The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-03
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CHAPTER XII.

eight hours after he received the man.
ayers note came another from Mr.. Peg
ram. requesting ID know when t would
be convenient for him to wait upon his
lordshIp upon a matter of business; to
which the Viscount replied, he should be
at home the next day at twelve.
Punctual 10 the moment came Mr.. Peg
rams knock at the door, ard in another
moment he was ushered into the Wis
counts snuggery. Lord Lexington looked
his visitor sharply over as he motioned
him 70 a chair. A little wizened old man,
with spiky hair OF iron grey, and small,
keen. restless eyes. "a more uncompro-
missing person to do business with"
thought his lordship, Il think l have sell
dom come across"
L have ventured to request you to see
me on matter Of business, Lord LAX
ington, in consequence of some CONVERSE
ton l had with our mutual friend. Mr..
Hemmingby, last week. We are both. it
seems, concerned in the impending decis-
Ion OF this great lottery. In all human
probability, the eight thousand per an
mum II represents must fall 70 either you
or L In the course of the next year or
two. 1t is very big property. my lord,
and would bear dividing. Many people,
for instance, would think it more judi
cious to make a certainty of half than,
by seeing their luck out, lose all. l do
not know whether / am right, but 1 rath-
er understood Mr.. Hemmingby that you
were somewhat of this way of thinking
IL have gambled. Mr.. Pegram, as high
as most men of my ii ne. but 1 have done
nil oil fhor nj II L
should be quite content to make Ger
tainty of four thousand year"
And yet it seems a pity not to leave
such fine property intact. / am a great
advocate for the law of primogeniture- l
have always been thankful that l have
but one child myself son. my lord"
you know best. perhaps, Mr.. Pegram."
replied Lord Lexington, with a languid
smile; "but do you really think that your
family affairs have any bearing upon the
matter in hand?"
Il think they have" replied the law
yer dryly. Suppose 1 could show you a
scheme by which this four thousand a
year should be insured to you for life,
while the other half of the 'Tontine'
would at once become the income of your
daughter. the whole eight thousand per
annum becoming her property at your
death. I told you, my lord, that 1 had
one son /; you, / understand, have also an
only daughter. If you will consent to
their making a match of it, 1 will settle
my half of the 'Tontine' on your daugh-
ter at her marriage. Your half would.
OF course, remain as it is, with rhe sole
condition that it went to your daughter
at your DEATH"
Lord darlington rose slowly from his
chair with set look upon his face that
even the old lawyer could see BODIED dan
ger. 10 you know, sir" said the Wis
count, in low, measured tones, that if
you were a few years younger 1 should
probably throw you out of the Window"
Il beg pardon, my lord" said the law
yer IN the most deprecatory tones, 'but
il is so obviously the way to keep the
property together. OF course l know Bob
is no match for the Honorable Miss Phil
imore, but / thought that, under the cir
cumstances, l might venture to suggest
1t to your lordship: and again. had not
time TO mention it before, but I shall
have something pretty comfortable to
leave behind me when my time comes. and
that of course would go to my son.
II tell you once for all. Mr.. Pegram,
that your proposition Is ridiculous, / may
say impairment. I was in hopes you
had some reasonable compromise to offer
me. When you have. shall be happy TO
see you again. In the meanwhile / have
the honor to wish you good morning"
and as he finished. Lord Lexington laid
his hand on the bell.
Good morning, my lord. good morning.
II you could only be brought TO see it in
a business point of view, it is the most
perfect arrangement that could possibly
be made. Bob will be sorely disappointed
when he hears your lordship will not
consent"
Lord Lexington paced up and down his
little room in a perfect storm of indig-
nation for a good half hour after Mr..
Pegram left him, but gred-aiiy he found
himself reverting to the old lawyers idea.
What . COMPOUNDED pity, he thought. the
fellow Is not a gentleman Every point
that the old lawyer had so artfully in
stiIled into his mind recalled itself At
the end of the week a note reached Mr..
Pegram TO the effect that, considering
what large sum of money was involved,
Lord darlington thought it would be adj
visable to see Mr.. Pegram again, to dis
cuss il the compromise of the ''Tontine"
was possible between them
Some four or five days had elapsed
since Robert Pegram had made his first
appearance in Victoria road, and still
Lord Lexington had not broken the in
81 hfc hofr fhoro
II was not that the Viscount faltered
the least in his purpose. He had reason
ed himself quite comfortably into the
idea that he was promoting his daughters
happiness by furthering this marriage,
and still more clearly did he see that such
an arrangement would ensure his own
comfort for his lifetime; but yet, with
all this, he felt lurking suspicion that
this marriage would be highly distasteful
to Beatrice.
Beatrice" said the Viscount one day.
Fit has become necessary that / should
make you clearly understand the very
painfui situation in which / am placed
Fifteen, or even ten, years ago / was
that most abject thing on earth-a pau
per peer, shrinking from my fellows be-
cause I had not the wherewithal to asso-
ciate with them Nobody expected din
ners from the ruined Lord Lexington,
but they did expect that he should be
decently gloved, and wear a hat that
cast no shame upon those to whom it
was lifted. / have known, Beatrice, what
it was to scheme for my gloves, to re-
feet that trinkets were not a necessity,
and might be proftably converted into
boots or umbrellas; to walk, because I
could not AFFORD cabs, and was ashamed
to be seen getting in or out Of an omni-
bus. | declare l would sooner die than
go through that grinding poverty again !;
and it rests with you TO save me-"
with me, papa faltered the girl. and
her cheeks blanched as the words fell
from her lips.
"Yes, Trixie. You and your grand
mother think my improved circumstances
of late are owing to my estates having
what is termed come round; to mort
cages having been paid off; to creditors