Three millions! or, The way of the world
the Summerville jail, to the great grief and indignation of Eugene,
who could not even bail him out until morning. The men of power in
Poppleton were stern and inflexible, even to superstition, in the
discharge of their official duties. But the people, among whom Dick had
not been very popular, were prepared for this result. He was a villain
of the first water now, who had been plotting to obtain half a million
of Hungerford’s expected fortune. It was a righteous retribution upon
him; and pious men and women went to bed that night more than ever
convinced that the way of the transgressor is hard, and that the evil
man shall not prosper in his way.
Eugene Hungerford went home to Pine Hill, and told the eminent merchant
from Baltimore what had happened to his friend. Mr. Lester made a
great many sage reflections, advised his host carefully to examine all
his books and papers, assuring him that he would find some startling
defalcation, and severely censured him for placing so much confidence
even in his best friend.
“All men are human, Mr. Hungerford--all men are human,” said the
eminent trustee, shaking his head.
“But I believe Mr. Birch is an honest man. I know he is!” protested
Eugene.
“You delude yourself. You have tempted this Birch as no man ever was
tempted before. It would have been strange if he had not fallen. I am
afraid you are to blame. I never quite liked Mr. Birch’s manner of
doing business. When I return to Baltimore, I will send you a precise
account of all the drafts I have forwarded to him and to you. In my
opinion, you will yet have an action for embezzlement against him. As
you grow older, you will grow wiser. You will learn to trust no man.”
“But he is not charged with wronging me.”
“It is all the same, Mr. Hungerford. In my opinion, he is guilty.”
Eugene was out of patience with the eminent trustee, who was a
cold-blooded man of business.
Julia was terribly distressed on account of Dick’s misfortunes: and as
she listened to Mr. Lester’s comments upon him, she was sick at heart.
She knew not what to believe, or what to disbelieve. Later in the
evening, Mr. Lester resumed the subject, deeming it his duty to fortify
the young _millionnaire_ against the sin of trusting others, fully
believing that Eugene was in danger of being swindled out of all he had
and all he would have. He did his duty faithfully, and there was not
much left of Dick Birch when he had finished his wordy harangue.
Mr. Lester had listened to all the evidence on both sides; and when
Eugene ventured to suggest that Dr. Bilks was a villain, the eminent
trustee warmly defended him.
The next day, Eugene, contrary to Mr. Lester’s advice, and to his
great disgust, bailed Dick, who was discharged from custody. Dr. Bilks
had left by the morning train for New York. After dinner the eminent
merchant went to sleep, and Eugene hastened down to the Port to see
Dick. He found him at the hotel, rather blue, but not hopeless.
“Has anything new come out?” asked Eugene.
“Dr. Bilks drew five thousand dollars from the bank last night.”
The bank opened at all hours in Poppleton.
“Of course, then, Sandy McGuire is a rich man by this time.”
“No doubt of it.”
“I think we had better go and see Sandy now.”
They went; but Sandy McGuire had left town.
He had hired one of his neighbors to convey himself and wife to
Newington the evening before. Eugene sent the shrewdest man he could
find in Poppleton to follow him. The messenger returned in a week with
no tidings of him. When it was too late, Eugene blamed himself for not
acting more decisively. Dr. Bilks had effectually cut off the only
means by which his presence at Sandy’s house on the night of the murder
could be proved or disproved.
“Hungerford,” said Dick, on their return from the settlement, “Dr.
Bilks is too great a villain for me. I have been weak. I did not strike
when I should have struck; and when I struck, I did not strike hard
enough.”
“Never mind, Dick; it will all come out right.”
“I have never doubted that; but for the present I stand in a very
bad situation. Everything I have done thus far has made the doctor
stronger, and me weaker.”
“By no means, Dick. Dr. Bilks will yet hang himself.”
“I do not doubt it, Hungerford. I have followed these developments far
enough to know their bearing. Can you tell me of what I am accused?”
“Simply of being an accessory after the fact.”
“But what is the theory in men’s minds? What motives do they attribute
to me?”
“I have heard all that has been urged against you. The theory is, that
you went with Buckstone to the island to procure the re-marriage of
Mary and himself. You are a justice of the peace. Some say you went to
marry the parties if Mary consented.”
“That is a new idea to me.”
“It is a mere supposition. While you were there, Buckstone was killed.
Some think you were in the confidence of Ross, and helped do the deed.”
“Then, of course, if I wanted to kill him, my designs upon Julia and
her half million fall to the ground.”
“Only a few take this view; and these the most ignorant and
unreflecting. The general opinion is, that you sunk the body to conceal
the crime of Ross, and without his knowledge. The justice who issued
the warrant for your arrest takes this view.”
“Including the diabolical idea that I chopped off the head of the dead
man,” added Birch, with a shudder.
“No one pretends to explain that.”
“I might have done all the rest, in a good cause, but I couldn’t have
done that. It makes me sick to think of it.”
“Then don’t think of it.”
“What shall be done, Hungerford?”
“I hardly know. We can do nothing but wait. If you feel uncomfortable
here, you can leave town for a week. The examination cannot take place
till Dr. Bilks returns.”
“I will not leave town. I will not shrink. I shall show myself every
day to the people.”
“Then attend to business as usual. Come up to Pine Hill----”
“No, Hungerford!”
“Attend to my affairs as usual. I shall build two more houses at the
Port.”
Dick would not dodge, even under the pressure to which he was
subjected. Nothing could be done but wait the progress of events; and
he devoted himself to the model houses, and other operations of Eugene.
Dr. Bilks was absent a week. On the day before his return, Mr. Lester
departed, thus depriving himself of the pleasure of meeting the man
who loved justice better than he loved his friend; for this was the
flourish with which Mr. Lester described him. During this week, Eugene
had devoted himself principally to his guest, driving him to all the
towns within ten miles of Poppleton, showing him the factories, the
ship-yards, and the salt works, and taking him on the large yacht as
far out to sea as Mr. Lester’s susceptible stomach would permit.
The eminent trustee was pleased with his visit, and delighted with
the Hungerford family. It is true he feared that Eugene was not quite
so shrewd as he should be to possess such immense wealth. He was too
sentimental; too willing to believe that human nature was not corrupt
and wholly irreclaimable; too much disposed to trust men who assumed
to be his friends. But the wise and worldly old gentleman was hopeful,
and believed that he would put away childish things in due time. He
counselled him to shake off “that Birch,” whom the whole town, with one
voice, condemned as a worthless, designing fellow. He saw no objection
now to Eugene’s helping him out of his troubles, and even being his
friend, until he could decently get rid of him.
But the one thing which troubled Mr. Lester more than all others, more
than even his confiding friendship for “that Birch,” was his relation
to Mary Kingman. The solid man of Baltimore was terribly severe upon
this proposed connection; it was so disgraceful that he could not
tolerate it. He pitied the poor girl; he would give her money, get her
a situation; do anything for her, except make her his wife.
Eugene heard all this with what patience he could command, and did not
weep when the old gentleman, with many stately compliments, departed
for Baltimore. Mr. Lester was an old-fashioned man of the world. He
never went against the popular current; he never stood by his friends
after the rest of the world had deserted them; and he never made war
upon the people’s prejudices. He was gone and Eugene escaped his daily
lecture on worldly wisdom.
All that had been said about Mary by Mr. Lester, by Mrs. Hungerford and
Julia, and by Dick Birch, had not cured Eugene of his love. The vision
which had haunted his imagination for long years was still present in
his mind, and not a day, hardly an hour, passed in which he did not
think of her. He could not deny, even to himself, that she was not what
she had been; but she was not contaminated, she was not deprived of
any virtue he had prized; she was still an angel. She had bestowed on
another the caresses which should have been only his; for this he was
grieved--for this only. But she was still Mary, still the being he had
loved; and even with the knowledge that she had been in other arms than
his own, she was more to him than any other could be.
He had seen her but once since the examination of her brother--on
the afternoon of that day. He had talked only commonplaces then. He
said nothing of his love, nothing of his intentions. The conversation
related mostly to Ross and his trial. Julia had visited her several
times; on the last occasion she had taken a violent cold, and on the
day before Mr. Lester’s departure, she had been confined to her room,
threatened with a fever. Eugene heard from Mary often, therefore; for
during his guest’s stay, he had no opportunity to repeat his own visit.
Julia grew worse. Her mother began to be alarmed about her, and sent
for Dr. White, a young practitioner, who had charge of Dr. Bilks’s
patients during his absence. Her symptoms did not yield to the usual
remedies, and Mrs. Hungerford was not satisfied with the physician. On
the morning after Mr. Lester’s departure, the indications were still
less hopeful. Julia had been delirious during the night, and in the
morning she was stupid and wandering in her mind.
“We must have another physician, Eugene,” said Mrs. Hungerford, at
breakfast time. “Dr. White does not understand the case.”
“Certainly, mother; but whom shall we have?”
“Could you get Dr. Hobhed?”
“I will try.”
Eugene hastened to the dilapidated mansion of the author of the
“Chemical Theory.” He was in his library, and the visitor was shown
into the apartment.
“Good morning, Dr. Hobhed,” said Eugene.
The philosopher did not raise his head from his book. Eugene spoke
again, and touched his shoulder.
“O, Mr. Hungerford!” said he, rather vacantly. “I am glad you have
come. Sit down, and I will explain the chemical theory to you.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hobhed. My sister is very sick.”
“You are aware that certain sea shells have been found in coal
mines----”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hobhed,” interrupted Eugene. “Will you go and see my
sister?”
“These sea shells prove that the salt water----”
“I cannot stay to listen to your theory now. My sister is very sick.”
“Salt water is the principle from which all minerals have been created.”
“Will you go and see my sister?”
“All minerals exist in salt water. Gold and silver can be extracted
from salt water, when----”
Eugene interrupted him again. It was impossible to get an idea into his
head outside of the “chemical theory,” and the visitor departed. There
was no other physician at the Port, and Eugene returned to Pine Hill.
There were two doctors at the Mills, and while they were considering
which of them should be called, Dr. Bilks drove up to the door. It was
evident that he had just come from the railroad station.