Tales and Novels Volume VIII Part 5

"Only a sketch, a scrawl in pencil, while they thought I was copying a Sonnet to Wisdom--on the worst bit of paper, too, in the world--old cover of a letter I stole from Lady Trant's _reticule_ while she was at cards. Mr. Temple, you shall see my _chef-d'oeuvre_ by and by; don't look at the reverse of the medal, pray. Did not I tell you, you were the most impatient man in the world?"

It was true that Mr. Temple was at this instant most impatient to get possession of the paper, for on the back of that cover of the letter, on which the caricature was drawn, the hand-writing of the direction appeared to him--He dared scarcely believe his eyes--his hopes.

"Mrs. Crabstock, my lady," said the footman, "is waiting."

"I know, sir," said Lady Frances: "so, Caroline, you won't see the likeness. Very well; if I can't get a compliment, I must be off. When you draw a caricature, I won't praise it. Here! Mr. Temple, one look, since you are dying for it."

"One look will not satisfy me," cried Mr. Temple, seizing the paper: "your ladyship must leave the drawing with us till to-morrow."

"_Us--must_. Given at our court of St. James's. Lord Oldborough's own imperative style."

"Imperative! no; humbly I beseech your ladyship, thus humbly," cried Mr.

Temple, kneeling in jest, but keeping in earnest fast hold of the paper.

"But why--why? Are you acquainted with Lady Angelica? I did not know you knew her."

"It is excellent!--It is admirable!--I cannot let it go. This hand that seized it long shall hold the prize."

"The man's mad! But don't think I'll give it to you--I would not give it to my mother: but I'll lend it to you, if you'll tell me honestly why you want it."

"Honestly--I want to show it to a particular friend, who will be delighted with it."

"Tell me who, this minute, or you shall not have it."

"Mrs. Crabstock, my lady, bids me say, the d.u.c.h.ess--"

"The d.u.c.h.ess--the deuce!--if she's come to the d.u.c.h.ess, I must go.

I hope your man, Mrs. Percy, won't tell Mrs. Crabstock he saw this gentleman kneeling."

"Mrs. Crabstock's getting out, my lady," said the footman, returning.

"Mr. Temple, for mercy's sake, get up."

"Never, till your ladyship gives the drawing."

"There! there! let me go--audacious!"

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Percy--Good bye, Caroline--Be at Lady Jane's to-night, for I'm to be there."

Her ladyship ran off, and met Mrs. Crabstock on the stairs, with whom we leave her to make her peace as she pleases.

"My dear Temple, I believe you are out of your senses," said Alfred: "I never saw any man so importunate about a drawing that is not worth a straw--trembling with eagerness, and kneeling!--Caroline, what do you think Rosamond would have thought of all this?"

"If she knew the whole, she would have thought I acted admirably," said Mr. Temple. "But come, I have business."

Alfred took him into his study, and there the whole affair was explained. Mr. Temple had brought with him the specimen of the forgery to show to Alfred, and, upon comparing it with the handwriting on the cover of the letter on which the caricature was drawn, the similarity appeared to be strikingly exact. The cover, which had been stolen, as Lady Frances Arlington said, from Lady Trant's _reticule_, was directed to Captain Nuttall. He was one of the persons to whom forged letters had been written, as appeared by the list which Lord Oldborough had left with Mr. Temple. The secretary was almost certain that his lordship had never written with his own hand to any Captain Nuttall; but this he could ask the moment he should see Lord Oldborough again. It seemed as if this paper had never been actually used as the cover of a letter, for it had no post-mark, seal, or wafer. Upon farther inspection, it was perceived that a _t_ had been left out in the name of _Nuttall_; and it appeared probable that the cover had been thrown aside, and a new one written, in consequence of this omission. But Alfred did not think it possible that Lady Trant could be the forger of these letters, because he had seen some of her ladyship's notes of invitation to Caroline, and they were written in a wretched cramped hand.

"But that cramped hand might be feigned to conceal the powers of penmanship," said Mr. Temple.

"Well! granting her ladyship's talents were equal to the mere execution," Alfred persisted in thinking she had not abilities sufficient to invent or combine all the parts of such a scheme. "She might be an accomplice, but she must have had a princ.i.p.al--and who could that princ.i.p.al be?"

The same suspicion, the same person, came at the same moment into the heads of both gentlemen, as they sat looking at each other.

"There is an intimacy between them," said Alfred. "Recollect all the pains Lady Trant took for Mrs. Falconer about English Clay--they--"

"Mrs. Falconer! But how could she possibly get at Lord Oldborough's private seal--a seal that is always locked up--a seal never used to any common letter, never to any but those written by his own hand to some private friend, and on some very particular occasion? Since I have been with him I have not seen him use that seal three times."

"When and to whom, can you recollect?" said Alfred.

"I recollect!--I have it all!" exclaimed Mr. Temple, striking the table--"I have it! But, Lady Frances Arlington--I am sorry she is gone."

"Why! what of her?--Lady Frances can have nothing more to do with the business."

"She has a great deal more, I can a.s.sure you--but without knowing it."

"Of that I am certain, or all the world would have known it long ago: but tell me how."

"I recollect, at the time when I was dangling after Lady Frances--there's good in every thing--just before we went down to Falconer-court, her ladyship, who, you know, has always some reigning fancy, was distracted about what she called _bread-seals_. She took off the impression of seals with bread--no matter how, but she did--and used to torment me--no, I thought it a great pleasure at the time--to procure for her all the pretty seals I could."

"But, surely, you did not give her Lord Oldborough's?"

"I!--not I!--how could you imagine such a thing?"

"You were in love, and might have forgotten consequences."

"A man in love may forget every thing, I grant--except his fidelity. No, I never gave the seal; but I perfectly recollect Lady Frances showing it to me in her collection, and my asking her how she came by it."

"And how did she?"

"From the cover of a note which the duke, her uncle, had received from Lord Oldborough; and I, at the time, remembered his lordship's having written it to the Duke of Greenwich on the birth of his grandson. Lord Oldborough had, upon a former occasion, affronted his grace by sending him a note sealed with a wafer--this time his lordship took special care, and sealed it with his private _seal of honour_."

"Well! But how does this bring the matter home to Mrs. Falconer?" said Alfred.

"Stay--I am bringing it as near home to her as possible. We all went down to Falconer-court together; and there I remember Lady Frances had her collection of bread-seals, and was daubing and colouring them with vermilion--and Mrs. Falconer was so anxious about them--and Lady Frances gave her several--I must see Lady Frances again directly, to inquire whether she gave her, among the rest, Lord Oldborough's--I'll go to Lady Jane Granville's this evening on purpose. But had I not better go this moment to Lady Trant?"

Alfred advised, that having traced the matter thus far, they should not hazard giving any alarm to Lady Trant or to Mrs. Talconer, but should report to Lord Oldborough what progress had been made.

Mr. Temple accordingly went home, to be in readiness for his lordship's return. In the mean time the first exaltation of indignant pride having subsided, and his cool judgment reflecting upon what had pa.s.sed, Lord Oldborough considered that, however satisfactory to his own mind might be the feeling of his innocence, the proofs of it were necessary to satisfy the public; he saw that his character would be left doubtful, and at the mercy of his enemies, if he were in pique and resentment hastily to resign, before he had vindicated his integrity. "_If_ your proofs be produced, my lord!"--these words recurred to him, and his anxiety to obtain these proofs rose high; and high was his satisfaction the moment he saw his secretary, for by the first glance at Mr. Temple's countenance he perceived that some discovery had been made.

Alfred, that night, received through Mr. Temple his lordship's request, that he would obtain what farther information he could relative to the private seal, in whatever way he thought most prudent. His lordship trusted entirely to his discretion--Mr. Temple was engaged with other business.

Alfred went with Caroline to Lady Jane Granville's, to meet Lady Frances Arlington; he entered into conversation, and by degrees brought her to his point, playing all the time with her curiosity, and humouring her childishness, while he carried on his cross-examination.

At first she could not recollect any thing about making the seals he talked of. "It was a fancy that had pa.s.sed--and a past fancy," she said, "was like a past love, or a past beauty, good for nothing but to be forgotten." However, by proper leading of the witness, and suggesting time, place, and circ.u.mstance, he did bring to the fair lady's mind all that he wanted her to remember. She could not conceive what interest Mr.

Percy could take in the matter--it was some jest about Mr. Temple, she was sure. Yes, she did recollect a seal with a Cupid riding a lion, that Mr. Temple gave her just before they went to Falconer-court--was that what he meant?

"No--but a curious seal--" (Alfred described the device.)

"Lord Oldborough's! Yes, there was some such odd seal." But it was not given to her by Mr. Temple--she took that from a note to her uncle, the Duke of Greenwich.