A Call to Arms

‘Are you saying you go into those hovels?’

‘I do. But I do not visit with them.’

Hervey said nothing, but his look betrayed his disapproval.

‘Matthew, someone must attend there. Last Monday we took in an unwed girl and her child from a single room in Marsh Street. The child’s father was her own father. Yesterday the constable arrested a young woman not one and twenty who was carrying on her trade while her common-law husband lay three days dead in the room upstairs. And this morning he turned out a young man who slept in the same bed as his unmarried mother. A singular week in numbers, perhaps, but not otherwise. Shall I say more?’

Hervey was speechless.

‘There is life there which cannot be any worse in the London rookeries. In the main I grieve only for the children now. But some of the young men might have redemption. The Methodists are doing fine work, but they must break through so much with the younger men.’

‘Elizabeth,’ said Hervey, muted. ‘I cannot do God’s work with these men. All we may do is make soldiers of them.’

‘I have seen enough to know what that would do.’

‘Yes, but you can’t make a good soldier out of a bad character.’

‘And I am not suggesting you try to. Only that you look for young men whose character is not yet formed.’

‘Elizabeth, you astonish me,’ said Hervey, the admiration evident. ‘But I’m afraid that nothing could induce me to go to Warminster Common in search of recruits!’

CHAPTER TEN. THE SCUM OF THE EARTH

In the course of the next three days, the recruiting party enlisted fourteen men, including William Stent, lately shepherd to Sir George Styles of Westbury. A dozen more had presented themselves to Serjeant Collins at The Bell, but these he had rejected on various grounds.

‘Two were so punchy, sir, that between them they’d have stood no higher than a noseband,’ reported Collins, carefully consulting his notebook. ‘One was badly scalded about the face, there was another with leg sores that stank very ill, two had crooked spines, one was an idiot, one was taken off by his mother before I could do much more than take his name — more’s the pity, for he was a smart lad.’

Hervey cocked an ear.

‘One had eyes that were very blear,’ continued Collins. ‘One was too close to forty for me to pretend he was under thirty, and two were dead drunk and haven’t returned.’

Hervey shook his head. ‘Were any put off by the notion of India?’

‘Not one, sir.’

‘It is disappointing indeed to have only the fourteen when it might have been double.’

‘But I will say the ones we attested look promising, sir. That Stent has the makings of an NCO, without a doubt, but he’s an unhappy man at the present. He told me he was missing his sheep — not his wife, mind, sir — his sheep.’

Hervey simply raised an eyebrow. ‘And who was this lad whose mother took him away?’

‘Rudd — a well-made lad, about your height, sir. And smart as a carrot new-scraped. I reckon he’d put on his best clothes.’

‘And his mother just came and took him away, you say?’

‘Ay, sir. She’s a milliner. Premises in Silver Street, the lad said. Reckon she has better things in mind for him than going for a soldier.’

‘You spoke to her?’

‘No, she gave me no chance, but I made enquiries afterwards and went to her shop, but she threatened to bring the constable.’

‘Did she indeed? Well, Serjeant Collins, we’re going to have to make one last effort tomorrow. You’re going to Westbury for the fair this afternoon?’

‘Ay, sir. But I’ve been told there was a company of foot there for a month and more and took a fair number of men with them.’

‘Yes, I’d heard that too, which is why I’m contemplating going onto the Common to see what we can find.’

Collins looked wary. ‘Sir, there were men in here last night — and not preachy types — who said that the best thing that could happen to Warminster Common was for the plague to take a hold and then the flames.’

‘Are you saying we should not go?’

‘Sir, with respect, it’s you who are from these parts.’

‘My sister believes there are some likely men.’

Serjeant Collins accepted without question that his captain’s sister could properly know such a thing. ‘Has she names, sir? That would be a start.’

‘Three, yes.’

‘And how would you wish me to do it, sir — with the trumpets, as here?’

‘We could try that, yes. But I shall come with you, Sar’nt Collins. I can’t very well ask you to go to the biggest fencing crib this side of Bristol while I sit at home waiting.’

Hervey expected a protest, but Collins was of quite the opposite opinion. ‘It’s bound to have an effect. I’ll warrant they never see a gentleman there other than the parson.’

Hervey stayed an hour with him, but no ‘Fellows wanting to tread the path of Adventure’ came to The Bell in that time, and at eleven he left to go to the milliner’s in Silver Street. He was not content to leave so promising- sounding a recruit to the protective clutches of a ‘respectable’ mother.

Hervey wore plain clothes this morning, and was doubly glad of it since he supposed he would not therefore be immediately barred entry from Mrs Rudd’s shop. She smiled at him, indeed, when he entered, and asked him to take a seat while she attended to another customer. He sat looking about him at the lace, the ribbons, and all manner of fancy goods that might brighten a townswoman’s day. There were hats, too, in various stages of construction. Here was a skilled and artistic trade, and it was evident that Mrs Rudd was a true proficient. He wondered if Elizabeth had ever come here.

When Mrs Rudd’s customer was gone, Hervey made himself known at once. This put the milliner in a difficult position — as he had gambled — since in her trade she could ill afford to be abusive and dismissive of a gentleman, even if she were inclined to be. ‘Mrs Rudd — I may call you that, may I?’

She nodded guardedly.

‘I understand that your son expressed an interest in joining my troop.’ He had decided to make his approach as personal as he could.

‘The boy is very young, sir, and does not know his own mind.’ Hervey saw how to deal with both objections. ‘My serjeant was most impressed with him. Although he may be young, my serjeant — who is but seven and twenty himself — believes he has the makings. And if you are in any degree troubled that he might not be suited to the profession, then I give you my word that he may have his free discharge at any time during his training.’

‘I am obliged, sir. But it has always been the intention that Stephen continued in this trade. He has made a very good start.’

Hervey judged it better not to try to counter a mother’s hopes. ‘They are beautiful hats, Mrs Rudd.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ She managed a sort of smile.

‘And there seems no reason why Stephen should not continue in the trade after serving the King.’ He judged her loyalties to be firmly Tory.

Mrs Rudd looked uncomfortable at the inference which might be drawn if she persisted. ‘May I speak freely, sir? And I mean no offence. And we are all grateful and proud of what was done in the wars. But you see, sir, to have a son go for a soldier is not … that is, families in respectable trades such as ours …’