When Mr and Mrs Clavering heard Lilly's version of the boating
expedition, they were anxious to repay Arnold for the service he had
rendered; but when they sent over a servant on horseback to the locality
where he had said his tents were pitched, he was not to be found. Lilly
was extremely sorry to hear this. She wished also to express her
gratitude more fully than she had before done, and although he had
refused to receive any reward, she had hopes that his wife and children
would be willing to accept any presents she might be able to give them.
Every effort, however, made by Mr Clavering to discover him proved
unavailing. Perhaps his steward, whom he employed, did not take as much
pains as he might have done. Ralph and Lilly went on much as they had
been accustomed to do. Although Lilly often asked Ralph, when he was
going to take her for another excursion on the water, he invariably
offered some excuse. She observed also that he never went near the
river if he could help it, and that he invariably seemed much annoyed
whenever John Hobby's name was mentioned. It was evident that he had
not forgotten the remarks made by honest John about his rowing.
Sometimes Lilly suspected that he had even some stronger reason for
disliking the young peasant. She feared that it was from the meanest of
all reasons, jealousy. Hobby was better looking and more active, and
excelled him in all athletic exercises. Hobby also was very
good-natured, and had a great deal of humour, so that he was a general
favourite among all who knew him in the country round. Ralph felt
annoyed that one so much his inferior in birth, wealth, and education
should in all other respects be his superior.
Again Lilly felt almost in despair that Ralph would ever become what he
ought to be. She was a sensible and wise girl, and had not formed too
high a standard of perfection, but still there was a standard which she
knew he could and ought to reach, and she did not feel disposed to be
satisfied with any measure below it. She had flattered herself that she
had got him out of many of his bad habits, but he had fallen back into
most of them, and she found that the influence, which she fancied she
had gained over him, was in no way secured. He mixed as before,
whenever he had an opportunity, with low associates, and he used to
abuse and swear at all around him at the slightest provocation. As a
young boy, this conduct had only met with contempt, but as he grew older
it gained him every day fresh enemies, so that there was scarcely a
person in the district round who was so much disliked.
During the last few years a great and happy change has taken place among
the peasantry of England, and except a limited number of Chartists and
other ill-instructed persons mostly confined to the towns, it may truly
be said that the whole of the population is contented and orderly and
patient under inevitable suffering and poverty. It was not so formerly,
and directly they began to suffer from a scarcity of provisions or low
wages, their only idea of remedying the evil, was to burn or destroy the
property of their more wealthy and prosperous neighbours. Bad times, as
they were called, were now occurring, and the whole rural population,
especially in the neighbourhood of Clavering Hall, were in a state of
great discontent. Incendiary fires were of nightly occurrence
throughout the country. Not only haystacks, but wheat-stacks and barns
and farm buildings were set on fire. This way which the country people
took of showing their suffering was both very wicked and exceedingly
foolish, but it proved indubitably that something or other required
amendment. The magistrates took very naturally a somewhat one-sided
view of the case, and regarding the people as evil-disposed and
rebellious, employed the most stringent measures to repress these
outrages. Whenever any supposed incendiaries were caught they seldom
escaped conviction and were always punished with the utmost severity.
Mr Clavering especially was conspicuous for the zeal with which he
hunted down offenders and the unrelenting sternness with which he
brought them to punishment. He, in consequence, brought upon himself a
large amount of odium, and coupled with his conduct generally towards
the peasantry, it made him probably the most unpopular man in the
county. While the proud owner of Clavering Hall was the most unpopular,
the poor tenant of one of his humble cottages was one of the most
popular. This was no other than John Hobby. Hobby's popularity arose
from several causes. A good deal of it was owing to the estimation in
which his son was held, while he himself was looked upon as a hearty,
good-natured fellow, ever ready with his tongue or his single stick to
stand up for a friend or to defend the right; but, above all this, he
had been falsely accused and tried on the charge of an act of
incendiarism or of instigating others to commit it, and likewise of
afterwards heading a number of persons who had committed various lawless
acts. After a long imprisonment John Hobby had proved his innocence,
and not being of either a humble or forgiving temper, he was not
backward in speaking on all occasions of the way in which he had been
treated. The summer passed away, the autumn came round, and matters
grew worse. Lilly Vernon, however, rode out as usual, fearless of evil.
Sometimes her uncle accompanied her, at others Ralph condescended to do
so; but more usually of late she was followed by a groom, one of the
most respectable and honest of the household. She had one day gone a
considerable distance from home, when as she was walking her horse up a
hill, with a copse wood on either side, she saw among the trees a small
fire with a tent and carts near it, and the other usual features of a
gipsy encampment. "Perhaps that is Arnold's camp," she said to herself,
and just then she caught sight of the gipsy himself coming along the
road. As soon as he perceived who it was he hurried towards her.
"I was coming this very day to watch for you near the Hall, young lady,"
he said, putting his hand on her horse's neck. "You wished, I know, to
do me a service, and you have it now in your power to help me. My
eldest boy has been taken up by the constables on a charge of setting
fire to Farmer Low's haystacks. He is innocent of the crime, for crime
I hold it; but he is a gipsy, he was taken near the spot, and it will go
hard with him. Your uncle has an affection for you, and will listen to
the truth from your lips. If you put the matter before him, and tell
him whose son the lad is, may be he will exert himself in his favour.
Though he is a hard man, he is not one to let the innocent suffer."
Lilly willingly promised to do all that the gipsy asked. Having paid a
visit to his wife and children, who warmly welcomed her, she hurried
homeward. On her return she met considerable bodies of men proceeding
along the road, all armed with scythes, or hooks, or sticks. On
enquiring of the groom what they were about his only reply was, "They
are up to some mischief, Miss, but it's as much as my life's worth to
ask them. I did not like their looks as they passed, and cast their
eyes on the Clavering livery."
On reaching the Hall Lilly hastened to find her uncle, who was at home,
and without saying anything of what she had just seen, laid the young
gipsy's case before him and placed the evidence of his innocence in so
clear a light that he at once promised he would befriend him. She had
promised the gipsy's wife to ride out the next day to tell her of the
success of her petition.
To assist in keeping down the disturbances which have been mentioned,
the yeomanry were called out. The magistrates announced that the next
time a mob assembled for mischief they should be fired on, and ridden
down without mercy. No one was louder than Ralph Clavering in asserting
that this was the only way to treat them.
"I cannot help thinking, cousin, that milder measures would answer
better," observed Lilly; "I would rather go unarmed among them, and show
them the folly and wickedness of their proceedings."
"You are very wise, Lilly, but you know nothing of the management of
men," answered Ralph, contemptuously.
A body of cavalry had been quartered near Clavering Hall for some time,
but information being brought that an outbreak was expected in a town in
the other end of the county they were immediately ordered off in that
direction.
A number of guests were assembled that day at the Hall at dinner. The
cloth had just been removed, when the butler hurried in, and with a pale
face and a trembling voice, announced the startling fact that one of the
grooms had met a large body of armed men marching up through the park.
His report was so circumstantial that there was no doubt about the
matter. Some of the ladies took the matter calmly enough, others gave
utterance to various expressions of terror, while the gentlemen were
unanimous in the opinion that the windows and doors should be instantly
barricaded, and that the Hall should be defended to the last if
attacked. Not a moment was to be lost. There was no time to take out
the sashes, but the shutters of all the lower rooms were closed and
barred, as also were the doors, and chests of drawers, and tables and
chairs were piled against them.
Ralph seemed highly pleased with the proceedings. He had never been so
energetic, and no one was more active in carrying about the furniture
and placing it, so as to strengthen the fortifications. There were a
number of fowling-pieces and pistols and other fire-arms in the house.
Those fit for use were at once loaded, and consigned to the different
guests and men servants; others which had long been laid aside were
hunted up, and while one part of the garrison set to work to clean them,
others commenced casting bullets, and a third party went about to forage
for lead for the purpose. A leaden cistern and some leaden pipes
leading to it were quickly cut to pieces and the material carried below.
Lilly, though fully believing the report from what she had seen in the
afternoon, and considerably alarmed in consequence, devoted herself to
comforting her aunt, who was in a sad state of agitation, and kept
declaring that the house would be burned down, and that they would all
be murdered. Some of the ladies, however, volunteered to assist in
casting bullets, and expressed their readiness to fight if the house
were attacked.
Mr Clavering appeared at this juncture to considerable advantage. He
showed that he felt as an Englishman, and that, as Englishmen may well
glory in the privilege of doing, he looked upon his house as his castle.
He at once took the lead, and went about calmly from room to room,
superintending all the arrangements.
While affairs were in this state, it occurred to one of the gentlemen to
enquire how near the rioters had got to the house? No one could say; in
fact, no one had seen them since Bill Snookes, the groom, had reported
their approach. One old gentleman, who enjoyed a practical joke,
suggested that they had perhaps been taking a great deal of trouble, and
disarranging the house to no purpose, and that the rioters might not be
coming at all, which, of course made the rest very angry; at the same
time that it induced two or three others to volunteer to go out and
ascertain the position and force of the enemy.
Bill's report had been somewhat vague, and he might possibly have
exaggerated their numbers. The night was very dark, and from the upper
windows no persons were visible in the park, and not a sound was heard--
even the dogs were silent, which they would not have been had people
been moving about. Beyond the park, however, were seen in two or more
places a bright glare in the sky, which, there could be little doubt,
was caused by incendiary fires.
We at the present day can scarcely realise that such was possible. The
inmates of the Hall watched anxiously; any moment the well-formed corn
and haystacks on the estate might burst into a blaze, and so might even
the extensive outhouses of the Hall itself.
Still the Hall was not attacked. Two volunteers offered to go out and
ascertain the state of affairs. A strong party accompanied them to one
of the side-doors to repel any attack of the enemy who might be in
ambush near and attempt to surprise them. Ralph wanted to accompany the
scouts, but they politely declined having his company.
The night was now drawing on; several of the party reiterated their
belief that the rioters would not come near them. At length the
probability of an attack being made on the Hall was set at rest by the
return of the two scouts, who stated that they had encountered a large
body of men marching towards it and loudly threatening its destruction.
They themselves were almost discovered, and had had no little difficulty
in making their escape.
Everybody within the mansion was now in greater bustle than before.
Again Mr Clavering looked at all the doors and fastenings, and
inspected all the points of possible approach, and men servants or maid
servants were stationed at all the windows which could be reached by
ladders, several of which it was recollected, when too late, were left
exposed to view in the outhouses. Several of the gentlemen stood with
fire-arms in their hands at some of the windows of the upper rooms
commanding the approach to the house. The night was calm, not a sound
was yet to be heard. At length the low, dull tramp of a body of men
moving rapidly onward, broke the stillness. It grew more and more
distinct; voices were heard mingling with it. They became louder and
louder. Shouts and cries broke forth which soon evolved themselves into
threats of vengeance against Clavering Hall and its proprietor. At last
the open space before the house became filled with men. The cries
became more prolonged.
"Now, lads, destruction to the Hall and death to its owner. Hurrah!"
shouted some one from the crowd. The shout was repeated by a hundred
voices.
It might well have made the defenders of the Hall tremble, for it was
known that the cavalry had been sent off to a distance, and that there
was no prospect of succour.
"We'll fight it out, and we must needs be ashamed of ourselves if we
cannot drive the scoundrels away," exclaimed Mr Clavering.
"Light your torches, lads--fire is the thing for us," shouted one of the
mob. "We'll soon smoke out these monsters."
Soon after this, a small light was seen. It seemed to spread from hand
to hand; and now some hundred torches waved to and fro in front of the
Hall. The female occupants had now good reason for trembling with
alarm. Still Mr Clavering was unwilling to give the order to fire.
Not that he had much compunction about killing them, but it would only
have exasperated the people, without driving them away.
"The doors are closed," cried the man who had before spoken. "We must
burst them open. Bring forward the battering rams."
No sooner was the command issued, than a number of men were seen
hurrying up with some trunks of small trees, slung on ropes, between
them. This proceeding had not been foreseen; and it was evident that
the doors could not withstand the force about to be applied to them.
"If you proceed to violence, understand all of you below this, that we
will fire," shouted Mr Clavering. "Many of you will lose your lives--
mark that. I give you warning."
"And we give you warning, that we will burn you and your fine Hall, and
everybody in it. Mark that, Ralph Clavering," was the answer. "Huzza,
lads.--No more delay.--On with the work."
The men thus incited brought forward a battering ram, and made a furious
attack on the front door. Stout as it was, it cracked throughout.
Another such blow would have burst it open, and allowed the angry
assailants a free entrance.
Still Mr Clavering and his companions were unwilling to fire, till it
appeared that they had no longer any other resource.
"Again I give you warning, men--we will take the lives of some of you if
you approach the door," he shouted out.
"Do your worst--we don't fear you, squire," was the answer; and again a
rush was made towards the door.
A shower of bullets rattled down among the assailants, and several shots
were fired from the crowd in return. Loud shrieks and cries of
vengeance arose on all sides. The hall door was burst open, and fierce
men, maddened by hunger, with all their worst passions aroused, were
rushing in, with torches in their hands, bent on destroying the mansion,
when they were met by a party of the defenders, who resolutely kept them
back. Still it was too evident that numbers would prevail, when, at
that moment, a voice which rose high and clear above the din shouted
out--
"What, men, are you about? Do you wish to destroy the property of one
of your best friends? You fancy that Clavering Hall is to belong to the
lad known as young Ralph Clavering; but you are mistaken. The rightful
heir is no other than he whom we all have called John Hobby. Look at
him, any one of you; and who can doubt it? When the right moment comes
it will be proved. In the meantime let that high and mighty young
gentleman, Master Ralph Clavering, enjoy his dignity as best he can, and
look down on those whom he will soon find are his equals."
While the stranger was speaking, there was so perfect a silence among
the rioters that every word was heard by those within the house. Ralph
Clavering heard them with feelings of astonishment and dismay. So did
Lilly, and so did Mr and Mrs Clavering. They did not believe the
extraordinary assertion; but still it created most painful feelings
within their bosoms. The effect on the mob, however, was highly
satisfactory. Although some insisted that they should continue the
attack, because the property, as it still belonged to Squire Clavering,
ought to be destroyed, but by far the larger majority agreed to abandon
it. The majority carried the day, and the small minority had no
inclination to continue fighting alone.
"But before we go, lads, let us give three cheers for the rightful heir
of Clavering Hall. Hip! hip! hip! hurra for honest John Hobby! and when
he comes into his property, may he not forget his poorer neighbours!"
Again and again they shouted this assertion, creating even more
astonishment and dismay in the minds of the owner of the Hall and his
friends than their attack had done. The volley from the fowling-pieces
did not appear to have produced much effect, or, if any of the people
had been hit, they were carried off by their friends.
After the last cheer, the whole body suddenly moved off, the rear ranks
pushing hurriedly on, evidently not wishing to be the last, lest they
might be assailed by the inmates of the Hall. Some of the gentlemen,
indeed, proposed sallying out, and punishing the rioters; but Mr
Clavering told them that he would not sanction such an act, as it would
be utterly useless, and might lead to their own destruction. In a few
minutes not a person was to be seen in the park, while the sound of the
retreating footsteps of the mob gradually faded away.