Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14
CHAPTER II.
HOW EUsTAcE WAS DIsINnERITED.

HOW EUsTACE WAS DIsINnERITED.
There was pause-a dreadful pause.
The flash had left the cloud but the an
swering thunder had not burst upon the
ear Mr. Meeson gasped. Then he took
up the check which Augusta had thrown
upon the table and slowly crumpled it,
What did you say, young mann" he
said at last in cold, hard voice.
Il said that you ought to be ashamed
of yourself" answered his nephew, stand
ing his ground bravely; and, what is
moro, | meant it"
"Ohl Now will you be SO kind as to
explain exactly why you said that, and if
you meant itf'
81 mean it," answered his nephew,
speaking in full, strong voice, because
that girl was right when she said that
you had cheated her, and you know that
she was right. | have seen the accounts
of Terminals Vow'-I saw them this
morning-and you have already made
more than thousand pounds clear profit
ON the book. And then, when she comes
to ask you for something over the beg
carly $50 which you doled out to her,
you refuse, and offer her GO as her share
of the translation rights-G3 as against
your clevenl"
so on"
"All right; am going That is not
all; you actually avail yourself of dis
graceful trick to entrap this unfortunate
girl into an agreement whereby she be
comes literary bond slave for five years
As soon rs you see that she has genius
you tell her that the expense of bringing
out her book and of advertising up her
name, etc, will be very great-so great,
indeed, that you cannot undertake it
unless, indeed, she agrees to let you have
the first offer of everything she writes for
| five years to come at somewhere about a
fourth OF the usual rate of a successful
| authors pay-though, of course, you
! don't tell her that You take advantage
! of her ineXperience to bind her by this in
. iquitous contract, knowing that the end
| of it will be that you will advance her a
little money and get her into your power,
| and then will send her down there to the
Hutches, where all the spirit and original
ity and genius will be crushed out of her
work, and she will become hat writer
| like the rest of them-for Nelson's is
strictly a commercial undertaking, you
! know, and Nelson's public don't like
! genius; they like their literature dull and
| holy-and it's an internal shame! that S
what it is, unclep and the young man,
whose blue eyes were by this time flash.
ing fire, for he had worked himself up as
he went along, brought his fist down with
a bang upon the writing table by way OF
emphasizing his words.
Have you doneY' said his uncle.
eyes, I've done; and | hope that l have
put it plain"
Very we'll; and now might ask you,
supposing that you should ever como to
4 10 h,,ci, &c
accurately represent the system upon
which you would proceed?"
"Of course they do. am not going to
turn cheat for any body"
THANK You. They seemto have taught
you the art of plain speaking up at Ok
ford; though it appears" with sneer
"they taught you very little else. Well
then, now it is my turn to speak
and tell you what it is, young man, you
will either instantly beg my pardon foI
what you have said, or you will leave
Mecson s for good and ALL"
Il won't beg your pardon for speaking
the truth" said Eustace. hotly. THE
fact is that hero you never hear the
truth; all these poor devils creep and
crawl about you, and daren't call their
souls their own. | shall be devilish glad
to get out of this place, | can Tell you
All lllS CllNhtly anu pohtly nluheS me
sick. The place stinks and reeks of sharp
practice and money making-money max
ing by fair means or foul"
The elder man had, up till now at all
events to outward appearance. kept his
temper; but this last fow of vigorous
English was altogether too much for one
whom the possession of so much money
had for many years shielded from hearing
unpleasant truths put roughly. The
mans face grew like devils. his thick
eyebrows contracted themselves, and his
pale lips quivered with fury. For a few
seconds he could not speak, SO great was
his emotion When at length he did
his voice was as thick and laden with rage
as dense mist is with rain.
You impudent young rascall' he
began; "you ungrateful foundlingl Dc
you suppose that when my brother left
you to starve-which was all that you
were fit for--l picked you out of the
gutter for this, that you should have the
insolencc to come and tell me how to con
duct my busiress2 Now, young man, III
just tell you what it Is, You can be of
and conduct business of your own Oh
whatever principles you choose. Get out
of Nelson's, sir, and never dare to show