University of Virginia Library

3. CHAPTER III.
The Forged Draft.

The money-lender was thoughtful a moment and seemed to be weighing
the risks. At length he spoke and said,

`My lort, you say you vant tventy tousant pounts. Vary goot! Tventy
tousant pounts is moosh money.

`I would rather not make it more than ten thousand.

`Vy no more dan den tousant?'

`Because I may not be able to repay it!'

The Jew laughed with his eyes in a manner peculiar to him, and replied,

`Vor dat matter, my lort, it might pe von huntret tousant. Put to the pusiness.
You haf five tousant to pay to-morrow?'

`I have or am ruined!'

`You haf no shurities?'

`Not a guinea's value.'

`You come to me to ashk me to loan you ten tousant pounts?'

`Yes; for which I will give you a forged acceptance of my father!'

`All vary goot, vary,' said Moloch dryly, and lifting his arched eye-brows;
`but if I cash dis paper vot am I to do mit it?'

`Present it to the Duke's banker. It will be paid.'

`Of dat I haf no doubt. my lort. But vhen it is py ant py discover to pe a
forshery, vat shall I do?'

The captain of the yacht paced the room several times in perplexity before
he replied,

`Make it twenty-five thousand pounds and you are at liberty to say that I
presented it to you.

`Den vhy did you not forge te acceptance, my lort, for tis amount and presend
it yourself mitout comin to me?'

For this reason: I had began to conceive that the Duke's Banker suspected
me. I was afraid to offer another, and especially while the one that is due tomorrow
remains unpaid. This alone would lead to a suspicion; for the Duke's
banker knows of the existence of my draft from Portsmouth, the broker who
has it for collection having gone to him to get his testimony as to the signature.
This I learned this morning from the broker in a round-about way.—
Therefore, Moloch, I had no resource but to make a confidant of you.'

`If I cash an acceptance for twenty-fife tousant pounts, why are you more
villing I should tell I got it from you my lort, dan if it vos only vor ten?' asked
Enoch, eying him closely.

`Because I see now what did not occur to me at first, that you will be held
responsible when you present the draft on which you have given me the money
unless you can give the name of the person from whom you received it; for it
must at maturity be discovered to be a forgery. Therefore, I have made up my
mind if my name must be given it shall be for a sum of high value. But pledge
me, Moloch, that you will only give my name when you are called upon to the
Duke in person and in private!'

`Dis I promise.

Then give me paper and let me make the draft. For what time shall it be?'
asked Dauling, seating himself and removing his cap, exposing, as he did so,
a noble head and kingly brow that bespoke his royal lineage. An expression
stern and dark clouded his features and marred with guilty purposes the dignity
of his manly countenance.

`Tree days!'

`Three days! Thirty it must be?'

`It is safer at tree day,' answered the Jew quietly.

But three days will not give me any time to win at play?'

`Nor will thirty, my lord. Tree day or not at all. Pefore thirty day te
Duke may shange his banker ant I lose all I gif you pefore I get it pack again.'

But I expected if you gave me the money on it to-night you would take it
to the Duke's banker in the morning and get it discounted and off your
hands.'

`No. I sall take it to te banker just two minute no more, just two minute
pefore te last hour of its payment expires. I sall den hand it to do banker and
he vill pay it vith hurry so as not haf time to look too sharp, pecause he would
not like to haf te Duke's name dishonored py delay. Therefore, as I must lay
out of my moneish, I cant pe out of longer den tree day.'

`Well, three days then! My mind is made up as to the step I shall take, if
I once get this Portsmouth draft taken up.—Three days, he added in a halftone
and frowning till his brows met, `three days will serve me as well as
three hundred. What I have resolved upon I shall execute. I will once more
meet my father. Three days is long enough to put off the meeting. You are
waiting for me, Enoch. Well, I will write and sign.

The commander of the yacht then rapidly wrote a draft upon the Duke of
—, for the large amount of twenty five thousand pounds, and was about
to sign it with his own name when the Jew laid his hand upon his:

`You must put some oder name, my lort, if as you say, you are suspected!

`Whose?' demanded Dauling suspending his pen over the paper.

`Can you imitate this closely?' asked Moloch, drawing a note of hand from
a black leather pocket-book and showing him the signature of `Foster, Murray
& Co.' at the bottom of it, one ofthe wealthiest banking firms in London

`Yes,' answered Dauling on glancing at it.

`Sign den, dis names to de draft! It vill pe petter nor yours, my lort.'

Dauling did not hesitate to do as he was requested, and placed the forged
signature accurately imitated at the foot of the draft.

`Now te Duke's acceptance!' said Moloch after he had examined carefully
the two signatures, and smiled approvingly.

The officer with a ready pen placed the forged acceptance of his father,
across the face of the draft and the paper was completed!'

`Vary goot,' said the Jew placing his spectacles more closely upon his eyes
and carefully inspecting the draft. `'Tis now goot negoshiable papers!—
Twenty fife tousand pounts ish a goot deal of moneish! It vill make de Jew
poor to give all dis! Put if I vill do dis paper for you, my lort how mooch
vill my lort gif me vor de risks?'

`Two thousand pounds!'

The money-lender smiled sneeringly. `No, no, my lort! I must haf ten
tousant ant gif you te palance!'

This was spoken very positively. Dauling fixed upon him a look of surprise
and anger, and seeing by his countenance that he was in earnest he exclaimed
fiercely,

`Accursed Jew! Do you dare to propose such a thing to me! I will give
you no more than two thousand pounds.'

`Den I can't do it my lort!' answered Moloch firmly and calmly.

`I will give you three thousand, and not a guinea more so help me the God
of Abraham!'

`Den dere is an end to our pusiness, my lort!' coldly said Moloch turning
his attention again to his accounts, in poring over which the entrance of Dauling
had interrupted him.

The captain stood and regarded him with dark looks for a moment and then
said in a changed tone,

`Enoch, I will make it five thousand. Pay me twenty and let me depart;
for my time is measured!'

`Not a farthing less, my lort!'

`Are you not satisfied that the draft can be discounted?'

`It is perfectly goot, my lort,' he answered smoothing it over with his forefinger
as it lay upon the table before him.

`Then you have no risk. All the risk is mine, as you will give up my name
when you are called upon to declare how you came by it! You shall have only
what I have offered you!

`Ten tousant pounts, my lort!' answered Enoch without lifting his eye from
his accounts.

`Ten thousand devils! I will not give it! You are a brazen-faced usurer,
and know you, Jew, that you are in my power! You know that you have infringed
in the most bare-faced manner the severe Statutes recently enacted

against usury, and have laid yourself open to all its terrible penalties. Your
vile terms have exasperated me; and I now swear to you that unless you do
this on my terms I will make you a public example. You are in my power and
beware.'

`And you, my lort are in mine,' responded the money-lender taking up the
forged draft and thrusting it into his bosom.' So long as I hold this evidence
of your guilt I do not fear you!' As Moloc hspoke his lip curled with a bitter
smile of triumph aungled with contempt.

`Ha! Do you dare, infernal Israelite?' cried the Commander of the Yacht,
drawing his sword and springing upon the Jew to wrest from him the fatal paper.
Moloch who was a taller and larger man than his visitor, though Dauling
himself was of a powerful frame, sprung to his feet and seizing the wrist
of his sword arm with a pressure that caused him to drop the weapon at his
feet. As it fell Moloch kicked it across the chamber, and then releasing him
said calmly,

`Dis ish no vays, mine lort, to get your monish! If you vants your draft
take it and seek some other broker.' As he spoke he drew from his breast the
paper and laid it upon the table. Dauling stood silent and gloomy, looking
irresolute. He did not extend his hand to take up the draft, glad as he would
have been to have had possession of it by force the moment before.

`Moloch,' he at length said in an impassioned tone of voice, `let us not be
foes! Give me fifteen thousand on the condition you will not give up my name
as a party. I begin to fear that it will be unsafe. My plan was to let you
give it up to the Duke alone when you should be called upon, telling him it
was purchased by you from me in the way of business; and I then contemplated
calling on the Duke in person, confessing the whole, and assuming the
penitent, throw myself upon his mercy; which, if I failed in, I meant to take
another course, which it is not expedient to detail to you. I shall, however,
still see him in person! But I fear that the Duke will think more of the loss
of his twenty five thousand pounds than of my relationship to him and give me
up to the laws! In a word I dare not trust him. Therefore, if you can devise
any other way by which to escape the responsibility, and I know you are
fruitful in expedients, I will give you ten thousand pounds.' Here Dauling
paused; for he saw that the money-lender was already thinking deeply, as if
struck by his suggestion and its feasability. The Jew sat silent full three
minutes his eyes fixed upon the carpet and his manner wholly that of one absorbed
in some deep project. Dauling watched him closely and anxiously.
At length the Moloch raised his head and said,

`My lort, 'tis a great risk, vary great dangers, put I vill do it! Your name
sall not pe gifen. I can do it mitout, put te risk is immense, my lort.'

`And the sum I give you is immense.'

`It ish a vary goot sum, my lort,' answered Moloch indifferently. `You vill
half fife tousant to take up your draft from Portshmout, and ten tousant left,
and no fear from arrest for forsherg! Ten tousant pound to me is not moosh
for all dis happenesh.'

`You swear you will not devulge my name.'

`I shwear it.'

`Place your hand upon your thigh and swear it by the faith of Israel,' he
said commandingly.

`I shwear it by the faith ov Israel, my lort,' answered Moloch, laying his
hand upon his thigh and speaking the words with solemnity.

`Now I am free again,' cried Dauling with animation. `Please you, good
Enoch count out your soverigns and bank-notes.'

`So much monesh I haf not in my house, my lort. If you vill call to-morrow
at elefen o'clock, you sall haf te vivteen tousant pounds.'

`I must have it to-night,' he demanded imperiously.

`I haf not one tousand pounts in my shest, my lort! Mine moneish ish in
te panks. Come to me in te mornins' at elefen and you sall haf te moneish!'

The officer stood a moment silent and thoughful and then replied,

`Be it so, Moloch. At eleven o'clock I shall be here! Now a good night
to thee!'

`Goot night my lort,' answered the Jew; and taking up a little silver bell

that stood before him upon the table, he rang it and the beautiful Rachel came
into the chamber.

`Neice, see this gentleman down stairs and through the shop,' he said to
her.

`I am honored by so fair a guide, charming Jewess,' said Tudor Dauling
bowing with an air of gallantry to her; although this courteous manner sat ill
with the haughty and sinister expression that was upon his features, as if he
despised the race to which the young girl belonged, while he admired her
physical beauty.

`My niece little understands the fair words of flattery, my lort,' said the Jew
coldly as if displeased.

`Nay, Enoch, I am no gallant for the sex. Little care I for any of them,
else might I seek to mend my fortune,' he added in a tone meant only to reach
the Jew's ear, `by taking a wife. But seldom have I given them more than a
passing glance, for rare must be the beauty that causes my eye to linger.
Such beauty is that of thy niece! But good night. To-morrow at eleven!
Fair daughter of Abraham I follow thee.'

Thus speaking the captain of the yacht preceded by Rachel, who all the
while had stood silent and down-looking, left the sumptuous private chamber
of the rich money-lender, Enoch Moloch, and passing down the dark stairscase
emerged into the shop below. Then with a slight bow he took leave of
the Jewess, and wrapping his cloak closely about his face went forth into the
street and rapidly pursued his way in the direction of the strand.

Rachel lingered a moment, with her forefinger placed upon her lip, as if reflecting
upon the mingled indifference and admiration towards her of the dark
featured noble looking stranger, when the sound of the silver bell recalled her
to he uncle's presence.

`Well, neice, what think you of my noble visitor,' said Moloch, speaking in
the Hebrew tongue with a dignity of accent and enunciation that singularly
contrasted the badly pronounced English he had made use of in his conversation
with Tudor Dauling.

`Is he noble?' asked the maiden and she seated herself upon an ottoman opposite
to him.

`What dost thou think of him?' repeated Molock with a half-smile; forduring
his brief interval that had elapsed since the departure of the commander
of the yacht he had conceived a thought in his inventive brain, which the
last words of the other had given bot spark and fuel.

`I think him a man of large statute, about eight and thirty years of age,
with a haughty air and a countenance exceedingly noble and handsome yet at
the same time singularly forbidding.'

`Could you love him, Rachael?'

The Jewish maiden started slightly, and then opening her large black eyes
rested them upon the face of Molock with an expression of surprise and alarm.
`Love him! oh no! I should fear him were he powerful and I in his power.'

`Yet methinks he looked kindly upon thee!'

`It was not a look a maiden could meet or that would please her. It was
cold and supercilious at the same time insultingly condescending. So might
a cavalier regard a handsome gipsey in her rags! Why dost thou ask me these
questions with such a serious face? Is the man not a Christian? Am I not a
Jewess? You mock me in asking me if I would love him!' she said with a
look of displeasure the proud style of her beauty.

`Nay, be patient, Rachael. Christians and Jews have wed ere now. You
are now of full age to have a husband. You have refused more that one
Israelitsh youth who has sought your hand of me. Your heart is therefore
free. This stranger who just left us is by no means so bad a man as to his
heart as you think. He has been in great perplexities and they have soured
his visage. He is nominally a Christian but I assure you he has as much reverence
for Joshua as Jesus. His religious scruples will not be in the way. I
am desirous that you should try to captivate him and win him.'

`Would you have me marry him indeed, uncle?' she asked earnestly.

`Truly I would.'

`He would scorn me. Besides I know him not. Nor could I wed a man I
have no love for, much more a Christian,' she said jeeringly; and rising up
she walked the space before the table with a quick tread and a look much excited.
Moloch, in the meanwhile sat perfectly composed yet with a firm aspect.

`Know you, Rachel, that this man is not only noble, but Royal?'

`How?'

`He is the illegitimate son of the Duke of —, the near relative of the
King. The Duke has no other son, but one daughter about ten or twelve
years of age, by a later marriage with the sister of Prince —.'

`His royalty is tarnished by his birth! I regard him less noble than I did
before.'

`But the world does not. Men look upon him in the same light as if he
were born in wedlock. The blood flowing in his veins covers all disgrace.
He is admitted into society with honor and save the title and inheritance is as
good as the Duke's lawful son. His father was greatly attached to him until
he became married and had a daughter, when by the influence of the Dutchess
he was sent a way from the paternal roof. The rest of his time till he came
of age he passed at Eton school and at Oxford, the Duke in the meanwhile
lavishly supplying his expenses. But after he became of age he pursued a
course of the most extravagant dissipation; which, at length, reached to such
lengths that the Duke became embarrassed to meet his exorbitant drafts to
pay gambling debts; for gaming was his passion. Finally his father after
long forbearance, firmly refused longer to give him money. But he made
over to him an estate worth about twenty thousand pounds, on the condition
that he should reside on it, live within its income, and marry within one year.
Tudor subscribed to the terms and conditions and returned to his estate.
Here he did remain very quiet for a year, but yet did not marry. Nevertheless
the Duke did not insist upon this so long as he was steady. There he
remained until last year in the most perfect retirement, but the secret of his
content was, that he had surrounded himself there with all the gay scenes he
so much loved in London. Fine rooms in his villa were fitted up as gaming
rooms, and his house was the resort and almost the habitation of the principal
gamblers of the metropolis. He took for his part a certain percentum of all
the money won there by others and by this means lived, and lived expensively.
As the Duke never came to see him, this state of thing's only reached his
ears inpartial statements, and by no means in their truth, as Tudor conducted
all thing's about his establishment with the greatest caution and secrecy.
But his good fortuneturned and reverses rendered it necessary he should
mortgage his property. The deeds of the whole are in this chest,' added Moloch
placing his foot upon the iron box at his side.

`And this is the man you wish me to sacrifice myself to, uncle,' cried the
Jewess with indignant surprise.

`Nay, listen to what more I have to say, and then decide,' he answered with
composure.

`I will hear you, uncle,' she replied, reseating herself upon the ottoman and
folding her arms upon her bosom with a haughty air that exceedingly became
her.