Evening star., 1905-09-06

K K K
self It was curious voice, high pitched
| and metallic. and he thought he had heard
| II before. AT the moment he could not re-
| You and have met before. Think he
/ said to the man.
| Il don't think SO. sir.' Black answered.
| went out
| Eustace stood for a moment trying to fix
MS memory of that brassy voice. The face
| mad told him nothing: 1t was of the COM
| that one meets by dozens in any town Of
Scotland. But the voice; that was unusual:
| where had he heard It?
He drank his cocktail
Like it?' asked Wiseman.
"Yes"
Fascinating flavor. isn't it?"
Fascinating and familiar" said Eustace.
| up your servant?"
Black? Oh. he's not my servant. He's
| the Inland Revenues servant-gauger at
pretty knack in cocktails. and he doesn't
| mind practicing it for my benefit Curious
| you thinking the flavor familiar! It's
| Blacks pet specially. 1 don't think you
can really have tasted 1t before"
Harvey was watching the young man
closely as he spoke. The question of the
| cocktail seemed to haSe an Importance in
| his eyes which was not obvious Eustace
1
| was awaited.
Nevertheless 1 have" he said shortly,
and then changed the subject suddenly.
| continuing: shall we talk business now ?''
Harvey followed him to the new ground
at once.
"Ah!" he said. "the settlement of the ar
ticles of war between US? Certainly If you
| insist upon war. But warn you that you
are foolhardy.'
Sir Eustace shrugged his shoulders
Il wish to give You notice." he said. that
from the first of March the rent of the Hol-
| land Abbey Distillery will be raised hun
dred pounds
"What?'' cried Wiseman. with sudden
and .. complete change of manner: You
Il have been going through my mothers
books" Eustace went on quietly. land I
find that the Holland Abbey DistiIlery Is the
one exception in the otherwise excellent
record of her management of the estates.
During the last six or seven years large
sums have been spent, out of capital on
extensions and improvements here; but the
rent has remained the same. You can prob
ably explain why, as / understand You have
been to some extent Lady Hollands busi-
ness adviser"
'Of course you know that 1 shall refuse
to pay"
Eustace raised his eyebrows slightly and
went on:
There is an alternative. Your present
lease expires in March. If you prefer It,
will give you six months notice now, and
take my chance OF finding better tenant
meanwhile. l will admit. If you care to
know 1T. that should prefer that"
Harvey stood for a moment glaring. His
fingers were tw1tching, and his lips were
working silently. He had lost his temper,
and that was thing he seldom allowed
himself to do: for an angry man Is, in busi-
ness matters, man at a disadvantage.
With a palpable effort he controlled HIM
self. and with forced laugh threw HIM
self into an easy chair.
You seem to have forgotten" he said
with sneer, that the British admiralty
Is an institution which still exists"
Eustaee's lips curled with slight smile
OF contempt.
Il recognize." he said. 'that you have
not forgotten the fact"
Twenty years penal servitude would
diminish the chances OF your leaving an
heir"
But I am sound In wind and limb, and
It is a healthy outdoor life" said Eustace
smiling. II might survive 1t, and you
would meanwhile have reached more than
the psalmist's span. Besides, you heard
there Is an heir already
Harvey leaned forward with a startled
look. Then he laughed.
POOH he said, there isn't I should
have heard of 1t. If there had been. Ill
news travels fast"
II am waiting for your answer" said
Eustace.
Then here it IS will pay you that
extra huhured year, and another hum
dred on the top of It; but will pay it to
you out of England You must leave Hol-
land Abbey today. and l must have a let
ter from you within three days. with for
eign postmark on the envelope. There
that's my offer of last night repeated for
the third time. with advance of cent
per cent on the figure. Moreover on the
day when I lead Mary to the altar I will
send you cheque for a thousand. payable
anywhere you like. I shan't care, then
whether you come home or not. What do
you sayT
I Eustace had listened to this with grow
Ing anger. Now he broke out:
You hound You want me out of the
way. so that you can carry out your vile
scheme of forcing Mary to marry you,'
You put it crudely.' said the distiller,
smiling. But I won't deny that I am
very much in love with her"
call it that"
"Ah, but do! 1t is love. I want her so
much that. though might have you shut
up tomorrow. am content to let you go
free to breed heirs to supplant me- The
only return l ask from you is that you
should cease to interfere between u.s."
DO you know that you are asking me
to sell my sister to your
Wei. II | am l am offering good
price,. said Harvey. cynically: "and she
won't be the first thing that didn't belong
to you that you have sold. II you agree
to my terms / will undertake further to
forget permanently the address of the
admiralty Offices In London. Come, man.
what are you hesitating for? You must
know that I've got the whip hand OF you
and that you daren't refuse!"
Eustace walked to the door.
Lady Holland will send you formal no.
tice this evening that your lease will not
be renewed in March,. he said He was
trembling with anger. but he managed to
speak cold1y.
Harvey sprang to his feet, saying, with
an ugly scowl:
so you mean to fight?"
Yes"
$50 be It. You fool"
Ten minutes later Sir Eustace Holland
was giving his chauffeur orders to bring
the motor car out at once, ana Harvey
Wiseman was writing letter. He smiled
craftily as he addressed the envelope, and
when 1t was done he went to the open
window and shouted for the gauger Black