The Shadow of Tyburn Tree

long, austere face broke into a smile as he said: 'Why, Mr. Brook, 'tis a pleasure to see you again. I thought you had quite forgotten me.'

'On the contrary, Sir,' Roger bowed. 'I have written you twice in the past week, and receiving no reply made so bold as to break in upon your privacy; for which I do most humbly apologise.'

'Ah, me!' Pitt shook his head drolly. 'I fear I am the laziest of men where dealing with my correspondence is concerned. To my shame I confess that few who write me ever get an answer. In fact, as most of my letters are bills, I've long since given up even opening the demmed things.' With a wave of his hand towards his companion, he added: 'You know William Wilberforce, of course.'

Roger bowed again, to the frail man, whose fine eyes and head made such a contrast to his puny frame.

Wilberforce had been Pitt's contemporary at Cambridge, and had later become his closest personal friend. As the member for Hull, Wilberforce had been one of the staunchest supporters of Pitt's first administration, and during those difficult times the two had been almost inseparable; spending most of their evenings at Goostree's Club, which had been founded by Pitt's friends in opposition to Brooks, and their week-ends at Wilberforce's house on Wimbledon Common, where Pitt had a room always kept ready for him. In '84-'85 Wilberforce had made a long tour abroad, and returned from it with a resolution to lead henceforth a strictly religious life, so in recent years he had withdrawn somewhat from party politics to give more of his time to social reform. His first efforts had been in the direction of amending the criminal law and the suppression of blasphemous and indecent publications; but, only a few months earlier, while seated meditating one day under an oak in Holwood Park, he had come to a definite decision; to devote the rest of his life to the abolition of the Slave Trade.

Although only twenty-eight he had, like his illustrious friend, long been a national figure, so, as Roger bowed, he said: 'Mr. Wilberforce's moving eloquence and good works are alike well known to me.'

'I thank you, Sir.' Wilberforce inclined his head, 'f pray you forgive my rising, but since January I have been the victim of a most vicious illness; and am here to-day only to make my adieus to Mr. Pitt before leaving for Bath in the hope of deriving some benefit from its waters.'

Pitt gave him an anxious look. 'I trust that the fatigue you have sustained in coming here will not affect you adversely.'

'Nay. I had to come; and your assurance that you will bring the first measure forward during the next session, should I be unable to do so, are better medicine than any with which a doctor could provide me.

Feeling that he might have interrupted a discussion on political business, Roger said: 'Gentlemen, I fear my arrival is inopportune. Permit me to retire and walk a while in these lovely grounds, until a more appropriate moment.'

With a wave of his slender hand Pitt dismissed the suggestion. 'Our business is finished, and alas, Mr. Wilberforce is only awaiting his carriage to carry him back to Wimbledon.' Then turning to his sick friend he added: 'Since 'twas I who first persuaded you that par­liamentary action would be far more efficacious against the slave traders than any appeal to the sentiment of the nation, 'tis but fair that I should champion the cause in your absence.'

' 'Twill add to your difficulties, and bring much odium on you from certain quarters,' Wilberforce said frankly.

'I know it. The City of London has never cared for aught save to keep its purse well lined. The merchants of Bristol and Liverpool will raise the devil; and the planters in the sugar-isles will allege that such measures must bring ruin to the nation. But the cause is just; so be of good cheer. I count our first measure as good as already carried.'

'Ah, Billy.' Wilberforce shook his head a little dubiously. 'You were always an optimist. You said the very same in eighty-five, before you brought forward your Bill for winning the friendship of the Irish, and once and for all eliminating the grounds for their centuries-old grievances against us. And you were up against the same thing there; the inherent greed of the British merchants and the middle-classes, mobilised against you by such news sheets as the Morning Chronicle.'

Pitt shrugged. ' 'Twas, I suppose, too much to expect that such folk could yet have absorbed Adam Smith's great doctrine, that States which throw down their customs barriers become effectually part of the same body, and both benefit in consequence. Look at the admir­able effect our recent Commercial Treaty with France is already having. Yet Ireland is nearer, and should be dearer to us. 'Twas my fondest ambition to make the two countries one, and it rankles with me still that my plan was brought to nought by the greed and self-interest of a small minority in our midst.'

'Were not the Irish much to blame themselves, Sir?' Roger hazarded. 'As I recall it, your generous offer to open our markets freely to their goods would have assured them a great increase of wealth, from the fact that their labour is so much cheaper than ours; yet they boggled over your one condition, that they should assist in their own defence by making a modest annual contribution to the up­keep of the Royal Navy.'

'You are right, Mr. Brook, in that certain meaner spirits fastened upon the point; and that the Bill was thrown out in the Dublin Parlia­ment after having passed its first reading at Westminster. Grattan and Flood there, and Burke and Sheridan here, all most shortsightedly opposed these measures which I so earnestly desired to bring about for the benefit of their own country. Yet the real cause of my defeat, was the determination of powerful factions in both Kingdoms to wreck my proposals, by representing each concession made to the sister-island as an injury or insult to the other.'

' 'Tis true,' Wilberforce agreed. ' 'Twas Fox and his friends who whipped up the commercial interests against you, by a campaign of slander and misrepresentation, waged in both countries with a vigour worthy of a better cause. I pray that the same may not be the case. ...'

He broke off as he caught sight of a servant approaching from the house to announce that his carriage was now in readiness.

'Have no fears on that score; and think only of getting well again,' Pitt admonished him, as he tenderly helped him to his feet. 'The question of Abolition is solely a humanitarian one, and we know already that on this great issue Fox and Burke are both with us.'

'Aye; and The Lord!' cried Wilberforce, with shining eyes.'For are not the poor negroes His children every wit as much as ourselves? May His blessing be upon you in all things, Billy; and on you, Mr. Brook.' '

With a word of thanks Roger offered his arm and assisted Pitt to support the invalid to his carriage. When he was settled comfortably in it the farewells were said, and at an easy pace it drove away. As the other two stood looking after it, Pitt said:

'Now there goes a true Saint; for so great-hearted is he that even the worst of sinners feels no awkwardness in his company. But come, Mr. Brook, let us return to the garden. I crave your indulgence to finish planting my tree; but, if, meanwhile, you will tell me to what I owe the pleasure of this visit, I vow to you that I shall not lose a single word of your discourse.'

' 'Tis soon told, Sir. Last November, after my return from Holland, you were good enough to say that you might be able to find me some employment of a confidential nature, which would necessitate travel­ling abroad.'

'I remember the occasion perfectly; and, you were then so eager for it, I find it surprising that you have not applied to me before.'

The statement implied a question; and Roger had already learned that to win and hold the Prime Minister's esteem one must be frank, brief and to the point; so he said: 'I had meant to approach you sooner, but I got caught up in a love-affair.'

Pitt looked at him curiously. 'The early twenties are the years when the foundations of great careers are laid. I had judged you too ambitious to sacrifice six months at this period of your life to such a purpose, however bright the lady's eyes.'

' 'Twas worth it,' said Roger simply.

'Since you can say that with such conviction you must be right, and I'll confess to envying you.' Pitt smiled. 'You see, I have never had a love-affair. 'Tis not that the fair sex lacks attraction for me, but that, somehow, on such occasions as I have felt the inclination, I have never been able to give the time to following the matter up.'

'Your loss has been the nation's gain, Sir.'

'You are kind to put it so, rather than to chide me with sacrificing the humanities to my ambitions. But reverting to yourself. I recall the details of our conversation now, and realise that your half-year's cessation from