CHAPTER XXVII.
LAWYER LARKIN'S MIND BEGINS TO WORK.
That morning Lake's first report upon his inquisition into thewhereabouts of Mark Wylder--altogether disappointing and barren--reachedLord Chelford in a short letter; and a similar one, only shorter, foundLawyer Larkin in his pleasant breakfast parlour.
Now this proceeding of Mr. Wylder's, at this particular time, struck therighteous attorney, and reasonably, as a very serious and unjustifiablestep. There was, in fact, no way of accounting for it, that wasaltogether complimentary to his respected and nutritious client. Yes;there was something every way _very_ serious in the affair. It actuallythreatened the engagement which was so near its accomplishment. Some mostpowerful and mysterious cause must undoubtedly be in operation to induceso sharp a 'party,' so keen after this world's wealth, to risk so huge aprize. Whatever eminent qualities Mark Wylder might be deficient in, theattorney very well knew that cunning was not among the number.
'It is nothing of the nature of debt--plenty of money. It is nothing thatmoney can buy off easily either, though he does not like parting with it.Ten--_twenty_ to one--it is the old story--some unfortunate femaleconnection--some ambiguous relation, involving a doubtful marriage.'
And Josiah Larkin turned up his small pink eyes, and shook his tall, baldhead gently, and murmured, as he nodded it--
'The sins of his youth find him out; the sins of his youth.'
And he sighed; and his long palms were raised, and waved, or ratherpaddled slowly to the rhythm of the sentiment.
If the butchers' boy then passing saw that gaunt and good attorney,standing thus in his bow-window, I am sure he thought he was at hisdevotions and abated his whistling as he went by.
After this Mr. Larkin's ruminations darkened, and grew, perhaps, lessdistinct. He had no particular objection to a mystery. In fact, he ratherliked it, provided he was admitted to confidence. A mystery implied adifficulty of a delicate and formidable sort; and such difficulties werenot disadvantageous to a clever and firm person, who might render himselfvery necessary to an embarrassed principal with plenty of money.
Mr. Larkin had a way of gently compressing his under-lip between hisfinger and thumb--a mild pinch, a reflective caress--when contemplationsof this nature occupied his brain. The silver light of heaven faded fromhis long face, a deep shadow of earth came thereon, and his small,dove-like eyes grew intense, hungry, and rat-like.
Oh! Lawyer Larkin, your eyes, though very small, are very sharp. They canread through the outer skin of ordinary men, as through a parchmentagainst the light, the inner writing, and spell out its meanings. How isit that they fail to see quite through one Jos. Larkin, a lawyer ofGylingden? The layover of Gylingden is somehow two opaque for them, Ialmost think. Is he really too deep for you? Or is it that you don't careto search him too narrowly, or have not time? or as men in moneyperplexities love not the scrutiny of their accounts or papers, you don'tcare to tire your eyes over the documents in that neatly japanned box,the respectable lawyer's conscience?
If you have puzzled yourself, you have also puzzled me. I don't quiteknow what to make of you. I've sometimes thought you were simply animpostor, and sometimes simply the dupe of your own sorceries. The heartof man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Some men,with a piercing insight into the evil of man's nature, have a blurredvision for their own moralities. For them it is not easy to see wherewisdom ends and guile begins--what wiles are justified to honour, andwhat partake of the genius of the robber, and where lie the delicateboundaries between legitimate diplomacy and damnable lying. I am not surethat Lawyer Larkin did not often think himself very nearly what he wishedthe world to think him--an 'eminent Christian.' What an awful abyss isself delusion.
Lawyer Larkin was, on the whole, I dare say, tolerably well pleased withthe position, as he would have said, of his spiritual interest, andbelonged to that complacent congregation who said, 'I am rich and haveneed of nothing;' and who, no doubt, opened their eyes wide enough, andmisdoubted the astounding report of their ears, when the judge thundered,'Thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.'
When Jos. Larkins had speculated thus, and built rich, but sombre,castles in the air, for some time longer, he said quietly to himself--
'Yes.'
And then he ordered his dog-cart, and drove off to Dollington, and put upat Johnson's Hotel, where Stanley Lake had slept on the night of hissister's return from London. The people there knew the lawyer very well;of course, they quite understood his position. Mr. Johnson, theproprietor, you may be sure, does not confound him with the greatsquires, the baronets, and feudal names of the county; but though he wasby comparison easy in his company, with even a dash of familiarity, hestill respected Mr. Larkin as a man with money, and a sort of influence,and in whose way, at election and other times, it might lie to do hishouse a good or an ill turn.
Mr. Larkin got into a little brown room, looking into the inn garden, andcalled for some luncheon, and pen and ink, and had out a sheaf of lawpapers he had brought with him, tied up in professional red tape; andasked the waiter, with a grand smile and recognition, how he did; andasked him next for his good friend, Mr. Johnson; and trusted thatbusiness was improving; and would be very happy to see him for two orthree minutes, if he could spare time.
So, in due time, in came the corpulent proprietor, and Lawyer Larkinshook hands with him, and begged him to sit down, like a man who confersa distinction; and assured him that Lord Edward Buxleigh, whom he hadrecommended to stay at the house for the shooting, had been very wellpleased with the accommodation--very highly so indeed--and his lordshiphad so expressed himself when they had last met at Sir Hugh Huxterley's,of Hatch Court.
The good lawyer liked illuminating his little narratives, compliments,and reminiscences with plenty of armorial bearings and heraldic figures,and played out his court-cards in easy and somewhat overpoweringprofusion.
Then he enquired after the two heifers that Mr. Johnson was so good as tofeed for him on his little farm; and then he mentioned that his friend,Captain Lake, who was staying with him at his house at Gylingden, wasalso very well satisfied with his accommodation, when he, too, at LawyerLarkin's recommendation, had put up for a night at Johnson's Hotel; andit was not every house which could satisfy London swells of CaptainLake's fashion and habits, he could tell him.
Then followed some conversation which, I dare say, interested the lawyermore than be quite showed in Mr. Johnson's company. For when that pleasedand communicative host had withdrawn, Jos. Larkin made half-a-dozenlittle entries in his pocket-book, with 'Statement of Mr. WilliamJohnson,' and the date of their conversation, at the head of thememorandum.
So the lawyer, having to run on as far as Charteris by the goods-train,upon business, walked down to the station, where, having half-an-hour towait, he fell into talk with the station-master, whom he also knew, andafterwards with Tom Christmas, the porter; and in the waiting-room hemade some equally business-like memoranda, being certain chips andsplinters struck off the clumsy talk of these officials, and laid up inthe lawyer's little private museum, for future illustration and analysis.
By the time his little book was again in the bottom of hispocket, the train had arrived, and doors swung open and claptand people got in and out to the porter's accompaniment of'Dollington--Dollington--Dollington!' and Lawyer Larkin took his place,and glided away to Charteris, where he had a wait of two hours for thereturn train, and a good deal of barren talk with persons at the station,rewarded by one or two sentences worth noting, and accordingly dulyentered in the same little pocket-book.
Thus was the good man's day consumed; and when he mounted his dog-cart,at Dollington, wrapped his rug about his legs, whip and reins in hand,and the ostler buckled the apron across, the sun was setting redly behindthe hills; and the air was frosty, and the night dark, as he drew upbefore his own door-steps, near Gylingden. A dozen lines of one of thesepages would suffice to contain the fruits of his day's work; and yet thel
awyer was satisfied, and even pleased with it, and eat his late dinnervery happily; and though dignified, of course, was more than usually mildand gracious with all his servants that evening, and 'expounded at familyprayers' in a sense that was liberal and comforting; and went to bedafter a calm and pleased review of his memoranda, and slept the sleep ofthe righteous.
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