“I didn’t believe it was in her,” said Chap, solemnly. “Upon my word, Phil, I didn’t believe it was in her!”
“I tell you what it is, Phil,” said Phœnix, a short time afterwards, as Joel came down-stairs with Emile’s trunk upon his shoulder, “you’d better look out for that Frenchman. He’ll be worse now than ever. If I’d known what a regular out-and-out scamp he was, I don’t know that I would have licked him. It’s some satisfaction to lick a fellow with some good in him, but it don’t help a chap like that a bit,—it only makes him worse.”
“That’s so!” cried Chap. “A thrashing only packs his villany, and rams down his—his—bloody intentions. We must look out for him, boys, and consider ourselves in a regular state of siege. Every approach must be guarded. I’ll get my folks to let me stay here now. It’s absolutely necessary. Mother asked me to get her some summer apples this afternoon, and I couldn’t come over as soon as I wanted to. But I tell you I climbed that tree with a spy-glass in one hand, and I kept a lookout on the wreck. I wasn’t going to let Emily get ahead of me because I had to stay at home a little while. But things will be worse now, boys, and we must stick to our posts.”
CHAPTER XV.
THE FIRE ON THE THOMAS WISTAR.
When Mr. Welford heard Phil’s story the next morning he looked very grave. He was not altogether surprised at the news, because he had known there was a mortgage upon the property, and, as he remarked to Phil,—
“If a man disappears suddenly and leaves affairs of that kind behind him, he may expect trouble. I am not a lawyer, nor have I full knowledge of your uncle’s business, but I know that for some time he has been making arrangements to satisfy all claims against him, and, among other things, to relieve his property of this mortgage, which was intended to be a temporary thing, and was given to satisfy old Touron, who insisted, as soon as your grandfather died, upon having his claim against your uncle secured in this way. I would have expected Touron to foreclose the mortgage if he had a legal chance, which I suppose he has.”
“But why should he do it just at this time?” asked poor Phil.
“That shows his talent for business,” said Mr. Welford. “What he wants is not his money, but Hyson Hall. And, having heard that your uncle is away, he sends his son here to see if his absence is likely to continue for any considerable time. Such a condition of affairs would be of great advantage to him. If your uncle were here, he might pay whatever interest or part of the principal was due, and so stop proceedings.”
“How could Mr. Touron have heard that my uncle had gone away?”