The infatuated nobleman had glanced more than once at Sir JohnChester, as if to inquire whether there was any truth in thesestatements concerning Gashford, and Sir John had as often plainlyanswered by a shrug or look, "Oh dear me! no." He now said, in thesame loud key, and in the same strange manner as before:
"I have nothing to say, sir, in reply, and no desire to hearanything more. I beg you won"t obtrude your conversation, or thesepersonal attacks, upon me. I shall not be deterred from doing myduty to my country and my countrymen, by any such attempts, whetherthey proceed from emissaries of the Pope or not, I assure you.
Come, Gashford!"
They had walked on a few paces while speaking, and were now at theHall-door, through which they passed together. Mr Haredale,without any leave-taking, turned away to the river stairs, whichwere close at hand, and hailed the only boatman who remained there.
But the throng of people--the foremost of whom had heard every wordthat Lord George Gordon said, and among all of whom the rumour hadbeen rapidly dispersed that the stranger was a Papist who wasbearding him for his advocacy of the popular cause--came pouringout pell-mell, and, forcing the nobleman, his secretary, and SirJohn Chester on before them, so that they appeared to be at theirhead, crowded to the top of the stairs where Mr Haredale waiteduntil the boat was ready, and there stood still, leaving him on alittle clear space by himself.
They were not silent, however, though inactive. At first someindistinct mutterings arose among them, which were followed by ahiss or two, and these swelled by degrees into a perfect storm.
Then one voice said, "Down with the Papists!" and there was apretty general cheer, but nothing more. After a lull of a fewmoments, one man cried out, "Stone him;" another, "Duck him;"
another, in a stentorian voice, "No Popery!" This favourite crythe rest re-echoed, and the mob, which might have been two hundredstrong, joined in a general shout.
Mr Haredale had stood calmly on the brink of the steps, until theymade this demonstration, when he looked round contemptuously, andwalked at a slow pace down the stairs. He was pretty near theboat, when Gashford, as if without intention, turned about, anddirectly afterwards a great stone was thrown by some hand, in thecrowd, which struck him on the head, and made him stagger like adrunken man.
The blood sprung freely from the wound, and trickled down his coat.
He turned directly, and rushing up the steps with a boldness andpassion which made them all fall back, demanded:
"Who did that? Show me the man who hit me."
Not a soul moved; except some in the rear who slunk off, and,escaping to the other side of the way, looked on like indifferentspectators.
"Who did that?" he repeated. "Show me the man who did it. Dog,was it you? It was your deed, if not your hand--I know you."
He threw himself on Gashford as he said the words, and hurled himto the ground. There was a sudden motion in the crowd, and somelaid hands upon him, but his sword was out, and they fell offagain.
"My lord--Sir John,"--he cried, "draw, one of you--you areresponsible for this outrage, and I look to you. Draw, if you aregentlemen." With that he struck Sir John upon the breast with theflat of his weapon, and with a burning face and flashing eyes stoodupon his guard; alone, before them all.
For an instant, for the briefest space of time the mind can readilyconceive, there was a change in Sir John"s smooth face, such as noman ever saw there. The next moment, he stepped forward, and laidone hand on Mr Haredale"s arm, while with the other he endeavouredto appease the crowd.
"My dear friend, my good Haredale, you are blinded with passion-it"svery natural, extremely natural--but you don"t know friendsfrom foes."
"I know them all, sir, I can distinguish well--" he retorted,almost mad with rage. "Sir John, Lord George--do you hear me? Areyou cowards?"
"Never mind, sir," said a man, forcing his way between and pushinghim towards the stairs with friendly violence, "never mind askingthat. For God"s sake, get away. What CAN you do against thisnumber? And there are as many more in the next street, who"ll beround dfrectly,"--indeed they began to pour in as he said thewords--"you"d be giddy from that cut, in the first heat of ascuffle. Now do retire, sir, or take my word for it you"ll beworse used than you would be if every man in the crowd was a woman,and that woman Bloody Mary. Come, sir, make haste--as quick as youcan."
Mr Haredale, who began to turn faint and sick, felt how sensiblethis advice was, and descended the steps with his unknown friend"sassistance. John Grueby (for John it was) helped him into theboat, and giving her a shove off, which sent her thirty feet intothe tide, bade the waterman pull away like a Briton; and walked upagain as composedly as if he had just landed.
There was at first a slight disposition on the part of the mob toresent this interference; but John looking particularly strong andcool, and wearing besides Lord George"s livery, they thought betterof it, and contented themselves with sending a shower of smallmissiles after the boat, which plashed harmlessly in the water;for she had by this time cleared the bridge, and was dartingswiftly down the centre of the stream.
From this amusement, they proceeded to giving Protestant knocks atthe doors of private houses, breaking a few lamps, and assaultingsome stray constables. But, it being whispered that a detachmentof Life Guards had been sent for, they took to their heels withgreat expedition, and left the street quite clear.