Cursed by a Fortune Part 48

"Thursday, Friday, Sat.u.r.day," cried Claud, impatiently. "What a dawdling old buffer you are! Come, when was it: you must know?"

"Really, sir, I can't be sure."

"Was it this week?"

"I shouldn't like to say, sir."

"Well, last week then?"

"It might have been, sir."

"Yah!" growled Claud. "Think he's down at Chislehurst?"

"He may be, sir."

"Yes, and he may be at Jericho."

"Yes, sir; but you'll excuse me, there was a knock."

The clerk shuffled off his stool, and went to the door to admit a fresh visitor in the person of Wilton pere.

"Ah, Claud, my boy! You here?"

"Yes, father, I'm here; just come," said the young man, sulkily.

"Well, found them?"

"Do I look as if I had found them, dad? No."

"Tut-tut-tut!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Wilton, who looked pale and worn with anxiety.

"Mr Garstang in, Mr Barlow?"

"Yes, sir," said the clerk; "shall I say you are here?"

"Ye-es," said Wilton. "Take in my card, and say that I shall be obliged if he will give me an interview."

The old clerk bowed, and left the outer office for the inner, while Wilton turned to his son, to say hastily, "You may as well come in with me as you are here."

"Thanks, no; much obliged. What made you come here? You don't think he's likely to know?"

"Yes, I do," said Wilton, in a low voice. "I believe young Harry's carried her off, and that he's backing him up. You must come in with me: we must work together."

"Mr Garstang will see you, gentlemen," said the old clerk, entering.

"Gentlemen!" muttered Claud angrily, to his father.

"Yes, don't leave me in the lurch, my boy," whispered Wilton; and Claud noted a tremor in his father's voice, and saw that he looked nervous and troubled.

Wilton made way for his son to pa.s.s in first, the young man drew back for his father, and matters were compromised by their entering together, Garstang, who looked perfectly calm, rising to motion them to seats, which they took; and then there was silence for a few moments, during which Claud sat tapping his teeth with the ivory handle of the stick he carried, keeping his eyes fixed the while upon his father, who seemed in doubt how to begin.

"May I ask why I am favoured with this visit, gentlemen?" said Garstang, at last.

This started Wilton, who coughed, pulled himself together, and looking the speaker fully in the face, said sharply,

"We came, Mr John Garstang, because we supposed that we should be expected."

"Expected?" said Garstang, turning a little more round from his table, and pa.s.sing one shapely leg over the other, so that he could grasp his ankle with both hands. "Well, I will be frank with you, James Wilton; there were moments when I did think it possible that you might come; I will not say to apologise, but to consult with me about that poor girl's future. How is she?"

Father and son exchanged glances, the former being evidently taken a little aback.

"Well," said Garstang, without pausing for an answer to this question; "I am glad you have come in a friendly spirit; I shall be pleased to meet you in the same way, so pray speak out. Let us have no fencing.

Tell me what you propose to do."

Wilton coughed again, and looked at his son.

"You must see," said Garstang firmly, "that a fresh arrangement ought to be made at once. Under the circ.u.mstances she cannot stay at Northwood, and I will own that I am not prepared to suggest any relative of her father who seems suitable for the purpose. The large fortune which the poor child will inherit naturally acts as a bait, and there must be no risk of the poor girl being exposed to the pertinacious advances of every thoughtless boy who wishes to handle her money."

"I say, look here," cried Claud, "if you want to pick a quarrel, say so, and I'll go."

"I have no wish to pick a quarrel, young man," replied Garstang, sternly; "and I should not have spoken like this if you had not sought me out. Perhaps you had better stay, sir, and hear what your father has to propose, unless he has already taken you into his confidence."

"Well, he hasn't," said Claud, sulkily. "Go on, guv'nor, and get it over."

"Yes, James Wilton, go on, please, as your son suggests, and get it over. My time is valuable, and in such a case as this, between relatives, I shall be unable to make a charge for legal services. Now then, once more, what do you propose?"

"About what?" said Wilton, bluntly.

"About the future home of your niece?"

"Ah, that's what I've come about," said Wilton, gazing at the other sternly. "Where is she?"

Garstang looked at him blankly for a few moments.

"Where is she?" he said at last. "What do you mean?"

"What I say: where is Kate Wilton?"

"Where is she?" cried Garstang, changing his manner, and speaking now with a display of eagerness very different from his calm dignified way of a few minutes before. "Why, you don't mean to say that she has gone?"

"Yes, I do mean to say that she has gone."

"Bravo!" cried Garstang, putting down the leg he had been nursing, and giving it a hearty slap. "The brave little thing! I should not have thought that she had it in her."

"That won't do, John Garstang," said Wilton, sourly; "and it's of no use to act. The law's your profession--not acting. Now then, I want to know where she is."

"How should I know, man? She was not placed in my charge."

"You know, sir, because it was in your interest to know. This isn't the first time I've known you play your cards, but you're not playing them well: so you had better throw up your hand."