Delaware; or, The Ruined Family. Vol. 2 — John Shaqi
Delaware; or, The Ruined Family. Vol. 2James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
Delaware; or, The Ruined Family. Vol. 2
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Fiction
As soon as Beauchamp perceived the black ball, which he conceived to
be the crowning member of Mr. Tims's person once more protruded from
the flat front of the house, he raised his voice sufficiently to
convey the sounds to the elevated point from which the miser was
reconnoitring, and desired him to come down, and give him admission,
adding, "It is I, Mr. Burrel!"
"Mr. Burrel!--No, no!" cried the incredulous miser. "That is not Mr.
Burrel's voice--No, no--I'm not to be done--Go along, sir!"
"Mr. Tims," said Beauchamp, quietly, "come down to me directly. I tell
you again, I am Mr. Burrel--and having heard that a part of the sum
that Messrs. Steelyard and Wilkinson"----
"Hush, hush!" cried the miser, now convinced, "Hush, hush!--I will
come down, sir; I will come down directly. I did not know you at
first; but I will come down in a minute. Sarah, get a light
there."--No reply.--"Sarah, get a light!" again shouted Mr. Tims; and
a moment after, Sarah's voice was heard, demanding what was the
matter.
Mr. Tims now speedily descended; but, before he would admit his
visiter, he again made him speak through the door, and took a view of
his person by means of a little grated aperture, practised in the
upper part thereof. The examination was satisfactory, and speedily
bars fell and bolts were withdrawn, and Henry Beauchamp was admitted
within the walls of a place, whose precautionary fastenings were
exactly like those of a prison, with the only difference of being
intended to keep people out, rather than to keep them in. He was
instantly ushered into the invariable parlour, where, by the light of
a solitary tallow candle--white and perspiring under its efforts to
give light in a warm autumn evening--he explained to Mr. Tims the
purpose of his visit.
Mr. Tims, as we have already seen, well knew who Burrel, as he called
himself, really was, even before he told him; and he had also employed
means to ascertain the amount of his property; but, in the present
instance, the prospect of deriving some usurious benefit from his
companion's evident anxiety to furnish the money to Sir Sidney
Delaware, forthwith made him take good care to be utterly ignorant of
every thing concerning him, except that he had drawn upon his agents
for a sum which they had not sufficient assets to pay.
He hummed and he hesitated for a considerable time--declared that he
did not doubt that he was Mr. Beauchamp; but, nevertheless, he must
remind him that he had drawn in the name of Burrel--he might be
perfectly solvent; but such things were never safe without good and
sufficient security. He was quite ready to hand over to him the sum he
had received from Messrs. Steelyard and Wilkinson; but as to advancing
the ten thousand pounds more, really he did not see his way in the
business clearly.
Mr. Beauchamp, who was not to be deceived by all this, reasoned with
him for some time; but at length he assumed another tone, and rising,
took up his hat and stick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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