SIR LIONEL DUDLEIGH.
Although Miss Plympton had indulged the hope that Wiggins might relent,
the time passed without bringing any message from him, and every hour as
it passed made a more pressing necessity for her to decide on some plan.
The more she thought over the matter, the more she thought that her best
plan of action lay in that very threat which she had made to Wiggins.
True, it had been made as a mere threat, but on thinking it over it
seemed the best policy.
The only other course lay in action of her own. She might find some
lawyer and get him to interpose. But this involved a responsibility on
her part from which she shrank so long as there was any other who had a
better right to incur such responsibility. Now Sir Lionel was Edith's
uncle by marriage; and though there had been trouble between husband and
wife, she yet felt sure that one in Edith's position would excite the
sympathy of every generous heart, and rouse Sir Lionel to action. One
thing might, indeed, prevent, and that was the disgrace that had fallen
upon the Dalton name. This might prevent Sir Lionel from taking any
part; but Miss Plympton was sanguine, and hoped that Sir Lionel's
opinion of the condemned man might be like her own, in which case he
would be willing, nay, eager, to save the daughter.
The first thing for her to do was to find out where Sir Lionel Dudleigh
lived. About this there was no difficulty. Burke's _Peerage and
Baronetage_ is a book which in most English homes lies beside the
Bible in the most honored place, and this inn, humble though it might
be, was not without a copy of this great Bible of society. This Miss
Plympton procured, and at once set herself to the study of its pages. It
was not without a feeling of self-abasement that she did this, for she
prided herself upon her extensive knowledge of the aristocracy, but here
she was deplorably ignorant. She comforted herself, however, by the
thought that her ignorance was the fault of Sir Lionel, who had lived a
somewhat quiet life, and had never thrust very much of his personality
before the world, and no one but Sir Bernard Burke could be expected to
find out his abode. That great authority, of course, gave her all the
information that she wanted, and she found that Dudleigh Manor was
situated not very far distant from Cheltenham. This would require a
detour which would involve time and trouble; but, under the
circumstances, she would have been willing to do far more, even though
Plympton Terrace should be without its tutelary genius in the mean time.
On the next morning Miss Plympton left Dalton on her way to Dudleigh
Manor. She was still full of anxiety about Edith, but the thought that
she was doing something, and the sanguine anticipations in which she
indulged with reference to Sir Lionel, did much to lessen her cares. In
due time she reached her destination, and after a drive from the station
at which she got out, of a mile or two, she found herself within Sir
Lionel's grounds. These were extensive and well kept, while the
manor-house itself was one of the noblest of its class.
After she had waited for some time in an elegant drawing-room a servant
came with Sir Lionel's apologies for not coming to see her, on account
of a severe attack of gout, and asking her to come up stairs to the
library. Miss Plympton followed the servant to that quarter, and soon
found herself in Sir Lionel's presence.
He was seated in an arm-chair, with his right foot wrapped in flannels
and resting upon a stool in front of him, in orthodox gout style. He was
a man apparently of about fifty years of age, in a state of excellent
preservation. His head was partially bald, his brow smooth, his cheeks
rounded and a little florid, with whiskers on each side of his face, and
smooth-shaven chin. There was a pleasant smile on his face, which
seemed natural to that smooth and rosy countenance; and this, together
with a general tendency to corpulency, which was rather becoming to the
man, and the gouty foot, all served to suggest high living and
self-indulgence.
“I really feel ashamed of myself, Miss--ah--Plympton,” said Sir Lionel,
“for giving you so much trouble; but gout, you know, my dear madam, is
not to be trifled with; and I assure you if it had been any one else I
should have declined seeing them. But of course I could not refuse to
see you, and the only way I could have that pleasure was by begging you
to come here. The mountain could not come to Mohammed, and so Mohammed,
you know--eh? Ha, ha, ha!”
The baronet had a cheery voice, rich and mellow, and his laugh was
ringing and musical. His courtesy, his pleasant smile, his genial air,
and his hearty voice and laugh, all filled Miss Plympton with sincere
delight, and she felt that this man could do nothing else than take up
Edith's cause with the utmost ardor.
After a few apologies for troubling him, which Sir Lionel turned aside
by protesting that apologies were only due from himself to her, Miss
Plympton began to state the object of her visit.
“In the first place, Sir Lionel,” said she, “I take it for granted that
you have heard of the death of Frederick Dalton, Esquire, in Van
Diemen's Land.”
The smile on the baronet's face died out at this, and his eyes fixed
themselves upon Miss Plympton's face with quick and eager curiosity.
Then he turned his face aside. A table stood on his right, with some
wine and glasses within reach.
“Excuse me,” said he; “I beg ten thousand pardons; but _won't_ you
take a glass of wine? No!” he continued, as Miss Plympton politely
declined; “really I think you had better.” And then, pouring out a
glass, he sipped it, and looked at her once more. “Poor Dalton!” said
he, with a sigh. “Yes, of course, I saw it in the papers. A most
melancholy affair. Poor Dalton! Let me inform you, madam, that he was
more sinned against than sinning.” Sir Lionel sighed.
“Oh, Sir Lionel,” exclaimed Miss Plympton, earnestly, “how it rejoices
my heart to hear you say that! For my part, I never, never had one
single doubt of his perfect innocence.”
“Nor had I,” said Sir Lionel, firmly, pouring out another glass
of wine. “It was excessively unfortunate. Had I not myself been
in--in--ah--affliction at the time, I might have done something to help
him.”
“Oh, Sir Lionel, I'm sure you would!”
“Yes, madam,” said Sir Lionel; “but domestic circumstances to which I am
not at liberty to allude, of a painful character, put it out of my power
to--to--ah--to interpose. I was away when the arrest took place, and
when I returned it was too late.”
“So I have understood,” said Miss Plympton; “and it is because I have
felt so sure of your goodness of heart that I have come now on this
visit.”
“I hope that you will give me the chance of showing you that your
confidence in me is well founded,” said Sir Lionel, cordially.
“You may have heard, Sir Lionel,” began Miss Plympton, “that about the
time of the trial Mrs. Dalton died. She died of a broken heart. It was
very, very sudden.”
Sir Lionel sighed heavily.
“She thought enough of me to consider me her friend; and as she did not
think her own relatives had shown her sufficient sympathy, she intrusted
her child to me when dying. I have had that child ever since. She is
now eighteen, and of age.”
“A girl! God bless my soul!” said Sir Lionel, thoughtfully. “And does
she know about this--this--melancholy business?”
“I deemed it my duty to tell her, Sir Lionel,” said Miss Plympton,
gravely.
“I don't know about that. I don't--know--about--that,” said Sir Lionel,
pursing up his lips and frowning. “Best wait a while; but too late now,
and the mischief's done. Well, and how did she take it?”
“Nobly, Sir Lionel. At first she was quite crushed, but afterward
rallied under it. But she could not remain with me any longer, and
insisted on going home--as she called it--to Dalton Hall.”
“Dalton Hall! Yes--well? Poor girl! poor little girl!--an orphan.
Dalton Hall! Well?”
“And now I come to the real purpose of my visit,” said Miss Plympton;
and thereupon she went on to give him a minute and detailed account of
their arrival at Dalton and the reception there, together with the
subsequent events.
To all this Sir Lionel listened without one word of any kind, and at
length Miss Plympton ended.
“Well, madam,” said he, “it may surprise you that I have not made any
comments on your astonishing story. If it had been less serious I might
have done so. I might even have indulged in profane language--a habit,
madam, which, I am sorry to say, I have acquired from not frequenting
more the society of ladies. But this business, madam, is beyond comment,
and I can only say that I rejoice and feel grateful that you decided as
you did, and have come at once to me.”
“Oh, I am so glad, and such a load is taken off my mind!” exclaimed Miss
Plympton, fervently.
“Why, madam, I am utterly astounded at this man's audacity,” cried Sir
Lionel--“utterly astounded! To think that any man should ever venture
upon such a course! It's positively almost inconceivable. And so you
tell me that she is there now?”
“Yes.”
“Under the lock and key, so to speak, of this fellow?”
“Yes.”
“And she isn't allowed even to go to the gate?”
“No.”
“The man's mad,” cried Sir Lionel--“mad, raving mad. Did you see him?”
“No. He wouldn't consent to see me.”
“Why, I tell you, he's a madman,” said Sir Lionel. “He must be. No sane
man could think of such a thing. Why, this is England, and the
nineteenth century. The days of private imprisonment are over. He's mad!
The man's mad!”
“But what is to be done, Sir Lionel?” asked Miss Plympton, impatiently.
“Done!” cried Sir Lionel--“every thing! First, we must get Miss Dalton
out of that rascal's clutches; then we, must hand that fellow and his
confederates over to the law. And if it don't end in Botany Bay and
hard labor for life, then there's no law in the land. Why, who is he? A
pettifogger--a miserable low-born, low-bred, Liverpool pettifogger!”
“Do you know him?”
“Know him, madam! I know all about him--that is, as much as I want to
know.”
“Do you know anything about the relations that formerly existed between
him and Mr. Frederick Dalton?”
“Relations!” said Sir Lionel, pouring out another glass of
wine--“relations, madam--that is--ah--to say--ah--business relations,
madam? Well, they were those of patron and client, I believe--nothing
more. I believe that this Wiggins was one to whom poor Dalton behaved
very kindly--made him what he is, in fact--and this is his reward! A
pettifogger, by Heaven!--a pettifogger! Seizing the Dalton estates, the
scoundrel, and then putting Miss Dalton under lock and key! Why, the
man's mad--mad! yes, a raving maniac! He is, by Heaven!”
“And now, Sir Lionel, when shall we be able to effect her release!”
“Leave it all to me. Leave it all to me, madam. This infernal gout of
mine ties me up, but I'll take measures this very day; I'll send off to
Dalton an agent that will free Miss Dalton and bring her here. Leave it
to me. If I don't go, I'll send--yes, by Heaven, I'll send my son. But
give yourself no trouble, madam. Miss Dalton is as good as free at this
moment, and Wiggins is as good as in jail.”
Miss Plympton now asked Sir Lionel if he knew what Wiggins meant by his
answer to her threat, and she repeated the message. Sir Lionel listened
with compressed lips and a frowning brow. After Miss Plympton had told
it he sat for some minutes in silent thought.
“So that is what he said, is it!” exclaimed Sir Lionel at last. “Well,
madam, we shall see about that. But don't give yourself a moment's
uneasiness. I take the matter in hand from this moment. The insolence of
this fellow, Wiggins, is unparalleled, madam; but be assured all this
shall surely recoil on his own head with terrible effect.”
Some further conversation followed to the same effect, and at length
Miss Plympton took her leave, full of hope and without a care. Sir
Lionel had hinted that she was not needed any more in the matter; and as
she felt a natural delicacy about obtruding her services, she decided to
go back to Plympton Terrace and wait.
Accordingly, Miss Plympton, on leaving Dudleigh Manor, went back to
Plympton Terrace.
* * * * *