Page 42 (1/2)

"My congratulations," said the lawyer, when Matthew had coer circle of light, his eyes hooded "I understand you had a visit with Reverend Wade He wouldn&039;t tell me as said, but obviously you had an influence"

"Glad to be of help"

"You&039;re absolutely sure you wanted to shut that doori"

"Yes" Before Matthew had followed Kippering down, he&039;d closed the door at the top of the steps He didn&039;t wish to be interrupted if either Pollard caerald returned fro errand, so that had been made up on the spot

"The last tiht sht be afraid of hti"

"always," Matthew said He removed his tricorn and put it down atop a stack of boxes

Kippering walked away a few paces, bent down, and rue of old discarded office furniture He came up with a tin two-candle lantern and lit the wicks from his present flame Then he reached up and placed the lantern&039;s handle on a bea between himself and Matthew "There," he said as the illumination spread "at your command Nohat is it you wish to seei"

"actually," Mattheered, "the stairs the special about thei"

"They are infir randrandrandmother&039;s"

"Na started to speak, but both he and Matthe that any name he produced would be a lie Perhaps if he&039;d been less weary, or less sick, or less bitten by the brown fox of liquor, he ht have carried off a lie and done it with charh, he saw no point to it His mouth, half-opened, slowly closed

"You don&039;t rerandmother a co stared into the flame of his candle

"May I tell you a storyi" Matthew asked "It&039;s a tragedy, really But yet there&039;s hope in it, as I believe you&039;ll see"

"Yes," Kippering said thickly, transfixed by the eye of light "Do go on"

"Once there was a couple, very much in love Devoted to each other His name was Nicholas, and her name was-is-Ereat ambitions He loved music and hoped to conduct an orchestra, and she only wished to be a good wife and a ressed, Nicholas Swanscott was persuaded to buy with his father&039;s help a se business that catered to the tavern trade and so went the youthful dreams However, in came the money as Mr Swanscott&039;s personality made him not so fixated on profits, he was able to undercut other brokers-with no malice, but rather simply the way he did business-and in essence suddenly found that he was a rich young man His rivals took note of this, but what could they doi"

"What, indeedi" asked Kippering "are youthis upi"

"No sir I&039;ve been in consultation with the Swanscotts&039; longtime coachman, whose name is Gordon Shulton and who lives two miles north of Philadelphia on the pike road" Matthew raised his eyebrows "May I go oni"

"If it pleases you" There was a tremor to the voice

"It seereat success He turned out to be naturally adept at planning and ement Well, consider it: anyone who could interweave the chaos of violins, horns, and kettle dru the shipe, salted beef, casks of wine, and ale to clients all over London a goods broker keeps a warehouse, you see, and stores the food and drink until the taverns need it"

"a fine lesson in tavern econo up toward Matthew

"Sadly," Mattheent on, "as Mr Swanscott was a success, his as finding her role difficult at best according to Gordy-that&039;s what he asked entle, quiet woo to the social events of the season She was perhaps a little overcome by all the money Perhaps, deep down, she didn&039;t feel she deserved it"

Kippering set his candle down on a time-worn desk "The illness of the upper class I pity her"

"You reatest desire was to have children Her first child, a boy, unfortunately died withinborn Her second child, also a boy, died at age eleven in a swiain a boy, perished of fever when he was five Youto my friend Gordy-that any boy born to her was dooht of those three deaths she un to break, even then"

Matthew held up a finger "Butone dayMr Swanscott came home, very excitedly, and told his wife that he&039;d , by necessity, a slaughterhouse where he bought his beef and who should be there on the killing line, but a handsoently in all that blood and muck a boy who looked out of place there, but as unco boy, stout of heart and quick ofboy had developed a system by which he struck the animals in the teht Emily wish to meet this boy, for his own mother and father had perished by the saht Emily wish to meet this boy, when he was all clean and presentable on a Sunday afternooni Might she wish to just have one look at him, for he was not violent in his soul No, far from it He only did what he needed to do, to survive in a cruel and heartless world Just one visit, and who knohat ht would not touch his face

Matthew thought he heard a footfall on the floor above He waited, but it didn&039;t repeat This place ency&039;s office, Matthew host, perhaps But he kneas already looking at a ghost