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(George Payne Rainsford) James"> - -<meta name="Publisher" content="Simms and M'Intyre"> -<meta name="Date" content="1851"> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> -<style type="text/css"> -body {margin-left:10%; - margin-right:10%; background-color:#FFFFFF;} - - -p.normal {text-indent:.25in; text-align: justify;} -.center {margin: auto; text-align:center; margin-top:24pt; margin-bottom:24pt} - - - -p.right {text-align:right; margin-right:20%;} - -p.continue {text-indent: 0in; margin-top:9pt;} -.text10 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:10%; margin-right:0px; font-size:90%;} -.text20 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:20%; margin-right:0px; font-size:90%;} - - -.poem0 { - margin-top: 24pt; margin-left: 0%; - margin-right: 0%; text-align: left; - margin-bottom: 24pt; font-size:90%} - -.poem1 { - margin-top: 24pt; margin-left: 2em; - margin-right: 10%; text-align: left; - margin-bottom: 24pt; font-size:90%} - -.poem2 { - margin-top: 24pt; margin-left: 20%; - margin-right: 20%; text-align: left; - margin-bottom: 24pt; font-size:90%} - -.poem3 { - margin-top: 24pt; margin-left: 30%; - margin-right: 30%; text-align: left; - margin-bottom: 24pt; font-size:90%} - - - - - -figcenter {margin:auto; text-align:center; margin-top:9pt;} - -.t0 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0em; margin-right:0em;} -.t1 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0em;} -.t2 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em;} -.t3 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:3em; margin-right:0em;} -.t4 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:4em; margin-right:0em;} -.t5 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:5em; margin-right:0em;} - - -.quote {text-indent:.25in; text-align: justify; font-size:90%; margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:36pt} -.ctrquote {text-align: center; font-size:90%; margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:36pt} - -.dateline {text-align:right; font-size:90%; margin-right:10%; margin-top:24pt; margin-bottom:24pt} - -h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 {text-align: center;} - -span.sc {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:110%;} -span.sc2 {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:90%;} - -hr.W10 {width:10%; color:black; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt} - -hr.W20 {width:20%; color:black; margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt} - -hr.W50 {width:50%; color:black;} -hr.W90 {width:90%; color:black;} - -p.hang1 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-3em;} -p.hang2 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:0em;} - - -</style> - -</head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Convict, by G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Convict - A Tale - -Author: G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James - -Release Date: February 9, 2016 [EBook #51164] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CONVICT *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (Harvard University) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="hang1">Transcriber's Notes:<br> -1. Page scans provided by Google Books<br> -https://books.google.com/books?id=mG8VAAAAYAAJ<br> -(Harvard University)</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE CONVICT.</h3> -<br> -<h4>A Tale.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<hr class="W20"> -<h5>BY</h5> - -<h3>G. P. R. JAMES</h3> -<hr class="W20"> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>LONDON: -<span style="font-size:smaller">SIMMS AND M'INTYRE,</span><br> -<span style="font-size:smaller">PATERNOSTER ROW; AND DONEGALL ST. BELFAST.</span></h4> -<h4>1851.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE CONVICT.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER I.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It may be very well in most cases to plunge, according to the rule of -the Latin poet, into the middle of things. It may be very well even, -according to the recommendation of Count Antoine Hamilton, to 'begin -with the beginning.' But there are other cases where there may be -antecedents to the actual story, which require to be known before the -tale itself is rightly comprehended. With this view, then, I will give -one short scene not strictly attached to that which is to follow, ere -I proceed with my history.</p> - -<p class="normal">In a small high room of the oldest part of St. John's College, -Cambridge, in a warm and glowing day of the early spring, and at about -seven o'clock in the morning, there sat a young man with his cheek -leaning on his hand, and his eyes fixed upon the page of an open book. -There were many others closed and unclosed upon the table around him, -as well as various pieces of paper, traced with every sort of curious -figure which geometrical science ever discovered or measured. The -page, too, on which his eyes were bent, was well nigh as full of -ciphers as of words, and it was evident, from everything around, that -the studies of the tenant of that chamber were of a very abstruse -character.</p> - -<p class="normal">And yet to gaze at him as he sits there, and to consider attentively -the lines of the face, and the development of the organs of the head, -the physiognomist or phrenologist would, at once pronounce that, -although by no means wanting in any of the powers of mind, that young -man was by nature disposed to seek the pleasures of imagination rather -than the dry and less exciting, though more satisfactory, results of -science. There were some slight indications, too, about his room, of -such tastes and propensities. In a wine-glass, half filled with water, -were some early flowers, so arranged that every hue gained additional -beauty from that with which it was contrasted; a flute and some music -lay upon a distant table; one window, which looked towards the -gardens, and through which came the song of birds and the fragrant -breath of the fresh fields, was thrown wide open; while another, which -looked towards courts and buildings, was closed, and had the curtains -drawn. Nevertheless, had any eye watched him since he rose, it would -have found that from the hour of five he had remained intent upon the -problems before him, suffering not a thought to wander, neither rising -from the table, nor turning his eyes even for a moment to the -worshipped beauty of external nature. The air came in gently from -without, and fanned his cheek, and waved the curls of his dark hair; -the smell of the flowers was wafted to the sense; the song of the bird -sounded melodious in his ear; but not the breeze, nor the odour, nor -the lay called off his attention from the dry and heavy task before -him. His cheek was pale with thought, his fine eyes looked oppressed -with study, though still bright; and the broad expansive brow ached -with the weary labours of many a day and night: labours to which he -saw no end, from which he hardly hoped to obtain any very great -result. Tall and manly in person, with limbs apparently formed for -robust exercises, and a mind fitted for the enjoyment of every refined -and graceful pleasure, he had chained down the body and, I may almost -add, the spirit, to the hard captivity of intense study, in the hope -some day of making himself a great name, and recovering from the grasp -of fortune that wealth and station which had been the inheritance of -his ancestors.</p> - -<p class="normal">Still he felt weary and sick at heart; still hopeless despondency -would hold him enthralled; and though, with, an unflinching -perseverance, for many a long year he had pursued the same weary -round, he felt that he was fitted for other things, and regretted that -the energies of his nature were doomed to struggle with objects the -most repulsive to his tastes.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a knock at the door; not a light and timid tap, but strong -and familiar. Without raising his eyes, however, he said, "Come in," -and the next instant a gentleman entered, in a black gown and cap. He -was an elderly man, with a somewhat florid and jovial, but upon the -whole, benevolent countenance. His forehead was high, and very broad -over the brows, and there were lines of thought upon it which mingled -somewhat curiously with the cheerful and almost jocular expression of -the lips and eyes. Indeed, he was a man of great eminence in science -and in literature, who, having in early life conquered all the -difficulties of very arduous pursuits, found no longer any trouble in -those tasks which would have startled or overpowered many another man. -and who consequently walked lightly under burdens which had become -familiar, and which had in reality no weight for him, because he had -become accustomed to bear them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Edward," he said--the young man was a distant relation of his -own--"still poring and plodding! My dear lad, you must not carry this -too far. You have already done much, very much, and you must take some -thought of health."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man rose with a faint smile, and placed a chair for his old -relation. "I have both your example and your precept, my dear sir," he -replied, "for pursuing the course before me without relaxation. You -told me, some four years ago, that before you were as old as I was -then, you had taken high honours at this university. I could only do -so last year; and you have often said that unremitting study in youth -is the only means of winning a title in after years to repose and -enjoyment. Besides, I must study hard to recover lost time, and to fit -myself for the course before me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True, true, very true!" rejoined the elder man; "but you have studied -hard for nearly six years now. There was the great fault. You did not -begin early enough; your father should have sent you here full two -years before you came. Let me see: you are now six-and-twenty, and for -any man destined to fight his way in one of the learned professions, -it is never too early to begin to labour."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But neither my poor father nor myself," replied the young gentleman, -"were at all aware that I should ever have, as you so justly call it, -to fight my way in one of the learned professions, I was then the heir -of six or seven thousand a year; I have now only the income of a -fellowship; and that I could not have obtained had I not been -supported here by your bounty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Say nothing of that Edward," replied the other; "neither let us look -back. You have done enough for the present. You have distinguished -yourself here; after the long vacation you will be called to the bar, -and eminence, doubtless, is before you; but still there are a few hard -steps to be taken, which require strength of body as well as powers of -mind, and in your case both mind and body will suffer if you pursue -this course any farther. Come, I have something to propose which I -think will be gratifying to you, and which I know will be good for -you. The friends of a young nobleman, whose father I knew well, have -written to request that I would recommend to them some competent -person to accompany their relation upon a short tour which he is about -immediately to make upon the continent. The terms they propose are -very liberal; the expedition will be a pleasant one; and if you choose -to undertake the task, it will refresh and invigorate you, both -mentally and corporeally. The young man will be of age in the autumn, -and will return about the very time when you are to be called to the -bar. The connexion is a very good one, and few men get on in life -without powerful friends. By both information and character you are -fitted to do justice to the trust reposed in you, and my advice is to -accept the offer without hesitation. You know I would not recommend -anything to you without due consideration of all the circumstances."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man paused thoughtfully ere he replied. The temptation was -too strong to be resisted. At the time when all his prospects in life -were blighted he had been preparing to set out, with all the resources -of wealth at his command, upon such a tour as that in which he was now -desired to share. Very different were the circumstances, it is true, -but still the pleasures which he had then anticipated had nought to do -with wealth, except as a means. He had formed no schemes of display, -of luxury, or splendour: he had only thought of visiting scenes rich -in natural beauty and historic recollections; of treading where great -men had trod; of dwelling for a time where great deeds had been -performed; of seeing the face of earth in its most beautiful and its -grandest aspects; and all that was now before him. But yet there was a -certain repugnance to the idea of dependence, to the thought of -linking himself, even for a time, to a being of whose character, -conduct, and views, he knew nothing, and his first reply was doubtful.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who is this young lord, my dear sir?" he asked. "I should be very -willing to go, as you judge it right, for, to say the truth, I am very -weary of this life, which only the strong impulse of necessity has -made me follow; but you can easily conceive I should not like the task -of guiding every young man through Europe;" and he added, with a -melancholy smile, "I am not fitted for bear-leading, as you know, and -in this world there are many bears in high places."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True," replied his relation, with a slightly sarcastic smile, and a -touch of that unextinguishable jealousy which exists between St. -John's and another great college--"true; we see that every day at -Trinity; but this young man is not a bear, nor a bear's cub; or, at -all events, he is well licked. It is young Lord Hadley, whom you must -have seen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! I know him well," replied the student, with a well-satisfied -look. "Though not perfection, he is very much better than most young -men of the present day; a little rash, a little given to dissipation, -perhaps, but right at heart, kind and well feeling; too easily led, -but yet, I do believe, always preferring right to wrong."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As to rashness," replied his companion, "you are rash enough, Ned, -yourself; and as to his being easily led, that will be an advantage -while he is with you. You have that decision of character which he -wants; and will, I am sure, have power to restrain his habits of -dissipation, and supply that firmness, for the time at least, of which -he is destitute. I can see by your face that you are willing to -undertake the task, and, therefore, I shall write in that sense."</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus saying, he was turning towards the door; but he stopped, after -taking a step or two, and coming back to the table, laid down upon it -a piece of paper, which, with one of those curious tricks whereof most -men have some, he had been twisting first round one finger and then -round another, during the whole time that the conversation lasted. -"You will want a supply for your preparations, my dear lad," he said; -"there is a cheque for a couple of hundred pounds. You can repay me -when you are a judge."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed I do not want it," answered the other, with a slight glow -coming into his face; "I have quite enough."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pooh! nonsense," said the old man; "if you have enough without it, -buy oranges with it." And without waiting for farther discussion, he -left the room.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER II.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It was a dark autumnal night, the wind was strong and very fierce, -sweeping along over fields and downs, tearing the branches and the -withering leaves from the trees, and screaming along the rocks and -tall precipitous cliffs upon a high and iron-bound part of the coast -of England. There was no moon in the sky, but from time to time the -sudden glance and disappearance of a star showed how rapidly the dull -gray clouds were hurried over the face of the heavens; and the moaning -of the trees and shrubs, added to the wild whistling of the gale, -showed how it vexed the still, reposing, rooted things of creation in -its harsh fury as it swept through them.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the summit of one of the most elevated points upon the coast there -was a little indentation, extending from the highest point of the -downs to the edge of the cliff, where it was somewhat lower than at -other places. This little hollow was sheltered from most of the winds -that blew, except when a gale came very nearly due west; and in -consequence of this protection some low scrubby trees had gathered -themselves together, as in a place of refuge, never venturing to raise -their heads above the neighbouring slopes, but spreading out broad and -tolerably strong in the lower part of the dell. From them there was a -footpath extending on either side; on the one, leading to the top of -the precipice, on the other, to the high road, which lay at about half -a mile's distance. The path was little frequented, and the short -mountain grass encroaching upon it here and there, almost obliterated -the track, but in passing towards the top of the cliff it wound in and -out amongst some large stones and rocks, with here and there a -scattered tree overshadowing it as it ran on.</p> - -<p class="normal">By the side of one of those rocks, on the night of which I speak, and -guarded by it from the direct course of the blast, were seated three -powerful men, each of whom had reached what is called the middle age. -They had a lantern with them; and between the lantern and the road one -of them was seated with his back to the latter, his left shoulder -touching the rock, and his face towards the sea. Thus, no one coming -from the eastward could see the light itself, although, perhaps, a -faint general glimmer could be perceived; but at the same time the -lantern could be distinguished by any one on the sea at the distance -of half a mile or more. Within that distance, the interposing cliff -must have cut it off from the eyes of wanderers upon the wave.</p> - -<p class="normal">The men were evidently watching for something, and as usually happens -in such moments of expectation, their conversation was broken and -desultory. None of them seemed to be armed, and two of them were -clothed in sailors' jackets, while the third wore a large shaggy great -coat, such as was commonly at that time used by pilots. He was a tall, -strong, good-looking man enough, with a dark complexion, and a skin -apparently well accustomed to exposure in all sorts of weathers, being -rough and florid, and appearing, perhaps, more so than was really the -case, from the glare of the lantern and the contrast of his own gray -hair, as its long curls waved about in the night wind. The others were -ordinary, hard-featured men, with that sort of grave, self-composed -aspect, which is not at all unusual in sailors of all classes: men of -few words and vigorous action, who can perhaps troll a song or crack a -jest with their boon companions, but who are the most opposite -creatures in the world to the sailor of drama or romance. But he in -the rough coat had something about him which could not well be passed -without attention by any one who had even ordinary powers of -observation; and yet it is very difficult to describe what it was, for -as he sat there perfectly still and tranquil, there was nothing, to -all appearance, likely to call for remark. Yet it would have been -difficult for any one to watch him at that moment without feeling that -there was a something impressive in his figure, a dignity of aspect it -may be called, for there is such a thing even in the rudest and least -cultivated.</p> - -<p class="normal">The wind whistled loud and strong; it was heard rushing and roaring -farther down, and hissing and screaming high above over the bleak tops -of the hills. There was a cheerless, desolate sound about it: a sound -of warning and of woe. Well might the traveller hasten towards his -journey's end, and the weary, houseless wanderer seek the shelter of -shed or out-house, or the warm side, of the farmer's stack. But still -those three men sat there almost motionless. The rock protected them -to a certain degree, but the blast would whirl round the point and -sweep chilling in amongst them. They were very silent, too, and not a -word had been spoken for some ten minutes, when one said to the other, -"It won't do; the wind's getting to the southward, and if it shifts -but one point she can't lay her course."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We must wait and see," said the man in the rough coat. "I hope they -won't try, if the wind does shift."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It has shifted already," said the third; "it is coming right over -from the great house."</p> - -<p class="normal">No reply was made, and they all fell into silence again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I hope your people are keeping a good look-out, Master Clive," said -one of the two sailor-looking men, after another long pause. "Didn't I -hear that you had sent your two young men away over to Dorchester?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did it on purpose," replied the other; "but do not you be afraid of -the look-out. It is trusted to one who won't be found wanting."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It would be awkward if any of them were to pounce upon us," rejoined -the other.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They might rue it," replied the man in the pilot's coat; and again -the conversation stopped.</p> - -<p class="normal">About three minutes after, there was heard a loud halloo from the side -of the high-road, and one of the men started up; but the voice of him -they called Clive was heard saying, in a low tone, "Lie close, lie -close! I don't know the tongue; some drunken fool, perhaps, who has -lost his way; but we shall soon see." And at the same time, drawing -the lantern nearer to him, he put his hand into one of the large -pockets of his coat, and pulled out a pistol, which he looked at by -the dull light. The next instant the halloo was repeated, and the cock -of the pistol was heard to click.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are coming this way," said one of the sailors; "hadn't we better -dowse the glim, Master Clive?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," replied the other, sternly; "would you have me endanger the boat -and our friends in her, to save myself from a little risk?"</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, steps were heard coming along the side of the hill, and -the moment after, a voice called aloud, "Is there a person of the name -of Clive there?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The tone was that of a gentleman: there was no country accent, no -broad pronunciation; and Clive instantly started up, replying, "Yes; -what do you want with me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sorry to tell you," said the voice they had heard, "that an -accident has happened to your daughter;" and at the same time a tall, -powerful, and handsome young man advanced towards the light. "It is -not, I trust, very serious," he added, in a kindly tone, as if anxious -to allay the apprehensions which his first words must have produced. -"I am afraid her right arm is broken, but she complains of no other -injury."</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man put the pistol he had in his hand to the half-cock, and -replaced the weapon in his pocket, gazing in the stranger's face with -a look of apprehension and inquiry, but without making any reply for -some moments.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you telling me the truth, sir?" he said at length.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am, indeed," replied the stranger; "I would not deceive you for the -world. A gentleman, with whom I have been travelling, and myself, got -out of the carriage to walk up the hill, and just at the top I saw -something lying near the road, and heard, as I thought, a groan. On -going nearer, I found a girl, partly covered with stones and dirt, and -apparently unable to extricate herself. She said she was not much -hurt, but could not shake off the mass that had fallen upon her, being -unable to use her right arm."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's that devil of a wall has fallen upon her," said one of the -sailors. "I knew it would come down some day in the first gale, for it -was all bulging out, and nothing but loose stones at the best."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Exactly so," said the stranger; "such was the account of the accident -she herself gave; but it would seem that the wall brought part of the -bank with it, which probably prevented the stones from injuring her -more severely."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where is she?" demanded Clive, abruptly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She is in the carriage, just where the path joins the high road. We -were taking her home as fast as possible, when she asked me to come -down hither, and give you information of what had happened, for she -said it was necessary you should know."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay! she is a dear good girl," said the man, in reply; "she always -thinks of those things; but I must think of her. I will go up with -you, sir. You stay here, lads, and keep a good look out till after the -tide has made; it will be no use staying any longer." And with a quick -step he led the way along the edge of the little basin in the hills, -taking a much shorter path than that which had been followed by his -visitor while seeking him. As he went, he asked a few questions, brief -and abrupt, but to the point; and after every answer, fell back into -thought again. It is probable that apprehension for his child occupied -his mind in those silent pauses, for the heart of affection is never -satisfied with any tale, however true, however circumstantial, when a -beloved object has been injured. We always ask ourselves, 'Is there -not something more?'</p> - -<p class="normal">At length, as they mounted over the slope, the lighted lamps of a -carriage could be seen on the high road, at a little distance, and in -a moment after--for he now sprang forward eagerly--Clive was by the -side of the vehicle. Two servants, one of whom was dressed in the -costume of a courier, with a gold band round his cap, and a good deal -of black silk braid on his coat, were standing by the side of the -carriage, and one of them immediately threw open the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am not hurt, dearest father," said a sweet mellow voice, from -within; "that is to say, I am very little hurt. These two gentlemen -have been very kind to me, and would insist upon taking me home, -otherwise I would not have gone away, indeed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You would have done very wrong to stay, my child," answered Clive; -"and I thank the gentlemen much for their kindness. Can you walk now, -Helen?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"She shall not walk a step to night, Mr. Clive," said a young -gentleman, who was sitting in the farther corner of the carriage; "she -is not fit for it; and we will not suffer such a thing. Nay more, I -think it would be very much better for you to get in and take her -home. I and my friend can follow on foot very well. It is but a short -distance, and she has been telling me the way. Here, Müller, open this -door." And before any one could stop him he was out of the carriage.</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive made some opposition, but he suffered it to be overruled by the -persuasions of the two gentlemen, and in a minute or two was seated by -the side of his daughter, in the handsome travelling carriage which -had brought her thither, and was rolling away towards his own house, -the road to which the postillions seemed to know well. The two young -gentlemen sauntered slowly after on foot, conversing over the accident -which had diversified their journey.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She seems to me to be exceedingly pretty," said the younger one, who -had been left with her in the carriage, while the other went to seek -Clive.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Her language and manners, too," rejoined the other, "are very much -superior to her father's apparent station. What in heaven's name could -she be doing out there at this time of night?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps looking for her lover," replied the younger, with a laugh.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no," said his companion; "her own words and her father's will not -admit of such a supposition. I have some doubt as to the trade of the -parties; but she certainly seems very little fitted to take part in -it, if it be what I suspect. Are you sure you know the way?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! quite sure," answered the other; "we are to go on till we come to -a finger-post, and then to turn down the lane to the left. That will -lead us to the house, and she says there is no other there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The moon is getting up, I think, to guide us," said the elder of the -two young men; and then, after a moment's silence, during which his -thoughts wandered wide, he added, "I dare say we shall be able to get -some information at the house as to this good Master Clive's -avocations. He had a cocked pistol in his hand when I came up, and did -not seem at all well pleased at being disturbed."</p> - -<p class="normal">In such sort of chat they walked on, the moon rising slowly, and -spreading her silvery light over the scene. Sometimes she was hidden -for a moment by the rushing clouds; but, with the peculiar power of -the soft planet, her beams seemed to absorb the vapours that sought to -obscure them; as calm truth, shining on and growing brighter as it -rises, devours the mists of prejudice and error, with which men's -passions and follies attempt to veil it.</p> - -<p class="normal">In about a quarter of an hour they reached the finger-post which had -been mentioned, and there found one of the servants waiting to guide -them on the way. By him they were informed that the house was not more -than a quarter of a mile distant; and although one of the young -gentlemen said that it might have been as well to order the carriage -to come back to the high road as soon as it had set the poor girl and -her father down, the other replied that it would be much better to go -and see how she was, as there might be no surgeon in the -neighbourhood, and they might be able to render some assistance.</p> - -<p class="normal">A minute or two after, the road led them to the brink of a little -dell, narrow, and well wooded, on the other side of which, rising high -above the trees, appeared a tall house, flat, and not very -picturesque, except from its accessories, although the moon was now -shining bright on the only side which the travellers saw. The road, -winding about to avoid the dell, carried them round to the other side -of the building, where they had to pass through a large farm-yard, the -dogs in which recorded in very loud tones their protest against the -admission of any strangers, although an old woman-servant, with a -light shaded by her apron, was waiting at the door to receive the -expected guests.</p> - -<p class="normal">The place into which they were admitted, was evidently a large -farm-house of a very comfortable description. It might have been in -former times, indeed, the seat of some country gentleman of small -fortune, for the room on the left of the passage in which they -entered, was handsomely wainscoted with oak, each panel of which was -surrounded by a very respectable garland of flowers carved in the -woodwork. There, too, was a little sideboard, partly covered with -china and glass, rather heterogeneous in its parts, and which might -almost have furnished a history of glass ware from the time of the -middle ages downwards. There were tall Venice glasses, cut and gilt -like attar-of-rose bottles. There was the pleasant large claret glass, -so light that it added nothing to the weight of the wine within, with -a white spiral in the stalk, and sundry little stars ground upon the -delicate sides. There was the large goblet, somewhat yellowish in -tinge, rudely and bluntly cut and polished, looking almost like a cup -of rock crystal; and in the centre was an exceedingly beautiful large -chalice, richly gilt and ornamented, very delicate in form. But these -were mingled with things of more common use, some handsome enough in -their kind, but others of a sort usually to be seen in the basket of -an itinerant vender of crockery and decanters.</p> - -<p class="normal">I might go on farther, describing many other curious little things -which that room contained, for there was a number of them; but I have -gone far enough to give some idea of the place, and have done so not -without thought; for, rightly read, I know few things that give a more -correct indication of the character of particular persons, if they -have any character at all, which is not always the case, than the -objects with which they surround themselves in their familiar -dwellings.</p> - -<p class="normal">However, the two young gentlemen had hardly time to observe much, -before a door, different from that by which they had entered, -opened, and Clive himself came in. He had laid aside his heavy coat, -and now appeared in the dress of a wealthy farmer; and certainly a -powerful, well-looking, dignified man he was. There was no want of -ease in his manners, though they were not in the least familiar or -self-sufficient. There seemed, indeed, a consciousness of powers -mental and corporeal about him; a reliance upon his own nature, which -left not the slightest touch of embarrassment in his demeanour. He -never seemed to doubt that what he was doing and what he was saying -was right, though without thinking it at all extraordinary or -excellent.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am deeply obliged to you, gentlemen, both," he said; "and to you, -sir, in particular;" and he turned to the elder of the two. "My -daughter, thank God! is not much hurt; for though her arm is broken, I -trust we shall get that set speedily."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I hope you have some surgeon here," said the younger gentleman; "for -whatever is to be done, had better be done at once."</p> - -<p class="normal">"None nearer than the town, and that is seven miles," replied Clive; -"most unfortunately, too, I have sent both my men to some distance, -but I have ordered one of the girls to go and call up the herd, and -bid him bring the doctor directly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why not send one of the post-boys?" said the young gentleman; "he is -already mounted, and two horses will carry us easily on, for we cannot -have more than two or three miles to go."</p> - -<p class="normal">The proposal was adopted with many thanks, and the post-boy -accordingly sent on, after which the farmer, for so we must call him, -refrained, with a native sense of propriety, from loading the two -strangers with any further expressions of gratitude; but told them -that his daughter would be glad to see them before they went, to thank -them personally for the service they had rendered her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She is in the next room," he said, "and will not be satisfied unless -I bring you there."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was no great resistance made, for the younger man had a strong -inclination to see whether, in the full light, she was as pretty as -she had seemed; and his companion felt that sort of interest in her -which a fine mind always takes in those on whom some benefit has been -conferred. The room in which she was, adjoined that which they had -first entered, and was fitted up very neatly, though plainly, as a -little sort of drawing-room. The girl herself was seated on a small -chintz-covered sofa, with her right arm supported by a cushion, and -one small foot resting on a stool. She was certainly exceedingly -beautiful, with large dark devoted-looking eyes, and dark eyebrows and -eyelashes, but with hair of a light brown, and an exceedingly fair -skin. A mixture of races seemed apparent in her; for the hair and -complexion of the fair Saxon were blended, yet not inharmoniously, -with the dark eyes of more southern lands. Her hand was small and -delicate, and her form fine, though slight; her dress, too, though -plain, was very good and ladylike; and everything that they saw was -calculated to raise greater surprise in the minds of her visitors that -she should be out alone, apparently watching for something upon the -high road, in a cold autumnal night.</p> - -<p class="normal">Gracefully, and with much feeling, she thanked the two gentlemen, and -especially the elder, for extricating her from her dangerous and -painful situation, and for the kindness and tenderness which they had -afterwards shown her. The colour varied a good deal in her cheek as -she did so; and having received, in answer to their questions, an -assurance that she suffered very little--and that, from the fact of -the mass of earth which came down with the wall having diminished the -force of the stones, she was uninjured, except inasmuch as her arm was -broken, and her left foot somewhat bruised--they took their leave, and -departed to resume their journey.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER III.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There was a small party assembled at a large country house not above -three miles, by the high road, from the spot where the last events -which I have recorded took place. It was a very extensive and very -old-fashioned brick building. Old-fashioned! It is a curious term. The -house was little more than a century old; a father might have seen it -built, and a son might have heard it called old-fashioned, for the -savour of earthly things passes away so rapidly, that what our parents -considered the perfection of skill and convenience, we hold to be but -a rude effort towards our own excellence. Yet they were very -convenient buildings, those old houses of the reigns of George the -First and George the Second; solid in their walls, large and yet -secure in their windows, high in their ceilings, broad and low in -their staircases, many in their rooms, and strong in their partitions. -There was little lath and plaster about them, little tinsel and bright -colouring; but there was a sober and a solid grandeur, a looking for -comfort rather than finery, of durability rather than cheapness, which -made them pleasant to live in, and makes them so even to the present -day.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nothing that tended to comfort was wanting in that house; its solidity -seemed to set at defiance wind, and storm, and time; and its wide -grates laughed in the face of frost and cold, and bade them get forth, -for they could have no abiding there. Turkey carpets covered most of -the floors, even of those rooms which, by a law of the Draco-like -dictator, Fashion, are condemned to bear that sort of carpet called -Brussels, although the town which has given it name probably never in -the world's history produced a rood thereof. The Turks, when they made -them, must have marvelled much at what the Christian dogs could want -with such large carpets; for the one in the room where the party was -assembled--which was called the drawing-room, although it was lined -with books--could not have been less than forty feet in length, by -thirty in breadth, and yet there was a margin between it and the -book-cases. There were four windows on one side of the room, as one -looked towards which there was a door on the right hand leading into -the library, a door on the left leading into the dining-room, and -opposite the windows was another door, which opened into a large -vestibule, separated from a stone hall by a screen filled up with -glass.</p> - -<p class="normal">In one of the two fire-places which the room contained was a large -blazing fire of wood, and near it was seated in an arm-chair, reading -a book, a very gentlemanly and well-dressed man, a good deal past the -middle age, with his feet, warming themselves at the blaze, crossed -and elevated upon a low stool. The other fire-place was not so well -attended to, but, nevertheless, it was glowing with a tolerable degree -of brightness, and near it were seated two young people, amusing -themselves, as best they might, during an evening which expectation -had rendered somewhat tedious. Sometimes they played at chess -together, and laughed and wrangled good-humouredly enough; sometimes -the one read and the other wrote; sometimes the one drew and the other -read; sometimes they talked in low tones, and laughed gaily as they -conversed. They were very nearly of an age, that is to say, there was -not quite two years' difference between them, but those two years had -been so allotted, as, considering their sexes, to make the difference -of five or six. The lady was the elder of the two. She was very nearly -approaching one-and-twenty, while the young man was a few months -beyond nineteen. They seemed fond of each other, but it was with a -fraternal sort of fondness, although they were not brother and sister; -and yet, for the young man at least, their near propinquity, and -constant communication, had it not been for other circumstances, might -have proved dangerous, for certainly a lovelier or more engaging -creature has seldom been seen than her with whom he then sat in the -unchecked familiarity of near relationship. She was the very opposite, -in personal appearance at least, of the girl we have lately spoken of. -Her hair could hardly be called black, for in certain lights there was -a gleam of rich brown in it, but her eyebrows and eyelashes were as -dark as night, and her complexion, though by no means brown in itself, -and tinged in the cheeks with the rose, was of that shade which -usually accompanies black hair; but her blue eyes were blue; deep -blue, it is true; so much so, that what with the jetty fringe that -surrounded them, and their own depth of hue, many a person thought -that they were black. Yet they were blue--very blue; of the colour of -an Italian sky when the sun has just gone down beyond the highest -hill, and left it full of depth and lustre. In height she was -certainly taller than the Venus de Medici; but yet she did not strike -one as tall, whether it was from the great symmetry of her figure or -some peculiarity in the proportions. But that which most attracted an -observer, and especially those who knew her well, was a sparkling -variety in the expression of her countenance, and a similar variety in -the grace of her movements. When she was reading, or thinking, or -writing, or singing, there was an earnestness, a deep tranquillity in -her aspect, which would have made one suppose her a being of a very -meditative and almost grave disposition; but in conversation, and on -all ordinary occasions, the look was quite different; gay, sparkling, -flashing with cheerfulness and spirit. When she sat still, the lines -of her form fell with such easy grace, and seemed so full of tranquil -beauty, that any one might have thought that the predominant character -was calm repose; but when she moved, especially under any immediate -excitement, the light elasticity of every motion changed her at once -into a different creature.</p> - -<p class="normal">Her young companion was very different in every respect. Of a fair and -almost feminine complexion, his light hair waved gracefully over a -fine high brow, his blue eyes were soft and kindly-looking, and his -lips and nose, chiselled with the utmost delicacy, would have suited a -woman's face better than a man's. No beard or whiskers as yet gave -anything masculine to his countenance, and his slight figure and soft -satiny skin made him look still younger than he really was. To look -upon him, one would not have supposed that he had seen more than -sixteen years of age; and yet under that fair and delicate form there -were many strong and generous impulses, firm and resolute purposes, -and even a daring spirit, mingled strangely enough with a tenderness -and devotedness seldom found in the grown and experienced man, and a -degree of simplicity not at all approaching weakness, but depending -upon youth and inexperience.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I care nothing about it, Edgar," said the lady, in a low tone, in -answer to something which the other had said; "he may come and go -whenever he pleases, without my ever giving the matter two thoughts. -You cannot tease me, cousin, for it is a matter of no interest to me, -I can assure you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know better, little heretic," replied her young companion; "you -would fain have me believe, Eda, that you are as cold as ice, but I -know better. We shall see the fire kindled some day."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very likely," said the lady, with a smile; "but you know, Edgar, that -even that curious black stone, which seems to have been especially -given to England for the purpose of drying and warming our damp, cold -climate, smoking our ceilings and dirtying our hands, is as cold as -ice, too, till it is kindled."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But there may be such things as concealed fires, fair cousin," -retorted the young man, with a laugh.</p> - -<p class="normal">The lady's cheek coloured a little, but she instantly changed the -defence into an attack, saying, almost in a whisper, and with a glance -to the gentleman reading by the fire, "I know there are, Edgar. Take -care, you bold boy, take care; for if you make war upon me, I shall -carry it into your own country."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man glanced hastily round him, in the same direction which -her eyes had before taken, and his cheek blushed like that of a young -girl at the first kiss of love. The lady saw that she had not missed -her mark, and maliciously sent another shaft after the first. "Where -were you this morning at eight o'clock?" she said, in the same subdued -tone; "and yesterday, and the morning before? Ah, Master Edgar! do not -jest with edged tools, or at least, learn how to use them better, or -you will cut your fingers, dear boy!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hush, hush!" said the young man, in a low voice, and evidently a good -deal agitated; "let us make peace, Eda."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You began hostilities," replied the lady, satisfied that she had got -that command of her young companion which ladies do not at all -dislike, and by that very means which they are fondest of -employing--the possession of a secret.</p> - -<p class="normal">Almost at the same moment in which she spoke, the older gentleman by -the fire laid his book upon his knee, and pulled his watch out of his -pocket. "Very extraordinary!" he said, turning round his head; "it is -nearly ten o'clock; I am glad we dined. You see, Eda, there is no -counting upon the motions of young men."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Especially, my dear uncle," replied the lady, "when combined with bad -roads, bad horses, and high hills. I will answer for it, when Lord -Hadley does come, you will have long tales of broken-down hacks, -together with abuse of lazy postillions and slow ostlers. But hark! -here he comes, or some carriage, at least, for carts are quiet at this -time of night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And don't dash along the avenue at such a rate," said her cousin -Edgar; "it is certainly the ship in sight, and we shall soon see the -freight."</p> - -<p class="normal">The two gentlemen looked towards the door and listened, the lady -calmly pursued the task which occupied her, copying some music from a -sheet of embossed and pink-edged paper; and one of those little -intervals succeeded which take place between the arrival at the door -and the appearance in the drawing-room of an expected guest. It lasted -a minute, or a minute and a half, for there seemed to be some orders -to be given in the passage, and some questions to be asked; and then -the door of the room opened, and a servant, in a well-laced jacket, -announced "Lord Hadley," and "Mr. Dudley."</p> - -<p class="normal">Had any eye watched the lady's countenance, they would certainly have -thought that some strong emotion was busy in her heart at that moment, -for her cheek first turned very pale, and then glowed warmly; but -it might also have been remarked that it was not at the first name -that the varying hue became apparent. The second name produced the -change, and, at the same time, the pen in her hand dropped upon the -music-paper, and blotted out the note she had just been tracing.</p> - -<p class="normal">At the name of Mr. Dudley, too, an alteration of aspect took place in -her uncle, but it was momentary; his brow contracted, his face turned -pale, but immediately a placable look returned, and with a courteous -smile he advanced to meet the two gentlemen who entered. They were the -same whom we have seen upon the road, and in the house of Mr. Clive. -The second of the two, also, I must remark, not to give the reader the -trouble of turning back, was the student to whose room at Cambridge I -first introduced him.</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Hadley, a young, slight, fashionable man, with a good deal of -light hair always in high gloss and beautiful order, and a profusion -of whisker nicely curled, advanced at once towards the elder -gentleman, and shook him heartily by the hand, calling him Sir Arthur -Adelon. He then extended his hand to the young gentleman, whom he -seemed to know well also, giving as he did so, a glance, but not one -of recognition, towards the face of the lady. Sir Arthur instantly -touched his arm gently, and led him up to her, saying, "Eda, my dear, -let me introduce to you my friend, Lord Hadley--Lord Hadley, my niece, -Miss Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Hadley bowed, and the lady curtsied gravely; but there was -evidently no emotion upon her part, at the introduction. In the mean -time, Mr. Dudley had remained in the most unpleasant occupation in the -world, that of doing nothing while other people are taken notice of. A -moment after, however, Sir Arthur Adelon turned towards him, and with -a courteous though somewhat formal how, said, "I am very happy to see -you, Mr. Dudley; allow me to introduce you to my son and my niece."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have already the pleasure of Miss Brandon's acquaintance," said the -tutor; and advancing towards her, he shook hands with her warmly. If -she really felt any strong emotions at that moment, she concealed them -well; and Mr. Dudley, turning again towards the baronet, finished with -graceful ease what he had been saying. "I was not at all aware, Sir -Arthur, that Miss Brandon was your niece, or it would have added -greatly to the pleasure I had in accompanying Lord Hadley, which -pleasure is more than perhaps you know, for it affords me the -opportunity of expressing my gratitude to an old friend and benefactor -of my poor father."</p> - -<p class="normal">The gentleman to whom he spoke was evidently embarrassed from some -cause, though what that was did not fully appear. His face again -turned somewhat pale, and he hesitated in his reply. "Oh! really!" he -said; "then you are the son of Mr. Dudley of St. Austin's? Well, I am -very happy, indeed, to see you;" and he shook hands with him, but it -was not warmly, adding, as he did so, "but you are late, gentlemen. We -waited dinner for you an hour, and had even given up the hope of -seeing you to-night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am really very sorry we detained you," replied Lord Hadley; "but we -have had two adventures, or rather, one impediment and one adventure. -First, at Dorchester, we found all the post-horses gone to some -review, or races, or archery-meeting, or one of those many tiresome -things, I don't well know what, which take post-horses away from the -places where they ought to be; and then, not far from this place, we -found a young lady who had contrived to get herself nearly crushed to -death under a wall, which had fallen, and carried a whole bank of -earth along with it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Instant exclamations of surprise and interest followed; and the young -nobleman, who did not dislike attracting a little attention, proceeded -with his tale. After describing the spot where they discovered the -poor girl, he proceeded, in a frank, dashing way, to say, "She owes -her life, in truth, to my friend Dudley; for I, with my usual -thoughtlessness, was going to draw her from under the rubbish that had -fallen upon her as fast as I could; but he stopped me, showing me that -if I attempted it, I should bring down the whole of the rest of the -stones; and then he set to work, as if he had been bred an engineer, -and secured her against any fresh accident in the first place. She was -not so much hurt as might have been expected, though, I am sorry to -say, her poor little arm was broken."</p> - -<p class="normal">On the old gentleman the tale had produced little impression; in Eda -Brandon it had excited feelings of compassion and interest; but it had -affected young Edgar Adelon very much more perceptibly. Luckily, no -one was looking at him; and he had not voice to attract any attention -towards himself by asking even a single question, though there was one -he would have given worlds to put.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what did you do with her?" demanded Eda Brandon, eagerly. "You -should have brought her on here, if the place was not far distant; we -could easily have sent for a surgeon, and we would have taken good -care of her."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We knew neither the way nor the distance, Miss Brandon," said Mr. -Dudley; "but we did what was probably the best under any -circumstances. We took her to her father's house, and Lord Hadley -kindly sent on one of the post-boys to seek for some one to set her -arm."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is doubtless Helen Clive he speaks of," said a voice just behind -Mr. Dudley; so peculiar in its tones, so low, so distinct, so silvery, -that no one who heard it once could ever forget it.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley turned quickly round, and beheld a middle-aged man, dressed in -a long, straight-cut black coat, with a black handkerchief round his -neck, and no shirt-collar apparent. His beard was closely shaved, and -looked blue through the pale skin. His eyes were fine, the brow large -and fully developed, but the mouth small and pinched, as if that -feature, which, together with the eyebrow, is more treacherous in its -expression of the passions than any other, was under strong and -habitual command. He stooped a little from the shoulders, either from -weakness or custom, and indeed he seemed by no means a strong man in -frame; but yet there was something firm and resolute in his aspect; a -look of conscious power, as if he had been seldom frustrated in life. -The gray eyebrow, too, hanging over the dark eye, and seeming to veil -its fire, gave an expression of inquiring perspicacity to the whole -face, which impressed one more with the idea of intelligence than of -sincerity. No one had seen or heard him enter, except, indeed, Sir -Arthur Adelon, whose face was towards the door, but yet he had been -standing close to the rest of the party for two or three minutes -before attention was attracted to himself by the words he uttered.</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Hadley turned, as well as his tutor, and looked at the new-comer -with some curiosity. "Yes," he replied, "her name was Clive, and I -think the old gentleman called her Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"If her name was Clive," rejoined the man whom he had addressed, "it -was assuredly Helen Clive; for there is but one Mr. Clive in this -neighbourhood, and he has but one child."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Really, sir, I am delighted to find you know so much about him," said -Lord Hadley; "for both he and his daughter, to tell you the truth, -have excited in me a good deal of interest and curiosity."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why?" was the stranger's brief question; and it was put in a somewhat -dry and unpleasant tone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! simply because we found that she had been out upon the high road -at nine o'clock at night, sitting under an uncemented stone wall, -watching for something or somebody," was the first part of Lord -Hadley's reply, for he thought the stranger's tone rather impertinent. -"So much for my curiosity," he continued. "Then, as for my interest: -in the first place, my dear sir, she was exceedingly pretty; in the -next place, wonderfully ladylike, considering the circumstances in -which we found her; then, she had broken her arm, which, though -perhaps not as poetical as some other accidents, was enough to create -some sympathy, surely; and moreover, Dudley found her father sitting -upon the top of the cliff, looking over the sea, with a cocked pistol -in his hand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As to her beauty," replied the stranger, "with that I have nothing to -do. The interest you feel is undoubtedly worthy and well-deserved; and -as to the wonder, sir, you may depend upon it, that whatever Helen -Clive was doing, she had good reason for doing, and motives which, if -she chose to explain them, would quiet your surprise very speedily."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Dudley, who had taken no part in the conversation, smiled slightly -to hear a perfect stranger to Lord Hadley assume at once that tone of -calm superiority which he knew was likely to be most impressive with -his pupil.</p> - -<p class="normal">The young nobleman was about to reply, however, when Sir Arthur Adelon -interposed, saying, "My lord, I should have introduced to you before -now our friend, the Reverend Mr. Filmer--Mr. Filmer, Lord Hadley." The -young lord bowed, and the other gentleman advanced a step, when, as he -passed, Mr. Dudley perceived that a small spot, about the size of a -crown piece, on the top of his head, was shaved, and recognising at -once the Roman Catholic priest, he gained with rapid combination some -insight into several things which had before been obscure.</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest's manner softened. In a few moments he, with Lord Hadley -and their host, were in full conversation. With timid hesitation young -Edgar Adelon drew near and joined them; and Dudley, approaching the -table near which Miss Brandon was still standing, spoke a few words -with her in perhaps a lower tone than is quite customary on ordinary -occasions. They neither of them knew that they were speaking low; but -the emotions of the heart have immense mastery over the tones of the -voice; and though the words that they uttered were little more than -commonplace sentences of surprise and pleasure at their unexpected -meeting, of question and explanation of what had occurred to each -since they had last seen each other, they were certainly both a good -deal moved by the unspoken eloquence of the heart. In a short time, -just as Lord Hadley was about to retire to his room to put his dress -in order, supper was announced, and postponing his toilet, he offered -his arm to Miss Brandon, and led her into the adjacent room. Sir -Arthur Adelon and Mr. Dudley followed, and the priest lingered for a -moment or two behind, speaking to the baronet's son, and then entered -the supper-room with a quick step. He then blessed the meal with every -appearance of devotion; and Dudley's eye, which was marking much, -perceived that Sir Arthur and his son made the sign of the cross, but -that Eda Brandon forbore; and he was glad to see it.</p> - -<p class="normal">The meal became very cheerful: as it went on, the first strangeness of -new arrival wore off with the two guests. Jest and gaiety succeeded to -more serious discourse, and topic after topic was brought forward and -cast away again with that easy lightness which gives a great charm to -conversation. The master of the house was somewhat stiff and stately, -it is true; but the three young men did not suffer his dignified air -to chill them. The priest was a man of great and very various -information, had seen, studied, and penetrated not only all the -ordinary aspects of society, but the hearts and spirits of thousands -of individuals. There was not a subject that he could not talk upon, -whether gay or grave; from the green-room of the theatre or -opera-house, to the cabinets of statesmen and the saloons of monarchs. -His conversation was graceful, easy, flowing, and becoming; and -although there was a point of sarcastic wit in it which gave it, in -the opinion of Dudley, almost too great a piquancy, yet when that -gentleman recollected what had been said, he could not find one word -that was unfitted to the character of a well-bred man and a priest. It -was all so quietly done too: the stinging gibe, the light and flashing -jest, that the young tutor sometimes thought the whole must have -received point and peculiar application from the manner; but yet he -could not recollect emphasis laid upon any word; and he carried away -from that table, when he retired to rest at night, much matter for -thought upon all that he had seen, and many a deep feeling re-awakened -in his heart, which he had hoped and trusted had been laid asleep by -the power of reason, and the struggle of a strong mind against a warm -and enthusiastic heart.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The wind had blown away the clouds which lay so heavy on the sky -the night before. The morning rose bright and sparkling, with a -brisk gale stirring the air, and a clear, fresh, frosty look over -the whole earth. At an early hour--for matutinal habits had become -inveterate--Mr. Dudley rose, and going to the window, gazed out upon a -scene of which he had been able to discover little at the dark hour -of his arrival.</p> - -<p class="normal">I will not pause to describe all that he beheld, for the public taste -is as capricious in matters of composition as in regard to mere dress; -and the detailed description of scenery, the pictures with the pen, -which please much at one time, weary at another. It is a railroad age, -too: all the world is anxious to get on, and we hurry past -remorselessly all the finer traits of mind and character which were -objects of thought and study to our ancestors, just as the traveller, -in the long screaming, groaning, smoking train, is hurried past those -sweet and beautiful spots in which the contemplative man of former -days was accustomed to pause and ponder.</p> - -<p class="normal">On one small portion of the landscape, however, I must dwell, for I -shall have to speak of it presently, and must recur to it more than -once hereafter. The house was situated in an extensive park; and a -long avenue of beech trees, not perfectly straight, but sweeping with -a graceful curve over the undulations of the ground, led down to the -park gates and to the lodge. At a short distance from that lodge, a -little thicket of wood joined on to the avenue, and ran along in -irregular masses till it reached the park wall: and these objects, the -avenue, the wavy green slopes of the park, the thicket beyond, and the -top of the park wall, were those upon which Mr. Dudley's eye first -rested. Beyond the limits of the park, again, in the same direction, -he caught a glimpse of a varied country, apparently tolerably fertile -and well-cultivated, close to the park, but growing rapidly wilder and -more rude, as it extended into some high and towering downs, which -Dudley conceived to be those he had traversed the night before.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the reader well knows, some kinds of beech tree retain their leaves -longer than almost any other tree or shrub, except the tribe of -evergreens; and even through frost, and wind, and rain, they hang -yellow upon the wintry boughs, till the coming of the new green buds, -like ambitious children, forces their predecessors down to the earth. -The avenue was thus thickly covered, so that any one might have walked -there long unseen from most parts of the house or park. But when Lord -Hadley, on his way back to London from the Continent, had accepted a -kind, though not altogether disinterested invitation to Brandon--for -so the place was called--he had merely mentioned that his tutor was -with him, and to the tutor had been assigned a room considerably -higher in the house than the apartments of more lordly guests. Dudley -did not feel at all displeased that it should be so; and now as he -looked forth, he had a bird's-eye view, as it were, of the avenue, and -a fine prospect over the distant country. Thus he was well contented; -and as he had been informed that the family did not meet at breakfast -till half-past nine, and it was then little more than six, he -determined to dress himself at once, and roam for an hour or two -through the park, and perhaps extend his excursion somewhat beyond its -walls.</p> - -<p class="normal">One of the first operations in a man's toilet--I say it for the -benefit of ladies, who cannot be supposed to know the mysteries -thereof--is to shave himself; and an exceedingly disagreeable -operation it is. I know not by what barbarous crotchet it has happened -that men have tried to render their faces effeminate, by taking off an -ornament and a distinction with which nature decorated them; but so it -is, that men every morning doom themselves to a quarter of an hour's -torture, for the express purpose of making their chins look smug, -and as unlike the grown man of God's creation as possible. Dudley's -beard was thick and black, and required a good deal of shaving. He -therefore opened a very handsome dressing-case--it was one which had -been a gift to him in his days of prosperity; and taking out a -small finely-polished mirror, he fastened it--for the sake of -more light than he could obtain at the looking-glass on the -toilet-table--against the left-hand window of the room; then with a -little Naples soap, brought by himself from the city of the syren, a -soft badger's-hair brush and cold water--for he did not choose to ring -the servants up at that early hour of the morning--he set to work upon -as handsome a face as probably had ever been seen. The brush and the -soap both being good, he produced a strong lather, notwithstanding the -cold water; and turning to put down the brush and take up the razor, -which he had laid down on a little table in the window, his eyes -naturally fell upon that part of the park grounds beneath him, where -the avenue terminated close to the house. As they did so, they rested -upon a human figure passing rapidly from the mansion to the shade of -the beech trees; and Dudley instantly recognised Edgar Adelon, the son -of his host. There was nothing very extraordinary in the sight; but -Dudley was a meditative man by habit, and while he reaped the sturdy -harvest of his chin, he went on thinking of Edgar Adelon, his -appearance, his character, his conversation; and then his mind turned -from the youth to another subject, near which it had been fluttering a -great deal both that morning and the night before, and settled upon -Eda Brandon. Whatever was the course of his meditations, it produced a -sigh, which is sometimes like a barrier across a dangerous road, -giving warning not to proceed any further in that direction.</p> - -<p class="normal">He then gazed out of the window again, and following with his eyes the -course of the avenue, he once more caught sight of the young -gentleman, he had just seen, hurrying on as fast as he could go. He -had no gun with him, no dogs; and a slight degree of curiosity was -excited in the tutor's mind, which he would have laughed at had it -been anything but very slight. Shortly after, he lost sight of the -figure, which, as it seemed to him, entered the thicket on the right -hand of the avenue; and Dudley thought to himself, "Poor youth! he -seemed, last night, though brilliant and imaginative enough at times, -sadly absent, and even sad at others. He is gone, perhaps, to meditate -over his love; ay, he knows not how many more pangs may be in store -for him, or what may be the dark turn of fate near at hand. I was once -as prosperous and as fair-fortuned as himself, and now--"</p> - -<p class="normal">He would not go on, for it was a part of his philosophy--and it was a -high-minded one--never to repine. As he passed to and fro, however, in -the room, he looked from time to time out of the window again; and -just as he was putting on his coat, he suddenly saw a figure emerge -from the thicket where it approached closest to the park wall, beheld -it climb easily over the boundary, as if by a stile or ladder, and -disappear. At that distance, he could not distinguish whether the -person he saw was Edgar Adelon or not; but he thought the whole -man[oe]uvre strange, and was meditating over it, with his face turned -to the window, when he heard a knock at his door, and saying, "Come -in," was visited by the Reverend Mr. Filmer.</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest advanced with a calm, gentlemanly smile and quiet step, -saying, "I heard you moving in your room, Mr. Dudley, which adjoins -mine, and came in to wish you good morning, and to say that if I can -be of any service in pointing out to you the objects of interest in -this neighbourhood, of which there are several, I shall be most happy. -Also in my room I have a very good, though not very extensive, -collection of books, some of great rarity; and though I suppose we are -priests of different churches, you are too much a man of the world, I -am sure, to suffer that circumstance to cause any estrangement between -us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It could cause none, my dear sir," replied Dudley, "even if your -supposition were correct; but I am not an ecclesiastic, and I can -assure you I view your church with anything but feelings of bigotry; -and, indeed, regret much that the somewhat too strict definitions of -the Council of Trent have placed a barrier between the two churches -which cannot be overleaped."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Strict definitions are very bad things," said the priest; "they are -even contrary to the order of nature. In it there are no harsh lines -of division, but every class of beings in existence, all objects, all -tones, glide gradually into each other, softened off, as if to show us -that there is no harshness in God's own works. It is man makes -divisions, and bars himself out from his fellow men."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley did not dislike the illustration of his new acquaintance's -views; but he remarked that he did not touch upon any definite point, -but kept to generals; and having no inclination himself for religious -discussions, he thanked Mr. Filmer again for his kindness, and asked -him if there were any objects of particular interest within the limits -of a walk before breakfast.</p> - -<p class="normal">"One which for me has much interest," replied the priest: "the ruins -of a priory, and of the church once attached to it, which lie just -beyond the park walls. I am ready to be your conductor this moment, if -you please."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley expressed his willingness to go; Mr. Filmer got his hat, and in -a few minutes they issued forth into the fresh air.</p> - -<p class="normal">Taking their way to the right, they left the avenue of trees upon the -other hand; and, by a well-worn path over the grassy slopes of the -park, they soon reached the wall, over which they passed by a stone -style, and then descended a few hundred yards into a little wooded -dell, with a very bright but narrow stream running through it. A -well-trimmed path, through the copse brought them, at the end of five -minutes more to an open space bosomed in the wood, where stood the -ruin. It was a fine specimen, though much decayed, of that style of -architecture which is called Norman; a number of round arches, and -deep, exquisitely chiselled mouldings, were still in good -preservation; and pausing from time to time to look and admire, Dudley -was led on by his companion to what had been the principal door of the -church, the tympanum over which was quite perfect. It was highly -enriched with rude figures; and the tutor gazed at it for some time in -silence, trying to make out what the different personages represented -could be about. Mr. Filmer suffered him, with a slight smile, to -contemplate it uninterruptedly for some time; but at length he said, -"It is a very curious piece of sculpture that. If you remark, on the -right-hand side there is represented a hunt, with the deer flying -before the hounds, and a number of armed men on horseback following. -Then in the next compartment you see dogs and men again, and a man -lying transfixed by a javelin."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But the third is quite a different subject," said Dudley: "a woman, -seemingly singing and playing on a harp, with a number of cherubim -round her, and an angel holding a phial; and the fourth compartment is -different also, showing two principal figures embracing in the midst -of several others, apparently mere spectators."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is, nevertheless, all one story," said the priest; "and is, in -fact, the history of the foundation of this church and priory, though -connected with a curious legend attached to three families in this -neighbourhood, of each of which you know something. I will tell it to -you as we return; but first let us go round to the other side, where -there is a fragment of a very beautiful window."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley was not content without exploring the whole of the ruin; but -when that was done they turned back towards the park again, and Mr. -Filmer began his tale:--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nearly where the existing house stands," he said, "stood formerly -Brandon Castle, the lord of which, it would appear, was a rash, -impetuous man, given much to those rude sports which, in the intervals -of war, were the chief occupations of our old nobility. In the -neighbourhood there was a family of knightly rank, of the name of -Clive, the head of which, in the wars of Stephen and Matilda, had -saved the life of the neighbouring baron, and became his dearest, -though comparatively humble friend. The lord of Brandon, though not -altogether what may be called an irreligious man, was notorious for -scoffing at the church and somewhat maltreating ecclesiastics. He had -conceived a passion for a lady named Eda Adelon, the heiress of some -large estates at the distance of about thirty miles from this place, -and had obtained a promise of her hand; but upon one occasion, he gave -her so great offence in regard to an abbey which she had aided -principally in founding, that she refused to ratify the engagement, -and entered into the sisterhood herself, telling him that the time -would come when he, too, would found monasteries, and perhaps have -recourse to her prayers. Five or six years passed afterwards, and the -baron himself, always irascible and vehement, became more so from the -disappointment he had undergone. The only person who seemed to have -any power over him, and that was the power which a gentle mind -sometimes exercises upon a violent one, was his companion, the young -Sir William Clive. Hunting was, as I have said, his favourite -amusement; and on one occasion he had pursued a stag for miles through -the country, always baffled by the swiftness and cunning of the beast. -He had thrown a number of javelins at it, always believing he was sure -of his mark; but still the beast reappeared unwounded, till at length -it took its way down the very glen where Brandon Priory stands, and -then entered the thicket, just as the baron was close upon its track. -Fearing to lose it again, he threw another spear with angry vehemence, -exclaiming, with a fearful oath, 'I will kill something this time!' A -faint cry immediately followed, and the next instant Sir William Clive -staggered forth from the wood, transfixed by his friend's javelin, and -fell, to all appearance dying, at the feet of the baron's horse. You -have now the explanation of the first two compartments; I will proceed -to give you that of the two others. The great lord was half frantic at -the deed that he had done; the wounded man was taken up and carried to -the castle; skilful leeches were sent for, but employed their art in -vain; the young knight lay speechless, senseless, with no sign of life -but an occasional deep-drawn breath and a slight fluttering of the -heart. At length one of the chirurgeons, who was an ecclesiastic, -ventured to say, 'I know no one who can save him, if it be not the -Abbess Eda.' Now, Eda Adelon had by this time acquired the reputation -of the highest sanctity, and she was even reported to have worked -miracles in the cure of the sick and the infirm. Filled with anguish -for his friend, and remorse for what he had done, the baron instantly -mounted his horse, and rode, without drawing a rein, to the abbey, -where he was admitted to the presence of the abbess, and casting -himself upon his knees before her, told the tale of his misadventure. -'Kneel to God, and not to me, Lord Brandon,' said the abbess; 'humble -your heart, and pray to the Almighty. Perchance he will have -compassion on you.'</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Pray for me,' said the baron; 'and if your prayers are successful, -Eda, I vow by Our Lady and all the saints, to lead a new and altered -life for the future, and to found a priory where my poor friend fell, -and there twelve holy men shall day and night say masses in -commemoration of the mercy shown to me.'</p> - -<p class="normal">"'I will pray for you,' replied the abbess; 'wait here awhile; -perchance I may return with good tidings.'</p> - -<p class="normal">"While left alone the baron heard a strain of the most beautiful and -solemn music, and the exquisite voice of the Abbess Eda singing an -anthem; and at the end of about an hour she returned to him, carrying -a phial of precious medicine, which she directed him to give to his -friend as soon as he reached his castle. The legend goes that the -phial had been brought down to her by an angel, in answer to her -prayers; but certain it is, the moment the medicine was administered -to the wounded man his recovery commenced, and he was soon quite -restored to health. The baron did not forget his vow, but built the -priory where you have seen the ruins; and in commemoration of the -event caused the tympanum you have examined to be chiselled by a -skilful mason. We find, moreover, that he bestowed the hand of his -only sister upon the young Sir William Clive; and the malicious folks -of the day did not scruple to affirm that the young lady had been -walking in the wood with the gallant knight at the very moment when he -received the wound."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest ended with a quiet smile, and Dudley replied with that sort -of interest which an imaginative man always takes in a legend of this -kind, "I do not wonder that where there are such tales connected with -a family, it clings to the old faith with which they are bound up, in -spite of all the changes that go on around."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Alas! in this instance, my dear sir," replied the priest, "such has -not been the case. The Adelons and the Clives, it is true, have -remained attached to the church; the Brandons have long abandoned her. -Even this fair girl, Sir Arthur's niece, has been brought up in your -religion;" he paused a moment, and then added, with a sigh, "and -continues in it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley could not say that he was sorry to hear it; but he was spared -the necessity of making any reply by the approach of another person, -in whom he instantly recognised the father of the girl whom he had -aided to rescue from extreme peril the evening before. "Ah! Mr. -Clive," he said, as the other drew near, "I am very happy to see you; -I should have come down during the morning to inquire after your -daughter. I trust that she has not suffered much, and that you got a -surgeon speedily."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In about two hours, my lord," said Clive; "country doctors are not -always readily to be found; but the delay did no harm; the broken arm -was set easily enough, and my poor girl is none the worse for what has -happened, except inasmuch as she will have to go one-handed about the -world for the next month or so."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have mistaken me for the gentleman who was with me, Mr. Clive," -said Dudley; "he was Lord Hadley; I am a very humble individual, -having neither rank nor honours."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The nobility of the heart, sir, and the honours which are given -unasked to a high mind," replied Clive. "I know not why, but both my -daughter and myself fancied that you were the nobleman, and the other -was a friend."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The very reverse," answered Dudley; "he is the nobleman, I am merely -his tutor."</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man mused for a minute or two very profoundly, and said at -length, "Well, I suppose it is all just and right in the sight of the -great Distributor of all gifts and honours; but I beg your pardon, -sir, for giving you a title that is not your due, which I know is a -greater offence when it is too high than when it is too low. Against -the one offence man is sheltered by his pride; to the other he is laid -open by his vanity. Mr. Filmer, I should like to speak a word with -you, if possible."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly," said the priest, "certainly; if you will walk on, Mr. -Dudley, for a very short way, I will talk to Mr. Clive, and overtake -you immediately. I beg pardon for our scanty expedition; after -breakfast, or in the evening, we will take a longer ramble."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley bowed and walked on, with very little expectation, to say the -truth, of being rejoined by the priest before he reached the house; -but he miscalculated, for five minutes had hardly passed when, with -his peculiarly quiet step, rapid but silent, Mr. Filmer rejoined him. -Dudley had clearly comprehended from the first that Mr. Filmer was a -man likely to be deeply acquainted with the affairs of all the Roman -Catholic families in the neighbourhood. There is one great -inconvenience attending the profession of the Roman Catholic faith, in -a country where the great bulk of the population is opposed to it. The -nearest priest must be the depositary of the secrets of all; and it -must depend upon the honesty with which they are kept, whether the -private affairs of every family are, or are not, bruited about through -the whole adjacent country. In lands where the population is -principally papistical, such is not the case; for the numbers of the -priesthood divide the secrets of the population, and it rarely happens -that one man has enough to make it worth his while to talk of the -concerns of the families with which he is connected, even were not his -lips closed upon the weightier matters by the injunctions of the -church. Dudley was somewhat curious to have an explanation of the -circumstances in which he had found both Clive and his daughter on the -preceding evening; but a feeling of delicacy made him forbear from -putting any question to Mr. Filmer upon the subject, and as they -walked on to the house he merely remarked, "I suppose this gentleman -whom we have lately seen is a descendant of the person mentioned in -your legend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"From father to son direct," replied the priest. "It is but little -known how much noble blood there is to be found amongst what is called -the yeomanry of England. If the old Norman race were still considered -worthy of respect, many a proud peer would stand unbonneted before the -farmer. But Mr. Clive cultivates his own land, as was done in days of -yore."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I should almost have imagined," said Dudley, with a laugh, "from the -spot and manner in which I found him last night, that he added other -occupations, probably, if less noble, not less ancient."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer turned and gazed at him with a look of some surprise, but -he made no reply; and as they were by this time near the house the -conversation dropped entirely.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER V.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">With a quick step Edgar Adelon pursued his way along the avenue, -through the thicket, by the paths which he knew well, and over the -wall of the park by the stones built into it to form a stile; but it -was the eager beating of his heart which made his breath come fast and -thick, and not the rapidity with which his young limbs moved. He knew -not that he was observed by any one; and with that intensity of -feeling which few are capable of, and which, perhaps, few for their -own happiness should desire, his whole mind and thoughts were filled -with one subject, so that he could give no heed to anything that -passed around him. He walked on down a very narrow, shady lane, which -led by a much shorter way than had been taken by the carriage of Lord -Hadley the night before, to the house of Mr. Clive, and was entering a -meadow upon the side of the hill, without observing that any one was -near, when suddenly a voice called him by name, and turning he beheld -the tall old man himself, and instantly advanced towards him and -grasped his hand eagerly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How is Helen?" he said--"how is Miss Clive? Lord Hadley and Mr. -Dudley told us of the accident last night, and I have been in a fever -to hear more of her ever since. They said she was not much hurt; I -hope it is so, but I must go down and see her."</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man had gazed at him while he spoke with a fixed, steadfast -look, full of interest, but in some degree sad. "She is not much hurt, -Edgar," he answered; "her arm is broken, but that will soon be well. -Otherwise she is uninjured. But, my dear boy, what are you doing? This -cannot go on. You may go down to-day and see her, for you would not -pain her, or injure her, I know; but you must tell your father that -you have been. That I insist upon, or I do not let you go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will, I will!" answered Edgar Adelon; "surely that will satisfy -you. Injure her! I would not for the world; no, not for anything on -earth."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, if your father knows it, Edgar, I have nought to say," rejoined -the old man; "and I will trust to your word that you do tell him. That -which he does with his eyes open is his fault, not ours. All I say is, -I will have no deceit."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will hear from himself that I have told him," replied the young -man, with a glowing cheek; "but mark me, Clive, I do not always say -when I go to your house any more than when I go to other places. If -the occasion requires it I speak; but if not, I am silent."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive again looked at him steadfastly, as if he were about to add -something more in a grave tone; but then suddenly laying his hand upon -his shoulder he gave him a friendly shake, saying, "Well, boy, well!" -and turned away and left him.</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar Adelon pursued his course with a well-pleased smile and a light -step. His conversation with Clive was a relief to him; it was -something which he had long seen must come, which he had dreaded, and -it was now over. Five minutes brought him in sight of the house -towards which his steps were bent; and he paused for a moment, with -joyful beating of the heart, to look at it, as it stood rising out of -its trees upon the opposite side of the dell, as if it were perched -upon the top of a high cliff overhanging the valley; though, in truth, -beneath the covering of the wood was stretched a soft and easy -descent, with manifold walks and paths leading to the margin of the -little stream.</p> - -<p class="normal">It is no unpleasant thing to pause and gaze into the sparkling wine of -the cup of joy before we quaff it: and such was the act of Edgar -Adelon at that moment, although his whole heart was full of those -tremulous emotions which are only combined with the intense and -thirsty expectation of youth. Then with a wild bound he darted down -the road, crossed the little bridge, and ran up the opposite slope. He -entered the yard of the building at once, and no dogs barked at him. A -small terrier came and wagged his tail, and the great mastiff crept -slowly out of his kennel, and stretched himself in the morning -sunshine. Edgar Adelon must have been often there before. He walked -into the house, too, without ceremony, and his question to the first -woman-servant he met was, "Where is Helen?" but he corrected it -instantly into "Where is Miss Clive?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The woman smiled archly, and told him where she was; and a moment -after, Edgar was seated beside her on a sofa in the little -drawing-room which I have described. I do not know that it would be -altogether fair or just to detail all that passed between them; but -certainly Edgar's arm stole round the beautiful girl's waist, and he -gazed into her dark eyes and saw the light of love in them. He made -her tell him all that happened, that is to say, all that she chose to -tell; for she refused to say how or why she was out watching upon the -road at a late hour of the evening. He was of a trustful heart, -however; and when she first answered, with a gay look, "I went to meet -a lover, to be sure, Edgar," he only laughed and kissed her cheek, -saying, "You cannot make me jealous, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is, I suppose, because you do not love me sufficiently," said -Helen Clive.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, love," he replied, "it is because I esteem you too much." And -then he went on to make her tell him when the surgeon had arrived, and -whether the setting of her arm had pained her much, and whether she -was quite, quite sure that she was not otherwise hurt.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My foot a little," replied his fair companion; "it is somewhat -swelled; don't you see, Edgar?" And he knelt down to look, and kissed -it with as much devotion as ever a pilgrim of his own faith kissed the -slipper of the pope.</p> - -<p class="normal">Then came the account of her deliverance from the perilous situation -in which she had been found. "Do you know," she said, "if I had not -been a great deal frightened and a little hurt, I could have laughed -as I lay; for it was more ridiculous than anything else, to feel one's -self half buried in that way, and not able to move in the least. -Luckily it was the earth fell upon me first, and then the stones upon -that, so that I could only move my arms; and when I tried to do that, -it instantly set some of the stones rolling again, by which my poor -arm was broken; so then I lay quite still, thinking some one must come -by, sooner or later, till I heard a carriage coming up the hill, and -saw by the light of the lamps two gentlemen walking fast before it. I -called to them as loud as I could, and they both ran up. The one was -kind enough, and was going to pull me out at once; but if he had done -so, most likely he and I and his companion would have been all killed, -or very much hurt. The other, however, stopped him, and kindly and -wisely and gently, secured all the fragments of the wall that were -still hanging over, so that he could get me out without danger; and -then he lifted off the stones one by one, and he, and the servants, -and the other gentleman removed the weight of the earth and lifted me -up; and all the time he spoke so kindly to me, and comforted and -cheered me, so that I shall always feel grateful to him till the last -day of my life."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And so shall I, my sweet Helen," said Edgar Adelon, eagerly; "but -which was it, the dark one or the fair one?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! the dark one," replied Helen Clive; "the tallest of the two. I -think the post-boy told my father that it was Lord Hadley."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no," said her lover; "the fair one is Lord Hadley, the dark one -is Mr. Dudley, his tutor, and I am glad of it; first, because I like -him best, and secondly, because I am more likely with him to have an -opportunity of showing my gratitude for what he has done for you, dear -girl. If ever I have, I shall not forget it, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You must not, and you will not, I am sure, Edgar," answered Helen -Clive. "I think that men's characters and nature are often shown more -by the manner in which they do a thing, than by the act itself; and -though I felt grateful enough for deliverance, yet I will confess I -felt more grateful still for the kind and gentle way in which he spoke -to me, asked if I were much hurt, told me not to be frightened, that -they would soon release me; and still, while he used the very best -means of extricating me, kept talking cheerfully to me all the time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"God bless him!" said Edgar Adelon; "I shall love that man, I am -sure."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then, too," continued Helen, "when they had put me in the carriage, -and we had gone about half a mile over the down, I asked them to stop -and let one of their servants go and tell my father what had happened -to me; and the young light-haired one called to a servant he named -'Müller,' to go; but the other said, 'No, no! I will go myself. The -man might only frighten your father;' and he opened the carriage door -and jumped out, as if he had a real pleasure in doing all he could do -for a poor girl whom he had never seen before, and a man whom he had -never seen at all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is the true spirit of a gentleman," said Edgar; "a better -coronet, my Helen, than gilded leaves and crimson velvet can make. But -now tell me more about yourself. When does the surgeon say your arm -will be well, and when can you come out again to take a morning's -walk?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can walk quite well," answered Helen Clive; "my foot and ancle are -a little bruised, but that is all. As for my arm, it may be six weeks, -or two months, Mr. Sukely says, before I can use it; so no more -playing on the guitar, Edgar, for a long time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, we must have patience," answered Edgar Adelon. "It is pleasant, -my Helen, to hear you make sweet music, as the poet calls it, and -warble like a bird in spring; but yet I do not know that the best -harmony to my ear is not to hear the spoken words of that dear tongue -in the tones of love and confidence. But come, we will have our -morning walk; the brightest hour of all my day is that between seven -and eight."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will get my bonnet on and come," answered Helen; and she left the -room for the purpose she mentioned.</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar, in the meanwhile left alone, gazed for a moment or two at the -pages of the book she had been reading, and was writing a lover's -comment in the margin, when one of the doors of the room opened, and -he started up, thinking that Helen had returned prepared. He was -surprised, however, to see a tall, powerful, broad-shouldered man of -about forty, well dressed, and having the appearance of a gentleman. -His face, however, though intelligent, was not altogether pleasant in -expression; the head was round, the forehead square-cut and massive, -the jaw-bone large and angular, the eyes gray, but sharp and flashing, -the eyebrows bushy and overhanging, and the grayish red hair cut -short, and standing stiff and bristly, while enormous whiskers of the -same hue almost concealed each cheek. The young gentleman, it is true, -got but an imperfect view of him, for the intruder withdrew as soon as -he saw that there was any one in the room, and closed the door. Edgar -felt somewhat surprised and curious, for he had never before seen any -one in Mr. Clive's house at that hour of the morning but himself, his -servants and labouring men, and Helen; and with the rapid divination -of thought, he at once connected the appearance of this stranger with -the events of the night before. He had not much time for reflection -before Helen Clive returned; but then he instantly told her what had -occurred, and inquired who the visitor was.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ask no questions, Edgar," replied Helen, "or put them to my father; -but at all events, do not mention to any one else, I beseech you, that -you have seen such a person here."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar mused, and walked out with her, perhaps in a more meditative -mood than he had ever experienced in the society of Helen Clive -before. It soon passed away, however; and they wandered on, side by -side as usual, in conversation too deeply interesting to them to be -very interesting to a reader of a work like this. But all bright -things will come to an end, and that sweet hour, which perhaps they -too often indulged in, terminated all too soon; and the impassioned -boy took his way back to Brandon full of wild and glittering visions -of love and happiness. He had somewhat outstayed his time; and when he -reached the house, he found the whole party sitting down to breakfast.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, why, where have you been, Edgar?" asked Sir Arthur; "you have -been an early wanderer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! I often am," answered Edgar; but remembering his promise to Mr. -Clive, he added, "I have been down to Knight's-hyde Grange, to see -poor Helen Clive after the accident of last night."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon seemed neither surprised nor displeased. "How is -she?" he inquired. "Not much hurt, I hope?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not much," replied Edgar, encouraged by his father's manner; "the -dear girl's arm is broken, and her foot a little bruised, but that is -all." His cheek flushed a little as he ended, for he saw not only the -deep blue eyes of his beautiful cousin fixed upon him, but those of -the priest also.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur took no notice, however, but merely said, "Did you see Mr. -Clive, also?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, I met him," replied the young man; "he was coming up this way."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must see him to-day, myself," said the baronet; "and I suppose, in -gallantry, I ought to go down and ask after your fair playfellow, too, -Edgar;" and turning towards Lord Hadley, he added, "they were children -together, and many a wild race have they had in the park, when my poor -brother-in-law Brandon was alive. Clive and he were related; for there -is no better blood in the country than that which flows in the veins -of this same farmer-looking man whom you met last night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let us all go down and visit them, my dear uncle," said Eda Brandon. -"I have not seen Helen for a long time."</p> - -<p class="normal">The party was agreed upon, and the breakfast proceeded; but to one at -least there present, the cheerful morning meal seemed not a pleasant -one. Mr. Dudley ate little, and said less; and yet there seemed to be -no great cause for the sort of gloom that hung upon him. Everybody -treated him with the utmost courtesy and kindness; he was seated next -to Sir Arthur Adelon, between him and Mr. Filmer. Lord Hadley, in big -good-humoured way, never seemed to look upon him as the tutor, but -called him on more than one occasion, 'My friend Dudley;' and there -was a warmth, mingled with reverence, in the manner of young Edgar -Adelon, when he spoke to him, which must have been gratifying.</p> - -<p class="normal">Could the cause of the sort of melancholy which affected him, be the -fact that Lord Hadley was seated next to Eda Brandon, and that his -eyes and his manner told he thought her very beautiful?</p> - -<p class="normal">However that might be, as soon as breakfast was over, and the party -rose, Dudley retired at once to his room, and when he had closed the -door, he stood for a moment with his hands clasped together, gazing on -the floor. "This is worse than vain," he said at length; "this is -folly; this is madness. Would to God I had not come hither; but I must -crush it out, and suffer myself to be no longer the victim of -visionary hopes, which have no foundation to rest upon, and feelings -which can never be gratified, and which it is madness to indulge." He -sat himself down to read, but his mind had lost its usual power, and -he could not bend his thoughts to the task. Perhaps three quarters of -an hour had passed, when some one knocked at his door, and Edgar -Adelon came in.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are all ready to go, Mr. Dudley," he said. "Will you not come -with us?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think not," replied Dudley; "I am not in a very cheerful mood. This -day is an anniversary of great misfortunes, Mr. Adelon, and it is not -fair to cloud other people's cheerfulness with my grave face."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! cast away sad thoughts," said Edgar; "if they are of the past, -they are but shadows; if they are of the future, they are morning -clouds."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Clouds that may be full of storms," replied Dudley, sadly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who can tell?" cried the young man, enthusiastically; "and if they -be, how often do the rain-drops of adversity water the field, and -advance the harvest of great future success. I have read it, I have -heard of it, I am sure that it is true. Come, Mr. Dudley, come; for -the man who gives himself up to sorrow makes a league with a fiend -when there is an angel waiting for him. Hope is energy, energy is -life, life is happiness if it is rightly used. We wound the bosom of -the earth to produce fruits and flowers, and heaven sometimes furrows -the heart with griefs to produce a rich crop of joys hereafter."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley grasped his hand warmly. "Thanks, thanks, my young friend," he -said; "I will come. I certainly did not think to receive such bright -lessons, and such wise ones, from one so young."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The philosophy of youth," answered Edgar, with a laugh, "is, I -believe, the best, for it is of God's implanting. It is an instinct to -be happy; and where is the reason that is equal to instinct?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nowhere," answered Dudley, taking his hat, with a smile; "and I will -follow mine."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">I will beg leave with the reader to precede the party which was just -setting out from Brandon, and to give one more scene at the house of -Mr. Clive, which took place shortly before their arrival.</p> - -<p class="normal">About a quarter of an hour after Edgar had turned his steps homeward, -Mr. Clive entered the room where Helen was sitting, and placed himself -in a chair opposite to her. But upon Helen's part there was nothing -like a bashful consciousness; she had been accustomed to her lover's -coming and going for years; their mutual affection had sprung up so -gradually, or rather had developed itself so easily, that she could -hardly mark the time when they had not loved; there had been none of -those sudden changes which startle timid passion, and neither her -father nor Sir Arthur Adelon had ever shown any of that apprehension, -in regard to their frequent meeting, which might have created anxiety, -if not fear, in her own breast. She therefore looked up frankly in her -father's face, and said, "Edgar has been here, my dear father, and -unfortunately Mr. Norries opened the door and came in while he was in -the room; but I am sure there is no cause for apprehension, for I -begged Edgar not to speak of it to any one, and he gave me his word -that he would not."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Clive cast down his eyes, and thought for several minutes without -reply. But he then murmured some words, more to himself than to his -daughter, saying:--"That is bad; that is unfortunate: not that I doubt -Edgar, my Helen; but I must speak with Norries about it; for he is -somewhat rash, and he may show himself to others not so much to be -trusted. That I do trust Edgar you may well judge, my dear child, -otherwise he would not be so often here."</p> - -<p class="normal">He spoke, gazing at his daughter with a look of some anxiety, and with -the white eyebrows drawn far over the eyes. "I know not that I am -right, my Helen," he added; "I almost begin to fear not. I feel I -should only be doing right if I were to bid this youth make his visits -fewer and shorter; and yet I would not pain him for a great deal, for -he is kind, and good, and honest; but it must come to that in the end, -Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! no, my father, no," cried Helen Clive, imploringly. "Why should -you do that?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Listen to me, Helen," said her father; "you have not thought of these -things fully. He loves you, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know it," cried Helen Clive, with the ingenuous blood mounting into -her cheek; "I know it, and I love him; but why should that prevent him -from coming? Why should that deprive us of the very happiness which -such love gives?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because it cannot be happy, my Helen," answered her father; "because -he is a gentleman of high degree, and you the daughter of no better -than a yeoman."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My father," said Helen, rising, and laying the hand that was -uninjured on her father's arm, "have I not heard you say that the -blood of the yeoman Clive is as pure as that of the noble house of -Adelon, and perhaps of older strain? Is not the land you cultivate -your own, as much or more than his that he farms to others? There is -not that difference between us that should be reasonably any bar; but -even suppose it were so, what could you seek by separating us?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your own happiness, my child," answered Clive, gravely.</p> - -<p class="normal">"By making us both miserable some years, months, or weeks, before we -otherwise might be so," rejoined Helen, eagerly; "that is all that can -be done now. We love as much as we can love, and so long as we are -doing nought that is wrong, violating no duty to you, nor to his -father, surely we may enjoy the little portion of happiness that is -sure, and leave to the future and God's good will the rest."</p> - -<p class="normal">She spoke eagerly, and with her colour heightened, her eye full of -light, and her beautiful lips quivering in their vehemence; and Clive -could not help feeling a portion of a father's pride rise up and take -part with her. He could not but say to himself, as he gazed at her in -her beauty, "She is worthy to be the bride of the greatest lord in all -the land."--"Well, Helen, well," he said, using an expression which -was habitual to him, "I must trust you both; but remember, my child, -in making over to you the care of your own happiness, I put mine under -your guardianship also, for mine is wrapped up in yours. But hark! -there is Norries pacing to and fro above. I must go and speak with -him. That wild spirit will not brook its den much longer." And walking -to the door, he mounted the stairs to the room which was just over -that where he had been sitting.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! you are come back at last, Clive," said the strong, hard-featured -man whom I have before described. "Well, what have you heard? Were all -those movements that alarmed you so much last night but mere idle -rumour?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Clive; "but I find you were not the object. A party of -smugglers was taken farther down the coast, and the intimation which -the officer so mysteriously hinted to me they had received, referred -to that affair."</p> - -<p class="normal">"To be sure," replied his companion; "they all think me in the United -States. No one but yourself has ever known that I was in France the -while."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can't help thinking, my good friend," replied Clive, "that it might -have been better for you to have stayed there. You know you are in -jeopardy here, and may be recognised at any moment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well, Clive!" answered his companion, "I will not jeopardise -you long; it is my intention to go on this very night, so do not be -alarmed. I thank you much for what you have done, which is as much or -more than I could expect, and am only sorry that poor Helen has been -injured in my cause."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive looked at him steadfastly for a moment or two, with his usual -calm, steady, grave expression of countenance, and then replied, with -a faint smile, "It is curious, Norries, how, whenever men are blamed -by their best friends for a foolish action when it is committed, or -warned against a rash action which they are determined to commit, they -always affect to believe that there is some personal feeling actuating -their counsellor, and persuade themselves that his advice is not good, -not by trying it on the principles of reason, but by their own -prejudices. I have no personal fears in the matter; I anticipate no -danger to myself or to my family; neither should you think so. Last -night I was ready to have shed my blood to insure your safety, which I -certainly should not have been likely to do if I were a man full of -the cold calculations you suppose----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well, well, Clive!" said Norries, interrupting him, "I was -wrong, I was wrong: think of it no more; but one meets so much cold -calculation in this life, that one's heart gets chilled to one's best -friends. My coming might, indeed, as you say, be what the world would -call rash; but every attempt must be estimated by its object, and till -you know mine, do not judge me hastily. Where I was wrong, was in not -giving you sufficient intimation of my intention, that you might have -prepared and let me know when I could land without risk; but the man I -sent over to you was delayed one whole day for a passage, and that day -made a great difference."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It did," answered Clive; "for I had barely time to send my own two -men away to a distance, and get others, in whom I could better trust, -to help me. I had no means either of giving you warning that there was -a great movement at Barhampton, and that the officers were evidently -on the look-out for some one on the coast. You only said that you -would land in the cove between nine and ten, and that I must show a -light due east of the cove mouth to guide you, as there was no moon. I -had nothing for it, therefore, but to make ready against attack, in -order that you might get back to the boat if you were the person these -men were looking for. But now, Norries, I am very anxious to hear what -is your object, for it should be a great one to induce you to -undertake such a risk."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a great one," answered Norries, with his gray eyes flashing -under his contracted brow: "no less than the salvation of my country, -Clive. In that last affair, the rash fools of the manufacturing -districts hurried on, against all persuasion, before matters were half -ripe, with the light spirit of the old Gauls: firm in the onset, -daunted by the first cheek, and tame and crouching in defeat. Had they -behaved like men, I would have remained with them to the last, to -perish or to suffer; but there was no shame in abandoning men who -abandoned their own cause at the very first frown of fortune. Now -there is a brighter prospect before me and before England. There are -sterner, calmer, more determined spirits, ready and willing to dig a -mine beneath the gaudy fabric of corruption and tyranny, which has -been built up by knavish statesmen in this land, and to spring the -mine when it is dug. The boasted constitution of England, which -protects and nurses a race of privileged tyrants, and refuses -justice--ay, and almost food--to the great mass of the people, is like -one of the feudal castles of the old barons of the land, built high -and strong, to protect them in their aggressions upon their -neighbours, and in their despotic rule over their serfs. But there -have been times in this and other lands when the serfs, driven to -madness by unendurable tyranny, have, with the mattock and the axe of -their daily toil, dug beneath the walls of the stronghold, and cast it -in ruins to the ground. So will we, Clive; so will we!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive crossed his arms upon his chest, and gazed at him with a -thoughtful and a melancholy look; and when he had done he shook his -head sadly, as if his mind could take no part in the enthusiastic -expectations of his companion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why do you shake your head, Clive?" demanded Norries, impatiently.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because I have lived long enough, my good friend," replied Clive, "to -see some hundreds of these schemes devised, perfected, executed, and -every one has brought ruin upon the authors, and worked no -amelioration in the institutions of the land."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Simply because men are tame under injuries; simply because they -submit to injustice; simply because, out of every ten men in the land, -there is not one who has a just notion of the dignity of man's nature, -or a just appreciation of man's rights," was the eager reply of -Norries. "But their eyes have been opened, Clive; the burden is -becoming intolerable; the very efforts that have been made, and the -struggles that have been frustrated, have taught our fellow countrymen -that there is something to struggle for, some great object for -endeavour. They have asked themselves, what? and we have taught them. -One success, only one great success, and the enormous multitude of -those who are justly discontented with the foul and corrupt system -which has been established, but who have been daunted by repeated -failures, will rise as one man, and claim that which is due to the -whole human race, sweeping away all obstacles with the might and the -majesty of a torrent. You, Clive, you, I am sure, are not insensible -to the wrongs which we all suffer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am neither unaware that there are many evils tolerated by law, nor -many iniquities sanctioned by law," replied Clive, "nor insensible to -the necessity of their removal; but at the same time, I am fully -convinced that there is a way by which they can be removed--and that -the only way in which they ever will be removed--without violence or -bloodshed, or the many horrors and disasters which must always -accompany anything like popular insurrection. When the people of -England think fit to make their voice heard--I mean the great mass of -the people--that voice is strong enough to sweep away, slowly but -surely, every one of the wrongs of which we have cause to complain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how can it make itself heard, that voice of the people of -England?" demanded Norries; "where can it make itself heard? The -people of England--the many, the multitude, the strength of the land, -the labouring poor--have no voice in the senate, at the bar, on the -bench. The church of the majority is the rich man's church, the law of -the land is the rich man's law, the parliament of the country is the -rich man's parliament. But it is vain talking with you of such things -now; but come and hear us for one single night--hear our arguments, -hear our resolutions, and you will not hesitate to join us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," replied Clive, in a firm tone, "I will not, Norries; I would -rather trust myself to calm deliberate thought than to exciting -oratory or smooth persuasions. In fact, Norries, as you well know, and -as I have known long, I am of too eager and impetuous a nature, too -easily moved, to place myself willingly in temptation. When I argue -tranquilly with myself, I am master of myself; but when I go and -listen to others, the strong passions of my young nature rise up. I -keep myself free from all brawls; I enter into disputes with no man, -for in my past life the blow of anger has too frequently preceded the -word of remonstrance, and I have more than once felt occasion to be -ashamed of myself as an impetuous fool, even where I have not had to -reproach myself as an unjust aggressor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have had enough to bear, Clive," replied Norries; "as I know from -my poor lost Mary, your dear sister--'the oppressor's wrong, the proud -man's contumely, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient -merit of the unworthy takes.' With the old Saxon blood strong in your -veins, the old Saxon freedom powerful in your heart, have not you and -yours, from generation to generation, been subject to the -predominating influence of the Norman usurpers, and are you not still -under their sway? But hark! there are people at the door, and many of -them. Perhaps they have come to seek me."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive strode hastily to the window, and looked out, but then turned -round, saying, "No, it is the people from Brandon House--Sir Arthur -Adelon and all the rest--come down, I dare say, to inquire after -Helen, for they are very fond of her, as well they may be."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Arthur Adelon!" repeated Norries, with a slight smile, "that is -well; let me look at him;" and he too approached the window. "He is -much changed," he continued, as he gazed out, "and perhaps as much -changed in mind as in person--but yet I must have him with us, Clive. -He must give us his support, for it is necessary to have some gilding -and some tinsel even on the flag of liberty."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive laughed aloud. "You mistake, you mistake, Norries," he said; "if -you calculate thus rashly, your schemes are vain indeed. Sir Arthur -Adelon is a mere man of the world; kind and good-humoured enough, but -with no energy or resolution such as are absolutely necessary in those -who join in great undertakings."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is you who mistake, Clive," replied Norries; "you see but the -exterior. Underneath it there are strong things mingled with weak -ones--passions powerful enough and persevering; and you shall see that -man, with his high station, wealth, and name, shall go with me in that -which I undertake, and shall prove a shelter and defence in case of -need, should anything discover a portion of our schemes before they -are matured. I must see him this very day before I go to Barhampton, -for thither I shall certainly proceed to-night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Norries, well, you know best," answered Clive, with a faint -smile; "when I see these wonders, I may have more confidence. Till -then, I tell you fairly, all your plans seem to me to be rashness -approaching to madness. I must go down and receive them, however, for -I hear they have come in. Shall I tell Sir Arthur that you wish to see -him, Norries?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered the other, thoughtfully; "I will take my own -opportunity." And Clive departed, leaving him alone.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">I know no more delightful sensation upon earth, than when a being whom -we love, acting beneath our eyes, but unconscious that we are -watching, fulfils to the utmost the bright expectations that we have -formed; while in the deed, and the tone, and the manner we see the -confirmation of all that we had supposed, or dreamed, or divined of -excellence in heart and mind. Charles Dudley loved Eda Brandon, and -all she did or said was of course a matter of deep interest to him; -and although I will not say he watched, yet he observed her conduct -during the morning of which I have been writing, and especially during -their visit to the Grange, as Mr. Clive's house was called. He thought -it was perfect; and so perhaps it was, as nearly as anything of the -earth can be perfect; and perhaps, although there was no great event -to call strong feelings into action, although there was nothing which -would seem to an ordinary eye a trial of character or demeanour, yet -there was much which, to a very keen and sensitive mind, showed great -qualities by small traits. Helen Clive was in an inferior position of -life to Eda Brandon. It may be said that the difference was very -slight: that her father cultivated his own land; that she had -evidently received the education and possessed the manners of a lady; -but yet the very slightness of the difference might make the demeanour -of the one towards the other more difficult--not, perhaps, to be what -the world would call very proper, but to be perfect. It might be too -cold, it might be too familiar; for there is sometimes such a thing as -familiarity which has its rise in pride, and the object of it is more -likely to feel hurt by it than even by distance of manner. But there -was nothing of the kind in the conduct of Eda Brandon. She treated -Helen in every respect as an equal: one with whom she had been long on -terms of intimate affection, and who required no new proof that she -saw no difference between the position of Mr. Clive's daughter and -that of the heiress of Brandon and all its wealth. There was no -haughtiness; there was no appearance of condescension: the haughtiest -mark of pride. It was easy, kind, unaffected, but quiet and ladylike; -and although Helen herself felt a little nervous, not at the station, -but at the number of the guests who poured in, Eda's manner soon put -her completely at ease, and the only thing which seemed at all to -discompose her, was a certain sort of familiar gallantry in the -manners of Lord Hadley, which even pained another present more than -herself.</p> - -<p class="normal">But it is with Eda and Dudley that I wish particularly to deal just -now; and one thing I may remark as seemingly strange, but not really -so. It was with delight, as I have said, that Dudley observed the -demeanour of Eda Brandon towards Helen Clive; but a saddening -sensation of despondency mingled with the pleasure, and rendered it -something more than melancholy. It was like that of a dying parent -witnessing the success and growing greatness of a beloved child, and -knowing that his own eyes must soon close upon the loved one's career -of glory. He said to himself, "She never can be mine: long years of -labour and toil, struggles with a hard and difficult profession, and -fortunate chances with many long lapses between, could alone put me in -a position to seek her love or ask her hand; and in the mean time her -fate must be decided."</p> - -<p class="normal">As they had walked down from the house, Lord Hadley had been -continually by her side. He had evidently been much struck and -captivated. A vague hint had been thrown out that a union between -himself and the heiress of Brandon had been contemplated by kind and -judicious friends; and a meaning smile which had crossed the lip of -young Edgar Adelon, when he saw Lord Hadley bending down and saying -something apparently very tender in his cousin's ear, had sent a pang -through the heart of Dudley, which his young companion would not have -inflicted for worlds had he known the circumstances. Again and again -Dudley repeated to himself, "It is impossible. How can I--why should I -entertain any expectation? The warrior goes into the strife armed; the -racer is trained and prepared for the course: I have no weapons for -the struggle, no preparation for the race, although the prize is all -that is desirable in life. I will yield this all-vain contention; I -will withdraw from a scene where everything which takes place must -give me pain. It is easily done. The term of my engagement with Lord -Hadley is nearly at an end; and I can easily plead business of -importance for leaving him here, now that our tour is finished, and -once more betaking myself to my books, wait in patience till the time -comes for that active life in the hard world of realities, which will, -I trust, engross every feeling, and occupy every thought."</p> - -<p class="normal">Such were his reflections and resolutions as the party, after taking -leave of Helen and Mr. Clive, walked out of the door of the Grange to -return to Brandon House. I often think that all reflections are vain, -and all resolutions worse than vain. The first are but as the games of -childhood--the construction of gay fabrics out of materials which have -no solidity; the second are but shuttlecocks between the battledoors -of circumstances. So, at least, Charles Dudley found them both.</p> - -<p class="normal">It is necessary, however, before I proceed farther, to say something -of the exact position of the parties as they quitted the house. Eda -and her uncle went first; Dudley followed half a step farther back; -and Lord Hadley and Edgar came next. As Dudley was walking on, with -his eyes bent on the ground, he heard the voice of Sir Arthur's son -exclaim, "Eda, Eda, we are going down by the stream, Lord Hadley and -I, to see the ruins of the priory. Let us all go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, dear Edgar," answered Miss Brandon, "I can't indulge your -wandering propensities to-day. I shall be tired by the time I get -home, and have got a letter to write."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can't go either, Edgar," said his father; "for I have a good deal -of business to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Mr. Dudley, at all events you will come," said Edgar Adelon; -but Mr. Dudley replied by informing him that he had passed some time -at the priory already that morning.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, come along, Lord Hadley, then," said Edgar, in a gay tone; "I -never saw such uninteresting people in my life, and you shall have the -treat and the benefit of my conversation all to yourself. I will tell -you the legend, too, and show you what a set of people these Brandons -have been from generation to generation."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Hadley did not decline, and they walked away together down the -course of the stream, whilst Sir Arthur and his niece, accompanied by -Dudley, pursued their course towards Brandon. They were about halfway -between the Grange and the gates of the park, when a quick but heavy -step was heard behind them, and Dudley, turning his head, saw a stout -farm-servant following, somewhat out of breath. The man walked -straight up to Sir Arthur Adelon, and presented a note, saying, "I was -to give you that directly, your honour."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur took the note, and looked at the address without any -apparent emotion; but when he opened it, his aspect changed -considerably, and he stopped, saying, in a hesitating manner, "I must -go back--I must go back."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! it is but a short distance," said Eda; "we can return with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, my dear, no," answered her uncle, with what seemed a good deal of -embarrassment in his air; "you had better go on to Brandon. Mr. Dudley -will, I am sure, escort you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly," replied Dudley, gravely; and Sir Arthur adding, "I may -not, perhaps, be back to luncheon, Eda, but do not wait for me," -turned, and with a quick step hurried along the road towards Mr. -Clive's house.</p> - -<p class="normal">It seemed as if everything had combined to leave Charles Dudley and -Eda Brandon alone together. If he had laboured a couple of years for -such a consummation it would not have occurred. He did not offer Eda -his arm, however; and although his heart was beating very fast with -feelings that longed for utterance, he walked on for at least a -hundred and fifty yards, without a word being spoken on either side. -Ladies, however, feel the awkwardness of silence more than men; and -Eda, though she was shaking very unaccountably, said at length, "I am -afraid, Mr. Dudley, that what you find here is not so beautiful and -interesting as the scenes you have lately come from. You used, I -remember, to be a very enthusiastic admirer of the beauties of -nature."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley raised his fine eyes to her face, and gazed at her for a moment -with melancholy gravity. "All I admired then," he said at length, "I -admire now. All I loved then, dear Miss Brandon, I love now. It is -circumstances which have changed, not I."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not know that circumstances had changed," said Eda, in a low -and sweet tone, as if she really felt sympathy with him for the grief -his manner implied. "I had heard that a sad, a terrible change of -circumstances had occurred some time before; but I was not at all -aware that any new cause of grief or disappointment had been added."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley again thought before he answered; but it was not the thought of -calculation, or if it was, it was but the calculation of how he should -answer calmly; how he should speak the true feelings of his heart with -moderation and gentleness: not at all a calculation of whether it were -better to speak those feelings or not.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are right, Miss Brandon," he said, "the change of circumstances -had taken place before; but all things have their consequences; and -the results of those material alterations in fortune and station -which had befallen me, were still to be made manifest to, and worked -out by, myself. When first we met, you were very young--not sixteen, I -think--and I was not old. Everything was in the spring-day with me. It -was all full of promise. I had in those days two fortunes: worldly -wealth, and even a greater store of happy hopes and expectations--the -bright and luxuriant patrimony of inexperienced youth. From time to -time we saw each other; till, when last we met, prosperity had been -taken from me, the treasure of earthly riches was gone, and though not -actually beggared, I and my poor father were in a state of absolute -poverty. Still the other fortune, that rich estate of youthful hope -and inexperienced expectation, though somewhat diminished, was not -altogether gone. I fancied that, in the eyes of the noble and the -good, wealth would make no difference. I had never found it make any -difference to me in my estimation of others. I imagined that those -qualities which some had esteemed and liked in me, would still at -least retain my friends. I never for an instant dreamed that it could -or ought to have an influence on the adamant of love. I had almost -said and done rash things in those days; but you went away out of -London, and I soon began to perceive that I had bitterly deceived -myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You never perceived any difference in me," cried Eda, her voice -trembling with emotions which carried away all discretion. "You do not -mean to say, Mr. Dudley, that you saw, or that you thought you saw, -such base weakness in my nature as would render of the slightest value -in my eyes a change of fortune in those I--I----" And extending her -left hand, as if to cast the idea from her, she turned away, and shook -her head sorrowfully, with her eyes full of tears.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, Miss Brandon!" answered Dudley; "no, no, Eda! I said not so. -It was the world taught me the world's views. Nay, more, I laid the -blame of misunderstanding those views upon myself, not others. I saw -some reason even in those views which debarred me from happiness; I -felt the due value of station and fortune when I had lost them, which -I never felt while they were my own. But listen to me still with -patience for one moment. Expectation was not yet fully tamed. I said -to myself, I will make myself a station, I will regain the fortune -which has been lost; and then, perhaps, love may re-illumine the torch -of hope at its own flame, and all be light once more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Love!" murmured Eda, in a low tone, as he paused for an instant; but -Dudley went on:--</p> - -<p class="normal">"The hardest lesson of all was still to learn: how slow, how -hopelessly slow, is man's progress up the steep hill which leads to -fame and emolument in this world: how vain is the effort to start into -eminence at once! I had to learn all that consuming thought, and -bitter care, and deep disappointment, and hopeless love, and the -anguish of regret, can do to wear the strongest frame, and wring the -firmest heart, and quell the brightest expectations, and batten down -the springs of life and hope beneath the heavy load of circumstances."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! Dudley, Dudley," cried Eda, "why, why should you yield to such -dark impressions?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Eda," said Dudley, "would you have had me hope?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, yes," she answered, with her cheek glowing and her eyes full of -tears, as they passed the park gates and entered the avenue. "Hope -ever! ever hope! and let not adverse circumstances crush a noble -spirit and a generous heart. See, there is Mr. Filmer coming down -towards us; I must wipe these foolish tears from my eyes. But let me -add one warning. I have said a generous heart, because, indeed, I -believe yours to be so; but yet, Dudley, it was hardly generous enough -when you imagined that those whom you judged worthy of love and esteem -could suffer one consideration of altered fortunes to make even the -slightest change in their regard or in their conduct. You should never -have fancied it, and must never, never fancy it again. I can hardly -imagine," she said, turning, and looking at him with a bright smile, -as she uttered words of reproach which she knew were not quite -justified, thus qualifying with that gay look the bitter portion of -her speech: "I can hardly imagine that you know what true love is, or -you would be well aware that it is, indeed, as you said yourself, a -thing of adamant: unchangeable and everlasting. On it no calumny can -rest, no falsehood make impression; the storms and tempests of the -world, the labour of those who would injure or defame, the sharp -chisel of sarcasm, the grinding power of argument and opposition, can -have no effect. Such is strong, true love. It must be love founded on -esteem and confidence, but then, believe me, it is immoveable. If ever -you love, remember this."</p> - -<p class="normal">"If ever I love, Eda?" answered Dudley, gazing at her; "you know too -well that I do love; that I have loved for years."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I once thought so," replied Eda, in a low tone; "but hush! Dudley, -hush! let us compose ourselves: he is coming near."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He does not see us," said Dudley; "his eyes are bent upon the ground. -Can we not avoid him by turning through the trees?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no," answered Miss Brandon; "he sees everything. Never suppose at -any time that because his eyes are bent down they are unused. He is -all sight, and never to be trusted. Is my cheek flushed? I am sure it -ought to be," she added, as her mind reverted to the words she had -spoken: "I am sure it ought to be, for I feel it burn."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A little," replied Dudley, gazing at her with a look of grateful -love; "but he will not remark it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes, he will," answered Eda, giving a timid glance towards -Dudley's face, and then drawing down her veil. "Yours is quite pale."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is with intense emotions," replied Dudley; "emotions of gratitude -and love."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hush! hush!" she said; "no more on that score; we shall be able to -talk more hereafter. What a beautiful day it has been after such a -stormy night. One could almost fancy that it was spring returned, if a -bird would but begin to sing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! no," answered Dudley, somewhat sorrowfully; "though there be -browns in both, the colours of the autumn are very different from -those of the spring; the hues of nascent hope are in the one, of -withering decay in the other; and though the skies of autumn may be -glorious, they are the skies of spring which are sweet."</p> - -<p class="normal">They were now within some twenty or thirty paces of Mr. Filmer, who -was still walking on, calmly and quietly, with his eyes bent upon the -ground, as if absorbed in deep and solemn meditation. The light and -shadow, as he passed the trees, fell strangely upon him, giving a -phantom-like appearance to his tall dark figure and pale face; and -there was a fixed and rigid firmness in his whole countenance which -might have made any casual observer at that moment think him the -veriest ascetic that ever lived.</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda, who knew him well, and had read his character more profoundly -than he imagined, led the way straight up to him, though they had -before been on the other side of the avenue, as if she were determined -that he should not pass without taking notice of them, and when they -were at not more than three yards' distance, he started, saying, "Ah! -my dear young lady, I did not see you. Why, your party has become -small." And his face at once assumed a look of pleasing urbanity, -which rendered the whole expression as different as possible from that -which his countenance had borne before.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Edgar and Lord Hadley," answered Eda, "have gone to see the priory, -and my uncle was coming home with us, when somebody stopped him upon -business and carried him off."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Dudley and I visited the priory this morning," replied Mr. -Filmer; "and he seemed exceedingly pleased with it, I am happy to -say."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I was very much so, indeed," said Dudley. "In truth, my reverend -friend, I feel a great interest in all those remnants of former times, -when everything had a freshness and a vigorous identity which is lost -in the present state of civilisation. I forget who is the author who -compares man in the present polished and artificial days to a worn -shilling which has lost all trace of the original stamp; but it has -often struck me as a very just simile. I like the mark of the die; and -every object which recalls to my mind the lusty, active past, is worth -a thousand modern constructions. Even the university in which I have -been educated I love not so much for its associations with myself as -for its associations with another epoch. There is a cloistral, -secluded calm about some of the colleges, which has an effect almost -melancholy and yet pleasurable."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer replied in an easy strain, as if he had remarked nothing; -but, nevertheless, he had perceived, somehow, without even raising his -eyes, that Eda had dropped the veil over her face as he came near, and -he saw that there were traces of agitation both on her countenance and -on that of Dudley. He remarked, too, that Dudley spoke more and more -eloquently upon many subjects during the rest of the day; that, in -fact, there was a sort of relief apparent in his whole manner, and in -all his words; and he formed a judgment not very far from the truth. -Such a judgment, from indications so slight, is not unusual in men who -have been educated as he had been, to mark the slightest peculiarities -of manner, the slightest changes of demeanour, that occur in their -fellow-men, in order to take advantage of them for their own purposes. -In the present instance he continued quietly his observations, without -letting any one perceive that he was watching at all; but not a word, -nor a look, nor a tone of Eda Brandon and Charles Dudley escaped him -during the day.</p> - -<p class="normal">Turning back with Miss Brandon and her lover towards the house, Mr. -Filmer, or Father Peter, as he was sometimes called by Sir Arthur's -servants, accompanied them to the door, and then proposed that they -should cross the park to a little fountain, covered with its old cross -and stone, which he described as well worthy of Dudley's attention. -Eda confirmed his account of its beauty, but said that she must -herself go in, as she was a good deal fatigued, and had also to write -a letter. She advised Dudley, however, to go and see it; and if the -truth must be told, she was not sorry to avoid the priest's society, -for in his presence she felt a restraint of which she could not divest -herself, even at times when she could detect no watching on the part -of Filmer. She knew that he was observing with the quiet, shrewd eyes -of Rome, and the very feeling embarrassed her.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley had no excuse for staying behind, and he accompanied the priest -on his walk, conversing on indifferent subjects, and not yet fully -aware that every word and even look, was watched by one who let nought -fall to the ground. For nearly a couple of hundred yards the two -gentlemen walked on in silence; but then Mr. Filmer, in pursuit of his -own investigations, observed, in a sort of meditative tone, "What a -sweet, charming girl that is! I think I understood that you had known -her long, Mr. Dudley."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For many years," replied his companion. "When first I knew her she -was quite a girl, I had almost said a child, and very lovely even -then; but I had no idea that she was the niece of Sir Arthur Adelon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Her mother was his sister," replied Mr. Filmer; "and the way in which -she became Sir Arthur's ward was this:--Her father died when she was -quite young, leaving her entirely to the control of her mother, as her -sole guardian and his executrix. She was a very amiable woman, Mrs. -Brandon, though, unfortunately, her husband had converted her to your -church. I believe she was very sorry for her apostacy before her -death, and, at all events, she left Miss Brandon to the guardianship -of her brother, Sir Arthur, with the entire management of her -property."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Till she comes of age, I suppose?" Dudley replied, as the other made -a short pause.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes; but before that time she will be probably married," answered the -priest.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To Lord Hadley, perhaps you think?" rejoined Dudley, with very -different feelings from those with which he would have pronounced such -words some two or three hours before.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no!" answered Mr. Filmer, calmly; "I do not think that Sir Arthur -would ever consent to her marriage with a Protestant. I know that he -would sooner see her bestow her hand upon the humblest Catholic -gentleman in England."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley was somewhat puzzled. If the assertion of the priest could be -relied upon, why had Sir Arthur Adelon so ostentatiously asked Lord -Hadley there. The priest said it in a natural, easy tone; but Dudley -felt that in some degree he had himself been trying to extract -information from Mr. Filmer, and that the attempt was somewhat -dangerous with a Roman Catholic priest. He did not feel quite sure, -indeed, that he had not betrayed a part of his own secrets while -endeavouring to gain intelligence of the views of others. "I should -have thought that the feelings of Sir Arthur Adelon were more liberal, -especially as he has always yourself beside him," said Dudley, with a -slight inclination of the head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You do me more than justice, my young friend," replied Mr. Filmer; -"it is very natural in these times, when there is a persecuting and -oppressive spirit abroad, that we should wish to see an heiress of -great wealth, and whose husband must possess great influence, bestow -her hand upon a person of our own religious creed. I may say this can -be felt without the slightest degree of bigotry, or any view of -proselytism. I have none, I can assure you; and indeed you may judge -that it is so when you know that one of my best friends and most -constant companions is the clergyman of the little church the spire of -which you see rising up there just above the hill. My feeling is that -there is not sufficient difference between the two churches--although -yours, I feel, is in some points a little heretical--to cause any -disunion between honest and well-meaning men; and moreover, though -anxious myself to see others adopt what I conceive to be just views, -yet I confess the object of their conversion does not appear to me so -great a one as to hazard the slightest chance of dissension in order -to obtain it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Those are very liberal opinions, indeed," said Dudley; "and though I -know that a good many of the laymen of the church of Rome entertain -them, I was not aware that they are common amongst the clergy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"More common than you imagine, my young friend," answered the priest; -"in fact the heads of the church, itself are not so intolerant as you -suppose. Rules have been fixed, undoubtedly; definitions have been -given; but it is always in the power of the church to relax its own -regulations; and when sincere and devout Christianity, a feeling of -that which is orthodox, and a veneration for those traditions which, -descending from generation to generation through the mouths of saints -and martyrs, may be considered as pure and uncorrupt as the Scriptures -themselves, are perceived in any one, the church is always willing to -render his return to her bosom easy and practicable, by relinquishing -all those formal points of discipline which may be obnoxious to his -prejudices, and by relaxing the severity of those expositions, the -cutting clearness of which is repugnant to a yet unconfirmed mind."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley paused in great surprise, asking himself, "What is his object?" -This is a question which is rarely put by any man to his own heart -without some strong doubt of the sincerity of the person he has been -conversing with.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is his object?" thought Dudley. "Does he really hope to convert -me by the mingled charms of his own eloquence, and the fascination of -my dear Eda's fortune?" He resolved, however, not to display his real -opinion of the arguments used, but to suffer the worthy priest to -pursue his own course and expose his own purposes. "He must do it -sooner or later," he said; "and then I shall discover what is the -meaning of this long discourse. In the mean time, he cannot shake -Eda's confidence in me, nor my love for her."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am happy to find," continued Dudley, aloud, "that such very just -and liberal views are entertained; for undoubtedly the definitions of -the Council of Trent have been one of the great stumbling-blocks in -the way of those persons who would willingly have abandoned doctrines -of which they are by no means sure, to embrace others emanating from a -church, the principal boast of which is its invariable consistency -with itself."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest looked at him with a doubtful and hesitating glance. He was -apprehensive, perhaps, of showing too much of the policy of the church -of Rome; and he stopped, as it was his invariable custom to do when -the expression of his opinions might do injury to the cause he -advocated, and no great object was to be obtained. He thought, indeed, -in the present instance, that something more might be ventured; but -yet he judged it more prudent to wait awhile, calculating that if he -managed well, growing passion might do the work of argument; and after -viewing, with Dudley, the little fountain, he turned back to the -house, directing his conversation to subjects of a totally different -character, grave but not ascetic, round which he threw a peculiar and -extraordinary charm. It was very strange the fascination of his manner -and conversation. When first its power was felt by any keen and quick -mind, one strove to grasp and analyze it, to ascertain in what it -consisted; but like those subtle and delicate essences which chemists -sometimes prepare, and which defy analysis, something, and that the -most important, that which gave efficacy and vigour to the whole, -always escaped. The words seemed nothing in themselves: a little -subtle, perhaps, somewhat vague, not quite definite. The manner was -calm and gentle, the look was only at wide distant moments emphatic; -but yet there was a certain spirit in the whole which seemed to glide -into the heart and brain, unnerving and full of languor, disarming -opposition, persuading rather than convincing, wrapping the senses in -pleasing dreams rather than presenting tangible objects for their -exercise. It was like the faint odours of unseen plants, which, -stealing through the night air, visit us with a narcotic rather than a -balmy influence, and lull us to a deadly sleep, without our knowing -whence they come or feeling the effect till it is too late.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon, after leaving Eda and Dudley together, hurried back -as fast as he could go to the house of Mr. Clive, passing by the way -the man who had brought him the note, which he still held clasped -firmly in his hand. He was evidently a good deal agitated when he set -out; the muscles of his face worked, his brow contracted, and muttered -sentences escaped his lips. From this state he seemed to fall into -deep thought. The emotions probably were not less intense, but they -were more profound; and when he came near the house he stopped and -leaned for a moment against the gate, murmuring, "What can it be?" -After a pause of a moment or two he rang the bell, and asked the maid -who appeared, where the gentleman was who had sent him that letter. -The woman seemed somewhat confused, said she did not know anybody had -sent him a letter, but that Mr. Clive was in the drawing-room with his -daughter. Her embarrassment, and that of the baronet, however, were -removed, almost as she spoke the last words, by a voice calling down -the stairs and saying, "Sir Arthur Adelon, will you do me the honour -of walking up hither?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet instantly obeyed the invitation, but it was with a very -pale face, and the next instant he was in the room with Norries. The -latter had withdrawn into the chamber where his conference had taken -place with Clive, and he fixed a steadfast gaze on the baronet as he -entered; then turning towards the door, he closed it and waved his -visitor to a seat, taking one himself at the same time, and still -keeping his bright gray eyes fixed firmly upon the baronet's face. -Hitherto not a word had been spoken, and Norries remained silent for -some instants; but at length he said, "I perceive, both by your coming -and your demeanour, Sir Arthur Adelon, that you have not forgotten -me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no! Mr. Norries," replied the baronet; "I remember you quite -well, and am happy to see you. But is it not somewhat dangerous for -you to visit England just now?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not in the least, I think," said Norries. "I am obliged to you for -your solicitude, Sir Arthur. If it had shown itself materially twelve -months ago, it might have kept me out of York Castle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I really do not see how I could have served you," answered Sir Arthur -Adelon; "indeed, I never knew that you were in York Castle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For three days," replied Norries, laconically. "But this is -irrelevant; let me speak of more important affairs. As your memory is -so good, you have probably not forgotten yet what took place eight and -six years ago, in regard to transactions affecting Charles Dudley, -Esquire, since dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir, well!" cried Sir Arthur, "what of that?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You inquired once," said Norries, "for the correspondence respecting -that affair; I think I could give you some information concerning it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was it not burnt?" exclaimed Sir Arthur. "You told me it was burnt."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pardon me, Sir Arthur," replied Norries; "I never told you any such -thing. My partner did, but he lied in this case as in many others, and -I, who knew little of the transaction at the time, found the papers -after his death, and have them safe in my possession."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was some writing paper lying on the table, clean and unsullied; -but without knowing what he did, Sir Arthur Adelon took it in his -hands, and in two minutes it was twisted into every conceivable shape. -Norries gazed at him with the slightest possible smile; and in the end -he said, "I am afraid, Sir Arthur, that paper will not be very -serviceable; however, we can get more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Paha!" cried Sir Arthur Adelon; "let us think of serious things, Mr. -Norries. Those letters must be destroyed. Do you mean to say they were -all preserved?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Every one," answered Norries; "nay, more. I have spoken of eight and -of six years ago, but amongst the documents there are several of a -much earlier period, which show that the schemes then executed had -been long devising, that the purpose then accomplished had been long -nourished. The motives, too, are very evident from certain passages; -and I now tell you, Sir Arthur Adelon, that if I had been made aware -of the facts--of the whole facts--those schemes would never have been -accomplished, that purpose would have been frustrated."</p> - -<p class="normal">And he gazed sternly at the baronet, setting his teeth hard.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My partner, Mr. Sherborne," continued Norries, after a pause, during -which his companion uttered not a word, but remained with his eyes -bent down, and his teeth gnawing his nether lip; "my partner, Mr. -Sherborne, was a great scoundrel, as you know, Sir Arthur. In fact, -you knew it at the time you employed him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir, I did not," exclaimed Sir Arthur, catching at the last word.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, Sir Arthur, you did," replied Norries, firmly; "or you never -would have employed him in so rascally a business."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He suggested to me everything that was done," replied the baronet, -eagerly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"In consequence of a private conversation, of which he made a note," -rejoined Norries, "and of a letter, still preserved, so confirmatory -of the memorandum, that there can be no doubt of its accuracy."</p> - -<p class="normal">The face of Sir Arthur Adelon flushed. He was a man of one sort of -courage, and he replied, haughtily, "I think you intend to insult me, -sir. Beware what you are doing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am quite aware," answered Norries, slowly inclining his head; -"neither do I intend at all to insult you, Sir Arthur. I speak truth -in plain terms, having learned in sorrow and adversity that such is -the only right course to pursue. In justice and in good faith I ought -to place the whole of those papers in the hands of a gentleman nearly -related to that Mr. Dudley--his son, I mean."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It could do him no good," exclaimed the baronet; "the thing is past -and gone; he ruined and dead; nothing can by any farther means be -recovered. This Mr. Dudley, could not regain a shilling, nor an acre -of his father's property, as you well know."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True," replied Norries; "there are some things in law which have no -remedy, as I do well know; but it is right that the son should learn -who ruined his father, and he should have known long ago, but for one -circumstance which may perhaps operate still farther."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is that?" demanded the baronet, quickly; "I have no objection -whatsoever to give a considerable sum for the possession of those -papers. They can be of no use to any one but myself. Come, let us talk -reasonably, Mr. Norries--let us say a thousand pounds."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Money will not do, here, sir," answered the other, in a contemptuous -tone; "it had its effect upon Mr. Sherborne, who was a rascal; but it -will have no effect upon his partner, who is an honest man."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then what, in heaven's name, do you want?" demanded Sir Arthur -Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To see you act up to your professions, Sir Arthur," replied Norries. -"At the election which began poor Mr. Dudley's ruin, and which I had -some share in conducting on your part, you professed, and I really -believe entertained--for I think that, in that at least, you were -sincere--principles of firm and devoted attachment to the cause of the -people. You declared that if they did but return you to parliament, -you would advocate all measures in favour of their rights and -liberties; you were more than what is called a Radical--you were a -Reformer in the true sense of the word; you gloried in being descended -from the old Saxon race; you pointed out that your name itself was but -a corruption of that of one of our last Saxon princes; and you -promised to do your best to restore to the people that perfect freedom -which is an inalienable inheritance of the Saxon blood. You called -your son Edgar, in memory of Edgar Atheling, and you promised, in my -hearing, to maintain those principles at all times and under all -circumstances, with your voice, with your hand, with your heart's -blood. Now, Sir Arthur, I call upon you to redeem that promise; and if -you do, in the way I shall point out, you shall have those papers. I -have kept them back from the person to whom, perhaps, they ought -justly to have been given, because I would not blacken the name of one -whom I believed to be a true patriot. I found excuses for you in your -own mind to excuse to myself my retention of them. I knew you to be a -man of strong passions under a calm exterior; I knew that strong -passions, whenever they become masters, are sure to become despots; -and I thought that you had acted to the man we have mentioned, under -an influence that was overpowering--the influence of the strongest and -most ungovernable of all the passions: the thirst for revenge."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Revenge!" exclaimed Sir Arthur. "Who told you I was moved by -revenge?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No one told me," answered Norries; "I knew it. I might have read it -in every line of those letters; I might have seen it in every deed you -did; but there was a portion of your previous history, Sir Arthur, -which I knew from my connexion with that part of the country, and -which when once the machinations were exposed to my view, afforded -the key to all. I ask you, Sir Arthur Adelon, whether some six or -seven-and-twenty years ago, Mr. Charles Dudley did not carry off from -your pursuit, the lady on whom you had fixed your heart?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon's usually placid face assumed the expression of a -demon; and no longer averting his eyes from the fixed, stern gaze of -Norries, he stared full in his face in return, and slowly inclined his -head. He said not a word, but that look and that gesture were -sufficient reply. They said, more plainly than any words could have -spoken, "You have divined it all; you have fathomed the dark secret of -my heart to the bottom."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Sir Arthur," continued Norries, with a softened air, "I can -excuse strong passions, for I have them myself, and I know them at -times to be irresistible. In your case, I was sure you had been thus -moved. I looked upon you as a man devoted to the service of your -country; and I thought that, in a case where all other considerations -should give place to the interests of my country, it would be wrong to -damn for ever the name of one who might do her the best and highest of -services. There was but one thing that made me doubt your sincerity."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You should not doubt it," said Sir Arthur; "I am as sincerely devoted -to the service of my country as ever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is your general sincerity to which I allude," said the -plain-spoken Norries; "and the reason why I doubted it is this. When -you had effected your purpose--when you had ruined an honest and good -man, though a Norman and an aristocrat--you did not boldly and -fearlessly leave him to his fate; you afforded him assistance to save -a pitiful remnant of his property, and affected benevolence and -kindness to a man you hated. I understand it all, Sir Arthur; it was -not unnatural, but it was insincere."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We had been upon good terms for many years," replied the baronet, who -had now resumed his usual demeanour.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good terms!" repeated Norries, with a laugh; "well, be it so. You are -now keeping up the appearance of good terms with the government which -you then opposed, and of which you spoke in language certainly -seditious, as it is called, and perhaps treasonable. These things have -created a doubt. That doubt must be removed, not by words and -professions, not by appearances and pretences, but by acts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Speak plainly," said Sir Arthur Adelon. "What is it that you want?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is a meeting to be held at twelve o'clock this night in the -little town of Barhampton," said Norries, "where several gentlemen, -entertaining precisely the same sentiments which you expressed some -eight years ago to the people of Yorkshire, are to take into -consideration what decisive measures can be adopted for obtaining -those objects which you then professed to seek. I require that you -should then join us, and be one of us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Impossible!" cried Sir Arthur Adelon, with a look of consternation -and astonishment. "Would you have me attend a seditious meeting at -midnight with a man who has fled from the course of justice--I, a -magistrate for the county?"</p> - -<p class="normal">A bitter smile came upon the lip of his companion; but he replied -immediately, "Even so! I would, indeed, Sir Arthur. The spirit of -patriotism is not so strong in you, it would seem, as the spirit of -revenge, or you would not hesitate. But thus much, to end all, one way -or the other: you either come, and, if you do come and frankly join -us, without any insincerity, receive the papers I have mentioned; or -you stay away, and Mr. Edward Dudley receives them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is unfair!" exclaimed Sir Arthur Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Unfair!" replied Norries; "how unfair, sir? I acting according to my -conscience, however you may be acting. My only reason for withholding -these letters from the person who would have a right to possess them, -if their suppression were not necessary to the service of my country, -is because I trust that you, whose name and station may be an infinite -advantage as a leader of the people hereafter, will put yourself in -that position in which no want of moral courage, no vacillating -hesitation can be shown, or would be possible. If you refuse to do so, -you will take from me my only motive for not giving them to him who -will know how to use them rightly. You will show yourself as insincere -in your professions of patriotism as you were insincere in your -professions of friendship; and I shall then regard you with contempt, -and treat you without consideration."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a stern and commanding energy in his manner which crushed -down, as it were, in the breast of Sir Arthur Adelon the angry -feelings which his impetuous words aroused. He felt cowed in the -presence of the bold, fearless man who addressed him. He remembered, -in former times, several traits of his decision and unhesitating -vehemence; and he felt sure that he would do as much or more than he -said. At first, indeed, anger was predominant; he gathered himself up, -as it were, for a spring; but his heart failed him, and he said in a -mild tone, "You are too fierce--you are too fierce! Let me consider -for a moment how this can be arranged. I am as willing as any one to -make sacrifices for my country's advantage; but first you take me by -surprise, next you use words and proceed in a manner which are little -likely to induce me to trust to your guidance."</p> - -<p class="normal">He thought he had got an advantage, and he was proceeding, gradually -resuming a tone of dignity, when Norries stopped him, saying, "Sir -Arthur Adelon, there are times and circumstances which of themselves, -and in their own pressing nature, abridge all ceremonies. If your -house were on fire, and you in danger of perishing by the flames, I -should not wait for the punctilios of etiquette, but should wake you -roughly, saying, 'Run, run, save your life and your family!' Sir, I -tell you England is on fire, and the time is come for all men to -choose their part. The days of weak indifference are over. Now is the -time for decision and action; but nevertheless, I will not leave you -any excuse, but humbly entreat you to come to our meeting to-night, -and support with your presence, and your voice, and your influence, -those principles which you have asserted warmly on other occasions."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But it may be very difficult to manage," said Sir Arthur Adelon; "I -have guests in my house, whom I cannot in courtesy leave without some -exceedingly good excuse. I am not accustomed to go out at such hours -of the night, and to do so will certainly appear very suspicious, -especially under existing circumstances."</p> - -<p class="normal">"All that will be easily arranged," answered Norries. "You are a -magistrate, you say, and may consequently be called upon at any hour -on pressing occasions. You do not, of course, communicate to your -family or your guests the exact business which calls you forth, or the -motives for going at one hour rather than another; but should anything -more be wanting to smoothe the way for you, I will presently write you -a note, calling upon you to be at Barhampton to-night at twelve, on -matters of importance. I do not think," he added, with a sneering -smile, "that even your confessor will venture to cross-question a -gentleman of your independence upon a business with which he has -nothing to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly not," replied Sir Arthur Adelon; "and I have no objection -to come; but I cannot bind myself to anything till I hear upon what -measures your friends decide."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nor can I bind myself to anything, then, till I hear upon what you do -decide," rejoined Norries. "The papers are yours whenever you act up -to your professions. I shall ask nothing more, Sir Arthur. I have a -copy of your speech upon an occasion which you well remember; I will -require nothing more of you than to fulfil the pledges therein given, -and the moment you prove you are ready so to act, I resign into your -hands those letters, of which others might not judge so favourably as -I am inclined to judge. Do you promise to come?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do," answered Sir Arthur Adelon, in a firmer tone than he had -hitherto used, but with a certain degree of bitterness too. "Yet, -Norries, there are various other thoughts and considerations of deep -moment, which our conversation of to-day suggests. It revives in me -the memories and feelings of past years. You should have considered -that these matters had passed away from my mind for a long time; that -of the plans, and hopes, and schemes, and passions of those times, -some have been accomplished or gratified, and have been well nigh -forgotten; some, from the utter hopelessness of seeing them -accomplished, have faded away, and become more like a vision than a -reality. What will not a man do when he is eager and excited with the -vehement impulse of fresh feelings and sharp discussions, and the -enthusiasm of those who surround him? But take those accessories away, -and the purposes themselves fall into a sleep from which it requires -some time and preparation to arouse them into active and energetic -being again. You should have considered this, and not pressed me so -eagerly without some preparation."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps I should," replied Norries; "but, Sir Arthur, you have known -me long, and have known me to be a brief and abrupt man. <i> -My</i> -purposes -never sleep; <i> -my</i> -objects never fade: the one engrossing object of my -country's fate and the welfare of my fellow-men is never a passing -vision to my eyes, but a stern reality ever present, so that I am -little able to comprehend the hesitations of other men."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon, while the other spoke, had cast down his eyes -thoughtfully, as if little attending to the words of his companion; -but when he ceased speaking, he said, in an abstracted manner, "This -Dudley, too, he has intruded himself into my family. He is now at -Brandon, as you have doubtless heard. The cold, icy hand seemed to -seize my heart again when I saw him. I felt as if the spawn of the -viper were before me, and as if it were destined that the race were to -survive and poison my peace, even when the reptile that first stung me -was crushed."</p> - -<p class="normal">Norries gazed at him steadfastly, with his brow contracted with a -steady, contemplative, inquiring look; and then he replied, "I do -beseech you, Sir Arthur Adelon, to banish such thoughts, to let the -faults of the dead, if faults there were, rest with the dead. I think -you believe in a God, do you not? Well, sir, there is a God who will -judge him and you. He is gone to receive his judgment; the time will -come, ere long, for you to receive yours. In the mean while, injure -not one who has never injured you, and pursue this fell and heinous -vengeance no further against the son of one whom you once loved----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And of one I always hated," answered the baronet, finishing the -sentence for him. "But do you not know, Norries, that as the sweetest -wine turns soonest to vinegar, so love, wronged and despised, changes -to the bitterest hate; as for the rest, I purpose pursuing no -vengeance against the young man. I wish he would quit my dwelling, for -the very feeling of being obliged to maintain a courteous and soft -demeanour towards him, increases the loathing with which I regard him. -That is all--that is all, I assure you; I would do him no harm--but I -love him not, nevertheless."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can see that, Sir Arthur Adelon," answered his companion; "and I -see, moreover, a dark and sinister fire in your eyes, which I observed -once before, when first in my presence you mentioned the name of Mr. -Dudley to my partner. There were deeds followed that mention, which I -need not call to your mind. I trust there will be none such now--nay, -nor any attempt towards them; if there be, I will prevent it. I am not -so good a lawyer--indeed, I know but little of the trade--I am not so -good a lawyer as Mr. Sherborne, but I am a bolder, more resolute, and -more honest man. However, I shall see you to-night. Is it not so?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly," answered Sir Arthur Adelon; "but you have not yet told -me where I shall find you in Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You had better go to the little inn--the Rose, I think it is called," -replied Norries; "there is but one. There some one shall come to lead -you to us; for we are upon our guard, Sir Arthur, and resolute neither -to be taken unawares, as some men have been, nor to act rashly, and -bring down destruction on our own heads, as those thoughtless, weak, -and poor-spirited men did in Yorkshire."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am very happy to hear it," said the baronet, in a tone of -sincerity. "I will be there somewhat before twelve; till then, -farewell." And shaking Norries by the hand with every sort of apparent -cordiality, he left him, and returned to Brandon. But when he had -re-entered the house, he retired for some time to the library, not to -consider his future conduct, not to review the past. It was, in truth, -that the conversation of that morning had aroused within him feelings -dark, bitter, and deadly, which had slept for years; and he felt he -could not see Mr. Dudley without calming himself, lest sensations -should appear which he wished studiously to conceal from every eye.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">With a quiet, cat-like watchfulness, Mr. Filmer remarked everything -which passed between Eda Brandon and Charles Dudley. It was not words -that he laid in wait for, but looks and gestures, the involuntary as -well as the voluntary, the trifling as well as the important. Nothing -escaped him, not even the accidental trait or the slightest possible -indication of a passing emotion. Not the quick glance of the eye, -withdrawn as soon as given, not the trembling hand nor the quivering -lip, not the irrepressible sigh; not the fit of absence and the sudden -raising of the look to the loved one's face, was unremarked by one who -knew human nature well, and had made a trade of observation. "They -love," was his conclusion, "and they understand each other. That walk -home has concluded what seems to have been begun long ago. Now, then, -what good is to be derived from this affair?"</p> - -<p class="normal">It is a common calculation which he made, but one very apt to mislead. -Men who see others labouring for the gratification of their passions, -are often tempted by the opportunity to endeavour to rule them for -their own purposes, and then, whatever event occurs, they ask, "What -good is to be derived from this affair?" But they often miscalculate, -because they do not ask themselves also, "Is there anything to be made -of it, with honour and honesty?" If they did they might succeed where -they every day fail.</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer, however, had his own particular views, which led him upon -one peculiar course. His very position gave a direction to all his -actions. The Roman priest stands alone amidst the world, separated -from all the dearest ties of our nature by an irremovable barrier. He -may have sympathies, but they are curtailed and restricted; he may -have affections, but they are limited and enthralled. One predominant -object is ever before him: one career is fixed for his efforts. He -stands alone in the world, I repeat, not so much the servant of God as -the servant of a hierarchy, to the interest and advancement of which -all his energies must be devoted, and for whose purposes all his -talents must be employed. As long as he can bring the satisfaction of -affections, and the gratification of any passions, within the circle -to which the whole course of education from his earliest years has -restricted his consciousness of duty, perhaps they may be more -strongly--I had almost said more fiercely--exercised, from the very -fact of their narrow range; but the moment they would go beyond that -limit, the petrifying influence of an engrossing church comes in, and -changes the man into the mere representation of a system.</p> - -<p class="normal">Such was the situation of Mr. Filmer. He was by no means without -passions: fiery, eager, impetuous; but they were subdued to the one -strict rule, and setting out with that mighty conquest, it was in -general more easy for him to subdue the minds of other men also. He -was not without considerable abilities--abilities approaching genius. -He might have been a great man, in short, if he had not been compelled -to be an artful man. But for a priest of that church, in the midst of -an adverse population, it is impossible to be otherwise. It is not a -religion of openness and candour; and its means must be covert, its -course tortuous and indirect. Even in the very case of Mr. Dudley, his -passions were not quiescent; but he was prepared to sacrifice all -personal feeling for the one great object of his existence, and he -watched, as I have said, asking himself, "To what uses the events -taking place could be applied?"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was not, however, Dudley alone whom he watched, nor Dudley and Eda. -Sir Arthur Adelon was also an object of attentive consideration during -the evening. There was something in his manner which showed the keen -eye of the priest that the mind was not at ease: that there was -something working within the baronet's bosom; and he was surprised -that it was not revealed to him at once, for the secret of Sir Arthur -Adelon's thoughts was not often concealed from him. The whole of his -past life had been displayed before Filmer's eyes, and much which had -been taking place had been discussed again and again between them. So -far there was nothing to be concealed; and the priest marvelled that, -if anything had gone wrong in the course of Sir Arthur's morning -expedition, he could sit for several hours without communicating the -fact to him.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur, however, paused and hesitated; not that he feared at all -to recur to the past, but it was his yet unconfirmed purposes for the -future which he hesitated to reveal. He knew that Filmer was a firmer, -more resolute man than himself; he doubted that he would approve any, -even the slightest, concession to fear. That he was politic and -skilful he knew, and that his policy and skill would be exercised in -his patron's behalf he was also fully convinced. But there was a dread -upon him; and he apprehended that the priest would advise measures too -bold for his nerves at that time. If he had been forced into vigorous -defence, Sir Arthur would have sought his advice at once; but there -was a choice of courses before him; he hesitated: hesitation is always -a weakness, and as such is sure to take the weaker course. Twice, -however, during the evening, he caught Filmer's eye resting upon him -with a very inquiring look. He judged that he suspected something, and -therefore he resolved in the end to tell him a part; to show him a -half-confidence; deceiving himself, as all men in such circumstances -do deceive themselves, and believing that he could to a certain extent -deceive Mr. Filmer also, although he had known that clear-sighted and -penetrating man for seven-and-twenty years.</p> - -<p class="normal">The dinner passed most cheerfully with all but Sir Arthur Adelon. Lord -Hadley was in great spirits; and, seated next Eda, he made himself as -agreeable as moderate talents, gentlemanly manners, and no very -decided character would admit. Dudley was calm, by no means so gay as -his young companion; but yet the happiness that was in his heart, like -a lamp within an alabaster urn, spread light and cheerfulness over -all. Mr. Filmer was, as usual, composed and tranquil in his manner; at -times impressive in his language, but often adding to the gaiety of -others by a quiet jest or epigrammatic reply, which derived additional -force from his seeming unconscious of its possessing any. Eda left the -table very soon after the dessert had appeared. There were those -things in her bosom which made her feel happy in the solitude of her -own chamber. Thought, calm, uninterrupted thought, was at that moment -very sweet to her. She loved and was beloved; and she had the grand -satisfaction of feeling that she had it in her power to raise one to -whom her affections had been given for years, who possessed her -highest esteem, and who she knew well deserved high station, from -unmerited misfortunes to the position which he was born to ornament. -It was indeed a blessing, and Eda went and pondered upon it till her -eyes filled with pleasant tears.</p> - -<p class="normal">For about a quarter of an hour after she had gone, Sir Arthur Adelon -continued at the table, passing the wine with somewhat nervous haste, -and keeping up a broken conversation from which his thoughts were -often absent. At length he said, speaking across the table, "Filmer, -my reverend friend, I wish to speak with you for a few minutes: Lord -Hadley, Mr. Dudley, you must not suffer the wine to stand while we are -absent; I shall be back almost immediately." And he led the way out of -the room.</p> - -<p class="normal">Filmer followed him with a quiet smile, saying to himself, as he -walked along towards the library, "What men do timidly they always do -awkwardly; in that they are different from women, in whom timidity is -grace. Adelon has had twenty opportunities of speaking to me, and has -of course chosen the worst."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, Filmer," said the baronet, almost before the door was closed, -"I have something to talk to you about of great importance."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thought so, Sir Arthur," answered Mr. Filmer. "What is it?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why did you think so?" inquired his friend, somewhat surprised, and -somewhat apprehensive.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because it seemed to me that you had been annoyed at something," -replied Filmer. "When you are uneasy, Sir Arthur, it is soon -perceived; too soon, indeed. The young and unobserving may not remark -such things, but one who has been, I trust I may say, your friend for -so many years, can perceive when you are uneasy in a moment; and a -very shrewd judge of men's feelings and actions, which I do not -pretend to be, would, I doubt not, discover the uneasiness, even -without having had the advantage of such long acquaintance."</p> - -<p class="normal">These words, as he intended, added to the embarrassment which Sir -Arthur already felt; but nevertheless he pursued his course, -endeavouring, as far as possible, to conceal that he had any -concealment. "Well, Filmer, well," he said, "men cannot alter their -natures, you know; and the matter is one which might well cause -uneasiness. You recollect that affair of Charles Dudley? You do not at -all doubt that this is his son who is here?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Mr. Filmer, drily; "but we knew that last night. I -certainly did, from the moment I saw the back of his head, and your -face left no doubt that you had made the same discovery."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The very first sight of him," answered Sir Arthur Adelon, bitterly, -"and the feelings which that sight produced, left me no doubt of who -it was that stood before me. But listen a moment, Filmer--listen a -moment. There is much more behind. You remember well that business of -Charles Dudley, I say, of him who was my friend and companion, my -rival and my enemy, and last, my acquaintance----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And your victim," murmured Filmer, in so low a tone that Sir Arthur -Adelon did not remark the words, but added, "and my debtor. You -doubtless also remember the election which we contested, and my -lawyers, Messrs. Sherborne and Norries?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perfectly," answered Filmer; "the one the soul of policy and -intrigue; shrewd, penetrating, subtle, and faithless; the other, the -incarnation of republican energy and determination, rash and -inconsiderate, though full of vigour and ability. He was implicated a -short time ago in the Chartist insurrection, apprehended with his -fellows, if I remember right, and thrust into York jail----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Whence he made his escape in two or three days," rejoined Sir Arthur -Adelon. "It would be a strong prison that would keep him in. However, -Sherborne is dead; Norries alive, well, and in this country."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is no great matter, then," answered Mr. Filmer. "Sherborne was -the dangerous man, and he is gone. All your communications were with -him, my good friend; at least as far I know, and I think I saw every -letter."</p> - -<p class="normal">The words, "I think," were spoken in a somewhat doubtful tone, as if -he did not feel quite sure of the extent of Sir Arthur's confidence; -but the baronet replied, eagerly, "Every one, Filmer; and indeed, as -you well know, many of them were dictated by yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True!" said the priest--"true! I am happy to say they were; I say I -am happy, Sir Arthur, because it was but right that that man should -receive a check. Not contented with marrying a lady of the only true -church, who was promised by her relations to one of their own just and -reasonable belief, he perverted her from the path of truth into that -of error, and in twelve months had filled her mind with all the -foulest doctrines of that heresy in which he had himself been brought -up. It was just and right, Sir Arthur, that he should not be permitted -to go on in such a course, and that he should feel even here the -consequences of those acts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes; but my dear friend," replied Sir Arthur Adelon, "those papers -are of much importance, let me tell you. Both your character and mine -are compromised if they should ever see the light----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you told me they were burned," said Mr. Filmer, with a -countenance less firm and tranquil than usual.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes; so Sherborne assured me most solemnly," replied Sir Arthur -Adelon; "but nevertheless it is not the truth. They are all in the -hands of this Norries, and he is using every possible means to render -them available for his own purposes."</p> - -<p class="normal">This was, as the reader knows, substantially true; for Sir Arthur -Adelon was one of those men who do not like to tell a direct -falsehood, even when it is their intention to deceive; and he intended -his words to convey to the mind of the priest a very different -impression of Norries' intentions, while he could always fall back -upon the precise terms he had employed, and put a larger -interpretation upon them than Mr. Filmer was likely to do at the -moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest mused. "Why what can he do with them?" he demanded, at -length, still in a thoughtful tone. "They can be of little service to -him. The time is long past; the circumstances altogether forgotten. -Charles Dudley, of St. Austin's, is dead----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But his son is living," replied the baronet, quickly, impatient -that his companion did not see the importance of the documents at -once--"his son is living; Norries knows that he is here, and he -threatens to place the whole of the papers in his hands."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That might be unpleasant, certainly," answered Filmer; "although you -had every right to act as you did act, at least such I humbly judge to -be the case; yet one would not like to have all one's private and -confidential communications to a solicitor exposed to the eyes of an -adversary's son."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Like!" exclaimed Sir Arthur, vehemently; "Filmer, you use wonderfully -cold terms to-night! Why, it would be ruin and destruction! Call to -mind, I beg of you, all the particulars of the transaction. Remember -what was done to lead him on from expense to expense in that business. -Remember all which that man Sherborne suggested, and which we -executed. The matter of the petition, too, against his return, and -what was arranged between our people and his own agents, and the -business of the flaw in the title. You must have forgotten, I think."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! no," replied the priest; "I have not forgotten, Sir Arthur, and I -say it would be unpleasant, very unpleasant. What does this person -Norries ask for the papers?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! a great deal," answered Sir Arthur Adelon, still speaking with -that sort of mental reservation which he had learned betimes; "more -than I am inclined to grant: a great deal more; but I shall see him -to-night. I have an appointment with him at Barhampton, and shall -there learn what is the real extent of his demand."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest meditated for several minutes with a grave and somewhat -anxious countenance. "Norries," he said, at length, "was a wild and -somewhat eccentric man, but as far as I could judge, a just and honest -one. His views, too, though somewhat extreme, as his acts were -occasionally ill-timed, were all in a right direction. I am afraid, -Sir Arthur, we have fallen back from the ground we then occupied. The -truth is, my excellent friend, the Church of Rome, as it is called, -the Catholic Church, as it really is, has not that tendency which men -suppose towards the aristocratic distinctions which have risen up in -this land. It might place upon its banner the words 'Civil liberty, -spiritual submission.' It reverences all ancient things: amongst the -rest, ancient blood; but is certainly opposed to an aristocracy -springing from the people, and founded upon wealth; although in itself -it may be termed a spiritual republic, in which every man, according -to his genius and ability, can, with the grace of God, rise to the -very highest of its grades, even to the chair of St. Peter itself. We -have often seen it. But, as is the case in all republics, the utmost -submission is required to the ruling power, although there is always a -corrective for the misuse of power in the synods and councils. It is a -hierarchy, indeed, but a hierarchy open to all men; and as a hierarchy -it is opposed to the domination of all lay powers, which are ever -inclined to resist the milder influence of spiritual powers."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what has all this to do with the question?" exclaimed Sir Arthur -Adelon, not comprehending what the reader has perhaps perceived, that -the priest was carrying on in words one train of reasoning, very -loosely connected with the immediate subject, while in thought he was -revolving more pertinently all the difficult points that were before -him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What I mean to say is this," replied Mr. Filmer. "Men consider it -strange that Roman Catholics should, from time to time, give their -support to movements savouring of republicanism; and that persons -whose views tend to republicanism should often link themselves closely -with Catholics; but as I have shown, the connexion is not at all -unnatural, and the views of this good man Norries might well be, as -they were, supported by ourselves; even were it not perfectly right -and justifiable, in the pursuit of a great and all-important object, -to combine even with men the most opposed to us in the minor points of -politics, when by so doing we see the probability of advancing the -truth."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! would you have me, then, join with him now?" exclaimed Sir -Arthur, in considerable surprise; for the arguments of Father Peter -went so directly to support the inducements held out by Norries, that -the baronet could hardly persuade himself there had not been some -communication between the Chartist and the priest.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not exactly say that," answered Filmer. "Men's views frequently -undergo a change in a few years. I know not what this man's opinions -may now be. He was then an eager advocate for perfect freedom of -religious opinions; he was then for sweeping away altogether what they -call here the Church of the State, and leaving every man to follow -what creed he thinks best."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, surely, my reverend friend," exclaimed Sir Arthur Adelon, "such -are principles you would never support or even tolerate? It was in his -religious views alone that I differed from Norries."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest smiled with one of those calm, sagacious smiles that have a -certain though moderate portion of triumph in them, the triumph of -superior astuteness. "I would support them for their hour," he said. -"I remember hearing of a wise stratagem practised by a great general -who was besieging a refractory city. The inhabitants had dammed up a -river which ran on one side of the town, and thus had defended their -walls on that side from all attack. The dam or barrier which they had -constructed was immediately under the fire of one of their strongest -works, so that it was unassailable; but the general of whom I speak, -by a week's hard labour, turned the course of a still larger river -into that which served for their defence, and the mighty torrent, -rushing down, swept away the barriers altogether. The river resumed -its equal flow, and the attacking army, marching on, took the town by -storm on the very side where it had been judged impregnable. Now, my -dear friend, the Catholic religion is the attacking army; the revolted -and besieged city is this country of England; the overflowed river -which defends us is moderate toleration of opinion; the barrier which -keeps the waters up is the heretical church of this country, and we -have nought to do but to pour the torrent of licentious freedom -against that barrier till it is quite overthrown, in order to have a -clear way for our march, and to secure our ultimate triumph."</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet paused and mused for several moments, partly considering -the new views which his companion had propounded, partly debating with -himself as to whether he should make his confidence more complete than -he had at first intended, and before he replied Mr. Filmer went on -again. "I do not mean to say, Sir Arthur," he continued, "that I would -advise you to take any rash or dangerous step; and indeed, on the -contrary, I think you had a great deal better, while you give -encouragement to the moral movement, oppose most strongly all appeal -to force, till the country is far more prepared for it than at -present. To show yourself upon their side may give vigour to their -proceedings, may gain many adherents to range themselves openly with -them who are merely restrained by fear and timidity, and may assist -them in raising that prestige of power, numbers, and respectability, -which, if it can be maintained, conquers in the end all opposition; -for as you are well aware, so curiously constituted is the mind of -this nation, that no question, however absurd, no view, however false, -no measure, however evil and detrimental, will not gain the adherence -of the great multitude if they can once be taught to believe, by truth -or falsehood, that it is supported by numbers and by respectability. I -have no doubt that, if I could show, or rather, if I could persuade, -the people of England that there are a million or two of atheists in -the land demanding the abolition of all religious worship whatsoever, -the great body of the people would be easily induced to renounce their -God, and endeavour to sweep away every trace of religion from the -land. There is no being on the face of the earth so susceptible of -moral contagion as an Englishman."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a dark view of the case," said Sir Arthur Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But a true one," answered Filmer; "otherwise England would have been -still Catholic. However, to return to these papers. You say you will -see Norries again tonight; you must then discover what is the extent -of his demand. I would make him no promises, were I in your place, -till I had had time for thought and deliberation; neither would I -refuse anything that he might demand, that is to say, not absolutely, -till we have consulted together. I will go with you, if you like, to -speak with him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not think he would open his views before another," said Sir -Arthur, hastily; "but as it is well, my reverend friend, to be -prepared against the worst, let us consider what must be done should -this man's views be very exorbitant, and should he refuse all time for -deliberation."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you must say 'No,' of course," replied Filmer; "and we will take -measures against his measures."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I see none that we can take," answered the baronet, gloomily. "He -would instantly place the papers in this young man's hands, and then -ruin, and destruction, and disgrace, would be the consequence."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Should you find that there is danger of his doing so suddenly," was -Mr. Filmer's reply, "we must deal with Mr. Dudley ourselves, either in -attaching him to us by bringing him over to the true faith again, -or----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is no chance of that; there is no chance of that!" exclaimed -the baronet, interrupting him, and waving his hand impatiently. -"Filmer, you think your eloquence can do everything; but you could as -soon move the church of St. Peter, and set it down in the capital of -England, as you would bring back to the true faith one of that -stubborn race of heretics!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are prejudiced, my friend," replied Filmer, calmly; "but do not -suppose that I rely upon my own eloquence. It can do nothing but by -strength from on high, and the voice of the true church is powerful. -Still, temporal means must be employed as well; and I see a way before -me of so completely rendering it his interest, notwithstanding every -cause of enmity he may have, to bury all past deeds in oblivion, to -seek your friendship rather than your hate, and, I trust, even to -return to the bosom of the church, that I am not without very great -hopes of success. Should those hopes prove vain, however, my dear Sir -Arthur, should he show himself deaf to the voice of truth, obstinate -in error, revengeful and rancorous in disposition, we must use the -right of self-defence, which every creature has, and in a firm, -determined spirit, but with prudent skill, retort upon him any attack -he may make upon you, and without hesitation or fear, aim blow after -blow, till he either sinks beneath the assault, or is driven to flight -for safety."</p> - -<p class="normal">His brow gathered into a stern and determined frown as he spoke; and -Sir Arthur Adelon so well knew his unflinching resolution in the hour -of danger, and his keen and subtle policy in the time of difficulty, -that he gained courage from the courage of his companion, and smiled -with some bitter satisfaction at the thought of pursuing the vengeance -he had already heaped upon the father to the destruction of the son -likewise. He only ventured to observe, "How either of these two -objects is to be accomplished, I do not see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Leave that to me," answered Filmer, in a confident tone. "I think you -have never known me fail, Sir Arthur, in that which I promised you to -perform. I will mature my plans, prepare my ground for either course; -and though there may be difficulties which would startle a weak, -irresolute, or unpractised mind, they alarm not me. On the contrary, I -often think it is a blessing of God that I am placed in a calm and -tranquil position of life, and have embraced a sacred profession, -which rules and regulates the turbulent impulses of our nature; for I -feel a sort of expansion of mind and rejoicing of heart when -circumstances compel me to struggle with intricate and perilous -difficulties, and overcome stubborn and apparently insurmountable -obstacles, which might have led me, had I not been excluded from -mundane things, into the strife and toil and degrading greatness of -mere earthly ambition."</p> - -<p class="normal">It is probable that he really believed what he said; for there is no -man who does not deceive himself more or less; and those who from -passion, or interest, or education, or any other evil inducement, -fall into the darkest errors, are those who are in most need of -self-deception. He thought deeply for a moment or two after he had -spoken, and there was a gloomy look of pride upon his countenance, -too, as if he even regretted that in which he pretended to rejoice: a -shadow from the fallen archangel's wing. But then again he roused -himself with a start, and said, in an ordinary and composed tone, "We -will talk over our old plans early to-morrow, Sir Arthur; you had -better now go to your conference."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not yet," said Sir Arthur, rising. "It is not to take place till -twelve. But we must rejoin those young men, or they may think our -prolonged absence strange." Thus saying, he led the way to the door, -and Filmer only detained him to add one sentence:--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Remember," he said, "do not commit yourself!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER X.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The town of Barhampton--or rather, that town which it suits me so to -denominate--is one of no great importance in point of size, and of no -great commerce, for railroads have not yet reached it; and the nearest -point which had been attained by any of those strange contrivances for -hurrying man through life and through a country, lay at the distance -of nearly fifty miles at the time of which I speak. Nevertheless, it -was a sea-port; and had it been near the capital, near any important -town, or situated in a thickly-populated district, it possessed -several considerable advantages, which would have secured to it, in -all probability, an extensive and lucrative trade. It had a very nice -small harbour, for which man had done something and nature much. The -water was deep therein; and had there been room for one of the -unwieldy monsters of the deep, a three-decker might have lain at -anchor there with six fathom under her keel. But the harbour was very -small, and had a line-of-battle ship attempted it, her boom would -probably have knocked down the harbour-master's office at the end of -the little jetty, while her bowsprit entered the Lord Nelson -public-house by the windows of the first floor. Boats and coasters, of -from thirty to ninety tons, could come in at all times of tide, but -nothing larger was seen in the harbour of Barhampton.</p> - -<p class="normal">Outside the harbour, however, in what was called the bay, especially -when the wind set strong from the southwest, a very different scene -was displayed, for there nature seemed to have laboured alone on a far -grander scale. Two high and rocky promontories, at some points about a -mile and a half apart, stretched forth from the general line of the -coast into the sea, like two gigantic piers. One, following the line -of the high ridge which crowned it, was nearly straight; the other -swept round in the arc of a large circle, projecting considerably -farther into the ocean than the other, but gradually approaching, in -its sweep, the opposite promontory; so that, at the entrance of this -magnificent bay, the passage was not more than half a mile in width. -Few winds, of all those to which mariners have given name, affected in -any great degree the deep still waters within that high and -mountainous circle; and there, when tempests were raging without, -might be seen riding, in calm security, the rich argosie and the -stately ship of war. No cargoes, however, were now disembarked at -Barhampton, except those of the small vessels which entered the -harbour, and which supplied the town and the neighbouring country with -a variety of miscellaneous articles of ordinary use.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nevertheless, in former times, the town, it would appear, must have -been a place of some importance. Rising up the slopes of the hills, -from the brink of the harbour, its narrow, tortuous, ill-lighted, -unswept, and dilapidated-looking streets reached the summit of the -high ground, where a number of superior houses were to be found, -somewhat stately in appearance, antique in form, and cold and formal -in aspect, except, indeed, where a cheerful little garden interposed, -blushing with china-astres, dahlias, and other autumnal flowers. Yet -even these could not give it an air of life, or if they did at all, it -was an air of vegetable life. There was no movement, there was no -activity in it. It seemed as if everybody in the place was dead, -except a few men who had come in to bury the rest. Beyond these houses -of the better classes, as rich people are called, were some poorer -dwellings, descending the slope on the opposite side of the ridge; and -beyond these again, came the ancient walls of the town, built and -perfected when Barhampton was a place of strength.</p> - -<p class="normal">The town had not, indeed, been dismantled even yet, but it had been -disarmed; and now, instead of large cannon, and soldiers 'bearded like -pard,' the broad ramparts displayed the nursery-maids and the little -children of the citizens flirting with apprentices, or peeping out of -empty embrasures; or, on the Sunday, the great mass of the inhabitants -of the town walking in gay attire, enjoying the fine air, and gazing -over the wide prospect. Round about, nearly in the shape of a -horse-shoe, from one point of the harbour to the other, enclosing the -whole city, if it could be so called, within their area, swept those -old walls, time-worn, and lichen-covered, and loaded with snapdragon. -No mason's trowel, no busy chisel, had been employed upon them for -more than two centuries, and the hard knocks of Oliver Cromwell's -cannon had left traces still unobliterated even by the equalizing hand -of time.</p> - -<p class="normal">The external appearance of the place was not at all deceptive. The -march of improvement was not a quick march in Barhampton. In fact, in -the space of fifty years, but one improvement had been made in the -town, and the audacious and reforming mayor, who had sanctioned, -recommended, and successfully carried out this act of innovation, had -been held in execration ever since by a considerable portion of his -fellow-townsmen. The deed I speak of was the enlargement of the -High-street, and the giving it as near as possible a straightforward -direction. It would now admit two carriages, or even waggons, abreast -in every part; formerly only one could pass, except at particular -places, where a greater expansion had been purposely given to the -road, in order to prevent the comers up and goers down from jamming -each other together immovably. In previous times, also, this street -had pursued a sort of zigzag direction, which nearly doubled its -length, and this had evidently been done, not for the purpose of -avoiding the acclivities, but rather for that of finding them out; for -even in going down the hill, carriages had to mount as often, though -not so far at any one time, as they had to descend; and in coming up, -one rise seemed only to be overcome in order to go down and seek for -another.</p> - -<p class="normal">The same innovating magistrate who had committed the heinous act of -straightening and widening the street, had expressed an antipathy to -the old town gates, and their heavy oaken doors, with portcullis and -draw-bridge; but the whole town rose as one man to resist his rash and -horrible proceedings. In vain he showed that more than one horse had -taken fright in going over the clattering, rickety, old bridge; in -vain he pointed out that a very respectable old lady had broken her -neck at the same spot, by a fall into the ditch. The people said that -the horses were mad and the lady drunk, to do such things; and the -mayor died, like all great patriots, before he saw his schemes for the -improvement of his native place carried into full accomplishment.</p> - -<p class="normal">Thirty years had passed since the reign of this potentate, and a -change had come over the spirit of the people of Barhampton. There -were many great reformers in the place--men who sighed for a complete -change in all things--who stood up for the rights and liberties of the -people; who would have all men permitted to sell gin and cordial -compounds from any hour at which they chose to begin, to any hour at -which they chose to end; who corrected municipal abuses, and -castigated corrupt parish officers; who worried the mayor, tormented -the aldermen, bored the county magistrates and members of parliament, -abused the overseers, and set even the beadle at nought. But in the -mending of their ways they still forgot to mend the ways of the city: -that did not come under their notions of reform. They refused a -church-rate, and therefore could not be expected to vote a paving and -lighting rate. They objected to all taxes of all kinds, and most of -all they objected to tax themselves. They evaded imposts wherever they -could; paid grumblingly those they were compelled to pay; cheated the -customs by prescription, and the excise by cunning; and thought -themselves pure and immaculate if they only defrauded the state and -escaped the law. How often is it with men, that punishment rather than -crime is considered disgraceful!</p> - -<p class="normal">But I must not moralize upon the little community of Barhampton. -Things went on increasing and prospering with the reformers. At first -they were moved apparently by nothing but the pure spirit of -innovation; but there were some men of more mind amongst them than the -rest; and having all agreed upon the necessity of great and sweeping -changes in church, state, and municipality, they proceeded to inquire -what sort of changes were desirable. They instructed themselves in -what other people demanded, and thus the reforming part of the -population divided itself into three distinct portions, consisting of -Whigs, Radicals, and Chartists. Amongst the former were some of the -most respectable and dullest men of the town: the Radicals comprised -the great body of the mob-ocracy. The Chartists were men of -enthusiastic temperaments, sincere and eager characters, and in many -instances, of considerable powers of mind. They saw great social -evils, magnified their extent by the force of imagination, and, -unaccustomed to any of the details of public business, perceived but -one remedy for the sickness of the state, and imagined that remedy to -be a panacea for all ills. Moral force was a good thing in their eyes, -but physical force they thought a better. They believed themselves -prepared for all contingencies; they imagined themselves ready to shed -their blood in support of that which they never doubted to be good; -they dreamed of the crown of martyrdom in their country's service; -and, in short, they were political fanatics, though not a small -portion of true patriotism lay at the bottom of their yearnings for -revolution. On most occasions the Radicals would join with them, and -therefore the Chartists looked upon them for the time as brothers; but -the union was not solid, and in more important matters still, the -Radicals were disposed to support the Whigs. This fact began to be -felt a little before the period at which my tale opens. The Chartists -imagined that they perceived a greater sympathy in many points between -themselves and the Tories, than between themselves and the Whigs; that -there was more real philanthropy, a greater wish to see the condition -of the lower classes materially improved, amongst persons of Tory -principle, than in any other class. But there were also fundamental -differences, which rendered perfect assimilation with them impossible, -and though they regarded the Tories with a kindly feeling, they could -not unite with them for any great object.</p> - -<p class="normal">Such was briefly the state of the town, physical and moral, when the -carriage of Sir Arthur Adelon rolled through the gates, which had not -been closed for half a century; and a drag having been put on, it -began to descend slowly the principal street of the place. In that -principal street was situated the small inn called the Rose, which, -though there were numerous public-houses, was the only place which -kept post-horses, and honoured itself by the name of hotel. The -streets were miserably dark, and nearly deserted, and Sir Arthur -Adelon felt a little nervous and uneasy at the thought of what was -before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the heat of blood and party strife, men will go boldly and -straight-forwardly towards objects pointed out by principles in their -own mind, and will seek those objects and assert those principles at -the risk of life and fortune, and all that makes life and fortune -desirable. But they proceed upon the same course with very different -feelings when, in calmness and tranquillity, after a long cessation of -turmoil and contest, they return to the same paths, even though their -general views may remain unchanged, and they may think their purposes -as laudable as ever.</p> - -<p class="normal">Such was the case with Sir Arthur Adelon. Perhaps, if one looked -closely into his heart, and could see, not only what was in it at the -present moment, but what I may call the history of his sensations, we -should find that his having embraced the extreme views which he -entertained had originated in mortified vanity and an embittered -spirit. An early disappointment, acting upon a haughty and somewhat -vindictive temper, had soured his feelings towards society in general; -and when, shortly afterwards, he had met a check, by the refusal of a -peerage which he thought he had well merited, a bitter disgust -succeeded towards institutions in which he was excluded from the high -position he had coveted, and he became anxious to throw down other men -from a position which he could not attain. It was by no regular -process of reasoning from these premises that he arrived at the -extremely democratical opinions which he often loudly proclaimed; but -the events of his early life gave a general bias to his thoughts, -which led him step by step to the violent views which he announced in -two contested elections in Yorkshire; and at the present time, though -he had sunk into temporary apathy, his notions were not at all -moderated even by years and experience. He was not inclined, indeed, -to risk so much, or to engage in such rash enterprises, as he might -have done in the hasty days of youth; but the long-buried seeds were -still in his mind, and it only required warmth and cultivation to make -them spring up as green and fresh as ever. Nevertheless, he approached -discussions in which he felt he might be carried beyond the point -where prudence counselled him to stop, with a great degree of nervous -anxiety; and he almost hoped, as his carriage stopped at the inn door, -and no signs of waking life appeared but the solitary lamp over the -little portico, that some accident might have prevented the meeting. -The next instant, however, a light shone through the glass door, and a -waiter appearing, approached the step of the carriage, saying, "The -gentleman told me to tell you, Sir Arthur, that he would be back in a -few minutes."</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet bit his lip--there was now no escaping; and following the -waiter to a sitting-room, he ordered some sherry, and took two or -three glasses, but they did not raise his spirits. All was silent in -the town; not a sound was heard but the sighing of the breeze from the -bay, and a faint sort of roar, which might be the wind in the chimney, -or the breaking of the sea upon the shore. Solemn and slow, vibrating -in the air long after each stroke, the great clock of the old church -struck twelve, and Sir Arthur Adelon muttered to himself, "I will not -wait, at all events; they cannot expect me to wait." One, two, three -minutes passed by, and the baronet rose, and was approaching the bell, -when the foot of the waiter was heard running up the stairs, and the -door was opened.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The gentleman, sir," said the waiter; and entering more slowly, a -stout, hard-featured, red-haired man appeared, well dressed, and -though clumsily made, not of an ungentlemanly appearance. Sir Arthur -had never seen his face before, and gazed on him with some surprise; -but the stranger waited till the door was closed again, and then -advancing, with a slight bow, he said, "Sir Arthur Adelon, I believe?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The same, sir," replied the baronet. "I expected to find another -gentleman here. May I ask whom I have the honour of addressing?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My name, sir, is Mac Dermot," replied the stranger; "and my friend, -Mr. Norries, who is probably the person you allude to, would have been -here to receive you, but being detained with some preliminary -business, he requested me to come hither, and be your guide a little -farther in the town."</p> - -<p class="normal">The name given was information sufficient to Sir Arthur Adelon -regarding the person before him. He saw one of the chief leaders of -the great, though somewhat wild and ill-directed movement, in which he -himself had taken, as yet, a very inconsiderable part. He felt that -his very communication with such a man compromised him in a high -degree; and he was anxious to ascertain how much Mac Dermot really -knew of his affairs before he proceeded farther. He therefore slowly -drew on his gloves, and took up his hat, saying, "I am very happy to -see you, Mr. Mac Dermot. I suppose my old acquaintance, Mr. Norries, -has made you acquainted with the various circumstances in which he has -been connected with me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not particularly," replied his companion. "He has informed us that he -acted for some time as your solicitor, when you were residing in -Yorkshire; and he has laid before us the report of several speeches -which you made at that time, with which, I may add, I was myself well -acquainted before; but which has given great satisfaction to every one -present, from the prospect of seeing a gentleman of such rank and -influence, and one who can so eloquently express our own exact -sentiments, likely to be united with us once more in advocating the -cause of the people against those who oppress them. Will you permit me -to lead the way?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon had marked every word that was spoken with peculiar -attention, and Mac Dermot's reply was a great relief to him. Norries -had not mentioned the power he had over him, and moreover the words -'advocating the cause of the people' seemed to him to imply that -nothing of a violent or physical nature was intended; and that all the -leaders of the movement had in view was to endeavour to strengthen -themselves in public opinion by argument and by moral force.</p> - -<p class="normal">He therefore followed with a lighter step, and was conducted through -several narrow and tortuous streets and back lanes, to a house which -presented no very imposing appearance, as far as it could be -discovered in the darkness of the night. The door was low and narrow, -and stood ajar; and when Mac Dermot pushed it open, and Sir Arthur saw -the passage by a light which was at the other end, he said to himself, -"There can be no very formidable meeting here, for there does not seem -to be room for a dozen men in the whole house." He was conducted -through the passage to a staircase as narrow, which led to a long sort -of gallery, running round what seemed a stable-yard, at the end of -which was a door, which Mac Dermot held open for his companion to -pass. When Sir Arthur had gone through, his guide closed the door and -locked it, and then saying, "This way, sir," led him to another door, -at which a man was standing immoveable, with a lamp in his hand. There -Mac Dermot knocked, and the door was unlocked and opened from within.</p> - -<p class="normal">The next moment Sir Arthur Adelon found himself in a very large, -low-ceilinged, ill-shaped room, with a long table in the midst. There -were several tallow candles round about, emitting a most disagreeable -odour, and casting a red, glaring, unsatisfactory light upon the faces -of between thirty and forty men, seated at the board in various -attitudes. At the head of the table, in an armchair, appeared Norries, -such as I have described him before; but any attempt to paint the -other groups in the room would be vain, for every sort of face, form, -and dress which England can display, was there assembled, from the -sharp, shrewd face of long-experienced age, to the delicate features -of the beardless lad; from the stout and stalwart form of the hardy -yeoman, to the sickly and feeble frame of the over-tasked artisan of -the city. Here appeared one in the black coat and white neck-cloth -usually worn by the ministers of religion; there a man in the garb of -a mechanic: in one place a very spruce blue satin handkerchiefed -gentleman, with yellow gloves, and close by him another who was -apparently a labouring blacksmith, with his hands brown and sooty from -the forge. An elderly man, in a well-worn flaxen wig, and large eyes -like black cherries, might have passed by his dress for a very small -country attorney, and opposite to him sat a broad-shouldered man of -six foot two, in a blue coat, leather breeches, and top-boots, -probably some large farmer in the neighbourhood of the town.</p> - -<p class="normal">Two seats were reserved on each side of the chairman; and while Mac -Dermot locked the door again, and every person present rose, Sir -Arthur Adelon, with his stately step and aristocratic air, but, if the -truth must be told, with a good deal of disgust and some anxiety at -heart, walked up to the head of the table, shook hands with Norries, -and took one of the vacant chairs. The other was immediately occupied -by Mac Dermot, and then rising, the chairman said, "Gentlemen, I have -the honour of introducing to you Sir Arthur Adelon, whose station and -fortune afford the lowest title to your esteem. Far higher in mind -than in rank, far richer in generous qualities and in mental -endowments than in wealth, he has ever shown himself the friend of -that great and majestic body, the people of this country; he has -always professed and undauntedly maintained the same opinions which we -conscientiously entertain; and he is ready, I am sure, to go heart and -hand with us in all just and reasonable measures for the defence of -our rights and liberties."</p> - -<p class="normal">The whole party assembled gave the baronet a cheer, and the sensations -with which Sir Arthur had entered began already to wane, even in the -first excitement of the moment. Here, however, I must drop the curtain -over a scene of which the reader has probably had enough, and proceed -to other events of no less importance in this tale.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It is the most difficult thing in the world to convey to the mind of a -reader the idea of extended space by a rapid sketch. You may say days -passed, and weeks; but the reader does not believe a word of it. He -takes up the narrative where it left off; an abstract proposition is -put before him, and he does not pursue it to any of its consequences. -He does not consider for one moment, unless it be clearly explained to -him, how those days and those weeks, with all the events which they -brought to pass, had wrought upon the characters, the circumstances, -and the relative positions of the personages before him. In a mere -sketch with the pencil you can do better: by lighter lines and finer -touches you make distant objects recede; by bolder strokes and -stronger delineations you bring forward the near and the distinct. -Nevertheless, I must endeavour to pass over several days rapidly, -curtailing every unnecessary description, rejecting every needless -detail, and yet dwelling so far upon the several events as to mark to -the reader's mind that time was passing, and bearing on its rapid and -buoyant flood a multitude of small objects, marking to each individual -the progress of time towards eternity.</p> - -<p class="normal">Day after day was spent at Brandon House in the usual occupations of a -country mansion. There were walks, and rides, and drives, and shooting -parties; and the fact most important for Charles Dudley was, that he -was frequently alone for more than an hour together with Eda Brandon. -All was explained, all was promised, all was understood. In less than -two months she would be of age, her hand and her property at her own -disposal; and Dudley felt angry at himself, from a sensation of regret -which he experienced, that he did not still possess the ancient -estates of his house, that he might unite himself to her for ever, as -pride termed it, upon equal terms.</p> - -<p class="normal">Those were very, very happy interviews; sometimes over the green lawns -or shady groves of the park, sometimes alone in the library or the -drawing-room, sometimes sitting side by side near the river, or in the -deep wood, and talking with a melancholy pleasure over the past, or -looking forward with a cheerful hope unto the future. They wondered -sometimes that these communications were so little interrupted, and -that nobody observed or attempted to interfere; but Sir Arthur Adelon -was frequently absent on business as he said; Lord Hadley was seized -with a passion for roaming about the country, which he had never -displayed before; and a sort of irritable gloom had fallen upon Edgar -Adelon, the cause of which he explained to no one, but which was -easily seen by the eyes of his cousin. He often sought solitude, shut -himself up in his own room, walked, when he went forth, in a different -direction from the rest of the party, and seemed involved in thought, -even when Eda and himself, and Dudley, were together without -witnesses.</p> - -<p class="normal">Nevertheless, he was the person who most frequently cut short the -interviews of the two lovers, or deprived them of opportunity when the -golden fruit was at their lips. He seemed to have conceived a peculiar -and extraordinary affection for Lord Hadley's tutor; and there was -that confident reliance and unreserved frankness in the friendship he -displayed with which Dudley could not help feeling gratified, and -which he could not make up his mind to check, even for the sake of a -few more happy moments with Eda Brandon. By fits and starts the young -man would come and ask him to join him in his walks; would seek his -society and his conversation; and would sometimes express his regard, -nay, even his admiration, with a warmth and a candour which seemed to -Dudley, ignorant of all cause for such sensations in his heart, as -savouring too much of childish simplicity for one who was standing at -the verge of manhood. His conversation, however, was very interesting, -full of wild flights of fancy, rich and imaginative in terms, and -overflowing with the deep stream of the heart. He insisted upon it -that his companion should call him Edgar, and said that he would -always use the name of Dudley; and many a counsel would he ask of him, -and listen to his advice with that profound and deep attention which -showed that, from some cause or other, reverence had been joined with -affection. This extraordinary interest sometimes puzzled Dudley. He -would ask himself could Edgar have perceived the mutual affection of -Eda and himself, and could his regard for his fair cousin have taught -him to love whomsoever she loved? But there was no appearance of such -perception when they were together: not by a word, not by a smile, not -by a quiet jest, did he ever show a knowledge of their affection; and -Dudley at length concluded that it was one of those boyish friendships -which, suddenly conceived, and nourished, by long after-intercourse, -often form the basis of lasting regard which only terminates with -life.</p> - -<p class="normal">Another person, who seemed to have been much struck with Dudley, and -who also occupied a good deal of his time, was Mr. Filmer; but to say -the truth, Dudley himself was less pleased with his society than with -that of Edgar Adelon. It was always smooth, easy, agreeable. There was -not the slightest appearance of effort in his conversation; nothing -strained, nothing at all peculiar in his demeanour. He was learned, -witty, imaginative; mingling quiet cheerfulness and unobtrusive gaiety -with occasional strains of thought so deep and so intense, yet so -pellucid and bright, that the hearer was carried away with wonder and -delight. He was fond of talking of religious subjects, and with all -the many associated with them by his church. He had a love for, and an -intimate acquaintance with, ancient architecture in all its branches; -and he combined therewith fancies, hypotheses, or theories, as the -reader may have it, which gave a sort of mystical signification to -every part and portion of an old building, and spread, as it were, a -religious feeling through the conception and the execution of the -whole. Every church, or abbey, or cathedral, which had been raised in -pure catholic times, was in his eyes but a symbol of the spiritual -church--a hierarchy, as it were, in stone. He loved sacred music, too. -There was not a chant, a canon, an anthem, a mass, or a dirge, that he -did not know, and could descant upon eloquently, or sit down and play -it with exquisite taste, if no great execution, joining occasionally a -powerful and melodious voice in snatches of rich song, without the -slightest appearance of vanity or display, but merely as if to give -the hearer an idea of the composition which he had mentioned.</p> - -<p class="normal">All this was very charming, but still there was something which made -Charles Dudley prefer the frank, free, fearless conversation of Edgar -Adelon. He knew not well what that something was; he could not term it -a studiedness, but it was all too definite, too circumscribed by -rules, too much tied down to purposes and views which allowed no -expansion but in peculiar directions. Although there was no -affectation, there seemed to be an object in everything he said. There -was, in short, a predominant idea to which everything was referrible, -and which deprived his conversation of that wide and natural range, -that free and liberal course, which is one of the greatest charms of -friendly intercourse. One felt that, in a very different sense from -that in which the beautiful words were originally used--'he was in the -world, but not of the world.'</p> - -<p class="normal">A time came rapidly when much was explained that was at first dark; -but we must turn to another of our characters, whose fate was -intimately interwoven with that of Charles Dudley. Lord Hadley, as I -have said, was frequently absent from Brandon House; and when he was -present, there was something in his manner which showed a change of -thought or feeling. He attempted to flirt with Eda Brandon--a -difficult matter at any time, but more difficult still in the -circumstances which existed, and especially when it was done with an -effort. His manner towards Dudley, too, was very different. He sought -his society but little; was captious in his conversation with him, and -somewhat petulant in his replies. He seemed not well pleased when that -gentleman was with Eda; and marked his feelings so plainly, that -Dudley was sometimes inclined to fear that his pupil had conceived an -attachment to the object of his own affection. But then, again, twice -when they were sauntering in the park before the house, Lord Hadley -made an excuse to leave him and Miss Brandon together, and walked away -in the direction of the Grange, remaining absent for two or three -hours.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the mean time, rumours spread, and the newspapers announced that -there were threatening signs in the manufacturing districts; that -great meetings of artisans were taking place in public and in private; -that the people determined to have what they called 'a holiday;' and -that some great attempt at popular insurrection was contemplated by -those immense masses, which, congregated within a very narrow space, -have the means of rapid communication ever open, and whose amount of -intelligence is sufficient to make them feel the ills they suffer, and -the wrongs they are subject to, without showing them the best means of -relieving the one or casting off the other. The prompt and decided -measures of government, too, were detailed in the public prints; the -march of different regiments was mentioned; and some portions were -displayed of the general plan for suppressing any outbreak, which had -been formed by the great master of strategy, sufficient to prove to -any person not infatuated by false hopes, that the movements of the -people would be effectually checked as soon as ever they transgressed -the bounds of law.</p> - -<p class="normal">To most of the little party assembled at Brandon, these reports came -like the roar of the stormy ocean to persons calmly seated by the -domestic hearth. They were far removed from the scene of probable -strife; they had full confidence in the power and the wisdom of -government. There were no manufactories for many miles around; and the -nearest point at which there was any great congregation of artisans -lay at some twenty or thirty miles' distance, where there were both -mines and potteries. Nevertheless, Eda observed that her uncle read -with the deepest attention everything that referred to the discontent -of the manufacturing population. She saw, too, that he was uneasy; -that there was a restlessness and an impatience about him which she -could not account for; and she pointed it out to Dudley, who remarked -it also. "I have not seen him in this state for years," she said; "and -I cannot help thinking that something of great importance must be -weighing upon his mind."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have heard," replied Dudley, "that at one time he took a very warm, -I might almost say vehement, interest in political matters, and went -through a contested election in the north, as the advocate of the most -extreme pretensions of the people. I have cause to remember that -period, dearest Eda, for with that election commenced the ruin of my -poor father. He had represented the town for many years in parliament, -when your uncle started against him upon principles almost republican. -As they had been friends from boyhood, although the contest was -carried on very fiercely by their several supporters, it was conducted -with courtesy and kindness by themselves--as much courtesy and -kindness, indeed, as could exist under such circumstances between men -of the most opposite political principles. My father was returned, but -some of the electors thought fit to petition against him, accusing his -agents of the most extensive bribery and corruption. As the population -was large and very equally divided in opinion, the expenses of the -election itself had been enormous. Innumerable witnesses were brought -before the committee on both sides; the investigation lasted for -months; the most eminent barristers were retained by enormous fees; -and though it ended in my father retaining his seat, an outlay of -nearly thirty thousand pounds was incurred by the contest and the -petition. To meet this expense, he proposed to mortgage the estates; -when your worthy uncle, feeling, perhaps, that his supporters had not -treated my father very well, offered to take the proposed mortgage at -a low rate of interest. It was necessary, however, that the title -deeds should be closely examined, and they were submitted to the -inspection of his lawyer, a scoundrel of the name of Sherborne. This -man, who was as keen and acute as he was unprincipled, discovered a -flaw in the title; and instead of merely advising your uncle not to -take the mortgage, he communicated the fact to another party, and a -long law-suit was the consequence, which ended in our being stripped -of the property which my grandfather had purchased and paid for. My -father was now loaded with a very large debt besides, which he had no -means of paying, and his spirits and his health sunk and gave way at -once. In these circumstances, Sir Arthur Adelon acted with a degree of -kindness which I can never forget. He purchased a very small property -which had descended to me from my mother, at more than its real value, -and did not even wait till I was of age to make the transfer before he -paid the money. I had thus the means of comforting and soothing my -father during an enforced absence from England, and the long period of -sickness which preceded his death; and the moment I was of age I -assigned the property to your uncle. Though I had never seen him -myself, I wrote to thank him, at my father's death; but he did not -answer my letter, and, what is somewhat strange, he has never adverted -to the subject since I have been here, perhaps thinking rightly, that -it must be a very painful one to me. I have been led into a long -story," he continued, "when I only wished to explain to you that Sir -Arthur is known to feel very intensely upon the subject of the -people's rights and claims. That he sympathises deeply with these poor -men in the manufacturing districts, there can be no doubt; and I -rather think you will find that the anxiety and uneasiness he displays -are to be attributed to the interest he feels in them."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda mused, but did not reply. She was deeply attached to her uncle, -who for many years had acted as a father towards her; but yet she -might know his character better than Dudley, and might entertain -reasonable doubts as to his being moved by the feelings which that -gentleman ascribed to him. She did not express those doubts, however, -and the conversation took another turn.</p> - -<p class="normal">The fifth day of Dudley's stay at Brandon was a Sunday, and it -commenced with a tremendous storm of wind and rain. The nearest -village church was, as I have shown, at some distance; and Sir Arthur -Adelon, though he courteously proposed to order the carriage to carry -any of the party, who might desire it, to the morning's service, added -some remarks upon the state of the weather and the likelihood of the -servants getting very wet, which prevented any one from accepting his -offer. A room had been fitted up at Brandon, and decorated as a -chapel; and at the usual hour, Mr. Filmer appeared, to officiate in -the celebration of mass.</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda Brandon was not present; for, as she informed Dudley, she had -promised her mother, before her death, never to be present at the -services of the Roman Catholic church. Lord Hadley and his tutor, -however, with less rigid notions, accompanied Sir Arthur and a number -of his servants to the chapel; and somewhat to Dudley's surprise, Mr. -Clive and his daughter also appeared soon after, notwithstanding the -tempest that was raging without.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley felt a reverence for religion in all its forms; the worship of -God was to him always the worship of God; and though he did not affect -to adore in a wafer the real presence of his Saviour, he behaved with -gravity and decorum through the whole ceremony. Lord Hadley, on the -contrary, treated the whole matter somewhat lightly; paid little -attention to the offices of the church; and kept his eyes fixed, -during a great part of the service, upon Helen Clive, with a look -which was not altogether pleasing to his tutor. Nor did it seem so to -Edgar Adelon either; for when he glanced towards Lord Hadley for a -moment, his colour became suddenly heightened, and his eyes flashed -fire, giving to Dudley, for the first time, a key to what was passing -in his bosom.</p> - -<p class="normal">After mass was concluded, Sir Arthur took Clive familiarly by the arm, -and walking with him into the library, begged him not to think of -returning to the Grange with Helen till the storm had passed. Mr. -Clive declined to stay, however, saying that he did not feel the -weather himself, and that, as he had come up in his own little -sociable, Helen would be under cover as she went back. The day passed -as other days had done; but during the afternoon Mr. Filmer paid -particular attention to Dudley, and was altogether more cheerful and -entertaining than he had been for some time, as if the services of his -religion formed a real pleasure to him, the effect of which remained -for several hours after they were over.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The morning of the second day of the week once more broke calm and -clear, and Dudley was musing in his room on much that had lately -passed. From all that he had observed the day before, he feared that -the conduct of Lord Hadley towards Helen Clive was not that which he -could approve; and although he might have regretted much to leave the -society of Eda at that moment, he would not have suffered any personal -feeling to prevent him from urging an immediate removal from what he -conceived a dangerous position, if he had not recollected that the -young nobleman was so nearly of age as to be very likely to resist any -interference. He was considering, therefore, how he should act, when -he was again visited in his room by Mr. Filmer, for the purpose of -engaging him to take a stroll in the fresh morning air.</p> - -<p class="normal">With many men, the effect of intense thought and mental anxiety is -very great upon the mere body; and Dudley felt heated and almost -feverish. He believed, too, that in the course of their ramble he -might, perhaps, obtain some farther information regarding his pupil's -conduct from the priest; for he well knew that the clergy of the -Romish church look upon it almost as a matter of duty to ascertain the -facts of every transaction in which any of their flock are concerned. -He therefore agreed to the proposal at once; and after they had issued -forth into the park, pondered, even while they were conversing, upon -the best means of introducing the topic of which he was desirous of -speaking.</p> - -<p class="normal">As they walked on, detached masses of cloud, left by the storm of the -preceding day, floated heavily overhead; and the shadows and the -gleams crossed the landscape rapidly, bringing out many points of -beauty, which were not observable either under the broad sunshine of -summer, or the cold, gray expanse of the wintry sky.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The scenery here is certainly very lovely," said Dudley; "and I think -that of the park peculiarly so. It is more varied, as well as more -extensive, than any park that I have seen in England."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, it is very beautiful," replied the priest, in a somewhat -common-place tone; "and, indeed, the whole property is a very fine -one. There are few heiresses in England who can boast of such an -estate as Miss Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Miss Brandon!" said Dudley, in a tone of some surprise. "Do you mean -to say that she is the owner of this beautiful place? I thought it was -the property of her uncle."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest turned a short, quick glance to his face, and then replied, -in a very marked manner, but yet with a well-satisfied smile, "I am -glad to hear you thought so, my young friend; but in answer to your -question, this property is Miss Brandon's. Sir Arthur is only here as -her guardian. It was much her mother's wish that she should live with -him till her marriage; but, at the same time, she expressed a strong -desire that her principal residence should be at Brandon. Sir Arthur -is a very conscientious man, and he consequently, having undertaken -the task, carries out his sister's views more fully than most men -would be inclined to do. The bulk of his own property is in Yorkshire, -as I believe you know; but he is not there more than a month in the -year. The rest of his time is spent at Brandon or in London."</p> - -<p class="normal">"May I ask," said Dudley, "what there could be pleasing to you in my -believing this property to be Sir Arthur Adelon's?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer smiled. "Perhaps," he said, "it might be more courteous to -leave your question unanswered than to answer it; but nevertheless I -will not affect reserve. I look upon it, in ordinary cases, to be -rather a misfortune than otherwise for a young lady to inherit a large -fortune. There are three results, each very common. Sometimes her -relations and friends arrange and bring about a marriage for her with -a man perhaps the least suited to her on the face of the earth; some -coarse and wealthy brute; some dissolute peer. At other times, she -becomes the prey of a designing sharper; a man probably without -honour, honesty, or principle: low in birth and mind as in fortunes. -Or if she escapes these perils, and reaches the age of discretion -unmarried, from a knowledge of the risks she has escaped, she is -filled with suspicions of every gentleman who approaches her; doubts -the motives of all who profess to love her, and fancies that her -wealth, and not her heart, is the object sought. I know not which of -these results is most to be deprecated." He made a pause, and then -continued, with a smile: "That you did not know the property to belong -to her, shows that you can be influenced by no motives but such as -must be gratifying to herself."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley cast down his eyes and mused for several moments. He was not at -all aware that his conduct towards Eda had been such as to display the -secret of their hearts to even the keenest eye; and he was surprised, -and not well pleased, to find that it had been penetrated at once by -the shrewd priest. As he did not answer, Mr. Filmer went on, with a -frank and even friendly tone: "I need not tell you, Mr. Dudley, after -what has fallen from me," he said, "that I wish you success, not with -any of the rash enthusiasm of a young man in favour of a friend, but -upon calm and due deliberation. You are a gentleman by birth and -education; a man of high honour and feeling I sincerely believe you to -be, and this Lord Hadley is in no degree fitted for her. Light and -volatile as a withered leaf; with no fixed principles, and no strong -religious feelings; full of unbridled passions, and appetites that -have been pampered from his boyhood; the effect of wealth and high -station, those two great touchstones of the human character, will be -disastrous to him. He is in the high road now to become a confirmed -libertine, and even at the present moment is labouring to destroy the -peace of a happy family far more ancient and respectable than his own, -and to introduce discord into a peaceful neighbourhood, where, -happily, we have few such as himself to stir up the angry feelings of -our nature."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have touched upon a subject, my dear sir," replied Dudley, who -could not help feeling gratified by many of the expressions he had -used, "in regard to which I much wished to speak with you; and I was -meditating upon the very point when you came into my room. I have -remarked, for some days past, that Lord Hadley has been much absent -from the house at which he is visiting, so much so as almost to be -discourteous; and yesterday, in the chapel, I could not help observing -indications of feelings which I regretted much to see, and in regard -to which you have confirmed my suspicions."</p> - -<p class="normal">"His conduct there was very reprehensible," said Mr. Filmer, in a -grave tone. "He spends the time during his long absences from Brandon -either in visiting at Mr. Clive's house, or in lying in wait for poor -Helen in her walks. His object is not to be mistaken by any one of -ordinary sagacity and knowledge of the world; but yet, Clive, though a -very sensible man, does not perceive it. You must have remarked how -blind parents usually are under such circumstances. He looks upon Lord -Hadley as a mere boy, and a frank and agreeable one. He thinks that -his visits are to himself; and the young gentleman, with more art than -one would have supposed him capable of, takes care to go down to the -Grange when he knows that the master is out, and has some excuse ready -for waiting till he returns."</p> - -<p class="normal">"From what you tell me," replied Dudley, "it seems absolutely -necessary that one of two courses should be pursued: either I must -immediately endeavour to induce Lord Hadley to remove from Brandon--in -which case I am afraid he would resist, as in a few weeks he will be -of age--or else Mr. Clive must be warned, and take such measures as -may put a stop to this young man's visits."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not know that either is necessary," answered Mr. Firmer; "nor -would either have the effect that you anticipate. Lord Hadley would -not go, or would return to pursue the same course when he is his own -master; and in regard to warning Clive, I should have done it before, -had I not known and felt that it might be dangerous to do so. He is a -man of a very strong and hasty spirit: resolute, bold, determined, and -easily moved by anything that looks like indignity, to bursts of -passion of which you can form no idea, never having seen him roused. -Neither have I any fear whatsoever for Helen. She is guarded not only -by high principle, and a pure and noble heart, but by other feelings, -which are often a woman's greatest safeguard. Lord Hadley will then -find his designs in vain; and I do not think he would venture to -insult her in any way."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley mused for a moment, having learned more of his pupil during -their journey on the Continent than he had known when he undertook the -task of guiding him. "I do not know," he said, in a doubtful tone: "I -do not know."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He had better not," said Mr. Filmer, sternly; "but be sure, my dear -young friend, that there shall be an eye, not easily blinded, on all -his actions. The interest you take in this matter raises you more -highly in my esteem than ever; and I will own, that I could not help -drawing a comparison, very unfavourable to this young lord, between -your conduct and his in the chapel yesterday. Reverence to the -ceremonies of religion is due even to decency, if not to principle; -but there was something more in your demeanour, which gave me good -hope that if you would sometimes attend to the various services of our -church, receive even but slight instruction in its doctrines, cast -from your mind the prejudices of education, and meditate unbiassed -over the principal differences between our church and yours--of -course, not without full explanation of all our views upon those -dogmas which are so erroneously stated by most Protestant -writers--your conduct gave me good hope, I say, that under these -circumstances you might be regained to that true faith of which many -of your ancestors were the greatest ornaments."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley smiled. The secret was now before him. The priest had really -conceived the design of converting him; and his full and strong -attachment to the Protestant religion, his unhesitating condemnation -in his own heart of the errors of the Romish church, made the very -idea ridiculous in his eyes. "I fear, my dear sir," he replied, as the -slight smile passed away, "that your expectation is altogether vain. -There is no chance whatever, let me assure you, of my ever abandoning -the religion in which I have been brought up."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not be too sure, my friend," replied Mr. Filmer, smiling also; "I -have seen more obstinate heretics than yourself brought to a knowledge -of the truth. I do not despair of you at all. You have a mind free -from many prejudices which affect others of your religion. You are not -at all bigoted or intolerant; and you view these matters so calmly, -and yet devoutly, that with my firm convictions, after much study and -thought, I cannot help thinking, if you will but look into the matter -fully, you will arrive at a just conclusion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust, undoubtedly, that such will be the case," was Dudley's -answer; "but I believe, my dear sir, that I have arrived at a just -conclusion already. It has not been without study either, nor from the -showing of Protestant divines, but rather from the works of your own -church, many of which I have examined with great care and attention, -and which have only strengthened me in my convictions. The more -impartial a man is in forming his opinions, and the less vehement and -passionate he is in their assertion, the more firm he is likely to be -when they are formed, and the more steady in their maintenance."</p> - -<p class="normal">They had by this time reached the other side of the park, and passing -through a little wicket gate, were entering the road beyond the walls. -Mr. Filmer's lips were compressed as he listened, and he seemed to -struggle against some strong emotion; but just at that moment the -tramp of numerous feet was heard, and looking up the road, they saw a -multitude of people, in the dress of country labourers and working -men, advancing at a quick pace, two and two, in an orderly and -decorous manner. Mr. Filmer and his companion paused to let them pass; -and as they went by, talking together, Filmer could not help -remarking, that in the countenances of many there was a stern and -thoughtful, and in others an enthusiastic and excited expression, -which seemed to indicate that they were engaged in no ordinary -occupation. They passed on without taking any notice of the two -gentlemen, although two or three times Dudley heard the name of Sir -Arthur Adelon mentioned amongst them; and when the last had gone by, -he inquired, not unwilling to change the matter of their conversation, -"Who can these men be, and what can be their object in this curious -sort of array?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I really do not know," answered Mr. Filmer; "but it would not -surprise me if they were Chartists."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you many of them here?" asked Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, yes! they are very numerous," replied the priest, "both amongst -the peasantry and the townspeople, and these may very likely be going -to some of their meetings on the downs. They are all very orderly and -quiet in our county, however; and, indeed, form the best behaved and -most respectable part of our population. A great enthusiasm is very -often extremely useful. The men who feel it are often restrained -thereby from anything low or base, or degrading to the great principle -which moves them. Such, my young friend, ought to be the power of -religion upon the heart; and such it is, as you must have yourself -seen, with a great many of the ecclesiastics of the church to which I -belong. Base and bad men may be found in every country, and will -disgrace every creed; but I cannot help thinking you will find, if you -will really read and study some works which I will lend you, that the -natural tendency of every doctrine of the Catholic religion is to -elevate and purify the hearts of men, and to mortify and subdue every -corrupt affection. I know," he continued, "that the exact reverse has -been stated by Protestant writers, but they have been mistaken--I will -not use a harsher term--and will only add, study, and you will see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will certainly read the books with great pleasure," replied Dudley; -"but at the same time I must not lead you to expect for one moment -that they will make any change in my opinions."</p> - -<p class="normal">He spoke in the most decided tone; and Mr. Filmer replied, with a -slight contraction of the brows, and a very grave and serious manner, -"Then I fear your dearest hopes will be disappointed."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley felt somewhat indignant at the implied threat; but he was -prevented from answering by the appearance of Lord Hadley, who came -towards them, not from the side of Brandon, and who, instantly joining -them, returned in their company towards the house, affecting an -exuberant degree of gaiety, and laughing and jesting in a manner which -harmonized ill with the more serious thoughts of his two companions. -The subject of the mass, at which they had been present the day -before, was accidentally introduced in the course of their -conversation, which thence deviated to the ceremonies of the Roman -Catholic religion in other countries; and the young peer said, -laughing, "If it were not for its mummeries, Mr. Filmer, I should -think it a very good religion too, a capital religion. It is so -pleasant to think that one can shuffle off all one's peccadilloes on -the shoulders of another man, that I wonder who would not be a Roman -Catholic, if he could."</p> - -<p class="normal">A scowl, momentary, but fiend-like, crossed the countenance of the -priest; and Dudley, who had observed it, was surprised to hear him -say, the next moment, with a bland smile, "You are a little mistaken -in your views, my lord; and I think if you would examine the subject -well, under a competent instructor, you would not find it so difficult -a thing to be a Roman Catholic as you imagine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I should prefer an instructress," answered Lord Hadley, with a laugh; -but Mr. Filmer did not reply, finding it, perhaps, somewhat difficult -to guide his arguments between two men of such totally different -characters and views as the young lord and his tutor. The rest of -their walk back through the park passed almost in silence; but from -various indications Dudley judged that the previous gaiety of Lord -Hadley had been more affected than real.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">To a person inexperienced in the ways of life and in human character, -it might seem strange that a man should pursue one woman with every -appearance of passion, and should yet, at the same time, not only seek -the love of another, but also entertain some feeling of jealousy at -any sign of favour for a rival. But yet this is the case every day, -and it was so with Lord Hadley. Had he been asked whether he admired -Helen Clive or Eda Brandon most, he would have replied, if he answered -sincerely, "Helen Clive;" but she was in his eyes merely a plaything, -to be possessed, to sport with, and to cast away; while Eda was looked -upon in a very different light--to add wealth to his wealth; to -flatter his vanity by the display of her beauty and her grace as his -wife; to gratify his pride by uniting the blood of the Brandons, one -of the oldest families in the land, to that of the Hadleys, who, to -say the truth, required not a little to graft their young plant upon a -more ancient stock. Whatever feelings he entertained for her certainly -did not reach the height of passion; but yet, when he was beside her, -he evidently sought to win regard, and it was plain that he by no -means liked the preference she showed for Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon saw that something had gone amiss with his young and -noble guest; and while they were sitting at luncheon, with not the -most placable of feelings existing on the part of Lord Hadley towards -his tutor, Sir Arthur was considering what could be the cause of the -coldness and haughtiness of tone which he remarked, when a servant -entering announced to Mr. Dudley that a gentleman of the name of -Norries wished to speak with him for a few moments in the library.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur instantly turned deadly pale; but recovering himself in a -moment, he started up before his guest could reply, saying, "I beg you -ten thousand pardons, Mr. Dudley, but I have something of much -importance to say to Mr. Norries, and if you will permit me I will -take up his time for a moment or two while you finish your luncheon, -as I have got business which will call me out immediately, and perhaps -your conversation with him may be somewhat long."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley was replying that he really did not know what business Mr. -Norries could have with him, as he knew no such person, when, with a -familiar nod, Sir Arthur said, "I will not detain him three minutes," -and hurried out of the room, followed by the keen, cold eye of the -priest.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who is Mr. Norries, father?" inquired Eda Brandon. "I never heard of -him before."</p> - -<p class="normal">"An old acquaintance of Sir Arthur's," replied Mr. Filmer, in a -common-place tone. "He was once a lawyer, I believe, and too honest a -man for a profession from which he retired some time ago."</p> - -<p class="normal">Not two minutes elapsed before Sir Arthur Adelon was in the room -again. His conference with Mr. Norries had been short indeed; but it -seemed to have been satisfactory, for when he returned his lip wore a -smile, although his face was now a good deal flushed, as if from some -recent and great excitement.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will find Norries in the library, Mr. Dudley," said the baronet, -as soon as he entered; and while Dudley rose and walked to the door, -Sir Arthur seated himself at the table and fell into deep thought.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the mean time Dudley proceeded to the room to which he had been -directed, and found there, waiting his arrival, the same powerful, -hard-featured man whom I have before described.</p> - -<p class="normal">The keen gray eyes of Norries were fixed upon the door, and when -Dudley entered a slight flush passed over his cheek. "Mr. Dudley," he -said; "there is no mistaking you. You are very like your father."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I believe I am, Mr. Norries," replied Dudley, "pray be seated. You -were well acquainted with my poor father, I presume."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, I had not that honour, sir," answered Norries. "I have seen him -more than once, however, as the partner of Mr. Sherborne, the -Yorkshire solicitor of Sir Arthur Adelon."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley's face grew stern, and he made a movement as if to rise, but -refrained, merely saying, "Mr. Sherborne's name, sir, is an unpleasant -one to me. I should not like to speak my opinion of him to his -partner; but were he still living, I should undoubtedly let him hear -it in person."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I was his partner, sir, in business, but not in rascality," replied -Norries, "the full extent of which I did not know till he was dead. -Nature did not make me for a lawyer, Mr. Dudley; and the result of my -study of the profession has been to show me that, either by errors in -their original formation, or by perversions which have crept in -through the misinterpretation of judges, the laws of this land do not -afford security against injustice, redress for wrongs committed, -protection to the innocent, punishment to the guilty, or equity in any -of the relations between man and man. With this view of the case, I -could not remain in a profession which aided to carry out, in an -iniquitous manner, iniquitous laws, and I therefore quitted it. Before -I did so, however, it became my task to examine all the papers in the -office of my deceased partner and myself, many of which I had never -seen or heard of before. In so doing, sir, I found some which affected -your father; and amongst others, several letters of his, apparently of -importance. The latter you shall have; the other papers, relating to a -contested election in which he took part, are at present necessary to -myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I feel much obliged to you, Mr. Norries," replied Dudley. "Of course -I shall feel glad to have my poor father's letters. In regard to the -other papers relative to the election, as that has been a business -long settled, they can be of no service to me, and I do by no means -wish to recall old grievances. I am now in the house of my father's -opponent on that occasion, and I am well aware that he then acted -honourably, and afterwards most liberally and kindly to my poor -father."</p> - -<p class="normal">Norries knit his brows, and shut his teeth tight, but he suffered no -observation to escape him; and Dudley continued, saying, "I do not, -therefore, wish for one moment to revive any unpleasant memories -connected with that contest, and think the papers referring to it just -as well in your hands as in mine. Was this the only matter you wished -to speak to me upon!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have nothing farther to say, Mr. Dudley," replied Norries, rising, -"but that I will in a few days send your father's letters to you at -any place you please to mention." And after having received Mr. -Dudley's address at St. John's College, Cambridge, he took his leave. -Once he stopped for a moment as he was going out--thought, muttered -something to himself, but without adding anything more, departed.</p> - -<p class="normal">On quitting Brandon House, Norries made his way straight to the avenue -which I have mentioned once or twice before; and walking hurriedly -down under the shade of the trees, he turned into a path which led -through the copse on the right to a stile over the wall. His direction -was towards the Grange, but he did not follow exactly the same road -which had been pursued by Edgar Adelon. About a hundred yards up the -lane there lay the entrance of another narrow footway which was sunk -deep between two banks, with a hedge at the top, forming an -exceedingly unpleasant and dangerous cut in the way of any horseman -following the fox-hounds; and indeed there was a tradition of two -gentlemen having broken their necks there some fifty years ago, in -consequence of having come suddenly upon this unseen hollow way, in -leaping the hedge above. Along it, however, Mr. Norries now sped with -a quick step, till it opened out upon a little green, where stood two -cottages in a complete state of ruin, to arrive at which more easily -from the high road, the path had probably been cut in former years. On -the other side of the green, mounting over the bank and passing -through the fields, was a more open footway, with a stile at the -bottom of the descent, upon which was sitting, when Norries came up, a -short, slightly-made man, with a sharp face, and keen, eager, black -eyes. "Well, Nichols," said Norries, approaching, "I have not kept you -long."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no," answered the other man, quickly; "but what news--what news, -Mr. Norries? What does he say?</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why he will come, Nichols, whenever we give the word," answered -Norries, "without hesitation or delay."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed!" exclaimed the other; "better news than I thought. I feared -he was shirking, from what he said last time, or else that he would -take so long to consider that we should lose our opportunity."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I took means to quicken his decision," said Norries. "But let us get -on, Nichols, for I expect Conway and Mac Dermot to join me at Clive's -for a consultation; and we must then separate till to-morrow night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is Clive's a safe place?" asked Nichols, following, as the other -strode on rapidly. "He is dead against us, you know, Norries."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But he would not betray any man," replied the other; "and besides, he -is out at the town, and will not be back for two or three hours."</p> - -<p class="normal">Nothing farther was said till they reached the Grange, where, going in -without ceremony, Norries put his head into Helen's drawing-room, -saying, "I can go into the up-stairs room which I had before, Helen -dear, I suppose?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, certainly!" answered Helen. "Everything is there just as you left -it; but my father is not at home, and will not return for some hours."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That does not matter," answered Norries; and calling one of the -maids, he told her, if any gentlemen came to inquire for him, to show -them up stairs to him; and mounting the steps, he led the person -called Nichols into the room where his conference had been held with -Sir Arthur Adelon. Helen in the mean time remained below, unoccupied, -apparently, with anything but thought, for though there was a book -open before her, she seldom looked at it. She was seated with her face -to the window, which commanded a view of the garden, and through the -trees across the river to the opposite side of the little dell in -which it flowed. With one arm in a sling, and the other resting across -the book upon the table, she gazed forth from the window, watching -that opposite bank with an anxious, almost apprehensive expression of -countenance, and if she dropped her eyes to the page for a moment, she -raised them again instantly. Hardly three minutes had passed after -Norries' arrival, when a figure was indistinctly seen coming over the -slope, and Helen, starting up, exclaimed, "There he is again! This is -really too bad. I am glad my uncle is here!" But before the words were -well uttered, the figure came more fully in sight, and Helen saw that -it was that of a perfect stranger. Another equally unknown to her, -followed close behind the first; and she sat down again, murmuring -with a slight smile, "I frighten myself needlessly. But it is really -very hard to be so treated. I do not know what to do. If I were to -tell my father what he had said, and how he had treated me, he would -kill him on the spot; and if I told Edgar all, they would fight, I am -sure. Poor, dear, generous Edgar! I can see he is very uneasy, and yet -I dare not speak. It is very strange that Father Peter should treat -the matter with such indifference. I believe my best way would be to -tell my uncle."</p> - -<p class="normal">As she thus went on murmuring broken sentences, the two men whom she -had seen approached the house, rang the bell, and Helen could hear -their heavy footsteps mount the stairs.</p> - -<p class="normal">She had turned her head towards the door when they came into the -house; but the moment that her eyes were directed towards the window -again, she saw the figure of Lord Hadley, coming down the path with a -proud, light, self-confident step, and instantly starting up once -more, she closed the book, and ran out of the room. A maid was in the -passage, and in an eager and frightened tone, the beautiful girl -exclaimed, "Tell him exactly what I said, Margaret. If he asks for me, -say I will not see him. Make no excuses, but tell him plainly and at -once, I will not."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I will, Miss Helen," answered the woman, heartily. "Shall I ask -Ben the ploughman to thrash him if he won't go away?"</p> - -<p class="normal">If Helen had uttered the reply that first rose in her mind, her words -would have been, "I wish to heaven you would!" but she refrained, and -saying, "No; no violence, Margaret," she ran up stairs to her own -room, and seated herself near a little table, after locking the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">What passed below she could not hear; but between that chamber and the -next was a partition of old dark oak, not carved into panels, as in -the rooms below, but running in long polished planks from the ceiling -to the floor, with the edges rounded into mouldings, for the sake of -some slight degree of ornament. They were tightly joined together, but -still the words of any one speaking in a loud tone in the one room, -could be heard in the other; and it seemed to Helen, from the pitch to -which two or three of the voices were elevated, that one of the party -at least in her uncle's chamber was somewhat hard of hearing. Her -thoughts for a moment or two after she entered, were too much agitated -for her to pay any particular attention; but all remained still below, -and she said to herself, "He has gone in to wait for my father, or to -sit down and rest himself, as he pretends, I dare say. I wonder how a -gentleman can have recourse to such false excuses, and here I must be -kept a prisoner till he chooses to go."</p> - -<p class="normal">As she thus thought, some words from the neighbouring room caught her -ear, and instantly fixed her attention. It was without design she -listened: by an impulse that was irresistible. Her cheek turned paler -than it was before; her lips parted with eagerness and apparent -anxiety; and she put her hand to her brow, murmuring, "Good heaven! I -hope my father has no share in all this! I will go down upon my knees -to him, and beg him not to meddle with it." But the next moment other -words were spoken, and the look of terror passed away from her -beautiful face like a dark cloud from a summer sky. Then again the -name of Sir Arthur Adelon was mentioned frequently, and again the -cloud came over Helen's fair brow; but now there was surprise mingled -with fear, for it was marvellous to her, that a man of great wealth, -station, and respectability, should be implicated so deeply in the -schemes which she heard.</p> - -<p class="normal">About half an hour passed in this manner, and then the maid came up -and tapped at her door, saying, "He is gone, Miss Helen:" and the fair -prisoner, glad to be released, opened her door and descended to the -room below. "What shall I do? How shall I act?" was Helen's first -thought. "To betray them to justice I cannot, I must not; but yet it -is very horrible. There will be terrible bloodshed! And Sir Arthur -Adelon, too; who could ever have suspected that he would join them? -Oh, I wish he would be warned! I will tell Eda. She has more power -over him than any one, and he may be persuaded to refrain. My uncle -will have his course; nothing will turn him, I am sure, and he will -ruin himself utterly in the end; but I do hope and trust he will have -no influence over my father. Oh, no! the men said he would have nought -to do with it. But hark!"</p> - -<p class="normal">There were steps heard descending. Two or three people quitted the -house, and after a lapse of a few minutes, Norries entered the room -with a calm, even cheerful countenance, and seated himself beside -Helen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the matter, little pet?" he said. "You look sad and anxious. -Is your arm paining you, my dear?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no!" replied Helen; "it has never pained me at all since it was -set. I think it is quite well now."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who was that came in about half an hour ago?" asked Norries, somewhat -abruptly. "I heard the bell ring, and a man's foot in the passage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was Lord Hadley," answered Helen, colouring a little at the very -mention of his name. "He came in to to wait for my father, I suppose, -or upon some such excuse."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My dear Helen," said Norries, laying his hand quietly upon hers, -"have nought to do with him, see him as little as possible; for though -to suspect you, my dear child, of anything that is wrong, is quite out -of the question for those who know you, yet the frequent visits of men -who, in our bad state of society, hold a rank far superior to your -own, and especially of such a dissolute, thoughtless youth as this, -may injure your fair fame with those who do not know you."</p> - -<p class="normal">The kindly tone in which he spoke encouraged Helen; and looking up in -his face, she said, "This is a subject on which I much wish to speak -to you, for I dare not tell my father. I did not see Lord Hadley, my -dear uncle, for I went to my own room the moment I saw him coming, and -ordered the maid to tell him, if he asked for me, that I <i>would not</i> - -see him, in those plain terms."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed!" exclaimed Norries, now much interested; "then he must have -done something very wrong, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has said things to me which I cannot repeat, my dear uncle," she -replied, with a glowing face. "He wanted to persuade me to leave my -father's house, and go away to London with him; and--and--he has -behaved very ill to me, in short."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did he dare?" exclaimed her uncle, with his eyes flashing, and his -cheek turning red. "Your father must know this, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no, no!" cried Helen Clive; "I dare not tell him, indeed. I am -sure if he knew all he would kill him on the spot. You know how very -violent he is when he is made angry, and how angry he would be if he -knew I had been insulted as I have been."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do know it well, Helen," replied Norries, thoughtfully, "and I will -acknowledge yours is a difficult position. You are no coquette, my -dear child, to give this man any encouragement, even at the first, -before he had shown himself in his true colours; and I feel sure you -have done your best to keep him from the house."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed I have," replied Helen Clive; "I have never liked him from the -first, though I felt gratitude for the kindness which I received from -him and his friend Mr. Dudley, and expressed it. But oh! how different -has Mr. Dudley's conduct ever been. It was to him, indeed, I owed my -safety, though the other was kind also at the time; but the very night -when they had brought me here, he looked at me in a way--I cannot -describe it--but it made me feel very uncomfortable."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And Mr. Dudley has been always kind?" asked her uncle.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot tell you how kind," answered Helen. "His manner was so -gentle, so like a gentleman; and he seemed to feel so much for me in -every way, both when he was extricating me from the heap of stones and -earth, and afterwards when I was anxious to let my father know what -had happened, that I can never forget it; and then, when I saw him the -day after, there was such a difference between his conduct and Lord -Hadley's, that in any moment of danger I would have clung to him like -a brother, while I shrunk from the other's very look. I did not know -why then; but I know now."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is like the race of Dudley," replied Norries, and leaning his head -upon his hand, he fell into deep and seemingly bitter thought. "How -men may be led into great errors!" he exclaimed at length. "Helen, -your father must know of all this; but I will tell him, and tell him -why you dared not. That in itself will act as a check upon him; for -with high hearts like his, to see the consequences of their passions -is to regret them. But fear not, little pet, I will take care to tell -him when he will have time for calm thought before he can act. Helen, -it must be! A daughter must not show a want of confidence in her -father."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would not for the world," replied Helen Clive; "but oh! take care, -my dear uncle, for I tremble to think of the consequences."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will take care, poor thing," said Norries; "although, dear Helen, -we must never think of consequences where a matter of right and duty -is concerned; and now farewell." Thus saying, he took his departure, -and left her, with an anxious mind and agitated heart, to await the -coming events.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The afternoon had been clear, and even warm. Every cloud had passed -away from the sky; and when, about a quarter to six, Eda Brandon -retired to her own room to dress for dinner, the sun, set about a -quarter of an hour before, had left the sky all studded with stars. -She was fond of seeing the heavens, and the curtains of her windows -were not drawn; so that while she sat at her toilette table, with the -maid dressing her beautiful hair, she could gaze out at the orbs of -light in the firmament, which was spread like a scroll written with -characters of fire before her eyes.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was very dark, however, for--as the reader learned in moons will -comprehend from what was said at the beginning of this work--the fair -planet of the night had not yet risen; and as Eda continued to gaze, -there suddenly shot up through the obscurity what seemed a bright, -rushing ball of fire; then pausing, suspended as it were, in the air -for a moment, it burst into a thousand glittering sparks, which -descended slowly towards the earth again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What can that be?" exclaimed Eda. '"La! ma'am, it's a rocket," said -the maid. "I shouldn't wonder if it was some of those Chartist -people's signals. They are making a great stir about here just now, I -can tell you, Miss Eda; and I am getting horribly afraid for what will -happen next."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you mean to say that such things are taking place in this -neighbourhood?" inquired Eda, in some surprise. "I think you must be -confounding the reports from the manufacturing districts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! dear, no, ma'am!" replied the maid. "My brother, who is servant -with Mr. Gaspey, told me yesterday, that he had seen full fifty of -them marching across, two and two, to some of their meetings; and he -and his master both think we shall have a row. La! there goes another -rocket: it's their doings, depend upon it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That cannot be," answered Eda. "Those rockets are thrown up from the -sea. I should not wonder if it was some ship in distress. Open the -window, and listen if there are guns."</p> - -<p class="normal">The maid obeyed, but all was silent, though the wind blew dead -upon the coast; and Eda, finishing her toilette, descended to the -drawing-room.</p> - -<p class="normal">A number of the neighbouring gentry had been invited to dine at -Brandon on that day, and the table was well-nigh full. As soon as that -pause in devouring took place, which usually succeeds when people have -eaten fully sufficient to satisfy the hungry man, and have nothing -left but to pamper the epicure, conversation, which was very slack -before, became animated upon the subject of the movements which were -taking place in different parts of the country, of the designs of the -Chartists, and of the danger of 'the people's holiday' terminating in -anarchy and bloodshed.</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda watched her uncle, for she knew well that he entertained opinions -upon political subjects very different from those of the gentlemen by -whom he was surrounded. Sir Arthur changed colour several times while -the subject was under discussion; but at length a young military man, -with somewhat rash impetuosity, exclaimed, "Depend upon it, this is a -disease that wants blood-letting. A few inches of cold iron, applied -on the first attack, will soon cut it short."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur fired at the speech, and replied, warmly, "My opinion is -totally different, sir. If it be a disease at all, it is one of those -that are salutary in the end, and likely to clear off a mass of evils -which have accumulated in the pursy and pampered constitution of this -country. But," he continued, in a more moderate tone, "as the opinions -at the table are very wide apart, it may be wise to avoid politics."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps so," replied the young officer, with a courteous inclination -of the head; and the subject dropped, much to Eda's relief.</p> - -<p class="normal">She was destined, however, in the course of that evening to meet with -a new subject of anxiety and annoyance. Lord Hadley, without actually -getting at all tipsy, took enough wine after dinner to render him -overbearing and irritable; and when Dudley seated himself beside her -for a moment in the drawing-room, and said a few words to her in a low -tone, the young peer instantly cut across their conversation, and in a -haughty and domineering manner, gave a flat contradiction to something -which his tutor had asserted.</p> - -<p class="normal">Although of an amiable, and usually of a placable disposition, Dudley -instantly retorted in severe terms: his growing contempt for the young -peer overcoming his ordinary command over himself. Lord Hadley's words -grew high, and tones loud; Edgar Adelon and the young officer, who had -been one at the dinner-table, drew near; and the former listened with -evident satisfaction to the severe castigation which the peer received -at the hands of Mr. Dudley. It was given without loss of temper, but -yet with an unsparing and a powerful hand; and the young man, almost -furious, exposed himself every moment more and more, while the -contemptuous smile of Edgar Adelon rendered his punishment still more -bitter. The presence of Miss Brandon acted as a certain restraint; and -as the eyes of several ladies in the room turned upon them, Lord -Hadley, with a burning heart and a flushed cheek, turned away and left -the room, while Edgar, with a laugh, muttered, "It will do him good;" -and Dudley calmly resumed his conversation with Eda.</p> - -<p class="normal">Miss Brandon, however, was herself much agitated and alarmed; and in -the course of the evening, as the company from time to time broke into -different groups, she took the opportunity of saying, at a moment when -they were unobserved, "For pity's sake, Edward, do not let the dispute -go any farther with that foolish young man. Remember, he is but a boy, -in mind at all events, and really unworthy of your notice."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! fear not, dear Eda," replied Dudley; "for your sake, if for -nothing else, I would not suffer such an idle dispute to deviate into -a direct quarrel. But the relations between him and me must be -immediately altered. As long as he thought fit to demean himself as a -gentleman and a man of honour, there seemed to be nothing degrading in -the position that I held. Now, however, the case is different."</p> - -<p class="normal">Other persons coming up prevented their farther conversation; and when -the guests had taken their leave, Eda retired, not to rest, but to -think over events which were the cause of no slight anxiety. Slowly -undressing, she dismissed her maid, and sitting down before the table, -wrapped in her dressing-gown, meditated painfully over the probable -result. The moments often fly fast in thought as well as in activity; -and Eda, in surprise, heard a clock which stood near her door strike -one, while she was still sitting at the table. She rose to go to bed, -but at that moment a curious sound caught her ear. It seemed to -proceed from the park, and was that of a dull, heavy tramp, sometimes -sounding louder, sometimes softer, sometimes distinctly measured, -sometimes varied into a mere rustle. It struck her as very curious; -and although she tried to persuade herself that it was a herd of deer -passing over the gravel in the avenue, yet she was not satisfied, and -proceeding to a window, drew back the curtains and gazed out.</p> - -<p class="normal">The moon was not yet to be seen in the sky, but still her approaching -light shed a certain degree of lustre before her. The night was -certainly clearer than it had appeared shortly after sunset, and the -stars were more faint and pale. From the left-hand side of the park, -moving rapidly across the wide open space in front of the house, at a -distance of not more than a hundred yards, a stream of dark human -figures was seen, tending towards the opposite side, where the stile -led down into the little valley with the stream and the old priory. -There seemed to be between two and three hundred men, principally -walking two and two; but every here and there in the line, they were -gathered into a little knot, and apparently carrying some heavy mass -upon their shoulders. At one spot within sight they halted, and one of -the burdens which they carried was shifted to the shoulders of fresh -bearers, displaying to the eyes of Eda, as the change was effected, an -object which, to imagination, looked much like the form of a man. It -seemed very heavy, however, and took at least eight or ten persons to -carry it. It required some time, too, to move it from one set of -shoulders to another; and when the party marched on again, Eda said to -herself, "This must be a train of those misguided men, the Chartists. -How bold of them to come across the park! I trust my uncle has nothing -to do with them; but I almost fear it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Even as the thought passed through her mind, a single figure came -forth from the terrace just below her, and followed upon the track of -the others. The form, however, was too slight and graceful for that of -Sir Arthur Adelon. It was that of a young and lightly made man; and -Eda at once recognised her cousin Edgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">The moment she did so, she threw open the window, and leaning out, -spoke to him in a low voice. "What is all this, Edgar?" she said. "Who -are those men, and what are they about?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not know, pretty cousin," he answered; "but I am going to see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! for heaven's sake, take care," cried Eda. "You had better take no -notice of them. There were two or three hundred men, and they may -murder you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pooh! pooh!" answered Edgar. "Go to bed, Eda, dear; you will catch -cold, and then somebody will scold me to-morrow;" and away he walked -after the party of men, which he also had seen from his room as he sat -meditating near the window. The intruders seemed to know the park -tolerably well, but Edgar Adelon knew it better; and cutting off an -angle here, and taking a short turn there--by a hawthorn bush, round a -clump of chestnuts, through a copse, over a rise--he contrived to come -in sight of them continually, without being seen himself, till at -length they reached the stone stile, and paused around it in an -irregular mass. The young gentleman was at that moment standing with -his back against a large horse-chestnut tree, and he could not at all -make out the man[oe]uvres that followed. Some of the men stood upon -the top of the stile, and seemed, with great labour and difficulty, to -lift a large and very weighty object over the wall. Then came another -effort of the same kind, and then the men began to pass rapidly into -the road beyond the park.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as the last had disappeared, young Edgar Adelon darted out of -his place of concealment, and followed; but by the time he reached the -lane, although the moon had now risen, not a trace of the mob could be -discovered; and he was turning away to the left, when suddenly a -murmur of voices from the copse and valley below showed him the -direction which those he sought had taken. There were ways through -that copse only known to himself and the gamekeepers, unless, indeed, -some of the neighbouring poachers were as learned in its recesses; but -following one of these paths, he soon came within sight of the open -space before the old priory, and a strange scene presented itself to -his eyes. Full two hundred men were there assembled; some sitting on -fragments of the old ruin, some sauntering idly about the little -green, some bathing their hands in the stream, which sparkled not only -in the light, pure and pale, of the newly-risen moon, but in that of -two or three torches, which had by this time been lighted. In the -centre, however, there was a group of some thirty persons, more busily -employed, in the midst of whom shone the torches I have mentioned; and -by their glare, Edgar now perceived, for the first time clearly, the -heavy objects which the men had carried, and saw what they were now -doing with them. Two small field-pieces, apparently of brass, lay upon -the ground, detached from their carriages, which had been taken to -pieces, and which the mob were busily putting together. A good deal of -skill was shown in the task, and no slight eagerness appeared in the -rough, bronzed countenances of the men around, as they looked on or -assisted from time to time. The fixing the carriages together was soon -complete, and then came the more laborious work of slinging the -cannon, and adjusting them in their proper position. This was not -accomplished without difficulty, but it was at length complete; and -Edgar Adelon felt inclined to turn away and go back to the house, when -suddenly a loud voice exclaimed, "Now run them back into those dark -nooks, and gather round and hear a word or two."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eight or ten men instantly applied themselves to drag the field-pieces -into the recesses of the building, and then came forth again, -gathering round the person who had spoken. He then placed himself upon -a large mass of fallen masonry, and in a loud, clear tone, and with -powerful and energetic language, pronounced an harangue, which gave to -Edgar Adelon the astounding information that his father was looked -upon as the leader of the rash men he saw before him, and their future -guide and support in schemes which seemed to his fresh young mind -nothing but mete madness. A part, at least, of their plans and -purposes was displayed; and with a heart filled with terror and -anxiety for his father, Edgar Adelon made his way out of the copse, to -return to Brandon House, asking himself how he should act, and -resolving to consult the priest as soon as he could see him on the -following morning.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">What a whimsical thing is that strange composition--man. The very -elements of his nature war against each other, though bound together -by hoops of steel. The spirit and the body are continually at -variance, and the activity of the one often renders the other inert. -Eda Brandon could not sleep after Edgar Adelon left her; her -imagination, ever busy, presented to her continually scenes the most -fearful and the most terrible, where the gibbet, and the axe, and the -deadly shot were seen and heard; and her uncle's form appeared as a -criminal, freed for an hour or two from dark imprisonment, to endure -the torture of a public trial. She judged of all she knew as a woman -judges: with keen foresight and penetration, but without sufficient -experience to make that penetration available. But still her fancy was -busy, and it kept her waking. For more than one hour she did not -sleep; but still she tried hard to do so, for she proposed to rise -early on the following morning, when she knew that those whom she had -determined to consult, as to all the questions before her, would be -up. But such resolutions are vain. Fatigue and exhaustion imperatively -counselled repose; and at length, when her eyes closed, -notwithstanding all her determinations to watch, she went on in a -profound slumber for more than one hour after her usual time of -rising.</p> - -<p class="normal">A morning of hurry and anxiety succeeded. Dudley had already gone out -with the gamekeepers and Edgar to shoot; Lord Hadley was still in bed; -Mr. Filmer had been summoned to a dying man at daybreak.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur ate his breakfast absorbed in journals and papers; and Eda, -though she loved him, had still doubts and hesitations, which -prevented her from speaking to her uncle on the subject predominant in -her thoughts. At length he looked at his watch, and rose suddenly, -saying, "I must leave you, dear Eda. It is strange that Mr. Norries -has not arrived, as I expected him on business."</p> - -<p class="normal">No mention was made of the peculiar influence that the one party -possessed over the other; and the tone, too, was so commonplace, that -Eda began to imagine she had been over-penetrating, and had imagined -things that did not exist; so that she saw her uncle depart with -comparative tranquillity, and remained alone for near an hour, trying -to occupy herself with the ordinary amusements of the morning. At the -end of that time, however, her maid opened the door of her own little -sitting-room, saying, "Miss Clive, ma'am," and Helen was soon seated -by Eda Brandon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the matter, Helen dear," said Eda, as the other, at her -invitation, sat down on the sofa beside her. "You look pale; and -agitated I am sure you are; for however we may hide it, dear Helen, -and however difficult it may be to detect in line or feature, the -anxiety of the heart writes itself upon the face in characters faint -but very distinct. You are anxious about something, Helen. Something -has gone amiss. Tell me, dear Helen; for I think I need not say that -if I can console or help, you have only to tell the how, to Eda -Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are ever kind to your own little Helen, as you used to call me in -my childhood, Eda," replied her beautiful companion. "You were then -but a child yourself, but from that day to this there has been no -change, and it is time that I should try to return the kindness. -Dearest Eda, it is you I am anxious for--at least yours; and I cannot -refrain from telling you what I know, in the hope that you may be able -to avert the danger; but you must promise me first not to mention one -word to any one of that which I am about to say."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, my dear Helen, how can I avert danger if I may not mention to -any one the circumstances?" inquired Eda. "I am a very weak, powerless -creature, Helen; and as you say the danger menaces mine more than -myself, if I must speak of it to no one, how can I warn them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Listen, listen, Eda!" was the answer. "You must not indeed tell what -I relate, except as I point out; but still you shall have room enough -to warn those you love of the danger their own acts are bringing upon -them. Do you promise, Eda?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly, Helen," replied Eda Brandon; "it is for you to speak or be -silent; and I must take your intelligence on your own conditions. Yet -I think you might trust me entirely to act for the best, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must not," said Helen Clive. "What I have to say might involve the -lives of others. Listen, then, Helen. Your uncle, Sir Arthur, is -involved in schemes which will, I am sure, lead to his destruction. He -is going this very evening to a place whence he will not come back -without great guilt upon his head, and great danger hanging over him; -perhaps he may never come back at all; but be sure that if he do go, -peace and security are banished from him for ever. Persuade him not to -go, Eda. That is the only thing which can save him."</p> - -<p class="normal">She spoke with eager interest, and it was impossible, from her look, -her tone, her whole manner, to doubt for one moment that she was fully -impressed with the truth of what she said. Nor was Eda without her -anxiety; all that she had seen the night before, all that she had -remarked of her uncle's behaviour for several days, not only showed -her that there was foundation for Helen Clive's assertion, but -directed her suspicions aright; and though she paused, it was not in -any doubt, but rather to consider how, without deceit, she could -obtain further information from one who was not disposed to give it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot persuade him, Helen," she said, at length, in a sad tone, -"without much more intelligence than you have given: he would only -laugh at me. Nay, perhaps with all that you could give, such would be -the same result. Men are often sadly obstinate, and ridicule the -prophetic fears of woman, who sees the events in which they are called -to mingle, but from which she is excluded, not unfrequently more -justly than themselves, because she is but a spectator. You have -neither told me the place to which he is going, nor the hour, nor the -object, no, nor the inducement. Inducement?" she continued, in a -thoughtful tone, as if speaking to herself; "what can be a sufficient -inducement for my uncle, with everything to lose and nothing to gain -by such commotions, to take part in any of these rash schemes?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I see that you have yourself had fears," answered Helen, "and that -those fears have not led you far from the truth. Then as to the -inducement, Eda----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes, speak of that," replied Miss Brandon; "if I knew what it -was, perhaps I might remove it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps so," said Helen, thoughtfully, and then paused for an instant -to consider. "I think you can, Eda," she continued. "If I know looks, -and can understand tones, you certainly will be able. But there are -several inducements, as I suppose there are in all things. There is -the vanity, I believe, of adhering steadily to opinions once -professed, how much soever the man, the circumstances, or the times -may be changed; but that would have been nothing, had they not led him -on from act to act, and whenever he wavered, whenever he thought of -how much he risked upon an almost hopeless undertaking, still forced -him forward by fears."</p> - -<p class="normal">"By fears!" exclaimed Eda. "Of what? Of whom? Who has Sir Arthur -Adelon to fear? What can he apprehend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">She spoke somewhat proudly, and Helen gazed at her with a sad but -tender look, while she replied, in a few brief words, "He whom he -fears is one whom, if generously treated, there is no cause to fear. -His name is Dudley, Eda! What he fears, is the discovery by Mr. Dudley -of some dark transactions in the past--I know not what, for they did -not mention it--the proofs of which these men have in their -possession."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda sat before her, silent with amazement, for several moments; but -then she put her hand to her brow, and the next moment a smile full of -hope came up into her face. "If that be the inducement," she said, "I -think it will be easily removed, dear Helen. But you spoke of others; -may they not be sufficiently strong to carry him on in the same course -still?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no!" replied Helen, "that is the great motive. Take that away, -and he will be safe. Speak to Mr. Dudley first, Eda, and get him to -say to Sir Arthur these words, or some that are like them: 'I have -heard of some papers to be returned to me in a few days, Sir Arthur -Adelon, affecting questions long past; but I think it right to say at -once, that I wish all those gone-by affairs to be buried in oblivion; -and I pledge you my word, if those papers are given to me, I will -destroy them without looking at them.'"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is much to ask, Helen," exclaimed Eda, with a look of -hesitation; "how can I tell that those papers do not affect his very -dearest interests? I remember well that his father lost a fine -property some years ago, by a suit at law. May not these very papers -affect that transaction; may they not afford the means of recovering -it?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"They do not, they do not," answered Helen, eagerly; "and if they did, -would he not promise <i>you</i>, Eda?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The emphasis was so strong upon the word "you," that it brought the -colour into Eda Brandon's cheek; for she found that woman's eyes had -seen at once into woman's heart. Still she shrunk from owning the love -that was between Dudley and herself; and she replied, "I had better -ask my cousin Edgar to speak to Mr. Dudley about it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Speak to him yourself, Eda," replied Helen, with a faint smile; "your -voice will be more powerful. But let me proceed, for I must be home -without delay. When you have Mr. Dudley's promise to speak as I have -said, then beg Sir Arthur yourself not to go this night where he is -going. Mind not, Eda, whether he laughs or is angry, but do you detain -him by every persuasion in your power."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But if he should not come home?" said Eda; "such a thing is not -impossible. He has been out very much lately, both by day and by -night, and we are all ignorant of whither he goes on such occasions."</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen once more paused before she replied, and then said, with evident -hesitation and fear: "You must send some persons down to seek him, -then, dear Eda. Let them go down to a place called Mead's Farm, -half-way between this and Barhampton, about eight o'clock tonight. -There is a large empty barn there; and at it, or near it, they will -find two or three men standing, who will not let them pass along the -path unless they give the word, 'Justice.' Then, if they go along the -road before them, towards Barhampton, they will find the person they -are seeking. But, oh! I trust, Eda, he will be found before that, for -then it will be almost too late."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who can I send?" said Eda, in a low tone, as if speaking to herself; -but Helen caught the words, and replied, in an imploring tone, "Not -Mr. Adelon, Eda--not your cousin. He might be led on with his father, -and ruin overtake him too."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda smiled sweetly, and laid her hand upon Helen Clive's, with a -gentle and affectionate pressure; but, as she did so, some painful -anticipations regarding the fate of her beautiful and highly-gifted -companion crossed her mind, and she said, with a sigh, "Do you know, I -am almost a Chartist too, Helen!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen started, saying, "Indeed! I do not understand what you mean, -Eda."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What I mean is, dear Helen," replied Miss Brandon, "that I wish there -were no distinctions upon earth, but virtue, and excellence, and high -qualities."</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen now understood her, and cast down her eyes with a blush and a -sigh; and Eda put her arm round her neck, adding, "In time of need, my -Helen, come to me. Tell me all and everything, and above all, how I -can serve you; and you shall not find Eda Brandon wanting. But, hark! -there's Lord Hadley's voice in the hall below."</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen Clive turned pale and trembled. "He will not come here?" she -said, eagerly. "Do not let him come here. Oh! how shall I get away?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, what is the matter?" asked Eda, in surprise; but before Helen -could answer, another voice, rich and harmonious, but speaking in -grave and almost stern tones, was heard. "My lord, I beg your pardon, -but this is a matter which admits of no delay. I must repeat my -request for a few minutes' conversation with you immediately."</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Hadley was then heard answering sharply; and the next moment the -voices ceased, as if the speakers had retired into one of the rooms -below.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You do not seem to like Lord Hadley, Helen," said Eda, in a -thoughtful tone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I abhor him," answered Helen Clive, "and I have cause. But now I must -return to the Grange, and I will ask you as a favour, dear Eda, to -send some one with me by the way. It is very strange to feel afraid at -going out alone for one who has been accustomed, as I have been, to -roam about like a free bird, without one thought of danger or -annoyance; but now I tremble at every step I take, and watch every -coming figure with apprehension."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And has this young man done this?" asked Eda Brandon. "It is sad, -very sad; but you shall have protection, Helen."</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen Clive did not reply, and Eda rang the bell, and gave orders that -one of the old servants, who had been attached for twenty years to her -father's house, should accompany Helen back to the Grange.</p> - -<p class="normal">They then parted, after some more brief explanations; but just as -Helen reached the foot of the stairs, where the servant was waiting -for her, the door of the library was thrown violently open, and Lord -Hadley appeared with a flushed and angry countenance. Mr. Dudley was -standing two or three steps behind him, and his cheek too was hot, and -his brow frowning.</p> - -<p class="normal">Without seeing Helen, and, indeed, in the blind fury of passion, -without noticing any one else, the young nobleman turned before he -left the library, and with a menacing gesture, said to Mr. Dudley: -"Your insolence, sir, shall not go without notice. Don't suppose your -rash and mercenary pretensions have escaped my eyes. Be you sure they -will be treated with the contempt they merit; but I will take care -that they shall be pursued no farther, for they shall be exposed to -Sir Arthur Adelon this very day."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley took a step forward and replied, with a stern look, "Your -lordship had better take care what use you make of my name in your -discourse, for depend upon it, if you treat it disrespectfully I shall -know how to punish you for so doing."</p> - -<p class="normal">It is probable that more angry words would have followed, but at that -moment two other persons were added to the group, by the advance of -Mr. Filmer from the outer hall, and by the appearance of the butler -from the side of the offices, carrying a tray with letters.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Two letters for your lordship," said the servant, advancing in a -commonplace manner, as if he observed nothing of the angry discussion -which was going on. "A letter for you, sir," he continued, addressing -Dudley, as soon as Lord Hadley had taken what he presented.</p> - -<p class="normal">The young nobleman gave a hurried glance around; and the slight pause -which had been afforded was sufficient to allow reflection to come to -his aid. By this time Mr. Filmer was speaking to Helen Clive, and both -she and the priest were moving fast towards the great doors of the -house; but the presence of the two servants was now enough to restrain -Lord Hadley's impetuous temper; and without opening the letters he -hurried away towards his bed-room, leaving Dudley alone in the -library. The butler shut the door and retired to tell the housekeeper -and some of his fellow-servants all that which he had seen and heard, -but which he had affected not to observe.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley, in the mean time, laid down the letter on the table, and -stood in bitter thought. Although a man of strong command over -himself--command gained during a long period of adversity--he was -naturally of a quick and eager disposition, and a severe struggle was -taking place in his bosom at that moment to maintain the ascendancy of -principle over passion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No!" he said, at length--"No. I will make one more effort to reclaim -him. I will not dwell upon his insulting conduct towards me; but I -will point out the wickedness and the folly of the course he is -pursuing, and endeavour to call him back to honour and to right." The -very determination served to calm him; and looking down upon the -letter on the table, he took it up, saying, "I wonder who this can be -from? I do not know the hand. I must see, for the seal is black." And -opening it, he found the following words:--</p> -<br> - -<p style="text-indent:5%">"<span class="sc">Dear Sir</span>,</p> - -<p style="text-indent:10%">"We have the melancholy task of informing you of the sudden decease, -last night, at half-past nine o'clock, of our much respected friend -and client, the Rev. Dr. Dudley, which took place at St. John's, just -as he was about to retire to rest. Although we know that you will be -greatly grieved at this sad event, we are forced to intrude some -business upon your attention under the following circumstances. About -a fortnight ago, our late respected client, having felt some -apoplectic symptoms, judged it right to send for Mr. Emerson, of our -firm, in order to make his will, which was in due form signed, sealed, -and delivered. He therein appointed you his sole executor, having -bequeathed all his property, real and personal, to yourself, with the -exception of a few small legacies. He has also requested you to make -all the arrangements for his funeral as you may think proper, merely -directing that it should be conducted in a plain and unostentatious -manner. It is therefore very necessary that you should return to -Cambridge as soon as possible, or that you should send your directions -by letter. In the mean time we will take all proper steps in the -matter, and trust to be honoured with your confidence, as we have been -with that of your lamented relative for many years."</p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The letter was signed by a well-known law firm in Cambridge.</p> - -<p class="normal">The first emotion in the mind of Edward Dudley was that of deep -grief--grief, simple and unalloyed, for the loss of one whom he had -truly loved; but the next was a feeling of bereavement. His staff was -broken, his support gone, The only one in all the world who had acted -a kindly, almost a parental part to him, for long, long years, was no -more. He felt, as I have said, bereaved; for although the love of Eda -Brandon, that love which had been cherished in secret by both, was a -great consolation and a comfort, yet it was so different, both in kind -and in degree, from the affection entertained for him by his own -relation, that they could not be brought at all into comparison the -one with the other. New attachments never wholly compensate for old -ties. They fill a different, perhaps a larger place, but they leave -the others vacant. He mourned sincerely then; and it was some time -before the thought--which would have presented itself much earlier to -a worldly mind, came even to his memory--the thought that the riches -of the earth, which can never compete, in a generous heart, with those -affections which are above the earth, but which influence so much the -course of human life and mortal happiness, were now his. That he was -no more the impoverished student, seeking by hard labour to recover -the position which his family had once maintained. That he was not -only independent, but wealthy; and though perhaps not exactly upon a -par in point of fortune with the heiress of large hereditary -possessions, still no unportioned adventurer, seeking to mend his -condition with her gold. He knew that his father's first cousin had -himself inherited a very fair estate. He knew that he had held rich -benefices and lucrative offices; and he also knew that, though a -liberal and a kindly man, he had been also a very prudent one, and had -certainly lived far within his income. Thus he was certain of more -than a moderate fortune; but although it would be folly to deny that -such a conviction was a relief to his mind, still sincere grief was -predominant, and he felt that the wealth he had acquired by the loss -of a friend could in no degree compensate for the bereavement.</p> - -<p class="normal">While he thus meditated, he heard a quick but heavy step upon the -stairs, the glass doors between the hall and the vestibule bang with a -force which might almost have shaken the panes from the frame, and the -moment after he saw the figure of Lord Hadley pass the windows of the -library. Dudley instantly took up his hat, darted out and looked -around; but the young nobleman had disappeared, and seeing one of the -gamekeepers who had been out with him and Edgar in the morning, -walking slowly away from the house, he stopped him and asked which way -the young nobleman had taken. His manner was quick and eager, and the -cloud of grief was still upon his brow, so that the man looked at him -for a moment with some surprise before he answered. He then pointed -out the way, and Dudley was turning at once to follow it, when the -butler came out upon the terrace, saying, with a low bow, "Miss -Brandon wishes to speak with you for a few moments, sir, if you are -not otherwise engaged."</p> - -<p class="normal">"If the business is not of great importance," said Dudley, "I will be -back in ten minutes."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is nothing particular, I believe, sir," answered the man; "she has -just had a note from Sir Arthur to say he won't be back to dinner. I -fancy that is all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then say I will wait upon her in ten minutes," replied Dudley; "I -wish to catch Lord Hadley for a moment before he proceeds farther. We -have something to speak about which must be settled at once." And he -sped upon the way, as the gamekeeper had directed. It was in the -direction of the Grange.</p> - -<p class="normal">Ten minutes elapsed, and Dudley had not returned. A quarter of an -hour, half an hour, an hour; and when he came back he was evidently a -good deal excited. He calmed himself down, however, as much as -possible, and immediately requested an interview with Miss Brandon, -who came down and joined him in the library, remaining with him nearly -till dinner-time. They were at last interrupted by the priest, who -came in search of a book, and shortly after the dressing-bell rang. At -the dinner-table, Lord Hadley, who appeared very late, was gloomy and -thoughtful. He never addressed a word to Mr. Dudley, and spoke but -little to Eda or the priest, who took one end of the table. Edgar -Adelon did not at all seek to converse with him; and when any words -passed between them, they were as sharp as the customs of society -would permit. Dudley was very grave, and if he still took any interest -in Lord Hadley's conduct he might not be altogether satisfied to see -him drink so much wine. As soon as Eda had quitted the room, however, -Dudley rose, saying that, with Mr. Filmer's permission, he would -retire, as he was obliged to go out for a short time; and after -emptying two more glasses, Lord Hadley also left the table, and the -party broke up.</p> - -<p class="normal">The young peer took his hat in the vestibule, and walked out upon the -terrace, asking one of the men who were in the hall if he had seen -which way Mr. Dudley took. The man replied, "Up the avenue, my lord;" -and Lord Hadley pursued the same path. It was never to return.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The night was dark but fine; and innumerable stars spangled the sky, -as four men stood on watch by the side of a large old barn, within -sight of a farm-house. Although a human habitation was there, the -place had a desolate and solitary aspect. There was the farm-stead, -with its ricks and stacks, it is true, showing that industry was at -work; but not another house was to be seen around except that yeoman's -dwelling; not a labourer's cottage even; and the ground immediately -around was uncultivated, and presented no homely and comfortable -hedge-rows, no protection from the bleak winds which swept over the -adjacent downs. Immediately round about the house, the ground, sloping -hither and thither, was covered with short turf upon a sandy soil, -which appeared in many a yellow patch and broken bank; and between two -of the latter ran a good broad road, heavy to travel through with wain -or cart. At the edge of this road, and not more than twenty or thirty -yards from it, was the large, shapeless barn I have mentioned, the -boarding broken off in several places, and the tiling in a very -shattered condition. Between it and the road, upon the bank, which was -not above three feet high, were seated the men, who, as I have stated, -were placed on watch there; and it was evident that they listened from -time to time, for distant sounds, breaking off their low-toned -conversation, and bending an attentive ear at the word 'Hush!'</p> - -<p class="normal">"They can't have got there yet, William," said one of them. "Remember, -it is more than three miles."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, but they will go it quick," answered the other.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That was at the first starting," replied the first. "Their march will -be slower after a while. It is your impatience calculates your time -and not your wit."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would rather be at work with them there," said another, "than -lagging here, doing nothing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We have a post of more importance, and perhaps of more danger too," -rejoined the second speaker. "The success of the whole may depend upon -us. Hark! there is a footstep! Perhaps it is the soldiers they talked -of. Now, jump down and stand to your arms, my lads. Remember--you, -William, carry the intelligence at the first sight of them, while we -hold them in parley as long as possible." And as he spoke, he jumped -down into the road, first snatching up a musket that lay by his side.</p> - -<p class="normal">Whoever or whatever it was they expected, only a single figure -appeared, and as it came up the sandy path towards them, a voice -shouted, "Stand! Give the word!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Justice," replied the clear, full voice of Mr. Dudley; and as he -spoke, he continued to advance direct towards the men who barred the -road.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's the word, sure enough," said one of them in a low tone; "but -he has got no arms, and does not look like our people."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I dare say he is one of Sir Arthur's men," replied another; and after -a momentary hesitation, they made way to let him pass. Dudley, -however, paused in the midst of them, inquiring, in a familiar tone, -"Which way have they taken?" and after hearing the reply of "Straight -on; you cannot miss it," he walked forward at the same rapid pace -which had brought him thither.</p> - -<p class="normal">For a little more than two miles farther, no sound nor sight indicated -that he was approaching the scene of any important event. The road was -varied, sometimes passing over a part of the bare downs, sometimes -gliding in between little copses and hedge-rows, sometimes crossing -over a shoulder of the hill, sometimes skirting its base. At length, -however, a distant roar was heard, as of a multitude of human beings -talking tumultuously; and coming out of the little valley, through -which passed the byeway he was pursuing, a strange and not -unpicturesque scene burst upon his eyes. He was now at the foot of the -steep ascent which led up to the old gates of the small town of -Barhampton; and the decayed walls, with their flanking towers, were -seen crowning the rise, at the distance of somewhat more than a -quarter of a mile. I have said that they were seen, though the night -was very dark, and the moon had not yet risen; but it was by a less -mellow and peaceful light than that of the fair planet that the -crumbling fortifications were displayed. More than a hundred links -were blazing with their red and smoky glare around the gate and -beneath the walls; and a sea of human beings, moving to and fro, some -on horseback and some on foot, was shown by the same fitful flames, -with strange effects of light and shade, varying over them every -moment as the groups themselves changed their forms, or the links were -carried from place to place. At the same time, a dull, murmuring, -subdued roar was heard, strong but not loud, as of many persons -speaking eagerly; and every now and then a voice rose in a shout above -the rest, as if giving directions or commands.</p> - -<p class="normal">Without pausing even an instant to gaze upon the scene, however -strange and interesting, Dudley hurried on up the ascent, sometimes -running, sometimes walking, till he reached the outskirts of the mob, -where a number of the less zealous and energetic were standing idly -by, some with arms in their hands of various kinds and sorts: muskets, -fowling-pieces, pikes, swords, scythes set upright upon poles; pistols -and daggers, or large knives; some totally unarmed, like himself, or -furnished merely with a bludgeon. In advance was the denser part of -the crowd: agitated, vociferous, swaying hither and thither, and -seeming to attend but little to the commands which were shouted from -time to time by several persons on horseback. The confusion was -indescribable, and little could be seen of what was going on in front, -though the light of the torches caught strong on one or two of the -banners, bearing inscriptions in gilt letters, and upon the figures of -the horsemen, who were raised above the crowd on foot. Towards one of -these Mr. Dudley strove to force his way; but it was with difficulty -that he gained, every moment or two, a step in advance, till at length -he came suddenly, in the midst of the densest mass of the people, upon -a brass six-pounder, of somewhat antique form, with the two horses -which had drawn it up the hill. There seemed to be another a little in -advance; but seeing the space somewhat clear on the other side of the -gun, Dudley leaped over it, and hurried on more freely towards the -figure upon which his eyes had been fixed, and which he recognised at -once, though some attempt had been made to disguise the person. As he -was passing the other field-piece, however, a man of foreign -appearance, with a large pair of mustachios, stopped him rudely, -telling him in French to keep back.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley replied in the same language, "I must pass, sir. I wish to -speak with that gentleman;" and, at the same time, he thrust aside the -other, who was much less powerful than himself, and was approaching -Sir Arthur Adelon, when suddenly a broad blaze broke up just under the -arch of the old gateway, and a loud voice exclaimed, "That will soon -burn them down."</p> - -<p class="normal">The crowd recoiled a little, and Dudley for a moment caught sight of a -huge pile of dry bushes which had been placed against the old gates, -and lighted by some gunpowder. The next instant he was by Sir Arthur's -side, and then for the first time saw, a little in advance of the -baronet, the lawyer Norries, apparently acting as the leader of the -multitude, and at that moment giving directions for bringing round the -muzzles of the field-pieces to bear upon the gates as soon as they -should be destroyed by the flames.</p> - -<p class="normal">The tumult and uproar were so great that Sir Arthur neither saw nor -heard Dudley, till the latter had spoken to him three times, and then, -when he turned his eyes upon him, he started, and became very pale.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Arthur, listen to me for a moment," said Dudley; "bend down your -head, and hear what I have to say."</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet, seemingly by an involuntary movement, did as he was -required; and Dudley continued, in a low voice, saying, "Take the -first opportunity of turning your horse and riding away; and be -sure----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Impossible, sir, impossible!" answered Sir Arthur, in the same tone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And be sure," continued Dudley, without heeding his reply, "that if -you do not, you will have bitter cause to regret it. Listen to me yet -one moment, sir, before you answer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is a part of the gate down!" cried the loud voice of Norries. -"Bring these cannon round quicker. Have you lost your hands and arms?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Arthur Adelon," continued Dudley, earnestly, "I was asked a -question by those who sent me, and to it I gave a willing reply. In -accordance with that reply I was directed to say to you, I have heard -that some papers will be given up to me in a few days affecting -questions long past; but I say at once, I wish all those gone-by -affairs to be buried in oblivion, and if you will retire at once from -this scene of treasonable violence, I give you my word that when those -papers are given to me, I will destroy them without looking at them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then he has betrayed me!" murmured Sir Arthur, with a furious look -towards Norries; "he has forced me forward into these deeds, and then -betrayed me. But it is too late," he added, aloud, for the preceding -words, though they were caught by Dudley, had been uttered in a very -low tone. "I know not what you speak of, sir. If you have come here to -put forth enigmas, I am too busy to unriddle them. It matters not to -me whether you look at papers or not. That is all your own affair." -And breaking off abruptly, he again gazed gloomily at Norries, and -muttered something between his teeth, of which Dudley only heard the -word, "Revenge."</p> - -<p class="normal">There were two holsters at his saddle-bow, such as are commonly used -in some of our volunteer regiments of cavalry; and as he spoke, Sir -Arthur Adelon put his right hand to one of them, while he turned his -horse with the other. But Dudley grasped his bridle rein, saying, "One -word more, Sir Arthur, and then I must go. You are in great danger," -he added, in a lower voice. "Not only are there troops within the -town, but in five minutes you will have the yeomanry upon you. So much -have I learned this day. Be advised for your own sake, for the sake of -your family. Turn your horse, disentangle yourself from the crowd, and -make the best of your way back to Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur gazed at him with a look of stupified astonishment; but ere -he could answer, a voice shouted, "The gate's down!--the gate's down!" -And immediately a rush forward took place, beginning with those -behind, who heard the announcement without seeing what was going on in -front.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Orderly, orderly!" cried Norries; "let the guns advance first." But -as he spoke, there was a loud ringing peal of musketry from the inner -side of the gateway, and then a straggling shot or two. A man amongst -the rioters dropped; another staggered, pressing his hand upon his -side, and fell; and the horse which Norries was riding reared high, -and then came thundering down.</p> - -<p class="normal">At the same instant there came the sound of a wild "Hurrah!" from the -side of the hill to the left, together with that of galloping horse. -Another volley of shot rang from behind the gateway of the town; and -then, with a cheer, a small but compact body of infantry advanced at -the charge with fixed bayonets from within the walls. Two more of the -rioters had fallen by the second discharge; the cry spread amongst -them that the cavalry were upon them; those at the extreme verge of -the crowd began to run; the centre remained firm for a moment, more -from indecision than courage; but the next instant, panic seized all, -and one general scene of flight and confusion followed.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley caught one more glance of Sir Arthur Adelon, but it was only to -see that he was spurring the fine horse he rode fiercely along the -slope towards the other side from that which now presented the -advancing line of a well-disciplined body of yeomanry cavalry.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was now time that Dudley should think of his own safety. He was in -the midst of a body of rioters, whose acts amounted to treason, though -a more lenient construction was afterwards put upon them, under the -merciful influence of modern civilisation. With quick step, then, but -not at a run, he turned somewhat in the direction which had been taken -by Sir Arthur Adelon, skirted round the town to the westward, and when -he had got in amongst some houses which had been built beyond the -walls, turned back, as if coming towards the scene of affray.</p> - -<p class="normal">The great mass of the people had fled down the hill towards the -villages and copses in the interior; and it must be said that the -yeomanry, inexperienced in such proceedings, made but few prisoners, -considering the number of people present at the attack upon the town. -A confused noise, however, reached Dudley's ears, of galloping horse, -and shouts and cries; but, keeping away to the right, he avoided the -spot where the pursuit was going on, and at the same time endeavoured -to regain the road which led towards Brandon. He was some time in -finding it, and even when actually upon it, did not feel sure that he -was right, till he perceived, after having gone on for a quarter of a -mile, a tall finger-post, of a peculiar form, which he had remarked as -he passed before.</p> - -<p class="normal">The road was quite solitary, although he thought he heard steps -running on fast before him; and no one did Dudley meet with during the -whole weary seven miles he had still to walk before he reached the -gates of Brandon Park. Sad and gloomy were the thoughts which kept him -company by the way from that scene of mad violence. He reflected upon -the fate of the misled men who had fallen or been taken; and with -still more sorrowful feelings he thought of the future condition of -the widow, the orphans, the parents of the dead, and all that were -connected with or dependent upon the prisoners. But it is with his own -fate I have to do, and not with his mere meditations, and therefore I -will conduct him at once past the old barn and lonely farm-house, -which marked about half the distance, and bring him to the gates of -the park. The moon was by this time rising, but the light of a candle -was in the lodge, and the small door leading into the park, at the -side of the greater ones, was open. Dudley passed through, and -advanced up the avenue towards the house; but he had not proceeded two -hundred yards, when two men started out upon him from behind the -trees, and seized him by the shoulder.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Edward Dudley," said one, "I apprehend you in the Queen's name. -Here is the warrant."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Upon what charge?" demanded Dudley, without making any resistance.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, it may be murder; it may be manslaughter," replied the -constable; "that remains to be seen. You must come to the lodge for -to-night, sir; for I am ordered to keep you there in safe custody, in -the little room with the round window at the back."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It is necessary now to leave Dudley in the hands of the constables, -and to take up the history of another personage in the tale.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon spurred on for four miles without drawing a rein, -and almost without giving a thought to any point in his situation, -except the effort necessary to escape personal danger. For the first -two miles he fancied that he heard the sounds of pursuit behind him; -but gradually, as no one appeared, and his keenest attention did not -confirm the impressions which fear had produced, he became convinced -that he had escaped immediate capture; and while he still urged his -horse furiously forward, he meditated over the perilous future. His -course was directed along a narrow horse-path across the downs, with -every turning of which he was well acquainted, but which added nearly -two miles to the distance he had to go. He paid little attention to -any external objects; but one thing could not escape his eye as he -rode over the high grounds towering above the sea. It was a dim light, -at the distance of about a mile from the shore, and he knew right well -that it was burning on board a small French brig, which had brought -over the two field-pieces the night before. The sight suggested to his -mind the idea of flight from England; but there were many difficult -and dangerous points to be considered before such a step could be -taken; and after awhile, he somewhat checked his horse's speed, and -though still proceeding at a quick trot, revolved in an intense, but -confused and rambling manner, the circumstances which surrounded him. -His inclination was certainly to fly; but then he remembered that to -do so would fix upon him participation in the crimes of that night; -that he might not be able to return to his country for long years, and -that the rest of his life might be spent in the pains of exile. He -recollected, too, that he had held back at that period of the attack -upon the town of Barhampton, when the magistrates had appeared upon -the wall, and summoned the multitude to disperse, and retire quietly -to their homes; and he fancied that, disguised as his person had been, -in a large wrapping cloak, with a handkerchief tied over the lower -part of his face, and a hat unlike that which he usually wore, he -might have escaped without observation on the part of most of the -rioters. But then again, Dudley had seen him, spoken to him, -recognised him. He was the only one, except Norries, that was fully -aware of his presence on the spot, and Sir Arthur believed that he had -seen the latter fall dead under the fire of the troops. Could Dudley -be silenced, all might go well; but still the baronet hesitated and -balanced, and remained undecided till the gates of Brandon Park -appeared before him. It was necessary to come to some immediate -decision; and yet he could not make up his mind to decide; and at -length he determined, as most men in a state of doubt are inclined to -do, to cast the burden upon another. "I will speak with Filmer," he -thought; "and upon his advice I will act." The gates were immediately -opened on his ringing the bell; for the tenants of the lodge, knowing -that he was absent, had waited up for his return, and riding hard up -the avenue, Sir Arthur entered his niece's house a little after eleven -o'clock. A momentary hesitation crossed him when he was passing the -threshold, as to whether he should consult with Father Peter or not; -but that doubt was immediately put an end to, by the first words of -the butler, who stood behind the servant that opened the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! Sir Arthur!" he said, with a very grave face, "some terrible -things have happened----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know--I know," cried Sir Arthur, interrupting him hastily, and -somewhat surprised to find that the tidings had travelled so quick. -"Where is Mr. Filmer? I must see him directly. Call him to me -immediately."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He is in the library, sir," replied the man; and passing on with a -quick step, Sir Arthur Adelon entered the room where the priest was -seated alone. Father Filmer was sitting at a large library-table, with -his head resting on his hand: and as he raised his eyes to the -baronet's countenance, with the light of the large lamp streaming upon -his broad forehead, there was an expression of intense stern thought -upon his face, which made Sir Arthur feel he was in the presence of -his master more than of his friend perhaps. He closed the door, and -saw that it was firmly shut; and as he was advancing towards the -table, Mr. Filmer inquired, "What is the matter, Sir Arthur? You are -pale, haggard, and apparently much agitated."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you not heard, my good father?" asked the baronet. "I had -understood that the rumour had reached Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have heard much," replied the priest; "but what I wish to hear is, -what it is that has so much affected you. My son," he continued, -rising, and gazing gravely upon Sir Arthur's face, "if you would -have comfort, consolation, and advice from one who is your old and -long-tried friend, as well as your spiritual guide, you must have -confidence in him. Now, in that confidence you have been wanting -lately. You have told me half, and I have known the whole. You have -avoided rather sought my counsel; and I have not forced it upon you, -although I knew you to be engaged in enterprises dangerous to yourself -and others, and knew also the inducements which forced you forwards, -and from which I could have relieved you, if you would but have been -guided by me. The only thing of which I was unaware, was that the rash -attempt was to be made to-night. I see by your face, by your dress, by -your manner, that it has been so; and I now ask you the result, not -from any idle curiosity, but for the purpose of delivering you from -the difficulties which your own want of confidence has brought upon -you. Speak; and every word that you say shall be held as sacred as if -uttered under the seal of confession."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The result, my best friend," replied Sir Arthur, "is more disastrous -than can be conceived." And he went on to give his own version of all -that had occurred, dwelling particularly upon Dudley's appearance -amongst the rioters, and the words which he had used. Filmer suffered -him to proceed to an end without a single question. He did not even -embarrass him by a look, but having resumed his seat, kept his eyes -fixed thoughtfully upon the table, and his head slightly bent, in -listening attention.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And now what am I to do?" asked Sir Arthur. "I will be guided -entirely by your advice. There is the French brig which has been hired -by some of these men, through the <i> -Société Democratique</i>, now lying -off the coast. A boat will carry me on board in half an hour, and I -shall be safe in France, as fugitives accused of mere political -offences cannot be claimed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would you ruin yourself for ever?" asked Father Filmer; "would you -put a brand upon your name which can never be effaced? Think not of -it; merely answer me one or two questions. Are you sure that Norries -is dead?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I saw him fall with my own eyes," answered the baronet; "and I think -that one of the cannon passed over him, for the horses took fright at -the firing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Norries would not betray you, I think," said Mr. Filmer, -thoughtfully; and then repeated, "he would not betray you, even if he -were living, I do believe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But he has betrayed me to this young Dudley already," answered Sir -Arthur Adelon, sharply. "His words clearly showed that he is informed -of all that passed six years ago. He, the son of my greatest enemy, -has me now entirely in his power: it is that which makes it so -necessary to fly; he saw me, spoke to me, can swear to my presence -there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But he, you think, is the only one?" said the priest, in a tone of -inquiry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly," replied Sir Arthur. "I have been at only two of their -meetings; and at the last I strongly dissuaded them from the attempt, -and said that I would take no part in it, which was the cause of -Norries' threatening visit here. All my other communications have been -carried on with him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you are safe," said the priest. "If any one has by chance -recognised your person, it may easily be said that you were there to -dissuade the people from their rash attempt; and you can call -witnesses to prove that you had done so before."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But Dudley, Dudley!" said the baronet, almost impatiently; "he can -prove all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will provide for him," replied the priest, with a marked emphasis -and a bitter smile. "He shall be taken care of."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how, how?" cried Sir Arthur.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come with me and I will show you," answered Mr. Filmer; and lighting -a taper at the lamp, he led the way into the hall. Sir Arthur -followed, in wonder and doubt, and the priest opened the door of the -dining-room, and went in. As soon as Sir Arthur entered, his eyes fell -upon the dining-room table, which was covered with a white cloth, -concealing from the eye some large object like the figure of a man. -Mr. Filmer set down the light he carried on the side-board, where two -other wax candles were burning; and then, with a slow, firm step, and -grave countenance, approached the end of the table, and threw back the -cloth. Sir Arthur had followed him step by step, but what was his -horror and surprise to see, when the covering was removed, the cold, -inanimate features of Lord Hadley, with his forehead and head covered -with blood, and his clothes likewise stained with gore and dust.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heaven!" he exclaimed, "how has this happened, and how does this -bear upon my own fate?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"How it has happened," answered Mr. Filmer, "remains to be proved, and -shall be proved; and how it bears upon your fate, I will leave you to -divine, at least for the present. That unhappy young man had a sharp -and angry discussion this morning with Mr. Dudley. The subject was -Helen Clive, whom he who lies there was pursuing with the basest -intentions, and insulting with familiarities as well as importunities, -alike repugnant to one of so high a mind. The dispute proceeded to -very fierce and angry menaces on both parts. Dudley forgot his usual -moderation, and the sharp terms he used were overheard by myself and -two others. At dinner they were cold and repulsive towards each other; -and after dinner, towards eight o'clock, Mr. Dudley left the house, -upon what errand I do not know. That unhappy young man followed him, -inquiring which way the other took, and I find that they were seen -passing the lodge, and going up towards the downs. At that time they -were in eager conversation; their gestures were warm, and their tones -indicative of much excitement, though the words they uttered were not -heard. Somewhat more than two hours ago, the boatmen--fishermen or -smugglers, as the case may be--brought home that lifeless mass of -clay, with the vital spark even then quite extinct. The account they -gave was this: that one of their number, while watching a French brig -lying about a mile from the shore, heard high words from the cliff -above his head. He thought he heard a cry, too, as if for help, and -looking up, he saw two men at the very edge of the precipice, though -in the darkness he could but distinguish the bare outline of their -forms against the sky. There seemed to him to be blows struck and a -scuffle between them, and the moment after, one disappeared, for the -dark face of the rock prevented his fall from being seen; but a loud -cry, almost a shriek, he said, and then the sound of a heavy fall and -a deadly groan, called him to the spot, where he found this youth -lying weltering in his blood."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest paused for a moment or two, while Sir Arthur Adelon -approached nearer and bent down his head over the dead body; and then -Mr. Filmer, with a significant look, continued:--"Mr. Dudley will have -occupation enough. There is no other wound," added the priest, -observing that Sir Arthur was still looking close at the corpse, "but -that occasioned by the fall. The skull is fractured, the right thigh -broken, the brain severely injured. Death must have been very speedy, -though he was still living when the fishermen found him, but never -uttered a word. Now, my son, the consequences of this act are -important to you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But was it Dudley who killed him?" asked the baronet, with an eager -look. "I cannot think it; and my good, kind friend, I cannot wish to -bring his blood upon my head, were it even to spare my own. The events -of this night," he continued, taking the priest's hands in his and -pressing them tight, "have given me strange feelings, Filmer. I have -seen men die, if not in consequence of my act, at least in consequence -of acts in which I participated, and I cannot, I will not, even to -save my own life, bring a farther weight upon my conscience."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For whatever you do in this case," answered Filmer, "the church has -power to absolve you, and for much more than I intend you should do. -This Dudley is an obstinate heretic, who has had the means of light -and has refused it; and although it is necessary now, from the -circumstances of the times, to refrain from exercising that just -rigour which in better and more spiritual days was displayed to every -impenitent person in his situation, yet, of course, we cannot look -upon him with the same feelings, or find ourselves bound to him by the -same ties, which would exist between us and a Catholic Christian. Body -and soul he is given over to reprobation; and we have no need to go -out of our way to shelter him in any degree from the laws of his own -heretic land: a land which for centuries has given the true faith up -to persecution and injustice of every kind. Let him take his chance. I -ask you to do nothing more. The evidence is very strong against him. -No other person was seen near this unfortunate young man. But a very -short time could have elapsed after they were remarked together, -apparently in high dispute, before this fatal occurrence took place. -Other evidence may appear, and he may be proved guilty or innocent; -but, at all events, he must be tried, and the time of that trial may -be yet remote. The first cases that will be taken will certainly be -those connected with these riots, and the only direct witness against -you will be then in jail."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how am I to act in this business?" demanded Sir Arthur Adelon. -"As a magistrate, as the person in whose house both the dead man and -the living were staying, I shall continually be called upon to share -in the different proceedings, and my part will be a terribly difficult -one to play, my friend."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not in the least," answered Filmer. "You must refuse to act as a -magistrate, even should you be called upon, alleging your acquaintance -with both parties, and your natural partiality for Mr. Dudley, on -account of old friendship between his father and yourself, as -sufficient excuses. Whatever evidence you give may be highly -favourable to the accused person. The testimony against him will be -strong enough, rest assured of that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then do you really think him guilty?" demanded the baronet, gazing at -the priest, with those doubts which a long acquaintance with his -character had impressed even upon the mind of a man not very acute.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, I do not prejudge the question," replied Filmer. "As yet we have -not sufficient grounds to go upon. All I say is, the case of suspicion -is very strong; and what I would advise you to do, under any -circumstances, would be to send immediately for your nearest -neighbour, Mr. Conway, turn over the case to him, and let him judge -whether it be not necessary instantly to issue a warrant for the -apprehension of Mr. Dudley, when he returns. It were better that not a -moment were lost, for although you have probably ridden fast, it -cannot be long ere the person we suspect is here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps he may not return at all," said Sir Arthur. "It is more than -probable that, on foot and unarmed, he has been apprehended as one of -the rioters, but we can send, at all events." And ringing the bell -sharply, he gave the necessary orders.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But now," continued the baronet, reverting to the topic of greatest -interest in his own mind, as soon as the servant had left the room, -"how am I to act in regard to this attack upon Barhampton?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We must see," replied the priest. "Should Norries be dead, or have -made his escape, you must assume a degree of boldness; acknowledge -that your views are the same in regard to general principles as those -of the unfortunate men implicated; but declare openly that you have -always opposed any recourse to physical force in the assertion of any -political opinions whatever, and bring forward witnesses to prove that -you attempted to dissuade them from all violence, refusing to take any -part therein. That will be easily done; and should any one come -forward to state that you were present at the attack, you can show -that you went thither on hearing that it was about to take place, in -order to constrain them to refrain from executing their intentions by -every means in your power."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how can I show that?" demanded Sir Arthur.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will find a way," replied Filmer; "but that can be discussed -to-morrow. I must now go out to console some of my little flock who -are suffering from affliction. In the mean time you must manage this -examination. The witnesses are the old man at the lodge, your butler, -the head footman, Brown, and the fishermen who are now waiting in the -servants' hall."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke he moved towards the door. Sir Arthur would fain have -detained him a moment to ask farther questions, but Filmer laid his -hand upon his arm, saying, "Be firm, be firm!" and left him.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">At the distance of about a quarter of a mile from Clive Grange was a -group of six or seven cottages, of neat and comfortable appearance, -tenanted by labourers on Mr. Clive's own farm. They were all -respectable, hard-working people; and as Clive himself was not without -his prejudices, especially upon religious matters, he had contrived -that most of those whom he employed should be Roman Catholics. As -there were not many of that church in the part of the country where he -lived, some of these men had come from a distance. He would not, -indeed, refuse a good workman and a man of high character on account -of his being a Protestant, but he had a natural preference for persons -of his own views, and all things equal, chose them rather than any -others. This preference was known far and wide; and consequently, when -any of his distant friends wished to recommend an honest man of the -Romish creed to employment, where they were certain to be well -treated, they wrote to Mr. Clive, so that he had rarely any difficulty -in suiting himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">In one of these cottages, at a much later hour than usual, a light was -burning on the night of which I have been speaking; and within, over -the smouldering embers of a small wood fire, sat a tall man of the -middle age, with a peculiar deep-set blue eye, fringed with dark -lashes, which is very frequently to be found amongst the Milesian -race. His figure was bent, and his hands stretched out over the -smouldering hearth to gain any little heat that it gave out; and, as -he thus sat, his eyes were bent upon the red sparks amongst the white -ashes, with a grave, contemplative gaze. He seemed dull, and somewhat -melancholy, and from time to time muttered a few words to himself with -the peculiar tone of his countrymen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay-e!" he said, as something struck him in the half-extinguished -fire, "that one's gone out too. If the priest stays much longer -they'll all be out, one after the other. Well, it's little matter for -that; we must all go out some time or another, and very often when we -think we are burning brightest. That young lad now, I dare say, when -he went out for his walk, never fancied his neck would be broke before -he came home again. Sorrow a bit! He got what he deserved anyhow, and -I'd ha' done it for him if the master hadn't--Hist! That must be the -priest's step coming down the hill. He is the only man likely to be -out so late in this country, and going with such a slow step, though -the lads are having a bit of a shindy to-night they tell me."</p> - -<p class="normal">The next moment the latch was lifted, the door opened, and Mr. Filmer -walked in. The labourer instantly rose and placed a wooden chair for -his pastor by the side of the fire, saying, "Good night, your -reverence! It's mighty cold this afternoon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't find it so," answered Filmer; "but I dare say you do, sitting -all alone here, with but a little spark like that. I was afraid you -would get tired of waiting, and go to bed. I am much obliged to you -for sitting up as I told you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! in course I did as your reverence said," answered Daniel Connor. -"I always obey my priest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's right, Dan," answered Mr. Filmer. "Now I have come to tell you -what I want you to do, like a good lad."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Anything your reverence says, I am quite ready to do," replied the -Irishman. "I kept the matter quite quiet as you said, and not a bare -word about it passed my lips to any of the servants, for I am not -going to say anything that can hurt the master, for a better never -lived than he."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, Dan," answered the priest; "but I'll tell you what you must do, -you must say a word or two to serve him." And Filmer fixed his eyes -keenly upon the man's face, which brightened up in a moment with a -very shrewd and merry smile, as he replied, "That I'll do with all my -heart, your reverence. It's but the telling me what to say and I'll -say it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well then, you see, Dan," continued Filmer, "this is likely to be a -bad business for Mr. Clive, if we do not manage very skilfully. He is -somewhat obstinate himself, and might with difficulty be persuaded to -take the line of defence we want, and which indeed is necessary to his -own safety. Now the first thing that will take place here is the -coroner's inquest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay! I suppose so," said Connor; "but they shan't get anything out of -me there, I can answer for it. I can be as blind as a mole when I -like, and as deaf too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you must be somewhat more, Dan," was the priest's reply. "You -see, if suspicion fixes to no one, and the jury bring in a verdict of -wilful murder against some person or persons unknown, the magistrates -will never leave inquiring into the matter till they fix it upon your -poor master. What we must do must be to turn the first suspicions upon -some one else, so as to keep Mr. Clive free of them altogether, and -then he will be safe enough."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Won't that be something very like murder, your reverence?" asked -Connor, abruptly, with a very grave face. "I never did the like of -that, and I think it's a sin, is it not?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The sin be upon me," answered Filmer, sternly. "Cannot I absolve you, -Daniel Connor, for that which I bid you do? Are <i> -you</i> -going to turn -heretic too? Do you doubt that the church has power to absolve you -from your sins, or that where she points out the course to you the end -does not justify the means?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no! the blessed saints forbid!" exclaimed Connor, eagerly. "I -don't doubt a word of it; I am quite sure your reverence is right; I -was only just asking you, like!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! if that's all," answered Mr. Filmer, "and you are not beginning -to feel scandalous doubts from living so long amongst a number of -heretics all about, I will answer your question plainly. It is not at -all like murder, nor will there be any sin in it. The person who is -likely to be suspected will be able easily to clear himself in the -end; so that he runs no risk of anything but a short imprisonment, -which may perhaps turn to the good of his soul, for I shall not fail -to visit him, and show him the way to the true light. But in the mean -time, Mr. Clive will be saved from all danger; and if you look at the -matter as a true son of the church, you will see that there is no -choice between a believer like Mr. Clive and an obstinate heretic and -unbeliever like this other man."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! if it is a heretic!" exclaimed Connor, with a laugh, "that quite -alters the matter; I didn't know he was a heretic."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You do not suppose, I hope," replied Mr. Filmer, "that I would have -proposed such a thing if he was not. All my children are equally dear -to me, be they high or low, and I would not peril one to save -another."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, your reverence, I am quite ready to do whatever you say," -answered Connor; "and if you just give me a thought of the right way -I'll walk along it as straight as a line."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The case is this, then," rejoined the priest; "there was a quarrel -between this young lord and a Mr. Dudley, which went on more or less -through the whole of this day. Dudley went out about eight o'clock, -and Lord Hadley followed him and overtook him, and they went on -quarrelling by the way. Very soon after that the young lord met with -his death. Now men will naturally think that Mr. Dudley killed him, -for no one but you and your master and Miss Clive saw him after, till -he was speechless. What you must do then is this:--when you hear that -the coroner's inquest is sitting, you must come up and offer to give -evidence; and you must tell them exactly where you were standing when -the young lord came up to the top of the cliff; and then you must say -that you saw a man come up to him, and a quarrel take place, and two -or three blows struck, and the unhappy lad pitched over the cliff."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And not a word about Miss Helen?" said the man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not a word," answered Filmer. "Keep yourself solely to the fact of -having seen a man of gentlemanly appearance----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! he is a gentleman, every inch of him," exclaimed Connor. "No -doubt about that, your reverence."</p> - -<p class="normal">"So you can state," continued the priest; "but take care not to enter -too much into detail. Say you saw him but indistinctly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's true enough," cried the labourer; "for it was a darkish night, -and I was low down in the glen and he high up on the side of the hill, -so that I caught but a glimmer of him, as it were. But it was the -master, notwithstanding, that I am quite sure of, or else the devil in -his likeness. But, by the blessed saints! I do not think it could be -the devil either, for he did what any man would have done in his -place, and what I should have done in another minute if he hadn't come -up, for I would not have stood by to see the young lady ill-treated, -no how."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Doubtless not," answered the priest; "and it would be hard that the -life of such a man should be sacrificed for merely defending his own -child."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no! that shall never be," answered Connor, "if my word can stop -it; and so, father," he continued, with a shrewd look, "I suppose that -the best thing I can do is, if I am asked any questions, to say that I -didn't rightly see the gentleman that did it; but that he looked like -a real gentleman, and may be about the height of this Mr. Dudley. I -saw him twice at the farmhouse, and if he is in the room, I can point -him out as being about the tallness of the man I saw; and that's not a -lie either, for they are much alike, in length at least. Neither one. -nor the other stands much under six feet. I'd better not swear to him, -however, for that would be bad work."</p> - -<p class="normal">"By no means," answered the priest. "Keep to mere general facts; that -can but cause suspicion. I wish not to injure the young man, but -merely to turn suspicion upon him rather than Mr. Clive; and by so -doing, to give even Mr. Dudley himself a sort of involuntary penance, -which may soften an obdurate heart towards the church which his -fathers foolishly abandoned, and leave him one more chance of -salvation, if he chooses to accept of it. It is a hard thing, Daniel -Connor, to remain for many thousands of years in the flames of -purgatory, where every moment is marked and prolonged by torture -indescribable, instead of entering into eternal beatitude, where all -sense of time is lost in inexpressible joy from everlasting to -everlasting; but it is a still harder thing to be doomed in hell to -eternal punishment, where the whole wrath and indignation of God is -poured out upon the head of the unrepenting and the obstinate for ever -and ever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is mighty hard, indeed!" answered the labourer, making the sign of -the cross. "The Blessed Virgin keep us all from such luck as that!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is from that I wish to save him," rejoined Mr. Filmer; "but his -heart must first be humbled, for you know very well, Daniel, that -pride is the source of unbelief in the minds of all these heretics. -They judge their own opinions to be far better than the dogmas of the -church, the decisions of councils, or the exposition of the fathers; -and by the same sin which caused the fall of the angels, they have -also fallen from the faith. Let no true son of the church follow their -bad example; but knowing that all things are a matter of faith, and -that the church is the interpreter mentioned in Scripture, submit -their human and fallible reason implicitly to that high and holy -authority which is vested in the successor of the Apostle and the -Councils of the Church, where they will find the only infallible -guide."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! but I'll do that, certainly," replied Connor, eagerly; and yet a -shade of doubt seemed to hang upon him, for he added, the moment -after, "But you know, your reverence, that when they swear me they -will make me swear to tell the whole truth, and if I do not say that I -know it was Mr. Clive, it will be false swearing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Heed not that," answered Filmer, with a frown. "Have I not told you -that I will absolve you, and do absolve you? Besides, how can you -swear to that which you only believe, but do not exactly know. You -told me this evening, up at the hall, that you did not see your -master's face when he struck the blow."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! but I saw his face well enough when he was going up," replied the -labourer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That does not prove that he was the same who did the deed," said -Filmer. "Another might have suddenly come there, without your -perceiving how."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He was mighty like the master, any how," said the man, in a low tone; -"but I'll say just what your reverence bids me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do so," answered Filmer, turning to leave the cottage; "the church -speaks by my voice, and accursed be all who disobey her!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The stern earnestness with which he spoke; the undoubting confidence -which his words and looks displayed in his power, as a priest of that -church which pretends to hold the ultimate fate of all beings in its -hands; his own apparent faith in that vast and blasphemous pretension; -had their full effect upon his auditor, who, though a good man, a -shrewd man, and not altogether an unenlightened man, had sucked in -such doctrines with his mother's milk, so that they became, as it -were, a part of his very nature. "To be sure I will obey," said -Connor; "it is no sin of mine if any harm comes of it. That's the -priest's affair, any how." And he retired to his bed.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Father Peter turned away to the right, and walked on; for he had yet -work to do, and a somewhat different part to play before the night was -done. The versatility of the genius of the Roman church is one of its -most dangerous qualities. The principle that the end justifies the -means, makes it seem right to those who hold such a doctrine, to 'be -all things to all men,' in a very different sense from that of the -apostle. Five minutes brought Mr. Filmer to the door of the Grange, -and he looked over that side of the house for a light, but in vain. -One of the large dogs came and fawned upon him, and all the rest were -silent; for it is wonderful how soon and easily he accustomed all -creatures to his influence. His slow, quiet, yet firm footfall was -known amongst those animals as well as their master's or Edgar -Adelon's, and at two or three hundred yards they had recognised it.</p> - -<p class="normal">After a moment's consideration, Filmer rang the bell gently, and the -next instant Clive himself appeared with a light in his hand. He was -fully dressed, and his face was grave and composed. "Ah, father!" he -said, as soon as he perceived who his visitor was, "this is kind of -you. Come in. Helen has not gone to bed yet."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am glad to hear it, my son," replied Filmer, "for I want to speak a -few words with you both." Thus saying, he walked on before Mr. Clive -into the room where Helen Clive usually sat. He found her with her -eyes no longer tearful, but red with weeping; and seating himself with -a kindly manner beside her, he said, "Grieve not, my dear child, -whatever has happened. There is consolation for all who believe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you know not yet, father, what has happened," answered Helen, -with a glance at her father: "you will know soon, however."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do know what has happened, Helen," said the priest; "though not all -the particulars; and I have come down at once to give you comfort and -advice. Tell me, my son, how did this sad event occur?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is soon rumoured, it would seem, then," observed Clive, in a -gloomy tone. "I told you, Helen, that concealment was hopeless, though -we thought no eye saw it but our own, and that of Him who saw all, and -would judge the provocation as well as the punishment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Concealment is not hopeless, my son," replied Filmer, "if concealment -should, be needful, as I fear it is. Only one person saw you, and he -came at once to tell me, and bring me down to comfort you; for he is a -faithful child of our holy mother the church, and will betray no man. -But tell me all, Clive. Am I not your friend as well as your pastor?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Tell him, Helen--tell the good father," said Clive, seating himself -at the table, and leaning his head upon his hand. "I have no heart to -speak of it."</p> - -<p class="normal">The priest turned his eyes to Helen, who immediately took up the tale -which her father was unwilling to tell. "I believe I am myself to -blame," she said, in a low, sweet tone; "though God knows I thought -not of what would follow when I went out. But I must tell you why I -did so. My father and I had been talking all the evening of the wild -and troubled state of the country, and of what was likely to take -place at Barhampton tonight."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It has taken place," replied Father Filmer; "the magistrates were -prepared for the rioters; the troops have been in amongst the people, -and many a precious life has been lost."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was what we feared," continued Helen, sadly. "Alas! that men will -do such wild and lawless things. But about that very tumult my father -was anxious and uneasy, and towards half-past six he went out to see -if he could meet my uncle Norries as he went, and at all events to -look out from the top of the downs towards Barhampton. He promised me -that he would on no account go farther than the old wall, and that he -would be back in half an hour. But more than an hour passed, and I -grew frightened, till at last I sent up Daniel Conner to see if he -could find my father. He seemed long, though perhaps he was not, and I -then resolved to go myself. I had no fear at all; for I had never -heard of Lord Hadley being out at night, and I thought he would be at -the dinner-table, and I quite safe--safer, indeed, than in the day. I -was only anxious for my father, and for him I was very anxious. -However, I walked on fast, and soon came to the downs, but I could see -no one, and taking the slanting path up the slope, I came just to the -edge of the cliff, and looked out over the sea to Barhampton Head. -There was nothing to be seen there, and only a light in a ship at sea. -That made me more frightened than ever, for I had felt sure that I -should find my father there; and thinking that he might have sat down -somewhere to wait, I called him aloud, to beg he would come home. -There was no answer, but I heard a step coming up the path which runs -between the two slopes, and then goes down over the lower broken part -of the cliff to the sea-shore; and feeling sure that it was either my -father, or Connor, or one of the boatmen, who would not have hurt me -for the world, I was just turning to go down that way when Lord Hadley -sprang up the bank, and caught hold of me by the hand. I besought him -to let me go, and then I was very frightened indeed, so that I hardly -knew, or know, what I said or did. All I am sure of is that he tried -to persuade me to go away with him to France; and he told me there was -a ship for that country out there at sea, and its boat with the -boatmen down upon the shore, for he had spoken to them in the morning. -He said a great deal that I forget, telling me that he would marry me -as soon as we arrived in France; but I was very angry--too angry, -indeed--and what I said in reply seemed to make him quite furious, for -he swore that I should go, with a terrible oath. I tried to get away, -but he kept hold of my hand, and threw his other arm round me, and was -dragging me away down the path towards the sea-shore, when suddenly my -father came up and struck him. I had not been able to resist much, on -account of my broken arm, but the moment my father came up he let me -go, and returned the blow he had received. We were then close upon the -edge of the cliff, and there is, if you recollect, a low railing, -where the path begins to descend. My father struck him again and -again, and at last he fell back against the railing, which broke, I -think, under his weight, and oh! father, I saw him fall headlong over -the cliff. I thought I should have died at that moment, and before I -recovered myself my father had taken me by the hand and was leading me -away. When we had got a hundred yards or two, I stopped, and asked if -it would not be better to go or send down to the sea-shore, to see if -some help could not be rendered to him. My father said he had heard -the boatmen come to assist him, and that was enough."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive had covered his eyes with his hand while Helen spoke; but at her -last words he looked up, saying, in a stern tone, "Quite enough! He -well deserved what he has met with. I did not intend it, it is true; -but whether he be dead or living, he has only had the chastisement he -merited. I had heard but an hour or two before all his base conduct to -this dear child--I had heard that he had outraged, insulted, -persecuted her; and although I had promised Norries not to kill him, -yet I had resolved, the first time I met with him, to flay him alive -with my horsewhip. I found him again insulting her; and can any man -say I did wrong to punish the base villain on the spot? I regret it -not; I would do it again, be the consequences what they may; and so I -will tell judge and jury whenever I am called upon to speak."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust that may never be, my son," replied the priest, looking at -him with an expression of melancholy interest; "and I doubt not at all -that, if you follow the advice which I will give you, suspicion will -never even attach to you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall be very happy, father, to hear your advice," answered Clive; -"but I have no great fears of any evil consequences. People cannot -blame me for striking a man who was insulting and seeking to wrong my -child. I did but defend my own blood and her honour, and there is no -crime in that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"People often make a crime where there is none, Clive," answered Mr. -Filmer. "This young man is dead, and you must recollect that he was a -peer of England."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That makes no difference," exclaimed Clive. "Thank God we do not live -in a land where the peer can do wrong any more than the peasant! I am -sorry he is dead, for I did not intend to kill him; but he well -deserved his death, and his station makes no difference."</p> - -<p class="normal">"None in the eye of the law," replied Mr. Filmer, gravely; "but it may -make much in the ear of a jury. I know these things well, Clive; and -depend upon it, that if this matter should come before a court of -justice at the present time, especially when such wild acts have been -committed by the people, you are lost. In the first place, you cannot -prove the very defence you make----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, my child was there, and saw it all!" cried Clive, interrupting -him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Her evidence would go for very little," answered the priest; "and as -I know you would not deny having done it, your own candour would ruin -you. The best view that a jury would take of your case, even supposing -them not to be worked upon by the rank of the dead man, could only -produce a verdict of manslaughter, which would send you for life to a -penal colony, to labour like a slave, perhaps in chains."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive started, and gazed anxiously in his face, as if that view of the -case were new to him. "Better die than that!" he said; "better die -than that!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly," replied Mr. Filmer. "But why should you run the risk of -either? I tell you, if you will follow my advice, you shall pass -without suspicion." But Clive waved his hand almost impatiently, -saying, "Impossible, father, impossible! I am not a man who can set a -guard upon his lips; and I should say things from time to time which -would soon lead men to see and know who it was that did it. I could -not converse with any of my neighbours here without betraying myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you must go away for a time," answered Filmer. "That was the -very advice I was going to give you. If you act with decision, and -leave the country for a short time, I will be answerable for your -remaining free from even a doubt."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The very way to bring doubt upon myself," answered Clive, with a -short, bitter laugh. "Would not every one ask why Clive ran away?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The answer would then be simple," said the priest, "namely, that he -went, probably, because he had engaged with his brother-in-law, -Norries, in these rash schemes against the government which have been -so signally frustrated this night at Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"One crime instead of another!" answered Clive, gloomily, bending down -his brow upon his hands again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"With this difference," continued Mr. Filmer, "that the one will be -soon and easily pardoned, the other never; that for the one you cannot -be pursued into another land, that for the other you would be pursued -and taken; that the one brings no disgrace upon your name, that the -other blasts you as a felon, leaves a stain upon your child, deprives -her of a parent, ruins her happiness for ever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh fly, father, fly!" cried Helen. "Save yourself from such a -horrible fate!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! and leave you here unprotected!" exclaimed Clive.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh no! let me go with you!" cried Helen,</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of course," said the priest. "You cannot, and you must not go alone. -Take Helen with you, and be sure that her devotion towards you will -but increase and strengthen that strong affection which she has -inspired in one worthy of her, and of whom she is worthy. I have -promised you, Clive, or rather I should say, I have assured you, that -your daughter shall be the wife of him she loves, ay, with his -father's full consent. If you follow my advice, it shall be so; but do -not suppose that Sir Arthur would ever suffer his son to marry the -daughter of a convict. As it is, he knows that your blood is as good -as his own, and that the only real difference is in fortune; but with -a tainted name the case would be very different. There would be an -insurmountable bar against their union, and you would make her whole -life wretched, as well as cast away your own happiness for ever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how can I fly?" asked Clive. "The whole thing will be known -to-morrow, and ere I reached London I should be pursued and taken."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is a shorter way than that," answered Filmer, "and one that -cannot fail."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The French ship!" cried Helen, with a look of joy.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Even so," rejoined the priest; "she will sail in a few hours. You -have nothing to do but send down what things you need as fast as -possible, get one of the boats to row you out, embark, and you are -safe. I will give you letters to a friend in Brittany, who will show -you all kindness, and you can remain there at peace till I tell you -that you may safely return."</p> - -<p class="normal">Clive paused, and seemed to hesitate for a moment or two; but Helen -gazed imploringly in his face, and at length he threw his arms around -her, saying, "I will go, my child; I have no right to make you -wretched also. Were it for myself alone, nothing should make me run -away; but now nothing must induce me to sacrifice you. Go, Helen; get -ready quickly. Perhaps they may think that I have had some share in -this tumult, and suspicion pass away in that manner."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly they will," rejoined Mr. Filmer; "and I will take care to -give suspicion that direction. Be quick, Helen: but do you not need -some one to aid you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will get the girl Margaret," said Helen Clive, "for I am very -helpless." And closing the door, she departed.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What shall I do with the farm?" inquired Clive, as soon as she was -gone. "I fear everything will go to ruin."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so, not so," answered Mr. Filmer, cheerfully. "I will see that it -is well attended to; and though, perhaps, something may go wrong, -against which nothing but the owner's eye can secure, yet nothing like -ruin shall take place. And now, hasten away, Clive, and make your own -preparations. No time is to be lost; for if the people on board the -ship learn that the attack upon Barhampton has failed, they may -perhaps put to sea sooner than the hour they had appointed. I will -write the letter while you are getting ready, and I will go down with -you to the beach, and see you off."</p> - -<p class="normal">About three quarters of an hour passed in some hurry and confusion, -ere Clive and his daughter were prepared to set out. The priest's -letter was written and sealed; a man was called up to wheel some boxes -and trunks down to the shore; and various orders and directions were -given for the management of the farm during Clive's absence. The -servants seemed astonished, but asked no questions; and Mr. Filmer -skilfully let drop some words which, when remembered at an after -period, might connect the flight of Mr. Clive with the mad attempt -upon the town of Barhampton. When all was completed, they set forth on -foot, passing through the narrow lanes in the neighbourhood of the -house, till they reached and crossed the high road, and then, -following one of the little dells through the downs, descended by a -somewhat rugged path to the sea-side. Some of the boatmen were already -up, preparing to put to sea; and as Clive had often been a friend to -all of them, no difficulty was made in fulfilling his desire. The sea -was as calm as a small lake; and though the water was too low to -launch one of their large boats easily, yet a small one was pushed -over the sands, and Helen and her father stood beside it, ready to -embark, when a quick step, running over the beach, was heard, and Mr. -Filmer exclaimed, "Quick, quick, into the boat, and put off!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is Edgar's foot," said Helen, hanging back. "Oh, let me wait, -and bid him adieu! I know it is Edgar's foot!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The ear of love is quick," said Mr. Filmer. "I did not recognise it;" -and in another moment Edgar Adelon stood beside them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have been to the house," he said, "and they told me where to seek -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are forced to go away for a time by some unpleasant circumstances, -Mr. Adelon," said Clive, gravely.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know--I know it all," answered Edgar, quickly. "I watched the whole -attack from the hill. It was a strange, ghastly sight, and I will not -stop you, Mr. Clive, for it would be ruin to stay; but let me speak -one word to dear Helen--but one word, and I will not keep you."</p> - -<p class="normal">The father made no opposition; he knew what it was to love well, and -he would not withhold the small drop of consolation from the bitter -cup of parting. Edgar drew the fair girl a few steps aside, and they -spoke together earnestly for a few minutes. He then pressed her hand -affectionately in his, and each repeated "For ever!" Then leading her -back towards the boat, against the sides of which the water was now -rising, he shook Clive's hand warmly, saying, "God bless and protect -you! Let me put her in the boat." And before any one could answer, he -had lifted Helen tenderly in his arms, walked with her into the -shallow water, and placed her in the little bark. Clive followed, -after another word or two with Mr. Filmer; the boatmen pushed off, and -the prow went glittering through the waves. Edgar Adelon stood and -gazed, till Mr. Filmer touched him on the arm, saying, "Come, my son;" -and then, with a deep sigh, the young man followed him towards the -cliffs.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must go back to the Grange for my horse," said Edgar, as the priest -was turning along the high road towards Brandon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Better send for it," said Mr. Filmer. "Your father has returned, and -may inquire for you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is strange," said Edgar, following him. "I could have sworn I saw -his tall bay hunter among the people at Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You might well be mistaken," answered Mr. Filmer; "but whatever -you saw, Edgar, take my advice, and say to no one that you saw -anything--no, not to Eda."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar did not reply, and the rest of their walk passed in silence till -they reached the gates of the park. They were open, and a man was -standing at the lodge door, with whom the priest paused to speak for -an instant, while Edgar, at his request, walked on. Mr. Filmer -overtook the young man ere he had gone a hundred yards, and as they -approached the house, he said, "You had better go straight to your -room, and to bed, Edgar. Unpleasant things have happened. Eda has -retired, your father has another magistrate with him, and neither your -presence nor mine will be agreeable."</p> - -<p class="normal">"To my own room, certainly," answered Edgar Adelon; "but not to bed, -nor to sleep, father. I have need of thought more than rest;" and when -the door was opened, he passed straight through the hall, taking a -light from the servant, and mounting the stairs towards his own room.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">We must now return for a short time to Mr. Dudley, having brought up -many of the other personages connected with this tale nearly to the -same point at which we last left himself. As soon as he had entered -the lodge in the custody of the two constables, he demanded in a calm -tone to see their warrant, entertaining but little doubt that he had -been apprehended for taking some share in the riots of which he had -been a witness, and that the ignorance of the men who held him in -custody had occasioned the use of such very vague and unsatisfactory -terms as 'murder or manslaughter, as the case may be.' What was his -astonishment, however, when he read as follows:--</p> - -<p class="normal">"To the Constable of the Hundred of ----, in the County of ----, and -all the other Peace Officers of the same County.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Forasmuch as Patrick Ferrars, of the parish of Brandon, in the said -county, servant, hath this day made information before me, Stephen -Conway, Esquire, one of her Majesty's justices of the peace, in and -for the said county, that he hath just cause to suspect, and doth -suspect, that Edward Dudley, Esquire, on the ---- day of ----, in the -year of our Lord 18--, at or near the place called Clive Down, in the -said parish of Brandon, in the said county, feloniously, wilfully, and -of his malice aforethought, did kill and murder Henry Lord Hadley, by -striking him sundry blows, and throwing him over the cliff at the said -place, by which the said Lord Hadley instantly died: these are -therefore to command you, or one of you, in her Majesty's name, -forthwith to apprehend and bring before me, or some other of her -Majesty's justices of the peace, in and for the said county, the body -of the said Edgar Dudley, to answer unto the said charge, and be -farther dealt with according to law. Herein fail not."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heaven!" he exclaimed, in a tone of astonishment, which could -not be assumed; "do you mean to say that Lord Hadley has been killed?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come, come, master, that won't do," said the dull brute into whose -hands he had fallen. "You know all about it, I dare say. You must -march into that 'ere room till to-morrow morning, for there's no use -in taking you twenty miles to the jail, to bring you back again -tomorrow to the crowner's 'quest."</p> - -<p class="normal">It was with great difficulty that Dudley restrained his temper. The -charge at first sight seemed to him ridiculous, and he would have -scoffed at it, if horror at the fate of his unhappy pupil had not -occupied his mind so completely that no light thought could find -place.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I ask you civilly, sir," he said, moving into the room pointed out, -closely followed by the constables, "to give me some information in -regard to facts which I must know to-morrow morning, and in which I am -deeply interested. If you are so discourteous as to refuse me an -answer, I cannot force you; but at the same time I suppose there is -nobody on earth but yourself who would think of denying me some -information respecting a friend who, I gather from your warrant, has -been killed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very like a friend to pitch him over the cliff!" answered the -constable. "Howsumdever, the magistrates know all about it, and you -had better wait and talk to them, for if you talk more to me I shall -send down for the handcuffs: a fool I was for not bringing them with -me. We shall sit up with ye by turns, for I am not going to let ye get -off, master, you may depend upon it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley only replied by a contemptuous smile, and, seating himself in a -chair, he gave himself up to thought, while the one constable took a -place opposite, and the other retired and locked the door. For nearly -two hours Dudley remained meditating over the strange turn which had -taken place in his fate; and as he reflected upon various -circumstances which had occurred during the evening, his situation -began to assume a more serious aspect than it had at first presented. -Not that he supposed, for one moment, he was in the slightest danger, -for his consciousness of innocence was too great to admit of his -believing that, when his whole conduct was explained, even a suspicion -would rest upon him; but he recollected the violent dispute which he -had had with Lord Hadley in the morning, in the presence of several -witnesses, and also called to mind that when he had gone out after -dinner, in order to fulfil his promises to Eda, he had been followed -and overtaken by Lord Hadley, and that the first part, at least, of -their conversation had been carried on in a sharp and angry tone. He -remembered, too, that they had met several people, and that though in -the end the young nobleman had seemed somewhat touched by his -remonstrances, and surprised and vexed at his decided resignation of -all farther responsibility regarding his conduct, no one had witnessed -the more moderate and kindly manner in which they had parted, or could -prove that they had parted at all before the fatal occurrence of which -he had such vague information. The attempt to extract anything more -from the constable he saw would be in vain, though he thirsted for -intelligence; and his thoughts, after dwelling for some time upon his -own case, naturally turned to the unhappy youth who had been cut off -at so early a period, in the midst of a career of folly and vice. He -could not help sighing over such a result; for notwithstanding -headstrong passions, and a certain degree of weakness of character, -which would have prevented Lord Hadley from ever becoming a great man, -Dudley had perceived some traits of goodness in his nature, which, -under right direction, either by the care of wise and prudent friends, -or by the chastening rod of adversity, might have been so guided as to -render him an estimable and useful member of society. His mind -reverted to his own young days, and he recollected wild schemes, rash -enterprises, some faults and follies which he now greatly regretted; -and he thought, "If I had gone on, the pampered child of prosperity, I -might perhaps have been like him." He did himself injustice, it is -true, but still the fancy was a natural one; and he felt, at least, -that in his case 'the uses of adversity had been sweet.'</p> - -<p class="normal">The body and the mind are alternately slaves to each other. When -stimulated to strong exertion, the mind conquers the body; when -oppressed with fatigue or sickness, the body conquers the mind; but -the powers of both seem sometimes worn out together, and then sleep is -the only resource: that heavy, overpowering sleep, the temporary death -of all the faculties; when no memory of the past, no knowledge of the -present, no expectation of the future, comes in dreams to rouse even -fancy from the benumbing influence that overshadows us. Such was the -case with Dudley at the end of those two hours. He had gone out early -in the morning in the pursuit of healthful exercise; but in the course -of his ramble with Edgar Adelon, subjects had arisen which moved him -deeply. His young companion, with all the warm enthusiasm and -confidence of his nature, had poured forth to him all the stores of -grief, anxiety, and indignation, which had been accumulating in -silence and in secret since first he had become aware of Lord Hadley's -pursuit of Helen; and Dudley, entering warmly into his feelings, had -chosen his course at once. He had determined to speak decidedly to his -pupil; to place before his eyes the scandal and the wickedness of that -which he was engaged in; to demand that it should either cease at -once, or he quit Brandon; and in case he refused, to resign all -farther control over him, and instantly to make the young peer's -relations in London aware of the fact and the cause. Then had come the -fierce and angry discussion with Lord Hadley, followed by an agitating -conversation with Eda; another dispute with his pupil, perhaps more -painful than the first; the hurried and anxious walk to Barhampton, -and the troubled scene which had taken place there. He was exhausted, -mentally and corporeally; and at the end of two hours he slept, -leaning his head upon his folded arms, and remaining so still and -silent, that it seemed as if death rather than slumber possessed him. -His sleep lasted long, too, and he was aroused only by some one -shaking him roughly by the shoulder on the following morning. Dudley -started up, and wondered where he was; but gradually a recollection of -all the facts returned; and the man's words: "Come, master, the -crowner is sitting," required no explanation.</p> - -<p class="normal">Somewhat to Dudley's surprise, when he reached the door of the lodge, -he found the carriage of Sir Arthur Adelon waiting for him; and -entering with one constable, while the other took his seat upon the -box, he was driven up the avenue to Brandon House. The servants at the -door showed no signs of want of respect, and he was immediately -conducted between his two captors into the library, where he found a -number of persons assembled in a confused mass at the end of the room, -and the coroner's jury seated round the large table, near the windows. -In the centre was a portly man in a white waistcoat, with a pompous, -wine-empurpled face, and an exceedingly bald head, whom he concluded -rightly to be the coroner. Several magistrates were also in the room, -amongst whom were two persons with whom he had dined at the table of -Sir Arthur Adelon a few days before; but Dudley looked in vain for the -baronet himself, or for any well-known and friendly face. He wanted no -support, it is true; for he was not timid by nature, and he was -conscious of innocence; but yet he would have felt well pleased to -have had friends around him. One of the magistrates shook hands with -him, however, and the other bowed; while some people near the coroner -whispered to that officer, whose eyes were instantly fixed upon the -new comer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Edward Dudley, I believe," he said, aloud; and when Dudley -signified that it was so by bending his head, the other continued: -"Although not strictly necessary, sir, inasmuch as this is an inquest -for the purpose of ascertaining how a certain person met with his -death, and we consequently as yet know nothing of accused or accusers, -yet, as I have been given to understand that a warrant has been issued -for your apprehension under the hand of my worshipful friend, Mr. -Conway, I have thought it best that you should be present, in order -that you should watch proceedings in which you are deeply interested. -You will remark that it is not necessary for you to say anything upon -this occasion, and to do so or not must be left to your own -discretion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thank you for your caution, sir," replied Dudley; "although, having -been bred to the bar, it was not so necessary in my case as it might -be in some. I have no knowledge of the circumstances which have caused -any suspicion to fall upon me, and shall hear with interest the -evidence which may be given regarding facts that I am utterly -unacquainted with."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ahem!" said the coroner. "We will now hear the witnesses in the -natural order, gentlemen of the jury. By the natural order, I mean the -order in which the facts connected with the discovery happened. Our -first question will be, where and how the body was found; next, whose -the body is--for you will remark, gentlemen of the jury, that at the -present moment all we know is, that the body of a dead man has been -found under exceedingly suspicious circumstances, and we must have it -identified; then we must inquire how he came by his death. If the -person who first found the corpse is in court, let him stand forward."</p> - -<p class="normal">A man of somewhat more than six feet high, in a round jacket and -oilskin hat, advanced to the table, and gave his evidence in a very -clear and intelligent manner, saying, "I was standing out upon the -sand last night, near upon low water----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where at?" asked the coroner. "Pray describe the place as accurately -as possible."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, it was just between Gullpoint and our cottages at St. Martin's," -replied the boatman; "and the hour might be about eight, or near it. -The water was not quite out, so it must have been about eight. I was -standing looking out after the French brig, which had been making -signals like, with lights of different colours, which I did not -understand, when all in a minute I heard some one give a sort of loud -cry, just as if they had been hurt or frightened. It came from the -land, and I heard it quite plain, for the wind set off shore, and -turning round, I looked up in the way that the sound seemed to come -from----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was it moonlight?" asked the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lord bless you, no, sir!" replied the boatman; "but the night was not -very dark, for that matter. However, as I turned, I heard a bit of a -row at the top of the cliff, and I could see two men standing up there -close together, one a tall man, t'other a little shorter; and the tall -one hit the other twice or three times, and then down he came. I could -see him fall back, but after that I lost him, for you see, sir, as he -tumbled down the cliff, it was darker there. When they were a-top, -they had got the sky behind them; but when he fell, he got into the -gloom, and I saw no more of him, till hearing a cry almost like that -of a gull, only louder, I ran up as hard as I could. As I came over -the shingle near the cliff, I heard a groan or two, and just below the -rock I found the young man who is in t'other room, lying with his feet -to the beach and his head to the cliff; so, you see, he must have -turned right over, once at least, as he tumbled."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What distance were you from the cliff when you saw the two men -quarrelling?" asked the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It might be a hundred yards or more," replied the boatman; "perhaps -two."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And did you see them clearly?" inquired the officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Clear enough to see what they were about," answered the fisherman, -"but not to see their faces."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have said one was tall, the other shorter," continued the -coroner; "do you see any one here of the height of the taller one, as -far as you can judge?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The man looked round him, and it so unfortunately happened that -Dudley, anxious to hear all the evidence, had taken a step or two -forward. The boatman's eyes instantly fell upon him, and pointing him -out with his hand, he said, "Much about that gentleman's height, I -should think."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you mean to say, that you think he was the man?" asked the -coroner, while a slight frown came over Dudley's face.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, that's another case," answered the stout boatman. "All that I -could see, as they stood and I stood, was, that the one was taller -than the other a good bit, and that the tall one knocked the short one -over the cliff."</p> - -<p class="normal">The three succeeding witnesses were of the same class and profession -as the first; but they proved nothing more than the finding of the -injured man, his insensible condition when they came up, and his -death, without having spoken, as they carried him to Brandon House.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think we must have the evidence of Sir Arthur Adelon," said the -coroner, looking towards one of the servants, several of whom were in -the room. "Pray present my compliments to him, and say that I should -be glad of his presence for a few moments."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur, however, did not appear immediately; and when he entered, -there was a good deal more agitation in his manner than he could have -desired. His first act was to shake hands with Dudley, in a friendly, -even a warm manner; and the coroner, rising, bowed low to one of the -great men of the neighbourhood, apologising for troubling him, as he -called it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is necessary, Sir Arthur," he said, "to make a few inquiries, as I -am given to understand that the unfortunate young nobleman who met -with his death last night in so tragical a manner, has been for some -days an inmate of your house, as well as the gentleman who labours -under suspicion--as to whether you are aware of any circumstance -tending to corroborate the charge--any quarrel, I mean, between the -parties, or anything likely to produce so fatal a result?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of nothing in the world," replied Sir Arthur Adelon, in a frank tone. -"Lord Hadley and my friend, Mr. Dudley, have always appeared, in my -presence, at least, upon the very best terms. What took place -yesterday I am not aware of, as I was out the greater part of the day, -until late in the evening, having heard very unpleasant rumours, which -have proved, alas! too correct, and wishing to ascertain the facts, -and to see what could best be done for the good of the community."</p> - -<p class="normal">His eye glanced to Dudley's face as he uttered the last somewhat vague -and double-meaning words; but the countenance he looked at remained -perfectly calm and firm, without the slightest perceptible change of -expression.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you have no cause, Sir Arthur," inquired the coroner, "to -suppose Mr. Dudley at all implicated in this transaction?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"From my own personal knowledge, none in the world," answered the -baronet. "There are always rumours afloat after deeds are done, but if -my deliberate opinion could have any weight, I should say that Mr. -Dudley is perfectly incapable of intentionally injuring any man. That -he would do much to save or serve a fellow-creature, I believe; but -nothing to wrong or aggrieve one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"High testimony," said the coroner, in a pompous tone. "I am much -obliged, Sir Arthur;" and looking at a slip of paper which he held in -his hand, he pronounced the name of Patrick Ferrers. The butler at -Brandon House immediately stood forward, and without much questioning, -made a deposition somewhat to the following effect:--"I knew the late -Lord Hadley; I have known him since he has been at Brandon House. He -was the same gentleman whose body now lies in the dining-room. He was -here about ten days before he met with his death. I know also the -prisoner, Mr. Dudley, I never saw any quarrel between them till -yesterday, when Mr. Dudley and Lord Hadley came home about the same -time together, and Mr. Dudley insisted on speaking in private with -Lord Hadley. Mr. Dudley seemed a little cross, and they went into this -room together. I went in the mean time to fetch some letters which had -been brought while they were out. When I came back, I saw Lord Hadley -coming out of the library, Seemingly in a great passion. He shook his -fist at Mr. Dudley, and seemed to be using very hard words, which I -did not hear. Mr. Dudley was then a step or two behind him, but he -seemed very angry too, though not so angry as his lordship; and I -could hear every word he said, though perhaps I cannot recollect them -exactly now, but I know that they were something like, 'You had better -take care what you say of me, my lord, for if you treat me -disrespectfully, I will punish you, depend upon it.'"</p> - -<p class="normal">The coroner looked towards Mr. Dudley, who observed, in a quiet tone, -"The words were not exactly those, but the meaning is given with -sufficient accuracy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Go on," said the coroner. "Did you observe anything of a similar -nature during the rest of the day?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"About an hour after," continued the butler, "Lord Hadley went out -again, Mr. Dudley followed him, and I heard the gamekeeper say----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We must have nothing upon hearsay," exclaimed the coroner; "the -gamekeeper, I dare say, can answer for himself. Speak to what is -within your own knowledge."</p> - -<p class="normal">"When Mr. Dudley came back, I was in the hall. The porter let him in, -but we both remarked that he looked a deal ruffled. At dinner, he and -Lord Hadley seemed very cool and snappish to each other; and -immediately after dinner Mr. Dudley went out, and Lord Hadley went -after him, asking Brown, the head footman, which way the other -gentleman had gone. I heard him myself, so that I can speak to; and -that is the last I saw or heard of either of them, till his lordship's -body was brought in last night, and Mr. Dudley came here this -morning."</p> - -<p class="normal">"John Brown!" said the coroner, and the head footman stood forward. He -corroborated the greater part of the butler's testimony, and added but -little else, except an expression of his own opinion that the young -lord and Mr. Dudley had been out of sorts with each other, as he -termed it, all the preceding day.</p> - -<p class="normal">The gamekeeper was then brought forward, and stated, that he was just -walking away from the house, after having been out with Mr. Dudley and -Mr. Adelon during the whole morning, when the former came up to him -with a quick step, asked which way the young nobleman had taken, and -followed him as fast as he could go.</p> - -<p class="normal">The man and woman at the lodge were then called, and proved that, a -little before eight on the preceding night, they were standing -together at the door of their cottage, when the young peer and Mr. -Dudley passed out of the park. The man said that they were talking -very angrily, and the woman that they were speaking very quick, but -she remembered hearing Mr. Dudley say, "Such conduct is most -reprehensible, my lord, and will receive chastisement sooner or -later." Both she and her husband deposed that the young peer and Mr. -Dudley took their way towards the Downs, and a labourer stated that he -had seen two gentlemen going on in the same direction, one of whom was -tall like the prisoner, and the other somewhat shorter. "They were -then speaking quick and sharp," he said, "and one of them was tossing -his arms about a good deal."</p> - -<p class="normal">A pause for a moment or two succeeded, and then the coroner raised his -voice, saying, "Is there any one else who can give evidence in this -case? Let it be recollected that it is the bounden duty of all men, -when a crime has been committed, to assist in bringing the criminal to -justice."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Please your worship," said a tall, raw-boned man, coming forward -towards the table, "I think I can say a word or two, if you would be -kind enough to hear me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are here to listen to every one who can speak to any facts -connected with the death of the unfortunate young nobleman whose body -has been lately viewed by the jury," was the coroner's reply. "Speak -to facts, without entering into hearsay, my good man; and in the first -place, tell us what is your name and occupation?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am a labourer by trade, and my name is Daniel Connor," answered the -witness; "and as to facts, it's just them I've got to speak about, for -I suppose I am the only man, except the boatman, who saw the thing -done. I was just taking a walk quietly upon the Downs, over above St. -Martin's when I saw the young lord--I've seen him many a time before -down at Mr. Clive's farm--come walking along very dully like. I saw -him quite well, though he didn't see me, for he was walking along the -road in the little dell, and I was sitting down above."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, I thought you said you were walking," said the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To be sure I was," answered Daniel Connor; "sorrow a thing else. I -was taking a walk and sitting down, your worship, as many a man does, -I believe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was there any one else with Lord Hadley?" asked the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I can't just say," answered Connor. "There was nobody close to -him, or I should have seen them both at once, and there might be -somebody not far off, as indeed there was; but you see, your worship, -I leaned back upon the turf, for I didn't want to be disturbed in my -meditations."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" said the coroner. "Go on, my man."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, a minute after--it might be two minutes, perhaps, for I won't -be particular as to that--I heard two men quarrelling, and looking up -to the sky, I saw them clear enough."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! in the sky?" said the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, agin it," replied the witness; "for both their feet were upon -the ground at that time, but just at the edge of the cliff, where -there's a bit of a rail. They were hitting each other about, and -being a peaceable man anyhow, having had enough of rows in my own -country--that's Ireland, your worship--I sat quite still, and then the -one gave the other a great knock, and away he went back over the -railing, and so I walked quietly home, and saw no more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Be so good as to describe the man who struck the other, and knocked -him over the cliff," said the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, that's mighty difficult to do," answered Daniel Connor, "seeing -that they were fifty yards off and more, and looked just like two -black shadows on the wall."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you ever see him before?" demanded the crown officer, somewhat -impatiently.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Maybe I have," answered the witness; "but I should not just like to -say for certain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you had no doubt in the case of Lord Hadley," rejoined the -coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That was natural like," answered Daniel Connor; "for he came within -ten yards of me, and t'other was a good bit farther off when I saw -him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let me try, Mr. Coroner," said the foreman of the jury. "Was he a -tall man or a short man, witness?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! it was a tall man he was," replied Connor; "I dare say an inch -taller than I am, and I'm no bantam."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you ever see that gentleman before?" continued the foreman, -pointing out Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think I have, your honour," answered the witness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was he the man you saw strike Lord Hadley on the cliff?" demanded the -coroner, in a stern tone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shouldn't just like to swear," answered Daniel Connor; "but he's -not unlike him, any how."</p> - -<p class="normal">For the first time a sense of danger reached Dudley's bosom; and -stepping forward at once, he placed himself directly before the -witness, and gazed sternly in his face. An impression--a feeling, -without any apparent cause, and which he could not account for -himself, took possession of him, that the man was wilfully giving -untrue evidence. But his severe searching look had no effect upon the -mind of Daniel Connor. It was under a more powerful influence; and -though in reality by no means a bad or malicious man, yet, relying -upon the assurances of the priest, he looked upon the matter between -Dudley and himself rather as a game that they were playing than -anything else; and the same shrewd, momentary smile passed over his -countenance which had once crossed it while conversing with the priest -during the preceding night. He gave a glance at the prisoner's face, -and in answer, as it seemed, to his gaze, he said, "Ay--yes, sir, you -are mighty like him, any how; but I should not just like to swear."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you allow me, sir, to ask this man some questions?" inquired -Dudley, addressing the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly," replied that officer; "and the jury will be very happy -to hear any explanation you may have to give regarding this affair."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, answer me truly," said Dudley. "What were you doing upon the -Downs at that hour of the night?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Just taking a walk, your honour," replied the man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And what had you been engaged in all day?" demanded Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had been ploughing all the morning from daylight till dinner-time," -answered Connor; "and arter that, I had been doing a many little jobs -about the farm."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yet after that you went to take a long walk over the Downs," said -Dudley. "Now will you swear that Lord Hadley did not come up the road -you mention, alone."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, I won't swear that," replied Connor, "for I did not see. He was -alone, sure enough, when I first set eyes upon him; but you see, your -honour, some one must have been very near him, for a minute or two -arter, some one pitched him over the cliff."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was he walking fast or slow?" asked Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mighty slow, considering that it was a cold night," answered the -witness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yet you thought fit to sit down and meditate on that cold night," -remarked Dudley. "Did you hear any words spoken between the young -nobleman and the man who killed him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, ay! there was plenty of talk," replied Connor, "but I didn't hear -what they said."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, you have said that you knew Lord Hadley at once," continued -Dudley; "it was a dark night, and he was down in a road below you, you -assert; and yet you declare that you cannot be sure of who was the man -who afterwards struck him, though they were then both clear out -against the blue sky."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I didn't say I wasn't sure," answered the witness, somewhat -maliciously. "I may be sure enough, and yet not like to swear, your -honour."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley asked several other questions, but they were to no purpose, or -only served to confirm the impression already produced. He himself -felt that it was so; and with a slight touch of that eager impatience -which had once been strong in his disposition, before adversity had -tamed it, he exclaimed, turning towards the jury, "I know not, -gentlemen, what is this man's object--perhaps, indeed, I ought not to -assume that he has any object--but all his words are evidently -calculated to give you a false view of the case. As has been sworn by -other persons, I did go out yesterday, immediately after dinner. I was -joined by Lord Hadley. There was some discussion between us as we -walked along, but it was not of so angry character as that of the -morning; and allow me to say, that the dispute between us was entirely -as between tutor and pupil. I found it necessary to reprehend some -part of Lord Hadley's conduct, and he being very nearly of age, -angrily resisted all authority, and refused to listen to my counsel. -As we walked along together last night, although there were occasional -bursts of passion on his part, I thought that my arguments had -produced some effect, and we parted at a spot where the high road -towards Barhampton is traversed by the path leading from Clive Grange -over the downs, and through the brake in the hills to the sea-shore. -He was then calm, though somewhat gloomy; and I walked on nearly to -Barhampton, where I was a witness to a very serious riot. I returned -immediately towards Brandon, and was seized in the avenue by two -constables, who refused to give me any information farther than merely -showing their warrant. I call God to witness that I never saw Lord -Hadley after we parted at the cross-road! This is all I have to say, -and the only explanation of my conduct that can be given."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps, sir, you will have the goodness to inform us what it was -that took you to Barhampton at so late an hour," said the coroner.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon, who had been standing near the table, drew back, -and walked towards the end of the room, as if about to quit it, but -paused amongst the crowd before he reached the door. Dudley remarked -the movement of apprehension; but he was resolved not to betray him on -any account, and he replied, after a moment's pause, "I went on -private business, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A curious hour to transact business," said the coroner. "Can you not -explain the nature of it, even in general terms?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"In a certain degree, I have no objection," replied Dudley. "It -related to some papers belonging to my father, and I wished to say a -few words upon the subject to a gentleman whom it was necessary for me -to see that night. I had no means of seeing him at an earlier hour, or -in every respect I should have preferred it."</p> - -<p class="normal">The coroner paused thoughtfully for a moment or two, and then asked, -"Have you anything to add, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley signified that he had not, and the room was ordered to be -cleared.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as the coroner was alone with his jury, he addressed them in a -somewhat long and florid speech, being a man rather fond of his own -eloquence. His observations in regard to the general duties of persons -in their situation, may be spared the reader; but after having -discussed that topic for some time, he proceeded to comment upon the -evidence. "It is proved," he said, "that Mr. Dudley and the -unfortunate young nobleman had been upon bad terms during the whole of -that day; that they had quarrelled, and used threatening language to -each other; and that they continued in dispute till the last moment -they were seen together. I do not wish to make the case worse than it -is, gentlemen of the jury, or to say that Mr. Dudley went out with any -evil intentions towards his pupil. There is no animus shown, and it -must be recollected that he went out first, and his lordship followed; -but I do mean to say we have it clearly before us, that they were both -in that state of mind which rendered a quarrel of the most serious -description, even to acts of violence, extremely probable. Then we -trace them together for some way, on the road to the very spot where -the fatal occurrence took place. Even by Mr. Dudley's account, not -many minutes could have elapsed between the time at which he says they -parted, and the time when Lord Hadley met with his death--hardly time -enough for the young nobleman to have met and quarrelled with another -man. Then we have the evidence of the fisherman or boatman, and the -evidence of the labourer, Daniel Connor, each account confirming the -other. The one says that the fatal blow was struck by a tall man, such -as you have seen Mr. Dudley is; the other, that the person who -quarrelled with, and ultimately killed Lord Hadley, was a tall man, -very much like Mr. Dudley, though, from the darkness of the night he -will not absolutely swear to him. Now, gentlemen, this is a very -conclusive train of evidence taken by itself; but let us examine Mr. -Dudley's own statement. He admits all the previous facts: the -quarrelling in the morning; the going out at night; the being followed -by Lord Hadley; their walk together towards the very spot; and their -arrival at a place which, as far as my recollection serves, is only a -few hundred yards from the scene of the tragedy. Mr. Dudley, indeed, -says that he there left Lord Hadley, and walked on towards Barhampton, -upon business of which he will give no distinct account. Doubtless he -might walk to Barhampton, and that he did go somewhere is very clear, -for he did not return to Brandon Park, we are informed, till about -midnight; but it is just as probable as not, that he should wander -about for some time after committing such an act as certainly was -perpetrated by some one. That he did do so is not the slightest -presumption of innocence, but rather, perhaps, the contrary. Then, -again, we have to consider the conduct of Lord Hadley, and to ask -ourselves was it probable that, after parting with Mr. Dudley, he -should go on, in a cold unpleasant night, to stroll upon the downs, -without, as far as we know, any object whatsoever. It is evident that, -when he last went out from this house, he followed his tutor, to speak -with him on the same painful subjects which had led to such severe -quarrels in the morning. When their discussion was at an end, it would -seem much more likely that he should return to Brandon House, where a -pleasant family party was waiting his return. Such would probably have -been his conduct if Mr. Dudley's statements were correct. But does it -not naturally suggest itself to your minds, as much more likely, that -the dispute was carried on vehemently between the two gentlemen; that -the young nobleman took the path over the downs, followed, at some -short distance, by his tutor; that more irritating words passed when -they reached the top of the cliff, and that the fatal blow was struck -which hurried the young nobleman into eternity. It is for you, -gentlemen of the jury, to consider all these facts, and to decide upon -your verdict. If you judge that the hand of Mr. Dudley did really slay -the young nobleman, the manner of whose death is the subject of -inquiry, you will have to choose between two courses. If you believe -Mr. Dudley entertained a premeditated design to kill his pupil--of -which, I confess, I see no trace in the evidence--you will bring in a -verdict of 'Wilful Murder.' If, on the contrary, you think that the -act was committed in a moment of hasty passion--for, remark, the fact -of the blow not having been intended to produce death is no -justification--you will then bring in a verdict of 'Manslaughter;' and -whatever view you take, you will remember that this is only a -preliminary inquiry, and that the person upon whom suspicion falls -will have the opportunity, at an after period, of bringing forward any -evidence he pleases, to prove his innocence."</p> - -<p class="normal">The jury took very little time to deliberate. They were most of them -sensible men, in a respectable station of life, perhaps a little too -easily bent by the opinions of a superior; but even had not the -coroner's own view of the case been so evident, they probably would -have come to the same decision. After a few words had passed between -them, to ascertain that they were all of one mind, their foreman -returned a verdict of "Manslaughter against Edward Dudley."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">When Dudley was taken out of the library where the coroner's jury sat, -he was surrounded in the hall by several persons, all eager to have -some conversation with him. Mr. Conway, the magistrate who had signed -the warrant for his apprehension, spoke to him in a good-humoured way, -expressing his sorrow that he had been called upon to perform so -unpleasant a duty. Dudley bowed stiffly, but did not reply, for he was -neither pleased with the act nor the apology; but he was immediately -succeeded by another magistrate, who, with as much kindness and more -judgment, pressed him to call every little particular of his walk on -the preceding night to his mind; to put them down while they were -still fresh in his memory; and to try to recollect every one he had -seen or spoken with between the period of his quitting Brandon and his -return, in order to prepare an unbroken chain of evidence for his -defence. "I have known a man's life saved," he said, "by keeping a -note-book, in which he wrote down at night everything that had -occurred to him during the day."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley thanked him for his suggestions, and felt that he did not -believe him guilty; but at the same time he perceived very clearly -that the magistrate concluded the coroner's jury would give a verdict -against him. Almost at the same moment Sir Arthur Adelon came up, and -with a very peculiar expression of countenance pressed his hand, but -without speaking. The next moment Edgar came in from the park, through -the glass doors. His whole appearance betrayed great agitation. His -eye was flashing, his cheek flushed, and there was a nervous, -excitable quivering of his lip as he approached Dudley, which told how -much he was moved. He wrung the prisoner's hand hard, with a swimming -moisture in his eyes which he seemed ashamed of; but his tongue failed -him when he tried to speak, and all he could say was, "Oh, Dudley!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You do not think me guilty, I am sure, my young friend," said Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Guilty!" cried Edgar--"guilty! Oh! no, no; guilty of nothing but of -too high and noble a heart. I have been out all the morning since I -heard of this dreadful affair, seeking for evidence all the way you -went; but I have been able to find none. Which way did you take after -you passed the lodge?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It matters not, Edgar, at present," answered Dudley. "Many thanks for -your kindness, but all that must be thought of hereafter. I can easily -see how these good gentlemen will decide, and I must have counsel down -from London, who will gather together the necessary testimony to prove -my innocence of an act I never even dreamed of. I shall call upon your -kindness, I dare say, Edgar, in the course of this affair."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Believe me, my dear sir," said Sir Arthur Adelon, "nothing shall be -wanting on my part to give you every assistance. I need not tell you -that, as I said before the jury, I am fully and entirely convinced of -your innocence, and shall ever remain so, being certain, from what I -know of your character, that you are quite incapable of committing -such an act, even in a moment of anger."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let me add my assurance, also, Mr. Dudley," said the priest, -approaching with his quiet step. "You are not a man to give way to -hasty bursts of passion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust not, Mr. Filmer," replied Dudley; "and on the present -occasion there was no provocation. In the morning, indeed, Lord Hadley -used very intemperate language towards me; but at night, though he had -evidently drunk more wine than was wise, yet, as I have often remarked -with him before, the effect was to render him more placable and -good-humoured."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Showing that he was not bad at heart," said Mr. Conway: "<i>in vino -veritas</i>, Mr. Dudley."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not think he was bad at heart, by any means," replied Dudley. -"Prosperity and weakness of character ought to bear many of the sins -which are laid upon the shoulders of a bad disposition. I trust, Sir -Arthur," he continued, "you will have the kindness to break this sad -event to poor Lady Hadley, who, although she has, thank heaven, other -children to console her, will feel her loss most bitterly."</p> - -<p class="normal">Some farther conversation of the same kind took place, during which -the same little crowd continued round the prisoner, while Edgar Adelon -kept his place close to Dudley's side, with a look of impatience and -anxiety which led the latter to believe that his young friend had -something of importance to communicate. It was by this time about -half-past nine, the usual breakfast hour at Brandon House, and the -spot where Dudley stood was directly opposite the foot of the great -staircase. The two constables were close behind him; and as I said -before, the magistrates and others who had been present at the inquest -as spectators, had remained around him in the hall, not expecting that -the coroner's address to his jury would be so tediously long as it -proved.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are a long time in finding their verdict," said one of the -magistrates; and as he spoke Edgar Adelon crossed over to his father, -and said, "Would it not be better that we should wait in your -justice-room? Eda will be down directly, depend upon it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I forgot--I forgot," said his father. "I had better go and -communicate to her what has taken place."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Does she not know?" asked Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing, nothing," replied the baronet, and was advancing towards the -stairs; but he was too late, for Miss Brandon had turned the first -flight from her own room before he reached the foot. She paused for an -instant, seeing such a number of people in the hall; but the next -moment she proceeded, with a look of apprehension; for the sight at -once awakened fears in regard to her uncle, though she had been -assured, before she retired to rest the night preceding, that Sir -Arthur had returned safe and well.</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet advanced to meet her; and Dudley, yielding to the impulse -of his heart, took a step or two forward to say a few words, the last, -perhaps, he might be able to speak to her for some months. Eda's eyes -were fixed upon him as she came down the last two steps; but ere he -could reach her the head constable caught him rudely by the collar, -exclaiming, "Come, come, master, I mustn't lose hold of ye, seeing as -how this is a case of murder."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda gazed wildly in Dudley's face for an instant, and then dropped -fainting on the floor of the hall.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Look to her, Edgar; look to her, Edgar!" said Dudley, in a low voice. -"Do not let her alarm herself so. Tell her, for heaven's sake! that -the charge is false, nay, absurd."</p> - -<p class="normal">A number of persons ran forward to assist Miss Brandon, and carried -her into the breakfast-room. At the same moment the door of the -library opened, and the constables were ordered to bring in the -prisoner. They hurried him in without ceremony, and he found the jury -still seated round the table, and the coroner on his feet, with a -written paper in his hand. "The verdict of the jury," he said, aloud, -"is Manslaughter against Edward Dudley, Esquire. Constables, I have -here made out a warrant for the committal of that gentleman to the -county jail; but of course, if the magistrates who ordered his -apprehension think fit to proceed with their own separate -investigation of the case, it will be your duty to consult their -convenience as to the time of his removal; and I will add, that you -are bound to put him to no unnecessary inconvenience consistent with -his safe custody, a course which I must say you do not seem to have -followed hitherto."</p> - -<p class="normal">The chief constable held down his head with a dogged look, but without -reply; and Mr. Conway, standing forward, addressed the coroner, -saying, "I, as the magistrate who issued the warrant, do not see any -necessity, sir, for taking this matter at all out of the hands of your -court. The case has undergone here a very minute and well-conducted -investigation, and I do not think anything could be added which may -not quite as well be brought forward at the assizes."</p> - -<p class="normal">The two gentlemen bowed to each other with mutual polite speeches, and -Dudley was removed in custody of the two officers.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A pack of fools," murmured Edgar Adelon, in no very inaudible tone; -and following Dudley out of the room, he crossed the hall to the -breakfast-room, when the constables seemed somewhat puzzled how to -proceed with their prisoner. The next moment, however, Edgar returned -with his father, who advanced direct towards Dudley, saying, "I grieve -very much, Mr. Dudley, that the jury have thought fit to come to this -conclusion; but you must use my carriage over to ----, and as I am one -of the visiting magistrates, I will take care that the short residence -which you must submit to in a prison shall be rendered as little -inconvenient to you as possible."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley thanked him for his kindness, took leave of Edgar, and in a few -minutes was rolling away to a town at the distance of about sixteen -miles, with one constable by his side, and the other on the box.</p> - -<p class="normal">The first reflections of the prisoner were naturally not very -pleasant; but those which succeeded were still less agreeable. A hard -fate seemed to pursue him. Born to station, affluence, and ease, he -had set out in life filled with bright hopes and eager expectations. -The sparkling cup of youth had seemed replete with pleasant drops of -every kind, and he had little dreamed, while such bright things -appeared upon the surface, that there was such a bitter draught below. -He had indulged in many a wild and ardent fancy, and sated, if not -spoiled, by the cup of success, had longed, as every young man has -longed, for change, for new pleasures, for pursuits opposite to those -which he had followed, for enjoyments differing in their novelty to -the joys which he had tasted. Ah! little does one know in youth, when -we seek a change of condition, what it is we pray for. Even if that -very alteration which we desire is granted to us, we find it loaded -with evils unforeseen, with inherent cares and anxieties which we had -never perceived, with consequences destructive of all our bright -expectations. But how often does it happen that when pampered -happiness seeks mere abstract change, from satiated appetite and the -desire of fresh enjoyment, the chastening hand on high sends bitter -reverses, to teach us the value of the blessings we despised, and to -lead us to that humble thankfulness which is rarely to be found in the -ungrateful heart of prosperity. Adverse fortune had fallen upon him -early, and coming to a strong and thoughtful mind, had produced the -full fruits of the wholesome lesson. Fortune, and all that fortune -gives, had been lost, and even the society of a wise and affectionate -parent had been taken away. He had had to soothe the departing hours -of a beloved father through a long sickness; he had had to struggle -with difficulties and to undertake labours never contemplated at the -outset of his career; and now, when both love and fortune smiled upon -him for an instant again, like a gleam of sunshine through a stormy -cloud, the light seemed snatched away as soon as given, the flame of -hope extinguished as soon as kindled. But he had felt and acknowledged -the uses of adversity; and although, with the natural superstition -which is in every man's heart, which led men in ancient, and even some -in modern times, to believe in the ascendancy of a propitious or -unpropitious star, he had first felt inclined to suppose that his evil -fortunes dogged him as a destiny from which he could not fly, yet -reason and religion taught him that the sorrows which are sent by the -Almighty are ordained in mercy, and in the end, he said, "This may be -salutary too."</p> - -<p class="normal">The first fruit of true Christian resignation is exertion; and giving -up all useless ponderings upon the past, as he rode along, he turned -to provide against the future; but strange to say, his thoughts became -more gloomy as he did so. He tried to collect and arrange in his mind -all the evidence he could bring forward in his defence; but with a -feeling of pain and apprehension, to which he had never before given -way, he perceived nothing that he could add at the assizes to that -which had been brought forward before the coroner's jury. He had seen -nobody from the moment when Lord Hadley quitted him, till he came upon -the men on watch at Mead's Farm. Of these he knew not one even by -name; and he was too clear-sighted not to perceive, even in his own -case, that his having met them some time afterwards, was no proof -whatever that he had not committed previously the act with which he -was charged. To show an object in going out at that late hour of the -evening might indeed have some effect; but yet he felt it would be -impossible, with a regard to his own honour, for so small an -advantage, to betray the confidence which had been placed in him, and -to ruin Sir Arthur Adelon, with very little benefit to himself. One -slight probability, indeed, in his favour might be raised, by his -proving the cause of the angry discussions which had taken place -between himself and Lord Hadley; and yet he felt a repugnance either -to cast an imputation upon the dead, or to bring forward the name of -Helen Clive under such circumstances. He did not indeed entertain such -romantic notions of honour and chivalrous courtesy, as to think that -it would be unjustifiable to do either, if his own safety absolutely -depended upon it; but he resolved, in the first place, to consult his -counsel as to whether it was necessary, and then to send a message to -Mr. Clive, telling him that such was the case. With that exception he -had nothing to add to what he had already said; and although it would -tell in his favour to show that the dispute between himself and his -pupil was honourable to himself, and showed a mind not likely to -commit a crime, yet he saw very clearly that it was no distinct -evidence of innocence. All these thoughts occupied him long; his -companion, though more civil than before, was dull and gloomy; and -Dudley was still meditating on his course, when the first houses of a -town came in view, and then a large stone building, with emblematic -fetters over the gate; and in two minutes more he was within the walls -of a prison.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There were two persons in Brandon House who suffered deeply on the -morning when Dudley was carried away to prison; and each mistakenly -encouraged some degree of self-reproach, such as none but delicate -minds can feel, for having unwittingly and unwillingly placed one they -loved in a dangerous and painful position. Eda Brandon thought, "Had I -not taxed his generosity to forgive, uninquiringly, injuries of which -he knew not the extent, and to go forth to save from disgrace and -danger the very man who had inflicted them, this false charge could -never have been brought."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar Adelon said to himself, "If I had not communicated to him all my -suspicions regarding the conduct of this young reptile lord towards my -sweet Helen, he would not, in a fit of generous indignation, have done -that which has brought him into peril and sorrow. Oh, that I had had -any other friend at hand to consult upon the conduct I should pursue! -Oh, that Helen, telling me all, had justified me in driving forth the -viper from my cousin's house! Oh, that Father Peter had not withheld -the tale of all the insults that she suffered, till it was too late -for me to act, and another had punished the offender as I ought to -have done!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Such thoughts passed through his mind about two hours after Dudley's -removal from Brandon, and while Eda was still in her own room, to -which she had been carried as soon as the house had resumed its usual -state. Mr. Filmer and Sir Arthur Adelon were closeted in the library; -and the only apparent result of their conversation as yet had been an -order for one of the grooms to ride as fast as possible to Barhampton, -and bring four post-horses to carry the baronet on his way to London.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What can I do? How can I act?" Edgar Adelon asked himself. "I must -have some one to consult with, and I know not whom. I do not believe -my father loves Dudley in his heart. I have seen him eye him with an -expression of dislike; and I will not trust the priest. Good man as he -is, his policy is always a subtle one. It is a pity that, with those -Italians, amongst whom he lived so long, he acquired that covert and -indirect mode of dealing. His purposes and ends are always right, I do -believe: too right and honest to be sought by crooked means. I must -talk with Eda; she is candour and truth itself, and yet has wit enough -to put all Filmer's arts at fault. I will talk with her;" and with his -usual hasty action, he was going at once to put his purpose in -execution, when he heard his father come out of the library, go up the -stairs, and knock at his cousin's door.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur remained long with his niece; and Edgar, who remained in -the room below for some time, thought he heard his father's voice -sometimes raised higher than usual. At other times, however, it -sounded with a low murmur, as if holding a long and earnest argument. -The young man grew impatient at length, and going forth into the park, -he wandered about for nearly an hour, and when he returned, found Sir -Arthur's post-chariot at the door, ready to bear him away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your father has been waiting for you, Mr. Adelon," said the butler; -"he is in the breakfast-room." And Edgar immediately directed his -steps thither, without asking any questions.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, Edgar, did you not know I was going?" demanded the baronet, as -soon as his son appeared; and then, without waiting for a reply, he -proceeded: "It is necessary for me, my dear boy, to go up to London at -once, to break the sad intelligence of Lord Hadley's death to his poor -mother. In the mean time, I think it will be better for you, more -decent, more proper, to meddle as little as possible with the affairs -of a gentleman charged with having produced his death, at least till -after he has had a fair trial, and is acquitted or found guilty. I -have some other business of importance to transact in London, but I -trust to be down in time to be present at the funeral, if it is to be -performed here. Mr. Filmer will make all the necessary arrangements, -according to the directions he will receive."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar Adelon was, like most young men, somewhat wrong-headed. His -disposition was too firm and generous for him to be spoiled, as it is -usually called; but he had been very much indulged, and usually took -his own way. He never, indeed, showed the least want of respect -towards his father, in word or manner; but he generally followed the -course which suited him best, with less reverence in his actions than -in his deportment. On the present occasion, then, he made no reply, -but remained determined to do everything he could for Dudley, -notwithstanding all opposition. After a few more words from Sir -Arthur, Edgar accompanied his father to the door of the carriage, took -leave of him, and then at once mounted the stairs to Eda's room, and -knocked at the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Go into my little sitting-room, Edgar," said Eda, who knew his step, -"and I will come to you directly. I wish much to speak to you, my dear -cousin."</p> - -<p class="normal">But Eda kept him some time waiting, and when she came at length, Edgar -saw that tears had been late visitants in her eyes.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not grieve, Eda, dear," said Edgar, taking her hand kindly. "This -will all pass away; but let you and I sit down together, and consult -what can best be done for poor Dudley. He will be acquitted, to a -certainty, I think: nay, I am sure."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not know, Edgar," answered Eda; "but in the mean time we must do -all we can to help and comfort him; and that is why I wished to speak -with you so much, for I know no one but you who seem to love him -here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, yes! there is one other, Eda," answered Edgar, with a smile; "one -who loves him very well, I think."</p> - -<p class="normal">The colour rose in Eda's cheek, but she raised her eyes to his, -answering at once, "There certainly is, Edgar, and I have just told -your father so. I avow it, Edgar, the more frankly, because it is -necessary, if we really would serve him, to have no concealments from -each other. We have jested and laughed over such things, Edgar; but -now it is necessary that we should speak plainly, both of your -situation and mine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"First, then, tell me what my father said," answered Edgar. "I promise -you, Eda, dear, I will have no concealments from you now. You are a -sweet, kind, affectionate girl as ever lived, and you have neither -pride nor prejudices which should make me afraid to tell you all my -own feelings. Let me hear what my father answered when you told him of -Dudley's love, and what you said to him again."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He said much, Edgar, that was very unpleasant," replied Eda; "but do -not let me dwell upon it. He found me firmer than he expected, and he -is now fully aware of my intentions, and moreover, aware that he can -never change them: at least I hope so, for what I said should leave no -doubt. But now to other matters. I think you have a sincere affection -for Dudley: is it not so?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would lay down my life for him," answered Edgar Adelon. "But when I -said that there was another who loved him well too, I did not -altogether mean you, Eda, but I meant Mr. Filmer."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda waved her hand and shook her head. "Your religious feelings blind -you, Edgar," she said. "Mr. Filmer does not love him: never has loved -him. There was a peculiar look came into his face the very first -moment he saw Dudley here, which you did not remark, but which I did, -and which I have remarked more than once before, when any one whom he -hates approaches him. It is but for a moment, but it is very distinct; -and moreover, I have seldom seen any one call up that look who has not -somehow fallen into misfortune. Do you remember the farmer Hadyer, -upon your father's estate in Yorkshire, and how, after being in very -prosperous circumstances, he was soon totally ruined? Well, the first -time I saw the poor man come up to speak to your father when Mr. -Filmer was present, that look came into the priest's face."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, it is you are prejudiced, Eda," replied her cousin. "What -offence could poor Hadyer have given to Father Peter, and how was he -instrumental in his ruin?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"His wife had been a Catholic, and became a Protestant the year -before," answered Eda. "How his ruin was brought about, I do not know; -but I heard Mr. Filmer dissuade your father from granting what Hadyer -asked, and which seemed to me but just and equitable. He said nothing -in the man's presence; but when he was gone, and he found your father -was inclined to accede, he urged that if your father granted the -remission of half a year's rent to one farmer on account of the flood -which carried away double the value of corn, he would have some such -accidents happening to some of the tenants every year. But all this is -irrelevant; Mr. Filmer loves him not: of that I am quite sure. We must -seek other counsel, Edgar, and find means to prove Dudley's innocence. -There is one, I think, who can supply it, if she will, and you must go -to her and seek it; for, if I am not mistaken," and Eda smiled as she -fixed her eyes upon him, "your voice will be more powerful with her -than that of any other human being."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You mean dear Helen Clive," replied Edgar. "Eda, you have made your -confession; and mine is soon made. Helen Clive shall be my wife, -whatever obstacles may stand in the way. She, too, would, if she -could, I am sure, show sufficient justification for what Dudley did. -It was an act of righteous vengeance upon as base a man as ever -breathed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What do you mean, Edgar?" exclaimed Eda Brandon, gazing at him as he -spoke, with a flushed cheek and flashing eye. "You do not really -believe that Dudley did kill this unhappy young man?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do, Eda," answered her cousin; "but listen to me." And he proceeded -to tell her all he knew--and it was but a part--of Lord Hadley's -conduct to Helen Clive. He spoke, too, of how he had himself, on the -preceding morning, informed Dudley of the facts, acknowledged his own -love for Helen, and asked the advice of his friend as to the course he -ought to pursue.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He soothed, comforted, calmed me, Eda," continued the young man: "and -in the end, told me to leave the affair in his hands, and he would -take care that my own dear, gentle Helen should be insulted no more. -From the evidence given by the servants, it is clear that Dudley and -the other had a bitter quarrel upon this very theme; that the -wrongdoer was insolent in his wrong, and provoked his monitor more -than patience could endure. Dudley is by nature fiery and impetuous, -Eda, and depend upon it, they met last night; this base peer provoked -his nobler friend, and Dudley struck a blow which, though -unintentionally, punished him as he deserved."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda mused sadly for a moment; but she then replied, "No, Edgar, no! -Your father told me that Dudley solemnly denied the act. Were it as -you say, he would not have done so. Impetuous he may be; but most -decided in right and truth he is, and always has been. He would have -told the tale of what had happened as it did happen; the act and the -motive would have stood forth clear together, and he would have left -the rest to fate. But besides, I know he did not do it. He went out at -my request, on business, which nothing, I am sure, would have turned -him from. The dinner was somewhat late, the hour named fast -approaching, and I could see his anxiety to go. He would not, I know, -have gone ten steps out of his way at that moment on any account -whatever. No, Edgar, he did not do it; and Helen, perhaps, may help us -to the proofs, for she must know who the men were that Dudley was to -meet near Mead's farm. There were others about, too, I am sure, and by -their testimony we may perhaps show, step by step, every yard of the -way that Dudley took. Go to her, Edgar--go to her at once. Why do you -shake your head?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because, dear Eda, Helen is no longer within reach," replied Edgar -Adelon; "she embarked last night with her father, who was implicated -in this mad rising and attempt upon Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda sat speechless with surprise and consternation, Her hope of -proving Dudley's innocence had been based entirely upon the -information which could be given by Helen Clive; and now to find that -she was gone, and evidently to a distance, too, seemed to strike her -with despair. From her uncle, and from the servants, she had gleaned a -very accurate idea of all the evidence which had been given before the -coroner's jury; and she had seen, from the first, the difficulties of -her lover's situation, with far more alarm than he himself had felt; -but her mind was quick and intelligent, and turned, after a temporary -pause of consternation, to consider what was best next to be done.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Fear not, Eda, dear," continued Edgar, seeing the expression of alarm -upon her face; "I must soon hear where Helen is. She has promised to -write to me whenever she arrives in France, and to let me know where -she is to be found. At all events, the priest must know."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stay, stay, Edgar!" said Eda. "Helen's evidence would be too late. My -uncle tells me the assizes will be held in ten days, and you must -trust Mr. Filmer in nothing, Edgar. You think I am prejudiced, but it -is not so. I know him, my dear cousin. But there is another way. If we -could but find a person named Norries, he might assist us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, that was the very leader of these men," said Edgar, somewhat -sharply. "I heard him myself harangue them two nights ago on the -little green before the old priory, and he used my father's name in a -false and shameless manner."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Alas! in too true a manner, Edgar," answered Eda. "I must tell you -all now, Edgar, for Dudley must not be sacrificed. His object in going -out that night, was to save my uncle from participating in acts that -may bring ruin on his head. Whether he succeeded in persuading him to -desist or not, I do not know, for I did not dare to ask your father; -but be assured, Edgar, that up to eight o'clock last night, it was Sir -Arthur's intention to be present with, if not to lead, the people who -attacked Barhampton. It was I who urged Dudley to go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what could he do?" demanded Edgar. "You know my father in such -circumstances attends to no advice."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True," answered Eda; "but Dudley had a power over him, Edgar." And -she proceeded to explain all that she herself knew of the dark -transactions in which Sir Arthur Adelon had been engaged in former -years. She put it gently and kindly, not as an accusation, but as an -unfortunate fact; and she told how generously Dudley had promised at -once, when he heard the means Norries had employed to urge her uncle -forward on so fatal a course, that he would assure Sir Arthur, on his -word of honour, to destroy the papers spoken of, without even looking -at them.</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar's check at first flushed, and then turned pale, and in the end, -he covered his eyes with his hands, and remained buried in thought.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Helen told me," continued Eda, willing to lead his mind away from the -more painful part of the subject, "that whoever I sent to seek my -uncle would find some men waiting near the place called Mead's farm. -There were watches, she told, along the whole line of road, and some -of them surely saw Dudley pass. At all events, Norries can give -information, if any one; and the only difficulty will be to find him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will find him," cried Edgar Adelon, starting up; "but then," he -added, "perhaps he may have left the country too. I will seek him, -however, let him be where he will, and find him if it be in human -power to do so, for Dudley shall not suffer for his noble and generous -devotion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But let us consider, Edgar, how Norries can best be heard of," said -Eda; but Edgar waved his hand with that bright, happy thing, the smile -of youthful confidence, upon his face, and answered, "I will find him, -dear girl, I will find him. I know several of the men who were with -him. I recognised their faces at the priory; but I will about it at -once, for there is no time to be lost."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It was a dark and stormy night when Edgar Adelon, mounted upon a -powerful horse, which seemed wearied with long travel, rode along -towards a little village near the sea-coast, about twelve miles from -Brandon. The rain beat hard upon him, dashing in his fair face, and -almost blinding man and steed; the wind tossed about the curls of his -hair like streamers round his head; neither great coat nor cloak -sheltered his delicate form from the blast or the down-pouring deluge; -but still he spurred on, seeming heedless of the tempest that raged -around. He entered the street of the village; he passed the little -alehouse, where there were lights and laughing voices within; and he -drew not a rein till he reached the last cottage but one upon the -right hand side, before which he checked his horse suddenly, and -sprang to the ground. Fastening the bridle round the paling, he went -forward and knocked at the door, and then immediately lifted the latch -and went in, saying, "Martin Oldkirk lives here, I believe?"</p> - -<p class="normal">A short, square-built, vigorous-looking man rose from the fire-side, -and eyed him with a suspicious look as he entered. He had been reading -a sort of newspaper, small in size and apparently badly printed, by -the light of a single tallow candle; but he instantly put the paper -away, and shaded his eyes to examine the visitor.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," he said, at length, "my name is Martin Oldkirk. What do you -want with me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I want to speak a few words with you," answered Edgar Adelon, closing -the door behind him, and advancing to the table. "You know a gentleman -of the name of Norries, I believe?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The man hesitated, and then replied, "I have seen such a person, I've -a notion. He called here once, but that's all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You know me, however, I suppose?" answered Edgar Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, I think I have seen you before somewhere," replied Oldkirk, with -an indifferent air. "You are the baronet's son over at Brandon, I -fancy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Exactly so," replied the young gentleman; "and Harry Graves, who -works for Mr. Mead, told me that you could give me some information."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What about?" demanded the man, abruptly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"About this very Mr. Norries," answered Edgar Adelon, fixing his eyes -upon him. "I have been eight days hunting him, and find, at last, that -you are the only man who knows where he is."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's a lie, at least!" answered the man, in an insolent and -swaggering tone; "and you may tell Harry Graves so for me."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar smothered his indignation at his companion's brutality, and -replied, "At all events you know where he is to be found, and you must -tell me where he is, for I must speak to him immediately upon business -of importance."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You won't hear from me," answered the man; "for mayhap I do not know -where he is. If you want him you must find him for yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," said Edgar, sternly. "You must find him for me, or if you don't -you must take the consequences."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And what may they be?" asked the labourer, with no less insolence in -his manner, but with a contemptuous smile curling his lip at the same -time.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, simply, that I shall give you up to justice," answered Edgar -Adelon, "as one of the rioters who treasonably attacked the town of -Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You would find that difficult to prove," answered the man, "because I -was not there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so difficult as you imagine," answered the young gentleman. "I -have the written testimony of three witnesses to show that you were -present; and if you do not do what I require, depend upon it I will -use those means to convict you."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man had taken two steps round the table, and he now sprang at once -between Edgar and the door, exclaiming, "Then d--mn me if I don't -knock your brains out for your pains. I'm not to be bullied in that -way."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, he was advancing upon the young gentleman; but when he -was within not much more than two yards, Edgar suddenly drew a pistol -from between his waistcoat and his shirt, where he had put it to keep -it dry, and presented it at Oldkirk, cocking it at the same time with -a loud click.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I came prepared for all that," he said, with a bitter smile. "They -told me you were a desperate fellow, and that they were all afraid to -come near you. Take another step and you are a dead man."</p> - -<p class="normal">Martin Oldkirk paused and gazed at him with a look in which a certain -portion of admiration was joined with surprise. "Upon my life," he -said, at length, "you're a brave little devil! but this is hardly -fair, sir. Now, let us sit down and talk over the matter. I see what -stuff you're made of, and I don't think you'd do what's wrong, or wish -me to do so either."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, keep your distance, then," said Edgar Adelon. "You are a -stronger man than I am, and the pistol only puts us on a level. As to -wishing you to do what's wrong, I have no such desires nor intention. -I wish you to do what is right, and that I will show you in a minute."</p> - -<p class="normal">Oldkirk retreated to his former situation, and waited without reply -for Edgar Adelon to go on. "You have heard me request you," said the -young gentleman, seating himself opposite to him, "to tell, show, or -lead me to the place where Mr. Norries lies concealed. Now, I have not -the slightest intention whatsoever of injuring that gentleman in any -way. No consideration would induce me to betray him; and I give you my -word of honour that his secret shall be as safe with me as it is with -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, upon second thoughts," replied the peasant, "I should guess it -would, seeing that that which hurts him might hurt your own father, -Mr. Adelon; and mayhap it's about your father's affairs that you are -going to speak with him."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar shut his lips tight; and after a moment's pause replied, "I know -nothing of my father's affairs, Mr. Oldkirk, and I will not deceive -you about it. My business with Mr. Norries has no connexion with my -father whatsoever. I desire to speak with him in regard to matters -which I am sure he takes some interest in. A gentleman, a very dear -and intimate friend of my own, has been apprehended and committed for -trial, charged with an act which he did not commit, and in regard to -which, I think, Mr. Norries may furnish some information which may be -useful to my friend's defence."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That he won't," replied Oldkirk, abruptly. "He'll inform against no -one, I'll answer for it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You mistake and interrupt me," said Edgar Adelon, with a slight -degree of haughtiness in his manner. "I neither expect nor desire that -he should turn informer; but I think he may be able to give me the -names of several persons who saw my friend on the night in question, -and who can bear testimony to where he was at certain times, so as to -prove that it was impossible he could commit the crime with which he -is charged."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's another affair," said Martin Oldkirk; "and if you assure me, -sir, upon your word of honour, that you have no other object than -this, I don't mind lending a hand; but at the same time you see, Mr. -Adelon, when a thing is trusted to me by any persons I mustn't tell -other people anything about it till I have asked leave."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is fair enough," answered Edgar Adelon; "I pledge you my word of -honour that I have no other object whatever in seeking Mr. Norries -than that which I have stated; and I have no objection to tell you the -circumstances of the case, in order that you may communicate them to -Mr. Norries himself before he sees me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! that's not needful, sir," replied the man. "I guess well enough -what it is all about: this gentleman that is accused of killing the -young lord up at Brandon, who was buried t'other day. I don't think -you need trouble your head much about it, for every one knows well -enough he didn't do it, and they'll never get a jury to condemn him; -but for the matter of that, I don't blame a gentleman who wants to -help a friend, and an innocent man too, at a pinch like that. But -you'll have a long way to go, sir, though it's all in your way home -too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not mind how far it may be," answered Edgar, "nor whether it be -in my way or not. Mr. Norries I will see, and this very night, too, if -it be possible. I am quite ready to go, if you are willing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, that's right," replied Oldkirk. "I like a man that's ready to -do anything to serve a friend. So come along, we'll set to work at -once; but you'll have to stay behind, maybe for ten minutes or so, -while I ask leave. If I get it, well enough; if I don't get it, I -suppose you and I are to have a tussle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'll think of that as we go along," answered Edgar Adelon; "but, at -all events, we'll have a truce till you come back again from your -mission, and fair play on both parts, my good friend."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Agreed," said Oldkirk. And putting up his pistol in his breast again, -the young gentleman followed him quietly out of the house, and taking -his horse's bridle over his arm, walked on by the man's side in -perfect confidence.</p> - -<p class="normal">This conduct seemed to please him not a little, for he was much more -conversible and open than he had been at first; but he still kept a -guard upon his communications, taking care not to say a word which -could lead his companion even to suspect where Norries lay concealed.</p> - -<p class="normal">The way was long, and the drenching rain poured upon the two -wayfarers, as amongst the narrow lanes and between the high hedgerows -which distinguished the inland parts of that country, they wandered on -for more than an hour. They passed one village, a hamlet, and some -scattered houses; but Edgar, in his wanderings, had made himself -acquainted with every rood of the country round Brandon, and he -perceived that each step he took brought him nearer home. At length, -Martin Oldkirk stopped by the side of a little church at the distance -of about five miles from the park, and said, "Now you must wait here -for me, master, till I can get leave to bring you on. But you are very -wet, and that's a bad thing for a genteel lad like you. If you like -it, I can get you a glass of spirits from that farm-house there, where -you see the light glimmering."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It would, perhaps, be better for me to go in there and wait for you," -replied Edgar; "for although I care little about bad weather, having -been accustomed to brave it all my life, yet the rain dashing heavily -in one's face is not pleasant."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That will not do, sir," replied the man; "they might track us, if -they saw you and me together."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then, I will put my horse under the yew tree and go into the -church porch," said the young gentleman; "spirits I do not drink, and -shall do well enough without them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There are worse things on a wet night," answered the other; and -turning away, he left Edgar to follow his own course.</p> - -<p class="normal">The church porch alluded to was a deep, old Norman projection from the -face of a building, the greater part of which was of more modern date; -for successive church-wardens had each done his best to spoil, by -additions and improvements, what had once been a small but very -beautiful piece of architecture. There, however, under the round and -richly moulded arches, Edgar Adelon found a temporary shelter, while -an old yew tree, planted probably by Saxon hands, protected his horse -from the fury of the storm. Time seemed to pass very slowly to his -impatient spirit, and as the porch approached close to the road, he -listened, though for some time in vain, for a coming step. At length -one sounded at a distance, and in a minute or two more his guide was -at his side.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well," cried Edgar, eagerly, "what news?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It won't do, sir, tonight," replied the man. "I was directed to tell -you that you must not come on now, but that if you will be there -to-morrow evening at nine, you will not only see him you want, but get -all the information that he can give."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is very unfortunate," answered Edgar; "the assizes open the day -after to-morrow; this trial will be one of the first, in all -probability, and we shall have no time to prepare. But I will be -wherever you will name, of course; or will you come and guide me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will be there waiting for you," said the other; "but you must swear -not to say one word to any person which can lead people to find out -where the gentleman is, on any account whatever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Most willingly," replied Edgar Adelon; "under no circumstances -whatever, by word, or look, or sign, will I betray the place of his -concealment, upon my honour."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That will do," rejoined Oldkirk. "And now, to tell you where to come. -I dare say you know the country pretty well?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes," answered the young gentleman; "there are few parts within -twenty miles round where I could not find my way."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then, do you know the old workhouse at Langley?" asked the -countryman. "It stands just at the back of the village."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perfectly," replied Edgar. "Am I to be there?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will find me near the door at nine to-morrow," said Oldkirk. "And -now, master, can you find your road home?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"As easily as if it were broad day," answered his companion. "And now, -Oldkirk, let me say, I am sorry I used a threat towards you; but you -must forgive it; for when one is so deeply interested as I am in -proving the innocence of a friend, one often says things one would not -say at another time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There, don't say any more about it," replied the other. "May be some -day you may lend me a hand, and that will clear all scores; so good -night, sir!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar bade him farewell, mounted his horse, and spurred on towards -Brandon, seeing not a living creature till he came within a hundred -yards of the park gates. His heart was lightened, and his spirits, -which had been greatly depressed, rose high at the thoughts of -serving, nay, perhaps of saving, one for whom, from the first, he had -in his young enthusiasm conceived the warmest friendship. The wind had -somewhat abated, but the rain still continued when he approached the -park, and the night was so dark that his horse was nearly upon a -foot-passenger before he saw him. The person whom he overtook was -walking slowly on, with an umbrella covering his head and shoulders; -but the sound of the falling hoofs startled him, and made him jump -aside just as Edgar checked his horse.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is that you, Edgar?" said Mr. Filmer, turning round; and Edgar -immediately sprang to the ground, apologizing for having nearly ridden -over him. "The truth is, father," he said, "I was riding fast to catch -dear Eda before she goes to bed, and to tell her the tidings which -have made me very joyful."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let me share them," said Father Filmer; "for if I judge rightly they -will be joyful to me too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sure they will," cried Edgar, forgetting, in the -light-heartedness of the moment, the caution which Eda had given. "By -this time to-morrow, I trust to be able to prove Dudley's innocence -beyond a doubt."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is indeed most satisfactory," answered the priest. "But are you -quite sure, my young friend? Youth is apt to be sanguine; too -sanguine, alas! not to meet with disappointment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust such will not be the case now," answered Edgar Adelon; "for -at nine to-morrow I am to meet one who can give me information if he -will."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer was well aware that his hold upon the mind of the young -gentleman who was now walking on beside him was much less strong than -that which he possessed over Daniel Connor, Sir Arthur Adelon, or even -Mr. Clive. He knew that to attempt to force his secrets from him, by -representing a full communication thereof to the priest in the light -of a religious duty, would be at once treated by Edgar as a ridiculous -assumption, and that he must therefore take a very different course -with him from that which he had pursued with others; as, indeed, he -had done in addressing every one of the persons I have named above. To -no two of them had he put forth exactly the same motives in exercising -the influence which he possessed over them. The general line he took -was still the same, indeed, though he modified his arguments to each -individual; but now he was obliged, in a degree, to choose a new -direction.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I seek no confidence, my son," he said, "but that which is voluntary. -You have been a little reserved lately, but that matters not; though, -perhaps, I might have aided you more than you know. When I ask you, -therefore, who is the person you have to meet, and where you are to -meet him, I do not want you to tell me anything you may be disposed to -conceal, and have only in view your own safety; for you must remember, -Edgar, that these are somewhat dangerous times; and if I am not much -mistaken, the people you have to deal with are rash and violent men, -who will not scruple at anything which may serve their purpose."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is not the slightest danger," answered Edgar Adelon. "I know -who and what they are quite well; and they know that I would not -betray them for any consideration whatever. That which prevents me -from telling you whom I am going to meet and where, is that which has -hitherto prevented me from speaking with you as openly as I could -wish: namely, that the affairs with which I have to do are not my own, -and that other persons are compromised throughout the whole matter. I -could not, therefore, in honour reveal to you any of the particulars; -and in this case especially, I am bound, by a most solemn promise, to -discover nothing to any one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is very well," replied the priest. "I have no curiosity; and I -shall be perfectly satisfied if you can prove that our young friend is -totally innocent. At nine tomorrow, did you say? Well, may you be -successful; for I myself am quite sure of Mr. Dudley's innocence, and -therefore trust it may be clearly established. You had better, -therefore, mount again, and get home to your fair cousin as soon as -possible, for I know she is very anxious, unnecessarily so, I believe; -but we must always make allowances."</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus saying, he seemed to drop the subject; and after walking a few -steps farther with him, Edgar Adelon sprang into the saddle, and rode -on towards Brandon Park.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXIV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">By half-past eight o'clock Edgar Adelon was at the door of the old -workhouse at Langley. The building had long been disused, but though -not in the best order in the world, it could not be said to have -fallen into decay. When a harsh and parsimonious law was substituted -for one which was excellent in itself, but had been long and sadly -misused; when poverty was first virtually pronounced criminal, and -punished by statute; when the vices of the past, and the follies of -rich magistrates, were visited upon the present generation, and upon -the heads of the poor; when those whom God had joined together were -put asunder by legislation, and when a deputy parliament, -irresponsible directly to the people, was created to make laws and -regulations for those who are denied a voice in the senate, or a vote -at an election; when the medical attendance of the sick and the needy -was first contracted for by scores, as bullocks and sheep are paid for -at a toll-gate; when charity put on a pedant's gown, and national -benevolence was circumscribed by iron theories, the poor of Langley -had been transferred to the union house, and the old workhouse had -been put up to auction.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was bought by a person who wished to establish a school: a wild, -eccentric, clever philanthropist, who fancied that he could bend man's -stubborn nature to his own Utopian schemes of excellence. The school, -however, as might have been expected, proved a complete failure; and -after keeping it up for two years, he abandoned it in despair. No -purchaser could be found to take the building off his hands; and -leaving the charge of it to an old man and his wife, he spent a few -pounds annually in checking the course of decay, but seemed to forget -it altogether, except when he paid the bills. There was a little space -of ground round it, and a low wall; and within that wall Edgar Adelon -now stood, waiting for the coming of his guide. He doubted not that -the person he sought was to be discovered within the large, rambling -old building: and finding that his impatient spirit had carried him -thither a good deal before the time, he walked round it more than -once, looking up to the windows, to see if he could discover the room -which Norries inhabited. All was dark, however, except where, from a -room on the ground floor, close to the door, streamed forth a solitary -light; and mounting the steps, the young gentleman looked in, and -perceived the old man in charge and his wife seated at their little -fire. He now began to doubt that Norries was there. It might merely be -a place of rendezvous, he thought; and as time wore on, he fancied -that his guide was long in coming, and then that he would not come.</p> - -<p class="normal">The night formed a strong contrast with the last: it was fine, and -calm, and clear, and at length a step was heard at a good distance, -approaching rapidly. Edgar would not wait for the new-comer's -approach, but went to meet him, and in a few minutes he could perceive -the figure of Martin Oldkirk.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, sir, you are too soon," said the man. "I am before my time; but -come on, and we shall soon find him we want. Now, wait here for me a -minute," he continued, when they reached the door of the workhouse; -and walking round towards the back, he disappeared. After remaining -impatiently for about five minutes, Edgar thought he heard a bolt -withdrawn, and expected to gain admission; but the sound ceased again, -and in an instant or two afterwards, he heard a step once more. The -next moment the voice of Oldkirk called him; and he found the -countryman standing at the western angle of the building.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop a minute, Mr. Adelon," said the man; "are you very sure that you -have not let out the secret to any one?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"To no one upon earth," answered Edgar. "You surely do not suspect me -of such baseness?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir, I don't suspect you of baseness, at all," replied Oldkirk; -"but young gentlemen will be imprudent sometimes."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have not in this instance, at all events," answered Edgar. "I have -not said a word to anybody which could give the slightest idea of -whither I was going when I came out."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is strange enough," answered the other, in a thoughtful tone. -"There are two men and a little boy standing talking together at this -hour of night, at the corner of the lane. They seem to be doing -nothing. I wonder what they can want?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing connected with me, depend upon it," answered Edgar, becoming -somewhat impatient. "It seems to me nothing unusual that two men -should be standing there talking."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But the boy comes from a place close by Brandon," replied Oldkirk. "I -dare say it is all right, however, so we had better go in;" and -proceeding to the door, near which Edgar had been waiting, he opened -it, first lifting the latch. The first room they came to was a little -stone hall, where paupers had often waited for their daily allowance -of bread, or meat, or soup, or for medical aid; and there Edgar Adelon -paused, while Oldkirk shut and bolted the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now we must find our way in the dark," said the latter, as soon as he -had completed his task. "It won't do to carry a light about here. Keep -close behind me, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">Following his footsteps, Edgar went forward through a door, which -closed behind them with a weight and pulley, and then along a stone -passage, at the end of which the man said, "Here are the stairs;" and -mounting about twenty steps, they came to the upper story of the -building. It seemed, as far as the young gentleman could judge, a -strange, rambling sort of place, with rooms on the right hand and on -the left, and paved passages between them, through several of which he -was led, till at length, stopping suddenly, Oldkirk said, "I will wait -for you here. Go straight on, sir, till you see a light shining -through the keyhole of a door; just push that open and go in, but -don't be longer than you can help."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar followed his directions without reply; and a moment after, in a -turn of the passage to the left, saw the light the man had spoken of, -not only shining through the keyhole, but through a chink of the door, -which was ajar. Pushing it open, as he had been told to do, he took a -step forward, and a scene unpleasant and even painful was before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">The room was a small square chamber, lined with squalid panelling, and -floored, like the rest of the building, with stone. The rain of the -preceding night had come through the roof at one corner, staining the -ceiling and the walls. There was but one window, covered not only with -a large moveable shutter, formed of planks of wood, but with a -blanket, pinned up with two forks, so as to prevent the slightest ray -of light from finding its way out through the crevices. The air felt -hot and close, although there was neither fire nor fire-place, and the -night was cold. In one corner was a bed, of the most humble -description, without curtains, and by its side stood a chair and a -table, the latter supporting several phials partly filled with -medicine, and a tea-cup, as well as a solitary tallow candle, with a -long, unsnuffed wick, set in a large, dirty, tin candlestick. The -bedding seemed to consist of a mattress or palliass, part of which was -apparent, two or three coarse rugs and a sheet, with an ill-filled -bolster, doubled up to support the head.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as Edgar entered the room, the form of a man raised itself -slowly and painfully up in the bed, supporting itself on the right -arm, and a pair of hollow eyes gazed at him earnestly. The head was -surrounded with a bandage, and the wild gray hair floated loose about -it; while beneath appeared a countenance full of intelligence, but -worn and haggard, apparently with sickness and suffering. The hue of -robust health was totally gone; and the pale, yellow, waxy tint of the -skin seemed more sallow from a black plaster down one check, and a -gray and reddish beard of eight or nine days' growth. No one, -probably, who had known Norries in health, would have recognised him -at that moment; and Edgar Adelon who had never seen him, except once -as a boy, imagined at first that there must be some mistake. -Association, as it is called, is perhaps one of the most extraordinary -phenomena of the human mind: not alone in the rapid power which it has -of awakening recollection from the slumber of long years to the things -of the past, but in the strange difference of the means by which it is -itself excited. With one man it is a sight; with another, a sound; -with another, an odour; with another, a taste, which calls up suddenly -scenes and circumstances and persons, which have been long buried -beneath the sand and rubbish of passing things in the course of years. -With Edgar Adelon the exciting cause, in almost all instances, was -sound; and the moment Mr. Norries spoke, he recollected his voice, and -the place where he had last beheld him; and all that then took place -flashed back upon his memory like a scene in a dream.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you Mr. Adelon?" demanded the wounded man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The same," answered Edgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! not the boy who came to call upon Mr. Sherborne, with Sir -Arthur Adelon, some six or seven years ago?" rejoined Norries. "How -you are changed!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Greatly, I believe," replied Edgar; "but you are very much changed -too, Mr. Norries, and I regret to see that the alteration has been -effected by illness."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay!" answered the other, gloomily, "they have brought the strong man -to infant weakness, and the daring man to skulk in a hole like this. -If others had been as resolute and as vigorous, the case would have -been different. But I have not regrets for myself, Mr. Adelon. I -regret that another opportunity has been lost for my country: an -opportunity which may never return. I regret that my countrymen, in -their feebleness and their timidity, have suffered the golden moment -to slip from them, after boasting that they were ready to seize it, -and to dare all odds to render it available to the common good. They -fled, sir, like a flock of sheep, from a handful of men in red coats, -and I am almost hopeless of them. I went down, it is true, almost at -the first, with a bitter wound in my side, and my horse shot under me; -but if they had then rushed on--ay, though they had trampled the soul -out of my body--they would have gained the day, and I would have -blessed them. Nevertheless, the time may yet come, and I will live for -it. Only one success, to give them confidence in themselves, to knit -them together, to prove to them that they can fight and conquer if -they will, and all is secure. It is the novelty of the thing that -scares them: and those Frenchmen, too, who ran at the very first shot, -what do they deserve? But I forget; we are rambling from the point."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You seem to have been badly wounded, indeed," replied Edgar, as the -sick man sunk back upon his pillow, exhausted with the stern vehemence -of his own thoughts; "but tell me, Mr. Norries, have you proper -attendance here? Such wounds as yours would need a skilful surgeon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They were sharp ones," answered Norries, "and not few; for I had just -staggered up, and was calling some few stout hearts around me, when -the cavalry dashed in amongst us. One cut at me, and gashed my cheek, -and another brought me down with a blow over the head. They passed on, -thinking me dead; and so I should have been very soon if that brave -fellow, Oldkirk, had not dragged me away, and hiding me and himself in -a dry ditch, bound up my wounds and stanched the blood. There has been -many a man ennobled for a worse deed; but he will have his reward here -or hereafter. The people here are very kind to me, too. I saved their -little property for them one time, by the few scraps of law I ever -learned, and they are grateful: it is a marvel, as this world goes. I -have a surgeon from a distant town, and I drink his drugs, and let him -probe my wounds, and let him torture me as much as he will; not that I -have any faith in him, but because it pleases the good people, who -think that something is being done to serve me. I need no surgeon, Mr. -Adelon, but nature and a strong constitution. Surgeons and lawyers, -the craft is much the same; the one tortures and destroys the body, -the other the mind--both rascally trades enough! But let us think of -other things. You have been seeking me--why?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thought Oldkirk had told you," replied Edgar. "I gave him all the -needful particulars last night."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He told me something of it," answered Norries, "but not the whole. -Besides, I forget. Lying here in this gloomy sickness, my thoughts -wander over many things, like the dove of the deluge, finding no place -to rest upon. Let me hear the business from your own lips."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is very simple," replied Edgar Adelon. "A friend, for whom I have -more deep regard than I feel for any man living, is accused of having -killed the young Lord Hadley on the very night of the attack upon -Barhampton. He went out from Brandon at about eight o'clock, and was -followed by that lord: they were seen passing the lodge, and walking -on together in high dispute. Lord Hadley was brought home dead, having -been struck over the cliff by some one, whom the coroner's jury choose -to believe was my friend: not without some grounds, it is true." And -Edgar proceeded to detail the evidence given, dwelling minutely upon -the circumstances, in order to show Norries the danger of the position -in which Dudley was placed. "My friend," he continued, "declares that -he went on to the very gates of Barhampton that night; that Lord -Hadley parted from him at the spot where the path from the Grange -crosses the high road, and that he never saw him after. He met several -men near Mead's farm, it would seem; but we have reason to believe -that there were others scattered along the whole line of road he took, -and that some of them must have seen his parting from Lord Hadley, and -be able to bear testimony to the fact. If you know, as we imagine, who -these men were, and can give me information, so that their evidence -may be obtained, I beseech you, Mr. Norries, to do so; for the lawyers -who have been brought from London assure us that is the only hope of -obtaining a favourable verdict for my friend Mr. Dudley."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Dudley, the friend of one of the name of Adelon!" replied -Norries, in a low, marvelling tone; "that is a strange phenomenon! An -Adelon strive to save a Dudley! That is stranger still. But true, your -mother's was kindlier blood. Is your father aware of what you are -doing?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My father is in London, detained by business of importance," answered -Edgar; "but I know to what you allude, Mr. Norries. Some quarrel -existed in former years between my father and Dudley's, but that is no -reason for enmity between their children."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A quarrel!" exclaimed Norries, raising himself again upon his arm. -"Do you know, Mr. Adelon, that your father ruined his? Do you -know--but no, you do not; I will tell you. Dudley's mother was your -father's first love. They had been rivals for honours at school, at -the university, and they then became rivals for her hand. Sir Arthur -was encouraged by the mother, but Charles Dudley was accepted by the -daughter. He was successful here, as he had always been before, and -your father is not a man to forget such things, sir. He ruined him, I -say."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is false!" exclaimed Edgar. "It cannot be true."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not true!" cried Norries; "do you dare tell me it is not true? But -this is all vain--lying here, the veriest child might insult me at -will. But I tell you it is true, and I have the papers which prove it. -He waited long for his revenge, but it came at last. He took advantage -of a temporary pressure on his enemy--a pressure caused by his own -acts, and offered in kindly words to lend money on a mortgage, merely -and solely for the purpose of getting Dudley's title-deeds into his -lawyer's possession; for that cunning lawyer had taught him that there -never was a title in which a flaw could not be found. It was all done -by his directions--all done for one object. The flaw was soon -discovered, the title disallowed, the secret told to the next heir, -and Mr. Dudley ruined. I can prove it step by step, the whole -machinations from the beginning to the end, for that lawyer was my -partner, and the papers are now in my possession."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you used them, Mr. Norries," replied Edgar, with a mixture of -anger and sorrow in his tone, "to force my father on in a course which -might be his ruin. Do not talk of ungenerous conduct, for surely this -was not generous."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I used them, sir," replied Norries, sternly, "to keep him to -principles which he had long before asserted, to promote the -deliverance of my country, to favour the people's right. I have since -regretted, perhaps, that I did so; for I am weak, like other men, and -the result having been unfortunate, may wish I had not employed the -means which the object justified. I ought to have given those letters -to Mr. Dudley, and will do so now, if he and I both live. And now, -sir, with that knowledge before you, I will help you to save the young -man, if you please."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar sat silent for a moment or two, with his eyes bent fixedly upon -the wall, and Norries at last asked, "What say you? would you save -him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly!" replied Edgar Adelon, with a start; "can you doubt it? -Whatever be the consequences, can you suppose that I would hesitate to -deliver my friend, or that I would see an innocent man suffer for a -crime in which he had no share?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you are one of the noble and the true," replied Norries, warmly; -"one of the few, the very, very few. Give me your hand, Mr. Adelon; -and forgive me that I have pained you by such sorrowful truths."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar gave him his hand, but turned away his head with a sigh, and -Norries continued. "That every word I have uttered is true, you shall -have proof," he said. "If I live, I will show you those letters."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No!" answered Edgar, sharply; "I will not look into one page of them. -He is my father, sir, whatever he may have done. To me he has no -faults, nor would I willingly see any in his conduct to other men. If -you will aid me to prove Dudley's innocence, Mr. Norries, I will thank -you most deeply; but say no more to me of my father or my father's -acts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"So be it," answered Norries; "to Mr. Dudley's business, then. First, -be sure he did not kill Lord Hadley. I may know, or at least guess, -who did. But of that I can prove nothing. Secondly, there was but one -man, as far as I recollect, near the spot where the two roads cross. -My memory of that night is somewhat indistinct, indeed, and there may -have been two. One certainly was Edward Lane, the blacksmith; the -other, a man named Herries, living near Barhampton, but I am not sure -of his station. Seek out Lane first, and tell him I sent you to him -with my request that he will voluntarily tender his evidence. He must -make some excuse for being there at that hour of the night. He is -resolute and bold, but somewhat wrong-headed, and you may have trouble -with him, though I think my name will satisfy him. The other man will -tell you at once if he was there or not, if you but say that I desire -it. Tell Mr. Dudley, for me, too, that I regret much what has -happened, and that I cannot serve him farther. You say that he went as -far as the gates of Barhampton--I know not what could bring him -thither, and assuredly I did not see him there; but that is no marvel, -for I had much to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He went upon a kindly errand, Mr. Norries," replied Edgar, "and -certainly was there, for he said it, and Dudley's word is not to be -doubted. But I will detain you no longer to-night, as you seem -exhausted, and perhaps our conversation has been too long already. I -thank you much for the information you have given me, and I am sure -Dudley will be grateful also." Thus saying, the young gentleman shook -hands with the sick man, and left him.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">At the end of the stone passage, Edgar found Martin Oldkirk waiting -for him; and proceeding in silence, they issued forth from the old -workhouse, but not by the front entrance, passing through a small door -at the back, the key of which the countryman seemed to possess for his -own private use, as he put it in his pocket after having turned it in -the lock. As soon as they were a few steps from the building, Edgar -turned towards his companion, saying, "I must find Lane, the -blacksmith, to-night. I suppose, my shortest way is through Langley?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir," answered Oldkirk, "I will show you a shorter way than that; -and I had better go with you too, for if I don't, you'll not make much -of Edward Lane. We must take the first turning through the fields: -there's a stile a couple of hundred yards up."</p> - -<p class="normal">Without reply Edgar proceeded along the road; and they had nearly -reached the stile of which Oldkirk spoke, when four or five men and a -little boy sprang out from the hedge upon them. Two of them seized -Edgar by the collar; and though he made an effort to shake himself -free, it is probable he would have offered no violent resistance if -Oldkirk had not struck violently right and left, knocking down one of -the assailants, and severely hurting another. The men struck again in -their own defence, and a general scuffle took place, in the midst of -which, without knowing from what hand it came, Edgar received a severe -blow on the head from a stick. The fire flashed from his eyes, his -brain seemed to reel, and everything passing from his sight, he fell -senseless to the ground.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Mr. Adelon recovered his recollection, he could not for some -minutes conceive where he was, for all the objects around were new and -strange to him. He was stretched upon a bed in a large but low-roofed -room, with a woman and two men standing by him, and applying some cold -lotions to his head. His brain seemed confused and dizzy, and a -violent aching pain over his brows showed him that he had been very -severely handled. The remembrance of all that had occurred came back -to him almost immediately; and turning to one of the men, he demanded -where he was, and why he had been so assaulted.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are at Farmer Grange's for the present, master," replied the man; -"and no one would have hurt you, if you had not resisted. We came out -to get hold of a party of those Chartists who are charged with being -concerned in that business at Barhampton, and if you choose to go -consorting with them, you must take the consequences."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you a warrant?" demanded Edgar, raising himself on the bed.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We've got warrants against five or six on 'em," answered the man; -"Martin Oldkirk, Neddy Lane, Eaton, and others."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you a warrant against me?" demanded Edgar; "though I need not -ask the question, for I know very well you have not."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As to that, I can't say," was the man's answer, "for I don't know who -you are yet; but you were consorting with one of 'em, at all events."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You know very well that I am Sir Arthur Adelon's son," replied the -young gentleman; "and I demand that you show me your warrant against -me. If you have one, I shall submit to the law, of course; but if you -have not, I insist upon your suffering me to go home directly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I shan't do, you may be sure," said the man. "I don't know who -you are, or anything about you; and I shall wait till the constable of -the hundred comes back, at all events. He's gone to Barhampton to find -a surgeon for your head, that you would have broke, whether we liked -it or no. He won't be long, I dare say, and you must stay quiet till -he returns."</p> - -<p class="normal">Resistance would be in vain Edgar well knew, and he was forced to -submit, though most unwillingly; but gradually a stronger power -mastered him. Violent and general headache came on, a sensation of -feverish langour spread over his limbs, and by the time that the -little clock which was ticking against the wall struck two, he felt -that he was almost incapable of moving.</p> - -<p class="normal">In about half an hour afterwards the head constable of the hundred -came back from Barhampton, with the surgeon who was accustomed to -attend Sir Arthur Adelon's family; and after examining his patient's -head, and having felt his pulse, asking two or three questions at the -same time as to what sensations he experienced, he drew forth his -lancet, and proceeded, according to the old practice, to bleed his -patient largely. Whether the custom of so doing be good or not, Edgar -Adelon certainly felt great relief, though a degree of faint -drowsiness spread over him at the same time. To his inquiry as to -whether he could not be moved to Brandon, the surgeon shook his head, -saying, "Impossible;" and Edgar then proceeded to complain of the -manner in which he had been treated by the constable and those who -accompanied him. In the midst of his statement, however, the -overpowering sensation of weariness which he felt prevailed over even -anger on his own account and anxiety for his friend, his eyelids -dropped heavily once or twice, and he fell into a profound sleep.</p> - -<p class="normal">When he woke on the following morning it was broad daylight, and he -found Mr. Filmer sitting by his bedside. His head still ached, but he -felt better than on the preceding night, and a long explanation ensued -as to the occurrences which had brought him into the state in which -Mr. Filmer found him. As it was clear no warrant was out against him, -and the men who had apprehended him had retired from the farm-house, -somewhat apprehensive of the consequences of what they had done, Edgar -expressed his determination to rise immediately and pursue the object -which he had in view when he was seized. He explained in general terms -to his companion the nature of the business he was upon; and no -arguments of the priest, bearing upon the state of his own health, and -the danger of the step he proposed, would have had any effect, had not -Mr. Filmer added the assurance that Mr. Dudley's trial would not come -on for several days, as he had received intimation that very morning -that it was far down on the list, and that all the Chartists who had -been taken at Barhampton were to be proceeded against in the first -instance.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Besides, Edgar," he said, "the object you have in view can perhaps be -more easily attained. If you will tell me the name of the man you are -seeking I will go to him myself, and find means, one way or another, -to bring him hither to speak with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">The idea seemed to Edgar a good one, for in truth he felt little equal -to the task, and after a few words more of explanation, Mr. Filmer set -out upon his errand. As he went, Edgar turned his eyes towards the -clock, and perceived to his surprise that it was nearly noon; but the -priest did not return till the sky was beginning to grow gray, and -then brought the unpleasant intelligence that Edward Lane was nowhere -to be found.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has probably heard of there being a warrant out against him," Mr. -Filmer said, "and has concealed himself till these assizes are over; -knowing well, as we all know, that it is one of the bad customs of -this country, whatever be the government, to let political offenders -off easily if they avoid the first pursuit of justice, while those who -are early apprehended have the law administered not only with -strictness but with passion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must find him, at all events," said Edgar, "and that speedily."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall know where he is by to-morrow morning," replied Mr. Filmer, -with a meaning smile. "I have directed several shrewd and trustworthy -members of my own flock, who know him well, to obtain information, and -communicate it to me at once. I will then let you know, my dear son. -So make your mind easy, for not an hour shall elapse after I have -received the intelligence before it is in your possession."</p> - -<p class="normal">Again Edgar Adelon suffered himself to be tranquillized by assurances -which would have had no effect, had he not been enfeebled by illness. -The next morning when he woke his headache was gone, and his mind was -fresh and clear, but he still felt very feeble, and willingly lay in -bed till the good farmer's wife brought his breakfast, and the hour -appointed for the surgeon's visit had nearly come. He wondered, -indeed, that Mr. Filmer had not been with him, that Eda had neither -come nor sent; and the doubts which she had raised regarding the -sincerity of the priest began to recur unpleasantly to his mind. He -became uneasy, restless; and when the medical man at length arrived, -three quarters of an hour after his time, he shook his head, saying, -"You are not quite so well today, Mr. Adelon, and must remain -perfectly quiet."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is lying here idle," answered Edgar Adelon, "when I have many -important things to do. I should be quite well were I up."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You must rise on no account to-day," replied the surgeon; "and, -indeed, I am very glad to find that you did not get up, which I almost -anticipated you might do, as I am a little later than the hour I -appointed. I know your impatient spirit of old, my young friend." And -he smiled facetiously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I certainly thought you never would come," replied Edgar; and the -surgeon, fearful that he might have given some offence to the son of a -wealthy patient, hastened to explain. "The fact is," he said, "that I -was anxious to hear the trial of some of these Chartists, and rode -over to ---- early this morning. I was detained, however, longer than -I expected by a poor woman who is suffering under ----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what came of them?" exclaimed Edgar Adelon, eagerly, well knowing -that when the worthy gentleman got upon an interesting case there was -no end of it. "The Chartists, I mean. Were any of the trials over?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, no!" answered the surgeon. "Their trials are put off till the -next assizes. The case of your acquaintance, Mr. Dudley, was just -coming on. I should have stayed to hear it if I had had time; but as I -promised to be over here by eleven I hurried away, otherwise I would -have brought you all the news."</p> - -<p class="normal">He spoke in the most commonplace tone in the world; and Edgar at that -moment hated him mortally; but he said not another word, and kept his -eyes shut almost all the time that his surgeon remained, as if he were -inclined to go to sleep again. As soon as the man of healing was gone, -however, he sprang up in his bed, hurried on his clothes, and without -even waiting to wash himself or brush his hair, surprised the good -woman of the house by appearing in the kitchen of the farm.</p> - -<p class="normal">"La, sir!" she exclaimed, "I am glad to see you up again. I hope -you're better."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes, quite well now, thank you, Mrs. Grange," replied the young -gentleman, with a swimming head and a feeling of faint weakness in all -his limbs. "I am going out to take a ride, if your husband will lend -me a horse."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That he will, I am sure, sir," answered the farmer's wife; and -running to the window of the kitchen, she screamed out into the yard, -"Grange! Grange! here is Mr. Adelon quite well again, and wants you to -lend him your nag to take a ride."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly, wife," answered the farmer, coming out of a barn on the -opposite side of the court. "When will he like him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Directly," answered Edgar Adelon, eagerly, and speaking over the good -woman's shoulder; "it will refresh me and do me good."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He shall be up in a minute, then, sir," answered the farmer. "I am -glad to see you well again. I'll just take some of the hair off his -heels, and comb out his mane a bit----"</p> - -<p class="normal">But Edgar did not stay to hear more, and hurrying back into the room -to which he had been first taken, sought for his hat, which he found -sadly battered and soiled. Without waiting even to brush off the dirt, -he proceeded at once to cut short the farmer's unnecessary -preparations, and mounting the horse, as soon as he could obtain it, -rode away at a quick trot towards the county town. He knew not what he -sought; he had no definite object in going; but he felt that he had -been deceived, that he had been kept in idleness, while the fate of -his friend was in jeopardy, and his impatience increased every moment -till the farmer's nag was pushed into an unwonted gallop. He slackened -his pace a little, it is true, as he entered the town, but still rode -very fast to an inn close by the courts, and ringing the bell -furiously, gave his horse to the hostler.</p> - -<p class="normal">In a few moments he was pushing his way through the crowd in the -entrance, and the next instant he caught sight of Dudley, standing -with his arms crossed upon his chest, and his eyes fixed upon the -jury-box. His brow was calm, but very stern; there was no fear in his -fine eyes, but they were grave, even to sadness. On the opposite side -were the jury, with their foreman leaning a little forward; and at the -same instant a voice, coming from just below the bench, demanded, in a -loud tone, "How say you, gentlemen of the jury; Guilty, or not -guilty?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Guilty of manslaughter, my lord," replied the foreman.</p> - -<p class="normal">The eyes of Edgar Adelon turned dim, his brain reeled, and he fell -back amongst the crowd without uttering a word.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXVI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Two years had passed.</p> - -<p class="normal">Two years! What is it? who can say? Different to every being in the -whole wide range of universal existence, Time is the true chameleon, -and takes its colour entirely from the things through which it glides. -Now gray and dull, now bright and shining, now purple with the mingled -hues of exertion and success, rosy with love and hope, or azure with -faith and confidence! Years, what are they? Nothing: for to many they -have no existence; mere spots in the wide ocean of eternity, which -realize the mathematician's utmost abstraction when he defines a point -as that which hath no parts, or which hath no magnitude--neither -length, breadth, nor thickness. Yet to others how important are years, -how full of events, and feelings, and actions! How often is it that, -in that short space of two years a life is crowded; so that when we -look back at the end of mortal existence, there, gathered into those -four and twenty months, stands out the whole of active being, and all -the rest is idleness and emptiness, the broad selvages of the narrow -strip of cloth.</p> - -<p class="normal">Two years, too, viewed from different positions in the wide plain of -life, how different do they appear! The prospective and the -retrospective changes them entirely. It is the looking up and looking -down a hill, for the perspective of time is very different from that -of substantial objects. The vanishing point comes close to the eye -when we gaze back; is far, far removed when we gaze forward. At every -period of life, too, it changes, and with every feeling of the heart, -with every passion of our nature. To the young man the two years just -passed stretch far away, filled with incidents and sensations all -bright in their novelty, and vivid to the eye of memory. To the old -man they are but a space, and that space empty. He hardly believes -that the time has flown which has brought him two strides nearer to -the grave. Say to the eager and impetuous youth, two years must pass -before you can possess her whom you love, and you spread out an -eternity before him, full of dangers and disappointments. Tell the -timid clinger to life's frail thread, you can but live two years -longer, and the termination seems at the very door. Pain, pleasure, -hope, fear, thought, study, care, anxiety, our moral habits, our -corporeal sensations, our thirsty wishes, our replete indifference; -all contract or expand the elastic sphere of time, and we find at last -that it is but a phantasm, the sole existence of which is in change.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sun, and the moon, and the stars, were given, we are told, to be -for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years; and -regularity was given to their motions, that order might be in variety; -but variety is not less infinite because all is rendered harmonious, -and regular recurrence only serves to work out spaces in the ever -teeming progress of change. It is not alone that the vast whole does -not present at any time two things exactly alike; but it is that all -things in that whole, and the whole itself, are altering every -instant, and every fraction of an instant, which gives us the infinity -of variety. All is in movement, upon, throughout, and round the earth. -All is undergoing change, but it is the vastness, the violence, the -rapidity of that change, which marks time, or, in other words, marks -the march of the shadow.</p> - -<p class="normal">Two years had passed with their changes, and of those I shall speak -hereafter. Suns had set and risen, day and night had been, months had -succeeded weeks, hearts were cold that were then warm, eyes were dim -that were then bright, the shade of gray had come upon the glossy -hair, sickness and health had changed places in many a frame, states -had seen revolutions, men had perished and been born, vice and virtue -had triumphed or had failed, monarchs had died, and good and wise men -passed away; shipwreck and flame, and war and pestilence, and accident -and sorrow, had done their part; and bursting forth again from a -thousand different sources, the teeming life of earth had sprung up -and glittered in the sun, as if but the more abundant for that which -had been abstracted from it. The world had grown older, but not less -full; and those who had aided the work, and had undergone the change, -were hardly conscious that it had taken place.</p> - -<p class="normal">Two years had passed.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXVII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It was evening. The sky was of a deep purple, seldom seen in any part -of the northern hemisphere. There was a line of light upon the western -sky, not yellow, not red: I know not the name of the colour; it was -dying-day colour; the last gleam of the eyes of expiring light. -Everything was solemn and grand. There was a deep stillness in the -air, a vastness in the wide expanse, a profundity in the hues of every -object, a silence and a grandeur in the whole, that sank into the -soul, and filled the mind with imaginings melancholy though grand. One -might stand there, and fancy one-self the first or the last of created -beings upon earth, with the first or the last sunset before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was a mountain-top, high over the flat lands around, starting up -from the scrub abrupt and precipitous, and wherever the eye turned -there was neither road, nor living thing, nor human habitation. Not an -insect was heard, there was no wind in the heavens, the trees rested -motionless, not a lizard was seen upon the rocks. Dark waves of -magnificent vegetation flowed away like a sea from the feet, and a -distant glimpse of the Austral Ocean, with the light of the sinking -sun skipping along over its vast, solitary bosom, was the only thing -that relieved the magnificent monotony; and yet it was a sea without a -sail, without an oar.</p> - -<p class="normal">Ten steps farther, and the summit will be gained!</p> - -<p class="normal">The ten steps were taken, and then all was changed. Another scene -broke upon the view, infinite in its variety, magnificent in its -colouring, and varied by life. But what life? Not that of man; not -that of any creature which holds familiar intercourse with him. The -savage beast and the wild bird of the wilderness were there; but -neither flocks, nor herds, nor but, nor mansion, nor anything to show -that the human foot had ever pressed before that beautiful and awful -scene.</p> - -<p class="normal">There, in centuries long passed, had flamed the wild volcano, lifting -up its beacon-tower of flame over the untravelled seas of the far -south. There had poured the torrent of the red lava; there had heaved -and panted the earthquake ere the fire burst forth; there, perhaps, -from the depth of the ocean, had been hurled up, in the last fierce -struggle which burst the gates of the prison-house, and set free the -raging spirit of the flame, the mighty masses of rock piled upon rock, -precipice above precipice, coral and lava, limestone and basalt, the -floorwork of the waters mingling in rifted masses with the barriers -that hemmed it in, and all cemented together by a stream of manifold -materials fused in the internal fire.</p> - -<p class="normal">Towering up in wild, irregular walls, assuming strange shapes, but -everywhere gigantic in size, the crags of lava surrounded a vast, -profound basin, the crater of the extinct volcano. Precipice upon -precipice, jagged rock rising beside jagged rock, formed the ramparts -and the embrasures of the desert fortress; and the eye of the -wanderer, as he looked down, caught suddenly a scene the most -opposite, in the hollow space below, where soft green turf, of the -richest verdure, carpeted the bosom of the cavity, till it reached the -brink of the deep dark lake that filled up half the expanse.</p> - -<p class="normal">Opposite, and surrounding about three-quarters of the lake, rose -precipitous cliffs of pure white coral, some seventy or eighty feet in -height, looking down into, and reflected from the waters; and, as if -to make them harmonise with the solemn gloom of that still tarn, every -here and there a large white bird skimmed over the waves, and carried -a line of light along with it.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was something which moved, too, under the nearest clump of tall -trees, which were scattered wide apart over the carpet of verdure; but -a mass of rock, which rolled down from the wanderer's foot, scared the -creature which had caught his eye, and its wild and enormous bounds -showed him in an instant that it was not, as he had fancied and -feared, a human being like himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had but little cause to fear. Never had the spot been visited by -anything in the form of a man, unless it were the wildest and lowest -of the race--the Australian savage--and that but rarely, if at all. -Amidst the solitary peaks of Mount Gambier he stood alone; perhaps the -first since the creation who ever set a footstep there.</p> - -<p class="normal">As he gazed towards the west, the sun sank, and a greenish shade -spread over the blue. He cast his eyes over the land through which he -had lately passed: it was all one gray, indistinct mass. He looked -down into the vast hollow of the hills; the colouring had suddenly -faded, and darkness filled the chasm. But then, as if in compensation, -the moment after came forth the stars, large and lustrous, bursting -forth all at once, and spangling both the bosom of the heaven and the -deep waters of the lake below.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here will I live or die," said the wanderer; "it matters not which." -And placing his bundle under his head, he laid himself down beneath -the edge of the rock, and gazed up towards the sky.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">A heavy dew fell during the night, and when the wanderer, whom we have -seen climb that steep hill on the preceding evening, woke on the -following day, his clothes were full of moisture, and his limbs felt -stiff and weary. If he had desponded on the night before, it was well -nigh despair that he now felt. He rose slowly, and gazed over the -scene around him--the vast, voiceless solitude--and there was no -comfort in it. He felt the spirit of desolation spreading its icy -influence more and more strongly every moment over his heart, and he -knew that if he gave way to it, even in the least, it would overwhelm -him entirely, would put out strength and effort, hope, action, life -itself. And yet he scarcely knew why he should struggle; the voice of -despair still asked him what he had to live for. Every earthly object -of existence seemed gone; why should he struggle to preserve that -which had become valueless? "Who would covet," he asked himself, "the -possession of a desert, and what is life to me but one tract of arid -barrenness!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Strange, when the mood is nicely balanced, how small a grain of dust -will turn the scale! A memory came upon him as the words passed his -lips, a memory of early years, when, in the wanton spirit of youth, -almost of boyhood, he had pictured to himself the free life of the -children of Ishmael as an object of wild desire; and now he asked -himself, "Who would covet the possession of a desert?" He recollected -how he had dreamed of scouring the wide sands upon his fleet steed, -climbing the red rocks, resting in his light tent, and living a life -of free enjoyment and unrestrained exertion. The remembrance changed -the current of his feelings, and gazing forth over the scene around, -lit up and brightened with the rising sun, he asked himself another -question: "Why should I not, in the midst of this vast and beautiful -solitude, realise those visions of my early youth?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Alas! long since then, experience and passion, and many a sweet and -many a bitter lesson, had placed in his hands the keys of other -enjoyments. He had tasted the food which makes early pleasures -insipid; and when he thought again of those very simple dreams, he -felt that there would be something wanting even in their fulfilment. -Where were the friendly and the kind? Where were the bright and -beloved? Where were the dear companionships? Where the elevating -society? Where the food for the thoughts? Where the employment for the -mind? Above all, where was the honoured name, the respect, the esteem -which had once been his? And he felt too bitterly that what has been -must still be had, even for peace: that it is deprivation, not denial -of joys, that is unhappiness. Could he consent to live on in such -circumstances? Was there anything within the scope of probability -which could make life endurable? Could he debase himself to the sordid -joys of those around him? Could he live a life of slavery and labour, -with that barrier placed at the end of the course of exertion and -obedience, which limited the utmost range of hope and expectation to -free association with the low, the vile, and the base; to the -accumulation, perhaps, of dross; to become a great man among the -meanest of his race? That was not to be thought of; and what was the -alternative? To live a roving life in the bush, companionless, if not -with savages the most debased and barbarous of the human race; to fly -the face of civilised man as a pestilence; to have neither -acquaintances, nor friends: no social life, no love. Solitude, -solitude! It is a lovely thing to abstract contemplation. The mind of -man, not called upon to try the vast experiment, looks upon it, as -upon every great endeavour, as bringing a reward with it equal to the -difficulties and the impediments; but brought nearer, placed within -the reach of effort, we cannot grapple with the mighty task. The -feeble heart shrinks from it; the firm mind doubts and hesitates. We -feel how sad and terrible it is to be alone; we learn that it is the -antithesis of our nature.</p> - -<p class="normal">It were better to die, he thought. There were hopes beyond the grave, -which taught him that death was not solitude. That kindly voices would -hail his coming. That, purified from all earthly imperfections, -friendships high and holy--the friendships of the just made -perfect--would console him for the loss of earthly esteem. But in life -there was love, too--human, passionate love; and when he asked -himself, what was to make up for that, the mind paused and pondered.</p> - -<p class="normal">Let us not blame him, that he was still a being of clay; that he could -not shake off the affections of this earth; that he could not -altogether wish to die, while affections, deep and strong, bound him -to the state of being in which God had placed him. That was the only -tie to life yet left unsevered; but as the last, it was the strongest. -He had often thought of these things before. He had often asked -himself, "Will she, too, believe me guilty? Will she cast me from her -heart, as society has cast me from its bosom? Will she forget me? Will -she wed another?" And the deep love within his breast, imaging that of -another, had ever answered, "No, no, no! It cannot be."</p> - -<p class="normal">The same voice was still strong, but yet there was a langour, a -depression spreading over his whole frame, which dulled his ear even -to the voice of the syren, Hope. Though she might love him, said -Despair, what chance did there exist of his ever seeing her again? -Condemned for life, unable to return, marked out as a felon, sent as a -convict to a distant land, without means, without object in return, -what could he do? His heart sunk at the thought. He must wither out -there--there, in the midst of that wild solitude, falling back daily, -as the progress of man advanced, to avoid recognition and fresh -anguish.</p> - -<p class="normal">He thought not, it is true, of raising his hand against his own life; -such a purpose never presented itself as a temptation. He had too much -faith; but he felt disposed to give up all exertion, to yield without -a struggle to his adverse fate, to lay himself down and die. Still, -however, one voice said, "Live!" and the last spark of human hope was -fanned into a flame, faint, but yet sufficient to light him to -exertion.</p> - -<p class="normal">With feeble hands and weary limbs he opened the knapsack which he had -brought thither, took out the axe which was strapped upon the top, and -then from the inside drew slowly forth some lines and fish-hooks, -saying to himself, "The good old man thought he bestowed an invaluable -present on me when he gave the means of supporting life, but yet I -could hardly feel grateful for the gift. I will not hesitate, however, -between two courses, and as I have determined to live, will make an -effort to save life."</p> - -<p class="normal">In truth, he knew not well how to set about his task. The first thing, -indeed, was to build himself a cabin; and choosing out an indentation -of the rock, through which no wet seemed to have percolated, he -resolved to fix his residence there, at least for the first; by doing -which he was likely to spare much labour, enclosing it only on one -side. He chose young and slight trees from amongst the infinity which -grew around, and sharpened some of them for palisades, after he had -hewn them down with the axe; but ere he had half completed even the -necessary preparations, he felt faint and weary; and though not -hungry, he resolved to see if he could procure some food to renew his -strength.</p> - -<p class="normal">Choosing out a thin and pliant sapling, he descended towards the bank -of the lake slowly and with great difficulty, for the precipices were -tremendous, and the natural paths few. At length, however, he -accomplished it. And then came the question, when he reached the brink -of the clear and limpid waters, of what was to be his bait? The sorrow -which approaches despair is often bitterly imaginative; and as he sat -with his head resting on his hand, and pondered, he thought of all the -baits with which man is angled for and caught by his great enemy in -the world; and oftentimes a rueful smile came upon his fine but worn -countenance, in which he himself, and passages in his past existence, -shared the sarcasm with his fellow men.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sun rose while he thus wasted time, and pouring into the crater, -filled it with ardent light. He felt very thirsty, and kneeling down -upon the brink, which was covered with soft turf, he drank of the -clear wave. As he did so, a large fly, of a peculiar golden colour, -skimming away, settled on the face of the windless waters at a short -distance, and instantly a fish, springing half out of the lake, -enclosed it within its voracious jaws. "We are all destroyers," -thought the wanderer; and looking along the banks, he caught one of -the same insects, fastened it to the hook upon his line, the line to -the rod, and cast the baited snare upon the clear bosom of the water. -The living objects of man's chase have doubtless their traditions; but -the fish of that lake had never been taught human guile, and the -instant the hook touched the water a large animal was upon it. To draw -it to the shore cost the weak and weary man a considerable effort; but -another and another, both considerably smaller, were soon after taken; -and, satisfied with his spoil, he slowly ascended the steep paths -again towards the place where he had commenced building his hut.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had observed at that spot a tree, some of the branches of which had -been shivered by the lightning, and with these he contrived to light a -fire, and prepare his meal. After partaking of it frugally, he once -more set to work again, to construct a dwelling which would give him a -shelter from the not unfrequent storms of that land, and afford a -defence against wild beasts, or wilder men, during the night.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was, as may well be conceived, of the rudest and the simplest kind. -The stakes he planted side by side, at a short distance from the rock, -where a ledge of coral, projecting at the height of seven feet, -overhung the turf about two yards, and formed a sort of roof. The door -puzzled him greatly; for though he remembered well the expedients of -the solitary mariner in Juan Fernandez, and often in thought drew a -comparison between his own fate and that of Crusoe, yet he was -destitute of many of the implements which the other had possessed. His -axe and two gimlets had been given him in compassion by an old -inhabitant of a very distant part of the colony, and these, with a -large knife, formed all his store of tools. When the palisade was up, -however, and the space, left open at first between the edge of the -ledge and the top of the posts, had been covered over with twisted -branches, the little strength which had been left was exhausted, and -he lay down to rest beneath the shelter of a blackwood tree. Weariness -and heat soon produced their usual effect, and he slept.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was about three o'clock. His rod and fishing-line lay beside him, -as well as the axe with which he had worked, and the chips and -fragments of the small trees he had cut down were scattered all -around. He had slept for a full hour; and during that time a change, -to him of considerable importance had taken place in the scene. No -human eye beheld it, but a large bird of prey, which was soaring aloft -over the heights of Mount Gambier, saw a party ride rapidly through -the plains below, and halt upon the first acclivity of the mountain. -It consisted of six persons, only one of whom seemed of superior rank. -There were, however, nine horses, three of which carried heavy -burdens, consisting of sacks, bags, and cases. Each of the horsemen -had a gun over his shoulder; and as soon as they had drawn the rein, -they sprang to the ground, and commenced unloading the baggage, -amongst which was found a small tent, requiring nothing for its -erection but one of those poles that were easily to be procured in the -neighbouring woods.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We shall have plenty of time to go up and come down again before it -is dark," said the chief person of the party, speaking to one who -seemed to be a servant. "Give me the other gun, Maclean. We may get -some specimens. I must have some more caps, too, for these will not -fit it."</p> - -<p class="normal">After a few more words and directions to the other men, the leader -and two more commenced the ascent of the hill, which, from the spot -they had already reached to the summit, did not occupy more than -three-quarters of an hour, and then the stranger turned round and -gazed, saying to himself, "How magnificent!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think we had better get on, captain," said his servant, Maclean. -"The sun's getting down, and we shan't have much time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pooh, nonsense!" answered the other, looking at his chronometer; "it -is only a few minutes past four. This is the twenty-first of December, -Midsummer-day, and we shall have light till half-past nine or longer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are a good bit farther north than we were at Hobart Town, five -days ago, sir," replied the servant, seeing that his master still -paused to gaze; "and you will not have so much light as you think -for."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, it does not much matter," answered the officer, a good-looking -young man, with a very intelligent and benevolent expression of -countenance. "We can find our way down, I dare say, even in the dusk, -especially if they light a fire to cook the kangaroo." He paused for a -moment, and then said, in a meditative tone, "I dare say we are the -first human beings, certainly the first Europeans, who ever set their -feet upon this hill."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't think it, sir," replied Maclean, who had taken a step or two -nearer to the high precipitous rocks which surrounded the vast crater.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Indeed!" exclaimed his master. "What makes you think so, my good -friend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That, captain," answered the man, pointing with his finger to a spot -on the ground, a little to the right of himself and his master, on -which, when Captain M---- turned his eyes that way, he saw lying a -scrap of paper with something written upon it. On taking it up, he -found that it was part of the back of a letter, with the English -post-mark distinct upon it. The writing consisted only of a few words, -or rather fragments of words, being a portion of the original address, -and it stood thus:--"----dley, Esq.--Brandon House,--onshire."</p> - -<p class="normal">It signified very little to the eyes that saw it, for he knew not -where Brandon House was, nor anything about it; but yet what strange -feelings did the sight of that letter call up in his breast. Where was -the writer? Where the receiver of that letter? Who could he be? What -had become of him? What brought him there? were questions which the -mind asked instantly, with a degree of interest which no one can -conceive who has not stood many thousand miles from his own land, and -suddenly had it and all its associations brought up by some trifling -incident like this that I relate.</p> - -<p class="normal">Putting his gun under his arm, and holding the paper still in his -hand, Captain M---- walked slowly and thoughtfully on, passed through -a break in the high wall of rocks, and gazed down into the basin of -the mountain. The magnificence of the scene was gradually drawing his -mind away from other thoughts, when his servant touched his arm, and -said in a low voice, "We had better be a little upon our guard, sir, -for there are more people about us than we know of, and I have heard -that our friends who take to the bush are worse devils than the people -of the country; and they are bad enough. Look down there, and you will -see the axe has been at work--ay, and there's a man lying under that -tree. He looks mighty like as if he were dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I see, I see," answered Captain M----. "You stay here with Johnstone, -while I go on. Put a ball in each of your guns, however, in case of -the worst; though I don't think, if we do not injure them, they will -try to do any harm to well-armed men."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I wouldn't trust them," replied the servant; "but we'll keep a -look-out, sir, and I think I could put a ball in an apple at that -distance."</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- advanced quietly, not wishing to wake the man if he were -sleeping, till he was close to him; and so profound was his slumber, -that the young officer gazed on him nearly for a minute without his -having heard the approach of any one. At length Captain M---- stooped -down, and shook him gently by the arm. The other instantly started up, -and laid his hand upon the axe by his side; but the officer at once -addressed him in a kindly tone, saying, "Do not be alarmed; it is a -friend."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A friend," answered the stranger, rising to his full height, with the -axe in his hand, and gazing at him from head to foot; "that is a word -easily said; but here it cannot be a true one. I have no friends, -sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In that, perhaps, you may be mistaken," answered Captain M----. "As -for myself, I trust I am a friend to the whole human race; but what I -meant to say was, that I am not an enemy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That one understands," answered the other; "though it is somewhat -difficult, too, in a land where nature seems to have planted fraud and -enmity amongst the human race, and to which other countries send the -offscourings of their population to propagate new crimes, and even -degrade the barbarous wickedness they found."</p> - -<p class="normal">The words and the appearance of his strange companion struck the young -officer very much. His tone was high and proud, his look grave and -thoughtful; and though there was a certain degree of bitterness in -what he said, yet there was that gentlemanly dignity in the whole -which could not be mistaken.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is strange to meet you, sir, in this place," said Captain M----, -after a moment's thought. "I had imagined, till a moment ago, that I -was the first European who had ever climbed this hill."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are the second, I believe," answered the stranger. "I was the -first; at least I can find no trace of any one of that adventurous -race, who, in pursuit of wealth, dominion, science, pleasure, or -health, penetrate into almost every part of the known world, having -been here before me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you are alone?" said his visitor.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Quite," replied the other. "You have men with you, I see," and he -turned his eyes towards the servant and his companion, who were -standing at a little distance. "Whatever be your object, whether you -come to take me, or are merely here from the curiosity which sets half -our countrymen running over the world, you have but one man, and that -a wearied and exhausted one, to deal with."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Set your mind at rest," replied Captain M----, who saw that there was -some lingering suspicion still in the stranger's bosom. "I have no -commission, and certainly no wish, to disturb you in any way; neither -did I come to these countries altogether from mere curiosity. A desire -to benefit my fellow-creatures, and a strong interest in the fate of -men whose crimes have shut them out from the general pale of society, -but not, I trust, from the compassion of their brethren, or from the -mercy of their God, first led me to a neighbouring island; and I am -extending my wanderings through this uncultivated but beautiful -country, with a hope of turning to account for others what I have -myself observed. Perhaps you can give me some information; and I -promise you, as a man of honour and a gentleman, never to say a word -to any one which can do you the least detriment. I see you must be a -man of superior education, and I should imagine of superior rank, to -those who are usually met with in this country; and I am sure, after -the candid expression of my views, and the pledge I have given you -will not scruple to say anything that can further my objects."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have nothing to say," answered the other, seating himself where he -had before been lying. "I know little, have seen little; but all I -have seen has been iniquity, and villany, and vice, and folly, and -ignorance, in high and low, master and servant, convict and tyrant. I -am inclined to cry with the Psalmist, 'There is none that doeth good; -no, not one.'"</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- smiled somewhat sadly. "I am afraid you are quite -right," he answered; "and it has long been my conviction that the -system of what is called convict discipline in these colonies not only -does not tend in the slightest degree to reform an offender, but tends -to degrade his moral character to the lowest possible point. It is my -belief that even the system followed at a very rude period of our -history, and when the person sentenced to transportation was actually -sold as a slave to the planters of America, though corrupt and -abominable in a high degree, was really less detrimental to the -unhappy convict than that upon which we now act. I have always held -that we have no right to condemn a man's soul as well as his body; and -I feel that we are here instrumental in plunging those whom we expel -from our own country into vice and crimes more horrible than they ever -contemplated when they committed the act which brought them hither."</p> - -<p class="normal">The stranger smiled brightly. "You seem to me," he said, "to be the -first really benevolent and reasonable man who has visited a place of -abominations. But even you, perhaps, have not considered all. What -little I can tell you, I will tell. Call down your men from above, and -seat yourself here by me, and in the face of nature, and of the God -who willed it to be 'very good,' I will tell you truly, without even a -shade of deceit, all that my own short experience has shown."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot do so now," replied Captain M----, "for I have got more -companions below, and must go down to them before it is dark, -otherwise they would probably come to seek me. But cannot you go down -with us? You shall be kindly treated, I promise, and free to return -whenever you please."</p> - -<p class="normal">The stranger shook his Load. "No," he said, "I will never seek man -again! I will lie in my own lair, like the beast of the field. Here I -have beauty and excellence around me uncontaminated; but wherever -man's foot treads, there is violence, and evil, and corruption."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well," replied the young officer, "I will not press you, if you do -not like it; but if you will permit me, I will come up again -to-morrow, and we will talk of all these subjects fully, before I go -back to Tasmania. There is a surveying vessel off the coast, which -will wait for me till I come down; but in the mean time I would fain -know what you meant when you said, in speaking of the abominations and -evils of the convict system, that I had not considered all. It is -probable, indeed, that I have not, although I have given great -attention to the subject; but I wish to know what it was to which you -alluded."</p> - -<p class="normal">The stranger laid his hand on Captain M----'s arm, and said, "In the -fallibility of human judgment, in the difficulties of proof, and in -the imperfection of law, it must often happen, and does often happen, -that a man perfectly innocent is condemned with the guilty. Were it -only that he had to suffer in person from the sad mistake, the event -might be lamented, perhaps excused. But what have those lawgivers and -those statesmen to reproach themselves with, who have framed a system -which, in all cases of such error, must be fatal to the eternal -happiness of the man unjustly condemned, which plunges him into an -atmosphere pestilential to every good feeling of the heart, to every -high principle, to every religious thought! Do they not know that vice -is contagious? Have they not inoculated hundreds with the moral -plague? Have they not even denied the sick the help of spiritual -physicians in the pest-house to which they have confined them? I tell -you, sir, it is from this that I have fled. Innocent of even the -slightest offence towards my fellow-men, though doubtless culpable in -much towards my God, I could have borne the labour, and the slavery, -and the disgrace, if not without murmuring, yet with patience. But -when I found that I was to remain, bound hand and foot, amidst beings -corrupted beyond all cure, and daily to accustom my eyes and my mind -to scenes and thoughts which could leave no high or holy feeling -unblasted in my heart, I said, 'Man has no right to do this,' and I -broke my chain."</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- seemed much moved, and he wrung the stranger's hand -hard. "I am sorry for you, sir," he said; "I am sorry for you. I will -come up to-morrow, and we will talk more. In the mean time, tell me -what I must call you to myself; I know that many persons in your -situation take an assumed name. It is that which I mean."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have taken none," answered the stranger, with a sad smile; and -then, pointing to the fish lying on the grass, he added, "You must -think of me, if we never meet again, as the Nameless Fisherman of the -Nameless Lake."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, we shall meet to-morrow, if you are still here," answered -Captain M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall be here, if I am alive," replied the stranger, "to-morrow, -and the next day, and for the years and months to come, till death -relieves me. But perhaps even before to-morrow there may be an end of -all. I have felt ill: the body has given way beneath the mind; the -strong rider has well-nigh killed the weak horse; and this morning I -felt as if I were incapable of any exertion. I did make it, however, -and methinks I am better for my labours. But now, adieu! The sun has -reached a point whence his descent will be rapid, and darkness will -overtake you if you have far to go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Farewell!" answered Captain M----. "I scarcely like to go and leave -you here alone, or to think of what you will have to endure in this -solitude, if you persist in remaining here. How you are to procure -food, or shelter, or clothing, I do not perceive."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The skins of beasts," replied the stranger, "will give me clothing -good enough for my state: the fish of the lake must give me food. -Bread, indeed, I may never taste again, but there are fruits and roots -which may supply its place. Then as to shelter, the clefts of the -rock, the caverns by which it is pierced, will afford all that I need; -and as for means and appliances to make these things available, nature -must furnish and teach me. Surely I shall not be more helpless than -one of the savages of this land. They live, and I shall live; longer, -at least, than is desirable to myself. Farewell, farewell!" And once -more bidding him adieu for the time, Captain M---- left him, and -returned to his people.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXIX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The emotions with which Dudley saw the strangers depart were very -strong. It seemed like the last glimpse of civilised life to be -afforded him. It brought back the memory of happier hours. The -pleasant thoughts of early days returned; and as he did not wish that -any one should see the strong movements of his heart, he paused for -several minutes, till he thought the visitor and his party must have -descended the hill to some distance; and then, walking slowly to the -top and through the break in the cliffs, he followed the track which -they had pursued with his eye, till it lighted on them, and then -watched them till they were lost amongst the trees which surrounded -the spot where they had fixed their little encampment. Then turning -back to the sort of dwelling-place he had chosen, he spread the turf -within the enclosures thickly with the leaves which he stripped from -the branches. Kneeling down upon the ground, just without the -palisade, he prayed for about five minutes; and then rising, watched -the sky while it ranged through almost every colour of the rainbow, -till at length it became gray, and knowing that five minutes more -would bring darkness, he placed his knapsack as a pillow on the -leaves, and once more laid himself down to sleep. Slumber was not so -easily obtained, however, as it had been on the night before: he felt -better in body, indeed, but more depressed in mind. The visit of the -stranger had disturbed rather than calmed him; it had roused up -regrets which he had laboured to banish; it had shown him, more -forcibly than ever, the value of all which he had for ever lost, and -he lay and meditated painfully for more than one hour.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length, however, he slept; and, although it lasted not for long, -his slumber was refreshing. Shortly after daybreak he was on foot -again, and felt lighter and easier than on the preceding day. Prayer -was his first occupation; and then going down to the banks of the -lake, he undressed and plunged in, swimming boldly, as he had been -accustomed to do while a student in a civilised land. The walk up the -hill warmed him again, though he had found the water very cold; but -there was invigorating refreshment in the cool wave; and the rejoicing -sensation of returning strength diminished to the eye of imagination -the dangers of the present, the evils of the past, and the dreariness -of the future. When he reached his hut, he lighted the fire as before, -put one of the fish he had caught to broil on the ashes, and then sat -down to consider what was to be done next. Tools he wanted of many -kinds, and weapons for the chase; and he saw that notwithstanding all -the advantages of education, the savage, accustomed to depend upon -himself alone, had great advantages over the European, habituated to -tax the industry of a thousand hands for the production of every -article he used. He had learned something, indeed, of the natural -resources of the country, of that which it produced spontaneously for -the support of life, and he doubted not that, till the winter came on, -he should be able to supply himself with all that was needful. The -intervening time he proposed to devote for preparations against that -period, when, although game might be more easily found, the tree and -the shrub would refuse all contributions. He would fashion for himself -a bow, he thought, tall and strong, such as he had drawn in early -days; he would prepare snares, ay, and nets, perhaps, from the fibrous -bark of the trees. The spoils of the chase should furnish him with -clothing, and he would lie in wait for the creatures of the wood, like -the hunters in the days of old.</p> - -<p class="normal">He smiled as he thus thought, but there was bitterness in it, too; and -rising up, he set to work to complete that which the previous evening -had left undone.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had hardly commenced, however, when the sound of voices calling -reached him, and looking out from his hut, he saw his visitor of the -night before, with three men, each laden with his several burden. -Dudley suspended his labour, but did not advance to meet them. The -society of one he could bear, but the presence of many was a load to -him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"There; lay the things down under the tree," said Captain M----, when -they were within about a hundred yards, "and then go and do as I told -you, taking care, if you find any of the specimens I mentioned, not to -break the crystals. You can return about two. Till then leave me here -without interruption, except in case of emergency."</p> - -<p class="normal">The men deposited their burdens on the ground, and the young officer, -coming frankly forward to his new acquaintance, shook hands with him, -saying, "This wild life has a strange charm. I think I could go on -roving through these scenes as long as life and health lasted."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you see that sun," asked Dudley, "soaring up from the dark -horizon, like an eagle from its eyry?<a name="div4Ref_01" href="#div4_01"><sup>[1]</sup></a> -Do not, however, suppose it -is that which gives the light and beauty you find in these scenes. The -sun is in man's heart. You have no dark shadow on you, either innate -or accidental. You have no foul thoughts to mourn, as some in these -lands have. You have no black cloud hanging over fame, and blighting -life, like myself. You have no disappointed hopes, and fruitless -yearnings for friendships and affections lost for ever, to spread the -golden pathway of the sky with a dull, gray pall. Well may all seem -bright to you: you have no despair."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Man should never despair so long as there is a pure spot in his -heart," replied Captain M----; "and the innocent wrongly condemned -should despair least of all, knowing that there is one who sees where -man sees not, and who, though in wisdom he may chastise, yet in his -own good time will comfort and raise up."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is that faith alone which gives me strength to live," replied -Dudley; "but yet my fate is sad: so sad as to darken all around. Were -it not for that chance of change below, which hope ever holds out to -the man not utterly lost, and for that certainty of change in another -world which faith affords to the believer, life here, to a man wronged -and blasted as I have been, would be a boon not worth the keeping. -What have I to look forward to?--a life of toilful solitude, -struggling each day for bare subsistence, without companionship or -sympathy, without speech, without object, without reward, and with the -high privilege of thought unfruitful except of bitterness and ashes. -When the time of age and sickness comes, too, what will be my fate -then? But I will not think of it. I shall be an idiot before that, or -worse, a savage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, I trust not," answered Captain M----. "If you are innocent, as -you say, sooner or later that innocence will appear, and--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Impossible!" replied Dudley. "I had a fair and impartial trial; there -was a skilful and well-conducted defence; the jury were men of probity -and sense; the judge mild and equitable. All was done that could be -done, and hope on that side would be worse than vain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you must learn to endure your lot," said Captain M----, gravely, -"and to make it as tolerable as possible by your own exertions. I can -do little to help you or to render it easier, but that little I will -do. I have brought you up a few things that may be a comfort to you -for a time, and some others which will be of more permanent service. I -can well spare them, for I shall embark to-night, and can procure -more. Come and see the little store, which, though mere trifles, may -be of much use to you: at least till you have become accustomed by -degrees to the fate which has fallen upon you."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley followed him with a full heart; and sitting down by the bundles -which the men had brought up, Captain M---- exposed to his companion's -eyes what was, indeed, a treasure to one placed in such strange and -fearful circumstances. There were blankets against the wintry cold, -and a rough wrapping coat; some packets of common medicines in a small -white wood box; a hammer, a small saw, and one or two other tools, -together with a good knife, and a measure. There was a case bottle, -too, and a drinking-cup, and some linen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This other packet," said Captain M----, "contains some books: one on -the botany of this colony, which may be very serviceable to you; a -single volume of essays, some sermons written for the convicts, the -Vicar of Wakefield, and a Bible."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They will indeed be treasures," said Dudley, with a glad look. "A -Bible I already possess. That has been left to me, though I have -lost all else; and most grateful do I feel for so much kindness, -sir--kindness where I have no right nor title to expect it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Every man has a right to expect it of his fellow men," answered -Captain M----; "and I should be worse than a brute if I could refuse it -to one circumstanced as you are, when I will not pretend to doubt your -innocence."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is strange!" said Dudley, thoughtfully; "that you should not -doubt it, knowing nothing of me, while others who knew much, did -doubt."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yet," answered his companion, "I am not without a reason. I have -accustomed myself much to observe men, and the way in which they act, -under particular circumstances, and I never yet saw one who owned he -had a fair and impartial trial in every particular, and yet declared -himself innocent, unless he was innocent. There has been always a -something which he thought unfair--a cause why he had been cast, as it -is termed; either the judge was wrong, or the jury was wrong, or the -witnesses were perjured, or the counsel for the prosecution had acted -unfairly, or something or another had given an unfavourable turn to -the trial. However, I will beg of you to accept of these little -articles, and moreover, this small writing-case, with which I have -travelled. I know not whether it will be useful to you at present, -being entirely unaware of the circumstances of your case; but at a -future period it may be most serviceable; and even now, if you feel -inclined to write a few lines to any friend in England, I will carry -your letter safe to the next post, and take care that it shall be -forwarded to its destination."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What can I say?" asked Dudley, putting his hand to his brow, and -speaking as it were to himself. "Nevertheless, I will write, if it be -but a few words, to tell them that I still live;" and thanking Captain -M---- again and again, especially for his last gift, Dudley seated -himself, and wrote as follows:--</p> -<br> - -<p style="text-indent:6%">"<span class="sc">Dear Edgar</span>,</p> - -<p style="text-indent:5%">"Though deprived of the power of seeing you before I went, I heard -something of your kindness, and my heart will ever be grateful. I know -you have never doubted my innocence, nor has Eda. Tell her, for me, -that I am innocent, and that my innocence and my faith are my only -support. I have quitted the colony to which I was sent: broken, in -short, the bonds which they placed upon me, and I am now living in -perfect, utter solitude. Tell her I love her still--shall always love -her. Yet, let her forget me; for what but pain can follow remembrance -of one so lost to hope and all that brightens earth as</p> -<p style="text-indent:45%">"<span class="sc">Edward Dudley.</span>" -<br> - -<p class="normal">He folded the letter, and addressed it, and then gazed at it for a -moment with a somewhat puzzled expression of countenance. "How shall I -seal it?" he said at length.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will find wax and a light-box in the top of the case," answered -Captain M----, with a smile. "That which I provided for a long journey -amongst civilised men as well as wild nature, may serve you for many -months in this solitude."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For many years," said Dudley, sadly; "but yet it will be a treasure -and a consolation to me. Even the capability of noting down the -passing of the days is something, and I thank you from the very bottom -of my heart."</p> - -<p class="normal">The letter was accordingly sealed and delivered to the charge of -Captain M----, who looked at the address with interest, thinking, as -he did so, "I must inquire into this case, for it seems a very strange -one."</p> - -<p class="normal">In the mean time, Dudley was gazing at the light-box with a thoughtful -air. "This will be most serviceable too," he said at length, "for I -can foresee that in the winter I shall have much difficulty in -procuring fire. There are no flints here; and although I know that the -savages can obtain a light by rubbing pieces of dry wood together, yet -I have seen none that is fit for the purpose. I have had great -difficulty already in lighting a fire, and the scorched branches which -afforded me the means of doing so will soon be exhausted. I must wrap -this little box carefully up, so as to keep it from all damp, and -doubtless the matches will last me through the winter.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sorry there are no more of them," answered Captain M----; "but at -all events they will give you time to learn other contrivances. I know -not well, indeed, how you procure food, for I suppose you do not live -altogether on the produce of the lake."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not propose to do so," said Dudley, "for in some seasons I -believe it would afford me no supply; but I must have recourse to the -old primeval means--the bow and arrows, and the snare," he added, with -a smile.</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- looked for a moment or two at the fine double-barrelled -gun which lay beside him, before he answered; but then, raising his -eyes with a frank, kind expression, he said, "Perhaps I am doing -wrong, but I cannot make up my mind to leave you altogether dependent -upon such very precarious means of support. I have said I believe you -innocent; let me add, I feel sure you are a man of honour also, and if -you will promise me never to use what I am going to give against human -life, except in your own defence, and especially not against any one -sent to take you, in case such a thing should ever occur, I will leave -you this gun, and supply you with ammunition. You will then be in a -condition always to procure food at least."</p> - -<p class="normal">The promise he required was readily made; and Dudley said little more, -for the feeling of gratitude he experienced was overpowering. He sat -with his head leaning on his hand, buried in meditation; and who can -trace the wild range of his thoughts during the few minutes which he -thus remained silent. His companion saw that his kindness had plunged -him into that sort of gloom which is often produced by feelings the -most noble and the most tender, when they stand strongly contrasted -with some dark and irremediable point in the fate of those who -experience them; and in order rather to rouse him from his reverie -than anything else, he said, "I suppose you are well accustomed to the -use of a gun."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will show you," answered Dudley, who was certainly one of the most -skilful marksmen of his day. "Let us walk down the hill; we shall -doubtless find some game; and if you will permit me, I will prove that -you do not place your gun in inexpert hands."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Willingly," replied Captain M----, rising from the ground where he -had been seated. "I am sorry I have not more powder and shot with me; -but I will leave upon the spot where our little party is encamped all -that we have, except a few charges, which may be necessary as we go -down towards the sea-shore. If you are provident it will serve you for -some time; and ere long, depend upon it, a population will grow up -around you from whom you will be able to obtain fresh supplies. This -country must be destined to be much more thickly populated very soon. -The human race is advancing in every direction, and the progress -already made is marvellous."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is the most frightful consideration of all the many which -present themselves to the mind in contemplating the present state of -the neighbouring colony," replied Dudley. "When one thinks of its -rapid progress, and of the multitudes springing up here like a crop of -grain, and remembers that almost every seed is diseased, that the -moral condition of almost every human being is either tainted at his -arrival, or destined soon to be tainted by the contaminating -influences to which he is exposed, what can we look forward to in the -future but a perfect hell upon earth? Can we expect that, without -efficient guidance, with few means of religious instruction, with no -moral restraints and no correcting principle but the fear of corporeal -punishment, destitute of even habitual reverence for probity, crowded -together in places where virtue, and honour, and honesty, are a scoff -and a reproach, where the highest distinction is excess in vice or -skill in crime, can we expect that any man who may become a father -will breed his child up in the way that he should go, and will not -rather infect him with his own vices, to be fostered and matured by -others, equally, if not more, conversant with crime? It is a known -fact, sir, that in the neighbouring colony of Van Dieman's Land the -free emigrant of the lower class is looked upon with more doubt and -suspicion even than the convict, and is, nine times out of ten, as -base and degraded. What must a colony become thus constituted? and -what is the awful responsibility upon a nation which, possessing a -large, I might say an immense, extent of fertile and beautiful -country, plants in it, as the germ of future nations, all that is -wretched, abominable, and depraved of the mother country; denies the -wretched men that it sends out the means of amelioration, and by every -law and ordinance insures that the pestilence shall be propagated from -man to man, till none but those who are placed above temptation by -superior fortune or superior culture remains unaffected by moral -disease more frightful than any plague which ever ravaged the world?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But how can this be amended?" asked Captain M----. "What are the -means?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"They require deep consideration," replied Dudley. "It is the actual -state of things which first strikes us; the remedies may be long in -seeking. This is more especially the case when a particular system has -long been going on, and every attempt at partial reform has but added -evil to evil, till at length the whole has become intolerable. The -natural process is easily described; and it is only by historically -viewing the question that we can see how such monstrous abominations -have arisen. These things are not done as a whole: it is step by step -that they are performed. If man sat down calmly to consider what was -best to be done under particular circumstances, if he meditated -philosophically upon the object which he proposed to attain, and -endeavoured to foresee, as far as the shortness of the human view will -permit, the results of all that he attempts for temporary purposes, he -might frame, and would frame, if not a perfect system, at least one, -the defects in which would be comparatively few, and easily remedied; -but what has been usually his course? He has considered the temporary -purpose alone, and that not philosophically. In the first institution -of transportation, his object seemed to be twofold: to punish guilty -persons, and to deliver their country from their presence. Simple -exile was the simplest form in which this could be achieved; the next -was the selling of the convict for a slave; then came the -transportation to a colony of the mother country, with a prohibition -against return: otherwise the peopling of a colony with the vicious -and the criminal; then punishment in the colony was added to mere -transportation; and in all and every one of these steps, nothing was -held in view but infliction on the culprit--relief to his native land. -Reformation was never thought of, degradation was never guarded -against; the moral condition of the convict, or his religious -improvement, was never taken into consideration; nor did the mind of -man seem to reach, till within the last few years, the comprehension -of that essential point in the whole question, that where the convict -was going he was to become the member of a vast community, the state -and condition of which would for years be strictly connected with that -of the country which expelled him. None of these things were ever -thought of, and still less the high and imperative duty which binds -legislators to attempt, in punishing, to reclaim; a duty not only to -their country and to their fellow men, but to their God."</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- seemed to ponder over his companion's words for a few -moments, and then replied. "I doubt not that what you say is true. The -evils you speak of have arisen, in a great part, from the want of a -due comprehension and consideration of the objects to be obtained; but -were that all, the evils of the system existing would be speedily -remedied; but I fear there is another great error which statesmen have -fallen into, and which will ever, as long as it is persisted in, throw -insuperable obstacles in the way of reform. The error I allude to is a -belief that corporeal punishment will reclaim. I am convinced that its -only tendency is to degrade and render more vicious the person on whom -it is inflicted. That it must exist I do not deny, for the probability -of incurring it must be held up before the convict's view, to deter -him from adding fresh crimes to those which have gone before; but the -principal means I would employ would be entirely moral means: -encouragement to a right course, exhortation, instruction, and the -chance of recovering gradually that sense of moral dignity, the want -of which is a source of all evil."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A theory which may be pushed too far," said Dudley, "though excellent -in itself. Punishment is undoubtedly needful, both as a restraint and -an act of justice, but believe me also, that coercion as a means is -likewise required. I am convinced that in all these matters we try to -generalize too much. If we consider the infinite variety of human -characters, we shall see that an infinite variety of means is required -in the direction of any large body of human beings. To expect that any -man, or any body of men, should be able to scrutinize the character of -each individual convict, so as to apply the precise method of -treatment to his particular case, would be to require far too much; -but the rules and regulations adopted by a government, and carried out -by its officers in the colony, should be such as to render the -application of particular means as easy as possible. Entrusted to -well-instructed and observing men, a general knowledge of the -character of each convict could be easily obtained from his conduct on -his passage, and of the crime for which he received sentence. The -reports thus obtained might form the basis for correct classification -on the arrival of each ship; and the distribution of the unfortunate -men sent out might be afterwards made in accordance with this -classification. Thus you would save those comparatively pure from -contamination, and you would reduce the number of those requiring -strict supervision and coercion to the utmost possible extent. You -would acquire, in fact, the power of at once applying the means to the -end; you would know where moral means would be most efficacious, where -restraint was most needful, and have some guidance for shaping your -conduct according to the necessities of the case. I am aware, indeed, -that some classification is made, but of the most imperfect character, -and this I look upon as one of the causes of the total failure of the -system of transportation. I believe, also, the machinery, both for -improving the moral conduct of the convict, and for preventing crime -after his arrival in the colony, has been most inadequate from the -very beginning. I look upon it that one of the greatest possible -objects is, by constant and active supervision, to prevent the -possibility of a vicious course being pursued for some time after the -convict's arrival in the colony. Believe me, that to dishabituate his -mind from the commission of evil, is the first step to habituate it to -the pursuit of good. But what has been the case? When first convicts -were sent to this colony--the period is not very remote--it never -seemed to enter into the contemplation of those who sent them to -afford them any religious instruction, and it was entirely owing to -the exertions of a private individual that the means of spiritual -improvement were provided them at all; and now, when the influx of -these unhappy men into Van Dieman's Land is from five thousand to nine -thousand per annum, if we look either to the opportunities afforded -them of obtaining religious training, or to the power granted to the -local government of ensuring constant supervision, even in the cases -of the most hardened and irreclaimable, we shall find that it is -utterly inadequate to the numbers who require it. What can be the -result? What right have we to expect anything but that which we see? -With a system founded originally in an incomplete view of the case, -with an incomplete classification of the persons on whom it is to -operate, and with the most inefficient means of carrying out the -objects which should be ever held in view, the failure is inevitable; -and thus has a place set apart for the reception of criminals, whom it -was a duty not only to punish but to reform, become a mere nest of -unreclaimed felons, and a school for every species of vice and -wickedness which can degrade the human race, and bring eternal -destruction upon the soul of man. The way in which these colonies have -been conducted, I do not scruple to say, is a great national sin, -which cannot be without it punishment."</p> - -<p class="normal">The conversation proceeded in the same strain for some time further, -during which they made their way slowly downward towards the banks of -the lake, now pursuing a green path amongst large masses of rook and -stone, now descending natural steps as it were in the coral rock, now -pausing to gaze with interest into one of the deep caves which pierced -the side of the precipice, and in which the light assumed a shadowy -red from the hue of the internal walls. To two warm-hearted and -enthusiastic men, a conversation so deeply affecting the best -interests of their fellow-creatures was, as may well be supposed, -highly interesting, and there was something in the grandeur, the -wildness, and the solitude of the scene, which seemed to elevate and -expand the thoughts as they reasoned of the destinies of the -multitudes fated to be the fathers of a population about ere long to -overspread the wide uncultivated tracts around them. The morning was -balmy and refreshing, the sun had not yet risen high enough to render -the heat burdensome; and as their course lay along the eastern side of -that wide basin, the cool shadows of the rocks, and hills, and trees, -spread out long and blue over the rugged precipices and the verdant -turf at their feet. For a time they forgot the object of their walk, -but at length Dudley pointed to a spot in the sky, saying, "There is a -vulture, and if you will permit me I will try my skill in bringing him -down. He will soon come near; for I have remarked in travelling hither -that in this country the birds of prey, whenever they see a moving -object, approach it rapidly. The butchers of the air have not yet -learned that there are butchers of the earth more powerful than -themselves."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You had better draw out the balls and put in some slugs," said -Captain M----, handing him the gun; "though I suspect he will not come -within range."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will try the ball upon him," said Dudley; "I used not often to miss -my mark, but it is two long years since I had gun or rifle in my -hand;" and gazing down upon the highly finished fowling-piece, he -thought of the morning when he had gone out to shoot with Edgar -Adelon, and all the dark and terrible events which had followed. -Suddenly rousing himself, after a few moments he looked up towards the -sky again, and saw that the bird had approached much nearer, skimming -along just over the summit of the crags which towered above them, and -with curved neck and bent head, eyeing them as he sailed along. Dudley -put the gun to his shoulder, and though Captain M---- remarked, "He is -much too far," pulled the trigger, after a momentary pause. The report -was hardly heard before the broad wings fluttered with convulsive -beating, collapsed, and whirling round and round in the air, the -tyrant of the mountain came thundering down at the distance of some -thirty yards from them. When they reached the spot where he lay they -found him quite dead, though the yellow eyes still rolled in the bare -skinny head. The ball had passed right through him; but it seemed that -he had recently been inflicting the fate upon some other creature -which he had just received himself, for his strong horny bill and -talons were red with blood, which, from its fresh appearance, could -not have been shed very long.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This would seem a species of condor," said Captain M----, after -examining it carefully. "What an immense extent of wing! I must carry -it away with me as a very fine specimen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thought the condor was confined to South America," said Dudley; -"but I am very ignorant of such subjects, and certainly here shall not -have any temptation to form a museum of natural history. I must save -whatever powder and shot you can afford me, for the sole purpose of -obtaining food, and refrain from spending it upon my fellow-animals of -prey."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a condor, I think," answered his companion; "and I believe that -species is spread more generally over both the old and new world than -is supposed. They are very rare, however, everywhere."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have seen many strongly resembling this creature hovering about -these cliffs and the top of the neighbouring hill," answered Dudley; -"but, of course, I never could approach one till now, for they did not -think fit to attack me, and I had no means of bringing them down. We -will carry it back with us; but first, I must provide you with some -dinner, and the lake is my only resource. Some of the feathers of this -good gentleman will make an artificial fly, not at all unlike those I -saw yesterday on the shore;" and sitting down by the dead vulture, he -speedily constructed an insect which had sufficient resemblance to -those they were accustomed to devour, to deceive the voracious -inhabitants of the waters.</p> - -<p class="normal">Five or six large fish, not exactly trout, but somewhat resembling -that species, repaid an hour's angling; and then walking back, the two -wanderers, each with his own particular burden, made their way to the -spot where Dudley's fire had been lighted the day before. Their meal -was frugal enough; bread they had none; their drink was supplied by a -little stream issuing from the rocks; but yet it seemed pleasant to -both, and Captain M---- said, with a smile, when he saw his companion -somewhat puzzled as to how he should distribute the food, "I can see -you are not accustomed to this roving life. The memory of old habits -clings to you still; but as far as my experience shows me, it is -wonderfully less tenacious with uncultivated than with cultivated -minds. A few months is quite sufficient to qualify any convict for a -bushranger."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It would take years so to qualify me," replied Dudley. "I affect no -particular degree of refinement, but I do think the delicacies of life -form one of the greatest charms of society. They are, in fact, based -upon higher principles than at first appear. I believe that they are -all founded upon the maxim, 'neither to be, nor to seem, nor to do -anything, which can be unnecessarily offensive to others.' This -implies no sacrifice of principle, and no unreasonable subserviency of -manner; for the moment a man tries to bend what is right to what is -courteous, that instant courtesy becomes a vice; but I never yet heard -a reasonable opinion which could not be so expressed as to offend no -reasonable man; and with regard to the minor and to the conventional -courtesies, to omit them where no wrong is implied would be a -violation of that which is due to our follow-men and to ourselves. -Nevertheless, you must not expect towels and water-basins in the -desert to wash after you have eaten with your fingers, any more than -you must expect bread where there are no ovens, or wine where no -grapes grow."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am perfectly satisfied," answered Captain M----, in a gay tone; "I -shall find my finger-glass at the little stream there, and my napkin -on the green grass; but still, my good friend, there are several -little things which may be serviceable to you in my small encampment -down below. I shall have no need of them, going back so soon; and I do -heartily believe there are no less than four or five round-pointed -table-knives, and at least three two-pronged forks. Some towels, too, -may not come amiss; and if ever you should have another dinner-party -here, they may serve as napkins as well. I will leave them on the spot -when we go away, and you can take possession of them at your leisure. -I could procure you, too, a box of nails from the ship; but I do not -know how to convey them to you without discovering your retreat to -those on board; and, doubtless, you would not like to come into too -near proximity with the people of the vessel, especially as they have -orders to search for and seize an escaped convict of the name of -Brady; a most desperate fellow, who has hitherto frustrated every -attempt to take him. He has somehow made his way over hither from Van -Dieman's Land, at least it is supposed so."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has not come to this district, as far as I have seen," answered -Dudley; "but still it would be better to avoid all recognition. -Nevertheless, I will admit, this box of nails you speak of would be of -greater value to me than a box of pure gold, and if you will put it on -shore at a spot where these two hills are in a direct line with each -other, I will seek it and bring it away. I might say I will hereafter -find some way to show my gratitude; but now I have none, nor any hope -of so doing. I can therefore but thank you again and again, and say, -would there was a chance of my being able to do that for you and yours -which my heart prompts, but which my means forbid."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not for ever, not for ever," answered Captain M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I feel very sure that if you but persevere in abstaining from evil, a -time will come when errors will be removed and truth made manifest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Beyond the grave," answered Dudley; and then suddenly changing the -conversation, he carried it on in a somewhat lighter tone, till -Captain M---- rose to leave him. They parted like two old friends who -might never meet again, and while one carried away a feeling of deep -intense interest and curiosity, the other remained with a sensation of -desolation more profound and painful than ever.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Wearily passed the days; for though active exertion is undoubtedly the -best of all mere earthly balms to the hurt mind--and Dudley had plenty -of it--yet there are moments when, in perfect solitude, thought will -return, and tears open wounds afresh. He strove against it, indeed, as -much as man could strive. He laboured incessantly, more for the -purpose of occupying his mind with anything but his own dark fate, -than to render his abode more comfortable; and when in the watches of -the night he awoke, and thought would return, he tried hard to turn it -into any other channel than that of memory. Still, in spite of -himself, the bitter theme would often recur; in vain he tried to -meditate upon mere abstract questions of art, of science, of -philosophy; in vain, to fix the mind down to the present and its -necessities, all gloomy as that present was; still departed happiness, -and bright hopes blasted, would rise up like spectres, and scare peace -and tranquillity away.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sometimes he would try to create a feeling of alarm in his own breast -at the prospect of the coming winter, when in that lonely scene he -should be left in the midst of snows and tempests, with none of the -resources of the fruit-tree or the lake; when the wind and the storm -would rave round his frail dwelling, and the long night would have no -solace, no occupation, but that of listening to the howling of the -blast; and he would devote his thoughts and his exertions to provide -against the coming of the sad season. He went down to the spot where -the tent of Captain M---- had been pitched, and there found fresh proofs -of his kindness; for he had left everything that he could possibly spare -behind him, together with a few words written on a scrap of paper, -giving his address, and assuring his lonely friend that if at any time -he could serve him he would do so with pleasure. Then, with fresh -means and more serviceable tools than the mere hatchet with which he -had first commenced the work, poor Dudley laboured hard to render his -dwelling proof against storm or enemy; but the want of nails soon -presented itself, and he set out for the sea-shore, thinking, "His -kindness would not forget."</p> - -<p class="normal">Nor had it; for after a walk of twenty miles, he found not only the -box which had been promised, but two other presents of equal value--a -large bag of fresh biscuits, and a ship's hand-lamp surrounded by -thick glass.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sometimes, as on this occasion, the expedients to which he was forced -to have recourse, called up a melancholy smile. "Where shall I find -oil?" he thought, "or any means of nourishing the flame; and yet there -must be oleaginous shrubs or trees in the neighbourhood, amongst all -the many children of these vast forests. I must learn many a trade -before I have done, and must try and construct myself an oil-mill. If -all fails, I must come down, as the winter approaches, and see if I -can surprise a seal upon the shore."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he thus thought, he seated himself and ate one of the biscuits with -a relish for the plain wheaten food which he had never known before. -For the last eight or nine days he had tasted nothing but fish or -flesh; and he now found that bread is indeed the staff of life; for he -arose lighter and yet more refreshed from his simple meal by the -sea-shore than he had felt since he commenced his wandering course. He -then adjusted the burdens he had to carry, so as to render their -pressure as equal as possible, during his long walk back; and I may -remark, indeed, that his mathematical studies proved more serviceable -to him in existing circumstances than he had ever thought possible. He -had always regarded them as fine abstractions, the principal use of -which, to a man of the station in which he was born, was to produce a -habit of correct reasoning; but now, when he came to apply them -practically; he felt how invaluable they are in every walk of life.</p> - -<p class="normal">With his gun under his arm, and laden with a weight of eighty or -ninety pounds, he walked slowly on his way, still keeping the summit -of the mountain in view. At first his course lay across an arid tract -of country, near the sea-shore, producing no vegetation but some thin -tall stalks of grass, and thickly strewn with small, flat, circular -fragments of stone, exactly resembling the biscuits he was carrying. -As the ground rose a little, however, a more prolific soil was -obtained, and he entered what is called the scrub, where tall trees, -and bushes, and a thousand fruit and flower-bearing shrubs, surrounded -him on every side, and often cut off the view of Mount Gambier. Long -brakes or paths were still to be found through the thicket, however, -and every now and then, for a mile or two, the vegetation was thinner, -so that, guiding his course by the sun, and calculating as exactly as -he could, the distance which both he and the great orb of day had -travelled, he followed a direct line as far as the nature of the -ground would permit, and from time to time caught sight of the lofty -rocks above the crater, over the leafy wilderness around him. Here and -there, however, came a patch of bright green meadow, and at the edge -of one of these, before he entered the forest again, he sat down to -rest himself, and cast the burdens from his shoulders, for the -fatigues he had lately undergone were very great, and he felt the -unusual weight he carried. He was dreadfully thirsty too, for he had -not found a drop of fresh water on the journey, and the heat was -intense.</p> - -<p class="normal">In about half an hour, the decline of the sun, and the gradual -lengthening of the shadows, somewhat cooled the air, and a fresh -breeze sprang up from sea-ward, agitating the tops of the tall trees. -Dudley rose to proceed upon his way, for he had still a walk of more -than two hours before him; and with his gun under his arm, he was -stooping down to lift his bag of biscuit, when he suddenly heard a -step. It was that of a man, and was consequently the more ungrateful -to his ear than if it had been that of a beast, however wild and -fierce. His gun was instantly in his hand, with both barrels cocked; -and the next moment, coming at a quick pace out of one of the glades -in the neighbouring wood, appeared a figure not calculated to -dissipate any apprehensions. It was that of a man, tall, and -powerfully built, and of a most unprepossessing countenance. He was -evidently a European, but yet the colour which his skin had acquired -by long exposure was almost as dark as that of one of the natives of -the land. His black hair, of more than six months' growth, fell wild -over his shoulders and brows, and his beard also had been suffered to -remain unshorn till it nearly reached his bosom. In this mass of hair, -which covered his face, the features, which were sharp and aquiline, -seemed planted as if looking through a mask; and the whole, together -with the fierce, quick expression, gave the same impression as if one -suddenly saw a wild beast glaring through a bush. He was covered with -an old, tattered, brown great coat, and had a belt round his waist, -and another over his shoulders. In the former were placed a pair of -pistols; and the latter supported a knapsack, a large gourd in the -shape of a bottle, and several other articles of a very miscellaneous -description. He instantly paused on seeing a stranger; and Dudley, -forgetting that his own appearance was little less wild and strange, -raised his gun to his shoulder, exclaiming, "Halt, whoever you are!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The man instantly advanced a step, crying, with a laugh, "Hail fellow, -well met! Don't you see I'm not an officer?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't know," answered Dudley; "but you must halt nevertheless, till -I know who you are. Another step, and I fire!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The man paused, for he was out of the range of a pistol, but within -that of a gun, otherwise it is probable a shot would have been the -first reply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I tell you I am a poor devil like yourself," he replied, "who have -got away from those incarnate fiends at Norfolk Island, have come over -here, and taken to the bush. I am half-starved, for I have fed upon -raw parrots as long as I could get any, and have not had a morsel for -these two days."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's another case," said Dudley, dropping his gun from his -shoulder; "I can help you, and that's enough for me. I have got -biscuit here; come and have some."</p> - -<p class="normal">Short parleys and quick intercourse are common in the wilder parts of -a colony, where every man, having even a glimmering of civilisation, -depends upon others many times each year for the few advantages of -society he can ever obtain; Strange it is, that where the violence of -barbarism is most strong, the charity of hospitality is most frank and -ready. The stranger advanced at once, thrusting back the pistol he had -half drawn from his belt, and taking Dudley's hand, he shook it -warmly, saying, "You must be new to this place. Just arrived from -Norfolk, I dare say. Come, give us some biscuit, man, for I am right -down starved."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley opened the bag, and the man thrust his hand in at once, drawing -out two or three biscuits, which he began to eat voraciously. "That's -capital!" he said, adding a fearful oath. "After all, there's nothing -like biscuit. Well, I'm glad you didn't fire, for I'd rather have this -than lead in my stomach; and it would have cost me a shot in return, -when, to say the truth, I haven't got one to spare, for I've got no -powder but the charges in my pistols, and one of those I must save for -McSweeny. He may take two, perhaps, but I don't think it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And pray who is he?" asked Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, the man that betrayed me once!" replied his companion. "A -storekeeper I trusted, and he sold me. He killed himself that night, -and he knows it. So he's only waiting till I've got leisure, then -we'll settle accounts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then you mean you'll kill him," said Dudley, guessing the man's -meaning, though not very certain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To be sure," answered the other. "He shall go out of the colony one -day soon. Come, I must have another biscuit."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As many as you like," answered Dudley, "and take some with you, if -you please; but if you've got any water in that bottle, you shall give -me some, for I am as thirsty as you are hungry."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, there's water in it, sure enough, now," replied the other, -unslinging the gourd and giving it to him. "There was something better -in it not long ago--real Bengal brandy, but that was gone a great deal -too soon. Lord! it's just like a dream; how I drank it up; but such as -it is, you may have it."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley assuaged his thirst, and then returned the man the gourd, -saying, "That is better than brandy, and take my word for it, peace is -bettor than revenge. Revenge is like that brandy you talk of: you take -it to assuage a thirst, and it leaves a more consuming thirst than -ever. From the moment you have had it, a burning will seize upon your -heart, which nought will ever cool, you will die parched up with crime -upon crime, without peace in the present, peace in the past, or peace -in the future."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man gazed at him with a look of utter astonishment. "No, I -shan't," he replied. "I shall be hanged. That's my death. I always -intended it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But did you ever consider," asked Dudley, "that this life is not all; -that there is another beyond this world, to which the pains or the -pleasures of this life are nothing?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you a methodist parson, young man?" said the other, knitting his -brows at him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Dudley; "nothing of the kind. I am a plain man, as you -are, but one who has learned to reverence the will of God; to think of -the future as well as the present; and to remember in all my actions -here that they have a reference to a hereafter, in comparison with -which this life and all that it affords is a mere nothing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then what the devil brought you here?" asked the other; and after an -instant's pause, continued, "Well, I have heard of such things as you -talk of, but it is all guess-work. No dead man ever came back to tell -me what had happened to him after he was gone. All I see rots as soon -as it's put in the ground, and the rest's but a chance, or an old -woman's tale. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; so I'll -have my will while I live, and risk all the rest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you ever think how much you risk?" asked Dudley, gravely. "Do you -know Norfolk Island? Well, suppose for one moment, that all which man -can be made to suffer there were increased a thousand fold, and -carried on throughout eternity without the possibility of escape, even -by death--remember, this is what you risk, and much more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pooh! that's nonsense," answered the man. "No one could stand it. -Why, sooner than stay there, I stood--one night when they had caught -me, after I had got off, and had tied my hands with a strong rope--I -stood, I say, with my back to the fire and my wrists to the flame, -till the rope was burnt through. There are the marks," he continued, -baring his seared and withered arms. "But let us talk of something -else. If you are not a parson, you talk very like one, and I hate -parsons. What were you convicted of?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of killing a man," answered Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, that was something worth while," replied his companion. "I -thought it had been some larceny, or something like that, by the way -you talked. But what do you intend to do now? You've run, of course, -and that's quite right; but it's a hardish sort of life, especially -out here. I'm half sorry I didn't keep in 'tother island; but they ran -after me so sharply, than when I got a ship that would take me, which -was a great chance--she was a whaler that sent her boat on shore--I -thought it was not worth while to stay. Then I found they had got -scent of me; and so I've walked six or seven hundred miles altogether, -rather than go back to the d--d place. They would have put me in a -chain gang directly, and I have seen such things there I don't want to -see any more. I dare say I know more of it than you do, for you seem a -new hand. I'll tell you what I saw once. I saw two men--they were in -the same gang with myself--toss up with a brass halfpenny, which -should knock the other's brains out, and be hanged for it afterwards. -The lot fell upon James Mills, and he did it handsomely, for he -finished the other fellow, whose name was Ezekiel Barclay, with one -blow of his pick, and when he was hanged at Hobart Town, he told all -the people how it had happened, and why he had done it; and many of -them said, I have heard, that it was a great shame to drive men to -such a pass--that it was better for one to have his skull smashed, and -the other his neck twisted, than to live on slaving any longer."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley gave a shudder, so visible, that his hardened companion laughed -aloud. "Wait a bit, and you'll get accustomed to such things," he -said; "but you'll find it more hard to get accustomed to living here. -I'm beating up towards some more civilised place, I can tell you; I -have had enough, and too much of this kind of life, and if I find I am -to be caught, I'll do something to be hanged for when they have caught -me. It's no use going on in this way for ever--but how did you get -this biscuit? You've got money, I guess."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not a penny," answered Dudley, with a smile. "A friend gave me these -things to help me on."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A devilish kind friend," replied the man; "but they won't last long, -and what will you do after? You're not up to half the tricks, I dare -say, for living in the scrub; but I can teach you a thing or two, if -you are going my way, for I must be jogging."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am going to the foot of those hills," replied Dudley, who felt -somewhat anxious to make some impression on the man's mind, and turn -him from the dreadful purpose he seemed to meditate. "If you like to -come with me, I can give you a night's lodging."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man grinned at him with a very peculiar laugh. "Are you not -afraid?" he said. "Do you know I'm Jack Brady?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not in the least," answered Dudley, "We are companions in misfortune, -and you are not a man, I am sure, whatever you may do, either to wrong -me or betray me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's hearty!" said the man, holding out his hand to him, "I would -not betray you if you had killed my brother; and as to wronging you, -no man can ever say I harmed him that trusted me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I do trust you fully," replied Dudley; "I am quite sure of you; -and my little store, such as it is, you shall share."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps I can tell you things which may be of as much service to -you," said the man; "so come along, for it's getting late, and I -reckon those hills are six miles off or more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That to the full," replied Dudley, rising. "I am ready; let us go."</p> - -<p class="normal">Perhaps he might not feel quite as sure as he said he was; but, -nevertheless, he reflected that they were but man to man, and life was -not a thing so valuable in his eyes, to fear the hazard thereof, if he -could do good.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'll carry your lantern," said the man, taking it up as he spoke. -"Have you got any oil?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Dudley; "it is that which puzzles me; but I think I -shall be able to get a seal upon the coast."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! you can manage better than that," said the other. "I'll show you -half-a-dozen trees that you can get oil from, and some that have got a -kind of fat, of which you can make candles. This is a precious place -for vegetables. Nature has been kind to the place; it's man's done all -the mischief."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's the same everywhere," answered Dudley; "let us take care that we -don't blame ourselves."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There's truth enough in that," answered Brady; "but come along; -you'll soon make a famous bushranger, for you'll forget how to preach, -having nobody to preach to."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It will do me very little good, my friend," replied Dudley, as they -walked along, "to preach to you or to anybody, as I am neither paid, -nor likely to be paid, for doing it; but, depend upon it, if there -were more to preach, and more to hear, in our penal settlements, they -would be happier places than they are. Good conduct towards our -fellow-creatures, and reverence towards God, are the sources of all -happiness on earth."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I love my fellow-creatures well enough," said the man, "and would do -anything to help them. No man can say I ever took a penny from a poor -man, or injured a weak one. It is against my principles, sir, whatever -you may think; but many who are here I do not look upon as men at all. -They are devils in men's bodies, and nothing more. With them I am at -war, and ever will be; and if a man betrays me, that man dies, if I -live. There is no use talking about it, for my mind is made up."</p> - -<p class="normal">He spoke in a stern, determined tone, and his face assumed an -expression of demoniacal ferocity when he alluded to the fact of being -betrayed; but it passed away in a moment or two; and, as if he sought -no farther discussion on a subject in regard to which his resolution -was taken, he began to look round amongst the trees and shrubs, and at -length pointed out one to Dudley, saying, "There, you see those little -berries; well, let them get ripe; they'll turn almost quite black in a -week or two; and then, if you bruise them between two stones, and put -them in a kettle over a little fire, you'll have oil enough for your -purposes. There do not seem to be so many good sorts of trees and -plants here as on t'other side. Why, there, if it be not a very dry -year, a man may live for many a month on what he finds growing wild. -But you'll do very well here, too; and, I dare say, farther in, you -may find the same sorts of shrubs as over by Port Philip. There's the -great, long gum-tree, and cypresses, I see, too; but not so many as in -New South Wales. It's a fine country, however, and I like it better, -for there are too many men over there. Here there seems to be no one -but you and I: at least, I have not seen a living soul but one, beside -yourself, for three hundred miles or more."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is it not dangerous for a stranger, unacquainted with botany, to feed -upon the fruits of a land totally new to him?" inquired Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh dear, no!" answered Brady. "Those that have a stone in them you -may always eat, and most of those that have a hard shell to them. I -don't speak of beans, you know, for many of them are poisonous enough, -I believe; but of nuts and such like. But I'll tell you what a man, -whom I once knew, did, and it wasn't an unclever sort of trick, which, -if you stay long here, you may practise too. He caught a young -kangaroo when it was quite little, and bred it up to hop about his -place like a dog that had lost its fore-legs. Well, whatever he saw -the kangaroo eat, he knew he might eat too, for they're a sort of -human creatures, those kangaroos; I never half liked shooting one in -my life."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley thought how strange that a man, who, for passion or revenge, -would shed his fellow's blood like water, should feel repugnance to -kill a mere brute, from a fancied resemblance to the human race. Yet -such are the inconsistencies of our nature, and we meet with them -every day.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's very good eating, though," continued his companion, "and I dare -say, man's good eating enough too, at least I've heard one of those -black fellows say so; but of all things that's the best in this -country it's the wombat. I should think there must be a good number of -them about here, for I've seen a great many of their holes."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is it like?" asked Dudley. "I never met with one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's about the size of a badger, and in shape something like a large -rat," replied Brady; "but when, he's roasted, he's for all the world -like a young pig; you'd hardly know the difference if it wasn't he's -not quite so fat. The first time you see a hole with fresh tracks -going in, you dig the fellow out and roast him, and you'll thank me -for as good a dinner as ever you had in your life. He bites foully, -though, I can tell you, so take care of your hands."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must lay up some store of provisions for the winter," replied -Dudley; "but how to preserve them I do not know, unless I dig a -saltpan by the Sea."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pooh, nonsense!" answered the man, "you'll find plenty of salt-pans -ready made. There's too much of that commodity about. I can't say it's -very good, for there's mostly something bitter mixed with it; but one -must not be dainty in these countries. If you look about, you'll find -many a hole of twenty acres or more, with the salt as hard upon the -top as ice. And you have nothing to do but to cut yourself a little -tank out of the coral limestone, and make a pickling-pan of it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That would be a laborious business, I'm afraid," replied Dudley, "for -which I have not proper tools."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lord bless you! you can cut it like cheese," replied the bushranger. -"Then you've nothing to do but to let it stand out in the air for a -little while, and it grows as hard as flint. Why, the man that I was -talking about, that I saw between this and Adelaide, has built himself -quite a house of it, and all with his own hands."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, they came to the top of a little rising ground, from -which the land sloped away with very gentle undulations for five or -six miles. Mount Shanck, with its truncated cone, and Mount Gambier, -with its peaky summits, were both within sight; while to the eastward, -over a wild extent of scrub, the blue tops of some distant hills were -seen, and the ground below, between them and the foot of Gambier, was -wonderfully and beautifully varied with wide spaces of rich green -pasture, and manifold clumps and small woods of gigantic shadowy -trees, the long shadows of which fell upon the verdant meadows as if -thrown upon green velvet.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, that's mighty pretty!" cried the bushranger, as he and Dudley -stopped to gaze. "It puts me in mind of England--doesn't it you? It's -for all the world like some great gentleman's park, isn't it now? It's -a fine place that England, any how. I've never seen anything like it; -d--n them for sending me out of it, I say!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"What a vast variety of different kinds of vegetation!" said Dudley. -"What are those dark, gloomy-looking trees there, to the eastward?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's what they call the tea-tree," answered his companion; "bad -enough tea it would make, however; and this one here, under which we -are standing--heaven knows how high it is, for it seems as if it were -looking after the clouds up there--they call the stringy bark, and -those just below us are the blackwood trees. Those fellows that you -see out in the meadows, with their little leaves all strung upon a -stalk, they call mimosas here--I don't know what their right name is; -but what's better than all, I see you've got lots of juniper here: all -those bushes that you see; and when their berries are ripe, if you -could but get some molasses, or maize, or anything of that kind, and -make a still out of an old kettle, you could brew yourself some -capital gin, and be as merry as a king."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Without subjects," said Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"All the merrier for that," answered the bushranger. "I had never a -fancy for pig-driving; and ruling a lot of men, every one of whom has -his own fancy, must be as bad or worse. Well, it is a beautiful -country, surely; and I think one might live very comfortably here, if -it was not for that roving spirit one gets. Perhaps one might turn -better too, if the folks would but let one; but that's impossible in -this country. I was bad enough when I came here, but I'm ten times -worse now, and shall be worse every day till I'm hanged."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you ever try to be better?" asked Dudley. "Depend upon it you -would find it to your advantage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's no use," answered the man, "and that you may find some day to -your own cost. You've done quite right to come away to a place where -there are no other white people but yourself; but they'll find you out -here in time; and if I were to stay here, they would hunt me out soon -enough, and have me down to a chain gang, and drive me madder than I -am. My only safety is in moving about, and then it's difficult to -track me. You might as well expect devils to get good as the people in -this colony; for if they wanted, there are other devils put on purpose -to prevent them. But let us talk about the place, and not the people. -I hate that sort of thing."</p> - -<p class="normal">During the latter part of this conversation they had descended slowly -through the beautiful country before them, passing under various kinds -of trees, with the evening chirp of the cicada spreading a melancholy -murmur through the air, and multitudes of black and white cockatoos -whirling round in the air, and parroquets of every kind and colour -moving about amongst the branches. From amongst the long thick grass -at the foot of the descent a tall emu started up, and galloped away -upon its long legs across the plains. Every now and then they came -upon a thicket covered with beautiful flowers, and they found the bank -of a little stream gemmed with the Murray lily, and clothed in -different places with a shrub bearing small purple bells. The -ice-plant, too, was seen here and there; and had but the mind been at -ease, few things more delightful could be found on earth than a ramble -through that lovely scene. The spirit of peace and bounty seemed to -pervade it all, and a forcible line of a rash but beautiful poet -recurred to Dudley's mind,</p> - -<p class="normal">"And all but the image of God is divine."</p> - -<p class="normal">Nevertheless, the impression of all that beauty and the calm spirit -which it seemed to give forth, was not without effect even upon his -rude companion. He walked on in silence for some way, gazing around -him on every side, and at length he said--</p> - -<p class="normal">"I believe one does not half know how beautiful the country is when -one's living in towns. I often think it would be better if people -didn't live in towns at all, for you see one gets to like all sorts of -things one doesn't care for in the country."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Doubtless there are many more temptations in towns," replied Dudley; -"and what is worse than all, less opportunity for a man to commune -quietly with his own thoughts; for I am quite sure, that if a person -did so always, before he acts, there would not be half the harm done -that takes place in the world. The opportunity of doing so is a great -blessing, and the habit of so doing a greater blessing still."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am not quite sure that that's the right cause of mischief," -answered the bushranger. "Men seldom do things all at once. It's bit -by bit a man gets on. If a man goes into a house and takes a glass of -gin or brandy, as the case may be, it is not to get drunk, and he'd -most likely do the same if he'd an hour to think of it. It is just to -keep his spirits up when they're inclined to get low; then he finds a -friend there, and he takes another glass; and then, while they are -talking, another, till glass after glass goes into his mouth, and then -to his head, and then nobody knows what happens. It's the same with -other things too. It's all bit by bit; besides, I believe the devil is -in some people: in me, perhaps. I dare say you think so. Now, there -are the savage people here: the natives, as they call them; if the -devil isn't in them, I don't know what is. They've never had any -teaching, and yet they'll do such things as you've no notion of. I've -seen them pick a man's pocket with their toes as cleverly as any prig -in all London with his hands; and they'll throw those long spears of -theirs right into your back, at such a distance that you'd think they -couldn't hit a mountain. Then, as for their devilish tricks, they'll -kill a man for his fat just as the settlers do a bullock for its -tallow, and smear themselves all over with it, and then put red ochre -on the top of that. You must keep a sharp look out for them, for -there's no trusting them, and there's a whole heap of them not far -from here, especially the people they call the Milmenduras, great, -tall fellows, with curly hair; and there are the Fatayaries, too, but -I don't think they're so bad as the others. I saw some of their -wirlies as I came along. They're terrible savages, to be sure, and the -only way to keep clear of them is to make them think that you're what -they call a 'Mooldthorpe,' a sort of devil--that's what they think of -me, and they don't touch me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would rather make them think me an angel of good than an angel of -evil," answered Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">The man laughed aloud. "They'd kill ye, and eat ye, for all that," he -answered. "They think, what the officers fancy we think, that it's -only worth while minding those who torment or punish us. They care -nothing about spirits of good. It's the spirits of evil they care -about. Look there, there's one of them looking out now by that little -wood! Let's keep clear of his spear; no, it's a kangaroo, upon my -life! See how he goes hopping off, thirty feet at a jump, and yet -sometimes the wild dogs will catch them, jump as wide as they will, as -those dogs in the colony will catch me before I've done, let me roam -far or near. I know it's my luck, and so I may as well have my will -for a while."</p> - -<p class="normal">This was not exactly the sort of conclusion to which Dudley had hoped -to lead him. He thought he discovered some small portion of good -amidst the great mass of evil in the man's nature; but he knew not how -difficult it is to eradicate weeds which have grown up, year after -year, even in a soil which might have been made at one time prolific -of other things. Neither had he sufficient experience of such -characters to be aware of the best means of planting better thoughts. -Whenever he attempted to do so, his companion flew away from the -subject, resolved not to hear, and they had reached the foot of Mount -Gambier without the least progress having been made. As Dudley began -to climb the hill, however, the bushranger exclaimed, "Why, you don't -live up there, do you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, indeed I do, at the very top," replied Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! then hang me if I go any farther," answered Brady. "I'm tired, -and getting sleepy, and I don't want to add a great bit to my walk off -to-morrow. It's full forty miles to Mr. Norries's place, where I -intend to sleep. The day after, I dare say I can steal a horse. -There's one, I know, at Pringle's sheep farm, and that'll carry me -into the bush near Adelaide. It'll be three weeks before I reach it, I -dare say, so if you'll give me a day or two's biscuit, I'll thank -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"With all my heart," answered Dudley, who had by this time given up -all hope of making an impression on his companion. "You had better -take a good stock, as you've such a long way to go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Brady, "there's no use a-lumbering one's self. I'll -have a dozen; that's enough for three days, at four a day, and before -I've eaten them, perhaps I may be as dead as a sheep; besides, Mr. -Norries will feed me to-morrow, and I'll make Pringle feed me the day -after."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And who is this Mr. Norries?" asked Dudley, somewhat struck by the -name. "Is he a runaway convict, like ourselves?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He's a convict, sure enough," answered Brady; "but at the end of the -first year, he got indulgence, as they call it, for good behaviour and -helping the governor's secretary at a pinch. Besides, though he's -condemned for life, what he did wasn't very bad after all. He was a -sort of lawyer, you see, and got into a terrible row, as what they -call a Chartist. Devil take me if I know rightly what that means! -There were no Chartists in England when I set out on my travels. But, -however, he was cast, and sent out to Hobart Town, which he reached -just as I started off, a good many months ago. I recollect hearing -they were all very civil to him, for they do make distinctions out -here, let them say what they will."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley listened with eager attention, hesitating not a little as to -how he should act in consequence of the unexpected information he had -just received. A thirst for some companionship was upon him. To know -that a well-educated and intelligent, though misguided man, was within -what seemed, in that wild and thinly-peopled tract, but a short -distance, gave him a strong desire to open some communication with -him, and curiosity as to many events in the past rendered that desire -almost irresistible. Yet he doubted and feared, for the idea of being -betrayed and carried back to the bondage from which he escaped, was -terrible to him. After much hesitation, then, he sent a brief and not -very distinct message to Norries by his lawless companion, proposing -to watch all the better against surprise thenceforward. "Tell Mr. -Norries," he said, "that there is a person living here who knew -something of him in former days, and whom he last saw about the time -when he was planning those schemes which turned out so ill."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You would not like to tell your name, I suppose?" asked Brady.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, that is not necessary," replied Dudley. "If he guesses, well; if -not, it does not matter."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I think you must give me a couple of charges of powder for my -pains," replied the bushranger.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Willingly," replied Dudley, "and some small-shot too. I have no -bullets with me but what are in the gun.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That'll do--that'll do," was the reply. And having received the gift, -the wild and lawless man shook hands with his unfortunate companion, -and saying that he should look out for some low tree to sleep in, he -left him to pursue his way towards his solitary dwelling on the -mountain-top.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Thought, we are told by some authors, is the high and characteristic -privilege of man. The truth of the axiom is not universally admitted, -and even if it were so, I can only say that, like many other high and -characteristic privileges, thought may become very burdensome, if its -exercise is constantly enforced. I cannot help believing that the -Arabian fabulist, when he represented Sinbad the sailor cast upon a -desert island, and persecuted by an old man, who, once having got upon -his shoulders, could never be thrown off again till he was made drunk, -intended to allegorize the fate of one condemned to solitary thought, -and perhaps, to point out the only means he saw of obtaining -deliverance from its oppressive dominion.</p> - -<p class="normal">Left once more alone, Dudley could not refrain from thinking over and -comparing the words and actions of the two men who had been his only -visitors in that solitary place, and he certainly felt none of that -regret that the last of the two had left him, which he had experienced -on the departure of the first. The very fact, however, of their having -come at all was at first a source of some apprehension to him. He had -sought out a place of refuge where he thought the foot of man had -never trod, nor ever was likely to tread, at least for many long -years; and now, within one week, two strangers, either of whom might -betray the secret of where he sojourned, had found him, and conversed -with him. How many more might be led thither, by accident or -curiosity, or in the pursuit of gain, or from any of the many motives -which lead man to wander and to explore? It was a question which -startled him, and as I have said, he felt apprehension and regret at -first; but those sensations gradually wore away, as day after day, and -hour after hour gave him more and more up to the weariness of thought. -To provide for the wants of the day or of the future, to complete his -shelter from storm and tempest, to frame from the rock, or from the -clay, or from the trunk of the cedar, or the oak, the tools and -utensils of which he had need, did not afford sufficient occupation to -engross his mind entirely throughout any one day. When he was fishing -in the lake, when he was watching for the passing of game, when he was -hewing out cisterns from the rock, or breaking with his axe the hard -crust of the salt-pool, thought would still press heavily upon him, -and daily it became more heavy and dark. To hear the tones of the -sweet human voice, to tell the feelings, or give utterance to the -fancies of his own breast, seemed each moment a privilege more to be -coveted, and he felt bitterly that man is made for society, and that -utter solitude is utter desolation.</p> - -<p class="normal">A month passed after he had met with Brady without his seeing one -single human being, without his ever hearing the tones of even his own -voice; and the effect upon his mind may be understood when I say, that -at length, before kneeling down to pray, he murmured, "I will say my -prayers aloud, for fear I lose the use of speech."</p> - -<p class="normal">But even that was not a relief; and darker and darker grew his -meditations as the leaves became a little brown, and the grass assumed -a yellow tinge, and the flowers gave place everywhere to the berries -in the wood, and the sun rose later, and set earlier; till at length -he could bear it no longer, and he said, "I will go out and seek this -Norries; for I believe if I remain longer here, given up altogether to -the bitter contemplation of the past and the future, my brain will -turn, and I shall go mad."</p> - -<p class="normal">With his gun upon his shoulder, then, his powder-horn, his shot-belt, -and a large wallet of skin, containing his provision of biscuit, by -his side, he set out early in the morning, directing his course -according to the information he had received from the bushranger. The -air was fresh and cool, and here and there a faint star might still be -seen in the sky, "paling its ineffectual fires" at the approach of the -sun. For three hours he walked on lightly and with ease; but then the -heat began to have effect, and before another hour was over the sun -beat fiercely on his head, so that he was glad to sit down beneath the -shade of a tall, solitary tree, where the wind from the ocean, the -roar of which he heard not far off, could come to refresh him. He felt -how terrible it must be to cross, in the summer season, any of those -wide, arid deserts which form a considerable portion of New Holland, -and one of which he knew lay close to the east of the fertile tract in -which he had fixed his dwelling. There, for seventy or eighty miles, -extend limestone hills without grass, or tree, or water; not a herb, -not a shrub, not a living thing, if it be not the lizard or the -scorpion, is to be seen throughout the whole tract; and as he looked -to the south-east, and saw a yellow, reddish streak extending across -the distance, and resting with a hard edge upon the sky at the -horizon, he thought, "I must take care not to involve myself in such a -wilderness as that. To die of thirst must be a fearful death;" and -instinctively he rose, and walked on towards a spot in the plain where -the grass seemed somewhat greener, and the trees in more luxuriant -foliage than the rest.</p> - -<p class="normal">He found, as he expected, a little stream, somewhat shrunk, indeed, by -the late heats, but still containing plenty of clear and beautiful -water; and wading through some reeds upon the bank under a fringe of -large trees, he was going to fill a gourd which he had dried, when -suddenly a number of birds, of the duck species, rose up close to him, -and putting his gun to his shoulder, he fired, and brought down two -with one shot. They were beautiful birds, of a jetty black colour, and -seemed fat and well-conditioned; and he laid them down on the bank, -and then went in again to fill his gourd. When he came back he found a -large snake, with its head raised, and its tongue darting in and out, -hissing at the dead birds, as if hardly comprehending how they lay so -still. The reptile did not seem to hear his approach, and he killed it -easily with the stock of his gun, saying somewhat bitterly, -"Slaughter, slaughter! It is all warfare, this life; defensive against -the strong, offensive against the weak. It is a strange state of -being!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Almost at the same moment a loud shout met his ear, and he charged his -gun again hastily, suspecting that the cry might come from some of the -wild natives. He listened attentively, and shortly after heard a sound -amongst the bushes farther up the stream. But he had often been told -that such is the stealthy skill of the savage that, in creeping upon -his face, he does not disturb the foliage more than a light wind, and -here it was evident that the person who approached was taking no pains -to conceal his advance, dashing through the brushwood with a hasty -step, and seeming rather to court than avoid observation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Can it be some one in pursuit of me?" thought Dudley; but the next -moment a voice shouted aloud in English, "Who was that firing?" and -after pausing a moment the figure of Mr. Norries, with a gun in his -hand, and two dogs following him, came forth from the bushes, and -stood to gaze under one of the large detached trees. His eyes -instantly fell upon Dudley, but that gentleman's appearance was so -much altered that Norries did not recognise him at first, and cocking -his gun, advanced cautiously, with his broad brow furrowed with a -doubtful and inquiring frown. He himself was well dressed after the -colonial fashion, in a large straw hat, light linen shooting-jacket, -and cotton trousers; and certainly Dudley's appearance was somewhat -strange and Robinson Crusoe-like; the greater part of his dress being -composed of the skin of the kangaroo, and the cap upon his head, -though formed of lighter materials, being of his own manufacture from -the inner bark of some of the trees which he had cut down. The next -instant, however, Norries seemed suddenly to recognise him, and -placing his gun under his arm again, came straight across the stream -to meet him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! Mr. Dudley! I am glad I have met you," he said. "I intended to -come and find you out as soon as the weather was a little cooler; for -that infernal villain, Brady, told me there was an Englishman who knew -me living on Mount Gambier, and I was sure it was you from his -description."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I told him to tell you," answered Dudley; "though I did not choose to -give him my name, not that I believe he would betray me or any one, -for there is, I think, some good in the man; and I am much obliged to -him for having remembered my message."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Betray you he certainly would not," answered Norries; "for that was -not one of his vices; and he punished it bitterly enough when he found -it in others. You heard what he did after he left me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have heard nothing since I saw him," answered Dudley. "But you -speak as if the man were dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! he is hanged by this time," answered Norries. "The day after he -quitted my house he stole a horse at Pringle sheep-run, and then rode -straight on night and day, I believe, to take revenge upon a man as -bad or worse than himself, who kept what they call a store. The -fellow's name was McSweeny; and it seems he had given this man Brady -up to justice. He was sitting quietly in his cabin, drinking with an -old man and a lad, about nine o'clock at night, when Brady presented -himself at the door. Few words passed between them, for Brady's -salutation was only 'McSweeny, I want you.' He had a pistol cocked in -his hand, but McSweeny walked out doggedly and asked, 'What do you -want, Brady?' 'I give you five minutes to say your prayers,' replied -the ruffian. 'I don't want five, nor one,' answered McSweeny. 'I'm not -given to prayers; and as I've lived I'll die.' There were no more -words passed, but a shot was fired; and when they ran out from the -house they found McSweeny, with his brains blown out, and lying before -his own door. The whole country was in arms after the murderer, and -the last news I heard was that he had been caught and sent to Hobart -Town, where he has been hanged ere this time, as he both desired and -deserved. But let us dismiss such a person from our thoughts, Mr. -Dudley. In intellectual being, as in mere animal existence, there are -various classes and dignities, according as he is ranged in which, we -value the individual. Who minds seeing a serpent swallow a lizard, or -a chameleon suck in a gnat? The existences which perish are so small -as not to be worth the counting; and this man's being was even less, -for all that was not contemptible was noxious. I gave him food when he -wanted it, and shelter. The utmost extent to which his gratitude -carried him was not to rob me when he went away. Let us talk of other -things. You will, doubtless, soon return to your own country. I never -shall."</p> - -<p class="normal">The whole of his companion's manner, tone, and language surprised -Dudley not a little. There was an elevation in it, a sense of dignity -which he might have concluded would have been totally extinguished by -a criminal conviction; but Dudley had not read the character of -Norries quite aright. There are men, and he was one of them, who, -taking to their heart some great principle, religious, moral, or -political, have their reward, their encouragement, and their -consolation in following its dictates, and seeking by any means to -attain the objects which it sets before them. They build a pyramid of -thought, and its vastness sinks every other thing into vain -insignificance. I have already shown the principles which Norries had -adopted, and the objects that he sought; and let it not be supposed -that, because sometimes he did seek those objects by means that his -own heart condemned, he had any motives of personal ambition, any -dreams of individual greatness in the future to gratify. With a -mistake, not at all uncommon in politics as well as in religion, he -fancied that the end not only justified the means, but dignified it. -Nay, more; he felt proud of every sacrifice which he made for the one -great principle. The sacrifice of wealth, of station, of profession, -of friendship, of prejudices or opinions, of liberty, ay, of life -itself, were all in his eyes honourable, if incurred in the pursuit of -his grand object. To be branded as a felon, to be sent forth from his -native country as a convict, ay, to work as a slave, had it been -required as a consequence of his assertion of his wild notions of -liberty, would have only added to his personal dignity in his own -eyes, and to the dignity of the cause for which he suffered.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley had never met with a political fanatic before; and though he -soon learned to comprehend his companion's feelings, it at first -struck him as somewhat surprising to find his manner prouder, and his -tone more elevated, as a convict in a distant land, than they had -appeared when free in his own country. In answer to his last words, -however--words which puzzled him as much as the manner in which they -were spoken, he replied, "There is no probability, Mr. Norries, of my -ever returning to my own land. Perhaps you are unaware, that for an -offence in which I had no share, I was condemned to transportation for -life. Indignant and disgusted, indeed, by the scene to which I was -transferred, the cruel tyranny on one part, and the wickedness and -vice on the other, I contrived to escape, and made my way hither, -concealed on board a whaler, and I must therefore request you to -mention to no one that you have seen me. I find, indeed, that of all -punishments one of the most terrible is solitude; and I was on my way -to visit you, even for a day's relief, when I met you here. But there -is no chance whatsoever of my even attempting to revisit England."</p> - -<p class="normal">Norries smiled. "Magna est veritas, et prevalebit," he replied. "You -are innocent, and you will be proved innocent. I was guilty, as far as -bad laws can make men guilty who strive against oppression. I denied -not the splendid crime they imputed to me, and here I stand, glorying -in it. Here I will remain, too, for ever, seeing new nations rise up -around me, and trying to give such a direction to their energies while -yet in infancy, that in their manhood they shall root out the very -name of oppression from their land, and every man be free, and -virtuous in his freedom. I thought it no shame, indeed, as the -patriarch Joseph by his wisdom won favour with those to whom he was -sold in bondage, to render myself useful to my taskmasters, and thus -to get my hand withdrawn from the bonds I could not break; but with -England I have done for ever. Twice have I struggled for her freedom, -twice have those who should have supported me fled at the first note -of danger. I will see what a new race will do. But as you are so far -on your way to my dwelling, Mr. Dudley, either come on with me, or I -will go back with you. But no; it were better you should come on, for -I have much to talk to you about, and something to give you. Do you -not remember I promised you some papers? They are lodged in safe -hands, and you shall have them yet. The two most important I have with -me here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"How did you contrive to preserve them?" asked Dudley. "Me they -stripped of everything."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There were ways and means," replied Norries.--"Sometimes in the sole -of my shoe, sometimes in the lining of my coat, they were concealed, -but at all events they are safe, and shall be yours. The others are -left at Clive's house, and will be given to you on your return."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not, do not, Mr. Norries," replied Dudley, "try to nourish hopes -in me which may--nay, which must--be disappointed. All that could be -done to save me from disgrace and infliction was done at my trial. -Every evidence that could be brought forward was adduced in my favour, -and nothing that poor Edgar Adelon could do was left undone. My -counsel, too, were the first in the land, and I am bound to admit, as -one educated in the study of the law, that setting aside all -consideration of my character, and sentiments, of which neither judge -nor jury could know much, there was sufficient to convict me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yet you were innocent," answered Norries. "That should show you, -Mr. Dudley, what sort of things laws are. Edgar Adelon did all that he -could, indeed; and I helped him to the best of my power, though I was -unable to move from the wounds I had received. But all that good kind -youth's efforts were in vain, and would have been fruitless even if he -had succeeded in finding the men he sought. I spoke with them -afterwards, and neither of them ever saw you on that fatal night, so -that they could prove nothing. All his labour served but two ends: to -bring me hither; for it was through his inquiries for me that others -were led to the place of my retreat; and secondly, to open his own -eyes to the true character of the viper who has poisoned your -existence he thinks, for ever."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Whom do you mean?" asked Dudley, eagerly; "I know no one who failed -to do anything that was possible to serve me. Sir Arthur Adelon, it is -true, was absent for a strange length of time; but still, all that he -did, probably all he could do, was kind and generous. Do you mean -him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No!" answered Norries, somewhat sternly, "I do not. He was bound in -chains of fear; and in the end he would have risked something perhaps; -but it was then too late. No; I mean the man who contrived the whole -accusation, who gave it probability, who removed the proofs of -innocence, who quietly, and calmly, and deliberately, drew toils -around you from which you could not escape, and then left the dogs of -the law to worry you at their pleasure."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is very strange!" exclaimed Dudley; "I have had no suspicion of -such practices. Do you mean to say I have been made the victim of a -conspiracy?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," replied Norries, "for a conspiracy implies many acting for an -end of which they are conscious. Here there was but one, guiding -others who were unconscious of the end for which he strove. Sir Arthur -Adelon, himself, was but one of the tools."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Can you mean Filmer?" asked Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, even so," answered Norries; "but come on to my house, and I will -tell you all about it; for not being taken till the assizes were over, -I was long in prison, and there I learned many facts which, skilfully -put together, developed the whole scheme."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Had we not better rest here till the heat of the day is passed?" -asked Dudley. "We have fresh water here; and I have a few biscuits. We -can get fish out of the river, too, and broil them speedily."</p> - -<p class="normal">Norries smiled. "How soon," he said, "man habituates himself to -circumstances. What would you have said to such fare two years ago, -Mr. Dudley? Hard biscuit, coarse bream, and cold water! But I can -treat you better, and can show you a road which, sheltered by tall -trees, never feels the sun except for about half a mile, and which, -open to the sea, catches every breeze that blows. There is a little -lake, too, on the way, and I have got a canoe upon the lake, in which -we can skim easily across, saving many miles of toil. Let us bring -these birds with us; they will add to our evening meal, for their -flesh is as good as their plumage is beautiful;" and taking up the -ducks by the feet, he walked on up the stream, with Dudley following, -buried in meditation upon all he had lately heard.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There was a ball at the Government House at Hobart Town, and although, -perhaps, had any one possessed the wishing carpet of the eastern -prince, and sailed, in the twinkling of an eye, from Paris or St. -James's, to the shores of Van Dieman's Land, they might have seen in -the assembly dresses which were at least twelve months behind the -fashion, and hair dressed after an exploded mode, yet it was, -nevertheless, a very gay and interesting sight, and people seemed to -be enjoying themselves as much as if the saloons had been those of a -king's palace, and everybody present had been lords and ladies. A -great deal of taste had been shown in the decorations; the company -comprised the elite of the inhabitants; and although, as is usual in a -colony--I might almost say invariable--the government officers and the -government officers' wives, were not without envy, hatred, malice, and -all uncharitableness towards each other, yet the carping and -censorious spirit which would have full indulgence a few hours after, -was restrained for the time, and nothing could be more civil and -courteous than Mrs. So-and-so was to Mrs. So-and-so, or the Attorney -General to the Colonial Treasurer.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a great number of young and very pretty women present, -looking like the fairest blossoms amongst the wilderness of flowering -shrubs with which the rooms were decorated; but it might be observed -that many of the youngest and the prettiest turned their eyes from -time to time to one spot in the room more frequently than they did to -any other. That spot, it is true, was not very far distant from the -position assumed by the Governor himself; but yet it is probable it -was not at the Governor they were looking, for he was a grave, elderly -gentleman, of no great attractions, and about two yards from him there -stood a young gentleman of much more captivating appearance. He seemed -to be hardly one-and-twenty years of age, slight in form, but very -handsome in features, with the light hair waving in beautiful glossy -curls round his brow, and a good deal of whisker also strongly curled -upon his cheeks. He was dressed in the height of the English fashion -at the time; and certainly no person on all the earth, not even a -Parisian lady, is dressed so well, and with such good taste, as a -high-bred English gentleman. The plain black coat fitting to -perfection, but light and perfectly easy, the snowy white waistcoat, -the shirt, of extraordinary fineness, as pure as driven snow, the -plain wristband turned back over the cuff, the beautifully-made gloves -and boots, and withal that air of ease and grace which, if not a part -of the dress, except metaphorically, gives value to the whole, at once -distinguished that young man from all the rest, and pointed him out as -one of the marked in the capital of nations. There was also something -in the expression of his countenance, as well as in his general air, -which was calculated to attract attention. There was a quick, bright, -remarking glance of his eye, as it fixed upon the door by which -visitors entered, that might speak a keen and intelligent spirit, if -not some eager and anxious object at the moment; and the slight bend -between the eye-brows on the fair broad brow, as well as the firm -setting together of the teeth and beautifully chiselled lips, seemed -to imply to the one or two physiognomists in the room, a character of -rapid decision and determined perseverance. Had it not been for that -expression, with features so fine, and a skin so fair and delicate, -the face would have been almost too feminine.</p> - -<p class="normal">To this young stranger--for he was quite new to the colony--the -Governor from time to time introduced some of the most distinguished -of his guests; and he spoke to them gravely, but courteously, with a -sort of flashing and fanciful wit, which seemed so natural and easy -to him as not even to produce a smile on his own lip, at that which -called a laugh from others. In fact, it was but the expression of the -thoughts which whatever was said to him aroused, done without effort -and without object.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length another gentleman entered the room, dressed much in the same -style as himself, and bearing with him the same air of gentlemanly -ease. He advanced straight to the Governor, shook hands with him as an -old friend, and was then turning away--for it seemed, from some after -conversation, that they had had a long conference in the morning; but -the representative of the crown stopped the new comer, saying, -"Captain M----, I must introduce you to a young friend who arrived in -the Cambria yesterday. He is travelling for pleasure and information, -he tells me; and though the amount to be derived here is, I believe, -not very great, and this is somewhat a strange place to seek it in, -yet I am anxious that any we can afford should be given to him, and I -know none so able to give it as yourself. Mr. Adelon, allow me to -introduce my friend Captain M----, whose objects in visiting this and -the neighbouring colonies are somewhat like to your own, only he has -the advantage of having been some months before you."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar Adelon held out his hand to his new acquaintance, saying, "I -have had the pleasure of hearing much of you, Captain M----. Some of -the gentlemen whom we took up at the Cape, and especially the surgeon, -were well acquainted with your labours of benevolence. I trust you -will grant me the pleasure of your acquaintance."</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- had been gazing at him with a look of much interest, but -perhaps a little too attentively to be quite courteous. He replied, -however, "Anything I can do to serve or to assist you I shall be most -happy to perform. I have heard of your family, I imagine. You are Mr. -Adelon, of Brandon, I believe?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My father has lived at Brandon for some years," replied Edgar; "but -it belongs to my cousin, to whom he is guardian. Our own place is -Overbridge, in Yorkshire."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is your father at Brandon now?" inquired Captain M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," replied Edgar; "he is a great way off. My cousin's health -required change of air, and he has been wandering with her far and -wide. The last letter I had from them was dated Jerusalem."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then I suppose you did not accompany them?" said the Governor; "yet I -should have thought, Mr. Adelon, much more, both of pleasure and -information, might have been derived from such a tour as that which -they took, than from a long, dull voyage to Van Dieman's Land."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Some people prefer soda-water, some champagne," answered Edgar, with -a smile. "Business, to me of deep interest, kept me in England, at the -period of their departure; some accidental circumstances pointed my -inclination this way; and in three days after I had formed my -resolution I was upon the water. The voyage was dull enough, I will -admit; but I hope, sir, that I have now cracked the nut and come to -the kernel."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think that your father's name is Edgar," said Captain M----, -returning to his questions, not without an object: "Mr. Edgar Adelon, -if I mistake not?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," replied the young gentleman, "that is my misfortune and his -fault. His name is Sir Arthur Adelon, but he had me christened Edgar, -I am sorry to say."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not see why you should be sorry," rejoined the Governor; "it is -a good and well-sounding name enough."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There are some people, my dear Sir George," answered Edgar, "who are -deeply read in history, and who naturally confound me with Edgar -Atheling, giving me an historical value which I do not yet possess. It -is true the worthy gentleman they take me for has been dead hard upon -a thousand years; but people's wits now move by railroad as well as -their bodies, and they have not time to stop for such trifles as that. -A thousand years are nothing to them; and a lady the other day entered -with me at large into that part of my family history; evidently -thinking that if I was not actually the man himself, he must at least -have been my uncle. I very humbly begged pardon for correcting her, -but assured her that the relationship was not so close as she thought. -She said it was all the same so there was a relationship, and upon -that score I referred her to my father, who believes it, though I do -not."</p> - -<p class="normal">At that moment there came another call upon the Governor's attention, -and Captain M---- and Edgar were left standing alone together. "I am -afraid, Mr. Adelon," said the former; "you have thought my questions -very impertinent, but I had a motive."</p> - -<p class="normal">"All men have, I believe," answered Edgar; "and it is as likely, -Captain M----, that you have thought my answers impertinent likewise. -But I, too, had a motive, which, perhaps, when we know each other -better, I may trouble you with. I have been somewhat vexed, too, and -disappointed since I came here, and do not altogether wish the -Governor, though an excellent man, I believe, to see into my feelings -or my views."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Disappointed already!" said Captain M----; "that is very soon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True," answered Edgar; "but still it is so. Disappointed, not -baffled; for my motive in coming was too strong to suffer me easily to -give up the pursuit of my object. You see I am frank with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I will be frank with you, Mr. Adelon," said Captain M----, in a -low voice. "The fact is, I have a letter for you, and I wished to be -certain that you were the person to whom it is addressed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For me!" exclaimed Edgar, eagerly. "Who is it from?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must give you a strange answer," replied Captain M----. "It is from -the Nameless Fisherman by the Nameless Lake."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is no information," replied Edgar. "Have you got it here? Could -we not go into another room?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have it here in Hobart Town," replied Captain M----; "but I -certainly did not bring it to the Government House with me. You must -have a little patience, my dear sir. I will bring the letter to you -to-morrow; and to tell you the truth, having found you so -unexpectedly, I must take a little time to consider of my own conduct, -for there are circumstances connected with that letter which it may be -difficult to deal with."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Of course, if the letter is addressed to me, it must be given to me," -replied Edgar, almost sharply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly," answered Captain M----; "but, perhaps, I may not feel -myself justified in affording you any farther information than the -letter itself contains."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I dare say that will be sufficient," answered Edgar, with a better -satisfied air; "but at all events, Captain M----, I think, if that -letter be what I suspect, I can show you reasons for giving me every -information in your power, sufficient to satisfy fully a man of your -character."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We shall see," answered Captain M----; "and in the mean time, as I -have said, I will think over the circumstances. At what hour shall I -call upon you tomorrow?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"At any hour you like," answered Edgar. "The sooner the better, -indeed. Will you say six in the morning?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Rather early," replied Captain M----; "but so be it. They are going -to begin dancing, I see. Is that one of your amusements?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not to-night," answered Edgar; and then after a pause, he added, in a -low, meditative tone, "The Nameless Fisherman of the Nameless Lake! -Was he a tall, exceedingly handsome man; a gentleman in every word, -and look, and movement, with the most scrupulous taste in his dress?"</p> - -<p class="normal">He was interrupted by a smile, faint and almost sad, which came upon -Captain M----'s lip. "He is certainly tall," replied the young -officer, "and evidently highly educated. Doubtless he has been very -handsome, too, but when I saw him, he was exceedingly emaciated, pale -and hollow-eyed; and as for his dress, it was not as neat and precise -as you mention. It was partly the dress of a convict, partly that of a -savage, and his beard was of a month's growth at least."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had forgotten," said Edgar, vehemently, putting his hand before his -eyes; "I had forgotten how he has been trampled on, and injured, and -oppressed; and what changes such injury and oppression may work, even -in the innocent, the generous, and the noble."</p> - -<p class="normal">The suddenness of his gesture, and the warmth with which he spoke, -called several eyes upon him; and the next instant he turned sharply -away, and entered a lesser room on the Governor's left. Captain -M---- followed him, beginning to understand and appreciate his -character. As but few people had yet arrived, the room was vacant, and -sitting down at a card-table together, they entered into a long and -earnest conversation, carried on in low tones, for nearly an hour; and -then, some other persons entering, they returned to the ball-room with -faces apparently more cheerful than when they had left it.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The least perceptible gleam of gray light was shining in the eastern -sky; the stars were twinkling clear and large, with hardly diminished -brightness, when, from the door of a house, in the midst of wild woods -and beautiful savannas, came forth two men, and took their way across -a patch of half-cultivated land before the door. The dwelling itself -was an odd-looking construction, but not altogether unpleasant to the -eye. The principal building was a long range on the ground floor, -constructed of masses of very white stone, neatly hewn and joined -together, while above, what seemed a single room, with two windows -unglazed, towered above the rest, with a flat roof. All the way along -the front ran a little balcony, supported by rough trunks of trees, -and decorated with the wild vine; while, along the edges of the walks, -which had been carefully laid out through the cultivated patch I have -spoken of, were little trellises of lath and twig, partially covered -with an immense variety of climbing plants. The whole had an air of -comfort, and neatness, and security, as it were, which spread, like an -emanation of the social spirit, into the scene around, and took from -it that appearance of desolation which Dudley felt so much in his own -wilder, though more beautiful, habitation.</p> - -<p class="normal">For about five miles Norries walked on by the side of his guest of the -preceding night; and then they came to the edge of a low melancholy -lake, in the midst of the thickest part of the scrub, as the low woods -are called, in which the dark blue hues of a heavy dawning sky were -reflected, varied with lines of light, as the rising sun caught upon -the edges of the dull clouds. Three large snowy white birds were -hovering over the surface of the gloomy waters; and through a break in -the woods beyond, a dull orange hue marked the horizon where the day -was appearing.</p> - -<p class="normal">The canoe was found where they had left it on the preceding evening; -and as they got into the frail bark, Norries remarked, "It will save -you fifteen miles of heavy march, for the tarn is very narrow here; -but on foot you would have to take the whole way round, which makes -the distance well nigh sixty miles, to the foot of Mount Gambier from -my house, I have never been there myself, but so the scoundrel Brady -told me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so far, I think," replied Dudley; "but I trust, Mr. Norries, you -will come up to my lonely dwelling ere long; for sad and desolate as a -residence there was before, it will be even more so now. My own fate -was a dark shadow, but I still had confidence in human nature. I -thought it capable of crimes, undoubtedly, committed under strong -temptation or sudden passions; but the black page in man's character -which you have opened to me, has made me feel sadder than ever. It is -another confidence gone, Mr. Norries, and that is always painful."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We grow grave as we grow old," answered Norries, paddling his canoe -with no mean skill, "because we lose the delusions which fill youth -with smiles; but do we not grow wiser too, sir? Nevertheless, do not -let the discovery of some things in the world, which you did not know, -induce you to judge too harshly because you had before judged too -leniently. It is in the just appreciation of men and things that lies -the wisdom which gives no merriment but much tranquillity. I have -learned some hard lessons lately, Mr. Dudley as well as yourself; but -they have not made me misanthropical. I have found that there are -worse men in the world, feebler men in the world--deeper crime, and -deeper folly, than I thought; but at the same time, I have found -devotion more high and pure, honesty more incorruptible, and wisdom in -simplicity, more beautiful than even my enthusiasm had ever figured. -It is as wrong to undervalue as to overvalue men, to hope too little -from them as to expect too much; but, for you, brighter days -undoubtedly will come, and with them hopes and enthusiasms, which -revive, like flowers refreshed by dew, as soon as the sun of success -arises. I am too old for such things, but I hope I have found peace."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust that it may be so in your case," replied Dudley, "but I will -indulge no hopes in my own. They have branded me with the name of -felon; can they ever wipe out that stain? They have severed ties which -can hardly be knit again. Even now, I know not the extent of the evil; -and from my experience of life, I am inclined to believe that human -hope, even in despair, so much outstrips probability, that when ills -of any kind are to be suffered and endured, they are sure to be much -greater than foresight reckoned upon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a heavy view of life, indeed," answered Norries; "but yet I -hope you will find yourself mistaken. No one can tell, however; and as -I have been deluded myself by others, I will take no share in -deluding."</p> - -<p class="normal">At this point the conversation dropped for the time, and was not -resumed again till they were nearing that shore of the lake which was -next to Mount Gambier. There Norries left his guest upon the bank, -adding a few more cautions and instructions in regard to the -productions, climate, and inhabitants of New Holland; and wishing him -heartily good bye, turned his canoe, and rowed, or paddled, towards -the other side of the lake.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley walked on, with his gun under his arm, while the glorious light -of the rising sun spread broad over the whole scene. The morning air -was fresh, and he felt invigorated by repose and society; but still -his mind was sadly depressed, and his eyes were more frequently bent -upon the ground than raised to the woody scene around him, or to the -glorious sky above. At length, however, about four hours before noon, -he paused for a moment in the midst of a wide savannah, surrounded on -every side by magnificent trees, to gaze at the park-like appearance -of the landscape, which had reminded him strongly, as had been the -case with Brady, of some of the most beautiful parts of his native -land. The memories that it called up were sweet, but a well of -bitterness sprang up in the past, turning the whole cup of life to -gall.</p> - -<p class="normal">As he looked around, with a slow and contemplative gaze, he fancied he -saw a dim, shadowy figure creeping quietly along amidst the tall bolls -of the trees on the edge of the wide meadow. If his eyes did not -deceive him, it was the form of a tall man, stealing through the -second or third row of cedars, which were there very thick; but though -he watched intently, he could not catch another glance of it, and he -could only guess that it was one of the natives, who, on seeing a -white man, had plunged into the deeper parts of the scrub, or had -hidden himself behind some tree or bush. He knew that the aborigines -were fierce and cunning, especially the Milmendura, who were said to -frequent that neighbourhood; but he was well armed, and did not feel -much apprehension, for he had heard that the greater part of the tribe -were down at the Coorong, a great salt inlet of the sea, many miles -distant, or at the lakes in the same neighbourhood. With one or two, -he thought, if he should meet them, he could cope easily, at least on -open ground; and he consequently walked on without any appearance of -suspicion, though he kept his eyes upon the scrub, as if looking for -game. The cedars were succeeded by a large patch of tall stringy bark -trees, having no brushwood beneath them, and there he twice more -caught a sight of the dim figure, flitting along, almost step by step, -as he advanced, and then sheltering itself behind one of the large -trunks. He had now no doubt that it was that of a man watching him, -which certainly was not altogether pleasant, especially as the dark -colour of the native's skin so much resembled, in the shade, the -objects amongst which he was moving, that it was with very great -difficulty he was distinguished at all.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Dudley arrived at the spot where the savannah ended, he chose a -passage through a more open part of the belt of woodland which -separated it from a still larger extent of grazing ground, and kept a -keen watch upon his right, that he might not be attacked unprepared. -He saw nothing, and heard nothing, however, for five or six hundred -yards, till he was just issuing forth again into the meadows beyond, -and had his eye upon the top of Mount Gambier, seen over the wavy -outline of the scrub; but then a cry was heard, more like the sudden -yelp of a dog when hurt, than any sound produced by a human throat, -and something came whizzing through the trees towards him. The natural -impulse was to jump aside at once; but before he could do it, a long -and apparently heavy spear descended within two yards of him, burying -its sharp point deep in the ground, and quivering as it stood nearly -erect, like a young tree newly planted.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley instantly cocked both barrels of his gun, and looked towards -the spot whence the missile came. But nothing was to be seen but the -trunks of the trees, with here and there a little patch of underwood. -No moving thing was within sight, but the branches gently agitated by -the fresh morning air. Pulling the spear out of the ground, the -wanderer carried it away with him as well as his gun, and walking -quickly on, got as fast as possible into the open ground again, which -now lay before him, unbroken for an extent of nearly three miles. A -wood of tall trees was prolonged upon his right; and on his left was a -piece of uneven bushy land, between the meadow and a sterile tract -stretching to the sea-shore; but between the two covers, the space of -open meadow ground, with nothing but a solitary tree starting up here -and there, varied in breadth from a mile to a mile and a half, so -that, by keeping a middle course, he was out of reach of spear or -arrow sent from beneath the trees. He walked on, then, quietly looking -around him, indeed, from time to time, but displaying no sign of fear -or haste; and more than once he thought he caught sight of a native in -the wood, who did not venture to come out into the open meadow.</p> - -<p class="normal">By the time he had walked to within five or six hundred yards of the -end of the savannah, the sun had gained great power, and the length of -the shadows had diminished considerably. Before him lay some miles of -country, neither exactly wood nor exactly pasture, but undulating, and -broken with a number of scattered trees, and large clumps of mimosas -and cedars, together with thickets of various kinds of shrubs, and -juniper bushes, rising to an unusual height. That there was one enemy -at least near, Dudley had already proof sufficient; and the tract -through which he had to pass before he could reach his mountain -dwelling-place was undoubtedly well fitted for the attack of a subtle -assailant. There were a thousand places, as he well knew--for he was -now entering a country which he had frequently explored--whence a -concealed enemy might hurl one of the tremendous spears of the -country, without exposing himself, even in the least degree. After -short consideration, Dudley resolved to seek a resting-place at a -little rising knoll in the savannah, shaded by two or three mimosas, -and at the distance of fully three hundred yards from the wood, hoping -that, if the savage who had been watching him were alone, he would get -tired of waiting for an opportunity, and leave him to pursue his -journey without farther molestation. He seated himself, then, laying -down his gun and the spear beside him, but not removing the axe from -his belt, as it was there readier to his hand; and, taking some -provisions from his wallet, he began his frugal meal, still keeping a -wary eye upon the country round. He had just finished the portion of -food which he allowed himself, and had drunk half the water contained -in his gourd, when he thought he perceived a curious undulatory -movement in the long dry grass at no great distance. The wind had -fallen away, so that it could not be produced by that cause; and he -felt sure that a snake, let its size be what it might, would have -crept on its way without such evident signs of its progress. Turning -his eye a little to the left, he saw the long grass agitated in a -similar manner; and starting up at once, he cocked his gun again, and -pointed it at one of the spots where the motion was apparent. The act -of rising gave him a better view; and he now distinctly saw several -dark objects moving towards him, whenever the grass was thrown aside a -little as they advanced. He hesitated an instant, unwilling to -sacrifice human life; but knowing that his own must depend upon -decision--for both the spear which had been hurled at him, and the -insidious method of approach now adopted, showed that, if they were -men who were creeping up, they must be enemies--he took his -resolution, and, aiming well, fired at the object which had first -caught his eye.</p> - -<p class="normal">In an instant, with a wild yell, rose up six or seven tall and -frightful savages, with long curly hair, bedaubed with grease and -ochre. One, the moment he had reached his feet, fell back again amidst -the grass; but the others, poising their spears lightly for an -instant, discharged them all at once at Dudley with an aim fearfully -accurate. The exceedingly brief pause they had made, however, to -direct their missiles, gave him time enough to jump behind the nearest -mimosa. Three spears passed on one side, one on the other, and two -struck the tree, and tore off a large portion of the bark. The -wanderer had but short time for consideration; for after having cast -their spears, the savages rushed on with clubs, and other weapons of -their own construction, shouting and screaming wildly. Snatching up -the spear, of which he had possessed himself, Dudley set his back -against the tree, aiming the second barrel of his gun at a tall, -powerful man, who was the foremost, and seemed to be the commander of -the party. His situation was desperate, indeed, but he determined to -sell his life dearly. His gun made him certain of one of the enemy; -and he calculated that, what between the spear he held and his -hatchet, he might bring down two more; but three still uninjured would -remain, even when this was accomplished; and, unable to throw the -javelin with their force and precision, as soon as his gun was -discharged, each savage had an advantage over him, which must in the -end overpower resistance. The leader of the natives, however, seeing -the barrel of the fowling-piece directed towards himself, and probably -fully aware of its fatal effects, both from what he had seen that day, -and previous knowledge, halted suddenly, and then spoke a few words to -his companions in their own tongue. The effect was instantaneous; the -men separated at once, and running round the clump of trees, with the -second spear which each carried, poised in their hands, prepared once -more to attack from a distance, and from every quarter, so that some -one weapon was sure to take effect.</p> - -<p class="normal">Seeing that he must die, Dudley, still aiming at the chief, was -dropping his finger on the trigger, when, to his surprise, the man -fell back upon the ground with a loud shriek; and Dudley might have -been tempted to imagine that it was a feint to prevent him from -firing, had he not at the same instant heard the sharp report of a -gun, succeeded instantly by another, while, at the same moment, a -second of the savages sprang high up into the air, dropping his lance -with a fearful yell. A loud cheer from the side of the low bushes -followed instantly; and the assailants, finding themselves assailed by -arms and numbers superior to their own, fled as fast as they could go, -one of them throwing his spear in haste at Dudley before he went, but -only grazing his shoulder slightly, in consequence of a hurried and -ill-directed aim.</p> - -<p class="normal">Thanking God for his preservation, Dudley turned towards the spot from -whence the cheer he had heard proceeded, and beheld a party of five or -six men advancing from the scrub. One was on foot, but all the rest -were mounted; and Dudley, to his surprise, recognised in the -pedestrian the vigorous form of Norries, whom he had thought full -twenty miles away. The young wanderer advanced at once from under the -mimosas to meet his deliverers; but as he came nearer, the aspect of -one of the horsemen seemed familiar to his sight. Associations sweet -and happy rose up, which he had not suffered to visit him for years. -Hopes undefined and vague, but bright and glorious, swam before his -eyes, and with a beating heart and giddy brain, Dudley stopped unable -to take another step in advance.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXIV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">At the same moment that Dudley, with his whole thoughts and feelings -cast into confusion, halted suddenly in his advance, the horseman who -was coming forward on the right hand of Norries drew his rein tight, -and sprang to the ground. A few words passed between him and his -companion, accompanied by quick and eager gesticulations, and then he -darted forward and clasped Dudley's hand in his own.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Dudley!" "Edgar!" were the only words that were uttered by either for -several moments, for overpowering emotion in the bosom of each forbade -all farther utterance. The coming up of Norries was a relief to both, -although there were several strangers in the party who accompanied -him, and in one of them Dudley thought he recognised an officer of the -government whom he had seen at Hobart Town.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did I not tell you, Mr. Dudley," said Norries, in his abrupt way, -"that, notwithstanding all the wickedness and the crime which this -world contains, all the folly, the feebleness, and the selfishness -which are to be found in every class of life, there is still devotion -more high and pure, honesty more incorruptible, and wisdom more -beautiful, than even the enthusiasm of inexperience can picture to the -mind of youth?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You did, indeed," answered Dudley, with a bewildered look; "but I do -not comprehend all this. In heaven's name, Edgar, how came you hither? -What brought you to this place?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"To see you, Dudley," answered Edgar, wringing his hand again; "to -bring you good tidings, to comfort, to----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well," cried Norries, interrupting him, "we will talk that all -over by-and-bye. Don't you see that Mr. Dudley is a good deal -discomposed by all this? He is very glad to meet with an old friend -from England, and that is enough to shake a man's heart who has not -known what gladness is for many a long month. Besides, he has had to -defend his life against a whole herd of these savages. My gun served -you well there, Mr. Dudley, and two of the balls you gave me last -night for my own defence have been turned to yours. But let us come up -to the scene of action, and see what the results are. I brought two of -the men down, I think."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I one," answered Dudley; "but one of them was only wounded, and I -believe got away with the rest. Those spears of theirs are frightful -things; and I had five or six of them thrown at me at once. The tree -sheltered me that time, but I could not have escaped them again in the -same manner, and must have died here, had it not been for what I must -call your marvellous arrival at the very moment when my fate was in -the balance."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was not marvellous at all," answered Norries. "The fact is, as -soon as I had got to the other side of the lake, after leaving you -this morning, I found Mr. Adelon and these other gentlemen coming down -from my house, where they had been to seek me for information and -guidance; and paddling back again, while they rode round, we followed -very close upon your heels. We saw some of the natives moving about, -and suspected that they were watching ourselves, which only made us -hurry our pace, and follow the track under the low scrub between the -pasture and the shore. Hearing these black dogs yelping, and the -report of a gun, we were quite sure that some European was in trouble, -and so we scrambled through the bushes as fast as we could go, and got -in sight of our friends with the spears just at the right moment. You -must have walked very slow, or halted somewhere, for you had a full -hour's start of us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did walk slow," answered Dudley, "and I also sat down to rest under -the trees, in hopes that the savages, having no cover to hide them, -and being afraid, I believe, of a gun, would free me from their -unpleasant company, and leave me to pursue my way during the evening -in peace. But it seems they need very little cover, for without a bush -or shrub of any kind to hide them, they had got within a hundred yards -of me, before I was aware of their approach."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lord bless you, sir!" cried the government officer, who was following -slowly as they advanced towards the mimosa trees, "they will creep -through the long grass just like a rattle-snake. But here lies one of -them, dead enough, I think." And with that he dismounted, and turned -over the body of one of the savages with his foot. The man had -apparently died instantly, and without pain; for Norries' ball had -passed through his heart, and the features, though horrible in -themselves, were not contorted. Another was found a moment after, with -the same low, unpleasant brow running back at a sharp angle from the -eyes; and after gazing at it for a moment, Dudley turned inquiringly -to Norries, saying, "What shall we do with the bodies?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! leave them where they are," answered Norries. "Their friends will -come and fetch them; and some day or another you may see them slung up -between two bushes, like a scarecrow in a field in England. But now, -Mr. Dudley, I think these gentlemen and I had better go on to your -place, for this, I believe, is the only opportunity I shall ever have -of returning your visit."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall be very happy to do all I can for their convenience," -answered Dudley, looking at the numerous party with some hesitation; -"but I think you could give them better accommodation, Mr. Norries, -for I have nowhere to lodge myself but a hole in a rock."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can hardly take them there," whispered Norries. "I have often poor -creatures who have run away coming about me, and you see there are -some of the government people here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! never mind the accommodation, sir," exclaimed the government -officer, speaking at the same time. "We are all bushmen except Mr. -Adelon and his servant, and we can make a bivouac of it, if you can -lodge those two."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I think I can do," answered Dudley, "though very roughly. You do -not know, Edgar," he continued, turning to his young friend, "what it -is to lead a rover's life here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a life I should like beyond all things, for a short time at -least," replied Edgar Adelon; but the officer added almost at the same -time, addressing Dudley, with a meaning smile, "You have had a good -three months' trial of it, sir, at all events."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley hardly knew what to understand from his manner, for there was a -shrewd, intelligent look about the man's countenance whenever he -addressed him, which plainly indicated that he knew all about his -actual situation as an escaped convict, or deserter, as it is -frequently called in colonial parlance; but, at the same time, his -manner was respectful, and not in the least degree menacing, so that -Dudley could not suppose for one moment, either from his general -demeanour or from the company in which he came thither, that his -object was to apprehend and convey him back to a penal settlement. Yet -what was he to think? What was he to expect? He did not venture to -indulge in hopes, for the bright promise-maker had so frequently -deceived him that he trusted her no longer; and even the first whisper -of her voice, sweet and soothing as it ever is, he shrunk from, as if -it had been the fanning of a vampire's wing lulling him into a fatal -repose. Hope was, indeed, the enemy whom he dreaded most, for he -feared that that sweet voice of hers might prove more treacherous than -man's bitterest hate. Neither could he understand how his fate could -have been changed; but while he said to himself, "No, I will not -indulge in hope," he trusted still.</p> - -<p class="normal">Giving his horse to the servant who followed him, Edgar Adelon walked -on by Dudley's side, sometimes conversing with him and sometimes in -silence. They looked at each other frequently, with an anxious glance, -as if each had much to say to the other--questions to ask, tales to -tell, intelligence to communicate; but there were so many always round -them, that it would have been difficult to say one word unheard, and -the common feelings and thoughts of mutual interests in the breasts of -both were not fitted for indifferent ears. They had proceeded some ten -or twelve miles in this manner, and Dudley thought he perceived that -Edgar walked with a fainter pace, when they arrived upon the bank of a -broad but not very deep river, a tributary, apparently, of the Murray -or the Glenelg. Dudley had crossed it on the preceding day, and knew -that in no place it was more than knee-deep. He was about to walk in -at once, therefore, but Edgar knelt down upon the bank to drink, -saying, "I am dreadfully thirsty, and hungry too, if the truth must be -told; for we expected to find provisions at your house, Mr. Norries, -but were disappointed by not finding you within."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You should have gone in and taken them, young gentleman," replied -Norries; "we never scruple at such things in the scrub. Every man is -welcome to whatever the house contains in the way of food. I dare say, -however, Mr. Dudley has a biscuit or two in his wallet. You look -faint."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has not touched a morsel all day," said the officer. "He was so -eager to get forward, we could not make him eat."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have only three hard biscuits left," answered Dudley; "but stay, I -have the means of getting more nourishing food. I saw fish in this -river as I passed yesterday, and they must be at feed about this time. -If you will light a fire, I will soon get some." And drawing out a -winder with a strong line, he sought along the bank for bait. A -peculiar kind of grub appeared in plenty near the roots of the trees; -and while Edgar lay down on the bank to rest himself, Dudley cut a -sapling for a rod, and once more tried his fortune for a meal out of -the waters. The first cast of his line was unsuccessful; and suffering -the bait to float slowly down, the fisherman was preparing to draw it -out a second time, when he suddenly felt a tug, which nearly drew the -rod he had made out of his hands. The officer and one of the other men -had followed him, watching his sport; and although, by every device he -could think of, Dudley strove to save his line from snapping, and draw -the fish to the shore, it soon became apparent that without a reel, or -any appropriate tackle, he must be unsuccessful; and the officer, -plunging in, exclaimed, "I will kill him!" and ran his left hand down -the line, opening a large clasp-knife with the other. He had to rue -the experiment, however, for the moment after having bent down and -dipped his arms in the water, he drew them out again, exclaiming, "He -has cut me to the bone!" but he resolutely attempted the feat again, -and appeared to succeed, for shutting up his knife, and taking hold of -the line, he drew it slowly to the side, when, with Dudley's -assistance, he lifted out an enormous fish of the perch kind, weighing -not less than fifty pounds.<a name="div4Ref_02" href="#div4_02"><sup>[2]</sup></a> -A fire was by this time lighted; and -the fish, cut into slices, was put to broil thereon, affording, in a -few minutes, a very satisfactory meal to the whole party.</p> - -<p class="normal">When somewhat refreshed, Edgar Adelon looked up, saying with a smile, -"I feel stronger how, Dudley, thanks to the Nameless Fisherman of the -Nameless Lake." And in those few words, a part, at least, of the -history of Edgar's coming was told to his companion. After resting for -about an hour and a half, the whole party rose, and pursued their way -to the foot of Mount Gambier, which began to tower above them as they -advanced; and when, having left some of the party below with the -horses, the others reached the top, the same wild and magnificent -scene was presented to the eyes of Edgar Adelon, in the light of the -setting sun, which had welcomed Dudley on the day of his first -arrival. The effect was great upon an enthusiastic and impressible -mind, and he exclaimed, "Well, Dudley, methinks it would not be so -hard to pass one's days in such a spot as this."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is not its only aspect," answered Dudley, laying his hand upon -his arm.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And it is so with everything in life," said Norries. "There is -scarcely any object in any state so inherently beautiful, or so -inherently hideous, that the light in which we view them will not -render them either pleasant or repulsive to the eye."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is somewhat more to be said, too, Edgar," continued Dudley. -"Much of the intensity of everything depends upon its accessories. -There are accessories to all states in the human heart. Think, for one -moment, of the condition of my mind here, and you will see that a -paradise might well be a desert to me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"True, true," answered Edgar, pressing his hand upon his eyes, and -then adding with a sigh, "but that is over."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Take my advice, Mr. Adelon," said Norries. "Go into the hut, lie -down, and give yourself up to sleep, without thinking or talking any -more. From what I have seen of you to-day, I very clearly perceive -that you have been too much fatigued, and too much excited. In ten -minutes it will be night, and you will rise refreshed, to tell your -tale under the light of the dawning day. I will sleep out here upon -this soft grass."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not think I can sleep," replied Edgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Try, try," said Dudley; and he led him into his wild dwelling, and -pointed out to him his own lowly bed of dried herbs and grass, covered -with the skins of the kangaroo. "There, Edgar," he said, "rest there. -It has been my couch through many a weary and restless night; but -sleep should visit your eyes more readily, for kindness surely has its -own balm, and he who comes to comfort and to cheer may well expect -repose and peace."</p> - -<p class="normal">He was turning to leave the but, but Edgar detained him for a moment, -saying, "Let me comfort and cheer, then, Dudley, by telling you my -best news first. You need no longer be an exile, you need no longer -live in solitude; I have your full pardon with me. You are free."</p> - -<p class="normal">It was not that Dudley was ungrateful either to God or man. It was not -that he did not feel the intelligence as a relief; but at that moment -the sense of having been injured was stronger upon him than ever. The -redress did not seem to him to be complete, and he repeated, -"Pardoned! pardoned! What have I done that requires pardon?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing, Dudley," answered Edgar; "but there is much to be told and -much to be considered. Not now, however, for I feel that Mr. Norries's -advice is right, and I must have repose."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There is a strange and curious difference between the light of morning -and the light of evening. The same sun gives it, the same flood of -glory falls through the skies, the same scene lies below, the same -horizon sweeps around. It seems only that the lightgiver is at the one -hour in the east, at the other in the west, and no sufficient cause -appears for that extraordinary difference of hue in the air and over -the earth.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was morning, and the soft early light was stealing gently over -everything, amongst the leaves of the trees, through the breaks in the -rocks, down into the deep basin of the hills, into the caverns of the -lava, along the smooth unruffled surface of the lake; and Charles -Dudley and Edgar Adelon were seated together upon the top of the bold -crags which towered over the crater of the extinct volcano. The whole -scene was softened to their eyes; a slight mist hung over the woody -world on the one hand, and profound shadows, only broken here and -there by the quiet morning ray, lay in the deep abyss upon the other -side. It was a fit scene for such conversation as they were to hold, -and Dudley, with his head resting on his hands, listened with eager -attention to his young companion's words, sometimes, indeed, -interrupting him by a question, but generally too intensely moved for -any inquiry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then she loves me still!" he said: "then she loves me still!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"As deeply and devotedly as ever," answered Edgar; "and you have -wronged her if you have doubted, Dudley."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never, never!" murmured Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But let me proceed," said Edgar Adelon. "Matters pursued this course -for many months. I recovered completely from the fever. The trials of -the rioters at Barhampton took place, and almost every man who -underwent the ordeal was condemned. Men thought the government very -lenient in not pressing a more serious crime upon them, and banishment -for life was judged a mild sentence. I heard nothing of Mr. Clive or -Helen, and you can imagine, Dudley, how my too eager and impatient -spirit could bear such suspense. I inquired of Filmer. I asked -everybody connected with the farm, but I received no intelligence. The -priest assured me that he was acting on Mr. Clive's behalf without any -other authority or directions than those which he had received on that -fatal night which brought so much misery along with it. Yet Helen had -promised to write, and I never knew her break her word. My father, -though long detained in London, returned at length to Brandon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was after the trial of the rioters," he added, with a sad but -meaning look; "and finding poor Eda in the melancholy and desponding -state which I have described, he took her into Yorkshire, in order, if -possible, to divert her mind from the subject on which her thoughts -rested so painfully. It was clear, however, to my eyes, at least, that -he himself was neither well nor happy. I guessed the cause; but that -is a part of the story, Dudley, which I cannot enter into. You may, -perhaps, divine the whole, but I cannot speak of it. I took advantage -of the change of our residence from Brandon, and obtained my father's -consent to travel for some months on the continent. He had no idea, it -is true, why I went, or what I sought; but a suspicion had crossed my -mind, which, as it proved, was a just one. What made it enter into my -head I cannot rightly tell. There are some things so like intuition -that I can hardly doubt that the mind has greater powers than -philosophers have been inclined to admit. In this instance a -perception of the truth flashed across me like a stream of lightning, -one day while I was conversing with Filmer. He said nothing, it is -true, which could naturally give rise to the idea which presented -itself. The words were merely, 'Poor Clive's long absence;' and -whether it was the tone in which he spoke, or the peculiar look with -which the words were accompanied, I know not; but I asked myself at -once, 'Is Clive's absence connected with Dudley's fate?'"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But tell me, Edgar," said Mr. Dudley, "did you never suspect that Mr. -Filmer himself had laboured to deprive me of the proofs of my -innocence?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never," answered Edgar. "Eda suspected him, I know; but I always -thought she was prejudiced. I also suspected him, but not of that. I -thought he had practised on me one of his pious frauds."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Norries told me," said Dudley, "that he had certainly taken means -to stop your communication with the only men who were likely to have -the power of proving that I quitted Lord Hadley at the exact spot -where I asserted I had left him, and walked on at once towards -Barhampton."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He did do so," replied Edgar, "and I discovered that he did; but you -must recollect I had been severely injured by a blow on the head, and -I attributed Filmer's conduct to an anxiety on his part to prevent my -exerting myself at a time when I was certainly unfit for it. I was -angry that he did so, and I taxed him with it. He boldly justified his -conduct, asked me if even the exertion I had made had not nearly -killed me, and then demanded, what would the consequences have been -had I made such exertion two days before. This satisfied me, Dudley, -and never till that moment which I have just been speaking of, did a -suspicion of the truth cross my mind. However, if I had been anxious -before to discover Clive's residence, I was now determined that I -would do so, and as soon as possible I set out upon the pursuit. One -of the men who had been tried for insurrection acknowledged that they -had been supplied with arms from France, brought over in a vessel -chartered by the communists of that country, at the port of Nantes. I -knew it was the same in which Mr. Clive and Helen had quitted England, -and to Nantes I accordingly went. I had obtained every clue that I -possibly could as to the proprietors of the vessel, before I set out, -but my information aided me but little. No effort I could make enabled -me to trace those whom I sought. I wandered all through Brittany, and -La Vendee, and Normandy, and Touraine; but it was all in vain. Beyond -the town of Nantes itself I lost all trace, and at length, late in the -spring of last year, I returned to England. My father and Eda were by -this time in London; and Filmer, I found, was absent in France. I told -Eda all I had done. I tried to console her with hopes of still -establishing your innocence. It was the only consolation the dear girl -had; for my father, not judging rightly of her heart and mind, was -eager to dissipate her gloomy thoughts by forcing her into society. -His house was filled with people from morning to night; but Eda -remained almost entirely shut up in her own room, and would not go out -to any public place, or any party. She never would believe that Filmer -had been really anxious for your safety, and her doubts now affected -me. A new suspicion took hold of me. Although he had made a pretence -to my father of very different business in France, I suspected that he -had gone to see Clive; and one day, when my father handed me over a -letter of his, containing some interesting observations upon the state -of France--there is no man more capable of making them--I examined -carefully the post-mark of the letter, and discovered the word Angers. -In looking at the date of the letter, it was Tours. This was a -discovery. He was deceiving my father, as well as myself; but I -brought no rash charges; I have grown wonderfully prudent, Dudley; and -I would not even write to Clive till I was aware that Filmer had left -him, if, as I suspected, he was at Angers with him. Another month -passed in impatient suspense, and my father threw out many hints of -tours in different parts of Europe, which he thought might amuse Eda's -mind. There were even preparations for travelling made, when suddenly -Mr. Filmer again appeared amongst us. The very night after his -arrival, I was informed by Sir Arthur that he intended to go to Italy, -and thence by the Ionian Islands and Greece, to Constantinople. Eda -and Filmer were to be his companions, and my presence was looked upon -as a matter of course. I was not even invited: it was taken for -granted. But I was resolved not to go, at least at once, and therefore -I took care to involve myself in engagements which could not easily be -broken through. With one friend I laid a bet, a very heavy one, as to -the result of three days' shooting on the moors. I promised my friend, -Eldred, to be present at his marriage; and in fact, I created for -myself so many excuses that my father was obliged to own it would be -necessary for me to stop and join the party afterwards at Naples. I -could see Mr. Filmer's face change when he heard this arrangement; and -a look of bitter gloom came upon it, which confirmed my former doubts. -Without waiting for their departure, I at once wrote a letter to Clive -himself, and addressed it 'Angers;' but I was now suspicious of -everything. I took it to the post myself, and I told him to whom I -wrote all that had befallen you, begging him to address his reply to a -hotel in London. Day after day passed by; my father and the rest set -out upon their tour, and I began to fancy that I had been mistaken, -for no letter came. I then determined that I would go over to Angers -myself, and was sitting in the dining-room of my father's house, the -only public room which had been left open when he went abroad, -gloomily pondering, both over my own fate and yours, Dudley, when I -saw, on the opposite side of the street, a figure which instantly made -me start up and hurry to the window. It was Clive himself; and he was -gazing up at the closed windows of the house, thinking, as he told me -afterwards, that there was nobody in town, and proposing to go down to -Brandon in search of me. He had received my letter, and as soon as -possible had come over in person, leaving dear Helen in France. I need -not tell you now all the particulars of what followed, for we shall -have plenty of time, I trust, to dwell upon details which will -interest you much. It may be only necessary to say, that the -noble-spirited old man had been kept in utter ignorance of an act -having been charged upon you which he had himself performed--an act -which in him was an act of justice, but in you might be considered as -a crime. He told me that Helen had written to me often, and that -although he had not seen what she wrote, he was sure that she had used -such expressions as would have led me at once to perceive how Lord -Hadley had met his death----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"How was it!" exclaimed Dudley, interrupting him. "But I can guess; I -can guess. Go on, Edgar."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, it is soon told," answered Edgar Adelon. "On that fatal night, -Clive had learned from Mr. Norries the shameful persecution which my -sweet Helen had suffered from Lord Hadley, and he was returning over -the cliffs, with a heart full of angry feelings, when he heard a cry -for help, and instantly recognised his daughter's voice. Springing -forward, he found the villain dragging her down towards the sea-shore, -where he expected, it seems, to meet with a boat, which would have -carried them to France. Clive instantly struck him a furious blow. -Lord Hadley let go Helen, and returned it, and another was given by -Clive. Only those three blows were struck; but the third, coming from -Mr. Clive's powerful arm, dashed the unfortunate wretch back upon the -railings at the top of the cliff; the woodwork gave way, and he fell -headlong to the bottom. Thus took place the death of Lord Hadley; and -you have seen enough of Mr. Clive yourself to be sure that it was not -with his consent or knowledge that the deed was imputed to you. As -soon as he discovered from my letter that such was the case, he came -to give himself up and to clear you; and as he knew little of the -means to be employed in such cases, he at first sought me at the hotel -where I had ordered the letters to be addressed, and was thence -directed to my father's London house. More by accident than by -possessing any better information than his own, I advised him to -follow what, as it has proved, was the best course he could have -taken. I felt sure that, under the circumstances, no evil result could -befall him from the open confession of the whole, which he proposed to -make; and I offered to go with him immediately to the Secretary of -State, whom I know personally, and tell him the whole facts. He agreed -perfectly to my views, and we set off at once. You know Clive's -straightforward, almost abrupt, way of dealing; but in this instance, -it was understood and appreciated. The Secretary asked but few -questions. Clive placed before him the letter which he had received -from me; told him that it was the first intelligence which had been -given to him of an innocent man having been accused and condemned for -a deed which he had performed; and that he had instantly come over -from France to tell the whole truth. The tale was so simple, and -Clive's sincerity so clear, that all doubts as to your share in the -transaction were at an end. The only question was how the case of -Clive himself was to be dealt with; and the Secretary determined to -leave him at liberty till his daughter and a labourer at the Grange, -named Daniel Connor, could be brought to Loudon, upon his undertaking -to appear whenever he should be called upon, and to hold no -communication in the mean time with either of the two who were -summoned as witnesses. In the end, a full investigation took place at -the Secretary of State's office, where a police magistrate of great -keenness and discrimination was called upon to assist. The -examinations of Helen and of Daniel Connor were conducted apart, -without either of them having seen Mr. Clive. Helen told the story -simply and exactly as her father had told it; and the man, after a -momentary hesitation and some prevarication, on being informed that -Clive had come over himself voluntarily to tell the whole tale, -confirmed every particular which had been previously stated. His -evidence was compared with that which he had given before the -coroner's jury and at your trial; and it was found that, although he -had evidently given a colour to the truth on those two occasions, -which left the jury to infer that you had committed the deed, he had -not actually perjured himself. The intention, however, to procure your -condemnation was so clear, that it led to farther inquiry; for in -every other respect the man seemed honest and well-meaning, and the -character that he bore in the country was exceedingly high. His -veneration and regard for Clive did not sufficiently account for his -conduct; and on being severely cross-questioned, he admitted that he -had been prompted to give his evidence in the manner which you heard -it given. I am sorry to say that the prompter was one whose character -and profession should have been the last to be sullied by such acts."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can guess whom you mean," replied Dudley. "But here comes Norries -himself, and I should much wish to ask him one question upon this -matter: namely, why he did not himself either tell you that Clive had -done the deed, when you were seeking for evidence in my defence, or -give Mr. Clive information of my having been tried and condemned, -though innocent?"</p> - -<p class="normal">While he was speaking, Norries came up, and sat down beside them, and -as he did not answer, although he must have heard part of what passed, -Dudley addressed the question to himself. He replied, with a smile, -"How ready all men are, Mr. Dudley, to judge upon insufficient -grounds! You have jumped at the conclusion that I was aware of facts -which had not in any way come to my cognizance. I will not deny that I -felt the strongest possible suspicion that my brother-in-law Clive had -killed Lord Hadley, knowing the vehemence of his nature, the warmth -and tenderness of his love for his daughter, and the gross insults and -injuries she had received. But I had no right to inform others of my -suspicions; and as to where Clive was, I never heard till yesterday. I -was sure, however, that wherever he was, he would sooner or later do -you justice; indeed, I do not know, and cannot comprehend, how the -most upright and honest man that ever lived could suffer, either by -his act or neglect, another to bear the imputation of a deed of his."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He was deceived," answered Edgar Adelon. "He was kept without -information. He was made to believe that suspicion rested upon him, -and that if he returned to England, he would bring a blight and a -shadow upon his honourable name, and a disgrace upon his child. He -knew not that Dudley had ever been tried, far less that he had been -condemned; and it is evident that Helen's letters to myself were all -intercepted and destroyed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"By whom?" demanded Norries.</p> - -<p class="normal">"By the priest," replied Edgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, I remember," said Norries, thoughtfully, "There was a priest used -to come down to the house; one Father Peter, they used to call him. I -never saw him; but Clive represented him as upright and elevated in -character and mind."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He knows better now," answered Edgar; "for many of Mr. Filmer's -insincere proceedings have been now so thoroughly exposed, that the -blackest web of subtlety ever woven by the disciples of Loyola cannot -conceal their falsehood and their baseness."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Filmer!" said Norries, thoughtfully; "is that the same man whom they -called Father Peter?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The same," replied Edgar. "But to return to my tale, Dudley. Clive's -straightforward tale, and Helen's clear and candid evidence, backed by -that of many of the servants at Clive Grange, who were more or less -aware of Lord Hadley's previous conduct towards her, convinced the -Secretary of State that there was no ground for the Crown proceeding -against a man who had accidentally slain another in defence of his own -child. He left it to the relations of the dead man to act as they -liked; but upon a clear view of the evidence, they were advised not to -prosecute; and thus ended the matter as affecting Clive. In regard to -yourself, a full pardon immediately passed the great seal; and I have -the strongest and most positive assurance in writing that everything -shall be done, as soon as you return, to clear your reputation from -the slightest stain. I felt, Dudley," continued Edgar, grasping his -hand, "that your sympathy with me, and your indignation of the base -treatment of one I love, had had a share, at least, in bringing so -many misfortunes upon you, and I determined at once to set out to seek -you, and bear you the happy tidings of your exculpation in person. -Although Helen might feel some anxiety for my safety and health during -a long voyage, and, perhaps, would have been better pleased, as far as -she was personally concerned, had I remained in England, she was far -from trying to dissuade me; and after seeing her and her father once -more happily established at Clive Grange, I set out for this distant -land as soon as I could find a ship. Shortly before I departed, I -received a letter from my father, who had journeyed as far as Syria. -He expressed some surprise that I had not joined him and Eda; but, -doubtless," added the young man, with a smile, "he was more surprised -still when my next letter informed him that I had sailed for -Australia. I gave him no particulars, nor assigned any reason for my -going; for I wished much, Dudley, to leave you free to act in any way -you might think fit, and to consult with you upon my own future -conduct as well as yours. There is no probability of the tidings of -Clive's confession and your exculpation reaching my father from any -public source, as the examination was conducted privately; and I made -it a particular request, both to Helen and her father, that they would -not speak of the subject at all till my return. I will not conceal -from you that there are difficulties and dangers, perhaps, before us -both, prejudices of many kinds to be overcome; ay, and the skill and -cunning of a subtle adversary to be frustrated. I know him now, and -depend upon it, he will never forgive the detection of his falsehood -and baseness."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Filmer!" said Norries, who had been meditating gravely for several -minutes: "Filmer! Father Peter! That throws fresh light upon the -whole. Mr. Dudley, I should like to speak with you for a few moments -quite alone; and afterwards we had better go to breakfast, for this -mountain air gives a keen appetite."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must catch or shoot our breakfast first," replied Dudley, "unless -you will content yourselves with some salt provisions which I have -laid up here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let us walk down to the lake together," replied Norries. "We can -converse as we go; and you can exercise your skill in angling, while I -give you some information that may be useful."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley willingly agreed; and when he and Norries rejoined the party -above, after an absence of more than an hour, they brought with them -plenty of fish, and Dudley's face bore an expression of thoughtful -satisfaction, as if his conversation with Norries had added a new -relief to that which the intelligence of Edgar had afforded.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXVI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Eda Brandon sat in her room alone. Her fair face was somewhat paler -than when first it was presented to the reader's eyes, and the look of -sparkling cheerfulness was no longer there. It had grown very -thoughtful; but yet those who had seen her only four days before, if -they had keen and remarking eyes, would have perceived, when they -looked at her now, that, from some cause, a great alteration had very -recently taken place; that an expression of careless despondency was -gone; that there was, in fact, the light of hope renewed upon her -countenance. During the long pilgrimage she had made with her uncle, -it must not be supposed that Eda had cherished the melancholy which -had fallen upon her, that she had neglected any reasonable opportunity -of diverting her thoughts from the bitter subject of a hopeless -passion. All that was beautiful in nature; all that was fine and -admirable in art; all that was rich in association, or decorated by -memories, she eagerly sought and calmly dwelt upon, feeling that they -were objects which might well give the mind occupation, without -altogether jarring with the sadder tones which rose continually from -the heart. It was only society that she avoided: the society of the -world, which, in reality and truth, is not society at all; for the -mere herding together of a certain number of human beings, with hardly -a thought or feeling in common, deserves a very different name. There -might be, also, a certain portion of apprehension in her thus flying -from the mixed crowd. She had a sort of presentiment that her uncle -would seek to force some match upon her, in the idle expectation of -weaning her heart from a passion which, although it had not lately -been mentioned between them, she felt convinced he must see traces of -each day; and as at every instant she felt that her love for Dudley -could never decay, as she longed to be with him more and more, she was -anxious to avoid anything which could bring on discussions equally -painful to herself and to Sir Arthur. Thus their journey had passed in -visiting many distant scenes, and so far as this could afford -amusement, Eda had gained something by the continual change; but -whenever they stopped, the same dark gloom fell upon her, and it -became the more profound when, at the end of a tour even longer than -had been at first proposed, they returned to take up their residence -at Brandon.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur, with the pertinacity which characterised him, and the -somewhat impenetrable blindness to the character of others, which is -universal, I believe, in vain and self-sufficient men, still pursued -his purposes with regard to Eda; and thinking that the opportunities -of a country residence would be most favourable to his schemes, filled -the house with gentlemen, each of whom, he thought, might be a -suitable match for his fair niece, and who were not at all indifferent -to the advantages of wedding broad lands and well-economised revenues. -There was a middle-aged peer, and a young and wealthy baronet, and a -simple esquire, enormously rich in everything but brains, and a -captain of dragoons, the nephew and presumptive heir to a duke, who, -to say the truth, was the best of the party, for he was a man of -feeling, of character, and of thought, a little enthusiastic, indeed, -in his notions, but whose imagination, in all its flights, soared -heavenward. He was the only one who even caught Eda's ear for more -than a moment, and he did so under somewhat curious circumstances, for -it was neither his abilities, the richness of his fancy, nor the -generous character of his mind, sparkling through his conversation, -which attracted her attention. On the contrary, as she saw from the -first that he sought her society rather eagerly, she was for a time -inclined to withdraw from him more decidedly than from the others, -when one day, shortly after his arrival, he said, almost abruptly, -"Miss Brandon, you are very sad, and I can see that all these people -tease you. I can divine the cause; but do not class me with them, for -if you suppose that I have come here with the same views and purposes, -you are mistaken."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not exactly understand you," said Eda, gravely, "nor can I admit -exactly that my uncle's friends do tease me. I am not fond of much -society, but that is all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There is one way of explaining what I mean, Miss Brandon," answered -the other, "which will make you understand me without referring to -other men's views. It is by making you a confidant of that which is, -indeed, a great secret. I am engaged to a lady, whom I love most -sincerely, and have, indeed, been engaged for more than two years. She -is not rich, and I am very poor, and we say nothing about our mutual -understanding, for fear it should give offence to those with whom my -hopes of fortune rest. I have told you this, because I think it will -put your mind at ease, so far as I am concerned, and because I wish -much to speak with you upon another subject, of much interest, which -may occupy more time than we can now command alone. There, I knew how -it would be! Here comes Lord Kingsland, to say his soft nothings."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Which I certainly shall not wait to hear," replied Eda, with a smile.</p> - -<p class="normal">This brief conversation had taken place the day before, and now Eda -sat with an open letter before her, in the hand-writing of her cousin -Edgar. It was light and cheerful, though not very definite; but there -were two or three words in it which conveyed to Eda's mind more than -the general tone seemed to imply. All he said was, "Do not give way to -melancholy, my sweet cousin. Shake off the gloom which hung upon you -when you departed, for the melancholy is now without cause, and the -gloom is very useless. Storm-clouds last but a day or two, Eda; the -wind is up, and has wafted yours away."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda knew that Edgar would not so have written to her had he not had -better hopes in store than he ventured to express; and although she -had shared her uncle's surprise when she first heard that Edgar had -gone to Australia, she had felt what Sir Arthur had not felt: that he -had not taken that journey without a powerful motive.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was the spring of the year; the days had not lengthened much, and -it was still dark at the dinner hour. Eda had dined in her own room -the day before, but now she prepared to go down with a lighter heart -than she had known for long, long months; and ringing for her maid, -conversed with her from time to time, while she dressed her hair. When -the girl's task was done, she went down to the housekeeper's room, not -without having remarked the change in her mistress; and there she told -her good old fellow-servant, with a shrewd and self-satisfied look. -"Miss Brandon's getting over it, I can tell you, Mrs. Gregson. The -captain's to be the man, I'm sure."</p> - -<p class="normal">In the mean time, Eda proceeded to the drawing-room with a lightened -heart, and diversified the ceremonious moments which occur while -people are waiting for their meal, by damping, if not extinguishing, -any hopes Sir Arthur's guests might have conceived.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Really, you look resplendent to-night, Miss Brandon," said the peer, -seating himself beside her. "The country air seems quite to have -refreshed you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust it may have the same effect upon your lordship in time," -replied Eda; and a slight smile that came upon the lips of the young -dragoon gave more point than she intended to her words.</p> - -<p class="normal">Lord Kingsland, however, was not so easily driven from his attack, and -he replied, "Oh! I do not think country air has any effect upon me. I -am so much accustomed to spend the whole spring in London, that the -air of the great city at that season of the year agrees with me by -habit better than that of the country."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I feel very differently about it," replied Eda. "I should have -thought, from my own experience, that fifty or sixty springs in London -would shrivel any one to a mere mummy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Miss Brandon, Miss Brandon!" exclaimed the peer, with a smile, which -he intended to be perfectly courteous and good-humoured, but from -which he could not banish an expression of mortification, "I see the -air must be detrimental to one's looks, at all events, or you would -not pile so many years upon my head."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda would fain have apologised and explained, but Lord Kingsland had -enjoyed enough of her conversation for that evening, and he soon after -walked away.</p> - -<p class="normal">The man of money next approached, dressed in the very height of the -fashion, and began speaking of the beauty and fertility of some parts -of the estate of Brandon, remarking how wide a space it occupied in -the map which hung in the hall.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is, indeed, of a goodly length and breadth," replied Eda; "almost -too extensive to be held by one individual. I am sufficient of a -politician to think it would be much better if large properties were -prevented from increasing. Moderate fortunes in the hands of many must -be better for a country than immense fortunes in the hands of a few."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very Spartan notions, indeed!" said the young gentleman; "but I dare -say you would not carry them out in practice."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Undoubtedly," replied Eda, gaily; "I would prevent any man, having a -large estate, from acquiring another by any means."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was no reply to this bold assertion; and the baronet who -followed seemed likely to call upon himself some as decided an -expression of opinion, when dinner was announced, and the peer -exercised his prerogative of taking Miss Brandon into the dining-room. -The meal passed off tranquilly and stupidly enough, and the pudding -and tart course was being removed, when a dull, heavy sound, like that -of a cannon, made the windows rattle in the sashes. Nobody took any -notice, however, for Mr. Filmer was describing, with powerful -eloquence, one of the ceremonies of the Romish church, the performance -of which he and Sir Arthur had witnessed at St. Peter's. At the -interval of about a minute, however, the same sound was repeated, and -after another interval the report was heard again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Those are minute-guns," said Sir Arthur Adelon. "Some ship got upon -the Dog-bank, I dare say, and the wind is blowing very high, too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I saw a very fine large bark just coming round the point," said Lord -Kingsland, "while I was taking a stroll upon the downs this evening. -Probably it is her guns we hear, for there was no other vessel in -sight."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She must have passed the Dog, then, far," said Mr. Filmer, "and has -probably run upon the spit beyond Beach-rock. The wind sets thence, so -that we should hear the guns as clearly as we do now."</p> - -<p class="normal">"More likely she has gone bump upon the shore," said Sir Arthur, "or -the low reefs which lie two or three hundred yards out. She would try -to hug the land as close as possible, to get into the bay, and avoid -the fury of the gale."</p> - -<p class="normal">While these words were spoken on all parts, several more guns were -distinctly heard; and Eda, rising, with her face very pale, as the -first dishes of the dessert were set upon the table, retired, saying, -"I will send out some of the servants, my dear uncle. They may, -perhaps, give the fishermen some help in case of need."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They will never arrive in time, my love," replied Sir Arthur, "if the -ship has got ashore. It must be fully twelve miles up to the spit, or -more; but do as you like."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will certainly send, if you have no objection," replied Eda. "The -men may aid to save a human life, and a walk or ride of twelve miles -is nothing in comparison."</p> - -<p class="normal">Retiring into the drawing-room, Eda immediately rang the bell, and -ordered as many of the servants as could be spared, to get upon -horseback, and ride on as fast as possible in the direction from which -the sound of the guns seemed to proceed. Her orders were clear, calm, -and distinct, although her pale face and her trembling hand seemed to -show that she was greatly agitated. "Call all the country people as -you go," she said; "and tell them to hurry down to give assistance -with whatever their experience of the coast may lead them to think is -necessary. I know," she continued, "that the salvation of human life -is not rewarded by the law or by government, while enormous rewards -follow the saving of property; but tell the men that I will give ten -guineas for every life that is saved by their exertions."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ten guineas, ma'am?" said the butler, to whom she spoke. "That is a -great deal."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ten guineas, or more," replied Eda, in a firm tone, "if it be -necessary to quicken their efforts. Now, make haste." And lifting her -eyes to the door, she perceived that the young captain of dragoons was -standing just upon the nearer side of the threshold. She coloured a -little as she saw him, for real enthusiasts have generally a certain -degree of shyness with them; but as soon as she had ceased speaking -the officer advanced, saying, "I will go with the men, Miss Brandon. -They need somebody to lead and to direct, and I am not unaccustomed to -such transactions. Hark! the guns seem to have ceased, but that is no -sign that the poor souls are out of danger, and I will set out -directly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will not thank you, Captain M----," said Eda Brandon, "for I have -no personal interest in these poor people; but your own heart will -thank you, and God will bless you for your readiness on this -occasion."</p> - -<p class="normal">He left her and departed; and Eda sat in solitude, with her head -resting on her hand, for nearly half an hour, with feelings which it -would be very difficult to describe, for they were sensations for -which no reasonable cause could be assigned; phantom fears, which -seemed to rise out of the depth of night, unevoked by anything more -tangible than themselves. At length she was joined by the rest of the -party, and strove to maintain a tranquil and equal demeanour, although -the utter indifference she saw around her to the fate of a number of -human beings perishing, perhaps, within a few miles, rather tended to -increase than to diminish the agitation which she felt. Mr. Filmer sat -down to play at chess with the younger baronet, and beat him most -signally, giving him a piece. Sir Arthur and Lord Kingsland played at -piquet; and she was left to the tender mercies of the rich young -commoner, who entertained her with an account of graperies and -pine-pits, gave her a lecture upon the horticultural gardens, and was -even deviating into some account of stock and piggeries, when Eda -herself turned the conversation. Eleven o'clock arrived, and nobody, -appeared, but Eda made no movement to go. The chessmen were by this -time discarded; three games of piquet had been played, and Sir Arthur -had rung for wine and water, when Captain M---- entered with a calm -and easy air, and walking up at once to Eda, without taking the least -notice of any one else, he said, in a low tone, "There is some one in -the library who will be glad to see you, and whom you will be glad to -see. Do not agitate yourself," he continued, seeing that she trembled -very much, "all is safe."</p> - -<p class="normal">But before I proceed to relate what followed, I must notice the events -which had taken place between the time at which Captain M---- set out -on his expedition and that at which he returned.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXVII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The night was very dark, and, blowing a gale of wind. The blast was -not, indeed, directly upon the shore at the point of the coast nearest -to Brandon; but about seven miles to the eastward, the line of the -land took a bend towards the south, forming a low shingly beach, with -a spit of sand running out into the sea, for full half a mile beyond -the southernmost point of the cliffs, and against this shingly beach -the gale blew hard and direct. The distance from Brandon house to the -sea, in a straight line, was less than two miles; but Captain -M----, followed by five or six servants, took his way across the -country towards that part of the coast on which he judged the ship -must have stranded. Riding on rapidly, he arrived, in about three -quarters of an hour, at a village some nine miles from Brandon; and -calling at one or two of the houses, he found that all the men, warned -by the signals of distress, had gone down to the shore to give -assistance. He learned, too, some farther particulars of the disaster -which had occurred, and the exact spot where it had taken place. -Pushing on without farther pause, then, he rode through the little -village, where, as may be remembered, Edgar Adelon obtained his first -interview with Martin Oldkirk; and issuing forth at the farther end, -he soon after came upon the sea-shore, where a lighted tar-barrel and -several links shed a red glare over a terrible scene, which was also, -from time to time, partially illuminated by glimpses of the moon, as -the gray clouds, hurrying rapidly past, left her bright face visible -for a moment, and then concealed it again beneath their swarthy veil.</p> - -<p class="normal">A tall and beautiful vessel appeared aground at the distance of less -than a hundred yards from the beach. The masts were all still -standing, and the fine tracery of the rigging, partially seen by the -lights upon the shore, was now and then rendered completely visible -when the moonlight broke forth behind for a moment, and brightened the -stormy sky. Around the burning tar-barrel were several groups of men, -with some women and children; and farther down upon the beach, even -amidst the spray and foam, were others, one of whom held up a link, -half extinguished by the dashing waves. An awful surf was falling in -thunder upon the shore; and each mountain wave, as it rolled up, -struck the unfortunate vessel on the stern and windward side, making a -clear breach over her as she heeled towards the beach. When the moon -was hidden, only the bow and the fore-mast could be seen by the lights -on the shore, the rest of the ship being enveloped in darkness, except -where the white surf rushed pouring over the hull, and sprang -glittering up amongst the cordage; but when the momentary moon shone -out, the shrouds, the tops, and many parts of the rigging, were seen -loaded with human beings, striving in agony to postpone the fate which -seemed ready to fall upon them. There were shrieks and cries for help, -and loud shouts of direction and command; but all were so mingled with -the noise of the rushing wind, and the thunder of the billows upon the -shore, that everything was indistinct, rising in one loud screaming -roar to the spot at which the young officer had arrived.</p> - -<p class="normal">Drawing in his horse, he paused to gaze for a moment and consider what -was expedient to be done; and at the same moment he perceived some of -the men, with that gallant and intrepid daring which characterises the -boatmen on the English coast, endeavouring to launch a boat a little -to windward of the stranded ship. With a loud cheer they pushed her -down into the water as a wave receded, and with a tremendous effort -were shoving her off, when again the billows returned with a furious -sweep, capsized her in a moment, and nothing was seen for several -seconds but the figures of the men struggling in the surf, and the -black hull of the boat surrounded by the whirling eddies of the -retiring wave. For a moment it seemed as if several of the gallant -fellows would be lost; but some clung to the boat, others scrambled -back to the shore, and one, who was carried out, striking hard for -life, was caught by another wave, and dashed back again, bleeding and -almost senseless, on the beach.</p> - -<p class="normal">Springing to the ground with several of the servants, Captain -M---- hurried down to the principal group upon the beach, and put one -or two questions, the import of which not being clearly seen at first -by the men he addressed, they answered somewhat sullenly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My good sir," he said, speaking to a large, square-built man of the -middle age, who seemed to be one of the principal boatmen, "I have -been accustomed to these things, and aided to save many lives on a -worse coast than this. The same means may prove effectual here, but we -must have recourse to them immediately, or the ship will be a complete -wreck."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In two hours there won't be one of her timbers together," answered -the man, dully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then the more need to get the people off her at once," said Captain -M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, if you can do it," said the boatman, turning away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stay a moment," cried the young officer, in a tone of command. "Has -any one got a gun with a large bore, and a good long hank of stout but -thin cord?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The object seemed to strike the man instantly, and turning sharply -round, he laid his broad hand upon the young officer's shoulder, -exclaiming, with an oath, "That's a good thought! There's my large -duck-gun will do capitally; and as for a cord, you can't have anything -better than one of our fish-lines. It's both light and strong."</p> - -<p class="normal">All was changed in a moment; the efforts of the crowd were turned in a -different direction; hope seemed to revive; a number of fishing-lines -were brought forth, the heavy gun was placed in Captain M----'s hands, -powder was procured, a bullet pierced and attached to one end of the -strong cord, while the other end was fastened tightly to a thick rope. -Every one aided; and Captain M---- having charged the piece, advanced -as far as he could down to the beach, so that the waves, as they -flowed up, reached his knees, and then prepared to fire. Before he did -so, however, he turned to those behind him, saying, "We shall have to -try several times before we succeed, so do not be disappointed if the -first shot fails." Then elevating the gun, he pulled the trigger; in -the hope that the bullet would carry the line over the rigging of the -ship. As he had foreseen, however, the first attempt was unsuccessful. -The sudden explosion of the powder broke the line before the bullet -had got a foot from the mouth of the gun.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We must have less powder and a smaller ball;" said the young officer. -"Some one cut a piece out of my glove here to wrap it in. Perhaps we -shall succeed better this time."</p> - -<p class="normal">Nor was he disappointed; the ball carried the line clear over the -ship, between the main and fore masts, and fell into the sea some way -beyond. The unhappy voyagers seemed to have comprehended the efforts -made for their safety, and had watched with eager eyes and in profound -silence everything that was done. Not a word, not a cry was uttered -from the moment the first shot was fired; and even when the second and -more successful attempt was made, they were all silent still, for the -line was so fine they did not perceive that the efforts of their -friends on shore had been successful till the gestures of the crowd, -rather than the voice of one of the boatmen, speaking through a -trumpet, drew the attention of a sailor to the spot where the line had -fallen. The directions were then given to run it through a pulley, and -gently haul up the rope, and this being accomplished, the rope was -made fast at both ends, and a means of communication, however frail, -established with the shore.</p> - -<p class="normal">A shout of joy burst forth from the people of the ship, and a loud -cheer answered it from the beach.</p> - -<p class="normal">There were many difficulties still to be overcome, however; for as the -ship rocked to and fro when the waves struck her, there was a great -chance of the rope snapping, especially if burdened with the weight of -a man; but the son of one of the boatmen, a lad of about thirteen -years of age, volunteered to try the dangerous path, with a light -hawser made fast round his middle. Slowly and with difficulty he -pursued his way, holding on both by hands and feet; but his perilous -task was at length accomplished, and as soon as the hawser was firmly -fixed, he returned to the shore, bringing back the end of the rope -first sent, which had been passed through a pulley, so as to play -easily.</p> - -<p class="normal">Several of the men then came over from the ship without much -difficulty; but this method was so slow, that Captain M---- proposed -another plan, which was immediately adopted when it was found that -there were a number of women and children in the bark. One of the -sails of a small lugger was detached from the yard, and the corners -being gathered together and made quite secure, it was slung upon the -hawser, and connected with the rope passed through the pulley. It was -thus easily moved backwards and forwards between the ship and the -shore. Two, and sometimes three people, were brought to land at once; -and joy and satisfaction displayed itself in every form and shape -amongst those who were rescued from the grave.</p> - -<p class="normal">During the whole time that these operations had been proceeding, two -men were seen standing together in the fore-top, who, though they had -busied themselves and assisted greatly in fastening the hawser and in -passing the ropes, showed no anxiety to save themselves; aiding, -indeed, to put the women and children into the sail, but remaining -perfectly calm and motionless while the others passed to the shore. -There was something in their manner and appearance which struck -Captain M---- not a little, and advancing to one of the persons who -had first come over, he inquired who those two persons were.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are passengers from Sidney, sir," replied the man; "perfect -gentlemen both of them, and two brave fellows as ever lived; for if it -had not been for them, we should have all lost heart long ago."</p> - -<p class="normal">While he was speaking, some of the men who remained on board seemed by -their gestures to urge the two gentlemen to go over; and the shorter -of the two, taking a child in his arms from one of the sailors--it was -the only child left--stepped into the sail, and holding fast by the -rope above, was speedily drawn to land. A woman, who had been brought -across some time before, with two other children, now rushed almost -down into the sea when this new freight approached, as if afraid the -man would drop the child. But the young gentleman--for he seemed very -young, and was evidently of a superior class--placed the little boy -safely in her arms, saying, "He is quite safe and warm."</p> - -<p class="normal">The woman prayed God to bless him; but at the same moment his hand was -taken by Captain M----, and shaken heartily, while one of the servants -exclaimed, "Mr. Adelon!--hurrah! hurrah!" and half the people on the -beach took up the cry, and waved their hats joyfully. But Captain -M---- and Edgar Adelon were speaking together eagerly and in a low -voice, while the latter pointed once or twice to the fore-top of the -stranded vessel, as if explaining to his friend that some one whom -they both knew was there. Several other persons then landed, so that -the number on the shore amounted to nearly sixty, besides the -inhabitants of the neighbouring huts and villages. Amongst the last -who appeared was Edward Dudley, and he was warmly greeted by Captain -M----, though his appearance now, it must be remarked, notwithstanding -his being somewhat worn and tempest-tossed, was very different from -that of the Nameless Fisherman by the Nameless Lake.</p> - -<p class="normal">The servants of Sir Arthur Adelon were standing at some distance while -their young master spoke with Captain M----; and Dudley, taking the -arm of the latter, walked slowly away with him up the beach, and out -of the light of the fire; but Edgar turned to speak a few minutes to -his fellow-travellers, giving kind and liberal orders for their -comfort and accommodation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not wish," said Dudley, addressing Captain M----, "to be -recognised just at present. I will choose my own time and my own -manner; and you may, doubtless, divine the reasons, as I know you have -been made acquainted with a considerable portion of my history."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can easily conceive," replied Captain M----, "that you have a great -many painful and unpleasant things to go through, which you would -desire to do in your own way; but I congratulate you most sincerely, -Mr. Dudley, not alone upon your salvation this night, but upon your -restoration to your country and your friends, your property and your -reputation. I trust this storm will be the last you will have to -encounter."</p> - -<p class="normal">"God only knows!" replied Dudley; "but for the future, my dear sir, I -shall be less apt than in earlier years to give way either to hope or -to despair."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hope is the best of the two," replied the young officer, in a lighter -tone. "It comes from heaven, and is an ingredient, more or less, in -everything that is good, and high, and holy. The other comes from -below, leading to all that is evil, and dark, and disastrous. Choose -hope, then, my good friend. But here comes some one quickly after us. -I trust none of the men are much injured?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"None of the survivors," answered Dudley, gravely; "but twenty or -thirty perished when the ship first struck."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Adelon sent me, sir," said a rough, but not unpleasant voice, "to -show one of you two gentlemen the way to my cottage. It is the -gentleman who was on the wreck," he continued, looking at Dudley, who -said, in reply, that he was willing to go wherever the other should -lead.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then I will leave you now," said Captain M----, in a low voice, "and -your secret is perfectly safe with me, depend upon it; but I trust -that we shall meet again before I depart for London, and if not here, -in the great city."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will certainly find you out," replied Dudley, "for the scene and -the circumstances in which we first met are never to be obliterated -from memory, nor the kindness with which you soothed and relieved, at -a moment when I thought there was none to help."</p> - -<p class="normal">They then parted; and after taking a few steps forward with the stout, -broad-set countryman who had been sent up to him, Dudley inquired how -far they were from Brandon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hard upon eleven miles, sir," replied the man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then the place where we run ashore must be what they call Beachrock -Spit, I suppose?" rejoined Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Just so, sir," said the man; "the rock that names it is about two -miles farther on, t'other side of the spit, as we call it; but the -village is up hard by, not above a quarter of a mile inland."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you know a man of the name of Martin Oldkirk?" asked Dudley, after -advancing a few paces farther. "He must live in that village, I -think."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, I know him, sir," answered the countryman, abruptly. "What do -you want with him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I want some conversation with him," answered Dudley. "I bring him -some news of distant friends, and had, indeed, brought him a letter; -but that, with all the rest of my baggage, is in the unfortunate ship, -which will be a total wreck before to-morrow."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'm sorry for that, sir," said his companion; "for, to tell you the -truth, I am Martin Oldkirk myself, so you may speak away as fast as -you please."</p> - -<p class="normal">"By and bye will do," answered Dudley, "for I shall be very glad, -Oldkirk, if you can let me lodge in your cottage for a night or two. -At all events, you will allow me to dry my clothes there, and while -that is doing, we can talk of other things."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I should be very happy to lodge you, sir," replied the man, in a -civil tone; "but, Lord bless you, sir! it is not fit for such as you; -and besides, there's but one bed and a bare bedstead in the place."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The bare bedstead will do well enough for me," replied Dudley, "at -least for the present; and to-morrow, perhaps, you will be able to -procure me something else. Doubtless to-night every house and every -bed in the place will have more than its fair share of occupants."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We may be quite sure of that," answered Martin Oldkirk; "but I can -get you some good hay and a clean pair of sheets, and that, with -plenty of coats and things to keep you warm, will be better lodging -than where you were like to have lodged an hour or two ago."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is true," answered Dudley; "and I should be a fool to grumble. -You know a certain Mr. Norries, Oldkirk, do you not?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I do," cried the man, with a start. "Poor gentleman, I am sorry -for him! He deserved better, but he might have got worse; and one -thing will always make his heart light. He never betrayed any one, -though he might have got off himself if he had peached against others. -But he always was an upright man, and readier to hurt himself than any -one else. But I can't help thinking of him often, and how hard it is -that he should be out there working like a galley-slave, when he only -wished to free his country. I dare say he's very sad-like, isn't he, -sir? For I take it, you come from that place, don't you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Make your mind easy about his fate," answered Dudley, "for he was -well and happy when I saw him, And would not, I believe, come back to -England, even if they would let him. He is under no restraint either, -except that he cannot return from banishment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, they will find out what a man they've lost," answered Oldkirk. "I -should have liked to have seen his hand-writing once again, however; -but here we are just at the cottage, and I will blow you up a fire in -a minute, and then run and get some things that you may want. A glass -of brandy-and-water wouldn't be amiss, nor against Father Mathew -either; for I am quite sure that the doctor would order it for you, -after having gone through such a business."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'm accustomed to privation in storm and tempest," answered Dudley, -entering the cottage; "so do not give yourself much trouble about -provisions, my good friend," But, for some reason or another, Martin -Oldkirk, though as we have seen, not given at all times to very -intense courtesy, was determined to do the best he could to make his -guest comfortable; and having blown the smouldering embers of his fire -into a blaze, and piled on a quantity of mingled coal and wood, he -went out again upon his hospitable errand.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley took off his coat and waistcoat to dry them at the fire, and -drawing a pocket-book from the pocket of the former, examined the -papers which it contained carefully, to ascertain that they had not -been injured by the sea-water, the spray of the waves having dashed -over him for several hours. The leathern cover of the book was -completely wet, but the contents were safe enough; and after seeing -that some documents, apparently official, were all uninjured, he read -over by a candle, which his host had lighted, some memoranda written -in a clear clerk-like hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, if he will answer me," he said, commenting as he read; "but I -doubt the fact. It is most unfortunate the loss of my baggage. It -cannot be helped, however; and after all, it is not vengeance I seek. -Nevertheless, the power to thwart this man's evil schemes were -something;" and sitting down by the fire-side, he fell into thoughts -from which he was roused, in about twenty minutes, by the sudden -lifting of the latch of the door, and the entrance of Edgar Adelon -"and Captain M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are all safe," said Edgar. "And now, what will you do, Dudley? I -shall ride on to Brandon at once."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I will remain here, Edgar," replied the other, "if you are quite -sure that none of the servants recognised me. I remembered the -butler's face at once."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not believe that any one saw you," replied Edgar; "and I suppose -the best plan will be to act in the manner that was previously -arranged; for our shipwreck here," he added, with a smile, "has merely -landed us a hundred miles nearer Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The only thing," replied Dudley, "that is necessary, is not to -mention to any one my return to England, till I have time to arrange -all my plans; nor, indeed, to say that you have met with me at all, or -heard anything concerning me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, Eda," said the young gentleman; "what to her, Dudley?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! tell her, of course," replied his friend. "I would not keep her -in unnecessary suspense for a moment; and she will see the necessity -of her acting differently towards others."</p> - -<p class="normal">A slight smile came upon the lip of Captain M---- as he heard their -conversation. "I do not know whether you are aware," he said, "that -there are a good many guests at Brandon: reputed suitors of the young -lady. Indeed, it is more like the hall of Ulysses during his absence -than anything else. But I suppose," he continued, with a gay glance -towards Dudley, "the wandering king of Ithaca will some day soon -return to claim his own, and drive these daring mortals from the -gates." His words did not cheer Dudley, for there were still too many -difficulties in his path, too many painful circumstances in his -situation, for anything like gay hope to brighten the cloudy aspect of -his fate; and as he did not himself reply, Edgar reverted to what they -had been speaking of before, and said, "Well, I will ride on then at -once, and I suppose I shall hear from you as to farther proceedings."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes; I shall easily find a messenger," replied Dudley; and once -more shaking hands warmly with Captain M----, he saw him and his -companion depart.</p> - -<p class="normal">Little delay was made upon the road by Captain M---- and Edgar Adelon, -although the latter had a strong inclination to choose the right-hand -road, where it parted from the high-way to Barhampton, leading direct -to Clive Grange. He refrained, however, remembering that his father -must know of the wreck, and might hear that he was on board. On -arriving at Brandon House, the tranquil aspect of all things, and the -servant's reply that Sir Arthur was playing at piquet, showed him that -no great anxiety on his account had found its way into his father's -bosom; and consequently proceeding to the library himself, he -requested Captain M---- to send Eda to him, as we have seen he did. -The moment she appeared he took her in his arms and kissed her with -fraternal affection, saying, "I have just escaped death, dearest Eda, -and I wanted to see you before I see any one else, for I have good -news for you. Dudley is well, is here in England, and has received a -full pardon."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda turned very pale, pressed her hand upon her heart, and grasped the -arm of a chair for support. "Stay, stay, Edgar," she said, "do not -tell me too much at once. A full pardon, do you say? But still the -stain will remain upon his name."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar drew back a step, and gazed at her gravely, almost sternly. "And -would that make any difference to you, Eda, when you knew him, when -you felt him, to be innocent?" he demanded.</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda waved her hand, with a look of reproach. "None, Edgar, none!" she -answered. "You cannot suppose such a thing for a moment; but it will -make a great difference to him. I know Dudley well, and I feel sure -that these events will cast a shadow over his whole life, if his -innocence cannot be clearly established. But yet, I will not regret -it," she cried, rising with, a brighter look, and laying her hand upon -her cousin's arm. "It will give me the means, dear Edgar, of proving -to him what devotion and attachment a woman's heart is capable of. The -vision of my young love, when first he and I knew each other, now -eight years ago, will now indeed be realized. I thought then how happy -it would make me to show such a man as that, that no circumstances of -fortune, no inducements, no unworthy obstacles, could affect in the -slightest degree my attachment, when once given upon just and -reasonable grounds. Now I can prove it to him all, and I am ready to -prove it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sorry, dear girl, to dispel your visions of devotion," answered -Edgar, gaily; "but here, though you can make him as happy as man need -be, by giving him your fair hand and your true heart, you cannot cheer -him under the doubt and suspicion of the world, for from that he is -now quite cleared. His pardon was not granted till his innocence was -proved beyond a doubt, by the acknowledgment of him who did the deed -for which he has been so great a sufferer; and be assured that he will -not rest satisfied until, by act of parliament, his condemnation is -reversed. I will tell you more hereafter, dear cousin; and now I will -go and see if I can find fitter clothes to appear in this smart house; -for during the last year and a half I have been much more accustomed -to sit in ships' cabins, or to range wild woods, than to take my place -in a gay drawing-room. But remember, Eda, not one word of Dudley's -return nor of his pardon. There is much to be done and thought of."</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda would fain have had some explanations regarding the wreck of the -vessel which brought her cousin over, but Edgar answered gaily, "I -will tell all that to the assembled multitude in the drawing-room;" -and then he, in turn, asked questions about Clive Grange, and its -inhabitants; but Eda replied in the same tone in which he had spoken, -"I will tell you all that to-morrow, Edgar. You cannot see Helen -to-night, nor, indeed, to-morrow either, for she and Mr. Clive are -both absent, I find, and do not return till the end of the week." With -that they parted.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">About an hour and a half after Edgar had left him, Dudley was seated -with Martin Oldkirk at a very homely meal; but it was good, though -plain, and the gentleman had shared, or rather more than shared, with -his companion, the small portion of brandy which the labouring man had -brought. Either Dudley's spirits had risen, or he had assumed a -greater degree of cheerfulness than he really felt. He was by nature -frank and free, as the good old English term goes, although early -misfortunes had, as we have shown in his room at Cambridge, given a -thoughtful cast to an imaginative mind. If, occasionally, he seemed a -little proud or haughty, it was with his equals or his superiors in -rank, where a feeling that impaired circumstances in himself might -generate a sense of condescension in them, induced him, by a certain -coldness of manner, to repel that vainest form of pride. With those -inferior to him, his manner was very different. Calm, easy, certain of -his own position and of their estimation of it, he ran no chance of -offending by too great familiarity, or of checking by too great -reserve. He was well aware that the lower classes are much keener -observers than the general world gives them credit for being, and that -their estimation of their superiors in station is generally founded on -much more just grounds than those on which men who are accustomed to -judge by mere conventional standards too frequently rely.</p> - -<p class="normal">Oldkirk had become easy in his society, and their conversation, though -not, perhaps, exactly gay, was cheerful and interesting. Dudley -described the house that Norries had built for himself, his habits, -his manners of life, the difficulties, the dangers, the pleasures, and -the wild freedom of an Australian settler; and Martin Oldkirk -questioned, and talked, and discussed, as if his companion had been an -old friend. They put their feet to the fire, they gazed into the -glowing embers; they leaned on either side of the table in meditative -chat, and the high-born, high-bred gentleman felt that he was speaking -with a man of considerable natural powers, who, though uncultivated, -was not ignorant, and though not always courteous, rarely actually -vulgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length Dudley drew out his pocket-book, and taking forth the -memoranda which he had previously examined, looked over them for a -moment, and then inquired, in an ordinary tone, "Pray did you ever -know a person of the name of Filmer--Peter Filmer?"</p> - -<p class="normal">The man started from his seat as if he had been struck; his whole -countenance worked, his lips quivered, his brow contracted, and his -sharp eyes fixed upon Dudley, with a fierce and angry stare. It seemed -as if he were deprived of the power of utterance, for though his under -jaw moved, as if he would have spoken, he spoke not, but struck the -table a hard blow with his clenched fist.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the matter?" exclaimed Dudley. "I did not intend to agitate -you in this manner. I had no idea that such simple words could produce -such emotion."</p> - -<p class="normal">Martin Oldkirk cast himself down again upon the settle from which he -had risen, pressing his hands upon his eyes; and when Dudley added a -few words more, he exclaimed, in a loud, harsh voice, "Hold your -tongue, hold your tongue! you have named a fiend, and you have raised -one!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not intend it, I can assure you," replied Dudley, "let us speak -of something else."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No!" cried the man, "I can neither speak nor think of anything else -now that name is mentioned. Let me look at that paper; let me see what -is put down there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have no objection," answered Dudley; "but if it is to agitate you -thus, you had really a great deal better forbear."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man did not answer, but stretched forth his hand; and Dudley gave -him the paper. He then laid it down before him, drew the single candle -closer to him, and supporting his broad forehead with his clasped -hands, and leaning his elbows on the board, gazed upon the memoranda -with a haggard and staring eye. He remained in the same position for -fully ten minutes, without uttering one word, and then, pushing the -paper across to Dudley, he said, in a much calmer tone, "That is Mr. -Norries's writing?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is," answered Dudley; "but I am quite sure he had no idea the -questions he had there put down for me to ask would agitate you so -terribly!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He should have known! he should have known!" said Martin Oldkirk, -with stern bitterness; "but it matters not. I shall have recovered -myself before tomorrow morning, and we will then talk more--but yet, -tell me first, what have you to do with this man? This, this----" but -it seemed he could not utter the word, and after breaking off the -sentence abruptly, he added, "Have you ever seen him? Do you know -him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have seen him, do know him," answered Dudley; "and I have every -reason to believe that he has endeavoured to injure me most basely."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley paused, and thought for a moment or two, and then added, "I had -better, perhaps, tell you how; for you had some share in the -business."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I?--I?" exclaimed Martin Oldkirk. "What had I to do between you and -him? I have not seen him for many long years. I knew Sir Arthur Adelon -was here, it is true, and I kept out of his way; but the priest is not -with him surely."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The priest is with him," answered Dudley; "and has never left him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes he did; yes he did!" replied the peasant; "he was away two -whole years, I know. I thought he had gone to do penance, as he would -call it, and would never appear in the world again. Had he done so, -had he wept in solitude and silence for the whole of his bad career, I -might have forgotten it: no, not forgotten it! forgiven, perhaps, but -forgot it, never! He is here, then, here in this country; here in the -baronet's house?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot exactly say that," answered Dudley; "for I do not know, and -I would not deceive you on any account; but he was here two years ago, -rather more, perhaps, for it was in the autumn; and he did all he -could to injure me, though life or death were at stake."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, that is strange," said Martin Oldkirk. "Pray, may I ask what is -your name, sir, for that is a thing I do not know even yet?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My name is Dudley," replied his companion; "and you may perhaps -remember----"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, then, you are the man who was tried and cast for the death of -the young lord over the cliffs?" said Martin Oldkirk, interrupting -him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The same," answered Dudley. "I was tried and condemned for an act -with which I had nothing to do. Of Father Filmer, I have seen little -or nothing, except when he came to visit me in prison, and tried to -convert me to the Roman Catholic faith."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! he never lost sight of that," answered Oldkirk; "but still, what -had he to do with you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, you shall hear," answered Dudley; "only let me tell my tale to -the conclusion. Do you remember one night when Mr. Adelon came to -visit you, and when you gave him a good deal of assistance?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, yes! I remember it very well," answered the man. "I thought, at -first, there was some trick, and I would not say much; but I soon got -sure of my man, and then I was willing enough to do anything I could -for him, for I thought of his mother, poor young man. It's a pity I -couldn't do more; but I fancied that Mr. Norries would know how to -manage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Norries knew little of the matter till it all transpired long -afterwards," replied Dudley; "but now, as a friend, Mr. Norries wishes -me to possess such information as to frustrate the schemes of this Mr. -Filmer, and he know no one better to whom he could send me than -yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I should like to see the letter," said Martin Oldkirk.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am afraid that cannot well be," replied Mr. Dudley; "my baggage, as -I told you, is by this time, doubtless, at the bottom of the sea; but -you know Mr. Norries's hand-writing, and you cannot doubt that those -memoranda were put down by him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's true, that's true!" said the man; "but still I should like to -see the letter. However, don't let us talk any more of things which -are so long gone. I will give you an answer to-morrow, when I have -thought over it. In the mean time, I should like very much to hear -what the matter was all about two years ago. I recollect the trial -very well, and Mr. Adelon coming to me in search of information. I -gave him a rudish sort of answer at first; but he was so frank and so -desperate-like, that I could not well refuse; and in the end I went -with him to Norries, but I cannot see how this hypocritical priest had -anything to do with that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What object, and interest he could have, I know not," answered -Dudley, who was a little puzzled with the rambling and desultory -manner in which his companion spoke. "All I can tell you is what he -actually did, and of that Mr. Adelon says he has no doubt. In the -first place, when Edgar went to meet you the second time, he saw you -at the old workhouse of a place the name of which I forget. He was -followed secretly, by Mr. Filmer's order, by a little boy, who was -directed, immediately he discovered the place he entered, to give -information to the constable of the hundred, who was already warned to -seize Mr. Adelon and any one whom he had with him, on the pretence of -his companions having been engaged in the Chartist riots."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, I broke master constable's head for his pains," said Oldkirk. "Go -on, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He then deceived Mr. Adelon as to the time of my trial," continued -Dudley; "and subsequently the same man gave intimation to a -blacksmith, named Edward Lane, who could have borne important -testimony, that the officers of justice were seeking for him. This -priest also persuaded Mr. Clive and his daughter, who could have -proved my innocence at once, and who have proved it since, to fly from -England, and induced a man, named Daniel Connor, to give evidence -which approached as near perjury as possible."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He hated you heartily," said Martin Oldkirk, setting his teeth hard; -"and he cannot hate without seeking to destroy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For some reason, he certainly does seem to hate me," replied Dudley; -"and whether he has power to injure me farther or not, I cannot tell; -but at all events, it is the opinion of both Mr. Adelon and myself, -that he will try to do so, and that, perhaps, in matters which most -deeply affect my welfare. Mr. Norries, with whom I consulted, told me -to ask you for some particulars of this priest's previous life, which -he thought would open the eyes of Sir Arthur Adelon to the man's real -character."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Puppies are only blind nine days," replied Oldkirk, with a bitter -smile. "Sir Arthur Adelon has been blind for twenty years. You will -find it a hard matter to open his eyes. Did his son tell him what the -priest had done in your case?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered Dudley, "he did not, on many accounts. For some weeks -after my condemnation Edgar was very ill, and then he only arrived at -the whole truth by degrees. He proposes now to do so, however, and I -wish to strengthen the case against this man by any previous -circumstances which may tend to show his false and deceitful -character."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do not tell it to Sir Arthur when alone," said Oldkirk, musing while -he spoke. "He is too weak to retain a deep impression long; he may -believe a part of what you say at first, but his inclination will be, -not to believe, and if his own better judgment and convictions are not -backed up by those of others, they will soon fall and be forgotten. I -have seen it so myself. As to the rest, I will think over it, sir, and -see what can be done. It is many a year since I heard that bitter -name, and it has raised feelings in me which I had hoped and thought -were dead. I will try to get quieter before to-morrow. I did not know -the viper was so near me, or I might have tried to crush his brains -out before now. I knew that Sir Arthur was here a great deal, but him -I have never seen but once, and that at a distance. The son I saw many -times, for he rode much about the country, and I used to think how -much like his poor mother he was, but I never spoke to him till he -came that night to see me, for I did not wish to have anything more to -do with them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did no one ever tell you that they had a priest with them?" asked -Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes, I heard that," replied Martin Oldkirk; "but there are many -priests in Rome, and I knew that this man had been away for a long -while after poor Lady Adelon's death; so I never thought it was the -same. Did Mr. Norries tell you to ask me for anything more?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," replied Dudley; "he said you have charge of certain papers -belonging to me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They were given me by Norries," replied Oldkirk; "and I certainly -shan't give them to any one without his orders."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perhaps you are right," replied Dudley; "and to tell you the truth, I -care very little about them, for they only serve to prove a fact which -I have long known: that strong passions take as inveterate a hold of -weak minds as of more powerful minds. They might, indeed, give me some -little authority and influence where it may be needful, but that is -all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Strike at Filmer, strike at Filmer!" said Martin Oldkirk, sharply; -"and be you sure, sir, that man has nourished in the baronet every -evil plant, till it has produced evil fruit. But remember, whatever -you do, do it before plenty of witnesses. Take some public room, some -crowd, some general meeting, and tax him there with all his -wickedness. Unmask him before multitudes, and make him a scoff and a -byword for ever. But now, sir, it is late; you must be tired enough, -and we shall have many things to talk of to-morrow. It is my way, when -anything moves me a great deal, to lie down and sleep. I sleep like a -stone when I am much moved; and then I get up with my thoughts fresh -and clear. I have made you up the best bed I can, and I dare say -weariness will be as good as a feather pillow. Wait, I will light you -another candle; I dare say, now, you never sat with a single one -before."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have sat through long nights with none," replied Dudley. "You -forget, my good friend, what it is to be a convict in a penal colony, -and cannot know what it is to be an escaped convict in the midst of -wilds and deserts which the foot of man has seldom trod; but such has -been my fate."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did forget," replied Martin Oldkirk. "You have had a hard lot, -sir." And Dudley and he parted for the night.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sun had been up more than an hour when Dudley awoke on the -following morning; and while he dressed himself in the little back -room of the cottage where he had slept, he heard voices in the -neighbouring chamber, and could distinguish the words: "I hope the -gentleman will remember us well for our trouble, for you see, Martin, -the locks aren't broken, and we've not even looked into them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will be answerable for him," replied the voice of Martin Oldkirk. -"You may be sure he will pay you well;" and the words were succeeded -by a heavy trailing sound, as if some large object was dragged slowly -from one side of the room to another.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Dudley entered the front chamber, he saw two large boxes standing -on the left hand side, to which Martin Oldkirk pointed, with a look of -satisfaction, saying, "We've got them out, sir, though we had some -trouble, and they seemed pretty well soaked in the seawater. Now that -the tide's out, she stands well nigh high and dry at one part; that's -to say, what's left of her, for the masts are all down, and she's -broken in two. Another tide, if the wind goes on blowing in this way, -won't leave a stick of her together. A good deal has been got out of -her, notwithstanding: one-third of the cargo, I dare say, and most of -the passengers' baggage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This, is, indeed, an important service, Oldkirk," replied Dudley; -"and you shall now have Norries's letter; but we must break the chest -open, for my keys are lost."</p> - -<p class="normal">What he proposed was soon effected. The trunks were broken open, the -different articles they contained taken out to dry, and the letter -which had been so often mentioned was placed in Oldkirk's hands. He -took it to the window and read it eagerly, and then exclaimed, "That's -a good man, that's a good man, sir! He's the only lawyer that I ever -knew who would come forward to help a poor man without fee or reward. -He saved me from ruin. The little I have I owe all to him, and I will -do all that he tells me. You shall hear all about it, sir; every word; -but first let us have some breakfast."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXXIX.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The calm evening light was shining sweetly upon park, and wood, and -valley, and high, bare down: a strong wind blew the fleecy clouds fast -across the sky, varying the face of earth with shadows that chased one -another like children in their play; and ever and anon the sun was -left clear and brilliant, and his rays, poured obliquely from a point -hardly two hand's-breadth from the horizon, gilded the western sides -of the trees, and made their lustrous leaves shine like diamonds. -Through the heart of Eda Brandon the shadowy clouds of manifold -emotions passed as rapidly as the vapours over the sky, but still the -sun of hope shone forth again, and rendered the little world of her -fair bosom as bright and sparkling as the scene around her. He was -safe, he was home again, he was near her, he was clear of blame; his -innocence was made manifest to the eyes of the whole world. She could -look with pride even to his sufferings and to her own love; she could -say, "He has been injured, traduced, and grieved, but he is innocent, -and I have loved him still." Oh! how joyful was the thought of -consoling him through life for all he had undergone! how sweet the -expectation of seeing him again, as, leaning on Edgar's arm, she -walked quickly across the park towards the old priory; but yet those -feelings were sorely agitating. Joy would hold its place, and all seem -glad and cheerful for a time; but then, the very intensity of her -affection would reach a point which became almost painful, and a -sensation of faintness would come over her, and make her pause and -pant for breath.</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar felt for her; for although a great change had come over him -since first he was presented to the reader; although experience and -action, the seasoning fires of youth, had given decision and firmness -to his character; although he had grown more powerful in mind, more -manly in character, yet not one of the warm enthusiastic feelings of -his heart had been lost, and he could understand what it was to feel, -with sensations very like those of fear, the meeting with a lover -under such circumstances as hers. He soothed her kindly, and tenderly, -too; he cheered her with every bright subject that fancy could -suggest; but he ventured not to laugh or jest, as he might have done -at another time; for he saw and knew that the emotions were too deep, -the waters of the heart too profound, to be stirred by the light winds -in sport. At length the limits of the park were reached, and they -passed out. He walked quickly through the little wood, though Eda -murmured, "Oh, Edgar!" and would fain have paused for a moment, for he -thought she would be better, stronger, happier, when the first meeting -was over. In a minute more, the gray ruin, and the green ivy, and the -little meadow before the sculptured porch, and the stream glancing -beyond, were before their eyes, and the form of Dudley, rising up from -a pile of architectural fragments, on which he had been sitting, was -in Eda's sight.</p> - -<p class="normal">There had been many emotions, as I have said, in her breast, as she -walked thither; there had been anxiety, and joy, and some degree of -apprehension of she knew not what; but the moment that she beheld him -every impression gave way to one, the thought of all he had suffered, -and how he had suffered it. It came rushing upon her like a torrent, -as one great image, the anguish, the indignation, the privations, the -sorrows, the wrongs he had endured and felt; and giving way at once to -the impulse of the heart, and forgetting all conventional forms, and -the cold, thoughtful ceremonies of the world, she sprang forward, she -cast herself into his arms, she wept with mingled joy and grief.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a long, long pause, for neither of the two could speak, and -Edgar would not. The tears rose, too, in Dudley's eyes: not the tears -of those weaker emotions which shake the light and the tender on -meeting again with those they love, but the tears of strong, powerful, -soul-subduing gratitude to God for mercies shown, and hope and -happiness restored. He thanked, from his very heart, the Almighty -Ruler of all destinies, that he had seen his native land again; he -thanked him for deliverance from disgrace, and sorrow, and undeserved -punishment; he thanked him for a reputation cleared, a high name -restored, for honour, and for peace, and for dawning happiness; and -perhaps he thanked him more than all for giving him the love, the -persevering, devoted, unchanging love of one whom he loved so well. It -was indeed the crowning blessing of all; that which alone could render -life cheerful and pleasant to him; and while, with his arms around -her, he pressed her to his heart, and kissed her soft cheek, he felt -that of all the blessings prepared for man by the great Creator in the -terrestrial paradise, there was no blessing equal to the last, which -was bestowed for the comfort and consolation needed by man even in -Eden.</p> - -<p class="normal">At length their feelings found voice; and seating themselves upon the -same shaded pile of chiselled stone-work where Dudley had waited the -coming of Eda and her cousin, they began to talk over the past and the -future. Of the past the reader knows so much that he need not listen -to their conversation here. Nor did Dudley dwell upon it long, for he -knew that their time was short, and that Eda must speedily return to -mingle once more with gay scenes, in which she took no interested -part; but turning quickly to the more important present, on which so -much depended, he besought Eda not to say to any one that she had seen -him, nor to give a hint that he had returned to the land.</p> - -<p class="normal">"There are many things, dearest Eda," he said, "which I wish to do -before I openly avow myself. I must, in the first place, claim back my -property from the crown, and take measures to make my restitution to -all my rights, and the restoration of honour to my name, as clear and -perfect as possible; and for these purposes I must see Mr. Clive. But -I am told he is absent. Do you think he will soon return?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not till the end of the week they told me at the Grange, Dudley," -answered Miss Brandon; "but I can easily get his address."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you quite sure, dear Eda," asked Dudley, "that he has not told -the facts concerning the death of Lord Hadley to other and less -discreet persons than yourself, especially to Mr. Filmer?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly not, unless by letter," replied Eda; "for both Mr. Clive -and Helen were away when we arrived. I have asked at many of the -cottages of the peasantry in regard to the cause of his long absence, -but do not find that any one entertains the slightest suspicion of -what it seems, from Edgar's account, has taken place in London, and I -am quite sure that neither my uncle nor Mr. Filmer have the slightest -knowledge of the changed circumstances in which we stand. I think it -might be better," she added, and then paused and hesitated, with a -beautiful blush rising up and tinging her cheek and temples, "I think -it might be better--why should I scruple to say so? to come up to -Brandon and claim me for your own at once. There are several persons -there, some of them entertaining expectations, I believe with my -uncle's encouragement, which can never be fulfilled; and I would fain -have it known at once, Dudley, that my hand is promised to another, -and that there is nothing which has been able to shake my esteem for a -man whose conduct in trifles only gave me, in early years, the -clearest indication of what would be his conduct in more important, -though more painful, scenes at an after period."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley pressed his lips upon her hand. "Dear Eda," he said, "the -temptation is a great one; but let us think well what we are doing. -Your uncle, I believe, knows not, has, in fact, no suspicion, that my -innocence is proved, and my pardon granted."</p> - -<p class="normal">"None, none whatever," answered Eda. "During several months, while we -were wandering hither and thither, he only saw the newspapers at -intervals, and I know not whether the case was ever stated in them at -all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was hinted at in one of the evening prints," said Edgar Adelon; -"but the whole transaction was conducted privately, without any -affectation of secrecy indeed, but in a quiet, unostentatious manner; -and the Secretary of State thought, when all was decided, that it -would be better to take no public notice of the transaction till your -return, Dudley; when, as he said, you could yourself have recourse to -such means as you might judge advisable."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley had fallen into a reverie while Edgar was speaking, but he -roused himself immediately, saying, in the same low tone which they -had hitherto employed--for the impression of their secret meeting -affected even their conversation, while no one could hear--"Perhaps it -might be better, as you say, Eda; but if I determine upon following -this course, prepare yourself, love, for somewhat strange and perhaps -unpleasant scenes. Your uncle will, of course, imagine at first than I -am an escaped convict. He will be indignant at my showing myself in -his house at all, still more indignant at what he will consider my -rash pretensions. He may carry this indignation to violent measures -and harsh terms; and if you yourself are present, it may place you in -unpleasant circumstances."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I fear not," answered Eda, "the whole will be easily explained; and -although he will, doubtless, still object, and I might be most -unwilling, in matters not affecting my whole happiness and welfare, to -reject the counsel of one who has been a father to me, yet in this -case, Dudley, no objections will be of any avail. I have scrutinized -my own heart; I know and understand my own feelings, and I am ready to -choose my part at once, and to act up to it to the end."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But the question is this," said Dudley. "Can you do so, my Eda, if I -think fit, on motives of my own, to give no explanations to your -uncle, or any one who may be present, to let mistakes go on, and -confusion work itself clear by gradual and natural means?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But upon what motives, Dudley?" asked Eda, in a tone of anxiety. "Why -should you suffer mistakes to exist when there is an easy way of -explaining them?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not for the purpose, believe me, dear girl," replied Dudley, "of -showing how strong is the force of your attachment, and inducing you -to avow your unshaken affection even for a condemned convict; neither -with a view to let your uncle commit himself by injustice towards me; -but to open his eyes, perhaps, to the conduct of a villain and a -hypocrite who has long deceived him. The course I propose seems to me -to be the best adapted to that object; but I will think over it Eda -till to-morrow morning. Could not you and Edgar stroll down here -together on an early walk an hour or two before breakfast?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly," answered Edgar, speaking for his cousin. "All our guests -are sad lie-a-beds, and will be in no condition to interrupt us, -except our good friend, Captain M----, and of him we can easily -dispose."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I will think of it to-night," replied Dudley. "I should have -liked to see Clive first, indeed; but I think as he is absent we must -not wait his coming. Only remember not to give any explanation till I -judge right to do so myself. I think Eda will not disavow her love -under any circumstances?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Assuredly," answered Eda; "but one of our servants said to-day, that -there was some expectation entertained of the return of Mr. Clive and -Helen to-morrow: tidings which have kept Edgar's heart beating all the -day;" and she gazed at her cousin with a gay smile.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall be able to tell you more when we meet, Dudley," said Edgar; -"and to say the truth, I think your plan the very best you could have -formed; for whether Mr. Clive is here or not, I shall be able to prove -all the facts, having a copy of the depositions."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There are more facts than you know, Edgar," answered Dudley, in a -somewhat stern tone; and Eda started at the words, and drew a little -aside, saying, "Speak with me for a moment, Dudley. You would not, I -am sure," she continued, in a low voice, "do anything to injure my -uncle. You may have obtained those papers of which we once heard much -mention; but I think--nay, I am sure--that you would not use them to -his detriment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pain him, I must, Eda," replied Dudley; "injure him I will not in the -least degree, and even the pain shall turn to his benefit, ay, and to -his peace; for with all his prosperity he has not been a happy man. -But the sun is down, dear one, and I must not keep you longer, for it -will be quite dark ere you reach the house."</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus saying, he led her back to where Edgar stood, and bade them -adieu, adding, as they parted, in a louder tone than they had hitherto -used, "Then I shall see you here to-morrow, about eight, and we will -decide upon our future course."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar and Eda assured him they would not fail, and took their way back -through the little wood. Dudley gazed after them till they were hidden -by the young green boughs, and then walked slowly away in the -direction of the small place called Beach Rock.</p> - -<p class="normal">For some minutes after he was gone, all was still and silent. The rosy -beams of the evening departed from the light clouds overhead; the -nightingale broke forth in the wood; the scene around lost its lustre, -and became gray; and the bat, more surely summer's harbinger even than -the martin, flitted quietly over the space before the old building, in -search of its insect prey. At the end of those few minutes, however, -some of the branches of ivy, which had extended themselves across the -ruined doorway, were pushed back, and a dark shadowy figure came out -in the gray twilight, and stood for a moment with the arms crossed -upon the chest. It was that of a man, dressed in a long straight-cut -black coat, with a white cravat tied round the throat. There was -nothing else remarkable in his appearance, and he gazed quietly to the -left, upon the road taken by Eda and Edgar, and then to the right, -where Dudley had disappeared. He next fell into a fit of meditation, -the nature of which it would be difficult to divine. It ended, -however, with a low, unpleasant laugh, and saying to himself, "So, so! -at eight o'clock to-morrow," he turned and walked away in the same -direction as Miss Brandon and her cousin, but took the road under the -park wall for some way, and entered the enclosure by a stile farther -up.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XL.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It still wanted half an hour of eight o'clock on the following -morning, when Dudley walked along the road from Beach Rock to Brandon. -He was not alone, however, for by his side was Martin Oldkirk, whose -stern but not unpleasant features were lighted up with an expression -of high satisfaction. At the distance of about a quarter of a mile -from the old Priory the two paused, and Dudley turned to take the path -across the fields which led to the ruin, while Martin Oldkirk went on; -but after a moment the young gentleman paused, and called to his -companion, saying, "I think you would do it more quickly if you would -go back and get the gig we left at Seafield. I should like to have -them all at Brandon by half-past nine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall go quicker on foot, sir," replied Oldkirk. "Seafield is a -mile and a half, and that would be all lost time."</p> - -<p class="normal">Without more words he walked on; and leaping the stile with a light -heart, Dudley soon reached the bank of the little stream near which -ran the path he was following. Slackening his pace a little, as he -proceeded, to gaze at the dancing waters sparkling in the morning -light, he advanced with the copse straight before him, and an angle of -the ruin rising gray above the green foliage. The hour and the scene -and the season all harmonised well with the feelings in his bosom. He -was going to meet her he loved in the bright morning of the year's -most hopeful time, and his heart was full of the thrilling emotions of -life's happiest dream.</p> - -<p class="normal">He reached the little lawn which spread from the old portal to the -brink of the stream, and knowing he was before the hour, was advancing -to take the seat which he had chosen the night before, and wait with -hope and fancy for his companions, when a man came forth from one of -the recesses of the building, with a slow and sauntering air.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is disagreeable!" thought Dudley; "but it matters not. As I have -resolved on my course, I will walk on. I shall be sure to meet them in -the park;" and he began to cross the green towards the copse, when the -man whom he had seen called to him, saying, "Sir, sir! I want to ask -you a question."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley instantly paused and turned round, when at the same moment -another man appeared, and the first approaching said, "Is not your -name Dudley, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," replied the young gentleman; "what may be your pleasure with -me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I apprehend you in the Queen's name," said the stranger, grasping his -arm and producing a constable's staff. "Come along with me!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where is your warrant?" demanded Dudley, with perfect calmness, while -the second man approached.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't need any warrants," answered the constable. "I know you for a -returned convict; and I shall take you at once before Mr. Conway."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, that you shall not do," replied Dudley, keeping them at a little -distance. "It is your duty to take me before the nearest magistrate; -that is Sir Arthur Adelon, and you have no pretence for making me go -four miles when there is a justice within one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, there can be no objection to that," said the constable; but the -other man interposed, observing in a low tone, "He said before Mr. -Conway."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't care for that," replied the other; "I don't take my orders -from he. Did he say why?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have told you what is your duty," said Dudley; "and you know it to -be so. Disregard it at your peril; for you will find in a very short -time that you are altogether wrong in this business; and if you -subject me to more inconvenience than necessary, I will punish you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I shall put the handcuffs on you, at all events, my young -blade," replied the constable; "that I have a right to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, you have not," answered Dudley, who had a stout stick in his -hand; "and you shall not do it. I tell you I am not an escaped -convict, and that I am ready to go before Sir Arthur Adelon, without -the slightest resistance; but any attempt to treat me with indignity I -will resist to the utmost of my power, knowing that I am in the right. -The consequences, then, be upon your own heads; for whether I be -injured or you be injured, in any struggle which may take place, the -responsibility will rest with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">It is unfortunate that the inferior officers of the law have seldom -any accurate knowledge of the law they have to execute, which -generally makes their proceedings either rashly violent or weakly -hesitating. "Well, sir," said the constable in return, after a -moment's thought, "if you will go quietly I don't mind."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will go quietly," replied Dudley, "and for your own satisfaction, -one can come on one side and the other on the other; but remember, if -either of you attempt to touch me, I will knock him down."</p> - -<p class="normal">This being arranged, the whole party proceeded with some caution -through the little wood, across the road, and into the park. They had -hardly gone a hundred yards, however, when Dudley perceived those whom -he had come to meet, advancing towards him. He took not the least -notice, but proceeded with a calm and deliberate step; and he could -see that Edgar suddenly hurried his pace.</p> - -<p class="normal">When they came a little nearer, Sir Arthur Adelon's son left his -cousin beneath one of the chestnut trees, and hastening forward, shook -Dudley warmly by the hand. The two constables looked at each other in -some surprise, for this was a sort of recognition which they had not -the least expectation of witnessing; and they made no effort to -interrupt a low conversation which went on for a minute or two between -their prisoner and his friend.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will tell him; I will not fail to tell him," said Edgar. "I will -get back with Eda as fast as possible, that she may be there before -you arrive. Good-bye, good-bye, for the present!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Thus ended their short conference; and Dudley, turning to the -constables, told them he was ready to proceed. It was evident the two -men began to doubt that they were exactly in the right; but Dudley -gave them no opportunity of satisfying themselves any farther, walking -on with a slow step, and suffering Eda and her cousin to enter the -house before him. Few of the servants were seen about the place; and -the man who appeared at the hall-door, in answer to the summons of the -bell, was a stranger to Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">A small room in Brandon House had been set apart as a justice-room; -but when the servant led the constables and their prisoner thither, he -found the door locked, and consequently conducted them to the library.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Arthur is not down yet," said the footman; "but I will tell him -as soon as he is up."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Tell Mr. Filmer," said the constable; "he's up, I'll warrant."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley listened with a slight smile, but made no remark aloud, -thinking, though mistakenly, "Some of the servants saw me on the night -of the wreck, and have told the priest."</p> - -<p class="normal">After waiting for a few minutes, the same servant returned, and -beckoned one of the constables out of the room. He was absent for -nearly a quarter of an hour; but on his return he advanced towards -Dudley, saying, "I am to take you to Mr. Conway, sir; for Sir Arthur -will not like to deal with the case, because he knows you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am afraid he must," replied Dudley, firmly. "I am here in a -magistrate's house, and I certainly shall not quit it till he has -decided whether there is, or is not, cause for keeping me in custody. -You need not speak another word on the subject, my good friend, for -here I am determined to remain."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man seemed puzzled, and gave a significant look towards his -companion. He then quitted the room once more; but returning after an -absence of a few minutes, sat down at a little distance from the -prisoner, and beat the top of his hat with his fingers. Many persons -were now heard moving about the house, and a round-headed, fat-faced -young man, in a Melton coat, top-boots, and white-cord breeches, -entered, looked round, and walked out again. Some one also passed -along under the windows, whistling one of those interminable airs -which ornament modern operas, and which are so happily adapted to -vulgar tastes, that everybody can whistle them, and everybody does. A -moment after, Sir Arthur's voice was heard in the hall, saying, -apparently to a servant, "Well, ring the breakfast bell; I dare say we -shall not be long. Do you know what it is about? Who is he?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He looks quite like a gentleman, sir," said the servant; "but I did -not ask any questions. Mr. Filmer has spoken with the constables."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, send Mr. Filmer to me," said Sir Arthur Adelon. "Good morning, -my lord; good morning, Captain M----. The constables have brought in a -prisoner; I must go and see what it is all about; but I will join you -at breakfast in a few minutes."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yours is an open court, I suppose, Sir Arthur," said the voice of -Captain M----; "and if you will permit me, I will see how people -conduct such business here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly, certainly," said Sir Arthur Adelon; and opening the door -of the library, he walked in, followed by Lord Kingsland and Captain -M----.</p> - -<p class="normal">The moment the baronet's eyes fell upon Dudley, however, a change came -over his face. He turned very pale, and his lip quivered; but he -recovered speedily, and noticing the prisoner with a haughty bow, he -said, "I did not expect to see you here, sir." At the same time, he -moved towards a great arm-chair, by the side of the library table. -Captain M----'s eye glanced towards Dudley with a very slight smile, -but he took no farther notice of him, and seated himself near the peer -and the baronet.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I dare say you did not, Sir Arthur," said Dudley, in reply to the -magistrate's words. "My coming hither, at this moment, was unexpected -to myself, though I certainly should have troubled you with a visit in -a short time. It is to these two worthy gentlemen I owe the pleasure -of seeing you sooner than I intended."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Humph!" said Sir Arthur, with a cold look. "I am to suppose, sir, -then, that they brought you hither: in which they probably only did -their duty? Upon what charge have you brought this--this--this -gentleman, before me," he continued, addressing the constable.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, your worship, Sir Arthur," replied the man, "I had information, -that this gentleman, this Mr. Dudley, is an escaped convict; the same -as he who was condemned at the assizes two or three years ago. If he's -not, he's very like him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What do you say to this charge, sir," demanded Sir Arthur Adelon, -looking at Dudley with the same cold demeanour.</p> - -<p class="normal">"By your permission, Sir Arthur," replied Dudley, "I will put one -question to this good man."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! as many as you please," answered the baronet, throwing himself -back in his chair, evidently not very much at ease.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, then, tell me, my good friend the constable," continued Dudley, -"who was it that gave you orders to apprehend me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, nobody gave me orders like," replied the constable; "but I had -information like."</p> - -<p class="normal">"From whom?" demanded Dudley. "That is exactly what I want to know."</p> - -<p class="normal">The man looked a little bewildered, but at length replied, "Why, I was -told not to say anything about it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes; but you must say something here," said Dudley. "I insist upon -your informing Sir Arthur Adelon, who it was that gave you that -information."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, it was Mr. Filmer; Father Peter, as they call him, if I must -say," replied the constable. "I don't see why he should mind my -telling."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I doubt its being very pleasing to him," replied Dudley; "but with -that we have nothing to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not see what we have to do with the matter at all," said Sir -Arthur Adelon. "To me it seems of no importance."</p> - -<p class="normal">"To you it is of the greatest importance in the world," replied -Dudley. "I put the question for the express purpose of leading to the -complete display of a villain's character. I must request you to send -for Mr. Filmer, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have sent for him already," said Sir Arthur, sharply; "but the -question is, whether you, sir, are an escaped convict or not, and with -that Mr. Filmer has nothing to do."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is not the whole question," replied Dudley. "When that is all -made clear, it will remain to be seen whether these men have acted -properly in taking me into custody without a warrant, and without -information on oath. I might also add, that they sought, in the first -instance, doubtless by the advice of the same worthy informer, to take -me four miles hence, to Mr. Conway, when they apprehended me on the -very grounds of Brandon."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That was wrong," said Sir Arthur. "Pray, who told you to do that, -constable?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, Mr. Filmer, sir," answered the man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! here he comes to answer for himself," observed the baronet as the -door opened; but instead of Mr. Filmer, it was the baronet's son who -appeared, and walking straight up to Dudley, he shook hands with him -warmly.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur eyed him for a moment with a look of displeasure, and -perhaps would have fain closed the doors of the library against any -farther audience; but he felt that there were many circumstances which -might render such a step injudicious; and turning to one of the -constables, he said, in a hurried manner, "Send for Mr. Filmer again; -say I desire to speak with him. Pray be seated, Mr. Dudley," he -continued, in a more courteous tone than he had hitherto used. "I -could certainly have wished that this case had been brought before Mr. -Conway, or any other magistrate, rather than myself; for the feelings -of friendship which I have always entertained towards you, may throw a -suspicion of partiality over my proceedings. But I shall try to avoid -the reality as far as possible, and deal with the matter in hand -according to the principles of justice and common sense."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley felt a little indignant at this speech, well understanding the -quality of the friendship which Sir Arthur expressed towards him; but -a portion of contempt mingled with his indignation, for he was aware -that hypocrisy has its origin in weakness more frequently than in art. -Cunning is the refuge of the feeble. He sat down, therefore, in -silence, merely bowing his head; and the moment after Mr. Filmer -entered the room.</p> - -<p class="normal">Whether he had obtained any hint of what was occurring, or whether -shrewd perception supplied the place of information, I know not; but -his course was evidently chosen from the moment he entered the room. -His step was, as usual, calm and easy, silent, but firm; and turning a -cold, stern glance upon Dudley, he advanced to the table where Sir -Arthur Adelon sat, and said at once, without giving any one time to -explain, "I am very happy, Sir Arthur, to see that the constables have -done their duty upon the information which I afforded them last night, -although I perceive they have not attended to my warning, nor carried -before Mr. Conway a case upon which I knew it would be very painful -for you to decide."</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, his eyes again turned towards Dudley for a moment, and he -saw an expression upon that gentleman's face which did not satisfy -him. It was an expression of tranquil, almost contemptuous calmness. -Dudley seemed rather amused than not; but if the priest was not well -pleased with the look of the prisoner, he was still less so with a -word that sounded close in his ear. "Hypocrite!" said a low voice, and -turning round, he saw Edgar Adelon close beside him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you apply that term to me, my son?" said Mr. Filmer, almost in a -whisper.</p> - -<p class="normal">With a stern, contracted brow, the young man slowly bent his head in -sign of affirmation, and then withdrew a step, leaving him alone.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray, Mr. Filmer," said Dudley, rising, "though the question may -appear a little irregular, and not bearing on the points at issue, may -I ask how you obtained certain information of my return to this -country, so as, without making oath or taking out a warrant against -me, to send constables to apprehend me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The question <i> -is</i> -irregular," said the priest, sternly; but the -moment after, a gleam of bitter satisfaction came into his eyes, and -he added, "I can tell you if you desire it, nevertheless; but if you -will take my advice you will not inquire;" and he looked round to -Edgar Adelon with one of his serpent sneers, which seemed but the more -intense from the assumed mildness and tranquillity of every feature -but the lip. Edgar at once quitted the room, but Dudley replied--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir, having nothing whatsoever to fear, I will beg you to give the -information I desired."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer seemed to hesitate for a moment, and turned a look towards -Sir Arthur Adelon, who answered it by saying, "Pray do; this matter -must be investigated to the bottom."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Be it so, then," said Mr. Filmer. "Yesterday evening I chanced, as is -frequently my custom, to wander forth to the old Priory, wishing, as -who might not wish, to spend a short time in meditation, perhaps in -prayer, upon the spot and amidst the scenes where holy men, ay, and -martyrs, too, have trod the earth with their feet and watered it with -their blood, and addressed their petitions to heaven. I was sitting, -lost in thought, when I heard voices near, and looking forth I saw a -party, consisting of two gentlemen and a lady. Shall I give their -names?" he continued; and he fixed his eyes firmly upon Dudley.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Decidedly," replied the prisoner; although perhaps, to say the truth, -he was not quite well pleased at the idea of his conversation with Eda -having been overheard.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Certainly, certainly," replied Lord Kingsland, who seemed for the -moment to have the parliamentary spirit strong upon him. "Name, name!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray give them," said Sir Arthur Adelon, although his feelings were -not very comfortable.</p> - -<p class="normal">"One gentleman was Mr. Dudley," replied the priest, slowly; "the other -was your son, Sir Arthur; the lady's name perhaps I had better not -mention."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She will name it herself," said Eda Brandon, entering the room, -leaning upon Edgar's arm. "I was the person, my dear uncle, who was -with Edgar and Mr. Dudley at the Priory; and I was exceedingly glad," -she continued, crossing over to Dudley and giving him her hand, "to -congratulate him on his safe return to England."</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley retained the fair, small hand she offered, in his own for a -moment or two; and there they stood together, she with her colour a -good deal heightened, and he with his eyes full of bright and proud -satisfaction. It had required a great effort; but all that she had -said was calm and lady-like and nothing more. She had made no avowal -of attachment; she had tried to banish the tone, the look, the manner -of affection; but those who were around and marked the blush upon her -cheek, the light in Dudley's eyes, doubted not for one instant the -spring of love, from the depths of which those bright bubbles rose to -the surface.</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon looked utterly confounded; and Eda, seeing, with -some embarrassment, that all eyes were fixed upon her, said, in a -somewhat faltering tone, but which grew stronger and firmer as she -went on, "I am afraid, my dear uncle, that I have intruded where I -have little business; but Edgar having told me; in his enthusiastic -way, that Mr. Filmer was likely to make a mystery of that in which -there is really none, I came to sweep all such things away; for there -is nothing that I should more dislike than any of my actions being -made a secret of. When all this is over, Mr. Dudley," she continued, -turning towards him, "I shall be most happy to welcome you to Brandon; -indeed, breakfast is already waiting;" and she was retiring from the -room, when her uncle exclaimed, "Stay, Eda, stay! All this is most -extraordinary! Pray, then, did you know that this gentleman had -returned?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Perfectly," answered Eda. "I was aware that he had come back in the -same ship with Edgar, and that he had suffered shipwreck with him, -after having endured two years of undeserved hardship, brought upon -him by the basest machinations of a designing man."</p> - -<p class="normal">She would not look at Filmer while she spoke, for the strong, earnest -love of her heart, had raised the spirit of indignation in her, which -she feared might appear too clearly; and turning away she quitted the -library.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the meaning of all this?" asked Sir Arthur Adelon, looking at -his son. "There seems to be a serious accusation against some one, but -what it is I cannot divine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is, I believe, a very common case, Sir Arthur," answered Mr. -Filmer; "ingratitude to those who have served and benefited us; -suspicion of those who have dealt honestly for our own good against -our inclination; and slander of the innocent in order to shield the -guilty; but the simple question before you, I believe, is, without -considering any idle attack upon me, or defence equally idle, whether -that person standing there is or is not an offender, under the -sentence of the law, escaped from the country and the punishment to -which the law assigned him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can answer that question at once," said Captain M----; "and you -must forgive me for speaking, notwithstanding your message, my dear -Dudley. I first knew that gentleman, Sir Arthur, in the quality of the -Nameless Fisherman by the Nameless Lake. I afterwards had the pleasure -of seeing him at the Government House, at Hobart Town, with his -character cleared from all stain, and his name and honour as bright -and proud as that of any gentleman in the land. I can testify that he -received a pardon under the great seal, in consequence of being -clearly proved innocent of an offence for which he had been wrongly -condemned."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then I have no farther business here," said Mr. Filmer, with perfect -tranquillity of tone and look. "I could not be aware of the -circumstances under which Mr. Dudley had returned; and I suppose that -no one will deny I acted properly, in pointing out to the officers of -justice a person whom I believed to have escaped from the due -punishment of a great offence."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stay one moment," said Dudley, "I have not yet done with you, sir. I -have a charge to make against you, and a very heavy one."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer's face might turn a shade or two paler; for it is a -difficult thing, when, through a long life, one has been acting a deep -and criminal part, to see even the chance of exposure, and yet so rule -the heart, that the blood will not fly back to it in alarm. Habitual -success may do something; the confidence of tried skill and known -power may do something likewise; and the custom of concealing emotion -may still rule words, and tones, and actions, and even looks; but that -subtle thing, whatever it is, which sometimes sends the warm stream of -life rushing in an instant through every vein to the face, and at -others, calls it suddenly back to the deep well of the heart, cannot -be so commanded. The vagueness of a charge, too, does greatly add to -its terrifying influence upon one who has been a hypocrite from the -beginning. All his powers of mind, be they what they may, are but as a -small garrison in a ruined fortress, attacked by a large army. Every -evil act that he has committed, every false word that he has spoken, -has made a breach in his own walls of defence. He knows not at what -feeble and unguarded point he may be attacked, for he has himself -raised up an innumerable host to assail him; his own crimes are his -own enemies, and in proportion to their multitude must be his fears.</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer did turn somewhat paler than he was before; but so calm was -his whole aspect, that no one marked the change but Dudley and Edgar -Adelon, whose keen eyes were fixed upon his face the whole time.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir," he said, turning towards his accuser, "I shall be very -ready to hear and answer the charge, as I know it must be groundless; -but will you allow me to suggest that it should be made at a later -hour of the day. You are aware that I am an early riser, and I have -not yet broken my fast. My appetite, too, is good, considering my -years."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It seems, sir, that you wished to increase mine by a walk of four -miles," replied Dudley; "but this matter is serious, and cannot be -turned off lightly. I will make the charge whenever Sir Arthur Adelon -thinks fit to receive it; but I do not lose sight of you till it is -made."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then am I to consider it as of a criminal nature, and cognizable by a -magistrate?" demanded the baronet, very much discomposed.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Such as must lead you, if it be even in part established," replied -Dudley, "to commit this person to prison, or at all events, to require -bail for his appearance."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then I would much prefer that the charge should be made before -another magistrate," said Sir Arthur; but Dudley, Edgar, and the -priest himself, interfered, the two former somewhat eagerly, and the -latter with the slightly sarcastic tone which marked his replies when -he was not well pleased.</p> - -<p class="normal">"As my accuser has no objection, Sir Arthur," he said, "I must add my -voice to his. I at least do not suspect you of partiality; but the -great question with me at present is breakfast. I know you have not -yet taken any yourself, my kind friend; and although I do not bear any -ill will to Mr. Dudley on account of whatever accusations he may bring -against me either for pastime or revenge, I certainly shall be very -angry with him if he interrupts our pleasant morning meal, which was -always, I must say, a very tranquil one till he first set his foot in -this house."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is true, at least," said Sir Arthur, in a low tone. But Edgar -interfered again, observing, "You had better, perhaps, join Eda in the -breakfast-room, my dear father. Dudley, she will be happy, as you -heard, to see you there; and after the meal we can proceed with this -unfortunate business."</p> - -<p class="normal">"An exceedingly good motion, and one for which I shall certainly -vote!" exclaimed Lord Kingsland, rising.</p> - -<p class="normal">And then, turning to Captain M----, he added, in a low voice, "I -think, M----, if we ever intended, in the private theatricals of -Brandon, to perform the Rivals, we may spare ourselves the trouble!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had no part in the cast," replied Captain M----, "though I am very -sure, my good lord, there are more private theatricals going on in -every house in the land than we generally imagine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ever moralizing I ever moralizing!" said the peer, with an air of -easy persiflage. And he took his way to the breakfast-room, followed -by the rest of the party.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">There was a certain degree of agitation upon Eda's beautiful face, -when the party from the library entered the room where she sat; but -that agitation did not take one particle from the grace of her -demeanour; and in a few minutes all were seated round the table. As -usual, where there is a great deal of vanity, there was a certain -portion of spite in Lord Kingsland's nature; and on the present -occasion it did not sleep. Ho was mortified at losing the hand of the -heiress of Brandon, and he took care to make the person who was likely -to cause that loss feel all that was painful in his position to the -utmost. Not, indeed, that he ever dreamed that Eda would give, or that -Sir Arthur would suffer her to give, her hand to one who had been a -convict; that was a thing quite out of the question, in his opinion. -It might be supposed, therefore, that he would not easily be led to -give up the pursuit in which he had engaged, as a marriage with the -heiress had always been looked upon by him merely as a matter of -convenience; but in every man's mind there is some peculiar prejudice -of that sort commonly called crotchet, generally proceeding from -vanity, and in his case decidedly so. He thought Eda Brandon -exceedingly beautiful; but still he had not husbanded the fine -feelings of the heart so carefully as to be capable of love. -Nevertheless, Lord Kingsland would on no account have married a woman -who had loved another. He did not like that any man on earth should be -able to say of his wife, "She was once engaged to me;" and how much -less would he have liked it to be said that Lady Kingsland had been in -love with a <i>convict!</i></p> - -<p class="normal">As that could not be, the only consolation he could find under his -little disappointment was to make Eda and Dudley feel that the latter -had been a convict, and would ever by his fellow-men be regarded as a -convict. He became exceedingly curious, on a sudden, about Van -Dieman's Land, asked innumerable questions in regard to Hobart Town, -and even ventured upon Norfolk Island. Convict discipline became a -matter of great interest to him; and to hear him speak upon the -subject, of which he knew nothing, one would have thought that he was -a great philanthropical legislator.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley answered his questions with calm gravity; but yet he could not -help feeling, with painful acuteness, that the world, the bitter, -slanderous world, had got its fangs in his flesh, with a hold that -nothing could shake off; that a stain had been placed upon his name -most unjustly, which, though it might be erased, would still leave a -trace behind.</p> - -<p class="normal">With the sharp and clear perception of woman, Eda understood the -motives in which the peer's conduct originated, and felt both contempt -and anger. The only effect which it produced upon her own conduct, -however, was to make her demeanour to Dudley more marked and tender. -Eda Brandon never flirted in her life, and there was something very -distinct from anything of that sort in her behaviour on the present -occasion; but she felt that it was due to Dudley, when she saw him so -unfairly annoyed, to take her stand, as it were, by his side, and to -let her affection for him be perfectly undisguised.</p> - -<p class="normal">The other gentlemen who were in the room, and who had not been present -at the scene which had taken place in the library, seemed amazingly -puzzled at all they now witnessed. In addition to everything else, Sir -Arthur Adelon was evidently ill at ease, and Edgar was stern, silent, -and almost sharp in his replies when forced to speak.</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer was the only one who maintained his usual placid demeanour, -and he did that perfectly; for, alas! it is a very fatal error to -believe that the external appearance of calm tranquillity is always an -indication of a heart at peace with itself. The priest made a fuller -breakfast than usual, conversed agreeably with those around him, and -gave no indication of having any cause for anxiety or even deep -thought within. Before the meal was fully over, however, a servant -came in and announced that Mr. Clive and his daughter were there; and -Dudley could perceive that Filmer's face turned deadly pale.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Show them in," said Sir Arthur. "I am very glad they have returned."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who is Mr. Clive?" asked the young baronet, whom I have mentioned -once before, and while Sir Arthur was answering, "Oh! he is a -gentleman of very old family, but of somewhat reduced circumstances," -the priest arose quietly, and saying, in a low tone, "I am glad they -have come too; I want much to speak with Clive for a few minutes," -moved, with his usual noiseless step, towards the door.</p> - -<p class="normal">But Edgar Adelon suddenly sprang up from the table, and placed himself -in the way. "That cannot be suffered," he exclaimed. "You must remain -here, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You! This from you, Edgar!" exclaimed Mr. Filmer, drawing back with -an air of astonishment, if not really felt, certainly well assumed.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes!" answered Edgar, "and more too; for where I once esteemed----"</p> - -<p class="normal">What he was about to add was stopped by the entrance of Mr. Clive and -Helen, who sprang forward to Eda Brandon as to a sister. Sir Arthur -greeted Mr. Clive himself, with his usual kind, but somewhat stately -air; and Mr. Filmer approached with a degree of eagerness which in him -betokened no slight agitation, as if to welcome Mr. Clive, holding out -his hand to him at the same time. But Clive drew back, and looking -sternly at the priest, said, "Excuse me, sir; there are matters which -require explanation before I can either look upon you as my friend, or -listen to you as my pastor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What can be the meaning of all this?" exclaimed Sir Arthur Adelon. -"Explain, Clive: I am in the dark."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, let him explain," answered Mr. Filmer, setting his teeth tight; -"I can give a sufficient account of my own conduct and my own motives, -and do not fear any explanations." But his clouded brow and unwonted -manner showed that there was something which he had wished concealed, -but which could be no longer hidden.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you wish it, sir, my conduct can all be easily explained," said -Clive; and then, turning towards Sir Arthur, he was going on, when his -eyes suddenly fell upon Dudley, and advancing towards him, he took his -hand in his own, and pressed it, with a grave look, saying, "Mr. -Dudley, I am delighted to see you back in your own country again, and -free from all stain or reproach. Believe me, had I known that a false -charge had been brought against you, had it not been studiously -concealed from me by the most artful and the most infamous means, you -should not have laboured for one hour under an imputation from which I -can free you, This I am sure you know, and you now know also who it -was that did the deed for which you have suffered so severely; but -what you do not know, perhaps, is, the man whom you see there standing -before you, urged me to fly, knowing that the act was mine, and the -very same night contrived means to turn the charge against you."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer took a step towards them where they stood, and exclaimed, -with a solemn and impressive air, "Clive, Clive, my friend! You are -suffering a generous nature to betray you into most ungenerous acts. I -wish those words had been spoken by heretical lips, rather than yours. -Have you no respect for the religion you profess, or for its -ministers, that when one of them did you an act of great kindness, you -should use it as a charge against him? Tell me, did I not, the moment -I knew what you had done, did I not, I say, come down, at a late hour -of the night, to comfort and counsel you? I did advise you to fly; I -acknowledge it; but it was in consideration of your own safety that I -did so; for let me tell you, my son, that even in this land, which -boasts so much of its equity and its justice, it is no slight thing to -kill a peer of the realm. As soon as I was told who it was that had -done it, I went down for the sole purpose of advising you to fly, as -the only means of saving you from detection and punishment."</p> - -<p class="normal">"May I ask you, sir," said Dudley, "as this seems to be an explanation -rather than an examination, who was the man from whom you derived your -information?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are very ignorant, sir, it would appear," replied Filmer, with an -air of reproof, "of the rules and principles of a church of which you -are accustomed to express contempt and abhorrence, otherwise you would -know that a priest does not break the seal of confession. To give you, -or any one else, the name, would be a violation of that important -law."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And did you really know who it was that killed Lord Hadley?" demanded -Sir Arthur Adelon, in a tone of surprise.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did, sir. What then?" replied Mr. Filmer, with a stern look, laying -a somewhat menacing emphasis upon the words.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, nothing," replied Sir Arthur Adelon; but Dudley went on, sternly -saying, "It is unnecessary, Mr. Filmer, to violate the seal of -confession, for we know the name of your informant already, and in -this deposition you will find all the facts. I am inclined to imagine -that Daniel Connor is even now in this house, but if you will examine -that paper, you will see that he has already deposed to his having -told you the whole truth, and to your having come down to him -afterwards, to induce him to put his evidence in such a shape as to -bring the charge upon me rather than upon Mr. Clive. Now, Sir Arthur -Adelon, this is something like a subornation of witnesses, and it can -be proved by the man's own statement."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are labouring under a mistake, young gentleman," said Filmer, now -driven to bay. "For his own sake and his safety I certainly did -recommend to Daniel Connor to go up and give his evidence -spontaneously, in order that no suspicion should attach to himself. He -said, if I recollect rightly, that the man who had done the deed was -very much of the same height as yourself, but when he swore that, he -swore truly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Doubtless," replied Dudley; "but he states that he could have told -exactly who did it, and would have told, if it had not been for your -persuasions to the contrary."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This seems a very bad case," said Lord Kingsland, speaking to Edgar -Adelon. "If the animus can be proved, it will assume a serious -complexion."</p> - -<p class="normal">Without replying directly to the peer, Edgar stepped forward, and -addressing Mr. Filmer, demanded, "Did you, or did you not, sir--when -you knew that I was seeking for evidence, and had nearly obtained it, -to show before a jury the impossibility of Mr. Dudley having committed -the offence with which he was charged--did you not cause me to be -watched, followed, and apprehended, after a struggle, in which my life -was nearly endangered; and did you not afterwards deceive me grossly, -as to the time when the trial was to be brought on, and take every -means of preventing me from accomplishing the end I had in view? Now, -sir, you cannot deny it, and if you can, I will convict you by the -testimony of your own spy. Your conduct towards members of your own -flock might be explained away, perhaps, but this proves your object, -if it does not prove your motives."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you not of my own flock?" asked Mr. Filmer, in a tone of -reproach. "My son, I am sorry to hear of such a defalcation."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar paused, gazing silently in his face for a moment; and then, with -a sudden start, he replied, "I will not have the question turned from -the straightforward course. Your object was, I say, to load an -innocent man with a false charge, to deprive him of all means of -establishing his innocence, and to see him condemned and suffer for -that of which you knew him to be guiltless."</p> - -<p class="normal">He spoke impetuously; but there was a truth, a sincerity, an -earnestness in his whole tone and manner, which carried conviction to -the hearts of those who heard it; and at a mere glance round, Mr. -Filmer gathered enough, from the faces of the somewhat numerous -auditory, to show him that he was condemned by the judgment of all -present. But he quailed not; his brow grew stern, his look lofty, and -he replied, in a loud, almost imperious tone, "My object was, sir, to -save you, and to save that lady from the wiles of the artful and -ambitious: that is the great object that I have had in view in every -act of mine which concerned that person."</p> - -<p class="normal">But his reply only still farther roused Edgar's indignation. "Of me, -sir," he said, "you shall say what you like; but do not attempt again -to mix my dear cousin's name with this business. With her, at least, -you have nothing to do, except that, knowing you all along to be what -you are, she has tolerated you in her house out of respect for my -father; but I think if she had known, and my father had known, how -deeply and shamelessly you have injured him, and injured one who is -now a saint in heaven, she would never have suffered you to enter her -gates, and he would have spurned you from his door."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What do you mean? whom do you mean?" exclaimed Sir Arthur Adelon, -starting forward, with a face as pale as ashes, and eyes haggard with -intense emotion. "Whom do you mean, my son? Whom do you mean, my -Edgar?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My mother," answered Edgar Adelon, in a slow and solemn tone; and -almost as he spoke the words, Sir Arthur reeled and fell at his feet.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The scene of confusion that ensued after the event related in the last -chapter is not to be described. Every one crowded round Sir Arthur -Adelon, and he was speedily raised and placed upon the sofa. Servants -were called, water was sprinkled in his face, and all the usual -restoratives were had recourse to for some time in vain. He opened his -eyes faintly, indeed, for a moment, but he seemed instantly to -relapse, and a servant was sent off in haste to Barhampton for the -surgeon who usually attended him; for the only person who seemed to be -sure that it was an ordinary fainting fit, though one of a very severe -kind, was Captain M----, who, with kind and judicious words, -encouraged Eda and Edgar to pursue their efforts, assuring them that -they would be finally successful.</p> - -<p class="normal">At the end of half an hour Sir Arthur began to revive; and one or two -of the guests, who had made their comfort yield to their politeness, -then vacated the room, leaving only Captain M----, with Edgar, Dudley, -Eda, and Helen. For some time the baronet seemed incapable of -speaking, for though he looked round from time to time with an anxious -glance, he remained perfectly silent, notwithstanding more than one -inquiry as to how he felt. His first words, however, when he did -speak, instantly recalled the subject which had interested them all so -deeply the moment before he had fainted.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where is the priest?" he said. "Where is Father Peter?" And every one -instantly looked round, and then, for the first time, perceived that -he was gone. Eda would fain have diverted her uncle's attention from -matters which she knew must be most painful to him; but Sir Arthur -slowly raised himself upon the sofa, and would have got up entirely -had his strength permitted, still repeating, "Where is he? where is -he? Seek him, seek him! Do not let him escape!" Then pressing his hand -upon his brow, he added, "Can it be true? It has been a frightful -dream to me for many a long year. Seek him, seek him, somebody! Oh! if -it be true, I will tear his heart out!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley and Captain M---- hurried away from the room to inquire for the -priest, while Eda assured her uncle that she doubted not he would soon -be found; but Edgar, looking from the back of the sofa behind which he -was standing, shook his head with a stern and mournful expression of -face, as if to express a strong doubt that such would be the case.</p> - -<p class="normal">But little information of Father Filmer's movements could be obtained -by Dudley and his companion from the servants. Some of them had seen -him pass out of the breakfast-room, but not aware that any charge -whatever had been brought against him, had taken no notice of so -ordinary an occurrence. Others had seen him mount the staircase -towards his own room, but when he was sought for there he was not -found. No one had seen him quit the house, however; and though one or -two of those who had lately come up the alley, or through the park, -were questioned particularly on the subject, none could give any -information, and every room to which it was supposed he might have -betaken himself was examined in vain. Finding all their search -fruitless, the two gentlemen at length returned to the breakfast-room, -and found Sir Arthur half-seated, half-reclining on the sofa, but much -more calm than he had been when they left him. He looked hard at -Dudley for a moment without speaking, as if endeavouring to gain -command over himself, and then said, in a cold and formal tone, "Pray -be seated, sir. You have brought some serious charges against a -gentleman who has long lived with me as a friend, ay, for more than -five-and-twenty years. Had you concluded all you wished to say?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"There were other charges, Sir Arthur," replied Dudley, "which in your -eyes would be doubtless much more important. Those which I have -brought affect myself alone; and though, perhaps, more immediately -cognizant by the law, as coming nearly, if not quite, under the -statute in regard to the subornation of evidence, is in my mind less -criminal than his conduct towards you, whom, for the five-and-twenty -years you speak of, he has deceived, betrayed, and injured. But on -that subject, Sir Arthur, as I see it affects you much, it will be -better to speak at a future period. Those charges which I have -actually brought I am prepared to sustain immediately. Indeed, they -can be proved at once by Mr. Clive, who is in the next room; or even -this young lady," he continued, pointing to Helen, "can give you full -information. But all this had better also be referred to another -occasion, when you will be more able to give attention to the -subject."</p> - -<p class="normal">"His presence would be necessary," said Sir Arthur, leaning his head -upon his hand. "But there is one question more, sir; one question -more, and I have done for the present. Was it from you, sir, that my -son derived the information which led him to utter the words he lately -did?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, assuredly," answered Dudley; "but I can see clearly that his -words pointed to the same painful subject, in regard to which I also -have charges to make of a most serious character. Where he obtained -his information I cannot tell."</p> - -<p class="normal">"From the same source whence yours was derived, Dudley," replied -Edgar. "Only a few words were spoken; but connected with some old -letters from my poor mother, they were enough to enlighten me as to -much of the dark past."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur waved his hand as his son spoke, saying, "I cannot hear it -now; I will go to my own room. Come with me, Edgar. I shall have the -honour of seeing you again this evening, sir," he continued, turning -to Dudley, who replied, with a slight degree of embarrassment of -manner, "Assuredly, Sir Arthur, if you wish it; but if our farther -conference is to be this evening, I must, I fear, be an intruder here -till that time, for my present abode is near the place where we met -shipwreck, twelve miles distant."</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur Adelon was faint, agitated, and shaken; but yet a touch of -his own self-important pride could not be repressed; and with an air -by no means very well satisfied or altogether courteous, he replied, -pointing to Eda, while he walked towards the door leaning on his son's -arm, "That lady is mistress of herself and of this house, and -doubtless she will be happy in having your society."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, my dear uncle!" said Eda, starting forward with a look of pain, -"how can you speak such unkind words?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, well!" replied her uncle, kissing her brow, "I do believe you -love me, Eda; but no more just now." And he slowly quitted the room.</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as he was gone, Eda turned towards Dudley, with many mingled -emotions in her bosom, which, had it not been for the presence of -others, would probably have found relief in tears and in his arms. As -it was, she gave him her hand, saying, "You stay, of course, Dudley, -and I trust will remain some days."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must stay till this task is accomplished," he replied, and he would -fain have added the dear, familiar name which he ever called her in -his heart; but the presence of Captain M---- restrained him, and he -would not call her Miss Brandon. "I was not aware," he proceeded, -"that the information I have to convey would pain your uncle so deeply -as the effect of the few words spoken by Edgar make me fear it will, -or I would not have undertaken the task. We make sad mistakes in life, -I am afraid, in judging of the character of others. We are too apt to -suppose that one great predominant passion or weakness swallows up all -others; and yet I am convinced, that if we looked into the heart of -any man, be he the most ambitious, the most avaricious, the most vain, -the most proud, we should find some well of tenderness hidden under -the rubbish of life, which, if opened out again, might pour forth -fresh and pure waters to revivify and beautify all around."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! that we had many searchers for such wells," said Eda; "but it -seems to me that men, in dealing with their fellow-men, rather labour -to cover and hide them. But what can have become of Mr. Filmer? Do you -think he has fled?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It would seem so," answered Dudley; "and yet I can hardly imagine -that one who has gone on for so many years in successful hypocrisy, -would yield the field after so brief a struggle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not know," said Captain M----; "it may be that he finds himself -fully detected, and then what a mass of fraud and sin must present -itself to memory, and terrify him with the prospect of exposure and -punishment! I remarked that he stood firm before all the charges -brought against him in regard to his infamous and criminal conduct -towards you, Dudley. It seemed as if he thought that, upon some -principle he could justify himself, at least, to himself, for acts the -most base; but when Mr. Adelon uttered those few words about his -mother, my eye was upon him, and he gave way at once. I saw him shake -in every limb, and should certainly have watched him narrowly, to -prevent his escape, had not Sir Arthur occupied all my attention. But -now, I think, I will mount my horse, and riding round for a few miles, -endeavour to obtain some information regarding this man's place of -retreat. It surely will not be so difficult here to overtake a -bushranger as it is in the fifth quarter of the globe, Dudley?"</p> - -<p class="normal">As he spoke, Edgar re-entered the room with a quick step; but it was -to Helen he now turned. He had only hitherto, throughout all the -scenes which had taken place, spoken a few words to her, and given her -one look; but the words and the look were both of love. He now led her -at once into the deep window, and conversed eagerly with her, mingling -inquiries about matters quite different with expressions of tenderness -and affection.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This bad man must be found, Helen, dearest," he said; "you look pale, -love, and anxious. I am the more eager to find him, my beloved, -because he has disgraced the religion which we hold, perverting its -pure precepts to suit the dark, foul purposes of his own heart. Even -were it not for that, my Helen, I would pursue him throughout life; -for he poisoned the sources of my dear mother's happiness, and has -turned the noble nature of my father to a curse. Nay, look not up so -imploringly in my face, sweet love, with those dear reproachful eyes, -as if you thought your Edgar fierce and stern. It is only that I am -eager, Helen, very eager; I have ever been so: eager in love; eager, I -trust, in pursuit of justice and right; eager in defence of innocence; -and surely I may be eager in the punishment of iniquity and wrong? -Helen will not think me very wrong for being so?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Wrong, Edgar!" she answered; "do you not know I think everything you -do right? I never saw you do anything that was wrong from our infancy -till now."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! yes, many a thing," answered Edgar; and then dropping his voice, -he added: "When first I kissed those dear pouting lips, did you not -tell me I was very wrong indeed? But, Helen, we must find this man, -wherever he may be. I shall not rest in peace till I have made him, -with his own lips, undo the wrong he did my mother. You know his -haunts well. Tell me, love, where you think it most likely he would -betake himself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not to our house, certainly," answered Helen, "now that he knows we -are aware of all his baseness to poor Mr. Dudley; and not to the -cottage of Connor, unless it be to reproach him for exposing him. I -really know not where he will go; surely not to the Priory!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, I should think not," answered Edgar, musing. "But here comes your -father. This night shall set his heart at ease."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That will never be," replied Helen, with a very sorrowful look. "The -death of that unhappy young man still rests like a heavy weight upon -him. You have but to look into his face to see that it is bearing him -down to the earth."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I trust your happiness, dear Helen, may cheer him," answered her -lover; "and to secure that shall be Edgar's task."</p> - -<p class="normal">Advancing towards Clive as he spoke, he put nearly the same questions -to him which he had put to Helen, regarding the probable course which -Mr. Filmer had pursued.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I should have thought he was more likely to turn and stand at bay -than to fly," replied Mr. Clive; "but if he has fled, it will be far, -depend upon it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then the more reason for seeking for him immediately," exclaimed -Edgar. "Come, Captain M----, let you and I set out. If I find him, I -will venture to apprehend him without warrant, and risk whatever may -be the result."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There may be some risk, it is true," replied Captain M----, "for it -does not seem to me that he has committed any offence clearly -cognizable by a magistrate. Indeed, I am afraid some of the greatest -crimes that men can perpetrate have never yet been placed within the -grasp of the law. But let us go; I will take my share of the -responsibility." And leaving the little party in the breakfast-room, -they went out to pursue their search.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLIII.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The rooms occupied by Sir Arthur Adelon at Brandon House consisted of -a large dressing-room, and an old-fashioned chamber on the first -floor, lined with dark oak, supporting a richly ornamented stucco -ceiling, where cupids and naiads, and a great number of heterogeneous -deities, were flirting away all round the cornices, with plaster of -Paris fruits and flowers in their hands. A bed, which rivalled the -celebrated one of Ware in its dimensions, with old-fashioned chintz -curtains, stood at one side of the room, looking small and modest, -from the extent of the space about it. Opposite the foot of the bed -was a fire-place, with hand-irons for burning wood, and on each side -of it were two doors, one leading into the dressing-room, and the -other into a large commodious closet. The windows of the room were -three, and the curtains, which were now drawn close, were of the same -thick chintz as those which shrouded the bed. There was thus very -little light admitted, although the stuff of which the curtains were -composed was sufficiently diaphanous for the eye of any one within to -mark the change of light and shadow, as the clouds passed through the -air without. The door of the dressing-room was open, and one of the -windows, partly thrown up, admitted the air of spring, which, to say -the truth, was at the time we speak of somewhat sultry and oppressive.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was but little after the hour of noon when Edgar Adelon and his -companion rode away from the stable-yard at Brandon, and at that time -Sir Arthur was seated in a chair before the table, with his head -resting on his hand, and his eyes half shut. Painful emotions seemed -to be passing through his mind, for the muscles of his face moved, and -every now and then he would draw a deep and heavy sigh. Who shall say -what was in his thoughts? Did he ponder over a life spent in vanities -which had proved worse than ashes; of time misused in planting the -seeds of very, very bitter fruit? Did he take that review of the long -past, which every one, who has a mind capable of thinking, must -sometimes ponder on in moments of silent, sleepless solitude? Did he -consider how great wealth and lofty station, and high health and -education, and every gift and every advantage which can decorate the -fate of man, may be all rendered impotent of good to himself and -others, by the pampering of one evil passion, by a devotion to one -vanity or folly? Perhaps he did; but if so, if his eyes were keen -enough, and his sight unsealed sufficiently to judge of the past -justly, he saw that his weaknesses and his faults had been seized upon -by a superior intellect, to render him, through their means, -subservient to the views and purposes of others whose motives he even -yet did not clearly distinguish.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If he did that, he is a scoundrel indeed," said Sir Arthur, in a low -murmur. "He is a scoundrel," he added, the next moment; "that is -clear: for who but a scoundrel would, for any purpose, suborn evidence -against an innocent man?"</p> - -<p class="normal">But as that thought passed through his mind, a look of anguish came -upon his countenance, and perhaps he felt that he had been art and -part in the deeds he condemned. He might feel, too, that there were -purposes, that there were passions, which, in the more vigorous days -of life, would have led him, nay, had led him, to deeds little less -base, and courses as tortuous as those which he viewed with horror in -another.</p> - -<p class="normal">But, at the same time, whichever way he turned his eyes in the wide -range of the past, that other was still by his side, encouraging him -in all that he now regretted; suggesting the act to his mind, -preparing the means to his hand, and, with insidious eloquence, -removing the restraints of conscience and of feeling, while they rose -up as obstacles to his purpose. He saw that the fiend's own work had -been done with him; that his faults and his vices had but been -employed to generate more, and to leave his heart in possession of -remorse.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sad and bitter contemplation went on for more than one hour. A -servant quietly opened the door, and finding that he was up, and not -asleep, told him that the surgeon had arrived from Barhampton; but Sir -Arthur waved his hand, and saying that he was busy, desired to be left -quite alone. "I have no need of surgeons," he said; and as soon as the -servant had retired, fell back into his reverie again. It lasted about -half an hour longer, and then, wearied with the conflict of thought, -he moved towards his bed, saying, "I will lie down and sleep, if I -can; then I shall be more able to encounter the task of the evening; -for I must and will have it all explained. It is getting very dark: it -cannot be dusk yet." And looking at his watch, he found that it was -barely two o'clock. He accordingly laid down in his dressing-gown, and -thought for half an hour longer before sleep reached him; but while -the busy brain still worked, the ideas shifted and changed place, and -became confused. He thought of Eda and of Dudley, and of the -insinuations thrown out by the priest; and the vanity which was still -at the bottom of his heart again poured forth bitter waters. -"Impossible," he said to himself; "she cannot, she will not, she must -not marry a convict; and yet she can do as she pleases. I have no -authority over her; and this man, too, has me in his power, and he -knows it. I can see that by his bold demeanour to-day. But I will not -think of all these things: I will sleep. All that must be settled -hereafter. And Edgar, too: there is another thorn in my side; but I do -not mind that so much, for Clive is of as ancient blood as any in the -land, and what though he be poor, that does not take from his descent. -I wish it had happened otherwise; and I was foolish to suffer this to -go on, but at least it is some satisfaction she is a Catholic. It -might have been worse. It is very warm; I will open another window." -But while he was thinking of rising to do so, his eyelids fell once or -twice heavily, and he dropped into a quiet slumber.</p> - -<p class="normal">While he thus lay, with his hand partly fallen over the side of the -bed, the light seemed to decrease in the room, and a large heavy drop -or two of rain beat upon the windows, followed by a faint flash, and a -distant roar of thunder. It did not wake Sir Arthur Adelon, however; -and a minute or two after, the door of the large closet opened slowly -and noiselessly, and a figure entered with a still and silent step. It -was that of the priest, dressed in his usual dark apparel, and -carrying a roll of paper in his hand. For a moment he paused, and -looked around the room, then advanced to the table, and laid down the -paper, saying, "It will do as well." But the next instant his eye -caught sight of the hand of Sir Arthur Adelon, which, as I have said, -had dropped over the side of the bed, and with a bitter smile, Filmer -advanced and gazed upon the sleeping face of him who had been once so -much his friend. The clear, fair skin of the old man's cheek was still -somewhat pale with the emotions of the day, and his brow still bore -the trace of care. His mouth, too, moved from time to time, as if the -busy thoughts which had been agitating him were yet at work within, -prompting words which the chained lip refused to utter. As he gazed, -the priest's look became stern and almost fierce; and it would seem -that some thoughts or purposes suggested themselves to his mind, which -other feelings induced him to reject, for he waved his arm, and spread -forth his hand, as if he were throwing something from him, and -murmured in a low voice, "No!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The moment after, there was a vivid flash of lightning, which, -notwithstanding the shade of the curtains, glared round the whole -room, and made the face of the sleeping man look like that of a -corpse. The rattle of the thunder succeeded, shaking the whole house; -and Sir Arthur Adelon started and turned, as if to rise up from his -bed. The priest instantly laid his hand upon his arm, saying, "My -son!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Sir Arthur gazed at him with a bewildered look, and then a sharp and -angry expression came into his face. "Ah! is that you!" he said. "They -thought you were gone."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They mistook," replied the priest. "Lie still, and hear me, for I -have much to say. Your incorrigible weakness shows me, that it is vain -to remain with you longer. I cannot make you what you ought to be, and -now I leave you to yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What I ought to be!" said Sir Arthur Adelon, raising himself upon his -arm. "Have you not made me all I ought not to be?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"As the most precious medicines become the most hurtful poisons to -some peculiar constitutions," answered the priest, "so the best -counsels to some men produce the worst results. Such has it been in -your case; for the inherent feebleness of your mind was not capable of -bearing the strong food that mine would have given it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is too insolent!" exclaimed the baronet, raising himself still -farther, and stretching his hand towards the bell; but Filmer grasped -his arm tight, with a menacing look, saying, "Forbear! and remember, -man, what must be the consequence of my staying here. If I go, it is -in charity to you; for should I stay, depend upon it, it will be to -expose, from the beginning to the end, the acts of a life the records -of which I have put down here, lest your own memory should have been -more treacherous than mine. Remember, I say, that everything, from -first to last, is within my grasp, and that I can, when I please, open -the casket, and pour out the jewels of proud Sir Arthur Adelon's good -deeds for the admiring eyes of all the world. Remember, that against -the code of honour, the laws of the land, and the dictates of -religion, you have equally offended, and that if I remain, I remain to -explain all."</p> - -<p class="normal">The baronet evidently quailed before him; and sinking back upon his -pillow again, he gazed up in his face for a moment in silence, and -then said, "Dark and evil man as you are, speak not of religion or of -laws; but if you would do one act of charity before you go, explain to -me, rather than to others, the saddest and the gloomiest page in my -life's history. Relieve my mind of the heavy doubts and fears that -have been upon it for many a long year; notwithstanding all the -presumptions that you brought forward--ay, bitter as it may be--tell -me, rather, that the wife whom I so dearly loved was really -guilty--guilty of anything, rather than leave me to think that my -unkindness killed her wrongfully. Speak, man, speak! Do not stand -there, smiling at me like a fiend, but tell me, was she guilty or -not?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"As innocent as the purest work of God," replied the priest; and as he -spoke, a sharp shudder passed over the whole frame of Sir Arthur -Adelon, and his face became distorted with various passions: sorrow, -and rage, and remorse. "Villain, villain, villain!" he cried, "then -why did you so basely deceive me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"What, then, you have not seen Martin Oldkirk?" said Filmer, with a -look of some surprise. "He is here, in this house, and will soon tell -you all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What! Martin Oldkirk, my old servant?" exclaimed the baronet. "Ah! I -see, I see the whole damnable plot. You--you corrupted him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, not so," answered Filmer, in a still bitter contemptuous tone; -"but your own weak jealousy twisted his words from their right -meaning, and made that serviceable to your suspicions which should -only have confirmed your trust."</p> - -<p class="normal">"At your suggestion, fiend!" exclaimed Sir Arthur, fiercely. "I -remember it all, as well as if it were but yesterday. Oh! fool that I -have been!" And striking his clenched fist upon his forehead, he fell -back again upon the bed from which he had once more partially risen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And fool that you ever will be," answered Filmer, with a look of -contempt. "Had that woman remained with you another year, she would -have made you a heretic, as she was herself in heart." But his words -fell upon an inattentive ear, for Sir Arthur Adelon had relapsed into -the same state in which we have seen him during the morning. The -priest gazed on him with a stern and thoughtful brow when he perceived -that he had again fainted; but gradually a slight, a very slight smile -curled his lip, and he said, speaking his thoughts aloud, "What shall -I do? He has fainted again. Pshaw! he will get better of this, as he -has got better of many things. Poor, unhappy man, without firmness to -carry forth good or evil! Had he but been firm, half of Yorkshire -might have been Catholic at this day, and I, perhaps, a cardinal," and -he added, the next moment, "with power to direct the efforts of the -true church, in a course which would insure to her the return of this -darkened land to her motherly bosom."</p> - -<p class="normal">It was an after-thought, undoubtedly; for it is to be remarked, that -in all hierarchies, where men are expected to merge personal passions -and desires in the objects of a great body or institution, the -passions and desires still remain; but by a cunning self-deceit, the -individuals persuade themselves that they are made subservient to, or -banished to open a space for, the general ends and purposes which the -whole have in view. It is very seldom that a man can say, with -sincerity and truth, "I desire to be made a bishop or a cardinal, only -for the good of religion."</p> - -<p class="normal">Mr. Filmer perhaps felt that truth as much as any man; but yet he -still persuaded himself that he was right, or at all events, affected -to believe it; for the fraudulent juggle that goes on between man and -his own heart, is almost always more or less successful where strong -passions are engaged, and there were many strong passions which shared -in the motive of every one of Mr. Filmer's actions. If one had -examined closely, the promotion of his church's views would have been -found to bear a very small and insignificant share in any of his -proceedings; and yet, even to himself, he affected to believe it to be -the great, the sole, the overpowering object of his endeavours.</p> - -<p class="normal">While he stood and gazed upon the face of Sir Arthur Adelon, as he lay -like a corpse before him, the low-muttered thunder growled around his -head, and the heavy drops of rain began to fall thick and fast, -pattering in a deluge upon the windows, and splashing upon the turfy -lawns. "There is more in the hills," he said, "and I must make haste, -or the rivers will be swollen and stop me. I wonder which way the -fools have taken who went in pursuit. The servants must have done -dinner. But that matters not; they will not venture, I think, to -oppose me, even if any one sees me; and that brutal idiot, Oldkirk, -must be gone. I must even take my chance. Who minds the lightning?"</p> - -<p class="normal">And yet such is human nature, the very next flash made him put his -hands before his eyes and turn somewhat pale.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is awfully vivid," he said. "This artillery of heaven, men think, -is sent to punish the guilty alone: the immediate retribution of the -Almighty. If so, why does it choose its aim so lucklessly? I have seen -the loveliest and the purest struck by it; the murderer, the villain, -and the false prophet pass through it unscathed. But I will go, lest a -worse fate than that of the lightning should reach me. Farewell, old -man!" he continued, looking at the couch on which Sir Arthur Adelon -was lying; "after many years' sojourn on this earth together, you and -I may never meet again. If friendship unvarying, and services not to -be doubted, and counsels ever for the best, could have done aught with -you, you should have had them, nay, you have had them. But you were -too weak and idle to profit even by experience. Instead of full trust, -you gave half confidence; instead of full obedience, you gave nothing -but a questioning support; and the church must triumph wherever it -sets its foot, or the day of its destruction is arrived."</p> - -<p class="normal">With this unvarying maxim of the Roman church, he turned away and left -him, placing the papers he had brought farther on the table, with the -claws of the inkstand to hold them safely down. He retired by the same -means which had given him entrance; and without the slightest -appearance of anxiety or haste, opened the first door and shut it -behind him, then pulled back the private door which afforded a -communication between his room and that of the baronet, and ascended a -flight of steps which led to the chambers above.</p> - -<p class="normal">All remained still and quiet below; and in a few minutes, proceeding -into the stable-yard, Mr. Filmer had mounted, without the slightest -opposition, a horse which had been set apart for his own use while at -Brandon, and was riding away, but in a direction different to that -which Edgar and his friend had taken.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLIV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">They first paused at the park gates, Edgar Adelon and Captain -M----, and asked, in a quiet, easy tone, if Mr. Filmer had lately -passed. The answer, as the reader may anticipate, was, "No;" and -separating, they rode round the whole extent of the wide space -enclosed within the walls of Brandon Park--not less than four or five -square miles--inquiring of every person whom they met, and at every -cottage which they passed, but without receiving any intelligence -whatever. After having made this circuit, they rode down to Clive -Grange, where Edgar was received with the greatest joy by all the -servants; but no information was afforded, till one of the -maid-servants recollected having heard the ploughman say that he -thought he had seen Father Peter walking over the downs towards -Barhampton. Edgar, impetuous as usual, was for setting out -immediately; but Captain M---- stopped to investigate the statement, -and inquired when this vision was seen. That the maid could not tell, -but informed him that the man had mentioned the fact when he came home -to dinner, adding, however, that he had returned to his work. Finding -that the spot where he was employed lay considerably out of the way, -the two gentlemen set off again, taking the cottage of Daniel Connor -as they went; but the door was locked, and nobody within.</p> - -<p class="normal">At Barhampton their inquiries were equally vain, though every quarter -was applied to where it was supposed that anything like information -could be obtained; and after a fruitless search of nearly an hour, -they turned their horses' heads back towards Brandon, conversing on -what it might be expedient to do next.</p> - -<p class="normal">By this time, however, the indications of an approaching storm were -visible in the sky. Large clouds, not decked with the fleecy fringes -of the soft spring, but hard, defined, and of a bluish black, were -rising rapidly in the south; and as Edgar and his friend gazed over -the wide scene which presented itself to the eye from the slope just -out of the gates of Barhampton, a curious purple light spread over the -whole, giving to field, and hill, and tree, those intense hues which -are more frequently seen in southern lands.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Does not that put you in mind of Australia?" asked Captain M----, as -they rode on.</p> - -<p class="normal">"In some degree," replied Edgar; "but we shall have a fierce storm -soon, or I am much mistaken. We had better leave the downs on the -right, and cross the river by Clive Grange again. It will save us a -mile."</p> - -<p class="normal">The plan he proposed was followed; but long before they reached the -stream, the storm, which was advancing as if to meet them, broke full -upon their heads. The lightning flashed, and the thunder roared; but -they suffered most from the rain, which poured down in torrents, -mingled with enormous hailstones. On came the tempest, sweeping over -the land, so lately bright and sunny, putting out every gleam of -light, and involving all in a dark mist, only marked by the black -lines of the descending hail.</p> - -<p class="normal">The two horsemen urged their horses on at a rapid trot, taking the -road past Mead's farm, and along the brow of the hill overhanging the -river, to reach the bridge near Mr. Clive's house; and they remarked, -as they rode along, that the waters below, usually so limpid and -bright, were now turbid and red, whirling in rapid eddies, near the -banks, but rushing on in foam and confusion, in the midst of the -course.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why this is quite a torrent," said Captain M----, as they proceeded. -"When we passed this morning it was nothing but a clear trout-stream."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is sometimes very furious when there is much rain in the hills," -replied Edgar. "I remember it carrying away a mill some way higher up; -miller, miller's man, and miller's wife, all went floating down -together in their crazy dwelling; and yet, strange to say, no one was -drowned."</p> - -<p class="normal">"See, there is Mr. Clive and his daughter coming down the opposite -slope," said the young officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heaven! Helen will be drenched in this deluge," exclaimed Edgar; -and he was spurring on his horse to a still faster pace, when an event -occurred which for an instant seemed to turn him to stone.</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen and her father reached the bottom of the slope, and had already -advanced about two-thirds of the way across the bridge, round the old -piers of which the red torrent was beating angrily, when suddenly the -part just before them gave way, and fell in a large mass into the -river. Clive caught his daughter's arm, and was hurrying back; but the -next instant the part beneath their feet cracked, leaned over to the -side, fell, and with those whom it had supported the moment before, -was plunged into the struggling waters.</p> - -<p class="normal">For an instant, as I have said, the sight of her he loved so -enthusiastically, likely to perish before his sight, seemed to turn -Edgar Adelon into stone; but it was only for an instant, and springing -from his horse with one bound, he was down the bank, and into the -midst of the torrent. He caught sight of Helen's dress as she rose -again amidst the waters, and struck out strongly towards her, battling -successfully with the fierce rage of the current, till it brought her -down to where he was. His first grasp missed her, but his second -caught her by the arm, and lifting her head above the stream, he -struck back for the shore, holding her far from him, lest, in the -terror and agitation of the moment, she should deprive him of the -means of saving her; but Helen, with wonderful presence of mind, did -not attempt to touch him. The bed of the river, as it has been before -described, was narrow; and the current had luckily drifted her towards -the side of Clive Grange. Thus, a few strong strokes brought Edgar to -the bank, which was there not very steep, and without much difficulty -he lifted her out, and had the joy of holding her in his arms alive.</p> - -<p class="normal">During the whole of the last events Edgar had remarked nothing that -was passing near him. He saw Helen, and Helen only. He thought of -nothing but Helen; but the moment after she was safe upon the shore, -his thoughts turned to her father, and he looked eagerly around. With -deep satisfaction, however, he perceived at a little distance Captain -M---- helping the old man up the bank; and he discovered afterwards -that his friend had plunged in at the same moment as himself, but that -finding Helen's father was a good swimmer, and was striking for the -shore, he merely kept near him, till he perceived that, when just near -the bank, Clive began to sink. Helen was weak and faint, but she found -strength, to hurry to her father's arms, as he sat upon the turf, -supported by Captain M----; and all her first feelings were joy and -satisfaction when she saw that he was still alive. He did not answer -her when she spoke, however, but pressed his hand tight upon his side, -seeming to breathe with difficulty. The next instant Helen perceived -the blood trickling through his fingers, and clasping her hands -together, she exclaimed, "Oh, Edgar! he is hurt, he is very much -hurt!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"A little, a little, dear girl!" said Clive, with a great effort. "I -shall soon be better; but it might be as well to send up to the Grange -for some people to carry me up. I am too weak to walk. Thank God! you -are safe, my dear child. It was that heavy beam struck me as we fell."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar sprang away towards the house, and returned in a very short time -with some men carrying a sofa, on which the large, powerful frame of -Mr. Clive was speedily laid, and he was conveyed to the Grange, and -put to bed. It was then found that there was a deep lacerated wound on -the left side of the chest, and an indentation, which seemed to show -that several of the ribs had been broken. A man was immediately sent -to bring the nearest surgeon; and Edgar was watching anxiously with -Helen by the bedside of the injured man, while the lightning still -continued to flash through the room and the thunder to roll overhead, -when one of the maids put her head into the room, saying, "Oh, Mr. -Adelon! here is one of your servants wishes to speak with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">The woman's face expressed terror and agitation; and Edgar, starting -up, demanded what was the matter.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, he says, sir, that Brandon has caught fire with the lightning," -replied the woman, "and they wish you to come up directly."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar turned a look to Clive, who said at once, as if in reply, "Go, -Edgar, go. Take the stone bridge higher up. Yet one word, my dear boy, -before you depart."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar approached close to the bedside and bent down his head. "Perhaps -we may never meet again," said Clive, with a good deal of agitation in -his voice. "My Helen, Edgar! What will become of my Helen, if I am -taken from her?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar took his hand and pressed it warmly. "Eda will be a sister to -her," he said, "and I will be her husband; till then, a brother."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Go," said Clive, "go! God's will be done! I am sure I may trust you, -Edgar."</p> - -<p class="normal">"On my honour, on my life, by everything I hold dear!" answered Edgar; -and with one parting caress to Helen, he hurried away.</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain M---- was waiting for him below with the servant, who was -beginning to pour forth the tale of the disaster at Brandon, when -Edgar cut him short by eagerly demanding, "Where are the horses?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are here in the court," answered Captain M----. "Yours led the -way, and mine followed. This is, indeed, a day of disasters; but I do -hope that no great injury has been done at Brandon, for this rain must -have kept down the fire."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was blazing away, sir, like a hundred lime-pits, when I was -sent off to seek you," replied the servant, following them to the -court-yard.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Were all safe?" demanded Edgar, eagerly; but the man could give him -no satisfactory account of the inmates, merely telling him that the -lightning had struck the older part of the building towards the back, -and that the flames had instantly spread from room to room with the -utmost rapidity and fury.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the horses had not been unsaddled, no time was lost; and riding up -the stream to a stone bridge about half a mile higher on its course, -they soon reached the gates of Brandon Park. The lodge was empty, the -gates were open; and dashing between the trees of the avenue, so as to -reach the open space whence the house was first visible, Edgar -strained his eyes forward to see whether the fire was still going on.</p> - -<p class="normal">A good deal of smoke was apparent, rising from one part of the -building, but no flames were to be perceived, and the servant, riding -up to Edgar's side, said, in a glad tone, "They have got it under, -sir. It is very different now from what it was when I came away."</p> - -<p class="normal">His master paused not to listen, however, but spurred on towards the -terrace, where a number of people were to be seen moving about -confusedly hither and thither, amongst whom, one group might be -distinguished bearing out something that looked like a mattress -towards the court and stable-yard. Edgar thought of his father, and -that chilly feeling came over his heart which is said to be sometimes -premonitory of approaching sorrow. When he came nearer, he perceived -Dudley and Eda following those who had gone on into the court; and he -called loudly to them, for they had not remarked his approach. Dudley -instantly turned, said a word or two to Eda, and then hurried forward -to meet her cousin.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The fire is extinguished, Edgar," he said, in a grave tone, as they -met. "It is only the second floor and part of the first that are -destroyed. Come with me, and you shall see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is every one safe?" demanded Edgar, gazing in Dudley's face; and -before the other could answer, he added, "My father! Where is my -father?"</p> - -<p class="normal">His friend did not answer him at once, and he was darting away towards -the court-yard, when Dudley laid his hand upon his arm, saying, "Do -not go thither now, Edgar. Come apart with me, and I will tell you -all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must; I will go at once!" exclaimed Edgar Adelon, passing him; and -with a rapid step he hurried on across the terrace, round the angle of -the house, and towards the great gates of the court-yard. On the right -was a large building, used as a billiard-room; and under shelter of -the ornamental porch, Edgar saw Eda, with fair face bedewed with -tears. She instantly came forward to meet him, saying, "Wait a few -moments, Edgar. Do not go in there now, my dear cousin."</p> - -<p class="normal">But Edgar passed her too, with a sad look, saying, "It must come once, -Eda. Why not now?" When he entered the room he found five or six men -laying a mattress, with some bed-clothes that covered it, upon the -billiard-table, and pushing through them he beheld his father -stretched out, cold and stiff, but with no mark of fire or injury -whatsoever upon him, and a calm and placid look upon his countenance.</p> - -<p class="normal">The young man gazed upon his parent's face for several moments with a -look of sad, stern thought, while the servants and labourers who were -present drew back as soon as they perceived who it was that -interrupted them in their melancholy task. As he gazed, many memories -crowded on him; paternal tenderness and affection, innumerable sweet -domestic scenes, words spoken long ago, kindly looks and tones of -love; and with that sad feeling which ever takes possession of the -bosom, when with any of the near and dear the silver chain is broken, -the tears rose up into Edgar Adelon's eyes, and fell upon the dead -man's hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">He wished not to be seen to weep; and turning away without a word, he -gave one hand to Eda, and the other to Dudley, who had been standing -close behind him, and with them left the chamber of the dead.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLV.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Six or eight hours before Brandon had been one of the most convenient -and comfortable houses in the whole county. Everything about it had -displayed that aspect of ancient and undiminished respectability and -wealth which, thirty years ago, was the general characteristic of the -English gentleman's country seat; and now, when Edgar Adelon, with Eda -and Dudley, entered the hall, although the fire had never reached that -floor, and had but partially destroyed the floor above, the scene of -confusion and disarray left in the mansion scarcely a trace of its -former self. Large quantities of furniture, books, chests of papers, -valuable pictures, and objects of art, were piled up, without order or -regularity, in the hall and the various rooms around it, and streams -of water were flowing over the marble pavement of the vestibule, and -soaking the thick carpets of the drawing-room, the library, and the -dining-room.</p> - -<p class="normal">Of all seasons, when the empty-minded and the selfish-hearted, who are -inherently bores at all times, are the most oppressive, the season of -grief and anxiety is foremost. At other moments we are obliged to -tolerate them, as one of the evils of a high state of refinement. Do -not let any one suppose this a paradox; for there is no doubt of the -fact, that as "the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog," (I do not know -that I quote very accurately), so a refined state of society generates -both empty heads and cold hearts. At other times, I say, we bear them -as one of the evils of our social state; but then they become -perfectly intolerable. We find, then, that there are human beings in -every outward form and lineament like ourselves, who, nevertheless, -are not of our nature, nor, apparently, of our race; we feel, or we -fancy, that monkeys might be princes amongst them.</p> - -<p class="normal">Eda had a great deal to suffer from creatures of this kind during that -day. The peer, and the baronet, and the wealthy esquire, had returned -from their several occupations in time to witness the conflagration at -Brandon; and after having taken care of their horses and their -carriages, and all their other effects, they had gathered together to -interrupt the servants and country people by giving assistance. As -soon as they saw Eda, however, enter the house with her cousin and Mr. -Dudley, they found it courteous to go in and condole with her; and -although she bore the infliction with wonderful patience, Edgar did -not approach by any means so near to the character of Job.</p> - -<p class="normal">One or two of his brisk sayings soon scattered the party, and after -having, in a very polite manner, ascertained that the fire was -entirely extinguished, the three gentlemen I have mentioned took their -leave, got their carriages and horses, and departed. Dudley made no -show of going, for he knew that he should still be a welcome guest; -and Captain M---- also remained, though not till he had received a -pressing request from Edgar to do so.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We can put you up somewhere," he said; "and there are things to be -investigated, in which, perhaps, you can help me. Stay with us here in -the library, M----, now that those tiresome people are away, and let -me inquire how this fire originated in reality, and how my poor father -met with his death. I do not understand all this," he added, solemnly -and sternly. "There is no trace of fire upon my father's person. I -have strange suspicions; and before I give way to grief I must think -of justice. I must see the people who first entered his room;" and -going to the door, he gave orders to one of the servants in the hall -to bring all those who had been present at the early part of the -catastrophe into the library.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is a sad business for us all, dear Eda," he said, turning -towards his cousin, who was seated in the recess of one of the -windows, from time to time wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your -beautiful place is well nigh destroyed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would I could repair your loss, Edgar," replied Eda, "as easily as -mine can be repaired."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It must be some comfort to you, Edgar," said Dudley, who had hitherto -scarcely spoken a word, "to know that your father did not suffer. It -is impossible that any violence could have been offered to him; it is -equally impossible that the fire can have reached him or injured him -in any way; and I am inclined to think that he was never conscious of -its existence, for I was one of the first who entered his room; -indeed, there were only two who mounted the stairs before me; and when -I strove to wake him I found that he was no more; nay, his hand was -quite cold. The room, indeed, was full of smoke, but the air was not -sufficiently loaded to suffocate any one who was not in a fainting -fit, or exceedingly debilitated."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who was there first?" demanded Edgar.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The butler and Martin Oldkirk ran up together," replied Dudley; "and -I followed as soon as I had seen Eda upon the terrace. For some time -we did not at all imagine the house was on fire, although there was a -strong smell of burning wood; but at length the smoke came rolling -down the stairs, and at the same time, it seems, one of the keepers -from the park rushed into the offices, saying that the whole roof was -in flames."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! here come the men!" cried Edgar. "Now, Martin Oldkirk, my good -friend, stand forward and tell me what you found, when first you went -into my father's room."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was the butler, sir, went in first," said Martin Oldkirk. "I was -waiting in his pantry, as I had been ordered; and when the alarm of -fire came he ran on first, saying he must save Sir Arthur, and I -followed. There was a good deal of smoke in the room, but no fire; -indeed, it is uninjured even now. We both ran to the bed, and found -Sir Arthur lying upon it, but there was no sign of life about him. Mr. -Dudley came in the next moment, and the valet a minute after. Sir -Arthur was dressed as he is now; and we took him up and carried him -down, first to the dining-hall, and then out to the billiard-room, as -you saw."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are sure there was nobody in the room when you entered?" asked -Edgar Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No one, sir," replied Oldkirk; "but there was a packet of papers, -written in a hand which I know well, and so I took it up, and have got -it here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Give it to me," said Edgar; and gazing at the first lines he -exclaimed, "This is Filmer's handwriting. That man must have been in -the house when we went away. This letter is dated to-day, and it was -not there when I left my father. I charge you, my friends, most -solemnly, to tell me if any of you have seen him within the last four -hours."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh yes! Mr. Edgar," said one of the grooms, coming forward. "He went -away about an hour and a-half or two hours ago. I saddled his horse -for him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sure he was in Sir Arthur's room just about luncheon time," said -the valet; "for knowing that my master was not well, I went up to see -if he wanted anything, and not liking to disturb him, I listened at -the door. I heard some people speaking loud, and I can swear that one -of the voices was Father Peter's. It was just about the time when the -storm began."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar gazed gloomily at the papers in his hand, and Dudley demanded, -"Did you hear any of the words, sir, that passed?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, Sir Arthur seemed very angry," replied the man; "and I heard him -cry out, 'Villain, villain, villain!' I should have opened the door, -and had my hand upon the lock, but then Sir Arthur went on speaking -more quietly, so that I was sure no one was hurting him."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let us ascertain at once," said Captain M----, "how the fire really -originated; for this affair, it seems to me, will assume a very -serious aspect if it cannot be shown that it was caused by the -lightning, as we have been led to suppose."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh! Lord bless ye; yes, sir, it was caused by the lightning, sure -enough," replied one of the keepers. "Why, as I was standing on -Little-green hill, as we call it, just at t'other side of the park, -towards the back there, I saw something come down from the sky in a -great stream, just as I have seen a man pour out a ladleful of lighted -pitch, only ten times at fast, and it hit the corner of the roof, and -in a minute all the slates flew about like dust, and then there was a -blaze just at the same place. So I took to my heels as fast as -possible, and never stopped running till I got into the servants' -hall, but by that time the place was all in a blaze."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is so far satisfactory," said Captain M----; "and I believe, my -dear Adelon," he added, "you will find that the melancholy event, -which we must all deplore, has taken place by natural causes. It is -probable that the conversation between your father and Mr. Filmer was -of an angry and agitating character. Sir Arthur, who was much shaken -in the morning, was ill able to bear fresh anxiety or sorrow. He may -have again fainted before or after the priest left him, and the -suffocating effect of the smoke may have done the rest. You add to -your grief, which must be poignant enough, by suspicions, for which, -at present, I see no cause."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No cause, my friend!" said Edgar. "If you could look at this paper -which I hold in my hand, but which I dare not show you or any one, you -would see at once that there is cause to suspect that bad man of -anything; for there is nothing evil, nothing wicked, which he has not -done himself, or prompted others to do, and which he boldly avows here -as the means to a great end. That end must, indeed, be accursed, to -which such means are necessary. That can never be holy which treads -such unholy paths. This paper will give me matter for deep thought,<a name="div4Ref_03" href="#div4_03"><sup>[3]</sup></a> -may make a change in all my views, and may teach me to renounce many -opinions instilled into me in youth, if I should find that a religion, -which I have hitherto considered pure and holy, naturally requires -fraud, ignorance, and wrong, for its support. I say not how I shall -act, I know not how I shall act; but I do say, and I do know, that -this thing will force upon me a review of all my previous convictions, -and I trust that God will give me understanding to judge in the end -aright."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pray God it be so!" said Eda Brandon; but she said no more, although -she felt, and had ever felt, that a religion which pretended to rest -upon revelation, and yet withheld that revelation from the great mass -of the people, commenced with an error which has characterised every -pagan idolatry, and opened the way to corruptions the most gross, and -abominations the most foul.</p> - -<p class="normal">Every one else was silent for a moment, and then Edgar moved his hand, -saying, "I will keep you no longer, my good friends. Perhaps your -testimony may be wanted in a more formal inquiry on a future day. But, -in the mean time, remember that this man, this Mr. Filmer, whom we -have all been accustomed most mistakenly to reverence, has been proved -to be guilty of the most horrible deceits, and is charged with crimes -of a very serious character. If, then, any of you should meet with -him, hear of him, or know where he is to be found, it is your duty to -give him up to justice, that the accusations against him may be -patiently investigated. At present, you had better go and get some -refreshment after all your labours; and I am sure my cousin will -reward and thank you for the services you have rendered."</p> - -<p class="normal">The strength of mental exertion seemed to have kept him up till the -servants and others, who had been summoned to the library, quitted the -room; but when they were gone, he threw himself down in a chair, -before the large table where his father had so often sat, and resting -his arms upon it, bent down his head till his eyes were hid upon them, -and remained thus in silence for several minutes, while Eda, and -Dudley, and Captain M----, spoke together earnestly, but in a low -voice.</p> - -<p class="normal">By this time the shades of evening were beginning to come over the -sky, and although the rain had ceased, the clouds were heavy and dark. -Yet a gleam of yellow light was seen beneath, towards the west, and -Dudley, laying his hand upon Eda's, said, "See, Eda, there is hope in -the midst of sorrow: I will go and speak to Edgar. There are many -things more painful in the events of the day than even the death of a -father whom he loved. He must be roused by new incitements to action; -and there is cause, too, for exertion."</p> - -<p class="normal">Advancing a step or two towards Edgar, he laid his hand upon his -shoulder gently, saying, "Do not give way, my friend. Heavy sorrows -have befallen you; but there are duties to be performed, efforts to be -made, important steps to be considered. Our friend, Captain M----, -tells me that poor Mr. Clive has met with a terrible accident, and it -is his opinion that Helen Clive may both have to encounter fresh -grief, and be left without protection or comfort."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar started up as if his words had roused a new spirit within him, -and Dudley continued thus:--"Under these circumstances, Eda is -inclined to take refuge at the Grange, where there is plenty of room. -She would not do so if she did not look upon Helen, and Helen did not -look upon her, as a sister."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar started forward, in his impetuous way, towards his fair cousin, -and taking her hand, pressed his lips upon it with tears in his eyes. -"Thank you, Eda," he said; "thank you for Helen, thank you for myself. -I know what leads you to the Grange, and I must go with you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will all go down," said Dudley. "I trust that our evil -anticipations may be found premature; but should the worst happen, -Helen will need all the comfort that can be given to her. There are -many things, however, first to be done here, Edgar; and although I now -boldly claim a right to act on Eda's behalf, yet it is but fitting -that her nearest and dearest surviving relation should join his voice -to mine in all matters. There is another task, Edgar, which you must -entrust to me. Painful as it must be, I think I can promise to perform -it according to your wishes; and in the few cases where a doubt may -occur to me, as to how I should act, I will apply to yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar pressed his hand warmly in his own, murmuring, "Dudley, we are -brothers;" and Dudley, turning away his head for a moment, answered, -"Come, Edgar, we must give directions for restoring some degree of -order here, and for setting a watch, to ensure, that if the fire -should break out again in any place where it is yet smouldering, it -shall be extinguished at once. Then we will all go down to the Grange; -and after seeing what is the state of poor Mr. Clive, Captain -M---- and myself will leave you and Eda there, and find lodgings for -the night somewhere in the neighbourhood."</p> - -<p class="normal">Much, indeed, remained to be done, and many orders to be given before -the party could set out; but the mind of Edgar Adelon, in many scenes -of trial and difficulty, had gained much strength since first we saw -him; and to a strong mind exertion is relief, even under the load of -grief.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XLVI.</h4> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The clouds had passed away from the sky, the stars shone out clear and -bright, when Edgar Adelon, with his cousin Eda, Edward Dudley, and -Helen, stood by the bed-side of Mr. Clive; but the clouds of sorrow -had not yet passed from the minds of any there present: the star of -Hope was hidden, though it might still be in the sky. There was a -surgeon sitting by the sick man's side, with his hand upon the pulse, -Helen's eyes were fixed eagerly upon the face of the man of healing, -but after a moment or two he raised his look to hers, and shook his -head gravely.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is of no use, my child," said Clive, in a low and feeble tone. "I -am on the eve of the long departure. I feel death gaining upon me -fast; life is at an end, and with it manifold cares, sorrows, and -apprehensions. I am going, I trust, to a happier place, where none of -these things can disturb me, and where your beloved mother has long -been awaiting me. This feeling, this hope, would make my going very -tranquil, were it not that even now all the tender yearnings of a -father's heart for the welfare of his child are as strong upon me as -ever, Helen. Oh! who can ever know till they have felt it, what fears, -what hopes, what thoughts, and cares for the beloved ones, rush -through a father's heart and brain at every moment of existence, and -make his life one long care for them. I ought not to let them disturb -me now, in this last solemn scene; but still, Helen, your fate is my -anxiety, my only anxiety."</p> - -<p class="normal">Helen wept; but Edgar Adelon once more came forward to the dying man's -bed-side, and said, with an earnest, though low-toned voice, "Be not -anxious, Mr. Clive; sweep that anxiety away. Helen is mine, as soon as -ever she will. I am now, alas, my own master, to do as I think best. I -am certain that this is best;" and he took Helen's hand, and kissed -it. "But there may be anxieties even beyond that, Mr. Clive," he -added. "You may think that though she be the wife of Edgar Adelon, she -may yet be an unhappy wife; but here I vow, as solemnly as man can vow -anything, that my whole existence shall be devoted to her happiness. -If ever any of those things which men say disturb domestic -tranquillity: a hasty word, an angry feeling, a discontented thought -should occur, although my deep love now tells me they cannot, I will -think of this moment; I will think of this promise; I will think of -the fate of my own dear mother; and I will hasten to atone to Helen -with all my heart. You know me, Mr. Clive; you know how I have loved -her from boyhood; and I think you will not doubt that I shall love her -to the end."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I do not doubt you, Edgar," said Mr. Clive, very, very faintly. "I -have watched and known you from a boy, as you say, and I know that -your enthusiasms, in love or friendship, are not only warm, but -enduring. Mine have been so too, but there has been too much vehemence -with me. I doubt not your intentions in the least either; but I only -doubt that others may interfere to forbid that which you are yourself -thoroughly disposed to perform. You say that you are your own master: -I know not what you mean."</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar shook his head sadly, and replied, "My father has gone where her -father is going. We have been children together, and we shall be -orphans together. In all things our fate will be united. She is mine; -I am hers; and in heart and spirit, in love and truth, in hopes and -fears, in joys and sorrows, on this earth and I trust in heaven, we -shall be one."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Amen!" said Mr. Clive; and raising his hand, as if in the act of -giving a solemn benediction, his head sunk back on the pillow, and the -spirit took its flight.</p> - -<p class="normal">* * * * * -* * * * *</p> - -<p class="normal">There were many tears shed at Brandon House and Clive Grange; and on -one day, followed by the same mourners, carried to the same burial -ground, that of the old Priory, the representatives of the ancient and -noble houses of Adelon and Clive were committed to the earth. They had -died in the same faith in which they and their ancestors lived; and a -Roman Catholic priest, as amiable and excellent as he whom it has been -my painful task in these pages to depict was base and evil, solemnised -the last rites of their church amongst the mouldering remains of ages -past away.</p> - -<p class="normal">Some months went by, and Eda Brandon and Helen Clive kept their -mourning state at the Grange, while Edgar took up his abode at the -lodge of Brandon Park, and surrounded with books, seemed to forget -himself in deep study, except during those hours which he spent with -her he loved.</p> - -<p class="normal">Dudley was absent more than once, and remained absent for several -weeks at a time; but Eda Brandon did not think his passion cooled, and -she knew there was no cause to suppose so; for he was engaged in -sweeping the last trace of the convict from his name, and recording -the proofs of his innocence in such a manner that doubt or shame could -never visit him. He had property to claim, too, and to receive, which -removed all suspicion that he sought wealth rather than love in his -marriage with Eda Brandon; and towards the autumn, about the same -period of the year when he had first visited Brandon Park, his fate -was united with hers, on the same day that Helen became the wife of -Edgar Adelon.</p> - -<p class="normal">To say that every trace of the events which had so chequered Dudley's -early life with dark shadows was swept away, even in the intense joy -of his union with her he loved, would be false, for there was a shade -rested upon him; but perhaps, although his happiness was of a graver -cast than it might have been had unvarying prosperity shone upon his -whole career, it was not less deep, less full, less enduring.</p> - -<p class="normal">Edgar Adelon's joy in his marriage with Helen Clive was brighter and -more lively. People somewhat wondered that the benediction of the -Romish church was not asked to his union with Helen Clive; but it -speedily became rumoured that both had, a few days before, in a quiet -and unostentatious manner, renounced the errors in which they had been -brought up. Inquiry had produced conviction, and they acted with open -minds and clear consciences, knowing that neither persuasion, nor -sophistry, nor interest, had been allowed to have any effect; but that -the simple study of that holy Word, which is closed in so many -countries of the earth to those who seek the waters of life, had given -them a knowledge of the truth, which none could take from them.</p> - -<p class="normal">The fate of Mr. Filmer remained a mystery. He was never again seen in -England; but Captain M----, while on his bridal tour through Italy, -wrote to his friends at Brandon, that amongst the monks at Camaldoli -he had caught sight of a face which he was convinced was that of -Father Peter; and it is certain that, not long after, with money which -came from that country, Daniel Connor set out for Rome, and joined -himself to a religious community of the most severe and penitential -rule.</p> - -<p class="normal">Martin Oldkirk was well provided for by Dudley and Edgar Adelon; and -though he remained a stern and somewhat thoughtful man, and retained a -feeling of wrathful grief at the remembrance that words of his, -perverted by the priest, should have been used to destroy the -happiness of an innocent and beloved mistress, yet his heart was -softened by prosperity and opened to enjoyment.</p> - -<p class="normal">Norries is still living in Australia. It is supposed he might have -obtained a full pardon some time ago, if he had thought fit to apply -for it; but such was not the case; and contented where he is, he goes -on seeing a new population growing up around him, to whom, from time -to time, he communicates his own transcendental notions on political -subjects; but he has gained experience from the past, and whatever he -may seek himself, or teach others to aim at, he always inculcates the -doctrine, that moral force is the only just means by which a triumph -can be obtained over injustice or wrong.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The axe, the sword, and the pike," he says, "belonged to ages when -the physical triumphed over the intellectual. The age of reason and of -mental power has begun, and truth and argument are the weapons with -which the bad must be conquered, and the good armed for battle. The -thunder of a nation's voice is worth the roar of a thousand cannon; -and knowledge, and conscience, and right, are arms which no armies can -withstand."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>FOOTNOTES</h3> - -<p class="hang1"><a name="div4_01" href="#div4Ref_01">Footnote 1</a>: This word -is usually wrongly written <i>ĉrie</i>, as if -derived from <i>aer</i> or <i>air</i>, but I am convinced it comes from the -German word <i>ey</i>, an egg.</p> -<br> -<p class="hang1"><a name="div4_02" href="#div4Ref_02">Footnote 2</a>: These fish -in the Murrumbidgee and other rivers sometimes -reach the weight of a hundred or a hundred and twenty pounds. They are -evidently genuine perch, although the colonists call them river cod.</p> -<br> -<p class="hang1"><a name="div4_03" href="#div4Ref_03">Footnote 3</a>: The little -history of a life here referred to, may be -given to the public at a future period, as it is neither uninteresting -nor uninstructive; but, for various reasons, it must not be printed at -present.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE END.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Convict, by -G. P. R. 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