He, too, attempted a laugh--and came forward holding out his hand.
"What, come back! How d'ye do, Crawley?" he said, the nerves of his
mouth twitching as he tried to grin at the intruder.
There was that in Rawdon's face which caused Becky to fling herself
before him. "I am innocent, Rawdon," she said; "before God, I am
innocent." She clung hold of his coat, of his hands; her own were all
covered with serpents, and rings, and baubles. "I am innocent. Say I
am innocent," she said to Lord Steyne.
He thought a trap had been laid for him, and was as furious with the
wife as with the husband. "You innocent! Damn you," he screamed out.
"You innocent! Why every trinket you have on your body is paid for by
me. I have given you thousands of pounds, which this fellow has spent
and for which he has sold you. Innocent, by ----! You're as innocent as
your mother, the ballet-girl, and your husband the bully. Don't think
to frighten me as you have done others. Make way, sir, and let me
pass"; and Lord Steyne seized up his hat, and, with flame in his eyes,
and looking his enemy fiercely in the face, marched upon him, never for
a moment doubting that the other would give way.
But Rawdon Crawley springing out, seized him by the neckcloth, until
Steyne, almost strangled, writhed and bent under his arm. "You lie,
you dog!" said Rawdon. "You lie, you coward and villain!" And he struck
the Peer twice over the face with his open hand and flung him bleeding
to the ground. It was all done before Rebecca could interpose. She
stood there trembling before him. She admired her husband, strong,
brave, and victorious.
"Come here," he said. She came up at once.
"Take off those things." She began, trembling, pulling the jewels from
her arms, and the rings from her shaking fingers, and held them all in
a heap, quivering and looking up at him. "Throw them down," he said,
and she dropped them. He tore the diamond ornament out of her breast
and flung it at Lord Steyne. It cut him on his bald forehead. Steyne
wore the scar to his dying day.
"Come upstairs," Rawdon said to his wife. "Don't kill me, Rawdon," she
said. He laughed savagely. "I want to see if that man lies about the
money as he has about me. Has he given you any?"
"No," said Rebecca, "that is--"
"Give me your keys," Rawdon answered, and they went out together.
Rebecca gave him all the keys but one, and she was in hopes that he
would not have remarked the absence of that. It belonged to the little
desk which Amelia had given her in early days, and which she kept in a
secret place. But Rawdon flung open boxes and wardrobes, throwing the
multifarious trumpery of their contents here and there, and at last he
found the desk. The woman was forced to open it. It contained papers,
love-letters many years old--all sorts of small trinkets and woman's
memoranda. And it contained a pocket-book with bank-notes. Some of
these were dated ten years back, too, and one was quite a fresh one--a
note for a thousand pounds which Lord Steyne had given her.