Beggars on HorsebackJesse, F. Tennyson (Fryniwyd Tennyson)
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Beggars on Horseback
Jesse, F. Tennyson (Fryniwyd Tennyson)
Fiction; Short stories, English
"That later on the evening of the 22nd, Mr. Bendigo being a trifle
easier, consented to see Miss, that he, this witness, was present when
Miss came into the chamber, and fell down upon her knees, saying, Oh!
sir, forgive me! Do what you will with me, and I'll never see Crandon
more if you will but forgive me. To which Mr. Bendigo replied, I forgive
thee, but thou shouldst have remembered that I am thy father, upon which
Miss said, Oh, sir, your goodness strikes daggers to my soul; sir, I
must down on my knees and pray that you will not curse me. He replied,
No, child, I bless thee and pray that God may bless thee and let thee
live to repent. Miss then declared she was innocent of this illness, and
he replied, that he feared she was not, and that some of the powder was
in such hands as would show it against her. Witness added that deceased,
before Miss Bendigo's entry, had bidden him look to the remainder of the
gruel.
"Prisoner's Counsel: Who was it sent for you when deceased was taken
ill?
"Harvey: James Ruffiniac,[B] the steward, fetched me and said it was at
the command of Miss Bendigo, who said, to-morrow will not satisfy me,
you must go now, which he did.
"Prisoner's Counsel: All the years you have known Miss Bendigo what has
been her behaviour to her father? Has she not always done everything
that an affectionate child could for her father's ease?
"Harvey: She always behaved like a dutiful daughter, as far as ever I
knew, and seemed to do everything in her power for her father's recovery
whenever he was indisposed.
"King's Counsel: Did she tell you that she had put anything into her
father's gruel and that she feared it might in some measure occasion his
death?
"Harvey: She never did.
"Dr. Polwhele, having been sworn at the same time as Mr. Harvey, and
stood in Court close by him, was now asked by the King's Counsel if he
was present at the opening of Mr. Bendigo and whether the observations
made by Mr. Harvey were true: he said he was present and made the same
observations himself. He was then asked what was his opinion of the
cause of the death of Mr. Bendigo, and he replied, by poison absolutely.
"Eliza Ruffiniac, being sworn, said, that on the afternoon of the 20th,
her master being unwell, from (as they thought at the time) an attack of
bile, Miss Bendigo, the prisoner at the bar, made him a dish of tea.
That after taking it he was very sick, but seemed easier next day, when
Miss again made him some tea which he did not drink. That next evening
he sent for the witness and asked for some water-gruel to be made; that
Miss on hearing of it, said, I will make it, that there's no call for
you to leave your ironing; that Miss was a long time stirring the gruel
in the pantry, and on coming into the kitchen said, I have been taking
of my father's gruel, and I think I shall often eat of it; I have taken
a great fancy to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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