Middletown transcript., 1868-10-10

30 you have only to follow close upon him
and we shall be all right" Acting on my
wife's brief suggestion, did follow the
carriage, and that closely. Luckily my
horse was good one. Occasionally when
near water, we seemed to be plunging
through darkness, so thick was the fog.
However, all went well and at last 1 was
glad to follow the carriage before me
through an avenue up to large house.
whose hall was blazing with light and
resplendent with liveries of servants. We
did not take much notice then of these
things, but, as I divested myself of my
wraps, and my wife was putting herself
strait in some back room, could not help
envying Mr.. Chilmark, and thinking that
his living must be an exceedingly good
one, as he was able to have things in such
style.
In few minutes we were ushered into
the drawing room, the butler making, as
usual, some blundcr about our names
when announcing us. Mr.. and Mrs. Chill
mark came forward and kindly accosted us.
My wife was installed on a sofa near the
fire, and formed one of a knot of gentle
men in the back ground. We were a
large party, about twenty in number and
as the butler left the room, | thought
heard Mrs. Chlmark give the order,
Dinner" A few dull moments, as usu-
al, before that meal, when suddenly an
electrical shock of curious nature was
communicated to the majority assembled
in the drawing room. The door was
opened, and instead of dinner being an
nounced, the butler ushered in Mr.. and
Mrs. Templeton. There did not appear to
be anything unusual in this, but evidently
a great commotion was created Persons
looked at my wife and myself, and at last
Mr. Chilmark touched me on the shoulder
saying: May speak word with you
in the library ?" I followed, and noticed
my host, in crossing the hall, say some
thing to one of the servants.
g As soon as we were closctcd together,
Mr.. Chilmark's manner changed at once.
. Now sir" said he to me, what is the
meaning of all this? Who are you real
ly? Where do you come from? Of
course | was surprised and wished my
fathers peppery friend, Mr.. Chilmark, at
the opposite side of the globe. | calmly
stated who | was, and reminded him Of
his invitation
81 invite you sirn he roared; "you
-you-you"-. lie bit his lips to check
his angry words.
g Yes, sir" l replied, you did; and
you asked also Mr.. Singleton, the rural
dean, and | have come not exactly with
him but just behind him.
90 Stop sir no more lies"
"Excuse me sir 1 replied, one more
word and l have done. Either you are
prematurely drunk or you are mad l do
not care to dine with either drunkard or
madman. shall call my wife out of the
drawing room and beg to wish you good
evening"
e Excuse me-" he Kissed through his
teeth, while he placed himself between me
and the door; "you will not get off SC
easily, young man.
Now this was a pleasant. predicamcnt
thus to be closeted with a mailman"
Pray, may l ask what on earth you
mean ?" he replied. f'Do you know who
1 am ?-where you are 2"
Yes, you are Mr. Chilmark, the rector
Of, very old friend of my father
the late Mr.. Temple, Of; am stand.
ing in your library at your rectory, hav.
ing been asked here to dine; and, upon
my word, the sooner get out of your hos
pitable house, and cut your acquaintance
for good, the better I shall be pleased"
He grinned horribly as / spoke ant
said: q am Lord Clayton. This il
Clayton castle. have never asked yol
to dine; in short, you are scamp.
have already sent for policeman, and un
til he arrives you shall not leave thi
ROOM"
Well, thought I, thank goodness he ha
sent for policeman; so ere long | shal
get rid of this madman's society. Wha
to do | knew not. l fixed my eyes on hin
and tried to master him by staring him ou
of countenance We were both silent 70
few moments. AT last my friend said t.
me: Your tale is ingenious, young man
but it breaks down. If you were going t.
dine with Mr.. Chilmark, at - rectOry
how came you to be here, distance of 81,
miles irony our pretended destination p
II then explained that knew the ru
raj dean, Mr.. Singleton, was going to din
with Mr. Chilmark-that / was strange
in the country, and was not acquainte
with the roads that the turnpike woman
told me it was Mr.. Singleton's carriag
which passed us at the gate, and that
: had followed it and consequently foun
: myself where | now was"
7 Light began to dawn somewhat upo
the obfuscated senses of both of US. ]
struck me that my supposed madman wa
! in all probability really Lord Clayton, an
that in some way l had made a mess {
the matter-missed my leading carriag
! in the fog, or done something of that kind
l imagine that it began to strike the ger
: tleman opposite, that possibly, after all,
c might be an impQstor. Lord Clayton
+; for Sc must call him-then said Yo
e tell me that you are Mr.. Temple, the CT
t rate Of. What proofs can you give m
i. that you are what you represent yourself
t .'Plenty Tomorrow" replied l, "bl