Dangerfield, indeed,
was innocently reading a leaf in his red and gilt leather pocket-book,
as I have said. But Irons's eyes met the glance of Mervyn, and
contracted oddly, and altogether there gleamed out something indefinable
in his look. It was only for a second--a glance and an intuition; and
from that moment it was one of Mervyn's immovable convictions, that Mr.
Dangerfield knew something of Irons's secret. It was a sort of
intermittent suspicion before--now it was a monstrous, but fixed belief.
So Mr. Irons glided swiftly on to the Salmon House, where, in a dark
corner, he drank something comfortable; and stalked back again to the
holy pile, with his head aching, and the world round him like a wild and
evil dream.
CHAPTER LXIV.
BEING A NIGHT SCENE, IN WHICH MISS GERTRUDE CHATTESWORTH, BEING ADJURED
BY AUNT BECKY, MAKES ANSWER.
In Aunt Becky's mind, the time could not be far off when the odd sort of
relations existing between the Belmont family and Mr. Dangerfield must
be defined. The Croesus himself, indeed, was very indulgent. He was
assiduous and respectful; but he wisely abstained from pressing for an
immediate decision, and trusted to reflection and to Aunt Becky's good
offices; and knew that his gold would operate by its own slow, but sure,
gravitation.
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