The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 253: what you’re looking at

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oy 248 THE MYSTHRIES OF LONDON, well assured. Would he quit his residence without leaving even a messi¢e behind him? Would he depart without even so much as a change of rai- ment—without the necessaries of the toilette ?” “Pooh! pooh!” ejaculated the lawyer, now throw- ing an expression of sovereign contempt into his tone. “ A man with money can purchase a carpet- bag or a portmanteau at the first town he stops at, and can stock it well, too, with linen and hair- brushes for a few shillings. Really, my lord, you compel mo to treat you as an inexperienced child, who, having got some wild or romantic notion into his head, is determined to maintain it by any ar- gument, no matter how preposterous or far-fetched.” Trevelyan bit his lip again: for he saw that the lawyer had really the advantage of him now; and he more than ever blamed his own indiscretion in having alluded to the affair of Mrs. Sefton. “Come, my lord, be reasonabl»,” proceeded Heath- cote, in a conciliatory tone; “and I will pardon you the rudeness—or I will rather call it the brusquerie, of your first proceedings with regard to me. You cannot deny that there is a lady in the case: l am far-sighted enough to have made that discovery. Well, my brother is tired of her, or has quarrelled With her—or something of that sort; and he bas therefore taxen a sudden trip, heaven only knows where. Do you really imagine that if I had any serious fears, I would refuse to co-operate with you in instituting the necessary inquiries? Depend upon it, Sir Gilbert will re-appear again shortly amongst his friends; and he would not be over- well pleased if he found on his return, or if the newspapers wafted to him the fact, that a terrible hubbub had taken place in consequence of his sud- den departure. Iam a much older man than you, my lord,—and I look at these matters more calmly— more deliberately.” Trevelyan knew not how to reply to these obser- vations. Though they did not dissipate the alarm which ho experienced at the absence of Sir Gilbert, yet he began to think that the lawyer was really sincere in giving utterance to them. He, on one side, was disposed to view the affair seriously: Heathcote, on the other, put his own interpretation on it ;—and, in the same way that Trevolyan could not resist the impressions made upon himself, he felt bound to allow the merit of equal conscien- tiousness on the part of the attorney. At all events, there was no utility in protracting the discourse ; and the young nobleman accordingly resolved to take his leave, suspending for the pre- sent any opinion relative to the conduct of Mr. James Heathcote. “Tam sorty, sir,” said he, ‘ that I should have intruded so long upon your valuable time: [ am likewise sorry if, at the commencement of our in- terview, I should have been hurried by the excite- ment of my feelings into anything uncourteous or rude.” “ Now that you speak in the manner that best becomes a nobleman and a gentleman,” observed Heathcote, adopting the part of one who has some- thing to forgive and overlook, “Iam most anxious to welcome you as my brother’s friend. ‘Will you step up into the drawing-room, and honour my humble abode so far as to partake of such refresh- ment as at the moment I can offer you?” This proposal was only made with a view to gain as much time as possible: for the lawyer in his heart had cordially hated the young nobleman = omen from the instant that he had read his name ups) the card. «1 return vou my best thanks, sir,’ said "re- relyan; "but I am compelled to decline your hospi- tality on the present occasion.” Thus speaking, the young nobleman bowed and re- tired; and the moment the door closed behind him, the lawyer’s countenance assumed an expression of such malignant triumph, that it seemed as if lio were suddenly animated with the spirit of a fiend. “Green has got her off by this time-—there can be no doubt of that,” he muttered to himsclf, as he rubbed his murumy-like hands gleefully together. “ The woman lores my brother—and she will start away directly. Even her vanity will not inducy her to tarry to pack up all her things, unless they are ready to hand; for the love of a woman who is sincere in her passion, rises superior to every other consideration. Oh! I knowthe human heart well; I know all its intricacies—its ins and its outs— the ravellings and unrayellings of its smallest, most delicate fibros! It has been my business to study my fellow-creatures, in order that I might make them my instruments—my tools—my slaves. And I have succeeded !” he continued, with a chuckling laugh, while his brows were elevated with joy. “ Otherwise I should not be the rich man that I am now. But if my wealth be already great—it must be greater, I must possess countless treasures —-riches beyond computation; and until 1 have gained them I shall not be satisficd—neither shall I cease from toiling. That young aristocratic fool who was with me ere now—he affected to bully me, did he? I got the better of him. He affected to reason with me: I beat him with pure sophism,— and hoe bas gone away entertaining a bettor opinion of me than when he first entered my presence. But I must examine these abstracts thoroughly,” he added, still in a muttering tone, as he bent his eyes upon the documents which he had been studying; “T must note every point in these copies of tho titles by virtue of which my brother holds his estates— for the management of these estates is already as good asin my own hands: and who knows—who knows how soon they may be mine altogether— yes—lands, messuages, tenements—aye, baronotcy and all?” And as these last thoughts passed through lis brain,—-for he had not dared to give audible utter- ance to them,—there came such a diabolical expres- sion—an expression of dark menace strangely min- gled with the confidence of approaching triumph— over his countenance, that had any one been by at the time, the beholder must have dreaded lest that terrible man were about to throw off the mask of humanity and reveal himself in all the horrors of a demoniac nature. We must however take leave of him for the present, and return to one whose generous and noble character forms such a striking contrast with this bad, designing man, uw CHAPTER CLXIX. A SCENE. Lorp WILLIAM entered his cab, and drove rapidly away towards Kentish Town. It was mid-day when he reached the abode of Mrs. Sefton—for his interview with the attornny EConnicloooks (CO)