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1. Preface

a. Who This Book Is For

b. Notes on the Second Edition
c. How This Book Is Organized
d. Example Website
e. Conventions Used in This Book
f. Using Code Examples
g. O’Reilly Online Learning
h. How to Contact Us
i. Acknowledgments

2. 1. Introducing Express

a. The JavaScript Revolution

b. Introducing Express
c. Server-Side and Client-Side Applications
d. A Brief History of Express
e. Node: A New Kind of Web Server
f. The Node Ecosystem
g. Licensing
h. Conclusion
3. 2. Getting Started with Node

a. Getting Node
b. Using the Terminal
 c. Editors
d. npm
e. A Simple Web Server with Node

i. Hello World
ii. Event-Driven Programming
iii. Routing
iv. Serving Static Resources

f. Onward to Express

4. 3. Saving Time with Express

a. Scaffolding
b. The Meadowlark Travel Website
c. Initial Steps

i. Views and Layouts

ii. Static Files and Views
iii. Dynamic Content in Views
iv. Conclusion
5. 4. Tidying Up

a. File and Directory Structure

b. Best Practices
c. Version Control
d. How to Use Git with This Book

i. If You’re Following Along by Doing It

Yourself
 ii. If You’re Following Along by Using the
Official Repository

e. npm Packages
f. Project Metadata
g. Node Modules
h. Conclusion

6. 5. Quality Assurance
a. The QA Plan
b. QA: Is It Worth It?
c. Logic Versus Presentation
d. The Types of Tests
e. Overview of QA Techniques
f. Installing and Configuring Jest
g. Unit Testing

i. Mocking
ii. Refactoring the Application for Testability
iii. Writing Our First Test
iv. Test Maintenance
v. Code Coverage

h. Integration Testing
i. Linting
j. Continuous Integration
k. Conclusion

7. 6. The Request and Response Objects

 a. The Parts of a URL
b. HTTP Request Methods
c. Request Headers
d. Response Headers
e. Internet Media Types
f. Request Body
g. The Request Object
h. The Response Object
i. Getting More Information
j. Boiling It Down

i. Rendering Content
ii. Processing Forms
iii. Providing an API

k. Conclusion

8. 7. Templating with Handlebars

a. There Are No Absolute Rules Except This One
b. Choosing a Template Engine
c. Pug: A Different Approach
d. Handlebars Basics
i. Comments
ii. Blocks
iii. Server-Side Templates
iv. Views and Layouts
 v. Using Layouts (or Not) in Express
vi. Sections
vii. Partials
viii. Perfecting Your Templates

e. Conclusion
9. 8. Form Handling

a. Sending Client Data to the Server

b. HTML Forms
c. Encoding
d. Different Approaches to Form Handling
e. Form Handling with Express
f. Using Fetch to Send Form Data
g. File Uploads

i. File Uploads with Fetch

h. Improving File Upload UI

i. Conclusion
10. 9. Cookies and Sessions

a. Externalizing Credentials
b. Cookies in Express
c. Examining Cookies
d. Sessions

i. Memory Stores
ii. Using Sessions
 e. Using Sessions to Implement Flash Messages
f. What to Use Sessions For
g. Conclusion

11. 10. Middleware

a. Middleware Principles
b. Middleware Examples
c. Common Middleware
d. Third-Party Middleware
e. Conclusion

12. 11. Sending Email

a. SMTP, MSAs, and MTAs
b. Receiving Email
c. Email Headers
d. Email Formats
e. HTML Email
f. Nodemailer

i. Sending Mail
ii. Sending Mail to Multiple Recipients
g. Better Options for Bulk Email
h. Sending HTML Email
i. Images in HTML Email
ii. Using Views to Send HTML Email
iii. Encapsulating Email Functionality
 i. Conclusion

13. 12. Production Concerns

a. Execution Environments
b. Environment-Specific Configuration
c. Running Your Node Process
d. Scaling Your Website

i. Scaling Out with App Clusters

ii. Handling Uncaught Exceptions
iii. Scaling Out with Multiple Servers

e. Monitoring Your Website

i. Third-Party Uptime Monitors

f. Stress Testing
g. Conclusion

14. 13. Persistence

a. Filesystem Persistence
b. Cloud Persistence
c. Database Persistence

i. A Note on Performance
ii. Abstracting the Database Layer
iii. Setting Up MongoDB
iv. Mongoose
v. Database Connections with Mongoose
vi. Creating Schemas and Models
 vii. Seeding Initial Data
viii. Retrieving Data
ix. Adding Data
x. PostgreSQL
xi. Adding Data
d. Using a Database for Session Storage
e. Conclusion

15. 14. Routing

a. Routes and SEO

b. Subdomains
c. Route Handlers Are Middleware
d. Route Paths and Regular Expressions
e. Route Parameters
f. Organizing Routes
g. Declaring Routes in a Module
h. Grouping Handlers Logically
i. Automatically Rendering Views
j. Conclusion
16. 15. REST APIs and JSON
a. JSON and XML
b. Our API
c. API Error Reporting
d. Cross-Origin Resource Sharing
 e. Our Tests
f. Using Express to Provide an API
g. Conclusion

17. 16. Single-Page Applications

a. A Short History of Web Application Development

b. SPA Technologies
c. Creating a React App
d. React Basics

i. The Home Page

ii. Routing
iii. Vacations Page—Visual Design
iv. Vacations Page—Server Integration
v. Sending Information to the Server
vi. State Management
vii. Deployment Options
e. Conclusion

18. 17. Static Content

a. Performance Considerations
b. Content Delivery Networks
c. Designing for CDNs
i. Server-Rendered Website
ii. Single-Page Applications

d. Caching Static Assets

 e. Changing Your Static Content
f. Conclusion
19. 18. Security

a. HTTPS

i. Generating Your Own Certificate

ii. Using a Free Certificate Authority
iii. Purchasing a Certificate
iv. Enabling HTTPS for Your Express App
v. A Note on Ports
vi. HTTPS and Proxies
b. Cross-Site Request Forgery
c. Authentication

i. Authentication Versus Authorization

ii. The Problem with Passwords
iii. Third-Party Authentication
iv. Storing Users in Your Database
v. Authentication Versus Registration and the
User Experience
vi. Passport
vii. Role-Based Authorization
viii. Adding Authentication Providers

d. Conclusion
20. 19. Integrating with Third-Party APIs
 a. Social Media

i. Social Media Plugins and Site Performance

ii. Searching for Tweets
iii. Rendering Tweets

b. Geocoding

i. Geocoding with Google

ii. Geocoding Your Data
iii. Displaying a Map

c. Weather Data
d. Conclusion
21. 20. Debugging

a. The First Principle of Debugging

b. Take Advantage of REPL and the Console
c. Using Node’s Built-in Debugger
d. Node Inspector Clients
e. Debugging Asynchronous Functions
f. Debugging Express
g. Conclusion

22. 21. Going Live

a. Domain Registration and Hosting
i. Domain Name System
ii. Security
iii. Top-Level Domains
 iv. Subdomains
v. Nameservers
vi. Hosting
vii. Deployment

b. Conclusion
23. 22. Maintenance

a. The Principles of Maintenance

i. Have a Longevity Plan

ii. Use Source Control
iii. Use an Issue Tracker
iv. Exercise Good Hygiene
v. Don’t Procrastinate
vi. Do Routine QA Checks
vii. Monitor Analytics
viii. Optimize Performance
ix. Prioritize Lead Tracking
x. Prevent “Invisible” Failures

b. Code Reuse and Refactoring

i. Private npm Registry
ii. Middleware
c. Conclusion

24. 23. Additional Resources

a. Online Documentation
 b. Periodicals
c. Stack Overflow
d. Contributing to Express
e. Conclusion

25. Index
Web Development with
Node and Express
Leveraging the JavaScript Stack

SECOND EDITION

Ethan Brown
Web Development with Node and Express

by Ethan Brown

Copyright © 2020 Ethan Brown. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Published by O’Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North,

Sebastopol, CA 95472.

O’Reilly books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales

promotional use. Online editions are also available for most titles
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Cover Designer: Karen Montgomery

 Illustrator: Rebecca Demarest

November 2019: Second Edition

Revision History for the Second Edition
2019-11-12: First Release

See http://oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=9781492053514 for release

details.

The O’Reilly logo is a registered trademark of O’Reilly Media, Inc. Web

Development with Node and Express, the cover image, and related trade
dress are trademarks of O’Reilly Media, Inc.

The views expressed in this work are those of the author, and do not
represent the publisher’s views. While the publisher and the author have
used good faith efforts to ensure that the information and instructions
contained in this work are accurate, the publisher and the author disclaim
all responsibility for errors or omissions, including without limitation
responsibility for damages resulting from the use of or reliance on this
work. Use of the information and instructions contained in this work is at
your own risk. If any code samples or other technology this work contains
or describes is subject to open source licenses or the intellectual property
rights of others, it is your responsibility to ensure that your use thereof
complies with such licenses and/or rights.

978-1-492-05351-4

[LSI]
Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family:

My father, Tom, who gave me a love of engineering; my mother, Ann,

who gave me a love of writing; and my sister, Meris, who has been a
constant companion.
Preface
Who This Book Is For
This book is for programmers who want to create web applications
(traditional websites; single-page applications with React, Angular, or
Vue; REST APIs; or anything in between) using JavaScript, Node, and
Express. One of the exciting aspects of Node development is that it has
attracted a whole new audience of programmers. The accessibility and
flexibility of JavaScript have attracted self-taught programmers from all
over the world. At no time in the history of computer science has
programming been so accessible. The number and quality of online
resources for learning to program (and getting help when you get stuck) is
truly astonishing and inspiring. So to those new (possibly self-taught)
programmers, I welcome you.

Then, of course, there are the programmers like me, who have been
around for a while. Like many programmers of my era, I started off with
assembler and BASIC and went through Pascal, C++, Perl, Java, PHP,
Ruby, C, C#, and JavaScript. At university, I was exposed to more niche
languages such as ML, LISP, and PROLOG. Many of these languages are
near and dear to my heart, but in none of these languages do I see so much
promise as I do in JavaScript. So I am also writing this book for
programmers like myself, who have a lot of experience and perhaps a
more philosophical outlook on specific technologies.

No experience with Node is necessary, but you should have some

experience with JavaScript. If you’re new to programming, I recommend
Codecademy. If you’re an intermediate or experienced programmer, I
recommend my own book, Learning JavaScript, 3rd Edition (O’Reilly).
The examples in this book can be used with any system that Node works
on (which covers Windows, macOS, and Linux, among others). The
examples are geared toward command-line (terminal) users, so you should
have some familiarity with your system’s terminal.

Most important, this book is for programmers who are excited. Excited
about the future of the internet and want to be part of it. Excited about
learning new things, new techniques, and new ways of looking at web
development. If, dear reader, you are not excited, I hope you will be by the
time you reach the end of this book….

Notes on the Second Edition

It was a joy to write the first edition of this book, and I am to this day
pleased with the practical advice I was able to put into it and the warm
response of my readers. The first edition was published just as Express 4.0
was released from beta, and while Express is still on version 4.x, the
middleware and tools that go along with Express have undergone massive
changes. Furthermore, JavaScript itself has evolved, and even the way
web applications are designed has undergone a tectonic shift (away from
pure server-side rendering and toward single-page applications [SPAs]).
While many of the principles in the first edition are still useful and valid,
the specific techniques and tools are almost completely different. A new
edition is overdue. Because of the ascendancy of SPAs, the focus of this
second edition has also shifted to place more emphasis on Express as a
server for APIs and static assets, and it includes an SPA example.
How This Book Is Organized
Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 will introduce you to Node and Express and some
of the tools you’ll be using throughout the book. In Chapter 3 and
Chapter 4, you start using Express and build the skeleton of a sample
website that will be used as a running example throughout the rest of the
book.

Chapter 5 discusses testing and QA, and Chapter 6 covers some of Node’s
more important constructs and how they are extended and used by
Express. Chapter 7 covers templating (using Handlebars), which lays the
foundation of building useful websites with Express. Chapter 8 and
Chapter 9 cover cookies, sessions, and form handlers, rounding out the
things you need to know to build basic functional websites with Express.

Chapter 10 delves into middleware, a concept central to Express.

Chapter 11 explains how to use middleware to send email from the server
and discusses security and layout issues inherent to email.

Chapter 12 offers a preview into production concerns. Even though at this

stage in the book you don’t have all the information you need to build a
production-ready website, thinking about production now can save you
from major headaches in the future.

Chapter 13 is about persistence, with a focus on MongoDB (one of the

leading document databases) and PostgreSQL (a popular open-source
relational database management system).

Chapter 14 gets into the details of routing with Express (how URLs are
mapped to content), and Chapter 15 takes a diversion into writing APIs
with Express. Chapter 17 covers the details of serving static content, with
a focus on maximizing performance.

Chapter 18 discusses security: how to build authentication and

authorization into your app (with a focus on using a third-party
authentication provider), as well as how to run your site over HTTPS.

Chapter 19 explains how to integrate with third-party services. Examples

used are Twitter, Google Maps, and the US National Weather Service.

Chapter 16 takes what we’ve learned about Express and uses it to refactor
the running example as an SPA, with Express as the backend server
providing the API we created in Chapter 15.

Chapter 20 and Chapter 21 get you ready for the big day: your site launch.
They cover debugging, so you can root out any defects before launch, and
the process of going live. Chapter 22 talks about the next important (and
oft-neglected) phase: maintenance.

The book concludes with Chapter 23, which points you to additional
resources, should you want to further your education about Node and
Express, and where you can go to get help.

Example Website
Starting in Chapter 3, a running example will be used throughout the
book: the Meadowlark Travel website. I wrote the first edition just after
getting back from a trip to Lisbon, and I had travel on my mind, so the
example website I chose is for a fictional travel company in my home state
of Oregon (the Western Meadowlark is the state songbird of Oregon).
Meadowlark Travel allows travelers to connect to local “amateur tour
guides,” and it partners with companies offering bike and scooter rentals
and local tours, with a focus on ecotourism.

Like any pedagogical example, the Meadowlark Travel website is

contrived, but it is an example that covers many of the challenges facing
real-world websites: third-party component integration, geolocation,
ecommerce, performance, and security.

As the focus on this book is backend infrastructure, the example website

will not be complete; it merely serves as a fictional example of a real-
world website to provide depth and context to the examples. Presumably,
you are working on your own website, and you can use the Meadowlark
Travel example as a template for it.

Conventions Used in This Book

The following typographical conventions are used in this book:

Italic
Indicates new terms, URLs, email addresses, filenames, and file
extensions.

Constant width
Used for program listings, as well as within paragraphs to refer to
program elements such as variable or function names, databases, data
types, environment variables, statements, and keywords.
Constant width bold
Shows commands or other text that should be typed literally by the
 user.
Constant width italic
Shows text that should be replaced with user-supplied values or by
values determined by context.

TIP
This element signifies a tip or suggestion.

NOTE
This element signifies a general note.

WARNING
This element indicates a warning or caution.

Using Code Examples

Supplemental material (code examples, exercises, etc.) is available for
download at https://github.com/EthanRBrown/web-development-with-
node-and-express-2e.

This book is here to help you get your job done. In general, if example
code is offered with this book, you may use it in your programs and
documentation. You do not need to contact us for permission unless
you’re reproducing a significant portion of the code. For example, writing
a program that uses several chunks of code from this book does not
require permission. Selling or distributing a CD-ROM of examples from
O’Reilly books does require permission. Answering a question by citing
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Incorporating a significant amount of example code from this book into
your product’s documentation does require permission.

We appreciate, but do not require, attribution. An attribution usually

includes the title, author, publisher, and ISBN. For example: “Web
Development with Node and Express, Second Edition by Ethan Brown
(O’Reilly). Copyright 2019 Ethan Brown, 978-1-492-05351-4.”

If you feel your use of code examples falls outside fair use or the
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Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
confiding young ladies to quit their father's home—to abandon the
paternal dwelling——"
"Good heavens! what do you mean?" ejaculated Clarence, now
seriously alarmed. "I see that there is something at the bottom of all
this! Captain Sparks, I implore you to explain yourself. You are
evidently well-intentioned—you have shown the greatest friendship
for me—I reciprocate the feeling most cordially: fear not, then, to
speak."
"My dear Villiers," answered the highwayman, "how can I enter upon
particulars the narration of which would be most painful for you to
hear? And yet I should not be acting consistently with my duty
towards those young ladies—no, nor towards yourself who are about
to make one of them your wife——"
"Hesitate not: speak freely!" exclaimed Clarence, seeing that his
companion paused. "Should the breath of scandal have wafted to
your ear anything prejudicial to the character of my aunt, I cannot
blame your motive in confiding the fact to me. And I the more
earnestly solicit you to be frank and candid—that is, to act
consistently with your nature, which is all frankness and candour,—
and reveal to me the cause of this distrust—this want of confidence
relative to Mrs. Slingsby,—because I have no doubt of being able to
convince you that you have been misled."
"And should I succeed in convincing you to the contrary?" asked
Rainford.
"Then I should say that you had indeed performed the part of a
friend," replied Villiers emphatically. "Although I know beforehand
that such a result is impossible—yet, for your complete satisfaction,
do I declare that should you prove my aunt to be in any way an
unsuitable guardian for that dear girl Adelais, and her sister, I shall
conceive it to be my duty immediately to seek for them another
home—yes, another home—even for the few days that remain to be
passed ere I shall acquire a right to protect Adelais as her husband
and Rosamond as her brother."
"You have spoken well and wisely, Villiers," said Rainford; "but I do
not recommend any extreme measure, which might only irritate your
aunt, and perhaps lead to the forced restoration of the young ladies
to their father before you can have obtained the right you speak of. I
merely wish you to be on your guard——"
"But the grounds of your suspicion, Captain?" cried Clarence
impatiently. "Pardon my interruption—and pity my suspense."
"I do both," returned the highwayman. "And now remember that I
am no mischief-maker between relations or friends; and were it not
for the peculiar circumstances of this case, in which two innocent
young ladies are concerned, I should never have thought it worth
while to utter a word of any thing I know injurious to Mrs. Slingsby's
character—no, not even to unmask the most disgusting hypocrisy,"
added Rainford warmly.
"Do you still allude to my aunt?" demanded Clarence, colouring with
indignation.
"I do. But start not—I am not seeking a quarrel with you, Villiers—
and you promised to listen patiently."
"To no other living being should I have listened so patiently as I
have already done to you," said Clarence. "But pray let us hasten to
dispose of so disagreeable a topic in one way or the other."
"I am most anxious to do so," continued the highwayman. "Do you
know Sir Henry Courtenay?"
"Certainly: he is my aunt's best friend."
"And her lover," added Rainford coolly.
Villiers started from his seat, exclaiming, "Captain Sparks! you
presume upon the obligation which I owe you, to calumniate——"
"Then good evening, Mr. Villiers," interrupted the highwayman. "If
this is the fair and impartial hearing which you promised to give me,
—if this is the manner in which you treat one who has not—cannot
have an improper motive in offering you wise counsel——"
"Stay, my dear friend—stay!" exclaimed Clarence, actually thrusting
Rainford back into his seat; "and pray forgive my impetuosity. But
this accusation—so sudden—so unexpected—so very strange——"
"And yet it is substantially true," added Rainford emphatically: "and
it is proper that you should know it. For my part, I am not the man
to blame Mrs. Slingsby for having a lover—nor yet the lover for
having her as his mistress: it's human nature both ways. But when I
know that she has been entrusted by you with the guardianship of
two young ladies of tender age and spotless innocence, and one of
whom is so very, very dear to you, I consider it necessary for you to
be enlightened as to her true character. I've no doubt that you must
feel deeply this communication: but it is better for you to learn that
your aunt is something that she ought not to be, than to find out
when it is too late that your wife or her sister have been corrupted
by bad example."
Clarence paced the room in an agitated manner: then, at the
expiration of a few minutes, he turned suddenly, exclaiming, "Not for
a moment, Captain Sparks, do I suspect you of any sinister object:
but you will pardon me for soliciting the proof of this charge which,
if substantiated, must so completely and so painfully change my
opinion of a relative whom I have until now vaunted as the pattern
of virtue and propriety."
"The mode of proving the charge may be left to yourself," replied the
highwayman. "Did you ever hear the circumstance of your aunt's
house being robbed by a boy to whom she gave a night's lodging,
some four or five years ago?"
"Certainly," exclaimed Villiers. "I recollect the incident well. Mrs.
Slingsby herself communicated it to me. The ungrateful young villain
——"
"I know that boy," interrupted Tom Rain drily; "and I am convinced
that he told me the truth when he declared that, during the night—
or rather the portion of the night, which he passed in Mrs. Slingsby's
house, accident made him a witness to a scene which leaves no
doubt as to the fact that Sir Henry Courtenay and Mrs. Slingsby are
as intimate as man and wife together."
"And would you receive the testimony of a thief——"
"When well corroborated," added the highwayman.
"But how happened it that you should have any connexion with this
lad, Captain Sparks!" demanded Clarence, in a cold and suspicions
tone.
"Suppose that the boy has repented of his errors—that he has
merited my interest by a service which accident enabled him to
render me—that he related to me his entire history, in which this
incident is comprised—and that, on questioning him closely, I learnt
that the occurrence took place at the residence of your aunt?"
"I am bewildered—amazed—grieved—profoundly grieved!"
ejaculated Villiers. "To suppose for an instant that this kind and
affectionate relative—who has always been so good to me, and
through whose bounty I am enabled to prepare and fit up a suitable
dwelling for the reception of my beloved Adelais,—to think that this
much-respected and long-revered woman should conceal the
greatest profligacy beneath the mask of charity and religion—oh! it
is a cruel blow!"
"Again I say that the mode of proving the charge may be left to
yourself," observed Rainford. "Seek an opportunity to be alone with
Mrs. Slingsby—make some pointed allusion to the incident—and
mark how she receives it."
"I will call at my aunt's residence to-morrow morning early—the very
first thing," exclaimed Villiers. "The whole affair is most serious; and,
now that I can at length contemplate it with something bordering on
calmness, I am bound to confess——But let us quit the topic," he
added, in a tone of deep vexation, in spite of his asserted self-
possession.
"And you bear me no ill-will for the course I have pursued?" said
Rainford.
"Far from it. You have acted in a most friendly manner—whatever
the result may be!" cried Villiers, grasping the highwayman's hand
most cordially.
"I have performed a very painful duty," rejoined Tom: "and now I
must take my leave of you—perhaps for a long, long time—if not for
ever."
"Farewell," said Clarence; "and may prosperity attend you in another
clime."
"Farewell," replied Rainford; "and may you be happy with your
Adelais."
The highwayman then hurried from the room, considerably affected
by this parting from one for whom he already experienced a most
sincere regard.
Nor was Villiers unmoved by this farewell scene; for, on his side, he
was particularly attached to the individual who had not only
rendered him so essential a service on that memorable night which
first made them acquainted with each other, but whose apparent
frankness of disposition and manliness of character were well
calculated to engage the good opinion of the confiding, warm-
hearted, and unsuspecting Clarence.
 CHAPTER XLV.
MR. DYKES AND HIS MYRMIDONS.

It was midnight; and profound silence reigned throughout the region

of Lock's Fields.
But suddenly that silence was broken by the tread of several
persons, who emerged from a bye-alley in the immediate vicinity of
Brandon Street.
At the corner of this street they paused to hold a hasty conference.
They were six in number—five men and a woman.
"This is the street," said the woman.
"Oh! this is it, Mrs. Bunce—eh?" returned Mr. Dykes, the Bow Street
officer, rubbing his nose with the knob of his stout ash-stick, while
his countenance, on which the bright moon-beams played, showed
an expression of calm determination.
"Yes: and that's the house—there: the ninth on t'other side of the
way," added Mrs. Bunce.
"Well—now we don't want you no more, ma'am," said Dykes; "'cos
women is all very well in their place; and darling creatur's they are
too. But when a grab is to be made, they're best at home, a-bed and
asleep. So good night to you, ma'am."
"Good night, gentlemen all," responded Mrs. Bunce; and she hurried
away.
"Now, Bingham and you fellers," said Mr. Dykes, "we must mind
what we're up to; for we shan't catch a weasel asleep. You,
Bingham, take one of the runners and get round to the back of the
house. Me and t'other chaps will make the entry in front. But we
shan't stir a peg for one quarter of an hour; and by that time you'll
be at your post."
"All right," returned Mr. Bingham; and this individual accordingly
moved off, followed by one of the subordinate runners.
In the meantime, Tom Rainford was sleeping, not dreaming of
danger, in the arms of the beautiful Jewess.
Charley Watts was cradled in a little bed made up for him in the
warmest corner of the room.
A light burnt in the apartment, where naught was heard save the
slow, regular breathing of the sleepers.
The clear, transparent olive complexion of the beautiful Jewess
contrasted strongly with the florid countenance of the highwayman;
and the commingling of the raven hair of the one with the light,
almost yellow locks of the other, produced a strange effect, as the
marked discrepancy of hues was set off by the snowy whiteness of
the pillow. By the feeble light of the candle, it appeared as if ebony
and gold were blending on a white ground.
But, hark! what is that sound which breaks on the silence of the
chamber?—and wherefore does the highwayman start from his
sleep?
He awakes—and listens.
The Jewess also awakes—and also listens,—one of her beautifully
modelled arms thrown around the neck of him whom she loved so
fondly.
"Some one is trying the back-door," whispered Rainford at length;
and he leapt from the bed.
In less than a minute he had thrown on his clothes; and grasping his
pistols, he hastened to the window.
But at the same instant the back-door was forced in;—more
violently, no doubt, than Bingham and his co-operator had intended;
and the sound was too unequivocal to permit Tom Rain to doubt the
meaning of the disturbance.
Returning to the bed, he said in a hurried but solemn and deeply
impressive tone, "Dearest, I am betrayed. If I escape, you shall soon
hear from me: if I am captured, I charge you—by all the love I bear
for you—by all the love you bear for me—not to attempt to visit me
in prison! Farewell—dearest, dearest girl!"
He embraced her fondly—affectionately,—oh! most lovingly; while
she sobbed as if her heart would break.
Then in a moment he tore himself away:—footsteps—many footsteps
were already ascending—nay, rushing up—the stairs.
He darted from the room, sprang up a ladder which stood on the
landing—pushed up a trap-door—and in another moment was on the
roof of the house.
The officers were close upon him. Dykes and his two men had
effected an entry by the front-door of the house almost at the same
moment that Bingham and his follower had broken in at the back;
and the entire posse reached the landing just at the moment that
the trap-door fell down heavily into its place.
"He has escaped by the roof!" cried Dykes. "Bingham, my boy, take
a couple of chaps, and watch the backs of the houses: he can't get
away by the front—it's too high for him to leap into the street. Me
and t'other chap will after him to the tilings."
Thus saying, Dykes ascended the ladder as quickly as his unwieldly
form would permit. The trap-door was easily raised, as it only
fastened inside; and the portly body of the Bow Street officer, who
possessed more courage than alacrity, was forced through the small
aperture. The operation was slow and difficult; but at last Mr. Dykes
stood on a narrow ledge which ran along the whole row of houses,
and from which the roof rose obliquely behind. This ledge was only
protected by a parapet about two feet high; and the officer felt his
position to be any thing but a safe one.
But he was not the man to shrink from danger.
"Come along, you feller," he cried out to his follower, who speedily
emerged from the opening. "You cut along that way, and I'll go this."
And they proceeded in different directions on the roof of the house.
The moon shone brightly, but Thomas Rainford was not to be seen.
Suddenly an exclamation of triumph burst from the yard at the back
of one of the adjacent houses.
"Holloa?" vociferated Dykes, from the eminence on which he stood.
"We've got him, fast enough," returned Bingham.
A piercing shriek from a window that had been thrown open,
denoted the anguish of the Jewess, whose ears had caught these
words.
Mr. Dykes and his attendant subordinate now retraced their way to
the trap-door, through the aperture of which they once more forced
themselves; and when they had regained the landing Dykes said,
"Now you go and join my partner Bingham, 'cos this Rainford is a
desperate feller, and the more there is to guard him the better."
The man accordingly took his departure, and Mr. Dykes knocked
gently at the door of the bed-room.
"Who is there?" asked a voice within,—a voice soft and melodious,
but now expressive of the most intense anguish.
"Beg pardon, ma'am," said Dykes; "but I must do my duty; and if so
be you'll have the kindness to dress yourself, I should like to
examine the boxes and cupboards, and such like—just for form's
sake, and that's all."
"Must you thus add to the grief which is already——"
The plaintive voice was interrupted by a violent fit of sobbing, with
the mournful sounds of which the crying of the little boy now
commingled.
"I don't want to annoy you, ma'am," returned Dykes.
"I should hope not, indeed!" exclaimed the landlady, who, having
been alarmed by the disturbance, had got up and dressed herself,
and was now ascending the stairs. "But what is it all about? and why
do you break into a respectable house in this way? I don't suppose
you're thieves—or else——"
"I am an officer, ma'am," exclaimed Dykes, drawing himself up with
offended dignity, as the candle which the landlady carried in her
hand lighted the landing-place:—"I am an officer, ma'am—and my
partners have just taken one Thomas Rainford, a highwayman——"
"A highwayman!" ejaculated the widow, who had never suspected
the character of her lodger, and who was a prudent woman that
never troubled herself about other people's business so long as her
rent was regularly paid.
"Yes—a highwayman," added Dykes. "But I've no time to stand
palavering. I b'lieve there's a lady in this room here; and as I must
overhaul the place—as the case is a serious one—you'll do well to
step in and let me do the job quietly. I don't want to annoy her: the
law isn't at loggerheads with her—and so she's nothing to fear. As
for me, I'm as gentle as a lamb when a lady's concerned."
The widow urged the afflicted girl within the room to open the door;
and as the latter had by this time dressed herself, the request was
complied with.
But the Jewess wore a deep black veil over her head, when the
officer and the landlady entered the bed-chamber; and, taking
Charley in her arms, she seated herself in a chair near the bed,
whispering a few words of consolation to the little boy even amidst
the terrible violence of her own grief.
As for Charles, he knew that something wrong was occurring; but he
was too young to comprehend the real nature of the appearances
which terrified him.
Dykes just opened a cupboard, plunged his hands into a trunk, and
turned out the contents of a carpet-bag: but he did not prosecute
his search any farther; for he was too much experienced in the ways
of robbers and rogues to suppose for a moment that he should find
on the premises any portion of the money stolen from Sir
Christopher Blunt,—this being the charge on which Rainford was
arrested.
The search, such as it was, was merely for form's sake; because the
magistrate was sure to inquire whether the prisoner's lodgings had
been carefully examined; and this superficial glance at the contents
of the boxes would enable Mr. Dykes to give an affirmative answer
without any very great deviation from the actual truth.
He accordingly quitted the room within a minute after entering it;
but he turned on the landing just to beg "the dear young lady not to
take on too much," and also to assure the mistress of the house that
she should be recompensed for the injury done to her abode by the
violent entry effected by himself and his companions.[23]
We must leave the landlady to console—or endeavour to console the
unhappy Jewess,—and accompany Mr. Dykes, who passed out of the
house by the back way, and stepped over two or three low fences
which separated the yards of the respective dwellings, until he
reached that one where Tom Rain was in the custody of Bingham
and the subordinate runners.
It appeared that the gallant highwayman, finding how hotly he was
pursued when he was escaping by means of the trap-door, and
dreading lest the whole neighbourhood should be alarmed ere he
could possibly get away, had resolved on the dangerous expedient of
sliding down from the roof to the back of the buildings, by means of
the perpendicular leaden water-pipe. But when he was half-way
down in his perilous descent, he missed his hold, and fell upon the
stone pavement of the yard beneath. He endeavoured to get up and
escape—but could not: his right ankle was sprained, almost to
dislocation; and in a few minutes he was discovered and captured by
the detachment under the orders of Bingham.
He heard the piercing scream which followed the announcement of
his arrest by this officer; and that scream—oh! it went to thy
generous heart, Tom Rain!
But he uttered not a word: he offered no resistance, although he
had his pistols about him. He not only shrank from the idea of
shedding human blood: but he was also well aware that his case
was now too desperate to be benefited by even desperate means.
For, even if he slew all the officers, he could not drag himself away
ere the neighbours would collect and capture him.
And by this time, the whole line of houses was awake with bustle
and excitement. Light after light appeared at the different
casements: windows were thrown up; and the rumour spread like
wildfire, that a famous highwayman had just been arrested.
The reader may well conceive the nature of the sensation which now
prevailed all along the back of Brandon Street;—but in one room
there was a beauteous woman convulsed with torturing—maddening
anguish,—for deep was her love for thee, Tom Rain!
"Now, then," cried Dykes, as he made his appearance in the yard,
where the highwayman was sitting on an inverted wash-tub,
surrounded by the runners, to whom he had surrendered his pistols;
—"now, then lads—let's off with him to quod. How d'ye do, Mr.
Rainford! Don't want to crow over a gentleman in trouble—but
thought I should have you some day or another." Then, stooping
down, he whispered in Tom's ear, "I was obleeged to give a look in
at the crib up there just now; but I only stayed a moment, and
shan't trouble the poor lady any more. She had a veil over her face—
and so I don't know who she is: that is, you see, I shan't know, if
I'm asked any questions by the beak:—but of course I'm aware it's
the handsome Jewess that did the diamond business."
"You are mistaken—you are mistaken," said Rainford, emphatically.
"But, if you showed her any civility, I sincerely thank you——"
"Lord bless you! Mr. Rainford—I wouldn't do any thing to annoy you
for the world. I can't help admiring a brave man—and you're one.
The poor dear lady will be troubled no more by us; and it's nothing
to me who she is, or who she is not. The law don't want her, at all
events."
"One word more," said Tom. "Who has done this business for me?"
"A lawyer named Howard," was the answer. "But I can't say no more
——"
"Then what is the charge against me?" asked Tom, a considerable
load already removed from his mind.
"Sir Christopher Blunt's little business—that's all," replied Dykes. "But
come along: we must be off to Horsemonger."
Mr. Dykes and Mr. Bingham politely offered Rainford their arms; and
the procession passed through the house, in the yard belonging to
which the capture had been made. The occupants of that dwelling—
men, women, and children, all in their night-dresses—crowded on
the stairs to catch a glimpse of the "terrible highwayman," whose
good looking appearance excited the sympathy of the female portion
of the spectators.
Half an hour afterwards Tom Rain was lodged in a cell in the criminal
department of Horsemonger Lane Gaol;—but his heart was lighter
than the reader might possibly suppose—for he was relieved of the
first and most natural fear that had assailed him: namely, that it was
on account of Benjamin Bones's death that he was pursued!
"If I must be hanged," he thought within himself, "I would rather it
should be for highway robbery than aught else!—But, O Tamar!
Tamar! what is to become of thee?"
And, as he sate on the humble pallet in the darkness of his solitary
cell, he buried his face in his manacled hands.
In another moment a moonbeam penetrated through the barred
window; and in that silver ray glistened the tears which trickled
between his fingers.
And yet it was not for himself he wept:—thou wast no coward—but
thou hadst a generous heart, Tom Rain!

23. We should observe that at the time of which we are writing, it

was by no means unusual for Bow Street officers to be
employed in the pursuit or capture of desperate characters in
Surrey, although this county was not strictly within their
district.
 CHAPTER XLVI.
EXPLANATIONS.

At eleven o'clock on the following day, Lord Ellingham, who had

passed a sleepless and wretched night, called at the house of Lady
Hatfield, and was immediately conducted to the drawing-room,
where Georgiana was alone in readiness to receive him.
She was dressed in a morning garb, and, though very—very pale,
looked surpassingly lovely.
"My dear friend," she said, extending her hand, which, as he offered
to press it with rapture to his lips, she gently but still resolutely
withdrew,—"my dear friend—for such henceforth must I call you
——"
"Georgiana!" he exclaimed, starting back: "what means this
coolness?"
"Be seated, Arthur—and listen to me attentively," she said in a
plaintive and sweetly touching tone. "I am not very well—my nerves
are not strong to-day—and you must not manifest any impatience
towards me. Indeed, I ought to have postponed this interview: but I
considered it to be my duty—a paramount duty owing alike to
yourself and to me—to enter into as early an explanation as
possible."
"This preface forebodes nothing favourable to my happiness,"
murmured the Earl, as he sank into a seat to which Georgiana
pointed—but which was not by her side!
"Arthur," she continued, with difficulty maintaining sufficient control
over her emotions to enable her to speak calmly and collectedly,
"you know not how much I love you—how dearly I am devoted to
you. For your sake, and to bear the name of your wife, I could
consent to become a mendicant—a wanderer on the face of the
earth,—renounce fortune—rank—society—all, in fine, that we women
are generally deemed to hold so dear,—yes, all this could I do for
your sake, so that you were my companion! Then, conceive how
hard it is for me—oh! how very hard, my well-beloved Arthur, to be
compelled to say that henceforth we must know each other only as
friends!"
"Merciful heavens!" ejaculated the Earl, uncertain whether the
imagined capriciousness of his Georgiana was about to assert its
tantalizing influence again, or whether any thing of a more serious
nature, and connected with the incidents of the preceding evening,
was about to present an insuperable bar to his happiness.
"Yes—Arthur," continued Georgiana, in an impressive tone,
"henceforth we must be but as brother and sister to each other. And
as a dear, fond, affectionate sister will I ever be to you; for your
generosity would have made me your wife in spite of——But you
cannot wish me to refer to that! And yet it is that one sad episode in
my life which now asserts an inexorable influence over the conduct
which we must both pursue. It is that event, which you—in the
noble candour, in the warm liberality of your admirable disposition
——"
"You praise me too highly, Georgiana," exclaimed the Earl. "I loved
you—I love you dearly; and in spite of all that you now say, hope is
not quenched within me. But, my God! when will this painful
suspense pass? When shall I behold you no longer a prey to an
influence——"
"Alas! that influence must endure for ever!" murmured Lady Hatfield,
tears now trembling upon her eye-lashes.
"No—no!" cried the Earl with impassioned energy. "When, but a few
days ago, we entered into explanations with each other—when I
informed you that I was aware of the nature of that secret influence
which tyrannised over you,—did I not assure you that, as a loving
husband, I would so completely study your happiness——"
"Oh! yes," interrupted Georgiana; "and did I not declare that you
had given me a proof of affection such as man seldom gave unto
woman? Believe me—believe me," she added earnestly, "I felt all
that there was great—generous—and noble in your conduct: for,
knowing that secret—that sad, that fatal secret—you banished all
prejudice—discarded even those scruples which the most high-
minded of men so often entertain under such circumstances——"
"Dearest Georgiana!" exclaimed the Earl; "you attach far too much
importance to the secret of which you speak. What man that truly
loves a virtuous—beautiful—accomplished—and amiable woman,
would allow himself to be swayed——"
"Ah! every heart is not so generous as yours!" interrupted
Georgiana. "You recognise the complete innocence of my soul——"
"I cannot believe that you would be guilty of the wanton cruelty of
inflicting these tortures upon me, Georgiana," said the Earl, "were it
not for that strange—that almost morbid state of mind which is at
times produced by the recollection of a serious fright which you
experienced some years ago, and from the effects of which you have
not completely recovered. But, after all, wherefore do you praise me
so highly—wherefore do you thank me so much for the simple fact
of not allowing the knowledge of this occasional access of morbid
feeling to weigh with me——"
"Arthur!" almost shrieked Georgiana, losing all control over herself;
"then, you know not the secret—the dreadful secret——"
"Yes: have I not proved to you that I know it?" exclaimed the Earl,
surprised and grieved at the strange manner of Lady Hatfield. "Your
uncle put me in possession of the facts: and what is there in them,
after all? It is a mere adventure which one would now tell only as a
Christmas tale—or to amuse children,—had it not produced so
serious an influence upon your nerves, and——"
"Arthur! Arthur! is this a cruel pleasantry?" demanded Georgiana
hysterically; "or have we misunderstood each other all along?"
"You know that I am incapable of turning to ridicule or making a jest
of any thing that regards you, Georgiana," returned the Earl. "And as
for any misunderstanding between us, there is none. Our
explanation the other day was full—complete—satisfactory——"
"No—no," cried Lady Hatfield, painfully excited. "I see that I am
mistaken—that you have learnt a bare fact——"
"Yes: and since we are now conversing on the topic," said the Earl,
"let us enter fully into it and then abandon it for ever. I see that you
attach much importance to this subject—and that, when we are
united, there may be no necessity ever to recur——"
"If ever we are united!" repeated Georgiana, clasping her hands in
anguish of heart.
"Yes, my well-beloved," continued the Earl. "And now listen to me.
About seven years ago you were staying alone at Mauleverer Lodge
in Hampshire——"
"Oh! the fatal time—the fatal place!" cried Georgiana hysterically;
and though she would have given worlds to cut short the
conversation, she had not the power—for her mind was agitated like
the ocean in a storm.
"You were staying alone at Mauleverer Lodge," proceeded Arthur,
not observing the extent of her emotion; "you were alone, save in
respect to the servants: but you had no relation—no friend there at
the moment. And one night—a man broke in——"
"A man—with a black mask——" murmured Georgiana, almost
wringing her hands.
"And bearing the denomination, too, of the Black Mask," continued
Lord Ellingham;—"this man broke into the house—and——"
"And—merciful heavens! Spare me the recital of the rest!" shrieked
Lady Hatfield, covering her face with her hands.
"Good God! do not thus give way to a reminiscence which, though
painful, should no longer exercise any influence over a strong mind!"
said the Earl, in a kind and soothing tone, as he approached and
seated himself next to Georgiana. "Consider, my dearly beloved—my
angel—my intended wife!—reflect, I implore you, upon the
childishness of this behavior!"
"Childishness!" repeated Georgiana, with a convulsive shudder.
"Pardon the expression," said the Earl; "but I would reason with you
—I would endeavour to persuade you that an occurrence which is
past and gone, and which happens frequently in other houses,
should not thus paralyse all the naturally fine energies of your soul.
What, in the name of heaven! can it matter now, if a robber broke
into a dwelling some six or seven years ago? Your uncle told me that
for some months fears were entertained for your reason: but——Oh!
my Georgiana, I do implore you now—now that we are once again
touching on this painful—most painful theme—to exercise more
command over yourself. You praise me—you thank me, because I
am willing to espouse one whose reason was shocked long years
ago;—for that is your secret, after all, Georgiana—dearest
Georgiana;—and you perceive that I know it!"
"My God! how have we misunderstood each other!" murmured the
unhappy lady:—"my secret—he knows it not!"
But the Earl could not catch the sense of the words which she thus
whispered to herself; and, with the fond hope of consoling her—for
the events of the preceding evening were for the time banished from
his memory—he took her hand, pressed it to his lips, and began to
utter syllables of tenderness and love.
Then, how terrible was his surprise—how acute the anguish which
filled his soul, when Georgiana, suddenly starting from the half-
embrace in which he was already enfolding her, exclaimed in a tone
indicative of the most exquisite mental agony, "No—Arthur—no: you
are not acquainted with my secret—and now, never, never will you
learn it! We have misunderstood each other—and I consented the
other day to become your wife, while labouring under a dreadful—
oh! a dreadful error! But heaven has interposed to prevent the
consummation of your misery—and mine! And now," she added,
with the calmness of despair, "let us separate, Arthur—and
henceforth be unto each other but brother and sister;—for your wife
I cannot become!"
"Georgiana, this is cruelty the most refined—the most wanton!"
exclaimed the Earl. "Am I again to pass through all the phases of
suspense—uncertainty—mystery—and doubt?—and will you in a few
days repent of all you have said, and recall this stern decision? But—
much as I love you—deeply as I am attached to you—I cannot—
cannot endure a treatment——"
"Pardon me—forgive me!" cried Georgiana; "but you do not
comprehend me! My reason is not unhinged,—I am subject to no
whims—no caprice, Arthur! A fatal mistake on my part alone induced
me the other day to consent to become your wife. That error has
now been cleared up—our conversation of this morning has
convinced me of the tremendous misunderstanding that had nearly
wrecked all your happiness! But, even had it not, there was another
reason which would imperatively command us to think no more of
each other in the same light as we so lately did!"
"Ah! you allude, perchance, to the incident of last evening!"
exclaimed Lord Ellingham. "Permit me, then, to ask the object of
that Rainford's visit? Did he insult you? did he attempt to extort
money from you? If so——"
"No—no!" cried Georgiana, in whose bosom the mere mention of the
highwayman's name appeared to excite the most agonising feelings.
"I sent down a message to that effect last night. He did not insult
me—he did not come to injure me——"
"But his presence excited you most painfully, Georgiana!" interrupted
the Earl; "and it has also revived in your imagination——Oh! I
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