CHAPTER XV.
"When God wills, all winds bring rain."--Ancient Proverb.
The manager had not submitted to the loss of his property in Sophy and
L100 without taking much vain trouble to recover the one or the other.
He had visited Jasper while that gentleman lodged in St. James's; but the
moment he hinted at the return of the L100, Mr. Losely opened both door
and window, and requested the manager to make his immediate choice of the
two. Taking the more usual mode of exit, Mr. Rugge vented his just
indignation in a lawyer's letter, threatening Mr. Losely with an action
for conspiracy and fraud. He had also more than once visited Mrs. Crane,
who somewhat soothed him by allowing that he had been very badly used,
that he ought at least to be repaid his money, and promising to do her
best to persuade Mr. Losely "to behave like a gentleman." With regard to
Sophy herself, Mrs. Crane appeared to feel a profound indifference. In
fact, the hatred which Mrs. Crane had unquestionably conceived for Sophy
while under her charge was much diminished by Losely's unnatural conduct
towards the child. To her it was probably a matter of no interest
whether Sophy was in Rugge's hands or Waife's; enough for her that the
daughter of a woman against whose memory her fiercest passions were
enlisted was, in either case, so far below herself in the grades of the
social ladder.
Perhaps of the two protectors for Sophy, Rugge and Waife, her spite alone
would have given the preference to Waife. He was on a still lower step
of the ladder than the itinerant manager. Nor, though she had so
mortally injured the forlorn cripple in the eyes of Mr. Hartopp, had
she any deliberate purpose of revenge to gratify against him! On the
contrary, if she viewed him with contempt, it was a contempt not unmixed
with pity. It was necessary to make to the Mayor the communications she
had made, or that worthy magistrate would not have surrendered the child
intrusted to him, at least until Waife's return. And really it was a
kindness to the old man to save him both from an agonizing scene with
Jasper, and from the more public opprobrium which any resistance on his
part to Jasper's authority or any altercation between the two would
occasion. And as her main object then was to secure Losely's allegiance
to her, by proving her power to be useful to him, so Waifes and Sophys
and Mayors and Managers were to her but as pawns to be moved and
sacrificed, according to the leading strategy of her game.
Rugge came now, agitated and breathless, to inform Mrs. Crane that Waife
had been seen in London. Mr. Rugge's clown had seen him, not far from
the Tower; but the cripple had disappeared before the clown, who was on
the top of an omnibus, had time to descend. "And even if he had actually
caught hold of Mr. Waife," observed Mrs. Crane, "what then? You have no
claim on Mr. Waife."
"But the Phenomenon must be with that ravishing marauder," said Rugge.
"However, I have set a minister of justice--that is, ma'am, a detective
police--at work; and what I now ask of you is simply this: should it be
necessary for Mr. Losely to appear with me before the senate--that is to
say, ma'am, a metropolitan police-court--in order to prove my legal
property in my own bought and paid for Phenomenon, will you induce that
bold bad man not again to return the poisoned chalice to my lips?"
"I do not even know where Mr. Losely is; perhaps not in London."
"Ma'am, I saw him last night at the theatre,--Princess's. I was in the
shilling gallery. He who owes me L100, ma'am,--he in a private box!"
"Ah! you are sure; by himself?"
"With a lady, ma'am,--a lady in a shawl from Ingee. I know them shawls.
My father taught me to know them in early childhood, for he was an
ornament to British commerce,--a broker, ma'am,--pawn! And," continued
Rugge, with a withering smile, "that man in a private box, which at the
Princess's costs two pounds two, and with the spoils of Ingee by his
side, lifted his eyeglass and beheld me,--me in the shilling gallery!
and his conscience did not say, 'Should we not change places if I paid
that gentleman L100?' Can such things be, and overcome us, ma'am, like a
summer cloud, without our special--I put it to you, ma'am--wonder?"
"Oh, with a lady, was he?" exclaimed Arabella Crane, her wrath, which,
while the manager spoke, gathered fast and full, bursting now into words.
"His ladies shall know the man who sells his own child for a show; only
find out where the girl is, then come here again before you stir further.
Oh, with a lady! Go to your detective policeman, or rather send him to
me; we will first discover Mr. Losely's address. I will pay all the
expenses. Rely on my zeal, Mr. Rugge."
Much comforted, the manager went his way. He had not been long gone
before Jasper himself appeared. The traitor entered with a more than
customary bravado of manner, as if he apprehended a scolding, and was
prepared to face it; but Mrs. Crane neither reproached him for his
prolonged absence, nor expressed surprise at his return. With true
feminine duplicity, she received him as if nothing had happened. Jasper,
thus relieved, became of his own accord apologetic and explanatory;
evidently he wanted something of Mrs. Crane. "The fact is, my dear
friend," said he, sinking into a chair, "that the day after I last saw
you I happened to go to the General Post Office to see if there were any
letters for me. You smile: you don't believe me. Honour bright, here
they are;" and Jasper took from the side pocket of his coat a pocket-
book, a new pocket-book, a brilliant pocket-book, fragrant Russian
leather, delicately embossed, golden clasps, silken linings, jewelled
pencil-case, malachite pen-knife,--an arsenal of knickknacks stored in
neat recesses; such a pocket-book as no man ever gives to himself.
Sardanapalus would not have given that pocket-book to himself! Such a
pocket-book never comes to you, O enviable Lotharios, save as tributary
keepsakes from the charmers who adore you! Grimly the Adopted Mother
eyed that pocket-book. Never had she seen it before. Grimly she pinched
her lips. Out of this dainty volume--which would have been of cumbrous
size to a slim thread-paper exquisite, but scarcely bulged into ripple
the Atlantic expanse of Jasper Losely's magnificent chest--the monster
drew forth two letters on French paper,--foreign post-marks. He replaced
them quickly, only suffering her eye to glance at the address, and
continued, "Fancy! that purse-proud Grand Turk of an infidel, though he
would not believe me, has been to France,--yes, actually to ----- making
inquiries evidently with reference to Sophy. The woman who ought to have
thoroughly converted him took flight, however, and missed seeing him.
Confound her!"
"I ought to have been there. So I have no doubt for the present the Pagan
remains stubborn. Gone on into Italy I hear; doing me, violating the
laws of Nature, and roving about the world, with his own solitary hands
in his bottomless pockets,--like the wandering Jew! But, as some slight
set-off in my run of ill-luck, I find at the post-office a pleasanter
letter than the one which brings me this news. A rich elderly lady, who
has no family, wants to adopt a nice child; will take Sophy,--make it
worth my while to let her have Sophy. 'T is convenient in a thousand
ways to settle one's child comfortably in a rich house; establishes
rights, subject, of course, to cheques which would not affront me,--a
father! But the first thing requisite is to catch Sophy: 't is in that I
ask your help; you are so clever. Best of creatures! what could I do
without you? As you say, whenever I want a friend I come to you,--
Bella!"
Mrs. Crane surveyed Jasper's face deliberately. It is strange how much
more readily women read the thoughts of men than men detect those of
women. "You know where the child is," said she, slowly.
"Well, I take it for granted she is with the old man; and I have seen
him,--seen him yesterday."
"Go on; you saw him,--where?"
"Near London Bridge."
"What business could you possibly have in that direction? Ah! I guess,
the railway station to Dover: you are going abroad?"
"No such thing; you are so horribly suspicious. But it is true I had
been to the station inquiring after some luggage or parcels which a
friend of mine had ordered to be left there; now, don't interrupt me.
At the foot of the bridge I caught a sudden glimpse of the old man,--
changed, altered, aged, one eye lost. You had said I should not know him
again, but I did; I should never have recognized his face. I knew him by
the build of the shoulder, a certain turn of the arms, I don't know what;
one knows a man familiar to one from birth without seeing his face. Oh,
Bella; I declare that I felt as soft,--as soft as the silliest muff who
ever--" Jasper did not complete his comparison, but paused a moment,
breathing hard, and then broke into another sentence. "He was selling
something in a basket,--matches, boot-straps, deuce knows what. He! a
clever man too! I should have liked to drop into that d----d basket all
the money I had about me."
"Why did not you?"
"Why? How could I? He would have recognized me. There would have been
a scene,--a row, a flare up, a mob round us, I dare say. I had no idea
it would so upset me; to see him selling matches too; glad we did not
meet at Gatesboro'. Not even for that L100 do I think I could have faced
him. No; as he said when we last parted, 'The world is wide enough for
both.' Give me some brandy; thank you."
"You did not speak to the old man; he did not see you: but you wanted to
get back the child; you felt sure she must be with him; you followed him
home?"
"I? No; I should have had to wait for hours. A man like me, loitering
about London Bridge! I should have been too conspicuous; he would have
soon caught sight of me, though I kept on his blind side. I employed a
ragged boy to watch and follow him, and here is the address. Now, will
you get Sophy back for me without any trouble to me, without my
appearing? I would rather charge a regiment of horse-guards than bully
that old man."
"Yet you would rob him of the child,--his sole comfort?"
"Bother!" cried Losely, impatiently; "the child can be only a burden to
him; well out of his way; 't is for the sake of that child he is selling
matches! It would be the greatest charity we could do him to set him
free from that child sponging on him, dragging him down; without her he'd
find a way to shift for himself. Why, he's even cleverer than I am! And
there--there; give him this money, but don't say it came from me."
He thrust, without counting, several sovereigns--at least twelve or
fourteen--into Mrs. Crane's palm; and so powerful a charm has goodness
the very least, even in natures the most evil, that that unusual,
eccentric, inconsistent gleam of human pity in Jasper Losely's benighted
soul shed its relenting influence over the angry, wrathful, and
vindictive feelings with which Mrs. Crane the moment before regarded the
perfidious miscreant; and she gazed at him with a sort of melancholy
wonder. What! though so little sympathizing with affection that he could
not comprehend that he was about to rob the old man of a comfort which no
gold could repay; what though so contemptuously callous to his own
child,--yet there in her hand lay the unmistakable token that a something
of humanity, compunction, compassion, still lingered in the breast of the
greedy cynic; and at that thought all that was softest in her own human
nature moved towards him, indulgent, gentle. But in the rapid changes of
the heart feminine, the very sentiment that touched upon love brought
back the jealousy that bordered upon hate. How came he by so much money?
more than days ago he, the insatiate spendthrift, had received for his
task-work? And that POCKETBOOK!
"You have suddenly grown rich, Jasper."
For a moment he looked confused, but replied as he rehelped himself to
the brandy, "Yes, rouge-et-noir,--luck. Now, do go and see after this
affair, that's a dear good woman. Get the child to-day if you can; I
will call here in the evening."
"Should you take her, then, abroad at once to this worthy lady who will
adopt her? If so, we shall meet, I suppose, no, more; and I am assisting
you to forget that I live still."
"Abroad,--that crotchet of yours again! You are quite mistaken; in fact,
the lady is in London. It was for her effects that I went to the
station. Oh, don't be jealous; quite elderly."
"Jealous, my dear Jasper! you forget. I am as your mother. One of your
letters, then, announced this lady's intended arrival; you were in
correspondence with this--elderly lady."
"Why, not exactly in correspondence. But when I left Paris I gave the
General Post Office as my address to a few friends in France. And this
lady, who took an interest in my affairs (ladies, whether old or young,
who have once known me, always do), was aware that I had expectations
with respect to the child. So some days ago, when I was so badly off,
I wrote a line to tell her that Sophy had been no go, and that, but for a
dear friend (that is you), I might be on the pave. In her answer, she
said she should be in London as soon as I received her letter; and gave
me an address here at which to learn where to find her when arrived,--
a good old soul, but strange to London. I have been very busy, helping
her to find a house, recommending tradesmen, and so forth. She likes
style, and can afford it. A pleasant house enough, but our quiet
evenings here spoil me for anything else. Now get on your bonnet, and
let me see you off."
"On one condition, my dear Jasper,--that you stay here till I return."
Jasper made a wry face. But, as it was near dinner-time and he never
wanted for appetite, he at length agreed to employ the interval of her
absence in discussing a meal, which experience had told him Mrs. Crane's
new cook would, not unskilfully, though hastily, prepare. Mrs. Crane
left him to order the dinner, and put on her shawl and bonnet. But,
gaining her own room, she rang for Bridget Greggs, and when that
confidential servant appeared, she said, "In the side pocket of Mr.
Losely's coat there is a POCKET-BOOK; in it there are some letters which
I must see. I shall appear to go out; leave the street-door ajar, that I
may slip in again unobserved. You will serve dinner as soon as possible.
And when Mr. Losely, as usual, exchanges his coat for the dressing-gown,
contrive to take out that pocket-book unobserved by him. Bring it to me
here, in this room: you can as easily replace it afterwards. A moment
will suffice to my purpose."
Bridget nodded, and understood. Jasper, standing by the window, saw Mrs.
Crane leave the house, walking briskly. He then threw himself on the
sofa, and began to doze: the doze deepened, and became sleep. Bridget,
entering to lay the cloth, so found him. She approached on tiptoe,
sniffed the perfume of the pocket-book, saw its gilded corners peep
forth from its lair. She hesitated; she trembled; she was in mortal fear
of that truculent slumberer; but sleep lessens the awe thieves feel or
heroes inspire. She has taken the pocketbook; she has fled with the
booty; she is in Mrs. Crane's apartment not five minutes after Mrs. Crane
has regained its threshold.
Rapidly the jealous woman ransacked the pocket-book; started to see,
elegantly worked with gold threads, in the lining, the words, "SOUVIENS
TOI DE TA GABRIELLE;" no other letters, save the two, of which Jasper had
vouchsafed to her but the glimpse. Over these she hurried her glittering
eyes; and when she restored them to their place, and gave back the book
to Bridget, who stood by breathless and listening, lest Jasper should
awake, her face was colourless, and a kind of shudder seemed to come over
her. Left alone, she rested her face on, her hand, her lips moving as if
in self-commune. Then noiselessly she glided down the stairs, regained
the street, and hurried fast upon her way.
Bridget was not in time to restore the book to Jasper's pocket, for when
she re-entered he was turning round and stretching himself between sleep
and waking. But she dropped the book skilfully on the floor, close
beside the sofa: it would seem to him, on waking, to have fallen out of
the pocket in the natural movements of sleep.
And, in fact, when he rose, dinner now on the table, he picked up the
pocket-book without suspicion. But it was lucky that Bridget had not
waited for the opportunity suggested by her mistress. For when Jasper
put on the dressing-gown, he observed that his coat wanted brushing; and,
in giving it to the servant for that purpose, he used the precaution of
taking out the pocket-book, and placing it in some other receptacle of
his dress.
Mrs. Crane returned in less than two hours,--returned with a disappointed
look, which at once prepared Jasper for the intelligence that the birds
to be entrapped had flown.
"They went away this afternoon," said Mrs. Crane, tossing Jasper's
sovereigns on the table as if they burned her fingers. "But leave the
fugitives to me. I will find them."
Jasper relieved his angry mind by a series of guilty but meaningless
expletives; and then, seeing no further use to which Mrs. Crane's wish
could be applied at present, finished the remainder of her brandy, and
wished her good-night, with a promise to call again, but without any
intimation of his own address. As soon as he was gone, Mrs. Crane once
more summoned Bridget.
"You told me last week that your brother-in-law, Simpson, wished to go to
America, that he had the offer of employment there, but that he could not
afford the fare of the voyage. I promised I would help him if it was a
service to you."
"You are a hangel, miss!" exclaimed Bridget, dropping a low courtesy,
--so low that it seemed as if she was going on her knees. "And may you
have your deserts in the next blessed world, where there are no black-
hearted villings."
"Enough, enough," said Mrs. Crane, recoiling perhaps from that grateful
benediction. "You have been faithful to me, as none else have ever been;
but this time I do not serve you in return so much as I meant to do. The
service is reciprocal, if your brother-in-law will do me a favour. He
takes with him his daughter, a mere child. Bridget, let them enter their
names on the steam-vessel as William and Sophy Waife; they can, of
course, resume their own name when the voyage is over. There is the fare
for them, and something more. Pooh, no thanks. I can spare the money.
See your brother-in-law the first thing in the morning; and remember that
they go by the next vessel, which sails from Liverpool on Thursday."
