That Mainwaring Affair | Page 3

etext or this "small print!"
statement. You may however, if you wish, distribute this etext in
machine readable binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form,
including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- cessing or
hypertext software, but only so long as *EITHER*:
[*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not*
contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work,
although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (i) characters may be used
to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters
may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR
[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into
plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays
the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional
cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form
(or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small
Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the net profits
you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate
your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due.
Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg
Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following
each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual
(or equivalent periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO?
The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning
machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright
licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money
should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Carnegie-Mellon

University".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

This Etext prepared by an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer.

THAT MAINWARING AFFAIR
by Maynard Barbour
CHAPTER I
THE MAINWARINGS
The fierce sunlight of a sultry afternoon in the early part of July forced
its way through every crevice and cranny of the closely drawn shutters
in the luxurious private offices of Mainwaring & Co., Stock Brokers,
and slender shafts of light, darting here and there, lent a rich glow of
color to the otherwise subdued tones of the elegant apartments.
A glance at the four occupants of one of these rooms, who had disposed
themselves in various attitudes according to their individual
inclinations, revealed the fact that three out of the four were
Englishmen, while the fourth might have been denominated as a typical
American from the professional class. Of rather slender form, with a
face of rare sensitiveness and delicacy, and restless, penetrating eyes,
his every movement indicated energy and alertness. On the present
occasion he had little to say, but was engaged in listening attentively to
the conversation of the others.
Beside a rosewood desk, whose belongings, arranged with
mathematical precision, indicated the methodical business habits of its
owner, sat Hugh Mainwaring, senior member of the firm of
Mainwaring & Co., a man approaching his fiftieth birthday. His dress

and manners, less pronouncedly English than those of the remaining
two, betokened the polished man of the world as well as the shrewd
financier. He wore an elegant business suit and his linen was
immaculate; his hair, dark and slightly tinged with gray, was closely
cut; his smoothly shaven face, less florid than those of his companions,
was particularly noticeable on account of a pair of dark gray eyes, cold
and calculating, and which had at times a steel-like glitter. Though an
attractive face, it was not altogether pleasing; it was too sensuous, and
indicated stubbornness and self-will rather than firmness or strength.
Half reclining upon a couch on the opposite side of the room, in an
attitude more comfortable than graceful, leisurely smoking a fine
Havana, was Ralph Mainwaring, of London, a cousin of the New York
broker, who, at the invitation of the latter, was paying his first visit to
the great western metropolis. Between the two cousins there were few
points of resemblance. Both had the same cold, calculating gaze, which
made one, subjected to its scrutiny, feel that he was being mentally
weighed and measured and would, in all probability, be found lacking;
but the Londoner possessed a more phlegmatic temperament. A year or
two his cousin's junior, he looked considerably younger; as his hair and
heavy English side whiskers were unmixed with gray and he was
inclined to stoutness.
Seated near him, in an immense arm-chair which he filled admirably,
was William Mainwaring Thornton, of London, also a guest of Hugh
Mainwaring and distantly connected with the two cousins. He was the
youngest of the three Englishmen and the embodiment of geniality. He