East Lynne [144]
adjoining one. Richard meanwhile took off his wet smock-frock of former memory--his hat, and his false black whiskers, wiping the snow from the latter with his hand.
"Richard," uttered Mr. Carlyle, "I am thunderstruck! I fear you have done wrong to come here."
"I cut off from London at a moment's notice," replied Richard, who was literally shivering with the cold. "I'm dodged, Mr. Carlyle, I am indeed. The police are after me, set on by that wretch Thorn."
Mr. Carlyle turned to the sideboard and poured out a wineglass of brandy. "Drink it, Richard, it will warm you."
"I'd rather have it in some hot water, sir."
"But how am I to get the hot water brought in? Drink this for now. Why, how you tremble."
"Ah, a few hours outside in the cold snow is enough to make the strongest man tremble, sir; and it lies so deep in places that you have to come along at a snail's pace. But I'll tell you about this business. A fortnight ago I was at a cabstand at the West End, talking to a cab-driver, when some drops of rain came down. A gentleman and lady were passing at the time, but I had not paid any attention to them. "By Jove!" I heard him exclaim to her, 'I think we're going to have pepper. We had better take a cab, my dear.' With that the man I was talking to swung open the door of his cab, and she got in--such a fair young lady, she was! I turned to look at him, and you might just have knocked me down with astonishment. Mr. Carlyle, it was the man, Thorn."
"Indeed!"
"You thought I might be mistaken in him that moonlight night, but there was no mistaking him in broad daylight. I looked him full in the face, and he looked at me. He turned as white as cloth. Perhaps I did --I don't know."
"Was he well dressed?"
"Very. Oh, there's no mistaking his position. That he moves in the higher classes there's no doubt. The cab drove away, and I got up behind it. The driver thought boys were there, and turned his head and his whip, but I made him a sign. We didn't go much more than the length of a street. I was on the pavement before Thorn was, and looked at him again, and again he went white. I marked the house, thinking it was where he lived, and--"
"Why did you not give him into custody, Richard?"
Richard Hare shook his head. "And my proofs of his guilt, Mr. Carlyle? I could bring none against him--no positive ones. No, I must wait till I can get proofs to do that. He would turn round upon me now and swear my life away to murder. Well, I thought I'd ascertain for certain what his name was, and that night I went to the house, and got into conversation with one of the servants, who was standing at the door. 'Does Captain Thorn live here?' I asked him.
" 'Mr. Westleby lives here,' said he; 'I don't know any Captain Thorn.'
"Then that's his name, thought I to myself. 'A youngish man, isn't he?' said I, 'very smart, with a pretty wife?'
" 'I don't know what you call youngish,' he laughed, 'my master's turned sixty, and his wife's as old.'
"That checked me. 'Perhaps he has sons?' I asked.
" 'Not any,' the man answered; 'there's nobody but their two selves.'
"So, with that, I told him what I wanted--that a lady and gentleman had alighted there in a cab that day, and I wished to know his name. Well, Mr. Carlyle, I could get at nothing satisfactory; the fellow said that a great many had called there that day, for his master was just up from a long illness, and people came to see him."
"Is that all, Richard?"
"All! I wish it had been all. I kept looking about for him in all the best streets; I was half mad--"
"Do you not wonder, if he is in this position of life, and resides in London, that you have never dropped upon him previously?" interrupted Mr. Carlyle.
"No, sir; and I'll tell you why. I have been afraid to show myself in those latter parts of the town, fearing I might meet with some one I used to know at home, who would recognize me, so I have kept mostly in obscure places--stables and such like. I had gone up to the West End this day on a matter of business."
"Well, go on with your
"Richard," uttered Mr. Carlyle, "I am thunderstruck! I fear you have done wrong to come here."
"I cut off from London at a moment's notice," replied Richard, who was literally shivering with the cold. "I'm dodged, Mr. Carlyle, I am indeed. The police are after me, set on by that wretch Thorn."
Mr. Carlyle turned to the sideboard and poured out a wineglass of brandy. "Drink it, Richard, it will warm you."
"I'd rather have it in some hot water, sir."
"But how am I to get the hot water brought in? Drink this for now. Why, how you tremble."
"Ah, a few hours outside in the cold snow is enough to make the strongest man tremble, sir; and it lies so deep in places that you have to come along at a snail's pace. But I'll tell you about this business. A fortnight ago I was at a cabstand at the West End, talking to a cab-driver, when some drops of rain came down. A gentleman and lady were passing at the time, but I had not paid any attention to them. "By Jove!" I heard him exclaim to her, 'I think we're going to have pepper. We had better take a cab, my dear.' With that the man I was talking to swung open the door of his cab, and she got in--such a fair young lady, she was! I turned to look at him, and you might just have knocked me down with astonishment. Mr. Carlyle, it was the man, Thorn."
"Indeed!"
"You thought I might be mistaken in him that moonlight night, but there was no mistaking him in broad daylight. I looked him full in the face, and he looked at me. He turned as white as cloth. Perhaps I did --I don't know."
"Was he well dressed?"
"Very. Oh, there's no mistaking his position. That he moves in the higher classes there's no doubt. The cab drove away, and I got up behind it. The driver thought boys were there, and turned his head and his whip, but I made him a sign. We didn't go much more than the length of a street. I was on the pavement before Thorn was, and looked at him again, and again he went white. I marked the house, thinking it was where he lived, and--"
"Why did you not give him into custody, Richard?"
Richard Hare shook his head. "And my proofs of his guilt, Mr. Carlyle? I could bring none against him--no positive ones. No, I must wait till I can get proofs to do that. He would turn round upon me now and swear my life away to murder. Well, I thought I'd ascertain for certain what his name was, and that night I went to the house, and got into conversation with one of the servants, who was standing at the door. 'Does Captain Thorn live here?' I asked him.
" 'Mr. Westleby lives here,' said he; 'I don't know any Captain Thorn.'
"Then that's his name, thought I to myself. 'A youngish man, isn't he?' said I, 'very smart, with a pretty wife?'
" 'I don't know what you call youngish,' he laughed, 'my master's turned sixty, and his wife's as old.'
"That checked me. 'Perhaps he has sons?' I asked.
" 'Not any,' the man answered; 'there's nobody but their two selves.'
"So, with that, I told him what I wanted--that a lady and gentleman had alighted there in a cab that day, and I wished to know his name. Well, Mr. Carlyle, I could get at nothing satisfactory; the fellow said that a great many had called there that day, for his master was just up from a long illness, and people came to see him."
"Is that all, Richard?"
"All! I wish it had been all. I kept looking about for him in all the best streets; I was half mad--"
"Do you not wonder, if he is in this position of life, and resides in London, that you have never dropped upon him previously?" interrupted Mr. Carlyle.
"No, sir; and I'll tell you why. I have been afraid to show myself in those latter parts of the town, fearing I might meet with some one I used to know at home, who would recognize me, so I have kept mostly in obscure places--stables and such like. I had gone up to the West End this day on a matter of business."
"Well, go on with your