Mr Haredale threw himself from his horse, but he had no need toknock at the door, for it was already open, and there stood uponthe step a portly old man, with a very red, or rather purple face,who with an anxious expression of countenance, was remonstratingwith some unseen personage upstairs, while the porter essayed toclose the door by degrees and get rid of him. With the intenseimpatience and excitement natural to one in his condition, MrHaredale thrust himself forward and was about to speak, when thefat old gentleman interposed:
"My good sir," said he, "pray let me get an answer. This is thesixth time I have been here. I was here five times yesterday. Myhouse is threatened with destruction. It is to be burned down tonight,and was to have been last night, but they had other businesson their hands. Pray let me get an answer."
"My good sir," returned Mr Haredale, shaking his head, "my houseis burned to the ground. But heaven forbid that yours should be.
Get your answer. Be brief, in mercy to me."
"Now, you hear this, my lord?"--said the old gentleman, calling upthe stairs, to where the skirt of a dressing-gown fluttered on thelanding-place. "Here is a gentleman here, whose house was actuallyburnt down last night."
"Dear me, dear me," replied a testy voice, "I am very sorry forit, but what am I to do? I can"t build it up again. The chiefmagistrate of the city can"t go and be a rebuilding of people"shouses, my good sir. Stuff and nonsense!"
"But the chief magistrate of the city can prevent people"s housesfrom having any need to be rebuilt, if the chief magistrate"s aman, and not a dummy--can"t he, my lord?" cried the old gentlemanin a choleric manner.
"You are disrespectable, sir," said the Lord Mayor--"leastways,disrespectful I mean."
"Disrespectful, my lord!" returned the old gentleman. "I wasrespectful five times yesterday. I can"t be respectful for ever.
Men can"t stand on being respectful when their houses are going tobe burnt over their heads, with them in "em. What am I to do, mylord? AM I to have any protection!"
"I told you yesterday, sir," said the Lord Mayor, "that you mighthave an alderman in your house, if you could get one to come."
"What the devil"s the good of an alderman?" returned the cholericold gentleman.
"--To awe the crowd, sir," said the Lord Mayor.
"Oh Lord ha" mercy!" whimpered the old gentleman, as he wiped hisforehead in a state of ludicrous distress, "to think of sending analderman to awe a crowd! Why, my lord, if they were even so manybabies, fed on mother"s milk, what do you think they"d care for analderman! Will YOU come?"
"I!" said the Lord Mayor, most emphatically: "Certainly not."
"Then what," returned the old gentleman, "what am I to do? Am I acitizen of England? Am I to have the benefit of the laws? Am I tohave any return for the King"s taxes?"
"I don"t know, I am sure," said the Lord Mayor; "what a pity it isyou"re a Catholic! Why couldn"t you be a Protestant, and then youwouldn"t have got yourself into such a mess? I"m sure I don"t knowwhat"s to be done.--There are great people at the bottom of theseriots.--Oh dear me, what a thing it is to be a public character!-Youmust look in again in the course of the day.--Would a javelin-man do?--Or there"s Philips the constable,--HE"S disengaged,--he"snot very old for a man at his time of life, except in his legs, andif you put him up at a window he"d look quite young by candlelight,and might frighten "em very much.--Oh dear!--well!--we"llsee about it."
"Stop!" cried Mr Haredale, pressing the door open as the porterstrove to shut it, and speaking rapidly, "My Lord Mayor, I beg younot to go away. I have a man here, who committed a murder eightand-twenty years ago. Half-a-dozen words from me, on oath, willjustify you in committing him to prison for re-examination. I onlyseek, just now, to have him consigned to a place of safety. Theleast delay may involve his being rescued by the rioters."
"Oh dear me!" cried the Lord Mayor. "God bless my soul--and body-ohLor!--well I!--there are great people at the bottom of theseriots, you know.--You really mustn"t."