Chapter vii.
Containing a fuller account of Mrs Waters, and by what means she cameinto that distressful situation from which she was rescued by Jones.
Though Nature hath by no means mixed up an equal share either ofcuriosity or vanity in every human composition, there is perhaps noindividual to whom she hath not allotted such a proportion of both asrequires much arts, and pains too, to subdue and keep under;--aconquest, however, absolutely necessary to every one who would in anydegree deserve the characters of wisdom or good breeding.
As Jones, therefore, might very justly be called a well-bred man, hehad stifled all that curiosity which the extraordinary manner in whichhe had found Mrs Waters must be supposed to have occasioned. He had,indeed, at first thrown out some few hints to the lady; but, when heperceived her industriously avoiding any explanation, he was contentedto remain in ignorance, the rather as he was not without suspicionthat there were some circumstances which must have raised her blushes,had she related the whole truth.
Now since it is possible that some of our readers may not so easilyacquiesce under the same ignorance, and as we are very desirous tosatisfy them all, we have taken uncommon pains to inform ourselves ofthe real fact, with the relation of which we shall conclude this book.
This lady, then, had lived some years with one Captain Waters, who wasa captain in the same regiment to which Mr Northerton belonged. Shepast for that gentleman's wife, and went by his name; and yet, as theserjeant said, there were some doubts concerning the reality of theirmarriage, which we shall not at present take upon us to resolve.
Mrs Waters, I am sorry to say it, had for some time contracted anintimacy with the above-mentioned ensign, which did no great credit toher reputation. That she had a remarkable fondness for that youngfellow is most certain; but whether she indulged this to any verycriminal lengths is not so extremely clear, unless we will supposethat women never grant every favour to a man but one, without grantinghim that one also.
The division of the regiment to which Captain Waters belonged had twodays preceded the march of that company to which Mr Northerton was theensign; so that the former had reached Worcester the very day afterthe unfortunate re-encounter between Jones and Northerton which wehave before recorded.
Now, it had been agreed between Mrs Waters and the captain that shewould accompany him in his march as far as Worcester, where they wereto take their leave of each other, and she was thence to return toBath, where she was to stay till the end of the winter's campaignagainst the rebels.
With this agreement Mr Northerton was made acquainted. To say thetruth, the lady had made him an assignation at this very place, andpromised to stay at Worcester till his division came thither; withwhat view, and for what purpose, must be left to the reader'sdivination; for, though we are obliged to relate facts, we are notobliged to do a violence to our nature by any comments to thedisadvantage of the loveliest part of the creation.
Northerton no sooner obtained a release from his captivity, as we haveseen, than he hasted away to overtake Mrs Waters; which, as he was avery active nimble fellow, he did at the last-mentioned city, some fewhours after Captain Waters had left her. At his first arrival he madeno scruple of acquainting her with the unfortunate accident; which hemade appear very unfortunate indeed, for he totally extracted everyparticle of what could be called fault, at least in a court of honour,though he left some circumstances which might be questionable in acourt of law.
Women, to their glory be it spoken, are more generally capable of thatviolent and apparently disinterested passion of love, which seeks onlythe good of its object, than men. Mrs Waters, therefore, was no soonerapprized of the danger to which her lover was exposed, than she lostevery consideration besides that of his safety; and this being amatter equally agreeable to the gentleman, it became the immediatesubject of debate between them.
After much consultation on this matter, it was at length agreed thatthe ensign should go across the country to Hereford, whence he mightfind some conveyance to one of the sea-ports in Wales, and thencemight make his escape abroad. In all which expedition Mrs Watersdeclared she would bear him company; and for which she was able tofurnish him with money, a very material article to Mr Northerton, shehaving then in her pocket three bank-notes to the amount of L90,besides some cash, and a diamond ring of pretty considerable value onher finger. All which she, with the utmost confidence, revealed tothis wicked man, little suspecting she should by these means inspirehim with a design of robbing her. Now, as they must, by taking horsesfrom Worcester, have furnished any pursuers with the means ofhereafter discovering their route, the ensign proposed, and the ladypresently agreed, to make their first stage on foot; for which purposethe hardness of the frost was very seasonable.
The main part of the lady's baggage was already at Bath, and she hadnothing with her at present besides a very small quantity of linen,which the gallant undertook to carry in his own pockets. All things,therefore, being settled in the evening, they arose early the nextmorning, and at five o'clock departed from Worcester, it being thenabove two hours before day, but the moon, which was then at the full,gave them all the light she was capable of affording.
Mrs Waters was not of that delicate race of women who are obliged tothe invention of vehicles for the capacity of removing themselves fromone place to another, and with whom consequently a coach is reckonedamong the necessaries of life. Her limbs were indeed full of strengthand agility, and, as her mind was no less animated with spirit, shewas perfectly able to keep pace with her nimble lover.
Having travelled on for some miles in a high road, which Northertonsaid he was informed led to Hereford, they came at the break of day tothe side of a large wood, where he suddenly stopped, and, affecting tomeditate a moment with himself, expressed some apprehensions fromtravelling any longer in so public a way. Upon which he easilypersuaded his fair companion to strike with him into a path whichseemed to lead directly through the wood, and which at length broughtthem both to the bottom of Mazard Hill.
Whether the execrable scheme which he now attempted to execute was theeffect of previous deliberation, or whether it now first came into hishead, I cannot determine. But being arrived in this lonely place,where it was very improbable he should meet with any interruption, hesuddenly slipped his garter from his leg, and, laying violent hands onthe poor woman, endeavoured to perpetrate that dreadful and detestablefact which we have before commemorated, and which the providentialappearance of Jones did so fortunately prevent.
Happy was it for Mrs Waters that she was not of the weakest order offemales; for no sooner did she perceive, by his tying a knot in hisgarter, and by his declarations, what his hellish intentions were,than she stood stoutly to her defence, and so strongly struggled withher enemy, screaming all the while for assistance, that she delayedthe execution of the villain's purpose several minutes, by which meansMr Jones came to her relief at that very instant when her strengthfailed and she was totally overpowered, and delivered her from theruffian's hands, with no other loss than that of her cloaths, whichwere torn from her back, and of the diamond ring, which during thecontention either dropped from her finger, or was wrenched from it byNortherton.
Thus, reader, we have given thee the fruits of a very painful enquirywhich for thy satisfaction we have made into this matter. And here wehave opened to thee a scene of folly as well as villany, which wecould scarce have believed a human creature capable of being guiltyof, had we not remembered that this fellow was at that time firmlypersuaded that he had already committed a murder, and had forfeitedhis life to the law. As he concluded therefore that his only safetylay in flight, he thought the possessing himself of this poor woman'smoney and ring would make him amends for the additional burthen he wasto lay on his conscience.
And here, reader, we must strictly caution thee that thou dost nottake any occasion, from the misbehaviour of such a wretch as this, toreflect on so worthy and honourable a body of men as are the officersof our army in general. Thou wilt be pleased
to consider that thisfellow, as we have already informed thee, had neither the birth noreducation of a gentleman, nor was a proper person to be enrolled amongthe number of such. If, therefore, his baseness can justly reflect onany besides himself, it must be only on those who gave him hiscommission.
BOOK X.
IN WHICH THE HISTORY GOES FORWARD ABOUT TWELVE HOURS.