At any
rate the trial might be made. He would not refuse money left to him
by will, and why should he not now enjoy that which was intended for
him? Then she explained how certain it was that he must speedily
vanish out of the world altogether, unless some assurance of an
income were made to him. So Lord Chiltern went on his mission, hardly
meaning to make the offer, and confident that it would be refused
if made. We know the nature of the new trouble in which he found
Phineas Finn enveloped. It was such that Lord Chiltern did not open
his mouth about money, and now, having witnessed the scene at the
police-office, he had come back to tell his tale to his sister. She
was sitting with his wife when he entered the room.
"Have you heard anything?" he asked at once.
"Heard what?" said his wife.
"Then you have not heard it. A man has been murdered."
"What man?" said Lady Laura, jumping suddenly from her seat. "Not
Robert!" Lord Chiltern shook his head. "You do not mean that Mr. Finn
has been--killed!". Again he shook his head; and then she sat down as
though the asking of the two questions had exhausted her.
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