Book 4 Chapter 13
And why was Lord de Mowbray going to the Temple? He had received the daybefore when he came home to dress a very disagreeable letter from somelawyers, apprising him that they were instructed by their client MrWalter Gerard to commence proceedings against his lordship on a writ ofright with respect to his manors of Mowbray, Valence, Mowedale, MowbrayValence, and several others carefully enumerated in their preciseepistle, and the catalogue of which read like an extract from DomesdayBook.
More than twenty years had elapsed since the question had been mooted;and though the discussion had left upon Lord de Mowbray an impressionfrom which at times he had never entirely recovered, still circumstanceshad occurred since the last proceedings which gave him a moral if not alegal conviction that he should be disturbed no more. And these were thecircumstances: Lord de Mowbray after the death of the father of WalterGerard had found himself in communication with the agent who haddeveloped and pursued the claim for the yeoman, and had purchased fora good round sum the documents on which that claim was founded, and bywhich apparently that claim could only be sustained.
The vendor of these muniments was Baptist Hatton, and the sum which heobtained for them, by allowing him to settle in the metropolis, pursuehis studies, purchase his library and collections, and otherwise givehimself that fair field which brains without capital can seldom command,was in fact the foundation of his fortune. Many years afterwards Lord deMowbray had recognised Hatton in the prosperous parliamentary agent whooften appeared at the bar of the House of Lords and before committeesof privileges, and who gradually obtained an unrivalled reputation andemployment in peerage cases. Lord de Mowbray renewed his acquaintancewith a man who was successful; bowed to Hatton whenever they met; andfinally consulted him respecting the barony of Valence which had been inthe old Fitz-Warene and Mowbray families and to which it was thought thepresent earl might prefer some hocus-pocus claim through his deceasedmother; so that however recent was his date as an English earl, hemight figure on the roll as a Plantagenet baron, which in the course ofanother century would complete the grand mystification of high nobility.The death of his son dexterously christened Valence had a little dampedhis ardour in this respect; but still there was a sufficiently intimateconnection kept up between him and Hatton so that before he placedthe letter he had received in the hands of his lawyers he thought itdesirable to consult his ancient ally.
This was the reason that Lord de Mowbray was at the present momentseated in the same chair in the same library as was a few days back thatworthy baronet, Sir Vavasour Firebrace. Mr Hatton was at the same tablesimilarly employed; his Persian cat on his right hand, and his choicespaniels reposing on their cushions at his feet.
Mr Hatton held forward his hand to receive the letter of which Lordde Mowbray had been speaking to him, and which he read with greatattention, weighing as it were each word. Singular! as the letterhad been written by himself, and the firm who signed it were only hisinstruments, obeying the spring of the master hand.
"Very remarkable!" said Mr Hatton.
"Is it not!" said Lord de Mowbray.
"And your Lordship received this yesterday?"
"Yesterday. I lost no time in communicating with you."
"Jubb and Jinks," continued Mr Hatton, musingly, surveying the signatureof the letter. "A very respectable firm."
"That makes it more strange," said his Lordship.
"It does," said Mr Hatton.
"A respectable firm would hardly embark in such a proceeding withoutsome show of pretext," said Lord de Mowbray.
"Hardly," said Mr Hatton.
"But what can they have?" urged his Lordship.
"What indeed!" said Mr Hatton. "Mr Walter Gerard without his pedigreeis a mere flash in the pan; and I defy him to prove anything without thedeed of '77."
"Well, he has not got that," said Lord de Mowbray.
"Safe, of course?" said Mr Hatton.
"Certain. I almost wish I had burnt it as well as the whole box-full."
"Destroy that deed and the other muniments, and the Earl de Mowbray willnever be Baron Valence," said Mr Hatton.
"But what use are these deeds now?" said his lordship. "If we producethem, we may give a colour to this fellow's claim."
"Time will settle his claim," said Mr Hatton "it will mature yours. Youcan wait."
"Alas! since the death of my poor boy--"
"It has become doubly important. Substantiate the barony, it willdescend to your eldest daughter, who, even if married, will retainyour name. Your family will live, and ennobled. The Fitz-Warenes LordsValence will yield to none in antiquity; and as to rank, as long asMowbray Castle belongs to them, the revival of the earldom is safe atthe first coronation, or the first ministry that exists with a balancedstate of parties."
"That is the right view of the case," said Lord de Mowbray; "and what doyou advise?"
"Be calm, and you have nothing to fear. This is the mere revival ofan old claim, too vast to be allowed to lapse from desuetude. Yourdocuments you say are all secure?"
"Be sure of that. They are at this moment in the muniment room of thegreat tower of Mowbray Castle; in the same iron box and in the samecabinet they were deposited--"
"When, by placing them in your hands," said Mr Hatton finishing asentence which might have been awkward, "I had the extreme satisfactionof confirming the rights and calming the anxieties of one of our ancienthouses. I would recommend your lordship to instruct your lawyers toappear to this writ as a matter of course. But enter into no details,no unnecessary confidence with them. They are needless. Treat the matterlightly, especially to them. You will hear no more of it."
"You feel confidence?"
"Perfect. Walter Gerard has no documents of any kind. Whatever his claimmight be, good or bad, the only evidence that can prove his pedigree isin your possession and the only use to which it ever will be put, willbe in due time to seat your grandson in the House of Lords."
"I am glad I called upon you," said Lord Mowbray.
"To be sure. Your lordship can speak to me without reserve, and I amused to these start-ups. It is part of the trade; but an old soldier isnot to be deceived by such feints."
"Clearly a feint, you think?"
"A feint! a feint."
"Good morning. I am glad I have called. How goes on my friend SirVavasour?"
"Oh! I shall land him at last."
"Well, he is an excellent, neighbourly, man. I have a great respect forSir Vavasour. Would you dine with me, Mr Hatton, on Thursday? It wouldgive me and Lady de Mowbray great pleasure."
"Your lordship is extremely kind," said Mr Hatton bowing with a slightsarcastic smile, "but I am an hermit."
"But your friends should see you sometimes," said Lord de Mowbray.
"Your lordship is too good, but I am a mere man of business and know myposition. I feel I am not at home in ladies' society."
"Well then come to-morrow: I am alone, and I will ask some persons tomeet you whom you know and like,--Sir Vavasour and Lord Shaftesbury anda most learned Frenchman who is over here--a Vicomte de Narbonne, who isvery anxious to make your acquaintance. Your name is current I can tellyou at Paris."
"Your lordship is too good; another day: I have a great pressure ofaffairs at present."
"Well, well; so be it. Good morning, Mr Hatton."
Hatton bowed lowly. The moment the door was shut, rubbing his hands, hesaid, "In the same box and in the same cabinet: the muniment room in thegreat tower of Mowbray Castle! They exist and I know their whereabouts.I'll have 'em."