e had hastened to England, not
only to apprise Montreuil of that event, but charged with some especial
orders to him from certain members of the Institute. He had found
Montreuil busy, restless, intriguing, even in seclusion, and cheered by
a recent promise, from Fleuri himself, that he should speedily obtain
pardon and recall. It was, at this part of Oswald's story, easy to
perceive the causes of his renewed confidence in me. Montreuil, engaged
in new plans and schemes, at once complicated and vast, paid but a
slight attention to the wrecks of his past projects. Aubrey dead, myself
abroad, Gerald at his command,--he perceived, in our house, no cause
for caution or alarm. This, apparently, rendered him less careful of
retaining the venal services of Oswald than his knowledge of character
should have made him; and when that gentleman, then in London,
accidentally heard of my sudden arrival in this country, he at once
perceived how much more to his interest it would be to serve me than to
maintain an ill-remunerated fidelity to Montreuil. In fact, as I have
since learned, the priest's discretion was less to blame than I then
imagined; for Oswald was of a remarkably impudent, profligate, and
spendthrift turn; and his demands for money were considerably greater
than the value of his services; or perhaps, as Montreuil thought, when
Aubrey no longer lived, than the consequence of his silence. When,
therefore, I spoke seriously to my new ally of my desire of wreaking
ultimate justice on the crimes of Montreuil, I found that his zeal was
far from being chilled by my determination,--nay, the very cowardice
of the man made him ferocious; and the moment he resolved to betray
Montreuil, his fears for the priest's vengeance made him eager
to destroy where he betrayed. I am not addicted to unnecessary
procrastination. Of the unexpected evidence I had found I was most eager
to avail myself. I saw at once how considerably Oswald's testimony would
lessen any difficulty I might have in an explanation with Gerald, as
well as in bringing Montreuil to justice: and the former measure seemed
to me necessary to insure, or at least to expedite, the latter. I
proposed, therefore, to Oswald, that he should immediately accompany
me to the house in which Gerald was then a visitor; the honest Marie,
conditioning only for another bottle, which he termed a travelling
comforter, readily acceded to my wish. I immediately procured a chaise
and horses; and