Ampersand Papers Read Online Free PDF Page B

with a malicious chuckle faintly reminiscent of Archie Digitt, Lord Skillet. ‘But tell me more about those notional papers.’ Miss Digitt was now curiously alert.
    ‘They’re supposed to be Adrian Digitt’s papers. I expect you know about him.’
    ‘I expect I conceivably do.’ Miss Digitt’s tone was suddenly freezing. It had been a bad slip-up to suggest that there could be doubt about the point. ‘A future marquess,’ Miss Digitt continued grimly, ‘might well make himself aware of Adrian’s place in the family – and even that he was my own great-grandfather.’
    ‘Yes, of course. I apologize for being so stupid.’
    ‘What you might excusably not know is that I am Adrian Diggit’s only surviving descendant. Legitimate descendant, that is. By-blows there undoubtedly were.’
    ‘That is most interesting.’ Charles paused thoughtfully – much as if he meant what he said. ‘Your great-grandfather must have been a most attractive, as well as most distinguished person. Everybody worth talking about admired him. It’s quite unaccountable that literary history hasn’t taken a harder look at him. As a link between two generations, for one thing – rather like Landor, wouldn’t you say? But of course that’s all Greek to the people at Treskinnick. Except, perhaps, to Archie. One can never quite tell about him.’
    ‘I have heard ill of Skillet’s morals.’
    ‘Come, come, coz! We mustn’t be censorious. Haven’t you got around in your time? It’s unbelievable that you haven’t.’
    This astonishingly bold speech went down well. The spinster behind her tea equipage actually blushed. But she came back at once to the matter in hand.
    ‘If the Ampersands take no interest in literature and the arts,’ she asked, ‘why should they concern themselves over the possible survival of some of Adrian Digitt’s papers?’
    ‘They reckon there might be money in them.’
    ‘Money?’ Miss Digitt repeated the word with hauteur . ‘Dear me.’
    ‘Yes – but quite a lot of money. And it may be perfectly true. People are beginning to pay for important literary manuscripts almost what they pay for scarce works of art. And your great-grandfather hasn’t been failing to attract interest – and even bring enquirers poking around Treskinnick. Scholars mostly, so far. But if anything is really turned up there, the collectors will quickly follow. Great institutions, too. American libraries, and so forth.’
    ‘My great-grandfather will be brought into the marketplace?’
    ‘Just that – and it’s what has made the Ampersands do the very odd thing they’ve done. I haven’t told you about it yet. Not all that time ago, they were considering the whole affair a nuisance, and they shoved every paper and document they could lay their hands on into as inaccessible a place as they could think up. But now somebody has put the money-notion into their heads, and they’ve decided to hire a professional archivist – if that’s what he’s to be called – to look into the entire mass of the stuff. I suppose he’s going to be put up in the castle, God help him.’
    ‘It is certainly odd.’ Miss Digitt said this frowning; she hadn’t quite liked to hear the hospitality of Treskinnick so brusquely aspersed. ‘And just where has this large accumulation of material been concentrated?’
    ‘At the top of the North Tower.’
    ‘The North Tower!’ Miss Digitt was almost unaccountably startled.
    ‘Yes, it’s pretty mad. Only reached up that crazy wooden staircase. But that was just the original idea, and by way of disheartening tiresome visitors. I suppose they’ll bring it all down again now, and set this mole-like character to work on it in the library.’
    ‘The plum cake was baked by a reliable woman from whom I bought it at our church bazaar. Oblige me by trying it.’ Miss Digitt paused until her visitor had done as he was told and commended her on the wisdom of her purchase. ‘Charles,’ she then said,