The Comforters

‘No, I shouldn’t trouble him with a letter, poor Laurence, letters can cause trouble,’ Mrs Hogg said. She seemed glad of the rest after the up-hill walk from the station. Observably, she gathered strength while Louisa sat beside her expressly making no reply.

‘I learn,’ said Mrs Hogg, ‘that you call me a poisonous woman. ‘One is always learning,’ Louisa said, while her black eyes made a rapid small movement in her thinking head. Mrs Hogg saw only the small hands folded on the brown lap.

‘Do you not think it is time for you,’ said Mrs Hogg, ‘to take a reckoning of your sins and prepare for your death?’

‘You spoke like that to my husband,’ said Louisa. ‘His death was a misery to him through your interference.’

‘I nursed Mr Jepp day and night—’

‘No,’ said Louisa, ‘only night. And then only until I discovered your talk.’

‘He should have seen a priest, as I said.’

‘Mrs Hogg, what is your message for Master Laurence?’

‘Only that he is not to worry. I shall take no legal action against him. He will understand what I mean. And, Mrs Jepp,’ she continued, ‘you are lonely here living by yourself.’

‘I am lonely by no means. I shall give no such foolish message to Master Laurence. If you have any grievance against him, I suggest you write to Sir Edwin. My grandson is not to be troubled at present.’

‘There is the matter of slander. In my position my character in the world is very important.’

‘You have got hold of Master Laurence’s letter to Miss Caroline,’ Louisa said in a voice she sometimes used when she had played a successful hand at rummy through guesswork.

‘You really must remember your age,’ said Mrs Hogg. ‘No good carrying on as if you were in your prime.’

‘I will not have you to stay with me,’ Louisa said.

‘You need a companion.

‘I am not feeble. I trust I shall never be so feeble as to choose you for a companion.’

‘Why do you keep diamonds in the bread?’

Louisa hardly moved nor paused at all. Indeed it entered her mind: how like Laurence to have found the hiding place!

‘I will not deny, that is my habit.’

‘You are full of sin.’

‘Crime,’ said Louisa. ‘I would hardly say “full”. …

Mrs Hogg rose then, her lashless eyes screwed on Louisa’s brown hands on her brown lap. Was the woman really senile, then?

‘Wait. Sit down,’ Louisa said, ‘I should like to tell you all about the crime.’ She looked up, her black old eyes open to Mrs Hogg. The appealing glance was quite convincing.

Thus encouraged, ‘You must see a priest,’ said Mrs Hogg. None the less, she sat down to hear Louisa’s confession.

‘I am in smuggling,’ said Louisa. ‘I shan’t go into the whys and hows because of my memory, but I have a gang of my own, my dear Georgina, what do you think of that?’ Louisa peered at Mrs Hogg from the corner of her eye and pursed her lips as if she were kissing the breeze. Mrs Hogg stared. Was she drunk perhaps? But at seventy-eight, after all —’A gang?’ said Mrs Hogg at last.

‘A gang. We are four. I am the leader. The other three are gentlemen. They smuggle diamonds from abroad.’

‘In loaves of bread?’

‘I won’t go into the ways and whats. Then I dispose of the diamonds through my contact in London.’

Mrs Hogg said, ‘Your daughter doesn’t know this. If it’s true.’

‘You have been to see Lady Manders, of course? You have told her what was in that letter you stole?’

‘Lady Manders is very worried about you.’

‘Ah yes. I will put that right. Well, let me tell you the names of the parties involved in my smuggling arrangements. If you know every-thing I’m sure you won’t want to worry my daughter any more.

‘You can trust me,’ said Mrs Hogg.

‘I’m sure. There is a Mr Webster, he is a local baker. A real fine person, he doesn’t go abroad himself. I had better not say what part he plays in my smuggling arrangements. Then there’s a father and son — such a sad affair, the boy’s a cripple but it does him so much good the trips abroad, the father too. Their name is Hogarth. Mervyn is the father and Andrew is the son. That is my gang.

But Mrs Hogg looked in a bad way just then. The dreadful fluffy fur slipped awry on her shoulder. Violently she said, ‘Mervyn and Andrew!’

‘That is correct. Hogarth they call themselves.’

‘You are evil,’ said Mrs Hogg.

‘You won’t be needing that letter,’ said Louisa, ‘but you may keep it just the same.