CHAPTER L.
WHAT THE LORDS AND COMMONS SAID ABOUT THE MURDER.
When the House met on that Thursday at four o'clock everybody wastalking about the murder, and certainly four-fifths of the membershad made up their minds that Phineas Finn was the murderer. To haveknown a murdered man is something, but to have been intimate witha murderer is certainly much more. There were many there who werereally sorry for poor Bonteen,--of whom without a doubt the end hadcome in a very horrible manner; and there were more there who werepersonally fond of Phineas Finn,--to whom the future of the youngmember was very sad, and the fact that he should have become amurderer very awful. But, nevertheless, the occasion was not withoutits consolations. The business of the House is not always exciting,or even interesting. On this afternoon there was not a member whodid not feel that something had occurred which added an interest toParliamentary life.
Very soon after prayers Mr. Gresham entered the House, and men whohad hitherto been behaving themselves after a most unparliamentaryfashion, standing about in knots, talking by no means in whispers,moving in and out of the House rapidly, all crowded into theirplaces. Whatever pretence of business had been going on was stoppedin a moment, and Mr. Gresham rose to make his statement. "It was withthe deepest regret,--nay, with the most profound sorrow,--that he wascalled upon to inform the House that his right honourable friend andcolleague, Mr. Bonteen, had been basely and cruelly murdered duringthe past night." It was odd then to see how the name of the man, who,while he was alive and a member of that House, could not have beenpronounced in that assembly without disorder, struck the membersalmost with dismay. "Yes, his friend Mr. Bonteen, who had so latelyfilled the office of President of the Board of Trade, and whoseloss the country and that House could so ill bear, had been beatento death in one of the streets of the metropolis by the arm of adastardly ruffian during the silent watches of the night." Then Mr.Gresham paused, and every one expected that some further statementwould be made. "He did not know that he had any further communicationto make on the subject. Some little time must elapse before he couldfill the office. As for adequately supplying the loss, that wouldbe impossible. Mr. Bonteen's services to the country, especially inreference to decimal coinage, were too well known to the House toallow of his holding out any such hope." Then he sat down withouthaving as yet made an allusion to Phineas Finn.
But the allusion was soon made. Mr. Daubeny rose, and with muchgraceful and mysterious circumlocution asked the Prime Ministerwhether it was true that a member of the House had been arrested, andwas now in confinement on the charge of having been concerned in themurder of the late much-lamented President of the Board of Trade.He--Mr. Daubeny--had been given to understand that such a charge hadbeen made against an honourable member of that House, who had oncebeen a colleague of Mr. Bonteen's, and who had always supported theright honourable gentleman opposite. Then Mr. Gresham rose again."He regretted to say that the honourable member for Tankerville wasin custody on that charge. The House would of course understand thathe only made that statement as a fact, and that he was offering noopinion as to who was the perpetrator of the murder. The case seemedto be shrouded in great mystery. The two gentlemen had unfortunatelydiffered, but he did not at all think that the House would on thataccount be disposed to attribute guilt so black and damning toa gentleman they had all known so well as the honourable memberfor Tankerville." So much and no more was spoken publicly, to thereporters; but members continued to talk about the affair the wholeevening.
There was nothing, perhaps, more astonishing than the absence ofrancour or abhorrence with which the name of Phineas was mentioned,even by those who felt most certain of his guilt. All those who hadbeen present at the club acknowledged that Bonteen had been thesinner in reference to the transaction there; and it was acknowledgedto have been almost a public misfortune that such a man as Bonteenshould have been able to prevail against such a one as Phineas Finnin regard to the presence of the latter in the Government. Storieswhich were exaggerated, accounts worse even than the truth, werebandied about as to the perseverance with which the murdered manhad destroyed the prospects of the supposed murderer, and robbedthe country of the services of a good workman. Mr. Gresham, in theofficial statement which he had made, had, as a matter of course,said many fine things about Mr. Bonteen. A man can always have finethings said about him for a few hours after his death. But in thesmall private conferences which were held the fine things said allreferred to Phineas Finn. Mr. Gresham had spoken of a "dastardlyruffian in the silent watches," but one would have almost thoughtfrom overhearing what was said by various gentlemen in differentparts of the House that upon the whole Phineas Finn was thought tohave done rather a good thing in putting poor Mr. Bonteen out of theway.
And another pleasant feature of excitement was added by the prevalentidea that the Prince had seen and heard the row. Those who had beenat the club at the time of course knew that this was not the case;but the presence of the Prince at The Universe between the row andthe murder had really been a fact, and therefore it was only naturalthat men should allow themselves the delight of mixing the Princewith the whole concern. In remote circles the Prince was undoubtedlysupposed to have had a great deal to do with the matter, thoughwhether as abettor of the murdered or of the murderer was neverplainly declared. A great deal was said about the Prince that eveningin the House, so that many members were able to enjoy themselvesthoroughly.
"What a godsend for Gresham," said one gentleman to Mr. Ratler veryshortly after the strong eulogium which had been uttered on poor Mr.Bonteen by the Prime Minister.
"Well,--yes; I was afraid that the poor fellow would never have goton with us."
"Got on! He'd have been a thorn in Gresham's side as long as heheld office. If Finn should be acquitted, you ought to do somethinghandsome for him." Whereupon Mr. Ratler laughed heartily.
"It will pretty nearly break them up," said Sir Orlando Drought, oneof Mr. Daubeny's late Secretaries of State to Mr. Roby, Mr. Daubeny'slate patronage secretary.
"I don't quite see that. They'll be able to drop their decimalcoinage with a good excuse, and that will be a great comfort. Theyare talking of getting Monk to go back to the Board of Trade."
"Will that strengthen them?"
"Bonteen would have weakened them. The man had got beyond himself,and lost his head. They are better without him."
"I suppose Finn did it?" asked Sir Orlando.
"Not a doubt about it, I'm told. The queer thing is that he shouldhave declared his purpose beforehand to Erle. Gresham says thatall that must have been part of his plan,--so as to make men thinkafterwards that he couldn't have done it. Grogram's idea is that hehad planned the murder before he went to the club."
"Will the Prince have to give evidence?"
"No, no," said Mr. Roby. "That's all wrong. The Prince had left theclub before the row commenced. Confucius Putt says that the Princedidn't hear a word of it. He was talking to the Prince all the time."Confucius Putt was the distinguished artist with whom the Prince hadshaken hands on leaving the club.
Lord Drummond was in the Peers' Gallery, and Mr. Boffin was talkingto him over the railings. It may be remembered that those twogentlemen had conscientiously left Mr. Daubeny's Cabinet because theyhad been unable to support him in his views about the Church. Aftersuch sacrifice on their parts their minds were of course intent onChurch matters. "There doesn't seem to be a doubt about it," said Mr.Boffin.
"Cantrip won't believe it," said the peer.
"He was at the Colonies with Cantrip, and Cantrip found him veryagreeable. Everybody says that he was one of the pleasantest fellowsgoing. This makes it out of the question that they should bring inany Church bill this Session."
"Do you think so?"
"Oh yes;--certainly. There will be nothing else thought of now tillthe trial."
"So much the better," said his Lordship. "It's an ill wind that blowsno one any good. Will they have evidence for a conviction?"
"Oh dear yes; not a dou
bt about it. Fawn can swear to him," said Mr.Boffin.
Barrington Erle was telling his story for the tenth time when he wassummoned out of the Library to the Duchess of Omnium, who had madeher way up into the lobby. "Oh, Mr. Erle, do tell me what you reallythink," said the Duchess.
"That is just what I can't do."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know what to think."
"He can't have done it, Mr. Erle."
"That's just what I say to myself, Duchess."
"But they do say that the evidence is so very strong against him."
"Very strong."
"I wish we could get that Lord Fawn out of the way."
"Ah;--but we can't."
"And will they--hang him?"
"If they convict him, they will."
"A man we all knew so well! And just when we had made up our minds todo everything for him. Do you know I'm not a bit surprised. I've feltbefore now as though I should like to have done it myself."
"He could be very nasty, Duchess!"
"I did so hate that man. But I'd give,--oh, I don't know what I'dgive to bring him to life again this minute. What will Lady Laurado?" In answer to this, Barrington Erle only shrugged his shoulders.Lady Laura was his cousin. "We mustn't give him up, you know, Mr.Erle."
"What can we do?"
"Surely we can do something. Can't we get it in the papers that hemust be innocent,--so that everybody should be made to think so? Andif we could get hold of the lawyers, and make them not want to--todestroy him! There's nothing I wouldn't do. There's no getting holdof a judge, I know."
"No, Duchess. The judges are stone."
"Not that they are a bit better than anybody else,--only they like tobe safe."
"They do like to be safe."
"I'm sure we could do it if we put our shoulders to the wheel. Idon't believe, you know, for a moment that he murdered him. It wasdone by Lizzie Eustace's Jew."
"It will be sifted, of course."
"But what's the use of sifting if Mr. Finn is to be hung while it'sbeing done? I don't think anything of the police. Do you remember howthey bungled about that woman's necklace? I don't mean to give himup, Mr. Erle; and I expect you to help me." Then the Duchess returnedhome, and, as we know, found Madame Goesler at her house.
Nothing whatever was done that night, either in the Lords or Commons.A "statement" about Mr. Bonteen was made in the Upper as well asin the Lower House, and after that statement any real work was outof the question. Had Mr. Bonteen absolutely been Chancellor of theExchequer, and in the Cabinet when he was murdered, and had PhineasFinn been once more an Under-Secretary of State, the commotionand excitement could hardly have been greater. Even the Duke ofSt. Bungay had visited the spot,--well known to him, as there theurban domains meet of two great Whig peers, with whom and whosepredecessors he had long been familiar. He also had known PhineasFinn, and not long since had said civil words to him and of him. He,too, had, of late days, especially disliked Mr. Bonteen, and hadalmost insisted that the man now murdered should not be admitted intothe Cabinet. He had heard what was the nature of the evidence;--hadheard of the quarrel, the life-preserver, and the grey coat. "Isuppose he must have done it," said the Duke of St. Bungay to himselfas he walked away up Hay Hill.