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AYALA’S ANGEL
turning out of Piccadilly, — but he could not bring himself to
go home to his bed. He was unutterably wretched, but yet he
kept himself going with some idea of doing something, or of
fixing some purpose. He certainly was tipsy now, but not so
drunk as to be unable to keep himself on his legs. He gloried in
the wet, shouting inwardly to himself that he in his misery
was superior to all accidents of the weather. Then he stood for
awhile watching the people as they came out of the Haymarket Theatre. He was at this time a sorry sight to be seen. His hat
was jammed on to his head and had been almost smashed in
the jamming. His coat reeking wet through was fastened by
one button across his chest. His two hands were thrust into his
pockets, and the bottle of champagne was visible in his face.
He was such a one, — to look at, — that no woman would
have liked to touch or any man to address. In this guise he
stood there amidst the crowd, foremost among those who were
watching the ladies as they got into their vehicles. “And she
might be as good as the best of them, and I might be here to
hand her into her own carriage,” — said he to himself, — “if it
were not for that intruder!”
At that moment the intruder was there before him, and on
his arm was a lady whom he was taking across to a carriage, at
the door of which a servant in livery was standing. They were
followed closely by a pretty young girl who was picking her
steps after them alone. These were Lady Albury and Nina,
whom Colonel Stubbs had escorted to the play.
“You will be down by the twentieth?” said the elder lady.
“Punctual as the day comes,” said the Colonel.
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
“And mind you have Ayala with you,” said the younger.
“If Lady Albury can manage it with her aunt of course I will
wait upon her,” said the Colonel. Then the door of the carriage
was shut, and the Colonel was left to look for a cab. He had on
an overcoat and an opera hat, but otherwise was dressed as
for dinner. On one side a link-boy was offering him assistance,
and on another a policeman tendering him some service.
He was one of those who by their outward appearance always
extort respect from those around them.
As long as the ladies had been there, — during the two
minutes which had been occupied while they got into the carriage, — Tom had been restrained by their presence. He had
been restrained by their presence even though he had heard
Ayala’s name and had understood the commission given to
the man whom he hated. Had Colonel Stubbs luckily followed
the ladies into the carriage Tom, in his fury, would have taken
himself off to his bed. But now, — there was his enemy within a yard of him! Here was the opportunity the lack of which
seemed, a few moments since, to be so grievous to him! He took
two steps out from the row in which he stood and struck his
rival high on his breast with his fist. He had aimed at the Colonel’s face but in his eagerness had missed his mark. “There,”
said he, “there! You would not fight me, and now you have got
it.” Stubbs staggered, and would have fallen but for the policeman. Tom, though no hero, was a strong young man, and had
contrived to give his blow with all his force. The Colonel did
not at first see from whom the outrage had come, but at once
claimed the policeman’s help.
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AYALA’S ANGEL
“We’ve got him, Sir; — we’ve got him,” said the policeman.
“You’ve got me,” said Tom, “but I’ve had my revenge.” Then,
though two policemen and one waterman were now holding
him, he stretched himself up to his full height and glared at
his enemy in the face.
“It’s the chap who gave that hawful blow to Thompson in
the bow’ls!” said one of the policemen, who by this time had
both Tom’s arms locked behind his own.
Then the Colonel knew who had struck him. “I know him,”
said the Colonel to the policeman. “It is a matter of no consequence.”
“So do we, Sir. He’s Thomas Tringle, junior.”
“He’s a friend of mine,” said the Colonel. “You must let
him come with me.”
“A friend, is he?” said an amateur attendant. The policeman, who had remembered the cruel onslaught made on
his comrade, looked very grave, and still held Tom tight by
the arms. “A very hugly sort of friend,” said the amateur. Tom
only stretched himself still higher, but remained speechless.
“Tringle,” said the Colonel, “this was very foolish, you
know, — a most absurd thing to do! Come with me, and we
will talk it all over.”
“He must come along with us to the watch-house just at
present,” said the policeman. “And you, Sir, if you can, had better please to come with us. It ain’t far across to Vine Street,
but of course you can have a cab if you like it.” This was ended by two policemen walking off with Tom between them,
and by the Colonel following in a cab, after having administered divers shillings to the amateur attendants. Though
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
the journey in the cab did not occupy above five minutes, it
sufficed to enable him to determine what step he should take
when he found himself before the night officers of the watch.
When he found himself in the presence of the night officer
he had considerable difficulty in carrying out his purpose. That
Tom should be locked up for the night, and be brought before
the police magistrate next morning to answer for the outrage
he had committed, seemed to the officers to be a matter of
course. It was long before the Colonel could persuade the officer that this little matter between him and Mr. Tringle was
a private affair, of which he at least wished to take no further
notice. “No doubt,” he said, “he had received a blow on his
chest, but it had not hurt him in the least.”
“’E ‘it the gen’leman with all his might and main,” said
the policeman.
“It is quite a private affair,” said the Colonel. “My name is
Colonel Stubbs; here is my card. Sir— — is a particular friend of
mine.” Here he named a pundit of the peace, very high in
the estimation of all policemen. “If you will let the gentleman
come away with me I will be responsible for him to-morrow,
if it should be necessary to take any further step in the matter.” This he said very eagerly, and with all the authority which
he knew how to use. Tom, in the meantime, stood perfectly
motionless, with his arms folded akimbo on his breast, wet
through, muddy, still tipsy, a sight miserable to behold.
The card and the Colonel’s own name, and the name of
the pundit of the peace together, had their effect, and after
a while Tom was dismissed in the Colonel’s care. The conclusion of the evening’s affair was, for the moment, one which
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AYALA’S ANGEL
Tom found very hard to bear. It would have been better for
him to have been dragged off to a cell, and there to have been
left to his miserable solitude. But as he went down through
the narrow ways leading from the police-office out into
the main street he felt that he was altogether debarred from
making any further attack upon his protector. He could not
strike him again, as he might have done had he escaped from
the police by his own resources. His own enemy had saved
him from durance, and he could not, therefore, turn again
upon his enemy.
“In heaven’s name, my dear fellow,” said the Colonel, “what
good do you expect to get by that? You have hit me a blow when
you knew that I was unprepared, and, therefore, unarmed. Was
that manly?” To this Tom made no reply. “I suppose you have
been drinking?” And Stubbs, as he asked this question, looked
into his companion’s face. “I see you have been drinking. What
a fool you are making of yourself!”
“It is that girl,” said Tom.
“Does that seem to you to be right? Can you do yourself
any good by that? Will she be more likely to listen to you when
she hears that you have got drunk, and have assaulted me in
the street? Have I done you any harm?”
“She says that you are better than me,” replied Tom.
“If she does, is that my doing? Come, old fellow, try to be
a man. Try to think of this thing rightly. If you can win the girl
you love, win her; but, if you cannot, do not be such an ass as to
suppose that she is to love no one because she will not love
you. It is a thing which a man must bear if it comes in his way.
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
As far as Miss Dormer is concerned, I am in the same condition
as you. But do you think that I should attack you in the street
if she began to favour you to-morrow?”
“I wish she would; and then I shouldn’t care what you did.”
“I should think you a happy fellow, certainly; and for a time
I might avoid you, because your happiness would remind me of
my own disappointment; but I should not come behind your
back and strike you! Now, tell me where you live, and I will see
you home.” Then Tom told him where he lived, and in a few
minutes the Colonel had left him within his own hall door.
CHAPTER XLV
THERE IS SOMETHING OF THE
ANGEL ABOUT HIM
The little accident which was recorded at the close of
the last chapter occurred on a Tuesday night. On the following afternoon Tom Tringle, again very much out of spirits,
returned to Merle Park. There was now nothing further for
him to do in London. He had had his last chance with Ayala, and the last chance had certainly done him no good. Fortune, whether kindly or unkindly, had given him an opportunity of revenging himself upon the Colonel; he had taken
advantage of the opportunity, but did not find himself much
relieved by what he had done. His rival’s conduct had caused
him to be thoroughly ashamed of himself. It had at any rate
taken from him all further hope of revenge. So that now there
was nothing for him but to take himself back to Merle Park.
On the Wednesday he heard nothing further of the matter;
but on the Thursday Sir Thomas came down from London, and,
showing to poor Tom a paragraph in one of the morning papers, asked whether he knew anything of the circumstance to
which reference was made. The paragraph was as follows: —
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
That very bellicose young City knight who at Christmas time got into trouble by thrashing a policeman within
an inch of his life in the streets, and who was then incarcerated on account of his performance, again exhibited his
prowess on Tuesday night by attacking Colonel— — , an officer than whom none in the army is more popular, — under
the portico of the Haymarket theatre. We abstain from mentioning the officer’s name, — which is, however, known to
us. The City knight again fell into the hands of the police
and was taken to the watch-house. But Colonel— — , who
knew something of his family, accompanied him, and begged
his assailant off. The officer on duty was most unwilling to
let the culprit go; but the Colonel used all his influence and
was successful. This may be all very well between the generous Colonel and the valiant knight. But if the young man has
any friends they had better look to him. A gentleman with
such a desire for the glories of battle must be restrained if
he cannot control his propensities when wandering about
the streets of the metropolis.
“Yes,” said Tom, — who scorned to tell a lie in any matter
concerning Ayala. “It was me. I struck Colonel Stubbs, and he
got me off at the police office.”
“And you’re proud of what you’ve done?”
“No, Sir, I’m not. I’m not proud of anything. Whatever I do
or whatever I say seems to go against me.”
“He didn’t go against you as you call it.”
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AYALA’S ANGEL
“I wish he had with all my heart. I didn’t ask him to get me
off. I struck him because I hated him; and whatever might have
happened I would sooner have borne it than be like this.”
“You would sooner have been locked up again in prison?”
“I would sooner anything than be as I am.”
“I tell you what it is, Tom,” said the father. “If you remain
here any longer with this bee in your bonnet you will be
locked up in a lunatic asylum, and I shall not be able to get
you out again. You must go abroad.” To this Tom made no immediate answer. Lamentable as was his position, he still was
unwilling to leave London while Ayala was living there. Were
he to consent to go away for any lengthened period, by doing
so he would seem to abandon his own claim. Hope he knew
there was none; but yet, even yet, he regarded himself as one of
Ayala’s suitors. “Do you think it well,” continued the father,
“that you should remain in London while such paragraphs as
these are being written about you?”
“I am not in London now,” said Tom.
“No, you are not in London while you are at Merle
Park, — of course. And you will not go up to London without
my leave. Do you understand that?” Here Tom again was silent.
“If you do,” continued his father, “you shall not be received
down here again, nor at Queen’s Gate, nor will the cheques for
your allowance be honoured any longer at the bank. In fact if
you do not obey me I will throw you off altogether. This absurdity about your love has been carried on long enough.” And
so it came to be understood in the family that Tom was to be
kept in mild durance at Merle Park till everything should have
been arranged for his extended tour about the world. To this
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
Tom himself gave no positive assent, but it was understood
that when the time came he would yield to his father’s commands.
It had thus come to pass that the affray at the door of
the Haymarket became known to so much of the world at
large as interested itself in the affairs either of Colonel Stubbs
or of the Tringles. Other paragraphs were written in which
the two heroes of the evening were designated as Colonel J — — S — — and as T — — T — — , junior, of the firm of
T — — and T — — , in the City. All who pleased could read
these initials, and thus the world was aware that our Colonel had received a blow, and had resented the affront only by
rescuing his assailant from the hands of the police. A word
was said at first which seemed to imply that the Colonel had
not exhibited all the spirit which might have been expected
from him. Having been struck should he not have thrashed
the man who struck him; — or at any rate have left the ruffian in the hands of the policemen for proper punishment?
But many days had not passed over before the Colonel’s conduct had been viewed in a different light, and men and women
were declaring that he had done a manly and a gallant thing.
The affair had in this way become sufficiently well known to
justify the allusion made to it in the following letter from Lady
Albury to Ayala; —
Stalham, Tuesday, 11th February, 18 — .
0ඒൽൾൺඋ$ඒൺඅൺ,
It is quite indispensable for the happiness of everybody,
particularly that of myself and Sir Harry, that you should
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