"Well, sir, so I do. I don't deny it. There are _some_ men who are not entirely corrupt,--some who do not cheat systematically, and lie by the compass and the rule. But these are the exceptions. This life and humanity are foul sin from the beginning. Trust no one, young man--not even me; I may turn out a rogue. I am no better than the rest of the wretches!"
"Be sure of nothing; let us end this jabber. How is your mother?" said Mr. Rushton, abruptly.
"Oh, indeed she is, sir--I love her dearly."
"Hum! there's no harm in that, though much selfishness, I do not doubt--all humanity is narrow and selfish. There are some things I procured for her."
And Mr. Rushton pointed to a large bundle lying on the chair.
"Yes; I suppose that, in your outlandish lingo, means _mother_. Yes, for her; the winter is coming on, and she will need something warm to wrap her--poor creature--from the cold."
"Nonsense; I suppose I am at liberty to spend my own money."
Verty looked at the lawyer with a grateful smile, and said:
"I don't think that what you said about everybody's being selfish and bad is true, sir. You are very good and kind."
"Flummery!" observed the cynic, "I had a selfish motive: I wished to appear generous--I wished to be praised--I wished to attach you to my service, in order to employ you, when the time came, in some rascally scheme."
"Yes, sir; you know not why I present that winter wardrobe to your mother," said the lawyer, triumphantly; "you don't even know that it is my present!"
"May I not stop it from your salary, I should like to know, sir?"
"I may do anything--I may have laid a plot to have you arrested for receiving stolen goods," said the shaggy cynic, revelling in the creations of his invention; "I may have wrapped up an infernal machine, sir, in that bundle, which, when you open it, will explode like a cannon, and carry ruin and destruction to everything around!"
This terrific picture caused Verty to open his eyes, and look with astonishment at his interlocutor.
"I may have bought them in to spite that young villain at the store. I heard him," said Mr. Rushton, vindictively--"yes, distinctly heard him whisper, 'There's old Rushton again, come to growl, and not buy anything.' The villain! but I disappointed him; and when he said, "Shall they be sent to your office, sir?" in his odious obsequious voice, I replied, 'No, sir! I am not a dandy or fine gentleman, nor a woman;--you, sir, may be accustomed to have your bundles _sent_--I carry mine myself.' And so, sir, I took the bundle on my shoulder and brought it away, to the astonishment of that young villain, who, I predict, will eventually come to the gallows!"