was for a minute suspended, while his affrighted eye travelled down a couple of pages, which told him allall he had feared to see, and moremore than he had known himself. Ah, perdition-the game is up!" he faintly exclaimed, and, rising from his chair, threw himself down upon the sofa, in a state of dismay and bewilderment which no words of mine are powerful enough to describe. "To be sure-won't you come with me?" replied Mr Runnington. Bowl away, my boys! and here's a guinea a-piece for you!" shouted Delamere to the postboys—and the next moment they were on their way, and at indeed a rapid pace. In somewhere about an hour and a quarter's time, the reeking horses and dusty chaise dashed up to the hall-door of the Priory; and, as Delamere caught one or two figures standing at the winthrough the chaise-window. That brought Lord and Lady De la Zouch, and Mr and Mrs Aubrey, breathless to the door-out jumped Delamere, without waiting for the steps to be let down, and, grasping the hands of all four, exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Victory!-Victory!—but where is she-?" "Miss Aubrey's somewhere in the grounds, sir," replied a servant. Quite as much anxiety had been felt on the same subject in a different quar-dows, he waved his hand in triumph ter, during the whole of the day, at the Priory; where were still the Aubreys, who had been joined a week before by Lord and Lady De la Zouch, and by Mr Delamere, who had come over with them from the Continent. Mr Runnington had written to assure Mr Aubrey, that the first moment of his being able to procure a copy of the évidence, he would hasten down with it. As, however, nine o'clock elapsed without his having made his appearance, Mr Delamere slipped out, and without announcing his intention, or dered his groom to have his horses in readiness instantly; and within a quarter of an hour's time was on his way to town, having left a hasty verbal message, acquainting Lord and Lady De la Zouch of the object of his sudden move. When he reached Mr Runnington's offices, he found no one there, to his infinite disappointment. Having slept in Dover Street, he reappeared at Mr Runnington's about ten o'clock the next morning, and found a chaise-and-four at the door, into which Mr Runnington, with a large packet under his arm, was in the act of entering, to drive down to the Priory. "How is it-for Heaven's sake?" said Mr Delamere, rushing forward to Mr Runnington, who was sufficiently surprised at seeing him. แ Oh, thank God! The battle's ours!"-replied Mr Runnington with delighted excitement. "The murder's out!-I'll pledge my existence that within three months' time we have our friends back at Yatton!" "You're off instantly, are not you?" inquired Delamere, his face blanched with emotion. "Mr Runnington will tell you all said Delamere; and springing off the step, was out of sight in a twinkling, in quest of Miss Aubrey-burning to be the first with the joyful news. He soon caught sight of her graceful figure-she was standing with her back towards him, apparently in a musing posture, gazing at the babbling rivulet. Hearing his bounding steps, she turned round, and started at seeing him. Oh, Kate, Kate!"-he stammered breathlessly-"By Heavens, we've won!"-Miss Aubrey turned very pale. "Mr Delamere you-you-cannot be-I hope you are not mistak en said she faintly. Impossible!-Impossible! I have seen-I have read it all myself! "Tis as sure as that the sun is shiningThe game is up with the villains! Miss Aubrey made him no answer; her cheek continued white as that of a statue; and it was absolutely necessary that he should put his arm round her-if he had not, she would really have fallen, for her knees trembled, and her heart beat violently. "Come!-Come! My sweet, my lovely Kate! Rouse yourself!" cried he, with fond anxiety, and pressed his lips gently on her forehead-a liberty | ter-in-law, whose cheeks burned liké of which she was probably not con- fire, while those of Mr Delamere scious, for she made no show of resist- tingled a little. ance. Presently she heaved a deep sigh, her eyes opened, and, shocked at finding herself entirely in his embrace, made a slight effort to disengage herself, but in vain. He was supporting her on one knee-for there was no bench or seat within view. She burst into tears, and they soon relieved her pent-up bosom of its excitement. "Dearest-sweetest Kate-it's glorious news, and I have been too hasty with it!" said he, excitedly. "No-no-Mr Delamere! I am only overpowered with joy and with gratitude! Oh, Mr Delamere, I could sink out of your sight!" "Pho! my own angel!-Don't make me miserable by talking in that strain! The time is gone by for it!" "Well, what shall I say?" cried she passionately, bursting again into tears, and turning her face from him, conscious that it was reddening. "Say, Kate? That you will let me love you, and will love me in return! Come, my own Kate! Heaven smiles on you-smile you on me!" She spoke not-but sobbed, her face still averted from him. "I know you won't say me nay, Kate, if it's only for the news I've brought you express" said Delamere ardently, and imprinted a passionate kiss on her unresisting lips. "My sweet Kate! how I have thought of you in every part of the world in which I've been " commenced Delamere, after having a second, and a third, and a fourth time pressed his lips upon those of his beautiful and blushing mistress-and Heaven only knows what other absurdities he might have been guilty of, when, to Kate's inconceivable embarrassment, behold, a sudden turn brought them full in view of Lord and Lady Dela Zouch, and Mr Runnington! My dear, dear Miss Aubrey, cried Lord De la Zouch, "we have come to congratulate you on this great event!" and he grasped her affectionately by the hands, and then Lady De Zouch embraced her future daugh "Upon my honour, sir, you seem to have been making hay while the sun shines," said his lordship in a low tone, and laughing, having left Miss Aubrey and Lady De la Zouch together for a few moments. "Dearest Lady De la Zouch, how did Charles bear it?" inquired Miss Aubrey. "He bore it with calmness, though he turned very pale; but poor Mrs Aubrey was painfully excited—it was really a most affecting scene. But she is much better now-shall we return to the house?-By the way," added she slyly, now you're come into your fortune, as the saying is, Kate-I-I suppose-eh ?-Geoffry has been talking nonsense to you!" Poor Kate blushed deeply, and burst into tears. That was a happy-happy day; and Mr Runnington, having been compelled to stay to dinner, returned home at a late hour, feeling already richly repaid for all his exertions. Miss Aubrey sat up for at least a couple of hours in her own room, writing, according to a promise she had made, a long letter to Dr Tatham; in which she gave him as full an account as she could, of the surprising and decisive_event which had just happened. 'Twas quite the letter of a daughter to a fond father-full of ardent affection, and joyous anticipa tions of seeing him again; but as to the other little incident of the day, which concerned herself personally, Kate paused-laid down her pen-resumed it-blushed-hesitated-trembled-smiled furtively, and at length extinguished her taper, and retired to rest, saying to herself that she would think of it, and make up her mind by the morning. The letter went off, however, after all, without the slightest allusion to the possibility of its lovely writer becoming a future Lady De la Zouch. But it is now high time that the reader should be put into possession of the important disclosures produced by the Ecclesiastical inquiry; and we must for a while lose sight of the happy Aubreys, and also of the gloomy, discomfited Gammon, in order to become acquainted with the exact state of facts which had called forth such violent and opposite emotions. The reader may possibly bear in mind that Mr Titmouse had established his right to succeed to the Yatton property, then enjoyed by Mr Aubrey, by making out to the satisfaction of the jury, on the trial at York, that he, the aforesaid Mr Titmouse, was descended from an elder branch of the Aubrey family; that there had existed an unsuspected female descendant of Stephen Dreddlington, the elder brother of Geoffry Dreddlington, through whom Mr Aubrey derived his claim to the succession; and that this obscure female descendant had left issue equally obscure and unsuspected-viz. Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse to whom our friend Titmouse was shown to be heir-at-law. In fact, it had been made out in open court, by clear and satisfactory evidence, First, that the aforesaid Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse was the direct descendant, through the female line, of Stephen Dreddlington; Secondly, had been shown the marriage of Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse; Thirdly, the birth of Tittlebat Titmouse, the first, and indeed the only issue of that marriage. All these were not only proved, but unquestionable facts; and from them, as far as descent went, the preferable right of Titmouse to that of Aubrey, resulted as an inevitable inference, and the verdict went accordingly. But as soon as, owing to the happy suggestion of the Attorneygeneral, a rigid inquiry had been instituted, on the spot, whence the oral and documentary evidence had been obtained by Mr Gammon-an inquiry conducted by persons infinitely more familiar with such matters than common lawyers-those acute and indefatigable inquisitors succeeded in making the following remarkable discovery. It was found that the two old witnesses who had been called to VOL. II prove that part of the case, on the trial, had since died-one of them recently. But in pushing their inquiries, one or two other old witnesses were met with who had not been called by Mr Gammon, even if he had been aware of their existence; and one of these, an old man, while being closely interrogated upon another matter, happened to let fall some expressions which startled the person making minutes of the evidence; for he spoke of Mr Titmouse's mother under three different names, Gubbins, Oakley, and Johnson. Now, the proof of the trial had been simply the marriage of Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse, by banns, to Janet Johnson, spinster. Either, then, both the witnesses must be mistaken as to her having had other names, or there must be some strange mystery at the bottom of itand so it at length turned out. This woman's maiden name had been Gubbins; then she had married a ropemaker, of the name of Oakley, in Staffordshire, but had separated from him, after two or three years' quarrelsome cohabitation, and gone into Yorkshire; where she had resided for some time with an aunt-in fact, no other a person than old Blind Bess! She had subsequently become açquainted with Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse; and to conceal the fact of her previous marriage—her husband being alive at the time-she was married to Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse under the name of "Johnson." Two years afterwards, this exemplary female died, leaving an only child, Tittlebat Titmouse. Shortly afterwards, his father came up to London, bringing with him his little son-and some five years subsequently died, leaving one or two hundred pounds behind him for the bringing up of Tittlebat decently-a duty undertaken by a distant relative of his father, and who had been dead some years. Of course, Titmouse, at the time when he was first presented to the reader, knew no more than the dead, of his being in any way connected with the distinguished family of the Aubreys in U Yorkshire; nor of the unpleasant cir-ed of, first, a letter from one James cumstances attending his mother's Oakley to his wife, informing her that marriage, with which the reader has he was dying, and that, having heard just been made acquainted. Nothing can be easier than to conceive how Mr Gammon might have been able, even if acquainted with the true state of the facts, to produce an impregnable case in court, by calling, with judgment, only that evidence which was requisite to show the marriage of Titmouse's father with Janet Johnson -viz. an examined copy of an entry in the parish register of Grilston; of the fact of the marriage under the names specified; and some slight evidence of the identity of the parties. How was the Attorney-general, or any one advising him, to have got at the mystery attending the name of "Johnson," in the absence of suspicion pointed precisely at that circumstance? The defendant in an action of ejectment, is necessarily in a great measure in the dark as to the evidence which will be adduced against him, and must fight it as it is presented to him in court; and the plaintiff's attorney is generally better advised than to bring into court witnesses who may be able, if pressed, to disclose more than is necessary or desirable! The way in which Mr Gammon had become acquainted with the true state of the matter, was singular. While engaged in obtaining and arranging the evidence in support of the plaintiff's case, under the guidance of Mr Lynx's opinion, Mr Gammon stumbled upon a witness who dropped one or two expressions suddenly reminding him of two little documents which had been some time before put into his possession, without his having then attached the least importance to them. He was so disturbed at the coincidence, that he returned to town that night, to inspect the papers in question. They had been obtained by Snap from old Blind Bess: in fact, (inter nos), he had purloined them from her, on one of the occasions of his being with her in the manner long ago described, having found them in an old Bible which was in a still older canvass bag; and they consist she was living with another man, he exhorted her to leave her wicked courses before she died; secondly, a letter from one Gabriel Tittlebat Titmouse to his wife, reproaching her with drunkenness and loose conduct, and saying that she knew as well as he did, that he could transport her any day he liked; therefore she had better mind what she was about. This letter was written in the county jail, whither he had been sent for some drunken assault. Old Blind Bess had been very feeble when her niece came to live with her; and, though aware of her profligate conduct, had never dreamed of the connection, between the great family at the Hall, and her niece's child. These were the two documents which Mr Titmouse had destroyed, on Gammon's having intrusted them for a moment into his hands!-Though I do not attach so much importance to them as Mr Gammon did-since I cannot see how they could have been made available evidence for any purpose contemplated by Gammon-I am not surprised at his having done so. They were infinitely too dangerous documents to admit of his taking the opinion of counsel upon; he therefore kept them entirely to himself, as also the discovery to which they led, not trusting his secret, even to either of his partners. Before the case had come into court, Mr Gammon was in possession of the facts now laid for the first time before the reader-contemplating, even then, the use to be thereafter made of the prodigious power he should have acquired, in aid of his own personal advancement. Thus was Titmouse base-born indeed in fact, doubly illegitimate; for, first, his mother had been guilty of bigamy in marrying his father; and, secondly, even had that not been so, her marrying under a false name† had been sufficient to make the marriage utterly void, and equally of course to bastardise her issue. BOOK THE TENTH. CHAPTER I. GLANCES OF DAYLIGHT INTO A GLEN OF FRAUD, AND REPTILES SEEN "This is a very-very-ugly business, Mr Gammon!" quoth he, with a gloomy countenance. "I look upon it there's an end of the suit-eh? SUCH was the damning discovery ef- fore he was aware of her having done fected by the Ecclesiastical commis- so. On her returning, and informing sion, and which would by-and-by him of what she had done, it roused blazon to the whole world the astound-him from his lethargy, and, starting ing fact, that this doubly base-born from the sofa, he desired her to go person had been enabled, by the pro-back and request the medical man not found machinations of Mr Gammon, to come, as it was unnecessary. Heavnot only to deprive Mr Aubrey of the ing profound sighs, he proceeded to Yatton estates, but also to intermarry his dressing-room, got through his with the Lady Cecilia, the last of the toilet, and then sate down to the direct line of the noble Dreddlingtons breakfast-table, and for the first time and Drelincourts-to defile the blood, made a powerful effort to address his and blight the honour, of perhaps the thoughts steadily to the awful nature oldest and the proudest of the nobility of the emergency into which he was of England. Upon Mr Gammon it driven. Mr Quod soon after made his descended like a thunderbolt. For appearance. many hours he seemed to have been utterly crushed and blasted by it. He was totally incapable of realising his position-of contemplating the prodigious and appalling consequences which must inevitably, and almost immediately, ensue upon this discovery of his secret. He lay upon the sofa the whole night without closing his eyes, or having moved a muscle since he had thrown himself down upon it. His laundress came in with his bed-candle, trimmed the lamp, stirred the fire, and withdrew, supposing him asleep. The fire went out then the lamp-and when, about eight o'clock the next morning, his laundress reappeared, he still lay on the sofa; and a glimpse of his pale and haggard face alarmed her greatly, "How could all this have escaped and she went for a medical man be-me, in getting up the case for the "It is not likely that we shall stir further, certainly," replied Mr Gammon, with a desperate effort to speak calmly: then there was a pause. "And I should think the matter can't end here;" presently added Mr Quod. "With such evidence as this, of course they'll attack Yatton!" "Then I am prepared to resist them," said Gammon; convinced in his own mind that the sole object of little Mr Quod's visit was to see after the payment of his bill-a reasonable anxiety, surely, considering the untoward issue of the proceedings. |
