Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 332 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

i I OD —- OO = .—_p @o-.--. = > sis Ga ee a ea a = oe ee x ses ee earre en —— Se =e ~~ ~~ = * ee ge Ee IE - oe ee ee OE ey EE. > eee ea Gea —* oe aes - —- me > - —— . ego oo ae - — ——S ——o_— ae _——~ S - —— ——a = ——_ = - - 18 Spring-Heel Jack. be the undisputed master, while the other, | with a low, evil laugh, clapped his hand on the paper in his breast, and said to himself: ‘* At last we are even, proud gorgio.” And he spoke in the Gypsy tongue. CHAPTER XXVI. THE KING’S OFFER. Tue excitement and scandal in London, when the news spread of the death of the oid Duke of Norfolk, and the fact that the new duke was an actual beggar, were immense. Had there been any way of upsetting the will, the sympathy of the entire nobility would have gone with George in his efforts to break it; but the new duke, when he was approached on the subject, by one eminent lawyer, who wanted the chance of a great suit on a fat estate, absolutely refused to have anything to do with a contest, ‘* No,” he said, when he was advised to do his utmost, as a ‘duty to his order,’ ‘‘ the duke had a right to do what he would with his own, and | am not the man to try and rob my brother.” Then the lawyer remarked that ‘‘it was by no means certain that Oliver was his brother at all,” and called attention to the perculiar way in which the will spoke of him as ‘commonly called the son of George Augus- tus Howard, of Selby,” «It is quite likely,” said the lawyer, ‘‘ that the late duke knew more of the family than you think. It has been a matter of common notoriety that you are very unlike Oliver Howard, and there are not wanting those who insinuate that there was something wrong about the time when he was born.” But George refused to have anything to do with casting a public doubt on his family, and told the lawyer: ‘*] never felt that he was my brother; and had things been different from what they are, I might have kept on thinking so; but this changes all. The duke must have known who he was, er he would not have left him all his fortune. If I were to dispute it now, people would say that 1 did it out of re- venge. The Howards of Selby are not the men to creep in at a hole, if they cannot walk in at the open door of the house,” So the old Duke of Norfork was buried in the parish church of Arundel Castle, and the new duke went about his business, an ano- maly among all the nobles of England, as the ‘‘ beggar duke.” The king himself was pleased to say pub- licly that; if his grace chose to enter a pro- test in the courts against the extraordinary will, by which the bad duke had disgraced his own order so publicly, his majesty would order a special rule in the courts, which would put the property where it had always been, in possession of the title.”’ The king had been heard to say this, on the very next day after the funeral, when the will of the late duke had been made public, and his majesty had said it at Hamp- ton Court, when he was taking his usual evening walk. He said it in the hearing of Rose Reid, among others, for she was in the garden with Lady Balcarras, with whom she had been staying ever since the day when her father told her that she must ‘‘ give up George for- ever.” Since that day she had not seen George, the visit of Ram Mandana and the scandal of the duke’s will having taken place on the same morning. What the accusation against George had | been, which had induced the sudden change > of her father’s determination, the poor girl | did not know, nor did the general offer her | any more information on the subject than | that ‘‘he had heard reports from Lady | Balcarras that rendered it impossible that | she should ever have any further intercourse | with her lover.” In those days parents and children in | England stood on a very different footing | from what they have done since and “a a where. Passive obedience was preached in every church and at every fireside, and the —eE——EE LA children were taught that they should be) ga ided by their parents in every Satiure their own inclinations were con- cerned. | | Rose Reid had been brought up in the strictest of this school, and believed implicit- matter, ly in the wisdom of her father. When he told her that she must give up SS eens only said: ‘‘As you please, father.” There was a great fluttering at her heart, but she suppressed all outward sign thereof, and the old general went away to the Tower with the sad face of his daughter haunting him, but with no fear that she would disobey | him. | Rose was very silent, but, when Lady Balcarras asked her to go out in the garden, she said listlessly : ‘‘ As well there as anywhere.” The garden was full of people, that even- ing after the funeral, for the day had been hot, and the change was agreeable. The king was unusually gracious, and the people were full of the new scandal, which was discussed by every one in Rose’s hearing, with no knowledge that she had any connec- tion with the new duke, who had been leftin so singular a position. When Rose heard the king say what he did she flushed deeply, and Lady Balcarras | felt the arm which rested on her own | tremble. The old lady cast a glance of warning at her charge and whispered: ‘Take cara, child. Nobody knows now; but they are quick to notice things at court.” Rose was very pale, but she managed to whisper back to her chaperon: ‘‘Have no fears. No one shall know from me.” Then some one said aloud: ‘‘They say that the new duke is actually an officer of the guards in this place.”’ The person who had spoken was near the king, and his majesty turned in his usual way. a Eh, what’s that? what's that? Who said that? Whoishe? Where is he?” The speaker was Lord Balcarras, who had an office near the king, and he said at once: ‘*Please, your majesty, it is only what I have heard, that the new duke was on guard in this palace only yesterday morning, and that it was he who met Spring-Heel Jack in the gardens here, and nearly caught the ruffian.’ ‘*Eh, eh, that’s very strange,” said the king in his jerky — ‘* Where is he now, and where is the brother that has had such good luck?” “Mr. Oliver Howard was on guard here,” said Lord Balcarras, ‘‘but I hear that, the moment the will was read, he resigned his commission in the regiment, and has taken up his abode in Norfolk House. But the new duke has retained his place, and, so I am informed by the commandant, he is actually to be on guard here again to-night.” And, just as the speaker finished, the people near the king heard the regular tramp of the relief, and saw the gleam of bayonets in the sunset, as the men filed on their way to their different posts. The king seemed to be much moved at the words of his old servant. ‘‘Why, why, this is very singular,” he said, oT won't do at all to have the premier duke of England standing guard like a mere private gentleman, who has nothing but his sword to maintain him. Lord Balcarras, go and tell him that I wish to see him at once.” Lady Balcarras felt the arm of Rose Reid, as it lay on her own, tremble more than ever, and gave it a warning pinch; but the old lord had oo at once on his errand, and the king, by keeping on, talking warmly of the ‘‘shameful way in which the new duke had been treated,” saved Rose from being noticed by any of the sharp-eyed courtiers. In a little while after, the old lord was seen coming back, with a tall young officer, in full uniform, and this person he formally took to the king, saying: ‘The Duke of Norfolk, your majesty.” The king looked on the young man with much interest as he stood there, and the eyes of the courtiers followed those of the mon- arch. with equal interest. It was not every day that people could see such a sight as that—a duke and a beg- r. ‘* Well, well, duke, this is a strange affair,” the king began, kindly, ‘‘I have heard all about it, and on my soul, sir, it is an outrage and ought to be remedied. Sucha thing was never heard of before. The estate should have been entailed so that no such scandal could have happened. As it is, the infamous this young man she turned very pale, but will can be upset. I am sure of that, per- fectly sure. hat are you going to do to remedy the wrong?” ‘‘Nothing, your majesty,” was the quiet reply. ‘‘It is not for me to rob my brother, when he has had better luck than my own. The only thing that can be done, is for me to drop the title I have not the means to maintain, and let the Duchy of Norfolk per- ish, as other duchies have gone down in English history before.” ‘But it shall not be,” the king said ob- stinately. ‘‘ It is unheard of, I must make up for it in some way, if the courts will not give you justice. The office of a duke has its duties as well as its privileges; and the old duke had no right to put the next heir in such a position as he has. You must take office, if there is no way else to make things right. There are many places where the salary is good, though not enough to make the show the first duke in England should do. In the mean time, you must not go on guard any more. It is a scandal to the realm, and must not be allowed. 1 insist on it that you do not perform any more guard duty.” The beggar duke bowed low. ‘Your majesty must be obeyed; but I may venture to represent that it is no dis- grace to any noble in the land to guard the sacred person of your majesty against foes, without or within.” The king could not help smiling at the flattery, so well was it worded. George pursued, seeing that the king made no answer: ‘* Besides, there is a man, or monster, no one yet knows which, that has frightened your majesty’s subjects nigh to death, es- pecially ladies. This scoundrel, whoever he is, has been daring enough to penetrate into the very recesses of this palace, and I wish to have the honor of hunting him down. Your majesty can do me no more disfavor than to forbid me to pursue this search.” ‘*Oh, well, well, if that is all you want, there is no harm in that,” said the king hast- ily. ‘‘But you must not be known as the mere lieutenant that you seem to be now. I shall appoint you the commandant of all my - guard, with a special office, and a salary out of the privy purse, if you are too proud to take anything else. In the mean time, duke, what suspicion have you, as to whether this audacious ruffian will come here again to- night?” ‘*T have no such idea,” replied the beggar duke quietly. ‘‘ But, if your majesty should hear, in the morning, that he had come, and that no one was ready for him, it would be a reflection on me ,; so that the least I can do is to take what precautions I can to prevent such a thing.” | ‘Very well said; very well said,”’ observed the king; in his jerky way, ‘‘ Well. well, do what you will, sir, do what you will, and in the morning come straight to me, and report. what has been done. Good-evening.” So saying, the eccentric monarch turned on his heel, and went off, while the courtiers, who had witnessed the peculiar favor in which the new duke was held, and who saw that, if he wished, anything, legal or the re- verse, would be done to make him as rich as he was noble, crowded round George, and began to flatter him in every way. ut, te their surprise, the new duke seem- ed to set but little value on their fine speeches, and turned from them all to Lad Balcarras, who was nearly the lowest in ran there, to make the lady a compliment, and ask after her health. And, still more to the surprise of the cour- tiers, Lady Balcarras actually spoke with the most freezing coldness to the new duke, and the young lady by her side seemed to be over- whelmed with confusion when he spoke to her, answered him in monosyllables, and took her departure with the old lady, with hardly the ceremony of a farewell. CHAPTER XXVII. THE ADEPT’B ADVICE. GEeorGE Howarp, as we must continue to call him, till he occupies a less equivocal position, was too much astonished at the re- ception he had experienced from the Scotch ress, to be able to ask her anything, be- ore she went away to her pavilion, with He took no notice of the affront in public, com booksrcom: :