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Unknown - "The Bible, King James version, Book 53: 2 Thessalonians"

Charles W. Colby - "The Fighting Governor"

Unknown - "The Bible, King James version, Book 29: Joel"

Charles Kingsley - "Froude's History of England"

THE CLEVER WOMAN OF THE FAMILY

C >> Charlotte M. Yonge >> THE CLEVER WOMAN OF THE FAMILY




That night, when Conrade and Francis were both fast asleep, their
mother and their governess sat over the fire together, languid but
happy, and told out their hearts to one another--told out more than
Alison had ever put into words even to Ermine, for her heart was
softer and more unreserved now than ever it had been since her
sister's accident had crushed her youth. There was thenceforth a
bond between her and Lady Temple that gave the young widow the
strong-hearted, sympathizing, sisterly friend she had looked for in
Rachel, and that filled up those yearnings of the affection that had
at first made Alison feel that Colin's return made the world dreary
to her. Her life had a purpose, though that purpose was not Ermine!
But where were Edward and his letter?




CHAPTER XXI.



THE QUARTER SESSIONS.



"Is it so nominated in the bond?"--Merchant of Venice.


Malgre her disinclination, Rachel had reached the point of recovery
in which the fresh air and change of scene of the drive to Avoncester
could not fail to act as restoratives, and the first evening with the
Dean and his gentle old sister was refreshing and comfortable to her
spirits.

It was in the afternoon of the ensuing day that Mr. Grey came to tell
her that her presence would soon be required, and both her mother and
sister drove to the court with her. Poor Mrs. Curtis, too anxious to
go away, yet too nervous to go into court, chose, in spite of all Mr.
Grey's advice, to remain in the carriage with the blinds closed, far
too miserable for Grace to leave her.

Rachel, though very white, called up a heroic smile, and declared
that she should get on very well. Her spirit had risen to the
occasion, so as to brace her nerves to go becomingly through what was
inevitable; and she replied with a ready "yes," to Mr. Grey's
repetition of the advice for ever dinned into her ears, not to say a
word more than needful, feeling indeed little disposed to utter
anything that she could avoid.

She emerged from the dark passage into full view of faces which were
far more familiar than she could have wished. She would have greatly
preferred appearing before a judge, robed, wigged, and a stranger, to
coming thus before a country gentleman, slightly known to herself,
but an old friend of her father, and looking only like his ordinary
self.

All the world indeed was curious to see the encounter between Rachel
Curtis and her impostor, and every one who had contributed so much as
a dozen stamps to the F. U. E. E. felt as if under a personal wrong
and grievance, while many hoped to detect other elements of
excitement, so that though all did not overtly stare at the witness,
not even the most considerate could resist the impulse to glance at
her reception of the bow with which he greeted her entrance.

She bent her head instinctively, but there was no change of colour on
her cheek. Her faculties were concentrated, and her resolute will
had closed all avenues to sensations that might impair her powers;
she would not give way either to shame and remorse for herself, or to
pity or indignation against the prisoner; she would attend only to
the accuracy of the testimony that was required of her as an
expiation of her credulous incaution; but such was the tension of her
nerves, that, impassive as she looked, she heard every cough, every
rustle of paper; each voice that addressed her seemed to cut her ears
like a knife; and the chair that was given to her after the
administration of the oath was indeed much needed.

She was examined upon her arrangement that the prisoner should
provide for the asylum at St. Herbert's, and on her monthly payment
to him of the sums entered in the account-book. In some cases she
knew he had shown her the bills unreceipted; in others, he had simply
made the charge in the book, and she had given to him the amount that
he estimated as requisite for the materials for wood-engraving. So
far she felt satisfied that she was making herself distinctly
understood, but the prisoner, acting as his own counsel, now turned
to her and asked the question she had expected and was prepared for,
whether she could refer to any written agreement.

"No; it was a viva voce agreement."

Could she mention what passed at the time of making the arrangement
that she had stated as existing between himself and her?

"I described my plans, and you consented."

An answer at which some of the audience could have smiled, so well
did it accord with her habits. The prisoner again insisted on her
defining the mode of his becoming bound to the agreement. Rachel
took time for consideration, and Alison Williams, sitting between
Lady Temple and Colonel Keith, felt dizzy with anxiety for the
answer. It came at last.

"I do not remember the exact words; but you acquiesced in the
appearance of your name as secretary and treasurer."

The prospectus was here brought forward, and Mauleverer asked her to
define the duties he had been supposed to undertake in the character
in which he had there figured. It of course came out that she had
been her own treasurer, only entrusting the nominal one with the
amount required for current expenses, and again, in reply to his
deferential questions, she was obliged to acknowledge that he had
never in so many words declared the sums entered in the book to have
been actually paid, and not merely estimates for monthly expenditure
to be paid to the tradesmen at the usual seasons.

"I understood that they were paid," said Rachel, with some
resentment.

"Will you oblige me by mentioning on what that understanding was
founded?" said the prisoner, blandly.

There was a pause. Rachel knew she must say something; but memory
utterly failed to recall any definite assurance that these debts had
been discharged. Time passed, all eyes were upon her, there was a
dire necessity of reply, and though perfectly conscious of the
weakness and folly of her utterance, she could only falter forth, "I
thought so." The being the Clever Woman of the family, only rendered
her the more sensible both of the utter futility of her answer, and
of the effect it must be producing.

Alison hung her head, and frowned in absolute shame and despair,
already perceiving how matters must go, and feeling as if the hope of
her brother's vindication were slipping away--reft from her by
Rachel's folly. Colin gave an indignant sigh, and whispering to
her, "Come out when Lady Temple does, I will meet you," he made his
way out of court.

There had been a moment's pause after Rachel's "I thought so," and
then the chairman spoke to the counsel for the prosecution. "Mr.
Murray, can you carry the case any further by other witnesses? At
present I see no case to go to the jury. You will see that the
witness not only does not set up any case of embezzlement, but rather
loads to an inference in the contrary direction."

"No, sir," was the answer; "I am afraid that I can add nothing to the
case already presented to you."

Upon this, the chairman said,

"Gentlemen of the Jury,--The case for the prosecution does not
sustain the indictment or require me to call on the prisoner for his
defence, and it is your duty to find him not guilty. You will
observe that we are not trying a civil action, in respect of the
large sum which he has received from the young lady, and for which he
is still accountable to her; nor by acquitting him are you
pronouncing that he has not shown himself a man of very questionable
honesty, but only that the evidence will not bring him within the
grasp of the criminal law, as guilty of embezzlement under the
statute, and this because of the looseness of the arrange ments, that
had been implied instead of expressed. It is exceedingly to be
regretted that with the best intentions and kindest purposes, want of
caution and experience on her part should have enabled the prisoner
thus to secure himself from the possibility of a conviction; but
there can be no doubt that the evidence before us is such as to leave
no alternative but a verdict of not guilty."

The very tenderness and consideration of the grey-haired Sir Edward
Morden's tone were more crushing to Rachel than severe animadversions
on her folly would have been from a stranger. Here was she, the
Clever Woman of the family, shown in open court to have been so
egregious a dupe that the deceiver could not even be punished, but
must go scot-free, leaving all her wrongs unredressed! To her
excited, morbid apprehension, magnified by past self-sufficiency, it
was as though all eyes were looking in triumph at that object of
general scorn and aversion, a woman who had stepped out of her place.
She turned with a longing to rush into darkness and retirement when
she was called to return to her mother, and even had she still been
present, little would she have recked that when the jury had, without
many moments' delay, returned a verdict of "Not Guilty," the prisoner
received a strong, stem reprimand from Sir Edward, to whom he replied
with a bow that had in it more of triumph than of acceptance.

Burning tears of disappointment were upon Alison's cheek, the old
hopeless blank was returning, and her brother might come back in
vain, to find his enemy beyond his reach. Here was an end alike of
his restoration and of Ermine's happiness!

"Oh!" whispered Lady Temple, "is it not horrid? Is nothing to be
done to that dreadful man? I always thought people came here to do
justice. I shall never like Sir Edward Morden again! But, oh! what
can that be? Where is the Colonel?"

It was a loud, frightful roar and yell, a sound of concentrated fury
that, once heard, could never be forgotten. It was from the crowd
outside, many of them from Avonmouth, and all frantic with
indignation at the cruelty that had been perpetrated upon the
helpless children. Their groans and execrations were pursuing the
prison van, from which Maria Hatherton was at that moment making her
exit, and so fearful was the outcry that penetrated the court, that
Fanny trembled with recollections of Indian horrors, looked wistfully
for her protector the Colonel, and murmured fears that her aunt must
have been very much terrified.

At that moment, however, a summons came for Lady Temple, as this was
the case in which she was to bear witness. Alison followed, and was
no sooner past the spectators, who gladly made way, than she found
her arm drawn into Colonel Keith's. "Is he come?" she asked. "No,"
was rather signed than spoken. "Oh, Colin!" she sighed, but still
there was no reply, only she was dragged on, downstairs and along
dark passages, into a room furnished with a table, chairs, pens, ink,
and paper, and lighted with gas, which revealed to her not only Mr.
Grey, but one who, though eight years had made him stouter, redder,
and rougher, had one of the moat familiar faces of her youthful days.
Her senses almost reeled with her as he held out his hand, saying
heartily, "Well, Ailie, how are you? and how is Ermine? Where can
this brother of yours be?"

"Harry! Mr. Beauchamp! You here!" she exclaimed, in the extremity
of amazement.

"Here is Colin seeming to think that something may be done towards
nailing this scoundrel for the present, so I am come at his call.
We shall have the fellow in a moment." And then, by way of getting
rid of embarrassment, he began talking to Mr. Grey about the County
Hall, and the room, which Mr. Grey explained to be that of the clerk
of the peace, lent for this occasion while the usual justice room was
occupied, Alison heard all as in a dream, and presently Mauleverer
entered, as usual spruce, artist-like, and self-possessed, and was
accosted by Harry Beauchamp, "Good evening, Mr. Maddox, I am sorry
to trouble you."

"I hope there is no misunderstanding, sir," was the reply. "I have
not the pleasure of knowing for whom you take me."

Without regarding this reply, however, Mr. Beauchamp requested Mr.
Grey to take his deposition, stating his own belief in the identity
of the person before him with Richard Maddox, whom he charged with
having delivered to him a letter falsely purporting to come from
Edward Williams, demanding three hundred pounds, which upon this he
had delivered to the accused, to be forwarded to the said Mr.
Williams.

Alison's heart beat violently at the ordeal before her of speaking to
the genuineness of the letter. She had seen and suspected that to
her brother-in-law, but she could not guess whether the flaws in that
to Mr. Beauchamp would be equally palpable, and doubt and anxiety
made her scarcely able to look at it steadily. To her great relief,
however, she was able to detect sufficient variations to justify her
assertion that it was not authentic, and she was able to confirm her
statement by comparison of the writing with that of a short,
indignant denial of all knowledge of the transaction, which Harry
Beauchamp had happily preserved, though little regarding it at the
time. She also showed the wrong direction, with the name of the
place misspelt, according to her own copy of her sister-in-law's
address, at the request of Maddox himself, and pointed out that a
letter to Ermine from her brother bore the right form. The seal upon
that to Mr. Beauchamp she likewise asserted to be the impression of
one which her brother had lost more than a year before the date of
the letter.

"Indeed, sir," said the accused, fuming to Mr. Grey, "this is an
exceedingly hard case. Here am I, newly acquitted, after nearly six
weeks' imprisonment, on so frivolous a charge that it has been
dismissed without my even having occasion to defend myself, or to
call my own most respectable witnesses as to character, when another
charge is brought forward against me in a name that there has been an
unaccountable desire to impose on me. Even if I were the person that
this gentleman supposes, there is nothing proved. He may very
possibly have received a forged letter, but I perceive nothing to fix
the charge upon the party he calls Maddox. Let me call in my own
witnesses, who had volunteered to come down from Bristol, and you
will be convinced how completely mistaken the gentleman is."

To this Mr. Grey replied that the case against him was not yet
closed, and cautioning him to keep his own witnesses back; but he was
urgent to be allowed to call them at once, as it was already late,
and they were to go by the six o'clock train. Mr. Grey consented,
and a messenger was sent in search of them. Mr. Beauchamp looked
disturbed. "What say you to this, Colin?" he asked, uneasily. "That
man's audacity is enough to stagger one, and I only saw him three
times at the utmost."

"Never fear," said Colin, "delay is all in our favour." At the same
time Colin left them, and with him went some hope and confidence,
leaving all to feel awkward and distressed during the delay that
ensued, the accused expatiating all the time on the unreasonableness
of bringing up an offence committed so many years ago, in the absence
of the only witness who could prove the whole story, insisting,
moreover, on his entire ignorance of the names of either Maddox or
Williams.

The sight of his witnesses was almost welcome. They were a
dissenting minister, and a neat, portly, respectable widow, the owner
of a fancy shop, and both knew Mr. Mauleverer as a popular lecturer
upon philanthropical subjects, who came periodically to Bristol, and
made himself very acceptable. Their faith in him was genuine, and he
had even interested them in the F. U. E. E. and the ladies that
patronized it. The widow was tearfully indignant about the
persecution that had been got up against him, and evidently intended
to return with him in triumph, and endow him with the fancy shop if
he would condescend so far. The minister too, spoke highly of his
gifts and graces, but neither of them could carry back their
testimony to his character for more than three years.

Mr. Grey looked at his watch, Harry Beauchamp was restless, and
Alison felt almost faint with suspense; but at last the tramp of feet
was heard in the passage. Colonel Keith came first, and leaning over
Alison's chair, said, "Lady Temple will wait for me at the inn. It
will soon be all right."

At that moment a tall figure in mourning entered, attended by a
policeman. For the first time, Mauleverer's coolness gave way,
though not his readiness, and, turning to Mr. Grey, he exclaimed,
"Sir, you do not intend to be misled by the malignity of a person of
this description."

"Worse than a murderess!" gasped the scandalized widow Dench. "Well,
I never!"

Mr. Grey was obliged to be peremptory, in order to obtain silence,
and enforce that, let the new witness be what she might, her evidence
must be heard.

She had come in with the habitual village curtsey to Mr. Beauchamp,
and putting back her veil, disclosed to Alison the piteous sight of
the well-remembered features, once so bright with intelligence and
innocence, and now sunk and haggard with the worst sorrows of
womanhood. Her large glittering eyes did not seem to recognise
Alison, but they glared upon Mauleverer with a strange terrible
fixedness, as if unable to see any one else. To Alison the sight was
inexpressibly painful, and she shrank back, as it were, in dread of
meeting the eyes once so responsive to her own.

Mr. Grey asked the woman the name of the person before her, and
looking at him with the same fearful steadiness, she pronounced it to
be Richard Maddox, though he had of late called himself Mauleverer.

The man quailed for a moment, then collecting himself, said, "I now
understand the incredible ingratitude and malignity that have pointed
out against me these hitherto unaccountable slanders. It is a
punishment for insufficient inquiry into character. But you, sir, in
common justice, will protect me from the aspersions of one who wishes
to drag me down in her justly merited fall."

"Sentenced for three years! To take her examination!" muttered Mrs.
Dench, and with some difficulty these exclamations were silenced, and
Maria Hatherton called on for her evidence.

Concise, but terrible in its clear brevity, was the story of the
agent tampering with her, the nursemaid, until she had given him
access to the private rooms, where he had turned over the papers.
On the following day, Mr. Williams had been inquiring for his seal-
ring, but she herself had not seen it again till some months after,
when she had left her place, and was living in lodgings provided for
her by Maddox, when she had found the ring in the drawer of his desk;
her suspicion had then been first excited by his displeasure at her
proposing to him to return it, thinking it merely there by accident,
and she had afterwards observed him endeavouring to copy fragments of
Mr. Williams's writing. These he had crushed up and thrown aside,
but she had preserved them, owning that she did not know what might
come of them, and the family had been very kind to her.

The seal and the scraps of paper were here produced by the policeman
who had them in charge. The seal perfectly coincided with that which
had closed the letter to Harry Beauchamp, and was, moreover,
identified by both Alison and Colonel Keith. It was noticeable, too,
that one of these fragments was the beginning of a note to Mr.
Beauchamp, as "Dear H." and this, though not Edward's most usual
style of addressing his friend, was repeated in the demand for the
£300.

"Sir," said the accused, "of course I have no intention of intimating
that a gentleman like the Honourable Colonel Keith has been in any
collusion with this unhappy woman, but it must be obvious to you that
his wish to exonerate his friend has induced him to give too easy
credence to this person's malignant attempts to fasten upon one whom
she might have had reason to regard as a benefactor the odium of the
transactions that she acknowledges to have taken place between
herself and this Maddox, thereto incited, no doubt, by some
resemblance which must be strong, since it has likewise deceived Mr.
Beauchamp."

Mr. Grey looked perplexed and vexed, and asked Mr. Beauchamp if he
could suggest any other person able to identify Maddox. He frowned,
said there must have been workmen at the factory, but knew not where
they were, looked at Colin Keith, asked Alison if she or her sister
had ever seen Maddox, then declared he could lay his hands on no one
but Dr. Long at Belfast.

Mauleverer vehemently exclaimed against the injustice of detaining
him till a witness could be summoned from that distance. Mr. Grey
evidently had his doubts, and began to think of calling in some fresh
opinion whether he had sufficient grounds for committal, and Alison's
hopes were only unstained by Colin's undaunted looks, when there came
a knock at the door, and, as much to the surprise of Alison as of
every one else, there entered an elderly maid-servant, leading a
little girl by the hand, and Colonel Keith going to meet the latter,
said, "Do not be frightened, my dear, you have only to answer a few
questions as plainly and clearly as you can."

Awed, silent, and dazzled by the sudden gas-light, she clung to his
hand, but evidently distinguished no one else; and he placed her
close to the magistrate saying, "This is Mr. Grey, Rose, tell him
your name."

And Mr. Grey taking her hand and repeating the question, the clear
little silvery voice answered,

"I am Rose Ermine Williams."

"And how old are you, my dear?"

"I was eight on the last of June."

"She knows the nature of an oath?" asked Mr. Grey of the Colonel.

"Certainly, you can soon satisfy yourself of that."

"My dear," then said Mr. Grey, taking her by the hand again, and
looking into the brown intelligent eyes, "I am sure you have been
well taught. Can you tell me what is meant by taking an oath before
a magistrate?"

"Yes," said Rose, colour flushing into her face, "it is calling upon
Almighty God to hear one speak the truth." She spoke so low that she
could hardly be heard, and she looked full of startled fear and
distress, turning her face up to Colonel Keith with a terrified
exclamation,

"Oh please, why am I here, what am I to say?"

He was sorry for her; but her manifest want of preparation was all in
favour of the cause, and he soothed her by saying, "Only answer just
what you are asked as clearly as you can, and Mr. Grey will soon let
you go. He knows you would try any way to speak the truth, but as he
is going to examine you as a magistrate, he must ask you to take the
oath first."

Rose repeated the oath in her innocent tones, and perhaps their
solemnity or the fatherly gentleness of Mr. Grey reassured her, for
her voice trembled much less when she answered his next inquiry, who
her parents were.

"My mother is dead," she said; "my father is Mr Williams, he is away
at Ekaterinburg."

"Do you remember any time before he was at Ekaterinburg?"

"Oh yes; when we lived at Kensington, and he had the patent glass
works."

"Now, turn round and say if there is any one here whom you know?"

Rose, who had hitherto stood facing Mr. Grey, with her back to the
rest of the room, obeyed, and at once exclaimed, "Aunt Alison," then
suddenly recoiled, and grasped at the Colonel.

"What is it, my dear?"

"It is--it is Mr. Maddox," and with another gasp of fright, "and
Maria! Oh, let me go."

But Mr. Grey put his arm round her, and assured her that no one could
harm her, Colonel Keith let his fingers be very hard pinched, and her
aunt came nearer, all telling her that she had only to make her
answers distinctly; and though still shrinking, she could reply to
Mr. Grey's question whom she meant by Mr. Maddox.

"The agent for the glass--my father's agent."

"And who is Maria?"

"She was my nurse."

"When did you last see the person you call Mr. Maddox?"

"Last time, I was sure of it, was when I was walking on the esplanade
at Avoncester with Colonel Keith," said Rose, very anxious to turn
aside and render her words inaudible.

"I suppose you can hardly tell when that was?"

"Yes, it was the day before you went away to Lord Keith's wedding,"
said Rose, looking to the Colonel.

"Had you seen him before?"

"Twice when I was out by myself, but it frightened me so that I never
looked again."

"Can you give me any guide to the time?"

She was clear that it had been after Colonel Keith's first stay at
Avonmouth, but that was all, and being asked if she had ever
mentioned these meetings, "Only when Colonel Keith saw how frightened
I was, and asked me."

"Why were you frightened?" asked Mr. Grey, on a hint from the
Colonel.

"Because I could not quite leave off believing the dreadful things
Mr. Maddox and Maria said they would do to me if I told."

"Told what?"

"About Mr. Maddox coming and walking with Maria when she was out with
me," gasped Rose, trying to avert her head, and not comforted by
hearing Mr. Grey repeat her words to those tormentors of her infancy.

A little encouragement, however, brought out the story of the
phosphoric letters, the lions, and the vision of Maddox growling in
the dressing-room. The date of the apparition could hardly be hoped
for, but fortunately Rose remembered that it was two days before her
mamma's birthday, because she had felt it so bard to be eaten up
before the fete, and this date tallied with that given by Maria of
her admitting her treacherous admirer into the private rooms.

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