Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/622

 Leaves from an English Solicitors Note Book.

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than let him leave the country again, and so "You will give me a free hand, will you set him at defiance. In my dilemma, I not, sir? " said he to me. made Carter my full confidante. "Certainly, Carter," said I, " I will trust The funeral was fixed for a Friday after you; frustrate Grimes by all legitimate noon in April, a large number of the neigh means." boring clergy had expressed their wish to "Very well, sir, it shall be done, ask no meet round the grave, and pay their last j questions, and leave Mr. George Croome in tribute of respect to the good old clergyman. my hands to do exactly what I tell him and I had received a telegram from George he shall get back to his quarters abroad safe Croome on the Thursday morning, announc enough; but he must not sleep at the Green ing his arrival in England, and fixing to see Dragon, he must sleep somewhere else, but me on that afternoon. I wrote over to the let his luggage go on to the Green Dragon landlady of the Green Dragon, an old historic as a blind to Grimes, just as if his dirty trick hostelry in Bishopsgate street, within five had not been suspected; leave the rest to minutes' walk of my office, asking her to keep me." a small private sitting-room and bedroom And so it came about that instead of sleep for a client of mine who would arrive from ing at the Green Dragon, George took what abroad that afternoon to attend a funeral he wanted for the night out of his portman the next day, and who would go abroad teau, and leaving it and his travelling rug again the next evening. I had the misfortune with Carter, came out to my house and of having a new office-boy in my office, not as spent the evening with me, Carter arranging yet broken in to the first duty of a lawyer's to meet us both at the old Shoreditch station clerk, viz., to hold his tongue. While George early in the morning, bringing me my Croome was closeted with me, going through morning's mail, so that we could go down to the provisions of his father's will, and learning the Rectory without calling at my office on his actual position as regarded the interest the way. which he took under it, Grimes called at my I felt very little more anxiety now that office, saw George's luggage, a portmanteau the matter was in Carter's hands. George with the initials of his name painted on it, Croome and I spent the evening together and a travelling rug, and he succeeded by a discussing plans for the future, which includ small bribe in eliciting from my office-boy ed his staying abroad for some time longer, the fact that George Croome was to stay at his allowance to be remitted to him monthly the Green Dragon, and to leave again for through my office. abroad immediately after the funeral. Be On the Friday morning Carter met us at fore my interview with George. came to an the Shoreditch station with my office mail. end, Carter came into the office and man I was very pleased to note that with great aged to draw out from my office-boy all about good feeling (as I thought) he had dressed his interview with Grimes, and at once his himself in deep mourning, and put a deep keen nose scented mischief in the air. In band of crape on his hat. I said to him : — terrupting our interview he told us of his "That is very thoughtful of you, Carter, strong suspicion that Grimes would have to dress in mourning: a very nice token of George arrested before he could leave Lon respect to my dead client." don again; and we three sat in solemn con "Well, you see, sir, I thought it would be clave discussing what could be done to frus only proper." Then, as I noticed a curious trate Grimes's plans. All at once I noticed a look on his face, he added, " you might have bright flash of intelligence pass over Carter's wanted me to go to the funeral perhaps, face. sir."