The Palliser Novels (73 page)

Vavasor walked round Hanover Square, nursing his hatred against the old Squire. He did not tell himself that he would like to murder his grandfather. But he suggested to himself, that if he desired to do so, he would have courage enough to make his way into the old man’s room, and strangle him; and he explained to himself how he would be able to get down into Westmoreland without the world knowing that he had been there, — how he would find an entrance into the house by a window with which he was acquainted, — how he could cause the man to die as though, those around him should think, it was apoplexy, — he, George Vavasor, having read something on that subject lately. All this he considered very fully, walking rapidly round Hanover Square more than once or twice. If he were to become an active student in the Rush or Palmer school, he would so study the matter that he would not be the one that should be hung. He thought that he could, so far, trust his own ingenuity. But yet he did not meditate murder. “Beastly old idiot!” he said to himself, “he must have his chance as other men have, I suppose,” And then he went across Regent Street to Mr Scruby’s office in Great Marlborough Street, not having, as yet, come to any positive conclusion as to what he would do in reference to Alice’s money.

But he soon found himself talking to Mr Scruby as though there were no doubts as to the forthcoming funds for the next elections. And Mr Scruby talked to him very plainly, as though those funds must be forthcoming before long. “A stitch in time saves nine,” said Mr Scruby, meaning to insinuate that a pound in time might have the same effect. “And I’ll tell you what, Mr Vavasor, — of course I’ve my outstanding bills for the last affair. That’s no fault of yours, for the things came so sharp one on another that my fellows haven’t had time to make it out. But if you’ll put me in funds for what I must be out of pocket in
June — “

“Will it be so soon as June?”

“They are talking of June. Why, then, I’ll lump the two bills together when it’s all over.”

In their discussion respecting money Mr Scruby injudiciously mentioned the name of Mr Tombe. No precise caution had been given to him, but he had become aware that the matter was being managed through an agency that was not recognized by his client; and as that agency was simply a vehicle of money which found its way into Mr Scruby’s pocket, he should have held his tongue. But Mr Tombe’s name escaped from him, and Vavasor immediately questioned him. Scruby, who did not often make such blunders, readily excused himself, shaking his head, and declaring that the name had fallen from his lips instead of that of another man. Vavasor accepted the excuse without further notice, and nothing more was said about Mr Tombe while he was in Mr Scruby’s office. But he had not heard the name in vain, and had unfortunately heard it before. Mr Tombe was a remarkable man in his way. He wore powder to his hair, — was very polite in his bearing, — was somewhat asthmatic, and wheezed in his talking, — and was, moreover, the most obedient of men, though it was said of him that he managed the whole income of the Ely Chapter just as he pleased. Being in these ways a man of note, John Grey had spoken of him to Alice, and his name had filtered through Alice and her cousin Kate to George Vavasor. George seldom forgot things or names, and when he heard Mr Tombe’s name mentioned in connection with his own money matters, he remembered that Mr Tombe was John Grey’s lawyer.

As soon as he could escape out into the street he endeavoured to put all these things together, and after a while resolved that he would go to Mr Tombe. What if there should be an understanding between John Grey and Alice, and Mr Tombe should be arranging his money matters for him! Would not anything be better than this, — even that little tragedy down in Westmoreland, for which his ingenuity and courage would be required? He could endure to borrow money from Alice. He might even endure it still, — though that was very difficult after her treatment of him; but he could not endure to be the recipient of John Grey’s money. By heavens, no! And as he got into a cab, and had himself driven off to the neighbourhood of Doctors’ Commons, he gave himself credit for much fine manly feeling. Mr Tombe’s chambers were found without difficulty, and, as it happened, Mr Tombe was there.

The lawyer rose from his chair as Vavasor entered, and bowed his powdered head very meekly as he asked his visitor to sit down. “Mr Vavasor; — oh, yes. He had heard the name. Yes; he was in the habit of acting for his very old friend Mr John Grey. He had acted for Mr John Grey, and for Mr John Grey’s father, — he or his partner, — he believed he might say, for about half a century. There could not be a nicer gentleman than Mr John Grey; — and such a pretty child as he used to be!” At every new sentence Mr Tombe caught his poor asthmatic breath, and bowed his meek old head, and rubbed his hands together as though he hardly dared to keep his seat in Vavasor’s presence without the support of some such motion; and wheezed apologetically, and seemed to ask pardon of his visitor for not knowing intuitively what was the nature of that visitor’s business. But he was a sly old fox was Mr Tombe, and was considering all this time how much it would be well that he should tell Mr Vavasor, and how much it would be well that he should conceal. “The fat had got into the fire,” as he told his old wife when he got home that evening. He told his old wife everything, and I don’t know that any of his clients were the worse for his doing so. But while he was wheezing, and coughing, and apologizing, he made up his mind that if George Vavasor were to ask him certain questions, it would be best that he should answer them truly. If Vavasor did ask those questions, he would probably do so upon certain knowledge, and if so, why, in that case, lying would be of no use. Lying would not put the fat back into the frying pan. And even though such questions might be asked without any absolute knowledge, they would, at any rate, show that the questioner had the means of ascertaining the truth. He would tell as little as he could; but he decided during his last wheeze, that he could not lie in the matter with any chance of benefiting his client. “The prettiest child I ever saw, Mr Vavasor!” said Mr Tombe, and then he coughed violently. Some people who knew Mr Tombe declared that he nursed his cough.

“I dare say,” said George.

“Yes, indeed, — ugh — ugh — ugh.”

“Can you tell me, Mr Tombe, whether either you or he have anything to do with the payment of certain sums to my credit at Messrs Hock and Block’s?”

“Messrs Hock and Block’s, the bankers, — in Lom — bard Street?” said Mr Tombe, taking a little more time.

“Yes; I bank there,” said Vavasor, sharply.

“A most respectable house.”

“Has any money been paid there to my credit, by you, Mr Tombe?”

“May I ask you why you put the question to me, Mr Vavasor?”

“Well, I don’t think you may. That is to say, my reason for asking it can have nothing to do with yours for replying to it. If you have had no hand in any such payment, there is an end of it, and I need not take up your time by saying anything more on the subject.”

“I am not prepared to go that length, Mr Vavasor, — not altogether to go that length, — ugh — ugh — ugh.”

“Then, will you tell me what you have done in the matter?”

“Well, — upon my word, you’ve taken me a little by surprise. Let me see. Pinkle, — Pinkle.” Pinkle was a clerk who sat in an inner room, and Mr Tombe’s effort to call him seemed to be most ineffectual. But Pinkle understood the sound, and came. “Pinkle, didn’t we pay some money into Hock and Block’s a few weeks since, to the credit of Mr George Vavasor?”

“Did we, sir?” said Pinkle, who probably knew that his employer was an old fox, and who, perhaps, had caught something of the fox nature himself.

“I think we did. Just look Pinkle; — and, Pinkle, — see the date, and let me know all about it. It’s fine bright weather for this time of year, Mr Vavasor; but these easterly winds! — ugh — ugh — ugh!”

Vavasor found himself sitting for an apparently interminable number of minutes in Mr Tombe’s dingy chamber, and was coughed at, and wheezed at, till he begun to be tired of his position; moreover, when tired, he showed his impatience. “Perhaps you’ll let us write you a line when we have looked into the matter?” suggested Mr Tombe.

“I’d rather know at once,” said Vavasor. “I don’t suppose it can take you very long to find out whether you have paid money to my account, by order of Mr Grey. At any rate, I must know before I go away.”

“Pinkle, Pinkle!” screamed the old man through his coughing; and again Pinkle came. “Well, Pinkle, was anything of the kind done, or is my memory deceiving me?” Mr Tombe was, no doubt, lying shamefully, for, of course, he remembered all about it; and, indeed, George Vavasor had learned already quite enough for his own purposes.

“I was going to look,” said Pinkle; and Pinkle again went away.

“I’m sorry to give your clerk so much trouble,” said Vavasor, in an angry voice; “and I think it must be unnecessary. Surely you know whether Mr Grey has commissioned you to pay money for me?”

“We have so many things to do, Mr Vavasor; and so many clients. We have, indeed. You see, it isn’t only one gentleman’s affairs. But I think there was something done. I do, indeed.”

“What is Mr John Grey’s address?” asked Vavasor, very sharply.

“Number 5, Suffolk Street, Pall Mall East,” said Mr Tombe. Herein Mr Tombe somewhat committed himself. His client, Mr Grey, was, in fact, in town, but Vavasor had not known or imagined that such was the case. Had Mr Tombe given the usual address of Nethercoats, nothing further would have been demanded from him on that subject. But he had foolishly presumed that the question had been based on special information as to his client’s visit to London, and he had told the plain truth in a very simple way.

“Number 5, Suffolk Street,” said Vavasor, writing down the address. “Perhaps it will be better that I should go to him, as you do not seem inclined to give me any information.” Then he took up his hat, and hardly bowing to Mr Tombe, left the chambers. Mr Tombe, as he did so, rose from his chair, and bent his head meekly down upon the table.

“Pinkle, Pinkle,” wheezed Mr Tombe. “Never mind; never mind.” Pinkle didn’t mind; and we may say that he had not minded; for up to that moment he had taken no steps towards a performance of the order which had been given him.

Mr Tombe had gained nothing for the cause by his crafty silence. George Vavasor felt perfectly certain, as he walked out from the little street which runs at the back of Doctors’ Commons, that the money which he had been using had come, in some shape, through the hands of John Grey. He did not care much to calculate whether the payments had been made from the personal funds of his rival, or whether that rival had been employed to dispense Alice’s fortune. Under either view of the case his position was sufficiently bitter. The truth never for a moment occurred to him. He never dreamed that there might be a conspiracy in the matter, of which Alice was as ignorant as he himself had been. He never reflected that his uncle John, together with John, the lover, whom he so hated, might be the conspirators. To him it seemed to be certain that Alice and Mr Grey were in league; — and if they were in league, what must he think of Alice, and of her engagement with himself!

There are men who rarely think well of women, — who hardly think well of any woman. They put their mothers and sisters into the background, — as though they belonged to some sex or race apart, — and then declare to themselves and to their friends that all women are false, — that no woman can be trusted unless her ugliness protect her; and that every woman may be attacked as fairly as may game in a cover, or deer on a mountain, What man does not know men who have so thought? I cannot say that such had been Vavasor’s creed, — not entirely such. There had been periods of his life when he had believed implicitly in his cousin Alice; — but then there had been other moments in which he had ridiculed himself for his Quixotism in believing in any woman. And as he had grown older the moments of his Quixotism had become more rare. There would have been no such Quixotism left with him now, had not the various circumstances which I have attempted to describe, filled him, during the last twelve months, with a renewed desire to marry his cousin. Every man tries to believe in the honesty of his future wife; and, therefore, Vavasor had tried, and had in his way, believed. He had flattered himself, too, that Alice’s heart had, in truth, been more prone to him than to that other suitor. Grey, as he thought, had been accepted by her cold prudence; but he thought, also, that she had found her prudence to be too cold, and had therefore returned where she had truly loved. Vavasor, though he did not love much himself, was willing enough to be the object of love.

This idea of his, however, had been greatly shaken by Alice’s treatment of himself personally; but still he had not, hitherto, believed that she was false to him. Now, what could he believe of her? What was there within the compass of such a one to believe? As he walked out into St Paul’s Churchyard he called her by every name which is most offensive to a woman’s ears. He hated her at this moment with even a more bitter hatred than that which he felt towards John Grey. She must have deceived him with unparalleled hypocrisy, and lied to him and to his sister Kate as hardly any woman had ever lied before. Or could it be that Kate, also, was lying to him? If so, Kate also should be included in the punishment.

But why should they have conspired to feed him with these moneys? There had been no deceit, at any rate, in reference to the pounds sterling which Scruby had already swallowed. They had been supplied, whatever had been the motives of the suppliers; and he had no doubt that more would be supplied if he would only keep himself quiet. He was still walking westward as he thought of this, down Ludgate Hill, on his direct line towards Suffolk Street; and he tried to persuade himself that it would be well that he should hide his wrath till after provision should have been made for this other election. They were his enemies, — Alice and Mr Grey, — and why should he keep any terms with his enemies? It was still a trouble to him to think that he should have been in any way beholden to John Grey; but the terrible thing had been done, the evil had occurred. What would he gain by staying his hand now? Still, however, he walked on quickly along Fleet Street, and along the Strand, and was already crossing under the Picture Galleries towards Pall Mall East before he had definitely decided what steps he would take on this very day. Exactly at the corner of Suffolk Street he met John Grey.