Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/305

Sylvester, on leaving the house of Sir Charles with mingled feelings of indignation and alarm, proceeded at once to the residence of Mr. Scholefield, with the view of awaiting his return. He knew not of course what would be the result; but having deputed Mr. Scholefield to act as his friend, and feeling prohibited from taking any step without his direct sanction, he summoned all the patience at his command, and took a seat in the surgery alone.

While he was here, tortured with anxiety and brooding over the probable consequences of that which he felt of course conscious of being a mistake, Mr. Scholefield, whose apprehensions were even stronger than those of Sylvester, being determined if possible to ascertain the whole truth, and having learned that Lady Julian was at the house of her father, went, in order to have an interview with her, unknown to Sir Charles and D'Almaine.

On his arrival, he found her father in a dreadful state of excitement and somewhat uncourteous, conceiving, as he did, that a message had come from Sir Charles.

"What is your object?" he demanded, when Mr. Scholefield had inquired if he could see Lady Julian. "Why do you wish to see her? What have you to communicate? By whom were you commissioned to come? My daughter is innocent! Sir Charles shall know to his cost that she is innocent! I'd stake my life upon her word! If, therefore, you are charged with any insulting or humiliating message, she is not to be seen. I'll not have her insulted: I'll not have her humiliated. She is as virtuous now that she has returned to her father's house, as she was when she left it. Sir Charles, by whom I presume you have been sent—"

"General Lloyd," calmly interrupted Mr. Scholefield, "I have not been sent by Sir Charles."

"Do you come then in the character of a mediator?"

"No. My object is to have an assurance from Lady Julian that Mr. Sound was not the gentleman whom Sir Charles saw."

"Then you assume that she must have been visited by some one?"

"I merely assume that Sir Charles must have seen some one."

"Assuming that, does it follow that she knows whom he saw?"

"Not necessarily; but—"

"Sir, she knows nothing whatever about it: nor do I believe that he saw any one at all. It is a trick, sir!—a conspiracy!—an infamous conspiracy! But I'll sift the matter: I'll get to the bottom of it. He shall not with impunity blast the reputation of my daughter."

"General Lloyd, I came here with no other view than that of ascer-