Show j The Old Episode Masters of the theOld the 5 Schemes b m S of I t Colonel 0 In W I Clay a y I Copyright m BY 1907 GRANT by W ALLEN G Chapman A l I Like most South Africans Sir Charles Van drift is anything but sedentary He lIe hates sitting down Ho He must always trek He cannot live without moving moving movIng ing about freely Six weeks In May Mayfair MayfaIr Mayfair fair is as much as ho can stand Then he must run away Incontinently for forrest forrest forrest rest and change to Scotland Homburg Monte Carlo Biarritz I wont be a limpet on the rock he says Bays Thus it came to pass that in the early autumn we found ourselves stopping st at the th at Brighton We were the accustomed nice little family party Sir str Charles and Amelia myself and Isabel with the suite as usual On the first Sunday morning after our arrival we strolled out Charles and ard andI I II I regret to say during the hours allotted al allotted allotted for divine service on to the Kings road to get a whIff of fresh fr sh air and a glimpse of the waves that were churning the channel The two ladles ladies with their bonnets had gone to church but Sir Charles had risen late fatigued from the weeks toil foil while I J myself was suffering from a headache which I attributed to the th close lose air of the billiard room over mar overnight overnight night combined perhaps with the in insidious insidious insidious effect of a brand of soda water ater to which I was little accustomed I had used It to dilute my evening whisky We were to meet our wives afterward at the church parade an Institution to which I believe both Amelia and Isabel Isab l attach even greater importance than to the sermon Berman which precedes It We sat down on a glass seat Charles Charlas s gazed Inquiringly up and down the tho J Kings road on the lookout for a boy with Sunday papers At last one me passed Observer my law called out laconically Aint got none the boy answered brandishing his bundle in our faces Ave a Referee or a Pink Un Charles however Is not a as to the Pink Un he considers consider it unsuitable for public perusal on Sun Sunday Sunday Sunday day morning It may be read indoors but In the open air its blush betrays it So he shook his muttered If you Jou pass an Observer send him on here at once to me meA meA meA A polite stranger who nt mt close to us it Just a trifle trine grumpily Would you allow alow me to offer you yon one he said drawing a copy from his pocket I fancy I 1 bought the last Theres a run on them today you rec ree ee Important news this morning from the Transvaal Charles raised his eyebrows and ac accepted accepted accepted it as I thought just a no trine So to remove the false impression his surliness Burliness might produce on so BO benevolent benevolent benevolent lent a mind I entered into conversation with the tho polite stranger He was a man manof manof manof of middle age and medium height with witha a cultivated air and q e pair of gold his eyes were sharp his voice was refined He Hu dropped into talk before long about distinguished hed people Just then In Brighton It was clear at once that hand in is inglove inlove glove love with many of the very best kind We compared notes as to Nice Rome Florence Cairo Our new acquaintance had scores of friends in common cornman with us it indeed our circles eo so largely coincided that I 1 wondered we had never happened till then to knock up against one another And Sir Charles the great African millionaire he said at last do you know anything about him Im told he is at present down here at atthe atthe atthe the retro ole oleI I waved my hand toward the person in question This is Sir Charles I 1 an answered answered answered with pride and I his Mr Seymour Semour Went Wentworth Wentworth Wentworth worth Oh indeed the stranger answered with a curious air all of drawing in his horns I wondered whether he had Just been going to pretend he knew Sir Charles or whether perchance he be was wason wason wason on the tho point of saying something high highly highly ly Jy uncomplimentary and was glad slad to have escaped it By this time however Charles laid down the paper and chimed into our conversation I could see at once from his mollified tone that the news from the Transvaal was favorable to his operations in He was therefore in a friendly and affable temper temp r His whole manner changed at once He grew polite in return to the polite stranger Besides we knew the theman theman theman man moved In the best society he had acquaintances whom Amelia was most anxious to secure for her at homes in Faith the tho novelist and Sir Richard Montrose the tha great at Arctic traveler As for the painters it was clear that he was sworn friends with the whole lot of them He dined with academicians and gave weekly breakfasts to the tho members of the in institute institute institute Now Amelia is particularly part desirous that her salon should not be considered too exclusively financial and political In character With a solid basis of M lr Ps and she loves a delicate undercurrent of litera literature ture art and the musical classes Our new acquaintance was extremely com communicative communicative Knows his place In society so EO Sey Se Sir Charles harles said to me m af at afterward afterward and is therefore not afraid of talking freely as so many people are who have doubts about their position position position tion We Ve exchanged cards we ve rose Our new friends name turned out to be Dr Edward In practice here I inquired though his garb belled itOh It ItOh ItOh Oh not medical he answered am an dont you know I in interest Interest Interest terest myself in art and buy bu to some extent for the National gallery The very man for Amebas Amelias at homes home J Sir Charles snapped at him In Instantly Instantly instantly Ive brought my hand down here with me he said In i n his best friendly manner and we ve think of tooling over tomorrow to Lewes Lewe If care to take a n seat Reat Im sure lady would be charmed to see you Youre Yo re very ery kind the doctor said sald saidon saldon saidon on so casual an introduction Im sure I shall be delighted We Ve start from the at 1030 Charles went on onI onI onI I shall be there Good morning And nd with a satisfied smile he rose and left us nodding We returned to the lawn to and Isabel Our new friend passe pi iseI 1 us once or twice Charles stopped him and introduced him He was walking with two tUo ladles most elegantly dressed re sed In rather peculiar artistic dresses Amelia was taken at first sight t by his manner One could see at a glance she said he was a person verson of lf culture and of real distinction I wonder whether he could bring the 1 i R A to tomy tomy tomy my parliamentary at home on Wed Wednesday night Next Text day at 1030 we started on our Ul drive Our team has been considered PT i a II r I Ir t J H HI HJ HI Hf HI r z 1 N lf I r j r Iii IiiI i I ii I Al i J f 4 a r 1 fl k 91 fi fifi I I fi r rIt It 1 I if t i it 7 j jiT t iT c c I y aL aLI aLz z 1 j I l lf i is l I 1 I II I l V f t 1 i i i r r 1 the best in Sussex Charles Is ig In excellent ex excellent excellent though somewhat anxious or might I 1 say better somewhat careful whip He finds the management of two leaders and two wheelers fills his hl hands for the moment both literally and figuratively leaving very litte time for general conversation Lady Belleisle of Beacon bloomed beside Mm hin himon on the box her bloom is perennial and applied by b her maid Dr oc occupied occupied occupied the seat scat Just behind with my myself myself myself self and Amelia The doctor talked 1 most of the time to Lady his discourse was of picture galleries s which Amelia detests but in which she thinks it t Incumbent upon her as a Sir Ir Charles wife to affect now noU and md then thena a cultivated interest Noblesse oblige and the walls of Castle Seldon our place In are almost covered now with Leaders and with Orchard sons This result was first arrived at by a singular accident Sir Charles s swante wanted wante a leader for his coach you un understand and told an artistic friend so The artistic friend brought him a n aLeader aLeader Leader next week with a capital caDI tal L Land Land Land and Sir Charles was so taken back that he felt ashamed to confess tho the error So he was turned unawares Into a pa patron patron patron tron of painting Dr Polperro In spite of his too tao t o pro pronouncedly pronouncedly pronouncedly artistic talk proved on closer clos r view a most agreeable companion He H diversified his art cleverly clev rIy with anecdotes anecdotes anecdotes dotes and scandals he told toad us exactly which famous painters had married d their cooks and which had only mar married married ried their models and otherwise showed himself a most diverting tall talk talker taller er Among other things however he happened to mention once that he had bad recently discovered a genuine Rein R jo brandt a quite undoubted which had remained for vears years In the keeping of 01 a certain obscure Dutch family It had always been allowed to tobe tobe tobe be a masterpiece of the time painter but It had seldom been seen for the last halt half century save by a levy few fe Intimates Intimate ac no It was a portrait ot ono one Maria Marla of Haarlem Ht rl m and ho ht had bought it of her descendants at 31 Gouda in Holland I saw Charles prick up his cars ears though he took no open notice This Maria as it happened was wasa a remote collateral of tho the before they the emigrated to the cape In 1780 and the existence of the portrait though not Its whereabouts was well known in the family Isabel had often otten mentioned it If it was to be had at anything like a reasonable price it would be a s splendid thing for the boys bos Sir Charles I 1 ought to say has lIas two sons at Eton to possess an un I doubted portrait of an ancestress by Rembrandt Dr Polperro talked a good deal after that about this valuable find He had tried to te sell seIl It at first to the National gallery but though the directors ad admired admired admired mired the work Immensely and admit admitted admitted ted its genuineness they regretted that the funds at their disposal this year did not permit them to acquire so important im important important a canvas at a proper r figure South Kensington again was too poor but the doctor was in treaty at pres present present present ent with the Louvre and with Still it was a pity a fine work of art like that once brought into the coun country country country try should be allowed to go out of it Some patriotic patron of the fine arts ought to buy it for his own house or r else munificently present it to the na nation nation nation tion All AIl the time Charles said nothing But ButI I could feel him cogitating He even looked behind him once once near a difficult corner comer while the guard was actually engaged In tooting his hia horn to let Iet passersby know that the coach was coming and gave Amelia AmeIla a warning glance to say nothing committing which had at once the requisite effect of sealing her mouth for the moment It is a very unusual thing for Charles Charlesto to look back while driving I gath gathered gathered gathered ered from his hits doing so that he was In Inordinately l inordinately eager to possess this Rem Rembrandt Rembrandt Rembrandt brandt When we arrived at Lewes we put up our horses at the inn and Charles ordered ord red a lunch on his wonted scale of or princely prin ly magnificence Meanwhile we wandered two and two about the town and castle I annexed Lady Belleisle who is at least amusing Charles drew me aside before starting Look here Sey he said we must be very ver care carefuL carefuL f fuL uL This man Polperro Is a chance ac acquaintance acquaintance acquaintance Theres nothing an astute rogue can take in over oyer more easily than an old master If the Rembrandt is genuine I ought rought to have haye it If ff it t real really really ly represents Maria Marla Its a duty I owe to the boys to buy it But Ive been done dope twice lately and I 1 w ont nt be donea third time Um We must goto go to work cautiously You are right I answered No Nomore Nomore Nomore more seers and curates If It this mans an Imposter Charles went event on and in spite of what wh t he says about the National gallery gall ry and so forth we ire knew nothing of him the story he tells is Just the sort of one such BUch a fellow would trump up In a moment to deceive me He could easi easily easily easily ly learn learD who I 1 was usIm Im a 3 W well wail ll known figure he knew I was in Brighton and he h may have been sitting on that glass glassI I k seat scat on Sunday on purpose to entrap me He introduced your name I 1 said and the moment he found out who I Iwas Iwas Iwas was he plunged into talk with me Yes Charles continued He may have learned le about the portrait of Maria which my grand grandmother grandmother grandmother mother always said was preserved at Gouda and indeed I myself have often mentioned it as you doubtless remember If so what more natural say for a rogue than to begin talking about the portrait In that Innocent way to Amelia If he wants a Rembrandt I believe they can be turned out to or derito any amount in Birmingham The moral of all which is it behooves us to tobe tobe tobe be carefuL Right you are I answered and I 1 Iam Iam am keeping my eye upon him We Va drove back by another road over overshadowed overshadowed overshadowed shadowed by beech trees In autumnal gold It was a delightful excursion Dr Pol perros heart was was elated by lunch and the excellent dry Monopole He talked amazingly I never heard a aman aman aman man with a great or more moro varied flow of anecdote He had been everywhere and knew all about everybody Amelia booked him at once for her At Home on Wednesday week and he promised to Introduce her to several artistic and literary celebrities That evening however about Charles and I strolled out together on the Kings road for a blow bIow before dinner din dinner ner nero We dine at 8 The air was de do delicious licious We passed a small new hotel very smart and exclusive with a big bow window There In evening dress lights burning bu and blind up sat our friend Dr Polperro Pol perro with a lady facing him young graceful and pretty A bottle of champagne stood open before him He was helping himself plentifully plentifully fully to hothouse grapes and full of good humor It was clear he and the time lady were occupied In the intense en enJoyment of some capital Joke for lor they looked queerly at one another ant and burst now Jow and again agahi into merry peals of laughter v vi i t drew back So did Sir Charles Charlea One idea passed at once through both Doth our minds I murmured Colonel Clay He answered And Madame They were not in the least like the Rev Richard and Mrs Brabazon But that clinched the matter Nor did I see seea see seea a sign of the aquiline nose of the Mex Mexican MexIcan Mexican ican seer Still I had learnt by then to discount appearances If these were indeed the famous sharper and his lIs wife or accomplice we must m st be very care careful careful careful ful Ws WJ v were ere forewarned this time Supposing he had the audacity to try Ii a third trick of the sort upon us we had him under our thumbs Only we ve must take steps to prevent his dexterously dexter dexterously dexterously slipping through our fingers fingersH He Hd H can wriggle like an eel said sald the commissary at Nice We Ve both recalled those words and laid our plans deep to prevent the mans wriggling away from us on this third occasion I tell you yo what It Is Sey Soy my said with Impressive slowness This time we must deliberately deliberately deliberately lay ourselves out to be swin swindled swindled swindled We Ve must propose of our own accord ac accord accord cord to buy the picture making him guarantee It In writing as a genuine Rembrandt and taking care care to tie him down by most |