HIS FIRST BRIEF.
Hinton, when he left Charlotte, went straight back to his chambers. He
had no particular work to hurry him there; indeed, when he left that
morning he had done so with the full intention of spending the entire
afternoon with his betrothed. He was, as has been said, although a
clever, yet certainly at present a briefless young barrister.
Nevertheless, had twenty briefs awaited his immediate attention, he
could not have more rapidly hurried back as he now did. When he entered
his rooms he locked the outer door. Then he threw himself on a chair,
drew the chair to his writing table, pushed his hands through his thick
hair, and staring hard at a blank sheet of paper which lay before him
began to think out a problem. His might scarcely have been called a
passionate nature, but it was one capable of a very deep, very real
attachment. This attachment had been formed for Charlotte Harman. Their
engagement had already lasted nearly a year, and now with her own lips
she had told him that it might end, that the end, the one happy end to
all engagements, was in sight. With comfort, nay, with affluence, with
the full consent of all her friends, they might become man and wife.
John Hinton most undoubtedly loved this woman, and yet now as he
reviewed the whole position the one pleasure he could deduct for his own
reflection was in the fact that there was four months' reprieve.
Charlotte had herself postponed their wedding-day for four months.
Hinton was a proud man. When, a year ago, he had gone to Mr. Harman and
asked him for his daughter, Mr. Harman had responded with the very
natural question, "What means have you to support her with?"
Hinton had answered that he had two hundred a year--and--his profession.
"What are you making in your profession?" asked the father.
"Not anything--yet," answered the young man.
There was a tone of defiance and withal of hope thrown into that "yet"
which might have repelled some men, but pleased Mr. Harman. He paused to
consider. He might have got a much, much better match for Charlotte from
a temporal standpoint. Hinton was of no family in particular; he had no
money worthy of the name. He was simply an honest fellow, fairly
good-looking, and with the heart of a gentleman.
"You are doubtless aware," replied Mr. Harman, "that my daughter will
inherit a very large fortune. She has been sought for in marriage before
now, and by men who could give something to meet what she brings, both
with regard to money and position."
"I have heard of Mr. S.'s proposal," answered Hinton. "I know he is
rich, and the son of Lord ----; but that is nothing, for she does not
love him."
"And you believe she loves you?"
"Most certainly she loves me."
In spite of himself Mr. Harman smiled, then after a little more thought,
for he was much taken with Hinton, he came to terms.
He must not have Charlotte while he had nothing to support her with.
Pooh! that two hundred a year was nothing to a girl brought up like his
daughter. For Hinton's own sake it would not be good for him to live on
his wife's money; but when he obtained his first brief then they might
marry.
Hinton was profuse in thanks. He only made on his part one
stipulation--that brief, which was to obtain for him his bride, was in
no way to come to him through Mr. Harman's influence. He must win it by
his own individual exertion.
Mr Harman smiled and grew a trifle red. In his business capacity he
could have put twenty briefs in this young fellow's way, and in his
inmost heart he had resolved to do so; but he liked him all the better
for this one proviso, and promised readily enough.
Hinton had no business connections of his own. He had no influential
personal friends, and his future father-in-law felt bound in honor to
leave him altogether to his own resources. A year had nearly passed
since the engagement, and the brief which was to win him Charlotte was
as far away as ever. But now she told him that this one embargo to their
happiness had been withdrawn. They might marry, and the brief would
follow after. Hinton knew well what it all meant. The rich city
merchant could then put work in his way. Work would quickly pour in to
the man so closely connected with rich John Harman. Yes. As he sat by
his table in his small shabbily furnished room, he knew that his fortune
was made. He would obtain Charlotte and Charlotte's wealth; and if he
but chose to use his golden opportunities, fame too might be his
portion. He was a keen and ardent politician, and a seat in the House
might easily follow all the other good things which seemed following in
his track. Yes; but he was a proud man, and he did not like it. He had
not the heart to tell Charlotte to-day, as she looked at him with all
the love she had so freely given shining in her sweet and tender face,
that he would not accept such terms, that the original bargain must yet
abide in force. He could not say to this young woman when she came to
him, "I do not want you." But none the less, as he now sat by his
writing-table, was he resolved that unless his brief was won before the
twentieth of June it should bring no wedding-day to him. This was why he
rejoiced in the four months' reprieve. But this was by no means his only
perplexity. Had it been, so stung to renewed action was his sense of
pride and independence, that he would have gone at once to seek, perhaps
to obtain work; but something else was lying like wormwood against his
heart. That story of Mrs. Home's! That explanation of Jasper Harman's!
The story was a queer one; the explanation, while satisfying the
inexperienced girl, failed to meet the requirements of the acute lawyer.
Hinton saw flaws in Jasper's narrative, where Charlotte saw none. The
one great talent of his life, if it could be called a talent, was coming
fiercely into play as he sat now and thought about it all. He had
pre-eminently the gift of discovering secrets. He was rooting up many
things from the deep grave of the hidden past now. That look of care on
Mr. Harman's face, how often it had puzzled him! He had never liked
Jasper; indefinite had been his antipathy hitherto, but it was taking
definite form now. There _was_ a secret in the past of that most
respectable firm, and he, John Hinton, would give himself no rest until
he had laid it bare. No wedding-day could come to him and Charlotte
until his mind was at rest on this point. It was against his interest to
ferret out this hidden thing, but that fact weighed as nothing with him.
It would bring pain to the woman he loved; it might ruin her father; but
the pain and the ruin would be inflicted unsparingly by his righteous
young hand, which knew nothing yet of mercy but was all for justice, and
justice untempered with mercy is a terrible weapon. This Hinton was yet
to learn.