Part 84 (1/2)
If O'Rorke was not convinced by this threat, he was sufficiently staggered by it to become more thoughtful, and at last he said: ”And what is it you'd propose to do?”
”I'd rather put that question to _you_,” said Ladarelle, softly. ”You have the case before you, what's your remedy?”
”If she was any other girl, I'd say give her a couple of hundred pounds, and get her married and out of the way.”
”And why not do so here?”
”Because it would be no use; that's the why.”
”Is she not a peasant? Are not all belonging to her people in the very humblest station; and not blessed with the best possible reputations?”
”They're poor enough, if that's what you mean; and they're the very sort of men that would make mighty short work of you, if you were to harm one belonging to them.”
”I promise you faithfully I'll not go to reside in the neighbourhood,”
said Ladarelle, with a laugh.
”I've known them track a man to America before now.”
”Come, come, Mr. O'Rorke, your countrymen may be as like Red Indians as you please, but they have no terrors for _me_.”
”So much the better; but I've seen just as big men as yourself afraid of them.”
The quiet coolness of this speech sent a far stronger sense of fear through the other's heart than any words of menace could have done, and it required a great effort on his part to seem collected.
”You say she cannot be bought over, O'Rorke; now, what other line is open to us?”
O'Rorke made no reply, but seemed lost in thought.
”What if she were to believe that Sir Within wouldn't receive her letter, or read it, and sent back a cold, unfeeling answer?” Still no answer pa.s.sed his lips. ”If,” continued Ladarelle, ”you were to return and say you had failed, what would she do then? She'd never write to him again, I suppose?”
”Never, that you may depend upon, but it wouldn't be so easy to make her believe it.”
”That might be managed. First of all, tell me how she would take the tidings.”
”I don't know. I could not even guess.”
”At all events, she'd not write to him again?”
”For that I'll answer. I believe I could take my oath on it.”
”Now, then, the game is easy enough,” said Ladarelle, with a more a.s.sured tone. ”You are to have Sir Within's answer to-morrow. When you get it, set out for Wrexham, where I'll meet you. We'll open it and read it. If it be a simple acceptance of her note, and a mere compliance with her request, I'll re-seal it with his crest, and you shall take it on to her; but if, as I suspect, the old man will make an effort to renew their former relations, and throw out any bait to induce her to come back here----”
”Well, what then?” asked O'Rorke, after waiting a few seconds for the other to continue.
”In that case we must lay our heads together, O'Rorke, and see what's best to be done.”
”And the old man that's in gaol, and that's to be tried on the 19th, what's to be done about him?”
”I'll think of that.”