The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Page 23
CHAPTER XXI. TWO OF A TRADE
When the newspapers announced the division on the adjourned debate,they also proclaimed the flight of the defaulter; and, wide as was thedisparity between the two events in point of importance, it would bedifficult to say which more engaged the attention of the Dublin publicon that morning, the majority for the Minister, or the published perfidyof "Honest Tom Gleeson."
Such is, however, the all-engrossing interest of a local topic, aided,as in the present case, by almost incredulous amazement, the agent'sflight was talked of and discussed in circles where the great politicalevent was heard as a matter of course. Where had he fled to? What sumhad he carried away with him? Who would be the principal losers? wereall the questions eagerly discussed, but none of which excited somuch diversity of opinion as the single one: What was the cause of hisdefalcation? His agencies were numerous and profitable, his mode of lifeneither extravagant nor ostentatious; how could a man with so few habitsof expense have contracted debts of any considerable amount, or whatcircumstances could induce him to relinquish a station of respectabilityand competence for a life-long of dishonorable exile?
Such has been our progress of late years in the art of revealing to theworld at large the hidden springs of every action and event around usthat a secret is in reality the only thing now impossible. Forty-fiveyears ago, this wonderful exercise of knowledge was in a great measureunknown; the guessers were then a large and respectable classin society, and men were content with what mathematicians callapproximation. In our own more accurate days, what between thenewspaper, the club-room, and "'Change," such mystery is no longerpracticable. One day, or two at furthest, would now proclaim every itemin a man's schedule, and afford that most sympathetic of all bodies,the world, the fruitful theme of expatiating on his folly or hiscriminality. In the times we refer to, however, it was only the "ConHeffermans" of society that ventured even to speculate on the secretcauses of these events.
Although the debate had lasted from eight o'clock in the evening to pasteleven on the following morning, before twelve Mr. Heffernan's carriagewas at the door, and the owner, without any trace of fatigue, set offto ascertain so much as might be learned of this strange and unexpectedcatastrophe. It was no mere passion to know the current gossip of theday, no prying taste for the last piece of scandal in circulation,--ConHeffernan was above such weaknesses; but he had a habit--one whichsome men practise even yet with success--of whenever the game was safe,taking credit to himself for casualties in which he had no possibleconnection, and attributing events in which he had no share to his owndirect influence. After all, he was in this only imitating the greatnavigators of the globe, who have established the rule that discoverygives a right only second to actual creation.
This was, however, a really provoking case; no one knew anything ofGleeson's embarrassments. Several of those for whom he acted as agentwere in Dublin, but they were more amazed than all others at his flight;most of them had settled accounts with him very lately, some men owedhim small sums. "Darcy perhaps knows something about him," was a speechHeffernan heard more than once repeated; but Darcy's house was shutup, and the servant announced "he had left town that morning." HickmanO'Reilly was the next chance; not that he had any direct intercoursewith Gleeson, but his general acquaintanceship with moneyed men andmatters made him a likely source of information; while a small sealednote addressed to Dr. Hickman was in possession of a banker with whomGleeson had transacted business the day before his departure. ButO'Reilly had left town with his son. "The doctor, sir, is here still;he does not go before to-morrow," said the servant, who, knowing thatHeffernan was a person of some consequence in the Dublin world, thoughtproper to give this piece of unasked news.
"Will you give Mr. Con Heffernan's compliments, and say he would be gladto have the opportunity of a few minutes' conversation?" The servantreturned immediately, and showed him upstairs into a back drawing-room,where, before a table covered with law papers and parchments, sat thevenerable doctor. He had not as yet performed the usual offices ofa toilet, and, with unshaven chin and uncombed hair, looked the mostmelancholy contrast of age, neglect, and misery, with the gorgeousfurniture of a most splendid apartment.
He lifted his head as the door opened, and stared fixedly at thenew-comer, with an expression at once fierce and anxious, so thatHeffernan, when speaking of him afterwards, said that, "Dressed as hewas, in an old flannel morning-gown, dotted with black tufts, he lookedfor all the world like a sick tiger making his will."
"Your humble servant, sir," said he, coldly, as Heffernan advancedwith an air of cordiality; nor were the words and the accents they wereuttered in lost upon the man they were addressed to. He saw how the landlay, in a second, and said eagerly, "He has not left town, I trust, sir;I sincerely hope your son has not gone."
"Yes, sir, he's off; I'm sure I don't know what he'd wait for."
"Too precipitate,--too rash by far, Mr. Hickman," said Heffernan,seating himself, and wiping his forehead with an air of well-assumedchagrin.
"Maybe so," repeated the old man two or three times over, while helowered his spectacles to his nose, and began hunting among his papers,as though he had other occupation in hand of more moment than thepresent topic.
"Are you aware, sir," said Heffernan, drawing his chair close up, andspeaking in a most confidential whisper,--"are you aware, sir, that yourson mistook the signal,--that when Mr. Corry took out his handkerchiefand opened it on his knee, that it was in token of Lord Castlereagh'sacquiescence of Mr. O'Reilly's demand,--that, in short, the peerage wasat that moment his own if he wished it?"
The look of dogged incredulity in the old man's face would have silenceda more sensitive advocate than Heffer-nan; but he went on: "If anyone should feel angry at what has occurred, I am the person; I was theguarantee for your son's vote, and I have now to meet Lord Castle-reaghwithout one word of possible explanation."
"Hickman told me," said the old man, with a voice steady and composed,"that if Mr. Corry did not raise the handkerchief to his mouth, theterms were not agreed upon; that opening it before him only meant thebargain was not quite off: more delay, more talk, Mr. Heffernan; and Ithink there was enough of that already."
"A complete mistake, sir,--a total misconception on his part."
"Just like Beecham being blackballed at the club," said the doctor, witha sarcastic bitterness all his own.
"With that, of course, we cannot be charged," said Heffernan. "Why washe put up without our being apprised of it? The blackballing was BagenalDaly's doing--"
"So I heard," interrupted the other; "they told me that; and here, lookhere, here's Daly's bond for four thousand six hundred. Maybe he won'tbe so ready with his bank-notes as he was with his black ball--ay!"
"But, to go back to the affair of the House--"
"We won't go back to it, sir, if it's the same to you. I 'm glad, withall my heart, the folly is over,--sorra use I could see in it, exceptthe expense, and there's plenty of that. The old families, as theycall them, can't last forever, no more than old houses and old castles;there's an end of everything in time, and if Hickman waits, maybe histurn will come as others' did before him. Where 's the Darcys now, I 'dlike to know?--" Here he paused and stammered, and at last stopped deadshort, an expression of as much confusion as age and wrinkles wouldpermit covering his hard, contracted features.
"You say truly," said Heffernan, finishing what he guessed to be thesentiment,--"you say truly, the Darcys have run their race; when men'sincumbrances have reached the point that his have, family influence soondecays. Now, this business of Gleeson's--" Had he fired a shot close tothe old man's ear he could not have startled him more effectually thanby the mention of this name.
"What of Gleeson?" said he, drawing in his breath, and holding on thechair with both hands.
"You know that he is gone,--fled away no one knows where?"
"Gleeson! Honest Tom Gleeson ran away!" exclaimed Hickman; "no, no,that's impossible,--I'd never believe that."
"Ay! I did n't notice it before," muttered the doctor, as he took up thepaper, affecting to read, but in reality to conceal his own confusion.
"They say the news nearly killed Darcy; he only heard it when going intothe House last night, and was seized with an apoplectic fit, and carriedhome insensible." This latter was, it is perhaps needless to say, pureinvention of Heffernan, who found it necessary to continue talking asa means of detecting old Hickman's game. "Total ruin to that family ofcourse results. Gleeson had raised immense sums to pay off the debts,and carried all away with him."
"Ay!" muttered the doctor, as he seemed greatly occupied in arranginghis papers on the table.
"You 'll be a loser too, sir, by all accounts," added Heffernan.
"Not much,--a mere trifle," said the doctor, without looking up from thepapers. "But maybe he's not gone, after all; I won't believe it yet."
"There seems little doubt on that head," said Heffernan; "he changedthree thousand pounds in notes for gold at Ball's after the bank wasclosed on Tuesday, and then went over to Finlay's, where he said he hada lodgment to make. He left his great-coat behind him, and never cameback for it. I found that paper--it was the only one--in the breastpocket."
"What is it? what is it?" repeated the old man, clutching eagerly at it.
"Nothing of any consequence," said Heffernan, smiling; and he handedhim a printed notice, setting forth that the United States barque, the"Congress," of five hundred tons burden, would sail for New York onWednesday, the 16th instant, at an hour before high water. "That lookedsuspicious, didn't it?" said Heffernan; "and on inquiry I found hehad drawn largely out of, not only the banks in town, but from theprovincial ones also. Now, that note addressed to yourself, forinstance--"
"What note?" said Hickman, starting round as his face became pale asashes; "give it to me--give it at once!"
But Heffernan held it firmly between his fingers, and merely shook hishead, while, with a gentle smile, he said, "The banker who intrustedthis letter to my hands was well aware of what importance it mightprove in a court of justice, should this disastrous event demand a legalinvestigation."
The old doctor listened with breathless interest to every word of thisspeech, and merely muttered at the close the words, "The note, thenote!"
"I have promised to restore the paper to the banker," said Heffernan.
"So you shall,--let me read it," cried Hickman, eagerly; and he clutchedfrom Heffernan's fingers the document, before the other had seeminglydetermined whether he would yield to his demand.
"There it is for you, sir," said the doctor; "make what you can of it;"and he threw the paper across the table.
The note contained merely the words, "Ten thousand pounds." There was nosignature or any date, but the handwriting was Gleeson's.
"Ten thousand pounds," repeated Heffernan, slowly; "a large sum!"
"So it is," chimed in Hickman, with a grin of self-satisfaction, whilea consciousness that the mystery, whatever it might be, was beyond thereach of Heffernan's skill, gave him a look of excessive cunning, whichsat strangely on features so old and time-worn.
"Well, Mr. Hickman," said Heffernan, as he arose to take leave, "I haveneither the right nor the inclination to pry into any man's secrets.This affair of Gleeson's will be sifted to the bottom one day or other,and that small transaction of the ten thousand pounds as well as therest. It was not to discuss him or his fortunes I came here. I hoped tohave seen Mr. O'Reilly, and explained away a very serious misconception.Lord Castlereagh regrets it, not for the sake of the loss of Mr.O'Reilly's support, valuable as that unquestionably is, but becausea wrong interpretation would seem to infer that the conduct ofthe Treasury bench was disingenuous. You will, I trust, make thisexplanation for me, and in the name of his Lordship."
"Faith, I won't promise it," said old Hickman, looking up from a longcolumn of figures which he was for some minutes poring over; "I don'tunderstand them things at all; if Bob wanted to be a lord, 't ismore than ever I did,--I don't see much pleasure there is in being agentleman. I know, for my part, I 'd rather sit in the back parlor ofmy little shop in Loughrea, where I could have a chat over a tumbler ofpunch with a neighbor, than all the grandeur in life."
"These simple, unostentatious tastes do you credit before the world,sir," said Heffernan, with a well put-on look of admiration.
"I don't know whether they do or not," said Hickman, "but I know theyhelp to make a good credit with the bank, and that's better--ay!"
Heffernan affected to relish the joke, and descended the stairs,laughing as he went; but scarcely had he reached his carriage, however,than he muttered a heavy malediction on the sordid old miser whoseiniquities were not less glaring because Con had utterly failed tounravel anything of his mystery.
"To Lord Castlereagh's," said he to the footman, and then lay back toponder over his late interview.
The noble Secretary was not up when Con arrived, but had left ordersthat Mr. Heffernan should be shown up to his room whenever he came.It was now about five o'clock in the afternoon, and Lord Castlereagh,wrapped up in a loose morning-gown, lay on the bed where he had thrownhimself, without undressing, on reaching home. A debate of more thanfifteen hours, with all its strong and exciting passages, had completelyexhausted his strength, while the short and disturbed sleep had weariedrather than refreshed him. The bed and the table beside it were coveredwith the morning papers and open letters and despatches, for, tired ashe was, he could not refrain from learning the news of the day.
"Well, my Lord," said Heffernan, with his habitual smile, as hestepped noiselessly across the floor, "I believe I may wish you joy atlast,--the battle is gained now."
"Heigho!" was the reply of the Secretary, while he extended two fingersof his hand in salutation. "What hour is it, Heffernan?"
"It is near five; but really there 's not a creature to be seen in thestreets, and, except old Killgobbin airing his pocket-handkerchiefat the fire, not a soul at the Club. Last night's struggle has nearlykilled every one."
"Who is this Mr. Gleeson that has run off with so much money,--did youknow him?"
"Oh, yes, we all knew 'honest Tom Gleeson.'"
"Ah! that was his sobriquet, was it?" said the Secretary, smiling.
"Yes, my Lord, such was he,--or such, at least, was he believed to be,till yesterday evening. You know it's the last glass of wine alwaysmakes a man tipsy."
"And who is ruined, Heffernan,--any of our friends?"
"As yet there's no saying. Drogheda will lose something considerable, Ibelieve; but at the banks the opinion is that Darcy will be the heaviestloser of any."
"The Knight?"
"Yes, the Knight of Gwynne."
"I am sincerely sorry to hear it," said Lord Castlereagh, with an energyof tone he had not displayed before; "if I had met half-a-dozen suchmen as he is, I should have had some scruples--" He paused, and at theinstant caught sight of a very peculiar smile on Heffernan's features;then, suddenly changing the topic, he said, "What of Nickolls,--is heshot?"
"No, my Lord, there was no meeting. Bagenal Daly, so goes the story,proposed going over to the Isle of Man in a row-boat."
"What, last night!" said the Secretary, laughing.
"Yes, when it was blowing the roof off the Custom House; he offeredhim his choice of weapons, from a blunderbuss to a harpoon, and his owndistance, over a handkerchief, or fifty yards with a rifle."
"And was Nickolls deaf to all such seductions?"
"Quite so, my Lord; even when Daly said to him, 'I think it a publicduty to shoot a fellow like you, for, if you are suffered to live, theGovernment will make a judge of you one of these days.'"
"What profound solicitude for the purity of the judgment seat!"
"Daly has reason to think of these things; he has been in the dockalready,
and perhaps suspects he may be again."
"Poor Darcy!" said Lord Castlereagh to himself, in a half whisper, "Iwish I knew you were not a sufferer by this fellow's flight. By the bye,Heffernan, sit down and write a few lines to Forester; say that LordCornwallis is greatly displeased at his protracted absence. I am tiredof making excuses for him, and as I dine there to-day, I shall betormented all the evening."
"Darcy's daughter is very good-looking, I hear," said Heffernan, smilingslyly, "and should have a large fortune if matters go right."
"Very possibly; but old Lady Wallincourt is the proudest dowagerin England, and looks to the blood-royal for alliances. Forester isentirely dependent on her; and that reminds me of a most solemn pledge Imade her to look after her 'dear Dick,' and prevent any entanglementin this barbarous land,--as if I had nothing else to think of! Write atonce, Heffernan, and order him up; say he 'll lose his appointment byany further delay, and that I am much annoyed at his absence."
While Heffernan descended to the library to write, Lord Castlereaghturned once more to sleep until it was time to dress for the Viceroy'sdinner.