_Frank Henley to Oliver Trenchard_
_London, Grosvenor-Street_
Oliver, what are we? What is man? What is virtue? What is honour?--My
pride has received a wound much more acute than that which the ball of
the highwayman inflicted on my body--I have had money palmed upon
me--Money!--A man cannot behave as he ought, and as it would be
contemptible not to behave, but he must be paid! His vices are paid!
His virtues are paid!--All is mercenary! I to be sure must be one of
the number!--A twenty pound bank note, I tell thee, forced upon me by
Sir Arthur!--No, no--Not by him--He never could have made me accept
what I supposed [falsely, however; as fact and reflection have since
led me to suspect] it was mean and degrading to accept. She only could
prevail. She whose commands are irresistible, and who condescended to
entreat!--Her eye glistening with a tear, which she with difficulty
detained in its beauteous orbit, she entreated!--There was no opposing
such intercession! Her eloquence was heavenly! God be praised that it
was so! For, as it has happened, I am persuaded it has preserved a poor
distressed creature from phrensy--Have patience, and I will tell thee.
I had removed my penitent, and had been taking a short airing in the
park; and, as I was returning, I saw a crowd collected in a court. Led
by curiosity to enquire what was the matter, I was told that two men
had just been pursuing a third over the roofs of the neighbouring
houses; and that, having been obliged to descend through a trap-door,
they had followed him, where it was supposed he had at last been taken.
I asked what his crime was, but nobody knew. Some believed him to be a
thief, some thought it was a press-gang, and others conjectured they
were bailiffs.
It was not long, however, before a decent, well-looking, and indeed
handsome young woman, with a fine child in her arms, came running up
the court, made her way through the crowd with terror in her
countenance, and with the most piercing cries demanded--'Where is
he?--Where is my dear Harry?--Who has seen him? Where is he?'
Some of the people pointed out the house. She knocked violently,
continued her cries and lamentations, and at last gained admittance.
Her grief was so moving, so sympathetic, that it excited my compassion,
and made me determine to follow her. Accordingly I elbowed my way,
though I felt that I rather disturbed the surgeon's dressing; but that
was a trifle. I followed her up stairs without ceremony. With respect
to her, affection, 'masterless passion, had swayed her to its
mood'--she was not to be repulsed.
The prisoner and his pursuers had descended to the second floor, in
which the poor fugitive had endeavoured to seek refuge, but not soon
enough to find protection from the bailiffs, as they proved and as he
knew them to be. Never didst thou see terror so strong, nor affection
so pathetic, as this excellent young woman, his wife, discovered.
Excellent I am certain she is. She wrung her hands, she fell on her
knees, she held up her babe; and, finding these were ineffectual, she
screamed agonizing prayers to save her Harry. The idea she had
conceived of the loss of liberty, and the miseries of a prison, must
have been dreadful. But tears and prayers and cries were vain; she was
pleading to the deaf, or at least to the obdurate.
As soon as the violence of her grief gave a momentary respite, I
enquired what the sum was for which he was in thraldom, and found it to
be sixteen pounds, beside costs. It was not a debt originally
contracted by himself; it was for a note, in which he had joined to
serve his wife's brother. It seemed they are a young couple, who by
their industry have collected a trifling sum, with which they have
taken a small shop. I did not ask of what kind. She serves her
customers, and he follows his trade, as a journeyman carpenter. It did
not a little please me to hear the young creature accuse her brother of
being false to his friend; while the husband defended him, and affirmed
it could be nothing but necessity. I could perceive however that she
grieved to think her brother was not so good as she could have wished
him to be.
The horrors of a jail were so impressed, so rooted in her fancy, that
she was willing to sell any thing, every thing; she would give them all
she had, so that her Harry might not be dragged to a damp, foul
dungeon; to darkness, bread and water, and starving. Thou canst not
imagine the volubility with which her passions flowed, and her terrors
found utterance, from the hope that it was not possible for Christian
hearts to know all this, and not be moved to pity.
I am well persuaded however that, had I not been there, those good
Christians the bailiffs would have paid no other attention to her panic
than to see how it might be turned to profit. The miscreants talked of
five guineas, for the pretended risk they should run, in giving him a
fortnight to sell his effects to the best advantage. They too could
recommend a broker, a very honest fellow--By what strange gradations,
Oliver, can the heart of man become thus corrupt? The harpies looked
hatefully.
Luckily I happened to have the twenty pound note, which pride had
bidden me reject with so much scorn, in my pocket. Thou, I am certain,
wilt not ask what I did with it. I immediately tendered those same
Christians I told thee of their money. The rascals were disappointed,
and would have been surly; but a single look silenced their insolence.
One of them was dispatched, according to form, to see that there were
no detainers; and, being paid, they then set their prisoner free.
Now, if thou thinkest, Oliver, thou canst truly figure to thyself the
overflowing gratitude of the kind young creature, the wife, thou art
egregiously mistaken. She fell on her knees to me, she blessed me,
prayed for me, and said I was an angel from heaven, sent to save her
dear Harry from destruction; she kissed him, hugged, God blessed, and
half smothered her heavenly infant, as she truly called it, with
kisses; nay she kissed me--in spirit, Oliver--I could see she did: ay
and in spirit I returned her chaste caresses.
She entreated me with so much humble love and gratitude to come and see
her poor house, which I had saved, and to tell her my name, that she
might pray for me the longest day she had to live, that I could not
forbear gratifying her so far as to go with her. As for my name, I told
her it was man. The quick hussey understood me, for she replied--No, it
was angel.
I found her house, like her person, neat, and in order. What is still
better, her Harry seems a kind good young man, and alive to as well as
deserving of her affection.
Wouldst thou think it, Oliver?--The pleasure I had communicated had
reverberated back upon myself; yet the sight of a couple thus happy
gave birth to a thought of such exquisite pain that--! Something shot
across my brain--I know not what--But it seemed to indicate I should
never be so mated!
Still, this money, Oliver--Prithee be at the trouble to examine the
question, and send me thy thoughts; for I have not been able to satisfy
myself. What is the thing called property? What are _meum_ and _tuum_?
Under what circumstances may a man take money from another? I would not
be proud; neither would I render myself despicable.
Thou seest how I delight to impart my joys and griefs to thee. Thou
tellest me thou partakest them; and, judging by myself, I cannot but
believe thee. Tell me when thou art weary of me; I have long and often
been weary of myself.
Yet she is very kind to me, and so kind that I have lately been
betrayed into hopes too flattering, too ecstatic to be true. Oh! Should
she ever think of me! Were it only possible she ever should be
mine!--The pleasure is too exquisite! It is insupportable!--Let me gaze
and wonder at humble distance, in silence and in awe!--Do not call me
abject--Yet, if I am so, do; tell me all that ought to be told. It is
not before her rank that I bend and sink. Being for being I am her
equal: but who is her equal in virtue?--Heavens! What a smile did she
bestow on me, when I took the money I mentioned to thee! It has sunken
deep, deep in my heart! Never can it be forgotten! Never! Never!
Peace be with thee.