"A pretty round sum. I will keep entirely away from this part of the country, so that you need not fear me."
"Fear you!" sneered Jaspar, rising and draining a gla.s.s of brandy. "I fear no man, no devil, no angel!"
"Perhaps you are not aware that your reputation is in my hands."
"Not at all, sir," said Jaspar, coldly.
"Know, then, that I have a copy of the genuine will, and the means of attesting it!"
Jaspar was prepared for almost anything, but this was too much. He paced the room with redoubled energy. His bravado had vanished, and he was as near pale as his bloated visage could approach to that hue. He strode up and down the room in silence, while his heart beat the reveille of fear.
For a time his wonted firmness forsook him, and he felt as weak as a child, and sunk back into a chair.
By degrees he grew calmer. The case was a desperate one. Again he swallowed a long draught of brandy, which seemed to reduce his nerves to a state of subjection. Gradually he rallied the dissipated powers of his mind, and was ready to meet the emergency before him.
Dalhousie, after making his appalling announcement, had thrown himself into a chair, to await the effect of his words. He seemed in no hurry to continue the subject. Thus far the effect warranted his most sanguine hopes of the realization of his great schemes.
Jaspar, after recovering some portion of his former calmness, said,
"May I ask how you obtained possession of the doc.u.ment?"
"That question, sir, I must decline answering."
"You will, at least, show me the paper?"
"That also I must decline."
Jaspar bit his lip.
"How shall I know, then, that you are not deceiving me?"
"I a.s.sure you that I have the doc.u.ment, and you must trust to my honor for the rest."
"Honor!" exclaimed Jaspar, giving way to his pa.s.sion. "No one but a scoundrel ever talks of his honor! By ----, I only want to hear that word, to know that the man is a ---- rascal!"
"Very well, sir, I shall be under the necessity of seeking out your niece."
"My niece!" roared Jaspar, terror-stricken. "Did you not see her buried at Vicksburg?"
"It might have been she, but it is scarcely possible."
"h.e.l.l!" shouted Jaspar, unable to govern his fury. With long strides he paced the room, his teeth grating like a madman"s, and his eyes bloodshot and glaring like those of a demon. His fears seemed to arm him with desperate fury.
"Where is the ring?--the ring!" said he, stopping in front of the overseer. "Didn"t you give me her ring?"
"I gave you a ring," said Dalhousie, calmly.
"Was it not _her_ ring? Did it not have her initial, and her father"s hair in it?" and Jaspar flew to the secretary, where he had deposited the evidence of his niece"s supposed death.
"There is no longer any need of continuing the deception--"
"Deception! Here is the ring, and here is the letter D. Doesn"t it stand for Dumont?"
"Not at all. It stands for Delia, my wife"s name, in this instance."
"Your wife"s name!" exclaimed Jaspar, striking his forehead furiously.
"It does, sir, and for her mother"s name also, whose memory it was intended to commemorate."
Jaspar"s emotions were so violent, that the overseer began to fear some fatal consequences might ensue.
"Calm yourself, Mr. Dumont. Do not let your pa.s.sions overcome you. I have no intention of making an evil use of this information," said he, in a soothing tone.
This seemed to calm the violence of Jaspar"s feelings, and with a strong effort he recovered his command of himself.
"My niece Is yet alive, is she?" said Jaspar, looking anxiously at the overseer.
"Perhaps not; but probably she is."
"And it was not she that was buried?"
"As to that, I cannot say; I never saw the lady alive."
"And what are your plans?" asked Jaspar, with a glance of doubt at the overseer.
"I will go to France, if you provide the means."
"Suppose I will not?"
"Perhaps your niece will."
"What if she is dead?"
"I can better tell when I know that she is dead."
"How much money do you require?"
"Twenty thousand."
"A large sum."
"From millions your niece would gladly give more."
"I will think of your proposition. Come in again in two hours, and you shall have my answer."
"Better give me an answer now."
"I wish to consider."
"You have only to choose between twenty thousand dollars and the whole fortune. With your means at command, much reflection is not needed."