LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2136, 29 December 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE MYSTERY or LORD BRACKENBURY: A NOVEL. BY AMELIA B. EDWAEDS. Author of "Barbara's History," •'Debenhatn'a Vow," «kc. { Continued. Chapter XXV. FAWCETT, CLARKB, ANl> FAWCBTT. ' But why the dence does she insist on seeing "me?" said Fawcett senior, carefully going round his hat with his coat-cuff. ' Why not let Goodban settle with us ?' ' Can't imagine,' muttered Clarke abstractedly ; his nose buried iu a pile of documents. ' It's a horrid bore !' remarked Fawcett junior, scribbling as fast as bis pea would run.

The door opened—the room being a sort of inner office used only by the partners—and there entered a red-headed youth with a pen behind his ear, who announced that the chaise was waiting. ' All right,'' said Pawcett junior. ' You may put it in the box labelled " Langtrey Grange Estate." If yon don't know which it ia, ask Weevil. And, look here—these letters are all for the London mail.'

Then, the clerk having vanished, he added :

' She wants, of course, to propose a compromise. ' Fawcett, senior, looking at himself in the glass, arranged his hair, put on his hat, and proceeded to draw on his gloves. He was a tall, bald, well-dressed, well-preserved bachelor of sixty, with bushy dark whiskers, a conspicions smile, and a handsome white hand, which he took care to display liberally.

' I don't see what compromise Miss Langtrey could possibly propose at the present stage of affairs,' said this gentleman, smiling blandly at his own reflection. ' Wants to retain possession for her life time, most likely,' suggested the nephew, hastily putting away his papers and locking his desk.

' I hops not. Having withdrawn her business from the firm—and it was certainly not worth ; keeping—she has no claim upon our consideration. None whatever. And it would be painful to be obliged to refuse.'

Mr Clarke —lean, sallow, shabby-looking, in spectacles and a brown wig—lifted his head at this, and, blinking over his glasses, said drily :

'Don't alarm yourself unnecessarily. Vonr feelings won't be put to the test. The old woman would starve in a garret sooner than ask a favor, especially from you.' 'So much the better. And yet 1 say again, why the deuce does she stand out for a personal interview V The elder partner grinned sardonically. . ' Maybe she has a disagreeable surprise in store for you. Borrowed the money belike from some other quarter, and means to pay off the mortgage.' Fawoett, senior, stopped short in the act of pouring out a glass of sherry. His jaw fell.

*lf I had thought that—' he said, with emphasis. 'I shouldn't be a bit astonished,' said Clarke, with a chuckle like the croak of a corn-crake. 'Not a bit!'

Fawcett, senior, eyed his partner sourly, and emptied his glass at one gulp. • Perhaps you wouldn't think it quite so fanny if it concerned the firm, instead of being a private matter of my own,' bo said, and stalked out in a huff; whereat Clarke only chuckled the more. 'An infernal old raven!' growled Fawcett, senior, as he and his nephew rattled up Sing'eton High street at the heels of a highstepping chesnut. ' I wish his teeth would choke him I*

Preparations for their arrival were going, on meanwhile at Langtrey Orange. The appointed hour was two, and Miaa Langtrey's solicitor was coming from Leek to meet hia Singleton brethren. Old Bridget donned her Snnday gown, and Reuben, who performed the diverse functions of cowherd,; stable boy, coacbman sad gardener, was." bidden to put on the immemorial livery coat and gaiters in which his predecessors had driven the family to churoh for the lost sixteen or eighteen years. Winifred asked her aunt whether a fireshould not be lit in the oak drawing-room, but Miea Langtrey would' not hear of it. . ' Those snakes shall not poison the air of ; my sitting-room,' she said, vehemently. ' I should ever after feel that they had left their slime upon the floor!: Tcon can have .the dining-room got ready for them if you like; the table will be convenient. And Winifred. —Mr Good ban mnst be invited to tale a dish of tea with us in the drawing-room .when thev are gone.' Winifred had done-what she could to avert the threatened storm, but In vain., Miss Langtrey was bent on seeing John Fawcetfe face to face, and on giving him that' piece of of her mind'which.Mr Marrables so-justly deprecated. He was to be paid, r, not by cheque, but in hard cash. Beuben had been sent over to Singleton,! on horseback that morning early, with instructions to present himself at the doors of Old Bank as soon as. they were opened. Being duly provided with a canvas bag for: gold and an old leather: pocket-book lot. notcw, he was to stow these treasures in the breastpocket of ..h's-ucder coat and ride- home without stopping for anything or anybody by the way. All this he had faithfully performed ; and- now the cone y ..was In the house, safe and ready—two Bank of England notes for £sooseach ; twenty ditto far £IOO ; twenty ditto for £SO; also, one hundred orisp new country notes bearing the Old Bank's trusty superscription for £2O each, one hundred ditto for £lO, and £IOO In casb, 80 making.the sum of £7lCiV.»ll told. ' Five,, thousand to clear.the- debt ; two thousand for-srroars interest; and a hundred for ] possible extras, said j Misa Langtrey triumphantly. ' Knaves and robbers as they .are, they can't ran it beyond that!' Winifred had never seen har aunt so excited before. All that morning, the old lady kept going; Srom room to room) muttering toll eraolf; locking and uolockiag old bureaux that bad not been opened for years; counting.and re-counting tha money with exultant eagerness ; casting up columns of figures, and making elaborate calculations aa to the coat, of repairs, improvemaats, and the like. She never seemed to remember that the estate was to be cleared: fey means of Winifred's, legacy, or to . consider that Winifred should have any voice in> the disposal of her litfcla fortune. Themoaey, the triumph, the plana were hers, and hers only. To Winifred herself it seemed right and natural enough that her aunt should employ tho legacy according: to her pleasure. She had all her life been, ased to Misa Langtrey'* autocratic rule,, and would no more have dreamed of doabtliag the wisdom and justice of that rule than, of questioning the efficicency of thosolar syatem. It was only the old lady's restlssanass that troubled her. Of mere wilfulness or irritability Bhe would have thought aothing ; but. the unwonted glitter in Misa Langtrey's eyes, her heightened color, iter trembiiag hands, were Bymptoms so sew and disquieting that she resobred to send by and by for the family doctor, if they continued unabated. The Faroeetts, meanwhile, were more than punctaal, arriving a good quarter cf an hour before the time appointed. KcubeUj magnificent in theadbare drab and tarnished silver, took their horse and chaise round to tho stables ; while Bridget, starched and sti£; aa her own cap - frill 3 usheied them into tho dining-room. Now it 83 happened that Winifred, who was arranging at tha table, heard nothing of theiv coming till they were announced, and was consequently surprised in the act of filling np tho iukbottle, and laying out sheets of foolscap and blotting paper ready for use. She had not intended to receive these nnwelcomed visitors, nor did they expect to be received by her, bo that there was for tho moment some little embarrassment on both sides.

Fawoett, however, carried off hia share with mur.'h bowing and smiling ; begged leave to 'introduce his nephew, and remarked *sh»t the table ' looked like business.' • Quito like a Board Room or Committee Room,' he Baid, jocosely. ' Wants only the bandbell and chairman's hammer to complete the illusion.

•I' will tell my aunt that you are here, Mr 'Fawcett;' said Winifred, with a frigid bow. 1

«No hurry, Miss Savage—no hurry. We are before onr time. I trust Mies Lang trey is well ? I have not seen her for—let me see—three—four—seven years, at least. We used to meet more frequently when your uncle—our valued and respected client for over a quarter of a century was a ive>'

Winifred lingered Irresolutely, with her hand on the door.

'My aunt is not well,' she said. ' These law matters excite and fatigue her beyond her strength.' Fawcett senior, blandly rubbing his hands, murmured' regretful sympathy. ' Her nerves are greatly shaken,' continued' the girl, loathing the man, yet constraining herself to his forbearance. ' She is not herself to-day—and—and I have been very anxious all the morning. May I ask you, Mr Fawcett, to remember this presently ?'

' Miss Savage, your wishes are commands. I will make every allowance for Miss Langtrey's state of health/

She bent her head, went out and closed the door.

Fawcett, senior, looked at his nephew and raised his eyebrows significaut'y. ' That means that the old woman is in a devil of a tamper,' he said. ' Mercury falling—glass standing at stormy. I know her of old—a regular Tartar.' ' Don't you think it would put you in a devil of a temper if you had to part from such a place as this ?' asked Fawcett the younger. 'I suspect they are miserable enough, both of them. That poor girl—how handsome she is ! : —looks as if shewas breaking her heart.' 'lt's pretty evident I'm master of the situation,' said Fawoett, senior,' going over to the window and looking out into the court-yard. 'Yes, it "is' r a fine old place,' he added, complacently ; 'but wait till you see how I will improve it.' ' Don't Improve it out of all recognition, whatever you do.' 'Frank,'said the unole. tartly, 'do you take me for a fool ? I'm not going to modernise the place. I should be laughed at if I did—l know that as well as you do. But I'll put it into sound repair and make it thoroughly oomfortable. I won't live in these .rooms, with reining but walls and windows and a paved yard to look ont npon, I promise you. I mean to fit up that south wing for living purposss; use the ground floor rooms at each side of the gateway for breakfast-room, library and morning room ; and turn the Long Gallery into a drawingroom.'

' A good deal will depend on the furnishing, observed his nephew, dubiously. (To be continued)