“Keep still in fortune’s way, her unmeant gifts
Are oft the best!”
On entering the breakfast-room, they found that Lady Oswald had by this
time joined the party there.
Her ladyship contrived by looks, a kind pressure of the hand, and a
well-timed whisper, to shew her nephew that she was fully prepared to
congratulate him on his new found happiness.
Frances had, at length, completed her journey to the bell, and by
agitating it, had occasioned, though at a later hour than usual, the
appearance of a steaming tea-urn, hot rolls, &c. &c. She now began to
dispense the good things over which she presided, and had just requested
Fitz-Ullin to ring the bell for Alice to take her grandmamma’s breakfast,
when the door opened, and, supported on one side by our old friend, Mrs.
Smyth, and on the other by Julia, Mrs. Montgomery herself appeared.
Whether it was the extreme contrast between the figures of the very old
and the very young lady, or the amiable light in which youth always
appears, while rendering support to the infirmities of age, or whether
Julia might, for any reasons best known to herself, be really looking
more blooming or more happy than usual, or whether there was any thing
in Fitz-Ullin’s own thoughts which diffused a peculiar lustre over the
charms of her he now viewed, almost for the first time as his own, or,
whether all these causes operated together; certain it is, he found one
moment to think her more lovely, more irresistibly attractive than ever,
before the bustle immediately occasioned by Mrs. Montgomery’s entrance,
commenced. It was the first time that lady, so deservedly the object of
the love and veneration of all, had left her room since she had heard of
Henry’s death. Every one rose to meet her—every one hailed her approach
with a joyful welcome—and even Fitz-Ullin himself, in all the hurry of
his spirits, had the presence of mind to remember the great chair in
which she usually sat, and to place it for her. He also succeeded in
finding the foot-stool, after twice stumbling over it in the course of
his researches; and was, at length, amply rewarded by perceiving, at the
conclusion of his labours, that the seat next to Julia had, by general
consent, been left for him.
Though the breakfast was rather a late one, seldom has there been a
meal at which all who sat down to it were so truly happy. Those most
interested, indeed, were almost too much so for enjoyment. The heart
scarcely knows how, thus quickly, to appropriate so much new found
felicity: at one moment it doubts the reality of the very bliss it feels,
and the next trembles at being the repository of so great a treasure.
The breakfast was ended, but no one moved; all seemed unwilling to break
up so happy an assembly. Meanwhile, ungrateful world, the author, or at
least the importer of so much joy, was, in the very intensity of that
joy, totally forgotten, till an exclamation from Arthur, of “Oh, how
beautiful!” drew pretty general attention towards the small table, on
which the restored jewel box still stood open.
“That’s true!” said our heroine: “where is poor Gotterimo? I have not
thanked him for his honesty in bringing back these things. I forget, too,
where it was he said he found them.”
“Oh, Lady Oswald!” exclaimed Fitz-Ullin, “I forgot to mention it before,
but—” and, making two strides into the library, and one back, carrying
a pile of parchment, he continued—“Here are the title-deeds of Arthur’s
estates.” Lady Oswald was near fainting. Frances was obliged to assist in
supporting her.
“Why, Fitz-Ullin! where, in the name of all that is marvellous, did these
come from?” said Lord L⸺, eagerly examining the parchments.
“I had them of the honest fellow who brought back Lady Julia’s diamonds,”
answered Fitz-Ullin.
“But where?” “And when?” “And how?” vociferated many voices.
“I met with the poor man this morning,” replied our hero, “tumbled out of
a gig on the high road, a few miles from hence. A couple of fellows were
about to rob, and, I suppose, murder him—” Here numerous exclamations of
horror and surprise interrupted the speaker. At length he was permitted
to proceed. “The villains fled,” he continued, “at the first sound of my
carriage-wheels; but, on driving up to the spot, I perceived a person
lying on the side of the road, and desired my servants to stop and give
any assistance in their power. While they did so, having ascertained that
the man was not hurt, I leaned from the window, enjoying the freshness of
the morning air, and began, I suppose, to think of something else; for I
found, in a short time after, that the poor fellow had been throwing away
many of his best bows, and repeating frequently, ‘How you do, sir?’ just
under me, before I observed him. When I returned his salutation, he said,
that he remembered me very well; for that he had seen me at the house of
the good family, and that I was the nice Captain who had advised the lady
to buy the chain. He then told me a very long story about a sea-chest,
and about a box of jewels, that he knew to be the property of Lady Julia
L⸺.”
“Yes,” interrupted Frances, “for the box is one which Julia happened to
employ Gotterimo to purchase for her in town; he could have no doubt,
therefore, to whom it belonged.”
“So he said,” rejoined our hero; “and that finding these parchments
lying near the box, and with them some letters, one of which, he said,
was directed to Lady Julia L⸺, he thought it most prudent to bring all
to this house. On glancing at the parchments,” continued Fitz-Ullin,
“which, as the little man concluded his recital, he produced and offered
to me, and which bore their titles, in large characters, on their
outsides, I perceived immediately their nature and importance; and
decided on returning to Lodore, for the purpose of assisting Lady Oswald
to establish the rights of Arthur, rendered, by the recovery of these
documents, indisputable. As for the letters, I should have considered it
an unwarrantable liberty in me to have examined even their outsides; I
therefore recommended it to Gotterimo to deliver them himself, with the
box, into Lady Julia’s own hands. This arrangement made, I returned as
quickly as possible, and—”
“And, on your arrival,” interrupted Lady Oswald, who was now a little
recovered, “forgot the very existence of Lady Oswald, title-deeds, pedlar
and all! This account of the transaction, oh learned judges, wants that
consistency which is characteristic of the simple truth,” added her
ladyship, much amused.
Fitz-Ullin, who was saying something aside to Julia, coloured, laughed,
and replied, “I read the deeds over very attentively, I assure you,
ma’am, in the library, on my first getting out of the carriage, before I
came into the breakfast-room.”
“Oh then, it was in the breakfast-room you happened to forget me and my
parchments,” said Lady Oswald, with a significant look.
“What have we got here?” exclaimed Lord L⸺, examining a packet of the
parchments, which proved to be distinct from the rest, though contained
within the same outer envelope of grey linen, “why, here are the
title-deeds of the Craigs!”
“Indeed! indeed!” cried various voices.
Gotterimo was now called for. “He was very useful in the recovery of
the pictures and plate,” observed Lord L⸺. “By the bye, Fitz-Ullin,” he
added, turning to our hero, “did you ever hear us mention that daring
robbery at the Craigs?”
“Oh, yes,” replied our hero, “I was one of the luncheon party there the
day it was discovered.” As he concluded, he looked at Julia, who looked
again and smiled. What multitudes of thoughts, on both sides, crowded
into that moment. “Well,” said Lord L⸺, “it was chiefly through the means
of this Gotterimo, that the things have been recovered. He found out for
us the persons to whom the swindler had pawned the articles, and though
at the expense certainly of some of the savings of minority, we have
succeeded in getting almost every thing into its place again.”
Gotterimo, who had been sent for, was now ushered in. Every one welcomed
and thanked him, and commendations of his honourable and upright conduct,
accompanied by assurances that his services should be handsomely
rewarded, were poured upon him on all sides. The little English he
possessed, was banished from his memory, bows and blushes were all the
replies he could offer. The gentlemen then proceeded to question him
respecting the mode of discovering the parchments, letters, &c. He could
give little more information than had already been collected. After the
particulars, therefore, were all recapitulated by him connectedly and at
full length, he was dismissed, and commended to the care of Mrs. Smyth,
a destination to which he had no objection, for poor Gotterimo had lately
begun to have some hopes of rendering himself agreeable in the eyes of
Alice Smyth, who was already very agreeable in his eyes.
Lord L⸺ requested Mr. Jackson to adjourn with him to the library, for the
purpose of examining the packet of letters, which, having been found with
the parchments, might possibly throw some light on the late mysterious
business. His lordship had also the cruelty to ask Fitz-Ullin to assist
them with his judgment. Our hero had just whispered a request to Julia to
take a walk in the shrubbery, and had just received a smile in assent.
What a disappointment!