Chapter 59
It is necessary at this juncture to return to Hugh, who, having, as wehave seen, called to the rioters to disperse from about the Warren, andmeet again as usual, glided back into the darkness from which he hademerged, and reappeared no more that night.
He paused in the copse which sheltered him from the observation of hismad companions, and waited to ascertain whether they drew off at hisbidding, or still lingered and called to him to join them. Some few, hesaw, were indisposed to go away without him, and made towards the spotwhere he stood concealed as though they were about to follow in hisfootsteps, and urge him to come back; but these men, being in their turncalled to by their friends, and in truth not greatly caring to ventureinto the dark parts of the grounds, where they might be easily surprisedand taken, if any of the neighbours or retainers of the family werewatching them from among the trees, soon abandoned the idea, and hastilyassembling such men as they found of their mind at the moment, straggledoff.
When he was satisfied that the great mass of the insurgents wereimitating this example, and that the ground was rapidly clearing, heplunged into the thickest portion of the little wood; and, crashing thebranches as he went, made straight towards a distant light: guided bythat, and by the sullen glow of the fire behind him.
As he drew nearer and nearer to the twinkling beacon towards which hebent his course, the red glare of a few torches began to reveal itself,and the voices of men speaking together in a subdued tone broke thesilence which, save for a distant shouting now and then, alreadyprevailed. At length he cleared the wood, and, springing across a ditch,stood in a dark lane, where a small body of ill-looking vagabonds, whomhe had left there some twenty minutes before, waited his coming withimpatience.
They were gathered round an old post-chaise or chariot, driven by one ofthemselves, who sat postilion-wise upon the near horse. The blinds weredrawn up, and Mr Tappertit and Dennis kept guard at the two windows. Theformer assumed the command of the party, for he challenged Hugh as headvanced towards them; and when he did so, those who were resting on theground about the carriage rose to their feet and clustered round him.
'Well!' said Simon, in a low voice; 'is all right?'
'Right enough,' replied Hugh, in the same tone. 'They're dispersingnow--had begun before I came away.'
'And is the coast clear?'
'Clear enough before our men, I take it,' said Hugh. 'There are not manywho, knowing of their work over yonder, will want to meddle with 'emto-night.--Who's got some drink here?'
Everybody had some plunder from the cellar; half-a-dozen flasks andbottles were offered directly. He selected the largest, and putting itto his mouth, sent the wine gurgling down his throat. Having emptiedit, he threw it down, and stretched out his hand for another, which heemptied likewise, at a draught. Another was given him, and this he halfemptied too. Reserving what remained to finish with, he asked:
'Have you got anything to eat, any of you? I'm as ravenous as a hungrywolf. Which of you was in the larder--come?'
'I was, brother,' said Dennis, pulling off his hat, and fumbling inthe crown. 'There's a matter of cold venison pasty somewhere or anotherhere, if that'll do.'
'Do!' cried Hugh, seating himself on the pathway. 'Bring it out! Quick!Show a light here, and gather round! Let me sup in state, my lads! Ha haha!'
Entering into his boisterous humour, for they all had drunk deeply, andwere as wild as he, they crowded about him, while two of their numberwho had torches, held them up, one on either side of him, that hisbanquet might not be despatched in the dark. Mr Dennis, having by thistime succeeded in extricating from his hat a great mass of pasty, whichhad been wedged in so tightly that it was not easily got out, put itbefore him; and Hugh, having borrowed a notched and jagged knife fromone of the company, fell to work upon it vigorously.
'I should recommend you to swallow a little fire every day, about anhour afore dinner, brother,' said Dennis, after a pause. 'It seems toagree with you, and to stimulate your appetite.'
Hugh looked at him, and at the blackened faces by which he wassurrounded, and, stopping for a moment to flourish his knife above hishead, answered with a roar of laughter.
'Keep order, there, will you?' said Simon Tappertit.
'Why, isn't a man allowed to regale himself, noble captain,' retortedhis lieutenant, parting the men who stood between them, with his knife,that he might see him,--'to regale himself a little bit after such workas mine? What a hard captain! What a strict captain! What a tyrannicalcaptain! Ha ha ha!'
'I wish one of you fellers would hold a bottle to his mouth to keep himquiet,' said Simon, 'unless you want the military to be down upon us.'
'And what if they are down upon us!' retorted Hugh. 'Who cares? Who'safraid? Let 'em come, I say, let 'em come. The more, the merrier. Giveme bold Barnaby at my side, and we two will settle the military, withouttroubling any of you. Barnaby's the man for the military. Barnaby'shealth!'
But as the majority of those present were by no means anxious for asecond engagement that night, being already weary and exhausted, theysided with Mr Tappertit, and pressed him to make haste with his supper,for they had already delayed too long. Knowing, even in the height ofhis frenzy, that they incurred great danger by lingering so near thescene of the late outrages, Hugh made an end of his meal without moreremonstrance, and rising, stepped up to Mr Tappertit, and smote him onthe back.
'Now then,' he cried, 'I'm ready. There are brave birds inside thiscage, eh? Delicate birds,--tender, loving, little doves. I caged 'em--Icaged 'em--one more peep!'
He thrust the little man aside as he spoke, and mounting on the steps,which were half let down, pulled down the blind by force, and staredinto the chaise like an ogre into his larder.
'Ha ha ha! and did you scratch, and pinch, and struggle, prettymistress?' he cried, as he grasped a little hand that sought in vain tofree itself from his grip: 'you, so bright-eyed, and cherry-lipped, anddaintily made? But I love you better for it, mistress. Ay, I do. Youshould stab me and welcome, so that it pleased you, and you had tocure me afterwards. I love to see you proud and scornful. It makes youhandsomer than ever; and who so handsome as you at any time, my prettyone!'
'Come!' said Mr Tappertit, who had waited during this speech withconsiderable impatience. 'There's enough of that. Come down.'
The little hand seconded this admonition by thrusting Hugh's great headaway with all its force, and drawing up the blind, amidst his noisylaughter, and vows that he must have another look, for the last glimpseof that sweet face had provoked him past all bearing. However, as thesuppressed impatience of the party now broke out into open murmurs,he abandoned this design, and taking his seat upon the bar, contentedhimself with tapping at the front windows of the carriage, and trying tosteal a glance inside; Mr Tappertit, mounting the steps and hanging onby the door, issued his directions to the driver with a commandingvoice and attitude; the rest got up behind, or ran by the side of thecarriage, as they could; some, in imitation of Hugh, endeavoured tosee the face he had praised so highly, and were reminded of theirimpertinence by hints from the cudgel of Mr Tappertit. Thus they pursuedtheir journey by circuitous and winding roads; preserving, except whenthey halted to take breath, or to quarrel about the best way of reachingLondon, pretty good order and tolerable silence.
In the mean time, Dolly--beautiful, bewitching, captivating littleDolly--her hair dishevelled, her dress torn, her dark eyelashes wet withtears, her bosom heaving--her face, now pale with fear, now crimsonedwith indignation--her whole self a hundred times more beautiful inthis heightened aspect than ever she had been before--vainly strove tocomfort Emma Haredale, and to impart to her the consolation of which shestood in so much need herself. The soldiers were sure to come; they mustbe rescued; it would be impossible to convey them through the streetsof London when they set the threats of their guards at defiance, andshrieked to the passengers for help. If they did this when theycame into the more frequented ways, she was certain--she was quitecertain--they must
be released. So poor Dolly said, and so poor Dollytried to think; but the invariable conclusion of all such arguments was,that Dolly burst into tears; cried, as she wrung her hands, what wouldthey do or think, or who would comfort them, at home, at the Golden Key;and sobbed most piteously.
Miss Haredale, whose feelings were usually of a quieter kind thanDolly's, and not so much upon the surface, was dreadfully alarmed, andindeed had only just recovered from a swoon. She was very pale, and thehand which Dolly held was quite cold; but she bade her, nevertheless,remember that, under Providence, much must depend upon their owndiscretion; that if they remained quiet and lulled the vigilance of theruffians into whose hands they had fallen, the chances of their beingable to procure assistance when they reached the town, were very muchincreased; that unless society were quite unhinged, a hot pursuit mustbe immediately commenced; and that her uncle, she might be sure, wouldnever rest until he had found them out and rescued them. But as she saidthese latter words, the idea that he had fallen in a general massacre ofthe Catholics that night--no very wild or improbable supposition afterwhat they had seen and undergone--struck her dumb; and, lost in thehorrors they had witnessed, and those they might be yet reserved for,she sat incapable of thought, or speech, or outward show of grief: asrigid, and almost as white and cold, as marble.
Oh, how many, many times, in that long ride, did Dolly think of her oldlover,--poor, fond, slighted Joe! How many, many times, did she recallthat night when she ran into his arms from the very man now projectinghis hateful gaze into the darkness where she sat, and leering throughthe glass in monstrous admiration! And when she thought of Joe, and whata brave fellow he was, and how he would have rode boldly up, anddashed in among these villains now, yes, though they were double thenumber--and here she clenched her little hand, and pressed her foot uponthe ground--the pride she felt for a moment in having won his heart,faded in a burst of tears, and she sobbed more bitterly than ever.
As the night wore on, and they proceeded by ways which were quiteunknown to them--for they could recognise none of the objects of whichthey sometimes caught a hurried glimpse--their fears increased; nor werethey without good foundation; it was not difficult for two beautifulyoung women to find, in their being borne they knew not whither by aband of daring villains who eyed them as some among these fellows did,reasons for the worst alarm. When they at last entered London, by asuburb with which they were wholly unacquainted, it was past midnight,and the streets were dark and empty. Nor was this the worst, for thecarriage stopping in a lonely spot, Hugh suddenly opened the door,jumped in, and took his seat between them.
It was in vain they cried for help. He put his arm about the neck ofeach, and swore to stifle them with kisses if they were not as silent asthe grave.
'I come here to keep you quiet,' he said, 'and that's the means I shalltake. So don't be quiet, pretty mistresses--make a noise--do--and Ishall like it all the better.'
They were proceeding at a rapid pace, and apparently with fewerattendants than before, though it was so dark (the torches beingextinguished) that this was mere conjecture. They shrunk from his touch,each into the farthest corner of the carriage; but shrink as Dollywould, his arm encircled her waist, and held her fast. She neither criednor spoke, for terror and disgust deprived her of the power; but sheplucked at his hand as though she would die in the effort to disengageherself; and crouching on the ground, with her head averted and helddown, repelled him with a strength she wondered at as much as he. Thecarriage stopped again.
'Lift this one out,' said Hugh to the man who opened the door, ashe took Miss Haredale's hand, and felt how heavily it fell. 'She'sfainted.'
'So much the better,' growled Dennis--it was that amiable gentleman.'She's quiet. I always like 'em to faint, unless they're very tender andcomposed.'
'Can you take her by yourself?' asked Hugh.
'I don't know till I try. I ought to be able to; I've lifted up a goodmany in my time,' said the hangman. 'Up then! She's no small weight,brother; none of these here fine gals are. Up again! Now we have her.'
Having by this time hoisted the young lady into his arms, he staggeredoff with his burden.
'Look ye, pretty bird,' said Hugh, drawing Dolly towards him. 'Rememberwhat I told you--a kiss for every cry. Scream, if you love me, darling.Scream once, mistress. Pretty mistress, only once, if you love me.'
Thrusting his face away with all her force, and holding down her head,Dolly submitted to be carried out of the chaise, and borne after MissHaredale into a miserable cottage, where Hugh, after hugging her to hisbreast, set her gently down upon the floor.
Poor Dolly! Do what she would, she only looked the better for it, andtempted them the more. When her eyes flashed angrily, and her ripe lipsslightly parted, to give her rapid breathing vent, who could resist it?When she wept and sobbed as though her heart would break, and bemoanedher miseries in the sweetest voice that ever fell upon a listener's ear,who could be insensible to the little winning pettishness which nowand then displayed itself, even in the sincerity and earnestness of hergrief? When, forgetful for a moment of herself, as she was now, she fellon her knees beside her friend, and bent over her, and laid her cheekto hers, and put her arms about her, what mortal eyes could have avoidedwandering to the delicate bodice, the streaming hair, the neglecteddress, the perfect abandonment and unconsciousness of the bloominglittle beauty? Who could look on and see her lavish caresses andendearments, and not desire to be in Emma Haredale's place; to be eitherher or Dolly; either the hugging or the hugged? Not Hugh. Not Dennis.
'I tell you what it is, young women,' said Mr Dennis, 'I an't much of alady's man myself, nor am I a party in the present business further thanlending a willing hand to my friends: but if I see much more of thishere sort of thing, I shall become a principal instead of a accessory. Itell you candid.'
'Why have you brought us here?' said Emma. 'Are we to be murdered?'
'Murdered!' cried Dennis, sitting down upon a stool, and regarding herwith great favour. 'Why, my dear, who'd murder sich chickabiddies asyou? If you was to ask me, now, whether you was brought here to bemarried, there might be something in it.'
And here he exchanged a grin with Hugh, who removed his eyes from Dollyfor the purpose.
'No, no,' said Dennis, 'there'll be no murdering, my pets. Nothing ofthat sort. Quite the contrairy.'
'You are an older man than your companion, sir,' said Emma, trembling.'Have you no pity for us? Do you not consider that we are women?'
'I do indeed, my dear,' retorted Dennis. 'It would be very hard not to,with two such specimens afore my eyes. Ha ha! Oh yes, I consider that.We all consider that, miss.'
He shook his head waggishly, leered at Hugh again, and laughed verymuch, as if he had said a noble thing, and rather thought he was comingout.
'There'll be no murdering, my dear. Not a bit on it. I tell you whatthough, brother,' said Dennis, cocking his hat for the convenienceof scratching his head, and looking gravely at Hugh, 'it's worthy ofnotice, as a proof of the amazing equalness and dignity of our law, thatit don't make no distinction between men and women. I've heerd the judgesay, sometimes, to a highwayman or housebreaker as had tied the ladiesneck and heels--you'll excuse me making mention of it, my darlings--andput 'em in a cellar, that he showed no consideration to women. Now, Isay that there judge didn't know his business, brother; and that ifI had been that there highwayman or housebreaker, I should have madeanswer: "What are you a talking of, my lord? I showed the women as muchconsideration as the law does, and what more would you have me do?" Ifyou was to count up in the newspapers the number of females as havebeen worked off in this here city alone, in the last ten year,' said MrDennis thoughtfully, 'you'd be surprised at the total--quite amazed, youwould. There's a dignified and equal thing; a beautiful thing! But we'veno security for its lasting. Now that they've begun to favour these herePapists, I shouldn't wonder if they went and altered even THAT, one ofthese days. Upon my soul, I shouldn't.'
The subject, perhaps from being
of too exclusive and professional anature, failed to interest Hugh as much as his friend had anticipated.But he had no time to pursue it, for at this crisis Mr Tappertit enteredprecipitately; at sight of whom Dolly uttered a scream of joy, andfairly threw herself into his arms.
'I knew it, I was sure of it!' cried Dolly. 'My dear father's at thedoor. Thank God, thank God! Bless you, Sim. Heaven bless you for this!'
Simon Tappertit, who had at first implicitly believed that thelocksmith's daughter, unable any longer to suppress her secret passionfor himself, was about to give it full vent in its intensity, and todeclare that she was his for ever, looked extremely foolish when shesaid these words;--the more so, as they were received by Hugh and Denniswith a loud laugh, which made her draw back, and regard him with a fixedand earnest look.
'Miss Haredale,' said Sim, after a very awkward silence, 'I hopeyou're as comfortable as circumstances will permit of. Dolly Varden,my darling--my own, my lovely one--I hope YOU'RE pretty comfortablelikewise.'
Poor little Dolly! She saw how it was; hid her face in her hands; andsobbed more bitterly than ever.
'You meet in me, Miss V.,' said Simon, laying his hand upon his breast,'not a 'prentice, not a workman, not a slave, not the wictim of yourfather's tyrannical behaviour, but the leader of a great people, thecaptain of a noble band, in which these gentlemen are, as I may say,corporals and serjeants. You behold in me, not a private individual, buta public character; not a mender of locks, but a healer of the wounds ofhis unhappy country. Dolly V., sweet Dolly V., for how many years haveI looked forward to this present meeting! For how many years has it beenmy intention to exalt and ennoble you! I redeem it. Behold in me, yourhusband. Yes, beautiful Dolly--charmer--enslaver--S. Tappertit is allyour own!'
As he said these words he advanced towards her. Dolly retreated till shecould go no farther, and then sank down upon the floor. Thinking it verypossible that this might be maiden modesty, Simon essayed to raise her;on which Dolly, goaded to desperation, wound her hands in his hair, andcrying out amidst her tears that he was a dreadful little wretch, andalways had been, shook, and pulled, and beat him, until he was fain tocall for help, most lustily. Hugh had never admired her half so much asat that moment.
'She's in an excited state to-night,' said Simon, as he smoothed hisrumpled feathers, 'and don't know when she's well off. Let her be byherself till to-morrow, and that'll bring her down a little. Carry herinto the next house!'
Hugh had her in his arms directly. It might be that Mr Tappertit's heartwas really softened by her distress, or it might be that he felt it insome degree indecorous that his intended bride should be struggling inthe grasp of another man. He commanded him, on second thoughts, to puther down again, and looked moodily on as she flew to Miss Haredale'sside, and clinging to her dress, hid her flushed face in its folds.
'They shall remain here together till to-morrow,' said Simon, who hadnow quite recovered his dignity--'till to-morrow. Come away!'
'Ay!' cried Hugh. 'Come away, captain. Ha ha ha!'
'What are you laughing at?' demanded Simon sternly.
'Nothing, captain, nothing,' Hugh rejoined; and as he spoke, and clappedhis hand upon the shoulder of the little man, he laughed again, for someunknown reason, with tenfold violence.
Mr Tappertit surveyed him from head to foot with lofty scorn (this onlymade him laugh the more), and turning to the prisoners, said:
'You'll take notice, ladies, that this place is well watched on everyside, and that the least noise is certain to be attended with unpleasantconsequences. You'll hear--both of you--more of our intentionsto-morrow. In the mean time, don't show yourselves at the window, orappeal to any of the people you may see pass it; for if you do, it'llbe known directly that you come from a Catholic house, and all theexertions our men can make, may not be able to save your lives.'
With this last caution, which was true enough, he turned to the door,followed by Hugh and Dennis. They paused for a moment, going out, tolook at them clasped in each other's arms, and then left the cottage;fastening the door, and setting a good watch upon it, and indeed allround the house.
'I say,' growled Dennis, as they walked away in company, 'that's adainty pair. Muster Gashford's one is as handsome as the other, eh?'
'Hush!' said Hugh, hastily. 'Don't you mention names. It's a bad habit.'
'I wouldn't like to be HIM, then (as you don't like names), when hebreaks it out to her; that's all,' said Dennis. 'She's one of them fine,black-eyed, proud gals, as I wouldn't trust at such times with a knifetoo near 'em. I've seen some of that sort, afore now. I recollect onethat was worked off, many year ago--and there was a gentleman in thatcase too--that says to me, with her lip a trembling, but her hand assteady as ever I see one: "Dennis, I'm near my end, but if I had adagger in these fingers, and he was within my reach, I'd strike him deadafore me;"--ah, she did--and she'd have done it too!'
Strike who dead?' demanded Hugh.
'How should I know, brother?' answered Dennis. 'SHE never said; notshe.'
Hugh looked, for a moment, as though he would have made some furtherinquiry into this incoherent recollection; but Simon Tappertit, who hadbeen meditating deeply, gave his thoughts a new direction.
'Hugh!' said Sim. 'You have done well to-day. You shall be rewarded.So have you, Dennis.--There's no young woman YOU want to carry off, isthere?'
'N--no,' returned that gentleman, stroking his grizzly beard, which wassome two inches long. 'None in partickler, I think.'
'Very good,' said Sim; 'then we'll find some other way of making it upto you. As to you, old boy'--he turned to Hugh--'you shall have Miggs(her that I promised you, you know) within three days. Mind. I pass myword for it.'
Hugh thanked him heartily; and as he did so, his laughing fit returnedwith such violence that he was obliged to hold his side with one hand,and to lean with the other on the shoulder of his small captain, withoutwhose support he would certainly have rolled upon the ground.