Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/428

two thousand pounds and give him a receipt in full, and that there, as far as Sylvester was concerned, the whole matter would end.

He accordingly went to a broker whom he knew near the Exchange, and the sale of two thousand pounds stock was effected; but as he wished to expostulate with Sir Charles when he had paid him, and felt that such an expostulation as that which he contemplated required some previous thought, he returned to the residence of Dr. Delolme, with the view of rehearsing the most important points.

On his return, however, he found Mr. Scholefield there, engaged in advising both Sylvester and his aunt to return at once to Cotherstone—to leave the whole management of the matter to him, and to feel assured that all would yet be well—which advice was no sooner communicated to the reverend gentleman, than he intimated to Mr. Scholefield that he wished to speak with him in private, and they accordingly withdrew to another room.

"My dear sir," said he, "I know and appreciate your worth; I know that you are a dear friend of Sylvester: I have the highest opinion of your judgment, and therefore deem it prudent to follow your advice: but will you—pardon me—will you, for my own satisfaction, explain to me your reasons for believing that all will yet be well?"

"Certainly," replied Mr. Scholefield, "with pleasure. I have just left Sir Charles, who is not at all satisfied now. The verdict of the jury has failed to convince him of his wife's infidelity. I find that, on the contrary, he is open to the conviction of her innocence; and I know him so well, that I feel that I shall eventually be able to satisfy him that Sylvester is a somnambulist, and thereby to prove to him, beyond all doubt, that Lady Julian herself is still virtuous—still pure."

"Why," exclaimed the reverend gentleman, "that is exactly my idea! my view of the matter precisely! I will now impart to you a most pro- found secret—a secret which I did not intend to reveal, but which I know will be faithfully kept by you. I have been this morning into the City to sell out two thousand pounds stock. I have the money here," he added, producing his pocket-book, "and what I intended to do with it was this: I intended to take it at once to Sir Charles, and, having paid him, to adduce such a body of evidence as could not, I apprehend, fail to convince him that he had been perfectly uninjured. I intended to say to him solemnly, 'Sir Charles—'"

"I see," interposed Mr. Scholefield: "I see; and, believe me, I highly appreciate your motive: but I hope that there will be now no necessity for this."

"But don't think that if I were to call and offer him the money—"

"Why, my dear sir, if even he felt inclined to demand it, he would not receive it himself!"

"He would not?"

"Oh, dear me, no; he'd refer you at once to his attorney, whom the two thousand pounds wouldn't satisfy, believe me!"

"What, would he want more?"

"He would present you with a document called a bill of costs, which might in some slight degree astonish you."