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CHAPTER VIII.

66 FOUND WANDERING FROM HOME."
The Morning Chronicle.

ADMIRAL PERTON, on receiving the letter with the account of Colonel Delville, immediately proceeded to his residence, and being a magistrate, took the evidence against Valdi, and committed him upon the charge of forgery. After having visited his friend, who was still insensible, left word that he should be sent for if required, and immediately returned home and sent for his son, to whom all that passed was entirely unknown.

"Gerald, I wish to have some important conversation with you upon two matters wherein I want your advice.”

"Certainly, Sir," answered the unconscious son,

as he sat down.

"An old friend of mine, an officer of rank, has a beautiful daughter betrothed to a young man; they are soon to be married; but the mother of the young lady has been suddenly afflicted with the worst of all maladies-insanity. The husband has, under a vague idea that she has been unfaithful to him, attempted suicide, but the attempt happily has been abortive, and he is now insensible from a paralytic stroke. The advice I wish to ask is, how you would act were you the young man betrothed to the daughter?"

"Were I the young man I should do one of two things; if I loved the girl, I should marry her in spite of every thing and every body; if, on the other hand, I did not love her, and the father was very rich, I should consult a medical man, and also an actuary, as to the probable chance of the father's life, and upon their united opinions make or throw up the match.”

"Verily, Gerald, a life in London sears the best feelings of a man, and hardens his heart. How cool, calculating, and speculative withal, is your answer, with only one redeeming point, depending

entirely upon that fatal monysyllable-if.

Sorry to hear you give such advice. Now to the other point.” "Before proceeding further let me say in justification, that I am giving my opinion not perhaps as I should, but as a man of the world, might be expected to act. Now for the second."

"It is this. Suppose a man forged your name, or was in any way a party to it, what would were you to discover the fraud?”

66

Hang him out of the way, if I could."

you do

"So, Gerald Perton, thought your father when he was of your age. When the words 'hang him out of the way," were words used by the unthinking and the unfeeling. Bye-words of ignorant people inflict more wrongs than we are aware. 'Hang him out of the way,' said the farmer, of the man who stole his sheep. Hang him out of the way,' said the man who lost his horse. 'Hang him out of the way,' said the merchant who lost his bale of goods. 'Hang him out of the way, and her also,' said the Bank director, of the deluded creatures who forged their paper; and wrath and man's vengeance against his fellow man, was written from the Bank

parlour to the land's end of Christian England, in deep letters of indelible blood, and the hearts of millions were hardened to gratify the lust of revenge inherent in man, a lust, I am rejoiced to say, daily growing more powerless as education is growing more powerful, and the time is fast approaching when we shall behold the lion of our bad passions wholly subdued, and happily pasturing with the lamb of charity."

"Why, father, this is quite a sermon!"

"It may be, Sir; but as it is the last you will hear from my lips, give it decent attention."

Gerald for the first time saw that his father had some hidden meaning in all his words, and became suddenly serious.

"The first case I put to you was your own. Colonel Delville is paralytic, his wife insane, and his daughter betrothed to you. How do you intend to

act?"

"Give up the match at once."

"And such conduct would be an eternal disgrace

to you, and to your name.

But I will not let you

slip through the affair thus.

The match shall be

broken off by Miss Delville herself. She at least

shall be spared."

"How is this coup to be effected, Sir?"

"Coup! coup! What, is English not strong enough? Then, Sir, I answer you-by a coup de main." Upon which the father produced the forged bill, and shewed it to the thunder-struck gentleman.

"Now, Sir, if you have any explaination to offer this, as the judge might have said to you, is the time to do it."

"That is no forgery of mine!"

"Thank heaven! I believe you; for with all your calculating heart you never told me a lie.”

fess

"That I am implicated in the transaction, I con

; but never thought it would come to your ears, but implicitly relied upon a man of the name of Valdi, to pay it."

"I this hour committed the man to gaol for forging bank notes!"

"Then I am ruined, father, beyond redemption; for he forged that bill, and has probably forged my name to others."

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