
operations on their behalf, but from a pious and cheerful persuasion
that they were not forsaken of Heaven, which had given this token of its
remembrance. The beautiful bloom began to reappear on the cheeks both of
Mrs. Aubrey and Kate, and the eye of Mr. Aubrey was no longer laden with
gloom and anxiety. He pursued the study of the law with steadfast energy
till the period of Mr. Mansfield's quitting town, and his chambers
being closed till the beginning of November. The Aubreys, poor souls!
secretly pined for a glimpse, however brief, of the pleasures of the
country; and about the middle of September, they, sure enough, received
a very pressing invitation from Lord and Lady De la Zouch, for all of
them to join them in France, by way of a total and enlivening change of
scene. Mrs. Aubrey and Kate had all but persuaded Mr. Aubrey into an
acceptance of the kind suit, when he suddenly bethought himself of what
he deemed an insuperable obstacle. It will be borne in mind that Mr.
Aubrey had given bail to a very large amount, nearly sixteen thousand
pounds, in the two actions at the suit of Mr. Titmouse, and of Messrs.
Quirk, Gammon, and Snap; and, on inquiry, two of the friends who had
become surety for him were abroad and could not be communicated with; so
Mr. Aubrey peremptorily refused, under such circumstances, to quit the
country, though for never so brief an interval. On seriously assuring
Lord De la Zouch that there existed insuperable objections to his just
then leaving England, the ever-active kindness of his noble friend
prompted a fresh proposal,--that they should, within a week's time, all
of them, set off for a lovely residence of his Lordship's in Essex, some
fifteen miles from town, called Tunstall Priory--where they would find
everything fully prepared for their reception, and where they were
earnestly entreated to remain till they should be joined by their host
and hostess from France, about the latter end of October. 'T is quite
impossible for me to describe the exhilaration of spirits with which,
the invitation having been most gratefully accepted by Mr. Aubrey, they
all prepared for their little journey. Mr. Aubrey had made arrangements
for their going down by one of the coaches, which went within a couple
of miles of the Priory; but here again the thoughtful delicacy and
kindness of his Lordship was manifest; for the evening before they set
off, one of the servants from Dover Street came to ask at what hour they
would wish the carriage to call for them, and the van for their
luggage--such being the orders which had come from his Lordship; and
further, that the carriage was to remain at their command during the
whole of their stay at the Priory. Both Mrs. Aubrey and Kate, in their
excitement, burst into tears on hearing of this additional trait of
anxious and considerate attention. Oh! it would have cheered your heart,
good reader, to see the blithe faces, and bounding spirits, with which
that little family set off on the ensuing morning on their little
expedition. Oh! how refreshing was the country air!--how enlivening and
beautiful the country scenery amid the gentle sunlight of September!--'T
was a Paradise of a place--and as day after day glided away, they felt a
sense of the enjoyment of existence, such as they had never experienced
before!
Though it is not a very pleasant transition, the order of events
requires us to return to town, and to no very pleasant part of town,
viz. Thavies' Inn. 'T was about eight o'clock in the evening, towards
the close of October, and Mr. Gammon was walking to and fro about his
room, which was rendered sufficiently snug by the light of a lamp and
the warmth of a good fire. He himself, however, was very far from being
cheerful--he was in a state of exquisite anxiety and suspense--and might
well be; for he was at length in momentary expectation of receiving a
copy of the evidence which had been taken on the part of Mr. Aubrey, in
the ecclesiastical suit. He muttered blighting curses at the intolerable
delay of old Mr. Quod, who, Mr. Gammon felt assured, might have procured
a copy of the evidence several hours before, with only moderate
exertion. Twice had his messenger been despatched in vain; and he was
now absent on the third errand to Mr. Quod's chambers. At length Mr.
Gammon heard a heavy footstep ascending the stairs--he knew it, and,
darting to the door, opened it just as his messenger had reached the
landing with a bulky white packet under his arm, sealed, and tied with
red tape.
"Ah!--that will do. Thank you, thank you!--call to-morrow morning," said
Gammon, hastily, almost snatching the packet out of the man's hand.
"Mrs. Brown--don't let me be disturbed to-night by any one--on any
earthly consideration," said he, with feverish impetuosity, to his
laundress; and, having ordered her to close the outer door, he
re-entered his sitting-room, and with a beating heart burst open the
seals, tape, and cartridge-paper, and fastened in an instant with
devouring eyes upon the pregnant enclosure. Over page after page he
glanced with lightning speed, his breathing unconsciously accelerated
the while. When he had got to about the middle of the evidence, his
breath was for a minute suspended, while his affrighted eye travelled
down a couple of pages, which told him all--all he had feared to see,
and more--more than he had known himself. "Ah, perdition--the game is
up!" he faintly exclaimed, and, rising from his chair, threw himself
down upon the sofa, in a state of dismay and bewilderment which no words
of mine are powerful enough to describe.
Quite as much anxiety had been felt on the same subject in a different
quarter, during the whole of the day, at the Priory; where were still
the Aubreys, who had been joined a week before by Lord and Lady De la
Zouch, and by Mr. Delamere, who had come over with them from the
Continent. Mr. Runnington had written to assure Mr. Aubrey, that the
first moment of his being able to procure a copy of the evidence, he
would come down with it in a post-chaise and four. As, however, nine
o'clock elapsed without his having made his appearance, Mr. Delamere
slipped out, and without announcing his intention, ordered his groom to
have his horses in readiness instantly; and within a quarter of an
hour's time he was on his way to town, having left a hasty verbal
message, acquainting Lord and Lady De la Zouch of the object of his
sudden move. When he reached Mr. Runnington's offices, he found no one
there, to his infinite disappointment. Having slept in Dover Street, he
reappeared at Mr. Runnington's about ten o'clock the next morning, and
found a chaise and four at the door, into which Mr. Runnington, with a
large packet under his arm, was in the very act of entering, to drive
down to the Priory.
"How is it--for God's sake?" said Mr. Delamere, rushing forward to Mr.
Runnington, who was sufficiently surprised at seeing him.
"Oh, thank God! The battle's ours!"--replied Mr. Runnington, with
delighted excitement. "The murder's out!--I'll pledge my existence that
within three months' time we have them all back at Yatton!"
"You're _off_ instantly, are not you?" inquired Delamere, his face
blanched with emotion.
"To be sure--won't you come with me?" replied Mr. Runnington.
"Rattle away, my lads, and here's a guinea a-piece for you!" shouted
Delamere to the post-boys--and the next moment they were on their way,
and at indeed a rapid pace. In somewhere about an hour and a quarter's
time, the reeking horses and dusty chaise dashed up to the hall-door of
the Priory; and, as Delamere caught one or two figures standing at the
windows, he waved his hand in triumph through the chaise-window. That
brought Lord and Lady De la Zouch and Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey, breathless to
the door--out jumped Delamere, without waiting for the steps to be let
down, and, grasping the hands of all four, exclaimed with
enthusiasm--"Victory!--victory!--but where is she--?"
"Miss Aubrey's somewhere in the grounds, sir," replied a servant.
"Mr. Runnington will tell you all"--said Delamere; and springing off the
step, was out of sight in a twinkling, in quest of Miss Aubrey--burning
to be the first with the joyful news. He soon caught sight of her
graceful figure--she was standing with her back towards him, apparently
in a musing posture, gazing at the bubbling rivulet. Hearing his
bounding steps, she turned round, and started at seeing him.
"Oh, Kate, Kate!" he stammered breathlessly, "by Heaven, we've
won!"--Miss Aubrey turned very pale.
"Mr. Delamere--you--you--cannot be--I _hope_ you are not
mistaken"----said she, faintly.
"On my sacred word of honor, I have seen--I have read it all myself! 'T
is as sure as that the sun is shining--The game is up with the
villains!" Miss Aubrey made him no answer; her cheek continued white as
that of a statue; and it was absolutely necessary that he should put his
arm around her--if he had not, she would have fallen.
"Come!--Come! My sweet, my lovely Kate! Rouse yourself!" cried he, with
fond anxiety, and pressed his lips gently on her forehead--a liberty of
which she was probably not conscious, for she made no show of
resistance. Presently she heaved a deep sigh, her eyes opened, and,
finding herself entirely in his embrace, she made a slight effort to
disengage herself, but in vain. He was supporting her on one knee--for
there was no bench or seat within view. She burst into tears, and they
soon relieved her pent-up bosom of its excitement.
"Dearest--sweetest Kate--it's glorious news, and I have been too hasty
with it!" said he, excitedly.
"No--no--Mr. Delamere! I am only overpowered with joy and with
gratitude! Oh, Mr. Delamere, I could sink out of your sight!"
"Pho! my own angel!--Don't make me miserable by talking in that strain!"
"Well, what _shall_ I say?" cried she, passionately, bursting again into
tears, and turning her face from him, conscious that it was reddening.
"_Say_, Kate? That you will let me love you, and will love me in return!
Come, my own Kate! Heaven smiles on you--smile you on _me_!" She spoke
not---but sobbed, her face still averted from him.
"I know you won't say me nay, Kate, if it's only for the _news_ I've
brought you express"--said Delamere, ardently, and imprinted a
passionate kiss on her unresisting lips.
"My sweet Kate! how I have thought of you in every part of the world in
which I've been"--commenced Delamere, after having a second and a third
and a fourth time pressed his lips upon those of his beautiful and
blushing mistress; and Heaven only knows what other absurdities he might
have been guilty of, when to Kate's inconceivable embarrassment, behold,
a sudden turn brought them full in view of Lord and Lady De la Zouch and
Mr. Runnington.
"My dear, dear Miss Aubrey," cried Lord De la Zouch, "we have come to
congratulate you on this great event!" and he grasped her affectionately
by the hands, and then Lady De la Zouch embraced her future
daughter-in-law, whose cheeks burned like fire, while those of Mr.
Delamere tingled a little.
"Upon my honor, sir, you seem to have been making hay while the sun
shines," said his Lordship, in a low tone, and laughing, having left
Miss Aubrey and Lady De la Zouch together for a few moments.
"Dearest Lady De la Zouch, how did Charles bear it?" inquired Miss
Aubrey.
"He bore it with calmness, though he turned very pale; but poor Mrs.
Aubrey was very painfully excited--it was really a most affecting scene.
But she is much better now--shall we return to the house?--By the way,"
added she, slyly, "now you're _come into your fortune_, as the saying
is, Kate--I--I suppose--eh?--Geoffrey has been talking nonsense to you!"
Poor Kate blushed deeply, and burst into tears.
That was a happy--happy day; and Mr. Runnington, having been compelled
to stay to dinner, returned home at a late hour feeling already richly
repaid for all his exertions. Miss Aubrey sat up for at least a couple
of hours in her own room, writing, according to a promise she had made,
a very long letter to Dr. Tatham; in which she gave him as full an
account as she could, of the surprising and decisive event which had
just happened. 'T was quite the letter of a daughter to a fond
father--full of ardent affection, and joyous anticipations of seeing him
again; but as to the other little incident of the day, which concerned
herself personally, Kate paused--laid down her pen--resumed
it--blushed--hesitated--trembled--and at length extinguished her taper,
and retired to rest, saying to herself that she would _think_ of it, and
make up her mind by the morning.
The letter went off, however, after all, without the slightest allusion
to the possibility of its lovely writer becoming a future Lady De la
Zouch.
But it is now high time that the reader should be put into possession of
the important disclosures produced by the ecclesiastical inquiry; and we
must for a while lose sight of the happy Aubreys, and also of the
gloomy, discomfited Gammon, in order to become acquainted with the exact
state of facts which had called forth such violent and opposite
emotions.