’There’s no such haste, Radie.
I only mentioned it. If you don’t like
it, of course it can lead to nothing, and there’s
no use in my speaking to Wylder, and so there’s
an end of it.’
’There may be some use, a purpose in
which neither my feelings nor interests have any part.
I venture to say, Stanley, your plans are all for
yourself. You want to extort some advantage
from Wylder; and you think, in his present situation,
about to marry Dorcas, you can use me for the purpose.
Thank Heaven! Sir, you committed for once the
rare indiscretion of telling the truth; and unless
you make me the promise I require, I will take, before
evening, such measures as will completely exculpate
me. Once again, do you promise?’
‘Yes, Radie; ha, ha! of course I promise.’
‘Upon your honour?’
‘Upon my honour—there.’
’I believe, you gentlemen dragoons observe that
oath—I hope so. If you choose to break
it you may give me some trouble, but you sha’n’t
compromise me. And now, Stanley, one word more.
I fancy Mr. Wylder is a resolute man—none
of the Wylders wanted courage.’
Captain Lake was by this time smiling his sly, sleepy
smile upon his French boots.
’If you have formed any plan which depends upon
frightening him, it is a desperate one. All I
can tell you, Stanley, is this, that if I were a man,
and an attempt made to extort from me any sort of concession
by terror, I would shoot the miscreant who made it
through the head, like a highwayman.’
‘What the devil are you talking about?’
said he.
‘About your danger,’ she answered.
’For once in your life listen to reason.
Mark Wylder is as prompt as you, and has ten times
your nerve and sense; you are more likely to have
committed yourself than he. Take care; he may
retaliate your threat by a counter move more
dreadful. I know nothing of your doings, Stanley—Heaven
forbid! but be warned, or you’ll rue it.’
’Why, Radie, you know nothing of the world.
Do you suppose I’m quite demented? Ask
a gentleman for his estate, or watch, because I know
something to his disadvantage! Why, ha, ha! dear
Radie, every man who has ever been on terms of intimacy
with another must know things to his disadvantage,
but no one thinks of telling them. The world would
not tolerate it. It would prejudice the betrayer
at least as much as the betrayed. I don’t
affect to be angry, or talk romance and heroics, because
you fancy such stuff; but I assure you—when
will that old woman give me a cup of tea?—I
assure you, Radie, there’s nothing in it.’
Rachel made no reply, but she looked steadfastly and
uneasily upon the enigmatical face and downcast eyes
of the young man.
‘Well, I hope so,’ she said at last, with
a sigh, and a slight sense of relief.
IN WHICH CAPTAIN LAKE TAKES HIS HAT AND STICK.
