And Manon was called to bring the crime home to him.Her evidence was conclusive.He made a vain attempt to shake her credibility by drawing from her that her own sweetheart had been one of the gang, and that she had held her tongue so long as he was alive.The public prosecutor came to the aid of his witness, and elicited that a knife had been held to her throat, and her own sweetheart sworn with solemn oaths to kill her should she betray them, and that this terrible threat, and not the mere fear of death, had glued her lips.
The other thieves were condemned to be hanged, and the landlord to be broken on the wheel.He uttered a piercing cry when his sentence was pronounced.
As for poor Manon, she became the subject of universal criticism.
Nor did opinion any longer run dead in her favour; it divided into two broad currents.And strange to relate, the majority of her own sex took her part, and the males were but equally divided; which hardly happens once in a hundred years.Perhaps some lady will explain the phenomenon.As for me, I am a little shy of explaining things I don't understand.It has become so common.Meantime, had she been a lover of notoriety, she would have been happy, for the town talked of nothing but her.The poor girl, however, had but one wish to escape the crowd that followed her, and hide her head somewhere where she could cry over her "pendard," whom all these proceedings brought vividly back to her affectionate remembrance.
Before he was hanged he had threatened her life; but she was not one of your fastidious girls, who love their male divinities any the less for beating them, kicking them, or killing them, but rather the better, provided these attentions are interspersed with occasional caresses; so it would have been odd indeed had she taken offence at a mere threat of that sort.He had never threatened her with a rival.She sobbed single-mindedly.
Meantime the inn was filled with thirsters for a sight of her, who feasted and drank, to pass away the time till she should deign to appear.When she had been sobbing some time, there was a tap at her door, and the landlord entered with a proposal."Nay, weep not, good lass, your fortune it is made an you like.Say the word, and you are chambermaid of 'The White Hart.'""Nay, nay," said Manon with a fresh burst of grief."Never more will I be a servant in an inn.I'll go to my mother."The landlord consoled and coaxed her: and she became calmer, but none the less determined against his proposal.
The landlord left her.But ere long he returned and made her another proposal.Would she be his wife, and landlady of "The White Hart"You do ill to mock me," said she sorrowfully.
"Nay, sweetheart.I mock thee not.I am too old for sorry jests.
Say you the word, and you are my partner for better for worse."She looked at him, and saw he was in earnest: on this she suddenly rained hard to the memory of "le pendard": the tears came in a torrent, being the last; and she gave her hand to the landlord of "The White Hart," and broke a gold crown with him in sign of plighted troth.
"We will keep it dark till the house is quiet," said the landlord.
"Ay," said she; "but meantime prithee give me linen to hem, or work to do; for the time hangs on me like lead."Her betrothed's eye brightened at this housewifely request, and he brought her up two dozen flagons of various sizes to clean and polish.
She gathered complacency as she reflected that by a strange turn of fortune all this bright pewter was to be hers.
Meantime the landlord went downstairs, and falling in with our friends drew them aside into the bar.
He then addressed Denys with considerable solemnity."We are old acquaintances, and you want not for sagacity: now advise me in a strait.My custom is somewhat declining: this girl Manon is the talk of the town; see how full the inn is to-night.She doth refuse to be my chambermaid.I have half a mind to marry her.What think you? shall I say the word?"Denys in reply merely open his eyes wide with amazement.
The landlord turned to Gerard with a half-inquiring look,"Nay, sir," said Gerard; "I am too young to advise my seniors and betters.""No matter.Let us hear your thought."
"Well, sir, it was said of a good wife by the ancients, 'bene quae latuit, bene vixit,' that is, she is the best wife that is least talked of: but here 'male quae patuit' were as near the mark.
Therefore, an you bear the lass good-will, why not club purses with Denys and me and convey her safe home with a dowry? Then mayhap some rustical person in her own place may be brought to wife her.""Why so many words?" said Denys."This old fox is not the ass he affects to be.""Oh! that is your advice, is it?" said the landlord testily."Well then we shall soon know who is the fool, you or me, for I have spoken to her as it happens; and what is more, she has said Ay, and she is polishing the flagons at this moment.""Oho!" said Denys drily, "'twas an ambuscade.Well, in that case, my advice is, run for the notary, tie the noose, and let us three drink the bride's health, till we see six sots a-tippling.""And shall.Ay, now you utter sense."
In ten minutes a civil marriage was effected upstairs before a notary and his clerk and our two friends.
In ten minutes more the white hind, dead sick of seclusion, had taken her place within the bar, and was serving out liquids, and bustling, and her colour rising a little.
In six little minutes more she soundly rated a careless servant-girl for carrying a nipperkin of wine awry and spilling good liquor.
During the evening she received across the bar eight offers of marriage, some of them from respectable burghers.Now the landlord and our two friends had in perfect innocence ensconced themselves behind a screen, to drink at their ease the new couple's health.
