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The Two Lawyers: A Novel

Chapter XII

Chapter XII.

Once more we will, with the reader's permission, return to Timaru. The party which was held at Frank Perryman's came off as was intended; but Clara, steadfast in her determination to sin no more in this direction, did not go, and on this ground John Hobart refused to leave her while in ill health. It is needless to say that Frank did not enjoy the patty as he would have done had Clara been well enough to attend, but still, as it could not be avoided, he had again to endure disappointment, and wait.

So, day after day, in fact, month after month, went by, and still Clara remained almost in seclusion, for she feared to do otherwise. Of course she knew not of her father's release; and for his sake she decided to remain in the same house with her supposed brother. In truth, she believed there existed some hold on her father by Hobart. She braved everything when her temper was roused; and she now held the mastery of Hobart, but she kept to herself, and allowed him to do likewise, and waited. They had removed to a more commodious house, where she enjoyed more comforts; but she prevented Hobart from thawing the coolness that existed between them. Often did he implore her to forget the past, and be to him as before, but she refused to accede to the request.

Things went on in this way until one day, to John Hobart's annoyance, Mr Felix Fixer, again appeared on the scene, and on the third day after his arrival he sent to Hobart the following brief letter.

page 96

John Hobart, Esq., Timaru.

Dear Sir,—You will doubtless be glad to hear of my return. I shall be most happy to see you as soon as you can make it convenient, either at your office or at your house. Kindly notify which you prefer; but don't lay this note by, or your defective memory may cause you to forget to reply. I have business of the greatest importance to speak upon—Yours faithfully,

Felix Fixer.

Hobart was not aware of the return of Fixer until this note was found by him placed on his office table on the fourth morning after his return.

"Curse the fellow," he exclaimed, "what does he want now? More money of course. I had better give Perryman up to him, and take what I can and go, for I shall know no peace now unless I can make some terms with him, and so get rid of him. If I could"—here he paused, and a sinister expression came over his face that bode no good to Fixer. "Yes," he went on, "I might as well do that if a chance offered, for I have now raised myself above suspicion. But he knows too much, and is always on the allert. Still, perhaps, 'twill be better to see him, and then—then—."

Hobart lapses into deep thought. Several times has some one knocked at his office door, but he either does not or will not hear them.

"A stone around my neck, she said," he mutters; "ah, little I thought how true. If I could, though, put one around hers, and cast her into the sea, I would then defy all; for then, Clara Grant, you shall marry me in spite of everything. But I must not waste time dreaming thus; I must look matters straight in the face, and then I may possibly cope with them; but if I drivel on like this, I shall spoil all, and leave here as I came, a beggar."

Opening his private bureau, he deposits therein Fixer's page 97letter, takes some plain paper, and writes, in a feigned hand, the following note:—

Mr Fixer, Timaru.

Dear Sir,—I shall be at liberty to-night at my office at 8 o'clock when I shall be able to see you.—Yours, in haste.

The letter he, either from forgetfulness or with intention, does not sign, but seals and folds it up, and addresses the envelope.

And now for a short space we will take a peep at Mr Fixer, and see how he looks after his trip. He sits as we see him in an easy chair before a bright wood fire; for he has, since his return, taken a furnished cottage, and has an elderly woman for his housekeeper. No one would take him for the same person, for in the three months that have elapsed his whiskers have so grown that they completely cover his face, which before was cleanly shaved, except the moustache, and this is now removed. So much does it alter him that his most intimate friend would pass him in the street. As he sits before the fire, Hobart's letter is brought in by the housekeeper, who at once retires; and Fixer, with a smile of satisfaction, opens the envelope, saying as he does so, "You are learning better manners, John Hobart. Now, this is something like. Hulloa! What is this?" he exclaims in surprise, "the letter is written in a feigned hand, and not signed. So ho, my boy, you mean mischief, do you! Well, we shall see. I am glad I provided myself for an occasion like the present. Oh, yes, John, I shall be there, for I know how glad you will be to see me."

At 8 o'clock on the evening in question Hobart is the first to enter his office door, and standing in the shadow on the opposite side is Felix Fixer, waiting and watching. After a little he too walks over; and, after knocking and getting no reply turns the handle, and the door yields to the touch, and he enters. Scarcely has he closed the door after him, when there descends on page 98his head a blow that is well directed; but, strange to say, instead of succumbing to the attack made upon him, Felix Fixer turns sharply, much to the surprise of John Hobart, and with a well-directed blow he fells him to the ground.

"Take that, John Hobart; and the next time you try to deprive me of my life, do not put me on my guard, as you did this time."

"Ah, curse you," returns Hobart; "were you not the fiend himself you could never have withstood such a blow."

"Never mind what I could have withstood. Get up, fool, and wipe the blood from your face, and precede me up-stairs, for I came here to do business, and I shall do it before I leave. You also came here to do business, but you tried, and signally failed. I shall not!"

"Tell me what you want, that I may settle accounts with you, and then let me alone. Why do you not finish in one act instead of prolonging my misery."

"Ha! ha! ha! Finish you, like you tried to finish me. No, that I will leave for the hangman, John. That's not the way I go to work; in fact, you are to me the goose that lays the golden eggs, and I must nurse you lest you catch the croop and die. You don't know how anxious I am about you."

"Aye, jeer on. Some day it will be my turn."

"Your turn!" says Fixer. "I think you have had your turn. Do you not live now like a lord, when you should be treated like the criminal that you are? Have you not deprived the unfortunate girl of her actual freedom under threats? And her father, what have you done for him? Made the unfortunate man miserable for life. How he must like you and your dear sister; and then you speak about your turn—yes, you shall have it. I fancy I see what a time you will have when Grant arrives, and perhaps, Mary Torridge too. Get up, man, instantly, or I shall page 99forget you are the viper you are by crushing out your life, and so get myself into trouble for you, who are not worth one minute's thought. Precede me to your room, and should you make another attempt on me I will finish you, and so save the hangman."

Hobart was so overcome that he at once arose and ascended the stairs, Fixer following immediately behind.

When they arrived inside the office, Fixer, motioning to a chair, told his companion roughly to be seated, and, turning, closed and locked the door. He now, with a bull's-eye lamp, which he had brought with him, lighted the room; and, drawing up one chair, placed the lamp upon another; and, taking out his revolver, examined, and returned it to his pocket.

"Now, John Hobart, try and be wise, and let us to business. I came here for a purpose; and, mind you, it is for your interest as well as mine that I succeed. I am quite prepared to treat you fairly, so try and subdue your villainous nature, and listen to reason. If I do well, so do you; if I do not, you shall not; so if you will for once try and be fair, you will find that I can display honesty among thieves."

"I will be reasonable; but why be so coarse in your remarks, and make such hideous comparisons?"

"What else could either of us be compared to? Do we not both hope to rise) by the fall of another? Aye, by the fall of a regiment if necessary. For my part, I want success, and I am honest enough to admit that I am not very particular how I attain it. Yet I feel assured I am more conscientious than you, so don't try to deceive both yourself and me."

"What do you want? State the amount, and if it is in my power to give it you, and so settle the matter, I will agree."

"I do not, as I told you, want any amount. I do not, in fact, want money, and possibly never shall from you or the firm; page 100but from both do I want assistance, and should my venture be successful, you shall share the proceeds. Further, I will use all discretion, and hear your advice at all times, so that you may never be working in the dark."

"You do not enlighten me as to your plans, but keep me in the dark; in fact, you too often treat me as a child by your jeering and sarcastic manner."

"While Hobart spoke he had been weighing in his mind all that Fixer had just said; and, knowing as he did that he was a man of the world, and a man of business, his gambler's spirit rose within him; and he felt, in truth, as anxious to hear Fixer further as Fixer was to speak. He felt sure that he had some bold speculation to propose, and he himself was as anxious for such as his confederate; for was he not in daily dread of Grant turning up and destroying all his plans? With Clara, too, he felt a change would be for the better; for did he not half fear that her arguments in favour of Frank Perryman were but the foreruners of love, and this he dreaded more than all. Were she to love none else he could endure things in their present state, but any change in her feelings would materially alter the matter. He had concluded, too, in his own mind, that Fixer was one too many for him, and still he believed as much in his honesty towards himself as a man like Hobart could believe in anyone; so that at this stage he had decided to hear and reason with him, and do what he considered best.

"Then," said Fixer, in reply to Hobart's last remarks, "I will now treat you as a man; in fact, possibly better than you deserve. I have no desire to say aught that offends you, as we can do better by agreeing than otherwise. Now, to proceed, I have been, since I left here, to the other colonies, for I had some little money besides the amount I had received from you. I have, at the other places, made arrangements to ship there direct certain produce from here, and what I now wish to do is to start the thing. At first I know I shall for a certainty page 101have difficulties to contend with, but with you to aid me they can be easily overcome. I shall then soon be in a position to do a large business on my name alone, for you will be able to say all that is required to make my credit good. As our business progresses (ours I say advisedly, for you shall have your share of the profits) we can further speculate on our names and our paper—a. useful thing if properly handled. In fact, by degrees the firm will develop into a sort of mercantile arrangement; we can, in a short time, ship even with our own ships direct to other ports, and take advantage of the different markets to finance during the intervals."

"All that sounds well enough; but how are you to start such an affair without much capital?"

"I am coming to that. You must, if you like mind, place a certain sum at first in my hands, to open up the business. This money you can draw back almost immediately; for my, or rather our, banker need not know that the capital is not expended in the purchase of grain, wool, ships, or what not. Further, I can refer, or cause my banker to refer, to you; you can satisfy all his doubts by saying you are intimately acquainted with my business affairs, and that before long I shall have the command of large sums of money; and, as an assurance of this, I can draw on your firm for a sum by bill of exchange, which you accept without demur. Of course, for this bill I shall at once make provision; and, further, you will, by these means, be always better off than now, for if aught occurrs between yourself and Perryman you will soon be in a position to defy all here."

"You ask," said Hobart, evidently puzzled, "for a bill from the firm. How do I know, in the first place, you will not take the proceeds and clear with it? Besides this, how do I know what Perryman may say when I ask his consent to such a speculation on my account?"

"Hobart, you are a child. Why should I clear with the proceeds of this bill, when by remaining I have every reason to sup-page 102pose I shall do better? In fact, I feel certain I shall soon raise myself to independence, for the business is required here much, and will I am sure prosper if properly handled. As to your second absurd query, why should you ever let Perryman know a word about the bill, which you can accept yourself in the name of the firm? Should our little dodge ever be discovered, it is doubtful if Perryman would raise any objection; and if he did you could so smooth the thing over that nothing would come of it. In fact, by taking up the bill all would be well, and he could only say that in future you must not draw on the firm."

"I begin to understand you; but I know little about bills, further than that they become due so many months after date."

"Such matters as these I do know and understand, so you can leave that to me. All you have to do is to try and be fair, and in Felix Fixer you will find as great a friend as ever you will find in him an enemy if you do wrong. I will now leave you; and when I wish to see you next, I shall call upon you in the day-time, and then we can make or complete any further arrangements. I shall also secure suitable premises to carry on business for the present, and do not intend to do anything of much importance without your being made cognisant of it. So now, I trust you will see the advisability of checking any further desire you may have to take my life, as you did to-night. You would certainly have succeeded but for this hat, which, as you see, is blow-proof." As Fixer said this he, with difficulty, took off his hat, which had bearings coming from the crown down on to his shoulders; and in consequence, as the bearings were spring steel, the blow only forced them down on to the shoulder, but in no way hurt the head of the wearer.

"I am still further protected against your attacks," Fixer added, "as I concluded you meant mischief. Let me tell you also that should you ever succeed in your endeavours you will but ruin yourself; for I have now deposited, in case anything of that nature occurrs to me, letters to Frank Perryman, Clara, and page 103Mary Hobart, which tell them all. I have likewise written to Matthew Grant, and all these epistles will be delivered to the persons addressed should any mishap occur to me, and they will know all, for I have said everything that can be said. Bear all I say in mind, and until we meet again I will bid you good evening."

For long after Fixer's departure Hobart sat in his office ruminating over all that had been said. "If his plan only work, I see success beyond my expectations," he thought, "and why should it not. He is, without doubt, clever in business, and I will try and look on things in a different light. His own interests, too, are mine; but what will Frank say if he finds us out? Bah! what care I? Can I not handle him in any case? In fact, I must, in spite of all obstacles, succeed."

A few minutes after John Hobart was on his way home, and as he walked along he was in quite a different frame of mind from what he was when he had left his house a few hours before. The success of Fixer's schemes was as much importance to him as to Fixer himself—thus is a man's mind turned completely round by a little gentle persuasion. Hobart had washed the blood stains off his face, which were the result of Fixer's blow; but knew that on the morrow, at least, he would not be able to show himself at the office, as he was marked in a manner that would not look desirable for one of his profession.