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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fb13a4b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51630 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51630) diff --git a/old/51630-8.txt b/old/51630-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ddf10df..0000000 --- a/old/51630-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6513 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Delaware;, by G. P. R, (George Payne Rainsford James) - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Delaware; - or, The Ruined Family Vol. 3 - -Author: G. P. R, (George Payne Rainsford James) - -Release Date: April 2, 2016 [EBook #51630] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DELAWARE; *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by the -Web Archive (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) - - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scans provided by the Internet Archive, - https://archive.org/details/delawareorruined03jame - (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) - - 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. - - - - - - -DELAWARE; -OR -THE RUINED FAMILY. - - - - - - -EDINBURGH: -PRINTED BY M. AITKEN, 1, ST. JAMES'S SQUARE. - - - - - - -DELAWARE; - -OR - -THE RUINED FAMILY. - - -A TALE. - - -IN THREE VOLUMES. -VOL. III. - - -EDINBURGH: -PRINTED FOR ROBERT CADELL, EDINBURGH; -AND WHITTAKER & CO., LONDON. -MDCCCXXXIII. - - - - - - -DELAWARE; -OR, -THE RUINED FAMILY. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -I do most sincerely believe, that the very best way to get all the -characters of this book out of their manifold difficulties, would be, -to end the work at the close of the second volume, and leave the world -to settle it, as it liked. However, as the great object is, to make -known the truth, and as the chances are infinite, that no single -individual of the millions who intend to read this book, would, by the -utmost exertion of their imagination, discover what the truth is, it -may be necessary to go on, and explain what has become of some at -least of the characters which have slipped off the stage Heaven knows -where--especially as they have each much to do, and to suffer, before -they "sleep the sleep that knows no waking." - -The great advantage of autobiography is, that a man never troubles his -head about other people's affairs, but goes on with his own tale till -he has done with it; whereas the unfortunate wretch who undertakes to -tell the history of a number of other people, has no better a life of -it than a whipper-in, and is obliged to be continually trotting up and -down, flogging up his straggling characters to a pace with the rest. -The reader, too, may get his brains most tremendously puzzled in the -mean time. But what can be done? If people will not write their own -stories, other people must write them for them, and the work must go -on as best it may. Under these circumstances, we must request the -gentle reader to bring back his mind, or his eyes, to the end of the -fourth chapter of the last volume, since which precise point we have -neglected entirely the history of Henry Beauchamp. However, amends -shall immediately be made to that gentleman, and he shall have the -whole of this volume to himself. - -Let it be remembered, then, that he set out from the dwelling of the -miser at Ryebury, promising that punctilious person to return, and -sign at once the more formal and regular documents, for which the -necessary stamps were still to be procured from Emberton--that he -passed William Delaware on his road, concealing himself from him as he -did so; and the reader, if he be so pleased, may dip his hand into the -wallet of imagination, and take out his own particular little scheme, -for leaving the money with which Beauchamp was burdened, in the -chamber of--Blanche Delaware's brother. - -Those three last words may seem periphrastic; but if the reader thinks -they are so, he makes a mistake; for at that moment, it was not in the -least as Captain William Delaware, a Master and Commander in his -Majesty's Navy, nor as the son of Sir Sidney Delaware of Emberton, -Baronet, nor in any other quality, shape, or capacity of any kind -whatsoever, that Henry Beauchamp regarded him; but solely and wholly -in relation to Blanche Delaware--or, in short, as the brother of her -he loved. When he avoided him, it was because she had rejected -his--Beauchamp's offered hand; when he placed the money on the table -at Emberton, it was, that the clouds which had so long obscured the -sunshine of her days, might be scattered for ever; and Henry Beauchamp -could no more think of William Delaware, without the connecting link -that bound him to his sister, than one can think of the planetary -system without the sun. - -When it was all done, however; and, having regained the shade of the -park trees, Henry Beauchamp was strolling on, slow and sad, towards -Ryebury, he bethought him of what was next to be done, as a -consequence of the very things that were just accomplished. Let it be -remarked that this was the first time he had thought of what was to -follow; for the hurry and confusion of the whole day, which had just -passed over his head, had left him no time for reflection, even had he -been inclined to indulge in it; and the bitter disappointment he had -suffered, had given him no great taste for thought of any kind. All he -had calculated, was the best means of arriving at his immediate -object; and farther than that, he had satisfied himself with the grand -conscience-salve for all mad enterprises--"He dared to say, all would -go right!" - -Now, however, when he began to consider the matter, it presented more -difficulties than he had before perceived. He was quite romantic -enough and wealthy enough to have given the money to his cousins, with -pleasure in the gift, and without inconvenience from the consequences; -but, from the delicacy of feeling natural to his own heart, he -perfectly understood that neither Sir Sidney Delaware, nor any of his -family, would be willing to receive such a sum from any one as a -donation--especially from him, circumstanced as he was in regard to -Miss Delaware. Disgusted and wearied with the delays and shuffling of -the miser, and suspecting that his worthy uncle, Lord Ashborough, -might have some share in producing the impediments, he had determined -to put it out of the power of any one to prevent the payment, and -consequently had acted as we have seen; but, now that he had done so, -he found that it would be in no degree easy to give the matter the air -of an ordinary transaction. - -People who have met with few difficulties in their undertakings, soon -teach themselves to trust the execution of anything they themselves -find troublesome, to others, and look upon their carrying it through -easily as a matter of course; and as Beauchamp, though not in general -given to _insouciance_, was just then in a state of mental irritation -and impatience, which rendered long reflection of any kind irksome to -him, he determined to throw the burden of the business upon the -shoulders of the miser. "I will tell him," he thought, "to write a -note to William Delaware, the first thing to-morrow, informing him -that he has sent the money by a friend to-night, and is ready to -execute the legal documents in regard to the whole transaction." -Having so far made his arrangements in his own mind, he walked on -slowly, beginning to feel somewhat weary with his day's exertion; and, -as he did so--every other subject which could force his thoughts from -the most painful object they could choose, being lost for the -time--memory naturally led him back to dream of Blanche Delaware, and -her strange and unaccountable conduct towards himself. That he loved -her as deeply and as sincerely as man could love woman, he now felt -but too painfully; but, notwithstanding good Mrs. Wilson's sentimental -anticipations of his antique Roman impatience of existence, Beauchamp -was the last man on earth to drown himself under any circumstances -whatever. Not that he did not feel that the gloss and splendour was, -to him, gone from the earth for ever--not that he did not feel that -his love would endure to his last hour, mingling the poison drop of -disappointment through all the cup of life--not that wounded pride, -and broken hopes, and rebuked self-confidence, and all that can -embitter man's feelings, were not poured like gall and wormwood into -his heart--but, somehow, he had acquired a strange notion, that to lay -hands upon one's own life was not only immoral and unchristian, but -was also cowardly and stupid--the act of a madman, a lout, or a -barbarian. He had never been one of those men that particularly value -life; and certainly he felt that, at the present moment, if any one -had been inclined to take it from him, it was a sort of commodity he -could part with without great regret. Yet, at the same time, even in -that case, he would probably have defended it as a matter of course; -and, as to throwing it away by his voluntary act, such a thing never -entered his mind. - -His thoughts, however, in regard to Blanche Delaware were, as we have -said, bitter enough. He loved her deeply--with a first, pure, -steadfast, and yet passionate affection. His heart--so long -guarded--had poured out upon her all its stored enthusiasm and -repressed tenderness; and in the full and confident belief that his -attachment was returned, hope had seduced him into every one of those -waking visions which are so bright to dream and so agonizing to lose. -He had certainly believed that he was loved in return; and the -dissolution of that belief was the most painful part of all. Yet -Beauchamp was both too proud and too just to suppose that he had been -trifled with; or to imagine that a woman, on whom he could have so -fixed his heart, would have been guilty of such petty coquetry. He -rather chose to blame his own vanity; to admit that Blanche Delaware -had been perhaps a little thoughtless; but that he had been far too -confident. - -Thus thinking, he walked on towards Ryebury, deviating slightly from -the way, in order that he might not meet William Delaware on his -return, and mingling vague, wild schemes for the future, with the -bitter memories and regrets of the past. He would visit Greece he -thought--perhaps cross over the narrow strait, and wander through -Syria and Judea, or penetrate into Armenia, and pause for a while -amongst the tribes, whose patriarchal habits have been so beautifully -depicted by Morier's entertaining pen, or even travel forward into -India itself, and watch the slow customs of Europe forcing their way -amidst the immemorial habits of the Hindoo. He would do anything, in -short, for amusement--and forgetfulness. - -When he at length approached the door of Mr. Tims's house, the moon -had sunk considerably, though she had still some hours to shine; and, -pouring her beams from the side, with the slightest possible angle of -declination towards the back of the house, her light fell full upon -the two steps that led up to the door, without lighting the door -itself. Beauchamp thought he heard a noise in the passage as he -approached; but with his usual indifference, certainly not decreased -either by fatigue or grief, he walked on with the same slow pace in -which he had before been proceeding, and was just in the act of laying -his hand upon the bell, when the door was suddenly and somewhat -unexpectedly thrown open. The faint outline of three men standing in -the dim darkness of the passage, was all that Beauchamp could -perceive; but the moonlight poured full upon his own figure as he -stood alone upon the steps. So unlooked-for a sight in the house of -Mr. Tims caused him to pause in some surprise; and he had no time to -recover from it; for before he could ask any question, or form any -conjecture, he received a violent blow from some heavy instrument on -the head, which instantly felled him to the ground, completely stunned -and motionless. - -How long he continued in that state, Beauchamp could hardly tell; but -when he again recovered his consciousness, he found himself lying -extended upon some planks, with a stiff and numb sensation over all -his limbs, a violent headach, and extreme pain in his ancle, while a -rippling sound and buoyant undulating motion seemed to show that he -was in a boat upon the water. For the first moment he could not verify -this supposition by sight, as he seemed to have been cast carelessly -into the boat, and his hat was driven so far over his brows as to -prevent him from seeing anything around. - -Before he was well aware of what he was doing, he started up, pushing -back the covering from his eyes; but, as he did so, his unsteady -footing in the boat, together with the violent pain in his ancle, made -him lose his balance, and very nearly fall over into the sea, which -received his hat as he fell, and bore it far away in a moment. - -With an involuntary groan from the pain he suffered, Beauchamp -relapsed into his former position; but the single instant he had been -able to stand up, had shown him sufficient to make him comprehend in a -great degree his immediate situation. The moon, he had remarked, just -about to dip below the horizon, was pouring a long, long line of -yellow light over the waves that, rippling away in the far -perspective, seemed like living things of gold, dancing joyfully in -the beams, while over all the rest of the expanse, was to be seen -nothing else but the dark mass of agitated waters heaving up and down -with a dull but solemn sound. He had just caught a glimpse, too, of a -faint line of high coast stretching away to the north-west, and -consequently catching upon its most prominent points the beams of the -setting moon, while all the rest remained in dim gray shadow. Such had -been the more distant objects that Beauchamp had beheld. Those more -immediately around him, were the small open boat in which he was borne -along, and four figures that it contained. Of these--one of which was -that of a woman--two appeared to be death sick, and the other two sat -close beside each other in silence at the stern of the boat. One was -steering, the other gazing fixedly over the side upon the flashing -waters; but the movement of Beauchamp instantly called the eyes of -both, though neither made any observation even when he fell back again -upon the planks. After he had lain there for a moment or two more, -however, the one who was unoccupied whispered something to the -steersman. The other made no reply, and the whisper was repeated. The -steersman then broke forth with a fearful oath, adding, "If you offer -to touch a hair of his head, I will heave you overboard, and send you -to hell an hour before your time!" - -His companion muttered something which Beauchamp did not hear, and the -sailor again replied in the same angry tone, "Come, come, rouse out -none of your slack-jaw at me, or blast me if I do not show you who -commands here. You have got your way with me once to-night to my own -damnation, but you shall not do it again!" - -Here the matter dropped, and all was silent but the ripple of the -waters. Half an hour more elapsed without a word being spoken; and -though Beauchamp felt very giddy and confused, he endeavoured to think -over the circumstances in which he was placed, and form some plan for -his demeanour towards those by whom he was surrounded. - -Although he had very few facts to lead him to such a conclusion, yet -something more than a suspicion of the truth crossed his mind. The -peculiar whistling he had heard, both in going to and coming from -Ryebury, joined with the appearance of the three men in the passage of -the miser's house at that time of night--the assault upon himself, and -his situation at the very moment, all made him conclude that a bold -and extensive robbery had been committed, and that he had been carried -away from an apprehension that he might give the alarm, and lead to -the detection of the robbers. - -He suspected also that it might be a matter of doubt in the bosom of -the man who sat by the steersman, whether it would not be best to -dispose of such an evidence against them, as he himself might prove, -by throwing him into the sea; and the answer of the other showed him -that, at all events, there was one of the party averse to such a mode -of proceeding. - -From all this he concluded, that as he himself could offer little or -no resistance to whatever his companions chose to do with him, it -would be much better to keep himself as quiet as possible, and to take -no apparent notice of anything that was passing around him. Whether -such might have been his determination, had he felt well, and in the -full use of all his limbs, may be doubtful; but the aching of his head -was intense and stupifying, and from the sensation which he -experienced in his ancle, he felt sure that one at least of the bones -had been dislocated in throwing him into the boat. These sort of -little corporalities are apt to make a man excessively quiescent; and -Beauchamp, though in general not liking particularly to be treated as -a portmanteau, at least without asking the reason why; being now -convinced, that however much he might express his volition, he could -do no more towards executing it than a trunk itself, determined wisely -to keep silence also, and not even to move, any more than the pain he -suffered impelled him to do, for the mere sake of changing his -position. - -His companions remained silent for near an hour, and the only words -which then broke the stillness, were spoken by the steersman, who -seemed to be the only seaman of the party. "If she be not under the -lee of Jerry's Knocker, we must run for old Willy Small's, that's all. -We are sure enough with him, and to-morrow we can get another boat, -and so across." - -The other made no reply, and very likely did not understand clearly -what his companion meant. Beauchamp, however, who had in his youth -frequented that part of the country; and, as the reader may have -perceived, had forgotten but little of the localities, instantly -remembered that a long promontory, jutting out from the rest of the -coast, and having a calm sheltered bay to the eastward, bore -throughout the country the name of Jerry's Knocker; and he was led to -conclude, from the rest of the sentence, that the respectable people -into whose hands he had fallen, were looking out for some smuggling -vessel to carry them to France. - -It very speedily became evident, that whatever they were seeking was -not to be found. The sea began soon to run high off the headland, and -shortly after grew far calmer than before, leading Beauchamp to -imagine--though he could see nothing around--that they had doubled the -point; but the words, "She's weighed, by ----," at once showed that -the vessel was gone; and the steersman, who had been anxiously looking -out, resumed his seat, and brought his boat a point nearer to the -wind. - -In about half an hour afterwards, the pitching of the boat ceased -almost entirely, and it was clear she was entering smooth water; while -a warning to be quiet, given somewhat sharply by the steersman to one -of the sea-sick personages, who was now inclined to speak, showed that -they were approaching some spot where other ears might be on the -watch. The thought passed through Beauchamp's mind to try the strength -of his lungs; and, had he been sure that there was any one within -hearing, it is more than probable he would have done so, as he felt -not a little cramped and uncomfortable on the planks of the boat. -However, not being sure that any one would or could come to his aid if -he were to hollow till he grew hoarse, and that the attempt might only -procure him a speedy passage into the sea, he adhered to his former -plan, and, in a moment after, with a gentle rush and a slight shock, -the boat touched the land. - -"Run up to yonder light," said the steersman, in a low voice, "tell -the old man that I am here, and bid him come down and lend a hand." - -"Why don't you go yourself?" asked the other, in the same whispered -tone. "He doesn't know any of us." - -"Because I do not choose," answered the other; and the person to whom -he spoke at once obeyed. Ere two minutes had elapsed, a considerable -addition was made to their party, and the steersman himself, now -springing ashore, held a low consultation with those who joined them. -The other man and the woman, whom Beauchamp had observed, were next -taken out of the boat, and in a moment after a stout old man jumped -in, and stirred him by the shoulder. "Come, master!" he said, "you -must get out, and come along with us--though you seem to take things -vastly quietly." - -"I suppose it is the best thing I can do," replied Beauchamp. "But if -you want me out, you must carry me out, my good fellow, for they have -lamed me, and I cannot stand." - -"That's a bad job!" replied the other, speaking in a rough but kindly -tone. "Wat will be sorry for that, for they did not intend to hurt -you, I can tell you." - -"Perhaps not," said Beauchamp; "though knocking me down and stunning -me on the spot, were not very unlikely to hurt me." - -"Ay, but if a man will poke his nose into what he has no business -with, master," replied the other, "he must take what he gets." - -"Very true!" answered Beauchamp dryly, though somewhat surprised at -the fellow's coolness. "Very true, indeed! But it was purely -accidental on my part. I had not the slightest intention of intruding -upon the gentlemen in the pursuit of their avocations. But, as I said -before, if you mean me to get out of this boat--and I am heartily -tired of it--you must carry me; for I can only stand upon one leg, and -the ground is somewhat uneven." - -"True enough, true enough!" answered the man. "Here, Bill, lend us a -hand to lift the lad out of the boat. They have broke his leg amongst -them. It will teach you, master, to keep out of the way when there is -anything to be run upon the coast. Always sheer off when you see -what's going on. But we will get it spliced for you, never fear. Here, -Bill, I say!" - -A youth of about seventeen or eighteen now came up and helped his -father, as it proved the old man was, to lift the stranger on shore. -Beauchamp then, with the assistance of the elder personage, made his -way from the little sandy cove into which the boat had been run, to a -lonely house, standing high up upon the bank, with two boats drawn up -nearly to the door, and about a square yard of cabbage-garden at the -back. The old smuggler, for such he evidently was, led his unwilling -guest in, and was about to conduct him into a room, the door of which -opened at a right angle with that which entered from the shore. -Various signs and symbols, however, within the chamber, made the man -pause ere he went in; and at length he exclaimed, as he still stood in -the entrance--"Well, well! But give us a candle, though! How the devil -can one see up the stairs? It's as dark as Davy's locker!" - -Beauchamp made as much use of his eyes as possible; but it was in vain -that he did so, for the persons that the room contained were concealed -from his sight by the half-closed door; and all that he could -distinguish was part of the common interior of a fisherman's -kitchen--a large chest, a deal table, a wide fireplace, and two -shelves covered with clean blue-edged plates and porringers, together -with a vial bottle, half full of ink, and having a pen stuck in the -top of it, pendent by a bit of string from the corner of one of the -shelves. - -A moment after, a clean, little, well-salted fisherman's wife, emerged -from behind the door, with a brazen candlestick and three inches of -lighted candle in her hand; and Beauchamp, conducted up stairs with no -inconsiderable agony, was ushered into a small bedroom, (of which -there appeared to be four, by the way,) which, amidst all its faults -and deficiencies, was at least clean. - -As they went up the stairs, and for a moment after they entered the -room, the eyes of the smuggler continued to run over his guest's -apparel and face with a look of surprise, and even anxiety, which -increased at every glance; and when he had done, there was a change in -his whole demeanor which might have made Beauchamp smile at any other -time, or under any other circumstances. He now, however, threw himself -down in a chair, exhausted with the pain his exertion had caused him, -and was about to demand that a surgeon should be sent for, when the -old man, setting down the candle on the table, told him with a tone of -respectful civility, that he would return in a moment, and left him. - -"Lock the door!" shouted a voice from below, as the smuggler quitted -the room. The door accordingly was locked; and Beauchamp, left alone, -before he proceeded to think over his present situation, according to -his usual deliberate custom, set to work to get his boot off, and see -what was really the state of his ancle. - -His leg, however, was so much swelled, that all ordinary efforts were -vain, although he never committed that piece of exuberant impolicy, -the wearing a tight boot. As soon as he discovered this to be the -case, he took his penknife from his pocket, and at once relieved his -foot and leg from their leathern prison. He was then about to proceed -in his examination, when steps coming from below interrupted him; but -another door was opened, and in a moment after he heard the voice of -the old smuggler, and that of the man who had steered the boat, -conversing together somewhat eagerly. At first, as usual, there was a -guard upon their tongues, and all that reached his ear was a sort of -hum; but soon the caution wore away; they spoke loud, and Beauchamp, -without the desire or the capability of moving from the chair in which -he had first sat down, heard distinctly the greater part of all that -past. - -"Well, well, Wat!" said the voice of the old man, "D--me, if I'm a man -to leave a poor boy at a pinch! We must just get the cutter run down; -but she cannot be here you know till to-morrow night any how,--It must -be a bad job though, that makes you so wild to get to France, my boy." - -"A bad job enough! A bad job enough!" answered a voice that Beauchamp -now remembered full well. "But mark ye, William Small, when ye hear it -all told--Mark ye, I say! I had nothing to do with the worst part of -it. Those two fellows below have cheated me, and made a wretch of me. -D--me, if I would not rather have gone up to the main chains and gone -pitch over, head foremost, into the Bay of Biscay--But they did it, -not I--mind that!" - -"I'd bet a puncheon they've killed the officer," replied the other. - -"Don't ask any questions, Willy Small!" replied his companion; "Don't -ask any questions--It is safer for us all!" - -"Why, that's true enough!" replied the smuggler, "That's true enough! -No, no! I'll not ask nor guess either, and then I know nothing about -it, but that you and t'others wanted the cutter to go a pleasuring; -and I'll take the lowest price you see too, Watty, so they can't bring -me in as art and part for the run goods. But what is to be done with -the young man in the next room? Why, Wat, he seems a gentleman--I -say!" - -"Ay! he is a gentleman every inch of him," answered the other; "and -such a one as one seldom sees--I would not have harm happen to him for -the world--Why, you must just keep him for a day or two, till we are -gone and safe, and then let him go. But I say, when you lock the door -to-night upon him, keep you the key yourself, mind you. Those fellows -below, have an ill-will to him; and if it had not been for me, they -would have hove him overboard this blessed night--upon my soul they -would!" - -"D--n their eyes and limbs!" exclaimed the other, "I should like to -see them touch him in my house. If I would not tie them together, like -a couple of hogsheads, and sink them out of water-mark. But as to -locking the door, Wat, there is no use of that at all, bless ye. He -can't stir an inch. Why, you've broken his leg amongst you!" - -The reply of the other, though sufficiently blasphemous--and we must -here apologize to the more scrupulous reader for admitting into the -dialogues just past, so many profane expletives, which we would not -perhaps have done, having no delight in such matter ourselves, had not -the love of truth and accuracy prevailed--The reply of the other, -then, though sufficiently blasphemous, showed that he was bitterly -grieved for the accident which had happened to Beauchamp; and a long -conversation ensued in regard to the necessity of sending for a -surgeon. - -That, however, they both agreed would "blow the whole business"--to -use their own expression--and humanity as usual gave way to -apprehension. Old Willy Small, as the smuggler was denominated, -declared that he was a goodish hand himself at splicing a broken limb, -and that he and his wife would look to it, till the other party were -safe off to France. This seemed to quiet the conscience of the other -upon that particular; and, after concerting some farther plans for -facilitating all the preparations for their journey, they returned to -their comrades below. - -The effect of this conversation upon the mind of Henry Beauchamp, was -not certainly to produce any very agreeable sensations. He began to -apprehend that a worse crime than simple robbery had been committed at -the house of the unhappy miser; and though, in one point of view, he -felt little anxiety on his own account--seeing evidently that he would -not want assistance at his need, if anything were attempted against -him--yet he could not help shuddering at his proximity to a gang of -murderers; and contemplated, with no great pleasure, the surgical -offices to be performed upon his own leg by a smuggler and an old -woman. An evil, however, is seldom without its good; and though, -certainly, had it been left to his own choice, he might have found a -more agreeable way of diverting his thoughts from all the painful -subjects that previously occupied them; yet true it most assuredly is, -that corporeal uncomfort, pain, and apprehension, did very materially -lessen----No! not his love for Blanche Delaware; but the first bitter -feeling of the disappointment which her conduct had occasioned. - -If it were not so strange to say, and if we could by any means -discover the process by which the mind could arrive at such a result, -we should declare, that, in the midst of all these dangers, troubles, -and uncomforts of a different kind, Beauchamp had found a new store of -hope. How, or why, who can tell? but either his hope was like the -limbs of the skeleton in the Fantocini, which, after being all -disjointed, are suddenly pulled together again by strings that no one -can see; or else it was like a fire of dry wood, which, when it has -appeared for some time quite extinguished, will pour out a small white -flame, when nobody is expecting any such thing, and soon be as bright -again as ever. At all events, he had left Emberton that very morning -without a spark of hope apparently left; and after going through as -much as would have contented him with adventures for the whole of his -life, he could not help thinking that there was something very strange -and unaccountable in Blanche Delaware's whole conduct, and that, if he -could but get the key, all might still go well. Nevertheless, he was -not left long to cogitate upon anything; for, in a minute or two, the -smuggler and the smuggler's wife walked in, in the character of -surgeon and assistant; and, after some awkward explanations of their -purpose, demanded to look at the gentleman's leg, to see if they could -help him. As he knew that it was predetermined not to send for a -surgeon, Beauchamp, who was not disposed to make people look foolish -unnecessarily, did not, as he once intended, propose that expedient. - -"You may look at my leg as much as you like, my good people," he said; -"but I have not the slightest intention of letting you do anything to -it, unless what you propose agrees with my own opinion." This being -settled, the woman knelt down, and the man held the candle, and the -stocking being withdrawn, an examination and mumbled consultation of -some length took place. - -"It's not broken, sir, do you see!" said the old man, looking up. -"It's only the small bone put out, do you see!" - -"I see nothing at all, my good fellow," replied Beauchamp, "except -that it is very painful; and, of course, the more you pinch it the -worse it is." - -The man then assured him that, if he would let him try, he would put -it in in a minute; and, after a laborious explanation, Beauchamp -consented. The old man pulled his foot as if he would have pulled it -off: the old woman squeezed his ancle as if she would have broken it -through the middle; but at length, with a sudden snap, the bone -started back into its place, and the patient found instant relief. -Every attempt to stand, however, was still quite out of the question; -and Beauchamp, giving himself entirely up into the hands of such -skilful chirurgeons, suffered his ancle to be bandaged up with clothes -steeped in vinegar and brandy, and himself to be carried to bed, where -the smuggler assured him he ought to lie for at least four days, in -order to perfect his recovery. When all was completed, and his host -and hostess were retiring, Beauchamp listened for a moment, and heard -the key of the door turned with greater satisfaction than he had -imagined the fact of being locked into his own room would ever afford -him. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -Now, Henry Burrel was a great deal too sincere a man, even in his -commune with himself, to endeavour by any means to cheat himself into -the belief that he was a hero. In short, he had quite sufficient real -enthusiasm in his disposition, and quite sufficient contempt for those -who affected it without having any, to make him very jealous of -letting the portion he did possess appear openly, even before his own -eyes; and, in order to correct such propensities, he had got up, as we -have shown before, a system of apathetic indifference to every thing -that did not affect himself, which, though sometimes run away with by -his zeal or his affections, contrived generally to bridle feelings -that would otherwise have been somewhat headstrong. - -Left alone in a little bed, in a little room in a smuggler's cottage, -on the loneliest part of the sea-shore--locked in without being able to -set a foot to the ground--without a light----and with a confounded -smell of fish pervading the whole atmosphere--his first impulse, as -all these minor miseries tickled his imagination one after the other, -was to laugh heartily. But the impression lasted but a moment; and, -when he thought of the more remote, but more dreadful, circumstances -connected by an inseparable link with his temporary situation--the -murder of a helpless old man, which he doubted not had been -committed--the fearful moral offence which three of his -fellow-creatures had perpetrated; and the miserable fate of a youth, -in whom he had taken considerable interest--for he had recognized, as -we have before hinted, the voice of poor Wat Harrison--when he thought -of all these circumstances, his heart smote him for the moment of -levity in which he had indulged; and poured out the full tide of its -generous and kindly feelings to wash away the fault of that one -instant. - -He now revolved the matter more seriously; and, as he did so, of -course his own situation came again soberly under consideration. That -situation was evidently anything but pleasant, for no man could be -expected to find his pillow very soft when it was shaken by the hands -of a gang of murderers. But Beauchamp was constitutionally a brave -man. His impulses were not those of fear; and, though he had a very -considerable share of imagination, yet when he wanted to frighten -himself about anything, he had to think of it seriously, and call up -all the dangers one by one. Now, in the present instance, there were -so many unpleasant and perilous points in his position, which he could -neither divert nor avoid, that, after a short reflection, he found it -would be best and wisest not to think of the danger at all; and, when -he had so settled the matter, he found no great difficulty in -forgetting it altogether, although with a degree of feverish -restlessness he turned and returned in his mind the conversation which -he had heard in the adjoining room. - -It was evident that Walter Harrison had not told the whole truth to -the old man who had given them shelter; and whether it was the -smuggler's previous conclusions that had led him to believe the crime, -from the consequences of which the young sailor was flying, had been -committed in an endeavour to defraud the revenue, or whether by a -direct falsehood on the lad's own part, Beauchamp naturally deduced -from every thing which he had discovered, that Willy Small, as they -called him, would be the first to shrink from the perpetrators of the -deeper offence which had really been offered to the laws of God and -man. This was, at least, some consolation; and although Beauchamp -still felt a sensation of awe and horror when he reflected calmly on -the whole transactions of that night, yet his feelings were more like -those of one who reads a horrid tale of crime and sorrow in the -newspapers, than those of one around whose very person the -circumstances had been transacted, and who was in some degree a party -to the whole. - -Nevertheless, he could not go to sleep over it, with the easy -carelessness of one of those daily devourers of manufactured horrors, -who join to patronize the periodical press with the devout idolaters -of agitation, and who, like men fed upon deviled gizzards, find that -nothing on earth has enough cayenne. Whether it was busy thoughts, or -a broken head, or an ancle that had been dislocated, that kept him -awake, I cannot tell; but he lay in feverish and uneasy restlessness -long after all was quiet in the house, and even the murderers had -retired--I had almost said--to sleep. - -Towards morning, however, exhaustion overcame all, and he slept long -and profoundly. How long indeed he did not know, for he had forgot to -wind up his watch; but, at all events, he woke refreshed and calm, his -headach gone, and the pain of his hurt ancle so much relieved, that he -fancied he could do anything, and at once sprang out of bed. He -instantly found his mistake; for the moment he attempted to set that -foot to the ground, he reeled, and would have fallen but for his hold -of the bedstead; and, on examining more closely, he found his leg -enormously swelled, and bidding fair, as the smuggler had predicted, -to confine him to the house for more than one day. Notwithstanding -this discovery, he determined to make his way to the window before any -one interrupted him, in order to examine the _local_, and what was -passing without; and by means of the table and the chairs he contrived -to effect this purpose. - -The scene that presented itself, was one that may be met with about -once every three miles along the greater part of the southern and -eastern coasts of England--a small sandy bay opening out into the wide -blue sea, with two or three high cliffs on either hand, and nothing -more. In the present instance, however, an object struck the eyes of -Henry Beauchamp, which was not without its peculiar interest. It was a -small low-rigged cutter, just making her way out to sea, with a full -steady wind, and a press of sail. He looked up to the sky; and as far -as he could judge, from the position of the sun, concluded that one or -two hours must have passed since noon. At the same time, there was no -sound of voices below; a lad was seen mending one of the boats on the -shore; and a man, in whom he easily distinguished the old smuggler, -was standing on the nearest bank, with a glass to his eye, either -watching the progress of the cutter, or examining a vessel that could -just be seen hull down in the offing. All seemed to imply, that those -who had brought him thither had effected their escape from England; -and after gazing out for a moment he returned to his bedside, and -proceeded to dress himself as well as he could. The gentleman who -threaded the Dćdalion labyrinth, and slew Mrs. Pasephae's illegitimate -son at the end of it, had not half such a piece of work of it, as -Henry Beauchamp had, to get into his clothes. It is wonderful how much -more use one makes of one's foot even in dressing oneself, than one -knows anything about; and what would have come of it in the present -instance, can hardly be divined, had it not so happened that, after -Beauchamp had struggled with innumerable difficulties for nearly half -an hour, the old smuggler presented himself as a somewhat rude -valet-de-chambre, and saved his guest from martyrdom. - -The old man, in his quality of surgeon, blamed Beauchamp highly for -getting up at all; and, pointing out the swelled state of his ancle, -declared that he would only let him remain up, on condition that he -would keep it raised upon a chair during the rest of the day. - -Beauchamp was perhaps a little irritable with the contention he had -just gone through with various parts of his apparel; and consequently, -seating himself calmly on the nearest chair, he informed the old man, -in a cool determined tone, that it was his intention immediately to -proceed to Dorchester, which, as far as he could calculate, was the -nearest large town. He was met by the smuggler, however, in a way that -he did not expect, and this, of course, gave a sudden change to the -current of his feelings. Instead of telling him that he could not go, -or that he should not go, or any of those things which would have -rendered him more determined than ever, the old man replied in a civil -tone:--"Well, sir, you can do as you like; but I don't see how you can -manage it to-night, for it is now near four--Dorchester's twenty miles -off; and even were I to send for a shay, it can't come down within two -mile of this place--cause there is no road." - -"Past four is it?" cried Beauchamp. "I must have slept sound." - -"I dare say you were tired enough, sir," replied the old man; "but it -is past four, indeed--and, as I was saying, Dorchester is twenty -miles, and the next town is ten. You are very welcome to your bed, -sir; and I think you had a great deal better stay till you can walk a -bit." - -Beauchamp mused; for his situation was certainly a very unpleasant -one. He knew it to be his duty to give immediate information of what -had occurred to himself, to those persons who might investigate the -matter thoroughly, and discover whether a greater offence had not been -committed. At the same time, he felt the impossibility of walking two -miles, if his life had been at stake; while he did not think it would -be either wise or safe to intrust to a man of so doubtful a character -as this Willy Small, even his suspicions in regard to persons, with -one of whom, at least, the smuggler was on terms of friendship. It was -impossible to say what the fear of being implicated in such a -transaction, as Beauchamp believed to have taken place, might cause -him to do, if he found that he had in his power the only person who -could prove his connexion with the culprits. At the same time, the -man's tone was perfectly civil, and even kind; and as soon as -Beauchamp found that no opposition was intended to the exercise of his -free-will, he of course dropped the more peremptory manner he had -assumed, and determined to try milder means instead, though he well -knew that no measures would have proved successful, had the smuggler -made up his mind to risk after consequences, in order to gain the -present object. - -"If these places be so far by land," he said, at length, "is it not -possible that I can get a boat to carry me to the next town on the -coast?--I see two lying there upon the beach; and I will pay well for -one, if it can be procured." - -"Why, sir, for the matter of that," answered the smuggler, "one of the -boats has not been sea-worthy these three months, and the other -unfortunately got badly damaged this morning in taking those fellows -and the woman to the cutter.--They would not wait till high water, and -seemed in a devil of a hurry to get aboard; and how my boy managed it, -or whether the old un had a hand in it, I don't know, but they had all -near been swamped, and the boat can't be reckoned on, d'ye see!" - -Beauchamp's lip curled, as he thought that he perceived a -determination to oppose his departure by fair means, if not by force; -but the smuggler instantly caught it, and interpreting it aright, -replied with a glowing cheek and a look of candour, that went farther -to convince his hearer than all the oratory or bullying in the world -would have done. - -"Well, well! I see what it is," he said. "You think that I want to -keep you, while those fellows sheer off clear. But they are gone, and -that's done; and sorry am I that I ever saw their faces, for I've a -notion that there's somewhat worse at bottom than I thought for. But -never mind that. Your honour's a gentleman, at least such I take you -to be; and d--me if I have a hand in stopping your going wherever you -like. If you like to get under weigh to-night, why, I say nothing; and -I will even send the boy Bill over to ---- for horses and a shay, -though I think you had better stay here, a devil of a deal; and as for -the boat, you may hop down and look at her yourself, and you will see -that it will be this time to-morrow before all's right again. So your -honour may just do as you like--I say nothing, do you see?" - -"You have said enough to make me believe you an honest man," replied -Beauchamp; "and if what I suspect of your late inmates be true, you -may find my testimony in your favour no slight matter.--What they have -done," he added, seeing the old man's curiosity awakened, "I can only -suspect, as you do yourself. All I know, of my own personal knowledge, -is that, as I was accidentally coming upon them unawares, they thought -fit to knock me down, and brought me hither; but I should certainly -think you would find it most safe and most creditable to go -immediately to the next magistrate and give information." - -"No, no, no!" cried the smuggler--"No, by ----, I won't peach; and, -besides, I know nothing about them!" - -"I am well aware, my good friend," replied Beauchamp, "that you have -been deceived; for I will tell you fairly that I heard unwillingly all -that past between you and the young sailor, in the next room, last -night. Take my word for it, however, that there has been no smuggling -in the business." - -The man started, but Beauchamp went on. "Smuggling had nothing to do -with it; but as I know that your ideas of honour are very different -from mine, I shall not of course press you to inform against men, -whose crime you do not fully know, and whose guilt I myself could not -clearly prove. Nevertheless, I must do my duty, and, well or ill, I -must make my way to Dorchester to-morrow, in executing which purpose, -I am sure you will aid me." - -"That I will, sir! That I will!" answered the old man. "I will leave -Bill to mend the boat, and I will set out for ---- by daylight, and -you shall have a shay down at the red stile by two o'clock at -farthest. No! No! I will never peach against a poor lad who trusted -me; but somehow, what your honour has said, has made me feel a little -queerish--I should like to know the truth of the business vastly--I -don't like these jobs, that I don't--anything in the way of business I -don't mind--but I don't--no I don't like these jobs at all!" - -It was very evident, from the changed and anxious countenance which -the old smuggler now presented, that what he said was very true; and -though he could talk with the utmost coolness of killing a king's -officer in a smuggling brawl, yet the vague and doubtful nature of the -transactions into which he had been unwittingly entrapped, filled him -with anxious apprehensions. - -"Well, well, my good friend!" replied Beauchamp, whose object was not -to alarm him too much on his own account, "At all events you have -nothing to do with it, and I can bear witness to the conversation -which took place between you and the young sailor last night, and -which would at any time establish your ignorance of the whole facts." - -"Thank your honour! Thank your honour!" cried the old man with evident -heartfelt satisfaction. "Your honour's a gentleman---that you are; and -I am sure that I would do anything your honour tells me--that's to -say, I wouldn't like to peach, d'ye see--but anything else." - -"All that can be required of you," replied Beauchamp, "is not to -obstruct the course of justice; and, therefore, I shall trust to you -to set out as early as possible to-morrow, to get me some conveyance; -and farther, should you be called upon hereafter to give evidence in -this business, take my advice, and tell the whole truth boldly and -straightforwardly; for depend upon it, to tell a falsehood or to -prevaricate, is the most dishonourable thing a man can do, whether his -station be high or low." - -"That it is sir, surely--that it is!" replied the smuggler; "and I -will tell the truth when I am asked. But that is different, your -honour knows, from going and telling without any one asking me." - -"Certainly it is," said Beauchamp; "and I do not ask you to do more -than tell it when it is asked--But now, my good sir, can I get dinner, -or breakfast as it is to me; for I begin to feel that I have not eaten -any thing for several hours?" - -"Now, that's what I call being d--d stupid!" cried Willy Small, much -to Beauchamp's surprise, who at first concluded that the smuggler's -censure was addressed to him. "If my old woman did not send me up on -purpose to tell your honour that she had done you three mackerel, and -that, with a rasher of pickled pork, and some fried"-- - -"Good God!" cried Beauchamp, "I trust that she does not intend me to -eat three mackerel, pickled pork, and fried anything!--But never -mind--let me see them, by all means. I will eat what I can; and she -must excuse me the rest." - -Beauchamp's dinner was accordingly placed before him; and with his -usual perversity of disposition, it must be acknowledged that, in a -smuggler's cottage, with a lame leg, and disappointed in love, he ate -a better dinner of mackerel in October, salted pork, and fried eggs, -than he had done since he left the Grand St. Bernard. There's a hero! -Ulysses was nothing to him, though dressed in a dishclout! The hero of -the Odyssey did sit down with twenty fellows who were making love to -his own wife, and supped heartily upon the "entrails, fat, enriched -with blood," by which Homer undoubtedly meant black puddings. - -When he had concluded--as Beauchamp could, when he liked it, cast off -his reserve, mingle freely with all classes, and examine nature -wherever he found it--he declared that, as the evening was somewhat -chilly, he would come down and spend the rest of it by the kitchen -fire; and, getting to the bottom of the stairs the best way he could, -by the help of the old man and his son, he soon rendered himself -familiar with the whole family, winning their love, while he made them -more and more inclined to declare, that he was really a gentleman. - -Nor did the time pass unpleasantly to himself. He had got a notion, in -direct opposition to generally received opinions, that nature was to -be found only in the highest and in the lowest classes--more -especially indeed in the highest, because the persons of which it is -constituted have little inducement to conceal their feelings or -thoughts, and certainly no wish to affect the manners of any other -cast. Nature, however, as modified by the education of the lower -classes, was more interesting to him, from being less frequently -before his eyes; and, though he certainly liked the nature of his own -rank best, yet he was not sorry occasionally to observe the other a -little nearer. Thus the time wore imperceptibly away; and the more -tranquil passing of the night was only interrupted by the smuggler's -son showing his father a powder-flask, which, he said, one of the -gentlemen had dropped upon the beach that morning. Beauchamp took it -carelessly in his hand, and returned it without observation; but a -single glance had shown him that it was one which, from some fault in -it construction, he had given to his servant, Harding, a few days -before. The sight, though it but confirmed former suspicions, threw -him into a fit of musing for several minutes; but he shook it off as -fast as possible, and soon resumed the easy tone in which he had been -previously conversing. - -The next morning he woke earlier than the day before; but he found -from the smuggler's son, that the old man, true to his word, had -already set out to procure a post-chaise for him from the nearest -town. Many an hour passed by, however, without his return, and it was -again nearly four o'clock ere Beauchamp, whose sole amusement had been -looking out upon the ever varying sea, beheld him walking sturdily -along over the high grounds to the west. He was soon down the little -path, and into the house; but Beauchamp remarked that he paused not -below, as he naturally might have done, to speak with his wife; but, -on the contrary, with a hurried pace proceeded straight up stairs, and -entered the stranger's room at once. He was far too much agitated to -think of ceremonies; and, leaning on the table without taking off his -hat, he stood before Beauchamp, pale, trembling, and out of breath, -for several moments before he could utter a word. - -"Oh, your honour!" he cried at length. "Oh, your honour! I hope to God -you will stand my friend--for this is a horrible business I have got -into, and, without help, I shall sink--that's certain!" - -"What is the matter? What has happened?" demanded Beauchamp, eagerly; -but then, seeing the fearful state of agitation which shook the whole -of the old man's powerful frame, he added, "Calm yourself! Calm -yourself, Small! You have done nothing that I know of that can injure -you! Let me hear what it is alarms you!" - -"Thank you, sir, for that!" replied the smuggler, catching at -Beauchamp's consolation. "Thank you for that! If you stand by me, I -dare say I shall do--but what is it that alarms me? you ask. Why, what -should it be? Why, when I went into the town of ----, what should I -see but a number of people standing round the town-hall---just at a -particular spot like; and something misgave me, so I went up, and -there I saw stuck up against the wall a large sheet of paper, and at -the top was printed, _Five Hundred Pounds Reward_; and then, when I -looked below, I saw, in bigger letters still, _Murder!_ At first I -could not see any more, my brain turned round so; but when I could -read on, I saw in the _Blagard_, as the people called it, how those -infernal villains who were here the night afore last had murdered a -poor old helpless man at a place they call Ryebury--It did not just -say it was them indeed, but I am sure it was--Oh, I am quite sure it -was them!" - -The last declaration of his conviction was made more faintly, as if he -entertained some slight hope that Beauchamp would contradict him; but, -on the contrary, that gentleman replied, "I am afraid it was, indeed; -for it was at that very place, Ryebury, and at the door of that old -man's house, that they met me, and stunned me by a blow on the -head.--But what more did the placard say?" - -"Oh, it mentioned a Captain Somebody," replied the smuggler. "I -forget the name. It was a Frenchified name, however. It was that -black-looking ---- with the whiskers, I'll bet a puncheon!" - -"Was it Harding?" demanded Beauchamp, fixing his eyes upon him -eagerly, to catch his answer from his look, even before he had time to -utter it. - -"No, no, no!" answered the smuggler. "It was not Harding. It was some -Frenchified name; and then there came some person or persons unknown. -But now your honour will stand by me, I am sure--for if the justices -find out that I helped them off the coast, they will make me out as -having a hand in it; and I am sure that if I had known what they had -been doing, I would sooner have scuttled the cutter and sent them all -to the bottom, if I had gone down with them myself." - -"I really believe you would," replied Beauchamp; "and I do not think -that--with the evidence which I can give, and which I will give in -your favour, should anything be brought against you--there is the -slightest cause for your entertaining any apprehension." - -"Thank you, sir! Thank you for that!" replied the smuggler. "That -will make me easy, and now I'll go and tell the old woman." - -"But stay, stay, my good friend!" cried Beauchamp. Is the -post-chaise"---- - -"Lord-a'-mercy, now!" cried the man, before his guest could finish the -sentence, at the same time pulling off his hat, and throwing it down -upon the ground with a despairing sort of fling. "Lord-a'-mercy, now, -if I did not forget all about it! This murder has turned my brain, I -do think--for I never went into a house or shed in the whole place, -but set off home as hard as I could go, to ask if your honour would -stand by me." - -"Humph!" said Beauchamp. "This is pleasant." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -"Well," thought Beauchamp, "I certainly did calculate upon being at -Dorchester to-night, as firmly as if I had never read the Rambler. Oh, -Seged, Seged, emperor of Ethiopia! But never mind! to-morrow, at all -events, nothing shall stop me; and by that time this leg of mine will -be nearly well; so that some advantage at least will be gained by the -disappointment." - -The following morning the son, instead of the father, was accordingly -despatched to the post-town of ----, to order down a chaise -immediately to the nearest point of the high-road; and he was, -moreover, directed to take advantage of the conveyance, to return so -far upon his way, in order to give Beauchamp notice of its arrival. -This precaution was not unnecessary, for the boy was a lout, who might -very probably have suffered the chaise to go on without him; but -having taken these measures, Beauchamp very confidently expected to -hear that his vehicle was in waiting, at or about the hour of two. - -His lameness had by this time so far worn off, that he could move from -place to place with tolerable ease; and he spent the morning -principally on the sea-shore, partly in thoughts which were all the -busier from the forced inactivity of his body, partly in removing any -remaining traces of apprehension from the mind of the old smuggler, -who continued working leisurely and lazily at his boat, the damage -done to which had evidently been considerable. A little before two -o'clock, Beauchamp settled his accounts with his hostess; and all -charges being left to his own liberality, and his purse being luckily -and miraculously still in his pocket, he presented the worthy dame -with a sum so much above either her expectations, or the value of her -mackerel and pickled pork, as, in the first place, to make her turn -red with surprise and satisfaction, and then run out to tell her -husband what the stranger had given them. Two o'clock, however, -passed, and old Billy Small began to regret that he had sent young -Billy Small, instead of going himself. Three o'clock passed, and -Beauchamp joined most sincerely in the regret, especially when he -heard the old man exclaim, in the tone of a discovery, "I'd bet a -puncheon, now, that Bill has gone and got drunk at the 'lection. I -forgot this was the first day of the 'lection for the borough, or I -would ha' gone myself to a certainty. He's drunk, no doubt!" - -The father, however, did the son injustice; for towards half-past -three, the good youth appeared lumbering over the hill, and entered -the cottage, wiping his brow, indeed, but with a sober pace. In answer -to Beauchamp's enquiries--which were made with more eager haste than -he generally indulged in--the young man replied, that all the horses -in the town, and for many miles round it, were engaged in the -_'lection_, so that not one was to be got for love or money. - -Now, Beauchamp found himself so strongly inclined to be cross, -that--instead of either sending all elections to that distinguished -personage who has gained more by them and their consequences than any -one else--I mean the devil--or vituperating the post-horses, or any of -the other things concerned, as some persons would have done when put -out of temper by similar mischances--he acted, of course, in a way of -his own, and laughed outright, merely exclaiming, "Well, I must buy a -shirt of you, Small, if you will sell me one; for at present I -certainly do not come within the old beau's definition of a -gentleman!" - -As Beauchamp now determined to send no more to a town in which the -election of a fit and proper person to represent his Majesty's lieges -in Parliament was going on, his next questions related to the boat, or -rather to the boats. The smaller of the two, old Small assured him, -though it served well enough to catch mackerel in the little sheltered -bay before the house, would never do to go any distance; but he -promised Beauchamp that the other boat should be ready to carry him to -the next coast town by three o'clock on the following day. - -Beauchamp, from what he had seen in the morning, imagined that the old -man's promise might very well be fulfilled; but he little knew what -mending an old boat is. Father and son set to work upon it at once, -and went on as long as they could see; and, when the young stranger -rose next morning, he found them already occupied in the same manner. -His ancle being now greatly better, though not well, he walked out to -watch their proceedings; and, sitting beside them, and occasionally -giving some slight assistance, he saw hour after hour of the fourth -day since his arrival wear away, in performing what he had imagined -would have been completed in half the time; till at length, while -several small things still remained to be done, he beheld the purple -mingling with the blue in the sky, and telling that the daystar was -going down to the dark pavilion of his rest. "Oh! Seged, Seged, -emperor of Ethiopia!" cried Beauchamp, as he returned into the -cottage, "I will this night, at all events, resolve upon doing nothing -at all to-morrow, in order to see whether fate will for once -disappoint me the right way!" - -The morrow, however, dawned bright and clear--the boat was at length -ready and launched; and Beauchamp--shaved as usual with the smuggler's -one universal razor, and covered with the best specimen of his -check-shirts--gladly stepped into the yawl, and saw her pushed off -from the land by the united efforts of father and son, both of whom -accompanied him on his voyage. - -The boat was clinker-built, somewhat broad over the beam, and in all -respects the very reverse of a long, thin, shadowy thing that was -lying high and dry a little farther up the beach, looking both in form -and colour just like the shell of a razor-fish. - -Old Willy Small, however, shook his head at mention of that craft, -saying, "No, no! The preventive had knocked up all that stuff." So -that Beauchamp, well content to get off at all, was obliged to rest -satisfied with the slow and sure means of progression which the yawl -afforded, though, the wind being light and rather baffling, it -appeared very plainly that they were not destined to reach their port -much before nightfall. - -To increase the tediousness of a day's voyage in an open boat, to a -man who had the utmost abhorrence of every sort of water-carriage, the -fine morning waxed more and more dim; and first a drizzle, and then a -deluge, continued to pour from the sky during the whole of the rest of -the day. It was five o'clock before they reached the small town, whose -white houses, ranged along with their large goggling windows directly -opposite the sea, like a score or two of unsophisticated girls, with -white frocks and large black eyes, ranged along the side of a country -ball-room, afforded a most welcome sight to the eyes of the weary -voyager. - -The custom-house officers satisfied themselves with wonderful ease -that there was nothing in the boat which they could count as lawful -prey, though the appearance of their well-known acquaintance, Willy -Small, excited many a shrewd suspicion; and they looked after -Beauchamp, as he was borne off to the inn, with the same prying glance -with which the merchants, in the Arabian Nights, might be supposed to -have examined the pieces of beef brought up by the eagles from the -valley of diamonds. At the inn the dripping traveller, who limped -along, leaning on the shoulder of the old smuggler, was examined -with scarcely less attention, as soon as it was ascertained that he -had no baggage; but, somehow, there was--to use a most fearful -periphrasis--an air of, right to respect, and of, the habit of being -obeyed, which instantly commanded obedience and attention. - -Old Billy Small was immediately rewarded and dismissed; and, with many -thanks, he hustled rapidly away, like a hunted hippopotamus, to his -own element again; perhaps purposing, as he passed by the quay, to -have some short conversation, concerning various professional matters, -with some of the sailors of a ship which was lying in the harbour, and -about to sail for Cherbourg the next morning. - -When he was alone, Beauchamp thanked God--not with the empty idleness -of tongue with which those words are so often spoken, but truly, -sincerely, and from his heart--for his escape from dangers which he -had not suffered himself to estimate fully, till they were over. He -then rang, and desired the landlord to be called, feeling heated and -weary, and having taken it into his head, that the long period which -had elapsed since he had enjoyed anything like gentlemanly neatness of -person, was the cause of the dry and thirsty feeling that he -experienced. - -The landlord appeared and answered his enquiries concerning warm -baths, and various other matters which would occupy too much room to -enumerate, eyeing him curiously to the end, when he added--"Beg -pardon, sir--beg pardon! but is not your name Major Beauchamp?" - -"It was some time ago," replied Mr. Beauchamp; "but I have quitted the -service, and am now plain Mr. Beauchamp, if you please--but who are -you, my good friend?" - -"Beg your pardon, sir, for the liberty," replied the landlord; "but I -am Frank, the waiter at ----'s Hotel, in St. James's Street--that is -to say, I was, sir; but this being my native place, and having got -together a little money, and having married, and--you see, sir, I came -to set up in a small way for myself." - -"Well, I am glad to see you, Frank, and hope you prosper," replied -Beauchamp. "Have you many people in your house?" - -"No, sir, no! answered the man, with a somewhat grave shake of the -head. Not many; the season's over indeed--only an old gentleman and -his daughter, and an old lady who seems like the housekeeper; but they -are very dismal-like, and do not do so much in the way of our -business." - -"They might be rueful enough, if they had been kept as I have been for -the last five days," replied Beauchamp, "at a little cottage on the -sea-shore, with a dislocated ancle, and neither clothes, assistance, -nor the means of procuring any. But see about the things I mentioned, -Frank, and send the things; and if these warm baths are not far, I -will try to walk to them, in the mean time." - -"Next door but one, sir! Next door but one!" replied the landlord. -"Lord, sir, you walk very lame! Stay, sir, I will get my hat, and help -you there;" and accordingly, leaning on the arm of the quondam waiter, -Beauchamp made his way to the warm baths, feeling that there was some -truth in the old Greek epigram, which describes them as amongst the -luxuries without which life were not worth possessing. - -Returning to the inn, where his family and fortune, by this time fully -known, made the whole house ready to perform _Cow Tow_ he dined with -that sort of moderation which a man feels inclined to practise, when -he finds himself extremely feverish, and when every sort of wine, from -cool claret to hot sherry, seems like molten lead, within ten minutes -after it is swallowed. Immediately after dinner, all the necessary -changes of raiment, which he had been so long without, and which could -never be so rapidly supplied as at a seaport town, were brought in -one by one, by the officious care of the landlord; and, on discovering -that the first coach for London set off on the following morning at -ten o'clock, he made that fact a good excuse to himself for yielding -to the lassitude he felt, and going to bed at nine. - -The night past in heated tossing to and fro; and short fitful -intervals of sleep, too dreamful and agitated to be called repose. -From one of those brief snatches of slumber, he was awakened early the -next morning, by some one knocking at the door of the room next to his -own, and exclaiming in a loud tone, "Seven o'clock, sir, is the -luggage ready?" - -Beauchamp certainly wished the luggage and the man who demanded it, at -the bottom of the sea together, and tried to go to sleep again; but -after rolling from side to side for half an hour, he found that it was -in vain. All the infamous noises which announce that some frightful -people, in the neighbouring chambers of the same inn, are going to set -out upon voyage or journey, at an awfully early hour, were complicated -around Beauchamp's unfortunate head; and at length, after the -trampling of sailors and porters in the passage had ceased, he heard -some one again knock at a door, on the opposite side of the passage, -and say, "My love, I must go down to see the luggage passed and put on -board; but make haste and be ready, for the ship will sail directly. I -will send up and let you know when to come down." - -Beauchamp started out of bed, and hurried on his clothes as fast as -possible, for the voice was that of Sir Sidney Delaware; but his -lameness still retarded him, and every time he took a quick step, his -ancle gave way beneath him, and caused him intolerable pain; so that, -just as he was tying his cravat, the voice of old Mrs. Williams, the -housekeeper, was heard along the passage. - -"Miss Blanche! Miss Blanche!" she cried, "Make haste, pray make haste! -Your papa says all is ready, and the ship is just going to sail." - -Beauchamp pulled on his coat as best he might, and threw open his -door; nor was he a moment too soon, for Blanche Delaware was already -walking along the passage. She was paler far, but as beautiful as -ever, and not the less so that the tears were swimming in her eyes at -the thought of quitting her own dear fair native land--perhaps for -ever. - -"Good God, Miss Delaware!" cried Beauchamp, "What is the meaning of -this?" - -"Mr. Burrel!" exclaimed Blanche faintly, while the blood mounted quick -into her cheek, and then again left it pale as ashes. "Oh, Mr. Burrel, -where have you been? Your presence might perhaps have saved us all!" - -"How, how?" cried Beauchamp, "You sent me from you, yourself. Had it -not been for your own word, I would never, never have left you!" - -"Do not--do not say it!" cried Blanche, while the tears streamed over -her cheeks, "Do not say it, or I shall never forgive myself--I never -have, indeed.--You only could have saved us--and oh, Henry Beauchamp, -I am sure you would have done so!" - -Beauchamp started to hear his real name from his fair cousin's lips; -but Blanche went on rapidly and eagerly. "But it seems all strange to -you. Have you not heard of my poor brother? Have you not heard what -has happened?" - -"I have heard nothing!" replied Beauchamp. "I have been detained for -several days, ill and wretched, in a spot where I heard nothing." - -"Oh!" cried Blanche, wringing her hands, "they have accused him of -crimes he never committed, and blasted his name, and broken his -heart--and if--if--Henry Beauchamp"---- - -"Is not the lady coming?" cried a voice from below. "The ship's -getting under weigh, ma'am. You'll be left behind if you don't mind." - -"Indeed, Miss Blanche, you must come," cried Mrs. Williams, who had -hitherto discreetly remained at the other end of the corridor, when -she saw who it was detained her young mistress. "You must come, -indeed!" - -"I will--I will!" said Blanche, and, dropping her voice, she -added--while for one moment she raised her beautiful eyes to -Beauchamp's face, and the warm blood mounted again into her -cheek--"Henry Beauchamp--my dear cousin--it is most likely the last -time we shall ever meet--but if ever you loved me--if you would have -poor Blanche Delaware bless and pray for you to her last hour--use -your whole strength and mind to clear my poor brother's name and -character--God bless you, God bless you!" and she ran on, down the -stairs. - -Beauchamp paused for a moment in utter bewilderment, then, darting -into his room, seized his hat, and followed with all the speed he -could employ. That, however, was but little. The harbour was not far, -it is true; but ere he could reach the narrow pier, from which the -passengers had been embarked, the ship bound to Cherbourg had shot out -to sea, and with a strong and favourable wind, was making its way -towards the coast of France. - -Beauchamp gazed after her in vain; for nothing but the faint -indistinct forms of the many people that crowded the deck, could now -be discovered; and with feelings as bitter and painful as ever man -felt, he turned away and went back to the inn. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -On entering the sitting-room which had been appropriated to him, -Beauchamp cast himself back in a chair, and, for a moment, reflected -on the extraordinary interview he had just gone through. But a new -discomfort now assailed him, and he felt a degree of confusion of -thought, and even indistinctness of memory, that pained and alarmed -him. Could the blow he had received on the head, he asked himself, the -consequences of which he had entirely neglected--could it have injured -his brain? Nevertheless, his personal feelings occupied him but for an -instant, and were only permitted to cut across his thoughts of Blanche -Delaware, and interrupt the ideas which his conversation with her had -called up, when the dizzy mistiness of his brain prevented him from -pursuing clearly any defined train of thinking. - -Should he engage a boat, he asked himself, and follow Sir Sidney to -Cherbourg, in search of farther explanations--perhaps, I might say, in -search of farther hopes; for with all the confused and painful -feelings that his brief interview with Blanche Delaware had excited; -there had also been left behind a sweet consoling hope, that after all -he was beloved, and that time might yet make her his own. - -He paused upon that idea, which, like a gleam of sunshine upon the -dark and struggling waters of the sea, gave one bright spot for the -mind's eye to rest upon, in the midst of the doubts and anxieties that -whirled around him. Should he follow her, he thought, and enquire what -was meant by her allusion to her brother; or should he stay and do -what he conceived to be his duty, in bringing to justice, as far as he -could effect it, the men who had committed the crime at Ryebury. "I -will see what has been already discovered," he said at length, "and -then act as I find necessary." - -In consequence of this resolution, he rang the bell, and demanded the -newspapers of the last two or three days; but for some minutes after -they were brought, he could scarcely read the matter they contained, -so fearfully did the letters dance before his sight, when he attempted -to fix his eyes upon the page. He succeeded at length in gathering the -contents; and, it may be unnecessary to say, that when he did so, he -found sufficient, at once to determine his conduct. The whole account -of what had taken place at Emberton was now before him; and with -feelings, that it is impossible to describe, he perceived that the -very means he had taken to remove the difficulties of Sir Sidney -Delaware and his family, had, on the contrary, accumulated upon them a -load of evils and distresses which his utmost apprehensions could -never have anticipated. - -Summoning the waiter once more, he ordered breakfast, and a place to -be secured for him in the London coach. All was done according to his -desire, with prompt activity; and by a quarter after ten, Henry -Beauchamp was on his way to London, in the inside of a hot -stage-coach, crammed full of humanity; while his own feelings -consisted of a compound of intense mental anxiety, and all those -horrible corporeal sensations which precede a violent attack of fever. -His hands and his head burned like living coals; his feet were as cold -as ice, and a faint sort of chilly shiverings thrilled over all his -frame, alternating with a degree of heat that became sometimes -intolerable. - -He endured all this, with firm determination, for six mortal hours; -but at length he found that nature would bear no more, and that he -must stop. At Hartford Bridge, then, where his name and station in -society were well known, from his having often spent a night in that -most pleasant of all country inns--the White Lion--he desired the -coachman to put him down, and entered the house. His appearance was so -altered, that the old waiter did not recognize him for a moment; but -the moment that he did so, he declared, upon his word then, that Major -Beauchamp must be ill, in which assertion Beauchamp found strong -reason within his own bosom to coincide. - -The result therefore was, that, before the sixth day after he had been -carried from Emberton was completely over, Henry Beauchamp was in bed, -with an apothecary gently compressing his wrist on one side, and a -waiter holding the candle on the other. After innumerable questions, -to all of which the young gentleman answered like a lamb--which showed -how ill he was--the apothecary declared him in a state of fever, and -bled him considerably. By this depletion, he certainly felt relieved -for the time, and the next morning was not at all worse than he had -been the day before. Nevertheless, he was troubled with no inclination -to rise; and the landlord asked anxiously of the man of medicine -whether he conceived his patient to be in any danger, as he was aware -that the gentleman had relations of high rank in London, whom he might -wish to write to, if he knew himself in precarious circumstances. - -Such a question, though so frequently put, remains still one of -tremendous difficulty to the professors of the healing art, inasmuch -as, on the one hand, they never can like, by acknowledging that there -is great danger, to run the risk of other advice being called in, and -yet, they neither choose to lose the credit which may accrue from -curing a bad case, nor to incur the blame that will attach to them if -their patient dies without their having admitted his peril. However, -as vanity and covetousness are, generally speaking, stronger passions -than apprehension, the followers of Esculapius usually seem to prefer -running all risks, rather than have their cases interfered with by -another practitioner. In the present instance, it occurred that the -apothecary was really in the right, when he informed the worthy -landlord, that, although his guest had certainly a sharp fever upon -him, yet he did not see any present danger. - -Thus passed over the day. No one was written to; and, before night, -Beauchamp was not in a state to write to any one himself, having -become completely delirious. The apothecary grew a little frightened; -but as the landlord did not know the precise address of Beauchamp's -friends, and as the patient could not give it himself, there was no -remedy but patience and perseverance. - -The delirium continued with but little interval for two days; but as -the medical man was really a person of skill, his patient's -constitution excellent, and the fever not very malignant in its -nature, favourable symptoms began to show themselves sooner than could -have been expected, and at the end of five days more the young -gentleman was pronounced convalescent. - -Though for some time he felt himself very weak, and incapable of much -mental exertion; yet, from the moment the delirium left him, Henry -Beauchamp found his thoughts much clearer and more exact than they had -been since the day of his leaving Emberton; and, as he considered the -various events which had taken place, a number of circumstances which -the reader's mind may easily recall without minute recapitulation, led -him to suspect that his uncle's lawyer, if not his uncle himself, had -increased, if not created, many of those difficulties which, combined -with accidental occurrences, had overwhelmed Sir Sidney Delaware and -his family in ruin and in sorrow. - -He was unwilling indeed to admit, to his own mind, that Lord -Ashborough would descend to any thing mean or dishonourable, even to -effect the very honourable purpose of revenge, which, when formalized -by the rules of the monomachia, justifies murder; and therefore may -surely equally well justify robbery, or fraud, or petty larceny, or -any other peccadillo. But, at the same time, Beauchamp could not shut -out the conviction, that the ruin of Sir Sidney Delaware and his -family, by whatever means effected, would be in no degree disagreeable -to the noble earl. In fact, he had seen more deeply into his uncle's -character and into his uncle's heart, than Lord Ashborough knew; and -though his discoveries were rendered less harsh by the natural -affection of kindred, yet they had certainly not tended to increase -that affection in any extraordinary degree. - -However, all his reflections terminated in an uncertainty as to the -past conduct of his uncle and his uncle's lawyer, which made him -resolve to investigate the whole matter farther before he acted; for -though he was unchangeably resolved that justice to William Delaware -should be done, yet he was anxious, of course, that it should be -rendered with as little obloquy to his own relation as possible. -"Thank God, he has made his escape!" he thought; "and the earl, too, -must have left London soon after I quitted it myself, so that he -cannot be at all acquainted with my share in this unfortunate business -at Ryebury. I will therefore remain quietly where I am till I can -proceed to London, and then investigate every circumstance before I -fix upon any farther plans. Of course, I shall easily discover the -residence of Sir Sidney Delaware in France; and, when I have cleared -his son's fair fame, may meet them all, with better hopes and brighter -prospects." - -Such were some of the reflections and resolutions of Henry Beauchamp, -as he was recovering from the fever which had detained him at Hartford -Bridge; and though he certainly indulged in a great many other -reflections, and formed a great many more resolutions, yet they were -all conceived in the same strain, and tended to the same effect. As -day by day, however, he began to acquire strength, and saw that at the -end of two or three more whirls of the great humming-top, he would be -able to set out for London, a new difficulty pressed upon him of -somewhat a novel nature. He had an inn bill to pay, which could not be -small--he had an apothecary's bill to pay also, which must be still -larger, and sick-nurses, &c., came at the end to swell the amount. Ten -sovereigns was all that remained in his purse; and had Beauchamp been -aware that, in the opinion of all his friends and relations, he was -actually dead and buried under water, if not under ground, he might -have been still more puzzled how to proceed than he was, in his state -of blessed ignorance regarding all these facts. - -His resource, in the present instance, was to indite a letter to his -worthy friend and agent Mr. Wilkinson, informing him, in a few words, -that he had been ill at Hartford Bridge, and would thank him to send -him down, either by post or coach, a sufficient sum to pay his -temporary expenses. - -This epistle reached Mr. Wilkinson just as he was drawing up a general -statement of the money matters of the late Henry Beauchamp, Esq., -formerly of his Majesty's ---- Regiment of Dragoons; and the letter of -the living Mr. Beauchamp, of course, put a sudden stop to the affairs -of the dead one. The handwriting, however, although certainly bearing -a great resemblance to that of his client, was, as Mr. Wilkinson -observed, more like a copy of his hand than his hand itself; and the -illness which had produced this difference, had also produced a -brevity and carelessness of style, in which Henry Beauchamp was not -accustomed to indulge. The consequence of all this was, that Mr. -Wilkinson, calculating that Hartford Bridge was only thirty miles from -London, and that two or three guineas was better lost than two or -three hundreds, put himself at once into the coach which was to have -conveyed the money; and in a few hours he was sitting beside the -identical Henry Beauchamp, who had left London about two months -before, and was assisting him most conscientiously to despatch the -first meat meal he had been allowed to taste since his recovery. - -As may well be supposed, this interview was destined to enlighten -Beauchamp greatly as to many events which had taken place; and, after -having laughed at his own death more heartily than a merrier matter -might have occasioned, the invalid entered into explanations with his -lawyer, which in turn gave him a new but sad insight into the -occurrences of the last three weeks. - -"I am afraid, sir," said Mr. Wilkinson--"I am afraid, sir, there has -been very foul play! This Mr. Tims--who, between you and me, bears so -bad a character in the profession, that it is a very general wonder -how your noble relative continues to employ him--has, since your -death--God bless me!--I mean, since your supposed decease--has, I say, -presented the very note for ten thousand pounds, (which you say you -gave to the murdered man at Ryebury,) as payment of the sum owed to -your account by his client, your uncle; and yet, though this, and the -vouchers which he must have found concerning the fifteen thousand -pounds sent before, cannot have failed to show him that the money -tendered by Captain Delaware was advanced by you, yet he is, I -understand, pursuing the business against that unfortunate young -gentleman with greater virulence than ever. I heard only yesterday -that his name had been struck out of the Navy List." - -"God forbid!" cried Beauchamp--"God forbid! But does the rascal keep -both the twenty-five thousand pounds paid, and the ten thousand which -my uncle should have transferred to my account?" - -"Not only that," answered the lawyer; "but contending that, as the -money had been stolen, it did not constitute a legal discharge of Lord -Ashborough's claim upon Sir Sidney Delaware, he has plunged the whole -business into Chancery--has, at the same time, started a point which -can only be decided by a common law court; and as he has all the most -obsolete and vexatious decisions at his fingers' ends, would -undoubtedly have kept the business embroiled for years, had you not -suddenly started up to prove that the payment was legal, and therefore -the whole difficulty at an end." - -"And if I had not started up," said Burrel, "and William Delaware had -been taken, I suppose one of the most gallant officers in his -Majesty's service, and one of the most generous-spirited gentlemen in -England, would have been hanged for a crime he never committed." - -"Why, I am sorry to say, that it is very probable he might have been -so dealt with," answered Mr. Wilkinson. - -"Then, immortal honour to Robert Peel!" said Beauchamp, "for having -begun a reformation in laws, which, though far superior to those of -any other nation in the world, are yet so imperfect, as to risk such a -loud-tongued iniquity; and may he have life and power granted to him -to correct all their evils without diminishing their efficiency. But -you speak, my dear sir, of my starting up. Now, do you know, I have a -great mind not to start up for some time yet; and to give this rogue, -Tims, time enough to show himself in his true colours. As I am dead, -and the mourning bought, and all those whose hearts would break upon -my account are broken-hearted already, I do not see why I should -announce my resuscitation in the newspapers till I have obtained not -only the proofs--which, indeed, I can furnish myself--of William -Delaware's complete innocence; but the proofs also of the guilt of -those who really did commit the murder; and which, with a little of -your good advice, I doubt not easily to acquire. In the mean time, if -I am not mistaken, good Mr. Tims, counting upon my death, will plunge -deeper and deeper into the quagmire of deceit and villainy through -which he is now struggling, and we shall have an opportunity of at -once exposing him, and opening my uncle's eyes to his knavery." - -Mr. Wilkinson shook his head with a dry "hum!" at the last sentence -which Beauchamp spoke; but the other part of his young client's -proposal he approved very much, saying, "Certainly, certainly! The -plan is a good one; and we must never show our adversary our cards, as -Mr. Pleydel is made to observe, by the only great romance-writer that -the world has produced since Cervantes, and Le Sage, and Fielding. But -you forget, Mr. Beauchamp, that I do not fully know what information -you possess. Your lawyer must be your confessor, my dear sir, if you -would have his advice of any avail." - -Beauchamp in reply recounted all that had happened to him since he -left Emberton on the morning before the murder--the fact of his -servant Harding overtaking him at Dr. Wilton's rectory--his own return -to Ryebury--his first and second visit to the miser--his compulsory -voyage with the murderers--and his stay at the house of the -smuggler--all in short that had occurred, with the exception of a -brief interview in the corridor of the inn at ----, which he thought -proper to leave untold. - -Mr. Wilkinson rubbed his hands at each pause, and, in the end, -declared that nothing was more plain than the facts, and nothing would -be more easy than the proof. "The man Harding," he said, "whom you think -you recognized in the boat with this Walter Harrison, has never -returned to your house in London; and therefore we may conclude from -the fact of the powder-flask, and from your recognition, that he it -really was who committed the murder, with the other two and the -maid-servant, as accessories. Information must be obtained from this -man Small, in regard to the port at which his cutter landed them in -France; and once having gained that, we have nothing to do but set a -Bow Street officer on the track, and he will follow it like a -bloodhound. I entertain as strange doubts in regard to this Mr. Peter -Tims as you do; and believe, from some memoranda on the back of your -note of hand, that he knows fully, at this moment, that Captain -Delaware never had anything to do with the murder of his uncle. Such a -man well deserves to be punished; and if you like to lie _incog_, for -a week or so, we will watch his proceedings; but you must not take it -ill, my dear sir, if I say, that we must be careful not to implicate -any one whom we might not like to inculpate." - -Beauchamp's cheek flushed a good deal, but he replied calmly, "I -understand you, Mr. Wilkinson; but I am sure there is no fear of that. -However, my own intention is to go at once to France--I shall -certainly endeavour to see my sister first; for if any one on earth -grieves for me indeed, it is poor Maria. But, as I said, I shall -certainly go to France, and may help in tracing these villains -myself." - -"But, my dear sir," said Mr. Wilkinson, "you must pause a few days. I -will write to the local magistrates, and gain a clear view of all they -have discovered in the neighbourhood. We must have this man Small -examined; and I do not well see how we can proceed without your -presence in England--Suppose, for instance, Captain Delaware should be -taken and brought to trial." - -"Why, of course, I will stay a few days," replied Beauchamp musing; -"and, before I go, I will make a formal deposition on oath before a -magistrate, which I suppose I must do, in order to induce him to grant -me an officer to seek the culprits in France." - -"There is an officer in Paris already, I believe," replied Mr. -Wilkinson; "but at all events, we must get full information ere we -proceed. Believe me my dear sir, the man that meddles with law, either -criminal or civil, without obtaining a clear knowledge of every -circumstance before he takes a single step, is very likely, indeed, to -burn his fingers." - -"It is a dangerous thing to touch, I know full well," replied -Beauchamp, with a smile, "and God forbid that I should have more to do -with it than necessary. I will therefore come to London, where, I -suppose, that there is not a mortal being left by this time but you -gentlemen of the law, and I may very well pass my time _incog_ at an -hotel." - -"Nay, indeed, you are mistaken as to the paucity of better people than -lawyers in London," replied Mr. Wilkinson. "Your noble uncle is -himself in town, and your sister. The latter I have had the honour of -seeing, and found her equally in despair about yourself and Captain -Delaware." - -"Indeed!" said Beauchamp, smiling at a small twinkling of fun that -danced for a moment in Mr. Wilkinson's eyes, as he mentioned Miss -Beauchamp's anxiety in regard to William Delaware. "Indeed! and does -Maria show herself so greatly distressed about this accusation against -her cousin?" - -"So much so," replied Mr. Wilkinson, "that she would insist upon -employing me in gathering evidence for his defence, which, by the way, -is the cause of my knowing so much about the case. Not only that; but -understanding apparently that there is no such stimulus to a lawyer's -exertions as money, she made me take notes for two hundred pounds to -meet the expenses." - -"She is very generous, indeed," answered Beauchamp; "but pray, did she -show any inclination to ascertain my existence?" - -"Oh yes, most eagerly!" replied Mr. Wilkinson. "Come, come, my dear -sir, you must not think that interest in the cousin made her forget -the brother. On the contrary, although she says that she knows you too -well to believe that you would drown yourself--yet"---- - -"What! did they make it out that I had drowned myself?" cried -Beauchamp. "You did not tell me that before, Mr. Wilkinson!" - -"Why, I thought it might hurt your feelings, and only said it now -incautiously," replied the lawyer; "but so indeed it is. They made it -out that you had drowned yourself in the sea near Emberton." - -"They made a very great mistake, then," said Beauchamp, biting his -lip. "You need not tell me the causes assigned for the rash act as the -newspapers term such things. I can divine them all, as it suited each -person to put them. The ladies, of course, said it was for love, and -the men said debt or gambling. No, no, I shall never commit suicide. I -laughed so heartily once at a philosopher at Geneva, who determined to -commit suicide in a fit of the spleen, that I am sure I could not do -it, even if I felt inclined. He went down to drown himself in the -lake, and, as it was a rainy day, he carefully took his umbrella. When -he came to the side of the water, however, and began to put down the -umbrella, the absurdity of the whole affair of a man drowning himself -with an umbrella in his hand, suddenly tickled his fancy to such a -degree, that he burst into a fit of laughter, and turned upon his -heel. Meeting him with the tears in his eyes, I soon joined in his -merriment when I heard the story; and the very idea of suicide is -connected with such ludicrous ideas, in my mind, that it makes me -laugh even to think of it--But you were saying that my uncle was in -town; how does he console himself for my irreparable loss?" - -"I have not seen his lordship," answered Mr. Wilkinson; "but every one -agrees that he has felt your supposed death more bitterly than any -event that ever occurred to him through life. Miss Beauchamp will -never give credit to the story of your death; but Lord Ashborough, I -understand, believes it firmly, and of course, I need not tell you, -that he is surrounded already by hundreds of sycophants, eager to -share in the immense wealth which is now, as they believe, without a -direct heir. Under such circumstances, would it not be better to give -his lordship intimation of your existence, as he may perhaps alter his -will, and life is precarious?" - -"Not I!" answered Beauchamp. "Not I! The hereditary estates go with -the title, and I shall take no step whatever to secure anything else. -In fact, I believe that I have contradicted my uncle more frequently -than my sense of respect would have otherwise permitted me to do, -simply because he has two or three hundred thousand pounds to leave, -and I do not choose to be thought a sycophant. I should have been a -very dutiful nephew, indeed, if it had not been for that money; the -more especially, as I know that my good uncle values it so highly -himself, that he cannot help thinking I must value it highly too." - -"At all events," said Mr. Wilkinson, who saw that his client was -becoming rather fatigued, and, perhaps, the more unmanageable from -that circumstance. "At all events, Mr. Beauchamp, before you set out -once more, like the Knight of La Mancha, upon a new sally in search of -such perilous adventures, you must give me fuller powers to act for -you, and fuller instructions, too, as to how I am to act; for good Mr. -Tims has already been hinting at _winding up the affairs of the late -Henry Beauchamp, Esquire_, as he phrases it." - -"Indeed!" said Beauchamp. "Indeed! Well, I do believe that if there -were an act for hanging rogues, it would ultimately save a vast waste -of hemp upon thieves, and leave honester men in the world after all. -But I must now let you seek repose; and we will talk more of these -matters to-morrow morning, when, if my Galen will suffer me, I will -accompany you to London; for the last ten days I have been like poor -Erminia:-- - - - 'Cibo non prende giŕ che de suoi mali - Solo si pasce, e sol di pianto ha sete?' - - -But I think I have made amends for one evening, at least." - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -Now Mr. Wilkinson, though a very pleasant gentlemanly man--slightly -inclined to be facetious, but never yielding to that vein farther than -a subdued--one might almost say, internal--smile, at the odd things, -and the absurd things, and the wicked things of this world--was quite -in the wrong in taking it into his head that Maria Beauchamp was in -love with Captain William Delaware. In truth, she was not; though -certainly never were there circumstances more likely to make her -become so. She had only got as far at present as being interested in -the young sailor's fate in the highest degree; perfectly convinced, -that he was innocent and injured--thinking him certainly a very -handsome youth--and granting that he was, with all his simplicity, one -of the most agreeable men she had ever seen. The reader may ask if all -this, then, was not love? No, no, no! It was not! There were bricks, -and mortar, and trowels, and hods; but it was not the tower of -Babel--What I mean is, that there were all the materials for love, but -they wanted putting together. - -In Lord Ashborough's house, however, with all these prepossessions in -William Delaware's favour, she heard nothing coupled with his name but -pompous censure, or flat and pointless sneers; and she dared not say a -word in his favour. Now this, as it furnished her with a motive for -not only thinking of him from morning till night, but furnished her -also with a legitimate cause for connecting in the sweet, unanswering -privacy of her own bosom, all those manifold arguments in his favour, -which she could have put forth in society, had she not been afraid of -their being controverted, caused imagination, and zeal, and generous -enthusiasm, to labour hard to build up the said bricks and mortar into -the firm and regular structure which Mr. Wilkinson, in his over-hasty -conclusions, imagined to be already built. - -However all that may be, it is certain that few people had been more -completely wretched--and she was not a person to be so, without -seeming so too--than Maria Beauchamp, since the business at Ryebury -had taken place, and she yielded to a degree of gloom and despondency, -which Lord Ashborough had never before seen her display under any -circumstances. As she never mingled in the conversation regarding -William Delaware, the earl imagined that anxiety and suspense, in -regard to the fate of her brother, were the causes of her gloom; -and--with the very natural consideration which people generally -display, who, however much grieved they may feel for a time, love to -get over the memory of their dead relations as fast as may be--the -noble earl took every means of removing her state of doubt as fast as -possible, by assuring her, on all occasions, that unquestionably her -brother was dead. - -Suddenly a change came over Miss Beauchamp's whole demeanour. Though -she admitted that it was very possible her brother might be dead, yet -she resumed her usual tone of spirits; and instead of being silent in -regard to Captain Delaware, she repelled with contempt the idea of his -guilt whenever it was mentioned, declaring that she felt as much -confidence in his innocence of the murder, as she did in her own. All -this surprised Lord Ashborough. The first, indeed, he accounted for -pleasantly enough to himself, declaring that Maria's mind had now -recovered its elasticity, having been relieved from suspense, by the -firm conviction which he had taken care to impress upon it, that her -brother was dead. He lauded at the same time, be it remarked, his -own wisdom in the course he had pursued, blaming severely those -ill-judging friends, who, in such cases, suffer hope to linger on till -it wears itself out. He even ventured on a simile, saying, that it was -like torturing a drowning man, by holding out straws to him. - -In regard to Miss Beauchamp's extraordinary perversity in defending -the murderer, he declared that he was more puzzled; and one day, after -having remonstrated severely, he related the fact to the worthy Mr. -Peter Tims. That excellent person, however, only decided that it was a -lady's caprice; and with this solution of the enigma, his lordship was -forced to rest satisfied. - -In the meanwhile, Henry Beauchamp did the most uninteresting thing in -the whole world, namely, he travelled from Calais to Paris; for, with -the exception of Sterne, who carried his own world about with him in -his post-chaise--and a strange mixed world of beauty and deformity it -was--I know no one who has been able to make anything of the journey -between those two towns, either one way or the other--except, indeed, -the Duke of Guise, in 1558, who made Calais a French town of it. - -Henry Beauchamp's journey was somewhat Quixotic certainly; but the -whole details of his sally serve lamentably to show how the science of -knight-errantry has declined since the occultation of the star of La -Mancha. For a squire he had a Bow Street officer, backed by letters -missive from the Foreign Secretary, and seated upon the rumble of a -dark-green armless chariot, beside a fierce-looking mastiff of a -courier, whom Beauchamp had engaged upon somewhat surer grounds than -those on which Master Harding had been received into his service. -Dapple and Rozinante were converted into four French stallions, of all -sorts and sizes; and instead of mistaking inns for castles, one might -have concluded that the young Englishman mistook them for prisons, so -strenuously did he avoid them by travelling night and day. - -As Mr. Wilkinson had stated, an officer had been previously sent to -Paris in pursuit of Captain Delaware; and although it had not been -judged expedient, notwithstanding the information given by Mr. -Beauchamp, to recall him from that search, yet he was directed -vigorously to co-operate with the person now sent to arrest Harding -and his accomplices. Beauchamp, in his inexperience of such matters, -had thought it might be better to follow the culprits by the port at -which they had landed in France, and which had been clearly -ascertained from Willy Small, the smuggler, and his eldest son, who -had acted as master of the cutter that took them over. The officer -shook the wise head, however, and said, "No, no! Let us go to Paris -first, sir; for that's a place which is sure to draw all rogues to it, -first or last--as a saucer of honey in a shop window catches the -flies. We get at all the passports there, too; and, beside, the mayors -and folks in the country places wouldn't dare to back us in seizing -the men without a government order, and a _John Darm_ as they call -them. When we have searched Paris, let us set off for Cherbourg, and -meet them in the face." - -To this reasoning Beauchamp of course yielded; and although some -difficulties occurred on the part of the French government, they were -speedily removed--the passport-office was examined--some of the most -active agents of the French police were employed--and such information -finally obtained, as the Bow Street officer thought likely to lead to -the discovery of the whole party, either at Cherbourg or at Caen. -Thither, then, Beauchamp and his attendants of various kinds, now -increased in number to four, turned their steps, making the most -minute enquiries at every point which offered the least chance of -affording information concerning the culprits. Beauchamp, at the same -time, pursued another search, anticipating, with no small eagerness, a -meeting with Miss Delaware and her father, who, he concluded, must -journey by slow stages, on account of the baronet's health. Strange, -however, to say, that he, and the Bow Street officer, and the French -agent of police, were all equally disappointed. Beauchamp found nobody -that he sought; and his companions, though they laid hands upon the -three personages whose passports and description had excited -suspicion, were surprised and mortified to find that they bore not the -slightest resemblance to those who had carried Mr. Beauchamp off from -Ryebury. - -On minute enquiry amongst the fishermen of the village where the -culprits were said to have landed, the house was at length discovered -in which they had first lodged; and the _albergiste_ at once declared, -that, understanding the English language, he had heard them announce -their intention of proceeding to Havre, in order to embark on board -some American trader. - -No time was to be lost under such circumstances, as ships were sailing -every day for some transatlantic port or another; and the horses -having been again put to the two carriages, which now formed the -cortege, away went Beauchamp and his train for Havre. From Cherbourg -to Havre, running through one half of the peninsula of Cotentin, is a -long, though not uninteresting journey, to one who has nothing else to -think of. But Beauchamp was in haste to get on. French postilions are -notoriously slow, and Norman postilions notoriously slower. The -steam-boat was gone when the party arrived at Honfleur; and, in short, -every thing that nature and art could do to stop them on their way, -was done to perfection. At length, when they did reach Havre, they -found that one vessel had sailed for America the preceding day, full -of emigrants of all descriptions, and that two others had departed -about four days earlier, each of which, to believe the accounts given -of them, must have been a perfect Noah's Ark. - -Beauchamp and the officers lost heart, and even the courier, whose -trade being to run, could not be supposed to object to _battre la -campagne_ in this manner, began to look rueful, under the apprehension -that, if no farther clue could be gained, his occupation would soon be -gone. After every inn had been inspected, every consul consulted, -every shipping-office examined, Beauchamp determined once more to -return to Paris, and thither he accordingly came by the way of Rouen, -followed by the posse, who found it not at all disagreeable to eat, -and drink, and sleep at his expense, and be paid for the trouble -thereof over and above. - -New researches were immediately commenced; and never did fat-faced -Gibbon bend his rotund cheeks over the pages of infidelity, ancient or -modern, from Arius to Hobbes, with more eagerness to filch or find an -objection or a fault in the blessed faith, whose beginning and end is -glory to God in the highest, and peace and goodwill towards men, than -did all parties pursue their object of discovering the guilty, in -order, principally, it must be confessed, to exculpate the innocent. -But the search seemed perfectly in vain; and the only conclusion to -which any one could come was, that the murderers had really effected -their escape to America. After nibbling at various surmises and -reports for some time, the officer who had accompanied Beauchamp -declared himself foiled, and took his leave. He who had been sent in -quest of Captain Delaware had abandoned the pursuit for some time; and -Beauchamp was thus left alone to proceed with such enquiries as he -might still have sufficient perseverance to make. - -These enquiries, it must be confessed, related principally to Sir -Sidney and Miss Delaware, but here as many difficulties awaited him as -he had met with in the other search; and he was just on the point of -giving up the matter in despair, and returning to London to surprise -his mourning friends, when a circumstance occurred, which, without -throwing the slightest ray of light upon the course which Blanche and -her father had taken, served, at all events, to induce Beauchamp to -remain in Paris for several days longer than he had intended. - -The hotel in which he lodged, at the corner of the Rue de la Paix, -unlike most hotels in Paris, had but one staircase; and Beauchamp, who -walked up and down this staircase as seldom as possible, had rarely -the misfortune of meeting many people upon it. The last day but one, -however, of his intended stay, he encountered a lady walking leisurely -up; and, as each moved a little on one side, to suffer the other to -pass, by a sort of semi-rotation of each upon the axis, their faces -came opposite to one another, and Beauchamp recognised Mrs. Darlington -while she paid him the same compliment. - -"Good gracious, Mr. Burrel!" she exclaimed, much more surprised than -was at all proper. "Or Mr. Beauchamp, am I to call you? for people -tell me, that the Mr. Burrel I had the pleasure of knowing, was known -to others under the name of Beauchamp. But under whatever name you -choose, I am most happy to see you; for all your good friends in -England told me you were dead." - -"They have done me too much honour in every respect, my dear madam," -replied Beauchamp. "Those the gods love, you know, die young. But -though I must plead guilty to having deceived you, by calling myself -names far different from my own; yet believe me, when I assure you -that I had no hand in my own death. That was entirely arranged by my -friends and relations--though I doubt not, when I go back to England, -the public prosecutor will think fit to arraign me for _felo-de-se_ -with as much justice as the coroner's jury returned a verdict of -murder against poor William Delaware." - -"Ah, that was a terrible business!" replied Mrs. Darlington. "A -terrible business, indeed, poor young man! and I should like to talk -it over with you, Mr. Beauchamp--but I dare say that was your carriage -waiting, and I will not keep you now; but if you will return at -half-past six, and dine with me and the Abbé de ----, who is as deaf -as a pug-dog, I will tell you a curious circumstance which has -occurred to me since I came here--not about the Delawares, indeed, -poor people, but about something that happened just at the same time." - -Now every thing that happened at that time was more or less a matter -of interest to Henry Beauchamp; and therefore he willingly agreed to -dine and hear, according to invitation. A few minutes after the -appointed time, he was in the saloon of Madame Darlington's -apartments, where he found that lady, with a worthy ex-emigré -Abbé--the very sort of man who could dine with a widow lady of any age -without scandal. - -Beauchamp fully understood the _beinseance_ of never being curious -about anything, and therefore he listened to all Mrs. Darlington's -reasons for being in Paris--how London was of course out of the -question in October--how the house she had hired near Emberton had -turned out as damp as a fen, and smelt of a wet dog from the garret to -the kitchen--how Paris always afforded variety, &c.--without showing -the slightest inclination to enquire into the occurrence she had -mentioned in the morning. Dinner was announced, and was as _recherche_ -in France as if it had been at Emberton; but not a word took place -concerning _the occurrence_ Mrs. Darlington spending all the leisure -moments in marvelling that Mr. Beauchamp and herself could have -remained in the same house for four days without discovering their -proximity. After dinner, Beauchamp's _beinseance_ began to get tired, -and probably would have broken down entirely, had he not fortunately -happened to take up a very beautiful eyeglass, set with emeralds, in -the French fashion, which lay upon the table in the saloon. - -"Oh dear, that puts me in mind, Mr. Beauchamp!" cried Mrs. Darlington. -"It is strange enough; I have twice bought that eyeglass in this very -town. Once two days, and once eighteen months, ago. That is the very -thing I wished to tell you about. You remember when you did me the -favour of dining with me at Emberton; my house was burned down"---- - -"Var shocken, indeed!" cried the Abbé, who piqued himself upon -speaking English. "Terrible shocken great!" - -"Well," continued Mrs. Darlington, "that very evening, I left that -eyeglass upon the table in the drawing-room; and you remember, I dare -say, that I lost all my plate and jewels--indeed, the loss of various -things was incalculable--but, however, that glass was amongst the -rest; and as it was a sort of pet, I went into a shop the other day to -see if I could find anything like it. Well, the jeweller finding out I -was English--though how he did so, I am sure I do not know, for I -believe I speak French tolerably"---- - -"Oh, var excellent much!" said the Abbé, who was listening with his -most acute ear, bent subserviently to Mrs. Darlington's story. "As one -Frenchwomen." - -Mrs. Darlington smiled, nodded, and went on. "Well, the man found out -that I was an Englishwoman by the carriage, I suppose; and would talk -nothing but English all the time, though, he spoke it badly enough. On -my describing what I wanted, he said that he had got the very thing; -fresh arrived from England three days before. I told him that what I -wanted was French; he declared that I must be mistaken, and produced -my own eyeglass, with I. D., 'Isabella Darlington' ('What pretty name!' -cried the Abbé) on the medallion. I bought it, as you see, and the -jeweller assured me that he had purchased it three days before from an -English gentleman with black hair and large whiskers." - -"Although the description is very exact," answered Beauchamp, smiling, -"I can assure you, my dear madam, that I was not the thief--but as it -has long struck me that there has been something very mysterious -indeed in the whole business of the fire at your house, I should like -much to know the name of the jeweller; and if you will favour me with -it, will delay my departure for a day or two, in order to make farther -enquiries." - -Mrs. Darlington thanked Beauchamp warmly for the interest he took in -the matter; and the address being given and put down, the young -Englishman declared he would go that night and take the first steps -towards investigating the business fully. Accordingly taking his -leave, he sauntered out into the Place Vendome, and thence into one of -the principal streets in the neighbourhood of the Tuileries, where, -entering the shop of the jeweller, he bought some trifling article, as -a fair excuse for indulging in that sort of gossip which he thought -most likely to elicit some facts. - -The Frenchman was exactly the sort of person with whom one would -desire to gossip. He was even more urbane than the editor of the -Gentleman's Magazine, fond of a little conversation on any -subject--love, war, or politics--with those who came to buy his -nick-nacks, and had his small fund of wit, of sentiment, and of -anecdotism--not more of either than would have lain conveniently in a -vinaigrette, yet quite sufficient to give piquancy to his vivacious -nothings. Beauchamp soon led him to the subject of Mrs. Darlington's -eyeglass; but he quitted it in a moment, declaring that it was a droll -occurrence, but nothing to what had happened since. - -He always had Galignani's Messenger on his counter, he said, to amuse -the English gentlemen who dealt with him; and the other night, as he -was sitting alone, a _beau jeune homme_ who had been there once -before, came in to offer him some other article for sale. "While I was -examining what the stranger brought," continued the jeweller, "the -young Englishman took up the newspaper, and then suddenly laid it -down, but after a moment or two, he took it up again; and then I saw -that he had just lighted upon the horrible murder, that has been -lately committed in your country by a Captain in the Navy. Well, sir, -when I looked in his face, he had turned as pale as a table-cloth, and -was so agitated that I should have thought he was the assassin -himself, had he not been too young to be a Captain in your Navy. He -read it out every word, however, though I could clearly see that he -was very much disturbed, and I am sure that he was some relation -either of the man who was killed, or of the murderer." - -"How old was he?" demanded Beauchamp, remembering the extreme -youthfulness of Captain Delaware's appearance. - -"Oh, he could not be twenty!" answered the jeweller. "He was very fair -too, with fine light hair, tall, and well-made too--Do you think it -could be the assassin, Monsieur?'" - -"Certainly not!" replied Beauchamp, who, though morally convinced that -it was Captain Delaware whom the jeweller had seen, was still more -convinced that he had nothing to do with the murder. "The man who -committed this crime is quite a different person; I know the gentleman -who has been here, as you describe, and I wish much to see him. Have -you any idea of his address?" - -"None whatever, sir!" replied the jeweller, "but I dare say he will be -here again soon; for I bought the bijoux he had to sell, and he said -that he had more, and would return." - -"Well, it is of no great consequence," replied Beauchamp, assuming as -much indifference as possible; "but in case he does come, be so good -as to tell him that Mr. Henry Burrel is at the Hotel de ----, Rue de -la Paix; and would be very glad to see him. Tell him also, that, I -shall be at home and _alone_ on every evening during the week, from -the hour of seven till the hour of ten." - -The jeweller promised to deliver the message punctually; and, to guard -against all mistakes, Beauchamp put down in writing his assumed name, -and the number of his apartments in the hotel. He then--to do full -justice to Mrs. Darlington's business--tried to bring the jeweller -back to the story of the eyeglass; but it was all in vain. The man was -like one of those birds whose correct ornithological name I do not -know, but which boys call water-wagtails, and which go hopping from -stone to stone, pausing lightly balanced on each for a moment, and -then springing on to another, without ever returning to the same. It -was in vain Beauchamp tried to elicit any farther information; he -skipped on from subject to subject, and nothing farther could be made -of him. - -Tired of the endeavour, the young Englishman at length rose and -returned to his hotel, bidding the man send the trinkets he had -bought. He there reported his ill success to Mrs. Darlington; and -taking measures to guard against intrusion at the hour he had promised -to be alone on the following nights, he waited anxiously for Captain -Delaware's coming, with that degree of uncertainty--as to whether the -young officer would ever revisit the jeweller, and whether he would -come even if he did receive the message,--which Beauchamp could not -endure with that feeling, or rather assumption, of indifference, with -which he sometimes cheated himself. - -From seven till ten on the two following nights, he paced his little -saloon with a degree of anxiety which he had hardly ever felt before. -Every step upon the stairs caught his ear--every voice in the -anteroom, where he had placed his own servant on guard, made him pause -and listen; but it was all in vain; and on both nights he heard ten, -and even eleven, strike before he abandoned the consolatory reflection -that clocks might differ, and that the object of his expectation might -still appear. - -As he now felt certain, however, that William Delaware was in the same -city with himself, he resolved to wait on in Paris; and, if the -message he had left proved vain, to endeavour once more to discover -his dwelling by other means. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -Henry Beauchamp was, beyond all doubt, by nature an impatient man; -but, for the first five-and-twenty years of his life, his impatience -had found so little in his state or situation whereon to work, that it -had gone lame for want of exercise. Nature--notwithstanding Locke--had -given him a store of noble feelings, and education had added thereto a -store of good principles; and, with all this to guard him against evil -desires, he had found little in the world to wish for that his fortune -or influence had not enabled him to obtain with ease: thus he was only -now beginning to find matters whereon to exercise the virtue of -patience. - -On the third day after his visit to the jeweller's, he began to find -that his stock was nearly exhausted, and likewise to contemplate -paying another visit to the shop where he had first obtained this -clue, as he hoped it would prove, for discovering the residence of -William Delaware. Indeed, he would have pursued that course at once, -had he not feared that his anxiety on the subject might excite -suspicion, and cause some annoyance to the object of his search. This -reflection, though it did not keep him from going near the jeweller's -house more than once in the course of the day, did prevent him from -venturing into it. - -His equanimity, however, was gone; and, whether it arose from his late -attack of fever, or from the air of Paris in the first days of -November, or from disappointment and vexation, I cannot tell; but -certain it is, he viewed every thing in the darkest side, and began to -revolve the prospect of losing Blanche Delaware for ever, just at the -moment that he had found new hopes of having her heart in his favour. - -The consolatory process of dining did nothing for him; and, as seven -o'clock chimed on the third day, the whole array of dinner was -removed, the courier stationed as before in the anteroom, with strict -orders given to admit no one but the person described, and, as soon as -he was admitted, to retire, and leave his master and the stranger -alone. Eight o'clock came, Beauchamp ordered coffee, and took a book; -but, though he gazed with an involuntary smile upon the grotesque -drawings stitched into the _Roi de Boheme_ no word could be read of -the letterpress. He tried the eloquent nonsense of Chateaubriand, but -it was as unpalatable as the satirical nonsense of Nodier; and, -casting away the books, he gave the matter up in despair, abandoning -himself to the contemplation of the pictures in the wood fire. - -At length the door of the anteroom was heard to open, and the voice of -some one speaking to the courier reached Beauchamp's ear; but the door -shut again, the intruder descended the stairs, and all was silent once -more. The moment after, however, the same sounds were repeated; the -door of the saloon also was thrown wide by the servant, who uttered, -at the same time, the pleasant words of, "Here is the gentleman you -expected, sir!" - -Beauchamp started up as the visiter entered; but what was his -surprise to see--not the features of Captain Delaware--but those of -Walter Harrison, or Sailor Wat, as he had been called at Emberton, and -who was certainly too nearly connected with one part at least of his -long and hitherto unsuccessful search, to be beheld without emotion. -Beauchamp and the young sailor gazed at each other for a moment -without speaking; and even the courier--doubtful, from the -astonishment evident in his master's countenance, whether he had -admitted the right person--stood at the door for a moment, and stared -at them both in turn. - -He soon received a sign, however, to depart; and, closing the door, he -left Beauchamp and the sailor alone. - -"This is a strange visit, certainly!" said Beauchamp, flinging himself -into a chair, and gazing in some perplexity upon the countenance of -Wat Harrison, which was pale, worn, and haggard, in a frightful -degree. "This is a strange visit enough, certainly!" - -"You have sought me, Mr. Burrel," said the young sailor, in a tone of -calm determination; "and now you seem surprised to see me! What is the -meaning of this?" - -"I have certainly sought you, sir," said Beauchamp, not yet having -caught the right end of the clue; "but, most assuredly, I little -thought you would present yourself uncompelled--Are you aware that -this visit is dangerous to you?" - -"Not a whit!" said Wat Harrison, boldly; "and I do not care a d--n if -it were;--but I say, not a whit! You are not a man, sir, to ask me -here in order to betray me. I knew that well enough before I came." - -Beauchamp now, for the first time, perceived the mistake. The young -sailor, well dressed, and offering the external appearance of a -gentleman, had gained that appellation from the jeweller, the mind of -whose hearer, already filled with the idea of Captain Delaware, had at -once become impressed with the notion that the person described, was -no other than that officer. The height and the fair complexion had -aided the rest of the circumstances; and Beauchamp now found that he -had invited the visit of one of the murderers of the unhappy miser of -Ryebury, in such a manner as to preclude him from taking advantage of -his coming, to cause his apprehension. He hesitated, indeed, for he -felt that perhaps the duty of bringing the culprit to justice should -be paramount; but the word honour, so often falsely construed, was so -even with Beauchamp, and he could not bring himself to do that which -his conscience told him he ought to do. Although the contest between -reason and prejudice was severe, yet he was not long in forming his -determination; and rising again, after a moment's thought, he said, -"Young man, your coming here has originated in a mistake. From the -description given by the person who sent you, I thought he spoke of -Captain Delaware, when he really alluded to yourself; but as the -mistake was mine, not yours, I will not take advantage of it to give -you up to justice. Nevertheless, remember that I am not ignorant of -your crime; and that although I suffer you to depart from this house, -and will give you time to seek your place of concealment, yet I hold -myself bound to give notice to the Parisian police--who have orders -from the government to aid in arresting you and your accomplices--that -you are within the walls of Paris, and that, therefore, if you escape -it is their fault." - -"It will not be so easy to arrest me, Mr. Burrel," answered the young -man, in the same calm tone in which he had spoken before. "It will not -be so easy to arrest me, unless I like it myself--So you sent for me -by mistake? Well, I had hoped that there was one man on earth that -knew how to work me properly--But no matter--no matter! And you took -me for Captain Delaware, did you?--God bless him, wherever he is, for -a noble gentleman and a gallant officer!--So, they tell me they have -accused him of the murder--and made him fly his country, and that he -is to be dismissed his Majesty's service"--and as he spoke, the calm -tone was lost, and he was evidently working himself up to a pitch of -excessive fury--"And if he is taken he is to be tried," he -continued--"and there is already a coroner's verdict against him--and -that he will be hanged to a certainty--and that his good name is -already blasted for ever--and that poor Miss Blanche will weep her -heart out for him--and poor old Sir Sidney will die of grief for his -son's fate--and all for a crime that he did not commit---and, d--n -your eyes, do you think I am going to stand all that? No, never, -by ----! Weren't they kind to me when never a soul was kind to me in -all the world? and didn't they stand by me, when every soul abandoned -me? And am I going to see them all go to ruin and to misery, because -I myself and that black villain have brought damnation upon my own -head; No, no, never you think that! Why, it was bad enough before--and -every time I thought upon their going and murdering the poor old man, -while I kept watch in the passage, I was ready to go and give myself -up, and beg them to hang me out of the way, that I might think no -more of it--but now--now that I find all that it has done besides, -d--me if I would not hang forty such fellows as that, rather than -that the captain should come to ill by it!" - -From this confused speech, which Beauchamp listened to with eager -attention, though certainly not without some surprise, he learned all -that the judicious reader has already discovered, of what was passing -in the mind of poor Walter Harrison. He saw, in short, that remorse -had done its work; and that the fact of the crime in which he had -taken part, having brought down such misfortunes on the family who had -been his benefactors, had carried remorse to its natural climax of -despair. It was evident, too, that his remorse was of that purer kind -which is kindred to repentance, and that, at all events, he -contemplated atonement; and Beauchamp felt confident that, by proper -management, full and satisfactory evidence might now be procured of -the facts necessary to exculpate William Delaware completely. He saw, -however, at the same time, that the spirit with which he had to deal, -wild, wayward, and violent, would require most skilful treatment to -bring it to the point he had in view. - -"You are heated!" he said, "Walter Harrison; but if I understand you -right, there is still a hope, through your means, of saving William -Delaware from all the evils that you have brought upon him." - -"Hear me, sir--hear me!" replied the young sailor, "Only tell me what -is necessary to save him; and if you bid me hang a slipknot to the -yard-arm, then put my neck in it, and cast myself off, I'll do it." - -"I take you at your word," said Beauchamp. "There is but one way to -clear him--but one way to restore him to that clear and honourable -character which he always maintained in life, notwithstanding -poverty." - -"Ay, there it is! There it is!" cried the young man; "clear and -honourable, and yet poor--as poor for his rank as I was for mine--ay, -and I might have had a clear and honourable name, too--but never -mind--never mind--it is all coming to an end soon!" And casting -himself down in a chair, he pressed his hands over his eyes. - -"You lose your self-command, Walter," said Beauchamp. "Be calm, and -let us speak over this business rationally." - -"Calm! Calm!" cried the young sailor, starting up. "How the devil -would you have me calm, when you are speaking of things that are -burning in my heart like coals of fire? How can I be calm?" - -"You came here," said Beauchamp, somewhat sternly, "with a fixed -determination, I suppose, of some kind--either intending to do right -or to do wrong--to make the only reparation that you can for the -crimes you have committed, by delivering your benefactor from the -consequences of your errors--or boldly to deny what you have -committed. If you intend to do right, the first noble and generous -determination that you have formed for long, should teach you to -execute your purpose with the calmness and fortitude of a man." - -"You say true, sir--you say true!" replied the youth, in a tone of -deep melancholy. "You always say true; and if I had attended to what -you told me when you brought me home from the fire that night, I -should not have felt as I do now--but there is no use of talking of -that--I did come here with the intention of doing right; and I will do -right, if you will tell me how. What I want to do, is to clear the -captain of every thing, and make it so plain that he never had any -hand in the bad business, that even those old devils at Emberton shall -have nothing to say. You were going to tell me the way when I stopped -you. Now, I will stick at nothing, either on my own account, or that -of others--for as to that accursed ruffian who entrapped me into the -business, I have had many a black thought, when he sneers at me -because I am sorry, to finish him myself." - -"Your only way, then, to make the reparation you propose," replied -Beauchamp, "is to give such information as may lead to the -apprehension and conviction of the men who actually committed the -murder--for, from what you have said, I am led to believe that you had -no absolute share in the deed itself." - -"No, no! None, none!" cried the young man, rapidly. "I did not know -they were going to do it--they had promised me, with the most solemn -oaths, not to hurt a hair of his head, and I knew nothing of it till -it was all over. - -"Well, then," answered Beauchamp, "if that be the case, you will not -only be enabled to make, as I said before, the only reparation in your -power for the ill you have done, but you will entirely clear Captain -Delaware, and yet run no danger yourself; for in his Majesty's -proclamation on the subject, I find that a free pardon is promised -to any one of the parties--with the exception of the actual -murderers--who will bring his accomplices to justice. So that your -life is safe." - -"I care nothing about my life!" cried the young man, relapsing into -impetuosity. "What the devil, do you think I am going to turn a -pitiful king's evidence, and make a bargain for my own neck, while I -am hanging my fellows. No, no! I will tell all that I know--I will go -along with them, and be tried with them, and hanged with them too, for -that matter--I care not--if I am alive on the execution day. But I -will make no bargains about my life--none--none--my days are numbered, -Mr. Burrel!" He added more calmly, "My days are numbered; and the last -may come when it will--I will shake hands with it when it does. There -is only one bargain I will make, and that I know you will grant me; -for you were one of the few that were kind--It is about my poor mother -I am talking. She has had sorrows enough, sir, and she shall only have -one more for me; so, when I am dead, I hope you will promise to take -care of her, and let her have enough--if the job do not kill her, -which likely it may too; and that is the worst of it all; but, -however, I have made up my mind, do you see, and so you must promise -me, that she shall have the old cottage and forty pounds a-year to -live on; and if nobody else gives it, you must." - -"Most willingly will I do it, upon my honour," replied Beauchamp. - -"That is enough, sir! Quite enough!" continued the young sailor. "You -and I, Mr. Burrel, are quits in some things--you saved my life once; -and I can tell you, that if it had not been for me on that horrible -night, you would either have been left, with your throat cut at the -door of the house, or have gone overboard, and to the bottom, as we -sailed along." - -"I imagined that such was the case," answered Beauchamp; "and all -these things tell so much in your favour, that I cannot understand how -you could suffer yourself to be led into such a crime, as that which -you have committed." - -"I tell you, sir, I had nothing to do with it," cried the young man. -"If I had been present, they should not have hurt a hair of his -head--They knew that well enough, and therefore they left me below to -keep watch. As to the robbery, that I did consent to; and that was bad -enough too--but then, that Harding had the tongue of the devil -himself, to persuade one. He got round me when I was ill--He taught me -to believe that all riches ought to be in common, and that no man -should be wealthy, while another man was poor; and then he told me, -that to take the money which the old miser made no use of, and left -rotting in his chests, could be no harm--and then he harped upon my -mother's poverty and misery, and made things ten times worse than they -were; so at length I consented, on condition that he would promise not -to hurt the old man. Well, even then, when he came down all bloody, -and I saw too well that they had killed him, I do think that I should -have either shot him for deceiving me, or should have gone and given -him up, as he deserved; but I saw that he felt what he had done -himself, and there was something so awful about him just at that -moment, that I do not well know why or how, but he got the mastery of -me, and I did what he liked, till it came to killing you, which the -woman wanted us to do, as you lay stunned at the door. Then my spirit -got up again, and I was master of them all till we came over here. But -now he has forgotten all that he seemed to feel then--that Harding I -mean--and he talks about it quietly, and sneers and laughs, and looks -coolly at me, while he is speaking of things that would make one's -blood run cold--and he persuades himself that it is all right." - -The strong excitement under which the young sailor laboured, afforded -Beauchamp every means of drawing from him the whole details of the -murder, and the events that followed; and he found that the crime at -least, as far as robbery went, had been concerted long before it was -perpetrated. The moment for executing their plan, had always been -postponed by Harding himself, who had assured his accomplices, that a -large sum of money, which he knew was to be paid into the miser's -hands, had not yet been received; and Beauchamp easily divined that -the murderer had alluded to the sum he himself had drawn for, through -the instrumentality of the unhappy money-lender. So completely -organized had been the whole design, that a French cutter, engaged by -young Harrison, had actually lain upon the coast for several days, in -order to carry the three culprits to Havre, whence they were instantly -to embark for America. The master of the vessel, however, tired of -waiting, had at length left the coast on the very night that the -murder was committed; and the only means of escape that the four -accomplices found, when they reached the beach, was the boat which the -young sailor had provided with money furnished by Harding, for the -purpose of conveying them from the shore to the ship, without the -necessity of making signals, which might have betrayed them. The woman -had, indeed, nearly brought the coast guard upon them, by accidentally -falling into the sea as they embarked, and screaming for help; but -nevertheless, they got her into the boat, and pushed off before any -one came up. On their arrival in France, the young man added, they had -taken, under Harding's direction, those measures of precaution which -had baffled Beauchamp and the officers in their pursuit, and had at -length arrived in Paris, where he, who might be considered as their -leader, had boasted that he could lie concealed if all the police of -France and England were set upon his track. Here he proposed to sell a -variety of different articles of jewellery and plate, which he and his -companion had contrived to bring with them, and then to take ship for -the land of Columbus, as they originally had proposed. Harding, the -young sailor said, had soon lost all appearance of that remorse which -he had felt at first; but he described him at the same time as living -in a state of reckless debauchery and excitement, from which Beauchamp -argued that the never-dying worm was still tremendously alive within -his bosom. He drank deep, Walter Harrison added, without getting -drunk. The woman whom he had brought with him, and had before seduced, -he treated with contempt and cruelty. He gamed also continually, in -the lower and more brutal resorts of Parisian blacklegs and madmen; -and, gratifying every passion to excess, it was evident that he was -striving to drown the voice of remorse in a tide of gross and eager -licentiousness. - -"It is a fearful picture," said Beauchamp. "But now tell me, how and -when we can bring this atrocious villain to punishment. You, my poor -young man, he has misled and betrayed; and I do not even know that his -crime towards you is not of a deeper die than that which he committed -on the person of the wretched old man at Ryebury. He could but kill -the body of the one"---- - -"Ay, and of the other," interrupted the young sailor, "he has -condemned the immortal soul!" - -"I hope not! I hope not!" said Beauchamp. "Life is still before you, -if you choose to live; and I know of no circumstances in which life is -so inestimably valuable to man, as when he has been greatly criminal; -for every year that he remains here may, if he will, be filled with -the golden moments of repentance. But once more, how can we apprehend -this villain?" - -"Ay, he is a villain!" answered the young sailor; "if ever there lived -one, he is the man;" and he was proceeding again to stray from the -subject, when Beauchamp recalled him to it, and mentioned the -necessity there would be of applying to the French police; but at the -very idea the other started wild away. - -"No, no, no!" he cried, "that will not do. He's a brave man, though he -be a ruffian; and he shall never say that I took odds against him, -because I was afraid of him one to one." - -"Then, how do you propose to act?" demanded Beauchamp, in some -astonishment. "This man must be taken, and brought to punishment, if -you would keep your word with me, and clear the character of William -Delaware." - -The young man mused sullenly for several minutes, merely muttering, -"He shall--he shall be taken. Hark you, Mr. Burrel," he said at -length, looking up boldly and steadfastly, "you are a brave man. I -have seen you do brave things. Now, there is this Harding and another; -and here are you and I--that is two to two, and fair play. If you -choose to go with me to-morrow night, I will take you to where those -two are alone; and if we do not take them, and tie them hand and foot, -it is our fault; but d--me if I take odds against them!" - -The proposal was certainly as strange a one as ever was made, and as -unpleasant a one as could have been addressed, to Henry Beauchamp. I -have said before that he was naturally fearless; and, consequently, -did not see one half of the dangers in anything proposed that most -other people would have done; but, at the same time, he had not the -slightest inclination to run himself into scrapes of any kind, without -necessity; and he could not help perceiving that the business was at -once a perilous one, and one which might be much better performed -without his interference. In the next place, he did not think the -occupation particularly dignified or becoming; and thirdly, he did not -at all like the eclat it would produce, and felt most exquisitely -annoyed at the very idea of the romantic interest of the story, as it -would figure in all the newspapers, and be told in all the coteries. -It was quite enough, he thought, to have been made to drown himself -for the amusement of the public; and certainly something too much, to -be obliged to apprehend two murderers, _vi et armis_ without any cause -or necessity whatever. - -"Well, sir! Will you do it?" demanded the young sailor, seeing that he -paused upon his proposal. - -"Why, I think not," answered Beauchamp. - -"D--me, then!"--cried the other; but Beauchamp interrupted him in that -commanding tone which no one knew better how to assume. - -"Hush, sir! Hush!" he said. "You forget yourself, and who you are -speaking to. Call not down in words those curses, which I trust that -your present and your future actions may avert, however much the past -may have merited them. In regard to your proposal--in the first place, -I am not a thief-taker; and consequently the task does not become me. -In the next place, by the plan you suggest, the great object I have in -view is likely to be defeated--I mean the bringing these men to -justice, in order to clear Captain Delaware. Suppose, for instance, -that by any accident we should be overpowered by them, we lose his -only hope; and even if we overpower them, having no legal authority to -do so, any one who happens to be near, may give them such aid and -assistance as will enable them to escape, and foil us entirely." - -"I will tell you what, sir," said the young man sullenly, "I'll go -some length, but I will not go all. To prevent them getting away -anyhow, you may put the police round the house if you like--but only -you and I shall go in upon them; for I will not take odds against them -anyhow; and if you are afraid to go, why"---- - -"I am not afraid to do anything, sir!" replied Beauchamp. "And though -it is not at all necessary, and though perhaps it may be foolish of me -to do it--yet, rather than lose any evidence in favour of Captain -Delaware, I will do what you propose; that is to say, I will go in -with you alone, in order to master these two men, if we can; but it -shall be on condition that the agents of the police be stationed round -the house, in such a manner as to prevent their escape, whether we -succeed or fail." - -"That is what I say," replied the young sailor. "Let us have a bout -with them, two to two fairly; and then if they kill us, why, there -will be still men round the house to take them. - -"I had forgot," answered Beauchamp, "that, as you say, we may be both -killed in this business; and if you should be killed, pray, what -evidence is there to convict either of these men? If you really intend -to do what you have promised, it will behove you to make a full and -complete declaration of the whole facts, and sign them before two or -three persons, previous to entering upon this undertaking." - -Walter Harrison paused and thought, and Beauchamp urged him strongly -to take the precaution he proposed; but he did not succeed, "No," said -the young sailor at length; "No! I will put it all down in my own -handwriting, which can be well enough proved by the ship's books, and -I will sign it with my name, and I'll give it to you to-morrow night; -but I'll not go it all over again before any one else, till I tell it -all for the last time--There, don't say any more; for I won't do it--I -don't like this police business either; but I suppose it must be -done--So, now I will go. You will find me, to-morrow night at ten -o'clock, opposite that jeweller's shop. I will not fail you, upon my -honour;" and so saying, he walked towards the door. Ere he reached it, -however, he again turned, and coming nearer, he said, "Mr. Burrel, I -trust to your honour, that when you have got me there with the police, -you will not let them go into the house with us--mind, two to two is -fair play. He shall never say, that I brought odds against him!" - -"I have given you my word," said Beauchamp, "and I will certainly keep -it." - -"Well then, good-night, sir," replied the young man, and opening the -door, he passed out into the anteroom; but ere he had taken two steps -beyond the threshold, he again returned to bid Beauchamp bring his -pistols with him. "He always has his in his pockets," he said; "so it -would be unfair that you should be without." - -"I will take care to come prepared," replied Beauchamp, and his -visiter once more left the room. He paused a moment in the anteroom, -and hesitated as if he had something more to say, but the instant -after he quited the apartments, and was heard descending the stairs -with a rapid step. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -"Well!" thought Beauchamp, when the young sailor was gone. "Well, this -is a stupid business enough; and I certainly shall not particularly -like being shot for this young rascal's whim; but it cannot be helped, -and my will being made, it is not so troublesome as it might otherwise -have proved. At all events, dear Blanche, I am periling somewhat to -fulfil your request, and clear your brother's name and character." - -It is wonderful how much this last thought reconciled Henry Beauchamp -to an undertaking which he had before looked upon as absurd, and in -some sort degrading. Such little collateral associations are strange -conjurers; and as Beauchamp thought over the whole matter, and mingled -up the idea of Blanche Delaware with every particular which he had -before considered in the abstract only, his expedition became bright -and chivalrous, and he lay down to sleep, anxious for the coming -morning. - -The first eight hours after Beauchamp rose, on the following day, were -devoted to securing the assistance of the French police, in the -undertaking in which he was about to engage; and although this time -may appear long, yet every moment of it was employed in removing the -many difficulties which, with wise precaution, the French Government -threw in the way of the arrest of aliens, for crimes committed in a -different country. - -The previous proceedings, although they had smoothed the way, had not -entirely removed all obstacles; and the young Englishman, though -backed by the influence of the whole of the English diplomatic agents -at Paris, found the time barely sufficient to accomplish the necessary -arrangements. - -The dull official forms must, of course, have no place here; and it is -only necessary to say, that, after the necessary orders were given, -the French officers of police shrugged up their shoulders at the plan -which Beauchamp was obliged to propose, in conformity with his -engagement to Walter Harrison, declared that Monsieur was perfectly -welcome to take the first brunt of the business upon himself, and -promised to meet him at the rendezvous a little before the time which -the young sailor had named. - -All this being at length settled, Beauchamp returned to his hotel, -dined, loaded his pistols, took one glass of wine less than usual, for -fear of embarrassing his hand, and then sat waiting impatiently for -the appointed hour. By the time it arrived, the sky had got out of -humour, and it was raining furiously; but still there were a great -many Parisians afoot, all pattering along under their pink umbrellas, -as merry as crickets; and many a tender salutation did Beauchamp -receive, in his way to the house of the jeweller. - -He reached the street a few minutes before the time; but the police -were at their post, and he found that six powerful men were in -readiness to back his exertions. Walter Harrison, however, had not -appeared, and a quarter of an hour elapsed without any sign of his -keeping the appointment he had made. The chief of the French police -hinted broadly, that beyond doubt he had deceived the English -gentleman; and Beauchamp himself began to suspect that the young -culprit had repented of his promise. - -Before another minute had elapsed, however, the tall athletic form of -the widow's son was seen coming quickly along on the other side of the -street, and Beauchamp instantly crossed over and spoke to him. - -"All is right, sir," said the sailor. "They are both at home, and are -even now engaged in pigeoning a young greenhorn, whom they have -inveigled to play with them. If they do not get his money that way, I -should not wonder if they cut his throat--so, come along, and let us -make haste." - -"I am ready," said Beauchamp; "but you promised to write down"---- - -"Ay, ay! there it is," said the young man, putting a paper into his -hand. "Give it to one of those fellows who are of the police, I -suppose--but make haste, and come along; for if they do not get the -poor lad's money by fair means, they will by foul. I heard them talk -about throwing something into the Seine, and getting a sack ready--and -I do not like such words from such folks"---- - -"Nor I!" replied Beauchamp, "Nor I! You walk on, and we will follow;" -and, crossing over to the other party, he gave the paper he had -received to the commissary who headed them, and then followed as fast -as possible upon the steps of the young sailor. Walter Harrison -advanced rapidly; and, passing up one of the short streets that lead -from the Rue de Rivoli into the Rue St. Honorč, he turned to the right -in the latter, and then made his way to one of the smaller streets in -the neighbourhood of the Rue St. Anne. At length he stopped; and, -pointing forward to a house of respectable size and appearance, "That -is the house," he said; "if these fellows halt in the passage, they -are sure not to lose their game, for there is no back entrance." - -Beauchamp explained to the leader of the party the words of the young -sailor; and they now drew near the house in a body, keeping profound -silence. The men were then carefully stationed round the door; and -Beauchamp, with one pistol in his hand, and the other thrust into his -bosom between his coat and waistcoat, followed his guide into the -house, the door of which, as is frequent in Paris, stood open as a -common entrance to all the different floors. - -It were in vain to say that Beauchamp felt no sort of anxiety. The -very excitement of the whole business made his heart beat with a -quicker pulse than usual; and he listened eagerly as they ascended the -stairs for any sound that might announce their proximity to the -chamber of the murderers. He was not long kept in expectation. At the -first door they reached, after passing the _entresol_ the young sailor -paused, and rang the bell twice. - -As soon as ever he had done so, he whispered to Beauchamp, "I will -take this one, whoever it is that opens the door. You run on, and -secure the other in the room beyond--I will follow in a minute." - -Almost as he spoke, the door was thrown open, and the coarse face of -Tony Smithson, the man who had gone down with him in the stage-coach -to Emberton, was exposed to Beauchamp's sight. He had a light in his -hand, and the moment he saw that there were two men on the stairs, he -would have started back, and retreated; but the young sailor sprang -upon him at once, grappled with him tight, and in an instant both -rolled together on the floor of the little anteroom. Beauchamp rushed -forward to a door which was standing a-jar on the other side of the -chamber, and whence there issued forth an intolerable smell of -brandy-punch, together with the sounds of laughter. He reached it in a -moment, but not before the noise of the struggle without, had caught -the ears of the tenants of the room; for when Beauchamp flung wide the -door, he found the murderer Harding, already, with a pistol in each -hand, retreating into one corner of the room, from a table covered -with bottles, glasses, and bowls, cards, dice, and markers; while the -unfortunate wretch, whom we have already seen as the dirty maid of the -old miser at Ryebury, now tricked out in all the gay smartness of -Parisian costume, stood by the table, with sudden terror and agony in -her countenance. The moment her eyes rested on Beauchamp's face, she -saw that her fate was sealed, and with a loud scream, she fell, -fainting, by the table. Harding, however, with scowling determination -in his brow, placed his back in the corner, and pointed the pistol he -held directly towards his former master. - -Beauchamp paused, and levelled his own weapon at the villain's head, -exclaiming sternly, but coolly, "Throw down your arms, sir! You know, -I never miss my aim!" - -Harding paused for a moment, slightly dropping the point of his -pistol; and Beauchamp, as they stood face to face, at the distance of -half a dozen yards, could see the corners of his mouth draw gradually -down, into a sort of sneering smile. The next instant he replied, "I -know you never miss your aim; I do--and therefore, this is the best -use I can make of my bullet," and he rapidly turned the pistol towards -his own head. - -Beauchamp heard the lock click as the murderer raised the weapon, and -seeing that the clear exculpation of William Delaware, which would be -gained by the trial of the real culprit, might be lost by the act -about to be committed, he brought the muzzle of his own pistol -slightly round, and pulled the trigger. The report rang through the -room, and the arm that Harding was raising against his own life, fell -powerless by his side. A slight cry of pain escaped from his lips at -the same moment, but the fury that the wound stirred up, flashed forth -from his eyes; and, with the other pistol in his left hand, he rushed -forward upon Beauchamp, coolly calculating, even at that terrible -moment, that from the unsteadiness of his left hand, he could not -revenge himself as he wished, unless he brought the mouth of the -weapon close to his adversary. Beauchamp, eager to take him alive, -closed with him instantly; the young sailor, hearing the report of -fire-arms, left the other ruffian but half tied, and rushing into the -room, endeavoured to wrench the pistol from Harding's hand, as he -strove with the strength of despair and hatred to bring the muzzle -close to Beauchamp's head. At the very moment that he seized it, the -murderer had in a degree succeeded in taking his aim, and was in the -act of pulling the trigger. The flash and report instantly followed, -and the ball, cutting along Beauchamp's cheek, laid the cheekbone -bare, but passed through the hair on his temple, without doing him -farther injury. Walter Harrison, however, at the same moment relaxed -his hold, started back; and, catching at one of the chairs with a -reeling stagger, sunk down into it, while a torrent of blood spouted -forth from his right breast, a little below the collar. Beauchamp, -too, heated by the struggle, seized the murderer by the neck, and, -with a full exertion of his strength, which was not inconsiderable, -dashed him prostrate on the floor, then set his foot upon his chest, -and, drawing the pistol from his bosom, commanded him to be still, if -he would escape without another wound. - -Such was the situation of all parties, when three of the French -police, warned by the report of fire-arms that a severe contest was -going on above, and thinking they had waited quite long enough, rushed -up the stairs, and entered the apartments. The first that they found -was the man whom Walter Harrison had left, and who was now calmly -untying himself, and about to decamp. He, however, was soon better -secured, and committed to the charge of the officers below, while the -others advanced into the room beyond, and found the young sailor -bleeding profusely, while Beauchamp with some difficulty kept his -prisoner to the ground, as Harding, aware of the fate that ultimately -awaited him, strove, by means of struggles and imprecations, to make -his former master shoot him on the spot. - -The moment, however, that he beheld the officers of justice, he became -perfectly quiet; and it surprised even Beauchamp to see how easily he -relapsed into that calm cold taciturnity which he had formerly -displayed. The first care of every one was the young sailor, for whom -a surgeon was immediately procured; and, after some difficulty, the -bleeding was stopped. The unhappy woman, who had fainted, was then -recalled to life, and the wound in the chief culprit's arm was -dressed. A proces-verbal of all the events was then taken and -attested, for the purpose of being transmitted to England, and the -three prisoners were removed, though not without a warning from -Beauchamp, that it would be necessary to withhold every thing from -Harding which might enable him to commit suicide. - -"Diantre, Monsieur!" cried the commissary, who was a small wit in his -way. "You are going to hang him when he gets to England; why should -you care if he saves you the trouble by hanging himself here?" - -"Simply, sir," replied Beauchamp, who, though he could treat great -events with indifference, had a sovereign aversion to jesting upon -serious subjects. "Simply, because it may be necessary to exculpate -the innocent, as well as punish the guilty." - -There now only remained Beauchamp, two police-officers, who kept -possession of the apartments, the surgeon, and the young sailor. The -latter was immediately removed to the bedroom he had occupied since -his arrival in Paris, and there, by Beauchamp's directions, the -surgeon agreed to sit up with him all night. - -The lad had never uttered a word since he had received his wound, -although Smithson had poured forth a torrent of abuse upon him, which -the murderer's situation rendered at least excusable. When he saw -Beauchamp's anxiety for his comfort and welfare, however, he said, in -a faint voice, "You are very kind, sir; you always were kind--and I am -glad I got the shot--that I am; for, do you see, if I had not turned -the pistol my way, it would have gone through your head. So that is -some comfort, though it would need a many good actions to make up for -all the bad ones I have done. But, however, don't trouble yourself -about me; for I shan't die just yet--I am sure of that. All my work is -not done yet. I sha'n't live long when it is done, even if they do not -hang me when I get to England." - -"As I assured you before," replied Beauchamp, "there is no chance -whatever of such a thing; and I trust you are beginning to think too -properly of your own situation, to dream of attempting your life." - -"Oh, no! I was not thinking of that," replied the young man. "I one -time thought that I should be glad almost that they did hang me, just -to show those d----d rascals that I had not turned king's evidence -against them with any thought of myself. But I think differently, now -I have got this shot. But, mind, I do not make any bargain. I will go -over as a prisoner, and they shall do with me as they like--I'll not -flinch--No, no, I'll not flinch!" - -Here the surgeon, who did not understand a word that was said, and of -course did not like the conversation, laid his hand upon Beauchamp's -arm, and gently hinted that perfect quiet was absolutely necessary to -any hope of the wounded man's recovery; and that gentleman accordingly -left him, with a few kind and consolatory words. He then called the -surgeon into one of the other rooms, and, making him dress the wound -on his cheek, which had been hitherto neglected, he gave him a -substantial earnest of after reward, explaining to him, that the life -of the young man under his care, was of the most immense importance as -a witness; and begging him, at the same time, to watch every turn -which the injury he had received might take, in order that his dying -declaration might be drawn up, if recovery were to be found -impossible. He then left his address, and returned home; but although -extremely fatigued, both by exertion and excitement, he did not lie -down to rest till he had seen a courier despatched to London, bearing -the news of the capture of Harding and his accomplices; and begging -that, without a moment's delay, officers, properly authorized, might -be sent over to convey the prisoners to England. - -The messenger was ordered to spare no expense, and to lose no time; -and he certainly performed his task with very great rapidity. In the -meanwhile, the news of Beauchamp's adventure spread through Paris, as -if it had been a country town; and, as it may well be supposed that -the hotel in which he lodged was one of the first places in which the -story developed itself, Mrs. Darlington received it at her toilet the -next morning, and instantly wrote a billet to Mr. Beauchamp, -beseeching him to let her see him as soon as he was up. This, folded -in the newest fashion, and sealed with the newest seal, reached -Beauchamp as he was concluding his breakfast; and, in order to quench -the worthy lady's thirst, he at once walked down to her apartments. - -Mrs. Darlington was as delighted as _bienseance_ would permit her to -be, at the sight of Henry Beauchamp, with a black patch on his cheek, -which confirmed all the pretty story she had heard before he came; and -her questions, though excessively small and quiet, were, like the -little hairy savages that scaled Sinbad's ship, innumerable, and -attacking him on all sides. - -Beauchamp detailed the whole events; and, if he had been a little -bored by the lady's interrogatories, the joy and satisfaction which -Mrs. Darlington expressed on hearing that the exculpation of Captain -Delaware could now be fully made out--the sincere personal -gratification she seemed to feel, made up for all, and placed her high -in his good graces. The assurance that, amongst the culprits, one at -least of the personages who had set fire to her house was more than -probably included, did not seem to interest her half so much as the -proofs obtained of William Delaware's innocence; and she returned -again and again to the subject, declaring, that nothing would be so -delightful as to write to dear Blanche, and give her the whole -details. - -"Pray, are you in possession of her address?" demanded Beauchamp, -assuming as indifferent a tone as it was possible for a man in his -situation to affect. - -"No, indeed!" replied Mrs. Darlington; "but she will write to me soon, -of course." - -Beauchamp was mortified; for he had caught at Mrs. Darlington's words -at once, as if they gave the full assurance of discovering the abode -of her he loved, without farther search or uncertainty. After musing -for a moment, however, he said, "I hope, my dear madam, when you do -write, you will offer my best compliments to Miss Delaware--who, I -dare say you know, is my cousin--and tell her that I have endeavoured, -as far as was in my power, to obey the commands with which she -favoured me. As I doubt not that you will give her the details of all -this story, you may assure her in the most positive manner, from me, -that her brother's character will at once be cleared of every -imputation, and that all who know him, will hail his return to England -with the utmost joy." - -Now Mrs. Darlington perceived, as plainly as woman could perceive, -that Henry Beauchamp was in love with Blanche Delaware. She had long -ago seen it would be so, and now she saw it was so; but yet, for one -half of Europe, she would not have let Beauchamp understand that she -saw anything of the kind. She had known so many excellent arrangements -of the sort spoiled outright by some impolitic, good-natured, stupid -friend, jesting upon the subject, or insinuating his mighty -discoveries, before Cupid was bound hand and foot--which is never the -case ere the matter has come to a declaration--that she answered in -the most commonplace way it is possible to imagine--assured Beauchamp -that she would give his message correctly--declared that she doubted -not Blanche and her father would travel for a year or two; and then -began to speak of the beautiful bonnet brought out by Madame ----, of -the Fauxbourg St. Germains. - -Beauchamp, though he would have seen through every turning of the good -lady's tact, had any body else been concerned, was completely blinded -in his own case--like all the rest of the world--and, after having -given a scientific opinion upon the _brides de blonde_ and the -_bordures_ he rose and took his leave, fully persuaded that Mrs. -Darlington was as ignorant of his love for Blanche Delaware as he -himself was of millinery. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -As rapidly as post-horses and postilions would permit, Beauchamp's -courier returned from London, bringing with him the officers who had -been in Paris already on the same business, both of whom paid the -young gentleman a great many compliments on his skill and proficiency -in their particular branch of science; but, as Beauchamp would very -well have dispensed with such a flattering testimony of his abilities -in thief-catching, we shall not give the somewhat circumlocutory -praises of the officers at length. - -By this time the operation of extracting the ball had been performed -upon the young sailor; and although there appeared no chance of his -being able to bear a long journey for some time, yet he was already so -far convalescent that no doubt was entertained of his ultimate -recovery. - -Harding, Smithson, and the woman, Sarah Ings, confined apart, had all -already shown the difference of the characters in the different manner -in which they had borne their situation. The woman wept continually, -declaring with loud lamentations that she would tell all she knew, if -they would but spare her life. Smithson alternately stormed and raved, -or gave way to brutal jests and wild merriment. Harding remained calm, -cool, and silent, quite disposed to philosophize upon his situation -with any one who would philosophize with him, or to sneer at any who -offered him one word of compassion or admonition; but, at the same -time, a great deal too wary to utter a syllable that might endanger -the slight hope of escape which still remained. - -After a brief interview with Beauchamp, the officers, with very -natural impatience, hastened to visit their prisoners; and R----, who -held the principal post, immediately addressed Harding with a great -deal of civility. "Oh, Mr. Harding," he said, "I am sorry to see you -here!" - -"You mistake, sir," said Harding. "I do not remember you at all." - -"What! not when you were secretary to Mr.----, the banker who failed?" -said the officer. "Poo! poo! that cock won't fight, Master Harding. -Don't you remember going up with me to Mr. Tims's, at Clement's Inn; -and how, after a great piece of work, he promised not only to drop -proceedings against you, but to get you a good place into the bargain, -if you would tell all about the embezzlement of the money; and a good -place he did get you, I find--pity you didn't keep it when you had got -it. Howsoever, that is no business of mine--but you must take part of -a shay with me over to England, Master Harding; and I dare say we -shall be very good friends on the road." - -"Perhaps so!" replied the prisoner; and, after a few more words, the -officers proceeded to visit the other male culprit. To him, however, -their manner was totally different. "Ha! Tony, my lad!" cried the head -officer; "How do you do this many a day? Why! how the devil were you -such a soft chap as to get taken in for such a bad job as this--but -you had nearly bilked us all, by jingo!" - -"Oh, R----," he replied. "Oh, it is a bad job indeed! But I knew well -enough that I was wellnigh up to my weight; and that d--d fellow, -Harding, persuaded me, you see! But I say, R----, tell me, is that -young Harrison like to die? Harding gave him a h--ll of a shot--and, -d--n him, if he would die, if I would not take to talking, and plead -the king's pardon, do you see!" - -"No, no!" answered the officer. "No chance of his dying! No, no, Tony. -It's all up with you! They must hang two of you; and if any one gets -off, in course it will be the woman." - -At this hopeless picture of his situation, the ruffian first swore and -blasphemed for two or three minutes, and then, relapsing into the -other extreme, cast himself down and wept like a child. - -"Fie, fie, Tony!" cried the officer. "Die game, any how--why, I -thought you were more varment than that comes to--a man must die -somehow, you know--and you have had a long pull at it, my -lad--besides, it's all nonsense when one knows that it must be so." - -"Ay, that's the job!" said the prisoner. "If one could but think of -some way of getting off"---- - -"Don't you fancy that," replied the officer. "Why, look ye now, Tony, -if you could get off for this last job, I'll tell you as a friend, -they'd hang you for that burning business; for they've got proof -enough against you for that." - -This last argument seemed completely to dispel all Mr. Anthony -Smithson's objections to being hanged; and after two or three -exhortations to those virtues that Bow Street officers expect from -thieves, the two children of Mercury went on to visit the female -prisoner. As, however, we have fully as great a disgust to scenes of -low vice and misery as our readers can have, and only introduce them, -where compelled to do so in accordance with truth, we shall leave the -officers to conduct their prisoners to England, and proceed to notice -the events which occurred to Henry Beauchamp, in whose favour we have -already kept our promise, of giving up to him the greater part of this -volume. - -That gentleman then set off from Paris with all speed, as soon as he -had seen the prisoners safely consigned to the Bow Street officers. He -well knew, that such adventures as those in which he had lately been -engaged, could not fail to find their way into the mouth of Rumour; -and for many reasons he wished to reach London, ere that lady was -ready to go trumpeting before him, like the man with the box on his -back, who walks before Punch. - -He succeeded tolerably well; so that the fact of Henry Beauchamp being -living instead of dead, upon dry land instead of under the sea, was -not known to above fifty thousand people when he arrived in London. -Out of this number about a thousand had congratulated Lord Ashborough -on the resuscitation of his nephew; but the noble lord had so -impressed upon his mind that his nephew was dead, that he would not -believe a word of the story, gravely saying, that he would give it -implicit credence, as soon as he heard it from any one who would say, -that they had seen Henry Beauchamp with their own eyes. - -As none of those could be met with, and as the story could be traced -to no authentic source, Lord Ashborough held fast his conviction; and -up to the hour of Beauchamp's arrival continued in the same belief. - -It was late at night, or rather early in the morning, when Beauchamp -did once more reach the capital; and as he imagined that he was not -likely to find anything prepared for his accommodation in the house of -a dead man, he directed the postboys to drive to a hotel, rather than -his own dwelling. It was later the next morning when he rose, than he -had purposed over night; but nevertheless, as soon as he was up, he -set forth for Lord Ashborough's, and walked immediately into the -drawing-room, where, although the earl himself had breakfasted and -gone out, Beauchamp had soon the pleasure of holding his sister in his -arms. - -Although Maria Beauchamp was not in the least surprised to see him, as -she had long before received convincing assurances of his safety; and -though she was as light a hearted girl as ever danced through life, -unconscious of its sorrows--yet when she first met her brother, after -all the dangers he had encountered, the tears rose up in her eyes, -from the more vivid impression which his presence produced upon her -mind, of the loss she would have suffered, had the report of his death -been true. - -The conversation between Henry and Maria Beauchamp was long, and to -them highly interesting; and had the world ever been known to forgive -those who write dialogues between brothers and sisters, it should have -been here transcribed for general edification. In the course of it, -Maria made herself acquainted with a great many of the secrets of -her brother's heart, and, in return, gave him a far more clear and -minute insight into all the views and designs of Lord Ashborough -and his worthy agent, Mr. Peter Tims, than Beauchamp had imagined -so gay and careless a girl, could have been shrewd enough to obtain. -From her quick-sightedness in all those particulars, however, in -which the interests of William Delaware were concerned, Beauchamp -concluded--a result, which his sister certainly neither wished nor -anticipated--that the surmise of his good lawyer, Mr. Wilkinson, was -not so far wrong as he had at first imagined; and he paused, musing -with a smile over all the events that yet might be in the wheel of -fortune. - -The anatomy of a smile is sometimes a curious thing, and that which -then played upon Beauchamp's lip was not without its several parts and -divisions. In the first place, the idea of his gay, smart, and dashing -sister, falling in love with a frank, straightforward, simple-hearted -sailor, who had neither rank nor fortune to offer her, made him -smile. In the next place, he felt the slightest possible shade of -disappointment, at the idea of Maria Beauchamp not marrying the -Marquis of this, or the Earl of that; and the very absurdity of such a -feeling in _his_ bosom, of all the bosoms in the world, made him smile -at himself; and the two smiles blended together. The third part of the -smile, and which was the purest part too, proceeded from many a sweet -feeling and bland hope which rose up, when he suffered his mind's eye -to gaze on into futurity, and thought of the varied sorts of happiness -it might be in the power of him and his to bestow on a noble and -generous race, weighed down by long misfortunes. - -As soon as all these feelings had had their moment and were gone, and -he had given his sister an account of his wondrous accidents by flood -and field--Beauchamp wrote a brief note to his uncle, informing him of -his return, and then - - - "Nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum." - - -He set forth with all speed to his lawyer's chambers, in order to -carry on the whole proceedings, in exculpation of William Delaware, as -rapidly as possible. - -In regard to his conversation with Mr. Wilkinson, it may be only -necessary to notice, that Beauchamp found, that with prompt and -judicious zeal, that gentleman, on discovering that some thoughts were -really entertained at the Admiralty of inflicting a signal disgrace -upon Captain Delaware for his evasion, had waited personally on the -First Lord, and had laid before him that part of his client's -deposition, which admitted, in the clearest manner, that the money had -been placed by Beauchamp himself in the young officer's room; thus -showing, that the chief circumstance of suspicion was taken from the -evidence. He farther informed him that Beauchamp had discovered the -real murderers, and was at that moment in pursuit of them; and he -ended by beseeching him to pause ere he took any step in the -proceedings which rumour declared to be in agitation. - -He was met, in every respect, with frank and gentlemanly courtesy, and -was assured that nothing could be more gratifying to his Majesty than -to find just cause for suspending that expression of his indignation -against any officer in his service, which the stern voice of justice -could alone compel him to publish. - -So far every thing was satisfactory. "And now," said Beauchamp, "all -that remains to be done for the present, is to open the eyes of my -uncle to the conduct of this base attorney of his." - -"Spare us! Spare us! Mr. Beauchamp, I beg," said Mr. Wilkinson. "But, -without attempting to defend attorneys, who, as a body, have got a bad -name, not so much, I believe from having more rogues amongst them than -are to be found in other professions, but from having greater -opportunities of roguery, allow me to say that I am afraid you will -find it a difficult thing to open your uncle's eyes." - -"Why, why, my dear sir?" demanded Beauchamp. "We can prove the -facts.--Tell me why?" - -"Oh, for many reasons," answered Mr. Wilkinson musing, and perhaps not -exactly liking to state the real basis of his opinion. "The fact is, -it is like eating garlic, Mr. Beauchamp, or drinking spirits, or -taking any other of those things which a man nauseates at first, but -gets very fond of by degrees--when a person grows fond of a rogue, he -gradually gets to like him beyond any one else, and soon finds he -cannot do without him." - -Burrel smiled, though there was a slight sort of mistiness about the -conclusion of Mr. Wilkinson's illustration, which he did not exactly -like. However, he pressed him no farther; and having learned that Lord -Ashborough was carrying on a suit against Sir Sidney Delaware, in -regard to the annuity, with somewhat sharper measures than the -generality of the profession considered reputable, he obtained the -bill for ten thousand pounds which Mr. Tims had presented in lieu of -the money due from the earl, and then returned to his uncle's -dwelling. - -Lord Ashborough was now at home; and although Miss Beauchamp had broke -the news of her brother's return, and added a number of reasons and -apologies for his not having sooner communicated the fact of his -safety, the earl was still both agitated and offended, and his -reception of Beauchamp showed a strange mixture of pride, and -irritation, and pleasure. - -"And pray, Henry, may I ask--" he said, after their first salutations -were over--"May I ask, I say--for your movements and their causes may -both require the same diplomatic secrecy which you have of late so -skilfully displayed--May I ask, I say, why you were pleased to conceal -your existence from your nearest relations? Your sister has indeed -already favoured me with so many reasons, that I confess I have become -puzzled and bewildered by the number, and would fain hear your own -motives from your own lips." - -Beauchamp was not a man to make any excuse to any one, if he had not a -true one ready at his hand. In the present instance, he thought it -best to tell Lord Ashborough the simple truth, and then leave him to -receive it as an excuse or not, as he might think best; taking care, -at the same time, to word it with all due respect and kindness, in -deference to the affection which he knew his uncle felt towards him. - -"The fact is, my dear sir," he answered, "for the first fortnight or -three weeks after you had fancied me drowned, I was not at all aware -of such a report. I was first detained at a cottage with a dislocated -ancle, and next ill of a fever at Hartford Bridge; and at the time I -learned the rumour of my own death, I was under the absolute necessity -of going to Paris, in order to pursue the miscreants who committed the -horrid murder of which you have heard, at Ryebury. As I was the only -person who could prove the facts against them, or lead to their -apprehension, the rumour of my death I knew would throw them off their -guard; and therefore it was necessary to leave it uncontradicted. -Besides"---- - -"But surely," interrupted Lord Ashborough, who, though strongly -inclined to enquire farther concerning the murderers, was resolved to -press Beauchamp home in the first instance. "But surely you could have -trusted to my discretion in the business. - -"Undoubtedly, my lord!" replied Beauchamp; "and I need not tell you -that, under any ordinary circumstances, you would have been the very -first person to whom I should have communicated my situation, and whom -I should have consulted in what I was undertaking." - -Lord Ashborough bowed his head with a placable smile, and Beauchamp -continued:--"But I could only have done so by writing to you, or by -coming to see you. The latter, of course, was out of the question; for -I was not willing to trust my secret to your host of servants, and to -write was equally impossible, as there were circumstances to explain -which could only be done personally." - -"How so? Why so?" demanded the earl. - -"That is what I was about to explain," answered Beauchamp. "The fact -is, that the man of all others whose greatest interest it was to foil -me in endeavouring to bring the murderers to justice--with the -exception, of course, of the murderers themselves--is your -confidential man of business and lawyer, Mr. Peter Tims." - -Lord Ashborough started; for though this carried him back again to the -subject of the murderers, it was not exactly in the way he best liked. -"You are mistaken, Henry," he said; "quite mistaken! No man has been -more anxious in thought, or more strenuous in exertion, than Mr. Tims, -to bring the murderers of his uncle to justice--You forget their near -relationship, and he is a great deal too--too--too"---- - -Lord Ashborough would fain have added "Too honest a man!" but the -words stuck in his throat, and, as he paused, Beauchamp finished the -sentence for him--"Too great a rogue, my lord, he most certainly is, -ever to think of relationship where interest is concerned. I found -that out some time ago, ere I took the step of removing my affairs -from his hands, to those of Messrs. Steelyard and Wilkinson." - -Lord Ashborough drew himself up, "I believe, sir," he said, "that I -have not acquired the character in the world, of a man who is likely -to employ a rogue, either from folly or knavery. But, as you have -brought a serious accusation against my ordinary man of business, I -shall of course expect you to substantiate it fully." - -"That I will do completely to your lordship's satisfaction," replied -Beauchamp; "and indeed, I trust you will believe me, my dear uncle, -when I assure you, that the certainty of this man having, by a gross -misrepresentation of facts, involved you, in circumstances, which will -be very painful to you when you learn all the details, is the great -inducement which makes me accuse your agent at once to yourself, -before I take such measures as must expose him to the world." - -Beauchamp paused; but his intimate acquaintance with his uncle's -character had given him a sort of intuitive insight into what was -passing in his mind, and had revealed a great many secrets which, as -his nephew, he would rather not have learned, but which of course he -acted upon in his transactions with the noble earl. In the present -instance, he clearly perceived that Lord Ashborough's vanity was -getting irritable at the very idea of having been cheated, and that, -at the same time, curiosity and anxiety were both striving hard to -keep vanity down till they were satisfied; but that vanity being the -strongest, was likely to have her own way. Under these circumstances. -Beauchamp thought it would be best to throw in a little soothing -matter to quiet the more restive animal of the three, and keep her -from kicking. He therefore added, after a very brief pause, "I know, -my lord, that the plans of this man, which could deceive even your -sagacity, must have been very deeply and artfully laid; and -unless"--he added, anxious not to assume superior wisdom--"and unless -accident and his own imprudence had thrown into my hands the means of -establishing his knavery beyond a doubt, I should not have ventured to -make such a charge as I have brought against him. I know, however, -that you are too candid not to yield to conviction; and my purpose is -to request that you would call him to your presence, and suffer me to -ask him a question or two before you." - -"Of course, Henry," replied the earl. "I am not only willing, but -anxious in the highest degree to give up my mind entirely to truth; -for, besides the great personal interest which I have in the honesty -of a man to whom I confide so much as to this Mr. Tims, the abstract -love of severe and impartial justice also, requires that I should hear -any evidence that can be brought in support of so grave a charge so -boldly made. But tell me," he continued, feeling that there were -particular points on which he would not particularly like to have his -agent questioned in his presence; "tell me, do the questions you -intend to put refer to any affairs of mine, or to affairs of your -own?--for I know you have several times employed this Mr. Tims. If to -mine, I must say, nay, most decidedly; for I can permit no one either -to investigate or to interfere with business which I am competent to -manage myself." - -"My questions will refer entirely to business of my own, my lord," -replied Beauchamp. "With yours I should never presume to meddle, -though I feel perfectly convinced that you would not have proceeded at -law against Sir Sidney Delaware for a sum that had been already paid -to your agent, had you not been persuaded by an infamous villain that -the money received did not constitute a legal payment, inasmuch as he -affirmed that it was the fruits of a robbery." - -Lord Ashborough turned a little pale; but he had canvassed the matter -so often with Mr. Tims, and considered all the contingencies so -accurately, that he was prepared at every point for defence. "Nay, -Henry, nay," he said, assuming a benignant smile. "Nay; I see which -way your prejudices lead you. The most connected evidence would not -convince either yourself or your sister of that unhappy young man's -guilt--but even taking the converse of the matter, and supposing that -he has been accused erroneously, still you do great injustice to the -poor little lawyer, who surely commits no great crime in believing a -man to be guilty, against whom a coroner's jury, after calm -investigation and mature deliberation, have given a verdict of wilful -murder." - -"In the first place, my lord," replied Beauchamp coolly, "in regard to -William Delaware, as I know your lordship would be as much delighted -to see his innocence clearly established as any one"---- - -"Oh, certainly, certainly!" interrupted the earl, with all the energy -that a man adds to a falsehood in order to make it weigh as much as -truth. "Certainly--let justice be done, and let the innocent be -cleared!" - -"Well, then," added Beauchamp, with the slightest possible touch of -causticity in his manner. "You will be delighted to hear, that there -remains not the slightest doubt of William Delaware's innocence. In -the first place, I myself was encountered by the murderers at the very -door of the dead man's house; was carried off by them after being -knocked down and stunned; which facts I can distinctly prove against -at least two of them. In the next place, I have the confession of one -in my writing-desk; and, in the third place, three of them are by this -time at Dover, on their way to trial. The fourth is in Paris, but in -safe hands too, and will come over to give his testimony as king's -evidence." - -Lord Ashborough again turned pale; and while he declared that he -trusted most sincerely it would prove as his nephew anticipated, he -rang the bell, and, in an under tone, bade the servant bring him some -of the drops to which we have before seen him apply. - -Beauchamp's next sentences, however, were in some degree a relief, for -they afforded a fair hope of being able to cast all the blame upon Mr. -Tims, should it be rendered necessary by any after disclosures. "So -much for that matter, my lord," added his nephew; "and of course I -cannot blame Mr. Tims for not divining all the evidence that might -ultimately be collected to exculpate Captain Delaware. But what I -intend to establish is, that at the very time that he, Mr. Tims, was -retaining--under the pretence that the money was a part of his uncle's -property--a sum which of right belonged to you, having been paid in -redemption of the Emberton annuity--that at the very time he was -urging you on, to proceed severely against a family which he taught -you to believe was criminal--that while he was doing all this, he was -perfectly well aware that the money did not belong to his uncle; that -it had never been the fruits of robbery; and that I must have placed -it in the chamber of Captain Delaware, as that gentleman himself -asserted." - -"If you can prove that, Henry," replied his uncle, "I will admit that -I have been most grossly deceived, and will abandon the fellow for -ever; but I should like to hear what evidence you can bring forward in -corroboration of these assertions." - -"You shall hear my lord to-morrow, if you will order him to be here -after breakfast," replied Beauchamp. "You must confront the accused -and the accuser, before you judge--and in the mean time, as I intend -to dine with you, I will go and dress, for it is growing late." - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -The Earl of Ashborough was a good deal disturbed, as the reader who -remembers all the transactions which had before occurred, may easily -imagine. His nephew's return had certainly been a very joyful event; -but it was not unaccompanied by many drawbacks. There was the probable -overthrow of all his schemes against the Delawares, a considerable -loss of money, which was painful to the noble earl just in proportion -as his fortune was immense; and, last not least, there was a chance--a -strong chance--of certain unpleasant imputations lighting on his -character, and of certain disclosures being made in regard to his -plans, which he would rather have died to avoid than live to see. - -The hatred which had rooted itself so deeply in his heart against Sir -Sidney Delaware, had lost none of its freshness--the spirit of revenge -kindled long ago, and fed with a thousand slight circumstances through -a long lapse of years, had lost none of its intensity; but still, for -the time, the fear of shame and dishonour was paramount, and the earl -cursed the day in which he had been tempted to risk one rash step in -pursuit of vengeance. - -He determined, however, to lay the whole blame upon Mr. Tims, and if -Beauchamp could prove that the lawyer had reason to know that Captain -Delaware was innocent, to affect vast indignation at his conduct; and -to cast him off with all those signs of abhorrence and contempt which -would exculpate himself in the eyes of the world from any -participation in his evil designs. Of the pecuniary loss, too, which -he was likely to suffer by the whole affair, he resolved to make the -most, as a proof that he had been himself deceived and plundered; and -by exclaiming loudly against the perfidy of his agent, to cast a dark -shade of suspicion upon every assertion that Mr. Tims might make, as -springing from the mere malice of a discharged agent. There was one -subject of self-gratulation in Lord Ashborough's breast which was -doubly sweet, as it flattered his ideas of his own wisdom, and -afforded the best point in his situation, with regard to Mr. Tims. -This was the fact of never having committed himself on paper, in -regard to the family of Sir Sidney Delaware, or his purposes of -revenge against them, and he resolved to make the most of that also. - -After long consideration of all these particulars, he believed that he -could luckily act towards his lawyer, exactly as if he himself had -been perfectly pure and spotless in the whole transaction. He -accordingly sent off a note to Mr. Tims, requesting his presence at -eleven o'clock on the following day, having determined that, in the -first instance, he would give the attorney every sort of gentlemanly -support in his encounter with Beauchamp; but that, if he found -Beauchamp's charge could be made good against the lawyer, he would -instantly throw him off, dismiss him from his employment, and to treat -him with proud and indignant contempt. - -All these thoughts occupied him some time, and it was late before he -entered the drawing-room, where his nephew and niece were already -waiting; but the space thus employed had fully restored his -equanimity, and the dinner passed over with a degree of cheerfulness -and ease on his part, which Beauchamp had almost doubted that his -uncle would be able to maintain. The evening was equally tranquil; his -wandering nephew's adventures seemed to afford Lord Ashborough fully -as much matter of interest and amusement as it did to Miss Beauchamp, -and their party broke up late, after a pleasant and a tranquil night. - -The next morning, the earl perhaps felt a little nervous; but he had -that most blessed quality, which was very probably the subject of the -Scotch pedlar's aspirations, when he added to his prayers, "God send -us a good conceit of ourselves;" and being very far from ever thinking -that he could, by any chance, have acted grossly amiss, he soon -recovered from his more serious apprehensions of the world's censure, -though he admitted that occasionally mankind did put a misconstruction -on the most virtuous conduct; but he trusted that his own character -was too well established to permit of such a result. - -With this proud consciousness--we cannot say of virtue--but at least, -of an established reputation, which often does quite as well, the earl -proceeded after breakfast to his library, accompanied by his nephew, -and, ringing the bell, desired to know whether Mr. Tims had arrived. -The servant replied in the negative; and, after having ordered the -lawyer to be admitted when he did appear, he turned to Beauchamp, -observing that the fellow had grown somewhat negligent of late, since -he had succeeded to his uncle's fortune. - -The earl had scarcely concluded his sentence, when Mr. Tims himself -appeared at the door, bowing low, with habitual reverence for turkey -carpets and ormolu, even before he was completely in the room. On -seeing Beauchamp, which he did the very next moment--as that gentleman -had placed himself at the bay-window, and turned round on hearing the -door open--Mr. Tims had nearly fallen prostrate on the floor; and -pale, pale, pale, did he become, with the exception of the red climax -to his nose, which remained of its own ruby hue, while all around grew -white. His impudence, however, which was a very ph[oe]nix, and was -ever renewed from its own ashes, came instantly to his aid; and, -advancing with a smile of simpering joy, he exclaimed, "Goodness, Mr. -Beauchamp! I am surprised, sir, and delighted to see you. We all -thought you drowned!" - -"Of your surprise, Mr. Tims," replied Beauchamp, "I have no doubt; of -your delight, I am not quite so sure; and as to my being drowned, I -know every one believed it, and no one more thoroughly than yourself, -Mr. Tims." - -"I beg pardon, sir!--I beg pardon!--but you seem offended," said Mr. -Tims, assuming the aspect of injured innocence. "I meant no offence, -sir--My lord, have I said any thing offensive?" - -"No, Mr. Tims! No!" replied Lord Ashborough, "Be so good as take a -seat, sir; I am inclined to believe that my nephew misconceives you; -but he will explain himself; for it is on his business I sent for -you." - -"Oh, is that the case!" exclaimed the lawyer, who began to feel -somewhat perplexed at his situation. "If your lordship had let me know -that such was your purpose, I might have come prepared." - -"I acted, Mr. Tims, as I thought best," answered the peer coldly; "and -I confess I do not see what need you could have for preparation." - -"Why, I do think, sir, all things considered," replied the lawyer--"I -do think your lordship might have given me intimation; as the business -in which I am engaged on your lordship's account"---- - -"Has nothing on earth to do with my nephew, nor my nephew with it, Mr. -Tims!" replied Lord Ashborough sternly. "We will keep to the point, -sir, if you please. Henry, you said you had some questions to ask this -person; you had better ask them." - -"Person!" muttered Mr. Tims, fidgeting on his chair. "Person!" but he -had soon more serious matter to think of; for Beauchamp, approaching -the table, sat down at the side next the window, and taking out his -pocket-book, spoke in a calm, mild tone, which had grown infinitely -more moderate than at first, as he saw the terrible agitation under -which the unhappy man laboured. - -"Now, Mr. Tims," he said, "I neither want to puzzle you, nor to annoy -you, by what I am going to ask; but there are certain matters on which -you must give a full explanation, both for my satisfaction, and my -uncle's"---- - -"No, no, Henry, pardon me!" interrupted the earl; "the business is -yours alone--I am perfectly satisfied for my part--I have heard a -charge, but no proof; and, consequently, I should be doing injustice -to Mr. Tims were I to be dissatisfied." - -"My lord, the business is certainly mine," replied Beauchamp, "but it -is also yours to the extent of at least ten thousand pounds, if not -more--but to the point. My first question is, Mr. Tims, how you came -to detain, upon the pretence that it had been stolen from your uncle, -the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds, paid by Sir Sidney Delaware to -you, as Lord Ashborough's agent, when, at the time you detained it -upon that pretext, you perfectly well knew that it had not been -stolen, and that it had been put in Captain Delaware's room by me." - -"But I never knew any such thing, sir!" replied Mr. Tims. "I believed, -as every body else believed, that Captain Delaware, when he murdered -my poor unhappy uncle, had stolen those notes; and permit me to say, -sir," he added, assuming a slight touch of bluster--"permit me to say, -I had better cause to believe such to be the case, than you have to -accuse me of actions I should despise, sir. What reason had I to -suppose you placed the money there?" - -"Nay, nay, Mr. Tims," said Beauchamp calmly, "do not lose your temper; -remember, sir, passion may throw you off your guard, and you will yet -have occasion for all your wit in your exculpation.--You ask what -reason you had to suppose I placed the money in Captain Delaware's -room; I will tell you, Mr. Tims. First, because, amongst your uncle's -papers, you found an acquittance in my handwriting for the sum of -fifteen thousand pounds, received by him on my account from Messrs. -Steelyard and Wilkinson"---- - -"But, sir! But, sir!" cried Mr. Tims. - -"Do not interrupt me, sir," said Beauchamp. "Next, I say, because you -found a note of hand signed by me for the sum of ten thousand pounds, -advanced to me by your uncle, and dated on the very day on which he -was murdered, poor man!" - -"But listen to me, Henry," said Lord Ashborough. "All this does not -show that Mr. Tims knew that these several sums had been appropriated -by you in the somewhat Quixotical manner that, as it proves, they were -employed." - -"It is, at least, a strong presumption that he might have known it if -he had liked," replied Beauchamp, adding with a smile, "especially -when he knew me to be of a Quixotical disposition, and when William -Delaware himself pointed me out as the only person likely to have -placed them there--but you must remember, also, that the sum was -precisely the same, and that, knowing I had received it"---- - -"I must once more interrupt you, Mr. Beauchamp," said the lawyer, with -a dignified air; "but you are, and have been assuming as facts what -are not facts. I did not know that you had received that sum--I found -no document--at least, I have as yet found no document, amongst my -late uncle's papers, which refers to the sum of fifteen thousand -pounds received on your account, and handed over to you in due -course; and therefore, sir, the basis of your argument is erroneous, -although--as my noble patron declares, with his usual candour and -perspicuity--even were it all true--had I discovered, by the papers of -which you speak, that my uncle had paid you the precise sum, still I -had no proof that there was any connexion between that fact and the -payment made to me at Emberton Park." - -"There was a strong presumption at least, Mr. Tims," replied -Beauchamp, who had listened with the utmost calmness; "and I certainly -cannot prove that you have found the document referring to the fifteen -thousand pounds, _as yet_. Allow me to compliment you on the -introduction of those two words--I certainly cannot prove that you -have found my acquittance to your uncle." - -"Well then, Henry," said the earl, with a benign smile to Mr. Tims, "I -think your evidence halts." - -"Your pardon, my lord," replied Beauchamp, "I am only disposing of one -part of the subject first--You may not have found it, Mr. Tims, _as -yet_; but let me tell you, sir, that you must find it, or account to -my solicitors for fifteen thousand pounds received by your late uncle -on my account." - -Mr. Tims turned very red; for he saw that he was nearer to the horns -of that ugly beast, a dilemma, than he had imagined. Still, however, -he thought that he had triumphantly opposed Beauchamp's charge, and -therefore he replied, with a very tolerable degree of coolness, "I -will search for the papers, sir, and of course act according to the -best of my judgment afterwards." - -"And in the mean time, Mr. Tims," continued Beauchamp, "we will speak -of the ten thousand pounds which I received from your uncle, I think -you acknowledge, or at least tacitly admit, that you found my note of -hand for that amount amongst your uncle's papers--indeed, it was only -extraordinary that you should overlook the acquittance, which was -pinned to the note, and which you must have separated from it, before -you got it stamped, and presented it to my solicitors, in payment of -the sum of ten thousand pounds due to me by Lord Ashborough, as the -balance of our guardianship account." - -Mr. Tims's face grew red, and white, and yellow, and blue, by turns. -Never was there such a prismatic complexion as Beauchamp's last speech -produced. - -Lord Ashborough watched them all, and then demanded, "Did you presume, -sir, to stop money which I commissioned you to pay, in the way to -which Mr. Beauchamp alludes?" - -Mr. Tims was _aux abois_, and consequently he turned upon the weakest -of his pursuers. "I did indeed, my lord," he said, in a significant -tone--"I did it for the best, both in accordance with your lordship's -views and interests, and my own poor judgment; and I am perfectly -ready to explain my motives either to your lordship alone, or in the -presence of your nephew." - -Lord Ashborough changed colour also; and, bowing his head haughtily, -he said, "That is unnecessary, Mr. Tims, We will speak of all that -concerns myself hereafter." - -"Oh, just as your lordship pleases!" said the lawyer--"I have nothing -to conceal." - -"I am glad to hear it," said Beauchamp, willing to spare his uncle any -unpleasant discussion; "I am glad to hear it, sir; for now we come to -the most inexplicable part of the whole transaction. I say -inexplicable, because it is quite so to me, how a man of your sagacity -could commit such an oversight as, at the very time he was accusing an -innocent person of murder--at the very time he was retaining in his -hands twenty-five thousand pounds unjustly, on the plea that they had -been stolen--at the very time he was carrying on two ruinous suits at -law against an honourable man for money which had been already paid--I -say, that it is inexplicable to me, how, at the very time he was doing -all this, he should commit such an oversight as to present to my -solicitors this note of hand, on the back of which is written, in my -own writing, the numbers and dates of all the notes I received from -his uncle, and which are the numbers and dates of the very notes that -he was at that time attempting to show were stolen. Look at it, my -lord, and read--'Numbers and dates of notes, received from Mr. Tims of -Ryebury'--and conceive, how avarice must have taken hold of a man, ere -he could commit such an egregious blunder. Why, Mr. Tims, could you -not wait a few days--a week, a fortnight, even a month--to make sure -that the fishes had me safe, before you presented this note? By -heaven, I should have thought such a thing impossible, had I not -often, or rather always seen, that, by what would seem a law of -Providence, the most egregious rogues are always sure to leave some -door open to detection." - -Mr. Tims had remained as one struck dumb--not that he had overlooked -the fact which Beauchamp now brought forward; for he had remarked it -from the first, and knew that it might speak strongly against him; but -the desire of retaining the ten thousand pounds, had blinded his eyes -to one half of the consequences, and diminished his estimation of the -other--had made him confidently believe that Beauchamp was really -drowned, and that if he were not, he would never remember the -memorandum he had made on the night which gave birth to so many -events. The folly of his conduct, however, now appeared to him in the -most forcible manner, and for the moment completely overpowered him. -Quirks, quibbles, evasions, impudence itself, all deserted him, till, -by the most fortunate chance in the world, Beauchamp pronounced the -word rogue, which instantly called anger to his aid. - -"Rogue, sir! Rogue!" he exclaimed, starting up, while the whiteness of -consternation was succeeded in his countenance by the rubicundity of -wrath, "Rogue, sir! The word is actionable! Did you call me a rogue?" - -It was too much for human patience. "Yes, sir!" replied Beauchamp, "I -did! and I do! I call you a rogue, because I have proved you one! I -look upon you as a contemptible blackguard, as I have long done; and -if you stare in my face with that air one moment more, I will kick you -from that door into Grosvenor Square--and the passage is a long one!" - -Mr. Tims instantly dropped his eyes to the ground, and Lord Ashborough -interfered. "You are too warm, Henry!" he said, seeing evidently that -Mr. Tims must be given up, and therefore that he might as well assume -the character of the dignified unimpassioned judge. "You are too warm; -but you have made out your charge most completely. Mr. Tims, you are -no longer my solicitor. You must have known, sir, that this Captain -Delaware, whatever faults he may have, and whatever crimes he may have -committed, had not obtained the notes in question by robbing your -uncle--you must have known it, sir--you could not help knowing it; and -I conceive, that your having deceived me into taking a great many -steps which might bring my character into disrepute, if it were not, -thank God, pretty well established--I say, I conceive your having done -so, to be more base and criminal than even the sort of frauds you have -committed in regard to the different sums of money--which, depend upon -it, shall be strictly investigated." - -Loud insolence not having proved at all successful, Mr. Tims now -resorted to dogged impudence. "Your lordship may find cause, upon a -little reflection," he said, moving gradually towards the door, "to -make your measures towards me somewhat more lenient than you propose. -I should be sorry to injure your lordship's well _established -character_; but, of course, if I am attacked, I must defend myself; -and I will take care that my defence shall be public enough. There are -two or three little transactions which your lordship will think over, -and determine upon having laid open or not, as you please." - -"Do you hear the fellow's insolence?" demanded the earl, turning with -a half smile towards his nephew. "Mr. Tims," he added, "you are -scarcely worthy of contempt. I fear no true statement of anything I -have done; and I shall take care, if you make any false one, that you -shall be severely punished. You have deceived me, sir, grossly; you -have represented people to me as criminal who were really innocent; -and you have laboured to stir up my indignation against them for your -own base purposes. Do not answer me, sir, but quit the room and the -house; and I shall take care that your accounts be called for, and -examined by one who will look into them thoroughly." - -Thus saying, the earl, with a proud and dignified wave of the hand, -pointed to the door. Mr. Tims would fain have added a few words more; -but Lord Ashborough waved him forth again; and there was also a cloud -lowering upon Henry Beauchamp's brow, which boded no very pleasant -results from farther insolence; so that, upon second thoughts, Mr. -Tims judged it best to make his exit tranquilly. This he was suffered -to do; and the door closed upon him for ever. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -We must now for a time leave Henry Beauchamp and the Earl of -Ashborough, and turn to the small neat country town of ----, in the -jail of which place, Harding, Smithson, and Sarah Ings, were at length -safely lodged, within a few days after Beauchamp's return to his -native country. Walter Harrison, skilfully treated and carefully -attended, was soon able to undertake the journey to England; and -as the fixed determination he had shown to farther the ends of -justice, at all risks, left no doubt of his sincerity, he was -permitted to act without restraint, and proceeded steadily towards -his destination--indeed more rapidly than his feeble state properly -admitted. Presenting himself uncalled before the magistrates of the -town, he informed them at once of his name, required them to receive -his voluntary confession, and in consequence to commit him to prison. -The first part of his demand was of course acceded to; but it was -intimated to him that, in consequence of his firm and determined -conduct, throughout at least the latter part of the dark business in -which he had unfortunately been engaged, he would not be deprived of -his liberty. - -To the surprise of the magistrates, however, he replied that he knew -nothing of their forms and manner of proceeding in these matters, but -that he had made up his mind to the line of conduct he was to pursue. -On no consideration whatever, he said, would he be king's evidence--a -term for which he seemed to entertain the most extraordinary aversion. -His confession, he said, was clear and ample, made without any -promises of pardon or favour, demanded or given; he would therefore go -to prison like the others, and be brought to trial like them; but as -he was guilty, he would plead guilty in regard to the robbery, though -not in regard to the murder. This he said was his firm determination, -though he would be found ready at any time to give every sort of -information that might be required to make out the case against his -accomplices and himself. - -As the jail delivery was to be held in a few days, the penance of -imprisonment which he thus imposed on himself, was not great; but even -the short period of confinement to which he thus voluntarily subjected -himself, seemed greatly to affect his health and spirits. In vain the -governor of the prison, under the idea that apprehensions in regard to -his ultimate fate were prying upon his mind, assured him that the -King's pardon, promised by proclamation to any but the actual -murderers, secured him from all danger. He replied, that he feared -nothing but his own thoughts; for that, since he had come back to the -country and the county in which the terrible crime wherein he had -participated had been perpetrated, a heavy cloud had seemed to come -over him, which he could not shake off. His bold, daring, and -impetuous manner, was now all gone, and in its place there appeared a -deep silent sternness, somewhat impatient of contradiction, but -determined rather than violent. The great loss of blood he had -sustained, had rendered him as pale as ashes, and anxiety and -suffering had bowed his powerful frame, and left him merely the shadow -of what he formerly was. Some apprehensions, indeed, appeared to be -entertained by those who watched, lest he should become so ill as to -be unable to undergo the business of the trial; but in this they were -deceived; and his strength, on the contrary, appeared greater, and his -energies more alive, on the day before that appointed for the assizes. - -At length the day arrived; and all the usual formalities having taken -place, the heavy list of crimes was adverted to, and lamented by the -judge; the grand jury was exhorted and sworn, and proceeded to its -functions. As every one expected, the first bill brought before them, -which was that against Captain William Delaware, for the murder of Mr. -Tims at Ryebury, was at once thrown out. Not so, however, that against -Harding and his accomplices, which, being found a true bill, was -immediately proceeded on. - -All our readers are most probably acquainted with the solemn array of -a court of justice, though an interesting, always a painful scene. On -the present occasion, of course, from the blackness of the crime -committed, and the many extraordinary circumstances that accompanied -and followed it, the excitement produced was great, and the court -crowed in every part. The preliminaries having been gone through, the -four prisoners were put to the bar, and a good deal of confusion -ensued, from the endeavour of the various spectators to obtain a full -view of the accused--the class of women who frequent criminal courts, -struggling forward to see the culprits with more than masculine -boldness. - -Harding, who was beyond doubt a handsome man, first advanced to the -bar. He was dressed with scrupulous care; and, with his neck wrapped -in a thick black cravat, his double-breasted waistcoat buttoned up to -his chin, and his dark frock-coat thrown back from his chest, he -looked very much like the private secretary of a German prince. His -cool and tranquil air, and easy carriage, might have been construed -into the expression of conscious innocence, but for a slight, very -slight sneer, that curled the corner of his lip, entirely different -from the indignant expansion of the nostril, with which innocence -sometimes meets a false accusation. He gazed for a single instant -round the court, and then withdrew his eyes, while all the reporters -scribbled rapidly in their note-books, preparing to make him a -newspaper wonder, and hand him down to posterity as one of the heroes -of the gallows. The next that came up was the well-known Tony -Smithson, who, though he had confronted more than one court of justice -on previous occasions, now, from the magnitude of the offence, and the -certainty that his conviction would follow, had lost all self-command, -and approached the bar, pale, trembling, and agitated. Next appeared -Sarah Ings, with the most persevering of all human passions, vanity, -still uppermost. Dressed forth in all the gay and vulgar smartness of -the Rue de Vivienne and the Palais Royal, with a touch or two of rouge -upon her cheeks to hide the ravages of apprehension, she presented -herself before the court that was to try her, and the judge who might -have to doom her to death, with a simpering and coquetish smile, -thinking fully as much of the impression of her charms and her finery -upon the spectators, as of her awful situation and its probable -result. - -Last appeared Walter Harrison, with a bold, firm step, a bright red -spot in each of his pale cheeks, and his eye sparkling from feverish -excitement. He leaned his hand upon the bar, and after gazing rapidly -and boldly round the court, fixed his eyes upon the clerk of the -arraigns, as he proceeded to read the indictment. - -That document was conceived in the usual tenor, and comprised all the -various acts which the prisoners could or might have committed in the -perpetration of their crime, with all the legal terms and expressions -necessary to prevent dubiety. - -Harding listened to every word with scrupulous attention; and it was -observed that, at several of the counts in the indictment, which -described the act that he had committed with much greater precision -than he had expected, he set his teeth hard. On the question being put -to each of the prisoners--"How say you, guilty or not guilty?"--the -three first pleaded "not guilty," and what is termed put themselves -upon their country, or in fact appealed to a jury. Walter Harrison, -however, in a bold, firm voice, replied at once--"Guilty of the -robbery, but not guilty of the murder;" and consequently it was found -necessary to proceed on his trial also, upon several of the counts in -the indictment. - -The trial then went on; and as the reader is already aware of the -greater part of the evidence that could be brought forward, it shall -be but briefly recapitulated here. The footprints on the floor of the -room where the murder had been committed, and the mark of the hand on -the wall, were proved to correspond exactly with the feet of Harding -and Smithson, and with the hand of the latter. The marks in the -passage were also proved to have been caused by the feet of the young -sailor; and evidence was given that Harding had paid the master of a -cutter, hired to carry them to France, with one of the notes which -could be traced to the possession of the miser of Ryebury a few days -before his death. The _ci-devant_ smuggler, Billy Small, swore -positively to the persons of Harding, Smithson, Harrison, and the -woman, and detailed fully the particulars of their arrival at his -house, with a gentleman whose ancle was dislocated, and who had -evidently received a severe contusion on the forehead. The Bow Street -officers proved the state of the prisoners' apartments in Paris, the -considerable sums of money there found, and a variety of minor facts, -which all aggravated the suspicions against them; and as the principal -witness, Henry Beauchamp, was at length called, in order to establish -the fact of the prisoners having been on the very night of the murder -at the house of Mr. Tims, and having thence proceeded direct to the -cottage of the smuggler. As he entered the witness-box, the cheek of -Harding turned a shade paler, but at the same time his eye flashed -with an expression rather of rage, than fear. As his former master -went on, however, he recovered his composure, and listened calmly, -while Beauchamp clearly and distinctly detailed all the events, from -his second visit to Mr. Tims's house, on the night of the murder, till -he was delivered over to the care of the old smuggler and his family. - -Throughout the trial, Harding had acted as his own counsel, and now he -proceeded with an air of cool determined effrontery to cross-examine -his former master, mingling skilfully those questions which might tend -to exculpate himself with those which he thought would annoy the -witness. - -"Allow me to ask you, Mr. Beauchamp," he said, "whether, while I was -in your service, you ever detected me in any act of dishonesty." - -"To speak but candidly," replied Beauchamp, "I never did." - -"Did I not on more than one occasion," proceeded Harding, "when your -tradesmen endeavoured to cheat or overcharge you, point out to you the -fact." - -"You certainly did," replied his former master. - -"So far, then, your evidence is favourable to me," continued the -culprit. "Now, pray tell me, Mr. Beauchamp, what was your own errand -at the house of Mr. Tims on the night in question--or rather, what -became of you between the first and second calls which you made at his -dwelling during that evening?" and he fixed his eye upon the witness's -countenance with a degree of sneering triumph at the pain he imagined -the question would cause him. But Beauchamp answered with the utmost -coolness. - -"I do not know," he said, "that any law would oblige me to reply to a -demand which does not seem to bear upon the case; but, nevertheless, I -have not the slightest objection to do so. I had, on the first visit I -paid to the unhappy man who was afterwards murdered, received from him -the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds, which I had promised to -advance on mortgage on the estate of my cousin. Sir Sidney Delaware. -From the house of Mr. Tims I went straight to Emberton Park; and, -having discovered that Captain Delaware was absent from home, I took -the liberty, as a relation and intimate friend, of entering his room, -and leaving the money enveloped in a packet upon his dressing-table, -proposing to give him intimation of the fact next morning." - -"Was not that rather a hazardous action, sir?" demanded Harding with -cool insolence--"especially when there were so many thieves abroad?" - -"Not more so, it would seem," replied Beauchamp, "than to carry it in -my pocket from Ryebury to Emberton when you were in my neighbourhood; -but luckily it happened that you neither knew the one fact or the -other." - -Harding was silent for a moment, finding that sarcasms were edged -tools, which he had better not employ against Beauchamp, who had full -strength to turn them back upon himself, with that sort of cold -calmness which made them a thousand times more stinging. The pause was -so long, that Beauchamp at length asked, "Have you any other question -to put to me?" - -"Yes--several!" replied the prisoner. "Several--Why did you not give -the money into the hands of Sir Sidney Delaware himself, when you -found that his son was absent?" - -"Because it was not my pleasure to do so," replied Beauchamp. "I must -submit to the court, whether these questions are relevant." - -The judge at once supported the witness's objection; and the prisoner -being told that he must absolutely confine himself to the matter -before the court, proceeded, "Pray, Mr. Beauchamp, was the moon -shining at the time of your return to Ryebury?" - -"It was shining brightly," replied Beauchamp. - -"Then it was by the light of the moon that you recognised me amongst -the persons coming out of the miser's house?" demanded the prisoner. - -"I did not say that I recognised you in the slightest degree," replied -his former master, "till I found myself in the boat upon the water." - -"Then you positively did not recognise me at all at the miser's -house?" said Harding, with a smile of triumph. - -"I did not," answered Beauchamp; "as I said before, all I saw, on the -opening of the door, were the forms of three men and a woman standing -in the passage. As the moon was not shining directly on that side of -the house, I could not distinguish their features so perfectly as to -swear to any one of them; but the foremost of the men was exactly of -your height and appearance, and I have already sworn, that I saw you -in the boat after I recovered my recollection." - -"Pray, what space of time do you think had elapsed," Harding next -demanded, "between the time of your return to Ryebury, and your -finding yourself in the boat?" - -Beauchamp replied, that of course he could not exactly tell, but he -imagined that it must have been more than an hour. - -"If such was the case," said the prisoner, "then the moon, which you -say was shining on the western side of the miser's house when you -reached the door, must have set before you recovered your senses; and -I should like to know, how, without any light on a dark night, and -with your thoughts confused, as they must have been, after such a blow -as you describe, you could recognise me so as to swear to my identity, -when, by your own account, you could not stand up in the boat even for -a moment." - -"In the first place," answered Beauchamp, "the moon had not set, -though she was setting, and her very position at the moment I did -attempt to rise, showed me your features more distinctly than if she -had been higher in the sky; for she shone at that moment under your -hat. I was confused, certainly, and in that confusion I had very -nearly called you by your name; but luckily I recollected in time the -attack made upon my own person, and the extraordinary circumstances in -which I was placed, or probably the consequences might have been fatal -to me also." - -"He should not have touched a hair of your head!" said Walter Harrison -aloud, and the eyes of the whole court were instantly turned upon him; -but the young man paused, and looked towards Harding, adding--"I do -not want to interrupt him! Let him say his say, and then I will say -mine." - -Harding had turned very pale; but he added eagerly--"One more -question, sir, and I have done. Was this momentary and imperfect -glance which you obtained of the countenance of one of the men in the -boat with you, all which led you to believe that I was that person?" - -"Although that glance would have been quite sufficient to satisfy me," -replied Beauchamp; "what I had learned from that glance was confirmed -by the sound of your voice, and by the fact of your having dropped -this powder-flask out of your pocket upon the beach, when embarking -for France, which powder-flask, you must well remember my giving to -you some days before, because it did not measure the right charge for -my guns." - -"I never saw it before in my life," replied Harding solemnly, and then -ceased his interrogatories. The jury had listened to this -cross-examination more attentively than to any other part of the -evidence; and it was clear that the cool and collected manner in which -the prisoner had sifted the testimony of his former master, had -produced no small effect on several of the jurors. When Harding -ceased, Walter Harrison turned to Beauchamp, and the eyes not only of -the whole spectators, but of his fellow-prisoners were fixed upon him. - -"Mr. Beauchamp," he said, "I am not going to do what they call -cross-examine you; because I am sure you will tell the truth like a -gentleman. But once, when we were talking about catching these -fellows, you told me as much as that you had overheard what I said on -that bad night to old Billy Small--Will you have the goodness to let -those gentlemen up there know what it all was?" - -Beauchamp detailed the whole; and having suffered a brief -cross-examination on the part of the other prisoners, he was allowed -to retire. The evidence now given, together with the declaration of -Walter Harrison, closed the case for the crown, and the prisoners -entered on their defence. Smithson, who knew too well the proceedings -of a court of justice to believe that he could mend his condition by -his own oratory, declined saying anything, except that he was -innocent; to which he added all those ordinary but vehement -asseverations, which render the bar of a court of justice an altar to -impiety, whence falsehood and blasphemy reek continually up in the -sight of Heaven. The woman appeared strongly inclined to speak in her -own defence, but her words were drowned in an hysterical burst of -sobbing; and Harding, with the young sailor, were left to address the -court for themselves. - -The speech of the first was as consummate a piece of special pleading, -as ever was drawn up in ancient or modern days. On the evidence -against himself, he commented with the utmost acuteness; and pointed -out that there was no direct proof that he had ever been in the house -of the unhappy man who had been murdered, except that afforded by the -declaration of the young man, Walter Harrison, whose acknowledgement -of participation in the crime, and evident desire to escape the -punishment, by laying the whole of it upon other people, he trusted -that the jury would remember and consider, before they attached any -weight to his testimony. Mr. Beauchamp, he continued, had never seen -him in the house, or near the house. At least, though he threw out a -suspicion, yet he had not attempted to swear that he had beheld him -there; and although William Small--an acknowledged smuggler--had -declared that he came to his cottage in the boat with Mr. Beauchamp -and the rest, yet he did not state whether he was there as a voluntary -agent or as under compulsion. In regard to the footmarks in the house, -he argued, that they could not be held as proving anything; for, in -the number of men who might be supposed to commit such a crime as -that, how many would be found with a foot of nearly the same size as -his? Had his clothes been found bloody? he asked. Had any of the -implements of robbery and housebreaking been found upon him? No! And -the whole case against him, he contended, rested alone upon the very -doubtful testimony of the young sailor, and the fact of his having -paid the freight of the cutter with a note which had been in the -possession of Mr. Tims. - -He now paused for a moment; and, after having taken breath, and eyed -the jury to see what effect his oratory had produced, he went on, in a -solemn and serious manner:--"Gentlemen of the jury--having now -commented upon the evidence against me, and stripped it of all those -magnifying circumstances with which human malice is ever too prone to -swell the charge against a person once suspected--having shown upon -how slender a foundation rests the case in respect to myself--I will -proceed to explain to you fully and honestly every circumstance that -appears at all doubtful in my conduct, trusting that the confession of -some errors which I deeply regret, will not prejudice you against me -in the consideration of the present accusation. When I came down to -Emberton with Mr. Beauchamp--against whom I do not pretend to say a -word, although he was somewhat imaginative in his ways of acting and -thinking--I had frequent occasion to go on his business to the house -of the unhappy man who has been so cruelly murdered; and where I was -always received with a degree of kindness, which certainly would never -have prompted the base return which I am accused of having made. I -there became acquainted with the young woman at the bar; an attachment -grew up between us; and having--upon some speculative principles of -general utility, which I now acknowledge to have been foolish and -wrong--taken up a prejudice against marriage, I obtained her promise -to elope with me without any ceremony of the church. In one service or -another I had amassed a considerable sum, and her wages also were long -in arrear. She with difficulty obtained payment from her master; and -it was determined that we should go off together. Our plans, however, -were hurried by Mr. Beauchamp's sudden departure from Emberton; and, -hearing that there was a French vessel on the coast, we resolved to -set off that ill-starred night. Just as I was about to proceed to -Ryebury to meet her at the appointed hour, I found her in the streets -of Emberton, whether she had been sent by her master to Lawyer -Johnstone's for some stamps, and we were returning to Ryebury in order -to procure her clothes, when we met three men dragging along Mr. -Beauchamp, apparently dead. I did not well know what to do; and, in a -scuffle with the men, I was of course overpowered. They treated me -humanely, however, I must say, and told me that they neither wished to -hurt me nor the gentleman they had got; and if I chose to go quietly -along with them till they were safe in France, whither they were -going, they would then set me at liberty; but they vowed with many -imprecations, that they would not leave any one behind who could give -information against them. I learned from this that they had committed -some crime; but the impossibility of resistance, the desire of getting -to France, and the hope of doing some good to my master, all induced -me to yield quietly; and I accordingly got into the boat with them, -and we went off. By the time we had reached the smuggler's cottage, -however, I had learned enough to show me the horrid crime that had -been committed; and, before I had been there quarter of an hour, this -young man beside me, whom I have reason to believe was the principal -actor in the Ryebury tragedy, whispered to me that I was in for it, as -he termed it, and that, fair weather or foul, I must sail out the -voyage with him and his companions. I asked him what he meant, and he -then showed me that if I went back to London, or peached, as he called -it, I should certainly be suspected as accessory to what had happened. -I was overcome with the horror of my situation; and, on my -remonstrating and begging him to allow me to depart, he threatened if -I said another word to make it out so, that I should appear the -principal in the murder. My courage and my resolution failed; and, -weakly consenting to go with them, I suffered myself to be led on -blindly, and do what they liked. The freight of the ship even I was -compelled to pay, which I did with a pound note that Sarah there, had -received from her poor master the night before, and had given me to -keep. After our arrival in France, I gave myself up to despair; my -hopes and prospects seemed utterly ruined, and, to keep away thought, -I gambled deeply. Fortune, however, favoured me, and I won large sums. -Suddenly the news that Bow Street officers were pursuing us in Paris, -added new anxieties to my mind, and often I thought to give myself up, -and tell all I knew. The apprehension that I would do so, it seems, -induced the other prisoner beside me, to be beforehand with me; and, -on the night that I was taken, when I heard his voice without, and saw -Mr. Beauchamp enter the room, I certainly made a desperate defence, -having no hope of being able to establish my innocence against the -conspiracy that was evidently got up to make me the scapegoat. This, -gentlemen, is the plain, straightforward story of what really -happened. You must all see that I have had no time to make up such a -tale, as I knew not what evidence would be produced against me. There -stands the only witness I could bring forward to prove the truth of my -story; but she, included in the same false charge, is prevented from -giving evidence in my favour. - -"It is all true! It is all true!" cried the unhappy girl, weeping -bitterly; and Harding proceeded, "I have little more to add, -gentlemen. Mr. Beauchamp's evidence is generally correct, though he -was mistaken in one or two particulars; but I trust that you will -allow the good character that he has himself given me, to -counterbalance the assertions that he has erroneously made. In -conclusion, I have only to say, that my very heart and soul revolts at -the thought of the crime with which I am charged; and although I have -been culpable in some things, let me trust that my sins have been -sufficiently punished already by their consequences, and that a jury -of my countrymen will not incur the awful responsibility of condemning -an innocent man for a crime that never entered his thoughts." - -With a fine person and graceful action, Harding delivered this address -with so much effect, that a murmur of approbation filled the court -when he concluded; and it was evident that the opinion of the jury was -strongly affected by what he had said. - -The gentlemen of the bar, however, whispered together with a -significant smile, and one then remarked to another--"He brought in -the girl devilish neatly. The fellow must have some good in him for -that." - -"Poo!" replied the more experienced counsel to whom he spoke. "He -could not have made up his own story without it." - -The judge now repressed the noise in the court, and the young sailor -came nearer to the bar to address the jury. - -"Gentlemen," he said, "I can't make you a fine speech like this man -Harding, who, I begin to think, is the devil himself; for none but the -father of lies could have got up such a string of them, do ye see! I -told the whole truth in my declaration before the magistrates; and as -you all know well enough, if what he has said were true, and I had -wanted to betray him to screen myself, I might have been king's -evidence as the folks wanted me. My lord the judge knows that, and -every one else; and so I should have saved my life to a certainty, and -pocketed the reward. No--no! I had no such thought in my head, do you -see; and now, gentlemen, I will tell you truly how it all happened. It -makes little odds to me whether you hang me or not; for I shall not -live three months if you don't; and death is just as bitter to-morrow -as to-day--though I never feared him much, somehow. The thing is this, -gentlemen. I have a poor mother, a widow, living at Emberton; and to -see her next to starving always has been a sore heart to me. Well, -there were only three people in all the world that ever were very kind -to me. The first was my mother, who forgave me all my faults, and -loved me notwithstanding all the sorrows I brought her. The next was -Captain William Delaware, who, when I got into a scrape about -poaching, and might have been sent to the hulks, took me aboard his -own ship, treated me as kindly as possible, and sent me back with a -better character than ever I had before. The next was Mr. Henry -Beauchamp--though I always took his name to be Burrel. He saved my -life at the risk of his own; had me doctored and tended; was kind to -me and my mother; gave me advice and encouragement which would have -been a blessing if I had remembered it, and promised me help if I -behaved well. But I did not behave well; for that cursed villain, his -servant, Harding there, did me more harm than all his master could say -did me good. He was always at me about what he called the unequal -distribution of property; and it was very natural to get from thinking -that other folks had no right to their property, to thinking that one -should take it from them the best way one could; and so it turned out. -I have told all about the robbery in my declaration; but I never could -tell, gentlemen, what a turn it gave me, when I found they had -murdered the old man. Ay, when first they came down, with their hands -all bloody: I shall never forget it, sleeping or waking. However, that -I got over, though it was always like a red-hot coal lying at my -heart; but then I thought, that sometime it would go out of my head; -till one day I went into a shop in Paris, to sell some of the things -for them, that they had stolen, when they set fire to the lady's house -upon the hill, and there I took up an English newspaper, and I saw all -about the murder. That was bad enough; but when I found out that a set -of rogues and fools had laid the blame of what we had done, upon the -noblest gentleman in all the country, who would not hurt a fly, if it -were not when he is alongside an enemy;--when I saw that, and thought -how it would break his gallant heart, and that of his good father, and -poor Miss Blanche's too; and remembered what Captain Delaware had done -for me, and what his father and Miss Blanche had done for my poor -mother--why, gentlemen, I thought I should have gone mad. Well, I -believe I was mad; till, as good luck would have it, I found out Mr. -Beauchamp, and told him all about it, and offered, if he would not -take odds against the two fellows, but would go with me and face them -singly--I offered, I say, to give them up, and myself too. Well, he -told me of the king's proclamation, and promise of pardon, and all -that; but I told him I would be tried too, like the rest; and away we -went, and took them, though I got shot in the shoulder, and Mr. -Beauchamp in the face. Now, gentlemen, you all know that I was left -behind in Paris, and came over here of my own accord, and gave myself -up without any one telling me; and so you may believe the rest of my -story or not, as you like. All I want, is to clear Captain Delaware; -for he is a noble gentleman, and a good officer, and a kind-hearted -man--God bless him for ever!" - -Harding had been really eloquent; for from the adaption of his story -to the evidence produced immediately before, it was beyond doubt that -he had poured forth his long address upon the spur of the occasion. -Walter Harrison, however, was not eloquent; and, if there had been -anything like eloquence in his speech, it was the eloquence of -passionate sincerity. Still his tale produced the deep impression; -Harding's alone the transient one. In the case of the latter, the jury -and the spectators had felt that the account was plausible, and might -be true; but; when Walter Harrison concluded his rough oration, there -was not a man in all the court that doubted his assertions. There was -a momentary pause, and then more than one person murmured, "Poor -fellow!" - -At length the judge summed up the evidence, with that clear, -straightforward, noble impartiality, that dignified and equitable -firmness, which is so universally characteristic of an English judge. -He noticed Harding's defence, and gave him the full credit of every -probability that existed in favour of the story he had told, but he -noticed also the singular conduct of Walter Harrison, pointed out the -minute resemblance between the declaration he had made in Paris, and -that which he had made in England, and the harmony of the whole of it -with both his conduct towards Beauchamp and the conversation he had -held with the smuggler. Nevertheless, he said, there was a peculiar -feature in the case which greatly affected it, and he begged the jury -to give the prisoners the advantage of any doubt that might thence -arise in their minds. This peculiar feature was, that Walter Harrison -having refused to become king's evidence, the prisoners had not had an -opportunity of cross-examining him, as they might have done to any -other witness. At the same time, his declaration could not fail to -have a considerable effect upon the minds of the jury in regard to the -other prisoners, as well as to himself, and therefore it was to be -received cautiously from the peculiarity adverted to. - -The judge's exposition of the law, and his classification of the -evidence adduced, was clear, judicious, and impartial; and, on -dismissing the jury to deliberate, he called upon them, to cast away -from their minds the remembrance of every thing but what they had -heard in that court, and never to forget, that the duty they were then -called upon to perform, involved the most awful responsibility which -it is possible for a human being to undertake. - -The eyes of each of the prisoners were fixed upon the jury-box while -the judge addressed the jurors; and it was remarked, that at one -particular point of the summing up, where the declaration of the young -sailor, and his conduct throughout the whole transaction, were clearly -stated, Harding turned extremely pale, and casting down his eyes, -remained in deep thought. - -In a very few minutes the jury re-appeared in court, and the foreman -announced their verdict of guilty against Smithson, Harding, and his -paramour; not guilty, in regard to the young sailor, except on the -count referring to the robbery. - -As the fatal words rang in her ear, the unhappy woman dropped down on -the floor of the dock, as if she had been shot. Smithson alone -muttered a few words in his peculiar slang, consigning the judge and -jury to the place for which his own deeds qualified him much better. -Harding remained profoundly silent; and heard not only the -announcement of his condemnation, but the awful sentence that followed -it, with calm but steadfast composure. - -While sentence of death was passing on Harding, Smithson, and Sarah -Ings, the head of a woman, dressed in deep mourning, pale, haggard, -and agitated, but with the traces of former beauty shining through -all, was seen gazing eagerly upon the judge; till at length he turned -to Walter Harrison, and informed him that, at the suggestion of the -king's counsel on the occasion, his sentence should be reserved for -farther consideration. At those words a passionate flood of tears were -seen to burst from the poor woman's eyes, which had been dry as the -desert before; and she hurried eagerly from the court ere the crowd -made their way towards the door. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -There are some men so highly gifted with fine and generous feelings, -that they feel a sort of sympathetic excitement in the trials and -behaviour of murderers and highwaymen--prize the rope that hanged a -noted criminal, and guard, as a relic, the implement with which some -great crime was perpetrated. We own the narrowness of our own mind in -these respects, and turn without reluctance for a time from the fierce -and ruthless deeds of men in the last stage of human depravity, to -scenes where the same passions, and perhaps the same vices, had to -struggle with the bonds of education and circumstances, and were -restrained to crooked and confined passages, by all the respects of -rank, and station, and a well preserved name. - -On the Saturday morning which succeeded the trial of Harding and his -accomplices, the Earl of Ashborough sat waiting for his carriage, -which was to be at his door at nine precisely, in order to whirl him -and his niece down to one of his country seats, for the purpose of -spending the Christmas holidays with true old English hospitality, as -the newspapers term it, amidst his neighbours and tenants. - -About three weeks had now elapsed since the return of his nephew and -the dismissal of Mr. Tims, and agents had been appointed by the earl -to examine into that worthy's accounts, in which they had hitherto -made but small progress. The noble lord had in the meanwhile pursued -his plan of speaking of his ci-devant lawyer, and treating him in -every respect with calm and supreme contempt. But Mr. Tims had at the -same time proceeded upon his plan also; and scarcely a daily or a -weekly newspaper appeared--from that which instructs and bullies the -statesman, to that which sets the pot-house in a roar--that did not -contain some galling allusion to the Earl of Ashborough and his -private affairs. - -His lordship took no notice, but still the same attack went on; and -though he spoke not a word upon the business to any one, yet it was -evident that the annoyance he felt was sufficient seriously to affect -his health. A physician's carriage was seen almost daily at his door; -and in the end, it being discovered that the length of time he had -spent that year in the dull and smoky atmosphere of London, had hurt -his constitution, it was determined that he should set out for the -country, and not return till his parliamentary duties absolutely -compelled his attendance in the House of Peers. The carriage then was -ordered, and his lordship, with his usual punctuality, was ready to -the moment. The carriage, however, and his lordship's niece, were -anything but ready to the moment; and the earl was sitting in -attendance upon their will and pleasure, and in no very quiescent -mood, when the loud clatter of a horse's feet beneath the windows, -broke the silence; and in a moment after, a letter, brought by express -from the little county town of ----, was put into his hand, together -with another, bearing his address in the handwriting of Henry -Beauchamp. - -The first was signed by the sheriff of the county, and went to inform -him that a man of the name of Harding, having been that day, at twenty -minutes after three o'clock, condemned to death for the murder at -Ryebury, had expressed an earnest wish to see his lordship, and had -intimated that if he were so indulged, he would make disclosures of -very great importance, and which, he believed, might even save his own -life. These facts the sheriff had thought necessary to bring before -his lordship, leaving him to judge whether it would be proper or not -to comply with the desire of the prisoner. The letter from Beauchamp -contained but a few lines, urging his uncle strongly to give immediate -attention to the demand of the felon; and Lord Ashborough, in his -first burst of angry impatience, threw both the epistles into the fire -together. - -Now, as Lord Ashborough was a man who seldom gave way to such -unnecessary displays of vehemence, it was very easy to divine, from -his violent demolition of the letters, that he would ultimately do -what was required, whatever he might say to the contrary; for, had he -not intended to go, there would not have been the slightest use of -being angry about the matter. - -"What could the fellow want with him?" he asked. "It was all nonsense! -There could be no reason for his going down; nor could the rascal have -any matter of import to relate!" - -But the very fact that his lordship could by no means divine what -Harding could want with him, served in the greatest degree to -strengthen that principle, or passion, or folly--whichever curiosity -may be termed by the learned--that now urged the earl to travel to the -town of ----. By the time the carriage came up, he had got as -far as to think, "Well, I suppose I must go!" and by the time Miss -Beauchamp, be-cloaked and be-furred, entered the drawing-room, he had -summoned resolution to say, "Had you and the carriage been ready at -the time, Maria, I should have had a pleasant journey with you down -to ----, instead of an unpleasant one by myself down to ----." - -What convenient things blanks are! - -He then explained to his niece the circumstances which called him in a -different direction from that which he had proposed to follow, and -left her the choice of taking the barouche and the old butler, and -proceeding at once into the country, as they had intended at first, or -of going with him in the chariot to the county town of ----. - -"Oh, not I, my dear uncle, for the world!" cried Miss Beauchamp. "You -surely do not expect me to go and dance at what they call the '_Size -ball_. No, indeed; I must be excused. The barouche, the old butler, -and the country house for me; but remember, I shall expect your -lordship to join me in two days, for the house is to be full of -people, the newspapers tell me; and, of course, you cannot expect me -to act the landlady of the inn, when the landlord is away." - -Lord Ashborough, as a matter of form, scolded his gay niece for her -pertness, although he knew her to be incorrigible; and then leaving -her to make her own arrangements, which, to say sooth, she had never -any great difficulty in doing, he got into the chariot, and rolled -away in a very different direction from that in which he had -previously intended to turn his steps. - -There is nothing so dry and disgusting on earth as travelling on -paper. It is a sort of algebraic locomotion, full of false positions -and most uninteresting abbreviations; and therefore, instead of -posting on by the side of the Earl of Ashborough, we shall take the -liberty of getting into the chaise with him, and while he leans back -with his eyes half shut, will gently unbutton the two top buttons of -his waistcoat, where the lapel folds over the black handkerchief, and, -drawing it back, peep in through the window the old Roman wished for, -and ascertain what is doing in his lordship's breast. - -There was once, in the days of Cheops, an Egyptian who had a -remarkably fine poultry-yard, in which were all the fowls of all the -feathers that Egypt ever saw. One day it so happened, that, walking by -the side of the Nile, the Egyptian espied an egg, which he immediately -took up, and putting in his breast he carried it home, and laid it -carefully in the nest of a sitting hen. Twenty days after, on entering -his poultry-yard, to his great surprise he found--nothing but feathers -and a young crocodile, which instantly attacked him also. With great -difficulty the Egyptian freed himself from the destroyer of his hens; -and when he died, he directed, in his will, that, on the frontal -bandage of his mummy, there should be written, both in the -hieroglyphic and the vulgar character, "_Beware how you hatch a -crocodile's egg in your poultry-yard!_" Cheops, when he heard it, -laughed; but one day, when he was going to give way to his -revenge, contrary to the best interests both of himself and his -people--contrary to wisdom, and policy, and justice, and, good -faith--he caught himself saying, "_Beware how you hatch a crocodile's -egg in your poultry-yard_;" and ever after that, when he found a -violent passion springing up in his breast, his instant address to his -own heart was, "_Beware how you hatch a crocodile's egg in your -poultry-yard!_" - -Now, the Earl of Ashborough had lately discovered, that in pursuit of -his right honourable revenge against Sir Sidney Delaware, he _had_ -hatched a crocodile's egg in his poultry-yard; and though he certainly -repented having done so, in exact proportion to the consequent evil it -had brought upon himself, he of course felt his hatred towards Sir -Sidney Delaware, increased in the same degree. Lord Ashborough would -not have given his right hand, or any thing the least like it, to have -had full vengeance on the Delaware family, for he was a man that -valued both his hands highly, and would not have parted with either of -them; but whereas he would, a month or two before, have given a -considerable portion of his golden stores, which were the next things -to drops of his blood, he would now have given double the sum, to see -the ruin of the race he hated. As he lay back, then, in the chariot, -he thought over all the events, and could not help hoping that some -circumstance might yet give him an opportunity of balancing the long -account of those vexations and uncomforts which had fallen upon him, -in, with, from, through, and by the affairs of Sir Sidney Delaware, -and also of inflicting upon that gentleman and his family evils in a -like proportion. - -"At all events," he thought--and it was the most consolatory -reflection that he had been able to find--"At all events, they have -been forced to leave the country, and have most probably gone to -America; so that all danger of such a degrading connexion being formed -by Beauchamp, is now at an end. So far, therefore, my labour and -anxiety has not been in vain, and I may flatter myself at least, that -one great object has been gained, if not the whole." - -There was another slight gleam of hope or expectation, flickering over -the dying lamp of the earl's former designs. If one may use the term, -it was a hopeless hope--the stout swimmer's last gasp--yet without it -Lord Ashborough would probably never have attended to Harding's -request. Hating all the Delaware race as he did, he had not been able -to persuade himself fully that Captain Delaware was entirely innocent, -notwithstanding the convincing proofs that Beauchamp had laid before -him; and he now thought it possible--barely possible--that the -murderer Harding might have something to say which would in some way -inculpate William Delaware. - -All these ideas rolled in the earl's mind like the morning clouds of -spring--misty, and vague, and varying in shape and size, though still -keeping one general character--till night came, and he fell asleep. - -He awoke about eight o'clock, as the carriage stopped in the county -town of ----, and looking out, saw the bright lamp over the ever-open -glass-doors of the principal inn, and the waiters rushing forth to -seize upon the inmate of the carriage and four. His lordship's agility -not being what it had been, he entered the house of many tenants, with -slow and dignified steps; and taking possession of the best -apartments, demanded whether Mr. Beauchamp were still there. The -waiter replied in the affirmative, and in a few minutes the greeting -of the uncle and nephew had taken place. As neither had dined, and -Beauchamp's dinner was just upon the table, the earl became his guest, -while a servant was despatched to the prison, in order to notify his -arrival, in compliance with the request of Harding. - -As far as possible, Lord Ashborough never disturbed his appetite in -the exercise of its functions, by any conversation which might become -disagreeable; and consequently he abstained, with infinite -forbearance, from touching upon the proceedings in regard to the -Ryebury affair, till biscuits and wine stood upon the table by -themselves. He then, however, asked his nephew how the events of the -assizes had gone. Beauchamp, in reply, gave him a succinct account of -all that had taken place, without forgetting to mention that the bill -against Captain Delaware had been thrown out by the grand jury with -every mark of indignant rejection; and on seeing his uncle bite his -lip, he added, "So, now, every shade of doubt and suspicion has been -removed from the character of William Delaware; and I trust very soon -to see him and his family return to England, and resume that station -in society for which they were born, and in which your lordship's -liberal conduct, in regard to the annuity, will enable them to move -with greater ease." - -Lord Ashborough turned rather pale; but he replied at once, "I trust -not sir! I trust not!" - -"And, pray, why not?" demanded Beauchamp, with more surprise at the -frank avowal of such a wish, than at the existence thereof. - -"I will tell you, Henry Beauchamp," replied the Earl; "I will tell -you. It is on your account, I say, that I hope not. I have not chosen -to speak to you, since your return, upon your previous conduct towards -this family of Delawares, because I trusted that circumstance would -have removed them for ever from our neighbourhood; but now, that there -appears a possibility of their returning, I must tell you that I have -never been ignorant, from the first, of your masquerading visit to the -country; and I must farther say, that a report has reached me of your -trifling with the old man's daughter--That you would ever dream of -marrying the girl, of course I do not believe; but the very report is -unpleasant, and might injure your views in a fitting alliance." - -Beauchamp had a great deal of trouble to master the mixture of -personal anger and indignation which his uncle's speech had created in -his bosom, and to reduce his reply to terms of respect and moderation. -He succeeded, however, in putting out a good deal of the fire, ere he -answered, "My lord, as far as a kindred interest in my affairs and -prospects goes, I feel that your zeal on the present occasion, must of -course add to the gratitude and affection I entertain towards you, for -a long train of kindnesses in the past; but you will pardon me, if I -say that a certain line must be drawn between anxiety in regard to my -welfare, and dictation in regard to my conduct--for beyond that line, -I can permit no one to trespass." - -Lord Ashborough turned very red, and he replied hastily, "all these -are mere fine words, Mr. Beauchamp. What I wish to know simply is, do -you or do you not intend to marry this girl?" - -"That, my lord, is a question," replied Beauchamp, still bridling his -anger, "which no man on earth has any right to ask me; and to it I -shall give you no reply. But that you may not at all deceive yourself, -let me add, that if you desire to know, whether I think Miss Delaware -fitted by station and circumstances to become my wife, I will reply at -once, that a man of much higher rank, and much greater fortune than -myself, should think himself honoured could he obtain her hand." - -"Enough, sir! Enough!" cried Lord Ashborough. "You have said quite -enough--In regard to my right to question you, I slightly differ with -you in opinion, in as much as my conduct will of course be regulated -towards you by the answers you have made--and now, Henry Beauchamp, I -have to tell you, that you will do of course as you like; but if these -Delawares ever return to England--and may the sea swallow the scheming -beggars ere they reach the shore--but if ever they should come, and -you pursue your foolish conduct towards that girl, I leave every -farthing which I can by any means alienate from the estates attached -to the title, to the most distant connexion I have, rather than to -yourself. Mark me, you throw away at least twenty thousand per annum; -and, at the same time, I cast you off for ever, and will never see you -more!" - -"My lord," replied Beauchamp in a firm tone, "although you have yet -shown me no right to ask the question you did ask, you have at least -afforded me a good reason for answering it more pointedly than I have -hitherto done; and therefore, that you may make any dispositions in -regard to your property which you think fit without delay or -uncertainty, I tell you plainly and positively, that if ever Miss -Delaware does return to this country, I shall at once offer her my -hand; that if she should not return immediately, I will seek her -through every country in Europe for the same purpose! Now, my lord, -having said this much, allow me to remind you, that I am not a man -whom the loss even of twenty thousand pounds a-year, can awe into -doing one single thing that he would not otherwise have done; nor -leave one regret upon his mind for doing that which he thinks right. -The loss of your lordship's affection and society cuts deeper, and -will be painful under any circumstances; but I cannot help thinking, -that on this point at least, you will see cause to change your -determination." - -"Never, sir! Never!" cried Lord Ashborough, whose passion had got into -the white stage. "Never, while I live!" and ringing the bell -violently, he threw open the door, and retired to his apartments. -Beauchamp took two or three turns up and down the room; told his -uncle's servant who appeared, that he would find him in his own room; -and then sat down to contemplate all that had just occurred. - -"At all events," he thought, after he had revolved the whole -particulars for several minutes; "At all events, it is a very -disagreeable business done and over. It must have come sooner or -later; and however painful it may be, to give such deep offence to a -person towards whom I have many debts of gratitude; yet, of course, -this was a point upon which I could yield nothing. His lordship, I -think, _will yield_ something; and if he relent on the point of -excommunication, he may enrich the first chimney-sweeper he meets, for -aught I care!" - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -Lord Ashborough's servant found him pale and exhausted; for the first -energy of anger had passed away, and the languor which it leaves -behind had taken possession of a frame already weakened by an organic -disease, the attacks of which had lately been more frequent and severe -than they had ever proved before. - -"Well!" said the earl, as the man entered. "Have you been to the -prison?" - -"I sent Johnstone, my lord," replied the valet. "I thought your -lordship might want me." - -"Well, well!" cried the earl impatiently. "What does Johnstone say?" - -"The governor sends his respects, my lord," answered the valet; "and -although it is past the hour, he will of course admit your lordship, -especially as the man has asked several times, he says, whether you -had arrived or not." - -"Order the carriage!" said the earl; "but stay--Is it far to the -prison?" - -"Not two hundred yards," replied the servant; and Lord Ashborough -declared he would walk thither. The valet, however, took the liberty -of remonstrating, with that tender interest in his master's health -which he thought might add two or three hundred pounds to the legacy -he firmly expected to find in the earl's will. "I hope you will -remember, my lord, that you are not well. Sir Henry said you were not -to make any great exertion, or take too much exercise; and your -lordship is looking very pale to-night." - -"I dare say I do," answered the earl. "However, I must go. Give me my -cloak, Peregrine; and call Johnstone to show me the way." - -The valet, of course, made no farther opposition; and Lord Ashborough -was soon on his way to the county jail, with a footman lighting him -on--for the town was very dark--and with a most fervent wish in his -heart that the felon he was going to see, might place it in his power -to fix at least one damning spot of suspicion on the name of Delaware. -The governor of the Ashborough, throughout the long passages and -chilly courts of the county jail. - -"We have given this man every convenience in our power," said the -governor, as he led Lord Ashborough along towards the condemned cells, -"because he seemed to be a person of superior mind; and he assured the -sheriff so earnestly, that he had something to communicate to your -lordship, which might probably influence his Majesty in regard to his -fate, that it was thought indispensable to trouble your lordship on -the occasion." - -"Pray, has he seen Mr. Beauchamp since his condemnation?" demanded the -earl. - -"No, sir! nor has he expressed any wish to do so," answered the -governor; "but the sheriff thought it best to consult that gentleman -ere he troubled you. This is the cell, my lord. Here, Nixon, open the -door. I will attend your lordship's return in the waiting-room; and -the turnkey will be at the door when you wish to come out of the cell. -Mr. Harding," he added, as the door was opened, "here is the Earl of -Ashborough kindly come to see you. Stand away from the door, sirs," -continued the governor to two of his satellites, "and leave the -prisoner to speak with the earl at liberty." - -The culprit rose as Lord Ashborough entered, looking somewhat annoyed, -however, at the noise made by his fetters, as he did so, He was -composed and calm as usual; but the hollow eye and sunken cheek, -betrayed the secret of the heart within; and showed that his -stoicism--as all stoicism probably ever has been--was all on the -surface. - -"Your lordship is very kind," he said, in a quiet tranquil tone, "to -attend so promptly to my request." - -"The information sent me by the sheriff," replied the earl, "made me -hold it as a duty to come without loss of time. But, let me know, what -have you to communicate to me?" - -"I have first to make a request, my lord," answered Harding, who knew -Lord Ashborough far better than Lord Ashborough knew himself, and -therefore counted his expressions in regard to duty, &c., at exactly -their true value. "When you have granted or denied my petition, I will -tell you what I have farther to communicate." - -"And pray, what may your petition be?" asked the earl. "I must not -waste time in many words, sir--for it is short." - -"No one should know that better than myself, my lord," replied the -prisoner; "but my petition is simply, that you would personally apply -to his Majesty for my pardon." - -The earl was surprised; but not so much as might have been expected; -for he anticipated some discovery which might give the culprit a claim -to mercy. "Your request is a most extraordinary one, my good friend," -he replied, "considering the evidence which has been brought against -you. Nevertheless, I will do as you desire, if you will give me any -excuse for doing so. In short, if you are not the real offender, and -can point out who is--or if you only participated in the crime which -another, more criminal than yourself, led you to, or committed with -his own hand--and if you can give me any proof, or can lead in any way -to the detection and punishment of the guilty, I shall feel myself -justified in pleading strongly in your behalf." - -"Sorry I am to say, my lord," answered Harding coolly, "that I can do -none of all these things." - -"Then, sir, in the name of every thing impudent," exclaimed the earl, -angrily, "how come you to ask of me to plead for you to his Majesty?" - -"I think I can show your lordship a strong reason for doing so," -replied Harding, with a slight sneer curling his lip; "and I must then -leave it to your lordship's ingenuity to discover some motive to -assign to his Majesty for granting me his gracious pardon; although, -let me remark, that you may well say the case is a very doubtful one; -for certain I am, that not one of the twelve jurors who condemned me, -did not lie down on his bed last night with a doubting heart, as to my -guilt or innocence." - -The earl listened with no slight degree of anger to the prisoner's -cool and impudent harangue; but curiosity kept him silent, or at least -taught him to conceal his contempt and indignation, till he had heard -the circumstances to which the culprit alluded. "Well sir! well," he -said, as Harding paused. "Pray, what are the extraordinary motives -which you suppose will prove capable of inducing me to furnish his -Majesty with reasons for pardoning a convicted felon? What is there, -sir, that should tempt me to undertake such a task?" - -"Simply, my lord, that scrupulous care for your lordship's -reputation," Harding replied, "which you have displayed through life." - -Lord Ashborough laughed aloud; but Harding maintained the same calm, -and somewhat sneering aspect, as if he had made up his mind to every -turn that his conference with the earl might take; and could not be -turned aside from his direct object for a moment, by either scorn or -anger. - -"And pray, sir," demanded his noble visiter, when he had exhausted his -scoffing laugh. "Pray, what has my reputation to do with your -situation? Do you intend to accuse me, in your last dying speech and -confession, of having committed the murder myself, or of having aided -you to commit it?" - -"Neither one nor the other, my lord," answered the prisoner; "but if I -do make any confession at all, which will depend upon your lordship's -conduct, I intend to state that the robbery was first suggested to me -by the following letter, written to me by your lordship's lawyer on -your account, in order to persuade me to delay or carry off a sum of -money which my master was to receive through the hands of the old man -at Ryebury." - -Lord Ashborough turned deadly pale; and taking a step forward, while -he advanced his hand towards the paper which Harding held, he -exclaimed, "Let me see, sir--Let me see!" - -"Your pardon, my lord!" said the prisoner, drawing back the paper. -"One does not usually give such valuable documents out of one's own -hand. I will read it to you, however;" and in a calm, sustained voice, -he proceeded to treat the ears of Lord Ashborough, sentence by -sentence, with the whole of that letter which had been formerly -written to him by Mr. Peter Tims, in regard to the money which -Beauchamp had expected from London, to pay off the annuity on Sir -Sidney Delaware's estate. "Your lordship will see," continued the -prisoner, "that such a letter was very well calculated to induce me to -commit a robbery; you will see, also, that Mr. Tims uses your lordship -as his authority throughout; and I look upon myself as extremely lucky -in having always preserved this letter in the lining of my waistcoat; -as it now gives me the hope that so highly respected and honourable a -nobleman as yourself may interest himself in my favour." - -Now, in Lord Ashborough's mind, there was a great portion of that very -same principle which had led Beauchamp to make the most uncompromising -declaration of his purposes towards Blanche Delaware, as soon as he -found that his uncle held out a threat upon the subject. Or, as the -matter would be explained in one word by the phrenologists--who, if -they have discovered nothing else, have at least, by the clearness of -their definitions and their classification of human passions, rendered -great services to moral philosophy--Lord Ashborough had no small -developement of combativeness in his brain; and the very idea of being -bullied by a felon into demanding the royal mercy for a murderer, -without one plausible motive to allege, instantly armed him to resist, -though at the same time he felt terribly the additional wound his -character might receive from such a paper being published as that -which Harding had read. - -"You are mistaken, sir," he replied, sternly. "You are entirely -mistaken in your anticipations. That letter was totally unauthorized -by me; and the rascal who wrote it, for that and several similar acts, -has been dismissed from my employment." - -Harding heard him with the same cool smile, and then replied, "Your -lordship's memory is short, I know; but luckily I can refresh it, for -Mr. Tims has favoured me only last night with this authentic and -original copy of the letter, containing numerous corrections and -improvements in your lordship's own handwriting." - -Lord Ashborough saw that the day was lost, and that his discarded -agent had triumphed. He had not committed himself in regard to the -Delawares, it is true; but he had committed himself hopelessly in -regard to the very man who now stood before him, a convicted felon; -and he felt that the reputation, of which he was proud just in -proportion as he little deserved it, was gone for ever. He made no -reply, however; but with a slight, and--as Harding fancied--scornful -movement of the lip, he turned suddenly towards the door, struck it -sharply with his hand, and exclaimed, "Open the door, turnkey! Open -the door!" - -It was instantly thrown wide to give him exit--but Lord Ashborough -never went out! The one word, "Villain!" was all that he pronounced in -the hearing of the turnkey; and he then fell forward at once, across -the threshold of the door! - -All was now confusion. Both jailers started forward to raise the -nobleman, whom they believed to have tripped his foot in the doorway. -Harding gave one longing look towards the open door and the -embarrassed turnkeys; but then, turning his eyes to the fetters upon -his own limbs, he sat down with a sigh of infinite compassion for -himself, while the earl was raised, and the door locked. - -"He has fainted, Mr. Jones?" said one of the jailers. "Here, take his -feet, and help me to carry him along to the waiting-room." - -"He looks deadly pale!" replied the other, stooping forward, and -gazing in Lord Ashborough's face, while he aided to bear the earl -onward through the passage. "He looks mighty like a dead man." - -The consternation of the governor of the prison was excessive when he -saw the state of the noble visiter; and, while physicians were sent -for from every quarter, he himself pressed his hand upon the earl's -wrist, and upon his heart; but no pulse made itself felt in return; -and all the usual restoratives were applied in vain. - -A moment or two after, the surgeon of the prison appeared; but, as -soon as he beheld the countenance of him to whose aid he was called, -he shook his head, declaring that he believed him to be dead. He -attempted to bleed him, however; but by this time no blood was to be -obtained, and two or three medical men from different parts of the -town, arriving soon after, confirmed the opinion of the first. -Nevertheless, various means were still resorted to in the hope of -restoring animation, while messengers were despatched to the different -inns to ascertain at which the earl had alighted, and to inform his -relations and servants of what had occurred. - -Henry Beauchamp was still musing over the fire when Lord Ashborough's -valet opened the door, and with a face of grief and terror, extremely -well compounded, exclaimed, "Sir, I am sorry to tell you that my lord -has been taken very ill at the prison"---- - -Beauchamp started up, and took his hat, while the servant added, -"Indeed, they seem to fear, sir, that he is dead!" - -"Good God!" cried Beauchamp, as he rushed past the man--"Good God!" -and, darting down stairs, he proceeded with rapid steps to the prison, -into which, on giving his name, he was instantly admitted. - -He found what had been Lord Ashborough extended on a table with a -pillow under his head, and the surgeons still busy about the body; but -one glance at his uncle's countenance showed him that the spirit had -fled; and for a moment he gazed upon him without question or remark, -while busy memory did her work, and gathered from the past every kind -act of the dead, to build him up a monument in his nephew's heart. - -"How did this happen, sir?" demanded Beauchamp at length, in a low -tone, as if afraid of disturbing that deep sleep that had fallen upon -his uncle. - -The governor told all he knew, and Beauchamp anxiously requested that -the prisoner, Harding, might be asked if he could assign any cause for -the accident that had befallen the earl. One of the turnkeys was -accordingly sent to his cell; and while he was absent, Beauchamp -perceiving that the medical men were addressing all their means of -restoration to the head, informed them that Lord Ashborough had been -for some years subject to spasms of the heart. - -"If that be the case then, sir," replied one of them, "we may abandon -the attempt, as the earl is certainly dead." - -"Nevertheless," replied Beauchamp, "leave no means untried, while -there is even the most remote hope." - -The surgeon shook his head, but still made some more efforts; and the -turnkey, returning almost immediately from the condemned cell, -reported that the prisoner could only be brought to say, that the earl -had fallen into a violent passion, and that he himself desired not to -be farther troubled upon the subject. - -After a pause of a few minutes more, the principal surgeon again -addressed Beauchamp, saying, "As I imagine, sir, from your manner, -that you are a near relation of the earl, I feel it my duty to tell -you positively that he is no more; and that to continue all these -efforts in your presence, would be but to harrow up your feelings for -no purpose. All men must die, and this nobleman will never have to -endure that pang again." - -Beauchamp bowed his head, and, crossing his arms upon his bosom, -remained for a few moments in silence. Then begging that one of the -younger surgeons would remain with the body all night, and that the -elder person who had addressed him would accompany him to the inn, he -added a few words of course to the governor of the prison, and -departed from the chamber of the dead. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -We generally, through life, write the actions of each of our friends -and acquaintances on the two sides of one leaf in the book of memory, -the good upon one side and the bad upon the other, so that it is -scarcely possible to see both at once. With an amiable weakness, -however, man most frequently suffers the death of any one he has -known, to turn the leaf for ever, and reads the character of him that -is no more, as if the good were alone recorded. Beauchamp's heart -would not suffer him to do otherwise; and, after he had spoken with -the surgeon in regard to several points of all the sad ceremonies that -were to follow, he sat down in solitude, giving way to feelings that -were far more bitter than he had anticipated. Even had he not felt his -uncle's loss deeply, on the ground of personal regard, there was in -his bosom another motive for regret, which would have pained him much. - -He asked himself, whether the angry discussion which had taken place -between himself and the earl, so shortly before the decease of the -latter, might not have hastened that catastrophe; and although he was -obliged to acknowledge, that--were the same circumstances to come over -again--he could not, and would not act otherwise than he had done, yet -he was deeply grieved that the disagreement should have taken place so -immediately previous to the death of his uncle, and that they had -parted from each other for ever, in anger and ill-will. - -We shall pass over Beauchamp's grief, however, merely saying that he -grieved sincerely. Nor shall we dwell upon the details of the funeral -of the Earl of Ashborough--nor treat the reader to the full, true, and -particular account of the execution of three criminals, against whom -we have seen that a jury of their countrymen pronounced a just -verdict, and to whom a judge had awarded a righteous punishment. -Suffice it, that they died! - -In regard to Harding alone, a few words must be said. To all -appearance, he met his fate with the same determined coolness which he -had shown through life; rendered, perhaps, a degree more stern and -intense, from the awful situation in which he was placed. One -circumstance, and one circumstance alone, seemed to show that the drop -of better feeling, which almost every man has at the bottom of his -heart, was not entirely polluted by the poisonous streams that flowed -around it. On the night before his execution, after having obdurately -rejected those religious consolations which were offered with -persevering piety, by several zealous clergymen, he suddenly desired -to speak with two magistrates; and then, in their presence, made a -full and clear confession of all the particulars connected with the -murder at Ryebury, confirming in every point the testimony of Walter -Harrison. This he signed in the presence of the magistrates, and -caused them to affix their names as witnesses; which being done, he -added, "I have made this confession, gentlemen, because the act for -which I am to die, has been attributed to a young gentleman who had -nothing to do with it; and because--that gentleman, being well -calculated to do service to himself, and his country, if every shade -of imputation be removed from his character--I think the general -considerations of utility require--Or rather," he said, breaking off -abruptly the tirade in which he was about to indulge--"Or rather, I -do it, because I have learned what mental, as well as bodily suffering -is; and therefore would spare it to another, where there is no -occasion for its infliction. So now, gentlemen, I have done with this -world for ever, and I wish you good-night." - -In the various accounts of the execution, which every one must have -seen in the newspapers, a number of contradictory statements appeared; -some journals affirming that Harding had died, maintaining his -innocence to the last; some, with more truth, that he had made a full -confession. His statement, however, was immediately sent up to London, -properly authenticated, together with the case of Walter Harrison, and -both were laid before the Home Secretary, for the consideration of his -Majesty. The necessary measures for issuing a free pardon to the young -sailor were immediately taken; and when it was presented for -signature, the great personage paused, for a moment, to ask some -questions in regard to Captain Delaware, expressing considerable -indignation that so grave a charge should have been brought against a -distinguished officer, on such light grounds. "Had that officer not -run off," he said--"a point of which it may be as well to take no -notice--had he not run off, it might have been necessary to make him -some compensation. But that was a great error--that was a great error, -to flinch from trial--a brave man too--a very brave man!" - -"Sir A---- B----, the judge who presided at the trial, sir," replied -the secretary, "informs me, that it was lucky he did make his escape, -alleging that he would have been hanged to a certainty, before -evidence of his innocence could have been procured. So that your -Majesty has, at all events, saved a good officer." - -"Always a great gain, sir," replied the personage whom he addressed; -"and if that was the case. Captain Delaware did very right. Always -stay in the ship till the last moment; but don't go down with her, if -you can help it." - -With these observations the pardon was signed, and despatched to the -county town where the young sailor was still confined. Being set at -liberty, he immediately took his way on foot towards the village of -Emberton, where so many of our scenes have been laid. It was by this -time winter, and a hard frost rendered the road firm and dry, so that -Walter Harrison, though greatly debilitated, walked on, better than -might have been expected. Night, however, had fallen ere he reached -Emberton; and glad he was that darkness hid him from the cold and -abhorrent eyes he must otherwise have encountered in the streets. But -what tongue could tell the many painful and thrilling memories that -were awakened in his bosom by every spot, as he passed through his -native town, and saw again all the scenes of youth and innocence--as -he marked the various resorts of his boyish hours, and felt that a -night, far darker than that through which he wandered, had fallen over -his life for ever? - -At the door of his mother's cottage garden he paused, and gazed -wistfully over the house, with feelings that would scarcely let him -enter the gate. There was a light, however, within; and his step over -the gravel of the footpath had instantly caught the mother's unerring -ear--the light moved--the door was thrown open--and the worn and weary -lad, weighed down with sin, and sickness, and sorrow, was pressed in -his mother's arms, and his cold cheek bathed in her tears! - -It was long ere either could speak, and for nearly half an hour the -young sailor sat gazing upon the fire, while thick recollections of -all the past, held him dull and voiceless. All the time his mother -stood by his side, and fixed her eyes upon him, tracing every line -that remorse had written, and every hue that sickness had spread over -his face; but at length she laid her hand upon his arm, and said, -"Walter, my beloved boy, we must go hence. You must not stay in this -hateful place, which has seen our ruin, our poverty, and our shame. We -must go across the sea, and I will lead you to a place that you will -like to see." - -"You forget, mother! You forget!" said the youth, with a deep sigh; -"People travel not without money; neither can they live without it in -foreign countries more than here. I am sure you do not think that I am -going to take the reward the people offered me, for giving up the -murderers--No, no! I will not take a price for their blood!" - -"I would not have you, Walter!" cried his mother eagerly. "I would not -have you touch it with the tip of a finger, if they offered you a -world of gold on such an account. But fear not, my boy, I have the -means. Look here--what I received but yesterday--two hundred golden -sovereigns and this kind letter; and this deed of annuity to you and -me, for one hundred pounds a-year as long as either of us live, -charged upon the estates of Mr. Henry Beauchamp." - -"God bless him!" said the youth fervently. "God bless him!" - -"God will bless him, my boy!" replied the widow. "God will bless him, -and make him happy, I am sure; for if ever there was a friend to the -friendless, it is Mr. Beauchamp. Only three days after the trial he -sent me this;" and she put into her son's hands a letter, in which -Henry Beauchamp explained to her that the young sailor, having been -severely wounded in turning away a pistol which had been directed -towards his head, he was not only bound but pleased to make him a -return, which would place him above temptation from poverty. - -Beauchamp, who hated that any one should feel he was conferring an -obligation upon them, added many a reason to show that he was rather -pleasing himself than loading them with benefits; and, as he read, the -young sailor shook his head with the first smile that had curled his -lip for many weeks. "Aye!" he said, "he is a noble gentleman as ever -lived; but he need not have said so much to make us take the money, -mother; for if there is any body in the world I could be proud to take -it from, it is from Mr. Beauchamp; and I declare, mother, if I get -over it all, I will try all my life long to do nothing but what is -right---just to show him that I am grateful." - -"It is far the best way that you can show it, Wat," replied his -mother; "and oh, my boy, it is the only way that ever you can set your -mother's heart at peace again!" - -"Well, I will, mother! I will!" cried the lad grasping her hand; "and -I am sure that Heaven will help me if I try--for since I have had this -wound through my side, I have not felt half so wild and wilful as I -used to do; and when I was in the prison of a night, I tried to pray -many a time--and if it had not been for that, I don't think I should -have got through the whole of that bad business steadily. So, I will -try and do right; indeed I will!" - -The tears streamed down his mother's cheeks; for the relief that -Beauchamp's liberality had given her, was nothing to that which those -words afforded, and the night passed over in peace. The next morning -the news spread through Emberton that the widow's son had returned; -and one or two of the ladies of that place, suddenly smitten with an -interest in the widow's fate, called at the cottage they had never -entered before, just to ask after her and her son. They carried no -gossip back into the town with them, however; for the widow coldly, -though civilly, replied that her son was not well, and dismissed them -with a brief answer to more impertinent questions. Three days after -that again, the fresh tidings fluttered on the air of Emberton, that -Widow Harrison and her son had left the place, and had gone to France. -Every one opened their eyes--every one conjectured--and then the nine -day's wonder was over, and the whole affair was forgotten. - -Only one person in the neighbourhood saw the young sailor after his -return. This was Dr. Wilton, who, having delivered in person the -packet which Beauchamp had sent to the widow, was now visited by both -herself and her son ere their departure, with a request that he would -convey to their benefactor the expression of their deepest gratitude. -The worthy clergyman, on first hearing who it was that waited him in -his library, had meditated an exhortation to the young sailor on his -future conduct; but when he saw the worn and haggard look, and the -evident traces of ruined health which his countenance displayed--all -that was severe in the good man's oration died away, and it breathed -nothing but hope and consolation. - -"You say you are going to France," he added, "and I will give you two -books to take with you, which, after your Bible, I should wish you to -read attentively. They contain neither cant nor affectation," he -added; "but they point out the best way for one who has been led -astray to return unto right." - -Both mother and son received the books with gratitude, and after -having promised to let him know where they settled in France, they -left the worthy clergyman in the act of muttering to himself, "He'll -not live three months, poor unhappy lad!--There is consumption in his -eyes and on his cheek!" - -Scarcely were they gone; and scarcely was Dr. Wilton's comment upon -the young sailor's appearance pronounced, when the rush of wheels was -heard before his windows, and in a moment the servant announced Lord -Ashborough. The doctor started up, bewildered; but as Beauchamp -entered the room, dressed in deep mourning, the events that had lately -taken place recurred to his old preceptor's mind; and shaking him by -the hand, he exclaimed, "Welcome, my dear Harry, and let me pay my -tribute to your new rank; though, to tell you the truth, when the -servant announced the Earl of Ashborough, I scarcely knew who to -expect. I had forgotten all about it, and have been calling you Mr. -Beauchamp for this half hour, with two pensioners of yours--Widow -Harrison and her son. But with me, I am afraid you will be Harry -Beauchamp to the end of your days." - -"Let me never be anything else, I beseech you, my dear sir," replied -Beauchamp. "The poor widow and her son, too, know me by no other name; -for the deed was drawn up before my poor uncle's death. But I must go -and see them when I visit Emberton." - -"You will hardly find them there," replied Dr. Wilton; "for -apprehensions of the rude curiosity and brutal scorn of that most -gossiping place, has driven them to seek an asylum on the continent. -But tell me, Harry, what is the meaning of your looking so ill and so -anxious?" - -"In regard to my ill looks," answered Beauchamp, smiling, "you must -remember, my dear sir, that, as I wrote to you, I have been seriously -indisposed since we last met; and as to my anxious looks, I have -certainly had many a subject both of care and anxiety, pressing -heavily upon my mind. The sudden death of my uncle, and all the -consequent trouble--both in examining his affairs, and in punishing a -rascally agent, who endeavoured to throw the basest imputations upon -the memory of his benefactor--have occupied more of my time and -attention than was at all pleasant to me." - -"I hope at least you have succeeded in doing justice upon the agent," -replied Dr. Wilton; "I have seen something of the affair in the -newspapers." - -"I have not punished Mr. Tims quite so well as I could have wished," -Beauchamp answered, "though he thinks the retribution more than -severe. The fact is, I am afraid my uncle suffered him to make use of -his name with too great freedom, and the lawyer has of course taken -advantage of it, to screen himself at his patron's expense. -Nevertheless, I compelled him to refund every thing that he had -unjustly appropriated; but, although I believe we had proof sufficient -of one or two direct frauds, to have had his name struck off the roll -of attorneys with disgrace, and perhaps might have punished him still -farther, I have been obliged to compromise that matter, and suffer him -to make his retirement from business a voluntary act." - -A slight glow upon Henry Beauchamp's check, showed Dr. Wilton plainly -that there had been parts in the conduct of the late Earl of -Ashborough, which his nephew did not feel to have been quite -justifiable; and therefore, turning the conversation from a topic -which he saw was disagreeable in some of its details, he answered, -"That the man was a rogue in grain, I have never had any doubt since -all the business relating to the murder of his unhappy uncle, and the -charge he preferred against poor William Delaware--But pray, Harry, -can you tell me what has become of Sir Sidney and his family--You of -course know?" - -"Indeed, my dear sir, I do not," answered Beauchamp, "and one great -reason of my coming down here was to ask you the very question that -you have asked me. I have caused my solicitor in London to apply to -the trustee of Captain and Miss Delaware, to ascertain their present -residence. He replied, however, that he was as ignorant upon the -subject as any one. The ten thousand pounds that they inherited from -their mother, he had sold out he said at a moment's notice, and -transmitted to Sir Sidney at Mrs. Darlington's, since which time he -had heard nothing of their movements." - -"Strange enough!" replied Dr. Wilton, "but we must make enquiries in -the neighbourhood while you stay with me; and of course we shall find -some one who knows their address--Some of the farmers, or Mr. -Johnstone who used to collect Sir Sidney's rents, or some one." - -"I am afraid it will be a more difficult matter than you anticipate," -replied Beauchamp; "I sought them in vain when I was in France, though -I knew that they must have landed at Cherbourg; but I found that as -they had undoubtedly gone to join William Delaware himself, their -route had been studiously concealed. Several weeks have now elapsed -since the trial; and yet, though Captain Delaware's character stands -as clear as ever it did, we have heard nothing of him." - -Dr. Wilton did not now require to be told what was the chief cause of -that expression of anxiety which he had remarked in Beauchamp's -countenance; but he knew that to a lover, and an ardent one--which he -felt sure his pupil would be wherever he did love--the subject of his -hopes and fears could never become painful or tiresome when once it -had been spoken of; and he therefore went on boldly to ask, whether -Beauchamp had or had not discovered since, that he was right in -thinking that Blanche's conduct, in rejecting his hand, had proceeded -from some misapprehension. - -"No indeed, my dear sir!" replied Beauchamp. "As I told you at the -time, there could be no misapprehension in the business. Nor have I -discovered anything since, on any subject which would lead me to think -so. Indeed, I have but had the pleasure of meeting Miss Delaware once -since I last saw you." - -"Nay, nay! if you speak of her in such set and formal terms, poor -girl," cried the clergyman with a gay smile, "I shall think that your -lordship's new dignity has changed your views in regard to such an -alliance. Is it so, my noble lord?" - -Beauchamp laughed but faintly. "No, no!" he replied. "My views are the -same. All I can hope is, that the new dignity you speak of may change -hers--and yet," he added, "that would make it all worthless together." - -"Take care, Harry! Take care!" cried Dr. Wilton, with a warning shake -of the head. "Many a man has frittered away his happiness with just -such sentences as that. But I will insure you, that your title will -make no difference in the views of Blanche Delaware; so that, if you -have no other recommendation than that, you may give yourself up to -despair. But you young men are so impatient. Here you are fretting -yourself to death, because you do not discover the residence of your -ladye-love, as soon as you think fit to seek it." - -"Indeed, my dear sir, you are quite mistaken," answered Beauchamp. "My -chief desire is to see William Delaware and his father; and--showing -them that every difficulty which surrounded them in life is now -removed--to share in the happiness that such a change must occasion -them--That is all, indeed!" - -"Poo! my dear Harry! Nonsense!" cried his old preceptor. "I never saw -a man yet, who could cheat his own understanding so completely as you -sometimes do. You are just as anxious to see Blanche Delaware as ever -man was to see the woman he loved best in the world. But we will find -her, my dear boy! We will find her!" - -Their search, however, in the neighbourhood of Emberton proved -entirely in vain. Neither agent nor farmers knew anything of the track -of Sir Sidney and Miss Delaware; and, at the end of a week, -Beauchamp's last hope was reduced to the information possessed by Mrs. -Darlington. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -"Maria!" said the Earl of Ashborough, addressing Miss Beauchamp on the -morning after his return from Emberton, "what say you, dear sister, to -a tour on the continent for six months or a year." - -"Why, personally, I should have no objection, Henry," answered Miss -Beauchamp; "but you forget, my dear brother, there are nine very -respectable gentlemen, young and old, expiring for me at this present -moment. Now, what would they do if I were to go abroad?" - -"Expire for somebody else, I suppose," replied Beauchamp; "I cannot -perceive any other event." - -"Henry! Henry!" cried his sister, "You are perfectly insulting. But to -tell you the truth, I think it is the best thing you can do to travel -to the south; for during the past month you have looked so like a -gambler, or a member of the Lower House, or some of those people that -sit up all night, and come home pale and thin in the morning, that I -am ashamed to be seen with you. But seriously, I will go where you -like, noble brother," she added, leaning her two hands half -affectionately half maliciously on Beauchamp's arm, and looking up in -his face; "I will go where you like, and help you to search for sweet -Blanche Delaware, with all my eyes." - -Beauchamp smiled, much less annoyed than his sister had expected; but -gliding his arm round her waist, he held her tight, while he answered, -"Will you, indeed, Maria? Well, then, as a reward for your -disinterested kindness, I trust you may find William Delaware with his -sister." - -Maria Beauchamp turned as red as an infantry regiment, and struggling -away from her brother's grasp, ran into her own room; where, strange -to say, she wept like a child. But Beauchamp by his retort had, at all -events, insured that not one teasing word upon the subject of Blanche -Delaware, should pass his sister's lips; and as soon as he could -arrange his affairs--which of course kept him three weeks longer than -he had expected--with two carriages, as little baggage, and as few -servants as his sister would suffer him to take, he was once more -rolling away towards Dover. - -Following the invariable rule of looking in, instead of looking out, -we shall much prefer giving a sketch of what was passing in the heart -of Henry Beauchamp, Earl of Ashborough, to depicting the beauties of -the Canterbury road, or expatiating on the sublimities of Rochester -and Chatham. - -As Dr. Wilton had imagined, Beauchamp certainly was as impatient as -human being could be, to see Blanche Delaware, and to make one more -effort for happiness; but there were many points in Beauchamp's -situation, and many feelings at Beauchamp's heart, which the good -rector had not taken at all into account. Ever since he had parted -with Blanche at the Prior's Fountain, he had been placed in the -painful circumstances of a rejected lover, while just a sufficient -degree of hope had been left to keep love alive, to render the feeling -of disappointment perpetual, and to aggravate its bitterness by doubt. -In seeking her he loved, therefore, he knew not what he was to expect; -but as he was not one to be satisfied with anything less than love for -love, he determined that he would not suffer his exertions in favour -of William Delaware to be urged as any tie upon Miss Delaware's -affection; but that he would have the clearest assurance that the -heart was his, before he again asked the hand, which, in his eyes, -would be worthless without it. He felt, indeed, that it would be -difficult to press. Blanche upon the subject of her former rejection -of his suit, and yet he perversely determined that the rejection ought -to be explained before the suit could be renewed. These thoughts, -however, and the many contending emotions with which they were -connected, both agitated and depressed him; and the hopes which his -short interview with Blanche at the inn, as well as several previous -considerations had excited, waxed weak and faint as he crossed the -Channel, and found he was approaching nearer to her dwelling. - -In Paris, however, he was destined to meet another -disappointment--slight, indeed, but calculated to increase the -impatience that was growing upon him. He found, on enquiring at Mrs. -Darlington's hotel, that she had left the French metropolis two days -before for Italy; and, as the people of the house informed him that -her departure had been somewhat sudden, he immediately settled it in -his own mind that she had heard some tidings of the Delawares, and had -proceeded at once to join them. Now, although when Beauchamp came to -reflect upon this supposition, he found that it did not very well -agree with the indifferent, comfort-loving, bonnet-and-cap sort of -character of Mrs. Darlington, yet it was a favourite fancy, and he did -not choose to give it up. He therefore intimated his wish that his -sister would agree to pursue their way towards Italy without delay; -and Miss Beauchamp--although she was really fatigued with a long -journey over a road that can never have been mended since the days of -_Klovigh_, as Chateaubriand calls the French king--acquiesced at once -without farther question. She did it so sweetly and good humouredly, -too, that it opened her brother's heart at once; and, sitting down -beside her, he told her all his motives, and all his wishes, and all -his hopes, in a way that defied her taking advantage of him even by a -smile. In return, he gained a world of good advice, which, as it came -from a woman, and related to a woman, Beauchamp wisely treasured up -for service. With scarcely a day's interval, the whole party were once -more upon the road; but, as the way or ways from Paris to Geneva are -each and all as well beaten by English travellers as that between -London and Dover, we shall not pause to itinerarize even here. At only -one small town on the road shall we take the liberty of stopping, -inasmuch as an accidental circumstance induced Beauchamp to stay there -longer than he had at first proposed. He had chosen the road by Dijon -instead of that by Macon; and, after sleeping at Dole, set out early -in the morning, in hopes of reaching Geneva that night. The first -stage from Dole, if we remember right, is Mont sous Vaudrey. At all -events, if it be not the first it is the second; and perhaps the -reader and the guide-book will excuse us if we mistake. Here, however, -Beauchamp changed horses at about half-past ten, and thence rattled on -through that neat little village, entered a part of the forest of -Rahon, and then, after winding on up and down the wavy hills at the -foot of the Jura, reached the small village of Aumont, at the distance -of about five or six miles from the relay. Without stopping there, -however, the postilion trotted on, and, driving through the Crozanne, -paused for a moment to let his horses pant, while Beauchamp and his -sister gazed out upon a wide and very beautiful scene of hill and -valley, lighted up by the soft sunshine of spring, with an occasional -wreath of morning mist hanging upon the brows of the mountains. - -"What town is that?" demanded Beauchamp speaking out of the window to -the postilion. "There--before you--a little to the left, leaning its -back against the hills, with two or three neat chateaux scattered on -the slope." - -"C'est Poligny, Monsieur!" replied the postilion; and, adding that -they changed horses there, rode on. - -As they approached the little town, the country became richly -cultivated in vines and corn; and the aspect of the whole scene, -backed by mountains and sparkling with a thousand streams, was gay and -engaging. - -"What a beautiful spot!" cried Miss Beauchamp. "I really think, Henry, -when you marry, and turn me out of your house to die an old maid, I -will buy yon gray chateau on the hill--looking something between a -village church and a farm-house--and spend the rest of my days at -Poligny." - -"See it first on a rainy day, Maria!" replied her brother, whose -increasing anxiety and impatience did not afford the brightest medium -through which to view the world. - -"Out, cynic!" cried his sister. "I will never see things on a rainy -day when I can see them on a fine one; and now, tell me, whither are -you going to whirl me at this violent rate? What particular spot of -the earth's surface is the ultimate object of this journey, my lord? -Or are we to go on rolling for ever?" - -"Why, I think, my dear sister," replied Beauchamp musing; "I think it -is not unlikely to end in Sicily--I have some reason to imagine"---- - -"Goodness!" exclaimed Miss Beauchamp, interrupting him, "that must -surely be an English woman in the widow's dress." - -"Hai, postilion! Arrettez! Arrettez donc!" was all the young earl's -reply to his sister's observation; and the next moment, much to her -surprise, he was out of the carriage, and speaking kindly to the woman -whom she had noticed, and who had turned round to take a casual glance -of the two gay carriages that came dashing up into the little quiet -town of Poligny. - -"Indeed! Is he so ill!" said Beauchamp gravely, as he listened to -Widow Harrison's account of the journey she had lately taken, and her -son's present situation. "I am really sorry to hear it--But you cannot -have good medical advice here. It would be much better to get him on -to Geneva." - -"Oh, but indeed we have very good advice, sir!" answered the widow. -"There is good Dr. Arnoux here, who was in England in the time of the -war--an emigrant--and lodged for three years in our house in Emberton -before our misfortunes. I have just been getting Walter's medicines -while he is asleep." - -"Well, Mrs. Harrison," replied Beauchamp, whose natural kindness of -heart was not to be mastered even by impatience. "I will stay here at -the inn to-day; and whenever you think that your son is likely to be -awake, I will come down and see him. But you must point me out the -house." - -The poor woman replied that the young sailor was generally more drowsy -in the morning, and seemed much better and more lively in the evening; -and, with many unobtrusive but heartfelt thanks, she described to -Beauchamp the way to her dwelling. - -"Well, then, I will come down in the evening," answered Beauchamp, -"and we will see whether we cannot devise some plan that may improve -his health." - -With this promise, he returned to the carriage; and, while it drove on -to the auberge, satisfied his sister's curiosity in regard to the poor -widow. "So now, Maria," he said, "you will have the day's rest you -have been sighing for so long." - -"Granted out of compassion to the widow," cried his sister; "but not -out of pity for me, though my whole frame has been aching for the last -three days, and my maid was very nearly expiring at Dole." - -Notwithstanding this complaint. Miss Beauchamp, after luncheon, showed -herself quite willing to accompany her brother on an expedition in a -_char ŕ band_ of the country, amongst the neighbouring hills; and as -they descended the stairs of the auberge to enter their little -vehicle, they heard another female tongue asking one of the servants, -in provincial English, who was the owner of the two splendid carriages -that stood before the house. The young earl smiled as he listened to -his title, given with vast pomposity by his courier, remarking to his -sister, that if his new rank was of no great use to himself, it was at -least of some service to his servants. By the time they had reached -the door, however, both the enquirer and respondent had made -themselves invisible; and getting into the _char ŕ band_, without any -other attendance than the driver, the earl and his sister proceeded on -their expedition. Of it we shall say nothing, but refer our readers to -the indispensable Mrs. Marianna Starke. On their return, however, they -found their dinner prepared; and after somewhat hastily concluding -that meal, Beauchamp said he would leave his sister, and walk down to -the widow's cottage. But Miss Beauchamp, whose heart was not always as -light as it seemed, declared that she would accompany him, protesting -that men were worth nothing upon a charitable errand. - -It was a sweet bright evening in the end of March, with the sky, -through which the sun was dipping down towards his rest, so rich and -warm, that one might have taken it for the beginning of October, had -it not been for the almanack, and for the tender green of the trees, -and the flood of untaught melody that came pouring from every bush. -The road led down to where there are two or three scattered houses of -a better class--which they call _les maisons bourgeois_--built upon -the slope of a little dell at the back of the town, between it and the -rise of the mountains. In one of these, with the face looking through -the valley of the Glantine to the open country beyond, was the house -now occupied by the widow. It was easily found, and Beauchamp and his -sister paused ere they entered, to gaze for a moment on the rich view, -lying calm and purple under the evening sky, while the dark masses of -hill on the other hand--rising up from a base of mingled wood and -pasture, with the small chateau that Miss Beauchamp had so much -admired, breaking the line of the trees--towered up in solemn majesty -above the whole. - -The door was open, and Beauchamp entering first, proceeded into one of -the rooms, where he heard some one speaking. The widow and her son -were sitting together near the window, and both rose (though the -latter moved with difficulty) to receive their benefactor. - -"Here is my sister come to see you, Mrs. Harrison," he said as he -entered. "Sit down, Walter. I am sorry to hear that the journey has -made you so ill, my poor fellow;" and taking a seat opposite to -him--while Miss Beauchamp beckoned Mrs. Harrison out to the door, in -order to leave her brother's conversation more at liberty--he gazed -upon the sunk but hectic cheek of the young sailor, and the dazzling -brightness of his feverish eye. - -"It was not the journey, sir," replied the young man, with a shake of -the head, mournful, but not discontented. "It was not the journey;" -and then looking round to see that his mother was not there, he -added--"I told you, sir, it would not last long, and I thank God for -it; for I have never forgiven myself; and every hour that I linger on -is a reproach to my heart. So now that I know mother will be cared -for, and that I have shown my gratitude to you and to the captain, God -bless him--and that I have learned to think better than I used--I -don't care how soon it comes to an end. But, sir," he continued -quickly, as if he had forgot to do so before, "I ought to thank you -deeply for all your kindness; and especially, I am sure, for taking -the trouble to come and see me to-night, when there are so many things -you must have to do and talk about." - -The young man's eyes gazed vacantly out upon the prospect as he spoke. -"He wanders!" thought Beauchamp. "I have heard physicians say, that it -is the sign of approaching death with consumptive people." - -"Oh no!" he added aloud. "I have but little business of any kind to -do; and indeed I should have been here before; but your mother said -you were sleeping." - -"I sleep more in the day than at night," replied the young man; "the -cough keeps me awake. But I hope, Mr. Beauchamp," he continued, in the -same abrupt manner--"I hope you will forgive me every thing I ever did -or said amiss to you. Indeed, I am very sorry for every wrong thing -that I have done through life; and hope God will forgive me." - -"Your offences towards me," answered Beauchamp, "if there have been -any, which I do not know, are easily forgiven; and in the Almighty we -are sure of a more merciful judge than man can be. Mrs. Harrison," he -said, wishing to change the subject, and hearing the door behind him -open, "I should wish much to see this Dr. Arnoux whom you mentioned to -me. Where does he live?" - -As Beauchamp spoke, he turned round slowly in his chair in order to -address the widow; but the words had scarcely passed his lips, when he -started up. Looking in at the door, indeed, was the figure of his -sister, with the poor widow behind her; but between him and them were -two other figures; and darting forward with all his doubts, and -apprehensions, and resolutions swallowed up in joy, Beauchamp clasped -the hand of Blanche Delaware in his own, while his left was pressed -almost as warmly by Captain Delaware. - -"Good God!" he exclaimed. "Blanche! William! Is it possible?" - -"Yes, yes, indeed!" replied Captain Delaware. "Beauchamp, our friend, -our benefactor, our guardian angel I may call you, we have met again -at length!" - -Blanche Delaware said not a word; and though her eyes sparkled with -joy that would not be kept down, and her cheek glowed like crimson at -the joy her eyes betrayed, she trembled like an aspen in the wind, -and, sinking into a seat, a few sweet happy tears rolled over her fair -face. - -"Well," said Miss Beauchamp, advancing from the door, "I must -acknowledge that this is hardly fair that I, who drew Mrs. Harrison -out of the way when I heard who was coming, in order that this merry -meeting should have none of its surprise anticipated, can find no one -to welcome me! Blanche Delaware, my dear cousin," she added, taking -Blanche's hand, and kissing her as a sister, "how have you been this -many a-day? We have not met since we were no higher than that stool; -but I have learned to love you, nevertheless. Have you quite forgotten -Maria Beauchamp?" - -Blanche wept outright. - -"What then, Mr. Beauchamp, have you not seen Sir Sidney?" asked the -widow's son, almost at the same moment. "It was very kind indeed of -you to come and see me first." - -As he spoke, a violent fit of coughing seized him; and Beauchamp, -seeing that the excitement of all that was passing around was too much -for him, proposed to depart at once, telling him that he would come -early the next day, after having seen the physician. Miss Beauchamp, -holding Blanche's hand kindly in her own, led her towards the door of -the cottage, while their two brothers followed; and perhaps there was -never a congregation of happier faces went forth into the world, than -those which then stood looking over fair France from the borders of -Switzerland. - -Maria Beauchamp turned towards the town; but Blanche hesitated, and -looked up to her brother. - -William Delaware caught her glance immediately; and, straightforward -as ever, came at once to the point. "The truth is, Beauchamp," he -said, "it might be somewhat painful for us to go up to Poligny with -you; for, this morning, we learned a circumstance from our old -housekeeper, which, in fact, kept us from coming down to Widow -Harrison's at an earlier hour--though, indeed, I should personally -care nothing about it." - -"But what is it? What has happened now?" demanded Beauchamp, in the -eager and apprehensive tone of one who fears that the cup of happiness -just offered to his lip may be snatched away before he can drink. -"What, in fortune's name, has occurred next?" - -"Nothing of any consequence," answered Captain Delaware. "Only we -understand--and you, who know all that has past, will comprehend our -feelings on the occasion--we understand that the Earl of Ashborough is -here." - -"He is indeed, I am sorry to say," replied Beauchamp, pointing to the -deep mourning that he wore. "But let us forget, I entreat, that any -one who has ever borne the title that I now bear, felt differently -from myself towards the name of Delaware." - -Blanche looked up to heaven, and her lips moved; but her cheek glowed -eloquently again as Maria Beauchamp's hand clasped somewhat tighter -upon her own, and she saw a smile, half sad half playful, shining on -her fair cousin's lip. - -Still the whole party paused in silence; for there was so much to be -said that there was nothing said at all. Each heart was full of -feelings that would have taken days to pour forth; and at length -William Delaware proposed the wisest thing for all parties, that they -should part for that time, as night was coming on, and meet again the -next morning. - -"You know," he said, "what delight my father will have in seeing you, -Beauchamp; and, indeed, I feel as if we were wronging him, in -anticipating any part of all that we have to talk to you about. Yonder -is our residence," he added, pointing to the identical chateau that -Miss Beauchamp had fixed upon in entering the town; "and I am sure I -need not say that the sooner you come the greater will be the pleasure -to us." - -"I shall not be late," answered Beauchamp; "depend upon it, I shall -not be late." - -"But, Maria, you will come also," said Blanche, looking up in her -cousin's face. - -"Oh, certainly! dear Blanche," replied Miss Beauchamp; "as your -brother can tell you, I am a very early person in my habits. You may -expect to see me at six in the morning." - -Captain Delaware smiled, and could have said something in reply; but -as he began to divine, that, whatever might be the result, he should -have more than one opportunity of seeing Maria Beauchamp again, he -reserved his rejoinder, and after another lingering pause, they -parted. - -"Henry, I admire your taste," said Miss Beauchamp, as they walked back -to the inn; "she is a beautiful sweet girl indeed, and will do very -well to make a countess of." - -"Hush, hush, Maria!" said her brother. "Spare your raillery yet for a -while. There is much to be got over, before we come to such -conclusions as that. The game is yet to be played, and I will give you -leave to laugh if I win." - -"You will be a sad bungler, my dear brother, if you lose such a game -as that," replied Miss Beauchamp; "for you have all the cards in your -own hands; but let us arrange our plans, Harry. At whatsoever hour you -please to-morrow, you take some vile beast of a horse from the inn, and -ride over by yourself. I will come to breakfast at my own time in the -carriage. Nay, I will have my way this time at least; for I do not -choose to have any lover in the carriage with me--except it were one -of my own." - -Beauchamp yielded, of course; for there were more cogent arguments in -his own breast, in favour of his sister's plans, than any she thought -fit to produce. He had now food enough for thought during the evening; -but he did not forget to send for good Dr. Arnoux, from whom he -received a confirmation of his worst apprehensions in regard to the -widow's son. From that worthy man, also, he learned that it was at his -suggestion that Captain Delaware, and Sir Sidney--who had been an old -friend of his while he lived as an _emigré_ at Emberton--had fixed -their abode at Poligny, the retired situation of which, and its -immediate proximity to both Switzerland and Germany, rendered it -peculiarly advantageous under the circumstances in which they were -placed for the time. - -This conference ended, Beauchamp retired to bed, and obtained such -sleep as lovers usually are supposed to gain while their fate is in -suspense. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -A horse was easily procured, and early on the following morning -Beauchamp was on his way to the chateau inhabited by Sir Sidney -Delaware and his family. The house was, like most French houses of the -kind, furnished with a court in the front, large iron gates, and a -wide woody enclosure called a park, stretching up the side of the -hill, full of straight alleys and mathematical walks. - -At the corner of the enclosure, Beauchamp looked at his watch, and to -his surprise found that it still wanted nearly half an hour of eight. - -"This is very foolish of me," thought he, as he rode along the park -wall. "I shall find no one up, and they will all think me mad." But at -that moment, as he looked over the low wall and up one of the long -alleys, he caught a view of two persons crossing the farther extremity -of it; and he was instantly satisfied that there were other wakeful -people in the world as well as himself. "It is Blanche and her -brother," he thought; and, riding up to the court, he flung his bridle -to a boy who was standing there, and without farther enquiry hastened -into the park. The wood was somewhat labyrinthine; but Beauchamp had -observed the direction taken by the figures he had seen, and following -one of the cross alleys, he soon entered that wherein he had beheld -them, and in which he found that they were still walking slowly on, -about a hundred yards before him, unconscious that there was any one -in the park but themselves. - -As Captain Delaware was speaking eagerly and loud, Beauchamp, to avoid -overhearing his conversation with his sister, hastened forward, -pronouncing his name, and was almost immediately by their side. He was -greeted by both with evident pleasure; but upon Blanche's cheek, -though it was much paler than it had been in England, there was still -that flickering blush, on which we have already written a long -discussion. - -After their first meeting was over, and Beauchamp had explained that -his sister would be there in about an hour, of course all three, as -they took a step or two slowly forward, felt themselves rather -awkward. But William Delaware was fond of cutting Gordian knots; and -the next moment, after a silent smile as he glanced first at his -cousin and then at Blanche, he abruptly let her arm slip from his own, -and, looking gaily into Beauchamp's face, he said, "Here, Henry, give -Blanche your arm, while I go to tell my father that you are here." - -His sister looked at him almost reproachfully, and proposed that they -should all return; but Captain Delaware stayed not to listen, and the -next moment she stood alone with Henry Beauchamp, with her trembling -hand laid upon her lover's arm. Heaven knows what they said, for I am -sure I do not; but doubtless it was something very extraordinary, for, -ere they had taken two steps forward, Beauchamp woke, and detected -Blanche Delaware calling him, "My lord." - -"My lord!" he repeated. "My lord! Is such the cold title by which I am -alone to be called? Oh, Blanche!" - -Blanche found that she had got into a scrape; and as there was but one -way of getting out of it in all the world, she took it at once. She -paused, and though she was ready to sink where she stood, she raised -her long eyelashes, and fixed her beautiful eyes upon her cousin's -face for one single moment, with a glance that was worth all the -Oriental love-letters that ever were composed--imploring, tender, full -of gentleness and affection. It seemed to say, "Do not--do not -overpower me--I am yours, heart, and soul, and mind--but my heart is -so full, another word will break it." - -Beauchamp read it all at once; and pressing her hand in both of his, -he asked the very intelligible question, "Is it--is it mine, dear -Blanche?" - -"If you still wish it, Henry," she replied. "Can I refuse anything to -the saviour of my brother's character, and the generous benefactor of -our whole family?" - -The spirit of perversity seized upon Beauchamp again in a moment; and -he was not satisfied. "Nay, Blanche! Nay!" he said. "I must win a -dearer assurance than that. I will not owe to gratitude--little as I -have deserved it--what I would fain owe to love. No, no--I must have a -dearer assurance, or I shall think that the same Blanche Delaware who -accepts Henry Beauchamp in France, would again refuse Henry Burrel -if--unbacked by some pitiful service--he again stood by the Prior's -Fountain." - -Beauchamp's exacting mood gave Blanche the advantage; and, by amusing -her fancy even for a single instant, got the better of a part of her -agitation. She smiled, and was half inclined to triumph, for she felt -that she could if she liked; but love was the more powerful motive, -and she only misused her advantage by that one playful smile, and a -few words like it. "I no more refused him then," she replied, "because -he was Henry Burrel, than I now accept him because he is Earl of -Ashborough. Do you believe me, Henry?" she asked, after a pause. - -"I do, indeed, dear Blanche," replied Beauchamp. "But you are smiling -at me still; and indeed, indeed--if you could tell all the agony, and -long, long days of misery which that rejection caused me, I am sure -you would pity the feelings that your words produced." - -"I did from the first, Henry--I did from the first!" replied Blanche, -earnestly; "but you must believe me, Henry, when I tell you, that I -suffered double what you did. Yes, yes!" she added, seeing him shake -his head. "Yes, yes, I did, for I was crushing my own heart at the -very time I was _obliged_ to crush that of him--of him--Oh, Henry, you -do not know what I felt!" - -"Obliged!" cried Beauchamp, catching at the word. "Obliged! Did Sir -Sidney then object?" - -"Oh, no!" answered Blanche. "Nor would have objected. But it shall all -be explained, Henry, if you can forgive me, and love me still, -notwithstanding all the pain I have made you suffer." - -"I have loved you ever, Blanche, with the most unabated affection," -replied Beauchamp. "Nay, more, what between affection and what between -vanity, I had fancied that there must be some latent cause for conduct -that seemed inexplicable. I had endeavoured for some time so to frame -my every word and action towards you, that you could not mistake them; -and it was only because you permitted those attentions--because they -did not seem to displease you"--(Blanche blushed deeply)--"because, in -short, you did not repel them, that I dared to hope. I would not, I -could not, believe that such a heart and such a mind as that of -Blanche Delaware, would suffer me to go on so long unchecked, if she -felt that the affection she must have seen, could not be returned." - -"Indeed, indeed, I would not!" replied Blanche. "I do not pretend not -to have seen what were your feelings towards me--and there is no use -now of concealing what were my own," and, for a moment, her eyes again -sought the ground. "The fact was, however," she added smiling, "that -what happened afterwards was not because you were Mr. Burrel; but -because I discovered you were Mr. Beauchamp." - -"And was that name then so hateful to you?" asked her lover. - -"No, no!" answered Blanche--"but I see I may as well tell you at once; -for you will not cease to question me till I do. Do you remember the -last day you ever came up to the park? Well, just after your arrival -the post came in, and amongst other things were two letters to me--one -from Mrs. Darlington--and another which made me run to my own room as -soon as I had opened it. It was from your uncle, the late Lord -Ashborough. I scarcely like to think of it even now. It told me who -you really were, and in terms--oh, so bitter I--hinted that I must -know it already, and must be using that knowledge for evil purposes. -It then went on to state, that, however determined you might be in the -foolish line of conduct you were pursuing, your relations would never -forgive our union; and that if it took place, he, Lord Ashborough, -would not only disown you as his relation, but would leave every acre -of land which he could alienate, to the most distant relation he had, -sooner than to you. The whole was wound up with the same denunciation -against you, in case I ever revealed to you the fact of my having -received that letter; and it ended with telling me, that now, knowing -these facts, I might still _strive to force myself into your family if -I would_----But I will show you the letter, Henry, and you shall judge -for yourself whether I could do otherwise." - -"He might indeed have alienated a large part of his property," replied -Beauchamp; "but there was still more than enough left. And did you -think, Blanche, from what you knew of me even then, that I would not -have preferred a cottage with you, to ten times the amount he could -have taken away without you?" - -"Henry Beauchamp in a cottage!" said Blanche smiling. "I am afraid -that would have suited Blanche Delaware better. But remember, Henry, -that I knew not what he could take from you; and, even if I had known, -should I have had any right to accept--to permit such a sacrifice. Oh, -no! and if it had broken my heart, I must have acted as I did act. But -now, Henry, let us return home--we have walked on long, and papa will -certainly think it strange that I have been thus left alone with you -at all." - -"He shall soon have a good reason, dear Blanche," replied her lover; -"and I trust that we shall never--never part again." - -Beauchamp found Sir Sidney Delaware more shaken by all he had -undergone than he had anticipated; but the baronet's delight at seeing -his young cousin, he declared, took twenty years from the load of age. -"Your father, my dear Harry," he said, "was my school and college -companion, and the constant friend of my heart. I thought, when first -I saw you at Emberton, that your face, and voice, and manner, were all -as familiar to me as household words. But why, Harry--why did you not -tell me your real name--especially when you came plotting such a -service as you afterwards rendered me?" - -"Because, my dear sir," replied Beauchamp, "when I wrote to you, a few -years before, you showed no disposition to receive me in my real -character." - -"That was because you refused my first invitation, just after your -father's death," answered Sir Sidney. - -"I never received it," replied the earl; "I never received it, upon my -honour--but I am afraid, my dear sir, that there has been more than -one juggle in the business, which we had better perhaps consign to -oblivion altogether: and now, let me take advantage of your daughter's -absence to make one request. You now know me, Sir Sidney--my -principles, my mind, my heart, and my situation--can you trust -Blanche's happiness to my care?--Will you give me her hand?" - -Sir Sidney Delaware started up, "I have been blind to the last!" he -cried. "I have been blind to the last! But think, Henry! remember what -you are about! Take back your request; and, ere you make it again, -call to mind your rank and prospects; and judge whether interest, or -ambition, or the world's smile, may never hereafter induce you to -regret that you have married a portionless girl, because she had a -fair face and a gentle heart." - -"Never! Sir Sidney," replied the earl. "It requires no thought. -Interest, and ambition, and the world's smile, have never had any -effect upon me yet, and never shall have while my faculties remain." - -"Well, well," replied Sir Sidney, "I have not forgot that you do not -'worship any man for the money in his purse, nor bow low to the bottle -of Lafitte upon his sideboard.' So, if your mind be really made up, -you must ask Blanche herself; but by William's smiling, I fancy you -have settled that matter between you already--If so, God's blessing -and mine upon you both; and you shall have my consent on one sole -condition, which is, that you will explain to me, clearly and -distinctly, all the particulars of this business from beginning to -end--for I confess I sometimes begin to think that my intellect is -impaired, because I cannot get it clearly stated in my own head.--But -stay, here are a number of questions which I have written down in -pencil on the broad margin of my Seneca, intending to ask William. -Will you undergo the catechism instead." - -"Willingly!" answered Beauchamp; "and as I see Marla's carriage coming -slowly up the hill from the town, we shall just have time, I dare say, -to get through your questions, before she breaks in upon us with her -gay pertness." - -"She shall be most welcome," said Sir Sidney; and then, with -spectacles on nose, and book in hand, he proceeded to read the -interrogatories with which he had charged the margin of his Seneca, -and thus Beauchamp was called upon to explain a great deal that the -worthy reader, who has walked hand in hand along with him through the -book, already understands full well. - -"And now then, tell me," continued Sir Sidney, after he had despatched -a great number of his questions; "how did you contrive to place the -money so cleverly in William's room at Emberton, without any one -seeing you?" - -"The fact is, my dear sir," answered Beauchamp, "that I knew the house -and all its passages, as well if not better than any of you. You must -remember that a great part of my boyhood was spent there, and a -thousand times, under my incognito name of Burrel, I had nearly -betrayed my acquaintance with every room in the building. I had seen, -in walking round the house, that the door of the well-vault, as it -used to be called, was always open; and when I wanted to place the -money in your son's room without being seen, I resolved to try -the little staircase, up and down which I had often played at -hide-and-seek. I thus made my way to the trapdoor, when, to my -surprise and mortification, I found it nailed. As, however, it shook -under my hand when I tried it, I resolved to make a strong effort to -push it open, in which I succeeded, the nail either breaking or coming -out, I did not stay to examine which. My hand, however, was torn in -doing so; and unfortunately a drop of blood fell upon one of the -notes, as I folded them up in a sheet of paper I found upon the table. -The packet I directed as well as I could by the moonlight, and I then -put down the money and went away as fast as I could." - -"That just brings me to my last question," said Sir Sidney, "and here -is your sister driving into the court; so tell me why it was you did -not rather give the money into my hands, or William's, or Blanche's, -or any one's, rather than risk it in such a situation?" - -Beauchamp laughed, and turning towards Miss Delaware, who was just -then re-entering the room, he replied, "Really, Sir Sidney, I must -refuse to plead--You must ask Blanche." - -"Well then, you tell me, my love," continued the baronet, turning to -his daughter, "What could your cousin's reason be, for putting the -money, that has caused us so much anxiety, into William's room that -night, rather than giving it to me or you, as it seems he knew that -William was out?" - -Beauchamp and Captain Delaware both smiled, and Blanche blushed -deeply, but was silent. - -"So, so!" said Sir Sidney. "Is it so?--Well, well, I stop my questions -there--William, run out and welcome your fair cousin! Blanche, give me -your hand--There, Henry, take her; and may she ever be to you as dear, -as gentle, as good, and as beloved a wife, as her mother was to me." - -There was but little more now to be explained; though Sir Sidney, in -reward for the young earl's patience under cross-examination, took -great pains to make him understand how his son, William, had found -means, through their poor pensioner, Widow Harrison herself, to -communicate to the family his safe arrival in France, and a plan for -their meeting, which had been immediately adopted--how they had -skilfully contrived, to conceal their route--and how their good old -friend Arnoux, had prevailed upon them to pause at Poligny, instead of -going on to Sicily, as they had at first intended. - -From Widow Harrison, too, to whose faith and gratitude they could -trust, and to whom alone their place of residence had been -communicated, they had learned by letter many of Beauchamp's efforts -in their favour, as well as their success and the ultimate result of -the trial; but still, although they had heard so much, there was yet -matter enough left to be told on both sides, to furnish forth many a -story for the bright fireside. - -Nothing more remains for the writer, to whom their own lips kindly -furnished the materials for composing this book, than to add that a -very few months afterwards, at the chapel of the British Ambassador at -Paris, Henry Earl of Ashborough was married to Blanche, only daughter -of Sir Sidney Delaware; and that the body of poor Walter Harrison -sleeps by the side of the Lake of Geneva. - -Nevertheless, it behoves us to record one serious dispute which took -place between the young Earl of Ashborough and Sir Sidney Delaware, -which was occasioned by the baronet insisting that his noble -son-in-law, should take a mortgage upon the Emberton estate for the -amount of the twenty-five thousand pounds, advanced by him to pay off -the former annuity. - -On the other hand, however, it appeared that the late earl had been, -at the moment of his death, in the prosecution of a suit to prove that -the annuity, had not been legally paid off. It was true, also, that -Beauchamp had received the five-and-twenty thousand pounds back again -from Mr. Tims, and that the annuity had been paid up to the very last -day of the late earl's life. Beauchamp, therefore, contended that he -had no right whatever to demand or accept any mortgage, as the money -had returned to his own possession, and the annuity must be considered -to have lapsed with the life of his uncle. - -Sir Sidney would not see it in this point of view, and a great deal of -good-humoured special pleading went on upon the subject between him -and the earl. How it would all have ended, Heaven only knows, had not -Maria Beauchamp, who had got safely over the critical epoch of her -brother's marriage, and even held out for four months after, while he -brought his fair bride to England, and made her look into an English -court, for one moment--which was quite enough for both of them--had -she not, I say, at the end of that time, broken the hearts of her nine -London admirers, young and old, by giving her hand to William -Delaware. She protested, indeed, that she only did it for convenience, -as her brother and Blanche, with Sir Sidney, his son, and herself, -were about to take a long rambling tour over one quarter of the world, -and she could not, of course, go so many thousand miles with a young -single man, without giving employment to the tongues of her -acquaintances. - -However that might be, to end the dispute about the twenty-five -thousand pounds, the earl insisted upon adding it to his sister's -fortune, which was already sufficient to clear off every incumbrance, -and leave the family of Delaware more prosperous than it had been for -nearly a century before. - -We could go on a long time, and write another volume upon Blanche's -happy looks, and tell how Beauchamp, contented in his love, weaned -himself from many of his perversities and caprices, without losing the -brighter and the nobler qualities of his character. Nor would -adventures be wanting, nor the same light and idle nothings of which -this book is already principally composed; but, unfortunately, having -called the Work "THE RUINED FAMILY," we find ourselves bound to close -it here, now that we can no longer apply that term to the house of -DELAWARE. - - - -END OF VOLUME THIRD. - - - -EDINBURGH: -M. AITKEN, 1, ST. JAMES'S SQUARE. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Delaware;, by -G. P. 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Vol. 3</title> -<meta name="Author" content="G. P. R. 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P. R, (George Payne Rainsford James) - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Delaware; - or, The Ruined Family Vol. 3 - -Author: G. P. R, (George Payne Rainsford James) - -Release Date: April 2, 2016 [EBook #51630] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DELAWARE; *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by the -Web Archive (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="hang1">Transcriber's Notes:<br> -1. Page scans provided by the Internet Archive,<br> -https://archive.org/details/delawareorruined03jame<br> -(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>DELAWARE;</h3> -<br> -<h5>OR</h5> -<br> -<h4>THE RUINED FAMILY.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>EDINBURGH</h4> -<h5>PRINTED BY M. AITKEN, 1, ST JAMES'S SQUARE.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>DELAWARE;</h3> -<br> -<h5>OR</h5> -<br> -<h4>THE RUINED FAMILY.</h4> -<br> -<h4>A TALE.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<h4>IN THREE VOLUMES.</h4> -<br> -<h3>VOL. III.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<h3>EDINBURGH:</h3> -<h4>PRINTED FOR ROBERT CADELL, EDINBURGH;<br> -<span style="font-size:smaller">AND WHITTAKER & CO., LONDON.<br> -MDCCCXXXIII.</span></h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>DELAWARE;</h3> -<h5>OR,</h5> -<h4>THE RUINED FAMILY.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>>CHAPTER I.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">I do most sincerely believe, that the very best way to get all -the -characters of this book out of their manifold difficulties, would be, -to end the work at the close of the second volume, and leave the world -to settle it, as it liked. However, as the great object is, to make -known the truth, and as the chances are infinite, that no single -individual of the millions who intend to read this book, would, by the -utmost exertion of their imagination, discover what the truth is, it -may be necessary to go on, and explain what has become of some at -least of the characters which have slipped off the stage Heaven knows -where--especially as they have each much to do, and to suffer, before -they "sleep the sleep that knows no waking."</p> - -<p class="normal">The great advantage of autobiography is, that a man never troubles his -head about other people's affairs, but goes on with his own tale till -he has done with it; whereas the unfortunate wretch who undertakes to -tell the history of a number of other people, has no better a life of -it than a whipper-in, and is obliged to be continually trotting up and -down, flogging up his straggling characters to a pace with the rest. -The reader, too, may get his brains most tremendously puzzled in the -mean time. But what can be done? If people will not write their own -stories, other people must write them for them, and the work must go -on as best it may. Under these circumstances, we must request the -gentle reader to bring back his mind, or his eyes, to the end of the -fourth chapter of the last volume, since which precise point we have -neglected entirely the history of Henry Beauchamp. However, amends -shall immediately be made to that gentleman, and he shall have the -whole of this volume to himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">Let it be remembered, then, that he set out from the dwelling of the -miser at Ryebury, promising that punctilious person to return, and -sign at once the more formal and regular documents, for which the -necessary stamps were still to be procured from Emberton--that he -passed William Delaware on his road, concealing himself from him as he -did so; and the reader, if he be so pleased, may dip his hand into the -wallet of imagination, and take out his own particular little scheme, -for leaving the money with which Beauchamp was burdened, in the -chamber of--Blanche Delaware's brother.</p> - -<p class="normal">Those three last words may seem periphrastic; but if the reader thinks -they are so, he makes a mistake; for at that moment, it was not in the -least as Captain William Delaware, a Master and Commander in his -Majesty's Navy, nor as the son of Sir Sidney Delaware of Emberton, -Baronet, nor in any other quality, shape, or capacity of any kind -whatsoever, that Henry Beauchamp regarded him; but solely and wholly -in relation to Blanche Delaware--or, in short, as the brother of her -he loved. When he avoided him, it was because she had rejected -his--Beauchamp's offered hand; when he placed the money on the table -at Emberton, it was, that the clouds which had so long obscured the -sunshine of her days, might be scattered for ever; and Henry Beauchamp -could no more think of William Delaware, without the connecting link -that bound him to his sister, than one can think of the planetary -system without the sun.</p> - -<p class="normal">When it was all done, however; and, having regained the shade of the -park trees, Henry Beauchamp was strolling on, slow and sad, towards -Ryebury, he bethought him of what was next to be done, as a -consequence of the very things that were just accomplished. Let it be -remarked that this was the first time he had thought of what was to -follow; for the hurry and confusion of the whole day, which had just -passed over his head, had left him no time for reflection, even had he -been inclined to indulge in it; and the bitter disappointment he had -suffered, had given him no great taste for thought of any kind. All he -had calculated, was the best means of arriving at his immediate -object; and farther than that, he had satisfied himself with the grand -conscience-salve for all mad enterprises--"He dared to say, all would -go right!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Now, however, when he began to consider the matter, it presented more -difficulties than he had before perceived. He was quite romantic -enough and wealthy enough to have given the money to his cousins, with -pleasure in the gift, and without inconvenience from the consequences; -but, from the delicacy of feeling natural to his own heart, he -perfectly understood that neither Sir Sidney Delaware, nor any of his -family, would be willing to receive such a sum from any one as a -donation--especially from him, circumstanced as he was in regard to -Miss Delaware. Disgusted and wearied with the delays and shuffling of -the miser, and suspecting that his worthy uncle, Lord Ashborough, -might have some share in producing the impediments, he had determined -to put it out of the power of any one to prevent the payment, and -consequently had acted as we have seen; but, now that he had done so, -he found that it would be in no degree easy to give the matter the air -of an ordinary transaction.</p> - -<p class="normal">People who have met with few difficulties in their undertakings, soon -teach themselves to trust the execution of anything they themselves -find troublesome, to others, and look upon their carrying it through -easily as a matter of course; and as Beauchamp, though not in general -given to <i>insouciance</i>, was just then in a state of mental irritation -and impatience, which rendered long reflection of any kind irksome to -him, he determined to throw the burden of the business upon the -shoulders of the miser. "I will tell him," he thought, "to write a -note to William Delaware, the first thing to-morrow, informing him -that he has sent the money by a friend to-night, and is ready to -execute the legal documents in regard to the whole transaction." -Having so far made his arrangements in his own mind, he walked on -slowly, beginning to feel somewhat weary with his day's exertion; and, -as he did so--every other subject which could force his thoughts from -the most painful object they could choose, being lost for the -time--memory naturally led him back to dream of Blanche Delaware, and -her strange and unaccountable conduct towards himself. That he loved -her as deeply and as sincerely as man could love woman, he now felt -but too painfully; but, notwithstanding good Mrs. Wilson's sentimental -anticipations of his antique Roman impatience of existence, Beauchamp -was the last man on earth to drown himself under any circumstances -whatever. Not that he did not feel that the gloss and splendour was, -to him, gone from the earth for ever--not that he did not feel that -his love would endure to his last hour, mingling the poison drop of -disappointment through all the cup of life--not that wounded pride, -and broken hopes, and rebuked self-confidence, and all that can -embitter man's feelings, were not poured like gall and wormwood into -his heart--but, somehow, he had acquired a strange notion, that to lay -hands upon one's own life was not only immoral and unchristian, but -was also cowardly and stupid--the act of a madman, a lout, or a -barbarian. He had never been one of those men that particularly value -life; and certainly he felt that, at the present moment, if any one -had been inclined to take it from him, it was a sort of commodity he -could part with without great regret. Yet, at the same time, even in -that case, he would probably have defended it as a matter of course; -and, as to throwing it away by his voluntary act, such a thing never -entered his mind.</p> - -<p class="normal">His thoughts, however, in regard to Blanche Delaware were, as we have -said, bitter enough. He loved her deeply--with a first, pure, -steadfast, and yet passionate affection. His heart--so long -guarded--had poured out upon her all its stored enthusiasm and -repressed tenderness; and in the full and confident belief that his -attachment was returned, hope had seduced him into every one of those -waking visions which are so bright to dream and so agonizing to lose. -He had certainly believed that he was loved in return; and the -dissolution of that belief was the most painful part of all. Yet -Beauchamp was both too proud and too just to suppose that he had been -trifled with; or to imagine that a woman, on whom he could have so -fixed his heart, would have been guilty of such petty coquetry. He -rather chose to blame his own vanity; to admit that Blanche Delaware -had been perhaps a little thoughtless; but that he had been far too -confident.</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus thinking, he walked on towards Ryebury, deviating slightly from -the way, in order that he might not meet William Delaware on his -return, and mingling vague, wild schemes for the future, with the -bitter memories and regrets of the past. He would visit Greece he -thought--perhaps cross over the narrow strait, and wander through -Syria and Judea, or penetrate into Armenia, and pause for a while -amongst the tribes, whose patriarchal habits have been so beautifully -depicted by Morier's entertaining pen, or even travel forward into -India itself, and watch the slow customs of Europe forcing their way -amidst the immemorial habits of the Hindoo. He would do anything, in -short, for amusement--and forgetfulness.</p> - -<p class="normal">When he at length approached the door of Mr. Tims's house, the moon -had sunk considerably, though she had still some hours to shine; and, -pouring her beams from the side, with the slightest possible angle of -declination towards the back of the house, her light fell full upon -the two steps that led up to the door, without lighting the door -itself. Beauchamp thought he heard a noise in the passage as he -approached; but with his usual indifference, certainly not decreased -either by fatigue or grief, he walked on with the same slow pace in -which he had before been proceeding, and was just in the act of laying -his hand upon the bell, when the door was suddenly and somewhat -unexpectedly thrown open. The faint outline of three men standing in -the dim darkness of the passage, was all that Beauchamp could -perceive; but the moonlight poured full upon his own figure as he -stood alone upon the steps. So unlooked-for a sight in the house of -Mr. Tims caused him to pause in some surprise; and he had no time to -recover from it; for before he could ask any question, or form any -conjecture, he received a violent blow from some heavy instrument on -the head, which instantly felled him to the ground, completely stunned -and motionless.</p> - -<p class="normal">How long he continued in that state, Beauchamp could hardly tell; but -when he again recovered his consciousness, he found himself lying -extended upon some planks, with a stiff and numb sensation over all -his limbs, a violent headach, and extreme pain in his ancle, while a -rippling sound and buoyant undulating motion seemed to show that he -was in a boat upon the water. For the first moment he could not verify -this supposition by sight, as he seemed to have been cast carelessly -into the boat, and his hat was driven so far over his brows as to -prevent him from seeing anything around.</p> - -<p class="normal">Before he was well aware of what he was doing, he started up, pushing -back the covering from his eyes; but, as he did so, his unsteady -footing in the boat, together with the violent pain in his ancle, made -him lose his balance, and very nearly fall over into the sea, which -received his hat as he fell, and bore it far away in a moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">With an involuntary groan from the pain he suffered, Beauchamp -relapsed into his former position; but the single instant he had been -able to stand up, had shown him sufficient to make him comprehend in a -great degree his immediate situation. The moon, he had remarked, just -about to dip below the horizon, was pouring a long, long line of -yellow light over the waves that, rippling away in the far -perspective, seemed like living things of gold, dancing joyfully in -the beams, while over all the rest of the expanse, was to be seen -nothing else but the dark mass of agitated waters heaving up and down -with a dull but solemn sound. He had just caught a glimpse, too, of a -faint line of high coast stretching away to the north-west, and -consequently catching upon its most prominent points the beams of the -setting moon, while all the rest remained in dim gray shadow. Such had -been the more distant objects that Beauchamp had beheld. Those more -immediately around him, were the small open boat in which he was borne -along, and four figures that it contained. Of these--one of which was -that of a woman--two appeared to be death sick, and the other two sat -close beside each other in silence at the stern of the boat. One was -steering, the other gazing fixedly over the side upon the flashing -waters; but the movement of Beauchamp instantly called the eyes of -both, though neither made any observation even when he fell back again -upon the planks. After he had lain there for a moment or two more, -however, the one who was unoccupied whispered something to the -steersman. The other made no reply, and the whisper was repeated. The -steersman then broke forth with a fearful oath, adding, "If you offer -to touch a hair of his head, I will heave you overboard, and send you -to hell an hour before your time!"</p> - -<p class="normal">His companion muttered something which Beauchamp did not hear, and the -sailor again replied in the same angry tone, "Come, come, rouse out -none of your slack-jaw at me, or blast me if I do not show you who -commands here. You have got your way with me once to-night to my own -damnation, but you shall not do it again!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Here the matter dropped, and all was silent but the ripple of the -waters. Half an hour more elapsed without a word being spoken; and -though Beauchamp felt very giddy and confused, he endeavoured to think -over the circumstances in which he was placed, and form some plan for -his demeanour towards those by whom he was surrounded.</p> - -<p class="normal">Although he had very few facts to lead him to such a conclusion, yet -something more than a suspicion of the truth crossed his mind. The -peculiar whistling he had heard, both in going to and coming from -Ryebury, joined with the appearance of the three men in the passage of -the miser's house at that time of night--the assault upon himself, and -his situation at the very moment, all made him conclude that a bold -and extensive robbery had been committed, and that he had been carried -away from an apprehension that he might give the alarm, and lead to -the detection of the robbers.</p> - -<p class="normal">He suspected also that it might be a matter of doubt in the bosom of -the man who sat by the steersman, whether it would not be best to -dispose of such an evidence against them, as he himself might prove, -by throwing him into the sea; and the answer of the other showed him -that, at all events, there was one of the party averse to such a mode -of proceeding.</p> - -<p class="normal">From all this he concluded, that as he himself could offer little or -no resistance to whatever his companions chose to do with him, it -would be much better to keep himself as quiet as possible, and to take -no apparent notice of anything that was passing around him. Whether -such might have been his determination, had he felt well, and in the -full use of all his limbs, may be doubtful; but the aching of his head -was intense and stupifying, and from the sensation which he -experienced in his ancle, he felt sure that one at least of the bones -had been dislocated in throwing him into the boat. These sort of -little corporalities are apt to make a man excessively quiescent; and -Beauchamp, though in general not liking particularly to be treated as -a portmanteau, at least without asking the reason why; being now -convinced, that however much he might express his volition, he could -do no more towards executing it than a trunk itself, determined wisely -to keep silence also, and not even to move, any more than the pain he -suffered impelled him to do, for the mere sake of changing his -position.</p> - -<p class="normal">His companions remained silent for near an hour, and the only words -which then broke the stillness, were spoken by the steersman, who -seemed to be the only seaman of the party. "If she be not under the -lee of Jerry's Knocker, we must run for old Willy Small's, that's all. -We are sure enough with him, and to-morrow we can get another boat, -and so across."</p> - -<p class="normal">The other made no reply, and very likely did not understand clearly -what his companion meant. Beauchamp, however, who had in his youth -frequented that part of the country; and, as the reader may have -perceived, had forgotten but little of the localities, instantly -remembered that a long promontory, jutting out from the rest of the -coast, and having a calm sheltered bay to the eastward, bore -throughout the country the name of Jerry's Knocker; and he was led to -conclude, from the rest of the sentence, that the respectable people -into whose hands he had fallen, were looking out for some smuggling -vessel to carry them to France.</p> - -<p class="normal">It very speedily became evident, that whatever they were seeking was -not to be found. The sea began soon to run high off the headland, and -shortly after grew far calmer than before, leading Beauchamp to -imagine--though he could see nothing around--that they had doubled the -point; but the words, "She's weighed, by ----," at once showed that -the vessel was gone; and the steersman, who had been anxiously looking -out, resumed his seat, and brought his boat a point nearer to the -wind.</p> - -<p class="normal">In about half an hour afterwards, the pitching of the boat ceased -almost entirely, and it was clear she was entering smooth water; while -a warning to be quiet, given somewhat sharply by the steersman to one -of the sea-sick personages, who was now inclined to speak, showed that -they were approaching some spot where other ears might be on the -watch. The thought passed through Beauchamp's mind to try the strength -of his lungs; and, had he been sure that there was any one within -hearing, it is more than probable he would have done so, as he felt -not a little cramped and uncomfortable on the planks of the boat. -However, not being sure that any one would or could come to his aid if -he were to hollow till he grew hoarse, and that the attempt might only -procure him a speedy passage into the sea, he adhered to his former -plan, and, in a moment after, with a gentle rush and a slight shock, -the boat touched the land.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Run up to yonder light," said the steersman, in a low voice, "tell -the old man that I am here, and bid him come down and lend a hand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why don't you go yourself?" asked the other, in the same whispered -tone. "He doesn't know any of us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because I do not choose," answered the other; and the person to whom -he spoke at once obeyed. Ere two minutes had elapsed, a considerable -addition was made to their party, and the steersman himself, now -springing ashore, held a low consultation with those who joined them. -The other man and the woman, whom Beauchamp had observed, were next -taken out of the boat, and in a moment after a stout old man jumped -in, and stirred him by the shoulder. "Come, master!" he said, "you -must get out, and come along with us--though you seem to take things -vastly quietly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I suppose it is the best thing I can do," replied Beauchamp. "But if -you want me out, you must carry me out, my good fellow, for they have -lamed me, and I cannot stand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's a bad job!" replied the other, speaking in a rough but kindly -tone. "Wat will be sorry for that, for they did not intend to hurt -you, I can tell you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps not," said Beauchamp; "though knocking me down and stunning -me on the spot, were not very unlikely to hurt me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, but if a man will poke his nose into what he has no business -with, master," replied the other, "he must take what he gets."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very true!" answered Beauchamp dryly, though somewhat surprised at -the fellow's coolness. "Very true, indeed! But it was purely -accidental on my part. I had not the slightest intention of intruding -upon the gentlemen in the pursuit of their avocations. But, as I said -before, if you mean me to get out of this boat--and I am heartily -tired of it--you must carry me; for I can only stand upon one leg, and -the ground is somewhat uneven."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True enough, true enough!" answered the man. "Here, Bill, lend us a -hand to lift the lad out of the boat. They have broke his leg amongst -them. It will teach you, master, to keep out of the way when there is -anything to be run upon the coast. Always sheer off when you see -what's going on. But we will get it spliced for you, never fear. Here, -Bill, I say!"</p> - -<p class="normal">A youth of about seventeen or eighteen now came up and helped his -father, as it proved the old man was, to lift the stranger on shore. -Beauchamp then, with the assistance of the elder personage, made his -way from the little sandy cove into which the boat had been run, to a -lonely house, standing high up upon the bank, with two boats drawn up -nearly to the door, and about a square yard of cabbage-garden at the -back. The old smuggler, for such he evidently was, led his unwilling -guest in, and was about to conduct him into a room, the door of which -opened at a right angle with that which entered from the shore. -Various signs and symbols, however, within the chamber, made the man -pause ere he went in; and at length he exclaimed, as he still stood in -the entrance--"Well, well! But give us a candle, though! How the devil -can one see up the stairs? It's as dark as Davy's locker!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp made as much use of his eyes as possible; but it was in vain -that he did so, for the persons that the room contained were concealed -from his sight by the half-closed door; and all that he could -distinguish was part of the common interior of a fisherman's -kitchen--a large chest, a deal table, a wide fireplace, and two -shelves covered with clean blue-edged plates and porringers, together -with a vial bottle, half full of ink, and having a pen stuck in the -top of it, pendent by a bit of string from the corner of one of the -shelves.</p> - -<p class="normal">A moment after, a clean, little, well-salted fisherman's wife, emerged -from behind the door, with a brazen candlestick and three inches of -lighted candle in her hand; and Beauchamp, conducted up stairs with no -inconsiderable agony, was ushered into a small bedroom, (of which -there appeared to be four, by the way,) which, amidst all its faults -and deficiencies, was at least clean.</p> - -<p class="normal">As they went up the stairs, and for a moment after they entered the -room, the eyes of the smuggler continued to run over his guest's -apparel and face with a look of surprise, and even anxiety, which -increased at every glance; and when he had done, there was a change in -his whole demeanor which might have made Beauchamp smile at any other -time, or under any other circumstances. He now, however, threw himself -down in a chair, exhausted with the pain his exertion had caused him, -and was about to demand that a surgeon should be sent for, when the -old man, setting down the candle on the table, told him with a tone of -respectful civility, that he would return in a moment, and left him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lock the door!" shouted a voice from below, as the smuggler quitted -the room. The door accordingly was locked; and Beauchamp, left alone, -before he proceeded to think over his present situation, according to -his usual deliberate custom, set to work to get his boot off, and see -what was really the state of his ancle.</p> - -<p class="normal">His leg, however, was so much swelled, that all ordinary efforts were -vain, although he never committed that piece of exuberant impolicy, -the wearing a tight boot. As soon as he discovered this to be the -case, he took his penknife from his pocket, and at once relieved his -foot and leg from their leathern prison. He was then about to proceed -in his examination, when steps coming from below interrupted him; but -another door was opened, and in a moment after he heard the voice of -the old smuggler, and that of the man who had steered the boat, -conversing together somewhat eagerly. At first, as usual, there was a -guard upon their tongues, and all that reached his ear was a sort of -hum; but soon the caution wore away; they spoke loud, and Beauchamp, -without the desire or the capability of moving from the chair in which -he had first sat down, heard distinctly the greater part of all that -past.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well, Wat!" said the voice of the old man, "D--me, if I'm a man -to leave a poor boy at a pinch! We must just get the cutter run down; -but she cannot be here you know till to-morrow night any how,--It must -be a bad job though, that makes you so wild to get to France, my boy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A bad job enough! A bad job enough!" answered a voice that Beauchamp -now remembered full well. "But mark ye, William Small, when ye hear it -all told--Mark ye, I say! I had nothing to do with the worst part of -it. Those two fellows below have cheated me, and made a wretch of me. -D--me, if I would not rather have gone up to the main chains and gone -pitch over, head foremost, into the Bay of Biscay--But they did it, -not I--mind that!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'd bet a puncheon they've killed the officer," replied the other.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Don't ask any questions, Willy Small!" replied his companion; "Don't -ask any questions--It is safer for us all!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, that's true enough!" replied the smuggler, "That's true enough! -No, no! I'll not ask nor guess either, and then I know nothing about -it, but that you and t'others wanted the cutter to go a pleasuring; -and I'll take the lowest price you see too, Watty, so they can't bring -me in as art and part for the run goods. But what is to be done with -the young man in the next room? Why, Wat, he seems a gentleman--I -say!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay! he is a gentleman every inch of him," answered the other; "and -such a one as one seldom sees--I would not have harm happen to him for -the world--Why, you must just keep him for a day or two, till we are -gone and safe, and then let him go. But I say, when you lock the door -to-night upon him, keep you the key yourself, mind you. Those fellows -below, have an ill-will to him; and if it had not been for me, they -would have hove him overboard this blessed night--upon my soul they -would!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"D--n their eyes and limbs!" exclaimed the other, "I should like to -see them touch him in my house. If I would not tie them together, like -a couple of hogsheads, and sink them out of water-mark. But as to -locking the door, Wat, there is no use of that at all, bless ye. He -can't stir an inch. Why, you've broken his leg amongst you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The reply of the other, though sufficiently blasphemous--and we must -here apologize to the more scrupulous reader for admitting into the -dialogues just past, so many profane expletives, which we would not -perhaps have done, having no delight in such matter ourselves, had not -the love of truth and accuracy prevailed--The reply of the other, -then, though sufficiently blasphemous, showed that he was bitterly -grieved for the accident which had happened to Beauchamp; and a long -conversation ensued in regard to the necessity of sending for a -surgeon.</p> - -<p class="normal">That, however, they both agreed would "blow the whole business"--to -use their own expression--and humanity as usual gave way to -apprehension. Old Willy Small, as the smuggler was denominated, -declared that he was a goodish hand himself at splicing a broken limb, -and that he and his wife would look to it, till the other party were -safe off to France. This seemed to quiet the conscience of the other -upon that particular; and, after concerting some farther plans for -facilitating all the preparations for their journey, they returned to -their comrades below.</p> - -<p class="normal">The effect of this conversation upon the mind of Henry Beauchamp, was -not certainly to produce any very agreeable sensations. He began to -apprehend that a worse crime than simple robbery had been committed at -the house of the unhappy miser; and though, in one point of view, he -felt little anxiety on his own account--seeing evidently that he would -not want assistance at his need, if anything were attempted against -him--yet he could not help shuddering at his proximity to a gang of -murderers; and contemplated, with no great pleasure, the surgical -offices to be performed upon his own leg by a smuggler and an old -woman. An evil, however, is seldom without its good; and though, -certainly, had it been left to his own choice, he might have found a -more agreeable way of diverting his thoughts from all the painful -subjects that previously occupied them; yet true it most assuredly is, -that corporeal uncomfort, pain, and apprehension, did very materially -lessen----No! not his love for Blanche Delaware; but the first bitter -feeling of the disappointment which her conduct had occasioned.</p> - -<p class="normal">If it were not so strange to say, and if we could by any means -discover the process by which the mind could arrive at such a result, -we should declare, that, in the midst of all these dangers, troubles, -and uncomforts of a different kind, Beauchamp had found a new store of -hope. How, or why, who can tell? but either his hope was like the -limbs of the skeleton in the Fantocini, which, after being all -disjointed, are suddenly pulled together again by strings that no one -can see; or else it was like a fire of dry wood, which, when it has -appeared for some time quite extinguished, will pour out a small white -flame, when nobody is expecting any such thing, and soon be as bright -again as ever. At all events, he had left Emberton that very morning -without a spark of hope apparently left; and after going through as -much as would have contented him with adventures for the whole of his -life, he could not help thinking that there was something very strange -and unaccountable in Blanche Delaware's whole conduct, and that, if he -could but get the key, all might still go well. Nevertheless, he was -not left long to cogitate upon anything; for, in a minute or two, the -smuggler and the smuggler's wife walked in, in the character of -surgeon and assistant; and, after some awkward explanations of their -purpose, demanded to look at the gentleman's leg, to see if they could -help him. As he knew that it was predetermined not to send for a -surgeon, Beauchamp, who was not disposed to make people look foolish -unnecessarily, did not, as he once intended, propose that expedient.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You may look at my leg as much as you like, my good people," he said; -"but I have not the slightest intention of letting you do anything to -it, unless what you propose agrees with my own opinion." This being -settled, the woman knelt down, and the man held the candle, and the -stocking being withdrawn, an examination and mumbled consultation of -some length took place.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's not broken, sir, do you see!" said the old man, looking up. -"It's only the small bone put out, do you see!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I see nothing at all, my good fellow," replied Beauchamp, "except -that it is very painful; and, of course, the more you pinch it the -worse it is."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man then assured him that, if he would let him try, he would put -it in in a minute; and, after a laborious explanation, Beauchamp -consented. The old man pulled his foot as if he would have pulled it -off: the old woman squeezed his ancle as if she would have broken it -through the middle; but at length, with a sudden snap, the bone -started back into its place, and the patient found instant relief. -Every attempt to stand, however, was still quite out of the question; -and Beauchamp, giving himself entirely up into the hands of such -skilful chirurgeons, suffered his ancle to be bandaged up with clothes -steeped in vinegar and brandy, and himself to be carried to bed, where -the smuggler assured him he ought to lie for at least four days, in -order to perfect his recovery. When all was completed, and his host -and hostess were retiring, Beauchamp listened for a moment, and heard -the key of the door turned with greater satisfaction than he had -imagined the fact of being locked into his own room would ever afford -him.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER II.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Now, Henry Burrel was a great deal too sincere a man, even in -his -commune with himself, to endeavour by any means to cheat himself into -the belief that he was a hero. In short, he had quite sufficient real -enthusiasm in his disposition, and quite sufficient contempt for those -who affected it without having any, to make him very jealous of -letting the portion he did possess appear openly, even before his own -eyes; and, in order to correct such propensities, he had got up, as we -have shown before, a system of apathetic indifference to every thing -that did not affect himself, which, though sometimes run away with by -his zeal or his affections, contrived generally to bridle feelings -that would otherwise have been somewhat headstrong.</p> - -<p class="normal">Left alone in a little bed, in a little room in a smuggler's cottage, -on the loneliest part of the sea-shore--locked in without being able to -set a foot to the ground--without a light----and with a confounded -smell of fish pervading the whole atmosphere--his first impulse, as -all these minor miseries tickled his imagination one after the other, -was to laugh heartily. But the impression lasted but a moment; and, -when he thought of the more remote, but more dreadful, circumstances -connected by an inseparable link with his temporary situation--the -murder of a helpless old man, which he doubted not had been -committed--the fearful moral offence which three of his -fellow-creatures had perpetrated; and the miserable fate of a youth, -in whom he had taken considerable interest--for he had recognized, as -we have before hinted, the voice of poor Wat Harrison--when he thought -of all these circumstances, his heart smote him for the moment of -levity in which he had indulged; and poured out the full tide of its -generous and kindly feelings to wash away the fault of that one -instant.</p> - -<p class="normal">He now revolved the matter more seriously; and, as he did so, of -course his own situation came again soberly under consideration. That -situation was evidently anything but pleasant, for no man could be -expected to find his pillow very soft when it was shaken by the hands -of a gang of murderers. But Beauchamp was constitutionally a brave -man. His impulses were not those of fear; and, though he had a very -considerable share of imagination, yet when he wanted to frighten -himself about anything, he had to think of it seriously, and call up -all the dangers one by one. Now, in the present instance, there were -so many unpleasant and perilous points in his position, which he could -neither divert nor avoid, that, after a short reflection, he found it -would be best and wisest not to think of the danger at all; and, when -he had so settled the matter, he found no great difficulty in -forgetting it altogether, although with a degree of feverish -restlessness he turned and returned in his mind the conversation which -he had heard in the adjoining room.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was evident that Walter Harrison had not told the whole truth to -the old man who had given them shelter; and whether it was the -smuggler's previous conclusions that had led him to believe the crime, -from the consequences of which the young sailor was flying, had been -committed in an endeavour to defraud the revenue, or whether by a -direct falsehood on the lad's own part, Beauchamp naturally deduced -from every thing which he had discovered, that Willy Small, as they -called him, would be the first to shrink from the perpetrators of the -deeper offence which had really been offered to the laws of God and -man. This was, at least, some consolation; and although Beauchamp -still felt a sensation of awe and horror when he reflected calmly on -the whole transactions of that night, yet his feelings were more like -those of one who reads a horrid tale of crime and sorrow in the -newspapers, than those of one around whose very person the -circumstances had been transacted, and who was in some degree a party -to the whole.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nevertheless, he could not go to sleep over it, with the easy -carelessness of one of those daily devourers of manufactured horrors, -who join to patronize the periodical press with the devout idolaters -of agitation, and who, like men fed upon deviled gizzards, find that -nothing on earth has enough cayenne. Whether it was busy thoughts, or -a broken head, or an ancle that had been dislocated, that kept him -awake, I cannot tell; but he lay in feverish and uneasy restlessness -long after all was quiet in the house, and even the murderers had -retired--I had almost said--to sleep.</p> - -<p class="normal">Towards morning, however, exhaustion overcame all, and he slept long -and profoundly. How long indeed he did not know, for he had forgot to -wind up his watch; but, at all events, he woke refreshed and calm, his -headach gone, and the pain of his hurt ancle so much relieved, that he -fancied he could do anything, and at once sprang out of bed. He -instantly found his mistake; for the moment he attempted to set that -foot to the ground, he reeled, and would have fallen but for his hold -of the bedstead; and, on examining more closely, he found his leg -enormously swelled, and bidding fair, as the smuggler had predicted, -to confine him to the house for more than one day. Notwithstanding -this discovery, he determined to make his way to the window before any -one interrupted him, in order to examine the <i>local</i>, and what was -passing without; and by means of the table and the chairs he contrived -to effect this purpose.</p> - -<p class="normal">The scene that presented itself, was one that may be met with about -once every three miles along the greater part of the southern and -eastern coasts of England--a small sandy bay opening out into the wide -blue sea, with two or three high cliffs on either hand, and nothing -more. In the present instance, however, an object struck the eyes of -Henry Beauchamp, which was not without its peculiar interest. It was a -small low-rigged cutter, just making her way out to sea, with a full -steady wind, and a press of sail. He looked up to the sky; and as far -as he could judge, from the position of the sun, concluded that one or -two hours must have passed since noon. At the same time, there was no -sound of voices below; a lad was seen mending one of the boats on the -shore; and a man, in whom he easily distinguished the old smuggler, -was standing on the nearest bank, with a glass to his eye, either -watching the progress of the cutter, or examining a vessel that could -just be seen hull down in the offing. All seemed to imply, that those -who had brought him thither had effected their escape from England; -and after gazing out for a moment he returned to his bedside, and -proceeded to dress himself as well as he could. The gentleman who -threaded the Dćdalion labyrinth, and slew Mrs. Pasephae's illegitimate -son at the end of it, had not half such a piece of work of it, as -Henry Beauchamp had, to get into his clothes. It is wonderful how much -more use one makes of one's foot even in dressing oneself, than one -knows anything about; and what would have come of it in the present -instance, can hardly be divined, had it not so happened that, after -Beauchamp had struggled with innumerable difficulties for nearly half -an hour, the old smuggler presented himself as a somewhat rude -valet-de-chambre, and saved his guest from martyrdom.</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man, in his quality of surgeon, blamed Beauchamp highly for -getting up at all; and, pointing out the swelled state of his ancle, -declared that he would only let him remain up, on condition that he -would keep it raised upon a chair during the rest of the day.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp was perhaps a little irritable with the contention he had -just gone through with various parts of his apparel; and consequently, -seating himself calmly on the nearest chair, he informed the old man, -in a cool determined tone, that it was his intention immediately to -proceed to Dorchester, which, as far as he could calculate, was the -nearest large town. He was met by the smuggler, however, in a way that -he did not expect, and this, of course, gave a sudden change to the -current of his feelings. Instead of telling him that he could not go, -or that he should not go, or any of those things which would have -rendered him more determined than ever, the old man replied in a civil -tone:--"Well, sir, you can do as you like; but I don't see how you can -manage it to-night, for it is now near four--Dorchester's twenty miles -off; and even were I to send for a shay, it can't come down within two -mile of this place--cause there is no road."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Past four is it?" cried Beauchamp. "I must have slept sound."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I dare say you were tired enough, sir," replied the old man; "but it -is past four, indeed--and, as I was saying, Dorchester is twenty -miles, and the next town is ten. You are very welcome to your bed, -sir; and I think you had a great deal better stay till you can walk a -bit."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp mused; for his situation was certainly a very unpleasant -one. He knew it to be his duty to give immediate information of what -had occurred to himself, to those persons who might investigate the -matter thoroughly, and discover whether a greater offence had not been -committed. At the same time, he felt the impossibility of walking two -miles, if his life had been at stake; while he did not think it would -be either wise or safe to intrust to a man of so doubtful a character -as this Willy Small, even his suspicions in regard to persons, with -one of whom, at least, the smuggler was on terms of friendship. It was -impossible to say what the fear of being implicated in such a -transaction, as Beauchamp believed to have taken place, might cause -him to do, if he found that he had in his power the only person who -could prove his connexion with the culprits. At the same time, the -man's tone was perfectly civil, and even kind; and as soon as -Beauchamp found that no opposition was intended to the exercise of his -free-will, he of course dropped the more peremptory manner he had -assumed, and determined to try milder means instead, though he well -knew that no measures would have proved successful, had the smuggler -made up his mind to risk after consequences, in order to gain the -present object.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If these places be so far by land," he said, at length, "is it not -possible that I can get a boat to carry me to the next town on the -coast?--I see two lying there upon the beach; and I will pay well for -one, if it can be procured."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, sir, for the matter of that," answered the smuggler, "one of the -boats has not been sea-worthy these three months, and the other -unfortunately got badly damaged this morning in taking those fellows -and the woman to the cutter.--They would not wait till high water, and -seemed in a devil of a hurry to get aboard; and how my boy managed it, -or whether the old un had a hand in it, I don't know, but they had all -near been swamped, and the boat can't be reckoned on, d'ye see!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp's lip curled, as he thought that he perceived a -determination to oppose his departure by fair means, if not by force; -but the smuggler instantly caught it, and interpreting it aright, -replied with a glowing cheek and a look of candour, that went farther -to convince his hearer than all the oratory or bullying in the world -would have done.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well! I see what it is," he said. "You think that I want to -keep you, while those fellows sheer off clear. But they are gone, and -that's done; and sorry am I that I ever saw their faces, for I've a -notion that there's somewhat worse at bottom than I thought for. But -never mind that. Your honour's a gentleman, at least such I take you -to be; and d--me if I have a hand in stopping your going wherever you -like. If you like to get under weigh to-night, why, I say nothing; and -I will even send the boy Bill over to ---- for horses and a shay, -though I think you had better stay here, a devil of a deal; and as for -the boat, you may hop down and look at her yourself, and you will see -that it will be this time to-morrow before all's right again. So your -honour may just do as you like--I say nothing, do you see?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have said enough to make me believe you an honest man," replied -Beauchamp; "and if what I suspect of your late inmates be true, you -may find my testimony in your favour no slight matter.--What they have -done," he added, seeing the old man's curiosity awakened, "I can only -suspect, as you do yourself. All I know, of my own personal knowledge, -is that, as I was accidentally coming upon them unawares, they thought -fit to knock me down, and brought me hither; but I should certainly -think you would find it most safe and most creditable to go -immediately to the next magistrate and give information."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, no!" cried the smuggler--"No, by ----, I won't peach; and, -besides, I know nothing about them!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am well aware, my good friend," replied Beauchamp, "that you have -been deceived; for I will tell you fairly that I heard unwillingly all -that past between you and the young sailor, in the next room, last -night. Take my word for it, however, that there has been no smuggling -in the business."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man started, but Beauchamp went on. "Smuggling had nothing to do -with it; but as I know that your ideas of honour are very different -from mine, I shall not of course press you to inform against men, -whose crime you do not fully know, and whose guilt I myself could not -clearly prove. Nevertheless, I must do my duty, and, well or ill, I -must make my way to Dorchester to-morrow, in executing which purpose, -I am sure you will aid me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I will, sir! That I will!" answered the old man. "I will leave -Bill to mend the boat, and I will set out for ---- by daylight, and -you shall have a shay down at the red stile by two o'clock at -farthest. No! No! I will never peach against a poor lad who trusted -me; but somehow, what your honour has said, has made me feel a little -queerish--I should like to know the truth of the business vastly--I -don't like these jobs, that I don't--anything in the way of business I -don't mind--but I don't--no I don't like these jobs at all!"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was very evident, from the changed and anxious countenance which -the old smuggler now presented, that what he said was very true; and -though he could talk with the utmost coolness of killing a king's -officer in a smuggling brawl, yet the vague and doubtful nature of the -transactions into which he had been unwittingly entrapped, filled him -with anxious apprehensions.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well, my good friend!" replied Beauchamp, whose object was not -to alarm him too much on his own account, "At all events you have -nothing to do with it, and I can bear witness to the conversation -which took place between you and the young sailor last night, and -which would at any time establish your ignorance of the whole facts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank your honour! Thank your honour!" cried the old man with evident -heartfelt satisfaction. "Your honour's a gentleman---that you are; and -I am sure that I would do anything your honour tells me--that's to -say, I wouldn't like to peach, d'ye see--but anything else."</p> - -<p class="normal">"All that can be required of you," replied Beauchamp, "is not to -obstruct the course of justice; and, therefore, I shall trust to you -to set out as early as possible to-morrow, to get me some conveyance; -and farther, should you be called upon hereafter to give evidence in -this business, take my advice, and tell the whole truth boldly and -straightforwardly; for depend upon it, to tell a falsehood or to -prevaricate, is the most dishonourable thing a man can do, whether his -station be high or low."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That it is sir, surely--that it is!" replied the smuggler; "and I -will tell the truth when I am asked. But that is different, your -honour knows, from going and telling without any one asking me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly it is," said Beauchamp; "and I do not ask you to do more -than tell it when it is asked--But now, my good sir, can I get dinner, -or breakfast as it is to me; for I begin to feel that I have not eaten -any thing for several hours?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, that's what I call being d--d stupid!" cried Willy Small, much -to Beauchamp's surprise, who at first concluded that the smuggler's -censure was addressed to him. "If my old woman did not send me up on -purpose to tell your honour that she had done you three mackerel, and -that, with a rasher of pickled pork, and some fried"--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God!" cried Beauchamp, "I trust that she does not intend me to -eat three mackerel, pickled pork, and fried anything!--But never -mind--let me see them, by all means. I will eat what I can; and she -must excuse me the rest."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp's dinner was accordingly placed before him; and with his -usual perversity of disposition, it must be acknowledged that, in a -smuggler's cottage, with a lame leg, and disappointed in love, he ate -a better dinner of mackerel in October, salted pork, and fried eggs, -than he had done since he left the Grand St. Bernard. There's a hero! -Ulysses was nothing to him, though dressed in a dishclout! The hero of -the Odyssey did sit down with twenty fellows who were making love to -his own wife, and supped heartily upon the "entrails, fat, enriched -with blood," by which Homer undoubtedly meant black puddings.</p> - -<p class="normal">When he had concluded--as Beauchamp could, when he liked it, cast off -his reserve, mingle freely with all classes, and examine nature -wherever he found it--he declared that, as the evening was somewhat -chilly, he would come down and spend the rest of it by the kitchen -fire; and, getting to the bottom of the stairs the best way he could, -by the help of the old man and his son, he soon rendered himself -familiar with the whole family, winning their love, while he made them -more and more inclined to declare, that he was really a gentleman.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nor did the time pass unpleasantly to himself. He had got a notion, in -direct opposition to generally received opinions, that nature was to -be found only in the highest and in the lowest classes--more -especially indeed in the highest, because the persons of which it is -constituted have little inducement to conceal their feelings or -thoughts, and certainly no wish to affect the manners of any other -cast. Nature, however, as modified by the education of the lower -classes, was more interesting to him, from being less frequently -before his eyes; and, though he certainly liked the nature of his own -rank best, yet he was not sorry occasionally to observe the other a -little nearer. Thus the time wore imperceptibly away; and the more -tranquil passing of the night was only interrupted by the smuggler's -son showing his father a powder-flask, which, he said, one of the -gentlemen had dropped upon the beach that morning. Beauchamp took it -carelessly in his hand, and returned it without observation; but a -single glance had shown him that it was one which, from some fault in -it construction, he had given to his servant, Harding, a few days -before. The sight, though it but confirmed former suspicions, threw -him into a fit of musing for several minutes; but he shook it off as -fast as possible, and soon resumed the easy tone in which he had been -previously conversing.</p> - -<p class="normal">The next morning he woke earlier than the day before; but he found -from the smuggler's son, that the old man, true to his word, had -already set out to procure a post-chaise for him from the nearest -town. Many an hour passed by, however, without his return, and it was -again nearly four o'clock ere Beauchamp, whose sole amusement had been -looking out upon the ever varying sea, beheld him walking sturdily -along over the high grounds to the west. He was soon down the little -path, and into the house; but Beauchamp remarked that he paused not -below, as he naturally might have done, to speak with his wife; but, -on the contrary, with a hurried pace proceeded straight up stairs, and -entered the stranger's room at once. He was far too much agitated to -think of ceremonies; and, leaning on the table without taking off his -hat, he stood before Beauchamp, pale, trembling, and out of breath, -for several moments before he could utter a word.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, your honour!" he cried at length. "Oh, your honour! I hope to God -you will stand my friend--for this is a horrible business I have got -into, and, without help, I shall sink--that's certain!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the matter? What has happened?" demanded Beauchamp, eagerly; -but then, seeing the fearful state of agitation which shook the whole -of the old man's powerful frame, he added, "Calm yourself! Calm -yourself, Small! You have done nothing that I know of that can injure -you! Let me hear what it is alarms you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank you, sir, for that!" replied the smuggler, catching at -Beauchamp's consolation. "Thank you for that! If you stand by me, I -dare say I shall do--but what is it that alarms me? you ask. Why, what -should it be? Why, when I went into the town of ----, what should I -see but a number of people standing round the town-hall---just at a -particular spot like; and something misgave me, so I went up, and -there I saw stuck up against the wall a large sheet of paper, and at -the top was printed, <i>Five Hundred Pounds Reward</i>; and then, when I -looked below, I saw, in bigger letters still, <i>Murder!</i> At first I -could not see any more, my brain turned round so; but when I could -read on, I saw in the <i>Blagard</i>, as the people called it, how those -infernal villains who were here the night afore last had murdered a -poor old helpless man at a place they call Ryebury--It did not just -say it was them indeed, but I am sure it was--Oh, I am quite sure it -was them!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The last declaration of his conviction was made more faintly, as if he -entertained some slight hope that Beauchamp would contradict him; but, -on the contrary, that gentleman replied, "I am afraid it was, indeed; -for it was at that very place, Ryebury, and at the door of that old -man's house, that they met me, and stunned me by a blow on the -head.--But what more did the placard say?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, it mentioned a Captain Somebody," replied the smuggler. "I -forget the name. It was a Frenchified name, however. It was that -black-looking ---- with the whiskers, I'll bet a puncheon!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was it Harding?" demanded Beauchamp, fixing his eyes upon him -eagerly, to catch his answer from his look, even before he had time to -utter it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, no!" answered the smuggler. "It was not Harding. It was some -Frenchified name; and then there came some person or persons unknown. -But now your honour will stand by me, I am sure--for if the justices -find out that I helped them off the coast, they will make me out as -having a hand in it; and I am sure that if I had known what they had -been doing, I would sooner have scuttled the cutter and sent them all -to the bottom, if I had gone down with them myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I really believe you would," replied Beauchamp; "and I do not think -that--with the evidence which I can give, and which I will give in -your favour, should anything be brought against you--there is the -slightest cause for your entertaining any apprehension."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank you, sir! Thank you for that!" replied the smuggler. "That -will make me easy, and now I'll go and tell the old woman."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But stay, stay, my good friend!" cried Beauchamp. Is the -post-chaise"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lord-a'-mercy, now!" cried the man, before his guest could finish the -sentence, at the same time pulling off his hat, and throwing it down -upon the ground with a despairing sort of fling. "Lord-a'-mercy, now, -if I did not forget all about it! This murder has turned my brain, I -do think--for I never went into a house or shed in the whole place, -but set off home as hard as I could go, to ask if your honour would -stand by me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Humph!" said Beauchamp. "This is pleasant."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER III.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"Well," thought Beauchamp, "I certainly did calculate upon -being at -Dorchester to-night, as firmly as if I had never read the Rambler. Oh, -Seged, Seged, emperor of Ethiopia! But never mind! to-morrow, at all -events, nothing shall stop me; and by that time this leg of mine will -be nearly well; so that some advantage at least will be gained by the -disappointment."</p> - -<p class="normal">The following morning the son, instead of the father, was accordingly -despatched to the post-town of ----, to order down a chaise -immediately to the nearest point of the high-road; and he was, -moreover, directed to take advantage of the conveyance, to return so -far upon his way, in order to give Beauchamp notice of its arrival. -This precaution was not unnecessary, for the boy was a lout, who might -very probably have suffered the chaise to go on without him; but -having taken these measures, Beauchamp very confidently expected to -hear that his vehicle was in waiting, at or about the hour of two.</p> - -<p class="normal">His lameness had by this time so far worn off, that he could move from -place to place with tolerable ease; and he spent the morning -principally on the sea-shore, partly in thoughts which were all the -busier from the forced inactivity of his body, partly in removing any -remaining traces of apprehension from the mind of the old smuggler, -who continued working leisurely and lazily at his boat, the damage -done to which had evidently been considerable. A little before two -o'clock, Beauchamp settled his accounts with his hostess; and all -charges being left to his own liberality, and his purse being luckily -and miraculously still in his pocket, he presented the worthy dame -with a sum so much above either her expectations, or the value of her -mackerel and pickled pork, as, in the first place, to make her turn -red with surprise and satisfaction, and then run out to tell her -husband what the stranger had given them. Two o'clock, however, -passed, and old Billy Small began to regret that he had sent young -Billy Small, instead of going himself. Three o'clock passed, and -Beauchamp joined most sincerely in the regret, especially when he -heard the old man exclaim, in the tone of a discovery, "I'd bet a -puncheon, now, that Bill has gone and got drunk at the 'lection. I -forgot this was the first day of the 'lection for the borough, or I -would ha' gone myself to a certainty. He's drunk, no doubt!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The father, however, did the son injustice; for towards half-past -three, the good youth appeared lumbering over the hill, and entered -the cottage, wiping his brow, indeed, but with a sober pace. In answer -to Beauchamp's enquiries--which were made with more eager haste than -he generally indulged in--the young man replied, that all the horses -in the town, and for many miles round it, were engaged in the -<i>'lection</i>, so that not one was to be got for love or money.</p> - -<p class="normal">Now, Beauchamp found himself so strongly inclined to be cross, -that--instead of either sending all elections to that distinguished -personage who has gained more by them and their consequences than any -one else--I mean the devil--or vituperating the post-horses, or any of -the other things concerned, as some persons would have done when put -out of temper by similar mischances--he acted, of course, in a way of -his own, and laughed outright, merely exclaiming, "Well, I must buy a -shirt of you, Small, if you will sell me one; for at present I -certainly do not come within the old beau's definition of a -gentleman!"</p> - -<p class="normal">As Beauchamp now determined to send no more to a town in which the -election of a fit and proper person to represent his Majesty's lieges -in Parliament was going on, his next questions related to the boat, or -rather to the boats. The smaller of the two, old Small assured him, -though it served well enough to catch mackerel in the little sheltered -bay before the house, would never do to go any distance; but he -promised Beauchamp that the other boat should be ready to carry him to -the next coast town by three o'clock on the following day.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp, from what he had seen in the morning, imagined that the old -man's promise might very well be fulfilled; but he little knew what -mending an old boat is. Father and son set to work upon it at once, -and went on as long as they could see; and, when the young stranger -rose next morning, he found them already occupied in the same manner. -His ancle being now greatly better, though not well, he walked out to -watch their proceedings; and, sitting beside them, and occasionally -giving some slight assistance, he saw hour after hour of the fourth -day since his arrival wear away, in performing what he had imagined -would have been completed in half the time; till at length, while -several small things still remained to be done, he beheld the purple -mingling with the blue in the sky, and telling that the daystar was -going down to the dark pavilion of his rest. "Oh! Seged, Seged, -emperor of Ethiopia!" cried Beauchamp, as he returned into the -cottage, "I will this night, at all events, resolve upon doing nothing -at all to-morrow, in order to see whether fate will for once -disappoint me the right way!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The morrow, however, dawned bright and clear--the boat was at length -ready and launched; and Beauchamp--shaved as usual with the smuggler's -one universal razor, and covered with the best specimen of his -check-shirts--gladly stepped into the yawl, and saw her pushed off -from the land by the united efforts of father and son, both of whom -accompanied him on his voyage.</p> - -<p class="normal">The boat was clinker-built, somewhat broad over the beam, and in all -respects the very reverse of a long, thin, shadowy thing that was -lying high and dry a little farther up the beach, looking both in form -and colour just like the shell of a razor-fish.</p> - -<p class="normal">Old Willy Small, however, shook his head at mention of that craft, -saying, "No, no! The preventive had knocked up all that stuff." So -that Beauchamp, well content to get off at all, was obliged to rest -satisfied with the slow and sure means of progression which the yawl -afforded, though, the wind being light and rather baffling, it -appeared very plainly that they were not destined to reach their port -much before nightfall.</p> - -<p class="normal">To increase the tediousness of a day's voyage in an open boat, to a -man who had the utmost abhorrence of every sort of water-carriage, the -fine morning waxed more and more dim; and first a drizzle, and then a -deluge, continued to pour from the sky during the whole of the rest of -the day. It was five o'clock before they reached the small town, whose -white houses, ranged along with their large goggling windows directly -opposite the sea, like a score or two of unsophisticated girls, with -white frocks and large black eyes, ranged along the side of a country -ball-room, afforded a most welcome sight to the eyes of the weary -voyager.</p> - -<p class="normal">The custom-house officers satisfied themselves with wonderful ease -that there was nothing in the boat which they could count as lawful -prey, though the appearance of their well-known acquaintance, Willy -Small, excited many a shrewd suspicion; and they looked after -Beauchamp, as he was borne off to the inn, with the same prying glance -with which the merchants, in the Arabian Nights, might be supposed to -have examined the pieces of beef brought up by the eagles from the -valley of diamonds. At the inn the dripping traveller, who limped -along, leaning on the shoulder of the old smuggler, was examined -with scarcely less attention, as soon as it was ascertained that he -had no baggage; but, somehow, there was--to use a most fearful -periphrasis--an air of, right to respect, and of, the habit of being -obeyed, which instantly commanded obedience and attention.</p> - -<p class="normal">Old Billy Small was immediately rewarded and dismissed; and, with many -thanks, he hustled rapidly away, like a hunted hippopotamus, to his -own element again; perhaps purposing, as he passed by the quay, to -have some short conversation, concerning various professional matters, -with some of the sailors of a ship which was lying in the harbour, and -about to sail for Cherbourg the next morning.</p> - -<p class="normal">When he was alone, Beauchamp thanked God--not with the empty idleness -of tongue with which those words are so often spoken, but truly, -sincerely, and from his heart--for his escape from dangers which he -had not suffered himself to estimate fully, till they were over. He -then rang, and desired the landlord to be called, feeling heated and -weary, and having taken it into his head, that the long period which -had elapsed since he had enjoyed anything like gentlemanly neatness of -person, was the cause of the dry and thirsty feeling that he -experienced.</p> - -<p class="normal">The landlord appeared and answered his enquiries concerning warm -baths, and various other matters which would occupy too much room to -enumerate, eyeing him curiously to the end, when he added--"Beg -pardon, sir--beg pardon! but is not your name Major Beauchamp?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was some time ago," replied Mr. Beauchamp; "but I have quitted the -service, and am now plain Mr. Beauchamp, if you please--but who are -you, my good friend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Beg your pardon, sir, for the liberty," replied the landlord; "but I -am Frank, the waiter at ----'s Hotel, in St. James's Street--that is -to say, I was, sir; but this being my native place, and having got -together a little money, and having married, and--you see, sir, I came -to set up in a small way for myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I am glad to see you, Frank, and hope you prosper," replied -Beauchamp. "Have you many people in your house?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir, no! answered the man, with a somewhat grave shake of the -head. Not many; the season's over indeed--only an old gentleman and -his daughter, and an old lady who seems like the housekeeper; but they -are very dismal-like, and do not do so much in the way of our -business."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They might be rueful enough, if they had been kept as I have been for -the last five days," replied Beauchamp, "at a little cottage on the -sea-shore, with a dislocated ancle, and neither clothes, assistance, -nor the means of procuring any. But see about the things I mentioned, -Frank, and send the things; and if these warm baths are not far, I -will try to walk to them, in the mean time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Next door but one, sir! Next door but one!" replied the landlord. -"Lord, sir, you walk very lame! Stay, sir, I will get my hat, and help -you there;" and accordingly, leaning on the arm of the quondam waiter, -Beauchamp made his way to the warm baths, feeling that there was some -truth in the old Greek epigram, which describes them as amongst the -luxuries without which life were not worth possessing.</p> - -<p class="normal">Returning to the inn, where his family and fortune, by this time fully -known, made the whole house ready to perform <i>Cow Tow</i> he dined with -that sort of moderation which a man feels inclined to practise, when -he finds himself extremely feverish, and when every sort of wine, from -cool claret to hot sherry, seems like molten lead, within ten minutes -after it is swallowed. Immediately after dinner, all the necessary -changes of raiment, which he had been so long without, and which could -never be so rapidly supplied as at a seaport town, were brought in -one by one, by the officious care of the landlord; and, on discovering -that the first coach for London set off on the following morning at -ten o'clock, he made that fact a good excuse to himself for yielding -to the lassitude he felt, and going to bed at nine.</p> - -<p class="normal">The night past in heated tossing to and fro; and short fitful -intervals of sleep, too dreamful and agitated to be called repose. -From one of those brief snatches of slumber, he was awakened early the -next morning, by some one knocking at the door of the room next to his -own, and exclaiming in a loud tone, "Seven o'clock, sir, is the -luggage ready?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp certainly wished the luggage and the man who demanded it, at -the bottom of the sea together, and tried to go to sleep again; but -after rolling from side to side for half an hour, he found that it was -in vain. All the infamous noises which announce that some frightful -people, in the neighbouring chambers of the same inn, are going to set -out upon voyage or journey, at an awfully early hour, were complicated -around Beauchamp's unfortunate head; and at length, after the -trampling of sailors and porters in the passage had ceased, he heard -some one again knock at a door, on the opposite side of the passage, -and say, "My love, I must go down to see the luggage passed and put on -board; but make haste and be ready, for the ship will sail directly. I -will send up and let you know when to come down."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp started out of bed, and hurried on his clothes as fast as -possible, for the voice was that of Sir Sidney Delaware; but his -lameness still retarded him, and every time he took a quick step, his -ancle gave way beneath him, and caused him intolerable pain; so that, -just as he was tying his cravat, the voice of old Mrs. Williams, the -housekeeper, was heard along the passage.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Miss Blanche! Miss Blanche!" she cried, "Make haste, pray make haste! -Your papa says all is ready, and the ship is just going to sail."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp pulled on his coat as best he might, and threw open his -door; nor was he a moment too soon, for Blanche Delaware was already -walking along the passage. She was paler far, but as beautiful as -ever, and not the less so that the tears were swimming in her eyes at -the thought of quitting her own dear fair native land--perhaps for -ever.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God, Miss Delaware!" cried Beauchamp, "What is the meaning of -this?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Burrel!" exclaimed Blanche faintly, while the blood mounted quick -into her cheek, and then again left it pale as ashes. "Oh, Mr. Burrel, -where have you been? Your presence might perhaps have saved us all!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"How, how?" cried Beauchamp, "You sent me from you, yourself. Had it -not been for your own word, I would never, never have left you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not--do not say it!" cried Blanche, while the tears streamed over -her cheeks, "Do not say it, or I shall never forgive myself--I never -have, indeed.--You only could have saved us--and oh, Henry Beauchamp, -I am sure you would have done so!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp started to hear his real name from his fair cousin's lips; -but Blanche went on rapidly and eagerly. "But it seems all strange to -you. Have you not heard of my poor brother? Have you not heard what -has happened?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have heard nothing!" replied Beauchamp. "I have been detained for -several days, ill and wretched, in a spot where I heard nothing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh!" cried Blanche, wringing her hands, "they have accused him of -crimes he never committed, and blasted his name, and broken his -heart--and if--if--Henry Beauchamp"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is not the lady coming?" cried a voice from below. "The ship's -getting under weigh, ma'am. You'll be left behind if you don't mind."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed, Miss Blanche, you must come," cried Mrs. Williams, who had -hitherto discreetly remained at the other end of the corridor, when -she saw who it was detained her young mistress. "You must come, -indeed!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will--I will!" said Blanche, and, dropping her voice, she -added--while for one moment she raised her beautiful eyes to -Beauchamp's face, and the warm blood mounted again into her -cheek--"Henry Beauchamp--my dear cousin--it is most likely the last -time we shall ever meet--but if ever you loved me--if you would have -poor Blanche Delaware bless and pray for you to her last hour--use -your whole strength and mind to clear my poor brother's name and -character--God bless you, God bless you!" and she ran on, down the -stairs.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp paused for a moment in utter bewilderment, then, darting -into his room, seized his hat, and followed with all the speed he -could employ. That, however, was but little. The harbour was not far, -it is true; but ere he could reach the narrow pier, from which the -passengers had been embarked, the ship bound to Cherbourg had shot out -to sea, and with a strong and favourable wind, was making its way -towards the coast of France.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp gazed after her in vain; for nothing but the faint -indistinct forms of the many people that crowded the deck, could now -be discovered; and with feelings as bitter and painful as ever man -felt, he turned away and went back to the inn.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">On entering the sitting-room which had been appropriated to -him, -Beauchamp cast himself back in a chair, and, for a moment, reflected -on the extraordinary interview he had just gone through. But a new -discomfort now assailed him, and he felt a degree of confusion of -thought, and even indistinctness of memory, that pained and alarmed -him. Could the blow he had received on the head, he asked himself, the -consequences of which he had entirely neglected--could it have injured -his brain? Nevertheless, his personal feelings occupied him but for an -instant, and were only permitted to cut across his thoughts of Blanche -Delaware, and interrupt the ideas which his conversation with her had -called up, when the dizzy mistiness of his brain prevented him from -pursuing clearly any defined train of thinking.</p> - -<p class="normal">Should he engage a boat, he asked himself, and follow Sir Sidney to -Cherbourg, in search of farther explanations--perhaps, I might say, in -search of farther hopes; for with all the confused and painful -feelings that his brief interview with Blanche Delaware had excited; -there had also been left behind a sweet consoling hope, that after all -he was beloved, and that time might yet make her his own.</p> - -<p class="normal">He paused upon that idea, which, like a gleam of sunshine upon the -dark and struggling waters of the sea, gave one bright spot for the -mind's eye to rest upon, in the midst of the doubts and anxieties that -whirled around him. Should he follow her, he thought, and enquire what -was meant by her allusion to her brother; or should he stay and do -what he conceived to be his duty, in bringing to justice, as far as he -could effect it, the men who had committed the crime at Ryebury. "I -will see what has been already discovered," he said at length, "and -then act as I find necessary."</p> - -<p class="normal">In consequence of this resolution, he rang the bell, and demanded the -newspapers of the last two or three days; but for some minutes after -they were brought, he could scarcely read the matter they contained, -so fearfully did the letters dance before his sight, when he attempted -to fix his eyes upon the page. He succeeded at length in gathering the -contents; and, it may be unnecessary to say, that when he did so, he -found sufficient, at once to determine his conduct. The whole account -of what had taken place at Emberton was now before him; and with -feelings, that it is impossible to describe, he perceived that the -very means he had taken to remove the difficulties of Sir Sidney -Delaware and his family, had, on the contrary, accumulated upon them a -load of evils and distresses which his utmost apprehensions could -never have anticipated.</p> - -<p class="normal">Summoning the waiter once more, he ordered breakfast, and a place to -be secured for him in the London coach. All was done according to his -desire, with prompt activity; and by a quarter after ten, Henry -Beauchamp was on his way to London, in the inside of a hot -stage-coach, crammed full of humanity; while his own feelings -consisted of a compound of intense mental anxiety, and all those -horrible corporeal sensations which precede a violent attack of fever. -His hands and his head burned like living coals; his feet were as cold -as ice, and a faint sort of chilly shiverings thrilled over all his -frame, alternating with a degree of heat that became sometimes -intolerable.</p> - -<p class="normal">He endured all this, with firm determination, for six mortal hours; -but at length he found that nature would bear no more, and that he -must stop. At Hartford Bridge, then, where his name and station in -society were well known, from his having often spent a night in that -most pleasant of all country inns--the White Lion--he desired the -coachman to put him down, and entered the house. His appearance was so -altered, that the old waiter did not recognize him for a moment; but -the moment that he did so, he declared, upon his word then, that Major -Beauchamp must be ill, in which assertion Beauchamp found strong -reason within his own bosom to coincide.</p> - -<p class="normal">The result therefore was, that, before the sixth day after he had been -carried from Emberton was completely over, Henry Beauchamp was in bed, -with an apothecary gently compressing his wrist on one side, and a -waiter holding the candle on the other. After innumerable questions, -to all of which the young gentleman answered like a lamb--which showed -how ill he was--the apothecary declared him in a state of fever, and -bled him considerably. By this depletion, he certainly felt relieved -for the time, and the next morning was not at all worse than he had -been the day before. Nevertheless, he was troubled with no inclination -to rise; and the landlord asked anxiously of the man of medicine -whether he conceived his patient to be in any danger, as he was aware -that the gentleman had relations of high rank in London, whom he might -wish to write to, if he knew himself in precarious circumstances.</p> - -<p class="normal">Such a question, though so frequently put, remains still one of -tremendous difficulty to the professors of the healing art, inasmuch -as, on the one hand, they never can like, by acknowledging that there -is great danger, to run the risk of other advice being called in, and -yet, they neither choose to lose the credit which may accrue from -curing a bad case, nor to incur the blame that will attach to them if -their patient dies without their having admitted his peril. However, -as vanity and covetousness are, generally speaking, stronger passions -than apprehension, the followers of Esculapius usually seem to prefer -running all risks, rather than have their cases interfered with by -another practitioner. In the present instance, it occurred that the -apothecary was really in the right, when he informed the worthy -landlord, that, although his guest had certainly a sharp fever upon -him, yet he did not see any present danger.</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus passed over the day. No one was written to; and, before night, -Beauchamp was not in a state to write to any one himself, having -become completely delirious. The apothecary grew a little frightened; -but as the landlord did not know the precise address of Beauchamp's -friends, and as the patient could not give it himself, there was no -remedy but patience and perseverance.</p> - -<p class="normal">The delirium continued with but little interval for two days; but as -the medical man was really a person of skill, his patient's -constitution excellent, and the fever not very malignant in its -nature, favourable symptoms began to show themselves sooner than could -have been expected, and at the end of five days more the young -gentleman was pronounced convalescent.</p> - -<p class="normal">Though for some time he felt himself very weak, and incapable of much -mental exertion; yet, from the moment the delirium left him, Henry -Beauchamp found his thoughts much clearer and more exact than they had -been since the day of his leaving Emberton; and, as he considered the -various events which had taken place, a number of circumstances which -the reader's mind may easily recall without minute recapitulation, led -him to suspect that his uncle's lawyer, if not his uncle himself, had -increased, if not created, many of those difficulties which, combined -with accidental occurrences, had overwhelmed Sir Sidney Delaware and -his family in ruin and in sorrow.</p> - -<p class="normal">He was unwilling indeed to admit, to his own mind, that Lord -Ashborough would descend to any thing mean or dishonourable, even to -effect the very honourable purpose of revenge, which, when formalized -by the rules of the monomachia, justifies murder; and therefore may -surely equally well justify robbery, or fraud, or petty larceny, or -any other peccadillo. But, at the same time, Beauchamp could not shut -out the conviction, that the ruin of Sir Sidney Delaware and his -family, by whatever means effected, would be in no degree disagreeable -to the noble earl. In fact, he had seen more deeply into his uncle's -character and into his uncle's heart, than Lord Ashborough knew; and -though his discoveries were rendered less harsh by the natural -affection of kindred, yet they had certainly not tended to increase -that affection in any extraordinary degree.</p> - -<p class="normal">However, all his reflections terminated in an uncertainty as to the -past conduct of his uncle and his uncle's lawyer, which made him -resolve to investigate the whole matter farther before he acted; for -though he was unchangeably resolved that justice to William Delaware -should be done, yet he was anxious, of course, that it should be -rendered with as little obloquy to his own relation as possible. -"Thank God, he has made his escape!" he thought; "and the earl, too, -must have left London soon after I quitted it myself, so that he -cannot be at all acquainted with my share in this unfortunate business -at Ryebury. I will therefore remain quietly where I am till I can -proceed to London, and then investigate every circumstance before I -fix upon any farther plans. Of course, I shall easily discover the -residence of Sir Sidney Delaware in France; and, when I have cleared -his son's fair fame, may meet them all, with better hopes and brighter -prospects."</p> - -<p class="normal">Such were some of the reflections and resolutions of Henry Beauchamp, -as he was recovering from the fever which had detained him at Hartford -Bridge; and though he certainly indulged in a great many other -reflections, and formed a great many more resolutions, yet they were -all conceived in the same strain, and tended to the same effect. As -day by day, however, he began to acquire strength, and saw that at the -end of two or three more whirls of the great humming-top, he would be -able to set out for London, a new difficulty pressed upon him of -somewhat a novel nature. He had an inn bill to pay, which could not be -small--he had an apothecary's bill to pay also, which must be still -larger, and sick-nurses, &c., came at the end to swell the amount. Ten -sovereigns was all that remained in his purse; and had Beauchamp been -aware that, in the opinion of all his friends and relations, he was -actually dead and buried under water, if not under ground, he might -have been still more puzzled how to proceed than he was, in his state -of blessed ignorance regarding all these facts.</p> - -<p class="normal">His resource, in the present instance, was to indite a letter to his -worthy friend and agent Mr. Wilkinson, informing him, in a few words, -that he had been ill at Hartford Bridge, and would thank him to send -him down, either by post or coach, a sufficient sum to pay his -temporary expenses.</p> - -<p class="normal">This epistle reached Mr. Wilkinson just as he was drawing up a general -statement of the money matters of the late Henry Beauchamp, Esq., -formerly of his Majesty's ---- Regiment of Dragoons; and the letter of -the living Mr. Beauchamp, of course, put a sudden stop to the affairs -of the dead one. The handwriting, however, although certainly bearing -a great resemblance to that of his client, was, as Mr. Wilkinson -observed, more like a copy of his hand than his hand itself; and the -illness which had produced this difference, had also produced a -brevity and carelessness of style, in which Henry Beauchamp was not -accustomed to indulge. The consequence of all this was, that Mr. -Wilkinson, calculating that Hartford Bridge was only thirty miles from -London, and that two or three guineas was better lost than two or -three hundreds, put himself at once into the coach which was to have -conveyed the money; and in a few hours he was sitting beside the -identical Henry Beauchamp, who had left London about two months -before, and was assisting him most conscientiously to despatch the -first meat meal he had been allowed to taste since his recovery.</p> - -<p class="normal">As may well be supposed, this interview was destined to enlighten -Beauchamp greatly as to many events which had taken place; and, after -having laughed at his own death more heartily than a merrier matter -might have occasioned, the invalid entered into explanations with his -lawyer, which in turn gave him a new but sad insight into the -occurrences of the last three weeks.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am afraid, sir," said Mr. Wilkinson--"I am afraid, sir, there has -been very foul play! This Mr. Tims--who, between you and me, bears so -bad a character in the profession, that it is a very general wonder -how your noble relative continues to employ him--has, since your -death--God bless me!--I mean, since your supposed decease--has, I say, -presented the very note for ten thousand pounds, (which you say you -gave to the murdered man at Ryebury,) as payment of the sum owed to -your account by his client, your uncle; and yet, though this, and the -vouchers which he must have found concerning the fifteen thousand -pounds sent before, cannot have failed to show him that the money -tendered by Captain Delaware was advanced by you, yet he is, I -understand, pursuing the business against that unfortunate young -gentleman with greater virulence than ever. I heard only yesterday -that his name had been struck out of the Navy List."</p> - -<p class="normal">"God forbid!" cried Beauchamp--"God forbid! But does the rascal keep -both the twenty-five thousand pounds paid, and the ten thousand which -my uncle should have transferred to my account?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not only that," answered the lawyer; "but contending that, as the -money had been stolen, it did not constitute a legal discharge of Lord -Ashborough's claim upon Sir Sidney Delaware, he has plunged the whole -business into Chancery--has, at the same time, started a point which -can only be decided by a common law court; and as he has all the most -obsolete and vexatious decisions at his fingers' ends, would -undoubtedly have kept the business embroiled for years, had you not -suddenly started up to prove that the payment was legal, and therefore -the whole difficulty at an end."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And if I had not started up," said Burrel, "and William Delaware had -been taken, I suppose one of the most gallant officers in his -Majesty's service, and one of the most generous-spirited gentlemen in -England, would have been hanged for a crime he never committed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I am sorry to say, that it is very probable he might have been -so dealt with," answered Mr. Wilkinson.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then, immortal honour to Robert Peel!" said Beauchamp, "for having -begun a reformation in laws, which, though far superior to those of -any other nation in the world, are yet so imperfect, as to risk such a -loud-tongued iniquity; and may he have life and power granted to him -to correct all their evils without diminishing their efficiency. But -you speak, my dear sir, of my starting up. Now, do you know, I have a -great mind not to start up for some time yet; and to give this rogue, -Tims, time enough to show himself in his true colours. As I am dead, -and the mourning bought, and all those whose hearts would break upon -my account are broken-hearted already, I do not see why I should -announce my resuscitation in the newspapers till I have obtained not -only the proofs--which, indeed, I can furnish myself--of William -Delaware's complete innocence; but the proofs also of the guilt of -those who really did commit the murder; and which, with a little of -your good advice, I doubt not easily to acquire. In the mean time, if -I am not mistaken, good Mr. Tims, counting upon my death, will plunge -deeper and deeper into the quagmire of deceit and villainy through -which he is now struggling, and we shall have an opportunity of at -once exposing him, and opening my uncle's eyes to his knavery."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Wilkinson shook his head with a dry "hum!" at the last sentence -which Beauchamp spoke; but the other part of his young client's -proposal he approved very much, saying, "Certainly, certainly! The -plan is a good one; and we must never show our adversary our cards, as -Mr. Pleydel is made to observe, by the only great romance-writer that -the world has produced since Cervantes, and Le Sage, and Fielding. But -you forget, Mr. Beauchamp, that I do not fully know what information -you possess. Your lawyer must be your confessor, my dear sir, if you -would have his advice of any avail."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp in reply recounted all that had happened to him since he -left Emberton on the morning before the murder--the fact of his -servant Harding overtaking him at Dr. Wilton's rectory--his own return -to Ryebury--his first and second visit to the miser--his compulsory -voyage with the murderers--and his stay at the house of the -smuggler--all in short that had occurred, with the exception of a -brief interview in the corridor of the inn at ----, which he thought -proper to leave untold.</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Wilkinson rubbed his hands at each pause, and, in the end, -declared that nothing was more plain than the facts, and nothing would -be more easy than the proof. "The man Harding," he said, "whom you think -you recognized in the boat with this Walter Harrison, has never -returned to your house in London; and therefore we may conclude from -the fact of the powder-flask, and from your recognition, that he it -really was who committed the murder, with the other two and the -maid-servant, as accessories. Information must be obtained from this -man Small, in regard to the port at which his cutter landed them in -France; and once having gained that, we have nothing to do but set a -Bow Street officer on the track, and he will follow it like a -bloodhound. I entertain as strange doubts in regard to this Mr. Peter -Tims as you do; and believe, from some memoranda on the back of your -note of hand, that he knows fully, at this moment, that Captain -Delaware never had anything to do with the murder of his uncle. Such a -man well deserves to be punished; and if you like to lie <i>incog</i>, for -a week or so, we will watch his proceedings; but you must not take it -ill, my dear sir, if I say, that we must be careful not to implicate -any one whom we might not like to inculpate."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp's cheek flushed a good deal, but he replied calmly, "I -understand you, Mr. Wilkinson; but I am sure there is no fear of that. -However, my own intention is to go at once to France--I shall -certainly endeavour to see my sister first; for if any one on earth -grieves for me indeed, it is poor Maria. But, as I said, I shall -certainly go to France, and may help in tracing these villains -myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, my dear sir," said Mr. Wilkinson, "you must pause a few days. I -will write to the local magistrates, and gain a clear view of all they -have discovered in the neighbourhood. We must have this man Small -examined; and I do not well see how we can proceed without your -presence in England--Suppose, for instance, Captain Delaware should be -taken and brought to trial."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, of course, I will stay a few days," replied Beauchamp musing; -"and, before I go, I will make a formal deposition on oath before a -magistrate, which I suppose I must do, in order to induce him to grant -me an officer to seek the culprits in France."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is an officer in Paris already, I believe," replied Mr. -Wilkinson; "but at all events, we must get full information ere we -proceed. Believe me my dear sir, the man that meddles with law, either -criminal or civil, without obtaining a clear knowledge of every -circumstance before he takes a single step, is very likely, indeed, to -burn his fingers."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a dangerous thing to touch, I know full well," replied -Beauchamp, with a smile, "and God forbid that I should have more to do -with it than necessary. I will therefore come to London, where, I -suppose, that there is not a mortal being left by this time but you -gentlemen of the law, and I may very well pass my time <i>incog</i> at an -hotel."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, indeed, you are mistaken as to the paucity of better people than -lawyers in London," replied Mr. Wilkinson. "Your noble uncle is -himself in town, and your sister. The latter I have had the honour of -seeing, and found her equally in despair about yourself and Captain -Delaware."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed!" said Beauchamp, smiling at a small twinkling of fun that -danced for a moment in Mr. Wilkinson's eyes, as he mentioned Miss -Beauchamp's anxiety in regard to William Delaware. "Indeed! and does -Maria show herself so greatly distressed about this accusation against -her cousin?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"So much so," replied Mr. Wilkinson, "that she would insist upon -employing me in gathering evidence for his defence, which, by the way, -is the cause of my knowing so much about the case. Not only that; but -understanding apparently that there is no such stimulus to a lawyer's -exertions as money, she made me take notes for two hundred pounds to -meet the expenses."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She is very generous, indeed," answered Beauchamp; "but pray, did she -show any inclination to ascertain my existence?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh yes, most eagerly!" replied Mr. Wilkinson. "Come, come, my dear -sir, you must not think that interest in the cousin made her forget -the brother. On the contrary, although she says that she knows you too -well to believe that you would drown yourself--yet"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! did they make it out that I had drowned myself?" cried -Beauchamp. "You did not tell me that before, Mr. Wilkinson!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I thought it might hurt your feelings, and only said it now -incautiously," replied the lawyer; "but so indeed it is. They made it -out that you had drowned yourself in the sea near Emberton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They made a very great mistake, then," said Beauchamp, biting his -lip. "You need not tell me the causes assigned for the rash act as the -newspapers term such things. I can divine them all, as it suited each -person to put them. The ladies, of course, said it was for love, and -the men said debt or gambling. No, no, I shall never commit suicide. I -laughed so heartily once at a philosopher at Geneva, who determined to -commit suicide in a fit of the spleen, that I am sure I could not do -it, even if I felt inclined. He went down to drown himself in the -lake, and, as it was a rainy day, he carefully took his umbrella. When -he came to the side of the water, however, and began to put down the -umbrella, the absurdity of the whole affair of a man drowning himself -with an umbrella in his hand, suddenly tickled his fancy to such a -degree, that he burst into a fit of laughter, and turned upon his -heel. Meeting him with the tears in his eyes, I soon joined in his -merriment when I heard the story; and the very idea of suicide is -connected with such ludicrous ideas, in my mind, that it makes me -laugh even to think of it--But you were saying that my uncle was in -town; how does he console himself for my irreparable loss?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have not seen his lordship," answered Mr. Wilkinson; "but every one -agrees that he has felt your supposed death more bitterly than any -event that ever occurred to him through life. Miss Beauchamp will -never give credit to the story of your death; but Lord Ashborough, I -understand, believes it firmly, and of course, I need not tell you, -that he is surrounded already by hundreds of sycophants, eager to -share in the immense wealth which is now, as they believe, without a -direct heir. Under such circumstances, would it not be better to give -his lordship intimation of your existence, as he may perhaps alter his -will, and life is precarious?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not I!" answered Beauchamp. "Not I! The hereditary estates go with -the title, and I shall take no step whatever to secure anything else. -In fact, I believe that I have contradicted my uncle more frequently -than my sense of respect would have otherwise permitted me to do, -simply because he has two or three hundred thousand pounds to leave, -and I do not choose to be thought a sycophant. I should have been a -very dutiful nephew, indeed, if it had not been for that money; the -more especially, as I know that my good uncle values it so highly -himself, that he cannot help thinking I must value it highly too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"At all events," said Mr. Wilkinson, who saw that his client was -becoming rather fatigued, and, perhaps, the more unmanageable from -that circumstance. "At all events, Mr. Beauchamp, before you set out -once more, like the Knight of La Mancha, upon a new sally in search of -such perilous adventures, you must give me fuller powers to act for -you, and fuller instructions, too, as to how I am to act; for good Mr. -Tims has already been hinting at <i>winding up the affairs of the late -Henry Beauchamp, Esquire</i>, as he phrases it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed!" said Beauchamp. "Indeed! Well, I do believe that if there -were an act for hanging rogues, it would ultimately save a vast waste -of hemp upon thieves, and leave honester men in the world after all. -But I must now let you seek repose; and we will talk more of these -matters to-morrow morning, when, if my Galen will suffer me, I will -accompany you to London; for the last ten days I have been like poor -Erminia:--</p> - -<p style="margin-left:10%"> -'Cibo non prende giŕ che de suoi mali<br> -Solo si pasce, e sol di pianto ha sete?'</p> - -<p class="continue">But I think I have made amends for one evening, at least."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER V.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Now Mr. Wilkinson, though a very pleasant gentlemanly -man--slightly -inclined to be facetious, but never yielding to that vein farther than -a subdued--one might almost say, internal--smile, at the odd things, -and the absurd things, and the wicked things of this world--was quite -in the wrong in taking it into his head that Maria Beauchamp was in -love with Captain William Delaware. In truth, she was not; though -certainly never were there circumstances more likely to make her -become so. She had only got as far at present as being interested in -the young sailor's fate in the highest degree; perfectly convinced, -that he was innocent and injured--thinking him certainly a very -handsome youth--and granting that he was, with all his simplicity, one -of the most agreeable men she had ever seen. The reader may ask if all -this, then, was not love? No, no, no! It was not! There were bricks, -and mortar, and trowels, and hods; but it was not the tower of -Babel--What I mean is, that there were all the materials for love, but -they wanted putting together.</p> - -<p class="normal">In Lord Ashborough's house, however, with all these prepossessions in -William Delaware's favour, she heard nothing coupled with his name but -pompous censure, or flat and pointless sneers; and she dared not say a -word in his favour. Now this, as it furnished her with a motive for -not only thinking of him from morning till night, but furnished her -also with a legitimate cause for connecting in the sweet, unanswering -privacy of her own bosom, all those manifold arguments in his favour, -which she could have put forth in society, had she not been afraid of -their being controverted, caused imagination, and zeal, and generous -enthusiasm, to labour hard to build up the said bricks and mortar into -the firm and regular structure which Mr. Wilkinson, in his over-hasty -conclusions, imagined to be already built.</p> - -<p class="normal">However all that may be, it is certain that few people had been more -completely wretched--and she was not a person to be so, without -seeming so too--than Maria Beauchamp, since the business at Ryebury -had taken place, and she yielded to a degree of gloom and despondency, -which Lord Ashborough had never before seen her display under any -circumstances. As she never mingled in the conversation regarding -William Delaware, the earl imagined that anxiety and suspense, in -regard to the fate of her brother, were the causes of her gloom; -and--with the very natural consideration which people generally -display, who, however much grieved they may feel for a time, love to -get over the memory of their dead relations as fast as may be--the -noble earl took every means of removing her state of doubt as fast as -possible, by assuring her, on all occasions, that unquestionably her -brother was dead.</p> - -<p class="normal">Suddenly a change came over Miss Beauchamp's whole demeanour. Though -she admitted that it was very possible her brother might be dead, yet -she resumed her usual tone of spirits; and instead of being silent in -regard to Captain Delaware, she repelled with contempt the idea of his -guilt whenever it was mentioned, declaring that she felt as much -confidence in his innocence of the murder, as she did in her own. All -this surprised Lord Ashborough. The first, indeed, he accounted for -pleasantly enough to himself, declaring that Maria's mind had now -recovered its elasticity, having been relieved from suspense, by the -firm conviction which he had taken care to impress upon it, that her -brother was dead. He lauded at the same time, be it remarked, his -own wisdom in the course he had pursued, blaming severely those -ill-judging friends, who, in such cases, suffer hope to linger on till -it wears itself out. He even ventured on a simile, saying, that it was -like torturing a drowning man, by holding out straws to him.</p> - -<p class="normal">In regard to Miss Beauchamp's extraordinary perversity in defending -the murderer, he declared that he was more puzzled; and one day, after -having remonstrated severely, he related the fact to the worthy Mr. -Peter Tims. That excellent person, however, only decided that it was a -lady's caprice; and with this solution of the enigma, his lordship was -forced to rest satisfied.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the meanwhile, Henry Beauchamp did the most uninteresting thing in -the whole world, namely, he travelled from Calais to Paris; for, with -the exception of Sterne, who carried his own world about with him in -his post-chaise--and a strange mixed world of beauty and deformity it -was--I know no one who has been able to make anything of the journey -between those two towns, either one way or the other--except, indeed, -the Duke of Guise, in 1558, who made Calais a French town of it.</p> - -<p class="normal">Henry Beauchamp's journey was somewhat Quixotic certainly; but the -whole details of his sally serve lamentably to show how the science of -knight-errantry has declined since the occultation of the star of La -Mancha. For a squire he had a Bow Street officer, backed by letters -missive from the Foreign Secretary, and seated upon the rumble of a -dark-green armless chariot, beside a fierce-looking mastiff of a -courier, whom Beauchamp had engaged upon somewhat surer grounds than -those on which Master Harding had been received into his service. -Dapple and Rozinante were converted into four French stallions, of all -sorts and sizes; and instead of mistaking inns for castles, one might -have concluded that the young Englishman mistook them for prisons, so -strenuously did he avoid them by travelling night and day.</p> - -<p class="normal">As Mr. Wilkinson had stated, an officer had been previously sent to -Paris in pursuit of Captain Delaware; and although it had not been -judged expedient, notwithstanding the information given by Mr. -Beauchamp, to recall him from that search, yet he was directed -vigorously to co-operate with the person now sent to arrest Harding -and his accomplices. Beauchamp, in his inexperience of such matters, -had thought it might be better to follow the culprits by the port at -which they had landed in France, and which had been clearly -ascertained from Willy Small, the smuggler, and his eldest son, who -had acted as master of the cutter that took them over. The officer -shook the wise head, however, and said, "No, no! Let us go to Paris -first, sir; for that's a place which is sure to draw all rogues to it, -first or last--as a saucer of honey in a shop window catches the -flies. We get at all the passports there, too; and, beside, the mayors -and folks in the country places wouldn't dare to back us in seizing -the men without a government order, and a <i>John Darm</i> as they call -them. When we have searched Paris, let us set off for Cherbourg, and -meet them in the face."</p> - -<p class="normal">To this reasoning Beauchamp of course yielded; and although some -difficulties occurred on the part of the French government, they were -speedily removed--the passport-office was examined--some of the most -active agents of the French police were employed--and such information -finally obtained, as the Bow Street officer thought likely to lead to -the discovery of the whole party, either at Cherbourg or at Caen. -Thither, then, Beauchamp and his attendants of various kinds, now -increased in number to four, turned their steps, making the most -minute enquiries at every point which offered the least chance of -affording information concerning the culprits. Beauchamp, at the same -time, pursued another search, anticipating, with no small eagerness, a -meeting with Miss Delaware and her father, who, he concluded, must -journey by slow stages, on account of the baronet's health. Strange, -however, to say, that he, and the Bow Street officer, and the French -agent of police, were all equally disappointed. Beauchamp found nobody -that he sought; and his companions, though they laid hands upon the -three personages whose passports and description had excited -suspicion, were surprised and mortified to find that they bore not the -slightest resemblance to those who had carried Mr. Beauchamp off from -Ryebury.</p> - -<p class="normal">On minute enquiry amongst the fishermen of the village where the -culprits were said to have landed, the house was at length discovered -in which they had first lodged; and the <i>albergiste</i> at once declared, -that, understanding the English language, he had heard them announce -their intention of proceeding to Havre, in order to embark on board -some American trader.</p> - -<p class="normal">No time was to be lost under such circumstances, as ships were sailing -every day for some transatlantic port or another; and the horses -having been again put to the two carriages, which now formed the -cortege, away went Beauchamp and his train for Havre. From Cherbourg -to Havre, running through one half of the peninsula of Cotentin, is a -long, though not uninteresting journey, to one who has nothing else to -think of. But Beauchamp was in haste to get on. French postilions are -notoriously slow, and Norman postilions notoriously slower. The -steam-boat was gone when the party arrived at Honfleur; and, in short, -every thing that nature and art could do to stop them on their way, -was done to perfection. At length, when they did reach Havre, they -found that one vessel had sailed for America the preceding day, full -of emigrants of all descriptions, and that two others had departed -about four days earlier, each of which, to believe the accounts given -of them, must have been a perfect Noah's Ark.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp and the officers lost heart, and even the courier, whose -trade being to run, could not be supposed to object to <i>battre la -campagne</i> in this manner, began to look rueful, under the apprehension -that, if no farther clue could be gained, his occupation would soon be -gone. After every inn had been inspected, every consul consulted, -every shipping-office examined, Beauchamp determined once more to -return to Paris, and thither he accordingly came by the way of Rouen, -followed by the posse, who found it not at all disagreeable to eat, -and drink, and sleep at his expense, and be paid for the trouble -thereof over and above.</p> - -<p class="normal">New researches were immediately commenced; and never did fat-faced -Gibbon bend his rotund cheeks over the pages of infidelity, ancient or -modern, from Arius to Hobbes, with more eagerness to filch or find an -objection or a fault in the blessed faith, whose beginning and end is -glory to God in the highest, and peace and goodwill towards men, than -did all parties pursue their object of discovering the guilty, in -order, principally, it must be confessed, to exculpate the innocent. -But the search seemed perfectly in vain; and the only conclusion to -which any one could come was, that the murderers had really effected -their escape to America. After nibbling at various surmises and -reports for some time, the officer who had accompanied Beauchamp -declared himself foiled, and took his leave. He who had been sent in -quest of Captain Delaware had abandoned the pursuit for some time; and -Beauchamp was thus left alone to proceed with such enquiries as he -might still have sufficient perseverance to make.</p> - -<p class="normal">These enquiries, it must be confessed, related principally to Sir -Sidney and Miss Delaware, but here as many difficulties awaited him as -he had met with in the other search; and he was just on the point of -giving up the matter in despair, and returning to London to surprise -his mourning friends, when a circumstance occurred, which, without -throwing the slightest ray of light upon the course which Blanche and -her father had taken, served, at all events, to induce Beauchamp to -remain in Paris for several days longer than he had intended.</p> - -<p class="normal">The hotel in which he lodged, at the corner of the Rue de la Paix, -unlike most hotels in Paris, had but one staircase; and Beauchamp, who -walked up and down this staircase as seldom as possible, had rarely -the misfortune of meeting many people upon it. The last day but one, -however, of his intended stay, he encountered a lady walking leisurely -up; and, as each moved a little on one side, to suffer the other to -pass, by a sort of semi-rotation of each upon the axis, their faces -came opposite to one another, and Beauchamp recognised Mrs. Darlington -while she paid him the same compliment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good gracious, Mr. Burrel!" she exclaimed, much more surprised than -was at all proper. "Or Mr. Beauchamp, am I to call you? for people -tell me, that the Mr. Burrel I had the pleasure of knowing, was known -to others under the name of Beauchamp. But under whatever name you -choose, I am most happy to see you; for all your good friends in -England told me you were dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They have done me too much honour in every respect, my dear madam," -replied Beauchamp. "Those the gods love, you know, die young. But -though I must plead guilty to having deceived you, by calling myself -names far different from my own; yet believe me, when I assure you -that I had no hand in my own death. That was entirely arranged by my -friends and relations--though I doubt not, when I go back to England, -the public prosecutor will think fit to arraign me for <i>felo-de-se</i> -with as much justice as the coroner's jury returned a verdict of -murder against poor William Delaware."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, that was a terrible business!" replied Mrs. Darlington. "A -terrible business, indeed, poor young man! and I should like to talk -it over with you, Mr. Beauchamp--but I dare say that was your carriage -waiting, and I will not keep you now; but if you will return at -half-past six, and dine with me and the Abbé de ----, who is as deaf -as a pug-dog, I will tell you a curious circumstance which has -occurred to me since I came here--not about the Delawares, indeed, -poor people, but about something that happened just at the same time."</p> - -<p class="normal">Now every thing that happened at that time was more or less a matter -of interest to Henry Beauchamp; and therefore he willingly agreed to -dine and hear, according to invitation. A few minutes after the -appointed time, he was in the saloon of Madame Darlington's -apartments, where he found that lady, with a worthy ex-emigré -Abbé--the very sort of man who could dine with a widow lady of any age -without scandal.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp fully understood the <i>beinseance</i> of never being curious -about anything, and therefore he listened to all Mrs. Darlington's -reasons for being in Paris--how London was of course out of the -question in October--how the house she had hired near Emberton had -turned out as damp as a fen, and smelt of a wet dog from the garret to -the kitchen--how Paris always afforded variety, &c.--without showing -the slightest inclination to enquire into the occurrence she had -mentioned in the morning. Dinner was announced, and was as <i>recherche</i> -in France as if it had been at Emberton; but not a word took place -concerning <i>the occurrence</i> Mrs. Darlington spending all the leisure -moments in marvelling that Mr. Beauchamp and herself could have -remained in the same house for four days without discovering their -proximity. After dinner, Beauchamp's <i>beinseance</i> began to get tired, -and probably would have broken down entirely, had he not fortunately -happened to take up a very beautiful eyeglass, set with emeralds, in -the French fashion, which lay upon the table in the saloon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh dear, that puts me in mind, Mr. Beauchamp!" cried Mrs. Darlington. -"It is strange enough; I have twice bought that eyeglass in this very -town. Once two days, and once eighteen months, ago. That is the very -thing I wished to tell you about. You remember when you did me the -favour of dining with me at Emberton; my house was burned down"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Var shocken, indeed!" cried the Abbé, who piqued himself upon -speaking English. "Terrible shocken great!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well," continued Mrs. Darlington, "that very evening, I left that -eyeglass upon the table in the drawing-room; and you remember, I dare -say, that I lost all my plate and jewels--indeed, the loss of various -things was incalculable--but, however, that glass was amongst the -rest; and as it was a sort of pet, I went into a shop the other day to -see if I could find anything like it. Well, the jeweller finding out I -was English--though how he did so, I am sure I do not know, for I -believe I speak French tolerably"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, var excellent much!" said the Abbé, who was listening with his -most acute ear, bent subserviently to Mrs. Darlington's story. "As one -Frenchwomen."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mrs. Darlington smiled, nodded, and went on. "Well, the man found out -that I was an Englishwoman by the carriage, I suppose; and would talk -nothing but English all the time, though, he spoke it badly enough. On -my describing what I wanted, he said that he had got the very thing; -fresh arrived from England three days before. I told him that what I -wanted was French; he declared that I must be mistaken, and produced -my own eyeglass, with I. D., 'Isabella Darlington' ('What pretty name!' -cried the Abbé) on the medallion. I bought it, as you see, and the -jeweller assured me that he had purchased it three days before from an -English gentleman with black hair and large whiskers."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Although the description is very exact," answered Beauchamp, smiling, -"I can assure you, my dear madam, that I was not the thief--but as it -has long struck me that there has been something very mysterious -indeed in the whole business of the fire at your house, I should like -much to know the name of the jeweller; and if you will favour me with -it, will delay my departure for a day or two, in order to make farther -enquiries."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mrs. Darlington thanked Beauchamp warmly for the interest he took in -the matter; and the address being given and put down, the young -Englishman declared he would go that night and take the first steps -towards investigating the business fully. Accordingly taking his -leave, he sauntered out into the Place Vendome, and thence into one of -the principal streets in the neighbourhood of the Tuileries, where, -entering the shop of the jeweller, he bought some trifling article, as -a fair excuse for indulging in that sort of gossip which he thought -most likely to elicit some facts.</p> - -<p class="normal">The Frenchman was exactly the sort of person with whom one would -desire to gossip. He was even more urbane than the editor of the -Gentleman's Magazine, fond of a little conversation on any -subject--love, war, or politics--with those who came to buy his -nick-nacks, and had his small fund of wit, of sentiment, and of -anecdotism--not more of either than would have lain conveniently in a -vinaigrette, yet quite sufficient to give piquancy to his vivacious -nothings. Beauchamp soon led him to the subject of Mrs. Darlington's -eyeglass; but he quitted it in a moment, declaring that it was a droll -occurrence, but nothing to what had happened since.</p> - -<p class="normal">He always had Galignani's Messenger on his counter, he said, to amuse -the English gentlemen who dealt with him; and the other night, as he -was sitting alone, a <i>beau jeune homme</i> who had been there once -before, came in to offer him some other article for sale. "While I was -examining what the stranger brought," continued the jeweller, "the -young Englishman took up the newspaper, and then suddenly laid it -down, but after a moment or two, he took it up again; and then I saw -that he had just lighted upon the horrible murder, that has been -lately committed in your country by a Captain in the Navy. Well, sir, -when I looked in his face, he had turned as pale as a table-cloth, and -was so agitated that I should have thought he was the assassin -himself, had he not been too young to be a Captain in your Navy. He -read it out every word, however, though I could clearly see that he -was very much disturbed, and I am sure that he was some relation -either of the man who was killed, or of the murderer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"How old was he?" demanded Beauchamp, remembering the extreme -youthfulness of Captain Delaware's appearance.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, he could not be twenty!" answered the jeweller. "He was very fair -too, with fine light hair, tall, and well-made too--Do you think it -could be the assassin, Monsieur?'"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly not!" replied Beauchamp, who, though morally convinced that -it was Captain Delaware whom the jeweller had seen, was still more -convinced that he had nothing to do with the murder. "The man who -committed this crime is quite a different person; I know the gentleman -who has been here, as you describe, and I wish much to see him. Have -you any idea of his address?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"None whatever, sir!" replied the jeweller, "but I dare say he will be -here again soon; for I bought the bijoux he had to sell, and he said -that he had more, and would return."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, it is of no great consequence," replied Beauchamp, assuming as -much indifference as possible; "but in case he does come, be so good -as to tell him that Mr. Henry Burrel is at the Hotel de ----, Rue de -la Paix; and would be very glad to see him. Tell him also, that, I -shall be at home and <i>alone</i> on every evening during the week, from -the hour of seven till the hour of ten."</p> - -<p class="normal">The jeweller promised to deliver the message punctually; and, to guard -against all mistakes, Beauchamp put down in writing his assumed name, -and the number of his apartments in the hotel. He then--to do full -justice to Mrs. Darlington's business--tried to bring the jeweller -back to the story of the eyeglass; but it was all in vain. The man was -like one of those birds whose correct ornithological name I do not -know, but which boys call water-wagtails, and which go hopping from -stone to stone, pausing lightly balanced on each for a moment, and -then springing on to another, without ever returning to the same. It -was in vain Beauchamp tried to elicit any farther information; he -skipped on from subject to subject, and nothing farther could be made -of him.</p> - -<p class="normal">Tired of the endeavour, the young Englishman at length rose and -returned to his hotel, bidding the man send the trinkets he had -bought. He there reported his ill success to Mrs. Darlington; and -taking measures to guard against intrusion at the hour he had promised -to be alone on the following nights, he waited anxiously for Captain -Delaware's coming, with that degree of uncertainty--as to whether the -young officer would ever revisit the jeweller, and whether he would -come even if he did receive the message,--which Beauchamp could not -endure with that feeling, or rather assumption, of indifference, with -which he sometimes cheated himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">From seven till ten on the two following nights, he paced his little -saloon with a degree of anxiety which he had hardly ever felt before. -Every step upon the stairs caught his ear--every voice in the -anteroom, where he had placed his own servant on guard, made him pause -and listen; but it was all in vain; and on both nights he heard ten, -and even eleven, strike before he abandoned the consolatory reflection -that clocks might differ, and that the object of his expectation might -still appear.</p> - -<p class="normal">As he now felt certain, however, that William Delaware was in the same -city with himself, he resolved to wait on in Paris; and, if the -message he had left proved vain, to endeavour once more to discover -his dwelling by other means.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Henry Beauchamp was, beyond all doubt, by nature an impatient -man; -but, for the first five-and-twenty years of his life, his impatience -had found so little in his state or situation whereon to work, that it -had gone lame for want of exercise. Nature--notwithstanding Locke--had -given him a store of noble feelings, and education had added thereto a -store of good principles; and, with all this to guard him against evil -desires, he had found little in the world to wish for that his fortune -or influence had not enabled him to obtain with ease: thus he was only -now beginning to find matters whereon to exercise the virtue of -patience.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the third day after his visit to the jeweller's, he began to find -that his stock was nearly exhausted, and likewise to contemplate -paying another visit to the shop where he had first obtained this -clue, as he hoped it would prove, for discovering the residence of -William Delaware. Indeed, he would have pursued that course at once, -had he not feared that his anxiety on the subject might excite -suspicion, and cause some annoyance to the object of his search. This -reflection, though it did not keep him from going near the jeweller's -house more than once in the course of the day, did prevent him from -venturing into it.</p> - -<p class="normal">His equanimity, however, was gone; and, whether it arose from his late -attack of fever, or from the air of Paris in the first days of -November, or from disappointment and vexation, I cannot tell; but -certain it is, he viewed every thing in the darkest side, and began to -revolve the prospect of losing Blanche Delaware for ever, just at the -moment that he had found new hopes of having her heart in his favour.</p> - -<p class="normal">The consolatory process of dining did nothing for him; and, as seven -o'clock chimed on the third day, the whole array of dinner was -removed, the courier stationed as before in the anteroom, with strict -orders given to admit no one but the person described, and, as soon as -he was admitted, to retire, and leave his master and the stranger -alone. Eight o'clock came, Beauchamp ordered coffee, and took a book; -but, though he gazed with an involuntary smile upon the grotesque -drawings stitched into the <i>Roi de Boheme</i> no word could be read of -the letterpress. He tried the eloquent nonsense of Chateaubriand, but -it was as unpalatable as the satirical nonsense of Nodier; and, -casting away the books, he gave the matter up in despair, abandoning -himself to the contemplation of the pictures in the wood fire.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length the door of the anteroom was heard to open, and the voice of -some one speaking to the courier reached Beauchamp's ear; but the door -shut again, the intruder descended the stairs, and all was silent once -more. The moment after, however, the same sounds were repeated; the -door of the saloon also was thrown wide by the servant, who uttered, -at the same time, the pleasant words of, "Here is the gentleman you -expected, sir!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp started up as the visiter entered; but what was his -surprise to see--not the features of Captain Delaware--but those of -Walter Harrison, or Sailor Wat, as he had been called at Emberton, and -who was certainly too nearly connected with one part at least of his -long and hitherto unsuccessful search, to be beheld without emotion. -Beauchamp and the young sailor gazed at each other for a moment -without speaking; and even the courier--doubtful, from the -astonishment evident in his master's countenance, whether he had -admitted the right person--stood at the door for a moment, and stared -at them both in turn.</p> - -<p class="normal">He soon received a sign, however, to depart; and, closing the door, he -left Beauchamp and the sailor alone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is a strange visit, certainly!" said Beauchamp, flinging himself -into a chair, and gazing in some perplexity upon the countenance of -Wat Harrison, which was pale, worn, and haggard, in a frightful -degree. "This is a strange visit enough, certainly!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have sought me, Mr. Burrel," said the young sailor, in a tone of -calm determination; "and now you seem surprised to see me! What is the -meaning of this?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have certainly sought you, sir," said Beauchamp, not yet having -caught the right end of the clue; "but, most assuredly, I little -thought you would present yourself uncompelled--Are you aware that -this visit is dangerous to you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not a whit!" said Wat Harrison, boldly; "and I do not care a d--n if -it were;--but I say, not a whit! You are not a man, sir, to ask me -here in order to betray me. I knew that well enough before I came."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp now, for the first time, perceived the mistake. The young -sailor, well dressed, and offering the external appearance of a -gentleman, had gained that appellation from the jeweller, the mind of -whose hearer, already filled with the idea of Captain Delaware, had at -once become impressed with the notion that the person described, was -no other than that officer. The height and the fair complexion had -aided the rest of the circumstances; and Beauchamp now found that he -had invited the visit of one of the murderers of the unhappy miser of -Ryebury, in such a manner as to preclude him from taking advantage of -his coming, to cause his apprehension. He hesitated, indeed, for he -felt that perhaps the duty of bringing the culprit to justice should -be paramount; but the word honour, so often falsely construed, was so -even with Beauchamp, and he could not bring himself to do that which -his conscience told him he ought to do. Although the contest between -reason and prejudice was severe, yet he was not long in forming his -determination; and rising again, after a moment's thought, he said, -"Young man, your coming here has originated in a mistake. From the -description given by the person who sent you, I thought he spoke of -Captain Delaware, when he really alluded to yourself; but as the -mistake was mine, not yours, I will not take advantage of it to give -you up to justice. Nevertheless, remember that I am not ignorant of -your crime; and that although I suffer you to depart from this house, -and will give you time to seek your place of concealment, yet I hold -myself bound to give notice to the Parisian police--who have orders -from the government to aid in arresting you and your accomplices--that -you are within the walls of Paris, and that, therefore, if you escape -it is their fault."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It will not be so easy to arrest me, Mr. Burrel," answered the young -man, in the same calm tone in which he had spoken before. "It will not -be so easy to arrest me, unless I like it myself--So you sent for me -by mistake? Well, I had hoped that there was one man on earth that -knew how to work me properly--But no matter--no matter! And you took -me for Captain Delaware, did you?--God bless him, wherever he is, for -a noble gentleman and a gallant officer!--So, they tell me they have -accused him of the murder--and made him fly his country, and that he -is to be dismissed his Majesty's service"--and as he spoke, the calm -tone was lost, and he was evidently working himself up to a pitch of -excessive fury--"And if he is taken he is to be tried," he -continued--"and there is already a coroner's verdict against him--and -that he will be hanged to a certainty--and that his good name is -already blasted for ever--and that poor Miss Blanche will weep her -heart out for him--and poor old Sir Sidney will die of grief for his -son's fate--and all for a crime that he did not commit---and, d--n -your eyes, do you think I am going to stand all that? No, never, -by ----! Weren't they kind to me when never a soul was kind to me in -all the world? and didn't they stand by me, when every soul abandoned -me? And am I going to see them all go to ruin and to misery, because -I myself and that black villain have brought damnation upon my own -head; No, no, never you think that! Why, it was bad enough before--and -every time I thought upon their going and murdering the poor old man, -while I kept watch in the passage, I was ready to go and give myself -up, and beg them to hang me out of the way, that I might think no -more of it--but now--now that I find all that it has done besides, -d--me if I would not hang forty such fellows as that, rather than -that the captain should come to ill by it!"</p> - -<p class="normal">From this confused speech, which Beauchamp listened to with eager -attention, though certainly not without some surprise, he learned all -that the judicious reader has already discovered, of what was passing -in the mind of poor Walter Harrison. He saw, in short, that remorse -had done its work; and that the fact of the crime in which he had -taken part, having brought down such misfortunes on the family who had -been his benefactors, had carried remorse to its natural climax of -despair. It was evident, too, that his remorse was of that purer kind -which is kindred to repentance, and that, at all events, he -contemplated atonement; and Beauchamp felt confident that, by proper -management, full and satisfactory evidence might now be procured of -the facts necessary to exculpate William Delaware completely. He saw, -however, at the same time, that the spirit with which he had to deal, -wild, wayward, and violent, would require most skilful treatment to -bring it to the point he had in view.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are heated!" he said, "Walter Harrison; but if I understand you -right, there is still a hope, through your means, of saving William -Delaware from all the evils that you have brought upon him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hear me, sir--hear me!" replied the young sailor, "Only tell me what -is necessary to save him; and if you bid me hang a slipknot to the -yard-arm, then put my neck in it, and cast myself off, I'll do it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I take you at your word," said Beauchamp. "There is but one way to -clear him--but one way to restore him to that clear and honourable -character which he always maintained in life, notwithstanding -poverty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, there it is! There it is!" cried the young man; "clear and -honourable, and yet poor--as poor for his rank as I was for mine--ay, -and I might have had a clear and honourable name, too--but never -mind--never mind--it is all coming to an end soon!" And casting -himself down in a chair, he pressed his hands over his eyes.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You lose your self-command, Walter," said Beauchamp. "Be calm, and -let us speak over this business rationally."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Calm! Calm!" cried the young sailor, starting up. "How the devil -would you have me calm, when you are speaking of things that are -burning in my heart like coals of fire? How can I be calm?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You came here," said Beauchamp, somewhat sternly, "with a fixed -determination, I suppose, of some kind--either intending to do right -or to do wrong--to make the only reparation that you can for the -crimes you have committed, by delivering your benefactor from the -consequences of your errors--or boldly to deny what you have -committed. If you intend to do right, the first noble and generous -determination that you have formed for long, should teach you to -execute your purpose with the calmness and fortitude of a man."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You say true, sir--you say true!" replied the youth, in a tone of -deep melancholy. "You always say true; and if I had attended to what -you told me when you brought me home from the fire that night, I -should not have felt as I do now--but there is no use of talking of -that--I did come here with the intention of doing right; and I will do -right, if you will tell me how. What I want to do, is to clear the -captain of every thing, and make it so plain that he never had any -hand in the bad business, that even those old devils at Emberton shall -have nothing to say. You were going to tell me the way when I stopped -you. Now, I will stick at nothing, either on my own account, or that -of others--for as to that accursed ruffian who entrapped me into the -business, I have had many a black thought, when he sneers at me -because I am sorry, to finish him myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your only way, then, to make the reparation you propose," replied -Beauchamp, "is to give such information as may lead to the -apprehension and conviction of the men who actually committed the -murder--for, from what you have said, I am led to believe that you had -no absolute share in the deed itself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no! None, none!" cried the young man, rapidly. "I did not know -they were going to do it--they had promised me, with the most solemn -oaths, not to hurt a hair of his head, and I knew nothing of it till -it was all over.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then," answered Beauchamp, "if that be the case, you will not -only be enabled to make, as I said before, the only reparation in your -power for the ill you have done, but you will entirely clear Captain -Delaware, and yet run no danger yourself; for in his Majesty's -proclamation on the subject, I find that a free pardon is promised -to any one of the parties--with the exception of the actual -murderers--who will bring his accomplices to justice. So that your -life is safe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I care nothing about my life!" cried the young man, relapsing into -impetuosity. "What the devil, do you think I am going to turn a -pitiful king's evidence, and make a bargain for my own neck, while I -am hanging my fellows. No, no! I will tell all that I know--I will go -along with them, and be tried with them, and hanged with them too, for -that matter--I care not--if I am alive on the execution day. But I -will make no bargains about my life--none--none--my days are numbered, -Mr. Burrel!" He added more calmly, "My days are numbered; and the last -may come when it will--I will shake hands with it when it does. There -is only one bargain I will make, and that I know you will grant me; -for you were one of the few that were kind--It is about my poor mother -I am talking. She has had sorrows enough, sir, and she shall only have -one more for me; so, when I am dead, I hope you will promise to take -care of her, and let her have enough--if the job do not kill her, -which likely it may too; and that is the worst of it all; but, -however, I have made up my mind, do you see, and so you must promise -me, that she shall have the old cottage and forty pounds a-year to -live on; and if nobody else gives it, you must."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Most willingly will I do it, upon my honour," replied Beauchamp.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is enough, sir! Quite enough!" continued the young sailor. "You -and I, Mr. Burrel, are quits in some things--you saved my life once; -and I can tell you, that if it had not been for me on that horrible -night, you would either have been left, with your throat cut at the -door of the house, or have gone overboard, and to the bottom, as we -sailed along."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I imagined that such was the case," answered Beauchamp; "and all -these things tell so much in your favour, that I cannot understand how -you could suffer yourself to be led into such a crime, as that which -you have committed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I tell you, sir, I had nothing to do with it," cried the young man. -"If I had been present, they should not have hurt a hair of his -head--They knew that well enough, and therefore they left me below to -keep watch. As to the robbery, that I did consent to; and that was bad -enough too--but then, that Harding had the tongue of the devil -himself, to persuade one. He got round me when I was ill--He taught me -to believe that all riches ought to be in common, and that no man -should be wealthy, while another man was poor; and then he told me, -that to take the money which the old miser made no use of, and left -rotting in his chests, could be no harm--and then he harped upon my -mother's poverty and misery, and made things ten times worse than they -were; so at length I consented, on condition that he would promise not -to hurt the old man. Well, even then, when he came down all bloody, -and I saw too well that they had killed him, I do think that I should -have either shot him for deceiving me, or should have gone and given -him up, as he deserved; but I saw that he felt what he had done -himself, and there was something so awful about him just at that -moment, that I do not well know why or how, but he got the mastery of -me, and I did what he liked, till it came to killing you, which the -woman wanted us to do, as you lay stunned at the door. Then my spirit -got up again, and I was master of them all till we came over here. But -now he has forgotten all that he seemed to feel then--that Harding I -mean--and he talks about it quietly, and sneers and laughs, and looks -coolly at me, while he is speaking of things that would make one's -blood run cold--and he persuades himself that it is all right."</p> - -<p class="normal">The strong excitement under which the young sailor laboured, afforded -Beauchamp every means of drawing from him the whole details of the -murder, and the events that followed; and he found that the crime at -least, as far as robbery went, had been concerted long before it was -perpetrated. The moment for executing their plan, had always been -postponed by Harding himself, who had assured his accomplices, that a -large sum of money, which he knew was to be paid into the miser's -hands, had not yet been received; and Beauchamp easily divined that -the murderer had alluded to the sum he himself had drawn for, through -the instrumentality of the unhappy money-lender. So completely -organized had been the whole design, that a French cutter, engaged by -young Harrison, had actually lain upon the coast for several days, in -order to carry the three culprits to Havre, whence they were instantly -to embark for America. The master of the vessel, however, tired of -waiting, had at length left the coast on the very night that the -murder was committed; and the only means of escape that the four -accomplices found, when they reached the beach, was the boat which the -young sailor had provided with money furnished by Harding, for the -purpose of conveying them from the shore to the ship, without the -necessity of making signals, which might have betrayed them. The woman -had, indeed, nearly brought the coast guard upon them, by accidentally -falling into the sea as they embarked, and screaming for help; but -nevertheless, they got her into the boat, and pushed off before any -one came up. On their arrival in France, the young man added, they had -taken, under Harding's direction, those measures of precaution which -had baffled Beauchamp and the officers in their pursuit, and had at -length arrived in Paris, where he, who might be considered as their -leader, had boasted that he could lie concealed if all the police of -France and England were set upon his track. Here he proposed to sell a -variety of different articles of jewellery and plate, which he and his -companion had contrived to bring with them, and then to take ship for -the land of Columbus, as they originally had proposed. Harding, the -young sailor said, had soon lost all appearance of that remorse which -he had felt at first; but he described him at the same time as living -in a state of reckless debauchery and excitement, from which Beauchamp -argued that the never-dying worm was still tremendously alive within -his bosom. He drank deep, Walter Harrison added, without getting -drunk. The woman whom he had brought with him, and had before seduced, -he treated with contempt and cruelty. He gamed also continually, in -the lower and more brutal resorts of Parisian blacklegs and madmen; -and, gratifying every passion to excess, it was evident that he was -striving to drown the voice of remorse in a tide of gross and eager -licentiousness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a fearful picture," said Beauchamp. "But now tell me, how and -when we can bring this atrocious villain to punishment. You, my poor -young man, he has misled and betrayed; and I do not even know that his -crime towards you is not of a deeper die than that which he committed -on the person of the wretched old man at Ryebury. He could but kill -the body of the one"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, and of the other," interrupted the young sailor, "he has -condemned the immortal soul!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I hope not! I hope not!" said Beauchamp. "Life is still before you, -if you choose to live; and I know of no circumstances in which life is -so inestimably valuable to man, as when he has been greatly criminal; -for every year that he remains here may, if he will, be filled with -the golden moments of repentance. But once more, how can we apprehend -this villain?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, he is a villain!" answered the young sailor; "if ever there lived -one, he is the man;" and he was proceeding again to stray from the -subject, when Beauchamp recalled him to it, and mentioned the -necessity there would be of applying to the French police; but at the -very idea the other started wild away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, no!" he cried, "that will not do. He's a brave man, though he -be a ruffian; and he shall never say that I took odds against him, -because I was afraid of him one to one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then, how do you propose to act?" demanded Beauchamp, in some -astonishment. "This man must be taken, and brought to punishment, if -you would keep your word with me, and clear the character of William -Delaware."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man mused sullenly for several minutes, merely muttering, -"He shall--he shall be taken. Hark you, Mr. Burrel," he said at -length, looking up boldly and steadfastly, "you are a brave man. I -have seen you do brave things. Now, there is this Harding and another; -and here are you and I--that is two to two, and fair play. If you -choose to go with me to-morrow night, I will take you to where those -two are alone; and if we do not take them, and tie them hand and foot, -it is our fault; but d--me if I take odds against them!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The proposal was certainly as strange a one as ever was made, and as -unpleasant a one as could have been addressed, to Henry Beauchamp. I -have said before that he was naturally fearless; and, consequently, -did not see one half of the dangers in anything proposed that most -other people would have done; but, at the same time, he had not the -slightest inclination to run himself into scrapes of any kind, without -necessity; and he could not help perceiving that the business was at -once a perilous one, and one which might be much better performed -without his interference. In the next place, he did not think the -occupation particularly dignified or becoming; and thirdly, he did not -at all like the eclat it would produce, and felt most exquisitely -annoyed at the very idea of the romantic interest of the story, as it -would figure in all the newspapers, and be told in all the coteries. -It was quite enough, he thought, to have been made to drown himself -for the amusement of the public; and certainly something too much, to -be obliged to apprehend two murderers, <i>vi et armis</i> without any cause -or necessity whatever.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir! Will you do it?" demanded the young sailor, seeing that he -paused upon his proposal.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I think not," answered Beauchamp.</p> - -<p class="normal">"D--me, then!"--cried the other; but Beauchamp interrupted him in that -commanding tone which no one knew better how to assume.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hush, sir! Hush!" he said. "You forget yourself, and who you are -speaking to. Call not down in words those curses, which I trust that -your present and your future actions may avert, however much the past -may have merited them. In regard to your proposal--in the first place, -I am not a thief-taker; and consequently the task does not become me. -In the next place, by the plan you suggest, the great object I have in -view is likely to be defeated--I mean the bringing these men to -justice, in order to clear Captain Delaware. Suppose, for instance, -that by any accident we should be overpowered by them, we lose his -only hope; and even if we overpower them, having no legal authority to -do so, any one who happens to be near, may give them such aid and -assistance as will enable them to escape, and foil us entirely."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will tell you what, sir," said the young man sullenly, "I'll go -some length, but I will not go all. To prevent them getting away -anyhow, you may put the police round the house if you like--but only -you and I shall go in upon them; for I will not take odds against them -anyhow; and if you are afraid to go, why"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am not afraid to do anything, sir!" replied Beauchamp. "And though -it is not at all necessary, and though perhaps it may be foolish of me -to do it--yet, rather than lose any evidence in favour of Captain -Delaware, I will do what you propose; that is to say, I will go in -with you alone, in order to master these two men, if we can; but it -shall be on condition that the agents of the police be stationed round -the house, in such a manner as to prevent their escape, whether we -succeed or fail."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is what I say," replied the young sailor. "Let us have a bout -with them, two to two fairly; and then if they kill us, why, there -will be still men round the house to take them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had forgot," answered Beauchamp, "that, as you say, we may be both -killed in this business; and if you should be killed, pray, what -evidence is there to convict either of these men? If you really intend -to do what you have promised, it will behove you to make a full and -complete declaration of the whole facts, and sign them before two or -three persons, previous to entering upon this undertaking."</p> - -<p class="normal">Walter Harrison paused and thought, and Beauchamp urged him strongly -to take the precaution he proposed; but he did not succeed, "No," said -the young sailor at length; "No! I will put it all down in my own -handwriting, which can be well enough proved by the ship's books, and -I will sign it with my name, and I'll give it to you to-morrow night; -but I'll not go it all over again before any one else, till I tell it -all for the last time--There, don't say any more; for I won't do it--I -don't like this police business either; but I suppose it must be -done--So, now I will go. You will find me, to-morrow night at ten -o'clock, opposite that jeweller's shop. I will not fail you, upon my -honour;" and so saying, he walked towards the door. Ere he reached it, -however, he again turned, and coming nearer, he said, "Mr. Burrel, I -trust to your honour, that when you have got me there with the police, -you will not let them go into the house with us--mind, two to two is -fair play. He shall never say, that I brought odds against him!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have given you my word," said Beauchamp, "and I will certainly keep -it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well then, good-night, sir," replied the young man, and opening the -door, he passed out into the anteroom; but ere he had taken two steps -beyond the threshold, he again returned to bid Beauchamp bring his -pistols with him. "He always has his in his pockets," he said; "so it -would be unfair that you should be without."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will take care to come prepared," replied Beauchamp, and his -visiter once more left the room. He paused a moment in the anteroom, -and hesitated as if he had something more to say, but the instant -after he quited the apartments, and was heard descending the stairs -with a rapid step.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"Well!" thought Beauchamp, when the young sailor was gone. -"Well, this -is a stupid business enough; and I certainly shall not particularly -like being shot for this young rascal's whim; but it cannot be helped, -and my will being made, it is not so troublesome as it might otherwise -have proved. At all events, dear Blanche, I am periling somewhat to -fulfil your request, and clear your brother's name and character."</p> - -<p class="normal">It is wonderful how much this last thought reconciled Henry Beauchamp -to an undertaking which he had before looked upon as absurd, and in -some sort degrading. Such little collateral associations are strange -conjurers; and as Beauchamp thought over the whole matter, and mingled -up the idea of Blanche Delaware with every particular which he had -before considered in the abstract only, his expedition became bright -and chivalrous, and he lay down to sleep, anxious for the coming -morning.</p> - -<p class="normal">The first eight hours after Beauchamp rose, on the following day, were -devoted to securing the assistance of the French police, in the -undertaking in which he was about to engage; and although this time -may appear long, yet every moment of it was employed in removing the -many difficulties which, with wise precaution, the French Government -threw in the way of the arrest of aliens, for crimes committed in a -different country.</p> - -<p class="normal">The previous proceedings, although they had smoothed the way, had not -entirely removed all obstacles; and the young Englishman, though -backed by the influence of the whole of the English diplomatic agents -at Paris, found the time barely sufficient to accomplish the necessary -arrangements.</p> - -<p class="normal">The dull official forms must, of course, have no place here; and it is -only necessary to say, that, after the necessary orders were given, -the French officers of police shrugged up their shoulders at the plan -which Beauchamp was obliged to propose, in conformity with his -engagement to Walter Harrison, declared that Monsieur was perfectly -welcome to take the first brunt of the business upon himself, and -promised to meet him at the rendezvous a little before the time which -the young sailor had named.</p> - -<p class="normal">All this being at length settled, Beauchamp returned to his hotel, -dined, loaded his pistols, took one glass of wine less than usual, for -fear of embarrassing his hand, and then sat waiting impatiently for -the appointed hour. By the time it arrived, the sky had got out of -humour, and it was raining furiously; but still there were a great -many Parisians afoot, all pattering along under their pink umbrellas, -as merry as crickets; and many a tender salutation did Beauchamp -receive, in his way to the house of the jeweller.</p> - -<p class="normal">He reached the street a few minutes before the time; but the police -were at their post, and he found that six powerful men were in -readiness to back his exertions. Walter Harrison, however, had not -appeared, and a quarter of an hour elapsed without any sign of his -keeping the appointment he had made. The chief of the French police -hinted broadly, that beyond doubt he had deceived the English -gentleman; and Beauchamp himself began to suspect that the young -culprit had repented of his promise.</p> - -<p class="normal">Before another minute had elapsed, however, the tall athletic form of -the widow's son was seen coming quickly along on the other side of the -street, and Beauchamp instantly crossed over and spoke to him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"All is right, sir," said the sailor. "They are both at home, and are -even now engaged in pigeoning a young greenhorn, whom they have -inveigled to play with them. If they do not get his money that way, I -should not wonder if they cut his throat--so, come along, and let us -make haste."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am ready," said Beauchamp; "but you promised to write down"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay! there it is," said the young man, putting a paper into his -hand. "Give it to one of those fellows who are of the police, I -suppose--but make haste, and come along; for if they do not get the -poor lad's money by fair means, they will by foul. I heard them talk -about throwing something into the Seine, and getting a sack ready--and -I do not like such words from such folks"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nor I!" replied Beauchamp, "Nor I! You walk on, and we will follow;" -and, crossing over to the other party, he gave the paper he had -received to the commissary who headed them, and then followed as fast -as possible upon the steps of the young sailor. Walter Harrison -advanced rapidly; and, passing up one of the short streets that lead -from the Rue de Rivoli into the Rue St. Honorč, he turned to the right -in the latter, and then made his way to one of the smaller streets in -the neighbourhood of the Rue St. Anne. At length he stopped; and, -pointing forward to a house of respectable size and appearance, "That -is the house," he said; "if these fellows halt in the passage, they -are sure not to lose their game, for there is no back entrance."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp explained to the leader of the party the words of the young -sailor; and they now drew near the house in a body, keeping profound -silence. The men were then carefully stationed round the door; and -Beauchamp, with one pistol in his hand, and the other thrust into his -bosom between his coat and waistcoat, followed his guide into the -house, the door of which, as is frequent in Paris, stood open as a -common entrance to all the different floors.</p> - -<p class="normal">It were in vain to say that Beauchamp felt no sort of anxiety. The -very excitement of the whole business made his heart beat with a -quicker pulse than usual; and he listened eagerly as they ascended the -stairs for any sound that might announce their proximity to the -chamber of the murderers. He was not long kept in expectation. At the -first door they reached, after passing the <i>entresol</i> the young sailor -paused, and rang the bell twice.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as ever he had done so, he whispered to Beauchamp, "I will -take this one, whoever it is that opens the door. You run on, and -secure the other in the room beyond--I will follow in a minute."</p> - -<p class="normal">Almost as he spoke, the door was thrown open, and the coarse face of -Tony Smithson, the man who had gone down with him in the stage-coach -to Emberton, was exposed to Beauchamp's sight. He had a light in his -hand, and the moment he saw that there were two men on the stairs, he -would have started back, and retreated; but the young sailor sprang -upon him at once, grappled with him tight, and in an instant both -rolled together on the floor of the little anteroom. Beauchamp rushed -forward to a door which was standing a-jar on the other side of the -chamber, and whence there issued forth an intolerable smell of -brandy-punch, together with the sounds of laughter. He reached it in a -moment, but not before the noise of the struggle without, had caught -the ears of the tenants of the room; for when Beauchamp flung wide the -door, he found the murderer Harding, already, with a pistol in each -hand, retreating into one corner of the room, from a table covered -with bottles, glasses, and bowls, cards, dice, and markers; while the -unfortunate wretch, whom we have already seen as the dirty maid of the -old miser at Ryebury, now tricked out in all the gay smartness of -Parisian costume, stood by the table, with sudden terror and agony in -her countenance. The moment her eyes rested on Beauchamp's face, she -saw that her fate was sealed, and with a loud scream, she fell, -fainting, by the table. Harding, however, with scowling determination -in his brow, placed his back in the corner, and pointed the pistol he -held directly towards his former master.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp paused, and levelled his own weapon at the villain's head, -exclaiming sternly, but coolly, "Throw down your arms, sir! You know, -I never miss my aim!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding paused for a moment, slightly dropping the point of his -pistol; and Beauchamp, as they stood face to face, at the distance of -half a dozen yards, could see the corners of his mouth draw gradually -down, into a sort of sneering smile. The next instant he replied, "I -know you never miss your aim; I do--and therefore, this is the best -use I can make of my bullet," and he rapidly turned the pistol towards -his own head.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp heard the lock click as the murderer raised the weapon, and -seeing that the clear exculpation of William Delaware, which would be -gained by the trial of the real culprit, might be lost by the act -about to be committed, he brought the muzzle of his own pistol -slightly round, and pulled the trigger. The report rang through the -room, and the arm that Harding was raising against his own life, fell -powerless by his side. A slight cry of pain escaped from his lips at -the same moment, but the fury that the wound stirred up, flashed forth -from his eyes; and, with the other pistol in his left hand, he rushed -forward upon Beauchamp, coolly calculating, even at that terrible -moment, that from the unsteadiness of his left hand, he could not -revenge himself as he wished, unless he brought the mouth of the -weapon close to his adversary. Beauchamp, eager to take him alive, -closed with him instantly; the young sailor, hearing the report of -fire-arms, left the other ruffian but half tied, and rushing into the -room, endeavoured to wrench the pistol from Harding's hand, as he -strove with the strength of despair and hatred to bring the muzzle -close to Beauchamp's head. At the very moment that he seized it, the -murderer had in a degree succeeded in taking his aim, and was in the -act of pulling the trigger. The flash and report instantly followed, -and the ball, cutting along Beauchamp's cheek, laid the cheekbone -bare, but passed through the hair on his temple, without doing him -farther injury. Walter Harrison, however, at the same moment relaxed -his hold, started back; and, catching at one of the chairs with a -reeling stagger, sunk down into it, while a torrent of blood spouted -forth from his right breast, a little below the collar. Beauchamp, -too, heated by the struggle, seized the murderer by the neck, and, -with a full exertion of his strength, which was not inconsiderable, -dashed him prostrate on the floor, then set his foot upon his chest, -and, drawing the pistol from his bosom, commanded him to be still, if -he would escape without another wound.</p> - -<p class="normal">Such was the situation of all parties, when three of the French -police, warned by the report of fire-arms that a severe contest was -going on above, and thinking they had waited quite long enough, rushed -up the stairs, and entered the apartments. The first that they found -was the man whom Walter Harrison had left, and who was now calmly -untying himself, and about to decamp. He, however, was soon better -secured, and committed to the charge of the officers below, while the -others advanced into the room beyond, and found the young sailor -bleeding profusely, while Beauchamp with some difficulty kept his -prisoner to the ground, as Harding, aware of the fate that ultimately -awaited him, strove, by means of struggles and imprecations, to make -his former master shoot him on the spot.</p> - -<p class="normal">The moment, however, that he beheld the officers of justice, he became -perfectly quiet; and it surprised even Beauchamp to see how easily he -relapsed into that calm cold taciturnity which he had formerly -displayed. The first care of every one was the young sailor, for whom -a surgeon was immediately procured; and, after some difficulty, the -bleeding was stopped. The unhappy woman, who had fainted, was then -recalled to life, and the wound in the chief culprit's arm was -dressed. A proces-verbal of all the events was then taken and -attested, for the purpose of being transmitted to England, and the -three prisoners were removed, though not without a warning from -Beauchamp, that it would be necessary to withhold every thing from -Harding which might enable him to commit suicide.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Diantre, Monsieur!" cried the commissary, who was a small wit in his -way. "You are going to hang him when he gets to England; why should -you care if he saves you the trouble by hanging himself here?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Simply, sir," replied Beauchamp, who, though he could treat great -events with indifference, had a sovereign aversion to jesting upon -serious subjects. "Simply, because it may be necessary to exculpate -the innocent, as well as punish the guilty."</p> - -<p class="normal">There now only remained Beauchamp, two police-officers, who kept -possession of the apartments, the surgeon, and the young sailor. The -latter was immediately removed to the bedroom he had occupied since -his arrival in Paris, and there, by Beauchamp's directions, the -surgeon agreed to sit up with him all night.</p> - -<p class="normal">The lad had never uttered a word since he had received his wound, -although Smithson had poured forth a torrent of abuse upon him, which -the murderer's situation rendered at least excusable. When he saw -Beauchamp's anxiety for his comfort and welfare, however, he said, in -a faint voice, "You are very kind, sir; you always were kind--and I am -glad I got the shot--that I am; for, do you see, if I had not turned -the pistol my way, it would have gone through your head. So that is -some comfort, though it would need a many good actions to make up for -all the bad ones I have done. But, however, don't trouble yourself -about me; for I shan't die just yet--I am sure of that. All my work is -not done yet. I sha'n't live long when it is done, even if they do not -hang me when I get to England."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As I assured you before," replied Beauchamp, "there is no chance -whatever of such a thing; and I trust you are beginning to think too -properly of your own situation, to dream of attempting your life."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no! I was not thinking of that," replied the young man. "I one -time thought that I should be glad almost that they did hang me, just -to show those d----d rascals that I had not turned king's evidence -against them with any thought of myself. But I think differently, now -I have got this shot. But, mind, I do not make any bargain. I will go -over as a prisoner, and they shall do with me as they like--I'll not -flinch--No, no, I'll not flinch!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Here the surgeon, who did not understand a word that was said, and of -course did not like the conversation, laid his hand upon Beauchamp's -arm, and gently hinted that perfect quiet was absolutely necessary to -any hope of the wounded man's recovery; and that gentleman accordingly -left him, with a few kind and consolatory words. He then called the -surgeon into one of the other rooms, and, making him dress the wound -on his cheek, which had been hitherto neglected, he gave him a -substantial earnest of after reward, explaining to him, that the life -of the young man under his care, was of the most immense importance as -a witness; and begging him, at the same time, to watch every turn -which the injury he had received might take, in order that his dying -declaration might be drawn up, if recovery were to be found -impossible. He then left his address, and returned home; but although -extremely fatigued, both by exertion and excitement, he did not lie -down to rest till he had seen a courier despatched to London, bearing -the news of the capture of Harding and his accomplices; and begging -that, without a moment's delay, officers, properly authorized, might -be sent over to convey the prisoners to England.</p> - -<p class="normal">The messenger was ordered to spare no expense, and to lose no time; -and he certainly performed his task with very great rapidity. In the -meanwhile, the news of Beauchamp's adventure spread through Paris, as -if it had been a country town; and, as it may well be supposed that -the hotel in which he lodged was one of the first places in which the -story developed itself, Mrs. Darlington received it at her toilet the -next morning, and instantly wrote a billet to Mr. Beauchamp, -beseeching him to let her see him as soon as he was up. This, folded -in the newest fashion, and sealed with the newest seal, reached -Beauchamp as he was concluding his breakfast; and, in order to quench -the worthy lady's thirst, he at once walked down to her apartments.</p> - -<p class="normal">Mrs. Darlington was as delighted as <i>bienseance</i> would permit her to -be, at the sight of Henry Beauchamp, with a black patch on his cheek, -which confirmed all the pretty story she had heard before he came; and -her questions, though excessively small and quiet, were, like the -little hairy savages that scaled Sinbad's ship, innumerable, and -attacking him on all sides.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp detailed the whole events; and, if he had been a little -bored by the lady's interrogatories, the joy and satisfaction which -Mrs. Darlington expressed on hearing that the exculpation of Captain -Delaware could now be fully made out--the sincere personal -gratification she seemed to feel, made up for all, and placed her high -in his good graces. The assurance that, amongst the culprits, one at -least of the personages who had set fire to her house was more than -probably included, did not seem to interest her half so much as the -proofs obtained of William Delaware's innocence; and she returned -again and again to the subject, declaring, that nothing would be so -delightful as to write to dear Blanche, and give her the whole -details.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray, are you in possession of her address?" demanded Beauchamp, -assuming as indifferent a tone as it was possible for a man in his -situation to affect.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, indeed!" replied Mrs. Darlington; "but she will write to me soon, -of course."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp was mortified; for he had caught at Mrs. Darlington's words -at once, as if they gave the full assurance of discovering the abode -of her he loved, without farther search or uncertainty. After musing -for a moment, however, he said, "I hope, my dear madam, when you do -write, you will offer my best compliments to Miss Delaware--who, I -dare say you know, is my cousin--and tell her that I have endeavoured, -as far as was in my power, to obey the commands with which she -favoured me. As I doubt not that you will give her the details of all -this story, you may assure her in the most positive manner, from me, -that her brother's character will at once be cleared of every -imputation, and that all who know him, will hail his return to England -with the utmost joy."</p> - -<p class="normal">Now Mrs. Darlington perceived, as plainly as woman could perceive, -that Henry Beauchamp was in love with Blanche Delaware. She had long -ago seen it would be so, and now she saw it was so; but yet, for one -half of Europe, she would not have let Beauchamp understand that she -saw anything of the kind. She had known so many excellent arrangements -of the sort spoiled outright by some impolitic, good-natured, stupid -friend, jesting upon the subject, or insinuating his mighty -discoveries, before Cupid was bound hand and foot--which is never the -case ere the matter has come to a declaration--that she answered in -the most commonplace way it is possible to imagine--assured Beauchamp -that she would give his message correctly--declared that she doubted -not Blanche and her father would travel for a year or two; and then -began to speak of the beautiful bonnet brought out by Madame ----, of -the Fauxbourg St. Germains.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp, though he would have seen through every turning of the good -lady's tact, had any body else been concerned, was completely blinded -in his own case--like all the rest of the world--and, after having -given a scientific opinion upon the <i>brides de blonde</i> and the -<i>bordures</i> he rose and took his leave, fully persuaded that Mrs. -Darlington was as ignorant of his love for Blanche Delaware as he -himself was of millinery.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">As rapidly as post-horses and postilions would permit, -Beauchamp's -courier returned from London, bringing with him the officers who had -been in Paris already on the same business, both of whom paid the -young gentleman a great many compliments on his skill and proficiency -in their particular branch of science; but, as Beauchamp would very -well have dispensed with such a flattering testimony of his abilities -in thief-catching, we shall not give the somewhat circumlocutory -praises of the officers at length.</p> - -<p class="normal">By this time the operation of extracting the ball had been performed -upon the young sailor; and although there appeared no chance of his -being able to bear a long journey for some time, yet he was already so -far convalescent that no doubt was entertained of his ultimate -recovery.</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding, Smithson, and the woman, Sarah Ings, confined apart, had all -already shown the difference of the characters in the different manner -in which they had borne their situation. The woman wept continually, -declaring with loud lamentations that she would tell all she knew, if -they would but spare her life. Smithson alternately stormed and raved, -or gave way to brutal jests and wild merriment. Harding remained calm, -cool, and silent, quite disposed to philosophize upon his situation -with any one who would philosophize with him, or to sneer at any who -offered him one word of compassion or admonition; but, at the same -time, a great deal too wary to utter a syllable that might endanger -the slight hope of escape which still remained.</p> - -<p class="normal">After a brief interview with Beauchamp, the officers, with very -natural impatience, hastened to visit their prisoners; and R----, who -held the principal post, immediately addressed Harding with a great -deal of civility. "Oh, Mr. Harding," he said, "I am sorry to see you -here!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You mistake, sir," said Harding. "I do not remember you at all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! not when you were secretary to Mr.----, the banker who failed?" -said the officer. "Poo! poo! that cock won't fight, Master Harding. -Don't you remember going up with me to Mr. Tims's, at Clement's Inn; -and how, after a great piece of work, he promised not only to drop -proceedings against you, but to get you a good place into the bargain, -if you would tell all about the embezzlement of the money; and a good -place he did get you, I find--pity you didn't keep it when you had got -it. Howsoever, that is no business of mine--but you must take part of -a shay with me over to England, Master Harding; and I dare say we -shall be very good friends on the road."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps so!" replied the prisoner; and, after a few more words, the -officers proceeded to visit the other male culprit. To him, however, -their manner was totally different. "Ha! Tony, my lad!" cried the head -officer; "How do you do this many a day? Why! how the devil were you -such a soft chap as to get taken in for such a bad job as this--but -you had nearly bilked us all, by jingo!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, R----," he replied. "Oh, it is a bad job indeed! But I knew well -enough that I was wellnigh up to my weight; and that d--d fellow, -Harding, persuaded me, you see! But I say, R----, tell me, is that -young Harrison like to die? Harding gave him a h--ll of a shot--and, -d--n him, if he would die, if I would not take to talking, and plead -the king's pardon, do you see!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no!" answered the officer. "No chance of his dying! No, no, Tony. -It's all up with you! They must hang two of you; and if any one gets -off, in course it will be the woman."</p> - -<p class="normal">At this hopeless picture of his situation, the ruffian first swore and -blasphemed for two or three minutes, and then, relapsing into the -other extreme, cast himself down and wept like a child.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Fie, fie, Tony!" cried the officer. "Die game, any how--why, I -thought you were more varment than that comes to--a man must die -somehow, you know--and you have had a long pull at it, my -lad--besides, it's all nonsense when one knows that it must be so."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, that's the job!" said the prisoner. "If one could but think of -some way of getting off"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Don't you fancy that," replied the officer. "Why, look ye now, Tony, -if you could get off for this last job, I'll tell you as a friend, -they'd hang you for that burning business; for they've got proof -enough against you for that."</p> - -<p class="normal">This last argument seemed completely to dispel all Mr. Anthony -Smithson's objections to being hanged; and after two or three -exhortations to those virtues that Bow Street officers expect from -thieves, the two children of Mercury went on to visit the female -prisoner. As, however, we have fully as great a disgust to scenes of -low vice and misery as our readers can have, and only introduce them, -where compelled to do so in accordance with truth, we shall leave the -officers to conduct their prisoners to England, and proceed to notice -the events which occurred to Henry Beauchamp, in whose favour we have -already kept our promise, of giving up to him the greater part of this -volume.</p> - -<p class="normal">That gentleman then set off from Paris with all speed, as soon as he -had seen the prisoners safely consigned to the Bow Street officers. He -well knew, that such adventures as those in which he had lately been -engaged, could not fail to find their way into the mouth of Rumour; -and for many reasons he wished to reach London, ere that lady was -ready to go trumpeting before him, like the man with the box on his -back, who walks before Punch.</p> - -<p class="normal">He succeeded tolerably well; so that the fact of Henry Beauchamp being -living instead of dead, upon dry land instead of under the sea, was -not known to above fifty thousand people when he arrived in London. -Out of this number about a thousand had congratulated Lord Ashborough -on the resuscitation of his nephew; but the noble lord had so -impressed upon his mind that his nephew was dead, that he would not -believe a word of the story, gravely saying, that he would give it -implicit credence, as soon as he heard it from any one who would say, -that they had seen Henry Beauchamp with their own eyes.</p> - -<p class="normal">As none of those could be met with, and as the story could be traced -to no authentic source, Lord Ashborough held fast his conviction; and -up to the hour of Beauchamp's arrival continued in the same belief.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was late at night, or rather early in the morning, when Beauchamp -did once more reach the capital; and as he imagined that he was not -likely to find anything prepared for his accommodation in the house of -a dead man, he directed the postboys to drive to a hotel, rather than -his own dwelling. It was later the next morning when he rose, than he -had purposed over night; but nevertheless, as soon as he was up, he -set forth for Lord Ashborough's, and walked immediately into the -drawing-room, where, although the earl himself had breakfasted and -gone out, Beauchamp had soon the pleasure of holding his sister in his -arms.</p> - -<p class="normal">Although Maria Beauchamp was not in the least surprised to see him, as -she had long before received convincing assurances of his safety; and -though she was as light a hearted girl as ever danced through life, -unconscious of its sorrows--yet when she first met her brother, after -all the dangers he had encountered, the tears rose up in her eyes, -from the more vivid impression which his presence produced upon her -mind, of the loss she would have suffered, had the report of his death -been true.</p> - -<p class="normal">The conversation between Henry and Maria Beauchamp was long, and to -them highly interesting; and had the world ever been known to forgive -those who write dialogues between brothers and sisters, it should have -been here transcribed for general edification. In the course of it, -Maria made herself acquainted with a great many of the secrets of -her brother's heart, and, in return, gave him a far more clear and -minute insight into all the views and designs of Lord Ashborough -and his worthy agent, Mr. Peter Tims, than Beauchamp had imagined -so gay and careless a girl, could have been shrewd enough to obtain. -From her quick-sightedness in all those particulars, however, in -which the interests of William Delaware were concerned, Beauchamp -concluded--a result, which his sister certainly neither wished nor -anticipated--that the surmise of his good lawyer, Mr. Wilkinson, was -not so far wrong as he had at first imagined; and he paused, musing -with a smile over all the events that yet might be in the wheel of -fortune.</p> - -<p class="normal">The anatomy of a smile is sometimes a curious thing, and that which -then played upon Beauchamp's lip was not without its several parts and -divisions. In the first place, the idea of his gay, smart, and dashing -sister, falling in love with a frank, straightforward, simple-hearted -sailor, who had neither rank nor fortune to offer her, made him -smile. In the next place, he felt the slightest possible shade of -disappointment, at the idea of Maria Beauchamp not marrying the -Marquis of this, or the Earl of that; and the very absurdity of such a -feeling in <i>his</i> bosom, of all the bosoms in the world, made him smile -at himself; and the two smiles blended together. The third part of the -smile, and which was the purest part too, proceeded from many a sweet -feeling and bland hope which rose up, when he suffered his mind's eye -to gaze on into futurity, and thought of the varied sorts of happiness -it might be in the power of him and his to bestow on a noble and -generous race, weighed down by long misfortunes.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as all these feelings had had their moment and were gone, and -he had given his sister an account of his wondrous accidents by flood -and field--Beauchamp wrote a brief note to his uncle, informing him of -his return, and then</p> - - -<p class="center" style="font-size:smaller"> -"Nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum."</p> - -<p class="continue">He set forth with all speed to his lawyer's chambers, in order to -carry on the whole proceedings, in exculpation of William Delaware, as -rapidly as possible.</p> - -<p class="normal">In regard to his conversation with Mr. Wilkinson, it may be only -necessary to notice, that Beauchamp found, that with prompt and -judicious zeal, that gentleman, on discovering that some thoughts were -really entertained at the Admiralty of inflicting a signal disgrace -upon Captain Delaware for his evasion, had waited personally on the -First Lord, and had laid before him that part of his client's -deposition, which admitted, in the clearest manner, that the money had -been placed by Beauchamp himself in the young officer's room; thus -showing, that the chief circumstance of suspicion was taken from the -evidence. He farther informed him that Beauchamp had discovered the -real murderers, and was at that moment in pursuit of them; and he -ended by beseeching him to pause ere he took any step in the -proceedings which rumour declared to be in agitation.</p> - -<p class="normal">He was met, in every respect, with frank and gentlemanly courtesy, and -was assured that nothing could be more gratifying to his Majesty than -to find just cause for suspending that expression of his indignation -against any officer in his service, which the stern voice of justice -could alone compel him to publish.</p> - -<p class="normal">So far every thing was satisfactory. "And now," said Beauchamp, "all -that remains to be done for the present, is to open the eyes of my -uncle to the conduct of this base attorney of his."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Spare us! Spare us! Mr. Beauchamp, I beg," said Mr. Wilkinson. "But, -without attempting to defend attorneys, who, as a body, have got a bad -name, not so much, I believe from having more rogues amongst them than -are to be found in other professions, but from having greater -opportunities of roguery, allow me to say that I am afraid you will -find it a difficult thing to open your uncle's eyes."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, why, my dear sir?" demanded Beauchamp. "We can prove the -facts.--Tell me why?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, for many reasons," answered Mr. Wilkinson musing, and perhaps not -exactly liking to state the real basis of his opinion. "The fact is, -it is like eating garlic, Mr. Beauchamp, or drinking spirits, or -taking any other of those things which a man nauseates at first, but -gets very fond of by degrees--when a person grows fond of a rogue, he -gradually gets to like him beyond any one else, and soon finds he -cannot do without him."</p> - -<p class="normal">Burrel smiled, though there was a slight sort of mistiness about the -conclusion of Mr. Wilkinson's illustration, which he did not exactly -like. However, he pressed him no farther; and having learned that Lord -Ashborough was carrying on a suit against Sir Sidney Delaware, in -regard to the annuity, with somewhat sharper measures than the -generality of the profession considered reputable, he obtained the -bill for ten thousand pounds which Mr. Tims had presented in lieu of -the money due from the earl, and then returned to his uncle's -dwelling.</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough was now at home; and although Miss Beauchamp had broke -the news of her brother's return, and added a number of reasons and -apologies for his not having sooner communicated the fact of his -safety, the earl was still both agitated and offended, and his -reception of Beauchamp showed a strange mixture of pride, and -irritation, and pleasure.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And pray, Henry, may I ask--" he said, after their first salutations -were over--"May I ask, I say--for your movements and their causes may -both require the same diplomatic secrecy which you have of late so -skilfully displayed--May I ask, I say, why you were pleased to conceal -your existence from your nearest relations? Your sister has indeed -already favoured me with so many reasons, that I confess I have become -puzzled and bewildered by the number, and would fain hear your own -motives from your own lips."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp was not a man to make any excuse to any one, if he had not a -true one ready at his hand. In the present instance, he thought it -best to tell Lord Ashborough the simple truth, and then leave him to -receive it as an excuse or not, as he might think best; taking care, -at the same time, to word it with all due respect and kindness, in -deference to the affection which he knew his uncle felt towards him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The fact is, my dear sir," he answered, "for the first fortnight or -three weeks after you had fancied me drowned, I was not at all aware -of such a report. I was first detained at a cottage with a dislocated -ancle, and next ill of a fever at Hartford Bridge; and at the time I -learned the rumour of my own death, I was under the absolute necessity -of going to Paris, in order to pursue the miscreants who committed the -horrid murder of which you have heard, at Ryebury. As I was the only -person who could prove the facts against them, or lead to their -apprehension, the rumour of my death I knew would throw them off their -guard; and therefore it was necessary to leave it uncontradicted. -Besides"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"But surely," interrupted Lord Ashborough, who, though strongly -inclined to enquire farther concerning the murderers, was resolved to -press Beauchamp home in the first instance. "But surely you could have -trusted to my discretion in the business.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly, my lord!" replied Beauchamp; "and I need not tell you -that, under any ordinary circumstances, you would have been the very -first person to whom I should have communicated my situation, and whom -I should have consulted in what I was undertaking."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough bowed his head with a placable smile, and Beauchamp -continued:--"But I could only have done so by writing to you, or by -coming to see you. The latter, of course, was out of the question; for -I was not willing to trust my secret to your host of servants, and to -write was equally impossible, as there were circumstances to explain -which could only be done personally."</p> - -<p class="normal">"How so? Why so?" demanded the earl.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is what I was about to explain," answered Beauchamp. "The fact -is, that the man of all others whose greatest interest it was to foil -me in endeavouring to bring the murderers to justice--with the -exception, of course, of the murderers themselves--is your -confidential man of business and lawyer, Mr. Peter Tims."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough started; for though this carried him back again to the -subject of the murderers, it was not exactly in the way he best liked. -"You are mistaken, Henry," he said; "quite mistaken! No man has been -more anxious in thought, or more strenuous in exertion, than Mr. Tims, -to bring the murderers of his uncle to justice--You forget their near -relationship, and he is a great deal too--too--too"----</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough would fain have added "Too honest a man!" but the -words stuck in his throat, and, as he paused, Beauchamp finished the -sentence for him--"Too great a rogue, my lord, he most certainly is, -ever to think of relationship where interest is concerned. I found -that out some time ago, ere I took the step of removing my affairs -from his hands, to those of Messrs. Steelyard and Wilkinson."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough drew himself up, "I believe, sir," he said, "that I -have not acquired the character in the world, of a man who is likely -to employ a rogue, either from folly or knavery. But, as you have -brought a serious accusation against my ordinary man of business, I -shall of course expect you to substantiate it fully."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I will do completely to your lordship's satisfaction," replied -Beauchamp; "and indeed, I trust you will believe me, my dear uncle, -when I assure you, that the certainty of this man having, by a gross -misrepresentation of facts, involved you, in circumstances, which will -be very painful to you when you learn all the details, is the great -inducement which makes me accuse your agent at once to yourself, -before I take such measures as must expose him to the world."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp paused; but his intimate acquaintance with his uncle's -character had given him a sort of intuitive insight into what was -passing in his mind, and had revealed a great many secrets which, as -his nephew, he would rather not have learned, but which of course he -acted upon in his transactions with the noble earl. In the present -instance, he clearly perceived that Lord Ashborough's vanity was -getting irritable at the very idea of having been cheated, and that, -at the same time, curiosity and anxiety were both striving hard to -keep vanity down till they were satisfied; but that vanity being the -strongest, was likely to have her own way. Under these circumstances. -Beauchamp thought it would be best to throw in a little soothing -matter to quiet the more restive animal of the three, and keep her -from kicking. He therefore added, after a very brief pause, "I know, -my lord, that the plans of this man, which could deceive even your -sagacity, must have been very deeply and artfully laid; and -unless"--he added, anxious not to assume superior wisdom--"and unless -accident and his own imprudence had thrown into my hands the means of -establishing his knavery beyond a doubt, I should not have ventured to -make such a charge as I have brought against him. I know, however, -that you are too candid not to yield to conviction; and my purpose is -to request that you would call him to your presence, and suffer me to -ask him a question or two before you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of course, Henry," replied the earl. "I am not only willing, but -anxious in the highest degree to give up my mind entirely to truth; -for, besides the great personal interest which I have in the honesty -of a man to whom I confide so much as to this Mr. Tims, the abstract -love of severe and impartial justice also, requires that I should hear -any evidence that can be brought in support of so grave a charge so -boldly made. But tell me," he continued, feeling that there were -particular points on which he would not particularly like to have his -agent questioned in his presence; "tell me, do the questions you -intend to put refer to any affairs of mine, or to affairs of your -own?--for I know you have several times employed this Mr. Tims. If to -mine, I must say, nay, most decidedly; for I can permit no one either -to investigate or to interfere with business which I am competent to -manage myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My questions will refer entirely to business of my own, my lord," -replied Beauchamp. "With yours I should never presume to meddle, -though I feel perfectly convinced that you would not have proceeded at -law against Sir Sidney Delaware for a sum that had been already paid -to your agent, had you not been persuaded by an infamous villain that -the money received did not constitute a legal payment, inasmuch as he -affirmed that it was the fruits of a robbery."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough turned a little pale; but he had canvassed the matter -so often with Mr. Tims, and considered all the contingencies so -accurately, that he was prepared at every point for defence. "Nay, -Henry, nay," he said, assuming a benignant smile. "Nay; I see which -way your prejudices lead you. The most connected evidence would not -convince either yourself or your sister of that unhappy young man's -guilt--but even taking the converse of the matter, and supposing that -he has been accused erroneously, still you do great injustice to the -poor little lawyer, who surely commits no great crime in believing a -man to be guilty, against whom a coroner's jury, after calm -investigation and mature deliberation, have given a verdict of wilful -murder."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In the first place, my lord," replied Beauchamp coolly, "in regard to -William Delaware, as I know your lordship would be as much delighted -to see his innocence clearly established as any one"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, certainly, certainly!" interrupted the earl, with all the energy -that a man adds to a falsehood in order to make it weigh as much as -truth. "Certainly--let justice be done, and let the innocent be -cleared!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then," added Beauchamp, with the slightest possible touch of -causticity in his manner. "You will be delighted to hear, that there -remains not the slightest doubt of William Delaware's innocence. In -the first place, I myself was encountered by the murderers at the very -door of the dead man's house; was carried off by them after being -knocked down and stunned; which facts I can distinctly prove against -at least two of them. In the next place, I have the confession of one -in my writing-desk; and, in the third place, three of them are by this -time at Dover, on their way to trial. The fourth is in Paris, but in -safe hands too, and will come over to give his testimony as king's -evidence."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough again turned pale; and while he declared that he -trusted most sincerely it would prove as his nephew anticipated, he -rang the bell, and, in an under tone, bade the servant bring him some -of the drops to which we have before seen him apply.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp's next sentences, however, were in some degree a relief, for -they afforded a fair hope of being able to cast all the blame upon Mr. -Tims, should it be rendered necessary by any after disclosures. "So -much for that matter, my lord," added his nephew; "and of course I -cannot blame Mr. Tims for not divining all the evidence that might -ultimately be collected to exculpate Captain Delaware. But what I -intend to establish is, that at the very time that he, Mr. Tims, was -retaining--under the pretence that the money was a part of his uncle's -property--a sum which of right belonged to you, having been paid in -redemption of the Emberton annuity--that at the very time he was -urging you on, to proceed severely against a family which he taught -you to believe was criminal--that while he was doing all this, he was -perfectly well aware that the money did not belong to his uncle; that -it had never been the fruits of robbery; and that I must have placed -it in the chamber of Captain Delaware, as that gentleman himself -asserted."</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you can prove that, Henry," replied his uncle, "I will admit that -I have been most grossly deceived, and will abandon the fellow for -ever; but I should like to hear what evidence you can bring forward in -corroboration of these assertions."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You shall hear my lord to-morrow, if you will order him to be here -after breakfast," replied Beauchamp. "You must confront the accused -and the accuser, before you judge--and in the mean time, as I intend -to dine with you, I will go and dress, for it is growing late."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The Earl of Ashborough was a good deal disturbed, as the -reader who -remembers all the transactions which had before occurred, may easily -imagine. His nephew's return had certainly been a very joyful event; -but it was not unaccompanied by many drawbacks. There was the probable -overthrow of all his schemes against the Delawares, a considerable -loss of money, which was painful to the noble earl just in proportion -as his fortune was immense; and, last not least, there was a chance--a -strong chance--of certain unpleasant imputations lighting on his -character, and of certain disclosures being made in regard to his -plans, which he would rather have died to avoid than live to see.</p> - -<p class="normal">The hatred which had rooted itself so deeply in his heart against Sir -Sidney Delaware, had lost none of its freshness--the spirit of revenge -kindled long ago, and fed with a thousand slight circumstances through -a long lapse of years, had lost none of its intensity; but still, for -the time, the fear of shame and dishonour was paramount, and the earl -cursed the day in which he had been tempted to risk one rash step in -pursuit of vengeance.</p> - -<p class="normal">He determined, however, to lay the whole blame upon Mr. Tims, and if -Beauchamp could prove that the lawyer had reason to know that Captain -Delaware was innocent, to affect vast indignation at his conduct; and -to cast him off with all those signs of abhorrence and contempt which -would exculpate himself in the eyes of the world from any -participation in his evil designs. Of the pecuniary loss, too, which -he was likely to suffer by the whole affair, he resolved to make the -most, as a proof that he had been himself deceived and plundered; and -by exclaiming loudly against the perfidy of his agent, to cast a dark -shade of suspicion upon every assertion that Mr. Tims might make, as -springing from the mere malice of a discharged agent. There was one -subject of self-gratulation in Lord Ashborough's breast which was -doubly sweet, as it flattered his ideas of his own wisdom, and -afforded the best point in his situation, with regard to Mr. Tims. -This was the fact of never having committed himself on paper, in -regard to the family of Sir Sidney Delaware, or his purposes of -revenge against them, and he resolved to make the most of that also.</p> - -<p class="normal">After long consideration of all these particulars, he believed that he -could luckily act towards his lawyer, exactly as if he himself had -been perfectly pure and spotless in the whole transaction. He -accordingly sent off a note to Mr. Tims, requesting his presence at -eleven o'clock on the following day, having determined that, in the -first instance, he would give the attorney every sort of gentlemanly -support in his encounter with Beauchamp; but that, if he found -Beauchamp's charge could be made good against the lawyer, he would -instantly throw him off, dismiss him from his employment, and to treat -him with proud and indignant contempt.</p> - -<p class="normal">All these thoughts occupied him some time, and it was late before he -entered the drawing-room, where his nephew and niece were already -waiting; but the space thus employed had fully restored his -equanimity, and the dinner passed over with a degree of cheerfulness -and ease on his part, which Beauchamp had almost doubted that his -uncle would be able to maintain. The evening was equally tranquil; his -wandering nephew's adventures seemed to afford Lord Ashborough fully -as much matter of interest and amusement as it did to Miss Beauchamp, -and their party broke up late, after a pleasant and a tranquil night.</p> - -<p class="normal">The next morning, the earl perhaps felt a little nervous; but he had -that most blessed quality, which was very probably the subject of the -Scotch pedlar's aspirations, when he added to his prayers, "God send -us a good conceit of ourselves;" and being very far from ever thinking -that he could, by any chance, have acted grossly amiss, he soon -recovered from his more serious apprehensions of the world's censure, -though he admitted that occasionally mankind did put a misconstruction -on the most virtuous conduct; but he trusted that his own character -was too well established to permit of such a result.</p> - -<p class="normal">With this proud consciousness--we cannot say of virtue--but at least, -of an established reputation, which often does quite as well, the earl -proceeded after breakfast to his library, accompanied by his nephew, -and, ringing the bell, desired to know whether Mr. Tims had arrived. -The servant replied in the negative; and, after having ordered the -lawyer to be admitted when he did appear, he turned to Beauchamp, -observing that the fellow had grown somewhat negligent of late, since -he had succeeded to his uncle's fortune.</p> - -<p class="normal">The earl had scarcely concluded his sentence, when Mr. Tims himself -appeared at the door, bowing low, with habitual reverence for turkey -carpets and ormolu, even before he was completely in the room. On -seeing Beauchamp, which he did the very next moment--as that gentleman -had placed himself at the bay-window, and turned round on hearing the -door open--Mr. Tims had nearly fallen prostrate on the floor; and -pale, pale, pale, did he become, with the exception of the red climax -to his nose, which remained of its own ruby hue, while all around grew -white. His impudence, however, which was a very phœnix, and was -ever renewed from its own ashes, came instantly to his aid; and, -advancing with a smile of simpering joy, he exclaimed, "Goodness, Mr. -Beauchamp! I am surprised, sir, and delighted to see you. We all -thought you drowned!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of your surprise, Mr. Tims," replied Beauchamp, "I have no doubt; of -your delight, I am not quite so sure; and as to my being drowned, I -know every one believed it, and no one more thoroughly than yourself, -Mr. Tims."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I beg pardon, sir!--I beg pardon!--but you seem offended," said Mr. -Tims, assuming the aspect of injured innocence. "I meant no offence, -sir--My lord, have I said any thing offensive?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, Mr. Tims! No!" replied Lord Ashborough, "Be so good as take a -seat, sir; I am inclined to believe that my nephew misconceives you; -but he will explain himself; for it is on his business I sent for -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, is that the case!" exclaimed the lawyer, who began to feel -somewhat perplexed at his situation. "If your lordship had let me know -that such was your purpose, I might have come prepared."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I acted, Mr. Tims, as I thought best," answered the peer coldly; "and -I confess I do not see what need you could have for preparation."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I do think, sir, all things considered," replied the lawyer--"I -do think your lordship might have given me intimation; as the business -in which I am engaged on your lordship's account"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Has nothing on earth to do with my nephew, nor my nephew with it, Mr. -Tims!" replied Lord Ashborough sternly. "We will keep to the point, -sir, if you please. Henry, you said you had some questions to ask this -person; you had better ask them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Person!" muttered Mr. Tims, fidgeting on his chair. "Person!" but he -had soon more serious matter to think of; for Beauchamp, approaching -the table, sat down at the side next the window, and taking out his -pocket-book, spoke in a calm, mild tone, which had grown infinitely -more moderate than at first, as he saw the terrible agitation under -which the unhappy man laboured.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, Mr. Tims," he said, "I neither want to puzzle you, nor to annoy -you, by what I am going to ask; but there are certain matters on which -you must give a full explanation, both for my satisfaction, and my -uncle's"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, Henry, pardon me!" interrupted the earl; "the business is -yours alone--I am perfectly satisfied for my part--I have heard a -charge, but no proof; and, consequently, I should be doing injustice -to Mr. Tims were I to be dissatisfied."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My lord, the business is certainly mine," replied Beauchamp, "but it -is also yours to the extent of at least ten thousand pounds, if not -more--but to the point. My first question is, Mr. Tims, how you came -to detain, upon the pretence that it had been stolen from your uncle, -the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds, paid by Sir Sidney Delaware to -you, as Lord Ashborough's agent, when, at the time you detained it -upon that pretext, you perfectly well knew that it had not been -stolen, and that it had been put in Captain Delaware's room by me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But I never knew any such thing, sir!" replied Mr. Tims. "I believed, -as every body else believed, that Captain Delaware, when he murdered -my poor unhappy uncle, had stolen those notes; and permit me to say, -sir," he added, assuming a slight touch of bluster--"permit me to say, -I had better cause to believe such to be the case, than you have to -accuse me of actions I should despise, sir. What reason had I to -suppose you placed the money there?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, nay, Mr. Tims," said Beauchamp calmly, "do not lose your temper; -remember, sir, passion may throw you off your guard, and you will yet -have occasion for all your wit in your exculpation.--You ask what -reason you had to suppose I placed the money in Captain Delaware's -room; I will tell you, Mr. Tims. First, because, amongst your uncle's -papers, you found an acquittance in my handwriting for the sum of -fifteen thousand pounds, received by him on my account from Messrs. -Steelyard and Wilkinson"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, sir! But, sir!" cried Mr. Tims.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not interrupt me, sir," said Beauchamp. "Next, I say, because you -found a note of hand signed by me for the sum of ten thousand pounds, -advanced to me by your uncle, and dated on the very day on which he -was murdered, poor man!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But listen to me, Henry," said Lord Ashborough. "All this does not -show that Mr. Tims knew that these several sums had been appropriated -by you in the somewhat Quixotical manner that, as it proves, they were -employed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is, at least, a strong presumption that he might have known it if -he had liked," replied Beauchamp, adding with a smile, "especially -when he knew me to be of a Quixotical disposition, and when William -Delaware himself pointed me out as the only person likely to have -placed them there--but you must remember, also, that the sum was -precisely the same, and that, knowing I had received it"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must once more interrupt you, Mr. Beauchamp," said the lawyer, with -a dignified air; "but you are, and have been assuming as facts what -are not facts. I did not know that you had received that sum--I found -no document--at least, I have as yet found no document, amongst my -late uncle's papers, which refers to the sum of fifteen thousand -pounds received on your account, and handed over to you in due -course; and therefore, sir, the basis of your argument is erroneous, -although--as my noble patron declares, with his usual candour and -perspicuity--even were it all true--had I discovered, by the papers of -which you speak, that my uncle had paid you the precise sum, still I -had no proof that there was any connexion between that fact and the -payment made to me at Emberton Park."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There was a strong presumption at least, Mr. Tims," replied -Beauchamp, who had listened with the utmost calmness; "and I certainly -cannot prove that you have found the document referring to the fifteen -thousand pounds, <i>as yet</i>. Allow me to compliment you on the -introduction of those two words--I certainly cannot prove that you -have found my acquittance to your uncle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well then, Henry," said the earl, with a benign smile to Mr. Tims, "I -think your evidence halts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your pardon, my lord," replied Beauchamp, "I am only disposing of one -part of the subject first--You may not have found it, Mr. Tims, <i>as -yet</i>; but let me tell you, sir, that you must find it, or account to -my solicitors for fifteen thousand pounds received by your late uncle -on my account."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Tims turned very red; for he saw that he was nearer to the horns -of that ugly beast, a dilemma, than he had imagined. Still, however, -he thought that he had triumphantly opposed Beauchamp's charge, and -therefore he replied, with a very tolerable degree of coolness, "I -will search for the papers, sir, and of course act according to the -best of my judgment afterwards."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And in the mean time, Mr. Tims," continued Beauchamp, "we will speak -of the ten thousand pounds which I received from your uncle, I think -you acknowledge, or at least tacitly admit, that you found my note of -hand for that amount amongst your uncle's papers--indeed, it was only -extraordinary that you should overlook the acquittance, which was -pinned to the note, and which you must have separated from it, before -you got it stamped, and presented it to my solicitors, in payment of -the sum of ten thousand pounds due to me by Lord Ashborough, as the -balance of our guardianship account."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Tims's face grew red, and white, and yellow, and blue, by turns. -Never was there such a prismatic complexion as Beauchamp's last speech -produced.</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough watched them all, and then demanded, "Did you presume, -sir, to stop money which I commissioned you to pay, in the way to -which Mr. Beauchamp alludes?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Tims was <i>aux abois</i>, and consequently he turned upon the weakest -of his pursuers. "I did indeed, my lord," he said, in a significant -tone--"I did it for the best, both in accordance with your lordship's -views and interests, and my own poor judgment; and I am perfectly -ready to explain my motives either to your lordship alone, or in the -presence of your nephew."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough changed colour also; and, bowing his head haughtily, -he said, "That is unnecessary, Mr. Tims, We will speak of all that -concerns myself hereafter."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, just as your lordship pleases!" said the lawyer--"I have nothing -to conceal."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am glad to hear it," said Beauchamp, willing to spare his uncle any -unpleasant discussion; "I am glad to hear it, sir; for now we come to -the most inexplicable part of the whole transaction. I say -inexplicable, because it is quite so to me, how a man of your sagacity -could commit such an oversight as, at the very time he was accusing an -innocent person of murder--at the very time he was retaining in his -hands twenty-five thousand pounds unjustly, on the plea that they had -been stolen--at the very time he was carrying on two ruinous suits at -law against an honourable man for money which had been already paid--I -say, that it is inexplicable to me, how, at the very time he was doing -all this, he should commit such an oversight as to present to my -solicitors this note of hand, on the back of which is written, in my -own writing, the numbers and dates of all the notes I received from -his uncle, and which are the numbers and dates of the very notes that -he was at that time attempting to show were stolen. Look at it, my -lord, and read--'Numbers and dates of notes, received from Mr. Tims of -Ryebury'--and conceive, how avarice must have taken hold of a man, ere -he could commit such an egregious blunder. Why, Mr. Tims, could you -not wait a few days--a week, a fortnight, even a month--to make sure -that the fishes had me safe, before you presented this note? By -heaven, I should have thought such a thing impossible, had I not -often, or rather always seen, that, by what would seem a law of -Providence, the most egregious rogues are always sure to leave some -door open to detection."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Tims had remained as one struck dumb--not that he had overlooked -the fact which Beauchamp now brought forward; for he had remarked it -from the first, and knew that it might speak strongly against him; but -the desire of retaining the ten thousand pounds, had blinded his eyes -to one half of the consequences, and diminished his estimation of the -other--had made him confidently believe that Beauchamp was really -drowned, and that if he were not, he would never remember the -memorandum he had made on the night which gave birth to so many -events. The folly of his conduct, however, now appeared to him in the -most forcible manner, and for the moment completely overpowered him. -Quirks, quibbles, evasions, impudence itself, all deserted him, till, -by the most fortunate chance in the world, Beauchamp pronounced the -word rogue, which instantly called anger to his aid.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Rogue, sir! Rogue!" he exclaimed, starting up, while the whiteness of -consternation was succeeded in his countenance by the rubicundity of -wrath, "Rogue, sir! The word is actionable! Did you call me a rogue?"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was too much for human patience. "Yes, sir!" replied Beauchamp, "I -did! and I do! I call you a rogue, because I have proved you one! I -look upon you as a contemptible blackguard, as I have long done; and -if you stare in my face with that air one moment more, I will kick you -from that door into Grosvenor Square--and the passage is a long one!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Tims instantly dropped his eyes to the ground, and Lord Ashborough -interfered. "You are too warm, Henry!" he said, seeing evidently that -Mr. Tims must be given up, and therefore that he might as well assume -the character of the dignified unimpassioned judge. "You are too warm; -but you have made out your charge most completely. Mr. Tims, you are -no longer my solicitor. You must have known, sir, that this Captain -Delaware, whatever faults he may have, and whatever crimes he may have -committed, had not obtained the notes in question by robbing your -uncle--you must have known it, sir--you could not help knowing it; and -I conceive, that your having deceived me into taking a great many -steps which might bring my character into disrepute, if it were not, -thank God, pretty well established--I say, I conceive your having done -so, to be more base and criminal than even the sort of frauds you have -committed in regard to the different sums of money--which, depend upon -it, shall be strictly investigated."</p> - -<p class="normal">Loud insolence not having proved at all successful, Mr. Tims now -resorted to dogged impudence. "Your lordship may find cause, upon a -little reflection," he said, moving gradually towards the door, "to -make your measures towards me somewhat more lenient than you propose. -I should be sorry to injure your lordship's well <i>established -character</i>; but, of course, if I am attacked, I must defend myself; -and I will take care that my defence shall be public enough. There are -two or three little transactions which your lordship will think over, -and determine upon having laid open or not, as you please."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you hear the fellow's insolence?" demanded the earl, turning with -a half smile towards his nephew. "Mr. Tims," he added, "you are -scarcely worthy of contempt. I fear no true statement of anything I -have done; and I shall take care, if you make any false one, that you -shall be severely punished. You have deceived me, sir, grossly; you -have represented people to me as criminal who were really innocent; -and you have laboured to stir up my indignation against them for your -own base purposes. Do not answer me, sir, but quit the room and the -house; and I shall take care that your accounts be called for, and -examined by one who will look into them thoroughly."</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus saying, the earl, with a proud and dignified wave of the hand, -pointed to the door. Mr. Tims would fain have added a few words more; -but Lord Ashborough waved him forth again; and there was also a cloud -lowering upon Henry Beauchamp's brow, which boded no very pleasant -results from farther insolence; so that, upon second thoughts, Mr. -Tims judged it best to make his exit tranquilly. This he was suffered -to do; and the door closed upon him for ever.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER X.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">We must now for a time leave Henry Beauchamp and the Earl of -Ashborough, and turn to the small neat country town of ----, in the -jail of which place, Harding, Smithson, and Sarah Ings, were at length -safely lodged, within a few days after Beauchamp's return to his -native country. Walter Harrison, skilfully treated and carefully -attended, was soon able to undertake the journey to England; and -as the fixed determination he had shown to farther the ends of -justice, at all risks, left no doubt of his sincerity, he was -permitted to act without restraint, and proceeded steadily towards -his destination--indeed more rapidly than his feeble state properly -admitted. Presenting himself uncalled before the magistrates of the -town, he informed them at once of his name, required them to receive -his voluntary confession, and in consequence to commit him to prison. -The first part of his demand was of course acceded to; but it was -intimated to him that, in consequence of his firm and determined -conduct, throughout at least the latter part of the dark business in -which he had unfortunately been engaged, he would not be deprived of -his liberty.</p> - -<p class="normal">To the surprise of the magistrates, however, he replied that he knew -nothing of their forms and manner of proceeding in these matters, but -that he had made up his mind to the line of conduct he was to pursue. -On no consideration whatever, he said, would he be king's evidence--a -term for which he seemed to entertain the most extraordinary aversion. -His confession, he said, was clear and ample, made without any -promises of pardon or favour, demanded or given; he would therefore go -to prison like the others, and be brought to trial like them; but as -he was guilty, he would plead guilty in regard to the robbery, though -not in regard to the murder. This he said was his firm determination, -though he would be found ready at any time to give every sort of -information that might be required to make out the case against his -accomplices and himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the jail delivery was to be held in a few days, the penance of -imprisonment which he thus imposed on himself, was not great; but even -the short period of confinement to which he thus voluntarily subjected -himself, seemed greatly to affect his health and spirits. In vain the -governor of the prison, under the idea that apprehensions in regard to -his ultimate fate were prying upon his mind, assured him that the -King's pardon, promised by proclamation to any but the actual -murderers, secured him from all danger. He replied, that he feared -nothing but his own thoughts; for that, since he had come back to the -country and the county in which the terrible crime wherein he had -participated had been perpetrated, a heavy cloud had seemed to come -over him, which he could not shake off. His bold, daring, and -impetuous manner, was now all gone, and in its place there appeared a -deep silent sternness, somewhat impatient of contradiction, but -determined rather than violent. The great loss of blood he had -sustained, had rendered him as pale as ashes, and anxiety and -suffering had bowed his powerful frame, and left him merely the shadow -of what he formerly was. Some apprehensions, indeed, appeared to be -entertained by those who watched, lest he should become so ill as to -be unable to undergo the business of the trial; but in this they were -deceived; and his strength, on the contrary, appeared greater, and his -energies more alive, on the day before that appointed for the assizes.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length the day arrived; and all the usual formalities having taken -place, the heavy list of crimes was adverted to, and lamented by the -judge; the grand jury was exhorted and sworn, and proceeded to its -functions. As every one expected, the first bill brought before them, -which was that against Captain William Delaware, for the murder of Mr. -Tims at Ryebury, was at once thrown out. Not so, however, that against -Harding and his accomplices, which, being found a true bill, was -immediately proceeded on.</p> - -<p class="normal">All our readers are most probably acquainted with the solemn array of -a court of justice, though an interesting, always a painful scene. On -the present occasion, of course, from the blackness of the crime -committed, and the many extraordinary circumstances that accompanied -and followed it, the excitement produced was great, and the court -crowed in every part. The preliminaries having been gone through, the -four prisoners were put to the bar, and a good deal of confusion -ensued, from the endeavour of the various spectators to obtain a full -view of the accused--the class of women who frequent criminal courts, -struggling forward to see the culprits with more than masculine -boldness.</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding, who was beyond doubt a handsome man, first advanced to the -bar. He was dressed with scrupulous care; and, with his neck wrapped -in a thick black cravat, his double-breasted waistcoat buttoned up to -his chin, and his dark frock-coat thrown back from his chest, he -looked very much like the private secretary of a German prince. His -cool and tranquil air, and easy carriage, might have been construed -into the expression of conscious innocence, but for a slight, very -slight sneer, that curled the corner of his lip, entirely different -from the indignant expansion of the nostril, with which innocence -sometimes meets a false accusation. He gazed for a single instant -round the court, and then withdrew his eyes, while all the reporters -scribbled rapidly in their note-books, preparing to make him a -newspaper wonder, and hand him down to posterity as one of the heroes -of the gallows. The next that came up was the well-known Tony -Smithson, who, though he had confronted more than one court of justice -on previous occasions, now, from the magnitude of the offence, and the -certainty that his conviction would follow, had lost all self-command, -and approached the bar, pale, trembling, and agitated. Next appeared -Sarah Ings, with the most persevering of all human passions, vanity, -still uppermost. Dressed forth in all the gay and vulgar smartness of -the Rue de Vivienne and the Palais Royal, with a touch or two of rouge -upon her cheeks to hide the ravages of apprehension, she presented -herself before the court that was to try her, and the judge who might -have to doom her to death, with a simpering and coquetish smile, -thinking fully as much of the impression of her charms and her finery -upon the spectators, as of her awful situation and its probable -result.</p> - -<p class="normal">Last appeared Walter Harrison, with a bold, firm step, a bright red -spot in each of his pale cheeks, and his eye sparkling from feverish -excitement. He leaned his hand upon the bar, and after gazing rapidly -and boldly round the court, fixed his eyes upon the clerk of the -arraigns, as he proceeded to read the indictment.</p> - -<p class="normal">That document was conceived in the usual tenor, and comprised all the -various acts which the prisoners could or might have committed in the -perpetration of their crime, with all the legal terms and expressions -necessary to prevent dubiety.</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding listened to every word with scrupulous attention; and it was -observed that, at several of the counts in the indictment, which -described the act that he had committed with much greater precision -than he had expected, he set his teeth hard. On the question being put -to each of the prisoners--"How say you, guilty or not guilty?"--the -three first pleaded "not guilty," and what is termed put themselves -upon their country, or in fact appealed to a jury. Walter Harrison, -however, in a bold, firm voice, replied at once--"Guilty of the -robbery, but not guilty of the murder;" and consequently it was found -necessary to proceed on his trial also, upon several of the counts in -the indictment.</p> - -<p class="normal">The trial then went on; and as the reader is already aware of the -greater part of the evidence that could be brought forward, it shall -be but briefly recapitulated here. The footprints on the floor of the -room where the murder had been committed, and the mark of the hand on -the wall, were proved to correspond exactly with the feet of Harding -and Smithson, and with the hand of the latter. The marks in the -passage were also proved to have been caused by the feet of the young -sailor; and evidence was given that Harding had paid the master of a -cutter, hired to carry them to France, with one of the notes which -could be traced to the possession of the miser of Ryebury a few days -before his death. The <i>ci-devant</i> smuggler, Billy Small, swore -positively to the persons of Harding, Smithson, Harrison, and the -woman, and detailed fully the particulars of their arrival at his -house, with a gentleman whose ancle was dislocated, and who had -evidently received a severe contusion on the forehead. The Bow Street -officers proved the state of the prisoners' apartments in Paris, the -considerable sums of money there found, and a variety of minor facts, -which all aggravated the suspicions against them; and as the principal -witness, Henry Beauchamp, was at length called, in order to establish -the fact of the prisoners having been on the very night of the murder -at the house of Mr. Tims, and having thence proceeded direct to the -cottage of the smuggler. As he entered the witness-box, the cheek of -Harding turned a shade paler, but at the same time his eye flashed -with an expression rather of rage, than fear. As his former master -went on, however, he recovered his composure, and listened calmly, -while Beauchamp clearly and distinctly detailed all the events, from -his second visit to Mr. Tims's house, on the night of the murder, till -he was delivered over to the care of the old smuggler and his family.</p> - -<p class="normal">Throughout the trial, Harding had acted as his own counsel, and now he -proceeded with an air of cool determined effrontery to cross-examine -his former master, mingling skilfully those questions which might tend -to exculpate himself with those which he thought would annoy the -witness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Allow me to ask you, Mr. Beauchamp," he said, "whether, while I was -in your service, you ever detected me in any act of dishonesty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"To speak but candidly," replied Beauchamp, "I never did."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did I not on more than one occasion," proceeded Harding, "when your -tradesmen endeavoured to cheat or overcharge you, point out to you the -fact."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You certainly did," replied his former master.</p> - -<p class="normal">"So far, then, your evidence is favourable to me," continued the -culprit. "Now, pray tell me, Mr. Beauchamp, what was your own errand -at the house of Mr. Tims on the night in question--or rather, what -became of you between the first and second calls which you made at his -dwelling during that evening?" and he fixed his eye upon the witness's -countenance with a degree of sneering triumph at the pain he imagined -the question would cause him. But Beauchamp answered with the utmost -coolness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not know," he said, "that any law would oblige me to reply to a -demand which does not seem to bear upon the case; but, nevertheless, I -have not the slightest objection to do so. I had, on the first visit I -paid to the unhappy man who was afterwards murdered, received from him -the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds, which I had promised to -advance on mortgage on the estate of my cousin. Sir Sidney Delaware. -From the house of Mr. Tims I went straight to Emberton Park; and, -having discovered that Captain Delaware was absent from home, I took -the liberty, as a relation and intimate friend, of entering his room, -and leaving the money enveloped in a packet upon his dressing-table, -proposing to give him intimation of the fact next morning."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was not that rather a hazardous action, sir?" demanded Harding with -cool insolence--"especially when there were so many thieves abroad?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not more so, it would seem," replied Beauchamp, "than to carry it in -my pocket from Ryebury to Emberton when you were in my neighbourhood; -but luckily it happened that you neither knew the one fact or the -other."</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding was silent for a moment, finding that sarcasms were edged -tools, which he had better not employ against Beauchamp, who had full -strength to turn them back upon himself, with that sort of cold -calmness which made them a thousand times more stinging. The pause was -so long, that Beauchamp at length asked, "Have you any other question -to put to me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes--several!" replied the prisoner. "Several--Why did you not give -the money into the hands of Sir Sidney Delaware himself, when you -found that his son was absent?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because it was not my pleasure to do so," replied Beauchamp. "I must -submit to the court, whether these questions are relevant."</p> - -<p class="normal">The judge at once supported the witness's objection; and the prisoner -being told that he must absolutely confine himself to the matter -before the court, proceeded, "Pray, Mr. Beauchamp, was the moon -shining at the time of your return to Ryebury?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was shining brightly," replied Beauchamp.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then it was by the light of the moon that you recognised me amongst -the persons coming out of the miser's house?" demanded the prisoner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not say that I recognised you in the slightest degree," replied -his former master, "till I found myself in the boat upon the water."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you positively did not recognise me at all at the miser's -house?" said Harding, with a smile of triumph.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not," answered Beauchamp; "as I said before, all I saw, on the -opening of the door, were the forms of three men and a woman standing -in the passage. As the moon was not shining directly on that side of -the house, I could not distinguish their features so perfectly as to -swear to any one of them; but the foremost of the men was exactly of -your height and appearance, and I have already sworn, that I saw you -in the boat after I recovered my recollection."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray, what space of time do you think had elapsed," Harding next -demanded, "between the time of your return to Ryebury, and your -finding yourself in the boat?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp replied, that of course he could not exactly tell, but he -imagined that it must have been more than an hour.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If such was the case," said the prisoner, "then the moon, which you -say was shining on the western side of the miser's house when you -reached the door, must have set before you recovered your senses; and -I should like to know, how, without any light on a dark night, and -with your thoughts confused, as they must have been, after such a blow -as you describe, you could recognise me so as to swear to my identity, -when, by your own account, you could not stand up in the boat even for -a moment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In the first place," answered Beauchamp, "the moon had not set, -though she was setting, and her very position at the moment I did -attempt to rise, showed me your features more distinctly than if she -had been higher in the sky; for she shone at that moment under your -hat. I was confused, certainly, and in that confusion I had very -nearly called you by your name; but luckily I recollected in time the -attack made upon my own person, and the extraordinary circumstances in -which I was placed, or probably the consequences might have been fatal -to me also."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He should not have touched a hair of your head!" said Walter Harrison -aloud, and the eyes of the whole court were instantly turned upon him; -but the young man paused, and looked towards Harding, adding--"I do -not want to interrupt him! Let him say his say, and then I will say -mine."</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding had turned very pale; but he added eagerly--"One more -question, sir, and I have done. Was this momentary and imperfect -glance which you obtained of the countenance of one of the men in the -boat with you, all which led you to believe that I was that person?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Although that glance would have been quite sufficient to satisfy me," -replied Beauchamp; "what I had learned from that glance was confirmed -by the sound of your voice, and by the fact of your having dropped -this powder-flask out of your pocket upon the beach, when embarking -for France, which powder-flask, you must well remember my giving to -you some days before, because it did not measure the right charge for -my guns."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I never saw it before in my life," replied Harding solemnly, and then -ceased his interrogatories. The jury had listened to this -cross-examination more attentively than to any other part of the -evidence; and it was clear that the cool and collected manner in which -the prisoner had sifted the testimony of his former master, had -produced no small effect on several of the jurors. When Harding -ceased, Walter Harrison turned to Beauchamp, and the eyes not only of -the whole spectators, but of his fellow-prisoners were fixed upon him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Beauchamp," he said, "I am not going to do what they call -cross-examine you; because I am sure you will tell the truth like a -gentleman. But once, when we were talking about catching these -fellows, you told me as much as that you had overheard what I said on -that bad night to old Billy Small--Will you have the goodness to let -those gentlemen up there know what it all was?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp detailed the whole; and having suffered a brief -cross-examination on the part of the other prisoners, he was allowed -to retire. The evidence now given, together with the declaration of -Walter Harrison, closed the case for the crown, and the prisoners -entered on their defence. Smithson, who knew too well the proceedings -of a court of justice to believe that he could mend his condition by -his own oratory, declined saying anything, except that he was -innocent; to which he added all those ordinary but vehement -asseverations, which render the bar of a court of justice an altar to -impiety, whence falsehood and blasphemy reek continually up in the -sight of Heaven. The woman appeared strongly inclined to speak in her -own defence, but her words were drowned in an hysterical burst of -sobbing; and Harding, with the young sailor, were left to address the -court for themselves.</p> - -<p class="normal">The speech of the first was as consummate a piece of special pleading, -as ever was drawn up in ancient or modern days. On the evidence -against himself, he commented with the utmost acuteness; and pointed -out that there was no direct proof that he had ever been in the house -of the unhappy man who had been murdered, except that afforded by the -declaration of the young man, Walter Harrison, whose acknowledgement -of participation in the crime, and evident desire to escape the -punishment, by laying the whole of it upon other people, he trusted -that the jury would remember and consider, before they attached any -weight to his testimony. Mr. Beauchamp, he continued, had never seen -him in the house, or near the house. At least, though he threw out a -suspicion, yet he had not attempted to swear that he had beheld him -there; and although William Small--an acknowledged smuggler--had -declared that he came to his cottage in the boat with Mr. Beauchamp -and the rest, yet he did not state whether he was there as a voluntary -agent or as under compulsion. In regard to the footmarks in the house, -he argued, that they could not be held as proving anything; for, in -the number of men who might be supposed to commit such a crime as -that, how many would be found with a foot of nearly the same size as -his? Had his clothes been found bloody? he asked. Had any of the -implements of robbery and housebreaking been found upon him? No! And -the whole case against him, he contended, rested alone upon the very -doubtful testimony of the young sailor, and the fact of his having -paid the freight of the cutter with a note which had been in the -possession of Mr. Tims.</p> - -<p class="normal">He now paused for a moment; and, after having taken breath, and eyed -the jury to see what effect his oratory had produced, he went on, in a -solemn and serious manner:--"Gentlemen of the jury--having now -commented upon the evidence against me, and stripped it of all those -magnifying circumstances with which human malice is ever too prone to -swell the charge against a person once suspected--having shown upon -how slender a foundation rests the case in respect to myself--I will -proceed to explain to you fully and honestly every circumstance that -appears at all doubtful in my conduct, trusting that the confession of -some errors which I deeply regret, will not prejudice you against me -in the consideration of the present accusation. When I came down to -Emberton with Mr. Beauchamp--against whom I do not pretend to say a -word, although he was somewhat imaginative in his ways of acting and -thinking--I had frequent occasion to go on his business to the house -of the unhappy man who has been so cruelly murdered; and where I was -always received with a degree of kindness, which certainly would never -have prompted the base return which I am accused of having made. I -there became acquainted with the young woman at the bar; an attachment -grew up between us; and having--upon some speculative principles of -general utility, which I now acknowledge to have been foolish and -wrong--taken up a prejudice against marriage, I obtained her promise -to elope with me without any ceremony of the church. In one service or -another I had amassed a considerable sum, and her wages also were long -in arrear. She with difficulty obtained payment from her master; and -it was determined that we should go off together. Our plans, however, -were hurried by Mr. Beauchamp's sudden departure from Emberton; and, -hearing that there was a French vessel on the coast, we resolved to -set off that ill-starred night. Just as I was about to proceed to -Ryebury to meet her at the appointed hour, I found her in the streets -of Emberton, whether she had been sent by her master to Lawyer -Johnstone's for some stamps, and we were returning to Ryebury in order -to procure her clothes, when we met three men dragging along Mr. -Beauchamp, apparently dead. I did not well know what to do; and, in a -scuffle with the men, I was of course overpowered. They treated me -humanely, however, I must say, and told me that they neither wished to -hurt me nor the gentleman they had got; and if I chose to go quietly -along with them till they were safe in France, whither they were -going, they would then set me at liberty; but they vowed with many -imprecations, that they would not leave any one behind who could give -information against them. I learned from this that they had committed -some crime; but the impossibility of resistance, the desire of getting -to France, and the hope of doing some good to my master, all induced -me to yield quietly; and I accordingly got into the boat with them, -and we went off. By the time we had reached the smuggler's cottage, -however, I had learned enough to show me the horrid crime that had -been committed; and, before I had been there quarter of an hour, this -young man beside me, whom I have reason to believe was the principal -actor in the Ryebury tragedy, whispered to me that I was in for it, as -he termed it, and that, fair weather or foul, I must sail out the -voyage with him and his companions. I asked him what he meant, and he -then showed me that if I went back to London, or peached, as he called -it, I should certainly be suspected as accessory to what had happened. -I was overcome with the horror of my situation; and, on my -remonstrating and begging him to allow me to depart, he threatened if -I said another word to make it out so, that I should appear the -principal in the murder. My courage and my resolution failed; and, -weakly consenting to go with them, I suffered myself to be led on -blindly, and do what they liked. The freight of the ship even I was -compelled to pay, which I did with a pound note that Sarah there, had -received from her poor master the night before, and had given me to -keep. After our arrival in France, I gave myself up to despair; my -hopes and prospects seemed utterly ruined, and, to keep away thought, -I gambled deeply. Fortune, however, favoured me, and I won large sums. -Suddenly the news that Bow Street officers were pursuing us in Paris, -added new anxieties to my mind, and often I thought to give myself up, -and tell all I knew. The apprehension that I would do so, it seems, -induced the other prisoner beside me, to be beforehand with me; and, -on the night that I was taken, when I heard his voice without, and saw -Mr. Beauchamp enter the room, I certainly made a desperate defence, -having no hope of being able to establish my innocence against the -conspiracy that was evidently got up to make me the scapegoat. This, -gentlemen, is the plain, straightforward story of what really -happened. You must all see that I have had no time to make up such a -tale, as I knew not what evidence would be produced against me. There -stands the only witness I could bring forward to prove the truth of my -story; but she, included in the same false charge, is prevented from -giving evidence in my favour.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is all true! It is all true!" cried the unhappy girl, weeping -bitterly; and Harding proceeded, "I have little more to add, -gentlemen. Mr. Beauchamp's evidence is generally correct, though he -was mistaken in one or two particulars; but I trust that you will -allow the good character that he has himself given me, to -counterbalance the assertions that he has erroneously made. In -conclusion, I have only to say, that my very heart and soul revolts at -the thought of the crime with which I am charged; and although I have -been culpable in some things, let me trust that my sins have been -sufficiently punished already by their consequences, and that a jury -of my countrymen will not incur the awful responsibility of condemning -an innocent man for a crime that never entered his thoughts."</p> - -<p class="normal">With a fine person and graceful action, Harding delivered this address -with so much effect, that a murmur of approbation filled the court -when he concluded; and it was evident that the opinion of the jury was -strongly affected by what he had said.</p> - -<p class="normal">The gentlemen of the bar, however, whispered together with a -significant smile, and one then remarked to another--"He brought in -the girl devilish neatly. The fellow must have some good in him for -that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Poo!" replied the more experienced counsel to whom he spoke. "He -could not have made up his own story without it."</p> - -<p class="normal">The judge now repressed the noise in the court, and the young sailor -came nearer to the bar to address the jury.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Gentlemen," he said, "I can't make you a fine speech like this man -Harding, who, I begin to think, is the devil himself; for none but the -father of lies could have got up such a string of them, do ye see! I -told the whole truth in my declaration before the magistrates; and as -you all know well enough, if what he has said were true, and I had -wanted to betray him to screen myself, I might have been king's -evidence as the folks wanted me. My lord the judge knows that, and -every one else; and so I should have saved my life to a certainty, and -pocketed the reward. No--no! I had no such thought in my head, do you -see; and now, gentlemen, I will tell you truly how it all happened. It -makes little odds to me whether you hang me or not; for I shall not -live three months if you don't; and death is just as bitter to-morrow -as to-day--though I never feared him much, somehow. The thing is this, -gentlemen. I have a poor mother, a widow, living at Emberton; and to -see her next to starving always has been a sore heart to me. Well, -there were only three people in all the world that ever were very kind -to me. The first was my mother, who forgave me all my faults, and -loved me notwithstanding all the sorrows I brought her. The next was -Captain William Delaware, who, when I got into a scrape about -poaching, and might have been sent to the hulks, took me aboard his -own ship, treated me as kindly as possible, and sent me back with a -better character than ever I had before. The next was Mr. Henry -Beauchamp--though I always took his name to be Burrel. He saved my -life at the risk of his own; had me doctored and tended; was kind to -me and my mother; gave me advice and encouragement which would have -been a blessing if I had remembered it, and promised me help if I -behaved well. But I did not behave well; for that cursed villain, his -servant, Harding there, did me more harm than all his master could say -did me good. He was always at me about what he called the unequal -distribution of property; and it was very natural to get from thinking -that other folks had no right to their property, to thinking that one -should take it from them the best way one could; and so it turned out. -I have told all about the robbery in my declaration; but I never could -tell, gentlemen, what a turn it gave me, when I found they had -murdered the old man. Ay, when first they came down, with their hands -all bloody: I shall never forget it, sleeping or waking. However, that -I got over, though it was always like a red-hot coal lying at my -heart; but then I thought, that sometime it would go out of my head; -till one day I went into a shop in Paris, to sell some of the things -for them, that they had stolen, when they set fire to the lady's house -upon the hill, and there I took up an English newspaper, and I saw all -about the murder. That was bad enough; but when I found out that a set -of rogues and fools had laid the blame of what we had done, upon the -noblest gentleman in all the country, who would not hurt a fly, if it -were not when he is alongside an enemy;--when I saw that, and thought -how it would break his gallant heart, and that of his good father, and -poor Miss Blanche's too; and remembered what Captain Delaware had done -for me, and what his father and Miss Blanche had done for my poor -mother--why, gentlemen, I thought I should have gone mad. Well, I -believe I was mad; till, as good luck would have it, I found out Mr. -Beauchamp, and told him all about it, and offered, if he would not -take odds against the two fellows, but would go with me and face them -singly--I offered, I say, to give them up, and myself too. Well, he -told me of the king's proclamation, and promise of pardon, and all -that; but I told him I would be tried too, like the rest; and away we -went, and took them, though I got shot in the shoulder, and Mr. -Beauchamp in the face. Now, gentlemen, you all know that I was left -behind in Paris, and came over here of my own accord, and gave myself -up without any one telling me; and so you may believe the rest of my -story or not, as you like. All I want, is to clear Captain Delaware; -for he is a noble gentleman, and a good officer, and a kind-hearted -man--God bless him for ever!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding had been really eloquent; for from the adaption of his story -to the evidence produced immediately before, it was beyond doubt that -he had poured forth his long address upon the spur of the occasion. -Walter Harrison, however, was not eloquent; and, if there had been -anything like eloquence in his speech, it was the eloquence of -passionate sincerity. Still his tale produced the deep impression; -Harding's alone the transient one. In the case of the latter, the jury -and the spectators had felt that the account was plausible, and might -be true; but; when Walter Harrison concluded his rough oration, there -was not a man in all the court that doubted his assertions. There was -a momentary pause, and then more than one person murmured, "Poor -fellow!"</p> - -<p class="normal">At length the judge summed up the evidence, with that clear, -straightforward, noble impartiality, that dignified and equitable -firmness, which is so universally characteristic of an English judge. -He noticed Harding's defence, and gave him the full credit of every -probability that existed in favour of the story he had told, but he -noticed also the singular conduct of Walter Harrison, pointed out the -minute resemblance between the declaration he had made in Paris, and -that which he had made in England, and the harmony of the whole of it -with both his conduct towards Beauchamp and the conversation he had -held with the smuggler. Nevertheless, he said, there was a peculiar -feature in the case which greatly affected it, and he begged the jury -to give the prisoners the advantage of any doubt that might thence -arise in their minds. This peculiar feature was, that Walter Harrison -having refused to become king's evidence, the prisoners had not had an -opportunity of cross-examining him, as they might have done to any -other witness. At the same time, his declaration could not fail to -have a considerable effect upon the minds of the jury in regard to the -other prisoners, as well as to himself, and therefore it was to be -received cautiously from the peculiarity adverted to.</p> - -<p class="normal">The judge's exposition of the law, and his classification of the -evidence adduced, was clear, judicious, and impartial; and, on -dismissing the jury to deliberate, he called upon them, to cast away -from their minds the remembrance of every thing but what they had -heard in that court, and never to forget, that the duty they were then -called upon to perform, involved the most awful responsibility which -it is possible for a human being to undertake.</p> - -<p class="normal">The eyes of each of the prisoners were fixed upon the jury-box while -the judge addressed the jurors; and it was remarked, that at one -particular point of the summing up, where the declaration of the young -sailor, and his conduct throughout the whole transaction, were clearly -stated, Harding turned extremely pale, and casting down his eyes, -remained in deep thought.</p> - -<p class="normal">In a very few minutes the jury re-appeared in court, and the foreman -announced their verdict of guilty against Smithson, Harding, and his -paramour; not guilty, in regard to the young sailor, except on the -count referring to the robbery.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the fatal words rang in her ear, the unhappy woman dropped down on -the floor of the dock, as if she had been shot. Smithson alone -muttered a few words in his peculiar slang, consigning the judge and -jury to the place for which his own deeds qualified him much better. -Harding remained profoundly silent; and heard not only the -announcement of his condemnation, but the awful sentence that followed -it, with calm but steadfast composure.</p> - -<p class="normal">While sentence of death was passing on Harding, Smithson, and Sarah -Ings, the head of a woman, dressed in deep mourning, pale, haggard, -and agitated, but with the traces of former beauty shining through -all, was seen gazing eagerly upon the judge; till at length he turned -to Walter Harrison, and informed him that, at the suggestion of the -king's counsel on the occasion, his sentence should be reserved for -farther consideration. At those words a passionate flood of tears were -seen to burst from the poor woman's eyes, which had been dry as the -desert before; and she hurried eagerly from the court ere the crowd -made their way towards the door.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There are some men so highly gifted with fine and generous -feelings, -that they feel a sort of sympathetic excitement in the trials and -behaviour of murderers and highwaymen--prize the rope that hanged a -noted criminal, and guard, as a relic, the implement with which some -great crime was perpetrated. We own the narrowness of our own mind in -these respects, and turn without reluctance for a time from the fierce -and ruthless deeds of men in the last stage of human depravity, to -scenes where the same passions, and perhaps the same vices, had to -struggle with the bonds of education and circumstances, and were -restrained to crooked and confined passages, by all the respects of -rank, and station, and a well preserved name.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the Saturday morning which succeeded the trial of Harding and his -accomplices, the Earl of Ashborough sat waiting for his carriage, -which was to be at his door at nine precisely, in order to whirl him -and his niece down to one of his country seats, for the purpose of -spending the Christmas holidays with true old English hospitality, as -the newspapers term it, amidst his neighbours and tenants.</p> - -<p class="normal">About three weeks had now elapsed since the return of his nephew and -the dismissal of Mr. Tims, and agents had been appointed by the earl -to examine into that worthy's accounts, in which they had hitherto -made but small progress. The noble lord had in the meanwhile pursued -his plan of speaking of his ci-devant lawyer, and treating him in -every respect with calm and supreme contempt. But Mr. Tims had at the -same time proceeded upon his plan also; and scarcely a daily or a -weekly newspaper appeared--from that which instructs and bullies the -statesman, to that which sets the pot-house in a roar--that did not -contain some galling allusion to the Earl of Ashborough and his -private affairs.</p> - -<p class="normal">His lordship took no notice, but still the same attack went on; and -though he spoke not a word upon the business to any one, yet it was -evident that the annoyance he felt was sufficient seriously to affect -his health. A physician's carriage was seen almost daily at his door; -and in the end, it being discovered that the length of time he had -spent that year in the dull and smoky atmosphere of London, had hurt -his constitution, it was determined that he should set out for the -country, and not return till his parliamentary duties absolutely -compelled his attendance in the House of Peers. The carriage then was -ordered, and his lordship, with his usual punctuality, was ready to -the moment. The carriage, however, and his lordship's niece, were -anything but ready to the moment; and the earl was sitting in -attendance upon their will and pleasure, and in no very quiescent -mood, when the loud clatter of a horse's feet beneath the windows, -broke the silence; and in a moment after, a letter, brought by express -from the little county town of ----, was put into his hand, together -with another, bearing his address in the handwriting of Henry -Beauchamp.</p> - -<p class="normal">The first was signed by the sheriff of the county, and went to inform -him that a man of the name of Harding, having been that day, at twenty -minutes after three o'clock, condemned to death for the murder at -Ryebury, had expressed an earnest wish to see his lordship, and had -intimated that if he were so indulged, he would make disclosures of -very great importance, and which, he believed, might even save his own -life. These facts the sheriff had thought necessary to bring before -his lordship, leaving him to judge whether it would be proper or not -to comply with the desire of the prisoner. The letter from Beauchamp -contained but a few lines, urging his uncle strongly to give immediate -attention to the demand of the felon; and Lord Ashborough, in his -first burst of angry impatience, threw both the epistles into the fire -together.</p> - -<p class="normal">Now, as Lord Ashborough was a man who seldom gave way to such -unnecessary displays of vehemence, it was very easy to divine, from -his violent demolition of the letters, that he would ultimately do -what was required, whatever he might say to the contrary; for, had he -not intended to go, there would not have been the slightest use of -being angry about the matter.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What could the fellow want with him?" he asked. "It was all nonsense! -There could be no reason for his going down; nor could the rascal have -any matter of import to relate!"</p> - -<p class="normal">But the very fact that his lordship could by no means divine what -Harding could want with him, served in the greatest degree to -strengthen that principle, or passion, or folly--whichever curiosity -may be termed by the learned--that now urged the earl to travel to the -town of ----. By the time the carriage came up, he had got as -far as to think, "Well, I suppose I must go!" and by the time Miss -Beauchamp, be-cloaked and be-furred, entered the drawing-room, he had -summoned resolution to say, "Had you and the carriage been ready at -the time, Maria, I should have had a pleasant journey with you down -to ----, instead of an unpleasant one by myself down to ----."</p> - -<p class="normal">What convenient things blanks are!</p> - -<p class="normal">He then explained to his niece the circumstances which called him in a -different direction from that which he had proposed to follow, and -left her the choice of taking the barouche and the old butler, and -proceeding at once into the country, as they had intended at first, or -of going with him in the chariot to the county town of ----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, not I, my dear uncle, for the world!" cried Miss Beauchamp. "You -surely do not expect me to go and dance at what they call the '<i>Size -ball</i>. No, indeed; I must be excused. The barouche, the old butler, -and the country house for me; but remember, I shall expect your -lordship to join me in two days, for the house is to be full of -people, the newspapers tell me; and, of course, you cannot expect me -to act the landlady of the inn, when the landlord is away."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough, as a matter of form, scolded his gay niece for her -pertness, although he knew her to be incorrigible; and then leaving -her to make her own arrangements, which, to say sooth, she had never -any great difficulty in doing, he got into the chariot, and rolled -away in a very different direction from that in which he had -previously intended to turn his steps.</p> - -<p class="normal">There is nothing so dry and disgusting on earth as travelling on -paper. It is a sort of algebraic locomotion, full of false positions -and most uninteresting abbreviations; and therefore, instead of -posting on by the side of the Earl of Ashborough, we shall take the -liberty of getting into the chaise with him, and while he leans back -with his eyes half shut, will gently unbutton the two top buttons of -his waistcoat, where the lapel folds over the black handkerchief, and, -drawing it back, peep in through the window the old Roman wished for, -and ascertain what is doing in his lordship's breast.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was once, in the days of Cheops, an Egyptian who had a -remarkably fine poultry-yard, in which were all the fowls of all the -feathers that Egypt ever saw. One day it so happened, that, walking by -the side of the Nile, the Egyptian espied an egg, which he immediately -took up, and putting in his breast he carried it home, and laid it -carefully in the nest of a sitting hen. Twenty days after, on entering -his poultry-yard, to his great surprise he found--nothing but feathers -and a young crocodile, which instantly attacked him also. With great -difficulty the Egyptian freed himself from the destroyer of his hens; -and when he died, he directed, in his will, that, on the frontal -bandage of his mummy, there should be written, both in the -hieroglyphic and the vulgar character, "<i>Beware how you hatch a -crocodile's egg in your poultry-yard!</i>" Cheops, when he heard it, -laughed; but one day, when he was going to give way to his -revenge, contrary to the best interests both of himself and his -people--contrary to wisdom, and policy, and justice, and, good -faith--he caught himself saying, "<i>Beware how you hatch a crocodile's -egg in your poultry-yard</i>;" and ever after that, when he found a -violent passion springing up in his breast, his instant address to his -own heart was, "<i>Beware how you hatch a crocodile's egg in your -poultry-yard!</i>"</p> - -<p class="normal">Now, the Earl of Ashborough had lately discovered, that in pursuit of -his right honourable revenge against Sir Sidney Delaware, he <i>had</i> -hatched a crocodile's egg in his poultry-yard; and though he certainly -repented having done so, in exact proportion to the consequent evil it -had brought upon himself, he of course felt his hatred towards Sir -Sidney Delaware, increased in the same degree. Lord Ashborough would -not have given his right hand, or any thing the least like it, to have -had full vengeance on the Delaware family, for he was a man that -valued both his hands highly, and would not have parted with either of -them; but whereas he would, a month or two before, have given a -considerable portion of his golden stores, which were the next things -to drops of his blood, he would now have given double the sum, to see -the ruin of the race he hated. As he lay back, then, in the chariot, -he thought over all the events, and could not help hoping that some -circumstance might yet give him an opportunity of balancing the long -account of those vexations and uncomforts which had fallen upon him, -in, with, from, through, and by the affairs of Sir Sidney Delaware, -and also of inflicting upon that gentleman and his family evils in a -like proportion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"At all events," he thought--and it was the most consolatory -reflection that he had been able to find--"At all events, they have -been forced to leave the country, and have most probably gone to -America; so that all danger of such a degrading connexion being formed -by Beauchamp, is now at an end. So far, therefore, my labour and -anxiety has not been in vain, and I may flatter myself at least, that -one great object has been gained, if not the whole."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was another slight gleam of hope or expectation, flickering over -the dying lamp of the earl's former designs. If one may use the term, -it was a hopeless hope--the stout swimmer's last gasp--yet without it -Lord Ashborough would probably never have attended to Harding's -request. Hating all the Delaware race as he did, he had not been able -to persuade himself fully that Captain Delaware was entirely innocent, -notwithstanding the convincing proofs that Beauchamp had laid before -him; and he now thought it possible--barely possible--that the -murderer Harding might have something to say which would in some way -inculpate William Delaware.</p> - -<p class="normal">All these ideas rolled in the earl's mind like the morning clouds of -spring--misty, and vague, and varying in shape and size, though still -keeping one general character--till night came, and he fell asleep.</p> - -<p class="normal">He awoke about eight o'clock, as the carriage stopped in the county -town of ----, and looking out, saw the bright lamp over the ever-open -glass-doors of the principal inn, and the waiters rushing forth to -seize upon the inmate of the carriage and four. His lordship's agility -not being what it had been, he entered the house of many tenants, with -slow and dignified steps; and taking possession of the best -apartments, demanded whether Mr. Beauchamp were still there. The -waiter replied in the affirmative, and in a few minutes the greeting -of the uncle and nephew had taken place. As neither had dined, and -Beauchamp's dinner was just upon the table, the earl became his guest, -while a servant was despatched to the prison, in order to notify his -arrival, in compliance with the request of Harding.</p> - -<p class="normal">As far as possible, Lord Ashborough never disturbed his appetite in -the exercise of its functions, by any conversation which might become -disagreeable; and consequently he abstained, with infinite -forbearance, from touching upon the proceedings in regard to the -Ryebury affair, till biscuits and wine stood upon the table by -themselves. He then, however, asked his nephew how the events of the -assizes had gone. Beauchamp, in reply, gave him a succinct account of -all that had taken place, without forgetting to mention that the bill -against Captain Delaware had been thrown out by the grand jury with -every mark of indignant rejection; and on seeing his uncle bite his -lip, he added, "So, now, every shade of doubt and suspicion has been -removed from the character of William Delaware; and I trust very soon -to see him and his family return to England, and resume that station -in society for which they were born, and in which your lordship's -liberal conduct, in regard to the annuity, will enable them to move -with greater ease."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough turned rather pale; but he replied at once, "I trust -not sir! I trust not!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And, pray, why not?" demanded Beauchamp, with more surprise at the -frank avowal of such a wish, than at the existence thereof.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will tell you, Henry Beauchamp," replied the Earl; "I will tell -you. It is on your account, I say, that I hope not. I have not chosen -to speak to you, since your return, upon your previous conduct towards -this family of Delawares, because I trusted that circumstance would -have removed them for ever from our neighbourhood; but now, that there -appears a possibility of their returning, I must tell you that I have -never been ignorant, from the first, of your masquerading visit to the -country; and I must farther say, that a report has reached me of your -trifling with the old man's daughter--That you would ever dream of -marrying the girl, of course I do not believe; but the very report is -unpleasant, and might injure your views in a fitting alliance."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp had a great deal of trouble to master the mixture of -personal anger and indignation which his uncle's speech had created in -his bosom, and to reduce his reply to terms of respect and moderation. -He succeeded, however, in putting out a good deal of the fire, ere he -answered, "My lord, as far as a kindred interest in my affairs and -prospects goes, I feel that your zeal on the present occasion, must of -course add to the gratitude and affection I entertain towards you, for -a long train of kindnesses in the past; but you will pardon me, if I -say that a certain line must be drawn between anxiety in regard to my -welfare, and dictation in regard to my conduct--for beyond that line, -I can permit no one to trespass."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough turned very red, and he replied hastily, "all these -are mere fine words, Mr. Beauchamp. What I wish to know simply is, do -you or do you not intend to marry this girl?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That, my lord, is a question," replied Beauchamp, still bridling his -anger, "which no man on earth has any right to ask me; and to it I -shall give you no reply. But that you may not at all deceive yourself, -let me add, that if you desire to know, whether I think Miss Delaware -fitted by station and circumstances to become my wife, I will reply at -once, that a man of much higher rank, and much greater fortune than -myself, should think himself honoured could he obtain her hand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Enough, sir! Enough!" cried Lord Ashborough. "You have said quite -enough--In regard to my right to question you, I slightly differ with -you in opinion, in as much as my conduct will of course be regulated -towards you by the answers you have made--and now, Henry Beauchamp, I -have to tell you, that you will do of course as you like; but if these -Delawares ever return to England--and may the sea swallow the scheming -beggars ere they reach the shore--but if ever they should come, and -you pursue your foolish conduct towards that girl, I leave every -farthing which I can by any means alienate from the estates attached -to the title, to the most distant connexion I have, rather than to -yourself. Mark me, you throw away at least twenty thousand per annum; -and, at the same time, I cast you off for ever, and will never see you -more!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My lord," replied Beauchamp in a firm tone, "although you have yet -shown me no right to ask the question you did ask, you have at least -afforded me a good reason for answering it more pointedly than I have -hitherto done; and therefore, that you may make any dispositions in -regard to your property which you think fit without delay or -uncertainty, I tell you plainly and positively, that if ever Miss -Delaware does return to this country, I shall at once offer her my -hand; that if she should not return immediately, I will seek her -through every country in Europe for the same purpose! Now, my lord, -having said this much, allow me to remind you, that I am not a man -whom the loss even of twenty thousand pounds a-year, can awe into -doing one single thing that he would not otherwise have done; nor -leave one regret upon his mind for doing that which he thinks right. -The loss of your lordship's affection and society cuts deeper, and -will be painful under any circumstances; but I cannot help thinking, -that on this point at least, you will see cause to change your -determination."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never, sir! Never!" cried Lord Ashborough, whose passion had got into -the white stage. "Never, while I live!" and ringing the bell -violently, he threw open the door, and retired to his apartments. -Beauchamp took two or three turns up and down the room; told his -uncle's servant who appeared, that he would find him in his own room; -and then sat down to contemplate all that had just occurred.</p> - -<p class="normal">"At all events," he thought, after he had revolved the whole -particulars for several minutes; "At all events, it is a very -disagreeable business done and over. It must have come sooner or -later; and however painful it may be, to give such deep offence to a -person towards whom I have many debts of gratitude; yet, of course, -this was a point upon which I could yield nothing. His lordship, I -think, <i>will yield</i> something; and if he relent on the point of -excommunication, he may enrich the first chimney-sweeper he meets, for -aught I care!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough's servant found him pale and exhausted; for -the first -energy of anger had passed away, and the languor which it leaves -behind had taken possession of a frame already weakened by an organic -disease, the attacks of which had lately been more frequent and severe -than they had ever proved before.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well!" said the earl, as the man entered. "Have you been to the -prison?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I sent Johnstone, my lord," replied the valet. "I thought your -lordship might want me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well!" cried the earl impatiently. "What does Johnstone say?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The governor sends his respects, my lord," answered the valet; "and -although it is past the hour, he will of course admit your lordship, -especially as the man has asked several times, he says, whether you -had arrived or not."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Order the carriage!" said the earl; "but stay--Is it far to the -prison?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not two hundred yards," replied the servant; and Lord Ashborough -declared he would walk thither. The valet, however, took the liberty -of remonstrating, with that tender interest in his master's health -which he thought might add two or three hundred pounds to the legacy -he firmly expected to find in the earl's will. "I hope you will -remember, my lord, that you are not well. Sir Henry said you were not -to make any great exertion, or take too much exercise; and your -lordship is looking very pale to-night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I dare say I do," answered the earl. "However, I must go. Give me my -cloak, Peregrine; and call Johnstone to show me the way."</p> - -<p class="normal">The valet, of course, made no farther opposition; and Lord Ashborough -was soon on his way to the county jail, with a footman lighting him -on--for the town was very dark--and with a most fervent wish in his -heart that the felon he was going to see, might place it in his power -to fix at least one damning spot of suspicion on the name of Delaware. -The governor of the Ashborough, throughout the long passages and -chilly courts of the county jail.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We have given this man every convenience in our power," said the -governor, as he led Lord Ashborough along towards the condemned cells, -"because he seemed to be a person of superior mind; and he assured the -sheriff so earnestly, that he had something to communicate to your -lordship, which might probably influence his Majesty in regard to his -fate, that it was thought indispensable to trouble your lordship on -the occasion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray, has he seen Mr. Beauchamp since his condemnation?" demanded the -earl.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir! nor has he expressed any wish to do so," answered the -governor; "but the sheriff thought it best to consult that gentleman -ere he troubled you. This is the cell, my lord. Here, Nixon, open the -door. I will attend your lordship's return in the waiting-room; and -the turnkey will be at the door when you wish to come out of the cell. -Mr. Harding," he added, as the door was opened, "here is the Earl of -Ashborough kindly come to see you. Stand away from the door, sirs," -continued the governor to two of his satellites, "and leave the -prisoner to speak with the earl at liberty."</p> - -<p class="normal">The culprit rose as Lord Ashborough entered, looking somewhat annoyed, -however, at the noise made by his fetters, as he did so, He was -composed and calm as usual; but the hollow eye and sunken cheek, -betrayed the secret of the heart within; and showed that his -stoicism--as all stoicism probably ever has been--was all on the -surface.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your lordship is very kind," he said, in a quiet tranquil tone, "to -attend so promptly to my request."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The information sent me by the sheriff," replied the earl, "made me -hold it as a duty to come without loss of time. But, let me know, what -have you to communicate to me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have first to make a request, my lord," answered Harding, who knew -Lord Ashborough far better than Lord Ashborough knew himself, and -therefore counted his expressions in regard to duty, &c., at exactly -their true value. "When you have granted or denied my petition, I will -tell you what I have farther to communicate."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And pray, what may your petition be?" asked the earl. "I must not -waste time in many words, sir--for it is short."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No one should know that better than myself, my lord," replied the -prisoner; "but my petition is simply, that you would personally apply -to his Majesty for my pardon."</p> - -<p class="normal">The earl was surprised; but not so much as might have been expected; -for he anticipated some discovery which might give the culprit a claim -to mercy. "Your request is a most extraordinary one, my good friend," -he replied, "considering the evidence which has been brought against -you. Nevertheless, I will do as you desire, if you will give me any -excuse for doing so. In short, if you are not the real offender, and -can point out who is--or if you only participated in the crime which -another, more criminal than yourself, led you to, or committed with -his own hand--and if you can give me any proof, or can lead in any way -to the detection and punishment of the guilty, I shall feel myself -justified in pleading strongly in your behalf."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sorry I am to say, my lord," answered Harding coolly, "that I can do -none of all these things."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then, sir, in the name of every thing impudent," exclaimed the earl, -angrily, "how come you to ask of me to plead for you to his Majesty?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think I can show your lordship a strong reason for doing so," -replied Harding, with a slight sneer curling his lip; "and I must then -leave it to your lordship's ingenuity to discover some motive to -assign to his Majesty for granting me his gracious pardon; although, -let me remark, that you may well say the case is a very doubtful one; -for certain I am, that not one of the twelve jurors who condemned me, -did not lie down on his bed last night with a doubting heart, as to my -guilt or innocence."</p> - -<p class="normal">The earl listened with no slight degree of anger to the prisoner's -cool and impudent harangue; but curiosity kept him silent, or at least -taught him to conceal his contempt and indignation, till he had heard -the circumstances to which the culprit alluded. "Well sir! well," he -said, as Harding paused. "Pray, what are the extraordinary motives -which you suppose will prove capable of inducing me to furnish his -Majesty with reasons for pardoning a convicted felon? What is there, -sir, that should tempt me to undertake such a task?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Simply, my lord, that scrupulous care for your lordship's -reputation," Harding replied, "which you have displayed through life."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough laughed aloud; but Harding maintained the same calm, -and somewhat sneering aspect, as if he had made up his mind to every -turn that his conference with the earl might take; and could not be -turned aside from his direct object for a moment, by either scorn or -anger.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And pray, sir," demanded his noble visiter, when he had exhausted his -scoffing laugh. "Pray, what has my reputation to do with your -situation? Do you intend to accuse me, in your last dying speech and -confession, of having committed the murder myself, or of having aided -you to commit it?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Neither one nor the other, my lord," answered the prisoner; "but if I -do make any confession at all, which will depend upon your lordship's -conduct, I intend to state that the robbery was first suggested to me -by the following letter, written to me by your lordship's lawyer on -your account, in order to persuade me to delay or carry off a sum of -money which my master was to receive through the hands of the old man -at Ryebury."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough turned deadly pale; and taking a step forward, while -he advanced his hand towards the paper which Harding held, he -exclaimed, "Let me see, sir--Let me see!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your pardon, my lord!" said the prisoner, drawing back the paper. -"One does not usually give such valuable documents out of one's own -hand. I will read it to you, however;" and in a calm, sustained voice, -he proceeded to treat the ears of Lord Ashborough, sentence by -sentence, with the whole of that letter which had been formerly -written to him by Mr. Peter Tims, in regard to the money which -Beauchamp had expected from London, to pay off the annuity on Sir -Sidney Delaware's estate. "Your lordship will see," continued the -prisoner, "that such a letter was very well calculated to induce me to -commit a robbery; you will see, also, that Mr. Tims uses your lordship -as his authority throughout; and I look upon myself as extremely lucky -in having always preserved this letter in the lining of my waistcoat; -as it now gives me the hope that so highly respected and honourable a -nobleman as yourself may interest himself in my favour."</p> - -<p class="normal">Now, in Lord Ashborough's mind, there was a great portion of that very -same principle which had led Beauchamp to make the most uncompromising -declaration of his purposes towards Blanche Delaware, as soon as he -found that his uncle held out a threat upon the subject. Or, as the -matter would be explained in one word by the phrenologists--who, if -they have discovered nothing else, have at least, by the clearness of -their definitions and their classification of human passions, rendered -great services to moral philosophy--Lord Ashborough had no small -developement of combativeness in his brain; and the very idea of being -bullied by a felon into demanding the royal mercy for a murderer, -without one plausible motive to allege, instantly armed him to resist, -though at the same time he felt terribly the additional wound his -character might receive from such a paper being published as that -which Harding had read.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are mistaken, sir," he replied, sternly. "You are entirely -mistaken in your anticipations. That letter was totally unauthorized -by me; and the rascal who wrote it, for that and several similar acts, -has been dismissed from my employment."</p> - -<p class="normal">Harding heard him with the same cool smile, and then replied, "Your -lordship's memory is short, I know; but luckily I can refresh it, for -Mr. Tims has favoured me only last night with this authentic and -original copy of the letter, containing numerous corrections and -improvements in your lordship's own handwriting."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Ashborough saw that the day was lost, and that his discarded -agent had triumphed. He had not committed himself in regard to the -Delawares, it is true; but he had committed himself hopelessly in -regard to the very man who now stood before him, a convicted felon; -and he felt that the reputation, of which he was proud just in -proportion as he little deserved it, was gone for ever. He made no -reply, however; but with a slight, and--as Harding fancied--scornful -movement of the lip, he turned suddenly towards the door, struck it -sharply with his hand, and exclaimed, "Open the door, turnkey! Open -the door!"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was instantly thrown wide to give him exit--but Lord Ashborough -never went out! The one word, "Villain!" was all that he pronounced in -the hearing of the turnkey; and he then fell forward at once, across -the threshold of the door!</p> - -<p class="normal">All was now confusion. Both jailers started forward to raise the -nobleman, whom they believed to have tripped his foot in the doorway. -Harding gave one longing look towards the open door and the -embarrassed turnkeys; but then, turning his eyes to the fetters upon -his own limbs, he sat down with a sigh of infinite compassion for -himself, while the earl was raised, and the door locked.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has fainted, Mr. Jones?" said one of the jailers. "Here, take his -feet, and help me to carry him along to the waiting-room."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He looks deadly pale!" replied the other, stooping forward, and -gazing in Lord Ashborough's face, while he aided to bear the earl -onward through the passage. "He looks mighty like a dead man."</p> - -<p class="normal">The consternation of the governor of the prison was excessive when he -saw the state of the noble visiter; and, while physicians were sent -for from every quarter, he himself pressed his hand upon the earl's -wrist, and upon his heart; but no pulse made itself felt in return; -and all the usual restoratives were applied in vain.</p> - -<p class="normal">A moment or two after, the surgeon of the prison appeared; but, as -soon as he beheld the countenance of him to whose aid he was called, -he shook his head, declaring that he believed him to be dead. He -attempted to bleed him, however; but by this time no blood was to be -obtained, and two or three medical men from different parts of the -town, arriving soon after, confirmed the opinion of the first. -Nevertheless, various means were still resorted to in the hope of -restoring animation, while messengers were despatched to the different -inns to ascertain at which the earl had alighted, and to inform his -relations and servants of what had occurred.</p> - -<p class="normal">Henry Beauchamp was still musing over the fire when Lord Ashborough's -valet opened the door, and with a face of grief and terror, extremely -well compounded, exclaimed, "Sir, I am sorry to tell you that my lord -has been taken very ill at the prison"----</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp started up, and took his hat, while the servant added, -"Indeed, they seem to fear, sir, that he is dead!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God!" cried Beauchamp, as he rushed past the man--"Good God!" -and, darting down stairs, he proceeded with rapid steps to the prison, -into which, on giving his name, he was instantly admitted.</p> - -<p class="normal">He found what had been Lord Ashborough extended on a table with a -pillow under his head, and the surgeons still busy about the body; but -one glance at his uncle's countenance showed him that the spirit had -fled; and for a moment he gazed upon him without question or remark, -while busy memory did her work, and gathered from the past every kind -act of the dead, to build him up a monument in his nephew's heart.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How did this happen, sir?" demanded Beauchamp at length, in a low -tone, as if afraid of disturbing that deep sleep that had fallen upon -his uncle.</p> - -<p class="normal">The governor told all he knew, and Beauchamp anxiously requested that -the prisoner, Harding, might be asked if he could assign any cause for -the accident that had befallen the earl. One of the turnkeys was -accordingly sent to his cell; and while he was absent, Beauchamp -perceiving that the medical men were addressing all their means of -restoration to the head, informed them that Lord Ashborough had been -for some years subject to spasms of the heart.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If that be the case then, sir," replied one of them, "we may abandon -the attempt, as the earl is certainly dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nevertheless," replied Beauchamp, "leave no means untried, while -there is even the most remote hope."</p> - -<p class="normal">The surgeon shook his head, but still made some more efforts; and the -turnkey, returning almost immediately from the condemned cell, -reported that the prisoner could only be brought to say, that the earl -had fallen into a violent passion, and that he himself desired not to -be farther troubled upon the subject.</p> - -<p class="normal">After a pause of a few minutes more, the principal surgeon again -addressed Beauchamp, saying, "As I imagine, sir, from your manner, -that you are a near relation of the earl, I feel it my duty to tell -you positively that he is no more; and that to continue all these -efforts in your presence, would be but to harrow up your feelings for -no purpose. All men must die, and this nobleman will never have to -endure that pang again."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp bowed his head, and, crossing his arms upon his bosom, -remained for a few moments in silence. Then begging that one of the -younger surgeons would remain with the body all night, and that the -elder person who had addressed him would accompany him to the inn, he -added a few words of course to the governor of the prison, and -departed from the chamber of the dead.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">We generally, through life, write the actions of each of our -friends -and acquaintances on the two sides of one leaf in the book of memory, -the good upon one side and the bad upon the other, so that it is -scarcely possible to see both at once. With an amiable weakness, -however, man most frequently suffers the death of any one he has -known, to turn the leaf for ever, and reads the character of him that -is no more, as if the good were alone recorded. Beauchamp's heart -would not suffer him to do otherwise; and, after he had spoken with -the surgeon in regard to several points of all the sad ceremonies that -were to follow, he sat down in solitude, giving way to feelings that -were far more bitter than he had anticipated. Even had he not felt his -uncle's loss deeply, on the ground of personal regard, there was in -his bosom another motive for regret, which would have pained him much.</p> - -<p class="normal">He asked himself, whether the angry discussion which had taken place -between himself and the earl, so shortly before the decease of the -latter, might not have hastened that catastrophe; and although he was -obliged to acknowledge, that--were the same circumstances to come over -again--he could not, and would not act otherwise than he had done, yet -he was deeply grieved that the disagreement should have taken place so -immediately previous to the death of his uncle, and that they had -parted from each other for ever, in anger and ill-will.</p> - -<p class="normal">We shall pass over Beauchamp's grief, however, merely saying that he -grieved sincerely. Nor shall we dwell upon the details of the funeral -of the Earl of Ashborough--nor treat the reader to the full, true, and -particular account of the execution of three criminals, against whom -we have seen that a jury of their countrymen pronounced a just -verdict, and to whom a judge had awarded a righteous punishment. -Suffice it, that they died!</p> - -<p class="normal">In regard to Harding alone, a few words must be said. To all -appearance, he met his fate with the same determined coolness which he -had shown through life; rendered, perhaps, a degree more stern and -intense, from the awful situation in which he was placed. One -circumstance, and one circumstance alone, seemed to show that the drop -of better feeling, which almost every man has at the bottom of his -heart, was not entirely polluted by the poisonous streams that flowed -around it. On the night before his execution, after having obdurately -rejected those religious consolations which were offered with -persevering piety, by several zealous clergymen, he suddenly desired -to speak with two magistrates; and then, in their presence, made a -full and clear confession of all the particulars connected with the -murder at Ryebury, confirming in every point the testimony of Walter -Harrison. This he signed in the presence of the magistrates, and -caused them to affix their names as witnesses; which being done, he -added, "I have made this confession, gentlemen, because the act for -which I am to die, has been attributed to a young gentleman who had -nothing to do with it; and because--that gentleman, being well -calculated to do service to himself, and his country, if every shade -of imputation be removed from his character--I think the general -considerations of utility require--Or rather," he said, breaking off -abruptly the tirade in which he was about to indulge--"Or rather, I -do it, because I have learned what mental, as well as bodily suffering -is; and therefore would spare it to another, where there is no -occasion for its infliction. So now, gentlemen, I have done with this -world for ever, and I wish you good-night."</p> - -<p class="normal">In the various accounts of the execution, which every one must have -seen in the newspapers, a number of contradictory statements appeared; -some journals affirming that Harding had died, maintaining his -innocence to the last; some, with more truth, that he had made a full -confession. His statement, however, was immediately sent up to London, -properly authenticated, together with the case of Walter Harrison, and -both were laid before the Home Secretary, for the consideration of his -Majesty. The necessary measures for issuing a free pardon to the young -sailor were immediately taken; and when it was presented for -signature, the great personage paused, for a moment, to ask some -questions in regard to Captain Delaware, expressing considerable -indignation that so grave a charge should have been brought against a -distinguished officer, on such light grounds. "Had that officer not -run off," he said--"a point of which it may be as well to take no -notice--had he not run off, it might have been necessary to make him -some compensation. But that was a great error--that was a great error, -to flinch from trial--a brave man too--a very brave man!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir A---- B----, the judge who presided at the trial, sir," replied -the secretary, "informs me, that it was lucky he did make his escape, -alleging that he would have been hanged to a certainty, before -evidence of his innocence could have been procured. So that your -Majesty has, at all events, saved a good officer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Always a great gain, sir," replied the personage whom he addressed; -"and if that was the case. Captain Delaware did very right. Always -stay in the ship till the last moment; but don't go down with her, if -you can help it."</p> - -<p class="normal">With these observations the pardon was signed, and despatched to the -county town where the young sailor was still confined. Being set at -liberty, he immediately took his way on foot towards the village of -Emberton, where so many of our scenes have been laid. It was by this -time winter, and a hard frost rendered the road firm and dry, so that -Walter Harrison, though greatly debilitated, walked on, better than -might have been expected. Night, however, had fallen ere he reached -Emberton; and glad he was that darkness hid him from the cold and -abhorrent eyes he must otherwise have encountered in the streets. But -what tongue could tell the many painful and thrilling memories that -were awakened in his bosom by every spot, as he passed through his -native town, and saw again all the scenes of youth and innocence--as -he marked the various resorts of his boyish hours, and felt that a -night, far darker than that through which he wandered, had fallen over -his life for ever?</p> - -<p class="normal">At the door of his mother's cottage garden he paused, and gazed -wistfully over the house, with feelings that would scarcely let him -enter the gate. There was a light, however, within; and his step over -the gravel of the footpath had instantly caught the mother's unerring -ear--the light moved--the door was thrown open--and the worn and weary -lad, weighed down with sin, and sickness, and sorrow, was pressed in -his mother's arms, and his cold cheek bathed in her tears!</p> - -<p class="normal">It was long ere either could speak, and for nearly half an hour the -young sailor sat gazing upon the fire, while thick recollections of -all the past, held him dull and voiceless. All the time his mother -stood by his side, and fixed her eyes upon him, tracing every line -that remorse had written, and every hue that sickness had spread over -his face; but at length she laid her hand upon his arm, and said, -"Walter, my beloved boy, we must go hence. You must not stay in this -hateful place, which has seen our ruin, our poverty, and our shame. We -must go across the sea, and I will lead you to a place that you will -like to see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You forget, mother! You forget!" said the youth, with a deep sigh; -"People travel not without money; neither can they live without it in -foreign countries more than here. I am sure you do not think that I am -going to take the reward the people offered me, for giving up the -murderers--No, no! I will not take a price for their blood!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would not have you, Walter!" cried his mother eagerly. "I would not -have you touch it with the tip of a finger, if they offered you a -world of gold on such an account. But fear not, my boy, I have the -means. Look here--what I received but yesterday--two hundred golden -sovereigns and this kind letter; and this deed of annuity to you and -me, for one hundred pounds a-year as long as either of us live, -charged upon the estates of Mr. Henry Beauchamp."</p> - -<p class="normal">"God bless him!" said the youth fervently. "God bless him!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"God will bless him, my boy!" replied the widow. "God will bless him, -and make him happy, I am sure; for if ever there was a friend to the -friendless, it is Mr. Beauchamp. Only three days after the trial he -sent me this;" and she put into her son's hands a letter, in which -Henry Beauchamp explained to her that the young sailor, having been -severely wounded in turning away a pistol which had been directed -towards his head, he was not only bound but pleased to make him a -return, which would place him above temptation from poverty.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp, who hated that any one should feel he was conferring an -obligation upon them, added many a reason to show that he was rather -pleasing himself than loading them with benefits; and, as he read, the -young sailor shook his head with the first smile that had curled his -lip for many weeks. "Aye!" he said, "he is a noble gentleman as ever -lived; but he need not have said so much to make us take the money, -mother; for if there is any body in the world I could be proud to take -it from, it is from Mr. Beauchamp; and I declare, mother, if I get -over it all, I will try all my life long to do nothing but what is -right---just to show him that I am grateful."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is far the best way that you can show it, Wat," replied his -mother; "and oh, my boy, it is the only way that ever you can set your -mother's heart at peace again!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I will, mother! I will!" cried the lad grasping her hand; "and -I am sure that Heaven will help me if I try--for since I have had this -wound through my side, I have not felt half so wild and wilful as I -used to do; and when I was in the prison of a night, I tried to pray -many a time--and if it had not been for that, I don't think I should -have got through the whole of that bad business steadily. So, I will -try and do right; indeed I will!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The tears streamed down his mother's cheeks; for the relief that -Beauchamp's liberality had given her, was nothing to that which those -words afforded, and the night passed over in peace. The next morning -the news spread through Emberton that the widow's son had returned; -and one or two of the ladies of that place, suddenly smitten with an -interest in the widow's fate, called at the cottage they had never -entered before, just to ask after her and her son. They carried no -gossip back into the town with them, however; for the widow coldly, -though civilly, replied that her son was not well, and dismissed them -with a brief answer to more impertinent questions. Three days after -that again, the fresh tidings fluttered on the air of Emberton, that -Widow Harrison and her son had left the place, and had gone to France. -Every one opened their eyes--every one conjectured--and then the nine -day's wonder was over, and the whole affair was forgotten.</p> - -<p class="normal">Only one person in the neighbourhood saw the young sailor after his -return. This was Dr. Wilton, who, having delivered in person the -packet which Beauchamp had sent to the widow, was now visited by both -herself and her son ere their departure, with a request that he would -convey to their benefactor the expression of their deepest gratitude. -The worthy clergyman, on first hearing who it was that waited him in -his library, had meditated an exhortation to the young sailor on his -future conduct; but when he saw the worn and haggard look, and the -evident traces of ruined health which his countenance displayed--all -that was severe in the good man's oration died away, and it breathed -nothing but hope and consolation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You say you are going to France," he added, "and I will give you two -books to take with you, which, after your Bible, I should wish you to -read attentively. They contain neither cant nor affectation," he -added; "but they point out the best way for one who has been led -astray to return unto right."</p> - -<p class="normal">Both mother and son received the books with gratitude, and after -having promised to let him know where they settled in France, they -left the worthy clergyman in the act of muttering to himself, "He'll -not live three months, poor unhappy lad!--There is consumption in his -eyes and on his cheek!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Scarcely were they gone; and scarcely was Dr. Wilton's comment upon -the young sailor's appearance pronounced, when the rush of wheels was -heard before his windows, and in a moment the servant announced Lord -Ashborough. The doctor started up, bewildered; but as Beauchamp -entered the room, dressed in deep mourning, the events that had lately -taken place recurred to his old preceptor's mind; and shaking him by -the hand, he exclaimed, "Welcome, my dear Harry, and let me pay my -tribute to your new rank; though, to tell you the truth, when the -servant announced the Earl of Ashborough, I scarcely knew who to -expect. I had forgotten all about it, and have been calling you Mr. -Beauchamp for this half hour, with two pensioners of yours--Widow -Harrison and her son. But with me, I am afraid you will be Harry -Beauchamp to the end of your days."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let me never be anything else, I beseech you, my dear sir," replied -Beauchamp. "The poor widow and her son, too, know me by no other name; -for the deed was drawn up before my poor uncle's death. But I must go -and see them when I visit Emberton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will hardly find them there," replied Dr. Wilton; "for -apprehensions of the rude curiosity and brutal scorn of that most -gossiping place, has driven them to seek an asylum on the continent. -But tell me, Harry, what is the meaning of your looking so ill and so -anxious?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"In regard to my ill looks," answered Beauchamp, smiling, "you must -remember, my dear sir, that, as I wrote to you, I have been seriously -indisposed since we last met; and as to my anxious looks, I have -certainly had many a subject both of care and anxiety, pressing -heavily upon my mind. The sudden death of my uncle, and all the -consequent trouble--both in examining his affairs, and in punishing a -rascally agent, who endeavoured to throw the basest imputations upon -the memory of his benefactor--have occupied more of my time and -attention than was at all pleasant to me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I hope at least you have succeeded in doing justice upon the agent," -replied Dr. Wilton; "I have seen something of the affair in the -newspapers."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have not punished Mr. Tims quite so well as I could have wished," -Beauchamp answered, "though he thinks the retribution more than -severe. The fact is, I am afraid my uncle suffered him to make use of -his name with too great freedom, and the lawyer has of course taken -advantage of it, to screen himself at his patron's expense. -Nevertheless, I compelled him to refund every thing that he had -unjustly appropriated; but, although I believe we had proof sufficient -of one or two direct frauds, to have had his name struck off the roll -of attorneys with disgrace, and perhaps might have punished him still -farther, I have been obliged to compromise that matter, and suffer him -to make his retirement from business a voluntary act."</p> - -<p class="normal">A slight glow upon Henry Beauchamp's check, showed Dr. Wilton plainly -that there had been parts in the conduct of the late Earl of -Ashborough, which his nephew did not feel to have been quite -justifiable; and therefore, turning the conversation from a topic -which he saw was disagreeable in some of its details, he answered, -"That the man was a rogue in grain, I have never had any doubt since -all the business relating to the murder of his unhappy uncle, and the -charge he preferred against poor William Delaware--But pray, Harry, -can you tell me what has become of Sir Sidney and his family--You of -course know?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed, my dear sir, I do not," answered Beauchamp, "and one great -reason of my coming down here was to ask you the very question that -you have asked me. I have caused my solicitor in London to apply to -the trustee of Captain and Miss Delaware, to ascertain their present -residence. He replied, however, that he was as ignorant upon the -subject as any one. The ten thousand pounds that they inherited from -their mother, he had sold out he said at a moment's notice, and -transmitted to Sir Sidney at Mrs. Darlington's, since which time he -had heard nothing of their movements."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Strange enough!" replied Dr. Wilton, "but we must make enquiries in -the neighbourhood while you stay with me; and of course we shall find -some one who knows their address--Some of the farmers, or Mr. -Johnstone who used to collect Sir Sidney's rents, or some one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am afraid it will be a more difficult matter than you anticipate," -replied Beauchamp; "I sought them in vain when I was in France, though -I knew that they must have landed at Cherbourg; but I found that as -they had undoubtedly gone to join William Delaware himself, their -route had been studiously concealed. Several weeks have now elapsed -since the trial; and yet, though Captain Delaware's character stands -as clear as ever it did, we have heard nothing of him."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dr. Wilton did not now require to be told what was the chief cause of -that expression of anxiety which he had remarked in Beauchamp's -countenance; but he knew that to a lover, and an ardent one--which he -felt sure his pupil would be wherever he did love--the subject of his -hopes and fears could never become painful or tiresome when once it -had been spoken of; and he therefore went on boldly to ask, whether -Beauchamp had or had not discovered since, that he was right in -thinking that Blanche's conduct, in rejecting his hand, had proceeded -from some misapprehension.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No indeed, my dear sir!" replied Beauchamp. "As I told you at the -time, there could be no misapprehension in the business. Nor have I -discovered anything since, on any subject which would lead me to think -so. Indeed, I have but had the pleasure of meeting Miss Delaware once -since I last saw you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, nay! if you speak of her in such set and formal terms, poor -girl," cried the clergyman with a gay smile, "I shall think that your -lordship's new dignity has changed your views in regard to such an -alliance. Is it so, my noble lord?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp laughed but faintly. "No, no!" he replied. "My views are the -same. All I can hope is, that the new dignity you speak of may change -hers--and yet," he added, "that would make it all worthless together."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Take care, Harry! Take care!" cried Dr. Wilton, with a warning shake -of the head. "Many a man has frittered away his happiness with just -such sentences as that. But I will insure you, that your title will -make no difference in the views of Blanche Delaware; so that, if you -have no other recommendation than that, you may give yourself up to -despair. But you young men are so impatient. Here you are fretting -yourself to death, because you do not discover the residence of your -ladye-love, as soon as you think fit to seek it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed, my dear sir, you are quite mistaken," answered Beauchamp. "My -chief desire is to see William Delaware and his father; and--showing -them that every difficulty which surrounded them in life is now -removed--to share in the happiness that such a change must occasion -them--That is all, indeed!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Poo! my dear Harry! Nonsense!" cried his old preceptor. "I never saw -a man yet, who could cheat his own understanding so completely as you -sometimes do. You are just as anxious to see Blanche Delaware as ever -man was to see the woman he loved best in the world. But we will find -her, my dear boy! We will find her!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Their search, however, in the neighbourhood of Emberton proved -entirely in vain. Neither agent nor farmers knew anything of the track -of Sir Sidney and Miss Delaware; and, at the end of a week, -Beauchamp's last hope was reduced to the information possessed by Mrs. -Darlington.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"Maria!" said the Earl of Ashborough, addressing Miss -Beauchamp on the -morning after his return from Emberton, "what say you, dear sister, to -a tour on the continent for six months or a year."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, personally, I should have no objection, Henry," answered Miss -Beauchamp; "but you forget, my dear brother, there are nine very -respectable gentlemen, young and old, expiring for me at this present -moment. Now, what would they do if I were to go abroad?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Expire for somebody else, I suppose," replied Beauchamp; "I cannot -perceive any other event."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Henry! Henry!" cried his sister, "You are perfectly insulting. But to -tell you the truth, I think it is the best thing you can do to travel -to the south; for during the past month you have looked so like a -gambler, or a member of the Lower House, or some of those people that -sit up all night, and come home pale and thin in the morning, that I -am ashamed to be seen with you. But seriously, I will go where you -like, noble brother," she added, leaning her two hands half -affectionately half maliciously on Beauchamp's arm, and looking up in -his face; "I will go where you like, and help you to search for sweet -Blanche Delaware, with all my eyes."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp smiled, much less annoyed than his sister had expected; but -gliding his arm round her waist, he held her tight, while he answered, -"Will you, indeed, Maria? Well, then, as a reward for your -disinterested kindness, I trust you may find William Delaware with his -sister."</p> - -<p class="normal">Maria Beauchamp turned as red as an infantry regiment, and struggling -away from her brother's grasp, ran into her own room; where, strange -to say, she wept like a child. But Beauchamp by his retort had, at all -events, insured that not one teasing word upon the subject of Blanche -Delaware, should pass his sister's lips; and as soon as he could -arrange his affairs--which of course kept him three weeks longer than -he had expected--with two carriages, as little baggage, and as few -servants as his sister would suffer him to take, he was once more -rolling away towards Dover.</p> - -<p class="normal">Following the invariable rule of looking in, instead of looking out, -we shall much prefer giving a sketch of what was passing in the heart -of Henry Beauchamp, Earl of Ashborough, to depicting the beauties of -the Canterbury road, or expatiating on the sublimities of Rochester -and Chatham.</p> - -<p class="normal">As Dr. Wilton had imagined, Beauchamp certainly was as impatient as -human being could be, to see Blanche Delaware, and to make one more -effort for happiness; but there were many points in Beauchamp's -situation, and many feelings at Beauchamp's heart, which the good -rector had not taken at all into account. Ever since he had parted -with Blanche at the Prior's Fountain, he had been placed in the -painful circumstances of a rejected lover, while just a sufficient -degree of hope had been left to keep love alive, to render the feeling -of disappointment perpetual, and to aggravate its bitterness by doubt. -In seeking her he loved, therefore, he knew not what he was to expect; -but as he was not one to be satisfied with anything less than love for -love, he determined that he would not suffer his exertions in favour -of William Delaware to be urged as any tie upon Miss Delaware's -affection; but that he would have the clearest assurance that the -heart was his, before he again asked the hand, which, in his eyes, -would be worthless without it. He felt, indeed, that it would be -difficult to press. Blanche upon the subject of her former rejection -of his suit, and yet he perversely determined that the rejection ought -to be explained before the suit could be renewed. These thoughts, -however, and the many contending emotions with which they were -connected, both agitated and depressed him; and the hopes which his -short interview with Blanche at the inn, as well as several previous -considerations had excited, waxed weak and faint as he crossed the -Channel, and found he was approaching nearer to her dwelling.</p> - -<p class="normal">In Paris, however, he was destined to meet another -disappointment--slight, indeed, but calculated to increase the -impatience that was growing upon him. He found, on enquiring at Mrs. -Darlington's hotel, that she had left the French metropolis two days -before for Italy; and, as the people of the house informed him that -her departure had been somewhat sudden, he immediately settled it in -his own mind that she had heard some tidings of the Delawares, and had -proceeded at once to join them. Now, although when Beauchamp came to -reflect upon this supposition, he found that it did not very well -agree with the indifferent, comfort-loving, bonnet-and-cap sort of -character of Mrs. Darlington, yet it was a favourite fancy, and he did -not choose to give it up. He therefore intimated his wish that his -sister would agree to pursue their way towards Italy without delay; -and Miss Beauchamp--although she was really fatigued with a long -journey over a road that can never have been mended since the days of -<i>Klovigh</i>, as Chateaubriand calls the French king--acquiesced at once -without farther question. She did it so sweetly and good humouredly, -too, that it opened her brother's heart at once; and, sitting down -beside her, he told her all his motives, and all his wishes, and all -his hopes, in a way that defied her taking advantage of him even by a -smile. In return, he gained a world of good advice, which, as it came -from a woman, and related to a woman, Beauchamp wisely treasured up -for service. With scarcely a day's interval, the whole party were once -more upon the road; but, as the way or ways from Paris to Geneva are -each and all as well beaten by English travellers as that between -London and Dover, we shall not pause to itinerarize even here. At only -one small town on the road shall we take the liberty of stopping, -inasmuch as an accidental circumstance induced Beauchamp to stay there -longer than he had at first proposed. He had chosen the road by Dijon -instead of that by Macon; and, after sleeping at Dole, set out early -in the morning, in hopes of reaching Geneva that night. The first -stage from Dole, if we remember right, is Mont sous Vaudrey. At all -events, if it be not the first it is the second; and perhaps the -reader and the guide-book will excuse us if we mistake. Here, however, -Beauchamp changed horses at about half-past ten, and thence rattled on -through that neat little village, entered a part of the forest of -Rahon, and then, after winding on up and down the wavy hills at the -foot of the Jura, reached the small village of Aumont, at the distance -of about five or six miles from the relay. Without stopping there, -however, the postilion trotted on, and, driving through the Crozanne, -paused for a moment to let his horses pant, while Beauchamp and his -sister gazed out upon a wide and very beautiful scene of hill and -valley, lighted up by the soft sunshine of spring, with an occasional -wreath of morning mist hanging upon the brows of the mountains.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What town is that?" demanded Beauchamp speaking out of the window to -the postilion. "There--before you--a little to the left, leaning its -back against the hills, with two or three neat chateaux scattered on -the slope."</p> - -<p class="normal">"C'est Poligny, Monsieur!" replied the postilion; and, adding that -they changed horses there, rode on.</p> - -<p class="normal">As they approached the little town, the country became richly -cultivated in vines and corn; and the aspect of the whole scene, -backed by mountains and sparkling with a thousand streams, was gay and -engaging.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What a beautiful spot!" cried Miss Beauchamp. "I really think, Henry, -when you marry, and turn me out of your house to die an old maid, I -will buy yon gray chateau on the hill--looking something between a -village church and a farm-house--and spend the rest of my days at -Poligny."</p> - -<p class="normal">"See it first on a rainy day, Maria!" replied her brother, whose -increasing anxiety and impatience did not afford the brightest medium -through which to view the world.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Out, cynic!" cried his sister. "I will never see things on a rainy -day when I can see them on a fine one; and now, tell me, whither are -you going to whirl me at this violent rate? What particular spot of -the earth's surface is the ultimate object of this journey, my lord? -Or are we to go on rolling for ever?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I think, my dear sister," replied Beauchamp musing; "I think it -is not unlikely to end in Sicily--I have some reason to imagine"----</p> - -<p class="normal">"Goodness!" exclaimed Miss Beauchamp, interrupting him, "that must -surely be an English woman in the widow's dress."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hai, postilion! Arrettez! Arrettez donc!" was all the young earl's -reply to his sister's observation; and the next moment, much to her -surprise, he was out of the carriage, and speaking kindly to the woman -whom she had noticed, and who had turned round to take a casual glance -of the two gay carriages that came dashing up into the little quiet -town of Poligny.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed! Is he so ill!" said Beauchamp gravely, as he listened to -Widow Harrison's account of the journey she had lately taken, and her -son's present situation. "I am really sorry to hear it--But you cannot -have good medical advice here. It would be much better to get him on -to Geneva."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, but indeed we have very good advice, sir!" answered the widow. -"There is good Dr. Arnoux here, who was in England in the time of the -war--an emigrant--and lodged for three years in our house in Emberton -before our misfortunes. I have just been getting Walter's medicines -while he is asleep."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Mrs. Harrison," replied Beauchamp, whose natural kindness of -heart was not to be mastered even by impatience. "I will stay here at -the inn to-day; and whenever you think that your son is likely to be -awake, I will come down and see him. But you must point me out the -house."</p> - -<p class="normal">The poor woman replied that the young sailor was generally more drowsy -in the morning, and seemed much better and more lively in the evening; -and, with many unobtrusive but heartfelt thanks, she described to -Beauchamp the way to her dwelling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then, I will come down in the evening," answered Beauchamp, -"and we will see whether we cannot devise some plan that may improve -his health."</p> - -<p class="normal">With this promise, he returned to the carriage; and, while it drove on -to the auberge, satisfied his sister's curiosity in regard to the poor -widow. "So now, Maria," he said, "you will have the day's rest you -have been sighing for so long."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Granted out of compassion to the widow," cried his sister; "but not -out of pity for me, though my whole frame has been aching for the last -three days, and my maid was very nearly expiring at Dole."</p> - -<p class="normal">Notwithstanding this complaint. Miss Beauchamp, after luncheon, showed -herself quite willing to accompany her brother on an expedition in a -<i>char ŕ band</i> of the country, amongst the neighbouring hills; and as -they descended the stairs of the auberge to enter their little -vehicle, they heard another female tongue asking one of the servants, -in provincial English, who was the owner of the two splendid carriages -that stood before the house. The young earl smiled as he listened to -his title, given with vast pomposity by his courier, remarking to his -sister, that if his new rank was of no great use to himself, it was at -least of some service to his servants. By the time they had reached -the door, however, both the enquirer and respondent had made -themselves invisible; and getting into the <i>char ŕ band</i>, without any -other attendance than the driver, the earl and his sister proceeded on -their expedition. Of it we shall say nothing, but refer our readers to -the indispensable Mrs. Marianna Starke. On their return, however, they -found their dinner prepared; and after somewhat hastily concluding -that meal, Beauchamp said he would leave his sister, and walk down to -the widow's cottage. But Miss Beauchamp, whose heart was not always as -light as it seemed, declared that she would accompany him, protesting -that men were worth nothing upon a charitable errand.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was a sweet bright evening in the end of March, with the sky, -through which the sun was dipping down towards his rest, so rich and -warm, that one might have taken it for the beginning of October, had -it not been for the almanack, and for the tender green of the trees, -and the flood of untaught melody that came pouring from every bush. -The road led down to where there are two or three scattered houses of -a better class--which they call <i>les maisons bourgeois</i>--built upon -the slope of a little dell at the back of the town, between it and the -rise of the mountains. In one of these, with the face looking through -the valley of the Glantine to the open country beyond, was the house -now occupied by the widow. It was easily found, and Beauchamp and his -sister paused ere they entered, to gaze for a moment on the rich view, -lying calm and purple under the evening sky, while the dark masses of -hill on the other hand--rising up from a base of mingled wood and -pasture, with the small chateau that Miss Beauchamp had so much -admired, breaking the line of the trees--towered up in solemn majesty -above the whole.</p> - -<p class="normal">The door was open, and Beauchamp entering first, proceeded into one of -the rooms, where he heard some one speaking. The widow and her son -were sitting together near the window, and both rose (though the -latter moved with difficulty) to receive their benefactor.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here is my sister come to see you, Mrs. Harrison," he said as he -entered. "Sit down, Walter. I am sorry to hear that the journey has -made you so ill, my poor fellow;" and taking a seat opposite to -him--while Miss Beauchamp beckoned Mrs. Harrison out to the door, in -order to leave her brother's conversation more at liberty--he gazed -upon the sunk but hectic cheek of the young sailor, and the dazzling -brightness of his feverish eye.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was not the journey, sir," replied the young man, with a shake of -the head, mournful, but not discontented. "It was not the journey;" -and then looking round to see that his mother was not there, he -added--"I told you, sir, it would not last long, and I thank God for -it; for I have never forgiven myself; and every hour that I linger on -is a reproach to my heart. So now that I know mother will be cared -for, and that I have shown my gratitude to you and to the captain, God -bless him--and that I have learned to think better than I used--I -don't care how soon it comes to an end. But, sir," he continued -quickly, as if he had forgot to do so before, "I ought to thank you -deeply for all your kindness; and especially, I am sure, for taking -the trouble to come and see me to-night, when there are so many things -you must have to do and talk about."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man's eyes gazed vacantly out upon the prospect as he spoke. -"He wanders!" thought Beauchamp. "I have heard physicians say, that it -is the sign of approaching death with consumptive people."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh no!" he added aloud. "I have but little business of any kind to -do; and indeed I should have been here before; but your mother said -you were sleeping."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I sleep more in the day than at night," replied the young man; "the -cough keeps me awake. But I hope, Mr. Beauchamp," he continued, in the -same abrupt manner--"I hope you will forgive me every thing I ever did -or said amiss to you. Indeed, I am very sorry for every wrong thing -that I have done through life; and hope God will forgive me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your offences towards me," answered Beauchamp, "if there have been -any, which I do not know, are easily forgiven; and in the Almighty we -are sure of a more merciful judge than man can be. Mrs. Harrison," he -said, wishing to change the subject, and hearing the door behind him -open, "I should wish much to see this Dr. Arnoux whom you mentioned to -me. Where does he live?"</p> - -<p class="normal">As Beauchamp spoke, he turned round slowly in his chair in order to -address the widow; but the words had scarcely passed his lips, when he -started up. Looking in at the door, indeed, was the figure of his -sister, with the poor widow behind her; but between him and them were -two other figures; and darting forward with all his doubts, and -apprehensions, and resolutions swallowed up in joy, Beauchamp clasped -the hand of Blanche Delaware in his own, while his left was pressed -almost as warmly by Captain Delaware.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God!" he exclaimed. "Blanche! William! Is it possible?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, yes, indeed!" replied Captain Delaware. "Beauchamp, our friend, -our benefactor, our guardian angel I may call you, we have met again -at length!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Blanche Delaware said not a word; and though her eyes sparkled with -joy that would not be kept down, and her cheek glowed like crimson at -the joy her eyes betrayed, she trembled like an aspen in the wind, -and, sinking into a seat, a few sweet happy tears rolled over her fair -face.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well," said Miss Beauchamp, advancing from the door, "I must -acknowledge that this is hardly fair that I, who drew Mrs. Harrison -out of the way when I heard who was coming, in order that this merry -meeting should have none of its surprise anticipated, can find no one -to welcome me! Blanche Delaware, my dear cousin," she added, taking -Blanche's hand, and kissing her as a sister, "how have you been this -many a-day? We have not met since we were no higher than that stool; -but I have learned to love you, nevertheless. Have you quite forgotten -Maria Beauchamp?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Blanche wept outright.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What then, Mr. Beauchamp, have you not seen Sir Sidney?" asked the -widow's son, almost at the same moment. "It was very kind indeed of -you to come and see me first."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, a violent fit of coughing seized him; and Beauchamp, -seeing that the excitement of all that was passing around was too much -for him, proposed to depart at once, telling him that he would come -early the next day, after having seen the physician. Miss Beauchamp, -holding Blanche's hand kindly in her own, led her towards the door of -the cottage, while their two brothers followed; and perhaps there was -never a congregation of happier faces went forth into the world, than -those which then stood looking over fair France from the borders of -Switzerland.</p> - -<p class="normal">Maria Beauchamp turned towards the town; but Blanche hesitated, and -looked up to her brother.</p> - -<p class="normal">William Delaware caught her glance immediately; and, straightforward -as ever, came at once to the point. "The truth is, Beauchamp," he -said, "it might be somewhat painful for us to go up to Poligny with -you; for, this morning, we learned a circumstance from our old -housekeeper, which, in fact, kept us from coming down to Widow -Harrison's at an earlier hour--though, indeed, I should personally -care nothing about it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what is it? What has happened now?" demanded Beauchamp, in the -eager and apprehensive tone of one who fears that the cup of happiness -just offered to his lip may be snatched away before he can drink. -"What, in fortune's name, has occurred next?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing of any consequence," answered Captain Delaware. "Only we -understand--and you, who know all that has past, will comprehend our -feelings on the occasion--we understand that the Earl of Ashborough is -here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He is indeed, I am sorry to say," replied Beauchamp, pointing to the -deep mourning that he wore. "But let us forget, I entreat, that any -one who has ever borne the title that I now bear, felt differently -from myself towards the name of Delaware."</p> - -<p class="normal">Blanche looked up to heaven, and her lips moved; but her cheek glowed -eloquently again as Maria Beauchamp's hand clasped somewhat tighter -upon her own, and she saw a smile, half sad half playful, shining on -her fair cousin's lip.</p> - -<p class="normal">Still the whole party paused in silence; for there was so much to be -said that there was nothing said at all. Each heart was full of -feelings that would have taken days to pour forth; and at length -William Delaware proposed the wisest thing for all parties, that they -should part for that time, as night was coming on, and meet again the -next morning.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You know," he said, "what delight my father will have in seeing you, -Beauchamp; and, indeed, I feel as if we were wronging him, in -anticipating any part of all that we have to talk to you about. Yonder -is our residence," he added, pointing to the identical chateau that -Miss Beauchamp had fixed upon in entering the town; "and I am sure I -need not say that the sooner you come the greater will be the pleasure -to us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall not be late," answered Beauchamp; "depend upon it, I shall -not be late."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, Maria, you will come also," said Blanche, looking up in her -cousin's face.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, certainly! dear Blanche," replied Miss Beauchamp; "as your -brother can tell you, I am a very early person in my habits. You may -expect to see me at six in the morning."</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain Delaware smiled, and could have said something in reply; but -as he began to divine, that, whatever might be the result, he should -have more than one opportunity of seeing Maria Beauchamp again, he -reserved his rejoinder, and after another lingering pause, they -parted.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Henry, I admire your taste," said Miss Beauchamp, as they walked back -to the inn; "she is a beautiful sweet girl indeed, and will do very -well to make a countess of."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hush, hush, Maria!" said her brother. "Spare your raillery yet for a -while. There is much to be got over, before we come to such -conclusions as that. The game is yet to be played, and I will give you -leave to laugh if I win."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will be a sad bungler, my dear brother, if you lose such a game -as that," replied Miss Beauchamp; "for you have all the cards in your -own hands; but let us arrange our plans, Harry. At whatsoever hour you -please to-morrow, you take some vile beast of a horse from the inn, and -ride over by yourself. I will come to breakfast at my own time in the -carriage. Nay, I will have my way this time at least; for I do not -choose to have any lover in the carriage with me--except it were one -of my own."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp yielded, of course; for there were more cogent arguments in -his own breast, in favour of his sister's plans, than any she thought -fit to produce. He had now food enough for thought during the evening; -but he did not forget to send for good Dr. Arnoux, from whom he -received a confirmation of his worst apprehensions in regard to the -widow's son. From that worthy man, also, he learned that it was at his -suggestion that Captain Delaware, and Sir Sidney--who had been an old -friend of his while he lived as an <i>emigré</i> at Emberton--had fixed -their abode at Poligny, the retired situation of which, and its -immediate proximity to both Switzerland and Germany, rendered it -peculiarly advantageous under the circumstances in which they were -placed for the time.</p> - -<p class="normal">This conference ended, Beauchamp retired to bed, and obtained such -sleep as lovers usually are supposed to gain while their fate is in -suspense.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">A horse was easily procured, and early on the following -morning -Beauchamp was on his way to the chateau inhabited by Sir Sidney -Delaware and his family. The house was, like most French houses of the -kind, furnished with a court in the front, large iron gates, and a -wide woody enclosure called a park, stretching up the side of the -hill, full of straight alleys and mathematical walks.</p> - -<p class="normal">At the corner of the enclosure, Beauchamp looked at his watch, and to -his surprise found that it still wanted nearly half an hour of eight.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is very foolish of me," thought he, as he rode along the park -wall. "I shall find no one up, and they will all think me mad." But at -that moment, as he looked over the low wall and up one of the long -alleys, he caught a view of two persons crossing the farther extremity -of it; and he was instantly satisfied that there were other wakeful -people in the world as well as himself. "It is Blanche and her -brother," he thought; and, riding up to the court, he flung his bridle -to a boy who was standing there, and without farther enquiry hastened -into the park. The wood was somewhat labyrinthine; but Beauchamp had -observed the direction taken by the figures he had seen, and following -one of the cross alleys, he soon entered that wherein he had beheld -them, and in which he found that they were still walking slowly on, -about a hundred yards before him, unconscious that there was any one -in the park but themselves.</p> - -<p class="normal">As Captain Delaware was speaking eagerly and loud, Beauchamp, to avoid -overhearing his conversation with his sister, hastened forward, -pronouncing his name, and was almost immediately by their side. He was -greeted by both with evident pleasure; but upon Blanche's cheek, -though it was much paler than it had been in England, there was still -that flickering blush, on which we have already written a long -discussion.</p> - -<p class="normal">After their first meeting was over, and Beauchamp had explained that -his sister would be there in about an hour, of course all three, as -they took a step or two slowly forward, felt themselves rather -awkward. But William Delaware was fond of cutting Gordian knots; and -the next moment, after a silent smile as he glanced first at his -cousin and then at Blanche, he abruptly let her arm slip from his own, -and, looking gaily into Beauchamp's face, he said, "Here, Henry, give -Blanche your arm, while I go to tell my father that you are here."</p> - -<p class="normal">His sister looked at him almost reproachfully, and proposed that they -should all return; but Captain Delaware stayed not to listen, and the -next moment she stood alone with Henry Beauchamp, with her trembling -hand laid upon her lover's arm. Heaven knows what they said, for I am -sure I do not; but doubtless it was something very extraordinary, for, -ere they had taken two steps forward, Beauchamp woke, and detected -Blanche Delaware calling him, "My lord."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My lord!" he repeated. "My lord! Is such the cold title by which I am -alone to be called? Oh, Blanche!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Blanche found that she had got into a scrape; and as there was but one -way of getting out of it in all the world, she took it at once. She -paused, and though she was ready to sink where she stood, she raised -her long eyelashes, and fixed her beautiful eyes upon her cousin's -face for one single moment, with a glance that was worth all the -Oriental love-letters that ever were composed--imploring, tender, full -of gentleness and affection. It seemed to say, "Do not--do not -overpower me--I am yours, heart, and soul, and mind--but my heart is -so full, another word will break it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp read it all at once; and pressing her hand in both of his, -he asked the very intelligible question, "Is it--is it mine, dear -Blanche?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you still wish it, Henry," she replied. "Can I refuse anything to -the saviour of my brother's character, and the generous benefactor of -our whole family?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The spirit of perversity seized upon Beauchamp again in a moment; and -he was not satisfied. "Nay, Blanche! Nay!" he said. "I must win a -dearer assurance than that. I will not owe to gratitude--little as I -have deserved it--what I would fain owe to love. No, no--I must have a -dearer assurance, or I shall think that the same Blanche Delaware who -accepts Henry Beauchamp in France, would again refuse Henry Burrel -if--unbacked by some pitiful service--he again stood by the Prior's -Fountain."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp's exacting mood gave Blanche the advantage; and, by amusing -her fancy even for a single instant, got the better of a part of her -agitation. She smiled, and was half inclined to triumph, for she felt -that she could if she liked; but love was the more powerful motive, -and she only misused her advantage by that one playful smile, and a -few words like it. "I no more refused him then," she replied, "because -he was Henry Burrel, than I now accept him because he is Earl of -Ashborough. Do you believe me, Henry?" she asked, after a pause.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do, indeed, dear Blanche," replied Beauchamp. "But you are smiling -at me still; and indeed, indeed--if you could tell all the agony, and -long, long days of misery which that rejection caused me, I am sure -you would pity the feelings that your words produced."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did from the first, Henry--I did from the first!" replied Blanche, -earnestly; "but you must believe me, Henry, when I tell you, that I -suffered double what you did. Yes, yes!" she added, seeing him shake -his head. "Yes, yes, I did, for I was crushing my own heart at the -very time I was <i>obliged</i> to crush that of him--of him--Oh, Henry, you -do not know what I felt!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Obliged!" cried Beauchamp, catching at the word. "Obliged! Did Sir -Sidney then object?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no!" answered Blanche. "Nor would have objected. But it shall all -be explained, Henry, if you can forgive me, and love me still, -notwithstanding all the pain I have made you suffer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have loved you ever, Blanche, with the most unabated affection," -replied Beauchamp. "Nay, more, what between affection and what between -vanity, I had fancied that there must be some latent cause for conduct -that seemed inexplicable. I had endeavoured for some time so to frame -my every word and action towards you, that you could not mistake them; -and it was only because you permitted those attentions--because they -did not seem to displease you"--(Blanche blushed deeply)--"because, in -short, you did not repel them, that I dared to hope. I would not, I -could not, believe that such a heart and such a mind as that of -Blanche Delaware, would suffer me to go on so long unchecked, if she -felt that the affection she must have seen, could not be returned."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed, indeed, I would not!" replied Blanche. "I do not pretend not -to have seen what were your feelings towards me--and there is no use -now of concealing what were my own," and, for a moment, her eyes again -sought the ground. "The fact was, however," she added smiling, "that -what happened afterwards was not because you were Mr. Burrel; but -because I discovered you were Mr. Beauchamp."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And was that name then so hateful to you?" asked her lover.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no!" answered Blanche--"but I see I may as well tell you at once; -for you will not cease to question me till I do. Do you remember the -last day you ever came up to the park? Well, just after your arrival -the post came in, and amongst other things were two letters to me--one -from Mrs. Darlington--and another which made me run to my own room as -soon as I had opened it. It was from your uncle, the late Lord -Ashborough. I scarcely like to think of it even now. It told me who -you really were, and in terms--oh, so bitter I--hinted that I must -know it already, and must be using that knowledge for evil purposes. -It then went on to state, that, however determined you might be in the -foolish line of conduct you were pursuing, your relations would never -forgive our union; and that if it took place, he, Lord Ashborough, -would not only disown you as his relation, but would leave every acre -of land which he could alienate, to the most distant relation he had, -sooner than to you. The whole was wound up with the same denunciation -against you, in case I ever revealed to you the fact of my having -received that letter; and it ended with telling me, that now, knowing -these facts, I might still <i>strive to force myself into your family if -I would</i>----But I will show you the letter, Henry, and you shall judge -for yourself whether I could do otherwise."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He might indeed have alienated a large part of his property," replied -Beauchamp; "but there was still more than enough left. And did you -think, Blanche, from what you knew of me even then, that I would not -have preferred a cottage with you, to ten times the amount he could -have taken away without you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Henry Beauchamp in a cottage!" said Blanche smiling. "I am afraid -that would have suited Blanche Delaware better. But remember, Henry, -that I knew not what he could take from you; and, even if I had known, -should I have had any right to accept--to permit such a sacrifice. Oh, -no! and if it had broken my heart, I must have acted as I did act. But -now, Henry, let us return home--we have walked on long, and papa will -certainly think it strange that I have been thus left alone with you -at all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He shall soon have a good reason, dear Blanche," replied her lover; -"and I trust that we shall never--never part again."</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp found Sir Sidney Delaware more shaken by all he had -undergone than he had anticipated; but the baronet's delight at seeing -his young cousin, he declared, took twenty years from the load of age. -"Your father, my dear Harry," he said, "was my school and college -companion, and the constant friend of my heart. I thought, when first -I saw you at Emberton, that your face, and voice, and manner, were all -as familiar to me as household words. But why, Harry--why did you not -tell me your real name--especially when you came plotting such a -service as you afterwards rendered me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because, my dear sir," replied Beauchamp, "when I wrote to you, a few -years before, you showed no disposition to receive me in my real -character."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That was because you refused my first invitation, just after your -father's death," answered Sir Sidney.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I never received it," replied the earl; "I never received it, upon my -honour--but I am afraid, my dear sir, that there has been more than -one juggle in the business, which we had better perhaps consign to -oblivion altogether: and now, let me take advantage of your daughter's -absence to make one request. You now know me, Sir Sidney--my -principles, my mind, my heart, and my situation--can you trust -Blanche's happiness to my care?--Will you give me her hand?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Sidney Delaware started up, "I have been blind to the last!" he -cried. "I have been blind to the last! But think, Henry! remember what -you are about! Take back your request; and, ere you make it again, -call to mind your rank and prospects; and judge whether interest, or -ambition, or the world's smile, may never hereafter induce you to -regret that you have married a portionless girl, because she had a -fair face and a gentle heart."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never! Sir Sidney," replied the earl. "It requires no thought. -Interest, and ambition, and the world's smile, have never had any -effect upon me yet, and never shall have while my faculties remain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well," replied Sir Sidney, "I have not forgot that you do not -'worship any man for the money in his purse, nor bow low to the bottle -of Lafitte upon his sideboard.' So, if your mind be really made up, -you must ask Blanche herself; but by William's smiling, I fancy you -have settled that matter between you already--If so, God's blessing -and mine upon you both; and you shall have my consent on one sole -condition, which is, that you will explain to me, clearly and -distinctly, all the particulars of this business from beginning to -end--for I confess I sometimes begin to think that my intellect is -impaired, because I cannot get it clearly stated in my own head.--But -stay, here are a number of questions which I have written down in -pencil on the broad margin of my Seneca, intending to ask William. -Will you undergo the catechism instead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Willingly!" answered Beauchamp; "and as I see Marla's carriage coming -slowly up the hill from the town, we shall just have time, I dare say, -to get through your questions, before she breaks in upon us with her -gay pertness."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She shall be most welcome," said Sir Sidney; and then, with -spectacles on nose, and book in hand, he proceeded to read the -interrogatories with which he had charged the margin of his Seneca, -and thus Beauchamp was called upon to explain a great deal that the -worthy reader, who has walked hand in hand along with him through the -book, already understands full well.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And now then, tell me," continued Sir Sidney, after he had despatched -a great number of his questions; "how did you contrive to place the -money so cleverly in William's room at Emberton, without any one -seeing you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The fact is, my dear sir," answered Beauchamp, "that I knew the house -and all its passages, as well if not better than any of you. You must -remember that a great part of my boyhood was spent there, and a -thousand times, under my incognito name of Burrel, I had nearly -betrayed my acquaintance with every room in the building. I had seen, -in walking round the house, that the door of the well-vault, as it -used to be called, was always open; and when I wanted to place the -money in your son's room without being seen, I resolved to try -the little staircase, up and down which I had often played at -hide-and-seek. I thus made my way to the trapdoor, when, to my -surprise and mortification, I found it nailed. As, however, it shook -under my hand when I tried it, I resolved to make a strong effort to -push it open, in which I succeeded, the nail either breaking or coming -out, I did not stay to examine which. My hand, however, was torn in -doing so; and unfortunately a drop of blood fell upon one of the -notes, as I folded them up in a sheet of paper I found upon the table. -The packet I directed as well as I could by the moonlight, and I then -put down the money and went away as fast as I could."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That just brings me to my last question," said Sir Sidney, "and here -is your sister driving into the court; so tell me why it was you did -not rather give the money into my hands, or William's, or Blanche's, -or any one's, rather than risk it in such a situation?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp laughed, and turning towards Miss Delaware, who was just -then re-entering the room, he replied, "Really, Sir Sidney, I must -refuse to plead--You must ask Blanche."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well then, you tell me, my love," continued the baronet, turning to -his daughter, "What could your cousin's reason be, for putting the -money, that has caused us so much anxiety, into William's room that -night, rather than giving it to me or you, as it seems he knew that -William was out?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauchamp and Captain Delaware both smiled, and Blanche blushed -deeply, but was silent.</p> - -<p class="normal">"So, so!" said Sir Sidney. "Is it so?--Well, well, I stop my questions -there--William, run out and welcome your fair cousin! Blanche, give me -your hand--There, Henry, take her; and may she ever be to you as dear, -as gentle, as good, and as beloved a wife, as her mother was to me."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was but little more now to be explained; though Sir Sidney, in -reward for the young earl's patience under cross-examination, took -great pains to make him understand how his son, William, had found -means, through their poor pensioner, Widow Harrison herself, to -communicate to the family his safe arrival in France, and a plan for -their meeting, which had been immediately adopted--how they had -skilfully contrived, to conceal their route--and how their good old -friend Arnoux, had prevailed upon them to pause at Poligny, instead of -going on to Sicily, as they had at first intended.</p> - -<p class="normal">From Widow Harrison, too, to whose faith and gratitude they could -trust, and to whom alone their place of residence had been -communicated, they had learned by letter many of Beauchamp's efforts -in their favour, as well as their success and the ultimate result of -the trial; but still, although they had heard so much, there was yet -matter enough left to be told on both sides, to furnish forth many a -story for the bright fireside.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nothing more remains for the writer, to whom their own lips kindly -furnished the materials for composing this book, than to add that a -very few months afterwards, at the chapel of the British Ambassador at -Paris, Henry Earl of Ashborough was married to Blanche, only daughter -of Sir Sidney Delaware; and that the body of poor Walter Harrison -sleeps by the side of the Lake of Geneva.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nevertheless, it behoves us to record one serious dispute which took -place between the young Earl of Ashborough and Sir Sidney Delaware, -which was occasioned by the baronet insisting that his noble -son-in-law, should take a mortgage upon the Emberton estate for the -amount of the twenty-five thousand pounds, advanced by him to pay off -the former annuity.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the other hand, however, it appeared that the late earl had been, -at the moment of his death, in the prosecution of a suit to prove that -the annuity, had not been legally paid off. It was true, also, that -Beauchamp had received the five-and-twenty thousand pounds back again -from Mr. Tims, and that the annuity had been paid up to the very last -day of the late earl's life. Beauchamp, therefore, contended that he -had no right whatever to demand or accept any mortgage, as the money -had returned to his own possession, and the annuity must be considered -to have lapsed with the life of his uncle.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Sidney would not see it in this point of view, and a great deal of -good-humoured special pleading went on upon the subject between him -and the earl. How it would all have ended, Heaven only knows, had not -Maria Beauchamp, who had got safely over the critical epoch of her -brother's marriage, and even held out for four months after, while he -brought his fair bride to England, and made her look into an English -court, for one moment--which was quite enough for both of them--had -she not, I say, at the end of that time, broken the hearts of her nine -London admirers, young and old, by giving her hand to William -Delaware. She protested, indeed, that she only did it for convenience, -as her brother and Blanche, with Sir Sidney, his son, and herself, -were about to take a long rambling tour over one quarter of the world, -and she could not, of course, go so many thousand miles with a young -single man, without giving employment to the tongues of her -acquaintances.</p> - -<p class="normal">However that might be, to end the dispute about the twenty-five -thousand pounds, the earl insisted upon adding it to his sister's -fortune, which was already sufficient to clear off every incumbrance, -and leave the family of Delaware more prosperous than it had been for -nearly a century before.</p> - -<p class="normal">We could go on a long time, and write another volume upon Blanche's -happy looks, and tell how Beauchamp, contented in his love, weaned -himself from many of his perversities and caprices, without losing the -brighter and the nobler qualities of his character. Nor would -adventures be wanting, nor the same light and idle nothings of which -this book is already principally composed; but, unfortunately, having -called the Work "THE RUINED FAMILY," we find ourselves bound to close -it here, now that we can no longer apply that term to the house of -DELAWARE.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>END OF VOLUME THIRD.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>EDINBURGH:</h4> -<h5>M. AITKEN, 1, ST. JAMES'S SQUARE.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Delaware;, by -G. P. 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