 | CHAPTER VI. Ellen Hart |  |
6. CHAPTER VI.
Mr. Hart having descended from the carriage
with nervous haste, entered the bank
followed by Dr. Blake. His eyes first fell on
Mr. W—, the broker, who had the moment
before returned from his office and was now
holding the forged note at arm's length, looking
at it the very picture of despair. From
the broker they rested on Dr. Elmore, who
stood talking with the cashier in a stern and
excited manner. The merchant's soul shrunk
within him. His heart failed him. His head
swam round. His limbs refused their office;
and with the agonizing assurance (for it was
certainty rather than suspicion) that all was
discovered, he staggered and caught by the
counter for support. There he stood with a
countenance like the hue of ashes and his gaze
fixed in hopeless despair upon the face of Dr.
Elmore who now turned to survey him. The
emotion of Mr. Hart now fully confirmed the
suspicions of the Cashier and the broker, who
had very freely declared their belief in the
guilt of Mr. Hart. But Dr. Elmore saw in
his weakness only the effect of his recent accident.
Although the circumstances were so
strong against him Dr. Elmore could not believe
him a party to the forgery. In his own
mind he believed Mr. Hart to have been the
victim of Creech's avarice and guilt; for what
little intercourse Dr. Elmore had with this latter
personage had by no means given him a
high estimate of his moral principle and integrity.
He therefore, now turned to Mr.
Hart, whom he, as well as the other gentlemen,
were astonished to see come in, with a
kindness and sympathy in his tones that fell
upon his bosom like the dew and the sunshine
upon the withered earth, and said,
`Is it possible, my dear sir, that you are so
much recovered from your fall as to return to
State Street. I am truly gratified to see you.
You are still very pale; and I would advise
you to return home as soon as your business
will permit.'
`I thank you, sir,' answered Henry Hart,
a great load removed from his mind; for such
was Dr. Elmore's manner, that in his heart he
whispered to himself the flattering unction,
`He does not suspect! I am safe! My fears
are groundless.'
`It is peculiarly fortunate Mr. Hart, that
you have been able to return to the bank just
at this crisis,' continued Dr. Elmore, `as a
discovery has just been made which seriously
interests you.'
Henry Hart felt as if all the blood in his
system was rushing to his head. He thought
he should sink to the floor. With a superhuman
effort he commanded himself, and attempted
to look Dr. Elmore calmly in the
face. But he could not lift his eyelids, weighed
down with conscious guilt, from the floor.
His whole frame trembled exceedingly and
his physician placed a chair for him into
which he sank; but all the time struggling
with a great effort to appear calm and turn
aside from himself suspicion. That Dr. Elmore's
words had reference to the forgeries—
that the broker's presence there at that crisis
had connection with it, he was now convinced.
A most miserable man was Henry Hart
at that moment. If the floor had gaped beneath
his chair and plunged him into some
dark cavern where the light of human eyes
could never penetrate his soul, where he
should be insensible to the infamy that was to
blast his name, it would have been a happy
relief to him from the fearful exposure he
dreaded.
`What has occurred?' he faintly murmured.
`A most unpleasant affair, I regret to say,
Mr. Hart,' said Dr. Elmore with gentleness.
`A strange, unaccountable occurrence, sir,'
said the broker with warmth, at the same time
approaching Mr. Hart's chair, and looking at
him with the most intense suspicion mingled
with impatience, the forged note held firmly
in one hand and the fore finger of the other
laid impressingly upon the name of the Firm
endorsed upon it.
`I fear Mr. Hart is at present too ill to listen
to any exciting topic,' said his physician.
`It is best he should know it, sir. His
credit and good name are at stake,' answered
Dr. Elmore. You must prepare yourself, Mr.
Hart, to hear intelligence of no ordinary import.
It is painful and will try all your nerves
and self-possession. But in the first place let
innocence and ignorance of the whole affair.'
Henry Hart, who had groaned once heavily
and covered his forehead with one hand, now
looked up with more confidence; but the
broker vented an ejaculation which seemed to
express a decided and very positive difference
of opinion from that given by Dr. Elmore.
Mr. Hart caught the broker's eye and his
own fell beneath it, while he said falteringly,
`It is true, Dr. Elmore, I am very ill. I
am not, I fear, quite myself. If you will go
into the carriage with me I will there hear
from you any thing you have to state affecting
my honor and character.'
`I would do that with pleasure if I could,
sir; but it is necessary that the matter should
be settled here. In a word, Mr. Hart, I find
in Mr. Notary's hands here a note for ten
thousand dollars—'
`And one in mine for—, `interrupted the
impatient broker.
`Patience, Mr. W—,' said Dr. Elmore,
checking the angry man, who, anticipating
the loss of nearly ten thousand dollars, was in
no very patient mood.
`I find here, Mr. Hart, a note for ten thousand
dollars drawn ostensibly by me and bearing
my name for signature, made payable to
your house, the endorsement of which it also
bears; as well as that of another House, the
head of which has been sent for and will be
here shortly. This is the note,' continued
Dr. Elmore holding before him the forged
paper, `and the signature I have declared and
now again pronounce it to be a forgery!'
Dr. Elmore elevated his voice and spoke
the last words with strong emphasis. Every
eye was turned full upon Mr. Hart. He sat
with his eyes upon the ground, one hand in his
vest, as if pressing upon his heart to confine
wild throbbing, the other supporting his forehead
upon the arm of the chair. There was
a moment's impressive silence. Even Mr.
W—, restrained his impatience awaiting a
reply.
`Go on, sir,' hoarsely said Henry Hart
without moving.
`Have you nothing to say, sir?' asked Dr.
Elmore with a countenance expressive of
surprise.
What could the guilty man say? His
thoughts were in a tumult. But the instinct
of self-preservation was lively and he resolved
to save himself.
`Yes, sir, I have something to say,' he replied,
rising from his chair and assuming a
face of indignant innocence. `It is that I
feel surprised and grieved that you should
suspect me of having forged a name to a note.'
`I have not suspected you, Mr. Hart,' said
Dr. Elmore warmly; `on the contrary I expressed
my entire confidence in your innocence.
You do me injustice, sir.' And Dr.
Elmore for the first time began to feel suspicion.
`You were only questioned as any
other man would be, and would wish to be,
under circumstances so peculiar.'
`It is not surprising, gentlemen, that I
should feel, in a case like this,' he answered
with well feigned integrity. `The surprise at
the discovery has deeply moved me. I pronounce
the note a forgery.'
`You confess it?' exclaimed Dr. Elmore.
`I have no doubt it is a forgery,' said the
broker in an ironical under tone.
`Confess it—confess the note? No, sir? Do
you mean to insult me, sir? I pronounce the
endorsement of my firm a forgery.'
`Who presented the note to the bank for
discount, Mr. Cashier?' asked Dr. Elmore.
`Mr. Creech, the Junior Partner.'
`Creech! Then, gentlemen there is no
mystery. I have long had my suspicions of
my partner. I hope you will do me justice to
believe me when I say that I have had till today
no knowledge of the existence of this
note.'
`Nor of this, Mr. Hart?' demanded the
notary who now began to believe in Mr. Hart's
Innocence.
`Mr. Hart glanced at this well known note;
and, in spite of himself his face betrayed him
guilty to the keenly observing eyes of the
Cashier, who during the whole time had been
watching its changing expressions.
`No, sir,' he faintly answered.
Too late to take up the first note he had resolved
to deny all knowledge of the notes, and
thus retain the ten thousand dollars he held
in his pocket-book, for his own uses. He believed
that he could successfully fasten the
whole guilt upon Creech and himself escape
from all suspicion. This idea gave him confidence
and at the same time audacity.
`Then you pronounce these endorsements
forgeries, Mr. Hart?' asked Dr. Elmore, exhibiting
with his finger pointing to that held by the
broker.
`I do unhesitatingly.'
`And who do you believe to be the forger.'
Mr. Hart hesitated. But feeling that all
were intent upon his answer, he said,
`Who negotiated this note with you Mr.
W—?'
`Mr. Creech,' answered the broker.
`Unpleasant as it is for a merchant to suspect
his partner in business of a crime like
this, the fact that the notes were both offered
by my Junior Partner, Mr. Creech, and are
made payable to our Firm, I feel it my duty
to charge him with being the drawer of both
notes, and the forger of both signatures and
of the endorsements.'
`This is your belief, sir?' asked Dr. Elmore
seriously.
`It is,' answered Henry Hart, looking
round with confidence till meeting the eye of
the Cashier his own fell; and to his confusion
he saw that there was at least one present
who did not believe him innocent of the forgery.
At this moment Mr. — of the Mercantile
House, the endorsement of which was
also on the notes with that of Hart & Creech,
entered the Bank. His surprise at the grave
aspects of the persons present was by no
means lessened when the Notary said, handing
him the note,
`Mr. — will you have the kindness to
look at this endorsement. The note is already
due as you will perceive.'
The merchant looked at the endorsement
and then read the note. Without hesitation
he pronounced it a forgery. This the Cashier
believed he would do; for in his own mind he
had settled who was the guilty party; but
still in the minds of the rest there was suspicion
that this house might possibly be the
drawers of the note. But the honest, indignant
manner in which he pronounced the endorsement
forged convinced all present that
he was ignorant of the existence of such a
note, and that a double forgery had been executed.
The broker now showed his note,
which he also declared a forgery. Suspicion
was now fixed upon Mr. Creech; and Dr.
Elmore and Mr — of the forged Firm and
the broker at once decided to send for an officer,
and arrest the Junior Partner at once. A
messenger was at once despatched to the Police
for officer Clapp. He had been absent
but a few moments when, to the surprise of
all Mr. Creech himself opened the inner green
covered door, and appeared in person.
The long absence of Mr. Hart from the
Counting-House had made this precise, moral,
very conscientious little gentleman exceedingly
nervous. He felt every thing depended
upon the safe payment of the bank note, to
secure which he had so vigilently exerted
himself and obtained the amount from Mr.
W—, the broker. But half an hour had
passed, and Mr. Hart not returning he became
`fidgety,' to make use of a word which is quite
expressive of the state of mind and body the
junior partner was in. He kept repeatedly
going to the door to look up the street, and as
often returning to his desk. But to write was
quite out of the question. He could only
scribble over on a sheet of foolscap, `note,'
`Dr. Elmore,'—`Bank,'—`$10,000,' and other
words indicative of the current of his thoughts.
At every two minutes he would take out his
gold repeater and look at it. It seemed to him
to have stopped, and he could only assure
himself that it had not by holding it to his
ear. He was about to send a clerk to the
bank to see what had become of Mr. Hart, and
in his mind cursing him for not at once returning
and relieving his fears as to the fate
of the note, when a merchant came in and informed
him of Mr. Hart's accident.
`Fiends! when did it happen? How long
ago?' he demanded in consternation.
`It must be nearly twenty minutes ago. I
thought you must have heard of it, and am
surprised you have not learned it. But he
was at once taken to his house.'
`Where did it occur?'
`In the very door of — Bank!'
`Good Heavens! Had he been in?'
`He was crossing the street to the bank
when he fell. He was immediately taken
home in a hack.'
`Excuse me, sir. I must at once go to him.'
Mr. Creech seized his hat and flew towards
the house of his partner. He wanted to learn
from his own lips the fate of the note. He
did not dare to go to the bank. His fears
were in the ascendant. On reaching Mr.
Hart's house and ringing the bell, the servant
confounded him by saying Mr. Hart had not
been at home since morning.
`Has he not met with an accident?'
`We have not heard of it.'
`Was he not brought home in a carriage?'
`No, sir.'
`Strange, exclaimed Mr. Creech, staring
the man in the face. The next moment he
turned from the door leaving the servant to
communicate his words to the family, and up
on them inflict the first blow of the evils thawere
soon to follow.
Mr. Creech hastened back to his store. On
his way he was more than once stopped by
inquiries after Mr. Hart. `Could it be possible
that he had been taken to the Hospital instead
of his house?' he asked himself; for
that he had met with an accident he was now
convinced. On reaching the store and hearing
nothing from him, and receiving no message,
he resolved to relieve his apprehensions
respecting the note, to proceed at once to the
bank and learn it in person. He had a faint
hope that it might have been taken up. At
all events, its fate was by this time decided,
and the sooner he knew what it was the better.
He, therefore, assumed all the confidence
he could command and took his way to the
bank. He well knew it was shut for business,
but that he could enter, and from the Notary's
books ascertain how matters had gone, and
what became of his senior partner. He expected
to find no one in but this person. His
surprise was apparent on coming suddenly
upon the party of persons assembled there.—
He stopped full, with his hand on the door,
and rapidly glanced round upon them. The
Cashier was leaning across the bank counter
with a face grave and earnest; near him stood
the notary, in whose hand the junior partner
saw and recognised the forged note; standing
by a chair, supporting himself by the back,
stood Henry Hart, with a pale but hardened
look; and in front of him was Mr. W—,
the broker, who held in his hand the note he
had but two hours before negotiated with him.
A few paces off was Dr. Elmore, walking
up and down the floor with a countenance
full of seriousness.
`It is all up,' was the remark Mr. Creech
made to himself, on discovering this aspect of
things. `I must get out of it the best way I
can. I see how it stands now. They have
charged him with it, and he has denied it and
accused me! I see that by his looks. I think
I know my way out now.'
What this way was, which the Junior Partder
seemed to see so clearly before him in this
crisis of affairs, will be explained in the next
chapter.
| CHAPTER VI. Ellen Hart | |