There appeared no reason to doubt that it was so. The inquest was
held on the Thursday.
And on that same morning the new Lord Hartledon received a proof of the
kindness of his brother. A letter arrived from Messrs. Kedge and Reck,
addressed to Edward Earl of Hartledon. By it Percival found--there was no
one else to open it now--that his brother had written to them early on
the Tuesday morning, taking the debt upon himself; and they now wrote to
say they accepted his responsibility, and had withdrawn the officer from
Calne. Alas! Val Elster could have dismissed him himself now.
He sat with bent head and drooping eyelids. None, save himself, knew how
bitter were the feelings within him, or the remorse that was his portion
for having behaved unkindly to his brother within the last few hours of
life. He had rebelled at his state of debt becoming known to Dr. Ashton;
he had feared to lose Anne: it seemed to him now, that he would live
under the doctor's displeasure for ever, would never see Anne again,
could he recall his brother. Oh, these unavailing regrets! Will they rise
up to face us at the Last Day?
With a suppressed ejaculation that was like a cry of pain, as if he would
throw from him these reflections and could not, Lord Hartledon drew a
sheet of paper before him and wrote a note to the lawyers. He briefly
stated what had taken place; that his brother was dead from an accident,
and he had inherited, and should take speedy measures for the discharge
of any liabilities there might be against him: and he requested, as a
favour, that the letter written to them by his brother might be preserved
and returned to him: he should wish to keep it as the last lines his hand
had traced.
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