Chapter XXVIII: In the Toils of Fate

“Joe was conveyed back to his prison cell and locked up and left there in a state of stupefaction.

“Joseph Wyvil, who had heard the verdict, was not able to get near the unfortunate boy, who had been hurried from the dock to the prison van by the officers in attendance. And though he followed the prisoner with all speed to the jail, he was not admitted to see him because it was after the hour of closing.

“He managed to see the jail chaplain and implore him, late as it was, to visit the desolate boy in his cell that night.

“The reverend gentleman willingly promised to do so, and Joseph Wyvil left the prison, with what a heavy heart! to go to his most unhappy sister and answer as best he might the agonizing questions she would be sure to put to him.

“Ah! the dreadful intelligence had preceded him to Lil’s lodgings, and prostrated her frail frame to the very verge of death.

“He found the doctor in attendance, and the young wife, pale as a corpse, sleeping heavily under the influence of a powerful narcotic.

“‘How did she hear it?’ was one of the first questions put by the unhappy brother.

“‘By the yelling of the people in the street. We could hardly keep her from going to the court-room; we couldn’t keep her away from the windows, watching for you and her husband to come back arm in arm. She was so confident he would be acquitted! For she said he was innocent, and being innocent, could not be found guilty and must be acquitted,’ replied their landlady.

“‘Ah! she knew nothing of the power of circumstantial evidence to convict an innocent man!’ groaned Joseph.

“‘Why, sir, she even packed her trunk to return to Stockton, for she said that neither she nor her husband, nor her brother, would want to stay another night in the town where they had suffered so much, but would take the first train back to their cottage and be at peace.’

“‘Poor child! Poor child!’

“‘And then, while she was watching for you and him from the window, and turning round every few minutes to ask me to be sure to keep the water boiling so as to make tea the minute they should come in, or to please have the bacon grilled to a turn, or something of that sort, all of a sudden she heard the boys in the street shouting to one another that Weston, the mail-robber, was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged o’ Monday week!’

“‘She heard that? Oh, poor Lil!’

“‘She heard that, sir, and afore any one could stop her she was out in the street, in the freezing winter night, without shawl or bonnet, to inquire into the truth. I just whipped a plaid shawl over my head and ran out to fetch her in. I found her prostrate and insensible on the ground, with a crowd of people gathered around her. We raised her and brought her in and laid her on the bed and brought her to. But as soon as she got back her senses to know what had happened, she fell into such convulsions that we had to send for Dr. Yorke, and he gave her summat to quiet her and put her to sleep. And that’s all, sir,’ concluded the landlady.

“The doctor gave directions for the treatment of his patient during the night, and left, promising to return early the next morning.

“The tired landlady went to rest, asking to be called at any time if she should be wanted.

“And Joseph Wyvil took his seat by the bedside of his unfortunate sister, to watch her sleep and dread her waking.

“A low taper burned on a little table behind a screen. And all the room was obscure and silent as a cave.

“Lil slept on quietly, and Joseph was almost tempted to hope that Lil might wake only in that happier world where ‘there shall be no more death, neither crying nor sorrow.’

“Joseph Wyvil was a faithful Christian man, and found his greatest support during this long miserable night watch in praying for Lil and for Joe.

“The late winter morning had dawned when Lil awoke.

“She awoke very quietly, and although she opened her eyes, looked about, saw her brother seated by her bed, and evidently by the change that passed over her face, remembered all that had happened since yesterday, yet there was no outburst of grief. The effect of the narcotic yet remained in the blunted sensibilities. But though her feelings were dulled, her intellect was clear enough; and although there was no outbreak of sorrow, yet the look of deep despair that settled on her face showed how profoundly she realized the situation.

“‘Lil! Lil, my darling sister,’ muttered Joseph Wyvil, bending over her.

“‘Let me go to him, Joseph! Oh, please let me go to him. I will behave myself. Indeed I will behave myself, Joseph,’ she pleaded.

“‘Yes, dear, you shall go just as soon as the doors are opened to admit visitors.’

“She put out her hand and pressed his.

“‘But, darling Lil, you need not give up hope. All is not lost yet, Lil! I mean to get up a strong petition in his behalf. He is so young. There are so many circumstances in his favor. Lil, I am nearly certain we can get his sentence commuted to transportation for life. And then we also will go out to Australia, to be near him. And if he conducts himself well, as he will be sure to do, having so much at stake, he will get a ticket-of-leave. And after a few weeks, Lil, we’ll not be any worse off than if we had emigrated, you know. Are you listening, Lil?’

“‘Yes, Joseph. Oh, take me to him. I want to go to him so much. I will behave myself so well.’

“‘Yes, dear. Just as soon as ever I can do so. Keep up your heart.’

“‘If he dies I shall die too, and in a fortnight all will be over, and we two shall meet on the other side, never to part any more.’

“‘Don’t speak so hopelessly, dear Lil. I feel sure in my own mind that we shall win a commutation of his sentence, and then the worst that can happen to us will be that we shall have to go to Australia; and that may turn out to be the very best that could happen.’

“Their conversation was interrupted by a rap at the door, followed by the entrance of the landlady with a small bowl of beef tea for the poor girl.

“‘Oh, I thank you; but indeed I cannot take anything,’ said Lil, when this refreshment was offered to her.

“‘Come, now, I want you to drink this because it will do you good. And you promised to behave, you know,’ said her brother.

“‘I will drink it then,’ said Lil, with perfect docility. And so well was the liquid seasoned that on tasting it she drank it without reluctance and even with benefit.

“The landlady had scarcely left the room, with the empty bowl in her hand, when the doctor entered it.

“Joseph Wyvil arose and bowed, and yielded his place by the bedside to the physician, who seated himself and proceeded to examine his patient.

“‘She is going on well, yet I would recommend a continuance of the same treatment for a while longer. She should be kept somewhat under the influence of sedatives to tide her over this trial,’ was his whispered advice to Joseph Wyvil, as he arose to leave the room.

“He wrote a prescription and minute directions for its administration, and then took leave.

“Joseph Wyvil went down to his breakfast and sent up the landlady’s servant to assist Lil in rising and dressing to go to the jail.

“Joseph called a carriage, but before he put her into it administered a dose of that merciful medicine sent by the doctor to quiet her nerves and blunt her feelings, if it could not obscure her intelligence.

“And so they drove to the jail and were admitted to the presence of poor Joe.

“The jail doctor and the chaplain had done their part, and the doomed boy was much calmer than he had been on the preceding day.

“The stricken young pair met without any violent outbreak of emotion. Each grew paler as they embraced, and neither could speak to the other at first. They sat down on the side of the cot, with their hands clasped together.

“Joseph Wyvil, after taking and pressing his brother’s hand, drew the chair and seated himself before them, and began to talk of the petition for the commutation of Joe’s sentence he intended that day to set on foot. Mr. Rocke, he said, would draw it up, and he thought that judge and jury would sign it as well as many clergymen and other citizens. He himself would take it up to the Home Secretary. He felt sure, he said, that the petition would be granted, and that transportation for life would be the very worst that Joe would have to suffer. Beyond every reasonable cause for believing this, Joseph declared that he felt an interior confidence that was prophetic, for which he could not account.

“‘And then, Joe, your fate will not be hard. It will depend upon yourself to make it easy. If you behave yourself, you will find it light enough, from all that I can hear. You will be taken as some gentleman’s valet, or even secretary, and after a while get your ticket of leave, and in due time your pardon——’

“‘Pardon for what I never did!’ said Joe.

“‘Be patient, dear boy! There be a deal of undeserved suffering in this world for which there must be compensation somewhere. And after all, Joe, there is many a free emigrant who has suffered and will suffer more than you need to do. And listen to this, Joe. After a year or two, just as soon as I have made money enough to carry us through, I will bring Lil out to you and we will all live out there together, and it will depend only on ourselves, under the Divine Providence, whether we prosper.’

“‘We have not got the commutation yet,’ said Joe, despondently.

“‘But we will get it,’ replied Joseph, confidently.

“At this moment Mr. Rocke entered the cell with the petition in his hand.

“Joseph ceded his chair and took a seat on the foot of the cot.

“After shaking hands with the prisoner, his wife and brother, Mr. Rocke read the petition, and producing a pocket pen and ink-stand, asked for their signatures.

“Joe signed his name first, Lil next, adding naively on the same line: ‘Oh, please, please.’

“Mr. Rocke frowned, smiled, but let it stand.

“Joseph Wyvil then signed his name.

“And then the two men left the cell to go and take the petition around the town, leaving Lil with Joe.

“By this time all of the boy’s history was known to the townspeople. Joseph Wyvil had given it to the lawyer, at first retaining him. The lawyer had given it to the reporter of the _Guardian_ on the evening of the trial, and the whole story was published in this morning’s issue, together with the report of the trial.

“There was a reaction in public sentiment. Much doubt was entertained of the prisoner’s complicity with the crime for which he had been condemned. Much pity was felt for him and for his child-wife, in their extreme youth and utter despair. The petition for the commutation of his sentence was signed by judge, jury, magistrates, clergymen and citizens of all rank.

“Joseph Wyvil and Mr. Rocke took it up to London together and laid it before the Home Secretary.

“Three weary days passed before they could obtain a hearing. Then five tedious days before any action was taken on the petition.

“During all this time Joseph Wyvil wrote daily letters full of confidence and encouragement to his waiting, breathlessly anxious sister and brother.

“At length, on the ninth day, Joseph Wyvil and Mr. Rocke received the commutation and started with it for Carlisle.

“It was after the hours of closing the prison. But they could not easily consent to leave the prisoner, who was now the object of the royal clemency, one more sleepless night of agonizing suspense.

“So while Joseph Wyvil went home to gladden the heart of his sister with the good news, Mr. Rocke went to the house of the chaplain and with him to the governor of the jail, and so gained admittance to the cell.

“Joe, who had parted with Lil but an hour before, was sitting on the side of his cot staring into vacancy and on the verge of falling into idiocy, saw through his grated door the low light of the turnkey’s lantern approaching, and roused himself.

“In another moment the door was unlocked, the two men entered, and Joe’s eager, questioning eyes read the good news in their faces before the chaplain took his hand and said:

“‘Return thanks to the Lord, my boy! You are saved!’

“‘Oh, Lil! Lil!’ cried Joe, and dropped his head in his hands and sobbed like a child.

“When at length he recovered himself he thanked the chaplain and the lawyer for all that they had done in his behalf.

“And then, as it was late, the two gentlemen shook hands with the prisoner and withdrew.

“The next morning the meeting between the young pair was a happier one than they had had since they had parted on that fatal night of the old squire’s death and the lawyer’s murder.

“Joseph Wyvil also kept their spirits up by hopefully putting the fairest view of the future before them. He reiterated that it depended on Joe himself whether his lot in Australia would be the hard lot of a convict or the ordinary lot of a hard-working emigrant. The chaplain of this prison, he said, would write a letter to the chaplain of the transport-ship and make interest with him for the young exile. And lastly, that, within a year, or two years at most, he would bring Lil out to Sydney.

“‘And by that time, Joe, you will have behaved yourself so well as to have got your ticket-of-leave and maybe your free pardon, too, and we will all, please the Lord, forget our troubles and live happily together.’

“And Lil and Joe believed all that their hopeful brother told them, and anticipated the brighter days that might be in store for them in the future years.

“The interval between this day and the sailing of the transport-ship was passed as calmly and hopefully as possible under the circumstances.

“Lil was allowed to be as much with Joe as the rules of the prison justified, and even a little more, perhaps, for governor, chaplain and physician all sympathized with them, despite the rigid discipline that would bind souls as much as bodies in such cases of officers and prisoners.

“The day came in which Joe and a fellow-prisoner named Jeremiah Hatfield, convicted of robbery and sentenced to seven years’ transportation and penal servitude, were to be taken from the prison, handcuffed together and put upon the train, in charge of two armed keepers, to be taken to Liverpool, from whence the transport-ship Vulture was to sail.

“Lil, supported by the strong arm and strong heart of her brother Joseph, went early to the prison to take leave of Joe.

“Joe behaved pretty well under the circumstances, kept up his own spirits and kept up Lil’s.

“‘Only look upon this as if I were going to sea, Lil! You know I am not guilty. I will not consider myself a convict. I will think of myself only as an emigrant. And I will behave so well, please the Lord, that everybody shall esteem me, whether they will or no. And shall believe that I have been wrongly accused. Cheer up, Lil.’

“The doctor had mercifully given Lil a sedative that morning to enable her to go through the ordeal, else Heaven only knows what sort of a scene of wild hysterics would have been enacted in that cell. As it was, Lil’s heart only ached with a dull despair that found no outlet in sobs or tears, or even complaint.

“The poor boy and girl were allowed to remain together until the last possible minute, and then, when they were warned that the moment of parting had actually come, there was one long, clinging embrace, and then Joseph led his sister away—not crying, not fainting, yet half dead in her dumb anguish.

“The chaplain remained with Joe. And before the wife and brother had reached the end of the corridor, another prisoner was brought from another cell, handcuffed to Joe, and both were led off to the prison van that was to take them to the railway station en route for Liverpool and the transport-ship.

“Joseph Wyvil took his sister back to their lodging-house and made her go to bed, where, overcome by all that she had done and borne that day, and stupefied by the sedative she had taken, she fell into a long sleep.

“Meanwhile the kind-hearted and helpful landlady packed up all her lodgers’ effects to save Lil trouble, in anticipation of the journey that was to be taken the next day.

“Lil awoke the next morning much calmer and stronger than might have been expected.

“And the same day Joseph Wyvil, after thanking and remunerating their landlady, took his sister back to their cottage home at Stockton.