LORD ELLINGHAM'S EXERTIONS.
Not a cry—not a word—not even a moan betrayed the feelings of the Earl
of Ellingham, as this frightful spectacle met his eyes.
He was paralysed—stunned—stupified.
Despair was in his heart;—and he could not lower his glances, which were
fascinated—rivetted by that awful engine of death on the summit of the
gaol.
This state of complete prostration of all the intellectual energies was
suddenly interrupted by a gentle pull at his sleeve; and turning
abruptly round, he beheld, by the pale light of the moon, a young lad of
sickly appearance standing at his elbow.
"Do you know me? what would you with me?" demanded the Earl sharply.
"Yes—my lord, I know you," was the answer, delivered in a
mournful—melancholy tone; "and I also know that good—generous, man
who——"
The lad burst into an agony of tears, and pointed wildly towards the
gibbet.
"Oh! you know Rainford!" exclaimed the Earl eagerly. "Tell me, my
boy—speak—have you seen him lately?"
"This day—this evening," replied Jacob Smith—for it was he: "and I have
taken leave of him—for ever! He begged me not to visit him—to-morrow——"
"For ever!" echoed the Earl, in a low and hollow voice. "But," he
continued, again speaking eagerly and rapidly, "how does he support his
doom?"
"With a courage such as the world has seldom seen," replied Jacob: "and
he frequently speaks of you, my lord!"
"He speaks of me, my boy——"
"Yes: my lord—he fears that some tidings—some evil reports which you
have probably heard, have set you against him—for he received a letter
from you a day or two after his arrest——"
"My God! he suspects me of coldness!" exclaimed the Earl, in an
impassioned tone. "Oh! I must see him—I must see him this moment——"
And he was rushing towards the governor's door, when Jacob again caught
him by the sleeve, saying, "It is useless, my lord! you cannot be
admitted to-night."
"The keeper of the prison dare not refuse me," cried the Earl; and he
hastened to the door.
"Would it not be better, my lord," asked Jacob, who had followed him,
"to use the valuable time now remaining, for the purpose of saving him?"
"True!" exclaimed the Earl, struck by the observation. "An interview
with him at this moment would effect no good, and would only unman me
altogether. Come with me, my lad: you take an interest in Rainford—and
you shall be the first to learn the result of the application which I
will now make in the proper quarter."
Thus speaking, Arthur hurried back to the hackney-coach, and as the door
closed upon himself and Jacob, he said to the driver in a firm tone, "TO
THE HOME-OFFICE!"
During the ride, the Earl put a thousand questions to Jacob Smith
relative to the convict.
From the answers he received it appeared that Rainford was well
convinced that neither Sir Christopher Blunt nor Mr. Curtis had directed
Mr. Howard to prosecute him for the robbery for which he was doomed to
suffer: indeed, they had declared as much when giving their evidence at
the police-court and at the Old Bailey. Neither did he believe that
Howard had instituted the proceedings through any personal motive of
spite; but he entertained the conviction that some secret and mysterious
springs had been set in motion to destroy him, and that Howard had been
made the instrument of the fatal design.
It seemed that Jacob had visited him as often as the prison regulations
would permit; and that he had been the bearer of frequent letters
between Rainford and the beautiful Jewess, who had removed from Brandon
Street a few days after his arrest—this change of residence being
effected by the express wishes of Tom Rain, who was afraid lest the
malignity of his unknown enemies might extend to herself. Jacob also
casually mentioned that the very first time he had been sent to see the
Jewess (which appeared to have been the morning after Lord Ellingham's
laconic letter was received by Rainford) she enclosed a number of papers
in a packet, which she carefully sealed and which Jacob conveyed to the
prisoner.
"When I was with him this evening," added the lad, "he gave me that
packet, which he re-directed to your lordship, and desired me to leave
it at your lordship's residence to-morrow—when all should be over; but
since I have thus unexpectedly met you——"
Sobs choked the youth's utterance, as he passed the sealed packet to the
Earl, who received it in profound silence—for well did he divine the
nature of its contents, and his heart was rent with anguish as he felt
all the generosity of that deed on thy part, Tom Rain!
But, in a few moments, the spark of hope that already scintillated
within him, was fanned into a bright and glowing flame: for he now
possessed proofs to convince the Secretary of State that in allowing the
law to take its course, an individual rightly entitled to an Earldom
would suffer death; and Arthur was well aware of the influence which
such an argument would have in supporting his appeal for a commutation
of the sentence.
"Thy generous act in giving up the papers which _thou_ mightest have
used to save thy life," he thought within himself, apostrophising his
doomed half-brother, "shall not be thrown away on me! Ingratitude to
thee were impossible!"—Then, turning to Jacob, he said aloud, "I am much
mistaken, my boy, if these papers which you have placed in my hands will
not effect the great object that we have in view."
"Oh! my lord," exclaimed Jacob, with the most sincere joyfulness of
manner, "is there really so much hope? Ah! if not for him—at least for
that poor lady who loves him so deeply——"
"Has she seen him?" hastily inquired the Earl.
"Once—once only," answered Jacob: "and that was this afternoon. I was
not present at the farewell scene: but I was in the neighbourhood when
_she_ came out again—and I do not wish ever to witness a beautiful
woman's grief again. My lord, I have passed through much—seen much,—and
distress and misery in all their worst forms are known to me. But as
long as I live will the image of that poor creature, as the wind blew
aside her veil for few moments——Oh! I cannot bear to think of it!"
"He shall be restored to her, my lad!" exclaimed the Earl emphatically.
"The more I ponder upon the case, the more firmly do I become convinced
that it is one in which the Home Secretary may exercise the prerogative
of mercy. It is not as if blood had been shed——"
At this moment the hackney-coach stopped at the door of the Home Office;
and the Earl alighted, bidding Jacob await his return.
But what language can describe the violence of that sudden revulsion of
feeling which Arthur experienced, when, on inquiry, he learnt that the
Home Secretary was neither at his official nor his private residence in
London, as he had set out on the preceding evening for his country-seat
in the north of England!
With the rapidity of lightning did the Earl calculate the chances of
overtaking him by means of fleet horses: but a few moments' reflection
showed him the impossibility of accomplishing that undertaking in time
to make its result, supposing it were successful, available to the
doomed victim. The reprieve might be granted—but it would arrive in
London too late!
The Earl was well aware that it was useless to seek the Prime Minister;
as that functionary would have no alternative save to reply that he
could not possibly interfere in a case so essentially regarding the
department of the Home Secretary.
Arthur's mind was accordingly made up in a very few moments:—he would
repair at once to the King, who, as he learnt at the Home Office, was,
fortunately for his purpose, at Buckingham Palace!
It was now ten o'clock at night: there were but ten hours before him—but
in that interval much might be done.
Returning to the coach, he desired to be driven to his own house; and,
while proceeding thither, he acquainted Jacob with the cruel
disappointment he had sustained by the absence of the Secretary of
State, and stated his resolution to repair at once to the dwelling of
the King.
Thus the poor, wretched lad became, by his generous sympathy for Tom
Rain, the companion and confidant of the great noble!
Great was the joy which prevailed amongst the Earl's household, when he
made his appearance once more at his own abode. The servants had indeed
heard from Dr. Lascelles as much as the physician himself had learnt
through the medium of the vague and laconic letter which the Earl was
permitted to write to him from his dungeon: but still the protracted
absence of their master had occasioned them the most lively uneasiness;
and they were therefore heartily glad to behold his return.
But he was compelled to cut short the congratulations proffered him; and
the orders that he issued were given with an unwonted degree of
impatience.
"Let the carriage be ordered round directly. Let some one hasten to
acquaint Lady Hatfield with my return; and also send up to Grafton
Street to request Dr. Lascelles to come hither as soon as possible, and
to wait for me—never mind how late. Let this lad be taken care of," he
added, indicating Jacob: "and see that he wants for nothing."
Then, hastening up stairs to his own chamber, he locked himself in,
having declined the attendance of his valet.
He tore open the packet which Jacob had given him, and beheld a small
leathern case. This case contained a roll of letters and other
documents, _tied round with a piece of riband so faded that it was
impossible to determine what its colour might have originally been_.
There was also, accompanying this roll, a brief note addressed to
himself.
With trembling hand he opened the note, and, with beating heart and
tearful eyes, read the following words:—
"I have sent you the papers, my dear brother—for so I shall make
bold to call you still,—to convince you that I did not forge an idle
tale when we met last. Whatever your motive for abandoning me in my
last hours may be, I entertain no ill feeling towards you: on the
contrary, I hope that God may prosper you, and give you long life to
enjoy that title and fortune which in so short a time will be beyond
the possibility of dispute.
"I had promised to leave behind me a written narrative of my
chequered and eventful history for your perusal: but—need I explain
wherefore I have not fulfilled this promise?"
"T. R."
The Earl wept—Oh! he wept plenteously, as he read those lines.
"He thinks that I have abandoned him—and he expresses the most generous
wishes for my prosperity!" he cried aloud. "Oh! my God—I must save him—I
must save him!"
He waited not to examine the roll of papers: his half-brother intimated
that the necessary proofs were _there_—and, though no human eye watched
the Earl's motions at that instant, still he would not imply a doubt of
Rainford's word by examining the documents.
But he hastened to dress himself in attire suitable to his contemplated
visit to the King; and his toilette was completed just as the carriage
drove round to the door.
A few minutes afterwards he was rolling rapidly along in the vehicle
towards Buckingham Palace, the papers carefully secured about his
person, and his heart palpitating violently with the cruel suspense of
mingled hope and fear.
Alas! he was doomed to another disappointment.
Though it was but little past eleven o'clock, King George the Fourth had
already retired to rest,—or rather had been borne away in a senseless
state from one of those beastly orgies in which the filthy voluptuary so
often indulged.
This much was intimated to the Earl by a nobleman attached to the royal
person, and with whom Arthur was well acquainted.
Quitting the palace in disgust combined with despair, Lord Ellingham
returned home.
But, no—we were wrong: he did not entirely despair. One hope of saving
Rainford's life—one faint hope remained,—a hope so wild—so
extravagant—and involving a chance with such fearful odds against it,
that it could only have been conceived by one who was determined to
leave no means, however difficult, unadopted, in order to attain a
particular end.
On crossing the threshold of his door, Arthur's first inquiry was
whether Doctor Lascelles had arrived.
The reply was an affirmative; and the Earl hastened to the apartment to
which the physician had been shown.
It is not however necessary to relate the particulars of their
interview; inasmuch as the nature of the conversation which passed
between them will be developed hereafter.