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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 211
his boy. It was through that love he would work upon her. As
he washes his pretty hands for dinner, and bathes his noble brow,
he arranges his little plan. He orders himself to be sent for soon
after the second bottle of claret—and it appears the Doctor's servants
were accustomed to the delivery of these messages from their
master to himself. The plan arranged, now let us take our dinner
and our wine, and make ourselves comfortable until the moment of
action. In his wild-oats days, when travelling abroad with wild
and noble companions, Firmin had fought a duel or two, and was
always remarkable for his gaiety of conversation and the fine appetite
which he showed at breakfast before going on to the field. So,
perhaps, Hunt, had he not been stupefied by previous drink, might
have taken the alarm by remarking Firmin's extra courtesy and
gaiety, as they dined together. It was nunc vinum, cras œquor.
When the second bottle of claret was engaged, Dr. Firmin
starts. He has an advance of half-an-hour at least on his adversary,
or on the man who may be his adversary. If the Little Sister is
at home, he will see her—he will lay bare his candid heart to her,
and make a clean breast of it. The Little Sister was at home.
" I want to speak to you very particularly about that case of
poor Lady Humandhaw," says he, dropping his voice.
" I will step out, my dear, and take a little fresh air," says
Captain Gann; meaning that he will be off to the " Admiral Byng ";
and the two are together.
"I have had something on my conscience. I have deceived
you, Caroline," says the Doctor, with the beautiful shining forehead
and hat.
"Ah, Mr. Firmin," says she, bending over her work; "you've
used me to that."
" A man whom you knew once, and who tempted me for his
own selfish ends to do a very wrong thing by you—a man whom I
thought dead is alive :—Tufton Hunt, who performed that—that
illegal ceremony at Margate, of which so often and often on my
knees I have repented, Caroline !"
The beautiful hands are clasped, the beautiful deep voice thrills
lowly through the room ; and if a tear or two can be squeezed out
of the beautiful eyes, I daresay the Doctor will not be sorry.
" He has been here to-day. Him and Mr. Philip was here and
quarrelled. Philip has told you, I suppose, sir ?"
" Before Heaven, ' on the word of a gentleman,' when I said he
was dead, Caroline, I thought he was dead ! Yes, I declare, at our
college, Maxwell—Dr. Maxwell—who had been at Cambridge with
us, told me that our old friend Hunt had died in Canada." (This,
my beloved friends and readers, may not have been the precise long-