Roger Kyffin's Ward
Page 19
justsay that you have been to the same sort of place that you went toyesterday, but that you have seen enough of that sort of thing for thepresent. You know that to-morrow you are engaged to Mr. Coppinger's; soyou told me. So we cannot go again for some little time."
His second dinner at his uncle's went off as pleasantly as the first.His cousins even improved on acquaintance. Sybella especially madeherself agreeable to him. She did not try; it was her artless, naturalmanner which was so attractive. She was a sweet little creature, therewas no doubt about that, and had not his heart been already given toMabel, he would certainly have lost it to her. The only other guest wasMr. Gilby. He seemed to be a very frequent visitor at the house, butHarry could not discover which of his cousins was the attraction.Perhaps the young gentleman himself had not made up his mind. Mr.Coppinger was kind and courteous, but treated Harry with quite as muchattention as he did the wealthy Mr. Gilby. Indeed, that gentleman knewperfectly well that, should he wish to secure him for one of hisdaughters, the surest way to succeed would be to show perfectindifference about the matter. Harry was somewhat surprised at theinterest his cousins took in the descriptions Mr. Gilby gave of some ofhis exploits. He himself had never seen the fun of knocking downwatchmen, running off with their rattles, and rousing up medicalpractitioners from their midnight slumbers, or calling reverendgentlemen out of their beds to visit dying people. By his own account,also, he had the _entree_ behind the scenes at all the theatres, and inmany of them his chair upon the stage. He was a regular frequenter ofNewmarket and the principal races in the kingdom, and there were veryfew hells and gambling-houses of every sort into which he had not foundhis way. He, however, seemed to be aware that Mr. Coppinger could notapprove of this part of his proceedings, and therefore only spoke ofthem out of hearing of his host. He seemed to look down with supremecontempt on Harry, who had not such experiences to talk of, and againoffered to introduce him into life.
"Thank you," said Harry; "but you see I have become a man of business,and have very little time to spare for those sort of amusements;besides, I confess I care very little about them."
"Well, you must take your own way," answered the young gentleman,"though I must say I don't think a young fellow of spirit would becontent to live the humdrum life you do; or perhaps `still waters rundeep,' eh? that's it, is it not?"
Wherever Harry had been on the previous night, or however late he hadbeen in bed, he was always at his desk directly the office was open, andhe also got through his work very much to Roger Kyffin's satisfaction.Silas Sleech also always praised him. He told him also, should he findany difficulty, to come to him, and on several occasions Harry had totake advantage of his offer. His uncle, after some months, spokeapprovingly to him. "You will, I have great hopes, in time be fitted tofulfil an important post in my office, from the reports I hear of you,and the way in which I see you get on with your work. You have your ownfortune in your own hands, Harry, and I see no reason why you should notmake it. Your success is secure if you go on as you have begun."
Harry was not happy, however. He had great doubts on that subject. Mr.Silas Sleech had been more cautious in his proceedings. He suspectedthat Harry might easily have been alarmed had he attempted to initiatehim too rapidly into London life. For several weeks he did not takeHarry to the gaming-house into which he had before introduced him.Indeed, sometimes he declined taking him out at all.
"It won't do, my boy," he said; "you are knocking yourself up withdissipation, and I am afraid you will get a taste for those sort ofthings if I take you out too often. Why you won more money last nightthan I have pocketed for months together. `The pitcher which goes toooften to the well gets broken,' and if you don't take care you will havea run of ill-luck, and if you lose, where is the money to come from topay your debts of honour?"
By these remarks it will be understood that Harry Tryon had not resistedthe temptations to play which Silas had placed in his way, but as he hadcome off the gainer hitherto, he had in consequence suffered noinconvenience. He had been too much accustomed to see his grandmotherreplenish her purse in that way to feel acutely any sense of shame atdepriving others of their property, which happily keeps some high-mindedmen from the vice. Silas Sleech had other baits by which he hoped toobtain entire power over his young companion. There was one, however,with which he entirely failed, Harry would never be allured bymeretricious beauty. Silas was puzzled. He took good care to concealhis own sins from public view.
"The young one is deep," he thought to himself. "He knows what he'sabout, I am pretty sure of that."
Harry, though duped by Silas, had never made him his confidant. He sawthat Harry delighted in excitement, and took him once or twice to hearthe debates in the House of Commons. They were pretty stormy sometimes,when Fox, and Pitt, and Wyndham were on their feet. Silas professed tobe a "friend of the people." Harry's generous heart rose in rebellionagainst anything like tyranny and oppression, and Silas easily persuadedhim that the French Revolution had been brought about by the tyrannicalway in which the aristocracy had treated the people.
"Let me ask you, Harry," he said, "are not our own people treated verymuch in the same way? Look at our ill-fed, ill-clad soldiers, robbed onall sides, and left to perish like dogs from neglect. Then see oursailors. Were you ever on board a man-of-war, Harry? I have been.Just see the tough dry meat, and weevily biscuit they are fed with; thefearful way in which they are flogged for the slightest offence, at thewill, often capricious, of their captains; the little care taken of themin sickness; the ill-paid, half-educated men sent out as surgeons; andthe wretched pensions they receive after, if they escape death, whenwounded in battle."
So Silas talked on. There was much truth in what he said, but hisstatements were often exaggerated.
"However, I am but a poor speaker, Harry," he said; "come with me someevening, and you shall hear all that I have said put forth far moreforcibly, and in far better language. Don't tell old Kyffin where youhave been, that's all. He holds to old-fangled notions, and has nofaith in Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality. We will look in first attwo or three of the clubs to which I belong, and there's no reason whyhe should not suppose that you have been to one of those. There's theHums'; you remember my taking you there, at the Blue Posts, in CoventGarden, and the `Rights of Man' Club. I have belonged to that since Icame to town. Then we can look in at the Pearl Drinkers', and if bychance our friend presses you, tell him what you saw there. He probablydoes not guess that I belong to more than one quiet club, and he may bea little astonished at first, but that won't matter. He has no powerover me out of the office. Mr. Coppinger knows my merits, I flattermyself, too much to dispense with my services at Mr. Roger Kyffin'sbidding."
"I don't like those remarks," thought Harry to himself. "Ought I to gowith this man?"
He very often had thought as much, and yet had followed Sleech's lead.The day's work was over. Harry had thought of proposing to walk homewith Mr. Kyffin, but he went out, and had no opportunity afterwards ofspeaking to him. Was Roger Kyffin pleased with his ward? Notaltogether. He thought that he spent too much time in going to placesof public amusement. He might more frequently have offered to go out toHampstead. Still he did not like to lecture the young man.
"When I was young I should not have been contented with what now pleasesme. Harry will soon have had enough of this sort of life, and then willtake to more useful pastimes."
"Come, Harry, let's be off," said Mr. Sleech, taking him by the arm.
Harry did not resist. Mr. Sleech gave him a capital dinner at the "BluePosts," and looked in afterwards at the "Pearl Drinkers' Club."
"Come now," he said, "we will steer for the `Saracen's Head,' GerardStreet, Soho. I will introduce you there to some liberal-minded men,who will make you open your eyes a little."
Mr. Sleech was a rapid walker, and they quickly got over the ground.Giving his name, they were admitted into a large room, already full ofpersons. A considerable number were
young men, but there were somealready advanced in life. In address and appearance the greater numberhad imitated the French Republicans, while all, as a sign of theirliberality, kept on their hats. A young man was on his legs, his hairescaping from under his hat, hanging over his shoulders. His eyesrolled wildly, while he flung his arms about in every direction, everynow and then bringing his doubled fist down upon the palm of his otherhand. His oratory was fluent and bold.
"The past must be buried in oblivion!" he exclaimed. "We dare not lookat it. A hideous system of the domination of one class over the soulsand minds and bodies of the vast majority. A new era must be organised,but before a better system can