which is eccentric sometimes--and after asking the candidate a fewunimportant questions, proceeded to enrol him a member of the GreatProtestant Association of England. If anything could have exceededMr Dennis"s joy on the happy conclusion of this ceremony, it wouldhave been the rapture with which he received the announcement that the new member could neither read nor write: those two arts being(as Mr Dennis swore) the greatest possible curse a civilisedcommunity could know, and militating more against the professionalemoluments and usefulness of the great constitutional office he hadthe honour to hold, than any adverse circumstances that couldpresent themselves to his imagination.
The enrolment being completed, and Hugh having been informed byGashford, in his peculiar manner, of the peaceful and strictlylawful objects contemplated by the body to which he now belonged-duringwhich recital Mr Dennis nudged him very much with his elbow,and made divers remarkable faces--the secretary gave them both tounderstand that he desired to be alone. Therefore they took theirleaves without delay, and came out of the house together.
"Are you walking, brother?" said Dennis.
"Ay!" returned Hugh. "Where you will."
"That"s social," said his new friend. "Which way shall we take?
Shall we go and have a look at doors that we shall make a prettygood clattering at, before long--eh, brother?"
Hugh answering in the affirmative, they went slowly down toWestminster, where both houses of Parliament were then sitting.
Mingling in the crowd of carriages, horses, servants, chairmen,link-boys, porters, and idlers of all kinds, they lounged about;while Hugh"s new friend pointed out to him significantly the weakparts of the building, how easy it was to get into the lobby, andso to the very door of the House of Commons; and how plainly, whenthey marched down there in grand array, their roars and shoutswould be heard by the members inside; with a great deal more to thesame purpose, all of which Hugh received with manifest delight.
He told him, too, who some of the Lords and Commons were, by name,as they came in and out; whether they were friendly to the Papistsor otherwise; and bade him take notice of their liveries andequipages, that he might be sure of them, in case of need.
Sometimes he drew him close to the windows of a passing carriage,that he might see its master"s face by the light of the lamps; and,both in respect of people and localities, he showed so muchacquaintance with everything around, that it was plain he had oftenstudied there before; as indeed, when they grew a little moreconfidential, he confessed he had.
Perhaps the most striking part of all this was, the number of people--never in groups of more than two or three together--whoseemed to be skulking about the crowd for the same purpose. To thegreater part of these, a slight nod or a look from Hugh"s companionwas sufficient greeting; but, now and then, some man would come andstand beside him in the throng, and, without turning his head orappearing to communicate with him, would say a word or two in a lowvoice, which he would answer in the same cautious manner. Thenthey would part, like strangers. Some of these men oftenreappeared again unexpectedly in the crowd close to Hugh, and, asthey passed by, pressed his hand, or looked him sternly in theface; but they never spoke to him, nor he to them; no, not a word.
It was remarkable, too, that whenever they happened to stand wherethere was any press of people, and Hugh chanced to be lookingdownward, he was sure to see an arm stretched out--under his ownperhaps, or perhaps across him--which thrust some paper into thehand or pocket of a bystander, and was so suddenly withdrawn thatit was impossible to tell from whom it came; nor could he see inany face, on glancing quickly round, the least confusion orsurprise. They often trod upon a paper like the one he carried inhis breast, but his companion whispered him not to touch it or totake it up,--not even to look towards it,--so there they let themlie, and passed on.
When they had paraded the street and all the avenues of thebuilding in this manner for near two hours, they turned away, andhis friend asked him what he thought of what he had seen, andwhether he was prepared for a good hot piece of work if it shouldcome to that. The hotter the better," said Hugh, "I"m prepared foranything."--"So am I," said his friend, "and so are many of us;and they shook hands upon it with a great oath, and with manyterrible imprecations on the Papists.
As they were thirsty by this time, Dennis proposed that they shouldrepair together to The Boot, where there was good company andstrong liquor. Hugh yielding a ready assent, they bent their stepsthat way with no loss of time.
This Boot was a lone house of public entertainment, situated in thefields at the back of the Foundling Hospital; a very solitary spotat that period, and quite deserted after dark. The tavern stood atsome distance from any high road, and was approachable only by adark and narrow lane; so that Hugh was much surprised to findseveral people drinking there, and great merriment going on. Hewas still more surprised to find among them almost every face thathad caught his attention in the crowd; but his companion having whispered him outside the door, that it was not considered goodmanners at The Boot to appear at all curious about the company, hekept his own counsel, and made no show of recognition.
Before putting his lips to the liquor which was brought for them,Dennis drank in a loud voice the health of Lord George Gordon,President of the Great Protestant Association; which toast Hughpledged likewise, with corresponding enthusiasm. A fiddler who waspresent, and who appeared to act as the appointed minstrel of thecompany, forthwith struck up a Scotch reel; and that in tones soinvigorating, that Hugh and his friend (who had both been drinkingbefore) rose from their seats as by previous concert, and, to thegreat admiration of the assembled guests, performed anextemporaneous No-Popery Dance.