Chapter XLI.—'Our Client.'

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 297, 7 April 1874, Page 2

Chapter XLI .— 'Our Client.'

Lawhbnce replied to Messrs Boss and Baby, that he would) be at Mrs St Quentin's hou«e at noon, the next day, and) passed the intervening time in rugae and rain conjecture!. He kept his appointment punctually, and fou nd Mr Boss, a& clean-shaven, pompoui gentleman, and Mr Cli6iold, already arrived. The three gentlemen met in the dining-room, a large and handsome apartment, which had been apparently* taken out of curl-papers for the occasioa. A japanned box, of imposing dimensions, occupied a conspicuous place on the centre table, and two large plate-chests stood in a iria^ dow. A flat leather-bound book, marked ' Inventories,' lay beside the japanned box ; and a mass of keys, with irory labels attached to them, completed the accessories to the scene, entirely inexplicable to Lawrence. He had entered the house with a faint, irrational hope that Miriam might be there — he felt how absurd it was to suppose she would return suddenly from Germany, and, if the bad done so, that there should be any mystery about it — and yet he waakeenly disappointed when the two strangers only met him. The first formal civilities orer, Mr Boss proceeded to discuc*. the business on which had come. Mr Daly was already aware that be wu charged with an important communics* tion to him, on the part of Mrs St Quentin, and ho would make it as briefly as might be. ' You are a relative of the Lite Mr St Quentin ?' ' I am.' ' His nearest relative, and hi* heir-at-law ?' «lam.' ' Mrs St Quentin ascertained, after her late husbaiid'i death, that he had been endeavouring to find his heir-at-law. Some memoranda fell into her hands, shewing that he had set on foot inquiries with that purpose, and that if he had succeeded, he would have bequeathed to hia heir-at-law, yourself, his entire property, with the exception of an annuity of two hundred pounds to her» for her lifetime,' ' Impossible V interrupted Lawrence ; 'he could not have had any such intention. Ho never ' ' Pardon me, Mr Daly,' continued Mr Boss, gravely checking him by an impressively uplifted forefinger. ' There is. no doubt at all the late Mr St Quentiu did entertain this purpose. Why he should have changed it so shortly before his decease, it is impossible to tell ; but Mrs St Quenf in believes it was because a lettev which you wrote to him, announcing yoar intention of coming to England, did not reach him, and therefore he suspected the person, who professed to have gained information about you — a person named Deering— was imposing upon him, and that you had not really been found. When Mrs St Quentin passed through Paris the other day, she had an interview with Monsiaur Caux, an agent who had acted for Mr St Quentin, and whom you saw, I think 5 ' ' Yes, I saw Monsieur Caux, 1 said Lawrence, quite bewildered. ' He confirmed Mrs St Quentin's previous impressions, by, his account of Mr St Quentin's interview* with him, and gave her this letter, which, no doubt, you will recognise.' Mr Boss bonded to Lawrence his own letter, which, bad not reichsd its destination for months after it was written. Lawrence took it from him, glanoed at it, and handed it to him again. ' Under these circumstances,' resumed Mr Eois, with added pomposity of manner, • Mrs St Quentin, having become conviuced that this accidental delay, leading Mr Si Quentin to believe he had been deceived, constituted ia reality his sole reason for making a will in her favour, as ha did— Mr Chssold drew up the instrument ' — Mr Clfssotd, sedulously fitting hie fbger-tipi together, is he Eat by the table, with his elbows upon it, bowed—' a very short time bafora iis daceaE*, md cliir. h.\t ow; views as»d wis-es. but for tii» &<:i:dc2til dels,?, *eu!d btre renamea unVfterid, h« renounced the legasc :n jour favour.'

' Impartible --' exolaimed Lawrence, push mp back his ohair, and Bhn*i«K to hii feet. 'It cannot be. This is an absurd, • fatal delusion. Nothing on earth should induce mo to listen to such a thing' Why should he not bate left all his property to his w ife under any c ivutnstances ? ' 4We cannot enter into tint question, 1 said Mr Boss ; wp hare only to state our client's views and intentions. Mr» St Quentin instructed us nome tune ago, nnd last luesdav executed a deed of gift in your favour . here is a copy of it'— he raised the lid of the box, ami indicated h folded paper— 'Laving returned from GermHiiv for the purpose. By this instrument she conveys to you nhsolutdy the whole of the property bequeathed to her by Mi- St Quentin, and of which we are prepared to give you all particulars, with a sum of five thousand pounds, deposited m the Hauk ot France.' . , T 1 And do you suppose, for a moment, gentlemen, that I A h&U accept this— this unheard-of sacrifice from Mrs St Quentin. from a lady who owes me no consideration whatever ? I cannot assure you emphatically enough that I had no expectations whatever from Mr St Quentin, and that in no communication which passed between his agent and Mr Deering, or myself, did he give the slightest indication of an intention to do anything for me. I give you my word of honour, I had no hopes, no disappointment in connection with this matter.' 4Ai I laid before, Mr Daly, we cannot enter into this portion of the subject. I have now fulfilled Mm St Quentin's instructions. It only remains for me to say that Mr Clissold will go into particulars with you. There are complete inventories of all plate and other Taluables in this house, and also in the apartment in Paris ; Mr Clissold will hand over the leases and other documents ; and, as I have another engagement, I will now take my leave. 1 ' Stay one moment,' cried Lawrence. 'I am quite unfit ito speak of this now ; lam astoaiahed, shocked beyond measure ! I must see Mrs St Quentin without an hour's delay. Where is she ? She has been here in the house, has she not ?' „„,,, , x.- ' She was here for three days,' replied Mr Ross, making th«se final arrangements. But she left England yesterday morning.' 'To return to Germany ! To her brother and his wife ? ' 1 really cannot tell you, Mr Daly— l do not know. Mrs St Quentin did not furnish us with any address. Her business with us is all completely and most satisfactorily wound up, and we know nothing further about her.' ' But you will continue to act for me ?' asked Lawrence eagerly. 'You will consider me jour client?' Mr Boss signified that Ross and Raby would be very happy to do so. • And you will bear in mind that I distinctly refuse to accept this deed of gift ; and that, if I accept the temporary care and management of Mrs St Quentin's property, it is only in the character of her representative, and is her interests.' « Very good,' replied Mr Ross ; ' that is a matter for your own decision entirely.' And then he took leave of Lawrence, who remained with Mv Clissold, surrounded by the signs and tokens of his astounding and unwelcome change of fortune. Mr Clissold proceeded to detail the particulars and the dispositions of all his wealth— of which Lawrence had so often thought, in old times, with curiosity, and some little enrj, doubtless — in his dry, dull, and business-like fashion, and Lawrence listened, with his mind in great perplexity. Every trivial incident of his first interview with Miriam 'returned to him, and, feeling that there was a contrast, never lessened and never relaxed, between her reception of him, and her manner to him, from the moment in which he revealed his identity, until that of their parting ; he vaguely aoeuted a mystery beyond the already mysterious circumstances in which he stood. This absolute renunciation of the wealth she loved, and had bought at such a price, on the romantio plea of carrying out the supposed intentions of a man who had contradicted that supposition in the most positive manner in a trill in whichf no name but her own was mentioned, was wholly inconsistent, with Miriam's character, as he knew it, by report and by experience. Among the objects of value in the room was one to which Mr Clissold directed Lawrence's attention in its turn. This was a strong teak box, which contained a quantity of gold and silver plate, and articles of ornament of fine Indian workmanship. Three trays lined with cleth contained these precious things, fitted into sockets ; and Lawrence turned them over with some curiosity, until he came to a space, like that into which a looking-glass is usually fitted, in the lid of a dressing-case, and which was occupied by a portrait on ivory, in a very elaborate gold frame. This portrait, evidently the work of a native artist, represented a good-looking elderly man, and was, in fact, that of Mr St Quentin, us Lawrence knew, from its likeness to a photograph which he had seen in Florence's book. Mr Clissold admired the frame, commented upon the combined richness and roughness of its workmanship, and said : ' One of the family, I suppose ?' ' Mr St Quentin himself,' said Daly. 'O no,' said Mr Clissold. 'Didn't you know Mr St Quentin ?' ' I never saw him.' ' I saw him just before be died, you know. He did not look so ill, considering. But that's nothing, I'm told, in cases like his ; they pop off in a. minute, when they're seemingly all right. But he was not the leust like that. Differ' ent complexion, different eyes. Blue eyes he had, and a y pole skin, and didn't look within ten years, even then, of the age of that picture.— What's this ? A pipe bowl and stem, with torquoise tassels. Beautiful, ain't they ?' Mr Olissold clicked his boots together under the table, in his admiration, and went on to the other rare and costly objects, unconscious that Lawrence was staring stupidly at the picture, a faint dread, without form or consistence, stirring at his heart. When Mr Clissold's task was concluded, and he had left him, Lawrence summoned the housekeeper, who had been, he found, prepared by Miriam for bis probably coming to reside in the house. He told her he sbould only occupy the rooms on the ground-floor, and that the remainder of the house must remain shut up for the present. After another interview with Mr Ross, Daly left England for Germany.