CHAPTER CXXIV.
[Chapter 134]
THE INTRODUCTION. —THE ATTORNEY'S FIRST FEELER.
When the attorney had left the house he proceeded upon some business of
his own, and then he proceeded to the India House for the purpose of making
inquiries after the colonel, for his friend Mrs. Meredith. In the course of
the day he did go to the India House, and, upon making some inquiries, he was
sent to a particular department of the house where he saw two gentlemen.
"Pray, sir," said one, "what do you want?"
"I wish to make some inquiries concerning a Colonel Deverill, who is
employed, or was serving, in the Honourable East India service."
"In what part was he serving?"
"In India," said the attorney.
"But, to what presidency did he belong?"
"That I do not even know. He has been many years away from England, I
understand, and some of his friends have not heard from him for many years,
and they are desirious of finding out whether he is dead or alive; and if so,
where he is."
"There is a Colonel Deverill returned this year from India."
"Indeed! Do you know anything of him?"
"Nothing more than he has retired from the service on his half pay, some
time before he came home, on account of his wounds."
"Is he rich?"
"I can answer no such question."
"I am a solicitor, and do not ask the question from an improper motive."
"You may not, sir, but we cannot answer such a a question. We have no
inquisitorial knowledge of the private circumstances of those gentlemen who
have served in the company's army; but, you put it to your won sagacity to
consider how far it would be probable for a man so placed, as regards rank and
opportunity, in India, without making money."
"I see; certainly—he must."
"And yet, you know, there are means of getting rid of money."
"To be sure. I see."
"Not that I have any idea that such can be the case; indeed, I should be
disposed to believe the contrary, seeing the colonel must have been wounded
long since, for the last engagement must have been some few years since."
"Thank you. I will report what I have learned. You do not know where he
can be found at this time?"
"No, indeed; we have no information."
This being all he could learn, he left the India House, and as it was now
about time to return to Mrs. Meredith, he at once went back, and having seen
all his business transacted, he had now leisure to go there, and in a short
time he arrived, and at once related to her all that he had heard respecting
the colonel, from the first to the last word of it.
"Well," said Mrs. Meredith, "that, at all events, is very satisfactory."
"Yes, it is something," said the attorney, "to know your man; but, as the
clerk said, he might have spent it, that is to say, dissipated it."
"Oh, it's impossible; he's been an invalid a long while now."
"Ah! there's no knowing what might be done in these cases. Who knows
what he may have done—gambled and diced it away, and entered into
extravagant speculations, which may have turned out ruinous bubbles."
"Well, well, Mr. Twissell, we won't say much about what might be," said
Mrs. Meredith; "we won't care about them; but I am very much obliged to you
for this trouble. It is, however, a very satisfactory thing to know he is
what he represented himself to be."
"Yes, that is a very great point gained."
"His veracity having been found unimpeachable in one point, may be
presumed to be so in another," said Margaret. "It appeared to me to be
extremely probable, if not quite certain, he is what he appears to be, I am
glad that all is so far good."
"Be that as it may, it will be more satisfactory to know what his
property really consists of, and how much there is about it."
"No doubt; but it would not be worth while to risk anything on that
account; he might imagine we were mercenary, and that would disgust him
altogether."
"That's what I am fearful of," said the mother.
"We may not yet have occasion to ask him any question, or to make any
inquiries of him at all, for we may be able to worm it all out of him."
"That is true," said Mrs. Meredith. "Dear me, there is the bell. Go,
Margaret, and say we have an old friend come to to tea; perhaps he will excuse
you—he may give the invitation we desire.["]
Margaret at once departed, and proceeded to the colonel's room, and began
to wait upon him as usual; but he saw there was but one cup placed.
"Are you not going to take tea with me, Margaret?" he said. Am I to be a
prisoner, and put in solitary confinement for the evening?"
"Why, colonel, Mr. Twissel has called to take tea with my mother, and as
he was a very old and particular acquiaintance of my father's, I do not like
to put a slight upon him."
"He is a gentleman, I presume?"
"Oh, yes, colonel, he is a member of the profession of the law."
"Oh! Well, will you ask him to tea with me? As we shall be both united,
I hope your friends will soon be mine; there can be no great objection to our
acquaintance beginning earlier. I am not fond of being entirely alone," [.]
"If we shall not be intruding upon you, sir," said Margaret, "I dare say
my mother will. I will tell her of your kindness immediately," [.]
In a few moments Margaret returned to her mother and the attorney, to
whom she related the invitation she had received from the colonel, and
instantly clutched at the idea of going to the colonel to tea, the thing, of
all others, she most desired to do, and, at the same time, she had calculated
upon it; for the colonel appeared to be wholly dependant upon them for
society, which he appeared to be passionately fond of there, especially
Margaret.
"That is just fortunate. Now, Mr. Twissel," said Mrs. Meredith, "you
will be cautious, and do not make any open attempt to discover what may be the
peculiar species of property he holds; it may do much mischief, you know."
"I am at your mercy," said the lawyer; "if you say so, I will not make
any attempt, though I must tell you, Mrs. Meredith, that you will be to blame
if you allow your daughter to marry without some inquiry being made; and if he
mean well, he will take no offence."
"You may do what you can without broaching the subject to him. Still I
think we have heard enough to set all doubts at rest."
"I'm a professional man, my dear madam, and know what the world is, and
have had much experience in these matters; however, as I think there is much
probability in all he says, why, you shall see I will not do anything that
will offend the nicest delicacy."
"That will be all we want, Mr. Twissel; and now come up stairs."
"Mr. Twissel, Colonel Deverill—Colonel Deverill, Mr. Twissel, an old
and dear friend of my late husband, sir, who has called to visit us."
"I am very happy to see the gentleman," said the colonel, but with the
air of a man who is conscious of his own superiority, and that he is
committing a condescending act. "Will you please to be seated. Excuse my
rising, sir; I am an invalid, and am lame; but you are welcome."
"I am much obliged," returned the attorney, bowing. "My good friend Mrs.
Meredith has made me intrude upon you, else I had not done so."
"You are welcome, sir," again repeated Colonel Deverill. "Pray be
seated; I have seen but little company, and am glad now and then to converse
with any one. Will you oblige me, Mrs. Meredith, with making tea for us?
Your services are really invaluable."
"Ah, Colonel! you are really too good."
"Not at all. I'm afraid I'm too much in the rear of the march of
courtesy since I left England, as our habits and manners in the East are very
different to what they are here."
"Ah! I dare say they live in a style of regal magnificence and
splendor," said the attorney.
"Yes; more so than you may at first imagine, and more so than in
appearance; so much so that it is difficult for the law at all times to take
its course. It becomes a mere dead letter, and the matter usually ends in
some indignity being offered to its servants.["]
"Indeed, sir! that was dangerous."
"Not at all. It was an attorney, who having deputed some one to serve a
process, and finding that he could not, imagined that it was the fault of the
process server, and he determined to make the attempt himself, being well
assured that he could succeed. However, he found himself mistaken, for, after
several disasters, that he was led into purposely, he was well pumped upon by
some slaves, and thought himself lucky in escaping with life."
"That would never have been permitted here," said the attorney.
"No, possibly not; but there are not the distinctions between classes
here that there are there, and things are not on the same scale, either living
or attendance."
"And yet, people who have passed their lives there, come to this country
at last, they do not like it well enough to remain there. They come back to
the land of their birth, where none of these things exist to fascinate them."
"Yes; they many live and die there—very many; but, at the same time,
those who do return, do so because it is the land of their birth—because
they love the country, and because they go there merely to make fortunes to
come here and spend them."
["]They don't like the kind of investments, perhaps?"
"They usually do so, and it fetches a high price—a very high price, and
is considered equal to the stocks of the Bank of England."
"That is first-rate stock, and on dividend days the place is usually
surrounded with strangers, who come to town for the purpose of receiving their
incomes; indeed, it is quite an interesting sight to strangers. Have you ever
witnessed it? It is well worth the while to go and see it."
"I never trouble myself anything about it," said the colonel; "but I must
be going there, by the way, to-morrow. I must have a coach."
"Do you know the routine of the banking business? It is confusing to one
not used to it."
"I know enough for my own purpose."
"Didn't you find London much altered," inquired Margaret, anxious to give
a turn to the conversation, as she thought this attorney's conversation would
appear as if it were much too pointed—"when you fisrt returned to England,
and came to live here again?"
"I cannot say much about that," said the colonel; "because I was not in a
condition to twist about like many men; I am lame."
"Exactly; that must have deprived you of much of the pleasure one feels
in surveying old places and well remembered spots."
"It was," replied the colonel; "but in a place like London, alterations
and additions are not so extensive as to cause any alteration in general
features, so as to make it perceivable at once. It is only when you come to
examine localities that you notice it. You improve and alter parts, but the
town is the same, and there is no doubt this appears th work of steady growth,
and not any one of sudden effort; indeed, the very additions to it have a
character which stamp it as being London."
"There is much truth about that," said the attorney.
"It is the same all over the world, and only in those places where the
extent is but small, than any great alteration makes a conspicuous and general
change, and gives a new character to the place."
As this conversation passed between them, the attorney making one or two
delicate allusions to property, and asking his advice respecting some
purchases he wished to make. To all which the colonel made but short and
direct answers, and of such character, that it was difficult to carry on the
conversation upon that topic, at least, and both mother and daughter looked
beseechingly at him, so that he was compelled to resist, and found himself
completely baffled by what appeared the colonel's pride.
* * * * *
"Well, Mrs. Meredith," said Mr. Twissel; "I have done my utmost with this
Colonel Deverill, and I can make nothing of him—nothing at all, I assure
you."
"You cannot form a bad opinion of him?"
"No—no. He is at one moment one of the most agreeable men to converse
with, and the next moment he is frigid and severe; perhaps pain, or perhaps
contempt for any one else, may induce the alteration in his manner, and no
allusion to himself does he make."
"Don't you think he is quite the gentleman, and a man used to good
society?"
"Yes, I cannot doubt—he has the air of all that he says; but he is
going to the bank to-morrow; now, I wonder if it is to receive dividends."
"I dare say it is," said Mrs. Meredith; "I have very little doubt of
that, and yet I should very much like to know; it would settle one's mind—
not that I would run any risk about the matter. I would not have him offended
for the world; it would be wilfully destroying a chance that is so good, that
we never can expect it to again occur, therefore we must not lose it."
"Certainly not; I will undertake the matter myself," said the attorney,
"so that there shall not be any risk in a miscarriage, whatever. I will take
care that nothing shall be done that will be at all likely to reach his ears,
or that will be displeasing to him."
"We will trust to your prudence, Mr. Twissel.["]
"You may do so safely, and depend upon my caution in this matter. Now I
will be at hand in the morning. If I am not here before he goes out, send for
me, and let me know the hour; if there is not time to reach here send me the
number of the coach; I will post off to the bank and there await until I see
him come there."
"I will send to you, then," said Mrs. Meredith; "I think that a very good
plan."
"But what will it do for you if you do see him enter the bank, that will
tell you nothing, and I cannot see the utility of it," said Margaret; "many
people go into the Bank of England, who do not go there to receive any money
for themselves; so that would be inconclusive."
"It would," said the attorney; "but you must remember, I can enter too,
and ascertain to what portion of the building he goes, and I can learn how
much he received, if any—but I must bid you good-by; for the present; do not
forget to send to me at the first blush of the affair, and then much
subsequent trouble may be saved.
—