Johnny Ludlow, Fourth Series

to three miles distant, was a place called Islip. A large village or small

ngements, and neither of them would give way. Islip felt itself suddenly elevated to pride, now that it could boast of two established lawyers, when until then it had not possessed one, but concluded that both of them would come to grief in less than a twelve-month. At the twelve-month

urished. The business, what with the land agencies and other things, increased so much that it required better offices: and so Mr. Chandler, who had always lived on the premises, moved into a larger and a handsomer house some doors further up the street. Jacob Chandler had a pretty little place called North Villa, just outside Crabb, and walked to and fro

ternoon, I, with Tod and the Squire, found myself on the Islip Road. I suppose we were going for a walk; perhaps to Isl

d us over the fence into the field. "Bless my heart and mind, it is C

compared with Jacob, who seemed no bigger than a shrimp beside him. Mr. Chandler's face wore its usual healthy colour, and he appeared to retain all hi

l be no accident!" groaned the Squire. "I hop

I as fast as my small legs would take me. At the first turning we saw what had happened, f

hurt, the wretched animal. Jacob stood shivering in the highway,

to tell you what passed within the doors, it is owing to the Squire's having been there and staying to the end. No need was there for Cole to tell Thomas Chandler that the end was at hand: he knew it himself

omas and George. Thomas, sixteen years old now, was in the office, articled to his father; George was at school, too far off to be sent for. Mrs. Chandler was soon with him. She had been a farmer's daughter,

ing), and was now waiting in the other parlour with the clergyman; who had also done all that was left to do. The Squire stayed in the room; Chandler seemed to wish it; they had always liked one another. Mrs.

nd I don't know that I should alter it if I had the time. It was made when the two lads were little o

andler meekly, the silent t

w little we can foresee the future! God alone knows what that will be, and shapes it out. Not a day, not a day can we call our own: I see it now. With y

y want of breath

d, catching up a sob, for she did not want to give way befo

wished, why, let him be one. 'If you are a clergyman, Georgy, you will always be regarded as a gentleman,' I said to him the other day when he was at home, telling me he wanted to be a farmer. But now that I am going, Betsy, I see how valueless these distinctions are. Pro

as you wish, Thom

wered. "Jaco

o stand close over his brother. Mr. Chandler lift

f either of us, the survivor should pay a hundred and fifty pounds a-year out of the practice to

sh it had been me to go

cob. But I suppose you will have to take an additional clerk in my place, some efficient man, and he

e I will,"

e, Jacob, if I were taken. Your own son will, I suppose, be coming in shortly: so that in later years, when you shall have followed me to a better

ure," sa

g men could be as much at ease. God bless and prosper you, Jacob! You'll give a fat

sh with all my heart this dreadf

Squire. "I'll look a bit after

e Squire. At that moment, a suppressed stir was heard outside, and

re's he lying? Is

lour, and a good-natured face; altogether, the image of his father. Cole took a look down at the mat

ome drops into half a wine-glass of wat

. A sudden stillness fell upon him, and he knelt down by the side of his

n a last farewell," spoke the dying man in a faint voice and with a gasp between

though he were choking, an

may be with as little warning of it as I have had: at the best, this life will last such a little while as compared with life eternal. Fea

y, as the voice died away, and he was afraid that the l

be loving brothers to each other always: tell him I enjoined it with

ll; I will indeed!

o or three faint words as death cam

ith you e

er, Mrs. Cramp, come up in a yellow chaise from the Bell at Islip, and

gig to look at some land that was going to be valued, which lay a mile or two on the other side Crabb on the Worcester Road. They had driven the horse a twelvemonth a

waited. Mr. Chandler had been taken back to his house at Islip, and was brought from thence to Crabb to be buried. Tom and George Chandler ca

pretty cottage at North Crabb, and Tom walked to the office of a morning and home again at night. Valentine, Jacob's

ained his majority, and got his certificate as a solicitor, that his uncle would have taken him into partnership. The Squire had said it publicly. Instead of that, old Jacob gave him a hundred a-year salary to start with, and said to him, "Now

liked was, to take a farm on his own account. But he had no money to stock it, and his mother had none to give him. Her income, including the hundred and fifty paid to her from the business, was about four hundred pounds, all told: home living and her sons' expenses had taken it all, leaving no surplus. "There's nothing for me but going to Canada, mother," said George: "I don'

dler, empty-headed, vain, and pretty, had but two thoughts in the world: the one to make her way amidst fashionable people, the other to marry her daughters well. Originally a small tradesman's daughter in Birmingham, she was now ridiculously upstart, and put on more airs and graces in an h

ne, improved: and Mrs. Jacob, with one or other or all three of her daughters, might be frequently seen driving her pony-carriage with its handsome ponies between North Villa and Islip, streamers flying, ribbons fluttering: you would have taken it for a rainbow coming along. The girls were not bad-looking, played and sang with open windows loud enough to frighten the passers-by, and were given to speak to one another in French at table. "Voulez-vouz don

s-makers', made a hole in Jacob Chandler's purse. Not too much of a hole in one sense of the word; Jacob took care of

entine getting to be a very fine gentleman indeed; old Jacob sticking to business and pocketing his gains. The first interruption came in the shape of a misfortune for Mrs. Chandler. She lost a good portion of her money through a calamity that you have heard of before-the bursting-u

isted between the two families, though they were not much together; Mrs. Chandler disliking their show; Mrs. Jacob and her daughters intensely despising one who wore

ways been a shrimp of a man, but he looked like a shrivelled one now. His black clothes sat loose

aid he, after a few moments' h

a white border ever since her husband died. It suited her meek, kind, and so

ted to speak to you for some time now and have not liked to come," she began,

ed Jacob. "Has he bee

, for steadiness and good conduct; and, I may say, for kindness. I have never heard

words puzzled him, biting away at

iness? I-I thought-and Tom I know also thought, Jaco

" returned Ja

get forward in life. I am anxious that he should; and I think it i

b; "of giving him, say, fifty pounds a-year more. Valentine ha

ow, that he should be taken into partnership, should succeed to his own share of the business; and I thought you w

to make him his own master too early," cri

Besides, it is Tom's right. I understood that when he was of a proper age, he was to

it. "Thomas left all things in my hands," said he, coughing

ettling it, then? How

pends, you kno

r year? Tom will be f

ow time flies! It seems but the other da

another year? You have

acob. "How can I? Don't you understa

ll do what is

Betsy? Of course I shall. W

ny interest of her own was not in her nature. As she shook hands

ite well, Jacob? Yo

ed, in a fretful tone. "I don't know what ails me: too mu

rself a rest, Jacob,

Good-

, the door of which stood open, Mrs. Chandler saw the Squire on the opposite side of the street, and crossed over to him. He asked her in a joki

ve way. "I'm sure it's quite time Tom was

t halt or ceremony-he saw Jacob leaning back in his chair, his hands thrust into his black side-pockets, and his head b

h the dead," urged the Squire, in his eagerness, after list

h standing on the matting near the fender: which was filled with an untidy mass of torn and twisted s

homas was close upon death at the time you and he had th

it goes, Squire," replied Jacob, pulling up

as to come in when he was twenty-one? Both of you seemed to imp

bout his coming in when he was

hut, Jacob Chandler?" retorted the Squire, beginning to rub

ire. Thi

his memory as well as his head. He had no cause to sup

the very words," repeated the Squire. "I can see your poor brother's fa

omfort. "What he said was this, Squire: 'When Tom shall be of

Squire. "There was no 'an' in it. 'When Tom shall be of

my ears would deceive me at such a time as that

ou are wrong," conceded the Squire. "Put it that it was as you say: don'

can be more pernicious for a young man than to be made his own master

o?" asked the S

contrary; but just let him get the reins into his hands, and you'd see wh

could wish for; diligent, straightforward. N

ous while his pockets were empty; and as soon as they were filled, perhaps all at once, he

the Squire, with hesitation, for he was

t stay on with me at present as he is; so there's an end of it. His sa

he Squire, coming wholly round. "And now good-morning. I'm rather in a hurry to-day, but I

ey," answered Jacob, as he

t his intention to take his nephew into partnership at all; then or later. Almost ever since the day of his brother's funeral he had looked at matters after his own fashion, and soon grew to think that Tom had no manner of right to a share in the business; that as Thomas was dea

but what annoyed him was the reminiscence they had called up of his dying brother. Jacob intended to get safely into the world above, some day, by hook or by crook; he went to church regularly, and considered himself a model of good behaviour. But these trou

klands about that lease. Have you any

oking, fresh-coloured young man, who had honesty an

nearer his table as if he meant to set to wor

go? I said Vale

pped out. He asked

as he st

lentine was gone: to the Bell inn over the way. Valentine went to the Bel

know what to say as well as I do. We don't give way a jot, mi

s,

From the beginning of next month, you

k you, Un

lly. Nevertheless, a shade of disappointment did cross his mind, f

him," argued Jacob with his conscience. And he put away

en down to Tyler's to see if he could get that money from them." It was an untruth, for he had stayed all the while at the Bell; and his father noticed that his fa

been drink

boldly, his blue eyes fearlessly meeting h

and then it was only a glass of beer with my supper. It seems to me that yo

drink,

red than left off. Look here: I am going to give you fifty pounds

ce though it was, had a market-day-Friday;-when farmers would drive or walk in and congregate at the Bell. One afternoon, just as the ordinary was over, Jacob went to the inn, as was his general custom: he had always some business o

ot long for

ler felt as certain that they were meant to apply to himself as though his name had

as slowly dying? A great fear fell upon him: a dread of death. What, leave all this beautiful sunshine, thi

w than a man, or that every day seemed to bring him less of strength. Passing into his dining-parlour instead of into his privat

ple judged by his spareness: he wished he could get a little fatter. And so he reasoned and persuaded himse

his wife he should sleep there for a week or two, for the sake of the fresh a

to Jacob's confidential communication. "I don't see why you should

m. He recommended him rest from business, change of a

to talk about rest from business, Cole, but how am I to take rest? My busine

ame," said Cole. "You have stuck

said Jacob, dreamily. "She seemed just

on why you shou

but nothing came of it. And Cole left, say

ob appeared, looking much as usual, and sat down in his pew. The next to come in was Mrs. Cramp; who walked over to our church sometimes. She stayed to dine with

it was the hearing of his illness which had brought her over to Crabb, he turned cross. He was not ill, he said; only a trifle out of sorts, as every one else

ant," she remarked. "You are sure you do not need it?

thing about

and thinner every time I see y

, what should I do, mooning for a whole month in a stran

wife and

worry me with their fine doin

than you should go alone, though it would be an

r thinking of it. It would be impos

t it would be better to leave his business for a temporary period now, than to find shortly that he must leave it for ev

retire from business altogether. You have m

made enough,"

ht to have ma

on't go f

ve. Two houses, a carriage and ponies (besides your gig), expensive dress, parties: a

y Ann. I don't tell you I have put nothing by: I have put a

ceeds of the business to be given over t

cried

me time, you know, Jacob: let them have it at once. To

Jacob, sharply. "I shall keep the business in my own hands as

tout hands, from which the gloves had been taken, and he

he repeated, in a slow, astonished

alary: I shall increase it, I dare say, every two

mean what

year past, Mary Ann. I have n

No luck ever c

hat?

he place that is justly his, it will be a

hese years, but me? and added to it little by little, and made it worth double what it was; ay,

ars was the chief prop and stay of it?" retorted Mrs. Cramp. "Why, poor Thomas; your elder brother. Who made him a promise when he was lying dying in that very parlour where your wife

" said Jacob, shuffling

he gave out before it? That text: think of it a bit, brother Jacob, and perhaps you'll see your way to acting differently. Remember," she added, turning back to him for the last word, which she

f. Do what he would, he could not get that text out of his mind-and what right had she to bring it cropping up to him in that inconvenient way, he wondered, or to speak to him about such matt

the thing that is right: for that

d morning, seemed to do him good. Meeting Cole one day, he told him he felt stronger, and did not see why h

pers, stating that Jacob Chandler had taken his son Valentine i

t mean, Tom?

, mother. We have heard not

hat he does not intend to take you in at all," spoke Mrs

turning out of the white gate at North Villa to mount his gig: for he still came over

he asked, just as she had a f

to let Val's name appear in the practice, and made over to him a small share of the p

?" questioned po

Well, wha

he to be

moves at once; it could not be expected of me, Bet

ement made with Tom's father-that you are bound in honour?

And look there, my horse won't stan

, bowling along at a quicker pace than usual. The poor woman, left standing there and feelin

e a thing; we can't understand it at all. Jacob should take Tom

more she minced them the finer she was. "Dear me! I'm sure I don't know anything about it. All well at home, I hope? I won't ask you in, for I'm goin

ng for her at the door, waiting to hear what news

make nothing of him one way or another. He does not say he will

ll. Uncle Jacob holds the power in his own hands, you see. If it does no

t it will be i

world," added Tom, with a light smile. "You would say so if you were in a lawye

lourished in gilt letters on the front-door at Islip, and Jacob Chandler and Son flourished inside, in the matter of business. But

e said he had been growing thinner all that while, only that it seemed impossible. This time

r Cole. Jacob Chandler was a rare coward in illness. That fining-down process he had been going through so long had

to-day," said Cole. "I will

at's the matter wi

know,"

ittent fever coming on

, or else because he would not say too

m. It seemed to do nothing, except make him worse; and he went to bed again

on again, and a servant ran to knock up the doctor. Ja

tuition, for Cole had not told him. An express went flying to Worcester for Dr. Malden:

any a careless man a lesson. It seemed to him that he had a whole peck of suddenly-recoll

," he groaned. "Valentine, you must remedy the wrong. Take him in, and g

kimming over the ground quickly; and he entered the sick-chamber w

it was: I don't know what God's thinking of me for it. I wanted to make a good provision for my old age, you

b; it will be all right. And I'm sur

ey have all been on at me at times. But I shut my ears. Oh dear! I wish God would let me l

said it must be done by Paul. So Paul the lawyer was got over from Islip, and was shut up alone with the sick man for a quarter-of-an-hour. Next the parson came, and read some

Cole said, when the truth was ascertained: but he had never seen it develop itself