IV.—­Fortune Smiles on Amelia

Booth was again arrested some months later, and lodged in the bailiff’s house.  This time his creditor was a Captain Trent, who had lent him money, and promised him assistance in getting returned to the army.  In reality, Trent was only seeking to ingratiate himself with Amelia, and meeting with no encouragement, took his revenge accordingly.

Amelia at once sought out Dr. Harrison, and told him what had occurred to her husband; and the doctor set forwards to the bailiff’s to see what he could do for Booth.

The doctor had not got so much money in town as Booth’s debt amounted to, and therefore he was forced to give bail to the action.

While the necessary forms were being made out, the bailiff, addressing himself to the doctor, said, “Sir, there is a man above in a dying condition that desires the favour of speaking to you.  I believe he wants you to pray by him.”

Without making any further inquiry, the doctor immediately went upstairs.

The sick man mentioned his name, and explained that he lived for many years in the town where the doctor resided, and that he used to write for the attorneys in those parts.  He was anxious, he said, as he hoped for forgiveness, to make all the amends he could to some one he had injured, and to undo, if possible, the injury he had done.

The doctor commended this as a sincere repentance.

“You know, good doctor,” the sick man resumed, “that Mrs. Harris, of our town, had two daughters—­one now Mrs. Booth, and another.  Before Mrs. Harris died, she made a will, and left all her fortune, except L1,000, to Mrs. Booth, to which will Mr. Murphy, the lawyer, myself, and another were witnesses.  Mrs. Harris afterwards died suddenly, upon which it was contrived, by her other daughter and Mr. Murphy, to make a new will, in which Mrs. Booth had a legacy of L10, and all the rest was given to the other.”

“Good heaven, how wonderful is thy providence!” cries the doctor.  “Murphy, say you?  Why, this Murphy is still my attorney.”

Within a short time Murphy was arrested, and the sick man’s depositions taken.  Booth was released on the doctor’s bail, and on the following morning Amelia learnt of the change in fortune that had befallen them.

Dr. Harrison himself broke the good news by reading the following paragraph from the newspaper.

“Yesterday, one Murphy, an eminent attorney-at-law, was committed to Newgate for the forgery of a will, under which an estate has been for many years detained from the right owner.”

“Now,” said the doctor, “in this paragraph there is something very remarkable, and that is that it is true.  But now let us read the following note upon the words ‘right owner.’  ’The right owner of this estate is a young lady of the highest merit, whose maiden name was Harris, and who some time since was married to an idle fellow, one Lieutenant Booth; and the best historians assure us that letters from the elder sister of this lady, which manifestly prove the forgery and clear up the whole affair, are in the hands of an old parson, called Dr. Harrison.’”