Thetroopofvagabondsturnedoutatearlydawn, andsetforwardontheirmarch. Therewas a loweringskyoverhead, sloppygroundunderfoot, and a winterchillintheair. Allgaietywasgonefromthecompany; someweresullenandsilent, somewereirritableandpetulant, noneweregentle-humoured, allwerethirsty.
After a whiletheweathergrewmilder, andthecloudsliftedsomewhat. Thetroopceasedtoshiver, andtheirspiritsbegantoimprove. Theygrewmoreandmorecheerful, andfinallybegantochaffeachotherandinsultpassengersalongthehighway. Thisshowedthattheywereawakingtoanappreciationoflifeanditsjoysoncemore. Thedreadinwhichtheirsortwasheldwasapparentinthefactthateverybodygavethemtheroad, andtooktheirribaldinsolencesmeekly, withoutventuringtotalkback. Theysnatchedlinenfromthehedges, occasionallyinfullviewoftheowners, whomadenoprotest, butonlyseemedgratefulthattheydidnottakethehedges, too.
3
By-and-bytheyinvaded a smallfarmhouseandmadethemselvesathomewhilethetremblingfarmerandhispeoplesweptthelardercleantofurnish a breakfastforthem. Theychuckedthehousewifeandherdaughtersunderthechinwhilstreceivingthefoodfromtheirhands, andmadecoarsejestsaboutthem, accompaniedwithinsultingepithetsandburstsofhorse-laughter. Theythrewbonesandvegetablesatthefarmerandhissons, keptthemdodgingallthetime, andapplaudeduproariouslywhen a goodhitwasmade. Theyendedbybutteringtheheadofoneofthedaughterswhoresentedsomeoftheirfamiliarities. Whentheytooktheirleavetheythreatenedtocomebackandburnthehouseovertheheadsofthefamilyifanyreportoftheirdoingsgottotheearsoftheauthorities.
4
Aboutnoon, after a longandwearytramp, thegangcameto a haltbehind a hedgeontheoutskirtsof a considerablevillage. Anhourwasallowedforrest, thenthecrewscatteredthemselvesabroadtoenterthevillageatdifferentpointstoplytheirvarioustrades—'Jack' wassentwithHugo. Theywanderedhitherandthitherforsometime, Hugowatchingforopportunitiestodo a strokeofbusiness, butfindingnone—sohefinallysaid—
5
"I seenoughttosteal; itis a paltryplace. Whereforewewillbeg."
6
"We, forsooth! Followthytrade—itbefitsthee. But I willnotbeg."
"Come, playnotthymerrygameofmadmansofar, mate; useitforthyamusement, notthyhurt. An' I tellhimthis, hewillscorchtheefinelyforit."
14
"Savethyselfthetrouble. I willtellhim."
15
"I likethyspirit, I dointruth; but I donotadmirethyjudgment. Bone-rackingsandbastingsbeplentyenowinthislife, withoutgoingoutofone's waytoinvitethem. But a trucetothesematters; I believeyourfather. I doubtnothecanlie; I doubtnothedothlie, uponoccasion, forthebestofusdothat; butthereisnooccasionhere. A wisemandoesnotwastesogood a commodityaslyingfornought. Butcome; sithitisthyhumourtogiveoverbegging, wherewithalshallwebusyourselves? Withrobbingkitchens?"
16
TheKingsaid, impatiently—
17
"Havedonewiththisfolly—youwearyme!"
18
Hugoreplied, withtemper—
19
"Nowharkee, mate; youwillnotbeg, youwillnotrob; sobeit. But I willtellyouwhatyouwilldo. Youwillplaydecoywhilst I beg. Refuse, an' youthinkyoumayventure!"
"Peace! Herecomesonewith a kindlyface. Nowwill I falldownin a fit. Whenthestrangerrunstome, setyouup a wail, andfalluponyourknees, seemingtoweep; thencryoutasallthedevilsofmiserywereinyourbelly, andsay, 'Oh, sir, itismypoorafflictedbrother, andwebefriendless; o' God's namecastthroughyourmercifuleyesonepitifullookupon a sick, forsaken, andmostmiserablewretch; bestowonelittlepennyoutofthyrichesupononesmittenofGodandreadytoperish!'—andmindyou, keepyouonwailing, andabatenottillwebilkhimofhispenny, elseshallyourueit."
22
ThenimmediatelyHugobegantomoan, andgroan, androllhiseyes, andreelandtotterabout; andwhenthestrangerwascloseathand, downhesprawledbeforehim, with a shriek, andbegantowritheandwallowinthedirt, inseemingagony.
23
"O, dear, O dear!" criedthebenevolentstranger, "O poorsoul, poorsoul, howhedothsuffer! There—letmehelptheeup."
24
"O noblesir, forbear, andGodloveyoufor a princelygentleman—butitgivethmecruelpaintotouchmewhen I amtakenso. Mybrothertherewilltellyourworshiphow I amrackedwithanguishwhenthesefitsbeuponme. A penny, dearsir, a penny, tobuy a littlefood; thenleavemetomysorrows."
"A beggarand a thief! Hehasgotyourmoneyandhaspickedyourpocketlikewise. An' thouwould'stdo a healingmiracle, laythystaffoverhisshouldersandtrustProvidencefortherest."
31
ButHugodidnottarryforthemiracle. In a momenthewasupandofflikethewind, thegentlemanfollowingafterandraisingthehueandcrylustilyashewent. TheKing, breathingdeepgratitudetoHeavenforhisownrelease, fledintheoppositedirection, anddidnotslackenhispaceuntilhewasoutofharm's reach. Hetookthefirstroadthatoffered, andsoonputthevillagebehindhim. Hehurriedalong, asbrisklyashecould, duringseveralhours, keeping a nervouswatchoverhisshoulderforpursuit; buthisfearslefthimatlast, and a gratefulsenseofsecuritytooktheirplace. Herecognised, now, thathewashungry, andalsoverytired. Sohehaltedat a farmhouse; butwhenhewasabouttospeak, hewascutshortanddrivenrudelyaway. Hisclotheswereagainsthim.
32
Hewanderedon, woundedandindignant, andwasresolvedtoputhimselfinthewayofliketreatmentnomore. Buthungerispride's master; so, astheeveningdrewnear, hemadeanattemptatanotherfarmhouse; butherehefaredworsethanbefore; forhewascalledhardnamesandwaspromisedarrestas a vagrantexcepthemovedonpromptly.
33
Thenightcameon, chillyandovercast; andstillthefootsoremonarchlabouredslowlyon. Hewasobligedtokeepmoving, foreverytimehesatdowntoresthewassoonpenetratedtothebonewiththecold. Allhissensationsandexperiences, ashemovedthroughthesolemngloomandtheemptyvastnessofthenight, werenewandstrangetohim. Atintervalsheheardvoicesapproach, passby, andfadeintosilence; andashesawnothingmoreofthebodiestheybelongedtothan a sortofformlessdriftingblur, therewassomethingspectralanduncannyaboutitallthatmadehimshudder. Occasionallyhecaughtthetwinkleof a light—alwaysfaraway, apparently—almostinanotherworld; ifheheardthetinkleof a sheep's bell, itwasvague, distant, indistinct; themuffledlowingoftheherdsfloatedtohimonthenightwindinvanishingcadences, a mournfulsound; nowandthencamethecomplaininghowlof a dogoverviewlessexpansesoffieldandforest; allsoundswereremote; theymadethelittleKingfeelthatalllifeandactivitywerefarremovedfromhim, andthathestoodsolitary, companionless, inthecentreof a measurelesssolitude.
34
Hestumbledalong, throughthegruesomefascinationsofthisnewexperience, startledoccasionallybythesoftrustlingofthedryleavesoverhead, solikehumanwhisperstheyseemedtosound; andby-and-byhecamesuddenlyuponthefreckledlightof a tinlanternnearathand. Hesteppedbackintotheshadowsandwaited. Thelanternstoodbytheopendoorof a barn. TheKingwaitedsometime—therewasnosound, andnobodystirring. Hegotsocold, standingstill, andthehospitablebarnlookedsoenticing, thatatlastheresolvedtoriskeverythingandenter. Hestartedswiftlyandstealthily, andjustashewascrossingthethresholdheheardvoicesbehindhim. Hedartedbehind a cask, withinthebarn, andstoopeddown. Twofarm-labourerscamein, bringingthelanternwiththem, andfelltowork, talkingmeanwhile. Whilsttheymovedaboutwiththelight, theKingmadegooduseofhiseyesandtookthebearingsofwhatseemedtobe a good-sizedstallatthefurtherendoftheplace, purposingtogropehiswaytoitwhenheshouldbelefttohimself. Healsonotedthepositionof a pileofhorseblankets, midwayoftheroute, withtheintenttolevyuponthemfortheserviceofthecrownofEnglandforonenight.
35
By-and-bythemenfinishedandwentaway, fasteningthedoorbehindthemandtakingthelanternwiththem. TheshiveringKingmadefortheblankets, withasgoodspeedasthedarknesswouldallow; gatheredthemup, andthengropedhiswaysafelytothestall. Oftwooftheblanketshemade a bed, thencoveredhimselfwiththeremainingtwo. Hewas a gladmonarch, now, thoughtheblanketswereoldandthin, andnotquitewarmenough; andbesidesgaveout a pungenthorseyodourthatwasalmostsuffocatinglypowerful.
Itwaseasytothinkthis; butitwashardtobracehimselfuptotryit. Threetimeshestretchedhishand a littlewayoutintothedark, gingerly; andsnatcheditsuddenlyback, with a gasp—notbecauseithadencounteredanything, butbecausehehadfeltsosureitwasjustgoingto. Butthefourthtime, hegroped a littlefurther, andhishandlightlysweptagainstsomethingsoftandwarm. Thispetrifiedhim, nearly, withfright; hismindwasinsuch a statethathecouldimaginethethingtobenothingelsethan a corpse, newlydeadandstillwarm. Hethoughthewouldratherdiethantouchitagain. Buthethoughtthisfalsethoughtbecausehedidnotknowtheimmortalstrengthofhumancuriosity. Innolongtimehishandwastremblinglygropingagain—againsthisjudgment, andwithouthisconsent—butgropingpersistentlyon, justthesame. Itencountered a bunchoflonghair; heshuddered, butfollowedupthehairandfoundwhatseemedtobe a warmrope; followeduptheropeandfoundaninnocentcalf!—fortheropewasnot a ropeatall, butthecalf's tail.
38
TheKingwascordiallyashamedofhimselfforhavinggottenallthatfrightandmiseryoutofsopaltry a matteras a slumberingcalf; butheneednothavefeltsoaboutit, foritwasnotthecalfthatfrightenedhim, but a dreadfulnon-existentsomethingwhichthecalfstoodfor; andanyotherboy, inthoseoldsuperstitioustimes, wouldhaveactedandsufferedjustashehaddone.
39
TheKingwasnotonlydelightedtofindthatthecreaturewasonly a calf, butdelightedtohavethecalf's company; forhehadbeenfeelingsolonesomeandfriendlessthatthecompanyandcomradeshipofeventhishumbleanimalwerewelcome. Andhehadbeensobuffeted, sorudelyentreatedbyhisownkind, thatitwas a realcomforttohimtofeelthathewasatlastinthesocietyof a fellow-creaturethathadatleast a softheartand a gentlespirit, whateverloftierattributesmightbelacking. Soheresolvedtowaiverankandmakefriendswiththecalf.
40
Whilestrokingitssleekwarmback—foritlaynearhimandwithineasyreach—itoccurredtohimthatthiscalfmightbeutilisedinmorewaysthanone. Whereuponhere-arrangedhisbed, spreadingitdownclosetothecalf; thenhecuddledhimselfuptothecalf's back, drewthecoversupoverhimselfandhisfriend, andin a minuteortwowasaswarmandcomfortableashehadeverbeeninthedownycouchesoftheregalpalaceofWestminster.