"Make a note of Tappertit," said Lord George Gordon. "We mayadvance him to a place of trust."
"That," rejoined the secretary, doing as he was told, "is all-exceptMrs Varden"s box (fourteenth time of opening), sevenshillings and sixpence in silver and copper, and half-a-guinea ingold; and Miggs (being the saving of a quarter"s wages), one-andthreepence."
"Miggs," said Lord George. "Is that a man?"
"The name is entered on the list as a woman," replied thesecretary. "I think she is the tall spare female of whom you spokejust now, my lord, as not being well-favoured, who sometimes comesto hear the speeches--along with Tappertit and Mrs Varden."
"Mrs Varden is the elderly lady then, is she?"
The secretary nodded, and rubbed the bridge of his nose with thefeather of his pen.
"She is a zealous sister," said Lord George. "Her collection goeson prosperously, and is pursued with fervour. Has her husbandjoined?"
"A malignant," returned the secretary, folding up his papers.
"Unworthy such a wife. He remains in outer darkness and steadilyrefuses."
"The consequences be upon his own head!--Gashford!"
"My lord!"
"You don"t think," he turned restlessly in his bed as he spoke, "these people will desert me, when the hour arrives? I have spokenboldly for them, ventured much, suppressed nothing. They"ll notfall off, will they?"
"No fear of that, my lord," said Gashford, with a meaning look,which was rather the involuntary expression of his own thoughtsthan intended as any confirmation of his words, for the other"sface was turned away. "Be sure there is no fear of that."
"Nor," he said with a more restless motion than before, "of their-butthey CAN sustain no harm from leaguing for this purpose. Rightis on our side, though Might may be against us. You feel as sureof that as I--honestly, you do?"
The secretary was beginning with "You do not doubt," when the otherinterrupted him, and impatiently rejoined:
"Doubt. No. Who says I doubt? If I doubted, should I cast awayrelatives, friends, everything, for this unhappy country"s sake;this unhappy country," he cried, springing up in bed, afterrepeating the phrase "unhappy country"s sake" to himself, at leasta dozen times, "forsaken of God and man, delivered over to adangerous confederacy of Popish powers; the prey of corruption, idolatry, and despotism! Who says I doubt? Am I called, andchosen, and faithful? Tell me. Am I, or am I not?"
"To God, the country, and yourself," cried Gashford.
"I am. I will be. I say again, I will be: to the block. Who saysas much! Do you? Does any man alive?"
The secretary drooped his head with an expression of perfectacquiescence in anything that had been said or might be; and LordGeorge gradually sinking down upon his pillow, fell asleep.
Although there was something very ludicrous in his vehement manner,taken in conjunction with his meagre aspect and ungracefulpresence, it would scarcely have provoked a smile in any man ofkindly feeling; or even if it had, he would have felt sorry andalmost angry with himself next moment, for yielding to the impulse.
This lord was sincere in his violence and in his wavering. Anature prone to false enthusiasm, and the vanity of being a leader,were the worst qualities apparent in his composition. All the restwas weakness--sheer weakness; and it is the unhappy lot ofthoroughly weak men, that their very sympathies, affections,confidences--all the qualities which in better constituted minds are virtues--dwindle into foibles, or turn into downright vices.
Gashford, with many a sly look towards the bed, sat chuckling athis master"s folly, until his deep and heavy breathing warned himthat he might retire. Locking his desk, and replacing it withinthe trunk (but not before he had taken from a secret lining twoprinted handbills), he cautiously withdrew; looking back, as hewent, at the pale face of the slumbering man, above whose head thedusty plumes that crowned the Maypole couch, waved drearily andsadly as though it were a bier.
Stopping on the staircase to listen that all was quiet, and to takeoff his shoes lest his footsteps should alarm any light sleeper whomight be near at hand, he descended to the ground floor, and thrustone of his bills beneath the great door of the house. That done,he crept softly back to his own chamber, and from the window letanother fall--carefully wrapt round a stone to save it from thewind--into the yard below.
They were addressed on the back "To every Protestant into whosehands this shall come," and bore within what follows:
"Men and Brethren. Whoever shall find this letter, will take it as a warning to join, without delay, the friends of Lord GeorgeGordon. There are great events at hand; and the times aredangerous and troubled. Read this carefully, keep it clean, anddrop it somewhere else. For King and Country. Union."
"More seed, more seed," said Gashford as he closed the window.
"When will the harvest come!"