See the sun at the close of day, So in peace her spirit fled, Bright amid the shades of death; Thus, around her dying bed Mild and heavenly lustre shed When from earthly pain and grief, From the world's deceit and sin, Full of hope she sought relief, She had fought the goodly fight- Then, are sighs and tears for me? Life and death like thine? DOMESTIC TALES.--GRATITUDE. (Continued from page 177.) When the earl had reached the house of his friend at Kingston, he found the whole establishment in confusion, from the mistress of the mansion having met with a very serious accident. Aware that under such circumstances his presence must be regarded as an intrusion and constraint, he merely left his best wishes; and turning his back on the scene of sorrow, retraced the road to London. In passing along Pall Mall he stopped at Howard's banking-house, in order to compare and settle accounts previously to quitting town; when on inspecting and balancing the respective books, there appeared a deficit in favor of Lord Annesly to the amount of six hundred and seventy pounds, a difference which no one was able to explain away, for it chanced unluckily that one of the clerks was at that time absent from the office, and Howard himself had not visited it at all during the day. It was now nearly five o'clock, and it was not probable that Layton the clerk would return again to the house before it closed for the evening; Lord Annesley, therefore, after conferring at some length with Mr. Twiss, second partner in Howard's firm, concluded that as no time was to be lost in clearing up the mysterious disappearance of the abovementioned sum, a messenger should be dispatched to Twickenham that same evening, and likewise to Layton's residence in the Borough, requesting that both the master and the clerk would attend, as speedily as convenient, at the house of the Earl in Hamilton place; and his lordship had only time to impart the circumstances of the case to the countess, and to snatch a hasty dinner, before the summons that had been sent, brought both Howard and Layton to the appointed place of rendezvous, when the earl conducted the party into his library and after having proved the existence of the defalcation, in the following manner questioned Layton, who was enabled to afford some information on the subject. "What then," said the earl, " you say that the identical sum of six hundred and seventy pounds was drawn by a draft in my hand writing yesterday morning?" "Yes, my lord," replied Layton; "I paid the money under the conviction that the signature was your lordship's.' And pray who presented this draft for payment?" "A lady, my lord," was the answer. What kind of a lady?" inquired Howard. "A tall lady, sir," "Was she young or old?" "I can hardly tell, but she appeared to be quite young.' Why do you say you can hardly tell," observed the earl; "surely you can see the difference between an old woman and a young one?" "The lady wore a thick veil." "What was she drest in ?" "All in black, my lord." At this part of the examination the earl turned to Twiss, and desired him to take notes of the evidence, while he thus pursued his interrogatories: "At what time did the lady come?" Layton paused to recollect, and then replied, "Soon after eleven o'clock in the forenoon." "Had the lady got any one with her?" "No, my lord." "Did she come in a carriage, or walking?" "In a hackney coach." "How do you know that she came in a hackney coach ?' "I could see through the window, as I sat next to it." "And could you not discern the features of the lady in the least? Had she any bloom in her face?" 66 No, sir; I think she appeared to be pale." "Do you believe that you would know her again?" If I were to see the same person in the same dress, I believe that I should; but I might be liable to mistake other ladies for her." "What did she say?" "She merely laid down the cheque, saying in an under tone, From Lord Annesley;' and when I gave the money, she thanked me." "Was there any thing particular in her voice, or manner of speaking? Recollect yourself, young man. "There was nothing striking or particular in her manner; she appeared to have an agreeable voice, so far as I could judge from those few words; and she had a slight drawl in her speech, but it was very slight." Did it sound like a provincial accent?! 1625 267 "It might have been that I cannot say it biedt to "Did you inspect the draft minutely? Did it occur to you that the writing was in any respect dissimilar to my usual mode of signature ?" 69 "Not an idea of the kind entered my brain; I felt satisfied on the first glimpse, that it was the hand writing of the Earl of Annesley, and should not have hesitated in cashing it, though it had been five times the sum." Here his lordship desired to look again at the cheque, which had been filed off in the ordinary way; and having reexamined the writing, and compared it with some of his own, protested that there was not the smallest discernible difference between them; and that unless he had known to the con trary, he should have acknowledged the forged instrument to be of his own execution. After addressing a few more questions to Layton, without eliciting any further intelligence, it was agreed to dismiss him; though the earl, and Howard, and Twiss, continued in debate for some time afterward; but the result of their discussion and speculation was very inconclusive and unsatis factory. As yet Lord Annesley could not even direct the eye of suspicion to any person; it was only obvious that the forgery had been committed by some one who had studied, and was well acquainted with the hand writing of the earl; and farther than this, even conjecture did not extend. It was determined, however, that the next step to be taken must be to try to discover the driver of the coach; for which purpose a number of hand-bills were ordered to be printed that same evening, and largely circulated about the town, and among the various stands of coaches; as also advertisements to the same effect to be inserted in the newspapers. Twiss proposed that any further depositions should be made in the presence of a magistrate, but this suggestion was ne gatived by the earl, merely assigning as a reason, that it was his wish to have the investigation conducted privately at first, as it would not be adviseable to make the case public until they had themselves gained more information, and were able to form some opinion on the subject: Howard and Twiss |
