The Temptation of Samuel Burge

by W. W. Jacobs

half-past twelve andthe sun did not rise until six. He sat and shivered until a secondinstalment of groans in the next room brought him in desperation to hisfeet.

  Brother Burge was in the toils again, and the jeweller despite his fearscould not help realizing what a sensation the story of his temptationwould create. Brother Burge was now going round and round his room likean animal in a cage, and sounds as of a soul wrought almost beyondendurance smote upon the listener's quivering ear. Then there was a longsilence more alarming even than the noise of the conflict. Had BrotherBurge won, and was he now sleeping the sleep of the righteous, or----Mr. Higgs shivered and put his other ear to the wall. Then he heard hisguest move stealthily across the floor; the boards creaked and the handleof the door turned.

  Mr. Higgs started, and with a sudden flash of courage born of anger anddesperation seized a small brass poker from the fire-place, and takingthe candle in his other hand went out on to the landing again. BrotherBurge was closing his door softly, and his face when he turned it uponthe jeweller was terrible in its wrath. His small eyes snapped withfury, and his huge hands opened and shut convulsively.

  "What, agin!" he said in a low growl. "After all I told you!"

  Mr. Higgs backed slowly as he advanced.

  "No noise," said Mr. Burge in a dreadful whisper. "One scream and I'll--What were you going to do with that poker?"

  He took a stealthy step forward.

  "I--I," began the jeweller. His voice failed him. "Burglars," hemouthed, "downstairs."

  "What?" said the other, pausing.

  Mr. Higgs threw truth to the winds. "I heard them in the shop," he said,recovering, "that's why I took up the poker. Can't you hear them?"

  Mr. Burge listened for the fraction of a second. "Nonsense," he saidhuskily.

  "I heard them talking," said the other recklessly. "Let's go down andcall the police."

  "Call 'em from the winder," said Brother Burge, backing with some haste,"they might 'ave pistols or something, and they're ugly customers whenthey're disturbed."

  He stood with strained face listening.

  "Here they come," whispered the jeweller with a sudden movement of alarm.

  Brother Burge turned, and bolting into his room clapped the door to andlocked it. The jeweller stood dumbfounded on the landing; then he heardthe window go up and the voice of Brother Burge, much strengthened by thereligious exercises of the past six months, bellowing lustily for thepolice.

  For a few seconds Mr. Higgs stood listening and wondering whatexplanation he should give. Still thinking, he ran downstairs, and,throwing open the pantry window, unlocked the door leading into the shopand scattered a few of his cherished possessions about the floor. By thetime he had done this, people were already beating upon the street-doorand exchanging hurried remarks with Mr. Burge at the window above. Thejeweller shot back the bolts, and half-a-dozen neighbours, headed by thebutcher opposite, clad in his nightgown and armed with a cleaver, burstinto the passage. A constable came running up just as the pallid face ofBrother Burge peered over the balusters. The constable went upstairsthree at a time, and twisting his hand in the ex-burglar's neck-clothbore him backwards.

  "I've got one," he shouted. "Come up and hold him while I look round."

  The butcher was beside him in a moment; Brother Burge struggling wildly,called loudly upon the name of Brother Higgs.

  "That's all right, constable," said the latter, "that's a friend ofmine."

  "Friend o' yours, sir?" said the disappointed officer, still holding him.

  The jeweller nodded. "Mr. Samuel Burge the Converted Burglar," he saidmechanically.

  "Conver----" gasped the astonished constable. "Converted burglar?Here!"

  "He is a preacher now," added Mr. Higgs.

  "Preacher?" retorted the constable. "Why it's as plain as a pikestaff.Confederates: his part was to go down and let 'em in."

  Mr. Burge raised a piteous outcry. "I hope you may be forgiven for themwords," he cried piously.

  "What time did you go up to bed?" pursued the constable.

  "About half-past eleven," replied Mr. Higgs.

  The other grunted with satisfaction. "And he's fully dressed, with hisboots off," he remarked. "Did you hear him go out of his room at all?"

  "He did go out," said the jeweller truth-fully, "but----"

  "I thought so," said the constable, turning to his prisoner withaffectionate solicitude. "Now you come along o' me. Come quietly,because it'll be the best for you in the end."

  "You won't get your skull split open then," added the butcher, toyingwith his cleaver.

  The jeweller hesitated. He had no desire to be left alone with Mr. Burgeagain; and a sense of humour, which many years' association with thePrimitive Apostles had not quite eradicated, strove for hearing.

  "Think of the sermon it'll make," he said encouragingly to the franticMr. Burge, "think of the congregation!"

  Brother Burge replied in language which he had not used in public sincehe had joined the Apostles. The butcher and another man stood guard overhim while the constable searched the premises and made all secure again.Then with a final appeal to Mr. Higgs who was keeping in the background,he was pitched to the police-station by the energetic constable and fivezealous assistants.

  A diffidence, natural in the circumstances, prevented him from narratingthe story of his temptation to the magistrates next morning, and Mr.Higgs was equally reticent. He was put back while the policecommunicated with London, and in the meantime Brother Clark and a bandof Apostles flanked down to his support.

  On his second appearance before the magistrates he was confronted withhis past; and his past to the great astonishment of the Brethren beingfree from all blemish with the solitary exception of fourteen days forstealing milk-cans, he was discharged with a caution. The disillusionedPrimitive Apostles also gave him his freedom.