A Set of Rogues

by Frank Barrett

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  _I overcome Moll's honest compunctions, lay hold of three thousandpounds more, and do otherwise play the part of rascal to perfection._

  I got together six hundred pounds (out of the sum left us after payingDon Sanchez his ten thousand), and delivered 'em to Mr. Godwin againsthis note of hand, telling him at the same time that, having slept uponhis proposal, I was resolved to be his steward for three months, withfreedom on both sides to alter our position, according to ourconvenience, at the end of that time, and would serve him and his ladyto the best of my power. Thanking me very heartily for my friendlyservice to him (though, God knows, with little reason), he presentlyleft us. And Moll, coming back from taking tender leave of him at hergates, appeared very downcast and pensive. However, after moping an hourin her chamber, she comes to me in her hood, and begs I will take her awalk to dispel her vapours. So we out across the common, it being afine, brisk, dry morning and the ground hard with a frost. Here, beingsecure from observation, I showed her how I had settled matters with Mr.Godwin, dividing the estate in such a manner as would enable her to drawwhat funds she pleased, without let, hindrance, or any inconvenientquestion.

  At this she draws a deep sigh, fixing her eyes sadly enough on theperspective, as if she were thinking rather of her absent lover than thebusiness in hand. Somewhat nettled to find she prized my efforts on herbehalf so lightly, I proceeded to show her the advantages of thisarrangement, adding that, to make her property the surer, I hadconsented to manage both her affairs and Mr. Godwin's when they weremarried.

  "And so," says I, in conclusion, "you may have what money you want, anddispose of it as you will, and I'll answer for it Mr. Godwin shall neverbe a penny the wiser."

  "Do what you find is necessary," says she, with passion. "But formercy's sake say no more on this matter to me. For all these hints dostab my heart like sharp knives."

  Not reading rightly the cause of her petulance, I was at first disposedto resent it; but, reflecting that a maiden is no more responsible forher tongue than a donkey for his heels in this season of life (but bothmust be for ever a-flying out at some one when parted from the object oftheir affections), I held my peace; and so we walked on in sullensilence for a space; then, turning suddenly upon me, she cries in atrembling voice:

  "Won't you say something to me? Can't you see that I am unhappy?"

  And now, seeing her eyes full of tears, her lips quivering, and her facedrawn with pain, my heart melted in a moment; so, taking her arm undermine and pressing it to my side, I bade her be of good cheer, for herlover would return in a day or two at the outside.

  "No, not of him,--not of him," she entreats. "Talk to me of indifferentthings."

  So, thinking to turn her thoughts to another furrow, I told her how Ihad been to visit her father at Greenwich.

  "My father," says she, stopping short. "Oh, what a heartless, selfishcreature am I! I have not thought of him in my happiness. Nay, had hebeen dead I could not have forgot him more. You saw him--is he well?"

  "As hearty as you could wish, and full of love for you, and rejoicedbeyond measure to know you are to marry a brave, honest gentleman." ThenI told how we had drunk to their health, and how her father had smashedhis mug for a fancy. And this bringing a smile to her cheek, I went onto tell how he craved to see Mr. Godwin and grip his hand.

  "Oh, if he could see what a noble, handsome man my Richard is!" criesshe. "I do think my heart would ache for pride."

  "Why, so it shall," says I, "for your father does intend to come hitherbefore long."

  "He is coming to see my dear husband!" says she, her face aglow withjoy.

  "Aye, but he does promise to be most circumspect, and appear as if,returning from a voyage, he had come but to see how you fare, and willstay no longer than is reasonably civil."

  "Only that," says she, her countenance falling again, "we are to hideour love, pretend indifference, behave towards this dear father as if hewere nought to me but a friend."

  "My dear," says I, "'tis no new part you have to play."

  "I know it," she answers hotly, "but that makes it only the worse."

  "Well, what would you?"

  "Anything" (with passion). "I would do anything but cheat and cozen theman I love." Then, after some moments' silence o' both sides, "Oh, if Iwere really Judith Godwin!"

  "If you were she, you'd be in Barbary now, and have neither father norlover; is that what you want?" says I, with some impatience.

  "Bear with me," says she, with a humility as strange in her as thesenew-born scruples of conscience.

  "You may be sure of this, my dear," says I, in a gentler tone, "if youwere anything but what you are, Mr. Godwin would not marry you."

  "Why, then, not tell him what I am?" asks she, boldly.

  "That means that you would be to-morrow what you're not to-day."

  "If he told me he had done wrong, I could forgive him, and love him nonethe less."

  "Your conditions are not the same. He is a gentleman by birth, you but aplayer's daughter. Come, child, be reasonable. Ponder this matter but amoment justly, and you shall see that you have all to lose and nought togain by yielding to this idle fancy. Is he lacking in affection, thatyou would seek to stimulate his love by this hazardous experiment?"

  "Oh, no, no, no!" cries she.

  "Would he be happier knowing all?" (She shakes her head.) "Happier ifyou force him to give you up and seek another wife?" (She starts as ifflicked with a whip.) "Would _you_ be happier stripped of yourpossessions, cast out of your house, and forced to fly from justice withyour father?" (She looks at me in pale terror.) "Why, then, there'snothing to be won, and what's to lose? the love of a noble, honestgentleman, the joy of raising him from penury."

  "Oh, say no more," cries she, in passion. "I know not what madnesspossessed me to overlook such consequences. I kiss you for bringing meto my senses" (with that she catches up my hand and presses her lips toit again and again). "Look in my face," cries she, "and if you find alurking vestige of irresolution there, I'll tear it out."

  Indeed, I could see nothing but set determination in her countenance,--amost hard expression of fixed resolve, that seemed to age her by tenyears, astonishing me not less than those other phases in her rapidlydeveloping character.

  "Now," says she, quickly, and with not a note of her repining tone,"what was that you spoke of lately,--you are to be our steward?"

  "Yes," says I, "for Mr. Godwin has declared most firmly that the momenthe has authority he will cast Simon out for his disloyalty."

  "I will not leave that ungrateful duty to him," says she. "Take me tothis wretch at once, and choose the shortest path."

  I led her back across the common, and coming to Simon's lodge, sheherself knocked loudly at the door.

  Seeing who it was through his little grating, Simon quickly opens thedoor, and with fawning humility entreats her to step into his poor room,and there he stands, cringing and mopping his eyes, in dreadfulapprehension, as having doubtless gathered from some about the house howmatters stood betwixt Moll and Mr. Godwin.

  "Where are your keys?" demands Moll, in a very hard, merciless voice.

  Perceiving how the land lay, and finding himself thus beset, old Simonfalls to his usual artifices, turning this way and that, like a rat in apit, to find some hole for escape. First he feigns to misunderstand,then, clapping his hands in his pockets, he knows not where he can havelaid them; after that fancies he must have given them to his man Peter,who is gone out of an errand, etc.; until Moll, losing patience, cut himshort by declaring the loss of the keys unimportant, as doubtless alocksmith could be found to open his boxes and drawers without 'em.

  "My chief requirement is," adds she, "that you leave this houseforthwith, and return no more."

  Upon this, finding further evasion impossible, the old man turns to bay,and asks upon what grounds she would dismiss him without writ orwarrant.

  "'Tis sufficient," returns she, "that this house is mine, and that Iwill not
have you a day longer for my tenant or my servant. If youdispute my claim,--as I am told you do,--you may take what lawful meansyou please to dispossess me of my estate, and at the same time redresswhat wrong is done you."

  Seeing his secret treachery discovered, Simon falls now to his whiningarts, telling once more of his constant toil to enrich her, his thriftand self-denial; nay, he even carries it so far as to show that he didbut incite Mr. Godwin to dispute her title to the estate, that therebyher claim should be justified before the law to the obtaining of hersuccession without further delay, and at the expense of her cousin,which did surpass anything I had ever heard of for artfulness. But thisonly incensed Moll the more.

  "What!" cries she, "you would make bad blood between two cousins, to theruin and disgrace of one, merely to save the expense of some beggarlyfees! I'll hear no more. Go at once, or I will send for my servants tocarry you out by force."

  He stood some moments in deliberation, and then he says, with a certaindignity unusual to him, "I will go." Then he casts his eye slowly roundthe room, with a lingering regard for his piles of documents andprecious boxes of title deeds, as if he were bidding a last farewell toall that was dear to him on earth, and grotesque as his appearance mightbe, there was yet something pathetic in it. But even at this moment hisruling passion prevailed.

  "There is no need," says he, "to burst these goodly locks by force. I dobethink me the keys are here" (opening a drawer, and laying them uponthe table). Then dropping his head, he goes slowly to the door, butthere he turns, lifting his head and fixing his rheumy eyes on Moll. "Iwill take nothing from this house, not even the chattels that belong tome, bought from the mean wage I have allowed myself. So shalt thou judgeof my honesty. They shall stand here till I return, for that I shallreturn I am as fully persuaded as that a just God doth dispose of hiscreatures. Thee hast might on thy side, woman, but whether thee hastright as well, shall yet be proven--not by the laws of man, which are aninvention of the devil to fatten rogues upon the substance of fools, butby the law of Heaven, to which I do appeal with all my soul" (liftinghigh his shaking hands). "Morning and night I will pray that God shallsmite with heavy hand which of us two hath most wronged the other. Offerthe same prayer if thee darest."

  I do confess that this parting shot went home to my conscience, andtroubled my mind considerably; for feeling that he was in the right ofit as regarded our relative honesty, I was constrained to think that hisprophecy might come true also to our shame and undoing. But Moll wasafflicted with no such qualms, her spirit being very combative and high,and her conscience (such as it was) being hardened by our latediscussion to resist sharper slaps than this. Nay, maintaining thatSimon must be dishonest by the proof we had of his hypocrisy and doubledealing, she would have me enter upon my office at once by sendingletters to all her tenants, warning them to pay no rent to any onelately in her service, but only to me; and these letters (which kept mypen going all that afternoon) she signed with the name of Judith Godwin,which seemed to me a very bold, dangerous piece of business; but shewould have it so, and did her signature with a strong hand and aflourish of loops beneath like any queen.

  Nor was this all; for the next morning she would have me go to that Mr.Goodman, who had offered to buy her farm for ready money, and get what Icould from him, seeing that she must furnish herself with fresh gownsand make other outlay for her coming marriage. So to him I go, and aftermuch haggling (having learnt from Simon that the land was worth morethan he offered for it), I brought him to give six thousand poundsinstead of five, and this was clearly better business on his side thanon mine at that, for that the bargain might not slip from his hands hewould have me take three thousand pounds down as a handsell, leaving therest to be paid when the deed of transference was drawn up.

  And now as I jogged home with all this gold chinking in my pockets, Idid feel that I had thrust my head fairly into a halter, and no chanceleft of drawing it out. Look at it how I might, this business wore amost curst aspect, to be sure; nor could I regard myself as anything buta thoroughpaced rogue.

  "For," thinks I, "if old Simon's prayer be answered, what will become ofthis poor Mr. Goodman? His title deeds will be wrested from him, forthey are but stolen goods he is paying for, and thus an innocent, honestman will be utterly ruined. And for doing this villany I may countmyself lucky if my heels save my neck."

  With this weight on my mind, I resolved to be very watchful and carefulof my safety, and before I fell asleep that night I had devised a dozenschemes for making good my escape as soon as I perceived danger;nevertheless, I could dream of nothing but prisons, scourgings, etc.,and in every vision I perceived old Simon in his leather skull-capsitting on the top of Tyburn tree, with his handkercher a-hanging downready to strangle me.