^s STOiQj:-CiE • OUR: i'l'^^'ES •JI^9M--y1|SE^T0 ^I^ COfJDUCTED-BY > WITH WHICH IS llMCOl^O^TED SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1872 his umbrella and walking-stick in the cor­ THE YELLOW FLAG. ner, his folded gloves and clothes-brush Bx EDMUND YATES, ) laid out upon the table; up the heavily AUTHOR OF "BLACK SHEEP," " NOBODY'S FORTUNE," <&a &C. carpeted stairs; past tbe closed drawing- room door, and on to Mrs, Calverley's bed­ BOOK II. room, at the door of which she knocke'i. CHAPTER III. A CHECK. Bidden to come in, Pauline entered, and MR. CALVERLEY dead! The announce­ found the widow seated prim and upright ment, so suddenly and so calmly blurted in a high-backed chair, before the fire. ^ out by the footman, so took Pauline by " This is sad news, my dear friend," surprise that she Hterally staggered back commenced Pauline, in a sympathetic voice; two paces, and supported herself against "this is a frightful calamity." the wall. Dead, on the very day, almost " Yes," said Mrs. Calverley, coldly," it at the very hour when he had promised is very bard upon me, but not more than I to meet her, when sbe had calculated on have always expected, Mr, Calverley chose worming from bim the secret which, once never to live in his own home, and he has in her possession, sbe had intended to use finished by dying out of it," as the means of extracting information " I have beard no particulars," said Pau­ about Tom Durham, and of putting her on line. "Where did the sad event takeplace ?" to her fugitive husband's track. Dead ! " Mr. Calverley was found dead in a rail­ What was the meaning of it all ? Was way carriage, as he was returning from the mystery about this unknown man, those ironworks," said tbe widow, witb this not-to-be-mentioned invisible partner, vicious emphasis on the last word, " He Claxton, of deeper importance than she had entered into that speculation against my thought ? Were Mr. Calverley, Claxton, will, and he has now reaped the reward of and Tom Durham, so intermixed with his own obstinacy," business transactions of sucb a nature that Pauline looked at her curiously. The sooner than confess bis connexion with dread event which had occurred bad not them the senior partner had committed softened Mrs. Calverley in tbe sHghtest self-destruction ? The thought flashed like degree. lightning through Pauline's brain. But " This is very, very sad," said Pauline, ere she had time to analyse it, the solemn after a pause. " If I were to consult my voice of the footman repeated in its croak­ own feelings I should withdraw, and leave ing tones : you to your overwhelming grief, which no " Mrs, Calverley wishes to see Madame attention can solace, and which must run Doo Turt as soon as possible." its course, and yet I cannot bear to think "Yes," said Pauline, in reply, "I will of you alone and unaided ! What would go to Mrs. Calverley at once." you wisb me to do ?" Past the range of hat-pegs, where the " Yob had much better stay," said Mrs. dead man's coats and hats still hung; Calverley, shortly. "I feel myself quite past the little study, through the open unequal to anything, and there is a great door of which she saw a row of his deal to be done," boots standing in order against the wall. The tone in which these words were SSiS ^ J 91 VOL. vni. A 'Wl' :& 242, PSnly 27, W72.] ALL THE YEAR ROUND. [Conducted by nttei'ed was cold, peremptory, and tm- present, then, here I stay. The house |)leasant, but Pauline took no notice of it. will not be .so duU as it was before, for SSbe kad a .^reat deal to think over, and •these eccentric Eqglish people, orflinarily so would take the first opportunity of arrang­ triste and reserved, seem to earcite them­ ing bea* plans. As it was, she busied her­ selves witb deaths,and funerals.; .and now self in seeing to Mrs. Calverley's oomfort. this priest, this Monsieur Gurwood, who •She bad long since relieved ber of tbe-sii- was on the point of going away, wUl (perintendence of domestic affairs, and now have to remain to attend to the affairs, she made suggestions for an interview with and to be a comfoa't to bis sorrowing "the milliner, for the ordering of the servants' mother, I am much mistaken if there is mourning, and for the general conduct of not something to be made out of Monsieur »the household, in aU of which ihe widow Gurwood, He is sly and secretive, and coldly acquiesced. i will hide all be knows, but my power of Then, so soon as sbe could, Pauline will is stronger than bis, and if, under these sought tbe privacy of her room, and gave altered circumstances, he learns anything herself up to meditation. which may interest me, I shall be able to " Was there ever anything so unfortu­ get it from bim," nate," sbe thought 'to herself, as, having Mrs. Calverley remained in her room changed ber neat French walking-boots that evening, occupying herself in writing for slippers, in order not to be heard by up her diary, w'bich she bad scrupulously Mrs, Calverley in the room beneatb,she com­ kept for many years, and in comparing her menced pacing up and down tbe floor, " was record of the feelings which she imagined there ever anything so unfortunate ! By tbis' she ought to havo experienced, and which man's death my wbole position is changed ! was very different ifrom what she really did Not that I think there is any doubt of ^perience, with tbe entry in a .previous diary stabflity of my interest in this bouse! of a dozen years ago, on the day of George Though it was he that first suggested that Gurwood's death. She bad bad a second I should come here, I bave so strengthened interview with Jidadame Du Tertre, and myself since then, I stand so well with the bad talked over the arrangements of the wretched creature down-stairs, the woman imilHner, and had discussed the advisability with a beart like a dried pea, that had he of a short run to Brighton, or some other lived and tried to bring his influence to lively place—it must be a lively place at bear against me it would have been un-! such a wintry season—for cTiange of air availing, Iliad better stay," she thought. and scene. And sbe bad made a v^ry " Housekeeper, dame de compagnie, drudge fair meal, whioh bad been sent up to lier even, if sbe coxdd make me so, and all for on a tray from the dinner-table below, at my board and lodging. Well, it is worth which Martin Gurwood and PauHne were my while to remain for that, even now, seated, solemnly facing each other. though by this man's death my chief pur­ The presence of the butler at tbis repast, pose in coming here is defeated. In the always annoying to a man of Martin Gur­ dead man I have lost, not .merely my first wood's simple habits, was on this occasion friend and patron, but one whom I had in­ perfectly unendurable; .and, after requesting tended sbould be my victim, and who alono his companion's assent, bo instructed the oould save me in tbe matter dearest to my domestic to retire, telling him tbey would heart. To all left here now that rascally wait u,pon themselves. husband of mine was unknown. Even of "I thougbt you would not mind it, the name of Tom Durham they have only Madame Du Tertre," be said, with a grave beard since the accoimt of his supposed bow, after the man "bad withdrawn. " At a death a,ppeared in the newspapers. The time when one is irritable, and one's nerves clue is lost just when I had my hand upon are disturbed, it is beyond measure an­ it! And yet I may as well remain in this noying to me to have a person looking on, place, at aU events until I see bow matters watching your every mouthful, and doing progress. There is nowhere I could go to nothing else." on the chance of bearing any news, unless, " I am most thankful that you sent the indeed, I could find the agent who signed servant away. Monsieur Gurwood," said that letter which Monsieur mon mari gave Pauline, "more especially as I could not me tbe day we were at Southampton. He speak to yot. in bis presence, and I am or she, whichever it may be, would know anxious to learurfuH^paiiticulars of what has something, doubtless, but wbetber they occurred." ' . , '• would teU it is anothen matter. For the Why did Martin Gurwood's pale face ^ 4 X" E5. Charles Dickens.] THE YELLOW FLAG. [July 27,1872.] 243 become suffused with a burning red? WTiat which Mr. Calverley used, and given them was there, Pauline thougbt, in ber obser­ my own misinterpretation. Ah, and so vation to make bim evince sucb emotion ? there is no one of the name of Claxton, or " I scarcely know-that T am in a position if there be he is not a partner ? So as far to give you any information, as aill I know as being able to rdHeve Mr. Calverley was myself is learned at second hand." concerned, it came to the same thing.