The Temptation of Samuel Burge Read online

  Produced by David Widger

  CAPTAINS ALL

  By W.W. Jacobs

  THE TEMPTATION OF SAMUEL BURGE

  "The Temptation of Samuel Burge."]

  Mr. Higgs, jeweller, sat in the small parlour behind his shop, gazinghungrily at a supper-table which had been laid some time before. It wasa quarter to ten by the small town clock on the mantelpiece, and thejeweller rubbing his hands over the fire tried in vain to remember whatetiquette had to say about starting a meal before the arrival of anexpected guest.

  "He must be coming by the last train after all, sir," said thehousekeeper entering the room and glancing at the clock. "I supposethese London gentlemen keep such late hours they don't understand uscountry folk wanting to get to bed in decent time. You must be wantingyour supper, sir."

  Mr. Higgs sighed. "I shall be glad of my supper," he said slowly, "but Idare say our friend is hungrier still. Travelling is hungry work."

  "Perhaps he is thinking over his words for the seventh day," said thehousekeeper solemnly. "Forgetting hunger and thirst and all our poorearthly feelings in the blessedness of his work."

  "Perhaps so," assented the other, whose own earthly feelings wereparticularly strong just at that moment.

  "Brother Simpson used to forget all about meal-times when he stayedhere," said the housekeeper, clasping her hands. "He used to sit by thewindow with his eyes half-closed and shake his head at the smell from thekitchen and call it flesh-pots of Egypt. He said that if it wasn't forkeeping up his strength for the work, luscious bread and fair water wasall he wanted. I expect Brother Burge will be a similar sort of man."

  "Brother Clark wrote and told me that he only lives for the work," saidthe jeweller, with another glance at the clock. "The chapel atClerkenwell is crowded to hear him. It's a blessed favour and privilegeto have such a selected instrument staying in the house. I'm curious tosee him; from what Brother Clark said I rather fancy that he was a littlebit wild in his younger days."

  "Hallelujah!" exclaimed the housekeeper with fervour. "I mean to thinkas he's seen the error of his ways," she added sharply, as her masterlooked up.

  "There he is," said the latter, as the bell rang.

  The housekeeper went to the side-door, and drawing back the bolt admittedthe gentleman whose preaching had done so much for the small but selectsect known as the Seventh Day Primitive Apostles. She came back into theroom followed by a tall stout man, whose upper lip and short stubby beardstreaked with grey seemed a poor match for the beady eyes which lurkedbehind a pair of clumsy spectacles.

  "Brother Samuel Burge?" inquired the jeweller, rising.

  The visitor nodded, and regarding him with a smile charged with fraternallove, took his hand in a huge grip and shook it fervently.

  "I am glad to see you, Brother Higgs," he said, regarding him fondly."Oh, 'ow my eyes have yearned to be set upon you! Oh, 'ow my ears 'avelonged to hearken unto the words of your voice!"

  He breathed thickly, and taking a seat sat with his hands upon his knees,looking at a fine piece of cold beef which the housekeeper had justplaced upon the table.

  "Is Brother Clark well?" inquired the jeweller, placing a chair for himat the table and taking up his carving-knife.

  "Dear Brother Clark is in excellent 'ealth, I thank you," said the other,taking the proffered chair. "Oh! what a man he is; what a instrument forgood. Always stretching out them blessed hands of 'is to make one of thefallen a Seventh Day Primitive."

  "And success attends his efforts?" said the jeweller.

  "Success, Brother!" repeated Mr. Burge, eating rapidly and gesticulatingwith his knife. "Success ain't no name for it. Why, since this day lastweek he has saved three pick-pockets, two Salvationists, one bigamist anda Roman Catholic."

  Brother Higgs murmured his admiration. "You are also a power for good,"he said wistfully. "Brother Clark tells me in his letter that yourexhortations have been abundantly blessed."

  Mr. Burge shook his head. "A lot of it falls by the wayside," he saidmodestly, "but some of it is an eye-opener to them as don't entirely shuttheir ears. Only the day before yesterday I 'ad two jemmies and a darklantern sent me with a letter saying as 'ow the owner had no further usefor 'em."

  The jeweller's eyes glistened with admiration not quite untinged withenvy. "Have you expounded the Word for long?" he inquired.

  "Six months," replied the other. "It come to me quite natural--I was onthe penitent bench on the Saturday, and the Wednesday afterwards Ipreached as good a sermon as ever I've preached in my life. BrotherClark said it took 'is breath away."

  "And he's a judge too," said the admiring jeweller.

  "Now," continued Brother Burge, helping himself plentifully to pickledwalnuts. "Now there ain't standing room in our Bethel when I'mexpounding. People come to hear me from all parts--old and young--richand poor--and the Apostles that don't come early 'ave to stand outsideand catch the crumbs I throw 'em through the winders."

  "It is enough," sighed Brother Higgs, whose own audience was frequentlycontent to be on the wrong side of the window, "it is enough to make aman vain."

  "I struggle against it, Brother," said Mr. Burge, passing his cup up forsome more tea. "I fight against it hard, but once the Evil One wasalmost too much for me; and in spite of myself, and knowing besides thatit was a plot of 'is, I nearly felt uplifted."

  Brother Higgs, passing him some more beef, pressed for details.

  "He sent me two policemen," replied the other, scowling darkly at themeanness of the trick. "One I might 'ave stood, but two come to beingpretty near too much for me. They sat under me while I gave 'em the Word'ot and strong, and the feeling I had standing up there and tellingpolicemen what they ought to do I shall never forget."

  "But why should policemen make you proud?" asked his puzzled listener.

  Mr. Burge looked puzzled in his turn. "Why, hasn't Brother Clark toldyou about me?" he inquired.

  Mr. Higgs shook his head. "He sort of--suggested that--that you had beena little bit wild before you came to us," he murmured apologetically.

  "A--little--bit--wild?" repeated Brother Burge, in horrified accents."ME? a little bit wild?"

  "No doubt he exaggerated a little," said the jeweller hurriedly. "Beingsuch a good man himself, no doubt things would seem wild to him thatwouldn't to us--to me, I mean."

  "A little bit wild," said his visitor again. "Sam Burge, the ConvertedBurglar, a little bit wild. Well, well!"

  "Converted what?" shouted the jeweller, half-rising from his chair.

  "Burglar," said the other shortly. "Why, I should think I know moreabout the inside o' gaols than anybody in England; I've pretty nearkilled three policemen, besides breaking a gent's leg and throwing afootman out of window, and then Brother Clark goes and says I've been alittle bit wild. I wonder what he would 'ave?"

  "But you--you've quite reformed now?" said the jeweller, resuming hisseat and making a great effort to hide his consternation.

  "I 'ope so," said Mr. Burge, with alarming humility; "but it's anuncertain world, and far be it from me to boast. That's why I've comehere."

  Mr. Higgs, only half-comprehending, sat back gasping.

  "If I can stand this," pursued Brother Burge, gesticulating wildly in thedirection of the shop, "if I can stand being here with all these 'erepretty little things to be 'ad for the trouble of picking of 'em up, Ican stand anything. Tempt me, I says to Brother Clark. Put me in theway o' temptation, I says. Let me see whether the Evil One or me is thestrongest; let me 'ave a good old up and down with the Powers o'Darkness, and see who wins."

  Mr. Higgs, gripping the edge of the table with both hands, gazed at thisnew Michael in speechless const
ernation.

  "I think I see his face now," said Brother Burge, with tender enthusiasm."All in a glow it was, and he patted me on the shoulder and says, 'I'llsend you on a week's mission to Duncombe,' he says, and 'you shall stopwith Brother Higgs who 'as a shop full o' cunning wrought vanities insilver and gold.'"

  "But suppose," said the jeweller, finding his voice by a great effort,"suppose victory