University of Virginia Library

20. CHAPTER XX.
THE DENIAL.

The sun was about an hour high, as the
landlord of the Elk Inn, standing in the door
of his hospice, and looking up the road beheld
approaching from the north, a horseman,
and three men on foot.

`Who have we here, eh?' he said, rubbing
his hands. `These are stirring times for we
inn-holders! Methinks the whole world is
taking a journey. What are these, wife?'
he asked, as the good dame was drawn to
look out of the door of the humble house
of entertainment.

`I see an old man with a white beard, a
stout man with a red beard, and two younger
men without beards.'

`You are always knowing men by their
beards. Now I always mark a man by the
color o' the horse he rides, or the cut o' his
coat. But it is as you say, one man with a
white beard—

`On a horse!'

`Yes, on a sorrel mare;—and a stout man
with a red beard, and two others with no
beards. Correct!'

`That is Red Beard the raftsman, sir;'
said the man-of-all-work at the Inn, who
came and stood near, looking to see the
party as it slowly approached.

`By the rood, I believe it is, and the other
is Master Griffitt, the genius, and his shadow,
the scape-graceling, Ned Whitlock back
again. But I don't know the old man! Do
you wife?'

`Never saw him in these parts afore,' answered
the dame. `He is a stranger, sure.'

`Wall, they'll stop here and get supper
and lodging no doubt, and that'll be two silver
dollars more gain for us. Go and see
that the gentleman up stairs wants any thing.'

`I just came down! He was writing his
letter yet.'

`That shows how good a doctor you are,
wife for drowned folks. Your hot yarb tea
he drank last night made a well man of him
a-most to day. He's most too well, between
you and I, for I was in hopes to keep him at
least two weeks, wife.'

`Wall, I can put something in his tea
as'll keep him back, you know, as much one
day as he gains another.'

`That wouldn't be hardly honest. But as
he can't walk away, with his sprained ancle,
I can keep him here by tellin' him the horses
is spavin'd, or broken-winded, and cant go,
which is true enough of em for that matter.
It aint every day a gold-fish comes to our net,
wife.'

`That it aint. Did you count full a hundred
gold pieces in his purse?'

`Yes, one hundred lacking two, all told.
That is too much money for him to take
away him from the Elk Head. But if he

goes soon I'll charge him extra, for making
a fuss generally, twenty dollars. But hush!
here are our new guests.'

The party now came to the inn door, and
Griffitt being known to the landlord, advanced
and said,

`Ah, good master Tapp, how do you do?
Can you give us accommodations to-night?'

`Wall, p'raps so. I've got a sort o' surreign
old gentleman, as was half-drownded,
takin' up my front best, but I can 'commodate
you I reckon. Who is the old man,
Master Ringold?'

`The father of Captain Burnside.'

`You are welcome, friends,' said Boniface,
`captain, you are most welcome. Let me
help you get your father down from the
horse. Your foot on the horse-block, sir.
That is well. Sam, take the horse round to
the barn, and rub him down and feed him
well, and do you hear, let him eat all you
put in! no stealing half back, for these are
my friends!' The last two lines were uttered
in an under tone. `So Master Whitlock,
you are returned soon. Glad to see
you! Gentlemen walk in.'

The party were shown by Mister Tapp,
into a side receiving room, rudely but comfortably
furnished, and asking whether they
would have supper served, then he went out
to order it. Red Beard followed him to the
tap-room, and touching him on the shoulder,
in a familiar way said,

`So, master Tapp you have a foreigner
here!'

`Yes, and a man of money, I guess. Did
Whitlock, for I see he came with you, tell
you how near he came being drowned?'

`Yes!'

`It was a narrow escape for him. It
seems that he and a Mr. Chartland, who had
been up the river in a sleigh and pair, in returning,
tried to cross the elk, a mile above
my house, on the ice, without trying it.
You might have known they were city people
by this. The consequence was, when
they got half way across, the ice gave way
under them, and the whole went under, as
was seen by two or three persons who were
near on the bank. The horses, sleigh, and
one man never rose again; but this gentleman
up stairs, re-appaered on the surface,
wedged between two cakes of ice, his body
half out, half in. There he stuck fast, till
they got axes and cut him out more dead
than alive, and badly bruised. They fetched
him to my house insensible, but rubbing and
dozing, and hot baths, brought him to, and
to-day he is almost himself again. But the
sleigh, and horses, and poor Mr. Chartland are
still under the ice; and they do say that there
is money in the sleigh, and about his body!'

`Does the gentleman who was rescued sit
up?' asked Red Beard, interrupting the talkative
inn-keeper.

`Dear sus, yes! He ate his dinner in his
room, sitting up, and had a good appetite;
and he is now writing letters, though he
groans once in a while with his right leg,
which is badly bruised.

`I am glad to hear he is doing so well,' answered
Red Beard with joy he could hardly
restrain. `Does he see visitors?'

`Yesterday a great many of the neighbors
went in to see him, but to-day he says he
wishes to be alone. He is very commanding
like, and between you and I, Captain
Red-B—, I mean Captain Burnside, I believe
he is a great man at home.'

`Do you? I should like to see him.'

`He don't wish folks to interrupt him!
He asked for a bell, and said he would ring
it when he wanted us; and as he would
have a bell, I took off the cow-bell and gave
it to him. Bless me! There it is! What
a racket and dinging! Run, wife and see
what he wants.'

`No, you must go, for he said when he
rung again he wanted you to come and get
the letter he was writin', and give it to the
man that was to take it to Baltimore.'

`Does his letter go to Baltimore?' asked
Red Beard quickly, while his grey eye lighted
up with a strange and peculiar expression.

`Yes,' he said at dinner he wanted me
to find a safe man who would take a letter to
the city for him, and he would give him two
guineas to go and two on his return.'

`And who is going?'

`My man, Sam!'

`Let me go up and get the letter Master
Tapp, as an excuse to see him!'

`That you may do and welcome; responded
Tapp. `Go quick, for there is the cow-bell
again ringing, enough to frighten the
old cow herself.'

Robert Burnside at once left the tap-room,
and directed by the landlord, went up to the
room and tapped at the door. His heart
throbbed tumultuously at the thought that he
was about to see and hear the voice of the
man who, as he had not a doubt, had been
the author of his mother's unhappiness, of
his father's misery, and his own years of
wandering and sorrow.

`Come in!' said a deep, well bred voice,
in a tone something impatient.

Robert Burnside entered, and recognized
seated at a table, the tall white-headed stranger
he had seen in the sleigh at his camp.
No sooner did the latter behold him than he
started, and uttered an exclamation of surprise,
while a troubled look passed over his
pale features.

`He has not forgotten me,' thought Red
Beard, and looks at me again with that same
fearful inquiring expression which I before
remarked. I can now account for it! He
saw in me both a likeness to my father and
to my mother, yet he cannot tell who it is I
remind him of. I will speak to him. You
have a letter, sir, to be taken to the city.'

`You are not of the inn! Did I not see
you at—at a camp! Why do you come
here?'

`For the letter, being sent by the landlord!'
answered Red Beard quietly.

`Who, who are you?' demanded the stranger
with increasing agitation. `I adjure you
tell me who you are, and what you intrude
upon me for.'

`Do you not know me my lord! Can you
not guess who I am, my lord?'

`Who are you, I demand that thou callest
me by my title? How should I know you.'

`My lord, who I am I shall not at present
make known to you,' answered Red Beard.
`I am here to have a few moments' conversation
with you!' and Red Beard took a chair.

`What means this?'

`Keep cool, my lord!'

`Do you mean to in—'

`I mean to interrogate you! Touch not
that bell, my lord! There, it is out of your
reach. I wish to ask you a few questions.'

`Well!' faintly ejaculated the stranger,
who felt that he was in the presence of one
his conscience strongly whispered to him to
fear.

`Are you not Lord * * * *?' asked Robert
Burnside, bending his eye full upon him.

`Lord * * * *, has been dead this thirty
years, or more!' answered the nobleman
with deadly pallor. `I am Lord Berelston.'

`'Tis false! you may be lord Berelston,
but you are also the Earl of * * * *! Do
not degrade your grey head by lying, my
lord.'

`Sir, do you dare —'

`Dare? I dare any thing, my lord:' answered
Red Beard, in a voice of thunder.
`But I must be calm.'

`In Heaven's name, tell me who you are?
Your features, your eye, your voice—'

`No matter these! I know they remind
you of —'

`Of whom? Tell me what dim figures of
the past I see revive in you.'

`In me, Lord * * * *, you see the avenger
of the innocent Lady Alice.'

`I see now! I see! It is her and her
husband. I know now whose likeness it is I
see in thee. But who art thou?' he asked
shaking like a leaf.

`The avenger of the innocent. I am here
Lord * * * *, base caitiff, to make thee on
thy knees, and with a pen dipped in thy own

blood, write out thine own infamy, and the
innocence of Lady Alice.'

`I am not whom you think. I know no
Lady Alice. I don't know thee. Leave me!'
he cried with thrilling accents of fear and
rage. `The devil hath sent thee hither to
mock me! I know not what thou sayest.'

`Very well. We will have a witness here
that shall confront thee and thou him,' and
Robert Burnside rung the bell. His countenance
as he waited looked as if moulded
in iron. There was a resolute expression
in his eyes that told he would have gone on
in this affair before him if the very trump of
doom were waking the echoes of the mountains
around.

`Master Tapp, send Ringold Griffitt here.'

`Anything particular—'

`Obey me.' The publican without another
word went down and Ringold appeard.

`I have proved him to be the man to my
own satisfaction; but he denies,' whispered
Red Beard. `Send my father up, but say
nothing. He is ignorant of whom he is to
meet. I did tell him it was some person
whom it was important he should take this
long ride to see for my sake. Send him up.'

`What means this whispering and this
mystery, sir?' asked the nobleman with alarm
and suspicion. `Do you intend me harm?
am I in a den of robbers?'

`We will shortly see who are the robbers,'
answered Red Beard. `My father, come in
this way, he said, leading him into the room
closely followed by Ringold and Whitlock.

`Here, my lord, is one who has reason to
know thee. Look at that man, sir, and tell
if thou has—'

But Red Beard did not complete his sentence;
for no sooner did the recluse put his
eyes upon the occupant of the room than he
started and exclaimed in deep tones of rage
and amazement,

`Lord * * * *!'

The nobleman at the same instant recognized,
beneath the mantle of time, the injured
husband, and as he heard his own name
pronounced by him, he sank upon the chair
from which he had half risen in his surprise,
and with a fall like one dead, cried,

`This is a fearful time! I am judged at
length by Divine wrath.'

`Dost thou now deny that thou art Lord
* * * *?' demanded Red Beard.

`No, I confess! I confess!'

`What dost thou confess?' interrogated the
recluse who seemed restored to vigor and
strength and youthful fire, by the sight of
one who had done him such heavy wrong.
`Speak, man! demon! What dost thou confess?'

`My guilt!' he faintly responded as he
shrank away from the flashing eye of the
avenging husband.