The Man in Black: An Historical Novel of the Days of Queen Anne

by G. P. R. James

  CHAPTER XLIX.

  I must now follow the groom on his road, first to the cottage of goodJenny Best, where he learned that Mr. Atkinson had gone away some fiveminutes before, and then to the house of the neighboring farm, wherehe found the person he sought still seated on his horse, but talkingto the tenant at the door.

  "Here, Mr. Atkinson," cried the groom as he came up; "here's a notefor you from Mr. Short the surgeon--a sort of warrant, I believe; forhe's a justice of the peace, you know, as well as a surgeon. Read itquick, Mr. Atkinson, read it quick; for it won't keep hot long; and ifthat woman isn't caught I think I'll hang myself."

  "Bring us a light, farmer," said Mr. Atkinson, "quickly. What is allthis about, John?"

  "Why, Madam Hazleton has poisoned my lady, and she's as dead as a doornail," said the groom, "that's all; and bad enough too. Zounds, Ithought she'd do some mischief; she was always so hard upon herhorses."

  "Good heaven!" exclaimed Mr. Atkinson, "you do not mean to say thatshe has certainly poisoned Lady Hastings?"

  "Why, Mr. Short believes it, and every one believes it," answered thegroom.

  Mr. Atkinson might have endeavored to reduce the number comprised inthe term "every body" to its just proportions; but before he could doso, the farmer returned with a light shaded from the wind by his hat;and the good high constable of Hartwell, bending over his saddle, readhurriedly Mr. Short's brief note.

  "What's the matter? what's the matter?" cried the farmer; and greatwas his surprise and consternation to hear that Lady Hastings wasdead, and that strong suspicion existed of her having been poisoned byMrs. Hazleton. There is a stern, dogged love of justice, however, inthe English peasant, which rises into energy and excitement; and thefarmer was instantly heard calling for his horse.

  "Zounds, I'll ride with you, Atkinson," he said. "This great dame hasgot so many servants, she may think fit to set the law at defiance;but she must be taught that high people cannot poison other people anymore than low ones. But you go on; you go on. I'll catch you up,perhaps. If not, I'll come in time, don't you be afraid."

  "I'm going along too," said the groom, "and two others are coming; soif her tall men show fight, I think we'll leather their jackets."

  Away they went as fast as they could go, and to say truth, Mr.Atkinson was not at all sorry to have some assistance; for withoutever committing any one act which could be characterized as criminal,unjust, or wrong, within the knowledge of her neighbors, Mrs.Hazleton had somehow impressed the minds of all who surrounded herwith the conviction, that hers was a most daring and remorselessnature. The general world received their impression of hercharacter--and often a false one, be it good or evil--by her greaterand more important actions: the little circle that surrounds us formsa slower but more certain judgment from minute but often repeatedtraits.

  On rode Mr. Atkinson and the groom, as fast as their horses couldcarry them. Wherever there was turf by the road-side they galloped;and at the rate of progression made by carriages in that day, theymade sure they must be gaining very rapidly upon the object of theirpursuit. When first they set out it was very dark; but at the end oftwenty minutes, in which period they had ridden somewhat more thanfour miles, the edge of the moon began to appear above the horizon,and her light showed them well nigh another mile on the road beforethem. Still no carriage was in sight, and the groom exclaimed, "Dangit, Mr. Atkinson, we must spur on, or she will get home before wecatch her."

  It is impossible to run after any thing without feeling some of theeagerness of the foxhound, and, it is not to be denied that Mr.Atkinson shared in some degree in the impetuous spirit of the chasewith the groom. He said nothing about it, indeed; but he made hisspurs mark his horse's sides, and on they went up the opposite slopeat a quicker pace than ever. From the top was a very considerabledescent into the bottom of the valley; in which Hartwell is situated;but the moon had not yet risen high enough to illuminate more thanhalf the scene, and darkness, doubly dark, seemed to have gatheredover the low grounds beneath the eyes of the two horsemen.

  Mr. Atkinson thought he perceived some large object below, moving ontowards Hartwell; but he could not be sure of it till he had descendedsome way down the hill, when the carriage of Mrs. Hazleton, mounting alittle rise into the moonlight, became plainly visible to the eye. Thegroom took off his cap and waved it, saying, "Tally ho!" but neitherhe nor his companion paused in their rapid course, but went thunderingdown at the risk of their necks, and of their horses' knees. Thecarriage moved slowly; the pursuers went very fast: and at the end ofabout four minutes they had reached and passed the two mountedmen-servants, who, as customary in those days, rode behind thevehicle. Robberies on the highway were by no means uncommon; so thatit was the custom for the attendants upon a carriage to travel armed,and Mrs. Hazleton's two men instantly laid their hands upon theholsters of their pistols, when those too rapid riders passed them atsuch a furious pace. Mr. Atkinson, however, was not a man to be easilyfrightened from any thing he undertook, and wheeling his horse sharplywhen in a little advance of the coachman, he exclaimed, "In the King'sname I command you to stop. I am James Atkinson, high constable ofHartwell. You know me, sir; and I command you in the King's name tostop!"

  "Why, Master Atkinson, what is all this about?" cried the coachman."There is nobody but Mrs. Hazleton here. Don't you know the carriage?"

  "Quite well," replied Mr. Atkinson; "but you hear what I say, and willdisobey at your peril. John, ride round to the other side, while Ispeak to the lady here."

  Now Mrs. Hazleton had heard the whole of this conversation, and hadthere been sufficient light, Mr. Atkinson, whose eye was turnedtowards where she sat, would have seen her turn deadly pale. It mightnaturally be supposed that in any ordinary circumstances she wouldhave directed her first attention to the side from which the soundsproceeded; but so far from that being the case, she instantly put herhand in her pocket, and was almost in the act of throwing somethinginto the road, when John the groom presented himself at the window,and she stopped suddenly.

  "What is it, Mr. Atkinson?" she exclaimed, turning to the otherwindow, and speaking in a tone of high indignation. "Why do youpresume to stop my carriage on the King's highway?"

  "Because I am ordered, Madam, by lawful authority, so to do." repliedMr. Atkinson. "I am sorry, Madam, to tell you that you must consideryourself as a prisoner."

  Mrs. Hazleton would fain have asked upon what charge; but she did notdare, and for a moment strength and courage failed her. It was but fora moment, however, and in the next she exclaimed in a loud and moreimperious tone than ever, "This is a pretence for robbery or insult.Drive on, coachman. Mathew--Rogerson--clear the way!"

  She reckoned wrongly, however, if she counted upon any great zeal inher servants. The two men hesitated; for the King's name was a towerof strength which they did not at all like to assail. Their mistressrepeated her order in an angry tone, and one of them, with habitualdeference to her commands, went so far as to cock the pistol which henow held in his hand; but at that moment the adverse party received anaccession of strength which rendered all assistance hopeless. Theother two servants of Sir Philip Hastings came down the hill at fullspeed, and a gentleman, followed by a servant, rode up from the sideof Hartwell, and addressed Mr. Atkinson by his name.

  "Ah, Mr. Marlow!" said Mr. Atkinson. "You come at a very melancholymoment, sir, and to witness a very unpleasant scene; but,nevertheless; I must require your assistance, sir, as this lady seemsinclined to resist the law."

  "What is the matter?" asked Marlow. "I hope there is no mistake here.If I see rightly this is Mrs. Hazleton's carriage. What is she chargedwith?"

  "Murder, sir," replied. Mr. Atkinson, who had been a little irritatedby the lady's resistance, and spoke more plainly than he mightotherwise have done. "The murder of Lady Hastings by poison."

  It was spoken. She heard the words clearly and distinctly. Shehad been detected. Some small oversight--some accidentalcircumstance--some precaution forgotten--some accidental word, orgestu
re, had betrayed the dark secret, revealed the terrible crime. Itwas all known to men, as well as to God, and Mrs. Hazleton sunk backin the carriage overpowered by the agony of detection.

  "Oh, ho; here come the other men," said Mr. Atkinson, as the twoservants of Sir Philip Hastings rode up. "Now, coachman, drive on tillI tell you to stop. You, John, keep close to the other window, andwatch it well. I will take care of this one. The others come behind.Mr. Marlow, you had perhaps better ride with us for half a mile or so;for I must stop at the house of Widow Warmington, as I have orders tomake a strict search."

  "Oh, take me to my own house--take me to my own house," said Mrs.Hazleton, in a faint tone.

  "I dare not venture to do that, Madam," said Mr. Atkinson; "for we arenearly three miles distant, and accidents might happen by the waywhich would defeat the ends of justice. I must have a full search madeat the very first place where I can procure lights. That will be atMrs. Warmington's; but she is a friend of your own, Madam, and youwill be received there with all kindness."

  Mrs. Hazleton did not reply; and the carriage drove on, Mr. Atkinsonkeeping a keen watch upon one window, and the groom riding close tothe other.

  A few minutes brought them to the house of the shrewd widow, and thebell was rung sharply by one of the servants. A woman servant appearedin answer to the summons, and without asking whether her mistress wasat home, or not, Atkinson took the candle from her hand, saying, "Lendme the light for a moment. I wish to light Mrs. Hazleton into thehouse. Now, Madam, will you please to descend.--John, dismount, andcome round here; assist Mrs. Hazleton to alight, and come with us onher other side."

  Mrs. Hazleton saw that she could not double or turn there. Shewithdrew her hand from her pocket where she had hitherto held it,resumed her forgotten air of dignity, and though, to say the truth,she would rather have met her "dearest foe in heaven," than haveentered that house so escorted, she walked with a firm step anddauntless eye, with the high constable on one side, and groom on theother.

  "They shall not see me quail," she said to herself. "They shall notsee me quail. I know the worst, and I can meet it--I have had myrevenge."

  In the mean time, the maid had run in haste to tell her mistress themarvels of the scene she had just witnessed, and Mrs. Warmington hadgathered enough, without divining the whole, to rejoice her withanticipated triumph. The arrest of Shanks the attorney on a charge ofconspiracy and forgery, had set going the hundred tongues of Rumor,few of which had spared the name of Mrs. Hazleton; and Mrs.Warmington, at the worst, suspected that her dear friend wasimplicated in the guilt of the attorney. That, however, was sufficientto give the widow considerable satisfaction, for she had not forgotteneither some coldness and neglect with which Mrs. Hazleton had treatedher for some time, or her impatient and insolent conduct that morning;and though upon the strength of her plumpness, and easy manners,people looked upon Mrs. Warmington as a very good natured person, yetfat people can be very vindictive sometimes.

  "Good gracious me, my dear, what is the matter?" exclaimed Mrs.Warmington, as the prisoner was brought in, while Mr. Atkinson, in aspeaking to those behind, exclaimed, "Let no one touch or approach thecarriage till I return."

  Mrs. Hazleton made no answer to her dear friend's questions, and thehigh constable, taking a little step forward, said, "I beg pardon,Mrs. Warmington, for intruding into your house; but I have beenordered to apprehend this lady, and to have her person and hercarriage strictly searched, without giving the opportunity for theconcealment or destruction of any thing. It seems to me that Mrs.Hazleton has something bulky in that left hand pocket. As I do notlike to put my hand rudely upon a lady, may I ask you, Madam, to letme see what that pocket contains?"

  Without the slightest hesitation, but with a good deal of curiosity,Mrs. Warmington advanced at once and took hold of the rich silkbrocade of the prisoner's gown.

  "Out, woman!" cried Mrs. Hazleton, with the fire flashing from hereyes; and she struck her.

  But Mrs. Warmington did not quit her hold or her purpose. "Goodgracious, what a termagant!" she exclaimed, and at once thrust herright hand into the pocket, and drew forth the vial which had beensent by the surgeon to Lady Hastings.

  "Dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Warmington. "Why, this is the very bottle Isaw you mixing stuff in this morning, when you seemed so angry andvexed at my coming into the still-room.--No, it isn't the same either;but it was one very like this, only darker in the the color."

  "Ha!" said Mr. Atkinson. "Madam, will you have the goodness to put amark upon that bottle by which you can know it again?--Scratch it witha diamond or something."

  "Oh, poor I have no diamonds," said Mrs. Warmington. "My dear, willyou lend me that ring?"

  Mrs. Hazleton gave her a withering glance, but made no reply; andMarlow pointed to two peculiar spots in the glass of the bottle,saying, "By those marks it will be known, so that it cannot bemistaken." His words were addressed to Mr. Atkinson; for he feltdisgusted and sickened by the heartless and insulting tone of Mrs.Warmington towards her former friend.

  At the sound of his voice--for she had not yet looked at him--Mrs.Hazleton started and looked round. It is not possible to tell thefeelings which affected her heart at that moment, or to picture withthe pen the varied expressions, all terrible, which swept over herbeautiful countenance like a storm. She remembered how she had lovedhim. Perhaps at that moment she knew for the first time how much shehad loved him. She felt too, how strongly love and hate had beenmingled together by the fiery alchemy of disappointment, as veins ofincongruous metals have been mixed by the great convulsions of theearly earth. She felt too, at that moment, that it was this love andthis hate which had been the cause of her deepest crimes, and alltheir consequences--the awful situation in which she there stood, thelingering tortures of imprisonment, the agonies of trial, and thebitter consummation of the scaffold.

  "Oh, Marlow, Marlow," she cried--in a tone for the first timesorrowful--"to see you mingling in these acts!"

  "I have nothing to do with the present business, Mrs. Hazleton,"replied Marlow, "but I am bound to say that in consequence ofinformation I have procured, it would have been my duty to have causedyour apprehension upon other charges, had not this, of which I knownothing, been preferred against you. All is discovered, madam all isknown. With a slight clue, at first, I have pursued the intricatelabyrinth of your conduct for the last two years to its conclusion,and every thing has been made plain as day.

  "You, Marlow, you?" cried Mrs. Hazleton, fixing her eyes steadfastlyupon him, and then adding, as he bowed his head in token of assent,"but all is not known, even to you. You shall know all, however,before I die; and perhaps to know all may wring your heart, hardthough it be. But what am I talking of?" she continued, her facebecoming suddenly suffused with crimson, and her fine featuresconvulsed with rage. "All is discovered, is it? And you have done itit? What matters it to me, then, whose heart is wrung--or what becomesof you, or me, or any one? A drop more or less is nothing in theoverflowing well. Why should I struggle longer? Why should I hide anything? Why should I fly from this charge to meet another? I did it--Ipoisoned her--I put the drug by her bedside. It is all true--I did itall--I have had my revenge as far as it could be obtained, and now dowith me what you like. But remember, Marlow, remember, if EmilyHastings marries you, she does it with a mother's curse upon herhead--a curse that will fall upon her heart like a mildew, and witherit for ever--a curse that will dry up the source of all fondaffections, blacken the brightest hours, and embitter the purestjoys--a dying mother's curse! She knows it--she has heard it--it cannever be recalled. I have put that beyond fate. Ha ha! It is upon youboth; and if you venture to unite your unhappy destinies, may thatcurse cling to you and blast you for ever."

  She spoke with all the vehemence of intense passion, breaking, for thefirst time in life, through strong habitual self-control; and when shehad done, she cast herself into a chair, and covered her eyes with herhands.

  She wept not; but her whole frame heaved and shivered, with t
heterrible emotion that tore her heart.

  In the mean time, Marlow and Mrs. Warmington and the high constablespoke upon it, consulting what was to be done with her. The prisonsystem of England was at that time as bad as it could be, and thosewho condemned and abhorred her the most, were anxious to spare her aslong as possible the horrors of the jail. At length, after manydifficulties, and a good deal of hesitation, Mr. Atkinson agreed, atthe suggestion of Mrs. Warmington, to leave her in the house where shethen was, under the charge of a constable to be sent for fromHartwell. There was a high upper room from which there was nopossibility of escape, with an antechamber in which the constablecould watch, and there he was determined to confine her till she couldbe brought before the magistrate on the following day.

  "I must have her thoroughly searched in the first place," said Mr.Atkinson; "for she may have some more of the poison about her, and inher present state, after all she has confessed, she is just as likelyto swallow it as not. However, Mr. Marlow, you had better, I think,ride on as fast as possible to see Sir Philip Hastings, and tell himwhat has occurred here. If I judge rightly, your presence will be veryneedful there."

  "It will indeed," said Marlow, a sudden vague apprehension of he knewnot what, seizing upon him; "God grant I have not tarried too longalready;" and quitting the room, he sprang upon his horse's backagain.