VINCENT'S MISFORTUNE

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3037, 2 January 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

VINCENT'S MISFORTUNE

I'd katiteh not toll tlic story, but I supposo I must, because you've heard a garbled account of it; so I've got to toll it in self-defence. I assure you there was no row of any sort. I'oople say all sorts of things, as they always do, and there was a scandal and a fuss, and the thing was a nine days' wonder. You needn't grin like that, Bumper ; I came out of it with olean hands. Oh, you've heard several versions of the story, have 3*oll r 1 don't believe a word of it; you merely say tti.'it to draw ru<>. You will have it ? Well, them, liure £oes,

Harry Vincent belonged to a fust set. Tliere was nothing particularly bud about them, but they had morn money than was good for them ; if it had not been for that, I think I should have seen more of Harry Vincent. Wo came from the same part of the country, you know; we had known each other all our lives ; we were both Magdalen men, but when I came up to Oxford for the first titno as a fresh man, Vincent was already in his fourth term, and that, of course, made a considerable gulf between us. Vincent owed any amount of money at Oxford; the'tradesmen were only too glad to get his name upon their books, [t did not matter very much, for Vincent's father was a rioh man and. as everybody knew, the chairman of the Great Wangdoodle Gold Mine.

Then came tho crash. The Wangdoodle Gold Mine turned out to be a swindle ; oil Vincent flei to what is commonly known as " foreign parts" ; and then, to put it shortly, the Assyrian came down. Vincent did not enme bank to Magdalen; how could he, poor fellow ?

I lost sight of Vincent, for eight years; and to tell you the truth, though onco upon a time wo had been as thick as thieves, lie had dropped out of my mind altogether. But 1 wont to the Portico Theatre one night, and whom should I sen but Vincent; and where do you think I saw him ? "Why, of all places in tho world, upon the "stages. I could hardly believe iny eyes ; I looked at Vincent; I stared at him through my opera glass ; then I consulted my play bill. This is what I read : " Captain .Tuck Strongitharm....Mr Vincent Malet." That settled it. Of course, Vincent Malet; there could not be a shadow of doubt. I had heaid of Mr Vincent Malet before, as a young actor who had had a great success, principally owing to his good looks. He was supposed to be an Antiuous, a beauty man ; one's sisters and one's cousins and one's aunts always raved about him— particularly one's aunt. There could not be a doubt about it : it was Harry Vincent.

I was delighted to see him. I nodded, I winked, but he took not the slightest notico of me ; so, direotly the curtain fell T marched round to the stage door anrl sent my card in to Mr Vincent Malot. "Down in two minutes, siiv' said the stage doorkeeper —who lived in a little box which resembled a Punch and .Judy show —after calling up a speaking tube and receiving- his answer.

There wiis a big swing door covered with oilcloth, above which was nailed u rusty horseshoe. It did not look inviting, that "fairy portal"; every now and again the door would swing , open, mid someone or other would hurry out. With one exception, they all spoke to the doorkoepc. The remark was always the same : " Any letters, Boult?" And ho replied punctiliously, addressing them as sir, or miss, or madam. Most of the people ,vho passed out wore shabbily and roughly dressed. T saw the popular favourite, Miss Lottie Tittcrly. I did not think much of Miss Lottio Tittcrly in private life ; she was pale, uot to say flabby-look-ing, and her mouth was —well, it was not exactly a rosebud, and she must have left that avoh smilo of hers, which we all so much admire, upstairs in her dressing-room. Then a gorgeous vision appeared. It wore a tremendous fur coat, which was flung open to display its huge shirt _ front, its diamond solitaire, and its gigantic albert; it wore dross shoes and dovocoloured silk socks ; its wristbands reached to its knuckles. Onitsfingjrs sparkled valuable gems. Its hair was scanty, and Us nose was aquiline. The 'doorkeeper bowed very low as that glorious vision passed out. '' At last I havo seen him," I thoueht ;

" this is the man I havo read about— the " patron of the drama—probably a belted earl."

"Who is thftk?" I asked of the doorkeeper. " Him ? " said the mnn. "Why that's the guv'nor; that's Mr Belshazzar, our manager."

Just then Harry Vincent came down. He seized me by tho hand and told uw he was uncommonly glad to see mi!. " Lct'n go and have some supnor at Spagnoletti's old man," he said. Wo wont to Hpagnolotti's, and over that supptr we got as thick as thieves once more. J congratulsited him on his success.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Harry," 1 said. And then ho told me that he had drifted into the theatrical profession because there was absolutely nothing else he could turn his hand to—partly that, and partly because he was in love with a very pretty girl. "I married her, said Harry Vincent with a sigh ; " and we got three pounds a week between the pair of us. We earned that three pounds a week, and we had to work uncommonly hard for it. Now I got ray sixteen pounds ; and T don't lot Hotty work now. She has her hands full with the children —five of them, my boy. You remember Hetty Sumtnerleiffh, Jack? " Of course I did. I had scon her play Cordelia when Boanorges Bawler had comedown to "star" as King Lear at our little theatre at Bury St. Edmonds.

" It's hard work to make both ends meet," said Harry Vincent; "but I've saved a little money in ca=o of a rainy day, and now I think we are right. Come and look us up at Bttlham next Sunday, Jack, ,, said Harry Vincent; and he gave me a card: "Mr Harry Vincent, Balmerino Cottage, Lath-and-plaster Road, Balham." I did go down to Balham. Harry introduced me to bis pretty wife, and four small children, and his prize, baby. Hariy Vincent and his wife were evidently very fond of each other, and pretty Mrs Vincent was evidently very iond of her husband "Harry has pot the ball at his l'oot now. you see," she said, " and all ho i hns got to do is to go on kicking.

I did not seo anything more of Harry Vincent for three 5 cars. That was not my fault, hut because iuy governor sent me out to our Lisbon housu under the pretext that 1 ought to learn tho business. When I got back to England I l'olt i>artieul;irly bored one morning. It whs a very fine day. "I can't do belter than look up old Harry Vincent," I said to myself. So I hailed a hansom and drove off to Bullinm, and pulled up fit the door of Brdmorino Cottage. I knocked, rind Harry Vincent let me in himself. A blight seemed to have come over the place. Tho oueo pretty, though cheap, furniture now lookod worn and ni'jan. the carpoVs were threadbare, the children looked palo find wore shabbily clothed, (lie prize baby had grown into a weedy little boy of four whose head seemed too big for his body. Poor little Mrs Vincent had become a wreck, and there were great dark riugs round her oyes. Harry, who used to be so particular about his dress, wore a shabby old tweed suit, which was shiuy at tho elbows and tic was baggy at the knees; and he had on a pair of slippers which were down at the heels. I regret to say that he also smelt of cheap tobacco. We had cold mutton for dinner and beer from the publichouse. During dinner I noticed two very strauge things. Tho first wai that when Vincent answered me he seemed to do so haphazarded ; I also observed thit whenever Mrs Vincent addressed him she did so at the full pitch of her voice. After dinner Harry and T went out into tho garden to smoke a pipe.

"I'm out of iin engagement old man," said poor Harry, with a, rlmidful smile; "Mr Vincent Mnlet is 'resting'; and I shall never get another engagement, Jack—l have become as deaf as a post. It, is n, terrible misfortune," he added with a groan; " and the doctors tell tho I

shall never get better—in fact, thufc 1 shall probably lose my lien ring altogether."

Of course I sympathised. T offered in help him; I could not well do less.

"It's no use, old man," ho said; "it's no good my sponging on you. I've one comfort left, though, and one comfort only. Thank God, Hetty and the children are provided for." That thought seemed to give the poor fellow intense satisfaction.

Just then Mrs Vincent and her children ciiine trooping out into the garden. Then Harry Vinaont did a very strange thing. Ho kissed all his children one after the other. Then he took his little girl upon his knee, and kissed her again. She's very like lier mother, isn't she Jnck," said tho poor fellow. She wits a very pretty little girl of seven, ami she was very like her mother. Ho kissed the child again with strange solemnity and sis he did so the tears stood in his eyes. " I rnusn't leave you out in the cold, Hetty," he said, " or you'll be jealous." Then ho rose and took his wife in his arms, and kissed her repeatedly bel'ore my eyes.

" Now be oil', all of you," lie said ; " I want to have a good loug talk with old Jack hero."

Then he began to speak to mo very solemnly. "Jack," he said. "I want to ask your forgiveness; some day you'll know why. I can't say any more now, old man, but I want you to say you'll forgive me, anrl that whatever happens, Jack, you'll try and think kindly of me."

He said the words in a broken voice, which was well nigh choked with emotion. Then he held out his hand. "Poor fellow," T thought, " this awful affliction has unhinged his mind; it's no use arguing with him in his condition." I made up uiy mind to speak to Mrs Vincent about her husband ; and of course I shook hands with tho poor follow and said that I would forgive him.

Then wo began to talk about old times and the old Magdalen days; but it is hard work talking to a man who is a deaf as a post.

He saw that too, poor follow. "Jack," he said, briskly; "I'm a bad companion; let's have a turn with the foils." Hβ went into the house, and ho caino back bringing a pair of masks and a couple of foils. Wo took off our ooats and waistcoats, and we sat to with a will.

I was no good against Vincent; be did pretty woll as we liked with me; I could not even touch him. After a while I began to lose my temper, like a fool. Harry Vincent only laughed, and forcing my foil from my hand, disarmed me, to my intense disgust. Ho picked up my foil. "Jack," he sidd, "you had the sun in your eyes ; that put. you to a disadvantage." I got my handkerchief from my coat pocket to wipe my fine, for i was out of training. As 1 did so, and tinned my back on him for an instant, T fancied I heard something snap, though I hardly noticed if at the time.

" Have at you. Jack !" he cried, as ho thrust the foil into my hand and attacked mo with great vigor.

I was excited and ray blood was up. I made a tremendous lunge in seconde; ho did not attempt to parry it, but advanced a step, and—l ran him right through the left breast in an instant.

" Forgive me, old man !" cried Harry Vincent with an awful smile ; " it wasn't your fault, I planned it." Then he fell back upon the turf, and without another word, died almost instantly. When I bad turned to get my handkerchief ho had broken the button from the foil with his foot.

The jury brought in a verdist of " Accidental death." Vincent had insured his life the week before for £5,000, oaying away the last farthing he had in the world as the first instalment of the premium. At first the Indisputable Life Office refused to pay. I attended his fnneral. I went to the actuary of the Indisputable, and I made a clean breast of the wholo matter. Acting on the advice of their solicitors, the Indisputable Life Office paid lip. That's the utory. What do you think of it, Pumper ? " Your friend wae vory fond of his wife and children," I said drily.