Rachel Lake Before the Accuser.
Twilight was darker in Redman’s Dell than anywhere else. But dark as it was, there was still light enough to enable Rachel, as she hurried across the little garden, on her return from Brandon, to see a long white face, and some dim outline of the figure to which it belonged, looking out upon her from the window of her little drawing-room.
But no, it could not be; who was there to call at so odd an hour? She must have left something — a bag, or a white basket upon the window-sash. She was almost startled, however, as she approached the porch, to see it nod, and a hand dimly waved in token of greeting.
Tamar was in the kitchen. Could it be Stanley! But faint as the outline was she saw, she fancied that it was a taller person than he. She felt a sort of alarm, in which there was some little mixture of the superstitious, and she pushed open the door, not entering the room, but staring in toward the window, where against the dim, external light, she clearly saw, without recognising it, a tall figure, greeting her with mop and moe.
‘Who is that?’ cried Miss Lake, a little sharply.
‘It is I, Miss Lake, Mr. Josiah Larkin, of the Lodge,’ said that gentleman, with what he meant to be an air of dignified firmness, and looking very like a tall constable in possession; ‘I have taken the liberty of presenting myself, although, I fear, at a somewhat unseasonable hour, but in reference to a little business, which, unfortunately, will not, I think, bear to be deferred.’
‘No bad news, Mr. Larkin, I hope — nothing has happened. The Wylders are all well, I hope?’
‘Quite well, so far as I am aware,’ answered the attorney, with a grim politeness; ‘perfectly. Nothing has occurred, as yet at least, affecting the interests of that family; but something is — I will not say threatened — but I may say mooted, which, were any attempt seriously made to carry it into execution, would, I regret to say, involve very serious consequences to a party whom for, I may say, many reasons, I should regret being called upon to affect unpleasantly.’
‘And pray, Mr. Larkin, can I be of any use?’
‘Every use, Miss Lake, and it is precisely for that reason that I have taken the liberty of waiting upon you, at what, I am well aware, is a somewhat unusual hour.’
‘Perhaps, Mr. Larkin, you would be so good as to call in the morning — any hour you appoint will answer me,’ said the young lady, a little stiffly. She was still standing at the door, with her hand upon the brass handle.
‘Pardon me, Miss Lake, the business to which I refer is really urgent.’
‘Very urgent, Sir, if it cannot wait till to-morrow morning.’
‘Very true, quite true, very urgent indeed,’ replied the attorney, calmly; ‘I presume, Miss Lake, I may take a chair?’
‘Certainly, Sir, if you insist on my listening to-night, which I should certainly decline if I had the power.’
‘Thank you, Miss Lake.’ And the attorney took a chair, crossing one leg over the other, and throwing his head back as he reclined in it with his long arm over the back — the ‘express image,’ as he fancied, of a polished gentleman, conducting a diplomatic interview with a clever and high-bred lady.
‘Then it is plain, Sir, I must hear you to-night,’ said Miss Lake, haughtily.
‘Not that, exactly, Miss Lake, but only that I must speak to-night — in fact, I have no choice. The subject of our conference really is, as you will find, an urgent one, and to-morrow morning, which we should each equally prefer, would be possibly too late — too late, at least, to obviate a very painful situation.’
‘You will make it, I am sure, as short as you can, Sir,’ said the young lady, in the same tone.
‘Exactly my wish, Miss Lake,’ replied Mr. Jos. Larkin.
‘Bring candles, Margery.’
And so the little drawing-room was illuminated; and the bald head of the tall attorney, and the gloss on his easy, black frock-coat, and his gold watch-chain, and the long and large gloved hand, depending near the carpet, with the glove of the other in it. And Mr. Jos. Larkin rose with a negligent and lordly case, and placed a chair for Miss Lake, so that the light might fall full upon her features, in accordance with his usual diplomatic arrangement, which he fancied, complacently, no one had ever detected; he himself resuming his easy pose upon his chair, with his back, as much as was practicable, presented to the candles, and the long, bony fingers of the arm which rested on the table, negligently shading his observing little eyes, and screening off the side light from his expressive features.
These arrangements, however, were disconcerted by Miss Lake’s sitting down at the other side of the table, and quietly requesting Mr. Larkin to open his case.
‘Why, really, it is hardly a five minutes’ matter, Miss Lake. It refers to the vicar, the Rev. William Wylder, and his respectable family, and a proposition which he, as my client, mentioned to me this evening. He stated that you had offered to advance a sum of 600_l. for the liquidation of his liabilities. It will, perhaps, conduce to clearness to dispose of this part of the matter first. May I therefore ask, at this stage, whether the Rev. William Wylder rightly conceived you, when he so stated your meaning to me?’
‘Yes, certainly, I am most anxious to assist them with that little sum, which I have now an opportunity of procuring.’
‘A— exactly — yes — well, Miss Lake, that is, of course, very kind of you — very kind, indeed, and creditable to your feelings; but, as Mr. William Wylder’s solicitor, and as I have already demonstrated to him, I must now inform you, that the sum of six hundred pounds would be absolutely useless in his position. No party, Miss Lake, in his position, ever quite apprehends, even if he could bring himself fully to state, the aggregate amount of his liabilities. I may state, however, to you, without betraying confidence, that ten times that sum would not avail to extricate him, even temporarily, from his difficulties. He sees the thing himself now; but drowning men will grasp, we know, at straws. However, he does see the futility of this; and, thanking you most earnestly, he, through me, begs most gratefully to decline it. In fact, my dear Miss Lake — it is awful to contemplate — he has been in the hands of sharks, harpies, my dear Madam; but I’ll beat about for the money, in the way of loan, if possible, and, one way or another, I am resolved, if the thing’s to be done, to get him straight.’
There was here a little pause, and Mr. Larkin, finding that Miss Lake had nothing to say, simply added —
‘And so, for these reasons, and with these views, my dear Miss Lake, we beg, most respectfully, and I will say gratefully, to decline the proffered advance, which, I will say, at the same time, does honour to your feelings.’
‘I am sorry,’ said Miss Lake, ‘you have had so much trouble in explaining so simple a matter. I will call early to-morrow, and see Mr. Wylder.’
‘Pardon me,’ said the attorney, ‘I have to address myself next to the second portion of your offer, as stated to me by Mr. W. Wylder, that which contemplates a residence in his house, and in the respectable bosom, I may say, of that, in many respects, unblemished family.’
Miss Lake stared with a look of fierce enquiry at the attorney.
‘The fact is, Miss Lake, that that is an arrangement which under existing circumstances I could not think of advising. I think, on reflection, you will see, that Mr. Wylder — the Reverend William Wylder and his lady — could not for one moment seriously entertain it, and that I, who am bound to do the best I can for them, could not dream of advising it.’
‘I fancy it is a matter of total indifference, Sir, what you may and what you may not advise in a matter quite beyond your province — I don’t in the least understand, or desire to understand you — and thinking your manner impertinent and offensive, I beg that you will now be so good as to leave my house.’
Miss Rachel was very angry — although nothing but her bright colour and the vexed flash of her eye showed it.
‘I were most unfortunate — most unfortunate indeed, Miss Lake, if my manner could in the least justify the stron............