A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) by Charles Reade (best ereader for manga TXT) 📕

Bassett Dining There,  By Mrs. Hardwicke's Invitation,  Who Was One Of

Those Ninnies That Fling Guests Together With No Discrimination.

Richard Had Expected This To Happen Sooner Or Later,  So He Was

Comparatively Prepared,  And Bowed Stiffly To Sir Charles. Sir Charles

Stared At Him In Return. This Was Observed. People Were Uncomfortable,

Especially Mrs. Hardwicke,  Whose Thoughtlessness Was To Blame For It

All.

At A Very Early Hour Sir Charles Ordered His Carriage,  And Drove Home,

Instead Of Staying All Night.

Mrs. Hardwicke,  Being A Fool,  Must Make A Little More Mischief. She

Blubbered To Her Husband,  And He Wrote Sir Charles A Remonstrance.

Sir Charles Replied That He Was The Only Person Aggrieved; Mr.

Hardwicke Ought Not To Have Invited A Blackguard To Meet _Him._

Mr. Hardwicke Replied That He Had Never Heard A Bassett Called A

Blackguard Before,  And Had Seen Nothing In Mr. Bassett To Justify An

Epithet So Unusual Among Gentlemen. "And,  To Be Frank With You,  Sir

Charles," Said He,  "I Think This Bitterness Against A Poor Gentleman,

Whose Estates You Are So Fortunate As To Possess,  Is Not Consistent

With Your General Character,  And Is,  Indeed,  Unworthy Of You."

To This Sir Charles Bassett Replied:

"Dear Mr. Hardwick--You Have Applied Some Remarks To Me Which I Will

Endeavor To Forget,  As They Were Written In Entire Ignorance Of The

Truth. But If We Are To Remain Friends,  I Expect You To Believe Me When

I Tell You That Mr. Richard Bassett Has Never Been Wronged By Me Or

Mine,  But Has Wronged Me And Lady Bassett Deeply. He Is A Dishonorable

Scoundrel,  Not Entitled To Be Received In Society; And If,  After This

Assurance,  You Receive Him,  I Shall Never Darken Your Doors Again. So

Please Let Me Know Your Decision.

"I Remain

"Yours Truly,

"Charles Dyke Bassett."

Mr. Hardwicke Chafed Under This; But Prudence Stepped In. He Was One Of

The County Members,  And Sir Charles Could Command Three Hundred Votes.

He Wrote Back To Say He Had Received Sir Charles's Letter With Pain,

But,  Of Course,  He Could Not Disbelieve Him,  And Therefore He Should

Invite Mr. Bassett No More Till The Matter Was Cleared.

But Mr. Hardwicke,  Thus Brought To Book,  Was Nettled At His Own

Meanness; So He Sent Sir Charles's Letter To Mr. Richard Bassett.

Bassett Foamed With Rage,  And Wrote A Long Letter,  Raving With Insults,

To Sir Charles.

He Was In The Act Of Directing It When Wheeler Called On Him. Bassett

Showed Him Sir Charles's Letter. Wheeler Read It.

"Now Read What I Say To Him In Reply."

Wheeler Read Bassett's Letter,  Threw It Into The Fire,  And Kept It

There With The Poker.

"Lucky I Called," Said He,  Dryly. "Saved You A Thousand Pounds Or So.

You Must Not Write A Letter Without Me."

"What,  Am I To Sit Still And Be Insulted? You're A Pretty Friend."

"I Am A Wise Friend. This Is A More Serious Matter Than You Seem To

Think."

"Libel?"

"Of Course. Why,  If Sir Charles Had Consulted _Me,_ I Could Not Have

Dictated A Better Letter. It Closes Every Chink A Defendant In Libel

Can Creep Out By. Now Take Your Pen And Write To Mr. Hardwicke."

"Dear Sir--I Have Received Your Letter,  Containing A Libel Written By

Sir Charles Bassett. My Reply Will Be Public.

"Yours Very Truly,

"Richard Bassett."

"Is That All?"

"Every Syllable. Now Mind; You Never Go To Hardwicke House Again; Sir

Charles Has Got You Banished From That House; Special Damage! There

Never Was A Prettier Case For A Jury--The Rightful Heir Foully

Slandered By The Possessor Of His Hereditary Estates."

This Picture Excited Bassett,  And He Walked About Raving With Malice,

And Longing For The Time When He Should Stand In The Witness-Box And

Denounce His Enemy.

"No,  No," Said Wheeler,  "Leave That To Counsel; You Must Play The Mild

Victim In The Witness-Box. Who Is The Defendant Solicitor? We Ought To

Serve The Writ On Him At Once."

"No,  No; Serve It On Himself."

"What For? Much Better Proceed Like Gentlemen."

Bassett Got In A Passion At Being Contradicted In Everything. "I Tell

You," Said He,  "The More I Can Irritate And Exasperate This Villain The

Better. Besides,  He Slandered Me Behind My Back; And I'll Have The Writ

Served Upon Himself. I'll Do Everything I Can To Take Him Down. If A

Man Wants To Be My Lawyer He Must Enter Into My Feelings A Little."

Wheeler,  To Whom He Was More Valuable Than Ever Now,  Consented Somewhat

Reluctantly,  And Called At Huntercombe Hall Next Day With The Writ,  And

Sent In His Card.

Lady Bassett Heard Of This,  And Asked If It Was Mr. Bassett's Friend.

The Butler Said He Thought It Was.

Lady Bassett Went To Sir Charles In His Study. "Oh,  My Dear," Said She,

"Here Is Mr. Bassett's Lawyer."

"Well?"

"Why Does He Come Here?"

"I Don't Know."

"Don't See Him."

"Why Not?"

"I Am So Afraid Of Mr. Bassett. He Is Our Evil Genius. Let Me See This

Person Instead Of You. _May_ I?"

"Certainly Not."

"Might I See Him _First,_ Love?"

"You Will Not See Him At All."

"Charles!"

"No,  Bella; I Cannot Have These Animals Talking To My Wife."

"But,  Dear Love,  I Am So Full Of Forebodings. You Know,  Charles,  I

Don't Often Presume To Meddle; But I Am In Torture About This Man. If

You Receive Him,  May I Be With You? Then We Shall Be Two To One."

"No,  No," Said Sir Charles,  Testily. Then,  Seeing Her Beautiful Eyes

Fill At The Refusal And The Unusual Tone,  He Relented. "You May Be In

Hearing If You Like. Open That Door,  And Sit In The Little Room."

"Oh,  Thank You!"

She Stepped Into The Room--A Very Small Sitting-Room. She Had Never

Been In It Before,  And While She Was Examining It,  And Thinking How She

Could Improve Its Appearance,  Mr. Wheeler Was Shown Into The Study. Sir

Charles Received Him Standing,  To Intimate That The Interview Must Be

Brief. This,  And The Time He Had Been Kept Waiting In The Hall,  Roused

Wheeler's Bile,  And He Entered On His Subject More Bruskly Than He Had

Intended.

"Sir Charles Bassett,  You Wrote A Letter To Mr. Hardwicke,  Reflecting

On My Client,  Mr. Bassett--A Most Unjustifiable Letter."

"Keep Your Opinion To Yourself,  Sir. I Wrote A Letter,  Calling Him What

He Is."

"No,  Sir; That Letter Is A Libel."

"It Is The Truth."

"It Is A Malicious Libel,  Sir; And We Shall Punish You For It. I Hereby

Serve You With This Copy Of A Writ. Damages,  Five Thousand Pounds."

A Sigh From The Next Room Passed Unnoticed By The Men,  For Their Voices

Were Now Raised In Anger.

"And So That Is What You Came Here For. Why Did You Not Go To My

Solicitor? You Must Be As Great A Blackguard As Your Client,  To Serve

Your Paltry Writs On Me In My Own House."

"Not Blackguard Enough To Insult A Gentleman In My Own House. If You

Had Been Civil I Might Have Accommodated Matters; But Now I'll Make You

Smart--Ugh!"

Nothing Provokes A High-Spirited Man More Than A Menace. Sir Charles,

Threatened In His Wife's Hearing,  Shot Out His Right Arm With

Surprising Force And Rapidity,  And Knocked Wheeler Down In A Moment.

In Came Lady Bassett,  With A Scream,  And Saw The Attorney Lying Doubled

Up,  And Sir Charles Standing Over Him,  Blowing Like A Grampus With Rage

And Excitement.

But The Next Moment Be Staggered And Gasped,  And She Had To Support Him

To A Seat. She Rang The Bell For Aid,  Then Kneeled,  And Took His

Throbbing Temples To Her Wifely Bosom.

Wheeler Picked Himself Up,  And,  Seated On His Hams,  Eyed The Pair With

Concentrated Fury.

"Aha! You Have Hurt Yourself More Than Me. Two Suits Against You Now

Instead Of One."

"Conduct This Person From The House," Said Lady Bassett To A Servant

Who Entered At That Moment.

"All Right,  My Lady," Said Wheeler; "I'll Remind You Of That Word When

This House Belongs To Us."

With This Bitter Reply Wheeler Retired