Part 12 (1/2)

”It is not easy to say,” replied Oswald.

”Can you tell what is the cause of this alarm?”

”I can tell you nothing, but that my lord desires to see you directly--pray make haste down; I must go up to your brothers and kinsmen, n.o.body knows what to think, or believe.”

Master William went down stairs, and Father Oswald went to the malcontents. As soon as he entered the outward door of their apartment, Mr. Wenlock called out. ”Here comes the friend--now for some new proposal!”

”Gentlemen,” said Oswald, ”my lord desires your company immediately in the breakfast parlour.”

”What! to meet your favourite Edmund, I suppose?” said Mr. Wenlock.

”No, sir.”

”What, then, is the matter?” said Sir Robert.

”Something very extraordinary has happened, gentlemen. Edmund is not to be found--he disappeared from the haunted apartment, the key of which was conveyed to my lord in a strange manner, with a letter from an unknown hand; my lord is both surprised and concerned, and wishes to have your opinion and advice on the occasion.”

”Tell him,” said Sir Robert, ”we will wait upon him immediately.”

As Oswald went away, he heard Wenlock say, ”So Edmund is gone, it is no matter how, or whither.”

Another said, ”I hope the ghost has taken him out of the way.” The rest laughed at the conceit, as they followed Oswald down stairs. They found the Baron, and his son William, commenting upon the key and the letter.

My lord gave them to Sir Robert, who looked on them with marks of surprise and confusion.

The Baron addressed him--

”Is not this a very strange affair? Son Robert, lay aside your ill humours, and behave to your father with the respect and affection his tenderness deserves from you, and give me your advice and opinion on this alarming subject.”

”My Lord,” said Sir Robert, ”I am as much confounded as yourself--I can give no advice--let my cousins see the letter--let us have their opinion.”

They read it in turn--they were equally surprised; but when it came into Wenlock's hand, he paused and meditated some minutes.

At length--”I am indeed surprised, and still more concerned, to see my lord and uncle the dupe of an artful contrivance; and, if he will permit me, I shall endeavour to unriddle it, to the confusion of all that are concerned in it.”

”Do so, d.i.c.k,” said my lord, ”and you shall have my thanks for it.”

”This letter,” said he, ”I imagine to be the contrivance of Edmund, or some ingenious friend of his, to conceal some designs they have against the peace of this family, which has been too often disturbed upon that rascal's account.”

”But what end could be proposed by it?” said the Baron.

”Why, one part of the scheme is to cover Edmund's departure, that is clear enough; for the rest, we can only guess at it--perhaps he may be concealed somewhere in that apartment, from whence he may rush out in the night, and either rob or murder us; or, at least, alarm and terrify the family.”

The Baron smiled.

”You shoot beyond the mark, sir, and overshoot yourself, as you have done before now; you shew only your inveteracy against that poor lad, whom you cannot mention with temper. To what purpose should he shut himself up there, to be starved?”

”Starved! no, no! he has friends in this house (looking at Oswald), who will not suffer him to want anything; those who have always magnified his virtues, and extenuated his faults, will lend a hand to help him in time of need; and, perhaps, to a.s.sist his ingenious contrivances.”

Oswald shrugged up his shoulders, and remained silent.