Part 7 (1/2)
”This knave,arton and Brentford then Did boldly stop six honest men With his foodle doo, etc
”These honestdrank each man his pint of wine, When this bold thief, with s, your lives or purses With his foodle doo,” etc
I question if the honest men, whose misfortune is commemorated in this pathetic ditty, were more startled at the appearance of the bold thief than the songster was atfor so my situation as a listener rather aard, I presented myself to the company just as my friend Mr Morris, for such, it see the fifth stave of his doleful ballad The high tone hich the tune started died away in a quaver of consternation on finding himself so near one whose character he supposed to be little less suspicious than that of the hero of hisas if I had brought the Gorgon's head in my hand
The Justice, whose eyes had closed under the influence of the so, started up in his chair as it suddenly ceased, and stared onder at the unexpected addition which the coht were in abeyance The clerk, as I conjectured hi opposite to Mr Morris, that honest gentleh he wotted not why
[Illustration: Frank at Judge Inglewood's--104]
I broke the silence of surprise occasioned by lewood, is Francisobldistone; I understand that soconcerned in a loss which he says he has sustained”
”Sir,” said the Justice, somewhat peevishly, ”these are matters I never enter upon after dinner;--there is a ti, and a justice of peace oodly person of Mr Inglewood, by the way, seemed by no means to have suffered by any fasts, whether in the service of the law or of religion
”I beg pardon for an ill-timed visit, sir; but as my reputation is concerned, and as the dinner appears to be concluded”-- ”It is not concluded, sir,” replied the estion as well as food, and I protest I cannot have benefit from my victuals unless I am alloo hours of quiet leisure, intermixed with harmless mirth, and a moderate circulation of the bottle”
”If your honour will forgive ed his writing implements in the brief space that our conversation afforded; ”as this is a case of felony, and the gentlee is contra paceis!” said the impatient Justice--”I hope it's no treason to say so; but it's enough to made one mad to be worried in this way Have I a moment of my life quiet for warrants, orders, directions, acts, bails, bonds, and recognisances?--I pronounce to you, Mr Jobson, that I shall send you and the justiceshi+p to the devil one of these days”
”Your honour will consider the dignity of the office one of the quorum and custos rotulorum, an office of which Sir Edward coke wisely saith, The whole Christian world hath not the like of it, so it be duly executed”
”Well,” said the Justice, partly reconciled by this eulogiu down the rest of his dissatisfaction in a huge buet rid of it as fast as we can--Here you, sir--you, Morris--you, knight of the sorrowful countenance--is this Mr Francisobldistone the gentle art and part of felony?”
”I, sir?” replied Morris, whose scattered wits had hardly yet reasseainst the gentleman,”
”Then we disood riddance-- Push about the bottle--Mr Osbaldistone, help yourself”
Jobson, however, was determined that Morris should not back out of the scrape so easily ”What do you mean, Mr Morris?--Here is your own declaration--the ink scarce dried--and you would retract it in this scandalous manner!”
”How do I knohispered the other in a treues are in the house to back hihwaymen I protest the door opens”-- And it did open, and Diana Vernon entered--”You keep fine order here, Justice--not a servant to be seen or heard of”
”Ah!” said the Justice, starting up with an alacrity which showed that he was not so engrossed by his devotions to Theet as due to beauty--”Ah, ha! Die Vernon, the heath-bell of Cheviot, and the blossom of the Border, coirl, as flowers in May”
”A fine, open, hospitable house you do keep, Justice, that must be allowed--not a soul to answer a visitor”
”Ah, the knaves! they reckoned themselves secure of me for a couple of hours--But why did you not coh dined here, and ran away like a poltroon after the first bottle was out--But you have not dined--we'll have so nice and ladylike--sweet and pretty like yourself, tossed up in a trice”
”I may eat a crust in the ante-roo ride this , Justice--I came with my cousin, Frank Osbaldistone, there, and I ain to the Hall, or he'll lose himself in the wolds”
”Whew! sits the wind in that quarter?” inquired the Justice-- ”She showed him the way, she showed him the way, She showed him the way to woo
What! no luck for old fellows, then, my sweet bud of the wilderness?”
”None whatever, Squire Inglewood; but if you will be a good kind Justice, and despatch young Frank's business, and let us canter ho my uncle to dine with you next week, and we'll expect s”
”And you shall find them, my pearl of the Tyne--Zookers, lass, I never envy these young fellows their rides and scampers, unless when you come across me But I must not keep you just now, I suppose?--I am quite satisfied with Mr Francisobldistone's explanation--here has been soreater leisure”
”Pardon me, sir,” said I; ”but I have not heard the nature of the accusation yet”
”Yes, sir,” said the clerk, who, at the appearance of Miss Vernon, had given up the e to press farther investigation on finding himself supported fro--”Yes, sir, and Dalton saith, That he who is apprehended as a felon shall not be discharged upon any man's discretion, but shall be held either to bail or co to the clerk of the peace the usual fees for recognisance or coth a feords of explanation
It seems the tricks which I had played to this ination; for I found they had been arrayed against erations which a tiest It appeared also, that on the day he parted from me, he had been stopped on a solitary spot and eased of his beloved travelling-companion, the port their faces covered with vizards
One of them, he conceived, hadconversation which took place betwixt the freebooters, he heard the other apply to him the name of Osbaldistone The declaration farther set forth, that upon inquiring into the principles of the family so named, he, the said declarant, was informed that they were of the worst description, the fa been Papists and Jacobites, as he was given to understand by the dissenting clergyman at whose house he stopped after his rencontre, since the days of Williahty reasons, he chargedaccessory to the felony committed upon his person; he, the said declarant, then travelling in the special ee of certain ie su to his instructions, to certain persons of official trust and i heard this extraordinary accusation, I replied to it, that the circumstances on which it was founded were such as could warrant no justice, or istrate, in any attempt on my personal liberty I admitted that I had practised a little upon the terrors of Mr Morris, while we travelled together, but in such trifling particulars as could have excited apprehension in no one as one whit less timorous and jealous than himself But I added, that I had never seen him since we parted, and if that which he feared had really come upon him, I was in nowise accessory to an action so unworthy of my character and station in life That one of the robbers was called Osbaldistone, or that such a name was mentioned in the course of the conversation betwixt theht was due And concerning the disaffection alleged againstto prove, to the satisfaction of the Justice, the clerk, and even the witness himself, that I was of the sayood subject in the principles of the Revolution, and as such now demanded the personal protection of the lahich had been assured by that great event
The Justice fidgeted, took snuff, and seemed considerably embarrassed, while Mr Attorney Jobson, with all the volubility of his profession, ran over the statute of the 34 Edward III, by which justices of the peace are allowed to arrest all those whom they find by indictue even turned , ”that since I had confessedly, uponor deportment of a robber or malefactor, I had voluntarily subjected htwilfully clothed uilt”
I conation and scorn, and observed, ”That I should, if necessary, produce the bail of my relations, which I conceived could not be refused, without subjecting the ood sir--pardon me,” said the insatiable clerk; ”this is a case in which neither bail nor mainprize can be received, the felon who is liable to be co replevisable under the statute of the 3d of King Edward, there being in that act an express exception of such as be charged of commandment, or force, and aid of felony done;” and he hinted that his worshi+p would do well to remember that such were no way replevisable by common writ, nor without writ
At this period of the conversation a servant entered, and delivered a letter to Mr Jobson He had no sooner run it hastily over, than he exclaimed, with the air of one ished to appear much vexed at the interruption, and felt the consequence attached to a man of multifarious avocations--”Good God!--why, at this rate, I shall have neither time to attend to the public concerns nor entleman in our line would settle here!”
”God forbid!” said the Justice in a tone of sotto-voce deprecation; ”soh of one of the tribe”
”This is a matter of life and death, if your worshi+p pleases”
”In God's naistrate
”No--no,” replied Mr Jobson, very consequentially; ”old Gaffer Rutledge of Grime's-hill is subpoenaed for the next world; he has sent an express for Dr Kill-down to put in bail--another for e his worldly affairs”
”Aith you, then,” said Mr Inglewood, hastily; ”his may not be a replevisable case under the statute, you know, or Mr Justice Death may not like the doctor for a ering as he moved towards the door, ”if my presence here be necessary--I could make out the warrant for committal in a moment, and the constable is below--And you have heard,” he said, lowering his voice, ”Mr Rashleigh's opinion”--the rest was lost in a whisper
The Justice replied aloud, ”I tell thee no, ht till thou return, man; 'tis but a four-mile ride--Come, push the bottle, Mr Morris--Don't be cast down, Mr Osbaldistone--And you, my rose of the wilderness--one cup of claret to refresh the bloom of your cheeks”
Diana started, as if froed while we held this discussion ”No, Justice--I should be afraid of transferring the blooe; but I will pledge you in a cooler beverage;” and filling a glass ater, she drank it hastily, while her hurried aiety
I had not much leisure tofull of vexation at the interference of fresh obstacles to an instant exae which was brought againstthe Justice to take the ave him apparently as much pleasure as a holiday to a schoolboy He persisted in his endeavours to inspire jollity into a company, the individuals of which, whether considered with reference to each other, or to their respective situations, were by no means inclined to mirth ”Come, Master Morris, you're not the first ht back loss, man And you, Mr Frank Osbaldistone, are not the first bully-boy that has said stand to a truedays, kept the best cohts who but he--hand and glove was I with Jack Push the bottle, Mr Morris, it's dry talking--Many quart bumpers have I cracked, and thrown ood fa the deed he died for--we'll drink to his entlemen--Poor Jack Winterfield--And since we talk of his, and since that d--d clerk ofa ourselves, Mr Osbaldistone, if you will have my best advice, I would take up this ed poor Jack Winterfield at York, despite fa a fat west-country grazier of the price of a few beasts--Now, here is honest Mr Morris, has been frightened, and so forth--D--n it, man, let the poor fellow have back his porthtened up at this suggestion, and he began to hesitate forth an assurance that he thirsted for no man's blood, when I cut the proposed accoestion as an insult, that went directly to suppose uilty of the very crime which I had co We were in this aard predicaentleman to wait upon his honour;” and the party whom he thus described entered the room without farther cerelewood's--112]
CHAPTER NINTH
One of the thieves co me now, so near the house, And call in vain 'tis, till I see hier!” echoed the Justice--”not upon business, I trust, for I'll be”-- His protestation was cut short by the answer of the man himself ”My business is of a nature somewhat onerous and particular,” said my acquaintance, Mr Campbell--for it was he, the very Scotchman whom I had seen at Northallerton--”and I ive instant and heedful consideration to it--I believe, Mr Morris,” he added, fixing his eye on that person with a look of peculiar firmness and almost ferocity--”I believe ye ken brahat I aotten what passed at our laston the road?” Morris's jaw dropped--his countenance becaave visible signs of the utrace,your jaws there like a pair of castanets! I think there can be nae difficulty in your telling Mr Justice, that ye have seen me of yore, and ken me to be a cavalier of fortune, and a man of honour Ye ken fu' weel ye will be some time resident in my vicinity, when I may have the power, as I will possess the inclination, to do you as good a turn”
”Sir--sir--I believe you to be a lewood,” he added, clearing his voice, ”I really believe this gentleentleman's commands with me?” said the Justice, somewhat peevishly ”One man introduces another, like the rhyet company without either peace or conversation!”