The Wrong Box

and, in short, my legal business, although now (I am thankful to say) of quite a placid character, remains entirely in Michael's hands. But the trouble is I have no natural tal

ion to wealth, neglect of business, and election to the club, these little festivals have become common. He picks up a few fellows in the smoking-room - all men of Attic wit - myself, for instance, if he has the

nt, sheltered from the curiosity of King's Road by wire blinds, and entirely surrounded by the lawyer's unrivalled library of poetry and criminal trials, that we find him sitting down to his dinner after his holiday with Pitman. A spare old lady, with very bright eyes and a mouth humorously compressed, waited upon the lawyer's needs; in every line of her countenance she betrayed the fact that she was an old retainer; in every word that fell from her lips she flaunted the glori

hael,' was the prompt re

now best,' said the master. 'Very f

tainer, 'ye never w

as repeatedly along Fleet

ous alacrity; and then, 'Take care - don't break my crystal!' she cried,

e keeping?' a

e till the end, worthy man!' was the reply. 'But ye

the lawyer.

said Teena grimly. 'A fr

little beggar wanting

ward the upper storey. 'That's by his way of it; but I've an idee of my own. He tried to bribe me, M

Michael. 'I bet he

the sum with which the thrifty leather merchant had attempted to corrupt her. 'But I s

t!' said Michael. 'I'm not going to have any

Michael - see, ye're upsettin' the sauce, that's a clean tablecloth - the bes

Set a thief to catc

old him!' cried t

dance for that,

w of him some way?' sug

n't believe this claret's wholesome; it's not a sound, reliable wine. Give us a brandy and soda, there's a good

hat, Mr Michael,' said Teena, a

ful servant!' sighed the lawyer

he night, glittered with street-lamps and shone with glancing rain-pools. 'Come, this is better,' thought the lawy

very youthful gentleman with a yellow goatee, and a pair of lovers debating some fine shade (in the other). But the centre-piece and great attraction was a little old man, in a black, ready-made surtout, which was obviously a recent purchase. On the marble table in front of him, beside a sandwich and a glass of

ad my opportunities of comparing distant lands; but I can assure you this has been long ago recognized as a mark of aristocratic government. Do you suppose, in a country really self-governed, such abuses could exist? Your own intelligence, however uncultivated, tells you they could not. Take Austria, a country even possibly more enslaved than England. I have myself conversed with one of the survivors of the Ring Theatre, and though his co

you?' said Michael, laying his

owed the countenance of Mr Joseph Finsbury. 'You, Mi

a brandy and soda, 'there's nobo

n,' said the old gentleman,

be doing with Morris or

d Joseph. 'And I believe I can trust

said the lawyer, 'but if you ar

e uncle, shaking him by the hand. 'I'

ephew. 'I stand treat, Uncle

daresay I surprise you,' he went on, 'with my presence in a public-house

id Michael sipping his brandy and soda. 'I

It is that of accommodating one's-self to the manners of any land (however humble) in which our lot may be cast. Now, in France, for instance, every one goes to a cafe for his meals; in America, to what is called a "two-bit house";

clothes, washing, or boots. The whole thing, with cigars

reform, thence to the theory of the weather-glass, with an illustrative account of a bora in the Adriatic; thence again to the best manner of teaching arithm

t I am here is because I cannot endure thos

ed Michael, 'I never could

ng interest; the daily newspaper was guarded from me like a young baby from a gorilla. Now, you know me, Michael. I live for my calculations; I live for my manifold and ever-changing views of life; pens and paper and the productions of the popular press are t

ou stand for money?'

th unlimited pens and paper; the British Museum at which to get books; and all the newspapers I choose to read. But it's extraordinary h

' said Michael, 'com

n I occupy. There are some little financial complications; as a guardian, my efforts were not altogether bless

gerly; 'I will lend you a pair of window-gl

gentleman, 'but feared to awaken remark in my unpre

? Don't make a stranger of me, Uncle Joseph; I know all about the trust, and t

d his dealings

he lawyer. 'You've put your foot in it

the old gentleman. 'I founded and nursed tha

nment, you were forced to make it, too; even then your position

ed Joseph; 'the law cann

he cream of the thing is this, that of course you've downed the leather business! I mu

augh at,' observed

Morris any power to sign f

myself,' rep

his keeping up the farce that you're at home! O, Morris, the Lord has delivered you i

talent - it was entirely directed to bookkeeping - no accountant in London could understand a word of any of his books; and then there was Morris,

tion to leather,' said

hole field of commerce more surprising than the fluctuations of t

t have you done with all th

ew twenty pounds,' answered

inal sum and return it to the Anglo-Patagonian, with some sort of explanation which I will try to invent for you. That

asked Joseph; 'I cann

heque for a hundred; which leaves you eighty to go

e same,' said Joseph, biting at his white moustache.

g make you believe,' he cried, 'that

ve never really applied my mind to the details, and this view of yours, for example, comes on me entirely by surprise. But you may be right, and of course at my time of lif

hael; 'I'll probably get it

entleman's address, Michael lef

oday? Disposed of a dead body, saved Pitman, saved my Uncle Joseph, brightened up Forsyth, and drunk a devil of a lot of most indifferent liquor. Let's top off with a visi

ven, the instrument of Providence descended from a hansom, and, b

ptly opened

d, carefully blocking up the n

reme a squeeze that the sullen householder fell back. Profiting by this movement, the lawye

manded Michael, sitting down

Morris; 'he's staying at Browndean; John i

'I want to see him on par

cle when you won't let me see

r; but Joseph is just as much my uncle as he's your

oggedly. 'He is not well, he is dan

make a clean breast of it. I have come down like

temples. 'What do you mean?' he cried, 'I don't believe a word of it.' And when Michael had assured him of his ser

cle is dangerously ill, and you won't comprom

ean?' cried Mo

urned Michael, 'that is, per

nything?' cried Morris stor

ssions! Let us drown our differences in a bottle, like two affable kinsme

s time.' 'Well,' said he aloud, and with rather a painful affectation of heartiness, 'it's long since we have had an evening together, Michael; and tho

chael; 'a little of the old

erceived his advantage; in thus dunning him for the cream of the cellar, Michael was playing into his hand. 'One bottle?' he thought. 'By G

urned. Glasses were produced, and Mor

e cried gaily. 'Don't spare

at the table; filled it again, and returned t

orris, science.' Morris could think of no reply, and for an appreciable interval silen

Morris,' he observed. 'You may be deep;

eep?' asked Morris with an

able deep dog. And a very good glass of wine; it's the only respectable feature in the Finsbury family, this wine; r

fore, you know,' said the smiling

we each think the other wouldn'? 'S quite a remarrable - remarkable problem,' he added, trium

o have been my reason?

f the muddle. I know I'm emissary of Providence, but not that kind! You get out of it yourself, like A

t know what you m

exc'lent vintage. Nothing against the tipple. Only thing: here's a valu

d Morris, furtively wiping his brow, for these

'Easy say; anything's easy say, when you can say it. What I don' like's t

h laborious calm. 'There is no mystery. He stays a

hael, 'got dev

y that?' cried

ow, of course I'm bound to believe either the one story or the other. Point is I've upset this

is seat. 'What's tha

g. 'Exc'lent thing promote healthy action of the skin. Wel

going away?'

t to sit up sick friend,'

your hints,' returned Morris fiercely. '

rning round as he opened the door; 'only d

iculty, and descended the steps to the hansom. The tired drive

give pain,' he reflected. . . . 'Drive Shcotlan' Yard,' he added aloud, holding to the wheel to steady himse

thy of the lower orders for an intoxicated gentleman. 'I had b

not to go Shcotlan' Yard t'night?' enquired Michael. '

ar is closed,

Michael, with the

e to,

id Michael, entering the vehicle

man, through the little aperture in

' cried the lawyer, producing his car

lamp. 'Mr Michael Finsbury, 233 Ki

d Michael, 'drive the

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