CHAPTER XIX.
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
"Yes, sir. I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
"How did you know him?"
"By the scar on his cheek. But I think I would have known him at anyrate. I have a good memory for faces."
"How did he receive you?" asked Mr. Ferguson, with curiosity.
"He didn't seem very glad to see me," answered Gilbert, smiling. "Heinsisted that his nephew is dead, and called me an impostor."
"He must have seen the resemblance between you and his brother. Youwill make just such a looking man as your father."
"I hope I sha'n't look like my uncle."
"Your father and your uncle did not resemble each other. There mighthave been a slight family likeness, but it was very slight."
"So much the better."
"You don't think you shall like your uncle?"
"I am sure I shall not. First, he cheated me out of my property, andnow, because I claim it, he calls me an impostor."
"So that was the way the interview terminated, was it?"
"Not exactly. When I told him I had old Jacob's confession, andthreatened to put it into the hands of a lawyer, he said he would liketo see it, and asked me to call with it at the Burnet House thisafternoon."
"Humph!" said Mr. Ferguson, thoughtfully. "Did you promise to do it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then I will give you a piece of advice."
"What is it, sir?"
"_Don't carry the original paper with you._"
"Why not, sir?"
"It is best to be on the safe side. Your uncle is an unscrupulous man.This paper is of the utmost importance to you, since it proves youridentity, and lays bare the conspiracy against you. Just in proportionas it is valuable to you, it is also valuable to your uncle."
"I understand," said Gilbert, nodding. "You think he has laid a trapfor me, in order to get hold of the paper."
"It looks very much like it. At any rate, it is best to be on yourguard."
"I don't think he would find it easy to get it away from me," saidGilbert, with the confidence of youth.
"You are too confident, Gilbert. You are but a boy, and he is a strongman. Besides, he will want to take it in his hands."
"Would you not advise me to carry it then, sir?"
"Not the original. Can you not make a copy of the paper?"
"But I am to call at three."
"You will have time enough. It is not long."
"Then I shall be obliged to neglect my duties here."
"Oh! as to that, in a matter of such importance, I will readily excuseyou. You can go home at once, and get to work."
"Thank you, sir."
Gilbert lost no time in availing himself of the permission accorded tohim. Reaching his boarding-house--the same one to which the reader hasalready been introduced--he took the important paper from its secureresting-place in his trunk, and, seating himself at the table, began tocopy it rapidly. When he first entered Mr. Ferguson's establishment, hecould scarcely write at all; but he knew how important a goodhandwriting was, to one who aspired to be a business man, and hetherefore soon commenced taking lessons. Now he was master of ahandsome hand. Jacob, too, was a good writer, with a handwriting quitesimilar to his, so that, without any great effort, he succeeded inproducing a document very nearly resembling the original.
"Now, Uncle James, I am ready to meet you," he said to himself, withsatisfaction, as he compared the two papers, and then carefully laidaway the first in its old place of concealment. "You are welcome todestroy this, if you think it will do you any good."
It was still early, for the paper was not long, and Gilbert decided togo back to the store, and resume his duties until it should be time tostart for the Burnet House.
"Where have you been, Gilbert?" asked Maurice Walton, crossly.
"I have been home--to my boarding-house."
"I shouldn't think Mr. Ferguson would like your leaving his business torun home in the middle of the fore-noon."
"He advised me to go."
"I suppose you pretended to have a headache, or something of thatkind," said Maurice, with a sneer.
"No, I didn't. I was never better in my life."
"What did you go for, then?"
"It seems to me you are very curious, Maurice," said Gilbert,good-naturedly. "If you must know, I went home on a little privatebusiness of my own."
"Very important, I suppose."
"Yes, it was important."
"Mr. Ferguson is very partial to you, that's all I can say. He wouldn'tlet me be away for a couple of hours, in the morning, even if I didhave _important_ business."
"I have no doubt he would. I hope you won't be disturbed if I tell youthat I am going out again this afternoon."
"And you get twice as much pay as I," said Maurice, withdissatisfaction. "I say it's a shame."
"You must remember, Maurice, that I don't fix the salaries. If I couldfix it so, your salary should be raised at once, so as to equal mine."
"It's easy to say that," said Maurice Walton, discontentedly.
Gilbert, in spite of the discontent of his fellow-clerk, took his hatat half-past two, and left the store. He reached the Burnet House aboutten minutes of three, and went at once to the reading-room, where hewas to meet his uncle.
Mr. Grey was already in waiting. He was seated in an arm-chair, lookingover a file of the New York _Herald_.
"I have come, Mr. Grey," said Gilbert, "as you proposed."
"Humph! Have you the paper?"
"Yes, sir."
Here Mr. Grey showed signs of satisfaction, as Gilbert wasquick-sighted enough to perceive.
"We will go up stairs to my room," said his uncle, rising, and layingdown the paper. "We shall be more private there."
"Perhaps he thinks he can get hold of the paper better," thought ourhero, though, of course, he kept his thought to himself.
"Follow me," said Mr. Grey. "Give me the key to No. 157," he said, tothe hotel clerk.
Gilbert followed him up several flights of stairs till he reached hisroom.
"Enter," he said, unlocking the door.
Gilbert did so, feeling, at the same time, a queer sensation, as hethought of the attempt that might be made at violence. However, he wasnot wanting in courage, and did not deign to give audience to fear.
"Sit down," said Mr. Grey, abruptly.
Gilbert seated himself near the door. His uncle drew up a chair forhimself, but, as our hero noted, placed it between him and the door.
"He wants to cut me off from escape," he thought. "Never mind; he'lllet me go when he finds he can't make anything by keeping me."
"Well," said his uncle, when they were seated, "let me know all aboutthis precious plot you have been hatching."
"I am engaged in no plot, Mr. Grey," said Gilbert, steadily.
"Of course not. Conspirators are the last to admit the real characterof their designs. But that don't alter the fact. You have laid a plotfor getting possession of my property, and, to this end, have forged apaper, which you think will help you."
"You are quite mistaken, Mr. Grey. I have Jacob Morton's writtenconfession of his agency in carrying me away from Cincinnati. I knewnothing of it till he spoke to me on this subject, and placed the paperin my hands."
"Have you the paper with you?"
Gilbert didn't answer this question, since he could not have said trulythat he had Jacob's confession with him. It was merely his own copy.But he drew the paper from his breast-pocket, and handed it to hisuncle.
Mr. Grey took the paper, and ran his eye rapidly over it. Hiscountenance changed, for he saw that it would have great weight in acourt of justice, completely substantiating Gilbert's claims to theestate which he wrongfully held.
"Well," he said, looking up, after he had finished reading the paper,"I have read this document, and I have no hesitation in pronouncing ita vile forgery. I
t shall meet the fate it merits."
So saying, he hastily tore it across the middle, and proceeded to tearit into still smaller pieces.
"Now, young man," he said, sarcastically, "as I have no furtherbusiness with you, I will bid you a very good-day," and he bowed,mockingly.
"I think you are mistaken about our business being settled," saidGilbert, quietly.
"Your forged document will help you little," said Mr. Grey,triumphantly. "I have torn it into a hundred pieces."
"Your forged document will help you little," said Mr.Grey, triumphantly. "I have torn it into a hundred pieces."--Page 138.]
"It is of no consequence," said our hero, calmly. "_It is only a copyof the original paper._"