in his vanity, Ostermore looked up at him with a sudden frown. "You take a bold tone, sir," said he, "a very bold tone!"
"Boldness is the attribute next to knowledge most essential to my calling," Mr. Caryll reminded him.
His lordship's eye fell before the other's cold glance, and again he lapsed into thoughtfulness, his cheek now upon his hand. Suddenly he looked up again. "Tell me," said he. "Who else is in
this thing? Men say that Atterbury is not above suspicion. Is it——"
Mr. Caryll bent forward to tap the king's letter with a rigid forefinger. "When your lordship tells me that you are ready to concert upon embarking your fortunes in this bottom, you shall find
me disposed, perhaps, to answer questions concerning others. Meanwhile, our concern is with yourself."
"Oons and the devil!" swore his lordship angrily. "Is this a way to speak to me?" He scowled at the agent. "Tell me, my fine fellow, what would happen if I were to lay this letter you have
brought me before the nearest justice?"
"I cannot say for sure," answered Mr. Caryll quietly, "but it is very probable it would help your lordship to the gallows. For if you will give yourself the trouble of reading it again—and
more carefully—you will see that it makes acknowledgment of the offer of services you wrote his majesty a month or so ago."
His lordship's eyes dropped to the letter again. He caught his breath in sudden fear.
"Were I your lordship, I should leave the nearest justice to enjoy his dinner in peace," said Mr. Caryll, smiling.
His lordship laughed in a sickly manner. He felt foolish—a rare condition in him, as in most fools. "Well, well," said he gruffly. "The matter needs reflection. It needs reflection."
Behind them the door opened noiselessly, and her ladyship appeared in cloak and wimple. She paused there, unperceived by either, arrested by the words she had caught, and waiting in the hope of
hearing more.
"I must sleep on't, at least," his lordship was continuing. "'Tis too grave a matter to be determined thus in haste."
A faint sound caught the keen ears of Mr. Caryll. He turned with a leisureliness that bore witness to his miraculous self-control. Perceiving the countess, he bowed, and casually put his
lordship on his guard.
"Ah!" said he. "Here is her ladyship returned."
Lord Ostermore gasped audibly and swung round in an alarm than which nothing could have betrayed him more effectively. "My—my love!" he cried, stammering, and by his wild haste to conceal
the letter that he held, drew her attention to it.
Mr. Caryll stepped between them, his back to his lordship, that he might act as a screen under cover of which to dispose safely of that dangerous document. But he was too late. Her ladyship's
quick eyes had flashed to it, and if the distance precluded the possibility of her discovering anything that might be written upon it, she, nevertheless, could see the curious nature of the paper,
which was of the flimsiest tissue of a sort extremely uncommon.
"What is't ye hide?" said she, as she came forward. "Why, we are very close, surely! What mischief is't ye hatch, my lord?"
"Mis—mischief, my love?" He smiled propitiatingly—hating her more than ever in that moment. He had stuffed the letter into an inner pocket of his coat, and but that she had another
matter to concern her at the moment she would not have allowed the question she had asked to be so put aside. But this other matter upon her mind touched her very closely.
"Devil take it, whatever it may be! Rotherby is here."
"Rotherby?" His demeanor changed; from conciliating it was of a sudden transformed to indignant. "What makes he here?" he demanded. "Did I not forbid him my house?"
"I brought him," she answered pregnantly.
But for once he was not to be put down. "Then you may take him hence again," said he. "I'll not have him under my roof—under the same roof with that poor child he used so infamously. I'll
not suffer it!"
The Gorgon cannot have
"Boldness is the attribute next to knowledge most essential to my calling," Mr. Caryll reminded him.
His lordship's eye fell before the other's cold glance, and again he lapsed into thoughtfulness, his cheek now upon his hand. Suddenly he looked up again. "Tell me," said he. "Who else is in
this thing? Men say that Atterbury is not above suspicion. Is it——"
Mr. Caryll bent forward to tap the king's letter with a rigid forefinger. "When your lordship tells me that you are ready to concert upon embarking your fortunes in this bottom, you shall find
me disposed, perhaps, to answer questions concerning others. Meanwhile, our concern is with yourself."
"Oons and the devil!" swore his lordship angrily. "Is this a way to speak to me?" He scowled at the agent. "Tell me, my fine fellow, what would happen if I were to lay this letter you have
brought me before the nearest justice?"
"I cannot say for sure," answered Mr. Caryll quietly, "but it is very probable it would help your lordship to the gallows. For if you will give yourself the trouble of reading it again—and
more carefully—you will see that it makes acknowledgment of the offer of services you wrote his majesty a month or so ago."
His lordship's eyes dropped to the letter again. He caught his breath in sudden fear.
"Were I your lordship, I should leave the nearest justice to enjoy his dinner in peace," said Mr. Caryll, smiling.
His lordship laughed in a sickly manner. He felt foolish—a rare condition in him, as in most fools. "Well, well," said he gruffly. "The matter needs reflection. It needs reflection."
Behind them the door opened noiselessly, and her ladyship appeared in cloak and wimple. She paused there, unperceived by either, arrested by the words she had caught, and waiting in the hope of
hearing more.
"I must sleep on't, at least," his lordship was continuing. "'Tis too grave a matter to be determined thus in haste."
A faint sound caught the keen ears of Mr. Caryll. He turned with a leisureliness that bore witness to his miraculous self-control. Perceiving the countess, he bowed, and casually put his
lordship on his guard.
"Ah!" said he. "Here is her ladyship returned."
Lord Ostermore gasped audibly and swung round in an alarm than which nothing could have betrayed him more effectively. "My—my love!" he cried, stammering, and by his wild haste to conceal
the letter that he held, drew her attention to it.
Mr. Caryll stepped between them, his back to his lordship, that he might act as a screen under cover of which to dispose safely of that dangerous document. But he was too late. Her ladyship's
quick eyes had flashed to it, and if the distance precluded the possibility of her discovering anything that might be written upon it, she, nevertheless, could see the curious nature of the paper,
which was of the flimsiest tissue of a sort extremely uncommon.
"What is't ye hide?" said she, as she came forward. "Why, we are very close, surely! What mischief is't ye hatch, my lord?"
"Mis—mischief, my love?" He smiled propitiatingly—hating her more than ever in that moment. He had stuffed the letter into an inner pocket of his coat, and but that she had another
matter to concern her at the moment she would not have allowed the question she had asked to be so put aside. But this other matter upon her mind touched her very closely.
"Devil take it, whatever it may be! Rotherby is here."
"Rotherby?" His demeanor changed; from conciliating it was of a sudden transformed to indignant. "What makes he here?" he demanded. "Did I not forbid him my house?"
"I brought him," she answered pregnantly.
But for once he was not to be put down. "Then you may take him hence again," said he. "I'll not have him under my roof—under the same roof with that poor child he used so infamously. I'll
not suffer it!"
The Gorgon cannot have
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