Palfreywhofarmedhisownland,thathadattractedMr。Freely’speculiarregard,andconqueredhisfastidiousness;andnowonder,fortheIdeal,asexhibitedinthefinestwaxwork,wasperhapsneversocloselyapproachedbytheRealasinthepersonoftheprettyPenelope。Heryellowishflaxenhairdidnotcurlnaturally,I
admit,butitsbrightcrispringletsweresuchsmooth,perfectminiaturetubes,thatyouwouldhavelongedtopassyourlittlefingerthroughthem,andfeeltheirsoftelasticity。Sheworetheminacrop,forinthosedays,whensocietywasinahealthierstate,youngladiesworecropslongaftertheyweretwenty,andPenelopewasnotyetnineteen。Likethewaxenideal,shehadroundblueeyes,androundnostrilsinherlittlenose,andteethsuchastheidealwouldbeseentohave,ifitevershowedthem。Altogether,shewasasmall,roundthing,asneatasapinkandwhitedoubledaisy,andasguileless;forIhopeitdoesnotargueguileinaprettydamselofnineteen,tothinkthatsheshouldliketohaveabeauandbe"engaged,"whenhereldersisterhadalreadybeeninthatpositionayearandahalf。Tobesure,therewasyoungTowersalwayscomingtothehouse;butPennyfeltconvincedheonlycametoseeherbrother,forheneverhadanythingtosaytoher,andneverofferedherhisarm,andwasasawkwardandsilentaspossible。
ItisnotunlikelythatMr。FreelyhadearlybeensmittenbyPenny’scharms,asbroughtunderhisobservationatchurch,buthehadtomakehiswayinsocietyalittlebeforehecouldcomeintonearercontactwiththem;andevenafterhewaswellreceivedinGrimworthfamilies,itwasalongwhilebeforehecouldconversewithPennyotherwisethaninanincidentalmeetingatMr。Luff’s。ItwasnotsoeasytogetinvitedtoLongMeadows,theresidenceofthePalfreys;forthoughMr。Palfreyhadbeenlosingmoneyoflateyears,notbeingablequitetorecoverhisfeetaftertheterriblemurrainwhichforcedhimtoborrow,hisfamilywerefarfromconsideringthemselvesonthesamelevelevenastheold-establishedtradespeoplewithwhomtheyvisited。Thegreatestpeople,evenkingsandqueens,mustvisitwithsomebody,andtheequalsofthegreatarescarce。TheywereespeciallyscarceatGrimworth,which,asIhavebeforeobserved,wasalowparish,mentionedwiththemostscornfulbrevityingazetteers。Eventhegreatpeopletherewerefarbehindthoseoftheirownstandinginotherpartsofthisrealm。
Mr。Palfrey’sfarmyarddoorshadthepaintallwornoffthem,andthefrontgardenwalkshadlongbeenmergedinageneralweediness。
Still,hisfatherhadbeencalledSquirePalfrey,andhadbeenrespectedbythelastGrimworthgenerationasamanwhocouldaffordtodrinktoomuchinhisownhouse。
PrettyPennywasnotblindtothefactthatMr。Freelyadmiredher,andshefeltsurethatitwashewhohadsentherabeautifulvalentine;buthersisterseemedtothinksolightlyofhim(allyoungladiesthinklightlyofthegentlementowhomtheyarenotengaged),thatPennyneverdaredmentionhim,andtrembledandblushedwhenevertheymethim,thinkingofthevalentine,whichwasverystronginitsexpressions,andwhichshefeltguiltyofknowingbyheart。AmanwhohadbeentotheIndies,andknewtheseasowell,seemedtoherasortofpubliccharacter,almostlikeRobinsonCrusoeorCaptainCook;andPennyhadalwayswishedherhusbandtobearemarkablepersonage,likelytobeputinMangnall’sQuestions,withwhichregisteroftheimmortalsshehadbecomeacquaintedduringheroneyearataboarding-school。Onlyitseemedstrangethataremarkablemanshouldbeaconfectionerandpastry-cook,andthisanomalyquitedisturbedPenny’sdreams。Herbrothers,sheknew,laughedatmenwhocouldn’tsitonhorsebackwell,andcalledthemtailors;butherbrotherswereveryrough,andwerequitewithoutthatpowerofanecdotewhichmadeMr。Freelysuchadelightfulcompanion。Hewasaverygoodman,shethought,forshehadheardhimsayatMr。Luff’s,oneday,thathealwayswishedtodohisdutyinwhateverstateoflifehemightbeplaced;andheknewagreatdealofpoetry,foronedayhehadrepeatedaverseofasong。Shewonderedifhehadmadethewordsofthevalentine!——itendedinthisway:-
"Withoutthee,itispaintolive,Butwiththee,itweresweettodie。"
PoorMr。Freely!herfatherwouldverylikelyobject——shefeltsurehewould,forhealwayscalledMr。Freely"thatsugar-plumfellow。"
Oh,itwasverycruel,whentruelovewascrossedinthatway,andallbecauseMr。Freelywasaconfectioner:well,Pennywouldbetruetohim,forallthat,andsincehisbeingaconfectionergaveheranopportunityofshowingherfaithfulness,shewasgladofit。
EdwardFreelywasaprettyname,muchbetterthanJohnTowers。
YoungTowershadofferedheraroseoutofhisbutton-holetheotherday,blushingverymuch;butsherefusedit,andthoughtwithdelighthowmuchMr。Freelywouldbecomfortedifheknewherfirmnessofmind。
PoorlittlePenny!thedaysweresoverylongamongthedaisiesonagrazingfarm,andthoughtissoactive——howwasitpossiblethattheinwarddramashouldnotgetthestartoftheoutward?Ihaveknownyoungladies,muchbettereducated,andwithanoutwardworlddiversifiedbyinstructivelectures,tosaynothingofliteratureandhighly-developedfancy-work,whohavespunacocoonofvisionaryjoysandsorrowsforthemselves,justasPennydid。HereldersisterLetitia,whohadaprouderstyleofbeauty,andamoreworldlyambition,wasengagedtoawool-factor,whocameallthewayfromCatteltontoseeher;andeverybodyknowsthatawool-factortakesaveryhighrank,sometimesdrivingadouble-bodiedgig。
Letty’snotionsgothighereveryday,andPennyneverdaredtospeakofhercherishedgriefstoherloftysister——neverdaredtoproposethattheyshouldcallatMr。Freely’stobuyliquorice,thoughshehadpreparedforsuchanincidentbymentioningaslightsorethroat。Soshehadtopasstheshopontheothersideofthemarket-place,andreflect,withasuppressedsigh,thatbehindthosepinkandwhitejarssomebodywasthinkingofhertenderly,unconsciousofthesmallspacethatdividedherfromhim。
Anditwasquitetruethat,whenbusinesspermitted,Mr。FreelythoughtagreatdealofPenny。Hethoughtherprettinesscomparabletotheloveliestthingsinconfectionery;hejudgedhertobeofsubmissivetemper——likelytowaituponhimaswellasifshehadbeenanegress,andtobesilentlyterrifiedwhenhislivermadehimirritable;andheconsideredthePalfreyfamilyquitethebestintheparish,possessingmarriageabledaughters。Onthewhole,hethoughtherworthytobecomeMrs。EdwardFreely,andallthemoreso,becauseitwouldprobablyrequiresomeingenuitytowinher。
Mr。Palfreywascapableofhorse-whippingatoorashpretendertohisdaughter’shand;and,moreover,hehadthreetallsons:itwasclearthatasuitorwouldbeatadisadvantagewithsuchafamily,unlesstravelandnaturalacumenhadgivenhimacountervailingpowerofcontrivance。Andthefirstideathatoccurredtohiminthematterwas,thatMr。PalfreywouldobjectlessifheknewthattheFreelyswereamuchhigherfamilythanhisown。IthadbeenfoolishmodestyinhimhithertotoconcealthefactthatabranchoftheFreelysheldamanorinYorkshire,andtoshutuptheportraitofhisgreatuncletheadmiral,insteadofhangingitupwhereafamilyportraitshouldbehung——overthemantelpieceintheparlour。
AdmiralFreely,K。C。B。,onceplacedinthisconspicuousposition,wasseentohavehadonearmonly,andoneeye——inthesepointsresemblingtheheroicNelson——whileacertainpallidinsignificanceoffeatureconfirmedtherelationshipbetweenhimselfandhisgrand-
nephew。
Next,Mr。FreelywasseizedwithanirrepressibleambitiontopossesMrs。Palfrey’sreceiptforbrawn,hersbeingpronouncedonallhandstobesuperiortohisown——asheinformedherinaveryflatteringlettercarriedbyhiserrand-boy。NowMrs。Palfrey,likeothergeniuses,wroughtbyinstinctratherthanbyrule,andpossessednoreceipts——indeed,despisedallpeoplewhousedthem,observingthatpeoplewhopickledbybook,mustpicklebyweightsandmeasures,andsuchnonsense;asforherself,herweightsandmeasureswerethetipofherfingerandthetipofhertongue,andifyouwentnearer,why,ofcourse,fordrygoodslikeflourandspice,youwentbyhandfulsandpinches,andforwet,therewasamiddle-sizedjug——
quitethebestthingwhetherformuchorlittle,becauseyoumightknowhowmuchateacupfulwasifyou’dgotanyuseofyoursenses,andyoumightbesureitwouldtakefivemiddle-sizedjugstomakeagallon。KnowledgeofthiskindislikeTitian’scolouring,difficulttocommunicate;andasMrs。Palfrey,onceremarkablyhandsome,hadnowbecomeratherstoutandasthmatical,andscarcelyeverlefthome,heroralteachingcouldhardlybegivenanywhereexceptatLongMeadows。Evenamatronisnotinsusceptibletoflattery,andtheprospectofavisitorwhosegreatobjectwouldbetolistentoherconversation,wasnotwithoutitscharmstoMrs。
Palfrey。SincetherewasnoreceipttobesentinreplytoMr。
Freely’shumblerequest,shecalledonhermoredociledaughter,Penny,towriteanote,tellinghimthathermotherwouldbegladtoseehimandtalkwithhimonbrawn,anydaythathecouldcallatLongMeadows。Pennyobeyedwithatremblinghand,thinkinghowwonderfullythingscameaboutinthisworld。
Inthisway,Mr。FreelygothimselfintroducedintothehomeofthePalfreys,andnotwithstandingatendencyinthemalepartofthefamilytojeerathimalittleas"peaky"andbow-legged,hepresentlyestablishedhispositionasanacceptedandfrequentguest。YoungTowerslookedathimwithincreasingdisgustwhentheymetatthehouseonaSunday,andsecretlylongedtotryhisferretuponhim,asapieceofverminwhichthatvaluableanimalwouldbelikelytotacklewithunhesitatingvigour。But——soblindsometimesareparents——neitherMr。norMrs。PalfreysuspectedthatPennywouldhaveanythingtosaytoatradesmanofquestionablerankwhoseyouthfulbloomwasmuchwithered。YoungTowers,theythought,hadaneyetoher,andTHATwaslikelyenoughtobeamatchsomeday;
butPennywasachildatpresent。AndallthewhilePennywasimaginingthecircumstancesunderwhichMr。Freelywouldmakeheranoffer:perhapsdownbytherowofdamson-trees,whentheywereinthegardenbeforetea;perhapsbyletter——inwhichcase,howwouldtheletterbegin?"DearestPenelope?"or"MydearMissPenelope?"
orstraightoff,withoutdearanything,asseemedthemostnaturalwhenpeoplewereembarrassed?But,howeverhemightmaketheoffer,shewouldnotacceptitwithoutherfather’sconsent:shewouldalwaysbetruetoMr。Freely,butshewouldnotdisobeyherfather。
ForPennywasagoodgirl,thoughsomeofherfemalefriendswereafterwardsofopinionthatitspokeillforhernottohavefeltaninstinctiverepugnancetoMr。Freely。
Buthewascautious,andwishedtobequitesureofthegroundhetrodon。Hisviewsonmarriagewerenotentirelysentimental,butwereasdulymingledwithconsiderationsofwhatwouldbeadvantageoustoamaninhisposition,asifhehadhadaverylargeamountofmoneyspentonhiseducation。Hewasnotamantofallinloveinthewrongplace;andso,heappliedhimselfquiteasmuchtoconciliatethefavouroftheparents,astosecuretheattachmentofPenny。Mrs。Palfreyhadnotbeeninaccessibletoflattery,andherhusband,beingalsoofmortalmould,wouldnot,itmightbehoped,beproofagainstrum——thatveryfineJamaicarum——ofwhichMr。
FreelyexpectedalwaystohaveasupplysenthimfromJamaica。ItwasnoteasytogetMr。Palfreyintotheparlourbehindtheshop,whereamildback-streetlightfellonthefeaturesoftheheroicadmiral;butbygettingholdofhimratherlateoneeveningashewasabouttoreturnhomefromGrimworth,theaspiringloversucceededinpersuadinghimtosuponsomecollaredbeefwhich,afterMrs。Palfrey’sbrawn,hewouldfindtheverybestofcoldeating。
FromthathourMr。Freelyfeltsureofsuccess:beinginprivacywithanestimablemanoldenoughtobehisfather,andbeingratherlonelyintheworld,itwasnaturalheshouldunbosomhimselfalittleonsubjectswhichhecouldnotspeakofinamixedcircle——
especiallyconcerninghisexpectationsfromhisuncleinJamaica,whohadnochildren,andlovedhisnephewEdwardbetterthananyoneelseintheworld,thoughhehadbeensohurtathisleavingJamaica,thathehadthreatenedtocuthimoffwithashilling。
However,hehadsincewrittentostatehisfullforgiveness,andthoughhewasaneccentricoldgentlemanandcouldnotbeartogiveawaymoneyduringhislife,Mr。EdwardFreelycouldshowMr。Palfreytheletterwhichdeclared,plainlyenough,whowouldbetheaffectionateuncle’sheir。Mr。Palfreyactuallysawtheletter,andcouldnothelpadmiringthespiritofthenephewwhodeclaredthatsuchbrillianthopesasthesemadenodifferencetohisconduct;heshouldworkathishumblebusinessandmakehismodestfortuneatitallthesame。IftheJamaicaestatewastocometohim——wellandgood。ItwasnothingverysurprisingforoneoftheFreelyfamilytohaveanestatelefthim,consideringthelandsthatfamilyhadpossessedintimegoneby——nay,stillpossessedintheNorthumberlandbranch。WouldnotMr。Palfreytakeanotherglassofrum?andalsolookatthelastyear’sbalanceoftheaccounts?Mr。
Freelywasamanwhocaredtopossesspersonalvirtues,anddidnotpiquehimselfonhisfamily,thoughsomemenwould。
WeknowhoweasilythegreatLeviathanmaybeled,whenoncethereisahookinhisnoseorabridleinhisjaws。Mr。Palfreywasalargeman,but,likeLeviathan’s,hisbulkwentagainsthimwhenoncehehadtakenaturning。Hewasnotamercurialman,whoeasilychangedhispointofview。Enough。Beforetwomonthswereover,hehadgivenhisconsenttoMr。Freely’smarriagewithhisdaughterPenny,andhavinghitonaformulabywhichhecouldjustifyit,fencedoffalldoubtsandobjections,hisownincluded。Theformulawasthis:"I’mnotamantoputmyheadupanentrybeforeIknowwhereitleads。"
LittlePennywasveryproudandfluttering,buthardlysohappyassheexpectedtobeinanengagement。ShewonderedifyoungTowerscaredmuchaboutit,forhehadnotbeentothehouselately,andhersisterandbrotherswereratherinclinedtosneerthantosympathize。Grimworthrangwiththenews。AllmenextolledMr。
Freely’sgoodfortune;whilethewomen,withthetendersolicitudecharacteristicofthesex,wishedthemarriagemightturnoutwell。
Whileaffairswereatthistriumphantjuncture,Mr。Freelyonemorningobservedthatastone-carverwhohadbeenbreakfastingintheeating-roomhadleftanewspaperbehind。ItwastheX-shireGazette,andX-shirebeingacountynotunknowntoMr。Freely,hefeltsomecuriositytoglanceoverit,andespeciallyovertheadvertisements。Aslightflushcameoverhisfaceasheread。Itwasproducedbythefollowingannouncement:-"IfDavidFaux,sonofJonathanFaux,lateofGilsbrook,willapplyattheofficeofMr。
Strutt,attorney,ofRodham,hewillhearofsomethingtohisadvantage。"
"Father’sdead!"exclaimedMr。Freely,involuntarily。"Canhehaveleftmealegacy?"
CHAPTERIII
Perhapsitwasaresultquitedifferentfromyourexpectations,thatMr。DavidFauxshouldhavereturnedfromtheWestIndiesonlyafewyearsafterhisarrivalthere,andhavesetupinhisoldbusiness,likeanyplainmanwhohasnevertravelled。Butthesecasesdooccurinlife。Since,asweknow,menchangetheirskiesandseenewconstellationswithoutchangingtheirsouls,itwillfollowsometimesthattheydon’tchangetheirbusinessunderthosenovelcircumstances。
Certainly,thisresultwascontrarytoDavid’sownexpectations。Hehadlookedforward,youareaware,toabrilliantcareeramong"theblacks";but,eitherbecausetheyhadalreadyseentoomanywhitemen,orforsomeotherreason,theydidnotatoncerecognizehimasasuperiororderofhumanbeing;besides,therewerenoprincessesamongthem。NobodyinJamaicawasanxioustomaintainDavidforthemerepleasureofhissociety;andthosehiddenmeritsofamanwhicharesowellknowntohimselfwereaslittlerecognizedthereastheynotoriouslyareintheeffetesocietyoftheOldWorld。SothatinthedarkhintsthatDavidthrewoutattheOysterClubaboutthatlifeofSultanicself-indulgencespentbyhimintheluxuriousIndies,Ireallythinkhewasdoinghimselfawrong;Ibelieveheworkedforhisbread,and,infact,tooktocookingas,afterall,theonlydepartmentinwhichhecouldofferskilledlabour。Hehadformedseveralingeniousplansbywhichhemeanttocircumventpeopleoflargefortuneandsmallfaculty;butthenhenevermetwithexactlytherightcircumstances。David’sdevicesforgettingrichwithoutworkhadapparentlynodirectrelationwiththeworldoutsidehim,ashisconfectioneryreceiptshad。Itispossibletopassagreatmanybadhalfpenniesandbadhalf-crowns,butI
believetherehasnoinstancebeenknownofpassingahalfpennyorahalf-crownasasovereign。Asharpercandriveabrisktradeinthisworld:itisundeniablethattheremaybeafinecareerforhim,ifhewilldareconsequences;butDavidwastootimidtobeasharper,orventureinanywayamongthemantrapsofthelaw。Hedaredrobnobodybuthismother。Andsohehadtofallbackonthegenuinevaluetherewasinhim——tobecontenttopassasagoodhalfpenny,or,tospeakmoreaccurately,asagoodconfectioner。
Forinspiteofsomeadditionalreadingandobservation,therewasnothingelsehecouldmakesomuchmoneyby;nay,hefoundinhimselfevenacapabilityofextendinghisskillinthisdirection,andembracingallformsofcookery;while,inotherbranchesofhumanlabour,hebegantoseethatitwasnotpossibleforhimtoshine。Fatewastoostrongforhim;hehadthoughttomasterherinclinationandhadfledovertheseastothatend;butshecaughthim,tiedanapronroundhim,andsnatchinghimfromallotherdevices,madehimdevisecakesandpattiesinakitchenatKingstown。Hewasgettingsubmissivetoher,sinceshepaidhimwithtolerablegains;butfeversandpricklyheat,andotherevilsincidentaltocooksinardentclimates,madehimlongforhisnativeland;sohetookshiponcemore,carryinghissixyears’savings,andseeingdistinctly,thistime,whatwereFate’sintentionsastohiscareer。IfyouquestionmecloselyastowhetherallthemoneywithwhichhesetupatGrimworthconsistedofpureandsimpleearnings,Iamobligedtoconfessthathegotasumortwoforcharitablyabstainingfrommentioningsomeotherpeople’smisdemeanours。Altogether,sincenoprospectswereattachedtohisfamilyname,andsinceanewchristeningseemedasuitablecommencementofanewlife,Mr。DavidFauxthoughtitaswelltocallhimselfMr。EdwardFreely。
Butlo!now,inoppositiontoallcalculableprobability,somebenefitappearedtobeattachedtothenameofDavidFaux。Shouldheneglectit,asbeneaththeattentionofaprosperoustradesman?
Itmightbringhimintocontactwithhisfamilyagain,andhefeltnoyearningsinthatdirection:moreover,hehadsmallbeliefthatthe"somethingtohisadvantage"couldbeanythingconsiderable。Ontheotherhand,evenasmallgainispleasant,andthepromiseofitinthisinstancewassosurprising,thatDavidfelthiscuriosityawakened。Thescaledippedatlastonthesideofwritingtothelawyer,and,tobebrief,thecorrespondenceendedinanappointmentforameetingbetweenDavidandhiseldestbrotheratMr。Strutt’s,thevague"something"havingbeendefinedasalegacyfromhisfatherofeighty-twopounds,threeshillings。
David,youknow,hadexpectedtobedisinherited;andsohewouldhavebeen,ifhehadnot,likesomeotherindifferentsons,comeofexcellentparents,whoseconsciencemadethemscrupulouswheremuchmorehighly-instructedpeopleoftenfeelthemselveswarrantedinfollowingthebentoftheirindignation。GoodMrs。Fauxcouldneverforgetthatshehadbroughtthisill-conditionedsonintotheworldwhenhewasinthatentirelyhelplessstatewhichexcludedthesmallestchoiceonhispart;and,somehoworother,shefeltthathisgoingwrongwouldbehisfather’sandmother’sfault,iftheyfailedinonetittleoftheirparentalduty。Hernotionofparentaldutywasnotofahighandsubtlekind,butitincludedgivinghimhisdueshareofthefamilyproperty;forwhenamanhadgotalittlehonestmoneyofhisown,washesolikelytosteal?Tocutthedelinquentsonoffwithashilling,waslikedeliveringhimovertohisevilpropensities。No;letthesumoftwentyguineaswhichhehadstolenbedeductedfromhisshare,andthenletthesumofthreeguineasbeputbackfromit,seeingthathismotherhadalwaysconsideredthreeofthetwentyguineasashis;and,thoughhehadrunaway,andwas,perhaps,goneacrossthesea,letthemoneybelefttohimallthesame,andbekeptinreserveforhispossiblereturn。Mr。Fauxagreedtohiswife’sviews,andmadeacodiciltohiswillaccordingly,intimetodiewithaclearconscience。ButforsometimehisfamilythoughtitlikelythatDavidwouldneverreappear;andtheeldestson,whohadthechargeofJacobonhishands,oftenthoughtitalittlehardthatDavidmightperhapsbedead,andyet,forwantofcertitudeonthatpoint,hislegacycouldnotfalltohislegalheir。Butinthisstateofthingstheoppositecertitude——namely,thatDavidwasstillaliveandinEngland——seemedtobebroughtbythetestimonyofaneighbour,who,havingbeenonajourneytoCattelton,wasprettysurehehadseenDavidinagig,withastoutmandrivingbyhisside。Hecould"swearitwasDavid,"thoughhecould"givenoaccountwhy,forhehadnomarksonhim;butnomorehadawhitedog,andthatdidn’thinderfolksfromknowingawhitedog。"Itwasthisincidentwhichhadledtotheadvertisement。
Thelegacywaspaid,ofcourse,afterafewpreliminarydisclosuresastoMr。David’sactualposition。Hebeggedtosendhislovetohismother,andtosaythathehopedtopayheradutifulvisitbyandby;but,atpresent,hisbusinessandnearprospectofmarriagemadeitdifficultforhimtoleavehome。Hisbrotherrepliedwithmuchfrankness。
"Mymothermaydoasshelikesabouthavingyoutoseeher,but,formypart,Idon’twanttocatchsightofyouonthepremisesagain。
Whenfolkshavetakenanewname,they’dbetterkeeptotheirnew’quinetance。"
Davidpocketedtheinsultalongwiththeeighty-twopoundsthree,andtravelledhomeagaininsometriumphattheeaseofatransactionwhichhadenrichedhimtothisextent。Hehadnointentionofoffendinghisbrotherbyfurtherclaimsonhisfraternalrecognition,andrelapsedwithfullcontentmentintothecharacterofMr。EdwardFreely,theorphan,scionofagreatbutreducedfamily,withaneccentricuncleintheWestIndies。(Ihavealreadyhintedthathehadsomeacquaintancewithimaginativeliterature;andbeingofapracticalturn,hehad,youperceive,appliedeventhisformofknowledgetopracticalpurposes。)
Itwaslittlemorethanaweekafterthereturnfromhisfruitfuljourney,thatthedayofhismarriagewithPennyhavingbeenfixed,itwasagreedthatMrs。Palfreyshouldovercomeherreluctancetomovefromhome,andthatsheandherhusbandshouldbringtheirtwodaughterstoinspectlittlePenny’sfutureabodeanddecideonthenewarrangementstobemadeforthereceptionofthebride。Mr。
Freelymeanthertohaveahousesoprettyandcomfortablethatsheneednotenvyevenawool-factor’swife。Ofcourse,theupperroomovertheshopwastobethebestsitting-room;butalsotheparlourbehindtheshopwastobemadeasuitablebowerforthelovelyPenny,whowouldnaturallywishtobenearherhusband,thoughMr。
FreelydeclaredhisresolutionnevertoallowHISwifetowaitintheshop。Thedecisionsabouttheparlourfurniturewerelefttilllast,becausethepartywastotaketeathere;and,aboutfiveo’clock,theywereallseatedtherewiththebestmuffinsandbutteredbunsbeforethem,littlePennyblushingandsmiling,withher"crop"inthebestorder,andabluefrockshowingherlittlewhiteshoulders,whileheropinionwasbeingalwaysaskedandnevergiven。Shesecretlywishedtohaveaparticularsortofchimneyornaments,butshecouldnothavebroughtherselftomentionit。
Seatedbythesideofheryellowandratherwitheredlover,who,thoughhehadnotreachedhisthirtiethyear,hadalreadycrow’s-
feetabouthiseyes,shewasquitetremulousatthegreatnessofherlotinbeingmarriedtoamanwhohadtravelledsomuch——andbeforehersisterLetty!ThehandsomeLetitialookedratherproudandcontemptuous,thoughthernaturebrother-in-lawanodiousperson,andwasvexedwithherfatherandmotherforlettingPennymarryhim。DearlittlePenny!Shecertainlydidlooklikeafreshwhite-
heartcherrygoingtobebittenoffthestembythatliplessmouth。
Wouldnodeliverercometomakeaslipbetweenthatcherryandthatmouthwithoutalip?
"Quiteafamilylikenessbetweentheadmiralandyou,Mr。Freely,"
observedMrs。Palfrey,whowaslookingatthefamilyportraitforthefirsttime。"It’swonderful!andonlyagrand-uncle。Doyoufeaturetherestofyourfamily,asyouknowof?"
"Ican’tsay,"saidMr。Freely,withasigh。"Myfamilyhavemostlythoughtthemselvestoohightotakeanynoticeofme。"
Atthismomentanextraordinarydisturbancewasheardintheshop,asofaheavyanimalstampingaboutandmakingangrynoises,andthenofaglassvesselfallinginshivers,whilethevoiceoftheapprenticewasheardcalling"Master"ingreatalarm。
Mr。Freelyroseinanxiousastonishment,andhastenedintotheshop,followedbythefourPalfreys,whomadeagroupattheparlour-door,transfixedwithwonderatseeingalargemaninasmock-frock,withapitchforkinhishand,rushuptoMr。Freelyandhughim,cryingout,——"Zavy,Zavy,b’otherZavy!"
ItwasJacob,andforsomemomentsDavidlostallpresenceofmind。
Hefeltarrestedforhavingstolenhismother’sguineas。Heturnedcold,andtrembledinhisbrother’sgrasp。
"Why,how’sthis?"saidMr。Palfrey,advancingfromthedoor。"Whoishe?"
Jacobsuppliedtheanswerbysayingoverandoveragain-
"I’seZacob,b’otherZacob。Come’ozeeZavy"——tillhungerpromptedhimtorelaxhisgrasp,andtoseizealargeraisedpie,whichheliftedtohismouth。
BythistimeDavid’spowerofdevicehadbeguntoreturn,butitwasaveryhardtaskforhisprudencetomasterhisrageandhatredtowardspoorJacob。
"Idon’tknowwhoheis;hemustbedrunk,"hesaid,inalowtonetoMr。Palfrey。"Buthe’sdangerouswiththatpitchfork。He’llneverletitgo。"ThencheckinghimselfonthepointofbetrayingtoogreatanintimacywithJacob’shabits,headded"Youwatchhim,whileIrunfortheconstable。"Andhehurriedoutoftheshop。
"Why,wheredoyoucomefrom,myman?"saidMr。Palfrey,speakingtoJacobinaconciliatorytone。Jacobwaseatinghispiebylargemouthfuls,andlookingroundattheothergoodthingsintheshop,whileheembracedhispitchforkwithhisleftarm,andlaidhislefthandonsomeBathbuns。Hewasintherarepositionofapersonwhorecoversalongabsentfriendandfindshimricherthaneverinthecharacteristicsthatwonhisheart。
"I’sZacob——b’otherZacob——’thome。IloveZavy——b’otherZavy,"hesaid,assoonasMr。Palfreyhaddrawnhisattention。"Zavycomebackfromz’Indies——gotmother’szinnies。Where’sZavy?"headded,lookingroundandthenturningtotheotherswithaquestioningair,puzzledbyDavid’sdisappearance。
"It’sveryodd,"observedMr。Palfreytohiswifeanddaughters。
"HeseemstosayFreely’shisbrothercomebackfromth’Indies。"
"Whatapleasantrelationforus!"saidLetitia,sarcastically。"I
thinkhe’sagooddeallikeMr。Freely。He’sgotjustthesamesortofnose,andhiseyesarethesamecolour。"
PoorPennywasreadytocry。
ButnowMr。Freelyre-enteredtheshopwithouttheconstable。
Duringhiswalkofafewyardshehadhadtimeandcalmnessenoughtowidenhisviewofconsequences,andhesawthattogetJacobtakentotheworkhouseortothelock-uphouseasanoffensivestrangermighthaveawkwardeffectsifhisfamilytookthetroubleofinquiringafterhim。Hemustresignhimselftomorepatientmeasures。
"Onsecondthoughts,"hesaid,beckoningtoMr。PalfreyandwhisperingtohimwhileJacob’sbackwasturned,"he’sapoorhalf-
wittedfellow。Perhapshisfriendswillcomeafterhim。Idon’tmindgivinghimsomethingtoeat,andlettinghimliedownforthenight。He’sgotitintohisheadthatheknowsme——theydogetthesefancies,idiotsdo。He’llperhapsgoawayagaininanhourortwo,andmakenomoreado。I’makind-heartedmanMYSELF——I
shouldn’tliketohavethepoorfellowill-used。"
"Why,he’lleatasovereign’sworthinnotime,"saidMr。Palfrey,thinkingMr。Freelyalittletoomagnificentinhisgenerosity。
"Eh,Zavy,comeback?"exclaimedJacob,givinghisdearbrotheranotherhug,whichcrushedMr。Freely’sfeaturesinconvenientlyagainstthestaleofthepitchfork。
"Aye,aye,"saidMr。Freely,smiling,witheverycapabilityofmurderinhismind,exceptthecouragetocommitit。HewishedtheBathbunsmightbychancehavearsenicinthem。
"Mother’szinnies?"saidJacob,pointingtoaglassjarofyellowlozengesthatstoodinthewindow。"Zive’emme。"
DaviddarednotdootherwisethanreachdowntheglassjarandgiveJacobahandful。Hereceivedtheminhissmock-frock,whichheheldoutformore。
"They’llkeephimquietabit,atanyrate,"thoughtDavid,andemptiedthejar。Jacobgrinnedandmowedwithdelight。
"You’reverygoodtothisstranger,Mr。Freely,"saidLetitia;andthenspitefully,asDavidjoinedthepartyattheparlour-door,"I
thinkyoucouldhardlytreathimbetter,ifhewasreallyyourbrother。"
"I’vealwaysthoughtitadutytobegoodtoidiots,"saidMr。
Freely,strivingafterthemostmoralviewofthesubject。"Wemighthavebeenidiotsourselves——everybodymighthavebeenbornidiots,insteadofhavingtheirrightsenses。"
"Idon’tknowwherethere’dha’beenvictualforusallthen,"
observedMrs。Palfrey,regardingthematterinahousewifelylight。
"Butletussitdownagainandfinishourtea,"saidMr。Freely。
"Letusleavethepoorcreaturetohimself。"
Theywalkedintotheparlouragain;butJacob,notapparentlyappreciatingthekindnessofleavinghimtohimself,immediatelyfollowedhisbrother,andseatedhimself,pitchforkgrounded,atthetable。
"Well,"saidMissLetitia,rising,"Idon’tknowwhetherYOUmeantostay,mother;butIshallgohome。"
"Oh,metoo,"saidPenny,frightenedtodeathatJacob,whohadbeguntonodandgrinather。
"Well,IthinkweHADbetterbegoing,Mr。Palfrey,"saidthemother,risingmoreslowly。
Mr。Freely,whosecomplexionhadbecomedecidedlyyellowerduringthelasthalf-hour,didnotresistthisproposition。Hehopedtheyshouldmeetagain"underhappiercircumstances。"
"It’smybeliefthemanishisbrother,"saidLetitia,whentheywereallontheirwayhome。
"Nonsense!"saidMr。Palfrey。"Freely’sgotnobrother——he’ssaidsomanyandmanyatime;he’sanorphan;he’sgotnothingbutuncles——leastwise,one。What’sitmatterwhatanidiotsays?WhatcallhadFreelytotelllies?"
Letitiatossedherheadandwassilent。
Mr。Freely,leftalonewithhisaffectionatebrotherJacob,broodedoverthepossibilityofluringhimoutofthetownearlythenextmorning,andgettinghimconveyedtoGilsbrookwithoutfurtherbetrayals。Butthethingwasdifficult。HesawclearlythatifhetookJacobhimself,hisabsence,conjoinedwiththedisappearanceofthestranger,wouldeithercausetheconvictionthathewasreallyarelative,orwouldobligehimtothedangerouscourseofinventingastorytoaccountforhisdisappearance,andhisownabsenceatthesametime。Davidgroaned。Therecomeoccasionswhenfalsehoodisfelttobeinconvenient。Itwould,perhaps,havebeenalonger-
headeddevice,ifhehadnevertoldanyofthosecleverfibsabouthisuncles,grandandotherwise;forthePalfreysweresimplepeople,andsharedthepopularprejudiceagainstlying。EvenifhecouldgetJacobawaythistime,whatsecuritywastherethathewouldnotcomeagain,havingoncefoundtheway?Oguineas!O
lozenges!whatenviablepeoplethosewerewhohadneverrobbedtheirmothers,andhadnevertoldfibs!Davidspentasleeplessnight,whileJacobwassnoringcloseby。WasthistheupshotoftravellingtotheIndies,andacquiringexperiencecombinedwithanecdote?
Heroseatbreakofday,ashehadoncebeforedonewhenhewasinfearofJacob,andtookallgentlemeanstorousethisfatalbrotherfromhisdeepsleep;hedarednotbeloud,becausehisapprenticewasinthehouse,andwouldreporteverything。ButJacobwasnottoberoused。Hefoughtoutwithhisfistattheunknowncauseofdisturbance,turnedover,andsnoredagain。Hemustbelefttowakeashewould。David,withacoldperspirationonhisbrow,confessedtohimselfthatJacobcouldnotbegotawaythatday。
Mr。PalfreycameovertoGrimworthbeforenoon,withanaturalcuriositytoseehowhisfutureson-in-lawgotonwiththestrangertowhomhewassobenevolentlyinclined。Hefoundacrowdroundtheshop。AllGrimworthbythistimehadheardhowFreelyhadbeenfastenedonbyanidiot,whocalledhim"BrotherZavy";andtheyoungerpopulationseemedtofindthesingularstrangeranunwearyingsourceoffascination,whilethehouseholdersdroppedinonebyonetoinquireintotheincident。
"Whydon’tyousendhimtotheworkhouse?"saidMr。Prettyman。
"You’llhavearowwithhimandthechildrenpresently,andhe’lleatyouup。Theworkhouseistheproperplaceforhim;lethiskinclaimhim,ifhe’sgotany。"
"ThosemaybeYOURfeelings,Mr。Prettyman,"saidDavid,hismindquiteenfeebledbythetortureofhisposition。
"What!ISheyourbrother,then?"saidMr。Prettyman,lookingathisneighbourFreelyrathersharply。
"Allmenareourbrothers,andidiotsparticularso,"saidMr。
Freely,who,likemanyothertravelledmen,wasnotmasteroftheEnglishlanguage。
"Come,come,ifhe’syourbrother,tellthetruth,man,"saidMr。
Prettyman,withgrowingsuspicion。"Don’tbeashamedofyourownfleshandblood。"
Mr。Palfreywaspresent,andalsohadhiseyeonFreely。Itisdifficultforamantobelieveintheadvantageofatruthwhichwilldisclosehimtohavebeenaliar。Inthiscriticalmoment,Davidshrankfromthisimmediatedisgraceintheeyesofhisfuturefather-in-law。
"Mr。Prettyman,"hesaid,"Itakeyourobservationsasaninsult。
I’venoreasontobeotherwisethanproudofmyownfleshandblood。
Ifthispoormanwasmybrothermorethanallmenare,Ishouldsayso。"
Atallfiguredarkenedthedoor,andDavid,liftinghiseyesinthatdirection,sawhiseldestbrother,Jonathan,onthedoor-sill。
"I’llstaywi’Zavy,"shoutedJacob,ashe,too,caughtsightofhiseldestbrother;and,runningbehindthecounter,heclutchedDavidhard。
"What,heIShere?"saidJonathanFaux,comingforward。"Mymotherwouldhavenonay,ashe’dbeenawaysolong,butImustseeafterhim。Anditstruckmehewasverylikecomeafteryou,becausewe’dbeentalkingofyouo’late,andwhereyoulived。"
Davidsawtherewasnoescape;hesmiledaghastlysmile。
"What!isthisarelationofyours,sir?"saidMr。PalfreytoJonathan。
"Aye,it’smyinnicentofabrother,sureenough,"saidhonestJonathan。"Afinetroubleandcostheistous,inth’eatingandotherthings,butwemustbearwhat’slaidonus。"
"Andyourname’sFreely,isit?"saidMr。Prettyman。
"Nay,nay,myname’sFaux,Iknownothingo’Freelys,"saidJonathan,curtly。"Come,"headded,turningtoDavid,"ImusttakesomenewstomotheraboutJacob。ShallItakehimwithme,orwillyouundertaketosendhimback?"
"Takehim,ifyoucanmakehimloosehisholdofme,"saidDavid,feebly。
"Isthisgentlemanhereintheconfectionerylineyourbrother,then,sir?"saidMr。Prettyman,feelingthatitwasanoccasiononwhichformatlanguagemustbeused。
"Idon’twanttoownhim,"saidJonathan,unabletoresistamovementofindignationthathadneverbeenallowedtosatisfyitself。"Heranawayfromhomewithgoodreasonsinhispocketyearsago:hedidn’twanttobeownedagain,Ireckon。"
Mr。Palfreylefttheshop;hefelthisownpridetooseverelywoundedbythesensethathehadlethimselfbefooled,tofeelcuriosityforfurtherdetails。ThemostpressingbusinesswastogohomeandtellhisdaughterthatFreelywasapoorsneak,probablyarascal,andthatherengagementwasbrokenoff。
Mr。Prettymanstayed,withsomeinternalself-gratulationthatHE
hadnevergivenintoFreely,andthatMr。Chalonerwouldseenowwhatsortoffellowitwasthathehadputovertheheadsofolderparishioners。Heconsidereditduefromhim(Mr。Prettyman)that,fortheinterestsoftheparish,heshouldknowallthatwastobeknownaboutthis"interloper。"GrimworthwouldhavepeoplecomingfromBotanyBaytosettleinit,ifthingswentoninthisway。
ItsoonappearedthatJacobcouldnotbemadetoquithisdearbrotherDavidexceptbyforce。Heunderstood,withaclearnessequaltothatofthemostintelligentmind,thatJonathanwouldtakehimbacktoskimmedmilk,apple-dumpling,broadbeans,andpork。
Andhehadfoundaparadiseinhisbrother’sshop。ItwasadifficultmattertouseforcewithJacob,forheworeheavynailedboots;andifhispitchforkhadbeenmastered,hewouldhaveresortedwithouthesitationtokicks。Nothingshortofusingguiletobindhimhandandfootwouldhavemadeallpartiessafe。
"Lethimstay,"saidDavid,withdesperateresignation,frightenedaboveallthingsattheideaoffurtherdisturbancesinhisshop,whichwouldmakehisexposureallthemoreconspicuous。"YOUgoawayagain,andto-morrowIcan,perhaps,gethimtogotoGilsbrookwithme。He’llfollowmefastenough,Idaresay,"headded,withahalf-groan。
"Verywell,"saidJonathan,gruffly。"Idon’tseewhyYOUshouldn’thavesometroubleandexpensewithhimaswellastherestofus。
Butmindyoubringhimbacksafeandsoon,elsemother’llneverrest。"
Onthisarrangementbeingconcluded,Mr。PrettymanbeggedMr。
JonathanFauxtogoandtakeasnackwithhim,aninvitationwhichwasquiteacceptable;andashonestJonathanhadnothingtobeashamedof,itisprobablethathewasveryfrankinhiscommunicationstothecivildraper,who,pursuingthebenefitoftheparish,hastenedtomakealltheinformationhecouldgatheraboutFreelycommonparochialproperty。YoumayimaginethatthemeetingoftheClubattheWoolpackthateveningwasunusuallylively。
EverymemberwasanxioustoprovethathehadneverlikedFreely,ashecalledhimself。Fauxwashisname,wasit?Foxwouldhavebeenmoresuitable。Themajorityexpressedadesiretoseehimhootedoutofthetown。
Mr。Freelydidnotventureoverhisdoor-sillthatday,forheknewJacobwouldkeepathisside,andtherewaseveryprobabilitythattheywouldhaveatrainofjuvenilefollowers。HesenttoengagetheWoolpackgigforanearlyhourthenextmorning;butthisorderwasnotkeptreligiouslyasecretbythelandlord。Mr。Freelywasinformedthathecouldnothavethegigtillseven;andtheGrimworthpeoplewereearlyrisers。Perhapstheyweremorealertthanusualonthisparticularmorning;forwhenJacob,withabagofsweetsinhishand,wasinducedtomountthegigwithhisbrotherDavid,theinhabitantsofthemarket-placewerelookingoutoftheirdoorsandwindows,andattheturningofthestreettherewasevenamusterofapprenticesandschoolboys,whoshoutedastheypassedinwhatJacobtooktobeaverymerryandfriendlyway,noddingandgrinninginreturn。"Huzzay,DavidFaux!how’syouruncle?"wastheirmorning’sgreeting。Likeotherpointedthings,itwasnotaltogetherimpromptu。
EventhispublicderisionwasnotsocrushingtoDavidasthehorriblethoughtthatthoughhemightsucceednowingettingJacobhomeagaintherewouldneverbeanysecurityagainsthiscomingback,likeawasptothehoney-pot。AslongasDavidlivedatGrimworth,Jacob’sreturnwouldbehangingoverhim。ButcouldhegoonlivingatGrimworth——anobjectofridicule,discardedbythePalfreys,afterhavingrevelledintheconsciousnessthathewasanenviedandprosperousconfectioner?Davidlikedtobeenvied;hemindedlessaboutbeingloved。
Hisdoubtsonthispointweresoonsettled。ThemindofGrimworthbecameobstinatelysetagainsthimandhisviands,andthenewschoolbeingfinished,theeating-roomwasclosed。Iftherehadbeennootherreason,sympathywiththePalfreys,thatrespectablefamilywhohadlivedintheparishtimeoutofmind,wouldhavedeterminedallwell-to-dopeopletodeclineFreely’sgoods。
Besides,hehadabscondedwithhismother’sguineas:whoknewwhatelsehehaddone,inJamaicaorelsewhere,beforehecametoGrimworth,worminghimselfintofamiliesunderfalsepretences?
Femalesshuddered。Dreadfulsuspicionsgatheredroundhim:hisgreeneyes,hisbow-legshadacriminalaspect。Therectordislikedthesightofamanwhohadimposeduponhim;andallboyswhocouldnotaffordtopurchase,hooted"DavidFaux"astheypassedhisshop。
Certainlynomannowwouldpayanythingforthe"goodwill"ofMr。
Freely’sbusiness,andhewouldbeobligedtoquititwithoutapeculiumsodesirabletowardsdefrayingtheexpenseofmoving。
Inafewmonthstheshopinthemarketplacewasagaintolet,andMr。DavidFaux,aliasMr。EdwardFreely,hadgone——nobodyatGrimworthknewwhither。InthiswaythedemoralizationofGrimworthwomenwaschecked。YoungMrs。Steenerenewedhereffortstomakelightmince-pies,andhavingatlastmadeabatchsoexcellentthatMr。Steenelookedatherwithcomplacencyasheatethem,andsaidtheywerethebesthehadevereateninhislife,shethoughtlessofbulbulsandrenegadeseverafter。Thesecretsofthefinercookerywererevivedinthebreastsofmatronlyhouse-wives,anddaughterswereagainanxioustobeinitiatedinthem。
Youwillfurther,Ihope,begladtobear,thatsomepurchasesofdraperymadebyprettyPenny,inpreparationforhermarriagewithMr。Freely,cameinquiteaswellforherweddingwithyoungTowersasiftheyhadbeenmadeexpresslyforthelatteroccasion。ForPenny’scomplexionhadnotaltered,andbluealwaysbecameitbest。
HereendsthestoryofMr。DavidFaux,confectioner,andhisbrotherJacob。Andweseeinit,Ithink,anadmirableinstanceoftheunexpectedformsinwhichthegreatNemesishidesherself。
(1860)