"Heavens! what"s all this?" cried Potts. "Where have you been unearthing this rubbish?"
"First," said the stranger, without noticing Potts"s exclamation, "there are the letters to Thornton, Senior, twenty years ago, in which an attempt was made to obtain Colonel Despard"s money for yourself. One Clark, an accomplice of yours, presented the letter. The forgery was at once detected. Clark might have escaped, but he made an effort at burglary, was caught, and condemned to transportation. He had been already out once before, and this time received a new brand in addition to the old ones."
Potts did not say a word, but sat stupefied.
"Thornton, Junior, is connected with us, and his testimony is valuable, as he was the one who detected the forgery. He also was the one who went to the Cape of Good Hope, where he had the pleasure of meeting with you.
This brings me to the third case," continued the stranger.
"Letters were sent to the Cape of Good Hope, ordering money to be paid to John Potts. Thornton, Senior, fearing from the first attempt that a similar one would be made at the Cape, where the deceased had funds, sent his son there. Young Thornton reached the place just before you did, and would have arrested you, but the proof was not sufficient."
"Aha!" cried Potts, grasping at this--"not sufficient proof! I should think not." His voice was husky and his manner nervous.
"I said "was not"--but Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. have informed me that there are parties now in communication with them who can prove how, when, where, and by whom the forgeries were executed."
"It"s a d----d infernal lie!" roared Potts, in a fresh burst of anger.
"I only repeat what they state. The man has already written out a statement in full, and is only waiting for my return to sign it before a magistrate. This will be a death-warrant for your son; for Messrs.
Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. will have him arrested at once. You are aware that he has no chance of escape. The amount is too enormous, and the proof is too strong."
"Proof!" cried Potts, desperately; "who would believe any thing against a man like me, John Potts--a man of the county?"
"English law is no respecter of persons," said the stranger. "Rank goes for nothing. But if it did make cla.s.s distinctions, the witnesses about these doc.u.ments are of great influence. There is Thornton of Holby, and Colonel Henry Despard at the Cape of Good Hope, with whom Messrs.
Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. have had correspondence. There are also others."
"It"s all a lie!" exclaimed Potts, in a voice which was a little tremulous. "Who is this fool who has been making out papers?"
"His name is Philips; true name Lawton. He tells a very extraordinary story; very extraordinary indeed."
The stranger"s peculiar voice was now intensified in its odd, harsh intonations. The effect on Potts was overwhelming. For a moment he was unable to speak.
"Philips!" he gasped, at length.
"Yes. You sent him on business to Smithers & Co. He has not yet returned. He does not intend to, for he was found out by Messrs.
Bigelow, Higginson, & Co., and you know how timid he is. They have succeeded in extracting the truth from him. As I am in a hurry, and you, too, must be busy," continued the stranger, with unchanged accents, "I will now come to the point. These forged papers involve an amount to the extent of--Brandon forgeries, 93,500; Thornton papers, 5000; Bank of Good Hope, 4000; being in all 102,500. Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. have instructed me to say that they will sell these papers to you at their face without charging interest. They will hand them over to you and you can destroy them, in which case, of course, the charge must be dropped."
"Philips!" cried Potts. "I"ll have that devil"s blood!"
"That would be murder," said the stranger, with a peculiar emphasis.
His tone stung Potts to the quick.
"You appear to take me for a born fool," he cried, striding up and down.
"Not at all. I am only an agent carrying out the instructions of others."
Potts suddenly stopped in his walk.
"Have you all those papers about you?" he hissed.
"All."
Potts looked all around. The door was locked. They were alone. The stranger easily read his thought.
"No use," said he, calmly. "Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. would miss me if any thing happened. Besides, I may as well tell you that I am armed."
The stranger rose up and faced Potts, while, from behind his dark spectacles, his eyes seemed to glow like fire. Potts retreated with a curse.
"Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. instructed me to say that if I am not back with the money by to-morrow night, they will at once begin action, and have your son arrested. They will also inform Smithers & Co., to whom they say you are indebted for over 600,000. So that Smithers & Co.
will at once come down upon you for payment."
"Do Smithers & Co. know any thing about this?" asked Potts, in a voice of intense anxiety.
"They do business with you the same as ever, do they not?"
"Yes."
"How do you suppose they can know it?"
"They would never believe it"
"They would believe any statement made by Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co. My seniors have been on your track for a long time, and have come into connection with various parties. One man who is an Italian they consider important. They authorize me to state to you that this man can also prove the forgeries."
"Who?" grasped Potts.
"His name is Cigole."
"Cigole!"
"Yes."
"D--- him!"
"You may d.a.m.n him, but that won"t silence him," remarked the other, mildly.
"Well, what are you going to do?" growled Potts.
"Present you the offer of Messrs. Bigelow, Higginson, & Co.," said the other, with calm pertinacity. "Upon it depend your fortune and your son"s life."
"How long are you going to wait?"
"Till evening. I leave to-night. Perhaps you would like to think this over. I"ll give you till three o"clock. If you decide to accept, all well; if not, I go back."
The stranger rose, and Potts unlocked the door for him.
After he left Potts sat down, buried in his own reflections. In about an hour Clark came in.
"Well, Johnnie!" said he, "what"s up? You look down--any trouble?"