Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
0 UR MUTUAL ’ FRIEND.‘ ‘
g showing-that he already knew, of it and understood it.
e
did this with no attempt at concealment, seeming to
the satisfied that it was part of his duty to have prepared
himself at all attainable points for its=utmost discharge.‘ '
This might-let it be repeated-have awakened some
little varrue mistrust in a man‘more worldly-wise than
the G01 en Dustman.‘ On the other hand, the Secretary
’ was discerning, discreet, andsilent,‘though-as zealous as
' if the affairs had been his own.“ He showed no love of
patronage or the command of money,'but distinctly pre-
ferred resigning both to Mr. BoIlin.- If, in his limited
sphere; he sought power, it was the power of knowled e;
% epower derivable fromaperfect comprehension o %llS
usiness. "
‘-1 - As-on the Secretary’s face there was a nameless cloud,
so on his manner there was a shadow equally indefin-
able; I It was not that he was embarrassed, ason that first
’ night with the VVilfer family ; he was habitually unem-
barrassed now, and yet the something remained. Itwas
not that his manner was bad, as on that occasion ; it was
now very good, as being modest, gracious, and ready.
Yet the something never left it. It has been written of
men-who have undergone a cruel captivity, or who have
passed through a terrible strait, or who in self-preservan
tion have killed a defenceless fellow-creature, that the
'record thereof has never faded from their countenances
until-they died. Was there any such record here?
He established a temporary office for himself inthe
new house, and all-went on well under his hand, with one
singular exception. He manifestly objected to communi-
cate.,with - Mr. Boflin’s solicitor. Two or three times,
when there was some slight occasion for his doing so, he
transferred the task to h r.‘ Boilin ; and his evasion of it
soon became so curiously apparent, that Mr. Boflin spoke
to him on the subject of his reluctance.
“’It is so,” the Secretary admitted.
not. ’
- -Had he any personal objection to Mr. Lightwood?
- -“ I don’t know him.’’- i v t -
- Had he suffered from law-suits l ' ' r
' -“-Not inore,-than other men," was his shortanswer
.‘ -VVas he prejudiced against the race of lawyers?
“ No. But while I am in your employment, sir, I
would rather be excused from going between the lawyer
and the client. Of course if you press it, Mr. Boflin, I
am ready to comply. But lshould take it as a great fa-
vour if you would not press it without urgent occasion.”
Now, iticould not be said that there was ur ent occa-
sion, for Lightwood retained no other affairs in is hands
than such as stilllingered and languished about the un-
discovered criminal, and such as arose out of the pur-
chase of the house. Many other matters that might have
travelled to him, now stopped short at the Secretary,
under-whose administration they were far more expedi-
tiously and satisfactorily disposed of than they would
have been, if‘they had got into Young Blight’s domain.
This the Golden Dustman quite understood. Even the
matter immediately in hand was of very little moment as
. . quiring personal appearance on the Sccretary’s art,
lot it amounted to no more than. this :-The deat of
“ I would rather
‘ Hexam rendering the sweat of the honest man’s brow un-
profitable, the honest man had shufllingly declined to
moisten his brow for nothing, with that severe exertion
which is known in legal circles as swearing your way
through a stonewall. ' Consequently that new light had
gone sputtering out. But, the airing of the old facts had
led some one concerned to suggest that it would be well
before they were reconsigned to their gloomy shelf-now
robably for ever-to induce or compel that Mr. Julius
ldandford to reappear and be questioned. And all traces
of Mr. Julius Handford being‘ lost, Lightwooci now re-
ferred toahis client-for authority to seek him through
public advertisement. ' ' '
-“Does your objection go to writing to Lightwood,
Rokesmith‘l<”r' ‘ ‘ H '
! ‘.‘- Not in the-least, sir." '
,3‘ Then perhaps-you'll write him a line, and say he is
free to do what he likes. I don’t think it promises.”
‘--"Idon’t think it promises,” said the Secretary.
'- “ Still he may do what he likes.”
--" I will write immediately. ‘ Let me thank you for so
considerately yielding to my disinclinatiou; It may seem
7 -"411
lcssunreasonable,‘ if I avow to ‘you that; although I don’t ’
know Mr. Lightwood; I have ‘a disagreeable association
connected with him. 1.: It is nothis fault ;' he is not at all
to blame for it; and does not even know my name.”- -u
‘Mr.--Boflinidismissed the matter with a nod or‘two.
The letter was written, and next day. Mr. J ulius-' Hand-
-ford was advertised for. He was requestedto place him.
self in. communication with ltlmlllortimer Lightwood,"as
a possible means of furthering the-. ends of justice,-‘and
ahrewardi was offered to‘any one acquainted with his .
whereabout, who-would communicate the same to the
said Mr. Mortimer Lightwood at his oflice in the Temple.
Every day for six weeks this advertisement appeared at
the headvof all the newspapers‘, and every day "for six
weeks the Secretary, when he saw it; said to himself, in
the tone in which he had said to his employer,-“ I don’t
think it promisesl” ' ul 8 w‘ ‘ ...
Among his first occupations the pursuit of that orphan
wanted by Mrs. Boflin held a -conspicuous place.’ V From
the earliest moment of his enga ement he showed apar-
ticular desire to please her, and, knowing her to have
this object at heart, he’ followed it up with unwearying
alacrity and interest. in '- " :: ’ '- - ' "zit:
Mr. and Mrs. Milvey had found their search a difficult
one. Either an eligible orphanvwas ‘of the wrong sex
(which almost always happened) or was too old, or too
young, or too sickly, or too dirty, or too much accustomed
to the streets, or too likely to run away ; or it was found
impossible to complete the philanthropic transaction with-
out buying the orphan. For, the instant it ‘became
known that anybody wanted the orphan, up started some
affectionate relative of the orphan who put a price upon
"Viv . ix: 1
the orplmn’s head. The suddenness of an orpban’s rise in .
the market was not to be paralled by the maddest records
of the Stock Exchange.
per cent. discount out at nurse making a mud pie at nine
in the morning, and (being inquired for) would go up to
five thousand per cent. premium before noon. The mar-
ket was “rigged” in various artful ways. Counterfeit
stock got into circulation. Parents boldly represented
themselves asdead, ‘and brought their orphans with
them. Genuineorphan-stock was surreptitiously with-
drawn from the market. It being announced, by emis-
saries posted for the purpose, that Mr. and Mrs. Milvey
were coming down the court, orphan scrip wouldbe in-
stantly concealed, and production refused, save on a con-
dition usually stated by the brokers as “ a gallon of beer.”
Likewise, liuctuations of a wild and South-Sea nature
were occasioned, by orphan-holders keeping back, and
then rushing intothe market a. dozen together. But, the
uniform principle at the root of all these various oper-
ations was bargain and sale; and that principle could
not be recognized by Mr. and Mrs. Milvey. ' ‘ - ’ ’:
At length, tidings were received by the Reverend Frank
of a. charming orphan to be found at Brcntford. One of
the deceased parents (late his parishioners) had a ‘poor
widowed grandmother in that agreeable town, and she,
Mrs. Betty Higden, had carried off the orphan with ma-
ternal care, but could not afford to keep him.‘
The Secretary proposed to Mrs. Boilin, either to go
down himself and take a preliminary survey of this or-
phan, or to drive her down, that she might at once form
her own opinion. Mrs.‘ Boiiin preferring the latter
course, they set off one morning in a hired phaeton, con-
veying the hammer-headed young man behind them.
The abode of Mrs. Betty Higden was not easy to find,
lying in such complicated back settlements of muddy
Brentford that they left their equipago at the Sign of the
Three Magpies, and went in search of it on foot. After
many inquiries and defeats, there was pointed out to
them in a lane, a very small cottage residence, with a
board across the open doorway, hooked on to which
board by the armpits was a young gentleman of tender
years, angling for mud with a headless wooden horse and
line. In this young sportsman, distinguished by a crisply
curling auburn head and a bluff countenance, the Score-
tary descricd the orphan. I g
It unfortunately happened as ‘they ‘quick:-ned their
pace, that the orphan, lost to considerations of personal
safety in the ardour of the moment, overbalanced him-
self and toppled into the street. Being an.orphan of a
chubby conformation, he then took to rolling, and had
He would be at five thousand '