A STRANGE CLIENT FOR MESSRS. TONGS AND BALL.
The day on which "Cobbler" Horn had proposed to the lawyers to pay them
his promised visit, was the following Monday, at three o'clock in the
afternoon, and by return of post there came a letter from the lawyers
assenting to the arrangement. During the week which intervened, "Cobbler"
Horn did not permit either himself or his sister to mention to a third
person the change his circumstances had undergone. Nor did he encourage
conversation between his sister and himself on the subject of his suddenly
acquired wealth. And neither his manner of life nor the ordering of his
house gave any indication of the altered position in which he was placed.
He did not permit the astounding news he had received to interfere with
the simple regularity of his life. Miss Jemima might have been inclined
to introduce into her domestic arrangements some outward and visible sign
of the altered fortunes of the house; but her brother's will prevailed,
and all things continued as before. The "golden shoemaker" even continued
to work at his trade in the usual way. And all the time he was
thinking--thinking and praying; and many generous purposes, which
afterwards bore abundant fruit, began to germinate in his mind.
At length the momentous day arrived, and "Cobbler" Horn travelled by
an early train to London, and, having dined frugally at a decent
eating-house, presented himself in due time at the offices of Messrs.
Tongs and Ball. The men of law were both seated in the room into which
their new client was shown. One of them was a very little, round, rosy,
middle-aged man, with an expression of countenance so cherubic that no
one would have suspected him of being a lawyer; and the other was a tall,
large-boned, parchment-faced personage, of whom almost any degree of
heartlessness might have been believed. The two lawyers rose and bowed
as "Cobbler" Horn was shown in.
"Mr. Horn?"
"Thomas Horn, at your service, gentlemen."
"This is Mr. Tongs," said the tall lawyer with a waive of his hand towards
his rotund partner; "and I am Mr. Ball," he added, drawing himself into an
attitude which caused him to look much more like a bat than a ball, and
speaking in a surprisingly agreeable tone. Upon this there was bowing all
around, and then a pause.
"Pray take a seat, Mr. Horn," besought Mr. Ball.
"Cobbler" Horn modestly obeyed.
"And now, my dear sir," said Mr. Ball, when he himself and his partner had
also resumed their seats, "let us congratulate you on your good fortune."
"Thank you, gentlemen," said "Cobbler" Horn gravely. "But the
responsibility is very great. I am only reconciled to it by the thought
that I shall now be able to do many things that I have long desired to
do."
"Ah," said Mr. Ball, "it is one of the gratifications of wealth that a man
is able to follow his bent--whether it be travelling, collecting pictures,
keeping horses, or what not."
"Of course," echoed Mr. Tongs.
"No, no, gentlemen," dissented "Cobbler" Horn, "I was thinking of the good
I shall now be able to do. But let us get to business; for I should be
sorry to waste your time."
Both lawyers protested. Waste their time! They could not be better
employed!
"You are very kind, gentlemen."
"Not at all," was the candid reply.
"You have come into a very large fortune, Mr. Horn," continued Mr. Ball,
as he began to untie a bundle of documents. "You are worth very many
thousands; in fact you are almost a millionaire. I think I am right, Mr.
Tongs?"
"Yes," assented Mr. Tongs, "oh yes, certainly."
"All the documents are here," resumed Mr. Ball, as he surveyed a sea of
blue and white paper which covered the table; "and, with your permission,
Mr. Horn, we will give you an account of their contents."
The lawyer then proceeded to give his client a statement of the
particulars of the fortune of which he had so unexpectedly become
possessed.
"We hope, Mr. Horn," he said, in conclusion, "that you may do us the
honour to continue the confidence reposed in us by your late uncle."
"I beg your pardon, sir?" said "Cobbler" Horn.
"I ventured to hope that my partner and I might be so fortunate as to
retain the management of your affairs. I believe you will find that
since--"
"Oh yes, of course," "Cobbler" Horn hastened to interpose. He had not
dreamt of making any change. The lawyers bowed their thanks.
"May we now ask," said Mr. Ball, "whether you have any special commands?"
"I think there are one or two requests I should like to make. I have a
sister, and I believe my uncle left another nephew."
"A sad scrapegrace, my dear sir," interposed Mr. Ball, whose keen legal
instinct gave him some scent of what was coming next.
"Cobbler" Horn held up his hand.
"Can you tell me, gentlemen, whether there are any other relatives of my
uncle's who are still alive?"
"We have every reason to believe that there are not."
"Very well, then, I wish my uncle's property to be divided into three
equal portions. One third I desire to have made over to my sister, and
another to be reserved for my cousin. The remaining portion I will retain
myself."
"But, my dear sir," cried Mr. Ball, "the whole of the property is legally
yours!"
"True," was the quiet reply; "but the law cannot make that right which is
essentially wrong, and my sister and cousin are as much entitled to my
uncle's money as I am myself."
Mr. Ball was dumfounded.
"My dear sir," he gasped, "this is very strange!"
But "Cobbler" Horn was firm.
"You will find this scapegrace cousin of mine?" he asked.
The lawyers said they would do their best; and, when some further
arrangements had been made, with regard to the property, "Cobbler" Horn
took his departure, leaving his two legal advisers to assure one another,
as they stood together on the hearthrug, that he was the strangest client
they had known.