CHAPTER VIII
TERMS
Mrs. Mallathorpe, left to face the situation which Pratt had revealed toher in such sudden and startling fashion, had been quick to realize itsseriousness. It had not taken much to convince her that the clerk knewwhat he was talking about. She had no doubt whatever that he was rightwhen he said that the production of John Mallathorpe's will would meandispossession to her children, and through them to herself. Nor had sheany doubt, either, of Pratt's intention to profit by his discovery. Shesaw that he was a young man of determination, not at all scrupulous,eager to seize on anything likely to turn to his own advantage. She was,in short, at his mercy. And she had no one to turn to. Her son was weak,purposeless, almost devoid of character; he cared for nothing beyondease and comfort, and left everything to her so long as he was allowedto do what he liked. She dared not confide in him--he was not fit to beentrusted with such a secret, nor endowed with the courage to carry itboldly and unflinchingly. Nor dare she confide it to her daughter--Nestawas as strong as her brother was weak: Mrs. Mallathorpe had only toldthe plain truth when she said to Pratt that if her daughter knew of thewill she would go straight to the two trustees. No--she would have to doeverything herself. And she could do nothing save under Pratt'sdictation. So long as he had that will in his possession, he could makeher agree to whatever terms he liked to insist upon.
She spent a sleepless night, resolving all sorts of plans; she resolvedmore plans and schemes during the day which followed. But they all endedat the same point--Pratt. All the future depended upon--Pratt. And bythe end of the day it had come to this--she must make a determinedeffort to buy Pratt clean out, so that she could get the will into herown possession and destroy it. She knew that she could easily find thenecessary money--Harper Mallathorpe had such a natural dislike of allbusiness matters and was so little fitted to attend to them that he wasonly too well content to leave everything relating to the estate and themill at Barford to his mother. Up to that time Mrs. Mallathorpe hadmanaged the affairs of both, and she had large sums at her disposal, outof which she could pay Pratt without even Harper being aware that shewas paying him anything. And surely no young man in Pratt's position--amere clerk, earning a few pounds a week--would refuse a big sum of readymoney! It seemed incredible to her--and she went into Barford towardsevening hoping that by the time she returned the will would have beenburned to grey ashes.
Mrs. Mallathorpe used some ingenuity in making her visit to Pratt.Giving out that she was going to see a friend in Barford, of whoseillness she had just heard, she drove into the town, and on arrivingnear the Town Hall dismissed her carriage, with orders to the coachmanto put up his horses at a certain livery stable, and to meet her at thesame place at a specified time. Then she went away on foot, and drew athick veil over her face before hiring a cab in which she drove up tothe outskirt on which Pratt had his lodging. She was still veiled whenPratt's landlady showed her into the clerk's sitting-room.
"Is it safe here?" she asked at once. "Is there no fear of anybodyhearing what we may say?"
"None!" answered Pratt reassuringly. "I know these folks--I've livedhere several years. And nobody could hear however much they put theirears to the keyhole. Good thick old walls, these, Mrs. Mallathorpe, anda solid door. We're as safe here as we were in your study last night."
Mrs. Mallathorpe sat down in the chair which Pratt politely drew nearhis fire. She raised her veil and looked at him, and the clerk saw atonce how curious and eager she was.
"That--will!" she said, in a low voice. "Let me see it--first."
"One moment," answered Pratt. "First--you understand that I'm not goingto let you handle it. I'll hold it before you, so you can read it.Second--you give me your promise--I'm trusting you--that you'll make noattempt to seize it. It's not going out of my hands."
"I'm only a woman--and you're a strong man," she retorted sullenly.
"Quite so," said Pratt. "But women have a trick of snatching at things.And--if you please--you'll do exactly what I tell you to do. Put yourhands behind you! If I see you make the least movement with them--backgoes the will into my pocket!"
If Pratt had looked more closely at her just then, he would have takenwarning from the sudden flash of hatred and resentment which sweptacross Mrs. Mallathorpe's face--it would have told him that he wasdealing with a dangerous woman who would use her wits to circumvent andbeat him--if not now, then later. But he was moving the gas bracket overthe mantelpiece, and he did not see.
"Very well--but I had no intention of touching it," said Mrs.Mallathorpe. "All I want is to see it--and read it."
She obediently followed out Pratt's instructions, and standing in frontof her he produced the will, unfolded it, and held it at a convenientdistance before her eyes. He watched her closely, as she read it, and hesaw her grow very pale.
"Take your time--read it over two or three times," he said quietly. "Getit well into your mind, Mrs. Mallathorpe."
She nodded her head at last, and Pratt stepped back, folded up the will,and turning to a heavy box which lay open on the table, placed itwithin, under lock and key. And that done, he turned back and took achair, close to his visitor.
"Safe there, Mrs. Mallathorpe," he said with a glance that was bothreassuring and cunning. "But only for the night. I keep a few securitiesof my own at one of the banks in the town--never mind which--and thatwill shall be deposited with them tomorrow morning."
Mrs. Mallathorpe shook her head.
"No!" she said. "Because--you'll come to terms with me."
Pratt shook his head, too, and he laughed.
"Of course I shall come to terms with you," he answered. "But they'll bemy terms--and they don't include any giving up of that document. That'sflat, Mrs. Mallathorpe!"
"Not if I make it worth your while?" she asked. "Listen!--you don't knowwhat ready money I can command. Ready money, I tell you--cash down, onthe spot!"
"I've a pretty good notion," responded Pratt. "It's generally understoodin the town that your son's a mere figure-head, and that you're the realboss of the whole show. I know that you're at the mill four times aweek, and that the managers are under your thumb. I know that you manageeverything connected with the estate. So, of course, I know you've lotsof ready money at your disposal."
"And I know that you don't earn more than four or five pounds a week, atthe outside," said Mrs. Mallathorpe quietly. "Come, now--just think whata nice, convenient thing it would be to a young man of your age tohave--a capital. Capital! It would be the making of you. You could goright away--to London, say, and start out on whatever you liked. Besensible--sell me that paper--and be done with the whole thing."
"No!" replied Pratt.
Mrs. Mallathorpe looked at him for a full moment. She was a shrewd judgeof character, and she felt that Pratt was one of those men who are hardto stir from a position once adopted. But she had to make hereffort--and she made it in what she thought the most effective way.
"I'll give you five thousand pounds--cash--for it," she said. "Meet mewith it tomorrow--anywhere you like in the town--any time you like--andI'll hand you the money--in notes."
"No!" said Pratt. "No!"
Once more she looked at him. And Pratt looked back--and smiled.
"When I say no, I mean no," he went on. "And I never meant 'No' morefirmly than I do now."
"I don't believe you," she answered, affecting a doubt which shecertainly did not feel. "You're only holding out for more money."
"If I were holding out for more money, Mrs. Mallathorpe," replied Pratt,"if I meant to sell you that will for cash payment, I should have statedmy terms to you last night. I should have said precisely how much Iwanted--and I shouldn't have budged from the amount. Mrs.Mallathorpe!--it's no good. I've got my own schemes, and my ownideas--and I'm going to carry 'em out. I want you to appoint me stewardto your property, your affairs, for life."
"Life!" she exclaimed. "Life!"
"My life," answered Pratt. "And let me tell you--you'll find me afirst-class m
an--a good, faithful, honest servant. I'll do well by youand yours. You'll never regret it as long as you live. It'll be the bestday's work you've ever done. I'll look after your son'sinterests--everybody's interests--as if they were my own. As indeed," headded, with a sly glance, "they will be."
Mrs. Mallathorpe realized the finality, the resolve, in all this--butshe made one more attempt.
"Ten thousand!" she said. "Come, now!--think what ten thousand pounds incash would mean to you!"
"No--nor twenty thousand," replied Pratt. "I've made up my mind. I'llhave my own terms. It's no use--not one bit of use--haggling ordiscussing matters further. I'm in possession of the will--and thereforeof the situation, Mrs. Mallathorpe, you've just got to do what I tellyou!"
He got up from his chair, and going over to a side-table took from it ablotting-pad, some writing paper and a pencil. For the moment his backwas turned--and again he did not see the look of almost murderous hatredwhich came into his visitor's eyes; had he seen and understood it, hemight even then have reconsidered matters and taken Mrs. Mallathorpe'slast offer. But the look had gone when he turned again, and he noticednothing as he handed over the writing materials.
"What are these for?" she asked.
"You'll see in a moment," replied Pratt, reseating himself, and drawinghis chair a little nearer her own. "Now listen--because it's no goodarguing any more. You're going to give me that stewardship and agency.You'll simply tell your son that it's absolutely necessary to have asteward. He'll agree. If he doesn't, no matter--you'll convince him.Now, then, we must do it in a fashion that won't excite any suspicion.Thus--in a few days--say next week--you'll insert in the Barfordpapers--all three of them--the advertisement I'm going to dictate toyou. We'll put it in the usual, formal phraseology. Write this down, ifyou please, Mrs. Mallathorpe."
He dictated an advertisement, setting forth the requirements of which hehad spoken, and Mrs. Mallathorpe obeyed him and wrote. She hated Prattmore than ever at that moment--there was a quiet, steadfastimplacability about him that made her feel helpless. But she restrainedall sign of it, and when she had done his bidding she looked at him ascalmly as he looked at her.
"I am to insert this in the Barford papers next week," she said."And--what then?"
"Then you'll get a lot of applications for the job," chuckled Pratt."There'll be mine amongst them. You can throw most of 'em in the fire.Keep a few for form's sake. Profess to discuss them with Mr. Harper--butlet the discussion be all on your side. I'll send two or three goodtestimonials--you'll incline to me from the first. You'll send for me.Your interview with me will be highly satisfactory. And you'll give methe appointment."
"And--your terms?" asked Mrs. Mallathorpe. Now that her own scheme hadfailed, she seemed quite placable to all Pratt's proposals--a sure signof danger to him if he had only known it. "Better let me know themnow--and have done with it."
"Quite so," agreed Pratt. "But first of all--can you keep this secret toyourself and me? The money part, any way?"
"I can--and shall," she answered.
"Good!" said Pratt. "Very well. I want a thousand a year. Also I wanttwo rooms--and a business room--at the Grange. I shall not interferewith you or your family, or your domestic arrangements, but I shallexpect to have all my meals served to me from your kitchen, and to haveone of your servants at my disposal. I know the Grange--I've been overit more than once. There's much more room there than you can make useof. Give me the rooms I want in one of the wings. I shan't disturb anyof you. You'll never see me except on business--and if you want to."
Again the calm acquiescence which would have surprised some men. WhyPratt failed to be surprised by it was because he was just then feelingexceedingly triumphant--he believed that Mrs. Mallathorpe was,metaphorically, at his feet. He had more than a little vanity in him,and it pleased him greatly, that dictating of terms: he saw himself aconqueror, with his foot on the neck of his victim.
"Is that all, then?" asked the visitor.
"All!" answered Pratt.
Mrs. Mallathorpe calmly folded up the draft advertisement and placed itin her purse. Then she rose and adjusted her veil.
"Then--there is nothing to be done until I get your answer to this--yourapplication?" she asked. "Very well."
Pratt showed her out, and walked to the cab with her. He went back tohis rooms highly satisfied--and utterly ignorant of what Mrs.Mallathorpe was thinking as she drove away.