The Irish standard., 1896-11-07
AN AWKWARD SITUATION.

AN n w NV AMI tolI OAA4O4Ss y
Ambition to get leading parts induced
me to throw up good position in the
north Of England to join a manager
starting at Salisbury. The business
turned out disastrous, the theater clos
ing in fortnight. I, an utter STRAIN
ger to the place, with wife and babe,
was taken i'll and could hardly stir for
DAYS. But for a good hearted iandlady
1 do not know w hat would have become
Of It's.
One morning. however, over a 1nehan-
choly pipe in the grassy hollow below
Old 'Sarum, a ray Of hope dawned upon
me. In my anxiety and depression one
old acquaintance had altogether slipped
my memory. This was a Mr.. Ather-
stone, an art dealer of Bond street. He
first knew me when had become as
sistant to a well-known engraver and
watched my progress with great inter
est. I wrote, telling him the whole
story of my misfortune. "A pronp re-
ply followed.
Apart from proof of Mr.. Atherstone's
good feeling toward me his letter con-
tanned news that I read with surprise
and pleasure-not without reason, as
the following extract will show:
81 want you to undertake "a commits
sion that requires tact and discri1nina-
ton. 1t is q private inquiry, and has
to be carried through at Shrewtou
Court, Meriale, the seat OF Lord Mount
falcon, within few miles Of Salisbury.
Obtain permission from the owner TO
see his art treasures. shall forward to
you ieweled miniat ure of Lord Mount
falcon, and want you to ascertain il it
is fac-simile of one in the collection.
That is the least important part Of the
inquiry with which l trust you. Find
out, ait any trouble and with all the
stances under which the fac-simile came
to be painted. There is a keeper of the
galleries; try and make friends with
him. Keep the object Of your visit ais
dark as possible
On again hearing from the art dealer
wrote to Lord Mooultfalcon. asking
permission to visit his picture galleries.
of replies, acceding to my request. Ono
thing puzzled me-the handwriting Of
the note signed by the nobleman was fa-
miliar. Where I had before seen it
could not reoollect. Next morning
went over TO Merivale. Shrewton Court,
situated in a spacious park, commands
many picturesque objects. One is a
graceful Ionic temple, half hidden in d
mass of frs and white elms. So much
did it strike my fancy that I left the
pathway to obtain close view. 1t was
prevented, however, by a singular incl
dent. AS I approached, a young girl in
white bounded down the marble steps.
Her melancholy yet beautiful face, and
sunny tresses, decked with Ioansies and
/. lilies, might have been Ophela's. To
my perplexity she advanced and cour-
tested three times Directly afterrward
a matronly woman ran out of the build
ing. She quietly took the girl by the
hand and led her away.
The Sh1aewton collection would be
famous, if only for it's Florentine and
Venetian masterpieces. While absorbed
before them light football aroused me.
I turned and saw Lord Monntfalcon.
His open, handsome face would have
been an excellent letter of introduction
anywhere. He said:
IT have seen you before; was it not
rs Charles Surface at Exeter?''
From theatricals Lord Mountfalcon's
talk glided into matters of pictorial art,
in which be was evidently an enthusi-
asst. Half an hour passed, and his lord
ship remarked:
81 must now leave you. On no ac-
count miss the small blue galleries.
There is a portfolio of Rembrandt etch-
ings that must have special value in the
eyes Of a practiced draughtsman. Per-
haps you might also like to look at my
bronzes, canoes and miniatures r.
ST should, my lord, = I answered, "very
much. Are there many?"
Eyes, large number" replied his
lordship, very representative, from
billiard and Cooper to Ross and Moule.
!, Ny portrait by Moule regard az fne
as anything painted by Cosway. The
keeper shall now attend you. He will
have orders to let you see anything in
which you may have an interest
When the keeper entered the mystery
vanished about the ha nrlwriting sent, to
me the day before.
had known MIR. Samuel Cracken-.
thorpe, and we were no longer on speak
ing terms. We had been intimate at
Exeter, where he was then a lawyers
clerk and q small money lender. It,
was not long before I found out he was
a mean, willy, intriguing, treacherous
fellow, and on discovering him guilty
n of gross dishonesty angrily curt his ac-:
quaintance. We met, of course, like
{ perfect strangers, but Cracker thorpe's
manner was polite, even to obsequious-
ness.
had locked at the, water co1ors,
bronzes and prints, and now asked for
the miniatures. They were contained
in three large cases, placed upon, q table
in the smaller chamber of the blue gal
4 lery, and unlocked at my request. just
as was preparing to, examine the
works Of art a foottman entered and IN
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