Ay, where are they? echoed the company with indignant derision.
Gentlemen, returned the Master, solemnly, it is a question easily answeredthey are NOWHERE! Had they hanged the bailiffs, the bailiffs would not have hanged them. We ourselves have been similarly circumstanced. Attacked by an infamous and unconstitutional statute, passed in the reign of the late usurper, William of Orange, (for I may remark that, if the right king had been upon the throne, that illegal enactment would never have received the royal assentthe StuartsHeaven preserve em!always siding with the debtors); attacked in this outrageous manner, I repeat, it has been all but up with US! But the vigorous resistance offered on that memorable occasion by the patriotic inhabitants of Bermuda to the aggressions of arbitrary power, secured and established their privileges on a firmer basis than heretofore; and, while their pusillanimous allies were crushed and annihilated, they became more prosperous than ever. Gentlemen, I am proud to say that I originatedthat I directed those measures. I hope to see the day, when not Southwark alone, but London itself shall become one Mint,when all men shall be debtors, and none creditors,when imprisonment for debt shall be utterly abolished,when highway-robbery shall be accounted a pleasant pastime, and forgery an accomplishment,when Tyburn and its gibbets shall be overthrown,capital punishments discontinued,Newgate, Ludgate, the Gatehouse, and the Compters razed to the ground,Bridewell and Clerkenwell destroyed,the Fleet, the Kings Bench, and the Marshalsea remembered only by name! But, in the mean time, as that day may possibly be farther off than I anticipate, we are bound to make the most of the present. Take care of yourselves, gentlemen, and your governor will take care of you. Before I sit down, I have a toast to propose, which I am sure will be received, as it deserves to be, with enthusiasm. It is the health of a stranger,of Mr. John Sheppard. His father was one of my old customers, and I am happy to find his son treading in his steps. He couldnt be in better hands than those in which he has placed himself. Gentlemen,Mr. Sheppards good health, and success to him!
Baptists toast was received with loud applause, and, as he sat down amid the cheers of the company, and a universal clatter of mugs and glasses, the widows view was no longer obstructed. Her eye wandered quickly over that riotous and disorderly assemblage, until it settled upon one group more riotous and disorderly than the rest, of which her son formed the principal figure. The agonized mother could scarcely repress a scream at the spectacle that met her gaze. There sat Jack, evidently in the last stage of intoxication, with his collar opened, his dress disarranged, a pipe in his mouth, a bowl of punch and a half-emptied rummer before him,there he sat, receiving and returning, or rather attempting to return,for he was almost past consciousness,the blandishments of a couple of females, one of whom had passed her arm round his neck, while the other leaned over the back of his chair and appeared from her gestures to be whispering soft nonsense into his ear.
Both these ladies possessed considerable personal attractions. The younger of the two, who was seated next to Jack, and seemed to monopolize his attention, could not be more than seventeen, though her person had all the maturity of twenty. She had delicate oval features, light, laughing blue eyes, a pretty nez retroussé, (why have we not the term, since we have the best specimens of the feature?) teeth of pearly whiteness, and a brilliant complexion, set off by rich auburn hair, a very white neck and shoulders,the latter, perhaps, a trifle too much exposed. The name of this damsel was Edgeworth Bess; and, as her fascinations will not, perhaps, be found to be without some influence upon the future fortunes of her boyish admirer, we have thought it worth while to be thus particular in describing them. The other bona roba, known amongst her companions as Mistress Poll Maggot, was a beauty on a much larger scale,in fact, a perfect Amazon. Nevertheless though nearly six feet high, and correspondingly proportioned, she was a model of symmetry, and boasted, with the frame of a Thalestris or a Trulla, the regular lineaments of the Medicean Venus. A mans laced hat,whether adopted from the caprice of the moment, or habitually worn, we are unable to state,cocked knowingly on her head, harmonized with her masculine appearance. Mrs. Maggot, as well as her companion Edgeworth Bess, was showily dressed; nor did either of them disdain the aid supposed to be lent to a fair skin by the contents of the patchbox. On an empty cask, which served him for a chair, and opposite Jack Sheppard, whose rapid progress in depravity afforded him the highest satisfaction, sat Blueskin, encouraging the two women in their odious task, and plying his victim with the glass as often as he deemed it expedient to do so. By this time, he had apparently accomplished all he desired; for moving the bottle out of Jacks reach, he appropriated it entirely to his own use, leaving the devoted lad to the care of the females. Some few of the individuals seated at the other tables seemed to take an interest in the proceedings of Blueskin and his party, just as a bystander watches any other game; but, generally speaking, the company were too much occupied with their own concerns to pay attention to anything else. The assemblage was for the most part, if not altogether, composed of persons to whom vice in all its aspects was too familiar to present much of novelty, in whatever form it was exhibited. Nor was Jack by any means the only stripling in the room. Not far from him was a knot of lads drinking, swearing, and playing at dice as eagerly and as skilfully as any of the older hands. Near to these hopeful youths sat a fence, or receiver, bargaining with a clouter, or pickpocket, for a suit,or, to speak in more intelligible language, a watch and seals, two cloaks, commonly called watch-cases, and a wedge-lobb, otherwise known as a silver snuff-box. Next to the receiver was a gang of housebreakers, laughing over their exploits, and planning fresh depredations; and next to the housebreakers came two gallant-looking gentlemen in long periwigs and riding-dresses, and equipped in all other respects for the road, with a roast fowl and a bottle of wine before them. Amid this varied throng,varied in appearance, but alike in character,one object alone, we have said, rivetted Mrs. Sheppards attention; and no sooner did she in some degree recover from the shock occasioned by the sight of her sons debased condition, than, regardless of any other consideration except his instant removal from the contaminating society by which he was surrounded, and utterly forgetting the more cautious plan she meant to have adopted, she rushed into the room, and summoned him to follow her.
Halloa! cried Jack, looking round, and trying to fix his inebriate gaze upon the speaker,whos that?
Your mother, replied Mrs. Sheppard. Come home directly, Sir.
Mother be! returned Jack. Who is it, Bess?
How should I know? replied Edgeworth Bess. But if it is your mother, send her about her business.
That I will, replied Jack, in the twinkling of a bedpost.
Glad to see you once more in the Mint, Mrs. Sheppard, roared Blueskin, who anticipated some fun. Come and sit down by me.
Take a glass of gin, Maam, cried Poll Maggot, holding up a bottle of spirit; it used to be your favourite liquor, Ive heard.
Halloa! cried Jack, looking round, and trying to fix his inebriate gaze upon the speaker,whos that?
Your mother, replied Mrs. Sheppard. Come home directly, Sir.
Mother be! returned Jack. Who is it, Bess?
How should I know? replied Edgeworth Bess. But if it is your mother, send her about her business.
That I will, replied Jack, in the twinkling of a bedpost.
Glad to see you once more in the Mint, Mrs. Sheppard, roared Blueskin, who anticipated some fun. Come and sit down by me.
Take a glass of gin, Maam, cried Poll Maggot, holding up a bottle of spirit; it used to be your favourite liquor, Ive heard.
Jack, my love, cried Mrs. Sheppard, disregarding the taunt, come away.
Not I, replied Jack; Im too comfortable where I am. Be off!
Jack! exclaimed his unhappy parent.
Mr. Sheppard, if you please, Maam, interrupted the lad; I allow nobody to call me Jack. Do I, Bess, eh?
Nobody whatever, love, replied Edgeworth Bess; nobody but me, dear.
And me, insinuated Mrs. Maggot. My little fancy mans quite as fond of me as of you, Bess. Aint you, Jacky darling?
Not quite, Poll, returned Mr. Sheppard; but I love you next to her, and both of you better than Her, pointing with the pipe to his mother.
Oh, Heavens! cried Mrs. Sheppard.
Bravo! shouted Blueskin. Tom Sheppard never said a better thing than thatho! ho!
Jack, cried his mother, wringing her hands in distraction, youll break my heart!
Poh! poh! returned her son; women dont so easily break their hearts. Do they, Bess?
Certainly not, replied the young lady appealed to, especially about their sons.
Wretch! cried Mrs. Sheppard, bitterly.
I say, retorted Edgeworth Bess, with a very unfeminine imprecation, I shant stand any more of that nonsense. What do you mean by calling me wretch, Madam! she added marching up to Mrs. Sheppard, and regarding her with an insolent and threatening glance.
Yeswhat do you mean, Maam? added Jack, staggering after her.
Come with me, my love, comecome, cried his mother, seizing his hand, and endeavouring to force him away.
He shant go, cried Edgeworth Bess, holding him by the other hand. Here, Poll, help me!
Thus exhorted, Mrs. Maggot lent her powerful aid, and, between the two, Jack was speedily relieved from all fears of being carried off against his will. Not content with this exhibition of her prowess, the Amazon lifted him up as easily as if he had been an infant, and placed him upon her shoulders, to the infinite delight of the company, and the increased distress of his mother.
Now, lets see wholl dare to take him down, she cried.
Nobody shall, cried Mr. Sheppard from his elevated position. Im my own master now, and Ill do as I please. Ill turn cracksman, like my fatherrob old Woodhe has chests full of money, and I know where theyre keptIll rob him, and give the swag to you, PollIll
Jack would have said more; but, losing his balance, he fell to the ground, and, when taken up, he was perfectly insensible. In this state, he was laid upon a bench, to sleep off his drunken fit, while his wretched mother, in spite of her passionate supplications and resistance, was, by Blueskins command, forcibly ejected from the house, and driven out of the Mint.
CHAPTER XV. THE ROBBERY IN WILLESDEN CHURCH
During the whole of the next day and night, the poor widow hovered like a ghost about the precincts of the debtors garrison,for admission (by the Masters express orders,) was denied her. She could learn nothing of her son, and only obtained one solitary piece of information, which added to, rather than alleviated her misery,namely, that Jonathan Wild had paid a secret visit to the Cross Shovels. At one time, she determined to go to Wych Street, and ask Mr. Woods advice and assistance, but the thought of the reception she was likely to meet with from his wife deterred her from executing this resolution. Many other expedients occurred to her; but after making several ineffectual attempts to get into the Mint unobserved, they were all abandoned.
At length, about an hour before dawn on the second daySundayhaving spent the early part of the night in watching at the gates of the robbers sanctuary, and being almost exhausted from want of rest, she set out homewards. It was a long walk she had to undertake, even if she had endured no previous fatigue, but feeble as she was, it was almost more than she could accomplish. Daybreak found her winding her painful way along the Harrow Road; and, in order to shorten the distance as much as possible, she took the nearest cut, and struck into the meadows on the right. Crossing several fields, newly mown, or filled with lines of tedded hay, she arrived, not without great exertion, at the summit of a hill. Here her strength completely failed her, and she was compelled to seek some repose. Making her couch upon a heap of hay, she sank at once into a deep and refreshing slumber.
When she awoke, the sun was high in Heaven. It was a bright and beautiful day: so bright, so beautiful, that even her sad heart was cheered by it. The air, perfumed with the delicious fragrance of the new-mown grass, was vocal with the melodies of the birds; the thick foliage of the trees was glistening in the sunshine; all nature seemed happy and rejoicing; but, above all, the serene Sabbath stillness reigning around communicated a calm to her wounded spirit.
What a contrast did the lovely scene she now gazed upon present to the squalid neighbourhood she had recently quitted! On all sides, expanded prospects of country the most exquisite and most varied. Immediately beneath her lay Willesden,the most charming and secluded village in the neighbourhood of the metropoliswith its scattered farm-houses, its noble granges, and its old grey church-tower just peeping above a grove of rook-haunted trees.
Towards this spot Mrs. Sheppard now directed her steps. She speedily reached her own abode,a little cottage, standing in the outskirts of the village. The first circumstance that struck her on her arrival seemed ominous. Her clock had stoppedstopped at the very hour on which she had quitted the Mint! She had not the heart to wind it up again.
After partaking of some little refreshment, and changing her attire, Mrs. Sheppard prepared for church. By this time, she had so far succeeded in calming herself, that she answered the greetings of the neighbours whom she encountered on her way to the sacred edificeif sorrowfully, still composedly.
Every old country church is beautiful, but Willesden is the most beautiful country church we know; and in Mrs. Sheppards time it was even more beautiful than at present, when the hand of improvement has proceeded a little too rashly with alterations and repairs. With one or two exceptions, there were no pews; and, as the intercourse with London was then but slight, the seats were occupied almost exclusively by the villagers. In one of these seats, at the end of the aisle farthest removed from the chancel, the widow took her place, and addressed herself fervently to her devotions.
The service had not proceeded far, when she was greatly disturbed by the entrance of a person who placed himself opposite her, and sought to attract her attention by a number of little arts, surveying her, as he did so, with a very impudent and offensive stare. With this personwho was no other than Mr. Kneeboneshe was too well acquainted; having, more than once, been obliged to repel his advances; and, though his impertinence would have given her little concern at another season, it now added considerably to her distraction. But a far greater affliction was in store for her.