"You knew the late Darcy Martin, father of the last proprietor of this estate?"
"Intimately."
"You baptized his two children, born at the same birth. State what you remember of the circ.u.mstance."
"I was sent for to the castle to give a private baptism to the two infants, and requested that I would bring the vestry-book along with me for the registration. I did so. The children were accordingly christened, and their births duly registered and witnessed."
"Can you remember the names by which they were called?"
"Not from the incident in question, though I know the names from subsequent knowledge of them, as they grew up to manhood."
"What means, if any, were adopted at the time to distinguish the priority of birth?"
"The eldest was first baptized, and his birth specially entered in the vestry-book as such; all the witnesses who signed the entry corroborating the fact by special mention of it under their signature.
We also heard that the child wore a gold bracelet on one arm; but I did not remark it."
"You have this vestry-book in your keeping?"
"No; Mr. Martin retained it, with some object of more formal registration. I repeatedly asked for it, but never could obtain it. At length some coolness grew up between us, and I could not, or did not wish to press my demand; and at last it lapsed entirely from my memory, so that from that day I never saw it."
"You could, however, recognize it, and be able to verify your signature?"
"Certainly."
"Was there, so far as you could see, any marked distinction made between the children while yet young?"
"I can remember that at the age of three or four the eldest boy wore a piece of red or blue ribbon on his sleeve; but any other mark I never observed. They were treated, so far as I could perceive, precisely alike; and their resemblance to each other was then so striking, it would have been a matter of great nicety to distinguish them. Even at school, I am told, mistakes constantly occurred, and one boy once received the punishment incurred by the other."
"As they grew up, you came to recognize the eldest by his name?"
"Yes. Old Mr. Darcy Martin used to take the elder boy more about with him. He was then a child of ten or eleven years old. He was particular in calling attention to him, saying, "This fellow is to be my heir; he "ll be the Martin of Cro" Martin yet""
"And what name did the boy bear?"
"G.o.dfrey,--G.o.dfrey Martin. The second boy"s name was Barry."
"You are sure of this?"
"Quite sure. I have dined a number of times at the castle, when G.o.dfrey was called in after dinner, and the other boy was generally in disgrace; and I could remark that his father spoke of him in a tone of irritation and bitterness, which he did not employ towards the other."
"Mr. Martin died before his sons came of age?"
"Yes; they were only nineteen at his death."
"He made a will, I believe, to which you were a witness?"
"I was; but somehow the will was lost or mislaid, and it was only by a letter to the Honorable Colonel Forbes, of Lisvally, that Martin"s intentions about appointing him guardian to his elder boy were ascertained. I myself was named guardian to the second son, an office of which he soon relieved me by going abroad, and never returned for a number of years."
"G.o.dfrey Martin then succeeded to the estate in due course?"
"Yes, and we were very intimate for a time, till after his marriage, when estrangement grew up between us, and at last we ceased to visit at all."
"Were the brothers supposed to be on good terms with each other?"
"I have heard two opposite versions on that subject. My own impression was that Lady Dorothea disliked Barry Martin, who had made a marriage that was considered beneath him; and then his brother was, from easiness of disposition, gradually weaned of his old affection for him. Many thought Barry, with all his faults, the better-hearted of the two."
"Can you tell what ultimately became of this Barry Martin?"
"I only know, from common report, that after the death of his wife, having given his infant child, a girl, in charge to his brother, he engaged in the service of some of the Southern American Republics, and is supposed yet to be living there,--some say in great affluence; others, that he is utterly ruined by a failure in a mining speculation.
The last time I ever heard G.o.dfrey speak of him was in terms of sincere affection, adding the words, "Poor Barry will befriend every one but himself.""
"So that he never returned?"
"I believe not; at least I never heard of it."
"I have written down these questions and your answers to them," said Repton; "will you read them over, and if you find them correct, append your signature. I am expecting Mr. Nelligan here, and I "ll go and see if there be any sign of his arrival."
Repton just reached the door as Mr. Nelligan drove up to it.
"All goes on well and promptly to-day," said the old lawyer. "I have got through a good deal of business already, and I expect to do as much more ere evening sets in. I have asked you to be present, as a magistrate, while I examine the contents of a certain closet in this house. I am led to believe that very important doc.u.ments are deposited there, and it is in your presence, and that of Mr. Leslie, I purpose to make the inquiry.
Before I do so, however, I will entreat your attention to a number of questions, and the answers to them, which will be read out to you. You will then be in a better position to judge of any discovery which the present investigation may reveal. All this sounds enigmatically enough, Mr. Nelligan; but you will extend your patience to me for a short while, and I hope to repay it."
Nelligan bowed in silence, and followed him into the house.
"There," said Mr. Leslie, "I have written my name to that paper; it is, so far as I can see, perfectly correct."
"Now, let me read it for Mr. Nelligan," said Repton; and, without further preface, recited aloud the contents of the doc.u.ment. "I conclude, sir," said he, as he finished, "that there is nothing in what you have just heard very new or very strange to your ears. You knew before that Darcy Martin had two sons; that they were twins; and that one of them, G.o.dfrey, inherited the estate. You may also have heard something of the brother"s history; more, perhaps, than is here alluded to."
"I have always heard him spoken of as a wild, reckless fellow, and that it was a piece of special good fortune he was not born to the property, or he had squandered every shilling of it," said Nelligan.
"Yes," said Leslie, "such was the character he bore."
"That will do," said Repton, rising. "Now, gentlemen, I"m about to unlock this cabinet, and, if I be correctly informed, we shall find the vestry-book with the entries spoken of by Mr. Leslie, and the long missing will of Darcy Martin. Such, I repeat, are the objects I expect to discover; and it is in your presence I proceed to this examination."
In some astonishment at his words, the others followed him to the corner of the room, where, half concealed in the wainscot, a small door was at length discovered, unlocking which, Repton and the others entered a little chamber, lighted by a narrow, loopholed window. Not stopping to examine the shelves loaded with old doc.u.ments and account-books, Repton walked straight to a small ebony cabinet, on a bracket, opening which, he drew forth a square vellum-bound book, with ma.s.sive clasps.
"The old vestry-book. I know it well," said Leslie.
"Here are the doc.u.ments in parchment," continued Repton, "and a sealed paper. What are the lines in the corner, Mr. Nelligan,--your eyes are better than mine?"
""Agreement between G.o.dfrey and Barry Martin. To be opened by whichever shall survive the other." The initials of each are underneath."
"With this we have no concern," said Repton; "our business lies with these." And he pointed to the vestry-book. "Let us look for the entry you spoke of."
"It is easily found," said Leslie. "It was the last ever made in that book. Here it is." And he read aloud: ""February 8th, 1772. Privately baptized, at Cro" Martin Castle, by me, Henry Leslie, Inc.u.mbent and Vicar of the said parish, Barry and G.o.dfrey, sons of Darcy Martin and Eleanor his wife, both born on the fourth day of the aforesaid month; and, for the better discrimination of their priority in age, it is hereby added that Barry Martin is the elder, and G.o.dfrey the second son, to which fact the following are attesting witnesses: Michael Keirn, house-steward; George Dorcas, butler; and Catharine Broon, maid of still-room.""
"Is that in your handwriting, sir?" asked Repton.
"Yes, every word of it, except the superscription of the witnesses."