A FATHER'S VENGEANCE.
Haste me to know it; that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge!
--_Shakespeare_.
Ishmael went to the door and admitted Katie. The old woman made an
impulsive rush towards her master, but stopped and burst into a
passion of tears so violent that she was scarcely able to stand.
"Sit down, Katie. Sit down and compose yourself. Your master will
not take it amiss that you sit in his presence," said Ishmael,
pushing a low, soft chair towards the woman, while he glanced
inquiringly towards the judge.
"Certainly not; let her rest; sit down, Katie. How do you do?" said
the judge, going towards his old servant and holding out his hands.
"Oh, marster! Oh, marster!" sobbed Katie, sinking into the seat and
clinging to her master's venerable hands, upon which her tears fell
like rain.
The judge gently withdrew his hands, but it was only that he might
use them for Katie's relief.
He poured out a glass of the same restorative that he had found so
effectual in his own case, and he made her drink it.
Poor Katie was unused to such stimulants, and she immediately felt
its effects. Her eyes sparkled threateningly as she set the empty
glass down upon the table.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, with indescribable force of spite; "ah, the
whited saltpeter! Now I send her to de penumtenshury; now I send her
dere to pick oakum in a crash gown and cropped hair, and an oberseer
wid a big whip to drive her!"
"What is she talking of? What does she mean by whited saltpeter?"
inquired the judge.
"'Whited sepulchre' is Katie's Scripture name for a hypocrite, I
suppose," suggested Ishmael.
"Not on'y for a hypocrite, Marse Ishmael! Not on'y for a hypocrite;
but for a pi'son, 'ceitful, lyin' white nigger!" said Katie, with
her eyes snapping.
"Katie, Katie, you are using ugly words," remonstrated the judge.
"Not half so venomous ugly as dem I applies 'em to, begging your
pardon, ole marse," said the woman, with a positive nod of her head.
"Where did you leave your lady?" inquired the judge, who had been
almost dying of anxiety to ask this question, but had refrained on
account of Katie's excessive agitation. "Where did you leave your
mistress?"
"Le'me see. Where did I leave her ag'in? Oh! I 'members exactly now.
'Deed I got good reason to 'member dat night, if I never 'members
anoder day nor night of my life."
"Tell us, Katie," said Ishmael.
"Well, den, I done lef her on de grand staircase o' de castle a-
goin' down to dinner. And she looked beautiful in her rosy more
antics, just like a lamb dressed for the sacrifice, 'cordin' to de
Scriptur'. And she unsuspicionin' anything and me dyin' to tell her,
on'y she wouldn't stop to listen to me."
"To tell her what, Katie?"
"Why, laws, honey, 'bout de debblish plot as my lordship and dat
whited saltpeter and de shamwalley plotted ag'in her--ag'in her, my
own dear babyship--ladyship, I meant to say."
"There was a plot, then?" inquired Ishmael, with forced calmness,
for he wished quietly to draw out the woman's story without
agitating and confusing her. "There was a plot then?"
"Oh, wasn't dere? De blackest plot ag'in my ladyship as ebber de old
debbil hisse'f could o' put in anybody's head. And I heard it all!
And I heard it all good, too."
"What was it, Katie? Can you tell us?" inquired Ishmael, while the
judge bent his pale, careworn, and anxious face nearer the speaker.
"Well, Marse Ishmael, you know how solemn you cautioned me to watch
ober my ladyship, don't you, sir?"
"Yes, Katie; yes."
"Well, I beared what you said in mind. And de dear knows as my poor
dear ladyship did 'quire to be watched ober worse nor anybody I
ebber seed. It seems like you was a prophet, Marse Ishmael, 'cause
how you know how she was going to be sitterated."
"Never mind, Katie. Go on and tell us of the plot," said Ishmael,
while Judge Merlin's face grew sharp and peaked in his silent
anguish of suspense. But both knew that it was best to let Katie
tell her story in her own way.
"Well, Marse Ishmael, sir, I laid to heart what you telled me so
solemn, and I did watch ober my ladyship, and I watched ober her
good! And she didn't know it, nor likewise nobody else. And berry
soon I saw as my ladyship was 'rounded by inimies. And as dat whited
saltpeter was a'tryin' to take her husband away from her. And den
ag'in I say plain 'nough as my lordship was willin' 'nough for to be
tuk, for dat matter. So I watched him and de whited saltpeter."
"But who is it that you call the whited sepulchre, Katie?" demanded
the judge.
"Why, who but his sisser-in-law! his sisser-in-law what lib long o'
him; yes! and libbed long o' him afore ebber my poor, dear, 'ceived
ladyship ebber see him!"
"But who was this lady, and what was her name?" asked the judge.
"She warn't no lady! She was an oppry singer, as was no better 'an
she should be, and as had misled away my lordship's younger brother,
who married of her, and died, and serve him right, de 'fernally
fool! And den ebber since he died she done lib long o' my lordship
at de castle. And her name is Mrs. Doogood, which is a 'fernally
false, 'cause she nebber does no good! But my lordship, whenebber
he's palabering ob his sof' nonsense to her, he call her, so he do,
Fustunner! I s'pose 'cause, when she quarrel wid him, she make fuss
'nough to stun a miller."
"And this woman you say was my daughter's enemy?"
"Well, I reckon, marster, as you would call her sich, ef you heerd
de plot she and my lordship and de shamwalley made up 'gin my
ladyship."
"Yes, but, Katie, you have not yet told us the plot," said Ishmael.
"Well, I gwine do it now, right off, Marse Ishmael! Well, you see I
kept on watchin' of 'em, till one day, it happened as a poor gal,
one o' de housemaids, was found wid her t'roat cut unnerneaf of de
castle wall--"
At this announcement Judge Merlin started and looked at Ishmael, but
the young man made a sign that the judge should say nothing that
might interrupt the thread of Katie's narrative. Katie continued:
"And de offercers ob de law tuk possession ob de castle to 'quire
inter who was de murderers ob de poor gal. But de more dey 'quired
inter it, de more dey couldn't find it out! And arter dey'd stayed
dere a whole week 'quiring, dey was furder off from findin' out nor
ebber. So dey all up and sent in a werdick as de gal was foun' wid
her t'roat cut and nobody knowed who did it. Dat was de werdick.
Which dey needn't o' stayed 'quiring and eaten' and drinkin' on us a
whole week to tell us dat. 'Cause we knowed dat much afore. How-so-
ebber, home 'dey all went and let de poor gal be buried. And I
happened to be in de big hall and to cotch my eye on my lordship, as
he said to his wally sham:
'"Frisbie, I shall want you in my room presently; so don't be out o'
de way.'
"And I cotch my eye on Mr. Frisbie, too, and I see how he turned
sort o' white round de gills, and he say:
"'I'll be at hand, my lord.'
"I says:
"'And so will I be at hand, my lord.'
"And sure 'nough, I goes and steals inter my lordship's dressing
room, unbeknown to anybody, and I hides myself ahind one ob dem
thick curtains! And presently sure 'nough my lordship he comes in
and rings for Mr. Frisbie. Marse Ishmael, honey, would you mind
givin' of your poor old Aunt Katie another tumbler o' rum? 'Deed I
don't beliebe as I can go on wid de story widout somet'ing to s'port
me."
"So much rum is not good for you, Katie, but I will give you a glass
of water," said Ishmael.
"Oh, honey, no, don't, please! I don't like water in de winter time,
it allers gibs me a cold in the stummick. But rum warms me."
Judge Merlin, who was much too anxious that Katie should continue
her story to be fastidious as to the means he took to that end,
poured out and administered to the old creature a small portion of
the spirits.
"Thanky, marster! thanky, chile! You'se got some feelin' for ole
folks, you has! Dese young people, dey aint got no 'sideration, dey
aint. Dat make me feel good all ober! now I gwine on. Well, Mr.
Frisbie, he answers my lordship's bell and he comes in, so he does.
And den--oh! Marse Ishmael!--my lordship 'cuses ob him o' bein' de
murderer! and tells him how he, my lordship, seen him, Mr. Frisbie,
do de deed! Well Frisbie, he fell on his two knees and begged for
marcy. And oh! marster! my lordship promised to hide his crime on
conditions--such conditions, Marse Ishmael!"
"What were they, Katie?" inquired Judge Merlin, in a dying voice,
for a suspicion of something like the truth made him reel.
"My lordship promised de shamwalley he would save him from de
gallows if he would help him to get rid ob Lady Vincent."
There was an irrepressible exclamation of horror from Ishmael and a
low cry of anguish from Judge Merlin. But neither ventured to speak,
lest by doing so he should confuse Katie, who continued her story.
"And so my lordship plotted wid de shamwalley, how he, de
shamwalley, was to 'tend to be fond o' my ladyship, and follow arter
her, and do sly things to draw de eyes o' de household on her, make
dem all s'picion her, and talk about her--"
"What! my daughter! Claudia Merlin!" exclaimed the judge, in a voice
of thunder, as he started to his feet and stood staring at the
speaker.
"Oh, ole marse, for de Lord's sake, don't! You scare away all de
little sense dem debbils has lef' me!" cried Katie, shuddering.
"His wretched lackey!" vociferated the judge. "By all the fiends in
flames, I'll shoot that scoundrel Vincent with less remorse than I
would a mad dog!"
"Oh, marster, yes! shoot him or hang him, jus' which ebber you
thinks bes'! On'y don't roar so loud; for 'deed it's awful to hear
you! And besides, if you do, I can't go on and tell you no more, and
you ought to hear it all, you know," shivered Katie.
"She is right, sir! Pray compose yourself. Do you not see how
important it is that we should have a clear statement of facts from
this eye- and ear-witness of the conspiracy against Lady Vincent's
honor? Try to listen coolly, sir! as coolly as if you were on the
bench. Be--not the father, but the judge," earnestly remonstrated
Ishmael, as he gently constrained his old friend to sit down again.
"Don't you know that I will kill that man?" exclaimed the judge, as
he sank into his seat.
"I know that you will do just what a Christian gentleman should do
in the premises," gravely replied Ishmael.
"Go on! what next?" demanded the judge, in a voice that utterly
upset Katie, who had to recover her composure before she could
continue her statement. At last she said:
"Well, den, arter dey had 'ranged dat plot dey lef' de room. And I
come out and waylaid my ladyship to tell her all about it and put
her on her guard. And I met her on de stairs jus' as I telled you
afore, and she looking like an angel o' beauty; but she wouldn't
stop to listen to me. She tole me to go to her dressing room and
wait for her there. And she walked downstairs like any queen, so she
did, and dat was de las' as ebber I see ob my ladyship."
Here Katie paused for breath. Ishmael made a sign to Judge Merlin
not to speak. Then Katie went on.
"I goed to de dressin' room; and I waited and waited hour arter
hour, but my ladyship she nebber come. But while I was a-peeping
t'rough de door, a-watching for her, in comes dat whited saltpeter
and goes into her 'partments. And den soon arter comes my lordship,
takin' long, sly steps, like a cat as is gwine to steal cream. And
he goes into Fustunner's rooms."
Katie paused, drew a long breath, and went on.
"You may be sure, marster, as I knowed he war a-going in dere to
talk ober his debblish plot long o' her. So I jus' took a leaf out'n
my lordship's own book and I creeps along jus' as sly as he could
and I peeps t'rough de keyhole, and I sees as how dey wasn't in de
outermos' room, but in de innermos', dough all the doors was open in
a row and I seen clear t'rough to de dressin'-room fire, where dey
was bof a-standing facin' of it, wid deir backs towards me. So I
opens de door sof', an' steals in t'rough all de rooms to de las'
one, and hides myse'f in de folds ob de curtain as was drawed up one
side o' de door. So, sure 'nough, he was a-tellin' of her 'bout de
plot ag'n my ladyship, and how dey would 'trive t'rough de wallysham
to make her appear guilty, so he could get a 'vorce from her, and
keep her fortin, and marry Fustunner!"
"Flames and furies!" burst forth the judge, starting to his feet;
but Ishmael firmly, though gently, put him down again, and made an
imploring sign that he should control his passion and listen in
calmness.
It took Katie some little time to get over this last startling shock
before she could continue her story.
"Now, Marse Ishmael, if you don't keep ole marster quiet, 'deed I
gwine shut up my mouf, 'cause he's wuss on anybody's narves dan an
elected battery," she said.
"Go on, Katie, go on!" commanded Ishmael, as he stood by Judge
Merlin's chair and kept his arm over the old man's shoulders.
"Well, den, he keep still. 'Deed I 'fraid he tears me up nex' time
he jump at me."
"Have no uneasiness, Katie. Go on!"
"Well, dat whited saltpeter--oh, but she's deep!--'proved _ob_
de plot, and clapped her hands like a fool, and den she 'proved
_on_ de plot, too, for she planned out how dey should all make
a party to go to de play, and pertend to inwite my ladyship to go
'long too, which they knowed she wouldn't do. And how dey should go
widout her; and how de shamwalley should hide himse'f in my
ladyship's room, unbeknownst to her; and how dey should all come
back and bust open de door and find him in dere; and how he should
'fess a lie as my ladyship invited him dere, and was in de habit ob
so doing--"
Here Ishmael had hard work to keep Judge Merlin down in his seat,
and restrain the old man's demonstrations within the limits of
making awful faces and tearing out his own gray hair by the roots.
Katie meanwhile continued:
"Well, marster, jus' when I had heerd dat much--cuss my nose!--I beg
your pardon, Marse Ishmael, but--I sneezed! And nex' minute my
lordship had me by de t'roat, and den he began cussin' and swearin',
an' sassin' at me hard as ebber he could. But didn't I gib him good
as he sent, soon as ebber he let go my t'roat? Well, childun, I jus'
did! But den, when dey foun' out I had heern ebberyt'ing, and knowed
all deir 'fernally tricks, and mean to 'form on dem, dey got scared,
dey did! And my lordship ax what was to be done? And de whited
saltpeter said how I mus'n't be let to leabe de room alibe. So when
I heerd dat, I got scared; and anybody would in my place. So I
opened my mouf to scream. But lor', childun, he squeezed my t'roat
till I loss my breaf as well as my voice. But I heerd him ax her
ag'in what was to be done? For, you see, de 'fernally fool seemed to
'pend on her for ebberyt'ing. And he ax her couldn't she help him?
And she rushed about de room and fotch somefin, and he put it to my
nose, and--I went dead!"
"It must have been chloroform," suggested Ishmael.
"Dunno what it was; but I'm sure I should know de truck ag'in. For
of all de grape winyards and apple orchids and flower gardens as
ebber smelt lovely, dat truck smelt de loveliest. And of all de
silvery flutes and violins and pineannas and bells as ebber rung out
for a wedding, dat truck did ring de silveriest t'rough my brain.
And of all de 'luminations as ebber was 'luminated for de presiden's
'lection, dat truck did 'luminate my eyes. And tell you what,
childun, dough dey was a-murdering of me wid it, de 'ceiving truck
sent me right to hebben afore it sent me dead!"
"What next?" inquired Ishmael.
"Well, nex' thing when I come to life ag'in, I found myself in a
dark, narrow, steep place, going down--bump! bump! bump! and den
faster--bumpetty--bumpetty--bumpetty--bump! till I t'ought ebbery
blessed bone in my body would have been broke! And I t'ought how two
debbils had hold of my soul, a-dragging it down to--you know where,"
said Katie, rolling her eyes mysteriously.
"Proceed," said Ishmael.
"Well, when dey got me to de bottom, dey drag me along a wet, hard,
stony floor, so dey did; and I 'fraid to draw my bref! Oh, marster!
I couldn't tell you how far dey dragged me, till dey stopt. Den a
voice said:
"'Finish her here!'--and dat was Fustunner's voice. And den anoder
voice answered and said:
"'She's done for already.' And dat was my lordship's voice.
"And den I knowed as dey wa'n't debbils--leastways not spiritual
debbils--as had my soul, dragging it down to--you know where; but
human debbils, as was takin' of me down in some deep wault to kill
me. So I t'ought de best t'ing I could do was to sham dead. So I
kep' my eyes shet and held my breaf, and shammed hard as I could.
But somehow or 'noder I don't t'ink I 'ceived my lordship. I t'ink I
on'y 'ceived her. Anyways, he pitched me neck and crop into a dark,
stony, wet cell, and locked de door on me, and den dey bof went
away."
Here Katie paused and remained silent so long that Ishmael felt
obliged again to set her going by saying:
"Well, Katie, what followed?"
"Why, nothing but darkness; blackness of darkness, Marse Ishmael, so
thick it 'peared like I could feel it with my hands. I did get up on
my feet and feel all around, and dere was nothing below, or 'round,
or ober me but wet stone wall. And de place was so small, as I could
stand dere and reach any part of de wall on any side ob me widout
taking of a step. And wa'n't dat a perty place to put a Christian
'oman into? Deed, I beliebe I should o' gib up de ghose, if I had
had de t'ought to t'ink about myself. But I hadn't. I t'ought only
of my poor, dear ladyship up dere 'sposed to de treachery ob dem
debbils wid nobody to warn her, nor likewise purtect her, poor dear
baby! And when I t'ought of dat, seemed to me as my poor heart would
'a' bust. And I beliebe it would, on'y dere came a divurtisement.
For you see, I sets myself down in my 'spair, on de cole stone
floor; and soon as ebber I does dat, a whole passel o' rats come a-
nosin' and a-smellin' at me, and nibblin' my shoes 's if dey'd like
to 'vour me alibe; and it tuk all my time and 'tention to dribe dem
away."
"That was horrible, Katie," said Ishmael, in a tone of sympathy.
"Well, so it was, Marse Ishmael; but for all dat somehow I was right
down glad to see de rats--dey was alibe, and arter dey come, 'peared
like de place wasn't so much like a grabe; 'sides which dey was
company for me down dere in de dark, and dey gi' me somefin to do,
keepin' dem offen me."
"But, Katie, were you not afraid of being abandoned there and left
to die?"
"Well, honey, I s'pose I should ha' been ef I had t'ought of it.
But, you see, I nebber t'ought o' nothin' but my poor, dear,
desolate ladyship, as I telled you before."
"Yes; I can easily understand that, Katie. Lady Vincent's situation
was even much worse than your own," said Ishmael.
"Oh, the infernal scoundrel! I'll kill him! I'll shoot him like a
dog, if I have to follow him all over the world and spend my life in
the pursuit!" broke forth Judge Merlin.
There ensued a short pause in the conversation, and then Ishmael,
speaking in a low, calm tone, inquired:
"How long did you remain in that dungeon, Katie?"
"'Deed, Marse Ishmael, chile, I dunno; cause, you see, I hadn't no
ways o' keepin' 'count o' de time; for, you see, noonday was jus' as
dark as midnight in dat den. So how I gwine tell when day broke, or
when night come ag'in? or how many days broke, or how many nights
come?"
"Then you have really no idea of how long you remained there?"
"Not a bit! 'Cause, you see, Marse Ishmael, 'pears to me, judging by
my feelin's, as I must a stayed dere about seben years. But den I
don't s'pose I stayed dat long neider, 'cause I know I nebber had
nothin' to eat nor drink all de time I was dere; which, you know I
couldn't a' fasted seben years, down dere, could I?"
"Not with safety to life and health, Katie," smiled Ishmael.
"Well, den, if it wasn't seben years, it was as long as ebber
anybody could lib dere a-fastin'!"
"How did you get out at last, Katie?"
"Well, now, Marse Ishmael, begging of your pardon, dat was the
curiousest t'ing of all! I dunno no more how I come out'n dat dark
den, nor de man in de moon! I t'ink it was witchcraft and
debbilment, dat's what I t'ink," whispered Katie, rolling her eyes
mysteriously.
"Tell us what you do know, however," said Ishmael.
"Well, all I know is jus' dis: I had to keep my eyes open day and
night to dribe de rats away. And tired and sleepy as I was, I
dar'n't go to sleep, for fear as dey would 'vour me alibe. Last,
hows'eber, I was so dead tired, and so dead sleepy, dat I couldn't
keep awake no longer, and so I fell fas' asleep, and now, Marse
Ishmael, listen, 'cause I gwine to tell you somethin' wery
'stonishin'! Sure as I'm a-libbin' 'oman, standin' here afore your
eyes, when I drapped asleep I was in dat dark den, unner de groun',
and when I waked up I was in a ship sailin' on de big sea! Dere! you
may beliebe me or not, as you choose, but dat is de trufe!"
Judge Merlin and Ishmael exchanged glances and then the latter said:
"The case is a perfectly clear one to me, sir. While she slept she
was made to inhale chloroform, and while under its influence she was
conveyed from her prison to the ship, very likely a smuggler; and
was brought here and sold for a slave."
"Dere! dere! If Marse Ishmael wort aint hit de nail right on de
head! To be sure it mus' a been chloe-fawn! And 'pears to me I has a
faint membry as how I was dreaming o' de same sweet scents and
silver bells and rosy lights as I had 'sperienced once afore. To be
sure it mus' a been chloe-fawn! And as for de rest, Marse Ishmael,
it is all true as gospel! Sure 'nough, dey did fetch me to dis
island and dey did sell me for a slabe," said old Katie.
"But hadn't you a tongue in your head? Couldn't you have told the
people here that you were free?" demanded Judge Merlin impatiently.
"An' sure, didn't I do it? Didn't I pallaber till my t'roat was
sore? And didn't poor Jim and Sally pallaber till deir t'roats was
sore? And didn't all t'ree of us pallaber togeder till we mos' wore
out our tongues? Didn't do no good, dough! 'Cause you see, de people
here is sich barbariums dat dey cannot unnerstan' one word o' good
Christian talk."
"And if they had understood you, Katie, as some of them probably
did, it would not have served you; your unsupported words would have
never been taken. As you are aware, my dear judge, if you will take
time to reflect," added Ishmael, turning to Judge Merlin,
"Certainly, certainly," replied the latter.
"But, Katie, you mentioned Sally and Jim. Is it possible that they
also were kidnaped?" inquired Ishmael.
"You better beliebe it, honey! 'Cause it's true as gospel, chile!
Now I gwine to tell you all about it. One o' de fust tings I t'ought
when I woke up and stared around to find myself aboard dat vessel on
de water, was dat I had died in dat cell and dat de angels was a-
takin' my soul across de Riber ob Jordan to the City ob de New
Jerusalem 'cordin' to de Scriptur'. On'y you see, chile, I wasn't
dat downright sure and sartain as I myse'f was a saint prepared for
hebben; nor likewise did de man as sat smoking and drinking at de
table look like the chief ob de angels."
"In what part of the ship were you when you recovered your
consciousness?" inquired Ishmael, who wished to have a clear idea of
the "situation."
"In de cap'n's cabin, Marse Ishmael. And dat was de cap'n, dough I
didn't know who he was, nor where I was, at de time. So I up and ax
him:
"'Please, marster, if you please, sir, to tell me is I to go to
hebben or t'other place?'
"'Oh! you've come to, have you?' says he, and he takes a pipe from
de table and he whistles.
"And den a bad-lookin' man comes down. And says de captain to him:
"'Jack, bundle dis 'oman out'n here and put her into the steerage.'
"And de ill-lookin' man he says to me:
"'Come along, blacky!'
"And so I up and followed him to de deck, 'cause why not? What was
de use o' resistin'? 'Sides which, I t'ought by going farder I might
fine out more. And sure 'nough so I did! for soon as ebber I got on
deck, de fuss person I see was Jim. Which soon as ebber I see him,
and he see me, he run, de poor boy, and cotch me 'round de neck, and
hugged and kissed me, and said says he:
"'Oh, my mammy! is dis you?'
"And says I:
"'Yes, Jim, it's me! I died down dere, in a wault, in de bottom o'
de castle. When did you die, Jim?'
"'Am I dead, mammy?' says he.
"'Why, to be sure you are,' says I, 'else how you come here?'
"'And dat's true enough,' says he. 'On'y I didn't know I was dead
till you told me, mammy. Well, if I'm dead, I s'pose I must 'a' died
sudden. Cause I know I was well and hearty enough; on'y dat I was
troubled 'bout you, mammy; and I went to sleep in my bed and when I
waked up I was here.'
"Well, while Jim was talkin' I heerd de man, Jack, say:
"'Go along den, you cuss! dere's your frien's.'
"And I looked up and dere he was a-pushing Sally along towards us!
"'And, oh, Sally,' says I, 'are you dead too?'
"'No, Aunt Katie, I aint dead; but I'm stole! And I s'pects you all
is too!' And den she boo-hoo-ed right out.
"'Sally,' says I, 'you is dead!'
"'No, I aint, Aunt Katie, I's stole!' she said, crying as if her
heart would break.
"'Sally,' says I, 'you's dead! Now don't 'ny it! 'Cause what would
be de use? For if you aint dead, how came you here?'
"'I know how I come here well enough. I was stole out'n my bed and
brought here. And my lordship help de t'ieves to steal me. I saw
him.'
"'Mammy,' says Jim, 'I reckon Sally's in de right ob it. And 'deed I
hopes she is; 'cause you see if she aint dead, why no more are we;
and if she was stole, why, it's like as we was too!' And den turnin'
round to Sally, he says, says he:
"'Sally, tell us what happened to you.'
"So Sally she told us how she hadn't been able to sleep de night
afore; and how towards mornin' she t'ought she would get up and
dress herse'f. And jus' as she was a-puttin' on her shoes, all ob a
sudden de door opens and in walks my lordship, follyed by two men!
which she was so 'stonished she could do nothing but stare, 'till my
lordship sprung at her t'roat and put somefing to her nose, as made
her faint away. Which ob course it mus' a been chloe-fawn."
"Of course," said Ishmael; "but go on with your statement."
"Well, and Sally tole me how, when she come to herself, she was in
dis wessel. But she says she wasn't 'ceived one bit. She 'membered
eberyting. And she could swear to de men as stole her, which dey was
my lordship--and a perty lordship he is!--and de captain o' de
wessel and de fust mate."
"Sally will be a most invaluable witness against those felons Judge
Merlin, if she can be found and taken to England," whispered
Ishmael.
The old man nodded assent. And Katie continued:
"Well, childun, afore I heerd Sally's 'scription o' how dey sarved
her, I could a sword as we was all dead, and on our woyage cross de
riber of Jordan. But arter dat I was open to conwiction; which you
know, Marse Ishmael, I was allers ob a lib'ral, 'lightened turn o'
mind! And so I gib in as we was all alibe."
"Well, and what then, Katie? How did you reconcile yourself to your
lot?"
"Well, Marse Ishmael, you know how it is wid us poor cullered folks,
as can't eben call our childun our own? Well, seeing as we was in de
hand o' de spoiler, we laid low and said nothin'. What would a been
de use o' makin' a fuss dere? We couldn't get out'n de wessel if
dey'd let us, 'less we had gone inter de water. So we 'signed
ourselves to carcumstances and did de bes' we could till we arribed
out here to dese Wes' Stingy Islands and was put up for sale. Den we
spoke; but we might jus' as well a held our tongues; for as I telled
you afore, dese barbariums don't unnerstan' one blessed word o' good
Christian talk. And so, Marse Ishmael, spite o' all we could say,
poor Jim was knocked down to a sinner-done as libe in de country,
which sinner-done took him off dere. And Sally she was sole to a
sinner-done as libs near de Captain General's palace. Dese
barbariums calls all de ladies and gemmen sinner-dones an' sinner-
doners. And I was give away to a 'fernal low shopkeeper near de
quays."
"Now, Judge Merlin," said Ishmael, "that we have heard her story, we
must take very prompt measures."
"What would you do, Ishmael?"
For all answer, Ishmael rang the bell and ordered a carriage to be
brought to the door immediately. That done, he turned to the judge
and said:
"We must take Katie with us, ask Mr. Brudenell to accompany us, and
drive first to the office of our consul. We shall require official
assistance in the recovery of these servants. We must be quick, for
we must get all this business settled in time for the sailing of the
'Cadiz,' in which we must return to England, and take these negroes
with us. We must at any cost; even if we have to purchase them back
at double the money for which they were sold. For you see that their
testimony is all we require to overthrow Lord Vincent and vindicate
his wife."
"Oh, the infernal villain! Do you think, Ishmael, that I shall be
contented with simply overthrowing him in the divorce court? No! By
all that is most sacred, I will kill him!" thundered the judge.
"We will not have any divorce trial," said Ishmael firmly. "We will
not have your daughter's pure name dragged through the mire of a
divorce court; we will have Lord Vincent and his accomplices
arrested and tried; the valet for murder, and the viscount and the
opera singer for conspiracy and kidnaping. We have proof enough to
convict them all; the valet will be hanged; and the viscount and the
opera singer sentenced to penal servitude for many years. Will not
that be sufficient punishment for the conspirators. And is it not
better that the law should deal out retributive justice to them,
than that you should execute unlawful vengeance?" inquired the young
man.
"But my daughter! My daughter!"
"Your daughter shall be restored to you; her dower recovered; her
name preserved; and her honor perfectly, triumphantly vindicated."