Chapter XXII.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1522, 20 June 1873, Page 4

Chapter XXII.

" I must tell you," wrote Grace to Kate, "of the great day we had at Deragate. You know all the dreadful news, because Lucy has told you how Uncle Mortiboy, after he had given all his money to Dick, had a paralyticstroke, and is quite helpless now. He seems to know people, though he cannot speak. He gives a sort of a grunt for 'yes' and frowns when he means ' no.' Though we all feel sure he will never recover his faculties again, poor old man, he is not at all a pitiable object to look at. He has completely lost the use of one side, and partially that of the other. His face is drawn curiously out of shape, and it gives him a happy and pleasant look he never used to have. He actually looks as if he weue smiling all the while — a thing*, as you know, he did not often do. They had taken him downstairs, and old Hester looks- after him. Dick has moved into that villa which stands across the river, the only house there. He has a boat to go across^ in. It seems a prosaic Avay of getting over a river for a man who knows all about California and Texas, doesn't it ] I told him that we all expected him to strike out a new idea. "But the moving was the great thing. He asked us all there to come down while he ransacked the old house. So down we went. "We went to see poor old Mr Mortihoy, and he seemed to know us, and to want to speak ; but it was no use. Then pur voyage of discovery began. We had Mr Tweedy, the builder, who went about with the housesteps and a hammer. He went first. Dick came next. We followed, pretending not to be afr all curious; and old Hester brought up the rear. " "First, Aunt Susan's room. Then we opened all her drawers, boxes, and cupboards. There was nothing in one of them except old letters and things of no interest or value. « The old man,' Pick said, 'fcasfeetahw'torfweus,' I V <tl '

don't think thai it's nice of him to speak of his father in that way ; though mamma declares that his voice always shakes as he does it. All poor aunt's dresses were hanging up' just as she had [ left them. Dick gave every one to mamma, with her lace — you know what beautiful lace Aunt Susan had. There is not much after all; for she never dressed very well, as you know. And mamma, in her brusque way transferred the gowns to old Hester on the spot. "Then we went downstairs to the first floor— Mr Mortiboy 's own floor, we had a- surprise. In the room ,vras a long press y -which Dick opened. My dear Kate, it was full of gold and silver cups, and plate of all kinds. *' Dick tossed them all on the table with his usual careless manner. "'Now, cousin," he said, *if you can find anything here with the Heathcote crest on it, take it.' " I found an old cup, which must have been my great grand-father's, which T took home to papa. u{ l am going to pick out the Mortiboy plate,' said Dick, " and sell all the rest.' " Oh, Kate ! among the rest was a great deal of yours, which Uncle Mortiboy had bought up from the sale. I waited till mamma was not looking, and I begged him not to sell that. He did not know that it was yours, and promised. So that all is safe for the present. And then he produced Susan's jewels and trinkets, and divided them between Lucy and me. I shall have such splendours to show you when we meet again. It is old-fashioned, of course, but very good. " Then he put the things back again. " 'We're going to look for money,' he said. • Hester says he used to hide it away/ " Then we saw the use of the steps and the hammer. Mr Tweedy went about hammering, everywhere to see if things were solid or hollow. In a win-dow-seat which he forced open — it had been screwed down — we found a bag full of guineas. I have one of them now. Behind a -panel of the wainscoting which had a secret spring — I did not know there were any houses in Market Basing with secret springs and panels — we found another bag, with thirty old spade guineas in it. Wherever a hiding place could be made, Uncle Mortiboy had hidden away some money. There was qiii]fce a handsome sum of money in an old well-darned stocking foot, and ever so many guineas under his bed. He seemed to have had a great penchant for saving guineas. Hester says he thought they brought luck. " How much is left to find, of course we cannot tell. It seems now that he was never quite easy in his mind about the things in his house. You know their queer, narrow, old staircase ? Well, he used alwaj's to take his afterdinner nap on the stairs, where nothing could pass without awakening him ; and he used to pay policemen extra money for giving a special look at the house. How it was he was not robbed, I can't think. "After all this, we went home, loaded with spoil. Mamma began again about Dick's 'intentions;', but that only annoys me a very little now. "Dick has got old Mrs Lu'mley, whom you know, for his housekeeper. He fired pistols at his first woman, and she ran away. But Mrs Luniley is not afraid, and I haven't heard of any pistols being fired at her. "When are you going to give me fresh news of Frank? Kate, dear, give him my love — my real and only love — and tell him not to forget me, and to keep up his courage. If he would only be helped, all would be well. lam sure papa liked him better than anybody that came to Parktside. And, after all, papa — is papa." It was a fine time this, for Polly. She had plenty of Dick's society. He was at home nearly every evening, and' generally alone. Then she would sit with him while he drank, smoked, told her queer stories, and sang her jovial sea songs. As for her, she always behaved.as a lady, put on a silk dress every evening, and had her bottle of port before her, carrying her adherence to the usuages of polite society so far as generally to make a large hole in it. Occasional waj-farers along the tow-ing-path would hear sounds of merriment and singing. It was whispered that Dick Mortiboy even entertained the Evil One himself, and regaled him with cigars and brandy. Sometimes they played cards, game 3 that Dick taught her. Sometimes they used to quarrel, but not often ; because once, when she, threatened her husband, he took by the shoulders, scad turned her out of doors. She had left Parkside, and now lived with her mother, and only came to see Dick when old Mrs Lumley was out or gone to bedi. Her venerable parent was a bedridden old lady, of prepossessing ugliness, i who resided in a cottage, neither picturesque nor clean, in the outskirts of Market Basing. By the assistance of her daughter, she was able to nib along and get her small comforts. She was not a nice old lady to look at, nor was she eminently moral; being one of those who hold that lies cost nothing and very often bring in a good deal. " Get money out of him, Poll," she said. " Get as much as jon can — it Avon't last you know." " And why sholdn't it last 1 What's to prevent it lasting, you old croaker?" " The other will turn up some day, Polly. I know it — I'm certain of it. Make him give you moneys* Tell him it's for Kir^OwJe-f* ?#, ■ . f *