elinor wyllys-2-第29章

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〃But　his　first　step　has　not　been　a　cautious　one；〃　observed　Harry。　〃It　is　singular　he　should　have　allowed　his　client　to　write　to　Mrs。　Stanley。　Do　you　remember　William　Stanley's　handwriting　distinctly？〃　he　added；　again　handing　the　letter　to　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃Yes；　and　it　must　be　confessed　this　hand　resembles　his；　they　must　have　got　possession　of　some　of　young　Stanley's　handwriting。〃

〃But　how　could　they　possibly　have　done　so？〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃That　is　what　we　must　try　to　find　out；　my　dear　madam。〃

〃He　must　have　been　very　confident　that　it　was　a　good　imitation；〃　said　Hazlehurst；　〃for；　of　course；　he　knew　you　must　possess　letters　of　William　Stanley's。　I　don't　remember　to　have　seen　anything　but　his　signature；　myself。〃　

〃Yes；　it　is　a　good　imitationvery　good；　of　course　Clapp　was　aware　of　it；　or　the　letter　would　never　have　been　sent。〃

〃William　was　very　like　his　father　in　appearance；　though　not　in　character；〃　observed　Mrs。　Stanley；　thoughtfully。　〃He　was　very　like　him。〃

〃Should　this　man　look　like　my　poor　husband；　I　might　have　some　misgivings；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley。　〃We　must　remember　at　least；　my　dear　Mr。　Wyllys；　that　it　is　not　impossible　that　William　may　be　living。〃

〃Only　one　of　the　most　improbable　circumstances　you　could　name；　my　dear　friend。　I　wish　to　see　the　man；　however；　myself；　for　I　have　little　doubt　that　I　shall　be　able　at　once　to　discover　the　imposture；　entirely　to　our　own　satisfaction　at　leastand　that　is　the　most　important　point。〃

〃Should　the　case　present　an　appearance　of　truth；　sufficient　to　satisfy　a　jury；　though　we　ourselves　were　not　convinced；　it　would　still　prove　a　very　serious　thing　to　you；　my　dear　Harry；〃　observed　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃No　doubt：　very　serious　to　Hazlehurst；　and　a　loss　to　all　three。　But　I　cannot　conceive　it　possible　that　such　a　daring　imposture　can　succeed　so　far。　We　shall　be　obliged；　however；　to　proceed　with　prudence；　in　order　to　counteract　the　cunning　of　Clapp。〃

After　a　conversation　of　some　length　between　the　friends；　it　was　agreed　that　Hazlehurst　should　answer　the　letters；　in　the　name　of　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Mr。　Wyllys；　as　well　as　his　own。　It　was　also　decided　that　they　should　return　to　Longbridge　immediately；　and　not　take　any　decided　steps　until　they　had　seen　the　individual　purporting　to　be　William　Stanley。　The　bare　possibility　that　Mr。　Stanley's　son　might　be　living；　determined　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Hazlehurst　to　pursue　this　course；　although　Mr。　Wyllys；　who　had　not　a　doubt　on　the　subject　from　the　first；　had　felt　no　scruple　in　considering　the　claimant　as　an　impostor。　We　give　Harry's　letter　to　Mr。　Clapp。

〃Saratoga；　June；　18。

〃SIR：

〃The　letters　addressed　by　you　to　Mrs。　Stanley；　Mr。　Wyllys　and　myself；　of　the　date　of　last　Tuesday；　have　just　reached　us。　I　shall　not　dwell　on　the　amazement　which　we　naturally　felt　in　receiving　a　communication　so　extraordinary；　which　calls　upon　us　to　credit　the　existence　of　an　individual；　whom　we　have　every　reason　to　believe　has　lain　for　nearly　eighteen　years　at　the　bottom　of　the　deep：　it　will　be　sufficient　that　I　declare；　what　you　are　probably　already　prepared　to　hear；　that　we　see　no　cause　for　changing　our　past　opinions　on　this　subject。　We　believe　to…day；　as　we　have　believed　for　years；　that　William　Stanley　was　drowned　in　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson；　during　the　winter　of　181…。　We　can　command　to…day；　the　same　proofs　which　produced　conviction　at　the　time　when　this　question　was　first　carefully　examined。　We　have　learned　no　new　fact　to　change　the　character　of　these　proofs。

〃The　nature　of　the　case　is　such；　however；　as　to　admit　the　possibilityand　it　is　a　bare　possibility　onlyof　the　existence　of　William　Stanley。　It　is　not　necessarily　impossible　that　he　may　have　escaped　from　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson；　although　the　weight　of　probability　against　such　an　escape；　has　more　than　a　hundred…fold　the　force　of　that　which　would　favour　a　contrary　supposition。　Such　being　the　circumstances；　Mr。　Stanley's　executors；　and　his　legatee；　actuated　by　the　same　motives　which　have　constantly　guided　them　since　his　death；　are　prepared　in　the　present　instance　to　discharge　their　duty；　at　whatever　cost　it　may　be。　They　are　prepared　to　receive　and　examine　any　proofs；　in　the　possession　of　yourself　and　your　client；　as　to　the　identity　of　the　individual　purporting　to　be　William　Stanley；　only　son　of　the　late　John　William　Stanley；　of　…　county；　Pennsylvania。　They　demand　these　proofs。　But；　they　are　also　prepared；　sir；　to　pursue　with　the　full　force　of　justice；　and　the　law　of　the　land；　any　individual　who　shall　attempt　to　advance　a　false　claim　to　the　name　and　inheritance　of　the　dead。　This　matter；　once　touched；　must　be　entirely　laid　bare：　were　duty　out　of　the　question；　indignation　alone　would　be　sufficient　to　urge　them；　at　any　cost　of　time　and　vexation；　to　unmask　one　who；　if　not　William　Stanley；　must　be　a　miserable　impostorto　unravel　what　must　either　prove　an　extraordinary　combination　of　circumstances；　or　a　base　conspiracy。

〃Prepared；　then；　to　pursue　either　course；　as　justice　shall　dictate；　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Mr。　Wyllys；　executors　of　the　late　Mr。　Stanley；　and　myself；　his　legatee；　demand：　First；　an　interview　with　the　individual　claiming　to　be　William　Stanley。　Secondly；　whatever　proofs　of　the　identity　of　the　claimant　you　may　have　in　your　possession。　And　we　here　pledge　ourselves　to　acknowledge　the　justice　of　the　claim　advanced；　if　the　evidence　shall　prove　sufficient　to　establish　it；　or　in　the　event　of　a　want　of　truth　and　consistency　in　the　evidence　supporting　this　remarkable　claim；　we　shall　hold　it　a　duty　to　bring　to　legal　punishment；　those　whom　we　must　then　believe　the　guilty　parties　connected　with　it。

〃Mrs。　Stanley　and　Mr。　Wyllys　wish　you；　sir；　to　understand　this　letter　as　an　answer　to　those　addressed　by　you　to　themselves。　They　are　on　the　point　of　returning　to　Longbridge；　where　I　shall　also　join　them；　and　we　request　that　your　farther　communications　to　us；　on　this　subject；　may　be　addressed　to　Wyllys…Roof。

〃HENRY　HAZLEHURST〃

This　letter　was　written；　and　approved　by　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Mr。　Wyllys；　before　the　consultation　broke　up；　it　was　also　signed　by　them；　as　well　as　by　Harry。

The　amazement　of　Miss　Wyllys　and　Elinor；　on　hearing　the　purport　of　Mr。　Clapp's　letters；　was　boundless。　Had　they　seen　William　Stanley　rise　from　the　ground　before　them；　they　could　scarcely　have　been　more　astonished；　not　a　shadow　of　doubt　as　to　his　death　in　the　Jefferson；　had　crossed　their　minds　for　years。　Like　their　friends；　they　believed　it　a　plot　of　Mr。　Clapp's；　and　yet　his　daring　to　take　so　bold　a　step　seemed　all　but　incredible。

When　some　hours'　consideration　had　made　the　idea　rather　more　familiar　to　the　minds　of　our　friends；　they　began　to　look　at　the　consequences；　and　they　clearly　saw　many　difficulties　and　vexations　before　the　matter　could　be　even　favourably　settled；　but　if　this　client　of　Mr。　Clapp's　were　to　succeed　in　establishing　a　legal　claim　to　the　Stanley　estate；　the　result　would　produce　much　inconvenience　to　Mrs。　Stanley；　still　greater　difficulties　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　while　Harry　would　be　entirely　ruined　in　a　pecuniary　sense；　since　the　small　property　he　had　inherited　from　his　father；　would　not　suffice　to　meet　half　the　arrears　he　would　be　obliged　to　discharge；　in　restoring　his　share　of　the　Stanley　estate　to　another。　Hazlehurst　had　decided；　from　the　instant　the　claim　was　laid　before　him；　that　the　only　question　with　himself　would　regard　his　own　opinion　on　the　subject；　the　point　must　first　be　clearly　settled　to　his　own　judgment。　He　would　see　the　man　who　claimed　to　be　the　son　of　his　benefactor；　he　would　examine　the　matter　as　impartially　as　he　could；　and　then　determine　for　himself。　Had　he　any　good　reason　whatever　for　believing　this　individual　to　be　William　Stanley；　he　would　instantly　resign　the　property　to　him；　at　every　cost。

All　probability　was；　however；　thus　far；　against　the　identity　of　the　claimant；　and　unless　Hazlehurst　could　believe　in　his　good　faith　and　honesty；　every　inch　of　the　ground　should　be　disputed　to　the　best　of　his　ability。　Mr。　Wyllys　was　very　confident　of　defeating　one　whom　he　seriously　believed　an　impostor：　it　was　a　dirty；　disagreeable　job　to　undertake；　but　he　was　sanguine　as　to　the　result。　Mrs。　Stanley　was　at　first　quite　overcome　by　agitation　and　astonishment；　she　had　some　doubts　and　anxieties；　misgivings　would　occa