The other was from a
firm of London solicitors announcing that their client, Mr Wilbraham,
had bought the house, and that the rent must be paid to their agent,
whom they would name later.
Mrs Machin gave vent to her emotion in her customary manner: "Bless us!"
And she showed the impudent letters to Denry.
"Oh!" said Denry. "So he has bought them, has he? I heard he was going
to."
"Them?" exclaimed Mrs Machin. "What else has he bought?"
"I expect he's bought all the five--this and the four below, as far as
Downes's. I expect you'll find that the other four have had notices just
like these. You know all this row used to belong to the Wilbrahams. You
surely must remember that, mother?"
"Is he one of the Wilbrahams of Hillport, then?"
"Yes, of course he is."
"I thought the last of 'em was Cecil, and when he'd beggared himself
here he went to Australia and died of drink. That's what I always heard.
We always used to say as there wasn't a Wilbraham left."
"He did go to Australia, but he didn't die of drink. He disappeared, and
when he'd made a fortune he turned up again in Sydney, so it seems. I
heard he's thinking of coming back here to settle.
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