CHAPTER XIII.
MY LORD LEAVES US AND HIS EVIL BEHIND HIM.
My Lord Mohun (of whose exploits and fame some of the gentlemen of theUniversity had brought down but ugly reports) was once more a guest atCastlewood, and seemingly more intimately allied with my lord even thanbefore. Once in the spring those two noblemen had ridden to Cambridgefrom Newmarket, whither they had gone for the horse-racing, and hadhonored Harry Esmond with a visit at his rooms; after which DoctorMontague, the master of the College, who had treated Harry somewhathaughtily, seeing his familiarity with these great folks, and that myLord Castlewood laughed and walked with his hand on Harry's shoulder,relented to Mr. Esmond, and condescended to be very civil to him; andsome days after his arrival, Harry, laughing, told this story to LadyEsmond, remarking how strange it was that men famous for learning andrenowned over Europe, should, nevertheless, so bow down to a title, andcringe to a nobleman ever so poor. At this Mistress Beatrix flung up herhead, and said it became those of low origin to respect their betters;that the parsons made themselves a great deal too proud, she thought;and that she liked the way at Lady Sark's best, where the chaplain,though he loved pudding, as all parsons do, always went away before thecustard.
"And when I am a parson," says Mr. Esmond, "will you give me no custard,Beatrix?"
"You--you are different," Beatrix answered. "You are of our blood."
"My father was a parson, as you call him," said my lady.
"But mine is a peer of Ireland," says Mistress Beatrix, tossing herhead. "Let people know their places. I suppose you will have me go downon my knees and ask a blessing of Mr. Thomas Tusher, that has just beenmade a curate and whose mother was a waiting-maid."
And she tossed out of the room, being in one of her flighty humors then.
When she was gone, my lady looked so sad and grave, that Harry askedthe cause of her disquietude. She said it was not merely what he saidof Newmarket, but what she had remarked, with great anxiety andterror, that my lord, ever since his acquaintance with the LordMohun especially, had recurred to his fondness for play, which he hadrenounced since his marriage.
"But men promise more than they are able to perform in marriage," saidmy lady, with a sigh. "I fear he has lost large sums; and our property,always small, is dwindling away under this reckless dissipation. I heardof him in London with very wild company. Since his return, lettersand lawyers are constantly coming and going: he seems to me to have aconstant anxiety, though he hides it under boisterousness and laughter.I looked through--through the door last night, and--and before," saidmy lady, "and saw them at cards after midnight; no estate will bear thatextravagance, much less ours, which will be so diminished that my sonwill have nothing at all, and my poor Beatrix no portion!"
"I wish I could help you, madam," said Harry Esmond, sighing, andwishing that unavailingly, and for the thousandth time in his life.
"Who can? Only God," said Lady Esmond--"only God, in whose hands weare." And so it is, and for his rule over his family, and forhis conduct to wife and children--subjects over whom his power ismonarchical--any one who watches the world must think with tremblingsometimes of the account which many a man will have to render. For inour society there's no law to control the King of the Fireside. He ismaster of property, happiness--life almost. He is free to punish,to make happy or unhappy--to ruin or to torture. He may kill a wifegradually, and be no more questioned than the Grand seignior who drownsa slave at midnight. He may make slaves and hypocrites of his children;or friends and freemen; or drive them into revolt and enmity against thenatural law of love. I have heard politicians and coffee-house wiseacrestalking over the newspaper, and railing at the tyranny of the FrenchKing, and the Emperor, and wondered how these (who are monarchs, too,in their way) govern their own dominions at home, where each man rulesabsolute. When the annals of each little reign are shown to the SupremeMaster, under whom we hold sovereignty, histories will be laid bare ofhousehold tyrants as cruel as Amurath, and as savage as Nero, and asreckless and dissolute as Charles.
If Harry Esmond's patron erred, 'twas in the latter way, from adisposition rather self-indulgent than cruel; and he might have beenbrought back to much better feelings, had time been given to him tobring his repentance to a lasting reform.
As my lord and his friend Lord Mohun were such close companions,Mistress Beatrix chose to be jealous of the latter; and the twogentlemen often entertained each other by laughing, in their rudeboisterous way, at the child's freaks of anger and show of dislike."When thou art old enough, thou shalt marry Lord Mohun," Beatrix'sfather would say: on which the girl would pout and say, "I would rathermarry Tom Tusher." And because the Lord Mohun always showed an extremegallantry to my Lady Castlewood, whom he professed to admire devotedly,one day, in answer to this old joke of her father's, Beatrix said, "Ithink my lord would rather marry mamma than marry me; and is waitingtill you die to ask her."
The words were said lightly and pertly by the girl one night beforesupper, as the family party were assembled near the great fire. The twolords, who were at cards, both gave a start; my lady turned as red asscarlet, and bade Mistress Beatrix go to her own chamber; whereupon thegirl, putting on, as her wont was, the most innocent air, said, "I amsure I meant no wrong; I am sure mamma talks a great deal more to HarryEsmond than she does to papa--and she cried when Harry went away, andshe never does when papa goes away! and last night she talked to LordMohun for ever so long, and sent us out of the room, and cried when wecame back, and--"
"D--n!" cried out my Lord Castlewood, out of all patience. "Go out ofthe room, you little viper!" and he started up and flung down his cards.
"Ask Lord Mohun what I said to him, Francis," her ladyship said, risingup with a scared face, but yet with a great and touching dignity andcandor in her look and voice. "Come away with me, Beatrix." Beatrixsprung up too; she was in tears now.
"Dearest mamma, what have I done?" she asked. "Sure I meant no harm."And she clung to her mother, and the pair went out sobbing together.
"I will tell you what your wife said to me, Frank," my Lord Mohun cried."Parson Harry may hear it; and, as I hope for heaven, every word I sayis true. Last night, with tears in her eyes, your wife implored me toplay no more with you at dice or at cards, and you know best whetherwhat she asked was not for your good."
"Of course, it was, Mohun," says my lord in a dry hard voice. "Of courseyou are a model of a man: and the world knows what a saint you are."
My Lord Mohun was separated from his wife, and had had many affairs ofhonor: of which women as usual had been the cause.
"I am no saint, though your wife is--and I can answer for my actions asother people must for their words," said my Lord Mohun.
"By G--, my lord, you shall," cried the other, starting up.
"We have another little account to settle first, my lord," says LordMohun. Whereupon Harry Esmond, filled with alarm for the consequencesto which this disastrous dispute might lead, broke out into the mostvehement expostulations with his patron and his adversary. "Graciousheavens!" he said, "my lord, are you going to draw a sword upon yourfriend in your own house? Can you doubt the honor of a lady who is aspure as heaven, and would die a thousand times rather than do you awrong? Are the idle words of a jealous child to set friends at variance?Has not my mistress, as much as she dared do, besought your lordship, asthe truth must be told, to break your intimacy with my Lord Mohun; andto give up the habit which may bring ruin on your family? But for myLord Mohun's illness, had he not left you?"
"'Faith, Frank, a man with a gouty toe can't run after other men'swives," broke out my Lord Mohun, who indeed was in that way, and witha laugh and a look at his swathed limb so frank and comical, that theother dashing his fist across his forehead was caught by that infectiousgood-humor, and said with his oath, "---- it, Harry, I believe thee,"and so this quarrel was over, and the two gentlemen, at swords drawn butjust now, dropped their points, and shook hands.
Beati pacifici. "Go, bring my lady back," said Harry's patr
on. Esmondwent away only too glad to be the bearer of such good news. He found herat the door; she had been listening there, but went back as he came. Shetook both his hands, hers were marble cold. She seemed as if she wouldfall on his shoulder. "Thank you, and God bless you, my dear brotherHarry," she said. She kissed his hand, Esmond felt her tears upon it:and leading her into the room, and up to my lord, the Lord Castlewood,with an outbreak of feeling and affection such as he had not exhibitedfor many a long day, took his wife to his heart, and bent over andkissed her and asked her pardon.
"'Tis time for me to go to roost. I will have my gruel a-bed," said myLord Mohun: and limped off comically on Harry Esmond's arm. "By George,that woman is a pearl!" he said; "and 'tis only a pig that wouldn'tvalue her. Have you seen the vulgar traipsing orange-girl whomEsmond"--but here Mr. Esmond interrupted him, saying, that these werenot affairs for him to know.
My lord's gentleman came in to wait upon his master, who was no soonerin his nightcap and dressing-gown than he had another visitor whom hishost insisted on sending to him: and this was no other than the LadyCastlewood herself with the toast and gruel, which her husband bade hermake and carry with her own hands in to her guest.
Lord Castlewood stood looking after his wife as she went on this errand,and as he looked, Harry Esmond could not but gaze on him, and remarkedin his patron's face an expression of love, and grief, and care, whichvery much moved and touched the young man. Lord Castlewood's hands felldown at his sides, and his head on his breast, and presently he said,--
"You heard what Mohun said, parson?"
"That my lady was a saint?"
"That there are two accounts to settle. I have been going wrong thesefive years, Harry Esmond. Ever since you brought that damned small-poxinto the house, there has been a fate pursuing me, and I had best havedied of it, and not run away from it like a coward. I left Beatrix withher relations, and went to London; and I fell among thieves, Harry, andI got back to confounded cards and dice, which I hadn't touched sincemy marriage--no, not since I was in the Duke's Guard, with those wildMohocks. And I have been playing worse and worse, and going deeper anddeeper into it; and I owe Mohun two thousand pounds now; and when it'spaid I am little better than a beggar. I don't like to look my boy inthe face; he hates me, I know he does. And I have spent Beaty's littleportion: and the Lord knows what will come if I live; the best thing Ican do is to die, and release what portion of the estate is redeemablefor the boy."
Mohun was as much master at Castlewood as the owner of the Hall itself;and his equipages filled the stables, where, indeed, there was roomand plenty for many more horses than Harry Esmond's impoverished patroncould afford to keep. He had arrived on horseback with his people; butwhen his gout broke out my Lord Mohun sent to London for a light chaisehe had, drawn by a pair of small horses, and running as swift, whereverroads were good, as a Laplander's sledge. When this carriage came, hislordship was eager to drive the Lady Castlewood abroad in it, and did somany times, and at a rapid pace, greatly to his companion's enjoyment,who loved the swift motion and the healthy breezes over the downs whichlie hard upon Castlewood, and stretch thence towards the sea. As thisamusement was very pleasant to her, and her lord, far from showingany mistrust of her intimacy with Lord Mohun, encouraged her to be hiscompanion--as if willing by his present extreme confidence to make upfor any past mistrust which his jealousy had shown--the Lady Castlewoodenjoyed herself freely in this harmless diversion, which, it must beowned, her guest was very eager to give her; and it seemed that she grewthe more free with Lord Mohun, and pleased with his company, because ofsome sacrifice which his gallantry was pleased to make in her favor.
Seeing the two gentlemen constantly at cards still of evenings, HarryEsmond one day deplored to his mistress that this fatal infatuationof her lord should continue; and now they seemed reconciled together,begged his lady to hint to her husband that he should play no more.
But Lady Castlewood, smiling archly and gayly, said she would speak tohim presently, and that, for a few nights more at least, he might be letto have his amusement.
"Indeed, madam," said Harry, "you know not what it costs you; and 'tiseasy for any observer who knows the game, to see that Lord Mohun is byfar the stronger of the two."
"I know he is," says my lady, still with exceeding good-humor; "he isnot only the best player, but the kindest player in the world."
"Madam, madam!" Esmond cried, transported and provoked. "Debts of honormust be paid some time or other; and my master will be ruined if he goeson."
"Harry, shall I tell you a secret?" my lady replied, with kindness andpleasure still in her eyes. "Francis will not be ruined if he goes on;he will be rescued if he goes on. I repent of having spoken and thoughtunkindly of the Lord Mohun when he was here in the past year. He is fullof much kindness and good; and 'tis my belief that we shall bring himto better things. I have lent him 'Tillotson' and your favorite'Bishop Taylor,' and he is much touched, he says; and as a proof of hisrepentance--(and herein lies my secret)--what do you think he is doingwith Francis? He is letting poor Frank win his money back again. He hathwon already at the last four nights; and my Lord Mohun says that he willnot be the means of injuring poor Frank and my dear children."
"And in God's name, what do you return him for the sacrifice?" askedEsmond, aghast; who knew enough of men, and of this one in particular,to be aware that such a finished rake gave nothing for nothing. "How, inheaven's name, are you to pay him?"
"Pay him! With a mother's blessing and a wife's prayers!" cries my lady,clasping her hands together. Harry Esmond did not know whether tolaugh, to be angry, or to love his dear mistress more than ever for theobstinate innocency with which she chose to regard the conduct of a manof the world, whose designs he knew better how to interpret. He told thelady, guardedly, but so as to make his meaning quite clear to her, whathe knew in respect of the former life and conduct of this nobleman; ofother women against whom he had plotted, and whom he had overcome;of the conversation which he, Harry himself, had had with Lord Mohun,wherein the lord made a boast of his libertinism, and frequently avowedthat he held all women to be fair game (as his lordship styled thispretty sport), and that they were all, without exception, to be won. Andthe return Harry had for his entreaties and remonstrances was a fitof anger on Lady Castlewood's part, who would not listen to hisaccusations; she said and retorted that he himself must be very wickedand perverted to suppose evil designs where she was sure none weremeant. "And this is the good meddlers get of interfering," Harry thoughtto himself with much bitterness; and his perplexity and annoyance wereonly the greater, because he could not speak to my Lord Castlewoodhimself upon a subject of this nature, or venture to advise or warn himregarding a matter so very sacred as his own honor, of which my lord wasnaturally the best guardian.
But though Lady Castlewood would listen to no advice from her youngdependant, and appeared indignantly to refuse it when offered, Harryhad the satisfaction to find that she adopted the counsel which sheprofessed to reject; for the next day she pleaded a headache, when myLord Mohun would have had her drive out, and the next day the headachecontinued; and next day, in a laughing gay way, she proposed that thechildren should take her place in his lordship's car, for they wouldbe charmed with a ride of all things; and she must not have all thepleasure for herself. My lord gave them a drive with a very good grace,though, I dare say, with rage and disappointment inwardly--not that hisheart was very seriously engaged in his designs upon this simple lady:but the life of such men is often one of intrigue, and they can no morego through the day without a woman to pursue, than a fox-hunter withouthis sport after breakfast.
Under an affected carelessness of demeanor, and though there was nooutward demonstration of doubt upon his patron's part since the quarrelbetween the two lords, Harry yet saw that Lord Castlewood was watchinghis guest very narrowly; and caught sight of distrust and smothered rage(as Harry thought) which foreboded no good. On the point of honor Esmondknew how touchy his patron was; and watched him a
lmost as a physicianwatches a patient, and it seemed to him that this one was slow to takethe disease, though he could not throw off the poison when once it hadmingled with his blood. We read in Shakspeare (whom the writer for hispart considers to be far beyond Mr. Congreve, Mr. Dryden, or any of thewits of the present period,) that when jealousy is once declared, norpoppy, nor mandragora, nor all the drowsy syrups of the East, will eversoothe it or medicine it away.
In fine, the symptoms seemed to be so alarming to this young physician(who, indeed, young as he was, had felt the kind pulses of all thosedear kinsmen), that Harry thought it would be his duty to warn my LordMohun, and let him know that his designs were suspected and watched. Soone day, when in rather a pettish humor his lordship had sent to LadyCastlewood, who had promised to drive with him, and now refused to come,Harry said--"My lord, if you will kindly give me a place by your sideI will thank you; I have much to say to you, and would like to speak toyou alone."
"You honor me by giving me your confidence, Mr. Henry Esmond," says theother, with a very grand bow. My lord was always a fine gentleman, andyoung as he was there was that in Esmond's manner which showed that hewas a gentleman too, and that none might take a liberty with him--so thepair went out, and mounted the little carriage, which was in waiting forthem in the court, with its two little cream-colored Hanoverian horsescovered with splendid furniture and champing at the bit.
"My lord," says Harry Esmond, after they were got into the country, andpointing to my Lord Mohun's foot, which was swathed in flannel, and putup rather ostentatiously on a cushion--"my lord, I studied medicine atCambridge."
"Indeed, Parson Harry," says he; "and are you going to take out adiploma: and cure your fellow-students of the--"
"Of the gout," says Harry, interrupting him, and looking him hard in theface; "I know a good deal about the gout."
"I hope you may never have it. 'Tis an infernal disease," says my lord,"and its twinges are diabolical. Ah!" and he made a dreadful wry face,as if he just felt a twinge.
"Your lordship would be much better if you took off all that flannel--itonly serves to inflame the toe," Harry continued, looking his man fullin the face.
"Oh! it only serves to inflame the toe, does it?" says the other, withan innocent air.
"If you took off that flannel, and flung that absurd slipper away, andwore a boot," continues Harry.
"You recommend me boots, Mr. Esmond?" asks my lord.
"Yes, boots and spurs. I saw your lordship three days ago run down thegallery fast enough," Harry goes on. "I am sure that taking gruel atnight is not so pleasant as claret to your lordship; and besides itkeeps your lordship's head cool for play, whilst my patron's is hot andflustered with drink."
"'Sdeath, sir, you dare not say that I don't play fair?" cries my lord,whipping his horses, which went away at a gallop.
"You are cool when my lord is drunk," Harry continued; "your lordshipgets the better of my patron. I have watched you as I looked up from mybooks."
"You young Argus!" says Lord Mohun, who liked Harry Esmond--and forwhose company and wit, and a certain daring manner, Harry had a greatliking too--"You young Argus! you may look with all your hundred eyesand see we play fair. I've played away an estate of a night, and I'veplayed my shirt off my back; and I've played away my periwig and gonehome in a nightcap. But no man can say I ever took an advantage of himbeyond the advantage of the game. I played a dice-cogging scoundrel inAlsatia for his ears and won 'em, and have one of 'em in my lodging inBow Street in a bottle of spirits. Harry Mohun will play any man foranything--always would."
"You are playing awful stakes, my lord, in my patron's house," Harrysaid, "and more games than are on the cards."
"What do you mean, sir?" cries my lord, turning round, with a flush onhis face.
"I mean," answers Harry, in a sarcastic tone, "that your gout iswell--if ever you had it."
"Sir!" cried my lord, getting hot.
"And to tell the truth I believe your lordship has no more gout than Ihave. At any rate, change of air will do you good, my Lord Mohun. And Imean fairly that you had better go from Castlewood."
"And were you appointed to give me this message?" cries the Lord Mohun."Did Frank Esmond commission you?"
"No one did. 'Twas the honor of my family that commissioned me."
"And you are prepared to answer this?" cries the other, furiouslylashing his horses.
"Quite, my lord: your lordship will upset the carriage if you whip sohotly."
"By George, you have a brave spirit!" my lord cried out, bursting into alaugh. "I suppose 'tis that infernal botte de Jesuite that makes you sobold," he added.
"'Tis the peace of the family I love best in the world," Harry Esmondsaid warmly--"'tis the honor of a noble benefactor--the happiness of mydear mistress and her children. I owe them everything in life, my lord;and would lay it down for any one of them. What brings you here todisturb this quiet household? What keeps you lingering month after monthin the country? What makes you feign illness, and invent pretexts fordelay? Is it to win my poor patron's money? Be generous, my lord, andspare his weakness for the sake of his wife and children. Is it topractise upon the simple heart of a virtuous lady? You might as wellstorm the Tower single-handed. But you may blemish her name by lightcomments on it, or by lawless pursuits--and I don't deny that 'tis inyour power to make her unhappy. Spare these innocent people, and leavethem."
"By the Lord, I believe thou hast an eye to the pretty Puritan thyself,Master Harry," says my lord, with his reckless, good-humored laugh, andas if he had been listening with interest to the passionate appeal ofthe young man. "Whisper, Harry. Art thou in love with her thyself? Hathtipsy Frank Esmond come by the way of all flesh?"
"My lord, my lord," cried Harry, his face flushing and his eyes fillingas he spoke, "I never had a mother, but I love this lady as one. Iworship her as a devotee worships a saint. To hear her name spokenlightly seems blasphemy to me. Would you dare think of your own motherso, or suffer any one so to speak of her? It is a horror to me to fancythat any man should think of her impurely. I implore you, I beseech you,to leave her. Danger will come out of it."
"Danger, psha!" says my lord, giving a cut to the horses, which at thisminute--for we were got on to the Downs--fairly ran off into a gallopthat no pulling could stop. The rein broke in Lord Mohun's hands, andthe furious beasts scampered madly forwards, the carriage swaying toand fro, and the persons within it holding on to the sides as bestthey might, until seeing a great ravine before them, where an upset wasinevitable, the two gentlemen leapt for their lives, each out of hisside of the chaise. Harry Esmond was quit for a fall on the grass, whichwas so severe that it stunned him for a minute; but he got up presentlyvery sick, and bleeding at the nose, but with no other hurt. The LordMohun was not so fortunate; he fell on his head against a stone, and layon the ground, dead to all appearance.
This misadventure happened as the gentlemen were on their returnhomewards; and my Lord Castlewood, with his son and daughter, who weregoing out for a ride, met the ponies as they were galloping with the carbehind, the broken traces entangling their heels, and my lord's peopleturned and stopped them. It was young Frank who spied out Lord Mohun'sscarlet coat as he lay on the ground, and the party made up to thatunfortunate gentleman and Esmond, who was now standing over him. Hislarge periwig and feathered hat had fallen off, and he was bleedingprofusely from a wound on the forehead, and looking, and being, indeed,a corpse.
"Great God! he's dead!" says my lord. "Ride, some one: fetch adoctor--stay. I'll go home and bring back Tusher; he knows surgery," andmy lord, with his son after him, galloped away.
They were scarce gone when Harry Esmond, who was indeed but just come tohimself, bethought him of a similar accident which he had seen on a ridefrom Newmarket to Cambridge, and taking off a sleeve of my lord'scoat, Harry, with a penknife, opened a vein of his arm, and was greatlyrelieved, after a moment, to see the blood flow. He was near half anhour before he came to himself, by which time Doctor Tus
her and littleFrank arrived, and found my lord not a corpse indeed, but as pale asone.
After a time, when he was able to bear motion, they put my lord upona groom's horse, and gave the other to Esmond, the men walking on eachside of my lord, to support him, if need were, and worthy Doctor Tusherwith them. Little Frank and Harry rode together at a foot pace.
When we rode together home, the boy said: "We met mamma, who was walkingon the terrace with the doctor, and papa frightened her, and told heryou were dead . . ."
"That I was dead!" asks Harry.
"Yes. Papa says: 'Here's poor Harry killed, my dear;' on which mammagives a great scream; and oh, Harry! she drops down; and I thought shewas dead too. And you never saw such a way as papa was in: he swore oneof his great oaths: and he turned quite pale; and then he began to laughsomehow, and he told the Doctor to take his horse, and me to follow him;and we left him. And I looked back, and saw him dashing water out of thefountain on to mamma. Oh, she was so frightened!"
Musing upon this curious history--for my Lord Mohun's name was Henrytoo, and they called each other Frank and Harry often--and not a littledisturbed and anxious, Esmond rode home. His dear lady was on theterrace still, one of her women with her, and my lord no longer there.There are steps and a little door thence down into the road. My lordpassed, looking very ghastly, with a handkerchief over his head, andwithout his hat and periwig, which a groom carried, but his politenessdid not desert him, and he made a bow to the lady above.
"Thank heaven, you are safe," she said.
"And so is Harry too, mamma," says little Frank,--"huzzay!"
Harry Esmond got off the horse to run to his mistress, as did littleFrank, and one of the grooms took charge of the two beasts, while theother, hat and periwig in hand, walked by my lord's bridle to the frontgate, which lay half a mile away.
"Oh, my boy! what a fright you have given me!" Lady Castlewood said,when Harry Esmond came up, greeting him with one of her shining looks,and a voice of tender welcome; and she was so kind as to kiss the youngman ('twas the second time she had so honored him), and she walked intothe house between him and her son, holding a hand of each.
The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., a Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne Page 16