<h2><SPAN name="chap38"></SPAN>CHAPTER XXXVIII</h2>
<p class="letter">
I get up and crawl into a barn, where I am in danger of perishing, through the
fear of the country people—their inhumanity—I am succoured by a
reputed witch—her story—her advice—she recommends me as a
valet to a single lady, whose character she explains</p>
<p>But as I lay ruminating, my passion insensibly abated; I considered my
situation in quite another light, from that in which it appeared to me at
first, and the result of my deliberation was to rise if I could, and crawl to
the next inhabited place for assistance. With some difficulty I got upon my
legs, and having examined my body, found I had received no other injury than
two large contused wounds, one on the fore and another on the hinder part of my
head, which seemed to be occasioned by the same weapon, namely, the butt-end of
a pistol. I looked towards the sea, but could discern no remains of the ship;
so that I concluded she was gone to pieces, and that those who remained in her
had perished: but, as I afterwards learned, the gunner, who had more sagacity
than Crampley, observing that it was flood when he left her, and that she would
probably float at high water, made no noise about getting on shore, but
continued on deck, in hopes of bringing her safe into some harbour, after her
commander should have deserted her, for which piece of service he expected, no
doubt, to be handsomely rewarded. This scheme he accordingly executed, and was
promised great things by the Admiralty for saving his Majesty’s ship: but
I never heard he reaped the fruits of his expectation. As for my own part, I
directed my course towards a small cottage I perceived, and in the road picked
up a seaman’s old jacket, which I suppose the thief who dressed himself
in my clothes had thrown away: this was a very comfortable acquisition to me,
who was almost stiff with cold: I therefore put it on; and, as my natural heat
revived, my wounds, which had left off bleeding, burst out afresh; so that,
finding myself excessively exhausted, I was about to lie down in the fields,
when I discovered a barn on my left hand, within a few yards of me; thither I
made shift to stagger, and finding the door open, went in, but saw nobody;
however, I threw myself upon a truss of straw, hoping to be soon relieved by
some person or other. I had not lain here many minutes, when I saw a countryman
come in with a pitchfork in his hand, which he was upon the point of thrusting
into the straw that concealed me, and in all probability would have done my
business, had I not uttered a dreadful groan, after having essayed in vain to
speak. This melancholy note alarmed the clown, who started back, and
discovering a body all besmeared with blood, stood trembling, with the
pitchfork extended before him, his hair bristling up, his eyes staring, his
nostrils dilated, and his mouth wide open. At another time I should have been
much diverted by this figure, which preserved the same attitude very near ten
minutes, during which time I made many unsuccessful efforts to implore his
compassion and assistance; but my tongue failed me, and my language was only a
repetition of groans. At length an old man arrived, who, seeing the other in
such a posture, cried, “Mercy upon en! the leaad’s bewitched! why,
Dick, beest thou besayd thyself!” Dick, without moving his eyes from the
object that terrified him, replied, “O vather! vather! here be either the
devil or a dead mon: I doant know which o’en, but a groans
woundily.” The father, whose eyesight was none of the best, pulled out
his spectacles, and, having applied them to his nose reconnoitered me over his
son’s shoulder: but no sooner did he behold me, than he was seized with a
fit of shaking, even more violent than Dick’s, and, with a broken accent,
addressed me thus: “In the name of the Vather, Zun, and Holy Ghost, I
charge you, an you been Satan, to be gone to the Red Zen; but an you be a
moordered mon, speak, that you may have a Christom burial.”</p>
<p>As I was not in a condition to satisfy him in this particular, he repeated his
conjuration to no purpose, and they continued a good while in the agonies of
fear. At length the father proposed that the son should draw nearer, and take a
more distinct view of the apparition; but Dick was of opinion that his father
should advance first, he being an old man past his labour and, if he received
any mischief, the loss would be the smaller; whereas he himself might escape,
and be useful, in his generation. This prudential reason had no effect upon the
senior, who still kept Dick between me and him. In the meantime I endeavoured
to raise one hand as a signal of distress, but had only strength sufficient to
produce a rustling among the straw, which discomposed the young peasant so
much, that he sprang out at the door, and overthrew his father in his flight.
The old gentleman would not spend time in getting up, but crawled backwards
like a crab, with great speed, till he had got over the threshold, mumbling
exorcisms all the way. I was exceedingly mortified to find myself in danger of
perishing through the ignorance and cowardice of these clowns; and felt my
spirits decay apace, when an old woman entered the barn, followed by the two
fugitives and with great intrepidity advanced to the place where I lay, saying,
“If it be the devil I fearen not, and for a dead mon a can do us no
harm.” When she saw my condition, she cried, “Here be no devil, but
in your en fool’s head. Here be a poor miserable wretch bleeding to
death, and if a dies, we must be at the charge of burying him; therefore, Dick,
go vetch the old wheelbarrow and put en in, and carry en to goodman
Hodge’s backdoor; he is more able than we to pay out money upon poor
vagrants.” Her advice was taken, and immediately put in execution; I was
rolled to the other farmer’s door, where I was tumbled out like a heap of
dung; and should certainly have fallen a prey to the hogs, if my groans had not
disturbed the family, and brought some of them out to view my situation. But
Hodge resembled the Jew more than the good Samaritan, and ordered me to be
carried to the house of the parson, whose business it was to practise as well
as to preach charity; observing that it was sufficient for him to pay his quota
towards the maintenance of the poor belonging to his own parish. When I was set
down at the vicar’s gate, he fell into a mighty passion, and threatened
to excommunicate him who sent, as well as those who brought me, unless they
would move me immediately to another place. About this time I fainted with the
fatigue I had undergone, and afterwards understood that I was bandied from door
to door through a whole village, nobody having humanity enough to administer
the least relief to me, Until an old woman, who was suspected of witchcraft by
the neighbourhood, hearing of my distress, received me into her house, and,
having dressed my wounds, brought me to myself with cordials of her own
preparing. I was treated with great care and tenderness by this grave matron,
who, after I had recovered some strength, desired to know the particulars of my
last disaster. This piece of satisfaction I could not refuse to one who had
saved my life, therefore related all my adventures without exaggeration or
reserve. She seemed surprised at the vicissitudes I had undergone, and drew a
happy presage of my future life from my past suffering, then launched out into
the praise of adversity, with so much ardour and good sense, that I concluded
she was a person who had seen better days, and conceived a longing desire to
hear her story. She perceived my drift by some words I dropped, and smiling
told me, there was nothing either entertaining or extraordinary in the course
of her fortune; but, however, she would communicate it to me, in consideration
of the confidence I had reposed in her. “It is of little
consequence,” said she, “to tell the names of my parents, who are
dead many years ago; let it suffice to assure you, they were wealthy, and had
no other child than me; so that I was looked upon as heiress to a considerable
estate, and teased with addresses on that account. Among the number of my
admirers, there was a young gentleman of no fortune, whose sole dependence was
on his promotion in the army, in which, at that time, he bore a
lieutenant’s commission. I conceived an affection for this amiable
officer, which, in a short time, increased to a violent passion, and without
entering into minute circumstances, married him privately. We had not enjoyed
one another long in stolen interviews, when he was ordered with his regiment to
Flanders; but, before he set out, it was agreed between us, that we should
declare our marriage to my father by letter, and implore his pardon for the
step we had taken without his approbation. This discovery was made while I was
abroad visiting, and just as I was about to return home, I received a letter
from my father, importing that, since I had acted so undutifully and meanly as
to marry a beggar, without his privity or consent, to the disgrace of his
family as well as the disappointment of his hopes, he renounced me to the
miserable fate I had entailed upon myself, and charged me never to set foot
within his doors again. This rigid sentence was confirmed by my mother, who, in
a postscript, gave me to understand that her sentiments were exactly
conformable to those of my father, and that I might save myself the trouble of
making any applications, for her resolutions were unalterable. Thunderstruck
with my evil fortune I called a coach, and drove to my husband’s
lodgings, where I found him waiting the event of his letter. Though he could
easily divine by my looks the issue of his declaration, he read with great
steadiness the epistle I had received; and with a smile full of tenderness,
which I shall never forget, embraced me, saying, “I believe the good lady
your mother might have spared herself the trouble of the last part of her
postscript. Well, my dear Betty, you must lay aside all thoughts of a coach,
till I can procure the command of a regiment.” This unconcerned
behaviour, while it enabled me to support my reverse of fortune, at the same
time endeared him to me the more, by convincing me of his disinterested views
in espousing me. I was next day boarded in company with the wife of another
officer, who had long been the friend and confidant of my husband, at a village
not far from London, where they parted with us in the most melting manner, went
to Flanders, and were killed in sight of one another at the battle of the Wood.</p>
<p>“Why should I tire you with a description of our unutterable sorrow at
the fatal news of this event, the remembrance of which now fills my aged eyes
with tears! When our grief subsided a little, and reflection came to our aid,
we found ourselves deserted by the whole world, and in danger of perishing by
want; whereupon we made application for the pension, and were put upon the
list. Then, vowing eternal friendship, sold our jewels and superfluous clothes,
retired to this place (which is in the county of Sussex) bought this little
house, where we lived many years in a solitary manner, indulging our mutual
sorrow, till it pleased Heaven to call away my companion two years ago; since
which time I have lingered out an unhappy being, in hopes of a speedy
dissolution, when I promise myself the eternal reward of all my cares. In the
meantime,” continued she, “I must inform you of the character I
bear among my neighbours. My conversation being different from that of the
inhabitants of the village, my recluse way of life, my skill in curing
distempers, which I acquired from books since I settled here, and lastly, my
age having made the common people look upon me as something preternatural, and
I am actually, at this hour, believed to be a witch. The parson of the parish,
whose acquaintance I have not been at much pains to cultivate, taking umbrage
at my supposed disrespect, has contributed not a little towards the
confirmation of this opinion, by dropping certain hints to my prejudice among
the vulgar, who are also very much scandalised at my entertaining this poor
tabby cat with the collar about her neck, which was a favourite of my deceased
companion.”</p>
<p>The whole behaviour of this venerable person was so primitive, innocent,
sensible, and humane, that I contracted a filial respect for her, and begged
her advice with regard to my future conduct, as soon as I was in a condition to
act for myself. She dissuaded me from a design I had formed of travelling to
Louder, in hopes of retrieving my clothes and pay, by returning to my ship,
which by this time I read in the newspaper was safely arrived in the River
Thames: “because,” said she, “you run the hazard of being
treated not only as a deserter in quitting the sloop, but also as a mutineer,
in assaulting your commanding officer, to the malice of whose revenge you will
moreover be exposed.” She then promised to recommend me, as servant to a
single lady of her acquaintance, who lived in the neighbourhood with her
nephew, who was a young foxhunter of great fortune, where I might be very
happy, provided I could bear with the disposition and manners of my mistress,
which were somewhat whimsical and particular. But, above all things, she
counselled me to conceal my story, the knowledge of which would effectually
poison my entertainment; for it was a maxim, among most people of condition,
that no gentleman ought to be admitted into a family as a domestic, lest he
become lazy, and insolent. I was fain to embrace this humble proposal, because
my affairs were desperate; and in a few days was hired by this lady, to serve
in quality of her footman, having been represented by my hostess as a young man
who was bred up to the sea by his relations against his will, and had suffered
shipwreck, which had increased his disgust to that way of life so much, that he
rather chose to go to service on shore, than enter himself on board of any
other ship. Before I took possession of my new place, she gave me a sketch of
my mistress’s character, that I might know better how to regulate my
conduct.</p>
<p>“Your lady,” said she, “is a maiden of forty years, not so
remarkable for her beauty as her learning and taste, which is famous all over
the country. Indeed, she is a perfect female virtuoso, and so eager after the
pursuit of knowledge that she neglects her person even to a degree of
sluttishness; this negligence, together with her contempt of the male part of
the creation, gives her nephew no great concern, as by these means he will
probably keep her fortune, which is considerable in the family. He therefore
permits her to live in her own way, which is something extraordinary, and
gratifies her in all her whimsical desires. Her apartment is at some distance
from the other inhabited parts of the house; and consists of a dining-room,
bedchamber, and study; she keeps a cook maid, a waiting-woman, and footman, of
her own, and seldom eats or converses with any of the family but her niece, who
is a very lovely creature, and humours her aunt often to the prejudice of her
own health by sitting up with her whole nights together; for your mistress is
too much of a philosopher to be swayed by the custom of the world, and never
sleeps nor eats like other people. Among other odd notions, she professes the
principles of Rosicrucius, and believes the earth, air, and sea, are inhabited
by invisible beings, with whom it is possible for the human species to
entertain correspondence and intimacy, on the easy condition of living chaste.
As she hopes one day to be admitted into an acquaintance of this kind, she no
sooner heard of me and my cat, than she paid me a visit, with a view, as she
has since owned, to be introduced to my familiar; and was greatly mortified to
find herself disappointed in her expectation. Being by this visionary turn of
mind abstracted as it were from the world, she cannot advert to the common
occurrences of life; and therefore is frequently so absent as to commit very
strange mistakes and extravagancies, which you will do well to rectify and
repair, as your prudence shall suggest.”</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.