"I will not bear this, Martin. Leave my presence."
"I will relieve you certainly," said the visitor, rising, "when you have done for me what I wish. I arrived here, to-day, penniless; and have called for a trifling loan to help me on my way North."
"Loan! what mockery! I will yield no further to your outrageous demands. I was a fool ever to have feared the little power you possess. Go, sir! I do not fear you."
"I want your check for two hundred dollars--no more," said Martin, in a modified tone--"I will not be hard on you. Necessity drives me to this resort; but I hope never to trouble you again."
"Not a dollar," replied Jasper, firmly. "And now, my friend, seek some other mode of sustaining yourself in vice and idleness. You have received from me your last contribution. In settling the estate of Reuben Elder to the entire satisfaction of all parties, I have disarmed you. You have no further power to hurt."
"You may find yourself mistaken in regard to my power," replied Martin as he made a movement toward the door, and threw back upon the merchant a side-glance of the keenest malignity. "Many a foot has been stung by the reptile it spurned."
The word "stay" came not to Jasper"s lips. He was fully in earnest.
Martin paused, with his hand on the door, and said--
"One hundred dollars will do."
"Not a copper, if it were to save you from the nether regions!"
cried Jasper, his anger and indignation o"erleaping the boundaries of self-control.
He was alone in the next moment. As his excitement cooled down, he felt by no means indifferent to the consequences which might follow this rupture with Martin. More than one thought presented itself, which, if it could have been weighed calmly a few minutes before, would have caused a slightly modified treatment of his unwelcome visitor.
But having taken his position, Jasper determined to adhere to it, and brave all consequences.
While Claire was yet seated at the breakfast-table on the next morning, word was brought that a gentleman was in the parlour and wished to see him.
On entering the parlour, he found there a man of exceedingly ill appearance, both as to countenance and apparel.
"My name is Martin," said this person--"though you do not, I presume, know me."
Claire answered that he was to him an entire stranger.
"I have," said the man, speaking in a low, confidential tone of voice, "became cognisant of certain facts, which it much concerns you, or at least your adopted daughter, f.a.n.n.y Elder, to know."
For a few moments, Claire was overcome with surprise.
"Concerns f.a.n.n.y Elder to know! What do you mean, sir?"
"Precisely what I say. There has been a great fraud committed; and I know all the ins and the outs of it!"
"By whom?" asked Claire.
"Ah!" replied the visitor, "that we will come to after a while."
"Upon whom, then?"
"Upon the estate of Ruben Elder, the father of your adopted daughter."
Not liking either the man"s appearance or manner, Claire said, after a moment"s reflection--
"Why have you called to see me?"
"To give the information I have indicated--provided, of course, that you desire to have it."
"On what terms do you propose to act in this matter? Let us understand each other in the beginning."
"I can put you in the way of recovering for Miss Elder from twenty to a hundred thousand dollars, out of which she has been cheated. But, before I give you any information on the subject, I shall require an honourable pledge on your part, as well as written agreement, to pay me twenty per cent. of the whole amount recovered. Will you give it?"
Claire bent his head in thought for some moments. When he looked up he said--
"No, sir. I can make no compact with you of this kind."
"Very well, sir. That closes the matter," replied Martin, rising. "If you will not buy a fortune at so small a cost, you deserve to be poor.
How far your conscience is clear in respect to Miss Elder, is another matter. But, perhaps you don"t credit what I say. Let me give you a single hint. f.a.n.n.y Elder was missing once for three days. I had a hand in that affair. Do you think she was carried off, and taken to another city for nothing? If so, you are wonderfully mistaken. But good morning, sir. If you should, on reflection, change your mind, you can hear of me by calling at the office of Grind, the lawyer."
"Good morning," returned Claire, showing not the least disposition to retain the man, toward whom he experienced a strong feeling of dislike and sense of repulsion.
Martin lingered a few moments, and then went out, leaving Claire bewildered by a rush of new thoughts.
CHAPTER XX.
The meeting of Claire and Jasper, for the final settlement of Mr.
Elder"s estate, was to take place at the office of Grind, at ten o"clock. Before keeping his appointment, the former turned over in his mind, with careful deliberation, the circ.u.mstances which had just occurred; and the more he thought of it, the better satisfied was he that a fraud had been committed. The author of that fraud could be no one else but the guardian of f.a.n.n.y; of whose honesty Claire had, with good reason, no very high opinion. His conclusion was, not to accept, at present, a settlement of the estate.
With an uneasy foreboding of evil--he was, in fact, rarely now without that feeling--Leonard Jasper took his way to the office of Grind.
Notwithstanding he had defied Martin, he yet feared him. But he was so near to the point of comparative safety, that he hoped soon to be past all real danger from this quarter. Too little time had elapsed, since he parted with him, for Martin to see Claire, even if a thought of a.s.sailing him in that quarter had crossed his mind. So Jasper believed. How sadly taken by surprise was he, therefore, when, on meeting Claire, the latter said--
"Since I saw you yesterday, a matter has come to my knowledge which I feel bound to investigate, before proceeding any farther in this business."
As if struck by a heavy blow, Jasper moved a pace or two backward, while an instant pallor overspread his face. Quickly recovering himself, he said--
"Explain yourself, Edward. What matter has come to your knowledge?"
"On that subject I would prefer speaking with you alone," replied Claire.
"This room is at your service," said Grind, rising and retiring toward his front office. "You will be altogether free from intrusion." And he pa.s.sed out, closing the door behind him.
"Edward," said Jasper, in as firm a voice as he could a.s.sume, "What is the meaning of this? You look at me with an expression of countenance, and have spoken in a tone that implies a belief on your part that I have not acted fairly in the matter of this guardianship."
"Such, at least, is my impression," replied Claire, firmly.
"Have you come here to insult me, sir?" Jasper drew himself up with an offended manner.
"No, Mr. Jasper. I have no such intention. All I purpose is, to ascertain how far certain information received by me this morning is correct."
"What information?"