CHAPTER XXXVI
THE ATTORNEY SPEAKS
It was into an atmosphere highly charged, therefore, in which thelightning had scarcely ceased to play, and might at any moment dart itsfires anew, that Mr. Fishwick was introduced. The lawyer did not knowthis; yet it was to be expected that without that knowledge he wouldbear himself but ill in the company in which he now found himself. Butthe task which he had come to perform raised him above himself;moreover, there is a point of depression at which timidity ceases, andhe had reached this point. Admitted by Dr. Addington, he looked round,bowed stiffly to the physician, and lowly and with humility to LordChatham and her ladyship; then, taking his stand at the foot of thetable, he produced his papers with an air of modest self-possession.
Lord Chatham did not look up, but he saw what was passing. 'We have noneed of documents,' he said in the frigid tone which marked his dealingswith all save a very few. 'Your client's suit is allowed, sir, so far asthe trustees are concerned. That is all it boots me to say.'
'I humbly thank your lordship,' the attorney answered, speaking with anair of propriety which surprised Sir George. 'Yet I have with duesubmission to crave your lordship's leave to say somewhat.'
'There is no need,' the Earl answered, 'the claim being allowed, sir.'
'It is on that point, my lord.'
The Earl, his eyes smouldering, looked his displeasure, but controlledhimself. 'What is it?' he said irritably.
'Some days ago, I made a singular discovery, my lord,' the attorneyanswered sorrowfully. 'I felt it necessary to communicate it to myclient, and I am directed by her to convey it to your lordship and toall others concerned.' And the lawyer bowed slightly to SirGeorge Soane.
Lord Chatham raised his head, and for the first time since theattorney's entrance looked at him with a peevish attention. 'If we areto go into this, Dagge should be here,' he said impatiently. 'Or yourlawyer, Sir George.' with a look as fretful in that direction. 'Well,man, what is it?'
'My lord,' Mr. Fish wick answered, 'I desire first to impress upon yourlordship and Sir George Soane that this claim was set on foot in goodfaith on the part of my client, and on my part; and, as far as I wasconcerned, with no desire to promote useless litigation. That was theposition up to Tuesday last, the day on which the lady was forciblycarried off. I repeat, my lord, that on that day I had no more doubt ofthe justice of our claim than I have to-day that the sky is above us.But on Wednesday I happened in a strange way--at Bristol, my lord,whither but for that abduction I might never have gone in my life--on adiscovery, which by my client's direction I am here to communicate.'
'Do you mean, sir,' the Earl said with sudden acumen, a note of keensurprise in his voice, 'that you are here--to abandon your claim?'
'My client's claim,' the attorney answered with a sorrowful look. 'Yes,my lord, I am.'
For an instant there was profound silence in the room; the astonishmentwas as deep as it was general. At last, 'are the papers which weresubmitted to Mr. Dagge--are they forgeries then?' the Earl asked.
'No, my lord; the papers are genuine,' the attorney answered. 'But myclient, although the identification seemed to be complete, is not theperson indicated in them.' And succinctly, but with sufficientclearness, the attorney narrated his chance visit to the church, thediscovery of the entry in the register, and the story told by the goodwoman at the 'Golden Bee.' 'Your lordship will perceive,' he concluded,'that, apart from the exchange of the children, the claim was good. Theidentification of the infant whom the porter presented to his wife withthe child handed to him by his late master three weeks earlier seemed tobe placed beyond doubt by every argument from probability. But the childwas not the child,' he added with a sigh. And, forgetting for the momentthe presence in which he stood, Mr. Fishwick allowed the despondency hefelt to appear in his face and figure.
There was a prolonged silence. 'Sir!' Lord Chatham said at last--SirGeorge Soane, with his eyes on the floor and a deep flush on his face,seemed to be thunderstruck by this sudden change of front--'it appearsto me that you are a very honest man! Yet let me ask you. Did it neveroccur to you to conceal the fact?'
'Frankly, my lord, it did,' the attorney answered gloomily, 'for a day.Then I remembered a thing my father used to say to us, "Don't putmolasses in the punch!" And I was afraid.'
'Don't put molasses in the punch!' his lordship ejaculated, with alively expression of astonishment. 'Are you mad, sir?'
'No, my lord and gentlemen,' Mr. Fishwick answered hurriedly.' But itmeans--don't help Providence, which can very well help itself. The thingwas too big for me, my lord, and my client too honest. I thought, if itcame out afterwards, the last state might be worse than the first.And--I could not see my way to keep it from her; and that is the truth,'he added candidly.
The statesman nodded. Then,
'_Dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide tantum Posse nefas, tacitusque meam subducere terram_?'
he muttered in low yet sonorous tones.
Mr. Fishwick stared. 'I beg your lordship's pardon,' he said. 'I do notquite understand.'
'There is no need. And that is the whole truth, sir, is it?'
'Yes, my lord, it is.'
'Very good. Very good,' Lord Chatham replied, pushing away the paperswhich the attorney in the heat of his argument had thrust before him.'Then there is an end of the matter as far as the trustees areconcerned. Sir George, you have nothing to say, I take it?'
'No, I thank you, my lord--nothing here,' Soane answered vaguely. Hisface continued to wear the dark flush which had overspread it a fewminutes before. 'This, I need not say, is an absolute surprise tome,' he added.
'Just so. It is an extraordinary story. Well, good-morning, sir,' hislordship continued, addressing the attorney. 'I believe you have doneyour duty. I believe you have behaved very honestly. You will hearfrom me.'
Mr. Fishwick knew that he was dismissed, but after a glance aside, whichshowed him Sir George standing in a brown study, he lingered. 'If yourlordship,' he said desperately, 'could see your way to do anything--formy client?'
'For your client? Why?' the Earl cried, with a sudden return of hisgouty peevishness. 'Why, sir--why?'
'She has been drawn,' the lawyer muttered 'out of the position in whichshe lived, by an error, not her own, my lord.'
'Yours!'
'Yes, my lord.'
'And why drawn?' the Earl continued regarding him severely. 'I will tellyou, sir. Because you were not content to await the result ofinvestigation, but must needs thrust yourself in the public eye! Youmust needs assume a position before it was granted! No, sir, I allow youhonest; I allow you to be well-meaning; but your conduct has beenindiscreet, and your client must pay for it. Moreover, I am in theposition of a trustee, and can do nothing. You may go, sir.'
After that Mr. Fishwick had no choice but to withdraw. He did so; and amoment later Sir George, after paying his respects, followed him. Dr.Addington was clear-sighted enough to fear that his friend had goneafter the lawyer, and, as soon as he decently could, he went himself inpursuit. He was relieved to find Sir George alone, pacing the floor ofthe room they shared.
The physician took care to hide his real motive and his distrust ofSoane's discretion under a show of heartiness. 'My dear Sir George, Icongratulate you!' he cried, shaking the other effusively by the hand.'Believe me, 'tis by far the completest way out of the difficulty; andthough I am sorry for the--for the young lady, who seems to have behavedvery honestly--well, time brings its repentances as well as itsrevenges. It is possible the match would have done tolerably well,assuming you to be equal in birth and fortune. But even then 'twas arisk; 'twas a risk, my dear sir! And now--'
'It is not to be thought of, I suppose?' Sir George said; and he lookedat the other interrogatively.
'Good Lord, no!' the physician answered. 'No, no, no!' he addedweightily.
Sir George nodded, and, turning, looked thoughtfully through the window.His face still wore a flush. 'Yet something must be done for her,' hesaid in
a low voice. 'I can't let her here, read that.'
Dr. Addington took the open letter the other handed to him, and, eyeingit with a frown while he fixed his glasses, afterwards proceeded toperuse it.
'Sir,' it ran--it was pitifully short--'when I sought you I deemedmyself other than I am. Were I to seek you now I should be other than Ideem myself. We met abruptly, and can part after the same fashion. Thisfrom one who claims to be no more than your well-wisher.--JULIA.'
The doctor laid it down and took a pinch of snuff. 'Good girl!' hemuttered. 'Good girl. That--that confirms me. You must do something forher, Sir George. Has she--how did you get that, by the way?'
'I found it on the table. I made inquiry, and heard that she leftMarlboro' an hour gone.'
'For?'
'I could not learn.'
'Good girl! Good girl! Yes, certainly you must do something for her.'
'You think so?' Sir George said, with a sudden queer look at the doctor,'Even you?'
'Even I! An allowance of--I was going to suggest fifty guineas a year,'Dr. Addington continued impulsively. 'Now, after reading that letter, Isay a hundred. It is not too much, Sir George! 'Fore Gad, it is not toomuch. But--'
'But what?'
The physician paused to take an elaborate pinch of snuff. 'You'llforgive me,' he answered. 'But before this about her birth came out, Ifancied that you were doing, or going about to do the girl no good. Now,my dear Sir George, I am not strait-laced,' the doctor continued,dusting the snuff from the lappets of his coat, 'and I know very wellwhat your friend, my Lord March, would do in the circumstances. And youhave lived much, with him, and think yourself, I dare swear, no better.But you are, my dear sir--you are, though you may not know it. You arewondering what I am at? Inclined to take offence, eh? Well, she's a goodgirl, Sir George'--he tapped the letter, which lay on the table besidehim--'too good for that! And you'll not lay it on your conscience,I hope.'
'I will not,' Sir George said quietly.
'Good lad!' Dr. Addington muttered, in the tone Lord Chatham had used;for it is hard to be much with the great without trying on their shoes.'Good lad! Good lad!'
Soane did not appear to notice the tone. 'You think an allowance of ahundred guineas enough?' he said, and looked at the other.
'I think it very handsome,' the doctor answered. 'D----d handsome.'
'Good!' Sir George rejoined. 'Then she shall have that allowance;' andafter staring awhile at the table he nodded assent to his thoughtsand went out.