The Burnt Million; A Novel (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VII. THE WILL. When a man says on any previously debated question (provided it is not an appeal to his purse-strings) that he will " think it over," his antagonist may generally congratulate himself on having gained his point; and under ordinary circumstances Mr. Tremenhere would have felt satisfied with the success he had so far achieved in a not very promising case. But there was that within him that " voted urgency " in this matter, and made procrastination almost one with failure. " You are forgetting, Mr. Allerton, what I told you about the state of my health; whatever is to be done, it above all things behoves me to do it quickly." There was that in the money-lender's words that reminded the lawyer of the unjust steward, and for a moment he hesitated as to whether he should comply with his request or not; that he was touching pitch there was no doubt whatever; but his hands were at least less likely to be defiled by it than those of any other man whom Mr. Tremenhere would be likely to employ; and then there was the thousand pounds down, and the pickings, and the opportunities for good. " I suppose I must oblige you, Mr. Tremenhere," he said with a sigh, which blew away his last remnant of opposition, and the two men drew their chairs together. Like adversaries at whist, who cut and find themselves in partnership with one another, their old antagonism ceased at once, and they became lawyer and client. Though Mr. Tremenhere's fortune was so immense, it was not one of those properties which, like port wine, takes time to settle. Almost the whole of it, save his Cumberland estate and his lease of Lebanon Lodge, was in what might be almost termed hard cash; securities, a list of which he had taken the precaution to bring with him. His knowledge of busi...