Sawn Off Part 35

As he spoke, Mr Fred Fraser, elaborately dressed, walked into the room, a pull at the bell sounding through the house as he made his salutations, and, in a light and airy way, began to converse as if they had been the greatest intimates all along.

"Mr Thomas Fraser," said John, in a loud voice. And, in a hasty, excited manner, Mrs Max s.h.i.+ngle's elder son entered the room, to look angrily at his brother, as he saw him seated there.

"You here?" he cried sharply.

"Ya-as, I'm here, Tom," was the cool reply.

"Aunt--Jessie!" exclaimed Tom, advancing. "I by chance heard that my step-father had come here; and, taking this as an augury that we were to be friends once more, I followed him; but I did not expect to find my brother here, and that I should be--"

"_De trop_," said Fred, with an irritating smile; "but you are."

Tom turned upon him sharply, but, mastering his pa.s.sion, he crossed to where Jessie was seated, and held out his hand.

"Jessie," he said, in a low, earnest voice, "you will shake hands with me? I forgive all the past now, and wish you every happiness."

At his first words a glad light had leaped into the poor girl's eyes, and she half raised her hand to take his; but, as he finished his sentence, a stony rigidity stole over her, and she shrank back, letting her hand fall upon her lap.

It was too hard to bear, and she would have given worlds to have been able to rush from the room--anywhere, so as to be alone--and sob and wail aloud, to relieve her bursting heart. But it was impossible. She could not stir--only look up at Tom, as with knitted brows he stood there, resenting her coldness.

Never once had her thoughts strayed from him; and yet he had misjudged her so cruelly, believing that she trifled with him, that she played with his heart, while she coquetted--behaved lightly--with his brother.

And now, after these long, weary months--after what would soon be two years of misery--now that he had come, her heart had whispered, to tell her that he had been wrong, and misjudged her, while he asked her pardon for the past--a pardon that she would joy in according--she had to hear, first that he was engaged to another, and then read in his face that his doubts and misgivings were stronger than ever.

Jessie's heart, that had been expanding fast, like the petals of a flower, to drink in the suns.h.i.+ne of hope and love and joy, seemed to contract and shrivel up, blighted and seared, as, cold and trembling, she sat there, while, with a look of contempt, Tom turned away.

"As you will, my fair cousin," he said, in a low, bitter voice. "I suppose I am to call you sister some day. How the world changes?

Better poverty and truth than this." When a word would have set all right.

He turned abruptly, and began speaking to Mrs s.h.i.+ngle; while Fred, seizing the opportunity, took a seat beside Jessie on the couch, and began to talk to her rapidly about the various trifles of the day-- chattering on, while she seemed to be listening to him, for she replied in monosyllables, though she was striving, with every nerve strained, to hear what was said by his brother.

Before many words had pa.s.sed, though, voices were heard from without, increasing in loudness; and Mrs s.h.i.+ngle started up, for it was plain that her husband was in a towering rage.

In fact, as he came through the conservatory, he struck a handsome jardiniere a heavy blow with his open hand, s.h.i.+vering it upon the tesselated tiles of the floor.

"Hallo!" cried d.i.c.k angrily, as he entered, followed by Max, "you are all here, are you! Why didn't you bring the wife and the servants, and take possession? It's all right--there's plenty of room. Here, you sir, get off that sofa!" The young men rose as he entered--Fred very slowly, and evidently amused; while Tom's face flushed with rage.

"Oh, father!" cried Jessie, whose face had become suffused from shame and annoyance.

"There, I know what I'm doing," he said. "Hold your tongue. You and your mother had better be off. You'll stop? Well, then, stay."

"Is your husband subject to a little--er--er--? You know, Mrs Richard," said Max, tapping his forehead.

"No," said d.i.c.k sharply, "he isn't. And now, may I ask, young fellows, how it is you condescend to be here? If it's to order boots and chuck 'em on my hands for misfits, you've not come to the right shop."

"They came unknown to me," said Max hotly.

"I dessay they did," cried d.i.c.k; "but whether they did or not, they've come to the wrong place, and, once for all, I forbid them my house."

"Come, father," said Tom sternly; while Fred took a step to Jessie's side, and whispered--

"Dear Jessie, for heaven's sake let this make no difference to us."

She turned her eyes upon him for a moment, and Tom saw the glance; and then, as she gazed at him, directed a look upon her of withering contempt, beneath which she s.h.i.+vered.

"Don't be in too great a hurry," said d.i.c.k. "As you are here, we may as well have it out. We don't often meet. Now, Max, my most affectionate brother, have the goodness to say that again, and let your wife's sons hear what sort of a man you are."

"No," said Max, "I leave now. I shall take my own steps about it."

"You will?" said d.i.c.k, looking startled.

"I shall, sir--I shall. I don't consider you are fit to be trusted.

There are such cases as inquiries in lunacy."

"Bah!" said d.i.c.k, who looked startled all the same. "Well, if you don't say what you said to me, here out loud before them all, I shall say it myself."

"Then I will say it!" cried Max desperately. "What I said was this: As your uncle has. .h.i.t upon some scheme for making a fortune, I have a right, as his own brother--"

"Very own, indeed," said d.i.c.k quietly.

"To share with him in the secret."

"And what I say to it is," cried d.i.c.k--"and you can all hear me--that what I invented with my own brains is my own property, and I won't be bullied out of it by all the brothers in Christendom."

"Then I shall follow out my own course."

"Follow it, then," said d.i.c.k scornfully, "and let your boys come after you."

Tom turned upon him resentfully, but merely ground his teeth; while Fred winked, and tapped his teeth with his cane.

"I have not been idle during my interview with my poor afflicted brother," continued Max; "and I have seen enough from his wild behaviour and language to know that the mental disease that has been threatening for years has now obtained such a hold that he is no longer fit to manage his own affairs."

"I say, hold hard there!" cried d.i.c.k, looking at him in a puzzled way.

"I shall, of course, make due arrangements for the proper carrying out of his business, and for protecting the interests of his wife and child."

"Mr s.h.i.+ngle!" cried Tom, stepping forward, "this is atrocious: there are no grounds for what you say."

"Silence, sir!" roared Max; while d.i.c.k's countenance underwent a complete change.

"There!" cried d.i.c.k angrily, as he appealed in turn to all present; "what did I always say? Max, you always were, and always will be, a 'umbug!"

"What?" cried Max.

"A 'umbug, sir. U-m, um--b-u-double-g, bug, 'umbug! That for you!"

cried d.i.c.k, snapping his fingers in his brother's face.

"Ah!" said Max, with a heavy sigh--"all proof of what I say--the violence, the excitement, these strange outbursts. My poor brother!"

He took out his handkerchief, and applied it to his eyes.