Chapter VIII.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 10

Chapter VIII.

" Wanted un lieiiuss."

Tho Bcr.ni; cLuages once more to London. Lord and Ltdj Ha\vk6ton were much pained to find that the dowager Lady Hawkston per-Bu-tently refused to see her daughter-in-law. She declared she was ready to turn out of Oakhurst Hall for the young couple, but that Hbf. would not reside in the dower house, bat would go and hide her head on tbe Continent.

Of course her son would not listen to such a proposition, and had consequently to take up bis abode in his London residence.

Christmas had come round once more — just one year since we first made Lord Hawkston'w acquaintance on board the Ben Lomond on Lake Wakatipu. It is evening, and Percy Hawkston was seated in a large easy chair by tbe fire in the smoking room of his club, a newspaper in his hand, when the door opened, and a brisk, well-dressed old gentleman entered the room, followed by a friend. Hawkston at once recognised him sb Mr Bradock, tbe senior partner of Messrs Bradock, Heavyside, and Bradock, the eminent solicitors, the legal firm which conducted all his family business. Of course the old gentleman was well known to him — indeed he had known him from childhood — and in consequence would take bhe liberty of speaking very plainly to him. As he had not met him Bince his return to England he was unwilling that the first meeting should take place before witnesses, and therefore held the paper up to hide Ms face.

" Why, Bradock, wbere have you been 1 " asked his friend. "We have missed you from the whist table for the last week."

" Ye?, yes," he testily replied ; " I have had to vi«it a client in Ireland."

"Visit a client ? Why I thought you left all that sort of thing to your junior 3 1 Ha mast have been a very important client that could draw you from your nightly whist." " Wsll, yee, ho was. Did yon ever know Sir Henry D : smond, of Castle Desmond, County Clare 7 "

" Know Sir Henry ! No, I never hiew him. He was far too big a swell for rae to know., but I remember se< mr Jb.im som? 20 or 25 years ago when I fi r bt came to London. A fine, handsome old gentleman of the courtly days he was."

" Yes, and a very old friend and valued Client of mine," returned Mr Bradock ; "bo vrhen he Bent an urgent message for me to go to him I could not refuse. Poor man," be added with a sigh, "he married late in life, and had one son, a poor, sickly young fellow, bat his father was wrapped ud in

him after his wife's death, which took place 10 years ago. L*sl year the poor boy died, Red Sir Henry never held up hiß bead agaio. When 1 arrived at Oa«tle Desmond, I found him on his deathbeJ, and remained there till ha dio<V'

" Who comes in for the property — something big, is it not ? " " Big I I should think so ; at least £10,000 a year, with a gr«nd estate in Ireland and another in Scotland. The next heir ? Well, that is the bother of it; we don't know. Sir Hunry hart a younger brother Raymond vno qual. fieri as a medical man. II? cut up rough when Sir fieriry married, for he exjitc'oorl to come into the property, acd whes an heir was born he cleared out to oue of the colonies, and was never heard of agsun. He was not a bad fellow, Raymond, but easily led away, and he married Lady Jessica Lorimer, a niece of the Earl of Whittlngham — a beautiful woman, and, what is more, a good woman — who accorapnnied her husband to Australia, or wherever it was he went to. I shall set to work to advertise for them in all the colonial papers to-morrow. I don't suppose R iymoncl is aliv<\ but he probably left children, who will inherit ; otherwise the estates will go to a distant cousin. Bot there 1 that is enough I Let us talk of something elre." After a short time the friend qaitted the room, and then Percy Hawkston, dropping the p*per from hte face, aii'.d :

" How d'ye do, M>- Bradook 1 "

" God bless my bcul," cried the old gentleman as he tugged at his short grey whiskers, " that you, P<jrcy ? Ah, young man, young man 1 what have yon beon doing. Marrying a parlourmaid or something of the sort. I did not think it of you, my boy ; I did not indeed. To bring a servant girl into the old untarnished pedigt at I " and ho loudly blew his nose and wiped his facs with a large silk handkerchief.

" But I do cot think I have tarnished my pedigree," quistly answered Percy. "On the contrary, everyone who has seen my wife says she ha 3 honoured me by becoming Lady Hawkston."

" Pooh, pooh 1 dear boy 1 " returned Mr Bradock. "Of course you think bo now— you are still in your honeymoon." " Well, you must come and seß her and judge for yourself. Bj the bye, you have never asked me what was her maiden name."

" Oh, Susan or Jane, I suppose," returned the old man.

" Not at all," said Percy. " Her name was Miss Jessica Desmond."

" What is that you say," cried Mr Bradock, rihiog from bis chair and growing white in the face—" Jessica Dasraoud ! "

"Yes, Miss Jessica Desmond, only child and daughter of Dr Raymond Desmond, of New Zealand."

And so it provod after all that Jess, tbe rnnid of all work, whom Percy Hawkston, lv epite of all opposition from mother, sisterjg, relations, acd friends, had married for pure love, was the great heiress of the season.