Reade_Foul_Play.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
that forged the promissory
note for 2000, and sent it to , and that
1400 of it was to be for my own use, and to pay my
debts. confess that bribed to scuttle the ship
in order to cheat the underwriters.**
then turned to and asked him the true
motive of this fraud.
" the gold was aboard the " said ;
" played hanky-panky with the metals in 's store.'*
" that down," said . " go on."
" a clean breast," said . " have. as
how you cooked the 's log, and forged
's writing."
" the newspaper extracts you sent me," said ,
" and the letters from . ."
groaned. " tell all that " said he.
" word, or be indicted," said sternly.
wrote it all down, and then sat staring stupidly.
the next thing was, he gave a loud shriek, and fell on
the floor in a fit
sprinkled water over him, and ccmveyed him
home in a cab, advising him to leave the country, at the
same time promising him not to exasperate those he had
wronged so deeply, but rather to moderate them, if required.
he gave fifty guineas.
, at 's request, went with her to *
, and with the proofs of 's guilt and 's
^''^ by
innocence ; and he undertook that the matter should go in
proper form before the of . , somehow, it
transjnred that the had been scuttled, and several
of the underwriters wrote to the to threaten pro-
ceedings. senior returned but one answer to these
gentlemen : '^ your proofs to me at my place of busi-
ness next at twelve, and let me judge the case^
before you go elsewhere."
^' is high and mighty," said one or two; but they
conferred and agreed to these terms, so high stood the old
merchant's name.
came ; they were received with stiff courtesy.
deposition of and was produced, and ,
kept up to the mark by , told the truth, and laid his
two thousand pounds intact down on the table.
^^ that is off my stomachy" said he, ** and 'm a man
again."
*' , and 'll marry you next week," said ,
" , gentlemen," said old , " my course seems
very clear. will undo the whole transaction, and return
you your money less the premiums, but plus five per cent,
interest.
this he did on the spot, for the firm was richer than
ever.
they were gone^ came in, and
said
'^ hear, sir, you devote this day to repairing the wrongs
done by your firm : what can you do for me ?"
laid a copy of 's confession before him.
old man winced a moment where he sat, and the iron
passed through his soul.
was a long time before he could speak. last he
said
** wrong is irreparable, fear.**
said nothing. as his own heart was, he was
not the one to strike a grand old man, struggling so bravely
against dishonour.
senior touched his hand-bell.
*' . to step this way."
came.
'," said the old merchant, ''the house of -
law exists no more. was built en honesty, and cannot
survive a fraud. & were partners at wilL
had decided to dissolve that partnership, wind up the
^"^^ by
accounts, and put up the shutters. now, if you like,
will value the effects, and hand the business over to
and , on easy terms. has been accused of
forcing 's name ; to prove this was a calumny,
put over my door instead of . city
of will understand that, gentlemen, believe me."
". ," said , "you are a just, a noble "
could say no more.
", sir," said ; "if the young gentleman had
only been like you."
" his name no more to me. crime and his
punishment have killed me."
" ," said hastily, " he shall not be punished for
your sake."
" be punished? is not in your hands to decide.
has punished him. is insane."
" heavens ! "
" mad; quite mad. , can no longer
support this interview. me your solicitors address;
the deeds shall be prepared. wish the new firm success.
is the road to it. day."
wound up the affairs, had his name and 's*
painted out at his own expense, and directed the painters to
paint the ' in at theirs ; went home to , and
died in three days. died lamented and honoured, and
was much affected. got it into his head
that he had killed him with 's confession, putting it
before him so suddenly.
" have forgotten who said ' is ,'" said
.
merchant priest left the office to be conducted by his
father ; he used the credit of the new firm to purchase a
living in the of , and thither he retired ; grateful
to , but not easy in his conscience. now
accused himself of having often distrusted , and seen his
fellow-creatures in too dark a light turned towards
religion and the care of souls.
suffering enlightens a man, and makes him tender;
and people soon began to walk and drive considerable dis-
tances to hear the new vicar. had a lake with a new
peninsula, the shape of which he altered, at a great expense,
as soon as he came there.
wrote to every day, and she to him.
could do anything con amore till the post came in.
376
by
afternoon, as he was preaching with great unction, he
saw a long puritanical face looking up at him with a droll
expression of amazement and half irony. stranger called
on him, and began at once.
", parson, you are a , you air. ginn it
us hot, you did. 'm darned if ain't kinder ashamed to
talk of this world's goods to a saint upon airth like you.
never knowed a parson yet as couldn't collar the
doUars."
this preamble he announced that he had got a lease
of the island from , dug a lot of silver plate out of the
galleon, sold ten tons of choice coral, and a ship-load of cassia
and cocoa-nuts. had then disposed of his lease to a
for a large sum. his partner's
share of net profits came to 17,247, 13s. 3jd., which sum he
had paid to , for , in drafts on ,
at thirty days after sight.
shook his hand, and thanked him sincerely for his
ability and probity. stayed that night at the ,
and by that means fell in with another acquaintance.
and his daughter drove down to see the .
wanted to surprise ; and, as often happens, she
surprised herself. made him show her everything ; and
so he took her on to his peninsula. ! the edges of it had
been cut and altered, so that it presented a miniature copy of
.
soon as she saw this, turned round with a sudden
cry of love
'^ , ! " and the lovers were in each other's arms.
'^ could any other man ever be to me ? "
'^ what could any other woman ever be to me } "
knew that before. this miniature island made
them speak out and say it. wedding-day was fixed
before she left.
pardoned this scholar, hero, and worthy, the
crime he had never committed.
took the penitent without the 2000.
old , who knew the whole story, lent the money
at three per cent. ; so the pay a ground rent of 60
a year for a property which, by . 's industry and
judgment, is worth as least 400. pays this very cheer-
fully, and appeals to whether that is not better dian the
other way.
, ," says she, '^to a woman like me that's a foot
^'' by
all day, 'tis worth sixtj pounds a year to be a good sleeper;
and shouldn't be that if had wronged my neighbour."
is in a private lunatic asylum, and is
taken great care o his lucid intervals, he suffers horrible
distress of mind ; but, though sad to see, these agonies furnish
the one hope of his ultimate recovery. not troubled by
these returns of reason, he is contented enough. favourite
employment is to get . 's , and to write
love-letters to , which are duly deposited in
the post office of the establiskment. letters are in the
handwriting of , , , ,
, , , , ihe
late of , and so on ; and, strange to say, the
e never appears in any of them. are admirably
like, though of course the matter is not always equally con-
sistent wiUi the characters of those personages.
married . the wed-
ding-day the presents were laid out, and, amongst them,
there was a silver box encrusted with coral.
curiosity demanded that this box should be opened.
objected; but her bridesmaids rebelled; the whole
company sided with them, and smiled a careless
assent
blacksmith and carpenter were both enlisted, and with
infinite difficulty the poor box was riven open.
was another box, locked, but with no key.
was opened with comparative ease, and then handed to the
bride. contained nothing but indulgences and
rough stones, and fair throats were opened in some disap-
pointment.
lady, however, of more experience, examined the con-
tents, and said, that, in her opinion, many of them were
uncut gems of great price ; there were certainly a quantity of
jaspers and bloodstones, and others of no value at all. '^
look at these two pearl-shaped diamonds," said she ; '^ wl^,
they are a little fortune ; and, oh ! "
stone that struck this ^r creature dumb was a rough
ruby as big as a blackbird's egg, and of amazing depth and
fire.
'' lady in ," said she, ''has such a rubf to
compare with this."
information proved correct. box furnished
with diamonds and emeralds of great thickness and quality.
the huge ruby placed her on a level with sovereigns.
wears it now and then in but not often.
attracts too much attention^ blazing on her fair forehead like
a star^ and eclipses everything.
, what her ruby is amongst stones, she is amongst
wives. he is worthy of her.
much suffering, injustice, danger, and trouble,
they have passed to health, happiness, and peace, and that
entire union of two noble hearts, in loyal friendship and
wedded love, which is the truest bliss this earth affords.