"Ha, ha! Something of the same sort has been remarked in our family about it," said the Viscount, much pleased. "It facilitates business, rather, I should hope--about it."
The attorney shook his head, reflectively, raising his hands, and said, "No one but a professional man can have an _idea_!"
"And what do you suggest?" asked Cleve, who was perhaps a little tired of the attorney's compliments.
"Yes, what do you suggest, Mr.--Mr. _Larkin_? Your suggestion I should be prepared to consider. Anything, Mr. Larkin, suggested by you _shall_ be considered," said Lord Verney grandly, leaning back in his chair, and folding his hands.
"I am much--very much--flattered by your lordship's confidence. The former money, I have reason to think, my lord, went to satisfy an old debt, and I have reason to _know_ that his den has been discovered by another creditor, from whom, even were funds at his disposal to leave England to-night, escape would be difficult, if not impossible."
"How much money does he want?" asked Mr. Cleve Verney.
"A _moment_, a _moment_, please. I was going to say," said Lord Verney, "if he wants money--about it--it would be desirable to state the amount."
Mr. Larkin, thus called on, cleared his voice, and his dove-like eyes contracted, and assumed their rat-like look, and he said, watching Lord Verney's face,--
"I am afraid, my lord, that less than three hundred----"
Lord Verney contracted his brows, and nodded, after a moment.
"Three hundred pounds. Less, I say, my lord, will not satisfy the creditor, and there will remain something still in order to bring him back, and to keep him quiet there for a time; and I think, my lord, if you will go the length of _five_ hundred----"
"'Gad, it's growing quite serious, Mr.--Mr. Sir, I confess I don't half understand this _person_, Mr. Ding--Dong--whatever it is--it's going rather too _fast_ about it. I--I--and that's my clear opinion--" and Lord Verney gazed and blinked sternly at the attorney, and patted his fragrant pocket-handkerchief several times to his chin--"very unreasonable and monstrous, and, considering all I've done, very _ungrateful_."
"Quite so, my lord; monstrously ungrateful. I can't describe to your lordship the trouble I have had with that extraordinary and, I fear I must add, fiendish person. I allude, of course, my lord, in my privileged character as having the honour of confidential relations with your lordship, to that unfortunate man, Dingwell. I assure you, on one occasion, he seized a poker in his lodgings, and threatened to dash my brains out."