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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/12131-0.txt b/12131-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bcd275e --- /dev/null +++ b/12131-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,535 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12131 *** + +THE LADY OF THE BARGE + +AND OTHER STORIES + +By W. W. Jacobs + + + + +A GOLDEN VENTURE + + +The elders of the Tidger family sat at breakfast--Mrs. Tidger with knees +wide apart and the youngest Tidger nestling in the valley of print-dress +which lay between, and Mr. Tidger bearing on one moleskin knee a small +copy of himself in a red flannel frock and a slipper. The larger Tidger +children took the solids of their breakfast up and down the stone-flagged +court outside, coming in occasionally to gulp draughts of very weak tea +from a gallipot or two which stood on the table, and to wheedle Mr. +Tidger out of any small piece of bloater which he felt generous enough +to bestow. + +"Peg away, Ann," said Mr. Tidger, heartily. + +His wife's elder sister shook her head, and passing the remains of her +slice to one of her small nephews, leaned back in her chair. "No +appetite, Tidger," she said, slowly. + +"You should go in for carpentering," said Mr. Tidger, in justification of +the huge crust he was carving into mouthfuls with his pocket-knife. +"Seems to me I can't eat enough sometimes. Hullo, who's the letter for?" + +He took it from the postman, who stood at the door amid a bevy of Tidgers +who had followed him up the court, and slowly read the address. + +"'Mrs. Ann Pullen,'" he said, handing it over to his sister-in-law; "nice +writing, too." + +Mrs. Pullen broke the envelope, and after a somewhat lengthy search for +her pocket, fumbled therein for her spectacles. She then searched the +mantelpiece, the chest of drawers, and the dresser, and finally ran them +to earth on the copper. + +She was not a good scholar, and it took her some time to read the letter, +a proceeding which she punctuated with such "Ohs" and "Ahs" and gaspings +and "God bless my souls" as nearly drove the carpenter and his wife, who +were leaning forward impatiently, to the verge of desperation. + +"Who's it from?" asked Mr. Tidger for the third time. + +"I don't know," said Mrs. Pullen. "Good gracious, who ever would ha' +thought it!" + +"Thought what, Ann?" demanded the carpenter, feverishly. + +"Why don't people write their names plain?" demanded his sister-in-law, +impatiently. "It's got a printed name up in the corner; perhaps that's +it. Well, I never did--I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or +my heels." + +"You're sitting down, that's what you're a-doing," said the carpenter, +regarding her somewhat unfavourably. + +"Perhaps it's a take-in," said Mrs. Pullen, her lips trembling. "I've +heard o' such things. If it is, I shall never get over it--never." + +"Get--over--what?" asked the carpenter. + +"It don't look like a take-in," soliloquized Mrs. Pullen, "and I +shouldn't think anybody'd go to all that trouble and spend a penny to +take in a poor thing like me." + +Mr. Tidger, throwing politeness to the winds, leaped forward, and +snatching the letter from her, read it with feverish haste, tempered +by a defective education. + +"It's a take-in, Ann," he said, his voice trembling; "it must be." + +"What is?" asked Mrs. Tidger, impatiently. + +"Looks like it," said Mrs. Pullen, feebly. + +"What is it?" screamed Mrs. Tidger, wrought beyond all endurance. + +Her husband turned and regarded her with much severity, but Mrs. Tidger's +gaze was the stronger, and after a vain attempt to meet it, he handed her +the letter. + +Mrs. Tidger read it through hastily, and then snatching the baby from her +lap, held it out with both arms to her husband, and jumping up, kissed +her sister heartily, patting her on the back in her excitement until she +coughed with the pain of it. + +"You don't think it's a take-in, Polly?" she inquired. + +"Take-in?" said her sister; "of course it ain't. Lawyers don't play +jokes; their time's too valuable. No, you're an heiress all right, Ann, +and I wish you joy. I couldn't be more pleased if it was myself." + +She kissed her again, and going to pat her back once more, discovered +that she had sunk down sufficiently low in her chair to obtain the +protection of its back. + +"Two thousand pounds," said Mrs. Pullen, in an awestruck voice. + +"Ten hundered pounds twice over," said the carpenter, mouthing it slowly; +"twenty hundered pounds." + +He got up from the table, and instinctively realizing that he could not +do full justice to his feelings with the baby in his arms, laid it on the +teatray in a puddle of cold tea and stood looking hard at the heiress. + +"I was housekeeper to her eleven years ago," said Mrs. Pullen. "I wonder +what she left it to me for?" + +"Didn't know what to do with it, I should think," said the carpenter, +still staring openmouthed. + +"Tidger, I'm ashamed of you," said his wife, snatching her infant to her +bosom. "I expect you was very good to her, Ann." + +"I never 'ad no luck," said the impenitent carpenter. "Nobody ever left +me no money. Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note." + +He stared round disdainfully at his poor belongings, and drawing on his +coat, took his bag from a corner, and hoisting it on his shoulder, +started to his work. He scattered the news as he went, and it ran up and +down the little main street of Thatcham, and thence to the outlying lanes +and cottages. Within a couple of hours it was common property, and the +fortunate legatee was presented with a congratulatory address every time +she ventured near the door. + +It is an old adage that money makes friends; the carpenter was surprised +to find that the mere fact of his having a moneyed relation had the same +effect, and that men to whom he had hitherto shown a certain amount of +respect due to their position now sought his company. They stood him +beer at the "Bell," and walked by his side through the street. When they +took to dropping in of an evening to smoke a pipe the carpenter was +radiant with happiness. + +"You don't seem to see beyond the end of your nose, Tidger," said the +wife of his bosom after they had retired one evening. + +"H'm?" said the startled carpenter. + +"What do you think old Miller, the dealer, comes here for?" demanded his +wife. + +"Smoke his pipe," replied her husband, confidently. + +"And old Wiggett?" persisted Mrs. Tidger. + +"Smoke his pipe," was the reply. "Why, what's the matter, Polly?" + +Mrs. Tidger sniffed derisively. "You men are all alike," she snapped. +"What do you think Ann wears that pink bodice for?" + +"I never noticed she 'ad a pink bodice, Polly," said the carpenter. + +"No? That's what I say. You men never notice anything," said his wife. +"If you don't send them two old fools off, I will." + +"Don't you like 'em to see Ann wearing pink?" inquired the mystified +Tidger. + +Mrs. Tidger bit her lip and shook her head at him scornfully. "In plain +English, Tidger, as plain as I can speak it,"--she said, severely, +"they're after Ann and 'er bit o' money." + +Mr. Tidger gazed at her open-mouthed, and taking advantage of that fact, +blew out the candle to hide his discomposure. "What!" he said, blankly, +"at 'er time o' life?" + +"Watch 'em to-morrer," said his wife. + +The carpenter acted upon his instructions, and his ire rose as he noticed +the assiduous attention paid by his two friends to the frivolous Mrs. +Pullen. Mr. Wiggett, a sharp-featured little man, was doing most of the +talking, while his rival, a stout, clean-shaven man with a slow, oxlike +eye, looked on stolidly. Mr. Miller was seldom in a hurry, and lost many +a bargain through his slowness--a fact which sometimes so painfully +affected the individual who had outdistanced him that he would offer to +let him have it at a still lower figure. + +"You get younger than ever, Mrs. Pullen," said Wiggett, the conversation +having turned upon ages. + +"Young ain't the word for it," said Miller, with a praiseworthy +determination not to be left behind. + +"No; it's age as you're thinking of, Mr. Wiggett," said the carpenter, +slowly; "none of us gets younger, do we, Ann?" + +[Illustration: "YOU GET YOUNGER THAN EVER, MRS. PULLEN."] + +"Some of us keeps young in our ways," said Mrs. Pullen, somewhat shortly. + +"How old should you say Ann is now?" persisted the watchful Tidger. + +Mr. Wiggett shook his head. "I should say she's about fifteen years +younger nor me," he said, slowly, "and I'm as lively as a cricket." + +"She's fifty-five," said the carpenter. + +"That makes you seventy, Wiggett," said Mr. Miller, pointedly. "I +thought you was more than that. You look it." + +Mr. Wiggett coughed sourly. "I'm fifty-nine," he growled. "Nothing 'll +make me believe as Mrs. Pullen's fifty-five, nor anywhere near it." + +"Ho!" said the carpenter, on his mettle--"ho! Why, my wife here was the +sixth child, and she---- He caught a gleam in the sixth child's eye, and +expressed her age with a cough. The others waited politely until he had +finished, and Mr. Tidger, noticing this, coughed again. + +"And she--" prompted Mr. Miller, displaying a polite interest. + +"She ain't so young as she was," said the carpenter. + +"Cares of a family," said Mr. Wiggett, plumping boldly. "I always +thought Mrs. Pullen was younger than her." + +"So did I," said Mr. Miller, "much younger." + +Mr. Wiggett eyed him sharply. It was rather hard to have Miller hiding +his lack of invention by participating in his compliments and even +improving upon them. It was the way he dealt at market-listening to +other dealers' accounts of their wares, and adding to them for his own. + +"I was noticing you the other day, ma'am," continued Mr. Wiggett. "I see +you going up the road with a step free and easy as a young girl's." + +"She allus walks like that," said Mr. Miller, in a tone of surprised +reproof. + +"It's in the family," said the carpenter, who had been uneasily watching +his wife's face. + +"Both of you seem to notice a lot," said Mrs. Tidger; "much more than you +used to." + +Mr. Tidger, who was of a nervous and sensitive disposition, coughed +again. + +"You ought to take something for that cough," said Mr. Wiggett, +considerately. + +"Gin and beer," said Mr. Miller, with the air of a specialist. + +"Bed's the best thing for it," said Mrs. Tidger, whose temper was +beginning to show signs of getting out of hand. + +Mr. Tidger rose and looked awkwardly at his visitors; Mr. Wiggett got up, +and pretending to notice the time, said he must be going, and looked at +Mr. Miller. That gentleman, who was apparently deep in some knotty +problem, was gazing at the floor, and oblivious for the time to his +surroundings. + +"Come along," said Wiggett, with feigned heartiness, slapping him on the +back. + +Mr. Miller, looking for a moment as though he would like to return the +compliment, came back to everyday life, and bidding the company good- +night, stepped to the door, accompanied by his rival. It was immediately +shut with some violence. + +"They seem in a hurry," said Wiggett. "I don't think I shall go there +again." + +"I don't think I shall," said Mr. Miller. + +After this neither of them was surprised to meet there again the next +night, and indeed for several nights. The carpenter and his wife, who +did not want the money to go out of the family, and were also afraid of +offending Mrs. Pullen, were at their wits' end what to do. Ultimately it +was resolved that Tidger, in as delicate a manner as possible, was to +hint to her that they were after her money. He was so vague and so +delicate that Mrs. Pullen misunderstood him, and fancying that he was +trying to borrow half a crown, made him a present of five shillings. + +It was evident to the slower-going Mr. Miller that his rival's tongue was +giving him an advantage which only the ever-watchful presence of the +carpenter and his wife prevented him from pushing to the fullest +advantage. In these circumstances he sat for two hours after breakfast +one morning in deep cogitation, and after six pipes got up with a twinkle +in his slow eyes which his brother dealers had got to regard as a danger +signal. + +He had only the glimmering of an idea at first, but after a couple of +pints at the "Bell" everything took shape, and he cast his eyes about for +an assistant. They fell upon a man named Smith, and the dealer, after +some thought, took up his glass and went over to him. + +"I want you to do something for me," he remarked, in a mysterious voice. + +"Ah, I've been wanting to see you," said Smith, who was also a dealer in +a small way. "One o' them hins I bought off you last week is dead." + +"I'll give you another for it," said Miller. + +"And the others are so forgetful," continued Mr. Smith. + +"Forgetful?" repeated the other. + +"Forget to lay, like," said Mr. Smith, musingly. + +"Never mind about them," said Mr. Miller, with some animation. "I want +you to do something for me. If it comes off all right, I'll give you a +dozen hins and a couple of decentish-sized pigs." + +Mr. Smith called a halt. "Decentish-sized" was vague. + +"Take your pick," said Mr. Miller. "You know Mrs. Pullen's got two +thousand pounds--" + +"Wiggett's going to have it," said the other; "he as good as told me so." + +"He's after her money," said the other, sadly. "Look 'ere, Smith, I want +you to tell him she's lost it all. Say that Tidger told you, but you +wasn't to tell anybody else. Wiggett 'll believe you." + +Mr. Smith turned upon him a face all wrinkles, lit by one eye. "I want +the hins and the pigs first," he said, firmly. + +Mr. Miller, shocked at his grasping spirit, stared at him mournfully. + +"And twenty pounds the day you marry Mrs. Pullen," continued Mr. Smith. + +Mr. Miller, leading him up and down the sawdust floor, besought him to +listen to reason, and Mr. Smith allowed the better feelings of our common +human nature to prevail to the extent of reducing his demands to half a +dozen fowls on account, and all the rest on the day of the marriage. +Then, with the delightful feeling that he wouldn't do any work for a +week, he went out to drop poison into the ears of Mr. Wiggett. + +"Lost all her money!" said the startled Mr. Wiggett. "How?" + +"I don't know how," said his friend. "Tidger told me, but made me +promise not to tell a soul. But I couldn't help telling you, Wiggett, +'cause I know what you're after." + +"Do me a favour," said the little man. + +"I will," said the other. + +"Keep it from Miller as long as possible. If you hear any one else +talking of it, tell 'em to keep it from him. If he marries her I'll give +you a couple of pints." + +Mr. Smith promised faithfully, and both the Tidgers and Mrs. Pullen were +surprised to find that Mr. Miller was the only visitor that evening. He +spoke but little, and that little in a slow, ponderous voice intended for +Mrs. Pullen's ear alone. He spoke disparagingly of money, and shook his +head slowly at the temptations it brought in its train. Give him a +crust, he said, and somebody to halve it with--a home-made crust baked by +a wife. It was a pretty picture, but somewhat spoiled by Mrs. Tidger +suggesting that, though he had spoken of halving the crust, he had said +nothing about the beer. + +"Half of my beer wouldn't be much," said the dealer, slowly. + +"Not the half you would give your wife wouldn't," retorted Mrs. Tidger. + +The dealer sighed and looked mournfully at Mrs. Pullen. The lady sighed +in return, and finding that her admirer's stock of conversation seemed to +be exhausted, coyly suggested a game of draughts. The dealer assented +with eagerness, and declining the offer of a glass of beer by explaining +that he had had one the day before yesterday, sat down and lost seven +games right off. He gave up at the seventh game, and pushing back his +chair, said that he thought Mrs. Pullen was the most wonderful draught- +player he had ever seen, and took no notice when Mrs. Tidger, in a dry +voice charged with subtle meaning, said that she thought he was. + +"Draughts come natural to some people," said Mrs. Pullen, modestly. +"It's as easy as kissing your fingers." + +Mr. Miller looked doubtful; then he put his great fingers to his lips by +way of experiment, and let them fall unmistakably in the widow's +direction. Mrs. Pullen looked down and nearly blushed. The carpenter +and his wife eyed each other in indignant consternation. + +"That's easy enough," said the dealer, and repeated the offense. + +Mrs. Pullen got up in some confusion, and began to put the draught-board +away. One of the pieces fell on the floor, and as they both stooped to +recover it their heads bumped. It was nothing to the dealer's, but Mrs. +Pullen rubbed hers and sat down with her eyes watering. Mr. Miller took +out his handkerchief, and going to the scullery, dipped it into water and +held it to her head. + +"Is it better?" he inquired. + +"A little better," said the victim, with a shiver. + +Mr. Miller, in his emotion, was squeezing the handkerchief hard, and a +cold stream was running down her neck. + +"Thank you. It's all right now." + +The dealer replaced the handkerchief, and sat for some time regarding her +earnestly. Then the carpenter and his wife displaying manifest signs of +impatience, he took his departure, after first inviting himself for +another game of draughts the following night. + +He walked home with the air of a conqueror, and thought exultingly that +the two thousand pounds were his. It was a deal after his own heart, and +not the least satisfactory part about it was the way he had got the +better of Wiggett. + +He completed his scheme the following day after a short interview with +the useful Smith. By the afternoon Wiggett found that his exclusive +information was common property, and all Thatcham was marvelling at the +fortitude with which Mrs. Pullen was bearing the loss of her fortune. +With a view of being out of the way when the denial was published, Mr. +Miller, after loudly expressing in public his sympathy for Mrs. Pullen +and his admiration of her qualities, drove over with some pigs to a +neighbouring village, returning to Thatcham in the early evening. Then +hurriedly putting his horse up he made his way to the carpenter's. + +The Tidgers were at home when he entered, and Mrs. Pullen flushed faintly +as he shook hands. + +"I was coming in before," he said, impressively, "after what I heard this +afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe." + +"You 'eard it?" inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice. + +"Certainly," said the dealer, "and very sorry I was. Sorry for one +thing, but glad for another." + +The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak. Then he +checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer. + +"I'm glad," said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. +Tidger's who had just come in with a long face, "because now that Mrs. +Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn't say while she was rich." + +Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily +checked him with his hand. + +"One at a time," he said. "Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this +afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money. What I +wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be +Mrs. Miller. What d'ye say?" + +Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, "Yes." +The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief--the same that he had +used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man--and tenderly +wiped her eyes. + +"Well, I'm blowed!" said the staring carpenter. + +"I've got a nice little 'ouse," continued the wily Mr. Miller. "It's a +poor place, but nice, and we'll play draughts every evening. When shall +it be?" + +"When you like," said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice. + +"I'll put the banns up to-morrow," said the dealer. + +Mrs. Tidger's lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who +felt that she had misjudged him, was touched. + +"It does you credit, Mr. Miller," she said, warmly. + +"No, no," said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the +room, solemnly shook hands with him. + +"Money or no money, she'll make a good wife," he said. + +"I'm glad you're pleased," said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality. + +"I don't deny I thought you was after her money," continued the +carpenter, solemnly. "My missus thought so, too." + +Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him +better. + +"Of course it is a great loss," said the carpenter. "Money is money." + +"That's all it is, though," said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller. + +"What I can't understand is," continued the carpenter, "'ow the news got +about. Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did." + +The dealer hid a grin. Then he looked a bit bewildered again. + +"I assure you," said the carpenter, "it was known in the town at least a +couple of hours before we got the letter." + +Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features. +"Letter?" he repeated, faintly. + +"The letter from the lawyers," said the carpenter. + +Mr. Miller was silent again. His features were getting tiresome. He +eyed the door furtively. + +"What-was-in-the letter?" he asked. + +"Short and sweet," said the carpenter, with bitterness. "Said it was all +a mistake, because they'd been and found another will. People shouldn't +make such mistakes." + +"We're all liable to make mistakes," said Miller, thinking he saw an +opening. + +"Yes, we made a mistake when we thought you was after Ann's money," +assented the carpenter. "I'm sure I thought you'd be the last man in the +world to be pleased to hear that she'd lost it. One thing is, you've got +enough for both." + +[Illustration: "WE'LL LEAVE YOU TWO YOUNG THINGS ALONE."] + +Mr. Miller made no reply, but in a dazed way strove to realize the full +measure of the misfortune which had befallen him. The neighbour, with +the anxiety of her sex to be the first with a bit of news, had already +taken her departure. He thought of Wiggett walking the earth a free man, +and of Smith with a three-months' bill for twenty pounds. His pride as a +dealer was shattered beyond repair, and emerging from a species of mist, +he became conscious that the carpenter was addressing him. + +"We'll leave you two young things alone for a bit," said Mr. Tidger, +heartily. "We're going out. When you're tired o' courting you can play +draughts, and Ann will show you one or two of 'er moves. So long." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. Jacobs + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12131 *** diff --git a/12131-h.zip b/12131-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbd020b --- /dev/null +++ b/12131-h.zip diff --git a/12131-h/010.jpg b/12131-h/010.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8042661 --- /dev/null +++ b/12131-h/010.jpg diff --git a/12131-h/011.jpg b/12131-h/011.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c85302d --- /dev/null +++ b/12131-h/011.jpg diff --git a/12131-h/12131-h.htm b/12131-h/12131-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08402bb --- /dev/null +++ b/12131-h/12131-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1043 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>THE LADY OF THE BARGE AND OTHERS</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {margin:10%; text-align:justify} +img {border: 0;} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. Jacobs + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Golden Venture + The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 11. + +Author: W.W. Jacobs + +Release Date: April 22, 2004 [EBook #12131] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOLDEN VENTURE *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="cover.jpg (102K)" src="cover.jpg" height="923" width="738"> +</center> +<br><br> + + +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="title.jpg (40K)" src="title.jpg" height="602" width="442"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<center> +<h1>THE LADY OF THE BARGE<br><br> +AND OTHER STORIES</h1> +<br><br> +<h2>By W. W. Jacobs</h2> +</center> + +<a name="frontis"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="frontis.jpg (80K)" src="frontis.jpg" height="742" width="503"> +</center> +<br><br> + + +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<br><br><hr><br><br> + +<a name="c11"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2> +A GOLDEN VENTURE +</h2> +</center> +<br> + +<p>The elders of the Tidger family sat at breakfast—Mrs. Tidger with knees +wide apart and the youngest Tidger nestling in the valley of print-dress +which lay between, and Mr. Tidger bearing on one moleskin knee a small +copy of himself in a red flannel frock and a slipper. The larger Tidger +children took the solids of their breakfast up and down the stone-flagged +court outside, coming in occasionally to gulp draughts of very weak tea +from a gallipot or two which stood on the table, and to wheedle Mr. +Tidger out of any small piece of bloater which he felt generous enough +to bestow.</p> + +<p>"Peg away, Ann," said Mr. Tidger, heartily.</p> + +<p>His wife's elder sister shook her head, and passing the remains of her +slice to one of her small nephews, leaned back in her chair. "No +appetite, Tidger," she said, slowly.</p> + +<p>"You should go in for carpentering," said Mr. Tidger, in justification of +the huge crust he was carving into mouthfuls with his pocket-knife. +"Seems to me I can't eat enough sometimes. Hullo, who's the letter for?"</p> + +<p>He took it from the postman, who stood at the door amid a bevy of Tidgers +who had followed him up the court, and slowly read the address.</p> + +<p>"'Mrs. Ann Pullen,'" he said, handing it over to his sister-in-law; "nice +writing, too."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen broke the envelope, and after a somewhat lengthy search for +her pocket, fumbled therein for her spectacles. She then searched the +mantelpiece, the chest of drawers, and the dresser, and finally ran them +to earth on the copper.</p> + +<p>She was not a good scholar, and it took her some time to read the letter, +a proceeding which she punctuated with such "Ohs" and "Ahs" and gaspings +and "God bless my souls" as nearly drove the carpenter and his wife, who +were leaning forward impatiently, to the verge of desperation.</p> + +<p>"Who's it from?" asked Mr. Tidger for the third time.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," said Mrs. Pullen. "Good gracious, who ever would ha' +thought it!"</p> + +<p>"Thought what, Ann?" demanded the carpenter, feverishly.</p> + +<p>"Why don't people write their names plain?" demanded his sister-in-law, +impatiently. "It's got a printed name up in the corner; perhaps that's +it. Well, I never did—I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or +my heels."</p> + +<p>"You're sitting down, that's what you're a-doing," said the carpenter, +regarding her somewhat unfavourably.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps it's a take-in," said Mrs. Pullen, her lips trembling. "I've +heard o' such things. If it is, I shall never get over it—never."</p> + +<p>"Get—over—what?" asked the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"It don't look like a take-in," soliloquized Mrs. Pullen, "and I +shouldn't think anybody'd go to all that trouble and spend a penny to +take in a poor thing like me."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger, throwing politeness to the winds, leaped forward, and +snatching the letter from her, read it with feverish haste, tempered +by a defective education.</p> + +<p>"It's a take-in, Ann," he said, his voice trembling; "it must be."</p> + +<p>"What is?" asked Mrs. Tidger, impatiently.</p> + +<p>"Looks like it," said Mrs. Pullen, feebly.</p> + +<p>"What is it?" screamed Mrs. Tidger, wrought beyond all endurance.</p> + +<p>Her husband turned and regarded her with much severity, but Mrs. Tidger's +gaze was the stronger, and after a vain attempt to meet it, he handed her +the letter.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger read it through hastily, and then snatching the baby from her +lap, held it out with both arms to her husband, and jumping up, kissed +her sister heartily, patting her on the back in her excitement until she +coughed with the pain of it.</p> + +<p>"You don't think it's a take-in, Polly?" she inquired.</p> + +<p>"Take-in?" said her sister; "of course it ain't. Lawyers don't play +jokes; their time's too valuable. No, you're an heiress all right, Ann, +and I wish you joy. I couldn't be more pleased if it was myself."</p> + +<p>She kissed her again, and going to pat her back once more, discovered +that she had sunk down sufficiently low in her chair to obtain the +protection of its back.</p> + +<p>"Two thousand pounds," said Mrs. Pullen, in an awestruck voice.</p> + +<p>"Ten hundered pounds twice over," said the carpenter, mouthing it slowly; +"twenty hundered pounds."</p> + +<p>He got up from the table, and instinctively realizing that he could not +do full justice to his feelings with the baby in his arms, laid it on the +teatray in a puddle of cold tea and stood looking hard at the heiress.</p> + +<p>"I was housekeeper to her eleven years ago," said Mrs. Pullen. "I wonder +what she left it to me for?"</p> + +<p>"Didn't know what to do with it, I should think," said the carpenter, +still staring openmouthed.</p> + +<p>"Tidger, I'm ashamed of you," said his wife, snatching her infant to her +bosom. "I expect you was very good to her, Ann."</p> + +<p>"I never 'ad no luck," said the impenitent carpenter. "Nobody ever left +me no money. Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note."</p> + +<p>He stared round disdainfully at his poor belongings, and drawing on his +coat, took his bag from a corner, and hoisting it on his shoulder, +started to his work. He scattered the news as he went, and it ran up and +down the little main street of Thatcham, and thence to the outlying lanes +and cottages. Within a couple of hours it was common property, and the +fortunate legatee was presented with a congratulatory address every time +she ventured near the door.</p> + +<p>It is an old adage that money makes friends; the carpenter was surprised +to find that the mere fact of his having a moneyed relation had the same +effect, and that men to whom he had hitherto shown a certain amount of +respect due to their position now sought his company. They stood him +beer at the "Bell," and walked by his side through the street. When they +took to dropping in of an evening to smoke a pipe the carpenter was +radiant with happiness.</p> + +<p>"You don't seem to see beyond the end of your nose, Tidger," said the +wife of his bosom after they had retired one evening.</p> + +<p>"H'm?" said the startled carpenter.</p> + +<p>"What do you think old Miller, the dealer, comes here for?" demanded his +wife.</p> + +<p>"Smoke his pipe," replied her husband, confidently.</p> + +<p>"And old Wiggett?" persisted Mrs. Tidger.</p> + +<p>"Smoke his pipe," was the reply. "Why, what's the matter, Polly?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger sniffed derisively. "You men are all alike," she snapped. +"What do you think Ann wears that pink bodice for?"</p> + +<p>"I never noticed she 'ad a pink bodice, Polly," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"No? That's what I say. You men never notice anything," said his wife. +"If you don't send them two old fools off, I will."</p> + +<p>"Don't you like 'em to see Ann wearing pink?" inquired the mystified +Tidger.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger bit her lip and shook her head at him scornfully. "In plain +English, Tidger, as plain as I can speak it,"—she said, severely, +"they're after Ann and 'er bit o' money."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger gazed at her open-mouthed, and taking advantage of that fact, +blew out the candle to hide his discomposure. "What!" he said, blankly, +"at 'er time o' life?"</p> + +<p>"Watch 'em to-morrer," said his wife.</p> + +<p>The carpenter acted upon his instructions, and his ire rose as he noticed +the assiduous attention paid by his two friends to the frivolous Mrs. +Pullen. Mr. Wiggett, a sharp-featured little man, was doing most of the +talking, while his rival, a stout, clean-shaven man with a slow, oxlike +eye, looked on stolidly. Mr. Miller was seldom in a hurry, and lost many +a bargain through his slowness—a fact which sometimes so painfully +affected the individual who had outdistanced him that he would offer to +let him have it at a still lower figure.</p> + +<a name="010"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="010.jpg (62K)" src="010.jpg" height="513" width="508"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<p>"You get younger than ever, Mrs. Pullen," said Wiggett, the conversation +having turned upon ages.</p> + +<p>"Young ain't the word for it," said Miller, with a praiseworthy +determination not to be left behind.</p> + +<p>"No; it's age as you're thinking of, Mr. Wiggett," said the carpenter, +slowly; "none of us gets younger, do we, Ann?"</p> + +<p>"Some of us keeps young in our ways," said Mrs. Pullen, somewhat shortly.</p> + +<p>"How old should you say Ann is now?" persisted the watchful Tidger.</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett shook his head. "I should say she's about fifteen years +younger nor me," he said, slowly, "and I'm as lively as a cricket."</p> + +<p>"She's fifty-five," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"That makes you seventy, Wiggett," said Mr. Miller, pointedly. "I +thought you was more than that. You look it."</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett coughed sourly. "I'm fifty-nine," he growled. "Nothing 'll +make me believe as Mrs. Pullen's fifty-five, nor anywhere near it."</p> + +<p>"Ho!" said the carpenter, on his mettle—"ho! Why, my wife here was the +sixth child, and she—- He caught a gleam in the sixth child's eye, and +expressed her age with a cough. The others waited politely until he had +finished, and Mr. Tidger, noticing this, coughed again.</p> + +<p>"And she—" prompted Mr. Miller, displaying a polite interest.</p> + +<p>"She ain't so young as she was," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"Cares of a family," said Mr. Wiggett, plumping boldly. "I always +thought Mrs. Pullen was younger than her."</p> + +<p>"So did I," said Mr. Miller, "much younger."</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett eyed him sharply. It was rather hard to have Miller hiding +his lack of invention by participating in his compliments and even +improving upon them. It was the way he dealt at market-listening to +other dealers' accounts of their wares, and adding to them for his own.</p> + +<p>"I was noticing you the other day, ma'am," continued Mr. Wiggett. "I see +you going up the road with a step free and easy as a young girl's."</p> + +<p>"She allus walks like that," said Mr. Miller, in a tone of surprised +reproof.</p> + +<p>"It's in the family," said the carpenter, who had been uneasily watching +his wife's face.</p> + +<p>"Both of you seem to notice a lot," said Mrs. Tidger; "much more than you +used to."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger, who was of a nervous and sensitive disposition, coughed +again.</p> + +<p>"You ought to take something for that cough," said Mr. Wiggett, +considerately.</p> + +<p>"Gin and beer," said Mr. Miller, with the air of a specialist.</p> + +<p>"Bed's the best thing for it," said Mrs. Tidger, whose temper was +beginning to show signs of getting out of hand.</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger rose and looked awkwardly at his visitors; Mr. Wiggett got up, +and pretending to notice the time, said he must be going, and looked at +Mr. Miller. That gentleman, who was apparently deep in some knotty +problem, was gazing at the floor, and oblivious for the time to his +surroundings.</p> + +<p>"Come along," said Wiggett, with feigned heartiness, slapping him on the +back.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, looking for a moment as though he would like to return the +compliment, came back to everyday life, and bidding the company good- +night, stepped to the door, accompanied by his rival. It was immediately +shut with some violence.</p> + +<p>"They seem in a hurry," said Wiggett. "I don't think I shall go there +again."</p> + +<p>"I don't think I shall," said Mr. Miller.</p> + +<p>After this neither of them was surprised to meet there again the next +night, and indeed for several nights. The carpenter and his wife, who +did not want the money to go out of the family, and were also afraid of +offending Mrs. Pullen, were at their wits' end what to do. Ultimately it +was resolved that Tidger, in as delicate a manner as possible, was to +hint to her that they were after her money. He was so vague and so +delicate that Mrs. Pullen misunderstood him, and fancying that he was +trying to borrow half a crown, made him a present of five shillings.</p> + +<p>It was evident to the slower-going Mr. Miller that his rival's tongue was +giving him an advantage which only the ever-watchful presence of the +carpenter and his wife prevented him from pushing to the fullest +advantage. In these circumstances he sat for two hours after breakfast +one morning in deep cogitation, and after six pipes got up with a twinkle +in his slow eyes which his brother dealers had got to regard as a danger +signal.</p> + +<p>He had only the glimmering of an idea at first, but after a couple of +pints at the "Bell" everything took shape, and he cast his eyes about for +an assistant. They fell upon a man named Smith, and the dealer, after +some thought, took up his glass and went over to him.</p> + +<p>"I want you to do something for me," he remarked, in a mysterious voice.</p> + +<p>"Ah, I've been wanting to see you," said Smith, who was also a dealer in +a small way. "One o' them hins I bought off you last week is dead."</p> + +<p>"I'll give you another for it," said Miller.</p> + +<p>"And the others are so forgetful," continued Mr. Smith.</p> + +<p>"Forgetful?" repeated the other.</p> + +<p>"Forget to lay, like," said Mr. Smith, musingly.</p> + +<p>"Never mind about them," said Mr. Miller, with some animation. "I want +you to do something for me. If it comes off all right, I'll give you a +dozen hins and a couple of decentish-sized pigs."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith called a halt. "Decentish-sized" was vague.</p> + +<p>"Take your pick," said Mr. Miller. "You know Mrs. Pullen's got two +thousand pounds—"</p> + +<p>"Wiggett's going to have it," said the other; "he as good as told me so."</p> + +<p>"He's after her money," said the other, sadly. "Look 'ere, Smith, I want +you to tell him she's lost it all. Say that Tidger told you, but you +wasn't to tell anybody else. Wiggett 'll believe you."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith turned upon him a face all wrinkles, lit by one eye. "I want +the hins and the pigs first," he said, firmly.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, shocked at his grasping spirit, stared at him mournfully.</p> + +<p>"And twenty pounds the day you marry Mrs. Pullen," continued Mr. Smith.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, leading him up and down the sawdust floor, besought him to +listen to reason, and Mr. Smith allowed the better feelings of our common +human nature to prevail to the extent of reducing his demands to half a +dozen fowls on account, and all the rest on the day of the marriage. +Then, with the delightful feeling that he wouldn't do any work for a +week, he went out to drop poison into the ears of Mr. Wiggett.</p> + +<p>"Lost all her money!" said the startled Mr. Wiggett. "How?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know how," said his friend. "Tidger told me, but made me +promise not to tell a soul. But I couldn't help telling you, Wiggett, +'cause I know what you're after."</p> + +<p>"Do me a favour," said the little man.</p> + +<p>"I will," said the other.</p> + +<p>"Keep it from Miller as long as possible. If you hear any one else +talking of it, tell 'em to keep it from him. If he marries her I'll give +you a couple of pints."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith promised faithfully, and both the Tidgers and Mrs. Pullen were +surprised to find that Mr. Miller was the only visitor that evening. He +spoke but little, and that little in a slow, ponderous voice intended for +Mrs. Pullen's ear alone. He spoke disparagingly of money, and shook his +head slowly at the temptations it brought in its train. Give him a +crust, he said, and somebody to halve it with—a home-made crust baked by +a wife. It was a pretty picture, but somewhat spoiled by Mrs. Tidger +suggesting that, though he had spoken of halving the crust, he had said +nothing about the beer.</p> + +<p>"Half of my beer wouldn't be much," said the dealer, slowly.</p> + +<p>"Not the half you would give your wife wouldn't," retorted Mrs. Tidger.</p> + +<p>The dealer sighed and looked mournfully at Mrs. Pullen. The lady sighed +in return, and finding that her admirer's stock of conversation seemed to +be exhausted, coyly suggested a game of draughts. The dealer assented +with eagerness, and declining the offer of a glass of beer by explaining +that he had had one the day before yesterday, sat down and lost seven +games right off. He gave up at the seventh game, and pushing back his +chair, said that he thought Mrs. Pullen was the most wonderful draught- +player he had ever seen, and took no notice when Mrs. Tidger, in a dry +voice charged with subtle meaning, said that she thought he was.</p> + +<p>"Draughts come natural to some people," said Mrs. Pullen, modestly. +"It's as easy as kissing your fingers."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller looked doubtful; then he put his great fingers to his lips by +way of experiment, and let them fall unmistakably in the widow's +direction. Mrs. Pullen looked down and nearly blushed. The carpenter +and his wife eyed each other in indignant consternation.</p> + +<p>"That's easy enough," said the dealer, and repeated the offense.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen got up in some confusion, and began to put the draught-board +away. One of the pieces fell on the floor, and as they both stooped to +recover it their heads bumped. It was nothing to the dealer's, but Mrs. +Pullen rubbed hers and sat down with her eyes watering. Mr. Miller took +out his handkerchief, and going to the scullery, dipped it into water and +held it to her head.</p> + +<p>"Is it better?" he inquired.</p> + +<p>"A little better," said the victim, with a shiver.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, in his emotion, was squeezing the handkerchief hard, and a +cold stream was running down her neck.</p> + +<p>"Thank you. It's all right now."</p> + +<p>The dealer replaced the handkerchief, and sat for some time regarding her +earnestly. Then the carpenter and his wife displaying manifest signs of +impatience, he took his departure, after first inviting himself for +another game of draughts the following night.</p> + +<p>He walked home with the air of a conqueror, and thought exultingly that +the two thousand pounds were his. It was a deal after his own heart, and +not the least satisfactory part about it was the way he had got the +better of Wiggett.</p> + +<p>He completed his scheme the following day after a short interview with +the useful Smith. By the afternoon Wiggett found that his exclusive +information was common property, and all Thatcham was marvelling at the +fortitude with which Mrs. Pullen was bearing the loss of her fortune. +With a view of being out of the way when the denial was published, Mr. +Miller, after loudly expressing in public his sympathy for Mrs. Pullen +and his admiration of her qualities, drove over with some pigs to a +neighbouring village, returning to Thatcham in the early evening. Then +hurriedly putting his horse up he made his way to the carpenter's.</p> + +<p>The Tidgers were at home when he entered, and Mrs. Pullen flushed faintly +as he shook hands.</p> + +<p>"I was coming in before," he said, impressively, "after what I heard this +afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe."</p> + +<p>"You 'eard it?" inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice.</p> + +<p>"Certainly," said the dealer, "and very sorry I was. Sorry for one +thing, but glad for another."</p> + +<p>The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak. Then he +checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad," said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. +Tidger's who had just come in with a long face, "because now that Mrs. +Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn't say while she was rich."</p> + +<p>Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily +checked him with his hand.</p> + +<p>"One at a time," he said. "Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this +afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money. What I +wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be +Mrs. Miller. What d'ye say?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, "Yes." +The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief—the same that he had +used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man—and tenderly +wiped her eyes.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm blowed!" said the staring carpenter.</p> + +<p>"I've got a nice little 'ouse," continued the wily Mr. Miller. "It's a +poor place, but nice, and we'll play draughts every evening. When shall +it be?"</p> + +<p>"When you like," said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice.</p> + +<p>"I'll put the banns up to-morrow," said the dealer.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger's lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who +felt that she had misjudged him, was touched.</p> + +<p>"It does you credit, Mr. Miller," she said, warmly.</p> + +<p>"No, no," said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the +room, solemnly shook hands with him.</p> + +<p>"Money or no money, she'll make a good wife," he said.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad you're pleased," said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality.</p> + +<p>"I don't deny I thought you was after her money," continued the +carpenter, solemnly. "My missus thought so, too."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him +better.</p> + +<p>"Of course it is a great loss," said the carpenter. "Money is money."</p> + +<p>"That's all it is, though," said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller.</p> + +<p>"What I can't understand is," continued the carpenter, "'ow the news got +about. Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did."</p> + +<p>The dealer hid a grin. Then he looked a bit bewildered again.</p> + +<p>"I assure you," said the carpenter, "it was known in the town at least a +couple of hours before we got the letter."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features. +"Letter?" he repeated, faintly.</p> + +<p>"The letter from the lawyers," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller was silent again. His features were getting tiresome. He +eyed the door furtively.</p> + +<p>"What-was-in-the letter?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Short and sweet," said the carpenter, with bitterness. "Said it was all +a mistake, because they'd been and found another will. People shouldn't +make such mistakes."</p> + +<p>"We're all liable to make mistakes," said Miller, thinking he saw an +opening.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we made a mistake when we thought you was after Ann's money," +assented the carpenter. "I'm sure I thought you'd be the last man in the +world to be pleased to hear that she'd lost it. One thing is, you've got +enough for both."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller made no reply, but in a dazed way strove to realize the full +measure of the misfortune which had befallen him. The neighbour, with +the anxiety of her sex to be the first with a bit of news, had already +taken her departure. He thought of Wiggett walking the earth a free man, +and of Smith with a three-months' bill for twenty pounds. His pride as a +dealer was shattered beyond repair, and emerging from a species of mist, +he became conscious that the carpenter was addressing him.</p> + +<a name="011"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="011.jpg (103K)" src="011.jpg" height="788" width="498"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<p>"We'll leave you two young things alone for a bit," said Mr. Tidger, +heartily. "We're going out. When you're tired o' courting you can play +draughts, and Ann will show you one or two of 'er moves. So long."</p> + + + + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. 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Jacobs + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Golden Venture + The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 11. + +Author: W.W. Jacobs + +Release Date: April 22, 2004 [EBook #12131] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOLDEN VENTURE *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + +THE LADY OF THE BARGE + +AND OTHER STORIES + +By W. W. Jacobs + + + + +A GOLDEN VENTURE + + +The elders of the Tidger family sat at breakfast--Mrs. Tidger with knees +wide apart and the youngest Tidger nestling in the valley of print-dress +which lay between, and Mr. Tidger bearing on one moleskin knee a small +copy of himself in a red flannel frock and a slipper. The larger Tidger +children took the solids of their breakfast up and down the stone-flagged +court outside, coming in occasionally to gulp draughts of very weak tea +from a gallipot or two which stood on the table, and to wheedle Mr. +Tidger out of any small piece of bloater which he felt generous enough +to bestow. + +"Peg away, Ann," said Mr. Tidger, heartily. + +His wife's elder sister shook her head, and passing the remains of her +slice to one of her small nephews, leaned back in her chair. "No +appetite, Tidger," she said, slowly. + +"You should go in for carpentering," said Mr. Tidger, in justification of +the huge crust he was carving into mouthfuls with his pocket-knife. +"Seems to me I can't eat enough sometimes. Hullo, who's the letter for?" + +He took it from the postman, who stood at the door amid a bevy of Tidgers +who had followed him up the court, and slowly read the address. + +"'Mrs. Ann Pullen,'" he said, handing it over to his sister-in-law; "nice +writing, too." + +Mrs. Pullen broke the envelope, and after a somewhat lengthy search for +her pocket, fumbled therein for her spectacles. She then searched the +mantelpiece, the chest of drawers, and the dresser, and finally ran them +to earth on the copper. + +She was not a good scholar, and it took her some time to read the letter, +a proceeding which she punctuated with such "Ohs" and "Ahs" and gaspings +and "God bless my souls" as nearly drove the carpenter and his wife, who +were leaning forward impatiently, to the verge of desperation. + +"Who's it from?" asked Mr. Tidger for the third time. + +"I don't know," said Mrs. Pullen. "Good gracious, who ever would ha' +thought it!" + +"Thought what, Ann?" demanded the carpenter, feverishly. + +"Why don't people write their names plain?" demanded his sister-in-law, +impatiently. "It's got a printed name up in the corner; perhaps that's +it. Well, I never did--I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or +my heels." + +"You're sitting down, that's what you're a-doing," said the carpenter, +regarding her somewhat unfavourably. + +"Perhaps it's a take-in," said Mrs. Pullen, her lips trembling. "I've +heard o' such things. If it is, I shall never get over it--never." + +"Get--over--what?" asked the carpenter. + +"It don't look like a take-in," soliloquized Mrs. Pullen, "and I +shouldn't think anybody'd go to all that trouble and spend a penny to +take in a poor thing like me." + +Mr. Tidger, throwing politeness to the winds, leaped forward, and +snatching the letter from her, read it with feverish haste, tempered +by a defective education. + +"It's a take-in, Ann," he said, his voice trembling; "it must be." + +"What is?" asked Mrs. Tidger, impatiently. + +"Looks like it," said Mrs. Pullen, feebly. + +"What is it?" screamed Mrs. Tidger, wrought beyond all endurance. + +Her husband turned and regarded her with much severity, but Mrs. Tidger's +gaze was the stronger, and after a vain attempt to meet it, he handed her +the letter. + +Mrs. Tidger read it through hastily, and then snatching the baby from her +lap, held it out with both arms to her husband, and jumping up, kissed +her sister heartily, patting her on the back in her excitement until she +coughed with the pain of it. + +"You don't think it's a take-in, Polly?" she inquired. + +"Take-in?" said her sister; "of course it ain't. Lawyers don't play +jokes; their time's too valuable. No, you're an heiress all right, Ann, +and I wish you joy. I couldn't be more pleased if it was myself." + +She kissed her again, and going to pat her back once more, discovered +that she had sunk down sufficiently low in her chair to obtain the +protection of its back. + +"Two thousand pounds," said Mrs. Pullen, in an awestruck voice. + +"Ten hundered pounds twice over," said the carpenter, mouthing it slowly; +"twenty hundered pounds." + +He got up from the table, and instinctively realizing that he could not +do full justice to his feelings with the baby in his arms, laid it on the +teatray in a puddle of cold tea and stood looking hard at the heiress. + +"I was housekeeper to her eleven years ago," said Mrs. Pullen. "I wonder +what she left it to me for?" + +"Didn't know what to do with it, I should think," said the carpenter, +still staring openmouthed. + +"Tidger, I'm ashamed of you," said his wife, snatching her infant to her +bosom. "I expect you was very good to her, Ann." + +"I never 'ad no luck," said the impenitent carpenter. "Nobody ever left +me no money. Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note." + +He stared round disdainfully at his poor belongings, and drawing on his +coat, took his bag from a corner, and hoisting it on his shoulder, +started to his work. He scattered the news as he went, and it ran up and +down the little main street of Thatcham, and thence to the outlying lanes +and cottages. Within a couple of hours it was common property, and the +fortunate legatee was presented with a congratulatory address every time +she ventured near the door. + +It is an old adage that money makes friends; the carpenter was surprised +to find that the mere fact of his having a moneyed relation had the same +effect, and that men to whom he had hitherto shown a certain amount of +respect due to their position now sought his company. They stood him +beer at the "Bell," and walked by his side through the street. When they +took to dropping in of an evening to smoke a pipe the carpenter was +radiant with happiness. + +"You don't seem to see beyond the end of your nose, Tidger," said the +wife of his bosom after they had retired one evening. + +"H'm?" said the startled carpenter. + +"What do you think old Miller, the dealer, comes here for?" demanded his +wife. + +"Smoke his pipe," replied her husband, confidently. + +"And old Wiggett?" persisted Mrs. Tidger. + +"Smoke his pipe," was the reply. "Why, what's the matter, Polly?" + +Mrs. Tidger sniffed derisively. "You men are all alike," she snapped. +"What do you think Ann wears that pink bodice for?" + +"I never noticed she 'ad a pink bodice, Polly," said the carpenter. + +"No? That's what I say. You men never notice anything," said his wife. +"If you don't send them two old fools off, I will." + +"Don't you like 'em to see Ann wearing pink?" inquired the mystified +Tidger. + +Mrs. Tidger bit her lip and shook her head at him scornfully. "In plain +English, Tidger, as plain as I can speak it,"--she said, severely, +"they're after Ann and 'er bit o' money." + +Mr. Tidger gazed at her open-mouthed, and taking advantage of that fact, +blew out the candle to hide his discomposure. "What!" he said, blankly, +"at 'er time o' life?" + +"Watch 'em to-morrer," said his wife. + +The carpenter acted upon his instructions, and his ire rose as he noticed +the assiduous attention paid by his two friends to the frivolous Mrs. +Pullen. Mr. Wiggett, a sharp-featured little man, was doing most of the +talking, while his rival, a stout, clean-shaven man with a slow, oxlike +eye, looked on stolidly. Mr. Miller was seldom in a hurry, and lost many +a bargain through his slowness--a fact which sometimes so painfully +affected the individual who had outdistanced him that he would offer to +let him have it at a still lower figure. + +"You get younger than ever, Mrs. Pullen," said Wiggett, the conversation +having turned upon ages. + +"Young ain't the word for it," said Miller, with a praiseworthy +determination not to be left behind. + +"No; it's age as you're thinking of, Mr. Wiggett," said the carpenter, +slowly; "none of us gets younger, do we, Ann?" + +[Illustration: "YOU GET YOUNGER THAN EVER, MRS. PULLEN."] + +"Some of us keeps young in our ways," said Mrs. Pullen, somewhat shortly. + +"How old should you say Ann is now?" persisted the watchful Tidger. + +Mr. Wiggett shook his head. "I should say she's about fifteen years +younger nor me," he said, slowly, "and I'm as lively as a cricket." + +"She's fifty-five," said the carpenter. + +"That makes you seventy, Wiggett," said Mr. Miller, pointedly. "I +thought you was more than that. You look it." + +Mr. Wiggett coughed sourly. "I'm fifty-nine," he growled. "Nothing 'll +make me believe as Mrs. Pullen's fifty-five, nor anywhere near it." + +"Ho!" said the carpenter, on his mettle--"ho! Why, my wife here was the +sixth child, and she---- He caught a gleam in the sixth child's eye, and +expressed her age with a cough. The others waited politely until he had +finished, and Mr. Tidger, noticing this, coughed again. + +"And she--" prompted Mr. Miller, displaying a polite interest. + +"She ain't so young as she was," said the carpenter. + +"Cares of a family," said Mr. Wiggett, plumping boldly. "I always +thought Mrs. Pullen was younger than her." + +"So did I," said Mr. Miller, "much younger." + +Mr. Wiggett eyed him sharply. It was rather hard to have Miller hiding +his lack of invention by participating in his compliments and even +improving upon them. It was the way he dealt at market-listening to +other dealers' accounts of their wares, and adding to them for his own. + +"I was noticing you the other day, ma'am," continued Mr. Wiggett. "I see +you going up the road with a step free and easy as a young girl's." + +"She allus walks like that," said Mr. Miller, in a tone of surprised +reproof. + +"It's in the family," said the carpenter, who had been uneasily watching +his wife's face. + +"Both of you seem to notice a lot," said Mrs. Tidger; "much more than you +used to." + +Mr. Tidger, who was of a nervous and sensitive disposition, coughed +again. + +"You ought to take something for that cough," said Mr. Wiggett, +considerately. + +"Gin and beer," said Mr. Miller, with the air of a specialist. + +"Bed's the best thing for it," said Mrs. Tidger, whose temper was +beginning to show signs of getting out of hand. + +Mr. Tidger rose and looked awkwardly at his visitors; Mr. Wiggett got up, +and pretending to notice the time, said he must be going, and looked at +Mr. Miller. That gentleman, who was apparently deep in some knotty +problem, was gazing at the floor, and oblivious for the time to his +surroundings. + +"Come along," said Wiggett, with feigned heartiness, slapping him on the +back. + +Mr. Miller, looking for a moment as though he would like to return the +compliment, came back to everyday life, and bidding the company good- +night, stepped to the door, accompanied by his rival. It was immediately +shut with some violence. + +"They seem in a hurry," said Wiggett. "I don't think I shall go there +again." + +"I don't think I shall," said Mr. Miller. + +After this neither of them was surprised to meet there again the next +night, and indeed for several nights. The carpenter and his wife, who +did not want the money to go out of the family, and were also afraid of +offending Mrs. Pullen, were at their wits' end what to do. Ultimately it +was resolved that Tidger, in as delicate a manner as possible, was to +hint to her that they were after her money. He was so vague and so +delicate that Mrs. Pullen misunderstood him, and fancying that he was +trying to borrow half a crown, made him a present of five shillings. + +It was evident to the slower-going Mr. Miller that his rival's tongue was +giving him an advantage which only the ever-watchful presence of the +carpenter and his wife prevented him from pushing to the fullest +advantage. In these circumstances he sat for two hours after breakfast +one morning in deep cogitation, and after six pipes got up with a twinkle +in his slow eyes which his brother dealers had got to regard as a danger +signal. + +He had only the glimmering of an idea at first, but after a couple of +pints at the "Bell" everything took shape, and he cast his eyes about for +an assistant. They fell upon a man named Smith, and the dealer, after +some thought, took up his glass and went over to him. + +"I want you to do something for me," he remarked, in a mysterious voice. + +"Ah, I've been wanting to see you," said Smith, who was also a dealer in +a small way. "One o' them hins I bought off you last week is dead." + +"I'll give you another for it," said Miller. + +"And the others are so forgetful," continued Mr. Smith. + +"Forgetful?" repeated the other. + +"Forget to lay, like," said Mr. Smith, musingly. + +"Never mind about them," said Mr. Miller, with some animation. "I want +you to do something for me. If it comes off all right, I'll give you a +dozen hins and a couple of decentish-sized pigs." + +Mr. Smith called a halt. "Decentish-sized" was vague. + +"Take your pick," said Mr. Miller. "You know Mrs. Pullen's got two +thousand pounds--" + +"Wiggett's going to have it," said the other; "he as good as told me so." + +"He's after her money," said the other, sadly. "Look 'ere, Smith, I want +you to tell him she's lost it all. Say that Tidger told you, but you +wasn't to tell anybody else. Wiggett 'll believe you." + +Mr. Smith turned upon him a face all wrinkles, lit by one eye. "I want +the hins and the pigs first," he said, firmly. + +Mr. Miller, shocked at his grasping spirit, stared at him mournfully. + +"And twenty pounds the day you marry Mrs. Pullen," continued Mr. Smith. + +Mr. Miller, leading him up and down the sawdust floor, besought him to +listen to reason, and Mr. Smith allowed the better feelings of our common +human nature to prevail to the extent of reducing his demands to half a +dozen fowls on account, and all the rest on the day of the marriage. +Then, with the delightful feeling that he wouldn't do any work for a +week, he went out to drop poison into the ears of Mr. Wiggett. + +"Lost all her money!" said the startled Mr. Wiggett. "How?" + +"I don't know how," said his friend. "Tidger told me, but made me +promise not to tell a soul. But I couldn't help telling you, Wiggett, +'cause I know what you're after." + +"Do me a favour," said the little man. + +"I will," said the other. + +"Keep it from Miller as long as possible. If you hear any one else +talking of it, tell 'em to keep it from him. If he marries her I'll give +you a couple of pints." + +Mr. Smith promised faithfully, and both the Tidgers and Mrs. Pullen were +surprised to find that Mr. Miller was the only visitor that evening. He +spoke but little, and that little in a slow, ponderous voice intended for +Mrs. Pullen's ear alone. He spoke disparagingly of money, and shook his +head slowly at the temptations it brought in its train. Give him a +crust, he said, and somebody to halve it with--a home-made crust baked by +a wife. It was a pretty picture, but somewhat spoiled by Mrs. Tidger +suggesting that, though he had spoken of halving the crust, he had said +nothing about the beer. + +"Half of my beer wouldn't be much," said the dealer, slowly. + +"Not the half you would give your wife wouldn't," retorted Mrs. Tidger. + +The dealer sighed and looked mournfully at Mrs. Pullen. The lady sighed +in return, and finding that her admirer's stock of conversation seemed to +be exhausted, coyly suggested a game of draughts. The dealer assented +with eagerness, and declining the offer of a glass of beer by explaining +that he had had one the day before yesterday, sat down and lost seven +games right off. He gave up at the seventh game, and pushing back his +chair, said that he thought Mrs. Pullen was the most wonderful draught- +player he had ever seen, and took no notice when Mrs. Tidger, in a dry +voice charged with subtle meaning, said that she thought he was. + +"Draughts come natural to some people," said Mrs. Pullen, modestly. +"It's as easy as kissing your fingers." + +Mr. Miller looked doubtful; then he put his great fingers to his lips by +way of experiment, and let them fall unmistakably in the widow's +direction. Mrs. Pullen looked down and nearly blushed. The carpenter +and his wife eyed each other in indignant consternation. + +"That's easy enough," said the dealer, and repeated the offense. + +Mrs. Pullen got up in some confusion, and began to put the draught-board +away. One of the pieces fell on the floor, and as they both stooped to +recover it their heads bumped. It was nothing to the dealer's, but Mrs. +Pullen rubbed hers and sat down with her eyes watering. Mr. Miller took +out his handkerchief, and going to the scullery, dipped it into water and +held it to her head. + +"Is it better?" he inquired. + +"A little better," said the victim, with a shiver. + +Mr. Miller, in his emotion, was squeezing the handkerchief hard, and a +cold stream was running down her neck. + +"Thank you. It's all right now." + +The dealer replaced the handkerchief, and sat for some time regarding her +earnestly. Then the carpenter and his wife displaying manifest signs of +impatience, he took his departure, after first inviting himself for +another game of draughts the following night. + +He walked home with the air of a conqueror, and thought exultingly that +the two thousand pounds were his. It was a deal after his own heart, and +not the least satisfactory part about it was the way he had got the +better of Wiggett. + +He completed his scheme the following day after a short interview with +the useful Smith. By the afternoon Wiggett found that his exclusive +information was common property, and all Thatcham was marvelling at the +fortitude with which Mrs. Pullen was bearing the loss of her fortune. +With a view of being out of the way when the denial was published, Mr. +Miller, after loudly expressing in public his sympathy for Mrs. Pullen +and his admiration of her qualities, drove over with some pigs to a +neighbouring village, returning to Thatcham in the early evening. Then +hurriedly putting his horse up he made his way to the carpenter's. + +The Tidgers were at home when he entered, and Mrs. Pullen flushed faintly +as he shook hands. + +"I was coming in before," he said, impressively, "after what I heard this +afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe." + +"You 'eard it?" inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice. + +"Certainly," said the dealer, "and very sorry I was. Sorry for one +thing, but glad for another." + +The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak. Then he +checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer. + +"I'm glad," said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. +Tidger's who had just come in with a long face, "because now that Mrs. +Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn't say while she was rich." + +Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily +checked him with his hand. + +"One at a time," he said. "Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this +afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money. What I +wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be +Mrs. Miller. What d'ye say?" + +Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, "Yes." +The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief--the same that he had +used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man--and tenderly +wiped her eyes. + +"Well, I'm blowed!" said the staring carpenter. + +"I've got a nice little 'ouse," continued the wily Mr. Miller. "It's a +poor place, but nice, and we'll play draughts every evening. When shall +it be?" + +"When you like," said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice. + +"I'll put the banns up to-morrow," said the dealer. + +Mrs. Tidger's lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who +felt that she had misjudged him, was touched. + +"It does you credit, Mr. Miller," she said, warmly. + +"No, no," said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the +room, solemnly shook hands with him. + +"Money or no money, she'll make a good wife," he said. + +"I'm glad you're pleased," said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality. + +"I don't deny I thought you was after her money," continued the +carpenter, solemnly. "My missus thought so, too." + +Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him +better. + +"Of course it is a great loss," said the carpenter. "Money is money." + +"That's all it is, though," said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller. + +"What I can't understand is," continued the carpenter, "'ow the news got +about. Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did." + +The dealer hid a grin. Then he looked a bit bewildered again. + +"I assure you," said the carpenter, "it was known in the town at least a +couple of hours before we got the letter." + +Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features. +"Letter?" he repeated, faintly. + +"The letter from the lawyers," said the carpenter. + +Mr. Miller was silent again. His features were getting tiresome. He +eyed the door furtively. + +"What-was-in-the letter?" he asked. + +"Short and sweet," said the carpenter, with bitterness. "Said it was all +a mistake, because they'd been and found another will. People shouldn't +make such mistakes." + +"We're all liable to make mistakes," said Miller, thinking he saw an +opening. + +"Yes, we made a mistake when we thought you was after Ann's money," +assented the carpenter. "I'm sure I thought you'd be the last man in the +world to be pleased to hear that she'd lost it. One thing is, you've got +enough for both." + +[Illustration: "WE'LL LEAVE YOU TWO YOUNG THINGS ALONE."] + +Mr. Miller made no reply, but in a dazed way strove to realize the full +measure of the misfortune which had befallen him. The neighbour, with +the anxiety of her sex to be the first with a bit of news, had already +taken her departure. He thought of Wiggett walking the earth a free man, +and of Smith with a three-months' bill for twenty pounds. His pride as a +dealer was shattered beyond repair, and emerging from a species of mist, +he became conscious that the carpenter was addressing him. + +"We'll leave you two young things alone for a bit," said Mr. Tidger, +heartily. "We're going out. When you're tired o' courting you can play +draughts, and Ann will show you one or two of 'er moves. So long." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. 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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7b03f9b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #12131 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12131) diff --git a/old/12131-h.zip b/old/12131-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbd020b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12131-h.zip diff --git a/old/12131-h/010.jpg b/old/12131-h/010.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8042661 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12131-h/010.jpg diff --git a/old/12131-h/011.jpg b/old/12131-h/011.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c85302d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12131-h/011.jpg diff --git a/old/12131-h/12131-h.htm b/old/12131-h/12131-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08402bb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12131-h/12131-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1043 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>THE LADY OF THE BARGE AND OTHERS</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {margin:10%; text-align:justify} +img {border: 0;} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. Jacobs + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Golden Venture + The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 11. + +Author: W.W. Jacobs + +Release Date: April 22, 2004 [EBook #12131] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOLDEN VENTURE *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="cover.jpg (102K)" src="cover.jpg" height="923" width="738"> +</center> +<br><br> + + +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="title.jpg (40K)" src="title.jpg" height="602" width="442"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<center> +<h1>THE LADY OF THE BARGE<br><br> +AND OTHER STORIES</h1> +<br><br> +<h2>By W. W. Jacobs</h2> +</center> + +<a name="frontis"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="frontis.jpg (80K)" src="frontis.jpg" height="742" width="503"> +</center> +<br><br> + + +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<br><br><hr><br><br> + +<a name="c11"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2> +A GOLDEN VENTURE +</h2> +</center> +<br> + +<p>The elders of the Tidger family sat at breakfast—Mrs. Tidger with knees +wide apart and the youngest Tidger nestling in the valley of print-dress +which lay between, and Mr. Tidger bearing on one moleskin knee a small +copy of himself in a red flannel frock and a slipper. The larger Tidger +children took the solids of their breakfast up and down the stone-flagged +court outside, coming in occasionally to gulp draughts of very weak tea +from a gallipot or two which stood on the table, and to wheedle Mr. +Tidger out of any small piece of bloater which he felt generous enough +to bestow.</p> + +<p>"Peg away, Ann," said Mr. Tidger, heartily.</p> + +<p>His wife's elder sister shook her head, and passing the remains of her +slice to one of her small nephews, leaned back in her chair. "No +appetite, Tidger," she said, slowly.</p> + +<p>"You should go in for carpentering," said Mr. Tidger, in justification of +the huge crust he was carving into mouthfuls with his pocket-knife. +"Seems to me I can't eat enough sometimes. Hullo, who's the letter for?"</p> + +<p>He took it from the postman, who stood at the door amid a bevy of Tidgers +who had followed him up the court, and slowly read the address.</p> + +<p>"'Mrs. Ann Pullen,'" he said, handing it over to his sister-in-law; "nice +writing, too."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen broke the envelope, and after a somewhat lengthy search for +her pocket, fumbled therein for her spectacles. She then searched the +mantelpiece, the chest of drawers, and the dresser, and finally ran them +to earth on the copper.</p> + +<p>She was not a good scholar, and it took her some time to read the letter, +a proceeding which she punctuated with such "Ohs" and "Ahs" and gaspings +and "God bless my souls" as nearly drove the carpenter and his wife, who +were leaning forward impatiently, to the verge of desperation.</p> + +<p>"Who's it from?" asked Mr. Tidger for the third time.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," said Mrs. Pullen. "Good gracious, who ever would ha' +thought it!"</p> + +<p>"Thought what, Ann?" demanded the carpenter, feverishly.</p> + +<p>"Why don't people write their names plain?" demanded his sister-in-law, +impatiently. "It's got a printed name up in the corner; perhaps that's +it. Well, I never did—I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or +my heels."</p> + +<p>"You're sitting down, that's what you're a-doing," said the carpenter, +regarding her somewhat unfavourably.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps it's a take-in," said Mrs. Pullen, her lips trembling. "I've +heard o' such things. If it is, I shall never get over it—never."</p> + +<p>"Get—over—what?" asked the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"It don't look like a take-in," soliloquized Mrs. Pullen, "and I +shouldn't think anybody'd go to all that trouble and spend a penny to +take in a poor thing like me."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger, throwing politeness to the winds, leaped forward, and +snatching the letter from her, read it with feverish haste, tempered +by a defective education.</p> + +<p>"It's a take-in, Ann," he said, his voice trembling; "it must be."</p> + +<p>"What is?" asked Mrs. Tidger, impatiently.</p> + +<p>"Looks like it," said Mrs. Pullen, feebly.</p> + +<p>"What is it?" screamed Mrs. Tidger, wrought beyond all endurance.</p> + +<p>Her husband turned and regarded her with much severity, but Mrs. Tidger's +gaze was the stronger, and after a vain attempt to meet it, he handed her +the letter.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger read it through hastily, and then snatching the baby from her +lap, held it out with both arms to her husband, and jumping up, kissed +her sister heartily, patting her on the back in her excitement until she +coughed with the pain of it.</p> + +<p>"You don't think it's a take-in, Polly?" she inquired.</p> + +<p>"Take-in?" said her sister; "of course it ain't. Lawyers don't play +jokes; their time's too valuable. No, you're an heiress all right, Ann, +and I wish you joy. I couldn't be more pleased if it was myself."</p> + +<p>She kissed her again, and going to pat her back once more, discovered +that she had sunk down sufficiently low in her chair to obtain the +protection of its back.</p> + +<p>"Two thousand pounds," said Mrs. Pullen, in an awestruck voice.</p> + +<p>"Ten hundered pounds twice over," said the carpenter, mouthing it slowly; +"twenty hundered pounds."</p> + +<p>He got up from the table, and instinctively realizing that he could not +do full justice to his feelings with the baby in his arms, laid it on the +teatray in a puddle of cold tea and stood looking hard at the heiress.</p> + +<p>"I was housekeeper to her eleven years ago," said Mrs. Pullen. "I wonder +what she left it to me for?"</p> + +<p>"Didn't know what to do with it, I should think," said the carpenter, +still staring openmouthed.</p> + +<p>"Tidger, I'm ashamed of you," said his wife, snatching her infant to her +bosom. "I expect you was very good to her, Ann."</p> + +<p>"I never 'ad no luck," said the impenitent carpenter. "Nobody ever left +me no money. Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note."</p> + +<p>He stared round disdainfully at his poor belongings, and drawing on his +coat, took his bag from a corner, and hoisting it on his shoulder, +started to his work. He scattered the news as he went, and it ran up and +down the little main street of Thatcham, and thence to the outlying lanes +and cottages. Within a couple of hours it was common property, and the +fortunate legatee was presented with a congratulatory address every time +she ventured near the door.</p> + +<p>It is an old adage that money makes friends; the carpenter was surprised +to find that the mere fact of his having a moneyed relation had the same +effect, and that men to whom he had hitherto shown a certain amount of +respect due to their position now sought his company. They stood him +beer at the "Bell," and walked by his side through the street. When they +took to dropping in of an evening to smoke a pipe the carpenter was +radiant with happiness.</p> + +<p>"You don't seem to see beyond the end of your nose, Tidger," said the +wife of his bosom after they had retired one evening.</p> + +<p>"H'm?" said the startled carpenter.</p> + +<p>"What do you think old Miller, the dealer, comes here for?" demanded his +wife.</p> + +<p>"Smoke his pipe," replied her husband, confidently.</p> + +<p>"And old Wiggett?" persisted Mrs. Tidger.</p> + +<p>"Smoke his pipe," was the reply. "Why, what's the matter, Polly?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger sniffed derisively. "You men are all alike," she snapped. +"What do you think Ann wears that pink bodice for?"</p> + +<p>"I never noticed she 'ad a pink bodice, Polly," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"No? That's what I say. You men never notice anything," said his wife. +"If you don't send them two old fools off, I will."</p> + +<p>"Don't you like 'em to see Ann wearing pink?" inquired the mystified +Tidger.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger bit her lip and shook her head at him scornfully. "In plain +English, Tidger, as plain as I can speak it,"—she said, severely, +"they're after Ann and 'er bit o' money."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger gazed at her open-mouthed, and taking advantage of that fact, +blew out the candle to hide his discomposure. "What!" he said, blankly, +"at 'er time o' life?"</p> + +<p>"Watch 'em to-morrer," said his wife.</p> + +<p>The carpenter acted upon his instructions, and his ire rose as he noticed +the assiduous attention paid by his two friends to the frivolous Mrs. +Pullen. Mr. Wiggett, a sharp-featured little man, was doing most of the +talking, while his rival, a stout, clean-shaven man with a slow, oxlike +eye, looked on stolidly. Mr. Miller was seldom in a hurry, and lost many +a bargain through his slowness—a fact which sometimes so painfully +affected the individual who had outdistanced him that he would offer to +let him have it at a still lower figure.</p> + +<a name="010"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="010.jpg (62K)" src="010.jpg" height="513" width="508"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<p>"You get younger than ever, Mrs. Pullen," said Wiggett, the conversation +having turned upon ages.</p> + +<p>"Young ain't the word for it," said Miller, with a praiseworthy +determination not to be left behind.</p> + +<p>"No; it's age as you're thinking of, Mr. Wiggett," said the carpenter, +slowly; "none of us gets younger, do we, Ann?"</p> + +<p>"Some of us keeps young in our ways," said Mrs. Pullen, somewhat shortly.</p> + +<p>"How old should you say Ann is now?" persisted the watchful Tidger.</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett shook his head. "I should say she's about fifteen years +younger nor me," he said, slowly, "and I'm as lively as a cricket."</p> + +<p>"She's fifty-five," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"That makes you seventy, Wiggett," said Mr. Miller, pointedly. "I +thought you was more than that. You look it."</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett coughed sourly. "I'm fifty-nine," he growled. "Nothing 'll +make me believe as Mrs. Pullen's fifty-five, nor anywhere near it."</p> + +<p>"Ho!" said the carpenter, on his mettle—"ho! Why, my wife here was the +sixth child, and she—- He caught a gleam in the sixth child's eye, and +expressed her age with a cough. The others waited politely until he had +finished, and Mr. Tidger, noticing this, coughed again.</p> + +<p>"And she—" prompted Mr. Miller, displaying a polite interest.</p> + +<p>"She ain't so young as she was," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>"Cares of a family," said Mr. Wiggett, plumping boldly. "I always +thought Mrs. Pullen was younger than her."</p> + +<p>"So did I," said Mr. Miller, "much younger."</p> + +<p>Mr. Wiggett eyed him sharply. It was rather hard to have Miller hiding +his lack of invention by participating in his compliments and even +improving upon them. It was the way he dealt at market-listening to +other dealers' accounts of their wares, and adding to them for his own.</p> + +<p>"I was noticing you the other day, ma'am," continued Mr. Wiggett. "I see +you going up the road with a step free and easy as a young girl's."</p> + +<p>"She allus walks like that," said Mr. Miller, in a tone of surprised +reproof.</p> + +<p>"It's in the family," said the carpenter, who had been uneasily watching +his wife's face.</p> + +<p>"Both of you seem to notice a lot," said Mrs. Tidger; "much more than you +used to."</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger, who was of a nervous and sensitive disposition, coughed +again.</p> + +<p>"You ought to take something for that cough," said Mr. Wiggett, +considerately.</p> + +<p>"Gin and beer," said Mr. Miller, with the air of a specialist.</p> + +<p>"Bed's the best thing for it," said Mrs. Tidger, whose temper was +beginning to show signs of getting out of hand.</p> + +<p>Mr. Tidger rose and looked awkwardly at his visitors; Mr. Wiggett got up, +and pretending to notice the time, said he must be going, and looked at +Mr. Miller. That gentleman, who was apparently deep in some knotty +problem, was gazing at the floor, and oblivious for the time to his +surroundings.</p> + +<p>"Come along," said Wiggett, with feigned heartiness, slapping him on the +back.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, looking for a moment as though he would like to return the +compliment, came back to everyday life, and bidding the company good- +night, stepped to the door, accompanied by his rival. It was immediately +shut with some violence.</p> + +<p>"They seem in a hurry," said Wiggett. "I don't think I shall go there +again."</p> + +<p>"I don't think I shall," said Mr. Miller.</p> + +<p>After this neither of them was surprised to meet there again the next +night, and indeed for several nights. The carpenter and his wife, who +did not want the money to go out of the family, and were also afraid of +offending Mrs. Pullen, were at their wits' end what to do. Ultimately it +was resolved that Tidger, in as delicate a manner as possible, was to +hint to her that they were after her money. He was so vague and so +delicate that Mrs. Pullen misunderstood him, and fancying that he was +trying to borrow half a crown, made him a present of five shillings.</p> + +<p>It was evident to the slower-going Mr. Miller that his rival's tongue was +giving him an advantage which only the ever-watchful presence of the +carpenter and his wife prevented him from pushing to the fullest +advantage. In these circumstances he sat for two hours after breakfast +one morning in deep cogitation, and after six pipes got up with a twinkle +in his slow eyes which his brother dealers had got to regard as a danger +signal.</p> + +<p>He had only the glimmering of an idea at first, but after a couple of +pints at the "Bell" everything took shape, and he cast his eyes about for +an assistant. They fell upon a man named Smith, and the dealer, after +some thought, took up his glass and went over to him.</p> + +<p>"I want you to do something for me," he remarked, in a mysterious voice.</p> + +<p>"Ah, I've been wanting to see you," said Smith, who was also a dealer in +a small way. "One o' them hins I bought off you last week is dead."</p> + +<p>"I'll give you another for it," said Miller.</p> + +<p>"And the others are so forgetful," continued Mr. Smith.</p> + +<p>"Forgetful?" repeated the other.</p> + +<p>"Forget to lay, like," said Mr. Smith, musingly.</p> + +<p>"Never mind about them," said Mr. Miller, with some animation. "I want +you to do something for me. If it comes off all right, I'll give you a +dozen hins and a couple of decentish-sized pigs."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith called a halt. "Decentish-sized" was vague.</p> + +<p>"Take your pick," said Mr. Miller. "You know Mrs. Pullen's got two +thousand pounds—"</p> + +<p>"Wiggett's going to have it," said the other; "he as good as told me so."</p> + +<p>"He's after her money," said the other, sadly. "Look 'ere, Smith, I want +you to tell him she's lost it all. Say that Tidger told you, but you +wasn't to tell anybody else. Wiggett 'll believe you."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith turned upon him a face all wrinkles, lit by one eye. "I want +the hins and the pigs first," he said, firmly.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, shocked at his grasping spirit, stared at him mournfully.</p> + +<p>"And twenty pounds the day you marry Mrs. Pullen," continued Mr. Smith.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, leading him up and down the sawdust floor, besought him to +listen to reason, and Mr. Smith allowed the better feelings of our common +human nature to prevail to the extent of reducing his demands to half a +dozen fowls on account, and all the rest on the day of the marriage. +Then, with the delightful feeling that he wouldn't do any work for a +week, he went out to drop poison into the ears of Mr. Wiggett.</p> + +<p>"Lost all her money!" said the startled Mr. Wiggett. "How?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know how," said his friend. "Tidger told me, but made me +promise not to tell a soul. But I couldn't help telling you, Wiggett, +'cause I know what you're after."</p> + +<p>"Do me a favour," said the little man.</p> + +<p>"I will," said the other.</p> + +<p>"Keep it from Miller as long as possible. If you hear any one else +talking of it, tell 'em to keep it from him. If he marries her I'll give +you a couple of pints."</p> + +<p>Mr. Smith promised faithfully, and both the Tidgers and Mrs. Pullen were +surprised to find that Mr. Miller was the only visitor that evening. He +spoke but little, and that little in a slow, ponderous voice intended for +Mrs. Pullen's ear alone. He spoke disparagingly of money, and shook his +head slowly at the temptations it brought in its train. Give him a +crust, he said, and somebody to halve it with—a home-made crust baked by +a wife. It was a pretty picture, but somewhat spoiled by Mrs. Tidger +suggesting that, though he had spoken of halving the crust, he had said +nothing about the beer.</p> + +<p>"Half of my beer wouldn't be much," said the dealer, slowly.</p> + +<p>"Not the half you would give your wife wouldn't," retorted Mrs. Tidger.</p> + +<p>The dealer sighed and looked mournfully at Mrs. Pullen. The lady sighed +in return, and finding that her admirer's stock of conversation seemed to +be exhausted, coyly suggested a game of draughts. The dealer assented +with eagerness, and declining the offer of a glass of beer by explaining +that he had had one the day before yesterday, sat down and lost seven +games right off. He gave up at the seventh game, and pushing back his +chair, said that he thought Mrs. Pullen was the most wonderful draught- +player he had ever seen, and took no notice when Mrs. Tidger, in a dry +voice charged with subtle meaning, said that she thought he was.</p> + +<p>"Draughts come natural to some people," said Mrs. Pullen, modestly. +"It's as easy as kissing your fingers."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller looked doubtful; then he put his great fingers to his lips by +way of experiment, and let them fall unmistakably in the widow's +direction. Mrs. Pullen looked down and nearly blushed. The carpenter +and his wife eyed each other in indignant consternation.</p> + +<p>"That's easy enough," said the dealer, and repeated the offense.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen got up in some confusion, and began to put the draught-board +away. One of the pieces fell on the floor, and as they both stooped to +recover it their heads bumped. It was nothing to the dealer's, but Mrs. +Pullen rubbed hers and sat down with her eyes watering. Mr. Miller took +out his handkerchief, and going to the scullery, dipped it into water and +held it to her head.</p> + +<p>"Is it better?" he inquired.</p> + +<p>"A little better," said the victim, with a shiver.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller, in his emotion, was squeezing the handkerchief hard, and a +cold stream was running down her neck.</p> + +<p>"Thank you. It's all right now."</p> + +<p>The dealer replaced the handkerchief, and sat for some time regarding her +earnestly. Then the carpenter and his wife displaying manifest signs of +impatience, he took his departure, after first inviting himself for +another game of draughts the following night.</p> + +<p>He walked home with the air of a conqueror, and thought exultingly that +the two thousand pounds were his. It was a deal after his own heart, and +not the least satisfactory part about it was the way he had got the +better of Wiggett.</p> + +<p>He completed his scheme the following day after a short interview with +the useful Smith. By the afternoon Wiggett found that his exclusive +information was common property, and all Thatcham was marvelling at the +fortitude with which Mrs. Pullen was bearing the loss of her fortune. +With a view of being out of the way when the denial was published, Mr. +Miller, after loudly expressing in public his sympathy for Mrs. Pullen +and his admiration of her qualities, drove over with some pigs to a +neighbouring village, returning to Thatcham in the early evening. Then +hurriedly putting his horse up he made his way to the carpenter's.</p> + +<p>The Tidgers were at home when he entered, and Mrs. Pullen flushed faintly +as he shook hands.</p> + +<p>"I was coming in before," he said, impressively, "after what I heard this +afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe."</p> + +<p>"You 'eard it?" inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice.</p> + +<p>"Certainly," said the dealer, "and very sorry I was. Sorry for one +thing, but glad for another."</p> + +<p>The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak. Then he +checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad," said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. +Tidger's who had just come in with a long face, "because now that Mrs. +Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn't say while she was rich."</p> + +<p>Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily +checked him with his hand.</p> + +<p>"One at a time," he said. "Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this +afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money. What I +wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be +Mrs. Miller. What d'ye say?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, "Yes." +The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief—the same that he had +used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man—and tenderly +wiped her eyes.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm blowed!" said the staring carpenter.</p> + +<p>"I've got a nice little 'ouse," continued the wily Mr. Miller. "It's a +poor place, but nice, and we'll play draughts every evening. When shall +it be?"</p> + +<p>"When you like," said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice.</p> + +<p>"I'll put the banns up to-morrow," said the dealer.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Tidger's lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who +felt that she had misjudged him, was touched.</p> + +<p>"It does you credit, Mr. Miller," she said, warmly.</p> + +<p>"No, no," said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the +room, solemnly shook hands with him.</p> + +<p>"Money or no money, she'll make a good wife," he said.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad you're pleased," said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality.</p> + +<p>"I don't deny I thought you was after her money," continued the +carpenter, solemnly. "My missus thought so, too."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him +better.</p> + +<p>"Of course it is a great loss," said the carpenter. "Money is money."</p> + +<p>"That's all it is, though," said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller.</p> + +<p>"What I can't understand is," continued the carpenter, "'ow the news got +about. Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did."</p> + +<p>The dealer hid a grin. Then he looked a bit bewildered again.</p> + +<p>"I assure you," said the carpenter, "it was known in the town at least a +couple of hours before we got the letter."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features. +"Letter?" he repeated, faintly.</p> + +<p>"The letter from the lawyers," said the carpenter.</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller was silent again. His features were getting tiresome. He +eyed the door furtively.</p> + +<p>"What-was-in-the letter?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Short and sweet," said the carpenter, with bitterness. "Said it was all +a mistake, because they'd been and found another will. People shouldn't +make such mistakes."</p> + +<p>"We're all liable to make mistakes," said Miller, thinking he saw an +opening.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we made a mistake when we thought you was after Ann's money," +assented the carpenter. "I'm sure I thought you'd be the last man in the +world to be pleased to hear that she'd lost it. One thing is, you've got +enough for both."</p> + +<p>Mr. Miller made no reply, but in a dazed way strove to realize the full +measure of the misfortune which had befallen him. The neighbour, with +the anxiety of her sex to be the first with a bit of news, had already +taken her departure. He thought of Wiggett walking the earth a free man, +and of Smith with a three-months' bill for twenty pounds. His pride as a +dealer was shattered beyond repair, and emerging from a species of mist, +he became conscious that the carpenter was addressing him.</p> + +<a name="011"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<img alt="011.jpg (103K)" src="011.jpg" height="788" width="498"> +</center> +<br><br> + + + +<p>"We'll leave you two young things alone for a bit," said Mr. Tidger, +heartily. "We're going out. When you're tired o' courting you can play +draughts, and Ann will show you one or two of 'er moves. So long."</p> + + + + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. 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Jacobs + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Golden Venture + The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 11. + +Author: W.W. Jacobs + +Release Date: April 22, 2004 [EBook #12131] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOLDEN VENTURE *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + +THE LADY OF THE BARGE + +AND OTHER STORIES + +By W. W. Jacobs + + + + +A GOLDEN VENTURE + + +The elders of the Tidger family sat at breakfast--Mrs. Tidger with knees +wide apart and the youngest Tidger nestling in the valley of print-dress +which lay between, and Mr. Tidger bearing on one moleskin knee a small +copy of himself in a red flannel frock and a slipper. The larger Tidger +children took the solids of their breakfast up and down the stone-flagged +court outside, coming in occasionally to gulp draughts of very weak tea +from a gallipot or two which stood on the table, and to wheedle Mr. +Tidger out of any small piece of bloater which he felt generous enough +to bestow. + +"Peg away, Ann," said Mr. Tidger, heartily. + +His wife's elder sister shook her head, and passing the remains of her +slice to one of her small nephews, leaned back in her chair. "No +appetite, Tidger," she said, slowly. + +"You should go in for carpentering," said Mr. Tidger, in justification of +the huge crust he was carving into mouthfuls with his pocket-knife. +"Seems to me I can't eat enough sometimes. Hullo, who's the letter for?" + +He took it from the postman, who stood at the door amid a bevy of Tidgers +who had followed him up the court, and slowly read the address. + +"'Mrs. Ann Pullen,'" he said, handing it over to his sister-in-law; "nice +writing, too." + +Mrs. Pullen broke the envelope, and after a somewhat lengthy search for +her pocket, fumbled therein for her spectacles. She then searched the +mantelpiece, the chest of drawers, and the dresser, and finally ran them +to earth on the copper. + +She was not a good scholar, and it took her some time to read the letter, +a proceeding which she punctuated with such "Ohs" and "Ahs" and gaspings +and "God bless my souls" as nearly drove the carpenter and his wife, who +were leaning forward impatiently, to the verge of desperation. + +"Who's it from?" asked Mr. Tidger for the third time. + +"I don't know," said Mrs. Pullen. "Good gracious, who ever would ha' +thought it!" + +"Thought what, Ann?" demanded the carpenter, feverishly. + +"Why don't people write their names plain?" demanded his sister-in-law, +impatiently. "It's got a printed name up in the corner; perhaps that's +it. Well, I never did--I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or +my heels." + +"You're sitting down, that's what you're a-doing," said the carpenter, +regarding her somewhat unfavourably. + +"Perhaps it's a take-in," said Mrs. Pullen, her lips trembling. "I've +heard o' such things. If it is, I shall never get over it--never." + +"Get--over--what?" asked the carpenter. + +"It don't look like a take-in," soliloquized Mrs. Pullen, "and I +shouldn't think anybody'd go to all that trouble and spend a penny to +take in a poor thing like me." + +Mr. Tidger, throwing politeness to the winds, leaped forward, and +snatching the letter from her, read it with feverish haste, tempered +by a defective education. + +"It's a take-in, Ann," he said, his voice trembling; "it must be." + +"What is?" asked Mrs. Tidger, impatiently. + +"Looks like it," said Mrs. Pullen, feebly. + +"What is it?" screamed Mrs. Tidger, wrought beyond all endurance. + +Her husband turned and regarded her with much severity, but Mrs. Tidger's +gaze was the stronger, and after a vain attempt to meet it, he handed her +the letter. + +Mrs. Tidger read it through hastily, and then snatching the baby from her +lap, held it out with both arms to her husband, and jumping up, kissed +her sister heartily, patting her on the back in her excitement until she +coughed with the pain of it. + +"You don't think it's a take-in, Polly?" she inquired. + +"Take-in?" said her sister; "of course it ain't. Lawyers don't play +jokes; their time's too valuable. No, you're an heiress all right, Ann, +and I wish you joy. I couldn't be more pleased if it was myself." + +She kissed her again, and going to pat her back once more, discovered +that she had sunk down sufficiently low in her chair to obtain the +protection of its back. + +"Two thousand pounds," said Mrs. Pullen, in an awestruck voice. + +"Ten hundered pounds twice over," said the carpenter, mouthing it slowly; +"twenty hundered pounds." + +He got up from the table, and instinctively realizing that he could not +do full justice to his feelings with the baby in his arms, laid it on the +teatray in a puddle of cold tea and stood looking hard at the heiress. + +"I was housekeeper to her eleven years ago," said Mrs. Pullen. "I wonder +what she left it to me for?" + +"Didn't know what to do with it, I should think," said the carpenter, +still staring openmouthed. + +"Tidger, I'm ashamed of you," said his wife, snatching her infant to her +bosom. "I expect you was very good to her, Ann." + +"I never 'ad no luck," said the impenitent carpenter. "Nobody ever left +me no money. Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note." + +He stared round disdainfully at his poor belongings, and drawing on his +coat, took his bag from a corner, and hoisting it on his shoulder, +started to his work. He scattered the news as he went, and it ran up and +down the little main street of Thatcham, and thence to the outlying lanes +and cottages. Within a couple of hours it was common property, and the +fortunate legatee was presented with a congratulatory address every time +she ventured near the door. + +It is an old adage that money makes friends; the carpenter was surprised +to find that the mere fact of his having a moneyed relation had the same +effect, and that men to whom he had hitherto shown a certain amount of +respect due to their position now sought his company. They stood him +beer at the "Bell," and walked by his side through the street. When they +took to dropping in of an evening to smoke a pipe the carpenter was +radiant with happiness. + +"You don't seem to see beyond the end of your nose, Tidger," said the +wife of his bosom after they had retired one evening. + +"H'm?" said the startled carpenter. + +"What do you think old Miller, the dealer, comes here for?" demanded his +wife. + +"Smoke his pipe," replied her husband, confidently. + +"And old Wiggett?" persisted Mrs. Tidger. + +"Smoke his pipe," was the reply. "Why, what's the matter, Polly?" + +Mrs. Tidger sniffed derisively. "You men are all alike," she snapped. +"What do you think Ann wears that pink bodice for?" + +"I never noticed she 'ad a pink bodice, Polly," said the carpenter. + +"No? That's what I say. You men never notice anything," said his wife. +"If you don't send them two old fools off, I will." + +"Don't you like 'em to see Ann wearing pink?" inquired the mystified +Tidger. + +Mrs. Tidger bit her lip and shook her head at him scornfully. "In plain +English, Tidger, as plain as I can speak it,"--she said, severely, +"they're after Ann and 'er bit o' money." + +Mr. Tidger gazed at her open-mouthed, and taking advantage of that fact, +blew out the candle to hide his discomposure. "What!" he said, blankly, +"at 'er time o' life?" + +"Watch 'em to-morrer," said his wife. + +The carpenter acted upon his instructions, and his ire rose as he noticed +the assiduous attention paid by his two friends to the frivolous Mrs. +Pullen. Mr. Wiggett, a sharp-featured little man, was doing most of the +talking, while his rival, a stout, clean-shaven man with a slow, oxlike +eye, looked on stolidly. Mr. Miller was seldom in a hurry, and lost many +a bargain through his slowness--a fact which sometimes so painfully +affected the individual who had outdistanced him that he would offer to +let him have it at a still lower figure. + +"You get younger than ever, Mrs. Pullen," said Wiggett, the conversation +having turned upon ages. + +"Young ain't the word for it," said Miller, with a praiseworthy +determination not to be left behind. + +"No; it's age as you're thinking of, Mr. Wiggett," said the carpenter, +slowly; "none of us gets younger, do we, Ann?" + +[Illustration: "YOU GET YOUNGER THAN EVER, MRS. PULLEN."] + +"Some of us keeps young in our ways," said Mrs. Pullen, somewhat shortly. + +"How old should you say Ann is now?" persisted the watchful Tidger. + +Mr. Wiggett shook his head. "I should say she's about fifteen years +younger nor me," he said, slowly, "and I'm as lively as a cricket." + +"She's fifty-five," said the carpenter. + +"That makes you seventy, Wiggett," said Mr. Miller, pointedly. "I +thought you was more than that. You look it." + +Mr. Wiggett coughed sourly. "I'm fifty-nine," he growled. "Nothing 'll +make me believe as Mrs. Pullen's fifty-five, nor anywhere near it." + +"Ho!" said the carpenter, on his mettle--"ho! Why, my wife here was the +sixth child, and she---- He caught a gleam in the sixth child's eye, and +expressed her age with a cough. The others waited politely until he had +finished, and Mr. Tidger, noticing this, coughed again. + +"And she--" prompted Mr. Miller, displaying a polite interest. + +"She ain't so young as she was," said the carpenter. + +"Cares of a family," said Mr. Wiggett, plumping boldly. "I always +thought Mrs. Pullen was younger than her." + +"So did I," said Mr. Miller, "much younger." + +Mr. Wiggett eyed him sharply. It was rather hard to have Miller hiding +his lack of invention by participating in his compliments and even +improving upon them. It was the way he dealt at market-listening to +other dealers' accounts of their wares, and adding to them for his own. + +"I was noticing you the other day, ma'am," continued Mr. Wiggett. "I see +you going up the road with a step free and easy as a young girl's." + +"She allus walks like that," said Mr. Miller, in a tone of surprised +reproof. + +"It's in the family," said the carpenter, who had been uneasily watching +his wife's face. + +"Both of you seem to notice a lot," said Mrs. Tidger; "much more than you +used to." + +Mr. Tidger, who was of a nervous and sensitive disposition, coughed +again. + +"You ought to take something for that cough," said Mr. Wiggett, +considerately. + +"Gin and beer," said Mr. Miller, with the air of a specialist. + +"Bed's the best thing for it," said Mrs. Tidger, whose temper was +beginning to show signs of getting out of hand. + +Mr. Tidger rose and looked awkwardly at his visitors; Mr. Wiggett got up, +and pretending to notice the time, said he must be going, and looked at +Mr. Miller. That gentleman, who was apparently deep in some knotty +problem, was gazing at the floor, and oblivious for the time to his +surroundings. + +"Come along," said Wiggett, with feigned heartiness, slapping him on the +back. + +Mr. Miller, looking for a moment as though he would like to return the +compliment, came back to everyday life, and bidding the company good- +night, stepped to the door, accompanied by his rival. It was immediately +shut with some violence. + +"They seem in a hurry," said Wiggett. "I don't think I shall go there +again." + +"I don't think I shall," said Mr. Miller. + +After this neither of them was surprised to meet there again the next +night, and indeed for several nights. The carpenter and his wife, who +did not want the money to go out of the family, and were also afraid of +offending Mrs. Pullen, were at their wits' end what to do. Ultimately it +was resolved that Tidger, in as delicate a manner as possible, was to +hint to her that they were after her money. He was so vague and so +delicate that Mrs. Pullen misunderstood him, and fancying that he was +trying to borrow half a crown, made him a present of five shillings. + +It was evident to the slower-going Mr. Miller that his rival's tongue was +giving him an advantage which only the ever-watchful presence of the +carpenter and his wife prevented him from pushing to the fullest +advantage. In these circumstances he sat for two hours after breakfast +one morning in deep cogitation, and after six pipes got up with a twinkle +in his slow eyes which his brother dealers had got to regard as a danger +signal. + +He had only the glimmering of an idea at first, but after a couple of +pints at the "Bell" everything took shape, and he cast his eyes about for +an assistant. They fell upon a man named Smith, and the dealer, after +some thought, took up his glass and went over to him. + +"I want you to do something for me," he remarked, in a mysterious voice. + +"Ah, I've been wanting to see you," said Smith, who was also a dealer in +a small way. "One o' them hins I bought off you last week is dead." + +"I'll give you another for it," said Miller. + +"And the others are so forgetful," continued Mr. Smith. + +"Forgetful?" repeated the other. + +"Forget to lay, like," said Mr. Smith, musingly. + +"Never mind about them," said Mr. Miller, with some animation. "I want +you to do something for me. If it comes off all right, I'll give you a +dozen hins and a couple of decentish-sized pigs." + +Mr. Smith called a halt. "Decentish-sized" was vague. + +"Take your pick," said Mr. Miller. "You know Mrs. Pullen's got two +thousand pounds--" + +"Wiggett's going to have it," said the other; "he as good as told me so." + +"He's after her money," said the other, sadly. "Look 'ere, Smith, I want +you to tell him she's lost it all. Say that Tidger told you, but you +wasn't to tell anybody else. Wiggett 'll believe you." + +Mr. Smith turned upon him a face all wrinkles, lit by one eye. "I want +the hins and the pigs first," he said, firmly. + +Mr. Miller, shocked at his grasping spirit, stared at him mournfully. + +"And twenty pounds the day you marry Mrs. Pullen," continued Mr. Smith. + +Mr. Miller, leading him up and down the sawdust floor, besought him to +listen to reason, and Mr. Smith allowed the better feelings of our common +human nature to prevail to the extent of reducing his demands to half a +dozen fowls on account, and all the rest on the day of the marriage. +Then, with the delightful feeling that he wouldn't do any work for a +week, he went out to drop poison into the ears of Mr. Wiggett. + +"Lost all her money!" said the startled Mr. Wiggett. "How?" + +"I don't know how," said his friend. "Tidger told me, but made me +promise not to tell a soul. But I couldn't help telling you, Wiggett, +'cause I know what you're after." + +"Do me a favour," said the little man. + +"I will," said the other. + +"Keep it from Miller as long as possible. If you hear any one else +talking of it, tell 'em to keep it from him. If he marries her I'll give +you a couple of pints." + +Mr. Smith promised faithfully, and both the Tidgers and Mrs. Pullen were +surprised to find that Mr. Miller was the only visitor that evening. He +spoke but little, and that little in a slow, ponderous voice intended for +Mrs. Pullen's ear alone. He spoke disparagingly of money, and shook his +head slowly at the temptations it brought in its train. Give him a +crust, he said, and somebody to halve it with--a home-made crust baked by +a wife. It was a pretty picture, but somewhat spoiled by Mrs. Tidger +suggesting that, though he had spoken of halving the crust, he had said +nothing about the beer. + +"Half of my beer wouldn't be much," said the dealer, slowly. + +"Not the half you would give your wife wouldn't," retorted Mrs. Tidger. + +The dealer sighed and looked mournfully at Mrs. Pullen. The lady sighed +in return, and finding that her admirer's stock of conversation seemed to +be exhausted, coyly suggested a game of draughts. The dealer assented +with eagerness, and declining the offer of a glass of beer by explaining +that he had had one the day before yesterday, sat down and lost seven +games right off. He gave up at the seventh game, and pushing back his +chair, said that he thought Mrs. Pullen was the most wonderful draught- +player he had ever seen, and took no notice when Mrs. Tidger, in a dry +voice charged with subtle meaning, said that she thought he was. + +"Draughts come natural to some people," said Mrs. Pullen, modestly. +"It's as easy as kissing your fingers." + +Mr. Miller looked doubtful; then he put his great fingers to his lips by +way of experiment, and let them fall unmistakably in the widow's +direction. Mrs. Pullen looked down and nearly blushed. The carpenter +and his wife eyed each other in indignant consternation. + +"That's easy enough," said the dealer, and repeated the offense. + +Mrs. Pullen got up in some confusion, and began to put the draught-board +away. One of the pieces fell on the floor, and as they both stooped to +recover it their heads bumped. It was nothing to the dealer's, but Mrs. +Pullen rubbed hers and sat down with her eyes watering. Mr. Miller took +out his handkerchief, and going to the scullery, dipped it into water and +held it to her head. + +"Is it better?" he inquired. + +"A little better," said the victim, with a shiver. + +Mr. Miller, in his emotion, was squeezing the handkerchief hard, and a +cold stream was running down her neck. + +"Thank you. It's all right now." + +The dealer replaced the handkerchief, and sat for some time regarding her +earnestly. Then the carpenter and his wife displaying manifest signs of +impatience, he took his departure, after first inviting himself for +another game of draughts the following night. + +He walked home with the air of a conqueror, and thought exultingly that +the two thousand pounds were his. It was a deal after his own heart, and +not the least satisfactory part about it was the way he had got the +better of Wiggett. + +He completed his scheme the following day after a short interview with +the useful Smith. By the afternoon Wiggett found that his exclusive +information was common property, and all Thatcham was marvelling at the +fortitude with which Mrs. Pullen was bearing the loss of her fortune. +With a view of being out of the way when the denial was published, Mr. +Miller, after loudly expressing in public his sympathy for Mrs. Pullen +and his admiration of her qualities, drove over with some pigs to a +neighbouring village, returning to Thatcham in the early evening. Then +hurriedly putting his horse up he made his way to the carpenter's. + +The Tidgers were at home when he entered, and Mrs. Pullen flushed faintly +as he shook hands. + +"I was coming in before," he said, impressively, "after what I heard this +afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe." + +"You 'eard it?" inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice. + +"Certainly," said the dealer, "and very sorry I was. Sorry for one +thing, but glad for another." + +The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak. Then he +checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer. + +"I'm glad," said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. +Tidger's who had just come in with a long face, "because now that Mrs. +Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn't say while she was rich." + +Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily +checked him with his hand. + +"One at a time," he said. "Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this +afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money. What I +wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be +Mrs. Miller. What d'ye say?" + +Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, "Yes." +The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief--the same that he had +used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man--and tenderly +wiped her eyes. + +"Well, I'm blowed!" said the staring carpenter. + +"I've got a nice little 'ouse," continued the wily Mr. Miller. "It's a +poor place, but nice, and we'll play draughts every evening. When shall +it be?" + +"When you like," said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice. + +"I'll put the banns up to-morrow," said the dealer. + +Mrs. Tidger's lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who +felt that she had misjudged him, was touched. + +"It does you credit, Mr. Miller," she said, warmly. + +"No, no," said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the +room, solemnly shook hands with him. + +"Money or no money, she'll make a good wife," he said. + +"I'm glad you're pleased," said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality. + +"I don't deny I thought you was after her money," continued the +carpenter, solemnly. "My missus thought so, too." + +Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him +better. + +"Of course it is a great loss," said the carpenter. "Money is money." + +"That's all it is, though," said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller. + +"What I can't understand is," continued the carpenter, "'ow the news got +about. Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did." + +The dealer hid a grin. Then he looked a bit bewildered again. + +"I assure you," said the carpenter, "it was known in the town at least a +couple of hours before we got the letter." + +Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features. +"Letter?" he repeated, faintly. + +"The letter from the lawyers," said the carpenter. + +Mr. Miller was silent again. His features were getting tiresome. He +eyed the door furtively. + +"What-was-in-the letter?" he asked. + +"Short and sweet," said the carpenter, with bitterness. "Said it was all +a mistake, because they'd been and found another will. People shouldn't +make such mistakes." + +"We're all liable to make mistakes," said Miller, thinking he saw an +opening. + +"Yes, we made a mistake when we thought you was after Ann's money," +assented the carpenter. "I'm sure I thought you'd be the last man in the +world to be pleased to hear that she'd lost it. One thing is, you've got +enough for both." + +[Illustration: "WE'LL LEAVE YOU TWO YOUNG THINGS ALONE."] + +Mr. Miller made no reply, but in a dazed way strove to realize the full +measure of the misfortune which had befallen him. The neighbour, with +the anxiety of her sex to be the first with a bit of news, had already +taken her departure. He thought of Wiggett walking the earth a free man, +and of Smith with a three-months' bill for twenty pounds. His pride as a +dealer was shattered beyond repair, and emerging from a species of mist, +he became conscious that the carpenter was addressing him. + +"We'll leave you two young things alone for a bit," said Mr. Tidger, +heartily. "We're going out. When you're tired o' courting you can play +draughts, and Ann will show you one or two of 'er moves. So long." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Golden Venture, by W.W. 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