Chapter 49: Chapter 49

expression.

"Goodday Sal. I hope I see you well," said the detective, nodding comfortably at his old

acquaintance. Sal did not respond and cast only a quick glance at Gabriel and Mr Pryor.

"I think he's a bit better," she said, "but he reckons he needs more medicine before he'll

come good."

The detective moved closer and cast a practised eye over the sleeping patient and the

bottles by his bed. "Smith's Colonial Elixir, eh? Don't give him any more of that stuff; it's

poisoning his liver; he'll die drunk if you keep on pouring it into him. I don't have much

time for Murphy but I'll take him off to the infirmary unless you lay off giving him this so

called medicine"

"But it is medicine," protested Sal. "I wouldn't give him nothin' that'd hurt him."

A chest of drawers with knobs missing and the top covered with odds and ends,

undusted ornaments and bottles, stood against the wall. In spite of his distaste Gabriel

moved further into the room and picked up from the chest a bottle of Doctor Smith's

Elixir, it was half empty. "The best thing you can do for him is tip this rubbish out and

make sure he never touches another drop of it in his life."

"Poor fella," said Ma Tarvin, " 'e's been that sick you wouldn't believe; me 'eart goes out

to 'im, and Sal's been such a dear, an angel, I couldn't have looked after ‘im any better

meself. She bought two bottles of medicine for 'im out of 'er own money."

"Well, you drink it then," said Gabriel handing her the elixir. "There's a binge in every

bottle." Ma Tarvin sniffed the medicine and raised her eyebrows. "That's not bad stuff,

love. I could go a few sips of it meself."

Their talking woke up the patient who looked round with bright, feverish eyes. He

cheered up at the sight of Gabriel and James Pryor but tended to slide back under the

blankets when he noted Detective Jones standing by his bedside with a uniformed

policeman in attendance.

"Oh, Gawd, it's not you, Mr Jones, is it? Don't put the arm on me now; I'm crook. Sal, I

could do with some more medicine, pour it out, love. 'ow are yer, Gabby, Mr Pryor? I

hope yer feelin' better than me right now." He looked at Sal. "Gawd, me throat's that dry!

Put some of the medicine in a glass, will yer, and I'll have it now."

"No you're not!" Gabriel stated firmly. "Not another drop while I'm around; you were

alright until you started drinking this Colonial Elixir, and now you're addicted to it.

There's a police ambulance waiting outside for you. If we say the word you'll be taken

straight off to the police infirmary; they have proper medicine there and as soon as

you're well enough it's up before the courts for you."

"What's all this about his medicine?" cried Sal, "what's wrong with it? He's been taking it

five times a day and it always makes 'im feel better. Gimme that bottle!" She snatched it

away from Ma Tarvin who had taken advantage of the attention centred on Benno to

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sample Doctor Smith's product for herself. It was very well received and she had drunk

almost a third of the remaining contents before Sal took it back. "Don't you do that to

me, my gal," said Ma Tarvin angrily, but they were saved from a sharp quarrel by the

presence of police officers on the premises.

"What's in it; what's wrong with it?" asked Sal, staring in bewilderment at the bottle in

her hand.

"I don't know," said Jones. There's plenty of alcohol in it. I reckon it might catch

alight if you put a match to it. "I'd say laudunum, opium --- probably anything the

quack's got on hand when he mixing up a new batch. I wouldn't advise anyone to drink

it; well, not as a regular thing."

They heard a door open, the noise of running feet in the passage. Jones gestured

at the policeman who dashed out of the room. He left the door open and they soon heard

the sound of a spirited scuffle going on in the street. The noise from outside stopped to

be followed by trampling feet in the passage. The two policemen came inside escorting a

tall, bearded figure between them. It was Benno's friend Wocka, another wharf

labourer.

"Oh, it's you, O'Reilly," said the detective grinning at him. "Frequenting a house of ill￾repute, eh? Your wife's going to be interested when she hears about this."

The wharf labourer almost fell to his knees in his agitation. "Jesus, Mr Jones; you

wouldn't tell her would you? If she finds out I'll have to leave the country. She'll kill me!

You can't dob me in, I just came here to visit me old mate Benno and I wasn't going to

have nothin' to do with the girls."

"That's right," said Benno to corroborate his friend's story. "Old Wocka and me was just

having a bit of a talk until you arrived. Don't be too hard on him, Mr Jones, and whatever

you do don't tell his missus he was here. I've seen her in action."

"Yair, and she's donged you on the scone a few times when you've got your mate into

trouble, hasn't she," said the detective; "Hmm, well, we'll see; it's the sort of story that

gets out, isn't it, O'Reilly? You can't expect to visit a place like this and not have someone

tell your wife. She found about you throwing tomatoes at Jobley, didn't she? She knows

all about that?"

Wocka seemed pained at the mere recollection of of that episode. "Yair, she found out

allright. I went through hell afterwards and I still got the bruises. If someone tells her I

been here I'm done for! You wouldn't do that to me would you, Mr Jones?"

"I don't know," said Jones, affecting to consider the matter. "The only reason I didn't pull

you in over the tomato business was because I knew your wife'd do a better job than the

courts. You won't try that on again in a hurry. My advice to you is steer clear of politics

altogether."

Wocka shook his head. " Oh Christ no, no more! Once was enough for me."

"Don't be too hard on him, Mr Jones," said Benno from his bed where Sal had found a

damp, cool cloth and was wiping his forehead. 'E was talkin' to me until you arrived, and

he's been a good friend. What are gunna do with 'im."

Jones shrugged and lifted his finger at the two policeman who immediately let Wocka

go. "Maybe I'll tell his wife we flushed him out of Ma Tarvin's place," he said, grinning. "I

reckon we'll hear the noise up at the police station when she gets hold of him. If he

thinks he had troubles just because he threw a few tomatoes in Bourke Street, wait until

she finds out about his little visit tonight." He looked severely at Wocka. "You go straight

home and stay there, and keep out of trouble or I'll tumble you right into the shit with

your missus. It would be no good telling her you came to visit Murphy, that would only

make things worse."

Not being under the law's constraints any more the unhappy Wocka moved

unobtrusively towards the door and disappeared after casting a last appealing glance at

the detective.

"It'd be interesting to see who else is on the premises," remarked Detective Jones. "But

then, I guess you gentlemen did not come here to help raid a brothel." He resumed his

survey of the uncomfortable Benno. "What are we going to do with him? I could get him

for being on the premises in a house of ill repute."

"Gawd! yer wouldn't do that would yer, Mr Jones?" cried Ma Tarvin. "Have a heart; I got

a livin' to earn like everyone else. You just say the word and I'll turf 'im out now; I don't

want 'im, it wasn't my idea for 'im to come 'ere." She was horrified at the thought of the

publicity and court appearances that would follow such a charge. The police might close

the house down and she would have to start again with another black mark against her

name.

"You will not!" screeched Sal. " He stays here tonight; we'll find somewhere else

in the mornin', and then you can go to hell!" A screaming match between the two

women would have followed but the detective quietened them.

"How are you going to look after him?" enquired Mr Pryor. "Do you have any money.

Before anyone would take him in they'd want cash on the nail." Sal shrugged. "I dunno, I

reckon I'll have to earn some, first thing in the mornin'" She glumly contemplated the

uncertain future that was opening for her and Benno.

Mr Pryor put thumb and finger into his waistcoat pocket and produced some silver. He

gave five shillings to Ma Tarvin who looked astonished but quickly palmed the coins

"That should see him right for a while until Sal can make other arrangements."

"Of course it will!" responded Ma Tarvin cheerfully. "If Mr Jones says it's alright, Benno

can stay. For five bob a day 'e can live in the 'ouse as long as 'e likes. Course I can't

supply any food at that rate but no one can say Ma Tarvin ever put her friends out in the

street; and Liz can work to 'elp support 'im."

"How do you feel about going to Sydney, or Brisbane?" asked Mr Pryor, ignoring Ma

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Tarvin's declarations of sincerity. We'll give Benno an advance on his dividends and you

can go together; what do you think, Mr Jones?"

"I think he's got a charmed life," replied the detective. "He should have gone down for

smashing Gladman's windows, and he should have gone down for throwing those

tomatoes at Jobley and he's only gone half way in poisoning himself with that bloody

medicine. You should take him to a clinic first so they can get to work with a stomach

pump; but it won't be the police clinic, not unless I decide to lay charges. You shouldn't

have handed over that dollar; he'd be better out of here and straight into somewhere

where they can take care of him properly; maybe the Charity hospital would be best;

they don't lose as many patients there as they do at the Melbourne. As for going to

Sydney - that sounds allright to me; if he and Sal can leave the state before there's any

more trouble I don't care where they go."

"Old Benno, 'e can stay 'ere tonight." Cried Ma Tarvin who was concerned lest the

detective should force her to return the five shillings. "Sal and me, we'll look after 'im

like we was 'is own sisters; 'e wouldn't get better treatment in no 'ospital.

"Here, you can have this too." said Gabriel, handing her the bottle of miracle cure. "I

hope it does you as much good as it did Benno." Not understanding the irony of his

remark she slipped the bottle into a fold of her dress.

"Eh! turn it up," protested Benno. "That's my medicine you're giving away. I could do

with another dose right now. You hand it back, Ma."

"No!" Gabriel turned fiercely on Sal. "If you really want to look after him, he's never to

have another drop of that stuff. Never, as long as he lives; it's poisoning him. He was

quite healthy until he started taking it; now look at him.’

"Well, what about Sydney? If you want to take us up on the offer, say so. You'd better; if

you stay in Melbourne you're going to get into trouble one way or another."

"Yes I'd like to go to Sydney, Mr Pryor," said Sal. "We could start all over again; he could

get a job and I'd look after him. I'm sick of this life." She looked round at the dingy room

and the frowsy furniture; it smelled. "I'd like a nice room somewhere that I could keep

clean for both of us." She took Benno by the hand and he nodded.

"Can you lend us your men and the ambulance to run him round to this hospital you

mentioned? I reckon he'll be better off there than here and they won't have any of

Doctor Smith's muck in the medicine cupboard."

" He's a nice feller," said Benno sullenly. "And a benefactor to mankind. I met him up at

his rooms and he told me so 'imself.

The two officers in charge of the ambulance came in when ordered carrying a sturdy

folding stretcher between them. It was made of canvas with wooden poles; they laid it

on the floor and between them they lifted Benno out of bed and on to the stretcher.

The detective was about to order his removal, but instead he turned to the woman.

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"Who else have you got here, Ma? anyone I should know about?"

Ma Tarvin's face twisted at these words and she seemed to develop a spasm in her neck

to make her head move jerkily. The detective interpreted this as a signal to move closer.

She glanced at the others in the room to make sure they were not near enough to

overhear and muttered something close to his ear. He assented to whatever proposition

she was putting forward and took two shillings out of a purse to drop into her grimy

hand which instantly closed on the money.

Her head twitched again, Jones and a policeman followed her out into the hall where

Gabriel and Mr Pryor, peering after them, saw them stop before a door. The constable

pushed the door open and shone his bullseye lantern into the room. Jones looked in,

made an exclamation of satisfaction and ordered whoever was in there to come out.

"Rotten old bugger," muttered Sal, who was kneeling by the stretcher to adjust Benno's

blanket. "She's sold someone else out for two lousy bob. That's all she does, just sells

people when she can get away with it. She sold me into this business when I was just a

kid. I hope Benno and I can get out of all this; we'd be allright if you can send us both to

Sydney.

Whoever it was that had been located with Ma Tarvin's guidance came out meekly

enough and he was escorted back to Benno's room to be examined by the dim light in

that chamber.

It was the Honourable Adrian Memsworth, or Billy Summers as he was known to the

police. He was much less dapper than when Gabriel had seen him last and he was no

longer the jaunty man about town of great wealth who had cozened Mr Gladman into

giving up his money and musical instruments.

He nodded at Gabriel and attempted to resume his old manner. "Hope I see you well, Mr

Fox. Be kind enough to give my regards to Mr Gladman and Mrs Goss when you come

across them next. I'm sorry I couldn't entertain Mrs Goss at my mansion, but I'm sure

she will understand."

"You'll be able to entertain her on visiting days out at Pentridge," retorted the detective,

pleased at having one trophy to show for his evening visit to Little Lon. Summers put his

hands out in front of him as though accustomed to the ritual and the policeman, equally

practised, slipped handcuffs over his wrists.

"Well," said Jones, 'providing Gladman doesn't have any more lapses of memory you

should be filed away for a year or two. Though I don't think we'll have any problems,

even if Gladman can't I am sure Mrs Goss and Mr Fox will both remember very well

what you've been up to."

He gestured to his minions and the ambulance men picked up Benno's stretcher and led

the way with the others following behind out of the silent house.

Ma Tarvin had not lingered to say goodbye. No one had seen her since she led the

detective to Summers' room and as she was not to be seen no one could

demand a refund of the seven shillings profit she had made on the evening.

The ambulance men strapped Benno into their vehicle.

"Can we borrow them to deliver Murphy to the hospital?" enquired Mr Pryor.

Detective Jones nodded and the two men started trundling their vehicle away followed

by Gabriel, Mr Pryor, and Sal. A policeman grasped Summers by the upper arm and

started marching him off in the opposite direction while the detective followed gazing

keenly about at the shabby buildings on either side of the street.Amy scolded Gabriel when she heard about missing another adventure and his and Mr

Pryor's visit into the seamy underside of Melbourne's night life. It had no effect when he

explained the impossibility of taking a lady into a shabby, disreputable place of ill

repute, particularly this one.

Amy was annoyed but Sir Thomas said he thought Melbourne could have produced

better class places than this. He went on to reminisce about such establishments he had

encountered in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He would have discussed brothels at length,

but remembered in time that he lived in the nineteenth century, that Queen Victoria was

on the throne and that such topics were forbidden in polite society

Mrs Taylor debated in her mind whether or not he had said enough to make it necessary

to sever all connection with the man, even though he was a knight of the realm.

The problem was Amy.She had decided to visit Benno in hospital and was ordering

Gabriel to find out the visiting hours. She had missed too many exciting events already,

and wanted to meet the man who had thrown the bricks that smashed Mr Gladman's

windows, and if Sal should be there also, that would be a bonus.

Mrs Taylor tried to to point out how improper it would be for a young lady of good

upbringing to visit these persons in the charity ward of a hospital, particularly the

daughter of a clergyman, think of her father's reputation.

Amy replied that she would be with her fiance, a noted business man and adirector of

the Melbourne and London Amicable Building Society, as well as that he was a

messenger of God. If anyone doubted his divinity let them ask Mr Jobley What better

company could she have to visit a poor, sick patient especially on New Year's Day, the

first day of 1880

''We live in modern times,'' she said. ''Women should be able to go anywhere and do

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anything, especially without men,

This statement was so ludicrous, so out of touch with the times that no one othered to

answer it.

''Barnacle Bill can come too,'' she said, ''As long as he promises to behave himself and

reveal some of the murky secrets of his past. His sins cannot be forgiven until he tells us

what they are.''

''I have left undone those things which I ought to have done,'' said Sir Thomas, ''And I

have done those things which I ought not to have done, and there is no health within

me.''

''Exactly,' said Amy, ''Now someone hand me my parasol and we'll go.''

The hospital was nearby and the man at the counter told them that patient, Benjamin

Murphy’ was in a men's ward on the third floor, he was in bed number twenty.

They toiled up to the third floor and found number twenty already had a visitor. It was

Sal. She sat by the side of the bed and held Benno's hand. The girl had dressed more

modestly than the day before but was taken aback when Gabriel appeared on the other

side of the bed and introduced her to Miss Amy Taylor, and Sir Thomas Black. He

apologised for not knowing her surname

Sal did not know what to say. These well dressed polite people were from another

world than hers. They could walk in daylight on the streets without being warned off or

told to go back where they came from. They spoke differently to her, and some of the

words they used were unknown to her. She was lost in embarrassment and smoothed

imaginary wrinkles on Benno's sheets rather than look up at their faces.

Amy knew what to do. She had gone often with her father to visit the sick and poor of

the parish. She gently put her hand over the girl's hand. ''Your name's Sally, isn't it?''

Sal nodded.

''My name's Amy. Tell us, Sally, do you think he's better than he was

''They've taken away his medicine, and he keeps asking for it.''

''They did that because it's not real medicine at all, if he's kept from drinking the stuff,

and eats well, he'll get better and better, and one day you and he'll walk out of this place

and you can start a new life together in Sydney.''

''Thank you miss, you're very kind.''

''Amy,'Call me Amy. And he's Gabriel'' she said, pointing. And he has to marry me soon.

The other’s Tom. Tom has had a terrible past but won't admit to anything. He feels safer

that way.

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Sal looked doubtfully at her two new male acquaintances, but asked instead about the

missing Mr Pryor

.''Is he coming today?'' she asked. ''I liked him, and he didn't put up with any rubbish

from that detective fella, and the way he went on downstairs when we got here and the

man said they didn't take patients after nine o'clock, even though he was brought there

by two coppers.''

''We was asked to bring him back today, but they didn't have a chance of keeping Benno

out, not with Mr Pryor there. They had to call down the matron, and the night medical

officer, and any porters and nurses that were still on duty. The porters were needed to

carry Benno up to the men's ward. And he made sure I could go up too to see that Benno

was comfortable. He's a wonderful man, I reckon he could talk the leg off an iron pot.

Gabriel smiled when he heard this assessment of his friend. He looked around. There

were forty iron frame beds in this grim room. No need to count, they were all

numbered, the head of each was pushed against a wall, so one could wander up and

down between the two rows to find the patient one wished to visit..

The room was well lit with skylights, and a window on the end wall which had a good

view of the city's smoking chimneys.Directly opposite the double doors through

which visitors entered and departed was a large portrait of Queen Victoria. It

dominated the room, noticed by everyone that entered.There were no other

decorations, unless you included signs about visiting hours, or noise, or unseemly

behaviour. One sign indicated that vases were available to anyone who brought

flowers. And there were cracked and chipped vases on a table in the corner, and a

sink with a single tap.

Most beds were occupied by wan figures. Many had wives and children gathered

ound talking to one another in low voices. The face of one patient looked as though

it was modelled from wax. He lay back exhausted with closed eyes while his wife sat

by the bed waiting dumbly to be overtaken by tragedy Gabriel was thinking of this

when he saw Timothy Flanagan walking towards them with Mr and Mrs Gladman.

Tim walked up with a smile beaming through his whiskers. Mr Gladman was also

smiling, but his wife looked as though she would rather be somewhere else.

She was carrying a paper bag, and after a nod from her husband put it down on a

small oak table by Benno's bed.

''Some delicacies for the invalid'' said Mr Gladman. ''We hope you feel better and will

soon be up and about again.''

'Sal,'' said Benno, speaking so quietly she had to lean forward to hear him. ''Tell Mr

Gladman,-'' She interrupted him. ''My name's Sally. From now on everyone's to call

me Sally. I'm never going back on the game, and if you call me by the old name I won't

hear you, I won't answer!''

''Well done,'' said Sir Thomas, ''And here's a small gift to mark the day you declared

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your independence.'' He took a purse from his pocket, extracted a one pound note,

and handed it to the girl, who looked startled at this unexpected generosity.

''Sally, my dear, ''he said, ''This is not so much a gift as an investment. I want you to

spend part of the money to buy a big frying pan, and every time you suspect that

Benno is drinking Dr Smith's Miracle Cure on the sly, dong him hard on the bonce.''

Sally didn't understand everything he said but grinned at him, because she caught the

general drift of his remarks.

''And if he persists in drinking that horrible stuff keep on doing it until he realizes

that Dr Smith's medicine, as well as being bad for his health, also causes severe

headaches.''

''I'm pleased to hear you say that!'' cried Mr Gladman. ''I'll match that pound with

another one. He really meant what he said for he produced a sovereign and pressed it

into Sally's hand while curling her fingers over so she held the coin tightly.

Once again Sally could not speak and resumed her occupation of smoothing the bed

sheets, unable to look up at them.

'She's very grateful for your kind words and help,'' said Amy, who had Sally by the

hand once more. Sally's other hand clutched her money ''She would thank you if she

could, but might start crying because it is a long time since anyone gave her anything

without demanding something in return.

''Thank you Miss,'' said Sally, ''you and your friends have been ever so kind.

''Amy! My name is Amy. If you're going to call me Miss I'll call you Sal. Now don't

forget.'' she said, pointing. ''He's Gabriel, we're to be married because he ran out of

excuses. The ones with money are Tom. and Mr and Mrs Gladman. Last but not least is

Mr Tim Flanagan. We're all friends of yours, and don't forget us.’

Timothy always had a few gold nuggets in his pocket. He gave her one.

There was half an hour to go and the visitors talked of the events that had brought

them together. They learned that Mrs Gladman had left the Brethren and joined a

much milder sect that had no foreign missionaries.

The Brethren had not given up hope of her returning to the fold and came

occasionally to kneel on the wooden veranda floor to pray to a locked door. The

neighbours knew what to do, they called the police and had the Brethren moved on.

Mrs Goss and Second Officer Dawkins of SS Culloden arrived a little later, arm in arm.

to see the brick thrower who had smashed her boss's windows

They learned too that Mrs Goss was hopeful still of an offer of marriage from Mr

Hamish Dawkins First Mate of the SS Culloden which plied between Melbourne and

Sydney. He already had his master's ticket, and was qualified as a pilot on Port Phillip

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Bay. But there were no vacancies at present so he had applied to become master of

one the ferries criss crossing the bay.

At last a gong sounded as an attendant walked in carrying the instrument. It was

laced to a square bamboo frame which he carried in one hand, while using the other

hand to strike the gong repeatedly with a padded stick. The visiting hour was over

and visitors were filing out through the double doors.

A little relieved to be out of it the group walked away down the stairs and into the

reception area.

There Mr and Mrs Gladman bid them goodbye. Mr Gladman shook hands cordially

with everyone. Mrs Gladman shook hands with Amy but rewarded the others only

with a wintry smile and a nod.

Sally also took Amy's hand and squeezed it, but girl's mind was so filled with

gratitude there was no room for words, she smiled silently at them all and went away.

After they left Gabriel turned to Amy. ''Darling, you were wonderful, talking with that

poor girl. Benno isn't much of a marriage prospect but she's going to marry him

anyway. But you changed her just by making her use your christian name, you

couldn't have done it better.''

''Thank you my dear He's like all men, he needs a woman's guidance to bring out the

best in him. You too will be much improved after I have had you in hand for a while, If

you are not I will bring out the family frying pan and try other methods.''

Sir Thomas opened the cover of his watch. ''We can talk later about his training, it's

time we went to the restaurant. Ivy and Alfred should be there by now, as well as

Henry, and Harold and his young lady, and, of course, James who has promised to stop

campaigning for at least two hours while he has lunch with us. If he loses the election

by one vote no doubt he will blame me. But I don't mind. Today I'll be able to keep the

promise I made in the sixpenny lodgings and treat you all to a slap up dinner.''

''This evening at dinner would be good time to tell us why you have such a good

relationship with the saints Mike and George.

''It all started with Eddy Prince of Wales.''

''Sir Thomas,'' interrupted Mrs Taylor, ''I think you must be in error. No person of

breeding would refer to Edward, Prince of Wales as 'Eddy.