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V. December 12,1861. ^2^0 You, My Dear G...
for his picture , and Gaston de Foix in a dark velvet doublet , painting itfor , save a little more Roman cast of countenance , Stanhope looked exactly like a Gaston de Foix usurping the easel of Titian . And finely he had painted his thoughtful friend . Finely , too , had he caug ht the wild life of the Campagna—of the Bocca di Cataro—of the Arabian desert—and of French Africa . But his pictures are not to be studied-or described in haste .
Some time , while he painted , we talked , and naturall y our discourse fell upon the scene where we had last met . I spoke freely ; and was at once surprised and not surprised to find Conway defend where I attacked . It was not the first time that I , a vagabond , saw myself on the conservative side , while conforming Englishmen defended conduct subversive of the first principles of honour and faith . I attacked Elkanah Smith for remaining in the Church and practising Mussulman licences .
" Do not speak ill of Smith , " said Conway : " he is a fine fellow—as liberal as his ruddy English countenance ; open-handed , bold , learned , refined . No doubt he ought not to have been in the Church , but rather in the army . However , you know , there was a living in his family . And if you are to judge all clergymen by their intimate views , what havoc you mig ht make in our ranks . I have walked by the side of a clergyman performing the funeral service , and satirizing the company in the intervals . I have dined with a reverend cook ; with another whose cousin and mistress sat at the head of his table . But all these men performed the service creditably , and avoided the open scandals that get into the courts—too often . Smith is a fine fellow . And after all , what is the Church of England ?" We could not answer ; but Conway supplied the answer himself : " It
is a corporation of soothsayers . I cannot tell you the jar which such a sentence caused in the Vagabond , coming , as it did , gravely and pleasantly over the white neckcloth of the English clergyman . I retorted with some severe strictures on the multitude of law-breakers , whom I divided into two classes of traitors ; those who think the law which they break to be right , and sin for selfish gratification , impudently violating conscience , and impiously trusting to " forgiveness for a fallen nature "; and those who condemn the law they break , but outwardly conform , in selfish dread of the consequences that attend first rebellion . Let them stand forth , I said , and their numbers would be sufficient to make rebellion revolution . Already , from my short , confined view of English society , I see it .
" And the first man would be—destroyed , " said Conway , in a harsh whisper , as if he felt the destruction upon him . " Nay , worse , they put our women and children before us . You tax us too hard , Tristan . " He rose to go , saying that he had already overstaid his time . The sound of the door closing after him had scarcely ceased , ere another door opened , and a tall line g irl , her bonnet and shawl in her hand , stepped with an air of familiar command from behind one of the pictures which somewhat hid us from her . She stopped on seeing me : it was Margaret Johnson , beautiful , grave , majestically confrontin g surprise ! She must have thought that Conway and I went away together .
" We can trust him , " said Stanhope , kissing her hand . " Tristan , I will see you to-morrow . I did not expect to be interrupted ; but you will forg ive such an interruption . " I took my leave at once ; a little protracting the farewell that I might well _tak' ; in the full p icture presented b y that noble couple . I do assure you that the rough soldier-artist und the grocer ' s daughter formed a group that even a Giorgio and an Elena might not despise ; only , Elena bella , Margaret is more like one of your adopted country than you are , sundarkened Saxon !
But how little , I thought , as I went away , docs gentle and stern Mrs . Johnson , so " proper" in aspect and demeanour , know into what wild world of art her daughter has escaped ! Well , a noble soul , I believe , has burst its prison , and ventured upon the broad winds ; und Stanhope is a grand fellow . But those poor Johnsons- —mortals with a young Ceres in their house ! A well-to-do grocer with an Olympian changeling amongst his daughters ! Mashallah ! Doubly interrupted , I hail forgotten to ask Edwardes for the very thing 1 went about ; but I did not like to return , and thus 1 waited for a day . I shall go to-morrow . 1 went home straight to Edwardes ' s , feeling that I had done Yseult a wrong in forgetting for an instant what was even collaterally connected with her .
I founel that Yseult was out , ; but I was tolel that a lad y was waiting for me . As I entered the drawing-room the lael y rose , anil advanced towards me with an air more earnest anel familiar than commonly pertained to Miss Sclby ; and y et it wus she . M y thought at once glanced toward Margaret , and I anticipated some inquiry about her ; but I wus mistaken . Miss Sclby sat silent for a time ; then with uneasy efforts to get on , us if she would rather that I shoulel make ; the ; requisite disclosure than herself , she ; hinted at something to be told— -something that would surprise
me ; though audi things would happen " in the best regulated families . " In reply to my courteous acquiescence * , she grew more specific , and at . last let out thc full fact —Miss Johnson , not secretl y married , nor indeed married at all , was exactl y under the same expectation as thc poor maid-servant who had been discharged that morning—though Miss Sclby , I must say , did not at all allude ; to that historical p arallel , except in saying that " circumstances" had cuuscd great agitation to Miss Johnson , and so she had made that disclosure ! which had agitated Miss Sclby still more _.
V. December 12,1861. ^2^0 You, My Dear G...
" And who , " I asked , "is to be recorded , in this case as r t , father ? " ' he Poor Miss Selby blushed , and replied that that was not the least p leasant part of the business , for the father was onl y a person in a verv ferior position—indeed , only a shopman , a person in Mr . Johnson ' s sho " They had always regarded him as a person of very good principles , and h seemed a very well-disposed young man . Only now he was naturall very anxious , because he might lose his situation . , _^'
I saw that he could be of no help in the affair . We sat silent for a fe minutes , the silence broken half way by an apology , on Miss Selb y ' s p art for troubling me at all with such a matter ; only , she said , circumstan ce had conspired to induce me to take an interest in the famil y ; she felt sh did not know why ,-so much at home with me , and knew that she might trust me , —indeed , she knew no one else whom she could ; and she so dreaded these things becoming known to Mr . Johnson ; and as to the girl ' s mother , it would kill her . More silence .
" But Sophy is told , Sir , that there ts one way out of her difficulty , which mig ht remove it altogether ; and—and—in fact , that was more especiallv what I came to consult you about . " " And what is that way , Miss Selb y ?" She did not answer , except in broken hints , that she found great difficulty in telling me ; she became paler than ever , and very agitated , and seemed almost as if she would faint . By help of my reassurances she recovered her voice , and then made many imperfect allusions , as if I understood what she would mean without my saying it . I really did not follow her . At last , she summoned a desperate courage , and said , " In fact , sir , what Sophy was told was that the child need never be born . "
" Good heaven ! Miss Selby ! Who has told her . so ?" " I see you disapprove—I am almost sorry I-mentioned it . And yet , in such a distressing case—and the person who told her could not mean anything but the best . " [ " Mean the best ! " —how often that phrase is used to cover some cruel or base subterfuge !] " It was , " continued Miss Selby , still much distressed , but speaking fast , as if to crowd " extenuating circumstances" upon me , " it was a
verygood and attached friend of hers , indeed , a clergyman ' s daughter . Yes , indeed it was ; and a most excellent young woman too , and well brought up . And she says that it is not so uncommon . I assure you she would not speak untruth , and she declares that a physician told her that women in the best circles , who—in short , if they expect to be confined in the season' do not scruple ; and they have no difficulty in finding a phy sician . And Miss , I should say , the clergyman ' s daughter herself , knew instances not unlike Sophy ' s ; and she says it is best * not to permit a guest to come unbidden to the feast of nature when no cover is laid for him : '
those were her very words . I am telling you truth , " she said , misinterpreting my continued silence— " indeed I am ; at such a moment could I forget the truth ?" " I am sure you are true , Miss Selby . But are you aware that what Miss Johnson has been advised to do is a crime—a crime against the laws of your country ? And what is more , it is a crime not unfrequcntly punished—with transportation . " " Oh ! do not say such things ! How shocking . But surely a girl m Sophy ' s position , with thc command of friends and means ?—" it is not the less a crime , dear lady , because Sophy's friends might be able to hush it up . Good God , to think that the conscience should be so depraved that detection alone and punishment are dreaded I My involuntary exclamation startled the listener : she was cast down by
fear and shame . Taking her hand , and venturing to reassure her by a certain stern fran vncss , I asked her how it was that she " , whom I now found inviting my countenance to a crime , could have been so outraged at the fault ol _» - poor servant girl ? At lirst she looked at me with astonishment , and Jl ( not understand ; for poor Miss Selby ' s head could never have been stew y , and her faded life , her stunted faculties , have left her little beyond ns » j ?« and her pocket-handkerchief to rely upon , and I was oblig ed to wait w n _^ thc wings of her soul slowly unfolded themselves like a butterfly , damp
feeble from its chrysalis-shell . . _„ t At first she expressed nothing but wonder that I should be so _d' " _^ from what she expected , when 1 was virtually a " foreigner , " and as > a bad all thought , " so free . " . j J ( , "' So free' ! " I exclaimed ; yes , God forbid that I should be »» __ bondage which brings women like you to Hut wc will not v more of that . 'Free' ! Yes , I would not yield alleg iance to hov vv _^ _ supersedes conscience ; which lets the trader cheat if he be not loin" _^ j which makes the statesman erect time-serving into a state-po uy . _^ which punishes men and women for being men anel women , and _« v " - _^ men and women—which makes love followed up by hate , am _^ _^ No , Miss Sclby , I am an outlaw to such laws , n vagabond ; am ( wonder that you in England do not rise up against a code which loi < _-
to such intolerable devices . " . s „ rt She looked ut me with a face of surprise , strangely growing m •<> _^^ e of terrified sympathy ; and there was a long silence , which m _^ _^ broke . " 1 do not quite ? understand you , " she said , " but I l eel u _^ _^ _^ . were more right than I have been . Good bye ! " She took my » ' _fc- ~ still _ictaining it , went on as if her thoughts were turned upon a ne l
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 18, 1852, page 22, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_18091852/page/22/
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