The Black Baronet; or, The Chronicles Of Ballytrain Part 90

Birney looked at him, and said, very gravely, "Pray, sir, what is your business with me? My time, sir, is valuable. My time is money--a portion of my landed property, sir."

"Haw! Very good; but you Hirish are so fiery and impatient! However, I will come to the point. You are about to joust that young scamp, by the way, out of the t.i.tle and property. I say so, because I am up to the thing. Yet you want dockiments to establish your case--haw?"

"Well, sir, and suppose we do; you, I presume, as the friend of Lord Dunroe, are not coming to furnish us with them?"

"That is, Mr. Birney, as we shall understand one another. You failed in your mission to France?"

"I shall hear any proposal, sir, you have to make, but will answer no questions on the subject until I understand your motive for putting them."

"Good--very cool and cautious--but suppose, now, that I, who know you 'ave failed in procuring the dockiments in question, could supply you with them--haw!--do you understand me now?"

"Less than ever, sir, I a.s.sure you. Observe that you introduced yourself to me as the friend of Lord Dunroe."

"Merely to connect myself with the proceedings between you. I 'ave or am about to discard him, but I shaunt go about the bush no longer. I'm a native of Lon'on, w'at is tarmed a c.o.c.kney--haw, haw!--and he 'as treated me ill--very ill--and I am detarmined to retaliate."

"How, sir, are you determined to retaliate?"

"The truth is, sir, I've got the dockiments you stand in need of in my possession, and can furnish you with them for a consideration."

"Why, now you are intelligible. What do you want, Murray? I'm engaged."

"To speak one word with you in the next room, sir. The gentleman wants you to say yes or no, in a single line, upon Mr. Fairfield's business, sir--besides, I've a private message."

"Excuse me for a moment, sir," said Birney; "there's this morning's paper, if you haven't seen it."

"Well, Bob," said he, "what is it?"

"Beware of that fellow," said he: "I know him well; his name is Bryan; he was a horse jockey on the Curragh, and was obliged to fly the country for dishonesty. Be on your guard, that is all I had to say to you."

"Why, he says he is a Londoner, and he certainly has the accent,"

replied the other.

"Kerry, sir, to the backbone, and a disgrace to the country, for divil a many rogues it produces, whatever else it may do."

"Thank you, Murray," said Birney; "I will be doubly guarded now."

This occurred between Birney and one of his clerks, as a small interlude in their conversation.

"Yes, sir," resumed Birney, once more taking his place at the desk, "you can now be understood."

"Haw!--yes, I rayther fancy I can make myself so!" replied Norton.

"What, now, do you suppose the papers in question may be worth to your friends?"

"You cannot expect me to reply to that question," said Birney; "I am acting professionally under the advice and instructions of others; but I will tell you what I think you had better do--I can enter into no negotiation on the subject without consulting those who have employed me, and getting their consent--write down, then, on a sheet of paper, what you propose to do for us, and the compensation which you expect to receive for any doc.u.ments you may supply us with that we may consider of value, and I shall submit it for consideration."

"May I not compromise myself by putting it on paper, though?"

"If you think so, then, don't do it; but, for my part, I shall have no further concern in the matter. Verbal communications are of little consequence in an affair of this kind. Reduce it to writing, and it can be understood; it will, besides, prevent misconceptions in future."

"I trust you are a man of honor?" said Norton.

"I make no pretensions to anything so high," replied Birney; "but I trust I am an honest man, and know how to act when I have an honest man to deal with. If you wish to serve our cause, or, to be plain with you, wish to turn the doc.u.ments you speak of to the best advantage, make your proposal in writing, as you ought to do, otherwise I must decline any further negotiation on the subject."

Norton saw and felt that there was nothing else for it. He accordingly took pen and ink and wrote down his proposal--offering to place the doc.u.ments alluded to, which were mentioned by name, in the hands of Mr.

Birney, for the sum of five thousand pounds."

"Now, sir," said Birney, after looking over this treacherous proposition, "you see yourself the advantage of putting matters down in black and white. The production of this will save me both time and trouble, and, besides, it can be understood at a glance. Thank you, sir.

Have the goodness to favor me with a call in a day or two, and we shall see what can be done."

"This," said Norton, as he was about to go, "is a point of honor between us."

"Why, I think, at all events, it ought," replied Bimey; "at least, so far as I am concerned, it is not my intention to act dishonorably by any honest man."

"Haw--haw! Very well said, indeed; I 'ave a good opinion of your discretion.

"Well, sir, I wish you good morneen; I shall call in a day or two, and expect to 'ave a satisfactory answer."

"What a scoundrel!" exclaimed Birney.

"Here's a fellow, now, who has been fleecing that unfortunate sheep of a n.o.bleman for the last four years, and now that he finds him at the length of his tether, he is ready to betray and sacrifice him, like a double-distilled rascal as he is. The villain thought I did not know him, but he was mistaken--quite out in his calculations. He will find, too, that he has brought his treachery to the wrong market."

CHAPTER x.x.xIX. Fenton Recovered--The Mad-House

Sir Thomas Gourlay, on his return with the special license, was informed by the same servant who had admitted the stranger, that a gentleman awaited him in the drawing-room.

"Who is he, M'Gregor?"

"I don't know, sir; he paid you a visit once at Red Hall, I think."

"How could I know him by that, you blockhead?"

"He's the gentleman, sir, you had hot words with."

"That I kicked out one day? Crackenfudge, eh?"

"No, faith, sir; not Crackenfudge. I know him well enough; and devil a kick your honor gave him but I wished was nine. This is a very different man, sir; and I believe you had warm words with him too, sir."

"Oh!" exclaimed his master; "I remember. Is he above?"

"I believe so, sir."

A strange and disagreeable feeling came over the baronet on hearing these words--a kind of presentiment, as it were, of something unpleasant and adverse to his plans. On entering the drawing-room, however, he was a good deal surprised to find that there was n.o.body there; and after a moment's reflection, a fearful suspicion took possession of him; he rang the bell furiously.

Gibson, who had been out, now entered.