AsachildIwasnothandsome。WhenIconsultedthetriangularbitoflooking-glasswhichIalwayscarriedwithme,itshowedapale,sandy,andfreckledface,shadedbylockslikethecolorofseaweedwhenthesunstrikesitindeepwater。Myeyesweresaidtobeindistinctive;theywereafaint,ashengray;butabovethemrose——
myonlybeauty——ahigh,massive,domelikeforehead,withpolishedtemples,likedoor-knobsofthepurestporcelain。
Ourfamilywasafamilyofgovernesses。Mymotherhadbeenone,andmysistershadthesameoccupation。Consequently,when,attheageofthirteen,myeldestsisterhandedmetheadvertisementofMr。Rawjester,clippedfromthatday’s"Times,"Iaccepteditasmydestiny。Nevertheless,amysteriouspresentimentofanindefinitefuturehauntedmeinmydreamsthatnight,asIlayuponmylittlesnow-whitebed。Thenextmorning,withtwobandboxestiedupinsilkhandkerchiefs,andahairtrunk,IturnedmybackuponMinervaCottageforever。
CHAPTERII。
BlunderboreHall,theseatofJamesRawjester,Esq。,wasencompassedbydarkpinesandfunerealhemlocksonallsides。Thewindsangweirdlyintheturretsandmoanedthroughthelong-drawnavenuesofthepark。AsIapproachedthehouseIsawseveralmysteriousfiguresflitbeforethewindows,andayellofdemoniaclaughteransweredmysummonsatthebell。WhileIstrovetorepressmygloomyforebodings,thehousekeeper,atimid,scared-
lookingoldwoman,showedmeintothelibrary。
Ientered,overcomewithconflictingemotions。Iwasdressedinanarrowgownofdarkserge,trimmedwithblackbugles。Athickgreenshawlwaspinnedacrossmybreast。Myhandswereencasedwithblackhalf-mittensworkedwithsteelbeads;onmyfeetwerelargepattens,originallythepropertyofmydeceasedgrandmother。
Icarriedabluecottonumbrella。AsIpassedbeforeamirror,I
couldnothelpglancingatit,norcouldIdisguisefrommyselfthefactthatIwasnothandsome。
Drawingachairintoarecess,Isatdownwithfoldedhands,calmlyawaitingthearrivalofmymaster。Onceortwiceafearfulyellrangthroughthehouse,ortherattlingofchains,andcursesutteredinadeep,manlyvoice,brokeupontheoppressivestillness。Ibegantofeelmysoulrisingwiththeemergencyofthemoment。
"Youlookalarmed,miss。Youdon’thearanything,mydear,doyou?"askedthehousekeepernervously。
"Nothingwhatever,"Iremarkedcalmly,asaterrificscream,followedbythedraggingofchairsandtablesintheroomabove,drownedforamomentmyreply。"Itisthesilence,onthecontrary,whichhasmademefoolishlynervous。"
Thehousekeeperlookedatmeapprovingly,andinstantlymadesometeaforme。
Idranksevencups;asIwasbeginningtheeighth,Iheardacrash,andthenextmomentamanleapedintotheroomthroughthebrokenwindow。
CHAPTERIII。
Thecrashstartledmefrommyself-control。Thehousekeeperbenttowardmeandwhispered:——
"Don’tbeexcited。It’sMr。Rawjester,——hepreferstocomeinsometimesinthisway。It’shisplayfulness,ha!ha!ha!"
"Iperceive,"Isaidcalmly。"It’stheunfetteredimpulseofaloftysoulbreakingthetyrannizingbondsofcustom。"AndIturnedtowardhim。
Hehadneveroncelookedatme。Hestoodwithhisbacktothefire,whichsetofftheherculeanbreadthofhisshoulders。Hisfacewasdarkandexpressive;hisunderjawsquarelyformed,andremarkablyheavy。IwasstruckwithhisremarkablelikenesstoaGorilla。
Asheabsentlytiedthepokerintohardknotswithhisnervousfingers,Iwatchedhimwithsomeinterest。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme:——
"DoyouthinkI’mhandsome,youngwoman?"
"Notclassicallybeautiful,"Ireturnedcalmly;"butyouhave,ifI
maysoexpressmyself,anabstractmanliness,——asincereandwholesomebarbaritywhich,involvingasitdoesthenaturalness——"
ButIstopped,forheyawnedatthatmoment,——anactionwhichsingularlydevelopedtheimmensebreadthofhislowerjaw,——andI
sawhehadforgottenme。Presentlyheturnedtothehousekeeper:——
"Leaveus。"
Theoldwomanwithdrewwithacourtesy。
Mr。Rawjesterdeliberatelyturnedhisbackuponmeandremainedsilentfortwentyminutes。Idrewmyshawlthemorecloselyaroundmyshouldersandclosedmyeyes。
"Youarethegoverness?"atlengthhesaid。
"Iam,sir。"
"Acreaturewhoteachesgeography,arithmetic,andtheuseoftheglobes——ha!——awretchedremnantoffemininity,——askimppatternofgirlhoodwithaprematureflavoroftea-leavesandmorality。Ugh!"
Ibowedmyheadsilently。
"Listentome,girl!"hesaidsternly;"thischildyouhavecometoteach——myward——isnotlegitimate。Sheistheoffspringofmymistress,——acommonharlot。Ah!MissMix,whatdoyouthinkofmenow?"
"Iadmire,"Irepliedcalmly,"yoursincerity。Amawkishregardfordelicacymighthavekeptthisdisclosuretoyourself。Ionlyrecognizeinyourfranknessthatperfectcommunityofthoughtandsentimentwhichshouldexistbetweenoriginalnatures。"
Ilookedup;hehadalreadyforgottenmypresence,andwasengagedinpullingoffhisbootsandcoat。Thisdone,hesankdowninanarm-chairbeforethefire,andranthepokerwearilythroughhishair。Icouldnothelppityinghim。
Thewindhowleddismallywithout,andtherainbeatfuriouslyagainstthewindows。Icrepttowardhimandseatedmyselfonalowstoolbesidehischair。
Presentlyheturned,withoutseeingme,andplacedhisfootabsentlyinmylap。Iaffectednottonoticeit。Buthestartedandlookeddown。
"Youhereyet——Carrothead?Ah,Iforgot。DoyouspeakFrench?"
"Oui,Monsieur"
"Taisez-vous!"hesaidsharply,withsingularpurityofaccent。I
complied。Thewindmoanedfearfullyinthechimney,andthelightburneddimly。Ishudderedinspiteofmyself。"Ah,youtremble,girl!"
"Itisafearfulnight。"
"Fearful!Callyouthisfearful,ha!ha!ha!Look!youwretchedlittleatom,look!"andhedashedforward,and,leapingoutofthewindow,stoodlikeastatueinthepeltingstorm,withfoldedarms。
Hedidnotstaylong,butinafewminutesreturnedbywayofthehallchimney。Isawfromthewaythathewipedhisfeetonmydressthathehadagainforgottenmypresence。
"Youareagoverness。Whatcanyouteach?"heasked,suddenlyandfiercelythrustinghisfaceinmine。
"Manners!"Ireplied,calmly。
"Ha!teachME!"
"Youmistakeyourself,"Isaid,adjustingmymittens。"Yourmannersrequirenottheartificialrestraintofsociety。Youareradicallypolite;thisimpetuosityandferociousnessissimplythesinceritywhichisthebasisofaproperdeportment。Yourinstinctsaremoral;yourbetternature,Isee,isreligious。AsSt。Pauljustlyremarks——seechap。6,8,9,and10——"
Heseizedaheavycandlestick,andthrewitatme。Idodgeditsubmissivelybutfirmly。
"Excuseme,"heremarked,ashisunderjawslowlyrelaxed。"Excuseme,MissMix——butIcan’tstandSt。Paul!Enough——youareengaged。"
CHAPTERIV。
Ifollowedthehousekeeperassheledthewaytimidlytomyroom。
Aswepassedintoadarkhallinthewing,Inoticedthatitwasclosedbyanirongatewithagrating。Threeofthedoorsonthecorridorwerelikewisegrated。Astrangenoise,asofshufflingfeetandthehowlingofinfuriatedanimals,rangthroughthehall。
Biddingthehousekeepergoodnight,andtakingthecandle,I
enteredmybedchamber。
Itookoffmydress,and,puttingonayellowflannelnightgown,whichIcouldnothelpfeelingdidnotagreewithmycomplexion,I
composedmyselftorestbyreadingBlair’sRhetoricandPaley’sMoralPhilosophy。Ihadjustputoutthelight,whenIheardvoicesinthecorridor。Ilistenedattentively。IrecognizedMr。
Rawjester’ssterntones。
"HaveyoufedNo。1?"heasked。
"Yes,sir,"saidagruffvoice,apparentlybelongingtoadomestic。
"How’sNo。2?"
"She’salittleoffherfeed,justnow,butwillpickupinadayortwo!"
"AndNo。3?"
"Perfectlyfurious,sir。Hertantrumsareungovernable。"
"Hush!"
Thevoicesdiedaway,andIsankintoafitfulslumber。
IdreamedthatIwaswanderingthroughatropicalforest。SuddenlyIsawthefigureofagorillaapproachingme。Asitnearedme,I
recognizedthefeaturesofMr。Rawjester。Heheldhishandtohissideasifinpain。Isawthathehadbeenwounded。Herecognizedmeandcalledmebyname,butatthesamemomentthevisionchangedtoanAshanteevillage,where,aroundthefire,agroupofnegroesweredancingandparticipatinginsomewildObifestival。Iawokewiththestrainstillringinginmyears。
"Hokee-pokeewokeefum!"
GoodHeavens!couldIbedreaming?Iheardthevoicedistinctlyonthefloorbelow,andsmeltsomethingburning。Iarose,withanindistinctpresentimentofevil,andhastilyputtingsomecottoninmyearsandtyingatowelaboutmyhead,Iwrappedmyselfinashawlandrusheddownstairs。ThedoorofMr。Rawjester’sroomwasopen。Ientered。
Mr。Rawjesterlayapparentlyinadeepslumber,fromwhicheventhecloudsofsmokethatcamefromtheburningcurtainsofhisbedcouldnotrousehim。Aroundtheroomalargeandpowerfulnegress,scantilyattired,withherheadadornedwithfeathers,wasdancingwildly,accompanyingherselfwithbonecastanets。Itlookedlikesometerriblefetich。
Ididnotlosemycalmness。Afterfirmlyemptyingthepitcher,basin,andslop-jarontheburningbed,Iproceededcautiouslytothegarden,and,returningwiththegarden-engine,IdirectedasmallstreamatMr。Rawjester。
Atmyentrancethegiganticnegressfled。Mr。Rawjesteryawnedandwoke。Iexplainedtohim,asherosedrippingfromthebed,thereasonofmypresence。Hedidnotseemtobeexcited,alarmed,ordiscomposed。Hegazedatmecuriously。
"Soyouriskedyourlifetosavemine,eh?youcanary-coloredteacherofinfants。"
Iblushedmodestly,anddrewmyshawltightlyovermyyellowflannelnightgown。
"Youloveme,MaryJane,——don’tdenyit!Thistremblingshowsit!"
Hedrewmecloselytowardhim,andsaid,withhisdeepvoicetenderlymodulated:——
"How’sherpootytootens,——didshegether’ittletootenswet,——
bessher?"
Iunderstoodhisallusiontomyfeet。IglanceddownandsawthatinmyhurryIhadputonapairofhisoldindia-rubbers。Myfeetwerenotsmallorpretty,andtheadditiondidnotaddtotheirbeauty。
"Letmego,sir,"Iremarkedquietly。"Thisisentirelyimproper;
itsetsabadexampleforyourchild。"AndIfirmlybutgentlyextricatedmyselffromhisgrasp。Iapproachedthedoor。Heseemedforamomentburiedindeepthought。
"Yousaythiswasanegress?"
"Yes,sir。"
"Humph,No。1,Isuppose?"
"WhoisNumberOne,sir?"
"MyFIRST,"heremarked,withasignificantandsarcasticsmile。
Then,relapsingintohisoldmanner,hethrewhisbootsatmyhead,andbademebegone。Iwithdrewcalmly。
CHAPTERV。
Mypupilwasabrightlittlegirl,whospokeFrenchwithaperfectaccent。HermotherhadbeenaFrenchballet-dancer,whichprobablyaccountedforit。Althoughshewasonlysixyearsold,itwaseasytoperceivethatshehadbeenseveraltimesinlove。Sheoncesaidtome:——
"MissMix,didyoueverhavethegrandepassion?Didyoueverfeelaflutteringhere?"andsheplacedherhanduponhersmallchest,andsighedquaintly,"akindofdistasteforbonbonsandcaromels,whentheworldseemedastastelessandhollowasabrokencordialdrop。"
"Thenyouhavefeltit,Nina?"Isaidquietly。"Odear,yes。
TherewasButtons,——thatwasourpage,youknow,——Ilovedhimdearly,butpapasenthimaway。ThentherewasDick,thegroom,buthelaughedatme,andIsufferedmisery!"andshestruckatragicFrenchattitude。"Thereistobecompanyhereto-morrow,"
sheadded,rattlingonwithchildishnaivete,"andpapa’ssweetheart——BlancheMarabout——istobehere。Youknowtheysaysheistobemymamma。"
Whatthrillwasthisshotthroughme?ButIrosecalmly,and,administeringaslightcorrectiontothechild,lefttheapartment。
BlunderboreHouse,forthenextweek,wasthesceneofgayetyandmerriment。Thatportionofthemansionclosedwithagratingwaswalledup,andthemidnightshrieksnolongertroubledme。
ButIfeltmorekeenlythedegradationofmysituation。IwasobligedtohelpLadyBlancheathertoiletandhelphertolookbeautiful。Forwhat?Tocaptivatehim?O——no,no,——butwhythissuddenthrillandfaintness?Didhereallyloveher?Ihadseenhimpinchandswearather。ButIreflectedthathehadthrownacandlestickatmyhead,andmyfoolishheartwasreassured。
Itwasanightoffestivity,whenasuddenmessageobligedMr。
Rawjestertoleavehisguestsforafewhours。"Makeyourselvesmerry,idiots,"headded,underhisbreath,ashepassedme。Thedoorclosedandhewasgone。
Anhalf-hourpassed。Inthemidstofthedancingashriekwasheard,andoutoftheswayingcrowdoffaintingwomenandexcitedmenawildfigurestrodeintotheroom。Oneglanceshowedittobeahighwayman,heavilyarmed,holdingapistolineachhand。
"Letnoonepassoutofthisroom!"hesaid,inavoiceofthunder。
"Thehouseissurroundedandyoucannotescape。Thefirstonewhocrossesyonderthresholdwillbeshotlikeadog。Gentlemen,I’lltroubleyoutoapproachinsinglefile,andhandmeyourpursesandwatches。"
Findingresistanceuseless,theorderwasungraciouslyobeyed。
"Now,ladies,pleasetopassupyourjewelryandtrinkets。"
Thisorderwasstillmoreungraciouslycompliedwith。AsBlanchehandedtothebanditcaptainherbracelet,sheendeavoredtoconcealadiamondnecklace,thegiftofMr。Rawjester,inherbosom。But,withademoniacgrin,thepowerfulbrutetoreitfromitsconcealment,and,administeringaheartyboxontheearoftheyounggirl,flungheraside。
Itwasnowmyturn。WithabeatingheartImademywaytotherobberchieftain,andsankathisfeet。"Osir,Iamnothingbutapoorgoverness,prayletmego。"
"Oho!Agoverness?Givemeyourlastmonth’swages,then。Givemewhatyouhavestolenfromyourmaster!"andhelaughedfiendishly。
Igazedathimquietly,andsaid,inalowvoice:"Ihavestolennothingfromyou,Mr。Rawjester!"
"Ah,discovered!Hush!listen,girl!"hehissed,inafiercerwhisper,"utterasyllabletofrustratemyplansandyoudie;aidme,and——"Buthewasgone。
Inafewmomentstheparty,withtheexceptionofmyself,weregaggedandlockedinthecellar。Thenextmomenttorcheswereappliedtotherichhangings,andthehousewasinflames。Ifeltastronghandseizeme,andbearmeoutintheopenairandplacemeuponthehillside,whereIcouldoverlooktheburningmansion。
ItwasMr。Rawjester。
"Burn!"hesaid,asheshookhisfistattheflames。Thensinkingonhiskneesbeforeme,hesaidhurriedly:——
"MaryJane,Iloveyou;theobstaclestoourunionareorwillbesoonremoved。Inyondermansionwereconfinedmythreecrazywives。Oneofthem,asyouknow,attemptedtokillme!Ha!thisisvengeance!Butwillyoubemine?"
Ifell,withoutaword,uponhisneck。
GUYHEAVYSTONE;
OR,"ENTIRE。"
AMUSCULARNOVEL。
BYTHEAUTHORor"SWORDANDGUN。"
CHAPTERI。
"Nereirepandirostrumincurvicervicumpecus。"
Adingy,swashy,splashyafternooninOctober;aschool-yardfilledwithamobofriotousboys。Alotofusstandingoutside。
Suddenlycameadull,crashingsoundfromtheschool-room。AttheominousinterruptionIshudderedinvoluntarily,andcalledtoSmithsye:——
"What’sup,Smithums?"
"Guy’scleaningoutthefourthform,"hereplied。
AtthesamemomentGeorgedeCoverlypassedme,holdinghisnose,fromwhencethebrightNormanbloodstreamedredly。TohimtheplebeianSmithsyelaughingly:——
"Cully!how’shisnibs?"
Ipushedthedooroftheschool-roomopen。Therearesomespectacleswhichamanneverforgets。TheburningofTroyprobablyseemedalarge-sizedconflagrationtothepiousAeneas,andmadeanimpressiononhimwhichhecarriedawaywiththefeebleAnchises。
Inthecentreoftheroom,lightlybrandishingthepiston-rodofasteam-engine,stoodGuyHeavystonealone。Isayalone,forthepileofsmallboysonthefloorinthecornercouldhardlybecalledcompany。
Iwilltryandsketchhimforthereader。GuyHeavystonewasthenonlyfifteen。Hisbroad,deepchest,hissinewyandquiveringflank,hisstraightpastern,showedhimtobeathoroughbred。
Perhapshewasatrifleheavyinthefetlock,butheheldhisheadhaughtilyerect。Hiseyeswereglitteringbutpitiless。Therewasasternnessaboutthelowerpartofhisface,——theoldHeavystonelook,——asternness,heightened,perhaps,bythesnaffle-bitwhich,inoneofhisstrangefreaks,heworeinhismouthtocurbhisoccasionalferocity。Hisdresswaswelladaptedtohissquare-setandherculeanframe。Astripedknitundershirt,close-fittingstripedtights,andafewspanglessetoffhisfigure;aneatGlengarrycapadornedhishead。OnitwasdisplayedtheHeavystonecrest,acockregardantonadunghillor,andthemotto,"Devilabetter!"
IthoughtofHoratiusonthebridge,ofHectorbeforethewalls。I
alwaysmakeitapointtothinkofsomethingclassicalatsuchtimes。
Hesawme,andhissternnesspartlyrelaxed。Somethinglikeasmilestruggledthroughhisgrimlineaments。ItwaslikelookingontheJungfrauafterhavingseenMontBlanc,——atrifle,onlyatriflelesssublimeandawful。Restinghishandlightlyontheshoulderofthehead-master,whoshudderedandcollapsedunderhistouch,hestrodetowardme。
Hiswalkwaspeculiar。Youcouldnotcallitastride。Itwaslikethe"crest-tossingBellerophon,"——akindofprancinggait。
GuyHeavystoneprancedtowardme。
CHAPTERII。
"LordLovelhestoodatthegardengate,A-combinghismilk-whitesteed。"
Itwasthewinterof186-whenInextmetGuyHeavystone。HehadlefttheUniversityandhadenteredthe76th"Heavies。""Ihaveexchangedthegownforthesword,yousee,"hesaid,graspingmyhand,andfracturingthebonesofmylittlefinger,asheshookit。
Igazedathimwithunmixedadmiration。Hewassquarer,sterner,andineverywaysmarterandmoreremarkablethanever。IbegantofeeltowardthismanasPhalasterfelttowardsPhyrgino,assomebodymusthavefelttowardArchididasculus,asBoswellfelttowardJohnson。
"Comeintomyden,"hesaid,andliftingmegentlybytheseatofmypantaloonshecarriedmeupstairsanddepositedme,beforeI
couldapologize,onthesofa。Ilookedaroundtheroom。Itwasabachelor’sapartment,characteristicallyfurnishedinthetasteoftheproprietor。Afewclaymoresandbattle-axeswererangedagainstthewall,andaculverin,capturedbySirRalphHeavystone,occupiedthecorner,theotherendoftheroombeingtakenupbyalightbattery。Foils,boxing-gloves,saddles,andfishing-poleslayaroundcarelessly。Asmallpileofbillets-douxlayuponasilversalver。Themanwasnotananchorite,noryetaSirGalahad。
InevercouldtellwhatGuythoughtofwomen。"Poorlittlebeasts,"hewouldoftensaywhentheconversationturnedonanyofhisfreshconquests。Then,passinghishandoverhismarblebrow,theoldlookofsternfixednessofpurposeandunflinchingseveritywouldstraightenthelinesofhismouth,andhewouldmutter,halftohimself,"S’death!"
"ComewithmetoHeavystoneGrange。TheExmoorHoundsthrowoffto-morrow。I’llgiveyouamount,"hesaid,asheamusedhimselfbyrollingupasilvercandlestickbetweenhisfingers。"YoushallhaveCleopatra。Butstay,"headded,thoughtfully;"nowI
remember,IorderedCleopatratobeshotthismorning。"
"Andwhy?"Iqueried。
"Shethrewherrideryesterdayandfellonhim——"
"Andkilledhim?"
"No。That’sthereasonwhyIhaveorderedhertobeshot。Ikeepnoanimalsthatarenotdangerous——Ishouldadd——DEADLY!"Hehissedthelastsentencebetweenhisteeth,andagloomyfrowndescendedoverhiscalmbrow。
Iaffectedtoturnoverthetradesman’sbillsthatlayonthetable,for,likealloftheHeavystonerace,Guyseldompaidcash,andsaid:——
"YouremindmeofthetimewhenLeonidas——"
"O,botherLeonidasandyourclassicalallusions。Come!"
Wedescendedtodinner。
CHAPTERIII。
"Hecarriesweight,heridesarace,’Tisforathousandpound。"
"ThereisFloraBillingsgate,thegreatestcoquetteandhardestriderinthecountry,"saidmycompanion,RalphMortmain,aswestooduponDinglebyCommonbeforethemeet。
IlookedupandbeheldGuyHeavystonebendinghaughtilyoverthesaddle,asheaddressedabeautifulbrunette。Shewasindeedasplendidlygroomedandhigh-spiritedwoman。Wewerenearenoughtooverhearthefollowingconversation,whichanyhigh-tonedreaderwillrecognizeasthecommonandnaturalexpressionofthehigherclasses。
"WhenDianatakesthefieldthechaseisnotwhollyconfinedtoobjectsferaenaturae,"saidGuy,dartingasignificantglanceathiscompanion。Floradidnotshrinkeitherfromtheglanceorthemeaningimpliedinthesarcasm。
"IfIwerelookingforanEndymion,now——"shesaidarchly,assheplayfullycanteredoverafewhoundsandleapedafive-barredgate。
Guywhisperedafewwords,inaudibletotherestoftheparty,and,curvettingslightly,cleverlyclearedtwoofthehuntsmeninaflyingleap,gallopedupthefrontstepsofthemansion,anddashingatfullspeedthroughthehallleapedthroughthedrawing-
roomwindowandrejoinedme,languidly,onthelawn。
"BecarefulofFloraBillingsgate,"hesaidtome,inlowsterntones,whilehispitilesseyeshotabalefulfire。"Gardezvous!"
"Gnothiseauton,"Irepliedcalmly,notwishingtoappeartobebehindhiminperceptionorverbalfelicity。
Guystartedoffinhighspirits。Hewaswellcarried。Heandthefirstwhip,aten-stoneman,wereheadandheadatthelastfence,whilethehoundswererollingovertheirfoxahundredyardsfartherintheopen。
Butanunexpectedcircumstanceoccurred。Comingback,hischestnutmarerefusedaten-footwall。Sherearedandfellbackward。Againheledheruptoitlightly;againsherefused,fallingheavilyfromthecoping。Guystartedtohisfeet。Theoldpitilessfireshoneinhiseyes;theoldsternlooksettledaroundhismouth。
Seizingthemarebythetailandmanehethrewheroverthewall。
Shelandedtwentyfeetontheotherside,erectandtrembling。
Lightlyleapingthesameobstaclehimself,heremountedher。Shedidnotrefusethewallthenexttime。
CHAPTERIV。
"Heholdshimbyhisglitteringeye。"
GuywasintheNorthofIreland,cock-shooting。SoRalphMortmaintoldme,andalsothatthematchbetweenMaryBrandageeandGuyhadbeenbrokenoffbyFloraBillingsgate。"Idon’tlikethoseBillingsgates,"saidRalph,"they’reabadstock。Herfather,SmithfielddeBillingsgate,hadanunpleasantwayofturninguptheknavefromthebottomofthepack。Butnousverrons;letusgoandseeGuy。"
ThenextmorningwestartedforFin-ma-Coul’sCrossing。WhenI
reachedtheshooting-box,whereGuywasentertainingaselectcompanyoffriends,FloraBillingsgategreetedmewithasaucysmile。
Guywasevensquarerandsternerthanever。Hisgustsofpassionweremorefrequent,anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldkeepanable-bodiedservantinhisfamily。Hispresentretainersweremoreorlessmaimedfromexposuretothefuryoftheirmaster。
Therewasastrangecynicism,acuttingsarcasminhisaddress,piercingthroughhispolishedmanner。IthoughtofTimon,etc。,etc。
Oneevening,weweresittingoverourChambertin,afterahardday’swork,andGuywaslistlesslyturningoversomeletters,whensuddenlyheutteredacry。Didyoueverhearthetrumpetingofawoundedelephant?Itwaslikethat。
Ilookedathimwithconsternation。Hewasglancingataletterwhichheheldatarm’slength,andsnorting,asitwere,atitashegazed。Thelowerpartofhisfacewasstern,butnotasrigidasusual。Hewasslowlygrindingbetweenhisteeththefragmentsoftheglasshehadjustbeendrinkingfrom。Suddenlyheseizedoneofhisservants,and,forcingthewretchuponhisknees,exclaimed,withtheroarofatiger:——
"Dog!whywasthiskeptfromme?"
"Why,please,sir,MissFlorasaidashowitwasareconciliationfromMissBrandagee,anditwastobekeptfromyouwhereyouwouldnotbelikelytoseeit,——and——and——"
"Speak,dog!andyou——"
"Iputitamongyourbills,sir!"
Withagroan,likedistantthunder,Guyfellswooningtothefloor。
Hesoonrecovered,forthenextmomentaservantcamerushingintotheroomwiththeinformationthatanumberoftheingenuouspeasantryoftheneighborhoodwereabouttoindulgethateveninginthenationalpastimeofburningafarm-houseandshootingalandlord。Guysmiledafearfulsmile,without,however,alteringhissternandpitilessexpression。
"Letthemcome,"hesaidcalmly;"Ifeellikeentertainingcompany。"
Webarricadedthedoorsandwindows,andthenchoseourarmsfromthearmory。Guy’schoicewasasingularone:itwasalandingnetwithalonghandle,andasharpcavalrysabre。
Wewerenotdestinedtoremainlonginignoranceofitsuse。A
howlwasheardfromwithout,andapartyoffiftyorsixtyarmedmenprecipitatedthemselvesagainstthedoor。
Suddenlythewindowopened。Withtherapidityoflightning,GuyHeavystonecastthenetovertheheadoftheringleader,ejaculated"Habet!"andwithabackstrokeofhiscavalrysabreseveredthememberfromitstrunk,and,drawingthenetbackagain,castthegoryheaduponthefloor,sayingquietly:——
"One。"
Againthenetwascast,thesteelflashed,thenetwaswithdrawn,andanominous"Two!"accompaniedtheheadasitrolledonthefloor。
"DoyourememberwhatPlinysaysofthegladiator?"saidGuy,calmlywipinghissabre。"Howgraphicisthatpassagecommencing’Internos,etc。’"Thesportcontinueduntiltheheadsoftwentydesperadoeshadbeengatheredin。Therestseemedinclinedtodisperse。Guyincautiouslyshowedhimselfatthedoor;aringingshotwasheard,andhestaggeredback,piercedthroughtheheart。
Graspingthedoor-postinthelastunconsciousthroesofhismightyframe,thewholesideofthehouseyieldedtothatearthquaketremor,andwehadbarelytimetoescapebeforethewholebuildingfellinruins。IthoughtofSamson,theGiantJudge,etc。,etc。;
butallwasover。
GuyHeavystonehaddiedashehadlived,——HARD。
MR。MIDSHIPMANBREEZY。
ANAVALOFFICER。
BYCAPTAINM——RRY——T,R。N。
CHAPTERI。
Myfatherwasanorth-countrysurgeon。Hehadretired,awidower,fromherMajesty’snavymanyyearsbefore,andhadasmallpracticeinhisnativevillage。WhenIwassevenyearsoldheemployedmetocarrymedicinestohispatients。Beingofalivelydisposition,Isometimesamusedmyself;duringmydailyrounds,bymixingthecontentsofthedifferentphials。AlthoughIhadnoreasontodoubtthatthegeneralresultofthispracticewasbeneficial,yet,asthedeathofaconsumptivecuratefollowedtheadditionofastrongmercuriallotiontohisexpectorant,myfatherconcludedtowithdrawmefromtheprofessionandsendmetoschool。
Grubbins,theschoolmaster,wasatyrant,anditwasnotlongbeforemyimpetuousandself-willednaturerebelledagainsthisauthority。Isoonbegantoformplansofrevenge。InthisIwasassistedbyTomSnaffle,——aschoolfellow。OnedayTomsuggested:——
"Supposeweblowhimup。I’vegottwopoundsofpowder!"
"No,that’stoonoisy,"Ireplied。
Tomwassilentforaminute,andagainspoke:——
"Yourememberhowyouflattenedoutthecurate,Pills!Couldn’tyougiveGrubbinssomething——somethingtomakehimleatherysick——
eh?"
Aflashofinspirationcrossedmymind。Iwenttotheshopofthevillageapothecary。Heknewme;Ihadoftenpurchasedvitriol,whichIpouredintoGrubbins’sinkstandtocorrodehispensandburnuphiscoat-tail,onwhichhewasinthehabitofwipingthem。
Iboldlyaskedforanounceofchloroform。Theyoungapothecarywinkedandhandedmethebottle。
ItwasGrubbins’scustomtothrowhishandkerchiefoverhishead,reclineinhischairandtakeashortnapduringrecess。Watchingmyopportunity,ashedozed,Imanagedtosliphishandkerchieffromhisfaceandsubstitutemyown,moistenedwithchloroform。Inafewminuteshewasinsensible。TomandIthenquicklyshavedhishead,beard,andeyebrows,blackenedhisfacewithamixtureofvitriolandburntcork,andfled。Therewasarowandscandalthenextday。MyfatheralwaysexcusedmebyassertingthatGrubbinshadgotdrunk,——butsomehowfounditconvenienttoprocuremeanappointmentinherMajesty’snavyatanearlyday。
CHAPTERII。
Anofficialletter,withtheAdmiraltyseal,informedmethatIwasexpectedtojoinH。M。shipBelcher,CaptainBoltrope,atPortsmouth,withoutdelay。InafewdaysIpresentedmyselftoatall,stern-visagedman,whowasslowlypacingtheleewardsideofthequarter-deck。AsItouchedmyhatheeyedmesternly:——
"Soho!Anotheryoungsuckling。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil。Nothingbutbabesinthecockpitandgranniesintheboard。
Boatswain’smate,passthewordforMr。Cheek!"
Mr。Cheek,thesteward,appearedandtouchedhishat。"IntroduceMr。Breezytotheyounggentlemen。Stop!Where’sMr。Swizzle?"
"Atthemasthead,sir。"
"Where’sMr。Lankey?"
"Atthemasthead,sir。"
"Mr。Briggs?"
"Masthead,too,sir。"
"Andtherestoftheyounggentlemen?"roaredtheenragedofficer。
"Allmasthead,sir。"
"Ah!"saidCaptainBoltrope,ashesmiledgrimly,"underthecircumstances,Mr。Breezy,youhadbettergotothemastheadtoo。"
CHAPTERIII。
AtthemastheadImadetheacquaintanceoftwoyoungstersofaboutmyownage,oneofwhominformedmethathehadbeentherethreehundredandthirty-twodaysoutoftheyear。
"Inroughweather,whentheoldcockisoutofsorts,youknow,wenevercomedown,"addedayounggentlemanofnineyears,withadirknearlyaslongashimself,whohadbeenintroducedtomeasMr。Briggs。"Bytheway,Pills,"becontinued,"howdidyoucometoomitgivingthecaptainanavalsalute?"
"Why,Itouchedmyhat,"Isaid,innocently。
"Yes,butthatisn’tenough,youknow。Thatwilldoverywellatothertimes。Heexpectsthenavalsalutewhenyoufirstcomeonboard——greeny!"
Ibegantofeelalarmed,andbeggedhimtoexplain。
"Why,yousee,aftertouchingyourhat,youshouldhavetouchedhimlightlywithyourforefingerinhiswaistcoat,so,andasked,’How’shisnibs?’——yousee?"
"How’shisnibs?"Irepeated。
"Exactly。Hewouldhavedrawnbackalittle,andthenyoushouldhaverepeatedthesaluteremarking,’How’shisroyalnibs?’askingcautiouslyafterhiswifeandfamily,andrequestingtobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter。"
"Thegunner’sdaughter?"
"Thesame;youknowshetakescareofusyounggentlemen;nowdon’tforget,Pillsy!"
WhenwewerecalleddowntothedeckIthoughtitagoodchancetoprofitbythisinstruction。IapproachedCaptainBoltropeandrepeatedthesalutewithoutconscientiouslyomittingasingledetail。Heremainedforamoment,lividandspeechless。Atlengthhegaspedout:——
"Boatswain’smate?"
"Ifyouplease,sir,"Iasked,tremulously,"Ishouldliketobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter!"
"O,verygood,sir!"screamedCaptainBoltrope,rubbinghishandsandabsolutelycaperingaboutthedeckwithrage。"Od——nyou!Ofcourseyoushall!Oho!thegunner’sdaughter!O,h——ll!thisistoomuch!Boatswain’smate!"BeforeIwellknewwhereIwas,I
wasseized,bornetoaneight-pounder,tieduponitandflogged!
CHAPTERIV。
Aswesattogetherinthecockpit,pickingtheweevilsoutofourbiscuit,Briggsconsoledmeformylatemishap,addingthatthe"navalsalute,"asacustom,seemedjustthentobehonoredmoreintheBREACHthantheobservance。Ijoinedinthehilarityoccasionedbythewitticism,andinafewmomentswewereallfriends。PresentlySwizzleturnedtome:——
"Wehavebeenjustplanninghowtoconfiscateakegofclaret,whichNips,thepurser,keepsunderhisbunk。Theoldnipcheeseliestheredrunkhalftheday,andthere’snogettingatit。"
"Let’sgetbeneaththestate-roomandborethroughthedeck,andsotapit,"saidLankey。
Thepropositionwasreceivedwithashoutofapplause。Alonghalf-inchaugerandbitwasprocuredfromChips,thecarpenter’smate,andSwizzle,afteracarefulexaminationofthetimbersbeneaththeward-room,commencedoperations。Theaugeratlastdisappeared,whensuddenlytherewasaslightdisturbanceonthedeckabove。Swizzlewithdrewtheaugerhurriedly;fromitspointafewbrightreddropstrickled。
"Huzza!sendherupagain!"criedLankey。
Theaugerwasagainapplied。Thistimeashriekwasheardfromthepurser’scabin。Instantlythelightwasdoused,andthepartyretreatedhurriedlytothecockpit。Asoundofsnoringwasheardasthesentrystuckhisheadintothedoor。"Allright,sir,"herepliedinanswertothevoiceoftheofficerofthedeck。
ThenextmorningweheardthatNipswasinthesurgeon’shands,withabadwoundinthefleshypartofhisleg,andthattheaugerhadNOTstruckclaret。
CHAPTERV。
"Now,Pills,you’llhaveachancetosmellpowder,"saidBriggsasheenteredthecockpitandbuckledaroundhiswaistanenormouscutlass。"WehavejustsightedaFrenchship。"
Wewentondeck。CaptainBoltropegrinnedaswetouchedourhats。
Hehatedthepurser。"Come,younggentlemen,ifyou’reboringforfrenchclaret,yonder’sagoodquality。Mindyourcon,sir,"headded,turningtothequartermaster,whowasgrinning。
Theshipwasalreadyclearedforaction。Themen,intheireagerness,hadstartedthecoffeefromthetubsandfilledthemwithshot。PresentlytheFrenchmanyawed,andashotfromalongthirty-twocameskippingoverthewater。ItkilledthequartermasterandtookoffbothofLankey’slegs。"Tellthepurserouraccountissquared,"saidthedyingboy,withafeeblesmile。
Thefightragedfiercelyfortwohours。IrememberkillingtheFrenchAdmiral,asweboarded,butonlookingaroundforBriggs,afterthesmokehadclearedaway,Iwasintenselyamusedatwitnessingthefollowingnovelsight:——
BriggshadpinnedtheFrenchcaptainagainstthemastwithhiscutlass,andwasnowengaged,withallthehilarityofyouth,inpullingthecaptain’scoat-tailsbetweenhislegs,inimitationofadancing-jack。AstheFrenchmanliftedhislegsandarms,ateachjerkofBriggs’s,Icouldnothelpparticipatinginthegeneralmirth。
"Youyoungdevil,whatareyoudoing?"saidastifledvoicebehindme。IlookedupandbeheldCaptainBoltrope,endeavoringtocalmhissternfeatures,butthetwitchingaroundhismouthbetrayedhisintenseenjoymentofthescene。"Gotothemasthead——upwithyou,sir!"herepeatedsternlytoBriggs。
"Verygood,sir,"saidtheboy,coollypreparingtomounttheshrouds。"Goodby,JohnnyCrapaud。Humph!"headded,inatoneintendedformyear,"aprettywaytotreatahero。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil!"
Ithoughtsotoo。
CHAPTERVI。
WewereorderedtotheWestIndies。AlthoughCaptainBoltrope’smannertowardmewasstillsevere,andevenharsh,Iunderstoodthatmynamehadbeenfavorablymentionedinthedespatches。
Reader,wereyoueveratJamaica?Ifso,yourememberthenegresses,theoranges,PortRoyalTom——theyellowfever。Afterbeingtwoweeksatthestation,Iwastakensickofthefever。InamonthIwasdelirious。Duringmyparoxysms,Ihadawilddistempereddreamofasternfacebendinganxiouslyovermypillow,aroughhandsmoothingmyhair,andakindvoicesaying:——
"Besshis’ittleheart!Didhehavethenaughtyfever?"Thisfaceseemedagainchangedtothewell-knownsternfeaturesofCaptainBoltrope。
WhenIwasconvalescent,apacketedgedinblackwasputinmyhand。Itcontainedthenewsofmyfather’sdeath,andasealedletterwhichhehadrequestedtobegiventomeonhisdecease。I
openedittremblingly。Itreadthus:——
"MydearBoy:——Iregrettoinformyouthatinallprobabilityyouarenotmyson。Yourmother,Iamgrievedtosay,wasahighlyimproperperson。Whoyourfathermaybe,Ireallycannotsay,butperhapstheHonorableHenryBoltrope,CaptainR。N。,maybeabletoinformyou。CircumstancesoverwhichIhavenocontrolhavedeferredthisimportantdisclosure。
"YOURSTRICKENPARENT。"
AndsoCaptainBoltropewasmyfather。Heavens!Wasitadream?
Irecalledhissternmanner,hisobservanteye,hisill-concealeduneasinesswheninmypresence。Ilongedtoembracehim。
Staggeringtomyfeet,Irushedinmyscantyappareltothedeck,whereCaptainBoltropewasjustthenengagedinreceivingtheGovernor’swifeanddaughter。Theladiesshrieked;theyoungest,abeautifulgirl,blusheddeeply。Heedingthemnot,Isankathisfeet,and,embracingthem,cried:——
"Myfather!"
"Chuckhimoverboard!"roaredCaptainBoltrope。
"Stay,"pleadedthesoftvoiceofClaraMaitland,theGovernor’sdaughter。
"Shavehishead!he’sawretchedlunatic!"continuedCaptainBoltrope,whilehisvoicetrembledwithexcitement。
"No,letmenurseandtakecareofhim,"saidthelovelygirl,blushingasshespoke。"Mamma,can’twetakehimhome?"
Thedaughter’spleadingwasnotwithouteffect。InthemeantimeI
hadfainted。WhenIrecoveredmysensesIfoundmyselfinGovernorMaitland’smansion。
CHAPTERVII。
Thereaderwillguesswhatfollowed。IfelldeeplyinlovewithClaraMaitland,towhomIconfidedthesecretofmybirth。Thegenerousgirlassertedthatshehaddetectedthesuperiorityofmymanneratonce。Weplightedourtroth,andresolvedtowaituponevents。
Briggscalledtoseemeafewdaysafterward。Hesaidthatthepurserhadinsultedthewholecockpit,andallthemidshipmenhadcalledhimout。Butheaddedthoughtfully:"Idon’tseehowwecanarrangetheduel。Youseetherearesixofustofighthim。"
"Veryeasily,"Ireplied。"Letyourfellowsallstandinarow,andtakehisfire;that,yousee,giveshimsixchancestoone,andhemustbeabadshotifhecan’thitoneofyou;while,ontheotherhand,yousee,hegetsavolleyfromyousix,andoneofyou’llbecertaintofetchhim。"
"Exactly";andawayBriggswent,butsoonreturnedtosaythatthepurserhaddeclined,——"likead——dcoward,"headded。
ButthenewsofthesuddenandseriousillnessofCaptainBoltropeputofftheduel。Ihastenedtohisbedside,buttoolate,——anhourprevioushehadgivenuptheghost。
IresolvedtoreturntoEngland。Imadeknownthesecretofmybirth,andexhibitedmyadoptedfather’slettertoLadyMaitland,whoatoncesuggestedmymarriagewithherdaughter,beforeI
returnedtoclaimtheproperty。Weweremarried,andtookourdeparturenextday。
Imadenodelayinpostingatonce,incompanywithmywifeandmyfriendBriggs,tomynativevillage。Judgeofmyhorrorandsurprisewhenmylateadoptedfathercameoutofhisshoptowelcomeme。
"Thenyouarenotdead!"Igasped。
"No,mydearboy。"
"Andthisletter?"
Myfather——asImuststillcallhim——glancedonthepaper,andpronounceditaforgery。Briggsroaredwithlaughter。Iturnedtohimanddemandedanexplanation。
"Why,don’tyousee,Greeny,it’sallajoke,——amidshipman’sjoke!"
"But——"Iasked。
"Don’tbeafool。You’vegotagoodwife,——besatisfied。"
IturnedtoClara,andwassatisfied。AlthoughMrs。Maitlandneverforgaveme,thejollyoldGovernorlaughedheartilyoverthejoke,andsowellusedhisinfluencethatIsoonbecame,dearreader,AdmiralBreezy,K。C。B。
JOHNJENKINS;
OR,THESMOKERREFORMED。
BYT。S。A——TH——R。
CHAPTERI。
Onecigaraday!"saidJudgeBoompointer。
Onecigaraday!"repeatedJohnJenkins,aswithtrepidationhedroppedhishalf-consumedcigarunderhiswork-bench。
"Onecigaradayisthreecentsaday,"remarkedJudgeBoompointer,gravely;"anddoyouknow,sir,whatonecigaraday,orthreecentsaday,amountstointhecourseoffouryears?"
JohnJenkins,inhisboyhood,hadattendedthevillageschool,andpossessedconsiderablearithmeticalability。Takingupashinglewhichlayuponhiswork-bench,andproducingapieceofchalk,withafeelingofconsciouspridehemadeanexhaustivecalculation。
"Exactlyforty-threedollarsandeightycents,"hereplied,wipingtheperspirationfromhisheatedbrow,whilehisfaceflushedwithhonestenthusiasm。
"Well,sir,ifyousavedthreecentsaday,insteadofwastingit,youwouldnowbethepossessorofanewsuitofclothes,anillustratedFamilyBible,apewinthechurch,acompletesetofPatentOfficeReports,ahymn-book,andapaidsubscriptiontoArthur’sHomeMagazine,whichcouldbepurchasedforexactlyforty-
threedollarsandeightycents;and,"addedtheJudge,withincreasingsternness,"ifyoucalculateleap-year,whichyouseemtohavestrangelyomitted,youhavethreecentsmore,sir;THREE
CENTSMORE!Whatwouldthatbuyyou,sir?"
"Acigar,"suggestedJohnJenkins;but,coloringagaindeeply,hehidhisface。
"No,sir,"saidtheJudge,withasweetsmileofbenevolencestealingoverhissternfeatures;"properlyinvested,itwouldbuyyouthatwhichpassethallprice。Droppedintothemissionary-box,whocantellwhatheathen,nowidlyandjoyouslywantoninginnakednessandsin,mightbebroughttoasenseofhismiserablecondition,andmade,throughthatthreecents,tofeelthetormentsofthewicked?"
WiththesewordstheJudgeretired,leavingJohnJenkinsburiedinprofoundthought。"Threecentsaday,"hemuttered。"InfortyyearsImightbeworthfourhundredandthirty-eightdollarsandtencents,——andthenImightmarryMary。Ah,Mary!"Theyoungcarpentersighed,and,drawingatwenty-fivecentdaguerreotypefromhisvest-pocket,gazedlongandfervidlyuponthefeaturesofayounggirlinbookmuslinandacoralnecklace。Then,witharesoluteexpression,hecarefullylockedthedoorofhisworkshopanddeparted。
Alas!hisgoodresolutionsweretoolate。Wetriflewiththetideoffortunewhichtoooftennipsusinthebudandcaststhedarkshadowofmisfortuneoverthebrightlexiconofyouth!Thatnightthehalf-consumedfragmentofJohnJenkins’scigarsetfiretohisworkshopandburneditup,togetherwithallhistoolsandmaterials。Therewasnoinsurance。
CHAPTERII。
THEDOWNWARDPATH。
"ThenyoustillpersistinmarryingJohnJenkins?"queriedJudgeBoompointer,asheplayfully,withpaternalfamiliarity,liftedthegoldencurlsofthevillagebelle,MaryJones。
"Ido,"repliedthefairyounggirl,inalowvoice,thatresembledrockcandyinitssaccharinefirmness,——"Ido。Hehaspromisedtoreform。Sincehelostallhispropertybyfire——"
"Theresultofhispernicioushabit,thoughheillogicallypersistsinchargingittome,"interruptedtheJudge。
"Sincethen,"continuedtheyounggirl,"hehasendeavoredtobreakhimselfofthehabit。HetellsmethathehassubstitutedthestalksoftheIndianratan,theouterpartofaleguminousplantcalledthesmoking-bean,andthefragmentaryandunconsumedremainderofcigarswhichoccuratrareanduncertainintervalsalongtheroad,which,asheinformsme,thoughdeficientinqualityandstrength,arecomparativelyinexpensive。"And,blushingatherowneloquence,theyounggirlhidhercurlsontheJudge’sarm。
"Poorthing!"mutteredJudgeBoompointer。"DareItellherall?
YetImust。"
"Ishallclingtohim,"continuedtheyounggirl,risingwithhertheme,"astheyoungvineclingstosomehoaryruin。Nay,nay,chidemenot,JudgeBoompointer。IwillmarryJohnJenkins!"
TheJudgewasevidentlyaffected。Seatinghimselfatthetable,hewroteafewlineshurriedlyuponapieceofpaper,whichhefoldedandplacedinthefingersofthedestinedbrideofJohnJenkins。
"MaryJones,"saidtheJudge,withimpressiveearnestness,"takethistrifleasaweddinggiftfromonewhorespectsyourfidelityandtruthfulness。Atthealtarletitbeareminderofme。"Andcoveringhisfacehastilywithahandkerchief,thesternandiron-
willedmanlefttheroom。Asthedoorclosed,Maryunfoldedthepaper。Itwasanorderonthecornergroceryforthreeyardsofflannel,apaperofneedles,fourpoundsofsoap,onepoundofstarch,andtwoboxesofmatches!
"Nobleandthoughtfulman!"wasallMaryJonescouldexclaim,asshehidherfaceinherhandsandburstintoafloodoftears。
*****
ThebellsofCloverdaleareringingmerrily。Itisawedding。
"Howbeautifultheylook!"istheexclamationthatpassesfromliptolip,asMaryJones,leaningtimidlyonthearmofJohnJenkins,entersthechurch。Butthebrideisagitated,andthebridegroombetraysafeverishnervousness。Astheystandinthevestibule,JohnJenkinsfumblesearnestlyinhisvest-pocket。Canitbetheringheisanxiousabout?No。Hedrawsasmallbrownsubstancefromhispocket,andbitingoffapiece,hastilyreplacesthefragmentandgazesfurtivelyaround。Surelynoonesawhim?Alas!
theeyesoftwoofthatweddingpartysawthefatalact。JudgeBoompointershookhisheadsternly。MaryJonessighedandbreathedasilentprayer。Herhusbandchewed!
CHAPTERIII。ANDLAST。