indeed.'
The fair Volumnia, not quite unconscious perhaps of the humanizing influence of her charms, pauses in the writing of cocked-hat notes and meditatively adjusts the pearl necklace. Mr. Bucket prices that decoration in his mind and thinks it as likely as not that Volumnia is writing poetry.
'If I have not,' pursues Sir Leicester, 'in the most emphatic manner, adjured you, officer, to exercise your utmost skill in this atrocious case, I particularly desire to take the present opportunity of rectifying any omission I may have made. Let no expense be a consideration. I am prepared to defray all charges.
You can incur none in pursuit of the object you have undertaken that I shall hesitate for a moment to bear.'
Mr. Bucket made Sir Leicester's bow again as a response to this liberality.
'My mind,' Sir Leicester adds with a generous warmth, 'has not, as may be easily supposed, recovered its tone since the late diabolical occurrence. It is not likely ever to recover its tone.
But it is full of indignation to-night after undergoing the ordeal of consigning to the tomb the remains of a faithful, a zealous, a devoted adherent.'
Sir Leicester's voice trembles and his grey hair stirs upon his head. Tears are in his eyes; the best part of his nature is aroused.
'I declare,' he says, 'I solemnly declare that until this crime is discovered and, in the course of justice, punished, I almost feel as if there were a stain upon my name. A gentleman who has devoted a large portion of his life to me, a gentleman who has devoted the last day of his life to me, a gentleman who has constantly sat at my table and slept under my roof, goes from my house to his own, and is struck down within an hour of his leaving my house. I cannot say but that he may have been followed from my house, watched at my house, even first marked because of his association with my house-which may have suggested his possessing greater wealth and being altogether of greater importance than his own retiring demeanour would have indicated. If I cannot with my means and influence and my position bring all the perpetrators of such a crime to light, I fail in the assertion of my respect for that gentleman's memory and of my fidelity towards one who was ever faithful to me.'
While he makes this protestation with great emotion and earnestness, looking round the room as if he were addressing an assembly, Mr. Bucket glances at him with an observant gravity in which there might be, but for the audacity of the thought, a touch of compassion.
'The ceremony of to-day,' continues Sir Leicester, 'strikingly illustrative of the respect in which my deceased friend'-he lays a stress upon the word, for death levels all distinctions-'was held by the flower of the land, has, I say, aggravated the shock I have received from this most horrible and audacious crime. If it were my brother who had committed it, I would not spare him.'
Mr. Bucket looks very grave. Volumnia remarks of the deceased that he was the trustiest and dearest person!
'You must feel it as a deprivation to you, miss,' replies Mr. Bucket soothingly, 'no doubt. He was calculated to BE a deprivation, I'm sure he was.'
Volumnia gives Mr. Bucket to understand, in reply, that her sensitive mind is fully made up never to get the better of it as long as she lives, that her nerves are unstrung for ever, and that she has not the least expectation of ever smiling again. Meanwhile she folds up a cocked hat for that redoubtable old general at Bath, descriptive of her melancholy condition.
'It gives a start to a delicate female,' says Mr. Bucket sympathetically, 'but it'll wear off.'
Volumnia wishes of all things to know what is doing? Whether they are going to convict, or whatever it is, that dreadful soldier?
Whether he had any accomplices, or whatever the thing is called in the law? And a great deal more to the like artless purpose.
'Why you see, miss,' returns Mr. Bucket, bringing the finger into persuasive action-and such is his natural gallantry that he had almost said 'my dear'-'it ain't easy to answer those questions at the present moment. Not at the present moment. I've kept myself on this case, Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet,' whom Mr. Bucket takes into the conversation in right of his importance, 'morning, noon, and night. But for a glass or two of sherry, I don't think I could have had my mind so much upon the stretch as it has been. I COULD answer your questions, miss, but duty forbids it. Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet, will very soon be made acquainted with all that has been traced. And I hope that he may find it'-Mr.
Bucket again looks grave-'to his satisfaction.'
The debilitated cousin only hopes some fler'll be executed-zample.
Thinks more interest's wanted-get man hanged presentime-than get man place ten thousand a year. Hasn't a doubt-zample-far better hang wrong fler than no fler.
'YOU know life, you know, sir,' says Mr. Bucket with a complimentary twinkle of his eye and crook of his finger, 'and you can confirm what I've mentioned to this lady. YOU don't want to be told that from information I have received I have gone to work.
You're up to what a lady can't be expected to be up to. Lord!
Especially in your elevated station of society, miss,' says Mr.
Bucket, quite reddening at another narrow escape from 'my dear.'
'The officer, Volumnia,' observes Sir Leicester, 'is faithful to his duty, and perfectly right.'
Mr. Bucket murmurs, 'Glad to have the honour of your approbation, Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet.'
'In fact, Volumnia,' proceeds Sir Leicester, 'it is not holding up a good model for imitation to ask the officer any such questions as you have put to him. He is the best judge of his own responsibility; he acts upon his responsibility. And it does not become us, who assist in making the laws, to impede or interfere with those who carry them into execution. Or,' says Sir Leicester somewhat sternly, for Volumnia was going to cut in before he had rounded his sentence, 'or who vindicate their outraged majesty.'
Volumnia with all humility explains that she had not merely the plea of curiosity to urge (in common with the giddy youth of her sex in general) but that she is perfectly dying with regret and interest for the darling man whose loss they all deplore.
'Very well, Volumnia,' returns Sir Leicester. 'Then you cannot be too discreet.'
Mr. Bucket takes the opportunity of a pause to be heard again.
'Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet, I have no objections to telling this lady, with your leave and among ourselves, that I look upon the case as pretty well complete. It is a beautiful case-a beautiful case-and what little is wanting to complete it, I expect to be able to supply in a few hours.'
'I am very glad indeed to hear it,' says Sir Leicester. 'Highly creditable to you.'
'Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet,' returns Mr. Bucket very seriously, 'I hope it may at one and the same time do me credit and prove satisfactory to all. When I depict it as a beautiful case, you see, miss,' Mr. Bucket goes on, glancing gravely at Sir Leicester, 'I mean from my point of view. As considered from other points of view, such cases will always involve more or less unpleasantness. Very strange things comes to our knowledge in families, miss; bless your heart, what you would think to be phenomenons, quite.'
Volumnia, with her innocent little scream, supposes so.
'Aye, and even in gen-teel families, in high families, in great families,' says Mr. Bucket, again gravely eyeing Sir Leicester aside. 'I have had the honour of being employed in high families before, and you have no idea- come, I'll go so far as to say not even YOU have any idea, sir,' this to the debilitated cousin, 'what games goes on!'
The cousin, who has been casting sofa-pillows on his head, in a prostration of boredom yawns, 'Vayli,' being the used-up for 'very likely.'
Sir Leicester, deeming it time to dismiss the officer, here majestically interposes with the words, 'Very good. Thank you!' and also with a wave of his hand, implying not only that there is an end of the discourse, but that if high families fall into low habits they must take the consequences. 'You will not forget, officer,' he adds with condescension, 'that I am at your disposal when you please.'
Mr. Bucket (still grave) inquires if to-morrow morning, now, would suit, in case he should be as for'ard as he expects to be. Sir Leicester replies, 'All times are alike to me.' Mr. Bucket makes his three bows and is withdrawing when a forgotten point occurs to him.
'Might I ask, by the by,' he says in a low voice, cautiously returning, 'who posted the reward-bill on the staircase.'
