CHAPTER XVII
MR. FISHWICK, THE ARBITER
Mr. Fishwick, who had stepped forward with a vague notion of detaininghim, fell back. Sir George's stern aspect, which bore witness to thepassions that raged in a heart at that moment cruelly divided, did notencourage interference; and though one or two muttered, no one moved.There is little doubt that he would have passed out without delay,mounted, and gone in pursuit--with what result in the direction ofaltering the issue, it is impossible to state--if an obstacle had notbeen cast in his way by an unexpected hand.
In every crowd, the old proverb has it, there are a knave and a fool.Between Sir George bursting with passion, and the door by which he hadentered and to which he turned, stood Lady Dunborough. Her ladyship hadbeen one of the first to hear the news and to take the alarm; it is safeto say, also, that for obvious reasons--and setting aside the lawyer andSir George--she was of all present the person most powerfully affectedby the news of the outrage. But she had succeeded in concealing alikeher fears and her interest; she had exclaimed with others--neither morenor less; and had hinted, in common with three-fourths of the ladiespresent, that the minx's cries were forced, and her _bonne fortune_sufficiently to her mind. In a word she had comported herself so fitlythat if there was one person in the hall whose opinion was likely tocarry weight, as being coolly and impartially formed, it washer ladyship.
When she stepped forward therefore, and threw herself between Sir Georgeand the door--still more when, with an intrepid gesture, she cried'Stay, sir; we have not done with you yet,' there was a sensation. Asthe crowd pressed up to see and hear what passed, her accusing fingerpointed steadily to Sir George's breast. 'What is that you have there?'she continued. 'That which peeps from your breast pocket, sir?'
Sir George, who, furious as he was, could go no farther without comingin contact with her ladyship, smothered an oath. 'Madam,' he said,'let me pass.'
'Not until you explain how you came by that fan,' she answered sturdily;and held her ground.
'Fan?' he cried savagely. 'What fan?'
Unfortunately the passions that had swept through his mind during thelast few minutes, the discovery he had made, and the flood of pity thatwould let him think of nothing but the girl--the girl carried awayscreaming and helpless, a prey to he knew not whom--left in his mindscant room for trifles. He had clean forgotten the fan. But the crowdgave him no credit for this; and some murmured, and some exchangedglances, when he asked 'What fan?' Still more when my lady rejoined,'The fan in your breast,' and drew it out and all saw it, was there aplain and general feeling against him.
Unheeding, he stared at the fan with grief-stricken eyes. 'I picked itup in the road,' he muttered, as much to himself as to them.
'It is hers?'
'Yes,' he said, holding it reverently. 'She must have dropped it--in thestruggle!' And then 'My God!' he continued fiercely, the sight of thefan bringing the truth more vividly before him, 'Let me pass! Or Ishall be doing some one a mischief! Madam, let me pass, I say!'
His tone was such that an ordinary woman must have given way to him; butthe viscountess had her reasons for being staunch. 'No,' she saidstoutly, 'not until these gentlemen have heard more. You have her fan,which she took out an hour ago. She went to meet you--that we know fromthis person'--she indicated Mr. Fishwick; 'and to meet you at yourrequest. The time, at sunset, the place, the corner of Manton Lane. Andwhat is the upshot? At that corner, at sunset, persons and a carriagewere waiting to carry her off. Who besides you knew that she would bethere?' Lady Dunborough continued, driving home the point with herfinger. 'Who besides you knew the time? And that being so, as soon asthey are safely away with her, you walk in here with an innocent faceand her fan in your pocket, and know naught about it! For shame! forshame! Sir George! You will have us think we see the Cock Lane Ghostnext. For my part,' her ladyship continued ironically, 'I would as soonbelieve in the rabbit-woman.'
'Let me pass, madam,' Sir George cried between his teeth. 'If you werenot a woman--'
'You would do something dreadful,' Lady Dunborough answered mockingly.'Nevertheless, I shall be much mistaken, sir, if some of these gentlemenhave not a word to say in the matter.'
Her ladyship's glance fell, as she spoke, on the stout red-facedgentleman in the splashed boots and Ramillies, who had asked twoquestions of the servant; and who, to judge by the attention with whichhe followed my lady's words, was not proof against the charm whichinvests a viscountess. If she looked at him with intention, she reckonedwell; for, as neatly as if the matter had been concerted between them,he stepped forward and took up the ball.
'Sir George,' he said, puffing out his cheeks, 'her ladyship is quiteright. I--I am sorry to interfere, but you know me, and what my positionis on the Rota. And I do not think I can stand by any longer--whichmight be _adaerere culpae_. This is a serious case, and I doubt I shallnot be justified in allowing you to depart without some more definiteexplanation. Abduction, you know, is not bailable. You are a Justiceyourself, Sir George, and must know that. If this person therefore--whoI understand is an attorney--desires to lay a sworn information, Imust take it.'
'In heaven's name, sir,' Soane cried desperately, 'take it! Take whatyou please, but let me take the road.'
'Ah, but that is what I doubt, sir, I cannot do,' the Justice answered.'Mark you, there is motive, Sir George, and _praesentia in loco_,' hecontinued, swelling with his own learning. 'And you have a _partemdelicti_ on you. And, moreover, abduction is a special kind of case,seeing that if the _participes criminis_ are free the _femme sole_,sometimes called the _femina capta_, is in greater danger. In fact, itis a continuing crime. An information being sworn therefore--'
'It has not been sworn yet!' Sir George retorted fiercely. 'And I warnyou that any one who lays a hand on me shall rue it. God, man!' hecontinued, horror in his voice, 'cannot you understand that while youprate here they are carrying her off, and that time is everything?'
'Some persons have gone in pursuit,' the landlord answered with intentto soothe.
'Just so; some persons have gone in pursuit,' the Justice echoed withdull satisfaction. 'And you, if you went, could do no more than they cando. Besides, Sir George, the law must be obeyed. The sole point is'--heturned to Mr. Fishwick, who through all had stood by, his face distortedby grief and perplexity--'do you wish, sir, to swear the information?'
Mrs. Masterson had fainted at the first alarm and been carried to herroom. Apart from her, it is probable that only Sir George and Mr.Fishwick really entered into the horror of the girl's position, realisedthe possible value of minutes, or felt genuine and poignant grief atwhat had occurred. On the decision of one of these two the freedom ofthe other now depended, and the conclusion seemed foregone. Ten minutesearlier Mr. Fishwick, carried away by the first sight of Sir George, andby the rage of an honest man who saw a helpless woman ruined, had beenviolent enough; Soane's possession of the fan--not then known tohim--was calculated to corroborate his suspicions. The Justice inappealing to him felt sure of support; and was much astonished when Mr.Fishwick, in place of assenting, passed his hand across his brow, andstared at the speaker as if he had suddenly lost the power of speech.
In truth, the lawyer, harried by the expectant gaze of the room, and theJustice's impatience, was divided between a natural generosity, whichwas one of his oddities, and a suspicion born of his profession. Heliked Sir George; his smaller manhood went out in admiration to theother's splendid personality. On the other hand, he had viewed Soane'sapproaches to his client with misgiving. He had scented a trap here anda bait there, and a dozen times, while dwelling on Dr. Addington'spostponements and delays, he had accused the two of collusion and ofsome deep-laid chicanery. Between these feelings he had now to decide,and to decide in such a tumult of anxiety and dismay as almost deprivedhim of the power to think.
On the one hand, the evidence and inferences against Sir George pressedhim strongly. On the other, he had seen enough of the futile haste ofthe ostlers and stable-helps, who had
gone in pursuit, to hope littlefrom them; while from Sir George, were he honest, everything was to beexpected. In his final decision we may believe what he said afterwards,that he was determined by neither of these considerations, but by hisold dislike of Lady Dunborough! For after a long silence, during whichhe seemed to be a dozen times on the point of speaking and as oftendisappointed his audience, he announced his determination in that sense.'No, sir; I--I will not!' he stammered, 'or rather I will not--on acondition.'
'Condition!' the Justice growled, in disgust.
'Yes,' the lawyer answered staunchly; 'that Sir George, if he be goingin pursuit of them, permit me to go with him. I--I can ride, or at leastI can sit on a horse,' Mr. Fishwick continued bravely; 'and I amready to go.'
'Oh, la!' said Lady Dunborough, spitting on the floor--for there wereladies who did such things in those days--'I think they are all in ittogether. And the fair cousin too! Cousin be hanged!' she added with ashrill ill-natured laugh; 'I have heard that before.'
But Sir George took no notice of her words. 'Come, if you choose,' hecried, addressing the lawyer. 'But I do not wait for you. And now,madam, if your interference is at an end--'
'And what if it is not?' she cried, insolently grimacing in his face.She had gained half an hour, and it might save her son. To persistfarther might betray him, yet she was loth to give way. 'What if it isnot?' she repeated.
'I go out by the other door,' Sir George answered promptly, and, suitingthe action to the word, he turned on his heel, strode through the crowd,which subserviently made way for him, and in a twinkling he had passedthrough the garden door, with Mr. Fishwick, hat in hand, hurrying athis heels.
The moment they were gone, the babel, suppressed while the altercationlasted, rose again, loud as before. It is not every day that the busiestinn or the most experienced traveller has to do with an elopement, tosay nothing of an abduction. While a large section of the ladies, seatedtogether in a corner, tee-hee'd and tossed their heads, sneered at Missand her screams, and warranted she knew all about it, and had her jacketand night-rail in her pocket, another party laid all to Sir George,swore by the viscountess, and quoted the masked uncle who made away withhis nephew to get his estate. One or two indeed--and, if the chronicleris to be candid, one or two only, out of as many scores--proved thatthey possessed both imagination and charity. These sat apart, scared andaffrighted by their thoughts; or stared with set eyes and flushed faceson the picture they would fain have avoided. But they were young and hadseen little of the world.
On their part the men talked fast and loud, at one time laughed, and atanother dropped a curse--their form of pity; quoted the route and theinns, and weighed the chances of Devizes or Bath, Bristol or Salisbury;vaguely suggested highwaymen, an old lover, Mrs. Cornelys' ballet; andfinally trooped out to stand in the road and listen, question thepassers-by, and hear what the parish constable had to say of it. Allexcept one very old man, who kept his seat and from time to timemuttered, 'Lord, what a shape she had! What a shape she had!' until hedissolved in maudlin tears.
Meanwhile a woman lay upstairs, tossing in passionate grief and tendedby servants; who, more pitiful than their mistresses, stole to her tocomfort her. And three men rode steadily along the western road.
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