Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
...
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou com'st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee.
SHAKESPEARE.
It was past two o'clock when Mr John Forster returned from his chambers
and let himself in with a pass-key. Having secured the street door, the
old gentleman lighted his candle from the lamp, which he then blew out,
and had his foot upon the first step of the stairs, when he was startled
by a loud snore from Nicholas in the dining-room; he immediately
proceeded there, and found his brother, with his heed still lying on the
table.
"Humph!" ejaculated the lawyer. "Why brother Nicholas! brother
Nicholas!"
Nicholas, who had nearly slept off the effects of the wine, answered
with an unintelligible sort of growling.
"Brother Nicholas, I say--brother Nicholas--will you get up, or lie here
all night?"
"They shall be cleaned and ready by to-morrow morning," replied
Nicholas, dreaming.
"Humph! that's more than you will be, apparently.--I say, brother
Nicholas."
"Yes brother," replied Nicholas, raising his head and staring at the
candle. "Why, what's the matter?"
"The matter is, that I wish to go to bed, and wish to see you in bed
before I go myself."
"Yes, brother John, if you please, certainly. Where's my bed? I do
believe I have been asleep."
"Humph! I have no doubt upon the subject," replied John Forster,
lighting another candle. "Come this way, brother Nicholas," and they
both ascended the stairs.
When Mr John Forster arrived at the door of his own room, on the first
story, he stopped. "Now, brother Nicholas, are you quite awake? Do you
think that I may trust you with a candle?"
"I should hope so," replied Nicholas; "I see that it is silver, but I
hope I'm honest, brother John."
"Humph! I mean, can I trust you to put it out?"
"Yes, I think that you may. Pray which is my room?"
"The first door on the left, when you are at the top of the stairs."
"The first door."
"Yes, the first on the left; do you understand?"
"Yes, brother, I do; the first door on the left."
"Very well; then I wish you a good-night."
"Good-night, brother," replied Nicholas, ascending the stairs as John
Forster entered his room.
Nicholas arrived at the head of the stairs; but his brain was not very
clear. He muttered to himself "I think I'm right--yes, I'm right--the
first door--to the right--yes--that's it," and instead of the room to
the left, where Newton was, he walked into the one to the right, which
appertained to the housekeeper, Mrs Smith.
The old lady was fast asleep. Nicholas threw off his clothes, put out
his candle, and stepped into bed without waking the old lady, whom he
supposed to be his son, and in a few minutes they snored in concert.
The morning dawned. The watchmen (London nightingales) ceased their
notes and retired to their beds. The chimney-sweeps (larks of the
metropolis) raised their shrill cry as they paced along with chattering
teeth. House-maids and kitchen-maids presented their back views to the
early passengers, as they washed off the accumulation of the previous
day from the steps of the front door. "Milk below," (certainly much
below "proof"), was answered by the assent of the busy cooks, when a
knock at the door of Mrs Smith's room from the red knuckles of the
housemaid, awoke her to a sense of her equivocal situation.
At her first discovery that a man was in her bed, she uttered a scream
of horror, throwing herself upon her knees, and extending her hands
before her in her amazement. The scream awoke Nicholas, who, astonished
at the sight, and his modesty equally outraged, also threw himself in
the same posture, facing her, and recoiling. Each looked aghast at
each: each considered the other as the lawless invader; but before a
word of explanation could pass between them, their countenances changed
from horror to surprise, from surprise to anxiety and doubt.
"Why!" screamed the housekeeper, losing her breath with astonishment.
"It is!" cried Nicholas, retreating further.
"Yes--yes--it is--my _dear_ Nicholas!"
"No--it can't be," replied Nicholas, hearing the fond appellation.
"It is--oh yes--it is your poor unhappy wife, who begs your pardon,
Nicholas," cried the housekeeper, bursting into tears, and falling into
his arms.
"My dear--dear wife!" exclaimed Nicholas, as he threw his arms around
her, and each sobbed upon the other's shoulder.
In this position they remained a minute, when Mr John Forster, who
heard the scream and subsequent exclamations, and had taken it for
granted that his brother had been guilty of some _contre temps_, first
wiped the remaining lather from his half-shaved chin, and then ascended
to the housekeeper's room from whence the noise had proceeded. When he
opened the door, he found them in the position we have described, both
kneeling in the centre of the bed embracing and sobbing. They were so
wrapped in each other, that they did not perceive his entrance. Mr
John Forster stared with amazement for a few seconds, and thus growled
out:--
"Why, what are you two old fools about?"
"It's my husband, sir,"--"It's my wife, brother John," cried they, both
at once, as the tears coursed down their cheeks.
"Humph!" ejaculated the lawyer, and he quitted the room.
We must let the reader imagine the various explanations which took place
between Nicholas and his truly reformed wife, Newton and his uncle,
Amber, and every body in the household, while we narrate the events
which had brought about this singular _denouement_.
The reader may recollect that we left Mrs Forster in the lunatic
asylum, slowly recovering from an attack of the brain-fever, which had
been attended with a relapse. For many weeks she continued in a state
of great feebleness, and during that time, when, in the garden, in
company with other denizens of this melancholy abode (wishing to be
usefully employed), she greatly assisted the keepers in restraining
them, and, in a short time, established that superiority over them,
which is invariably the result of a pane intellect. This was soon
perceived by Doctor Beddington, who (aware of her destitute condition)
offered her a situation as nurse in the establishment, until the
inspecting magistrates should make their appearance, with the promise
that she might continue in it afterwards, if she thought proper. This
proposal was accepted by Mrs Forster, until she might resolve what
course to take, and she soon! became a most invaluable person in the
establishment, effecting more by lenient and kind treatment than the
keepers were able to do by their violence. So completely changed was
Mrs Forster in disposition, that so far from feeling any resentment
against those who had been the means of her confinement, she
acknowledged to herself that her own conduct had been the occasion of
her misfortune, and that those who had contributed to open her eyes to
her former insanity, were her best friends. She was humbled, and
unhappy; but she kissed the rod. All that she now wished was to find
out her husband, and by her future conduct to make reparation for the
past. One of the gaolers, at her request, made every inquiry as to the
part of England Nicholas had removed; but it was without success. All
trace was lost, and Mrs Forster accepted the situation of nurse, until
she might be enabled to prosecute her search, or obtain the intelligence
which she desired.
For nine months Mrs Forster remained on the establishment, during which
time she had saved a sum of money sufficient for her support and
travelling expenses. She then resolved to search after her husband,
whose pardon for her previous conduct seemed to be the _sine qua non_
for which she continued to exist. She took leave of the doctor; and,
strange to say, it was with feelings of regret that she quitted an
abode, once the source of horror and disgust: but time reconciles us to
every thing, and she made a half promise to Dr Beddington, that if she
could not hear any tidings of her husband, or should discover that he
was no more, that she would return to the situation.
Mrs Forster directed her course to London; why, or wherefore, she
hardly knew; but she had imbibed the idea that the metropolis was the
most likely place to meet with him. Her first inquiries were about any
families of the name of Forster; but the Directory gave such an enormous
list of Forsters, of all trades and callings, and in every situation in
life, that she closed it with despair. She had a faint recollection
that her husband (who was not very communicative, and least of all to
her), had stated that he had a brother alive somewhere; but this was all
that she knew. Nevertheless, she set about her task in good earnest,
and called upon every one of the name in the middling classes of life,
to ascertain if they were relations of her husband. There were many in
high life whose names and addresses she had obtained from the Red-book;
but to them she dared not apply. All she could do was to question the
servants; but every answer was unsatisfactory; and Mrs Forster, whose
money was nearly expended, had serious thoughts of returning to the
lunatic establishment, when the advertisement in the newspapers of Mr
Scratton, for a housekeeper, which Mr John Forster had desired him to
procure, met her, eye. Unwilling to leave London, she applied for, and
obtained the situation, having received an excellent character from
Doctor Beddington, to whom she had written and explained her views.
Her heart leapt when she discovered that her master's name was Forster;
and when she first saw him she could not but persuade herself that there
was a family likeness. The germs of hope were, however, soon withered,
when Amber, in answer to her inquiries, stated, that Mr Forster had a
brother lately dead, who had never been married, and that she never
heard of his having another. Her fellow-servants were all as strange as
herself; and Mrs Forster (who had assumed the name of Smith) was
obliged to have recourse to that patience and resignation which had been
so severely inculcated. The charge of Amber soon proved a source of
delight; the control which she had over the household a source of
gratification (not as before, for the pleasure of domineering, but for
the sake of exercising kindness and forbearance), and Mrs Forster was
happy and resigned.
It may be surmised as strange, that during the period which she remained
in this capacity, she had never heard mention made of her husband or her
son; but it must be remembered that Nicholas had never called upon his
brother, and that Newton was in the East Indies; and, moreover, that Mr
John Forster was just as little inclined to be communicative as her
husband. Indeed, he never came in contact with his housekeeper, except
to pay the bills, which was regularly once a month, when he called her
down after dinner, and after the accounts were settled, offered her a
glass of wine, as a proof of his being satisfied with her conduct. When
Newton and his father arrived at the chambers on the day before the
discovery, and were invited to dinner, his note of communication was as
laconic as usual.
"Mrs Smith--I have invited two gentlemen to dine with me to-day, six
precisely."
"John Forster."
"PS. Let the spare bed be ready."
Mrs Forster prepared every thing as directed, and having done her
duties below, retired to her room, where she usually sat with Amber.
She did not therefore see the parties when they entered; and Amber, who
had run down to meet her protector, heard nothing during her short stay
in the room, to suppose that they were relatives of Mr John Forster.
All that she had to communicate was, that the parties were an elderly
gentleman and a very handsome young man.
Yet, even this simple communication caused the pulse of Mrs Forster to
accelerate. They might be her husband and her son. It was the first
time the spare bed had been ordered. Reflection, however convinced her
that her hopes were strung upon too slight a thread; and, musing on the
improbability of not having ascertained during a year the fact of her
master having so near a relative--moreover, her son was not in
existence, she sighed, and dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Before the
gentlemen had finished their wine, Amber was in bed, and Mrs Forster
invariably sat at the side of it until her own hour of repose had
arrived. A certain indefinable curiosity still remained lurking; yet,
as she could not gratify it without intrusion (if the strangers were
still up), she retired to bed, with the reflection, that all her doubts
would be relieved in the morning; and, after lying awake for some hours
in a state of suspense, she at last fell into that sound sleep, which is
usually produced by previous excitement. How she was awakened from it,
the reader has been already informed.
"It's rather awkward, Newton," said Mr John Forster, about ten days
afterwards. "I cannot do without your mother, that's certain: but what
am I to do with your father? Humph! Well, she must take charge of him
as well as Amber. She must teach him--"
"Teach him what, sir?" replied Newton, laughing.
"Teach him what? Why to leave my watch and spectacles alone. I dare
not lay them down for a moment."
"I think we may teach him that, sir, if it is all that you require."
"I ask no more: then he may go about the house like a tame rabbit. When
will your ship be ready, boy?"
"In about a fortnight, sir. I called upon Captain Oughton the day
before yesterday, but he was not at home. His steward gave me the
information."
"What is the name of the ship?"
"The Windsor Castle, sir."
"Why all the India ships appear to be called Castles. Your last ship
was the Bombay Castle I think?"
"Yes, sir: there are a great many of them so named:--they really are
floating castles."
"And full of ladies. You `castle your queens,' as they do at chess.
Humph!"
A pun from Mr John Forster was a rarity: he never had been known to
make one before: and Newton asserts that he never heard him guilty of it
afterwards. It deserves, therefore, bad as it was, to be recorded.