"To the Duke of York—eh?"
"Oh! yes, sir: we have received in pledge the goods of many, many tradesmen who were once very wealthy, but who have been reduced to absolute beggary—starvation—by his late Royal Highness. We call the pillar in Saint James's Park the Column of Infamy."
"Well, it was too bad not to pay his debts before they built that monument," said the baronet carelessly. "But, come—give me a cool six hundred for these things."
"What! the diamonds again?" exclaimed the assistant.
"Oh! yes—they come and go, like good and bad fortune—'pon my honour!" said Sir Rupert.
"Like the jewels of many others at the West-End," added the assistant; and, having made out the duplicates, he handed Sir Rupert over the sum required.
On the following morning the baronet paid Mr. Greenwood the six hundred pounds, and gave a new bill for a thousand at four months, for which the capitalist was generous enough not to charge him any interest.
There was nothing in the baronet's conduct to create a suspicion in Mr. Greenwood's mind that his intrigue with Lady Cecilia was detected; but when the transaction was completed, Sir Rupert hastened to consult with his friend Chichester upon some plan for obtaining positive evidence of that amour.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
THE MYSTERIOUS INSTRUCTIONS.
AT the expiration of ten days from the mysterious accouchement of Ellen Monroe, Richard Markham returned home.