He pointed, as he spoke, to Dennis, who, with his legs trailing onthe ground, was held between two men; and who trembled so, that allhis joints and limbs seemed racked by spasms. Turning from thiswretched spectacle, he called to Barnaby, who stood apart.
"What cheer, Barnaby? Don"t be downcast, lad. Leave that to HIM."
"Bless you," cried Barnaby, stepping lightly towards him, "I"m notfrightened, Hugh. I"m quite happy. I wouldn"t desire to live now,if they"d let me. Look at me! Am I afraid to die? Will they seeME tremble?"
Hugh gazed for a moment at his face, on which there was a strange,unearthly smile; and at his eye, which sparkled brightly; andinterposing between him and the Ordinary, gruffly whispered to thelatter:
"I wouldn"t say much to him, master, if I was you. He may spoilyour appetite for breakfast, though you ARE used to it."
He was the only one of the three who had washed or trimmed himselfthat morning. Neither of the others had done so, since their doomwas pronounced. He still wore the broken peacock"s feathers in hishat; and all his usual scraps of finery were carefully disposedabout his person. His kindling eye, his firm step, his proud andresolute bearing, might have graced some lofty act of heroism; somevoluntary sacrifice, born of a noble cause and pure enthusiasm;rather than that felon"s death.
But all these things increased his guilt. They were mereassumptions. The law had declared it so, and so it must be. Thegood minister had been greatly shocked, not a quarter of an hourbefore, at his parting with Grip. For one in his condition, tofondle a bird!--The yard was filled with people; bluff civicfunctionaries, officers of justice, soldiers, the curious in suchmatters, and guests who had been bidden as to a wedding. Hughlooked about him, nodded gloomily to some person in authority, whoindicated with his hand in what direction he was to proceed; andclapping Barnaby on the shoulder, passed out with the gait of alion.
They entered a large room, so near to the scaffold that the voicesof those who stood about it, could be plainly heard: somebeseeching the javelin-men to take them out of the crowd: otherscrying to those behind, to stand back, for they were pressed todeath, and suffocating for want of air.
In the middle of this chamber, two smiths, with hammers, stoodbeside an anvil. Hugh walked straight up to them, and set his footupon it with a sound as though it had been struck by a heavyweapon. Then, with folded arms, he stood to have his irons knockedoff: scowling haughtily round, as those who were present eyed himnarrowly and whispered to each other.
It took so much time to drag Dennis in, that this ceremony was overwith Hugh, and nearly over with Barnaby, before he appeared. He nosooner came into the place he knew so well, however, and amongfaces with which he was so familiar, than he recovered strength andsense enough to clasp his hands and make a last appeal.
"Gentlemen, good gentlemen," cried the abject creature, grovellingdown upon his knees, and actually prostrating himself upon thestone floor: "Governor, dear governor--honourable sheriffs--worthygentlemen--have mercy upon a wretched man that has served HisMajesty, and the Law, and Parliament, for so many years, and don"t-don"tlet me die--because of a mistake."
"Dennis," said the governor of the jail, "you know what the courseis, and that the order came with the rest. You know that we coulddo nothing, even if we would."
"All I ask, sir,--all I want and beg, is time, to make it sure,"
cried the trembling wretch, looking wildly round for sympathy.
"The King and Government can"t know it"s me; I"m sure they can"tknow it"s me; or they never would bring me to this dreadfulslaughterhouse. They know my name, but they don"t know it"s thesame man. Stop my execution--for charity"s sake stop my execution,gentlemen--till they can be told that I"ve been hangman here, nighthirty year. Will no one go and tell them?" he implored, clenchinghis hands and glaring round, and round, and round again--"will nocharitable person go and tell them!"
"Mr Akerman," said a gentleman who stood by, after a moment"spause, "since it may possibly produce in this unhappy man a betterframe of mind, even at this last minute, let me assure him that hewas well known to have been the hangman, when his sentence wasconsidered."
"--But perhaps they think on that account that the punishment"s notso great," cried the criminal, shuffling towards this speaker onhis knees, and holding up his folded hands; "whereas it"s worse,it"s worse a hundred times, to me than any man. Let them knowthat, sir. Let them know that. They"ve made it worse to me bygiving me so much to do. Stop my execution till they know that!"
The governor beckoned with his hand, and the two men, who hadsupported him before, approached. He uttered a piercing cry:
"Wait! Wait. Only a moment--only one moment more! Give me a lastchance of reprieve. One of us three is to go to Bloomsbury Square.
Let me be the one. It may come in that time; it"s sure to come.
In the Lord"s name let me be sent to Bloomsbury Square. Don"t hangme here. It"s murder."
They took him to the anvil: but even then he could he heard abovethe clinking of the smiths" hammers, and the hoarse raging of thecrowd, crying that he knew of Hugh"s birth--that his father wasliving, and was a gentleman of influence and rank--that he hadfamily secrets in his possession--that he could tell nothing unlessthey gave him time, but must die with them on his mind; and hecontinued to rave in this sort until his voice failed him, and hesank down a mere heap of clothes between the two attendants.
It was at this moment that the clock struck the first stroke oftwelve, and the bell began to toll. The various officers, with thetwo sheriffs at their head, moved towards the door. All was readywhen the last chime came upon the ear.
They told Hugh this, and asked if he had anything to say.
"To say!" he cried. "Not I. I"m ready.--Yes," he added, as hiseye fell upon Barnaby, "I have a word to say, too. Come hither,lad."
There was, for the moment, something kind, and even tender,struggling in his fierce aspect, as he wrung his poor companion bythe hand.