An Evil Inheritance

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 8 January 1917, Page 10

An Evil Inheritance

Bγ W. E. NORRIS,

CHAPTER 11. AN INTERMEDIARY. Whether Parson Cotton had been right or not in affirming that a good way of dealing with Nicholas Alder was to leave him alone, it was the way which had bern largely adopted by his fellow oreatures throughout the fifty years of hia earthly career. Given his temperament, which was 'the reverse of sociable, and his temper, which, when roused (a= it rather easily was), spared neither friend nor foe. such a result was inevitable. A man who does not seek your company and who. when in it, is more likely than not to fall foul of you invites a wide berth. Nevertheless. Nicholas Alder had certain merits which were recognised by the few who knew him well. It had to be recognised by everybody that he was a sportsman in the best sense of the term, that a= a landlord he was both just an'l generous and that in him tlio poor possessed an active friend. That was the good side of him. He had other sides, and some of these were not of ;i nature to win affection or respect. Easygoing Mr. Cotton might say that he never lore malice: but of persons who could and would have told another tale there was no lack. He was not. in truth. a man who forgave readily, nor was he much more capable than his late uncle had been of allowing any credit to an adve*ary. He wae inclined to look upon those who opposed him as hostes humani generis whom it vvus a duty to crush, and rumour asserted that lie wafi not always very particular as tc the methods of crushing thtru which he employed. Cut out by nature for a

benevolent despot, his abilities in such a capacity might liave outweighed his detects* though the defects would have remained perceptible. As a country gentleman and n magistrate, he was bound to come into frequent i-nili.-ioii with his congener*, and he did. None of them liked him very much, while some — notably Sir Augustus (Ireeham of Saltwood— disliked him with hearty cordiality.

The life of tins uuingratintim:. \et (*e hie son Geoffrey could have teitiiied) not wholly unlovable personage had scarcely j been such as to cour him. if it hail olier , " little towards converting him into an optimist. It had been, upon the wiiole, a. neutral-tintc.l sort of life, devoid or' excitements, pleasurable or painful, save atk-h an he had been able to derive from the field sports to which lie was addicted, and bare of those fond memories which are the solace of many travellers on the downward slope. Some lingering halo of romance might, had Tie cared to recall it, li-ivc hung over the record of his early days, when he had fallen violently in love-with Margaret Crawford and had a≤ vieTently broken with her; but that was s-o old a etory that there was probably no association in his mind between the girl whom he had once adored and the intrisuing woman who had filched his inheritance from him. He would no* doubt have married her if she had not been provoked, one day. into telling him that he was impossible: to which lie had retorted, with his usual angry liaete, that, that being so, it must follow tlsat their engagement was equally impossible; It is not often that lovers are parted by so trifling an exchange of asperities: but then it is not often that men of Nicholas Alder's stamp figure as lovers. Perhaps he never did so again, despite the fact that he was soon married to an amiable, colourless lady with whom he lived in outward harmony for two years. She died. m giving birth to a son, and from tbat day the widower allowed no woman the shadow of an excuse for aspiring to replace her. Margaret, already married to the valetudinarian Mr. Lynden. who resided almost entirely in the south of 1 Europe, was lost to eight and likewise, it must be assumed, to memory. The truth is that there was next to no sentiment or sentimentality in the mental equipment of the Squire of Hill Place. Moreover, he did not care for female society and took a rather contemptuous view of women, as such. He held no particularly exalted view of men, as such, either: only he had interests in common with members of his own sex which preserved him from degenerating into a misanthropic recluse. It was fortunate that his son Geoffrey grew up to participate in those interests. At least, it would have been unfortunate if he had not: for. although the young fellow's cheerful and accommodating 0 disposition might have triumphed over many difficulties, his fathers would hardly have tolerated indifference to sport and athletics. .Aβ it wa?. Geoffrey gave complete satisfaction in all resnects. So much so that, without conscious effort on his part, he j •became virtual master of a man who I would have laughed to scorn the idea of being subject to anybody's mastery. throughout tvie boyhood and youth did he have a serious disagreement with hie father, whom ne was said to understand and whom he certainly understood how to manage. It v.-as lie who composed the constant bickerings ! which sprang up between Nicholas and hie neighbours; it was to him that the petitioners and aggrieved persons invariably applied; very likely the permanent breach between Hill Place and Tranton would have been averted if he had not been absent at the time of its occurrence. The Lancer regiment to which Geoffrey belonged was about to return to England from Egypt when Mrs. Lynden took possession of her new home, and his arrival at Hill Place on leave was anticipated with as near an approach to eagerness as his father ever exhibited. Thaf, to be sure, was not saying much, nor could anything have been lees emotional than the .meeting of the two men on their reunion after a somewhat prolonged severance. They were very glad to see one another again, all the same, as their eyes bore witness, if they refrained their lipe from verbal superfluities. Physically not less than morally were they dissimilar, no vestige of ereii a family likeness between them being discernible, unless it was to be found in their spare, well-knit frames. The elder was dark, almost swarthy. with a hook nose, hard black eyes, and a short 'beard, -which, like,hi6 hair, was flecked with gray; the younger, fair, bine-eyed and clean-shaven, save ior ■ilie clipped moustache of the epoch, was the sort of young man to whom one a* once ascribes pretty sisters. Not tn»t tbere was any suggestion of effeminacy about himj only Ms features •■Burn email and refined, while he possessed what few men and fewer EngliehiMn c»n boaet of, a mouth which, when in repose, in* of perfect chape. It was seldom seen in nfotfi, for, even when he -swu not talking, it was apt to be

Author of "The Square Peg," "yot Guilty," "Pauline,' , eta.

extended towards his ears in a sunny smile —the oxpreosion of inward contentment in the fact of being alive.

"I have got one or two jobs for you," Nicholas announced. "It's a fact which can be proved. I'm sorry to say. that two dead fox-cubs were found in a ditch outside the Saltwood coverts the week before last, and something ought to be said to Gresham about it. If he thinks that we don't know, he makes a mistake. 1 was away when the thing happened, and 1 undertsand that nothing has been done; but it can"t he allowed to pass. If nobody else chooses to speak, you or I must. You rather than 1, perhaps." "Right!" answered Keoffrey. briskly; "Til see to it. Anything else*"' There were several other things: but not a word was said upon the moet important of local subjects, and the young man knew better than to introduce it on bin own score. Being as yet j ignorant of his fathers attitude "to- I wards the newcomers at Tranton. he I judged it prudent to await information. Thus lie received immediately after dinner, when Mr. Alder ~:aid: '"Everybody lias been calling upon that woman. 1 hear. Just what I should have expected." It was what most people might have expected, and although many of the callers may have been aware that their ' action would be resented as a personal alfront by the umbrageous owner of Hill Place, they had probably felt that the claims of social observance were paramount. : '"I suppose they couldn't very welJ cut her." Geoffrey remarked. i "I don't know why they couldn't. Not that it would have been cutting her to ab-tain from asking for her acquaintance: but it's all -one to mc. People must choose their company for themselves. If they like consorting with thieves, let them consort with thieves." Geoffrey finished his coffee and lighted a cigarette. Presently he asked: "Is it to he wvr to the knife, then?"' "Certainly not." answered his father, frowning. "I tell yon plainly that 1 regard Mrs Lvnden us a thief and always I shall: but l' don't declare war upon her. How can 1? She is legally entitled to be where ohe is. and to play the devil— as rhe most assuredly will—with property, which by every canon of moral law ought to be ours. I can't make her drop it." "She did offer to drop it. didn't she?" '"Yes. she made that preposterous and impudent offer. What would she have done. I wonder, if she had been taken at her word? You don't mention it by way of a suggestion that we should call upon her. I hope." __ "To tell you the truth." replied Geoffrey. "1 was going to suggest that we had better. It must be done coon. yon see. if it is to be done at all. and if it isn't done at all. thing* will be rather uncomfortable. I'm quite with you about I'nrli* Sidney's will: I think it was as unjust and unjustifiable a will ar> a man could make. Still it doesn't follow that Mrs Lvnden was answerable for it." "It may not foiiow." returned his father grimly-, "only nothing will ever persuade mc that she wasn't. But call at Tranton if you choose, and it you think it will conduce to anybody's future Don't ask mc to acc-ompany you. that's all." "I might take your card, perhaps." •That I'll be Tiangeu 17 you shall! 1 see your point; you'll l>e sure to come across the woman and her daughter. and it might be awkward for you to •have to turn your back upon them. Shake hands with them. then, and I hope they'll have the grace to look a little ashamed of themselves when you do. My case is different. I don't go to dinne r-partice or dances, and if Mrs Lyndon attends meet* of the hounds — from what 1 hear she is the kind of woman who will —[ sihall not be compelled to .-cc her."

Geoffrey nodded, and began to talk about something else. Having been prepared for considerably more opposition than lie had encountered, he was glad enough to have obtained the concession which had been granted to him. For he realised what his father apparently did not. that policy of open feud with their supplanters would not only be undignified and embarrassing, but would cost them the general sympathy upon which, as matters stood, they might reasonably count. It was evident, however, that unless he could present himself to Mrs Lynden ac in some sort his father's representative, there would not be much use in presenting himself at all; so. after having allowed several days to elapse, he returned in a casual fashion to the charge wit/h "I'm going to do my duty at Tranton this afternoon. You might as well let mc leave one of your cards." "I havp told you that you are to uo nothing of the eort," retorted Mr. Alder, irascibly. "Yes. I know: but. after all. sending a card i? a very different thing from taking it yourself, and. as there are no ladies in this house, the visit can"t be returned. It's a mere formality; it doesn't commit you to anything." "No!" \\-;i> Mr Alder's decisive -reply. Nevertheless, when the young man was about to start, his father strode "forth and handed him the required voucher. I 'Here—have it your own way! But remember this: I'm not going to .spoak tn the woman or bow to her; nor will 1 ever set foot within the gates of Tranton while she stays there." (Continvcd daily.)