UNDER A STRANGE MASK.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 342, 17 September 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNDER A STRANGE MASK.

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♦ BY FRAMv BARRETT. CHAPTER XV.—CONEYBKARE IS OUTBIDDEN. What this precious Lestrange was driving at with this lying and hypocrisy I could not divine, aRd I waited up till past midnight, in the vain hope that he would come over to explain matters, and let me know that he would accept my offer, and get old Sylvester out of the country. I waited "in vain the next morning till it struck twelve, and then 1 thought I ought to go round to Coneybeare and ask him to stay a little longer. • I met the speculator in the High Street. Nodding towards the Town Hall clock, he said—--11 waited in my office till the last stroke, Keene. ' I'm a man of punctuality, and never went from my word yet, either one way or the other; now lam taking the money back to the bank. That's business. 4 Yes,' said I; but you can draw it out at a moment's notice, if necessary. My client has not come yet, but I expect him every minute.' «Business is business, Keene, and you know that as well as I. We said twelve o'clock, and at twelve I was prepared to filful our agreement, and now twelve is gone I shall hold myself free to refuse your offer if I can dispose of my money to greater advantage.' • Oh, certainly ' said I, looking on this as mere bounce on his for these sharp men of business never wish you to think they are eager to make a bargain. 'To be plain with you, Keene,' he said after rubbing his chin thoughtfully, his lips bunched up, and his brows knit in thought, ' I think your client had better look elsewhere for his money, if he is in much of a hurry : for since yesterday I have received a proposal that, if it comes to anything, will employ pretty well all my capital.' I thought you seemed sweet on the Redlands estate yesterday.' •So I was; but I've been sweet on the adjoining estate for a much longer time.' ' The adjoining estate ?' I gasped. ' Yes, Soecliff. By the way, you can tell me who is the actual proprietor there 1' 1 The actual proprietor is Robert Sylvester.' ' Weil, I always thought that it belonged to Miss Sylvester, till this morning.' ' And what has occurred to change that belief?' 1 asked, smelling mischief. • Do you know a Mr Lestrange ?' he asked taking me by the buttonhole, and looking me straight in the face. • Yes, he is Robert Sylvestor's secretary.' 'Very glad to hear it. Thank you, Mr Keene. Lsstrange called on me this morning.' My spirits fell. Lestrange had come to Coneyford, then, but he had called on Coneybeare instead of me. I began to see what was

coming. • He came on the part of his master, Robert Sylvester, to know if I was prepared to make an offer for the Soecliff estate. He explained the application by saying he had heard of me through you.' This was enough to mortify the pride of Lucifer ! To think that J, a lawyer, should play into the hands of that rascally valet, that he should twist me thus round his finger, and turn the information I had unwittingly given him to his own advantage, made tne mad ! ' What a fool I was to show him that letter !' said I to myself. 1 I've had my eye on that estate for years,' he continued. ' It's been my dream to get hold of it. I've got it all planned out, cut and dried, here—he tapped his forehead. * I shall lay down a line of rails there : I shall build a big hotel where you get that wonderful view. The main street I shall leave as it is, to keep up the quaint character of the place ; but I'll double the renis all round, and those who don't like it can leave it. All the rest of the village I shall pull down, stock and block, sweep 'em all away, and run ud neat, pretty villas in the Old English style. Then I shall cut up the park, and dot gentlemen's houses about—Oh!' he exclaimed, rubbing his hands'you won't know the place in a couple of years. Well, I must be off; thank you Keene. I cuuldn't give Lestrange a definite anawer, because I was not quite sure whether old Sylvester had the right to sell, and I didn't quite like the look of his a^ent —looks a little lit too knowing, tbrJk Lestrange. However, now you me he can sell, I'll let him know at once that I'll buy. And ao, as I said, you must tell ltedlands that he had better look about for his money elsewhere.' And with that off he went at a brisk pace, and I saw him turn into the post-office, doubtless to telegraph to old Sylvester. It was now clear enough why Lestrange had broken his promise to me, and instead of trying to convince Marian that her grandfather's confession waa the result

of insanity, had done precisely the contrary, confirming her helief in his sanity. It was to gee rid of her, and avoid that settlement of the estate upon her which I nad demanded of her grandfather. Indeed, the suspicion crept into my my mind that the old man might himself be party to this mean scheme—that he had purposely played out that scene in the old room to annul her engagement to young Redlands, and escape plausibly from paying the reward she deserved for faithful stewardship, and the improvement of the estate under her father's judicious management. Any lingering doubts on this point were soon to be dissipated. A little after three o'clock, a close carriage drove up to my door, and Lestrange, stepping out, asked my clerk, who was then coming from the office on his way to the post, if I were at home. Receiving a reply in tha affirmative, he returned to the carriage, and taking old Sylvester under the arms as if he had been a wax figure, lifted him out on to the footway. The old man was just as I had seen him before, his face shining and stiff with enamel, his dyed moustache worked into rigid points, only instead of a fur dressing-gown he wore a still fuller fur coat, and his curling wig was surmounted with the glossiest of silk hats. Leaning upon Lestrange's arm, he shuffled slowly across the pavement, and came into the house; then I left the gauze blind through which I had been making my observations and seated myself before the table, putting a quill between my lips and busily searching through a pile of letters.

1 Good afternoon, Mr Sylvester,' said I, rising, and setting a chair for him.

« Afternoon—Keene—lawyer yes, yes V he replied in his thin, reedy voice, and seeing that I extended my hand, he laid one finger on it, while Lestrange lowered him into the chair.

' Keene—lawyer,' ho replied vaguely; then turning petulantly to Lestrange—' What is it ?—what is it I —what have I come for T

' You want to know where your granddaughter, Miss Sylvester, is,' said Lestrange. ' Yes—yes. Went away last night. Very annoying; servants went away also—not one left in the house to do the necessary work. I want attention—l want comfort —I must have them. Do yon undeistand 1 1 must have them !' he cried, almost whimpering with the returning recollection of his condition. I su£g«sted that if- the servants would not stay in the house, he would do well to shut it up and go away. I was heartly glad to hear of his being left in this way. • What does he say ! —what does he say V asked he, turning to Lestrange.

•Mr Keene thinks you had better go away,' said Lescrange. ' I didn't ask him for his advice, did I!' he said.

' No sir, you didn't.' 'Then be good enough/ turning to me with a fierce look in his wicked old eyes--'good enough to confine yourself to matters that concern you.' This is the sort of thing a lawyer has to put up with at times, so I bowed and said notning. But that last effort had quite thrown him off his purpose, and, after staring at me as if he still had the will to take my life if he could, his eyes wandered, and ho turned in vexation to Lestrange. ' What have I come for ?—why am I here !' he squealed. ' You want to know where Miss Sylvester has gone.' ' Yes, yes—l can't be left like this. Servants gone—nothing in order. She must come back and bring the servants. Where is she, Keene I —lawyer, where is she?'

'I am not at liberty to answer that question.' ' She must come back. I can't be left. She must come back. Do you hear, lawyer Keene !'—it seemed as if he had to repeat facts to keep them in his feeble memory —'you must find her and bring her hack.'

1 That is beyond the range of my professional capacity,' I said stiffly. ■What does he say 1— what does he say V Lestr-inge repeated what I said but in a tone calculated to make tha irascihle old man still more irate. Turning upon me with those sharp little eyes glistening with fury he said—- • Not within the range of your capacity—Keene, lawyer ! Very good, then, I shall henceforth, employ a lawyer with less limited range. Do you understand V

1 Perfectly.' ' I am no longer your client. We have no further relations one with the other. This is understood V ' Certainly.'

The old man's eyes began to wander again. Lestrange nudged him ; he turned an inquiring glance, whereupon Lestrange spoke a few words in Italian, or some other language which I couldn't understand. The old man nodded, and turned again to me. ' As we have no further relations, you will please to give me all titledeeds and papers relating to my property which have been lodged in your hands.' ' They shall be sent to you said I. ( I du not choose to wait your

convenience. I must have them now—immediately !' I was shrewd enough to see through them. They had come here purposely to quarrel with me and get the deeds into their hands, that they might take them at once to Coneybeare. I saw also that in this the old man was acting under the direction of Lestrange, and I resolved to keep the deeds as long as I could, if only to pay off my score against the rascal. l lt is impossible to let you have them at a moment's warning 'said I. There are papers amongst them axclusively belonging to Miss Sylvester.' ' When can I have them V 1 In a reasonable space of time.' The old man's temper would not brook this. ' You have no right to detain them a moment after I demand their restitution,' he said ' I can force yon to give them up.' ' Yes sir,' said I, ' and I can keep them until you legally compel me to give them up ; and what's more,' I added—for my temper is not always under control—' what's more, sir, I will i' ' What does he say f Lestrange told him that I would let him have them as soon as it was possible to get them, and then lifting up the old man led him out to the carriage. When he had packed his charge in a corner, he closed the door and ran lightly back to me. 'Mr Keene,' said, he ' one word. We understand each other. We are doing the beet we can for outselves— Chaeun pour soi. We are going to sell the estate for ourselves instead of through you, and shall net twice as much by it. We should be fools if we threw away the chance. We must bolt. The servants have gone, and are spreading the secret far and wide. It's to your interest to get rid of us before a warrant is issued for the apprehension of that old fossil. But I won't go before I've got the money. I run no more risk by staying than by going. If you have any regard for Miss Sylvester, you'll give up those papers, that the business with Coneybeare may be settled at once. I promise we shall not stay a moment when the money is safe in my keeping. Don't let irritation overcome your judgment and your kindly feeling towards poor Miss Sylvester, Let me have the deeds now.

Lhis was plausible enough; indeed, there was nothing in this rascal's actions that passed ordinary sharp practice. There was even some advisability in acceeding to his requost; indeed, I could see no just reason for refusing. Nevertheless, my instinct (for I know not what else to call it) revolted against such a course. It is possible that my repugnance to dealing with this fellow arose from an innate consciousness that he was a rascal. Certainly there was no necessity to decide immediately in either case, for T should be the first to hear of an application for a warrant, and then there would be yet time fyr escape, and saying as much to Lestrange, I nodded him out of my office.

One thing about this delay pleased me, and that was the reflection that it kept the poor creatures at Soecliff a little longer out of the clutches of that ruthless destroyer, Coneybeare.

Towards the evening—it may have been about five—as I expected, Iledlands came to see me. He looked as though he had gone through months of misfortune. 1 never saw a man so suddenly aged and worn. But he bors himself manfully, for all his trouble. There was no theatrical display of grief such as some people indulge in when they are overtaken by a calamity. He was as scrupulously dressed as though he were about to meet his sweetheart, he kept his head erect, and a calm face, and there was no whining tone in his voice when he spoke. ' That's how a man should meet misfortune,' said I to myself. 1 You know she is gone V said he.

' Yes,' I replied, ' she is gone to a relative at Exeter,' I knew that would keep him from going there. Then I told him all that had taken place since we separated, winding up with a full description of the visit paid me by old Sylvester and Lestrange. 'lt will break her heart,' said he, ' to know that her tenants have been turned out. It will be ruin for them. Only to think of a railway station in her park, and a great vulgar hotel at the top of her picturesque little village, with all sorts of abominations in the shape of genteel residences cropping up like vulgar parmuws patronisingly over the dear honest old street.

' To say nothing of cutting up the grand old park into parcels,' I added, ' with a jerry-built villa in the middle of each, christened with all the craekjaw names to be raked out of a London suburb ; ' Belle Vue,' ' Montpelier,' and all the rest of it! Coneybeare is just the man for the work ; all that vulgar ostentation can desire he'll supply.

' What is to become of all these poor villagers V ' I don't know. Best part of them are women who depend upon letting their little houses for a living. Coney beare will have no more feeling for them than if they were bricks and mortar. They'll drift into the poor-house, I suppose ; and ho won't mind that, for they won't be in his parish, you may depend.

' It will break her heart,' he said tenderly.

' And she'll take the blame to herself: that's the worst of it. I know how clear sighted she is. She'll see that she ought not to have raised them to this position without securing them against the caprice of an old—l ought to have looked after that, but she will never believe anyone is to blame but herself.'

' Keene !' cried my young lord, starting to his feet, ' I know what I'll do.'

' Out with it, my lord,' said I, seeing by his manner that he saw a way of overcoming the difficulty. I'll outbid Coneybeare. Soecliff shall not fall into his hands.

' That sounds pleasant,' said I ; ' but how's it to bo done V

The men want to get off,' he said, speaking sharply and emphatically. ' You jeopardise their safety by holding back the deeds. Coneybeare, if he's wise, will not part with the money till he sees the deeds.

' I'll take care of that,' said T in parenthesis. 1 We must scrape together all the money we can. I will offer it to them, with my bond for tho remainder, upon old Sylvester's written order for the title-deeds to be delivered up to me, and without seeing them.'

' Bravo ! ' I cried. 'We shall beat Coneybeare there, for his lawyer wouldn't let him buy a pig in a poke like that.' ' I will go and see them about it at once.'

1 Do, my lord ; they'll accept, I'll warrant. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, at any time, to such sportsmen as they are. They'll accept a thousand pounds down, and your bond for the rest, and glad to get off with that; and don't you offer too much.

Redlands smiled. 1 knew what he was thinking; that no price was too high to pay for the happiness of the woman he loved. So off he went on his mare, that stood outside, at a gallop, as if his life depended on bringing this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. 'Meanwhile,' thought I, 'it will be as well to drop in on Coneybeare, and put a spoke in the wheel if I can.' But first of all I thought I might as well have tea ; so I sat down, and poured myself out a cup, all the while thinking out all the probable results of Redlands' present attempt, But the probable results, I have noticed, seldom occur in real life, and in this case the result was outside of anything that had ever entered my head. {To be Continued.)