Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-13

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/ soldiers gray coat all patched aud torn, with
a battered hat, from under which a mass Of
! tangled hair fell over his shoulders, and half
| concealed bis face. The beggar in q weak
| wheezy, hesitating tone said You have
advertised for Molinos Fitz Roy hope you
/ don't mean him any harm be is sunk, think,
| too low for enmity now and surely no one
| would sport with such misery as his These
last words were uttered in a sort Of piteous
whisper.
answered quickly Heaven forbid 1
should sport with misery mean and hope to
| do him good as well as myself
Then, sir, l am Molinos Fitz- z-Roy'
While we were oOnversing, candles had
! been brought in. / have not very tender
nerves-my head would not agree with them
but own l started and shuddered when l
saw and knew that the wretohed creature be-
/ fore me was under thirty years Of age and
| once gentleman Sharp, scquiline features,
reduced TO literal skin and bone, were be-
! grimmed aud covered with dry, fair hair the
/ white teeth Of the half-open mouth ohsttered
/ with eagerness, and made more hideous the
| foul pallOr of the rest Of the oountenauce.
/ As he stood leaning on staff half bent, his
/ long, yellow, bony fingers clasped over the
crutch head Of his stick, be was indeed pic
ture of misery, famine, squalor and prema-
/ ture age too horrible to dwell upon. l made
| him sit down and then sent for some refresh
meut which he devoured like a ghoul, and
set to work to unravel his story It was diff
! fcult to keep to the point but with pains l
/ learned what convinced me that be was enti-
tied to some property, whether great or small
there was no evidence. On parting l said,
Now, Mr. F.. you must stay in town while
/ l make proper inquiries What allowance
| will be enough to keep you comfortably
! He answered humbly, after much pressing
h ell 1lfvr~1
/ don't like, if / do these things at ALL to
do them shRbbily, 80 l said Come every
Saturday and you shall have a pound He
was profuse in his thanks ss all men are as
long as distress lasts.
had previously learned that my ragged
clients wife was in England, living in a splen-
did house in Hyde Park gardens under her
maiden name. On the following day the
Earl Of owen called upon me- wanting 5000
| by o'clock the same evening. 1t was a case
| Of life or death with him and SO ! made my
terms, and took advantage Of his pressure to
execute coup de main. I proposed that he
should drive me home to receive the money,
calling at Mrs. Molinos', in Hyde Park gar.
dens, on our way. knew that the coronet
and liveries of his father the marquis. would
insure me an audience with Mrs. Molinos
! Fitz Roy.
NV scheme answered was introduced
] llLD Tue lh4g . lEthEutts cue Nhhy huu ITbD-
ably Is, very stately, handsome woman, with
pale complexion, high, solid forehead, regu-
lar features, thin, pinched, self-satished
mouth. Ny interview was very short.
plunged into the middle of the affair. but had
scarcely mentioned the word husband, when
| she interrupted me with, 80 presume you have
loaned this prohgate person money, and you
want me TO pay you" She paused, and then
she said He shall not have a farthirg
As she spoke her white face became scarlet.
But madam, the man is starving. have
strong reasons for believing be is entitled to
/ property, and if you refuse any assistance
must take other measures" She rang the
bell, wrote something rapidly on a card, aud,
| Rs the footmRn appeared, pushed 1t toward me
| across the table with the air OF touching a
toad, saying There sir, is the address of
my solicitors apply to them if you think
you have any claim. Robert show the per
son out and take care be is not admitted
again.
So far had effected nothing and to tell
the truth, felt rather crestfallen under the in
! Auence of that grand manner peculiar 10 GER
tain greEt ladies aud TO all great actresses.
Ny next visit was to the attorneys. Messrs.
| LeRsem x Fashun, of Lincolns Inn square
and there l wBs at home. had had dealings
with the firm before. They are agents for
half the Gristocrscy, who always run in crowds
like sheep after the same wine merchant, the
same architects, the same horse dealers and
the same Law agents 1t may be doubted
whether the quality Of law and land manage
ment they get on this principle is equal 10
! their vine and horses. At any rate my
| friends at Lincoln's Inn. like others Of the
same class, are distinguished by their courte-
Gus manners, deliberate proceedings limo
cence Of legal technicallties, long credit and
heavy charges, Leasem, the older partner,
wears powder and huge bunch Of seals lives
| in Queen square, drives q broughau gives
the dinners and does the cordial department
He is so strict in performing the latter duty
that be once addressed poacher who had
| shot dukes keeper as my dear creature,
| although be afterward hanged him.
Fashun has chambers in st. James street,
drives cab, wears tip, aud does the grand
ha-ha style.
Ny business lay with Leasem. The inter
views and letters passing we're numerous.
However, it came at last to the following dia-
logue.
well, my dear Mr Discount" began Mr..
Leasem, who hates me like poison, Il N real
ly very sorry that poor, dear Molinos-knew
| his father well a great man a perfect gen
tleman but you know what women are, eh
! Mr. Discount. My client won't advance a
shilling she knows it would only be wasted
in low dissipation. Now. don't you think
(this was said very insnuAtingly) don't you
think he had better be sent to the work
house Very comfortable accommodation Ms
there, l can assure you-meat twice a week,
and excellent soup and then, Mr.. Discount,
We might consider about allowing you some
thing for that bill.
Mr. Leasen, can you reconcile it to your
conscience TO make such al arrangement
Here's wife rolling in luxury and a husband
starving
mo, Mr. Discount, not starving; there is
the work-house, as l observed before; besides,
allow me to suggest that these appeals TO
feeling sre quite professionAl-quite IN.
| professional"
But, Mr.. LeAsem, touching this property
which the poor man is entitled to 2"
why, there, again, Mr.. D., you must ex-
euse me you really must don't say he is I;
don't say he is not. If you know be is en-
titled to property am sure you know how
to proceed. The law is open to you, Mr.
Discount-the law is open, and a man OF
your talent will know how to use it.
Then, Mr.. Leasem you mean that l must,
in order TO right this starving man, file a bill
of discovery to extract from you the partcu-
lars Of his rights. You have the marriage
settlement and all the information, and you
decline TO allow pension or afford any in
formation the man is TO starve or 60 TO the
work house"
| 'Mhy, Mr.. D.i you are so quick and Vlo-
lent, it really is not professional but you see
here a subdued smile of triumph it has been
decided that solicitor is not bound to afford
such information as you AK, to the injury of
his client"
Then you mean that this poor Molinos
may rot and starve, while you keep the secret
from him, at his wife's request, of his title to
an income, and that the Court of ChAncery
will back you in this iniquity."
kept repeating the word ''starye" because
l saw it made my respectable opponent vince.
''Wel, then, just listen to me. l know
that in the happy state of your equity law,
chanoery can't help my client, but have an
other plan l will 60 hence to my office, issue
a writ, take your clients husband into execu-
tion as soon as he is lodged in jail l shall
file his schedule in the Insolvent Court, and
when he comes up for his discharge, l shall
put you in the witness box and examine you
on oath, touching property of which you
know the insolvent to be possessed and
where will be your privileged communication
then =
The respectable Leasem's face heightened
in twipkling, his comfortable, confident all
vanished, he ceased twiddling his gold chain,
ar lanufb ba