“You shall have twenty; and that you may be sure of it, I will write out the promise to pay you.”
The landlord, thus taken by surprise, agreed; and Jerry, who followed the wise plan of “striking while the iron is hot,” made him then and there bring pen and paper, when he wrote out an order on his brother-in-law for twenty pounds. The landlord then begged that we would come upstairs, and, going through a trapdoor in the roof, he let down two small trunks, such as ladies might use for travelling. They were both locked.
“There they are,” said the landlord; “and the sooner you take them the better. They have made me uncomfortable ever since they have been in the house; I didn’t like to destroy them, and I didn’t know where to put them. As it is so long since Mr Biddulph Stafford came here, I don’t suppose that he will trouble me again about them.”
We waited till dark, and the landlord then getting us a boy to carry one of the trunks, I shouldered the other, and we set off back to my house.
Though Susan was naturally curious to see their contents, we agreed that we would not open them ourselves, but wait till Mrs Stafford could do so, as she was more likely than anyone else to recognise their contents. We then talked over what was best to be done. I was for telling Captain Leslie, for I was sure that he had still as kind a feeling towards Harry as ever, and that he had acted as he had done to prevent him and his daughter from making what he considered an imprudent match. Jerry at last came to agree with me, and he consented to write to Mr Pengelley and ask his advice. Mr Pengelley thought as I did, that as an old friend of Harry’s the captain might be trusted; indeed, without his assistance it would have been difficult to get Harry sent home. I lost no time in hastening up to the captain, and told him everything; he was, as I expected he would be, highly delighted.
“He is a noble young fellow, and I all along thought he was of gentle birth, though he might not have a right to his father’s name,” he exclaimed. “We will get him home without delay, for of course nothing can be done till he arrives.”
He promised to be cautious, so that Mr Biddulph Stafford should not get an inkling of what we were about.
“I will accompany him myself and give him all the support in my power, as the whole matter is as clear to me as noonday, and, whether his uncle acknowledges him or not, he must win his case.”
I told him that Jerry hoped he would not say anything to the rest of his family.
“I will be discreet,” he answered, “depend upon that.”