Lady Audley’s Secret by M. E. Braddon (top ebook reader TXT) 📕

He had found another pipe stuck behind the tawdry frame of the looking-glass, and was trying to light it with a bit of twisted newspaper.

“You do not object, Mr. Maldon?”

“No, sir⁠—no, sir; you are his guardian, and you have a right to take him where you please. He has been a very great comfort to me in my lonely old age, but I have been prepared to lose him. I⁠—I may not have always done my duty to him, sir, in⁠—in the way of schooling, and⁠—and boots. The number of boots which boys of his age wear out, sir, is not easily realized by the mind of a young man like yourself; he has been kept away from school, perhaps, sometimes, and occasionally worn shabby boots when our funds have got low; but he has not been unkindly treated. No, sir; if you were to question him for a week, I don’t think you’d hear that his poor old grandfather ever said a harsh word to him.”

Upon this, Georgie, perceiving the distress of his old protector, set up a terrible howl, and declared that he would never leave him.

“Mr. Maldon,” said Robert Audley, with a tone which was half-mournful, half-compassionate, “when I looked at my position last night, I did not believe that I could ever come to think it more painful than I thought it then. I can only say⁠—God have mercy upon us all. I feel it my duty to take the child away, but I shall take him straight from your house to the best school in Southampton; and I give you my honor that I will extort nothing from his innocent simplicity which can in any manner⁠—I mean,” he said, breaking off abruptly, “I mean this. I will not seek to come one step nearer the secret through him. I⁠—I am not a detective officer, and I do not think the most accomplished detective would like to get his information from a child.”

The old man did not answer; he sat with his face shaded by his hand, and with his extinguished pipe between the listless fingers of the other.

“Take the boy away, Mrs. Plowson,” he said, after a pause; “take him away and put his things on. He is going with Mr. Audley.”

“Which I do say that it’s not kind of the gentleman to take his poor grandpa’s pet away,” Mrs. Plowson exclaimed, suddenly, with respectful indignation.

“Hush, Mrs. Plowson,” the old man answered, piteously; “Mr. Audley is the best judge. I⁠—I haven’t many years to live; I shan’t trouble anybody long.”

The tears oozed slowly through the dirty fingers with which he shaded his bloodshot eyes, as he said this.

“God knows, I never injured your friend, sir,” he said, by-and-by, when Mrs. Plowson and Georgey had returned, “nor even wished him any ill. He was a good son-in-law to me⁠—better than many a son. I never did him any wilful wrong, sir. I⁠—I spent his money, perhaps, but I am sorry for it⁠—I am very sorry for it now. But I don’t believe he is dead⁠—no, sir; no, I don’t believe it!” exclaimed the old man, dropping his hand from his eyes, and looking with new energy at Robert Audley. “I⁠—I don’t believe it, sir! How⁠—how should he be dead?”

Robert did not answer this eager questioning. He shook his head mournfully, and, walking to the little window, looked out across a row of straggling geraniums at the dreary patch of waste ground on which the children were at play.

Mrs. Plowson returned with little Georgey muffled in a coat and comforter, and Robert took the boy’s hand.

The little fellow sprung toward the old man, and clinging about him, kissed the dirty tears from his faded cheeks.

“Don’t be sorry for me, gran’pa,” he said; “I am going to school to learn to be a clever man, and I shall come home to see you and Mrs. Plowson, shan’t I?” he added, turning to Robert.

“Yes, my dear, by-and-by.”

“Take him away, sir⁠—take him away,” cried Mr. Maldon; “you are breaking my heart.”

The little fellow trotted away contentedly at Robert’s side. He was very well pleased at the idea of going to school, though he had been happy enough with his drunken old grandfather, who had always displayed a maudlin affection for the pretty child, and had done his best to spoil Georgey, by letting him have his own way in everything; in consequence of which indulgence, Master Talboys had acquired a taste for late hours, hot suppers of the most indigestible nature, and sips of rum-and-water from his grandfather’s glass.

He communicated his sentiments upon many subjects to Robert Audley, as they walked to the Dolphin Hotel; but the barrister did not encourage him to talk.

It was no very difficult matter to find a good school in such a place as Southampton. Robert Audley was directed to a pretty house between the Bar and the Avenue, and leaving Georgey to the care of a good-natured waiter, who seemed to have nothing to do but to look out of the window, and whisk invisible dust off the brightly polished tables, the barrister walked up the High street toward Mr. Marchmont’s academy for young gentlemen.

He found Mr. Marchmont a very sensible man, and he met a file of orderly-looking young gentlemen walking townward under the escort of a couple of ushers as he entered the house.

He told the schoolmaster that little George Talboys had been left in his charge by a dear friend, who had sailed for Australia some months before, and whom he believed to be dead. He confided him to Mr. Marchmont’s especial care, and he further requested that no visitors should be admitted to see the boy unless accredited by a letter from himself. Having arranged the matter in a very few businesslike words, he returned to the hotel to fetch Georgey.

He found the little man on intimate terms with the idle waiter, who had been directing Master Georgey’s attention to the different objects of interest in the High street.

Poor Robert had about as much notion of the requirements of a child as he had