wilfrid sat smoking moodily till gradually the right course of action occurred to him. he was powerless to cope with these rogues. he would have to place the matter in the hands of a solicitor. of the few lawyers in oldborough wilfrid was only acquainted with mr. ernest vardon, a rising young attorney, who had a branch office in castlebridge. they had met on several occasions lately, and something like friendship had grown up between them. at any rate, it would do no harm to consult vardon, who, to a certain extent, was already familiar with wilfrid's position.
the prospect of action somewhat relieved wilfrid's depression. he left the house and made his way to vardon's lodgings. the latter had just finished his dinner and was ready to hear what his visitor had to say, though he intimated that wilfrid must not be long, as he had an appointment in castlebridge late that evening.
"i have got a case there before magistrates to-morrow," he said, as he laid his hand upon a telegram lying on the table. "i have just had my instructions by wire, and i want to see my client to-night. it has something to do with a fracas at gordon's circus, i understand. but i can give you half an hour. what is the trouble, mercer?"
by way of reply wilfrid laid his letter upon the table and asked vardon to peruse it.
"well, that is plain enough, at any rate," he said presently. "i happen to know something of these people; also something about darton and co. for the matter of that. more than one unfortunate client of mine has found himself in their clutches. my dear fellow, why do you let yourself be beguiled by these bloodsuckers? a man of the world, too!"
wilfrid shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
"what is the good of crying over spilt milk?" he asked. "the thing is done, and there's an end of it. as i told you before, i gave up my sea-faring life for the sake of my mother. i knew it was a risk, but i thought that when i bought this practice i should have been in a position to pay the debt off when it became due. i should never have borrowed the money at all if i had not been definitely told that i could renew the bill when it became due."
"ah, they are all like that," vardon said. "and now they have turned over your business to another firm who really want the money. they won't wait an hour, you may depend upon it. they will sell you up, and what balance remains will go in lawyer's costs, half of which these sharks will share. you see, they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by crushing you; in fact, if you went with the money now they would be rather disappointed than otherwise."
"oh, i can see all that," wilfrid said gloomily. "but why do they part with my bill like this?"
"i give that up," said vardon. "i suppose you don't happen to have made an enemy of either of these men? you haven't had any personal correspondence with them, or anything of that kind?"
"nothing of the sort, my dear fellow. i can't understand it at all. and as to an enemy, why——"
wilfrid broke off abruptly. a sudden uneasy suspicion filled his mind. vardon's shrewd eyes were turned upon his face interrogatively. he waited for wilfrid to speak.
"i dare say you will think it rather far-fetched," mercer said presently, "but i have an enemy in the person of mr. samuel flower, the ship-owner, whom, strange to say, i have been attending professionally. of course, i am telling you all this in confidence, vardon. do you happen to remember a rather sensational case in which one of flower's ships, the guelder rose, was mixed up? there was a mutiny amongst the crew, and i had a considerable hand in it. i was the ship's doctor, you understand. between ourselves, it was a shocking bad case, and if flower had had his deserts he would have stood in the dock over it. instead of that, i nearly found myself in the dock. i managed to keep out of the way, and as i had never seen flower, i thought i was safe. it was strange that i should have been called in to see him the day before yesterday, but he did not appear to recognize me, and i thought it was all right. i foolishly let slip a remark that i had been a ship's surgeon at one time, and i am sure now that it aroused flower's suspicions, for he was on the alert at once. mind you, he asked no further questions, and i thought it was all right. now it occurs to me that flower might be at the bottom of this trouble of mine, for it is the sort of thing he would delight in."
"that he would," vardon exclaimed. "flower is just that type of man. of course, i ought not to say so, but he is a thorough-paced rascal, and i am not the only man in the neighbourhood who knows it. i should not be surprised if you are right. i am only too sorry that i can't help you."
wilfrid sat there thoughtfully. he did not appear to hear what vardon was saying. then he jumped suddenly to his feet and brought his fist crashing down upon the table.
"there is no longer any doubt about it," he cried. "i ought to have remembered it before. when i was in flower's study the night before last there was a letter just begun lying on the table. i remember now that it was addressed to darton and co., no doubt in connexion with this very transfer. more than that, the letter was headed 're mr. wil——' and there the letter broke off. you may depend upon it, that this 'mr. wil——' was meant for mr. wilfrid mercer, and this is the result of the scheme. that man cotter got all the information by telephone; in fact, flower told me that he had been telephoning to london. and i am afraid that is not the worst of it, vardon. you see, some time before i came here i met miss beatrice galloway, and i don't mind telling you that i hoped some day to make her my wife. of course, i had not the remotest idea that she was connected in any way with samuel flower, or probably i should have attempted to restrain my feelings. but she knows that i care for her, and i feel pretty sure that she cares for me. and when i was saying good-bye to her the night before last in the drawing-room at maldon grange, flower came in, and—and——"
"you needn't go into details," vardon smiled. "as an engaged man, i can imagine the rest. it is plain what flower intends to do. he has found you out, and he means to drive you away from oldborough. most men would have forbidden you the house and commanded the lady to have no more to do with you. but that is not flower's method. what you have to do is to fight him. if you had this money, do you think you could manage to do it? i mean, is this the only big debt you have?"
"the other matters are pinpricks," wilfrid said. "if i could get this sum i dare say i could pull through. but the time is short, and i haven't a single friend in the world worth a sixpence."
"it might be managed," vardon said cautiously. "i don't say it will, mind you. there is just a chance. i have got a client in castlebridge who does a bit in this way, and possibly he may take up your security. you will find him rather expensive, but he is honest, and as long as he sees you are making a genuine attempt to pay him off, will not worry you. as i told you just now, i am going into castlebridge by the 9.15 train, and you had better come with me and see my client for yourself. i shall probably get my business finished by a quarter past ten, and then we will go round and call on the old gentleman."
"i cannot say how much i am obliged to you," wilfrid said gratefully. "i shall only be too pleased to go with you. i will have no peace till this matter is settled."
it was a little after half-past nine when wilfrid and his companion reached castlebridge, and made their way through the crowded streets towards the wooden structure which had been erected by the imperial circus company for their winter season.
"we will go in and watch the performance for half an hour," vardon suggested. "by that time i believe my client will be disengaged. i don't care much for this class of entertainment, but it is better than loafing about in the cold streets. i'll leave a message at the box office to say in what part of the house i am to be found when my man is ready for me."
the performance was typical of its kind. the packed audience followed the various items with rapt attention. there were the usual ladies in spangles and short skirts, riding barebacked and jumping through paper hoops; the gorgeous ring-master and the inevitable clowns; the flare of lamps and the pungent smell of sawdust. to wilfrid the whole thing was slow and monotonous to the last degree, and he was glad when one of the attendants whispered something in vardon's ear.
"come along," the latter said. "i see you want to get out of this. my man is waiting in the office at the back of the stables."
they soon reached the office, where three individuals were lounging, two of whom went out directly mr. vardon came in. the remaining figure was a gigantic negro fully six feet six in height, who grinned as vardon came forward.
"my client," vardon whispered. "wait outside, mercer."
wilfrid made no reply. in vardon's client he recognized the negro he had seen near maldon grange.
