Arrah Neil; or, Times of Old
Page 18
CHAPTER XVII.
Captain Barecolt and his guide now issued forth into the streets ofHull, and sauntered on for a few steps without speaking. An Englishtown, in those days, especially after the sun was set, presented avery different aspect from that which it offers to the night wandererat present. All was darkness and gloom, except where, from an opendoor or unshuttered window, the lights which the people within wereusing for their own advantage served also for the benefit of thepassenger; and indeed every one who had occasion to traverse thestreets generally furnished himself with a lantern or link, to preventhim from running his head against a post, or breaking his neck downsome of the steep flights of steps by which the even course ofprogression was not unfrequently interrupted.
"Now, master captain," said Barecolt's companion, "what inn do youwant to go to? for it won't be pleasant roaming about Hull afterdark."
"Dat is de ting vich I don't know," answered Barecolt; "I never havebe in Hull before."
"Then one inn is as good as another to you, Captain Chairsfall?"replied the officer of the train-bands.
"No, no, no!" replied Barecolt; "dat be not just, monsieur: all inn benot de same--it depend on vat be in dem. I must have de good vine, degood bed, de good meat."
"Well, you can have all those at the 'Lion,' or at the 'Rose' either,"replied his companion.
"Ah, no! I like to see," answered Barecolt; "ve vill just valk troughde town, take a leetle peep at dis inn, and leetle peep at dat, andperhaps I take a glass of vine here, and a glass of vine dere, andgive you anoder, mon ami, just to try vich be de best. You see mynose, have you not? Vell, it know vat good vine be."
"It looks it," answered the other; for that nose was one which few mencould let alone, such were its attractions. "However, if we are tohave this long walk, I must get a lantern at my house," and on he wentdown the street before him, till, turning to the left, he enteredanother, in which not only was his own house situated, but also theidentical inn called the "Swan." The door was open, a light wasshining within, the swan in all its glory was swinging from a poleover the door, and Barecolt insinuated a desire to begin theirperquisitions there.
The captain of the train-bands, there is every reason to suspect, hada friend at the "Lion," and another at the "Rose," for he certainlydid not do justice to Mrs. White, in the account he gave of theaccommodations of her house. But Barecolt, who thought that, good orbad, he never could have a gill of wine too much, and who had nottasted anything stronger than water for a greater length of time thanwas at all convenient to his stomach, was resolute to try what the"Swan" could produce, and consequently led the way up the steps andinto the house, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the worthypredecessor of John Gilpin.
Advancing with an easy and self-satisfied air to the little room whichwe have spoken of, the window of which commanded the passage and thestaircase, he found the worthy landlady herself; seated with a tall,powerful man, considerably above the middle age, but still hale andhearty, with white hair, indeed, but thick eyebrows, still jet-black,and long dark eyelashes shading an eye of that peculiar blue which isseldom found without a rich stream of the Milesian blood flowing inthe veins of the owner. A jug of ale and some cold ham were betweenthe two, and Mrs. White seemed to be doing the honours of her house tothe stranger with great courtesy and attention.
"Vould you have bounty, madame," said Barecolt, "just to let me havevon leetle gill, as you call it, of de very best vine, and anoder ofde same for my friend here?"
"Certainly, sir," said Mrs. White. "Ah! Captain Jenkins, is that you?Well, I am very glad to see you in the house at last. A dull night,sir. Nancy, Nancy! give these gentlemen two gills of the best wine.White or red, air?"
"Oh, vite, vite!" replied Captain Barecolt; "De red vine in England bevort noting."
"White, Nancy, white!" cried the landlady. "Won't you come in and takea seat, Mr. Jenkins? Here's Mr. O'Donnell with me, whom you know, Ithink."
Captain Jenkins, however, of the train-bands of the city of Hull,grumbled something about not being able to stay long; but the moregallant Barecolt, instantly accepting the lady's invitation, walkedin, and the other followed.
The two measures of wine were speedily set before them; and Barecolt,tossing off his in a moment, seemed to like it so well that he calledfor another. But Captain Jenkins shrugged his shoulders, and whisperedthat there was very much better at the "Lion;" "very much betterindeed."
What effect this insinuation would have had upon the determination ofBarecolt I cannot take upon myself to say; but an event occurred atthat moment which at once decided his conduct.
Just as Nancy was placing the second gill before him, a loud noise ofpeople speaking, and apparently scuffling in the street, was heard. Itgradually grew louder, and at length seemed to reach the steps leadingup to the house.
There was something in the tone of one of the voices which, thoughraised into accents such as Barecolt had never heard it use, seemedfamiliar to his ear, and he instantly started up to look out.
"It's nothing but some drunken men, sir," said Mrs. White: "If theydon't mind, the watch will get hold of them."
But the watch had already done its function; and the moment after, thevoice of Mr. Dry, of Longsoaken, was distinctly heard exclaiming, "Gethence, ye men of Belial! ye false witnesses, raised up by Jezebel,whose blood the dogs licked, to testify falsely of the just Naboth!Drunk! It is you are drunk! I never was so sober in my life. Gethence, I say!" he continued with a loud hiccup; "I lodge here, I tellyou;" and shaking off the grasp of two of the watch who had him incustody, he rushed into the "Swan," and had nearly reached the foot ofthe stairs when he fell prone upon the well-washed floor, and laythere, unable to raise himself.
Mrs. White instantly rushed out, followed close by Nancy, to therescue of her guest; for the watch had by this time entered, and wereabout to lay hands once more upon the person of Mr. Ezekiel Dry. Thegood landlady, however, easily satisfied them that Mr. Dry would betaken care of, and not suffered further to disturb the peace of thetown; and as he was by no means in a comfortable or convenientposition on the floor, which, from the undulatory motion he perceivedin it, he asserted loudly was affected by an earthquake, the two menwho had followed him were employed to raise him, and conveyed himstruggling violently to his bed.
By no means unaccustomed to the treatment of such maladies, Mrs. Whiteremained for a few minutes with her reverend and respectable guest,and then leaving him, as we shall do for the present, returned to herlittle parlour.
"Madame," said Barecolt, as soon as she entered, "your vine be so verygood dat I shall remain here vile I stay in de town. Here is vonleetle billet from de gouverneur, and as I know dat it is not pleasantto lodge de soldier, or de officer eider, here be von order for myprovision and maintenance, vich vill be paid at de good rate, and as Ilike de good vine, it may be someting in your vay."
Mrs. White could only curtsey and submit; but Captain Jenkins, who hadhoped to put a good thing in the paws of the "Lion," or in the bosomof the "Rose," flung out of the house in a fit of disgust, saying hewould come for Captain Chairsfall early the next morning. Before hewent, however, he called Mrs. White aside, and whispered to her, tokeep a sharp eye upon her new guest.
"If you find him inquiring his way out of the town, or going out lateat night or early in the morning," he said, with an important air,"you must send word either to me or the governor, it's all the samewhich; for he is a Frenchman, who has come over to serve the king, inrebellion to the parliament, and has been taken prisoner. He pretendsnow to be willing to go with us; but I have doubts, many doubts, Mrs.White; so look to him, look to him well, if you would merit favour."
Mrs. White promised to look to him, but inwardly proposed to have adue regard for her own pocket, by obtaining speedy payment foreverything she supplied; and as for the rest, "to let the man take hischance," as she termed it.
I cannot, however, aver that Mrs. White was either prepossessed by theappearance
of the worthy Captain Barecolt or by the account given ofhim by Captain Jenkins; though, to say truth, she did not put muchfaith in the assurance of the officer of the trained bands.
That her new lodger had come to serve the king, however, and thenshowed a good will to serve his enemies, seemed clear; so that whenshe returned to her parlour, after her conference with Jenkins, thoughshe was perfectly civil to the apparent Frenchman, as indeed she wasto every one, hers was that quick and sharp-set civility which can bebetter felt than described. She answered all his questions in as fewwords as possible, interspersing them with numerous curtsies and verycivil epithets; but it was very evident to Captain Barecolt that Mrs.White wished for as little of his company as possible.
He was not a man, as may be imagined, who would attribute thisdistaste to his society to any want of personal attractions; and hesettled it in his own mind that it must be his assumed quality ofFrenchman that prejudiced the landlady against him, and that evil hedetermined to remedy as soon as he was sure of his ground; for CaptainBarecolt, at that moment, had as strong a desire for the privatecompany of Mrs. White as she had for his absence.
Mr. Hugh O'Donnell still kept his seat at the table, too; and helooked at Mrs. White, and Mrs. White at Mr. O'Donnell, with verysignificant glances, and no less significant silence, till at lengthCaptain Barecolt's impudence fairly gave way, and saying to himself;"Hang the fellow! I must wait till he chooses to go," he rose,inquiring, "Can anybody show me de room dat I am to sleep in? for Ilike very great to see de bed vere I lie."
"Oh yes, sir!" said Mrs. White; "you shall have as good a bed as anyin Hull. Here, Nancy, Nancy!" and, preceded by the girl, the worthycaptain was led up-stairs, and shown into a bed-room just opposite tothat of Arrah Neil.