East Lynne [221]
husband's. He stood near, was talking with apparent earnestness, and looking down at Barbara. Another moment, and a smile crossed his lips, the same sweet smile so often bent upon her in the bygone days. Yes, they were together in their unclouded happiness, and she--she turned away toward her own lonely sitting-room, sick and faint at heart.
Ball & Treadman, as the brass plate on their office door intimated, were conveyancers and attorneys at law. Mr. Treadman, who attended chiefly to the conveyancing, lived at the office, with his family. Mr. Ball, a bachelor, lived away; Lawyer Ball, West Lynne styled him. Not a young bachelor; midway, he may have been between forty and fifty. A short stout man, with a keen face and green eyes. He took up any practice that was brought to him--dirty odds and ends that Mr. Carlyle would not have touched with his toe--but, as that gentleman had remarked, he could be honest and true upon occasion, and there was no doubt that he would be so to Richard Hare. To his house, on Monday morning, early, so as to catch him before he went out, proceeded Mr. Carlyle. A high respect for Mr. Carlyle had Lawyer Ball, as he had had for his father before him. Many a good turn had the Carlyles done him, if only helping him and his partner to clients whom they were too fastidious to take up. But the two, Mr. Carlyle and Lawyer Ball did not rank alike, though their profession was the same; Lawyer Ball knew that they did not, and was content to feel humble. The one was a received gentleman; the other was a country attorney.
Lawyer Ball was at breakfast when Mr. Carlyle was shown in.
"Halloo, Carlyle! You are here betimes."
"Sit still; don't disturb yourself. Don't ring; I have breakfasted."
"The most delicious /pate de foie/," urged Lawyer Ball, who was a regular gourmand. "I get 'em direct from Strasbourg."
Mr. Carlyle resisted the offered dainty with a smile. "I have come on business," said he, "not to feast. Before I enter upon it, you will give me your word, Ball, that my communication shall be held sacred, in the event of your not consenting to pursue it further."
"Certainly I will. What business is it? Some that offends the delicacy of the Carlyle office?" he added, with a laugh. "A would-be client whom you turn over to me in your exclusiveness?"
"It is a client for whom I cannot act. But not from the motives you assume. It concerns that affair of Hallijohn's," Mr. Carlyle continued, bending forward, and somewhat dropping his voice. "The murder."
Lawyer Ball, who had just taken in a delicious /bonne bouche/ of the /foie gras/, bolted it whole in his surprise. "Why, that was enacted ages and ages ago; it is past and done with," he exclaimed.
"Not done with," said Mr. Carlyle. "Circumstances have come to light which tend to indicate that Richard Hare was innocent--that it was another who committed the murder."
"In conjunction with him?" interrupted the attorney.
"No: alone. Richard Hare had nothing whatever to do with it. He was not even present at the time."
"Do you believe that?" asked Lawyer Ball.
"I have believed it for years."
"Then who did do it?"
"Richard accuses one of the name of Thorn. Many years back--ten at least--I had a meeting with Richard Hare, and he disclosed certain facts to me, which if correct, could not fail to prove that he was not guilty. Since that period this impression has been gradually confirmed by little and by little, trifle upon trifle and I would now stake my life upon his innocence. I should long ago have moved in this matter, hit or miss, could I have lighted upon Thorn, but he was not to be found, neither any clue to him, and we now know that this name, Thorn, was an assumed one."
"Is he to be found?"
"He is found. He is at West Lynne. Mark you, I don't accuse him--I do not offer an opinion upon his guilt--I only state my belief in Richard's innocence; it may have been another who did it, neither Richard nor Thorn. It was my firm intention to take Richard's case up, the instant I saw my way clearly in it, and now that
Ball & Treadman, as the brass plate on their office door intimated, were conveyancers and attorneys at law. Mr. Treadman, who attended chiefly to the conveyancing, lived at the office, with his family. Mr. Ball, a bachelor, lived away; Lawyer Ball, West Lynne styled him. Not a young bachelor; midway, he may have been between forty and fifty. A short stout man, with a keen face and green eyes. He took up any practice that was brought to him--dirty odds and ends that Mr. Carlyle would not have touched with his toe--but, as that gentleman had remarked, he could be honest and true upon occasion, and there was no doubt that he would be so to Richard Hare. To his house, on Monday morning, early, so as to catch him before he went out, proceeded Mr. Carlyle. A high respect for Mr. Carlyle had Lawyer Ball, as he had had for his father before him. Many a good turn had the Carlyles done him, if only helping him and his partner to clients whom they were too fastidious to take up. But the two, Mr. Carlyle and Lawyer Ball did not rank alike, though their profession was the same; Lawyer Ball knew that they did not, and was content to feel humble. The one was a received gentleman; the other was a country attorney.
Lawyer Ball was at breakfast when Mr. Carlyle was shown in.
"Halloo, Carlyle! You are here betimes."
"Sit still; don't disturb yourself. Don't ring; I have breakfasted."
"The most delicious /pate de foie/," urged Lawyer Ball, who was a regular gourmand. "I get 'em direct from Strasbourg."
Mr. Carlyle resisted the offered dainty with a smile. "I have come on business," said he, "not to feast. Before I enter upon it, you will give me your word, Ball, that my communication shall be held sacred, in the event of your not consenting to pursue it further."
"Certainly I will. What business is it? Some that offends the delicacy of the Carlyle office?" he added, with a laugh. "A would-be client whom you turn over to me in your exclusiveness?"
"It is a client for whom I cannot act. But not from the motives you assume. It concerns that affair of Hallijohn's," Mr. Carlyle continued, bending forward, and somewhat dropping his voice. "The murder."
Lawyer Ball, who had just taken in a delicious /bonne bouche/ of the /foie gras/, bolted it whole in his surprise. "Why, that was enacted ages and ages ago; it is past and done with," he exclaimed.
"Not done with," said Mr. Carlyle. "Circumstances have come to light which tend to indicate that Richard Hare was innocent--that it was another who committed the murder."
"In conjunction with him?" interrupted the attorney.
"No: alone. Richard Hare had nothing whatever to do with it. He was not even present at the time."
"Do you believe that?" asked Lawyer Ball.
"I have believed it for years."
"Then who did do it?"
"Richard accuses one of the name of Thorn. Many years back--ten at least--I had a meeting with Richard Hare, and he disclosed certain facts to me, which if correct, could not fail to prove that he was not guilty. Since that period this impression has been gradually confirmed by little and by little, trifle upon trifle and I would now stake my life upon his innocence. I should long ago have moved in this matter, hit or miss, could I have lighted upon Thorn, but he was not to be found, neither any clue to him, and we now know that this name, Thorn, was an assumed one."
"Is he to be found?"
"He is found. He is at West Lynne. Mark you, I don't accuse him--I do not offer an opinion upon his guilt--I only state my belief in Richard's innocence; it may have been another who did it, neither Richard nor Thorn. It was my firm intention to take Richard's case up, the instant I saw my way clearly in it, and now that