The Newcomes

by William Makepeace Thackeray

prodigals who were kindly treated; and we may have debts of our own to

  forgive, boys."

  Into Mr. Sherrick's account we had no need to enter. That gentleman had

  acted with perfect fairness by Honeyman. He laughingly said to us, "You

  don't imagine I would lend that chap a shilling without security?

  I will give him fifty or a hundred. Here's one of his notes, with

  What-do-you-call-'ems--that rum fellow Bayham's name as drawer. A nice

  pair, ain't they? Pooh! I shall never touch 'em. I lent some money on the

  shop overhead," says Sherrick, pointing to the ceiling (we were in his

  counting-house in the cellar of Lady Whittlesea's Chapel), "because I

  thought it was a good speculation. And so it was at first. The people

  liked Honeyman. All the nobs came to hear him. Now the speculation ain't

  so good. He's used up. A chap can't be expected to last for ever. When I

  first engaged Mademoiselle Bravura at my theatre, you couldn't get a

  place for three weeks together. The next year she didn't draw twenty

  pounds a week. So it was with Pottle and the regular drama humbug. At

  first it was all very well. Good business, good houses, our immortal

  bard, and that sort of game. They engaged the tigers and the French

  riding people over the way; and there was Pottle bellowing away in my

  place to the orchestra and the orders. It's all a speculation. I've

  speculated in about pretty much everything that's going: in theatres, in

  joint-stock jobs, in building-ground, in bills, in gas and insurance

  companies, and in this chapel. Poor old Honeyman! I won't hurt him. About

  that other chap I put in to do the first business--that red-haired chap,

  Rawkins--I think I was wrong. I think he injured the property. But I

  don't know everything, you know. I wasn't bred to know about parsons--

  quite the reverse. I thought, when I heard Rawkins at Hampstead, he was

  just the thing. I used to go about, sir, just as I did to the provinces,

  when I had the theatre--Camberwell, Islington, Kennington, Clapton, all

  about, and hear the young chaps. Have a glass of sherry; and here's

  better luck to Honeyman. As for that Colonel, he's a trump, sir! I never

  see such a man. I have to deal with such a precious lot of rogues, in the

  City and out of it, among the swells and all, you know, that to see such

  a fellow refreshes me; and I'd do anything for him. You've made a good

  thing of that Pall Mall Gazette! I tried papers too; but mine didn't do.

  I don't know why. I tried a Tory one, moderate Liberal, and out-and-out

  uncompromising Radical. I say, what d'ye think of a religious paper, the

  Catechism, or some such name? Would Honeyman do as editor? I'm afraid

  it's all up with the poor cove at the chapel." And I parted with Mr.

  Sherrick, not a little edified by his talk, and greatly relieved as to

  Honeyman's fate. The tradesmen of Honeyman's body were appeased; and as

  for Mr. Moss, when he found that the curate had no effects, and must go

  before the Insolvent Court, unless Moss chose to take the composition

  which we were empowered to offer him, he too was brought to hear reason,

  and parted with the stamped paper on which was poor Honeyman's signature.

  Our negotiation had like to have come to an end by Clive's untimely

  indignation, who offered at one stage of the proceedings to pitch young

  Moss out of window; but nothing came of this most ungentlemanlike

  behaviour on Noocob's part, further than remonstrance and delay in the

  proceedings; and Honeyman preached a lovely sermon at Lady Whittlesea's

  the very next Sunday. He had made himself much liked in the

  sponging-house, and Mr. Lazarus said, "if he hadn't a got out time

  enough, I'd a let him out for Sunday, and sent one of my men with him

  to show him the way ome, you know; for when a gentleman behaves as a

  gentleman to me, I behave as a gentleman to him."

  Mrs. Ridley's account, and it was a long one, was paid without a single

  question, or the deduction of a farthing; but the Colonel rather sickened

  of Honeyman's expressions of rapturous gratitude, and received his

  professions of mingled contrition and delight very coolly. "My boy," says

  the father to Clive, "you see to what straits debt brings a man, to

  tamper with truth to have to cheat the poor. Think of flying before a

  washerwoman, or humbling yourself to a tailor, or eating a poor man's

  children's bread!" Clive blushed, I thought, and looked rather confused.

  "Oh, father," says he, "I--I'm afraid I owe some money too--not much; but

  about forty pound, five-and-twenty for cigars, and fifteen I borrowed of

  Pendennis, and--and I've been devilish annoyed about it all this time."

  "You stupid boy," says the father "I knew about the cigars bill, and paid

  it last week. Anything I have is yours, you know. As long as there is a

  guinea, there is half for you. See that every shilling we owe is paid

  before--before a week is over. And go down and ask Binnie if I can see

  him in his study. I want to have some conversation with him." When Clive

  was gone away, he said to me in a very sweet voice, "In God's name, keep

  my boy out of debt when I am gone, Arthur. I shall return to India very

  soon."

  "Very soon, sir! You have another year's leave," said I.

  "Yes, but no allowances, you know; and this affair of Honeyman's has

  pretty nearly emptied the little purse I had set aside for European

  expenses. They have been very much heavier than I expected. As it is, I

  overdrew my account at my brother's, and have been obliged to draw money

  from my agents in Calcutta. A year sooner or later (unless two of our

  senior officers had died, when I should have got my promotion and

  full colonel's pay with it, and proposed to remain in this country)--a

  year sooner or later, what does it matter? Clive will go away and work at

  his art, and see the great schools of painting while I am absent. I

  thought at one time how pleasant it would be to accompany him. But

  l'homme propose, Pendennis. I fancy now a lad is not the better for being

  always tied to his parent's apron-string. You young fellows are too

  clever for me. I haven't learned your ideas or read your books. I feel

  myself very often an old damper in your company. I will go back, sir,

  where I have some friends, where I am somebody still. I know an honest

  face or two, white and brown, that will lighten up in the old regiment

  when they see Tom Newcome again. God bless you, Arthur. You young fellows

  in this country have such cold ways that we old ones hardly know how to

  like you at first. James Binnie and I, when we first came home, used to

  talk you over, and think you laughed at us. But you didn't, I know. God

  Almighty bless you, and send you a good wife, and make a good man of you.

  I have bought a watch, which I would like you to wear in remembrance of

  me and my boy, to whom you were so kind when you were boys together in

  the old Grey Friars." I took his hand, and uttered some incoherent words

  of affection and respect. Did not Thomas Newcome merit both from all who

  knew him?

  His resolution being taken, our good Colonel began to make silent but

  effectual preparations for his coming depa
rture. He was pleased during

  these last days of his stay to give me even more of his confidence than I

  had previously enjoyed, and was kind enough to say that he regarded me

  almost as a son of his own, and hoped I would act as elder brother and

  guardian to Clive. Ah! who is to guard the guardian? The younger brother

  had many nobler qualities than belonged to the elder. The world had not

  hardened Clive, nor even succeeded in spoiling him. I perceive I am

  diverging from his history into that of another person, and will return

  to the subject proper of the book.

  Colonel Newcome expressed himself as being particularly touched and

  pleased with his friend Binnie's conduct, now that the Colonel's

  departure was determined. "James is one of the most generous of men,

  Pendennis, and I am proud to be put under an obligation to him, and to

  tell it too. I hired this house, as you are aware, of our speculative

  friend Mr. Sherrick, and am answerable for the payment of the rent till

  the expiry of the lease. James has taken the matter off my hands

  entirely. The place is greatly too large for him, but he says that he

  likes it, and intends to stay, and that his sister and niece shall be his

  housekeepers. Clive" (here, perhaps, the speaker's voice drops a little)

  --"Clive will be the son of the house still, honest James says, and God

  bless him. James is richer than I thought by near a lakh of rupees--and

  here is a hint for you, Master Arthur. Mr. Binnie has declared to me in

  confidence that if his niece, Miss Rosey, shall marry a person of whom he

  approves, he will leave her a considerable part of his fortune."

  The Colonel's confidant here said that his own arrangements were made in

  another quarter, to which statement the Colonel replied knowingly, "I

  thought so. A little bird has whispered to me the name of a certain Miss

  A. I knew her grandfather, an accommodating old gentleman, and I borrowed

  some money from him when I was a subaltern at Calcutta. I tell you in

  strict confidence, my dear young friend, that I hope and trust a certain

  young gentleman of your acquaintance may be induced to think how good and

  pretty and sweet-tempered a girl Miss Mackenzie is, and that she may be

  brought to like him. If you young men would marry in good time good and

  virtuous women--as I am sure--ahem!--Miss Amory is--half the temptations

  of your youth would be avoided. You would neither be dissolute, has many

  of you seem to me, or cold and selfish, which are worse vices still. And

  my prayer is, that my Clive may cast anchor early out of the reach of

  temptation, and mate with some such kind girl as Binnie's niece. When I

  first came home I formed other plans for him which could not be brought

  to a successful issue; and knowing his ardent disposition, and having

  kept an eye on the young rogue's conduct, I tremble lest some mischance

  with a woman should befall him, and long to have him out of danger."

  So the kind scheme of the two elders was, that their young ones should

  marry and be happy ever after, like the Prince and Princess of the Fairy

  Tale: and dear Mrs. Mackenzie (have I said that at the commencement of

  her visit to her brother she made almost open love to the Colonel?), dear

  Mrs. Mack was content to forgo her own chances so that her darling Rosey

  might be happy. We used to laugh and say, that as soon as Clive's father

  was gone, Josey would be sent for to join Rosey. But little Josey being

  under her grandmother's sole influence took most gratifying and serious

  turn; wrote letters, in which she questioned the morality of operas,

  Towers of London, and waxworks; and, before a year was out, married Elder

  Bogie, of Mr. M'Craw's church.

  Presently was to be read in the Morning Post an advertisement of the sale

  of three horses (the description and pedigree following), "the property

  of an officer returning to India. Apply to the groom, at the stables, 150

  Fitzroy Square."

  The Court of Directors invited Lieutenant-Colonel Newcome to an

  entertainment given to Major-General Sir Ralph Spurrier, K.C.B.,

  appointed Commander-in-Chief at Madras. Clive was asked to this dinner

  too, "and the governor's health was drunk, sir," Clive said, "after

  dinner, and the dear old fellow made such a good speech, in returning

  thanks!"

  He, Clive, and I made a pilgrimage to Grey Friars, and had the Green to

  ourselves, it being the Bartlemytide vacation, and the boys all away. One

  of the good old Poor Brothers whom we both recollected accompanied us

  round the place; and we sate for a while in Captain Scarsdale's little

  room (he had been a Peninsular officer, who had sold out, and was fain in

  his old age to retire into this calm retreat). And we talked, as old

  schoolmates and lovers talk, about subjects interesting to schoolmates

  and lovers only.

  One by one the Colonel took leave of his friends, young and old; ran down

  to Newcome, and gave Mrs. Mason a parting benediction; slept a night at

  Tom Smith's, and passed a day with Jack Brown; went to all the boys' and

  girls' schools where his little proteges were, so as to be able to take

  the very last and most authentic account of the young folks to their

  parents in India; spent a week at Marble Hill, and shot partridges there,

  but for which entertainment, Clive said, the place would have been

  intolerable; and thence proceeded to Brighton to pass a little time with

  good Miss Honeyman. As for Sir Brian's family, when Parliament broke up,

  of course, they did not stay in town. Barnes, of course, had part of a

  moor in Scotland, whither his uncle and cousin did not follow him. The

  rest went abroad. Sir Brian wanted the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle. The

  brothers parted very good friends; Lady Anne, and all the young people,

  heartily wished him farewell. I believe Sir Brian even accompanied the

  Colonel downstairs from the drawing-room, in Park Lane, and actually came

  out and saw his brother into his cab (just as he would accompany old Lady

  Bagges when she came to look at her account at the bank, from the parlour

  to her carriage). But as for Ethel, she was not going to be put off with

  this sort of parting and the next morning a cab dashed up to Fitzroy

  Square, and a veiled lady came out thence, and was closeted with Colonel

  Newcome for five minutes, and when he led her back to the carriage there

  were tears in his eyes.

  Mrs. Mackenzie joked about the transaction (having watched it from the

  dining-room windows), and asked the Colonel who his sweetheart was?

  Newcome replied very sternly, that he hoped no one would ever speak

  lightly of that young lady, whom he loved as his own daughter; and I

  thought Rosey looked vexed at the praises thus bestowed. This was the day

  before we all went down to Brighton. Miss Honeyman's lodgings were taken

  for Mr. Binnie and his ladies. Clive and her dearest Colonel had

  apartments next door. Charles Honeyman came dawn and preached one of his

  very best sermons. Fred Bayham was there, and looked particularly grand

  and noble on the pier and the cliff. I am inclined to think he had had

  some explanation with Thomas Newcome
, which had placed F. B. in a state

  of at least temporary prosperity. Whom did he not benefit whom he knew,

  and what eye that saw him did not bless him? F. B. was greatly affected

  at Charles's sermon, of which our party of course could see the

  allusions. Tears actually rolled down his brown cheeks; for Fred was a

  man very easily moved, and, as it were, a softened sinner. Little Rosey

  and her mother sobbed audibly, greatly to the surprise of stout old Miss

  Honeyman, who had no idea of such watery exhibitions, and to the

  discomfiture of poor Newcome, who was annoyed to have his praises even

  hinted in that sacred edifice. Good Mr. James Binnie came for once to

  church; and, however variously their feelings might be exhibited or,

  repressed, I think there was not one of the little circle there assembled

  who did not bring to the place a humble prayer and a gentle heart. It was

  the last Sabbath-bell our dear friend was to hear for many a day on his

  native shore. The great sea washed the beach as we came out, blue with

  the reflection of the skies, and its innumerable waves crested with

  sunshine. I see the good man and his boy yet clinging to him, as they

  pace together by the shore.

  The Colonel was very much pleased by a visit from Mr. Ridley and the

  communication which he made (my Lord Todmorden has a mansion and park in

  Sussex, whence Mr. Ridley came to pay his duty to Colonel Newcome). He

  said he "never could forget the kindness with which the Colonel have a

  treated him. His lordship have taken a young man, which Mr. Ridley had

  brought him up under his own eye, and can answer for him, Mr. R. says,

  with impunity; and which he is to be his lordship's own man for the

  future. And his lordship have appointed me his steward, and having, as he

  always hev been, been most liberal in point of sellary. And me and Mrs.

  Ridley was thinking, sir, most respectfully, with regard to our son, Mr.

  John James Ridley--as good and honest a young man, which I am proud to

  say it, that if Mr. Clive goes abroad we should be most proud and happy

  if John James went with him. And the money which you have paid us so

  handsome, Colonel, he shall have it; which it was the excellent ideer of

  Miss Cann; and my lord have ordered a pictur of John James in the most

  libral manner, and have asked my son to dinner, sir, at his lordship's

  own table, which I have faithfully served him five-and-thirty years."

  Ridley's voice fairly broke down at this part of his speech, which

  evidently was a studied composition, and he uttered no more of it, for

  the Colonel cordially shook him by the hand, and Clive jumped up clapping

  his, and saying that it was the greatest wish of his heart that J. J. and

  he should be companions in France and Italy. "But I did not like to ask

  my dear old father," he said, "who has had so many calls on his purse,

  and besides, I knew that J. J. was too independent to come as my

  follower."

  The Colonel's berth has been duly secured ere now. This time he makes the

  overland journey; and his passage is to Alexandria, taken in one of the

  noble ships of the Peninsular and Oriental Company. His kit is as simple

  as a subaltern's; I believe, but for Clive's friendly compulsion, he

  would have carried back no other than the old uniform which has served

  him for so many years. Clive and his father travelled to Southampton

  together by themselves. F. B. and I took the Southampton coach: we had

  asked leave to see the last of him, and say a "God bless you" to our dear

  old friend. So the day came when the vessel was to sail. We saw his

  cabin, and witnessed all the bustle and stir on board the good ship on a

  day of departure. Our thoughts, however, were fixed but on one person--

  the case, no doubt, with hundreds more on such a day. There was many a

  group of friends closing wistfully together on the sunny deck, and saying

  the last words of blessing and farewell. The bustle of the ship passes