A FINE PRICE FOR BARDIE.
Now our own two little darlings had behaved so beautifully, gazing at
the bad works of the others from a distance only, though sadly pushed to
share in them, and keeping their little garters up, when the others were
hopscotching; also feeling, and pointing out, and almost exaggerating
the ruin wrought by the other small ones (which they durst not come down
to help), that I determined to give them both a magnificent Sunday
dinner. I would gladly have had the young midshipman down--for on Sunday
he was such an ornament, as good as the best church-window!--but now our
time was almost up; and though his mother would have let him come to
grace my humble cottage, the Colonel insisted that he must go to take
farewell of some excellent aunts, from whom he had large expectations,
and who had ordered him up for the Sunday to the neighbourhood of
Cardiff. However, we could get on very well with our own aristocracy
only, which I was sure poor Bardie was, though without any aunts to dine
her, and it only made me the more determined to have a family party fed
on good fare. We envied nobody as we sate down, and the little ones put
up both hands, according to some ancient teaching. For the first course,
we had conger, baked; a most nourishing, excellent dish, full of jelly
and things for children. And this one was stuffed, like a loaded cannon,
with meat-balls, pork fat, and carraways. Bunny went at him as if she
had never secured such a chance in her life before, but Bardie seemed
inclined to wait for what was coming afterwards, and spent the time in
watching Bunny with admiration and contempt mixed, as they are on a
child's face only.
Then I brought in the dish of the day, with Bunny skipping and going
about, and scorching her fingers to help me; but Bardie (having gone
into her grandeur) sitting at table steadfastly, and with a resolute
mind to know what it was before approval. She had the most delicate
nostrils, but what I brought made her open them. Because I had the very
best half of the very best ham ever cured in our parish, through a whole
series of good-luck. Luck, and skill, and the will of the Lord, must all
combine for a first-rate ham; and here they were met, and no mistake,
both by one another and by excellent cooking afterwards. It would not
become me to say any more, when it comes to my mind that the delicate
gold of infant cabbage, by side of it, was also of my own planting, in a
bit of black mould in a choice niche, ere Bethel Jose had tempted me. In
spite of all this wonderful cheer, and the little ones going on
famously, the sight of that young cabbage struck a vein of sorrow in me
somewhere. To go away, and leave my house and garden for whole years
perhaps, and feel that it was all behind me, in neglect and loneliness,
with no one to undo the windows, or to sow a row of peas, or even dib a
cabbage in, and perhaps myself to find no chance of coming back to it,
and none to feel the difference! Like a knife all this went through me;
so that I must look upward quite, for fear of the little ones watching
me.
Those two little creatures ate with a power and a heartiness enough to
make anybody rejoice in the harmless glory of feeding them. After the
very first taste, they never stopped to wipe their lips, or to consider
anything, but dealt with what they had won, and felt, and thoroughly
entered into it. Only every now and then they could not help admiring
what I take to be the surest proof of a fine ham and good cookery; that
is to say, bright stripes of scarlet in between fat of a clear French
white, not unlike our streaky jaspers interlaid with agate. To see that
little thing, who scarce could lift a finger three weeks ago, now
playing so brisk a knife and fork, filled me with gratitude and joy, so
that I made up my mind to finish my dinner from the conger, and keep the
rest of the ham for her.
I gave the little souls their wine--as they called it--of
gooseberry-water, a good egg-cup full apiece; and away they went, like
two little women, into the garden to play with it, and see who would
keep it the longest. Then I put the rest of the ham in the cupboard, and
returning to the conger, began to enjoy the carver's privilege of ten
minutes for his own fork. But just as I had done handsomely well, and
was now preparing to think about a pipe of fine Navy tobacco, and a
small nip of old rum and water, suddenly my door was darkened, and there
stood the very last man (save one) whom, for my comfort and calm Sabbath
feeling, I could ever have wished to see.
"Peace be to this house," he began, with his hands spread out, and his
eyes turned up, but his nostrils taking sniff of things: "peace be to
this humble home, and the perishing flesh contained in it! Brother Davy,
is it well with thee?"
"Brother Hezekiah," said I, perceiving what he was up to: "no flesh does
this house contain; for that it is too humble. But in the name of the
Lord, right welcome art thou to cold conger! Brother, I pray thee, arise
and eat; and go forty days hence on the strength of it."
"It hath been done," replied Hezekiah, "by Divine grace and unceasing
prayer. But come, old chap, I am sure you have got something better in
that cupboard. Stinking fish hast thou often sold me, and lo I have
striven to like it! therefore give me good meat now, and let us rejoice
at thy great doings."
This speech was so full of truth that it got the upper hand of me, both
by the sense of compunction and the strength of hospitality, and I could
no longer deny to Perkins all that remained of poor Bardie's ham. "I
have expounded the word of the Lord, I have been as Lot in your little
Zoar," he cried, going on for the third help of ham; "my spirit was
mighty within me, David; and Hepzibah took up the wondrous tale.
Backsliding brother, where hast thou been? There is a movement and
revival set afoot from my burning words and Hepzibah's prophecies such
as shall make your rotten old Church----"
"Have a drop of beer," I said, for I did not like to see him shake his
fist at our church-tower.
"Well, I don't mind if I do," he answered, "now I come to think of it.
Everything in its season, brother. And a drop of your old rum
afterwards."
I pretended not to hear this last; for though I might stand him in
twopenny ale, I saw no reason for spoiling the tops of a bottle or two
that I scorned to open, even when my rheumatics had leapt from my double
half-ribs to my ear-drops. So, after observing that things were locked
up, I ran into the Jolly, and fetched a pint of small ale, very rapidly.
Not expecting me back so soon, he had made a good round, with his knife
in his hand, to see what might be hoped for. Now back he came with a
groan, and said that he knew not what he was fit for. When the power of
the Word came upon him, he had such spasms afterwards.
I never love to be in company with a man of this sort. When my time is
come for thanking God for a fine dinner, I would rather be alongside of
a simple man and a stupid one, who can sit and think with me, and say no
more about it. He knew my feelings, I do believe, and enjoyed them like
pickles with his meat; and after finishing every morsel, even down to
the mark of the saw upon the very knuck of it, up he put his tallowy
thumbs with the black nails outwards, and drew a long breath, and
delivered, "In the name of the Lord, Amen. And now, Brother David,
rejoice a little, as behoves a Christian man, upon the blessed
Sabbath-day."
"Hezekiah, I have rejoiced to behold your joy in feeding, and to
minister thereto. Now, having fruition of fleshly things, take the word
of the Lord, oh my brother, and expound doctrinally; though it be but a
score of chapters. I will smoke, and hearken thee."
"Strong meat is not for babes, my son; and a babe art thou, old Dyo.
Chaps like you must wait and watch for the times of edification. There
is a time for sowing, and there is a time for reaping. Small ale is not
meat for such as bear the burden of the day."
"'Kiah, the smith," I asked, very shortly, "what is it you would have of
me?"
"Brother Davy, I have offered a blessing on thy flesh-pots; and good
they were, though not manifold. It is comely that I should offer another
blessing on thy vessels, Davy."
What could I do with such a man in my own house? Brother Hezekiah
became, at my expense, most hospitable. I found no escape from my own
bottle, without being rude to my visitor's glass; and yet I enjoyed not
a single drop, for want of real companionship. For all my wits were up
in arms, as if against Parson Chowne almost; because I knew that Master
Perkins wanted to make a fool of me. So I feigned to be half-seas-over,
that he might think he had done it.
"Ancient friend," he began at last, when he thought that I was ripe for
it; "thou hast lifted me above the height of edification. Peradventure I
say words that savour not of wisdom, beloved brother, the fault is
thine: here I am, and there you are."
"How can any man having a smithy of his own go on so? An thou wert not
tipsy, 'Kiah, thou couldst see the contrary. I am here, and thou art
there."
"Just so. You have put it wonderfully," he answered, after thinking: "we
may both say right is right, which is the end of everything. Keziah said
to me, 'Go seek where he is, and how he is; because I have seen noble
visions of his exaltation.' And yet, you see, exalted brother, scarce
the tenth part came to her."
"She knows what she is about," said I; "she dreamed of a red-hot cradle,
and the hoof of Satan rocking me. Now I see the whole of it. It was
Parson Chowne, and the ferry-boat, and the ketch I was all but burned
in. Perkins, tell me more, my friend. I have groaned much for neglecting
the warning of the prophetess."
"How many men have groaned in vain for that same cause, old Dyo!
Vainglorious males, they doubt her gift, because she is a female! Out of
the mouths of babes and women--brother, I forget the passage, but it
comes to that, I think. And now she hath been again in trouble."
"Concerning what, old Hezekiah? As concerning what, I pray thee?"
"Even touching the child Delushy, in the godless house of Sker. In a
holy trance it hath been vouchsafed her to behold that poor kid of the
flock bearing in her mouth a paper, whereupon in letters of blood was
written, 'Come over, and help us.' And we have found a way to help her,
with thy faithful testimony."
In his crafty sheep's-eyed manner, made of crawling piety mixed with
sharp and spiteful worldliness, he began to feel my soundings towards a
scheme so low and infamous, that my blood within me boiled for being
forced to bear with him. He had prepared the whole plot well, and what
it came to was just this: Inland there lived a wealthy smelter of the
Methodist tribe, and Hezekiah was deep in his books for long supply of
material. Rees ap Rees was his name, and he longed, as every year he
grew older, to make up for an ancient wrong, which was coming home to
him. In the early days when he was poor, and clever, and ambitious, he
had ousted his elder brother from his father's hearth, and banished him.
This poor fellow fled to the colonies; and for many years no token and
no news came home of him. Meanwhile Rees ap Rees was growing elderly,
and worn out with money, which is a frightful thing to feel. But about a
year ago, a half-cast sailor had come to his house, bringing a wretched
death-scrawl from this supplanted, but never yet forgotten, and only
brother. There were not a dozen lines, but they told a tale that made
the rich man weep and eat dry bread for days and days. His brother
having been born without the art of getting on at all, was dying for
want of food and comfort, having spent his last penny to keep the mouths
of his two little babes at work. These poor children had lost their
mother, and were losing their father now, who with his last breath
almost, forgetting wrongs, as we do in death, very humbly committed them
to the charge of his rich brother. And he said that his only remaining
friend, captain of the Nova Scotia, had promised to deliver them safe in
Bristol, to be sent for. The dying father had no strength to speak of
their names, or age, or any other particulars.
Now it so happened that Rees ap Rees was dearly fond of children, as all
rich childless people are, on account of being denied them: and since
his wife died, he had often thought of adopting some one. But being
rich, he was fidgety now; and none of the children in his neighbourhood
ever blew their noses. So here he found, as it were from heaven, two
little dears coming down upon him, his next of kin and right heirs, and
also enabling him to go to his parish churchyard, with a sense of duty
done, although preferring to rest elsewhere, if by law allowable. You
may suppose how he waited and watched; but those two little dears never
came. Upon that he longed for them so much more that he offered a reward
of £100 for any tidings of them, and of £200 for both or either, brought
to his house in safety. Hence it will be clear enough what Hezekiah's
scheme was; and half the reward was to be my own.
"All thou hast to say, good Dyo, is what thou saidest at the very time;
that the ship was not called Andalusia, but to the best of thy belief
was more like Nova Scotia. Also that she was bound for Bristol, and that
the other baby's clothes bore no coronet, as they fancied, but the
letter R. done fancifully, as might be by a freemason, such as the poor
father was said to be. That garment must be destroyed of course. I have
one prepared for the child Delushy, with 'Martha ap Rees' in faint
writing upon it. This the old man must find out for himself, after our
overlooking it. He will then believe it tenfold. And after the sight of
thy uniform, Dyo----ha! how sayest thou, old friend? A snug little sum
to invest for old age. Thou knowest the old saying, 'Scurvy in the Navy;
but the Navy's self more scurvy!' When thou art discharged with three
halfpence a-day, one hundred pound with accumulations, say £150 then,
will help to buy sulphur for thy rheumatics. Myself will give thee ten
per cent for it, upon sound security."
"It sounds very well," said I, to lead him; "one hundred and fifty
pounds have a fine sound."
"Not only that, my noble boy: but the hold thou wilt have on a rich
young maiden, such as Martha ap Rees will be. The old fellow can't last
very long: none of those smelters ever do, and he hath heart-disease as
well. Little Martha will come into £20,000 or more, and every penny of
it hanging upon thee, and me, my lad. Is it well devised, is it grand,
my boy; is it worthy of old 'Kiah?"
"That it is," I cried; "most worthy!"
He flourished his glass in the pride of his heart, and even began to
sing a song with a chorus of "Spankadilloes," forgetting whose holy day
it was. Unfortunately I did the same; for my nature can never resist a
song: moreover I wanted to think a little. Not from any desire to dwell
for a moment on my own interest, but from the great temptation to make
the fortunes of our poor castaway. But while I was nursing my left
knee, with the foot giving time for another chorus (which was just
beginning), I heard a tiny pipe, and turned round, and there was the
little thing herself, dancing on one foot, and jerking the other in
mockery of my attitude, nodding her head to keep time as well, and for
her very life singing out, "Pankydillo, dillo, dillo," while Bunny
peeping round the door-post, with a power of Sabbath feeling, looked as
if the world were ending. It was clear that Bardie had not seen Perkins,
whom she never could endure, else would she not have run in from the
garden, to bear a share in our melody; and that good brother was so full
of his noble scheme, and his song, and my rum, that he never noticed her
baby voice; and her quick light figure was out of his sight, from the
corner of his boozing. Therefore I managed to get her away, and send her
for a good walk with Bunny, to look for water-cress at Bruwys Well; for
I thought it wiser to keep that Perkins ignorant of her whereabouts; and
Bunny could be trusted now to see to any one anywhere.
Off went the heavy one very gravely, and the light one full of antics,
even in front of the cottages singing "Pankydillo" (which hit her
fancy), so that I feared some disrepute, at such a thing going forth
from our house upon a Sabbath evening. I tried to frown, but she made me
laugh by turning round and clapping her knee, exactly as she had seen me
do; and it seemed the best thing to go back out of sight, ere neighbours
got the key to it. Little she guessed that the fate of her life was
dancing in the balance, and that her own lightsome play had turned it,
whether for good or evil.
How could I let such a spring of life, such a mischievous innocence, and
thoroughly earnest devotion to play, sink and be quenched by a formal
old Methodist in the iron district? Sker House was dull enough for dry
bones: but there at least she had the sands, and sea, and shells, and
rabbits, and wild-fowl: nor any one to terrify her with religious
terrors--which to the young are worst of all--unless it were a ghost or
two of wicked abbots repenting. Whereas I knew what an old compunctious
Methodist is, who has made some money, and devotes his last years to
"the service of Jehovah." Even £20,000 could not make it up to her.
Therefore I shook Master Perkins up, for he really had been a little too
free, and was going to sleep with his spectacles stuck for a corkscrew
into another bottle, and I made him understand that his plan was a great
deal too crooked for me, and that the sooner he went to seek Hepzibah
(who was prophesying on a stool for pickling pork, down at Betsy
Matthew's), and to prepare for his midnight service, with a strong
Revival rising, the better chance he would have of escaping my now
rapidly-growing desire to afford him total immersion (which is the only
salvation of one highly respectable lot of them) in the well of John the
Baptist. Hezekiah dreaded water so much that this hint was enough for
him; and off he set in a tipsy shamble, to lie down on the sandhills,
ere he came face to face with the prophetess. When I had put things a
little aright, and brushed up the hearth to a bit of fire (to warm the
milk for the little ones), and by opening doors and windows sweetened
all the place with summer flowing in and nestling round the relics of
the sunset, and when the neighbours' chairs (whereon the very old men
had been sitting for their Sunday evening) creaked, as if carried in and
dusted for another Sunday, and there was not one child left (except a
bad child by the well, whose loose mind was astray with stars, and took
no heed of supper-time), then the two best children in the village,
neighbourhood, or county, hand-in-hand came to my door. They were
wonderfully silent, and they stole (each in her own manner) just a
little glimpse at me, to feel how my temper lay; then they looked at one
another, to exchange opinions on that all-important matter. They knew
they had been out too late, and had frightened Granny a little perhaps,
and therefore now had angered him. And in their simple way, they thought
it wiser not to broach the question. I meant to scold them, but could
not find it, when I beheld their pretty ways, within my power to do so.
And lucky for them that I did not know, until next day, when too late to
scold, what a dreadful mess their clothes were in. In that light I could
only see their pretty faces glowing, and their bright eyes full of
doubt, and their little bodies shrinking back. Also bundles of
water-cress put forward to mitigate righteous wrath. I felt that I had
been having my spree, and these small creatures had only had theirs. So
I kissed them both, and gave them good supper, and blessed them into
their little bed.