บทที่ บทที่ 1 · ADAM SALTON ARRIVES

. ADAM SALTON ARRIVES

Adam Salton sauntered into the Empire Club, Sydney, and found awaiting

him a letter from his grand-uncle. He had first heard from the old

gentleman less than a year before, when Richard Salton had claimed

kinship, stating that he had been unable to write earlier, as he had

found it very difficult to trace his grand-nephew's address. Adam was

delighted and replied cordially; he had often heard his father speak of

the older branch of the family with whom his people had long lost touch.

Some interesting correspondence had ensued. Adam eagerly opened the

letter which had only just arrived, and conveyed a cordial invitation to

stop with his grand-uncle at Lesser Hill, for as long a time as he could

spare.

"Indeed," Richard Salton went on, "I am in hopes that you will make your

permanent home here. You see, my dear boy, you and I are all that remain

of our race, and it is but fitting that you should succeed me when the

time comes. In this year of grace, 1860, I am close on eighty years of

age, and though we have been a long-lived race, the span of life cannot

be prolonged beyond reasonable bounds. I am prepared to like you, and to

make your home with me as happy as you could wish. So do come at once on

receipt of this, and find the welcome I am waiting to give you. I send,

in case such may make matters easy for you, a banker's draft for 200

pounds. Come soon, so that we may both of us enjoy many happy days

together. If you are able to give me the pleasure of seeing you, send me

as soon as you can a letter telling me when to expect you. Then when you

arrive at Plymouth or Southampton or whatever port you are bound for,

wait on board, and I will meet you at the earliest hour possible."

* * * * *

Old Mr. Salton was delighted when Adam's reply arrived and sent a groom

hot-foot to his crony, Sir Nathaniel de Salis, to inform him that his

grand-nephew was due at Southampton on the twelfth of June.

Mr. Salton gave instructions to have ready a carriage early on the

important day, to start for Stafford, where he would catch the 11.40 a.m.

train. He would stay that night with his grand-nephew, either on the

ship, which would be a new experience for him, or, if his guest should

prefer it, at a hotel. In either case they would start in the early

morning for home. He had given instructions to his bailiff to send the

postillion carriage on to Southampton, to be ready for their journey

home, and to arrange for relays of his own horses to be sent on at once.

He intended that his grand-nephew, who had been all his life in

Australia, should see something of rural England on the drive. He had

plenty of young horses of his own breeding and breaking, and could depend

on a journey memorable to the young man. The luggage would be sent on by

rail to Stafford, where one of his carts would meet it. Mr. Salton,

during the journey to Southampton, often wondered if his grand-nephew was

as much excited as he was at the idea of meeting so near a relation for

the first time; and it was with an effort that he controlled himself. The

endless railway lines and switches round the Southampton Docks fired his

anxiety afresh.

As the train drew up on the dockside, he was getting his hand traps

together, when the carriage door was wrenched open and a young man jumped

in.

"How are you, uncle? I recognised you from the photo you sent me! I

wanted to meet you as soon as I could, but everything is so strange to me

that I didn't quite know what to do. However, here I am. I am glad to

see you, sir. I have been dreaming of this happiness for thousands of

miles; now I find that the reality beats all the dreaming!" As he spoke

the old man and the young one were heartily wringing each other's hands.

The meeting so auspiciously begun proceeded well. Adam, seeing that the

old man was interested in the novelty of the ship, suggested that he

should stay the night on board, and that he would himself be ready to

start at any hour and go anywhere that the other suggested. This

affectionate willingness to fall in with his own plans quite won the old

man's heart. He warmly accepted the invitation, and at once they became

not only on terms of affectionate relationship, but almost like old

friends. The heart of the old man, which had been empty for so long,

found a new delight. The young man found, on landing in the old country,

a welcome and a surrounding in full harmony with all his dreams

throughout his wanderings and solitude, and the promise of a fresh and

adventurous life. It was not long before the old man accepted him to

full relationship by calling him by his Christian name. After a long

talk on affairs of interest, they retired to the cabin, which the elder

was to share. Richard Salton put his hands affectionately on the boy's

shoulders--though Adam was in his twenty-seventh year, he was a boy, and

always would be, to his grand-uncle.

"I am so glad to find you as you are, my dear boy--just such a young man

as I had always hoped for as a son, in the days when I still had such

hopes. However, that is all past. But thank God there is a new life to

begin for both of us. To you must be the larger part--but there is still

time for some of it to be shared in common. I have waited till we should

have seen each other to enter upon the subject; for I thought it better

not to tie up your young life to my old one till we should have

sufficient personal knowledge to justify such a venture. Now I can, so

far as I am concerned, enter into it freely, since from the moment my

eyes rested on you I saw my son--as he shall be, God willing--if he

chooses such a course himself."

"Indeed I do, sir--with all my heart!"

"Thank you, Adam, for that." The old, man's eyes filled and his voice

trembled. Then, after a long silence between them, he went on: "When I

heard you were coming I made my will. It was well that your interests

should be protected from that moment on. Here is the deed--keep it,

Adam. All I have shall belong to you; and if love and good wishes, or

the memory of them, can make life sweeter, yours shall be a happy one.

Now, my dear boy, let us turn in. We start early in the morning and have

a long drive before us. I hope you don't mind driving? I was going to

have the old travelling carriage in which my grandfather, your

great-grand-uncle, went to Court when William IV. was king. It is all

right--they built well in those days--and it has been kept in perfect

order. But I think I have done better: I have sent the carriage in which

I travel myself. The horses are of my own breeding, and relays of them

shall take us all the way. I hope you like horses? They have long been

one of my greatest interests in life."

"I love them, sir, and I am happy to say I have many of my own. My

father gave me a horse farm for myself when I was eighteen. I devoted

myself to it, and it has gone on. Before I came away, my steward gave me

a memorandum that we have in my own place more than a thousand, nearly

all good."

"I am glad, my boy. Another link between us."

"Just fancy what a delight it will be, sir, to see so much of England--and

with you!"

"Thank you again, my boy. I will tell you all about your future home and

its surroundings as we go. We shall travel in old-fashioned state, I

tell you. My grandfather always drove four-in-hand; and so shall we."

"Oh, thanks, sir, thanks. May I take the ribbons sometimes?"

"Whenever you choose, Adam. The team is your own. Every horse we use to-

day is to be your own."

"You are too generous, uncle!"

"Not at all. Only an old man's selfish pleasure. It is not every day

that an heir to the old home comes back. And--oh, by the way . . . No,

we had better turn in now--I shall tell you the rest in the morning."