Mr Hatton held forward his hand to receive the letter of which
Lord de Mowbray had been speaking to him, and which he read
with great attention, weighing as it were each word.
Singular! as the letter had been written by himself, and the
firm who signed it were only his instruments, obeying the
spring of the master hand.
"Very remarkable!" said Mr Hatton.
"Is it not!" said Lord de Mowbray.
"And your Lordship received this yesterday?"
"Yesterday. I lost no time in communicating with you."
"Jubb and Jinks," continued Mr Hatton, musingly, surveying the
signature of the letter. "A very respectable firm."
"That makes it more strange," said his Lordship.
"It does," said Mr Hatton.
"A respectable firm would hardly embark in such a proceeding
without some show of pretext," said Lord de Mowbray.
"Hardly," said Mr Hatton.
"But what can they have?" urged his Lordship.
"What indeed!" said Mr Hatton. "Mr Walter Gerard without his
pedigree is a mere flash in the pan; and I defy him to prove
anything without the deed of '77."
"Well, he has not got that," said Lord de Mowbray.
"Safe, of course?" said Mr Hatton.
"Certain. I almost wish I had burnt it as well as the whole
box-full.
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