Peveril of the Peak Page 20

  CHAPTER XX

  Now, what is this that haunts me like my shadow, Frisking and mumming like an elf in moonlight! --BEN JONSON.

  Peveril found the master of the vessel rather less rude than those inhis station of life usually are, and received from him full satisfactionconcerning the fate of Fenella, upon whom the captain bestowed a heartycurse, for obliging him to lay-to until he had sent his boat ashore, andhad her back again.

  "I hope," said Peveril, "no violence was necessary to reconcile her togo ashore? I trust she offered no foolish resistance?"

  "Resist! mein Gott," said the captain, "she did resist like a troop ofhorse--she did cry, you might hear her at Whitehaven--she did go upthe rigging like a cat up a chimney; but dat vas ein trick of her oldtrade."

  "What trade do you mean?" said Peveril.

  "Oh," said the seaman, "I vas know more about her than you, Meinheer.I vas know that she vas a little, very little girl, and prentice to oneseiltanzer, when my lady yonder had the good luck to buy her."

  "A seiltanzer!" said Peveril; "what do you mean by that?"

  "I mean a rope-danzer, a mountebank, a Hans pickel-harring. I vas knowAdrian Brackel vell--he sell de powders dat empty men's stomach, andfill him's own purse. Not know Adrian Brackel, mein Gott! I have smokedmany a pound of tabak with him."

  Peveril now remembered that Fenella had been brought into the familywhen he and the young Earl were in England, and while the Countess wasabsent on an expedition to the continent. Where the Countess found her,she never communicated to the young men; but only intimated, that shehad received her out of compassion, in order to relieve her from asituation of extreme distress.

  He hinted so much to the communicative seaman, who replied, "that fordistress he knew nocht's on't; only, that Adrian Brackel beat herwhen she would not dance on the rope, and starved her when she did,to prevent her growth." The bargain between the countess and themountebank, he said, he had made himself; because the Countess had hiredhis brig upon her expedition to the continent. None else knew whereshe came from. The Countess had seen her on a public stage atOstend--compassionated her helpless situation, and the severe treatmentshe received--and had employed him to purchase the poor creature fromher master, and charged him with silence towards all her retinue.--"Andso I do keep silence," continued the faithful confidant, "van I am inthe havens of Man; but when I am on the broad seas, den my tongue ismine own, you know. Die foolish beoples in the island, they say she isa wechsel-balg--what you call a fairy-elf changeling. My faith, they donot never have seen ein wechsel-balg; for I saw one myself at Cologne,and it was twice as big as yonder girl, and did break the poor people,with eating them up, like de great big cuckoo in the sparrow's nest; butthis Venella eat no more than other girls--it was no wechsel-balg in theworld."

  By a different train of reasoning, Julian had arrived at the sameconclusion; in which, therefore, he heartily acquiesced. During theseaman's prosing, he was reflecting within himself, how much of thesingular flexibility of her limbs and movements the unfortunate girlmust have derived from the discipline and instructions of AdrianBrackel; and also how far the germs of her wilful and capriciouspassions might have been sown during her wandering and adventurouschildhood. Aristocratic, also, as his education had been, theseanecdotes respecting Fenella's original situation and education, ratherincreased his pleasure of having shaken off her company; and yet hestill felt desirous to know any farther particulars which the seamancould communicate on the same subject. But he had already told all heknew. Of her parents he knew nothing, except that "her father must havebeen a damned hundsfoot, and a schelm, for selling his own flesh andblood to Adrian Brackel;" for by such a transaction had the mountebankbecome possessed of his pupil.

  This conversation tended to remove any passing doubts which might havecrept on Peveril's mind concerning the fidelity of the master of thevessel, who appeared from thence to have been a former acquaintanceof the Countess, and to have enjoyed some share of her confidence. Thethreatening motion used by Fenella, he no longer considered as worthy ofany notice, excepting as a new mark of the irritability of her temper.

  He amused himself with walking the deck, and musing on his past andfuture prospects, until his attention was forcibly arrested by thewind, which began to rise in gusts from the north-west, in a manner sounfavourable to the course they intended to hold, that the master, aftermany efforts to beat against it, declared his bark, which was by nomeans an excellent sea-boat, was unequal to making Whitehaven; and thathe was compelled to make a fair wind of it, and run for Liverpool. Tothis course Peveril did not object. It saved him some land journey, incase he visited his father's castle; and the Countess's commission wouldbe discharged as effectually the one way as the other.

  The vessel was put, accordingly, before the wind, and ran with greatsteadiness and velocity. The captain, notwithstanding, pleading somenautical hazards, chose to lie off, and did not attempt the mouth ofthe Mersey until morning, when Peveril had at length the satisfaction ofbeing landed upon the quay of Liverpool, which even then showed symptomsof the commercial prosperity that has since been carried to such aheight.

  The master, who was well acquainted with the port, pointed out to Juliana decent place of entertainment, chiefly frequented by seafaring people;for, although he had been in the town formerly, he did not think itproper to go anywhere at present where he might have been unnecessarilyrecognised. Here he took leave of the seaman, after pressing upon himwith difficulty a small present for his crew. As for his passage, thecaptain declined any recompense whatever; and they parted upon the mostcivil terms.

  The inn to which he was recommended was full of strangers, seamen, andmercantile people, all intent upon their own affairs, and discussingthem with noise and eagerness, peculiar to the business of a thrivingseaport. But although the general clamour of the public room, inwhich the guests mixed with each other, related chiefly to their owncommercial dealings, there was a general theme mingling with them, whichwas alike common and interesting to all; so that, amidst disputes aboutfreight, tonnage, demurrage, and such like, were heard theemphatic sounds of "Deep, damnable, accursed plot,"--"Bloody Papistvillains,"--"The King in danger--the gallows too good for them," and soforth.

  The fermentation excited in London had plainly reached even this remoteseaport, and was received by the inhabitants with the peculiar stormyenergy which invests men in their situation with the character of thewinds and waves with which they are chiefly conversant. Thecommercial and nautical interests of England were indeed particularlyanti-Catholic; although it is not, perhaps, easy to give any distinctreason why they should be so, since theological disputes in generalcould scarce be considered as interesting to them. But zeal, amongst thelower orders at least, is often in an inverse ratio to knowledge; andsailors were not probably the less earnest and devoted Protestants, thatthey did not understand the controversy between the Churches. As forthe merchants, they were almost necessarily inimical to the gentry ofLancashire and Cheshire; many of whom still retained the faith of Rome,which was rendered ten times more odious to the men of commerce, as thebadge of their haughty aristocratic neighbours.

  From the little which Peveril heard of the sentiments of the people ofLiverpool, he imagined he should act most prudently in leaving the placeas soon as possible, and before any suspicion should arise of hishaving any connection with the party which appeared to have become soobnoxious.

  In order to accomplish his journey, it was first necessary that heshould purchase a horse; and for this purpose he resolved to haverecourse to the stables of a dealer well known at the time, and whodwelt in the outskirts of the place; and having obtained directions tohis dwelling, he went thither to provide himself.

  Joe Bridlesley's stables exhibited a large choice of good horses; forthat trade was in former days more active than at present. It was anordinary thing for a stranger to buy a horse for the purpose of a singlejourney, and to sell him, as we
ll as he could, when he had reached thepoint of his destination; and hence there was a constant demand, and acorresponding supply; upon both of which, Bridlesley, and those of histrade, contrived, doubtless, to make handsome profits.

  Julian, who was no despicable horse-jockey, selected for his purpose astrong well-made horse, about sixteen hands high, and had him led intothe yard, to see whether the paces corresponded with his appearance. Asthese also gave perfect satisfaction to the customer, it remained onlyto settle the price with Bridlesley; who of course swore his customerhad pitched upon the best horse ever darkened the stable-door, sincehe had dealt that way; that no such horses were to be had nowadays,for that the mares were dead that foaled them; and having named acorresponding price, the usual haggling commenced betwixt the sellerand purchaser, for adjustment of what the French dealers call _le prixjuste_.

  The reader, if he be at all acquainted with this sort of traffic, wellknows it is generally a keen encounter of wits, and attracts the noticeof all the idlers within hearing, who are usually very ready to offertheir opinions, or their evidence. Amongst these, upon the presentoccasion, was a thin man, rather less than the ordinary size, and meanlydressed; but whose interference was in a confident tone, and such asshowed himself master of the subject on which he spoke. The price of thehorse being settled to about fifteen pounds, which was very high for theperiod, that of the saddle and bridle had next to be adjusted, and thethin mean-looking person before-mentioned, found nearly as much to sayon this subject as on the other. As his remarks had a conciliating andobliging tendency towards the stranger, Peveril concluded he was one ofthose idle persons, who, unable or unwilling to supply themselves withthe means of indulgence at their own cost, do not scruple to deservethem at the hands of others, by a little officious complaisance; andconsidering that he might acquire some useful information from such aperson, was just about to offer him the courtesy of a morning draught,when he observed he had suddenly left the yard. He had scarce remarkedthis circumstance, before a party of customers entered the place,whose haughty assumption of importance claimed the instant attention ofBridlesley, and all his militia of grooms and stable-boys.

  "Three good horses," said the leader of the party, a tall bulky man,whose breath was drawn full and high, under a consciousness of fat, andof importance--"three good and able-bodied horses, for the service ofthe Commons of England."

  Bridlesley said he had some horses which might serve the Speaker himselfat need; but that, to speak Christian truth, he had just sold the bestin his stable to that gentleman present, who, doubtless, would give upthe bargain if the horse was needed for the service of the State.

  "You speak well, friend," said the important personage; and advancing toJulian, demanded, in a very haughty tone, the surrender of the purchasewhich he had just made.

  Peveril, with some difficulty, subdued the strong desire which he feltto return a round refusal to so unreasonable a request, but fortunately,recollecting that the situation in which he at present stood, required,on his part, much circumspection, he replied simply, that upon showinghim any warrant to seize upon horses for the public service, he must ofcourse submit to resign his purchase.

  The man, with an air of extreme dignity, pulled from his pocket, andthrust into Peveril's hand, a warrant, subscribed by the Speaker of theHouse of Commons, empowering Charles Topham, their officer of the BlackRod, to pursue and seize upon the persons of certain individuals namedin the warrant; and of all other persons who are, or should be, accusedby competent witnesses, of being accessory to, or favourers of, thehellish and damnable Popish Plot, at present carried on within thebowels of the kingdom; and charging all men, as they loved theirallegiance, to render the said Charles Topham their readiest and mosteffective assistance, in execution of the duty entrusted to his care.

  On perusing a document of such weighty import, Julian had no hesitationto give up his horse to this formidable functionary; whom somebodycompared to a lion, which, as the House of Commons was pleased tomaintain such an animal, they were under the necessity of providing forby frequent commitments; until "_Take him, Topham_," became a proverb,and a formidable one, in the mouth of the public.

  The acquiescence of Peveril procured him some grace in the sight ofthe emissary; who, before selecting two horses for his attendants, gavepermission to the stranger to purchase a grey horse, much inferior,indeed, to that which he had resigned, both in form and in action, butvery little lower in price, as Mr. Bridlesley, immediately on learningthe demand for horses upon the part of the Commons of England, hadpassed a private resolution in his own mind, augmenting the price of hiswhole stud, by an imposition of at least twenty per cent., _ad valorem_.

  Peveril adjusted and paid the price with much less argument than on theformer occasion; for, to be plain with the reader, he had noticed in thewarrant of Mr. Topham, the name of his father, Sir Geoffrey Peveril ofMartindale Castle, engrossed at full length, as one of those subjectedto arrest by that officer.

  When aware of this material fact, it became Julian's business to leaveLiverpool directly, and carry the alarm to Derbyshire, if, indeed, Mr.Topham had not already executed his charge in that county, which hethought unlikely, as it was probable they would commence by securingthose who lived nearest to the seaports. A word or two which heoverheard strengthened his hopes.

  "And hark ye, friend," said Mr. Topham; "you will have the horses atthe door of Mr. Shortell, the mercer, in two hours, as we shall refreshourselves there with a cool tankard, and learn what folks live in theneighbourhood that may be concerned in my way. And you will pleaseto have that saddle padded, for I am told the Derbyshire roads arerough.--And you, Captain Dangerfield, and Master Everett, you must puton your Protestant spectacles, and show me where there is the shadow ofa priest, or of a priest's favourer; for I am come down with a broom inmy cap to sweep this north country of such like cattle."

  One of the persons he thus addressed, who wore the garb of a broken-downcitizen, only answered, "Ay, truly, Master Topham, it is time to purgethe garner."

  The other, who had a formidable pair of whiskers, a red nose, and atarnished laced coat, together with a hat of Pistol's dimensions,was more loquacious. "I take it on my damnation," said this zealousProtestant witness, "that I will discover the marks of the beast onevery one of them betwixt sixteen and seventy, as plainly as if they hadcrossed themselves with ink, instead of holy water. Since we have a Kingwilling to do justice, and a House of Commons to uphold prosecutions,why, damn me, the cause must not stand still for lack of evidence."

  "Stick to that, noble captain," answered the officer; "but, prithee,reserve thy oaths for the court of justice; it is but sheer waste tothrow them away, as you do in your ordinary conversation."

  "Fear you nothing, Master Topham," answered Dangerfield; "it is right tokeep a man's gifts in use; and were I altogether to renounce oaths inmy private discourse, how should I know how to use one when I needed it?But you hear me use none of your Papist abjurations. I swear not by themass, or before George, or by anything that belongs to idolatry; butsuch downright oaths as may serve a poor Protestant gentleman, who wouldfain serve Heaven and the King."

  "Bravely spoken, most noble Festus," said his yoke-fellow. "But do notsuppose, that although I am not in the habit of garnishing my words withoaths out of season, I shall be wanting, when called upon, to declarethe height and the depth, the width and the length, of this hellish plotagainst the King and the Protestant faith."

  Dizzy, and almost sick, with listening to the undisguised brutality ofthese fellows, Peveril, having with difficulty prevailed on Bridlesleyto settle his purchase, at length led forth his grey steed; butwas scarce out of the yard, when he heard the following alarmingconversation pass, of which he seemed himself the object.

  "Who is that youth?" said the slow soft voice of the more precise of thetwo witnesses. "Methinks I have seen him somewhere before. Is he fromthese parts?"

  "Not that I know of," said Bridlesley; who, like all the otherinhabitants of Engl
and at the time, answered the interrogatories ofthese fellows with the deference which is paid in Spain to the questionsof an inquisitor. "A stranger--entirely a stranger--never saw himbefore--a wild young colt, I warrant him; and knows a horse's mouth aswell as I do."

  "I begin to bethink me I saw such a face as his at the Jesuits' consult,in the White Horse Tavern," answered Everett.

  "And I think I recollect," said Captain Dangerfield----

  "Come, come, master and captain," said the authoritative voice ofTopham, "we will have none of your recollections at present. We all knowwhat these are likely to end in. But I will have you know, you are notto run till the leash is slipped. The young man is a well-lookinglad, and gave up his horse handsomely for the service of the House ofCommons. He knows how to behave himself to his betters, I warrant you;and I scarce think he has enough in his purse to pay the fees."

  This speech concluded the dialogue, which Peveril, finding himself somuch concerned in the issue, thought it best to hear to an end. Now,when it ceased, to get out of the town unobserved, and take the nearestway to his father's castle, seemed his wisest plan. He had settled hisreckoning at the inn, and brought with him to Bridlesley's the smallportmanteau which contained his few necessaries, so that he had nooccasion to return thither. He resolved, therefore, to ride some milesbefore he stopped, even for the purpose of feeding his horse; and beingpretty well acquainted with the country, he hoped to be able to pushforward to Martindale Castle sooner than the worshipful Master Topham;whose saddle was, in the first place, to be padded, and who, whenmounted, would, in all probability, ride with the precaution of thosewho require such security against the effects of a hard trot.

  Under the influence of these feelings, Julian pushed for Warrington,a place with which he was well acquainted; but, without halting in thetown, he crossed the Mersey, by the bridge built by an ancestor of hisfriend the Earl of Derby, and continued his route towards Dishley, onthe borders of Derbyshire. He might have reached this latter villageeasily, had his horse been fitter for a forced march; but in the courseof the journey, he had occasion, more than once, to curse the officialdignity of the person who had robbed him of his better steed, whiletaking the best direction he could through a country with which he wasonly generally acquainted.

  At length, near Altringham, a halt became unavoidable; and Peveril hadonly to look for some quiet and sequestered place of refreshment. Thispresented itself, in the form of a small cluster of cottages; the bestof which united the characters of an alehouse and a mill, where the signof the Cat (the landlord's faithful ally in defence of his meal-sacks),booted as high as Grimalkin in the fairy tale, and playing on the fiddlefor the more grace, announced that John Whitecraft united the two honestoccupations of landlord and miller; and, doubtless, took toll from thepublic in both capacities.

  Such a place promised a traveller, who journeyed incognito, safer,if not better accommodation, than he was like to meet with in morefrequented inns; and at the door of the Cat and Fiddle, Julian haltedaccordingly.