Cleve just said "_yes_," in a low tone, and shook his head. But rallying, he remarked--
"You, of course, know how the t.i.tle is affected by this event--and the estates?" And as he raised his eyes, he encountered the attorney"s fixed upon him with that peculiar rat-like vigilance, concentrated and dangerous, which, as we know, those meek orbs sometimes a.s.sume when his own interests and objects were intensely present to his mind.
Cleve"s eye shrank for a second under the enigmatic scrutiny which as instantly gave way, in turn, before _his_ glance.
"Oh, certainly," said the attorney, "the public know always something of great houses, and their position; that is, _generally_, of course--details are quite another affair. But everyone knows the truly magnificent position, Mr. Verney, in which the event places your uncle, and I may say you. At the same time the House of Lords, _your_ house, I may call it now, are, very properly, particular in the matter of evidence."
"Our consul, I suppose," said Cleve----
"If he were cognisant of all the points necessary to put in proof, the case would be a very simple one indeed," said Mr. Larkin, with a sad smile, slowly shaking his tall head.
"Where, Mr. Larkin, did my poor uncle die?" inquired Cleve, with a little effort at the word "uncle."
"In Constantinople, sir--a very obscure quarter. His habits, Mr. Verney, were very strange; he lived like a rat--I beg pardon, I should say a _rabbit_ in a burrow. Darkness, sir, obscurity--known, I believe, personally to but two individuals. Strange fate, Mr. Verney, for one born to so brilliant an inheritance. Known to but two individuals, one of whom died--what a thing life is!--but a few months before him, leaving, I may say, but one reliable witness to depose to his death; and, for certain reasons, that witness is most reluctant to leave Constantinople, and not very easily to be discovered, even there. You see, Mr. Verney, now, probably, something of the difficulty of the case.
Fortunately, I have got some valuable information, confidential, I may say, in its nature, and with the aid of a few valuable local agents, providentially at this moment at my disposal, I think the difficulty may be quite overcome."
"If old Arthur Verney is dead, I"ll find proof of the fact," said Cleve; "I"ll send out people who will know how to come at it."
"You must be well advised, and very cautious, Mr. Verney--in fact, I may tell you, you can"t be _too_ cautious, for I happen to know that a certain low firm are already tampering with the witness."
"And how the devil can it concern any firm to keep us--my uncle Kiffyn Verney out of his rights?" said Mr. Cleve Verney, scornfully.
"Very true, Mr. Verney, in one sense, _no_ motive; but I am older in the sad experience of the world than you, Mr. Verney. At your age I _could_ not believe it, much later I _would_ not. But, ah! Mr. Verney, in the long-run, the facts are too strong for us. Poor, miserable, fallen human nature, it is capable of _anything_. It is only too true, and too _horrible_. It sticks at _nothing_, my dear Mr. Verney, and their object is to command the witness by this means, and to dictate terms to you--in fact, my dear Mr. Verney, it is shocking to think of it--to _extort money_."
"I hope you over-estimate the difficulty. If the death _has_ occurred I wager my life we"ll _prove_ it, and come what will I hope my uncle will never be persuaded to give those scoundrels a shilling."
"Certainly not--not a shilling--not a farthing--but I have taken prompt, and I trust decisive steps to check-mate those gentlemen. I am not at liberty, just at present, to disclose all I know; I don"t say that I could exactly undertake the management of the case, but I shall be very happy to volunteer all the a.s.sistance in my power; and as I say, some accidental circ.u.mstances place me in a position to undertake that you shall not be defeated. A break down, I may mention, would be a more serious matter than you seem to suppose; in fact, I should prefer the Honourable Arthur Verney"s living for twelve years more, with clear proof of his death at the end of that time, than matters as they stand at present, with a failure of the necessary proof."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Larkin; my uncle, I am sure, will also be _very_ much obliged. I understand, of course, the sort of difficulty you apprehend."
"It"s not conjectural, Mr. Verney, I wish it were--but it"s past _that_; it _exists_," said the attorney, sadly.
"Well, I can only say, we are very much obliged," said Cleve, quite honestly. "I shan"t forget your wish, that I should not mention our conversation to my uncle, and if you should learn anything further----"
"_You_ shall certainly hear it, Mr. Verney. I must now take my leave.
Sweet day, and a beauteous country! How blest are you, Mr. Verney, in your situation! I allude to your scenery, and I may add, the architectural magnificence of this princely residence. What a row of windows as I approached the house! What a number of bed-rooms you must have! Hardly so many, let us hope, as there are mansions, Mr. Verney, in that house to which we humbly trust we are proceeding." Mr. Larkin, who, on his way had called professionally upon a subscriber to the Gylingden Chapel--an "eminent Christian"--and talked accordingly--perceived that his meat was a little too strong for a babe of Mr. Verney"s standing, and concluded more like an attorney of this world.
"Splendid and convenient residence, and in all respects suitable, Mr.
Verney, to the fine position of usefulness, and, I may say, splendour, to which you are about being called," and he smiled round upon the book-cases and furniture, and waved his hand gently, as if in the act of diffusing a benediction over the chairs and tables.
"Won"t you take something, Mr. Larkin, before you go?" asked Cleve.
"No--thanks--no, Mr. Verney--many thanks. It is but an hour since I had my modest _djeuner_ at that sweet little inn at Llwynan."
So on the door-steps they parted; the attorney smiling quite celestially, and feeling all a-glow with affability, virtue, and a general sense of acceptance. In fact he was pleased with his morning"s work for several reasons--pleased with himself, with Cleve Verney, and confident of gliding into the management of the Verney estates, and in great measure of the Verneys themselves; now seeing before him in the great and cloudy vista of his future, a new and gorgeous castle in the air. These _chteaux_, in the good man"s horizon had, of late, been multiplying rapidly, and there was now quite a little city of palaces in his perspective--an airy pageant which, I think, he sometimes mistook for the New Jerusalem, he talked and smiled so celestially when it was in view.
CHAPTER XV.
WITHIN THE SANCTUARY.
"SO the old man of the mountains is dead at last," thought Cleve. "Poor old sinner--what a mess he made of it--uncle Arthur! Fine cards, uncle, ill played, sir. I wonder what it all was. To judge by the result he must have been a precious fool. Of what sort was your folly, I wonder--weak brains, or violent will. They say he was clever,--a little bit mad, I dare say; an idea ran away with him, whip and spurs, but no bridle--not unlike me, I sometimes think, headstrong--headlong--but I"ll never run in _your_ track, though I may break my neck yet. And so this Viscount Verney, _de jure_--outlaw and renegade, _de facto_--has died in one of those squalid lanes of Constantinople, and lies among poor Asiatics, in a Turkish cemetery! This was the meaning of my uncle Kiffyn"s letter--never was mortal in such a fuss and flurry about anything, as he is at this moment; and yet he must practise his affectation of indifference, and his airs of superiority--_what_ a fool my uncle Kiffyn is!"
Cleve walked back to the study. Things looked changed, somehow. He had never perceived before how old and dingy the furniture was, and how shabby the paint and gilding had grown.
"This house must be made habitable, one of the first things," said he, "and we must take our right place in the county. The Hammerdons have been everything here. It must not be so."
Cleve went to the window and looked out. The timber of Ware is old and magnificent. The view of Malory and Cardyllian and all that Verney sea-board does make an imposing display across the water. The auctioneering slang of the attorney, had under its glare and vulgarity a pleasant foundation of truth, and as the young man viewed this landscape the sun seemed to brighten over it, and he smiled with a new and solemn joy swelling at his heart.
"I hope that attorney fellow, Larkin, will go on and work this thing properly. It would be too bad that any delay should occur for want of proof--another name for want of energy--after the unfortunate old fellow has actually died."
Mr. Larkin"s card was upon the table, and with the providence which in all small matters distinguished him, he had written under "The Lodge"
his post-town, "Gylingden." So Cleve Verney wrote forthwith to tell him that although he had no authority to direct inquiries in the matter, and that his uncle would, of course, undertake _that_, he was yet so strongly of opinion that _no time_ should be wasted, and that Mr.
Larkin"s services might be of the greatest possible value, that he could not forbear writing to say so; and also that he would take the first opportunity of pressing that view upon his uncle. So the letter found the good attorney that evening at "The Lodge." He needed no such spur.
He was, in fact, very deep in the business already, and, with his own objects in view, was perhaps quite as much excited as either Cleve Verney or his uncle.
When Cleve had dispatched this note, the restlessness and fever of this new and great suspense were upon him. It was impossible to sit down and read his magazines and newspapers. Had he been a fisherman he might have taken his rod and fly-hook, and becalmed his excited spirit in that mysterious absorption. But he had never possessed patience enough for the gentle craft. It ought to be cultivated early for its metaphysical virtues--neither transient like music nor poisonous like opium. For a hara.s.sed or excited mind, priceless is the resource of being able to project itself into the condition of the otter or the crane, and think of _nothing_ but fish.
Two sedatives, however, were at his disposal--cigars and the sea--and to them he betook himself. Away went the _Wave_ over the sparkling sea, with a light breeze, toward the purple dome of Pendillion, streaked with dull yellow rock and towering softly in the distance. Delightful sea-breeze, fragrant cigars, and gently rising, misty woods of Malory with their romantic interest--and all seen under the glory of this great news from the East. The cutter seemed to dance and writhe along the waves in elation and delight, and the spray flew up like showers of brilliants from the hands of friendly Undines sporting round her bows.
Trance-like it seemed, all musical and dreamy; and Cleve felt, for the hour, he could have lived and died in that luxurious fascination.
Away for Pendillion ran the cutter. He did not choose idle tongues in Cardyllian to prate of his hovering about Malory. He knew his yacht would be seen from the pier. Active Captain Shrapnell frequented it, and would forthwith report her course in the billiard and reading rooms, with such conjectures as might strike his ingenious mind. So the cutter should run for that remote headland for nearly an hour, and then with a change of tack for Penruthyn Priory, which was hidden from Cardyllian eyes by intervening promontories; and not one of the wiseacres could tell or guess where he had been.
When the sail of the yacht had grown like a gray speck in the distance, she was put about, and at a sharp angle ran to the rude pier of Penruthyn Priory, whence taking his gun as if for a ramble in the warren, he told his men to expect him in about two hours, at the turn of the tide.
Across the Warren there is a wild pathway which leads toward Malory, coming out upon the old road close by Llanderris churchyard, and within a few minutes" walk of the wooded grounds of the ancient Dower House of the Verneys.
Approached from this point, there is a peculiar melancholy in the old wood. The quiet little church of Llanderris, and the graveyard with its old yew tree, and the curve of the narrow road overhung by ivy-mantled ash trees form the foreground, as you approach the wildest side of the woodlands, which lie at the foot of the gentle descent.
The little by-road making a sweep skirts the rear of the Malory grounds.
Here the great hawthorn hedges have, time out of mind, been neglected, and have grown gigantic and utterly irregular, stooping from the gra.s.sy bank like isolated trees, and leaving wide gaps through which you may see the darkened sward, the roots and stems of the forest trees within, and the vistas that break dimly into the distance.
Hours had pa.s.sed since the _Wave_ had left the jetty of Ware, and the autumnal sun was already declining in the early evening. There is no hour and no light, not even night and moonlight--so favourable to a certain pensive and half saddened vein of fancy, as that at which the day gives signs of approaching farewell, and gilds the landscape with a funereal splendour.
When Cleve reached the old road that descends by the churchyard, and through its double hedgerows looked down upon the enchanted grounds of Malory, he slackened his pace, and fell into a sort of reverie and rapture.
There are few of the impostures we commit more amusing, than that which we habitually practise upon ourselves in a.s.signing the highest moral motives for doing what pleases us best.
"If my uncle Arthur had married some one whom he really loved, how differently all might have gone with him! Here am I, with more money ultimately awaiting me than I shall really care to spend. One thousand pounds with me will do more than two thousand with most other men. I don"t play. I"m not on the turf. Why should I sacrifice my chance of happiness for the sake of a little more money, which I really don"t want, or for the sake of party connection? If I can"t make my way without the aid of a wife, I"m not fit for politics, and the sooner I turn to something else the better. Every man ought to consult his affections, and to make his home the centre of them. Where is the good of fortune, and money, and all that, if it does not enable one to do so?
How can you love your children if you don"t love their mother--if you hate her, by Jove--as I know fellows that do. Settlements, and political influence--all very fine--and we expect happiness to come of itself, when we have sold our last chance of it."
In this vein was Cleve Verney"s contemplation--and even more virtuous and unworldly as he proceeded--in the elation of his new sense of omnipotence and glory. Had he been a little franker with himself he might have condensed it thus, "A fancy has taken possession of me, and I don"t choose to deny myself."
Troubling his visions, however, was the image of his uncle, and the distant sound of his cold uncomfortable voice, and a sense of severity, selfishness, and danger, under his feeble smile. Against this teasing phantom with its solemn prattle, however, he closed his eyes and shook his ears. He had never enjoyed a sail or a walk so in all his life. Was nature ever so glorious before, or romance so n.o.ble and tender? What a pensive glow and glory was over everything! He walked down the steep little curve of the old road, and found himself on the path that follows the low bank and thorn trees which fence in the woods of Malory.
Walking slowly, and now and then pausing, he looked among the glittering trunks and down the opening aisles of the wood. But there was no sign of life. The weeds trembled and nodded in the shadow, and now and then a brown leaf fell. It was like the wood of the "Sleeping Beauty." The dusky sunlight touched it drowsily, and all the air was silent and slumbrous.