Part 70 (1/2)
”The man who encouraged and a.s.sisted him, not to mention working on his fears and G.o.dding him to desperation, is scarcely the person to blame him,” replied I sternly.
”Ah! you don't know all, sir; he was a precious sight worse than you're awake to yet, Mr. Fairlegh. I could tell you things that would surprise you; and if I thought that you would save yourself the trouble of taking me any farther than M----, which is, I believe, the nearest place where I can pick up a coach to London, I don't know that I should mind explaining matters a bit. What do you say, sir? you are lawyer enough to know that you can't do anything to me for this morning's work, I dare say.”
”I am not so certain of that,” replied I; ”abduction and manslaughter are legal offences, I believe.”
”I had nothing to do with the last job,” was the reply; ”I could not have prevented c.u.mberland shooting the mare if my own brother had been riding her.”
This I believed to be true, and I was far from certain that, although morally guilty, Captain Spicer had committed any offence for which he could be punished by law; moreover, as he had been a good deal knocked about in his conflict with the turnpike-man, and I had more than half-strangled him with my own hands, I felt leniently disposed towards him. I therefore replied:--
”Tell me, truly and honestly, supposing you can for once contrive to do so, all you know about this business; and if, as I imagine, you have only been the tool of others -462-- in the affair, it is possible my friend, Mr. Frampton, may be induced to let you off ”.
Upon this hint, the captain having prevailed upon me to remove his extempore handcuffs, and pa.s.sed his word not to attempt escape, proceeded to give me the following particulars:--
About a year or so before he had acted in some mysterious capacity at a gambling-house, of which c.u.mberland was part proprietor, and which was one of Wilford's favourite resorts. The debts which, as a boy, c.u.mberland had begun to contract, had increased till he became deeply involved; and after availing himself of every kind of subterfuge to postpone the evil day, was on the point of being arrested by his princ.i.p.al creditor, a money-lender, to whom he owed seven hundred and fifty pounds. Shortly before the day on which he had promised to meet the demand, Spicer, getting a cheque cashed at a banker's in the city, was present when an agent of Wilford's paid in to his account two thousand pounds, which circ.u.mstance he mentioned to c.u.mberland. That evening c.u.mberland induced Wilford to play picquet; they played high, but fortune varied, and at the end of the game c.u.mberland rose a winner of eighty pounds, for which Wilford wrote him a cheque. On examining his banker's book shortly afterwards, Wilford discovered that a cheque for eight hundred pounds had been presented and duly honoured, which proved, on minute inspection, to be the cheque written for c.u.mberland, and of course a forgery. For reasons of his own, one of which no doubt was to obtain absolute power over c.u.mberland, Wilford refused to prosecute.
When, some months after this transaction, Spicer was summoned to a.s.sist in carrying off Clara, c.u.mberland sought him out, told him that he had a scheme to frustrate Wilford and gain possession of Clara, and proved to him that he had by some means obtained five thousand pounds in specie, of which he offered him one thousand pounds if he would a.s.sist him, his object being to escape to America, and live there upon Clara's fortune.
Captain Spicer, tempted by the magnitude of the sum mentioned, aware that his character was too well known in London to render that city a desirable place of residence, and having a strong idea that he could turn his talents to account among the Yankees, stipulated that, in addition to the sum proposed, c.u.mberland should pay his pa.s.sage out, and agreed to the plan. The further details of the plot have been already partially explained. Aware of Wilford's predilection for keeping up appearances, and -463-- conducting his intrigues with so much cunning as in many instances to divert suspicion into some other channel, c.u.mberland sought him out, and telling him that he had observed his pa.s.sion for Clara, professed that her money was his only object, spoke of his desire to reside in America, and wound up by offering, if Wilford would give up the forged paper, and agree to allow him a certain sum quarterly out of Clara's fortune, to run off with her, and hand her over to him. To this Wilford, relying on Spicer, and determining to retain the forged cheque as a guarantee for c.u.mberland's fidelity until Clara was placed in the hands of Hardman, agreed. With the results of this arrangement the reader is already acquainted.
As my disreputable companion came to the end of his recital we drove up to the door of the princ.i.p.al inn of the little town of M----.
CHAPTER THE LAST -- WOO'D AND MARRIED AND A'
”''Tis a strange compact, still I see no better, So by your leave we'll sit and write this letter.”
_Ye Merrie Bacheloure_.
”The ancient saying is no heresy, Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.”
_Merchant of Venice_.
THE heart of the wandering Swiss bounds within him at the sound of the ”_Ranz des Vaches_,”--dear to the German exile are the soul-stirring melodies of his fatherland; but never did the ear of German or of Swiss drink in with greater delight the music that his spirit loved than did mine the transport of grunting by which Mr. Frampton welcomed his niece, the daughter of his childhood's friend, his fondly remembered sister.
”Umph! eh! so you've let that rascal c.u.mberland slip through your fingers, Master Frank? Umph! stupid boy, stupid. I wanted to have him hanged.”
”I am afraid, sir, the law would scarcely have sanctioned such a proceeding.”
”Umph! why not, why not? He richly deserved it, the scoundrel--daring to run off with my niece. Dear child! she's as like her poor-umph--umph!
the Elliots were always reckoned a handsome race. What are you laughing at, you conceited puppy? It's my belief that -464-- when I was your age I was a great deal better looking fellow than you are. Some people admire a snub nose; there was the Begum of Cuddleakee, splendid woman--Well, what do you want, sir, eh?”
The last words were addressed to Captain Spicer, to whom (as since our late truce he had become all amiability) I had entrusted the commission of ascertaining Wilford's state, and who now appeared at the door, and beckoned me out of the room.
”I shall be with you again immediately,” said I, rising; and, replying to Clara's anxious glance by a smile and a pressure of the hand, I hastened to obey the summons.
”Wilford is in a sad state, Mr. Fairlegh,” he began, as I closed the door behind me; ”dreadful, 'pon my life, sir; but here's the surgeon, you'd better speak to him yourself.”
In a little ante-room adjoining the chamber to which Wilford had been conveyed, I found the surgeon, who seemed an intelligent and gentlemanly person. He informed me that his patient had not many hours to live; the wound in the head was not mortal, but the spine had received severe injuries, and his lower extremities were already paralysed; he inquired whether I was acquainted with any of his relations; adding, that they ought to be sent for without a minute's delay.
”Really I am not,” replied I; ”I never was at all intimate with him; but I have heard, that even with those whom he admitted to his friends.h.i.+p, he was strangely reserved on such subjects.”
”Better question the servant,” suggested the surgeon; ”the patient himself is quite incapable of giving us any information; the concussion has affected the brain, and he is now delirious.”
The only information to be gained by this means was, that the servant believed his master had no relations in England; he had heard that he had been brought up in Italy, and therefore imagined that his family resided there; he was able, however, to tell the name of his man of business in London, and a messenger was immediately despatched to summon him. Having done this, at the surgeon's request I accompanied him to the chamber of the sufferer.