Fallen among Thieves. A novel of 'Interest.'

Front matter

% Botol of "Jnteesi." BY ARTHUR A BECKETT. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. H. LONDON : CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 1870. [All Rights reserved.] PRINTED BY TATLOE AND CO., LITTLE QUEEN STEEET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

CHAPTER VII.

A REAL " SENSATION SCENE." Great was the excitement on board the ' Punjaub.' Actors and actresses were busily engaged in learning their respective parts. Lieutenants were seen all over the ship, striving hard to force into their well-meaning but thick-skulled heads the difficult words set down for them to speak on the night of the performances. Ladies were noticed with books in their hands, smiling and frowning, and repeating sentences over and over again, in the vain endeavour to gain perfection in their different roles. At the dinner-table VOL. II. E dresses were lazily canvassed, and the scenery moodily mentioned. " I don't know what we are to do," cried Mrs. Smith. " You know so much depends upon the artist. Will no one come to the rescue ? Can no one paint ?" "I say, Harwood," cried Lieutenant Strea ter, of the 207th (Royal Fusiliers), from the end of one of the tables, " look here.

Chapter I. Freddy Makes

A FRIEND. In a luxuriously-furnished room, a table stood ready laid for breakfast. A bachelor's room, with fine water-colour pictures hanging to the lavender-painted walls, with com fortable settees, and still more comfortable lounging-chairs, with books and knick knacks, and looking-glasses, with tapestry hanging before the door, and heavy velvet curtains hiding the fireplace. A large French window opened upon a balcony well-stocked with flowers and evergreens. On the floor of the room was spread a velvet-pile carpet ; VOL. II. E under the mantelpiece, with its bronze clock and candlesticks, lay the skin of a tiger, flooded with the sunshine, which poured in through the open window; behind the bronze clock and candlesticks hung a looking-glass, decorated with a hundred cards of invitation.

A number of breechloaders and a pair of foils were arranged as a trophy over one of the two doors to the room, and a group of paddles, spears, and tomahawks appeared as a pendant over the other. It was a comfortable apartment, certainly, and told eloquently of the taste of its tenant. Assuredly, to judge from appearances, the proprietor of so much luxury must have been rich, young, travelled, and athletic. The room contained but one occupant : a staid, neat-handed valet, who moved silently from table to chairs, arranging this, and putting that into its proper place. Soon one of the doors opened, and a young man, with light brown beard and whiskers, and a perfectly white head of hair, walked in, and threw himself into an easy-chair. The new comer wore a lounging-suit, and smoked a cigarette.

" Well, Larkins, have you found out any thing for me ?" " Yes, Sir," replied the servant, in answer to his master's question : " the gentleman's lived here these two years. He never gets up till twelve, and generally walks in with the morning milk." " Anything more ?" " They tell me, Sir, that he's uncommon fast ; belong's to Sir Hawk Vulture's set ; he's a member of the Dartmoor Club, and plays heavily. He gets a lot of wine and pictures, too, from Mr. Moses Melchisideck's." "Really?" " Yes, Sir; you don't hear much good of him anywhere. He was in a great rage this morning, just before you came in, Sir ; I heard him swearing at his man on the staircase like anything." e " What was the matter ?" " Well, Sir, I believe his man dropped the breakfast things. It was provoking, certainly, but his swearing was horrible.

He said he was in a hurry. He won't get much by his bad language, though; I know his man, — he's a surly fellow, and will be sure to take his time about getting another break fast ready." " Just give me my card-case and the pen and-ink, and — yes, you may lay another place at the table." The man brought the inkstand and the card-case, and placed them in front of the speaker. " Thanks ; now get another plate, tumbler, and cup and saucer." The servant left the room to obey his master's orders. "A lucky chance," said the young man when he was alone. " Now's the time to make the fellow's acquaintance." He drew out a card from the case, and scribbled on the back of it, " Dear Sir, — I hear from my servant that you have had an accident with your breakfast. Permit me, as a neighbour, to offer you a share of my own.

If it is of the slightest convenience to you, pray do not hesitate to accept my offer for a moment. Yours very faithfully, Richard Harwood." When Larkins re entered the apartment with the additional crockery, he gave him the card, and said, — " Kindly take this up to Mr. Holston, with my compliments." " Yes, Sir," and the man prepared to leave the room. " Stay a second, Larkins. By the bye, do you know whether Mr. Holston has made any inquiries about me ?" " Yes, Sir," replied Larkins with a smile, " his man was pumping me all last night." " And you told him ?" "What you told me I might tell him, Sir, — that you was very rich, and had made a fortune in Australia." " Quite right, Larkins ; and now you may go." "Yes, Sir," and the man left the room for the second time. Leopold waited the arrival of his visitor impatiently.

"Will he recognize me?" he murmured ; " no," he added, looking into the glass, "that face has changed greatly since — " he finished the sentence with a sigh. " I wonder if the detectives will be of any use to me, — they make sad bungles now-a-days." He took up the ' Times,' and began to read one of the leaders. With the print before him, and his thoughts far away, he leant back upon his chair in a fit of abstrac tion. By-and-by he raised his eyes from the page, and gave a start of surprise. Freddy Holston was standing before him ; he had been regarding him for the last three minutes. " Really, I must thank you very much indeed," began Harwood's guest, "for the kind way in which you have asked me to breakfast. I accept your invitation with infinite pleasure, especially as it gives me an opportunity of making your acquaintance."

The two men confronted one another. Richard, or rather Leopold, thought, " How I hate that man, — how I hate that man !" And Freddy thought, " I have seen that fellow's face before, — somewhere," but they said nothing, and only smiled. Leopold pointed to a chair, and begged his visitor to be seated. "Do you know," said Freddy, glancing round the room, and noting down the evidence of wealth, "I am very glad that you have broken through the cold walls of idiotic etiquette, and have made my acquaintance. Neighbours ought to know one another, and be friends." " Quite so," assented Leopold. " You have recently returned from Aus tralia, I understand?" "Yes." " Do you know many people over heaw ?" "Not a great number, — in fact, scarcely any one." "Ah, when we know one another a little better, I trust I shall be able to be of some service to you.

I know shoals of people." " Thanks, very much, — you really are very good." " Not at all, not at all," said Freddy, with an air of the supremest patronage. "It's easy enough to get into society over heaw, if you're a gentleman, and have enough to live on. A propos, did you read the account of the shipwreck of one of the P. and 0. boats ?" ' ' Yes ; I beUeve there was something about it in the papers ?" " Strange affair, that shipwreck, wasn't it? Fancy going down in smooth water. Awful idea, wasn't it ?" "Yes, — I happened to be on board the ' Punjaub ' at the time of the disaster." " By jingo, you don't say so ! then you must have known the Ruthvens ?" " Yes, slightly," " Oh, they're great friends of mine ; old woman painted, but was amusing. Poor creature, she sank with the ship, didn't she ?

" Yes." " How did you escape ?" " Oh, we took to the boats in time. Lady Ruthven was left accidentally on board. Her absence was not discovered until it was too late to save her." "Really, — poor creature. You were picked up by a steamer, weren't you ?" " Yes, we were very lucky ; we were not a day on the open sea." "Rather a bore, a shipwreck, I should say ?" " Yes, it was rather a bore." " Do you know, I think we shall be great friends," said Freddy, with another look round the room. " I hope so, I am sure," replied Leopold, with a sbght smile. " You are eating nothing !" "Thanks. To tell the truth, I break fasted some time ago." "I hope I have put you to no great in convenience ?" " Oh, dear no ; I was only accounting for my not breaking bread with you. You know the old Arab custom ?" " Some nonsense or other, I suppose."

"An Arab never breaks bread with an enemy." " Ha, ha !" laughed Freddy, " those kind of customs are out of date. If I had to ask all my friends to break bread with me, I should be ruined in a week. It's true, though you're a millionaire, and I am a poor devil, with scarce a couple of hundred a year to bless myself with." " And yet you seem to live tolerably comfortably," observed Leopold, with a smile. " Ah, every fellow has his enemies, and I suppose you have heard some stories about me," said Freddy, with a flushed face ; "hang it all, if a fellow is lucky, it's the fault of the cards, isn't it, — it's not his crime ?" "Undoubtedly," replied Leopold, rather drily. "Are you fond of the Opera?" asked Freddy, hastening to change the subject. "Yes, I like to listen to good music." "Which do you prefer, before or behind the curtain ?"

" I don't quite catch your meaning." " Oh, you colonists are delightfully simple; your virtue is quite refreshing, on my soul it is," said Freddy in a bantering tone. "Why I mean, of course, do you care for the ballet ?" "Not much!" "I have here in my locket a charming little face, — on my soul, I'm really awfully fond of the little woman. The only thing against it is, it's so deuced expensive ;" and Freddy opened a locket, and passed it over to Leopold. With a smile the young man took the charm, and glanced at its contents. The moment his eyes encountered the face looking up at him from the enamel, his cheek suddenly blanched, and his forehead was in a second covered with cold perspiration. With an almost superhuman effort he mas tered his emotion, and returned the locket to its owner. Before closing it, Freddy looked down at the portrait.

" By Jove !" he cried, with a sbght start, "I have shown you the wrong picture, — Leonie must be in my turquoise locket. This is—" "Who?" asked Leopold, trembling from head to foot. "Well, on second thoughts, perhaps I oughtn't to tell you," replied Freddy with a short laugh. "Let's call her Florence, — never mind her surname. Enough to say, she's waiting to marry me. I have talked the matter over with Leonie, but I don't think she likes the idea; women are so idiotic about some things, you know. Hallo, why you look quite pale, — what's the matter with you ?" "Nothing — nothing," said Leopold, with an effort. " In Australia I was always sub ject to fainting fits. I don't feel very well." " Can't I do anything for you ?" "No, thanks; I shall be all right soon." " Lie down for an hour or so.

Good-bye. A million thanks for your kind hospitality. I am so sorry you are ill." Freddy held out his hand, but Leopold seemed not to see it; at least he made no effort to grasp the outstretched palm. In a moment more Freddy had left the room. When he was left alone, Leopold stag gered to the side-board, and poured himself out a glass of brandy. He drank it greedily, and then returned to the breakfast -table. " Good God !" he cried, " I cannot let it be. I must, — I will save her !" He sat down at his desk, and hurriedly wrote a letter ; then he rang the bell, and, when Larkins appeared, told him to take the note to the post. As the servant left the room he read the superscription on the envelope. The letter was addressed to "Miss Ruthven, Stelstead Park, Near Braintree, Essex,'''' and was marked "Immediate."

Chapter II. The First Step

>. The day succeeding his interview with Freddy Holston, Leopold Lawson made his way to the Temple in search of the chambers of Mr. Marcus Perks, the young barrister who, it may be remembered, defended the prisoner in the Raymond Murder case. After asking the janitor, who kept guard over the door that led into Fleet Street, the way, our hero (for so we may consider him for want of a better) soon discovered the spot sacred to the young barrister and his books. The staircase was rather new, and the name of "Mr. Marcus Perks," written on the wall in black letters on a white ground, was very new — painfully new. Ah ! youth may be all very well in poetry, but when we come to the business of this wretched life, youth resolves itself into a perpetual nuisance. Stop, I recall my ver dict — on consideration, I don't mind expung ing the word "perpetual."

I once knew a young, and consequently struggling author, who declared that if ever he were rich enough to afford the expense of a valet, he would select Clarkson, the eminent theatri cal wig-maker, for the situation, — always supposing that the said eminent theatrical wig-maker would condescend to accept the lucrative and honourable appointment. He said, in explanation of his plan, " that Clark son would be able to ' get him up ' as an old man every morning before business hours, and thus turn his youthful face into the very picture of venerable respectability." I laughed at him at the time, but experience has taught me since that there was a good deal of method in his madness. Leopold ascended the stairs, and on the top floor found a door bearing a like inscrip tion to that painted at the base of the build ing; the same words, "Mr. Marcus Perks," were repeated here, only in letters that looked even newer than the very new let ters airing themselves on the wall just thirty feet below.

Leopold seized the knocker, and sent a "rat-tat" echoing down the whitewashed ceiling to the staircase. After a few minutes' delay, a very small boy opened the door slowly, and waited lazily to hear what the visitor had to say for him self. "Are these Mr. Perks' chambers?" "Yes, Sir," answered the small boy drowsily; "Iam Mr. Perks' clerk." "Is your mast' — he'm— your employer in?" F VOL. "Yes, Sir, but he's very much engaged with a client just at present. Can I do any thing for you,— is it private or public ?" As the boy said this, sounds of distant laughter were wafted from the chambers out on to the staircase. "No, thanks, — but I'm in no hurry. Perhaps you will kindly take in my card." " Certainly, Sir," and the boy re-entered the chambers, and walked towards the door of a distant room.

As the clerk opened the door, after a gentle knock, Leopold heard a distant voice say, "Look here, old fellow, I'm not taking up your time, eh ? Not interfering with business?" And another distant voice reply, " Business be hanged ! Help yourself to another glass of sherry, old man, and go on. You were saying that you took hold of the bell handle, when you saw a bobby looking at you. Yes ?" At this moment the clerk gave his mes sage. There was a little mumbling, and then the boy closed the door and returned to the visitor standing on the threshold. "Please, Sir," said the boy of law, "Mr. Perks is very much engaged with a most important case, but if you will step into one of the waiting-rooms for five minutes he will see you directly." The youth then ushered Leopold into a sort of den and left him.

After a while he heard Perks (who had evidently disposed of the important case) bidding his client good bye, and then he was shown by the learned child into "the presence." Perks' room was like himself, — it was young. There were new law-books, and new furniture, and new briefs. The only thing old in the place was a meerschaum pipe (resting on the bran-new mantelpiece) and even that had been newly lighted. The master of the apartment was apparently very f hard at work at some new papers on a new desk. "Pardon me," he said, looking up from his writing and pointing to a new chair, "I will be at your disposal in a second." Perks frowned at his new papers, rested his head on his right hand (which was supported by the elbow resting on the desk) stared hard at the ceiling, and then wrote rapidly for a couple of seconds or so.

After he had repeated this manœuvre for a few minutes, he laid down his pen, turned round on his chair towards Leopold, stretched out his legs, and exclaimed. " Now, my dear Sir, what can I do for you ?" " I think, Mr. Perks, that you were engaged in the case of Regina versus Law son ?" "Very possibly; if you will allow me I will refer to my clerk." Upon this he struck a bell, and waited for the appearance of the official in question. When the legal urchin put in an appearance, Perks said, — "Tommy, — hem, I mean Campbell, — were we in the case of Regina versus Law son ?" " Yes, Sir." "You are quite sure? If not, you had better refer to your book." " Oh, I know we was, Sir. It was just before I came, and since then we've only been in — " " Never mind," interrupted Perks, with a slight frown.

" Now that I think of it, I perfectly remember the case. You can go." The baby lawyer retired, and the two young men were once more tete a tete. " Hem," continued Perks. " Yes, it was a singular case. I very nearly got a verdict, but the evidence was too strong against the poor devil. I knew the jury would bring him in guilty before I took the brief. If I'd been on the jury myself, I should have helped them to do it." " And yet he was innocent," said Leopold rather impatiently. " Really !" replied Perks, staring at his visitor through his eye-glass. " Perhaps you were interested in the convict ; if so, pray pardon me if I have (unintentionally I assure you) said anything that — " " I was his son !" Perks settled himself in his chair, and stared all the more. " I was his son, Sir," continued Leopold more calmly ; " and I have come to ask you, as an honest man, to help me to prove my father's innocence."

Perks looked rather uneasy and murmured, "Iam sure I shall he only too happy." He went on in a louder tone, " But are you quite sure that you are wise ? Mind, it was only a case of circumstantial evidence ; purely circumstantial, nothing was proved. Unhappily the case has been tried and — hem — disposed of. I see you have changed your name. Don't you think you had better allow the past to bury the past ?" "I cannot; I have a duty to perform; I must find my father's murderer." Perks rose from his chair, and walked uneasily from one end of the room to the other. This he repeated twice or thrice, and then he stopped and addressed Leopold. "My dear Sir," he said, "pray take my advice. Don't pursue this purpose. I can assure you that it can, it will do no good. Suppose you hunt down the wretched man ; well, and what then ?

You will only sacrifice another life. Don't think me a prig if I tell you that vengeance belongs to God and not to man." "You mean what you say kindly," replied Leopold in a moved voice, " and I thank you heartily for your goodness, but I tell you once more that I must find out my father's assassin,— that, please God, I mil." Perks stopped his walk, threw himself into his chair, and said in a dissatisfied voice, — " Well, Sir, what can I do for you ?" " You were my father's counsel. Will you oblige me with a copy of the brief you received in the trial ?" Perks struck the bell once more, and when Campbell entered the room, asked for " the brief packet." The embryo lord chief justice looked a little surprised, became invisible, but instantly reappeared with a very small bundle of papers. Perks took the bundle, hastily looked through it, and handed the desired paper over to Leopold, who rose, thanked the young barrister for his courtesy, and walked towards the door.

" Wait a moment, Sir," said Marcus, whose features displayed at once displeasure and kind-heartedness in a sort of facial salad. " Are you quite sure that you think you are right ?" " Quite sure." " And quite certain that you will go on with this case ?" " Quite certain." " Well, then, perhaps I had better help you. After all, you are only clearing your father's name, and if he was dealt with un fairly, it's your duty to society to find out the real murderer ; isn't it ?" Leopold bowed. " Besides that," said Perks, " if you will permit me to say so, I like you. If I could be of service to you I would. Sit down again, and let me think it over." Leopold obeyed with a smile, and when the two young men were once more seated, Perks commenced, — "Have you done anything yet about the matter, Mr. Harwood ?"

" Well, yes ; I went to Mr. Bobbarty's Private Inquiry Office." " Bobbarty ! the greatest ruffian unhanged. He will never be of any use to you. Look here ; I know an uncommonly sharp de tective (really a clever fellow). If you like, I will get him to take up the case for you. He will be rather expensive, and I don't suppose he will come up quite to the standard of the police who figure in Miss M. E. Brad don's novels. But I am sure he will do his best, and has an uncommonly good head to help him to do it. His name is Barman, and he lives in the King's Road, Chelsea. If you Hke him, I will send him that brief, and see what he will do with it." " I shall only be too glad to take your advice," said Leopold, handing back the paper. " Very well ; he shall have it to-night." Leopold rose and thanked Perks warmly for his kindness.

" Oh, it's nothing," said the barrister, with a smile and a blush. " To tell you the truth, I have plenty of time, — rather too much time on my hands. I shall be very glad to assist you in any way that lies in my power." The two young men shook hands, and separated. The next day an envelope was put into Leopold's hands by his servant. The envelope contained two letters. The first ran as follows : — " Buildings, Temple. " My dear Sir, — I enclose a letter I have just received from Barman. I advise you strongly to take the fellow's advice. " Hoping that your interview will not prove barren in results, " Believe me in great haste (I am hurrying off to attend a rehearsal of some private theatricals), " Yours very truly, "Marcus Perks. " R, Harwood, Esq." The second was to this effect : — " — , King's Road, Chelsea.

"Dear Sir,— Tell your friend, Mr. Har wood, to call upon Mr. Cumberland Kenny, Controller of the Paupers' Property Office. I think he will discover in the official a very old friend. After he has seen him, let him write to me. " Yours respectfully, "J. Barman."

Chapter III. The Paupers' Property Office

All the world knows that the Civil Servants of the Crown are dreadfully overpaid and underworked, and, as a matter of course, what all the world knows must be true. In spite of this, however, it is only fair to say that there are civil servants who are over worked and underpaid, — men who are bullied and badgered through the livelong day, and who retire to rest but to dream of bankruptcy and starvation. These unhappy creatures belong to offices situated east of Temple Bar, — places connected with the Toast Office and the Dustoms, — places where the chiefs are " h "-dropping sons of anybodies and no bodies, and the drudges, the much-enduring offspring of poor clergymen, briefless bar risters, and decayed country gentlemen. Be lieve me, reader, if the West-End Govern ment Offices are Paradises to lazy loungers, the East-End Offices are, in comparison, much worse than Purgatories to industrious clerks.

That great writer, Charles Dickens, has given a picture of the Circumlocution Office. Why doesn't he go with his sketch book into the dreary rooms of that abode of misery and heart-burnings, the Paupers' Property Department ? Were Dante alive, he would find in the place plenty of subject for an addition to his ' Inferno.' Leopold, a few days after his interview with Marcus Perks, resolved upon paying this dreadful spot a visit. He ordered round his mail-phaeton, and drove to the City. After a journey of some twenty minutes' duration he arrived at the office. Even its exterior was not particularly prepossessing. It looked like a wool-warehouse that had been neglected in its youth, and, consequently, had taken to dull windows and a vulgar brass plate in its old age. As Leo pold drove up to the door, a poor wretch, who had seen some sixty summers, hobbled out.

It was one of the junior clerks on his way to his dinner. He hurried away to get his dearly-bought meal before our hero had had time to dismount, — the miserable creature knew that every moment spent out of the office would be remembered against him by the State, to the great diminution of his pitiful salary ! Leopold walked up the stone steps, and found a brusque official guarding this model department, and barring his progress. " What do you want ?" asked the City Cerberus to this Government Hades. "If you want any of the clerks, just give me his name, and I will see if he's here. We don't allow no one to go upstairs. Our young men 'as to come down into the 'all when so be there's any one to see any of 'em." " Can I see Mr. Cumberland Kenny?" " Mr. Cumberland Kenny ! Why 'e's our Auditor-in-Chief.

Oh, yes, Sir, you can see 'im," said Cerberus, suddenly becoming civil. He continued, in an apologetic tone, "Beg pardon, Sir, but if I was a little short just now, it was all a mistake. I thought as 'ow you 'ad come to see one of our young men, — one of them clerks, — and we are obliged to be very short when we 'as to deal with them. Will you just step in 'ere a minute ? Sorry we ain't got no waiting-room. Take in your card, Sir ? Yes, Sir." " 'Ere " was a stuffy room, unhealthily crowded with a number of clerks, packed closely together on forms, and hard at work, filling up addresses on envelopes, etc. In front of each "lounger under government" was a sheet of paper, full of the most undeci pherable of wretched writing, from which he had to gather the information necessary for the performance of his task.

This sheet of paper was a list of the pauperswho had become possessed of legacies, fortunes, peerages, etc., and had been furnished theoretically by the very high official, whose duty it was to look after the poor (generally some small provin cial tradesman), actually by that very high official's wife or children. " Messenger," said one of the clerks, whose rosy cheeks (so different in colour to those of his luckless companions) proved that he was fresh to the office ; " messenger, get me some ink, please." A loutish young man, with very large and dirty hands, who was walking across the room with a bundle of envelopes, stopped short, and looked the very picture of sur prise. On the audacious clerk repeating his request, the loutish young man blurted out VOL. II. G something about "better get it for 'imself, 'e was not going to get ink for nobody, much less for the likes of 'im !"