The Portland daily press., 1880-01-24
THE PRESS.
The Righttul Heir.

or some weeks past Vie
tween the Earl of Beauvray and Miss Milf
cent Movie had been chronicled in the fash
ionable intelligence of newspapers, and the
marriage was appointed to take place III
july Beauvray house, Piccadilly had been
placed in the hands of the decorators; Beau
vray castle in NorthshiIe, was being refur-
nished and beautified by the combined en-
ergies of uplosterers, painters and land
scape gardeners, and grand SUBSCRIPTIONS
had been set on foot among his lordship's
tenants, his brother officers of the guard,
and his fellow members Of the Northshlre
hunt, 10 make the new Countess some hand
some presents. There were many who con-
sdered Miss Moyle lucky girl, for Lord
Beauvray was not only Of ancient family,
young. immensely wealthy, and well-look-
ing but he was popular everywhere owing
to his sunny temper and uprightness of
character. Their are young noblemen who
make their grandeur consist in throwing
away their money and making their reputa-
ton into ducks and brakes. But Lord
Beauvray had been merry without being dis
solute. He was the most irreproachable OF
gentlemen, Just as his betrothed, Miss Moyle
was the fairest flower among that bouquet
of pretty girls who had been presented at
court in the same season as herself. MILL
cent Movie was rich heiress as well as
pretty girl Her father, Joshua Moyle,
bill discounter of Lombard street was a
''new man. to the city plutocracy-one OF
those financiers who have made such rapid
fortunes that everybody expects to hear OF
them next in the bankruptcy court. 1t was
said that he and Lord Beauvray had become
acquainted while travelling abroad, and that
the peers relatives had been much scandal
lized on hearing of his lordship's intention
to marry the daughter of a man whose ante
cedents were just a little misty.
As for Mr.. Moyle, quite conscious OF how
great piece of luck had befallen him, he
could not refrain from Dragging before his city
friends about his future son-in-law, the Earl.
He talked of retiring from business, OF OBJ
tanning a seat in Parliament through Lord
Beauvray's influence, and devoting himself
to the assiduous study of conservative poll
tics and the cultivation of aristocratic con-
nections. The poor man had been admitted
on Lord Beauvray's presentation to one or
two firstrate clubs, and he had been intro
duced to so many ladies and gentlemen OF
title that his head was turned. he sighed
over his business ledgers from II till every
day, as if he had begun to realize the degra-
datiOn of commercial pursuits; and as soon
as his counting house closed he would hurry
off in q white waistcoat and with flower in
his buttonhole to take drive around the
park in his spanking phaeton, drawn by
ps.ir of bays which he could lily manage 1t
was honest Moye's delight in these drives
carried his wife, his daughter Mile and
Lord Beauvray, and to note the number OF
hats lifted as it passed. Such bows made
him grin in pure glee.
One sunny afternoon, just fortnight be-
fore the date fixed for the marriage, the bill
discounter's phaeton was drawn up as usual
alongside the pavement OF Lombard street,
waiting till the strike of from an adjoining
steeple should bring out the plutocrat, when
a brougham, with coronet on the panels
cattered up behind, and Lord Beauvray
alightcd. He was CHASTITY pale. The hall
porter, who knew him by sight and had al
ways admired his pleasant smile, was star
tied by his appe lrance not less than by the
broken voice in which he inquired If Mr..
Movie had left. Just then Mr.. Moyle him
self strutted out, all glorious with geranl-
UNI in his coat and a white hat perehed
acock on his pointed gray head. "Ah,
Beauvrayr' cried he with cheerful welcome,
but perceiving the look on the peers face,
he exclaimed: "Why, what's the mattel?
Notsill, hope?'
''No, not i'll; but / want to speak to you
in private" said Lord Beauvray, hoarsely.
''Shall we go off in the phaeton?" STAN
mered Mr.. Moyle, full of uneasiness.
''No, into your room; but let us be quite
alone,'' repeated the Earl. and he himself
led the way to the sanctum where the bill
discounter transacted most of his business.
Mr.. Moyle had trick, when agitated, of
grasping his nose with the whole OF his hand
and working it up and down, as if it were
India rubber which he wished to elongate.
His nasal organ underwent a deal of pulling
in the brief interval that elapsed before he
and Lord Beauvray were closeted together.
Then, Pumping down into the arm chair at
the writing-table, Mr.. Moyle stared in be-
wilderment while the peer sat down opposite
and produced blue envelope with several
black seals. Laying this on the table Beau
vray placed his hands on it, and looked into
the financier's eyes.
'sMr. Moyle," said he sadly, II have a
painful communication to make, but will
not beat about the bush. I find that l have
no legal right to the title which bear, or to
the fortune which l am using"
''Eh! what?" exclaimed Mr.. Moyle with
gasp.
II made the discovery this morning in
rummaging through box of Deeds" con-
tinued Lord Beauvray, whose voice grew
steadier. ''You must know that 1 inherited
the title from my uncle. He Was the eldest
of three brothers. My father, the youngest,
died while | was boy; my second uncle
died few years later, and we fancied he
had been bachelor, but it appears that he
had been clandestinely married, and left a
soma lad whom you know, by the by, for
have seen him in your house. His name is
Timburel.'
"Timburel?" echoed Mr.. Moye, with a
start; ''young Timburel, who used to be
clerk in our firm, and whom / dismissed for
presuming to make love to our Millie?'
81 was not aware of those particulars"
said Lord Beauyray; 'but young Timburel is
the man; he bears his mothers name (she
was an actress, and we used to think he
was the natural son of my second uncle; but
his parents were lawfully married.
"And do you mean to say that Timburel-
vulgar, conceited upstart, who is living on
his wits at this moment. with not shilling
in his pocket, I'll be bound-do you mean to
say he has become Earl of Beauvray?'
''Not only that, but he becomes absolute
owner of all my estates and property. My
poor father left me mere pittance. When
l have put Timburel in possession of his
own, shall have nothing but my commits
sion in the guards and about three hundred
year,
Come come, don't say such bosh,"
blurted out old Moyle grasping his nose
again. 1t had just occurred to him that
Lord Beauvray was hoaxing. ''He ants to
fluid out whether our Mile loves him for
himself or his title" reflects the moneyed
man. But in a moment this idea was dis
PEELED by Lord Beauvray displaying the con-
tents of his envelope-a marriage certificate
a0d number of letters which substanti-
ated the story. Then he entered into expla-
nations. 1t seems that his uncle, Hon. Col.
de Vray, being in garrison at Malta, had
privately married an Italian actress named
Timbureli. After years union this tickle
person deserted him, leaving her child to his
care, and soon after she died. Under the
circumstances the Colonel, though he pro-
vided for the boys maintenance, deemed it
convenient to conceal his marriage, and
eventually he died suddenly without having
acknowledged it. Apparently, however, his
conscience had tormented him. SO that
while lacking the moral courage to speak
the truth during his lifetime, he had left
evidence by which it might be known after
containing his marriage certificate had lain
mixed up with some other documents in a
box which Lord Beauvray (who inherited
the deceased's papers) had never thought of
examining until that morning, when he had |
begun to sort The family papers in view of
his marriage. These were the facts which |
the young peer explained, while old Moyle
with series of wheezes like means, rueful
ID o11+ Jo +c I,1yD