Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-04
Copyright, 1901, by Sir Walter Besant.
CHAPTER XIX.
FREE.

IIDAO riage and our submls
1 sion. Never was {
TS@ magnificent property
so destroyed and di
- minished in 30 short {
time. Farms. lands. houses. were solt
for what they would fetch - at hal
their value. q quarter Of their value
All the money out at mortgage haC
been called In: all the money receives
at the quay and the counting house
had been sent to his lordship's attor
peys. In one short twelvemonth the
destruction had been such that in June
there was actually nothing left-noth
ing out Of that princely fortune except
the fleet Of ships and the general busi
ness.
1t was on the 18th Of June-l remem
Der the date well and shall always re
member 1t. The Lady Of Lynn had ar
rived two days before and we were
mooretf of the quay. At 2 o'clock OF
thereal,out one Of the stable boys
from the house came aboard bringing
q message for me. A lady lodging al
tue Crown desired to see me immedi'
ately. The lady had arrived In the
evening In q post chaise. having with
her maid. She had given no name,
but In the morning bad asked If my
ship was In port. and. on learning that
It was. she desired that boy from the
stables might carry this message to
me.
landed at our own quay. ! say our
own. but 1t was no longer ours-that
is. Mollr's quay. At the door OF the
counting house stood the manager IN
conversation with the captain OF one OF
our ships He beckoned ME to speak
With him. When be had finished bis
discourse with the captain. be turned
to me.
"Mr. Pentecrosse." he said. 'the worst
has now begun Tell Captain Crowle.
! should choke II I had to tell him.
Alas. poor mau! 1t seems as II the
work of his life was ruined and de-
stroyed" So saying. be banded me
letter to read 1t was from my lords
attorneys. MessrS Risic & Son. 81
suppose" said the manager. that they
are really acting for his lordship
Their power of attorney cannot be de-
MED. ran It: Mr.. Redman. our attor-
ney. says That there Is nothing for II
but ohedIenre
Tho LETTER was short:
We have noted your Information conveyed In
the last schedule. You are now Instructed to pro-
reed With the sale OF one Of the shipa Let her
be sold as she stands on arriving 10 port With %
much Of the cargo as belongs to your house. Ny
lord Is Urgently pressed for money and begs that
there may be no delay Meantime send Q draft BY
the usual channel for moneys in hand. Your obe
dient servants. BIsIc Son, Attorneys
"A draft for moneys in hand!' cried
the manager. There are no moneys
in hand! And | have to sell without
delay tall ship. cargo and all as she
stands. Without delay! Who Is t.
buy that ship-without delay?
returned him the letter and shoob
my head. My ship perhaps was the
one to be sold. She was the latest ar
rival. She was filed with wine. The
cargo belonged altogether to the house
So should be turned adrift when jus,
within hail, so to speak, Of becoming
captain. could say nothing in conso
lation or In hope. walked away. my
heart as heavy as lead. Never before
had l felt the true meaning Of this ruiz
and waste. All around me the noble
edifice built by Molly's grandfather
and her father and continued by bel
guardian had been pulled down bit by
bit.
But one felt the loss Of farm OF
q house very little. 1t was not until
the ships. too. were threatened that the
full enormity Of the thing. the incredi
BILE wickedness of the conspirators. was
borne In upon my mind. 1t threatened
to ruin me. you see, as we'll as Molly.
Therefore | walked across the mar
ket place to the Crown inn more gloomy
in my mind than can describe. Hith
erto, somehow, a ship seemed safe. Nc
one would interfere with a ship. Like
Lord Fylingdale himself. l was ready
to ask whether q ship could be bought
and sold-that Is to say, | knew thai
she was often bought and sold. but
never thought that any Of Molly's ships
any other ships as much as yor
please, but not Molly's ships-could bt
brought to the hammer.
The lady sent word that she would
receive me. Imagine my surprise. She
was none other than the Lady Anasta
sia She was greatly changed in si1
months. | had seen her last, you re
member. in January. when | met bel
In the park. She was then finely dress
ed. q handsome woman. with winning
manner and smiling face. Thus she
was when | met her. When left her
she was q handsome woman marret
with a consuming wrath.
Now | should hardly have known
her. She was plainly attired. without
patches or paint. wearing gray silk
dress. But the chief change was moi
in her dress. but in her face. She was
pale. and her cheeks were haggard
She looked like a woman who had re
Gently suffered a severe illness ant
was, indeed. not yet fully recovered.
"Jack"-she advanced. giving me bel
hand with her old graciousness-"yor
are very good to come when l call. II
is the last time that you will obey any
call from me-"