CHAPTER SIX IN WHICH THE FOREGOING HAPPY INCIDENT IS ACCOUNTED FOR.
Back But here, though I am convinced my good-natured reader may almostwant the surgeon's assistance also, and that there is no passagein this whole story which can afford him equal delight, yet, lestour reprieve should seem to resemble that in the Beggars' Opera, Ishall endeavour to shew him that this incident, which isundoubtedly true, is at least as natural as delightful; for weassure him we would rather have suffered half mankind to behanged, than have saved one contrary to the strictest rules ofwriting and probability.
Be it known, then (a circumstance which I think highly credible),that the great Fireblood had been, a few days before, taken in thefact of a robbery, and carried before the same justice of peacewho had, on his evidence, committed Heartfree to prison. Thismagistrate, who did indeed no small honour to the commission hebore, duly considered the weighty charge committed to him, bywhich he was entrusted with decisions affecting the lives,liberties, and properties of his countrymen. He therefore examinedalways with the utmost diligence and caution into every minutecircumstance. And, as he had a good deal balanced, even when hecommitted Heartfree, on the excellent character given him byFriendly and the maid; and as he was much staggered on findingthat, of the two persons on whose evidence alone Heartfree hadbeen committed, and had been since convicted, one was in Newgatefor a felony, and the other was now brought before him for arobbery, he thought proper to put the matter very home toFireblood at this time. The young Achates was taken, as we havesaid, in the fact; so that denial he saw was in vain. He thereforehonestly confessed what he knew must be proved; and desired, onthe merit of the discoveries he made, to be admitted as anevidence against his accomplices. This afforded the happiestopportunity to the justice to satisfy his conscience in relationto Heartfree. He told Fireblood that, if he expected the favour hesolicited, it must be on condition that he revealed the wholetruth to him concerning the evidence which he had lately givenagainst a bankrupt, and which some circumstances had induced asuspicion of; that he might depend on it the truth would bediscovered by other means, and gave some oblique hints (a deceitentirely justifiable) that Wild himself had offered such adiscovery. The very mention of Wild's name immediately alarmedFireblood, who did not in the least doubt the readiness of thatGREAT MAN to hang any of the gang when his own interest seemed torequire it. He therefore hesitated not a moment; but, havingobtained a promise from the justice that he should be accepted asan evidence, he discovered the whole falsehood, and declared thathe had been seduced by Wild to depose as he had done.
The justice, having thus luckily and timely discovered this sceneof villany, alias greatness, lost not a moment in using his utmostendeavours to get the case of the unhappy convict represented tothe sovereign, who immediately granted him that gracious reprievewhich caused such happiness to the persons concerned; and which wehope we have now accounted for to the satisfaction of the reader.
The good magistrate, having obtained this reprieve for Heartfree,thought it incumbent on him to visit him in the prison, and tosound, if possible, the depth of this affair, that, if he shouldappear as innocent as he now began to conceive him, he might useall imaginable methods to obtain his pardon and enlargement.
The next day therefore after that when the miserable scene abovedescribed had passed, he went to Newgate, where he found thosethree persons, namely, Heartfree, his wife, and Friendly, sittingtogether. The justice informed the prisoner of the confession ofFireblood, with the steps which he had taken upon it. The readerwill easily conceive the many outward thanks, as well as inwardgratitude, which he received from all three; but those were ofvery little consequence to him compared with the secretsatisfaction he felt in his mind from reflecting on thepreservation of innocence, as he soon after very clearly perceivedwas the case.
When he entered the room Mrs. Heartfree was speaking with someearnestness: as he perceived, therefore, he had interrupted her,he begged she would continue her discourse, which, if he preventedby his presence, he desired to depart; but Heartfree would notsuffer it. He said she had been relating some adventures whichperhaps, might entertain him to hear, and which she the ratherdesired he would hear, as they might serve to illustrate thefoundation on which this falsehood had been built, which hadbrought on her husband all his misfortunes.
The justice very gladly consented, and Mrs. Heartfree, at herhusband's desire, began the relation from the first renewal ofWild's acquaintance with him; but, though this recapitulation wasnecessary for the information of our good magistrate, as it wouldbe useless, and perhaps tedious, to the reader, we shall onlyrepeat that part of her story to which he is only a stranger,beginning with what happened to her after Wild had been turnedadrift in the boat by the captain of the French privateer.
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