thanks, sir.’
‘Do you know’, I asked as I peered into his eye once more, ‘what the story of his crime was? From the few details I have heard it seems quite peculiar.’
Grove nodded. ‘Very peculiar,’ he agreed. ‘But I am afraid he was fated to act thus, because of his family. His father was wayward as well. Made an unfortunate match.’
‘He disliked his wife?’ I asked.
Grove frowned. ‘Worse than that. He married for love. A charming woman, so I am told, but against the wishes of both families, who never forgave him. It was typical of the man, I’m afraid.’
I shook my head here. Coming from a merchant family myself, I was well aware of the importance of not allowing sentiment to cloud one’s judgement in marital affairs. As my father had once remarked, if God had meant us to marry for love, why had He created mistresses? Not that he indulged overmuch in this direction himself, for he and my mother were devoted to each other.
‘He enlisted on the side of the king when the war broke out, fought with valour and lost everything. But he still continued faithful and plotted against the Commonwealth. Alas, he loved plotting more than he loved his monarch, for he betrayed his king to Cromwell, and almost with disastrous effects. A more evil deed has not been seen since Judas Iscariot sold Our Lord.’
He nodded sagely at his tale. For my part, I found it all very interesting, but still did not understand how Prestcott came to be in prison.
‘That is very simple,’ Grove said. ‘He is of a violent and unstable disposition; perhaps it is a case of the sins of the fathers being handed down. He became an unruly, ungovernable child and took to bad ways with a vengeance once he was free of family control. He assaulted and nearly murdered the guardian who has looked after him with kindness since his father’s disgrace, and there is also a complaint from an unclethat he ransacked that man’s money chest on a recent visit. It happens: we hanged an undergraduate for highway robbery last year, Prestcott this year and, I’m afraid, these will not be the last. “The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.”’ He paused for me to recognise the quotation, but I shrugged helplessly.
‘Ezekiel 7:23,’ he said reprovingly. ‘It is a consequence of the turmoil we have been through. Now, sir. I feel unable to insult you by offering you money for your kindness, but perhaps a meal in college would be an adequate recompense? We do fine food, better wine and I can promise excellent company.’
I smiled wanly, and said I would be delighted.
‘Splendid,’ he said. ‘I am so glad. Five o’clock?’
This was agreed, and I made my farewells to him with as many thanks as I could muster.
The way he waved it aside suggested that he believed I was singularly honoured by the invitation. ‘Tell me, before you leave,’ he said as I opened the door, ‘how is the girl’s mother?’
I stopped in surprise at the way he brought the matter up. ‘She is not well,’ I replied. ‘In fact, I believe she will die.’
He nodded grimly in a fashion I could not decipher. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘God’s will be done.’
And then I was dismissed. I went back to inform Mrs Bulstrode I would not be dining, then fulfilled my last obligation and took the gallon of wine to Prestcott in his gaol cell.
Chapter Eight
----
DINNER AT NEW College came as a shock. As my hosts were all gentlemen of education, and many of them in holy orders, I imagined that I would be passing a pleasant time in agreeable surroundings. Instead, the meal was served in a vast and draughty hall, through which the wind swept as though we were at sea in mid-gale; Grove was well wrapped up for the occasion and went into considerable detail to inform me of the layers of undergarments he was wont to don before venturing forth. Had he forewarned me, I would have done likewise. Even so, I would have been cold. While the English are used
‘Do you know’, I asked as I peered into his eye once more, ‘what the story of his crime was? From the few details I have heard it seems quite peculiar.’
Grove nodded. ‘Very peculiar,’ he agreed. ‘But I am afraid he was fated to act thus, because of his family. His father was wayward as well. Made an unfortunate match.’
‘He disliked his wife?’ I asked.
Grove frowned. ‘Worse than that. He married for love. A charming woman, so I am told, but against the wishes of both families, who never forgave him. It was typical of the man, I’m afraid.’
I shook my head here. Coming from a merchant family myself, I was well aware of the importance of not allowing sentiment to cloud one’s judgement in marital affairs. As my father had once remarked, if God had meant us to marry for love, why had He created mistresses? Not that he indulged overmuch in this direction himself, for he and my mother were devoted to each other.
‘He enlisted on the side of the king when the war broke out, fought with valour and lost everything. But he still continued faithful and plotted against the Commonwealth. Alas, he loved plotting more than he loved his monarch, for he betrayed his king to Cromwell, and almost with disastrous effects. A more evil deed has not been seen since Judas Iscariot sold Our Lord.’
He nodded sagely at his tale. For my part, I found it all very interesting, but still did not understand how Prestcott came to be in prison.
‘That is very simple,’ Grove said. ‘He is of a violent and unstable disposition; perhaps it is a case of the sins of the fathers being handed down. He became an unruly, ungovernable child and took to bad ways with a vengeance once he was free of family control. He assaulted and nearly murdered the guardian who has looked after him with kindness since his father’s disgrace, and there is also a complaint from an unclethat he ransacked that man’s money chest on a recent visit. It happens: we hanged an undergraduate for highway robbery last year, Prestcott this year and, I’m afraid, these will not be the last. “The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.”’ He paused for me to recognise the quotation, but I shrugged helplessly.
‘Ezekiel 7:23,’ he said reprovingly. ‘It is a consequence of the turmoil we have been through. Now, sir. I feel unable to insult you by offering you money for your kindness, but perhaps a meal in college would be an adequate recompense? We do fine food, better wine and I can promise excellent company.’
I smiled wanly, and said I would be delighted.
‘Splendid,’ he said. ‘I am so glad. Five o’clock?’
This was agreed, and I made my farewells to him with as many thanks as I could muster.
The way he waved it aside suggested that he believed I was singularly honoured by the invitation. ‘Tell me, before you leave,’ he said as I opened the door, ‘how is the girl’s mother?’
I stopped in surprise at the way he brought the matter up. ‘She is not well,’ I replied. ‘In fact, I believe she will die.’
He nodded grimly in a fashion I could not decipher. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘God’s will be done.’
And then I was dismissed. I went back to inform Mrs Bulstrode I would not be dining, then fulfilled my last obligation and took the gallon of wine to Prestcott in his gaol cell.
Chapter Eight
----
DINNER AT NEW College came as a shock. As my hosts were all gentlemen of education, and many of them in holy orders, I imagined that I would be passing a pleasant time in agreeable surroundings. Instead, the meal was served in a vast and draughty hall, through which the wind swept as though we were at sea in mid-gale; Grove was well wrapped up for the occasion and went into considerable detail to inform me of the layers of undergarments he was wont to don before venturing forth. Had he forewarned me, I would have done likewise. Even so, I would have been cold. While the English are used
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