None Other Gods

t required any defense. He shows no penitence for it in his diary: and yet moralists are united in telling us that we must never do evil that good may come. It is only, paralleled by his

ll us, in fact, that the firs

out in t

ck, and reappears, rather breathless, forty minutes later with a newly-plucked fowl-or even with a fowl not plucked at all, and still warm, or with half a dozen eggs; and, in addition, issues out again later in the evening and returns with a strong smell of spirits and a watery eye-it seems a little doubtful as to whether he has been scrupulously honest

t Weighton when the thing happened-I cannot iden

(Frank had even found himself mechanically gathering up crumbs on a wet finger.) They had had a bad week of it; the corn was not yet ready for cutting, and there seemed no work anywhere for honest men. The Major's gloom had become terrible; he had even made remarks upon a choice between a workhouse

ago, and yet his obstinacy held firm. But he found he could not talk much. He watched Gertie listlessly as she, listl

urried steps, as of one trying to run on tiptoe, coming

mned light!" he

t out with the swi

ere had been a strenuous look about the face

s if she had had experience of this kind of thing before. Frank listened with all his ea

ened that the Major was seeking cover somewhere. Then, so suddenly that he started all over, Frank

he thing on me.... What shall I do with it?...

?" whispe

I don't even know what it is.... And ... and she screamed out a

the hand tightened on his arm. But it

?" he

ewhere. We could meet again later.... I ... I'm afraid someone may have spotte

work," whispered Frank earn

be hard on a poor devil....

ide it s

hey'd ...

y seen before it was gone again, shone through a crack in the si

e, suddenly stand up noiselessly, and i

you fool," he

simultaneously he heard a rush of footsteps outside. He had just time to stuff the thing inside his coat and roll ov

I

ho conducted it certainly did their best under very difficult circumstances; for what are you to do if a man accused of theft cordia

r of the country gentleman, the dog-cart of the neighboring rector, an

ed it on my little pilgrimage, undertaken a few months ago, it had been repai

in, hot and excited, to see the criminals and hear justice done. There was a case arising from an ancient family feud, exploded at last into crime; one lady had thrown a clog at another as the last repartee in a little dialogue held at s

rning, though he had never met him before) and conversed cheerily with his brother magistrates as

uted evidence as to whether or not the lady with the bandage had provoked the attack, not only by her language, but by throwing a banana-skin at the lady without the bandag

rk and the inspector all conferred a little together, and after an order or two, the door near the back of the court leading from the police-cells opened, and Frank stepped forward into the dock, fol

ran-Frank gave his name of Frank Gregory, his age as twenty-two years

the village (whose name I choose to forget, if I ever knew it), seized from Maggie Cooper, aged nine years, a tin

sir," said Frank,

d also deliberately rumpled his hair and pulled his clothes to make them look as untidy as possible. He answered in a low voice, so as to attract as little attention as possible. He had

ilty, eh?" sa

k no

r the whole story. Whe

her aunt-her father was a grocer-with a tin of salmon that had been promised and forgotten (that was how she came to be out so late). As she reached the corner by Barker's Lane a man

ad just seen that he was a man. ("Called himself one," put in a voice

scream. Her brother, a severe-looking man, with a black beard, finished her story. He had heard his sister call out, as he was taking off his boots at the foot of the stairs; he had run out with his laces dangling, in time to see the man run past t

t had happ

prisoner's footsteps run up the lane leading to the barn. He had stopped then as he was out of breath, and as he thought they would have th

her men, had "proceeded" to the barn immediately, and there had found the prisoner, who was pretending to be asleep,

ny one else

give evidence as to the prisoner's identity, and as to his leaving and returning to the bar

seemed a magistrate who liked to be paternal, and he appeared to grow

t all about the two witnesses not y

all that? You pl

azing at the very pink sa

id you

hungr

bodied lad like you?

get it, sir,

You couldn't get it that day, anyhow

s,

ned forward swiftly

like an edu

'm very pleas

faint snig

educated?" persi

o incriminate

erested. "Eh? you mean, after a good educati

k you

? And you'd like the

please

ly what was happening; he understood that it was doubtful whether or no his case could be dealt with in this court. H

bery at all within the meaning of the ter

g, and finally the General settle

y. You ought to be more hardy than that, you know-a great fellow like you-than to mind a bit of hunger. Boys like you ought to enlist; that'd make a man of you in no time. But no.... I know you; you won't.... You'd sooner loaf about and pick up what you can-soo

t you just think over it. And

saw the three magistrates

I

tie that had made him, in the first instance, take the tin from the Major. Yet it was not that there was any sense of guilt, or even of mistake. One would have thought that from everybody's point of view, and particularly Gertie's, it would be an excellent thing for the Major to go to prison for a bit. It would certainly do him no harm, and it would be a real opportunity to separate the girl from

by his fourteen days to

ontributory causes

wds that gathered to laugh or stare, and culminating with the details of the prison life. It is not pleasant for a cleanly man to be suspected of dirt, to be bathed and examined all over by a man suffering himself apparently from some species

brupt change of life-of d

is own regard for himself. Innocence of a fault does not entirely do away with the distress and stigma of its punishment. He imagined himself telling Jenny; he tried to see her laughing, and someh

"if you didn't do it, you made a friend

the thing was just one stage of a process that had to be accomplished, and that if it had not come about in this way, it must have come about in another. As for his religion, all emotional grasp of that fled, it seemed finally, at the touch of real ignominy. He retained the intelle

ickly round the corner of the jail, in order to get

ore his release. But, naturally enough, they were extraordinarily off the point. It was not helpful to Frank to have it urged upon him to set about an honest livelihood-it was

; and those interviews had not been more helpful than any other. It is not of much use to be entreated to turn over a new leaf when you see no kind of reason for doing so; and little books left tactfully in your cell, directed to the s

e came out of jail, and hurried away. It is such a very startlin

straight to the post-office. The Governor had given him half-a-crown to start life with, and he p

Major Trustcott, who had thoughtfully given him th

one or two addition

ight brass lattice rails, behind which two young ladies of an inexpressibly aristocratic demeanor and appearance were engaged in conversation:

pectful pause Frank ve

er and two envelopes, please .

ontinued her

never do, that Harold would be sur

t a little. Miss Mills

ouble, I said,

quite rig

her on the counter. Miss Mills rose slowly from her place, went a yard or two, and took down a

ets of paper and two

tle with anger. He had no

d at Frank with extreme disdain, and

she inqui

eas

e pushed across and

ed. He thought himself foolish to be angry. Miss Jamieson uttered a short laugh and gl

h to give me what I ask

n this small sentence: but

"than to come asking for such things h

n't kee

a small sound. Miss

laces for writing-paper

ve understood that he had been guilty of gross impertinence in asking such things of M

u have the civility t

side a little sewing

ening here. I'll have to call the policeman if you do....

us instant. Then his heart sank

l lodging-house where he had secured a bed. I have the one he wrote to Jack be

ar

Jenny to know first, so that she can think of what to say to my father. The thing I was sent to prison for was that I pleaded guilty to stealing a tin of salmon from a child called Mary Cooper. Yo

separate piece of paper. Please destroy the address at once; but you can show this letter to Jenn

just now, but I'm going

ou

F

e address me as Mr. F.

obstinate, you

sing conversation with the young ladies in the post office, and the next one

at looked as if it would lead to the York Road, when he noticed a disagreeable

lightly excited with drink, had hold of a miserable old man by the

on the tramp (I have this from the mouth of experienced persons) he has to make up his mind fairly soon either to be a redresser of wro

out any words at all hit the young man as h

d one, who fled out into the lane, and struck back at Frank, who parried. Simulta

The young man, with a torrent of imprecations, demanded who Frank thought he was, asked where he was coming to, required of society in general an explanation of a stranger's interfering between a son and a qualified father. There was a murmur of applause and dissent, and Frank answered, wi

battle

have entirely bewildered his adversary) and he made no effort to reach the face. He just thumped away steadily below the spot where the ribs part, and where-a doctor informs me-a nerve-center, known as the solar plexus, is situated. He revolved, too, with considerable agility, round his opponent, and gradually drew the battle nearer and nearer to the side lane outside. He knew enough of slum-chivalry by now to be aware that if a sympathizer, or sy

s no need fo

nd the fight ceased. Frank was aware of a shrill old voice calling out something behind him; and the next instant, simultaneously with the droppi

this?" said a v

th red arms and an exceedingly persuasive manner, who advanced from a doorway and described the incident from her own point of view. She

another fit of hiccupping, corroborated the witne

embracing arm and faced ro

's a black lie. He was hitting that old man. Wher

licable emotion, and corroborated the red-armed woman, and th

What are you afraid of? Let's have t

on one side and, let us hope, by a wish for justice on the other. "He war

h a shove. "We don't want your sort here. Coming and making troub

re you talking t

the policeman judicially. "F. Gregory, ain't it? Now

rably where the truth lay, but wished to prevent further disturbance. He gulped down his fury. It was

e out from the crowd, biddin

considerable vigor. But it was very little comfort to him. He walked out of the town wi

V

noon Frank was well

ns; and he was dispirited and tired as he came at last into a small, prim

a flannel shirt, a pair of thick socks and a small saucepan he had bought one day. The half-crown that the Governor had given him was gone, all but fourpence, and he wa

that in this, church of the Sacred Heart mass was said on Sundays at eleven, on holidays of obligation at nine, and on weekdays at eight-thirty a.m. Confessions were heard on Saturday evenings and on Thursday evenings b

he thought that could wait for a few minutes as he glan

uiet, and the hot summer air and sunshine lay on all like a charm. There was another cat, he noticed, on a doorstep a few yards away, and he wondered how any living creature in this heat could possibly lie like that, face co

ick, like the church, squeezed between the church and a large grocery with a flamboyant inscription over its closed shutters. All the windows were open, hung inside with cheap lace curtains, and protect

the street, rapped with the c

at all h

tair, and began to arch itself about and rub its back against the warm angle of the doorpost. Frank rapped again, interrupting the cat for an instant, and then stooped down to scratch it under the ear. T

lined face and q

and down Frank's figure with suspicion. Her eyes d

the priest, ple

an't s

" said Frank, "bu

med the woman bitterly. "I'd

ty asserted i

ne, please. I am a Catholic,

ere came the sound of an opening door and a quic

said a voice, as th

ired-looking, and his collar was plainly unbuttoned at the back. Also, his cassock was unfastened at t

half of solid beer. And he had just fallen into a deep sleep before giving Catechism, when the footsteps and voices had awakened him. Further, every wastrel Catholic that came along this road paid him a call, and he

you want?

to you, fathe

ay what you'v

p me with six

silent, eyein

u a Cat

, fa

you at mass

morning. I was wal

id you h

at all, father. I

s your

ven't

's t

ed his shoul

n I can get

like an edu

tty well

t laughed

t bruise on

eet fight, yest

s!" he said. "Where di

e was very hot and very

urteen days on the charge of robbing a child, on the tw

g in the full blaze of this hot sun, he might have been rather struck by this last s

gain, shortl

"No, certainly not! And you'd bette

banged t

e table by him a Dutch cheese, a large crusty piece of bread and some very soft salt butter in a saucer.

un. But the street lay hot and dusty in the afternoon light, empty from e

, appear round a corner, and he remembere