Lost Lenore Part 23

"It was the largest sum of money I had ever owned; and, with it in my possession, I thought that the time when I might take my little fellow servant away from the hard life she was leading, could not be far away.

I determined not to spend one penny of the money upon myself; but to go ash.o.r.e at once, and make a bold push towards getting the girl away from the place where she was staying.

"I told the skipper all about her--what sort of a home I had left her in--and the cruelties she was still likely to be enduring.

"He talked to his wife; and after they had asked me a good many questions: as to whether the girl was well-behaved, and used no bad language--they told me that I might bring her aboard the vessel then lying in the river; and that she might look after the three children, and do anything else to make herself useful.

"I started off on my errand, in better spirits than I had ever been in before. I was afraid to go near the baker's house, for fear I should be seen from the shop and might have trouble in getting away again: for I had been regularly bound as his apprentice. So I watched the public-house--where I knew the girl would be sure to come for the supper beer in the evening.

"After I had been looking out for about half an hour, she came, looking more beautiful, more ragged and dirty, than when I had last seen her, four weeks before.

"`Come on, Ann!' I cried. (Ann was her name.) `Come on! Fling away your jug, and follow me!'

"I ran up to her, while I was speaking.

"She dropped the jug--not because I had told her to do so--but from the excitement of her surprise at seeing me. It fell out of her hands on the pavement; and was broken to pieces.

"`Follow me,' said I, `I've another home for you.'

"She gave one glance at the broken jug; and probably thought of her mistress, and the beating she would be sure to get, should she go home without the jug and the supper beer. That thought decided her. She then took my hand; and we started off towards the river.

"I am going to cut my story short," said Stormy, after a pause--during which he seemed to suffer from some painful reflection. "For nine years I worked for that girl. Part of the time I was getting good wages--as the second mate of a large ship, running to Charleston, in the United States; and all of my money was spent in keeping Ann in a good home, and in having her taught to read and write, and behave herself like a lady.

"To deny myself every comfort, for the sake of saving money for her, was my greatest pleasure. I have often crossed the Atlantic without proper clothing; so that Ann might be placed beyond the danger of want, while I was gone.

"During these nine years, I drank no grog, nor liquor of any kind. I would not even take a gla.s.s at the expense of any of my messmates, because I would be expected to stand a gla.s.s in return; and there was more pleasure in saving the money for Ann, than in spending it on what could only injure me. I have often walked the cold wet decks with my feet freezing for the want of a pair of socks and good boots--because these things would cost money: and all that I could make I wished to spend only for the benefit of Ann, who was always in my thoughts--the idol of my soul.

"While making my voyages across the Atlantic, I got some of my companions to learn me to read and write a little. I worked very hard at this, when I could find time. There were two reasons for my wishing to be able to write: the first, because I had some desire to learn on my own account; and the other reason was, that when I should marry Ann, I did not wish her to have a husband who could not write his own name.

"When I had got to be about twenty-three years of age, I began to think of getting married. I was earning good wages; and had saved enough money to furnish a little house for Ann. Just about that time, however, I noticed she had begun to treat me with a little coldness. I had been so very saving of my money, that I always went rather shabbily dressed; and I at first thought that she might be a little ashamed of my appearance. I knew that this would not be right on her part; but I also knew that women have got vanity; and that they cannot help a feeling of that kind. I could not think that it was possible for Ann not to love me--after the many sacrifices I had made for her--for I deserved her love, and had fairly earned it. I thought that if there was a man worthy of being loved by her, and having her for his wife, I was that man, for I had done all that I was able to gain her good will; and no one can do more. I was under the belief, too, that she loved me: for she had many a time told me so. You may imagine, then, how I was taken aback, when one time that I returned from a voyage to give her all the money I had earned, I found that she treated me very coldly; and that every day she grew colder and colder, and seemed as if she only wanted to get clear of my company."

At this interesting crisis of his story, Stormy was interrupted by the entrance of two of our mining neighbours, who came into our tent to have a quiet game of "uker" along with us.

Volume One, Chapter XXVII.

ANN.

I had been much interested in Stormy's story of his early life; and the next evening, I went over to his tent, and taking a seat upon the ground, requested him to continue it.

"All right, Rowley, my boy," said he, in answer to my appeal. "I believe that I left off last night, where the girl, after my having worked nine years for her, had begun to treat me with coldness.

"Well, on becoming sure of this, I determined to find out the reason. I knew there must be something wrong; and I made up my mind to find out what it was--though it might lead to the breaking up of all my fine prospects. One day, when my ship was about to start on a new trip to Charleston, I settled scores with the captain, and left her. Ann was under the belief, that I had gone off in the vessel; but she was mistaken. I had stopped behind, to keep an eye on herself. A few months before, I had given her some money--to enable her to go into partnership with a widow, in keeping a little stationery and toy shop-- and she was now in that business. My scheme was to keep an eye on the shop; and see what was going on. I had not been very long playing spy, before I found out the lay of the land. A young fellow of a swellish appearance, used to pay visits to the shop, nearly every day of the week. He came in the evening; and Ann would go out with him to theatres and dancing places.

"I watched the fellow to his home, or to his lodgings--for he lived in a two-pair back; and from there I tracked him to his place of business. I found that he was what in London is called a `clerk.' He was a thing unworthy of Ann; but, of course, that being the case, he did not know it; and I could see from his vain looks that he thought sufficiently of himself--too much to marry Ann. From what I saw, I had no doubt that he was deceiving her.

"I scarce knew what to do: for there was no use in telling the girl that she was being deceived. She would not have believed me.

"If she had believed me, and given the puppy up, it would not have made much difference to me. My confidence in her was gone. I could have had it no more. She had acted ungrateful to me--by giving her preference to a conceited swell--who took her about to places of amus.e.m.e.nt, where men do not take young girls, whom they intend afterwards to marry. Ann had proved herself unworthy of a love like mine. I had toiled for her, and loved her, for nine long years; and this was the return.

"My good resolutions all forsook me--by the shock which her ingrat.i.tude gave me; and ever since that time, I've been only Stormy Jack, and nothing more. You know what he is." Stormy once more relapsed into silence, as if his story had been concluded. More deeply interested than ever, I desired to know more. In answer, to my request, he resumed his narrative.

"Well," continued he. "My next voyage was a long one. I made the trip to India, and was gone fourteen months; but on my return, at the end of that time, I had not forgotten Ann. I still loved her--although I knew that she could never be my wife. Even had she consented, my pride would not allow of my marrying her now.

"When I got back from India, I went to the little shop to enquire for her. She was no longer there. I found her in the work-house--the same from which she had been taken when a child. She was the mother of a child, seven months old; and had never been married. I determined to teach her manners. You may think it strange, Rowley, but I was now, more than ever, resolved she should love me. It would be some satisfaction for what I had suffered on her account. I knew my motive wasn't altogether as it ought to have been, but I could not help doing as I did.

"When paid the wages, owing me by the East Indiaman, I had about twenty-five pounds to the good; and, with this money, I took Ann out of the work-house, and placed her in a comfortable home. I acted, to all appearance, as kindly to her, and seemed as affectionate as I had ever been; and I even gave her more of my company than I had ever done before. When she came to contrast my conduct with that of the heartless villain who had ruined and deserted her, she could not help loving me.

On her knees, and with tears in her eyes, she confessed her folly, and sorrow for the past; and prayed for me to forgive her.

"`Of course, I forgive you, Ann,' said I, `or I would not have returned to you.'

"`And will you love me as much as you once did?' she then asked.

"`Certainly I will.'

"`John,' she said, `you are the most n.o.ble-minded man in the world; and I only begin to know your real worth. Oh! what a fool I have been, not to have known it before! You are better than all other men on the earth!'

"Ann had got over the folly of her girlhood. The sorrows which she had suffered during the last few months, had taught her wisdom, and brought repentance; and she now believed, that such love as I had offered her was of some value.

"I visited her every day; and appeared to take such an interest in the welfare, both of herself and her child, that I, at length, became certain that she loved me. She could not have helped it, had she tried.

Poor girl! she fancied she was going to be happy again; but she was mistaken.

"When my money was all spent, I prepared to take leave of her. Before going, I told her the truth, that I had loved her, ever since she was a child; and that I ever would; but that I could never make her my wife.

After what had transpired, I could never be happy as her husband.

"`I shall never forget you, Ann,' said I. `Whenever I have a pound in my pocket, you are welcome to fifteen shillings of it; but _my_ happiness, for this world, you have entirely destroyed; and I can never marry you, as I once intended to do. You know the many years that I toiled for you; and was that not proof that I loved you dearly? All that I have done, I am willing to do again; but what I had hoped to do, is no longer possible. You have not proved worthy of my love, and can never be my wife.'

"As I said this, she was nearly distracted; and declared that she would never accept another shilling from me. She promised to do for me all that I had done for her: to work for me, and let me live in idleness. I had at last succeeded in winning her love.

"Perhaps I was wrong in having done so; but the manner in which I had been myself wronged, rendered me incapable of acting honest. I could not help taking this way to larn her a little manners. There was another I intended larning a lesson to, before I left London; but I determined to teach him in a very different way. It was the swell that had ruined Ann.

"I looked out for him; and found him in the street, on the way to his place of business. I laid one o' my flippers on his shoulder, to keep him from escaping, while I gave him his lesson with the other. I flattened his nose, nearly tore off one of his ears; and did him some other damage besides. The police pulled me off o' him; and I was taken away to the station, and next day brought before a magistrate.

"I only got two months for giving the conceited sn.o.b his lesson, which I didn't much regret, for I was just as well off in the gaol as anywhere else. My time or my liberty was worth nothing more to me. When again set free, I made another voyage to India, and got back in fourteen months.

"When I returned, Ann was dead. She had died in the same work-house, in which she was born.

"Since then, there has been no particular reason why I should behave myself; and I have been, as you see me, old Stormy Jack. I never again thought of getting married. I could only love but one; and that one it was not my fate to be spliced to. I suppose it was never intended I should get married. At all events, I don't mean to try. I made one girl miserable by not marrying her; and I might make another miserable if I did."

With this hypothetical reflection, Stormy concluded his sad story.

END OF VOLUME ONE.

Volume Two, Chapter I.

A STRANGE SUMMONS FROM STORMY.

As already stated, I had left the northern diggings with the design of going to the Tuolumne river; and that on my way to the latter place I had met Guinane--who had induced me to relinquish my design, and stop awhile on the Stanislaus.