Johnny Ludlow, First Series

were ripening. It had been a warm spr

s had ceased. Reed had not been constant in attendance since the misfortune in the winter, when Major Parrifer put him into prison. The month's imprisonment had altered him; his daughter Cathy's mysterious absence had altered him more; he see

ay and surprise him and the neighbours, that she was "all right, and he had no call to fret after he

aken it by chance, because it was a quiet walk. He was passing along slowly, the children running about the field, on which the second crop of grass was beginning to grow, when voices on the other side of the

ecovered to attend service, but neither was he ill enough to lie in bed. With the departure of his family for churc

his ought to have

shall have done in two or three minutes. The cook makes a f

went on with his work, and the Major gave a general look round. On a near wall, at right angle

t thinning, Hotty,"

inned 'em

to have been. I said then they had not had sufficient room to gro

they looked too thick. Reed, outside, watched the process-not alone. As luck had it, a man appeared on the field-path, who proved to be Gruff Blo

it. Hotty came out from the peas, his task finished. They strolled slowly down the path by the hedge; the Major first

on-bed?" suddenly asked the Major,

to it on the morrow, he told his master; and then said something about the wor

aid the Major; "there'

so, uprooting quite half the weeds himself. Not much more, in all, than the

ee the Major at it?-thinning his apricots and pulling up his weeds?" he asked of Gruff Blossom. And Blo

ood," s

th toothache as usual, Tod teasing Hugh and Lena, and I up in the beech-tree, a horseman rode in. It proved to be Mr. Jacobson. Giles took h

Mr. Jacobson. "Have

anything," ans

n a Sunday, and is to appear before the magistrates at Alcester tomorro

ed Squire

room, has also a summons ser

ugh and Lena to themselves: I slid down fr

int. At first they were unwilling to grant a summons; laughed at it; but Reed, in a burst of reproach, civilly delivered, asked why there should be a law for the poor and not for the rich, and

ontinued Jacobson. "He appeared struck w

uire n

der glass, "that granting that summons was as good as a play to Brandon an

ho had been grieved at the tim

man to offend. And he is sure to v

with enthusiasm. "Wel

s a magistrate, wouldn't he take his place and judge the Major! But the Pater said that when people had lived to his age, they li

he magistrates who had granted the summons sat. The news had gone about like wild-fire, and several of them were in and about the town, but did not take their

they dared summon him. Him! Mr. Brandon, cool as a cucumber, answered in his squeaky voice, that when a com

upposition was preposterous! Upon which George Reed, who was in his best clothes, and l

at it was Reed who had looked, gave the lie direct. He called his gardener, Richard Hotty, orderi

e was picking peas; and he helped to weed the onion-bed. But it wa

ded of the magistrates why they permitted the fellow to inter

ot tree that Sunday morning; he had helped to weed the onion-bed; Hotty, conscious of the fact, but not liking t

our master pic

d Hotty, shuffling from one leg to the other in

help you to weed

. "He see 'em, and stooped down on the spur o' the moment, and me too. We had 'em up in a twin

erminate: the Major had this witness, Hotty, such as he was, protestin

som back, Johnny," whispered

ot," I said.

ed himself. Major Parrifer plunged daggers into him, if

htforward. Major Parrifer had thinned the apricot tree for its own bene

place, James Blossom?" demande

was the sh

ppose?-and skulk under the hedge on purpose?-

ing; and I did so, not knowing what there might be to see. It would be nothing to me if the Major worked in his garden of a Sunday from sunrise to sunset; he's welcome to do it; but if yo

Mr. Brandon began saying to the Major that he feared there was no help for it

or so of worthless weeds? He would be glad to ask which of them, his brother-magistrates sitting there, would not

arden to get up a bunch of turnips for my sick wife, and seeing some withered weeds flung on the bed I drew

ces had none ready. Mr. Brandon was beginning to confer w

himself that I had violated the sanctity of the Sabbath (those were the words), and therefore

ular," said one of the justices. "

ey kept me to hard labour for the month, as if I did not have enough of hard labour out of it. My wife was sick and disabled at the time, my thre

u be qui

hat he had to say, "Major Parrifer must deserve two months, for his offence

om," interrupted Mr. Brandon, his thin voice sharp and determined. "

hority, in spite of his nervous health and querulous way of speaking. The justices spoke a few wo

riage. No other case was on, that day, and the justices got up and mixed with the crowd. Mr. Brandon,

oice that every one might hear. "When the law was made against Sabbath-brea

ense,

pay a bit of money, which is of no more account to him than dirt, and that he

s voice to a low key. "You ought not to have been put in priso

e got a blight on it. It's on me

got it too, Reed, unless I am mistaken. He'll carry that fine about with him

ve all things, to have been found guilty and fined, was as the most bitter potion to Major Parrifer. The bench would never again be to him

arriage, finer and louder than ever; she said that she had not been well, and was ordered to Aberystwith for six weeks. The next day they an

Mr. Duffham always maintained that though that might apply to a short period of time, in the long-run mind and body sympathized together. George Reed had been a very healthy man, and as free from care as

oice then, and Reed took to his bed. For the most part, when our poor people fell ill, they had to get well again without notice being taken of them; but events had drawn attentio

he said to me one day in January; "it's as good and nourishi

d without him, and put on my hat and coat. Mrs. Todhetley had th

l, Johnny, if you'd take care not to br

eely-blue, the sun bright, the ground hard. Major Parrifer and two of his daughters, coming home from a ride, were canteri

in a bed-rug. Mrs. Reed took the bottles from me in the back'us-as they called the place wh

eek," said Reed, with a groan: and I s

I sat down opposite to him, and took up the boy, Georgy. Th

to be a hard

weather don't seem to b

" put in Mrs. Reed. Years ago she had broken her wrist, and f

lowly forward. They guessed there was a supply in my pocket. I had dipped into the biscuit-basket at ho

ooked up again, who must have come in stealthily; some one in a dark dress, and a black and white

er face, and the room was not light. Reed's illness had left him thin, a

! you a

ere frightened and flew to their mother; one began to scream and the other followed suit. Altogether there was a good

rom him-to avoid suffocation perhaps. She burst out laughing in her old lig

as honest as anybody,"

onnet and caught the children to her. They began to know her then and ceased their cries. Presently Reed held the paper acros

read i

te of the marriage of Spencer Gervoise Daubeney Parrifer and Catherine Reed. They had been

ical fit. Defiant, hard, strong-minded Reed! But the man was three parts dead from weakness.

e to marry

ith him without it father. We

f it yet?" asked Mrs. R

answered Cath

avelling all night. There she met young Parrifer, who had preceded her and made arrangements for the ma

g wonderful for our quiet place when it came to be told. You meet with mar

ur husband?

at I've come home about," she answered: and

Cathy had not married and left home. It was a fancy of mine, and I don't know why it should have come to me, but it proved to

re at the window and saw her coming, but Cathy had her veil down and they did not recognize her. The actions and manners and air of a

aid Miss Jemima. "Comin

of taking up her old position. She meant to hold her own; and was capable of doing

resounded through the house, waking up the Major: wh

room and told the Major a lady wanted h

e?" asked

sir. I asked, but she s

ask it

ame back. "It is M

s.

arrifer

y had no relatives whatever. Consequently the o

saw the lady standing on one side of the fender, holding her foot to the fire. She had her back to him

Parrifer wanted me. Did he

hrowing up her thick veil, and drawing

uster rarely failed him, but he had none ready at that moment. T

tinued Cathy. "And I have come over from Ire

this one was the worst: at least as much as he could think anything, for his wits

orcestershire by the cows, though I don't think you would find the word in the dictionary. But Cathy stood her ground. He then went ranting towards

on's wife, and have been such ever since I left father's cottage last year; and my baby, your grandson, sir,

Major Parrifer had never thought of the girl. It had been said in his ears now and again that Reed was grieving for his daughter; but the matter was altogether too contemptible for Major Parrifer to take note of. And now to hear that the girl had been with his son all the time, his wife! But that utter disbelief came to his aid, the Major might have fallen

ouse, with your shameless lies,

you what I came over the sea to tel

glasses across his nose. It was a copy of the certificate of marriage. His hands shook as h

up the pieces. "Your son-if he lives-is about to be trie

!" shrieked M

d him with. I have come all

t, could only listen. Cathy, her back against

vailable cash had been parted with long ago; his commission (it was said) was mortgaged: how many promissory notes, bills, I O U's he had signed could not even be guessed at. In a quarrel a few nights before, after a public-house supper, when some of them were the worse for drink, young Parrifer, who could on rare occasions go into frightful passions, flung a carving-knife at one of the others, a

nts don't often see the defects in their own children, especially if they are only sons. Far from having thought his son soft, unfit (as he nearly was) to be trusted abo

e abuse of Cathy. He told her all that had happened to his son she w

or a month or two; but for that, he would have done for himself before now. Do you think I've had a bargain in him, sir? No. Marriage is a

e no answer.

s his wife; and then they told me I had better see Captain Williams. I went to head-quarters and saw Captain Williams. He seemed to doubt me; so I showed him the certificate, and told him my baby was at home, turned six weeks old. He was very kind then, sir; to

im?" growled M

ed to his son, though he

now me or anybody else; he was raving mad, a

ve not written to me?"

are facts that were known about his illness and the charge against him. I said I'd prefer to hear the truth-it couldn't be worse than I suspected. Then he went on to the drinking and the gambling and the debts, just as I have repe

ions of a sojourn at Dublin, and of figuring off at the Vice–Regal Court, himself, his wife, and his son, had floated occasionally in rose-coloured clouds before his eyes, poor pompous old s

ace where I've left my baby. And if your son should ever wake out of his delirium, Major Parrifer, he will be able to tell you that if he had listened to me and heeded me, or even only come

y Miss Jemima Parrifer. That young lady, curious upon the subject of the visit and visitor, had thought it well to put her

ng her for the ill-talked-of Cathy Reed, the daug

the hall-door and let herself out. M

cer, that vile girl? What did she do here? W

them. Miss Jemima, looking closely at him in the darkness of the room, saw a gre

t is the matte

le, took her arm and pushed her out at the door. No

te an altered voice, low and timid. And Mi

this illness, and then, what of his soul? Not that the Major was given to that kind of reflection. Escaping the illness, he must be tried-for his life, as

stood in that very room less than twelve months ago, in the dim light of late night, with his hair cut close, and his warning: "It will come home to you, Major Parrifer." Had it come home

nd that one was more humiliating to Major Parrifer's spirit than all the rest. Had Reed been at liberty, Cat

ean. As to the girl-when Reed had come asking for tidings of her, it had seemed to the Major not of the least moment whither she had gone or what ill she had entered on: was she not a common labourer's daughter, and that labourer G

made by Mrs. Reed, took herself off from her father's cottage. She

ever recognized him. Of course it saved the trial, when he would probably have been convicted of manslaughter. It saved the payment of his hundreds of debts too; post-obits and all; he died befo

y too. What little she earned was by hard work: but it would not keep her, and she applied to the parish. The parish in turn applied to Major Parrifer, and forced from him

rought her pigs t

y, who died soon after. Better that she had married an ho