Foul Play

this pair, the Wardlaws were reversed. Michael Penfold was a reverend, gentle creature, with white hair, blue eyes and

n eye, a mellow voice, square shoulders and a prom

and would not prevent his continuing to take pupils. "But, father," said he, "it will be a place to take

he would have been to hear you preach

d I have got you still; the proceeds of this liv

me, what a manager you must be to dress so beautifully as you do, and send your old f

aved four hundred; the odd thousand-

inquisitive.

er, and the old gentleman was just lighting his candle

ad no street door all to themselves; no liveried dragons to

ad a hooked nose, and a black, piercing eye. He stood at the door and ob

tly, "Mr. Michael

r servi

Robert

nfold. What is

nfold' at the back of t

they would not cas

ot the mon

urse I

parted with

N

nt. "The fact is, sir," said he, "there is a little irregularity about this bi

s the drawer? Let me see it. Oh, dear me, something wrong about a bil

afraid of? If the bill is irregular I can

e to the bill-broker; he lives but a few doors off. And you, sir,

t directly, and went off w

settle this matter here." At the same time a policeman crossed the way and joined them; and another man,

ght to have done this job in your house. But I looked at the worthy old gentleman and his g

with some amazement, but little emotion; for he hardly

he turned pale, and almost

rdlaw," said he. "I entreat

The bill is stopped. You are arrested by the gent that cashed it. Here is

cried; "I shall not run from my accuser. Hands off, I say. I'm a cl

Reverend Robert Penfold shook him furiously off, and, wi

ing facers, administered right and left on the eyes and noses of the subordinates. These, however, though bruised and bleeding, succeeded at last in grappling their man, and all came to the ground together, and there struggled furiously; eve

chest; and at last the three forced the handcuffs u

nted and indorsed the note. The officers attended, two with black eyes apiece, and one with his jaw bound up, and two sound teeth in his pocket, which h

ed to prison, to be tried at the Centra

t a word. He soon received a letter from Robert Penfold, which agi

never

He dared not offend his father on the eve of being

He said to himself, "Before that horrible trial comes on, I shall be the house of Wardlaw, and ab

young Wardlaw's agony, the partnership deed was not ready when an imploring letter was put into hi

ntreated him not to carry the matter into court. But Adams was ine

room, a prey to fear and remorse. He sported his oak, and never went out. All h

en o'clock, a clerk slipped in at the heels of his scout, and, coming to young Wardlaw's bedside, awo

distress. Gastric fever set in, and he was lying tossing and raving in de

interesting. But, for various reasons, with which it would n

for forging the note of hand, the other

and which wrote "Robert Penfold" was not, in his opinion, the hand that had written the body of the instrument. He gave many minute rea

r that he was tried in England, and could not be heard in person, as he could have been in a foreign court; above all, his resistance t

s recalled, and swore that he had left his son in a burning fever, not expected to live. And declared, with genuine emotion, that nothing but a high sense of public duty had brought him hith

"GUILTY"; but recommended him to mercy on grounds which might fairly have been

r recitative, whether the prisoner had anything to say why

neral receive this bit of singsong in dead silence. For why? the chant conveys no id

nse of the words in spite of the speaker, and clung wildly to the straw that monotonous machine hel

y on grounds of law. On these you can be heard. But, if you have none to offer, you must be silent and submit to your sentence." He then, without a pause, proceeded to poin

cry of anguish that was fearful, a

s wild cry was innocent of all these, and went straight from the heart in the dock to the heart on the judgme

sent out of this country to another, where you may begin life afresh, and, in the course of years, efface this dreadful stain. Give me hopes of you; begin your repentance where now you stand, by blaming y

he culprit. He burst out

y composed all of a sudden; and said, "God f

e jury, and walked out of the dock with the air of a man who had part

required that the forged d

he same demand," said

m both, and said it w

d with the greatest miscreants in creation. They did not reduce him to their level, but they injured his mind. And, before half his sentence had expired, he sa

he poor lady had written at large her mother's heart, and her pious soul aspiring heavenward for her darling son. This, when all seeme