Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1967 page)

           
Wilding
. (
rising
). What! you would have left me ignorant of the truth? You would have left me usurping the place, enjoying the fortune that belongs to another man? He must be found! Who was the stranger who adopted the child?

           
Sally
. The lady’s name was Mrs. Miller, sir.

           
Wilding
. Where is she?

           
Sally
. It’s nigh on four-and-twenty years since, sir. All that is known of her is, that she took the child to Switzerland.

           
Wilding
. Switzerland? What part of Switzerland?

           
Sally
. Nobody heard at the time, sir; and nobody knows now.

Enter
B
INTREY
.

           
Bintrey
. Well? Have you engaged the housekeeper? (
Noticing
W
ILDING’S
agitation
.) What’s the matter?

           
Wilding
. (
to
S
ALLY
). Tell him, in your own words — I can’t tell him in any words of mine! (S
ALLY
and
B
INTREY
speak apart
. W
ILDING
continues
,
in soliloquy
.) She left me her fortune — she left me all that I possess, in the firm persuasion that I was her son. I am not her son. I have got the place, I have innocently taken the inheritance of another man. He must be found, Mr. Bintrey!

           
Bintrey
. (
leading
S
ALLY
towards the house
). Wait in the house a little, and let me speak to him. (S
ALLY
goes into the house
. B
INTREY
turns and addresses
W
ILDING
.) This is a sad business, Mr. Wilding. But I can’t see that Sarah Goldstraw is to blame.

           
Wilding
. To blame? She’s a good kind woman, and she shall stop here, in my service. Never mind that now! Mr. Bintrey, the lost Walter Wilding must be found!

           
Bintrey
. After a lapse of four-and-twenty years? Not easy, to say the least of it.

           
Wilding
. I tell you
her
son must be found. It may take time; I may die before it’s done —
 
— Stop! I must make my will — a will leaving everything to him — before I sleep to-night.

           
Bintrey
. Gently! gently!

Enter
G
EORGE
V
ENDALE
from the house
.

           
Wilding
. Oh, George, you come at a terrible time! You don’t know what has happened!

           
Vendale
. My dear Walter! the woman herself has told me. I saw her here on my return from the Docks, and she entreated me, as your old friend, to go and comfort you.

           
Wilding
. Encourage me, George! Take my side. I am determined to find the lost man, and to restore everything to him — for
her
sake, and for the love I bear to
her
memory.

           
Bintrey
. How are we to find the man, Mr. Vendale? If we advertise for him, we invite every rogue in the kingdom to set up a claim. Taking our friend’s own view — which I, for one, don’t share — this restitution is impossible. Try what way you please, Mr. Wilding, you will find this is a case of No Thoroughfare!

           
Wilding
. (
passionately
). The restitution must, and shall, be made! I have got what belongs to another man. I am an Impostor!

           
Vendale
. My good friend, that is simply absurd. No man can be an impostor without being a consenting party to the imposition. Clearly, you never were
that
. As to your enrichment by the lady whom you believed to be your mother, it arose out of the personal relations between you — out of the pure love she had for
you
, out of the pure love you had for
her
. A mistake for which you were neither of you responsible, can’t alter that.

           
Bintrey
. Besides, the man may be dead.

           
Wilding
. The man may be living! We know that the child was taken to Switzerland. That is the clue to follow. If neither of you will help me, I will go to Switzerland myself!

           
Vendale
. Hush! hush! You know we will both help you to any object that you really have at heart. Compose yourself, Walter; we will return to this painful subject later in the day.

Enter
J
OEY
.

           
Joey
(
to
W
ILDING
). A gentleman has stopped at the door, sir, in a cab. He wishes to see you.

           
Wilding
. Who is he?

           
Joey
. A stranger, sir. Here is his card, and a letter.

(J
OEY
withdraws and waits at the back
.)

           
Wilding
. (
to
V
ENDALE
). See who it is! I can’t receive anybody.

(
Hands
V
ENDALE
the card and letter
.)

           
Vendale
. (
starting as he reads the card
). “Mr. Obenreizer!”

           
Bintrey
. (
looking over
V
ENDALE’S
shoulder at the card
.) From Switzerland.

           
Wilding
. Switzerland! Whoever he is, I’ll see him.

           
Bintrey
. You have changed your mind rather suddenly.

           
Wilding
. The one trace of the lost man is in Switzerland. Even this stranger may help us.

           
Vendale
. (
after reading the letter
). Mr. Obenreizer is not a stranger. He was an old acquaintance of mine, when I was travelling abroad. This letter is from our correspondents — Defresnier and Company, the wine-merchants of Neuchâtel. They introduce Mr. Obenreizer as Agent for their house, and as now intending to establish himself in England. And they recommend him warmly to the friendly consideration of Wilding and Company.

           
Wilding
. What sort of a man is he? How is it you never mentioned him before?

           
Bintrey
. (
aside
). Mr. Vendale looks confused. That’s a bad sign to begin with!

           
Vendale
. (
to
W
ILDING
). I had my reasons, Walter. When Mr. Obenreizer and I first met abroad there was somebody with him. In plain English, there was a young lady —
 
—

           
Wilding
. His daughter?

           
Vendale
. He is no older than you and I.

           
Wilding
. No older than I am!

           
Vendale
. No older. The young lady was his ward; and —
 
—

           
Bintrey
. And you fell in love with her? Excuse my legal habit of helping an unwilling witness.

           
Vendale
. I’m not an unwilling witness in
that
part of the matter. I have been in love with her ever since — I am in love with her now — I shall be in love with her to the end of my life. Is
that
sufficiently explicit, Mr. Bintrey?

           
Bintrey
. I can’t say, Mr. Vendale. I’m not professionally acquainted with the subject.

           
Wilding
. I don’t see what tied your tongue about all this, George — so far.

           
Vendale
. The truth is, I was very young at the time, and very anxious to make an impression on the young lady. I drifted into some foolish boasting about myself and my family position. I have had sense enough to be ashamed of it since, and Mr. Obenreizer’s arrival makes me feel doubly ashamed of it now.

           
Wilding
. Do you object to see him?

           
Vendale
. Certainly not! We are to be connected with him in business. Let us get the meeting over; and the sooner the better.

           
Wilding
. (
to
J
OEY
). Ask Mr. Obenreizer to step this way.

(J
OEY
opens the door of the house
,
and
O
BENREIZER
appears.
J
OEY
goes out
.)

           
Obenreizer
. (
advancing
). Mr. Walter Wilding?

           
Wilding
. My name is Wilding, sir. You come excellently introduced. I am glad to see you. (
Presenting
B
INTREY
.) My friend, and legal adviser — Mr. Bintrey.

           
Obenreizer
. Charmed to make Mr. Bintrey’s acquaintance.

           
Bintrey
. (
aside
). Too civil by half! I don’t like him.

           
Obenreizer
. (
noticing
V
ENDALE
). Ha! my fellow-traveller, Mr. Vendale! How do you do? So glad! (
Takes
V
ENDALE
lightly by each elbow
,
by way of embrace
.)

           
Vendale
. You hardly expected to meet me again here, as a partner in the firm?

           
Obenreizer
. On the contrary! I heard at Neuchâtel you had become a member of the firm. Besides, what did I tell you when we were on the mountains? We call them vast — but the world is so little! So little is the world that one cannot keep away from persons. Does one wish to keep away from
you?
Good Heavens, no! And you are quite well? So glad! (
Taking
V
ENDALE
by the elbows again
.)