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We dine at eight, and there are people coming to meet you, so you must just get the dressing business over as quickly as may be. Adieu! Mrs. Jelf will be expecting you in the drawing-room." I was ushered to my room not the blue room, of which Mr. Dwerrihouse had made disagreeable experience, but a pretty little bachelor's chamber, hung with a delicate chintz and made cheerful by a blazing fire.
He remembered distinctly to have examined my ticket to Blackwater; was certain that there was no one else at that time in the carriage; could not have failed to observe a second person, if there had been one; had that second person been Mr. John Dwerrihouse, should have quietly double-locked the door of the carriage and have at once given information to the Blackwater station-master.
Dwerrihouse was universally believed to have absconded with the money, no one knew how or whither. Whether he meant murder or not, however, Mr. Augustus Raikes paid the full penalty of his crime, and was hanged at the Old Bailey in the second week in January, 1857.
"You do not mean to say that you have seventy-five thousand pounds at this moment upon your person?" I exclaimed. "My good sir, have I not been telling you so for the last half-hour?" said Mr. Dwerrihouse, testily. "That money has to be paid over at half past eight o'clock this evening, at the office of Sir Thomas's solicitors, on completion of the deed of sale."
Blackwater!" cried the porter, running along the platform beside us as we glided into the station. Mr. Dwerrihouse pulled out his deed-box, put his travelling-cap in his pocket, resumed his hat, took down his umbrella, and prepared to be gone. "Many thanks, Mr. Langford, for your society," he said, with old-fashioned courtesy. "I wish you a good-evening."
The dessert had scarcely been placed upon the table when the ladies left the room. I seized the opportunity to select a vacant chair next Captain Prendergast. "In heaven's name," I whispered, "what was the matter just now? What had I said?" "You mentioned the name of John Dwerrihouse." "What of that? I had seen him not two hours before."
Why, there isn't a station-master, there isn't guard, there isn't a porter, who doesn't know Mr. Dwerrihouse by sight as well as he knows his own face in the looking-glass, or who wouldn't telegraph for the police as soon as he had set eyes on him at any point along the line. Bless you, sir! there's been a standing order out against him ever since the 25th of September last."
At length I was roused by these words: "Seventy-five thousand pounds, cash down." "Seventy-five thousand pounds, cash down," I repeated, in the liveliest tone I could assume. "That is a heavy sum." "A heavy sum to carry here," replied Mr. Dwerrihouse, pointing significantly to his breast-pocket; "but a mere fraction of what we shall ultimately have to pay."
"You do not mean to say that you have seventy-five thousand pounds at this moment upon your person?" I exclaimed. "My good sir, have I not been telling you so for the last half-hour?" said Mr. Dwerrihouse, testily. "That money has to be paid over at half-past eight o'clock this evening, at the office of Sir Thomas's solicitors, on completion of the deed of sale."
"You say that Mr. Dwerrihouse alighted in Blackwater, and that he was in possession of a private key. Are you sure that he had not alighted by means of that key before the guard came round for the tickets?" "I am quite positive that he did not leave the carriage till the train had fairly entered the station, and the other Blackwater passengers alighted.
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