The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

_—e “116 penetrating eye of her mistress; “twelve letters re- ceived all at once from great people, who, individually and coilectiyely, announce themselves as being patrons and supporters of my new undertaking ;” and the de- lighted recipient turned again to a closer perusal of ' the communications, at which he had before only _ i cc ee ee eee eee hastily glanced. “One fool makes many,” was the terse commentary of his better-half, who apparently refused to be cajoled into acquiescence of any kind, and she calmly fixed her gaze on the elaborate seals with which most of them were impressed. “This day, I believe,” she added, with an ironical sneer, “your first meeting of the shareholders is to take place?” “You are quite correct, my love,” responded Mr, Parkins, softening into a bland benignity of spirit, as he reflected upon the agreeable prospect that these letters disclosed; “to-day, at twelve o’clock, I shall have the honour to meet the gentlemen who have de- clared themselves favourable to the object and inten- tions of the “ United Kingdom General Flying Com: pany,” that has been provisionally registered, and has a capital of 100,000/,, in shares of 52. each, with a deposit of one pound on each share.” * Well, I know all about that, andthe honours you expect to derive from it; but tell me, if you can, with. ‘out mixing up all this fuss about your company in the question, what good you expect to get out of this Mr. Greene that you have asked here so frequently? I am, of course, as well aware as you are that he is no more the right heir to the Greene estate than our errand-boy is; but now you have made him answer your purpose, what necessity is there to keep up your connection with him ?” “What a shrewd woman you are, my love!” re- joined Mr. Parkins, in an endearing tone, as he pushed back his cup and saucer, and, lolling against the cushioned slope of his easy chair, took a concentrated survey of her with a look of complacent admiration; “such an excellent manager, such a sagacious pene- trator into the motives of us poor miserable men! What a valuable adjunct to a man of business! How blest 1 ought to be!” “ Come, Mr. Parkins, none of your blarneying, car- neying ways with me, if you please. I think I ought to know what is best for you by this time, and I don’t choose to be kept in the dark about your arrange- ments. Am I to know, oramInot? Don’t be in a hurry—take time to consider your decision; but remember that I have a right to learn what you intend doing, and that I fully intend to exercise my privilege.” “ Of course you shall know all, my dear!” exclaimed the obliging husband, who, besides being habitually accustomed to acknowledge her authority, knew her inquisitive propensities too well to venture on any prevaricating statement that might prove dangerous on fature occasions when she came to find out the real position of affairs; “ you shall be told every thing; i intended to do so from the first.” * Let me hear you put some of these intentions into execution theu,’’ said the lady, in reply; and with a piercing glance that banished any latent hope ber spouse might entertain of mystifying her as to the real Objects he had in view, she flung herself back into a listening attitude, and awaited his explanations. “You will be quite certain then,” pursued Mr, Parkins, * that 1 have not been idle in my endeavours to increase and promote the favourable chances of our present position. I need not tell you, my dear, that ‘PEE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. a a a when I first met this Mr. Greene it was solely with —— the idea of making him my tool that I took him into my confidence, and that I was not so stupid as to do what I have done with the meve wish of a benefit upon him. You will appreciate my true motive in that respect, I hope.” “ Of course I knew that all along; but proceed.” “ Well, then, you will see that, having found him a very convenient ladder to raise me to the height I wanted, it was necessary to make it the easiest thing in the world to dispense with his services when I no longer required them; or, in other words, having got to this elevation, I found it essential to so arrange it that I could throw down, whenever I liked, the machinery that I had made use of for this purpose.” “To be sure: all this is plain enough; but how have you prevented his turning round upon you again, and revealing these little matters which it would not be exactly convenient for you to have made known?” “That is the point to which 1 was coming. You see that those papers that fell so strangely into my possession when Hawkins was my partner, enabled me to give a very plausible colouring to the claims of any person I chose to set up as being the inheritor of the Greene estate so long in Chancery.” | “Yes, and a foolish plan I thought it was on your part to run the risk of letting so much money go out to get the chance of having any of it back again,” _ ‘In which belief you remained until I had the pleasure of convincing you, by the most substantial arguments, of your error,” resumed Parkins, smiling at the unequivocal evidence he had afforded of his professional acumen; ‘but I think you will allow that for the two hundred pounds I advanced to this Mr. Greene, the sum of two thousand I have since received has yielded a pretty fair remunerative interest. Up to the last week no i were entertained of the genuine nature of the documents I had brought forth, but now, from some cause or other that at present has bafiled my inquiries, they are beginning to examine more closely into the authen- ticity of the claim. Hithertu [ have received the rents without any murmurs, but a few months longor —and it may even be in less time—it is palpable to me that fresh proceedings will be taken. That fellow Jefferson, the solicitor at Manchester, who has been for years the recipient of the funds in trust, is now busily bestirring himself, and so you see it will be but reasonable to expect the whole of the careful plot I had concocted will be shattered by his confoundedly industrious researches,” ‘‘Leaving you but two thousand pounds richer for ull the trouble you have taken, and in the power of a man who may seek to screen himself by implicating you?” interposed the hearer; “a pretty profitable scheme truly !” “ T have reason to be satisfied even with what has been done already,” added Mr. Parkins, quietly yield- ing a pacifying response. “It has not answered the expectations I had formed, certainly, for we cannot even with the utmost precaution guard against unex- pected contingencies, but I have guarded against one thing, and that is the chance of the false claimant I have put forth turning round and denouncing me as the instigator of the whole affair.” “Oh! you are then really not quite so foolish as I took you to be,” said Mrs. Parkins, more complacently * but how have you ensured this wonderful ; from any charge of the kind that he may bring?” “Simply by holding his bond for sixty thousand - pounds, which was the share of the micbooksycor