Roger Kyffin's Ward Part 28

"They may as well find out all about the lugger by themselves," he thought.

After a time several of the coastguard appeared, when the military having fired their muskets towards the south in defiance of their expected invaders, once more wheeled about, and marched away to their respective homes.

"I like to see that sort of thing," observed Mr. Kyffin. "Englishmen will ever be found ready to defend their native sh.o.r.es."

Mr. Kyffin had sent in for a carriage at an early hour to Lynderton, and soon after breakfast he, with Harry and their three visitors, set forth for that town. They stopped before the bow-windowed house where Captain Everard was residing with his aunt and daughter. Madam Everard was on the steps preparing to go out, and just behind her stood Mabel. As Harry descended from the carriage, why did Mabel start back and retreat a little within the pa.s.sage? Madam Everard kindly took Harry's hand, and shook that of Mr. Kyffin. She cast an inquiring glance at the captain, whom at first she did not recognise.

"May we come in?" asked Harry, looking up eagerly towards Mabel. For an instant he hesitated, then sprang up the steps past the old lady. Madam Everard detained Mr. Kyffin and the captain for some minutes by making inquiries and receiving answers.

"Come in, come in," at length she answered. "Little did I expect to receive such joyful intelligence. Accept my grat.i.tude, Captain Rochard, on my own account, and doubly thankful I am that by your means my dear nephew and his daughter will recover their rights."

A minute afterwards Mary was seen tripping down the street to the news-room to summon the captain. He had gone there to read the account just received of Lord Duncan's great victory at Camperdown.

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Mary, as she saw the captain, "it is happy news, sir, happy news, better news than that about the battle. The French captain has come back and brought two old country people with him, and Madam Everard says we shall all get back to Stanmore."

Mr. Wallace was in the room at the time, and the captain, scarcely crediting the news, begged the lawyer to accompany him home.

"The evidence is complete," observed Mr. Wallace, after he had looked over the doc.u.ment brought by Captain Rochard, and by the help of that gentleman had examined the old French people. "We can go with perfect confidence of victory into a court of law, should Mr. Sleech venture to oppose the claims of Captain Everard."

"I trust that everything may be done in a peaceable way," observed Madam Everard. "I cannot pretend to have any regard for that unhappy man, Mr.

Sleech, though his children are, it must be owned, my nephews and nieces. I trust, however, that he will yield without opposition."

Mr. Wallace promised to manage matters in as gentle a way as possible, and that no time might be lost, he set out forthwith for Stanmore. Paul Gauntlett, who very soon heard what was taking place, begged to accompany him.

"No, no," said the lawyer. "You, my friend, are a man of war. We will call you in if it is necessary to proceed by ejectment, but at present I hope the enemy will capitulate without an a.s.sault."

The answer satisfied Paul.

At that moment Dr. Jessop looked in to pay a professional visit to Mabel.

"I think she scarcely requires your services, doctor," observed Madam Everard; "but if you, as a friend of the family, will accompany Mr.

Wallace, perhaps you may be able to aid him in his delicate and somewhat painful mission."

"Come, brother physic, come along then," said Mr. Wallace, as they stepped into the carriage which had brought the party from Sea View Cottage. "The sooner this matter is settled the better."

Mr. Sleech was seated in his study in a flowery dressing-gown, the hairdresser from Lynderton having just curled and powdered his peruke, when a footman in the Stanmore livery, which he had lately a.s.sumed, announced the lawyer and doctor.

"What can they want with me?" he exclaimed. "Really, a man of rank and position can scarcely call his time his own. Let them in, however."

At that moment the Misses Sleech and one of their brothers came in from the grounds.

"Papa," exclaimed the young Mr. Sleech, "those fellows have not cut down another tree. They say they don't mind putting the fences in order and digging out the ditches, but that not one of them will lay an axe to a root."

"Impertinent fellows!" exclaimed Mr. Sleech. "I will see how they dare disobey me."

At that moment the visitors entered the room.

"Your servant, gentlemen," said the master of Stanmore, performing one of his newly-learned bows. "To what cause am I indebted for the honour of this visit? Doctor, you are always welcome, whether you come as a visitor or professionally," he added, holding out his hand, at the same time turning a dark frown towards his brother lawyer, who took his seat in silence.

"As you ask me, Mr. Sleech," said Dr. Jessop, "I come now as a friend-- as a friend of your family and that of the Everards. I wish that you could have heard the expressions uttered but lately by your excellent sister-in-law, Madam Everard. You must be aware that it was very painful to her to leave Stanmore. The law allowed you to take possession, it being supposed that no marriage had taken place between Captain Everard's father and mother, notwithstanding the a.s.sertion of the former that he had married in France. Of course Captain Everard has taken every means to prove his legitimacy, and I must ask you now to be prepared to receive the information, that not only is he in possession of the certificate of the marriage, properly attested by the French authorities, but that actually two French persons of respectability who were present are at this moment in England, indeed at Lynderton."

Mr. Sleech gasped for breath as the doctor proceeded, turning his rolling eyeb.a.l.l.s first at him and then at the lawyer.

"Is it true what he says? Is it true, Wallace? Tell me," he exclaimed.

"Perfectly true, Mr. Sleech," answered the lawyer. "You have no more right to be in this house than I have; at the same time, the owners desire that you should be treated with every kindness and consideration."

Mr. Sleech rose from his seat, and appeared as if he were about to rush on his brother lawyer.

"It is false! It is a vile conspiracy! They are impostors!" he exclaimed. "I will not yield: I will die first!"

"My good sir," exclaimed the doctor, placing himself between Mr. Sleech, whose doubled fist was raised to strike Mr. Wallace, "let me entreat you to becalm. This violence will do you no good, and is discreditable to you."

The unfortunate man stopped and gasped, and had not the doctor held him up, he would have sunk to the ground. He was placed in a chair.

Restoratives were administered, and at length he recovered.

"I yield," at last he said; "I played for a high stake, and I have lost.

They will have pity on me. That wretched boy of mine, his fate has well-nigh broken my heart."

In a few days Mr. Sleech and his family returned to the old red brick building with the high roof in the High Street of Lynderton, which he had inhabited since he entered business.

The bells rang merrily out when Captain Everard and his daughter, accompanied by Madam Everard and several friends, drove up the avenue once more to Stanmore. Harry Tryon, however, never became its master.

The charms of Miss Coppinger had for some time before captured the heart of the gallant captain, and in a short time after this she became his bride, and, ultimately, the mother of a considerable number of fine sons and girls, of whom, notwithstanding, Mabel was not in the slightest degree jealous, as she by that time could boast of an equal number of her own. The fortune her G.o.dfather had given her, and a very handsome settlement made by Mr. Kyffin, enabled her to accept Harry Tryon's hand.

At the same time, the Baron de Ruvigny consoled himself for his past disappointments by marrying Sybella Coppinger, and both he and Harry joined Mr. Coppinger's firm, and by the time a permanent peace was once more restored to Europe, had become among the first merchants of London.

With regard to Captain Falwa.s.ser, or Rochard, as he also called himself, he was a true patriot, though a royalist, and had for some political cause been compelled to leave France before the outbreak of the revolution. He had been introduced to Mr. Pitt, and had been employed by him in gaining information of proceedings in France. For this purpose he had engaged the famous smuggling lugger, from which he could land without observation on either coast. Disguised in a variety of ways, he had been able to traverse France. Had he been captured, he knew well that his life would have been sacrificed. For many years he persevered, and at length, escaping all dangers, settled down at Lynderton, where he was ever an honoured guest at Stanmore. Paul Gauntlett once more took up his former office at the park, which he held to a green old age; and Jacob Tuttle came home with the loss of an arm, and married his faithful Mary.