LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1541, 27 January 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE MASTER OF THE GOLDEN HOUSE, [“London Society.”] ( Continued.) But it so happened that at the close of the evensong, when the deep hush was succeeded by nob'e music, that my eyes unconsciously sought her. The lovely swam in generous tears ; the look and attitude reminded me of Wordsworth's nun, ‘ breathless with adoration. ’ It w r as a fine moment of exaltation, wrought by music, color, and cathedral worship. I was very close to her, and, acting on a sudden impulse, I stretched out my hand towards her, and her slight kind hand firmly grasped mine. ‘ And hand to hand is holy palmer’s kiss,’ said Juliet, It was very little, bat it was enough for me that in her truest, brightest moment, amid golden lights and solemn musio, the little baud was clasped in mine, I asked no more. Chartpb VIII. THE DI- COVERY OF THE RRDIGREES. I determined to lose no time, and went at once to the Dean of the college to ask leave of absence for a few days In our place, if a man wanted to go up to town it was generally to see his dentist or to have his hair cut. But I simply said that 1 had business, and got up to town at once. I made my way to the northern suburbs, beyond which was the village of which the late Mr Egerton had been rector. I quickly found the furniture dealer, who had a large and good shop, and appeared to be a highly respectable man. He perfectly well recollected the sale. The table had been sold to a lady in the neighborhood, who kept a large ‘ Preparatory School for Young Ladies.’ I took the address and went off" to call on this lady. It was a staid, old-fashioned house at Highgate. Lofty spiked walls and severelooking domestics defended the Hesperian gardens in which the young ladies took their pleasure. It was not often that an Oxford man with the extreme University cut made his appearance at those classic doors. I perceived that I was the object of critical remarks to a bevy of tittering beauties. Presently I was ushered into the presence of Miss Sinnock, who of course was always on the look-out for fresh pupils, and must have felt disappointed when she discovered that I did not coma about a young lady, but about an old table.

She said that she had the table, and would show it to me ; and so I followed her into the drawing-room. We opened the drawers, and certainly they appeared to be empty. At my suggestion, however, they were taken out.

We then perceived that at the bottom of each drawer there was a kind of well of very simple construction, a partition easily removable. Three our. of the four drawers yielded no results, but in the fourth there were papers white and blue. The white papers were simply old letters, the business aud the loves or hates now buried in oblivion; and the blue paper was simply a half-sheet of fodscap, down which from top to bottom travelled the tree or stem of the Egerton family, with divers alliances and intermarriages of the Egerton family. I eagerly scanned the documents, and three quarters clown the page my eye lighted on the name of Bampfylde. Without doubt there had been an alliance between the Bampfylde family and the Egertons, of which the Bampfyldes might be proud, as the Egertons certainly appeared to me to be the older and mon illustrious family. The state of the case appeared to me as follows:—I combined with this document the Bampfylde pedigree, so far as it was discoverable from what old Bampfylde had ascertained. A hundred and twenty years ago the Bampfyl 3 e ctock had dwindled to the spinster side. The last sire had left two daughters. The elder had married aMr Egerton. The younger had married a Mr Simpson. This lady died, and Simpson had married a certain Jane Burton, from whom there was a regular line of descendants. I was perfectly familiar with Simpson’s pedigree, which I had repeatedly discussed with Messrs Bampfylde and Blogram. According to this pedigree, the only daughter of the Bampfyldes had married Simpson, and hence the claim of Seymour Simpson, But the astonishing facta were brought out in the Egerton pedigree that the last male Bampfylde had an elder daughter, who was not so much as named in the Simpson tree, and that the lady from whom Simpson claimed had not a drop of Bampfylde blond, being the second wife of the original Simpson, who first married Laura Bampfylde, and died without issue. Mr Seymour Simpson had wilfully suppressed all the facts about the elder sister, aud had so manipulated documents as to make it appear that he was the regular descendant of an only child. He had probably in the first instance urged he considered a lona fide cl dm ; but it was as clear as daylight to my mind that in the course of his researches he became fully acquainted with Eleanor Egerton’s superior claim, and that this was his governing reason in wanting to marry her. He had not a particle of the Bampfylde blood in his veins. His ancient but ignoble blood Had crept through scoundrels ever since the Flood.

On the margin of the pedigree against the name of Egerton was written “of Bretting. ham.’ I had never heard of Orettingham 1 looked at “Bradshaw,” but “Bradshaw” did not give the name. The “ Post Office Directory ” did, however, and Lewis’ “ Topographical Dictionary ” added further information. Brettingham was in Yorkshire. I thought I would run down and see Brettingham. Obviously the one thing to be achieved was the verification of the pedigree.

Chapter IX, THE .TOURNEY TO BRETTINGHAM.

How well I remember that journey to Brettingham ! I had arranged to go down to Cope Station by the Limited Scotch Mail. Without subscribing to the doctrine that the whole secret of success in life is to bo a quarter of an hour before time, I find that quarter of an hour is very useful if you are going a long journey, I encumbered myself with all the paraphernalia of a first-class traveller—a lamp which I never lighted, books which I never read, a rug which I didn’t want—and I asked for a foot-warmer, which I did not use. Having secured, with the customary selfishness of travellers, the cosiest nook in the compartment, and scattered my belongings in the way to suggest that half-a-dozen persons had already secured places in the carriage, 1 proceeded to promenade the platform. I was a little disconcerted by observing the sinister presence of Mr Seymour Simpson, who was showing every external sign of also travelling by the night mail. Knowing Mr Seymour a financial policy of travelling third class and charging first, I had no apprehension of being troubled with his company; oti-i i should certainly prefer not so much as to meet him i,i a waiting or refreshment room. 1 had always disliked him as a m raeulous cad; I considered that I now herd proof positive that ho was one of those fraudulent scoundrels to whom H er Majesty's (doom cut would ie .(lily ex.cai the hos pitalities of a convict prison. I was studying ‘Bradshaw’ and ‘Murray,’ in order to ascertain the position of Erettiugham. If 1 had been a Prussian Uhlan I should have been perfcctly acquainted with the geography of ,Euglaud ; but being only a

native, it was not to bo expected of me. [ found that Bretting!)am wax situated about seven miles from the important town of Casterton, and a good many more from the great commercial centre of Coketnwn. The train stopped at both places,' but not at Brettingham road station. Before we came to either place we stopped for two minutes at some great refreshment station. Getting out of the carriage, I observed that Mr Seymour Simpson was making judicious use of his time in absorbing certain steaming beverages. I took great care not i',? meet his eye. I felt I could hardly trust my t,4ct and discretion not to relieve my mind, which is a common weakness to those who have no mind to relieve, I felt keenly that he was adding insult to injury towards Eleanor in first cheating, and then wanting to marry, her. I do not know whether he recognised me, hut I imagine that he did not _ Certainly ray eye never consciously met Iris. I never imagined that his destination was the same as my own. I supposed that he was travel ling for his firm, to turn either an honest or dishonest penny, as the case might be, with perfect impartiality. Once more the train stopped. It was Casterton. I had not felt certain of the name of the place, and I looked out of the carriage window to ask a passing porter what station it was. As I did so I observed Mr Simpson clearing out of a third class carriage, bag and baggage, with considerable velocity. I myself dismounted much more leisurely, and finding that the solitary omnibus which supplied the public wants of Casterton had driven off, I left my luggage at the parcel office, saying that I would send the ‘ boots ’ of the hotel for it, and I proceeded on foot to the hotel itself

My original idea had been to take things quite quietly, and to spend my time and money in an easy-going fashion. Casterton was in the immediate neighborhood of a celebrated district known as ‘the Dukeries,’ There were parks and palaces in every direction. I promised myself a little tour of inspection while I was in that part of the country. As I approached the only good hotel in the little town I wondered whether the hateful presence of Mr Simpson would obtrude itself again, I considered, however, that his economical policy would, in all probability, attach him to the commercials ; while, of course, I should have to go to the coffee-room. As I passed in with some rapidity, in order to elude his observation, I observed him recruiting at the bar, I ordered supper, and was delighted to find that I could have a sole in addition to the inevitable mutton chops. As the waiter was laying the cloth the notion came into my head to ask him if he knew Mr Simpson, and how long he was likely to stay at Casterton. ‘Simpson, sir?’ said the waiter; ‘don’t know the'gen’man. Haven’t got such a name stopping in the house.’ * Haven’t you got a tall, cadaverous, ugly, evil-looking customer come in by the last train ?’

‘ I expect, sir, as how the party that you means was in the bar just now, and he asked for any letters in the name of Johnson, and he signed his name Johnson in our book. Shall I bring in the Visitors’ Book, sir, for you to sign your own name ?’ But I did not care to sign my own name, neither did I care to pursue any further inquiry respecting Simpson alias Johnson. The one thing to be avoided was any collision with Simpson. (To he cont nued. )