The Leavenworth Case Part 30

Mr. Clavering bowed, his countenance a.s.suming a look of great satisfaction. "I am very glad to hear this," said he; "my friend's happiness is entirely involved in the establishment, of his marriage."

He appeared so relieved, my curiosity was yet further aroused. I therefore said: "I have given you my opinion as to the legality of this marriage; but it may be quite another thing to prove it, should the same be contested."

He started, cast me an inquiring look, and murmured:

"True."

"Allow me to ask you a few questions. Was the lady married under her own name?"

"She was."

"The gentleman?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did the lady receive a certificate?"

"She did."

"Properly signed by the minister and witnesses?"

He bowed his head in a.s.sent.

"Did she keep this?"

"I cannot say; but I presume she did."

"The witnesses were--"

"A hired man of the minister--"

"Who can be found?"

"Who cannot be found."

"Dead or disappeared?"

"The minister is dead, the man has disappeared."

"The minister dead!"

"Three months since."

"And the marriage took place when?"

"Last July."

"The other witness, the lady friend, where is she?"

"She can be found; but her action is not to be depended upon."

"Has the gentleman himself no proofs of this marriage?"

Mr. Clavering shook his head. "He cannot even prove he was in the town where it took place on that particular day."

"The marriage certificate was, however, filed with the clerk of the town?" said I.

"It was not, sir."

"How was that?"

"I cannot say. I only know that my friend has made inquiry, and that no such paper is to be found."

I leaned slowly back and looked at him. "I do not wonder your friend is concerned in regard to his position, if what you hint is true, and the lady seems disposed to deny that any such ceremony ever took place. Still, if he wishes to go to law, the Court may decide in his favor, though I doubt it. His sworn word is all he would have to go upon, and if she contradicts his testimony under oath, why the sympathy of a jury is, as a rule, with the woman."

Mr. Clavering rose, looked at me with some earnestness, and finally asked, in a tone which, though somewhat changed, lacked nothing of its former suavity, if I would be kind enough to give him in writing that portion of my opinion which directly bore upon the legality of the marriage; that such a paper would go far towards satisfying his friend that his case had been properly presented; as he was aware that no respectable lawyer would put his name to a legal opinion without first having carefully arrived at his conclusions by a thorough examination of the law bearing upon the facts submitted.

This request seeming so reasonable, I unhesitatingly complied with it, and handed him the opinion. He took it, and, after reading it carefully over, deliberately copied it into his memorandum-book. This done, he turned towards me, a strong, though hitherto subdued, emotion showing itself in his countenance.

"Now, sir," said he, rising upon me to the full height of his majestic figure, "I have but one more request to make; and that is, that you will receive back this opinion into your own possession, and in the day you think to lead a beautiful woman to the altar, pause and ask yourself: 'Am I sure that the hand I clasp with such impa.s.sioned fervor is free? Have I any certainty for knowing that it has not already been given away, like that of the lady whom, in this opinion of mine, I have declared to be a wedded wife according to the laws of my country? '"

"Mr. Clavering!"

But he, with an urbane bow, laid his hand upon the k.n.o.b of the door. "I thank you for your courtesy, Mr. Raymond, and I bid you good-day. I hope you will have no need of consulting that paper before I see you again." And with another bow, he pa.s.sed out.

It was the most vital shock I had yet experienced; and for a moment I stood paralyzed. Me! me! Why should he mix me up with the affair unless-but I would not contemplate that possibility. Eleanore married, and to this man? No, no; anything but that! And yet I found myself continually turning the supposition over in my mind until, to escape the torment of my own conjectures, I seized my hat, and rushed into the street in the hope of finding him again and extorting from him an explanation of his mysterious conduct. But by the time I reached the sidewalk, he was nowhere to be seen. A thousand busy men, with their various cares and purposes, had pushed themselves between us, and I was obliged to return to my office with my doubts unsolved.

I think I never experienced a longer day; but it pa.s.sed, and at five o'clock I had the satisfaction of inquiring for Mr. Clavering at the Hoffman House. Judge of my surprise when I learned that his visit to my office was his last action before taking pa.s.sage upon the steamer leaving that day for Liverpool; that he was now on the high seas, and all chance of another interview with him was at an end. I could scarcely believe the fact at first; but after a talk with the cabman who had driven him off to my office and thence to the steamer, I became convinced. My first feeling was one of shame. I had been brought face to face with the accused man, had received an intimation from him that he was not expecting to see me again for some time, and had weakly gone on attending to my own affairs and allowed him to escape, like the simple tyro that I was. My next, the necessity of notifying Mr. Gryce of this man's departure. But it was now six o'clock, the hour set apart for my interview with Mr. Harwell. I could not afford to miss that, so merely stopping to despatch a line to Mr. Gryce, in which I promised to visit him that evening, I turned my steps towards home. I found Mr. Harwell there before me.

XX. "TRUEMAN! TRUEMAN! TRUEMAN!"

"Often do the spirits Of great events stride on before the events, And in to-day already walks to-morrow."

Coleridge.

INSTANTLY a great dread seized me. What revelations might not this man be going to make! But I subdued the feeling; and, greeting him with what cordiality I could, settled myself to listen to his explanations.

But Trueman Harwell had no explanations to give, or so it seemed; on the contrary, he had come to apologize for the very violent words he had used the evening before; words which, whatever their effect upon me, he now felt bound to declare had been used without sufficient basis in fact to make their utterance of the least importance.

"But you must have thought you had grounds for so tremendous an accusation, or your act was that of a madman."

His brow wrinkled heavily, and his eyes a.s.sumed a very gloomy expression. "It does not follow," he returned. "Under the pressure of surprise, I have known men utter convictions no better founded than mine without running the risk of being called mad."

"Surprise? Mr. Clavering's face or form must; then, have been known to you. The mere fact of seeing a strange gentleman in the hall would have been insufficient to cause you astonishment, Mr. Harwell."

He uneasily fingered the back of the chair before which he stood, but made no reply.