Foul Play [205]
handwriting, no less than twelve deviations from his habits of writing strike the eye; and every one of these twelve deviations is a deviation into a habit of Arthur Wardlaw, which is an amount of demonstration rarely attained in cases of forgery.
1. THE CAPITAL L.--Compare in London (forged note) with the same letter in London in Wardlaw's letter.
2. THE CAPITAL D.--Compare this letter in "Date" with the same letter in "Dearest."
3. THE CAPITAL T.--Compare it in "Two" and "Tollemache."
4. The word "To"; see "To pay," in forged note and third line of letter.
5. Small "o" formed with a loop in the up-stroke.
6. The manner of finishing the letter "v."
7. Ditto the letter "w."
8. The imperfect formation of the small "a." This and the looped" o" run through the forged note and Arthur Wardlaw 's letter, and are habits entirely foreign to the style of John Wardlaw.
9. See the "th" in connection.
10. Ditto the "of" in connection.
11. The incautious use of the Greek e. John Wardlaw never uses this e. Arthur Wardlaw never uses any other, apparently. The writer of the forged note began right, but, at the word Robert Penfold, glided insensibly into his Greek e, and maintained it to the end of the forgery. This looks as if he was in the habit of writing those two words.
12. Compare the words "Robert Penfold" in the forged document with the same words in the letter. The similarity is so striking that on these two words alone the writer could be identified beyond a doubt.
13. Great pains were taken with the signature, and it is like John Wardlaw's writing on the surface; but go below the surface, and it is all Arthur Wardlaw.
The looped o, the small r, the 1 drooping below the d, the open a, are all Arthur Wardlaw's. The open loop of the final w is a still bolder deviation into A. W. 's own hand. The final flourish is a curious mistake. It is executed with skill and freedom; but the writer has made the lower line the thick one. Yet John Wardlaw never does this.
How was the deviation caused? Examine the final flourish in Arthur Wardlaw's signature. It contains one stroke only, but then that stroke is a thick one. He thought he had only to prolong his own stroke and bring it round. He did this extremely well, but missed the deeper characteristic--the thick upper stroke. This is proof of a high character: and altogether I am prepared to testify upon oath that the writer of the letter to Miss Rolleston, who signs himself Arthur Wardlaw, is the person who forged the promissory note.
To these twelve proofs one more was now added. Arthur Wardlaw rose, and, with his knees knocking together, said, "Don't arrest him, Burt; let him go."
"Don't let _him_ go," cried old Penfold. "A villain! I have got the number of the notes from Benson. I can prove he bribed this poor man to destroy the ship. Don't let him go. He has ruined my poor boy."
At this Arthur Wardlaw began to shriek for mercy. "Oh, Mr. Penfold," said he, "you are a father and hate me. But think of my father. I'll say anything, do anything. I'll clear Robert Penfold at my own expense. I have lost _her._ She loathes me now. Have mercy on me, and let me leave the country!"
He cringed and crawled so that he disarmed anger, and substituted contempt.
"Ay," said Burt. "He don't hit like you, Mr. Penfold; this is a chap that ought to have been in Newgate long ago. But take my advice; make him clear you on paper, and then let him go. I'll go downstairs awhile. I mustn't take part in compounding a felony."
"Oh, yes, Robert," said Helen "for his father's sake."
"Very well," said Robert. "Now, then, reptile, take the pen, and write in your own hand, if you can."
He took the pen, and wrote to dictation--
"I, Arthur Wardlaw, confess that I forged the promissory note for 2,000 pounds, and sent it to Robert Penfold, and that 1,400 pounds of it was to be for my own use, and to pay my Oxford debts. And I confess that I bribed Wylie to scuttle the ship _Proserpine_ in order to cheat the underwriters."
Penfold then turned to Wylie,
1. THE CAPITAL L.--Compare in London (forged note) with the same letter in London in Wardlaw's letter.
2. THE CAPITAL D.--Compare this letter in "Date" with the same letter in "Dearest."
3. THE CAPITAL T.--Compare it in "Two" and "Tollemache."
4. The word "To"; see "To pay," in forged note and third line of letter.
5. Small "o" formed with a loop in the up-stroke.
6. The manner of finishing the letter "v."
7. Ditto the letter "w."
8. The imperfect formation of the small "a." This and the looped" o" run through the forged note and Arthur Wardlaw 's letter, and are habits entirely foreign to the style of John Wardlaw.
9. See the "th" in connection.
10. Ditto the "of" in connection.
11. The incautious use of the Greek e. John Wardlaw never uses this e. Arthur Wardlaw never uses any other, apparently. The writer of the forged note began right, but, at the word Robert Penfold, glided insensibly into his Greek e, and maintained it to the end of the forgery. This looks as if he was in the habit of writing those two words.
12. Compare the words "Robert Penfold" in the forged document with the same words in the letter. The similarity is so striking that on these two words alone the writer could be identified beyond a doubt.
13. Great pains were taken with the signature, and it is like John Wardlaw's writing on the surface; but go below the surface, and it is all Arthur Wardlaw.
The looped o, the small r, the 1 drooping below the d, the open a, are all Arthur Wardlaw's. The open loop of the final w is a still bolder deviation into A. W. 's own hand. The final flourish is a curious mistake. It is executed with skill and freedom; but the writer has made the lower line the thick one. Yet John Wardlaw never does this.
How was the deviation caused? Examine the final flourish in Arthur Wardlaw's signature. It contains one stroke only, but then that stroke is a thick one. He thought he had only to prolong his own stroke and bring it round. He did this extremely well, but missed the deeper characteristic--the thick upper stroke. This is proof of a high character: and altogether I am prepared to testify upon oath that the writer of the letter to Miss Rolleston, who signs himself Arthur Wardlaw, is the person who forged the promissory note.
To these twelve proofs one more was now added. Arthur Wardlaw rose, and, with his knees knocking together, said, "Don't arrest him, Burt; let him go."
"Don't let _him_ go," cried old Penfold. "A villain! I have got the number of the notes from Benson. I can prove he bribed this poor man to destroy the ship. Don't let him go. He has ruined my poor boy."
At this Arthur Wardlaw began to shriek for mercy. "Oh, Mr. Penfold," said he, "you are a father and hate me. But think of my father. I'll say anything, do anything. I'll clear Robert Penfold at my own expense. I have lost _her._ She loathes me now. Have mercy on me, and let me leave the country!"
He cringed and crawled so that he disarmed anger, and substituted contempt.
"Ay," said Burt. "He don't hit like you, Mr. Penfold; this is a chap that ought to have been in Newgate long ago. But take my advice; make him clear you on paper, and then let him go. I'll go downstairs awhile. I mustn't take part in compounding a felony."
"Oh, yes, Robert," said Helen "for his father's sake."
"Very well," said Robert. "Now, then, reptile, take the pen, and write in your own hand, if you can."
He took the pen, and wrote to dictation--
"I, Arthur Wardlaw, confess that I forged the promissory note for 2,000 pounds, and sent it to Robert Penfold, and that 1,400 pounds of it was to be for my own use, and to pay my Oxford debts. And I confess that I bribed Wylie to scuttle the ship _Proserpine_ in order to cheat the underwriters."
Penfold then turned to Wylie,