Stephen Hallett's model was still at rest; for, poor fellow, he had now
a fresh trouble upon his hands.
The excitement had been too much for Linny, and he got her home to find
her delirious; a severe attack of brain fever came on, and her life was,
for many days, hanging by a thread.
I was there every evening, to find that Mary had installed herself head
nurse, and whenever Hallett spoke to her, she was always ready with the
one reply:
"Didn't she come and tend my pore Bill?" This went on for a time, but
Hallett insisted, and Mary proving obdurate, he talked to Revitts about
remuneration.
"Oh, never mind about that," said the bluff fellow. "She says she's got
plenty of time on her hands, and we've both saved a bit, and as long as
she gets what I want, and is at home when I come, it don't interfere
with me; and bless your heart, Mr Hallett, what would life be if one on
us wouldn't do a good turn to another?"
"Yes, but I cannot feel satisfied to let your good wife work for me for
nothing."
"Ah," said Bill sagely. "That's the worst of eddication, it makes a man
so uppish. No offence, Mr Hallett, sir, but you being a highly
eddicated man--"
"Tut--tut! nonsense!" said Hallett, smiling. "Oh, but you are, you
know," said Revitts. "Ant'ny says you are, and it's wonderful what a
power o' stuff that there young chap's got in his head. I come the
top-sawyer over him when he first come up to London; but, Lor' bless
you! I give in to everything out o' the ornerary in no time. It's on'y
nat'ral that eddication should make a man uppish. I've felt a deal more
so since Ant'ny's given me a lift in spellin'. I always was a good
writer, but my spellin', Mr Hallett, sir! Ha--ha--ha!" he cried,
bursting out in a guffaw; "I know now when I looks back at some of my
old books, it was a rum 'un. Them big words was just like so many
forty-barred gates to my getting promoted."
"I suppose so," said Hallett; "but about payment for your wife's
services?"
"Why, you do pay me," said Revitts sturdily. "She gets braxfuses, and
dinners, and teas--no end."
"Yes, but that counts for nothing."
"Oh, don't it," said Revitts, laughing. "You ask Ant'ny about that, and
how him and me used to dodge to make the money run to good meals. Look
here, Mr Hallett, sir, I'm only a humble sort of a chap, but you've
always been kindly to me, and I hope it ain't no disrespect to you to
call you a friend."
"I'm only too glad to call you `friend,' Revitts," said Hallett, holding
out his hand, which the other gripped like a vice, "and I thank Antony
Grace for making me known to two such good hearted people as you and
your worthy wife."
"Thanky, sir, for Mary--thanky," exclaimed Revitts, nodding his head.
"She's a good one, and no mistake; and as for her bit of temper,
Antony," he said, speaking as if he were very much moved, as he turned
to me, "that bit of rough is like ballast to her, and keeps her down;
for, if it wasn't for her tantrums, I believe she'd have been an angel
long ago, and then--what should I have done? Lor' bless you both, they
call us pleecemen lobsters, raw lobsters, to distinguish us from the
soldiers, and because we're dark blue and so hard; but I'm soft enough
inside, and that woman knows it, too. Well, sir, about this
remooneration--as you call it. Look here, she won't take no money, so
I'll tell you what you do by-and-by when she's nursed Miss Linny back to
health--as she will, you mark my words if she don't--better than any
doctor. It's a treat, to be ill under her. Lord's truth!" cried the
great fellow, smiling and looking as silly as a fat boy, "the way she'd
wash my face and neck, and go in an' out o' my ears with the sponge and
towel without hurting, was 'eavenly."
Hallett could not forbear a smile, and I roared.
"Ah, you may grin, Ant'ny my lad, but you'll see, some day when you're
on your back, she's the best nuss that ever lived. There!"
"She is, indeed, Revitts," cried Hallett, "and--Heaven bless her! my
poor mother has not been so well for months as she has been since your
wife has tended her."
"There, Ant'ny, hear that!" cried Revitts. "She's a woman to be proud
on--that she is."
"That she is, Bill," I echoed, clapping the dear old fellow on the
shoulder.
"Well, as I was saying," he exclaimed, "just you give her a noo gownd,
something bright and with some colour in it, and if so be as she isn't
at home when I get back, p'r'aps you wouldn't mind my coming in for a
snack here, for if I don't get my corn reglar I'm nowhere."
"My dear fellow, I shall never be able to thank you enough," cried
Hallett.
"Oh, that's all right among friends, ain't it, Ant'ny? He knows me
better, and Mary, too, than you do, so let's drop all that, sir; and now
I want to talk serious to you about this here affair. I feel, sir, as a
sergeant of police, that I oughtn't to rest till I've brought that chap
to justice."
I saw Hallett start and change colour. Then, getting up, he began to
walk up and down the room, ending by coming and laying his hand upon
Revitts' shoulder.
"Revitts," he said, "that man has done you a very serious injury."
"Never mind about that, Mr Hallett, sir; I dare say I shall put that
square. I was thinking about you."
"Yes, and he has done me a deadly injury," said Hallett, in a low,
dreamy voice; "but I cannot retaliate. You will think me strange and
weak perhaps; but I cannot take any steps toward punishing this man."
Revitts looked disappointed.
"I'd been hoping, sir," he said, "that you'd got to know who I was, and
could give me a hint or two, so that I could put my ban upon him. You
know who it is, sir?"
Hallett looked at him searchingly, and a deep frown came upon his
forehead.
"Yes," he said, "I know who it is; but for many reasons I cannot stir in
the matter. Besides, what could I do? He has committed no punishable
offence against me."
"No, that's true," said Revitts quickly; "but he has against me.
Assaulting the police is 'most as bad as high-treason, and if you'll
give me his name, sir, or put me in the way of getting a hand on him,
I'll give him a twelvemonths' imprisonment."
Hallett shook his head.
"No, Revitts," he said, "I look upon him as my most deadly enemy, and
some day I may take the scoundrel by the throat, but I cannot help you
here."
"Now, that's where you're wrong, sir, if you'll 'scuse me. A man
mustn't take the law into his own hands. You think better of it, sir.
You can't punish, though he richly deserves it, but I can; and if ever I
get a chance, I will."
Revitts soon after rose to go, Mary having announced her intention of
sitting up all night with Linny, and Hallett and I were left alone.
"No, Antony," he said, looking me in the face, just as if I had spoken
to him on the subject. "My hands are tied: John Lister must go free. I
can do nothing."
"He deserves flogging!" I exclaimed, "and I feel that I ought to tell
Miss Carr."
He started, and half turned away.
"Have you told Miss Carr, Antony?"
"No," I said, "I can't be so mean; but she ought to know, for she
believes him to be very true and honourable. I wish some one would tell
her. Can't you?"
"I? Tell Miss Carr? Antony, are you mad?" he cried, with a show of
excitement that I could not understand. "No, I could not tell her.
What would she think of me?"
"Yes, she is so high-minded and good," I replied, "that she would think
anybody a miserable talebearer who told her what a scoundrel Mr Lister
is. I don't think she would believe it, either."
"No," he said softly, "she could not believe such a thing of the man she
loves."
"Do you know," I said, innocently enough, "I don't think she does love
Mr Lister very much."
His eyes flashed as he looked at me; but he made no reply, and only sat
gazing before him in a wistful, saddened way that I did not comprehend
then as I went on chatting to him.
"No, I shall not tell her--I couldn't," I said. "It would be too mean,
and yet it would be horrible for her to marry such a man as that. Have
you seen him, since, Hallett?"
"Seen him?--Since? No, Antony, I have not been to the office since that
night. I could never go there again."
I looked at him anxiously, for his ways and looks were very strange; but
I attributed everything to anxiety on Linny's behalf, and we very soon
changed the topic; and after hearing the last account about Linny, I
rose to go, Hallett coming downstairs, and out into the starlit street,
walking a few hundred yards with me towards my lodgings, before finally
taking his leave, and going thoughtfully away.