What Will He Do With It? (Belford)/Book 1/Chapter 10
CHAPTER X.
"Am I to understand," said Mr. Rugge, in a whisper, when Waife had drawn him to the farthest end of the inner room, with the bed-curtains between their position and the door deadening the sound of their voices—"am I to understand that, after my taking you and that child to my theatre out of charity, and at your own request, you are going to quit me without warning—French leave—is that British conduct?"
"Mr. Rugge," replied Waife, deprecatingly, "I have no engagement with you beyond an experimental trial. We were free on both sides for three months—you to dismiss us any day, we to leave you. The experiment does not please us; we thank you, and depart."
Rugge. "That is not the truth. I said I was free to dismiss you both if the child did not suit. You, poor helpless creature, could be of no use. But I never heard you say you were tobe free, too. Stand to reason not. Put my engagements at a Waife's mercy!—I, Lorenzo Rugge!—stuff! But I'm a just man, and a liberal man, and if you think you ought to have a higher salary—if this ungrateful proceeding is only, as I take it, a strike for wages—I will meet you. Julia Araminta does play better than I could have supposed; and I'll conclude an engagement on good terms as we were to have done if the experiment answered, for three years."
Waife shook his head. "You are very good, Mr. Rugge, but it is not a strike. My little girl does not like the life at any price; and since she supports me, I am bound to please her. Besides," said the actor, with a stiffer manner, "you have broken faith with me. It was fully understood that I was to appear no more on your stage; all my task was to advise you in the performances, remodel the plays, help in the stage-management; and you took advantage of my penury, and, when I asked for a small advance, insisted on forcing these relics of what I was upon the public pity. Enough—we part. I bear no malice."
Rugge. "Oh, don't you? No more do I. But I am a Briton, and I have the spirit of one. You had better not make an enemy of me."
Waife. "I am above the necessity of making enemies. I have an enemy ready made in myself."
Rugge placed a strong bony hand upon the cripple's arm. "I dare say you have! A bad conscience, Sir. How would you like your past life looked into and blabbed out?"
Gentleman Waife (mournfully). "The last four years of it have been spent in your service, Mr. Rugge. If their record had been blabbed out for my benefit, there would not have been a dry eye in the house."
Rugge. "I disdain your sneer. When a scorpion nursed at my bosom sneers at me, I leave it to its own reflections. But I don't speak of the years in which that scorpion has been enjoying a salary and smoking canaster at my expense. I refer to an earlier dodge in its checkered existence. Ha, Sir, you wince! I suspect I can find out something about you which would—"
Waife (fiercely). "Would what?"
Rugge. "Oh, lower your tone, Sir—no bullying me. I suspect! I have good reason for suspicion; and if you sneak off in this way, and cheat me out of my property in Julia Araminta, I will leave no stone unturned to prove what I suspect. Look to it, slight man! Come, I don't wish to quarrel; make it up, and" (drawing out his pocket-book) "if you want cash down, and will have an engagement in black and white for three years for Julia Araminta, you may squeeze a good sum out of me, and go yourself where you please; you'll never be troubled by me. What I want is the girl."
All the actor laid aside, Waife growled out, "And hang me, Sir, if you shall have the girl!"
At this moment Sophy opened the door wide, and entered boldly. She had heard her grandfather's voice raised, though its hoarse tones did not allow her to distinguish his words. She was alarmed for him. She came in, his guardian fairy, to protect him from the oppressor of six feet high. Rugge's arm was raised, not indeed to strike, but rather to declaim. Sophy slid between him and her grandfather, and clinging round the latter, flung out her own arm, the forefinger raised menacingly toward the Remorseless Baron. How you would have clapped if you had seen her so at Covent Garden. But I'll swear the child did not know she was acting. Rugge did, and was struck with admiration and regretful rage at the idea of losing her.
"Bravo!" said he, involuntarily. "Come—come, Waife, look at her—she was born for the stage. My heart swells with pride. She is my property, morally speaking; make her so legally—and hark, in your ear—fifty pounds. Take me in the humor. Golconda opens—fifty pounds!"
"No," said the vagrant.
"Well," said Rugge, sullenly, "let her speak for her self."
"Speak, child. You don't wish to return to Mr. Rugge—and without me, too—do you, Sophy?"
"Without you, Grandy! I'd rather die first."
"You hear her; all is settled between us. You have had our services up to last night; you have paid us up to last night; and so good-morning to you, Mr. Rugge."
"My dear child," said the manager, softening his voice as much as he could, "do consider. You shall be so made of, without that stupid old man. You think me cross, but 'tis he who irritates and puts me out of temper. I'm uncommon fond of children. I had a babe of my own once—upon my honor I had—and if it had not been for convulsions, caused by teething, I should be a father still. Supply to me the place of that beloved babe. You shall have such fine dresses; all new—choose 'em yourself—minced veal and raspberry tarts for dinner every Sunday. In three years, under my care, you will become a great actress, and make your fortune, and marry a lord—lords go out of their wits for great actresses—whereas, with him, what will you do? Drudge, and rot, and starve; and he can't live long, and then where will you be? 'Tis a shame to hold her so, you idle old vagabond."
"I don't hold her," said Waife, trying to push her away. "There's something in what the man says. Choose for yourself, Sophy."
Sophy (suppressing a sob). "How can you have the heart to talk so, Grandy? I tell you, Mr. Rugge, you are a bad man, and I hate you, and all about you—and I'll stay with grandtather—and I don't care if I do starve—he shan't!"
Mr. Rugge (clapping both hands on the crown of his head, and striding to the door). "William Waife, beware! 'Tis done! I'm your enemy! As for you, too dear but abandoned infant, stay with him. You'll find out very soon who and what he is—your pride will have a fall, when—"
Waife sprang forward, despite his lameness—both his fists clenched, his one eye ablaze; his broad, burly torso confronted and daunted the stormy manager. Taller and younger though Rugge was, he cowered before the cripple he had so long taunted and humbled. The words stood arrested on his tongue. "Leave the room instantly!" thundered the actor, in a voice no longer broken. "Blacken my name before that child by one word, and I will dash the next down your throat!"
Rugge rushed to the door, and keeping it ajar between Waife and himself, he then thrust in his head, hissing forth, "Fly, caitiff, fly! My revenge shall track your secret, and place you in my power. Juliet Araminta shall yet be mine!" With these awful words the Remorseless Baron cleared the stairs in two bounds, and was out of the house.
Waife smiled contemptuously. But as the street-door clanged on the form of the angry manager, the color faded from the old man's face. Exhausted by the excitement he had gone through, he sank on a chair, and with one quick gasp as for breath, fainted away.