Rogues and Vagabonds. George R. Sims

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СКАЧАТЬ of innocence, listen to the gentle words of sympathy with all God’s creatures that fall so softly from the well-shaped lips; let the inner beauty of her noble, loving nature shine through and illuminate the whole, as the soft light of the lamp in my lady’s boudoir glows through the daintily decorated shade that covers it, and brings the hidden beauties into tender relief; think of Rath Adrian, not as a beautiful doll, but as a noble woman, and then you will see her as she was.

      The one great trouble of her life had chastened her beauty, and left upon her features that gentle look of melancholy which poets love to give their heroines.

      Ruth had loved and lost. The man who won her girlish heart had been unworthy of her. She believed him to be an honourable English gentleman; she discovered him to be an adventurer and a scamp.

      The moment the fatal truth was revealed to her, the quiet heroism of her character asserted itself. She renounced him, not with scorn or indignation, but with loving words and gentle pity. She bade him farewell, and buried her unhappy love in the innermost chamber of her heart. She bowed beneath the blow, and prayed God for strength to bear it. He went his way, and she went hers, and from that moment the poor and suffering took the vacant place in her heart.

      She didn’t break her heart, but, like a brave woman, resolved to devote the life that should have been lived for a man to her suffering fellow-creatures. She had a hearty sympathy with the poor and oppressed, with dumb animals and little children, and she went about doing good quietly and effectively.

      Ruth Adrian was free from the cant which mars the efforts of so many well-meaning people. If she could save a soul she was delighted, but she always tried to save the body first. The penny-packet-of -tea-dust-once-a-month, and tracts-once-a-week system of mission work she despised. She did not bribe people to be hypocrites, neither did she have holy names in her mouth in season and out of season. She went with the precepts of the loving Lord in her heart instead of on her lips, and so she conquered where the professional missionary, male and female, failed utterly.

      She had taken a deep interest in Gertie from the first, and, as the beauties of the child’s nature blossomed in the sunshine of her care, she grew to love the little outcast with almost maternal love.

      She had a great fight with her conscience over keeping their connexion a secret from the grandfather; but she found out for a certainty that she would be forbidden the house, and so for Gertie’s sake she played the Jesuit, and convinced herself that the end justified the means.

      Gertie’s books were hidden up in her bed-room, where Heckett never went. Only Lion knew about them. She was beginning to write a little now, and she had a slate on which she wrote letters to Lion and to Miss Adrian and did little sums.

      It was a strange sight to see Ruth and her protégée at lessons. The foxhound and the spaniel and the bulldog always wagged their tails when Ruth came in, and then sat down on their haunches and stared at the proceedings.

      Lion was privileged. He was one of the class. But then he was such a superior dog to all the others. They were always being sold and going away and being replaced by other dogs before they had learned proper behaviour. But Lion was part of the establishment. Heckett kept him to guard the premises, perhaps.

      When Ruth had gone, Gertie would sit with her arm round Lion’s neck and say her lessons over to him, and explain things that perhaps might not be quite clear to him.

      Lion said nothing, but he evidently thought a good deal. Unfortunately, there was a member of the menagerie who behaved very indifferently. That was the parrot.

      The parrot’s interruptions were shameful and scandalous. When Miss Adrian was there he had to be quieted with lumps of sugar. He rarely swore before her. Gertie was very thankful for that. The parrot only swore as a rule at grandfather. But Polly interrupted lessons; in fact, she took part in them.

      When Miss Ruth, by constant repetition, had impressed upon Gertie that England was an island, surrounded by water, the parrot said ‘Humbug,’ and persisted in saying ‘Humbug.’

      Gertie apologised for Polly’s rudeness, and hoped her mistress would look over it, and Ruth laughed merrily and told her it was Polly’s bad bringing up.

      Then, again, when Gertie repeated the multiplication table, and said, ‘Twice one is two,’ Polly would shriek out ‘Gammon.’

      ‘Humbug’ and ‘gammon’ were the mildest words in Polly’s vocabulary. Doubtless she selected them for the occasion in deference to Miss Adrian.

      When her mistress was gone Gertie would lecture Polly severely.

      ‘Polly,’ she said, one day, with tears in her eyes, ‘unless you repent you’ll go to the bad place. You must have a new heart, Polly. Oh, Polly, why are you so wicked?’

      ‘Humbug,’ shrieked Polly, with a chuckle.

      ‘But you are wicked, Polly; and nothing that’s wicked can be happy. Miss Adrian says so.’

      ‘Gammon,’ shrieked Polly.

      Gertie gave Polly up in despair, and turned to Lion for comfort. He at least was good, and did not swear and use bad words.

      ‘Look at Lion, Polly, what an example he sets you,’ exclaimed Gertie one day in despair. ‘Lion’s a——’

      ‘Humbug,’ interrupted the Satanic bird.

      ‘He’s not a humbug, Polly,’ cried the child, stamping her little foot. ‘He’s a dear, kind, loving dog. But we forgive you, because we must forgive our enemies. Miss Adrian says so.’

      ‘Gammon, said the bird; and then suddenly it leapt about the cage, shrieking and swearing so fiercely that Gertie seized Lion by the collar and led him out of the room, offering up a little prayer as she went that Polly might see the error of her ways before she died and was utterly lost.

      During Heckett’s illness the lessons had been abandoned, but from time to time Gertie had exchanged greetings with her kind teacher at the door.

      When the old man got well enough to be about, he began to go out as usual, and Gertie was delighted to think she could renew her studies and the happy times with Miss Adrian.

      One visit, which was paid a few days after Heckett’s renewal of his old habits, was fraught with consequences so serious to all concerned that it will require a chapter to itself.

CHAPTER X. IN WHICH GRIGG AND LIMPET EXPLAIN.

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      Time?’ asked Grigg.

      ‘Eleven,’ said Limpet, looking at his watch.

      Grigg was tall and thin. Limpet was short and fat. Admirable lawyers and admirable men; they made admirable partners. Solicitors to dozens of wealthy families, tin boxes, lettered in white, lined the walls of every room. Envious neighbours said that Grigg started in the profession with six dozen of the said boxes, bought cheap at a sale, and that the capital which Limpet brought into the business was a gross more.

      Of course, this was merely malice. Doubtless each one of those tin boxes was crammed СКАЧАТЬ