The Clever Woman of the Family

"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."