CHAPTER XXVI.
THE PHANTOM LEGS—PHILLIP REDGILL CONTINUES HIS CAREER OF VILLANY—HIS FRIEND CAPTAIN JACK—YOUNG REDGILL’S MOTIVES FOR MARRYING—THE SUDDEN DEATH OF HIS FATHER—WHO CAUSED IT?—CHARLEY WARBECK IN PRISON—HE IS VISITED BY HIS FALSE FRIEND PHILLIP.
THE PHANTOM LEGS—PHILLIP REDGILL CONTINUES HIS CAREER OF VILLANY—HIS FRIEND CAPTAIN JACK—YOUNG REDGILL’S MOTIVES FOR MARRYING—THE SUDDEN DEATH OF HIS FATHER—WHO CAUSED IT?—CHARLEY WARBECK IN PRISON—HE IS VISITED BY HIS FALSE FRIEND PHILLIP.
The sudden disclosure so much appalled Sir Richard Warbeck that he hung his head, and was unconscious when Charles was led away by two burly, rough-looking men.
His first impulse was to rush to Dame Worthington’s,and seek for him there; but on arriving, of course, found him not at home.
His agitation and tears filled the poor, fond old woman with alarm, for, from what she could gather she imagined that Charles had been taken violently ill, or, what was far worse, perhaps had died!
When Sir Richard had explained everything to her, she screamed, and sank into a fit; and Mistress Haylark, dashing into the apartment, stood almost petrified to find him supporting her in his arms, and addressing her with words of endearment.
Clara was the next one to appear upon the scene, and, in her curl-papers, struck several melo-dramatic attitudes, and gracefully sank into the arm-chair, where she gave vent to a volley of ejaculations, and relieved her young feelings in a genuine flood of tears.
Phillip Redgill, when informed of the affair, was consulting his intended father-in-law regarding his prospective marriage with Fanny, and heard the news with indifference, or at most with a great display of affected surprise.
“Don’t say so! Charley, eh? Ah! he alwayswasfond of fast living! That’s what comes of going beyond one’s means.Ihave learnedthatlong ago. Poor fellow! confessed it, eh? Well, hewasan ass and no mistake.Hisprospects are gone, and no mistake. Not half-a-dozen Sir Richard Warbecks will ever re-instatehimagain. But aboutourbusiness, Sir Andrew. As I was saying, I am devilish short, upon my word; haven’t a coin in the world, and the ‘old man’ refuses to come up; I have asked him. I shall be rich, as you know, one of these days. Now these two young Warbecks are out of the way, old Sir Richard is sure to make me his heir.”
“Ah, it is a great pity! So much comes of living beyond one’s means. What wouldyouhave done, Phillip, if I were to have let those prettily executed pieces of paper signed by you in your father’s name have gone floating about, eh?” said old Sir Andrew, grinning.
“Oh, never mind allthat, you know. I am an altered mannow, you see. I am going to marry and settle shortly. I have sown all my wild oats, and shall prove an exemplary member of society, you know—a member of parliament, or something of that sort, see if I don’t. But how about the shipsEclipseandRacehorse? Didn’t my father insure them in your office? I thought so—for £500,000, I believe. Lord! they tell me they have splendid cargoes of silks and teas on board. The last we heard of them they were sailing in company and had put into Pernambuco for water and supplies. The ‘old man’ will make a pretty penny by that ‘spec.,’ see if he don’t, and then I may expect him to sign my marriage contract. But, in the meantime, good Sir Andrew, let me have a thousand or two—say £5,000; that ain’t much, you know. I want it for a special purpose. Come, open your heart for once, old fellow, you’ll be my father-in-law soon, I hope.”
Sir Andrew, the old usurer,didopen his heart, and in view of the expected marriage between Phillip and Fanny, his only daughter, let the intended husband have the amount he required.
Phillip passed a few moments with his “intended,” in the garden, but left the house suddenly. But why did he leave his intended bride so hurriedly?
The reason was this:
While with one arm round Fanny’s waist he was poring soft nothings in the ear of his intended bride, and forgetful for the moment of all the villany and ruin he had committed in the world, the startled maiden screamed aloud in horror.
Phillip, drawing his sword, and, while supporting the fainting maid, turned suddenly, and, to his amazement, beheld within a few feet of him the “Phantom legs.”
The blood was frozen in his heart as he heard the ominous words,
“Phillip Redgill, I follow you forever.” (See cut in No. 6).
With superhuman exertion he conducted Sir Andrew’s daughter in a fainting state to the mansion again, and assured the affrighted maiden that what she had seen was all imagination. But, meanwhile, filled with terror at the memory of old Bertram’s murder, he left the house, trembling and pale, intent upon drowning his feelings in wine.
His steps were directed to a flash gambling-house where he lost considerably at cards; and, if the truth must be confessed, he spent the rest of the night at a house of bad repute, in company of Captain Jack and others, indulging in expensive wines and general debauchery.
Having spent most of his money, except what he had paid to Captain Jack, he visited Charles Warbeck in prison, and condoled with him in an off-handed manner, and at the same time mentally chuckling at his own superior tact, and cursing Charley’s simplicity, or, as he termed it, his “stupidity.”
“Why couldn’t he have kept it to himself; he could never be found out, the fool? Conscience be hanged! Whoever heard of such a thing in these days? Well,I’mall right,that’sallIcare about, let every one look after themselves; a rogue is honest till found out. If a man betrays himself, so much the bigger fool he is, say I.”
Phillip’s visit of consolation was of short duration, and as he departed from the prison walls he mused,
“So my father refuses to sanction this marriage, for some time, and for ‘special reasons,’ does he? What can be his ‘special reasons?’ He says he’s ‘considerably involved, and wishes to see his way clear first;’ the same old tune! Fathers arealwaysthe same; he neverdidcoincide with any ideas of mine, the old brute! Well, never mind, he can’tlastlong,that’scertain; andI don’t think it would take much trouble to put him out of the way, if all comes to all! Lord! what a fine time I should have then, eh?Idon’t care about old Sir Andrew’s daughter, not a particle; she’srichandthat’sthe main point now-a-days.”
With these thoughts Phillip visited his grey-haired father, whom he found sitting before his office fire, gazing at the glowing embers, and buried in deep thought.
“How the wind blows to-night, Phillip! how fearfully it blows! I wonder how the sea is to-night? Is it rough weather, think you? How is it, stormy say you? Does the telegraph say so? The ‘Racehorse’ and ‘Eclipse’ must be fairly in the channel, or near it by this time, what think you? I hope they’ll get through safely, Phillip; iftheywere to go——!”
“What then?” asked Phillip, laughingly; “your prospects are not centred solely in them, surely?”
“Ah, my son, you know nothing of business yet, I see. All my prospectsarein those ships, and if anything befalls them, I am ru—!”
“Oh, the old story,” thought Phillip, and was sodisgusted that he made his visit of very short duration, and, taking up his hat, left his father’s offices in profound disgust.
“These old fogies never will learn wisdom,” thought he. “As if the ships aren’t fully insured—what stuff! If the old driveller don’t come up to taw, I’ll soon put him out of the way, and no mistake. His tune has always been the same for the past five years—alwayson the point of bankruptcy, and yet always making no end of money! Well, well, I’m tired of it—he shan’t keep me like a beggarmuchlonger,Iknow!” And he paced up and down the street for some time in profound reflection.
Mr. Redgill, senior, went to his offices on the following morning as hale and hearty as ever, and appeared on ’Change the same as he had already done for many years before.
Telegrams from different parts of the coast, both north and south, confirmed previous rumours that the severe gale of the past few days had been unusually destructive, and that many vessels were reported wrecked or stranded. Several fast-sailing ships, which arrived the same morning, reported having passed the “Racehorse” and “Eclipse” off the Irish coast, “all well.”
This news cheered the old man up so much that he consented to dine and go out with Phillip for an evening drive.
On the following morning newspapers detailed “the sad and unexpected death of the famous merchant, Mr. Redgill, who was thrown from his vehicle and drowned the previous evening, while riding with his only son, Phillip, the pair of horses having taken fright and ran away.”
The account added that “Mr. Redgill, jun., had a miraculous escape, but, with wonderful agility, he leaped from the conveyance and saved himself, the horses and carriage, with his father, having tumbled into the Thames, and were drowned!”