Roger Kyffin's Ward
Page 44
of theinclination exhibited by one or two to continue their sport, retired tothe farther end of the room, where they sat down at the rickety table.One of them pulling out a greasy pack of cards, they commenced playing.
"How did you manage to get yourself into this trouble?" asked oldSleech; "I thought you were too wise for that."
"My wisdom will be shown in getting out of it," answered Silas. "Iplayed a somewhat bold game, and might have made a false move or two,but it cannot be helped now. There will be no evidence brought againstme, I am very sure of that Young Harry Tryon went aboard ship, you knowthat. Well, besides, he was on board the `Sandwich,' and Parker mixedhim well up in the mutiny. He was seen with him at the dockyard atSheerness. I learned all that from an acquaintance of mine--youngGilby. He saw him with his own eyes, so there's no doubt about it."
"He may have been mistaken," observed old Sleech.
"Not a bit of it," said his son, "he knows Harry almost as well as I do.He has met him scores of times, both at Mr. Coppinger's house and atsome of the places which Harry used to frequent. Never fear, it is allright; I shall soon be out of this, and down at Stanmore to enjoymyself. I say, father, we shall want a little ready money to keep upthe game. We must make the old trees fall right and left, and you know,at a pinch, you and I can sell a few dirty acres. In my opinion thereis nothing like enjoying a thing when we have got it."
The further conversation between the father and his estimable son neednot be repeated. Silas had fallen considerably in his parent'sestimation since he had so committed himself as to get into prison. Hewas, also, not quite so sanguine as his son was as to the result of thetrial; but he performed a parent's part in securing the best counsel tobe obtained. He also made interest with the governor to procure abetter room and superior food for his son. Silas did not, however,exhibit the gratitude which might have been expected.
"It would not do to let the heir of Stanmore dangle on a gibbet, eh,dad, would it?" he observed, when his father told him what he had done."No chance of that, or I could not joke on the subject."
The day of the trial arrived. Silas Sleech stood at the bar. He gazedround the court with an air of confidence, and nodded familiarly to someof his acquaintances. His eye fell for a moment as he encountered thestern glance of Mr. Coppinger, Mr. Kyffin, and other persons who hadbeen brought in as evidence against him. The case was gone into. Hewas ably defended, and his counsel laid great stress on thenon-appearance of the person whose signature he was said to have forged,and whose ruin it appeared he had taken great pains to effect. Silassmiled as he heard these remarks, and attempted to throw an expressionof injured innocence into his countenance. The counsel for the Crownreplied; but the defence made by the defendant's counsel seemed to havegreat weight with the jury, when there was a slight movement in thecourt. A slip of paper was put into the hand of the Crown counsel. Heturned round and spoke a few words to a well-dressed young man, who hadat that time entered.
"The defendant declares," he observed, "that no evidence can be broughtforward to prove that he forged the signature of Mr. Stephen Coppinger,asserting that it was the act of another person. Here stands that otherperson, whose statement you will hear. I produce him as a witness;should you consider him unworthy of belief, you will acquit theprisoner; if not, I am ready to prove that no other person than SilasSleech, the prisoner at the bar, could have committed the forgery."
As Silas caught sight of the countenance of the young man, he gazed athim as at one risen from the dead, and a sudden tremor seized his frame.
"He knows I did not do it; he knows I did not," he gasped out; but HarryTryon took no notice of him.
Harry briefly and clearly gave an account of the circumstances withwhich the reader is already acquainted.
The jury were perfectly satisfied of the guilt of the prisoner.
"But he is a convicted felon, he cannot be brought as evidence againstme. He was one of the mutineers of the Nore. He ought to have beenhung with his companion Parker."
"The prisoner is mistaken, my lord," said Mr. Kyffin; "the younggentleman is as free as any one in this court. He is my ward, and I amsure that his name will not be found among the mutineers of the Nore."
The jury returned a verdict of guilty, but recommended the prisoner tomercy. In spite of Sleech's criminality, Mr. Coppinger and othersexerted themselves, and the sentence of death was commuted to that oftransportation for life, and Mr. Silas Sleech was among the next batchof prisoners shipped off on board a convict ship for Botany Bay. Mr.Tony Sleech did not allow his heart to break at the loss of his son. Hewas legally dead, and his next boy must, therefore, be the heir ofStanmore. He was of a somewhat more hopeful character than Silas,though not possessing the same amount of talent. He was a dunce,indeed, in his father's estimation, and had been so in that of hisschool companions. He had, however, sense enough to appreciate thechange of position from a younger son to that of the heir of a fineestate, and very soon gave himself so many airs that his brothers andsisters could not help having a secret wish that he might be despatchedafter Silas.
The cost of his son's defence had been very considerable, and Mr. Sleechtherefore considered it desirable to repay himself by cutting down moreof the Stanmore trees, although the proceeds were not to be expended inthe way Silas had proposed.
He was one day, soon after his return to Stanmore, superintending thisproceeding, when Mr. Wallace arrived at the park, and proceeded into thegrounds to look for him. The two lawyers bowed stiffly to each other.
"I have come, Mr. Sleech," said the other, "on the part of my client, to_warn_ you of the danger of your proceeding. For every tree that fallsyou will be made responsible. I have thorough confidence that CaptainEverard will ere long prove his right to the property."
"No danger at all about the matter, my good sir," answered Mr. Sleech,with an air of indifference which he did not altogether feel. "I have aright over these trees, and have determined to cut them down, andtherefore, I say, let any man interfere with me if he dare."
"We are not going to proceed by force, Mr. Sleech," answered Mr.Wallace, "we are not driven to that; but I again repeat that, not onlywill you be compelled to pay the value of every tree which you cut down,but also you will be heavily fined for the damage which you havecommitted on the property."
"I will stand the consequences," repeated Sleech, but his voice somewhatfailed him as he spoke.
Mr. Wallace marked it.
"Well," he said, "my good sir, we are fellow-townsmen, and though oftenprofessionally opposed to each other, I speak to you as a friend. Bewarned in time. Your son has been dealt leniently with, and has escapeddeath, but depend upon it, if you persist in injuring this estate, youwill be made to pay heavily in purse. No mercy will be shown you, I canassure you."
Saying this, Mr. Wallace bowed to his brother lawyer, and withoutfurther ceremony took his way back to the house. Mr. Sleech soonafterwards proceeded in the same direction, doubtful, apparently, whatcourse to pursue.
"I won't be bullied," he said to himself, "and yet they seem prettyconfident. I don't quite like the look of matters."
Scarcely had Mr. Sleech left the wood when another person appeared onthe scene. Paul Gauntlett was well known to all the labourers around.He walked up, armed as usual with a stout cudgel. He might have beenseen day after day since his return from London walking round and roundthe grounds, just outside, evidently considering that he was acting insome way as guardian of the place.
Madam Everard had warned him that he could not legally enter it. As,however, he saw from a distance the tall boughs of the trees fallingtowards the ground, he could resist no longer.
"You are employed on a fine work, my friends," he said, gazing roundhim. "What now would you say if you saw the colonel standing in themidst of you? He would be wonderfully pleased at seeing these shadytrees which he loved so well cut down one after the other at the beck ofa pettifogging attorney. That is what Mr. Sleech is, even though he hasgot i
nto the big house here. That is what he will ever remain. But Itell you what, lads, he will not hold Stanmore long. Of that I am verycertain. The captain will have his own again before many weeks areover, mark me. Now I say, I don't want to take the bread out of yourmouths, but if any of you can get better work than this, I say go andtake it. I shall mark every man who stays on here, and he may neverexpect another day's work on Stanmore as long as I live, if he lays hishand against one of these trees after I have warned him. There neverwas a better master than the colonel; and the captain, his nephew, islikely to be every bit as good a one. Now, boys, just take your owncourse, you have heard what I have got to say. What will you do? Thereis Farmer Giles and Farmer Jobson, and Mr. Timmins, down at the