"He is too sick. And he could tell you nozing. But he is not satisfied."
"Is John Ryle of this city?"
"He is of this city. He is not doing business no more, but he lives here."
"Well, we can try, Mr. Herder," said Winthrop, tapping his bundle of papers on the table, in a quiet wise that was a strong contrast to the ardent face and gestures of the philosopher. It was the action, too, of a man who knew how to try and was in no doubt as to his own power. The naturalist felt it.
"What will you do, Wint"rop?"
"You wish me to set about it?"
"I do. I put it in your hands."
"I will try, Mr. Herder, what can be done."
"What will you do first?" said the naturalist.
"File a bill in equity," said Winthrop smiling.
"A bill? -- what is that?"
"A paper setting forth certain charges, made on supposition and suspicion only, to which charges they must answer on oath."
"_Who_ will answer?"
"Ryle and his brothers."
"Dere is but one of them alive."
"Well, Ryle and his brother, then."
"But what charges will you make? We do not know nozing to charge."
"Our charges will be merely on supposition and suspicion -- it"s not needful to swear to them."
"And they must swear how it is?"
"They must swear to their answers,"
"That will do!" said the naturalist, looking "satisfied"
already. "That will do. We will see what they will say. -- Do you do nozing but write bills all night, every night, and tie up papers? -- you do not come to my room no more since a long time."
"Not for want of will, Mr. Herder. I have not been able to go."
"Bring your little sister and let her look at my things some time -- while you and me we look at each other. It is good to look at one"s friend sometime."
"I have often found it so, Mr. Herder. I will certainly bring Winnie if I can."
"Do you not go nowhere?" said the naturalist as if a thought had struck him. "What is de reason that I do not meet you at Mr. Haye"s no more?"
"I go almost nowhere, sir."
"You are wrong," said the naturalist. "You are not right. Dere is more will miss you than me; and there is somebody there who wants you to take care of her."
"I hope you are mistaken, sir."
"She wants somebody to take care of her," said Mr. Herder; "and I do not know n.o.body so good as you. I am serious. She is just as afraid as ever one should take care of her, and poor thing she wants it all the more. She will not let your brother do it neizer."
"Do you think he is trying, Mr. Herder?" Winthrop said coolly.
"I believe he would be too glad! he looks at her so hard as he can; but she will not look at the tops of his fingers. She does not know what she shall do wiz herself, she is so mad wiz her father"s new wife."
"What has she been doing?" Winthrop asked.
"Who, Rose? -- she has not done nozing, but to marry Elisabet"s father, and for that she never will forgive her. I am sorry -- he was foolish man. -- Wint"rop, you must not shut yourself up here -- you will be directly rich -- you must find yourself a wife next thing."
"Why should a lawyer have a wife any more than a philosopher?"
said Winthrop.
"A philosopher," said Mr. Herder, with the slightest comical expression upon his broad face, -- "has enough for him to do to take care of truth -- he has not time to take care of his wife too. While I was hunting after de truth, my wife would forget me."
"Does it take you so long for a hunt?"
"I am doing it all de time," said the naturalist; "it is what I spend my life for. I live for that."
The last words were spoken with a quiet deliberation which told their truth. And if the grave mouth of the other might have said "I live for truth" too, it would not have belied his thoughts. But it was truth of another kind.
Winnie watched the course of this piece of business of Mr.
Herder"s with the most eager anxiety. That is, what there was to watch, for proceedings were slow. The very folio pages of that "Bill," that she saw Winthrop writing, were scrolls of interest and mysterious charm to Winnie"s eyes, like nothing surely that other eyes could find in them. Certainly not the eyes of Mr. Ryle and his lawyer. Winnie watched the bill folded up and superscribed, standing over her brother with her hand on his shoulder.
"What is that about, now, Governor? -- what is it to do?"
"It charges Mr. Ryle and his brother with malpractices, Winnie -- with dealing unfairly by Mr. Lansing."
"But you don"t know that they have done anything?"
"They can shew it, in that case; and the object of this bill is to make them shew one thing or the other, by their answer."
"And, dear Governor, how soon will they answer?"
"In forty days, Winnie, they must."
Winnie drew a breath of patience and impatience, and went back to her seat.
But before the forty days were gone by, Winthrop came home one night and told Winnie he had got the answer; and smiled at her face of eagerness and pleasure. Winnie thought his smiles were not very often, and welcomed every one.
"But it is not likely this answer will settle the question, Winnie," he remarked.