Mr. Ferguson

“ So this was why Paul could elate with a laugh the flight from the man with the medals and the lighted courtyard of the Guildhall. This was what he believed! Well, it was the explanation which a boy ignorant of life, nursed by dreams and poetry and loneliness and eager to believe the world a place of sunlight and high thoughts, might easily have conceived.
“Isn’t that the explanation, Mr. Ferguson?” Paul asked; and Mr. Ferguson replied without the twitch of a muscle:
“Absolutely! I did not think that you could have understood your father’s reticence so thoroughly.” ”

“ No moment, it appeared, could have been more opportune than that I had chosen to speak about my departure, for the Chief was in the most obliging of humours. When, however, after a long talk respecting Kaffir affairs, I managed, by Mr Ferguson’s aid, to bring the subject round to our own land and my strong desire to visit it—ending by stating how I had heard from my friends that a white settlement was not far off—if he would but grant me a guide and his royal permission to return, his face grew grave and my heart sunk. ”

“ No, Mr. Ferguson, I've an inkling of what you're driving at, and I'm not sure that, policeman though I am, in a sort of a way I don't admire you. But you're no hand at a game like this. You're no fictionist, it's not your line; your plots don't dovetail. We still have to find out how these stains came upon the lady's cloak."
"Aren't you—aren't you going to arrest me?"
"I am not, at present. Perhaps, when you are in the witness-box, you may succeed in inducing the judge to order your arrest; but, in that case, I'm afraid that it will be for perjury. Come along. Gray. ”

“ Ferguson, therefore, asked him how the business progressed, he answered that nothing definite had been settled upon, but that he was to have another interview with his uncle in the evening.
"It will take some time to bring him round, I think," said his employer. "A man doesn't resign a fine estate without some opposition. If you should need any advice, at any time, you may apply to me freely."
"Thank you, Mr. Ferguson, I certainly will. Perhaps I may need to do it to-morrow."
In the evening our hero walked into the hotel, and, stepping up to the desk, inquired if Mr. Grey was in. ”

“ I laughed; “but any man with religion in his heart would try, I am sure, to cast some seeds among these benighted people, hoping that they might take root. But where is Mr Ferguson—I am so anxious to see him; you can’t tell how anxious? Remember you have always had a companion to talk to, while I have been alone.”
“True, Jack, true,” responded Thompson, again affectionately wringing my hand. “Come along; I’ll lead you to his hut, where I trust to find he’s come safely out of the dangers of this terrible night. Why, how did those black fiends manage so to surprise us?” ”

“ Ferguson?"
"We fear ill more than we hope for good," he replied.
"Then I want to remain young as long as I can."
"A good wish, Tom. Some men are always young in spirit; but those that have seen the evil there is in the world find it harder to be hopeful."
"You speak as if you had had experience of the evil, Mr. Ferguson."
"So I have," answered the Scotchman slowly. Then, after a pause, "I will tell you about it: it's no secret."
"Not if it is going to pain you." [Pg 34]
"Oh, the pain is past. It's only a matter of money, and those wounds heal."
"Only a matter of money!" ”

“ Mr. Ferguson’s relief, however, was premature. For the younger man cried:
“Good! For now the way is clear for me, and I can ask you for your professional help.”
“Oh!” said the lawyer doubtfully. “I didn’t understand that you came as a client. I am not very sure that we can undertake much more than we have upon our hands.”
“It’s not so much more, Mr. Ferguson.”
“I must be the judge of that. Let me hear what it is that you wish.”
“I wish to resume my own real nationality,” said Paul. “I am of my race. I want the name of it, too.”
Paul was of his race. ”

“ The answer to that was easy: 'Tell him I'm busy.' Master Bean's admirably dignified reply was that he understood how great was the pressure of Mr Ferguson's work, and that he would wait till he was at liberty. Liberty! Talk of the liberty of the treed possum, but do not use the word in connexion with a man bottled up in an office, with Roland Bean guarding the only exit.
Mr Ferguson kicked the waste-paper basket savagely. The unfairness of the thing hurt him. A sacked office-boy ought to stay sacked. ”

“ Ferguson, after a moment's thought; "an idea strikes me. You may gain the knowledge you want with very little trouble. Mind, I say may. It is not certain."
"How, sir?" said Gilbert, eagerly.
CHAPTER XXV.
MAURICE BETRAYS HIMSELF.
"In this way," answered Mr. Ferguson. "Your uncle did not register his name at the Burnet House till after his encounter with you in the street. Probably his reason for changing his hotel was to prevent your examining the register of the one at which he was previously staying, and so ascertaining his real residence. ”

“ Mr. Donald Ferguson, a middle-aged Scotchman, is my companion. A younger and livelier companion might prove more agreeable, but perhaps not so safe. Mr. Ferguson is old enough to be my father, and I shall be guided by his judgment where my own is at fault. He is very frugal, as I believe his countrymen generally are, and that, of course, just suits me. I don't know how long I shall be in reaching St. Joseph, but I shall write you once or twice on the way. Give my love to father, Sarah, Walter, and Harry, and keep a great deal for yourself.
"Your loving son,
"Tom." ”

“ Now there are few men, with or without self-respect, who can calmly submit to an insult like this. Certainly Mr. Donald Ferguson was not one of them. The color mantled his high cheek-bones, and anger gained dominion over him. He sprang to his feet, grasped the bully in his strong arms, dashed him backward upon the floor of the barroom, and, turning to the companions of the fallen man, he said, "Now come on, if you want to fight. I'll take you one by one, and fight the whole of you, if you like."
Instead of being angry, they applauded his pluck. ”

“ About half-past seven Fred rang the bell at the door of the house on East Thirty-Ninth Street. Evidently he was expected, for, on his inquiring for Mr. Ferguson, he was shown at once into the presence of his rich relation.
"Good evening, Frederick," said Mr. Ferguson, With unusual graciousness. "How is your mother?"
"Very well, thank you, sir."
"I hope you are getting along comfortably."
"Yes, sir; we have no right to complain."
"That is well," said Mr. Ferguson condescendingly. "I presume the boy is making five dollars a week or some such matter," he soliloquized. ”

“ My heart filled, and grasping his hand, I briefly intimated the purport of the communication, and we walked out together in the direction of the ruins.
"It is, perhaps, as hard, Mr. Ferguson," I said, "to fall from one's hopes as from the place to which they pointed. I was ambitious—too ambitious, it may be—to rise from that level on which man acts the part of a machine, and tasks merely his body, to that higher level on which he performs the proper part of a rational creature, and employs only his mind. But that ambition need influence me no longer. ”

“ Mr Ferguson, let me show you some photographs of our home in South America." She led Mr Ferguson towards a table on which there was a large portfolio. As they went, she whispered, "Ronald, I sometimes really think that Inez is a little mad."
Mr Ferguson answered her never a word. For in an instant of time, in the flashing of an eye, something seemed to have come into his life which had never come into it before. For one thing, there had come into his life the real presence of the ideal woman of his dreams.
II
"I think that I have earned him, Marian!" ”

“ Ferguson, whom everybody has heard of, but nobody knows, failing in all his attempts to procure a lodging for the night, found no place in the strictly-worded schedule. The real name of Mr. Ferguson is Legion, yet he found a lodging nowhere. And many returns of the erratic youth of respectable families must prove, that their very fathers did not know they were out, to say nothing of their mothers: on the other hand, probably many more would be found wanting in the real numbers, were circumstances narrowly inquired into. ”

“ Wainwright sent me to Canada to recover over ten thousand dollars' worth of stolen bonds, and I succeeded in bringing them back."
Slowly it dawned upon Mr. Ferguson that the youth before him was not only a favorite of fortune, out a remarkably smart boy. He was evidently on the rise. Would it not be politic to take notice of him?
"Fred," he said with sudden friendliness, "I am pleased to hear of your good fortune. You have done credit to the family. We ought to be more intimate. ”

“ Don't giggle."
"Right," said Ferguson. "This will be the day of my life. You know all your servants will give notice, of course. But that doesn't matter, you can get others."
"It might simplify things," said Mr Garth, "if I took some rooms at the Ritz and gave the luncheon there. Arrange that for me, will you?"
"Certainly. And the date?"
"You'll want a little time to get the gang together. Say four weeks from to-day."
Mr Ferguson needed all his tact to get them together. Lady Longshore, it is true, expressed herself as willing to meet anybody except her own relations. ”

“ He rang the bell upon his desk, and when his head clerk appeared he said:
“I want a message telephoned to Goring that I shall not get home until eight. Then every one can go. I have a letter to write which will take a little time.”
“Very well, sir,” said Gregory, and Mr. Ferguson suddenly slapped his hand down on the table in exasperation.
“Isn’t it a curious thing, Gregory?” he exclaimed. “Here’s a man takes a world of pains to destroy all traces and records and then keeps by him one book with a name written upon the flyleaf which brings in a second all his trouble to nothing! ”

“ I spent a good part of the morning with Ferguson. I was on the verge of leaving the office when the telephone at the chief's elbow rang.
“Mr. Steele?” demanded Ferguson of the mouthpiece. “He's right here.”
I took the instrument, and as a deep, richly musical voice asked, “Mr. Steele?” I knew who it was.
“Before you start for San Francisco,” Reagan was saying over the wire, “I'd like to talk with you. Run in for lunch, will you? I can give you a letter to a man in San Francisco who will be of use to you in the Merchants' National case.” ”

“ Ferguson, the Presbyterian preacher—he's promised me—I told him—an' he's a-goin' to marry us. His place ain't half a mile further on, an' he's lookin' fer us. We're safe now, my poor little girl." [Pg 1600]
The cowboys, with roars of delight, fished down the remains of the dangling Columbia, while the original performer, to whom Columbia's figure was understudy, stood in Mr. Ferguson's little parlor, waiting for that gentleman to bring in a second witness. Her little fair head was resting on Kid's broad shoulder; Kid's arm was around her slender figure ”

“ I tell you that I am the man’s murderer. You can take your prisoner. And there’s an end of it.”
“Hardly. What we want to know just now is, how you account for these stains upon Miss Moore’s cloak.”
“I know nothing at all about it.”
“They are not the results of your cousin’s bleeding at the nose?”
“—— you, Symonds!”
“Thank you, Mr. Ferguson. That’s scarcely a matter which is likely to come within your province. You must take us for a pair of really remarkable simpletons, Gray and I, to wish us to believe that you know so much about the one thing and nothing at all about the other. ”

“ Ferguson went on:
"The fellow may have come in early and hidden himself—not got down to business until every one was asleep."
Mr. Janney emitted an agreeing murmur and motioned Dixon to hold the lamp nearer. As he bent toward it the young man was silent and Mr. Janney began to hope that the obnoxious subject was abandoned. He sent a side glance at his guest and the hope was strengthened. Ferguson had taken his cigar from his lips and was looking at the paper band that encircled it. ”

“ Frequently when business was very brisk, work was carried on all night at the warehouse; but the murder was committed in the early spring, when the export trade was only beginning, and the usual hour for closing up was six o’clock, and three o’clock on Saturdays. Mr. Ferguson met his death on Saturday, March 3, about seven o’clock. ”

“ That the murder was brutal could not be gainsaid; but on the face of it the crime was not one of the ordinary type. Danevitch’s preliminary investigations led him to the conclusion that the motive which had prompted the deed was not robbery. That admitted—and there was evidence of it—the case was invested with a certain mystery [122] suggestive of many things. Tauchnitz and the other partners were questioned by Danevitch as to why Mr. Ferguson had remained behind at the office on that fatal Saturday afternoon, when everybody else had gone. ”

“ Ferguson was slow in replying. “That you were advised to have the body placed in the receiving vault at the cemetery shows how your request was regarded by the authorities, Mr. Hale,” [Pg 64] he remarked, and Latimer broke into the discussion.
“Come, come,” he remonstrated. “You go too far in your zeal, Ferguson. The ground is hard frozen and no graves can be dug; therefore all bodies are being placed in the receiving vaults until the weather moderates.”
“Maybe so,” Ferguson’s smile was non-committal. “But—your request came very pat, Mr. Hale, and—it didn’t make a hit with Headquarters.” ”