236
WYLDER'S HAJVD.
dress, to his great inward satisfaction, because he could
henceforward mention, "the other day, when I dined at
Brandon," or " old Lady Chelford assured me, when last
I dined at Brandon ;" and, in short, this dinner was very
serviceable to the excellent attorney.
After dinner, when the dowager's place knew her no
more, Lord Chelford resumed his talk with Larkin.
"I am quite confirmed in the view I took at first," he
said. "Wylder has no claim upon me. There are others
on whom much more naturally the care of his money
would devolve, and I think that my undertaking the office
he proposes, under his present strange circumstances
might appear like an acquiescence in the extraordinary
course he has taken, and a sanction generally of his con-
duct, which I certainly can't approve. So. Mr. Larkin, I
have quite made up my mind. I have no business to un-
Jertake this trust, simple as it is."
"I have only, my Lord, to bow to your lordship's
decision; at the same time I cannot but feel, my Lord,
how peculiar and painful is the position in which it places
me. There are rents to be received by me, and sums
handed over, to a considerable — I may say, indeed, a
very large amount; and my friend Lake — Captain Lake
— now, unhappily, in so very precarious a state, appears
to dislike the office, also, and to anticipate annoyance, in
the event of his consenting to act. Altogether, your lord-
ship will perceive that the situation is one of considerable,
indeed very great embarrassment, as respects me. There
i is, however, one satisfactory circumstance disclosed in his
last letter. His return, he says, cannot be delayed beyond
a very few months, perhaps weeks; and he states, in his
own rough way, that he will then explain the motives of
his conduct to the entire satisfaction of all those who are
cognisant of the measures which he has adopted — and he