The House on the Moor, v. 3/3Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
General
The House on the Moor, v. 3/3
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Fiction
While the rapid railway, of which she was half afraid among all her
other fears and excitements, carried Susan across the border, her
brother hastened by himself along the country road to Kenlisle. It still
wanted an hour of noon, but Horace was angry to be so late, and his
thoughts were not of the most agreeable description. It was, to be sure,
no personal loss to himself which could be brought about by the mission
of the old pitman to Sir John Armitage, which he had stopped for this
time, but might not be able to stop again; but if the story was actually
told to Roger Musgrave's real friends, who would use it for the
interests of the heir, there was an end of "the power" of Horace over
the two attorneys, whose breach of trust could no longer be concealed.
Then he was furious to think that his sister had heard something, much
or little, of his conversation with the old man, and might have it in
her power to give a clue to the secret. While mingled with this
immediate concern was a renewed impression of the importance which his
father attached to Colonel Sutherland's letter, or at least to the
information contained in it; and the most eager anxiety to get to London
to resolve his fate, if that was possible, by investigations at Doctors'
Commons into the will. Whose will was it? Was he justified in believing
that even the name of Scarsdale was the real name of the family, or at
least of the testator who had willed a "posthumous punishment and
vengeance" upon his father? Horace could give no answer to these
questions; he could not even resolve on hastening to town immediately,
for his time was bound to the will of another, and his funds were
exhausted. To wait was the only possibility which remained to him, and
he did that with a sufficiently ill grace.
Mr. Stenhouse, however, was still at Kenlisle. As soon as he reached the
office, and had ascertained that Mr. Pouncet was in his private room, in
conference with his former partner, Horace lost no time in demanding an
audience. He was received by the Kenlisle lawyer with the greatest
evident reluctance and hesitation. Mr. Pouncet gave him the veriest
little nod as he came in, and glanced from Horace to Mr. Stenhouse with
an expression which seemed to say that he was the victim of a
conspiracy, and that some new complot was hatching against his peace. He
did not even ask the young man's business; the whole affair was growing
unbearable to the man of character, who knew his reputation and credit
to be in the hands of these two, yet who, frightened as he was, could
scarcely veil his repugnance and impatience. Mr. Stenhouse, however,
shook hands cordially with his new friend. "Well, Mr. Scarsdale?" he
said, in his frankest tone, "any news?" He was not afraid; and to show
that he had no occasion to be so, but that the whole burden of legal
peril lay upon his unfortunate colleague, was a pleasure and
refreshment indescribable to Mr. Pouncet's amiable "friend."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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