"Then," said he, "you have the privilege of knowing one of the
most complete young black-guards about town, and the fons et
origo of the whole trouble. As you know the son, you may know
the father too, at all events by reputation; and in that case I
needn't tell you that he is a very peculiar man. He lives alone
in a storehouse of treasures which no eyes but his ever behold.
He is said to have the finest collection of pictures in the south
of England, though nobody ever sees them to judge; pictures,
fiddles and furniture are his hobby, and he is undoubtedly very
eccentric. Nor can one deny that there has been considerable
eccentricity in his treatment of his son. For years Sir Bernard
paid his debts, and the other day, without the slightest warning,
not only refused to do so any more, but absolutely stopped the
lad's allowance. Well, I'll tell you what has happened; but
first of all you must know, or you may remember, that I appeared
for young Debenham in a little scrape he got into a year or two
ago. I got him off all right, and Sir Bernard paid me handsomely
on the nail. And no more did I hear or see of either of them
until one day last week."
The lawyer drew his chair nearer ours, and leant forward with a
hand on either knee.
"On Tuesday of last week I had a telegram from Sir Bernard; I was
to go to him at once.
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