"5 P. M.
"They have been returned about an hour, and I must try to give you
Edward's account of his interview. Maddox has quite dropped his mask,
and seems to have been really touched by being brought into contact with
Edward again, and, now it is all up with him, seemed to take a kind of
pleasure in explaining the whole web, almost, Edward said, with vanity
at his own ingenuity. His earlier history was as he used to represent it
to Edward. He was a respectable ironmonger's son, with a taste for art;
he was not allowed to indulge it, and then came rebellion, and breaking
away from home. He studied at the Academy for a few years, but wanted
application, and fancied he had begun too late, tried many things and
spent a shifty life, but never was consciously dishonest till after he
had fallen in with Edward; and the large sums left uninquired for in his
hands became a temptation to one already inclined to gambling. His own
difficulties drove him on, and before he ventured on the grand stroke,
he had been in a course of using the sums in his hands for his own
purposes. The finding poor Maria open to the admiration he gave her
beauty, put it into his head to make a tool of her; and this was not the
first time he had used Edward's seal, or imitated his writing. No wonder
there was such a confusion in the accounts as told so much against
Edward. He told the particulars, Edward says, with the strangest mixture
of remorse and exultation. At last came the journey to Bohemia, and his
frauds became the more easy, until he saw there must be a bankruptcy,
and made the last bold stroke, investing the money abroad in his own
name, so that he would have been ready to escape if Edward had come
home again. He never expected but that Edward would have returned, and
finding the affairs hopeless, did this deed in order to have a resource.
As to regret, he seemed to feel some when he said the effects had gone
farther than he anticipated; but 'I could not let him get into that
subject,' Edward said, and he soon came back to his amused complacency
in his complete hoodwinking of all concerned at home, almost thanking
Edward for the facilities his absence had given him. After this, he went
abroad, taking Maria lest she should betray him on being cast off; and
they lived in such style at German gambling places that destitution
brought them back again to England, where he could better play the
lecturer, and the artist in search of subscriptions. Edward could not
help smiling over some of his good stories, rather as 'the lord' may
have 'commended the wisdom of his unjust steward.' Well, here he came,
and, as he said, he really could hardly have helped himself; he had
only to stand still and let poor Rachel deceive herself, and the whole
concern was in a manner thrust upon him. He was always expecting to be
able to get the main sum into his hands, as he obtained more confidence
from Rachel, and the woodcuts were an over-bold stroke for the purpose;
he had not intended her to keep or show them, but her ready credulity
tempted him too far; and I cannot help laughing now at poor Edward's
reproofs to us for having been all so easily cheated, now that he
has been admitted behind the scenes. Maddox never suspected our
neighbourhood, he had imagined us to be still in London, and though he
heard Alison's name, he did not connect it with us. After all, what you
thought would have been fatal to your hopes of tracing him, was really
what gave him into our hands--Lady Temple's sudden descent upon their F.
U. E. E. If he had not been so hurried and distressed as to be forced to
leave Maria and the poor child to her fate, Maria would have held by
him to the last and without her testimony where should we have been?
But with a summons out against him, and hearing that Maria had been
recognised, he could only fly to the place at Bristol that he thought
unknown to Maria. Even when seized by the police, he did not know it
was she who directed them, and had not expected her evidence till he
actually saw and heard her on the night of the sessions. It was all
Colonel Keith's doing, he said, every other adversary he would have
despised, but your array of forces met him at every corner where he
hoped to escape, and the dear little Rosie gave him check-mate, like
a gallant little knight's pawn as she is. 'Who could have guessed that
child would have such a confounded memory?' he said, for Edward had
listened with a sort of interest that had made him quite forget that he
was Rose's father, and that this wicked cunning Colonel was working
in his cause. So off he goes to penal servitude, and Edward is so much
impressed and touched with his sharpness as to predict that he will be
the model prisoner before long, if he do not make his escape. As to
poor Maria, that was a much more sad meeting, though perhaps less really
melancholy, for there can be no doubt that she repents entirely, she
speaks of every one as being very good to her, and indeed the old
influences only needed revival, they had never quite died out. Even that
poor child's name was given for love of Ailie, and the perception of
having been used to bring about her master's ruin had always preyed
upon her, and further embittered her temper. The barbarity seemed like a
dream in connexion with her, but, as she told Ailie, when she once began
something came over her, and she could not help striking harder. It
reminded me of horrible stories of the Hathertons' usage of animals.
Enough of this. I believe the Sisterhood will find a safe shelter for
her when her imprisonment is over, and that temptation will not again
be put in her way. We should never have trusted her in poor dear Lucy's
household. Rose calls for the letters. Good bye, dearest Colin and
conqueror. I know all this will cheer you, for it is your own doing. I
can't stop saying so, it is such a pleasant sound--Your own, "E. W."