Part 35 (1/2)
”And for this, you expect--what?”
”For this I shall demand a handsome remuneration, to be divided, of course, between yourself and myself, and Ralph Mainwaring will only too gladly give the half of his kingdom for such services.”
”And your testimony would have so much weight with Ralph Mainwaring and the Bartons, and with every one else who has any knowledge of your London history!”
Hobson winced visibly, but before he could reply she continued:
”You are talking the most arrant foolishness. You know that those men would not allow your testimony in court; they would very quickly procure evidence to show that your word, even under oath, is worthless; that you are a liar, a perjurer and a--”
”Not so fast, not so fast, my lady. If past histories are to be raked up, I know of one which embraces a much wider area than London alone; Melbourne, for instance, and Paris and Vienna, to say nothing of more recent events!”
”Do your worst, and I will do mine!” she replied, defiantly. ”That is nothing to the point, however. What I have to say is this: You are a fool if you think that you or I can ever extort money from Ralph Mainwaring. He would give no credence whatever to anything that you might say, and if once my ident.i.ty were revealed to him, he would go through fire and blood rather than that one s.h.i.+lling of his should ever become mine.”
”And what do you propose to do?” he asked, sullenly. ”Do you intend to give up the game?”
”Give up? Never! I would give my life first! I will yet have my revenge on the Mainwarings, one and all; and I will repay them double for all the insult and ignominy they have heaped upon me.”
”That is to the point; but how will you accomplish it?” said Hobson, in a more conciliatory tone, for each feared the other, and he thoroughly understood the spirit of his client. ”Let us be reasonable about this; you and I have too much at stake and too many interests in common for us to quarrel like children.”
”If I were differently situated, I can a.s.sure you we would then have very few interests in common,” she replied, bitterly.
”Well, supposing you were, what would you do in this case?” he inquired, softly, apparently taking no notice of her remark, but in reality making a mental note of it for future reckoning.
”Defeat Ralph Mainwaring, by all means; if necessary, produce testimony to show that this will is genuine. If he spends his last s.h.i.+lling to fight the case, so much the better. Then, when the case is settled and this so-called heir is master of the situation, or supposes himself so, bring suit to show that he is an impostor, and a.s.sert my own claim as the nearest living heir.”
Hobson whistled softly. ”A plan worthy of your ambition, my lady, but hardly feasible. It is one thing to a.s.sert a claim, and another to be able to establish it. Through your over-ambition you would lose in the end, for, should you succeed in dispossessing this stranger, Ralph Mainwaring would surely come forward with his claim, and you would be beaten.”
”When I lay down arms to a Mainwaring, I will lay down my life also,”
she answered, proudly.
”You think so, perhaps; but let me tell you the best course for you to pursue is to make terms, either with Ralph Mainwaring, as I first suggested, or else with this new-comer--should he prove victorious--by threatening to expose his whole scheme.”
Mrs. LaGrange made no reply, and Hobson, rising to take leave, saw her face for the first time and paused, surprised at its strange expression.
”Well?” he said, with a look of inquiry.
”My thoughts were wandering just then,” she said, with a faint smile, and her tone was so changed the voice scarcely seemed her own. ”I was wis.h.i.+ng, just for the moment, that this stranger, whoever he may be, was in reality the one he claims to be. I would need no attorney to make terms with him then!”
”You forget; he would be a Mainwaring!”
”Yes; but he would be the only Mainwaring and the only human being I could ever have loved, and I would have loved him better than my own life.”
”Love!” repeated Hobson, with a sneer. ”Who would ever have thought to hear that word from your lips! But how about your son, Walter; do you not love him?”
”Him!” she exclaimed, pa.s.sionately; ”the price I paid hoping to win Hugh Mainwaring! I am proud of him as my own flesh and blood, but love him? Never!”
”But you have not yet told me what you think of my last suggestion,”
he said, tentatively, watching her closely. Her manner changed instantly; rising with all her accustomed hauteur and turning from him with a gesture of dismissal, she replied,--