That Mainwaring Affair | Page 9

and Mr. Whitney in his library.
As they passed around to the southern entrance with the secretary, they
did not observe a closed carriage coming swiftly up the driveway, nor a
tall, slender man, with cadaverous features and sharp, peering eyes,
who alighted and hastily rang for admittance. But two hours later, as
Mr. Thornton was descending the winding stairway in the main hall, he
caught a glimpse of the strange caller, just taking his departure. The
stranger, hearing footsteps, turned towards Mr. Thornton, and for an
instant their eyes met. There was a mutual recognition; astonishment

and scorn were written on Mr. Thornton's face, while the stranger
cowed visibly and, with a fawning, cringing bow, made as speedy an
exit as possible.
At luncheon that day both Hugh Mainwaring and a number of his
guests seemed rather preoccupied, and the meal passed in unusual
silence. Mrs. LaGrange exerted herself to be particularly entertaining to
Mr. Whitney, but he, though courteously responding to her overtures,
made no effort to continue the conversation. Even the genial Mr.
Thornton was in so abstracted a mood that his daughter at last rallied
him on his appearance, whereupon he turned somewhat abruptly to his
host with the inquiry,-
"Are you personally acquainted with Richard Hobson?"
For an instant, Hugh Mainwaring seemed confused, and Mr. Whitney,
always on the alert, noted a peculiar expression flash across the face of
Mrs. LaGrange, and was also conscious of an almost imperceptible
start on the part of the young secretary seated near him.
Mr. Mainwaring quickly recovered himself and replied, deliberately,
"Richard Hobson, the attorney? I believe I met him once or twice, years
ago, in London, but I cannot claim any acquaintance with him."
"Dick Hobson does not deserve the name of attorney," remarked Ralph
Mainwaring; "he is a shyster and a scoundrel."
"He certainly bears a hard reputation," rejoined Mr. Thornton; "and I
would not have mentioned his name, only that I met him here about
half an hour since, and that caused me to make the inquiry I did."
Hugh Mainwaring paled visibly, though he remained calm. "Met him
here, in my house? Impossible!" he exclaimed, at the same time
glancing towards the butler, but the face of that functionary was as
immobile as rock. "I did not suppose the man was in this country!"
"Oh, yes," replied Ralph Mainwaring; "he left England about two years
ago; he played one too many of his dirty games there and took the first

steamer for America, hoping, I suppose, to find a wider sphere of action
in this country."
"Possibly I may have been mistaken," remarked Mr. Thornton, quietly,
realizing that he had unconsciously touched an unpleasant chord, "but
the resemblance was certainly striking."
An awkward silence followed, broken by young Scott, who excused
himself on the plea of important work and returned to Mr.
Mainwaring's library, where he was soon joined by all the gentlemen
excepting young Mainwaring. In the hall, Hugh Mainwaring paused for
a few words with the butler, and the attorney, passing at that moment,
caught the man's reply, given in a low tone,-
"No, sir; Mrs. LaGrange."
A little later, the last will and testament of Hugh Mainwaring was
signed by the testator, and duly attested by Ralph Mainwaring, William
Mainwaring Thornton, and William H. Whitney. As the last signature
was completed, Hugh Mainwaring drew a heavy sigh, saying in a low
tone,-
That is as I wished, my namesake is my heir;" then taking the document,
he placed it in the hands of his secretary, adding, "Lay this for the
present on my desk. To-morrow I wish it to be read in the presence of
all the members of the family, after which, Mr. Whitney, I desire to
have it put in your possession for safe keeping until it is needed; when
that will be, no one can say; - it may be sooner than we think."
A marked change had come over his manner since luncheon, and his
tones, even more than his words, made a deep impression on the mind
of every one present. The shade of melancholy passed, however, and,
ringing the bell, Hugh Mainwaring ordered carriages for himself and
his guests for the afternoon and departed, leaving his secretary to attend
to some private work in the library. Harry Scott's manner, upon finding
himself alone within the private rooms of Hugh Mainwaring, betrayed
intense excitement. He pushed his work impatiently from him and,
rising, began to walk swiftly, though noiselessly, back and forth, the

entire length of the two apartments. Twice he paused before the large
desk, and taking therefrom the will, already familiar to him, read its
contents with burning eyes while his face alternately flushed and paled.
Then folding and replacing the document, he turned towards the safe,