The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. some of the ordinary feelings of human nature,” urgea the nobleman, in a tono of mingled remon- strance and earnest appeal. “Ono word more, if you please, sir,’”? he continued, seeing that Heath- cote was again about tointerrupt him: “this matter is becoming Serious! For cight days has your brother been missed from his place of abode and from the circle of his friends: an investigation into BO mystcrious an occurrence must necessarily take place—and without delay, too. What will the world think of you, sir—youw, the nearest living relative of one who may perhaps be no more-—if you refuse your co-operation in this endeavour to ascertain what has become of him? I will even go farther, sir, and declare that a certain degree of odium will attach itself to you y “Young man, by what right do you thus insult me?” demanded the lawyer, completely unabashed, and measuring Lord William Trevelyan from head to foot with his keen, searching eyes. ‘ Do you for a single instant dare to assert that if my brother should have met with foul play—as your words just now implied such a suspicion,—do you daro to assert, I ask, that the world would couple the slightest imputation with my good name? Though not of an aristocratic rank, my social position is an honourable one; and such as it is, my own talents— my own energies—my own hard toils, have made it. But because I can sea nothing extraordinary in the absence of a man who has no domestic ties to bind him to one place, and whio, acting upon a sudden caprice or fancy, may chocse to depart from the metropolis, perhaps,—because I behold nothing re- markable in all this,am I to be reproached, vitu- perated, and even insulted by you, who adopt another view of the matter? Why, my lord, you are far more intimate with Sir Gilbert IIeathcote than J, even though hoe is my brother ;—and what would you say, were I to repair to your house—force my- self into your presence—refuse to leave when so- licited—and actually level tho most injurious lan- guage, amounting alinost to positive imputations, at your head? I appeal to your good sense, if you possess any, to consider tho impropriety of your conduct here this morning, and to take your de- parture at onco, beforo you irritate me more deeply than you have already done.” “JT have listened, sir, with respectful attention to all you have said,” returned Lord William Tre- velyan; ‘and I declare emphatically that I am not satisfied with your reasoning. I impute nothing to you—becauso I know not what suspicions to enter- tain in the case. I frankly confess that I am bewildered, not only by the fact of my friond’s unaccountable disappearance, but also by the manner in which youtreat that circumstance. You’ declaro that you cannot bring yourself to look scri- ouslyon this disappearance: surely itought to alarm you, when IJ, who am so well acquainted with your brother, solemnly aver that I have particular reasons for knowing that he would not leave the metropolis in obedience to any sudden fancy or whim, without previously making a communication in a certain quartor,”’ “To you, I presume?” said Heathcoto, fixing his eyes searchingly upon the patrician. “No—not to myself,” was tho reply: “but to another.” “And that other?” observed the lawyer interro- gstively: for he now bogan to fear that Trevelyan sliuded to Mrs. Sefton, in which case ho might 7 247 repair straight to her abode after quitting that office—he might there meet the clerk whom he had seen on his arrival just now—and he might mar the entire schome that had been concocted for the pur- pose of inducing the lady to leave England “Unless you yourself are acquainted with that . other person to whom I alluded—or at least have some knowledge to whom I could so allude—I am not at liberty to mako any revelations,” observed Lord William. “Oh! this is admirable!” ejaculated the lawyer, reseating himself and appearing no longer ina hurry to break off the conference: for he now por- ceived tho necessity of detaining the nobleman as long as possible, 50 as to afford Green ample time to carry the deeply-concocted scheme into offect. “You aro pleased to be jocular at something, sir,” said Trevelyan, biting his lip with vexation at an insolenco which he could mot chastise: and leaning against the mantel-piece, he surveyed the attorney with mingled anger and aversion. ‘Yos—I am jooular,” exclaimed the latter; “and I again declare that your conduct is admirable! You come to me to aid you in investigating what you are pleased to denominate a most mysterious occurrence; and, by way of inducing me thus to co-operate, you yourself start fresh mystories, and make enigmatic allusions to unintelligible matters, concerning which you refuse to enter into any ex- planations,” “There may bo certain circumstances, sir, which aman of honour dares not reveal,” said Lord Wil- liam, sternly; “and such is the case in the present instance.” “You havo therefore a positive proof that Sir Gilbert’s friends were more in his confidence than his own brother,” replied the lawyer, in a sarcastic tone; “and this is tantamount to what I told you just now.” “Yes, sir—but the circumstances to which I allude hiave no reference to the mysterious disap- pearance of Sir Gilbert Heatlicote,” rejoined Tre- velyan; “nor do they in any way relieve you from your responsibility as a brother.” _ “ But, since you yourself are acquainted with some mysterious and unmentionable circumstances con- nected with my brother,” said the lawyer, still in a tone of bitter sarcasm, “I have much more reason to. accuse you of possessing a clue to the causes of his disappearance, than you have to level the samo charge at me. Now, from your words—for I ama man of the world, my lord—I naturally infer that the other person to. whom you so emphatically al- Iuded, must be a lady ——” “JT did not say so, sir—I gave you no reason for entertaining such an opinion,” exclaimed Trevelyan fearful of now compromising a matter of great delicacy. “But I chooso to think so,” said the lawver, ele- yating his brows to an extraordinary degree, while a malignant light gleamed in his restless eyes: “and is it strange—is it unusual in the world, for a map to absent himself suddenly and oven mysteriously, in ordor to break. off a connexion of which he is wearied, and which no longer has any charms for him ?” “Ono word, sir,’ interjected Trevolyan, annoyed with himself for having made any allusion to his friend’s connexion with Mrs, Sefton: “your brother has undertaken no sudden journey—of that 1 am (C(O) (C DOO <S LL (SO)