Valerie

""Dear me! dear me! I"ve often thought as much, Harry."

""Yes, grandfather, and, as you say, on the brink of the grave. Who knows but you may be called away this very night?"

""Yes, yes, who knows, boy," replied the old man, looking rather terrified; "but what shall I do?"

""I know what I would do," replied I. "I"d make a clean breast of it at once. I"d send for the minister and a magistrate, and state the whole story upon affidavit. Then you will feel happy again, and ease your mind, and not before."

""Well, boy, I believe you are right, I"ll think about it. Leave me now."

""Think about your own soul, sir--think of your own danger, and do not mind Lady R--. There can be but a bad reason for doing such an act of injustice. I will come again in an hour, sir, and then you will let me know your decision. Think about what the Bible says about those who defraud the widow and _orphan_. Good-bye for the present."

""No, stop, boy, I"ve made up my mind. You may go to Mr Sewell, the clergyman, he often calls to see me, and I can speak to him. I"ll tell him."

"I did not wait for the old man to alter his mind, but hastened as fast as I could to the parsonage-house, which was not four hundred yards distant. I went to the door and asked for Mr Sewell, who came out to me. I told him that old Roberts wanted to see him immediately, as he had an important confession to make.

""Is the old man going, then? I did not hear that he was any way dangerously ill?"

""No, sir, he is in his usual health, but he has something very heavy on his conscience, and he begs your presence immediately that he may reveal an important secret."

""Well, my lad, go back to him and say that I will be there in two hours. You are his grandson, I believe?"

""I will go and tell him, sir," replied I, evading the last question.

"I returned to old Roberts, and informed him that the clergyman would be with him in an hour or two, but I found the old man already hesitating and doubting again:--

""You didn"t tell him what it was for, did you? for perhaps--"

""Yes, I did. I told him you had an important secret to communicate that lay heavy on your conscience."

""I"m sadly puzzled," said the old man, musing.

""Well," replied I, "I"m not puzzled; and if you don"t confess, I must.

I won"t have my conscience loaded, poor fellow that I am; and if you choose to die with the sin upon you of depriving the orphan, I will not."

""I"ll tell--tell it all--it"s the best way," replied old Roberts, after a pause.

""There now," said I, "the best thing to be done is for me to get paper and pen, and write it all down for Mr Sewell to read when he comes; then you need not have to repeat it all again."

""Yes, that will be best, for I couldn"t face the clergyman."

""Then how can you expect to face the Almighty?" replied I.

""True--very true: get the paper," said he.

"I went to the inn and procured writing materials, and then returned and took down his confession of what I have now told you, Miss Valerie.

When Mr Sewell came, I had just finished it, and I then told him that I had written it down, and handed it to him to read. Mr Sewell was much surprised and shocked, and said to Roberts, "You have done right to make this confession, Roberts, for it may be most important; but you must now swear to it in the presence of a magistrate and me. Of course, you have no objection?"

""No, sir; I"m ready to swear to the truth of every word."

""Well, then, let me see. Why, there is no magistrate near us just now but Sir Thomas Moystyn; and as it concerns his own nephew, there cannot be a more proper person. I will go up to the Hall immediately, and ask him to come with me to-morrow morning."

"Mr Sewell did so; and the next day, he and Sir Thomas Moystyn came down in a phaeton, and went up to old Roberts. I rather turned away, that my uncle, as he now proves to be, might not, when I was regularly introduced to him, as I hope to be, as his nephew, recognise me as the sailor lad who pa.s.sed off as the grandson of old Roberts."

"Then, you admit that you have been playing a very deceitful game?"

"Yes, Miss Valerie. I have a conscience; and I admit that I have been playing what may be called an unworthy game; but when it is considered how much I have at stake, and how long I have been defrauded of my rights by the duplicity of others, I think I may be excused if I have beat them at their own weapons."

"I admit that there is great truth in your observations, Lionel; and that is all the answer I shall give."

"I remained outside the door while old Roberts signed the paper, and the oath was administered. Sir Thomas put many questions afterwards. He inquired the residence of his daughter, Mrs Green, and then they both went away. As soon as they were gone, I went in to old Roberts, and said, "Well now, sir, do you not feel happier that you have made the confession?"

""Yes," replied he, "I do, boy; but still I am scared when I think of Lady R--and your aunt Green; they"ll be so angry."

""I"ve been thinking that I had better go up to Mrs Green," I said, "and prepare her for it. I can pacify her, I"m sure, when I explain matters. I must have gone away the day after to-morrow, and I"ll go up to London to-morrow."

""Well, perhaps it will be as well," replied old Roberts, "and yet I wish you could stay and talk to me--I"ve no one to talk to me now."

"Thinks I, I have made you talk to some purpose, and have no inclination to sit by your bed-side any longer; however, I kept up the appearance to the last, and the next morning set off for London. I arrived three days before I saw you first, which gave me time to change my sailor"s dress for the suit I now wear. I have not yet been to Mrs Green, for I thought I would just see you, and ask your advice. And now, Miss Valerie, you have my whole history."

"I once more congratulate you, with all my heart," replied I, offering my hand to Lionel. He kissed it respectfully, and as he was in the act, one of the maids opened the door, and told me that Lady M--had been some time waiting to see me. I believe I coloured up, although I had no cause for blushing; and wishing Lionel good-bye, I desired him to call on Sunday afternoon, and I would remain at home to see him.

It was on Thursday that this interview took place with Lionel, and on the Sat.u.r.day I received a letter from Lady R--"s solicitor, by which I was shocked by the information of her ladyship having died at Caudebec, a small town on the river Seine; and begging to know whether I could receive him that afternoon, as he was anxious to communicate with me. I answered by the person who brought the letter, that I would receive him at three o"clock; and he made his appearance at the hour appointed.

He informed me that Lady R--had left Havre in a fishing boat, with the resolution of going up to Paris by that strange conveyance; and having no protection from the weather, she had been wet for a whole day, without changing her clothes; and, on her arrival at Caudebec, had been taken with a fever, which, from the ignorance of the faculty in that sequestered place, had proved fatal. Her maid had just written the intelligence, enclosing the doc.u.ments from the authorities substantiating the fact.

"You are not, perhaps, aware, miss, that you are left her executrix."

"I her executrix!" exclaimed I, with astonishment.

"Yes," replied Mr Selwyn. "Before she left town, she made an alteration in her will; and stated to me that you would be able to find the party most interested in it, and that you had a doc.u.ment in your hands which would explain everything."

"I have a sealed paper which she enclosed to me, desiring I would not open it, unless I heard of her death, or had her permission."

"It must be that to which she refers, I presume," replied he. "I have the will in my pocket: it will be as well to read it to you, as you are her executrix."

Mr Selwyn then produced the will, by which Lionel Dempster, her nephew, was left her sole heir; and by a codicil, she had, for the love she bore me, as she stated in her own handwriting, left me 500 pounds as her executrix, and all her jewels and wearing apparel.

"I congratulate you on your legacy, Miss de Chatenoeuf," said he; "and now, perhaps, you can tell me where I can find this nephew; for I must say it is the first that I ever heard of him."

"I believe that I can point him out, sir," replied I; "but the most important proofs, I suspect, are to be found in the paper which I have not yet read."

"I will then, if you please, no longer trespa.s.s on you," said Mr Selwyn, "when you wish me to call again, you will oblige me by sending word, or writing by post."

The departure of Mr Selwyn was quite a relief to me. I longed to be alone, that I might be left to my own reflections, and also that I might peruse the doc.u.ment which had been confided to me by poor Lady R--. I could not help feeling much shocked at her death--more so, when I considered her liberality towards me, and the confidence she reposed in one with whom she had but a short acquaintance. It was like her, nevertheless; who but Lady R--would ever have thought of making a young person so unprotected and so unacquainted as I was with business--a foreigner to boot--the executrix of her will; and her death occasioned by such a mad freak--and Lionel now restored to his position and his fortune--altogether it was overwhelming, and after a time I relieved myself with tears. I was still with my handkerchief to my eyes when Lady M--came into the room.

"Crying, Miss Chatenoeuf," said her ladyship, "it is at the departure of a very dear friend."

There was a sort of sneer on her face as she said this; and I replied--