AMORIS INTEGRATIO: WE ARE CLAPT IN THE STOCKS
The measure of Cynthia's resentment might be inferred from that of her
endurance. The weary silent miles she trudged along must have called
forth a great impetus from within, for without that stimulus the poor
little creature must have drooped and flagged upon the dark road long
ere she did. It was not until the birds began to chirp in the trees,
and the grey face of the dawn began to speckle the darkness that she
abated her defiant paces. But once she had begun to do so, the
weakness grew rapidly upon her.
Presently she stumbled and nearly fell. Then it was I took the courage
to venture on the first of my penitent advances. I lightly touched her
shoulder to support her. Finding that she had not the strength, I
hardly dare say the inclination, to resist, I took her at last by the
arm, very tenderly at first, but then a little more firmly, and then
more firmly still. Thus, without a word passing on the side of either,
the sense of our comradeship was re-established. If I could not feel
that I was forgiven, I might take the comfort to myself that I was
suffered.
It soon grew apparent, now that the meridian of poor Cynthia's wrath
was overpast, that the child would have to pay the price of it. She
became a very weight in my arms, and with the first beams of daylight
was ready to faint with fatigue. In the reaction of her mood she
yielded herself to my will as readily and completely as ever.
Therefore, to spare her as much as I could, I seized the first occasion
to give her a place of rest.
In the little light there were no houses to be seen, and even had there
been, it was too early to hope to gain sanctuary in them. There was a
wood, however, close at hand, whither I partly led and partly carried
her. Within its warm and dry recesses, I selected a couch of green
earth for her underneath a great tree, whose rough bark made something
of a pillow for her head. First, I took off my great-coat and spread
it on the ground as comfortably as I could, placed her upon it, and
then divesting myself of my thick, rough jacket wrapped her snugly in
it. The poor child was no sooner fixed in a position of some little
comfort than she fell fast asleep.
While she was very mercifully occupied thus, I spent several hours in
pacing up and down the glades of the wood to keep myself warm, for,
after all, in the air of the dawn, the sleeves of one's shirt are no
very adequate protection. To diversify this occupation I hunted an
occasional squirrel, but with no prospect of catching one; and lay in
wait, stone in hand, for many a white-tailed rabbit, but did so in
vain. Indeed, the only good fortune that fell to me in these nefarious
pursuits was the discovery of a bird's-nest with several fine eggs in
it. But somehow I had not the heart to disturb those exquisite things;
it may have been, especially as a small piece of sentiment may not come
amiss even to the sworn enemies of it on an occasion of this kind, that
the distrest birds and the distrest Cynthia had something in common.
Any lingering fumes of wine being long since out of my head, thanks to
the operations of the wholesome open air, I grew conscious of a very
distinct craving for food about eight of the clock. It was then that
the thought of the generous Mr. Fielding's guinea proved such a source
of solid comfort. One must be a vagrant by the wayside, dependent on
chance for one's crusts of bread, to experience what the contemplation
of twenty-one shillings sterling means, when that contemplation is
sharpened and assisted by a biting hunger. In the days of my material
greatness, not my houses, lands, revenues, not all my precious
possessions had the power to bestow upon me that inexpressible sense of
delightful anticipation which Mr. Fielding's guinea was able to do. A
whole guinea to a desperately hungry mortal who for two days had begged
his bread! What would it not purchase? How much sheer honest feeding
did it represent! It would permit of delicate feeding, too, for
Cynthia. A fine lusty mutton-pasty for the earl; and a bowl of
cream-covered milk, flanked with the whitest bread and the purest
butter, for his countess.
Cynthia still slept so soundly that I could not find it in my heart to
rouse her. Quite a long time I debated within myself whether to leave
her thus whilst I betook myself to the nearest house in quest of food.
At last, as she showed no signs of waking yet, I determined to do so.
Fixing the spot with particular care in my mind where she lay, I went
off briskly on my errand. Happily a farm-house of goodly size was but
a little distant; and here, by the aid of the magic guinea, was I
accommodated, though, to be sure, without any special degree of favour.
And at least my appearance could not be said to merit it. I was
without my coat, my clothes were coarse, and the worse for travel, I
still bore a black eye, and the small wound at the side of my head was
still rendered visible by the blood that had dried about it. But as I
had promised myself I got a draught of most excellent ale, a
mutton-pasty too, which I bore along with me to eat at my leisure;
whilst I procured for Cynthia a jug of warm milk, and fresh butter
spread on some dainty slices of bread.
As soon as I returned to the place where Cynthia lay, she awoke,
wonderfully refreshed and with no trace of the distresses of the
previous night about her. She gave expression to her delight when I
proudly produced her breakfast; whereon I redonned my coat. And no
sooner did she observe the use to which it had been put, than she
upbraided me for discarding it. Seating myself beside her, we made a
perfectly admirable meal, but perhaps it was not after all our keen
hunger that made the best sauce to it, but rather the fact that we were
both in our natural minds again, and that our differences were
forgotten. All the same, I devoutly hoped that my dear Cynthia would
not pause to inquire from what source the royal breakfast sprang. I
had no wish, you may be sure, to associate it with Mr. Fielding,
however black the ingratitude. Happily the question was not asked.
When we had made our meal in this happy fashion, we repaired to the
farm-house from which it had been obtained, to crave permission to
perform our ablutions. By paying for the same, we were able to make
them in some comfort. Like the arrant spendthrifts that we were, money
was no object to us so long as our fortune lasted. This accomplished,
we set off again wonderfully refreshed in mind and body. It was a
sweetly fair spring morning, that made us step forth blithely. It
takes a very old and hardened cynic to resist nature at her vernal
period. And I think our reconciliation added to our happiness,
although not once did we allude to the unlucky events of the night
before. But we exhibited such a fine consideration for one another
now, and were so scrupulous of every little detail of our demeanour one
towards the other, as plainly showed that the articles of peace were
being heartily subscribed to by us both. All the way it was, "Let me
carry thy coat, my pretty one," or "Darling, walk this side of me in
the shade lest the sun should overpower you," or "I do hope this bright
sunshine will not affect your poor, broken pate."
Sedulously avoiding all places of any size, lest our enemies should be
lurking in them, we selected a modest roadside inn, in which to rest at
mid-day, having left, I think, the town of Guildford some two miles to
our right. Here we ate and drank again with a degree of comfort that,
considering our low estate, was quite luxurious. So discreetly had we
ordered the reckoning too, that there would be means enough left to us
to furnish us with supper and a bed at some similar unpretentious inn
when evening came. You may believe me, or believe me not, but merely
to think of sleeping once again on a bed of feathers, after having
passed the best part of the two previous nights and days afoot, was
almost a distracting pleasure. I suppose a beggar's happiness consists
solely in his belly and his bones; and even if it is not of the highest
kind, what can be so intimate and full of zest?
The evening came without any adventure worthy to be recorded. We still
kept well off the beaten tracks and were therefore so happy as not to
encounter runners from Bow Street, indignant parents, nor scheming
rivals. The inn we selected was an ungenteel one enough in a remote
village; and that night we supped and lay in it in conscious state, and
royally spent the last of Mr. Fielding's guinea on a breakfast the
following morning. It was wanton in us, I dare say, to spend such a
sum in a fashion so prodigal, but as yet our extremity had taught us no
measure of prudence. Besides, when we had not the wherewithal, were we
not imbued with the excitements of those hunters who pursue for their
needs? It is an incomparable kind of sport to seek for food and
lodging with devil a farthing to purchase it.
With every penny of our late fortune squandered, we were again reduced
to this employ. It was then I bethought me of the gypsy's flute. I
bore it still in the pocket of my cloak; and had improvised several
melodies already upon it to cheer our lonely way. Thus, when we came
to a village about noon, wanting refreshment and even a penny to
furnish it, I boldly took forth the instrument and blew it for all I
was worth as we walked slowly along the principal street. Probably my
notes were lustier and in better tune than is ordinary with others of
this profession; or again, even an itinerant musician may have been a
strange bird in this out-of-the-way place; for be it known that when
Cynthia holding my hat in her hand sweetly importuned every staring
yokel and every opened window with her daintiest smile and her
gracefullest curtesy, we had acquired the sum of fourpence, mostly in
halfpence, by the time we had come to the village alehouse. Thither we
repaired to invest this reward of our toil in as good a repast of bread
and cheese and ale as could be obtained for the money. We seasoned it
by a fine argument as to whom the credit of it belonged. I vowed it
was my fine playing that was alone responsible for it; whilst Cynthia
was equally firm in her conviction that it was entirely due to the
elegance of her solicitations.
We were mightily pleased with a prospect that offered a new source of
revenue. But ere long we were doomed to discover that it was not fair
as we had supposed, and that it had its drawbacks. This melancholy
incident happened the very next time we put it in practice. The scene
of it was a somewhat larger village than the first, and we attracted
such an amount of attention that I believe Cynthia collected as much as
sevenpence in a very little while. And so encouraged were we by the
amount of favour with which we were received that we were emboldened to
give a kind of set performance in front of the village ale-house. It
had even been decided that Cynthia should sing a love ballad, for she
had a very sweet voice and was prettily accomplished in the use of it.
Everything prospered with us admirably well for some time. An audience
gathered about us; and although a little inclined to be abashed at
first, we overcame those feelings very soon and gave our singing and
music with great spirit. But just before we had come to the conclusion
of the last piece, the throng was invaded by several stalwart fellows,
amongst whom were the beadle of the parish and the squire of the place,
both highly indignant to be sure. The latter was red and fat and full
of choler.
"Take 'em both, Thomas," says he, wonderfully angry and stern, "and
they shall be clapt into the stocks, sink me so they shall. The idea
of two vagrant wretches daring to affront me thus under my very nose.
There shall be no playing of profane tricks and loud music in this
parish, curse me if there shall be."
Meanwhile the beadle, in the exercise of his authority, had twice set
his dirty hands on my coat, and twice had I gently but firmly removed
them.
"I will venture to say we are doing no harm to any one, sir," says I to
the squire, controlling my resentment as well as I could, and striving
to ape a humility I did not feel. "And surely, sir, you will not be
too hard on poor people."
This fellow, however, was plainly of that tribe that loves to exult
over the weak. It was his pleasure to display a greater and more
despotic authority the less occasion there was for its exercise. The
meeker he found us the more unbending was his indignation.
"How dare you venture to address me, you wandering vagabond?" says he.
"Your damnable impertinence does but aggravate your offence. I will
see whether you will defy me, I will so. You shall go to the stocks at
once, and you may bless your fortune it is not the house of correction."
It needed but a glance to assure us that to resist would be vain. Not
only the beadle, but several other persons under the immediate eye of
this despot, were but too ready to curry favour with him by doing his
bidding. In fact, one and all of those present seemed to conceive a
mighty admiration of his rage. They felt such a display of anger and
unfettered will to be sublime. Therefore, we were pushed and hustled
with many unnecessary indignities, all the throng following to the
village green, and were set side by side in the stocks forthwith. When
we had been duly affixed in this place of humiliation, the squire made
us quite a lengthy harangue, not so much I suspect for our edification
as for the glory of himself. His anger against us inoffensive
creatures who answered him not a word, mounted higher and higher till
it grew truly magnificent. He stamped and raved and swore; he had a
mind to do this, and a mind to do that, and 'fore God he would if it
were not for the abominable leniency of his character. The beadle kept
nodding his head, and fretted himself into a kind of ecstasy of
admiration of the squire's remarks; whilst the villagers could be heard
to say to one another: "Lord, an't squire noble angry-like to be sure."
But neither of us retorted on the fellow by so much as a word, and I
think we were well advised not to do so, for had we but unbosomed
ourselves of a very small part of what was in our hearts he might have
had a real grievance to set against us.
Therefore we both regarded him in silence, and strove to maintain a
demeanour of the coldest disdain. It was not very easy, to be sure, in
that posture, with jeers and humiliation besetting us on every side.
Yet we persevered in it so well that presently it did not fail in its
effect. For our persecutor was such a poltroon at heart that although
we were secured and quite at his mercy, he no sooner observed that we
scorned him, than the torrent of his eloquence grew sensibly less. So
long as we were humble and appeared to shrink and tremble before him,
his rage knew no bounds. But the moment we called in a little disdain
to our aid, he grew less certain of himself, and was so baffled and
held in check by it, that at last he bethought himself that he would
best serve his dignity by taking himself off. His parasite the beadle
went with him, but a considerable number of the yokels stayed to keep
us company. Their disposition was to make sport of our misfortune.
But how true is that old saw--so the master, so the man.
For with a good deal of difficulty, as you may guess, we managed to
preserve an appearance of mighty dignified unconcern, however far we
might be from feeling it, and contrived to converse one with another in
a perfectly natural and amiable manner, for all the world as though we
were not sitting in the stocks at all, but in the village alehouse. In
the face of such a fine contempt the spectators were just as much at a
loss as ever the squire had been. They were there to bully and bait
us, but under our unwavering eyes had not the courage to do so. Indeed
it seemed to involve such a degree of initiative on their part to kick
two persons who after all were not thoroughly and effectually knocked
down, that one by one they followed the example of the squire and slunk
away.
When the best part of these idle and mischievous persons had departed,
and our admirers were diminished to about a score of the village
urchins who were not to be so easily daunted, says I to my little
companion, who to be sure had been wonderfully steadfast through all
our misfortunes:
"I think, your ladyship, we shall best forget the distresses of our
present situation by arrogating to ourselves the grandeur of our former
state. How was the dear queen when you saw her last? Had she quite
recovered of her whooping-cough?"
"Oh yes, I thank your lordship," says Cynthia glibly. "But surely your
lordship was at the levée last Tuesday month?"
"No, rat me if I was," says I, with a languid air. "The fact of the
matter is, I have not the taste for these routs and drums and crushes
and assemblies. My father, the late lord, I have heard boast that he
never missed above three in thirty years. But I think your ladyship
will be the first to own that in these days the _haut ton_ is not so
vastly energetic as it once was. For myself, I would be the first to
confess that the practices and observances of the genteel and polite
world weary me to distraction. I never get into my Court suit but what
I die of fatigue in the operation!"
"His Grace of Middlesex I have heard speak to the same tenor," says
Cynthia; "and often enough have I heard her grace the duchess reprove
it in him."
"I think," says I, "it was a fashion that first obtruded itself in the
Prince of Wales."
"Ah, the dear prince!" says she. "How like his poor dear Royal
Highness it is, to be sure! I hope your lordship was not with him at
that particular drawing-room where he took off so many of the gentlemen
to play a game at basset or hazard or what not in the antechamber."
"Primero, your ladyship," says I gravely.
It was in this edifying fashion that we supported ourselves in our
present trials. Our conversation was carried to the very heights of
the genteel, and was chiefly concerned with the Royal Family. We
mentioned nobody under a peer, and contrived to bring in those great
persons in a highly inept and fashionable manner. Had any one heard
our conversation they must have marvelled to know how two people so
vastly polite and who moved in such exalted circles could ever have
come in that place. The smack of humour in the thing was undeniable,
but I am not sure that we did not retail those details, anecdotes, and
reminiscences in the mincing, clipping tone of St. James's as much for
a vindication of ourselves and a salve for our wounded feelings as for
the whimsicality of the occupation.
We were still beguiling the time in this way when the beadle came to
release us. In the performance of this office he gave us a great deal
of advice that we could very well have dispensed with. He was also
charged with a message from the squire as to how much more serious the
consequences would be if either of us were caught in those parts again.
Having at last obtained our freedom, we were not long in shaking the
dust of this unlucky parish off our feet.
As we went away we were a good deal disconcerted by the turn our
affairs were taking. It was already growing dark, and sensibly colder,
and worse, it was coming on to rain. And we had but a matter of
sevenpence to provide us with the supper that we should soon be greatly
in need of, and a protection from the night's inclemency. To have had
recourse to the flute once more, and I gravely doubt after what had
happened whether we should have had the stomach to have done so, would
not have served us. We were a long way from the next village, and the
evening had already come.