Complete Novels of Maria Edgeworth

by Maria Edgeworth

  “If I had anything else to divert me,” said Lawrence, hesitating and yawning.

  “Come,” cried the stable boy, seizing his stretching arm, “come along,” cried he; and, pulling him away from Jem, upon whom he cast a look of extreme contempt; “leave him alone, he’s not the sort.

  “What a fool you are,” said he to Lawrence, the moment he got him out of the stable; “you might have known he would not go, else we should soon have trimmed him out of his four and sevenpence. But how came you to talk of four and sevenpence. I saw in the manger a hat full of silver.”

  “Indeed!” exclaimed Lawrence.

  “Yes, indeed; but why did you stammer so when we first got in? You had liked to have blown us all up.”

  “I was so ashamed,” said Lawrence, hanging down his head.

  “Ashamed! but you must not talk of shame now you are in for it, and I sha’n’t let you off; you owe us half a crown, recollect, and I must be paid to-night, so see and get the money somehow or other.” After a considerable pause he added, “I answer for it he’d never miss half a crown out of all that silver.”

  “But to steal,” said Lawrence, drawing back with horror, “I never thought I should come to that — and from poor Jem, too — the money that he has worked so hard for, too.”

  “But it is not stealing; we don’t mean to steal; only to borrow it; and if we win, which we certainly shall, at the cock-fight, pay it back again, and he’ll never know anything about the matter, and what harm will it do him? Besides, what signifies talking, you can’t go to the cock- fight, or the fair either, if you don’t; and I tell ye we don’t mean to steal it; we’ll pay it by Monday night.”

  Lawrence made no reply, and they parted without his coming to any determination.

  Here let us pause in our story. We are almost afraid to go on. The rest is very shocking. Our little readers will shudder as they read. But it is better that they should know the truth, and see what the idle boy came to at last.

  In the dead of the night, Lawrence heard somebody tap at his window. He knew well who it was, for this was the signal agreed upon between him and his wicked companion. He trembled at the thoughts of what he was about to do, and lay quite still, with his head under the bedclothes, till he heard the second tap. Then he got up, dressed himself, and opened his window. It was almost even with the ground. His companion said to him, in a hollow voice, “Are you ready?” He made no answer, but got out of the window and followed.

  When he got to the stable a black cloud was just passing over the moon, and it was quite dark. “Where are you?” whispered Lawrence, groping about, “where are you? Speak to me.”

  “I am here; give me your hand.” Lawrence stretched out his hand. “Is that your hand?” said the wicked boy, as Lawrence laid hold of him; “how cold it feels.”

  “Let us go back,” said Lawrence; “it is time yet.”

  “It is no time to go back,” replied the other, opening the door; “you’ve gone too far now to go back,” and he pushed Lawrence into the stable. “Have you found it? Take care of the horse. Have you done? What are you about? Make haste, I hear a noise,” said the stable boy, who watched at the door.

  “I am feeling for the half-crown, but I can’t find it.”

  “Bring all together.” He brought Jem’s broken flower pot, with all the money in it, to the door. The black cloud had now passed over the moon, and the light shone full upon them. “What do we stand here for?” said the stable boy, snatching the flower-pot out of Lawrence’s trembling hands, and pulled him away from the door.

  “Good God!” cried Lawrence, “you won’t take all. You said you’d only take half a crown, and pay it back on Monday. You said you’d only take half a crown!”

  “Hold your tongue,” replied the other, walking on, deaf to all remonstrances—”if ever I am to be hanged, it sha’n’t be for half a crown.”

  Lawrence’s blood ran cold in his veins, and he felt as if all his hair stood on end. Not another word passed. His accomplice carried off the money, and Lawrence crept, with all the horrors of guilt upon him, to his restless bed. All night he was starting from frightful dreams; or else, broad awake, he lay listening to every small noise, unable to stir, and scarcely daring to breathe — tormented by that most dreadful of all kinds of fear, that fear which is the constant companion of an evil conscience.

  He thought the morning would never come; but when it was day, when he heard the birds sing, and saw everything look cheerful as usual, he felt still more miserable. It was Sunday morning, and the bell rang for church. All the children of the village, dressed in their Sunday clothes, innocent and gay, and little Jem, the best and gayest amongst them, went flocking by his door to church.

  “Well, Lawrence,” said Jem, pulling his coat as he passed and saw Lawrence leaning against his father’s door, “what makes you look so black?”

  “I?” said Lawrence, starting; “why do you say that I look black?”

  “Nay, then,” said Jem, “you look white enough now, if that will please you, for you’re turned as pale as death.”

  “Pale?” replied Lawrence, not knowing what he said, and turned abruptly away, for he dared not stand another look of Jem’s; conscious that guilt was written in his face, he shunned every eye. He would now have given the world to have thrown off the load of guilt which lay upon his mind. He longed to follow Jem, to fall upon his knees and confess all.

  Dreading the moment when Jem should discover his loss, Lawrence dared not stay at home, and not knowing what to do, or where to go, he mechanically went to his old haunt at the stable yard, and lurked thereabouts all day with his accomplice, who tried in vain to quiet his fears and raise his spirits by talking of the next day’s cock-fight. It was agreed that as soon as the dusk of the evening came on, they should go together into a certain lonely field, and there divide their booty.

  In the meantime, Jem, when he returned from church, was very full of business, preparing for the reception of his mistress, of whose intended visit he had informed his mother; and whilst she was arranging the kitchen and their little parlour, he ran to search the strawberry beds.

  “Why, my Jem, how merry you are to-day!” said his mother, when he came in with the strawberries, and was jumping about the room playfully. “Now, keep those spirits of yours, Jem, till you want ‘em, and don’t let it come upon you all at once. Have it in mind that to-morrow’s fair day, and Lightfoot must go. I bid Farmer Truck call for him to-night. He said he’d take him along with his own, and he’ll be here just now — and then I know how it will be with you, Jem!”

  “So do I!” cried Jem, swallowing his secret with great difficulty, and then tumbling head over heels four times running.

  A carriage passed the window, and stopped at the door. Jem ran out; it was his mistress. She came in smiling, and soon made the old woman smile, too, by praising the neatness of everything in the house.

  We shall pass over, however important as they were deemed at the time, the praises of the strawberries, and of “my grandmother’s china plate.”

  Another knock was heard at the door. “Run, Jem,” said his mother. “I hope it’s our milk-woman with cream for the lady.” No; it was Farmer Truck come for Lightfoot. The old woman’s countenance fell. “Fetch him out, dear,” said she, turning to her son; but Jem was gone; he flew out to the stable the moment he saw the flap of Farmer Truck’s great-coat.

  “Sit ye down, farmer,” said the old woman, after they had waited about five minutes in expectation of Jem’s return. “You’d best sit down, if the lady will give you leave; for he’ll not hurry himself back again. My boy’s a fool, madam, about that there horse.” Trying to laugh, she added, “I knew how Lightfoot and he would be loath enough to part. He won’t bring him out till the last minute; so do sit ye down, neighbour.”

  The farmer had scarcely sat down when Jem, with a pale, wild countenance came back. “What’s the matter?” said his mistress. “God bless the boy!” said his mother, looking at him
quite frightened, whilst he tried to speak, but could not.

  She went up to him, and then leaning his head against her, he cried, “It’s gone! — it’s all gone!” and, bursting into tears, he sobbed as if his little heart would break.

  “What’s gone, love?” said his mother.

  “My two guineas — Lightfoot’s two guineas. I went to fetch ’em to give you, mammy; but the broken flower-pot that I put them in, and all’s gone! — quite gone!” repeated he, checking his sobs. “I saw them safe last night, and was showing ’em to Lightfoot; and I was so glad to think I had earned them all myself; and I thought how surprised you’d look, and how glad you’d be, and how you’d kiss me, and all!”

  His mother listened to him with the greatest surprise, whilst his mistress stood in silence, looking first at the old woman, and then at Jem with a penetrating eye, as if she suspected the truth of his story, and was afraid of becoming the dupe of her own compassion.

  “This is a very strange thing!” said she, gravely. “How came you to leave all your money in a broken flower-pot in the stable? How came you not to give it to your mother to take care of?”

  “Why, don’t you remember?” said Jem, looking up, in the midst of his tears—”why, don’t you remember you, your own self, bid me not tell her about it till you were by?”

  “And did you not tell her?”

  “Nay, ask mammy,” said Jem, a little offended; and when afterwards the lady went on questioning him in a severe manner, as if she did not believe him, he at last made no answer.

  “Oh, Jem! Jem! why don’t you speak to the lady?” said his mother.

  “I have spoke, and spoke the truth,” said Jem, proudly; “and she did not believe me.”

  Still the lady, who had lived too long in the world to be without suspicion, maintained a cold manner, and determined to wait the event without interfering, saying only, that she hoped the money would be found, and advised Jem to have done crying.

  “I have done,” said Jem; “I shall cry no more.” And as he had the greatest command over himself, he actually did not shed another tear, not even when the farmer got up to go, saying, he could wait no longer.

  Jem silently went to bring out Lightfoot. The lady now took her seat, where she could see all that passed at the open parlour-window. The old woman stood at the door, and several idle people of the village, who had gathered round the lady’s carriage examining it, turned about to listen. In a minute or two Jem appeared, with a steady countenance, leading Lightfoot and, when he came up, without saying a word, put the bridle into Farmer Truck’s hand.

  “He HAS BEEN a good horse,” said the farmer.

  “He IS a good horse!” cried Jem, and threw his arm over Lightfoot’s neck, hiding his own face as he leaned upon him.

  At this instant a party of milk-women went by; and one of them, having set down her pail, came behind Jem, and gave him a pretty smart blow upon the back. He looked up. “And don’t you know me?” said she.

  “I forget,” said Jem; “I think I have seen your face before, but I forget.”

  “Do you so? and you’ll tell me just now,” said she, half opening her hand, “that you forget who gave you this, and who charged you not to part with it, too.” Here she quite opened her large hand, and on the palm of it appeared Jem’s silver penny.

  “Where?” exclaimed Jem, seizing it, “oh, where did you find it? and have you — oh, tell me, have you got the rest of my money?”

  “I know nothing of your money — I don’t know what you would be at,” said the milk-woman.

  “But where — pray tell me where — did you find this?”

  “With them that you gave it to, I suppose,” said the milk-woman, turning away suddenly to take up her milk-pail. But now Jem’s mistress called to her through the window, begging her to stop, and joining in his entreaties to know how she came by the silver penny.

  “Why, madam,” said she, taking up the corner of her apron, “I came by it in an odd way, too. You must know my Betty is sick, so I came with the milk myself, though it’s not what I’m used to; for my Betty — you know my Betty?” said she, turning round to the old woman, “my Betty serves you, and she’s a tight and stirring lassy, ma’am, I can assure—”

  “Yes, I don’t doubt it,” said the lady, impatiently; “but about the silver penny?”

  “Why, that’s true; as I was coming along all alone, for the rest came round, and I came a short cut across yon field — no, you can’t see it, madam, where you stand — but if you were here—”

  “I see it — I know it,” said Jem, out of breath with anxiety.

  “Well — well — I rested my pail upon the stile, and sets me down awhile, and there comes out of the hedge — I don’t know well how, for they startled me so I’d liked to have thrown down my milk — two boys, one about the size of he,” said she pointing to Jem, “and one a matter taller, but ill-looking like; so I did not think to stir to make way for them, and they were like in a desperate hurry: so, without waiting for the stile, one of ’em pulled at the gate, and when it would not open (for it was tied with a pretty stout cord) one of ’em whips out with his knife and cuts it — Now, have you a knife about you, sir?” continued the milk woman to the farmer. He gave her his knife. “Here, now, ma’am, just sticking, as it were here, between the blade and the haft, was the silver penny. The lad took no notice; but when he opened it, out it falls. Still he takes no heed, but cuts the cord, as I said before, and through the gate they went, and out of sight in half a minute. I picks up the penny, for my heart misgave me that it was the very one husband had had a long time, and had given against my voice to he,” pointing to Jem; “and I charged him not to part with it; and, ma’am, when I looked I knew it by the mark, so I thought I would show it to HE,” again pointing to Jem, “and let him give it back to those it belongs to.”

  “It belongs to me,” said Jem, “I never gave it to anybody — but—”

  “But,” cried the farmer, “those boys have robbed him; it is they who have all his money.”

  “Oh, which way did they go?” cried Jem, “I’ll run after them.”

  “No, no,” said the lady, calling to her servant; and she desired him to take his horse and ride after them. “Ay,” added Farmer Truck, “do you take the road, and I’ll take the field way, and I’ll be bound we’ll have ’em presently.”

  Whilst they were gone in pursuit of the thieves, the lady, who was now thoroughly convinced of Jem’s truth, desired her coachman would produce what she had ordered him to bring with him that evening. Out of the boot of the carriage the coachman immediately produced a new saddle and bridle.

  How Jem’s eyes sparkled when the saddle was thrown upon Lightfoot’s back!

  “Put it on your horse yourself, Jem,” said the lady; “it is yours.”

  Confused reports of Lightfoot’s splendid accoutrements, of the pursuit of thieves, and of the fine and generous lady who was standing at Dame Preston’s window, quickly spread through the village, and drew everybody from their houses. They crowded round Jem to hear the story. The children especially, who were fond of him, expressed the strongest indignation against the thieves. Every eye was on the stretch; and now some, who had run down the lane, came back shouting, “Here they are! they’ve got the thieves!”

  The footman on horseback carried one boy before him; and the farmer, striding along, dragged another. The latter had on a red jacket, which little Jem immediately recollected, and scarcely dared lift his eyes to look at the boy on horseback. “Good God!” said he to himself, “it must be — yet surely it can’t be Lawrence!” The footman rode on as fast as the people would let him. The boy’s hat was slouched, and his head hung down, so that nobody could see his face.

  At this instant there was a disturbance in the crowd. A man who was half drunk pushed his way forwards, swearing that nobody should stop him; that he had a right to see — and he WOULD see. And so he did; for, forcing through all resistance, he staggered up to the footman jus
t as he was lifting down the boy he had carried before him. “I WILL — I tell you I WILL see the thief!” cried the drunken man, pushing up the boy’s hat. It was his own son. “Lawrence!” exclaimed the wretched father. The shock sobered him at once, and he hid his face in his hands.

  There was an awful silence. Lawrence fell on his knees, and in a voice that could scarcely be heard made a full confession of all the circumstances of his guilt.

  “Such a young creature so wicked!” the bystanders exclaimed; “what could put such wickedness in your head?”

  “Bad company,” said Lawrence.

  “And how came you — what brought you into bad company?”

  “I don’t know, except it was idleness.”

  While this was saying the farmer was emptying Lazy Lawrence’s pockets; and when the money appeared, all his former companions in the village looked at each other with astonishment and terror. Their parents grasped their little hands closer, and cried, “Thank God! he is not my son. How often when he was little we used, as he lounged about, to tell him that idleness was the root of all evil.”

  As for the hardened wretch, his accomplice, everyone was impatient to have him sent to gaol. He put on a bold, insolent countenance, till he heard Lawrence’s confession; till the money was found upon him; and he heard the milk-woman declare that she would swear to the silver penny which he had dropped. Then he turned pale, and betrayed the strongest signs of fear.

  “We must take him before the justice,” said the farmer, “and he’ll be lodged in Bristol gaol.”

  “Oh!” said Jem, springing forwards when Lawrence’s hands were going to be tied, “let him go — won’t you? — can’t you let him go?”

  “Yes, madam, for mercy’s sake,” said Jem’s mother to the lady, “think what a disgrace to his family to be sent to gaol.”

  His father stood by wringing his hands in an agony of despair. “It’s all my fault,” cried he; “I brought him up in idleness.”

  “But he’ll never be idle any more,” said Jem; “won’t you speak for him, ma’am?”