CHAPTER EIGHT.
REPENTING HIS REPENTANCE.
It was Saturday evening, and three days after Alice returned home. MrBenden sat in the chimney-corner, having just despatched a much moresatisfactory supper than Mary had ever allowed him to see during hermistress's imprisonment; and Alice, her household duties finished forthe day, came and sat in the opposite corner with her work.
The chimney-corner, at that date, was literally a chimney-corner. Therewere no grates, and the fire of logs blazed on a wide square hearth,around which, and inside the chimney, was a stone seat, comfortablycushioned, and of course extremely warm. This was the usual eveningseat of the family, especially its elder and more honourable members.How they contrived to stand the very close quarters to the blazing logs,and how they managed never to set themselves on fire, must be left tothe imagination.
Alice's work this evening was knitting. Stockings? Certainly not; theidea of knitted stockings had not yet dawned. Stockings were still, asthey had been for centuries, cut out of woollen cloth, and sewn togetherlike any other garment. The woman who was to immortalise her name bythe brilliant invention of knitting stockings was then a little girl,just learning to use her needles. What Alice was knitting this eveningwas a soft woollen cap, intended for the comfort of Mr Benden's head.
The inside of the head in question was by no means so comfortable asAlice was preparing to make the outside. Mr Benden was pulled twoways, and not knowing which to go, he kept trying each in turn andretracing his steps. He wanted to make Alice behave herself; by whichhe meant, conform to the established religion as Queen Mary hadRomanised it, and go silently to church without making insubordinateobjections to idolatry, or unpleasant remarks afterwards. This was onlyto be attained, as it seemed to him, by sending her to prison. But,also, he wanted to keep her out of prison, and to ensure the continuanceof those savoury suppers on which his comfort and contentment depended,and the existence of which appeared to depend on her remaining at home.How were the two to be harmoniously combined? Reflections of this kindresulted in making Mr Benden a very uncomfortable man; and he was a manwith whom to be uncomfortable was to be unreasonable.
"Alice!" he said at last, after a period of silent thought Alice lookedup from her work.
"The morrow shall be Sunday."
Alice assented to that indisputable fact.
"You'll come to church with me?"
For one instant Alice was silent. Her husband thought she was waveringin her decision, but on that point he was entirely mistaken. She wasdoing what Nehemiah did when he "prayed to the God of heaven" betweenthe King's question and his answer. Well she knew that to reply in thenegative might lead to reproach, prison, torture, even death. Yet thatwas the path of God's commandments, and no flowery By-path Meadow musttempt her to stray from it. In her heart she said to Him who hadredeemed her--
"Saviour, where'er Thy steps I see, Dauntless, untired, I follow Thee!"
and then she calmly answered aloud, "No, Edward, that I cannot do."
"What, hath your taste of the Bishop's prison not yet persuaded you?"returned he angrily.
"Nay, nor never will."
"Then you may look to go thither again, my mistress."
"Very well, Edward." Her heart sank low, but she did not let him seeit.
"You'll either go to church, or here you bide by yourself."
"I thought to go and sit a while by Christie," she said.
"You'll not go out of this house. I'll have no whisperings betwixt youand those brethren of yours--always tuting in your ear, and setting youup to all manner of mischief. You'd not be so troublesome if you hadn'tRoger Hall at your back--that's my belief. You may just keep away fromthem; and if they keep not away from you, they'll maybe get what theyshall love little."
Alice was silent for a moment. Then she said very quietly, "As youwill, Edward. I would only ask of you one favour--that I may speak oncewith Roger, to tell him your pleasure."
"I'll tell him fast enough when I see him. Nay, my mistress: you comenot round me o' that fashion. I'll not have him and you plotting to winyou away ere the catchpoll [constable] come to carry you hence. You'lltarry here, without you make up your mind to be conformable, and go tochurch."
The idea of escape from the toils drawing close around her had neverentered Alice's brain till then. Now, for one moment, it surged in wildexcitement through her mind. The next moment it was gone. A voiceseemed to whisper to her--
"The cup which thy Father hath given thee, wilt thou not drink it?"
Then she said tranquilly, "Be it as you will. Because I cannot rightlyobey you in one matter, I will be the more careful in all other to orderme as you desire."
Mr Benden answered only by a sneer. He did not believe in meekness.In his estimation, women who pretended to be meek and submissive wereonly trying to beguile a man. In his heart he knew that this gentleobedience was not natural to Alice, who had a high spirit and plenty offortitude; and instead of attributing it to the grace of God, which wasits real source, he set it down to a desire to cheat him in someunrevealed fashion.
He went to church, and Alice stayed at home as she was bidden. Findingthat she had done so, Mr Benden tried hard to discover that one of herbrothers had been to see her, sharply and minutely questioning Mary onthe subject.
"I told him nought," said Mary afterwards to Mistress Tabitha: "and goodreason why--there was nought to tell. But if every man Jack of you hadbeen here, do you think I'd ha' let on to the likes o' him?"
A very uncomfortable fortnight followed. Mr Benden was in theexasperating position of the Persian satraps, when they could find nooccasion against this Daniel. He was angry with the Bishop forreleasing Alice at his own request, angry with the neighbouring squires,who had promoted the release, angry with Roger Hall for not allowinghimself to be found visiting his sister, most angry with Alice forgiving him no reasonable cause for anger. The only person with whom hewas not angry was his unreasonable self.
"If it wasn't for Mistress yonder, I should be in twenty minds not totarry here," said Mary to Mistress Tabitha, whom she overtook in theroad as both were coming home from market. "I'd as lief dwell in thehouse with a grizzly bear as him. How she can put up with him that meekas she do, caps me. Never gives him an ill word, no matter how many shegets; and I do ensure you, Mistress Hall, his mouth is nothing pleasant.And how do you all, I pray you? for it shall be a pleasure to my poormistress to hear the same. Fares little Mistress Christabel anybetter?"
"Never a whit, Mall; and I am at my wits' end to know what I shall nextdo for her. She wearies for her Aunt Alice, and will not allow of me inher stead."
Mary felt privately but small astonishment at this.
"I sent Friswith and Justine over to tarry with her, but she seemed tohave no list to keep them; they were somewhat too quick for her, Ireckon." By quick, Mistress Hall meant lively. "I'll tell you what,Mary Banks--with all reverence I speak it, but I do think I could orderthis world better than it is."
"Think you so, Mistress Hall? And how would you go to do it?"
"First business, I'd be rid of that Edward Benden. Then I'd set Alicein her brother Roger's house, to look after him and Christabel. She'dbe as happy as the day is long, might she dwell with them, and had thatcantankerous dolt off her hands for good. Eh dear! but if Master Hall,my father-in-law, that made Alice's match with Benden, but had it to doo'er again, I reckon he'd think twice and thrice afore he gave her tothat toad. The foolishness o' folks is beyond belief. Why, she mighthave had Master Barnaby Final, that was as decent a man as ever steppedin leather--he wanted her: but Benden promised a trifle better in way ofmoney, and Master Hall, like an ass as he was, took up wi' him. There'sno end to men's doltishness [foolishness]. I'm homely, [plain-spoken]you'll say, and that's true; I love so to be. I never did care fordressing my words with all manner o' frippery, as if they were going toCourt. 'Tis a deal the best to speak plain, and then folks know whatyou're after
."
When that uncomfortable fortnight came to an uncomfortable end, MrBenden went to church in a towering passion. He informed such of hisfriends as dared to approach him after mass, that the perversity andobduracy of his wife were beyond all endurance on his part. Stayanother week in his house she should not! He would be incalculablyindebted to any friend visiting Cranbrook, if he would inform theJustices of her wicked ways, so that she might be safely lodged again ingaol. An idle young man, more out of thoughtless mischief than from anyworse motive, undertook the task.
When Alice Benden appeared the second time before the Bench, it was notwith ease-loving, good-natured Justice Roberts that she had to do. SirJohn Guildford was now the sitting magistrate, and he committed her toprison with short examination. But the constable, whether from pity orfor some consideration of his own convenience, did not wish to take her;and the administration of justice being somewhat lax, she was ordered bythat official to go home until he came for her.
"Go home, forsooth!" cried Mr Benden in angry tones. "I'll not haveher at home!"
"Then you may carry her yourself to Canterbury," returned the constable."I cannot go this week, and I have nobody to send."
"Give me a royal farthing, and I will!" was the savage answer.
The constable looked in his face to see if he meant it. Then he shookhis head, dipped his hand into his purse, and pulled out half-a-crown,which he passed to Mr Benden, who pocketed this price of blood. Alicehad walked on down the Market Place, and was out of hearing. Mr Bendenstrode after her, with the half-crown in his pocket.
All's Well Page 8
