You are a man of honor, sir, and you are very
clever at sea, no doubt, and a fighter, and all that; but you are no
match for land-sharks. You are being made a dupe and a tool of. Who do
you think wrote that anonymous letter to your daughter? A friend of
truth? a friend of injured innocence? Nothing of the sort. One Richard
Bassett--Sir Charles's cousin. Here, Mr. Oldfield, please compare these
two handwritings closely, and you will see I am right." She put down
the anonymous letter and Richard Bassett's letter to herself; but she
could not wait for Mr. Oldfield to compare the documents, now her
tongue was set going. "Yes, gentlemen, this is new to you; but you'll
find that little scheming rascal wrote them both, and with as base a
motive and as black a heart as any other anonymous coward's. His game
is to make Sir Charles Bassett die childless, and so then this dirty
fellow would inherit the estate; and owing to you being so green, and
swallowing an anonymous letter like pure water from the spring, he very
nearly got his way. Sir Charles has been at death's door along of all
this."
"Hush, madam! not so loud, please," whispered Admiral Bruce, looking
uneasily toward the folding, doors.
"Why not?" bawled the Somerset. "THE TRUTH MAY BE BLAMED, BUT IT CAN'T
BE SHAMED.
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