“Were it not that I might disturb Lady Fielding, I should give out a loud huzzah.”
“I thought you would be pleased.”
“How much was there in the bag?”
“Near forty guineas. I had Mr. Marsden count it out — guineas, sovereigns, and shillings — and that was roughly the amount.”
“It will change their lives.”
“For the better, certainly.”
I waited. Since no more was immediately said, I started to rise and take my leave.
“Stay,” said he then. “Now that you are here, perhaps we should speak further.” He hesitated, then: “Because of my ob.sessive state in the past weeks, we have had little opportunity to talk as we once did. I want you to know, first of all, that your help was appreciated in the matter of the homicides, more than appreciated. I still blame myself for putting you in danger in that charade by which the Raker was finally apprehended, yet you carried it through admirably and rightly deserved the reward you got. Though I said to you that your tramp through the sewer was ‘brave and foolish,’ it was far more brave than it was foolish. And I give you credit, too, Jeremy, you proved me wrong about Mr. Tolliver. You may not believe this, but ultimately I like being proven wrong from time to lime.
“Mr. Donnelly told me of how you spent your reward money, some of it, and that, too, I thought admirable. I confess, however, that I was concerned that you may have had carnal relations with that poor girl. He assured mc you had not. Is that the case?”
“I had none. Sir John.”
“Good. The pox is rampant in London. You have seen
in Amos Carr the possible result. You may see other examples in the streets — cripples and drooling idiots. It is a dreadful disease. Yet I find it altogether too easy to forget most of the time how it was with me when I was your age and a little older. The same desires bumed within me, the same passion for adventure and risk-taking. If I had been less eager to take risks, I might have my eyesight today, it’s true, yet I would not have had the life I have led; and on the whole, I think it a good one. Fate does ever present us with these queer trades. Yet on the whole, too, I think it good for you to consider potential dangers, Jeremy. Look before you leap.”
Now I did suppose he was truly done. We had gone so far, however, that I thought it might be possible to go a bit further.
^‘Sir John?”
“Yes, lad, what is it?”
How to say this? “Well, sir, I wanted only to renew my intention to read the law with you, if that be also your wish.”
“Have I forgotten your intention or my promise? Is that the question? No, though we have not discussed it for quite some time, I have not forgotten. You are just now a bit too young to begin. But it is a long process, I warn you, and a rather tedious one, too. Let us wait a bit, perhaps a year. Let us wait until you are sixteen. You may hold me to that.”
As Christmas approached in that year of 1770, I was avid to buy gifts for all. Since I had all but two shillings left from that store given me by Jimmie Bunkins, I at last had the wherewithal to indulge my good wishes to all who were close to me. To Bunkins himself I gave a copy of Robinson Crusoe, which I was sure he would be able to read in the coming year; to Mr. Perkins, a chain for his timepiece; to Annie, a cameo on a silk ribbon; to Lady Fielding, a brush for her hair; and to Sir John, a new razor (I, who was needful of one, inherited his old one). In truth, I also spent two guineas of the reward.
Though I need not here give a list of all that I received in return on Christmas Day, I must mention that which I received from Sir John and Lady Fielding. It was a package presented me by my Lady, large in size and heavy in weight. As I unwrapped it in front of all, I had no idea what it might contain, nor could I have guessed, save for the fact that it had the general configuration of a great pile of books. And books it was — four in number, which comprised that great work by Sir Edward Coke, the great jurist of the previous century, Institutes of the Law of England.
Quite overcome, I thanked them both.
“What we have given you,” said Sir John, “is a great lot of work, Jeremy. For my instruction to you is to read this work through, all four volumes. It is well written, and that should not prove such a task. But then I wish you to read it through a second time and take notes of all the questions which come to you. If you do a good job of it, two readings together should take a year. Then the real work will begin, for we shall then read it through together, discuss it, and answer all your questions. After that, we shall get on to other things. Reading the law is, as I warned, a long and tedious process — but ultimately beneficial.”