The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 335: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

339 THI MWYSTMPIOS Or LONPSnN. “Do you conceive that the deaths of those people can be righteously attributed to me ¢” demandcd the lawyer, speaking in a low, measured, and solemn tone, and looking as if he songht to read into the most secret depths of his clerk’s sonl: “do you, I gny, dzro to associate any act or deed of mine with their fate?” he asked, raising his voice, while his face became terrible to gaze upon. “Who? —JI, sir?’ ojaculated Green, as if in astonishment at the questions put to him; and his own countenance assumed such a sinister aspect that Hoathcote surveyed him with increasing sus- piciox. and distrust. "“Yes—you!” cried the lawyer, ferociously: “ Now, mark mo, Green,” he continued, in a lower and more composed tono of voice,“ if you dare to harbour ill feclings towards me—if even a scintilla- tion of such feelings should transpire from your words or manner, I will crush you as I would a worm—I will send you to Newgate—abandon you to your fate—and, if neccssary, help to have you shipped for eternal exile.” “My God! how have I deserved these implied re- proaches — these terrible menaces?” demanded Green, his countenance expressing real alarm, and his whole frame shivering from head to heel. “Perhaps you have not deserved theom—and in that caso they will serve as a warning,” said Heath- cote, now becoming suddenly calm and imperiously scornful: “but I think that you did merit all I have uttered—and now you know me better, per- haps, than you knew me before. However, let all this pass. Ido not for an instant suppose that I possess your affection; but I will guard against the effects of your hate. Answor me not, sir: you can- not wipo away the impressions which this after- noon’s scene has conjured up in my mind. And now proceed with anything more that you may havo to tell me.” “ Fox, the ironmonger, sir,” resumed Green, in 2 moro timid and servile tone than over, and with a manner so cowed and grovelling that it completely veiled tho strong pantings for revengo and the omo- tions of bitter, burning hate which dwelt in the clerk’s secret soul,—* Fox, the ironmonger, sir, has realised all his property and absconded.” “Did I not tell you to issuo execution against his goods without delay?” demanded Heathcote, an- grily. “JT obeyed your commands, sir, as soon as the usual forms were gone through,” responded Green: “but in the interval the man, knowing the steps you wero taking against him, sold off everything and ran away—no one-can tell whither.” «Then all your intelligence is evil this afternoon, Mr. Green?” said Meathcoto, “ What about Mrs. Sefton ?” “The spy that I set to watch her has reported her removal from Kentish Town to a house at Bays- wator, sir,” answered Green; “and as she has a young lady with her—a Miss Vernon, it appears— shu does not seem to be busying herself in any way that might interfere with your interests.” “But that insolent young nobloman—that Lord William Trovelyan?” demanded Heathcote. *T do not think he ts troubling himself any more in the business, sir,” answered Green. “Good and woll!” ejaculated tho attorney. ‘“Theso latter tidings constitute something like an agreeable sct-off in respect to all your former communications. Hah!” ho cricd, suddenly inter- rupting himself, as the clock proclaimed the hour: “five already! Well, you may go now, Green— and see that your spices keep a good look-out upon the movements of Mrs. Sefton and Lord William Trevelyan.” “T will, sir,” was the reply; and the clerk bowed himself out of the office. Half an hour afterwards Mr. Green was wonding his way towards tho aristocratic quarters of the West End; and at Iength he entered a respectable- looking public-bouse in the ncighbourhood of Port- land Place. Having called for some refreshment, he took up the newspaper to while away the timo until the arrival of the person whom he was expecting: but he could not settle his thoughts to the perusal of the journal. He read an article through, from beginning to end; and, when he reached the termination, he had not retained a single idea of the subject. The fact was that the man’s mind was excitcd and bewildered by the scene which had taken place that afternoon with his master. He felt that he had been trampled upon—treated with every pos- sible indignity—despised, menacod, and alinost spit upon ;—and he was compelled to suffer all—to bear everything—to endure those flagrant wrongs, with- out daring to murmur, . “But I will be avenged—terribly avenged !” thought he within himself, as he bent over the tablo in the pnblic-house parlour, supporting his head upon his two hands: “yes—oven though I should sacrifice myself, J will bo avenged sooner or later For years and years have I been his slave—his me- nial—his instrument—his tool;—and he has kept mein such utter subjection that it was not until lately I remembered that I really possessed a soul and aspiritof my own. The hard-hearted—crucl— remorseless wretch! I hate and abhor him with a malignant hatred and a savage abhorrence. No words are strong enough—no terms sufficicrtly po- tent to convey even to myself an idea of the magni- tudo of that aversion which I now entertain for him, But if he bas me in his power in one way, he is at my mercy in many other others. Ho little suspects how dcep an insight I possess into his affairs—his machinations—his dark plots. He thinks that I behold but the surface: he knows not that Ihave fathomed to tho bottom !” e At this point in the clerk’s musings, the door of the parlour was opened, and a respectable-looking man, dressed in black, but with a whito cravat, entered tho room. “ You are somewhat behind your time, Mr. Fitz- george,” said Green, as this individual—who was Lord William Trevelyan’s valct—seated himself by tlie clerk’s side. “Only a fow minutes,” responded Fitzgvorge. ‘And now to business without delay. It is for- tunate that we aro all alone in this parlour at pre- sent: otherwise I should bavo proposed to adjourn toa private room. Havo you thought well of tho subject I mentioned to you yesterday ?” f “JT have,” was the answer, delivered in a tone of decision: ‘and J am prepared to meet your wishes. But remomber that I told you how completely I am in the power of the villain Heathcoto; and if he were to discover that your noble master received his information through mo——” ‘Ho cannot possibly detect your instrumentality in the business, provided you do not botray your- self,” said Fitzgeorge. EConnicloooks (SO)