26/4/2008
Contents:
JAMAICA MAITLAND RECORDS EXTRACTS
SLAVE REGISTRATION RECORDS at the PRO.
Died 11/1787:
In Trelawny, at Golden Grove estate, Mr.
Robert Maitland, Millwright;
Died 9/1798 In St. Elizabeth's, Robert Benstead Wright, Esq
In keeping of King's College Archives, London.
Contains sketches of
Port Louis Harbour, Colombo?
Trinidad, Sunday July 16 1831
Principal contents of the diary (about A5, hardback) are notes on various
patients seen by AWM while in practice in London and during his voyage from
London to Colombo and return. There is also an abbreviated description of his
voyage.
The Hector 293 tons, Bristol 1824, Capt. Richardson, 3 masted ship, square
sail.
Summary From Peter Rushbrook:
Entered Guy's Hospital on 5/3/1824, articled to Mr Stocker. Held a
certificate of Theory & Practice at Guy's dated Oct 1827 & appears in
the 1830 Register of Medical Pupils as no 515, subsequently a
"dresser" to Bransby Cooper, nephew of Sir Astley Cooper (knighted
1820 after removing a wart from KG V's Nose). Bransby served in the Army in
Canada and the Peninsular, was appointed Ass. Surgeon & then Surgeon in
1825. He died in 1853. Maitland left Gravesend Oct 17 1830 in the SS
"Hector" as ship's Surgeon on a voyage to Isle of France (Mauritius)
& Ceylon returning to Gravesend on Nov 2, 1831. He then took passage for
Jamaica on board the brig "Volusia" on Nov 29, 1831. He was appointed
Ass. Surgeon to the St Elizabeth Regiment of Foot in Jamaica in 1834 & as a
justice in Elizabeth County in 1838. Commissioned as Health Officer for the
port of Black River (Cornwall County) in 1841 & elected to the Fellows of
the College of Physicians & Surgeons in Jamaica in 1842.
Andrew Maitland died suddenly after his morning ride around Mount Charles
Estate in 1856 and his medical notebooks and certificates were given to the
United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's & St Thomas's Hospitals by the
Family in 1989.
Remarks on board the Hector from London to the Mauritius and Ceylon. Left
Blackwall on board the Hector Oct 16 1830. Gravesend 17th. Downs 20th, left
24th. Arrived the Northern Bank 27th. Arrived the Volusia from London Nov 14th
1830. Sailed from Northern Bank Nov 18th with all the Eastward bound fleet. Dec
7th saw Porto Santo. Dec 10th saw Palosse, one of the Canary Islands. Dec 28th
saw San Antonio one of the Cape Vered Islands. Jan 16th saw Trinidad a ???
island. About this time the white biscuit was out. Feb 4th off Tristan da
Cunha. Feb 10th saw a whaler. Feb 18th the harpooner South Seaman in company.
Capt Hawk dined on board. Feb 21st fell in with Buenos Ayerean ship the Bien
Koneida, Capt Boone bound for the Isle de France with mules - has lost 150 of
them, 80 in one gale, 74 left. Supplied him with 3 barrels of beef etc and obtained
in return biscuit and flour etc. Required them to give notice of our safety at
the Mauritius, ordinarily about 14 days sail from here. March 1st 1831 this day
103 days from Portsmouth and Gravesend 133. We calculated that we are 1100 from
the Mauritius and consider it about 7 days sail. Saw Round Island Monday 14th.
Anchored March 18th in Port Louis Harbour and underwent the ceremonial of ????
etc etc. Ship moored with 4 anchors. 19th arrived the Bien Koneida. Sunday 20th
Landed all the Isle de France passengers in good health and spirits.. Sailed
from Port Louis Saturday 9th 1831 at 5 pm, having been in harbour 3 weeks. Few
old passengers came on board to say farewell. May 5th 1831 distance from
Colombo 651 miles. 13th saw land and anchored. The first week we remained in
this port, the heat was beyond anything that can be imagined. Friday 3rd June
during a gale the ship broke from her anchoring chain and went to sea after
having lost another. Nearly lost on Negombo Point. Returned Sunday June 5th
1831. Weather unsettled and squally. June 7th accident to a Cooley. June 11th
weighed anchor from Colombo roads and stood off during the night to receive the
Government Dispatches the next morning. Sunday 12th heaving guns from the fort
to return to -- stood to sea. Passed about 3 weeks on there with Ms???. July
(text June) 5th "Bacycost a Jackal???". July 20th to the southward of
Isle of France weather becoming cold with almost incessant rain and heavy dews
at night.
July 25th 1 Brig and 2 ships in sight - July 28th - Spoke to Resource Capt
Shuttleworth from Madras with troops bound for St Helena and London.
Aug 2nd Spoke to a sloop of war.
Aug 7th to 14th blowing strong gales with heavy squalls. Shipping much water
and the ship labouring exceptionally. The bulwark of the main and quarter deck
washed away and wind from NNW and W. 15th saw planks and different parts of a
ship floating by. 16th Aug saw the Cape of Good Hope. 17th spoke to the Lady
Gordon Capt. Harmer from Liverpool 72 days, last from the Cape of Hood Hope and
reports that 2 Americans and 4 English ships were driven on shore during the
gales in which we suffered = bound to Batavia = Aug 28th the weather from here
been very cold now becomes more mild. We consider ourselves 4 days sail from St
Helena where we ??? at for water and provisions as almost all the stock died in
the gales including 12 pigs etc. Aug 30th distance from St Helena 157 miles and
expect to see it this day. Aug 31st = wind since off the Cape moderate S and
SSE generally ?? with small rain. All sail set possible =
Aug 30th caught 2 Cape pigeons.
Sept 1st saw St Helena. 2nd approached almost near enough to another but our
boat unfortunately upset which ??? us that night. 3rd Friday anchored in the
Sir Nibisia Bay about 8 pm ?? by the port Office??. And next morning went on
shore at James Town at the invitation of Mr Carrol store-keeper who behaved in
the most hospitable manner and obliged me to accept the use of his house to
visit the Napoleon's Tomb = 12am arrived at Longwood saw the tomb and obtained
two pieces of willow from and old soldier who has the care of the grounds = 6pm
by aid of the crew of the Daniel South-Seaman we weighed anchor with a fair
wind. Next morning we out of sight of the island = ships account £50 this
having been the most extravagant port a ship can visit.
Fowls not larger than a pigeon 4d each.
Pigs about 1 month old 16s
1 small bag of potatoes £1-1s
Sept 16th this day 27 miles north of the equator and 8 days from St Helena =
and off Cape Agulhas to St Helena 14 days. 15th sail in sight = 6pm spoke the
brig Indian of London from Liverpool out 32 days boound to the Cape of Good
Hope and Batavia this vessel and the Lady Gordon belonging to the same owners.
17th this day 11 months from London.
16th and 17th becalmed and most unbearably hot.
19th 2 ships in sight one outward and the other homeward bound = 15 16 17 18 19
becalmed and very hot = caught a shark and got the backbone cleaned. 20th wind
all round the compass = 21st 2 sail in sight. PM1 ditto = met the NE trade in
10 ??.
Sept 29th weather become cooler.
Oct 1st saw the Gul?? Weed of the Sargasso = Oct 3rd caught 17 dolphins = 8th
the salt provisions bought at St Helena so bad and old that it cannot be used.
10th Oct 5 sail in sight = 11th = strong wind from NE with squalls the very
point of the compass we want to steer. 13th 4 months from Ceylon = 16th this
day 12 months I left London. 17th = 12 months on board ship = 19th this day 45
days from St Helena. Saw at 6pm the Island of "Flores" and at 10pm
that of "Coovs?" being the 2 most westerly of the Azores = one sail
in sight "A Barque" supposed from her fast sailing to be a Packet =
Our approach to England is now fully manifest by the climate being cold = 23rd
strong breezes from the SW, running 8 and 8 1/2 knots per hour the wind being
aft = 24th a vessel in sight running away as usual = 26th most miserably cold
wet and squally with hail. 27th 6pm spoke to the Brig Eliza of Peterhead - had
not seen land for 8 days = also passed at 4pm a large ship standing to
southward = obtained soundings at 95 fathoms coarse sand and shell. 28th 1
schooner and a brig in site. 7pm spoke the schooner Diana from
"Tante"? in the Mediterranean out 38 days bound for London. Oct 28
saw Start Point = Nov 2nd passed Gravesend and I quitted the ship and arrived
London the same evening.
Also included 2 draft letters:
"Ship Hector off Dungeness"
Sir,
As I am I want of clothes and the weather is very cold I shall be obliged by
your immediately setting about a pair of trousers for me of stout Oxford
Mixture and the lightest colour you can obtain. They may be made according to
my measure which you have and without linings. I have only one pair with me and
they are much the worse of wear so that you will oblige me by having them ready
against my arrival in London in about ------ we out from Ceylon.
June 13th = all well = have landed passengers AWM.
Mr Abluig? = having just arrived from India and being very much in want of
boots I ask you immediately you receive this to put a pair of boots in hand for
me to be made according to my measure which you have - of modern le? Substance
and the upper leather not too thick the heel to be made square and a half tip
on the outside and perhaps a very little larger than you have made for me.
JAMAICA MAITLAND RECORDS EXTRACTS
Films held by LDS at Exhibition Road, London (& Utah).
Examination of the St Elizabeth Parish records show many Maitlands, the
earliest of which is our Francis (1). Index film no 1224314 refers to all the
missing second generation shown on the original Maitland Tree. The Copy
Registers are on film 1368561 (later ones on 1223998) and are photographs of
the registers held by the Registrar General in Jamaica.
INDEX:
The significant baptismal entries indexed on film 1224314 are:
1720-1800 Rebecca D. Wright 1 8
1720-1800: Francis M. Vol 1 Folio 49
Richard M. 1 54
1801-1825 Andrew Wright M 1 190
John 1 190
Francis 1 190
Richard 1 190
George 2 57
Alexander 2 57
Septimus 2 57
Numerous other entries are in the index:
they mostly refer to slaves who have taken the owner's name.
Other entries of interest are:
Marriages:
1832 Emma Rebecca M.
1847 Andrew Wright M.
Burial:
1840 Octavius: ours was baptised in London: this is probably a
slave, named after Octavius. See below.
1856 Andrew Wright M.
COPY REGISTER:
Vol 1, folio 8 (1720-1800):
Rebecca Dunston Wright, daughter of Patty, a mulatto, lately a slave belonging
to Mr Roderick Rose, three years old last May and baptised Nov 12 1752.
Vol 1, folio 35 (1720-1800):
1773 August 1, baptised, Elizabeth M., reputed daughter of Richard Parchment
(?) by Sarah M., born 18 August 1772.
Also: William 28/12/1775, John 12/2/1782, Richard 14/1/1779, Nicholas 2/9/1785.
Vol 1, folio 49 (1720-1800):
1784 May 23: Francis Maitland baptised, reputed son of John Maitland by Rebecca
Wright. Born 25 feb 1784. (Listed under Non White).
Vol 1, folio 54:
1788: Richard Maitland baptised, reputed son of John Maitland by Rebecca
Wright. Born 4 August 1786.
Under "Persons non-white"
category, crossed out, which appears not to be used any more.
Vol 1, folio 190 (1801-1825)
1814 April 12, at Giddy Hall
Andrew Wright M. )
John M. ) Children of Francis Maitland and
Francis M. ) his wife Mistress.
Richard M. )
Rebecca Wright ) Slaves Belonging ( Billy Wright
Jane M. ) to Francis M. ( Benjamin Brown
Fanny M. ) ( Thomas Brown
Johnson M. ) ( William Roberts
Louisa M. ) ( John M.
Richard M. ) ( Fanny Wright
Thomas Clark ) ( Eliza Read (?)
Thomas Wright
Elizabeth Wright ( Slaves belonging Bify (?) Wright
Clarissa Wright ( to Estate of Mary Wright
Celia Wright ( Andrew Wright
Vol 1, folio 195:
1814 Dec 11 at Black River, Margaret Carpenter Honneywell, Sambo Woman, the
property of Francis Maitland, aged 20 years.
Vol 2, folio 57:
3 baptism entries on 23/3/1821 for George, (Born 14/4/1818), Alexander (born
31/5/1819) and Septimus (born 20/1/1821) M. "... the son of Mr Francis
Maitland, a free person of colour and Ann, his wife, reputed white, baptised 23
March".
Also baptised same day, 48 slaves belonging to Francis M.
1821 June 21:
94 slaves, the property of Mitcham & Silver Grove (best Guess)
baptised: many were called Maitland.
Several Maitland marriages were at Giddy Hall in the 1830's between people
described as apprentices.
Francis M and Eliza Wright married at Giddy Hall by banns on 9/4/1837. Probably
a slave, not ours. A negro called Francis M. was baptised in 1835, aged 50
years.
Edward M & Catherine Griffith, apprentices at Giddy Hall, baptised 24/7/1836.
Several similar entries are shown.
On cursory reading, I found a number of burials of Wrights at Lacovia between
1789 & 1806. James Cooper Wright, buried 2/5/1806, had a daughter called
Mary Frances by Ann, his wife, b: 14/6/1760.
Several early (1750's) Wright baptisms refer to Westmoreland.
Marriages (1223998):
Octavius M. and Christiana Williams 9 May 1850.
"Samuel Maitland and Camilla Beckford, both of Font(?) Hill married 18
October 1850."
John Bennet and Flora M. both of Burnt Savannah married 12 August 1842.
PORT ROYAL parish records (film 1291768):
James Maitland: born 21/10/1758, bapt 6/11/1758, son of Frederick Maitland and
Mary Arnot(?), a mulatto. (V1/11)
Buried 18/8/1760 by Frederick M at Palisades. (V1/161).
Elizabeth Maitland, born 30/11/1763, bapt 1/1/1764, dau of Hon Frederick
Maitland and Mary Arnot, mulatto. (V1/15)
John Maitland, born 19/3/1765, bapt 20/7/1765, son of Hon Frederick Maitland
and Mary Arnot, mulatto. (V1/16)
Charles Maitland bapt 5/5/1814, free mestu(?) son of Charles Maitland and Maria
Lucri???? (rem unreadable), (V1/83).
Burials (Palisades was the cemetery for Port Royal):
Ann Arnot, free mulatto, 8/10/1777 by Mary Arnot @ Palisades.
Mary Arnot, 27/11/1782, by Mary O'Niel(?) @ Palisades
Charlotte Cornwallis, 10/8/1783, by Tho' Little (?) @ Palisades.
Also found on same page as John M, William Cornwallis, born 26/12/1765, bapt
14/3/1766, son of Hon William Cornwallis and Ann Arnot, mulatto.
Mary and Ann Arnot were probably sisters: no Arnots were found in Port Royal
records. Other Cornwallis offspring in the index were:
James (V1/21), Charlotte (V1/28), James (V1/30), Priscilla (V1/39), Marcella
(V1/50).
St Andrew Parish: (film 1291698) Mary Maitland, bapt 28/6/1740, a quadroon
child of Richard Maitland born of the mulatto slave of Mrs Laws.
Kingston PR:
William Maitland bapt 25/8/1794, son of Milborough Merchant by John Maitland,
mulatto.
"non white person": John Maitland Munro, b18/7/1809, reputed son of John
Munro by Elizabeth Hutchinson, ch 30/3/1811 at Sacridd?
Lacovia?. Next entry is for John Munro, about 33 years, free mulatto.
There is mention of a James Maitland, planter, dying in Jamaica in September 1773.
(ref Scots Magazine, Issue 35 p 559, Nov 1773,
National Library of Scotland checked June 1995). No trace has been found in the
Jamaica microfilms.
Slave Manumissions:
Frederick Cowan manumitted by Francis Maitland for £140.
Louisa Wright Manumitted by Frank Maitland for £220
Bruce, William, a sailor belonging to the “Atlantic”, bur 2/26/1775 in the
church yard, St. Elizabeth. John Maitland is master of the ship. I, p. 334
SLAVE REGISTRATION RECORDS at the PRO.
Kew 22/1/95.
Also later by internet
Records in T71 164-177 covering 1817, 1820, 1823, 1826, 1829, 1832.
Records show the total number of males and females held, the changes since last
record, and the manner of the change (birth, death or sometimes acquisition).
The registers are under owners' names except where the register is made under
an agent's name when the plantation name is sometimes quoted. The given name
and the baptism names are often given. The records contain a differentiation
between African and Creole origin as well as their racial mix.
Cause of death is given, varying from old age to dropsy, lockjaw (quite common)
and other illnesses of the time. Mothers are usually given for the births.
The registration was taken on 28 June, but the records were usually signed up
in September.
Many references to Roses' and Wrights through years.
T71/165:
Francis Maitland in St Elizabeth (f665): M45 F28 T73
Males:
Aqua (ch John Maitland) Negro 40 Creole
Fortune (ch Richard M) Negro 40 Creole
Jack Wright Negro 50 Creole
Sammy 60
Johnson (ch Johnson M) 60 African
Tom Jones 35 C
Scipio 30 C
Adam 50 A
Joe 25 C
Julius 60 A
Cumberland 60 A
Daniel Mulatto 35 C Graces, Runaway
Damion N 30 C Graces
Chester 30 A
Pompey 60 A
Thomas 30 C
Jupiter 60 A
Old Joe 65 A
Prince 25 C Charlotte's
Long George 30 A
Frank 30 A
Tom Brown Sambo 25 C Grace Green
Ben Brown Sambo 25 C Grace Green
George Mulatto 20 C Marina's
Handson? N 20 C
Harry 20 C
Jacky 18 C Nelly's
Tom Clark 18 C Marina's
Billy (ch Billy Wright) 14 C Nelly's
Quaco 12 C Marina's
William (ch William Roberts) 12 C Abba's
John 12 C Charlotte's
Jupiter 11 C Sophy's
Nash 10 C
Quamina 11 C Cuida's
James 10 C
Iancho 10 C Charlotte's
Ned 12 C Sophy's
Nelson 12 C Marina's
Nero 7 C Marina's
McDonald 4 C Marina's
Shortland 3 C Sophy's
James 1 C Jenny's
Andrew 1 C Rose's
Dick (ch Richard Porker) Sambo 3 C Margaret Carpenter
Females:
Nancy 25 C Phabe's
Rose 20 C Marina's
Little Sue 18 C
Jenny (ch Jane Maitland) 30 C
Cuida 35 C
Bess (ch Bessy Wright) 45 C
Phabe 45 C
Charlotte 45 A
Mary Ann 60 A
patience 50 A
Cretia 50 A
Eve 55 A
Juba (ch Fanny Wright) 50 A
Margaret Carpenter Sambo 45 C
Charity (ch Fanny Maitland) 18 C Sophy's
Grace Green 55 C
Maria (ch Maria Wright) 45 C
Melly 45 C
Cynthia (ch Louise Wright) 35 C
Marina 45 C
Abba (ch Rebecca Wright) 40 C
Sophy 40 C
Fanny 18 C Marina's
Ruthy 8 C Charlotte'S
Hagai 5 C Charlotte's
Flora 3 C Jenny's
Charlotte (ch Charlotte Parker) Sambo 7 C Margaret Carpenter's
Alice (ch Alice Blake) Quadroon 5 C Margaret Carpenter's
T71/65 f278:
Francis Maitland & George Roberts as owners in Manchester: M39 F39/78
Males:
Remus Negro 35 C Mars 40 A
Charles 30 A Garick? 40 A
Brown 35 A Philip 35 A
Baines 40 A Anthony 35 A
Robert 35 A Duke 50 A
Cato 35 A Warwick 40 A
John 40 A Jamaica 45 A
Congo Henry 25 A Walter 30 A
Mark 40 A Quashie 35 C
Pitt 35 A Kingston 35 A
Dawson 45 A Creole Henry 22 C Sue
Guy 18 C Marcus 12 C Dolly
Hamlet 10 C Ned 11 C Sue
Chance 8 C Cinda
Bob 10 C Cinda
Jonathan 8 C Dolly
Trim 7 C Abba
Cauer 6 C Rose
Porter 5 C Sue
Lincoln 5 C Lavinia
Simon 5 C
Davy 4 C
George 4 C Cinda
Edward 3 C Dolly
Traveller 1 C Lavinia
Females:
Ceuba 45 A Abba 45 A
Jane 45 A Venus 45 A
Hope 40 A Frankey 35 A
Dolly 40 A Olive 35 A
Yanou 40 A Hannah 40 A
Sue 45 A Rose 45 A
Betty 35 A Judy 45 A
Cinda 35 A Catalani 35 A
Lavinia 35 A Sarah 30 A
Eley 25 C Couba
Fanny 25 C Kate
Celia ch Celia Wright 25 C Dolly
Lettuce 18 C Rose
Ruthy 20 C Abba
Penny 16 C
Agnes 22 C Couba
Sabina 16 C Abba
Prue 10 C
Mimba 10 C
Sappho 8 C Lavinia
Mary 7 C
Cynthia 8 C
Leah 6 C Javies
Wansa 3 C
Eve 2 C Lavinia
Juliana 1 C Eley
Rachel 1 C Agnes
Kitty 6mthsC
Margaret 20 C Sue
T71/165, f764.
George Roberts as owner, St Elizabeth:
Females:
Julian Ch Olivia Reed Sambo 22 C
Bessy Sambo 1 C Julian, Olivia Reed
Males: 0, Females: two.
T71/166:
Thomas Wright (f984): M2
Lewis Wright (f982): M1
Elizabeth Wright (f1047): 4
Francis Brooke Wright: 1 (John Wright guardian).
William Plant in right of his late wife Mary Ann Wright dau of John Wright: 3
(signed by John Wright).
Mary, Alexander and William Rose quoted in index.
T71/167:
Francis Maitland as attorney to George Roberts, sole owner, 4.
Francis Maitland as owner:- (f465)
Last Return: M F ( )
This Return: M47 F31 (78) Bths since last 2, Deaths 4.
Males:
Charleton Negro 1.5 C Little Eve Birth
David Mulatto 35 C Runaway on 11th March 1817 Sold out of
Spanish Town workhouse on 25th August
1817
under name of James.
Chester Negro 30 A Sentenced to transportation as an
incorrigible runaway at a assizes at B
River 25th April 1820.
Frank Negro 33 A Died April 1st 1820
Female:
Marina Negro 14 C Rose Birth
Mary Ann Negro 60 A Died Jan 19 1819
Crolia Negro 50 A Died Feb 20 1819
Margaret Carpenter Sambo 45 C manumitted in consideration £40
by deed dated 1 March 1818
Grace Green Negro 58 C Died Feb 22nd 1820
Increase Two Decrease seven
Francis Maitland & George Roberts as owners:-
Last Return: M23 F18 (40)
Males:
Foy Negro 2.5 C Jane, Birth
Dawson Negro 2.5 C Clarissa Wright, Birth
William Negro 7m C Sinclia, Birth
Dorcas's Inf Negro C Dorcas, Birth
Mitcham Negro 35 A Died January 1818
Will Negroa 63 A Died August 1818
Dorcas inf Negro 8d C Died 31 March 1820
Females:
Juliet Negro 45 A Died 6 Feb 1820
Grace Negro 90 C Died 13 March 1820.
Increase 4, decrease 5.
This Return: M24 F16 (43) Bths 4, Dth 5. (f463)
Also:
John & Ann Wright (f713): M41 F38 M43 F41, B6 D2
Francis Brooke Wright: F1 (sig John W.).
Elizabeth A.B. Wright: M2 F2 M2 F3 (John W as attorney).
Sophia Jones(?) Wright: M1 F2 M2 F2.
Charles Wright: M1 F1 M1 F1.
Nathaniel Wright: M14 F9 M14 f10.
Lewis Wright: M1 M1.
Thomas Wright: M2 M3.
Alexander Rose (f517): M29 F21 M20 F19, B5 D8.
Alexander Rose (as guardian for George Rose) (f518): M4 F3 M4 F2.
Mary Rose (f534): M4 F4 M5 F4.
Alexander Rose was also executor for Alexander Girdwood.
T71/168:
Francis Maitland, St Elizabeth:- (f431)
Last Return: M43 F25 (68)
Males:
Sammy Negro 63 C Died 3rd Aug 1820
Pompey Negro 63 A Died 7th October 1820
Old Joe Negro 68 A Died 1 November 1820
Aqua Negro 44 C Died 24 April 1821
Joe Negro 30 C Died 26 July 1822
Jack Wright Negro 56 C Died 19th April 1823
Frederick Sambo 30m C Louisa Wright Birth
Henry Negro 3m C Charity
Wellington Negro 9m C Fidelius
Grant Negro 12 C Myrtilla mother, Purchase
Isaac Negro 9 C Myrtilla mother, Purchase
Peter Negro 9 C Myrtilla mother, Purchase
Tommy Negro 5 C Myrtilla mother, Purchase
James Negro 1 C Myrtilla mother, Purchase
Arcky Negro 2 C Sally, mother purchase
Females:
Patience Negro 54 A Died June 1821
Alice Quadroon 10 C Died 4 Aug 1822
Bess Negro 51 C Died 4 May 1823.
Fidelia Negro 35 A Purchase with her and Wellington 27
1823 in the name of Timothy B Mulling
Sally Negro 40 C Purchase with Arky, Kitty, Sylvia her
children 8 April 1823. Stood in the
name of Margaret ? St E.
Kitty Negro 7 C Sally, Purchase
Silvia Negro 2 C Sally, Purchase
Myrtilla Negro 35 A Purchase with her children Eve, Grant
Plato?, Isaac, Tommy & James 12 April
1820, stood in the name of Mary Rose.
Eve Negro 15 C Myrtilla, Purchase
Sophia Negro 2.5 C Charity, Purchase
Abby Negro 2 C Jenny
Lottery? Negro 3m C Charlotte Parker.
This Return: M46 F31 (77) Bths since last 5, Deaths 9.
Francis Maitland & George Roberts, St Elizabeth:-
Last Return: M24 F16 (40)
Males:
Francis Maitland Negro 1-9 C Jane
Dorcas male Inford Negro 8d C Dorcas, D 20 March 1821
Syphax Negro 41 A Died 10 November 1821
Jack Negro 46 A Died 1822
Females:
Dorcas Negro 1-3 C Clare
Bessy James Negro 1-2 C Ameila
Violet Powell Negro 8m C Dorcas
Olive Wint Negro 4m C Jane.
This Return: M23 F20 (43) Bths 6, Dth 3.
George Roberts as owner, Manchester:
Males:
Frank Wright Negro 37 C Removed from St Elizabeth Females: registered
then by Francis
Eliza Reid Sambo Maitland as attorney for George
Bessy Smith Sambo Roberts
Mary Smith Sambo.
Males 1, Females 4.
Note: this was while George Roberts was probably in London after getting
married in November 1816.
Mary Rose:-
Last Return: 9, This 5. 7 sold to Francis M 21/3/1823.
Also:
John Wright, attorney for Mrs Elizabeth Jessop (late his dau) & Miss Eliza
Wright
Charles Wright: 1 John Wright - attorney (guardian?) of sons Henry Warren? and
George Wright on death of their mother? Sophia Jane W - difficult to read).
T71/169:
A return of Slaves in the Parish of St Elizabeth in the possession of George
Roberts & Ann Maitland as owners 28 June 1826:-
Last Return: M23 F20 (43)
This Return: M23 F16 (39) Bths 3, Dth 7.
Males
Name Colour Age African/Creole Remarks Increase Decrease
Cause Cause
Oxford Negro 2 Furto Ann Wright mother By Birth
John James Negro 1.5 Amelia Mother By Birth
Chas Williams Negro 1/2 Dormus mother By Birth
Mick Negro 59 African died June 24th 1824
Bill Negro 59 ?? Died July 29th 1824
Moses Sambo 79 Creole Died Aug 1 1824
Females
Mary Wright Negro 69 Creole Died Mar 25 1823
Juno Negro 29 Creole died Dec 14th 1823
Elizabeth Wright Negro 73 Creole died Mar 23 1825
Charity Negro 54 African died Jan 18 1826
Increase 3 decrease seven.
I George Roberts do swear that the above last return is a true perfect and
complete Cert and return to the best of my knowledge and belief in every
particular therein mentioned of all and every slave and slaves possessed by me
as joint owner with Ann Maitland considered as permanently settled worked or
employed in the parish of St Elizabeth on the 28th day of June in
the year of our lord 1826 without fraud deceit or evasion so help me God.
George Roberts.
George Roberts & Ann Maitland in Manchester 28 June 1826:
Males by last return 39
Females 46
Total last Return 85
Males
yr/mthe
Allen Morgan Negro 2-6 Creole Lettice mother By Birth
Joe Negro 0-8 Creole Elsey mother By Birth
Billy Williams Negro 0-9 Creole Agnes Mother By Birth
Anthony Negro 0-11 Creole Sarah mother By Birth
Anthony Negro 0-11 Creole Died Oct 24th 1824
Mars Negro 48 African Died Apr 14th 1825
Joe Negro 44 African Died Jan 13th 1826
Females
Louisa Wheatle Mulatto 2-4 Creole Cynthia mother By Birth
Sally Green Negro 1-7 Creole Lavinia mother By Birth
Abba Negro 0-7 Creole Ruthy mother By Birth
Dolly Caple Negro 0-5 Creole Cecelia mother By Birth
Eve Negro 0-3 Creoel Lethin mother By Birth
Sue Negro 52 African Died July 5th 1824
Judy Negro 52 African Died July 27th 1824
Abba Negro 54 African Died Jan 20th 1826
Number of Slaves on the 28th day of June 1826: Males 40
Females 48
Total 88
Births since last return nine
Deaths since last return Six.
John Salmon as Attorney to Giddy Hall:-
(f685) Last Return: M46 F31 (77)
Males:
Frederick Sambo 2 C Manumitted
Archy Negro 3 C Death
Fidelia's child Negro 2m C Fidelia Birth & Death
Joe Wallace Negro 73 A Death
Sammy Negro C Henrietta Salmon b 25 Feb 1825
Rose's child Negro 6d C Rose Birth & Death
Females:
Louisa Negro 41 C Manumitted
Hannah Negro C Fanny Maitland, B 31 March 1825
Rose Negro 27 C Death
Increase 4, Decrease 7.
Manumitted:
25/7/1823 Frederick Cowan £140 Francis Maitland & ux
31/5/1824 Louisa Wright £220 Frank
Maitland & ux
This Return: M44 F30 (74)
Others:
John & Ann Wright:- M44 F44 - M40 F45
(f834) William Wright as guardian to his dau Francis Brook Wright - 1F WW as
guardian to infant son of Elizabeth Jessop (his dau) deceased 5.
George Rose: 7 (in 1823 registered by Executor of Alexander Rose).
William A Rose: 1
Mary Rose: 5.
Margaret Rose: 10.
John & Ann Wright: M44 F44 M40 F45.
William Wright as guardian to his dau Francis Brook Wright: F1.
William Wright as guardian to infant son of Elizabeth Jessop (his
dau), deceased: 5.
Thomas Wright: 2.
Charles Wright: 1.
George Wright: 3.
Charles Wright: 4 11.
Nathaniel Wright: 27.
T71/173:
John Salmon as Attorney to Ann Maitland @ Giddy Hall Pen:-
Last Return: M44 F30 (74)
Males:
John Mulatto 1-10 Creole Charlotte Parker By Birth
George Miles? Mulatto 4D Creole Catherine Maitland By Birth
Oxford Negro 55 Creole 1827 By Purchase
John Painfort Negro 80 African By Death
Francis Maitland Negro 30 Creole By Death
John Keane Negro 60 Creole By Death
Females:
Rosanna Negro 2-3-6 Creole Catherine Maitland By Birth
Venus Negro 2-9-0 Creole Henrietta Salmon By Birth
Bessy Brown Negro 1-6-0 Creole Fanny Maitland By Birth
This Return: M43 F33 (76) Bths 5, Dths 4
T71/177:
Francis Maitland & John Salmon as Attorney to Ann Maitland @ Giddy Hall
Plantation:- (f113)
Last Return: M43 F33 (76)
Francis Mulatto 2y7m C Charlotte Porter, Birth
Bob Black 2y6m C Henrietta Salmon, Birth
Roderick Dhue Mulatto 8m C Charlotte Porter, Birth
George Wylie Black 6m C Catherine Maitland, Died Lockjaw
Peter Black 10 C Myrtilla, Died Fits
James Black 6 C Myrtilla, Died Lockjaw
George Wylie Mulatto 30 C Sarah Maitland, Died Coco Bay
Thomas Wallace Black 28 C Eliza Wright, Died fits
Females:
Mary Ann Black 2y6m C Henrietta Salmon, Birth
Eleanor Brown Black 1y8m C Fanny Maitland, Birth
Hannah Smith Black 1y C Henrietta Salmon, Birth
Fanny Wright Black 80 A Died old Age.
This Return: M44 F35 (78) Bths 6, Dths 6.
Francis M here probably Francis (2).
George Roberts & Ann Maitland as joint owners:- (f273)
Last Return: M25 F16 (41)
This Return: M23 F14 (37) Bths 2, Dths 6.
Males:
Augustin Horne Sambo 0-2 Creole Betha Spanner? By Birth
Francis Maitland Negro 9-0 Creole By Death
James Roberts Negro 48 African By Death
Thomas Wright Negro 74 Creole By Death
Females:
Virginit Stoness Sambo 2 Creole By Birth
Behaveour Wright Negro 58 Creole By Death
Prair Numad? Negro 2-9 Creole By Death
Sarah Darling Negro 2-0 Creole By Death
Executors to Alexander Rose (Dcd) (f288): M24 F 18 M25 F18.
George Rose for his wife: 0 M9 F7 (from William Rose). Guardian for Rebecca
Rose: 2.
William A Rose: M2 F2.
Ann Wright (f514): M8 F5 8T.
Mrs Ann Wright trustee: M33 F38 M26 F 34 (many given away).
Charles Wright: M5 F8 14T.
Attorney of Frances Brooke Wright: 1 0.
George Raby Wright: M3 F1 M2 F2.
Nathaniel Wright: M13 F13 M17 F13.
Slave Compensation - St Elizabeth, Jamaica: NDO 4-4
Slave Compensation Records (NDO4-4) show compensation (incl interest) paid to
slave owners in mid 1830's (1836 mostly).
No reference to Maitlands.
Several Wrights and Rose's appear.
Margaret Rose: £309-17s-10d + £10-8-7
George Raby Wright: £86-15-9 + £4-1-3 Pd 7/3/1836 no619.
William A Rose: £113-13-6 + £5-6-10 No620
Margaret Wright: £26-12-2 + £1-4-6 No670
Nathaniel Wright & his wife Elizabeth: £887-16-0 + £54-0-6 No832.
Manumissions:
25/7/1823 Frederick Cowan £140 Francis Maitland & ux
31/5/1824 Louisa Wright £220 Frank
Maitland & ux
Project Gutenberg's Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, by Trollope
#16 in our series by Anthony Trollope
This etext was produced by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk, from the 1864
Chapman & Hall edition "Tales of All Countries" edition.
MISS SARAH JACK, OF SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA
by Anthony
Trollope
There is nothing so melancholy as a country in its decadence, unless it be a
people in their decadence. I am not aware that the latter misfortune can be
attributed to the Anglo-Saxon race in any part of the world; but there is
reason to fear that it has fallen on an English colony in the island of
Jamaica.
Jamaica was one of those spots on which fortune shone with the full warmth of
all her noonday splendour. That sun has set;--whether for ever or no none but
a prophet can tell; but as far as a plain man may see, there are at present but
few signs of a coming morrow, or of another summer.
It is not just or proper that one should grieve over the misfortunes of Jamaica
with a stronger grief because her savannahs are so lovely, her forests so rich,
her mountains so green, and he rivers so rapid; but it is so. It is piteous
that a land so beautiful should be one which fate has marked for misfortune.
Had Guiana, with its flat, level, unlovely soil, become poverty-stricken, one
would hardly sorrow over it as one does sorrow for Jamaica.
As regards scenery she is the gem of the western tropics. It is impossible to
conceive spots on the earth's surface more gracious to the eye than those steep
green valleys which stretch down to the south-west from the Blue Mountain peak
towards the sea; and but little behind these in beauty are the rich wooded
hills which in the western part of the island divide the counties of Hanover
and Westmoreland. The hero of the tale which I am going to tell was a
sugar-grower in the latter district, and the heroine was a girl who lived under
that Blue Mountain peak.
The very name of a sugar-grower as connected with Jamaica savours of fruitless
struggle, failure, and desolation. And from his earliest growth fruitless
struggle, failure, and desolation had been the lot of Maurice Cumming. At
eighteen years of age he had been left by his father sole possessor of the
Mount Pleasant estate, than which in her palmy days Jamaica had little to boast
of that was more pleasant or more palmy. But those days had passed by before
Roger Cumming, the father of our friend, had died.
These misfortunes coming on the head of one another, at intervals of a few
years, had first stunned and then killed him. His slaves rose against him, as
they did against other proprietors around him, and burned down his house and
mills, his homestead and offices. Those who know the amount of capital which a
sugar-grower must invest in such buildings will understand the extent of this
misfortune. Then the slaves were emancipated. It is not perhaps possible that
we, now-a-days, should regard this as a calamity; but it was quite impossible
that a Jamaica proprietor of those days should not have done so. Men will do
much for philanthropy, they will work hard, they will give the coat from their
back;--nay the very shirt from their body; but few men will endure to look on
with satisfaction while their commerce is destroyed.
But even this Mr. Cumming did bear after a while, and kept his shoulder to the
wheel. He kept his shoulder to the wheel till that third misfortune came upon
him--till the protection duty on Jamaica sugar was abolished. Then he turned
his face to the wall and died. His son at this time was not of age, and the
large but lessening property which Mr. Cumming left behind him was for three
years in the hands of trustees. But nevertheless Maurice, young as he was, managed
the estate. It was he who grew the canes, and made the sugar;--or else failed
to make it. He was the "massa" to whom the free negroes looked as
the source from whence their wants should be supplied, notwithstanding that,
being free, they were ill inclined to work for him, let his want of work be
ever so sore.
Mount Pleasant had been a very large property. In addition to his sugar-canes
Mr. Cumming had grown coffee; for his land ran up into the hills of Trelawney
to that altitude which in the tropics seems necessary for the perfect growth of
the coffee berry. But it soon became evident that labour for the double
produce could not be had, and the coffee plantation was abandoned. Wild brush
and the thick undergrowth of forest reappeared on the hill-sides which had been
rich with produce. And the evil re-created and exaggerated itself. Negroes
squatted on the abandoned property; and being able to live with abundance from
their stolen gardens, were less willing than ever to work in the cane pieces.
And thus things went from bad to worse. In the good old times Mr. Cumming's
sugar produce had spread itself annually over some three hundred acres; but by
degrees this dwindle down to half that extent of land. And then in those old
golden days they had always taken a full hogshead from the acre;--very often
more. The estate had sometimes given four hundred hogsheads in the year. But in
the days of which we now speak the crop had fallen below fifty. At this time
Maurice Cumming was eight-and-twenty, and it is hardly too much to say that
misfortune had nearly crushed him. But nevertheless it had not crushed him.
He, and some few like him, had still hoped against hope; had still persisted in
looking forward to a future for the island which once was so generous with its
gifts. When his father died he might still have had enough for the wants of
life had he sold his property for what it would fetch. There was money in
England, and the remains of large wealth. But he would not sacrifice Mount
Pleasant or abandon Jamaica; and now after ten years' struggling he still kept
Mount Pleasant, and the mill was still going; but all other property had parted
from his hands.
By nature Maurice Cumming would have been gay and lively, a man with a happy
spirit and easy temper; but struggling had made him silent if not morose, and
had saddened if not soured his temper. He had lived alone at Mount Pleasant,
or generally alone. Work or want of money, and the constant difficulty of
getting labour for his estate, had left him but little time for a young man's
ordinary amusements. Of the charms of ladies' society he had known but
little. Very many of the estates around him had been absolutely abandoned, as
was the case with his own coffee plantation, and from others men had sent away
their wives and daughters. Nay, most of the proprietors had gone themselves,
leaving an overseer to extract what little might yet be extracted out of the
property. It too often happened that that little was not sufficient to meet
the demands of the overseer himself.
The house at Mount Pleasant had been an irregular, low-roofed, picturesque
residence, built with only one floor, and surrounded on all sides by large
verandahs. In the old days it had always been kept in perfect order, but now
this was far from being the case. Few young bachelors can keep a house in
order, but no bachelor young or old can do so under such a doom as that of
Maurice Cumming. Every shilling that Maurice Cumming could collect was spent
in bribing negroes to work for him. But bribe as he would the negroes would
not work. "No, massa: me pain here; me no workee to-day," and Sambo
would lay his fat hand on his fat stomach.
I have said that he lived generally alone. Occasionally his house on Mount
Pleasant was enlivened by visits of an aunt, a maiden sister of his mother,
whose usual residence was at Spanish Town. It is or should be known to all men
that Spanish Town was and is the seat of Jamaica legislature.
But Maurice was not over fond of his relative. In this he was both wrong and
foolish, for Miss Sarah Jack--such was her name--was in many respects a good
woman, and was certainly a rich woman. It is true that she was not a handsome
woman, nor a fashionable woman, nor perhaps altogether an agreeable woman. She
was tall, thin, ungainly, and yellow. Her voice, which she used freely, was
harsh. She was a politician and a patriot. She regarded England as the
greatest of countries, and Jamaica as the greatest of colonies. But much as
she loved England she was very loud in denouncing what she called the perfidy
of the mother to the brightest of her children. And much as she loved Jamaica
she was equally severe in her taunts against those of her brother-islanders who
would not believe that the island might yet flourish as it had flourished in
her father's days.
"It is because you and men like you will not do your duty by your
country," she had said some score of times to Maurice--not with much
justice considering the laboriousness of his life.
But Maurice knew well what she meant. "What could I do there up at
Spanish Town," he would answer, "among such a pack as there are
there? Here I may do something."
And then she would reply with the full swing of her eloquence, "It is
because you and such as you think only of yourself and not of Jamaica, that
Jamaica has come to such a pass as this. Why is there a pack there as you call
them in the honourable House of Assembly? Why are not the best men in the
island to be found there, as the best men in England are to be found in the
British House of Commons? A pack, indeed! My father was proud of a seat in
that house, and I remember the day, Maurice Cumming, when your father also
thought it no shame to represent his own parish. If men like you, who have a
stake in the country, will not go there, of course the house is filled with men
who have no stake. If they are a pack, it is you who send them there;--you,
and others like you."
All had its effect, though at the moment Maurice would shrug his shoulders and
turn away his head from the torrent of the lady's discourse. But Miss Jack,
though she was not greatly liked, was greatly respected. Maurice would not own
that she convinced him; but at last he did allow his name to be put up as
candidate for his own parish, and in due time he became a member of the
honourable House of Assembly in Jamaica.
This honour entails on the holder of it the necessity of living at or within
reach of Spanish Town for some ten weeks towards the chose of every year. Now
on the whole face of the uninhabited globe there is perhaps no spot more dull
to look at, more Lethean in its aspect, more corpse-like or more cadaverous
than Spanish Town. It is the head-quarters of the government, the seat of the
legislature, the residence of the governor;--but nevertheless it is, as it
were, a city of the very dead.
Here, as we have said before, lived Miss Jack in a large forlorn ghost-like
house in which her father and all her family had lived before her. And as a
matter of course Maurice Cumming when he came up to attend to his duties as a
member of the legislature took up his abode with her.
Now at the time of which we are specially speaking he had completed the first
of these annual visits. He had already benefited his country by sitting out
one session of the colonial parliament, and had satisfied himself that he did
no other good than that of keeping away some person more objectionable than
himself. He was however prepared to repeat this self-sacrifice in a spirit of
patriotism for which he received a very meagre meed of eulogy from Miss Jack,
and an amount of self-applause which was not much more extensive.
"Down at Mount Pleasant I can do something," he would say over and
over again, "but what good can any man do up here?"
"You can do your duty," Miss Jack would answer, "as others did
before you when the colony was made to prosper." And then they would run
off into a long discussion about free labour and protective duties. But at the
present moment Maurice Cumming had another vexation on his mind over and above
that arising from his wasted hours at Spanish Town, and his fruitless labours
at Mount Pleasant. He was in love, and was not altogether satisfied with the
conduct of his lady-love.
Miss Jack had other nephews besides Maurice Cumming, and nieces also, of whom
Marian Leslie was one. The family of the Leslies lived up near Newcastle--in
the mountains, that is, which stand over Kingston- -at a distance of some
eighteen miles from Kingston, but in a climate as different from that of the
town as the climate of Naples is from that of Berlin. In Kingston the heat is
all but intolerable throughout the year, by day and by night, in the house and
out of it. In the mountains round Newcastle, some four thousand feet above the
sea, it is merely warm during the day, and cool enough at night to make a
blanket desirable.
It is pleasant enough living up amongst those green mountains. There are no
roads there for wheeled carriages, nor are there carriages with or without
wheels. All journeys are made on horseback. Every visit paid from house to
house is performed in this manner. Ladies young and old live before dinner in
their riding-habits. The hospitality is free, easy, and unembarrassed. The
scenery is magnificent. The tropical foliage is wild and luxuriant beyond
measure. There may be enjoyed all that a southern climate has to offer of
enjoyment, without the penalties which such enjoyments usually entail.
Mrs. Leslie was a half-sister of Miss Jack, and Miss Jack had been a
half-sister also of Mrs. Cumming; but Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. Cumming had in no
way been related. And it had so happened that up to the period of his
legislative efforts Maurice Cumming had seen nothing of the Leslies. Soon
after his arrival at Spanish Town he had been taken by Miss Jack to Shandy
Hall, for so the residence of the Leslies was called, and having remained there
for three days, had fallen in love with Marian Leslie. Now in the West Indies
all young ladies flirt; it is the first habit of their nature--and few young ladies
in the West Indies were more given to flirting, or understood the science
better than Marian Leslie.
Maurice Cumming fell violently in love, and during his first visit at Shandy
Hall found that Marian was perfection--for during this first visit her propensities
were exerted altogether in his own favour. That little circumstance does make
such a difference in a young man's judgment of a girl! He came back fall of
admiration, not altogether to Miss Jack's dissatisfaction; for Miss Jack was
willing enough that both her nephew and her niece should settle down into
married life. But then Maurice met his fair one at a governor's ball--at a ball
where red coats abounded, and aides-de-camp dancing in spurs, and
narrow-waisted lieutenants with sashes or epaulettes! The aides-de-camp and
narrow-waisted lieutenants waltzed better than he did; and as one after the
other whisked round the ball-room with Marian firmly clasped in his arms,
Maurice's feelings were not of the sweetest. Nor was this the worst of it. Had
the whisking been divided equally among ten, he might have forgiven it; but
there was one specially narrow-waisted lieutenant, who towards the end of the
evening kept Marian nearly wholly to himself. Now to a man in love, who has
had but little experience of either balls or young ladies, this is intolerable.
He only met her twice after that before his return to Mount Pleasant, and on
the first occasion that odious soldier was not there. But a specially devout
young clergyman was present, an unmarried, evangelical, handsome young curate
fresh from England; and Marian's piety had been so excited that she had cared
for no one else. It appeared moreover that the curate's gifts for conversion
were confined, as regarded that opportunity, to Marion's advantage. "I
will have nothing more to say to her," said Maurice to himself, scowling.
But just as he went away Marian had given him her hand, and called him
Maurice--for she pretended that they were cousins--and had looked into his eyes
and declared that she did hope that the assembly at Spanish Town would soon be
sitting again. Hitherto, she said, she had not cared one straw about it. Then
poor Maurice pressed the little fingers which lay within his own, and swore
that he would be at Shandy Hall on the day before his return to Mount
Pleasant. So he was; and there he found the narrow-waisted lieutenant, not now
bedecked with sash and epaulettes, but lolling at his ease on Mrs. Leslie's
sofa in a white jacket, while Marian sat at his feet telling his fortune with a
book about flowers.
"Oh, a musk rose, Mr. Ewing; you know what a musk rose means!" Then
she got up and shook hands with Mr. Cumming; but her eyes still went away to
the white jacket and the sofa. Poor Maurice had often been nearly
broken-hearted in his efforts to manage his free black labourers; but even that
was easier than managing such as Marion Leslie.
Marian Leslie was a Creole--as also were Miss Jack and Maurice Cumming--a child
of the tropics; but by no means such a child as tropical children are generally
thought to be by us in more northern latitudes. She was black-haired and
black-eyed, but her lips were as red and her cheeks as rosy as though she had
been born and bred in regions where the snow lies in winter. She was a small,
pretty, beautifully made little creature, somewhat idle as regards the work of
the world, but active and strong enough when dancing or riding were required
from her. Her father was a banker, and was fairly prosperous in spite of the
poverty of his country. His house of business was at Kingston, and he usually
slept there twice a week; but he always resided at Shandy Hall, and Mrs. Leslie
and her children knew but very little of the miseries of Kingston. For be it
known to all men, that of all towns Kingston, Jamaica, is the most miserable.
I fear that I shall have set my readers very much against Marian Leslie;--much
more so than I would wish to do. As a rule they will not know how thoroughly
flirting is an institution in the West Indies--practised by all young ladies,
and laid aside by them when they marry, exactly as their young-lady names and
young-lady habits of various kinds are laid aside. All I would say of Marian
Leslie is this, that she understood the working of the institution more
thoroughly than others did. And I must add also in her favour that she did not
keep her flirting for sly corners, nor did her admirers keep their distance
till mamma was out of the way. It mattered not to her who was present. Had
she been called on to make one at a synod of the clergy of the island, she
would have flirted with the bishop before all his priests. And there have been
bishops in the colony who would not have gainsayed her!
But Maurice Cumming did not rightly calculate all this; nor indeed did Miss
Jack do so as thoroughly as she should have done, for Miss Jack knew more about
such matters than did poor Maurice. "If you like Marion, why don't you
marry her?" Miss Jack had once said to him; and this coming from Miss
Jack, who was made of money, was a great deal. "She wouldn't have
me," Maurice had answered.
"That's more than you know or I either," was Miss Jack's reply.
"But if you like to try, I'll help you."
With reference to this, Maurice as he left Miss Jack's residence on his return
to Mount Pleasant, had declared that Marian Leslie was not worth an honest
man's love.
"Psha!" Miss Jack replied; "Marian will do like other girls.
When you marry a wife I suppose you mean to be master?"
"At any rate I shan't marry her," said Maurice. And so he went his way
back to Hanover with a sore heart. And no wonder, for that was the very day on
which Lieutenant Ewing had asked the question about the musk rose.
But there was a dogged constancy of feeling about Maurice which could not allow
him to disburden himself of his love. When he was again at Mount Pleasant
among his sugar-canes and hogsheads he could not help thinking about Marian.
It is true he always thought of her as flying round that ball-room in Ewing's
arms, or looking up with rapt admiration into that young parson's face; and so
he got but little pleasure from his thoughts. But not the less was he in love
with her;--not the less, though he would swear to himself three times in the
day that for no earthly consideration would he marry Marian Leslie.
The early months of the year from January to May are the busiest with a Jamaica
sugar-grower, and in this year they were very busy months with Maurice
Cumming. It seemed as though there were actually some truth in Miss Jack's
prediction that prosperity would return to him if he attended to his country;
for the prices of sugar had risen higher than they had ever been since the duty
had been withdrawn, and there was more promise of a crop at Mount Pleasant than
he had seen since his reign commenced. But then the question of labour? How
he slaved in trying to get work from those free negroes; and alas! how often he
slaved in vain! But it was not all in vain; for as things went on it became
clear to him that in this year he would, for the first time since he commenced,
obtain something like a return from his land. What if the turning-point had
come, and things were now about to run the other way.
But then the happiness which might have accrued to him from this source was
dashed by his thoughts of Marian Leslie. Why had he thrown himself in the way
of that syren? Why had he left Mount Pleasant at all? He knew that on his
return to Spanish Town his first work would be to visit Shandy Hall; and yet he
felt that of all places in the island, Shandy Hall was the last which he ought
to visit.
And then about the beginning of May, when he was hard at work turning the last
of his canes into sugar and rum, he received his annual visit from Miss Jack.
And whom should Miss Jack bring with her but Mr. Leslie.
"I'll tell you what it is," said Miss Jack; "I have spoken to
Mr. Leslie about you and Marian."
"Then you had no business to do anything of the kind," said Maurice,
blushing up to his ears.
"Nonsense," replied Miss Jack, "I understand what I am about.
Of course Mr. Leslie will want to know something about the estate."
"Then he may go back as wise as he came, for he'll learn nothing from me.
Not that I have anything to hide."
"So I told him. Now there are a large family of them, you see; and of
course he can't give Marian much."
"I don't care a straw if he doesn't give her a shilling. If she cared for
me, or I for her, I shouldn't look after her for her money."
"But a little money is not a bad thing, Maurice," said Miss Jack, who
in her time had had a good deal, and had managed to take care of it.
"It is all one to me."
"But what I was going to say is this--hum--ha. I don't like to pledge
myself for fear I should raise hopes which mayn't be fulfilled."
"Don't pledge yourself to anything, aunt, in which Marian Leslie and I are
concerned."
"But what I was going to say is this; my money, what little I have, you
know, must go some day either to you or to the Leslies."
"You may give all to them if you please."
"Of course I may, and I dare say I shall," said Miss Jack, who was
beginning to be irritated. "But at any rate you might have the civility
to listen to me when I am endeavouring to put you on your legs. I am sure I
think about nothing else, morning, noon, and night, and yet I never get a decent
word from you. Marian is too good for you; that's the truth."
But at length Miss Jack was allowed to open her budget, and to make her
proposition; which amounted to this--that she had already told Mr. Leslie that
she would settle the bulk of her property conjointly on Maurice and Marian if
they would make a match of it. Now as Mr. Leslie had long been casting a
hankering eye after Miss Jack's money, with a strong conviction however that
Maurice Cumming was her favourite nephew and probable heir, this proposition
was not unpalatable. So he agreed to go down to Mount Pleasant and look about
him.
"But you may live for the next thirty years, my dear Miss Jack," Mr.
Leslie had said.
"Yes, I may," Miss Jack replied, looking very dry.
"And I am sure I hope you will," continued Mr. Leslie. And then the
subject was allowed to drop; for Mr. Leslie knew that it was not always easy to
talk to Miss Jack on such matters.
Miss Jack was a person in whom I think we may say that the good predominated
over the bad. She was often morose, crabbed, and self-opinionated. but then
she knew her own imperfections, and forgave those she loved for evincing their
dislike of them. Maurice Cumming was often inattentive to her, plainly showing
that he was worried by her importunities and ill at ease in her company. But
she loved her nephew with all her heart; and though she dearly liked to
tyrannise over him, never allow herself to be really angry with him, though he so
frequently refused to bow to her dictation. And she loved Marian Leslie also,
though Marian was so sweet and lovely and she herself so harsh and
ill-favoured. She loved Marian, though Marian would often be impertinent. She
forgave the flirting, the light-heartedness, the love of amusement. Marian,
she said to herself, was young and pretty. She, Miss Jack, had never known
Marian's temptation. And so she resolved in her own mind that Marian should be
made a good and happy woman;--but always as the wife of Maurice Cumming.
But Maurice turned a deaf ear to all these good tidings--or rather he turned to
them an ear that seemed to be deaf. He dearly, ardently loved that little
flirt; but seeing that she was a flirt, that she had flirted so grossly when he
was by, he would not confess his love to a human being. He would not have it
known that he was wasting his heart for a worthless little chit, to whom every
man was the same--except that those were most eligible whose toes were the
lightest and their outside trappings the brightest. That he did love her he
could not help, but he would not disgrace himself by acknowledging it.
He was very civil to Mr. Leslie, but he would not speak a word that could be
taken as a proposal for Marian. It had been part of Miss Jack's plan that the
engagement should absolutely be made down there at Mount Pleasant, without any
reference to the young lady; but Maurice could not be induced to break the
ice. So he took Mr. Leslie through his mills and over his cane-pieces, talked
to him about the laziness of the "niggers," while the
"niggers" themselves stood by tittering, and rode with him away to
the high grounds where the coffee plantation had been in the good old days; but
not a word was said between them about Marian. And yet Marian was never out of
his heart.
And then came the day on which Mr. Leslie was to go back to Kingston. "And
you won't have her then?" said Miss Jack to her nephew early that
morning. "You won't be said by me?"
"Not in this matter, aunt."
"Then you will live and die a poor man; you mean that, I suppose?"
"It's likely enough that I shall. There's this comfort, at any rate, I'm
used to it." And then Miss Jack was silent again for a while.
"Very well, sir; that's enough," she said angrily. And then she began
again. "But, Maurice, you wouldn't have to wait for my death, you
know." And she put out her hand and touched his arm, entreating him as it
were to yield to her. "Oh, Maurice," she said, "I do so want to
make you comfortable. Let us speak to Mr. Leslie."
But Maurice would not. He took her hand and thanked her, but said that on this
matter he must he his own master. "Very well, sir," she exclaimed,
"I have done. In future you may manage for yourself. As for me, I shall
go back with Mr. Leslie to Kingston." And so she did. Mr. Leslie
returned that day, taking her with him. When he took his leave, his invitation
to Maurice to come to Shandy Hall was not very pressing. "Mrs. Leslie and
the children will always be glad to see you," said he.
"Remember me very kindly to Mrs. Leslie and the children," said Maurice.
And so they parted.
"You have brought me down here on a regular fool's errand," said Mr. Leslie,
on their journey back to town.
"It will all come right yet," replied Miss Jack. "Take my word
for it he loves her."
"Fudge," said Mr. Leslie. But he could not afford to quarrel with his
rich connection.
In spite of all that he had said and thought to the contrary, Maurice did look
forward during the remainder of the summer to his return to Spanish Town with
something like impatience, it was very dull work, being there alone at Mount
Pleasant; and let him do what he would to prevent it, his very dreams took him
to Shandy Hall. But at last the slow time made itself away, and he found
himself once more in his aunt's house.
A couple of days passed and no word was said about the Leslies. On the morning
of the third day he determined to go to Shandy Hall. Hitherto he had never been
there without staying for the night; but on this occasion he made up his mind
to return the same day. "It would not be civil of me not to go
there," he said to his aunt.
"Certainly not," she replied, forbearing to press the matter further.
"But why make such a terrible hard day's work of it?"
"Oh, I shall go down in the cool, before breakfast; and then I need
not have the
bother of taking a bag."
And in this way he started. Miss Jack said nothing further; but she longed in
her heart that she might be at Marian's elbow unseen during the visit.
He found them all at breakfast, and the first to welcome him at the hall door
was Marian. "Oh, Mr. Cumming, we are so glad to see you;" and she
looked into his eyes with a way she had, that was enough to make a man's heart
wild. But she not call him Maurice now.
Miss Jack had spoken to her sister, Mrs. Leslie, as well as to Mr. Leslie,
about this marriage scheme. "Just let them alone," was Mrs. Leslie's
advice. "You can't alter Marian by lecturing her. If they really love
each other they'll come together; and if they don't, why then they'd better
not."
"And you really mean that you're going back to Spanish Town to-day?" said
Mrs. Leslie to her visitor.
"I'm afraid I must. Indeed I haven't brought my things with me." And
then he again caught Marian's eye, and began to wish that his resolution had
not been so sternly made.
"I suppose you are so fond of that House of Assembly," said Marian, "that
you cannot tear yourself away for more than one day. You'll not be able, I
suppose, to find time to come to our picnic next week?"
Maurice said he feared that he should not have time to go to a picnic.
"Oh, nonsense," said Fanny--one of the younger girls--"you must
come. We can't do without him, can we?"
"Marian has got your name down the first on the list of the gentlemen,"
said another.
"Yes; and Captain Ewing's second," said Bell, the youngest.
"I'm afraid I must induce your sister to alter her list," said
Maurice, in his sternest manner. "I cannot manage to go, and I'm
sure she will not miss me."
Marion looked at the little girl who had so unfortunately mentioned the warrior's
name, and the little girl knew that she had sinned.
"Oh, we cannot possibly do without you; can we, Marian?" said Fanny. "It's
to be at Bingley's Dell, and we've got a bed for you at Newcastle; quite near,
you know."
"And another for--" began Bell, but she stopped herself.
"Go away to your lessons, Bell," said Marion. "You know how
angry mamma will be at your staying here all the morning;" and poor Bell with
a sorrowful look left the room.
"We are all certainly very anxious that you should come; very anxious for
a great many reasons," said Marian, in a voice that was rather solemn, and
as though the matter were one of considerable import. "But if you really
cannot, why of course there is no more to be said."
"There will be plenty without me, I am sure."
"As regards numbers, I dare say there will; for we shall have pretty nearly
the whole of the two regiments;" and Marian as she alluded to the officers
spoke in a tone which might lead one to think that she would much rather be
without them; "but we counted on you as being one of ourselves; and as you
had been away so long, we thought--we thought--," and then she turned away
her face, and did not finish her speech. Before he could make up his mind as
to his answer she had risen from her chair, and walked out of the room.
Maurice almost thought that he saw a tear in her eye as she went.
He did ride back to Spanish Town that afternoon, after an early dinner; but
before he went Marian spoke to him alone for one minute.
"I hope you are not offended with me," she said.
"Offended! oh no; how could I be offended with you?"
"Because you seem so stern. I am sure I would do anything I could to oblige
you, if I knew how. It would be so shocking not to be good friends with a
cousin like you."
"But there are so many different sorts of friends," said Maurice.
"Of course there are. There are a great many friends that one does not
care a bit for,--people that one meets at balls and places like that--"
"And at picnics," said Maurice.
"'Well, some of them there too; but we are not like that; are we?"
What could Maurice do but say, "no," and declare that their friendship
was of a warmer description? And how could he resist promising to go to the
picnic, though as he made the promise he knew that misery would be in store for
him? He did promise, and then she gave him her hand and called him Maurice.
"Oh! I am so glad," she said. "It seemed so shocking that you should
refuse to join us. And mind and be early, Maurice; for I shall want to explain
it all. We are to meet, you know, at Clifton Gate at one o'clock, but do you
be a little before that, and we shall be there."
Maurice Cumming resolved within his own breast as he rode back to Spanish Town,
that if Marian behaved to him all that day at the picnic as she had done this
day at Shandy Hall, he would ask her to be his wife before he left her.
And Miss Jack also was to be at the picnic.
"There is no need of going early," said she, when her nephew made a fuss
about the starting. "People are never very punctual at such affairs as
that; and then they are always quite long enough." But Maurice explained
that he was anxious to be early, and on this occasion he carried his point.
When they reached Clifton Gate the ladies were already there; not in carriages,
as people go to picnics in other and tamer countries, but each on her own horse
or her own pony. But they were not alone. Beside Miss Leslie was a gentleman,
whom Maurice knew as Lieutenant Graham, of the flag-ship at Port Royal; and at
a little distance which quite enabled him to join in the conversation was
Captain Ewing, the lieutenant with the narrow waist of the previous year.
"We shall have a delightful day, Miss Leslie," said the lieutenant.
"Oh, charming, isn't it?" said Marian.
"But now to choose a place for dinner, Captain Ewing;--what do you say?"
"Will you commission me to select? You know I'm very well up in geometry,
and all that?"
"But that won't teach you what sort of a place does for a picnic dinner;--will
it, Mr. Cumming?" And then she shook hands with Maurice, but did not take
any further special notice of him. "We'll all go together, if you
please. The commission is too important to be left to one." And then
Marian rode off, and the lieutenant and the captain rode with her.
It was open for Maurice to join them if he chose, but he did not choose. He
had come there ever so much earlier than he need have done, dragging his aunt
with him, because Marian had told him that his services would be specially
required by her. And now as soon as she saw him she went away with the two
officers!--went away without vouchsafing him a word. He made up his mind,
there on the spot, that he would never think of her again--never speak to her
otherwise than he might speak to the most indifferent of mortals.
And yet he was a man that could struggle right manfully with the world's
troubles; one who had struggled with them from his boyhood, and had never been
overcome. Now he was unable to conceal the bitterness of his wrath because a
little girl had ridden off to look for a green spot for her tablecloth without
asking his assistance!
Picnics are, I think, in general, rather tedious for the elderly people who
accompany them. When the joints become a little stiff, dinners are eaten most
comfortably with the accompaniment of chairs and tables, and a roof overhead is
an agrement de plus. But, nevertheless, picnics cannot exist without a certain
allowance of elderly people. The Miss Marians and Captains Ewing cannot go out
to dine on the grass without some one to look after them. So the elderly
people go to picnics, in a dull tame way, doing their duty, and wishing the day
over. Now on the morning in question, when Marian rode off with Captain Ewing
and lieutenant Graham, Maurice Cumming remained among the elderly people.
A certain Mr. Pomken, a great Jamaica agriculturist, one of the Council, a man
who had known the good old times, got him by the button and held him fast,
discoursing wisely of sugar and ruin, of Gadsden pans and recreant negroes, on
all of which subjects Maurice Cumming was known to have an opinion of his own.
But as Mr. Pomken's words sounded into one ear, into the other fell notes,
listened to from afar,--the shrill laughing voice of Marian Leslie as she gave her
happy order to her satellites around her, and ever and anon the bass haw-haw of
Captain Ewing, who was made welcome as the chief of her attendants. That
evening in a whisper to a brother councillor Mr. Pomken communicated his
opinion that after all there was not so much in that young Cumming as some
people said. But Mr. Pomken had no idea that that young Cumming was in love.
And then the dinner came, spread over half an acre. Maurice was among the last
who seated himself; and when he did so it was in an awkward comfortless corner,
behind Mr. Pomken's back, and far away from the laughter and mirth of the day.
But yet from his comfortless corner he could see Marian as she sat in her pride
of power, with her friend Julia Davis near her, a flirt as bad as herself, and
her satellites around her, obedient to her nod, and happy in her smiles.
"Now I won't allow any more champagne," said Marian, "or who
will there be steady enough to help me over the rocks to the grotto?"
"Oh, you have promised me!" cried the captain.
"Indeed, I have not; have I, Julia?"
"Miss Davis has certainly promised me," said the lieutenant.
"I have made no promise, and don't think I shall go at all," said Julia,
who was sometimes inclined to imagine that Captain Ewing should be her own
property.
All which and much more of the kind Maurice Cumming could not hear; but he
could see--and imagine, which was worse. How innocent and inane are, after
all, the flirtings of most young ladies, if all their words and doings in that
line could be brought to paper! I do not know whether there be as a rule more
vocal expression of the sentiment of love between a man and woman than there is
between two thrushes! They whistle and call to each other, guided by instinct rather
than by reason.
"You are going home with the ladies to-night, I believe," said Maurice
to Miss Jack, immediately after dinner. Miss Jack acknowledged that such was
her destination for the night.
"Then my going back to Spanish Town at once won't hurt any one--for, to
tell the truth, I have had enough of this work."
"Why, Maurice, you were in such a hurry to come."
"The more fool I; and so now I am in a hurry to go away. Don't notice it
to anybody."
Miss Jack looked in his face and saw that he was really wretched; and she knew
the cause of his wretchedness.
"Don't go yet, Maurice," she said; and then added with a tenderness that
was quite uncommon with her, "Go to her, Maurice, and speak to her openly
and freely, once for all; you will find that she will listen then. Dear
Maurice, do, for my sake."
He made no answer, but walked away, roaming sadly by himself among the trees.
"Listen!" he exclaimed to himself. "Yes, she will alter a dozen
times in as many hours. Who can care for a creature that can change as she
changes?" And yet he could not help caring for her.
As he went on, climbing among rocks, he again came upon the sound of voices,
and heard especially that of Captain Ewing. "Now, Miss Leslie, if you
will take my hand you will soon be over all the difficulty." And then a
party of seven or eight, scrambling over some stones, came nearly on the level
on which he stood, in full view of him; and leading the others were Captain
Ewing and Miss Leslie.
He turned on his heel to go away, when he caught the sound of a step following
him, and a voice saying, "Oh, there is Mr. Cumming, and I want to speak to
him;" and in a minute a light hand was on his arm.
"Why are you running away from us?" said Marian.
"Because--oh, I don't know. I am not running away. You have your party
made up, and I am not going to intrude on it."
"What nonsense! Do come now; we are going to this wonderful grotto. I
thought it so ill-natured of you, not joining us at dinner. Indeed you know
you had promised."
He did not answer her, but he looked at her--full in the face, with his sad
eyes laden with love. She half understood his countenance, but only half
understood it.
"What is the matter, Maurice?" she said. "Are you angry with
me? Will you come and join us?"
"No, Marian, I cannot do that. But if you can leave them and come with me
for half an hour, I will not keep you longer."
She stood hesitating a moment, while her companion remained on the spot where
she had left him. "Come, Miss Leslie," called Captain Ewing.
"You will have it dark before we can get down."
"I will come with you," whispered she to Maurice, "but wait a moment."
And she tripped back, and in some five minutes returned after an eager argument
with her friends. "There," she said, "I don't care about the
grotto, one bit, and I will walk with you now;--only they will think it so
odd." And so they started off together.
Before the tropical darkness had fallen upon them Maurice had told the tale of
his love,--and had told it in a manner differing much from that of Marian's
usual admirers, he spoke with passion and almost with violence; he declared
that his heart was so full of her image that he could not rid himself of it for
one minute; "nor would he wish to do so," he said, "if she would
be his Marian, his own Marian, his very own. But if not--" and then he
explained to her, with all a lover's warmth, and with almost more than a
lover's liberty, what was his idea of her being "his own, his very
own," and in doing so inveighed against her usual light-heartedness in
terms which at any rate were strong enough.
But Marian here it all well. Perhaps she knew that the lesson was somewhat
deserved; and perhaps she appreciated at its value the love of such a man as
Maurice Cumming, weighing in her judgment the difference between him and the Ewings
and the Grahams.
And then she answered him well and prudently, with words which startled him by
their prudent seriousness as coming from her. She begged his pardon heartily,
she said, for any grief which she had caused him; but yet how was she to he
blamed, seeing that she had known nothing of his feelings? Her father and
mother had said something to her of this proposed marriage; something, but very
little; and she had answered by saying that she did not think Maurice had any
warmer regard for her than of a cousin. After this answer neither father nor
mother had pressed the matter further. As to her own feelings she could then
say nothing, for she then knew nothing;--nothing but this, that she loved no
one better than him, or rather that she loved no one else. She would ask
herself if she could love him; but he must give her some little time for that.
In the meantime--and she smiled sweetly at him as she made the promise--she would
endeavour to do nothing that would offend him; and then she added that on that
evening she would dance with him any dances that he liked. Maurice, with a
self-denial that was not very wise, contented himself with engaging her for the
first quadrille.
They were to dance that night in the mess-room of the officers at Newcastle.
This scheme had been added on as an adjunct to the picnic, and it therefore
became necessary that the ladies should retire to their own or their friends'
houses at Newcastle to adjust their dresses. Marian Leslie and Julia Davis
were there accommodated with the loan of a small room by the major's wife, and
as they were brushing their hair, and putting on their dancing-shoes, something
was said between them about Maurice Cumming.
"And so you are to be Mrs. C. of Mount Pleasant," said Julia.
"Well; I didn't think it would come to that at last."
"But it has not come to that, and if it did why should I not be Mrs.C., as
you call it?"
"The knight of the rueful countenance, I call him."
"I tell you what then, he is an excellent young man, and the fact is you
don't know him."
"I don't like excellent young men with long faces. I suppose you won't be
let to dance quick dances at all now."
"I shall dance whatever dances I like, as I have always done," said Marian,
with some little asperity in her tone.
"Not you; or if you do, you'll lose your promotion. You'll never live to
be my Lady Rue. And what will Graham say? You know you've given him half a
promise."
"That's not true, Julia;--I never gave him the tenth part of a promise."
"Well, he says so;" and then the words between the young ladies became
a little more angry. But, nevertheless, in due time they came forth with faces
smiling as usual, with their hair brushed, and without any signs of warfare.
But Marian had to stand another attack before the business of the evening
commenced, and this was from no less doughty an antagonist than her aunt, Miss
Jack. Miss Jack soon found that Maurice had not kept his threat of going home;
and though she did not absolutely learn from him that he had gone so far
towards perfecting her dearest hopes as to make a formal offer to Marion,
nevertheless she did gather that things were fast that way tending. If only
this dancing were over! she said to herself, dreading the unnumbered waltzes
with Ewing, and the violent polkas with Graham. So Miss Jack resolved to say
one word to Marian--"A wise word in good season," said Miss Jack to
herself, "how sweet a thing it is."
"Marian," said she. "Step here a moment, I want to say a word
to you."
"Yes, aunt Sarah," said Marian, following her aunt into a corner, not
quite in the best humour in the world; for she had a dread of some further
interference.
"Are you going to dance with Maurice to-night?"
"Yes, I believe so,--the first quadrille."
"Well, what I was going to say is this. I don't want you to dance many
quick dances to-night, for a reason I have;--that is, not a great many."
"Why, aunt, what nonsense!"
"Now my dearest, dearest girl, it is all for your own sake. Well, then,
it must out. He does not like it, you know."
What he?"
"Maurice."
"Well, aunt, I don't know that I'm bound to dance or not to dance just as
Mr. Cumming may like. Papa does not mind my dancing. The people have come
here to dance and you can hardly want to make me ridiculous by sitting
still." And so that wise word did not appear to be very sweet.
And then the amusement of the evening commenced, and Marian stood up for a
quadrille with her lover. She however was not in the very best humour. She
had, as she thought, said and done enough for one day in Maurice's favour. And
she had no idea, as she declared to herself, of being lectured by aunt Sarah.
"Dearest Marion," he said to her, as the quadrille came to a close, "it
is an your power to make me so happy,--so perfectly happy."
"But then people have such different ideas of happiness," she replied.
"They can't all see with the same eyes, you know." And so they
parted.
But during the early part of the evening she was sufficiently discreet; she did
waltz with Lieutenant Graham, and polk with Captain Ewing, but she did so in a
tamer manner than was usual with her, and she made no emulous attempts to dance
down other couples. When she had done she would sit down, and then she
consented to stand up for two quadrilles with two very tame gentlemen, to whom
no lover could object.
"And so, Marian, your wings are regularly clipped at last," said Julia
Davis coming up to her.
"No more clipped than your own," said Marian.
"If Sir Rue won't let you waltz now, what will he require of you when you're
married to him?"
"I am just as well able to waltz with whom I like as you are, Julia; and
if you say so in that way, I shall think it's envy."
"Ha--ha--ha; I may have envied you some of your beaux before now; I dare
say I have. But I certainly do not envy you Sir Rue." And then she went
off to her partner.
All this was too much for Marian's weak strength, and before long she was again
whirling round with Captain Ewing. "Come, Miss Leslie," said he,
"let us see what we can do. Graham and Julia Davis have been saying that
your waltzing days are over, but I think we can put them down."
Marian as she got up, and raised her arm in order that Ewing might put his
round her waist, caught Maurice's eye as he leaned against a wall, and read in
it a stern rebuke. "This is too bad," she said to herself. "He
shall not make a slave of me, at any rate as yet." And away she went as
madly, more madly than ever, and for the rest of the evening she danced with
Captain Ewing and with him alone.
There is an intoxication quite distinct from that which comes from strong
drink. When the judgment is altogether overcome by the spirits this species of
drunkenness comes on, and in this way Marian Leslie was drunk that night. For
two hours she danced with Captain Ewing, and ever and anon she kept saying to
herself that she would teach the world to know--and of all the world Mr.
Cumming especially--that she might be lead, but not driven.
Then about four o'clock she went home, and as she attempted to undress herself
in her own room she burst into violent tears and opened her heart to her
sister-- "Oh, Fanny, I do love him, I do love him so dearly! and now he
will never come to me again!"
Maurice stood still with his back against the wall, for the full two hours of
Marian's exhibition, and then he said to his aunt before he left--"I hope
you have now seen enough; you will hardly mention her name to me again."
Miss Jack groaned from the bottom of her heart but she said nothing. She said
nothing that night to any one; but she lay awake in her bed, thinking, till it
was time to rise and dress herself. "Ask Miss Marian to come to me,"
she said to the black girl who came to assist her. But it was not till she had
sent three times, that Miss Marian obeyed the summons.
At three o'clock on the following day Miss Jack arrived at her own hall door in
Spanish Town. Long as the distance was she ordinarily rode it all, but on this
occasion she had provided a carriage to bring her over as much of the journey
as it was practicable for her to perform on wheels. As soon as she reached her
own hall door she asked if Mr. Cumming was at home. "Yes," the
servant said. "He was in the small book-room, at the back of the house,
up stairs." Silently, as if afraid of being heard, she stepped up her own
stairs into her own drawing-room; and very silently she was followed by a pair
of feet lighter and smaller than her own.
Miss Jack was usually somewhat of a despot in her own house, but there was
nothing despotic about her now as she peered into the book-room. This she did
with her bonnet still on, looking round the half-opened door as though she were
afraid to disturb her nephew, he sat at the window looking out into the
verandah which ran behind the house, so intent on his thoughts that he did not
hear her.
"Maurice," she said, "can I come in?"
"Come in? oh yes, of course;" and he turned round sharply at her.
"
tell you what,
aunt; I am not well here and I cannot stay out the session. I shall go back to
Mount Pleasant."
"Maurice," and she walked close up to him as she spoke,
"Maurice, I have brought some one with me to ask your pardon."
His face became red up to the roots of his hair as he stood looking at her
without answering. "You would grant it certainly," she continued,
"if you knew how much it would be valued."
"Whom do you mean? who is it?" he asked at last.
"One who loves you as well as you love her--and she cannot love you better.
Come in, Marian." The poor girl crept in at the door, ashamed of what she
was induced to do, but yet looking anxiously into her lover's face. "You
asked her yesterday to be your wife," said Miss Jack, "and she did
not then know her own mind. Now she has hada lesson. You will ask her once
again; will you not, Maurice?"
What was he to say? how was he to refuse, when that soft little hand was held
out to him; when those eyes laden with tears just ventured to look into his
face?
"I beg your pardon if I angered you last night," she said.
In half a minute Miss Jack had left the room, and in the space of another
thirty seconds Maurice had forgiven her. "I am your own now, you
know," she whispered to him in the course of that long evening. "Yesterday,
you know--," but the sentence was never finished.
It was in vain that Julia Davis was ill-natured and sarcastic, in vain that
Ewing and Graham made joint attempt upon her constancy. From that night to the
morning of her marriage--and the interval was only three months--Marian Leslie
was never known to flirt.
Changes:
26/4/2008: added names to slave registration from Ancestry.com
7/5/2008: Added Trollop