little at the second, and seemed by the sudden check she
put upon her tears, to intimate that possibly this arrange-
ment might meet her views ; and that it might, perhaps,
remain an open question.

" But unforfnately," pursued Dennis, who observed this :
" somebody else was fond of her too, you see ; and even if he
wasn't, somebody else is took for a rioter, and it's all over
with him.""

Miss Miggs relapsed.

"Now I want," said Dennis, "to clear this house, and to
see you righted. What if I was to get her off, out of the
way, eh ? "

Miss Miggs, brightening again, rejoined, with many breaks
and pauses from excess of feeling, that temptations had been
Simmuns's bane. That it was not his faults, but hers
(meaning Dolly's). That men did not see through these
dreadful arts as women did, and therefore was caged and
trapped, as Simmun had been. That she had no personal
motives to serve far from it on the contrary, her intentions
was good towards all parties. But forasmuch as she knowed
that Simmun, if united to any designing and artful minxes



MR. DENNIS'S NOTABLE SCHEME. 289

(she would name no names, for that was not her dispositions)
to any designing and artful minxes must be made miserable
and unhappy for life, she did incline towards prewentions.
Such, she added, was her free confessions. But as this was
private feelings, and might perhaps be looked upon as
wengeance, she begged the gentleman would say no more.
Whatever he said, wishing to do her duty by all mankind,
even by them as had ever been her bitterest enemies, she
would not listen to him. With that she stopped her ears,
and shook her head from side to side, to intimate to Mr.
Dennis that though he talked until he had no breath left,
she was as deaf as any adder.

" Lookee here, my sugar-stick,"" said Mr. Dennis, " if your
view's the same as mine, and you'll only be quiet and slip
away at the right time, I can have the house clear to-morrow,
and be out of this trouble. Stop though ! there's the other."

"Which other, sir?" asked Miggs still with her fingers
in her ears and her head shaking obstinately.

" Why, the tallest one, yonder," said Dennis, as he stroked
his chin, and added, in an undertone to himself, something
about not crossing Muster Gashford.

Miss Miggs replied (still being profoundly deaf) that if
Miss Haredale stood in the way at all, he might make himself
quite easy on that score; as she had gathered, from what
passed between Hugh and Mr. Tappertit when they were
last there, that she was to be removed alone (not by them,
but by somebody else), to-morrow night.

Mr. Dennis opened his eyes very wide at this piece of
information, whistled once, considered once, and finally slapped
his head once and nodded once, as if he had got the clue to
this mysterious removal, and so dismissed it. Then he im-
parted his design concerning Dolly to Miss Miggs, who was
taken more deaf than before, when he began ; and so remained,
all through.

The notable scheme was this. Mr. Dennis was immediately
to seek out from among the rioters, some daring young

VOL. II. U



290 BARNABY RUDGE.

fellow (and he had one in his eye, he said), who, terrified by
the threats he could hold out to him, and alarmed by the
capture of so many who were no better and no worse than
he, would gladly avail himself of any help to get abroad, and
out of harm's way, with his plunder, even though his journey
were incumbered by an unwilling companion ; indeed, the
unwilling companion being a beautiful girl, would probably
be an additional inducement and temptation. Such a person
found, he proposed to bring him there on the ensuing
night, when the tall one was taken off, and Miss Miggs had
purposely retired ; and then that Dolly should be gagged,
muffled in a cloak, and carried in any handy conveyance down
to the river's side; where there were abundant means of
getting her smuggled snugly off in any small craft of doubtful
character, and no questions asked. With regard to the
expense of this removal, he would say, at a rough calculation,
that two or three silver tea or coffee pots, with something
additional for drink (such as a muffineer, or toast-rack), would
more than cover it. Articles of plate of every kind having
been buried by the rioters in several lonely parts of London,
and particularly, as he knew, in St. James's Square, which,
though easy of access, was little frequented after dark, and
had a convenient piece of water in the midst, the needful
funds were close at hand, and could be had upon the shortest
notice. With regard to Dolly, the gentleman would exercise
his own discretion. He would be bound to do nothing but
to take her away, and keep her away. All other arrange-
ments and dispositions would rest entirely with himself.

If Miss Miggs had had her hearing, no doubt she would
have been greatly shocked by the indelicacy of a young
female's going away with a stranger by night (for her moral
feelings, as we have said, were of the tenderest kind); but
directly Mr. Dennis ceased to speak, she reminded him that
he had only wasted breath. She then went on to say (still
with her lingers in her ears) that nothing less than a severe
practical lesson would save the locksmith's daughter from



MISS MIGGS'S MORAL SENTIMENTS. 291

utter ruin ; and that she felt it, as it were, a moral obligation
and a sacred duty to the family, to wish that some one
would devise one for her reformation. Miss Miggs remarked,
and very justly, as an abstract sentiment which happened
to occur to her at the moment, that she dared to say the
locksmith and his wife would murmur, and repine, if they
were ever, by forcible abduction, or otherwise, to lose their
child ; but that we seldom knew, in this world, what was
best for us : such being our sinful and imperfect natures, that
very few arrived at that clear understanding.

Having brought their conversation to this satisfactory end,
they parted : Dennis, to pursue his design, and take another
walk about his farm : Miss Miggs, to launch, when he left
her, into such a burst of mental anguish (which she gave
them to understand was occasioned by certain tender things
he had had the presumption and audacity to say), that little
Dolly's heart was quite melted. Indeed, she said and did
so much to soothe the outraged feelings of Miss Miggs,
and looked so beautiful while doing so, that if that young
maid had not had ample vent for her surpassing spite, in a
knowledge of the mischief that was brewing, she must have
scratched her features, on the spot.



CHAPTER LXXI.

ALL next day, Emma Haredale, Dolly, and Miggs, remained
cooped up together in what had now been their prison for so
many days, without seeing any person, or hearing any sound
but the murmured conversation, in an outer room, of the
men who kept watch over them. There appeared to be more
of these fellows than there had been hitherto; and they
could no longer hear the voices of women, which they had
before plainly distinguished. Some new excitement, too,
seemed to prevail among them ; for there was much stealthy
going in and out, and a constant questioning of those who
were newly arrived. They had previously been quite reckless
in their behaviour ; often making a great uproar ; quarrelling
among themselves, fighting, dancing, and singing. They
were now very subdued and silent, conversing almost in
whispers, and stealing in and out with a soft and stealthy
tread, very different from the boisterous trampling in which
their arrivals and departures had hitherto been announced
to the trembling captives.

Whether this change was occasioned by the presence among
them of some person of authority in their ranks, or by any
other cause, they were unable to decide. Sometimes they
thought it was in part attributable to there being a sick
man in the chamber, for last night there had been a shuffling
of feet, as though a burden were brought in, and afterwards
a moaning noise. But they had no means of ascertaining



STILL IN CAPTIVITY. 293

the truth : for any question or entreaty on their parts only
provoked a storm of execrations, or something worse; and
they were too happy to be left alone, unassailed by threats
or admiration, to risk even that comfort, by any voluntary
communication with those who held them in durance.

It was sufficiently evident, both to Emma and to the lock-
smith's poor little daughter herself, that she, Dolly, was the
great object of attraction ; and that so soon as they should
have leisure to indulge in the softer passion, Hugh and Mr.
Tappertit would certainly fall to blows for her sake ; in which
latter case, it was not very difficult to see whose prize she
would become. With all her old horror of that man revived,
and deepened into a degree of aversion and abhorrence which
no language can describe ; with a thousand old recollections
and regrets, and causes of distress, anxiety, and fear, besetting
her on all sides ; poor Dolly Varden sweet, blooming, buxom
Dolly began to hang her head, and fade, and droop, like a
beautiful flower. The colour fled from her cheeks, her courage
forsook her, her gentle heart failed. Unmindful of all her
provoking caprices, forgetful of all her conquests and incon-
stancy, with all her winning little vanities quite gone, she
nestled all the livelong day in Emma Haredale's bosom ; and,
sometimes calling on her dear old grey-haired father, some-
times on her mother, and sometimes even on her old home,
pined slowly away, like a poor bird in its cage.

Light hearts, light hearts, that float so gaily on a smooth
stream, that are so sparkling and buoyant in the sunshine
down upon fruit, bloom upon flowers, blush in summer air,
life of the winged insect, whose whole existence is a day
how soon ye sink in troubled water ! Poor Dolly's heart a
little, gentle, idle, fickle thing; giddy, restless, fluttering;
constant to nothing but bright looks, and smiles and laughter
Dolly's heart was breaking.

Emma had known grief, and could bear it better. She had
little comfort to impart, but she could soothe and tend her,
and she did so; and Dolly clung to her like a child to its



294 BARNABY RUDGE.

nurse. In endeavouring to inspire her with some fortitude,
she increased her own ; and though the nights were long, and
the days dismal, and she felt the wasting influence of watch-
ing and fatigue, and had perhaps a more defined and clear
perception of their destitute condition and its worse dangers,
she uttered no complaint. Before the ruffians, in whose power
they were, she bore herself so calmlv. and with such an

J / *

appearance, in the midst of all her terror, of a secret
conviction that they dared not harm her, that there was not
a man among them but held her in some degree of dread ;
and more than one believed she had a weapon hidden in her
dress, and was prepared to use it.

Such was their condition when they were joined by Miss
Miggs, who gave them to understand that she too had been
taken prisoner because of her charms, and detailed such feats
of resistance she had performed (her virtue having given her
supernatural strength), that they felt it quite a happiness
to have her for a champion. Nor was this the only com-
fort they derived at first from Miggs's presence and society :
for that young lady displayed such resignation and long-
suffering, and so much meek endurance, under her trials, and
breathed in all her chaste discourse a spirit of such holv
confidence and resignation, and devout belief that all would
happen for the best, that Emma felt her courage strengthened
by the bright example; never doubting but that everything
she said was true, and that she, like them, was torn from all
she loved, and agonised by doubt and apprehension. As to
poor Dolly, she was roused, at first, by seeing one who came
from home; but when she heard under what circumstances
she had left it, and into whose hands her father had fallen,
she wept more bitterly than ever, and refused all comfort.

Miss Miggs was at some trouble to reprove her for this
state of mind, and to entreat her to take example by herself,
who, she said, was now receiving back, with interest, tenfold
the amount of her subscriptions to the red-brick dwelling-
house, in the articles of peace of mind and a quiet conscience.



NEW FEARS. 295

And, while on serious topics, Miss Miggs considered it her
duty to try her hand at the conversion of Miss Haredale ;
for whose improvement she launched into a polemical address
of some length, in the course whereof, she likened herself
unto a chosen missionary, and that young lady to a cannibal
in darkness. Indeed, she returned so often to these subjects,
and so frequently called upon them to take a lesson from
her, at the same time vaunting and, as it were, rioting in,
her huge unworthiness, and abundant excess of sin, that, in
the course of a short time, she became, in that small chamber,
rather a nuisance than a comfort, and rendered them, if
possible, even more unhappy than they had been before.

The night had now come ; and for the first time (for their
jailers had been regular in bringing food and candles), they
were left in darkness. Any change in their condition in such
a place inspired new fears ; and when some hours had passed,
and the gloom was still unbroken, Emma could no longer
repress her alarm.

They listened attentively. There was the same murmuring
in the outer room, and now and then a moan which seemed
to be wrung from a person in great pain, who made an
effort to subdue it, but could not. Even these men seemed
to be in darkness too ; for no light shone through the chinks
in the door, nor were they moving, as their custom was, but
quite still : the silence being unbroken by so much as the
creaking of a board.

At first, Miss Miggs wondered greatly in her own mind
who this sick person might be ; but arriving, on second
thoughts, at the conclusion that he was a part of the schemes
on foot, and an artful device soon to be employed with great
success, she opined, for Miss Haredale's comfort, that it must
be some misguided Papist who had been wounded : and this
happy supposition encouraged her to say, under her breath,
" Ally Looyer ! " several times.

" Is it possible," said Emma, with some indignation, " that
you who have seen these men committing the outrages you



296 BARNABY RUDGE.

have told us of, and who have fallen into their hands, like
us, can exult in their cruelties ! ri

" Personal considerations, miss, 1 ' rejoined Miggs, " sinks into
nothing, afore a noble cause. Ally Looyer ! Ally Looyer !
Ally Looyer, good gentlemen ! "

It seemed from the shrill pertinacity with which Miss Miggs
repeated this form of acclamation, that she was calling the
same through the keyhole of the door; but in the profound
darkness she could not be seen.

"If the time has come Heaven knows it may come at
any moment when they are bent on prosecuting the designs,
whatever they may be, with which they have brought us here,
can you still encourage, and take part with them ? " de-
manded Emma.

"I thank my goodness-gracious-blessed-stars I can, miss,"
returned Miggs, with increased energy. " Ally Looyer, good
gentlemen ! "

Even Dolly, cast down and disappointed as she was, revived
at this, and bade Miggs hold her tongue directly.

" Which, was you pleased to observe, Miss Varden ? " said
Miggs, with a strong emphasis on the irrelative pronoun.

Dolly repeated her request.

" Ho, gracious me ! " cried Miggs, with hysterical derision.
" Ho, gracious me ! Yes, to be sure I will. Ho yes ! I am a
abject slave, and a toiling, moiling, constant- working, always-
being-found-fault-with, never-giving-satisfactions, nor-having-
no-time-to-clean-oneself, potter's wessel an't I, miss ! Ho
yes ! My situations is lowly, and my capacities is limited,
and my duties is to humble myself afore the base degenerating
daughters of their blessed mothers as is fit to keep companies
with holy saints but is born to persecutions from wicked
relations and to demean myself before them as is no better
than Infidels an't it, miss ! Ho yes ! My only becoming
occupations is to help young flaunting pagins to brush and
comb and titiwate theirselves into whitening and suppulchres,
and leave the young men to think that there an't a bit of



A STARTLING INTERRUPTION. 297

padding in it nor no pinching ins nor fillings out nor
pomatums nor deceits nor earthly wanities an't it, miss !
Yes, to be sure it is ho yes ! "

Having delivered these ironical passages with a most
wonderful volubility, and with a shrillness perfectly deafen-
ing (especially when she jerked out the interjections), Miss
Miggs, from mere habit, and not because weeping was at
all appropriate to the occasion, which was one of triumph,
concluded by bursting into a flood of tears, and calling in
an impassioned manner on the name of Simrnuns.

What Emma Haredale and Dolly would have done, or how
long Miss Miggs, now that she had hoisted her true colours,
would have gone on waving them before their astonished
senses, it is impossible to say. Nor is it necessary to speculate
on these matters, for a startling interruption occurred at that
moment, which took their whole attention by storm.

This was a violent knocking at the door of the house,
and then its sudden bursting open; which was immediately
succeeded by a scuffle in the room without, and the clash of
weapons. Transported with the hope that rescue had at length
arrived, Emma and Dolly Shrieked aloud for help ; nor were
their shrieks unanswered ; for after a hurried interval, a man,
bearing in one hand a drawn sword, and in the other a
taper, rushed into the chamber where they were confined.

It was some check upon their transport to find in this
person an entire stranger, but they appealed to him, never-
theless, and besought him, in impassioned language, to restore
them to their friends.

" For what other purpose am I here ? " he answered, closing
the door, and standing with his back against it. " With
what object have I made my way to this place, through
difficulty and danger, but to preserve you ? "

With a joy for which it was impossible to find adequate
expression, they embraced each other, and thanked Heaven for
this most timely aid. Their deliverer stepped forward for a
moment to put the light upon the table, and immediately



298 BARNABY RUDGE.

returning to his former position against the door, bared his
head, and looked on smilingly.

"You have news of my uncle, sir?" said Emma, turning
hastily towards him.

"And of my father and mother?" added Dolly.

" Yes," he said. " Good news."

"They are alive and unhurt?" they both cried at once.

"Yes, and unhurt," he rejoined.

" And close at hand ? "

"I did not say close at hand," he answered smoothly;
" they are at no great distance. Your friends, sweet one," he
added, addressing Dolly, "are within a few hours'" journey.
You will be restored to them, I hope, to-night."

"My uncle, sir " faltered Emma.

" Your uncle, dear Miss Haredale, happily I say happily,
because he has succeeded where many of our creed have failed,
and is safe has crossed the sea, and is out of Britain."

"I thank God for it," said Emma, faintly.

" You say well. You have reason to be thankful : greater
reason than it is possible for you, who have seen but one
night of these cruel outrages, to imagine."

"Does he desire," said Emma, s< that I should follow him ?"

" Do you ask if he desires it ? " cried the stranger in sur-
prise. " If he desires it ! But you do not know the danger
of remaining in England, the difficulty of escape, or the price
hundreds would pay to secure the means, when you make
that inquiry. Pardon me. I had forgotten that you could
not, being prisoner here."

" I gather, sir," said Emma, after a moment's pause, " from
what you hint at, but fear to tell me, that I have witnessed
but the beginning, and the least, of the violence to which
we are exposed, and that it has not yet slackened in its fury ? "

He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, lifted up his
hands; and with the same smooth smile, which was not a
pleasant one to see, cast his eyes upon the ground, and
remained silent.



AN AMBASSADOR WITHOUT CREDENTIALS. 299

" You may venture, sir, to speak plain," said Emma, " and
to tell me the worst. We have undergone some preparation
for it."

But here Dolly interposed, and entreated her not to hear
the worst, but the best ; and besought the gentleman to tell
them the best, and to keep the remainder of his news until
they were safe among their friends again.

"It is told in three words," he said, glancing at the
locksmith's daughter with a look of some displeasure. "The
people have risen, to a man, against us ; the streets are filled
with soldiers, who support them and do their bidding. We
have no protection but from above, and no safety but in
flight; and that is a poor resource; for we are watched on
every hand, and detained here, both by force and fraud.
Miss Haredale, I cannot bear believe me, that I cannot
bear by speaking of myself, or what I have done, or am
prepared to do, to seem to vaunt my services before you.
But, having powerful Protestant connections, and having my
whole wealth embarked with theirs in shipping and commerce,
I happily possessed the means of saving your uncle. I have
the means of saving you ; and in redemption of my sacred
promise, made to him, I am here ; pledged not to leave you
until I have placed you in his arms. The treachery or
penitence of one of the men about you, led to the discovery
of your place of confinement; and that I have forced my
way here, sword in hand, you see."

"You bring," said Emma, faltering, "some note or token
from my uncle ? "

"No, he doesn't," cried Dolly, pointing at him earnestly;
" now I am sure he doesn't. Don't go with him for the world ! "

" Hush, pretty fool be silent," he replied, frowning angrily
upon her. "No, Miss Haredale, I have no letter, nor any
token of any kind ; for while I sympathise with you, and such
as you, on whom misfortune so heavy and so undeserved has
fallen, I value my life. I carry, therefore, no writing which,
found upon me, would lead to its certain loss. I never



300 BARNABY RUDGE.

thought of bringing any other token, nor did Mr. Haredale
think of entrusting me with one possibly because he had
good experience of my faith and honesty, and owed his
life to me."

There was a reproof conveyed in these words, which to
a nature like Emma Haredale's, was well addressed. But
Dolly, who was differently constituted, was by no means
touched by it, and still conjured her, in all the terms of
affection and attachment she could think of, not to be lured
away.

" Time presses," said their visitor, who, although he sought
to express the deepest interest, had something cold and even
in his speech, that grated on the ear ; " and danger surrounds
us. If I have exposed myself to it, in vain, let it be so;
but if you and he should ever meet again, do me justice.
If you decide to remain (as I think you do), remember, Miss
Haredale, that I left you with a solemn caution, and
acquitting myself of all the consequences to which you
expose yourself."

" Stay, sir ! " cried Emma " one moment, I beg you.
Cannot we " and she drew Dolly closer to her " cannot
we go together ? "

" The task of conveying one female in safety through such
scenes as we must encounter, to say nothing of attracting
the attention of those who crowd the streets," he answered,
"is enough. I have said that she will be restored to her
friends to-night. If you accept the service I tender, Miss
Haredale, she shall be instantly placed in safe conduct, and
that promise redeemed. Do you decide to remain ? People
of all ranks and creeds are flying from the town, which is
sacked from end to end. Let me be of use in some quarter.
Do you stay, or go ? "

" Dolly," said Emma, in a hurried manner, " my dear girl,
this is our last hope. If we part now, it is only that we
may meet again in happiness and honour. I will trust to
this gentleman."



A JOYFUL MEETING. 301

" No no no ! " cried Dolly, clinging to her. " Pray,
pray, do not ! "

"You hear," said Emma, "that to-night only to-night
within a few hours think of that! you will be among
those who would die of grief to lose you, and who are now
plunged in the deepest misery for your sake. Pray for me,
dear girl, as I will for you ; and never forget the many quiet
hours we have passed together. Say one ' God bless you ! '
Say that at parting ! "

But Dolly could say nothing; no, not when Emma kissed
her cheek a hundred times, and covered it with tears, could