APTER XVI.

MISS LOWTHER ASKS FOR ADVICE.

All these searchings for the murderers of Mr. Trumbull, and these
remandings of Sam Brattle, took place in the month of September,
and during that same month the energy of other men of law was very
keenly at work on a widely different subject. Could Messrs. Block and
Curling assure Captain Marrable that a portion of his inheritance
would be saved for him, or had that graceless father of his in very
truth seized upon it all? There was no shadow of doubt but that if
aught was spared, it had not been spared through any delicacy on the
part of the Colonel. The Colonel had gone to work, paying creditors
who were clamorous against him, the moment he had got his hand
upon the money, and had gone to work also gambling, and had made
assignments of money, and done his very best to spend the whole. But
there was a question whether a certain sum of L5000, which seemed
to have got into the hands of a certain lady who protested that she
wanted it very badly, might not be saved. Messrs. Block and Curling
thought that it might, but were by no means certain. It probably
might be done, if the Captain would consent to bring the matter
before a jury; in which case the whole story of the father's iniquity
must, of course, be proved. Or it might be that by threatening to
do this, the lady's friends would relax their grasp on receiving a
certain present out of the money.

"We would offer them L50, and perhaps they would take L500," said
Messrs. Block and Curling.

All this irritated the Captain. He was intensely averse to any law
proceedings by which the story should be made public.

"I won't pretend that it is on my father's account," said he to
his uncle. Parson John shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head,
meaning to imply that it certainly was a bad case, but that as
Colonel Marrable was a Marrable, he ought to be spared, if possible.
"It is on my own account," continued the Captain, "and partly,
perhaps, on that of the family. I would endure anything rather than
have the filth of the transaction flooded through the newspapers. I
should never be able to join my mess again if I did that."

"Then you'd better let Block and Curling compromise and get what they
can," said Parson John, with an indifferent and provoking tone, which
clearly indicated that he would regard the matter when so settled as
one arranged amicably and pleasantly between all the parties. His
uncle's calmness and abse