Mr. Parchment's New Client.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4278, 16 September 1882, Page 1

Mr. Parchment's New Client.

Mr Parchment generally regarded a new client with a certain amount of distrust, being an old-fashioned family solicitor of Conservative notions, with a very respectable and wealthy connection. But Mr John Downing came to him with an intro* duction from a reliable source, and at a glance Mr Parchment was favorably impressed by. him. He turned out to be iua elderly gentleman, somewhat infirm, with an air of importance and quiet dignity which the lawyer had learnt from experience to associate with a good rent-roll „ and a predilection for the Three per Cents. Mr Downing commenced by apologising for the lateness of the hour he had chosen for his visit, it being then between six and seven o'clock in the evening. Observing that the old gentleman was muffled up ;to^ the eyes, and spoke in a hoarse ,whisper.! as though he- were suffering from some,! affection of the chest, MrfParchment, re-,t „• marked upon the imprudence of his yen turing out after dark.' "If it does me any harm, I shall have , to bear the consequences," replied Mr Downing, rather sharply. " The fact is, nobody knows I have come out. At the present moment I am supposed to be confined to my room with bronchitis." Mr Parchment opened his eyes at this, but said nothing, while the old 1 gentleman indulged in a quiet chuckle which ter« ' minated in a fit of coughing.''/,-.' ' ' , " I—l asked our mutual friend, George' Turnbull, to introduce me to a solicitor of eminence, on whose discretion and integrity I could rely," said Mr Downing, when his cough had ceased. "He gave me a letter to you, and I have taken the earliest opportunity of calling. I wish to make a fresh will, Mr Parchment;" " So I anticipated," said the lawyer, who had guessed what was coming. " I intend to dispose of my property in a manner that my relatives would not ap> prove of," continued Mr Downing, ".and*. therefore I wish to have my will drawn . by a gentleman of eminence'arid standing! i" in the legal profession.". " A wise precaution," said Mr ParekI ment, dryly,. \ ,'■<-'"■; ;>. j s.f4"i" <" I shall also ask you, as a matter of ! business, to act as one of my executors," * ! said Mr Downing. "It will then be Jjont. duty to uphold the will in case it, «houldj be disputed." "-'; t - : - '***:, "I hardly think,'siri that my business' engagements will permit me to'accept'the' office," replied the lawyer, ,who, did not relish the prospect of being made responv sible for the vagaries of an eccentric testator. ' •, '. - ," I said, as a matter of business. Of .course, I should not think of asking you to act tor nothing," said v Mr Downing!' "I will leave you five hundred guineas for jour trouble, and besides that, there will be a good deal of profit attached to the winding up of my estate."' * •- -, • ! Mr Parchment perceived from this speech that he had to. deal with a shrewd,'./ clear-headed man, and he therefore felt, less hesitation about -'complying. with- hii v-.< wishes. ETo doubt, the legacy and the^ 1 prospect of future business had their in*-.,'' fluence also, though the lawyer/affected to *•,. , be quite indifferent to these inducements, -c-

He reflected a few moments and then said: "Well, Mr Downing, it will depend, of coarse, on the nature of the trusts." " There will be no complication, for I propose to leave everything^ to one individual," replied Mr Downing. ««I may mention that I am a bachelor, and my only near relation is a nephew, who has behaved badly to me, so I am determined to disinherit him." " If, as you say, the matter is quite straightforward, I shall have no objection to act," said Mr Parchment, taking up his pen, and drawing a sheet of paper towards *■ him. "Will you give me the necessary instructions for your will ?" " I leave everything to Edward Alfred Husketh, and I appoint him joint executor with you," said Mr Downing, readily, "And who may Mr Husketh be?" inquired the lawyer, as he wrote down the name.

" My vian—valet, I suppose you ought to call him," answered the old gentleman. " Dear me !" exclaimed Mr Parchment, leaning back in his chair. "And you leave him everything?" "Yes." , " Absolutely ?" "Of course! You see your duties will be very simple." " But have you considered, Mr Downing ? A man in his position " "I know all that," interrupted the old gentleman; " that is what everyone will say, and that is why I wish a lawyer of respectability like yonrself to act as my executor, in order to protect his interests. You will find Husketh a very decent fellow, well-educated, and so on, and quite gentleman enough to make better use of my money than myjnephew could." Mr Parchment said no more, as .it was quite clear that Mr Downing had deliberately made up his mind. After all, the lawyer felt no interest in the disinterested heir, and he knew instinctively that his new client was not a person likely to be swayed by impulse, or to take a serious step with- '"■}. out exercising his judgment. He therefore 'df ew up the will according to instructions, nojomitting the legacy to himself; and Mr Downing called and executed it in due form the following evening, insisting upon paying the fees on the spot. The will was confided to Mr' Parchment's care, and the new client took his departure, apparently much relieved in his mind. But the lawyer felt very uncomfortable when he reflected upon the matter. The idea of a client bequeathing his property to a servant, to the exclusion of of his relatives,' was repugnant to Mr Parchment's old-fashioned notions of justice and decorum ; and his conscience | smote him for not having protested more strongly against such a disposition. To ease his mind, he resolved to call upon old Mr Downing, and make an effort to induce him to modify his frill in favor of the nephew ; but this project was the outcome of several weeks' uneasy reflection, and in accordance with the legal propen-* sity for procrastination, he put off his visit \ from day to day, until he was shocked )> and startled to hear of the death of the V object of his solicitude. . Mr Parchment was too practical to. worry himself with vain regrets, and he therefore at once proceeded to discharge the duties imposed upon him by the will. He found the legatee a sleek, clean-shaved, quiet mannered, middle-aged individual, answering very well to his late master's description of him. Mr Husketh expressed mild surprise when the important news was communicated to him, but showed no emotion whatever. Though he treated

Mr Parchment with respectful deference, the lawyer coald see that he intended to manage his own affairs, and was not likely to develop into a tractable, confiding client. Perhaps it was owing to this circumstance that Mr Parchment conceived a strange aversion to his co-executor—so much so, that he did not feel very loyally disposed towards him. On the other hand, he sympathised very much with the old man's nephew, Arthur Downing, who came up to town to attend his uncle's funeral. When Mr Parchment informed him of the purport of the will, he bore his disappointment so bravely, without a trace of anger or resentment, that the old lawyer's expressions of con' dolence had a genuine ring in them. Arthur Downing explained that he had incurred his uncle's displeasure by marrying against the old man's wishes, and he was therefore not altogether surprised at being disinherited. At the same time his uncle had written him a letter shortly before his death, in which he did not repeat his threat of altering his will, and Arthur Downing had come up to town in the full expectation that he was his uncle's heir. Mr Parchment was much struck by the magnanimity which the young man displayed towards Mr Husketh. Far from attributing his rival's good fortune to chicanery or undue influence, he said that his uncle had always rather distrusted the man, and was not the least likely to have consulted him about the disposition ofjris property. He > expressed his conviction that Husketh \ was a highly respectable person, and frankly admitted that his long and faithful , service entitled him to substantial benefits from his late master. When the young ' man proceeded to say that he must now resign his commission and emigrate to the Colonies to begin life afresh, Mr Parchment felt that he would gladly forfeit his legacy if he could find a flaw in old MrDowning's unjust will. However, he knew very well that the document was perfectly valid on the face of it, and he therefore had to content himself with wringing Willing Downing's hand sympathetically as they parted with mutual expressions of good-will. This interview, though it. tended to increase the lawyer's antipathy to Mr Hnsketh, served to satisfy him of the man's intregrity, and he took the necessary steps for proving the will without delay, leaving his co-executor to dispose of the testator's furniture and household effect. As old Mr Downing, though a rich man, only occupied the upper part of a house in Harewood square, his domestic affairs were easily arranged, and the lawyer was much impressed by the cool business-like. menner in which the late yalet set to work. One evening about a week after the funeral, Mr Parchment was preparing to leave the office at an unusually early hour

for him, when Mr Husketh was announced. The ex-valet appeared less placid and self-possessed than usual, and asked the lawyer to let him have a loan of £200 for a few days until the probate of the will could be obtained. Though surprised at the request, Mr Parchment asked no questions, but at once wrote a cheque for the amount. Husketh was anxious to receive the money in cash, but as the lawyer could not accommodate him and as the banks were closed, he had to content himself with an open cheque. Having handed over the draft, Mr Parchment directed his confidential clerk to prepare a formal receipt for Mr Husketh's signature, and hurried off to keep an appointment. Next morning when he reached the office, his clerk, an intelligent young fellow, who had a desk in the corner of Mr Parchment's room, closed the door behind him with an air of mystery, and said— " If you please, sir, I have ventured to stop that cheque you gave Mr Husketh last night." " What!" exclaimed Mr Parchment, quite aghast. " How dare you do such a thing without asking me ?" '•When old Mr Downing signed his will, sir," said the clerk, hurriedly, " I was one of the attesting witnesses,, and I noticed that he had a singular scar on the back of his hand." ." Well, and what if he had•?" exclaimed the lawyer, irritably. "It is a singular coincidence that Mr Husketh has a precisely similar mark on the back of his hand—a scar like a burn just below the wrist. I noticed it when he signed the receipt yesterday," said the clerk, impressively. Before Mr Parchment had time to comment on tliia communication, another clerk entered the room, iollowed by a young woman, who did not wait to be announced, but pushed herself in front of him, and confronted the astonished lawyer with flaming cheeks and flashing eyes. In her hand she held a slip of paper, which he recognised as one of his own cheques, and this circumstance helped him to identify the young woman as the servant-maid who had opened the door to him when he called at Harewood-square to announce to Husketh his good fortune.

"What is the meaning of this?" she cried, holding out the slip of paper, with trembling fingers. " I am sorry," said Mr Parchment, perceiving that it was the* cheque he had given to Husketh. " There haa been a misunderstanding, I'm afraid. Pray Jbe seated.'' "Misunderstanding! Yes, I should think so 1" exclaimed the young woman, speaking in a shrill and excited voice. "He told me I had only to go to the bank and I should get two hundred sovereigns for that, instead of which I am treated like a pickpocket, and sent over here. I knew it was only a trick of his. He wanted me to go without the money; but I knew him too well; so then he gives mo this to quiet me." " Where did he want you to go to ?" inquired Mr Parchment, pricking up his ears. "To Holland first, and then he was to join me in a week or two, as soon as he'd got the money," replied the young woman, who seemed carried away by furious indignation ; " but after being treated like this, he won't get me out of the country— not he ! I can see his game; he wants me out of the way because I know too much— the mean-spirited, sly»faced scoundrel!" "If you will tell what you know, it will be to your advantage," said Mr Parchment, with sudden interest. " I don't know what he has been up to, if you mean that," replied tbe woman, viciously ;" I only wish I did. But you ask him why he came creepin' in one evening dressed in his master's clothes, and sq disguised that I thought it was mafeter himself for the minute, though I knew poor Mr Downing was lying upstairs too ill to move hand or foot. 1' " .Bless my soul J" exclaimed Mr Parchment, nearly jumping out of his chair. " Can you—ahem—are you aware whether the late Mr Downing had a scar on the back of his right hand, like Mr Husketh has ?" " I'll swear he had not, for I nursed him through his last illness," said the woman, promptly. Mr Parchment drew a long breath, and exchanged a significant glance with his clerk, who at once took a cab, and drove to Scotland-yard, while the lawyer despatched a brief telegram to Arthur Downing.— Truth.