Lady Arden was in town, and busied in preparations for the marriage of
Madeline, when Alfred's letter, announcing the sudden death of Sir
Willoughby, reached her. The signs and trappings of approaching
festivity were, of course, changed for those of mourning. But who shall
describe the consternation of this affectionate mother, when the
astounding intelligence was brought to her, that her child, her darling,
her favourite, now her only son, was actually committed to a felon's
prison, accused of the murder of his brother.
It was some moments before her comprehension could grasp the whole
extent of the horrors connected with such an intimation. She was
bewildered, she seemed to be in a trance; yet, through it all, her own
perfect knowledge of the utter impossibility of such an accusation
having the slightest foundation in truth, was a kind of upholding to her
spirit, inasmuch as it appeared also impossible to her mind, that any
being could give reception to such a thought. Unable to speak
connectedly, she alternated the expressions, "No, no----Oh no,"
continually, while looking round her with a strange wild eye, that
seemed to flash, yet saw not.
The want she felt was to be with her son; but though she moved rapidly,
and often turned quite round, she was incapable, at the time, of
distinguishing the door from the windows of the apartment she was in.
It was only by the kind intervention of Mrs. Dorothea, that Lady Arden's
wishes were at length understood, and accomplished.
Mrs. Dorothea was in town for the purpose of being present at Madeline's
wedding; which was so far fortunate, as she was, on the present
occasion, a great support to her afflicted sister-in-law; and kindly
accompanied her on her journey to Arden.
On entering the town. Lady Arden was asked where she would choose to go.
"Where?" she repeated, "Take me where he is."
She was driven to the gates of the gaol; she looked at them, and at Mrs.
Dorothea.
When last she had passed through the streets of Arden, the triumphal
arches and laurel wreaths, the remnants of the previous day's
rejoicings, for the coming of age of her twin sons, were not yet taken
down.--Now, one son lay a quarter of a mile distant, within the stately
mansion of his fathers, a yet unburied corse;--she waited at the door of
a common prison for admittance to the other.
Mrs. Dorothea's eyes met hers, but neither spoke. Becoming suddenly
collected, Lady Arden alighted from the carriage with a firm step, and
entered the dismal precincts as proudly as though the portals of a
palace had received her.
Alfred had been warned of her approach. He stood breathless, and with a
beating heart. Without a word uttered on either side, they rushed into
each other's arms. In continued silence the mother held the son to her
bosom, as though she felt, instinctively, that it was his natural
sanctuary.
Though at first melted by the tenderest sorrow, in the embraces of his
parent, our hero soon assumed a noble firmness. He had already passed
eight-and-forty hours in solitary reflection on his extraordinary fate.
"I do not ask you, mother," he said, "not weep, for we have a common
cause of sorrow in the untimely and sudden death of my poor brother: but
add not one tear for me; believe me, there is not, there cannot be, a
shadow of danger in the position in which I stand; although public
opinion, I am told, is against me. Is it not," he added, in an altered
tone, "a degrading view of human nature, to see that so many individuals
should be found ready to believe such a crime possible? As to the result
of a fair and open trial, however, I repeat it, I have no fears!
"In a land professing to prefer mercy before judgment; in a land with
laws so constituted, that lest an error should be committed on the side
of severity, the criminal, whom all know to be guilty, is allowed to
escape unpunished, if but a technicality of legal proof be wanting; in a
land, one of the boasts of which is, that no man is required to prove
his own innocence, but that all are by law innocent until proved guilty;
in such a land it must be quite impossible that, on mere appearances,
they should strip of honour and of life one whose thoughts were never
visited by the conception of a crime! Nay, I speak it not in unchristian
pride, but, compared with that of which they would accuse me, I feel
that I am innocent indeed!"
After a long pause, during which they had gazed silently in each other's
faces, Alfred, as a sort of effort to converse, said, "How much we are
struck with the merest common-places, when they happen to suit our own
individual case: 'innocent as the babe unborn,' now seems to me a
beautiful expression."
Lady Arden felt much comforted by the firmness of her son;--his views
were her own; though within the walls of a prison, and surrounded with
every practical proof of the peril in which he stood, she could not look
at Alfred, his lofty carriage, the nobleness of his brow, and force her
imagination to associate with him the idea of a condemned criminal--it
seemed a thing impossible! "No!" she haughtily exclaimed, "acquitted he
must be, but how have they dared to accuse him?"
Alfred now explained the hitherto unexpressed fears, which he had so
long entertained, respecting his brother's state of mind, and went into
all the particulars of his late return to Arden, and subsequent death.
As he drew up in array the extraordinary circumstances, inexplicable to
any one but himself, on which the accusation against him was founded,
Lady Arden felt a pang of terror paralyse her heart, but as his simple
explanations followed, she would exclaim, "Is not that sufficient? Is
not that sufficient?"
"In the mouth of an impartial witness, such explanations would be
all-sufficient," he replied, "but remember I am the person accused."
"Accused!" she repeated, then gazed with a mother's rapturous love, on
the guileless expression of his parted lip, as to comfort her he tried
to smile, she fondly poured forth expressions of endearment.
"Alfred, my child! my mild, my innocent, my beautiful Alfred! my gentle,
my affectionate, my noble Alfred!" She paused, and, by the working of
her features, terrible thoughts seemed to pass in view before her.
"Oh, impossible!" she suddenly exclaimed, clasping him with convulsive
agony to her breast, "quite impossible! But if they are so mad," she
added, in a hurried tone of subdued agony, "they shall saw these arms
asunder before they take him from me!" He was too much affected to
reply. Again she looked at him in silence for a time, then added, almost
fiercely,
"There must be means, and I will find them! What! allow them to murder
him! No--no--I rave, my son. Dreams of horror belong to these
walls----but I have no fears--no fears--no fears--I say I have no
fears--it is quite, quite impossible!" Even while reiterating that she
had no fears, her voice had faltered, and now she burst into a passion
of tears, which the effort to brave her feelings quickly changed to an
hysterical affection.
This became so serious, and lasted so long, that she was obliged to be
carried home, and conveyed to bed, where the kindhearted Mrs. Dorothea,
took the post of friendship beside her pillow.
Yet this was, by no means, the most agonizing period of this season of
trial. The situation was too novel to be comprehended in its full
extent. There was, as yet, more of incredulous amazement, and of proud
defiance of the accuser, than of despair or even of apprehension in the
feelings both of Lady Arden and of Alfred. They were both at present
more indignant that such an outrage had been offered, and that
submission to insulting and degrading forms was still necessary, than
seriously alarmed as to future consequences.