A LONG STORY, WHICH ENDS IN THE OPENING OF THE TIN BOX, WHICH PROVES TO
CONTAIN DEEDS MUCH MORE SATISFACTORY TO MR. WHARNCLIFFE THAN THE DEEDS
OF HIS UNCLE--BEGIN TO FEEL THE BLESSINGS OF INDEPENDENCE, AND SUSPECT
THAT I HAVE ACTED LIKE A FOOL--AFTER TWO YEARS' CONSIDERATION, I BECOME
QUITE SURE OF IT, AND, AS TOM SAYS, "NO MISTAKE."
"The gentleman who prevented my taking off the young lady is uncle to
both of us. We are, therefore, first cousins. Our family name is
Wharncliffe. My father was a major in the army. He died when I was
young, and my mother is still alive, and is sister to Lady Auburn. The
father and mother of Cecilia are both dead. He went out to India to
join his brother, another uncle, of whom I shall speak directly. He has
now been dead three years, and out of the four brothers there is only
one left, my uncle; with whom Cecilia is living, and whose Christian
name is Henry. He was a lawyer by profession, but he purchased a patent
place, which he still enjoys. My father, whose name was William, died
in very moderate circumstances; but still he left enough for my mother
to live upon, and to educate me properly. I was brought up to the law
under my uncle Henry, with whom, for some years, I resided. Cecilia's
father, whose name was Edward, left nothing; he had ruined himself in
England, and had gone out to India at the request of my uncle there,
whose name was James, and who had amassed a large fortune. Soon after
the death of Cecilia's father, my uncle James came home on furlough, for
he held a very high and lucrative situation under the Company. A
bachelor from choice, he was still fond of young people; and having but
one nephew and one niece to leave his money to, as soon as he arrived
with Cecilia, whom he brought with him, he was most anxious to see me.
He therefore took up his quarters with my uncle Henry, and remained with
him during his sojourn in England; but my uncle James was of a very cold
and capricious temper. He liked me best because I was a boy, and one
day declared I should be his heir. The next day he would alter his
intention, and declare that Cecilia, of whom he was very fond, should
inherit everything. If we affronted him, for at the age of sixteen as a
boy, and fourteen as a girl, worldly prospects were little regarded, he
would then declare that we should not be a shilling the better for his
money. With him money was everything: it was his daily theme of
conversation, his only passion; and he valued and respected people in
proportion to what they were supposed to possess. With these feelings
he demanded for himself the greatest deference from Cecilia and me, as
his expectant heirs. This he did not receive; but on the whole he was
pleased with us, and after remaining three years in England, he returned
to the East Indies. I had heard him mention to my uncle Henry his
intention of making his will, and leaving it with him before he sailed;
but I was not certain whether it had been done or not. At all events,
my uncle Henry took care that I should not be in the way; for at that
time my uncle carried on his profession as a lawyer, and I was working
in his office. It was not until after my uncle James returned to India
that he gave up business and purchased the patent place which I
mentioned. Cecilia was left with my uncle Henry, and as we lived in the
same house, our affections, as we grew up, ripened into love. We often
used to laugh at the threats of my uncle James, and agreed that whoever
might be the fortunate one to whom he left his property, we would go
halves, and share it equally.
"In the meantime I still followed up my profession in another house, in
which I at present am a partner. Four years after the return of my
uncle James to India news came home of his death; but it was also stated
that no will could be found, and it was supposed that he died intestate.
Of course my uncle Henry succeeded as heir-at-law to the whole
property, and thus were the expectations and hopes of Cecilia and of
myself dashed to the ground. But this was not the worst of it: my
uncle, who had witnessed our feelings for each other, and had made no
comment, as soon as he was in possession of the property, intimated to
Cecilia that she should be his heiress, provided that she married
according to his wishes; and pointed out to her that a fortune such as
she might expect would warrant the alliance of the first nobleman in the
kingdom; and he very plainly told me that he thought it advisable that I
should find lodgings for myself, and not be any longer an inmate in the
same house as was my cousin, as no good would result from it. Thus,
sir, we were not only disappointed in our hopes, but thwarted in our
affections, which had for some time been exchanged. Maddened at this
intimation, I quitted the house; and at the same time the idea of my
uncle James having made a will still pressed upon me, as I called to
mind what I had heard him say to my uncle Henry previous to his sailing
for India. There was a box of deeds and papers, the very box now in
your possession, which my uncle invariably kept in his bedroom. I felt
convinced that the will, if not destroyed (and I did not believe my
uncle would dare to commit an act of felony), was in that box. Had I
remained in the house I would have found some means to have opened it;
but this was no longer possible. I communicated my suspicions to
Cecilia, and begged her to make the attempt, which would be more easy as
my uncle would not suspect her of being bold enough to venture it, even
if he had the suspicion. Cecilia promised, and one day my uncle
fortunately left his keys upon his dressing-table when he came down to
breakfast, and went out without missing them. Cecilia discovered them,
and opened the box, and amongst other parchments found a document
labelled outside as the will of our uncle James; but women understand
little about these things, and she was in such trepidation for fear that
my uncle should return that she could not examine it very minutely. As
it was, my uncle did return for his keys just as she had locked the box
and placed the keys upon the table. He asked her what she was doing
there, and she made some excuse. He saw the keys on the table, and
whether suspecting her, for she coloured up very much, or afraid that
the attempt might be made at my suggestion, he removed the box and
locked it up in a closet, the key of which, I believe, he left with his
banker in town. When Cecilia wrote to me an account of what had passed,
I desired her to find the means of opening the closet, that we might
gain possession of the box; and this was easily effected, for the key of
another closet fitted the lock exactly. I then persuaded her to put
herself under my protection, with the determination that we would marry
immediately; and we had so arranged that the tin box was to have
accompanied us. You are aware, sir, how unfortunately our plan turned
out--at least, so far unfortunately, that I lost, as I thought, not only
Cecilia, but the tin box, containing, as I expect, the will of my uncle,
of which I am more than ever convinced from the great anxiety shown by
my uncle Henry to recover it. Since the loss he has been in a state of
agitation, which has worn him to a shadow. He feels that his only
chance is that the waterman employed might have broken open the box,
expecting to find money in it, and being disappointed, have destroyed
the papers to avoid detection. If such had been the case, and it might
have been had it not fallen into such good hands, he then would have
obtained his only wish, that of the destruction of the will although not
by his own hands. Now, sir, I have given you a full and honest account
of the affair, and leave you to decide how to act."
"If you leave me to decide, I shall do it very quickly," replied Mr
Turnbull. "A box has fallen into my hands, and I do not know who is the
owner. I shall open it, and take a list of the deeds in contains, and
advertise them in the _Times_ and other newspapers. If your dead
uncle's will is in it it will, of course, be advertised with the others,
and after such publicity your uncle Henry will not venture, I presume,
to say a word, but be too glad not to be exposed."
Mr Turnbull ordered a locksmith to be summoned, and the tin box was
opened. It contained the document of the uncle's purchase of the patent
place in the courts, and some other papers, but it also contained the
parchment so much looked after--the last will and testament of James
Wharncliffe, Esquire, dated two months previous to his quitting England.
"I think," observed Mr Turnbull, "that in case of accident, it may be
as well that this will should be read before witnesses. You observe, it
is witnessed by Henry Wharncliffe, with two others. Let us take down
their names."
The will was read by young Wharncliffe, at the request of Mr Turnbull.
Strange to say, the deceased bequeathed the whole of his property to his
nephew, William Wharncliffe, and his niece, Cecilia, provided they
married; if they did not, they were left 20,000 pounds each, and the
remainder of the fortune to go to the first male child born after the
marriage of either niece or nephew. To his brother the sum of 10,000
pounds was bequeathed, with a liberal arrangement, to be paid out of the
estate, so long as his niece lived with him. The will was read, and
returned to Mr Turnbull, who shook hands with Mr Wharncliffe, and
congratulated him.
"I am so much indebted to you, sir, that I can hardly express my
gratitude, but I am still more indebted to this intelligent lad,
Faithful. You must no longer be a waterman, Faithful," and Mr
Wharncliffe shook my hand. I made no answer to the latter observation,
for Mr Turnbull had fixed his eye upon me: I merely said that I was
very happy to have been of use to him.
"You may truly say, Mr Wharncliffe," observed Mr Turnbull, "that your
future prosperity will be through his means; and, as it appears by the
will that you have 9000 pounds per annum safe in the Funds, I think you
ought to give a prize wherry, to be rowed for every year."
"And I will take that," replied I, "for a receipt in full for my share
in the transaction."
"And now," said Mr Turnbull, interrupting Mr Wharncliffe, who was
about to answer me, "it appears to me that it may be as well to avoid
any exposure--the case is too clear. Call upon your uncle--state in
whose hands the documents are--tell him that he must submit to your
terms, which are, that he proves the will, and permits the marriage to
take place immediately, and that no more will be said on the subject.
He, as a lawyer, knows how severely and disgracefully he might be
punished for what he has done, and will be too happy now to accede to
your terms. In the meantime I keep possession of the papers, for the
will shall never leave my hands until it is lodged in Doctors' Commons."
Mr Wharncliffe could not but approve of this judicious arrangement, and
we separated; and, not to interfere with my narrative, I may as well
tell the reader at once that Mr Wharncliffe's uncle bowed to
circumstances, pretended to rejoice at the discovery of the will, never
mentioned the loss of his tin box, put the hand of Cecilia into that of
William, and they were married one month after the meeting at Mr
Turnbull's, which I have now related.
The evening was so far advanced before this council-of-war was over,
that I was obliged to defer the delivery of the cheque to Mr Drummond
until the next day. I left about eleven o'clock, and arrived at noon;
when I knocked at the door the servant did not know me.
"What did you want?"
"I wanted to speak with Mrs or Miss Drummond, and my name is Faithful."
He desired me to sit down in the hall while he went up; "And wipe your
shoes, my lad." I cannot say that I was pleased at this command, as I
may call it, but he returned, desiring me to walk up, and I followed
him.