Erema; Or, My Father's Sin

by R. D. Blackmore

  CHAPTER XXII

  BETSY BOWEN

  So far, then, there was nobody found to go into my case, and to thinkwith me, and to give me friendly countenance, with the exception ofFirm Gundry. And I feared that he tried to think with me because of hisfaithful and manly love, more than from balance of evidence. The Sawyer,of course, held my father guiltless, through his own fidelity and simpleways; but he could not enter into my set thought of a stern duty laidupon me, because to his mind the opinion of the world mattered nothingso long as a man did aright. For wisdom like this, if wisdom it is, Iwas a great deal too young and ardent; and to me fair fame was of almostequal value with clear conscience. And therefore, wise or foolish, richor poor, beloved or unloved, I must be listless about other things, andrestless in all, until I should establish truth and justice.

  However, I did my best to be neither ungrateful nor stupidly obstinate,and, beginning more and more to allow for honest though hatefulopinions, I yielded to dear Mrs. Hockin's wish that I should not doany thing out of keeping with English ideas and habits. In a word, Iaccepted the Major's kind offer to see me quite safe in good hands inLondon, or else bring me straightway back again. And I took only justthings enough for a day or two, meaning to come back by the end of theweek. And I kissed Mrs. Hockin just enough for that.

  It would not be a new thing for me to say that "we never know what isgoing to happen;" but, new or stale, it was true enough, as oldcommon sayings of common-sense (though spurned when not wanted) showthemselves. At first, indeed, it seemed as if I were come for nothing,at least as concerned what I thought the chief business of my journey.The Major had wished to go first to the bank, and appeared to thinknothing of any thing else; but I, on the other hand, did not want himthere, preferring to keep him out of my money matters, and so he wasobliged to let me have my way.

  I always am sorry when I have been perverse, and it seemed to serve meright for willfulness when no Betsy Bowen could be discovered either atthe place which we tried first, or that to which we were sent thence.Major Hockin looked at me till I could have cried, as much as to hintthat the whole of my story was all of a piece, all a wild-goose chase.And being more curious than ever now to go to the bank and ransack,he actually called out to the cabman to drive without delay to Messrs.Shovelin, Wayte, and Shovelin. But I begged him to allow me just oneminute while I spoke to the servant-maid alone. Then I showed her asovereign, at which she opened her mouth in more ways than one, for shetold me that "though she had faithfully promised to say nothing aboutit, because of a dreadful quarrel between her mistress and Mrs. Stroussthat was now, and a jealousy between them that was quite beyondbelief, she could not refuse such a nice young lady, if I wouldpromise faithfully not to tell." This promise I gave with fidelity, andreturning to the cabman, directed him to drive not to Messrs. Shovelin,Wayte, and Shovelin just yet, but to No. 17 European Square, St.Katharine's.

  From a maze of streets and rugged corners, and ins and outs nearlyas crooked as those of a narrow human nature, we turned at last intoEuropean Square, which was no square at all, but an oblong openingpitched with rough granite, and distinguished with a pump. There weregreat thoroughfares within a hundred yards, but the place itself seemedunnaturally quiet upon turning suddenly into it, only murmurous withdistant London din, as the spires of a shell hold the heavings of thesea. After driving three or four times round the pump, for the houseswere numbered anyhow, we found No. 17, and I jumped out.

  "Now don't be in such a fierce hurry, Miss Wood," cried the Major, whowas now a little crusty; "English ladies allow themselves to be handedout, without hurrying the gentlemen who have the honor."

  "But I wanted to save you the honor," I said. "I will come backimmediately, if you will kindly wait." And with this I ran up the oldsteps, and rang and knocked, while several bearded faces came and gazedthrough dingy windows.

  "Can I see Mrs. Strouss?" I asked, when a queer old man in faded brownlivery came to the door with a candle in his hand, though the sun wasshining.

  "I am the Meesther Strouss; when you see me, you behold the good MeesesStrouss also."

  "Thank you, but that will not do," I replied; "my business is with Mrs.Strouss alone."

  He did not seem to like this at first sight, but politely put thechain-bolt on the door while he retired to take advice; and the Majorlooked out of the cab and laughed.

  "You had better come back while you can," he said, "though they seem inno hurry to swallow you."

  This was intended to vex me, and I did not even turn my head to him. Thehouse looked very respectable, and there were railings to the area.

  "The house is very respectable," continued Major Hockin, who alwaysseemed to know what I was thinking of, and now in his quick manner ranup the steps; "just look, the scraper is clean. You never see that, orat least not often, except with respectable people, Erema."

  "Pray what would my scraper be? and who is Erema?" cried a strong, clearvoice, as the chain of the door was set free, and a stout, tall womanwith a flush in her cheeks confronted us. "I never knew more than oneErema--Good mercy!"

  My eyes met hers, and she turned as pale as death, and fell back intoa lobby chair. She knew me by my likeness to my father, falling onthe memories started by my name; and strong as she was, the surpriseovercame her, at the sound of which up rushed the small Herr Strouss.

  "Vhat are you doing dere, all of you? vhat have you enterprised with myfrau? Explain, Vilhelmina, or I call de policemans, vhat I should say depeelers."

  "Stop!" cried the Major, and he stopped at once, not for the word, whichwould have had no power, although I knew nothing about it then, butbecause he had received a sign which assured him that here was a brotherMason. In a moment the infuriated husband vanished into the rational anddocile brother.

  "Ladies and gentlemans, valk in, if you please," he said, to my greatastonishment; "Vilhelmina and my good self make you velcome to our poorhouse. Vilhelmina, arise and say so."

  "Go to the back kitchen, Hans," replied Wilhelmina, whose name was"Betsy," "and don't come out until I tell you. You will find work to dothere, and remember to pump up. I wish to hear things that you are notto hear, mind you. Shut yourself in, and if you soap the door to deceiveme, I shall know it."

  "Vere goot, vere goot," said the philosophical German; "I never meddlewith nothing, Vilhelmina, no more than vhat I do for de money and dehouse."

  Betsy, however, was not quite so sure of that. With no more ceremony shelocked him in, and then came back to us, who could not make things out.

  "My husband is the bravest of the brave," she told us, while she putdown his key on the table; "and a nobler man never lived; I am sureof that. But every one of them foreigners--excuse me, Sir, you are anEnglishman?"

  "I am," replied the Major, pulling up his little whiskers; "I am so,madam, and nothing you can say will in any way hurt my feelings. I amabove nationalities."

  "Just so, Sir. Then you will feel with me when I say that theyforeigners is dreadful. Oh, the day that I ever married one of 'em--butthere, I ought to be ashamed of myself, and my lord's daughter facingme."

  "Do you know me?" I asked, with hot color in my face, and my eyes, Idare say, glistening. "Are you sure that you know me? And then please totell me how."

  As I spoke I was taking off the close silk bonnet which I had worn fortravelling, and my hair, having caught in a pin, fell round me, andbefore I could put it up, or even think of it, I lay in the great armsof Betsy Bowen, as I used to lie when I was a little baby, and when myfather was in his own land, with a home and wife and seven little ones.And to think of this made me keep her company in crying, and it was sometime before we did any thing else.

  "Well, well," replied the Major, who detested scenes, except when he hadmade them; "I shall be off. You are in good hands; and the cabman pulledout his watch when we stopped. So did I. But he is sure to beat me. Theydraw the minute hand on with a magnet, I am told, while the watch hangson their badge, and they can swear they never opened it. Wonderfu
l age,very wonderful age, since the time when you and I were young, ma'am."

  "Yes, Sir; to be sure, Sir!" Mrs. Strouss replied, as she wiped her eyesto speak of things; "but the most wonderfulest of all things, don't youthink, is the going of the time, Sir? No cabby can make it go fasterwhile he waits, or slower while he is a-driving, than the minds insideof us manage it. Why, Sir, it wore only like yesterday that this heretall, elegant, royal young lady was a-lying on my breast, and what ahand she was to kick! And I said that her hair was sure to grow likethis. If I was to tell you only half what comes across me--"

  "If you did, ma'am, the cabman would make his fortune, and I should losemine, which is more than I can afford. Erema, after dinner I shall lookyou up. I know a good woman when I see her, Mrs. Strouss, which does nothappen every day. I can trust Miss Castlewood with you. Good-by, good-byfor the present."

  It was the first time he had ever called me by my proper name, and thatmade me all the more pleased with it.

  "You see, Sir, why I were obliged to lock him in," cried the "goodwoman," following to the door, to clear every blur from her virtues;"for his own sake I done it, for I felt my cry a-coming, and to seeme cry--Lord bless you, the effect upon him is to call out for awalking-stick and a pint of beer."

  "All right, ma'am, all right!" the Major answered, in a tone whichappeared to me unfeeling. "Cabman, are you asleep there? Bring thelady's bag this moment."

  As the cab disappeared without my even knowing where to find that goodprotector again in this vast maze of millions, I could not help lettinga little cold fear encroach on the warmth of my outburst. I had heardso much in America of the dark, subtle places of London, and the wickedthings that happen all along the Thames, discovered or invented by greatwriters of their own, that the neighborhood of the docks and the thoughtof rats (to which I could never grow accustomed) made me look with aflash perhaps of doubt at my new old friend.

  "You are not sure of me, Miss Erema," said Mrs. Strouss, without takingoffense. "After all that has happened, who can blame it on you? But yourfather was not so suspicious, miss. It might have been better for him ifhe had--according, leastways, to my belief, which a team of wild horseswill never drag out."

  "Oh, only let me hear you talk of that!" I exclaimed, forgetting allother things. "You know more about it than any body I have ever metwith, except my own father, who would never tell a word."

  "And quite right he was, miss, according to his views. But come to mylittle room, unless you are afraid. I can tell you some things that yourfather never knew."

  "Afraid! do you think I am a baby still? But I can not bear that Mr.Strouss should be locked up on my account."

  "Then he shall come out," said Mrs. Strouss, looking at me verypleasantly. "That was just like your father, Miss Erema. But I fallinto the foreign ways, being so much with the foreigners." Whethershe thought it the custom among "foreigners" for wives to lock theirhusbands in back kitchens was more than she ever took the trouble toexplain. But she walked away, in her stout, firm manner, and presentlyreturned with Mr. Strouss, who seemed to be quite contented, and made mea bow with a very placid smile.

  "He is harmless; his ideas are most grand and good," his wife explainedto me, with a nod at him. "But I could not have you in with thegentleman, Hans. He always makes mistakes with the gentlemen, miss, butwith the ladies he behaves quite well."

  "Yes, yes, with the ladies I am nearly always goot," Herr Stroussreplied, with diffidence. "The ladies comprehend me right, all right,because I am so habitual with my wife. But the gentlemans in London haveno comprehension of me."

  "Then the loss is on their side," I answered, with a smile; and he said,"Yes, yes, they lose vere much by me."