Such was Jaspar Dumont, whom we left in Maxwell's office at the close of our first chapter.
On the day succeeding the departure of Henry Carroll, Colonel Dumont felt himself much weaker in body, and was fully impressed with the conviction that his final sickness had laid its hand upon him. To Emily he had not communicated these gloomy forebodings, and she had discovered no alarming symptoms in his illness. She had no suspicion of the nature of her father's business with Maxwell, and had borne his message to the attorney, as she had often done before, in her frequent visits to New Orleans, though on this occasion, as may be supposed, she felt much delicacy in doing so.
In her absence Colonel Dumont had become more and more impressed with the omens of a speedy dissolution, and in his uneasiness had despatched Jaspar with a draft of his intentions, wishing the attorney to write the will in his office (where he could have his authorities at hand), and return with his brother.
Maxwell considered the will and his own position, while Jaspar lit another cigar. Each was striving to penetrate the thoughts of the other, but neither had the boldness to enter upon the subject which occupied his mind. The lawyer wanted the lady and the fortune, and he had an undefined purpose of obtaining them through the agency of Jaspar, who wanted only the fortune, and had a decided anticipation of being able to retain the attorney in his service. Neither knew the purposes of the other; but each wanted the assistance of the other.
Maxwell, with an absent mind, perused and reperused the first page of Colonel Dumont's instructions. Without a purpose he turned the leaf, and his attention was attracted by the name of his formidable rival, Henry Carroll. He read, with astonishment, a bequest to him of fifty thousand dollars. If it needed anything to complete his discomfiture, this was sufficient. He began to think Colonel Dumont was in his dotage. He had scarcely heard of Captain Carroll until his return from Mexico, and now he was a legatee in the will of a millionaire. With much anxiety he completed the reading of the instructions, fearful that he should find the young officer's name in connection with Emily's. To his great relief he found no such allusion, and again he applied himself to the task of writing out the will.
Jaspar smoked his cigar, glanced occasionally at the newspaper, and stared out of the window. He was evidently lost to all around him, in the workings of his own mind. Now his thoughts seemed to excite him, for his eye glared with an unusual lustre, and his thin lips moved, as if they would disclose the operations of his mind. "Will he do it?" muttered he. "He shall do it, or by—— he shall suffer! I have the means of compelling him. I will use them."
Apparently satisfied with his conclusion, he rose hastily and approached the attorney. A smooth smile—an unwonted expression on his features—seemed to come on demand. Again he looked over the lawyer's shoulder. He saw the name of Henry Carroll, and his former severe expression returned, and his frame was stirred by angry emotions. A half-suppressed oath did not escape the quick ear of the attorney, and he turned to observe the face of his companion. He read at a glance the dissatisfaction which the will occasioned. The reason was plain; and, with the intention of drawing out Jaspar's views, he addressed him.
"This Carroll is a lucky fellow," said he.
"The devil is always the luckiest fellow in the crowd," growled Jaspar, with an oath.
"You are right, sir," returned Maxwell, pleased to see no better feeling between his rival and the uncle.
"But who is this Carroll?" said he.
"A hungry cub, whom the colonel has helped along in the world."
"Well, he has proved himself a brave and skilful officer, and reflects credit on your brother's judgment in the selection of a protegé," returned Maxwell, adroitly.
"The fellow is all well enough, for aught I know, but he has wheedled the colonel out of fifty thousand dollars, and I can never forgive him for that," said Jaspar, in what was intended for a playful tone, but which was designed as a "feeler" of the attorney's conscience.
"But there is still an immense property left, even after deducting the liberal charitable donations," said Maxwell.
"There is, but where does it go to? That whining young cub has divided a hundred thousand with me, and the silly girl has the rest."
"Which will eventually go into the hands of Captain Carroll—lucky dog, he!" returned Maxwell, striving to provoke Jaspar still more.
"What! what mean you, man?" said Jaspar, with a scowl, as he caught a glimpse of the attorney's meaning.
"Is it possible, my dear sir," said Maxwell, laying down his pen, and turning half round, "is it possible you have not observed the intimacy which has grown up between this Carroll and your niece?"
"Intimacy! what do you mean? Speak out! no equivocation!" said Jaspar, almost fiercely.
"Do you not see that she will yet be the wife of Captain Carroll?"
Jaspar scowled, but said nothing. He had seen nothing from which he could draw such an inference, but he doubted not the information was correct.
"Well, well, it matters not. He may as well have it as she," muttered he. "This will suits me not, and must be broken or altered."
"It is hard upon you," said Maxwell, who had overheard Jaspar's mutterings.
"It is rather hard to be placed upon the same level with a comparative stranger," replied Jaspar, thoughtfully, after a long pause. He had not intended the lawyer should hear his previous remarks, and had reflected whether he should disown them, or pursue the subject as thus opened.
"Of course you will not mention the idle remark I made," continued Jaspar, in a vein of prudence. "My brother has an undoubted right to dispose of his property as he pleases."
"O, certainly. What transpires in my office is always regarded with the strictest confidence, whatever its nature, and however it affects any individual," replied Maxwell, laying peculiar emphasis on the latter clause.
"That's right, always be secret," said Jaspar, without any of the appearance of obligation for the favor which the attorney expected to see.
"I have secrets in my possession which would ruin some of the best families in the State of Louisiana."
"Without doubt," replied Jaspar, coldly.
The attorney resumed his writing, and pronounced in an audible tone each sentence as he committed it to the paper.
"To my beloved brother—Jaspar Dumont—I give and bequeath the sum of fifty thousand dollars."
These words, as intended, again fired Jaspar's passions.
"Is there no remedy for this?" asked he, hastily.
"No legal remedy," replied Maxwell, indifferently, as he continued his task.
"Is there any, legal or illegal?"
"None that an honest man would be willing to resort to."
"That any man would resort to?" and Jaspar was not a little provoked at the attorney's moral inferences.
"I know of none."
"I do."
"Then why do you not put it into operation before it is too late? The will is now nearly written."
"Pshaw! man; you do not understand me. A bolder step than you are thinking of."
"Well, what do you wait for?"
"I need assistance."
"If I can afford you any aid, honorably, I shall be most happy."
"Honorably! What the devil do you mean by honorably?" said Jaspar, exasperated by this unexpected display of morality.
"What do I mean by honorably? Why, anything