Mount Royal, Volume 3 of 3

ers and tradespeople who constituted that rustic jury, the case seemed too simple to need any severe interrogation. A gentleman staying in a country house goes out sho

ighbouring squire, while the inquest was pursuing its sleepy

ions were standing among a little crowd at the door of the justice-room. "It looks to me uncommonly as if Mr. Ha

y knowledge of Shakspeare, though he had never read a Shakspearian play in his life. "If Hamleigh was

avoid the imputa

our roads meet, with a stake through my body, or in Westminster Abb

n. But Hamleigh was a dandy in all things. He

than was necessary to be said. He was a kind master but never familiar. "He never made a companion of me," said the man, "though I'd been with him at home and abroad twelve years; but a better master never lived. He was always an early

any guns

he took was an ol

e took swan-shot t

the case himself, and put them into his pocket. He was an experienced spor

had been troubled

live; but he seemed quite happy and contented. Indeed, judging by what I saw of him, I should say that he was i

m Mount Royal-that, to her knowledge, no one but the men at work on the farm had gone up the lane that morning. A couple of farm labourers gave the same testimony-they had been at work in the topmost field all the morning, and no one had gone to the Kieve that way except the gentleman that was kil

e to see the body, which was still lying at the farm, and returned after a brief inspection of that peaceful clay-the count

y misadv

ond cousins of the dead came as from the four corners of the earth; for Angus Hamleigh, dying a bachelor, and leaving a handsome

dull thud of the earth thrown out of an open grave in the calm autumn sunlight. Now in the autumn his own grave

doctor told me at our last interview-I should like to be buried in Minster Churchyard. I have outliv

take charge of any papers which his client might have in his possession at the time of his death. The bulk of his papers were no d

th, and invited to Mount Royal. Mr. Bryanstone, the solicitor, a thorough man of the world, and an altogether agreeable person, appeared at the Manor House two days before the fu

burial place. That orb of molten gold was sinking behind the edge of the moor just when the Vicar read the last words of the funeral service. Golden and crimson gleams touched the landscape here and there, golden lights still lingered on the sea, as the mourners, so thoroughly formal and conventional for the most part-Jack Vandeleur

rooms, thinking of him, picturing, with too vivid imagery, the lowering of the coffin in the new-made grave-hearing the solemn monotony o

eeriness were here. The cousins-first and second-warmed themselves before the fire, and discoursed in low murmurs of the time and the trouble it had cost them to reach this out of the way hole, and discussed the means of getting away from it. Mr. Tregonell stood on one side of the hearth, leaning his broad back heavily against the sculptured chimney piece, and

egonell. "I don't mean to spend the winter at this fag-end

ew, freely forgave the bluntness of the invitation, and stayed. But they commented between themselves in

which small men are wont to possess-the calm security of insignificance. "You wouldn't suppose a great burly fe

usly. "I've seen plenty of hard-hitting in the hill-country, but I'd go a

en very fond of Hamleigh, t

med good

ive one of your sisters a chance of getting a rich husband," said Monty, rolling up a cigarette, as he sat adroitly balanced on the arm of a large chair, and shaking his head gently, with lowered eyelids, and a cynical smile curli

ndeleur. "I'm as quick as any man at twigging that kind of thing, and I'll swear

ed Monty, in his little purring wa

to my sister, as he ought to have done," said Vandeleur,

girl-one of the five or six and twenty nice girls whom I passionately adore; but she was never anywhere within range of Hamleigh. First and foremost she isn't his style, and secondly he has never got over the loss of Mrs. Tregonell. He behaved beautiful

air of gold-rimmed spectacles, and cousins near and distant ceased their

in memory of his dear mother's kindness to one who had no mother, I bequeath ten thousand pounds, and my sapph

n Danby, five hundr

in the Albany, tw

solicitor of Lincoln's Inn, my collection of g

efit of Leonard George Tregonell, now an infant, who shall, with his father and mother's consent, assume the name of Hamleigh after that of Tregonell upon coming of age, and I hope that his father and mother will acc

art of the cousins, the one kinsman selected for ben

eat by the fire, and came close up to the

ject that legacy on my

likes when he comes of age. But why should you wish to decline such

a sort of indirect insult in such a bequest, as if I were unable to provide for my boy-as

already has plenty? That is the general bent of all legacies. In this world it is the poor who are sent empty away," murmured Mr. Bryanstone, with a sly glance under his spectacles at the seven

ve no power to re

not left to you-you have no po

will is

hree we

visit here. He must have taken

post-witnessed by two of the Mount Royal servants. The family solicitor knew all about Angus Hamleigh's engagement to Miss Courten

's father engaged to

es

mother may have had some influence with Mr

um for idiots-or to his cousins"-with a glance at the somewhat vacuous countenances of the d

ejudiced against my lamented f

ot well enough to give him the right

my late client has left you, individually, nothing-and I must add, that

for the most part absorbed in pensive reflections upon the futility of earthly hopes, heard very little of it. They belonged to that species of well-dressed nonentities, more or less impecunious, which sometimes con

ow badly I wanted it, for I borrowed a pony of him the last time he asked me to breakf

to making it a monkey, if Mr. Hamleigh

ly literal as to write his cheque for exactly the amount I asked for. A man of his means and age ought to have had mo

them all at Mount Royal, and Mr. Tregonell was not a man to permit any guests, howsoever assembled, to leave his house for the shelter of an inn; so the cousins stayed, dined heavily, smoked as furiously as those furnace chimneys which are supposed not to smoke, all the evening, and thought they were passing virtuous for refraining from the relaxation of pool, or shell-out

ard company in a house which now seemed given over to gloom. Christabel kept her room, with Jessie Bridgeman in constant attendance upon her. She h

rridor outside. "Dr. Hayle has seen her, and he says she must have perfect quiet-no one is to worry her

that she is grieving for the only

ny one else, know is not true. It is not Angus Hamleigh's death, but the ma

r reason-that I am not going to be sat upon by her, or her toady; and that as she is going to spend her wi

ntly called "reciprocal terms," Mr. Tregonell paying all expenses as a set-off against his friend's cheerful society. There was no false pride a

while she was away, strained the child to his breast, and hugged and kissed him with a rough fervour which he had never before shown. The boy quavered a little, and his l

shall ever see him again. He might die-or I-there is no telling. Hard lines to leave hi

left the nursery without another word. In the corridor he lingered for some minutes-now staring absently at the family portraits-

own nature, he had passionately loved. What could he say to her? Very little, in his present mood. What would she say to him? There was the

nd when the dog-cart stood waiting for him at the door,

that you will get well all the sooner for my being far away. Perhaps six months hence, when I come back again-if I don't get killed out yonder, which is always on the cards-you may have learnt to feel more kindly

ck Vandeleur's stentorian voice from the hall. "We shal

rture-the master for whose infantine sports he had made his middle-aged back as the back of a horse, and perambulated the passages on all-fours, twenty years ago-the m