CHAPTER XX.
CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.
CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.
As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.
“Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.
“Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.
For a moment he knew not what to do or say.
The thought struck him that they had actuallyfound out all about old Bertram’s murder, and were come to arrest him.
Cold sweat poured from his brow.
His heart felt chilly, and his sight grew dim.
But when Captain Jack, with a broad smile on his ugly face, shook Phillip by the hand, and said, “All serene, old fellow,” Redgill felt great relief, as he said to the company with a forced smile,
“Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to your notice an eccentric friend of mine, who rejoices in the extraordinary title of Lord Smash. These gentlemen, also his companions, are friends of mine, every one; at least, they have proved themselves such, for I owe my life to their bravery and valour.”
“Indeed!” said all, in surprise. “Men who would risk their own lives for the sake of another must be friends indeed.”
“I quite agree with you there, ladies and gentlemen. I invited them to call upon me at their pleasure, and although they have come at an unlooked-for moment, I am none the less pleased.”
“Certainly not,” chorused many, “certainly not; but how did the affair happen?”
“This, then, accounts for your painful wound, Redgill?” several gallants said.
“Just so,” said Phillip, glad at the happy turn the whole affair had now taken, and particularly pleased that the true character of the intruders had not leaked out.
Upon the instant, and with ready invention, Phillip Redgill concocted an imaginary story, in which he did not fail to laud his own valour, and that of the new arrivals, all of which was agreed to in side-winks by Captain Jack and Faulkner, who, from time to time, drank heartily, and swore roundly that all the company heard was strictly true.
“But now I come to look at your eccentric friend more closely,” said a gallant, tapping his snuff-box, and speaking in a whisper, “the more he reminds me of one of the crown officers, called Captain Jack.”
This he said with a knowing wink to Phillip, who frowned.
Captain Jack heard the observation, and approached the speaker, and whispered in his ear,
“And now I come to look atyou, my friend, the more I find you exactly correspond to a young gentleman as Captain Jack has been on the look-out for on the charge of forgery.”
The gallant blushed deeply, took a pinch of snuff, and bowed himself away.
“Not so fast, my friend,” said Captain Jack to him, as he whispered again. “You are in very snug quarters at present, and I don’t wish to disturb you; but if you know how to keep a still tongue in your head, while here in the company, so doI. You understand; is it a bargain?”
“I fear, my eccentric friend, that you have made a slight mistake,” said the elegantly-attired young gentleman, with a curling lip. “I know you not.”
“I have made no mistake,” was the whispered answer; “I can, you know, when I like, swear black’s white. But let me ask, do you know a certain person in the India House, a gay young spark about town, named Charles Warbeck?” said Captain Jack, winking.
The stranger tried to smile, but could not.
It was Ned Warbeck’s elder brother!
He turned deadly pale, cast a quick glance at Phillip Redgill, and joined the card-players again.
But, though he attempted to be merry and careless, care sat upon his brow, and he sighed to himself,
“I am innocent, but still suspicion is strong against me. Whoever it was that forged Sir Richard’s signature to that bill was no friend of mine.”
And he could not help thinking, as he sat in that gay and merry throng,
“It was an unlucky day I ever made the acquaintance of you, Phillip Redgill. Still, the end is not yet.”
Captain Jack’s companions made themselves very much at home, in a rough, off-handed manner.
They were adepts at dice and cards, and, although they began to gamble on no capital whatever, they none of them were long ere they had won large sums from those present.
This happened not so much through fair as foul play, and downright roguery.
However, as long as their cheating tricks were not discovered, or even suspected, they continued the play, and, together with fine wines, spirits, cigars, and the like, they seemed to be enjoying themselves very much, nor did they for a moment know the true reason why Captain Jack had called there that night.
This, however, was soon explained.
The first opportunity that offered, Captain Jack sought Phillip Redgill’s side, and began a whispered conversation,
“You did not call at the ‘Cat and Bagpipes’ as you promised.”
“No,” said Redgill, “I was too unwell.”
“Perhaps the company didn’t suit you?”
“True; I must confess it wouldn’t look well for a person of my standing to be seen in the company of thieves, vagabonds, and the like.”
“Of course not; I forgot all about that.”
“Besides, my wound is painful at present.”
“Of course it is; it was on account of that I came here myself, in order to save you a long journey.”
“Why did you bring all those fellows with you?”
“In case I might need them,” said Captain Jack, grinning.
“Need them? I do not understand you,” said Redgill, turning red.
“But you may do so after a time.”
“Indeed! and what may be your business here, I should like to know? I do not allow persons of your standing to intrude upon me,” said Phillip, with a curling lip.
“Indeed! Lor how amazingly proud you’re getting,” Captain Jack answered, with a sneer, and tossing off a glass of wine. “I thought we should meet as friends.”
“Sir, I do not understand you,” said Phillip, trying to shake off his rough companion, much like a sparrow frets and struggles when in the talons of a hawk. “In truth, your room is much better than your company.”
“I dare say; that’s what a good many say. But, then, you see, the Crown can’t get along without such as me and my friends.”
“The Crown, sir? And what have I to do with you or the Crown, I should like to know? You wish to insinuate something; but, as a man about town, I know too much of you fellows.”
“Ha! ha! how clever you are. Lor, who’d a thought it?”
“Thought it? Thought what?”
“Why, that young Bolton is in prison,” said Captain Jack, with a smile.
“Serve him right, then, if he is guilty of that foul deed of which you accuse him.”
“Yes, now you come to think on it, itwasa foul and bloody affair, wasn’t it?”
“Most horrible.”
“And, just to think as how the old man didn’t offend even a mouse, and to be cruelly butchered for the sake of a few hundred pounds, and his son clapped in gaol as an accomplice in the deed! He must have been an artful chap as planned that affair.”
“Yes, truly, he must, and an heartless villain also,” said Phillip. “But why do you stare atmeso?”
“Nothing. I was only going to ask you a question,” said Captain Jack, stroking his chin in deep thought.
“What is it?”
“Your father is very rich?”
“Yes; what of that?”
“And has many ships?”
“Yes.”
“And sometimes he insures cargoes?”
“And lives also for those who wish.”
“Exactly,” said Jack. “And if you were going abroad, how much would you insureyourlife for?”
“That depends. Are you going abroad?”
“Perhaps so.”
“I should insure myself even for the benefit of my friends, if nothing else, in that case, and I should take good care it was for a good round sum also.”
“That shows your wisdom, Mr. Redgill. But how much do you consider yourself worth?”
“Well, you andIare different persons entirely,” said Phillip, with a careless sneer. “ButIshould insure myself for at least £5,000.”
“A very nice sum, indeed. Well, theotherquestion I was going to ask is this: Will you make me a present of that sum?”
“Me make you a present of £5,000? Why, the man is mad.”
“Not quite; just the contrary,” said Jack, smiling.
“What do you mean?”
“Mean?” said Jack. “Listen; in a whisper, mind; would you rather swing on a gibbet, or give the sum I name?”
Phillip turned deadly pale, as he stuttered,
“Whatcanyou mean?”
“Oh, only this; we have been looking after that murder case of old Bertram, and if you give us that sum, why, we won’t find out the right party, that’s all. You understand?” said Captain Jack, with a knowing wink.
“Has it come to this?” said Phillip, after a pause, and, as he thought, unheard.
“Nothing shorter, my lad; it were a clever job, you know, and by mere accident we found out all about it.”
“You want that sum from me, say you?”
“Yes, and nothing less.”
“Do your band know of this?”
“Not a word.”
“On your oath?”
“Yes.”
“And will Bolton suffer?”
“Why not? suspicion is against him. He had better swing than you; besides, wemusthave somebody to hang over the job or the judges will think us worthless and useless. For the honour of our craft we must hang or transport somebody, you know, innocent or guilty, it matters little.”
Phillip felt as if a serpent were gnawing at his heart, as he listened to Captain Jack’s words.
For some moments neither Phillip nor Captain Jack spoke.
“There cannot be a doubt now but that this knave has discovered all about old Bertram’s murder; and yet for a price he will screen the guilty, and have the innocent to suffer. What a scoundrel this fellow is! Yes, ’tis true: from little things, thieves and rogues take to greater ones, until, at last, the gallows is their fate. I little thought it would come to this.”
For some time he shaded his face with his snow-white hand, in deep thought.
But at last he aroused himself, and even attempted to be gay, as he said,
“You wish to borrow that sum for a short time, eh?”
“Yes,” said the captain, smiling; “I wish to borrow it, if you like to call it so, and will return it,” he added, very ominously, “whenever you like to demand it. You understand?”
“But I have not such a sum at command. You do not want it all at once, I suppose?”
“No; a few hundreds to commence with, and the other by instalments will suit me; I’m not very particular with friends.”
“But how am I to get this large amount together?” said Phillip. “If my father is richIam not.”
“Oh, you can get it easily enough. I dare say you have written your father’s signature before now.”
“What!” said Phillip, reddening.
“Nothing. I was only thinking,” said the captain, carelessly.
“Would that I could give the rascal a bullet through the heart on the quiet,” said Phillip, as he bit his lip until it became white again; “but I’ll be even with him yet.”
The arrangement was agreed to between them; but Captain Jack could seerevengesparkling in the young man’s eyes, as he handed over a large sum of money to the knave.
In a short time Captain Jack and his friends retired, and shortly afterwards it was discovered that they had been not only remarkably successful in dice and cards, but that several snuff-boxes and watches were missing.
“Who shall I victimise to get this large sum?” thought Phillip. “This fellow will not be joked with.”
And as he pondered long and silently he whispered to himself—
“It is a matter of life or death with me; it must be attended to, and at once; but who shall be my dupe? From whom can I get the money, by fair means or foul? It is no use trying to get a farthing from my father beyond the yearly allowance I am entitled to, and I have forged his name once too often to think of doing so again, for the last time I did so he threatened to disinherit me. Besides, if such a transaction were to reach the ears of old Sir Richard Warbeck, I doubt not he would scratch my name out of his will, and not leave me a farthing.”
“But stay,” he mused. “That good-natured simpleton, Charley Warbeck, will answer my purpose; he often goes out and collects large sums. Suppose I were to steal the amount I want from him. Aye, that’s it; it shall be done. I will kill two birds with one stone. I hate these two Warbecks, both Charley and Ned. I detest the very name of Ned,” said he, writhing with his wound. “I know how it shall be done; I will get Charley disgraced, and then old Sir Richard will disown him. Aye, that’s it.”
Thus the villain thought; and yet, as he bade Charley good-night, Redgill smiled, and shook him by the hand as cordially as if he were the truest and best friend in the world.
“How innocent he is,” thought Phillip, when left alone, “and how handsome, too! Well, never mind; I care not who suffers so I do not. I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.”
And, as he thought of his intended plans against Charley, he grinned like a hyena.
“To-morrow shall decide it,” he said, and smiled at the thought of the pit he would dig into which young Warbeck should fall.