1856.] or, a Family Fracas. 39 



Shaw's cliambers, for he got behind a table when he saw me, and said — 

 ' Come, come, no violence.' 



* Hark jou, sir,' said I ; ' yon have got the ring. There's jour money. 

 Give it me directly, sir. Mrs. Grantham, poor thing, is going to-morrow 

 morning, at nine o'clock, to place a stone at the grave of Mr. Jordan, 

 and I intend to be there and give her her ring.' 



* Oh ! very well. Bother the ring. I don't want it. It aint worth 

 half the money I gave for it. There it is ; don't bother me.' 



I took up the ring, then put down two sovereigns, and casting upon 

 him a withering look, which, to tell the truth, he did not seem much to 

 care about, I left the chambers. 



A soft, damp, white mist covered up all objects, and made the air 

 uncommonly raw and chilly, as on the following morning, just as the 

 clock of the church at Barnes chimed the three-quarters past eight, I 

 entered the churchyard. 



The first thing I then did, was to fall over somebody's grave, for I 

 was looking for Mrs. Grantham, instead of minding where I was walk- 

 ing ; and then a voice said — 



* There you go again, as violent as usual, doctor ;' and in the dim mist 

 I saw Mr. Shaw, the solicitor, to my great surprise. 



I was going to say something, but at the moment I was nearly 

 knocked down again, by some one brushing past me. A gleam of sun- 

 shine came out, and the mist began to clear away, when a most singular 

 scene presented itself. A few yards off was the grave of Mr. Jordan, 

 and kneeling by it was Mary, his first love, with her child by her side. 

 Mr. Shaw stood to my left, and at his feet there knelt a respectable- 

 looking young man — I recollected him as Mr. Shaw's clerk. 



' Good God ! Kichards,' said Mr. Shaw, ' is that you? What is the 

 matter ? ' 



' Oh ! sir,' said Eichards, ' I have come to ask your forgiveness. The 

 spirit of my poor old father stood by my bedside all night. Oh, God ! 

 oh, God ! it was dreadful ; and I knew what it was for. Oh ! sir, forgive 

 me. I — I peeped into the will, sir, while you went out to dinner — Mr. 

 Jordan's will — and — and I went round to all the relations, and sold the 

 secret for two pounds a-piece, and — and — ' 



Mr. Shaw gave a jump that astonished me. 



'Doctor, doctor,' he shouted; 'for God's sake run down the London 

 road, and bring the man with the gravestone. Oh ! good gracious. Oh ! 

 d n you, Eichards. Ha ! ha I ha ! Oh ! here he is. Oh ! bless 



