The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 347: what you’re looking at

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

842 ‘ THE MYSTERIES OF EKLONDON. I was informed that a person who refused to givo his name desired to speak with me in private. I ordered the servant to show him into tho library; and thither I immediately afterwards proceeded. The msn whom I encountered thero was a short, thick-set fellow, with a forbidding countenance: he was flashily dressed, and had about him an air of jaunty impudonce as if he had come upon somo aril mission in which he knew that he should succeed. I asked him his business, without inviting him to be seated—for I conceived a dislike to him the in- stant I set eyes upon his sinister features, ‘ Your namo is Macdonald?’ he said, flinging himself into a chair in a very free-and-easy manner.—' There is no necessity for you to acquaint me with that fact,’ I observed, assuming as chilling a tone as possible, —‘Oh! but there is, though? he ejaculated: ‘be- cause 1 must make sure that Jam speaking to the vight person. Well, you admit your namé: now will ypu tell me whether you're the gentleman that married Miss Editha Greville ?}-—* What means this impudence ?’ I demanded angrily. ‘Explain your business, sir, without farther circumlocution’— ‘I'll come to the point in a minute,’ returned the man, quite unabashed, ‘T'ifteen or sixteen months ago you used to visit a certain gontleman who lives nota hundred miles from Soho Square.’—I started and turned pale: for it struck mo in a moment that the fellow was alluding to the consulting-surgeon.— ‘Well, now I see that it’s all right,’ he exclaimed, doubtless drawing this inforence from the confusion of my manner. ‘Of course you would ratber it shouldn’t bo known thatyou did visit the gentleman,’ he added omphatically.—* Ido not undorstand your meaning,’ I replied,—* Look here, then,’ continued the fellow: ‘it would not bo very pleasant to have vour brother, your mother-in-law, your frionds, your tradesmen, your Servants, and oven your wife, made acquainted with the fact that you were under Mr. Surtees for somo timo previous to your marriage,’ —‘I nerer visited him but twice! were the words that I gasped ont, for horrible sensations were com- ing rapidly over me.—‘Never mind how often it was,’ cried the man, in a brutal tones ‘you did call to consult him, and that’s enough for me Now then, ’tis for you té say how much you'll give moe to keep tho secret.‘ Wretch ! extortioner !’ I ejacu- lated, rage succeeding alarm in my breast.—‘ It's of no use toattempt to bully me,’ said tho ruffian, with the most cold-blooded composure: ‘I want money, and I mean to get it out of you.’—‘ Or else?’ I said, all my wretched feelings returning, as I saw myself threatened with exposure, shame, and irre- trievable degradation.—‘ Or else,’ ho repented, ‘I shall tell the secret to all the people I have named; and then we shall seo whether you will ever hold up your head in society again. ‘And how much money do you require?’ Tl asked, my heart sinking within me.—* Five hundred will do for the present,’ hoe responded imperiously.—‘ Tor the present?’ J cried, echoing his words: ‘what! do you mean to visit mo again for such a purpose ?’?—‘ Not if you shell out at once, and without making any more words about it,’ he said.— There sas no alternative save to comply; and I accordingly counted into his band the Bank-notes for the sum named. In another minute ho had taken his departure—and I was left alone to meditate upon the scene that had just occurred, “Tt was a long time before I could so far composo my countenance and my feelings as to bo able to re- turn to the parlour without exciting the suspicions of my wife and mother-in-law that somothing un.* pleasant had taken place, But I managed to con- ceal the sorrow which the erent of the evening had engendered within me; and early on the following morning I paid a visit to Mr. Surtecs. He did not appear at first to recollect me—or, at all events, if he did, he was a wonderful adept in playing the part of forgetfulness: but when I mentioned my name, he exclaimed, ‘Vy, is it possible that you’ve come back to consult me again ?-—‘ Far from it,’ I answercd, with a bitterness which I could not hide, and which he failed not to notice; for ne bit his lip, and coloured deeply. I then related to him the particulars of the visit I had received on the previous evening, and accused him of being thio prime mover in the matter, But he repelled the charge with so much indignation—whother real or feigned J cannot even now determine—that I cer- tainly believed him at tho time; and, were I at present writing for the purpose of having my nar- rative read by the world, I should be loth indoed to haveitinferred that Mr, Surtees was in reality mixed up withthe case of extortion. Muchas I hate and de- spise him, I willnotdo him a wanton injustice; and I am thereforo bound to state that he was warm and energetic in his assurances of complete innocence re- pecting the transaction.— But how could the man haveknown thatlover did visityou?’ Tasked.—‘ Vell things doos get abroad in a many mostunaccountable vays,’ he responded: ‘but I take my Gosh to wit- ness that I’m as clear of this business as the babe yot’s unborn. VotcanI do to conwince you that such is the fect?—‘ I do not entertain such a dread- ful opinion of human nature as to disbelieve you, sir,’ was my rejoinder; and I took my leave, But, distressed and harrassed as I was, I could not help nolicing the strong and disagreeable odour of fried fish that caine up from the lower regions of the dwelling: nor could [ avoid a smilo as I caught a glimpso of Mrs. Surtees, who was running hastily up Stairs, having ovidently emerged from the kitchen —for ber swarthy countenance was as greasy as it could be, and her appearance was dirty and slo- venlyin the ¢xtrome. Yet, a few hours later in the day, this woman would doubtless turn out in all the flaunting gaud of her rainbow attire and in the profuse display of her costly jewellery | “J must again repeat that I quitted Mr. Surtees’ abode with the conviction that he was anything but an accomplice in the schemo of extortion; and I said to mysolf, as I returned homeward, ‘Tho scene of last night is one of those penalties which we aro doomed to pay for thoirregularitios and evil courses of ouryouthful years. But, even though Surtees him- self be innocent, is not the extortionate dead all the same 3 result of an infamolis system of quackery ? Destroy that system—and the quietude of men’s homes could not thus bo troubled by the visits of extortionors !’—By degrees my mind grew calmer; and as weeks and months fied away, I had almost ceased to think of the occurrence which had so much ruflled me, when one evoning the man re- appeared at the house. Again was the ominous message delivered to mo while I was seated in the socioty of my boloved wife and her excellont mother —again did I see the man in priyate-and again was I compelled to endure his cool insolence and yiold to his extortionate demands. Anothor fiyo hundred pounds was transferred from my pooket to his own;—and once more was I forced to veil om EConnicloooks (CO)