Part 67 (1/2)

”Irresistible, especially with a favourable population.”

”You think the people were not grieved to see them?”

”Certainly. Left alone they might have remained quiet; but they only wanted the spark. We have a number of young men here who have for a long time been murmuring against our inaction and what they call want of spirit. The Lancas.h.i.+re strike set them all agog; and had any popular leader, Gerard for example or Warner, resolved to move, they were ready.”

”The times are critical,” said Hatton wheeling his arm-chair from the table and resting his feet on the empty fire-place. ”Lord de Mowbray had no idea of all this. I was with him on my way here, and found him quite tranquil. I suppose the invasion of yesterday has opened his eyes a little.”

”What can he do?” said Morley. ”It is useless to apply to the Government. They have no force to spare. Look at Lancas.h.i.+re; a few dragoons and rifles hurried about from place to place and hara.s.sed by night service; always arriving too late, and generally attacking the wrong point, some diversion from the main scheme. Now we had a week ago some of the 17th Lancers here. They have been marched into Lancas.h.i.+re.

Had they remained the invasion would never have occurred.”

”You haven't a soldier at hand?”

”Not a man; they have actually sent for a party of 73d from Ireland to guard us. Mowbray may be burnt before they land.”

”And the castle too,” said Hatton quietly. ”These are indeed critical times Mr Morley. I was thinking when walking with our friend Gerard yesterday, and hearing him and his charming daughter dilate upon the beauties of the residence which they had forfeited, I was thinking what a strange thing life is, and that the fact of a box of papers belonging to him being in the possession of another person who only lives close by, for we were walking through Mowbray woods--”

But at this moment a waiter entered and said there was one without who wished to speak with Mr Morley.

”Let him come up,” said Hatton, ”he will give us some news perhaps.”

And there was accordingly shown up a young man who had been a member of the Convention in '39 with Morley, afterwards of the Secret Council with Gerard, the same young man who had been the first arrested on the night that Sybil was made a prisoner, having left the scene of their deliberations for a moment in order to fetch her some water. He too had been tried, convicted, and imprisoned, though for a shorter time than Gerard; and he was the Chartist Apostle who had gone and resided at Wodgate, preached the faith to the barbarians, converted them, and was thus the primary cause of the present invasion of Mowbray.

”Ah! Field,” said Morley, ”is it you?”

”You are surprised to see me;” and then the young man looked at Hatton.

”A friend,” said Morley; ”speak as you like.”

”Our great man, the leader and liberator of the people,” said Field with a smile, ”who has carried all before him, and who I verily believe will carry all before him, for Providence has given him those superhuman energies which can alone emanc.i.p.ate a race, wishes to confer with you on the state of this town and neighbourhood. It has been represented to him that no one is more knowing and experienced than yourself in this respect; besides as the head of our most influential organ in the Press, it is in every way expedient that you should see him. He is at this moment below giving instructions and receiving reports of the stoppage of all the country works, but if you like I will bring him up here, we shall be less disturbed.”

”By all means,” said Hatton who seemed to apprehend that Morley would make some difficulties. ”By all means.”

”Stop;” said Morley, ”have you seen Gerard?”

”No,” said Field. ”I wrote to him some time back, but his reply was not encouraging. I thought his spirit was perhaps broken.”

”You know that he is here?”

”I concluded so, but we have not seen him; though to be sure, we have seen so many, and done so much since our arrival yesterday, it is not wonderful. By the bye, who is this blackcoat you have here, this St Lys?

We took possession of the church yesterday on our arrival, for it's a sort of thing that pleases the miners and colliers wonderfully, and I always humour them. This St Lys preached us such a sermon that I was almost afraid at one time the game would be spoiled. Our great man was alarmingly taken by it, was saying his prayers all day and had nearly marched back again: had it not been for the excellence of the rum and water at our quarters, the champion of the Charter would have proved a pious recreant.”

”St Lys will trouble you,” said Morley. ”Alas! for poor human nature, when violence can only be arrested by superst.i.tion.”

”Come don't you preach,” said the Chartist. ”The Charter is a thing the people can understand, especially when they are masters of the country; but as for moral force, I should like to know how I could have marched from Wodgate to Mowbray with that on my banner.”

”Wodgate,” said Morley, ”that's a queer place.”

”Wodgate,” said Hatton, ”what Wodgate is that?”

At this moment a great noise sounded without the room, the door was banged, there seemed a scuttling, some harsh high tones, the deprecatory voices of many waiters. The door was banged again and this time flew open, while exclaiming in an insolent coa.r.s.e voice, ”Don't tell me of your private rooms; who is master here I should like to know?” there entered a very thickset man, rather under the middle size, with a brutal and grimy countenance, wearing the unb.u.t.toned coat of a police serjeant conquered in fight, a c.o.c.ked hat, with a white plume, which was also a trophy of war, a pair of leather breeches and topped boots, which from their antiquity had the appearance of being his authentic property. This was the leader and liberator of the people of England. He carried in his hand a large hammer which he had never parted with during the whole of the insurrection; and stopping when he had entered the room, and surveying its inmates with an air at once stupid and arrogant, recognizing Field the Chartist, he halloed out, ”I tell you I want him.