Ten o'clock on the following morning found our party arrived at
Dambourne station. It had been arranged that Angela and her brother
should spend a long day with Isaac, and if nothing particular were
found to be the matter, that he should return with them to town in the
evening. On alighting from the train, they started off for Isaac's
lodgings at Dambourne End, with the intention of looking at the
cottages and garden-ground on their way. As they neared the entrance
to the court in which Isaac's property was situated, Herbert could not
but notice the sidelong glances which were bestowed upon them by the
neighbouring inhabitants. He concluded they were caused by the presence
of strangers. Isaac apparently did not observe them. But as the party
proceeded up the court itself, the manifestations of interest in their
presence became more striking. A group of children who were playing,
scampered off at their approach, calling at the top of their voices:
'Ere him come.'
Herbert glanced inquiringly at Isaac, who was looking very complacent.
Indeed he accepted this greeting as a sign of the welcome of his
tenants on his return to them. As for Angela, she was too busily
engaged in picking her way through the large amount of 'matter in
the wrong place' with which the court was encumbered, to have much
attention to spare for other purposes. For it must be confessed that
although its owner had always been an assiduous landlord so far as the
collection of rents was concerned, he had not been so assiduous in
the improvement of the property either by disbursement, precept, or
otherwise.
The children's shouts brought a number of slatternly women to their
doors, and poor Isaac's complacency was somewhat rudely disturbed by
one virago exclaiming: 'Well, you skinflint, are these some more agents
come to look after your dirty cottages?' And by another following up
with: 'Ah, you'll just have to dub up some of the money you've screwed
out of us, ye ugly stingy thief!'
Isaac was thunder-struck. He had always been received by his tenants
with civility, if not exactly with respect; and here was a position in
which to be placed before his intended bride! But matters it seemed
were not to stop here; for from every turning and from every door angry
and bold-faced women emerged. And if things assumed a more hostile
shape, as they appeared on the point of doing, the interior of the
court would not be a good place from whence to beat a retreat; for
if its owner was a Webb, this court was undoubtedly a labyrinth. So
with that discretion which is the better part of valour, Isaac hastily
muttering 'Let's get away from these blackguards,' fairly turned tail
and fled. And not a minute too soon; for he carried away two splashes
of mud upon his back, and Angela a portion of a pailful of soap-suds
upon her bonnet, as souvenirs of their (soon to be) joint estate.
Without further adventure, Mrs Clappen's shop was reached; and as
soon as that lady had got over her first shock of surprise at the
sight of Angela, who she imagined was Mrs Webb, and whom she addressed
accordingly, she proceeded to throw some light upon the cause of
Isaac's reception by his tenantry. Some of them were customers of hers,
and she had heard from them all the 'particularities,' as she called
them--namely, that Mr Scamplin had very soon after his arrival paid a
visit to the cottagers, had announced himself as Mr Webb's agent during
his absence from home, and had shewn a paper purporting to be signed by
that gentleman, authorising him to act as such; said he had received
instructions to give notice that from that day week all the rents were
to be raised; had diligently received the rents each week up to the
very day before his disappearance, sympathising apparently with the
tenants in what he called their harsh treatment by his employer, and in
their inability to give immediate notice to quit, owing to the scarcity
of cottages in the town; and had otherwise contrived that the onus of
these hard measures should fall upon Isaac's devoted head.
An inspection of the box shewed that everything had been turned out
of it and the cash removed, but that fortunately the title-deeds and
other documents had been replaced. A consultation was held, and it was
decided that Angela and her brother should return to town, and that
Isaac should remain to set matters right with his tenants. Herbert
advised that the robbery should be allowed to pass, since there was no
clue as to Mr Scamplin's movements on his leaving the neighbourhood,
and extra trouble and expense would be caused by communicating with the
police. So in the evening Isaac accompanied his friends to the railway
station, carefully choosing a route as distant as possible from the
obnoxious court. After their departure, he called on his friend Mr
Jones, and requested that gentleman to pay another visit to the tenants
and explain to them the mistake that had been made. This, after some
hesitation, Mr Jones consented to do.
But Isaac's cup was not yet full. He had no sooner arrived at his
lodgings than he received a visit from the sanitary officer, who
pointed out to him some very necessary alterations and improvements
which _must_ be made in the court and without loss of time; and at
Isaac's inquiry, estimating the probable cost at about a hundred pounds.
Poor Isaac! the cloud is rather heavy; but the sunlight of Angela and
an income of six hundred a year and more expectations, is streaming
behind it.