The Adventures of Harry Richmond | Page 6

and as the doors flew open, a largely-built
man, dressed in a high-collared great-coat and fashionable hat of the
time, stood clearly defined to view. He carried a light cane, with the
point of the silver handle against his under lip. There was nothing
formidable in his appearance, and his manner was affectedly affable.
He lifted his hat as soon as he found himself face to face with the squire,
disclosing a partially bald head, though his whiskering was luxuriant,
and a robust condition of manhood was indicated by his erect attitude
and the immense swell of his furred great-coat at the chest. His features
were exceedingly frank and cheerful. From his superior height, he was
enabled to look down quite royally on the man whose repose he had
disturbed.
The following conversation passed between them.
'You now behold who it is, Mr. Beltham, that acknowledges to the
misfortune of arousing you at an unseemly hour--unbetimes, as our
gossips in mother Saxon might say--and with profound regret, sir,
though my habit is to take it lightly.'
'Have you any accomplices lurking about here?'
'I am alone.'
'What 's your business?'

'I have no business.'
'You have no business to be here, no. I ask you what 's the object of
your visit?'
'Permit me first to speak of the cause of my protracted arrival, sir. The
ridicule of casting it on the post-boys will strike you, Mr. Beltham, as it
does me. Nevertheless, I must do it; I have no resource. Owing to a
rascal of the genus, incontinent in liquor, I have this night walked seven
miles from Ewling. My complaint against him is not on my own
account.'
'What brought you here at all?'
'Can you ask me?'
'I ask you what brought you to my house at all?'
'True, I might have slept at Ewling.'
'Why didn't you?'
'For the reason, Mr. Beltham, which brought me here originally. I could
not wait-not a single minute. So far advanced to the neighbourhood, I
would not be retarded, and I came on. I crave your excuses for the hour
of my arrival. The grounds for my coming at all you will very well
understand, and you will applaud me when I declare to you that I come
to her penitent; to exculpate myself, certainly, but despising self-
justification. I love my wife, Mr. Beltham. Yes; hear me out, sir. I can
point to my unhappy star, and say, blame that more than me. That star
of my birth and most disastrous fortunes should plead on my behalf to
you; to my wife at least it will.'
'You've come to see my daughter Marian, have you?'
'My wife, sir.'
'You don't cross my threshold while I live.'

'You compel her to come out to me?'
'She stays where she is, poor wretch, till the grave takes her. You've
done your worst; be off.'
'Mr. Beltham, I am not to be restrained from the sight of my wife.'
'Scamp!'
'By no scurrilous epithets from a man I am bound to respect will I be
deterred or exasperated.'
'Damned scamp, I say!' The squire having exploded his wrath gave it
free way. 'I've stopped my tongue all this while before a scoundrel 'd
corkscrew the best-bottled temper right or left, go where you will one
end o' the world to the other, by God! And here 's a scoundrel stinks of
villany, and I've proclaimed him 'ware my gates as a common
trespasser, and deserves hanging if ever rook did nailed hard and fast to
my barn doors! comes here for my daughter, when he got her by
stealing her, scenting his carcase, and talking 'bout his birth, singing
what not sort o' foreign mewin' stuff, and she found him out a liar and a
beast, by God! And she turned home. My doors are open to my flesh
and blood. And here she halts, I say, 'gainst the law, if the law's against
me. She's crazed: you've made her mad; she knows none of us, not even
her boy. Be off; you've done your worst; the light's gone clean out in
her; and hear me, you Richmond, or Roy, or whatever you call yourself,
I tell you I thank the Lord she has lost her senses. See her or not, you
've no hold on her, and see her you shan't while I go by the name of a
man.'
Mr. Richmond succeeded in preserving an air of serious deliberation
under the torrent of this tremendous outburst, which was marked by
scarce a pause in the delivery.
He said, 'My wife deranged! I might presume it too truly an inherited
disease. Do you trifle with me, sir? Her reason unseated! and can you
pretend to the right of dividing us? If this be