The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 183: what you’re looking at

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170 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. natural an air of mingled indignation and surprise, that if it were assumed no dissimulation was ever more perfect. “Yes, sir—towards you!” echoed the money- lender. “You have had three thousand guineas of my good money——” “Tyne! And a thousand guineas’ worth of very wretched wine,” interrupted Malpas, with a sneer: “nothing to be compared to the samples upon the mantel. piece, which I tasted. But for the money and the wine, amounting only to four thousand guineas, you hold bills for the extent of five thousand.” | “ Which bills, sir,” remarked Emmerson, aston- ished at what he considered to be the Colonels ' bare-faced assurance, “purport to be the accept- ances of the Earl of Curzon—whereas they are all forgeries |” “Forgeries{ You lie, Mr. Emmerson!” ex- claimed the Colonel, becoming very red—and then as suddenly turning pale as death ;—but it might have been with anger and excitement, just as well as with conscious guilt. “Or if the Earl of Curzon says they are forgeries, he lies-!” “Your effrontery is intolerable, sir !” remarked Emmerson. “ Will yon tell me that these accep- tances are in the same writing as this *” he de- inanded, taking the bills from his cash. box with one hand, and holding up the Sarl’s promissory note in the other. “ Certainly there is a difference—yes—a marked difference,” stammered Malpas, now becoming deadly pale and remaining so. “I can’t under- stand it—there is some unaccountable mistake -———Good God! what can it mean? But did you tell Curzon——” “I told him nothing, sir,” replied Emmerson. “He of his own accord stated to me that you had some time ago asked him to join you in raising money, but that he refused.” “Perfectly correct,” exclaimed Malpas. “But nevertheless————” And he stopped short, in a bewilderment that was evidently very far from feigned. | “Is it possible, Colonel, that you have been made a dupe by some party ?” inquired Emmerson, now suspecting that the hint which he thus threw out might after all be the correct solution of the mystery. “Because, in that case,” he continued, “the best thing to do will be at once to take the whole business before the Lord Mayor-——” “ Not for worlds!” cried Malpas, betoming still more agitated: and he trembled from head to foot as if suddenly stricken with the palsy. “Tben what do you mean me to understand ?— and what course am I to pursue ?” demanded Em- merson, all his suspicions returning in the Colonel's disfavour. “I know not how to answer you—I am bewil- dered-—amaszed—astounded———”" “Bat are the bills forgeries—or are they not” inguired Emmerson. “I can hardly bring myself to believe that they are,” replied the Colonel; “and yet circumstances tend to prove that they must be.” “Then let us go to the Lord Mayor—unless you can pay me the amount, or give me both satisfac. tory explanations and securities.” “The Lord Mayor! No—no—ten thousand times no!” yelled forth the wretched Malpas: —_—_ ee _: we ge then, suddenly over-mastering the violence of his emotions, he said, “ Mr. Emmerson, I can give you no explanations at present—I must see a certain person in the first instance——” “And perhaps leave the country,” added the bill-broker, abruptly. “No, sir—I am not to be treated in this way. J have a large sum of money at stake—and you cannot leave this office until we arrive at some satisfactory understanding. In plain terms, Colonel Malpas, you have played your part admirably—I believed you for a few moments, really fancying that you might have been made a dupe—but I shall be trifled with no longer. Either give me security—or I shall summon a constable.” “Good heavens! you cannot mean what you threaten, Emmerson!” cried the Colonel, in dis- may. “ You know not the ruin you will cause— the tremendous exposure which will be the result! Ishudder at the bare idea——” “ And every guilty man shadders, Colonel Mal- pas, when entangled in the meshes of those admi- rable laws which support the frame-work of our beautiful system of society. Now, sir—do you wish to become better acquainted with these laws ? or will you give me satisfaction—ample satifaction relative to those forged bills ?” “Em=.ccson,” said the Colonel, greatly dis- tressed and fearfully agitated, “grant me the twenty-four hours’ license which you ere now as- sured me you are wont to accord under such cir- cumstances——" “Not an hour—not a minute, sir,” exclaimed Emmerson, sternly. “ This is a peculiar occurrence —it is not an ordinary one—and there is no possi- ble guarantee against your quitting the country. I must give you into custody—aend then perhaps your friends will come forward to assist in hushing up the matter.” Thus speaking, the bill-broker laid his hand upon the silver bell. “Stop—one moment!” gasped the Colonel, now redaced to a wretched plight. “If I trust you with @ great secret—a very great secret, Emmerson— the secret, in fact, of these bills—will you swear to guard it most religiously—most sacredly ?” I will,” was the response. “All I need is a sa- tisfactory explanation——” “And I can give it~I can give it!” exclaimed the Colonel, his form quivering with nervous ex- citement. “I will prove to you, through the lips of another, that I am innocent—guiltless——”" “ And will that other pay the amount if you can- not 2” asked Emmerson. “Most assuredly. The secret will be in your keeping—and I tell you beforehand that it is a strange and an interesting one.” “I am to understand, then,” said the money. broker, “that if you do not take up the bills in due course, I am to make use of this promised secret in order to enforce payment from some other party >” “ Precisely 0,” answered the Colonel: “bnt if I do pay you out of my own resources, you are’ tg keep the secret inviolable, as if it were one en. trusted to you by a visitor from the tomb ” “I agree. But when is this explanation to take place ?—and how will it be managed ?” “ If you will meet me to-morrow evening at eight o'clock,” observed Malpas, after some few moments’ refiection, “I will conduct you to a place where, by A to Ee ee COMME OG