CHAPTER CXVIII
[Chapter 186]
THE MEETING IN ST. JAMES'S PARK.
Another day passed over at the London Hotel, and as Mr. Blue had been
kind enough to take his departure, and that departure seemed to be final, for
he did not show himself again, Mr. Lake rescinded the resolution he had made
to leave.
Probably it was much more convenient for him to stay, although he
pretended that he did so out of consideration for the landlord, who ought not
to be punished for innocently harbouring so suspicious a character as Mr.
Blue, whether he were a vampire, or not.
But the day, as we say, has passed away, and it is about half-past eight
o'clock in the evening, and quite dark, for the moon did not rise for an hour
afterwards, when Mr. Lake might have been seen making his way towards Saint
James's Park.
He entered it by the narrow mode of ingress by Spring Gardens, and made
his way towards the palace of Saint James, that is to say, the wall of its
private gardens that look upon the park; and then, under some shady trees, he
paused and looked inquiringly about him.
"He was to have been here a little before nine," he muttered. "Hush!"
The Horse Guards clock chimed three-quarters past eight.
Mr. Lake draw back, as two men came at a slow pace towards where he
stood, and then he muttered, —
"It is Miller, but confound him, who is that he has brought with him?
Hang the fellow! I did not give him leave to make a confident in this ticklish
piece of business."
One of the men only now advanced, leaving the other about twelve paces
from him.
"Mr. L—-, I think," he said.
"Yes, Miller, it is I; but who in the name of all that's infernal have
you brought with you? Are you mad to trust to anybody but yourself?"
"Oh, don't trouble yourself about that, sir. The fact is, he has been
with me for a number of years; he is my managing clerk, and as great a rogue
as you would wish him to be. I cannot keep anything wholly from him, so the
best way, I find, is to make a confident of him at once."
"I don't half like it."
"You may thoroughly depend upon Lee, that is his name, and you never knew
such a rogue as he is, sir; besides, somebody, you know, must have been
trusted to personate the father, and he will do that, and then, you know
likewise, sir, that-—"
"Hush, hush! speak lower! will you? bring this accomplished rogue this
way, since I must do business, it seems, with him! Call him here, Miller, and
we will talk as we walk on, that is always safer than holding a conference in
one spot, near which any one may hide; but it is a much more difficult thing
for a spy to follow and overhear you at the same time."
"You have a genius, Mr. Lake."
"Bah! I don't want any compliments from you, Miller; we want downright
business."
By this time, Mr. Miller had made a sig[n] to his clerk, Lee, to come up,
which that individual did, and at once saluted Mr. Lake, and made some trivial
remark about the weather, in an off-hand way.
Mr Lake made rather a distant reply and then he said, —
"I presume, sir, that Mr. Miller has made you acquainted with the affair
in which, it seems, I am to purchase your kind co-operation?"
"Oh no," said Miiller, "I have certainly given him a brief outline, but I
always prefer that the principal himself should give all the directions
possible to every one, and tell his own story."
"Well, sir, I think you might as well have told him, and not given me the
trouble. But, however, if I must, I must; so pray attend to me sir."
"I will," said Lee.
"My brother then, is Lord Lake. It's a new title rather, as our father
was the first who had it, and he left large estates to my brother, and to his
son if he had one, or his daughter, if he had one. The title descending to
heir males, I must have the title by outliving my brother, if I do, but hang it
all, she has a daughter, and she will have the estates."
"I comprehend."
"The old countess of Bhackbighte smuggled the child away at its birth,
and took care of it for a consideration that used up two-thirds of my income,
but the old cat on her death confessed that the child was Lord Lakes's, but
luckily, you see, without criminating me. Now Mr. Miller was her solicitor,
and so between us we have forged a letter supposed to be found among the old
countess's papers, in which she states that she intends to palm off a child as
the Lord Lakes when she is dying, but that his child really did die, you see."
"Oh yes."
"Now this has had an effect upon Lord Lake, who to some extent had
repudiated the girl, and what I want is to clinch the matter, by providing
some one who will actually own her."
"I understand." said Lee, "but it will be an awkward affair if found
out."
"I want to provide against any consequences of a disagreeable nature, by
getting her to marry my son, but I don't think she will. Absolute distress to
which I am determined to bring her, if I can, may move her to that step, and
then all's right. The secret is in my hands to play with, as I think proper."
"A very good plan."
"You see, there's a lover of hers too, a young officer in the Guards, but
he will be off as soon as he finds that she's the daughter of a lawyer's clerk
instead of a lord—ha! ha! ha!"
"Likely enough. I'll father her."
"Thank you; and now about money matters. Miller gets a thousand pounds—
what do you want? Be moderate."
"I ought to have five hundred pounds to pay me."
"The deuce! Well, I don't want to stint you. But you will bear in mind
that that is very good pay; and now we must get up a first rate story, so
complete in all its parts that there shall be no sort of doubt about it, you
see—a story that will stand the test of examination and criticism."
"That can be better done in my chambers," said the attorney; "I think now
we understand each other perfectly well, and that we need hardly say any more
just at present. Money matters are settled, and as Mr. Lee has once
undertaken the business, I am quite satisfied, for one, that it will be well
done."
"I am glad to hear you say that, Miller, and I am quite reconciled, which
I must own I was not at first, to Mr. Lee having a finger in the pie."
"Thank you," said Lee, "thank you; we shall manage it all right, no
doubt. Indeed now that you have fully explained it to me, it seems quite an
easy and straightforward affair."
"You think so."
"I certainly do think so."
"Then you take off my mind a load of anxiety for thought it would be a
difficult thing to arrange, and require no end of chicanery and trouble, but
yon quite reassure—you quite reasure me, Mr. Lee."
"Oh, these things are done every day, my dear sir."
They had walked to and fro as they spoke till now, by the time they had
settled their affairs thus far, they stood by the centre of the principal
mall. The park was very quiet, and had quite a deserted aspect. Indeed, it
was near the time when there would be more difficulty in travering it in
consequence of the extra vigilance of the night sentinels.
The moon faded gradually away, or seemed to fade away as the light fleecy
clouds swept over it's face, and the parties who had held this interesting
dialogue separated. Mr. Lake walked hurriedly towards his hotel, and the
attorney and his accomplice stood for a few moments conversing in whispers.
They then turned towards the Green Park, and as they did so, they were crossed
by a tall, spectral-looking figure wrapped up in an immense cloak, but who did
not seem to observe them, for his eyes were fixed upon the moon, which at that
moment again began to emerge from the clouds.
He stretched forth his arms as if he would have held the beautiful
satellite to his heart.
"An odd fish," whispered the attorney.
"Very," said his companion. "I should like now to know who he is."
The attorney shrugged his shoulders, as he said, "Some harmless lunatic
most likely. They say that such often wander all night about the parks."
"That's strange; only look at him now. he seems to be worshipping the
moon, and now how he strides along; and see, there is another man meets him,
and they both hold up their arms in that strange way to the moon. What on
earth can be the meaning of it?"
"I really don't know."
"Some religious fanatics, perhaps."
"Ah! that's as likely as not. We have all sorts of them, jumpers and
screamers and tearers, and why not a few who may call themselves Lunarians.
For my part I would rather worship the moon than I would, as most church and
chapel going women do, worship some canting evangelical thief of a parson, who
has—oh dear! such elegant hands, and such whiskers, and speaks so soft and
impressive. Of all the rougues on earth, I do detest those in surplices!"
—
