“I certainly did at one time, if I do not now; but what has he to do with the affair?” asked Lord Alfred, his attention now fully aroused.
In answer to this question, Tirrett entered into a full account of the plot connected with the white-bait dinner, his own acquaintance with Captain O’Brien, and other particulars, with which the reader is already acquainted, dwelling especially on D’Almayne’s advice to him, to throw over Lord Alfred and ride for Captain Annesley, for which D’Almayne bargained to receive a per-centage on his winnings.
“And now,” he continued, “if I can afford your Lordship proof of the truth of my statement, in D’Almayne’s own handwriting, and let you have that proof, so that you may, if you please, confront him with it; perhaps your Lordship will set that off against my refusal to ride the steeple-chase for you.”
“Let me see your proof, sir; I shall then be better able to judge of my amount of obligation to you,” was the curt reply.
Thus urged, Tirrett drew from his pocket the identical epistle which D’Almayne had written to him from Lord Alfred’s lodgings on the morning (as the date testified) before he started for the continent. Lord Alfred perfectly remembered his writing the note; but the authenticity of the document was established beyond a doubt by the paper, which was stamped with a coronet and the cypher A. C. As this proof of his Mentor’s treachery was brought before him, Lord Alfred coloured with anger, and drawing out his pocket-book, he said—
“You must permit me to keep this document, Mr. Tirrett but, as I consider it of value, I shall give you an equivalent for it.” Then handing him a ten-pound note, he continued, “Note for note is a fair exchange.”
Tirrett glanced at the money as if he had half a mind to return it; but a moment’s reflection served to dispel the romantic scruple, and adhering to his rule of never throwing a chance away, he pocketed the cash, and raising his hat, began—
“Really, your Lordship’s too liberal! I am off for Yorkshire to-morrow morning; but I shall be up again before the hunting season, with a lot of very first-rate horses; and as I hope I’ve now made all straight with your Lordship, I shall be highly honoured if your Lordship will look through the stable before I let the dealers see them.”
Then, with another low bow, he turned his horse’s head, and touching him with the spur, cantered off, leaving Lord Alfred to his own reflections, which ran somewhat after the following fashion—
“So much for there being honour amongst thieves! Tirrett coolly sacrifices his accomplice, in order to retain my custom! What an inconceivable scoundrel that Horace D’Almayne turns out! I’m about as easy-tempered a fellow as can be; too much so, I’m afraid; for I often say Yes, when I feel I ought to say No; but I’ll cut the swindler dead at the club, or wherever I meet him, and if he does not like it, I’ll show him his note to Tirrett, or better still, read it out at the club; such perfidy ought to be exposed, and I’ll not flinch from doing so. Coverdale shall see that his example of straightforward manliness is not quite thrown away upon me. I’ve followed a bad mode with tolerable success, and reaped the fruits of such folly, and now I’ll try whether I cannot imitate a good one. I’d do a great deal to reinstate myself in the good opinion of Harry and his wife; they’ve been very kind to me, too kind, for it overpowers me; but of course they must have lost all respect for me—Harry thinks me a soft, foolish boy, and Alice, a weak, sentimental puppy. Well, I’ll do my best to gain their esteem, and if I fail, I shall be none the worse for having tried. How pretty that little Emily is! prettier than her sister, I think! and she believes in me to a great extent, that’s some comfort!”