CHAPTER XIX
MUTUAL RECOGNITIONS
The sudden turn of affairs in the Mainwaring case excited no smallamount of comment, and for the next ensuing days speculation wasrife concerning the recently discovered will, but more particularlyregarding the new and unknown claimant. At the clubs and elsewhereit formed the principal topic of conversation, and Ralph Mainwaringwas loud in his denunciations of the one as a forgery, and of theother as an impostor. To all such remarks, however, as well as tothe questions of the curious, Mr. Sutherland had but one reply,accompanied by a slow, quiet smile; that on the day set for thehearing, he would not only prove the validity of the will, butwould also establish, beyond all doubt or question, the identityof the claimant.
As a result, public curiosity was so thoroughly aroused, that uponthe arrival of the "Umbria," an unusual crowd of reporters wasassembled at the pier, notwithstanding a pouring rain, and thegang-plank had no sooner been thrown down than a number of themore ambitious rushed on board, eager to be the first in gainingsome bit of information or personal description. Their efforts,however, were unsuccessful, as the individuals whom they mostdesired to meet remained in their state-rooms and declined to beinterviewed. Not until the crowd had about dispersed and thepatience of a few of the more persistent was nearly exhausted, wastheir zeal rewarded by the sight of a party of four Englishmen, whohastily left the boat, completely enveloped in heavy mackintoshes,and, taking a closed carriage which was awaiting them, were drivenrapidly to the Waldorf Hotel.
At the hotel the party still remained inaccessible to all visitors,with the exception of Mr. Sutherland, who spent much of his timein their apartments. It was ascertained that the party consistedof two gentlemen, one of whom was accompanied by a valet, theother--presumably the attorney--by a clerk, but all effortstowards gaining any more definite information prove absolutelyfutile. The arrival by the next steamer of another stranger, anelderly gentleman, who immediately joined the party at the Waldoff,after having registered under an evident alias, only served todeepen the mystery.
Upon the arrival of the day set for the hearing of the proof insupport of the ancient will, the court-room was, at an early hour,packed to its utmost capacity. Occupying a prominent place wereRalph Mainwaring and his son, accompanied by Mr. Whitney, thesensitive face of the attorney more eager and alert than ever!At some distance from them, but seated rather conspicuously whereshe could command a good view of all that occurred, was Mrs.LaGrange, while in a remote corner of the court-room, partiallyconcealed by the crowd, was Richard Hobson.
Within a few moments preceding the appointed hour, Mr. Sutherlandappeared. His entrance caused a sudden hush of expectationthroughout the crowd and all eyes were immediately turned in hisdirection. Accompanying him was a gentleman whose bearing commandeduniversal admiration, and whom the Mainwarings instantly recognizedas the English barrister whose connection with the case they haddeemed so incredible. But a still deeper surprise awaited them.Immediately following the attorneys was a young man whose featuresand carriage were familiar, not only to the Mainwarings, but toscores of spectators as well, as those of the private secretary ofthe deceased Hugh Mainwaring, whose testimony at the inquest hadcreated so much of a sensation, and whose sudden disappearancethereafter had caused considerable comment. There was a ripple ofexcitement through the court-room, and the Mainwarings, father, andson, watched the young man with strangely varying emotions, neitheras yet fully comprehending the real significance of his presencethere.
"The secretary!" exclaimed Mr. Whitney, in a low tone. "Can it bepossible that he is concerned in this?"
"He is probably the hired tool by means of which this has beenbrought about. I might have known as much!" replied the elder man,his old hatred and wrath reviving with greater intensity than ever,but before he could proceed further his glance fell on thesecretary's companion.
He was a tall, elderly gentleman, with snow-white hair and beard,but with form erect and vigorous, and with piercing eyes which metthose of Ralph Mainwaring with a flash, not of recognition alone,but of disdain and defiance that seemed to challenge him to do hisutmost.
With a muttered oath, the latter half rose from his chair, but atthat instant his attention was arrested by the two men bringing upthe rear; one, small and of uncertain age, the other, older eventhan he appeared, and bearing the unmistakable air of an Englishservant. As Ralph Mainwaring recognized James Wilson, the lastrelic of the old Mainwaring household, he suddenly grew pale andsank back into his chair, silent, watchful, and determined; whilehis son and the attorney, quick to note the change in his appearance,made neither inquiries nor comments, but each drew his ownconclusion.
There was one other to whom the white-haired gentleman did not seeman utter stranger. Mrs. LaGrange from her post of observation hadwatched the entering party with visible signs of excitement. Herlips curled in a mocking smile as she caught sight of the secretary,but glancing from him to his companion, she involuntarily recoiledin terror, yet gazed like one fascinated, unable to remove her eyesfrom his face. Suddenly the piercing eyes met her own, their lookof astonishment quickly changing to scorn. She flushed, then paled,but her eyes never faltered, flashing back mocking defiance to hisanger and scorn for scorn.
Meanwhile, the quondam secretary, seated between the attorneys onthe one hand and his elderly companion on the other, seemed alikeunconscious of the many curious glances cast in his direction andof the dark looks of Ralph Mainwaring now fastened on him. At alittle distance was the old servant, his immovable features expressingthe utmost indifference to his surroundings, looking neither to theright hand nor to the left.
Not so with the remaining member of the party, the so-called "clerk!"Seated beside the English barrister, his eye seemed to sweep theentire court-room with a glance that omitted no details, not eventhe cringing form of Hobson, who quailed and seemed to be trying toshrink still further into concealment as he felt himself includedin the search-light of that gaze. But no one saw the slip of paperwhich, a moment later, was handed to Alfred Barton, and by himpassed to Mr. Sutherland. There was a hurried filling out of blankslying among the papers on the table, a messenger was despatched, twoor three men edged themselves into the crowd in Hobson's vicinity,--andthat was all!
Promptly at the time appointed the case was called. There wasperfect silence throughout the court-room as Mr. Sutherland arose,holding in one hand the ancient will, and with breathless attentionthe crowd listened for the opening words of what was to prove oneof the fiercest and most bitter contests on record, and of whosefinal termination even the participants themselves little dreamed.
After a few preliminaries, Mr. Sutherland said, addressing the court,--
"Before proceeding farther, your honor, I will give orders for thesubpoena, as a witness in this case, of one Richard Hobson, aliasDick Carroll."
Then turning towards the crowd in the rear of the courtroom, he added,"Let the papers be served at once."
There was a stir of excitement and a sudden craning of necks in thedirection indicated by the attorney's glance, where three men hadsprung forward in obedience to his orders.
Hobson, at the first mention of his name, had glanced quickly abouthim as though seeking some means of escape, but on hearing thealias--the name he had supposed unknown in America--he paused foran instant, seemingly half paralyzed with terror. But the sight ofthe approaching sheriff broke the spell, and he made a sudden lungethrough the crowd in the direction of an open window. His progresswas speedily checked by one of the deputies, however, and after ashort, ineffectual struggle he sullenly submitted.
"Bring the witness forward," said Mr. Sutherland, with his calm,slow smile; "we may call upon him before long, and he would probablyprefer a seat convenient to the witness stand."
As he was seated opposite and facing the English party, it was notedthat the face of the old servant lighted up with a look ofrecognition, and he watched the new-comer with evident interest.Hobson, having carefully avoide
d the eyes of both Alfred Barton andthe private secretary, soon became aware of Wilson's scrutiny, andafter regarding him fixedly for a moment seemed suddenly to recognizehim in turn, and also to realize at the same time the import of hispresence there, which, apparently, did not tend to lessen hisagitation.
Slowly Mr. Sutherland unfolded the document he held, yellow withage, the edges of its folds so frayed and tattered as to render thewriting in some places almost illegible. Slowly, in deep, resonanttones, he read the opening words of the old will; words of unusualsolemnity, which caused a hush to fall over the crowded court-room:
"In the name of God; Amen. Know all men, that I, Ralph MaxwellMainwaring, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, but nowupon my death-bed, soon to appear in the presence of my Maker, domake and publish this, my last will and testament; hereby revokingand setting aside any and every will at any time heretofore madeby me."
Then followed, in quaint phraseology, the terms of the will; bywhich the full right and title of the first-born son, under theEnglish law, were conveyed to Harold Scott Mainwaring, and all legalprocesses theretofore entered into, depriving him of such rights,were forever annulled; restoring to the said Harold Scott Mainwaring,as his rightful inheritance, the entire family estate, includingother valuable property; the said property at his death to pass tohis eldest living son, or in case of his dying without issue, torevert to his brother Hugh, were the latter living, if not, to thenearest living heirs of the Mainwarings; but on no account was anyportion of the estate or property to pass to the wife of HaroldScott Mainwaring, should she survive him.
As the reading of the will progressed, Hobson's feelings, too deepand genuine at that moment for disguise, were plainly mirrored inhis face. Having for years believed the old will destroyed, as henow listened to the words dictated to himself upon that memorablenight, so long ago, it was little wonder that to his cowardly soulit seemed like a voice from the dead, and that astonishment, fear,and dread were depicted on his features, merging into actual terroras the attorney at last pronounced the names of the witnesses,Alexander McPherson and Richard Hobson.
For a few seconds his brain reeled, and he saw only the face of thedying man as it looked that night,--stern and pale, but with dark,piercing eyes, deep-set, within whose depths still gleamed theembers of a smouldering fire which now seemed burning into hisinmost soul. Trembling from head to foot, Hobson, with a mightyeffort, regained his scattered faculties and again became consciousof his surroundings, only to find the eyes of the secretary fixedupon his face, and, as he shrank from their burning gaze, the truthflashed suddenly upon him.
"The face of old Mainwaring himself!" he muttered in horror; thenadded, with an oath, "Fool that I was not to have known it sooner!That woman lied!"
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