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Contents

♦ CHAP. PAOB

I.— ARCADES AMBO 1

II. — ^RUINED 17

Chapter I. Arcades Ambo

Fred Bingham was now rather an important person in his way. He had a large number of works in hand ; he was contractor for miles of sewers in and around London. He was building a nobleman^s mansion in Sussex, and a large church in Birmingham. He had a pier in hand down in Cornwall, and a railway in Durham. Altogether he appeared to be a flourishing man. People who met him casually, spoke of him as an extremely pushing, sharp young fellow, with a pleasant manner ; men who met him in business said he was a cute fellow, but hard, sir, hard as nails. Any one who had seen him at home, as

VOL. III.

B

Bis wife and his servants «aw him, knew him for a morose and irritable tyrant. Not that he had not his pleasant moments, when he would jest with his wife, and speak jokingly to the servants, and be for a short time pleasant and apparently light-hearted, but the slightest thing would bring the cloud over his face, and his sharp voice would say the most bitter things to every one around him, regardless of who heard him. His wife was greatly changed since he married her; never actually pretty, there had yet been a trusting kindliness in her face, and under happier auspices the poor little heiress might have blossomed out into a very bright little flower. But now the bud had closed up on itself, as if stricken with the touch of a bitter March wind, and she was a silent, timid woman. She loved her husband still, but she feared him even more than she loved him. She was always nervously trying to please him, and was ever ready to laugh if he was in a humour to joke. She bore his bitterest taunts without an answer, although a flush of pain, as if she had been struck, came up sometimes over her face when he spoke so to her before the servants. In money matters her husband was liberal. He had always been openhanded as a boy, and now he never grudged his wife any thing that she fancied. She had her carriage, and her maid, and when she was in the country he seldom came back from his visit to London without a rich dress, or a pretty bonnet, or some present which he thought she would like. To his servants too he was a liberal, and in some respects a kind master. He liked the pleasure of giving, and if presents could have bought love, he would have been adored by those around him. But his irritable temper and his bitter tongue would constantly inflict wounds which no presents could salve, no mere burst of good humour heal. One reason of his irritability was unquestionably the state of his business. Large as it apparently was, his position was precarious. The whole of his wife's capital was sunk in it, but that was as nothing in comparison to the requirements of such extensive works as he was now carrying on. He had, therefore, been obliged to borrow large sums of money, and to discount his payments for work done. • He was staying alone now in his house in Harley Street, his wife being down at a place he had taken to be near his work at

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Durham ; and as usual, during these London visits, was in an exceedingly irritable state of temper, when among his letters he received one signed Robert Barton. Its contents were brief.

X " Private Enqtjiey Office.

" Sir, — I ain in possession of information of the last importance to yourself, and which I wish an early opportunity of discussing with you. I shall be at this office from eleven until one every day, or will call upon you at any time for which you may choose to make an appointment."

Fred Bingham's pale face became even whiter than usual. " What the devil does this fellow want to see me about ? Business of the last importance ; " and his thoughts at once flew to the matter of his cousin Frank. "Pshaw!" he exclaimed, " that is out of the question. It must be that he has heard that some one is not solvent, or that some of my bills perhaps have got into bad hands. At any rate, I must go and see the fellow." Then he put Mr. Barton's letter aside, opened several of the others, some of which he read through carefully, others threw aside at a glance. The last he opened was from his wife.

" Bah ! " he said, impatiently, " what quantities of twaddle women write, as if any one was going to read them through," and he tore the letter up and threw the fragments into a waste-paper basket He drew his desk to him and wrote several letters ; then he looked at his watch. " Eleven o'clock. I will go up to the City at once, and see this Barton. I shall only worry about it until I know what it is. Mary," he said sharply, as the servant entered, "fetch a hansom, and look sharp about it."

Mr. Barton was alone in his den when the clerk brought in Mr. Bingham's card. " Show him in," and as the clerk left the room, Mr. Barton rose, took a small bundle of papers from an iron safe, and placed them in a drawer by his side. Fred Bingham entered. " Take a seat, Mr. Bingham."

" I have received a note from you this morning," Fred said shortly, " and thought it as well to call at once."

" Quite as well," Mr. Barton said slowly, rubbing his chin and examining his visitor's face, as if to read his character ; " quite as well," he repeated rather more rapidly, as if his survey had been a satisfactory one. " Yes. There is nothing like attending to business at once. That has always been my rule."

Fred Bingham made a gesture of impatience.

" If you will tell me what you want," he said, ** I shall be glad. I have business of importance to attend to."

"No doubt, no doubt, Mr. Bingham, but hardly I imagine of such importance as the present, as you will I am sure allow when you have heard me. Now, Mr. Bingham," he went on sharply and decisively, as if he had now quite made up his mind as to his visitor's character, and the conclusion he had arrived at were satisfactory, " we will proceed to business. We are both of us men of the world."

Fred Bingham did not like the opening. His own experience had been universal that when two men agreed that they were men of the world, they were about to propose or to carry out some doubtful business which would not bear a rigid investigation. He only nodded, however, and

the detective went on —

" The business relates to family matters." Again the old fear came into Fred Bingham's thoughts, and the man who was watching him saw instantly that there was some sore point or other in his family affairs. " You are, I helieve, sir, the next of kin and recognised heir of Captain Bradshaw, of Lowndes Square and of Wyvern Park, in the county of Leicester. You may readily imagine that a man of my profession does not ask such a question from mere impertinent

ft

curiosity."

" I presume not," Fred Bingham said coldly. " You are mistaken. My cousin, Mr. Maynard, is an equally near relative with myself, — ^indeed, as son of the elder sister, he is Captain Bradshaw's nearest heir."

" Quite so," Mr. Barton said ; " so I understood. But I am also aware — ^for in these matters one, of course, makes oneself acquainted with all paiiiculars — that a quarrel has arisen hetween Captain Bradshaw and Mr. Maynard, and that you may now not unreasonably be regarded as his sole heir."

*' I am not aware of Captain Bradshaw's intention with regard to the disposal of his property," Fred Bingham said stiffly.

" No ! " Mr. Barton said as if surprised. " I imagined that you were, at least it is whispered— these things get whispered, you know — that you applied to a party in the city, who shall be nameless, and obtained a heavyish loan on the strength of your expectation in that quarter."

Fred Bingham coloured scarlet, and was about to speak, when Mr. Barton stopped hiih.

" Pooh, pooh, my dear sir, don't be angry. As men of the world we understand these matters, and the little affair in question is not known beyond a very small circle of safe men. If men did not mention the matter to their particular friends, you know, accidents might happen; a gentleman might borrow twice, for instance, from diflferent parties upon the strength of his expectations."

Fred Bingham bit his lip, for he had only the night before been meditating on the possibility of some such step as that suggested. He did not speak, and Mr. Barton went on —

" I think, then, that it will assist us to a better understanding of the position, if we assume — ^just assume, you know — that you are the probable heir to Captain Bradshaw's very large property, now that Captain Bradshaw has had this unfortunate -rel with your cousin."

ABCADES AMBO. 9

Mr. Barton laid a meaning stress upon the word unfortunate, and Fred Bingham said hastily —

" I had nothin'g to do with the quarrel."

" Of course not, of course not," Mr. Barton said, having not the least doubt but that he had, a doubt of which he made a mental note for future use. Fred Bingham felt that thus far he had had much the worst of the struggle, and he said, —

** I really do not see, Mr. Barton, where the conversation about family matters is leading us to."

" Patience, my dear sir," Mr. Barton said, composedly, " I am coming to the point. Now you being, as we have assumed for the sake of argument, the probable heir to the very large property of Captain Bradshaw, it would be a new and somewhat unpleasant circumstance if another person should appear being a nearer relation than yourself, and having consequently stronger claims upon his affections. In fact, let us suppose a grandson."

Fred Bingham was relieved of the fear which had hitherto oppressed him, and he said, angrily,—

'' Really, Mr. Barton, I cannot enter upon any such impossible conjecture."

" But suppose I tell you, Mr. Bingham, that it is not a conjecture at all, but a fact, and that such a grandson is really in existence ? "

Fred Bingham for a moment sat speechless, and then exclaimed, fiercely, —

'' I should say it was a lie."

" No doubt you would ; no doubt you woidd/* Mr. Barton said, very composedly; "and very natural too. But for all that it is true. Your cousin, Captain Bradshaw's daughter, ran away from home, married and died, leaving a child behind her. That child is alive ! "

Fred Bingham sat in complete stupefaction. He had heard, it is true, years ago of a daughter of Captain Bradshaw, but the possibility of her child being in existence to step in between him and the fortune had never entered his mind. He did not doubt the fact, for Barton's manner was too earnest to be doubted. He sat astounded and crushed under the unexpected disaster.

" Here,'' Mr. Barton went on, quietly taking the papers jfrom the drawer, " here is a copy of the register of her marriage, here is a copy of the baptism of the infant, and I could procure — were it to the point, which it is not — a copy of the register of her burial/'

Fred Bingham sat for some time in silence, but after the first burst of surprise and despair, his busy brain began to work again. Why did this man come to him instead of going either to Captain Bradshaw himself, or to the heir ? Why did he come to him ? Naturally because he saw an advantage in so doing ; because, in fact, he would get more out of him. At least there was hope then. When he spoke, his words expressed these thoughts.

"You have not finished, Mr. Barton. Of course you come to me with an object; of course that object is money. Now why do you come to me before you go to them ? Why do you suppose I would pay you more ? '*

" Very good, indeed, sir. I like doing business in a practical way, and that's what I call practical talk. I can only give you the answer in the words of your own question. I came to you simply because I do believe you would give me more than either Captain Bradshaw or his grandson ;' and also, and mainly, because when you and

I have agreed upon the matter, there is no fear of its going any further — it would not suit either of us for it to get abroad. Now, on the other hand, Captain Bradshaw or his grandson might refuse to pay. The relationship once disclosed I lose my hold upon them, and if I were to try to enforce my claim, I should not go into court with clean hands. I was employed by Captain Bradshaw to trace his daughter, and when I told him of her death, I forgot to mention she had left a child. You see the public might take a wrong view of it, and it is even possible that I might lose my suit. Now with you I have none of these inconveniences. I know if you agree to pay me you will do so, because it is your interest. You know I shall keep my part of the bargain, because in the event of my opening my lips, the public would know that I have acted in a rather unprofessional and underhand way, and I should be spoken of in a way I should not like."

" There is only one other point, Mr. Barton. How am I to know this boy is still alive ? ''

"Ah," Mr. Barton said approvingly, "I do like to deal with a man with his head well on his shoulders. Now you have hit upon the only

ABCADES AMBO. 18

weak point. I cannot proTe it. I know the 3'oung man. I see him constantly, but without letting him know it. I cannot prove it to joa without his having his suspicions awakened. How can I ? You must take my word for it. I tell you he is alive. If any sort of oath will satisfy you, I will take it ; I can't say more than that."

Fred Bingham rose.

" I can give you no answer now upon this. It is all new to me. I must think it over. I will call to-morrow about the same time." And he went out and got into the cab which had been waiting for him. " Back again to Harley Street, and drive quick."

Fred Bingham sat for some hours in his study that evening thinking over the new and unexpected impediment to his hopes. " To think of a grandson of the old man being alive just when everything looked so well. Was ever anything so frightfully unlucky ? " However of course the question was, was it worth while to buy this man off or not ? Fred Bingham bad a clear head, and he considered every possible argument which could be urged upon either side. If he refused to treat, and the heir was produced, what then? Captain Eradshaw had, he had heard, bitterly regretted his treatment of the mother, and would no doubt receive the boy with joy, and establish him as his heir. Of course he would leave a" considerable sum to himself. He would feel bound to do so. Fred did not deceive himself, his uncle had never liked him as he had Frank ; still he would leave him perhaps a third of the whole property. Suppose he bought this man off. The whole property was worth perhaps j6150,000 ; suppose he gave jG20,000 for silence, of course it would pay him well. But would that be the end of it? Would he find himself in this man's power if he did so ? Yes, that was the real question. The agreement of course would be, that he would give a bond to pay a certain amount at his uncle's death, provided his uncle diedignorant of the existence of his grandson. Yes, that would be it. Then he would pay the money in cash, so that no trace of the transaction could be brought against him, and he would receive in exchange the bond. Would Barton have any hold upon ^'*m afterwards ? He did not think so. He did see how he could have any. Suppose he produced the grandson, what then? The ^nll would have left the property to him, and the grandson would not have the slightest claim. Could Barton threaten to divulge the compact ? He could deny that it ever existed, and Barton would have no proof to adduce. Over and over again he thought it over, and again and again he arrived at the same conclusion; the grandson could have no claim, Barton could hold no threat over his head. It was not so very had after all. And with this conclusion he went to hed. The next day he called again at Mr. Barton's office. The interview was brief this time.

** How much do you want to hold your tongue ?"

" The estate is worth £160,000 by what I hear. I will charge ten per cent."

" No," Fred Bingham said, " if this heir turns up I should get at least a third. I will give you ten per cent, upon the rest."

" Come," Mr. Barton said, " I have waited twenty years. I will take £12,000, not a farthing less.''

" Very well," Fred Bingham said ; " payable of course at my uncle's death, in the event of no nearer heir than myself appearing."

" Just SO," Mr. Barton assented. " I have drawn up a bond on stamped paper up to £15,000, the figures are not put in. I will fill it up. * I owe Kobert Barton the sum of dGl2,000, which I agree to pay upon the death of Captain Bradshaw of Lowndes Square, providing that no nearer heir than myself to his property be found."

" But supposing," Fred Bingham said, " that my uncle quarrels with me and leaves his property to some one else ? "

" I don't think you are likely to let him quarrel with you, Mr. Bingham ; but should he do so, I rely upon you for your own sake to come here and tell me so frankly, and I will then restore you this paper, and produce the grandson.*'

Fred thought for a minute, and then said, " Yes, that would suit us both. There, I have signed the bond. Don't leave it about. Good morning, Mr. Barton."

Chapter II. Ruined

Frank Maynard and his wife had finished breakfast. Frank was reading the " Times," and Kate had just brought down baby to play with. Frank suddenly gave a sharp exclamation as of sudden pain.

" What is it, Frank ? What is the matter ? "

Frank did not answer, his face had a look of utter dismay. " Send baby away." His wife rang the bell, and baby was sent up to the nursery.

" What is it, Frank dear ? Something very bad ? Tell me, dearest.*'

" Katie," Frank said, " if this is true, and there can be no doubt of it, we are ruined, — ^ruined, little woman."

" How, Frank ? " his wife asked, unable to realise the misfortune, " how ruined, dear ?^*

VOL. III. C

" The great Indian Bank is broken, Katie — a complete smash."

" But, Frank, that is not altogether ruin ; I have heard you say half your money was in the shares of that Bank, and the other half in the Bank of England, so only half is gone."

" No, Katie ; the Bank has failed, the notice says, for an immense amount. Not one -third of the amount of the shares is called in ; they will call up the rest now, and every farthing we have in the world wUl go, Katie. Oh, my poor little wife, my poor little wife I "

" My dearest, I have you left, so I am rich still. Do not give way, Frank, my own boy, you must not do that ; we shall do very well somehow. Don't give way, Frank."

" My darling, I am only thinking of you. My little tender wife ! To think how different your life will be."

** My dear Frank, I am not a hothouse flower — I am a little wild Irish girl ; do you think I can't rough it as well as you ? Why, Frank, I have been wondering lately whether I was always to lead such an idle, useless life as I have lately, with onlv baby to work for. I am sure I shall be

BUINED.

happier, Frank, and you know, dear, I can be useful, and perhaps earn money. I am sure I could give singing lessons."

" No, no, don't talk of it, Katie. I am not a man to give way. I was upset when I thought of you, dear, but I shall be only too proud and too glad to work for you ; and as long as I have a pair of hands you may be sure, Katie, there is no need for you to talk of doing anything. Why, you little goose, have you no faith in me ? I can do all sorts of things."

"Can you, Frank?*' Kate said doubtfully; " well, we shall see, only let us trust each other, dear, and we can look the worst in the face."

" You are a darling, Katie, and I did not know what a treasure I had got. There, I feel all right again now, so I will go up to the city, perhaps things may not be as bad as they seem."

Frank, however, derived but little comfort from what he heard in town. The city was in a state of consternation. The break down of the Bank had been quite unexpected. The " Indian " had been looked upon as one of the most stable of the banks, and no one knew which might go next. The liabilities were described as tremendous. It was certain that the shareholders would have to pay up to their last penny, and that even then the depositors would suffer greatly. Frank went back again to Thurloe Square greatly depressed.

" It is as bad as it can be, Katie," he said, in answer to his wife's questioning look when he entered. " It is no use deceiving ourselves. We shall be called upon to pay up every penny we have."

" Well, Frank," Kate said, simply, " we have the consolation that it is no fault of ours, and I am sure, dear, we shall be very happy wherever we are."

" I am sure we shall, Katie."

" I suppose we shall not have to turn out just yet, Frank ?"

" Oh, no ; there will be receivers appointed, and then the calls will be made. I should think it will be a couple of months before anything is settled."

** Ah ! then, Frank, we need not worry ourselves; we shall have plenty of time to think over our plans."

At that moment there was a knock at the door, and Frescott entered.

RUINED. 21

" M}^ dear Frank ! My dear Kate '* — for Frank and his wife had long since insisted that their friend should so call her — " I am sorry for this. I only heard it this afternoon, for I never look at the money article ; so directly 1 could get away from court, I ran down to see you. This is, indeed, a bad affair."

" It can^t be helped, Arthur," Kate said, cheerfully ; " it's no use crying over spilt milk." Is it very bad, Frank ? "

Every penny we have in the world, Prescott. It's no use mincing matters."

Prescott sat down in consternation.

" Don't take it to heart, Arthur," Kate said ; " you see we are very comfortable over it."

Prescott .could not answer for some time. At last he said, —

" At least, Frank has one treasure left him."

" No nonsense, Arthur, else I shall be angry with you. Now please let us say no more about it till after dinner, and then we will hold a council. We will all go into Frank's snuggery, and Frank shall smoke his big meerschaum ; that always puts him in a good temper if he's ever so cross."

SS ALL BUT LOST.

" You are an impudent puss, Katie ; you know I never am cross."

" Oh, what fibs, Frank ! You know you are a perfect bear sometimes. There, it is time for you to go upstairs, dinnei: will be ready in five minutes."

Kate left the room, her husband remaining behind to say to his friend, —

"Isn't she a brick, Prescott? Isn't she a downright little trump ? I tell you what, Prescott, I never was sharp, but I managed somehow to choose the very best little woman in the world." And then he went upstairs after his wife.

At dinner, Prescott was the most silent of the party. Frank, in his pleasure and pride at his wife's stout-heartedness, was in really high spirits; and Katie having wisely turned the subject to travels, Frank rattled on about some adventures of his in Albania, and never came back again to England until the cloth was removed. Then Kate said, —

"Evan, put the wine and glasses in your master's study. Now, Frank, let us go there. I have ordered a fire to be lighted ; it is more cheerful."

BUINED. 23

It was not until they had been seated for some minutes in Frank's smoking-room, and until Frank's meerschaum was fairly alight, that Prescott brought the conversation to present matters by asking, —

" Have you thought at all of going abroad, Frank ? "

" Well, no," Frank said. " I have not thought about it, but I should be open to any good appointment. Wolf killer to his Majesty the Czar of all the Bussias, that would suit me capitally ; or, if I could not get that, say ambassador to Madrid."

"No, no, Frank; I am speaking seriously. I mean are you thinking of going at once ? Hundreds of men in your position will go. The calls cannot be, made for another month or six weeks; and there is nothing in the world to prevent your selling out of the Funds, and you would still have a good income for the Continent."

Frank was silent. After a pause his wife spoke.

"But that would be cheating, would it not, Arthur ? ''

Prescott hesitated ; lie was too straightforward to equivocate.

" I don't know that it would be absolutely cheating, Kate. Frank, you see, has lost a large sum by the fall of the Bank, and he may consider that he has a perfect right to save the rest if he can. Hundreds will do so, no doubt."

*^ Still, I suppose it is cheating all the same, Arthur ? ** Kate said quietly. " If Frank's money properly belongs to the creditors of the Bank, it must be cheating if he goes off without paying it."

"Look here, Prescott,'* Frank said gravely; " the interest and sympathy of the public will in this, as in all cases, be with the depositor, and not with the shareholder. In this case more than ordinarily so; for the depositors in the 'Indian' were old Indian officers, and their widows and children. The distress this smash will cause will be terrible; and by what I hear, even after the greatest amount possible is wrung out of the shareholders, there will not be nearly enough to pay the depositors in full. Now, Prescott, I could stand a good deal of hardship and trial, but I could not stand being pointed at as a man

RUINED. 25

who had swindled — that would be the word, old man; there is no use mincing it — ^the widows and orphans who have been brought to want by the failure of the Bank. Even for Katie's sake I could not do that."

"You never thought we would, did you, Arthur?"

"No, I did not," Prescott answered. "I thought you would not, still I thought it right to suggest the thing before it is too late to be carried out. There is no doubt that a vast number of the unfortunate shareholders of the * Indian ' are preparing to spend the rest of their time on the Continent."