And Monsieur Varbarriere laughed like the clang and roar of a chime of cathedral bells.
"It will be a smart blow," said the attorney, almost dreamily.
"Smash him," said Varbarriere. "The Deverell estate is something over five thousand a-year; and the mesne rates, with four per cent. interest, amount to 213,000l."
"He'll defend it," said the knight of the sorrowful countenance, who was now gathering in his papers.
"I hope he will," growled Varbarriere, with a chuckle. "He has not a leg to stand on – all the better for you, at all events; and then I'll bring down that other hammer on his head."
"The criminal proceedings?" murmured the sad attorney.
"Ay. I can prove that case myself – he fired before his time, and killed him, I'm certain simply to get the estate. I was the only person present – poor Guy! Jekyl had me in his pocket then. The rascal wanted to thrust me down and destroy me afterwards. He employed that Jew house, Röbenzahl and Isaacs – the villain! Luck turned, and I am a rich fellow now, and his turn is coming. Vive la justice éternelle! Vive la bagatelle! Bravo! Bah!"
Monsieur Varbarriere had another pleasant roar of laughter here, and threw his hat at the solemn attorney's head.
"You'll lunch with me," said Varbarriere.
"Thanks," murmured the attorney.
"And now the war – the campaign – what next?"
"You'll make an exact note," the attorney musingly replied, "of what that woman Wynn or Gwynn can prove; also what the Lord Bishop of what's-his-name can prove; and it strikes me we shall have to serve some notice to intimidate Sir Jekyl about that red-leather box, to prevent his making away with the deed, and show him we know it is there; or perhaps apply for an order to make him lodge the deed in court; but Tom Weavel – he's always in town – will advise us. You don't think that woman will leave us in the lurch?"
"No," said Varbarriere, as if he was thinking of something else. "That Donica Gwynn, you mean. She had that green chamber to herself, you see, for a matter of three years."
"Yes."
"And she's one of those old domestic Dianas who are sensitive about scandal – you understand – and she knows what ill-natured people would say; so I quieted her all I could, and I don't think she'll venture to recede. No; she certainly won't."
"How soon can you let me have the notes, sir?"
"To-morrow, when I return. I've an appointment to keep by rail to-night, and I'll make a full memorandum from my notes as I go along."
"Thanks – and what are your instructions?"
"Send back the cases with copies of the new evidence."
"And assuming a favourable opinion, sir, are my instructions to proceed?"
"Certainly, my son, forthwith – the grass it must not grow under our feet."
"Of course subject to counsel's opinion?" said the attorney, sadly.
"To be sure."
"And which first – the action or the indictment? or both together?" asked Mr. Rumsey.
"That for counsel too. Only my general direction is, let the onset be as sudden, violent, and determined as possible. You see?"
The attorney nodded gently, tying up his last bundle of papers as softly as a lady might knot her ribbon round the neck of her lap-dog.
"You see?"
"Yes, sir; your object is destruction. Delenda est Carthago – that's the word," murmured Mr. Rumsey, plaintively.
"Yes – ha, ha! – what you call double him up!" clanged out Varbarriere, with an exulting oath and a chuckle.
The attorney had locked up his despatch-box now, and putting the little bunch of keys deep into his trowsers pocket, he said, "Yes, that's the word; but I suppose you have considered – "
"What? I'm tired considering."
"I was going to say whether some more certain result might not be obtainable by negotiation; that is, if you thought it a case for negotiation."
"What negotiation? What do you mean?"
"Well, you see there are materials – there's something to yield at both sides," said the attorney, very slowly, in a diplomatic reverie.
"But why should you think of a compromise? – the worst thing I fancy could happen to you."
There was a general truth in this. It is not the ferryman's interest to build a bridge, nor was it Mr. Rumsey's that his client should walk high and dry over those troubled waters through which it was his privilege and profit to pilot him. But he had not quite so much faith in this case as Monsieur Varbarriere had, and he knew that his wealthy and resolute client could grow savage enough in defeat, and had once or twice had stormy interviews with him after failures.
"If the young gentleman and young lady liked one another, for instance, the conflicting claims might be reconciled, and a marriage would in that case arrange the difference."
"There's nothing very deep in that," snarled Varbarriere, "but there is everything impracticable. Do you think Guy Deverell, whose father that lache murdered before my eyes, could ever endure to call him father? Bah! If I thought so I would drive him from my presence and never behold him more. No, no, no! There is more than an estate in all this – there is justice, there is punishment."
Monsieur Varbarriere, with his hands in his pockets, took a turn up and down the room, and his solemn steps shook the floor, and his countenance was agitated by violence and hatred.
The pale, thin attorney eyed him with a gentle and careworn observation. His respected client was heaving with a great toppling swagger as he to-ed and fro-ed in his thunderstorm, looking as black as the Spirit of Evil.
This old-maidish attorney was meek and wise, but by no means timid. He was accustomed to hear strong language, and sometimes even oaths, without any strange emotion. He looked on this sort of volcanic demonstration scientifically, as a policeman does on drunkenness – knew its stages, and when it was best left to itself.
Mr. Rumsey, therefore, poked the fire a little, and then looked out of the window.
"You don't go to town to-night?"
"Not if you require me here, sir."
"Yes, I shall have those memoranda to give you – and tell me now, I think you know your business. Do you think, as we now stand, success is certain?"
"Well, sir, it certainly is very strong – very; but I need not tell you a case will sometimes take a queer turn, and I never like to tell a client that anything is absolutely certain – a case is sometimes carried out of its legitimate course, you see; the judges may go wrong, or the jury bolt, or a witness may break down, or else a bit of evidence may start up – it's a responsibility we never take on ourselves to say that of any case; and you know there has been a good deal of time – and that sometimes raises a feeling with a jury."
"Ay, a quarter of a century, but it can't be helped. For ten years of that time I could not show, I owed money to everybody. Then, when I was for striking on the criminal charge for murder, or manslaughter, or whatever you agreed it was to be, you all said I must begin with the civil action, and first oust him from Guy Deverell's estate. Well, there you told me I could not move till he was twenty-five, and now you talk of the good deal of time —ma foi!– as if it was I who delayed, and not you, messieurs. But enough, past is past. We have the present, and I'll use it."
"We are to go on, then?"
"Yes, we've had to wait too long. Stop for nothing, drive right on, you see, at the fastest pace counsel can manage. If I saw the Deverell estate where it should be, and a judgment for the mesne rates, and Sir Jekyl Marlowe in the dock for his crime, I don't say I should sing nunc dimittis; but, parbleu, sir, it would be very agreeable – ha! ha! ha!"
CHAPTER