Wylder's Hand

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

  CHAPTER XLVII.

  A THREATENING NOTICE.

  Stanley Lake was not a man to let the grass grow under his feet when anobject was to be gained. It was with a sure prescience that Mark Wylder'sletter had inferred that Stanley Lake would aspire to the representationeither of the county or of the borough of Dollington. His mind wasalready full of these projects.

  Electioneering schemes are conducted, particularly at their initiation,like conspiracies--in fact, they _are_ conspiracies, and therefore therewas nothing remarkable in the intense caution with which Stanley Lake setabout his. He was not yet 'feeling his way.' He was only preparing tofeel his way.

  All the data, except the muster-roll of electors, were _in nubibus_--whowould retire--who would step forward, as yet altogether in the region ofconjecture. There are men to whom the business of elections--a life ofsecrecy, excitement, speculation, and combat--has all but irresistiblecharms; and Tom Wealdon, the Town Clerk, was such a spirit.

  A bold, frank, good-humoured fellow--he played at elections as he wouldat cricket. Every faculty of eye, hand, and thought--his whole heart andsoul in the game. But no ill-will--no malevolence in victory--no sournessin defeat. A successful _coup_ made Tom Wealdon split with laughing. Aridiculous failure amused him nearly as much. He celebrated his lastgreat defeat with a pic-nic in the romantic scenery of Nolton, where heand his comrades in disaster had a roaring evening, and no end of 'chaff'When he and Jos. Larkin carried the last close contest at Dollington, bya majority of two, he kicked the crown out of the grave attorney'schimney-pot, and flung his own wide-awake into the river. He did not showmuch; his official station precluded prominence. He kept in thebackground, and did his spiriting gently. But Tom Wealdon, it wasknown--as things _are_ known without evidence--was at the bottom of allthe clever dodges, and long-headed manoeuvres. When, therefore, Mr.Larkin heard from the portly and veracious Mr. Larcom, who was on veryhappy relations with the proprietor of the Lodge, that Tom Wealdon hadbeen twice quietly to Brandon to lunch, and had talked an hour alone withthe captain in the library each time; and that they seemed very 'hernestlike, and stopped of talking directly he (Mr. Larcom) entered the roomwith the post-bag'--the attorney knew very well what was in the wind.

  Now, it was not quite clear what was right--by which the good attorneymeant prudent--under the circumstances. He was in confidential--whichmeant lucrative--relations with Mark Wylder. Ditto, ditto with CaptainLake, of Brandon. He did not wish to lose either. Was it possible to holdto both, or must he cleave only to one and despise the other?

  Wylder might return any day, and Tom Wealdon would probably be one of thefirst men whom he would see. He must 'hang out the signal' in'Galignani.' Lake could never suspect its meaning, even were he to seeit. There was but one risk in it, which was in the coarse perfidy of MarkWelder himself, who would desire no better fun, in some of his moods,than boasting to Lake of the whole arrangement in Jos. Larkin's presence.

  However, on the whole, it was best to obey Mark Wylder's orders, andaccordingly 'Galignani' said: '_Mr. Smith will take notice that the otherparty is desirous to purchase, and becoming very pressing._'

  In the meantime Lake was pushing his popularity among the gentry withremarkable industry, and with tolerable success. Wealdon's two littlevisits explained perfectly the active urbanities of Captain Stanley Lake.

  About three weeks after the appearance of the advertisement in'Galignani,' one of Mark Wylder's letters reached Larkin. It was datedfrom Geneva(!) and said:--

  'DEAR LARKIN,--I saw my friend _Smith_ here in the cafe, who has kept abright look out, I dare say; and tells me that Captain Stanley Lake isthinking of standing either for the county or for Dollington. I willthank you to apprise him that I mean to take my choice first; and pleasehand him the enclosed notice open as you get it; and, if you please, tolet him run his eye also over this note to you, as I have my own reasonsfor wishing him to know that you have seen it.

  'This is all I will probably trouble you about elections for some monthsto come, or, at least, weeks. It being time enough when I go back, and nosqualls a-head just now at home, though foreign politics look muggyenough.

  'I have nothing particular at present about tenants or timber, except thethree acres of oak behind Farmer Tanby's--have it took down. Thomas Jonesand me went over it last September, and it ought to bring near 3,000_l_.I must have a good handful of money by May next.

  'Yours, my dear Larkin,

  'Very truly,

  'MARK WYLDER.'

  Folded in this was a thin slip of foreign paper, on which were tracedthese lines:--

  '_Private._

  'DEAR LARKIN,--Don't funk the interview with the beast Lake--a hyaena hasno pluck in him. When he reads what I send him by your hand, he'll be asmild as you please. Parkes must act for me as usual--no bluster aboutgiving up. Lake's afraid of yours,

  'M. W.'

  Within was what he called his 'notice' to Stanley Lake, and it was thusconceived:--

  '_Private._

  'DEAR LAKE--I understand you are trying to make all safe for nextelection in Dollington or the county. Now, understand at once, that _Iwon't permit that_. There is not a country gentleman on the grand jurywho is not your superior; and there is no extremity I will not make youfeel--and you know what I mean--if you dare despise this first and notunfriendly warning.

  'Yours truly,

  'MARK WYLDER.'

  Now there certainly was need of Wylder's assurance that nothingunpleasant should happen to the conscious bearer of such a message to anofficer and a gentleman. Jos. Larkin did not like it. Still there was aconfidence in his own conciliatory manners and exquisite tact. Something,too, might be learned by noting Lake's looks, demeanour, and languageunder this direct communication from the man to whom his relations wereso mysterious.

  Larkin looked at his watch; it was about the hour when he was likely tofind Lake in his study. The attorney withdrew the little privateenclosure, and slipt it, with a brief endorsement, into the neat sheaf ofWylder's letters, all similarly noted, and so locked it up in the ironsafe. He intended being perfectly ingenuous with Lake, and showing himthat he had 'no secrets--no concealments--all open as the day'--byproducing the letter in which the 'notice' was enclosed, and submittingit for Captain Lake's perusal.

  When Lawyer Larkin reached the dim chamber, with the Dutch tapestries,where he had for a little while to await Captain Lake's leisure, he beganto anticipate the scene now so immediately impending more uncomfortablythan before. The 'notice' was, indeed, so outrageous in its spirit, andso intolerable in its language, that, knowing something of Stanley's wildand truculent temper, he began to feel a little nervous about theexplosion he was about to provoke.

  The Brandon connection, one way or other, was worth to the attorney inhard cash between five and six hundred a-year. In influence, and what istermed 'position,' it was, of course, worth a great deal more. It wouldbe a very serious blow to lose this. He did not, he hoped, care for moneymore than a good man ought; but such a loss, he would say, he could notafford.

  Precisely the same, however, was to be said of his connection with MarkWylder; and in fact, of late years, Mr. Jos. Larkin, of the Lodge, hadbegun to put by money so fast that he was growing rapidly to be a veryconsiderable man indeed. 'Everything,' as he said, 'was doing verynicely;' and it would be a deplorable thing to mar, by any untoward act,this pilgrim's quiet and prosperous progress.

  In this stage of his reverie he was interrupted by a tall, powderedfootman, in the Brandon livery, who came respectfully to announce thathis master desired to see Mr. Larkin.

  Larkin's soul sneered at this piece of state. Why could he not put hishead in at the door and call him? But still I think it impressed him, andthat, diplomatically, Captain Lake was in the right to environ himselfwith the ceremonial of a lord of Brandon.

  'Well, Larkin, how d'ye do? Anything about Raikes's lease?' said thegreat Captain Lake, rising from behind his desk, with his accustomedsmile, and extending his gentleman
like hand.

  'No, Sir--nothing, Captain Lake. He has not come, and I don't think weshould show any anxiety about it,' replied the attorney, taking thecaptain's thin hand rather deferentially. 'I've had--a--such a letterfrom my--my client, Mr. Mark Wylder. He writes in a violent passion, andI'm really placed in a most disagreeable position.'

  'Won't you sit down?'

  'A--thanks--a--well I thought, on the whole, having received the letterand the enclosure, which I must say very much surprises me--very much_indeed_.' And Larkin looked reprovingly on an imaginary Mark Wylder, andshook his head a good deal.

  'He has not appointed another man of business?'

  'Oh, dear, no,' said Larkin, quickly, with a faint, supercilious smile.'No, nothing of that kind. The thing--in fact, there has been somegossiping fellow. Do you happen to know a person at all versed inGylingden matters--or, perhaps, a member of your club--named Smith?'

  'Smith? I don't, I think, recollect any particular Smith, just at thismoment. And what is Smith doing or saying?'

  'Why, he has been talking over election matters. It seems Wylder--Mr.Wylder--has met him in Geneva, from whence he dates; and he says--hesays--oh, here's the letter, and you'll see it all there.'

  He handed it to Lake, and kept his eye on him while he read it. When hesaw that Lake, who bit his lip during the perusal, had come to the end,by his glancing up again at the date, Larkin murmured--

  'Something, you see, has gone wrong with him. I can't account for thetemper otherwise--so violent.'

  'Quite so,' said Lake, quietly; 'and where is the notice he speaks ofhere?'

  'Why, really, Captain Lake, I did not very well know, it _is such_ aproduction--I could not say whether you would wish it presented; and inany case you will do me the justice to understand that I, for my part--Ireally don't know how to speak of it.

  'Quite so,' repeated Lake, softly, taking the thin, neatly folded pieceof paper which Larkin, with a sad inclination of his body, handed to him.

  Lake, under the 'lawyer's' small, vigilant eyes, quietly read MarkWylder's awful threatenings through, twice over, and Larkin was not quitesure whether there was any change of countenance to speak of as he didso.

  'This is dated the 29th,' said Lake, in the same quiet tone; 'perhaps youwill be so good as to write a line across it, stating the date of yourhanding it to me.'

  'I--of course--I can see no objection. I may mention, I suppose, that Ido so at your request.'

  And Larkin made a neat little endorsement to that effect, and he feltrelieved. The hyaena certainly was not showing fight.

  'And now, Mr. Larkin, you'll admit, I think, that I've exhibited noill-temper, much less violence, under the provocation of that note.'

  'Certainly; none whatever, Captain Lake.'

  'And you will therefore perceive that whatever I now say, speaking incool blood, I am not likely to recede from.'

  Lawyer Larkin bowed.

  'And may I particularly ask that you will so attend to what I am about tosay, as to be able to make a note of it for Mr. Welder's consideration?'

  'Certainly, if you desire; but I wish to say that in this particularmatter I beg it may be clearly understood that Mr. Wylder is in norespect more my client than you, Captain Lake, and that I merely act as amost reluctant messenger in the matter.'

  'Just so,' said Captain Lake.

  'Now, as to my thinking of representing either county or borough,' heresumed, after a little pause, holding Mark Wylder's 'notice' between hisfinger and thumb, and glancing at it from time to time, as a speakermight at his notes, 'I am just as well qualified as he in every respect;and if it lies between him and me, I will undoubtedly offer myself, andaccompany my address with the publication of this precious document whichhe calls his notice--the composition, in all respects, of a ruffian--andwhich will inspire every gentleman who reads it with disgust, abhorrence,and contempt. His threat I don't understand. I despise his machinations.I defy him utterly; and the time is coming when, in spite of hismanoeuvring, I'll drive him into a corner and pin him to the wall. Hevery well knows that flitting and skulking from place to place, like anescaped convict, he is safe in writing what insults he pleases throughthe post. I can't tell how or where to find him. He is not only nogentleman, but no man--a coward as well as a ruffian. But his game ofhide-and-seek cannot go on for ever; and when next I can lay my hand uponhim, I'll make him eat that paper on his knees, and place my heel uponhis neck.'

  The peroration of this peculiar invective was emphasised by an oath, atwhich the half-dozen short grizzled hairs that surmounted the top of Mr.Jos. Larkin's shining bald head no doubt stood up in silent appeal.

  The attorney was standing during this sample of Lake's parliamentaryrhetoric a little flushed, for he did not know the moment when a blueflicker from the rhetorical thunder-storm might splinter his own baldhead, and for ever end his connection with Brandon.

  There was a silence, during which pale Captain Lake locked up MarkWylder's warning, and the attorney twice cleared his voice.

  'I need hardly say, Captain Lake, how I feel in this business. I----'

  'Quite so,' said the captain, in his soft low tones. 'I assure you Ialtogether acquit you of sympathy with any thing so utterly ruffianly,'and he took the hand of the relieved attorney with a friendlycondescension. 'The only compensation I exact for your involuntary partin the matter is that you distinctly convey the tenor of my language toMr. Wylder, on the first occasion on which he affords you an opportunityof communicating with him. And as to my ever again acting as histrustee;--though, yes, I forgot'--he made a sudden pause, and was lostfor a minute in annoyed reflection--'yes, I must for a while. It can'tlast very long; he _must_ return soon, and I can't well refuse to actuntil at least some other arrangement is made. There are quite otherpersons and I can't allow them to starve.'

  So saying, he rose, with his peculiar smile, and extended his hand tosignify that the conference was at an end.

  'And I suppose,' he said, 'we are to regard this little conversation, forthe present, as confidential?'

  'Certainly, Captain Lake, and permit me to say that I fully appreciatethe just and liberal construction which you have placed upon myconduct--a construction which a party less candid and honourably-mindedthan yourself might have failed to favour me with.'

  And with this pretty speech Larkin took his hat, and gracefully withdrew.