^.OFCAllfO/?^/^ .-A^OFCAlIf! ) S 02 .4<.- \ xMllBRA >- fid \\AtUNiVi:l{i// I iW^ .^V\EUNIVERy/A £9 '^'^ — t\c I. ktrri r- Jlo i I IJf^' .^WE•UNIVER% vV;lOSANCEl%. ,^OFCALIFO% ^.OFCAtl; LlCJ r. V/ MASOLLAM ^' MASOLLAM; A PEOBLEM OF THE PERIOD. A NO VEL BY LAUEENCE OLIPHANT AUTHOR OF 'PICCADILLY,' ' ALTIORA TETO,' ETC. ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. I. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXXVI l/.l CONTENTS OF THE FIRST YOLUME. PART I. CHAP. PAGE I. THE ladies' gallery OP THE HOUSE OF COM- MONS, ....... 1 II, THE MASOLLAMS, . . . , . .25 III. AN ARMENIAN CURIOSITY-DEALER, . . .41 IV. MR CHARLES HARTWRIQHt's FINANCIAL CONFI- DENCES, ....... 61 V. MISS FLORENCE HARTWRIGHt's SENTIMENTAL CONFIDENCES, ...... 87 VI. SEBASTIAN DOES SOME DETECTIVE WORK, . .103 VII. DOMESTIC AFFAIRS AT THE TURRETS UNDERGO A CHANGE, ...... 122 VIIT. MR REGINALD CLAREVILLe's POLITICAL CONFI- DENCES, . . . . . . .1.17 604529 fxyrvi »«>f 1 VI CONTENTS. IX. MINES AND COUNTKRMINES, .... 163 X. THE PLOT AT THE TURRETS THICKENS, . . 183 XI. COUNT SANTALBA, ..... 19!) XII. A MIDNIGHT MYSTERY, ..... 223 XIII. MADAME MASOLLAm's SUSPICIONS ARE AROUSED, 242 XIV. A LITTLE TELEPATHY, ..... SfjG PAKT I. M A S L L A M : A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. CHAPTER I. V THE ladies' GALLEKY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. The ladies' gallery of the House of Commons was more than usually crowded; it was the third night of an adjourned debate, to be fol- lowed by a division pregnant with fate to the Government, and honourable members had been balloting and intriguing for the admis- sion of their female belongings, with an as- siduity which was some indication of the pressure from without or within, as the case might be, to which they had been subjected. There were wives, and friends of wives, of VOL. I. A 2 MASOLLAM : various Cahiiiet Ministers ; there were two or three fair creatures so tenderly interested in certain honourable members, that they thought it l)etter to be squeezed into that dingy recess, and look down on the crowns of the hats of those sapient legislators from a distance, than not to see anything of them at all ; and there were others, very insuffi- ciently chaperoned, because the meml3ers in- terested in them had "most unfortunately" been quite unable to secure the requisite number of seats. There were old ladies from the country, who had been balloted for in due course, because they were the wives of con- stituents, and who thus came in accidentally for a good thing in the way of a debate which they altogether failed to appreciate ; and there was one, the loveliest of them all — if there had only been light enough to see her — who came from nobody knew where, and who, as time went on, and no gentleman appeared to dis- turb her absorbed and intense contemplation of what was going on beneath, gradually ex- cited the curiosity of her eager companions in a very marked degree. Attention had been first called to her, partly by her having se- A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 3 cured the best seat, to tlie exclusion of certain ladies, each of whom thought the political posi- tion of her husband gave her a right to it ; partly by the size and lustre of two diamonds in her ears, and the richness and perfect taste of her costume ; and lastly, by the extraordinary dejoth and brilliancy of her large eyes, as she turned them for an instant on some new-comer, revealing, as she did so, a face so beautiful that it was evident she must be a stranger, or with such advantages she could not have failed to take society by storm, whoever she might be. " I am positive they are paste, my dear," whispered old Lady Hornsey to Mrs Vere Middlehurst, with her gaze fixed on the tiny ears of the fair unknown ; "it is quite impos- sible that they can be real. Why, there are not half-a-dozen women in London who have two solitaires of that water," "No, they are real," returned her friend. " I am never mistaken about diamonds, even in such an uncertain lio;lit as this. She is a foreigner, that is evident — probably a Russian princess. If she is, Charles is sure to know about her. He will come up as soon as he has 4 MASOLLAM : spoken : he told mc lie slioiild wait and answer Mr Spintail,' who is speaking now. How prosy lie is, and yet liow eagerly slie appears to listen, as if she could possibly understand him, or his feeble jokes ! It is no wonder, I am sure, that the Conservatives have lost the confidence of the country, if that is the kind of oratory they are obliged to listen to, though Charles tells me the Government is certain to be beaten." " They are sure of a majority of nine, on the contrary : I have it from the very best author- ity. Meantime Spintail will most likely drawl on for an age, and I shall be half dead with im- patience. Can't you lean forward and whisper to Gertrude Clareville to tell her daughter Edith, who is sitting next the woman, to draw her into conversation." " I am afraid I could not do it without her hearing." "Oh, nonsense ! what does that matter? Let us change places, if you don't mind the smell of smoky chimneys : I am sure this fat woman in front of me comes from the Black Country," — and squeezing past her less enterprising neigh- bour. Lady Hornsey bent forward, and made her request to a lady sitting on the front A PEOBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 5 bench in a wliisper which she nevertheless intended and believed to be inaudible. But the ears with the diamonds seemed gifted with an almost supernatural power of hearino- • for althouo-h at the moment the at- teution of their owner appeared to be riveted upon Mr Spintail, she drew gently back, and turning her large soft eyes upon her neigh- bour, said in French, but without lowering her voice — "It will give me great pleasure to talk to you, if your mamma will allow you, and if you speak French. I understand a little English, but I speak it so badly, I am afraid ; and I have so many questions to ask, for I am quite a stranger, and this interests me so much." Edith Clare ville, who had not overheard Lady Hornsey's stage aside, coloured with surprise and embarrassment at this unexpected address, and turned to her mother to hide her momentary confusion, while poor Lady Clareville felt as guilty as Lady Hornsey should have done, had that veteran cam- paigner been capable of feeling guilty under any circumstances. " ]\Iy daughter will, I am sure, be delighted b MASOLLAM : to give you every iuformation in her power," said Lady Clarcvillc, speaking across Edith ; IniL just at this moment she was interrupted by a commotion produced by some arrivals, under the escort of two members, one of whom was her son, and the other his most intimate friend, who, after seating the ladies who had been confided to them, edged them- selves as close as possible to Lady Clareville and her daughter. They had scarcely done so when an appalling uproar arose from the body of the House. "Oh, look! listen!" exclaimed Edith's neigh- bour, who only deemed too glad to take advan- tage of the hint which Lady Hornsey's whisper had afforded her to enter into conversation. " What a noise they all make ! and why are they all crying Awdrawdr — Awdrawdr ? what does that mean, Awdraw^lr ? and now they all go into fits of laughter, and one gentleman takes the tail of the coat of a gentleman who is standing up and pulls him." " I can't imao'ine what is o-oino; on," said Edith. " Kegy, please explain what is hap- pening. Everybody seems screaming madly at an unfortunate man who is staring wildly A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 7 about him in the middle of the Hoor, appar- ently unconscious that he is the cause of the uproar, and several people have made clutches at his coat ; why, even the Prime Minister is laughing; — there now, he has been pulled down into a seat close to the table." " It is only a new member, ignorant of the rules of the House, passing between Spintail and the Speaker," replied her brother, laughing. " See how wretchedly abashed the poor victim looks, in his temporary refuge on the front Opposition bench, squeezed in between a lot of ex-Ministers, and how the House is enjoying his confusion, which is only exceeded by that of Spintail, who has been interrupted in the middle of his peroration, and can't pick it up again." " And what do they all mean l^y calling Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya ? " asked the unknown, turn- ing to Eeginald Clare ville, as Mr Spintail, after a final oratorical efi'ort, resumed his seat amid the cheers of his party. Clareville was so dazzled by the brilliancy of the gaze which accompanied this question, and so melted by a tenderness that did not seem altogether ap- propriate to it, that to his intense mortifica- 8 MASOLLAM : tioii lie felt himself colouring slightly beneath it, as he explained that this was the British parliamentary method of expressing approba- tion, lie soon became more than reconciled to the thirst for information which seemed to possess the fair stranger, as he pointed out the more distinguished characters below, accom- panying his remarks by a running commen- tary, couched in a strain of cynicism which exhibited singular impartiality, coming from one of the most rising among the younger politicians of the day. As he perceived the interest he excited in his listener, he felt him- self warming to his subject, the more especial- ly as in the observations with which she occa- sionally interrupted him, she displayed an unusually (juick faculty of apprehension, and an intelligence which seemed as rare as her beauty. He was engaged in a subtle meta- physical analysis of the moral and intellectual characteristics of the Prime Minister, when that statesman arose and held the House for an hour under the spell of his eloquence. The rinoins: cheers with which his last words were greeted were followed by the division Ijell, and Clareville and his friend, who had in the A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 9 meantime been devotino; liiiiiself to Miss Clareville, were summoned to perform the most important of their legislative functions. " I must run away and vote now," he said, hurriedly, " but I shall be back in a quarter of an hour to take my mother and sister to the carriao^e. There will be nothins; more of in- terest to-night after the division ; " and then after a pause, which he dared not prolong, as he thought of the sand running through the minute-glass, and the danger of being shut out in the lobby, he stammered, " I suj^pose somebody is coming for you ? " " You are in a hurry now, — I will tell you when you come back," she said, softly ; and Clareville rushed after his friend, whom he only overtook as he was entering the House. Meantime Lady Hornsey had taken advan- tage of the momentary stir in the ladies' gallery to get immediately beliind the dia- monds which had so keenly excited her interest. " Have you ever been in the House of Commons before ? " she inquired, in by no means the purest French, leaning forward till her lips were in close proximity to those giit- 10 MASOLLAM : tering jewels. They seemed to flash if possible more briolitly, l)ut their wearer had lapsed into siuldoii taciturnity. • "It is a curious scene, is it not ? " proceeded her ladyship, nothing abashed, and in a louder tone, as the members came trooping in ; and the murmur which greeted them as the tellers of the Opposition were observed to be on the right, as they advanced to the table, swelled to a sudden roar when the numbers were announced. Then followed the wildest de- monstrations of delight : honourable members shrieked, and w^ent so far as to stand on their seats and to fling their hats in the air ; for it was such a crushing defeat on a cardinal point of policy, that the Government, which had already sustained more than one of minor importance, was now left no alternative. It was no wonder that the stranger was too much interested to attend to Lady Hornsey, but peered intently through the glass which ren- dered her invisible to the eyes of Reginald Clareville, at that moment gazing up at the latticed barrier. " Good heavens ! My dear, the Government is beaten, and Avill have to go out," ejaculated A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 11 Lady Hornsey, applying this familiar epithet in her agitation to whoever might chance to think herself included. " I think Lady Hornsey is speaking to you," said Edith, not without a touch of malice, turning to her impassible neighbour, " Oh, pardon, mille fois pardon ! " exclaimed the latter, looking round straight into Lady Hornsey 's face, and scanning it with great deliberation. " I was just thinking how much these gentlemen resemble a set of howling dervishes ; and how like we are, cooped up here behind this lattice screen, to a lot of Turkish ladies in a harem." She uttered the words "derveesh" and " hareem " with the marked pronunciation which belongs to them in Eastern tongues, and again became absorbed in the scene below, while Lady Hornsey, leaning back to Mrs Vere Middlehurst, whispered — " I feel certain, my dear, that she has some black paint round her eyes," — and her lady- ship rose to leave, lingering, however, at the doorway, that she might intercept Clareville on his return. "Oh, Mr Clareville," she said, when that 1 '2 MASOLLAM : gentleman appeared, " this defeat of the Government is really cj^uite too terrible. You will do me sueli a favour if you will find out who the beautiful stranger is you have been talking to. Mrs Verc Middlehurst has asked her husband, and he does not know. If she is the least respectable, I want her to come to nie on Tliursday night : I am sure she would create a sensation. I don't think I ever saw anything so lovely. I suppose, if she has a husband, I shall be obliged to have him too : but foreigners are always presentable. Do find out all aljout her, and come and lunch with me to-morrow and tell me who she is, and wdiat the Government mean to do about it all," — and Lady Hornsey waddled off" on the arm of Mr Vere Middlehurst, with a mind agitated in equal proportions by her feminine curiosity and her political proclivities. " Sebastian," said Clare ville to his friend, who had returned with him to the gallery, " please look after my mother and sister while I take care of the unprotected female next to Edith, if, as I suspect, she stands in need of protection ; " and as he spoke he looked up and encountered a wistful confiding gaze, which A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 13 left no doubt on liis mind that his suspicions woukl turn out correct. " I will follow you," he added to his mother and sister, who had now joined him, and were putting on their wraps. " Hartwright will see you to the carriage." Meantime the gallery was emptying, but the stranger, who was rapidly becoming in- vested with a mysterious interest in Clare- ville's eyes, remained seated. "Do you expect somebody, or are you still too much interested in the processes of British legislation to tear yourself away ? " he asked, as he seated himself comfortably by her side. " I am not expecting anybody, and I am more interested, perhaps, in some of the legis- lators than in the legislation," she replied, with a smile. "Though I confess that my object in coming here to-night was chiefly to be present at a crisis in the political fortunes of this country, which cannot fail to exercise a momentous influence not merely upon its own future destiny, but which must seriously afiect that of other nations. Those boisterous politicians with the ccaur leger whom I saw throwing their hats into the air just now, 14 MASOLLAM : little suspect the weighty consequences wliich liting upon tlieir vote. They are like school- boys who have been playing a game, and who cheer because tlieir side has won. Have they ever thought wliat their side winning means for the countless millions whose fate has been decided by that victory ? Des mariomiettes ! How should they know, those twenty-seven that formed the majority, what effect their vote is destined to have on the fortunes of the race ? But I tell you," — and she turned with sparkling eye and quivering nostril on Clare- ville, — " that among the wanderers of the deserts, and dwellers in distant palm-groves, its action will be felt, no less than among those who claim the peat-bogs of Ireland, or the lion's share of their industry in your own country. Ah, I see more," she said, lowering her voice, and speaking very slowly. " It means war, and I see those who have taken part in that vote to wdiom this night will be fatal." Clareville meanwhile had listened to this strange exordium, with its assumption of pro- phetic inspiration, with a mingled feeling of admiration, wonder, and amusement. Nor A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 15 could lie altogether deny that, however much she might be mistaken as to the far-reaching consequences of the division in which he had taken part, the levity which reduced it to a mere party triumph was calculated to astonish a stranger, who would naturally consider a change in the Government, and therefore in the foreign policy of so great a country as England, to be a matter of extreme gravity : but being of a somewhat sceptical and cynical temperament, he failed altogether to be im- pressed by what he irreverently termed "the fortune-telling business " at the end, " I quite admit the justice of your criti- cism," he said, " as to a certain incongruity between the solemnity of the issue at stake and the somewhat boyish demonstrations we make over it. We pick up the habit at our public schools, and are unable to shake it off. You have just seen here a cricket-match at Lord's, or a university boat-race, or a Derby day, carried into politics. We have no ima- gination, and our methods are always more or less the same. Thus you saw the episode of the new member. We always look out for that. It is like the dog that runs down the 16 MASOLLAM : race-course. Tlieii after the division is taken, we clieer the winner, — that is the end of the race ; but this time I am afraid it has been witnessed b}^ a Cassandra : your terrible pre- dictions liave caused me the greatest conster- nation." "T predicted no misfortunes to your country. I simply say it is a crisis in her fate from which, for all I know, she may come out unscathed ; and in the ftite of others, both of nations and of individuals, from which they will not : but I did not ask you to attach any importance to it. The day will come when you will remember what I have said." "You have said enough, at all events, to excite my curiosity, and to give me food for reflection. I so far agree with you, that I think the position of foreign affairs abroad, and the relation of England towards them, in the hig;hest des^ree critical : and a reversal of policy by a new Government must produce important changes, and possibly bring about new and serious complications. I should like to know something more definite : for instance, can you tell me to whom this night will prove fatal, and how or when? — and might I A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 17 further venture to ask in which of the legis- lators you are especially interested ? " "It would be useless to answer your first question, for you do not know those of whom I am thinking ; but the legislators in whom I am especially interested" — and she paused as the words seemed forced from her lips by an effort, either real or affected — " are Mr Sebastian Hartwright and Mr Eeginald Clare- ville. I would rather you had not asked me the question, but I dare not refuse to answer." " She need not have led up to it in that case," thought Clareville ; and he became aware of a curious sensation of puzzled fas- cination creejDing over him. This was the more remarkable as he prided himself on his imperviousness to attack from the whole feminine armoury. As the only son of Lord Clareville, he was an eligible parti, putting aside his good looks and political prospects ; but without being a misogynist, he had obtained a reputation for imjDenetrability, which was the exas|)eration and despair of maidens and their mothers, to say nothing of the young married women. Now he was VOL. I. B 18 MASOLLAM : already becoming conscious that this unknown stranger was throwing a spell over him which he was at a loss to describe. This was the more annoying because she seemed aware of her power, and to be doing it deliberately. She was certainly not a flirt in the ordinary acceptation of the term. Snakes who fascinate birds can scarcely be said to be flirting with them. Naturalists have not yet pushed sci- entific analysis to the point of being able to describe for us the sensation of the birds, nor can any one venture to assert that their emotions may not be of a mixed character — a sort of pleasurable alarm, in fact. Much less are they able to define the nature of the force which is projected from the visual organ of the reptile, and which possesses the singular faculty of dominating the volition of the victim : it is a region of speculation which, while it is impossible for them to deny that it exists, they shrink from entering upon — an aggravating region, because it eludes the power of a microscope or the action of a blow- pipe, and is nevertheless an active and jDer- sistent force in nature, which is pronounced to be unknowable to anybody Ijecause it has A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 19 proved unknowable to tliem. It was so dis- tinctly "feelable" by Clare ville, that lie made a vigorous effort of will to resist tlie attraction of which he was becoming conscious, the more so as the languor which seemed stealing over his faculties was calculated to predispose them to a certain credulity. " An adventuress with sham diamonds, who supposes that I am as easy to mystify as to flatter," he thought, as he said with an almost imperceptible sneer, and with not quite so much respect thrown into his tone as he had hitherto used — " I suppose my sister Edith pointed us out to you, and told you our names. I am sure my friend Hartwright would feel as highly flattered as I do by the interest you are kind enough to express in us both, even though it must be of somewhat sudden growth." " Pardon me," she replied, not in the least disconcerted by his change of manner; "it has existed for many years. Nor is there any reason why either you or he should be flattered by it. There are often reasons why we should feel an interest in persons which need not always be complimentary to them — quite the reverse." And Clare ville thought, as she said 20 MASOLLAM : this in a soft voice, that he detected a shade of sadness beneatli the flash of those lovely eyes. " You asked me who were the members of Parliament that I felt especially interested in, and I told you — voila tout ! At the same time, I added that I would much rather not have done so. Your sister did not tell me your names," she added after a pause, as she rose from her seat and drew a light houmous of a very rich oriental material over her shoulders. " 1 must admit," said Clarcville, a little taken aback by this sudden change of front, and with a somewhat embarrassed laugh, "that I was unduly conceited in attaching any complimentary sense to the interest you expressed in us — in me, at all events. You must let me make reparation for my vanity by putting you into your carriage. And I think that you, in your turn, owe me something for having piqued my curiosity. If you cannot stay and gratify it now, may I venture to hope that you will allow me to call upon you ? " " I shall be very happy to see you at my hotel whenever you like to call," she replied, as she accepted the proffered arm. "As I do not possess, like you, the sense of A PROBLEiM OF THE PERIOD. 21 divining people's names, permit me to inquire whose carriage I am to ask for," said Clare ville, as tliey readied the yard, relapsing again into resentment at the mystification of which he felt he was beino; made the victim. " Ask for Mr Cottrell's carriage, please ; " and a policeman brought up at Clareville's request a neat private brougham. " May I call to-morrow, and if so, at what hour, and where ? " asked Clareville, half in- clined to beg for a seat by her side, as he handed her into the carriao;e. " At three o'clock to-morrow, at the Grand Hotel, if that will suit you. You can bring your friend Mr Hartwright with you, if you like. See, here is my card, so that you cannot make a mistake." And she added in a decided tone, as if to check the request upon his lips, " Good night, — I am much obliged for your kindness ; please tell the coachman to drive home." And Clareville pressed the tips of the fingers that were extended to him, and shouted " Home," as with uncovered head and pro- found salutation he watched the carriage dash oft', and saw the diamonds gleam for a moment in the gaslight. 22 MASOLLAM : "Aniiiia, Masollam," lie muttered to himself, glancing at tlie card lie still held in hi.s hand ; " what an uncouth name ! There is nothino; on her card nliout the Grand Hotel to prove whether she is married or single, nor was there on her finger either, now that I come to think of it. Who is Cottrell ? Is there a Mr Masol- 1am, I wonder ; and if there is, what country has the honour of claimino; him as a native? Perhaps he is ' a wanderer of the desert, or a dweller in some distant palm-grove.' It will he only fair to Hartwright to tell him what an interest he has excited in the breast of a lovely and inspired prophetess, and take him with me — I shall be sure to find him at the club." And thither Clareville wended his way ; and the two young men sat up till a late hour dis- cussing the mysterious incognita whom they were to visit on the following day, and, what was far more important, the effect of the divi- sion upon their own political prospects and that of their party. At three o'clock next day the two friends repaired to the Grand Hotel, and asked for Madame MasoUam, The porter informed them that no such person had been staying at the A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 23 hotel, l3iit that a lady had left a note that morning, saying that it was to be handed to a gentleman who would call to inquire for her at three o'clock that afternoon. It contained only these lines : — " I am sorry not to be able to keep my appointment. Tell your friend we shall meet before long. A. M." " Not flattering, so far as I am concerned," said Clare ville, with a laugh. "It is clear which of us inspires the most interest." " If she had been an impostor with designs upon us, in the first place she would have chosen you as more valuable prey than my- self; and in the second, she would not have disappeared when her eflbrts so far had been crowned with success," returned his friend. " I don't know about our respective values as objects of prey," replied Clareville ; "but of the two I suspect that, with your mystical tendency, impulsive temperament, and love of adventure, you would be far more easily cap- tured than I should, my dear Sebastian. Per- haps that is why she has decided that you are 24 MASOLLAM. to have the first chance. However, we have more serious matters to attend to than this lovely and mysterious witch, whatever her designs may be ; " and the two young members crossed the street ' into Palace Yard, on their way to the House, under the escort of a police- man especially told off to protect the valuable lives of timid legislators on foot from their more impetuous colleagues in hansom cabs. 25 CHAPTER II. THE M A S L L A M S. At the very moment tliat the two friends were entering the House of Commons, a lady and two gentlemen were standing on the platform at the door of a first-class carriage of a train which was on the point of taking its depart- ure from the terminus of the Great Midland Railway. " I trust, Mr Masollam," said the younger of the two men, " that you are satisfied with the manner in which I have discharged my trust towards your daughter? I assure you it required all the influence I possess to obtain the seat for her in the ladies' gallery which she seemed so much to desire. I only regret that my capacities for service are not always equal to my inclinations ; but I beg of you 26 MASOLLAM : not on that account to hesitate to command them. 1 am aware that in saying even thus much, I am in a manner gnilty of presump- tion. You, who see so fiiv into the motives of men, n^quiro no verbal assurances from me to enable you to appreciate mine." "You speak wisely, my friend," replied the person tlius addressed. " I judge no man by his professions of service, nor by any analysis he may furnish to me of his motives. I will go farther, and say that a man's acts are but an uncertain guide. I am, however, well satis- fied with yours so far, and it is possible that ere long occasion may arise when your pro- fessions will be tested to the full extent of your desires. You are but a beginner, you know, and beginners are apt to be a little over-confident. But here is the guard coming to shut us out if we linger longer. Au revoir, my son. You know my address — to the care of Carabet at Tongsley. Write to me if you have any information on the points in regard to which you have my instructions." Helping the lady into the carriage, the speaker followed her with an activity beyond his years ; while she, leaning out of the window. A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 27 waved an adieu to the gentleman left standing on the platform, who kissed his hand in reply. " It was a pity that Cottrell did not employ some of that small capacity to which he has just made allusion, to the extent of securing us a carriage to ourselves," remarked Mr MasoUam, in a tongue not certainly under- stood by a gentleman and two ladies who were its previous occupants, while he busied him- self stowing away sundry rugs and packages in the rack overhead. ' ' It was not his fault. Nothing could have been kinder, or more zealous or efficient, than he has been. Besides, that need not prevent us from talking secrets," returned the lady, as she turned the flashing eyes and diamonds, which had already captivated Reginald Clare- ville and Lady Hornsey by their rival bril- liancy, upon her travelling companions. "You don't suppose any of them understand Ar- menian ? " She slightly raised her voice, and uttered the last sentence very slowly and dis- tinctly, as she watched its efiect upon the other passengers. Apparently satisfied that she mio'ht continue her conversation in that language without danger of being understood. 28 MASOLLAM I she continued, " What a pity it was that you prevented me from keeping my appointment!" " It was unavoidable," answered her com- panion. "Read that," — and he handed her a telegram to the following effect: "The H.'s will probably leave England day after to- morrow. Don't delay. — C." " Of course, then, I had nothing for it but to leave Paris as quickly as I could, and telegraph to you to meet me here. I only just caught the train as it was — thanks to the tidal boat." " May I see our letter of introduction to them ? " she asked. He took a letter from a somewhat bulky pocket-book, and gave it to her. This was what she read : — "My dear Hartwright, — This will be handed to you by a very old friend of mine, Mr MasoUam, who is now on a visit to Eng- land with his daughter. I first made his aquaintance in the East some thirty years ago ; since then I have had occasion more than once to test his extraordinary powers. Do not allow any narrow prejudice to prevent you from availing yourself of his services, should he offer them : I consider him the most A PROBLEM OF THE PEEIOD. 29 remarkably gifted man that I have ever met, and he is as good as he is gifted. Let me add that his daughter is as beautiful as she is good'. — Yours ever, Santalba." "He does not know as much about your gifts as I do, my dear, or he would not have ended with such an equivocal compliment. However, you will probably soon have an opportunity of exercising them," remarked the old gentleman, as he slowly folded up the letter and put it back in his pocket-book. There was a remarkable alternation of vivacity and deliberation about the movements of Mr MasoUam. His voice seemed pitched in two different keys, the effect of which was, when he chang;ed them, to make one seem a distant echo of the other — a species of ventriloquistic phenomenon which was calculated to impart a sudden and not altogether pleasant shock to the nerves of the listeners. When he talked with what I may term his "near" voice, he was generally rapid and vivacious ; when he exchanged it for his "far-off" one, he was solemn and impressive. His hair, which had once been raven black, was now streaked with grey, but it was still thick, and fell in a 30 MASOLLAM : massive Wiive, over his cars, and nearly to liis shoulders, giving him something of a leonine aspect. His brow was overhanging and bushy, and his eyes were like revolving lights in two dark caverns, so fitfully did they seem to emit flashes, and then lose all expression. Like his voice, they too had a near and a far- off expression, which could be adjusted to the required focus like a telescope, growing smaller and smaller as though in an effort to project the sight beyond the limits of natural vision. At such times they would be so entirely devoid of all appreciation of outward objects, as to produce almost the impression of blindness, when suddenly the focus would change, the pupil expand, and rays flash from them like lig;htnino; from a thunder - cloud, oivino; an ■DO ' O o unexpected and extraordinary brilliancy to a face which seemed promptly to respond to the summons. The general cast of countenance, the upper part of which, were it not for the depth of the eye-sockets, would have been strikingly handsome, was decidedly Semitic ; and in repose the general effect w^as almost statuesque in its calm fixedness. The mouth was partially concealed by a heavy moustache A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 31 and long iron-grey beard ; but the transition from repose to animation revealed an extra- ordinary flexibility in those muscles which had a moment before appeared so rigid, and the whole character of the countenance was altered as suddenly as the expression of the eye. It would perhaps be prying too much into the secrets of nature, or, at all events, into the secrets of Mr Masollam's nature, to inquire whether this lightening and darkening of the countenance was voluntary or not. In a lesser degree, it is a common phenomenon with us all : the eff'ect of one class of emotions is, vulgarly speaking, to make a man look black, and of another to make him look bright. The peculiarity of Mr Masollam was that he could look so much blacker and brighter than most people, and make the change of expression with such extraordinary rapidity and intensity, that it seemed a sort of facial legerdemain, and suggested the sus- picion that it might be an acc[uired faculty. There was, moreover, another change which he apparently had the power of working on his countenance, which aftects other people involuntarily, and which generally, especially 32 MASOLLAM : in the case of the fair sex, does so very mucli against their will. For instance, we say of a lady that she is journalihre, by which we mean that on some days she looks much older than on others. Now Mr Masol- 1am had the faculty of looking very much older one hour than he did the next. There were moments when a careful study of his wrinkles, and of his dull, faded - looking eyes, would lead you to put him down at eighty if he was a day ; and there were others when his flashing glance, expanding nostril, broad smooth brow, and mobile mouth, would make a rejuvenating combination, that would for a moment convince you that you had been at least five-and-twenty years out in your first estimate. When he was erect, he stood about six feet in his stockinets, but his attitudes varied with his moods, and he often drooped suddenly and tottered along with bowed shoulders and unsteady gait. These rapid contrasts were calculated to arrest the attention of the most casual ob- server, and to produce a sensation which was not altogether pleasant when first one made his acquaintance. It was not exactly mis- A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 33 trust, — for both manners were perfectly frank and natural, — so much as perplexity. He seemed to be two opposite characters rolled into one, and to be presenting undesigningly a curious moral and physiological problem for solution, which had a disagreeable sort of attractiveness about it, for you almost im- mediately felt it to be insoluble, and yet it would not let you rest. He might be the best or the worst of men. Perhaps his moral nature presented the same violent contrasts that were observable in his physical aspect, and that he was alternately first one and then the other. Either he was a freak ot nature, a sort of lusus natiirw so far as the psychical and emotional part of him was concerned, or he had acquired a wonderful artificial mastery over those forces which transmit the expression of feeling to feature, and could produce transformations which so far transcend the trick of the comedian, that they involved no forced or unnatural muscu- lar distortion, but appeared simply to depend upon the spontaneous but subtle play of some internal light and shade, which seemed to trans- fuse his whole being, and force their infiuence VOL. I. C 34 MASOLLAM : upon the outer surfaces of liis organism. He was like a landscape over which dark thunder- clouds are constantly rolling, and obscuring the bright sunlight, which, when it did burst forth, made the very features that a moment before were gloomy and almost repellent, bright and attractive. The effect of this peculiarity upon sensitive natures with whom he was brought into contact, was to produce in them corresponding alternations of sym- pathy and antipathy. It was as though he was alternately presenting to them the posi- tive and negative poles of his being. They were like tin geese with iron bills in a basin of water, now sailing gracefully towards their magnetic acquaintance, now turning their backs upon him, and as gracefully sailing away. " So you saw both the young men," said Mr Masollam to his daughter, after a cloudy pause. " Tell me about them." And the sun came out. " I scarcely saw anything of young Hart- wright," she replied ; " that is why I was so dis- appointed at missing him to-day. He seemed quite absorbed by Miss Clareville, Eeginald Clareville's sister. So, fcmte de mieux, I de- A PEOBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 35 voted myself to Eeginald, cand I must say I rather like him. He is decidedly clever and orio'inal." Two bright rays Hashed from the caverns under the bushy brows of the old man as he listened to this, and then went suddenly out, find he sank back into his corner in silence. " What did you leave mother to do in Paris ? " asked his daughter, after another lono- pause, during which they had both seemed buried in their own thouo;hts. " She is taking care of Santalba — he is not well. It was better so : three of us would have been too much of an intrusion on the hospitality of this cold-blooded Englishman." " Why, do you expect to stay with him ? I thought we were going to Carabet's." " Under no circumstances should we do that. I have telegraphed to Carabet to take rooms for us at the best hotel, and to meet us at the stcition. In the first place, I doul)t whether he has room for us ; and in the second, it would not be expedient under the circum- stances for us to be the sfucsts of a man who keeps an old curiosity shop. Besides, there are other reasons." A very dark cloud flitted 36 MASOLLAM : across the landscape as he uttered this hxst sentence, but it had passed away l)efore he added, "1 do not think it probable, after Mr Hartwright receives our letter of introduction, that he will alhnv us to remain in the hotel — at least, if he decides to postpone his de- parture ; but it does not much matter whether he does or not." The larsje town for which our travellers were bound lay in the centre of an important min- ino; district in one of the northern counties of England, and it was nearly midnight before they reached it. On the platform they were met by a dapper little man, who received Mr Masollam with a deference and respect almost amounting to servility, and who manifested in his intercourse with that personage a nerv- ousness and timidity that seemed foreign to his real nature, to judge from the somewhat peremptory vivacity with which he ordered about porters and cabmen in a language which was meant to be English, but which a strong foreign accent rendered almost unintelligible to them. " How is Sada ? " asked Mr Masollam in the same language in which he had Ijcen con vers- A PEOBLEM OF THE PEEIOD. o7 iiig with Lis daughter, and in his deepest and darkest tones, after they were all three seated in the cab. There was too little lioht from the flickering gas-lamjDs for Carabet to see the change on the face which corresponded to the voice, but his own trembled as he replied — " She is as she always is — no better, no worse. I watch her carefully, sage." I can give no better translation of the final epithet used than this, though it implied more, and signified authority combined with wisdom. " When do the Hartwridits leave ? " was Mr Masollam's next question. " His butler, who, ever since I have been established in this town, has been my most intimate friend," — and Carabet ventured on a little laugh, which did not reach the dimen- sions of an audible chuckle before it was repressed from an instinctive feeling that it would not l)e approved, — " his butler, Mr Sharp, told me yesterday that instead of going to-morrow evening, as they intended when I sent you my telegram, they would not leave till the following morning." Mr Masollam drew a caixl from his jDocket, and after inquiring the name of the hotel at 38 MASOLLAM : which they were to stay, ordered the cab to stop, while lie carefully wrote it in the corner. "Does Mr Hartwright live in the town?" he inquired. "No, master," answered Carabet ; " in a mansion on its outskirts, about two miles out. It is a very handsome house ; indeed they say he lives much above his means." " To-morrow morning," said MasoUam, in his measured, reproving voice, " I shall have a great many questions to ask you : you need not trouble me with your information now, — keep it till then, and I hope it will prove to be sufficient. You have been spending a good deal of money, my son ; and as some months have elapsed since you have sent any to me, I presume you have not made any." "Believe me, I never forget, my master, that my knowledge or information, whatever it may be worth, and my time, and my money, nay, my very life itself, is at your disposal, to do with as you will." He was continuing in his profession of faith when he was interrupted by the cab drawing up to the door of the hotel. " Here," said Masollam before he got out, A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 39 Imiidino- the letter of introduction and card to liis follower, "is a letter of introduction and my card, which I wish you personally to convey to your friend Mr Sharp, as early as may be in the morning, and tell him, when he gives it to Mr Hartwright, that the messenger is waiting for an answer : and stay," he added, as, after a profound salute, Carabet was about to take his departure, — " does Sada know that you expected me ? " •' She knows nothing. I had no instruc- tions to tell her anything, and kept silence." "You did right — keep it still. Good nio-ht," — and Masollam turned a face furrowed with age to the obsequious waiter, and, leaning on his daughter's arm, followed that function- ary with bent frame and tottering steps to the apartments which had been provided for them. " I am suffering to-night," he said, when he reached them, and threw himself wearily into an arm-chair. "Carabet has been under my influence now for more than twenty years, and should have more sense of what is going on under his nose. Sada is worse, much worse. I felt it the moment I touched his hand ; and he, though he lives in the house, was too dense 40 MASOLLAM. to perceive it. Iliere is something wrong with him too, or he must have felt it," he muttered, after passing his Jiand three or four times slowly over his eyes, from which all light seemed to have absolutely faded away. "We have a, lieavy day before us to-morrow, ni}^ child," lie added, looking up at his daughter, who was standing by his chair with her hand on his shoulder. "Go to bed ; you are tired now, and will need all the r^st you can get for what is in store for us both. I know not what I should do, if it were not for the life I gain from your strong young frame." " Surely, father, you will go to bed too," she said; "you who have come all the way from Paris without stopping, must be far more tired than I am." " Physically," he replied, with a smile, " I feel no fatigue except in so far as the moral may affect the physical : my nerves are tired, child, or rather they are only the outer casing of what is tired within them — and that has not been made tired l)y travelling, but by the elements with which they are loaded. Go you and sleep for us both, — your repose will rest me, — while T watch." 41 CHAPTER 111. AN ARMENIAN CURIOSITY-DEALER. However dense, from Mr Masollam's point of view, Carabet may liave Ijeen in regard to a certain item of information wliicli lie had imparted to his sage and master, he was correct enough as to the two pieces of intel- lisence he had g-iven him with reference to Mr Hartwright. The villa inhabited by that gentleman, which stood in several acres of shrubl;)ery and ornamental grounds, and was called " The Turrets," was not without archi- tectural merit, if, as may be gathered from the name, it had not been too ornate and preten- tious ; while the establishment which he kept up in it was ftir beyond his means — so far beyond them, that he had decided to let it and go abroad, partly to economise, and 42 MASOLLAM : partly in the hope of finding some scheme with which he might identify himself as a promoter or concessioner, which would fur- nish him with the capital necessary to meet his most pressing creditors. He was not altogether inexperienced in such matters, for as the younger brother of Eichard Hartwright — the celebrated contrac- tor, and father of the young member to whom I have already introduced the reader — he had been interested in many most important fin- ancial enterprises, and indeed in his earlier days had Ijeen a partner in some of them ; but his habits of reckless extravagance, com- bined with a certain moral laxity in financial matters, had decided his elder brother, who was a man of scrupulous probity and sound business capacity, to dissolve all connection with him, and to content himself with tlirow- ino; a good thino; from time to time in his younger brother's way. It was on the top of a cou2:>, made through his brother Richard's instrumentality, that Charles Hartwright suc- ceeded in winning the affections of a young lady possessed of considerable fortune, whom he shortly after married ; and had they been A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 4 o contented to live quietly, their combined resources sufficed to maintain them comfort- ably in a style which corresponded with their position. Mrs Charles Hartwright, unfor- tunately, had aspirations of a social character incompatible with economy. She wanted her husband to be in Parliament, and succeeded in making him spend far more in a contested election, in which he was defeated, than he could afford ; and she made three desperate assaults on London society in three successive seasons, only to be routed shamefully on each occasion, — a circumstance the more galling, because she saw success achieved by rivals who seemed in her prejudiced eyes inferior to her- self in the four great requisites for it — wealth, beauty, talent, and impudence. When to these political and social excesses were added the cares of a family of three sons and two daugh- ters, some of whom inherited the extravagant habits of both father and mother, and had come to an age when expensive dresses for the girls, and hunting for the youths, were the indispensable adjuncts of life, it became evi- dent to Charles Hartwright and his wife that a crash could only be averted, either by a 44 MASOLLAM : reduction of their establishment, which would compromise tliem in the eyes of such aristo- cratic friends as they had succeeded at a great sacrifice of self-respect in making, or by a temporary exile, during which it might be hoped tliat something would turn up l)y means of which their shattered fortunes mio;ht be repaired. Hartwright was brooding over his pros- pects in his dressing-room, in an especially unamiable frame of mind, for a hitch had occurred at the last moment with the solicitor with whom he was in negotiation for the lease of his house, when his valet entered with a letter and a card, saying, as he handed them to his master — " Mr Sharp told me to say that the mes- senger w^as waiting, in case you wanted to send an answer, sir." Hartwright took them with the air of a man whose communications w^ere generally of an unpleasant nature, and after glancing at the card slowly, perused the letter. Then he took up the card again, looked at it more carefully, and pondered. "Bring me my waiting-materials," he said A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 45 at leiicctli, "and tell Jane to ask her mistress to step here for a moment." The servant disappeared, and shortly after Mrs Hartwright, in an elaborately embroid- ered 'peignoir, entered the room. " Look at those," — and her husband gave her the letter and the card. " Well, what do you propose to do about them?" said the lady, after complying with his request. " That is just what I sent for you to con- sult about : it mig;ht be worth our while to put off our departure for a few days, and see what these people are like — more particu- larly as I have just heard from Travers that he will not take the house for his client, who is a hunting man, unless I pay for the repairs of the stables. Santalba is a man who generally knows what he is about, and he would not write so strongly unless he had good reason for doing so. I was thinking of writing to invite this Mr Masollam and his daughter to come and dine and sleep." " It will be very inconvenient," answered Mrs Hartwright ; " half the things are packed — we are all in confusion. I have already 46 MASOLLAM : settled witli some of the servants ; l)esides," she added, somewhat inconsequently, after a pause, " MasoUam is such a very odd name, don't you think we had better see them first ? Suppose we begin by asking them to lunch, — we can always extend our invitation if we find it best to make the effort ; and it will be an effort, I assure you, Charles. Men never can realise what an amount of bother rootings-up of this sort entail." Her husband looked at her with a grim smile. " If your amount of bother, as you call it, were put in the balance against mine, I have very little doubt wdiich would kick the beam. However, we will not discuss that now ; let it be as you say. I will invite them to luncheon, and we will be guided as to what civility we show them beyond that, by our judgment as to the use they may be turned to." From which it will appear that, what- ever tliey might be in public, Mr and Mrs Hartwright scorned humbug in their inter- course with each other. When, an hour later, Mr Hartwright's in- vitation to luncheon was handed to Masollam, A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 47 that great Asiatic mystery was in liis most youthful mood : his erect frame and sparkling eyes quite startled the waiter who had helped him to his room the preceding evening. Mr Carabet had arrived early, and had been im- parting information for some time, apparently of a cheering kind. He had even had the honour of breakfasting with the sage, who, after looking at his watch, turned to his daughter. " Amina," he said, " Mr Hartwright has kindly invited us to luncheon. As we shall not need to start for more than a couple of hours, suppose we w^alk round with Carabet and see Sada ? " "You should have seen the astonishment of the natives," observed Carabet to his com- panions, as he led the way, " when I first dazzled their eyes with a glim23se of the taste and the splendour of the East. The curiosity and interest which it excited in a second-rate town like this convinces me that, with the growing taste for assthetic decoration, a great field is oj^en to enterprising speculators from the East, if they would try their fortunes in the largest centres of population. As it is, 48 MASOLLAM : I believe mine is tlic only cstablisliment of the kind outside of London. And I " " Eemember, my son, tliat it is only a means to an end," interrupted Masollam, " and do not let your trading instincts divert you from the higher aims which give our lives a meaning imknown to the world at large. You distract me with your commer- cial gabble." As he thus spoke, they turned down the street in which Mr Carabet's shop was situ- ated, and which seemed rather too quiet to be considered eligible as a business locality; but possibly it had other advantages which compensated for this inconvenience. The hric-a-lwac in which he dealt was almost exclusively oriental. Besides a very fair as- sortment of Egyptian and Syrian antiquities, which had every appearance of being genuine, there were Persian carpets and brass-work ; silks from Bagdad ; filigree silver-work, kuf- fiyehs and ahdyehs, from Damascus ; Bedouin bangles, olive-wood, and mother-of-pearl orna- ments from Jerusalem, and many of the cheaper articles of Eastern manufacture adapted to all classes of customers. Indeed in some respects A PKOBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 49 the collection seemed too good for the country town in which he had established himself, and implied a confidence in the artistic and aesthetic tendencies of the inhabitants which it was extremely improbable that the results would justify. That, however, was Mr Car- abet's own affair. He was in the habit of assuring his customers that he had no reason to be dissatisfied with the patronage he was receiving. He depended for it, he said, not so much upon the people of the town as of the country. His reputation was spreading. People interested in such things made long railway journeys expressly to see his collec- tion ; and he had the satisfaction of knowing that while he was putting money into his pocket, he was the means of developing in the manufacturing and rural districts of England a taste for art, which could only be accom- plished by persons who were willing to take the risk of forcing it upon their notice by bringing treasures of this description to their very doors. Indeed he carried his zeal for the general good in these matters so far, as to exhibit specimens of all the different descriji- tions of fraudulent imitations which are manu- VOL. I. D 50 MASOLLAM : fcictiired to orclcr, and are current in the East, for the benefit of the unwary traveller ; and he even derived a small income by giving private lessons on the subject. Mr Carabet, who had an artless and unsophisticated mind, was wont to confess to the customers with whom he dealt the most largely, and from whom he obtained the highest prices, that he had scruples of conscience lest his pupils, instead of being amateurs and tourists, who came to him to learn how to buy the true, were themselves manufacturers of base imi- tations, who came to learn by minute ex- amination of the originals how to make the false. The frankness with which Mr Carabet asked the advice of high-minded customers on this knotty point, his great learning as a numismatist, and the anxiety he showed *to adjust his prices to the intrinsic value of the articles he sold, made it impossible for any one to suspect that he was himself one of the most skilful fabricators of forgeries living. But it was none the less a ]3roud boast of Mr Cara- bet's, and a true one, that nobody who came to buy genuine antiques from him had ever purchased a forgery, or even paid a higher A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 51 price than the article was worth. In pro- pounding his moral difficulties to his cus- tomers, however, and explaining to them the nature of the frauds perpetrated by less scrupulous dealers than himself, it never occurred to him to ask whether they con- sidered it dishonest for a man to make forgeries and sell them confidentially as such, to men who came to buy them. As he was a quick and remarkably intelligent man, with a considerable charm of manner, which was rather enhanced than otherwise in the eyes of the natives by his eager efforts to master their language — in which, during nearly a year's residence, he had made tolerable pro- gress — he had, at the expiration of that time, won for himself a fair amount of respect and popularity, which would have been far greater vrere it not for a circumstance to which I am about to allude. His establishment was a modest one, and consisted of a small house in an unfrequented street, the lower portion of which was devoted to the shop in which his articles were dis- played, and to the storage of his wares. Above this, he lived alone with his sister, 52 MASOLLAM : Sada, who was known by name to his neigh- bours as Miss Carabet, and with whom he had returned from the East two or three months before. I say known by name, because she had never been seen by any of them. This they naturally regarded in the light of a per- sonal injury, to which insult was added when the most persistent inquiries addressed both to the cook and housemaid — who were them- selves townspeople, and burning with curiosity — were absolutely fruitless. Mr Carabet occu- pied the whole of the first floor, and his sister the whole of the second. She performed all the menial services required to keep her own apartments in order herself, and was known to take her exercise on the leads, because she was a constant object of observation through opera-glasses from the back windows of the upper floors of the houses in the neighbouring street, but they were too far off" to enable the observers to distinguish her features. She was always seen drying her clothes upon them, from which it was inferred that she had washed them herself, and this was borne out by the testimony of Mary and Jane. Neither of the servants above named were A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. bo iillowed to ascend to tlie second storey : this was a privilege which Mr Carabet reserved for himself. He caused sufficient to be served for two at each of his meals, and always carried up his sister's portion before sitting down to his own. The natural presumption was that she was idiotic or insane ; but as her brother usually spent some portion of each day with her, and, so far as could be gathered from the close observation of the servants, treated her with marked consideration and respect, a certain discredit was thrown upon this hypothesis. There was another mystery connected with Mr Carabet which also exercised the imasrina- o tions of his servants — neither of whom, by the way, slept in the house ; and this was the locked room on his own floor. Into this room no one l3ut himself was allowed to enter, under any pretext whatever ; in fact it was impos- sible, for he always kept the key in his pocket. Indeed his first act on takins; the house was to have a patent lock pi\t on the door. When he was not in the shop, which he usually left in charge of a trustworthy lad, except when he was summoned by a customer, he was 54 MASOLLAM : either locked up in this room or up-stairs with his sister, who seemed in some way to assist him in his oc(5upation, for he was constantly carrying small ol)jects up and down. Visitors who did not come to buy anything were so rare, that both the cook and the housemaid rushed to the top of the kitchen stairs when they heard a rustle in the passage, and great was their astonishment when they saw a lady and gentleman enter Mr Carabet's sitting - room. This was immeasurably in- creased when, from a coign of vantage on a landing, they watched their master open the mysterious chamber, and usher his visitors into it. But a still more astounding surprise was in store for them ; for a few moments later the male visitor issued from the chamber alone, and delilierately walked up-stairs to Miss Carabet's floor, followed about a quarter of an hour afterwards l)y the female visitor. They must have remained there at least an hour. Mr Carabct, in the meanwhile, had locked himself into his room after his lady visitor had left it, and stayed there until l^oth the lady and gentleman had finished their visit to Miss Carabet ; when, summoned by a knock A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 55 at the door, lie emerged, locked it again, and they all three left the house. " Well, I never seen the like of it," said Mary to Jane, as they descended to the lower regions to discuss this remarkable incident. " One would ha' thought that old gentleman 'ad stayed up with Miss Carabet twenty years by the look o' him, instead of an hour by the clock. Did you see 'ow he went up two steps at a time, and came down a 'oldin' on by the banisters, as if 'is legs would give way under him, like a old man of eighty ? " " Ah, I did ; and I see more than that. There was dimonds in that young woman's ears worth a mint. I couldn't take my hi's hoff of 'em," responded the cook. " A beauty she is, to l^e sure 1 Mark my words, Mary, — there'll be a tragiety committed in this 'ere 'ouse some day ; and now I know why I dreamt, no longer ago than last night it was, that I M^as in the witness - box, and IVIr Carabet a standin' right hopposite to me, as it might be there, with a rope round 'is neck." • " It may have l)een meant for an awful warning," said Mary. 56 MA80LLAM : (I Ti That's just wliat I says to myself," re- turned her companion. " A warning received means, by contraries, a warning given, I says ; and so soon as Mr Carabet comes 'ome, I'm blessed if I don't give it." The cook had not long to wait before an opportunity was afforded to her of putting her threat into execution ; for Masollam dismissed Carabet at the door of his room with a gesture of impatience, and turning to his daughter as soon as he had disappeared, said, in a voice -SO feeble as to be almost a whisper — ' ' I did wrong, Amina, in paying that visit when I did — it will make us late for our ap- pointment ; but it cannot now be helped. " Quick," he added, as he sank at full length upon a couch; " put your hands upon my head." At the same moment, with rapid but trem- bling fingers, he undid his shirt -collar, and bared the upper part of his chest. The girl, to whom the injunction seemed familiar, pressed both her palms upon his temples, from which she had drawn back the heavy locks, and stood for a few moments motionless. Then she slowly moved one hand to his forehead, while she placed the A PEOBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 57 other upon the lower part of the back brain, and again pressed, but in an opposite direc- tion, with the same firm but gentle force. As she did so, her own respiration underwent a remarkable change. The breathing became deeper, fuller, and more prolonged, until her lungs seemed to acquire a power of unnatural expansion, while that of her father appeared altogether to have ceased : his eyes had closed, his whole frame stiffened, as the gentle heaving of his chest subsided into complete quiescence ; and, except for a faint colour in his cheeks, wdiich was not the hue of death, he would to a casual observer have presented all the ap- pearance of a corpse. Amina now withdrew her hands from her father's head, and pouring a few drops of a liquid, which had a strong aromatic odour, from a small phial into some water, she steeped her hands in it for a few moments, then taking a chair, she drew it to the side of the couch, and lifting one of the apparently lifeless hands, held it between both her ow^n, watching, as it seemed, for some in- dication know^n to herself, to guide her as to her further proceedings. She sat thus for half an hour, motionless, except for the deep, 58 MASOLLAM I measured breaths, under the inllueiiee of which, at long intervals, her bosom rose and fell. Suddenly her face flushed, a slight tremor shook her whole being, her breath came in short quick gasps, with great apj^arent diffi- culty. Instantly letting drop the hand which she had hitherto clasped, she placed her own upon that part of MasoUam's chest which was bared, and rubbed it briskly. After a few moments her exertions were rewarded by a quiver of his eyelids, which he slowly raised, drawing a deep, full breath : it seemed as though it were answered by a corresponding change in the respiration of his daughter, and for some minutes their breathing was abso- lutely synchronous. At last Masollam passed his hand two or three times over his eyes, and said — " Carabet has been faithless." " In what respect, father ? " "He has been corresponding with your mother without my knowledge." " Then she also has l^een faithless for not telling you of it." " She acted for the best — she was afraid it might cause me suffering to know it, but she A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 59 did wroiiiT : she o;ave liim directions without consulting me, which have resulted in for greater mischief, and therefore suffering, than if she had shown me Carabet's letters." "Had they reference to Sada? " "Yes." " Did she say nothing to you about it l)efore I came up-stairs ? " " AVhat could she say ? she knew nothing about it. I only myself knew it a moment ago. It has just been presented to me in a form which has enabled me to read it." " Did you see anything else — anything to help you in our approaching visit to the Hartwrights ? " "Have you not learnt, child, that the con- ditions under which I am enabled to penetrate into regions which are closed to the common herd, are encompassed with strict limitations ? I was taken away to be made aware of a certain specific fact connected with my own people, and the special influences under which they act. When the time arrives for me to be brouo'ht into relations with those which affect the people we are going to see, and revelations are necessary with regard to them, they will 60 MASOLLAM. Le made to mc. However, I have seen some- thing which may be of use ; " and he went to a table and wrote hurriedly for a moment. " Meantime," he continued, " the external sources of information which I possess, and the facts which have already come to my know- ledge, will suffice for the present. We have not a moment to lose, however, if we are to avail ourselves of them : quick, order the fly." " It has been standing at the door for the last half-hour, father : I ordered it to be ready at one, before we went out — it is only half-past now ; and we can make the man drive fast." 61 CHAPTER IV. MR CHARLES HARTWRIGHT's FINANCIAL CONFIDENCES. Charles Hartwright had spent so many of the earlier years of his life on the Continent, in connection with his brother's financial en- terprises, that he spoke French fluently, and on the entrance of Mr Masollam and his dano-hter, addressed them in that lano-uao-e with all the empressement of a man accus- tomed to foreign ways, and desirous of making a good impression upon his guests, " Our mutual friend the Count, to whom I am indebted for the pleasure of making your acquaintance," he remarked, " failed to tell me in his letter whether this was your first visit to England, and whether you are acquainted with our language, which must be my a^Dology for addressing you in French." 62 MASOLLAM : " It is the first visit to England of my daughter, hut I spent some of the earlier years of my life in this country," remarked Masollam in Enoiish ; " and as I am anxious that she should acquire English more perfectly, and I myself am a little out of practice, you will be doiuo- us both a kindness to let us continue our conversation in it." Hartwiight complimented his guest, not without reason, on the excellence of his accent, and ]Mrs Hartwrioht drew a sio-h of relief at finding that her own linguistic acquirements were not to be tested. As two of the young; ladies and one of the young- gentlemen were present, and the conversation at luncheon turned chiefly upon topics political and social, it is without interest for our readers. According to a preconcerted scheme, it had been arranged between the worthy couple whose guests the Masollams now were, that after luncheon Mrs Hartwrigiit should take the lady into the garden and estimate her value, and her husband should retire into his study with her father, and judge what use was to be made of him : and that on meeting; after- wards, they should signify the result to each other by a certain secret code of sig;nals, and A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 63 that Mr Hartwrigiit would be guided thereby as to the nature and extent of the invitation, if any, that was to be extended to them. In pm'suance of this arrangement, Mrs Hart- wiight carried off Amina to the conservatory, to show her some exotics from the East ; and MasoUam accompanied her husband to his own den, to test the merits of some Syrian tobacco. " I must apologise for the somewhat dis- ordered condition of the room," said Hart- wriofht : " but the fact is, as Santalba will have perhaps informed you, that we were meditating a trip to the Continent, and I have only put it ofi" at the last moment in consequence of difficulties raised by the man to whom I expected to let my house during my absence." " The Count merely told me that he thought there were some matters in which my experi- ence might be of service to you, and as I was coming to England at any rate, begged me to lose no time in calling upon you : he is so old and valued a friend of mine, that I was only too slad to think that I could be of use to one with whom, as I understood, he had been so intimately associated in early life." " We were a good deal thrown together in 64 MASOLLAM : some enterprises abroad at one time — for my brother Richard had such a high opinion of his sagacity, that he confided to him many of his most important affairs, in which I was also interested. That some tie of a very close, and I may almost say mysterious nature, existed between them, connected probably in some way with their financial relations, may be in- ferred from the fact that on his death, which took place a few months before Sebastian came of age, he not only made the Count his son's sole guardian, but made a will leaving his entire property unreservedly to Count Santalba. It seems that there was a private understanding, that on Sebastian's coming of age, the Count should transfer it to my nephew, though this did not appear in the will." " And did Santalba make the property over to his ward on the latter attaining his ma- jority?" asked Masollam. " I believe he did. I have no means of knowing exactly. At all events, he made over enough to make my nephew an extremely wealthy man." Masollam's brow clouded, and for a moment he remained buried in deep thought. A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. C5 " Go on," he said, suddenly, and in a some- what more peremptory tone than was quite agreeable to his host. " I have little more to say," continued that gentleman. " For some time past I have had but little intercourse with Santalba, who seems to have entirely abandoned his old pursuits, and to have withdrawn from the world of which at one time he was a distin- guished ornament, and to lead a mysterious and secluded life, apparently connected with a mystical society of some sort, the nature and objects of which none of his old friends have been able to understand. The last time I saw him was at my brother's funeral. Since then he has taken no notice of several letters which I have written to him, the last scarcely a month since, in wdiich I referred to certain difficulties I now find myself placed in. I am happy to think," continued Hartwright, with a polite inclination of the head, "that I am indebted to it for the honour of your visit : it proves at least that he is alive, and that I may still regard him as a friend. Perhaps you can throw some light upon his strange conduct." VOL. I. E 66 MASOLLAM : " Yes," said Masollam, slowly, with one of his sudden changes of manner, in a voice that sounded to his startled auditor like a distant echo, and eyes so shrunken that they were barely visible in the depths of their enormous recesses, " there is no man living who can throw so much light upon your friend's life as I can ; but," he added, and paused as though taking a mental inventory of the moral and intellectual faculties of the man he was speaking to, " it would only dazzle you if I did." Hartwright felt a shiver pass over him as his singular visitor, whose head had been bowed forward as though in an attitude of intense inquisition, threw it suddenly back, and projected his burning glance upon him. It was as though he had withdrawn the slides of a couple of dark lanterns, as if to give point to his remark. "Would only dazzle me," he murmured, repeating mechanically MasoUam's last words ; and making a violent effort to shake off the impression they had produced, he added, " Be it so : I really have no great curiosity in the matter. If it amuses Santalba, it does not A PROBLEM OF THE PEIIIOD. G7 hurt me." He spoke half mockingly, half testily, annoyed with himself at the fleeting emotion he had experienced, and it was a moment or two liefore he completely re- covered his equanimity. After a pause, which Masollam showed no inclination to break, he said at last — "You are jDerhaps aware of the contents of the Count's letter ? " " I am," replied his visitor, " and am only waitinof to know in what manner I can serve you ; " and fitting a cigarette into a long amber mouthpiece, he lit it, as an intimation appar- ently to his host that he was as patient as he was indifi'erent on the suljject. Hartwright laid his cheek on his hand, and seemed for some moments lost in meditation. "Mr Masollam," he said at length, "half confidences are worse than no confidences. I tell you frankly, I should like first to know what your motive is in putting yourself out of your way to try and serve me, before I give you all mine." " My motive, as I have already told you," replied his guest, "is to serve my friend : that I cannot serve him, or he me, without each of 68 MASOLLAM : US serving in one sense himself, arises from the fixct tliat, as our aims and objects in life are identical, our interests must be identical also. AVliat those aims, objects, and interests are, it is impossible, for the reason I have already stated, for me now to impart to you," " You think tlicj would dazzle me, eh ? " said Hart Wright, with a sneer. "Are you in earnest in asking that ques- tion ? " exclaimed MasoUam, with such a sharp, stern emphasis, that Hartwright was taken aback by it. " I did not mean so much to ask a ques- tion," he stammered, "as to repeat what you said. As, however, it is asked, I should be glad to have an answer." " Pardon me. I do not wish to press you to ask it — we can leave the matter where it is : or if you really desire to know more," — and Masollam leant forward and extended his hand, — " I must request you to place your hand in mine." Hartwright, anxious to retrieve the breach of politeness of which he had been guilty, did as he was asked, and became instantly aware that he had never felt such an uncom- A PllOBLEM OF THE i'EKIOD. 69 fortaljle liaiid in his life. He hud not observed anything peculiar about it on the occasion of their first meeting, nor could he accurately de- scribe why it was unpleasant now : it was not cold, nor hard, nor clammy— on the contrary, it was warm and soft ; but there was an in- describable feeling of thinness and unsubstan- tiality about it, which did not strike one at the first touch, l)ut seemed to grow upon one the longer the contact was maintained, until it 25roduced a sensation of nervous irritabil- ity wliicli l)ecame almost unbearable, Hart- wright was by no means a man of nervous temperament ; but for some time after he got back his hand, he felt, as he told his wife afterwards, as if it was c[uite diff'erent from his other one, and had been tampered with in some way. Mr Masollam, on releasing the hand of his host, turned upon him a smile of aftectionate interest and urbanity as he observed — " Further investigation convinces me that I was mistaken in my first appreciation. I now perceive that I was wrong in supposing that any light which I might throw upon the suli- ject of your inquiry would dazzle you. The 70 MASOLLAM : capacity of Ijeiiig dazzled, implies the capacity of receiving light." " In other words," said Hartwright, who did not fail to apprehend the full force of this remark, " you mean to convey to me politely that I should be incapable of understanding the aims in life which animate Santalba and yourself." " I think it possible that, in a vague and general way, you might understand the aims, though it is quite impossible that you could sympathise with them. What you are ab- solutely incapable of apprehending are the methods we employ to accomplish those aims, and the processes necessary to the achievement of the great ends we have in view. I do not speak thus in a sense which is in any way derogatory to your natural intelligence, which is great. It is not the ffiult of any man that he was born without an ear for music, and should neither sympathise in the object which Beethoven had in view when he sat down to compose a symphony, nor apprehend the methods by which he arrived at it. You have very fine talents, and cannot do better than use them for the purposes for which they can A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 71 be made most available. It lias pleased Provi- dence to endow me with o-ifts of another kind, and, as I have already said, they are at your service — that is to say, if you are satisfied with this explanation, which is the only one I can give you, of my motives for offering them." There was an assumption of patronising authority and calm superiority on the part of the speaker which was calculated to irritate the vanity of his listener, the more especially as he was conscious that he was being irresist- ibly imposed upon by it. At the same time, his confidence in Santalba's judgment, and the allusion contained in the letter of the latter, to the dano'cr of his allowino; his own narrow prejudices to interfere with his interests, dis- posed him to weigh carefully in his mind the consequences of rejecting an offer made under such sing-ular conditions. After a few mo- ments' reflection, he came to the conclusion to take Mr Masollam at his own valuation, and to admit him frankly into his confidence. " You know possibly something of my family and myself from Santalba, and have doubtless heard him speak of my nephew, 72 MASOLLAM : Sebastian Hartwriglit, if you do not know that young man personally," he said. " I have heard so high a character of him from the Count," returned Masollam, " that it has o;iven me a OTeat desire to make his ac- quaintance, which I have never had the pleas- ure of doing." " I should say he was a young man remark- ably receptive of that species of light to which I am unfortunately so blind," rejoined Hart- wriglit, who had not quite got over the feeling of offence to which Masollam's previous remark had given rise. " He is one of the privileged few whom, I understand, Santalba still admits to his intimacy, and indeed entertains views the most strange and fantastic upon many subjects. However, these are not what I now desire to discuss, though it may be necessary to allude to them hereafter. His father and I," pursued Hartwriglit, after a short pause, " were the only children of a civil engineer who had not made a success of his profession, but who, nevertheless, gave us both a good education, and died in extremely mediocre circumstances. Our mother did not long survive him, and at the age of two- and three-and-twenty we A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 73 were left to push our fortunes in the world. It is unnecessary for me to describe the details of my elder brother's rapid and most successful career as a contractor for railways and other public works. They were prin- cipally in foreign countries, many of them undertaken in conjunction with the Count, who, thougli noble, was in early life impecuni- ous, and whose foreign training — for he had been in diplomacy — and extensive knowledge of puljlic men, rendered him a most valual)le colleague. Unfortunately, my brother did not entertain the same opinion in regard to myself in that capacity. After associating me in one or two of his earlier enterprises, he left me to push my own fortunes, which I did, tant hien que mal, and settled down here some years ago with my wife, having had no great cause to complain of fate. Unfortunately, just before my brother's death we had a rather warm discussion upon a family matter, which left a coolness between us, to which I attribute the fact that he died with barely a mention of me in his will." "Will you allow me to ask what was the subject of difference ? " interrupted ]\Iasollam. K 4 MASOLLAM : "My wife and I thought that it woukl be desirable, if possible, to bring about a union between my eldest daughter Florence and Sebastian, more especially as the young lady manifested a decided j^^nchant for her cousin." " Was it reciprocated ? " " Not exactly ; but Sebastian was an obedi- ent son, and, I have no doubt, would have consented had his father pressed him. This he refused to do on the score of his youth, — hence our difference. But to continue, the whole property, which must amount to nearly a million sterling, invested principally in coal- mines and house property in this town, for which, as you are perhaps aware, Sel)astian is the sitting member, was left to Santalba, and, as I have already explained, subsequently transferred to Sebastian by the Count." "Who appears to have carried out the testa- tor's wishes in a most honourable manner," again interrupted Masollam. " I am not disputing that ; my remark had reference to the fact that, if the matrimonial alliance to which I have alluded was pros- pectively desirable during my brother's life- time, it is much more so now that my own A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 75 financial position has become compromised, and that his son has inherited his property, and shoukl be much more easy of accomplish- ment, since the father is no longer alive to throw obstacles in the way." " Such being so palpably the case, how is it you have not accomplished it ? I suppose you have adopted the usual methods for throwing the young people together. I think that is the correct phrase," — and Masollam smiled with such a sweet expression of sym- pathy and interest, that Hartwright failed to detect the sneer that it concealed. " Everything that an affectionate father, a devoted mother, and a daughter as accom- plished and dutiful as she is attractive — you will make allowances for a parent's partiality — ■ could do, has been done. Sebastian constantly comes and stays with us when on a visit to his constituency : he is uniformly kind to his cousins, and at times esj^ecially so to Florence ; but there appears to be some subtle influence at work, which always seems to prevent him from — from — coming to the point, in fact." "Perhaps he is in love with some one else." " No ; we have been very particular in our 76 MASOLLAM : investigations in that matter, tlirougli some friends in London who take a warm interest in him, and have excellent opportunities of watching his proceedings, and we arc most positively assured that such is not the case." At this moment the door was opened, and a servant entered with a teleo;ram. " For Mr MasoUam, sir," he said, giving it to that gentleman, but addressing his master, who was instinctively holding out his hand for it. With an apology for opening it, the recipi- ent cast a momentary and indifferent glance at the contents ; then, as he carelessly twisted it into divers shapes, finally thrusting the hand which held it into his pocket, he remarked, with the distant air of a man who is chieHy occu2:)ied with, the contemplation of his own affiiirs, and takes no trouble to conceal the fact that he is being bored — "And you wish to enlist my services in discovering this subtle oj^posing influence, and overcoming it, eh ? " There are few things more irritating to a man's vanity than to force his most intimate confidences from him, and then to treat them A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 77 with levity. And there was a lurking mockery in Masollam's tone as he uttered the last words, and then Ijecamc suddenly absorbed in watch- ino- the convolutions of a wreath of tobacco- smoke, which stung Hartwright to the quick. For the second time during the interview he felt himself invaded, as it were, by such a sen- sation of antipathy, as to make it difficult for him to resist putting an end to the conver- sation by an outburst of insolence ; but his better judgment suggested, after a moment's reflection, that there was nothing to be gained by c[uarrelling with his guest, after having in some measure put himself in his power, and that the only course left to him was to smother his indignation, and put his trust in Santalba's recommendation. He determined, however, to waste as few words as possible, and replied with a sullen bluntness, " To make a long story short, I want you to exercise those mysterious powers which Santalba hints that you possess, and to which you seem to make pretension, and bring about a match between my daughter and my nephew." "By means of a love - philtre, perhaps?" and this time the sneer was undisguised. 78 MASOLLAM : "I do not pretend to know the difference between the metliods employed by sages and those practised 1 >y witches ; 1 have not much confidence in either of them," retorted Hart- wright, angrily. " Nor, if you will pardon my saying so, am I aware of my having given you any reason to employ a tone towards me which savours of contempt. Perhaps," he added, with a scornful curl of his lip, "it is because I have not yet alluded to the delicate subject of remuneration for your services ; but you must perceive that the sum e7i jeu will furnish an ample margin to meet charges of this nature." The speaker had scarcely finished the sen- tence when, to his consternation, his strange o;uest was seized with an uncontrollable fit of trembling, which lasted for more than a minute. " What is the matter now ? have you caught a chill ? " exclaimed Hartwright. " Will you let me send for a glass of wine ? " " Don't chatter any more, but tell me how much money you require at once." Masollam's eyes were closed as he said this in so low a tone as to be scarcely audible, A PROBLEM OF THE TERIOD. 79 while the purport of the remark was so unex- pected, that Hartwright literally did not know whether to l)elieve his ears. A prey, for the moment, to a conflict of emotions, his com- mon-sense and urgent needs once more came to the rescue, to save him from an outburst of temper at the rudeness of his guest's ex- clamation, as he replied somewhat surlily — " A couple of thousand pounds would give me time to look about : I should still require to let the house." " It must be to me, then," said Masollam, in the same voice ; and he at the same time drew out his pocket-book, with a deliberation that almost amounted to effort, and taking a cheque from it which was already filled up in Hartwriffht's name, he handed it to his host. To the astonishment of that gentle- man, the sum inscribed was exactly the amount he had mentioned, but it was still unsigned. "Give me a pen," murmured Masollam, Ijarely opening his eyes, as he held out his hand; and on Hartwright complying, he slowly traced his name in the corner. He had no sooner done so than another slight shiver 80 MASOLLAM : passed over his frame. He pressed his hands over his eyes for a moment, and tlicn looked up with a total change of feature and of man- ner. "And now, my dear Mr Hartwright," he said in a natural tone, and with great sweetness of expression, " let me congratulate you on the great temper, tact, and moderation which you have shown throughout this inter- view, which I have endeavoured to make as short and as little painful to your feelings as possible. When you come to know me Letter, you will make allowance for my mental and bodily peculiarities : we all have them, you know, only mine are somewhat more marked than those of other people. By the way, Sebastian is rather an uncommon name for an Englishman ; how did your nephew come by itf" Masollam's transitions, both of manner and matter, were so sudden, that Hartwright was still almost too bewildered to reply. " First," he said, " let me express my thanks for " " Don't go back on that now," said Masollam, in a hurried voice almost of alarm. " But you will surely require security ? " A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 81 " Stop, will you ! " tliiuidered the old man, springing to liis feet, and bringing liis fist down on the table with such violence that the inkstand clattered ; and then, sinking back into his chair, he resumed, " We were talkino- about that interesting nephew of yours and his singular name." " Yes," said Hartwright, now completely cowed ; "he is called, I imagine, after one of his mother's family. She was a Spaniard, On one occasion my brother was nearly three years absent from England ; on his return he came back with a wife and a baby. It was rather a romantic story. She eloped with him from a convent, I believe ; but I don't know the particulars. You must apply for them to Santalba, who, I believe, was a connection of the late Mrs Hartwright. In fact, I wonder, as you know him, and show so much interest in the family " — here Hartwright glanced at the cheque — " and know so much about its finan- cial necessities, that you are not familiar with the birth, parentage, and education of us all." "I am not of a prying nature," said Masol- 1am, with an amiable smile. " Shall we see what has become of the ladies ? My dear Mr VOL. I. F 82 MASOLLAM : Hartwriglit, your very kind invitation to move from the hotel here has taken me a little by surprise, and I must carry away my daughter now if we are to be back to dinner : ladies are such slow packers, you know." Of all the shocks which Hartwriglit had ex- perienced in the course of this one remarkable interview, this was destined to be the most violent and unexpected. What did the man mean by accepting an invitation to " move " from the hotel here, which had never been tendered to him ? In fact, Hartwright had only just decided in his own mind to make the signal agreed upon with his wife as a pre- liminary to offering his guests the hospitality of the house for the night. Masollam observed the shade of annoyance and surj)rise which his remark had occasioned, and continued — " You will now be able to postpone your trip abroad indefinitely, and we shall have opportunities while living together of discuss- ing those domestic and financial problems which are vexing your spirit, under conditions which will enable me to judge how they may be solved in the manner you desire — conditions which it was impossible for me to command A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. ' 83 during one short interview. Wliicli way ? " lie asked, for by this time lie had walked into the hall, followed by his host, and seemed to regard the arrangement as finally settled. Hartwright, too much engaged in collecting his thoughts to make any further remark, opened a glass door into a conservatory, through which his wife and daughters, accom- panied by Amina, were returning to the house. " Amina, my child," said MasoUam, immedi- ately on seeing her, " Mr Hartwright has been so very kind as to invite us to come and stay with him while w^e are resident in this part of the country, and in fact has gone so far as to change his own plans and postpone his depar- ture for the Continent indefinitely. As we have important business afi'airs to settle to- gether, which require our immediate attention, it is necessary that we make the move at once. You will recognise the importance of this prompt action later," he said, turning to his host ; " and now I must ask you to allow us to run away for an hour or two. At what time do you dine ? " "At a quarter to eight," replied Hartwright, somewhat surlily. His wife was at that mo- 84 MASOLLAM : nieiit glaring at liim with such an expression of indignation and amazement, that he was afraid to manifest a politeness which, to do him justice, he was far from feeling. The Masollams had scarcely taken their departure, and Mrs Hartwright was giving vent to her pent-up feelings in a higher key, and in stronger language than was quite con- sistent with her social aspirations, when, to her husband's great relief, and before he had found a moment to enter upon an explanation, she was interrupted by the arrival of another telegram, this time addressed to himself, and which ran as follows : — " Parliament will be dissolved immediately. Expect me to dinner to-night. — Sebastian." " The plot seems to be thickening. There is another surprise and another guest for you." And Hartwright dexterously covered his retreat by putting the message into his wife's hands, and vanishing into the sanctum where he had so lately been closeted with his strange visitor. " I wonder," he muttered, as he sank with an intense feeling of relief into his arm-chair, and A PROBLEM OF THE PERIOD. 85 his eye fell on tlic drawer in wliicli he had locked the unlooked-for cheque, — " I wonder whether that old impostor was referring to Sebastian's arrival to-night, when he talked about my soon recognising the necessity of prompt action. It certainly is strange that he should have hit off so precisely the amount I needed, and have forced himself upon us exactly in the nick of time to meet Sebastian." As he was thus ruminating, Masollam and his dauoiiter were rollino- back to town in the fly, and the former was in the act of remark- ing, as he tore up into minute fragments a telegram which Amina had just been reading, and threw them out of the window — " Cottrell did that well ; it reached me most apropos, and the news it contained of Sebas- tian's intended arrival to-night enabled me to force the situation. Carabet was very accurate in his estimate of our friend's financial needs, too — or rather, I suppose, the butler was ; but I never should have thought of taking a cheque for the amount in my pocket, had I not seen myself giving one to some one last night when I was away." Being " away " meant, in MasoUam's parlance, the trance con- 86 MASOLLAM. ditions into wliidi lie was in the habit oT ftiUino'. " It is a hxr