Pelham — Volume 07Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
History
Pelham — Volume 07
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Adventure stories; English fiction -- 19th century; Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
The poor man promised, with tears in his eyes, that he would obey my
injunctions; and with a calm face, but a sickening heart, I turned away
from the house. I knew not where to direct my wanderings; fortunately, I
recollected that I should, in all probability, be among the first
witnesses summoned on Glanville's examination, and that, perhaps, by the
time I reached home, I might already receive an intimation to that
effect; accordingly, I retraced my steps, and, on re-entering my hotel,
was told by the waiter, with a mysterious air, that a gentleman was
waiting to see me. Seated by the window in my room, and wiping his
forehead with a red silk pocket-handkerchief, was a short, thickset man,
with a fiery and rugose complexion, not altogether unlike the aspect of a
mulberry; from underneath a pair of shaggy brows, peeped two singularly
small eyes, which made ample amends by their fire, for their deficiency
in size--they were black, brisk, and somewhat fierce in their expression;
a nose, of that shape, vulgarly termed bottle, formed the "arch sublime,"
the bridge, the twilight as it were, between the purple sun-set of one
cheek, and the glowing sun-rise of the other. His mouth was small, and
drawn up on each corner, like a purse--there was something sour and
crabbed about it; if it was like a purse, it was the purse of a miser: a
fair round chin had not been condemned to single blessedness--on the
contrary, it was like a farmer's pillion, and carried double; on either
side of a very low forehead, hedged round by closely mowed bristles, of a
dingy black, were two enormous ears, of the same intensely rubicund
colour as that inflamed pendant of flesh which adorns the throat of an
enraged turkey-cock; ears so large, and so red, I never beheld before--
they were something preposterous.
This enchanting figure, which was attired in a sober suit of leaden
black, relieved by a long, gold watch-chain, and a plentiful decoration
of seals, rose at my entrance, with a solemn grunt, and a still more
solemn bow. I shut the door carefully, and asked him his business:--as I
had foreseen, it was a request from the magistrate at--, to attend a
private examination on the ensuing day.
"Sad thing, Sir, sad thing," said Mr.--, "it would be quite shocking to
hang a gentleman of Sir Reginald Glanville's quality--so distinguished an
orator too; sad thing, Sir,--very sad thing."
"Oh!" said I, quietly, "there is not a doubt as to Sir Reginald's
innocence of the crime laid to him; and, probably, Mr.--, I may call in
your assistance to-morrow, to ascertain the real murderers--I think I am
possessed of some clue."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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