Captain Barecolt and his guide now issued forth into the streets of
Hull, and sauntered on for a few steps without speaking. An English
town, in those days, especially after the sun was set, presented a
very different aspect from that which it offers to the night wanderer
at present. All was darkness and gloom, except where, from an open
door or unshuttered window, the lights which the people within were
using for their own advantage served also for the benefit of the
passenger; and indeed every one who had occasion to traverse the
streets generally furnished himself with a lantern or link, to prevent
him from running his head against a post, or breaking his neck down
some of the steep flights of steps by which the even course of
progression was not unfrequently interrupted.
"Now, master captain," said Barecolt's companion, "what inn do you
want to go to? for it won't be pleasant roaming about Hull after
dark."
"Dat is de ting vich I don't know," answered Barecolt; "I never have
be in Hull before."
"Then one inn is as good as another to you, Captain Chairsfall?"
replied the officer of the train-bands.
"No, no, no!" replied Barecolt; "dat be not just, monsieur: all inn be
not de same--it depend on vat be in dem. I must have de good vine, de
good bed, de good meat."
"Well, you can have all those at the 'Lion,' or at the 'Rose' either,"
replied his companion.
"Ah, no! I like to see," answered Barecolt; "ve vill just valk trough
de town, take a leetle peep at dis inn, and leetle peep at dat, and
perhaps I take a glass of vine here, and a glass of vine dere, and
give you anoder, mon ami, just to try vich be de best. You see my
nose, have you not? Vell, it know vat good vine be."
"It looks it," answered the other; for that nose was one which few men
could let alone, such were its attractions. "However, if we are to
have this long walk, I must get a lantern at my house," and on he went
down the street before him, till, turning to the left, he entered
another, in which not only was his own house situated, but also the
identical inn called the "Swan." The door was open, a light was
shining within, the swan in all its glory was swinging from a pole
over the door, and Barecolt insinuated a desire to begin their
perquisitions there.
The captain of the train-bands, there is every reason to suspect, had
a friend at the "Lion," and another at the "Rose," for he certainly
did not do justice to Mrs. White, in the account he gave of the
accommodations of her house. But Barecolt, who thought that, good or
bad, he never could have a gill of wine too much, and who had not
tasted anything stronger than water for a greater length of time than
was at all convenient to his stomach, was resolute to try what the
"Swan" could produce, and consequently led the way up the steps and
into the house, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the worthy
predecessor of John Gilpin.
Advancing with an easy and self-satisfied air to the little room which
we have spoken of, the window of which commanded the passage and the
staircase, he found the worthy landlady herself; seated with a tall,
powerful man, considerably above the middle age, but still hale and
hearty, with white hair, indeed, but thick eyebrows, still jet-black,
and long dark eyelashes shading an eye of that peculiar blue which is
seldom found without a rich stream of the Milesian blood flowing in
the veins of the owner. A jug of ale and some cold ham were between
the two, and Mrs. White seemed to be doing the honours of her house to
the stranger with great courtesy and attention.
"Vould you have bounty, madame," said Barecolt, "just to let me have
von leetle gill, as you call it, of de very best vine, and anoder of
de same for my friend here?"
"Certainly, sir," said Mrs. White. "Ah! Captain Jenkins, is that you?
Well, I am very glad to see you in the house at last. A dull night,
sir. Nancy, Nancy! give these gentlemen two gills of the best wine.
White or red, air?"
"Oh, vite, vite!" replied Captain Barecolt; "De red vine in England be
vort noting."
"White, Nancy, white!" cried the landlady. "Won't you come in and take
a seat, Mr. Jenkins? Here's Mr. O'Donnell with me, whom you know, I
think."
Captain Jenkins, however, of the train-bands of the city of Hull,
grumbled something about not being able to stay long; but the more
gallant Barecolt, instantly accepting the lady's invitation, walked
in, and the other followed.
The two measures of wine were speedily set before them; and Barecolt,
tossing off his in a moment, seemed to like it so well that he called
for another. But Captain Jenkins shrugged his shoulders, and whispered
that there was very much better at the "Lion;" "very much better
indeed."
What effect this insinuation would have had upon the determination of
Barecolt I cannot take upon myself to say; but an event occurred at
that moment which at once decided his conduct.
Just as Nancy was placing the second gill before him, a loud noise of
people speaking, and apparently scuffling in the street, was heard. It
gradually grew louder, and at length seemed to reach the steps leading
up to the house.
There was something in the tone of one of the voices which, though
raised into accents such as Barecolt had never heard it use, seemed
familiar to his ear, and he instantly started up to look out.
"It's nothing but some drunken men, sir," said Mrs. White: "If they
don't mind, the watch will get hold of them."
But the watch had already done its function; and the moment after, the
voice of Mr. Dry, of Longsoaken, was distinctly heard exclaiming, "Get
hence, ye men of Belial! ye false witnesses, raised up by Jezebel,
whose blood the dogs licked, to testify falsely of the just Naboth!
Drunk! It is you are drunk! I never was so sober in my life. Get
hence, I say!" he continued with a loud hiccup; "I lodge here, I tell
you;" and shaking off the grasp of two of the watch who had him in
custody, he rushed into the "Swan," and had nearly reached the foot of
the stairs when he fell prone upon the well-washed floor, and lay
there, unable to raise himself.
Mrs. White instantly rushed out, followed close by Nancy, to the
rescue of her guest; for the watch had by this time entered, and were
about to lay hands once more upon the person of Mr. Ezekiel Dry. The
good landlady, however, easily satisfied them that Mr. Dry would be
taken care of, and not suffered further to disturb the peace of the
town; and as he was by no means in a comfortable or convenient
position on the floor, which, from the undulatory motion he perceived
in it, he asserted loudly was affected by an earthquake, the two men
who had followed him were employed to raise him, and conveyed him
struggling violently to his bed.
By no means unaccustomed to the treatment of such maladies, Mrs. White
remained for a few minutes with her reverend and respectable guest,
and then leaving him, as we shall do for the present, returned to her
little parlour.
"Madame," said Barecolt, as soon as she entered, "your vine be so very
good dat I shall remain here vile I stay in de town. Here is von
leetle billet from de gouverneur, and as I know dat it is not pleasant
to lodge de soldier, or de officer eider, here be von order for my
provision and maintenance, vich vill be paid at de good rate, and as I
like de good vine, it may be someting in your vay."
Mrs. White could only curtsey and submit; but Captain Jenkins, who had
hoped to put a good thing in the paws of the "Lion," or in the bosom
of the "Rose," flung out of the house in a fit of disgust, saying he
would come for Captain Chairsfall early the next morning. Before he
went, however, he called Mrs. White aside, and whispered to her, to
keep a sharp eye upon her new guest.
"If you find him inquiring his way out of the town, or going out late
at night or early in the morning," he said, with an important air,
"you must send word either to me or the governor, it's all the same
which; for he is a Frenchman, who has come over to serve the king, in
rebellion to the parliament, and has been taken prisoner. He pretends
now to be willing to go with us; but I have doubts, many doubts, Mrs.
White; so look to him, look to him well, if you would merit favour."
Mrs. White promised to look to him, but inwardly proposed to have a
due regard for her own pocket, by obtaining speedy payment for
everything she supplied; and as for the rest, "to let the man take his
chance," as she termed it.
I cannot, however, aver that Mrs. White was either prepossessed by the
appearance of the worthy Captain Barecolt or by the account given of
him by Captain Jenkins; though, to say truth, she did not put much
faith in the assurance of the officer of the trained bands.
That her new lodger had come to serve the king, however, and then
showed a good will to serve his enemies, seemed clear; so that when
she returned to her parlour, after her conference with Jenkins, though
she was perfectly civil to the apparent Frenchman, as indeed she was
to every one, hers was that quick and sharp-set civility which can be
better felt than described. She answered all his questions in as few
words as possible, interspersing them with numerous curtsies and very
civil epithets; but it was very evident to Captain Barecolt that Mrs.
White wished for as little of his company as possible.
He was not a man, as may be imagined, who would attribute this
distaste to his society to any want of personal attractions; and he
settled it in his own mind that it must be his assumed quality of
Frenchman that prejudiced the landlady against him, and that evil he
determined to remedy as soon as he was sure of his ground; for Captain
Barecolt, at that moment, had as strong a desire for the private
company of Mrs. White as she had for his absence.
Mr. Hugh O'Donnell still kept his seat at the table, too; and he
looked at Mrs. White, and Mrs. White at Mr. O'Donnell, with very
significant glances, and no less significant silence, till at length
Captain Barecolt's impudence fairly gave way, and saying to himself;
"Hang the fellow! I must wait till he chooses to go," he rose,
inquiring, "Can anybody show me de room dat I am to sleep in? for I
like very great to see de bed vere I lie."
"Oh yes, sir!" said Mrs. White; "you shall have as good a bed as any
in Hull. Here, Nancy, Nancy!" and, preceded by the girl, the worthy
captain was led up-stairs, and shown into a bed-room just opposite to
that of Arrah Neil.