American, said, 'the balance') of such days
as it might please Heaven to allot to him.
He settled in the rude and thinly-peopled
region of Western New York, on the slope
of the Adirondack Mountains, and purchased
a farm which I now occupy. Shall
I go on with my story?"

"By all means!"

"He was a hale and hearty man at that
time, and remained hale and hearty for
many years afterwards; so hale and hearty,
that in the year 1798, being then turned
seventy-eight, and having lived in America
ten years, he married a young woman of
Scottish extraction; not very young (she
was two-and-thirty at the time), and very
beautiful. That marriage was a happy one.
Three children, of whom I am the sole survivor,
were born to my father before he died.
He kept his secret. Even his wife did not
know who he was, except that his real name
was Stuart."

"And how did you come to know it, Mr.
Stuart"—correcting myself, I said, "Mr.
Blank?"

"By my father's will, bequeathing to me
certain documents, in which I found all the
proofs of the story I have told you."

"A very extraordinary story," said I.

"But not so extraordinary as true,"
added he, very sharply and peremptorily.

"Do the documents exist?"

"They do."

"Will you show them to me?"

"Upon conditions," said he, very slowly;
"if your courage does not fail you when
you know what the conditions are."

"Before we go further," said I, "will
you tell me for what reason you have
chosen me to be your confidant?"

"Because I am persecuted by the British
government, as my father was before me.
Because I have no joy in my life. Because
I am beset by spies. Because I go in
danger of poison, or a shot from a revolver.
Because I think that you have the means
of causing all this persecution to cease."

"I? Really, Mr. Stuart, you overrate
my importance. Supposing this persecution
to be real, and not imaginary, I have
no more power to help you than the man
in the moon has. You say you have documents
to prove your case. If so, I can
only express my firm belief that if your
documents be genuine, you have only to
bring them under the notice of the British
government, and that government, if persuaded
that you are what you represent
yourself to be, and as your documents,
you say, will prove, will not only cease to
persecute you—if ever they did persecute
you—but, in consideration of your being
the heir and Representative of Charles
Edward Stuart, will settle on you a very
handsome pension."

The old gentleman shook his head.
"I don't want a pension; I have a farm of my
own, and am quite independent of any
man's favour, or the favour of any government.
I want nothing but to be let alone.
Let me drink and eat without fear of poison.
Let me turn a corner without risk of a pistol
or a bludgeon. Let me sink down into the
common herd of common men, and be at
peace. That is all I ask. I want no pension,
no money, no recognition, no anything from
anybody. Peace, and peace alone. That
is all. And to you, sir," he added, suddenly,
"I owe an apology for having intruded
upon you. It will be known in a
week to the court and government of Queen
Victoria that you have received and spoken
to me. You will be a marked man, sir,
depend upon it, unless you go forthwith
and denounce me. You may denounce me
if you like. I give you full and free
permission."

"That would be gross treachery, Mr.
Stuart," replied I, "and I shall not denounce
you. But if you have in your possession
the documents you speak of, I should
be glad to see them."

"You shall see them this day week," he
said, "and without fail. Mind, I want
nothing but to prove to you that I am what
I say I am; and that when convinced of
the fact, you will exercise your influence
with the British government to have me left
in peace. You are about to say that you
have no influence? I have my own opinions
on that subject. You can say for me what
I cannot say for myself:—that I am no
traitor, no intriguer, nothing but a poor,
forlorn, last remnant of a once royal and
powerful race, who asks nothing but a grave;
and a quiet journey towards it."

Mr. Blank, true to his appointment,
brought me the documents on the day he had
fixed. The principal one was a certificate of
marriage—it appeared to me duly signed
and in all respects authentic—between Mr.
Charles Edward Stuart of the state of New
York, and a certain lady of the same state,
dated in October, 1798. Next to this was
the certificate of baptism of Charles Edward
Stuart, dated November, 1799; a third
document purported to be a licence from the
state of New York, to Mr. Stuart, granting
him, on payment of certain fees, the permission
to be thenceforward known as Mr.