Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-06-29
[PRICE ONE CENT.
1Dorfrstsr Dailp 5pp.
B L. e "A * Eng u y ES.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
PART FOURTH.
CHAPTER XII.
ON THE WATCH.
BLEA x no 5 H.


Continued.
Mr.. Tulkinghorn incnes his head again. Il
have now my instructlons,' he says sMr Boy
thorn will give US good deal of trouble
III is the character Of such a mind, Mr.. Tulk-
inghorn,' Sir Leicester interrupts him, 'to give
trouble. An exceedingly il-conditioned, eveng
person, person who, fifty years ago, would pro-
badly have been tried at the Old Bailey for some
demagogue proceeding, and severely punished
if not adds Sir Leicester, after moments
pause, 'f not hanged, drawn, and quartered.
Sir Leicester appears TO discharge his stately
breast of burden, in passing this capital sem
tence; if 1t the next satisfactory thing to
have the sentence executed.
But night is coming on says he, 'and my
Lady will take cold. My dear, let US 90 in.'
| AS they turn toward the Hall-door, Lady Ded-
lock addresses Mr.. Tulkinghorn for the first time.
you sent me message respecting the person
whose writing | happened to inquire about. 1t
was like you to remember the circumstance;
had quite forgotten it. Your message reminded
me OF it again. | can't imagine what association
| had with hand like lhat but | surely had
some. 'You had some'' Mr.. Tulkinghorn repeats.
% yes!' returns my Lady carelessly. 4 think
| must have had some. And did you really take
the trouble to find out the writer Of that actual
thing-what is it-Atfidavit?'
'Yes'
'How very odd'
They pass into sombre bredkfast-rOom on the
ground-foor, lighted in the day by two deep VIM
dOws 1t is now twilight The fire gows bright
ly on the panneled wall, and paley the win
dow-gass where, through the cold reflection Of
the blaze, the colder landscape shudders in wind,
and gray mist creeps along; the only traveller
besides the waste of clouds.
My lady lounges in a great chair in the chimney
a IL
opposite. The lawyer stands before the fire, with
his hand out at arms length, shading his face
He looks across his arm at my Lady
eyes, he says, 81 inquired about the man,
and found him. And, what is very strange, [
found him.
"Not to be any out-of the way person, | am
afraid" Lady DedIock languidy anticipates.
| Il found him dead
% dear mel demonstrated Sir Leicester, not
so much shocked by the fact as by the fact of the
fact being mentioned
4 was directed to his lodgings miserable,
You will excuse me, Mr. IukIngnorn. o0-
serves Sir Leicester, & think the less said
Pray Sir Leicester, let me hear the story out;
Git is my Lady speaking) 'It is quite story
for twilight How very shocking! DeadH
Mr. Tulkinghorn re-asserts 1t by another incli-
nation orhis head. whether by his own hand,-'
Upon my honor!' cries Sir Leicester. REALITY
DO let me hear the storyp says my Lady.
Whatever you desire, my dear. But, must
say
No, you mustn't say! Go on, Mr. Tulking-
horn.
Sir Leicester's gallantry comedies the point;
though he still feels that to bring this sort Of
squalor among the upper classes, Is really, really
! i was about to say, resumes the lawyer, with
undisurbed cafmness, shat whether he had died
by his own hand or not, it was beyond my power
to tell you. | should amend that phrase, howev-
er, by saving that he had unquestlonaby died of
his own act; though whether by his own deib-
crate intentions or by mischance, can never GER
tainly be known. The coroner's jury found that
he took poison accidentally
'And what kind Of man, my Lady asks, 'was
this deplorable creature?'
Very difficult to say returns the lawyer,
shaking his head He had lived so wretchedly,
and was so neglected, with his gypsy color, and
his wild black hair and beard, that should have
considered him the commonest of the common
The surgeon had notion that he had once been
something better, both in appearance and condl-
tion.'
what did they call the wretched being?'
They called him what he had called himself;
but no one knew his name
'Not even any one who had attended on hm''
mo one had attended on him. He was found
dead In fact, found him.
~ ithout any clew to anything more?'
without any; there was says the lawyer,
meditalively, san old portmanteau; but-no, there
were no papers,
During tile utterance of every word of this short
dialogue, Lady Dedlock and Mr. Tulkinghorn,
without any other alteration IN their customary
department. have looked very steadily at one an
other, as was natural, perhaps, in the discussion
Of so unusual a subject Sir Leicester has looked
| or tho fro with the Uauaral pxnrassiou of he
Dedlock on the staircase. The story being told,
he renews his stately protest, saying, that as it is
quite clear that no association In my Lady mind
can possibly be traceabe to this poor wretch (un-
less he was begging etter-writer,) he trusts to
hear no more about a subject so far removed from
my Ladys station.
Certainly, a collection of horrors says my
Lady, gathering up her nantes and furs; 'but
they interest one for the moment! Have the
kindness, Mr. Tukinghorn, 10 open the door
for me-
Mr. Tulkinghorn does so with Difference, and
holds it open while she passes out She passes
close to him, with her usual atigued manner, and
insoent grace. They meet again at dinner
again, next day-again, for many days in success
sion. Lady Dedock is always the same exhaust
ed deity, surrounded by worshippers, and terribly
liable to be bored to death, even while presiding
at her own. shrine. Mr. Tulkinghorn is always
the same speechess repository Of noble conf
dences; so oddly out Of place. and yet so perfect
" at home. They appear to take as little note
of one another, as any two people, incosed with
in the same walls, could. But, whether each ev-
lermore watches and suspects the other.--eyer-
more mistrusttul OF some great reservation -
whether each is evermore prepared at all points
for the other, and never to be taken unawares;
what each would give to know how much the 9TH
er knowsall this is hidden for tho time IN fl,air