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diff --git a/12206.txt b/12206.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4a51193 --- /dev/null +++ b/12206.txt @@ -0,0 +1,906 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Breaking A Spell, 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: Breaking A Spell + Odd Craft, Part 6. + +Author: W.W. Jacobs + +Release Date: April 29, 2004 [EBook #12206] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BREAKING A SPELL *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + +ODD CRAFT + +By W.W. Jacobs + + + +BREAKING A SPELL + +"Witchcraft?" said the old man, thoughtfully, as he scratched his scanty +whiskers. No, I ain't heard o' none in these parts for a long time. +There used to be a little of it about when I was a boy, and there was +some talk of it arter I'd growed up, but Claybury folk never took much +count of it. The last bit of it I remember was about forty years ago, +and that wasn't so much witchcraft as foolishness. + +There was a man in this place then--Joe Barlcomb by name--who was a firm +believer in it, and 'e used to do all sorts of things to save hisself +from it. He was a new-comer in Claybury, and there was such a lot of it +about in the parts he came from that the people thought o' nothing else +hardly. + +He was a man as got 'imself very much liked at fust, especially by the +old ladies, owing to his being so perlite to them, that they used to 'old +'im up for an example to the other men, and say wot nice, pretty ways he +'ad. Joe Barlcomb was everything at fust, but when they got to 'ear that +his perliteness was because 'e thought 'arf of 'em was witches, and +didn't know which 'arf, they altered their minds. + +[Illustration: "He got 'imself very much liked, especially by the old +ladies."] + +In a month or two he was the laughing-stock of the place; but wot was +worse to 'im than that was that he'd made enemies of all the old ladies. +Some of 'em was free-spoken women, and 'e couldn't sleep for thinking of +the 'arm they might do 'im. + +He was terrible uneasy about it at fust, but, as nothing 'appened and he +seemed to go on very prosperous-like, 'e began to forget 'is fears, when +all of a sudden 'e went 'ome one day and found 'is wife in bed with a +broken leg. + +She was standing on a broken chair to reach something down from the +dresser when it 'appened, and it was pointed out to Joe Barlcomb that it +was a thing anybody might ha' done without being bewitched; but he said +'e knew better, and that they'd kept that broken chair for standing on +for years and years to save the others, and nothing 'ad ever 'appened +afore. + +In less than a week arter that three of his young 'uns was down with the +measles, and, 'is wife being laid up, he sent for 'er mother to come and +nurse 'em. It's as true as I sit 'ere, but that pore old lady 'adn't +been in the house two hours afore she went to bed with the yellow +jaundice. + +Joe Barlcomb went out of 'is mind a'most. He'd never liked 'is wife's +mother, and he wouldn't 'ave had 'er in the house on'y 'e wanted her to +nurse 'is wife and children, and when she came and laid up and wanted +waiting on 'e couldn't dislike her enough. + +He was quite certain all along that somebody was putting a spell on 'im, +and when 'e went out a morning or two arterward and found 'is best pig +lying dead in a corner of the sty he gave up and, going into the 'ouse, +told 'em all that they'd 'ave to die 'cause he couldn't do anything more +for 'em. His wife's mother and 'is wife and the children all started +crying together, and Joe Barlcomb, when 'e thought of 'is pig, he sat +down and cried too. + +He sat up late that night thinking it over, and, arter looking at it all +ways, he made up 'is mind to go and see Mrs. Prince, an old lady that +lived all alone by 'erself in a cottage near Smith's farm. He'd set 'er +down for wot he called a white witch, which is the best kind and on'y do +useful things, such as charming warts away or telling gals about their +future 'usbands; and the next arternoon, arter telling 'is wife's mother +that fresh air and travelling was the best cure for the yellow jaundice, +he set off to see 'er. + +[Illustration: "Mrs. Prince was sitting at 'er front door nursing 'er +three cats."] + +Mrs. Prince was sitting at 'er front door nursing 'er three cats when 'e +got there. She was an ugly, little old woman with piercing black eyes +and a hook nose, and she 'ad a quiet, artful sort of a way with 'er that +made 'er very much disliked. One thing was she was always making fun of +people, and for another she seemed to be able to tell their thoughts, and +that don't get anybody liked much, especially when they don't keep it to +theirselves. She'd been a lady's maid all 'er young days, and it was +very 'ard to be taken for a witch just because she was old. + +"Fine day, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb. + +"Very fine," ses Mrs. Prince. + +"Being as I was passing, I just thought I'd look in," ses Joe Barlcomb, +eyeing the cats. + +"Take a chair," ses Mrs. Prince, getting up and dusting one down with 'er +apron. + +Joe sat down. "I'm in a bit o' trouble, ma'am," he ses, "and I thought +p'r'aps as you could help me out of it. My pore pig's been bewitched, +and it's dead." + +"Bewitched?" ses Mrs. Prince, who'd 'eard of 'is ideas. "Rubbish. Don't +talk to me." + +"It ain't rubbish, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb; "three o' my children is +down with the measles, my wife's broke 'er leg, 'er mother is laid up in +my little place with the yellow jaundice, and the pig's dead." + +"Wot, another one?" ses Mrs. Prince. + +"No; the same one," ses Joe. + +"Well, 'ow am I to help you?" ses Mrs. Prince. "Do you want me to come +and nurse 'em?" + +"No, no," ses Joe, starting and turning pale; "unless you'd like to come +and nurse my wife's mother," he ses, arter thinking a bit. "I was hoping +that you'd know who'd been overlooking me and that you'd make 'em take +the spell off." + +Mrs. Prince got up from 'er chair and looked round for the broom she'd +been sweeping with, but, not finding it, she set down agin and stared in +a curious sort o' way at Joe Barlcomb. + +"Oh, I see," she ses, nodding. "Fancy you guessing I was a witch." + +"You can't deceive me," ses Joe; "I've 'ad too much experience; I knew it +the fust time I saw you by the mole on your nose." + +Mrs. Prince got up and went into her back-place, trying her 'ardest to +remember wot she'd done with that broom. She couldn't find it anywhere, +and at last she came back and sat staring at Joe for so long that 'e was +'arf frightened out of his life. And by-and-by she gave a 'orrible smile +and sat rubbing the side of 'er nose with 'er finger. + +"If I help you," she ses at last, "will you promise to keep it a dead +secret and do exactly as I tell you? If you don't, dead pigs'll be +nothing to the misfortunes that you will 'ave." + +"I will," ses Joe Barlcomb, very pale. + +"The spell," ses Mrs. Prince, holding up her 'ands and shutting 'er eyes, +"was put upon you by a man. It is one out of six men as is jealous of +you because you're so clever, but which one it is I can't tell without +your assistance. Have you got any money?" + +"A little," ses Joe, anxious-like-- "a very little. Wot with the yellow +jaundice and other things, I----" + +"Fust thing to do," ses Mrs. Prince, still with her eyes shut, "you go up +to the Cauliflower to-night; the six men'll all be there, and you must +buy six ha'pennies off of them; one each." + +"Buy six ha'pennies?" ses Joe, staring at her. + +"Don't repeat wot I say," ses Mrs. Prince; "it's unlucky. You buy six +ha'pennies for a shilling each, without saying wot it's for. You'll be +able to buy 'em all right if you're civil." + +"It seems to me it don't need much civility for that," ses Joe, pulling a +long face. + +"When you've got the ha'pennies," ses Mrs. Prince, "bring 'em to me and +I'll tell you wot to do with 'em. Don't lose no time, because I can see +that something worse is going to 'appen if it ain't prevented." + +"Is it anything to do with my wife's mother getting worse?" ses Joe +Barlcomb, who was a careful man and didn't want to waste six shillings. + +"No, something to you," ses Mrs. Prince. + +Joe Barlcomb went cold all over, and then he put down a couple of eggs +he'd brought round for 'er and went off 'ome agin, and Mrs. Prince stood +in the doorway with a cat on each shoulder and watched 'im till 'e was +out of sight. + +That night Joe Barlcomb came up to this 'ere Cauliflower public-house, +same as he'd been told, and by-and-by, arter he 'ad 'ad a pint, he looked +round, and taking a shilling out of 'is pocket put it on the table, and +he ses, "Who'll give me a ha'penny for that?" he ses. + +None of 'em seemed to be in a hurry. Bill Jones took it up and bit it, +and rang it on the table and squinted at it, and then he bit it agin, and +turned round and asked Joe Barlcomb wot was wrong with it. + +"Wrong?" ses Joe; "nothing." + +Bill Jones put it down agin. "You're wide awake, Joe," he ses, "but so +am I." + +"Won't nobody give me a ha'penny for it?" ses Joe, looking round. + +Then Peter Lamb came up, and he looked at it and rang it, and at last he +gave Joe a ha'penny for it and took it round, and everybody 'ad a look at +it. + +[Illustration: "He took it round, and everybody 'ad a look at it."] + +"It stands to reason it's a bad 'un," ses Bill Jones, "but it's so well +done I wish as I'd bought it." + +"H-s-h!" ses Peter Lamb; "don't let the landlord 'ear you." + +The landlord 'ad just that moment come in, and Peter walked up and +ordered a pint, and took his ten-pence change as bold as brass. Arter +that Joe Barbcomb bought five more ha'pennies afore you could wink +a'most, and every man wot sold one went up to the bar and 'ad a pint and +got tenpence change, and drank Joe Barlcomb's health. + +"There seems to be a lot o' money knocking about to-night," ses the +landlord, as Sam Martin, the last of 'em, was drinking 'is pint. + +Sam Martin choked and put 'is pot down on the counter with a bang, and +him and the other five was out o' that door and sailing up the road with +their tenpences afore the landlord could get his breath. He stood to the +bar scratching his 'ead and staring, but he couldn't understand it a bit +till a man wot was too late to sell his ha'penny up and told 'im all +about it. The fuss 'e made was terrible. The shillings was in a little +heap on a shelf at the back o' the bar, and he did all sorts o' things to +'em to prove that they was bad, and threatened Joe Barlcomb with the +police. At last, however, 'e saw wot a fool he was making of himself, +and arter nearly breaking his teeth 'e dropped them into a drawer and +stirred 'em up with the others. + +Joe Barlcomb went round the next night to see Mrs. Prince, and she asked +'im a lot o' questions about the men as 'ad sold 'im the ha'pennies. + +"The fust part 'as been done very well," she ses, nodding her 'ead at +'im; "if you do the second part as well, you'll soon know who your enemy +is." + +"Nothing'll bring the pig back," ses Joe. + +"There's worse misfortunes than that, as I've told you," ses Mrs. Prince, +sharply. "Now, listen to wot I'm going to say to you. When the clock +strikes twelve to-night----" + +"Our clock don't strike," ses Joe. + +"Then you must borrow one that does," ses Mrs. Prince, "and when it +strikes twelve you must go round to each o' them six men and sell them a +ha'penny for a shilling." + +Joe Barlcomb looked at 'er. "'Ow?" he ses, short-like. + +"Same way as you sold 'em a shilling for a ha'-penny," ses Mrs. Prince; +"it don't matter whether they buy the ha'pennies or not. All you've got +to do is to go and ask 'em, and the man as makes the most fuss is the man +that 'as put the trouble on you." + +"It seems a roundabout way o' going to work," ses Joe. + +"_Wot!_" screams Mrs. Prince, jumping up and waving her arms about. +"_Wot!_ Go your own way; I'll have nothing more to do with you. And +don't blame me for anything that happens. It's a very bad thing to come +to a witch for advice and then not to do as she tells you. You ought to +know that." + +"I'll do it, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb, trembling. + +"You'd better," ses Mrs. Prince; "and mind--not a word to anybody." + +Joe promised her agin, and 'e went off and borrered a clock from Albert +Price, and at twelve o'clock that night he jumped up out of bed and began +to dress 'imself and pretend not to 'ear his wife when she asked 'im +where he was going. + +It was a dark, nasty sort o' night, blowing and raining, and, o' course, +everybody 'ad gone to bed long since. The fust cottage Joe came to was +Bill Jones's, and, knowing Bill's temper, he stood for some time afore he +could make up 'is mind to knock; but at last he up with 'is stick and +banged away at the door. + +A minute arterward he 'eard the bedroom winder pushed open, and then Bill +Jones popped his 'cad out and called to know wot was the matter and who +it was. + +"It's me--Joe Barlcomb," ses Joe, "and I want to speak to you very +partikler." + +"Well, speak away," ses Bill. "You go into the back room," he ses, +turning to his wife. + +"Whaffor?" ses Mrs. Jones. + +"'Cos I don't know wot Joe is going to say," ses Bill. "You go in now, +afore I make you." + +His wife went off grumbling, and then Bill told Joe Barlcomb to hurry up +wot he'd got to say as 'e 'adn't got much on and the weather wasn't as +warm as it might be. + +"I sold you a shilling for a ha'penny last night, Bill," ses Joe. + +"Do you want to sell any more?" ses Bill Jones, putting his 'and down to +where 'is trouser pocket ought to be. + +"Not exactly that," ses Joe Barlcomb. "This time I want you to sell me a +shilling for a ha'penny." + +Bill leaned out of the winder and stared down at Joe Barlcomb, and then +he ses, in a choking voice, "Is that wot you've come disturbing my sleep +for at this time o' night?" he ses. + +"I must 'ave it, Bill," ses Joe. + +"Well, if you'll wait a moment," ses Bill, trying to speak perlitely, +"I'll come down and give it to you." + +Joe didn't like 'is tone of voice, but he waited, and all of a sudden +Bill Jones came out o' that door like a gun going off and threw 'imself +on Joe Barlcomb. Both of 'em was strong men, and by the time they'd +finished they was so tired they could 'ardly stand. Then Bill Jones went +back to bed, and Joe Barlcomb, arter sitting down on the doorstep to rest +'imself, went off and knocked up Peter Lamb. + +Peter Lamb was a little man and no good as a fighter, but the things he +said to Joe Barlcomb as he leaned out o' the winder and shook 'is fist at +him was 'arder to bear than blows. He screamed away at the top of 'is +voice for ten minutes, and then 'e pulled the winder to with a bang and +went back to bed. + +Joe Barlcomb was very tired, but he walked on to Jasper Potts's 'ouse, +trying 'ard as he walked to decide which o' the fust two 'ad made the +most fuss. Arter he 'ad left Jasper Potts 'e got more puzzled than ever, +Jasper being just as bad as the other two, and Joe leaving 'im at last in +the middle of loading 'is gun. + +By the time he'd made 'is last call--at Sam Martin's--it was past three +o'clock, and he could no more tell Mrs. Prince which 'ad made the most +fuss than 'e could fly. There didn't seem to be a pin to choose between +'em, and, 'arf worried out of 'is life, he went straight on to Mrs. +Prince and knocked 'er up to tell 'er. She thought the 'ouse was afire +at fust, and came screaming out o' the front door in 'er bedgown, and +when she found out who it was she was worse to deal with than the men 'ad +been. + +She 'ad quieted down by the time Joe went round to see 'er the next +evening, and asked 'im to describe exactly wot the six men 'ad done and +said. She sat listening quite quiet at fust, but arter a time she scared +Joe by making a odd, croupy sort o' noise in 'er throat, and at last she +got up and walked into the back-place. She was there a long time making +funny noises, and at last Joe walked toward the door on tip-toe and +peeped through the crack and saw 'er in a sort o' fit, sitting in a chair +with 'er arms folded acrost her bodice and rocking 'erself up and down +and moaning. Joe stood as if 'e'd been frozen a'most, and then 'e crept +back to 'is seat and waited, and when she came into the room agin she +said as the trouble 'ad all been caused by Bill Jones. She sat still for +nearly 'arf an hour, thinking 'ard, and then she turned to Joe and ses: + +[Illustration: "She sat listening quite quiet at fust."] + +"Can you read?" she ses. + +"No," ses Joe, wondering wot was coming next. + +"That's all right, then," she ses, "because if you could I couldn't do +wot I'm going to do." + +"That shows the 'arm of eddication," ses Joe. "I never did believe in +it." + +Mrs. Prince nodded, and then she went and got a bottle with something in +it which looked to Joe like gin, and arter getting out 'er pen and ink +and printing some words on a piece o' paper she stuck it on the bottle, +and sat looking at Joe and thinking. + +"Take this up to the Cauliflower," she ses, "make friends with Bill +Jones, and give him as much beer as he'll drink, and give 'im a little o' +this gin in each mug. If he drinks it the spell will be broken, and +you'll be luckier than you 'ave ever been in your life afore. When 'e's +drunk some, and not before, leave the bottle standing on the table." + +Joe Barlcomb thanked 'er, and with the bottle in 'is pocket went off to +the Cauliflower, whistling. Bill Jones was there, and Peter Lamb, and +two or three more of 'em, and at fust they said some pretty 'ard things +to him about being woke up in the night. + +"Don't bear malice, Bill," ses Joe Barlcomb; "'ave a pint with me." + +He ordered two pints, and then sat down along-side o' Bill, and in five +minutes they was like brothers. + +"'Ave a drop o' gin in it, Bill," he ses, taking the bottle out of 'is +pocket. + +Bill thanked 'im and had a drop, and then, thoughtful-like, he wanted Joe +to 'ave some in his too, but Joe said no, he'd got a touch o' toothache, +and it was bad for it. + +"I don't mind 'aving a drop in my beer, Joe," ses Peter Lamb. + +"Not to-night, mate," ses Joe; "it's all for Bill. I bought it on +purpose for 'im." + +Bill shook 'ands with him, and when Joe called for another pint and put +some more gin in it he said that 'e was the noblest-'arted man that ever +lived. + +"You wasn't saying so 'arf an hour ago," ses Peter Lamb. + +"'Cos I didn't know 'im so well then," ses Bill Jones. + +"You soon change your mind, don't you?" ses Peter. + +Bill didn't answer 'im. He was leaning back on the bench and staring at +the bottle as if 'e couldn't believe his eyesight. His face was all +white and shining, and 'is hair as wet as if it 'ad just been dipped in a +bucket o' water. + +"See a ghost, Bill?" ses Peter, looking at 'im. + +Bill made a 'orrible noise in his throat, and kept on staring at the +bottle till they thought 'e'd gone crazy. Then Jasper Potts bent his +'ead down and began to read out loud wot was on the bottle. "P-o-i-- +POISON FOR BILL JONES," he ses, in a voice as if 'e couldn't believe it. + +You might 'ave heard a pin drop. Everybody turned and looked at Bill +Jones, as he sat there trembling all over. Then those that could read +took up the bottle and read it out loud all over agin. + +"Pore Bill," ses Peter Lamb. "I 'ad a feeling come over me that +something was wrong." + +"You're a murderer," ses Sam Martin, catching 'old of Joe Barlcomb. +"You'll be 'ung for this. Look at pore Bill, cut off in 'is prime." + +"Run for the doctor," ses someone. + +Two of 'em ran off as 'ard as they could go, and then the landlord came +round the bar and asked Bill to go and die outside, because 'e didn't +want to be brought into it. Jasper Potts told 'im to clear off, and then +he bent down and asked Bill where the pain was. + +"I don't think he'll 'ave much pain," ses Peter Lamb, who always +pretended to know a lot more than other people. "It'll soon be over, +Bill." + +"We've all got to go some day," ses Sam Martin. "Better to die young +than live to be a trouble to yourself," ses Bob Harris. + +To 'ear them talk everybody seemed to think that Bill Jones was in luck; +everybody but Bill Jones 'imself, that is. + +"I ain't fit to die," he ses, shivering. "You don't know 'ow bad I've +been." + +"Wot 'ave you done, Bill?" ses Peter Lamb, in a soft voice. "If it'll +ease your feelings afore you go to make a clean breast of it, we're all +friends here." + +Bill groaned. + +"And it's too late for you to be punished for anything," ses Peter, arter +a moment. + +Bill Jones groaned agin, and then, shaking 'is 'ead, began to w'isper 'is +wrong-doings. When the doctor came in 'arf an hour arterward all the men +was as quiet as mice, and pore Bill was still w'ispering as 'ard as he +could w'isper. + +The doctor pushed 'em out of the way in a moment, and then 'e bent over +Bill and felt 'is pulse and looked at 'is tongue. Then he listened to +his 'art, and in a puzzled way smelt at the bottle, which Jasper Potts +was a-minding of, and wetted 'is finger and tasted it. + +[Illustration: "The doctor felt 'is pulse and looked at 'is tongue."] + +"Somebody's been making a fool of you and me too," he ses, in a angry +voice. "It's only gin, and very good gin at that. Get up and go home." + +It all came out next morning, and Joe Barlcomb was the laughing-stock of +the place. Most people said that Mrs. Prince 'ad done quite right, and +they 'oped that it ud be a lesson to him, but nobody ever talked much of +witchcraft in Claybury agin. One thing was that Bill Jones wouldn't 'ave +the word used in 'is hearing. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Breaking A Spell, by W.W. 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