Athelstane Ford
CHAPTER XII
_RUPERT IN A NEW LIGHT_
When I came to my senses again I was lying on the ground under thegallery. The door of that Gehenna was standing open, twenty paces fromme, and the stench from the corpses piled within tainted the air ofthe whole court.
My first thought was of Marian. I looked round as well as I was able,but could see no signs of her. The great weakness in which I foundmyself was such as to prevent me from standing on my feet, but Ilifted myself up so far as to lean on one elbow, and in that postureglanced round over the little group of those who survived.
I counted twenty-two in all, less than one-sixth of the number ofthose who had been promised the mercy of Surajah Dowlah on the eveningof yesterday. Close beside me lay Mr. Holwell, seeming to breathepainfully, as he laboured to gain his self-command. I heard afterwardsthat this worthy gentleman had been found unconscious and almostlifeless, on the floor; and that a lane had had to be cleared throughthe dead to bring out the twenty-three of us that remained alive.
But, look where I would, Marian was not there, and my heart misgave methat that beautiful form was lying in the loathsome charnel-housewhence I had so hardly come out. A man near me, who appeared to havepreserved his strength better than most of us, presently observing mytrouble, and guessing its cause, undertook to enlighten me.
"You look for Mistress Rising?" he said. "She was among the survivors;I saw her brought out immediately before you. But she is not here; oneof the Moors' officers led her away out of the fort, no doubt tobestow her in safe keeping somewhere in the town."
This intelligence served to remove my worst apprehensions, yet it leftme not a little uneasy as to what next might befall Marian among thosein whose hands we were still captives. At the moment of which I speak,however, I was too ill to pursue the inquiry as to what had become ofher. The fever I had taken during the night was still strong upon me,indeed we were all in a very pitiful state, scarce able to move orspeak, and looking more like ghosts than men. It was not till above aweek had passed that I began to shake off the effects of those fewhours' torture; and I sometimes think that I have never yet whollyrecovered from them.
Nor must I spare to mention those other changes which were wrought inme by that night, passed, I may say, in the Valley of the Shadow ofDeath. Up to this time, I perceived on looking back over my previousadventures, I had been no better than a mad young fool, followingafter a will-o'-the-wisp to my own hurt and destruction. And though Icannot say that that ill-starred and calamitous love of mine forMarian, which had haunted me since I first saw her in the tavern ofthe "Three-decker" at Yarmouth, was abated at this time, yet I think Idid now begin to perceive how evil an influence it had exerted over mylife, and to gradually bring myself to a manlier frame of mind. Sothat I no longer hugged myself with false and pernicious hopes of whatcould never be brought to pass, but set myself resolutely to uprootthis my besetting weakness, and thus to transfer Marian, as it mightbe, from the place of a mistress to that of an old and dear friend.
In all which resolves and efforts at amendments I found myself greatlyhelped and encouraged by the recollection of those better thoughtswhich had come to me in my distress, when my eyes were opened to thewickedness of which I had been guilty towards my parents. And fromthis time on, through all the vicissitudes I was yet to encounter, Ilooked forward steadily to the day when I should turn my feet oncemore towards home, and behold my father and my mother, and the simple,loving face of little Patience Thurstan.
But before that day came there were many things to be done, nor wouldI have willingly left the land of Indostan till I had seen the bloodof the English he had so barbarously murdered revenged upon SurajahDowlah's head. How this was to be brought about I did not then know,yet I had a confidence that it would be so, which sustained me. For Ifelt that I had witnessed, and been partly victim of, a most heinousand devilish crime, scarcely to be matched in the annals of mankind,and such as scarce any punishment within the power of man to inflictcould wholly purge. It was as if there had been revealed to me, in thelight of those flaring torches thrust in mockery between the bars ofour prison windows, a whole secret hell of cruelty and darkness, suchas our Christian land knows nothing of, which we can never understand,but which for ever lies waiting for the moment to burst forth, underthe obsequious and servile behaviour of the natives of India. Sincethat time, I confess, I have never regarded, nor can regard, them asmy fellow-beings; I look upon all faith or mercy shown to them aswasted, and were it possible for the English to overthrow every one oftheir governments, and to reduce the whole peninsula into slavery, Ishould not think enough had been done to extinguish the memory of thatone misdeed.
The cup of the Nabob's cruelty was even yet not full. In the morning,as soon as we had partaken of a little food and wine, merely enough togive us strength to stand up, our miserable remnant was ordered tocome before him, to be questioned again.
We found Surajah Dowlah enthroned in the principal apartment of thefort, in even greater state than I had before seen him in, flushedwith all the triumph of a conqueror. He looked to have just awakenedfrom sleeping off a debauch, and glanced at us, as we came in, with aheavy, lowering eye. The supple, handsome Lal Moon was standing besidehis master as usual, and close behind the favourite I saw my kinsman,with a countenance somewhat discomposed. He turned a very scrutinisinglook on our party, frowned when he caught sight of me, and wasevidently disturbed at not perceiving Marian amongst the rest.
The Nabob, instead of displaying any interest in our condition, orpretending any regret for the massacre of our fellow prisoners, atonce addressed Mr. Holwell in a very peremptory manner.
"Now, English dog, you have had a night to consider," he saidinsolently, "are you disposed to behave more civilly to me in thematter of the treasure?"
Poor Mr. Holwell had scarce strength enough to answer him. He saidfeebly--
"I can only repeat what I told you last night. Your Highness has beendeceived. There is no treasure here of the Company."
"You are a liar, and the son of a liar!" returned Surajah fiercely."Do you think I am a fool to believe that the English come all the wayfrom your country here to amass a paltry sum of fifty thousandrupees? Such a sum would not pay the expense of your establishmenthere. I know well that you have a treasure somewhere hidden; but youare resolved to keep it from me, the rightful master of this country.I swear I will teach you that it is safer to stand in the path of amad elephant than to disobey the least command of Surajah Dowlah!"
He rolled his eyes savagely as he made these threats, which struckdismay into the stoutest of us. Mr. Holwell attempted no furtheranswer, and presently the Nabob rose in a fury and marched out of thehall, giving no orders concerning our disposal.
As soon as he was gone the general of his army, Meer Jaffier, camedown off the dais and approached us. He began offering someexpressions of sympathy to Mr. Holwell, and assured him that he woulduse his influence with his nephew to procure our release.
While Meer Jaffier was talking to Mr. Holwell, I saw my cousin slowlyapproaching me. I turned my back, so loth was I to hold intercoursewith him, but he came up, and persisted in addressing me.
"Athelstane, what has become of Marian Rising?" he asked abruptly.
"Nay, I leave that to you to find out, who delivered her to SurajahDowlah to be tortured and killed," I answered bitterly.
"See here, cousin," he said, infusing a touch of natural feeling intohis voice, "I swear to you, on the faith of a Ford, that I had not somuch as the least suspicion of the horrid treachery about to bepractised on you last night by these damned black devils. If I couldhave had any notice of what was going forward, I would have returnedlast night at all hazards, and delivered you. As regards Marian, I hadthe most sacred pledges from both Meer Jaffier and Lal Moon that notone hair of her head should be injured. I swear it."
"You swear very plentifully, it appears to me," I returned, preservinga tone of mere contempt and hatred; "but I know not how your oaths canser
ve you at the present time. Thanks to your evil persuasions, thewoman for whom you have many times pretended affection was last nightbrought to the very door of death, and is now ill and captive amongthe Moors. Me, your cousin, whom you first tempted to leave his homeand friends, and have since betrayed and misused and many timesattempted to slay, you see before you, in the power of those blackfiends, as you call them, who appear to be your good friends. Had younot better prevail with them to put us both to death, and thus make anend of it?"
"No, by G----, Athelstane, you are wrong!" he exclaimed veryearnestly. "I bear you no malice, nor ever should have done, hadyou not set yourself up as my rival and thwarted me on severaloccasions--and I am a man that will not brook opposition. As it is, ifI have ever attempted anything against you, it was in hot blood, andhad I hated you ten times worse than I did, yet last night's businesswould have been too much for me to stomach."
I gazed at him, doubtful whether to believe in his sincerity or no. Itwas difficult for me to refrain from some softening towards him as hethus spoke, and yet I asked myself whether these fair words were notthe prelude to some new piece of knavery or treachery, for which hestood in need of my assistance.
He continued urging me.
"Have you forgot all those ties that are between us--our blood, andbringing-up in the same country, and the pleasant times we have hadtogether when you were a youngster, and I was used to ride over toyour house from Lynn, for my holidays? You were then content enough tocall yourself your cousin Rupert's little squire, and if it were aquestion of robbing orchards or taking bird's-nests, you grudged to beleft out. Can you not overlook the differences that have since arisenbetween us, and let us return to our former good comradeship andaffection?"
Now I well knew that this man was a most accomplished villain, and anhour before I should have no more thought of sparing or making termswith him than with a speckled snake. Yet no sooner did he thus beginto wheedle me, than I found my just anger and hatred against himinsensibly desert me.
"Why do you hold this language to me?" I said, as sullen as I could,so as to hide my secret relenting. "What need have you of me now?What fellowship can there be between a miserable prisoner in theIndians' power, and you, their trusted friend and servant?"
He gave me a significant glance, and then stooped towards me,whispering--
"No, cousin, you are mistaken there, I tell you again. Either theseMoors have all along meant to play me false, or else they considerthemselves betrayed by me in the matter of the treasure which theyexpected to find. Instead of now enjoying their confidence, I find Iam looked upon with distrust. They tell me nothing, and no longerconsult with me about their dealings with the English. I tell youfairly, I am uneasy to find myself so much in their power as I am, andif I could I would gladly make my peace with my fellow-countrymen, andenter the service of the Company."
This confession sounded to me sufficiently probable to be believed. Icould now see plainly enough what was Rupert's object in thus seekingto be reconciled with me. It was because I was the only witnessagainst him in the English camp, able to denounce the crimes andtreasons which he had committed, to the governor and his council. Itwas evidently necessary for him to have some person to answer for him,in case he should seek service with the Company, and for this reason,I concluded, he had decided that it would be of more profit to him tohave my friendship than to get rid of me altogether.
With these thoughts I suffered myself to entertain his proposals. Butthere was another question of more importance to me than RupertGurney's friendship or enmity.
"What of Marian?" I demanded. "Were you not the person who came forher this morning, and led her out of the fort?"
"No!" he cried, much disturbed. "Do you know what has happened to her?I have inquired everywhere, and been unable to gather the smallestinformation. It is this which has convinced me that I no longerpossess the confidence of those about the Nabob. And I fear----"
He stopped, biting his lips, and looked at me, as if he would knowwhat I suspected. I returned his look with interest.
"And I, too, fear," I answered solemnly. "And pray heaven that my fearis unfounded, for if it should turn out otherwise, after yourpersuading her to trust in your protection, I tell you plainly, RupertGurney, that I will never rest till I see you dead at my feet."
Though I thus threatened him, nevertheless I believed that he wasreally at a loss and anxious to find out what had become of Marian. Hepresently said to me--
"I will go now and make a further search, and if I hear any news, willlet you know. And do you, on your part, trust me. If in the meantimeI can do anything to effect your release, I will."
With that he went off. About the same time an order arrived for ourremoval, and we were carried away to another part of the fort.
Whether in consequence of my cousin's representations or of MeerJaffier's, as is more probable, Surajah Dowlah suddenly decided torelease all his English prisoners, except three or four of theprincipal ones, including Mr. Holwell. This intelligence was broughtus about supper time, and an officer shortly after attended, to makethe selection of those who were to be continued in captivity.
Not apprehending that any importance could be attached to me, I rosejoyfully to go out with those who were being dismissed, when, to mysurprise, the officer told me in their language, very sharply, to keepmy place.
"But why do you seek to detain this young man?" inquired Mr. Holwell."He is not a person of any consequence among us."
The Moor shook his head.
"This youth is to be kept in the Nabob's hands because he is a friendof Sabat Jung's," he answered.
It may be imagined how mortified I was to find my boasting of thefriendship of Colonel Clive thus turned against me. There was no helpfor it, however. With a heavy heart we saw our fellow-prisonersdepart, some of them to examine their houses in Calcutta, others totake refuge with the English fleet, which about this time droppeddown the river to Fulta, where it lay.
I heard afterwards that when the refugees arrived on board, and toldthe woeful tale of what had followed on the capture of Fort William,Mr. Drake and those with him bitterly repented of their cowardice anddesertion. Messengers, that is to say, Indian spies, had already beendespatched by land to Madras, the voyage thither being impossible atthis time on account of the prevalent monsoon. Others were now sentafter them, with letters recounting the whole of these transactions,and urgently entreating the Madras council to despatch succour at theearliest possible moment.
In the meanwhile, to pass over the next few days, Surajah Dowlah,finding no further mischief to execute in Calcutta, after he hadplundered all the principal merchants, placed a force there underthe command of an officer named Monichund, and marched back toMoorshedabad, carrying me in his train. My fellow prisoners,consisting of Mr. Holwell and two other gentlemen, named Walcot andCourt (for poor Mr. Byng had been among those who perished in thatcell of death), were despatched separately in irons, by a boat up theriver.
If I had been traversing this strange, and in many parts beautiful,country under other circumstances I might have found much to interestme. But being, as I was, still weak and wretched from the effects ofthe night passed in the Black Hole, and, moreover, very anxious andtroubled in mind about the fate of Marian (besides my own), I heededlittle of it. The country was extremely flat, and much overgrown withtrees, particularly mangoes, which tree hath a most delicious fruit,very grateful after toiling along the barren roads in the intolerableheat of this climate. Travelling in company with an army, we were notable to see much of the country people, who feared the Nabob'scharacter, and for the most part deserted their villages and retiredinto the woods while we passed. One day we lay without the walls ofChander Nugger, the French settlement in Bengal. These Frenchmenhad managed to propitiate Surajah by aiding him with a supply ofammunition when he was on his march against Calcutta. To this they nowadded a large sum of money, and by this means prevailed on him to passon without entering their town. They no doubt rejoiced,
like trueFrenchmen, at the misfortunes which had overtaken the English, notforeseeing at this time the happy revolution in our affairs which wasto make them sing to another tune.
Our progress through the country was so gradual that it was aboutthree weeks before we at last reached the Nabob's capital. During ourlong march I had not once seen my cousin, nor did I know what hadbecome of him, nor whether he had stayed behind in Calcutta orattached himself to the Moors' army.
Moorshedabad is a great, rich place, very oriental in character, therebeing no foreigners resident in it, except a few Armenians, a race ofthieves and pedlars, worse than Jews, who also infested Calcutta. ButI had little opportunity of exploring its bazaars and palaces at thistime, being conveyed straight to a filthy hut, formerly used as acowshed, standing outside the Nabob's palace, where I found mycompanions already arrived, and where I was forced to lie on straw,and not allowed to move abroad.
In this miserable place, guarded by sentries, we lay for some days,being all of us too feeble to contrive any plan of escape. Eachmorning Surajah Dowlah sent a messenger to us, to ask if we were yetprepared to disclose the truth about the treasure. We were informedthat he was deeply incensed at the failure of his raid on FortWilliam, to which it seems he had looked to bring enormous sums intohis treasury.
On the third or fourth night, just as I was settling myself to sleepon a rude heap of straw which I had gathered together against the wallof the shed, the door softly opened and a man entered. As soon as hespoke I knew him at once to be my cousin Rupert.
"Which of you is named Ford?" he asked, speaking in the Indianlanguage; for it was too dark for him to see my face.
"I am," I answered in English, sitting up.
He placed his finger to his lips, and stepped across the hut to whereI was, while my three companions raised themselves eagerly on theirelbows, to know what passed.
Rupert, who still wore his Moor's dress, kneeled down on the strawbeside me, and whispered in my ear--
"Hist! I am come to arrange for your escape, but you must say no wordto these others, lest they should want to join you, which would onlyserve to ruin our chance."
"In that case," said I, answering him aloud in English, for Imistrusted him, "it is useless to proceed. I will entertain no projectto escape which does not include these gentlemen here with me."
Rupert ground his teeth, cursing me beneath his breath for a fool. ButMr. Holwell promptly rebuked me.
"You are not to act like that, Ford," he said. "Neither I, nor, I amsure, either of these other gentlemen would consent that you shouldrefuse any offer of escape merely because it is not extended to usalso."
My cousin, seeing that I was resolved not to have the conversationprivate between us two, now addressed himself to the others.
"I heartily wish it were in my power to deliver you all, gentlemen,but unfortunately that is what I can't do. I have secured a means bywhich I may carry off my young kinsman here, though at great dangerto myself. But if it comes to the four of you, then I confess I mustabandon the scheme."
On this Mr. Holwell renewed his protestations, urging me by no meansto neglect Rupert's offer.
"But how is it, sir," he added, speaking not unkindly, "that I findyou, an Englishman, and a relation of young Mr. Ford, in these parts,and apparently in a position of influence with the natives?"
"Oh, as to that, it is an old story," replied my cousin, coolly."I came to Bengal first by land from the Malabar coast, in the timeof the late Nabob, and for that reason I was not at first includedin the hatred which Surajah Dowlah bore to the English on theHooghley. However, the efforts which I made to restrain the Nabob'svindictive proceedings, and the disgust which I showed at his latebarbarities, have greatly weakened my credit with him. I believe heknows or suspects that I am merely casting about for an opportunityto quit his service, and has set spies on me accordingly. I have atlast devised measures for making my way down to the coast, to ourfellow-countrymen, and have bribed your gaolers to allow my cousinFord to escape with me to-night, if he will."
So earnestly did Gurney tell this tale that I could see Mr. Holwelland the others were very favourably impressed, and took him for anhonourably behaved man. As for me, I felt my cheeks burn with shameas I sat and listened, yet I neither felt inclined to admit to thesegentlemen that I was cousin to a villain and a traitor, nor did Iconsider it to be my duty to denounce my own blood.
I therefore held my peace, while the conversation went on between theothers. Mr. Holwell insisted that I should take Rupert's offer, and bethe means of conveying news to our friends of where the other threelay. I demurred, and should perhaps have rejected the invitation inthe end, had not my cousin taken advantage to slyly whisper in myear--
"Don't you understand, fool? I have news of Marian, and want your aidto carry her off from Surajah Dowlah's harem!"