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of it,ā€ she said, ā€œis just thisā€”my mother wonā€™t tell me what

that man came about! She flatly refuses to tell me anything! She will

only say that it was business of her own. She wonā€™t trust me with it,

you see!ā€”her own daughter! What business can that man have with

her?ā€”or she with him? Eldrick & Pascoe are not our solicitors! Thereā€™s

some secret andā€“-ā€

 

ā€œWill you answer one or two questions?ā€ said Collingwood quietly. He had

never seen Nesta angry before, and he now realized that she had certain

possibilities of temper and determination which would be formidable when

roused. ā€œFirst of all, is that maid you speak of, Esther Mawson,

reliable?ā€

 

ā€œI donā€™t know!ā€ answered Nesta. ā€œMy mother has had her two yearsā€”sheā€™s

a Barford woman. Sometimes I think sheā€™s sly and cunning. But Iā€™ve given

her such strict orders now that sheā€™ll never dare to let any one see my

mother again without my consent.ā€

 

ā€œThe other questionā€™s this,ā€ said Collingwood. ā€œHave you any idea, any

suspicion of why Pratt wanted to see your mother?ā€

 

ā€œNot unless it was about that stewardship,ā€ replied Nesta. ā€œButā€”how

could that frighten her? Besides, all thatā€™s over. Normandale is

mine!ā€”and if I have a steward, or an estate agent, I shall see to the

appointment myself. No!ā€”I do not know why he should have come here!

Butā€”thereā€™s some mystery. The curious thing isā€“-ā€

 

ā€œWhat?ā€ asked Collingwood, as she paused.

 

ā€œWhy,ā€ she said, shaking her head wonderingly, ā€œthat Iā€™m absolutely

certain that my mother never even knew this man Prattā€”I donā€™t I think

she even knew his nameā€”until quite recently. I know when she got to

know him, too. It was just about the time that you first called hereā€”at

the time of Mr. Bartleā€™s death. Our butler told me this morning that

Pratt came here late one eveningā€”just about that time!ā€”and asked to

see my mother, and was with her for some time in the study. Oh! what is

it all about?ā€”and why doesnā€™t she tell me?ā€

 

Collingwood stood silently staring out of the window. At the time of

Antony Bartleā€™s death? An evening visit?ā€”evidently of a secret nature.

And why paid to Mrs. Mallathorpe at that particular time? He suddenly

turned to Nesta.

 

ā€œWhat do you wish me to do?ā€ he asked.

 

ā€œWill you speak to Mr. Eldrick?ā€ she said. ā€œTell him that his clerk must

not call upon, or attempt to see, my mother. I will not have it!ā€

 

Collingwood went off to Barford, and straight to Eldrickā€™s office. He

noticed as he passed through the outer rooms that Pratt was not in his

accustomed placeā€”as a rule, it was impossible to get at either Eldrick

or Pascoe without first seeing Pratt.

 

ā€œHullo!ā€ said Eldrick. ā€œJust got in from town? Thatā€™s luckyā€”Iā€™ve got a

big case for you.ā€

 

ā€œI got in last night,ā€ replied Collingwood. ā€œBut I went out to

Normandale first thing this morning: Iā€™ve just come back from there. I

say, Eldrick, hereā€™s an unpleasant matter to tell you ofā€; and he told

the solicitor all that Nesta had just told him, and also of Prattā€™s

visit to Mrs. Mallathorpe about the time of Antony Bartleā€™s death.

ā€œWhatever it is,ā€ he concluded sternly, ā€œitā€™s got to stop! If youā€™ve any

influence over your clerkā€“-ā€

 

Eldrick made a grimace and waved his hand.

 

ā€œHeā€™s our clerk no longer!ā€ he said. ā€œHe left us the week after you went

up to town, Collingwood. He was only a weekly servant, and he took

advantage of that to give me a weekā€™s notice. Now, what game is Master

Pratt playing? Heā€™s smart, and heā€™s deep, too. Heā€“-ā€

 

Just then an office-boy announced Mr. Robson, the Mallathorpe family

solicitor, a bustling, rather rough-and-ready type of man, who came into

Eldrickā€™s room looking not only angry but astonished. He nodded to

Collingwood, and flung himself into a chair at the side of Eldrickā€™s

desk.

 

ā€œLook here, Eldrick!ā€ he exclaimed. ā€œWhat on earth has that clerk of

yours, Pratt, got to do with Mrs. Mallathorpe? Do you know what Mrs.

Mallathorpe has done? Hang it, she must be out of her senses,ā€”orā€”or

thereā€™s something I canā€™t fathom. Sheā€™s given your clerk, Linford Pratt,

a power of attorney to deal with all her affairs and all her property!

Oh, itā€™s all right, I tell you! Prattā€™s been to my office, and exhibited

it to me as ifā€”as if he were the Lord Chancellor!ā€

 

Eldrick turned to Collingwood, and Collingwood to Eldrickā€”and then both

turned to Robson.

CHAPTER XIII

THE FIRST TRICK

 

The Mallathorpe family solicitor shook his head impatiently under those

questioning glances.

 

ā€œItā€™s not a bit of use appealing to me to know what it means!ā€ he

exclaimed. ā€œI know no more than what Iā€™ve told you. That chap walked

into my office as bold as brass, half an hour ago, and exhibited to me a

power of attorney, all duly drawn up and stamped, executed in his favour

by Mrs. Mallathorpe yesterday. And as Mrs. Mallathorpe is, as far as I

know, in her senses,ā€”whyā€”there you are!ā€

 

ā€œWhat is it?ā€ asked Eldrick. ā€œA general power? Or a special?ā€

 

ā€œGeneral!ā€ answered Robson, with an air of disgust. ā€œAuthorizes him to

act for her in all business matters. It means, of course, that that

fellow now has full control overā€”why, a tremendous amount of money! The

estate, of course, is Miss Mallathorpeā€™sā€”he canā€™t interfere with that.

But Mrs. Mallathorpe shares equally with her daughter as regards the

personal property of Harper Mallathorpeā€”his share in the business, and

all that he left, and whatā€™s more, Mrs. Mallathorpe is administratrix of

the personal property. Sheā€™s simply placed in Prattā€™s hands an enormous

power! Andā€”for what reason? Who on earth is Prattā€”what right, title,

age, or qualification, has he to be entrusted with such a big affair? I

never knew of such a business in the whole course of my professional

experiences!ā€

 

ā€œNor I!ā€ agreed Eldrick. ā€œBut thereā€™s one thing in which youā€™re

mistaken, Robson. You ask what qualification Pratt has for a post of

that sort? Prattā€™s a very smart, clever, managing chap!ā€

 

ā€œOh, of course! Heā€™s your clerk!ā€ retorted Robson, a little sneeringly.

ā€œNaturally, youā€™ve a big idea of his abilities. Butā€“-ā€

 

ā€œHeā€™s not our clerk any longer,ā€ said Eldrick. ā€œHe left us about a week

ago. I heard this morning that heā€™s set up an office in Market

Streetā€”in the Atlas Buildingā€”and I wondered for what purpose.ā€

 

ā€œPurpose of fleecing Mrs. Mallathorpe, I should say!ā€ grumbled Robson.

ā€œOf course, everything of hers must pass through his hands. What on

earth can her daughter have been thinking of to allowā€“-ā€

 

ā€œStop a bit!ā€ interrupted Eldrick. ā€œCollingwood came in to tell me about

thatā€”heā€™s just come from Normandale Grange. Miss Mallathorpe complains

that Pratt called there yesterday in her absence. Thatā€™s probably when

this power of attorney was signed. But Miss Mallathorpe doesnā€™t know

anything of itā€”she insists that Pratt shall not visit her mother.ā€

 

Robson stirred impatiently in his chair.

 

ā€œThatā€™s all bosh!ā€ he said. ā€œShe canā€™t prevent it. I saw Mrs.

Mallathorpe myself three days agoā€”sheā€™s recovering very well, and sheā€™s

in her right senses, and sheā€™s capable of doing business. Her daughter

canā€™t prevent her from doing anything she likes! And if she did what she

liked yesterday when she signed that documentā€”why, everybodyā€™s

powerlessā€”except Pratt.ā€

 

ā€œThereā€™s the question of how the document was obtained,ā€ remarked

Collingwood. ā€œThere may have been undue influence.ā€

 

The two solicitors looked at each other. Then Eldrick rose from his

chair. ā€œIā€™ll tell you what Iā€™ll do,ā€ he said. ā€œItā€™s no affair of mine,

but we employed Pratt for years, and heā€™ll confide in me. Iā€™ll go and

see him, and ask him what itā€™s all about. Wait here a while, you two.ā€

 

He went out of his office and across into Market Street, where the Atlas

Building, a modern range of offices and chambers, towered above the

older structures at its foot. In the entrance hall a man was gilding the

name of a new tenant on the address boardā€”that name was Prattā€™s, and

Eldrick presently found himself ascending in the lift to Prattā€™s

quarters on the fifth floor. Within five minutes of leaving Collingwood

and Robson, he was closeted with Pratt in a well-furnished and appointed

little office of two rooms, the inner one of which was almost luxurious

in its fittings. And Pratt himself looked extremely well satisfied, and

confidentā€”and quite at his ease. He wheeled forward an easy chair for

his visitor, and pushed a box of cigarettes towards him.

 

ā€œGlad to see you, Mr. Eldrick,ā€ he said, with a cordial politeness which

suggested, however, somehow, that he and the solicitor were no longer

master and servant. ā€œHow do you like my little place of business?ā€

 

ā€œYouā€™re making a comfortable nest of it, anyhow, Pratt,ā€ answered

Eldrick, looking round. ā€œAndā€”what sort of business are you going to do,

pray?ā€

 

ā€œAgency,ā€ replied Pratt, promptly. ā€œIt struck me some little time ago

that a smart man,ā€”like myself, eh?ā€”could do well here in Barford as an

agent in a new sort of fashionā€”attending to things for people who

arenā€™t fitted or inclined to do ā€˜em for themselvesā€”or are rich enough

to employ somebody to look after their affairs. Of course, that

Normandale stewardship dropped out when young Harper died, and I donā€™t

suppose the notion ā€˜ll be revived now that his sisterā€™s come in. But

Iā€™ve got one good job to go on withā€“Mrs. Mallathorpeā€™s given me her

affairs to look after.ā€

 

Eldrick took one of the cigarettes and lighted itā€”as a sign of his

peaceable and amicable intentions.

 

ā€œPratt!ā€ he said. ā€œThatā€™s just what Iā€™ve come to see you about.

Unofficially, mindā€”in quite a friendly way. Itā€™s like thisā€; and he

went on to tell Pratt of what had just occurred at his own office.

ā€œSoā€”there you are,ā€ he concluded. ā€œIā€™m saying nothing, you know, itā€™s

no affair of mineā€”but if these people begin to say that youā€™ve used any

undue influenceā€“-ā€

 

ā€œMr. Collingwood, and Mr. Robson, and Miss Mallathorpeā€”and anybody,ā€

answered Pratt, slowly and firmly, ā€œhad better mind what they are

saying, Mr. Eldrick. Thereā€™s such a thing as slander, as youā€™re well

aware. Iā€™m not the man to be slandered, or libelled, or to have my

character defamedā€”without fighting for my rights. There has been no

undue influence! I went to see Mrs. Mallathorpe yesterday at her own

request. The arrangement between me and her is made with her approval

and free will. If her daughter found her a bit upset, itā€™s because sheā€™d

such a shock at the time of her sonā€™s death. I did nothing to frighten

her, not I! The fact is, Miss Mallathorpe doesnā€™t know that her mother

and I have had a bit of business together of late. And all that Mrs.

Mallathorpe has entrusted to me is the power to look after her affairs

for her. And why not? You know that Iā€™m a good man of business, a really

good hand at commercial accountancy, and well acquainted with the trade

of this town. You know too, Mr. Eldrick, that Iā€™m scrupulously

honestā€”Iā€™ve had many and many a thousand pounds of yours and your

partnerā€™s through my hands! Whoā€™s got anything to say against me? Iā€™m

only trying to earn an honest living.ā€

 

ā€œWell, well!ā€ said Eldrick, who, being an easy-going and

kindly-dispositioned man, was somewhat inclined to side with his old

clerk. ā€œI suppose Mr. Robson thinks that if Mrs. Mallathorpe wished to

put her affairs in anybodyā€™s hands, she should have put them in his.

Heā€™s their family solicitor, you know, Pratt, while youā€™re a young man

with no claim on Mrs. Mallathorpe.ā€

 

Pratt smiledā€”a queer, knowing smileā€”and reached out his hand to some

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