12. CHAPTER XII.
Claude now made the necessary preparations to
leave Berlin. He had laid before the police an account
of the manner in which he had been twice attacked;
but, having no information to give, they could
do nothing for him but offer him a passport with as
little delay as possible. He was resolved, however,
not to leave till he had in some degree counteracted
the calumnies of Elkington. He had written to the
Marquis of E—, who, with Lord Perceval, was perfectly
acquainted with his curious history, and perhaps
knew more of it than he felt at liberty to disclose.
The reply was a letter so decisive and flattering, that
he almost hesitated to submit it to any one's inspection.
He, however, concluded to send it to Carolan;
and, fearful of having it returned, like the last, unopened,
he determined to enclose it to General St. Hillaire,
who had so nobly, and with such dignity, defended him
against the last insolence of Elkington. He accordingly
wrote him the following note:
“I am about leaving Berlin, but cannot do so without
performing a certain duty to myself, the necessity
of which imboldens me to address this request to you.
It is also proper that your generous confidence in me
should be confirmed; and I beg therefore to enclose to
you the accompanying letter from the Marquis of
E—; a gentleman, I believe, whom Count Carolan
corresponds with, and whose opinions may have some
weight. I have a kind of right to press this letter
on Count Carolan, who has openly exhibited an acquiescence
in the misstatements of Elkington. I leave
to his own sense of right the task of protecting my
name hereafter. As to my courage—a suspicion of
it can only be removed by those occasions which Providence
sends, enough to try the temper of our souls
on earth, and to furnish us an opportunity to display it
to the world when vanity requires. If circumstances
have raised a doubt of mine, it is a misfortune which,
like shipwreck or pestilence, every man is liable to,
and which, if chance does not remedy it, patience must
endure. Having deliberately adopted a principle upon
this point, I shall adhere to it and abide the consequences.
From all other doubts the letter of the Marquis
of E— rescues me; and, after perusing it, Count
Carolan will at least do me the justice to express himself
satisfied, and to acknowledge that my past life has
been as irreproachable as it has been unfortunate.
“For yourself, my dearest general, accept my thanks
for the manner in which you have interested yourself
in my favour. That there are many persons above
the prejudices of the day, and who can find other motives
for the course I have chosen than vulgar fear, I
am convinced; but as the first who boldly took part
with the poor and the insulted, and whose superior
wisdom comprehended his actions, you will never
be forgotten by your sincere and grateful friend,
Claude to Count Carolan.
“I send you, through General St. Hillaire, a letter
from the Marquis of E—furnishing a brief history
of my past life, from his knowledge of my character
and conduct. The apparent indelicacy of presenting
an eulogium so partial, as well as my repugnance to
open any farther communication with one whose good
opinion has been withdrawn with a publicity so unjust,
would secure you against further intrusion of me or my
affairs; but a name which, however unadorned with
rank or affluence, I have endeavoured to keep at least
unstained — gives me the right to deny with proof
whatever has been asserted with falsehood and believed
with haste. I bestow no attention on Elkington,
because he is wilfully wrong; and I offer this explanation
to you, because I think you only carelessly so.
That you are wrong your perusal of the letter enclosed
will compel you to allow, and my slandered character
induces me to demand the acknowledgment.
“I have the honour to be, your obedient servant,
“C. Wyndham.”
An hour afterward, the Marquis of E—'s letter
and his own were returned unopened to Claude in one
from Carolan, containing the following lines:
“I enclose the letter of the Marquis of E—, as well
as your own, without any other reply to the `demand'
you make for an acknowledgment of `error' than
that men's opinions are their own, and differ in many
points more doubtful and important. There is an account
at my banker's of £50, which I will thank you
to settle.
“Your obedient servant,
“Carolan.”
Claude tore the letter into pieces and dropped it on
the floor. Its injustice and insolence he felt for a moment
bitterly; but he thought him an ass, and then dismissed
the subject from his mind, he trusted, for ever.
He had scarcely done so when the footman brought
in two more letters. One was in his banker's hand,
which he welcomed with pleasure. He had not only
long since used all his ready cash, but he had considerably
anticipated his income. His late payments for Mrs.
Denham had caused him to do this; and as for the
£50 for which, in a casual transaction with Carolan respecting
a horse, he had become indebted to him, and
which that gentleman so singularly demanded, he had
really, until now, forgotten to repay it. Nor did he
find, in the pertinacity with which it was demanded,
anything more than the desire of a little mind to avail
itself of the most trifling opportunity of offering an insult.
Since his payments for Mrs. Denham, in fact,
he had not the means to refund it till the receipt of the
usual remittance from his London banker, which he
had some time before written for, and which he now
every day expected. He opened the present letter,
therefore, with a feeling of pleasure, as affording the
means to settle his accounts and quit Berlin immediately.
It was not without reading it over two or three
times that he was able to comprehend its full import.
It was as follows:
“We beg to inform you, for your government, that
the sum hitherto deposited in our hands on your account
has been withheld for the ensuing year, and we
are instructed that it will not hereafter be continued.
“We are also grieved to inform you, that, upon the
presentation of your last draught, we were under the unpleasant
necessity of declining to accept it, on account
of the irregularity attending your having drawn it considerably
in advance of your income.
“We annex a statement of your account, wherein
you will perceive that your draughts amount to
when, as your income up to the 1st of June |
£563 |
| amounts to |
525 |
| leaves at your debit |
£38 |
of which we request you will take due note, in order
to reimburse immediately the balance, which we are
instructed to desire with the least possible delay.
“We remain, sir,
“Your very obedient servants,
“N. B. & Co.”
