If Mr. Alexander Trott had been in any other situation, his first act would have been to kick the man down-stairs by deputy; or, in other words, to ring the bell, and desire the landlord to take his boots off. He contented himself, however, with doubling the fee and explaining that the letter merely related to a breach of the peace. The top-boots retired, solemnly pledged to secrecy; and Mr.
Alexander Trott sat down to a fried sole, maintenon cutlet, Madeira, and sundries, with greater composure than he had experienced since the receipt of Horace Hunter's letter of defiance.
The lady who alighted from the London coach had no sooner been installed in number twenty-five, and made some alteration in her travelling-dress, than she indited a note to Joseph Overton, esquire, solicitor, and mayor of Great Winglebury, requesting his immediate attendance on private business of paramount importance -a summons which that worthy functionary lost no time in obeying;for after sundry openings of his eyes, divers ejaculations of 'Bless me!' and other manifestations of surprise, he took his broad-brimmed hat from its accustomed peg in his little front office, and walked briskly down the High-street to the Winglebury Arms; through the hall and up the staircase of which establishment he was ushered by the landlady, and a crowd of officious waiters, to the door of number twenty-five.
'Show the gentleman in,' said the stranger lady, in reply to the foremost waiter's announcement. The gentleman was shown in accordingly.
The lady rose from the sofa; the mayor advanced a step from the door; and there they both paused, for a minute or two, looking at one another as if by mutual consent. The mayor saw before him a buxom, richly-dressed female of about forty; the lady looked upon a sleek man, about ten years older, in drab shorts and continuations, black coat, neckcloth, and gloves.
'Miss Julia Manners!' exclaimed the mayor at length, 'you astonish me.'
'That's very unfair of you, Overton,' replied Miss Julia, 'for Ihave known you, long enough, not to be surprised at anything you do, and you might extend equal courtesy to me.'
'But to run away - actually run away - with a young man!'
remonstrated the mayor.
'You wouldn't have me actually run away with an old one, Ipresume?' was the cool rejoinder.
'And then to ask me - me - of all people in the world - a man of my age and appearance - mayor of the town - to promote such a scheme!'
pettishly ejaculated Joseph Overton; throwing himself into an arm-chair, and producing Miss Julia's letter from his pocket, as if to corroborate the assertion that he HAD been asked.
'Now, Overton,' replied the lady, 'I want your assistance in this matter, and I must have it. In the lifetime of that poor old dear, Mr. Cornberry, who - who - '
'Who was to have married you, and didn't, because he died first;and who left you his property unencumbered with the addition of himself,' suggested the mayor.
'Well,' replied Miss Julia, reddening slightly, 'in the lifetime of the poor old dear, the property had the incumbrance of your management; and all I will say of that, is, that I only wonder it didn't die of consumption instead of its master. You helped yourself then:- help me now.'
Mr. Joseph Overton was a man of the world, and an attorney; and as certain indistinct recollections of an odd thousand pounds or two, appropriated by mistake, passed across his mind he hemmed deprecatingly, smiled blandly, remained silent for a few seconds;and finally inquired, 'What do you wish me to do?'
'I'll tell you,' replied Miss Julia - 'I'll tell you in three words. Dear Lord Peter - '
'That's the young man, I suppose - ' interrupted the mayor.
'That's the young Nobleman,' replied the lady, with a great stress on the last word. 'Dear Lord Peter is considerably afraid of the resentment of his family; and we have therefore thought it better to make the match a stolen one. He left town, to avoid suspicion, on a visit to his friend, the Honourable Augustus Flair, whose seat, as you know, is about thirty miles from this, accompanied only by his favourite tiger. We arranged that I should come here alone in the London coach; and that he, leaving his tiger and cab behind him, should come on, and arrive here as soon as possible this afternoon.'
'Very well,' observed Joseph Overton, 'and then he can order the chaise, and you can go on to Gretna Green together, without requiring the presence or interference of a third party, can't you?'
'No,' replied Miss Julia. 'We have every reason to believe - dear Lord Peter not being considered very prudent or sagacious by his friends, and they having discovered his attachment to me - that, immediately on his absence being observed, pursuit will be made in this direction:- to elude which, and to prevent our being traced, Iwish it to be understood in this house, that dear Lord Peter is slightly deranged, though perfectly harmless; and that I am, unknown to him, awaiting his arrival to convey him in a post-chaise to a private asylum - at Berwick, say. If I don't show myself much, I dare say I can manage to pass for his mother.'
The thought occurred to the mayor's mind that the lady might show herself a good deal without fear of detection; seeing that she was about double the age of her intended husband. He said nothing, however, and the lady proceeded.
'With the whole of this arrangement dear Lord Peter is acquainted;and all I want you to do, is, to make the delusion more complete by giving it the sanction of your influence in this place, and assigning this as a reason to the people of the house for my taking the young gentleman away. As it would not be consistent with the story that I should see him until after he has entered the chaise, I also wish you to communicate with him, and inform him that it is all going on well.'
'Has he arrived?' inquired Overton.
'I don't know,' replied the lady.
'Then how am I to know!' inquired the mayor. 'Of course he will not give his own name at the bar.'