CHAPTER III
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF HUGH MAINWARING
Immediately after breakfast the following morning, Hugh Mainwaring,having excused himself to his guests, retired to his privatelibrary, in company with his secretary and Mr. Whitney, his attorney.A number of fine saddle horses having been brought around from thestables, the young people cantered gayly down the oak-lined avenue,intent upon a morning ride, their voices echoing musically throughthe grounds. The elderly people, after a short chat, graduallydispersed. Mrs. Mainwaring retired to her room for her accustomedmorning nap; Mrs. Hogarth sought the large library and was soonabsorbed in the works of her favorite author, while Ralph Mainwaringand Mr. Thornton strolled up and down the gravelled walks, enjoyingtheir cigars.
"This is a very good bit of property," remarked Mr. Mainwaring atlength, running his eye with cold scrutiny over the mansion andgrounds; "taking into consideration the stocks and bonds and variousbusiness interests that will go with it, it will make a fine windfallfor the boy."
"That it will, and Hugh certainly is a lucky dog!" responded Mr.Thornton, "but you seem to have some definite knowledge regardingour cousin's finances; has he given you any idea as to what he isreally worth?"
"He? Not a word." Then noting an expression of surprise on hiscompanion's face, Mr. Mainwaring continued. "I have a number ofbusiness acquaintances on this side the water, and you may restassured I have kept myself well posted as to the way things weregoing all these years. I have had something of this kind in viewall the time."
"I might have known it," replied Mr. Thornton, with an amusedsmile. "I never yet saw a Mainwaring who did not understand howto feather his own nest. Well, as you say, it is a fine piece ofproperty; but, do you know, Mainwaring, it strikes me that the oldboy seems a bit anxious to get it disposed of according to his ownliking as quickly as possible."
"It does look that way," the other acknowledged.
"Well, now, doesn't that seem a little peculiar, when, with nodirect heirs that we know of, the property would in any case revertto your family?"
Ralph Mainwaring puffed in silence for a few moments, then removinghis cigar and slowing knocking off the ashes, he replied verydeliberately,--
"It is my opinion that he and that attorney of his are aware of somepossible claimants, of whom we know nothing."
"That is my idea exactly," said Mr. Thornton; "and, don't you know,it has occurred to me that possibly, unknown to us, Harold Mainwaringmay have left a child, whose existence is known to Hugh."
"That would cut no figure in this case," Mr. Mainwaring answered,quickly. "Even had there been a living child,--which there wasnot,--he could make no claim whatever, for Harold was disinheritedby his father's will."
"Yes, I know the old gentleman disinherited Harold, but would hisheirs have no claim?"
"Not under that will. I was present when it was read, and I rememberit debarred 'both him and his heirs, forever.'"
"Poor Harold!" said Mr. Thornton, after a moment's silence; "he wasthe elder son, was he not?"
"Yes, and his father's favorite. It broke the old man's heart todisinherit him. He failed rapidly after that occurred, and he neverwas the same towards Hugh. I always thought that accounted forHugh's selling the old place as he did; it had too many unpleasantmemories."
"Harold died soon after that unfortunate marriage, I believe."
"Yes; he learned too late the character of the woman he had married,and after the death of their only child, he left her, and a few yearslater was lost at sea."
"Well," continued Mr. Thornton, after a pause, "have you the remotestidea as to who these possible claimants against the property may be?"
"Only the merest suspicion, as yet too vague even to mention; but Ithink a day or two will probably enable me to determine whether I amcorrect or not."
At that moment, Harry Scott, the private secretary, appeared, with amessage to the gentlemen from Hugh Mainwaring, to the effect that hewould like to have them join himself and Mr. Whitney in his library.
As they passed around to the southern entrance with the secretary,they did not observe a closed carriage coming swiftly up thedriveway, nor a tall, slender man, with cadaverous features andsharp, peering eyes, who alighted and hastily rang for admittance.But two hours later, as Mr. Thornton was descending the windingstairway in the main hall, he caught a glimpse of the strangecaller, just taking his departure. The stranger, hearing footsteps,turned towards Mr. Thornton, and for an instant their eyes met.There was a mutual recognition; astonishment and scorn were writtenon Mr. Thornton's face, while the stranger cowed visibly and, witha fawning, cringing bow, made as speedy an exit as possible.
At luncheon that day both Hugh Mainwaring and a number of his guestsseemed rather preoccupied, and the meal passed in unusual silence.Mrs. LaGrange exerted herself to be particularly entertaining to Mr.Whitney, but he, though courteously responding to her overtures, madeno effort to continue the conversation. Even the genial Mr. Thorntonwas in so abstracted a mood that his daughter at last rallied him onhis appearance, whereupon he turned somewhat abruptly to his hostwith the inquiry,--
"Are you personally acquainted with Richard Hobson?"
For an instant, Hugh Mainwaring seemed confused, and Mr. Whitney,always on the alert, noted a peculiar expression flash across theface of Mrs. LaGrange, and was also conscious of an almostimperceptible start on the part of the young secretary seated nearhim.
Mr. Mainwaring quickly recovered himself and replied, deliberately,"Richard Hobson, the attorney? I believe I met him once or twice,years ago, in London, but I cannot claim any acquaintance with him."
"Dick Hobson does not deserve the name of attorney," remarked RalphMainwaring; "he is a shyster and a scoundrel."
"He certainly bears a hard reputation," rejoined Mr. Thornton; "andI would not have mentioned his name, only that I met him here abouthalf an hour since, and that caused me to make the inquiry I did."
Hugh Mainwaring paled visibly, though he remained calm. "Met himhere, in my house? Impossible!" he exclaimed, at the same timeglancing towards the butler, but the face of that functionary wasas immobile as rock. "I did not suppose the man was in thiscountry!"
"Oh, yes," replied Ralph Mainwaring; "he left England about twoyears ago; he played one too many of his dirty games there and tookthe first steamer for America, hoping, I suppose, to find a widersphere of action in this country."
"Possibly I may have been mistaken," remarked Mr. Thornton, quietly,realizing that he had unconsciously touched an unpleasant chord,"but the resemblance was certainly striking."
An awkward silence followed, broken by young Scott, who excusedhimself on the plea of important work and returned to Mr.Mainwaring's library, where he was soon joined by all the gentlemenexcepting young Mainwaring. In the hall, Hugh Mainwaring paused fora few words with the butler, and the attorney, passing at thatmoment, caught the man's reply, given in a low tone,--
"No, sir; Mrs. LaGrange."
A little later, the last will and testament of Hugh Mainwaring wassigned by the testator, and duly attested by Ralph Mainwaring,William Mainwaring Thornton, and William H. Whitney. As the lastsignature was completed, Hugh Mainwaring drew a heavy sigh, sayingin a low tone,--
"That is as I wished, my namesake is my heir;" then taking thedocument, he placed it in the hands of his secretary, adding, "Laythis for the present on my desk. To-morrow I wish it to be read inthe presence of all the members of the family, after which, Mr.Whitney, I desire to have it put in your possession for safe keepinguntil it is needed; when that will be, no one can say;--it may besooner than we think."
A marked change had come over his manner since luncheon, and histones, even more than his words, made a deep impression on the mindof every one present. The shade of melancholy passed, however, and,ringing the bell, Hugh Mainwaring ordered carriages for himself andhis guests for the afternoon and departed, leaving his secretaryto attend to some private work in the library. Harry
Scott's manner,upon finding himself alone within the private rooms of HughMainwaring, betrayed intense excitement. He pushed his workimpatiently from him and, rising, began to walk swiftly, thoughnoiselessly, back and forth, the entire length of the two apartments.Twice he paused before the large desk, and taking therefrom the will,already familiar to him, read its contents with burning eyes whilehis face alternately flushed and paled. Then folding and replacingthe document, he turned towards the safe, muttering,--
"It is no use. I have searched there once before and could findnothing."
Suddenly he exclaimed, "No one knows what may happen; this may be mylast opportunity! I will search once more and leave not a cornerunexplored."
Having locked the library, he returned to the safe. He knew thecombination, and soon the great doors swung open, revealing thecontents arranged with the precision for which Mr. Mainwaring wasnoted in his business habits. Conscious that he had abundance oftime for the work he had undertaken and that he was secure frominterruption, he began a careful and methodical search through allthe compartments. Various private documents were examined and thenreplaced in exactly their original position, but all seemed of noavail. He discovered no trace of that which he hoped to find.
At last he came to a metallic box, which he surmised, from itsweight and general appearance, contained the old family jewels.Should he open that? A moment's thought decided the question; hewould leave nothing unexplored. Further search revealed the keyconcealed in a tiny drawer. He applied it to the lock; the coverflew backward, and a dazzling light flashed into his face as a rayof sunlight fell across his shoulder upon the superb gems, gleamingand scintillating from the depths of their hiding-place. But hepaid little heed to them, for, in a long and narrow receptacle withinone side of the box, his keen eye had discovered a paper, yellow andmusty with age, the sight of which thrilled him with hope. Hequickly drew it forth, and a single glance at its title assured himit was indeed the object of his search. With a low cry of joy, helocked and replaced the metallic box, and, opening the ancientdocument, he eagerly scanned its contents, an expression of intensesatisfaction overspreading his features.
He was still perusing the paper when he heard footsteps approachingthe library through the long corridor, followed an instant later by aknock. Depositing the precious document safely within an insidepocket, he swung the doors of the safe together, turning the handleso as to lock it securely, and, crossing the library, unlocked andopened the door.
The butler was standing there, and, handing Scott a card, said,briefly,
"A gentleman on private business; must see Mr. Mainwaring or hissecretary at once."
Scott glanced at the card: it bore the name of "J. Henry Carruthers,"with a London address, and underneath had been hastily pencilledthe word "Important."
"Show the gentleman up," he said. The butler bowed and was gone,and in an incredibly short time, while yet Scott's pulse throbbedwildly from his recent discovery, the stranger entered the room.
He was a little above the average height, with a somewhat commandingpresence, rather pale face, dark moustache, and black curling hair.He wore dark glasses, and was dressed in a tweed suit, slightlytravel-worn, but his manners were those of a gentleman.
"Mr. Scott, I believe," he said, addressing the secretary.
"That is my name, sir; please be seated. What can I do for you, Mr.Carruthers?"
"Will you inform me, Mr. Scott, of the earliest hour at which I cansee Mr. Mainwaring? I called at his city office and was directedhere; but the butler states that Mr. Mainwaring is away from home, andis unable to say when he will return, or how soon he would be atliberty to see me."
"Mr. Mainwaring will probably return about five o'clock; but it israther difficult for me to state when you could see him, as he isentertaining a number of guests, and it is doubtful if he would careto attend to any business just at this time, unless it were of specialimportance."
"My business with Mr. Mainwaring is of special importance," repliedthe other; "and I would be very glad if he could give me a littletime to-morrow."
"Perhaps, if you would give me some intimation of its nature,"Scott suggested, "Mr. Mainwaring might consent to make an appointmentfor the following day. I hardly think he would see you sooner.To-morrow is his birthday, and, as it is to be celebrated by him andhis guests, it is doubtful whether he would attend to any businesson that day."
"Indeed!" said Mr. Carruthers, rising, while Scott was conscious ofa peculiar scrutiny fixed upon himself from behind those dark glasses;"it had escaped my mind, but now I recall that Mr. Mainwaring is tocelebrate his birthday by making his young English cousin and namesakehis heir. I certainly would not intrude at a time so inopportune."
The secretary started. "I was not aware that Mr. Mainwaring'sintentions were generally known," he remarked.
"Perhaps not," replied the other, in a peculiar tone. "I merelyheard it mentioned, and all parties have my congratulations and bestwishes. Kindly say to Mr. Mainwaring that when the happy event isover I hope he will give me his earliest consideration. My addressfor the present will be the Arlington House.. Do not take thetrouble to ring, I can find my way."
"You will find this way much shorter, sir," Scott replied, openingthe door into the southern hall. Mr. Carruthers thanked him and,with a profound bow, took his departure.
As the hour was late, Scott found it necessary to devote himself atonce to his work, and he had but just completed it when the soundof wheels was heard outside, and a few moments later his employerentered the room.
The latter studied Mr. Carruthers's card quite attentively, andfrowned upon learning that his intentions regarding the making ofhis will had become known by outsiders, but he soon seemed to forgetthe occurrence. Soon all were gathered about the dinner-table, andthe evening passed very pleasantly.
When, at a late hour, Hugh Mainwaring, in the dimly-lighted veranda,bade his guests good-night, he grasped the hand of his namesake andsaid, in a tone remarkably tender,--
"Hugh, my boy, the distance is long between the twenty-first and thefiftieth mile-stones on the journey of life. Heaven grant, when youshall have reached the latter, you may look back over a brighterpathway than I do to-night!"
Then, as the young man passed, he murmured to himself "If I couldbut have had just such a son as he!"
He did not see, though there was one who did, a woman's form glideaway in the dim light, her eyes gleaming with malignant fire.