Yes, this was all true; but Charley Warbeck little dreamed of what a cool, conscienceless villain Phillip was, and how he gained the money he sported with so lavishly “about town,” as it was called.
It was true that Sir Richard Warbeck’s signature had been forged to a valuable bill, but how it was done no one could tell.
Suspicion had fallen upon Charley, and, in truth, he did sign his uncle’s name to the bill in question, but was unconscious of having done so, and was guiltless.
This singular affair, the first link in Charley’s after misery, but not the first in Phillip’s chain of crimes by any means, occurred in this manner.
After Charley had been some time intimate (as they should be, Phillip said, on the score of relationship) young Redgill gave a party at his lodgings, to which Charley was invited.
During the evening Phillip wrote a note to Sir Richard Warbeck, and folded it in a neat wrapper, after the manner of those days when envelopes were unknown.
“Here, Charley,” said he, “direct this for me.”
Charley, who had been drugged by Phillip, directed the note to Sir Richard Warbeck, and nothing more.
“That will do,” said Phillip, and he took up the note in a careless manner, while Charley dropped off to sleep. “That will do excellently. If old Sir Richard had written the direction himself it couldn’t have been a better facsimile of his own handwriting, for there are not any two persons under the sun who write so much alike as the old knight and Charley. Bravo! it was a clever trick of mine; an excellent thought, by Jove!”
As he said this, chuckling, he took off the covering of the letter, which proved to be nothing else than a promissory note for a thousand pounds!