Chapter XXXVII
In which Mr Vanslyperken drives a very hard bargain.
We will be just and candid in our opinion relative to the historicalfacts which we are now narrating. Party spirit, and various otherfeelings, independent of misrepresentation do, at the time, inducepeople to form their judgment, to say the best, harshly, and but toooften, incorrectly. It is for posterity to calmly weigh the evidencehanded down, and to examine into the merits of a case divested of partybias. Actuated by these feelings, we do not hesitate to assert, that, inthe point at question, Mr Vanslyperken had great cause for beingdispleased; and that the conduct of Moggy Salisbury, in cutting off thetail of Snarleyyow was, in our opinion, not justifiable.
There is a respect for property, inculcated and protected by the laws,which should never be departed from; and, whatever may have been theaggressions on the part of Mr Vanslyperken, or of the dog, still a tailis a tail, and whether mangy or not, is _bond fide_ a part of the livingbody; and this aggression must inevitably come under the head of thecutting and maiming act, which act, however, it must, with the samecandour which will ever guide our pen, be acknowledged, was not passeduntil a much later period than that to the history of which ournarrative refers.
Having thus, with all deference, offered our humble opinion, we shallrevert to facts. Mr Vanslyperken went on shore, with the dog's tail inhis pocket. He walked with rapid strides towards the half-way houses, inone of which was the room tenanted by his aged mother; for, to whom elsecould he apply for consolation in this case of severe distress? That itwas Moggy Salisbury who gave the cruel blow, was a fact completelysubstantiated by evidence; but that it was Smallbones who held the dog,and who thereby became an active participator, and therefore equallyculpable, was a surmise to which the insinuations of the corporal hadgiven all the authority of direct evidence. And, as Mr Vanslyperken feltthat Moggy was not only out of his power, but even if in his power, thathe dare not retaliate upon her, for reasons which we have alreadyexplained to our readers; it was, therefore, clear to him, thatSmallbones was the party upon whom his indignation could be the mostsafely vented: and, moreover, that in so doing, he was only paying off along accumulating debt of hatred and ill-will. But, at the same time, MrVanslyperken had made up his mind that a lad who could be floated out tothe Nab buoy and back again without sinking--who could have a bulletthrough his head without a mark remaining--and who could swallow a wholetwopenny-worth of arsenic without feeling more than a twinge in hisstomach, was not so very easy to be made away with. That the corporal'svision was no fiction, was evident--the lad was not to be hurt by mortalman; but although the widow's arsenic had failed, Mr Vanslyperken, inhis superstition, accounted for it on the grounds that the woman was notthe active agent on the occasion, having only prepared the herring, itnot having been received from her hands by Smallbones. The reader mayrecollect that, in the last interview between Vanslyperken and hismother, the latter had thrown out hints that if she took Smallbones inhand he would not have such miraculous escapes as he had had, as, in allshe undertook, she did her business thoroughly. Bearing this in mind, MrVanslyperken went to pour forth his sorrows, and to obtain theassistance of his much-to-be-respected and venerable mother.
"Well, child, what is it--is it money you bring?" cried the old woman,when Vanslyperken entered the room.
"No, mother," replied Vanslyperken, throwing himself on the only chairin the room, except the one with the legs cut off half-way up, uponwhich his mother was accustomed to rock herself before the grate.
"No, mother; but I have brought something--and I come to you for adviceand assistance."
"Brought no money--yet brought something!--well, child, what have youbrought?"
"This!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, throwing the dog's tail down upon thetable.
"This!" repeated the old beldame, lifting up the tail, and examining itas well as she could, as the vibration of her palsied members werecommunicated to the article--and pray, child, what is this?"
"Are you blind, old woman," replied Vanslyperken in wrath, "not toperceive that it is my poor dog's tail?"
"Blind old woman! and dog's tail, eh! Blind old woman, eh! Mr Cornelius,you dare to call me a blind old woman, and to bring here the mangy tailof a dog--and to lay it on my table! Is this your duty, sirrah? How dareyou take such liberties? There, sir," cried the hag in a rage, catchinghold of the tail, and sending it flying out of the casement, which wasopen--"there, sir--and now you may follow your tail. D'ye hear?--leavethe room instantly, or I'll cleave your craven skull. Blind old woman,forsooth--undutiful child--"
Vanslyperken, in spite of his mother's indignation, could not preventhis eyes from following the tail of his dog, as it sailed through theambient air surrounding the half-way houses, and was glad to observe itlanded among some cabbage-leaves thrown into the road, withoutattracting notice. Satisfied that he should regain his treasure when hequitted the house, he now turned round to deprecate his mother's wrath,who had not yet completed the sentence which we have quoted above.
"I supplicate your pardon, my dear mother," said Vanslyperken, who feltthat in her present humour he was not likely to gain the point with herthat he had in contemplation. "I was so vexed--so irritated--that I knewnot what I was saying."
"Blind old woman, indeed," repeated the beldame.
"I again beg you to forgive me, dearest mother," continued Vanslyperken.
"All about a dog's tail cut off. Better off than on--so much the lessmange on the snarling cur."
This was touching up Vanslyperken on the raw; but he had a great objectin view, and he restrained his feelings.
"I was wrong, mother--very wrong--but I have done all I can, I havebegged your pardon. I came here for your advice and assistance."
"What advice or assistance can you expect from a blind old woman?"retorted the old hag. "And what advice or assistance does so undutiful achild deserve?"
It was some time before the ruffled temper of the beldame could beappeased: at last, Vanslyperken succeeded. He then entered into a detailof all that had passed, and concluded by observing, "that as Smallboneswas not to be injured by mortal man, he had come to her for assistance."
"That is to say--you have come to me to ask me to knock the lad's brainsout--to take away his life--to murder him, in fact. Say, Cornelius, isit not so?"
"It is exactly so, my dearest mother. I know your courage--your--"
"Yes, yes, I understand all that; but, now hear me, child. There aredeeds which are done, and which I have done, but those deeds are onlydone upon strong impulses. Murder is one, but people murder for tworeasons only--for revenge and for gold. People don't do such acts as areto torture their minds here, and perhaps be punished hereafter--that is,if there be one, child. I say, people don't do such deeds as these,merely because a graceless son comes to them, and says, 'if you please,mother.' Do you understand that, child? I've blood enough on my handsalready--good blood too--they are not defiled with the scum of a parishboy, nor shall they be, without--"
"Without what, mother?"
"Have I not told you, Cornelius, that there are but two greatexcitements--revenge and gold? I have no revenge against the lad. If youhave--if you consider that a dog's, tail demands a human victim--welland good--do the deed yourself."
"I would," cried Vanslyperken, "but I have tried in vain. It must bedone by woman."
"Then hear me, Cornelius; if it must be done by woman, you must find awoman to do it, and you must pay her for the deed. Murder is at a highprice. You apply to me--I am content to do the deed; but I must havegold--and plenty too."
Vanslyperken paused before he replied. The old woman had charge of allhis money--she was on the verge of the grave--for what could she requirehis gold?--could she be so foolish?--it was insanity. Vanslyperken wasright--it was insanity, for avarice is no better.
"Do you mean, mother," replied Vanslyperken, "that you want gold fromme?"
"From whom else?" demanded the old woman sharply.
"Take it,
then, mother--take as many pieces as you please."
"I must have all that there is in that chest, Cornelius."
"All, mother?"
"Yes, all; and what is it, after all? What price is too high for bloodwhich calls for retribution? Besides, Cornelius, it must be all yoursagain when I die; but I shall not die yet--no, no."
"Well, mother," replied Vanslyperken, "if it must be so, it shall all beyours--not that I can see what difference it makes, whether it is calledyours or mine."
"Then why not give it freely? Why do you hesitate to give to your poorold mother what may be again yours before the leaf again falls? Askyourself why, Cornelius, and then you have my answer. The gold is herein my charge, but it is not _my_ gold--it is yours. You little think howoften I've laid in bed and longed that it was all _mine_. Then I wouldcount it--count it again and again--watch over it, not as I do now as amere deposit in my charge, but as a mother would watch and smile uponher first-born child. There is a talisman in that word _mine_, that notapproaching _death_ can wean from _life_. It is our natures, child--say,then, is all that gold _mine_?"
Vanslyperken paused; he also felt the magic of the word; and although itwas but a nominal and temporary divestment of the property, even thatgave him a severe struggle; but his avarice was overcome by his feelingsof revenge, and he answered solemnly, "As I hope for revenge, mother,_all_ that gold is _yours_, provided that you do the deed."
Here the old hag burst into a sort of shrieking laugh. "Send him here,child;" and the almost unearthly cachinnation was continued--"send himhere, child--I can't go to seek him--and it is done--only bringhim here."
So soon as this compact had been completed, Vanslyperken and his motherhad a consultation; and it was agreed, that it would be advisable not toattempt the deed until the day before the cutter sailed, as it wouldremove all suspicion, and be supposed that the boy had deserted. Thisarrangement having been made, Vanslyperken made rather a hasty retreat.The fact was, that he was anxious to recover the fragment of Snarleyyow,which his mother had so contemptuously thrown out of the casement.