CHAPTER XXXV. HOW DIPLOMACY FAILED
Repton was up at daybreak, and at his desk. Immense folios littered thetable, and even the floor around him, and the old lawyer sat amidst achaos that it was difficult to believe was only the growth of an hour ortwo. All the intentness of his occupation, however, did not prevent himhearing a well-known voice in the little stable-yard beneath his window,and opening the sash he called out, "Mas-singbred, is that you?"
"Ah, Mr. Repton, are you stirring so early? I had not expected to seeyou for at least two hours to come. May I join you?"
"By all means; at once," was the answer. And the next moment they weretogether. "Where's Barry? When did you see him last?" was Repton's firstquestion.
"For a moment, on Tuesday last; he came up here to learn if you hadarrived, or when you might be expected. He seemed disappointed when Isaid not before the latter end of the week, and muttered something aboutbeing too late. He seemed flurried and excited. I heard afterwardsthat he had been somehow mixed up with that tumultuous assemblage thatresisted the police, and I offered to go back with him to Kilkieran, buthe stopped me short, saying, 'I am not at Kilkieran;' and so abruptly asto show that my proposal was not acceptable. He then sat down and wrotea short letter, which he desired me to give you on arriving; but todeliver it with my own hand, as, if any reply were necessary, I shouldbe ready to carry it to him. This is the letter."
Repton read it rapidly, and then, walking to the window, stood ponderingover the contents.
"You know this man Merl, don't you, Massingbred?" asked Repton.
"Yes, thoroughly."
"The object of this letter is to try one last chance for an arrangement.Barry suspects that the Jew's ambition for Irish proprietorship may havebeen somewhat dashed by the experience of the last few days; that hewill be likely enough to weigh the advantages and disadvantages with ajuster appreciation than if he had never come here, and, if such be thecase, we are ready to meet with a fair and equitable offer. We'll repayhim all that he advanced in cash to young Martin, and all that he wonfrom him at play, if he surrender his reversionary claim. We'll ask noquestions as to how this loan was made, or how that debt incurred. Itshall be the briefest of all transactions,--a sum in simple addition,and a check for the total."
"He'll refuse,--flatly refuse it," said Massingbred. "The very offerwill restore any confidence the last few days may have shaken; he'lljudge the matter like the shares of a stock that are quoted higher inthe market."
"You think so?"
"I'm sure of it. I'm ashamed to say, Mr. Repton, that my knowledge ofthe Herman Merl class may be greater than yours. It is the one solitarypoint in the realm of information wherein I am probably your superior."
"There are others, and of a very different order, in which I wouldown you the master," said Repton. "But to our case. Suppose,--a meresupposition, if you like,--but suppose that it could be demonstrated toMr. Merl that his claim will be not only resisted, but defeated; thatthe right on which he relies is valueless,--the deed not worth thestamps it bears; that this offer is made to avoid a publicity andexposure far more injurious to him than to those who now shrink from it.What think you then?"
"Simply that he'd not believe it! He'd say, and many others would say,'If the right lay so incontestably with these others, they 'd not givesome twenty thousand pounds to compromise what they could enforce forthe mere cost of a trial.'"
"Mr. Massingbred, too, would perhaps take the same view of thetransaction," said Repton, half tartly.
"Not if Mr. Repton assured me that he backed the opposite opinion," saidJack, politely.
"I thank you heartily for that speech," said the old man, as he graspedthe other's hand cordially; "you deserve, and shall have my fullestconfidence."
"May I ask," said Jack, "if this offer to buy off Merl be made in theinterest of the Martins, for otherwise I really see no great object, sofar as they are concerned, in the change of mastery?"
"You'll have to take _my_ word for that," said Repton, "or rather, totake the part I assume in this transaction as the evidence of it; andnow, as I see that you are satisfied, will you accept of the duty ofthis negotiation? Will you see and speak with Merl? Urge upon him allthe arguments your own ingenuity will furnish, and when you come, ifyou should be so driven, to the coercive category, and that you wantthe siege artillery, then send for _me_. Depend upon it, it will be no_brutum fulmen_ that I 'll bring up; nor will I, as Pelham said, firewith 'government powder.' My cannon shall be inscribed, like those ofthe old volunteers, independence or--"
At any other moment Jack might have smiled at the haughty air andmartial stride of the old man, as, stimulated by his words, he paced theroom; but there was a sincerity and a resolution about him that offeredno scope for ridicule. His very features wore a look of intrepidity thatbespoke the courage that animated him.
"Now, Massingbred," said he, laying his hand on the young man's arm, "itis only because I am not free to tell another man's secret that I donot at once place you fully in possession of all I myself know of thistransaction; but rely on it, you shall be informed on every point, andimmediately after the issue of this negotiation with Merl, whatever bethe result, you shall stand on the same footing with myself."
"You cannot suppose that I exact this confidence?" began Jack.
"I only know it is your due, sir," said Repton. "Go now,--it is not tooearly; see this man, and let the meeting be of the briefest, for if Iwere to tell you my own mind, I'd say I'd rather he should reject ouroffer."
"You are, I own, a little incomprehensible this morning," saidMassingbred, "but I am determined to yield you a blind obedience; and soI'm off."
"I 'll wait breakfast for you," said Repton, as he reseated himself tohis work.
Repton requested Mr. Nelligan's permission to have his breakfastserved in his own room, and sat for a long time impatiently awaitingMassingbred's return. He was at one time aroused by a noise belowstairs, but it was not the announcement of him he looked for; and hewalked anxiously to and fro in his chamber, each moment adding to theuneasiness that he felt.
"Who was it that arrived half an hour ago?" asked he of the servant.
"Mr. Joe, sir, the counsellor, has just come from Dublin, and is atbreakfast with the master."
"Ah! he 's come, is he? So much the better," muttered Repton, "we maywant his calm, clear head to assist us here; not that we shall have tofear a contest,--there is no enemy in the field,--and if there were,Val Repton is ready to meet him!" And the old man crossed his arms, andstood erect in all the consciousness of his undiminished vigor. "Herehe comes at last,--I know his step on the stair." And he flung open thedoor for Massingbred.
"I read failure in your flushed cheek, Massingbred; failure and angerboth, eh?"
Massingbred tried to smile. If there was any quality on which heespecially prided himself, it was the bland semblance of equanimity hecould assume in circumstances of difficulty and irritation. It washis boast to be able to hide his most intense emotions at momentsof passion, and there was a period in which, indeed, he wielded thisacquirement. Of later times, however, he had grown more naturaland impulsive; he had not yet lost the sense of pain this yieldingoccasioned, and it was with evident irritation that he found Repton hadread his thoughts.
"You perceive, then, that I am unsuccessful?" said he, with a faintsmile. "So much the better if my face betrays me; it will save a worldof explanation!"
"Make your report, sir, and I'll make the tea," said Repton, as heproceeded to that office.
"The fellow was in bed,--he refused to see me, and it was only by someinsistence that I succeeded in gaining admittance. He has had leechesto his temples. He was bruised, it seems, when he fell, but far morefrightened than hurt. He looks the very picture of terror, and lieswith a perfect armory of pistols beside his bed. Scanlan was there,and thought to remain during our interview; but I insisted on hiswithdrawing, and he went. The amiable attorney, somehow, has a kind ofrespect for me that is rather amusing. As for Me
rl, he broke out into avulgar tirade of passion, abused the country and the people, cursed thehour he came amongst them, and said, if he only knew the nature of theproperty before he made his investment, he 'd rather have purchasedGuatemala bonds, or Santa Fe securities.
"'Then I have come fortunately,' said I, 'for I bring you an offer toreimburse all your outlay, and to rid you of a charge so little to yourinclination.'
"'Oh! you do, do you?' said he, with one of his cunningest leers.'You may not be able, perhaps, to effect that bargain, though. It's onething to pay down a smart sum of money and wait your time for recoveringit, and it's another to surrender your compact when the hour ofacquisition has arrived. I bought this reversion--at least, I paid thefirst instalment of the price--four years ago, when the late man's lifewas worth twenty years' purchase. Well, he 's gone now, and do you thinkthat I 'm going to give up my claim for what it cost me?'
"I gently insinuated that the investigation of the claim might lead tounpleasant revelations. There were various incidents of the play-table,feasible and successful enough after a supper with champagne, and in theshort hours before day, which came off with an ill-grace on the table ofa court of justice, with three barons of the exchequer to witness them.That I myself might prove an awkward evidence, if unhappily cited toappear; that of my own knowledge I could mention three young fellows ofgood fortune who had been drained to their last shilling in his company.In fact, we were both remarkably candid with each other, and while _I_reminded _him_ of some dark passages at _ecarte, he_ brought to _my_memory certain protested bills and dishonored notes that 'non jucundumesset meminisse.' I must say, for both of us, we did the thing well, andin good breeding; we told and listened to our several shortcomings witha temper that might have graced a better cause, and I defy the world toproduce two men who could have exchanged the epithets of swindler andscamp with more thorough calm and good manners. Unhappily, however, highas one rises in his own esteem by such contests, he scarcely makes thesame ascent in that of his neighbor, and so we came, in our overflowingfrankness, to admit to each other more of our respective opinions thanamounts to flattery. I believe, and, indeed, I hope, I should havemaintained my temper to the end, had not the fellow pretty broadlyinsinuated that some motive of personal advantage had prompted myinterference, and actually pushed his insolence so far as to insinuatethat 'I should make a better thing' by adhering to his fortunes."
Repton started at these words, and Massingbred resumed: "True, upon myhonor; I exaggerate nothing. It was a gross outrage, and very difficultto put up with; so I just expressed my sincere regret that instead ofbeing in bed he was not up and stirring, inasmuch as I should have triedwhat change of air might have done for him, by pitching him out of thewindow. He tugged violently at the bell-rope, as though I were about toexecute my menace, and so I left him. My diplomacy has, therefore, beena sad failure. I only hope that I may not have increased the difficultyof the case by my treatment of it."
"You never thought of _me_ at all, then?" asked Repton.
"Never, till I was once more in the street; then I remembered somethingof what you said about coercive means, but of what avail a mere menace?This fellow is not new to such transactions,--he has gone through allthe phases of 'bulleydom.' Besides, there is a dash of Shylock in everyJew that ever breathed. They will 'have their bond,' unless it can bedistinctly proved to them that the thing is impossible."
"Now then for our breaching battery," said Repton, rising and pacingthe room. "This attempt at a compromise never had any favor in my eyes;Barry wished it, and I yielded. Now for a very different course. Canyou find a saddle-horse here? Well, then, be ready to set out in half anhour, and search out Barry for me. He'll be found at Kilkieran, or theneighborhood; say we must meet at once; arrange time and place for theconference, and come back to me."
Repton issued his directions with an air of command, and Massingbredprepared as implicitly to obey them.
"Mr. Nelligan has lent me his own pad," said Massingbred, entering soonafter, "and his son will accompany me, so that I am at your orders atonce."
"There are your despatches," said Repton, giving him a sealed packet."Let me see you here as soon as may be."