Bennett, Emerson - Oliver Goldfinch

by Oliver Goldfinch (lit)

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.

  In the elegant mansion of Oliver Goldfinch, on the third story, separated alike from the members of the family and the servants or domestics of the house, Nathan Wesley had his own sleeping-apartment. It was a small room, plainly but neatly furnished, containing a bed, wardrobe, secretary, and a few books, scattered many of them carelessly about, and such other articles as the attorney fancied both convenient and useful. Here, at an early hour on the morning ensuing the night of events just detailed, the lordly millionaire, with his toilet half made, was pacing to and fro with rapid steps, his features expressive of vindictive passions excited to a pitch little short of frenzy, on whom Wesley, just startled from a sound sleep, and partly risen in bed, still rubbing his heavy eyelids, was staring with a sort of drowsy wonder, that had in much of the ludicrous. "Up, sluggard!" shouted Goldfinch, looking fiercely at the other, and seeming by his manner undetermined whether or no to use violent measures to bring him speedily to his senses. "Up, villain! and give an account of your last night's treachery! Where is Acton, my ?" "How should I know?" replied the attorney, in some trepidation. "How should you know?" repeated Goldfinch, sneeringly; "because the devil should know what becomes of his victims!" "Then you ought to know, without asking me," was the impudent reply. "Villain!" cried Goldfinch, completely beside himself with passion, springing forward and seizing Wesley by the throat: "bridle thy saucy tongue and give straight answers, or I'll tear it from thy foul mouth to feed my dogs on! Where is Acton, I say?" "I don't know," replied the other, sullenly, as Goldfinch released his hold. "Liar! you do know! Where did you leave him?" "I didn't leave him at all. He left me, to run off with a woman." "And you enticed him into the scheme." "No I didn't" contradicted Wesley, bluntly. "He enticed me to assist him." "And then you betrayed him." "But he insulted me first," muttered the attorney. "Wretch! I have a mind to strangle you for your treachery! As if he could insult you—mean worthless dog that you are—almost unfit to do his menial services! And what think you came of your baseness?" "I don't know," answered the other, doggedly. "No, nor you don't care," rejoined Goldfinch. "Nor don't care," grumbled the attorney, too low to reach the other's ears. "Well, I will tell you what became of him, base ingrate!" pursued Goldfinch, vehemently. "He spent the night in prison! In prison, do you hear? Think of that, sir! Acton Goldfinch, my son, in prison, in company with common thieves and vagabonds, and all through your infernal villainy!" "Where I'll put the father soon," muttered Wesley to himself, with a devilish grin of triumph lurking around the corners of his mouth. "Cease your grinning!" shouted Goldfinch, his features distorted with frantic rage, as he glared ferociously upon Wes ley, who, springing up in bed and hurrying on his garments, withdrew to the farther side, as if in fear the other would do him violence. "Cease, I tell you!" pursued Goldfinch, advancing toward him, "or, by —! I'll make it the grin of death.— My son in prison, through the machinations and treachery of you, whom I picked up in the streets of Baltimore, little better than a beggar, and raised to the exalted position of attorney and confidant: think of that, villain! Not half an hour since, I received a message from Acton, accusing you, and praying me to, come to his relief! I came up here to chastise you, and if I do not, ere I leave, you may thank your lucky stars! Acton in prison—my family disgraced—what will the world say?" "Say that he deserves it," replied Wesley, who, though afraid of the other, could not restrain a malicious propensity to irritate him still farther. Goldfinch made no direct reply, but clenching his hand, he came close to the bed and raised it as if to strike. "Stop!" cried Wesley, fixing upon him a demoniacal look of defiance, that, enraged as he was, made him hesitate.— "Stop!" he repeated, placing one hand in his pocket, as if to draw a concealed weapon. "You've laid hands on me once already: do so again, and by the blood of the murdered! I'll send your spirit after his!" "Well," rejoined Goldfinch, lowering his fist and turning very pale, evidently fearful the other would keep his oath should he attempt violence, and, at the same time, desirous to impress Wesley with the belief he had only changed his design for one still more severe: "now since you have mentioned that, mark me! If Acton comes to harm, through this baseness of yours, I'll have you hung, if it sinks my fortune to do it!" "Will you?" grinned Wesley. "Now mark me, Oliver Goldfinch, and don't forget one word I say! You've been talking largely of what you'll do, and what you've done, and now I want you to listen to me! You say you picked me up in the streets of Baltimore, little better than a beggar, But you're very foolish; for if you kill me, of course it will be proved on you, and you'll have to swing for it. Better give the twenty thousand and save yourself." "Never!" exclaimed the millionaire, stamping his foot violently. "I will not be so imposed on! Down on your knees, villain! and s wear, by all you hold sacred, to keep my secret—or, be the consequeces what they may, you shall never quit this apartment alive!" As he said this, Goldfinch made a bound forward to seize the attorney, but the next moment recoiled in dismay, as the click of a pistol sounded ominously in his ear. "Turn about is fair play," cried Wesley, following up the hasty retreat of the other with a pistol leveled at his head. "Open that door now, and give me free exit, or, by —! you're a dead man before you can say your prayers!" "I yield," returned Goldfinch, biting his nether lip till the blood sprang through; and he unlocked and threw open the door. "How about the money?" querried Wesley, carelessly playing with the weapon, to the endangerment of the other's safety. "Are we to part as friends, or how?" "If we part in life, Heaven send we part not as foes!" answered Goldfinch.— "We have both been too hasty. Come down and you shall have a check for all you ask; and then we must see what can be done with Acton and young Courtly." "Well, since you've got reasonable," said the other, impudently, his late success having greatly exalted him in his own estimation," I will honor you with my company." "You are very condescending," rejoined Goldfinch; and the two descended to the library—a large square room, on the second story, well stored with books of every description. Pointing Wesley to a seat, Goldfinch opened his secretary, wrote a few lines, and handed the other the paper. "This it all right," said Wesley, glancing over it—"with the exception of one thing," he added, returning it. "What is that?" asked the other. "I want you to give it to me before witnesses. No Edgar Courtly games, you know." The sudden but marked change in the countenance of the millionaire, showed he he had something of the latter kind in his thoughts, but he said quickly: "Certainly, certainly—you shall be satisfied;" and he rang for the servant, who, so soon as he appeared, he bade hasten all the other servants and his daughter, if she had risen, to the library. All appeared save Arabella; and in their presence, Goldfinch placed the check in Wesley's hand, saying it was a gift from him to the other of twenty thousand dollars, and he desired all to bear witness thereof. He then dismissed them, and turned to Wesley. "Now," he said, "you are bound to me. I have fulfilled my part of the agreement, and claim your services hereafter on all difficult points. In the first place, what is to be done with this young Courtly?" "Let him go," replied Wesley. "How, sir!—after all our trouble to get him there?" "Can't help it; but you see, in the first place, it will be very hard to prove the forgery, which can only be done by false witnesses, even if he had no friends— but next to impossible now, since he's got, by some sorcery or other, that I can't understand, two of the most powerful ones I know of." "Who are they?" "Calvin Morton and Clarence Malcolm." "Indeed! is it so?" cried Goldfinch, with a start. "So, so—then we must not appear against him—for even Satan himself could not outwit this Morton. And besides, being thrown off my guard last night, like a fool, I fairly betrayed myself, by telling Malcolm I had given Edgar a check for a thousand dollars; and since he is so much interested, of course he would come forward as a witness. At first I thought, with your help, we might outswear Clarence—but if Morton has taken hold of the matter, we might as well let it drop as it is. But, Wesley, (and the scheming man glanced warily around and spoke low,) could not you contrive some plan to rid us of him, as you d
id of —" "Hist!" interrupted Wesley, starting up and looking fearfully around. "Never mention his name again to me!—never, never!—I've had enough of him already." "Well, well, let him go. You understand what I mean!" "I understand." "And is there not some way, think you?" "Well, I'll consider on it." "Do so, my good Wesley. Only hit upon some plan to rid us of him, and I will double the amount already given." "But why do you want him out of the way?" "Why? Because I both fear and hate him. He has dared to threaten me to my face—and no man shall do that without feeling my revenge." "Well, as I said before, I must consider on it. I'll see what can be done," he continued, giving the other a very peculiar look, "and then you shall hear from me." "That is right," rejoined Goldfinch, grasping the attorney by the hand. "Let us be friends henceforth, and that little affair of this morning be forgotten. Remember— another twenty thousand. And as for Acton—why hasten at once to Malcolm, make my most humble apologies for what happened last night, plead youthful indiscression for my son, say he is sorry for it, that it was in a great measure your own fault, beg him to be lenient, and, in short, get his promise not to appear against him. That done, he is safe; for the other witnesses, if there are any, can be easily bought off. Now hasten, good Wesley, and return soon and let me know the result; and besides, think over in the meantime what can be done with this Courtly. Our cards have been rather unskillfully played of late, and this cursed nephew is deep at work undermining my stainless reputation, so that we must move cautiously in the matter. If we can only get him silenced—trust me, the sun shall again brightly beam through the clouds that are lowering upon us. Do your part, good Wesley, and leave the rest to me. Now away and report me soon;" and bowing, with a glance of triumph on his countenance, which Goldfinch fancied augured success to his own cause, the attorney quitted the apartment. "Now diamond cut diamond," pursued Goldfinch, in an exulting tone, as soon as Wesley was out of sight. "Now then, I have them both! Wesley shall make way with Edgar, like a short sighted fool that he is, and then good Nathan Wesley shall swing for his pains, while I will laugh in the triumph of security that I am master of my own secret." "Will you?" grinned Wesley to himself, who, instead of instantly departing, had lingered by the door with his ear to the key hole. "Will you?—ha, ha!—and you will make your money save you! O yes, most certainly;" and shaking his check with an air of defiance, and chuckling at his own thoughts, he glided silently down stairs, and the next moment was in the street.