Volume Ii Part 29 (1/2)
”Then I 'd have made the remainder just as certain.”
”It is a vulgar crime, Duff; it would be very hard to stoop to it.”
”Fifty things are harder,--no cash, no credit are harder. The Fleet is harder. But what is that noise? Don't you hear a knock at the door? Yes, there's some one without who hasn't much patience.” So saying, he arose and walked to the door. As he opened it, he started back a little with surprise, for it was a police constable stood before him.
”Not you, Captain, not _you_, sir! it's another gentleman I want. I see him at the table there,--Major Stapylton.” By this time the man had entered the room and stood in front of the fire. ”I have a warrant against you, Major,” said he, quietly. ”Informations have been sworn before Mr. Colt that you intend to fight a duel, and you must appear at the office to-morrow, to enter into your bond, and to give securities to keep the peace.”
”Who swore the informations?” cried Brown.
”What have we to do with that?” said Stapylton, impatiently. ”Isn't the world full of meddling old women? Who wants to know the names?”
”I 'll lay the odds it was old Conyers; the greatest humbug in that land of humbugs,--Bengal. It was he that insisted on my leaving the Fifth.
Come, Sergeant, out with it. This was General Conyers's doing?”
”I'm sorry to be obliged to declare you in custody, Major,” said the policeman; ”but if you like to come over to Mr. Colt's private residence, I 'm sure he 'd settle the matter this evening.”
”He'll do no such thing, by George!” cried Brown. ”The sneaking dogs who have taken this shabby course shall be exposed in open court. We 'll have the names in full, and in every newspaper in England. Don't compromise the case, Stapylton; make them eat the mess they have cooked, to the last mouthful. We 'll show the world what the fighting Irishman and his gallant friend are made of. Major Stapylton is your prisoner, Sergeant?”
The man smiled slightly at the pa.s.sionate energy of the speaker, and turned to Stapylton. ”There 's no objection to your going to your lodgings, Major. You 'll be at the chief office by ten to-morrow.”
Stapylton nodded a.s.sent, and the other retired and closed the door.
”What do you say now?” cried Brown, triumphantly. ”Did n't I tell you this? Did n't I say that when old Con-yers heard my name, he 'd say, 'Oh, there 'll be no squaring this business'?”
”It's just as likely that he said, 'I 'll not confer with that man; he had to leave the service.'”
”More fool you, then, not to have had a more respectable friend. Had you there, Stapylton,--eh?”
”I acknowledge that. All I can say in extenuation is, that I hoped old Barrington, living so long out of the world, would have selected another old mummy like himself, who had never heard of Captain Duff Brown, nor his famous trial at Calcutta.”
”There's not a man in the kingdom has not heard of me. I 'm as well known as the first Duke in the land.”
”Don't boast of it, Duff; even notoriety is not always a cheap luxury.”
”Who knows but you may divide it with me to-morrow or next day?”
”What do you mean, sir?--what do you mean?” cried Stapylton, slapping the table with his clenched hand.
”Only what I said,--that Major Stapylton may furnish the town with a nine-days wonder, _vice_ Captain Duff Brown, forgotten.”
Evidently ashamed of his wrath, Stapylton tried to laugh off the occasion of it, and said, ”I suppose neither of us would take the matter much to heart.”
”I 'll not go to the office with you to-morrow, Stapylton,” added he, after a pause; ”that old Sepoy General would certainly seize the opportunity to open some old scores that I'd as soon leave undisturbed.”
”All right, I think you are prudent there.”
”But I 'll be of use in another way. I 'll lay in wait for that fellow who reports for the 'Chronicle,' the only paper that cares for these things, and I 'll have him deep in the discussion of some devilled kidneys when your case is called on.”
”I fancy it does not matter what publicity it obtains.”