only of severely chastising Hundle, | ably disheartened and distressed Mr but of subjecting him to the severe Hylton, tending to paralyse his hupenalties of the law against poaching, mane exertions-nay, even somewhat by detecting and capturing him in to shake his confidence in Ayliffe's the very act. Mr Hylton secretly truthfulness and innocence. hoped that Hundle might have ab- The day after that on which Mr sconded in consequence of Ayliffe's Hylton had received this dispiriting statements at the trial; but when Mr information, he resolved to see AyWigley rode over to the village where liffe, and probe his conscience on the the man resided, for the purpose of subject. Two little incidents ocmaking the desired inquiries concern- curred to him, on his melancholy ing him, he was found engaged in his ride from Milverstoke to the gaol, ordinary employment of a farmer's which, though insignificant in themday-labourer, one which it seemed selves, yet made a lasting impression that he had never suspended since upon him. On reaching the cottage the disastrous occurrence which had in which poor Ayliffe's child was livled to the inquiry. He totally de-ing, he dismounted, in order to make nied, and with an astonished air his usual weekly payment out of Lady which impressed his interrogator, that Emily's bounty; and on entering, he had ever made any such arrange- found there his good wife, Mrs Hylton, ment for going to the wood as had with his little daughter, who was in been alleged by Ayliffe, or that he the act of putting, with childish excitehad ever dreamed of doing so; and ment of manner, a small silver token declared that he was at his own cot- into the hand of the child; who, though tage during the whole of the evening incapable of appreciating the gift, yet in question, as his mother also em- smiled upon the little giver with what phatically affirmed. He admitted that appeared to Mr Hylton to be an expreshe had acted a shabby and cruel part sion of ineffable sweetness. "And towards Ayliffe about the hare, but this is the child of the reputed murpleaded the distress of himself and derer of Lord Alkmond!" thought he; his mother; and, when asked how and a tear came into his eyes, and he he could have supposed that one in sighed deeply. As he rode along, that such circumstances as those of Ay- poor child's countenance accompanied liffe, could possibly pay any portion him, pleading hard in favour of its of the expected fine, said that he had miserable parent! heard of Ayliffe's having high friends, who would not see him in trouble for a pound or two; and mentioned the Vicar of Milverstoke as the chief of such friends, having heard Ayliffe himself speak of that reverend gentleman in terms of impassioned gratitude and respect. Hundle offered to be confronted with Ayliffe, at any moment, on the subject in question, and voluntarily accompanied Mr Wigley in quest of the person whom Ayliffe alleged to have concurred with him in his projected expedition; but the man had, some ten days before, it seemed, gone to another part of the country. The only practical result, then, of these inquiries was, so far from being in any degree corroborative of Ayliffe's statement, to give it a flat contradiction; which unspeak When he had gone about two-thirds. on his way, he saw at a distance the figure of a man, sitting on a milestone, just under a tree-and who should this prove to be but old Ayliffe! He was not for some time aware of Mr Hylton's approach: the wind, which was very bitter, coming from an opposite direction, and the old man sitting in a sad and thoughtful attitude, with his eyes bent upon the ground. Mr Hylton stopped for some moments to look at him, much moved, and even startled by the coincidence which had happened-that he, going to see the death-doomed son, in whom his confidence, till then so firm, was beginning to be shaken, should have encountered both the son and father of the condemned, each under circumstances so touching and unlooked for. H Mr Hylton had come up with Ayliffe | little; or of prevailing on him to rebefore the latter seemed aware of his commend to mercy." approach; and to his arrested eye, the old man's countenance appeared in vested with an aspect of grandeur. There might be seen in it gloom and grief; a certain stern composure and dignity, speaking of nature's own nobility. And he had, withal, an appearance so utterly poverty-stricken! And his features were so pallid and wasted! He had walked upwards of five miles from his cottage to the gaol; and his wearied limbs required the rest which he was taking -the book which then lay upon his knees being also somewhat weighty for an old man's carrying so far. He was bringing, he said, in answer to Mr Hylton's inquiries, his own old Bible, to read out of it to his son, at his earnest request; and intended to leave it with him during the few remaining days of his life. "There is no difference in Bibles, sir," said the old man with sorrowful deliberation of manner, so each be the pure word of God-that I do well know; but this one will my poor son weep precious tears to see; and I shall weep grievously over it, after he is gone! My excellent, my pious friend," said Mr Hylton, "I go this day again to see your son; but with heavy heart. How fast is wearing away his time! and yet I make no advance towards his rescue, or pardon! No, not one step! And assuredly I do believe that he will die on the day now appointed by the law!" "The will of God be done, sir!" exclaimed Ayliffe, taking off his hat as he spoke, and looking reverently and awfully upwards. "I grieve to tell you, Adam, that I can do nothing with my Lord Milverstoke, in the way of getting him to say that he doubts, be it never so The old man covered his eyes with his hand, and shook his head sadly. After a long pause-"Sir," said he, speaking in a low broken tone of voice, "he was a father, as yet I am. Some short while ago, he thought as little to lose his only son, as did I to have mine taken horribly from me, as he will be, a few days hence. Yet who hath ordered both these things but Almighty God, whose creatures we all be? And if his lordship doth verily believe that my son slew his, who shall wonder if he think it right that my poor son should die, according to the law of God and man! But as for me, my days are now few and bitter, and this is like to close them somewhat sooner than they would have been. Yet have I not read this Book, which I have here, in vain; and I bear malice to no man. Alas! my poor son's own sin first led him into the way that brought him down into this horrible pit; and God is just, His doings are never to be questioned; and if the punishment seem to us beyond the sin, that matter leave I humbly to God, who will one day make plain what he hath done, and why. And often think I what may be said for God's reasons in permitting this young noble to be slain, whom verily I believe my poor son slew not! Soon, sir, to all appearance, must they meet face to face, and in the presence of God; and for such meeting do I daily strive to prepare my son!" All this was said, with some few intervals of silence, uninterrupted by Mr Hylton, who listened to the speaker, and gazed at him with thrilling and awe-subduing thoughts. "This man," said he to himself, "has not read that blessed Book in vain! And oh! that I, with all mankind, might so read it!" CHAPTER XII. On his return to the parsonage that wind; that John Jevons was the mate; evening, after a brief but affecting in- that there was on board a sailor named terview with the prisoner, who with Harrup; that the place usually freunvarying and calm consistency re- quented by the sailors, in London, was asserted the truth of his statement the Commodore Anson; and that the concerning Hundle, and evinced a destination of the vessel had been that sensible improvement in the tone of which the letter specified. Why, howhis feelings,—as his hopes diminished, ever, the vessel had lain-to when ophis resignation increasing,-Mr Hyl- posite Milverstoke Castle, except it had ton found Mr Melcombe impatiently been becalmed-and why, moreover, awaiting his arrival, with intelligence the boat, with Harrup in it, had gone of a sufficiently exciting character, ashore, or whether, indeed, such a fact which had come from London by that had happened at all, the owner knew afternoon's coach, in a letter from Mr not; but aware of the cause of the inMelcombe's agent. The latter gen- quiries which were being made on the tleman was a skilful and experienced subject, had promised to afford every man; and instantly on receiving Mr information in his power, and at the Melcombe's instructions, in a case so earliest moment. Now the letter calculated to excite his interest and which Mr Melcombe had brought from stimulate his energies, had taken the London, was from his agent, announcbest practicable means of becoming ing the arrival, on the preceding evenacquainted with the arrival at Lon- ing, of the Morning Star; the discodon, or any other port, of the Morn- very, late on the same night, at the ing Star. But, above all, he had Commodore Anson, of Jevons, the stationed a clerk, of tact and vigi- mate; and that the writer had oblance, near the Commodore Anson tained an appointment from the Setavern, at Wapping, with instruc-cretary of State, at his office, for the tions to discover and announce the ensuing morning-when he would be arrival there of John Jevons, or any in attendance with Jevons and Harrup! other person belonging to the Morning Star. The merchant to whom that vessel belonged had been discovered by Mr Melcombe without difficulty, through information afforded by Mr Merton; and from such owner had been ascertained, beyond a doubt, the following highly satisfactory, and apparently important information :-That the Morning Star must, on the day in question, have been passing that part of the coast where Milverstoke Castle was situated; having quitted the port to which she belonged on that morning, and with a fair though intermitting Mr Hylton was so overjoyed and excited by this bright gleam of sunshine (for such he esteemed it) that Mr Melcombe was forced to remind him of the slight importance which, after all, might be attached to these circumstances, by the high authorities in whose hands lay the fate of the prisoner. Mr Melcombe was not so sanguine a man as Mr Hylton, and of course better acquainted with the practical administration of justice; and when, by means of what he said, there appeared before Mr Hylton's mind's eye, as it were, a pair of scales, in one of which were the proved and sung out ' Hallo, my hearties!' When he had said the substance of all this, my Lord asked him the following pertinent questions: 'Do you know Adam Ay. liffe, or any of his family or friends?' The man said that he had never even heard of the name-nor ever been at Milverstoke. 'How soon after your return to the vessel did you mention to the mate, or to any one else, the things which you have just told us?' admitted facts of the case-and in the other this mere possibility and ground for conjecture-the latter scale seemed alas! instantly to kick the beam. Had there been time, Mr Hylton would have started for London to be present at the all-important interview. That, however, being impracticable, he was obliged to wait for information by due course of post; and, to be sure, on the morning but one after the receipt of the above intelligence, Mr-He answered, directly that he had Hylton rode over to Mr Melcombe's office, and read with him the following deeply interesting letter from his London agent, Mr Burnley: : "In the matter of Adam Ayliffe, "POMEGRANATE COURT, TEMPLE, got on deck, when he said, 'There's been sport going on in yon woods.' ' Why had you been ashore?'-He said, to try to get some carpenter's tools; having left several of their own behind them, at the port. 'How long had you left the shore, when you saw the men running?'-'About a quarter of an hour. In what direction were they running?'-'Easterly-towards the east.' Would that be as if they were going away from, or towards, the wood?'-Going away from it.' 'Does the wood come close down to the shore, or are there cliffs?'-The man could not say; but Mr Under Secretary said he knew the place himself well, and whis "Dear Sir, could not hear. 'Did the man who structure! The Lord Chief Justice, however,' continued his lordship, 'will be seen, and shown the notes of what has taken place this morning (a clerk had set down everything as it went on); and, in the mean time, those two persons who have been here to-day should be forthcoming, if required. I think it right to intimate to you,' said his lordship to me, 'for communication to the prisoner's friends, that, as I am at present advised, I see no grounds for delaying, beyond the period now fixed, the carrying into ef fect the sentence of the law. I regard the evidence adduced at the trial as of rare cogency, and, in truth, irresistible. There is, however, one matter not mentioned to day, on which it is desirable to communicate with the Lord Chief Justice; and in the mean time you will be pleased to leave here the address of the clergyman who has taken so much interest in this case, and who called on me and on the Lord Chief Justice upon this subject.' From his lordship's manner, I should not be surprised if the reverend gentleman were to have a communication made to him respecting some matter which he may have mentioned to the Lord Chief Justice. The moment that I have anything new, you may rely on hearing from me: and meanwhile I am, the night might this have been, as nearly as you can recollect?'-'About ten o'clock.' Then Harrup was order ed to withdraw. Has there been any reward offered by Lord Milverstoke or the magistrates, for the discovery of any one connected with the transaction?' asked his lordship of me; and I answered 'No.' Before Jevons was brought in, his lordship asked me, very particularly, what inquiries we had made at Milverstoke, to ascertain whether any one near the sea-shore had observed persons running on the occasion in question. I told him what we had done, reading him your last letter to me, announcing that you could learn nothing on the subject. When Jevons was called in, he gave, as I have already said, a clear and plain account of how he came to write the letter, disclaimed all knowledge of the Ayliffes, and knew but little of Milverstoke. Neither he nor any one on board had heard the sound of gun-shot from shore. His lordship asked, very quietly, two or three acute questions, designed to detect any material difference between the accounts of those parts of the transaction which both must have observed; but I never heard any person answer more satisfactorily than Jevons did; it could have left no doubt in any one's mind, that whatever might be the value or effect of the evidence, it was given truly and bona fide. Then Jevons was ordered to withdraw; and, after a few moments' silence, his lordship said, addressing Mr Under Secretary and me -'All that we have just heard might, had it been known at the time of the trial, possibly have been fit to lay before the jury; but they might have deemed it immaterial or irrelevant, or as showing only that possibly others were concerned, with the prisoner, in the murder-they escaping, and he happening to be detected: his guilt The "matter not mentioned to-day," being, of course, in either case the to which the Secretary of State had same. But the persons represented as referred, Mr Hylton perfectly underrunning along the shore may have had stood; and the allusion to it threw nothing whatever to do with the mur-him into a brief but extremely anxious der, nor known anything about it: what reverie. He had not felt himself at aslight foundation,' these were his lord-liberty to communicate the point to ship's words, for so large a super- which Lord Farnborough must have "Your very faithful servant, "JONATHAN BURNLEY. "P.S.-As you intend to take no costs in this case, nor shall I-regarding it as a matter of humanity. At the same time, if funds be provided by those well able to afford it, I think it would be not unreasonable for both you and me to be reimbursed the money which we may actually expend on the occasion, but, equally with yourself, I will not hear of anything further.' |