Part 9 (1/2)

So great was the anguish of the unhappy man, that he was all unconscious of bodily fatigue. He was nearly half way to the city when overtaken by Carlton. The latter called to him three or four times, and invited him to get up and ride; but Wilkinson strode on, without so much as uttering a word in reply, or seeming to hear what was said to him. So Carlton, finding that his proffer was disregarded, dashed ahead and was soon out of sight.

At what hour Wilkinson reached his home, and how he was received, has already been seen.

Too heavy a pressure lay on the mind of the unhappy man, as he met his wife at the breakfast table on the next morning, for him even to make an effort at external cheerfulness. There was not only the remembrance of his broken promise, and the anguish she must have suffered in consequence of his absence for half the night--how visible, alas! was the effect written on her pale face, and eyes still red and swollen from excessive tears--but the remembrance, also, that he had permitted himself, while under the influence of drink, to lose some two thousand dollars at the gaming table! What would he not endure to keep that blasting fact from the knowledge of his single-hearted, upright companion? He a gambler! How sick at heart the thought made him feel, when that thought came into the presence of his wife!

Few words pa.s.sed between Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson, but the manner of each was subdued, gentle, and even affectionate. They parted, after the morning meal, in silence; Wilkinson to repair to his place of business, his wife to busy herself in household duties, and await with trembling anxiety the return of her husband at the regular dinner hour.

This time, Wilkinson did not, as usual, drop in at a certain drinking-house that was in his way, but kept on direct to his store.

The reason of this omission of his habitual gla.s.s of brandy was not, we are compelled to say, from a purpose in his mind to abandon the dangerous practice, but to avoid encountering the man Carlton, who might happen to be there. But he was not to keep clear of him in this way. Oh, no. Carlton held his due-bills for ”debts of honour,” calling for various sums, amounting in all, as we have before said, to about two thousand dollars, and he was not a person at all likely to forget this fact. Of this Wilkinson was made sensible, about an hour after appearing at his store. He was at his desk musing over certain results figured out on a sheet of paper that lay before him, and which had reference to payments to be made during the next three or four weeks, when he heard his name mentioned, and, turning, saw a stranger addressing one of his clerks, who had just pointed to where he was sitting. The man, with his unpleasant eyes fixed upon Wilkinson, came, with firm yet deliberate steps, back to his desk.

”Mr. Wilkinson, I believe?” said he.

”That is my name.” Wilkinson tried to feel self-possessed and indifferent. But that was impossible, for he had an instinctive knowledge of the purport of the visit.

The man thrust his hand into a deep inside pocket, and abstracted therefrom a huge pocket-book. He did not search long in the compartments of this for what he wanted, but drew directly therefrom sundry small, variously shaped pieces of paper, much blotted and scrawled over in a hurried hand. Each of these bore the signature of Wilkinson, and words declaring himself indebted in a certain sum to Andrew Carlton.

”I am desired to collect these,” said the man coldly.

Much as Wilkinson had thought, in antic.i.p.ation of this particular crisis, he was yet undecided as to what he should do. He had been made the victim of a specious scoundrel--a wolf who had come to him in sheep's clothing. Running back his thoughts, as distinctly as it was possible for him to do, to the occurrences of the previous night, he remembered much that fully satisfied him that Carlton had played against him most unfairly; he not only induced him to drink until his mind was confused, but had taken advantage of this confused state, to cheat in the grossest manner. Some moments pa.s.sed ere he replied to the application; then he said--

”I'm not prepared to do any thing with this matter just now.”

”My directions are to collect these bills,” was the simple reply, made in a tone that expressed even more than the words.

”You may find that more difficult than you imagine,” replied Wilkinson, with some impatience.

”No--no--we never have much difficulty in collecting debts of this kind.” There was a meaning emphasis on the last two words, which Wilkinson understood but too well. Still he made answer,

”You may find it a little harder in the present case than you imagine.

I never received value for these tokens of indebtedness.”

”You must have been a precious fool to have given them then,” was promptly returned, with a curling lip, and in a tone of contempt. ”They represent, I presume, debts of honour?”

”There was precious little honour in the transaction,” said Wilkinson, who, stung by the manner and words of the collector, lost his self-possessions. ”If ever a man was cheated, I was.”

”Say that to Mr. Carlton himself; it is out of place with me. As I remarked a little while ago, my business is to collect the sums called for by these due-bills. Are you prepared to settle them?”

”No,” was the decisive answer.

”Perhaps,” said the collector, who had his part to play, and who, understanding it thoroughly, showed no inclination to go off in a huff; ”you do not clearly understand your position, nor the consequences likely to follow the answer just given; that is, if you adhere to your determination not to settle these due-bills.”

”You'll make the effort to collect by law, I presume?”

”Of course we will.”

”And get nothing. The law will not recognise a debt of this kind.”

”How is the law to come at the nature of the debt?”