Chapter IV: The Humanity of De Lancaster is not permitted to obtain its End

Our readers will recollect a certain Jew pedlar, Israel Lyons by name, of whom we have heretofore made mention: this man was in the habit of employing Davis as his man of business for collecting debts, and enforcing payments. In the course of his late circuit he had called upon him, and consulted him upon a secret transaction he had engaged in with Mrs. Owen respecting a diamond ring of considerable value, which he was to dispose of in Holland on her account, and for which he had deposited security in her hands. Upon the production of this ring Davis instantly recognised it to be the very ring devised to Cecilia by Sir Owen in his will. Lyons, who immediately saw the danger of his negotiation in its proper light, readily consented to accompany Davis to Kray Castle for the purpose of more fully identifying the ring, and to this it was that Davis alluded, when he was answered by De Lancaster, as was related in the preceding chapter. He now shewed the ring to that gentleman, who no sooner cast his eyes upon it, than he said--Put it by! I am satisfied.

So was not Davis, but importunately demanded how he was to proceed--Not at all, replied De Lancaster, not at all. I am neither prepared to blast the heir of the Owens for the consideration of a horse, which I can replace from my own stable, nor the mother of that heir for a bauble, which I desire you will return to the pedlar, and take care that I have no concern with dog-feeders, or with Jews.

Davis, struck with astonishment, exclaimed--This is above my comprehension; it must be as you please; but you will give me leave to take care of myself, and keep out of the scrape of compromising felony.

With these words he departed, and a servant, entering the room at the same moment, announced the names of three gentlemen, who solicited a private conference with Mr. De Lancaster; they were persons of respectability in the county, but not in the habit of visiting at the castle, being of the opposite party in politics, and zealously attached to the interests of the ancient house of Owen.

The venerable owner of Kray Castle met them at the door of his apartment, and received them with all possible courtesy and respect. When they were seated, Sir Arthur Floyd (a name not new to the reader of this history) opened the business as follows--

We wait upon you, Mr. De Lancaster, as friends of the lately deceased Sir Owen ap Owen, and in virtue of the regard, in which we hold his memory, are solicitous to preserve the like good opinion of the successor to his estate and title. A report, which, if true, would stamp indelible disgrace upon his character, has reached us, relative to his treatment of a certain favourite horse, which our departed friend bequeathed to your grandson; we know you lived on terms of friendship with Sir Owen, and we trust you will participate in our motives, when we request you (who must of course be acquainted with the particulars, we are anxious to be informed of) to say whether or not there is any foundation for the report we allude to.

Gentlemen, said De Lancaster, it is a fact that the horse, which you describe as a favourite of my late friend, was bequeathed by him to my grandson John.

And is your grandson now in possession of that horse? In plainer terms, is the horse alive? This question was not put by Sir Arthur Floyd, and Mr. De Lancaster, turning to him, with some discomposure demanded, if it were expected of him to answer all manner of interrogatories in a case, which he was desirous of dismissing from his thoughts.

To this Sir Arthur Floyd replied, that with all imaginable respect for his character as a gentleman of the highest honour, they did expect of him to answer all such questions, as might be honourably put to him in the matter of a charge so fatal to the reputation of Sir David Owen, if true; so injurious, if false. We presume also to remind you, sir, that where the name of De Lancaster is attached to a report, it is such an authority as no man can dispute, and of course no man ought to doubt. Upon a point of honour therefore, which by consequence affects yourself not less than it does us, we conjure you to tell us plainly whether the horse be dead or living.

The horse is dead; in that state he was found by my grandson and his servant on the heath.

You will permit us to ask, said one of the party, if there were not marks of violence upon the carcase; in short, sir, was not the horse hamstrung upon all his legs?

I am told he was.

Was there any enquiry made as to the perpetrator, or perpetrators, of that butchery?

I am constrained to say there was. Lawyer Davis made enquiry.

And when lawyer Davis traced out the perpetrators of that most shameful act, have the goodness to inform us whether he did, or did not, find evidence to implicate Sir David Owen as a party in the act itself.

Let lawyer Davis answer that himself, replied De Lancaster in a firm tone of voice; I decline it, and you must excuse me.

We shall refer ourselves to lawyer Davis, said the spokesman, and we hope you will permit your grandson and his servant to attend on the occasion. If we find Sir David Owen guilty on the charge, this will be no country for him to live in; at least he cannot live in it with us. In the mean time we thank you, worthy sir, for your very handsome reception of us, and shall be ever forward to bear testimony to your candour and delicacy towards the character of a most unhappy young man, if our fears prove true. We are sensible, Mr. De Lancaster, you could have said much more, and we know that it was honour alone, that extorted from you what you did say, and generosity, that suppressed what you did not say.

The party were now rising to take their leave, when the old gentleman entreated their patience for a few minutes--we have been discoursing, he said, upon a very unpleasant subject. The young man, who now wears the title of my departed friend, is just entering on the world, and being native of another country, and not educated amongst us, may perhaps have been betrayed into some irregularities, that cannot stand a rigid scrutiny; I will venture therefore to submit to you, whether it may not be advisable to let this affair pass over without any further investigation, assured as you may be, that the charge shall never be stirred by me, or any one of my family.

To this Sir Arthur Floyd made answer as follows--What you have now proposed to us, Mr. De Lancaster, is a proof of that candour and benignity, which have ever marked your character; but you know full well what has long been the state of party interests in this county, and to which side we have hitherto adhered; you must also be aware that the day is not far off, when probably we must again declare ourselves: It behoves us therefore to be made secure of the honour and character of that gentleman, young although he is, on whom that consequence and leading interest have devolved, which we have been accustomed to look up to. We must therefore in our own justification decline your generous proposal, which we are convinced you would not have made, had you not been satisfied, or suspicious at least, of the young man’s criminality.

This said they rose, and with much courteous ceremony on both sides took their leave, and departed.