ve turned on his heels and bolted. He had had three or
four interviews with Mr. Prendergast, having received different
sums of money from that gentleman's hands, and had felt on all
such occasions that he was being looked through and through. Mr.
Prendergast had asked but few questions, never going into the matter
of his, Mollett's, pecuniary connexion with Sir Thomas; but there
had always been that in the lawyer's eye which had frightened the
miscreant, which had quelled his bluster as soon as it was assumed,
and had told him that he was known for a blackguard and a scoundrel.
And now when this man, with the terrible gray eye, got up from Sir
Thomas's chair, and wheeling round confronted him, looking him full
in the face, and frowning on him as an honest man does frown on an
unconvicted rascal--when, I say, this happened to Mr. Mollett senior,
he thoroughly at that moment wished himself back in London. He turned
his eye round to the door, but that was closed behind him. He looked
around to see whether Sir Thomas was there, but no one was in the
room with him but Mr. Prendergast. Then he stood still, and as that
gentleman did not address him, he was obliged to speak; the silence
was too awful for him--"Oh, Mr. Prendergast!" said he. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mr. Mollett, it is I."

"Oh, ah--I suppose you are here about business of your own. I was
wishing to see Sir Thomas about a little business of my own; maybe
he's not in the way."

"No, he is not; not exactly. But perhaps, Mr. Mollett, I can do as
well. You have known me before, you know, and you may say to me
openly anything you have to say to Sir Thomas."

"Well; I don't know about that, sir; my business is with the
baronet--particular." Mr. Mollett, as he spoke, strained every
nerve to do so without appearance of dismay; but his efforts were
altogether ineffectual. He could not bring himself to look Mr.
Prendergast in the face for a moment, or avoid feeling like a dog
that dreads being kicked. All manner of fears came upon him, and he
would at the moment have given up all his hopes of money from the
Castle Richmond people to have been free from Mr. Prendergast and his
influence. And yet Mollett was not a coward in the ordinary sense of
the word. Indeed he had been very daring in the whole management of
this affair. But then a course of crime makes such violent demands
on a man's courage. Let any one think of the difference of attacking
a thief, and being attacked