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He had made inquiries about Sir David at the club, and had been told that he was still at Heatherly. He went down to Lidford by an afternoon train, without having troubled himself to give Mrs. Lister any notice of his coming. The November evening had closed in upon the quiet rural landscape when he drove from the station to Lidford.
It sounded very odd to hear Oliver calling me Lord Heatherly. "Call me Walter, as before, my dear Oliver," I said. "You and I must always be Oliver and Walter to each other."
There was a clumsy low stone portico over the door, wide enough to admit a carriage; and lounging upon a bench under this stony shelter they found a sleepy-looking man-servant, who informed Captain Sedgewick that Sir David was at Heatherly, but that he was out shooting with his friends at this present moment.
When I was last in England, I saw an account in the newspapers of the death of the surviving children of your father's elder brother, and now he himself has followed them to the grave. As far, therefore, as I can learn, you are heir-at-law to the title and estates of Lord Heatherly." I almost lost my breath as I listened to this information. I could scarcely indeed believe it.
Why, Walter, you are almost a man now. We must see what we can do for you. Your uncle Bob will not help you; I have heard all about that. We will not talk about him; and as for Heatherly, there is no help to be got from him. I am going out of town to-night, or I would have had you, Walter, come and dine with me and talk matters over.
The dying man opened his eyes and fixed them on me. "He is my heir," he said. "In a few minutes he will be Lord Heatherly, and I shall be dust." Scarcely had he uttered these words when I saw a fearful alteration take place in his countenance. The medical man held his pulse, and presently I saw him lean forward and close my cousin's eyes, whose last gaze had been fixed on me.
"He is gone," said the doctor, "and I can be of no further service. Probably the young Lord Heatherly and you, sir," he added, turning to Mr Sedgwick, "will give such directions as you may think fit. You, I conclude, are acquainted with the late Lord Heatherly's wishes." Strange were the sensations which came over me. I had scarcely realised till then my position.
He had billiards and whist, and horses and hounds, and a vast collection of gunnery, and great stores of wine in the gloomy arched vaults beneath the house, where a hundred prisoners had been kept under lock and key when Heatherly had fallen into the hands of the Cromwellian soldiery, and the faithful retainers of the household were fain to lay down their arms.
It was evident to him that the young people had not realised their thoroughly destitute condition. Whatever property their poor father might have had must have been lost in the Mountaineer. "However," he thought to himself, "if the brother's heart cannot be moved to take care of the orphans, perhaps this Mr Tom Heathfield or Lord Heatherly will do so. In the meantime, I must look after them."
"Captain Davenport is right, I am sure, in supposing that you are the heir-at-law to Lord Heatherly, besides which you have inherited some property which would have been your mother's." My uncle, though an enthusiastic naturalist, was also a man of action. He proposed immediately setting off to visit Lord Heatherly, and to see whether he would acknowledge my claims.
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