Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/284

222 2'22 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

mulated, and reading again and again, his eyes gleaming with joy, the letters of remonstrance, the prayers for a little delay, the representa- tions of the certain ruin in which the opposite party must be involved, which poured in, as suit after suit, and process after process, were com- menced. To all applications for a brief indulgence, there was but one reply — the money must be paid. Land, house, furniture, each in its turn, was taken under some one of the numerous executions which were issued ; and the old man himself would have been immured in prison had he not escaped the vigilance of the officers, and fled.

" The implacable animosity of Heyling, so far from being satiated by the success of his persecution, increased a hundred-fold with the ruin he inflicted. On being informed of the old man's flight, his fury was unbounded. He gnashed his teeth with rage, tore the hair from his head, and assailed with horrid imprecations the men who had been entrusted with the writ. He was only restored to comparative calmness by repeated assurances of the certainty of discovering the fugitive. Agents were sent in quest of him, in all directions ; every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to, for the purpose of discovering his place of retreat ; but it was all in vain. Half a year had passed over, and he was still undiscovered.

" At length, late one night, Heyling, of whom nothing had been seen for many weeks before, appeared at his attorney's private residence, and sent up word that a gentleman wished to see him instantly. Before the attorney, who had recognised his voice from above stairs, could order the servant to admit him, he had rushed up the staircase, and entered the drawing-room pale and breathless. Having closed the door, to pre- vent being overheard, he sunk into a chair, and said, in a low voice —

" * Hush I I have found him at last.'

" * No !' said the attorney-r-' Well done, my dear Sir; well done.*

" * He lies concealed in a wretched lodging in Camden Town,' said Heyling — « Perhaps it is as well, we did lose sight of him, for he has been living alone there, in the most abject misery, all the time, and he is poor — very poor.*

u i Very good,' said the attorney — * You will have the caption made to-morrow, of course ? '

" * Yes,' replied Heyling. * Stay ! No ! The next day. You are surprised at my wishing to postpone it,' he added, with a ghastly smile; '. but I had forgotten. The next day is an anniversary in his life : let it be done then.'

u i Very good,' said the attorney — ' Will you write down instructions for the officer ? '

" * No ; let him meet me here, at eight in the evening, and I will accompany him myself.'

" They met on the appointed night, and, hiring a hackney-coach, directed the driver to stop at that corner of the old Pancras road, at which stands the parish workhouse. By the time they alighted there, it was quite dark ; and, proceeding by the dead wall in front of the Veterinary Hospital, they entered a small bye street, which is, cr was at that time, called Little College Street, and which, whatever it may