Whenshetookthebabyaway,theladysaidtome,laughing,\"Don’tbealarmedabouthishealth。Hewillbebroughtupinabetterclimatethanthis——IamgoingtotakehimtoSwitzerland。\"
\"ToSwitzerland?WhatpartofSwitzerland?\"
\"Shedidn’tsay,sir。\"
\"Onlythatfaintclue!\"saidMr。Wilding。\"Andaquarterofacenturyhaspassedsincethechildwastakenaway!WhatamItodo?\"
\"Ihopeyouwon’ttakeoffenceatmyfreedom,sir,\"saidMrs。
Goldstraw;\"butwhyshouldyoudistressyourselfaboutwhatistobedone?Hemaynotbealivenow,foranythingyouknow。And,ifheisalive,it’snotlikelyhecanbeinanydistress。The,ladywhoadoptedhimwasabredandbornlady——itwaseasytoseethat。AndshemusthavesatisfiedthemattheFoundlingthatshecouldprovideforthechild,ortheywouldneverhavelethertakehimaway。IfI
wasinyourplace,sir——pleasetoexcusemysayingso——IshouldcomfortmyselfwithrememberingthatIhadlovedthatpoorladywhoseportraityouhavegotthere——trulylovedherasmymother,andthatshehadtrulylovedmeasherson。Allshegavetoyou,shegaveforthesakeofthatlove。Itneveralteredwhileshelived;
anditwon’talter,I’msure,aslongasYOUlive。Howcanyouhaveabetterright,sir,tokeepwhatyouhavegotthanthat?\"
Mr。Wilding’simmovablehonestysawthefallacyinhishouse—
keeper’spointofviewataglance。
\"Youdon’tunderstandme,\"hesaid。\"It’sBECAUSEIlovedherthatIfeelitaduty——asacredduty——todojusticetoherson。Ifheisalivingman,Imustfindhim:formyownsake,aswellasforhis。
Ishallbreakdownunderthisdreadfultrial,unlessIemploymyself——actively,instantlyemploymyself——indoingwhatmyconsciencetellsmeoughttobedone。Imustspeaktomylawyer;I
mustsetmylawyeratworkbeforeIsleepto—night。\"Heapproachedatubeinthewalloftheroom,andcalleddownthroughittotheofficebelow。\"Leavemeforalittle,Mrs。Goldstraw,\"heresumed;
\"Ishallbemorecomposed,Ishallbebetterabletospeaktoyoulaterintheday。Weshallgetonwell——Ihopeweshallgetonwelltogether——inspiteofwhathashappened。Itisn’tyourfault;I
knowitisn’tyourfault。There!there!shakehands;and——anddothebestyoucaninthehouse——Ican’ttalkaboutitnow。\"
ThedooropenedasMrs。Goldstrawadvancedtowardsit;andMr。
Jarvisappeared。
\"SendforMr。Bintrey,\"saidthewine—merchant。\"SayIwanttoseehimdirectly。\"
Theclerkunconsciouslysuspendedtheexecutionoftheorder,byannouncing\"Mr。Vendale,\"andshowinginthenewpartnerinthefirmofWildingandCo。
\"Prayexcusemeforonemoment,GeorgeVendale,\"saidWilding。\"I
haveawordtosaytoJarvis。SendforMr。Bintrey,\"herepeated——
\"sendatonce。\"
Mr。Jarvislaidaletteronthetablebeforehelefttheroom。
\"FromourcorrespondentsatNeuchatel,Ithink,sir。TheletterhasgottheSwisspostmark。\"
NEWCHARACTERSONTHESCENE
Thewords,\"TheSwissPostmark,\"followingsosoonuponthehousekeeper’sreferencetoSwitzerland,wroughtMr。Wilding’sagitationtosucharemarkableheight,thathisnewpartnercouldnotdecentlymakeapretenceoflettingitpassunnoticed。
\"Wilding,\"heaskedhurriedly,andyetstoppingshortandglancingaroundasifforsomevisiblecauseofhisstateofmind:\"whatisthematter?\"
\"MygoodGeorgeVendale,\"returnedthewine—merchant,givinghishandwithanappealinglook,ratherasifhewantedhelptogetoversomeobstacle,thanasifhegaveitinwelcomeorsalutation:\"mygoodGeorgeVendale,somuchisthematter,thatIshallneverbemyselfagain。ItisimpossiblethatIcaneverbemyselfagain。
For,infact,Iamnotmyself。\"
Thenewpartner,abrown—cheekedhandsomefellow,ofabouthisownage,withaquickdeterminedeyeandanimpulsivemanner,retortedwithnaturalastonishment:\"Notyourself?\"
\"NotwhatIsupposedmyselftobe,\"saidWilding。
\"What,inthenameofwonder,DIDyousupposeyourselftobethatyouarenot?\"wastherejoinder,deliveredwithacheerfulfrankness,invitingconfidencefromamorereticentman。\"Imayaskwithoutimpertinence,nowthatwearepartners。\"
\"Thereagain!\"criedWilding,leaningbackinhischair,withalostlookattheother。\"Partners!Ihadnorighttocomeintothisbusiness。Itwasnevermeantforme。Mymothernevermeantitshouldbemine。Imean,hismothermeantitshouldbehis——ifI
meananything——orifIamanybody。\"
\"Come,come,\"urgedhispartner,afteramoment’spause,andtakingpossessionofhimwiththatcalmconfidencewhichinspiresastrongnaturewhenithonestlydesirestoaidaweakone。\"Whateverhasgonewrong,hasgonewrongthroughnofaultofyours,Iamverysure。Iwasnotinthiscounting—housewithyou,undertheoldregime,forthreeyears,todoubtyou,Wilding。Wewerenotyoungermenthanweare,together,forthat。Letmebeginourpartnershipbybeingaserviceablepartner,andsettingrightwhateveriswrong。
Hasthatletteranythingtodowithit?\"
\"Hah!\"saidWilding,withhishandtohistemple。\"Thereagain!Myhead!Iwasforgettingthecoincidence。TheSwisspostmark。\"
\"AtasecondglanceIseethattheletterisunopened,soitisnotverylikelytohavemuchtodowiththematter,\"saidVendale,withcomfortingcomposure。\"Isitforyou,orforus?\"
\"Forus,\"saidWilding。
\"SupposeIopenitandreaditaloud,togetitoutofourway?\"
\"Thankyou,thankyou。\"
\"Theletterisonlyfromourchampagne—makingfriends,thehouseatNeuchatel。’DearSir。Weareinreceiptofyoursofthe28thult。,informingusthatyouhavetakenyourMr。Vendaleintopartnership,whereonwebegyoutoreceivetheassuranceofourfelicitations。
PermitustoembracetheoccasionofspeciallycommandingtoyouM。
JulesObenreizer。’Impossible!\"
Wildinglookedupinquickapprehension,andcried,\"Eh?\"
\"Impossiblesortofname,\"returnedhispartner,slightly——
\"Obenreizer。’——OfspeciallycommandingtoyouM。JulesObenreizer,ofSohoSquare,London(northside),henceforthfullyaccreditedasouragent,andwhohasalreadyhadthehonourofmakingtheacquaintanceofyourMr。Vendale,inhis(saidM。Obenreizer’s)
nativecountry,Switzerland。’Tobesure!poohpooh,whathaveI
beenthinkingof!Iremembernow;’whentravellingwithhisniece。’\"
\"Withhis——?\"Vendalehadsoslurredthelastword,thatWildinghadnotheardit。
\"WhentravellingwithhisNiece。Obenreizer’sNiece,\"saidVendale,inasomewhatsuperfluouslylucidmanner。\"NieceofObenreizer。(I
mettheminmyfirstSwisstour,travelledalittlewiththem,andlostthemfortwoyears;metthemagain,mySwisstourbeforelast,andhavelostthemeversince。)Obenreizer。NieceofObenreizer。
Tobesure!Possiblesortofname,afterall!’M。Obenreizerisinpossessionofourabsoluteconfidence,andwedonotdoubtyouwillesteemhismerits。’DulysignedbytheHouse,’DefresnieretCie。’
Verywell。IundertaketoseeM。Obenreizerpresently,andclearhimoutoftheway。ThatclearstheSwisspostmarkoutoftheway。
Sonow,mydearWilding,tellmewhatIcanclearoutofYOURway,andI’llfindawaytoclearit。\"
Morethanreadyandgratefultobethustakenchargeof,thehonestwine—merchantwrunghispartner’shand,and,beginninghistalebypatheticallydeclaringhimselfanImpostor,toldit。
\"Itwasonthismatter,nodoubt,thatyouweresendingforBintreywhenIcamein?\"saidhispartner,afterreflecting。
\"Itwas。\"
\"Hehasexperienceandashrewdhead;Ishallbeanxioustoknowhisopinion。ItisboldandhazardousinmetogiveyouminebeforeI
knowhis,butIamnotgoodatholdingback。Plainly,then,Idonotseethesecircumstancesasyouseethem。Idonotseeyourpositionasyouseeit。AstoyourbeinganImpostor,mydearWilding,thatissimplyabsurd,becausenomancanbethatwithoutbeingaconsentingpartytoanimposition。Clearlyyouneverwereso。Astoyourenrichmentbytheladywhobelievedyoutobeherson,andwhomyouwereforcedtobelieve,onhershowing,tobeyourmother,considerwhetherthatdidnotariseoutofthepersonalrelationsbetweenyou。Yougraduallybecamemuchattachedtoher;
shegraduallybecamemuchattachedtoyou。Itwasonyou,personallyyou,asIseethecase,thatsheconferredtheseworldlyadvantages;itwasfromher,personallyher,thatyoutookthem。\"
\"Shesupposedme,\"objectedWilding,shakinghishead,\"tohaveanaturalclaimuponher,whichIhadnot。\"
\"Imustadmitthat,\"repliedhispartner,\"tobetrue。Butifshehadmadethediscoverythatyouhavemade,sixmonthsbeforeshedied,doyouthinkitwouldhavecancelledtheyearsyouweretogether,andthetendernessthateachofyouhadconceivedfortheother,eachonincreasingknowledgeoftheother?\"
\"WhatIthink,\"saidWilding,simplybutstoutlyholdingtothebarefact,\"cannomorechangethetruththanitcanbringdownthesky。
ThetruthisthatIstandpossessedofwhatwasmeantforanotherman。\"
\"Hemaybedead,\"saidVendale。
\"Hemaybealive,\"saidWilding。\"Andifheisalive,haveInot——
innocently,Igrantyouinnocently——robbedhimofenough?HaveI
notrobbedhimofallthehappytimethatIenjoyedinhisstead?
HaveInotrobbedhimoftheexquisitedelightthatfilledmysoulwhenthatdearlady,\"stretchinghishandtowardsthepicture,\"toldmeshewasmymother?HaveInotrobbedhimofallthecareshelavishedonme?HaveInotevenrobbedhimofallthedevotionanddutythatIsoproudlygavetoher?ThereforeitisthatIaskmyself,GeorgeVendale,andIaskyou,whereishe?Whathasbecomeofhim?\"
\"Whocantell!\"
\"Imusttrytofindoutwhocantell。Imustinstituteinquiries。
Imustneverdesistfromprosecutinginquiries。Iwillliveupontheinterestofmyshare——Ioughttosayhisshare——inthisbusiness,andwilllayuptherestforhim。WhenIfindhim,Imayperhapsthrowmyselfuponhisgenerosity;butIwillyieldupalltohim。Iwill,Iswear。AsIlovedandhonouredher,\"saidWilding,reverentlykissinghishandtowardsthepicture,andthencoveringhiseyeswithit。\"AsIlovedandhonouredher,andhaveaworldofreasonstobegratefultoher!\"Andsobrokedownagain。
Hispartnerrosefromthechairhehadoccupied,andstoodbesidehimwithahandsoftlylaiduponhisshoulder。\"Walter,Iknewyoubeforeto—daytobeanuprightman,withapureconscienceandafineheart。ItisveryfortunateformethatIhavetheprivilegetotraveloninlifesoneartosotrustworthyaman。Iamthankfulforit。Usemeasyourrighthand,andrelyuponmetothedeath。
Don’tthinktheworseofmeifIprotesttoyouthatmyuppermostfeelingatpresentisaconfused,youmaycallitanunreasonable,one。Ifeelfarmorepityfortheladyandforyou,becauseyoudidnotstandinyoursupposedrelations,thanIcanfeelfortheunknownman(ifheeverbecameaman),becausehewasunconsciouslydisplaced。YouhavedonewellinsendingforMr。Bintrey。WhatI
thinkwillbeapartofhisadvice,Iknowisthewholeofmine。Donotmoveastepinthisseriousmatterprecipitately。Thesecretmustbekeptamonguswithgreatstrictness,fortopartwithitlightlywouldbetoinvitefraudulentclaims,toencourageahostofknaves,toletlooseafloodofperjuryandplotting。Ihavenomoretosaynow,Walter,thantoremindyouthatyousoldmeashareinyourbusiness,expresslytosaveyourselffrommoreworkthanyourpresenthealthisfitfor,andthatIboughtitexpresslytodowork,andmeantodoit。\"
Withthesewords,andapartinggripofhispartner’sshoulderthatgavethemthebestemphasistheycouldhavehad,GeorgeVendalebetookhimselfpresentlytothecounting—house,andpresentlyafterwardstotheaddressofM。JulesObenreizer。
AsheturnedintoSohoSquare,anddirectedhisstepstowardsitsnorthside,adeepenedcolourshotacrosshissun—brownedface,whichWilding,ifhehadbeenabetterobserver,orhadbeenlessoccupiedwithhisowntrouble,mighthavenoticedwhenhispartnerreadaloudacertainpassageintheirSwisscorrespondent’sletter,whichhehadnotreadsodistinctlyastherest。
AcuriouscolonyofmountaineershaslongbeenenclosedwithinthatsmallflatLondondistrictofSoho。Swisswatchmakers,Swisssilver—chasers,Swissjewellers,SwissimportersofSwissmusicalboxesandSwisstoysofvariouskinds,drawclosetogetherthere。
Swissprofessorsofmusic,painting,andlanguages;Swissartificersinsteadywork;Swisscouriers,andotherSwissservantschronicallyoutofplace;industriousSwisslaundressesandclear—starchers;
mysteriouslyexistingSwissofbothsexes;SwisscreditableandSwissdiscreditable;Swisstobetrustedbyallmeans,andSwisstobetrustedbynomeans;thesediverseSwissparticlesareattractedtoacentreinthedistrictofSoho。ShabbySwisseating—houses,coffee—houses,andlodging—houses,Swissdrinksanddishes,SwissserviceforSundays,andSwissschoolsforweek—days,arealltobefoundthere。Eventhenative—bornEnglishtavernsdriveasortofbroken—Englishtrade;announcingintheirwindowsSwisswhetsanddrams,andshelteringintheirbarsSwissskirmishesofloveandanimosityonmostnightsintheyear。
WhenthenewpartnerinWildingandCo。rangthebellofadoorbearingthebluntinscriptionOBENREIZERonabrassplate——theinnerdoorofasubstantialhouse,whosegroundstorywasdevotedtothesaleofSwissclocks——hepassedatonceintodomesticSwitzerland。
Awhite—tiledstoveforwinter—timefilledthefireplaceoftheroomintowhichhewasshown,theroom’sbarefloorwaslaidtogetherinaneatpatternofseveralordinarywoods,theroomhadaprevalentairofsurfacebarenessandmuchscrubbing;andthelittlesquareofflowerycarpetbythesofa,andthevelvetchimney—boardwithitscapaciousclockandvasesofartificialflowers,contendedwiththattone,asif,inbringingoutthewholeeffect,aParisianhadadaptedadairytodomesticpurposes。
Mimicwaterwasdroppingoffamill—wheelundertheclock。Thevisitorhadnotstoodbeforeit,followingitwithhiseyes,aminute,whenM。Obenreizer,athiselbow,startledhimbysaying,inverygoodEnglish,veryslightlyclipped:\"Howdoyoudo?Soglad!\"
\"Ibegyourpardon。Ididn’thearyoucomein。\"
\"Notatall!Sit,please。\"
Releasinghisvisitor’stwoarms,whichhehadlightlypinionedattheelbowsbywayofembrace,M。Obenreizeralsosat,remarking,withasmile:\"Youarewell?Soglad!\"andtouchinghiselbowsagain。
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidVendale,afterexchangeofsalutations,\"whetheryoumayyethaveheardofmefromyourHouseatNeuchatel?\"
\"Ah,yes!\"
\"InconnectionwithWildingandCo。?\"
\"Ah,surely!\"
\"IsitnotoddthatIshouldcometoyou,inLondonhere,asoneoftheFirmofWildingandCo。,topaytheFirm’srespects?\"
\"Notatall!WhatdidIalwaysobservewhenwewereonthemountains?Wecallthemvast;buttheworldissolittle。Solittleistheworld,thatonecannotkeepawayfrompersons。Therearesofewpersonsintheworld,thattheycontinuallycrossandre—
cross。Soverylittleistheworld,thatonecannotgetridofaperson。Not,\"touchinghiselbowsagain,withaningratiatorysmile,\"thatonewoulddesiretogetridofyou。\"
\"Ihopenot,M。Obenreizer。\"
\"Pleasecallme,inyourcountry,Mr。Icallmyselfso,forIloveyourcountry。IfICOULDbeEnglish!ButIamborn。Andyou?
Thoughdescendedfromsofineafamily,youhavehadthecondescensiontocomeintotrade?Stopthough。Wines?IsittradeinEnglandorprofession?Notfineart?\"
\"Mr。Obenreizer,\"returnedVendale,somewhatoutofcountenance,\"I
wasbutasillyyoungfellow,justofage,whenIfirsthadthepleasureoftravellingwithyou,andwhenyouandIandMademoiselleyourniece——whoiswell?\"
\"Thankyou。Whoiswell。\"
\"——Sharedsomeslightglacierdangerstogether。If,withaboy’svanity,Irathervauntedmyfamily,IhopeIdidsoasakindofintroductionofmyself。Itwasveryweak,andinverybadtaste;
butperhapsyouknowourEnglishproverb,’LiveandLearn。’\"
\"Youmaketoomuchofit,\"returnedtheSwiss。\"Andwhatthedevil!
Afterall,yoursWASafinefamily。\"
GeorgeVendale’slaughbetrayedalittlevexationasherejoined:
\"Well!Iwasstronglyattachedtomyparents,andwhenwefirsttravelledtogether,Mr。Obenreizer,Iwasinthefirstflushofcomingintowhatmyfatherandmotherleftme。SoIhopeitmayhavebeen,afterall,moreyouthfulopennessofspeechandheartthanboastfulness。\"
\"Allopennessofspeechandheart!Noboastfulness!\"criedObenreizer。\"Youtaxyourselftooheavily。Youtaxyourself,myfaith!asifyouwasyourGovernmenttaxingyou!Besides,itcommencedwithme。Iremember,thateveningintheboatuponthelake,floatingamongthereflectionsofthemountainsandvalleys,thecragsandpinewoods,whichweremyearliestremembrance,Idrewaword—pictureofmysordidchildhood。Ofourpoorhut,bythewaterfallwhichmymothershowedtotravellers;ofthecow—shedwhereIsleptwiththecow;ofmyidiothalf—brotheralwayssittingatthedoor,orlimpingdownthePasstobeg;ofmyhalf—sisteralwaysspinning,andrestingherenormousgoitreonagreatstone;
ofmybeingafamishednakedlittlewretchoftwoorthreeyears,whentheyweremenandwomenwithhardhandstobeatme,I,theonlychildofmyfather’ssecondmarriage——ifitevenwasamarriage。
Whatmorenaturalthanforyoutocomparenoteswithme,andsay,’Weareasonebyage;atthatsametimeIsatuponmymother’slapinmyfather’scarriage,rollingthroughtherichEnglishstreets,allluxurysurroundingme,allsqualidpovertykeptfarfromme。
SuchisMYearliestremembranceasopposedtoyours!’\"
Mr。Obenreizerwasablack—hairedyoungmanofadarkcomplexion,throughwhoseswarthyskinnoredglowevershone。Whencolourwouldhavecomeintoanothercheek,ahardlydiscerniblebeatwouldcomeintohis,asifthemachineryforbringinguptheardentbloodwerethere,butthemachineryweredry。Hewasrobustlymade,wellproportioned,andhadhandsomefeatures。Manywouldhaveperceivedthatsomesurfacechangeinhimwouldhavesetthemmoreattheireasewithhim,withoutbeingabletodefinewhatchange。Ifhislipscouldhavebeenmademuchthicker,andhisneckmuchthinner,theywouldhavefoundtheirwantsupplied。
ButthegreatObenreizerpeculiaritywas,thatacertainnamelessfilmwouldcomeoverhiseyes——apparentlybytheactionofhisownwill——whichwouldimpenetrablyveil,notonlyfromthosetellersoftales,butfromhisfaceatlarge,everyexpressionsaveoneofattention。Itbynomeansfollowedthathisattentionshouldbewhollygiventothepersonwithwhomhespoke,orevenwhollybestowedonpresentsoundsandobjects。Rather,itwasacomprehensivewatchfulnessofeverythinghehadinhisownmind,andeverythingthatheknewtobe,orsuspectedtobe,inthemindsofothermen。
Atthisstageoftheconversation,Mr。Obenreizer’sfilmcameoverhim。
\"Theobjectofmypresentvisit,\"saidVendale,\"is,Ineedhardlysay,toassureyouofthefriendlinessofWildingandCo。,andofthegoodnessofyourcreditwithus,andofourdesiretobeofservicetoyou。Wehopeshortlytoofferyouourhospitality。
Thingsarenotquiteintrainwithusyet,formypartner,Mr。
Wilding,isreorganisingthedomesticpartofourestablishment,andisinterruptedbysomeprivateaffairs。Youdon’tknowMr。Wilding,Ibelieve?\"
Mr。Obenreizerdidnot。
\"Youmustcometogethersoon。Hewillbegladtohavemadeyouracquaintance,andIthinkImaypredictthatyouwillbegladtohavemadehis。YouhavenotbeenlongestablishedinLondon,I
suppose,Mr。Obenreizer?\"
\"ItisonlynowthatIhaveundertakenthisagency。\"
\"Mademoiselleyourniece——is——notmarried?\"
\"Notmarried。\"
GeorgeVendaleglancedabouthim,asifforanytokensofher。
\"ShehasbeeninLondon?\"
\"SheISinLondon。\"
\"When,andwhere,mightIhavethehonourofrecallingmyselftoherremembrance?\"
Mr。Obenreizer,discardinghisfilmandtouchinghisvisitor’selbowsasbefore,saidlightly:\"Comeup—stairs。\"
Flutteredenoughbythesuddennesswithwhichtheinterviewhehadsoughtwascominguponhimafterall,GeorgeVendalefollowedup—
stairs。Inaroomoverthechamberhehadjustquitted——aroomalsoSwiss—appointed——ayoungladysatnearoneofthreewindows,workingatanembroidery—frame;andanolderladysatwithherfaceturnedclosetoanotherwhite—tiledstove(thoughitwassummer,andthestovewasnotlighted),cleaninggloves。Theyoungladyworeanunusualquantityoffairbrighthair,veryprettilybraidedaboutaratherrounderwhiteforeheadthantheaverageEnglishtype,andsoherfacemighthavebeenashade——orsayalight——rounderthantheaverageEnglishface,andherfigureslightlyrounderthanthefigureoftheaverageEnglishgirlatnineteen。Aremarkableindicationoffreedomandgraceoflimb,inherquietattitude,andawonderfulpurityandfreshnessofcolourinherdimpledfaceandbrightgrayeyes,seemedfraughtwithmountainair。Switzerlandtoo,thoughthegeneralfashionofherdresswasEnglish,peepedoutofthefancifulbodiceshewore,andlurkedinthecuriousclockedredstocking,andinitslittlesilver—buckledshoe。Astotheelderlady,sittingwithherfeetapartuponthelowerbrassledgeofthestove,supportingalap—fullofgloveswhileshecleanedonestretchedonherlefthand,shewasatrueSwissimpersonationofanotherkind;fromthebreadthofhercushion—likeback,andtheponderosityofherrespectablelegs(ifthewordbeadmissible),totheblackvelvetbandtiedtightlyroundherthroatfortherepressionofarisingtendencytogoitre;or,higherstill,tohergreatcopper—colouredgoldear—rings;or,higherstill,toherhead—
dressofblackgauzestretchedonwire。
\"MissMarguerite,\"saidObenreizertotheyounglady,\"doyourecollectthisgentleman?\"
\"Ithink,\"sheanswered,risingfromherseat,surprisedandalittleconfused:\"itisMr。Vendale?\"
\"Ithinkitis,\"saidObenreizer,dryly。\"Permitme,Mr。Vendale。
MadameDor。\"
Theelderladybythestove,withtheglovestretchedonherlefthand,likeaglover’ssign,halfgotup,halflookedoverherbroadshoulder,andwhollyplumpeddownagainandrubbedaway。
\"MadameDor,\"saidObenreizer,smiling,\"issokindastokeepmefreefromstainortear。MadameDorhumoursmyweaknessforbeingalwaysneat,anddevoteshertimetoremovingeveryoneofmyspecksandspots。\"
MadameDor,withthestretchedgloveintheair,andhereyescloselyscrutinizingitspalm,discoveredatoughspotinMr。
Obenreizeratthatinstant,andrubbedhardathim。GeorgeVendaletookhisseatbytheembroidery—frame(havingfirsttakenthefairrighthandthathisentrancehadchecked),andglancedatthegoldcrossthatdippedintothebodice,withsomethingofthedevotionofapilgrimwhohadreachedhisshrineatlast。Obenreizerstoodinthemiddleoftheroomwithhisthumbsinhiswaistcoat—pockets,andbecamefilmy。
\"Hewassayingdown—stairs,MissObenreizer,\"observedVendale,\"thattheworldissosmallaplace,thatpeoplecannotescapeoneanother。IhavefounditmuchtoolargeformesinceIsawyoulast。\"
\"Haveyoutravelledsofar,then?\"sheinquired。
\"Notsofar,forIhaveonlygonebacktoSwitzerlandeachyear;butIcouldhavewished——andindeedIhavewishedveryoften——thatthelittleworlddidnotaffordsuchopportunitiesforlongescapesasitdoes。Ifithadbeenless,Imighthavefoundmyfollow—
travellerssooner,youknow。\"
TheprettyMargueritecoloured,andveryslightlyglancedinthedirectionofMadameDor。
\"Youfindusatlength,Mr。Vendale。Perhapsyoumayloseusagain。\"
\"Itrustnot。Thecuriouscoincidencethathasenabledmetofindyou,encouragesmetohopenot。\"
\"Whatisthatcoincidence,sir,ifyouplease?\"Adaintylittlenativetouchinthisturnofspeech,andinitstone,madeitperfectlycaptivating,thoughtGeorgeVendale,whenagainhenoticedaninstantaneousglancetowardsMadameDor。Acautionseemedtobeconveyedinit,rapidflashthoughitwas;sohequietlytookheedofMadameDorfromthattimeforth。
\"ItisthatIhappentohavebecomeapartnerinaHouseofbusinessinLondon,towhichMr。Obenreizerhappensthisverydaytobeexpresslyrecommended:andthat,too,byanotherhouseofbusinessinSwitzerland,inwhich(asitturnsout)webothhaveacommercialinterest。Hehasnottoldyou?\"
\"Ah!\"criedObenreizer,strikingin,filmless。\"No。IhadnottoldMissMarguerite。Theworldissosmallandsomonotonousthatasurpriseisworthhavinginsuchalittlejog—trotplace。Itisashetellsyou,MissMarguerite。He,ofsofineafamily,andsoproudlybred,hascondescendedtotrade。Totrade!Likeuspoorpeasantswhohaverisenfromditches!\"
Acloudcreptoverthefairbrow,andshecastdownhereyes。
\"Why,itisgoodfortrade!\"pursuedObenreizer,enthusiastically。
\"Itennoblestrade!Itisthemisfortuneoftrade,itisitsvulgarity,thatanylowpeople——forexample,wepoorpeasants——maytaketoitandclimbbyit。Seeyou,mydearVendale!\"Hespokewithgreatenergy。\"ThefatherofMissMarguerite,myeldesthalf—
brother,morethantwotimesyourageormine,iflivingnow,wanderedwithoutshoes,almostwithoutrags,fromthatwretchedPass——wandered——wandered——gottobefedwiththemulesanddogsatanInninthemainvalleyfaraway——gottobeBoythere——gottobeOstler——gottobeWaiter——gottobeCook——gottobeLandlord。AsLandlord,hetookme(couldhetaketheidiotbeggarhisbrother,orthespinningmonstrosityhissister?)toputaspupiltothefamouswatchmaker,hisneighbourandfriend。HiswifedieswhenMissMargueriteisborn。Whatishiswill,andwhatarehiswordstome,whenhedies,shebeingbetweengirlandwoman?’AllforMarguerite,exceptsomuchbytheyearforyou。Youareyoung,butImakeheryourward,foryouwereoftheobscurestandthepoorestpeasantry,andsowasI,andsowashermother;wewereabjectpeasantsall,andyouwillrememberit。’Thethingisequallytrueofmostofmycountrymen,nowintradeinthisyourLondonquarterofSoho。Peasantsonce;low—borndrudgingSwissPeasants。Thenhowgoodandgreatfortrade:\"here,fromhavingbeenwarm,hebecameplayfullyjubilant,andtouchedtheyoungwine—merchant’selbowsagainwithhislightembrace:\"tobeexaltedbygentlemen。\"
\"Idonotthinkso,\"saidMarguerite,withaflushedcheek,andalookawayfromthevisitor,thatwasalmostdefiant。\"Ithinkitisasmuchexaltedbyuspeasants。\"
\"Fie,fie,MissMarguerite,\"saidObenreizer。\"YouspeakinproudEngland。\"
\"Ispeakinproudearnest,\"sheanswered,quietlyresumingherwork,\"andIamnotEnglish,butaSwisspeasant’sdaughter。\"
Therewasadismissalofthesubjectinherwords,whichVendalecouldnotcontendagainst。Heonlysaidinanearnestmanner,\"I
mostheartilyagreewithyou,MissObenreizer,andIhavealreadysaidso,asMr。Obenreizerwillbearwitness,\"whichhebynomeansdid,\"inthishouse。\"
Now,Vendale’seyeswerequickeyes,andsharplywatchingMadameDorbytimes,notedsomethinginthebroadbackviewofthatlady。
Therewasconsiderablepantomimicexpressioninherglove—cleaning。
IthadbeenverysoftlydonewhenhespokewithMarguerite,orithadaltogetherstopped,liketheactionofalistener。WhenObenreizer’speasant—speechcametoanend,sherubbedmostvigorously,asifapplaudingit。Andonceortwice,astheglove(whichshealwaysheldbeforeheralittleaboveherface)turnedintheair,orasthisfingerwentdown,orthatwentup,heevenfanciedthatitmadesometelegraphiccommunicationtoObenreizer:
whosebackwascertainlyneverturneduponit,thoughhedidnotseematalltoheedit。
Vendaleobservedtoo,thatinMarguerite’sdismissalofthesubjecttwiceforceduponhimtohismisrepresentation,therewasanindignanttreatmentofherguardianwhichshetriedtocheek:asthoughshewouldhaveflamedoutagainsthim,butfortheinfluenceoffear。Healsoobserved——thoughthiswasnotmuch——thatheneveradvancedwithinthedistanceofheratwhichhefirstplacedhimself:asthoughtherewerelimitsfixedbetweenthem。Neitherhadheeverspokenofherwithouttheprefix\"Miss,\"thoughwheneverheutteredit,itwaswiththefaintesttraceofanairofmockery。
AndnowitoccurredtoVendaleforthefirsttimethatsomethingcuriousintheman,whichhehadneverbeforebeenabletodefine,wasdefinableasacertainsubtleessenceofmockerythateludedtouchoranalysis。HefeltconvincedthatMargueritewasinsomesortaprisonerastoherfreewill——thoughsheheldherownagainstthosetwocombined,bytheforceofhercharacter,whichwasneverthelessinadequatetoherrelease。Tofeelconvincedofthis,wasnottofeellessdisposedtoloveherthanhehadalwaysbeen。
Inaword,hewasdesperatelyinlovewithher,andthoroughlydeterminedtopursuetheopportunitywhichhadopenedatlast。
Forthepresent,hemerelytoucheduponthepleasurethatWildingandCo。wouldsoonhaveinentreatingMissObenreizertohonourtheirestablishmentwithherpresence——acuriousoldplace,thoughabachelorhousewithal——andsodidnotprotracthisvisitbeyondsuchavisit’sordinarylength。Goingdown—stairs,conductedbyhishost,hefoundtheObenreizercounting—houseatthebackoftheentrance—hall,andseveralshabbymeninoutlandishgarmentshangingabout,whomObenreizerputasidethathemightpass,withafewwordsinpatois。
\"Countrymen,\"heexplained,asheattendedVendaletothedoor。
\"Poorcompatriots。Gratefulandattached,likedogs!Good—bye。Tomeetagain。Soglad!\"
Twomorelighttouchesonhiselbowsdismissedhimintothestreet。
SweetMargueriteatherframe,andMadameDor’sbroadbackathertelegraph,floatedbeforehimtoCrippleCorner。Onhisarrivalthere,WildingwasclosetedwithBintrey。Thecellardoorshappeningtobeopen,Vendalelightedacandleinacleftstick,andwentdownforacellarousstroll。GracefulMargueritefloatedbeforehimfaithfully,butMadameDor’sbroadbackremainedoutside。
Thevaultswereveryspacious,andveryold。Therehadbeenastonecryptdownthere,whenbygoneswerenotbygones;somesaid,partofamonkishrefectory;somesaid,ofachapel;somesaid,ofaPagantemple。Itwasallonenow。Letwhowouldmakewhathelikedofacrumbledpillarandabrokenarchorso。OldTimehadmadewhatHE
likedofit,andwasquiteindifferenttocontradiction。
Thecloseair,themustysmell,andthethunderousrumblinginthestreetsabove,asbeing,outoftheroutineofordinarylife,wentwellenoughwiththepictureofprettyMargueriteholdingherownagainstthosetwo。SoVendalewentonuntil,ataturninginthevaults,hesawalightlikethelighthecarried。
\"O!Youarehere,areyou,Joey?\"
\"Oughtn’titrathertogo,’O!YOU’REhere,areyou,MasterGeorge?’Forit’smybusinesstobehere。Butitain’tyourn。\"
\"Don’tgrumble,Joey。\"
\"O!Idon’tgrumble,\"returnedtheCellarman。\"Ifanythinggrumbles,it’swhatI’vetookinthroughthepores;itain’tme。
Haveacareassomethinginyoudon’tbeginagrumbling,MasterGeorge。Stopherelongenoughforthewapourstowork,andthey’llbeatit。\"
Hispresentoccupationconsistedofpokinghisheadintothebins,makingmeasurementsandmentalcalculations,andenteringtheminarhinoceros—hide—lookingnote—book,likeapieceofhimself。
\"They’llbeatit,\"heresumed,layingthewoodenrodthathemeasuredwithacrosstwocasks,enteringhislastcalculation,andstraighteninghisback,\"trust’em!Andsoyou’veregularlycomeintothebusiness,MasterGeorge?\"
\"Regularly。Ihopeyoudon’tobject,Joey?\"
\"Idon’t,blessyou。ButWapoursobjectsthatyou’retooyoung。
You’rebothonyoutooyoung。\"
\"Weshallgotoverthatobjectiondaybyday,Joey。\"
\"Ay,MasterGeorge;butIshalldaybydaygetovertheobjectionthatI’mtooold,andsoIshan’tbecapableofseeingmuchimprovementinyou。\"
TheretortsotickledJoeyLadlethathegruntedforthalaughanddelivereditagain,gruntingforthanotherlaughafterthesecondeditionof\"improvementinyou。\"
\"Butwhat’snolaughingmatter,MasterGeorge,\"heresumed,straighteninghisbackoncemore,\"is,thatyoungMasterWildinghasgoneandchangedtheluck。Markmywords。Hehaschangedtheluck,andhe’llfinditout。Iain’tbeendownhereallmylifefornothing!IknowbywhatInoticesdownhere,whenit’sa—goingtorain,whenit’sa—goingtoholdup,whenit’sa—goingtoblow,whenit’sa—goingtobecalm。Iknow,bywhatInoticesdownhere,whentheluck’schanged,quiteaswell。\"
\"Hasthisgrowthontheroofanythingtodowithyourdivination?\"
askedVendale,holdinghislighttowardsagloomyraggedgrowthofdarkfungus,pendentfromthearcheswithaverydisagreeableandrepellenteffect。\"Wearefamousforthisgrowthinthisvault,aren’twe?\"
\"WeareMasterGeorge,\"repliedJoeyLadle,movingasteportwoaway,\"andifyou’llbeadvisedbyme,you’llletitalone。\"
Takinguptherodjustnowlaidacrossthetwocasks,andfaintlymovingthelanguidfunguswithit,Vendaleasked,\"Ay,indeed?Whyso?\"
\"Why,notsomuchbecauseitrisesfromthecasksofwine,andmayleaveyoutojudgewhatsortofstuffaCellarmantakesintohimselfwhenhewalksinthesameallthedaysofhislife,noryetsomuchbecauseatastageofitsgrowthit’smaggots,andyou’llfetch’emdownuponyou,\"returnedJoeyLadle,stillkeepingaway,\"asforanotherreason,MasterGeorge。\"
\"Whatotherreason?\"
\"(Iwouldn’tkeepontouchin’it,ifIwasyou,sir。)I’lltellyouifyou’llcomeoutoftheplace。First,takealookatitscolour,MasterGeorge。\"
\"Iamdoingso。\"
\"Done,sir。Now,comeoutoftheplace。\"
Hemovedawaywithhislight,andVendalefollowedwithhis。WhenVendalecameupwithhim,andtheyweregoingbacktogether,Vendale,eyeinghimastheywalkedthroughthearches,said:\"Well,Joey?Thecolour。\"
\"Isitlikeclottedblood,MasterGeorge?\"
\"Likeenough,perhaps。\"
\"Morethanenough,Ithink,\"mutteredJoeyLadle,shakinghisheadsolemnly。
\"Well,sayitislike;sayitisexactlylike。Whatthen?\"
\"MasterGeorge,theydosay——\"
\"Who?\"
\"HowshouldIknowwho?\"rejoinedtheCellarman,apparentlymuchexasperatedbytheunreasonablenatureofthequestion。\"Them!
Themassaysprettywelleverything,youknow。HowshouldIknowwhoTheyare,ifyoudon’t?\"
\"True。Goon。\"
\"Theydosaythatthemanthatgetsbyanyaccidentapieceofthatdarkgrowthrightuponhisbreast,will,forsureandcertain,diebymurder。\"
AsVendalelaughinglystoppedtomeettheCellarman’seyes,whichhehadfastenedonhislightwhiledreamilysayingthosewords,hesuddenlybecameconsciousofbeingstruckuponhisownbreastbyaheavyhand。Instantlyfollowingwithhiseyestheactionofthehandthatstruckhim——whichwashiscompanion’s——hesawthatithadbeatenoffhisbreastaweborclotofthefunguseventhenfloatingtotheground。
ForamomentheturnedupontheCellarmanalmostasscaredalookastheCellarmanturneduponhim。Butinanothermomenttheyhadreachedthedaylightatthefootofthecellar—steps,andbeforehecheerfullysprangupthem,heblewouthiscandleandthesuperstitiontogether。
EXITWILDING
Onthemorningofthenextday,Wildingwentoutalone,afterleavingamessagewithhisclerk。\"IfMr。Vendaleshouldaskforme,\"hesaid,\"orifMr。Bintreyshouldcall,tellthemIamgonetotheFoundling。\"Allthathispartnerhadsaidtohim,allthathislawyer,followingonthesameside,couldurge,hadlefthimpersistingunshakeninhisownpointofview。Tofindthelostman,whoseplacehehadusurped,wasnowtheparamountinterestofhislife,andtoinquireattheFoundlingwasplainlytotakethefirststepinthedirectionofdiscovery。TotheFoundling,accordingly,thewine—merchantnowwent。
Theoncefamiliaraspectofthebuildingwasalteredtohim,asthelookoftheportraitoverthechimney—piecewasalteredtohim。Hisonedearestassociationwiththeplacewhichhadshelteredhischildhoodhadbeenbrokenawayfromitforever。Astrangereluctancepossessedhim,whenhestatedhisbusinessatthedoor。
Hisheartachedashesataloneinthewaiting—roomwhiletheTreasureroftheinstitutionwasbeingsentfortoseehim。Whentheinterviewbegan,itwasonlybyapainfuleffortthathecouldcomposehimselfsufficientlytomentionthenatureofhiserrand。
TheTreasurerlistenedwithafacewhichpromisedallneedfulattention,andpromisednothingmore。
\"Weareobligedtobecautious,\"hesaid,whenitcametohisturntospeak,\"aboutallinquirieswhicharemadebystrangers。\"
\"Youcanhardlyconsidermeastranger,\"answeredWilding,simply。
\"Iwasoneofyourpoorlostchildrenhere,inthebygonetime。\"
TheTreasurerpolitelyrejoinedthatthiscircumstanceinspiredhimwithaspecialinterestinhisvisitor。Buthepressed,neverthelessforthatvisitor’smotiveinmakinghisinquiry。
Withoutfurtherpreface,Wildingtoldhimhismotive,suppressingnothing。TheTreasurerrose,andledthewayintotheroominwhichtheregistersoftheinstitutionwerekept。\"Alltheinformationwhichourbookscangiveisheartilyatyourservice,\"hesaid。
\"Afterthetimethathaselapsed,Iamafraiditistheonlyinformationwehavetoofferyou。\"
Thebookswereconsulted,andtheentrywasfoundexpressedasfollows:
\"3dMarch,1836。Adopted,andremovedfromtheFoundlingHospital,amaleinfant,namedWalterWilding。Nameandconditionofthepersonadoptingthechild——Mrs。JaneAnnMiller,widow。Address——
Lime—TreeLodge,GroombridgeWells。References——theReverendJohnHarker,GroombridgeWells;andMessrs。Giles,Jeremie,andGiles,bankers,LombardStreet。\"
\"Isthatall?\"askedthewine—merchant。\"Hadyounoafter—
communicationwithMrs。Miller?\"
\"None——orsomereferencetoitmusthaveappearedinthisbook。\"
\"MayItakeacopyoftheentry?\"
\"Certainly!Youarealittleagitated。Letmemakeacopyforyou。\"
\"Myonlychance,Isuppose,\"saidWilding,lookingsadlyatthecopy,\"istoinquireatMrs。Miller’sresidence,andtotryifherreferencescanhelpme?\"
\"ThatistheonlychanceIseeatpresent,\"answeredtheTreasurer。
\"IheartilywishIcouldhavebeenofsomefurtherassistancetoyou。\"
WiththosefarewellwordstocomforthimWildingsetforthonthejourneyofinvestigationwhichbeganfromtheFoundlingdoors。Thefirststagetomakefor,wasplainlythehouseofbusinessofthebankersinLombardStreet。Twoofthepartnersinthefirmwereinaccessibletochance—visitorswhenheaskedforthem。Thethird,afterraisingcertaininevitabledifficulties,consentedtoletaclerkexaminetheledgermarkedwiththeinitialletter\"M。\"TheaccountofMrs。Miller,widow,ofGroombridgeWells,wasfound。Twolonglines,infadedink,weredrawnacrossit;andatthebottomofthepagethereappearedthisnoteAccountclosed,September30th,1837。\"
Sothefirststageofthejourneywasreached——andsoitendedinNoThoroughfare!AftersendinganotetoCrippleCornertoinformhispartnerthathisabsencemightbeprolongedforsomehours,Wildingtookhisplaceinthetrain,andstartedforthesecondstageonthejourney——Mrs。Miller’sresidenceatGroombridgeWells。
Mothersandchildrentravelledwithhim;mothersandchildrenmeteachotheratthestation;mothersandchildrenwereintheshopswhenheenteredthemtoinquireforLime—TreeLodge。Everywhere,thenearestanddearestofhumanrelationsshoweditselfhappilyinthehappylightofday。Everywhere,hewasremindedofthetreasureddelusionfromwhichhehadbeenawakenedsocruelly——ofthelostmemorywhichhadpassedfromhimlikeareflectionfromaglass。
Inquiringhere,inquiringthere,hecouldhearofnosuchplaceasLime—TreeLodge。Passingahouse—agent’soffice,hewentinwearily,andputthequestionforthelasttime。Thehouse—agentpointedacrossthestreettoadrearymansionofmanywindows,whichmighthavebeenamanufactory,butwhichwasanhotel。\"That’swhereLime—TreeLodgestood,sir,\"saidtheman,\"tenyearsago。\"
Thesecondstagereached,andNoThoroughfareagain!
Butonechancewasleft。Theclericalreference,Mr。Harker,stillremainedtobefound。Customerscominginatthemomenttooccupythehouse—agent’sattention,Wildingwentdownthestreet,andenteringabookseller’sshop,askedifhecouldbeinformedoftheReverendJohnHarker’spresentaddress。
Thebooksellerlookedunaffectedlyshockedandastonished,andmadenoanswer。
Wildingrepeatedhisquestion。
Thebooksellertookupfromhiscounteraprimlittlevolumeinabindingofsobergray。Hehandedittohisvisitor,openatthetitle—page。Wildingread:
\"ThemartyrdomoftheReverendJohnHarkerinNewZealand。Relatedbyaformermemberofhisflock。\"
Wildingputthebookdownonthecounter。\"Ibegyourpardon,\"hesaidthinkingalittle,perhaps,ofhisownpresentmartyrdomwhilehespoke。Thesilentbookselleracknowledgedtheapologybyabow。
Wildingwentout。
Thirdandlaststage,andNoThoroughfareforthethirdandlasttime。
Therewasnothingmoretobedone;therewasabsolutelynochoicebuttogobacktoLondon,defeatedatallpoints。Fromtimetotimeonthereturnjourney,thewine—merchantlookedathiscopyoftheentryintheFoundlingRegister。Thereisoneamongthemanyformsofdespair——perhapsthemostpitiableofall——whichpersistsindisguisingitselfasHope。Wildingcheckedhimselfintheactofthrowingtheuselessmorselofpaperoutofthecarriagewindow。
\"Itmayleadtosomethingyet,\"hethought。\"WhileIlive,Iwon’tpartwithit。WhenIdie,myexecutorsshallfinditsealedupwithmywill。\"
Now,thementionofhiswillsetthegoodwine—merchantonanewtrackofthought,withoutdivertinghismindfromitsengrossingsubject。Hemustmakehiswillimmediately。
TheapplicationofthephraseNoThoroughfaretothecasehadoriginatedwithMr。Bintrey。Intheirfirstlongconferencefollowingthediscovery,thatsagaciouspersonagehadahundredtimesrepeated,withanobstructiveshakeofthehead,\"NoThoroughfare,Sir,NoThoroughfare。Mybeliefisthatthereisnowayoutofthisatthistimeofday,andmyadviceis,makeyourselfcomfortablewhereyouare。\"
Inthecourseoftheprotractedconsultation,amagnumoftheforty—
fiveyearoldport—winehadbeenproducedforthewettingofMr。
Bintrey’slegalwhistle;butthemoreclearlyhesawhiswaythroughthewine,themoreemphaticallyhedidnotseehiswaythroughthecase;repeatingasoftenashesethisglassdownempty。\"Mr。
Wilding,NoThoroughfare。Restandbethankful。\"
Itiscertainthatthehonestwine—merchant’sanxietytomakeawilloriginatedinprofoundconscientiousness;thoughitispossible(andquiteconsistentwithhisrectitude)thathemayunconsciouslyhavederivedsomefeelingofrelieffromtheprospectofdelegatinghisowndifficultytotwoothermenwhoweretocomeafterhim。Bethatasitmay,hepursuedhisnewtrackofthoughtwithgreatardour,andlostnotimeinbeggingGeorgeVendaleandMr。BintreytomeethiminCrippleCornerandsharehisconfidence。
\"Beingallthreeassembledwithcloseddoors,\"saidMr。Bintrey,addressingthenewpartnerontheoccasion,\"Iwishtoobserve,beforeourfriend(andmyclient)entrustsuswithhisfurtherviews,thatIhaveendorsedwhatIunderstandfromhimtohavebeenyouradvice,Mr。Vendale,andwhatwouldbetheadviceofeverysensibleman。Ihavetoldhimthathepositivelymustkeephissecret。IhavespokenwithMrs。Goldstraw,bothinhispresenceandinhisabsence;andifanybodyistobetrusted(whichisaverylargeIF),Ithinksheistobetrustedtothatextent。Ihavepointedouttoourfriend(andmyclient),thattosetonfootrandominquirieswouldnotonlybetoraisetheDevil,inthelikenessofalltheswindlersinthekingdom,butwouldalsobetowastetheestate。Now,yousee,Mr。Vendale,ourfriend(andmyclient)doesnotdesiretowastetheestate,but,onthecontrary,desirestohusbanditforwhatheconsiders——butIcan’tsayIdo——
therightfulowner,ifsuchrightfulownershouldeverbefound。I
amverymuchmistakenifheeverwillbe,butnevermindthat。Mr。
WildingandIare,atleast,agreedthattheestateisnottobewasted。Now,IhaveyieldedtoMr。Wilding’sdesiretokeepanadvertisementatintervalsflowingthroughthenewspapers,cautiouslyinvitinganypersonwhomayknowanythingaboutthatadoptedinfant,takenfromtheFoundlingHospital,tocometomyoffice;andIhavepledgedmyselfthatsuchadvertisementshallregularlyappear。Ihavegatheredfromourfriend(andmyclient)
thatImeetyouhereto—daytotakehisinstructions,nottogivehimadvice。Iampreparedtoreceivehisinstructions,andtorespecthiswishes;butyouwillpleaseobservethatthisdoesnotimplymyapprovalofeitherasamatterofprofessionalopinion。\"
ThusMr。Bintrey;talkingquiteismuchATWildingasTOVendale。
Andyet,inspiteofhiscareforhisclient,hewassoamusedbyhisclient’sQuixoticconduct,astoeyehimfromtimetotimewithtwinklingeyes,inthelightofahighlycomicalcuriosity。
\"Nothing,\"observedWilding,\"canbeclearer。Ionlywishmyheadwereasclearasyours,Mr。Bintrey。\"
\"Ifyoufeelthatsinginginitcomingon,\"hintedthelawyer,withanalarmedglance,\"putitoff。——Imeantheinterview。\"
\"Notatall,Ithankyou,\"saidWilding。\"WhatwasIgoingto——\"
\"Don’texciteyourself,Mr。Wilding,\"urgedthelawyer。
\"No;IWASN’Tgoingto,\"saidthewine—merchant。\"Mr。BintreyandGeorgeVendale,wouldyouhaveanyhesitationorobjectiontobecomemyjointtrusteesandexecutors,orcanyouatonceconsent?\"
\"Iconsent,\"repliedGeorgeVendale,readily。
\"Iconsent,\"saidBintrey,notsoreadily。
\"Thankyouboth。Mr。Bintrey,myinstructionsformylastwillandtestamentareshortandplain。Perhapsyouwillnowhavethegoodnesstotakethemdown。Ileavethewholeofmyrealandpersonalestate,withoutanyexceptionorreservationwhatsoever,toyoutwo,myjointtrusteesandexecutors,intrusttopayoverthewholetothetrueWalterWilding,ifheshallbefoundandidentifiedwithintwoyearsafterthedayofmydeath。Failingthat,intrusttoyoutwotopayoverthewholeasabenefactionandlegacytotheFoundlingHospital。\"
\"Thoseareallyourinstructions,arethey,Mr。Wilding?\"demandedBintrey,afterablanksilence,duringwhichnobodyhadlookedatanybody。