CHAPTER FOUR.
TABBY SHOWS HER CLAWS.
Friswith Hall was returning from Cranbrook in a state of greatsatisfaction. She had made an excellent bargain; and she was the sortof girl to whose mind a bargain had the flavour of a victory. In thefirst place, she had squeezed both coif and ribbon out of her money; andin the second, she had--as she fondly believed--purchased an articleworth one-and-tenpence for eighteenpence.
As she came up to the last stile she had to pass, Friswith saw two girlssitting on it--the elder a slender, delicate-looking girl of somefourteen years, the younger a sturdy, little, rosy-faced damsel ofseven. They looked up on hearing steps, and the elder quitted her seatto leave Friswith room to pass.
"Good-morrow, Pen! So you've got Patience there?"
"I haven't much, I'm afraid," said Pen, laughing. "I came out herebecause the lads made such a noise I could scarce hear myself speak; andI wanted to teach Patience her hymn. Charity knows hers; but Patiencelearns slower."
"Are they with you, then--both?"
"For a few days. Mistress Bradbridge is gone to visit her brother atChelmsford, so she left her little maids with Mother."
"What a company must you be! How can you ever squeeze into the house?"
"Oh, folks can squeeze into small corners when they choose," said PenuelPardue, with a smile. "A very little corner will hold both Charity andPatience."
"Then you haven't much of either," answered Friswith satirically. "Lookyou here, Pen!"
And unrolling her ribbon, she displayed its crimson beauties.
"What's that for?"
"For my hat! You can tell Beatrice, if you like, she won't be thebest-dressed maid at church next Sunday."
"I should never suppose she would," was the quiet reply.
"Oh, I saw her blue ribbons! But I'll be as grand as she, you'll seenow. Mother sent me to buy her a coif, and I got this for the moneytoo. Don't you wish you were me?"
"No, Friswith, I don't think I do," said Penuel gravely.
"That's because you think Mother will scold. I'll stand up to her ifshe do. She's always bidding us stand up to folks, and I'll see how shelikes it herself a bit!"
With which very dutiful speech, Friswith took her departure.
Penuel looked after her for a moment, and then, with a shake of her headwhich meant more than words, turned back to Patience and the hymn.
"Now, little Patience, try to learn the next verse. I will say it overto thee.
"`And in the presence of my foes My table Thou shalt spread; Thou shalt, O Lord, fill full my cup, And eke anoint my head.'"
"Who be my foes, Pen?" said Patience.
"Folks that tease and trouble thee, my child."
"Oh!" responded Patience, instantly making a practical application."Toby and Silas, that is. But they didn't see you spread the table,Pen. They were out playing on the green."
Penuel tried to "improve" this very literal rendering of the Psalm, butfound it impossible to advance further than the awakening in Patience'smind an expectation of a future, but equally literal table, the daintieson which Toby and Silas would not be privileged to share.
"I won't give them the lessest bit, 'cause they're my foes," saidPatience stubbornly. "You shall have some, Pen, and so shall Beatie--and Abbafull, if he's good. He tied my shoe."
"Aphabell, not Abbafull," corrected Penuel. "But, Patience, that won'tserve: you've got to forgive your enemies."
"They shan't have one bit!" announced Patience, putting her hands behindher back, as if to emphasise her statement. "Pen, what does `anoint myhead' mean?"
"Pour oil on it," said Penuel.
"I won't have oil on my head! I'll pour it on Silas and Toby. It'llrun down and dirt their clothes, and then Mother Pardue'll thwack 'em."
"Patience, Patience! Little maids mustn't want to have peoplethwacked."
"I may want my foes thwacked, and I will!" replied Patience sturdily.
"Look at the people coming up the road," answered Penuel, thinking itwell to make a diversion. "Why, there's Master Benden and his mistress,and Mistress Hall, and ever so many more. What's ado, I marvel?"
About a dozen persons comprised the approaching group, which was broughtup by a choice assortment of small boys, among whom Penuel's brothers,Esdras and Silvanus, were conspicuous. Mr Benden walked foremost,holding his wife by her wrist, as if he were afraid of her running away;whilst she went with him as quietly as if she had no such intention.Almost in a line with them was Tabitha Hall, and she was pouring out atorrent of words.
"And you'll rue it, Edward Benden, you take my word for it! You savagebarbarian, to deal thus with a decent woman that never shamed you norgave you an ill word! Lack-a-day, but I thank all the saints on mybended knees I'm not your wife! I'd--"
"So do I, Mistress!" was Mr Benden's grim answer.
"I'd make your life a burden to you, if I were! I'd learn you toill-use a woman! I'd give it you, you white-livered dotipole [cowardlysimpleton] of a Pharisee! Never since the world began--"
"Go to!" shrieked the boys behind, in great glee. "Scratch him, Tabby,do!"
Alice never uttered a word, either to her husband or her sister-in-law.She heard it all as though she heard not. Catching the eye of herbrother Esdras, Penuel beckoned to him, and that promising youthsomewhat reluctantly left the interesting group, and shambled up to hiseldest sister at the stile.
"Esdras, what is all this? Do tell me."
"'Tis Master Benden, a-carrying of his mistress afore the Justices, andMistress Hall's a-showing him the good love she bears him for it."
"Afore the Justices! Mistress Benden! Dear saints, but wherefore?"
"Oh, I wis nought of the inwards thereof," said Esdras, pulling a switchfrom the hedge. "Some saith one thing, and some another. But theysaith she'll go to prison, safe sure."
"Oh, Esdras, I am sorry!" said Penuel, in a tone of great distress."Mother will be sore troubled. Everybody loves Mistress Benden, and fewloveth her master. There's some sorry blunder, be thou sure."
"Very like," said Esdras, turning to run off after the disappearingcompany.
"Esdras," said little Patience suddenly, "you've got a big hole in you."
"Oh, let be! my gear's alway in holes," was the careless answer. "It'llhold together till I get back, I reckon. Here goes!"
And away went Esdras, with two enormous holes in his stockings, and along strip of his jacket flying behind him like a tail.
"Oh dear, this world!" sighed Penuel. "I'm afraid 'tis a bad place.Come, little Patience, let us go home."
When the girls reached Mrs Pardue's cottage, they found there themother of Patience, Mrs Bradbridge. She sat talking earnestly to MrsPardue, who was busy washing, and said little in answer beyond suchreplies, compatible with business, as "Ay," "I reckon so," or "To besure!"
"Mother!" said Penuel, as she led Patience in, "have you heard of thismatter of Mistress Benden's?"
"Nay, child," replied Collet, stopping in the process of hanging up askirt to dry. "Why, whatso? Naught ill, I do hope and trust, toMistress Benden. I'd nigh as soon have aught hap evil to one of my ownas her."
"Eh, neighbour, 'tis all a body need look for," sighed poor WidowBradbridge, lifting Patience on her knee. "This world's naught savetrouble and sorrow--never was sin' the Flood, more especially forwomen."
"She's had up to the Justices, Mother, but I couldn't hear for why; andher own husband is he that taketh her."
"He'll get his demerits, be sure," said Mrs Bradbridge.
"Well, and I wouldn't so much mind if he did," was Mrs Pardue'senergetic comment. "He never was fit to black her shoes, he wasn't.Alice Benden afore the Justices! why, I'd as soon believe I ought to bethere. If I'd ha' knowed, it should ha' cost me hot water but I'd ha'been with her, to cheer up and stand by the poor soul. Why, it shouldabhor any Christian man to hear of such doings!"
"Mistress Hall's withal, Mother: and I guess Master Benden 'll have hi
swater served not much off the boil."
"I'm fain to hear it!" said Collet.
"Eh, she was at him, I can tell you! and she handled the matter shrewdlytoo. So was Esdras and Silas, and a sort more lads, a-crying, `Scratchhim, Tabby!' and she scraught him right well."
"The naughty caitiffs!" exclaimed their mother. "Howbeit, when theycome home we shall maybe know the inwards of the matter."
The boys did not come home for some hours. When they did, Esdras slunkup the ladder, his garments being in a state which, as Silas had justkindly informed him, "smelt of the birch," and not desiring theapplication of that remedy sooner than could be helped. Silas flung hiscap into the furthest corner, with a shout of "Hooray!" which sent hismother's hands to her ears.
"Bless the lad!--he'll deafen a body, sure enough! Now then, speak,caitiff, and tell us what's ado with Mistress Benden. Is she let off?"
"She's sent a-prison," shouted Silas, in tones which seemed likely tocarry that information down the row. "Justice axed her why she went notto church, and quoth she, `That can I not do, with a good conscience,since there is much idolatry committed against the glory of God.' Andthen she was committed. Justice didn't love his work o'er well, andMaster Benden, as he was a-coming away, looked as sour as crabs. Andold Tabby--Oh, lack-a-daisy-me! didn't she have at him! She's a goodun, and no mistake! She stuck to his heels all the way along, and shebeat him black and blue with her tongue, and he looked like a butt ofalegar with a hogshead o' mustard in it. Hooray for old Tabby!"--andSilas announced that sentiment to the neighbourhood at the top of hisvery unsubdued voice.