John Herring: A West of England Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
General
John Herring: A West of England Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
West Country (England) -- Fiction
The will was very short. Mr. Strange had drawn it up himself before
sailing for Europe. The substance has been already given. Mr. Strange
left everything he possessed to Mr. Eustace Smith, of Avranches,
gentleman, and Mr. Sampson Trampleasure, of Falmouth, solicitor, in
trust for his daughter, Mirelle, till she attained the age of
twenty-three, and empowering them to expend from it such moneys as were
needed for her entertainment and education. They were constituted sole
guardians, trustees, and executors.
Mr. Battishill uttered a groan.
’That scoundrel again!’
’But, sir, this is Trampleasure, not Tramplara.’
’It is the same. He writes himself Trampleasure, but nobody dreams of
calling him anything but Tramplara.’
’He is constituted her guardian.’
’Yes; but associated, fortunately, with another, Mr. Eustace Smith.’
’But should he renounce?’
’Then good-bye to Mirelle’s six thousand pounds. It will go down Wheal
Polpluggan.’
’Wheal what?’
’Wheal Polpluggan, that engulfed my money, and me.’
*CHAPTER VII.*
*THAT YOUNG TRAMPLARA.*
’What is to be done?’ asked Herring. There was a small black square
ruler on the table, belonging to Mr. Strange’s desk. He took it up and
played with it, now balancing it across his finger, then standing it up
on the table, with the end in his palm.
’Let things take their course,’ answered Mr. Battishill. ’I advise with
Gloucester, "Thy greatest help is quiet."’
’I will write to Mr. Eustace Smith at once.’
’Do so. If he renounces, mark my words, Polpluggan swallows the young
lady’s fortune. Friend Herring, I have the eyes of my heraldic
cognizance, and can see in the dark. A wonderful mine, Polpluggan. The
amount of capital sunk in it must have constituted a silver lode
somewhere.’
’When I have heard from Mr. Eustace Smith I will communicate with Mr.
Trampleasure—not before. I suppose I am justified in doing this?’
’Justified! Certainly. I have never seen Polpluggan myself. It is
situated in the Scilly Isles. Of these there be forty; but I have been
unable myself to make out in which Polpluggan lies, whether in Presher,
or Bryher, or Annette, or Tean, or Great Gannilly, or Little Gannilly,
or Gweal, or Withial, or Ganniornich, or——’
’I beg your pardon. May I borrow some notepaper?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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