The Cambrian Sketch-Book Part 13

"I weep not, sir, because my heart is sad. I am almost overcome with joy by reason of your reference to dear Cadwgan. Oh, I do rejoice with unspeakable satisfaction, that he has not forgotten the holy lessons our dear parents taught us. Though they are gone, I feel their spirits often visit us, and I think they watch over us with the same care and solicitude as when they were present in the flesh."

"Happy, my dear Miss Wynn, must be the brother whose beloved sister, living here amongst the Welsh mountains, prays daily for his welfare. I can bear testimony to his practical piety, his eminent G.o.dliness, his deep devotional spirit. He has taught me to love and adore the Name which is above every name. There is, too, a fragrance about Cadwgan's acts and life. Truly has he been the guide of my inexperience, my counsellor, my friend. During the past three years, scarcely a day has pa.s.sed without our having conversation on the highest things. Since we parted the other day, I have missed him much. Oh, I wish he had come!

But there _is_ your brother. Look! He is waiting our return."

In a moment afterward Cadwgan and his sister were locked in each other's arms.

During the following week Miss Gwenfan Wynn and Mr. Roberts were almost constantly together; and it must be owned that there grew up between those two young and innocent hearts a feeling more warm, more ardent, and more fervent than usually exists between friends and acquaintances; a feeling which if permitted to ripen and develop, would result in the union of heart with heart, soul with soul,-a feeling the intensity of which would survive even the tomb.

After the happy days thus spent together, Miss Wynn one evening remarked to her niece, "Has not the right man come, my child? I suppose I shall hear no more of your living the life of an old maid?"

"Oh, aunt, you are too cruel. I like Mr. Roberts much, but only as Cadwgan's friend."

"Well, well; we shall see what we shall see. You will be Mrs. Roberts one of these days. There, don't blush my child. There is no harm in your loving so n.o.ble a youth."

CHAPTER VI.

_VIRTUE REWARDED_.

On leaving the warehouse one evening, soon after his return from Wales, Mr. Roberts remarked, "You must dine with us to-morrow, Mr. Wynn, and my old friend Jones will accompany you. He has already arranged to form one of our party, and I am glad for my own sake and yours that we shall have the pleasure of his society. He is one of the best men I know in this huge city."

As soon as the ladies had retired, Mr. Roberts pushed the bottle to Mr.

Jones, with the observation, "This is your favourite wine, and please to make yourself as free with it as you're welcome. I think Mr. Wynn and you, my son, prefer sherry. I'll try port, which is my favourite drink."

After a general conversation on the general topics of the day, Mr.

Roberts turned to Mr. Jones, and said that he thanked him most gratefully for having pleaded so eloquently the claims of his young friend, Wynn.

"You will doubtless remember, Jones, that I was most unwilling to receive him into the establishment, in the first place on his own account; secondly, I did not consider mine a proper place for a young gentleman of his social position. You, however, urged his claims, and considering our personal friends.h.i.+p, and my previous connection with the Wynn family, I at last reluctantly yielded to your wishes, though in doing so I was perfectly aware that I should create in the mind of McLiver hostile feelings to myself and Cadwgan there. I little expected that my cas.h.i.+er's objection would spring from conviction of wrongdoing. I believed in his integrity, and had confidence in his honesty; and as he apparently served me faithfully I was prepared to yield to some extent to his wishes, though he was well aware of my unbending disposition when once I had resolved to carry a particular point. McLiver having discovered my resolve to be Mr. Wynn's friend, I must own that he did not oppose my wishes to the extent I at first antic.i.p.ated.

"Now from the first day on which Mr. Wynn entered upon his duties, I am bound to say that I found him plodding, persevering, and honest; his first and chief concern being to promote my interest. In this, he set us all an example we should do well to copy.

"To the proceedings of the other day-a day which to me will be ever memorable, I will not allude further than to express a hope that I have Cadwgan's complete pardon for having for once suspected his dishonesty.

And this is a fitting occasion for me to thank you, Jones, for the deep interest you have shown in my affairs in connection with our young friend. Had Cadwgan not done what he did, the scoundrel's rascality would in all probability have effected my ruin. But how came you, Mr.

Wynn, to suspect his dishonesty?"

"My tale, sir, is soon told," remarked Cadwgan. "From time to time little things cropped up in connection with business transactions and in the accounts, the appearance of which I did not at all like. To my mind there was satisfactory and conclusive evidence that the man was not dealing honourably by you, and that you were a victim of his dishonesty.

You must bear in mind this, I had but a suspicion. I could not prove that what I suspected was actual and real.

"Being in a state of doubt, I really did not know what to do. I could not suggest my suspicion to you because the person was in your confidence. After thinking over the matter some days and nights I resolved to sound my fellow-clerks, Messrs. Sykes and Williams, for I knew I could depend on them. Strange to say they had long suspected his guilt, but were afraid to give expression to their opinion, because Mr.

McLiver appeared all-powerful.

"After a conference we agreed to get up evidence. We ascertained he was living at the rate of 2000 or 3000 a year, though he had no income but his salary. We found, too, that he paid for all goods when ordered. On making further inquiry we discovered that his cousin Donald, though he had a smaller salary than I had, spent several pounds weekly in dissipation.

"Then the constant visits of relatives who are employed in similar establishments in the city, and the worthless stuff sent from the houses where they were engaged, these things awakened in my mind the strongest suspicion that the parties were conspiring together to rob you and their employers.

"As the books were all in McLiver's hands and under his control, we could do nothing; but when you appointed me to the post of accountant, Mr.

Sykes, Mr. Williams, and myself resolved to ascertain if our suspicion was well founded. During the past three months we have given the whole of our spare time during the day to the past five years' accounts, while we seldom left the office until late at night. The result of our labours you know. I fancy one of the clerks in my department must have told McLiver what we were doing, and doubtless his guilt awoke in his mind a sense of the dangerous position in which he had placed himself. Then in order if possible to crush me before the work was done, he and his cousin Donald concocted the charge against me-themselves being the robbers. I do not for a moment think they wished my punishment. What they did desire was to secure my expulsion from your establishment, that thus their malpractices might possibly remain undetected."

"But where are his relations employed, Mr. Wynn?" asked Mr. Roberts.

"Mr. McNab, his uncle, is cas.h.i.+er to the Chinese Tea Company, and his brother is with Morant & Hogsflesh."

"Do you really believe these parties were confederates?"

"No doubt of it, sir."

"In that case what would you advise?"

"In justice to yourself and the high reputation of your house, it is your duty to furnish them with the whole of our discovered facts. It is important they should be informed of their servants' dishonesty."

"By gad, Mr. Wynn, I'll advise their punishment; and if their employers won't do it, I will."

"I am afraid that your advice will be too late."

"How so, Cadwgan?"

"Both have already fled to the Continent. It appears that they, like McLiver, helped themselves to their employers' money before they went."

"But how did they find out McLiver was in prison, Mr. Wynn?"

"Some one of your servants or clerks must have carried the news to them."

"We'll get the scoundrels back, cost what it will. To-morrow the officers of justice shall fly in pursuit. We'll find them somewhere."

"No doubt, sir, they deserve severe punishment, though I am sorry for McNab, because he has a large family, and in punis.h.i.+ng him you will punish his innocent wife and children."

"They, Mr. Wynn, shall not come to want. While resolving to punish the guilty, I'll see to the interests of the guiltless."

"Give me your hand, friend Roberts," said Mr. Jones. "You are a n.o.ble fellow; your heart is in the right place; and I'll join you in so holy a work."

"I must now turn," said Mr. Roberts, "to a more pleasant theme. It has been by you, Mr. Wynn, I have been saved from ruin. You have business talents of a high order. I would trust you with untold gold. You have proved your fidelity and tact under circ.u.mstances the most trying. In our relations.h.i.+p I plainly see the finger of Heaven. I now plainly see that it is my interest no less than your own that our relations.h.i.+p should be closer than it has. .h.i.therto been. The business, as you are aware, is wholly my own. Thank Heaven, I possess all the wealth I desire.

However, I love work, and at present I'm not quite prepared to throw off the harness. I shall do so, however, in a few years. In view of that day I think it well to prepare for it. I have therefore resolved to take into partners.h.i.+p my son Rhys and you, and we'll take equal profits. The money in the business I shall regard as a set-off against your ability and talent, and when I go out I will leave in your joint hands the capital necessary for successfully carrying on the concern. Are you prepared, Mr. Wynn, to accept my offer?"

"With deep grat.i.tude and thanks I do indeed accept your offer, Mr.

Roberts. I shall never be able to repay you for your goodness and kindness. To me you have been always kind, always generous, ever n.o.ble and disinterested. To Mr. Jones and you I owe my present position and the prospects before me. My grat.i.tude, sir, I shall carry with me to the grave."

"I rejoice," remarked Mr. Jones, who had hitherto been an almost silent listener, "to see this day, and I shall pray Heaven that the sun of prosperity may ever continue to s.h.i.+ne on your concern, and that never an incident may occur calculated to disturb the kindly feeling and mutual confidence between you, friend Roberts, and your new partners."

"To that, Jones, I say amen. Still I think there is not much danger on that score. We all know each other; that's an important point. Unless my suspicions are wrong, which I think is not likely, that roving son of mine has managed to fall in love; and I warn you, Mr. Wynn, especially if you desire your sister to become your little housekeeper, to take care of her. If you don't do so, his siege on her heart's citadel will prove, I fear, successful. Well, I forgive him for making love without his father's permission; and you, Mr. Wynn, must pardon him too."

"Now, Mr. Wynn, in view of our new arrangements, what alterations would you propose in the conduct of the business, bearing this in mind, that you will have to undertake the purchase of all goods?"

"In that case, Mr. Roberts, I recommend your appointing Mr. Williams to the office I now fill. He is a relative of yours, and is a thoroughly competent man. Then Mr. Sykes would succeed McLiver. His honesty and integrity are beyond question. Had it not been for their able a.s.sistance, I should never have succeeded in unravelling the mysteries of your affairs."

"Your proposal, Mr. Wynn, does infinite credit to your sagacity. Let the arrangements be carried out at once. The deed of partners.h.i.+p has already been prepared, and now awaits your signature. My son signed it before he left on his recent tour."

Under the new management, the company of Roberts, Wynn & Roberts, grew mightily. From one end of the kingdom to the other their teas were in great repute. They had for their patrons royal princes and the n.o.bles of the land. The demand grew year after year, and the increased sale brought large additional profits. During the fifth year of the partners.h.i.+p, these profits amounted to 45,000, though Mr. Wynn did not take above 750, one half of which he sent his aunt and sister for their use. Cadwgan had during those five years put by 55,000.