 CHARLES HATFIELD It was past midnight, and in only one chamber throughout the Earl of Ellingham's spacious mansion was a light still burning. In that chamber Charles Hatfield was pacing to and fro, his mind filled with thoughts of so bewildering, exciting, and painful a nature that he felt the in-utility of endeavoring to escape from them by retiring to his couch. This young man, twenty-five years of age, so handsome, so intelligent, and with a certainty of inheriting fast riches possessing the most brilliant worldly prospects and knowing himself to be the object of his parents' devoted affection, entertaining, too, a profound love for the beautiful Lady Frances Ellingham, and having every reason to hope that his passion was reciprocated. This young man with so many advantages in respect to position and so many sources of felicity within his view, Charles Hatfield was restless and unhappy. The striking incidents, which had marked the day, the sudden discovery that those whom he had hitherto looked upon as his uncle and his aunt, were in reality his parents, the assurance which he had received respecting the honor of his mother and the legitimacy of his birth, and then the mysterious fact that his parentage was still to remain a secret to the world, all these circumstances combined to tormenting with doubts and misgivings, to excite his curiosity to a painful degree, and to animate him with an ardent longing to penetrate into all that was so obscure and suspicious. It was true that he had promised his mother never to question her, relative to a subject that might be disagreeable to her. For the moment, too, he had been satisfied with the assurances of his legitimacy, which he had received from the lips of his father. But when he found himself alone in his own bed-chamber, surrounded by the stillness of the night, he could no longer check the natural current of his reflections. The deep silence in which the mansion was enveloped, the secluded position of his apartment, and the slightly romantic turn of his mind all united to give an impulse to thoughts which were so intimately associated with subjects of mysterious and strange import. Then many circumstances, remembered in connection with his early boyhood, but until now never before pondered upon with serious attention, recollections hitherto vague and disjointed, only assumed a more intelligible aspect to his mental contemplation. Memory exerted herself with all her energy to fill up blanks and bring vividly forward those reminiscences that until this moment had been like dim and misty vapors floating before the mind's eye. He fixed his gaze intently on the past, until the feeblest glimmerings assumed a bolder and more comprehensible light, and by degrees the confusion of his ideas relative to his early being yielded to something like order, so that it became enabled to fit incidents into their proper places and even make some accurate calculations with regard to the dates of particular occurrences. In a word a light had streamed in upon his soul, illuminating many of the hitherto unexplored cells of his memory, giving significance to recollections on which he had never before paused to ponder, and investing with importance various reminiscences that had not until this period engaged his serious attention. Naturally of a happy and cheerful disposition, an intent on soaring aspirations relative to the future rather than on speculations and wanderings concerned with the past, he had never until now been struck with certain facts which, though having a dwelling place in his memory, had failed to occupy his meditations or excite anything like suspicions in his mind. But the incident of the day had set him to work in the silence of his chamber and the depth of the night, to call forth all those sleeping reminiscences, to examine them one by one, connect them together, and make them up as well as he could into a continuous history, and from the aggregate deduce a variety of truths intimately regarding himself. All this was not done through any disrespect for his mother or his father, nor any change of feeling in reference to them. No, he loved them all the more tenderly, the more fervently, now that he knew they were his parents and not mere relations. But if he fell into a train of thought, which we now find him engaged, it was that he could no more help yielding to that current of reflections than a child could avoid being carried whirlingly along the rapids of a Canadian stream which had engulfed it. And now, let us see into what connected form the meditations and recollections of Charles Hatfield had settled themselves. Seating himself at the table, on which he lent his elbows, and supporting his head on his hands in which he buried his face, he pondered in the ensuing manner. My earliest reminiscences carry me back to a period when I must have been about five years old, and then I was accustomed to call a good woman whose name was Watts, my mother. But she died, I forget precisely under what circumstances. And then, when I was nearly six, I was taken care of by a gentleman named Rainford, yes, and he had a beautiful wife named Tamar, and this Tamar was the sister of the Countess of Ellingham. Mr. Rainford and Tamar were very kind to me, I remember well, but I was not with them long, and now there is so much confusion in my thoughts, so much bewilderment in my reminiscences touching that particular period of my life, that I scarcely know how to render my ideas continuously accurate. I fully recollect, however, that he whom I grew accustomed to call by the endearing name of Father, although I knew that he was not my father, I mean, this Mr. Rainford. I recollect, I say, that he was absent for some weeks, and that I pined after him. Then Tamar would reassure me with promises of his return. But I remember that she used to weep very much, oh, very much. One day she put on black clothes, and she was going to dress me in mourning also. But she cried bitterly, and then threw the dark garments away. Next I recollect being taken to the house of Mr. De Medina, where I saw Esther for the first time, that Esther who is now Countess of Ellingham. The happiness I experienced that day dwells in my mind, for I recollect as well as if it were but yesterday that all Tamar's sorrow had suddenly disappeared, and that she gave me the most earnest promises that I should soon see Mr. Rainford again. And I did behold him again soon, but it was at some town in France, whether I was taken by Mr. De Medina and his two daughters. Then we all traveled in the Poches and Four, and we repaired to Paris, where I remembered that the Earl of Ellingham and Jacob Smith joined us. We went to Harvard agross, and I remember it was that town, because I have seen it since. And there Mr. De Medina, Esther, and the Earl of Ellingham left us. Mr. Rainford, Tamar, Jacob Smith, and myself going on board of a ship. We were not very long at sea, but the next incident which I remember was traveling along with Tamar to London, where we took up our abode at the country seat of Mr. De Medina. That was it, Finchley. We never went out, I remember, but kept close to our own room. Esther and Mr. De Medina frequently visited us. How long we lived in this manner I cannot recollect. But now my mind settles with horror on the never-to-be-forgotten lamentation which, child as I was, struck horror to my soul as it echoed through the dwelling, for Mr. De Medina and Esther had suddenly learnt that Tamar, the good, kind Tamar, who had been absent at a considerable time that day, was foully and brutally murdered. Oh, how I cried, how bitterly I wept! But if I asked any questions, which I must naturally suppose that I did, they were not answered or they were answered vaguely. Yes, all particulars were carefully kept from me. This was doubtless nothing more than a mere matter of prudence, for I was but a child of between six and seven. Mr. Rainford now came back to live at Finchley, but how unhappy he was. I remember well one evening, a very few days only, after the dreadful death of her whom I was wont to call my mama, that Mr. Rainford, after a long conversation and whispers with Lord Ellingham, suddenly turned toward me, caught me up in his arms, and covered me with kisses. Yes, that incident has ever remained indelibly impressed upon my memory. It was followed very soon by Tamar's funeral, and almost immediately afterwards I was sent to school at a great distance. For I remember that Mr. De Medina and Esther themselves took me there, and that we traveled all day in a pochette. Ah, and now I recollect too, yes, it flashes into my mind, that before they left me they charged me never to mention the name of Rainford at the school. For my own name, at that time, was Charles Watts. For three years did I remain there. Mr. De Medina and Esther frequently visited me, even after she had become the Countess of Ellingham. Every six months I went home to Finchley for the holidays, and found Mr. Rainford always staying at Mr. De Medina's house, and always ready to receive me with kindnesses. Then Mr. De Medina died, and we all went in the morning for him. I returned to school for another year. When, between ten and eleven, I was suddenly sent home, that is, to the Manor House at Finchley, which Mr. Rainford had continued to occupy after Mr. De Medina's death. But instead of meeting Mr. Rainford, as I had expected, I was taken into the presence of a gentleman and a lady, neither of whom I had ever beheld before. These were Mr. Hatfield and Lady Georgiana. Here the young man paused in his meditations, as if to fix all his powers of thought with as much intensity as possible upon that era of his life whence dated, as it were, a new existence. But his ideas came rushing in upon his soul with such overwhelming force as literally to hurry him along, and, obedient to the current of continuous and self-linking reflections, he thus proceeded in that silent history which he was repeating to himself. And what were my first impressions on entering into the presence of Mr. Hatfield and Lady Georgiana? I scarcely know now, for I remember that the lady snatched me to her bosom, folded me in a fond embrace, covered me with kisses, and even wept over me. It was the first time I had ever seen her to my recollection. Mr. Hatfield then embraced me in his turn, and with as much fervor as if he had been the Mr. Rainford whom I had expected to meet and to behold. I was then, as I just now reckoned, between ten and eleven when all this happened, and it struck me, I recollect it well, that there was a considerable likeness between Mr. Rainford and Mr. Hatfield. But then Mr. Rainford had light hair, and Mr. Hatfield black. Mr. Rainford had reddish whiskers, and those of Mr. Hatfield were as dark as jet. Yes, those were my ideas at the time, but I suppose they were the offspring of a delusion. Nevertheless, when I called to mind the features of that Mr. Rainford, who was so good to me in my infancy, it even seems now that I can recollect a resemblance between them and the countenance of my own father, such as it now is. Still, this is most probably mere fancy, and I wish to arrive at truths, not indulge in idle speculations. Well then, to go back to that interview, that first interview between myself and those who have since turned out to be my parents, I can call to mind each look that they bestowed upon me, each word they uttered. They told me that they were my uncle and my aunt, that they were rich and intended to have me live with them altogether henceforth, and be recognized as their heir. Also that Mr. Rainford had gone upon a long, long voyage to settle in some far-off land, whence perhaps he should never return, and that they would supply the place of the parents whom I had lost in my infancy, and of the generous friend who had thus quitted his native shores for ever. There was so much in the voice, manner, and language of Mr. Hatfield which reminded me of Mr. Rainford that this circumstance materially consoled me for the deprivations of my long love protector. I was, moreover, just at that age when kindness, handsome clothes, indulgence, and the change of scene which immediately followed were fully calculated to attach me to those who gave me so many enjoyments. Thus I am afraid that I was ungrateful to the memory of Mr. Rainford by loving Mr. Hatfield too soon and too well. For I could not then suspect that he was my father, no, nor did I ever until the truth burst so suddenly upon me this day. But I was nature which prompted that feeling, and I remember well how joyous and happy I was when told, on that occasion of that first interview, that thenceforth I must bear the name of Hatfield. Here he paused again, as if in doubt whether he had omitted any detail, reminiscence, or incident which should constitute a link in the narrative that he was endeavouring in his progressive thoughts to render as complete as possible. This solemnly, profoundly interesting would it have been for a human observer, himself unobserved, to have contemplated that fine and handsome young man, thus devoting the hours when others slept to the task of tracing by memorial efforts his career from the days of infancy to the present moment. But no I, beheld him, save that of him who beholdeth all things, and who sleepeth never. Only had I been taken into the care of Mr. and Lady Georgiana Hatfield it was thus he proceeded in his continuous meditations. When we repaired to the continent, having travelled through France we crossed the Alps and entered the delicious land of Italy. The Sardinian states were traversed by us in that leisurely manner which allowed us to view everything worthy of inspection. For some weeks we stayed at Florence, the capital of the beauteous grand duchy of Tuscany. Thence we journeyed to Rome, and for several months we did sojourn in the eternal city. But the health of a young man who was with us, and whose name was Jacob Smith, required a change of climate. Mr. Hatfield was deeply attached to this youth, who on his side treated my father with the utmost deference and devotedness. The Roman physicians recommended the genial air of Montoni, and we accordingly removed to the sovereign city of Castelsicala. But Jacob Smith appeared to have some secret sorrow preying upon him, and he pined away before our very eyes. Yes, he had a secret source of grief, for I remember well now that one night he uttered dreadful screams and ejaculations in his sleep which awoke and alarmed me, for I slept in the next room to him. I recollect that I rushed in, fearful lest his chamberhead caught on fire, and that before I could arouse him he shrieked forth in thrilling tones, old death, Benjamin Bones, my father, no, no. Poor fellow, he died soon afterwards, and I wept much, for he was always kind and good to me. But that ejaculation of old death, Benjamin Bones, even then seemed to touch some cord within my soul, as if awakening a long dormant but vague reminiscence. And now again that name of Benjamin Bones, that frightful appellation of old death. Oh, they do not seem so unfamiliar to me as if I had never heard them mentioned but that once and by the lips of Jacob Smith. Were not those names, in fact, some way associated with recollections of a much earlier date? Did I never hear those names pronounced in my earliest boyhood? It appears to me that I did, and yet I vainly, oh, how vainly, endeavored to plunge my eager glances through the mist, a dense dark mist which envelops that idea, reducing the thought to a suspicion so damn and vague that I dare not adopt it as a link in this history of mine. And yet, why does the name of old death produce a kind of shattering within me, as if the influence of a very early recollection still partially remained? Wherefore does the appellation of Benjamin Bones seem more familiar to me than I can possibly conceive a reason for? There are moments when I appear to obtain the least glimmering, the least scintillation of a light at the remote profundity of this mystery, a light for which an instant seems to promise an elucidation of all I wish to know in that respect, and then becomes suddenly extinguished, leaving me in a deeper and darker uncertainty than before. Charles Hatfield pressed his hands violently to his forehead as if to awaken recollections that slumbered too soundly to be otherwise aroused. But he could not conjure up nor evoke a single idea that was calculated to throw any light on the obscurity which enveloped the very thing in his mind respecting the two name. The utterance, whereof, thrilled his very soul. What means that horrible phrase, old death? He asked himself a hundred times. And is it in any way connected with the name of Benjamin Bones? Is the phrase a name itself, likewise? And if so, are old death and Benjamin Bones one and the same person? Why should those names produce upon me a disagreeable effect, as if I suddenly came in contact with a loathsome snake? I know not, and yet it is so. The more I ponder upon that night when poor Jacob Smith shrieked out in his sleep, the more vivid do my recollections become concerning the horror that convulsed him, in the piercing tense anguish which marked his tone. Oh, there must have been something dreadful, appalling, terrible in the associations which the names of old death and Benjamin Bones conjured up in the young man's mind at the time. And this Benjamin Bones must have been a bad, a very bad person. But wherefore do I say, must have been, may he not be alive now? In a word, what do I know of him? Nothing, nothing. And yet, and yet, something seems to tell me that I did know more of him once than I do now. Perhaps when I was a child I heard evil things said of him. Things which have long since fled from my mind, leaving only a general and very faint impression behind, and that impression unfavorable to the object of it. Let me not then dwell longer on this point of my narrative, that narrative which I seek to compile from the myriads of ideas that until this night have been all scattered in my brain, never concentrated and reduced to order until now. Yes, from that chaos of memories I have succeeded in rescuing reminiscences and thoughts sufficient to form a somewhat continuous and connected history. And heaven must guide me, if so be its will, sooner or later to clear up all that is still obscure, and gratify my craving, my ardent curiosity unto the fullest extent. But wherefore am I devoured with this burning desire to know all that there may be to know relative to myself? Alas, it is in my nature. The incident of the day just past has suddenly aroused that curiosity within me. For I feel I have an innate conviction that there is a mystery attached to my birth, the elucidation of which must some day or another have a powerful influence upon my destinies. But, oh, if it should prove that I am pursuing investigations which must end in stamping me with a stigma of illegitimacy and bringing to light the dishonour of my mother. But no, no, this cannot be. My father would not otherwise have given me the solemn assurance that my mother is an angel of innocence and purity, and never has been guilty of weakness or frailty. Then he paused, and now he arose from his seat and paced the room for several minutes, agitated by the fear that he was militating against the wishes or perhaps even the interests of kind parents, by venturing to give full reign to the impetuous curiosity that had seized upon him. And yet, as ere now observed, he could not restrain the ardour of that sentiment, which, more powerful than himself, engulfed him in its onward, eddying influence. Resuming his seat, resuming likewise his meditative attitude, and with his countenance again buried in his hands, the young man took up the chain of his thoughts from that point where he had suddenly broken off to reflect upon the secret and mysterious influence which the words Old Death and Benjamin Bowens produced upon him. I reached in my mental narrative that epoch when poor Jacob Smith died. I was then about thirteen, a little more than thirteen, and I mourned sincerely for him. Frequently, did I visit his grave in the beautiful cemetery where he was buried, and often, often as I wandered on the banks of the clear and broad Ferretti, down to whose crystal margin that cemetery stretched, often did I marvel who that departed youth was, and what secret time might have linked him to Mr. Hatfield. Years passed rapidly away, years unmarked by any incident on which my mind need pause to ponder. I grew up happy, gay, and seldom thinking of the past. The bright and shining future, decked with all the glorious and golden hues which sanguine imagination could devise, was ever the topic of my thoughts. Oh, well do I recollect that when between eighteen and nineteen years of age, I began to comprehend the affairs of the great world, to study well the political condition of nations, and to observe that the state of Castlesacala languished under the tyranny of the Grand Duke Angelo. Then I longed to become a hero, to have an army at my command, to achieve the independence not only of Castlesacala, but of all Italy. These aspirations continued until I became an enthusiast in the cause of freedom, and though of English birth, yet deeply, sincerely, did I sympathize with the generous-hearted Castlesacalans when the treachery and despotism of the Grand Duke Angelo called a mighty Austrian army into the state to besiege and overaw the capital. But Providence suddenly sent a champion to rescue a fine country and a noble people from the power of the invaders. No Castlesacala native, no Italian patriot watched the career of Richard Markham with so much anxiety, such burning hope, and such deep suspense as I. When I heard those persons who were his best well-wishers in their hearts shake their heads and declare that the constitutional cause could not possibly succeed with so youthful a leader and such slender resources, I thought otherwise, yes, I thought otherwise because I wished otherwise. Then as victory after victory marked the progress of the hero, Estrella Piazzera and Arbrante giving their names to the triumphs of the constitutional army, I longed to fly into the presence of the conqueror and implore him to permit me to wield a sword in the same cause. But we were then prisoners, as it were, within the walls of Montoni, which was besieged by the Austrians, and while all was dismay, confusion, and terror around, I alone seemed to entertain a conviction as to the result. Nor was I mistaken, the constitutional army, under the command of Richard Markham, advanced to raise a siege, and beneath the walls of Montoni was fought the most sanguinary action of modern times. From morning's dawn till the evening lasted that terrific encounter. But at eight o'clock on that evening the capital was delivered. Yet why should I now dwell on all these incidents? Why detail to myself all that followed, the flight of the Grand Duke Angelo, the accession of Alberto to Ducal Throne, and the subsequent arrival of Richard Markham, then Prince of Montoni, to settle with his lovely wife, the Princess Isabella, in the capital of the state which owed so much to him. Never shall I forget the exuberant joy which greeted his return to Montoni, and to render that day more remarkable, the Grand Duke, whose father-in-law had convoked for the first time the chambers of senators and deputies instituted by the new constitution previously promulgated. And the first act of those chambers was to recognize the prince as heir apparent to the Throne. The Grand Duke appointed him Captain General of the Castlescullan Army, that army which he had led to conquest and to glory. It was a joyous and a memorable day for me when Mr. Hatfield and Lady Georgiana, having left their cards at the palace, received an invitation to a ball given by the Grand Duke and Duchess to celebrate the arrival of their son-in-law and beautyist daughter. For I was permitted to accompany those whom, at that time, I believed were my uncle and my aunt. When did I find myself in the presence of royalty for the first time? And I was agreeably disappointed and surprised to discover that condescension, affability, and great kindness of manner were fully compatible with a loftiest rank. For such was the bearing of the Grand Duke Alberto and his Duchess, as well as the prince and princess of Montoni. From that time forth I have become almost a worshiper of his royal highness the prince, an enthusiastic admirer of his genius, his character, and his glorious achievements. To me he appears unrivaled as a warrior, faultless as a statesman, and estimable as a man, endowed with every virtue, every qualification that can ennoble him, not only as an individual who created rank and honors for himself by his high merits, but who was also the most splendid specimen of nature's aristocracy that the world has ever yet seen. The young man raised his head as he reached this climax in his thoughts. As the light of the lamp beamed upon his countenance it was reflected in eyes brilliant with enthusiasm and with a glow excited by a heart swelling with loftiest aspirations. Oh, shall I ever be able to raise myself to eminence, he exclaimed, clasping his hands together, as if in earnest appeal to heaven. May I hope ever to make for myself a name which the whole world shall pronounce with respect and admiration. But first, first he continued, still speaking loud and in excited tone. I must satisfy this ardent curiosity which has seized upon me. Wherefore all these dreadful mysteries, wherefore do not my parents acknowledge me as their son if I really be legitimate? Why am I still to pass as their nephew? Are they ashamed of me? Have I ever done ought to bring disgrace upon their name? No, no, and they gave me that name, their own name, of Hatfield, and of their own accord. But who was the good woman, Sarah Watts, that I used to call by the title of mother? Why was I entrusted in my infancy to her care? For what motive was it that my parents never took charge of me until I was upwards of ten years of age? And who was that kind and generous Mr. Rainford that I loved so much, and whom I have not now heard of for many long years? How I must find the solutions of all these mysteries, the answers to all these questions. Yes, whatever be the result, whatever be the consequences, I must tear away the veil which conceals so much of the past from my view. Charles Hatfield rose from his chair as he pronounced these last words with strong emphasis. And, beginning to pace the room in an agitated manner, he was repeating his impassioned determination to clear up all that was at present obscure and dark, when a remorse struck into his soul, producing a sensation that made him real and stagger. For had he not said to Lady Georgiana, but a few hours previously, I now know that you art my mother, and I care to know nothing more. Never, never shall I question you concerning the past, the enjoyment of the present, and the hope which gills the future these are enough for me. And had he not said to his sire, by what right do I dare question the conduct of parents who have ever treated me so kindly? No, my dear father, I seek not any explanation at your hands. I am content to obey your wishes in all things. Charles Hatfield was a young man of fine principles and noble feelings, and the solemn nature of those assurances, striking with suddenness and force upon his mind, filled him with bitter regret that he should have ever thought of violating such sacred pledges. No, no, he exclaimed in an impassioned manner. I will not play so vile a part toward my parents. I will not renders myself so little in my own estimation. Let me endeavor rather to fly from my thoughts, to crush, subdue, stifle this wicked curiosity which has seized upon me. Let me indeed be contented with the happiness of the present and the hopes of the future, and not seek to tear away the veil that conceals the past. The secrets of my parents must be solemnly preserved from violation by my profane hands. How dare I, presumptuous and willful young man that I am, how dare I institute a search into the private matters and histories of the authors of my being. Then enraged and indignant with himself in one sense, and satisfied with the timest decision to which he had come in another, Charles Hatfield hastened to retire to his bed, where the exhaustion and fatigue of long and painful thought soon sealed his eyelids in slumber. But will he succeed in crushing the sentiments of curiosity which have been awakened within him? Or is he already preparing the way by this night's long meditation for a vast amount of sorrow to fall upon and be endured by many? End of Section 15 Section 16 of Mysteries of London, Volume 4. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Stephen Seidel. Mysteries of London, Volume 4 by George W. M. Reynolds, the projected railway company. It was striking ten by all the clocks at the West End on the morning of the day following the incidents which have occupied the five preceding chapters. When a cab drove with insane speed along a fashionable street in that district of the metropolis just alluded to, and having stopped at the door of the best house in the said street, out leapt Mr. Bubbleton's styles with a large roll of papers in his hand. I told you that you would not do it by ten o'clock, said this gentleman, addressing the reproach accompanied by an angry look to the cab man. Not done by ten, sir, exclaimed the astonished and indignant driver, but it's only just a finish striking by every blessed clock in this year part of town. Just finish striking, cried Mr. Stiles, pulling out his watch. It's a minute and a quarter past ten. I tell you, here's your fare. Do Bob, all the way from Crosby Chambers, growled the man, turning the money over and over in a discontented fashion in the palm of his hand, that won't just do, if you please, sir. You promised me three, Bob, if I brought you here by ten, and you did not fulfill the bargain, sharply interrupted Mr. Stiles. As he hurried up the steps of the large house and knocked at the door, this was immediately opened by a servant in such a splendid, outrageously splendid livery that no other indication was required to distinguish the mansion of a parvenu, or in other words, a vulgar upstart. Is Mr. Podgison at home, demanded Mr. Stiles? Yes, sir, what can sir, what name sir, were the hurried phrases which came from the domestic slips? Well, ain't you gonna pass the extra, Bob, you gent? He hurried the cab in, as he mounted sulkily to his seat and drew a sack around his knees, although it was the middle of summer, so strong as the force of habit. Mr. Stiles dained no reply to this derogatory adoration. But having given his card to the servant, he entered the great man's great house, while a cab drove away at a pace which seemed to intimate that the horse had become as salty as its master. The hall was very magnificent, but everything was new. The statues, the vases, the marble pillars, the gilding on the doors that opened out into the ground floor apartments, even the libraries of the servants lounging about, all were new. Mr. Stiles was shown into a small parlor, where the pictures, the mirrors, the mantel ornaments, the furniture, the carpet, the hangings, everything there was likewise new. The paint scarcely seemed to have dried, nor the putty in the window frames to have hardened. In a few minutes, the domestic, who had left Mr. Stiles alone during an interval, returned with the intimation that Mr. Podgison would see him at once. And the railway projector was forthwith, conducted up a wide and handsome marble staircase through a splendidly furnished anti-room into a sumptuous apartment, where the great man was seated at a table covered with railway plans, letters, maps, newspapers, visitors' cards, and acts of parliament, all scattered about in a confusion that had been admirably well studied and purposely arranged. The impression of the newness of everything in the mansion was strengthened in the mind of Mr. Bubbleton Stiles at every pace which he had taken from the hall door into the room where he now found himself. It appeared as if Mr. Podgison, or Mr. Podgison's wife for both, had endeavored to the utmost of human power to crowd the apartments, staircases, the landings, and in fact every nook and corner with as many evidences of wealth as possible. Fine paintings by old masters set in brand new glittering frames were hung in the very hoarse lights, and without the least regard to their relative styles, coloring, or subjects. Each room had two or three timepieces in it, and as they were not in accordance with respect to the hour, Mr. Bubbleton Stiles' ideas of precision and punctuality received a severe shock when he heard 10 o'clock proclaimed a half a dozen times during the first 20 minutes which elapsed after he first set foot in the mansion. In a word, the entire aspect of the house was a reflection of the vulgar, untasteful, and self-sufficient minds of the stuck-up people who, having grown suddenly rich, did not know how to render their dwelling elegant and comfortable without making it gaudy and ridiculously ostentatious in its appointments. Mr. Podgison was a short, stout, thick-set man with an enormous stomach, a very wide back, and little snumpy legs. His head seemed to be stuck on his shoulders without the intervening aid of any neck at all, and his features were coarse, ugly, and totally inexpressible of even the slightest spark of intelligence. His tongue appeared to be much too large for his mouth, his speech being remarkably disagreeable. Indeed, his free utterance seemed to be impeded as if he were always sucking a large lollipop or had an enormous quid of tobacco stuck in his cheek. When he walked, it was for the most ungainly waddle that could possibly be conceived, and his clothes, though no doubt made by a fashionable tailor, sat upon him just as if they had been thrown on with a pitchfork. Had this man been invested with regal robes, had he arrayed himself in the Tyrion Prupple, which Rome's emperors were wont to wear, he could not have looked otherwise than a low vulgarian, which he was. We shall not pause for a moment to give account of the rise of Mr. Podgison from obscurity to that renown with which the sudden acquisition of great wealth established for him. Having sprung from the people, he turned against the people when he became a rich man. His property enabled him to purchase burl, and the instant he found himself in parliament, he joined the protectionists, the bitter enemies of the popular cause. Had this man taken his place among the liberals, we should not have remembered his physical ugliness and his immense vulgarity of manners. We should have admired and esteemed him. But to associate with aristocrats to squeeze the squat-pudgy form amongst the exquisites and the exclusives of the West End, to affect the most refined notions and ape everything fashionable, for him to do all of this, it is really too ridiculous, too ludicrous, to absurd to permit us to keep our countenance when we think of it. Persons cannot help being naturally vulgar any more than they can help being ugly. But the vulgar should not thrust themselves into those scenes and spheres where they are certain to stand out in most ignoble prominency. Hereby forcing on all beholders the effect of the ludicrous contrast. Neither should the ugly adopt such an awful swagger and assume an error of such insufferable self-complacency as to render themselves most disagreeably remarkable and conspicuous. Mr. Podgison had acquired his immense wealth by railway speculations and the disgusting syncopants who invariably attached themselves to rich men with weak minds had nonsensically dug him the railway lion. Had they called him the railway elephant in allusion to his unwieldy proportions or the railway bear in reference to his manners or the railway donkey in respect to his intelligence they would have been more faithful to truth. But the railway lion he was and it was now in the presence of this tremendous animal that Mr. Bubbleton Styles stood. Without rising from his chair Mr. Podgison MP waved his hand with all the majesty of a stage monarch and as this gesticulation was intended to be a fashionable no a dignified mode of desiring Mr. Bubbleton Styles to be seated Mr. Bubbleton Styles seated himself accordingly. Mr. Podgison then stared very hard at his visitor. This was the railway lion's method of intimating that he was all attention. I believe sir said Mr. Styles in a very polite and courteous manner but without anything like cringing servility I believe sir that you last night received the letter from Alderman Tripes. Oh, ah, exclaimed Mr. Podgison in his thick voice. I remember my very particular and intimate friend Mr. Alderman Tripes assures me in his communication that you have a famous project on the tappy Mr. Podgison met top a but could not precisely achieve the correct pronunciation. And that project I shall have much pleasure in submitting to you sir headed Mr. Styles proceeding to unfold a large roll of papers which he brought with him. Well I don't mind that is to oblige you I'll just look over them said Mr. Podgison in a different careless way. But he added glancing at the elegant watch which he drew with affected negligence from his waistcoat pocket. I've got an appointment at quarter to 11 and I must be punctual to the Rendezvous. Mr. Styles assured the great man that he would not be taining for a moment beyond the time named for the Rendezvous. And spreading his plans and maps on the table the small speculator began to explain his objects and views to the large capitalist. Who's the engineer? Inquired the latter. Then looking at the corner of the plan and perceiving the name he cried oh, dumberly eh? Well he's a good man a very good man. I was talking to Lord Newtleton the other day about him. Lord Newtleton and me are intimate friends you know very intimate. His lordship has reason to be proud of your friendships or observed Mr. Styles adroitly availing himself of the opportunity to pay a compliment. Eh well Newtleton does seem grateful said the railway lion glancing complacently at one of his boots. But about the spec of yours Mr. Styles shall you have a good list of provisional committee? First rate sir especially if you will condescend to head it return the small speculator with a bow to the great one. Well we shall see exclaimed Mr. Podgesson. But first as to the probability of success let me just make a calculation or two. Nothing is done without calculations and I'm a rather quick figures. Now your capital is eight million pounds and four hundred thousand shares good deposit two pounds two shillings per share good again. But about the expenses and receipts the outlay in the incomings on which we may reckon with certainty let me see twice two's four and twice four's eight and nine times nine's eighty one at eleven times eleven's a hundred and twenty one. That gives us five hundred thousand here then there's two hundred thousand here well quite the great man suddenly interrupting himself in the midst of calculations which although they were as unintelligible as Chinese language to Mr. Styles is to be hoped were a trifle more comprehensive to the gentleman who was making them an amusing half whispering tone and counting mysteriously on his fingers at the same time. Well he cried suddenly desisting from the earth medical process with a satisfied air of a man who had arrived at conviction by means of the most subtle considerations. Well I do think it will succeed Mr. Styles and I I will condescend to become our chairman Mr. Pudgesson said the other finishing the sentence which the railway lions extreme modesty and sensitive bashfulness had left thus uncomplete. I am well aware sir and the public are well aware likewise that you've entered into the grand affairs the railway world with no interested motion that you never took a single share with the idea of making it a means of gain. No sir your views have been holy and solely to benefit your fellow countrymen indeed you yourself have proclaimed as much in your place in the House of Commons and the civilized world echoes with the mighty truth. You are a benefactor sir a philanthropist a patriot and those sorted ideas ever influenced you. It is upon this ground and on this ground only without even venturing to hint that there will be five thousand shares reserved for the chairman and provisional committeemen and that they are certain to rise to a high premium the moment they are issued without daring to mention such a thing in your presence sir but relying solely on your known readiness to countenance every fair legitimate and honorable undertaking which promises to benefit our fellow men and produce 50 percent profits. It is upon these grounds Mr. Pogeson that I solicit you to become the chairman of the Grand British Longitudinal Railway. Mr. Stiles narrowly watched the effect which this magnificent oration produced upon the railway lion and as he beheld the fat ignoble vulgar countenance of that stupendous animal slowly expanding with satisfaction he knew that he was as sure of nailing Mr. Pogeson for a chairman as he was sure of seeing Captain O'Blunderbuss and Mr. Frank Curtis in the afternoon at three o'clock to partake of chops and sherry at Crosby Hall Chambers. Nor was Mr. Bubbleton Stiles mistaken in as dignified a manner as it was in his nature to assume in as good English as it was in his power to employ the great Mr. Pogeson gave his assent to the proposition. Mr. Stiles was already in the midst of a set speech of thanks when a pompous looking livery servant entered the room. Well Thomas what now demanded Mr. Pogeson. Please sir answered the domestic whose countenance denoted offended dignity and wounded pride. There's a troublesome gentleman down below who says he must and will have a interview with you sir. Must and will ejaculated the railway lion sinking back in his chair with an amazement which could not have been greater had someone rushed into telling that the Chinese had invaded England and made a Mandarin Lord Mayor of London. Yes sir must and will grown the horrified domestic. Well I never heard such impotence in my life explained Mr. Bubbleton Stiles affecting the deepest indignation a little piece of hypocrisy which completely won the railway lion's heart. And as this person for you were wrong to call him a gentleman John said Mr. Pogeson somewhat recovering from a stupefaction does this person who must and will see me John me Mr. Stiles does this person I say give his name or business. Please sir he gave me his card returned to Flunky and here it be. The high and mighty railway lion took the pace board between the tips of his thumb and forefinger and having glanced at it he tossed it with sublime scorn into the waste paper basket exclaiming in his rough disagreeable voice Mr. Clarence Villiers a well I suppose I'd better see him don't move Mr. Stiles you shall just see how I'll serve the insolence fellow that must and will have an interview with me the domestic retreated without turning his back upon his master or in other words step backwards to the door as if he were quitting the presence of royalty and Mr. Stiles again vented as well affected indignation and surprise that people should be so bold and inconsiderate as to have proved themselves into the presence of Mr. Pogeson in such a manner. Bold and inconsiderate repeated the railway line it is audacious and intolerable shameful cried Mr. Stiles perfectly insupportable will siphirated Mr. Pogeson monstrous in the extreme exclaim Mr. Bubbleton Stiles actually working himself up into a passion but I'll put a stop to it continue the railway line dealing a tremendous blow with his clenched fists upon the table I'll bring in a bill next session Mr. Stiles to protect public men from insolent intrusion it will serve the scoundrels quite right my dear sir responded the small speculator approvingly by Gad all pay the rest goes off for it exclaimed the mighty man who could command hundreds of thousands of pounds but not the minutest fraction of his temper the door now opened again and the pompous domestic whose countenance was expressive of deep indignation ushered in the reader's old friend Mr. Clarence billiards now a fine handsome man in the prime of life well sir what do you want demanded Mr. Pogeson with all the overbearing insolence of a contemptible parvaneu in the first place sir replied Clarence speaking in a firm but gentlemanly tone and glancing toward the servant who lingered near the door I must take the liberty of advising you to recommend to your lackey to treat at least with respect if not with courtesy those persons who business may bring to your house for I can assure you that it required no ordinary forbearance of my part to restrain my hand from laying this cane across his shoulders what sir you dare sir stammered Mr. Pogeson his vast ignoble countenance becoming the color of scarlet I dare chastise anyone who is insolent to me be he who or what he may be sir answered billiards in a very significant way and it's so determined atone to that the pompous domestic evaporated and the railway line was struck speechless with amazement for he felt as if he were literally bearded in his den being myself a gentleman by birth and education and I hope in manners and conduct I am accustomed to treat my equals with courtesy and my inferiors with kindness and I will tolerate insult from neither but enough of that subject Mr. Pogeson continued billiards the object of my visit is soon explained for many years I have enjoyed a confidential situation in the service of the Earl of Ellingham oh I really beg your pardon Mr. Villiers exclaimed the railway line with a start as if the piles of a voltag battery had suddenly been applied to his unwieldy carcass I wasn't aware that you knew Lord Ellingham or else but pray take a chair Mr. Villiers thank you sir I would rather stand answered Clarence in a cold almost contemptuous tone for he saw full well that this sudden plightless was not paid to himself but to his connection with aristocracy yesterday afternoon Mr. Pogeson I returned from the country by the western provinces railway and I was most anxious to reach London at the usual hour for the arrival of that particular train in as much as the business which I had in hand for my noble employer was urgent and pressing concede then my annoyance when the train stopped for three quarters of an hour at a midway station and without any substantial reason I remonstrated with the persons on duty at that station I even alighted and saw the clerk several other gentlemen whose time was likewise precious joined me and my endeavors to prevent further delay but all in vain and the excuse was that the train had to wait for a basket of fruit for Mrs. Pogeson the lady of the chairman of the company now sir with all possible respect to the fair sex I submit to you that it is too bad and praise her interrupted the mighty railway lion flying into a furious passion why should not my wife receive her fruit in time by again sir the train should have waited an hour for it had it been necessary and it would have been as much as the situations of the guard and engineer were worth to have continued the journey without that basket then you mean me to understand sir said billiards in a calm and gentlemanly tone which contrasted strongly with the insolent overbearing manner of the purse proud Bulgarian upstart you mean me to understand that you approve of the conduct of your underlings delaying a train containing upwards of a hundred persons to most of whom time was precious for the sake of a basket of fruit approve of it cried the railway lion astonished that any doubt should exist upon the point why I ordered it sir then all I can say and comment upon such improper conduct is that if the government and the legislature have permitted companies to grasp these tremendous monopolies in order to use them as instruments of private convenience without the slightest regard to the time or feelings of the public then I for one continue Clarence billiards emphatically protest against so atrocious a despotition and I begin to be ashamed of my own country when I find it becoming the scene of a petty tyranny who would raise an outcry even in Russia or Austria Oh the shoe pinches there does it cried Mr. Pogeson in the vulgar triumph effected by wealth over popular interests tell you what sir and I shall not attempt to disguise the matter we monopolists as you call us have got the railways in our own hands and we mean to keep them I and do with them just as we like do you know how many hundred miles of railway I've got under my control ask the first person you happen to meet and you'll be sure to find out well do you think I won't use my rights and privileges I may almost say prerogatives Hey Mr. Stiles Oh decidedly my dear sir exclaimed that gentleman approvingly well resume the railway lion do you think I won't use my prerogatives as I choose and fancy if Mrs. Pogeson wants even so trifling a thing as a new laid egg for many particular station the train shall wait for it talk to me about people's times what the devil do I care for it people must put up with things as they find them they can't help themselves we've knocked all the coaches off the roads and you have no alternative but to go with us the perhaps when a train is late at starting or when it is kept as it was yesterday some of you knowing gentlemen will be after taking a poche at the company's expense I just advise you to do it you'd have to sue us for the amount and we'd ruin you in return to recover five guineas you would have to pay as many hundreds in law costs by sir it is perfect madness to think of fighting the great public companies and we'll let the people know it too having arrived at this liberal and enlightened determination the railway lion ceased through sheer exhaustion the volubility of passionate declamation not suiting his guttural voice although sir I obtained at your hands no satisfaction for the infamous delay to which the train was subjected yesterday said Mr. Billiers who had listened with calm and gentle meanly attention to the furious mouthings of the Hepstart I am nevertheless pleased that I should have taken the trouble to call upon you in reference to the matter I have learned a lesson which I had not expected I find that the sudden acquisition of wealth is calculated to set a man who rises from the people against the people and that monopoly is a more tremendous engine of oppression in the hands of narrow-minded and self-sufficient persons than even its greatest haters could have conceived I do not envy you you're rich as sir nor your sovereign sway over many miles of railroad nor even the title with which a fulsome and contemptible flattery has invested you for the poorest mechanic who does his duty toward his fellow creatures is a worthier and more estimable being than you with these words uttered not savagely but in a tone of firm and measured reproach Clarence Billiers retired from the presence of the railway line who appeared for the moment to have had a calf skin thrown around his recurrent limbs so astounded and amazed was he at the language which as a visitor had dared to address to him this is the most atrocious proceeding I ever knew in the whole course of my life that length exclaimed Mr. Bubbleton's styles who in reality had been much amused by the scene I suppose that the riffraff as I always call the people will be willing to tell us next that railways are public property credit Mr. Pudgison but we'll show them the difference hey Mr. Stiles won't we Mr. Stiles and the railway line condescendingly thrust his fingers in a jocular way into the small spectator's ribs and then the great man and the little man had a hearty laugh together that of the former being in the boisterous ho ho ho style and that of the latter in the more respectable and submissive hee hee hee fashion having got upon this very comfortable and pleasant understanding together Mr. Pudgison and Mr. Stiles chatted for about a quarter of an hour respecting the new railway scheme then the latter took his departure highly delighted with the reception he had experienced and the success of his visit punctually as the clock struck three that afternoon did Captain O. Blunderbus and Mr. Curtis present themselves at the office in Crosby Hall Chambers and as a third stroke was proclaimed by the churches in the neighborhood they entered the spectator's private room where that gentleman was seated at the table with his watch in his hand good exclaimed Mr. Stiles returning the watch to his pocket this is business-like and I am well pleased the chops you perceive are smoking hot sherry I know is first rate thus speaking he did the honors of the table and the two guests did honor to the meal the chops speedily disappeared so did the bottle of wine and the second was already opened before a word had been uttered on business matters now gentlemen have length cried Mr. Stiles I will give you a toast here's the health of our chairman the railway lion no you don't mean to say ejaculated Mr. Curtis hold your tongue Frank and let Mr. Stiles say whatever he chooses exclaimed the captain drink the toast man and that's all about it I can assure you gentlemen continued the promoter of the new concern that I have fulfilled the promise which I made you yesterday Hodgeson is ours hooray vociferated Frank Curtis hoorah thundered Captain O. Blunderbuss it is indeed a subject for congratulations said Mr. Stiles the next point I wish to speak to you about is the prospectus a proof of which I have received from the printer it would have been already for issue by this time well in my interview with the railway lion was prolonged far beyond the hour which I had expected to be back in the city again and you may be sure that I was in no hurry when engaged with him added Mr. Bubbleton Stiles smiling significantly here you see he continued displaying the proof of the flaming prospectus which he had drawn up here is the glorious document it is sufficient to set the very tabs on fire never were such magnificent promises never such brilliant hopes held out and look 32 names of the most eminent alderman merchants common councilmen and gentlemen why half of them got f r s to the end of their names ejaculated Frank Curtis what the deuce does that mean and by Joe if he cried now completely beside himself with astonishment this is strange here's the secretary Francis Curtis Esquire f r s m a m s i s et cetera et cetera my dear friend Stiles patients patients Frank said that gentleman with bland complacency those initial stand for various honorary distinctions which give respectability to the name for instance you are represented as being a fellow of the royal society a master of the arts and a member of several learned societies God bless you my dear fellow even the very et cetera have their weight in a railway prospectus but I am nothing of all that you describe ejaculated Frank Curtis surveying Mr. Stiles with an expression of amazement that was quite ludicrous I'm well aware of that answered the city gentlemen Cooley neither are half the alderman or common councilman f r s s or anything else unless it's a s s s but no railway scheme can be got up without those kind of gammon for that it's precisely the word and an alderman who would send a poor devil to the treadmill for obtaining goods under false pretenses if he only represented himself as Jones instead of notes will himself assume any honorary distinction that is calculated to go the public look at alderman Higgs Higgs for example sake glance over the list of different railway schemes and amongst the provisional committee men belonging to each you will see Higgs Higgs Esquire alderman f r s etc etc even that consummate ass alderman's son has dubbed himself in a similar fashion therefore I see no reason why Frank Curtis Esquire or Captain Gormano Blunderbuss should not be an f r s likewise this explanation was highly satisfactory to the two gentlemen last mentioned and on the strength of it they drank bumpers to the success of the projected enterprise I have duly registered the company observed Mr. Stiles and I have had an interview with Demerley the engineer this afternoon oh I can assure you that I've not been idle Demerley is ready to swear that he has surveyed the whole line from the south of England to the north of Scotland but how is that possible demanded Frank again lost in astonishment for crafty and cunning as he was in petty trickery he was all together bewildered in the mazes of colossal swindles you only thought of the plant a few days ago and Demerley would not have even had time to travel the whole distance there in back post haste much less to survey it leisurely you are quite green in these matters Frank observed Mr. Stiles green ejaculated Captain Oh Blunderbuss be jazus the Emerald Isle itself isn't so green as my friend Frank insert and respect but it's after enlightening in your Mr. Stiles and he'll be all the better for the teaching Demerley is a regular good fellow I can assure you resumed the promoter you will be the engineer I said damn this afternoon I told Pogesson that he would most certainly replied and in the case the bill should be opposed in the committee you will be ready to swear that you particularly surveyed the part of the line relative to which the objections may be raised of course was his answer and you will also swear that your plans are perfectly correct as a matter of course he again replied well then said I here's a five pound note for you and now fall the work as hard as you can to get all the plans up in such a business like way that they may look legitimate Demerley accordingly took himself off as happy as a prince and thus everything goes on completely in our favor but it is now three minutes to five and at five precisely I shall step into the Hackney Omnibus at the flower pot added Mr. Styles looking at his watch for the hundredth time during the last quarter of an hour Frank Curtis and Captain O. Blunderbuss took the hint and their departure and the promoter of a scheme for raising millions treated himself with a six penny ride in an omnibus as far as Cambridge Heathgate in which suburban quarter this great man resided in a six roomed house including the kitchens end of section 16 section 17 of Mysteries of London volume 4 this is a LibriBox recording all LibriBox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriBox.org recording by Brian Keenan Mysteries of London volume 4 by George W. M. Reynolds Illucidations at the conclusion of the 124th chapter we asked whether Charles Hatfield would succeed in crushing the sentiments of curiosity that had been awakened within him alas no it was impossible his better feelings aroused by the startling remembrance of the assurances he had respectively given his father and mother had for a few hours triumphed over that insatiable longing to penetrate into the mysteries of the past but when he again found himself alone in his chamber in the silence of night he could not subdue the thoughts which forced themselves upon him and which were all connected with those mysteries thus was it that we again find him pacing his chamber while others slept pacing up and down in an agitated and excited manner and maintaining a desperate struggle within his own soul for the irresistible temptation which beset him was to ponder once more and deeply on the incidents of his early days and to endeavor to retrieve from the abysses of his memory any other recollections that might be slumbering there for the sake of the pledge given to his mother for the sake of the assurance made to his father he strove, yes, sincerely, ardently he strove to vanquish that temptation yet he could not human nature possessed not so grand a power he might have ruled his actions by his will but his thoughts defied all control yielding, therefore, at length to their current he was whirled along by the same eddying tide of reflections which had swept him through so considerable a portion of the preceding night and now the efforts of memory by one of those superhuman strainings which while they seem as if they must break the very fibers of the brain also appear to evoke a sudden flash from the depth of some profound cerebral cell those powerful and painful efforts in a moment as it were established a connection between the name of Benjamin Bones and the murder of Tamar yes, Charles Hatfield suddenly became aware that the name and the incident were in some way associated and he necessarily supposed that in his childhood he had heard facts mentioned which had created that impression at the time but the nature of which he could not now for the life of him recall to memory this impression was probably vague even at the period when it was engendered because Charles recollected full well that the utmost caution was adopted by those around him not to discourse upon the particulars of the foul murder in his presence nor even to respond otherwise than evasively to the questions he put he being a mere child at the time as the young gentleman paced up and down his mind laboring with the new reminiscence which had arisen within it suddenly struck him that there were means of informing himself of all and every detail of that murder whereof he at present entertained only a vague and general impression of its atrocity his long absence on the continent had prevented him from ever even accidentally falling in with an English book of criminal annals or a file of English newspapers to which he might have referred had the thought struck him so to do but now what was to restrain him for making those searches which would throw every light on an occurrence of such fearful interest scarcely was this idea conceived when the means of instantaneously carrying it into execution suggested itself for Charles Hatfield remembered that in the well-stored library of the mansion he had observed a complete set of the annual register from the very origin of that useful work until the most recent date of its publication and now he trembled from head to foot he literally gasped for breath at the thought of being unable to tear away the veil of mystery from at least one incident which was so materially connected with his childhood for Tamar had been as a mother to him during the few months that he was in her care there was in his soul a deep and yet undefined pre-sentiment that he stood on the threshold of strange discoveries that important revelations were about to be made to him and without being superstitious he bent to the influence of the solemn but dim forecasting this awe-inspiring but vague prescience taking the lamp in his hand he stole gently from his chamber descended the wide and handsome staircase traversed a long corridor in the niches of which stood beautiful specimens of sculpture and entered the spacious library on each side of the door was a marble statue as large as life the young man started but only for a moment as the white and motionless effigies stood out suddenly as if it were from the deep darkness which the lamp illumined it was not that he had forgotten such statues were there nor that he was positively frightened at their appearance but his soul was influenced by one of those pre-sentiments which are of themselves superstitions and character and moreover he was on the point of seeking information relative to the details of a foul and horrible murder instantly recovering himself and blushing at his fears he advanced into the library closing the door carefully behind him then approaching a particular range of shelves he reached down the annual register for the year 1827 in less than a minute he was seated at the table with the book opened at the proper place before him and greedily oh how greedily he plunged as it were into its contents but great heavens why starts he thus what discovery has he made what revelation has been afforded he learns with a frightful sinking of the heart that rainford was a highwayman that he had been executed at horsemonger lane jail that he had been resuscitated by some means or another with which the rider was unacquainted that he had reappeared in london in the disguise of a blackamore and that he had received the royal pardon for all his crimes these details were incidentally given in the course of the narrative of the foul murder of tamar who was represented to have been rainford's wife now also charles hatfield discovered how terrific was the connection between the name of benjamin bones and the assassination of that ill-fated daughter of israel yes and he perceived to that benjamin bones and old death were one in the same individual and he shuttered from head to foot as he perused nay almost rushed through the details of the crime which had been committed nineteen years previously in the subterranean cells belonging to a house in red lion street clerken well but charles hatfield is not satisfied with what he has already devoured for we can scarcely use the word red his curiosity to know more has become insatiable and guided by the hints and the observations occurring in the narrative of the murder he refers to an earlier page in that volume in order to obtain a full and complete insight into the trial and condemnation of rainford that rainford whom he had loved so well the whole particulars were given in detail and with accuracy the robbery of sir christopher blunt the capture of rainford by dykes and his mermidins in locksfields the trial of the condemnation and the execution charles red red on with horrified feelings which often threatened to get the better of him but there was one point in the evidence which riveted his attention dykes the officer in explaining the mode in which the highwaymen had been taken into custody used these words when I and my people gained admittance into the house in brandon street the prisoner was in bed with his mistress a jewice then thought charles had field immediately tamar was not his wife that is clear enough although the narrative of the murder would imply otherwise but the only inference that can be drawn from this discrepancy is that the reporter of the assassination was delicately and judiciously sparing of the feelings of the medina family whereas in the former case it was absolutely necessary to record the evidence just as it was given poor tamar no wonder that thy name is never mentioned now by those who once knew thee no wonder that even thy very sister the countess of ellingham seems to have forgotten thee thus charles hadfield suddenly adopted the belief that tamar was not rainford's wife neither indeed was she at the time when rainford was arrested by mr. dykes and it never struck the young man that the matrimonial ceremony might have been performed between the period of rainford's resuscitation and the murder of the jewish lady for when the nuptial blessing was performed in paris charles being then a mere boy was not present at the proceedings which took place as privately as possible in the british ambassadors chapel as for his suspicion that the countess of ellingham was ashamed to breathe the name of tamar oh the reader may judge how erroneous was that belief in her heart of hearts to the generous ester treasured the image of that dearly beloved sister and if neither herself nor her noble husband ever breathed her name it was through kind feelings towards mr. hatfield and motives of delicacy in respect to georgiana but charles being as yet ignorant that his father and rainford were one and the same person could not possibly suspect the necessity for the exercise of such kind feelings on the one hand or such delicacy on the other and thus murmur charles to himself as he closed the book which had made such marvelous and horrifying revelations and thus thomas rainford was a highwayman the good kindhearted generous man who loved me was a felon a criminal he passed through the hands of the public executioner oh my god what dreadful things have i this learned he exclaimed aloud pressing his hand to his forehead but how came this thomas rainford to have the care of me how was it that my parents could have left me so long in his hands or at his disposal oh no wonder no wonder that mr. d medina and ester should have charged me when first they left me at school never to mention the name of rainford and now how many gaps in the earliest portion of my reminiscences are filled up that absence of mr. rainford for several weeks during which period i pined after him that constant weeping of tamar then the removal to mr. d medina's house and the sudden revival of joy which tamar experienced there but a highwayman a felon a criminal oh what awful mysteries envelop all this matter still for the earl of elingham was intimate with rainford and it was said i remember that at mr. d medina's death he left to this same rainford a large fortune a fortune to whom to the seducer of his daughter to one who had passed through the hands of the public executioner and lord elingham was intimate with the man who seduced the sister of his intended wife and ester was friendly likewise with him who ruined that sister gracious god all this is most unaccountable so unaccountable that i'm lost bewildered but most mysterious ten thousand times the most mysterious of all these incidents is that one grand fact to which i cannot but recur how could my parents have left me in the care of a highwayman it is true that he received the royal pardon but that pardon ah the register says that it was procured through the interest of lady hatfield that dykes an officer of justice was present at the time when that lady announced just heavens a light breaks in upon my soul oh no no and yet that resemblance may god have mercy upon me and the young man groaning bitterly bitterly in the anguish of his spirit fell back in his chair covering his face with his hands yes a light had indeed broken in upon him elucidating a terrible mystery in a terrible manner lady georgiana hatfield had procured the royal pardon lady georgiana hatfield must therefore have had strong reasons thus to exert herself in behalf of a convicted felon who had passed through the hands of the hangman but had been recalled to life and restored to the world in some wondrous manner but of what nature were those potent reasons naturally did it strike charles hatfield that love must have been the cause and when he recollected the resemblance which existed between his own father and that thomas rainford who had once been his friend and protector it flashed to his mind that he in whom lady hatfield had shown such tender interest even to the compromising of her fair fame in the eyes of the world he for whom she had so far stepped aside from the precise course of female delicacy as to implore the royal pardon he it must be who was her husband yes yes it was now as clear as the sun at noon day mr. hatfield and thomas rainford were one and the same individual and he charles hatfield was the son of a highwayman who had been tried convicted and ushered through all the ignominious ordeal of the scaffold for several minutes the young man sat motionless crushed stupefied astounded by the appalling truth which he had elicited from his fatal investigations into the past for several minutes it must have been a mere balancing of chances whether he should awake from that dreadful reverie to the light of reason once more or suddenly start up a howling hopeless maniac but this latter condition was not to be his frightful doom by degrees by very slow degrees he recovered so much of his self-possession and composure has to be unable to look his misfortune in the face and even fall into additional reflections on the subject yes thomas rainford and mr. hatfield are the same individual and he is my father it was but little more than 19 years ago when the trial in the ordeal of the gallows took place and i am 25 was my mother was lady hatfield my father's wife at that time in other words am i legitimate as god is my judge said my father yesterday she has never been guilty of weakness or frailty then what am i to believe that my father and my mother were married privately in an honorable manner and that i was the offspring of that lawful union then that my father deserted my mother and became enamored of tamar whom he took as his mistress and lastly that after tamar's death my parents were reunited this this must be the truth and therefore my father deceived me not when he so emphatically proclaimed my mother's virtue and my legitimacy but oh my god well mighty have said that the weightiest reasons had alone induced him and my mother to practice a deception towards myself in the world in respect to the degree of relationship in which i really stood with regard to them yes for the world perhaps dates the marriage of my parents only from the time when they were reunited a few years after tamar's death and hence the necessity of calling me their nephew i understand it all now oh yes i understand it all too well i am legitimate but i am the son of a highwayman my god how bitterly bitterly is my curiosity punished this night and now the young man sobbed as if his heart would break wither had flown his dreams of ambition where now were his hopes of emulating the career of his royal highness the prince of montoni the son of a highwayman these were the words that fell 10 times in a minute from his tongue that was the idea which now say dominant and all absorbing but like a leaden weight upon his soul and did he loathe his father did he curse the author of his being no no a thousand times no deep profound immeasurable was the pity which he entertained for his sire and if he loathed anything it was his own existence if he cursed ought it was his own being for oh terrible indeed was it for that fine young man of lofty principles generous nature and soaring aspirations terrible was it for him to receive a blow so sudden a shock so rude a rebuff so awful better better far had it been for him to remain in ignorance of his parentage still to have looked on mr hatfield as his uncle and on lady georgiana as his aunt rather than have learned a secret which only prompted him to fathom collateral mysteries and clear up associated doubts for the result of these researches was the elucidation which had flashed on him with almost lightning effect blasting searing scorching a cursed book he suddenly exclaimed hurling the annual register across the apartment as if the volume were a living thing and endowed with human feelings so as to be susceptible of the venting influence of his rage but in the next moment he reflected that no trace of an untimely or mysterious visit to that library must remain that none must suspect his prying or his researches for not for worlds no not for worlds would he have his father or mother know that he had made the discoveries which characterized this memorable night he accordingly rose from his seat raised the volume from the floor and turned to the bookcase to replace it this act so simple in itself was destined to lead to a circumstance thenceforth influencing the entire destiny of Charles Hadfield for as he thrust the volume back into the place on the shelf whence he had taken it he heard a sharp abrupt sound like the click of a lock he was in that humor when every incident however trivial was calculated to assume an importance in his imagination and standing on a chair he proceeded to examine the Wayne scotting at the back of the shelves for which purpose he removed several of the books to his surprise he observed a small aperture formed by the opening of a sliding panel and which revealed a recess in the wall of about a foot square the violence with which in his excitement he had thrust the book on the shelf having acted on the secret spring whereby the panel was fastened under ordinary circumstances Charles Hadfield would have immediately closed the recess in which he beheld a small leaven case and a packet of letters in the same way as he would have abstained from reading a manuscript lying on a desk or evidently left about through inadvertence but on the present occasion he was not his own master his honorable feelings were triumphed over by emotions of the most painful nature and it was impossible in this state of mind that he should avoid catching at any circumstance savoring of mystery every such circumstance apparently linking itself with his own concerns thus obedient to an impulse which he could not control he seized the leaven case of the documents as if they were a glorious prize and returning to his seat proceeded to examine them the leaven case contained a roll of letters and other documents tied round with a piece of ribbon so faded that it was impossible to determine what its color might have originally been the writing in the papers was however still completely legible the leaven case and the total absence of damp in the little recess having preserved them for a period of half a century wrapped around the roll of papers in the case was a letter addressed to the Earl of Ellingham and it instantaneously struck Charles that it was in the handwriting of his father Mr. Hadfield by the comparative darkness of the ink it was of a far more recent period than the documents which it accompanied but the precise time when it was written did not immediately appear no date being attached to it without pausing to reflect upon the impropriety of violating the sanctity of correspondence concealed with so much precaution in a secret recess but carried away by the influence of those feelings which we have above attempted to describe Charles Hadfield devoured the contents of this letter though they are already familiar to the reader yet for the purposes of our narrative we quote them again I have sent you the papers my dear brother for so I shall make bold to call you still to convince you that I did not forge an idle tale when we met last whatever your motive for abandoning me in my last hour may be I entertain no ill feeling towards you on the contrary I hope that God may prosper you and give you long life to enjoy that title and fortune which in so short a time will be beyond the possibility of dispute I promise to leave behind me a written narrative of my checkered and eventful history for your perusal but need I explain wherefore I have not fulfilled this promise TR his brother his dear brother gasped Charles Hadfield as the letter dropped from his hands but his eyes remained intently fixed upon it his brother he repeated my god then am I the nephew of the Earl of Ellingham am I the cousin of Lady Francis whom I already love so well but gracious heavens he ejaculated as another and still more thrilling idea flashed to his mind if Mr. Hadfield be indeed the brother of the Earl of Ellingham as he assuredly is then is he the elder brother and if the elder brother he himself should be the bearer of the title and I I should be of eye count but ah perhaps my father is the illegitimate offspring of the late Earl and that this is the reason wherefore the family honors and estates have devolved upon the younger brother and yet what mean these words give you long life to enjoy that title and fortune which in so short a time will be beyond the possibility of dispute oh here again is some dreadful mystery just heavens what a faded doomed family is ours doubt uncertainty secrecy characterize all its history at least the experience of the last two days would lead me so to believe at this moment the young man's eyes fell upon the roll of paper which he had taken from the leather case and with feverish impatience yet still with care and as much as the documents were as fragile with old age as tinder he proceeded to examine them and oh how deep how intense suddenly became the interest with which he now perused the diary and the letters of the unfortunate Octavia manners his excitement was stilled his impatience was subdued a deadly pallor succeeded the hectic flush upon his cheeks still and motionless satie his eyes devouring the contents of those important papers the frightful treachery of old death towards his half sister the beautiful but ill-fated Octavia was revealed step by step but there was likewise an elucidation which touched a chord that thrilled to the inmost recesses of young Hatfield's heart and this was the fact that Octavia was wedded by the late Earl of Ellingham previous to the birth of the child yes there was the marriage certificate there too was the certificate of the child's baptism and that child was therefore at its very birth the heir to the proud title and the entailed estates of a mighty earldom here let us pause for a few moments to afford an explanation which now becomes necessary if the reader will refer to the 47th chapter of this narrative he will find recorded so much of the history of poor Octavian manners as Arthur himself was acquainted with in relating that history to Lady Georgiana Hatfield Arthur had stated that Octavia fled away from her vile half-brother's house the very day after her disgrace was consummated for several months no trace was discovered of her it was feared she had committed suicide during that interval the first count is of Ellingham died at length the Earl Arthur's father accidentally discovered that Octavia was living and that she was in a way to become a mother he hastened to the miserable Garrett which she occupied and found her in the most abject state of poverty endeavoring to earn a subsistence with her needle all his affection for her revived with renewed vigor and his heart smote him with remorse for the appalling treachery which he had perpetrated towards her he saw her ruined in health character and spirits ruined by him still surpassingly beautiful but only a rack of what she once was he saw all this and he was horror struck at the effects of his crime he threw himself on his knees he offered her every possible reparation which it was in his power to make and then for the sake of the child which she bore in her bosom she said if you would prove your contrition my lord if you would impart one single gleam of hope however faint to my goal you will make me your wife it is not for myself that I demand this boon in your hands for a boon it becomes when the violator espouses the violated yes a boon in the estimation of the world though only an act of justice in the eyes of god no it is not for myself tis for our child think not that I the sister of the marine store dealer shall ever assume the name or adopt the rank of countess of elliom let our union be secret only let it take place at once so that our child may be legitimate thus spoke octavia manners on that occasion and the earl of elliom her violator consented to all that she asked they were married with so much privacy that even Miranda the faithful gypsy girl who had formed so strong an attachment to octavia remained ignorant of the important occurrence but the very next day octavia fled no affection had she for the noble who had ruined her who had been the cause of her severance from the object of her first and only love she had only asked him to marry her for the sake of the honor of their child's parentage and the ceremony being performed she withdrew herself into the strictest solitude and obscurity to brood over her woes and sufferings in secret such was the substance of that portion of octavia's own diary which revealed to charles hatfield the fact that the injured girl was indeed the countess of elliom when her child was born and that child's career could be traced yes satisfactorily traced step by step by means of the papers which the young man had taken from the leaven case and the packet of letters that he had likewise found in the recess and it was evident beyond the least possibility of doubt that the individual whom the world had known as thomas rainford and whom it now knew as mr hatfield it was clear even beyond the remotest ground of suspicion to the contrary that this individual was the rightful earl of elliom recollect to reader that charles hatfield had become firmly impressed with the belief that he was the legitimate offspring of his parents and now therefore conceive the wild enthusiasm of his delight when he came to the conclusion that he was in reality a viscount by present rank and had an earldom in the perspective forgotten was the fact that had ear now stunned and stupefied the fact that his father was the notorious highwayman thomas rainford he thought of that no more in the delirium of his rapture at the idea of having a noble title within his reach but had he not on the previous day assured lady francis elliom that he envied only the greatness which had made itself and not that which was obtained by the accident of birth yes and at the time he conscientiously believed that he spoke his own thoughts correctly now however that the temptation appeared to be within his reach it possessed charms and attractions of irresistible power recalling to mind the sounding titles of the object of his admiration and heroic worship he began to fancy that the right honorable the earl of elliom was not comparatively so very insignificant even when uttered after the swelling appellations of his royal highness field marshal the prince of montoni captain general of the castle sickle and army an heir apparent to the grand ducal throne suddenly as it were we behold the young man whose sentiments were so noble and generous while he deemed himself to be a mere civilian having every exertion to make in order to rise to eminence suddenly we behold him seized with an insatiable ambition now that a coronet appeared to be actually within his reach but did he contemplate the immediate adoption of measures to force his father to rest the title and estates of the earldom from arthur we know not all that passed through the mind of charles hat field on this fatal night we can however ever that having fully perused the valuable documents which had made to him such important revelations he did not restore them to the secret recess where he had found them but secured them about his own person previously to quitting the library he closed the sliding panel and replaced the annual register in such a manner that the shelf did not appear to have been disturbed the west end clocks were striking three and the light of a july morning was streaming through the windows of the mansion when charles hat field retired to his own chamber his first care was to consign to his writing desk the documents and letters which he now considered to be the arbiters of his destiny and this being performed he sought his couch but slumber would not visit his eyes myriads of conflicting ideas were in his brain he felt that he had to play the hypocrite to keep a bridle on his tongue to control every look and measure every word until the time should come for proclaiming all he knew for the present he would not distress his parents by allowing them even to suspect that the things which they considered to be such profound secrets were no longer so to him no he would endeavor to appear the same gay frank confiding affectionate charles hat field that he hitherto had been these were amongst the principal reflections which chased sleep from his pillow until long past four o'clock and when at length his heavy lids were weighed down through sheer exhaustion of the mental and physical energies his slumber was agitated with wilds and varying visions and he awoke unrefreshed and still suffering with the fatigue of his long vigil end of section 17 recording by brian keenan