on the evening but one after the trial was over mr. moulder entertained a few friends to supper at his apartments in great st. helen's, and it was generally understood that in doing so he intended to celebrate the triumph of lady mason. through the whole affair he had been a strong partisan on her side, had expressed a very loud opinion in favour of mr. furnival, and had hoped that that scoundrel dockwrath would get all that he deserved from the hands of mr. chaffanbrass. when the hour of mr. dockwrath's punishment had come he had been hardly contented, but the inadequacy of kenneby's testimony had restored him to good humour, and the verdict had made him triumphant.
"didn't i know it, old fellow?" he had said, slapping his friend snengkeld on the back. "when such a low scoundrel as dockwrath is pitted against a handsome woman like lady mason he'll not find a jury in england to give a verdict in his favour." then he asked snengkeld to come to his little supper; and kantwise also he invited, though kantwise had shown dockwrath tendencies throughout the whole affair;—but moulder was fond of kantwise as a butt for his own sarcasm. mrs. smiley, too, was asked, as was natural, seeing that she was the betrothed bride of one of the heroes of the day; and moulder, in the kindness of his heart, swore that he never was proud, and told bridget bolster that she would be welcome to take a share of what was going.
"laws, m.," said mrs. moulder, when she was told of this. "a chambermaid from an inn! what will mrs. smiley say?"
"i ain't going to trouble myself with what mother smiley may say or think about my friends. if she don't like it, she may do the other thing. what was she herself when you first knew her?"
"yes, moulder; but then money do make a difference, you know."
bridget bolster, however, was invited, and she came in spite of the grandeur of mrs. smiley. kenneby also of course was there, but he was not in a happy frame of mind. since that wretched hour in which he had heard himself described by the judge as too stupid to be held of any account by the jury he had become a melancholy, misanthropic man. the treatment which he received from mr. furnival had been very grievous to him, but he had borne with that, hoping that some word of eulogy from the judge would set him right in the public mind. but no such word had come, and poor john kenneby felt that the cruel hard world was too much for him. he had been with his sister that morning, and words had dropped from him which made her fear that he would wish to postpone his marriage for another space of ten years or so. "brick-fields!" he had said. "what can such a one as i have to do with landed property? i am better as i am."
mrs. smiley, however, did not at all seem to think so, and welcomed john kenneby back from alston very warmly in spite of the disgrace to which he had been subjected. it was nothing to her that the judge had called her future lord a fool; nor indeed was it anything to any one but himself. according to moulder's views it was a matter of course that a witness should be abused. for what other purpose was he had into the court? but deep in the mind of poor kenneby himself the injurious words lay festering. he had struggled hard to tell the truth, and in doing so had simply proved himself to be an ass. "i ain't fit to live with anybody else but myself," he said to himself, as he walked down bishopsgate street.
at this time mrs. smiley was not yet there. bridget had arrived, and had been seated in a chair at one corner of the fire. mrs. moulder occupied one end of a sofa opposite, leaving the place of honour at the other end for mrs. smiley. moulder sat immediately in front of the fire in his own easy chair, and snengkeld and kantwise were on each side of him. they were of course discussing the trial when mrs. smiley was announced; and it was well that she made a diversion by her arrival, for words were beginning to run high.
"a jury of her countrymen has found her innocent," moulder had said with much heat; "and any one who says she's guilty after that is a libeller and a coward, to my way of thinking. if a jury of her countrymen don't make a woman innocent, what does?"
"of course she's innocent," said snengkeld; "from the very moment the words was spoken by the foreman. if any newspaper was to say she wasn't she'd have her action."
"that's all very well," said kantwise, looking up to the ceiling with his eyes nearly shut. "but you'll see. what'll you bet me, mr. moulder, that joseph mason don't get the property?"
"gammon!" answered moulder.
"well, it may be gammon; but you'll see."
"gentlemen, gentlemen!" said mrs. smiley, sailing into the room; "upon my word one hears all you say ever so far down the street."
"and i didn't care if they heard it right away to the mansion house," said moulder. "we ain't talking treason, nor yet highway robbery."
then mrs. smiley was welcomed;—her bonnet was taken from her and her umbrella, and she was encouraged to spread herself out over the sofa. "oh, mrs. bolster; the witness!" she said, when mrs. moulder went through some little ceremony of introduction. and from the tone of her voice it appeared that she was not quite satisfied that mrs. bolster should be there as a companion for herself.
"yes, ma'am. i was the witness as had never signed but once," said bridget, getting up and curtsying. then she sat down again, folding her hands one over the other on her lap.
"oh, indeed!" said mrs. smiley. "but where's the other witness, mrs. moulder? he's the one who is a deal more interesting to me. ha, ha, ha! but as you all know it here, what's the good of not telling the truth? ha, ha, ha!"
"john's here," said mrs. moulder. "come, john, why don't you show yourself?"
"he's just alive, and that's about all you can say for him," said moulder.
"why, what's there been to kill him?" said mrs. smiley. "well, john, i must say you're rather backward in coming forward, considering what there's been between us. you might have come and taken my shawl, i'm thinking."
"yes, i might," said kenneby gloomily. "i hope i see you pretty well, mrs. smiley."
"pretty bobbish, thank you. only i think it might have been maria between friends like us."
"he's sadly put about by this trial," whispered mrs. moulder. "you know he is so tender-hearted that he can't bear to be put upon like another."
"but you didn't want her to be found guilty; did you, john?"
"that i'm sure he didn't," said moulder. "why it was the way he gave his evidence that brought her off."
"it wasn't my wish to bring her off," said kenneby; "nor was it my wish to make her guilty. all i wanted was to tell the truth and do my duty. but it was no use. i believe it never is any use."
"i think you did very well," said moulder.
"i'm sure lady mason ought to be very much obliged to you," said kantwise.
"nobody needn't care for what's said to them in a court," said snengkeld. "i remember when once they wanted to make out that i'd taken a parcel of teas—"
"stolen, you mean, sir," suggested mrs. smiley.
"yes; stolen. but it was only done by the opposite side in court, and i didn't think a halfporth of it. they knew where the teas was well enough."
"speaking for myself," said kenneby, "i must say i don't like it."
"but the paper as we signed," said bridget, "wasn't the old gentleman's will,—no more than this is;" and she lifted up her apron. "i'm rightly sure of that."
then again the battle raged hot and furious, and moulder became angry with his guest, bridget bolster. kantwise finding himself supported in his views by the principal witness at the trial took heart against the tyranny of moulder and expressed his opinion, while mrs. smiley, with a woman's customary dislike to another woman, sneered ill-naturedly at the idea of lady mason's innocence. poor kenneby had been forced to take the middle seat on the sofa between his bride and sister; but it did not appear that the honour of his position had any effect in lessening his gloom or mitigating the severity of the judgment which had been passed on him.
"wasn't the old gentleman's will!" said moulder, turning on poor bridget in his anger with a growl. "but i say it was the old gentleman's will. you never dared say as much as that in court."
"i wasn't asked," said bridget.
"you weren't asked! yes, you was asked often enough."
"i'll tell you what it is," said kantwise, "mrs. bolster's right in what she says as sure as your name's moulder."
"then as sure as my name's moulder she's wrong. i suppose we're to think that a chap like you knows more about it than the jury! we all know who your friend is in the matter. i haven't forgot our dinner at leeds, nor sha'n't in a hurry."
"now, john," said mrs. smiley, "nobody can know the truth of this so well as you do. you've been as close as wax, as was all right till the lady was out of her troubles. that's done and over, and let us hear among friends how the matter really was." and then there was silence among them in order that his words might come forth freely.
"come, my dear," said mrs. smiley with a tone of encouraging love. "there can't be any harm now; can there?"
"out with it, john," said moulder. "you're honest, anyways."
"there ain't no gammon about you," said snengkeld.
"mr. kenneby can speak if he likes, no doubt," said kantwise; "though maybe it mayn't be very pleasant to him to do so after all that's come and gone."
"there's nothing that's come and gone that need make our john hold his tongue," said mrs. moulder. "he mayn't be just as bright as some of those lawyers, but he's a deal more true-hearted."
"but he can't say as how it was the old gentleman's will as we signed. i'm well assured of that," said bridget.
but kenneby, though thus called upon by the united strength of the company to solve all their doubts, still remained silent. "come, lovey," said mrs. smiley, putting forth her hand and giving his arm a tender squeeze.
"if you've anything to say to clear that woman's character," said moulder, "you owe it to society to say it; because she is a woman, and because her enemies is villains." and then again there was silence while they waited for him.
"i think it will go with him to his grave," said mrs. smiley, very solemnly.
"i shouldn't wonder," said snengkeld.
"then he must give up all idea of taking a wife," said moulder.
"he won't do that i'm sure," said mrs. smiley.
"that he won't. will you, john?" said his sister.
"there's no knowing what may happen to me in this world," said kenneby, "but sometimes i almost think i ain't fit to live in it, along with anybody else."
"you'll make him fit, won't you, my dear?" said mrs. moulder.
"i don't exactly know what to say about it," said mrs. smiley. "if mr. kenneby ain't willing, i'm not the woman to bind him to his word, because i've had his promise over and over again, and could prove it by a number of witnesses before any jury in the land. i'm an independent woman as needn't be beholden to any man, and i should never think of damages. smiley left me comfortable before all the world, and i don't know but what i'm a fool to think of changing. anyways if mr. kenneby—"
"come, john. why don't you speak to her?" said mrs. moulder.
"and what am i to say?" said kenneby, thrusting himself forth from between the ample folds of the two ladies' dresses. "i'm a blighted man; one on whom the finger of scorn has been pointed. his lordship said that i was—stupid; and perhaps i am."
"she don't think nothing of that, john."
"certainly not," said mrs. smiley.
"as long as a man can pay twenty shillings in the pound and a trifle over, what does it matter if all the judges in the land was to call him stupid?" said snengkeld.
"stupid is as stupid does," said kantwise.
"stupid be d——," said moulder.
"mr. moulder, there's ladies present," said mrs. smiley.
"come, john, rouse yourself a bit," said his sister. "nobody here thinks the worse of you for what the judge said."
"certainly not," said mrs. smiley. "and as it becomes me to speak, i'll say my mind. i'm accustomed to speak freely before friends, and as we are all friends here, why should i be ashamed?"
"for the matter of that nobody says you are," said moulder.
"and i don't mean, mr. moulder. why should i? i can pay my way, and do what i like with my own, and has people to mind me when i speak, and needn't mind nobody else myself;—and that's more than everybody can say. here's john kenneby and i, is engaged as man and wife. he won't say as it's not so, i'll be bound."
"no," said kenneby, "i'm engaged i know."
"when i accepted john kenneby's hand and heart,—and well i remember the beauteous language in which he expressed his feelings, and always shall,—i told him, that i respected him as a man that would do his duty by a woman, though perhaps he mightn't be so cute in the way of having much to say for himself as some others. 'what's the good,' said i, 'of a man's talking, if so be he's ashamed to meet the baker at the end of the week?' so i listened to the vows he made me, and have considered that he and i was as good as one. now that he's been put upon by them lawyers, i'm not the woman to turn my back upon him."
"that you're not," said moulder.
"no i ain't, mr. moulder, and so, john, there's my hand again, and you're free to take it if you like." and so saying she put forth her hand almost into his lap.
"take it, john!" said mrs. moulder. but poor kenneby himself did not seem to be very quick in availing himself of the happiness offered to him. he did raise his right arm slightly; but then he hesitated, and allowed it to fall again between him and his sister.
"come, john, you know you mean it," said mrs. moulder. and then with both her hands she lifted his, and placed it bodily within the grasp of mrs. smiley's, which was still held forth to receive it.
"i know i'm engaged," said kenneby.
"there's no mistake about it," said moulder.
"there needn't be none," said mrs. smiley, softly blushing; "and i will say this of myself—as i have been tempted to give a promise, i'm not the woman to go back from my word. there's my hand, john; and i don't care though all the world hears me say so." and then they sat hand in hand for some seconds, during which poor kenneby was unable to escape from the grasp of his bride elect. one may say that all chance of final escape for him was now gone by.
"but he can't say as how it was the old gentlemen's will as we signed," said bridget, breaking the silence which ensued.
"and now, ladies and gentlemen," said kantwise, "as mrs. bolster has come back to that matter, i'll tell you something that will surprise you. my friend mr. moulder here, who is as hospitable a gentleman as i know anywhere wouldn't just let me speak before."
"that's gammon, kantwise. i never hindered you from speaking."
"how i do hate that word. if you knew my aversion, mr. moulder—"
"i can't pick my words for you, old fellow."
"but what were you going to tell us, mr. kantwise?" said mrs. smiley.
"something that will make all your hairs stand on end, i think." and then he paused and looked round upon them all. it was at this moment that kenneby succeeded in getting his hand once more to himself. "something that will surprise you all, or i'm very much mistaken. lady mason has confessed her guilt."
he had surprised them all. "you don't say so," exclaimed mrs. moulder.
"confessed her guilt," said mrs. smiley. "but what guilt, mr. kantwise?"
"she forged the will," said kantwise.
"i knew that all along," said bridget bolster.
"i'm d—— if i believe it," said moulder.
"you can do as you like about that," said kantwise; "but she has. and i'll tell you what's more: she and young mason have already left orley farm and given it all up into joseph mason's hands."
"but didn't she get a verdict?" asked snengkeld.
"yes, she got a verdict. there's no doubt on earth about that."
"then it's my opinion she can't make herself guilty if she wished it; and as for the property, she can't give it up. the jury has found a verdict, and nobody can go beyond that. if anybody tries she'll have her action against 'em." that was the law as laid down by snengkeld.
"i don't believe a word of it," said moulder. "dockwrath has told him. i'll bet a hat that kantwise got it from dockwrath."
it turned out that kantwise had received his information from dockwrath; but nevertheless, there was that in his manner, and in the nature of the story as it was told to them, that did produce belief. moulder for a long time held out, but it became clear at last that even he was shaken; and now, even kenneby acknowledged his conviction that the signature to the will was not his own.
"i know'd very well that i never did it twice," said bridget bolster triumphantly, as she sat down to the supper table.
i am inclined to think, that upon the whole the company in great st. helen's became more happy as the conviction grew upon them that a great and mysterious crime had been committed, which had baffled two courts of law, and had at last thrust itself forth into the open daylight through the workings of the criminal's conscience. when kantwise had completed his story, the time had come in which it behoved mrs. moulder to descend to the lower regions, and give some aid in preparation of the supper. during her absence the matter was discussed in every way, and on her return, when she was laden with good things, she found that all the party was contented except moulder and her brother.
"it's a very terrible thing," said mrs. smiley, later in the evening, as she sat with her steaming glass of rum and water before her. "very terrible indeed; ain't it, john? i do wish now i'd gone down and see'd her, i do indeed. don't you, mrs. moulder?"
"if all this is true i should like just to have had a peep at her."
"at any rate we shall have pictures of her in all the papers," said mrs. smiley.
