University of Virginia Library

24. CHAPTER XXIV.
THE RETROSPECTION.

We will now go back and make a brief recapitulation of the events narrated
in the foregoing chapters, and refresh the reader's memory, as well as
prepare his attention for the conclusion of this story, which will be extended
but to one chapter further. It will have been observed, that our hero, James
Daily, was selected as the victim of a conspiracy, of which Carlton Ellery
was the prime mover; aided by the mulatto, Philip Clow, and others. The
motives which led Ellery to attempt the ruin of James Daily, have been
shown to have had their origin in rivalry, united with that instinctive dislike
a man of evil character entertains towards another of pure morals and unblemished
name. This two-fold motive sharpened his invention, and
enabled him to take measures so deeply laid, that the destruction of the object
at which they were aimed, seemed sure. The instruments he employed
to aid him in his conspiracy, were Jack Brigs, and a shrewd, depraved lad,
who was the illegitimate child of the burglar, who had been recently discharged
from the House of Correction, and whom Brigs had undertaken to
train in his own career of wickedness. The boy was of fair complexion,
with blue eyes, and of rather a genteel person, and quick and intelligent.
The comprehensive mind of Ellery at once discovered his usefulness to him,
and when he had decided on forging the drafts and checks which were to
criminate Daily, he secured this lad's services, dressing him precisely like
Mr. Weldon's son, to whom, he noticed, he had a general air of resemblance.

It was this lad, who went by the soubriquet of `Little Jack,' who offered
the drafts to Mr. Morley. The negro was the burglar himself, disguised by
lamp-black and oil so completely, that, with his naturally blunt features, he
could not have been detected. This Ethiopian masquerading, be it said
here, had of late become Jack's favorite mode of appearing abroad; his notoriety

in his own character rendering his appearance by day-light far too
perilous for his personal liberty. The note signed `Eveline Dernel,' was, as
the reader will have guessed, the skilful handicraft of Carlton Ellery; he
having no other confidants in his scheme than those already named in the
story.

The result of this diabolical conspiracy the reader has already witnessed.
He has seen it, skillfully, artfully, deeply, secretly, planned as it was by
malice, hatred, envy, and jealousy — he has seen it defeated by the simple
resistance of the spotless integrity of its destined victim! This shows the
value of character. It proves the incalculable advantages of a good name!
It shows the potency of a pure life! Had James Daily been the least irregular
in his habits; had it been known to Mr. Weldon that he had ever
departed in the slightest instance from the straight-forward path of integrity
and uprightness; had his mind been able to recall from the past the least
delinquency of conduct or of character; had a shadow, however faint, passed
across the bright vista of his life, as he mentally looked back upon it
when he was arraigned, as we have seen him arraigned, in judgment before
him, then our young man had fallen! then the hero of our story would have
been without a shield to turn aside the suspicions that might be turned upon
him! If Mr. Weldon had lighted upon one dishonorable act of his life, recalled
one dishonorable principle, even, James Daily would not have stood
the ordeal! He would now have suspected his integrity, and given him into
the hands of the law; for the evidence against him was sufficient to authorize
this step, without giving him the opportunity of speaking in his defence.
The guilt of his clerk and contemplated partner seemed conclusive! It was,
as it were, irresistible. All that stood between the young man and the fate
of the criminal, was the bright shield of his own spotless character. Mr.
Weldon cast his eyes upon this! Adamant, as it was, to turn aside the arrows
of calumny, it was transparent as glass, to show him his heart through
it. He saw written upon it the innocence and purity of his life! It was
easier for him to refuse credence to the accusation against such a man, than
to believe!

He did refuse to admit the evidence, convincing, powerful as it was. He
treated him as if innocent; gave him the privilege of asserting his innocence,
and cast to the winds the charges that were intended to crush him!
Such is the divine potency of character. It turns aside the shafts of suspicion,
and its possessor is clad in mail of proof.

Neither Mr. Weldon nor James had yet, however, discovered the guilty
party. Their suspicions were, it has been seen, fastened upon the right one.
But, so strong was Mr. Weldon's conviction of James's innocence, that, should
he never be able to fasten the forgery upon another, he would never have
suspected James. Innocency of life is a corner-stone. The character built
upon it, neither storms nor floods can overthrow.

The chief motive which led Carlton Ellery to seek the destruction of our
hero being rivalry, sufficient was achieved for his purposes when an irrevocable
breach should have been made between him and the father of Grace
Weldon. This now seemed to him to have been accomplished; and he did
not care to trouble himself or involve himself any further in prosecuting his
further ruin, which he supposed would follow rapidly enough. Other parts
and features of his plan were, therefore, abandoned. These were to serve
as corps de reserve in case he should acquit himself of the forgeries; but
these latter having (as he supposed) been effectual, as far as was necessary

in destroying him as a rival, the other parts of the conspiracy were
abandoned by him, as he has already been heard to signify to Philip Clow.

These parts of the plan we will here mention; they were, that if the forgery
and check scheme failed by Daily's being able to advance his personal
character, (for Carlton placed great weight upon this species of defence,)
against the evidence, they were to beguile him by forged letters, appealing
to his benevolence, to visit by night a noted house of ill-repute; and while
therein draw Mr. Weldon to the place by a previous private letter, notifying
where he could establish at once, by personal observation, `the profligacy
of Daily's habits.' It was enough for their object, if Mr. Weldon could
only see Daily, on discovering the character of the place, coming out of the
door. Should this fail, they resolved to beguile him, by some artful devices,
to go into a celebrated gaming-hall, its character being, of course, unknown
to him. The note written by Isabel, at Clow's dictation, and which he
had shown to Ellery, as if penned by himself, was sent to Daily to bring
him to see his sister, as the opera-singer; and when he should be there it was
the mulatto's intention to secure him in the house by locking him in, hasten
to the police, complain of missing a diamond, and accusing him of having
taken it, have him arrested and taken to prison. Clow well knew he could
not prove such a theft upon him, but the disgrace Daily would receive from
having been arrested, and while in company with a popular opera-singer, he
knew would effect all the purposes he could desire towards ruining him.
Ellery, when shown the note Isabel had penned, did not know precisely the
mulatto's motives or intentions; he only knew that Clow had the design
equally with himself, of bringing his victim into infamy. How it should be
done, after Daily should arrive at the place designated in the note, was, in
his own mind, to depend upon circumstances that might suggest themselves.
That there was a real female in the case — that the note had really been
penned by a woman, he never suspected. He did not expect Daily to meet
other persons than Clow, Briggs, and himself. All this time, Ellery, be it
noted, had no suspicion that the mulatto had a sister! He could not, therefore,
be aware of the secret object she had in view in seeing Daily, or of
Clow's combined motives in having the note sent to him. Isabel was acting
for herself! Philip Clow was acting for himself! Ellery equally independent
of both; yet all three acting towards the same end, and each deceiving
the other!

The reader, we trust, will now understand that Carlton Ellery, when he
took leave of the fair opera-singer, had no suspicion whatever that the note
Philip had shown him, addressed to Daily, inviting him to a certain house
to see a lady, was really written by her, or that Daily was to see her in
compliance with it, not many minutes after he took his leave. That Daily
or she knew of one another's existence, he had not the most distant suspicion!
That they were about to meet, and through the agency of a note he
had himself read and consented should go to Daily, he as little dreamed of!
The note he had believed penned by Philip, assuming, for the purpose, a
delicate womanly style of penmanship, on which, it will be remembered, he
complimented him. But that the note was to accomplish more than to bring
Daily into a trap in which Mr. Weldon might discover him, had no place in
his conceptions. He knew the note invited Daily to call at eight o'clock at
No. — Dormer Place; but he supposed this, as Clow told him it was, a
house in which to be seen would compromit his character with Mr. Weldon.
That his `beautiful Jewess' dwelt in this same house, and that it was only

another part of Clow's habitation, he had no idea; and the mulatto, by the
secrecy with which he took him there, took precaution that he should
have no suspicion of their identity. When, therefore, Ellery took leave of
Clow, after they had ridden home from their visit, at the window of the cab,
he declined to have any thing further to do with Daily's downfall, feeling he
could now no farther interfere with his own personal views; and, although
aware that the hour was approaching when he might be expected to reply in
person to the note sent him, and thrust himself in their power, he chose to
proceed to the opera, as we have seen, rather than wait to see him; for the
guilty man was, in truth, afraid to meet his victim! If he had suspected
that No. — Dormer Place was the house he had just left, and that the
`feigned' female was the fascinating woman he had just left, he would not
so calmly and indifferently have left Philip, the mulatto, to take upon himself
any further revenges towards the victim of their joint hatred.

`If you go to this house in Dormer Place, you spoke of, Philip,' he said
carelessly, as the cab drove off, `and Daily makes his appearance, you had
best let him pass, and do nothing. The more quiet we are now the better!'

Philip Clow made no reply which he could hear, but as he entered his
house to visit Isabel, (whither we have already followed him,) he smiled derisively,
and muttered,

`Yes, yes! It is easy for this gay blood, now he has succeeded in
his object, to recommend quiet! He fears we may goad the young man to
turn upon his foes! He trembles for the consequences of his forgeries! He
not I, had the penning of those dangerous papers! I don't fear on that
score! He will have to bear the consequences if it is ever discovered!
James Daily is now my victim! I have not done with him! Nor would he
be done with him if he suspected who had penned the note which has been sent
to him. Thanks, Carlton, to thy ignorance! I shall now have the victim
all in my own hands! He knows not all the deep motives of revenge I hold
against him! I told him of my love for Frederica the bonnet-girl, and that
I was actuated by rivalry; but I did not tell him I hated him for coming
between me and my ambitious purposes with regard to himself! I could
not tell him that, without revealing to him that the beautiful opera-singer
who has fascinated him, and Philip Clow, the mulatto, are brother and sister!
It is not time to make that revelation yet! Wait awhile, till the knowledge
of it will make him foam at the mouth with madness! Then will I have my
revenge on him! for this man I hate next to Daily! I shall never forget
nor forgive the degrading epithets applied to me, for my color and blood,
when I have in his need refused to lend him money without suitable security!
His pride shall be lowered, high as it carries itself!'

It was in this mood he sought his sister, the interview between which personages
has already been given in the preceding chapter.

We shall now proceed to see how James Daily escapes out of the net that
has been laid for him by love and revenge combined, and eventually establishes
his own innocence by the overthrow of the guilty. But we defer this
denouement of our subject to the next chapter, with which our story will be
brought to its termination.