Wylder's Hand

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

  CHAPTER LX.

  RACHEL LAKE BEFORE THE ACCUSER.

  Twilight was darker in Redman's Dell than anywhere else. But dark as itwas, there was still light enough to enable Rachel, as she hurried acrossthe little garden, on her return from Brandon, to see a long white face,and some dim outline of the figure to which it belonged, looking out uponher from the window of her little drawing-room.

  But no, it could not be; who was there to call at so odd an hour? Shemust have left something--a bag, or a white basket upon the window-sash.She was almost startled, however, as she approached the porch, to see itnod, and a hand dimly waved in token of greeting.

  Tamar was in the kitchen. Could it be Stanley! But faint as the outlinewas she saw, she fancied that it was a taller person than he. She felt asort of alarm, in which there was some little mixture of thesuperstitious, and she pushed open the door, not entering the room, butstaring in toward the window, where against the dim, external light, sheclearly saw, without recognising it, a tall figure, greeting her with mopand moe.

  'Who is that?' cried Miss Lake, a little sharply.

  'It is I, Miss Lake, Mr. Josiah Larkin, of the Lodge,' said thatgentleman, with what he meant to be an air of dignified firmness, andlooking very like a tall constable in possession; 'I have taken theliberty of presenting myself, although, I fear, at a somewhatunseasonable hour, but in reference to a little business, which,unfortunately, will not, I think, bear to be deferred.'

  'No bad news, Mr. Larkin, I hope--nothing has happened. The Wylders areall well, I hope?'

  'Quite well, so far as I am aware,' answered the attorney, with a grimpoliteness; 'perfectly. Nothing has occurred, as yet at least, affectingthe interests of that family; but something is--I will not saythreatened--but I may say mooted, which, were any attempt seriously madeto carry it into execution, would, I regret to say, involve very seriousconsequences to a party whom for, I may say, many reasons, I shouldregret being called upon to affect unpleasantly.'

  'And pray, Mr. Larkin, can I be of any use?'

  '_Every_ use, Miss Lake, and it is precisely for that reason that I havetaken the liberty of waiting upon you, at what, I am well aware, is asomewhat unusual hour.'

  'Perhaps, Mr. Larkin, you would be so good as to call in the morning--anyhour you appoint will answer me,' said the young lady, a little stiffly.She was still standing at the door, with her hand upon the brass handle.

  'Pardon me, Miss Lake, the business to which I refer is really urgent.'

  '_Very_ urgent, Sir, if it cannot wait till to-morrow morning.'

  'Very true, quite true, very urgent indeed,' replied the attorney,calmly; 'I presume, Miss Lake, I may take a chair?'

  'Certainly, Sir, if you insist on my listening to-night, which I shouldcertainly decline if I had the power.'

  'Thank you, Miss Lake.' And the attorney took a chair, crossing one legover the other, and throwing his head back as he reclined in it with hislong arm over the back--the 'express image,' as he fancied, of a polishedgentleman, conducting a diplomatic interview with a clever and high-bredlady.

  'Then it is plain, Sir, I _must_ hear you to-night,' said Miss Lake,haughtily.

  'Not that, exactly, Miss Lake, but only that _I_ must _speak_to-night--in fact, I have no choice. The subject of our conference reallyis, as you will find, an urgent one, and to-morrow morning, which weshould each equally prefer, would be possibly too late--too late, atleast, to obviate a very painful situation.'

  'You will make it, I am sure, as short as you can, Sir,' said the younglady, in the same tone.

  'Exactly my wish, Miss Lake,' replied Mr. Jos. Larkin.

  'Bring candles, Margery.'

  And so the little drawing-room was illuminated; and the bald head of thetall attorney, and the gloss on his easy, black frock-coat, and his goldwatch-chain, and the long and large gloved hand, depending near thecarpet, with the glove of the other in it. And Mr. Jos. Larkin rose witha negligent and lordly case, and placed a chair for Miss Lake, so thatthe light might fall full upon her features, in accordance with his usualdiplomatic arrangement, which he fancied, complacently, no one had everdetected; he himself resuming his easy _pose_ upon his chair, with hisback, as much as was practicable, presented to the candles, and the long,bony fingers of the arm which rested on the table, negligently shadinghis observing little eyes, and screening off the side light from hisexpressive features.

  These arrangements, however, were disconcerted by Miss Lake's sittingdown at the other side of the table, and quietly requesting Mr. Larkin toopen his case.

  'Why, really, it is hardly a five minutes' matter, Miss Lake. It refersto the vicar, the Rev. William Wylder, and his respectable family, and aproposition which he, as my client, mentioned to me this evening. Hestated that you had offered to advance a sum of 600_l._ for theliquidation of his liabilities. It will, perhaps, conduce to clearness todispose of this part of the matter first. May I therefore ask, at thisstage, whether the Rev. William Wylder rightly conceived you, when he sostated your meaning to me?'

  'Yes, certainly, I am most anxious to assist them with that little sum,which I have now an opportunity of procuring.'

  'A--exactly--yes--well, Miss Lake, that is, of course, very kind ofyou--very kind, indeed, and creditable to your feelings; but, as Mr.William Wylder's solicitor, and as I have already demonstrated to him, Imust now inform you, that the sum of six hundred pounds would beabsolutely _useless_ in his position. No party, Miss Lake, in hisposition, ever quite apprehends, even if he could bring himself fully tostate, the aggregate amount of his liabilities. I may state, however, toyou, without betraying confidence, that ten times that sum would notavail to extricate him, even temporarily, from his difficulties. He seesthe thing himself now; but drowning men will grasp, we know, at straws.However, he _does_ see the futility of this; and, thanking you mostearnestly, he, through me, begs most gratefully to decline it. In fact,my dear Miss Lake--it is awful to contemplate--he has been in the handsof sharks, harpies, my dear Madam; but I'll beat about for the money, inthe way of loan, if possible, and, one way or another, I am resolved, ifthe thing's to be done, to get him straight.'

  There was here a little pause, and Mr. Larkin, finding that Miss Lake hadnothing to say, simply added--

  'And so, for these reasons, and with these views, my dear Miss Lake, webeg, most respectfully, and I will say gratefully, to decline theproffered advance, which, I will say, at the same time, does honour toyour feelings.'

  'I am sorry,' said Miss Lake, 'you have had so much trouble in explainingso simple a matter. I will call early to-morrow, and see Mr. Wylder.'

  'Pardon me,' said the attorney, 'I have to address myself next to thesecond portion of your offer, as stated to me by Mr. W. Wylder, thatwhich contemplates a residence in his house, and in the respectablebosom, I may say, of that, in many respects, unblemished family.'

  Miss Lake stared with a look of fierce enquiry at the attorney.

  'The fact is, Miss Lake, that that is an arrangement which under existingcircumstances I could not think of advising. I think, on reflection, youwill see, that Mr. Wylder--the Reverend William Wylder and hislady--could not for one moment seriously entertain it, and that I, who ambound to do the best I can for them, could not dream of advising it.'

  'I fancy it is a matter of total indifference, Sir, what you may and whatyou may not advise in a matter quite beyond your province--I don't in theleast understand, or desire to understand you--and thinking your mannerimpertinent and offensive, I beg that you will now be so good as to leavemy house.'

  Miss Rachel was very angry--although nothing but her bright colour andthe vexed flash of her eye showed it.

  'I were most unfortunate--most unfortunate indeed, Miss Lake, if mymanner could in the least justify the strong and undue language in whichyou have been pleased to characterise it. But I do not resent--it is notmy way--"beareth all things," Miss Lake, "beareth all things"--I hope Itry to practise the precept; but the fact of being misunderstood shallnot de
ter me from the discharge of a simple duty.'

  'If it is part of your duty, Sir, to make yourself intelligible, may Ibeg that you will do it without further delay.'

  'My principal object in calling here was to inform you, Miss Lake, thatyou must quite abandon the idea of residing in the vicar's house, as youproposed, unless you wish me to state explicitly to him and to Mrs.Wylder the insurmountable objections which exist to any such arrangement.Such a task, Miss Lake, would be most painful to me. I hesitate todiscuss the question even with you; and if you give me your word ofhonour that you quite abandon that idea, I shall on the instant take myleave, and certainly, for the present, trouble you no further upon a mostpainful subject.'

  'And now, Sir, as I have no intention whatever of tolerating yourincomprehensibly impertinent interference, and don't understand yourmeaning in the slightest degree, and do not intend to withdraw the offerI have made to good Mrs. Wylder, you will I hope perceive the uselessnessof prolonging your visit, and be so good as to leave me in unmolestedpossession of my poor residence.'

  'If I wished to do you an injury, Miss Lake, I should take you at yourword. I don't--I wish to spare you. Your countenance, Miss Lake--you mustpardon my frankness, it is my way--_your countenance_ tells only tooplainly that you now comprehend my allusion.'

  There was a confidence and significance in the attorney's air and accent,and a peculiar look of latent ferocity in his evil countenance, whichgradually excited her fears, and fascinated her gaze.

  'Now, Miss Lake, we are sitting here in the presence of Him who is thesearcher of hearts, and before whom nothing is secret--your eye is uponmine and mine on yours--and I ask you, _do you remember the night of the29th of September last_?'

  That mean, pale, taunting face! the dreadful accents that vibrated withinher! How could that ill-omened man have divined her connection with theincidents--the unknown incidents--of that direful night? The lean figurein the black frock-coat, and black silk waistcoat, with that greatgleaming watch-chain, the long, shabby, withered face, and flushed, baldforehead; and those paltry little eyes, in their pink setting, thatnevertheless fascinated her like the gaze of a serpent. How had thathorrible figure come there--why was this meeting--whence his knowledge?An evil spirit incarnate he seemed to her. She blanched before it--everyvestige of colour fled from her features--she stared--she gaped at himwith a strange look of imbecility--and the long face seemed to enjoy andprotract its triumph.

  Without removing his gaze he was fumbling in his pocket for hisnote-book, which he displayed with a faint smile, grim and pallid.

  'I see you _do_ remember that night--_as well you may_, Miss Lake,' heejaculated, in formidable tones, and with a shake of his bald head.

  'Now, Miss Lake, you see this book. It contains, Madam, the skeleton of acase. The bones and joints, Ma'am, of a case. I have it here, noted andprepared. There is not a fact in it without a note of the name andaddress of the witness who can prove it--the _witness_--observe me.'

  Then there was a pause of a few seconds, during which he still kept herunder his steady gaze.

  'On that night, Miss Lake, the 29th September, you drove in Mr. MarkWylder's tax-cart to the Dollington station, where, notwithstanding yourveil, and your caution, you were _seen_ and _recognised_. The sameoccurred at Charteris. You accompanied Mr. Mark Wylder in his midnightflight to London, Miss Lake. Of your stay in London I say nothing. It wasprotracted to the 2nd October, when you arrived in the down train atDollington at twelve o'clock at night, and took a cab to the "WhiteHouse," where you were met by a gentleman answering the description ofyour brother, Captain Lake. Now, Miss Lake, I have stated no particulars,but do you think that knowing all this, and knowing the _fraud_ by whichyour absence was covered, and perfectly understanding, as every manconversant with this sinful world must do, the full significance of allthis, I could dream of permitting you, Miss Lake, to become domesticatedas an inmate in the family of a pure-minded, though simple andunfortunate clergyman?'

  'It may become my duty,' he resumed, 'to prosecute a searching enquiry,Madam, into the circumstances of Mr. Mark Wylder's disappearance. If youhave the slightest regard for your own honour, you will not precipitatethat measure, Miss Lake; and so sure as you persist in your unwarrantabledesign of residing in that unsuspecting family, I will publish what Ishall then feel called upon by my position to make known; for I will beno party to seeing an innocent family compromised by admitting an inmateof whose real character they have not the faintest suspicion, and I shallat once set in motion a public enquiry into the circumstances of Mr. MarkWylder's disappearance.'

  Looking straight in his face, with the same expression of helplessness,she uttered at last a horrible cry of anguish that almost thrilled thatcallous Christian.

  'I think I'm going mad!'

  And she continued staring at him all the time.

  'Pray compose yourself, Miss Lake--there's no need to agitateyourself--nothing of all this need occur if you do not force it uponme--_nothing_. I beg you'll collect yourself--shall I call for water,Miss Lake?'

  The fact is the attorney began to apprehend hysterics, or something evenworse, and was himself rather frightened. But Rachel was never longoverwhelmed by any shock--fear was not for her--her brave spirit stoodher in stead; and nothing rallied her so surely as the sense that anattempt was being made to intimidate her.

  'What have I heard--what have I endured? Listen to me, you cowardlylibeller. It is true that I was at Dollington, and at Charteris, on thenight you name. Also true that I went to London. Your hideous slander isgarnished with two or three bits of truth, but only the more villainousfor that. All that you have dared to insinuate is utterly false. BeforeHim who judges all, and knows all things--_utterly_ and _damnably_false!'

  The attorney made a bow--it was his best. He did not imitate a gentlemanhappily, and was never so vulgar as when he was finest.

  One word of her wild protest he did not believe. His bow was of thatgrave but mocking sort which was meant to convey it. Perhaps if he hadaccepted what she said it might have led him to new and sounderconclusions. Here was light, but it glared and flashed in vain for him.

  Miss Lake was naturally perfectly frank. Pity it was she had ever had asecret to keep! These frank people are a sore puzzle to gentlemen ofLawyer Larkin's quaint and sagacious turn of mind. They can't believethat anybody ever speaks quite the truth: when they hear it--they don'trecognise it, and they wonder what the speaker is driving at. The bestmethod of hiding your opinion or your motives from such men, is to tellit to them. They are owls. Their vision is formed for darkness, and lightblinds them.

  Rachel Lake rang her bell sharply, and old Tamar appeared.

  'Show Mr.--Mr.--; show him to the door,' said Miss Lake.

  The attorney rose, made another bow, and threw back his head, and movedin a way that was oppressively gentlemanlike to the door, and speedilyvanished at the little wicket. Old Tamar holding her candle to lightenhis path, as she stood, white and cadaverous, in the porch.

  'She's a little bit noisy to-night,' thought the attorney, as hedescended the road to Gylingden; 'but she'll be precious sober byto-morrow morning--and I venture to say we shall hear nothing more ofthat scheme of hers. A reputable inmate, truly, and a pleasant_eclaircissement_ (this was one of his French words, and pronounced byhim with his usual accuracy, precisely as it is spelt)--a pleasant_eclaircissement_--whenever that London excursion and its creditablecircumstances come to light.'