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No person living would be capable of so certainly extracting the correspondence from him, on such ruinously cheap terms as his old master. "I'll no' put myself under Sir Paitrick's thumb," thought Bishopriggs, "till I've gane my ain rounds among the lave o' them first."
Having opened the campaign in this masterly manner, the same sagacious foresight had distinguished the operations of Bishopriggs throughout. His correspondence with Mrs. Glenarm was invariably written with the left hand the writing thus produced defying detection, in all cases, as bearing no resemblance of character whatever to writing produced by persons who habitually use the other hand.
Bishopriggs was insolent on being remonstrated with, and Miss Silvester encouraged him and so on. The result will be now Miss Silvester has gone that Bishopriggs will return to Craig Fernie before the autumn is over. We are sailing with wind and tide, my dear. Come, and learn to play whist." He rose to join the card-players. Blanche detained him. "You haven't told me one thing yet," she said.
Every body said, "What should we have done without you!" when she doubted if she had done wisely in joining the party at all. Inquiring who this favored lady might be, Bishopriggs discovered that she was the niece of the indomitable old gentleman who would dance or, more plainly still, no less a person than his contemplated customer, Mrs. Glenarm.
"Who are the pairties in the parlor? Is ane o' them 'Silvester? and t'other 'Delamayn?" pondered Mr. Bishopriggs, slowly folding the letter up again in its original form. "Hech, Sirs! what, being intairpreted, may a' this mean?" He mixed himself a second glass of toddy, as an aid to reflection, and sat sipping the liquor, and twisting and turning the letter in his gouty fingers.
By way of assisting his memory Blanche took out her purse. Bishopriggs became absorbed in the scenery. He looked at the running water with the eye of a man who thoroughly distrusted it, viewed as a beverage. "There ye go," he said, addressing himself to the rivulet, "bubblin' to yer ain annihilation in the loch yonder! It's little I know that's gude aboot ye, in yer unconvairted state.
The furious savage, with the eyes that darted fire and the fist that threatened destruction, was a total stranger to him. In other words, not the man who had passed as the lady's husband at the inn. At the same time it was equally certain that he was the man involved in the compromising correspondence which Bishopriggs possessed. Mrs. Glenarm was at Swanhaven.
The voice of Mistress Inchbare, calling for the head-waiter, rose shrill and imperative from the regions of the bar. Mr. Bishopriggs disappeared. Anne remained, standing helpless by the window. It was plain by this time that the place of her retreat had been discovered at Windygates.
The neighborhood of this town as stated on the authority of her own maid was the part of Scotland to which the rich widow contemplated removing when she left Swanhaven in two days' time. At Perth, Bishopriggs knew of more than one place in which he could get temporary employment and at Perth he determined to make his first anonymous advances to Mrs. Glenarm.
I will take their evidence as to the handwriting, and as to the question of residence in the North and I will send it to you in written form. That done, I shall have done all. I decline to advise you in any future step which you propose to take." After reflecting for a moment, Geoffrey put a last question. "You said Bishopriggs and the woman would be here at six this evening." "Yes."
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