"You see something is amiss with me, wife--I"ll tell you what it is." As he lowered his voice, Susan, who was not sure that he wished she should hear what he was going to say, retired from behind his chair. "Susan, don"t go; sit you down here, my sweet Susan," said he, making room for her upon his chair; "I believe I was a little cross when I came in first to-night; but I had something to vex me, as you shall hear.
"About a fortnight ago, you know, wife," continued he, "there was a balloting in our town for the militia; now at that time I wanted but ten days of forty years of age; and the attorney told me I was a fool for not calling myself plump forty. But the truth is the truth, and it is what I think fittest to be spoken at all times come what will of it. So I was drawn for a militiaman; but when I thought how loth you and I would be to part, I was main glad to hear that I could get off by paying eight or nine guineas for a subst.i.tute--only I had not the nine guineas--for, you know, we had bad luck with our sheep this year, and they died away one after another--but that was no excuse, so I went to Attorney Case, and, with a power of difficulty, I got him to lend me the money; for which, to be sure, I gave him something, and left my lease of our farm with him, as he insisted upon it, by way of security for the loan. Attorney Case is too many for me. He has found what he calls a _flaw_ in my lease; and the lease, he tells me, is not worth a farthing, and that he can turn us all out of our farm to-morrow if he pleases; and sure enough he will please; for I have thwarted him this day, and he swears he"ll be revenged of me. Indeed, he has begun with me badly enough already. I"m not come to the worst part of my story yet----"
Here Farmer Price made a dead stop; and his wife and Susan looked up in his face, breathless with anxiety.
"It must come out," said he, with a short sigh; "I must leave you in three days, wife."
"Must you?" said his wife, in a faint, resigned voice. "Susan, love, open the window." Susan ran to open the window, and then returned to support her mother"s head. When she came a little to herself she sat up, begged that her husband would go on, and that nothing might be concealed from her. Her husband had no wish indeed to conceal anything from a wife he loved so well; but, firm as he was, and steady to his maxim, that the truth was the thing the fittest to be spoken at all times, his voice faltered, and it was with great difficulty that he brought himself to speak the whole truth at this moment.
The fact was this. Case met Farmer Price as he was coming home, whistling, from a new-ploughed field. The attorney had just dined at _The Abbey_. The Abbey was the family seat of an opulent baronet in the neighbourhood, to whom Mr. Case had been agent. The baronet died suddenly, and his estate and t.i.tle devolved to a younger brother, who was now just arrived in the country, and to whom Mr. Case was eager to pay his court, in hopes of obtaining his favour. Of the agency he flattered himself that he was pretty secure; and he thought that he might a.s.sume a tone of command towards the tenants, especially towards one who was some guineas in debt, and in whose lease there was a flaw.
Accosting the farmer in a haughty manner, the attorney began with, "So, Farmer Price, a word with you, if you please. Walk on here, man, beside my horse, and you"ll hear me. You have changed your opinion, I hope, about that bit of land--that corner at the end of my garden?" "As how, Mr. Case?" said the farmer. "As how, man! Why, you said something about it"s not belonging to me, when you heard me talk of enclosing it the other day." "So I did," said Price, "and so I do."
Provoked and astonished at the firm tone in which these words were p.r.o.nounced, the attorney was upon the point of swearing that he would have his revenge; but, as his pa.s.sions were habitually attentive to the _letter_ of the law, he refrained from any hasty expression, which might, he was aware, in a court of justice, be hereafter brought against him.
"My good friend, Mr. Price," said he, in a soft voice, and pale with suppressed rage. He forced a smile. "I"m under the necessity of calling in the money I lent you some time ago, and you will please to take notice that it must be paid to-morrow morning. I wish you a good evening. You have the money ready for me, I daresay."
"No," said the farmer, "not a guinea of it; but John Simpson, who was my subst.i.tute, has not left our village yet. I"ll get the money back from him, and go myself, if so be it must be so, into the militia--so I will."
The attorney did not expect such a determination, and he represented, in a friendly, hypocritical tone to Price, that he had no wish to drive him to such an extremity; that it would be the height of folly in him _to run his head against a wall for no purpose_. "You don"t mean to take the corner into your own garden, do you, Price?" said he. "I," said the farmer, "G.o.d forbid! it"s none of mine; I never take what does not belong to me." "True, right, very proper, of course," said Mr. Case; "but then you have no interest in life in the land in question?" "None."
"Then why so stiff about it, Price? All I want of you to say----" "To say that black is white, which I won"t do, Mr. Case. The ground is a thing not worth talking of; but it"s neither yours nor mine. In my memory, since the _new_ lane was made, it has always been open to the parish; and no man shall enclose it with my good-will. Truth is truth, and must be spoken; justice is justice, and should be done, Mr.
Attorney."
"And law is law, Mr. Farmer, and shall have its course, to your cost,"
cried the attorney, exasperated by the dauntless spirit of this village Hampden.
Here they parted. The glow of enthusiasm, the pride of virtue, which made our hero brave, could not render him insensible. As he drew nearer home, many melancholy thoughts pressed upon his heart. He pa.s.sed the door of his own cottage with resolute steps, however, and went through the village in search of the man who had engaged to be his subst.i.tute.
He found him, told him how the matter stood; and luckily the man, who had not yet spent the money, was willing to return it; as there were many others drawn for the militia, who, he observed, would be glad to give him the same price, or more, for his services.
The moment Price got the money, he hastened to Mr. Case"s house, walked straight forward into his room, and laying the money down upon his desk, "There, Mr. Attorney, are your nine guineas; count them; now I have done with you."
"Not yet," said the attorney, jingling the money triumphantly in his hand. "We"ll give you a taste of the law, my good sir, or I"m mistaken.
You forgot the flaw in your lease, which I have safe in this desk."
"Ah, my lease," said the farmer, who had almost forgot to ask for it till he was thus put in mind of it by the attorney"s imprudent threat.
"Give me my lease, Mr. Case. I"ve paid my money; you have no right to keep the lease any longer, whether it is a bad one or a good one."
"Pardon me," said the attorney, locking his desk and putting the key into his pocket, "possession, my honest friend," cried he, striking his hand upon the desk, "is nine points of the law. Good-night to you. I cannot in conscience return a lease to a tenant in which I know there is a capital flaw. It is my duty to show it to my employer; or, in other words, to your new landlord, whose agent I have good reasons to expect I shall be. You will live to repent your obstinacy, Mr. Price. Your servant, sir."
Price retired with melancholy feelings, but not intimidated. Many a man returns home with a gloomy countenance, who has not quite so much cause for vexation.
When Susan heard her father"s story, she quite forgot her guinea-hen, and her whole soul was intent upon her poor mother, who, notwithstanding her utmost exertion, could not support herself under this sudden stroke of misfortune.
In the middle of the night Susan was called up; her mother"s fever ran high for some hours; but towards morning it abated, and she fell into a soft sleep with Susan"s hand locked fast in hers.
Susan sat motionless, and breathed softly, lest she should disturb her.
The rushlight, which stood beside the bed, was now burnt low; the long shadow of the tall wicker chair flitted, faded, appeared, and vanished, as the flame rose and sank in the socket. Susan was afraid that the disagreeable smell might waken her mother; and, gently disengaging her hand, she went on tiptoe to extinguish the candle. All was silent: the gray light of the morning was now spreading over every object; the sun rose slowly, and Susan stood at the lattice window, looking through the small leaded, crossbarred panes at the splendid spectacle. A few birds began to chirp; but, as Susan was listening to them, her mother started in her sleep, and spoke unintelligibly. Susan hung up a white ap.r.o.n before the window to keep out the light, and just then she heard the sound of music at a distance in the village. As it approached nearer, she knew that it was Philip playing upon his pipe and tabor. She distinguished the merry voices of her companions "carolling in honour of the May," and soon she saw them coming towards her father"s cottage, with branches and garlands in their hands. She opened quick, but gently, the latch of the door, and ran out to meet them.
"Here she is!--here"s Susan!" they exclaimed joyfully. "Here"s the Queen of the May." "And here"s her crown!" cried Rose, pressing forward; but Susan put her finger upon her lips, and pointed to her mother"s window.
Philip"s pipe stopped instantly.
"Thank you," said Susan, "my mother is ill; I can"t leave her, you know." Then gently putting aside the crown, her companions bid her say who should wear it for her.
"Will you, dear Rose?" said she, placing the garland upon her friend"s head. "It"s a charming May morning," added she, with a smile; "good-bye.
We shan"t hear your voices or the pipe when you have turned the corner into the village; so you need only stop till then, Philip."
"I shall stop for all day," said Philip; "I"ve no mind to play any more."
"Good-bye, poor Susan. It is a pity you can"t come with us," said all the children; and little Mary ran after Susan to the cottage door.
"I forgot to thank you," said she, "for the double cowslips; look how pretty they are, and smell how sweet the violets are in my bosom, and kiss me quick, for I shall be left behind." Susan kissed the little breathless girl, and returned softly to the side of her mother"s bed.
"How grateful that child is to me for a cowslip only! How can I be grateful enough to such a mother as this?" said Susan to herself, as she bent over her sleeping mother"s pale countenance.
Her mother"s unfinished knitting lay upon a table near the bed, and Susan sat down in her wicker arm-chair, and went on with the row, in the middle of which her hand stopped the preceding evening. "She taught me to knit, she taught me everything that I know," thought Susan, "and the best of all, she taught me to love her, to wish to be like her."
Her mother, when she awakened, felt much refreshed by her tranquil sleep, and observing that it was a delightful morning, said "that she had been dreaming she heard music; but that the drum frightened her, because she thought it was the signal for her husband to be carried away by a whole regiment of soldiers, who had pointed their bayonets at him.
But that was but a dream, Susan; I awoke, and knew it was a dream, and I then fell asleep, and have slept soundly ever since."
How painful it is to awake to the remembrance of misfortune. Gradually as this poor woman collected her scattered thoughts, she recalled the circ.u.mstances of the preceding evening. She was too certain that she had heard from her husband"s own lips the words, "_I must leave you in three days_"; and she wished that she could sleep again, and think it all a dream.
"But he"ll want, he"ll want a hundred things," said she, starting up. "I must get his linen ready for him. I"m afraid it"s very late. Susan, why did you let me lie so long?"
"Everything shall be ready, dear mother; only don"t hurry yourself,"
said Susan. And indeed her mother was ill able to bear any hurry, or to do any work this day. Susan"s affectionate, dexterous, sensible activity was never more wanted, or more effectual. She understood so readily, she obeyed so exactly; and when she was left to her own discretion, judged so prudently, that her mother had little trouble and no anxiety in directing her. She said that Susan never did too little, or too much.
Susan was mending her father"s linen, when Rose tapped softly at the window, and beckoned to her to come out. She went out. "How does your mother do, in the first place?" said Rose. "Better, thank you." "That"s well, and I have a little bit of good news for you besides--here," said she, pulling out a glove, in which there was money, "we"ll get the guinea-hen back again--we have all agreed about it. This is the money that has been given to us in the village this May morning. At every door they gave silver. See how generous they have been--twelve shillings, I a.s.sure you. Now we are a match for Miss Barbara. You won"t like to leave home; I"ll go to Barbara, and you shall see your guinea-hen in ten minutes."
Rose hurried away, pleased with her commission, and eager to accomplish her business. Miss Barbara"s maid, Betty, was the first person that was visible at the attorney"s house. Rose insisted upon seeing Miss Barbara herself, and she was shown into a parlour to the young lady, who was reading a dirty novel, which she put under a heap of law papers as they entered.
"Dear, how you _startled_ me! Is it only you?" said she to her maid; but as soon as she saw Rose behind the maid, she put on a scornful air.
"Could not ye say I was not at home, Betty? Well, my good girl, what brings you here? Something to borrow or beg, I suppose."
May every amba.s.sador--every amba.s.sador in as good a cause--answer with as much dignity and moderation as Rose replied to Barbara upon the present occasion. She a.s.sured her that the person from whom she came did not send her either to beg or borrow; that she was able to pay the full value of that for which she came to ask; and, producing her well-filled purse, "I believe that this is a very good shilling," said she. "If you don"t like it, I will change it, and now you will be so good as to give me Susan"s guinea-hen. It is in her name I ask for it."
"No matter in whose name you ask for it," replied Barbara, "you will not have it. Take up your shilling, if you please. I would have taken a shilling yesterday, if it had been paid at the time properly; but I told Susan, that if it was not paid then, I should keep the hen, and so I shall, I promise her. You may go back, and tell her so."
The attorney"s daughter had, whilst Rose opened her negotiation, measured the depth of her purse with a keen eye; and her penetration discovered that it contained at least ten shillings. With proper management she had some hopes that the guinea-hen might be made to bring in at least half the money.
Rose, who was of a warm temper, not quite so fit a match as she had thought herself for the wily Barbara, incautiously exclaimed, "Whatever it costs us, we are determined to have Susan"s favourite hen; so, if one shilling won"t do, take two; and if two won"t do, why, take three."
The shillings sounded provoking upon the table, as she threw them down one after another, and Barbara coolly replied, "Three won"t do." "Have you no conscience, Miss Barbara? Then take four." Barbara shook her head. A fifth shilling was instantly proffered; but Bab, who now saw plainly that she had the game in her own hands, preserved a cold, cruel silence. Rose went on rapidly, bidding shilling after shilling, till she had completely emptied her purse. The twelve shillings were spread upon the table. Barbara"s avarice was moved; she consented for this ransom to liberate her prisoner.
Rose pushed the money towards her; but just then, recollecting that she was acting for others more than for herself, and doubting whether she had full powers to conclude such an extravagant bargain, she gathered up the public treasure, and with newly-recovered prudence observed that she must go back to consult her friends. Her generous little friends were amazed at Barbara"s meanness, but with one accord declared that they were most willing, for their parts, to give up every farthing of the money. They all went to Susan in a body, and told her so. "There"s our purse," said they; "do what you please with it." They would not wait for one word of thanks, but ran away, leaving only Rose with her to settle the treaty for the guinea-hen.
There is a certain manner of accepting a favour, which shows true generosity of mind. Many know how to give, but few know how to accept a gift properly. Susan was touched, but not astonished, by the kindness of her young friends, and she received the purse with as much simplicity as she would have given it.
"Well," said Rose, "shall I go back for the guinea-hen?" "The guinea-hen!" said Susan, starting from a reverie into which she had fallen, as she contemplated the purse. "Certainly I _do_ long to see my pretty guinea-hen once more; but I was not thinking of her just then--I was thinking of my father."