The Regency (99 page)

Had she gone too far? No, it was all right. Some kind of
intoxication was working on Jasper, and he was beginning to
believe in her.

‘
I'm very glad you see it so, Miss Morland. You see, I grew
up in the mills, and I have seen it all for myself, at first-hand. It is very hard, I know, for someone outside to understand the misery and suffering of these creatures. If I were to shew you
a little child of eight years old, weeping at the end of the day
with sheer exhaustion, too tired to eat what little food his
parents can provide him with, his poor crooked bones aching
so much he can hardly bear to lie down — why, I know it would
touch you to the heart! You would want to cradle him in your
arms for pity.’

Fanny shuddered involuntarily at the very idea of touching
a deformed and odorous pauper-brat, but Jasper interpreted
it his own way, and pressed her hand in grateful sympathy.

‘
But tell me, Mr Hobsbawn, what are you going to do
next?' she went on. 'I'm sure it's of no use to try to persuade
Grandpapa. He does not understand.'

‘
Not on his own, not when I am simply asking him to take
my word for it,' Jasper agreed eagerly, 'but when there are
enough people who think the same way — masters and
employers and important people, whose opinion he respects —
he will begin to see things in a different light. We are getting up
a regular campaign, sending circular letters, and holding public meetings. There's to be one next week — I do hope you may be persuaded to come to it? It would be such a help to us.'

‘
I, sir — what use would I be to you?' Fanny said with a
laugh.

He looked serious. 'Our ladies can be of the greatest
possible use, in influencing their menfolk. Husbands listen to
their wives a great deal more than is often reckoned, and Mr
Hobsbawn values your opinion, too. If you were to come to
the meeting — lend it your presence — it would be most
encouraging. And if you insisted that you wanted to go, I don't
believe your grandfather would refuse to accompany you.'

‘Who is to speak at your meeting?' Fanny asked, without committing herself.

‘
We have some very distinguished speakers — Mr John
Fielden, Dr Thomas Percival, Mr Gould, the merchant, and
Sir John Hobhouse; and there are others who have agreed
to sit on the platform in support, though they won't be
speaking.'

‘But you will speak, surely?' Fanny asked.

‘
I? No, I don't speak. It would be thought impertinence on
my part — a mere mill-manager. We must have the great
men up there, if we are to convince. No, my part is simply to
organise.'

‘
That must be a great deal of work for you,' Fanny said,
disappointed. The sight of Jasper on the platform addressing
a meeting would have curdled Grandpapa's blood.

‘
I don't do it all alone,' he said with a smile. 'We have
many willing helpers from amongst the middling sort —
shopkeepers and clerks and so on. Father Rathbone and I are
more the overseers of the effort —'

‘Father Rathbone?' Fanny asked quickly.

‘
Yes — do you know him? He's a missionary, and does a
great deal of good work amongst the poor. He has been
involved in every campaign for the betterment of their lot
for years. We couldn't do without his enthusiasm and
experience.'

‘
No, I don't know him,' Fanny purred. 'Will he be at the
meeting?'

‘
Of course — he will be the chairman, and introduce the
speakers.’

Fanny smiled radiantly at him. 'I must certainly try to
persuade Grandpapa to be there.’

*

 
Despite the eminence of the speakers, the mood of those
attending the meeting was largely hostile to the proposal, and
many had only gone hoping for the chance to shout them
down. The financial crisis of 1811 was too recent to be forgot
ten. Indeed, the mills were only just settling into full-time working again, and there had been many mill-masters who
fell by the wayside and went bankrupt. Not only that, but for
two years the country had been convulsed with the activities
of the Luddites, and though it was true that it had been
mainly the Midlands, particularly Nottingham, which had
suffered, no factory owner could think about frame-breakers
without his blood rising. Only that January, seventeen Luddites
had been hanged at York assizes, which was too close to home
to be ignored.

The last thing the masters 'wanted was to be told to be kinder to their employees. Keep a firm grip on 'em, keep
'em down, make 'em work so they haven't time to get up to
mischief — this was the kind of advice they would have
welcomed. Times were hard; the war with America had
curtailed markets, though the continent of Europe was now
opening up again; profits were uncertain. Who was going to
pay anyone more money for less work? It didn't make sense.

Jasper met Fanny and Mr Hobsbawn in the entrance. 'I'm
so glad you came, sir,' he said. 'I've reserved seats for you and
Miss Morland at the front. I know you don't agree with the
motion to limit factory hours, but all I ask is that you listen to
the speakers, and consider what they have to say. We have a
physician here whose evidence I think will certainly give you
food for thought.'

‘
Aye, well, I'll listen,' Hobsbawn said, 'but you won't
persuade me. I only came because Fanny insisted.’

Jasper gave Fanny a smile of gratitude, and she lowered her
eyes modestly. Hobsbawn had been outraged when she first
suggested that they should go to the meeting, but she had
pointed out that as Jasper was his manager, and people would
inevitably associate his ideas with Hobsbawn's, it would be as
well to find out what he was up to. 'Otherwise, Grandpapa,
you won't know what it is you have to deny.'

‘Aye, that makes sense, Puss,' Hobsbawn said. 'I don't
know what's got into Jasper lately. He seems to have lost his
senses.'

‘
It's probably the people he's associating with, Grandpapa,'
Fanny said sweetly.

‘Eh? What? Who do you mean?' he said, startled.

‘
Oh, I don't know who they are; but I've often noticed,'
she said wisely, 'that when a sensible man begins to behave
foolishly, it's because he is keeping bad company, and coming
under someone else's influence. Of course, it's usually female,'
she added with a smile, 'but in Cousin Jasper's case —'

‘
Aye, there's sense in that,' Hobsbawn said thoughtfully.
'He's maybe been got hold of by some Jacobin. You're right,
Fanny — we must go to this meeting, and see who he talks
to.’

Even those who had gone to the meeting to heckle had no
idea how much fun there was going to be right from the
beginning. The grand speakers filed out and took their places
on the platform, and then Father Rathbone, the tall, fiery-
eyed missionary, entered and walked to the centre of the stage
to open the meeting. Fanny felt her grandfather stiffen beside
her, and glanced sideways to see his face suffusing with indig
nation. She had no idea why he disapproved of Rathbone, but
it was good to have the soil ready prepared for what she was
to plant next.

With a little cry to draw his attention to her, she put her
hand over her face and turned to hide against her grand
father's shoulder.

‘
Why, Fanny, what's wrong?' he asked, instantly alarmed.
'Oh Grandpapa! It's that man! Oh, it's too dreadful!' she
cried, muffled but perfectly audible. 'I must leave — Grand-
papa, please take me home. I cannot remain in the same room
with someone so —' She broke off with a little choke.
'Why, love, what is it?' Hobsbawn asked, bending over her. 'What man? D'you mean that priest-feller? What do you know
about him?'

‘
Something too dreadful! I can't say it! Oh Grandpapa, to
think of its being him that Cousin Jasper has been associating
with!'

‘
But how do you know him, Fan? I made sure he should
never come in your way.’

Fanny found that remark a little confusing, but shrugged it
off, intent on her own plan. Placing her lips as if reluctantly
to her grandfather's ear, she whispered a sentence or two.
His face mottled alarmingly.

‘What!’

Fanny nodded, eyes lowered. 'It's perfectly true, I'm
afraid,' she murmured, as one shocked and saddened. 'That's
why I haven't ordered any more gowns from Madame Renee.
I couldn't bear to be associated —'

‘
Right!' Hobsbawn said, rising to his feet like an angry
mountain, drawing all eyes to him. 'Just you go along Fanny,
and wait for me in the hallway. It isn't fit that you should
hear what I'm going to say. I'll be with you in a few minutes
to take you home after I've made sure,' he raised his voice,
‘these good people know what kind of men are sponsoring this
crackbrained notion! When I've done, there'll be no more talk
of twelve-hour acts!' His voice rose to a bellow. 'Incitement to immorality, that's what it is, plain and simple!’

Fanny left the hall quickly, keeping her eyes down, and a
limp hand to her brow as though she were near to fainting. It
served very well to conceal the smile of satisfaction she could
not keep from coming to her lips. Poor Cousin Jasper! She felt
almost sorry for him.

 
One October day, Lucy and Danby Wiske had ridden out to
the ruins of the abbey at Godstow Bridge, taking a picnic
meal with them of cold roast chicken, game pie, cheesecakes,
and the new season's apples. They hitched the horses to a thorn tree and loosened their girths, and then found them
selves a sheltered place on the turf amongst the ruined grey
towers, and sat down with their backs to a broken wall to
enjoy the warm autumn sunshine.

They ate slowly, with pleasure, and in silence, each occupied
with private thoughts. They sat side by side, touching from
shoulder to elbow, a cloth spread across their knees on which
the food was laid. Just to the right of Lucy's head wild wall
flowers were springing from a crack in the wall, attracting
the attention of late bees; the little breeze which lives around
the ruins was blowing the coarse crevice-grass, and singing just above their heads; the air smelled of warm turf and dry
earth. Lucy was beginning to feel a little sleepy, when Danby
drew a deep sigh, and she looked towards him, heavy-eyed
but concerned.