Is m..-ln f,,w
THE ORGAN
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BY
VALID CLARK.
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Influence.
BY atonal W. BtTHaAT.
Drop followi drop, and iwtlU
With rain tbo twaeping river ;
Word followi word, and Mils
A troth that livtt foravtr.
Flako followi flak, Hko tplrita
Whose wings the winds dissever ;
Thought follows thought, anil lights
The realm of mind forever.
Beam follows beam, to cheer
The cloud the bolt would shiver ;
Throb follows throb, and fear
Gives place to joy forever.
The drop, the flake, the beam,
Teach as a lesson ever ;
The word, the thought, the dream.
Impress the soul Forever.
A THRIMJWH STORY.
tiierivaTlovers:
Or, h Utla Bank Not..
The newtpapen of 1810 contained a few brief
paragraph., cold, bare, and partial as a tomb
.tone, relatire to a lingular, aud to my thinking,
initructive parage in the don estic annali of the
country, with which I happened to be intimate
ly acquainted. The impreulon it produced on
me at the time was vivid and profound, and a
couple of liuei in a Liverpool journal the other
d.v. cnrtlv announcini the death of a Madame
L'kttrange, recalled each incident freshly to
memory a II graven mere Din yesteraay; anu
moreover induced me to pen the following nar
rative, in whieh, now that I can do so without
the risk of giving pain or offence to any one, I
have given the whole affair, divested of color
ing, or concealment.
My father, who had influence with the late
Lord Bexley, t&en Mr. Vantittart, procured me,
three weeks after I came of age, a junior clerk
thin in one of the best paid of our Government
offices. In the tame department. were two
yoong men, my leniors, by six or seven yean
only, of the name of Martin T ravers and Ed
ward Cspel. Their salaries were the samethree
. , 1 1 t j i
hundred ponnas a year, ana ooia oaa sn equai
ebance for promotion to the vacancy likely soon
to oeenr, cither by the death or superannuation
of Mr. Kowdell, an aged and ailing chief clerk.
I had known them slightly before I entered
the office, inasmuch as our families visited in
the same society, and we were soon especially
intimate with each other. They were, 1 found,
fait friends, though different greatly in charac
ter and temperament. I liked Martin Travers
much the beat of the two. He wai a handsome,
well grown, frank spoken, generous young man,
and never have I known a person so full of buoy
ant life as he, of a temper so constantly gsy
and cheerful.
Capel was of a graver, more saturnine dispo
sition, with lines about the month indicative of
iron inflexibility of nerve and will; yet withal,
hearty fellow enough, and living, as was iui
pected.quita np tofhis income, if not to something
considerably over. I had not been more than
obout three months in the office, when a mark
ed change was perceptible in both. Gradually
they had become cold, distant, and at Last ut
terly estranged from each other; and it was sug
gested by several amongst ns, that jealouily as
to who should succeed to Bowdell's snug salary
of six hundred year, might have produced the
evidently bad feeliDg between them. This
might, I thought, have generated the lowering
cloud hourly darkening and thickening upon
Cspel's brow, but could scarcely account for the
change in Martin Travers.
He whose eoutagious gaiety used to render
dulneuand ill-hnmor Impossible in his pretense,
was now fitful, moody, iraiible; his daily tasks
were no longer gone through with the old cheer
ful alacrity; and liually-forthe was morbidly im
patient for being questioned, I jumpted to the
conclusion partly from some half words drop
ped, and partly from knowing where they both
occasionally visited, that the subtle influence
which from the days of Helen downwards
and 1 suppose npwards has pleased and plagued
mankind, was at the bottom of the matter.
I was quite right, and proof was not long wait
ed for. I was walking early one evening along
Piccadilly with Travers who appeared by-the-by
to wish me further, though he was too polite
to say so, when ws eame suddenly upon Capel..
I caught his arm, and insisted that he should
take i turn with ui as he used to do. I thought
that possibly a quiet word or two on the beauty
and excelenoe of kindly brother-hood amongst
men, miht lead to a better feeling between
them. I wa dcucedly miitaken. My efforts
in that line awkwardly enough made, I dare
MT proved utterly abortive. Capel indeed
turned back, rather" than, as I supposed, fuuily
persist in ' going on, but both he and Travers
strode on stiffly as grandiers on parade their
eheeks flushed, their eyes alight with angry
motion, and altogether sullen and savage as
bears. What seemed odd too, when Travers
turned sharply round within a short distance of
Hyde Park Corner, with a scarcely disguised
intention ot shaking us off, Capel whirled round
ae quickly, a if quite as resolutely determined
M .t-tVl (L ( . ' r I'll
not to be shaken off; whilst I, considerably
alarmed by the result of the pacific overture 1
had ventured upon; did, of course the same.
We stalked on, in silence, till just as we reach
ed Hoby's, and a Mr. Kerrey, with his daughter
Constance, turned suddenly out ol at. James
street. I was fiery hut to the tipsof my ears in
sn initant. Travers and Capel stopped abrupt
ly, stared fierely at each other, and barely re
covered presence of mind in suffioent time to
lift their liats in acknowledgement of Mr Her
vey's brief greeting, and the lady's slight bow,
as after half pausing, they passed on. It was
all elear enough now. My two gentlemen had
eome to Piccadilly in the hope of meeting with
Constance Hervey, and accompanying her home;
frustrated in this, they had determined not to
lose light of each other; nor did they for three
mortal hours, daring which, anxiety lest their
rancorous ill-humor ihould break out into open
quarrel, kept me hanging about from post to pil
lar with them a sullen companionship, so ut
terly wearisome that I had several times half a
mind to propose that they should light it out at
once, or toss op which should jump for the
others benefit into the Thames. At length ten
o'clock struck, and it appearing to be mutually
conelnding that a visit to Kensington, was no
longer possible, a sour expression of relief es
caped them, and oar very agreerble party sep
arated. A very dangerous person in luchacrinis was,
I knew, this Constauee Hervey, though by no
means a catch in a pecuniary sense for well con
nected young men with present salaries of three
hundred a year, and twice as much in near ex
pectancy. Her father, who had once held his
head pretty high in the commercial world, had
nut long since become bankrupt, and they were
now living upon an aunuity of little more I un
derstood, than a hundred pounds, so secured to
Mr. Hervey that his creditors could not touch
it. This consideration, however, is one that
weighs, but little with men in the condition of
mind of Cspel end Travers, aud 1 felt that once
enthralled bv Constance Hervey s singular Deau
ty, escape or resignation to disappointment was
very diiicult and hard to bear. She was no fa
vorite of mine, just then, by the way. I had
first seen her about three years previously and
even then: whilst yet the light, the simplicity,
the candor, of young girlhood lingered over, and
softened the graces of the woman, I read in the
full denlhs of her dark eves an exultant coscious
ness of beanty, and the secret instinct of its
power. Let me, however, in fairness state that
1 had myself moon-calf that I must have been
made suudrv booby, blushing advances to
the youthful beauty, aud half-derisive merri
ment with which they were received, gave a
twist, no donbt, to my opinion of the merits of
a person so provokingly blind to mine. Be
this as it may, there could be no question that
Constance Hervey was now a charming woman,
and I was grieved only, not surprised; at the
bitter rivalry that had sprung up between Tra
ver and Capel a rivalry which each successive
day but fed aud strengthened.
Capel appeared to be fast losiug all control
over his temper and mode of life. He drank
freely, that was qaite clear; gambled, it was
slid, and rumors of debt, protested bills ready
money railed at exorbitant interest on the faith
of his succeeding to Kowdell's post flew thick
as bail about the office. Should he obtain the
coveted six hundred a year, Constance Hervey
would, I doubted not first favorite as Travers
seemed to be condescend to be Mrs. Capel.
This, not very complimentary opinion, I had
been mentally repeating some dozen times with
more than ordinary bitterness, si I sat alone
one evening after dinner in our little dining
room in Golden square, when the decision eame.
The Governor being out, I had perhaps taken
a few extra glasses of wine, and nothing in my
experience, so lights up and flames tender or
exasperating reminiscences as fine old port.
'Rat-tat-tat-tat!' It was unmistakably Trav
ers' knock, and boisterously-hilarious too as in
the old time, before any Constance Hervey bad
emerged from pinafores and tuckers to distract
and torment mankind, and more especially
well to-do Government elerki. The startled
maid servant hastened to the door, when in
bounced Travers radiant ablaze with tri
nmph. Hallo, Traversl Why were the dence do
you spring from, eh?' '
'From Heavenl Paradisel the presence of
an angel at all events?'
'There, there, that will do; 1 quite under
stand.' "No you don't, Ned. Nobody but myself
ean understand, imagine, guess, dream of the
extent, the vastness of the change that has eome
over my life. Firstly, then bat this is noth
ing, Rowdellii at length superannuated, and
1 am to have his place."
He paused a moment; and I, with certainly a
more than half envioos sneer, said: ,.
"And upon the strengthol that luck you have
proposed to Constance Hervey, and been accept
ed of course.
' "Jubilate ru I Feel how my pulse throbs
It is fonr hours since, and still my brain light
ens and my eyes dazxel with tumultuous ioy,
Do not light the candles; I shall grow calmer
in this twilight." "Confound his raptures,"was
my internal ejaculation. "Why the mischief
eouldn't he take them somewhere else?'' . I
however laid nothing, and he presently resumed
the grateful theme. "You will be at the wed
ding, of coarse. And by-the-by, now I think
of it, havn't I heard Constance say she especially
remembers yon for something very pleasant and
amnsmg very I
My face kindled to flame, and 1 savagely
whirled the easy chair in which 1 sat, two or
tore yards back from the lire light before soeak
ing. "I am extremely obliged to the Udy, and
so I dare say is poor Capel, who it seems, has
vocu w eareiessiy mrown over.
"Carelessly thrown over 1" rejoined Travers.
iharply. "That is a very improper expression.
II be has, a I fear indnlged in illusions, he has
oeenonly aell-deceived. Still, hie doubledis-
sppomiment grieve, me. It seems to cast
uiougn mere is bo valid reason that it should
do so ihadow npoa my eoniienee.",
We were both silent for some time. I ws.
in no mood fortaiking.and he sat ein Lm.
edly at the fire. I knew very well whose luce
PI?
I8R I dLr.iJf
ici f
uxiiiIi, U. iUJM , APltIL UU,
he saw there. I had seen it myself in the same
place a hundred times. -'
"There is another draw back, Ned," he at
length resumed. "Our marriage must be de
ferred six months at least. 1 hare but about
two'hundred pounds in ready money, and the
lease and furniture of the house we shall require
would cost at least aounie mat.
"Any respectable establishment would credit
yon tor the Iurmture upon me strength of. your
greatly increased salary."
'-So I urged; but Constance hai such i per
fect horror of debt, arising, no doubt, from
her fathers misfortunes that she positively in
sists that we must wait till everything required
in our new establishment ean be paid for when
purchased. I could, I think, raue the money
upon my own exceptance, bnt should Constance
here that I had doue so, she would I fear, with
draw her promise."
"Stuff and nonsense I Six hundred a year
cannot be picked up every day."
"You do not know Constance Hervey. But
eome; i must have patience 1 Six nine months
are not a lifetime. Good by. 1 know you
would be rejoiced to hear of my good fortune."
"Oh, of course particuliarly delighted, in
fact I Good evening. i have slept better than
1 did that night.
: It was Sunday evening when Travers called
on me, and Capel did not make his appearance
at the office till the Friday following, his excuse
being urgent private business. Harraasing bus
iness, it that were so, it must have been, for a
harp fever could scarcely have produced a great
er change for the worse in his personal appear
ance, lis) very heartly congratulated Travers
on his promotion, and took moreover the first
opportunity of privately assuring him that his
(Capel's) transient fancy for Mia Hervey had
entirely passed away, and he cordially compli
mented his former rival on haying succeeded in
that Quarter also.
This was all remarkably queer, I thought; but
Travers from whose miud a great load seemed
taken, willingly believed him, and they were
better, friends man ever; Capel, the more thor
oughly, it seemed, to mark his acquiesces in
diiterence, accompanying Travers ouce or twice
to the Herveys. ho did 1; though I would Inn
given something the first time to have been any
where else: for if a certaiu kneeling down, gar.
den-arber scene did not play about the lady'
coral lips, and gleam for a inomont from me
corner of her bewildering eyes, my pulse wai
as steady and temperate just men, aa it is now,
sfter the frosts of more than sixty winters have
chilled its b'satings, She was, however, very
kind and courteous, a shade too considerately
gentle and patronizing, perhaps, and I became a
frequent visitor
An ancient aunt, and a very worthy soul, liv
ed with them, with whom I now and then took
a turn at backgammon, whilst the affianced
couple amused themselves with chess inch
chess. Travers was, 1 knew a superior plsyer,
but on these occasion he hardly appeared to
know a queen from a rook, or a bishop from a
pawn. They were thus absurdly engaged one
evening, wheal made a discovery whieh, if it
did not surprise, greatly pained and somewhat
alarmed me. Aunt Jane had left the room, on
tome household intent, and I, partly coueealed
in the recess where I sat, by the window-curtains,
silently contemplated the queer chess plac
ing, the entranced delight of the lover, and the
calm, smiling graciousness of the lady. I have
felt in a more enviable frame of mind more
composed, more comfortable than I did just then,
but, good lord I what was my innocent little pit
pat compared with the storm of hate, and fury,
and despair, which found terrific expression in
the countenance that, aa attracted by slight
noise, I hastily looked np, met my view I It
was Capel'i. He had entered the room, the door
being ajar, unobserved, and was gazing, asbe
supposed, unmarked at the chess players. 1 was
so started that I mechanically, ss it were, sprang
to my feet, and as I did so, Capel's featnrea, by
strong effort of will, resumed their ordinary
expression, save for the deathly pallor that re
mained, and a nervous quivering of the upper
lip which eould not be instantly mastered. I
wo more than satisfied as to the true natnre of
smooth-seeming, Mr. Capel'ssentiments towards
the contracted couple, but as they had observed
nothing, I thought it wisest to hold my peace.
I could not, however, help trailing at the eon
finding limplicity with which Travers, as we all
three walked homeward together, sought coun
sel ot Capel, as to the readiest means of railing,
unknown to Mis Hervey, the fund necessary
to be obtained before Prudence, at interpreted
by that lady, would permit his marriage.
Slight help thought I, tor such a purpose, will
be afforded by the owner ot the amiable coun
tenance I taw just now. ' '-v
It was just a week after this that the thunder
fell upon our office by the discovery that aixteen
hundred ponndt in Bank of England notes, sent
in by different parties, late on the previous day,
had disappeared, together with a memorandum
book containing the numbers snd dates. Great,
it may be imagined, was the consternation
amongst us all, and a rigorous investigation,
which however, led to nothing, waa immediate
ly initituted, Capel, who showed extraordinary
zeal ifl the matter, went, accompanied by one
of the chief-clerks, to the parties from whom
the notes hsd been received, tor fresh lists, in
order that payment might be stopped. On their
return, it was given out that no accurate, relia
ble list could be obtained. This it was afterward
found, was rule adopted in order to induce
the thief or thieves to a more readily attempt
in getting the note into circulation .
This oecured in the beginning of September,
and about the middle of October, Travers ud
denly informed me that he was to be married
ba the following Monday th is was Tuesday .
The lease of house at Hammersmith had, he
said, been agreed for, the furniture ordered,
and everything was to be completed and paid
for bv the end of the preient week. "And the
money the extra two hundred and odd pounds
reanired how hat that been obtained?'' "Of
my uncle Woolridge, a marriage-gift, though
he won't be present at the wedding," returned
the bridegroom-elect with a joyous chuckle.
t was quit sure from his msuner; as well as
front my knowledge of his nnele's penurious
ehsracter that tail wai deception.
fi
Constance Harvey's scruples, I bad always
thought, now that it wu certain bis next quar.
ten salary, would ba one hundred and fifty
poandi, were somewhat overstraining and un
reasonable still I was vexed that he had stoop
ed to deceive her by such subterfuge. It was,
however, no special affair of mine, and I reluc
tantly accepted hi invitation to dine at the
Herveys with him on the last day of hi bachel
orhood, that is, on the following Sunday.
iapei was luviteo, out ne ret used, l also de
clined, and resolutely, to attend the wedding.
That would, I felt, be m pern irop fort just
uuu.
A very pleasant party assembled at Mr. Her.
vey't on the afternoon of that terrible Sunday,
and w were cheerfully chatting over the des
sert, when the servant girl announced that four
gentlemen were at the door, who said they must
se. sir. I raven iniunuy,
"Mast lee me?" sxolaimed Travers. "Very
peremptory, upon my word. With your leave,
sir youn Constance, I will see these very de
termined gentlemen here. Bid them walk in,
Susan."
Before Susan could do so, the door opened,
aid in walked the strangers without invitation.
Une of them square, thick set bullet-headed
man, it instantly struck ma I had been in com
pany with before. Oh I to be ture I he wai
the officer who conducted the investigation in
the matter of the itolen notes. What on earth
eould he want there or with Traversl
"Yon paid, Mr. Travers." raid he, bluntly,
"something over four hundred pounds to these
two gentlemen, yesterday?"
"Yea, certainly 1 did; no doubt about it."
"Will yon tell ui then, if yon please, where
yon obtained the notes in which you made those
payments?"
"Obtained them where I obtained theml"
said Traversl who did not, I think, immediate
ly recognize the officer. "To be sure. Four
of them four fifties I have had by me for
some time; and and
"The two one hundred pound notes how
about theml" quietly suggested the man, see
ing Travers hesiustel
. Trtverc, aura confuted than alarmed, per-
hop, but as white as the paper on which 1 am
writing, glanced hurriedly round; we had all
Impulsively risen to our feet till his eye rested
npon Constance Hervey's eager attentive coun
tenance. "I received them," he stammered,
repeating I was sure, a falsehood, "from my nn
tie, Mr. Woolridge, of Tottenham."
; "Then, of course, yoa will have no objection
to accompany us to your uncle, Mr. Woolridge,
of Tottenham?"
"Certainly not; but not now. To-morrow,
yon see I am engaged now."
"I am sorry to say, Mr. Travers, that you
rntut go with oa. Those two notes were
amongst the stolen from the office to which yon
belong."
There was a half stifled seream a broken
sob, and but for me, Constance Hervey would
have fallen senseless on the floor. Travers was
in the merciless grasp of the offieen, who heed
lessly hurried him off, spite of his frantic ef
forts for a brief delay. The confusion and ter
ror of such a scene may he imagined, not de
scribed. Althoughat first somewhat staggered,
five minutes hsd not passed before I felt
thornghly satisfied that Travers was the victim
of some diabolical plot; and l pretty well guess
ed of whose connection. An untruth, he had
no donbt been guilty of, through fear of dis
pleasing hit .betrothed but guilty of itealing
money ot plundering the office I bah I the
bare supposition was an absurdity.
Af soon as Miss Hervey wai suficientyr re
covered to listen, I endeavored to reason with
her in this sense, but she could not sufficiently
command her attention.
"My brain ii dizzy and confused at yet," the
said; "do follow and ascertain, as far as-possible,
all the truth the wont truth. I shall be
calmer when yon return."
I did so; and in lest thsn two houra, I was
again in Kensington. Traven was locked np,
after confessing that hit ttatement of having
received the hundred pound notes of his uncle,
Woolridge was untrue. He would probably
be examined at Bow Street the next day his
wedding day, as he had fondly dreamed I
I found Constance Hervey nnlike her father
and aunt, who were moaning and lamenting
about the place like distracted creatures per
fectly calm and self-possessed, though pale
Parian marble. I told her all all I had heard
and seen, and all that I suspected.
"I have no doubt," she said, "that your sus
picion point the right way, but proof, confront
ed as we shall be by that wretched falshood,
will I fear be difficult. But I will not despair;
the truth will, I trust, ultimately prevail. And
remember, Thorton" she added, "that we count
entirely npon yon. She gave me her hand on
laying this; I clutched it with redicnlout en
thusiasm, and blurted out a it I had been
a warlike knight instead of a peaceable elerk
"You may, Mist Hervey, tothedetth." In fact,
at that particular moment, although by no
mean naturally pugnaciou, and moreover of a
somewhat delicate constitution, I thiuk I should
have proved an ugly customer had there been
anybody in me way to fight with. This, how
ever, not being the case, I consulted with Mr.
Hervey ss to what legal assistance aught to be
secured, and it was finally determined that I
should request Mr. Elkins, a solictor residing in
Lothbury, to take Traven' instruction, and Mr.
Alley the barrister, should be retained to attend
at Bow Street. The matter settled, I took my
leave. '
I had a very unsatisfactory account to render
on me morrow evening to the anxious family
at Kensington. Traven' appearance at Bow
Street had been deferred at the request of the
solictor wh eunetaay.in order thatthe individu
al from whom the prieoser.now declared he hsd
received tne stolen notes might be communicat
ed with. The explanation given by Traven to
the aolitoor wu briefly this: ,
About seven month previously he had amis,
sed I considerable mm in guinea then bear
ing a high premium, althoug it waa an offence
at law to dispose ot them for mora in silver or
noUtthan their value. Somebody, Mr. Cspel,
ha was pretty tun, he'would not be positive
mentioned to him the name of one Loui Bro-
Ml:
i- i
v . ..
v i , v
18 52.
card, of No. 18 Brewer street, as a man who
would be lik.ly to give him a good price for
his gold. Traven accordingly saw Brocard,
who after considerable haggling, paid him two
hundred pounds in Bank ot Euglaud notes
tour lifties for one hundred and sixty two
guinea. That lately he, (Travers.) had often
mentioned to Capel, that he wished to raise, as
secretly as possible, on his own personal teeun
ty, turn of, at least, two hundred pounds, and
that Capel this he wai lure of, as not more
than a month had elapsed Capel had advised
him to apply to Louis Brocard for assistance.
fie had done so, and Urocard bad given bim
the two one hundred pound notes in exchange
for a note of hand, at six months date, for two
hundred and twenty pounds.
I had obtained temporary leave of absence
from the office, and at the solictor's request I
accompained him to Brewer street. Brocard, a
strong-featured, swarthy enugrt from the south
of I ranee, iianguedoc, I believe who had been
in this country since '92, and spoke English
fluently, was at home, and I eould not help
imnKing from nit manner, expecting, and pre
pared for some inch visit. There was a young
woman with him, hit niece, he aaid Marie l)e-
tchamps, of the same cast ot feature as himself,
but mueh handsomer, and with dark fiery eyes,
that upon the least exiitement teemed to burn
like lightening. Brocard confirmed Traven'
statement without hesitation aa to the purchase
of the gold and the discount of the bill.
"In what money did yon pay the two hundred
pounds, for which you received the acceptance? "
asked the solictor.
"I will tell you," replied Brocard eooly.
"Marie give me the pocket-book from the desk
the red one. September the 2Gth," he eon
tinned, after adjusting hit spectacles. "Mortan
Traven, four fifty Bank of England notes"
and he read oft the dates and numbers of which
I possess no memoranda.
"Why those are the notes," exclaimed Mr.
Elkins, very much startled, and glancing at a
list in his hand, "which you paid Mr. Travers
for the gold, which you and others I could name,
knew he had not since parted with I
A slight flush crossed the Frenchman's brow,
and the niece's eyes gleamed with fierce expres
sion at these words. The emotion thus display
ed was bnt momentary.
"Yon are misinformed," said Brocard.
"Here is a memorsadum made at that time
(March 3rd,) of the notes paid for the gold. You
can read It yourself. The largest amount, yon
win see, was a twenty."
"Do yon mesn to persist in asserting," said
Mr. Elkins, after several momenta of dead si
lence, "that yon did no pay Mr. Travers for
hit Bill ot exchange in two one hundred pound
notesi '
"Persist," exclaimed the Frenchman. I don't
understand your persist 1 I Imve told the plain
truth, remtl-paroitu v
I waadumfounded. 'Tray, Monsieur Bro
card," laid the solictor tuddeuiy, "do you know
Mr. CapeH"
The swarthy flush waa plainer now; and not
to transitory. "Capel Capel," he muttered,
averting his face towards his niece. "Do we
know Capel, Marie I"
"ISO doubt your niece dots, Mr. lirocard,
aaid the solictor with a sharp sneer, "or that elo
quent face of hers belies her."
In truth, Marie Deschamps features were in
flamed with confused and angry eoucionsnesa;
and her brilliant eye sparkled with quick ire, aa
she retorted "And it 1 do, what then V
"Nothing perhaps, young lady; but my ques
tion waa addressed to your uncle."
"I have nothing more to say," rejoined Bio
card. "I know nothing of the one houdred
pound notes; very little of Mr. Capel, whom
now, however, 1 remember. And pray sir,"
he added, with a cold malignant smile "did I
not hear this morning that Martin Travers in
formed the offieen that it was a relation, an
nnele, I believe, from whom he received the
notes stolen note, it leemsl He will endea
vor to inculpate tome one else by-and-by, I dare
say."
There was no parrying thit thrust, aud we
eame away, much disturbed and discouraged.
I remained late that evening at Kensington,
talking the nnfortunate matter over; but hope,
alas 1 of a safe deliverance for poor Travers ap
peared impossible, should lirocard persist in his
statement. The prisoner's lodgings had been
minutely searched, but no trace of the still mis
sing fourteen hundred pounds had been discov-'
ed there.
Constance Hervey appeared to be greatly
struck by my sccount of Marie Deschamps' ap
pearance and demeanor, and made me repeat
each circumstance over and over again. 1 could
not comprehend how this eould so much inter
est her at inch t time.
Brocard repeated his statement on oath, at
Bow Street aud Mr. Alley's cross-examination
failed to shade hii testimoney. The first dec
Is ration made by Traven necessarilly deprived
his after protestations, vehement as they were of
all respect; but I could not help feeling surprised
that the barrister's suggestion that it was absurd
to suppose that a man in possession of the very
large turn that had been stolen, would have
borrowed two hundred ponndt at an exorbitant
interest, was treated with contempt. All that
it wot hinted, was a mere colorable contrivance
to be used in a case of detection, ihe prisoner
feared to put too many of the notes in circula
tion at ouce, and the acceptance would have
been paid for in the itolen moneys, aud so on.
Finally, Traven was committed for trial, and
bail refused.
Aa the star ot the nnfortunate Tnven sank in
disastrous eclipse, that of Capel shone more bril
liantly. There was no donbt, that he would
succeed en his rival's conviction, to the vacated
post; aud some eight or nine weeka after Tra-
yen sad seen eommiueu, circuniBteucc. iuuuv
ed me to believe that he would be equally jsne
cessful in another respect. I most also say that
Capel evinced from the first much sorrow tor
his old friend's lamentable fall; he treated the
notion of his being guiltless with disdain, and
taking me on day aside, he said ha should en
deavor to get Brocard out of the country before
the nay of trial, either by fair meant, or by tip
ping him the Alien Act. "In fact," ha added
with some confusion of manner, "I have faith
NUMBEll 1
fully promised Miss Hervey, that tor her sake,
though she csn have so more donbt ot his guilt
than 1 have, that no effort shall be spared to pre
vent his legal conviction; albeit, life without
character, will be, I thiuk, no great boon to
him."
"For her take I Yoa, Edward Capel, have
faithfully promised to attempt this, for her
sake I" I exclaimed as soon as 1 eould apeak
for sheer astonishment.
"Ay, truly; does that aurprise yon, Thorn
ton?" he added with a half-bitier half-Malvolio
smile.
"Supremely; and if it be as your manner im
itates, why then, Frailty, thy name in very
truth is "
"Woman 1" broke in Capel taking the word
out of my month. "No doubt of it, from the
days of Eve till ours. But come let as return
to business."
I had been for some time grievously perplex
ed by the behavior ef Constance Hervey. When
ever I had called at Kensington, I found, that
though at times she appeared to Iks on the point
of;breaking through a self-imposed restraint,
all mention of Traven, was avoided, and that
some new object engrossed the mind of Cons
tance to the exclusion of every other. What a
light did this revelation of Capel'i throw on her
couduct and iti motives 1 And it waa inch a
woman as that, wai it, that I had enshrined in
the most inmost recesses of my heart, and wor
shipped as almost a divinity 1 Great God I
These thoughts were trembling on my lips,
when a brief note was brought me:
Miss Hervey't compliments to Mr. Edward
Thornton, and the will be obliged if, fate aa it
is, he will hasten to Kensington immediately.
I had never seen a une of her s before in my
life, and it was wonderful how all my anger,
suspicion, scam, vanished exhaled, before these
little fly-stroke character!; so much that but
no, I wont expose myself. A hack soon con
veyed me to Kensington; Mr. Hervey, Cons
tance, and good Aunt J ana, were all there in
the parlor, evidently in expectation of my arri
val. Miss llervey proceeded to bnsiueas at
once.
"You hive not seen Marie Deschamps lately,
I believe."
"Not 1 1 The last time I saw her wai in Bow
Street, whither ihe accompanied her scoundrel
of sn uncle.
"Well, you must see her again to-morrow.
She is deeply attached to Mr. Capel, and expects
that he will marry her as toon as Martan Tra
vers is convicted; and he (Capel,) has secured the
vacant place.''
"Hal"
"Mr. Capel," continued Miss Hervey, and a
glint of sparkling sunshine shot from her charm
ing ere. "ha been foolish enough to orefer an
other person at least so I am instructed by Papa,
with whom the gentleman left the note, note
not yet opened, and addressed to me some hours
since. X can imagin its contents, but let us
I cannot depict in words the scorn, contempt.
pride triumph, too thatiwept over that besiu.
tuul counteuunce. " v ery impassioned, and elo
quent upon my word," she said: "I only wonder
such burning words did not fire the paper.
Now, Mr. Thornton you must sec this forsaken
damsel, Marie Deschamps, and acquaint her
with Mr, Capel's inconstancy, She will require
proof it ihttll be afforded her. In answer to
this missive, 1 shall appoint Mr. Capel to tee
me here to-morrow evening at seven o clock.
Do you bring her by half-post six, and place
yourself iu yon little ante-room, where every
thing doue here, and every wo'd spoken, can be
distinctly seen and heard. This well managed,
I am greatly deceived in those Southern eyes of
hers if the iniquitous plot, of which no doubt
she holds the clue,-will not receive an unlooked
for solution."
Charming I glorious I beautiful I" I was
breaking into eclats of enthusiastic admiration,
but Mrs. llervey, was too earnest and excited
to listen patiently to rhapsodies, cut me short
with:
My dear lir, il'a getting very late; and there
is, you know, much to be done to-morrow."
It's not pleasent to be let down so suddenly,
when you are particularly stilty, but aa I was
by thia time pretty well used to it, submitted
with the best possible grace, and, after receiv
ing tome other explanation and direction!, took
leave.
i obtained an interview without dificnlty, oa
the following morning with Marie Deschamps,
just before office hours, and in her uncle's ab
sence. She was curious to know the object ot
my visit; but her manner, though free and gay.
was caretuily guarded and unrelenting, till 1
gradually aud cautiously introduced the subject
ot Caple'a iuf idelity. It was marvelous how, as
each sentence tell npon her ear, ner figure
stiffened into statue-like rigidity, and her eyes
kindled with fiery passion.
"If this be to," the said, when I ceased speak
ing, "he is playing with his lifel Is she the
lady I passed a fortnight since, when with
him in the ParkS"
"Describe the lady, and I will tell you."
She did so: it was the exact portrait of Mitt
Hervey, and to I told her.
"1 Lad a misgiving at the time," ihe said; "if
it prove true but I will believe, after what has
passed, only my own eyes and ean."
Thit wu all we desired; a satisfactory ar-
nuiMment was agreed npon aad I left her. not
without hugging self-gratulation that I was not
the recreant sweetheart about to be caught sa
flagrante delicto by such a damsel.
1 watched lapei mat aay wun teen attention.
He was much excited, it wai evident, and with
al ill at esse; there wai a nervous apprehensive,
neaa in hi manner and aspect I had never be
fore noticed, over whien, however, front time to
time, quick flashes of exultation glimmered,
sparkled, and then vanished. It is, thought 1,
the ihadow of a sinister catastrophe that already
projects, overawes, and appall him. It might
be.
Marie Deschamps and I were esconsed punct
ually at the hour named, in the little slip ot a
closet communicating with the Hervey's np.
stain sitting-room. Nobody appeared there
till about five sulnutes to seven, when Caostawee,
charmingly attired, and looking divinely
CbticMeclonbttrtjoo.J