THE ADVENTURE OF THE OLD IRISHWOMAN
When they awoke the next morning the gipsies had gone--nothing remained
of them but the burnt circle on the ground which any encampment makes
and a little rubbish; but at the mouth of the boys' tent lay a bundle
of sticks and two rabbits.
Kink looked at the rabbits with a narrow eye. "Better hurry up and get
them eaten," he said, "or one of those policemen that Master Campbell
is so fond of may be asking awkward questions. And it wouldn't be a bad
thing," Kink added, "to have a good look round and see if there's
anything missing."
"Oh, Kink," said Janet, "how horrid you are to be so suspicious! And
after all their gratitude, too!"
"Yes," said Kink; "but gipsies is gipsies. They were gipsies before
they were grateful, and I reckon they'll be gipsies after."
But in spite of his examination he found no signs of any theft.
They were away soon after breakfast, which seemed a little flat at
first after the excitement of last night. But they soon lost that
feeling in hunger. It was a very windy day, with showers now and then;
but it was bracing too, especially on this very high road, hundreds of
feet above the sea-level.
Robert pointed out how straight it was, and told them it was made by
the Romans eighteen hundred years ago, and it ran right through
Cirencester (which they called Corinium) to Speen (which they called
Spinae). Its name was then Ermin Street. And it amused the children to
imagine they too were Romans clanking along this fine highway.
It was after lunch that they came upon an old woman--sitting beside the
road just beyond Tredington. Long before they reached her they heard
her moaning and groaning.
"What is it?" Janet asked.
The old woman moaned and groaned.
"Are you ill?" Janet asked.
The old woman groaned and moaned.
"Kinky," said Janet, "come and see if we can help her."
Kink murmured to himself and came to her.
"What's up, missis?" he asked.
"It's my poor heart," said the old woman with an Irish brogue. "I'm
very queer. It's near death I am. For the love of Heaven give me a ride
in the beautiful caravan."
"Where do you want to go?" Kink growled at her.
"To Alverminster," she said. "To see my daughter. She lives there.
She's been married these five years to a carpenter, and she's just had
another baby, bless it's wee face! But me poor heart's that bad I can't
go another step."
Kink drew Janet aside. "She's an old humbug," he said, "and she smells
of gin. Better let her be."
"Oh, Kinky," said Janet, "how can we! The poor old thing, and her
daughter waiting to see her!"
"Daughter!" Kink snorted. "She's got no daughter. She's trying it on."
"How horrid you are!" Janet said. "I mean to give her a lift, anyway."
"It's against my advice," said Kink. "Anyway, promise me you won't give
her any money."
"Very well," said Janet, and she invited the old woman to sit on a
chair at the back of the caravan.
"The saints protect you for your kindness!" said the old woman, getting
to her feet and making her way up the steps with more ease than Janet
had dared to expect. "The saints protect you all--all except that
suspicious ould gossoon wid the whip," she added, glowering at Kink,
who was by no means backward in glowering at her in reply.
"If you had such a thing as a drop of spirits," said the old woman to
Janet, who had taken a seat beside her, "I should be all right. The
doctor says that there's nothing like a little stimulant for such
flutterings and spasms as worry me."
"I'm afraid we haven't," said Janet; "but I could make you a cup of
tea."
"There's a darlin'," said the old woman. "It's not so helpful as
spirits, but there's comfort in it too."
Her sharp little eyes followed Janet as she moved about and brought
together all the tea requisites.
"You're a handy young lady," she said, "and may Heaven send you a fine
husband when the time comes! Ah, it's myself as a girl you remind me
of, with your quick, pretty ways."
"Where did you live when you were a girl?" Janet asked.
"In a little village called Kilbeggy," said the old woman. "My father
was a farmer there until the trouble came upon him. But it's little
enough happiness we had after that, and niver a piece of meat passed
our lips for years. Nothing but potatoes and bread. And you're eating
meat twice a day, I'm thinking, all of you. Ah, it's a strange world,
and a very gay one when you're rich. I was rich once, me darlin'."
"Were you?" Janet asked in surprise.
"Oh, yes," said the old woman, "I was rich once. Me husband was a
licensed victualler in Harrow, and we kept our own wagonette. Many's
the time I've driven it meself into London, to a stable in the Edgeware
Road, where I left it to do me shopping. It was an elegant carriage,
and a white horse not so unlike your own, only smaller."
Janet handed her the tea.
"Thank you, me darlin'," said the old woman. "I'm feeling better
already. That's a beautiful locket you're wearing--it is the very image
of one that belonged to me poor little Clara that died."
The old woman began to cry. Janet was greatly distressed. "I can't help
it," said the old woman. "Me poor little Clara! I kept it for years and
years, and then it was taken from me by my landlady's son, a
good-for-nothing blackguard, in lodgings off the Pentonville Road." She
sobbed afresh. "I've never been happy since," she said.
"Oh," Janet exclaimed, "do take this. I don't want it, I'm sure, if it
would make you happy."
"But it's robbing you of it I am," said the old woman, as her hand
closed on it.
"I'd much rather you had it," Janet replied.
"Heaven bless your kind heart!" said the old woman.
They jogged on, and she continued to look around her and to ask
questions. She asked all about Janet's home and parents.
"Could you," she said at last, "lend me a shilling, my dear? It's to
buy the little baby some mittens, his poor hands get that cold. I don't
want you to give it, but couldn't you lend it me only for to-day? I'll
post you a beautiful postal order to-night, which my daughter's husband
will get for me, or a beautiful row of stamps, if you'll give me the
address of the grand house you'll be staying in at Stratford."
But Janet was firm; she had promised Kink.
"Not for the poor little mite's cold hands?" said the old woman.
It was very hard, but Janet had to say no.
The old woman said no more for some time. Then suddenly, "Did you ever
see the late King, God bless him?" she asked.
"Yes," said Janet, "I saw him once. It was at the opening of
Parliament."
"Then you can tell me," said the old woman, "something I want to know;
for I was arguing it with my daughter's husband the last time I was
here, and I want to convince him. He says--my daughter's husband, that
is--that the King had thick hair on the top of his head, God bless him!
and I say he hadn't. What I say is, he'd got all the hair he needed. So
if you ever saw him, you could tell me."
"Oh, no, I can't," Janet said. "When I saw him he was in a carriage."
"What a pity!" said the old woman. "But haven't you a portrait of him
anywhere?"
"No, I'm sure we haven't," said Janet. "Perhaps we ought to have! It
would be more loyal, wouldn't it?"
"Never mind," said the old woman; "only it would put my mind at rest."
And then suddenly she began to laugh. "Why," she said, "how silly we
are! Of course you've got portraits of him--lashin's of them, darlin'."
"Where?" Janet exclaimed.
"In your purse," said the old woman. "On the blessed money. On the
shillings and sixpences, my dear."
"Of course," said Janet, laughing too; and she drew out her purse and
looked at the money it contained. There was half a sovereign and half a
crown and some smaller coins; but none were new ones: all were of
Victoria's reign.
"What a pity!" said the old woman again--"perhaps one of your brothers
or sisters has some more. Not the old blackguard driving, of course."
"Yes," said Janet; "I'll see;" and descended the steps, and soon after
returned with an Edward shilling.
The old woman took it and examined head. "I was right," she said, "God
bless him! He was as thin on the top as my own poor father was, rest
his soul! Well, dear, and now I'll say good-bye," she added soon after,
as she rose to her feet and gave the shilling back. "If you'll make
that spalpeen stop, I'll get down, for me daughter's cottage is just
over there, across fields. Thank you very kindly for the tea and your
sweet company. Good-bye, good bye," she called, "and the saints protect
you all!" and she hobbled off through a gate in the hedge.
At Alverminster Gregory insisted upon buying some acid-drops, and went
to Janet for a penny. But when she came to feel for her purse it was
not to be found. She hunted everywhere in the caravan, but in vain.
"When did you have it last?" Kink asked. "You haven't bought anything
to-day."
"No," said Janet, "but I had it out when the old Irishwoman was there."
"I guessed she'd get some money out of you," said Kink.
"Oh, Kink!" said Janet; "she didn't. And after I had promised, too! All
she wanted to see was King Edward's head on a coin."
"What for?" Kink asked.
"To see if he was bald on the top or not," said Janet. "She had had an
argument with her daughter's husband about it. Which just proves that
you were wrong in thinking she had no daughter."
Kink smiled an annoying smile. "Well," he said, "what then?"
"We found a coin," said Janet, "and found that the King was bald on the
top. That's all."
"And shortly afterwards she got out?" Kink asked.
"Yes, soon afterwards."
Kink laughed very heartily. "Well," he said, "I could see she was an
old fraud, but I didn't think she would steal anything, or I wouldn't
have let her in the caravan at all."
"Steal!" Janet cried. "Why, do you think she stole it? It's very horrid
and unjust of you."
"Then where is it?" Kink asked. "That stuff about the King's head was a
trick. It's a clear case. We must go to the constable's house."
"Oh, no," said Janet, "we won't. She was a poor old thing, and her
heart was bad, and she was very unhappy, and I don't mind about the
money."
"She's an old vagabond," said Kink, "and her heart's as sound as mine.
She wants locking up."
"I won't have it," said Janet again. "If she did steal it, it was very
wrong; but she has had very bad luck. Don't let's think any more about
it, but pay for the sweets and get on."
Poor Janet! no wonder she wanted the matter dropped, for there was her
locket to be explained if any of the others noticed it and asked
questions. She was very silent for some time, and walked alone,
thinking hard. This was her first experience of theft, and it hurt her.
The children, as it happened, never did notice the absence of the
locket, but they kept the memory of the old woman very green. Nothing
after that could be missed without some reference to her.
"Where's the corkscrew?" Robert would say. "I suppose Kathleen
Mavourneen's got it."
"It's no use," Jack would remark, "I can't find the salt. Erin go
bragh!"