Holiday House Part 20

"Animals are all meant for the use of man, but not to be abused, like these poor creatures!"

"As for racing," said Miss Perceval, "a thorough-bred horse enters into the spirit of it quite as much as his rider. Did you never hear of Quin's celebrated steed, which became so eager to win, that when his antagonist pa.s.sed he seized him violently by the leg, and both jockeys had to dismount that the furious animal might be torn away. The famous horse Forester, too, caught hold of his opponent by the jaw, and could scarcely be disengaged."

"Think of all the cruel training these poor creatures went through before they came to that," added Lady Rockville; "of the way in which horses are beaten, spurred, and severely cut with the whip; then, after their strength fails, like the well-known 'high-mettled racer,' the poor animal is probably sold at last to perpetual hard labour and ill-usage."

"Uncle David shewed me yesterday," said Laura, "that horrid picture which you have probably seen, by Cruickshanks, of the Knackers' Yards in London, where old horses are sent to end their miserable days, after it is impossible to torture them any longer into working. Oh! it was dreadful! and yet grandmama said the whole sketch had been taken from life."

"I know that," answered Lady Rockville. "In these places the wretched animals are literally put to death by starvation, and may be seen gnawing each other's manes in the last agonies of hunger."

"My dear Lady Rockville," exclaimed Miss Perceval, affectedly, "how can you talk of such unpleasant things!--there is an Act of Parliament against cruelty to animals, so of course no such thing exists now. Many gentlemen are vastly kind to old horses, turning them out to gra.s.s for years, that they may enjoy a life of elegant leisure and rural retirement, to which, no doubt, some are well ent.i.tled; for instance, the famous horse Eclipse, which gained his owner 25,000! I wish he had been mine!"

"But think how many are ruined when one is enriched, and indeed both are ruined in morals and good feeling; therefore I am glad that our s.e.x have never yet taken to the turf. It is bad enough, my dear Miss Perceval, to see that they have taken to the moors; for were I to say all I think of those amazons who lately killed their six brace of grouse on the 12th of August, they would probably challenge me to single combat. Lord Rockville says, 'What with gentlemen doing worsted work, and ladies shouldering double-barrelled guns, he scarcely thinks this can be the same world he was born in long ago.'"

The carriage, at this moment, began to proceed along the road with such extraordinary rapidity, that there seemed no danger of their following in the dust of any other equipage, and Miss Perceval became exceedingly alarmed, especially when Lady Rockville mentioned that this was one of the first times she had been driven by her new coachman, who seemed so very unsteady on his seat, she had felt apprehensive, for some time, that he might be drunk.

"A tipsy coachman! Dear Lady Rockville, do let me out! We shall certainly be killed in this crowd of carriages! I can walk home! Pray stop him, Miss Laura! I came to look on at a race, but not to run one myself! This fast driving is like a railroad, only not quite so straight! I do verily believe we are run off with! Stop, coachman!--stop!"

In spite of all Miss Perceval's exclamations and vociferations, the carriage flew on with frightful rapidity, though it reeled from side to side of the road, as if it had become intoxicated like the driver himself, who lashed his horses and galloped along, within an inch of hedges and ditches all the way, till at last, having reached the race-course, he pulled up so suddenly and violently, that the horses nearly fell back on their haunches, while he swore at them in the most furious and shocking manner.

Lady Rockville now stood up, and spoke to the coachman very severely on his misconduct, in first driving her so dangerously fast, and then being disrespectful enough to use profane language in her presence, adding, that if he did not conduct himself more properly, she must complain to Lord Rockville as soon as the carriage returned home. Upon hearing this, the man looked exceedingly sulky, and muttered angrily to himself in a tipsy voice, till at last he suddenly threw away the reins, and, rising from the box, he began to scramble his way down, nearly falling to the ground in his haste, and saying, "if your ladyship is not pleased with my driving, you may drive yourself!"

After this the intoxicated man staggered towards a drinking-booth not far off, and disappeared, leaving Miss Perceval perfectly planet-struck with astonishment, and actually dumb during several minutes with wonder, at all she heard and saw. There sat Harry, alone on the d.i.c.ky, behind two spirited blood-horses, foaming at the mouth with the speed at which they had come, and ready to start off again at the slightest hint, while noises on every side were to be heard enough to frighten a pair of hobby-horses. Piemen ringing their bells--blind fiddlers playing out of tune--boys calling lists of the horses--drums beating at the starting-post--ballad singers squalling at the full pitch of their voices--horses galloping--grooms quarrelling--dogs barking--and children crying.

In the midst of all this uproar, Harry unexpectedly observed Captain Digby on horseback not far off. Without losing a moment, he stood up, waving his handkerchief, and calling to beg he would come to the carriage immediately, as they were in want of a.s.sistance; and Lady Rockville told, as soon as he arrived, though hardly able to help laughing while she explained it, the extraordinary predicament they had been placed in. Captain Digby, upon hearing the story, looked ready to go off like a squib with rage at the offending coachman, and instantly seizing the driving-whip, he desired his servant to hold the horses'

heads, while he proceeded towards the drinking-booth, flourishing the long lash in his hand as he went in a most ominous manner. Several minutes elapsed, during which Harry overheard a prodigious outcry in the tent, and then the drunken coachman was seen reeling away along the road, while Captain Digby, still brandishing the whip, returned, and mounting the d.i.c.ky himself, he gathered up the reins, and insisted on driving Lady Rockville's phaeton for her. Before long it was ranged close beside a chariot so full of ladies, it seemed ready to burst, when Harry was amused to perceive that Peter Grey and another boy, who were seated on the rumble behind, had spread a table-cloth on the roof of the carriage, using it for a dining-table, while they all seemed determined to astonish their appet.i.tes by the quant.i.ty of oysters and sandwiches they ate, and by drinking at the same time large tumblers of porter.

Lady Rockville wished she could have the loan of Harry and Laura's spirits for an hour or two, when she saw how perfectly bewildered with delight they were on beholding the thousands of eager persons a.s.sembled on the race-ground,--jockeys riding about in liveries as gay as tulips--officers in scarlet uniform--red flags fluttering in the breeze--caravans exhibiting pictures of the wildest-looking beasts in the world--bands of music--recruiting parties--fire-eaters, who dined on red-hot pokers--portraits representing pigs fatter than the fattest in the world--giants a head and three pair of shoulders taller than any one else, and little dwarfs, scarcely visible with the naked eye--all of which were shown to children for half price!

Lady Rockville very good naturedly gave Harry half-a-crown, promising that, before leaving the race-ground, he should either buy some oranges to lay the dust in his throat after so long a drive, or visit as many shows as he pleased for his half-crown; and they were anxiously discussing what five sights would be worth sixpence each, when a loud hurra was heard, the drums beat, and five horses started off for the first heat. Harry stood up in an ecstacy of delight, and spoke loudly in admiration of the jockey on a grey horse, with a pink jacket, who took the lead, and seemed perfectly to fly, as if he need never touch the ground; but Harry exclaimed angrily against the next rider, in a yellow dress and green cap, who pulled back his own bay horse, as if he really wished to lose. To Laura's astonishment, however, Captain Digby preferred him, and Miss Perceval declared in favour of a light-blue jacket and chesnut horse. Harry now thought everybody stupid not to agree with him, and called out in the height of his eagerness, "I would bet this half-crown upon the pink jacket!"

"Done!" cried Peter, laughing. "The yellow dress and green cap for my money!"

"Then I shall soon have five shillings!" exclaimed Harry in great glee; but scarcely had he spoken, before a loud murmuring sound arose among the surrounding crowd, upon hearing which he looked anxiously about, and was astonished to see the green cap and yellow dress already at the winning-post, while his own favourite grey horse cantered slowly along, far behind all the others, carrying the jockey in the pink jacket, who hung his head, and was bent nearly double, with shame and fatigue.

Peter Grey gave a loud laugh of triumph when he glanced at Harry's disappointed angry countenance, and held out his hand for the half-crown, saying, "Pay your debt of honour, Master Harry! It is rather fortunate I won, seeing that not one sixpence had I to have paid you with! not a penny to jingle on a mile-stone. You had more money than wit, and I had more wit than money, so we are well met. Did you not see that the grey horse had fallen lame? Good-bye, youngster! I shall tell all the giants and wild beasts to expect you another day!"

"Harry!" said Lady Rockville, looking gravely at his enraged countenance, "it is a foolish fish that is caught with every bait! I am quite relieved that you lost that money. This is an early lesson against gambling, and no one can ever be rich or happy who becomes fond of it.

We were wrong to bring you here at all; and I now see you could easily be led into that dreadful vice, which has caused misery and ruin to thousands of young men. If you had possessed an estate, it would have been thrown away quite as foolishly as the poor half-crown, making you perhaps miserable afterwards for life."

"I thought myself quite sure to win!" exclaimed Harry, still looking with angry astonishment after Peter, who was making odd grimaces, and holding up the half-crown in a most teazing manner. "I would rather have thrown my money into the sea than given it to Peter."

"Think, too, how many pleasanter and better ways there are, in which you might have spent it!" added Lady Rockville. "Look at that poor blind man whom you could have relieved, or consider what a nice present you should have given to Laura! But there seem to be no more brains in your head, Harry, than in her thimble!"

"Peter is quite a little black-leg already," observed Miss Perceval. "I never saw such a boy! So fond of attracting notice, that he would put on a cap and bells if that would make him stared at. Last Sat.u.r.day he undertook for a bet to make a ceremonious bow to every lamp-post along Prince's Street, and I wish you could have seen the wondering crowd that gradually collected as he went along, performing his task with the most perfect composure and impudence."

"For cool a.s.surance, I hope there are not many boys equal to him," said Lady Rockville. "He scattered out of the window lately several red-hot half-pence, among some beggars, and I am told they perfectly stuck to the poor creatures' fingers when trying to pick them up; and he was sent a message, on his pony, one very cold day lately, to Lady De Vere's, who offered, when he was taking leave, to cut him one of her finest camellias, to which he replied, 'I would much rather you offered me a hot potatoe!'"

"Peter feels no sympathy in your disappointment, Harry," added Miss Perceval; "but we might as well expect wool on a dog, as friendship from a gambler, who would ruin his own father, and always laughs at those who lose."

"Go and cut your wisdom teeth, Harry!" said Captain Digby, smiling. "Any one must have been born blind not to observe that the grey horse was falling behind; but you have bought half-a-crown's worth of wisdom by experience, and I hope it will last for life. Never venture to bet even that your own head is on your shoulders, or it may turn out a mistake."

"Harry is now the monkey that has seen the world, and I think it will be a whole year of Sat.u.r.days before he ever commits such a blunder again,"

continued Lady Rockville. "We must for this once, not complain of what has occurred to Lady Harriet, because she would be exceedingly displeased, but certainly you are a most ingenious little gentleman for getting into sc.r.a.pes!"

Harry told upon himself, however, on his return home, because he had always been accustomed to do so, knowing Major Graham and his grandmama were never very angry at any fault that was confessed and repented of, therefore he went straight up stairs, and related his whole history to uncle David, who gave him a very serious exhortation against the foolish and sinful vice of gambling. To keep him in mind of his silly adventure that day, Harry was also desired, during the whole evening, to wear his coat turned inside out, a very frequent punishment administered by Major Graham for small offences, and which was generally felt to be a terrible disgrace.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE UNEXPECTED EVENT.

His shout may ring upon the hill, His voice be echoed in the hall, His merry laugh like music trill, I scarcely notice such things now.

Willis.

Some weeks after Frank had left home, while lady Harriet and Major Graham were absent at Holiday House, Harry and Laura felt surprised to observe, that Mrs. Crabtree suddenly became very grave and silent,--her voice seemed to have lost half its loudness,--her countenance looked rather pale,--and they both escaped being scolded on several occasions, when Harry himself could not but think he deserved it. Once or twice he ventured to do things that at other times he dared not have attempted, "merely as an experiment," he said, "like that man in the menagerie, who put his head into the lion's mouth, without feeling quite sure whether it would be bit off the next moment or not;" but though Mrs. Crabtree evidently saw all that pa.s.sed, she turned away with a look of sadness, and said not a word.

What could be the matter? Harry almost wished she would fly into a good pa.s.sion and scold him, it became so extraordinary and unnatural to see Mrs. Crabtree sitting all day in a corner of the room, sewing in silence, and scarcely looking up from her work; but still the wonder grew, for she seemed to become worse and worse every day. Harry dressed up the cat in an old cap and frock of Laura's,--he terrified old Jowler by putting him into the shower-bath,--and let off a few crackers at the nursery window,--but it seemed as if he might have fired a cannon without being scolded by Mrs. Crabtree, who merely turned her head round for a minute, and then silently resumed her work. Laura even fancied that Mrs. Crabtree was once in tears, but that seemed quite impossible, so she thought no more about it, till one morning, when they had begun to despair of ever hearing more about the business, and were whispering together in a corner of the room, observing that she looked duller than ever, they were surprised to hear Mrs. Crabtree calling them both to come near her. She looked very pale, and was beginning to say something, when her voice suddenly became so husky and indistinct, that she seemed unable to proceed; therefore, motioning with her hand for them to go away, she began sewing very rapidly, as she had done before, breaking her threads, and p.r.i.c.king her fingers, at every st.i.tch.

Laura and Harry silently looked at each other with some apprehension, and the nursery now became so perfectly still, that a feather falling on the ground would have been heard. This had continued for some time, when at last Laura upon tiptoe stole quietly up to where Mrs. Crabtree was sitting, and said to her, in a very kind and anxious voice, "I am afraid you are not well, Mrs. Crabtree! Grandmama will send for a doctor when she comes home. Shall I ask her?"

"You are very kind, Miss Laura!--never mind me! Your grandmama knows what is the matter. It will be all one a hundred years hence," answered Mrs. Crabtree, in a low husky voice. "This is a thing you will be very glad to hear!--you must prepare to be told some good news!" added she, forcing a laugh, but such a laugh as Harry and Laura never heard before, for it sounded so much more like sorrow than joy. They waited in great suspense to hear what would follow, but Mrs. Crabtree, after struggling to speak again with composure, suddenly started off her seat, and hurried rapidly out of the room. She appeared no more in the nursery that day, but next morning when they were at breakfast, she entered the room with her face very much covered up in her bonnet, and evidently tried to speak in her usual loud bustling voice, though somehow it still sounded perfectly different from common. "Well, children! Lady Harriet was so kind as to promise that my secret should be kept till I pleased, and that no one should mention it to you but myself. I am going away!"

"You!" exclaimed Harry, looking earnestly in Mrs. Crabtree's face. "Are you going away?"

"Yes, Master Harry,--I leave this house to-day! Now, don't pretend to look sorry! I know you are not! I can't bear children to tell stories.

Who would ever be sorry for a cross old woman like me?"

"But perhaps I am sorry! Are you in real earnest going away?" asked Harry again, with renewed astonishment. "Oh no! it is only a joke!"

"Do I look as if this were a joke?" asked Mrs. Crabtree, turning round her face, which was bathed with tears. "No, no! I am come to bid you both a long farewell. A fine mess you will get into now! All your things going to rack and ruin, with n.o.body fit to look after them!"

"But, Mrs. Crabtree! we do not like you to go away," said Laura, kindly.

"Why are you leaving us all on a sudden? it is very odd! I never was so surprised in my life!"

"Your papa's orders are come. He wrote me a line some weeks ago, to say that I have been too severe. Perhaps that is all true. I meant it well, and we are poor creatures, who can only act for the best. However, it can't be helped now! There's no use in lamenting over spilt cream.

You'll be the better behaved afterwards. If ever you think of me again, children, let it be as kindly as possible. Many and many a time I shall remember you both. I never cared for any young people but yourselves, and I shall never take charge of any others. Master Frank was the best boy in the world, and you would both have been as good under my care,--but it is no matter now!"

"But it does matter a very great deal," cried Harry, eagerly. "You must stay here, Mrs. Crabtree, as long as you live, and a great deal longer!

I shall write a letter to papa all about it. We were very troublesome, and it was our own faults if we were punished. Never mind, Mrs.

Crabtree, but take off your bonnet and sit down! I am going to do some dreadful mischief to-night, so you will be wanted to keep me in order."

Mrs. Crabtree laid her hand upon Harry's head in silence, and there was something so solemn and serious in her manner, that he saw it would be useless to remonstrate any more. She then held out her hand to Laura, endeavouring to smile as she did so, but it was a vain attempt, for her lip quivered, and she turned away, saying, "Who would ever believe I should make such a fool of myself! Farewell to you both! and let n.o.body speak ill of me after I am gone, if you can help it!"

Without looking round, Mrs. Crabtree hurried out of the nursery and closed the door, leaving Harry and Laura perfectly bewildered with astonishment at this sudden event, which seemed more like a dream than a reality. They both felt exceedingly melancholy, hardly able to believe that she had formerly been at all cross, while they stood at the window with tears in their eyes, watching the departure of her well-known blue chest, on a wheel-barrow, and taking a last look of her red gown and scarlet shawl as she hastily followed it.

For several weeks to come, whenever the door opened, Harry and Laura almost expected her to enter, but month after month elapsed, and Mrs.