The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-22


mind. 10 ny astfsma sufpfisa' u was all y
tho disorder OF departure. or bis TIRES port
nantsaus two were rcaiy locked, the tnird
lay open and near full. Atonce there hasns'
upon me some suspicion Of the truth. Ih'
man had been going after all. he hai Du'
waited upon Grail, as Grail waited upon tn'
wind; early In the night tho seamen had per
caiyed the weather changing, the boat had
come 10 give notice OF the change and cal
the passenger aboard, and tho boats ere"
had stumbled on him lying In his blood. Nay,
and there was more behind.
This prearranged departure shed some
lirht upon hisinconceivable insult Of the night
before; 1t was a parting shot, hatred being
no longer checked by policy. And for an
other thing, the atu Of that insult. and ths
conduct Of Mrs Henry. pointed TO one con.
clusion; which | have never verified. and
con now never verify until the great assize
the conclusion that he bad at last forgotten
himself, had gone 100 far In his advances,
and had been rebuffe1. IL can never be yer.
iiiel. as | say. but, as thought OF IL that
morning among his baggage, the thought was
sweet 10 me IKE honey.
Into the open portmanteau dipped n little
ere | closed il. The most beautiful lace and
linen. many suits Of thos. fine plain clothes
In which he loved 70 appear. a book or two.
and those OF the best, Cesar's "COmmen-
taries.r a volume OF Mr.. Hobbies. the Hen
riaden Of VI. de Voltaire, a book upon the
Indies. one on the mathematics, far beyond
where / have studied; these were what OBJ
served with very mingled feelings But IN
the open portmanteau, no papers ~ any de-
scription. This set inc musing. II was pos
sible the man was dead, but, since the trad
ers had carried him away, not likely. Ii was
possible he might still die Of his wound; but
it was also possible be might not And IN
this latter case was determined TO have the
means OF some defense.
One after another | carried his portman-
teaus 90 a loft in the top OF the house
which we kept locked. went to my
own room for my keys, and. returning
TO the loft, had the qualification TO
find two that fitted pretty we'll In one Of
the portmanteaus there was "A shagreen letter
case, which | cut open with my knife, and
thenceforth so far as any credit vent the
man was at my mercy. Here was a vast deal
II gallant correspondence, chiefly OF his
Paris days. and. what was more 10 the pur
pose, here were the copies OF his own reports
to the English secretary. and the originals OF
the secretary's answcrs-a most damning
series-such rs to publish would be to wreck
the masters honor aud 10 set a price upon
his life.
chuckled to myself as ! ran through the
documents. | rubbed my hands, | sung aloud
in my glee. Day found me at the pleasing
task. nor did | then remit my diligence, ex
cept in 50 far as 1 went TO the window-looked
out for a moment, 10 see the frost quite gone
the world turned black again. ard the rain
and the wind driving In the bay and 10
assure myself that the lugger was gone from
its anchorage, aud the master whether dead
or alive now tumbling on the Irish Sea
II is proper / should add in this place the
very littlo | have subsequently angled out
upon the doings Of that night IL took me a
long while 70 gather 10, for we dared not
openly ask, and the free traders rega lci me
with ermity, If not with scorn. 1t was near
six months before we even knew for certainty
that the man survived, and it was years be
fore | learned from one OF Gratis men, turned
publican on his III gotten gain. some particu
lars which smack 10 me Of truth. 10 seems
the traders found the master struggled on one
elbow, and now staring round him, and now
gazing at the candle or at his hand which was
all bloodied, Ike "A man stupid. Upon their
coming. he would seem 20 have found his
mind, babe them carry him aboard and hold
their tongues. and on the captain asking how
he had come in such a pickle, replied with a
burst Of passionate swearing, and inconti
nently tainted.
They held some debate, but they were mo
montly looking for a wind. they were highly
paid - smugglo him to France, and did not
care 10 delay Besides which. no was well
enough liked by these abominablo wretches
they supposed him under capital sentence,
knew not in what mischief be might have got
his wound, aud judged 10 a piece Of good ma
ture 10 remove him out OF the way OF danger
SO he was taken aboard. recovered on the
passage over, and was set ashore a GONZALES
cent NJ the Hayre dc Grace. What IS truly
notable: no said not a word 10 any one Of the
duel, and not a trader knows TO this day in
what quarrel, or by tho hand of what adyer
sary, he fell. With any other man ! should
have set this down 10 natural deceucy with
him, TO pride. He could not bear 10 ayow.
perhaps even 70 himself, that he had been
vanquished by one whom he had 50 much in
suited and whom he SO cruelty despised.
ITO be continued merit peek