Gashford, who had been very restless all this time, but had not once looked up, now turned to Sir John, and ventured to muttersomething to the effect that he must go, or my lord would perhapsbe waiting.
"Don"t distress yourself, good sir," said Mr Haredale, "I"ll takemy leave, and put you at your ease--" which he was about to dowithout ceremony, when he was stayed by a buzz and murmur at theupper end of the hall, and, looking in that direction, saw LordGeorge Gordon coming in, with a crowd of people round him.
There was a lurking look of triumph, though very differentlyexpressed, in the faces of his two companions, which made it anatural impulse on Mr Haredale"s part not to give way before thisleader, but to stand there while he passed. He drew himself upand, clasping his hands behind him, looked on with a proud andscornful aspect, while Lord George slowly advanced (for the presswas great about him) towards the spot where they were standing.
He had left the House of Commons but that moment, and had comestraight down into the Hall, bringing with him, as his custom was,intelligence of what had been said that night in reference to thePapists, and what petitions had been presented in their favour, andwho had supported them, and when the bill was to be brought in, and when it would be advisable to present their own Great Protestantpetition. All this he told the persons about him in a loud voice,and with great abundance of ungainly gesture. Those who werenearest him made comments to each other, and vented threats andmurmurings; those who were outside the crowd cried, "Silence," andStand back," or closed in upon the rest, endeavouring to make aforcible exchange of places: and so they came driving on in a verydisorderly and irregular way, as it is the manner of a crowd to do.
When they were very near to where the secretary, Sir John, and MrHaredale stood, Lord George turned round and, making a few remarksof a sufliciently violent and incoherent kind, concluded with theusual sentiment, and called for three cheers to back it. Whilethese were in the act of being given with great energy, heextricated himself from the press, and stepped up to Gashford"sside. Both he and Sir John being well known to the populace, theyfell back a little, and left the four standing together.
"Mr Haredale, Lord George," said Sir John Chester, seeing that thenobleman regarded him with an inquisitive look. "A Catholicgentleman unfortunately--most unhappily a Catholic--but an esteemedacquaintance of mine, and once of Mr Gashford"s. My dear Haredale,this is Lord George Gordon."
"I should have known that, had I been ignorant of his lordship"sperson," said Mr Haredale. "I hope there is but one gentleman inEngland who, addressing an ignorant and excited throng, would speakof a large body of his fellow-subjects in such injurious languageas I heard this moment. For shame, my lord, for shame!"
"I cannot talk to you, sir," replied Lord George in a loud voice,and waving his hand in a disturbed and agitated manner; "we havenothing in common."
"We have much in common--many things--all that the Almighty gaveus," said Mr Haredale; "and common charity, not to say common senseand common decency, should teach you to refrain from theseproceedings. If every one of those men had arms in their hands atthis moment, as they have them in their heads, I would not leavethis place without telling you that you disgrace your station."
"I don"t hear you, sir," he replied in the same manner as before;"I can"t hear you. It is indifferent to me what you say. Don"tretort, Gashford," for the secretary had made a show of wishing todo so; "I can hold no communion with the worshippers of idols."
As he said this, he glanced at Sir John, who lifted his hands andeyebrows, as if deploring the intemperate conduct of Mr Haredale,and smiled in admiration of the crowd and of their leader.
"HE retort!" cried Haredale. "Look you here, my lord. Do you knowthis man?"
Lord George replied by laying his hand upon the shoulder of hiscringing secretary, and viewing him with a smile of confidence.
"This man," said Mr Haredale, eyeing him from top to toe, "who inhis boyhood was a thief, and has been from that time to this, aservile, false, and truckling knave: this man, who has crawled andcrept through life, wounding the hands he licked, and biting thosehe fawned upon: this sycophant, who never knew what honour, truth,or courage meant; who robbed his benefactor"s daughter of hervirtue, and married her to break her heart, and did it, withstripes and cruelty: this creature, who has whined at kitchenwindows for the broken food, and begged for halfpence at our chapeldoors: this apostle of the faith, whose tender conscience cannotbear the altars where his vicious life was publicly denounced--Doyou know this man?"
"Oh, really--you are very, very hard upon our friend!" exclaimedSir John.
"Let Mr Haredale go on," said Gashford, upon whose unwholesome facethe perspiration had broken out during this speech, in blotches ofwet; "I don"t mind him, Sir John; it"s quite as indifferent to mewhat he says, as it is to my lord. If he reviles my lord, as youhave heard, Sir John, how can I hope to escape?"
"Is it not enough, my lord," Mr Haredale continued, "that I, asgood a gentleman as you, must hold my property, such as it is, by atrick at which the state connives because of these hard laws; andthat we may not teach our youth in schools the common principles ofright and wrong; but must we be denounced and ridden by such men asthis! Here is a man to head your No-Popery cry! For shame. Forshame!"