The Hunchback of Westminster
Page 45
Cuthbertson's downfall. He was too proud, too overbearing, tooinsolent for the position, and all the members of the House whom I havespoken to seem to be relieved at his resignation and hurried departureto that old castle of his up in Galloway."
"And what," asked Jose, "has become of my father and brother?" And hisface was pale and his eyes full of tears.
"I am sorry to say they have both bolted. The Home Secretary sent afterthem regarding the loss of certain plans from the Woolwich Arsenal, butthey took fright over the forgeries and Cuthbertson's threats andslipped off to Greenwich, from which they got a tramp steamer to takethem to some foreign port, whence they can flee up country and gain aquasi kind of protection, which it won't pay England to fight--probablyin Portugal or Spain, or even in Greece, with which country, Iunderstand, we have no extradition treaty whatever."
"And you, colonel," I asked, turning to Napier. "How did you come toforgive us?" I queried.
The old soldier broke into a hearty laugh. "Oh! that wasn't difficultwhen such a magician as Cooper-Nassington set to work. He told me thewhole of the facts, whereas Fotheringay had only explained to me half!"
And under the table-cloth Doris' small hand found mine, and gave me asweet little token of satisfaction, trust, and content. Already I feltmore than repaid for the misunderstanding I had suffered.
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Little more remains to be told.
Only next day the papers came out with the true account of BernardDelganni's suicide, and there is no doubt in my mind now that he was theman who stabbed the colonel's spaniel, which was said to sleep usuallyin the colonel's room.
Soon after this the expedition to Mexico set sail, and now any day wemay hear that, with the aid of the old Jesuits' chart and theinformation contained in the yellow parchments, Beckworth's sacred lakehas actually been drained off and England in possession of a practicallyinexhaustible mine of wealth. Every day I open my newspaper I look forthis welcome intelligence, and every day I am certain brings us nearerthe consummation of this discovery. One day before long the sacredlake, which is already located and has been sounded, will be run dry bya tunnel which is being cut through a small mountain, and when this isaccomplished it will bring joy and solid relief to the heart of everytaxpayer and Englishman. The wealth known to be in the bed of the lakeis enormous, and some of the gems and gold ornaments recovered arealready in London. That Fotheringay has got a place in the expeditiongives me no concern. He was never really bad, and chances of redemptionshould be given to all, although Casteno has really never forgiven himthat trick with the sham nurses.
The Order of St Bruno still flourishes under Mr Cooper-Nassington'sguidance, and anyone who desires to join it should address my friend,the Member of Parliament, at the House of Commons. I have but thinlydisguised his identity in these chapters, and any serious patriot coulddiscover his real name by a little judicious inquiry, say from thechairman of the Press Gallery, who knows twice as much of the secrethistory of our legislative establishment as, notwithstanding whatcroakers over press morality assert, ever finds its way into print.
The Order has, I am compelled to record, lost two of its active members.One, Jose Casteno, who has married that very charming girl, CamilleVelasquon, and set sail for Mexico, hot on the heels of the Britishexpedition to Tangikano, and also to see that Fotheringay goes straight.The other, my poor, graceless self, who, now that Doris has become mywife, no longer figures in Stanton Street, WC, as a secret investigator,but lives out at Redhill, and goes daily to his chambers in the Temple--Lawyers' Land--to lay the foundation of a barrister's practice, aided bypoor Naylor, who was retired compulsorily from Scotland Yard upon asmall pension, but who, I find, makes an admirable clerk when it comesto a hand-to-hand tussle with solicitors, who ever want more than theirtrue pound of flesh.
And so for the present, with the others, I must make my adieu!
When England is startled, as she will be one day ere long, by theannouncement of the recovery of the enormous treasure of Tangikano, theemeralds and rubies unequalled in the world, and the wonderful imagesand utensils of solid gold that have been hidden for ages in the slimebeneath those silent waters, then will you, perhaps, recollect thechapters of an eventful history which I have recorded in the foregoingpages, and remember what part in the modern drama of London life wasplayed by the man once known to connoisseurs and collectors as theHunchback of Westminster.