The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 242: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 Flint looked at him with a ghastly stare, and he displayed his teeth as if he could have snapped Warner’s head off.”’ , He turned towards Jonathan, who was still fast asleep, and would have awakened him. “Tf you dare wake him until I have done speak- ing,” said Warner, with an oath, “ I'll strangle you, and afterwards pitch you into the first canal we cross. Where is old Ford’s treasure ?”’ “Tt is at Southampton, or was; Jonathan and I were on our way thither when the accident hap- pened,” ‘Oh, indeed,” said Warner, with a fiendish grin. ‘So you and the late master of Bromley Hall were about to share the plunder between you, eh? not caring a tinker’s curse, I suppose, for me, and for all I have done for you.”’ “No! oh, no! upon my honour, as a gentleman, I intended to leave you fully one-third; on my word, I did!” “Ha! ha!” laughed Warner, in a low tone, “what a precious old scoundrel you are to be sure. So you intended to leave me a share, then, eh? Ha! ha! that is a capital joke, and no mistake, and the best of it is you think I am such a fool as to believe you. No, no, we have met once again, Flint, and you must be as good as your bargain, or else there will be murder done !” “Who talks of murder?’’ said Jonathan, sud- denly waking up. ‘‘ Who speaks of Bromley Hall?” ““T do |” said Warner, firmly, and in a very deter- mined tone, “J do! I know all about it. Both of you are fugitives, and the detectives were close at our heels the very moment the accident hap- pened in the tunnel, I know all; you need not look surprised, You had better make me your friend than your enemy !’’ “Know all!” said Jonathan, in surprise. Flint told you anything?” ““No; I have found out part of it myself, the rest I heard from your own lips when mumbling in your sleep.” “Me talk in my sleep ?” “Yes, both you and Flint. I know the lawyer of old ; he introduced me as medical adviser to old Ford.” ** And you killed him?” said Jonathan. “‘T did not ; the fatal stroke was given by another hand before I entered the sick mansion. It was my intention for a certain price to have poisoned him according to old Flint’s orders.” “No, not mine, upon my honour ; I had no such intention ; I wouldn’t hurt a mouse,” “Liar |” said Warner, in suppressed tones, ‘‘ you did bargain with me to poison him, and promised me half of all the man had; but his old servant, I have since learned, suspected something was wrong between us, and destroyed the last dose I gave him. The last dose would have done its work but for him.” “Then who did murder the old man?” asked Jonathan. “ Old Flint told me that his deeds, notes, and valuable papers were under his pillow.” ‘** And so they were.”’ “Liar again |” said Warner, with clenched fists, “' You had them in your own safe at that moment.’’ Flint hung his head, and spoke not a word. “When about to enter the old man’s room on that night, I peeped through the keyhole, and at that same moment an unknown person, disguised and cloaked, stole in before me and killed the old man, When I got into the apartment he was dying. ; his death wound was not delivered by my and, ‘‘ Has CL THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. i : “Then, who was it?” asked Flint and Jonathan, | both at once. “Can’t you suspect?”. said Warner, with a chuckle. ‘*‘Can’t you guess, Flint?” ‘Me! No. How should I? Why ask me? Why not put the same question to Jonathan ?” “Because he has plenty to answer for on his own account,” said Warner. ~ ‘“What do you mean?” said Jonathan, rising in wrath. tended for ?” “Sit down,” said Warner ; “ don’t throw yourself into any useless passion. You are talking to a des- perate man, See this,’’ he said, drawing a seven- barrelled revolver, and cocking it. Sit down; now cool yourself, and listen to me.” =. “Do you intend to say that J had any hand in old Ford’s murder?” said Jonathan, Nos? “You do not?” “No; you are innocent of old Ford’s blood,” said Warner, ‘‘for Joel Flint was the one who struck the fatal blow !” “My son ?”’ gasped the lawyer. Yes, your own son, Flint.” ** Scoundrel! how dare you speak thus?” said the lawyer, trembling with rage. “Dare! Idare say anything which I know to be the truth, He did it, I tell you; I will swear it, and can prove it. He stole Caspar’s masquerade cloak, and mask, and hat ; in this disguise he did it<? ‘‘T know nothing of it.” “Yes, you do,” said Warner. “ Did you not write a letter to your son at Bromley Hall, telling him that if old Ford:should happen, by some lucky chance, to die before becoming reconciled to his nephews, Frank and Tom, that the property might become your’s ?” “No, I did not.” “You did. While at Bromley Hall I discovered that very letter in your son’s desk. Out of deadly hate for Frank and Tom, he resolved to do what he did, for he knew that the odium of the crime would be fastened on the two youths, for the very fact of their running away to Italy would lead any one to suppose that they were guilty.” Flint groaned inwardly and hung his head. ‘‘Like father, like son,” said Warner. nate dyed your hands in blood ; the curse follows oel.” “Horrible !” said Jonathan, with a well-assumed air of piety. ‘“ Who would have thought it ?” “Ah, who would ?” said Warner, laughing. “ But this old villain has done more,” “Indeed!” said Jonathan. What else, pray ?” “He wrote toa very dear friend of his in the country, that old Ford’s doctor —myself, mark you,” said Warner, with a bitter smile, ‘“‘ had come to an arrangement with him, and that the deed would be accomplished by drugs, and that after robbing the old man of his vast wealth, this same doctor would sleep that night in Green Court.” “Oh! it’s all a trumped-up tale,” said Flint, groaning, ‘I wish I were dead.” ‘It is not a trumped-up tale,” said Warner, “ for I discovered your letter in Bromley Hall also.” “Impossible!” said Jonathan, pricking up his ears, and looking half wild with excitement, “ Im- possible! it cannot be !” “Tt is perfectly true,” said Warner, “Ihave the letter in proof of what I say.” Where? About you ?” asked J onathan, eagerly. ‘No, you may be sure I wouldn't carry such a precious document about me,” : . Comicbooksrco ‘¢ What are your insulting insinuations in- fqn | ei «,