A Little World Part 40

written in any man's countenance, it's there. What business has he in our church? Why, the scoundrel is a follower of the scarlet woman, and sits on seven hills when he's at home, I'll be bound; and that's why he chose Decadia to live in."

"Tut, tut, tut!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the vicar.

"I don't care; it's a fact," said Timson. "That fellow would light the fires in Smithfield again, as soon as look at you; he ought never to have been admitted into our church. Why, sir, he's one of those scoundrels who would think it a meritorious act to rob our poor-boxes, and go and get absolution for _it_ directly."

"O Timson--Timson--Timson!" sighed the vicar; "thou art sounding bra.s.s and a tinkling cymbal."

"You're another!" puffed Timson, angrily. "What do you mean?"

"Where is your charity, my friend? where is your charity?"

"Stolen out of the poor-box!" cried Timson, in a huff; "that's where.

And you mark my words if they don't come true, and _you'll_ find it out one of these days in Smithfield."

"Ps.h.!.+" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the vicar, as near to angrily as he could get, and then there was silence till the effervescence had subsided.

"I don't like it--I don't like it," said Timson, after a pause. "There!

I hate it. You may look, sir; but I've had that Pellet with me this afternoon, and I can't stand those sort of meetings. Why wasn't it some one else, and not that poor sensitive struggling fellow? I'm sure it was the French Papist. Why didn't we discharge old Purkis, or Mrs Ruggles, or the clerk? It was pitiful to see that poor fellow--pitiful!

Why didn't you suspect and find out the Frenchman? I should like to see him in custody."

"Don't talk nonsense, Timson," said the vicar. "But it's a bad job!"

and the old gentleman sighed.

"Bad job! Ah! I should think it is a bad job," said the churchwarden.

"Now, what would it take to square the matter?"

"Square!"

"Yes! make up for what has been stolen."

"Nothing!" said the vicar, indignantly--"no amount. The sin is there, and we cannot remove it."

"'Spose not!" said Timson; "but if twenty or thirty pounds put in the poor-box on the sly would make you feel all right again, and let poor old Pellet off with a good bullying, upon my soul I should feel half disposed to find the money."

"Don't be irreverent, Timson; a man's words are never strengthened by an oath. I detest swearing."

"Swearing! That's not swearing," said Timson; "that's only being emphatic."

"Then don't be emphatic, Timson, but speak plainly, like a man."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the churchwarden; and then followed a long period devoted to smoking.

"Only think of a man of his talent being a thief!" said the vicar, at last.

"What! the Papist?" exclaimed Timson; "why, you could see--"

"No--no--no--no!" said the vicar, testily; "you know whom I mean. He came here; but I would not see him--Pellet you know."

"Why not?" said Timson, bluntly.

"Because I'm weak, my friend--weak, and might be tempted to give way, when I know it would not be right."

"Well, 'tis hard--'tis hard," said Timson; "I was ready to give way myself; and I don't know now but what I believe the poor fellow is telling the truth."

"What did he say, Timson?" said the vicar, "for I won't see him. I would not believe in his guilt till it was forced upon me; but now I am fixed."

"What did he say! Why, that it's all a mistake."

"I wish it were--I wish it were," said the vicar, who seemed truly grieved; "but let him prove it--let him prove it."

"Just so, I quite agree with you," said Timson. "The very words I said to him. 'Prove it, Pellet,' I said--'prove it, and there's my hand;'

and I thought then that he was going to s.n.a.t.c.h it, so I put it out of his reach."

"Such a musician!" said the vicar, "and to think of his proving a thief!"

"Just like 'em," said Timson. "Those musicians are all thieves. They steal one another's work, and call it inspiration. But don't you think we might put it a little milder? 'Thief' is an ugly word; and--er--er-- er--"

"Well?" said the vicar.

"What do you say to embezzlement? Embezzled the moneys of the poor."

"Embezzlement!" exclaimed the vicar, indignantly; "why, sir, it's sacrilege--an abomination!"

"But you know it might turn out to be a mistake after all, and it would be better to have charged a man with embezzling than being a thief."

"Ah! Timson, I wish I could think so--I do indeed; but it can't be a mistake. You had your own suspicions of him."

"Well, yes," said Timson, drily; "but I hadn't then thought of the Papist. That's the man, sir. Leadenhall Street to a China orange on it."

"But you remember how confused he was in the church that day."

"What! the Papist fiddler?"

"No, no--Pellet. I couldn't help thinking something of it then. And, besides, look at the long hours he has been in the habit of spending in the church alone. I've known him to be there for hours, and not a sound escape from the organ--no boy there, in fact."

"Ah!" said Timson, "I'd give five s.h.i.+llings or a pound of my best green for leave to give that boy a good sound quilting."

"It all points to the fact that he has yielded to temptation when hampered by poverty," said the vicar, without noticing the interruption.

"Well," said Mr Timson, "it's a bad job; but I'm glad that you don't mean to prosecute."

"You think with me then, Timson?"

"Of course--yes. Do you want to put the father of about a score of children on the treadmill? Why, they run about his house like rabbits; and if you do that, you'll have them come and shriek in your ears for bread."

"G.o.d forbid! I will hold to your way of thinking. I should never have done for a magistrate, Timson. They wanted me on the bench when I was down in the country; but I backed out; for I knew I should be too easy.

No, Timson; I would not deprive the poor fellow of a chance of making an honest living in the future; for, you see, he is a man who has yielded once to temptation, and will repent to the end of his life. No, sir, I would not mar his future, for the world. I'm not one of those men who prosecute upon what they call principle. Perhaps I am wrong, but I am not unmerciful. I believe him to be a good man at heart; and I think, when he leaves, Timson, if we were to put say ten pounds a-piece, and send to him anonymously, it would be giving him a fresh start in life, eh? What do you say?"

"Good thing to do," said Timson, "but better let him have it in tea.