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THE LEGACY
GE CAIN.
By WILKIE COLLINS,
Author of "The Woman in White," ".The
Evil Genius," &o,, &c.
(Published by special arrangemont with the author.
All right3 reserved.]
FIRST PERIOD: 1858—1859.
EVENTS IN THE PRISON, RELATED BY THE
GOVERNOR.
Chapter YIII.
Tlie capital punishment o£ the prisoner
is In no respect connected with my purpose
in writing, the present narrative. Neither
do I desire to darken these pages by de«
scribing In detail an act of righteous retri
bution which must present by the nature
of it a scene of horror. For,these reasons
1 ask to be excused if I limit what I must
needs say of the execution within the
compass of a few words—and pass on.
The one self-possessed person among us
was the miserable woman who suffered the
penalty of death.
Not very discreetly, as I think, the
chaplain asked her if she had truly re
pented. She answered, "I have con
fessed the crime, sir. "What more do you
"want?" To my mind—still hesitating
between the view that believes with the
minister and the view that doubts with
the doctor—this reply leaves a way open
to a hope of her:salvatl6n. Her last words
tome, as she mounted the steps of the
scaffold, were, "Remember your pro
mise." It was easy for me to be true to
my word. At that bygone time no diffi
culties were placed in my Way by such
precautions a3 are now observed in the
conduct of executions within the walls of
the prison. From the time of her death
to the time of her burial no living crea
1 ture saw her face. She rest3, veiled, in
her prison grave. Iiet me turn to living
interests and to scenes removed from the
thunder clouds of crime, .
On the next day I received a visit from
the Minister.
! His first words entreated , me not to
allude to the terrible event of the previous
day. "1 cannot escape thinking of it,"
he said, "but I may avoid speaking of it."
This seemed to me to be the misplaced
Confidence of a weak man in the refuge of
silence. By way "of changing the subject
I Bpoke of the child. There would be
serious difficulties to contend, with (as I
ventured to suggest) if he' remained in the
town, and allowed his new responsibi
lities to become the subject of public
talk.
His reply to this agreeably ^ surprised
me. There were no difficulties to be
feared. Obligations of duty made it
necessary that he should leave the town
. immediately; and one of the objects of
his visit was to say good-bye. _
I was not then aware that a minister of
the Wesleyan persuasion has the spiritual
charge of a place of worship for a period
which is not allowed to exceed three
years. The constituted authority under
which he acts then removes him to
another "circuit," as it called; often
situated at a considerable distance from
the place In which he has previously
ministered to a cocgregation. These perio
dical separations of the pastor and his
flock, frequently. productive of affec
tionate regret on either side, are justi
fied by reasons on which it is not neces
sary to dwell in this place.- With strong
personal motives for regretting his re
moval, the minister was nevertheless re
conciled to It in the interests of the child.
"The next place I live in," he said,
"will be more than a hundred miles
away from thi3 town. At thab distance I
may hope to keep events concealed which
must be.known only to ourselves. Do
yon see any risk of discovery so far?"
"I see two chances against you,*? I
answered. -" One of them, in my opinion,
r* quires serious consideration."
"Are you thinking," he asked, "of
the person who introduced herself to me
aB Miss Elizabeth Chance ?"
"Yes."
"Make your mind easy. I saw the
danger, in that case, as you see it; and I
caused enquiries to be made. The woman
was traced to the railway-station yesterday
afternoon. Miss Chance took her ticket
for London." ' ' ■ .
Atter congratulating him on this dis
covery, I asked if he proposed to let
the servants, now in his employment,
accompany him on his removal from the
ttfTOi
He at once understood the allusion.
'' If you are speaking of the second of
those chances against me," he said, " cir-,
cum stances—providential circumstances,
as I now think—have done for me what I
never thought of doing for myself. My
servants (only two In number) have both
been born in your town here, and have
both told my wife that they have no wish
to leave their native place."
The minister's good fortune had. again
befriended him. He would be safe from
the gossip of those two servants in his
new home. Although they had no doubt
seen hi3 little adopted daughter, there
was nothing to fear, so far, unless they
knew who she was. They had made no
such discovery. This, the minister as
sured me, lie had ascertained as a positive
"You will understand how carefally
I have provided against being deceived,"
he said, " when I tell you what my plan3
are for the future.. The persons among
whom my future lot is cast—and the child
herself, of course—must never suspect
that the new member of my family is
other than my own daughter. This is
deceit, I admit; but it is deceit that
injures no one. I hope you see the ne
cessity for it as I do."
There could be no doubb of the neces
sity.
If the child was described as adopted
there would be curiosity about the circum
stances and enquiries relating to the
parents. Prevaricating replies lead to
suspicion, and suspicion to discovery.
But for the wise course which the minister
had decided on taking, the poor child's life
might have been darkened by the horror
of the mother's crime, and the infamy of
the mother's death.
Having quieted my friend's needless
scruples by this perfectly sincere expres
sion of opinion, I ventured to approach
the central figure in his domestic circle by
means of a question relating to his wife.
How had that lady received the little
. stranger, for whose appearance on the
home scene she must, have been entirely
unprepared!
The minister's manner showed some
embarrassment j he prefaced what he had
to tell me with praises of his wife, equally
creditable no doubt to both of them. The
beauty of the child, the pretty ways of
the child, he said, fascinated that admir
able woman at first sight. It was not to
be denied that she had felt, and had ex
pressed mipgivlngs on hearing the sad
story of the little creature's parentage.
But her mind was too well-balanced to
Incline to this state of feeling when her
husband bad addressed her In defence of
his conduct She then understood that
the true merit of an act of mercy con
sisted in patiently facing the sacrifices in
volved. Her interest in the new daughter
being, in this way, ennobled by a sense of
Christian duty, there had been no farther
difference of opinion between the married
pair.
I listent d to this plausible explanation
with interest, but at the same time wibh
doubts of the lasting nature of the lady's
submission to circumstances, suggested
perhaps by the constraiut in the minister 3
manner. It was well for both of us when
he changed the subject. He reminded
me of the discouraging view which, the
doctor bad taken of the prospect before
him. "I will not attempt to decide
whether your friend is right or wrong,"
ho said. " Trusting, as I do, in the mercy
of God, I look hopefully to a future time
when ail that Is brightest and besb in the
nature of my adopted child will be de
veloped under my fostering care. If evil
tendencies show themselves, my reliance
will be confidently placed on pious ex
ample, on religious instruction, and, above
all, on intercession by prayer.. Repeat to
your friend," he concluded, " what you
have just heard me say. Let him ask him
self if he could confront the uncer
tain future with. my cheerful submission
and my steadfast hope."
He entrusted me with that message,
and gave me his hand. So we parted. ,;
I agreed with him, I admired him ; but
my faith seemed to want sustaining power
as compared with his faith. On his own
showing (as it appeared to me), there
would be two forces in a state of conflict
In the child's nature as she grew up—in
herited evil against inculcated good. Try
as I might, I failed to feel the minister's
comforting conviction as to which of the
two would win.
(To be continued.)
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