Before the carriage had well cleared the gate, it stopped again at the earl’s command. He appeared at the window to say,
“It never occurred to me to ask whether I can be of use by going with you. Say that you wish it, and I am ready, this moment.”
“You are kind; but I do not wish it:” and again the carriage rolled on.
With a beating heart, Letitia made her inquiry at the door of her town-house. Lord F—— was not there. He had gone down into the country,—(not to Weston),—that afternoon, leaving a letter to be forwarded to her, which had been put into the post-office some hours before. Letitia’s best hope was over. It was midnight;—too late to go to her lawyer. She gave orders to be driven to her sister’s, thinking it better to alarm her a few hours sooner than to risk any loss of time or of counsel.
She carried little new alarm into Maria’s abode. There were lights seen in the windows, and Maria herself was up and dressed. This was the second night that she had not gone to rest, for it was the second that Waldie was absent without notice, or any intimation where he might be found. The unhappy wife flew to the door on hearing the carriage-wheels. When she saw her sister and Thérèse alone alight, she assumed a forced calmness of manner, as if bracing herself up to bear the worst. Letitia judged it best to use no disguise, from which Maria had suffered all too much already. Inwardly moved by the downcast look of perplexity with which the tidings were received, she told of Waldie’s appearance at Weston, of his errand,—if errand it might be called,—and intended return. It was some relief to Maria to suppose him engaged in town, providing for the approaching crisis, instead of being kept away by any of the horrible causes which she could not prevent from filling her imagination by turns.
The lawyer, Mr. Bland, was—not much to his content—called away from his breakfast and newspaper, the next morning, by the ladies, whom, being ladies, he could not think of keeping in waiting till he had made himself master of all the news. Coldly and solemnly he sat himself down to listen to their affair, and prepared himself with his snuff-box to get over as well as he could the tedium of hearing a business statement from women. He would have cut the matter short near the beginning, with the assurance of the impossibility of raising securities for so large an amount before two o’clock; but Letitia would not be silenced. She showed that she understood the case, pointed out the advantage that might accrue to all parties from the transaction, and indicated such satisfactory means of ascertaining whether the speculation could in reality fail, if the proper funds were provided, that the surly Mr. Bland was won over to promise that he would see what could be done; whereupon the ladies immediately left him, promising to return in four hours, to convey him and[and] his securities to the place where the business was to be transacted.
“Where shall we go?” asked Maria. “What can we do with ourselves for these long four hours?”
“If you have courage to go with me,” replied her sister, “you will find ample employment for the time. If not, we part here, and I advise you to take a country drive to refresh yourself. I am going into the depths of the city to find up a money-lender, who has proved a very convenient help to certain young gentlemen of lord F——’s acquaintance. One may as well try to have two strings to one’s bow, since the worst that can happen is to be laughed at, as women are every day when they propose to meddle with business.”
“Is this the worst that can happen?” asked the timid Maria. “Do you understand the law in such matters? I would not have you involved, Letitia, even to save us.”
“Trust me for doing nothing that my husband would not have me do,” replied Letitia. “Will you come? Our dress tells nothing, does it? It might belong to anybody, from a milliner to a maid of honour. Will you trust yourself with me?”