On the morning after the arrival of the "Neptune," he sat in his
office in the Temple looking over his letters. Accurately dressed, in
frock coat, black trousers and tie, and spotless linen, he was turning
over his letters, when he came on that of Ronald's, and something in
the handwriting of Mr. Monteith senior, seemed to strike him, for he
opened it first. Reading it over carefully, he gave vent to a low
whistle of astonishment.
"Hum," said Mr. Foster' surveying the letter thoughtfully, "'friend of
your father's--only son--first visit to England--would like you to
look after him--exactly,'"--laying down the letter--"a cub I expect,
with no looks, and less manners, brought up in the wilds, and can't
eat his food properly--a delightful aboriginal to introduce into
London society. Well, I suppose I must. I love my dear old father too
well to think of refusing to do a good turn to any friend of his.
Confound it! I'm sure this son is awful. Well, perhaps he'll be rich,
and that will cover a multitude of sins. We are fond of whited
sepulchres now-a-days."
He put the letter of introduction on one side, and proceeded with the
rest of his correspondence, carefully answering each letter, and
putting it neatly away. Then he rang for his clerk, and giving him a
pile of letters, told him to post them, and taking up the "Daily
Telegraph," proceeded to read that paper and wait for clients. Of
course, he went first for the money market; then he looked over the
political news, glanced at the law reports, and read all the leaders,
ending with the theatres. These principal items being finished, he
glanced idly over the paper, and at last came on something that
interested him.
"Hum," said Mr. Foster, thoughtfully, "a murder committed on board the
'Neptune.' That is the boat the cub came home in. Think I'll read it,
that I may have something to talk about when he does come."
He read the article carefully, which told all about Ventin's murder,
and the suspicions entertained by Monteith, after which he laid the
paper down, and rising from his seat, walked slowly up and down the
room with his hands behind his back.
"Don't think the cub can be so bad after all," he said, musingly.
"Indeed, judging from his evidence, he seems rather a clever fellow.
Queer case, and one I'd like to have a hand in: to unravel a mystery
like that would make a fellow's fortune; but these things don't come
my way, confound it!"
Here he was interrupted by a knock at the door, and his clerk, a
red-headed boy, with a large appetite and fearful dislike for work
entered, with a card held in his grimy fingers.
"Gen'lum waitin' sir," said the red-headed youth, who breathed hard in
an apoplectic manner. "Ronald Monteith," read Foster on the card;
"hum! the cub--show him in Berkles."
Berkles grinned, vanished, and shortly afterwards threw open the door,
and announced "Mr. Ronald Monteith."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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