He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope (books you need to read .txt) 📕

will thank you to inform me whether this be true; as, although I am

confident of my facts, it is necessary, in reference to my ulterior

conduct, that I should have from you either an admission or a denial of

my assertion. It is of course open to you to leave my letter

unanswered. Should you think proper to do so, I shall know also how to

deal with that fact.

As to your conduct in admitting Colonel Osborne into your house while

my wife is there after all that has passed, and all that you know that

has passed I am quite unable to speak with anything like moderation of

feeling. Had the man succeeded in forcing himself into your residence,

you should have been the first to give me notice of it. As it is, I

have been driven to ascertain the fact from other sources. I think that

you have betrayed the trust that a husband has placed in you, and that

you will find from the public voice that you will be regarded as having

disgraced yourself as a clergyman.

In reference to my wife herself, I would wish her to know, that after

what has now taken place, I shall not feel myself justified in leaving

our child longer in her hands, even tender as are his years. I shall

take steps for having him removed. What further I shall do to vindicate

myself, and extricate myself as far as may be possible from the slough

of despond in which I have been submerged, she and you will learn in

due time.

Your obedient servant,

L. TREVELYAN.

A letter addressed “poste restante, Venice,” will reach me here.’

If Trevelyan was mad when he wrote this letter, Mr Outhouse was very

nearly as mad when he read it. He had most strongly desired to have

nothing to do with his wife’s niece when she was separated from her

husband. He was a man honest, charitable, and sufficiently

affectionate; but he was timid, and disposed to think ill of those

whose modes of life were strange to him. Actuated by these feelings, he

would have declined to offer the hospitality of his roof to Mrs

Trevelyan, had any choice been left to him. But there had been no

choice. She had come thither unasked, with her boy and baggage, and he

could not send her away. His wife had told him that it was his duty to

protect these women till their father came, and he recognised the truth

of what his wife said. There they were, and there they must remain

throughout the winter. It was hard upon him, especially as the

difficulties and embarrassments as to money were so disagreeable to him,

but there was no help for it. His duty must be done though it were ever

so painful. Then that horrid Colonel had come. And now had come this

letter, in which he was not only accused of being an accomplice between

his married niece and her lover, but was also assured that he should be

held up to public ignominy and disgrace. Though he had often declared

that Trevelyan was mad, he would not remember that now. Such a letter

as he had received should have been treated by him as the production of

a madman. But he was not sane enough himself to see the matter in that

light. He gnashed his teeth, and clenched his fist, and was almost

beside himself as he read the letter a second time.

There had been a method in Trevelyan’s madness; for, though he had

declared to himself that without doubt Bozzle had been right in saying

that as the Colonel had been at the parsonage, therefore, as a

certainty, Mrs Trevelyan had met the Colonel there, yet he had not so

stated in his letter. He had merely asserted that Colonel Osborne had

been at the house, and had founded his accusation upon that alleged

fact. The alleged fact had been in truth a fact. So far Bozzle had been

right. The Colonel had been at the parsonage; and the reader knows how

far Mr Outhouse had been to blame for his share in the matter! He

rushed off to his wife with the letter, declaring at first that Mrs

Trevelyan, Nora, and the child, and the servant, should be sent out of

the house at once. But at last Mrs Outhouse succeeded in showing him

that he would not be justified in illusing them because Trevelyan had

illused him. ‘But I will write to him,’ said Mr Outhouse. ‘He shall

know what I think about it.’ And he did write his letter that day, in

spite of his wife’s entreaties that he would allow the sun to set upon

his wrath. And his letter was as follows:

‘St. Diddulph’s, October 8, 186-.

‘Sir,

I have received your letter of the 4th, which is more iniquitous,

unjust, and ungrateful, than anything I ever before saw written. I have

been surprised from the first at your gross cruelty to your unoffending

wife; but even that seems to me more intelligible than your conduct in

writing such words as those which you have dared to send to me.

For your wife’s sake, knowing that she is in a great degree still in

your power, I will condescend to tell you what has happened. When Mrs

Trevelyan found herself constrained to leave Nuncombe Putney by your

aspersions on her character, she came here, to the protection of her

nearest relatives within reach, till her father and mother should be in

England. Sorely against my will I received them into my home, because

they had been deprived of other shelter by the cruelty or madness of

him who should have been their guardian. Here they are, and here they

shall remain till Sir Marmaduke Rowley arrives. The other day, on the

29th of September, Colonel Osborne, who is their father’s old friend,

called, not on them, but on me. I may truly say that I did not wish to

see Colonel Osborne. They did not see him, nor did he ask to see them.

If his coming was a fault, and I think it was a fault, they were not

implicated in it. He came, remained a few minutes, and went without

seeing any one but myself. That is the history of Colonel Osborne’s

visit to my house.

I have not thought fit to show your letter to your wife, or to make her

acquainted with this further proof of your want of reason. As to the

threats which you hold out of removing her child from her, you can of

course do nothing except by law. I do not think that even you will be

sufficiently audacious to take any steps of that description. Whatever

protection the law may give her and her child from your tyranny and

misconduct cannot be obtained till her father shall be here.

I have only further to request that you will not address any further

communication to me. Should you do so, it will be refused.

Yours, in deep indignation,

OLIPHANT OUTHOUSE.’

Trevelyan had also written two other letters to England, one to Mr

Bideawhile, and the other to Bozzle. In the former he acquainted the

lawyer that he had discovered that his wife still maintained her

intercourse with Colonel Osborne, and that he must therefore remove his

child from her custody. He then inquired what steps would be necessary

to enable him to obtain possession of his little boy. In the letter to

Bozzle he sent a cheque, and his thanks for the ex-policeman’s watchful

care. He desired Bozzle to continue his precautions, and explained his

intentions about his son. Being somewhat afraid that Mr Bideawhile

might not be zealous on his behalf, and not himself understanding

accurately the extent of his power with regard to his own child, or the

means whereby he might exercise it, he was anxious to obtain assistance

from Bozzle also on this point; he had no doubt that Bozzle knew all

about it. He had great confidence in Bozzle. But still he did not like

to consult the ex policeman. He knew that it became him to have some

regard for his own dignity. He therefore put the matter very astutely

to Bozzle asking no questions, but alluding to his difficulty in a way

that would enable Bozzle to offer advice.

And where was he to get a woman to take charge of his child? If Lady

Milborough would do it, how great would be the comfort! But he was

almost sure that Lady Milborough would not do it. All his friends had

turned against him, and Lady Milborough among the number. There was

nobody left to him, but Bozzle. Could he entrust Bozzle to find some

woman for him who would take adequate charge of the little fellow, till

he himself could see to the child’s education? He did not put this

question to Bozzle in plain terms; but he was very astute, and wrote in

such a fashion that Bozzle could make a proposal, if any proposal were

within his power.

The answer from Mr Outhouse came first. To this Mr Trevelyan paid very

little attention. It was just what he expected. Of course, Mr

Outhouse’s assurance about Colonel Osborne went for nothing. A man who

would permit intercourse in his house between a married lady and her

lover, would not scruple to deny that he had permitted it. Then came Mr

Bideawhile’s answer, which was very short. Mr Bideawhile said that

nothing could be done about the child till Mr Trevelyan should return

to England and that he could give no opinion as to what should be done

then till he knew more of the circumstances. It was quite clear to

Trevelyan that he must employ some other lawyer. Mr Bideawhile had

probably been corrupted by Colonel Osborne. Could Bozzle recommend a

lawyer?

From Bozzle himself there came no other immediate reply than, ‘his

duty, and that he would make further inquiries.’