English
WithmyheadfullofGeorgeBarnwell,IwasatfirstdisposedtobelievethatImusthavehadsomehandintheattackuponmysister,oratalleventsthatashernearrelation,popularlyknowntobeunderobligationstoher,Iwasamorelegitimateobjectofsuspicionthananyoneelse.
Butwhen,intheclearerlightofnextmorning,Ibegantoreconsiderthematterandtohearitdiscussedaroundmeonallsides,Itookanotherviewofthecase,whichwasmorereasonable.
JoehadbeenattheThreeJollyBargemen,smokinghispipe,fromaquarteraftereighto’clocktoaquarterbeforeten.
Whilehewasthere,mysisterhadbeenseenstandingatthekitchendoor,andhadexchangedGoodNightwithafarm-labourergoinghome.
Themancouldnotbemoreparticularastothetimeatwhichhesawher(hegotintodenseconfusionwhenhetriedtobe),thanthatitmusthavebeenbeforenine.
WhenJoewenthomeatfiveminutesbeforeten,hefoundherstruckdownonthefloor,andpromptlycalledinassistance.
Thefirehadnotthenburntunusuallylow,norwasthesnuffofthecandleverylong;thecandle,however,hadbeenblownout.
Nothinghadbeentakenawayfromanypartofthehouse.
Neither,beyondtheblowingoutofthecandle—whichstoodonatablebetweenthedoorandmysister,andwasbehindherwhenshestoodfacingthefireandwasstruck—wasthereanydisarrangementofthekitchen,exceptingsuchassheherselfhadmade,infallingandbleeding.
But,therewasoneremarkablepieceofevidenceonthespot.
Shehadbeenstruckwithsomethingbluntandheavy,ontheheadandspine;aftertheblowsweredealt,somethingheavyhadbeenthrowndownatherwithconsiderableviolence,asshelayonherface.
Andonthegroundbesideher,whenJoepickedherup,wasaconvict’sleg-ironwhichhadbeenfiledasunder.
Now,Joe,examiningthisironwithasmith’seye,declaredittohavebeenfiledasundersometimeago.
ThehueandcrygoingofftotheHulks,andpeoplecomingthencetoexaminetheiron,Joe’sopinionwascorroborated.
Theydidnotundertaketosaywhenithadlefttheprison-shipstowhichitundoubtedlyhadoncebelonged;buttheyclaimedtoknowforcertainthatthatparticularmanaclehadnotbeenwornbyeitherofthetwoconvictswhohadescapedlastnight.
Further,oneofthosetwowasalreadyre-taken,andhadnotfreedhimselfofhisiron.
KnowingwhatIknew,Isetupaninferenceofmyownhere.
Ibelievedtheirontobemyconvict’siron—theironIhadseenandheardhimfilingat,onthemarshes—butmyminddidnotaccusehimofhavingputittoitslatestuse.
For,Ibelievedoneoftwootherpersonstohavebecomepossessedofit,andtohaveturnedittothiscruelaccount.
EitherOrlick,orthestrangemanwhohadshownmethefile.
Now,astoOrlick;hehadgonetotownexactlyashetolduswhenwepickedhimupattheturnpike,hehadbeenseenabouttownalltheevening,hehadbeenindiverscompaniesinseveralpublic-houses,andhehadcomebackwithmyselfandMr.Wopsle.
Therewasnothingagainsthim,savethequarrel;andmysisterhadquarrelledwithhim,andwitheverybodyelseabouther,tenthousandtimes.
Astothestrangeman;ifhehadcomebackforhistwobank-notestherecouldhavebeennodisputeaboutthem,becausemysisterwasfullypreparedtorestorethem.
Besides,therehadbeennoaltercation;theassailanthadcomeinsosilentlyandsuddenly,thatshehadbeenfelledbeforeshecouldlookround.
ItwashorribletothinkthatIhadprovidedtheweapon,howeverundesignedly,butIcouldhardlythinkotherwise.
IsufferedunspeakabletroublewhileIconsideredandreconsideredwhetherIshouldatlastdissolvethatspellofmychildhood,andtellJoeallthestory.
Formonthsafterwards,Ieverydaysettledthequestionfinallyinthenegative,andreopenedandreargueditnextmorning.
Thecontentioncame,afterall,tothis;—thesecretwassuchanoldonenow,hadsogrownintomeandbecomeapartofmyself,thatIcouldnottearitaway.
Inadditiontothedreadthat,havingleduptosomuchmischief,itwouldbenowmorelikelythanevertoalienateJoefrommeifhebelievedit,Ihadafurtherrestrainingdreadthathewouldnotbelieveit,butwouldassortitwiththefabulousdogsandveal-cutletsasamonstrousinvention.
However,Itemporizedwithmyself,ofcourse—for,wasInotwaveringbetweenrightandwrong,whenthethingisalwaysdone?
—andresolvedtomakeafulldisclosureifIshouldseeanysuchnewoccasionasanewchanceofhelpinginthediscoveryoftheassailant.
TheConstables,andtheBowStreetmenfromLondon—for,thishappenedinthedaysoftheextinctred-waistcoatedpolice—wereaboutthehouseforaweekortwo,anddidprettymuchwhatIhaveheardandreadoflikeauthoritiesdoinginothersuchcases.
Theytookupseveralobviouslywrongpeople,andtheyrantheirheadsveryhardagainstwrongideas,andpersistedintryingtofitthecircumstancestotheideas,insteadoftryingtoextractideasfromthecircumstances.
Also,theystoodaboutthedooroftheJollyBargemen,withknowingandreservedlooksthatfilledthewholeneighbourhoodwithadmiration;andtheyhadamysteriousmanneroftakingtheirdrink,thatwasalmostasgoodastakingtheculprit.Butnotquite,fortheyneverdidit.
Longaftertheseconstitutionalpowershaddispersed,mysisterlayveryillinbed.
Hersightwasdisturbed,sothatshesawobjectsmultiplied,andgraspedatvisionaryteacupsandwine-glassesinsteadoftherealities;herhearingwasgreatlyimpaired;hermemoryalso;andherspeechwasunintelligible.
When,atlast,shecameroundsofarastobehelpeddown-stairs,itwasstillnecessarytokeepmyslatealwaysbyher,thatshemightindicateinwritingwhatshecouldnotindicateinspeech.
Asshewas(verybadhandwritingapart)amorethanindifferentspeller,andasJoewasamorethanindifferentreader,extraordinarycomplicationsarosebetweenthem,whichIwasalwayscalledintosolve.
Theadministrationofmuttoninsteadofmedicine,thesubstitutionofTeaforJoe,andthebakerforbacon,wereamongthemildestofmyownmistakes.
However,hertemperwasgreatlyimproved,andshewaspatient.
Atremulousuncertaintyoftheactionofallherlimbssoonbecameapartofherregularstate,andafterwards,atintervalsoftwoorthreemonths,shewouldoftenputherhandstoherhead,andwouldthenremainforaboutaweekatatimeinsomegloomyaberrationofmind.
Wewereatalosstofindasuitableattendantforher,untilacircumstancehappenedconvenientlytorelieveus.
Mr.Wopsle’sgreat-auntconqueredaconfirmedhabitoflivingintowhichshehadfallen,andBiddybecameapartofourestablishment.
Itmayhavebeenaboutamonthaftermysister’sreappearanceinthekitchen,whenBiddycametouswithasmallspeckledboxcontainingthewholeofherworldlyeffects,andbecameablessingtothehousehold.
Aboveall,shewasablessingtoJoe,forthedearoldfellowwassadlycutupbytheconstantcontemplationofthewreckofhiswife,andhadbeenaccustomed,whileattendingonherofanevening,toturntomeeverynowandthenandsay,withhisblueeyesmoistened,“Suchafinefigureofawomanassheoncewere,Pip!”
Biddyinstantlytakingthecleverestchargeofherasthoughshehadstudiedherfrominfancy,Joebecameableinsomesorttoappreciatethegreaterquietofhislife,andtogetdowntotheJollyBargemennowandthenforachangethatdidhimgood.
ItwascharacteristicofthepolicepeoplethattheyhadallmoreorlesssuspectedpoorJoe(thoughheneverknewit),andthattheyhadtoamanconcurredinregardinghimasoneofthedeepestspiritstheyhadeverencountered.
Biddy’sfirsttriumphinhernewoffice,wastosolveadifficultythathadcompletelyvanquishedme.Ihadtriedhardatit,buthadmadenothingofit.Thusitwas:
Againandagainandagain,mysisterhadtracedupontheslate,acharacterthatlookedlikeacuriousT,andthenwiththeutmosteagernesshadcalledourattentiontoitassomethingsheparticularlywanted.
IhadinvaintriedeverythingproduciblethatbeganwithaT,fromtartotoastandtub.
Atlengthithadcomeintomyheadthatthesignlookedlikeahammer,andonmylustilycallingthatwordinmysister’sear,shehadbeguntohammeronthetableandhadexpressedaqualifiedassent.
Thereupon,Ihadbroughtinallourhammers,oneafteranother,butwithoutavail.
ThenIbethoughtmeofacrutch,theshapebeingmuchthesame,andIborrowedoneinthevillage,anddisplayedittomysisterwithconsiderableconfidence.
Butsheshookherheadtothatextentwhenshewasshownit,thatwewereterrifiedlestinherweakandshatteredstatesheshoulddislocateherneck.
WhenmysisterfoundthatBiddywasveryquicktounderstandher,thismysterioussignreappearedontheslate.
Biddylookedthoughtfullyatit,heardmyexplanation,lookedthoughtfullyatmysister,lookedthoughtfullyatJoe(whowasalwaysrepresentedontheslatebyhisinitialletter),andranintotheforge,followedbyJoeandme.
“Why,ofcourse!”criedBiddy,withanexultantface.“Don’tyousee?It’shim!”
Orlick,withoutadoubt!Shehadlosthisname,andcouldonlysignifyhimbyhishammer.
Wetoldhimwhywewantedhimtocomeintothekitchen,andheslowlylaiddownhishammer,wipedhisbrowwithhisarm,tookanotherwipeatitwithhisapron,andcameslouchingout,withacuriousloosevagabondbendinthekneesthatstronglydistinguishedhim.
IconfessthatIexpectedtoseemysisterdenouncehim,andthatIwasdisappointedbythedifferentresult.
Shemanifestedthegreatestanxietytobeongoodtermswithhim,wasevidentlymuchpleasedbyhisbeingatlengthproduced,andmotionedthatshewouldhavehimgivensomethingtodrink.
Shewatchedhiscountenanceasifshewereparticularlywishfultobeassuredthathetookkindlytohisreception,sheshowedeverypossibledesiretoconciliatehim,andtherewasanairofhumblepropitiationinallshedid,suchasIhaveseenpervadethebearingofachildtowardsahardmaster.
Afterthatday,adayrarelypassedwithoutherdrawingthehammeronherslate,andwithoutOrlick’sslouchinginandstandingdoggedlybeforeher,asifheknewnomorethanIdidwhattomakeofit.
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