The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl — John Shaqi
The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk GirlCobbold, Richard
General
The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl
Cobbold, Richard
Catchpole, Margaret, 1762-1819 -- Fiction
The parcel was unpacked. There were silks and shawls, caps and lace,
ribbons and stuffs, and gloves; parcels of tea, coffee, tobacco, and
snuff; together with curious-headed and silver-tipped pipes; in short,
enough to stock a small shop. But there was nothing to give pleasure to
Margaret. That poor girl's heart sank within her at a sight which she at
once perceived was far too costly to be honestly procured. She called to
Edward to assist her in tying up the bale again, and removing it into
the room where the pretended countryman was seated. As she entered, the
fellow roughly accosted her--
"Well! you find summut there, I dare say, to tempt you soon to put aside
these dark-looking dresses which you all wear. I must be going: can I
take anything back for you?"
"Yes," said Margaret--"yes; you may take the whole bundle back the same
way you brought it, and tell the young man who gave it you that I should
have valued one single pair of honestly purchased gloves more than all
the valuables he has sent me."
There was a twinkle of that small grey eye, and a twitch of the muscles
of that sun-burnt face, which showed that even the hardy, rough-looking
countryman was startled at such an honest spirit as then addressed him.
This person was none other than John Luff, the mate of the _Alde_, who
had undertaken to perform this duty for Captain Laud, from a motive,
without much love in it, simply because he feared that the captain might
be persuaded by his girl to leave off a smuggler's life. He saw in an
instant that such would have been the case, had young Laud come with
him, or brought the load himself. He had assumed the countryman's dress
to avoid any notice from the coastguard, and, until he came to the lane
leading to the farm, he had brought the bale of goods in a sack slung
over his shoulder, as if it were corn, or chaff, or flour. He was not
very easily put out, nor long in giving his answer.
"No, young woman, I have had lug enough to bring it here, and I got a
crown for my job; mayhap, if I were to take it back to the youngster, I
might lose half my crown, and so be paid for my trouble. I'm not fond of
broken heads for a love-ditty. You may find some one else to take it
back: I've done my duty."
"No, you have not," said Margaret; "you are no landsman, I am sure: your
duty is not that of an honest labourer. You are--I am sure you
are--connected with the smugglers on the coast. You may take this parcel
for yourself. I give it to you, to do what you like with; but do tell
the young man, when you see him, that I hate his presents, though not
himself."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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