"By the way,"said Ralph (for with careful carelessness of manner he thought he could extract something of the real nature of the impending disgrace from his companion,in the state in which he then was;and if he only knew more about this danger he could guard against it;guard others;perhaps himself)--"By the way,have you ever heard anything of Dunster since he went off to--America,isn't it thought?"He was startled beyond his power of self-control by the instantaneous change in Mr.Wilkins which his question produced.Both started up;Mr.Wilkins white,shaking,and trying to say something,but unable to form a sensible sentence.
"Good God!sir,what is the matter?"said Ralph,alarmed at these signs of physical suffering.
Mr.Wilkins sat down,and repelled his nearer approach without speaking.
"It is nothing,only this headache which shoots through me at times.
Don't look at me,sir,in that way.It is very unpleasant to find another man's eyes perpetually fixed upon you.""I beg your pardon,"said Ralph,coldly;his short-lived sympathy,thus repulsed,giving way to his curiosity.But he waited for a minute or two without daring to renew the conversation at the point where they had stopped:whether interrupted by bodily or mental discomfort on the part of his companion he was not quite sure.While he hesitated how to begin again on the subject,Mr.Wilkins pulled the bottle of brandy to himself and filled his glass again,tossing off the spirit as if it had been water.Then he tried to look Mr.
Corbet full in the face,with a stare as pertinacious as he could make it,but very different from the keen observant gaze which was trying to read him through.
"What were we talking about?"said Ralph,at length,with the most natural air in the world,just as if he had really been forgetful of some half-discussed subject of interest.
"Of what you'd a d--d deal better hold your tongue about,"growled out Mr.Wilkins,in a surly thick voice.
"Sir!"said Ralph,starting to his feet with real passion at being so addressed by "Wilkins the attorney.""Yes,"continued the latter,"I'll manage my own affairs,and allow of no meddling and no questioning.I said so once before,and I was not minded and bad came of it;and now I say it again.And if you're to come here and put impertinent questions,and stare at me as you've been doing this half-hour past,why,the sooner you leave this house the better!"Ralph half turned to take him at his word,and go at once;but then he "gave Ellinor another chance,"as he worded it in his thoughts;but it was in no spirit of conciliation that he said:
"You've taken too much of that stuff,sir.You don't know what you're saying.If you did,I should leave your house at once,never to return.""You think so,do you?"said Mr.Wilkins,trying to stand up,and look dignified and sober."I say,sir,that if you ever venture again to talk and look as you have done to-night,why,sir,I will ring the bell and have you shown the door by my servants.So now you're warned,my fine fellow!"He sat down,laughing a foolish tipsy laugh of triumph.In another minute his arm was held firmly but gently by Ralph.
"Listen,Mr.Wilkins,"he said,in a low hoarse voice."You shall never have to say to me twice what you have said to-night.
Henceforward we are as strangers to each other.As to Ellinor"--his tones softened a little,and he sighed in spite of himself--"I do not think we should have been happy.I believe our engagement was formed when we were too young to know our own minds,but I would have done my duty and kept to my word;but you,sir,have yourself severed the connection between us by your insolence to-night.I,to be turned out of your house by your servants!--I,a Corbet of Westley,who would not submit to such threats from a peer of the realm,let him be ever so drunk!"He was out of the room,almost out of the house,before he had spoken the last words.
Mr.Wilkins sat still,first fiercely angry,then astonished,and lastly dismayed into sobriety."Corbet,Corbet!Ralph!"he called in vain;then he got up and went to the door,opened it,looked into the fully-lighted hall;all was so quiet there that he could hear the quiet voices of the women in the drawing-room talking together.He thought for a moment,went to the hat-stand,and missed Ralph's low-crowned straw hat.
Then he sat down once more in the dining-room,and endeavoured to make out exactly what had passed;but he could not believe that Mr.
Corbet had come to any enduring or final resolution to break off his engagement,and he had almost reasoned himself back into his former state of indignation at impertinence and injury,when Ellinor came in,pale,hurried,and anxious.