Rising in the World CHAPTER 17.
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Scarcely had the honeymoon passed after the wedding of Lawrence Dunbar — which took place a few months after the elevation of Doctor Hudson to the chair of anatomy and surgery in the school — before the young lawyer's restless desire to know something in regard to his wife's fortune, led him to ask her some questions on the subject. He was informed that Mr. Harrison, her guardian, had the entire charge of her property, and would give him all information on the subject.
"Of course the guardianship will now cease," said the husband; "since the law places in my hands, all the powers that were conferred upon him."
"I presume it will," returned the wife, speaking indifferently.
"Shall I see him?" asked Dunbar.
"If you please." Still in a tone of indifference.
"What is the amount of your property; do you know?"
In spite of his effort to ask this question without evincing any particular interest in the answer, he could not help betraying, to some extent, what he really did feel; but whether his wife perceived it or not, was hard to tell.
"I never knew exactly," she replied, "but I think it was originally twenty-five thousand dollars. I suppose it has increased a little, as I have never drawn as much as the interest."
"Twenty-five thousand dollars!" exclaimed Dunbar, thrown off his guard. "Only twenty-five thousand dollars!"
"And please, how much did you suppose it was?" asked the startled wife, through whose whole frame, the words of her husband thrilled. She was instantly aware that he had been attracted by the hope of securing a large fortune — and as instantly she felt a strong sense of indignation. Her pride was aroused, and pride with her, was an overmastering passion.
Dunbar saw that he had betrayed himself, and he also saw, by the expression of his wife's face, that he had committed an offence not likely to be soon forgiven.
"I was informed that it was more," he said, speaking with forced calmness.
"By whom, please?" Mrs. Dunbar's eyes flashed, and her voice was angry in its expression.
"Not by you, certainly."
"If you had inquired of me, there would have been less likelihood of your being led into error," said his wife, with an ill-concealed sneer, that made the very blood boil in the veins of Dunbar.
"Twenty-five thousand dollars!" he muttered to himself a few moments after, as he hastily left the presence of his excited and angry bride.
"And is it for such a paltry sum, that I have sold myself to this she-devil?"
He checked himself suddenly, in very shame, and repeated with much bitterness —
"Twenty-five thousand dollars! I can make that any year by cutting my cards aright!"
It was many hours before the lawyer could think with any calmness, upon the new aspect which his affairs had suddenly assumed. For his wife, dislike and disgust assumed the place of a forced regard, which he had entertained for her, as the representative of a handsome fortune. When he met her, on returning to his elegant home — she was cold, haughty, and reserved in her manner towards him. Her head was not bowed in bitterness of spirit at the discovery she had made, but was held erect; and she looked at him with a stern, rebuking, imperious gaze, which aroused the worst passions within him. Neither of them referred to the morning's interview.
On the next day, Dunbar's mind was made up to go to old Mr. Harrison, and know the truth. He could bear the suspense no longer. Accordingly, he called to see him the first thing in the morning.
"I learn from my wife," he said, "that you are her guardian."
"I am. I was appointed under her father's will to take charge of her property, and to pay it over to her husband if she ever married."
"What is the amount of this property?" asked Dunbar.
"Twenty-five thousand dollars were left to her by her father at his death; the balance of his large property went to some distant relatives. Harriet's fortune has, in my hands, increased to thirty thousand dollars."
"Was she his only child?"
"Yes."
"Why did he not leave her more?"
"He had his own reasons, I presume," returned Harrison coldly.
"The thirty thousand you hold, is to be paid to me, I understand."
"The will requires me to pay to the husband of Harriet the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, with any interest accruing therefrom not already paid to the said Harriet. You are her husband, and of course you are entitled to her fortune."
"Yes, that is plain enough. When will you be prepared to arrange it?"
"That I have already done," replied the guardian, coolly.
"Already done! I do not understand you, Mr. Harrison."
"Did I not pay you thirty thousand dollars a few weeks ago?"
"Yes, but not on this account."
"And did you not then give me a receipt in full of all demands, past, present, and to come?"
The face of Dunbar became pale, and his lips quivered.
"Was it just in you, sir," he said sternly, "to take that advantage of my ignorance of your relation to my intended wife?"
"Was it just in you, sir," returned Mr. Harrison, with equal sternness, "to take a bribe for the betrayal of your client, whose cause you might have gained?"
"It was as right as for you to offer it." retorted Dunbar.
"You are answered," said the old man, coldly. "I have your receipt, and mean to hold it against you."
"But do you think I will not cite you before the court to answer in this matter?" returned the lawyer. "The receipt was fraudulently obtained and cannot stand. Its very tenor expresses its character. I will swear that you refused to pay me a sum of money due, unless I would sign the receipt you have produced."
"Very well, Mr. Dunbar, I will meet you, and require you to show, that this receipt was not intended to cover an anticipatory payment of this very legacy belonging to the woman who was to become your wife in a few days. What other transaction involving so heavy an amount would lie between us? This will, of course, be asked, and I will leave you to answer it to the satisfaction of the court; and I will take good care that the answer be fully reported for publication in the daily press."
Harrison looked the young lawyer in the face steadily, while he slowly repeated these sentences in a firm voice —
"I don't see that it will place you in any more favorable light than it will me," said Dunbar, after a moment's reflection. "If you are willing to brave public opinion — I think I needn't shrink from it."
"As you please," returned the old man, indifferently. "I rather think I shall be able to make out a plain case for myself. So, if you intend going to law about this business, I hope you will begin at once, and be done with it."
"I am to understand, then, that you will not settle the estate of your ward according to the provisions of her father's will?"
"No — you are to understand that I have already settled it, and that I hold your receipt for the full sum thereof."
"A thing that I deny."
"A man may deny anything he pleases, and especially a man like you, who would betray, for gain, the interests of his client. No doubt your practice would vastly increase after the beautiful exposure that will be made when you sue for your wife's estate. You are the young man I heard it prophesied, some years ago, would rise in the world. Truly you are going up with astonishing celerity."
"Mr. Harrison, I will bear insult from no man! not even from one as old as yourself," said the lawyer, passionately.
"Do I insult you? I presumed that you would take what I said as a compliment. But if you don't like my plain way of speaking, I think you had better leave me. I have no wish for a continuance of your company. I know you too well."
At this retort, the lawyer turned on his heel and left the presence of the man who knew him all too well.
"The biter got bit that time. I thought I would be too sharp for him," said Harrison, smiling inwardly.
If ever a man was completely foiled in his purposes and dashed down to the very earth, that man was Lawrence Dunbar. Of the thirty thousand dollars received from Harrison, ten thousand had been paid to the opposing attorney as his accomplice in iniquity, leaving him but twenty thousand dollars as the entire fortune of his wife. This was a very different state of affairs from that which his imagination had been picturing. Seventy thousand with his wife, twenty thousand from old Harrison as the price of his integrity, and fifteen thousand dollars already earned and saved, would have made one hundred and five thousand dollars. Instead, he was worth just thirty thousand dollars, and ten thousand of that was locked up in costly household furniture that had already lost its beauty in his eyes.
As to entering into a contest with Mr. Harrison, that he did not for a moment contemplate. It could not be done without an exposure ruinous alike to his character and prospects. The very thought of it made him shudder. It was bad enough that a man who entertained such a hearty contempt for him should be in possession of such a blasting secret, which, if even a whisper of it got upon the wind, would wither up his legal reputation and blast his hopes like the hot breath of a sirocco. He was in no mood to meet the wife he had insulted by a betrayal of his base regard for her property, instead of her person. The air of his richly-furnished parlors, as he entered them, was cold; the house itself seemed deserted, and oppressed him with a feeling of desolation. He did not seek his wife; for he had no wish to come into her presence. He thought of her with something akin toloathing. And this was scarcely five weeks from the wedding day!
At tea time they met; cold, reserved, and even haughty in their demeanor towards each other. The wife felt that she had received an unpardonable insult, and the husband felt that he had been deeply wronged. All hope of bettering his fortunes by matrimony, was now gone. He was united to one who was, to use his own words, a beggar. She had no attractions of beauty of which he might be proud; and no excellencies of character to win his esteem or love. But, cold, repulsive, self-willed, and passionate — she united in her person all those qualities which repel and estrange a man.
The subject of her fortune was never again alluded to by them. She asked no questions — and he made no communication touching the matter. But Mr. Harrison took the pains to call upon her, and inform her that he had paid to her husband thirty thousand dollars, in accordance with the provisions of her father's will, and that he was no longer her guardian.
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