Mildred Arkell, (Vol 3 of 3)

o regard it; for they had to attend the cathedral twice daily always. Strictly speaking, the boys had assembled on the previous day, the 2nd of February, and those who lived at a distan

a propitious morning: snow and sleet doing battle, one against the other. Jocelyn had left, and the eldest of the two Pra

cloisters on his way to and from college; and, at the very least, on two of those occasions, Miss Beauclerc would happen to be passing. She always stopped. Lewis had seen him sometimes walking on with only a lift of the trencher, and Miss Beauclerc would not have it, but stopped as usual. There was no whispering, there were apparently few secrets; the talking was open and full of gaiety on the young lady's part, if her laughter was anything to judge by; but Lewis was not the less savage. When he met her, she would say indifferently, "How d'ye do, Lewis?" and pass on. Once, Lewis presumed to stop her with some item of news that ought to have proved interesting, but Miss Beauclerc scarcely listened, made some careless remark in answer, and continued her way: the next minute she met Henry Arkell, and stayed with him. That Lewis was in love with the d

een some coolness between Henry and Miss Beauclerc, and that she was labouring to dispel it; he knew that Arkell did not go to the deanery so much

up in the church of St. James the Less. Lewis had grown to nourish a very strange notion in regard to it. After puzzling his brain to torment, as to how Arkell could have got out, and finding no solution, he arrived at length at the conclusion that he had never been in. He must have left the church previously, Lewis believed, and he had locked up an empty church. It is true h

t on the spree;" and but for a vague fear that his own share in the night's events might be dragged to light, he would certainly have contrived that it should reach the ears of

in by being in favour with a new senior, however they might be fated to end, and Lewis and Prattleton were great personal friends-it may be said confidants. Lewis had partially trusted Prattleton with the secret of his love for Miss Beauclerc; and he had fully entrusted him with his hatred of Henry Arkell. Scarcely a minute were they togeth

ied, and went up to Prattleton to shake hands, as Lewis had done; being a chorister, he

uietly said as he shook hands with him. "The school has a superstition, you know

Wilberforce desired me to tell you that he detained m

e deta

and he caused me to go back with him to his house and b

ly: and he erased the cross against Ar

t he could remember, had been marked as present, not being so. He was beginning to say something sa

op with the coll

out the town of Westerbury; and to such men business flocks in. His table stood at a right angle with the fireplace, and the blazing fire burning there, threw its heat upon his face, and his feet res

a clerk came in. It was Kenn

eed, and his brow looked forth displeasure. "I told you I did not care to be interr

s. Carr' was the

recal any lady of the name amidst his acquainta

Carr; the lady you have had some correspondence with, is it, sir?

y. "By Jupiter, I shouldn't wonder if she's come to Wes

deed before him, and rose to salute her, wondering at her extreme youth. She spoke English fluently,

ll lose all I have at present to look forward to, for our affairs in Holland are more complicated than ever. It may turn out,

roy. "The paper you found and forwarded to me

as let me see that p

fore his visitor. It was the one you saw before; the letter written by Robert Carr the elder to his son, stating that

wrote you word," observed Mr. Fauntleroy. "It is singu

wered; "and my husband may not have been very particular in examining the desk, for at that time he did not know h

ames's to search as soon as I got this letter, glad en

e so anxious and brought me down. But, in the first place, I must observe that I concluded the cause was

rance of the letter, Mr. Fauntleroy was not ver

was formerly the manager of an office in London, but about two m

o are conducting the case for your adversaries-the Carrs, of Eck

has happened there! Mr. Dundyke-but you will not thank me to take up your time, perhaps, with matters that don't concern you. Mr. Littelby spoke to me upon the subject of the lette

e of green cheese if he li

as no truth in the statement of the marriage being in the register. Sir, I am sure Mr. Littelby must have had good cause for saying this," emphatically continued Mrs. Carr "He is a man incapable of decei

head with a fellow-feeling of approval; "but we have

t has made me so uneasy that I have scarcely slept since; fo

y. "Be at ease, ma'am: the marriage is as certain as tha

ollege-row," answered she, producing a card

leroy, glancing at it, "I know the lod

, "let the Carr cause be completed for counsel; and when the brief's ready, I'll look over i

ought a copy," obs

It will save going ag

ring a copy of the marriage in the case, Carr v. Carr, when

replie

hy did

ntleroy only told me to look w

re about? Winter's settlement? Why, you

o serve it at last. Pretty well three hours I was standing in the passage next his h

clerk again from Winter's deed. He ordered another, Mr. Green, to go to S

n it, inasmuch as that he was an articled clerk and a gentleman, not a paid nobody. "Trapesing thr

he came back. "Where's Kennet

nor's room. Y

Kenneth broke out into ange

en's reply. "I had to look all through

an errand," retorted Mr. Kennet

neth, I should have been back in no time. It is not exactly a day to stop for pleasure

his desk. "The entry is there,

ry is not there," repeated Mr.

the entry of Robert Carr's marriage to Martha

s,

e sure

ir. I saw it

Green. You have

work for a week," retorted young Green

rsight, not of veracity. Kenneth, you have to go down to Clark's office abou

young fellows' negligence," grumbled Mr. Kenneth. "T

red Green to Omer, as they returned to their own room. "But if

on't," retorted Omer. "What a blind

ht into the presence of Mr. Fauntleroy, and beckoning Om

drink, M

nk,

e the words not

t," returned Omer

no place. When you read that entry of Robert Carr's marriage in the register, you saw double, for it never was anywhe

outh dropped consi

neth. "There's no name, and no marriage,

out him. "All the expense I have been put to will fall upon me; the widow has not a rap, certain; and to take her body in execution would bring no result, save increasing the cost. Mr. Omer,

like a mass of petrifactio

o suppose-we never should have gone on to trial. Mrs. Ca

ld not," chimed in

the alleged marriage," exclaimed Mr. Fauntleroy. "I shall look to you for reimbursement, Omer. And, Mr. Kenneth, you'll search out some o

an be upon my oath that the marriage of Robert Carr with Martha Ann Hughes is entered there: I repeated

urned Mr. Fauntleroy, his

to remember Christian names, so I just copied the names of the witnesses here in pencil. '

ooking at the pencilled marks. "Both are dead now; at least, news came of he

the register, how could I have taken them down? I did not

. The latter was not deficient in common sense, and he was compelled to conclud

at once to St. James'

d Mr. Fauntleroy. The tru

leroy and his establishment of clerks had all gone crazy together. "Search the register thre

r, Mr. Fauntleroy, could find