The House of Rimmon (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIII. SUBTLETY S SUCCESS. S Mr. Rimpler had predicted to himself, Mr. Hackbit was in condition that evening to hear something. The office closed at four, that is, to clients. The lawyer and his clerk most commonly spent their evenings there when neither of them had business elsewhere; and thither Mr. Hackbit had adjourned, when the maid came into the dining-room to lay the tea, and interrupted him at his brandy bottle. He looked very quarrelsome, Rimpler thought; and decided to give him an object for his wrath. So he said--"Are you going to the station to meet Mrs. Hackbit? She is later than usual." "No, I am not," replied the lawyer. "She shaid," continued Mr. Hackbit, whose articulation invariably suffered when he reached a certain stage of drunkenness, "she shaid she'd leave me. P'raps she'sh done it, be d d to her." "Not likely. Where could she go?" said Mr. Rimpler. "To the convict," replied Hackbit, who alluded to Elworthy under this erroneous title. "What convict?" inquired Rimpler. "The infernal doctor convict. He wash going to marry her, but I wash one too many for him;" and Hackbit eyed his companion with a cunning leer. "Perhaps he'll be too sharp for you one of these days. What's he like to look at?" Mr. Hackbit began a description of Elworthy, more or less lucid; whereupon his clerk said--"Well, now, that is strange. I've seen a fellow like that hanging about; and I saw Mrs. Hackbit with him the first day I came here." The words penetrated Hackbit's fuddled brain, and almost sobered him. "You've... seen... him... hanging about... here; and seen Keziah... with... him " he repeated. "You're telling me a d d lie." "Perhaps I'm mistaken," said Mr. Rimpler, in a tone of indifference, having shot his dart home, and knowing that he had arous...