About ten miles from Curtain Wells on the Bristol road stood a ruined
cottage. With thatch discoloured, torn by gales and sparrows, and with
windows made crooked by internal decay, its expression was grotesque and
unpleasant. A tangled bed of rotten nettles filled the space before it,
and all the vegetation beside was rank and desolate. This cottage served
as fitting lodge to a sinister bye-way covered with weeds and almost
overhung in summer by hedges dark with masses of black bryony, but in
winter and spring sufficiently open to admit the cold grey sky overhead,
and the chill Easterly rain, which on the morning after the Chinese
Masquerade fell with dreary persistence.
Pray pardon me that I take you so far from wit, fashion, and beauty,
along this unsavoury path, but indeed the journey is inevitable if you
are at all anxious to understand something of Mr. Francis Vernon's
intentions. The road leads to Blackhart Farm, famous, no doubt, in days
gone by for the cherries of that denomination; but since the last dying
speech and confession of Mrs. Mawhood the name has acquired a new and
sinister significance.
Now you understand my apologies; or is it possible you have forgotten
Mrs. Mawhood of Blackhart Farm, who was turned off at Tyburn amid the
execrations of the mob in 17--? Yet her long black gloves and white face
haunted many pillows on the night when she paid the ultimate penalty;
and for what was she hanged? Come, come, this history is not the Newgate
Calendar--you must search that bloody register.
At the time, however, of Mr. Vernon's visit, Mrs. Mawhood was alive and,
I am sorry to add, flourishing. He followed the roadway for about a
quarter of a mile between tall, damp hedgerows, dismounted at a small
wicket-gate and, leading his horse, turned aside through a plantation of
close-set, withered larches under which the grass grew pale and thin,
with a sweet unhealthy odour of fungus. Blackhart Farm appeared in
view--a long, low building with slated roof, trim enough, but repulsive
and barren. From a pile of chimney stacks smoke was rising hardly
through the heavy atmosphere.
The path by which Vernon arrived led immediately to the front door. Had
he continued along the cart track he would have reached, by way of a
bleak paved courtyard, the back of the house. Only a very shallow strip
of garden separated the front of the farm from the gloomy plantation
that served as barrier to the curious world.
Vernon tied his horse to the gate of the garden, walked up the
moss-grown path between clipped bushes of box, and knocking with the
handle of his riding-whip on the heavy door, waited. Several moments
passed, and in the deep silence that surrounded this ill-wished abode,
he could distinctly hear a clock ticking on the other side of the heavy
door. This, the drip of trees, and the noise of his horse chewing the
rank herbage by the gate, were the only sounds that broke the stillness.
At last footsteps shuffled over the stone-paved floor within. A small
panel slid away from a grating and a voice of that peculiar unctuous
hoarseness only heard in a prodigiously fat man or woman, inquired his
name.
"I want to see you, old Mother Mawhood."
"Love o'maids!" said the fat voice, "'tis Fancy Vernon, or I'm not a fat
old sinner."
The bolts were pushed back, the latch clicked, the door swung open, and
Mrs. Mawhood, whose bulk, but little reduced by Newgate fare, was soon
to test severely the three-legged tenement, occupied the portal.
Take a good look at Mrs. Mawhood, while with pursy greetings she makes
Fancy Vernon welcome. She is like an idol in a cavernous East Indian
temple, or a giant toadstool, or weight of unbaked dough, or in fact
anything that is slow, sleepy, and horrible. Almost buried in folds of
flesh is a pair of beady black eyes, as steady and wicked as those of a
puff-adder or seaman's parroquet. She is dressed in black, and her nails
are bitten to the quick.
Mr. Vernon was probably less narrow-minded than the mob which howled at
her infamy during the Tyburn journey. At any rate he chatted with her
amicably enough on this grey February forenoon.
"How's business, ma'am?" he asked.
"Very bad," she wheezed. "Only three of 'em upstairs and none of 'em
real quality. Still, the flowers in the garden vant fresh food,
especially the blood-red toolips. Ah! it was two lips that was the
undoin' of the hussies, and, 'tis fair they should profit by the
harvest."
This devilish joke was followed by a low rumbling chuckle echoed above
by a thin wail.
Mrs. Mawhood waddled to the foot of the stairs.
"Keep that d----d brat quiet, you charity bastard," she wheezed
angrily. "She'll hev to get up to-morrow," she continued, seating
herself in a wide arm-chair beside the empty grate, "and a sickly puling
jade she is. I suppose you've come for the Main?"
"No," answered Vernon, "indeed, I did not know there was to be one. Good
birds?"
Mrs. Mawhood nodded. "Thirty-two cocks and a Velch main. 'Tis some of
those baby gentlemen from the Vells as finks they's seeing life ven a
dozen lousy chairmen sveats thesselves 'oarse over a pair of bleeding
chickens. And ven they's 'ad their pockets picked, they goes 'ome
'appy."
"Is Moll here?" asked Vernon.
"No, Moll's keeping a gay house Catherine Street vay."
"Egad, I've a pretty little job for Moll."
"Now don't you go leading Moll astray. She ain't been in Bridewell not
these two years, and she don't vant to neither."
"This job won't take her there. I'm in need of a housewife for a month,
and Moll's a nice homely woman."
"'Oo's she to look after, eh?"
"A pearl necklace," said Vernon.
"And a pretty neck, eh?"
"Tolerable," said Vernon.
"When do you want her?"
"Let me see--February. Shall we say the last week in March?"
"I'll tell her: I shall be sending a hussy from here presently to a nice
honest sitivation." Again the chuckle was heard.
"I want lodgings near the Haymarket. Nice and airy--with a balcony if
possible, and--well, Moll knows what attracts sweet seventeen."
"That's young for a pearl necklace."
"'Tis hers by inheritance. The lodgings must be cheerful because Miss is
shy."
"Oh, Moll knows what every age likes best. She'll buy a dear little
singing goldfinch and put him in a cage and hang him up in the window.
Who knows? P'raps it'll breed a nice little nestful of goldfinches for
Moll. 'Ow many?"
"I can discuss that with Moll herself," said Vernon.
"Ah, but Moll's so soft 'arted. Not less than fifty goldfinches, mind,
and if a little hindrance arrives, 'tis to come down to Blackhart
Farm--mind--and be cared for by old Mother Mawhood wot's kind even to
the pore little flies on the pane."
"You look too far into the future, old lady," said Vernon.
"And so a body should, my fancy boy," the hag answered. "Now I wager you
ain't thought nothin' about postillions?"
"Time enough for that."
"Yes, time enough I dare say, but you ought to engage 'em in advance.
That's vat the quality does ven they writes to me. Have you got a pair
of good honest postboys?"
"No, but----"
"Vell! and good honest boys ain't so easy found in Curtain Vells! Boys
who'll do vat's vanted and no questions axed and none answered."
"But I thought----"
"That's all werry fine," said the monstrous old woman. "But p'raps
there'll be another elopement. Maids is thick in Curtain Vells, and
p'raps you won't find your boys so easy. There's some that don't like
the job--don't like two brace of pops behind 'em and a galloping brother
and father."
"We shan't be followed," said Vernon contemptuously.
"No, I dare say you von't, but 'tis as vell to be behind a couple of
good honest boys as'll use their pops when they're turning a corner and
ready to swear they thought it was two gentlemen on the high toby as vas
a followin' of 'em so fast."
"Very well," said Vernon, "whom do you want me to employ?"
"Vy, there's my two nephews, Charlie and Dickie Maggs, vot 'ud drive
'ard and fast all the vay to Lunnon town and no questions axed either
end, but vot could easily be ansered wiv golden Georges."
"Let 'em wait on me when I send the word, and hark'ee, they must be
ready any time this month, for Miss may take it into her head to run
before I expect."
Further intercourse between Mr. Francis Vernon and old Mother Mawhood
was interrupted by loud knocks on the door at the back, supported by
catcalls, yells, horn-blowing and whip-cracking.
"That's for the Main," said Mrs. Mawhood. "Vill you stay to see the
sport?"
"'Tis a Welch main?"
"Ay--thirty-two birds."
"Well, send a boy to put my horse in the stable."
"This way, my fancy, this way," wheezed the hag, as she waddled towards
the courtyard where the noise was growing louder every minute.
It may strike the reader as strange that the young gentlemen of the
_Blue Boar_ (they were all there save Mr. Lovely) should come ten miles
to a disreputable farm for the purpose of seeing thirty-two cocks of the
game butchered. The Welch Main was a peculiarly bloody form of
cock-fighting, as it was determined by a series of rounds fought by the
respective survivors until at the end a pair of already vilely scarred
and mutilated birds were placed beak to beak by the Feeder to determine
the ultimate victor of the Main.
Ten miles was not too far to travel for such glorious sport in the days
of the Georges, but that they were compelled to travel at all was due to
the squeamishness of Beau Ripple, who had a singular aversion from the
game and would allow no cock-pit to be established within his
jurisdiction. He used to say the martyrdom of chickens should never
extend beyond the demand for painted fans.
Therefore a suitable cockpit had been set up in one of the outlying
barns of Blackhart Farm, whither at discreet intervals went Lieutenant
Blewforth of the _Lively_, Mr. Golightly of Campbell's Grey Dragoons,
Mr. Tom Chalkley of the Foot, little Peter Wingfield, and many other
young gentlemen. They would sit in the first tier and allow their
exquisite necks to be blown upon by the stinking breath of the second
tier which, in turn, was not unwilling to allow the third tier to spit
over its shoulders in the intervals of yelling, 'Three to one on the
Blotch-breasted Red!' 'Six to five against the Cheshire Pile!' 'Two to
one on the Black-breasted Birchin!' and other such bewildering
proclamations of their confidence in particular cocks of the game.
Vernon was not at all displeased that his visit to Blackhart Farm should
have ostensible justification. Looking back, as he emerged into the
courtyard, he noticed all the windows of the house were blind on that
side and wondered why so ill-favoured and disreputable a dwelling-place
had never been investigated by the servants of justice. So it was,
however, not long after this date, and a gruesome day's work it was
beneath the hot August sun: and not the least gruesome sight was old
Mother Mawhood, monstrous, flabby and terror-stricken, quivering in her
chair by the empty fireside, opposite a Robin Redbreast from Bow Street
drinking many quarts of beer and regarding her with unfavourable
glances, while he listened to the chink of the spades in the flower
garden by the plantation. The runners would never have visited Blackhart
Farm had not a certain lady of quality, who travelled in a post-chaise
with muffled windows, dallied a month too long, thereby raising the
suspicions of her eagle-nosed aunt, the Countess of----, but what has
all this to do with cock-fighting?
In the pit the spectators were arranging themselves. In front sat
Lieutenant Blewforth and little Peter Wingfield as Masters of the Match.
In the front tier sat the leading amateurs of Curtain Wells. Behind them
were the shopkeepers, and behind the shopkeepers was the riff-raff of
the Wells and its satellite villages.
Everybody was bawling odds at top voice, and occasionally one of the
birds crowed. This was an infringement of etiquette and, being
considered a sign of cowardice, immediately lengthened the odds against
the offender. The tallowy man in a blue kerseymere coat and breeches is
one of the Feeders, and is acting in that capacity for the Services
represented by Lieutenant Blewforth, while the civilians are employing
the good offices of Jimmy Trickett, who on less exciting occasions is
one of the hostlers of the _Blue Boar_.
Vernon, looking for a vacant place in the front tier found himself next
to Mr. Anthony Clare, who, for all he sat so unmoved, had provided eight
cocks for the civilians and stood to lose a pretty pile of guineas.
"Where's Lovely?" asked Vernon, shaking the sawdust from his boots.
"He never comes to cock-fights," Clare replied rather coldly.
"Too brutal for a poet, eh?"
"I have never heard him say so," said Clare.
As a matter of fact Charles strongly disapproved of the sport and it is
a significant fact that at this very moment, he was trotting along the
Bristol road, tired of lashing Curtain polls and determined, against the
advice of his conscience, to stake fifty guineas on the result of the
Main.
The latter progressed with monotonous cruelty until, of the thirty-two
cocks who began, but two pairs were left, all bleeding profusely. And
now with a refinement of brutality, the steel gaffles, hitherto used to
shorten the earlier and less interesting matches, were removed and
silver ones fastened on in their place, because, the latter, being less
deadly, prolonged the miserable contest.
During this momentary lull, Charles entered the barn and was greeted
with cheers in which could be detected a note of surprize. Clare moved
along in order to make room for his friend, and squeezed Mr. Vernon
somewhat unceremoniously in doing so.
"What birds are being set to?" inquired Lovely.
"My Knowsley and Chalkley's Cheshire Pile, and a White Pile of
Campbell's against Winnington's Cuckoo."
The semi-final dragged out its bloody length, until for the final was
left Mr. Clare's famous Knowsley cock, his ebony breast dabbled with
blood and his red pinions ragged and broken, but still preserving some
of the smartness of their slantwise trimming--trimmed so in order that
by a lucky stroke an adversary's eye might be put out. The survivor of
the two Services was Mr. Campbell's White Pile, stained with crimson.
"Will your bird win?" whispered Mr. Lovely.
"I think so," said Clare, "he comes of a good breed."
"Two to one in Tens against the Pile," shouted Mr. Lovely.
"Done," said Vernon.
"Two to one in Twenties against the Pile," shouted Mr. Lovely.
"Done," said Mr. Vernon.
"Three to one in Fifties," shouted Mr. Lovely.
And this wager also was taken by Mr. Francis Vernon.
The Feeders were setting the birds beak to beak. The shouting of odds
was deafening: the gallant cocks were both exhausted by the four
previous fights, but the feathers flew, the wings whirred, the gaffles
clicked, and the blood flowed fast enough to please the vile faces that
looked down through the murky atmosphere.
At last the White Pile, blinded in one eye, began to retreat before the
Knowsley.
"I pound the cock," shouted Charles, flinging his hat into the pit.
The Teller of the Law, a seedy vagabond with a red nose, began to count
in raucous accents. Twice he counted twenty slowly, and
"Vill any vun take it?" he asked.
"Yes," said Mr. Vernon, and just as Mr. Vernon said 'Yes,' the brave
Knowsley cock, the champion of many famous fights, toppled over on his
side, dead.
The Naval and Military Amateurs had won the Welch Main, and Mr. Charles
Lovely had lost two hundred and ten guineas, not to mention ten pounds
for so rashly pounding the cock.
The young gentlemen went back to Curtain Wells much pleased with the
afternoon's entertainment, while the riff-raff walked or drove in queer
vehicles back to their squalid homes, all save one unfortunate
individual, unable to meet a debt of ten shillings incurred by backing
the brave Knowsley, who for all he was dying had pursued his antagonist
so confidently. He spent the night in a basket close to the roof and was
not set down till the next morning by one of the labourers on Blackhart
Farm.
_Chapter the Twentieth_