That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.
The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare
After the last patron left the bar, I walked up to Hobart as he sat counting the nights take at the bar. "I hope my rimes have done good for you tonight. I was hoping you might indulge me a moment. The man who is to be executed on the morn...what family does he have here?"
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A wandering minstrel I —
A thing of shreds and patches,
Of ballads, songs and snatches,
And dreamy lullaby!
- The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan
A thing of shreds and patches,
Of ballads, songs and snatches,
And dreamy lullaby!
- The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan
20 comments:
"Executed? I dinna know nothin' bout that. Does ye know somthin' I ain't heard yet?"
"We were waylaid on our journey here, and did turn the leader of the brigands over to the sheriff. In his haste to deprive us of our valuables, he had killed the driver of our coach."
"Ah. That's a pity. Can't say I know who 'is family might be. Prolly the sheriff will sort all that out, and will make sure they're there when he's hanged."
"Do you think there might be someone at the gaol now, who might know? I'd hate to bother the sheriff, but I'd be interested in finding out. Would hate to leave a widow destitute for want of sense in the man she married."
"There's always someone at th' gaol. Ye could look into it, I suppose."
Laurie leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Hobart. Don't wait up."
She smiles as she heads out the door to the gaol.
Laurie arrives at the gaol and knocks. She has to knock twice more before a constable answers.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Would you mind if I come in a minute? I had a question or two."
He lets her in. "What is it? Make it fast. Why are you out so late?"
She motions to the bandit. "He got any family? Wife, kids, that sort of thing?"
"You wanna ask 'im yourself?"
He rattles the bars of the cell, startling the bandit awake. "Is.. is it time?"
"Not yet," the constable answers. "This lady wants to talk to you."
The condemned man looks at her balefully from his straw mattress. "Well? What do you want? Come to gloat?"
"I...I just wanted to know if you had any family here abouts...a wife, kids, that kind of thing."
"Aye, what's it to you?"
Laurie lowers her voice a little bit, "I just wanted to make sure they would be all right if you were gone...that's all."
The bandit rolls over, facing away from her. Laurie is about to leave before he finally responds.
"All right? Nay, I don't imagine so. Gertie'll prolly have to turn to beggin' or whorin'. Maybe put my kids to work somehow, I dunno."
"Maybe they'll be better off without me around. I never was around much to begin with. I'd change that, if I could. I'd change a lot of things."
"It's sad, you know. No child should grow up without a father... let alone watch him hang."
"Well, if you tell me who they are and such, I'll try to make sure they'll get along OK. I wish I could do more, but at least they'll be alright."
"I see. You want to ease your conscience about my death. Well then, just be there tomorrow morning when they hang me. My wife 'n kids'll have a front row seat courtesy of the good sheriff. I'm sure they'll be very grateful for your charity."
Laurie continues to keep her voice low during her tirade, "Men! You did kill a man, ya know? And those are the laws here. Charity or not, I'm just trying to help someone who's about to be out in the cold through no fault of her own, other than that she married you. I wish things could be different, but I'm just as bound as you are. So you can make it difficult or not, as you see fit, but it's not me you're punishing."
The man in the cell says nothing more.
"Fine. If I have to watch you hanged, then so be it."
Laurie leaves the man to his fate, returning to her room at the inn for a night of fitful sleep.
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