The White Virgin.

by George Manville Fenn.

CHAPTER ONE.

BY A THREAD.

It was a long, thin, white finger, one which had felt the throbbing of hundreds and thousands of pulses, and Doctor Praed, after viciously flicking at a fly which tried persistently to settle upon his ivory-white, shiny, bald head, hooked that finger into Clive Reed's b.u.t.ton-hole, just below the white rosebud Janet had given him a little earlier in the evening.

"Mind the flower."

"All right, puppy. Come here. I want to talk to you."

"About Janet?"

"Pish! mawkish youth. Great ugly fellow like you thinking of nothing else but Janet. Wait till you've been her slave as I have for eighteen years."

"Pleasant slavery, Doctor," said the young man, smiling, as he allowed himself to be led out on to the verandah just over the gas-lamp which helped to light up Great Guildford Street, W.C.

"Is it, sir? You don't know what a jealous little she-tartar she is."

"I warn you I shall tell her every word you say, Doctor. But it's of no good. I shall not back out. Look at her dear face now."

Reed caught the little Doctor by the shoulder, and pointed to where his daughter sat with the light of one of the shaded lamps falling upon her pretty, animated face, as she laughed at something a sharp-looking, handsome young man was saying--an anecdote of some kind which amused the rest of the group in old Grantham Reed's drawing-room.

"Oh yes, she's pretty enough," said the Doctor testily. "I wish she weren't. Don't let that brother of yours be quite so civil to her, boy.

I don't like Jessop."

"Nor me?" said the young man, smiling.

"Of course I don't, sir. Hang it all! how can a man like the young scoundrel who robs him of his child's love?"

"No, sir," said Clive Reed gravely; "only evokes a new love that had lain latent, and offers him the love and respect of a son as well."

Doctor Praed caught the young man's hand in his and gave it a firm pressure. Then he cleared his throat before he spoke again, but his voice sounded husky as he said--

"G.o.d bless you, my dear boy."

And then he stopped, and stood gazing through the window at the pleasant little party, as two neatly-dressed maids entered and began to remove the tea-things, one taking out the great plated urn, while the other collected the cups and saucers.

"The old man hasn't bad taste in maids," he said, with his voice still a little shaky, and as if he wanted to steady it before going on with something he wished to say. "Why don't he have men?"

"He will not. He prefers to have maids about."

"Then he ought to have ugly ones," continued the Doctor, who keenly watched the movements of the slight, pretty, fair girl who was collecting the cups, and who exchanged glances with Jessop Reed as she took the cup and saucer he handed her. "A man who has two ugly scoundrels of sons has no business to keep damsels like that."

"This ugly scoundrel is always out and busy over mining matters; that ugly scoundrel is living away at chambers, money-making at the Stock Exchange," said Clive, smiling.

"Humph! Mining and undermining. Well, young men like to look at pretty girls."

"Of course, Doctor," said Clive. "I do. I'm looking now at the prettiest, sweetest--"

"Don't be a young fool," cried the Doctor testily. "I can describe Janet better than you can. Now, look here, boy; I've got two things to say to you. First of all, about this `White Virgin'."

"Yours?" said Clive, still glancing at Janet, over whom his brother was now bending, as the maid who carried the tray made the cups dash as she opened the door, and then hurried out as if to avoid a scolding.

"No, young idiot; yours--your father's," said the Doctor, rather sharply. "Hang that organ!"

"Yes, they are a nuisance," said the younger man, as one of the popular tunes was struck up just inside the square.

"Well, what about the mine, sir?"

"Only this, my lad: I've got a few thousands put aside; you know that."

"Yes, sir; I supposed you had."

"Oh, you knew," said the Doctor suspiciously.

"Yes; I think I heard something of the kind."

"Humph!"

"There, Doctor, don't take up that tone. Give me Janet, and leave your money to a hospital."

"No; hang me if I do! I haven't patience with them, sir. The way in which hospitals are imposed upon is disgraceful. People who ought to be able to pay for medical and surgical advice go and sponge upon hospitals in a way that--Oh, hang it, that's not what I wanted to say. Look here, Clive, if this new mine--"

"No, sir: very old mine."

"Well, very old mine--is a good thing, I should like to have a few thousands in it. Now, then, would it be safe? Stop, confound you! If you deceive me, you shan't have Janet."

"If ever I'm ill, I shall go to another doctor," said Clive quietly.

"Yes, you'd better, sir! He'd poison you."

"Well, he wouldn't insult me, Doctor."

"Bah! nonsense; I was joking, my dear boy. Come, tell me. Here, feel the pulse of my purse, and tell me what to do."

"I will," said the younger man. "Wait, sir. I don't know enough about it yet to give a fair opinion. At present everything looks wonderfully easy. It's a very ancient mine. It was worked by the Romans, and whatever was done was in the most primitive way, leaving lodes and veins untouched, and which are extending possibly to an immense depth, rich, and probably containing a very large percentage of silver."

"Well, come, that's good enough for anything."

"Yes, but I am not sure yet, Doctor. I'm not going to give you advice that might result in your losing heavily, and then upbraiding me for years to come."

"No, dear boy. You would only be losing your own money; for, of course, it will be Janet's and yours."

"Bother the money!" said the young man shortly. "Look here, Doctor; as a mining engineer, I should advise every one but those who want to do a bit of gambling, and are ready to take losses philosophically, to have nothing to do with mines. If, however, I can help you with this, I will tell you all I know as fast as I learn it."