CHAPTER VIII. MADAME BECK.

Beingdeliveredintothechargeofthema?tresse,Iwasledthroughalongnarrowpassageintoaforeignkitchen,verycleanbutverystrange.Itseemedtocontainnomeansofcooking—neitherfireplacenorovenIdidnotunderstandthatthegreatblackfurnacewhichfilledonecorner,wasanefficientsubstituteforthese.SurelypridewasnotalreadybeginningitswhispersinmyheartyetIfeltasenseofreliefwhen,insteadofbeingleftinthekitchen,asIhalfanticipated,Iwasledforwardtoasmallinnerroomtermeda“cabinet.”Acookinajacket,ashortpetticoatandsabots,broughtmysupper:towit—somemeat,natureunknown,servedinanoddandacid,butpleasantsaucesomechoppedpotatoes,madesavourywith,Iknownotwhat:vinegarandsugar,Ithink:atartine,orsliceofbreadandbutter,andabakedpear.Beinghungry,Iateandwasgrateful. Afterthe“prièredusoir,”Madameherselfcametohaveanotherlookatme.Shedesiredmetofollowherup-stairs.Throughaseriesofthequeerestlittledormitories—which,Iheardafterwards,hadoncebeennuns’cells:forthepremiseswereinpartofancientdate—andthroughtheoratory—along,low,gloomyroom,whereacrucifixhung,pale,againstthewall,andtwotaperskeptdimvigils—sheconductedmetoanapartmentwherethreechildrenwereasleepinthreetinybeds.Aheatedstovemadetheairofthisroomoppressiveand,tomendmatters,itwasscentedwithanodourratherstrongthandelicate:aperfume,indeed,altogethersurprisingandunexpectedunderthecircumstances,beinglikethecombinationofsmokewithsomespirituousessence—asmell,inshort,ofwhisky. Besideatable,onwhichflaredtheremnantofacandlegutteringtowasteinthesocket,acoarsewoman,heterogeneouslycladinabroadstripedshowysilkdress,andastuffapron,satinachairfastasleep.Tocompletethepicture,andleavenodoubtastothestateofmatters,abottleandanemptyglassstoodatthesleepingbeauty’selbow. Madamecontemplatedthisremarkabletableauwithgreatcalmsheneithersmilednorscowlednoimpressofanger,disgust,orsurprise,ruffledtheequalityofhergraveaspectshedidnotevenwakethewoman!Serenelypointingtoafourthbed,sheintimatedthatitwastobeminethen,havingextinguishedthecandleandsubstitutedforitanight-lamp,sheglidedthroughaninnerdoor,whichsheleftajar—theentrancetoherownchamber,alarge,well-furnishedapartmentaswasdiscerniblethroughtheaperture. Mydevotionsthatnightwereallthanksgiving.StrangelyhadIbeenledsincemorning—unexpectedlyhadIbeenprovidedfor.ScarcelycouldIbelievethatnotforty-eighthourshadelapsedsinceIleftLondon,undernootherguardianshipthanthatwhichprotectsthepassenger-bird—withnoprospectbutthedubiouscloud-traceryofhope. IwasalightsleeperinthedeadofnightIsuddenlyawoke.Allwashushed,butawhitefigurestoodintheroom—Madameinhernight-dress.Movingwithoutperceptiblesound,shevisitedthethreechildreninthethreebedssheapproachedme:Ifeignedsleep,andshestudiedmelong.Asmallpantomimeensued,curiousenough.Idaresayshesataquarterofanhourontheedgeofmybed,gazingatmyface.Shethendrewnearer,bentcloseovermeslightlyraisedmycap,andturnedbackthebordersoastoexposemyhairshelookedatmyhandlyingonthebedclothes.Thisdone,sheturnedtothechairwheremyclotheslay:itwasatthefootofthebed.Hearinghertouchandliftthem,Iopenedmyeyeswithprecaution,forIownIfeltcurioustoseehowfarhertasteforresearchwouldleadher.Itledheragoodway:everyarticledidsheinspect.Idivinedhermotiveforthisproceeding,viz.thewishtoformfromthegarmentsajudgmentrespectingthewearer,herstation,means,neatness,&c.Theendwasnotbad,butthemeanswerehardlyfairorjustifiable.Inmydresswasapocketshefairlyturneditinsideout:shecountedthemoneyinmypursesheopenedalittlememorandum-book,coollyperuseditscontents,andtookfrombetweentheleavesasmallplaitedlockofMissMarchmont’sgreyhair.Toabunchofthreekeys,beingthoseofmytrunk,desk,andwork-box,sheaccordedspecialattention:withthese,indeed,shewithdrewamomenttoherownroom.Isoftlyroseinmybedandfollowedherwithmyeye:thesekeys,reader,werenotbroughtbacktilltheyhadleftonthetoiletoftheadjoiningroomtheimpressoftheirwardsinwax.Allbeingthusdonedecentlyandinorder,mypropertywasreturnedtoitsplace,myclotheswerecarefullyrefolded.Ofwhatnatureweretheconclusionsdeducedfromthisscrutiny?Weretheyfavourableorotherwise?Vainquestion.Madame’sfaceofstone(forofstoneinitspresentnightaspectitlooked:ithadbeenhuman,and,asIsaidbefore,motherly,inthesalon)betrayednoresponse. Herdutydone—Ifeltthatinhereyesthisbusinesswasaduty—sherose,noiselessasashadow:shemovedtowardsherownchamberatthedoor,sheturned,fixinghereyeontheheroineofthebottle,whostillsleptandloudlysnored.Mrs.Svini(IpresumethiswasMrs.Svini,AnglicéorHibernicé,Sweeny)—Mrs.Sweeny’sdoomwasinMadameBeck’seye—animmutablepurposethateyespoke:Madame’svisitationsforshortcomingsmightbeslow,buttheyweresure.Allthiswasveryun-English:trulyIwasinaforeignland. ThemorrowmademefurtheracquaintedwithMrs.Sweeny.ItseemsshehadintroducedherselftoherpresentemployerasanEnglishladyinreducedcircumstances:anative,indeed,ofMiddlesex,professingtospeaktheEnglishtonguewiththepurestmetropolitanaccent.Madame—reliantonherowninfallibleexpedientsforfindingoutthetruthintime—hadasingularintrepidityinhiringserviceoff-hand(asindeedseemedabundantlyprovedinmyowncase).ShereceivedMrs.Sweenyasnursery-governesstoherthreechildren.IneedhardlyexplaintothereaderthatthisladywasineffectanativeofIrelandherstationIdonotpretendtofix:sheboldlydeclaredthatshehad“hadthebringing-upofthesonanddaughterofamarquis.”Ithinkmyself,shemightpossiblyhavebeenahanger-on,nurse,fosterer,orwasherwoman,insomeIrishfamily:shespokeasmotheredtongue,curiouslyoverlaidwithmincingcockneyinflections.Bysomemeansorothershehadacquired,andnowheldinpossession,awardrobeofrathersuspicioussplendour—gownsof