The Pit Town Coronet, Volume III (of 3)

ow, who had been nursed and tended by the invalid when he was a helpless friendless child, gazed upon the woman who had been a mother to him, he saw that one corner of the mouth was slightly draw

r hand, "poor mother!" And even the long-headed yout

ined the suffering face

of age is as natural as the selfishness of childhood. This is what the possessor of countless

leave me, Georgie," he continued, "for I can't spare you, my dear, I can't spare you." Again there came the same answering pressure. But she spoke no word; heaven had set the seal of silence on her lips; they moved, those pale lips, but no sound came from them; and then the sufferer made an impatient gesture. As she did so young George Haggard entered the room; his eyes were red with weeping and he tro

h again? The mind was evidently still uninjured. Would she ever speak again? That was the important question to Lucius Haggard. The papers gone and the mouth of this one witness closed, he felt himself comparatively safe; still in the eyes

faithful Wolff, the two young fellows to the park, to wander up and down the great avenue side by side, and talk with bated breath over their fresh misfortune, the affliction that had befallen

ng, "it's this modern system of telegrams; they're almost as bad as a doctor's night-bell. You have to go, whether you like it or not. Here's probably some

End C

t once. Your presen

uny

n't the

the cook's efforts. Lawyers are always epicures, and Mr. Brookes condescended to praise the suprême de volaille o

ome, Brookes; I'm ve

rd Spunyarn, that you couldn't have written me a letter and

ous that I had to see you in person. I fear

mean that Hetton wa

t of letters. "Mr. Brookes," he continued, "as my friend's executor it was perhaps my duty to have gone through those letters, but they were the love-letters of a dead woman to my own dead friend, and I myself had at one time, long long ago, been seriously attached to the lady. I hadn't the heart to go through those letters. I see now, that I neglected or avoided what was a very painful duty. I as my friend's executor should have cared for those letters, verified them, and put them in a place of safety. My only excuse is that my dying friend

n, that he was substituted by the supposed parents? On the face of it,

hat friend's terrible position-she was an inexperienced girl, Mr. Brookes-by personating the child's mother, she had not the slightest idea of the terrible complications that would ensue, and that th

chair, but did not attempt to int

d name of a woman was at stake, the proofs were in our possession, there was no doubt as to the illegitimacy of Lucius Haggard, and I trusted in his honour and to the affect

e stake, when you deliberately placed the honour of a noble family, the s

ry. A terrible scene of violence ensued, but let me do young Lucius justice: he speedily came to his senses; his conduct, M

ief, "thank God for that, for it simplifies matters very considerably. And now I suppose you

of the wood yet," said

ther compl

rd is suffering from a stroke o

the contents of the box; besides, you sa

emains to tell; the contents

e temptation to him to do so. There may be, there will be, a gigantic law-suit that may never end, while the whole of the vast property may be frittered away, for in a matter such as this, remember, all costs come out of the estate. Lord Spunyarn, what you

unaware even of the existence of the box and its contents until he saw it in Mrs. Haggard's presence. We revealed to

he said, "in the matter? Let me understand you exactly, Lord Spunyarn. Yo

s, she is s

f, mind you, proof that would satisfy the law officers of the Crown. Young Lucius Haggard, even if he were so Quixotic as to wish to do so, could not sign away an earldom by a mere stroke of the pen, neither could he strip himself of the entailed estates. The extraordinary events, that you say took place many years ago, would have to be proved; and who is to prove them? As to the parties themselves, two of them are dead, while the third unfortunately is unable to give evidence one way or the other. If I communicate this dreadful thing to my aged client, it may actually kill him. What is your own opinion, Lord Spunyarn? Do you suppose that in a temporary aberration of mind, to take a most favourable view of it, Mrs. Haggard, with a woman's natural fear of exposure, destroy

terrupted the la

doubt the various details that

dence in the matter, for I don't suppose that he would wish an illegitimate child of his heir to inherit his title and estates. There is another view, Lord Spunyarn, a view that would commend itself to the minds of some men: 'Let sleeping dogs lie' is a good proverb. If Lucius Haggard is, as you assert, base-born, then i

arn n

"that some third person may have possessed himself

ur own impressi

btedly the heir to the Pit Town title, speaking as a man unversed in the ways of women, and supposing that Lucius Haggard

secreted or destroyed w

wyer n

end's wife would never co

unsound mind; and a very natural theory, too, I take it," said the lawyer with a sigh. "Lucius Haggard," he continued, "a minor, under the influence which you and Mrs. Haggard would naturally exert upon him, may be a very different person to deal with from Lucius Haggard acting under professional advice, and only biassed by his own interests. I fear, should the matter ever come before the public, that very strong reflections indeed will be made upon you and Mrs. Haggard. Beati possidentes. Supposing that Lord Pit Town should elect to either ignore the matter altogether, or simply instruct me to seek for further evidence; in a very short time indeed, for his lordship is a very old man, Lucius Haggard will come into the title and estates as a matter of course; it will then be for

t, Mr. Brookes, that should we discov

in them. If you ever succeed in doing so, it seems to me that young George Haggard will be called upon to elect his own course. I don't think there is any use in prolonging this interview," he continued; "I must see his lordship, of course, in the morning;

Mr. Brookes, the old friend of the family, and that he had rel

wondered at if neither slept very well that n