Mr. Blackwell proposed,
though so shocked at what Lilburne dictated. Blackwell would go the next
day into Wales--he would find out Mr. Jones--he would sound him! Nothing
was more common with people of the nicest honour, than just to get a
witness out of the way! Done in election petitions, for instance, every
day.

"True," said Mr. Beaufort, much relieved.

Then, after having done that, Mr. Blackwell would return to town, and
cross over to Boulogne to see this very impudent person whom Arthur
(young men were so apt to be taken in!) had actually believed. He had
no doubt he could settle it all. Robert Beaufort returned to Berkeley
Square actually in spirits. There he found Lilburne, who, on reflection,
seeing that Blackwell was at all events more up to the business than his
brother, assented to the propriety of the arrangement.

Mr. Blackwell accordingly did set off the next day. That next day,
perhaps, made all the difference. Within two hours from his gaining the
document so important, Philip, without any subtler exertion of intellect
than the decision of a plain, bold sense, had already forestalled both
the peer and the lawyer. He had sent down Mr. Barlow's head clerk to his
master in Wales with the document, and a short account of the manner
in which it had been discovered. And fortunate, indeed, was it that the
copy had been found; for all the inquiries of Mr. Barlow at A----
had failed, and probably would have failed, without such a clue, in
fastening upon any one probable person to have officiated as Caleb
Price's amanuensis. The sixteen hours' start Mr. Barlow gained over
Blackwell enabled the former to see Mr. Jones--to show him his own
handwriting--to get a written and witnessed attestation from which the
curate, however poor, and however tempted, could never well have
escaped (even had he been dishonest, which he was not), of his perfect
recollection of the fact of making an extract from the registry at
Caleb's desire, though he owned he had quite forgotten the names he
extracted till they were again placed before him. Barlow took care to
arouse Mr. Jones's interest in the case--quitted Wales--hastened over to
Boulogne--saw Captain Smith, and without bribes, without threats, but
by plainly proving to that worthy person that he could not return to
England nor see his brother without being immediately arrested; that his
brother's evidence was already pledged on the side of truth; and that by
the acquisition