diff options
Diffstat (limited to '75656-h/75656-h.htm')
| -rw-r--r-- | 75656-h/75656-h.htm | 2647 |
1 files changed, 2647 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/75656-h/75656-h.htm b/75656-h/75656-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7e1c3ba --- /dev/null +++ b/75656-h/75656-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2647 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Chambers’s Journal, November 13, 1886 | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + + + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } +hr.full {width: 95%; margin-left: 2.5%; margin-right: 2.5%;} + + +.header {text-align: center; margin-top: 0;} +.header p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0;} +.header .floatl {float: left;} +.header .floatr {float: right;} +.header .floatc {padding-top: .5em;} + +.x-ebookmaker .header {text-align: center; margin-top: 0;} +.x-ebookmaker .header p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0;} +.x-ebookmaker .header .floatl {float: left;} +.x-ebookmaker .header .floatr {float: right;} +.x-ebookmaker .header .floatc {padding-top: .5em;} + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} +h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} + +.smalltext{ + font-size: medium; +} + + + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + text-indent: 0; +} /* page numbers */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.right {text-align: right;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.allsmcap {font-variant: small-caps; text-transform: lowercase;} + + +/* Images */ + +img { + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; +} +img.w100 {width: 100%;} + + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} + + + +/* Poetry */ +/* uncomment the next line for centered poetry */ +.poetry-container {display: flex; justify-content: center;} +.poetry-container {text-align: center;} +.poetry {text-align: left; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} +.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em auto;} +.poetry .verse {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} + +.poetry .attrib {text-align: right;} + +/* Poetry indents */ +.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3.0em;} +.poetry .indent2 {text-indent: -2.0em;} + + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75656 ***</div> + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<h1>CHAMBERS’S JOURNAL<br> +OF<br> +POPULAR<br> +LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.</h1> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak">CONTENTS</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"> +<a href="#THE_PORTABLE_THEATRE">THE PORTABLE THEATRE.</a><br> +<a href="#BY_ORDER_OF_THE_LEAGUE">BY ORDER OF THE LEAGUE.</a><br> +<a href="#RACING_ROGUERIES">RACING ROGUERIES.</a><br> +<a href="#MISS_MASTERMANS_DISCOVERY">MISS MASTERMAN’S DISCOVERY.</a><br> +<a href="#PHOTOGRAPHIC_STAR-CHARTING">PHOTOGRAPHIC STAR-CHARTING.</a><br> +<a href="#DAVIDS_SON_SOLOMON">DAVID’S SON SOLOMON.</a><br> +<a href="#A_NEW_ART-GUILD">A NEW ART-GUILD.</a><br> +<a href="#A_RETROSPECT">A RETROSPECT.</a><br> +</p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_721">{721}</span></p> + + +<hr class="full"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="header" style="max-width: 37.5em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/header.jpg" alt="Chambers’s Journal of Popular Literature, Science, +and Art. Fifth Series. Established by William and Robert Chambers, 1832. Conducted by R. Chambers (Secundus)."> +</div> + +<hr class="full"> +<div class="center"> +<div class="header"> +<p class="floatl"><span class="smcap">No. 150.—Vol. III.</span></p> +<p class="floatr"><span class="smcap">Price</span> 1½<em>d.</em></p> +<p class="floatc">SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1886.</p> +</div></div></div> + +<hr class="full"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_PORTABLE_THEATRE">THE PORTABLE THEATRE.</h2></div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">A few</span> wagon-loads of large and square wooden +shutters; numerous poles of various lengths; a +quantity of seat-planks and their supports; some +scene-painted canvas wrapped around long rollers, +some nailed and glued upon framework; a collection +of ropes and pulleys; various ‘stage properties;’ +two open coke-fire grates; an amount +of dark and soiled drapery and cheap carpeting, +and a mass of other things—meet these on the +highway, and you may know that a portable +theatre is shifting its quarters.</p> + +<p>Soon after the wagons reach their destination, +the work of building commences. The town +chosen is no doubt a small one, with interests +which may be manufacturing, mineral, or agricultural. +The theatre had arranged for its stance +before moving—some waste ground let at a +nominal rent, or a field bordering the town. +Then beardless men, dressed in stained and ragged +cloth garments, start hacking up the ground, digging +narrow holes wherein to erect uprights. +While some erect the framework, others build +at one end a gallery, at the other a stage; and so +bit by bit. After an adornment of the interior by +draping the walls with some material and giving +a scant covering to the best seats, and a sawdust +carpet to the whole concern, the labour of erection +is about at an end, and the actor-builders +are at liberty to cleanse—and shave themselves +if they have time, and throw off their working +clothes. If they perform the same night and +are late, they will have little time for rest; and +in the impersonator of Hamlet, who enters the +stage at a quarter to eight to a flourish on brass +and string, you may recognise the man who, +forty-five minutes before, had been walking to +his lodgings in a state of grime and weariness +and with a stubbly chin. When he appears as +the Prince, he is clean shaven, all but the heavy +moustache—for that is his pride, and is never +sacrificed.</p> + +<p>The portable theatre is generally ‘run’ by the +proprietor, who is often also stage-manager and +leading man or comedian. The usual method of +fixing the amount of payment to employees is +by share. In this way every individual worker +is a sort of partner, and so feels an interest in +the welfare of the business; and if the receipts +are large, he, and she, participate in the benefit. +This method is favourable to the manager and +proprietor too, even when business is not brisk, +though he is never heard to admit as much. +The mode of procedure is very simple, and may +be worthy the attention of those who admire +simplicity and promptitude in business. The +sharing takes place nightly after performance, +when the audience have dispersed and the curtain +has been drawn up, and all the company are +dressed for home and assembled on the stage. +The proprietor sits at a table in the centre, the +receipts in cash and a slip of paper before him. +‘The “house” is three pounds and fourpence,’ the +manager proceeds to explain; ‘and from that +is to be taken two shillings for ground-rent; +that leaves two-eighteen-four. Now, twenty-five +shares into that is two shillings and fourpence +a share. It’s very bad, especially for an +opening night; but the show went well, so we +may hope business’ll pick up, now they know +what we are like. I hope it will, for all our +sakes.’ And then does the gentleman proceed +to give to each member his one share, which +on this night amounts to two shillings and fourpence; +but to the low comedian is given an +extra half-share, according to agreement, for his +services are very valuable to the firm, and he +is expected to sing humorous songs during the +interval between drama and farce.</p> + +<p>Now, all this looks very fair on the face of it; +but much may be learned by an analysis of the +arrangement. The proprietor has given twelve +and a half shares among twelve people, in which +are included the small orchestra; the remainder +he has put in his pocket. For his own services +as leading man and stage-manager, and for his +wife, who plays the feminine leading parts—when +they are good—he takes up four shares +each night; for supplying the wardrobe!—which +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_722">{722}</span>is scanty and worn—he takes another share; he +has another to recoup him for that night’s outlay +in stage properties; a half-share to pay for +the coke the fires have burned; and lastly, he +takes six shares as rent of the theatre, which is +his property. So, of the twenty-five shares into +which the receipts are nightly divided, the proprietor +receives altogether twelve and a half. +Much of this he would tell you is but the return +of money previously laid out, and the melancholy +sigh with which he accompanies the ceremony +of division is meant to indicate the fact that he +is losing money rapidly.</p> + +<p>His wife, when not in the cast, or his offspring, +or a decrepit father, are generally assigned to +the post of money-taker at the theatre door. +The company are supposed to have a check +against them by appointing as their representatives +those who collect the tickets. The person +who receives the cash from the public as they +enter is familiarly known to the fraternity by +the name of ‘first robber.’</p> + +<p>Now, many who know the business have been +heard to declare that the manager seldom loses—if +ever—and generally gains, however slack business +may be, and even while his fellow-actors +are pinched for necessities. If it is asked, ‘Why +do the workers agree to such an arrangement?’ +it may be replied: ‘The proprietor and manager +is master in his own establishment; and those +who won’t conform to the rules of the theatre +may go and make way for those who will.’</p> + +<p>Altogether, portable actors, or, as many of the +labouring classes prefer to call them, showfolk, +make but a precarious living, and they have often +many troubles, for which they receive little sympathy. +At times they are heard speaking of how +some years ago, during the fair at a certain town, +they performed five times during the day, and +individually amassed three pounds seven shillings +for the day’s work. But that was a rare +occurrence, and they dwell with pleasure upon +the memory of it. The usual share in ordinary +times rises to five shillings nightly during good +business, and perhaps as much as seven or eight +on the Saturday, and very often it drops to the +amount of but a few coppers. There is all the +excitement of chance in this mode of remuneration, +and that may offer an inducement to some +speculative minds. If trade is bad, or the people +are too poor or anti-theatrical, the strolling Thespian +may find that his reward after work is +something less than a shilling, and upon that +he may have to feed and lodge himself until +the next night brings a further supply.</p> + +<p>Many who dwell in towns think that the portable +theatre is now little more than a remnant +of a bygone age, that the drama has cast off this +itineracy; and such thinkers would doubtless be +surprised if they were shown a list of the playhouses +that move about the country. They are +certainly very numerous. These buildings seldom +look well in the morning light; there is a dissipated +look about them, as though they kept bad +hours. This more particularly applies to the +interior, to whose good appearance the glare of +gas is very essential. When the actors assemble +for rehearsal, which is generally at eleven o’clock, +the drapery looks dull and tawdry, the woodwork +seems rough, the sawdust over the earth-floor +is dirty, and the scenes appear daubs. If there +be a little breeze astir, the canvas roofing overhead +will flap with a sound like that of the sails +of a ship at sea. The curtain and scene-cloths +are rolled up, that the dust may not settle upon +them.</p> + +<p>When the players have gathered together, +rehearsal commences. They seem a motley group. +There is the proprietor and manager, a portly +man, who is troubled with occasional rheumatism—which +he calls gout; he wears a heavy moustache +and a heavy gold albert, and has much +power of voice—which at times is decidedly +throaty. There is the low comedian, who is +small of stature, with an expansive face deeply +lined; his legs are misshapen, and he walks with +the gait of one who suffers the affliction of many +corns and bunions. Naturally, his countenance +has the most serious aspect of any one in the +company; but usage has trained it otherwise; +he would be a melancholy man were it not that +he gained his living by provoking mirth, and has +a reputation to keep up. In his youth, his soul +aspired to tragedy, but his legs were against it. +Within his quaint figure he holds more sentiment +than many of his companions of more symmetrical +mould, and he professes to be a diligent +and critical reader. He values ‘low comedy’ now, +because it has many advantages; it gains an +extra half-share, makes him popular with the +audience, and secures him the best benefit in each +town.</p> + +<p>The middle-aged man with the stiff carriage, +and with the hair grown long and well oiled and +curved, so that at the bottom it lies like a roll +upon the neck, is the ‘heavy man,’ who claims +the chief-villain parts; he glories in his deep +tones and in his dark scowl. It seems he does +not much admire the smooth-faced scoundrels of +the drama; you cannot mistake the villainy <i>he</i> +portrays; directly he enters the stage, you say, +‘That is the villain of the piece.’ And he is not +without a speciality in his particular line of +business; to use his own words—‘He likes his +scoundrel’s “game;” no chicken-hearted repentance +at the end of the last act.’ His favourite +final exit speech is thus: ‘Ah! soh, you have +counterplotted and balked me. But I-a haave +played a bold and desper-rat game, and now I +leave you with contempt-a! My curses light-a +’pon ye!’ If, however, he is killed when villainy +has done its allotted work, he makes the most of +his death, and invariably dies with a terrific backward +fall. He has been heard to complain that +in his stage career he receives small encouragement; +‘for,’ argues he, ‘after my heavy night’s +work, anybody may come on with a stuffed stick +and knock me down, and they’ll get all the +applause.’</p> + +<p>One of the company is a young man whose face +has already lost its pristine freshness; he wears +his hat with an inclination to the right, and +looks to be a knowing, wayward, idle, and +thriftless wanderer. A great amount of cheap +beer enters into his idea of life. He drinks this +liquor at any hour; and when counting his cash, +calculates it not by pence, but by the half-pints +it represents. He is a weed who benefits nobody, +not even himself. Enough has been said about +him.</p> + +<p>The man who throughout his life has never +ceased to do his best, honestly and cheerfully, and +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_723">{723}</span>has failed through no fault of his own, must be +worthy of some respect. This has been the way +of the old gentleman—he may be called that—whose +age is more than any other of the company. +In his work he is painstaking, even amid the +inartistic surroundings of a portable theatre. +He now possesses an extensive stage wardrobe, +gathered for his own private use; it is the collection +of years, and he is proud of it. You +won’t hear him speak so often of his own future +now, but he is always chattering about what he +thinks his daughter will do. She is a darling +girl, he says, and will be the blessing of his old +age.</p> + +<p>His daughter matches well with the morning +sunshine. A fresh, rosy-faced girl, with shining +hair and laughing eyes, in great contrast to these +yellow women and blue-chinned men. She always +shows neatness and good taste. Her father has +often told her that they are merely ‘birds of +passage’ in this cheap playhouse, and she is +anxiously anticipating their migration. If that +indulgent old dad of hers isn’t careful, she’ll +become a vain young woman.</p> + +<p>As this girl is now, so was at one time that +blear-eyed, bedraggled woman, who seems to +prefer sitting to standing and idling to working. +She is untidy and careless, and walks out with +her boots unbrushed. Her rising this morning +is yet quite a recent affair; traces of sleep still +cling to her eyes. Not many years ago, she was +as fair and modest as the old man’s daughter is +now, and not a soul anticipated such a change. +Who can answer that the other may not alter +likewise?</p> + +<p>The man who is hammering at some repair +to the building is the degenerated female’s husband, +and candour must confess that he looks +it. He has many of his wife’s characteristics; +the same dissipated face, impolite manner at +times, and general attitude of discontent. But +these parallel ways of theirs are not productive +of concord; quite the contrary, for, as one of +their acquaintance tersely observes, ‘They quarrel +like old boots,’ a simile which must be more +fantastic than correct.</p> + +<p>Among the company is an old woman who +only needs the sugar-loaf-shaped hat to resemble +the familiar pictures of a witch. She is indigenous +to the portable theatre, was cradled in +one, and knows little of any life beyond it. +Her daughter is that scraggy, uncanny-looking +young female, whose dominant passion at present +is jealousy of the old man’s daughter, whom she +never ceases to malign.</p> + +<p>The rehearsal here is not generally a long +ceremony. A partial or complete repetition of +the words, and a comparing of notes respecting +the various entrances, exits, and general business +of the play, and that is all. Then the healthy-minded +people do their marketing, and go off +for a short walk. The others continue to ‘hang +about.’</p> + +<p>The audience that comes here likes its dramatic +food strong—no parlour comedies and talky +dramas, but plenty of incident, of action, passions, +stirring speeches, combats, and a little coloured +fire burned off the wings. The probability of the +sequence of events as here dramatically represented, +or the possibility of their occurrence at +all, are not matters which trouble the mind of +either the actor or his audience. In the matter of +denouements the author’s published idea is quite +regularly departed from in the portable theatre, +and of greatest playwrights’ masterpieces it is +frequently said: ‘Oh, we can bring the curtain +down better than that.’ So, directly vice is +unmasked with a taste of punishment, the virtuous +gather together—perhaps without explanation +of why they were so near—and the hero +spouts a short speech in a victorious spirit, and +thus—finale.</p> + +<p>At one travelling theatre where the manager +followed the usual custom of announcing during +each evening the succeeding night’s programme, +the drama in question had been billed. In the +managerial speech occurred the following words: +‘I have very great pleasure in announcing for +next Thursday night the production, for the first +time during our visit, of the favourite play, +entitled <i>Maria Martin, or the Murder at the +Red Barn</i>. I have further pleasure in stating +that the version we play has <i>never</i> been performed +in this town; and was written expressly +for this company by a relative of the Martin +family, and has been secured by me at great +expense.’</p> + +<p>This information was received with much satisfaction +and applause; that it had had the desired +effect was proved conclusively by a view of the +Thursday night’s house. And the gentleman +faithfully kept his promise, for he played a +version that had certainly never been performed +in that town; he introduced into the drama as +usually given, a part of a gypsy family of vengeful +proclivities, and so got two sets of murders, +and as both were constantly repeated in visions, +it may be supposed the audience had a fair dose +of dramatic crime for its money.</p> + +<p>But there is many a good performance to be +seen in a portable theatre; and extremely good, +when the surroundings are considered. The +writer remembers a very creditable performance +of the play of <i>Hamlet</i>—given one dreadfully +wild night in a portable that was not the best +of its kind. The rain had penetrated the roof +in many places before the performance began, +and the wind had been all day threatening +to blow off the tilt. With the combined damp +and cold, it was a very undesirable task to +don long hose and thin velvet shirts, and to +wear them for three hours in such a draughty +and rain-sodden place. But this discomfort was +necessary there, as a slight mitigation of a state +of poverty. Perhaps there was a want of repose +in the acting that night, for it was advisable +to dodge those places where the water found +the roof weakest, and so descended as from a +spout. The Ghost, who had a cold, coughed +during his scenes in a most unspectral manner. +In the ‘play-scene’ there was a crash, and it +was feared the tilt was gone, and one of the +courtiers ran out to see what had given way. +Two of the rope-fastenings were loose and flying +about wildly. They were secured during the performance, +but not without some trouble, each +male actor throwing a coat over his shoulders, +and giving a hand when the scene in progress +did not require him. But as these were fastened, +others broke, and it was altogether a night of +trouble. Before the last act was reached, there +was little to be gained by dodging; the rain +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_724">{724}</span>penetrated steadily all over, and would fall on +heads and run down backs and disturb projecting +noses, wherever their owners stood. Hamlet died +on a damp couch that night, for the stage carpet +was soaked and flooded, but he would be artistic +and die lying full length. I can testify that +the Horatio, who had to kneel and support the +Prince’s head, wished he would die quicker. +But ‘The rest is silence,’ came at last; and +Hamlet jumped up again, and then looked radiantly +happy; for just as the curtain was descending, +one of the audience stood and threw to the +actor a rose. It was a pretty compliment, and +the recipient deserved it.</p> + +<p>When the audience had dispersed, the actors +received their reward—fifteenpence each. They +deserved it. But their labour was not yet ended +for the day. The rain had abated, but the wind +lashed with greater force and blew with louder +voice. ‘Nothing short of a miracle will save that +roof to-night,’ said somebody. So its safety had +to be guarded; that is, the company were to +attend in turns and keep watch, two or three +at a time. One of the coke-fires in the auditorium +was replenished, and round it the men +sat, talking of absent acquaintances, recounting +the peculiarities of some, and giving anecdotes; +while above their heads the swaying of the canvas +sounded loud, and the wind whirled in fury +round the creaking shutters. And thus, as they +drowsily sit, wishing for rest, we will leave +them.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak x-ebookmaker-important" id="BY_ORDER_OF_THE_LEAGUE">BY ORDER OF THE LEAGUE.</h2></div> + + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII.</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">For</span> a time, Enid stood looking at the sufferer +sadly, and wondering where the friends of the +poor girl might be. Gradually, as the scene +came back to her, she remembered the words of +Lucrece, and turned to her. ‘Lucrece, did I +hear you say you knew this poor woman?’</p> + +<p>‘Indeed, yes, miss. Three years ago, in Paris, +Linda and I were great friends—what you English +call “chums.” She was an actress at the +“Varieties”—a clever player; but she could +not rise. Jealousy and a bad husband prevented +that. Poor Linda, she has all the talent!’</p> + +<p>‘Strange that you should know her; but still +fortunate. Perhaps, through you, we may be +able to discover where her friends are.’</p> + +<p>‘Poor child! she has no friends.—But hush! +See! she has opened her eyes.’</p> + +<p>The sufferer was looking wildly around. She +tried to rise, but the pain and weakness were +too great, and she sank back with a deep fluttering +sigh. As she collected her senses—‘Where +am I?’ she asked faintly. ‘How did I come +here?’</p> + +<p>‘Do not distress yourself,’ Enid said softly. +‘You are quite safe. You had an accident, and +they brought you here.’</p> + +<p>For a moment the girl closed her eyes. ‘I +remember now. I was knocked down by a cab. +But I am better now. Let me get up. Where +is my boy?’ she continued—‘what has become +of my boy?’</p> + +<p>‘Do not trouble yourself about your child,’ +Enid said soothingly, marvelling that one apparently +so young should be a mother. ‘He shall +be well cared for. Tell us where he is, and he +shall be brought to you.’</p> + +<p>‘You are so good—so good and beautiful! You +will find a card in my jacket-pocket where to +send for him. Tell me, bright angel of goodness, +what is the name they know you by?’</p> + +<p>‘My name is Enid Charteris,’ she replied, smiling +a little at the theatrical touch, earnest though +it was.—‘I must not let you talk any longer. +The doctor was very strict about that.’</p> + +<p>At the mention of the name, the sick woman +became strangely agitated, so much so that Enid +was alarmed. ‘Am I in Grosvenor Square? +Are you the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Charteris?’</p> + +<p>‘Yes, yes. But you really must be quiet +now.’</p> + +<p>But instead of complying with this request, +the stranger burst into a fit of hysterical crying, +weeping and sobbing as if her heart would break. +‘Miserable woman that I am!’ she cried, ‘what +have I done? Oh, what have I done? O that +I could have known before!’</p> + +<p>Enid looked at Lucrece in alarm. The outbreak +was so sudden, so unexpected, that for +a moment they were too startled to speak.</p> + +<p>‘She is unhinged by the shock,’ Enid whispered. +‘Perhaps if you were to speak to her, it would +have a good effect.’</p> + +<p>‘Yes, madam. But if I may be allowed to +make a suggestion—I should say it was better +if you left the room for a time. She sees some +likeness to you, or fancies she does, to some one. +She knows me; and if you will leave for a +short time, I will try and soothe her.’</p> + +<p>‘I think you are right, Lucrece. I will come +in again presently, when she has become quieter.’</p> + +<p>Directly Enid quitted the apartment, Lucrece’s +whole manner changed from the subdued domestic +to the eager sympathetic friend. She bent over +the bed and looked down in the suffering woman’s +eyes. ‘Linda! do you not know me? It is I, +Lucrece!’</p> + +<p>‘You—and here? What is the meaning of +this, and in the dress of a servant? Tell me,’ +she continued eagerly. ‘You are not one of his +friends in his pay, to help his vile schemes?’</p> + +<p>‘I do not know who <i>he</i> is. I am here for +a good purpose—to protect my mistress from a +great harm.’</p> + +<p>‘Ah, then, you are no friend of Le Gautier’s.—Do +you ever see him? Does he come here +often? Do you know what he is after?’</p> + +<p>Lucrece started. ‘What do you know of Le +Gautier?’</p> + +<p>‘What do I know of him? Everything that +is bad, and bitter, and fiendish! But he will +not succeed, if I have to sacrifice my life to +aid the beautiful lady who has been so kind +to me.’</p> + +<p>‘You are not the only one who would,’ Lucrece +quietly answered. ‘Tell me what you know.’</p> + +<p>‘I did not know then how good and noble +she is.—My head is queer and strange, Lucrece; +I cannot tell you now. To-morrow, perhaps, +if I am better, I will tell you everything. I +am glad now that they brought me here.’</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, Maxwell was pacing about the +drawing-room, having entirely forgotten the unfortunate +woman in his own perplexity. He +had been there perhaps half an hour, when +Enid entered. She was not too occupied to +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_725">{725}</span>notice the moody, thoughtful frown upon his +face.</p> + +<p>‘What a sad thing for her, poor woman!’ she +said.—‘How did it happen, Fred?’</p> + +<p>‘Poor woman?’ Maxwell asked vaguely. ‘How +did what happen?’</p> + +<p>‘Why, Fred, what is the matter with you?’ +Enid exclaimed with vague alarm. ‘How strange +you look! Surely you have not forgotten the +poor creature you brought here not more than +half an hour ago?’</p> + +<p>Maxwell collected himself by a violent effort. +‘I had actually forgotten. I was thinking of +something else.—Enid, dear, I am going away!’</p> + +<p>‘Going away! Any one would think, from +the expression of your face and the tone of +your voice, you were never going to return. +Where are you going?’</p> + +<p>There was a very considerable chance of his +not returning, he felt, and he smiled at the +grim idea. ‘I am not going far—at least not +very far, in this age of express trains and telegraphs. +I wish I could take you with me, +darling; for I am going to a place you have +often longed to see—I am going to Rome.’</p> + +<p>‘To Rome? Is it not very sudden? You +never told me before.’</p> + +<p>‘Well, it is rather sudden. I have not known +it long. You see, I could not tell you a thing +I was ignorant of myself.’</p> + +<p>‘I wish you were not going,’ Enid said reflectively. +‘I have a feeling that some evil will +come of this. And yet I suppose you must go. +Is it business of your own, Fred?’</p> + +<p>Maxwell hesitated. He could not prevaricate +with those clear truthful eyes looking up so +earnestly to his own. The soul of honour himself, +he could not forgive the want of it in +others; but he temporised now. ‘Well, not exactly +my own,’ he stammered, trying to make +the best of a bad case, ‘or I would not go. +It is a secret, which I cannot tell even you; +but I shall not be long away.’</p> + +<p>‘A secret which you cannot tell even me,’ +Enid repeated mechanically. ‘Then it must be +something you are very much ashamed of.’</p> + +<p>‘Indeed, it is not,’ Maxwell began eagerly, +hesitated, and stopped. After all, she was right. +It was a secret, a terrible, shameful secret, +against which all the manliness in him revolted. +For a time he was silent, hanging down his +head for very shame, as the whole force of his +position came upon him. For the first time, +he realised where his rashness had led him, +and what he was about to lose.</p> + +<p>Enid looked at him in amazement, strangely +mixed with a terrible and nameless fear. ‘Fred!’ +she cried at length, white and trembling, ‘you +are going away upon the mission of that +awful League! You cannot deny it.—O Fred! +Fred!’</p> + +<p>He tried to soothe her as she lay sobbing +in his arms, but to no avail. The most fervent +promises and the most endearing words she +heeded not, crying that he was going from her +never to return; and her fears were strengthened +when he mournfully but firmly declined to +speak of his mission. Presently, when she grew +a little calmer, she raised her wet cheeks to +him and kissed him. She was pale now, but +confident, and striving with all the artifices in +her power to persuade him from his undertaking; +but tears and prayers, threats even, could not +avail.</p> + +<p>He shook his head sadly. ‘I would that I +could stay with you, Enid,’ he said at length, +holding her close in his arms; ‘but this much +I can tell you—that I dare not disobey. It is +as much as my life is worth.’</p> + +<p>‘And as much as your life is worth to go,’ +echoed the sobbing girl. ‘What is life to me +without you? And now this thing has come +between us, parting us perhaps for ever!’</p> + +<p>‘I hope not,’ Maxwell smiled cheerfully. ‘I +trust not, darling. My time away is very short; +and doubtless I shall not be called upon again +for a time—perhaps never.’</p> + +<p>Enid dried her eyes bravely and tried to smile. +‘Good-bye, Fred,’ she said brokenly; ‘and heaven +grant that my fears are groundless! If anything +happened to you, I believe I should die.’</p> + +<p>‘I shall come back, darling.—And now, good-bye, +and God bless you.’</p> + +<p>After he was gone, Enid threw herself down +upon the lounge and wept.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Le Gautier’s star was in the ascendant. His +only dangerous rival would soon be hundreds +of miles away on a hazardous mission, out of +which, in all human probability, he could not +come unscathed, even if he escaped with life; +a prospective father-in-law wholly in his power; +and a bride <i>in posse</i>, upon whose fears he could +work by describing graphically her father’s danger, +with the moral, that it would be her duty to +her parent to wed his preserver, Le Gautier. +This, in fine, was the pretty scheme the wily +adventurer had sketched out in his busy brain, +a scheme which at present looked like being +brought to a successful issue.</p> + +<p>Another source of congratulation to this inestimable +young man was the progress he was +making with the fair stranger, known to him +as Marie St Jean. By the time a fortnight had +passed, he had been in Ventnor Street more than +once, and quite long enough to feel a passion +stronger than he had ever experienced before. +It was absolutely dangerous to him, he knew, +to be with her so often; but like the moth +and the candle, the attraction was so great that +he found it impossible to keep away—not that +he lost his head for a moment, though he well +knew that Marie St Jean could turn him round +her finger; but he had formed his plans even +here. The first step was to betray the League—the +scheme was not quite ripe yet, and the +news of Maxwell uncertain—and then take Marie +St Jean for a tour upon the continent. There +would be plenty of time to return and marry +Enid afterwards without any unnecessary bother; +for he had already made up his mind that +Miss St Jean was too proud to show her wrongs +to the world.</p> + +<p>On the Monday afternoon following Maxwell’s +departure, Le Gautier turned his steps in the +direction of Grosvenor Square, feeling on good +terms with himself and all mankind. His +schemes were prospering hugely. It was clearly +useless, he determined, now to hesitate any +longer; the blow must be struck, and the sooner +the better for all parties concerned. With this +intention upmost in his mind, he trippingly +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_726">{726}</span>ascended the steps of Sir Geoffrey’s house and +knocked.</p> + +<p>He found the baronet in the library, engaged +as usual over some volume of deep spiritualistic +research; the thing had become a passion with +him now, and every spare moment was spent in +this morbid amusement. He was getting thin +and haggard over it, and Le Gautier thought he +looked very old and careworn as he watched +him now.</p> + +<p>‘You have come just in time,’ he cried, placing +a paper-knife in the book and turning eagerly +to Le Gautier. ‘I have a passage here that I +am unable to understand. Listen to this.’</p> + +<p>‘I have something more important to speak +of,’ Le Gautier interrupted. ‘I have something +more pressing on hand than that attractive subject. +Sir Geoffrey, next week I am summoned to +Warsaw.’</p> + +<p>The baronet began to feel anxious; he knew +perfectly well what was coming, and, like all +weak men, he dreaded anything like evil. The +part that he had to play was a despicable one, +and he feared his daughter’s angry scorn. Like +a recalcitrant debtor, he began to cry for time, +the time that never comes. ‘So you informed +me last week,’ he replied, twisting a paper-knife +in his hands uneasily. ‘I hope you will have +a pleasant journey. How long do you expect +to be detained there?’</p> + +<p>‘I cannot tell; it depends upon the amount +of business to be done. I may be away six +weeks; but, at the very least, I do not see how +I can get back to England under the month.’</p> + +<p>Sir Geoffrey’s face lighted, in spite of his air +of regret. Le Gautier noticed this; nothing +escaped the ken of those keen black eyes.</p> + +<p>‘And when you return, we will complete our +little arrangements,’ Sir Geoffrey exclaimed cheerfully. +‘No hurry, you know, no haste in such +matters as these; and, referring to our previous +conversation, we cannot be too careful in treading +such uncertain ground. Enid’——</p> + +<p>‘Precisely,’ Le Gautier interrupted. ‘With +all due deference to your opinion, there is need +of action, which is a very different matter from +that raw haste which your poet tells us is half-sister +to delay. I must have something definite +settled before I leave England.’</p> + +<p>‘’Pon my honour, you know, you young men +are very hasty,’ the baronet fidgeted; ‘there is +no controlling you. In my time, things were +quite different; men professed a certain deference +to women, and did not take so much for granted +as you do now’——</p> + +<p>‘Sir Geoffrey,’ Le Gautier interrupted again, +‘things change; men alter; but perfect love is +the same for all time. I love your daughter, +and would make her my wife.’</p> + +<p>In spite of the baronet’s feeble-mindedness, +there was always something in the Frenchman’s +higher flights which jarred upon his nerves, a +sense of insincerity, a certain hollow, grotesque +mockery, which pained him. The last word +struck upon him like some chords played out +of tune. Still the spell was upon him; he had +nought to do but obey.</p> + +<p>‘We perfectly understand that,’ he replied, ‘and +therefore need say no more about it. You have +my promise; indeed, how can it be otherwise +with the memory of that awful manifestation +before me? And the word of a Charteris is +always sufficient. But I do think, Le Gautier, +that you are pushing this thing too far.’</p> + +<p>‘Let the depth of my love excuse my impetuosity;’ +and again the words struck harshly +on the listener’s ears. ‘Surely the excuse is a +good one. I am leaving England shortly; and +before I go, I must—nay, I will have an answer +to the question which affects my happiness so +deeply. It is only fair, only just that I should +know my fate.’</p> + +<p>Sir Geoffrey speculated feebly what he was +to do with a man like this. ‘But have a little +patience; let me prepare her for your proposal.’</p> + +<p>‘Which you will promise to do, and put off +day after day, as a man does who has an unpleasant +task to perform. No, Sir Geoffrey; I +do not wish to conduct my wooing second-hand. +There is no time like the present; my motto +is “Now.” I do not ask you to help me; but +before I leave this house, it is my intention to +speak to your daughter.’</p> + +<p>In sheer desperation, not unmixed with a little +irritation, Sir Geoffrey rang the bell, and desired +the servant to conduct Le Gautier up-stairs. The +thing must come sooner or later, he knew; and +so long as he was not asked personally to interfere, +he did not so much mind, though he was +not unconscious of sundry twinges of conscience +as his arbitrary visitor disappeared.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="RACING_ROGUERIES">RACING ROGUERIES.</h2></div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">To</span> a man not infected with the disease, Turf-mania +must appear the blindest of all infatuations. +The gambler who trusts to the fall of +the cards, arguing that in the natural fitness +of things he is certain to be a winner some +day, and spends all his time in calculating the +doctrine of chances, is a rational person to the +gull who, knowing what a mass of roguery leavens +the Turf, will yet stake money, honour, and life +upon its eventualities. Yet this is done every +day, not only by greenhorns, but by men who +are quite alive to the mysterious workings of +the betting ring, who are fully aware that +the ability of the horse or the jockey is the last +factor to be taken into consideration; who can +amuse you for hours with stories of the swindles +practised by owners, trainers, jockeys, ‘rings,’ +and who yet go on putting their money on the +horse ‘that must win’—and never wins—in utter +defiance of their foregathered knowledge. The +racing ‘prophet’ who is behind the scenes, who +makes ‘the turf’ the business of his life, not +only fools the readers of the newspaper to which +he sells his vaticinations, but himself as well, and +often returns from a race as penniless as the +silly ones who pin their faith upon his oracular +utterances. Even the bookmaker has his ‘fancies,’ +upon which he stakes, and loses, the money +that fools have put into his purse, with a blind +confidence that is almost incredible.</p> + +<p>A certain horse has acquitted himself well +in his trial gallops; there is not one in the +race can beat him; and <i>if</i> he were allowed to +do his best, would undoubtedly be the winner. +But, as Touchstone says, ‘There is much virtue +in an if.’ In the first place, the owner may +not intend him to win, and may have actually +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_727">{727}</span>made arrangements for laying against his own +horse. Or if the owner be ‘straight,’ the jockey +may have been bribed to check the horse’s speed +as he nears the winning-post by some one whose +interest it is that the horse shall not win. All +these may work together, or each may have +different interests in the event. And even +should the animal be meant in all honesty +to win, a stable lad for a five-pound note +may secretly physic the horse, and good-bye the +chances of the favourite on the morrow. Or +some lurking ruffian in the pay of another owner +or bookmaker may contrive to gain admission +into the stable unknown to the animal’s guardians, +and ‘nobble’ for himself. But even after +every form of knavery has been set aside, there +are contingencies that still render the risks of +backing horses enormous. The jockey may spend +the night before the race in dissipation, and +mount with swimming head and nerveless hands; +or in his cups he may betray some secret +of the stable that will give the advantage to +a rival; or the horse himself may become sick, +or be out of form, or stumble, or be thrown +out by a cur running across the course, or other +accidents easy of occurrence; and yet, knowing +all this, men will madly risk large sums upon +the supposition that no such <i>contretemps</i> will +happen.</p> + +<p>A few anecdotes, however, of undeniable authenticity +will better illustrate the tricks of the +Turf than would pages of reflections and generalisations.</p> + +<p>About half a century ago, at Newmarket, several +horses who stood high in the betting, at different +times suddenly went off sick just before the race +for which they were entered; some died, others +recovered, but all were disabled for the time +being, and favourites that a few hours previously +outstripped every rival, would come straggling +yards behind the field. Every one knew they +had been ‘nobbled;’ but for a long time the +perpetrator remained undiscovered; at last, however, +a notorious scoundrel, one Dan Dawson, +was caught red-handed poisoning the troughs. +During the trial, it came out that he had made +a regular trade of these nefarious practices, and +it was more than suspected that not a few of +the biggest men on the Turf were his employers. +But although he was condemned to death, whether +from the hope that some among his influential +patrons would intercede for a reprieve, or from +that hatred which certain men of his class have +against ‘peaching,’ he never betrayed them, and +remained silent to the end. The most minute +precautions are taken to guard the racehorse +from such dangers, yet the cunning or daring of +his enemies frequently proves more than a match +for the care of his owners.</p> + +<p>In 1842, Lanercost was regarded as the certain +victor for the Ascot Cup. While he was being +conveyed to the course in a van, the grooms in +charge stopped at an inn between Leatherhead +and Sunninghill to refresh, leaving one to keep +watch. Just after they had gone into the +house, two sailors came out of it. ‘Hillo,’ +cried one, ‘here’s Lanercost; let’s have a peep +at him;’ and he sprang up on the side of +the van, while his companion at the same time +diverted the attention of the man on guard. +A moment afterwards, the first jumped down +again, and then the two disappeared into a copse: +it was all done so quickly that the groom had +no time to interpose; and before he could summon +his mates, the men were out of sight. When +the race came on, instead of achieving the anticipated +victory, poor Lanercost came in last. In +the course of the ensuing month, he entirely +changed colour, and was never fit to run again. +There is no doubt that the pretended sailor had +contrived to administer some powerful drug to +the animal during the few seconds he hung over +his box.</p> + +<p>Somewhere about the same time, a horse named +Marcus was the favourite for the St Leger. The +day before the race, while he and some other +horses were standing at the <i>Doncaster Arms</i>, an +ill-looking fellow entered the kitchen of that +tavern and seated himself beside a boiler from +which the stable lads were every now and then +drawing water for their charges. There was no +one in the kitchen save a maid-servant, whom +the stranger sent out to bring him a pot of beer. +When she returned, the girl was going to fill +her tea-kettle from the boiler, but the fellow +stopped her by saying: ‘I wouldn’t take my +tea-water from there if I was you, it looks so +yellow and greasy.’</p> + +<p>‘All right; I’ll get it outside,’ she answered. +When she came back the second time, the man +had gone.</p> + +<p>The next morning two horses were found dead +in their stalls; while Marcus, who was just able +to run, came in last, and also died during the +day. Upon the bodies being opened, arsenic +was found in their stomachs. The girl then +remembered the incident of the loafer, who had +no doubt poisoned the water in the copper; and +had she been as stubborn as most of her kind, +several human victims would have been added +to the equine list. By the defeat of Marcus, +the owner of a horse named Chorister won seven +thousand pounds.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the defeat of the favourite is brought +about by less bold but more subtle means; and +occasionally the tables are turned in a very unexpected +manner, as in the following instance. +For the Doncaster of 1824, Jerry—a horse belonging +to a well-known sporting man named Gascoigne—was +the favourite. A little before the +event came off, however, George Payne, a noted +Turfite, got ‘the tip’ from John Gully, the ex-prizefighter, +that Jerry would not win; and +the day before the race, these two worthies, +doubtless well knowing <i>why</i>, laid six thousand +against him. Gascoigne could not understand +how it was that the more he backed his horse, +which was in magnificent condition, the less it +advanced in favour. He felt sure there was a +screw loose somewhere, but he could not tell in +what direction to look for it. Two nights before +the race, as he was taking a walk in the outskirts +of Doncaster, he paused at a turnpike gate, +and just at that moment a postchaise stopped +to pay toll. By the light of the lamp which the +toll-keeper held in his hand, Gascoigne observed +the jockey who was to ride Jerry next day seated +within, almost helplessly drunk, between two of +the most notorious blacklegs of the time. In a +moment he saw it all. Hurrying away, lest he +should be recognised, he went back to his hotel, +and set about concocting measures to counteract +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_728">{728}</span>the plot that he perceived had been formed +against him. Without making known his discovery +to any one, he secured the services of +another jockey, bound the man down to silence; +and at the last moment, just as the traitor was +going to mount, his substitute slipped into the +saddle, and won the race, to the discomfiture and +well-merited loss of the conspirators, who had +betted all they possessed upon the event.</p> + +<p>Men called ‘Touts’ are employed by bookmakers +and others to watch racehorses at exercise +and report upon their condition; these spies are +abhorred by trainers and owners, and have to +pursue their espionage under many difficulties, +sometimes lying in a dry or a damp ditch, or a +hole covered over with brambles, or on the roof of +a stable, to be ready to witness the morning gallop. +When detected, they do not often escape under a +horsewhipping or a ducking. On one bitterly +cold night, a fellow had crawled upon the roof +of a stall to listen if the favourite had a cough. +Aware of his presence, though pretending to be +ignorant of it, the trainer ordered the stable boys +to throw up pails of water upon the spot where +he was ensconced until the very clothes froze upon +the poor wretch’s back; but he had the consolation +of hearing the horse stabled beneath +cough several times, and next morning the odds +were heavy against the favourite. Unfortunately +for the rogues, however, the favourite on the +previous night had been moved into another +stable, and a horse with a cough had been substituted, +to deceive the tout, with the result that +those who ventured their money on his information, +lost.</p> + +<p>A much cleverer ruse was the following. An +owner named Wilson was about to try a two-year-old +colt. ‘We shall be watched, and his +white right fore-leg will be sure to be noticed,’ +remarked the trainer.—‘Leave that to me,’ said +Mr Wilson. Next morning, he was at the stable +at daybreak, and with some black paint soon +changed the colour of the leg; while a brush +dipped in white transferred the distinguishing +mark to a far inferior horse, which showed but +poorly beside the other. The tout on the watch +naturally took one for the other, and reported +accordingly. The next day, a certain nobleman +gave fifteen hundred for the falsified animal, +which was worth about four.</p> + +<p>We have purposely omitted the more celebrated +Turf swindles, such as the ‘Running +Rein’ fraud, and others that made a sensation +in their day, confining ourselves to the less +known affairs, which were not found out until +reparation to the victims was impossible, our +principal desire being to make clear to ‘the +outsiders’ the enormous odds against which they +stake their money.</p> + +<p>Those who are not behind the scenes may suppose +that the bookmakers (pencillers) and the +‘knowing ones’ generally, enjoy a perfect immunity +from the perils and dangers, pitfalls and +temptations, of horseracing; but that is not the +case. Not unfrequently they walk blindly into the +trap they set for others; the biter is frequently +bitten; and many an ingenious fraud has been +put upon the ‘pencillers’ by outside betting-men, +as the two following stories will show. +For obvious reasons, all data are suppressed, but +the truth of the anecdotes can be vouched for.</p> + +<p>One day a City man, who was given to +betting, and whom we shall call A, received a +visit from a friend addicted to the same weakness, +who shall be designated B. Locking the +room door and sinking his voice to a whisper, +B announced that he had made a wonderful +discovery by which betting could be reduced +to a system of all prizes and no blanks, and +consequently a fortune very quickly realised. +‘Now is your chance,’ he said, ‘if you like to +join me. I shall give no explanation of the +method; come and see for yourself.’</p> + +<p>An appointment was made for the next morning, +the date of the X races, at the Z (betting) +Club.</p> + +<p>‘Have you anything on this race?’ was the +first inquiry made by B as A came into the +room.</p> + +<p>The answer was in the negative.</p> + +<p>‘Now, listen to me,’ said B, drawing him into +a corner, for the place, as usual at such times, +was crowded with betting-men; ‘the final list +for the twelve o’clock race will be telegraphed +here in a few minutes.’ (The Z, it need scarcely +be said, had its private tape.) ‘Lay all the +money you like, at any odds, upon the horse +I shall select, and I will guarantee that it +shall be the winner. But mind, you must not +lose a second after I have given you the hint. +Go to the nearest bookmaker in the room and +make your bet on the instant.’</p> + +<p>A minute or two afterwards, the electric bell +gave the signal, and there was a general rush +to the machine. B was one of the first to +scan the list: there were five runners. He passed +his finger down the names until he paused +almost imperceptibly upon Y, and looked at +his companion, who, although it was the very +last horse he would have thought of backing, +boldly called out: ‘I’ll take the odds against +Y.’</p> + +<p>Y being a rank outsider, a bookmaker laid +the odds on the instant. One minute afterwards +came the announcement that Y was the +winner.</p> + +<p>After they left the club together, B unfolded +the mystery. ‘When the list of runners was telegraphed,’ +he said, ‘the race was already won.’</p> + +<p>‘But how could that be?’ asked A. ‘The +race was run at twelve, and the time on the +telegram was three minutes to twelve.’</p> + +<p>‘The time was falsified,’ was the reply. ‘The +message was not wired until past the hour, nor +until the winner was declared.’</p> + +<p>‘And how could you fix upon the right one?’ +demanded A.</p> + +<p>‘There was the minutest dash on the tape +against the name of the winner, only noticeable +by one in the secret. You see, the clerks are +in the pay of an Association. There are three +or four other clubs beside this where we get +the telegrams in the same manner, so that we +vary our times. Here, for instance, we put +upon the twelve o’clock race; at another, upon +the one; at a third, upon the two, and so on.’</p> + +<p>We may add that the fraud was ultimately +discovered, and the clerks who worked it severely +punished.</p> + +<p>The next trick we shall relate could not be +practised now, in consequence of an alteration +in the Turf customs. It was worked in this +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_729">{729}</span>fashion by two confederates. Let us suppose it +to be the Lewes races. One of the two goes down +to Lewes on the previous day, and by the last +post sends a letter addressed <i>in pencil</i> and unsealed +to his brother-rogue in London. Inside +the envelope is a note addressed to a bookmaker, +simply containing the words, ‘Please +back ____ for so much.—Yours truly, <span class="smcap">Jones</span>’—a +blank being left for the horse’s name. This +missive arrives in town by the morning post, +and the instant the race is run the name of +the winner is telegraphed to rogue number two, +who then inserts the name of the horse, rubs +out his own name and address from the envelope, +writes that of the bookmaker instead, and +seals it up. Everything is now perfect in appearance: +there are the Lewes postmark of the previous +night, the London of the morning, and +the seal untampered with. We need scarcely say +that the handwriting appears to be the same, +and, according to the rules of racing at that +time, if a letter be delayed in transmission +through the post, the bookmaker is still made +answerable for its contents.</p> + +<p>And now, how is it to be got into his hands +without exciting suspicion? There are several +ways of doing this: sometimes he may be at +the club, and then the letter is dropped into +the letter-box; but the favourite dodge is to +dress up a man as a postman, with bag and +a bundle of letters in his hand, who will deliver +it at the victim’s office; or the confederate will +watch for the real postman, walk behind him, +drop the letter on the pavement, and then call +out to the carrier: ‘Hillo, you’ve dropped one +of your letters.’</p> + +<p>The man will pick it up, and, being almost +certain to have others addressed to the same +person, innocently play the rogue’s game. As to +the bookmaker, all he can do is to write a +letter of complaint to St Martin’s-le-Grand and +pay the money.</p> + +<p>You cannot touch pitch without being defiled, +or play with edged tools without being cut, +says the old proverb; and you cannot associate +with rogues and play the rogue without occasionally +being swindled yourself.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="MISS_MASTERMANS_DISCOVERY">MISS MASTERMAN’S DISCOVERY.</h2></div> + + +<h3 title="CHAP. II.">IN TWO CHAPTERS.—CHAP. II.</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Since</span> she left the rectory, she had had two +letters from Lady O’Leary, a passage in the second +having made a powerful impression upon her: +‘Since your departure, my dear Phœbe, I have +had leisure for much reflection on the subject of +your frightful discovery; and after considerable +cogitation, I have arrived at the conclusion that +it is certainly your bounden duty to acquaint +the bishop with the conduct of Mr Draycott, +and to do so at once before you return to Sunnydale. +I should advise you to write and inclose +that abandoned widow’s note. I fancy that we +are not the only ones who are beginning to see +through this sanctimonious villain of a rector. +I observed last Sunday that several of the congregation, +amongst them Lady Conyers and +General Scott and his family, who always stay +for a chat with the Draycotts after service, left +the church as quickly as possible, as if to avoid +speaking to any of the family. Mrs Penrose +was not at church; no doubt she had her reasons +for staying away, though I heard from Miss Jones +that it was given out that it was a bad headache +that kept her at home.’</p> + +<p>From Lady O’Leary’s statement, it was not +clear if Mrs Penrose’s headache had been publicly +announced in church or not; and the worthy +lady had also omitted to mention that it was +entirely owing to her own hints and innuendoes, +industriously dropped here and there, accompanied +by significant looks of unutterable meaning, +that the mind of the parish was being considerably +exercised with grave doubts as to Mr +Draycott’s moral character. The letter went on +to say that invitations had been issued for a large +evening party at the rectory on the following +Thursday. Lady O’Leary strongly urged Miss +Masterman so to time her return as to be +present at it, adding: ‘I intend to go, as I +feel it my duty to neglect no opportunity of +collecting evidence which may serve to deliver +our hearths and homes from the contaminating +presence of the shameless Draycott!’</p> + +<p>On reading this, Miss Masterman considered +that there was no further proof wanting of the +enormity of the rector’s guilt. Another suspicious +circumstance was, that she had received +no invitation, and in three days the party would +take place. She therefore felt convinced that +the rector, dreading lest her keen eye should +detect more than would be noticed by the +shallow members of his own family, had made +some excuse to prevent Mrs Draycott from +bidding her to the festivity; consequently, resolving +to hesitate no longer, she sat down and +indited the following letter:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p><i>To the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of ——.</i></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Lord</span>—I venture, as a temporary resident +in the parish of Sunnydale, to call to your +lordship’s notice some heinous irregularities in +the conduct of the Rev. Stephen Draycott, rector +of that parish. I should indeed blush to record +the details of his guilt in any words of mine; +but the inclosed note, addressed to him by a +person who calls herself ‘Mrs Penrose,’ will, I +think, speak for itself. The individual whom +I allude to is, I have every reason to fear, an +astute adventuress; and should your Lordship +think it worth while to make further inquiries +respecting her, I have no doubt that sufficient +evidence will speedily be found to substantiate +my statements in every respect.—I have the +honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship’s most +obedient humble servant,</p> + +<p class="right"> +<span class="smcap">(Miss) Phœbe Masterman.</span><br> +</p> +</div> + +<p>Miss Masterman next wrote a letter to the +unconscious Mrs Draycott, fixing the following +Friday for her return, at the same time fully +intending to make some excuse for arriving +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_730">{730}</span>unexpectedly on Thursday afternoon instead, so +as to be in time for the party in the evening. +She then sent a few lines to Lady O’Leary +acquainting her with all she had done; and after +seeing her letters posted, she congratulated herself +on the courage and resolution with which +she had carried out what she believed to be a +duty to society.</p> + +<p>On Thursday, Miss Masterman left Bradborough +early in the morning, having so arranged her +journey that she would arrive at Sunnydale +about six, which, as she calculated, would give +her time to unpack and dress for the evening. +But, by an unfortunate chance, it happened that +as the train by which she travelled during the +first part of her journey was delayed, it would +be quite impossible to be at the rectory much +before eleven o’clock <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> Even Miss Masterman +felt that that would be too late an hour at +which to arrive unexpectedly; so she made up her +mind that her only course would be to go to the +village inn for the night, her one consolation +being, that Lady O’Leary would be sure to give +her a full and particular account of all that +occurred at the rectory.</p> + +<p>The alteration in her arrangements was most +annoying to Miss Masterman, who, like many +other rich people, if she made a plan, expected, +as a matter of course, that it should be rigidly +adhered to. During four hours which she had +to wait at a junction, she sat and brooded over +her grievances, waxing more and more grim as +she did so. To add to her irritation, the rain +began to come down in torrents; and the cold +and draughty station was made additionally comfortless +by the damp air which came in through +every door and window, and penetrated to every +bone in Miss Masterman’s body.</p> + +<p>At length, however, the dreary journey came +to an end; and on reaching her destination, +she took a fly, and ordered the man to drive +her to the only decent inn that Sunnydale +could boast. By this time it was past +eleven o’clock. The rain had ceased, and the +moon was shining brightly, throwing streams +of silvery light on all around, and bringing +every object into unusual prominence. In order +to reach the inn, it was necessary to pass Fern +Lodge, the pretty cottage residence of Mrs Penrose. +Fancying she heard voices, Miss Masterman +leaned forward and looked out of the +window. What was her horror and amazement +to see Mr Draycott gallantly escorting +Mrs Penrose to her door! There was no mistaking +the rector’s tall figure and dignified deportment. +But the widow! Dressed in what appeared +to be an elegant costume, her bare arms +and neck, plainly visible through her black lace +shawl, were gleaming with diamonds! But even +this was not all! The bright moonlight falling +on her upturned face as she smiled upon Mr +Draycott, plainly revealed powder and rouge! +Slowly the pair advanced towards the house, +and as a turn in the road hid them from sight, +Mr Draycott was bending over his companion, +apparently engaged in earnest conversation.</p> + +<p>Miss Masterman sank back in the fly in the +greatest agitation. Her worst suspicions were +now confirmed! and by the time she arrived +at the inn, she felt fairly exhausted with excitement. +Miss Masterman at once requested to be +shown to her room; and during the greater part +of the night she lay awake, thinking over the +startling discoveries she had made and their +probable results. On one point she had quite +made up her mind—that nothing would induce +her to remain any longer under the same roof +with the rector. So she arranged with the hostess +of the <i>Sunnydale Arms</i> that she would stay there +for a week—to await events. At an early hour +she called upon Lady O’Leary; but, to her great +disappointment, she found that lady confined to +her room with such a severe attack of gout, that +she had been unable to be present at the rectory +on the previous evening. The invalid listened +with greedy interest to Miss Masterman’s revelations, +and for the moment she forgot the pain +she was enduring in the delight of hearing about +Mrs Penrose’s rouge, and especially the diamonds, +which were ‘confirmation strong,’ if any were +needed, of the words in the fatal letter. On +her side, Lady O’Leary had little to tell Miss +Masterman, except that two days ago she had +seen Magdalen Draycott, who told her that they +only expected about half the number they had +asked to the party, as so many had refused. The +girl had also said that her mother was a good +deal worried about it; from which Lady O’Leary +concluded that things were coming to a crisis, +and that people were beginning to see the unprincipled +Draycott in his true colours. The +interview between the two ladies was terminated +by a paroxysm of agony which seized upon the +invalid, and completely incapacitated her for +further conversation.</p> + +<p>Miss Masterman returned to the inn for lunch, +and then prepared for her momentous visit to +the rectory; for she had resolved to beard the +lion in his den, and to denounce him in the +presence of his family as a hypocrite. On arriving +at the rectory, she was told by the servant +who appeared in answer to her imperious knock, +that the rector was at that time engaged with +the churchwardens and others on parish business, +and could not be interrupted.</p> + +<p>‘My business will not admit of delay,’ replied +Miss Masterman. ‘I must insist upon seeing the +rector at once.’ Then, as the servant endeavoured +to expostulate—‘No words!’ continued +the spinster; ‘conduct me to him at once.’</p> + +<p>The servant then led the way, though with +evident reluctance, and throwing open the drawing-room +door, announced Miss Masterman.</p> + +<p>Bristling with conscious virtue, her tall form +drawn up to its fullest height, she intrepidly +advanced, seeming to breathe out threatenings +and slaughter in her progress, and her whole +appearance formidable to the last degree.</p> + +<p>The dining-room was full of people, who were +seated round the long table, at the head of which +presided the rector. The two churchwardens +were seated near him. The rest of the party +included Mrs Draycott, Lady Conyers, General +Scott, and many of the leading residents of Sunnydale, +who had met to discuss some necessary +alterations in the hours of the church services. +At sight of Miss Masterman, a dead silence fell +upon the assembly. Nothing daunted, she +advanced to Mrs Draycott, and held out her +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_731">{731}</span>hand; but, to her surprise, she was repulsed. +She was then addressed by the rector, who, rising +from his chair, said in dignified accents: ‘If +you wish to speak to me, Miss Masterman, I +will come to you presently in the study. At +present, I am engaged, as you see, with my +friends.’</p> + +<p>‘I can perfectly understand your motives in +wishing to speak to me without witnesses, Mr +Draycott,’ replied she; ‘but you shall not escape +so easily. What I have to say shall be said +here, in the hearing of your wife, and of the +friends whom you have so grossly deceived.’</p> + +<p>‘I spoke for your own sake, madam, not mine,’ +said the rector, as he turned pale with anger. +‘But since you insist upon it, pray, let my friends +hear what excuse you have to offer for this +uncalled-for intrusion.’</p> + +<p>‘I wish to acquaint them with your real +character,’ answered Miss Masterman firmly. +‘You know that you are an unprincipled man +and a profligate.’</p> + +<p>At these audacious words, all the company +rose to their feet, with the exception of Mr +Sheldon, the rector’s churchwarden, a young and +rising solicitor, who—his professional instincts +instantly on the alert—scented legal proceedings, +and began quickly and silently to take notes +of all that passed. The other churchwarden, Mr +Blare, a little puffy, red-faced man, with a temper +that was the terror of all the naughty boys in +the parish, after vainly trying to express his wrath +articulately, sank back into his chair again +gasping and snorting, till his face assumed an +apoplectic hue that was truly alarming. The +rest of the assembly loudly expressed their indignation +at Miss Masterman’s extraordinary allegations; +when above the din rang out the rector’s +clear and penetrating voice. ‘My friends,’ he +cried, ‘will you be seated, and listen to me?’ +Then, as they obeyed in silence, he turned to +the furious woman before him, and continued: +‘May I ask, Miss Masterman, by what right +you abstracted a letter from my study, and then +took the unwarrantable liberty of sending it to +the bishop?’</p> + +<p>‘I wished to open the bishop’s eyes to your +real character,’ replied Miss Masterman. ‘I read +that letter by the merest accident, and I felt that +it was only right that others should be undeceived +as well as myself.’</p> + +<p>‘And are you aware,’ demanded Mr Draycott +sternly, ‘that you have rendered yourself liable +to an action for libel?’</p> + +<p>‘Certainly not,’ answered Miss Masterman, ‘for +I have only spoken the truth. It is of no use +to try and bully, Mr Draycott; your character +has now been discovered.’</p> + +<p>At this crisis, Miss Masterman was interrupted +by an angry snort from Mr Blare, who, after +making another futile attempt to express himself +coherently, subsided into a violent fit of +coughing, after which, he contented himself with +giving vent to a short jeering laugh whenever +Miss Masterman spoke, in a manner that irritated +that lady almost beyond endurance.</p> + +<p>‘Perhaps, before you indulge in any more strong +language, you will be good enough to listen to +a few words of explanation,’ proceeded the rector. +‘The letter which you purloined from my study +referred merely to some theatricals. My wife +had written a little play in which Mrs Penrose +was to take part; the play was to be acted last +night at a party in this house, which had been +purposely kept a secret from you on account of +your known dislike of all theatrical entertainments. +The articles alluded to in Mrs Penrose’s +letter to me were required by her for the part +she was to play. Had you mentioned the matter +to me or to any member of my family, you +would have heard the truth, and spared yourself +and us much unnecessary pain.’</p> + +<p>‘Then,’ gasped Miss Masterman, ‘when I saw +you and Mrs Penrose at eleven o’clock last +night’——</p> + +<p>‘I was escorting her home, after her kindness +in helping us,’ replied Mr Draycott. Then, +as his voice trembled with suppressed anger, he +continued: ‘I have been this morning, thanks to +your impertinent interference, subjected to a +severe cross-examination by my bishop; and +though I trust he is now convinced of the falsehood +of your allegations, I have been put in a +most painful position. Owing to you and Lady +O’Leary—who has not scrupled to spread scandalous +reports about me in my own parish—I +have been cut by some of my most valued +friends; and if I refrain from prosecuting you +both for libel, it is only on condition that you +offer a full and ample apology for your most +wicked and uncalled-for assertions.’</p> + +<p>As Miss Masterman heard these words, she +felt ready to sink through the ground, for she +at once saw the folly and wickedness of her +conduct in its true light. All her assurance +deserted her, and she feebly tried to falter out +a few words of regret; but the rector sternly +interrupted her. ‘That is not sufficient, Miss +Masterman,’ said he. ‘I must trouble you to +write at once to the bishop, and also to send a +paragraph to the local papers, to retract every +word that you and Lady O’Leary have said +against my character. Should you, or she, refuse +to do me this justice, I shall immediately commence +proceedings against you both!’</p> + +<p>Here the solicitor interposed with: ‘I am in +a position to warn Miss Masterman that should +Mr Draycott determine to institute proceedings +for libel, the damages in this case might be +excessive.’</p> + +<p>Baffled, confounded, and for the first time in her +life completely cowed, Miss Masterman looked +helplessly around her, and had the mortification +of seeing Lady Conyers, General Scott, those +rich and influential members of the congregation, +whose friendship she had so sedulously +cultivated, turn their backs upon her in utter +contempt, as she passed down the room; even +kind Mrs Draycott averted her eyes from her; +and her equanimity was by no means restored +when, on reaching the door, she found that it had +been left partially open, and that the whole of +the preceding conversation had been overheard +by Master Hubert, who was now turning somersaults +in the hall, as Miss Masterman more than +suspected, in celebration of her own discomfiture.</p> + +<p>It is scarcely necessary to add that Miss +Masterman and her friend were only too thankful +to accept the rector’s terms, and so escape +the just penalty of their conduct; and whenever, +after this, Miss Masterman felt inclined to give +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_732">{732}</span>too free license to her tongue, the rising temptation +was instantly subdued by the recollection +of the mischief once wrought by that unruly +member during her summer holiday in the parish +of Sunnydale.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="PHOTOGRAPHIC_STAR-CHARTING">PHOTOGRAPHIC STAR-CHARTING.</h2></div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is now some years since photography was +first called to the assistance of the astronomer, +and the results which have been achieved show +that it will play a still more important part in +the future. A description of all its advantages +would carry us far beyond the limits of the +present article; but we mention four, as they +are necessary to the understanding of the subject.</p> + +<p>The power which the sensitive film possesses +of recording the appearance of a bright object +to whose light it has been exposed for only a +minute fraction of a second, has enabled us to +obtain pictures of the sun that are much more +accurate than ordinary drawings. The camera, +moreover, has the faculty of seeing a great deal +in a very short space of time. If we confine +our attention to a small area, a very few moments +suffice to show us all that is to be seen by the +naked eye; persistent looking for half an hour +would only tire our eyes without enabling us +to see anything at first invisible. It is different +with the camera; the longer the light is permitted +to fall on the plate, the more details do +we find in the resulting picture. The fact that +some rays are more effective (photographically) +than others has enabled Dr Huggins to photograph, +in full sunlight, that extremely faint solar +appendage, the corona, which is visible to the +eye only when the intense light of the sun is +hidden as during a total eclipse.</p> + +<p>The latest demand which has been made +upon the astronomer’s new assistant is no less +than a great atlas of all the stars down to those +of the fifteenth magnitude. The magnificent +idea of photographing this immense number of +stars—probably about twenty millions—is due +to the officials of the Paris Observatory. The +instrument which Messrs Paul and Prosper +Henry have constructed for this research may +be described roughly as two telescopes side by +side and moving together. One of these, having +a specially designed object-glass, carries the sensitive +plate for the reception of the image. The +arrangement is provided with a clockwork motion, +in order that, during the time of exposure, the +situation of each star’s image may not alter; +but as clockwork, however carefully made, is +not infallible, an observer, looking through the +second telescope, nips in the bud, so to speak, +any tendency to aberration. Since the little +spots that frequently occur on the photographic +plates may be mistaken for stars, and so serve +to swell future lists of ‘variables,’ each plate is +exposed three times, and each star is therefore +represented by three marks. The alteration in +the position of the plate between each of the three +exposures is so slight, that it requires a microscope +to show that the dots are triple. With this +splendid apparatus, only one two-hundredth of a +second is necessary for the recording of the position +of first-magnitude stars. Those of the sixth +magnitude, which can only be perceived with +the naked eye on a very dark night, require +only half a second. The faintest which can be +seen through the telescope, those of about the +fourteenth magnitude, take three minutes to make +an impression. But although the human eye is +not sensitive enough to go any farther than this, +stars of the fifteenth and even the sixteenth +magnitude can be made to appear on the plate, +if the exposure be sufficiently prolonged. In the +latter case, an hour and a half is necessary.</p> + +<p>In one of Messrs Henry’s charts, about five +thousand stars were counted. The construction +of such a chart by the ordinary method of +measurement would have taken many months; +now it only takes three hours. Thus the preparation +of a set of maps such as Messrs Henry +suggest would occupy less time than the charting +of one-hundredth part of the number of stars +by ordinary methods. It has been calculated +that if the work be divided among twelve +observatories, five hundred and ten photographs +would be required from each; and making every +allowance, ten years would probably see the +completion of the most elaborate survey of the +whole heavens ever undertaken. This may seem +a long time; but we must remember that Argelander’s +great charts of the northern hemisphere, +which contained only three hundred and twenty-four +thousand stars, occupied seven years of +observatory work alone!</p> + +<p>The importance of obtaining a permanent +record of the present positions of twenty million +stars cannot be overestimated. We find that if +old measurements, such as those of Ptolemy, +Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and others, are to be +trusted, very great changes must have taken place +in the heavens. But are they to be trusted? +The differences between their observations and +ours must in many cases be attributed to the +roughness of their instruments; but some cannot +be altogether explained thus. As, however, we +do not know where actual change ends and faulty +measurement begins, no very definite knowledge +can be derived from the comparison. A photograph +of some part of the heavens by Cassini—what +an invaluable legacy it would have been! +With such a survey as Messrs Henry propose, +future astronomers will be able not only to be +sure of the existence of changes, but also to +measure their extent. But the astronomers of the +future will not be the only gainers. During an +hour, a planet moves quite an appreciable distance; +it will therefore appear on the plate as a +short line instead of a point. Thus, one of the +first results will probably be a considerable accession +to the numbers of the minor planets which +circulate between Mars and Jupiter. Who knows +that the transneptunian planet itself will not be +found in this way? Besides this very obvious +advantage, these charts will be of the greatest use +in the study of the form and constitution of the +stellar universe. It is only by the employment +of such charts that we can arrive at a proper +understanding of star arrangement. The methods +of star-gauging which Sir William Herschel employed +for this purpose failed to give any satisfactory +account of the form of the Milky-way in +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_733">{733}</span>space. His first method was to point his large +telescope in various directions successively, counting +the number of stars visible in the field each +time. He argued that if the stars were scattered +with approximate uniformity throughout the +galaxy, then the more he counted in a unit of +area, the farther must it extend in that direction. +On this assumption, he calculated that the depth +of the Milky-way was eighty times the distance of +the first-magnitude stars. Sir John Herschel, by +precisely the same method, found the proportion +to be seven hundred and fifty instead of eighty! +This discrepancy alone gives some idea of the +untrustworthiness of the method; and there are +many other arguments against it, into which we +have not space to enter.</p> + +<p>Sir William’s second method, although sometimes +confounded with his first, was in reality quite +different from it. Instead of counting the number +of points of light seen with the same telescope in +equal small areas in various parts of the Milky-way, +he now attempted to estimate the depth by +noting the telescopic power necessary to ‘resolve’ +the nebulous places into crowds of separate stars. +When we examine the galaxy with the naked +eye, it appears to be simply a cloud of misty +light. A small telescope, however, suffices to +show that it is made up of stars; but in most +parts the background still seems nebulous. A +stronger telescope entirely clears up and resolves +some of these nebulous portions, while other parts +require a still stronger power, and so on. In this +way, then, assuming that the more difficult a +misty part of the heavens was to resolve, the +farther off the stars composing that misty part +were, he attempted to gauge the star depths. It +now appears that when he thought he was penetrating +space farther and farther with telescopes +of gradually increasing power, he was in reality +only resolving masses of (smaller) stars situated +at about the same average distance as the larger +bodies which had been already distinguished with +a feebler power, and which he had therefore +assumed to be nearer. As a well-known writer +says: ‘In each case where Herschel had assumed +that he was penetrating farther and farther into +space, he was only analysing more and more +scrutinisingly a complex cloud of stars.’ It is +interesting to notice in this connection that one +still sees Herschel’s so-called split-grindstone +theory (which was based on observations made +by the first method) quoted and illustrated in +many text-books, although he renounced it +himself; and it is perfectly obvious to any one +who has considered the question in the light of +recent researches, that that theory is totally +untenable.</p> + +<p>The charting method gives a very different +account of the constitution of the universe. Investigation +in this direction has shown that the +Milky-way, far from being an affair of great depth +in proportion to its distance from us, is really +what it seems, an immense irregular stream or +belt composed of stars of all sizes. Much information +has been extracted from Argelander’s +great charts; but the photographic charts that +will contain sixty or seventy times as many stars +will be still more useful. If the idea is taken up +as enthusiastically as it ought to be, and if our +government, so niggardly in matters scientific, +can be induced to follow the enlightened example +of the Emperor of Brazil, and provide our +observers with proper instruments, there is no +reason why this great atlas should not be an +accomplished fact in a few years.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="DAVIDS_SON_SOLOMON">DAVID’S SON SOLOMON.</h2></div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Mr David Moses</span>, who is now dead, was a +jeweller and pawnbroker in Wych Street. He +kept a very good show of jewelry in the front +window of his establishment, and was never +known to complain as to trade being unsatisfactory +in the line of watches and precious stones +and electro-plate. But Mr Moses made much +more money by his pawnbroking than by his +jeweller’s shop, and still more by discounting +bills at cent. per cent., than by either of the +two businesses which he ostensibly followed. The +bill-discounting, which was also accompanied by +money-lending at stiff rates, was not done at the +shop in Wych Street, but at an office in the +neighbourhood of Lombard Street. The office +was handsomely fitted up; the shop was rather +second-hand in appearance, and filled with odds +and ends which had never been redeemed from +pawn. At the shop, Mr Moses rarely showed +himself, for he had a valuable assistant in the +shape of his deceased wife’s sister, Miss Rachel +Levi, who managed the pawnbroking and jewelry +business with a regard to the main point that +would have done credit to Shylock. The +aptitude of this elderly Jewess left Mr Moses +plenty of time to attend to the office in the +neighbourhood of Lombard Street. He was not +Mr David Moses there; that cognomen was +painted in faded gilt letters above the Wych +Street shop; but the office bore the name of ‘Mr +Alfred Morris,’ which title seemed more in accordance +with the character of the clients who came +thither to borrow on the strength of their aristocratic +names or connections, or to transact business +connected with what is technically termed +a ‘bit of stiff.’ Anybody who was anybody +could always get a ‘bit of stiff’ from Mr Alfred +Morris, provided he had no objection to pay a +handsome rate of interest, and allow a fair margin +for commission and charges and other little incidental +expenses. Many of Mr Alfred Morris’s +clients knew his real name to be David Moses, +and were aware of the Wych Street business, +where, indeed, some of them had property lying +in pledge. These, however, were old customers, +and could be trusted; to all new ones +and to the outside world, Moses was Mr Alfred +Morris.</p> + +<p>In appearance, the old man was eminently +Hebraic. He had a hooked nose, and very curly +white hair; he spoke with a nasal accent, and +called middle-aged men ‘ma tear.’ As regards +his business character, he was Shylockish. He +wanted, and took good care to get, his pound +of flesh, and an ounce or two over. He never +blushed to lend you fifty pounds on a hundred +pounds acceptance, or seemed to think it out of +the way to deduct five pounds from the fifty for +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_734">{734}</span>‘present expenses.’ By his orders, the poor folk +who came on Monday morning to put the Sunday +wearing apparel into pawn till the following +Saturday evening were screwed down to the fraction +of a penny; while the timid vendor of +second-hand jewelry or old gold was browbeaten +to such an extent that he or she gradually came +to the opinion that the goods were really worth +no more than Miss Rachel Levi represented, and +thankfully accepted the price which that estimable +lady offered. It was Mr Moses’ idea of +business to be hard and sharp and to look out +for number one.</p> + +<p>There was, however, in the heart of Moses one +very soft spot. It may seem incredible that he +who sucked the very lifeblood from young and +foolish scions of noble houses, or made no difficulty +in getting hold of the substance of widows +and orphans, should have been capable of affection. +But Moses was capable of a great deal +of affection, and this soft spot was all affection. +It is a pity that we should have to say the affection +was lavished on a worthless object; for Mr +Solomon Moses, the only son and child of the +old money-lender, and whom the old man loved +as well and as dotingly as his riches, was a +thoroughly bad young scoundrel. When David +Moses was sixty, his son Solomon was twenty-three, +and schooled in vice and debauchery.</p> + +<p>The senior Moses’ plans with regard to his boy +were from the boy’s very birth of the high and +mighty kind. He intended first of all that the +little Solomon should be a ‘shentleman,’ and +have nothing to do with the shop in Wych Street. +He should, on attaining his majority, be provided +with unlimited pocket-money and told to ‘go +the pace.’ Perhaps, thought Mr David Moses, +some of the young swells whom he was always +having dealings with would take Solomon up +and initiate him into the mysteries of society. +When, therefore, Solomon came to his twenty-first +birthday, Mr Moses took expensive chambers +for him in the West, placed a handsome sum with +a banker at his son’s credit, and told the young +man that nothing would please him better than +to know that his boy was living the life of a +gentleman. You may be quite certain that Mr +Solomon Moses was not slow to take advantage +of his father’s kindness. His ideas of a gentlemanly +life were somewhat hazy, but they were +decided enough upon the subject of clothes of +the fastest and loudest cut and style, of billiards +and unlimited card-games, of gambling and prizefights, +and of disreputable companions. He +‘went the pace’ splendidly; and Mr David +Moses liked it, and thought his son a fine, lively +young gentleman indeed.</p> + +<p>When Solomon was twenty-three, he was as +villainous a scamp as one could find in all +London. The money he wasted would have supported +a dozen ordinary families in comfort, +yet he had twice persuaded his father to double +his allowance. The old man was beginning to +fear his son, and readily acceded to any request +for money which Solomon made. Once or twice +a shadow of suspicion had crossed his mind that +Solomon was not the brilliant result he had hoped +for. The younger Mr Moses, for instance, had +not gained the entrée to society which it had +been his father’s aim he should secure. He had +not made the acquaintance of the aristocracy, nor +did he seem likely to contract a brilliant marriage +with a peer’s daughter; and the only comfort +old David had was the thought that these things +took time.</p> + +<p>One hot day in the summer of 1883, Solomon +called a hansom, and was driven to his father’s +office near Lombard Street. He found ‘Mr +Alfred Morris’ in and free, and forthwith made +known his wishes, which ran in the direction of +the sum of one thousand pounds. Old David +stared.</p> + +<p>‘But, ma tear poy, I haven’t so much moneys +about me!’ he objected. ‘And pesides, ma tear, +I gave you your money for the quarter on’y +last week. What may you require the moneys +for?’</p> + +<p>‘Betting heavy, and lost,’ said young Solomon +briefly.</p> + +<p>‘Petting! O my poy, that’s pad—that’s pad! +And lost too—that’s worse! I tolt you not to +pet unless you was certain of winning, Solomon, +ma tear. Oh, to think that you are making the +peautiful moneys fly away like that!’ And then +Mr David Moses plucked up spirit, and gave +his worthy son a real good lecture on the evil of +wasting money. Solomon listened impatiently, +and again repeated his request for a thousand +pounds. And he got it—as he knew he would. +Then he went away and called another cab, and +prepared to be driven back to his elegant rooms. +As he was piloted up the Strand, it occurred to +him that he would call in at Wych Street and +see Aunt Rachel; so he stopped his cab, and +went into the jeweller’s shop, and was welcomed +by the old Jewess in the back-parlour. The +worthy lady was polishing up some diamonds, +and Solomon’s eyes wandered over the precious +baubles covetously.</p> + +<p>‘Anything very valuable there, auntie?’ he +asked presently.</p> + +<p>‘No, Solomon dear; nothing—nothing. The +big diamond there is pretty well. It is worth +two thousand pounds.’</p> + +<p>‘Two thousand, eh?’ said young Mr Moses. +‘Very fair that, ain’t it?’</p> + +<p>‘Well, your father lent one thousand on it—or +rather, I did.’</p> + +<p>‘Never redeemed?’</p> + +<p>‘No.’</p> + +<p>Solomon took up the glittering stone and looked +it carefully over. It was set in a massive ring, +very plainly made, and with two or three distinctive +marks inside the hoop. ‘And you’re asking +two thousand for this, auntie?’</p> + +<p>‘Yes, my dear, that’s the price. I shall put +him in the window in a week or so.’</p> + +<p>Solomon went home soon after that. His first +proceeding, when he got out of his father’s shop, +was to write down in his pocket-book a very +accurate description of the big diamond and its +ring. A very clever and equally rascally plan was +forming itself in his brain. By the time he +reached Trafalgar Square, his plan was complete.</p> + +<p>During the next week, more than one person +stopped to gaze at the great diamond flashing in +Moses’ shop-window. Its price was not upon it; +but it was evident from its size that it was of +tremendous value. Passers-by speculated on the +probable amount, and wondered when the thing +would find a purchaser. About eleven o’clock +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_735">{735}</span>on the first day of its exposure, a middle-aged +gentleman, sauntering leisurely up Wych +Street from Booksellers’ Row, stopped in front +of Moses’ shop, and looked for some minutes +at the contents of the window. He was a +good-looking man, well dressed in a quiet, unostentatious +fashion; evidently a man of substance +and position. He was turning away, when +his eye fell on the great diamond. He looked at +it a second, and then opened the shop-door and +walked in. A red-headed boy of distinct Hebraic +extraction was yawning behind the counter. +‘What is the price of the large diamond in your +window?’ asked the solid-looking gentleman.</p> + +<p>The red-headed youth didn’t know, but would +find out. He disappeared for a moment, and came +back followed by Miss Rachel, who looked narrowly +at the man who dared to ask the price of +so large a stone. The gentleman bowed courteously +to Miss Rachel, and repeated his question.</p> + +<p>‘Two thousand pounds,’ replied Miss Rachel.</p> + +<p>‘Ah! A large price. May I see it?’</p> + +<p>Miss Rachel acquiesced, and took the diamond +ring from its case in the window. The stranger +looked it carefully over, examined every mark +with a sharp eye, and finally returned it to the +old Jewess.</p> + +<p>‘I will purchase that ring, madam,’ he said. +‘Be good enough to put it aside for me until +to-morrow morning, when I will call and pay for +it. I have been in search of such a stone for +some time.’</p> + +<p>Miss Rachel Levi was delighted. So, she was +sure, would Mr David Moses be. She carefully +locked up the ring in a big safe, and the stranger +went his way with many bows on either side.</p> + +<p>Precisely at eleven o’clock the following morning +the customer called. He was accompanied +by a dapper little man, whom Miss Rachel recognised +as one of Mr Attenborough’s principal +assistants.</p> + +<p>‘Good-morning, madam,’ said the stranger. +‘Here I am, you see, and here is the price of the +ring—two Bank of England notes of one thousand +pounds each. I think that is correct?’</p> + +<p>Yes, that was correct; and Miss Rachel +unlocked the safe and handed the ring over to +the customer, who had laid his two one-thousand-pound +notes on the counter before her. She +placed the notes in the safe, looking them over +with an experienced eye, to see that they were +all right as regarded genuineness. The stranger +received his ring, and turned to the man accompanying +him.</p> + +<p>‘I brought this gentleman with me,’ he said to +Miss Rachel, ‘just to tell me his opinion of the +stone.—Very fine one, is it not, Mr Jones?’ He +passed the ring to the man as he spoke, and began +to talk to Miss Rachel about the weather.</p> + +<p>The man named Jones looked with attentive +eye at the glittering thing in his hand. He +examined the gold setting and seemed satisfied, +and then looked at the enormous stone. Suddenly +he uttered an exclamation which made Miss +Rachel and the customer look round sharply. Mr +Jones took a little peculiar-looking glass from his +pocket and gazed at the diamond suspiciously. +He said ‘Ah!’ very emphatically, and threw the +ring on the counter.</p> + +<p>‘How much did you give, sir?’ he asked of +the customer, whose attention was now thoroughly +aroused.</p> + +<p>‘Two thousand pounds.’</p> + +<p>‘Humph! Worth next to nothing. The gold’s +very good; the diamond’s first-class paste!’</p> + +<p>Miss Rachel uttered a faint scream as the +customer turned to her. ‘What explanation can +you give of this, madam?’ he asked.</p> + +<p>The poor woman was dumb-stricken. She +knew not what to say.</p> + +<p>‘Where did you get the ring, Miss Levi?’ asked +Mr Jones. ‘Perhaps you’ve been imposed upon.’</p> + +<p>‘It was pledged with my brother David,’ said +Miss Rachel. ‘O dear me, gentlemen, I can’t +think how it is! It must be an imposition.’</p> + +<p>‘Well, at anyrate, <i>I</i> can’t be imposed upon,’ +said the stranger. ‘So I’ll thank you for my +notes, madam; and there is your paste ring.—Dear +me, what an escape I’ve had! I’m much +obliged to you, Mr Jones, for your penetration.’</p> + +<p>‘Oh,’ said Mr Jones, ‘that’s nothing! What +puzzles me is that Moses, who is very sharp, +should have been swindled, as he must have been. +And then Miss Levi here is a regular authority on +stones.’</p> + +<p>By this time poor Rachel had handed over the +notes, and was regarding the false ring with a +very disconsolate face. She was thinking what +David would have to say on his return home.</p> + +<p>The stranger pressed something in the way of +remuneration on Mr Jones and went away.</p> + +<p>Jones stayed a minute or two longer and talked +the matter over with Miss Rachel. It was his +idea that old Moses had had a duplicate made of +the big diamond for some purpose of his own, and +that he had substituted the shadow for the substance. +He suggested this to Miss Rachel, who +was thereby a little comforted.</p> + +<p>But Mr Jones’ suspicion was wrong, as Miss +Rachel quickly found on her brother’s home-coming. +She told him the story immediately he +appeared, and the old man went nearly mad. +He yelled for the ring to be brought him. Once +in his hands, he literally shrieked with horror. +‘It isn’t the tiamont at all!’ he cried. ‘Mine +was not paste, as this is. It’s some conjuring +trick, woman!’ And he fell to moaning and +sobbing as if his heart would break. But the first +fit of rage passed off, Mr David Moses took a +practical step. He called on Mr Jones, and the +two went away together to Scotland Yard; there +Jones described the strange would-be purchaser. +The hard-featured ‘chief’ who listened to them +smiled.</p> + +<p>‘That anything like him?’ he asked, taking +up an album and pointing to a portrait.</p> + +<p>‘The very man!’ cried Mr Jones.</p> + +<p>‘Ah!’ said the chief.—‘Well, now, Mr Jones, +be particular on one point. Did you keep your +eye on the ring from Miss Levi’s taking it from +her safe till its coming into your hands?’</p> + +<p>‘No,’ said Jones; ‘I didn’t. Miss Levi put the +notes in the safe, and I was watching her for +a second before the man passed me the ring.’</p> + +<p>‘Common trick,’ said the chief—‘changed it for +a fac-simile.’</p> + +<p>‘But,’ objected Jones, ‘how could he make the +fac-simile? The ring had only been in the +window one day.—Had it, Mr Moses?’</p> + +<p>‘Only one day, ma tear—only one little day,’ +sighed the old Jew. ‘O tear, O tear me!’</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_736">{736}</span></p> +<p>The chief set his lips very hard at this. ‘Are +the marks—hall-marks and so on, just the same?’ +he asked.</p> + +<p>‘Yes,’ said Moses, ‘and the gold too. It’s only +the stone.’</p> + +<p>In the end, they went away, and the chief +promised to do his best. He knew the stranger, +who was a returned convict and a clever trickster. +The mystery was the fac-simile of the ring. It +implied previous acquaintance of a very intimate +type. In about a week Mr Moses received +news: the real ring had been pawned in Manchester +for five hundred pounds, and was now in +possession of the Scotland Yard authorities. The +latter had, they said, got a clue to the persons +implicated; but they would say nothing more. +When Moses was wanted, they would let him +have word.</p> + +<p>A week or two passed on, and one morning Mr +David Moses received an urgent message asking +him to go to Scotland Yard. The thieves, or +whatever you would call them, were found. He +called on Mr Jones, and set out with an exultant +heart up the Strand.</p> + +<p>‘Well,’ said the chief, ‘we’ve got ’em both. +There are two of them. One is the man whose +photo I showed you; the other is a young fellow +who won’t give any name. He pawned the ring +under the name of Morris.’</p> + +<p>Moses thought that rather a coincidence; but +he let the thought slip out of his mind, and +smiled pleasantly when two policemen brought +in the well-dressed gentleman who so tricked +poor old Rachel. The <i>ci-devant</i> convict winked +in a friendly fashion at Jones.</p> + +<p>‘Did it well, eh?’ he said. ‘No good disguising +it, I suppose? Reckon I’ll get a good dose for +this.’</p> + +<p>‘You’re right there, my friend,’ said the chief.—‘Take +him away, sergeant, and bring the +young man in.’</p> + +<p>In a minute or two the men returned, leading +in a young, loudly dressed man, who hung his +head on his breast. Old Moses turned from +examining a pair of handcuffs hanging on the +wall, and discovered the thief of his cherished +diamond to be—his son Solomon! The old man +saw it all in a moment. His white face and +chattering teeth showed the chief that something +was wrong. The old Jew strove vainly to speak +for a second or two; then he turned to the +chief and stretched out his hands imploringly.</p> + +<p>‘O Mr Inspector,’ he said, ‘it’s a mistake—it’s +a terrible mistake, ma tear Mr Inspector! Don’t +say no more about it, and I’ll—I’ll give <i>you</i> the +tiamont—yes, O yes! Why, this is ma tear son +Solomon!—O Solomon, my poy, how could you +do it?’</p> + +<p>‘Your son, eh?’ said the astonished chief. +‘Well, I’m sorry for you, old man; but the law +must take its course.’</p> + +<p>‘Oh, don’t say that,’ screamed Moses—‘don’t +sir, don’t! I’ll give you the stone, and a thousand +pounds besides! Let him go, sir.’</p> + +<p>‘No; I haven’t the power.—Take him away, +men.’ And they marched Mr Solomon off, while +poor old David alternately wept and implored +and raved, and beseeched the chief to have mercy +on his ‘tear poy.’</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>That night, they found poor David Moses, alias +Mr Alfred Morris, dead in his little sanctum in +Wych Street. The doctor said he had died of a +sudden shock to the nervous system. We are +of opinion that his son Solomon had given him +a shock which broke his poor old heart.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak smalltext" id="A_NEW_ART-GUILD">A NEW ART-GUILD.</h2></div> + + +<p>An admirable proposal has lately been made +at Liverpool for the formation of an ‘Art-workers’ +Guild,’ with the view to the diffusion of sound +principles of decoration, and to the encouragement +of workmen and others desiring to undertake +decorative work of all kinds. The general +object would appear to be to find good art-workmen, +and to bring them into communication +with those who require their work, and also +to form a collection of good examples of decorative +work of various kinds. Perhaps one of +the best results of this sort of effort will be to +bring forward the actual worker himself—the real +artist, in fact—and thus get rid of the middleman +or art-tradesman who hires the genuine +artist to do the work, and then stamps it with +his (the tradesman’s) own name, as though the +work were actually his own, whilst, in fact, he +is merely the employer of highly trained and +perhaps highly talented art-labour—a system at +once as unfair as it is unjust. It has been said +that the ugly patterns in calico-printing seem +to sell as readily as the pretty ones; and one +of the objects of the proposed Guild is to try +to alter this—to endeavour to produce a better +taste. But teaching a prejudiced and often +ignorant public to improve itself on subtle questions +and nice points of art-excellence is at +best a difficult if not a hopeless task; and if +the Guild raises the artist-worker to a better +position and gives him direct employment, it +will certainly be conferring a benefit on a worthy +class of men, never yet properly recognised.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"><div class="chapter"><h2 class="nobreak" id="A_RETROSPECT">A RETROSPECT.</h2></div> + + +<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0"><span class="smcap">I waited</span> long;</div> +<div class="verse indent0">My love was strong</div> +<div class="verse indent2">For Cary.</div> +<div class="verse indent0">‘In spring,’ she said,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">The darling maid,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">‘We’ll marry.’</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">The winter passed;</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Spring came at last</div> +<div class="verse indent2">With showers.</div> +<div class="verse indent0">But what of them,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">When after came</div> +<div class="verse indent2">The flowers!</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">Our wedding-day,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">A grand array—</div> +<div class="verse indent2">Bells ringing!</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Blue sky above,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Hearts full of love,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">Flowers springing.</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">My blushing bride</div> +<div class="verse indent0">And I beside</div> +<div class="verse indent2">The altar:</div> +<div class="verse indent0">She looked so nice,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Although her voice</div> +<div class="verse indent2">Did falter.</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">Our honeymoon</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Ran all too soon</div> +<div class="verse indent2">Its measure:</div> +<div class="verse indent0">We roamed at will</div> +<div class="verse indent0">By vale and hill,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">With pleasure.</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">And years have flown;</div> +<div class="verse indent0">We’re wiser grown,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">And older;</div> +<div class="verse indent0">But aye the same</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Love’s kindly flame,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">No colder.</div></div> + +<div class="stanza"><div class="verse indent0">As down we glide,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Still side by side,</div> +<div class="verse indent2">Life’s river,</div> +<div class="verse indent0">Each opening spring</div> +<div class="verse indent0">New joys will bring</div> +<div class="verse indent2">For ever.</div> +<div class="attrib">J. B. L.</div></div> +</div></div> + +<hr class="full"> + +<p class="center">Printed and Published by <span class="smcap">W. & R. Chambers</span>, 47 Paternoster +Row, <span class="smcap">London</span>, and 339 High Street, <span class="smcap">Edinburgh</span>.</p> + +<hr class="full"> + +<p class="center"><i>All rights reserved.</i></p> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75656 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + |