No matter, returned the captain, Im nowise particular, an Ive been recommended to come to you; so here I am, ready to strike a bargain if youre agreeable.
Pray, may I ask who recommended you? said Jessie.
The seaman looked perplexed for a moment.
Well, I didnt observe his name over the door, he said, but the man in the shop below recommended me.
Oh? the green-grocer! exclaimed both ladies together, but they did not add what they thought, namely, that the green-grocer was a very impertinent fellow to play off upon them what looked very much like a practical joke.
Perhaps the best way to settle the matter, said Kate, will be to show the gentleman our room. He will then understand the impossibility.
Thats right, exclaimed the captain; risingand in doing so he seemed about to damage the ceilinglets go below, by all means, and see the cabin.
It is not down-stairs, remarked Jessie, leading the way; we are at the top of the house here, and the room is on a level with this one.
So much the better. I like a deck-cabin. In fact Ive bin used to it aboard my last ship.
On being ushered into the room which he wished to hire, the sailor found himself in an apartment so very unsuited to his size and character that even he felt slightly troubled.
Its not so much the size that bothers me, he said, stroking his chin gently, as the fittings.
There was some ground for the seamans perplexity, for the closet in which he stood, apart from the fact of its being only ten feet long by six broad, had been arranged by the tasteful sisters after the manner of a ladys boudoir, with a view to captivate some poor sister of very limited means, or, perhaps, some humble-minded and possibly undersized young clerk from the country. The bed, besides being rather small, and covered with a snow-white counterpane, was canopied with white muslin curtains lined with pink calico. The wash-hand stand was low, fragile, and diminutive. The little deal table, which occupied an inconveniently large proportion of the space, was clothed in a garment similar to that of the bed. The one solitary chair was of that cheap construction which is meant to creak warningly when sat upon by light people, and to resolve itself into match-wood when the desecrator is heavy. Two pictures graced the wallsone the infant Samuel in a rosewood frame, the other an oil paintingof probably the first century, for its subject was quite undistinguishablein a gold slip. The latter was a relic of better daysa spared relic, which the public had refused to buy at any price, though the auctioneer had described it as a rare specimen of one of the oldthe very oldmasters, with Rembrandtesque proclivities. No chest of drawers obtruded itself in that small chamber, but instead thereof the economical yet provident sisters, foreseeing the importance of a retreat for garments, had supplied a deal box, of which they stuffed the lid and then covered the whole with green baize, thus causing it to serve the double purpose of a wardrobe and a small sofa.
However, said Captain Bream, after a brief but careful look round, itll do. With a little cuttin and carvin here an there, well manage to squeeze in, for you must know, ladies, that we sea-farin men have a wonderful knack o stuffin a good deal into small space.
The sisters made no reply. Indeed they were speechless, and horrified at the bare idea of the entrance of so huge a lodger into their quiet home.
Look ye here, now, he continued in a comfortable, self-satisfied tone, as he expanded his great arms along the length of the bed to measure it, the bunks about five foot eight inches long. Well, Im about six foot two in my sockssix inches short; thats a difficulty no doubt, but its get-over-able this way, well splice the green box to it.
He grasped the sofa-wardrobe as he spoke, and placed it to the foot of the bed, then embracing the entire mass of mattresses and bedding at the lower end, raised it up, thrust the green box under with his foot, and laid the bedding down on itthus adding about eighteen inches to the length.
There you are, dee seequite long enough, an a foot to spare.
But it does not fit, urged Kate, who, becoming desperate, resolved to throw every possible obstruction in the way.
Thats true, madam, returned the captain with an approving nod. I see youve got a mechanical eyetheres a difference of elevation tween the box and the bed of three inches or more, but bless you, thats nothin to speak of. If youd ever been in a gale o wind at sea youd know that we seadogs are used to considerable difference of elevation between our heads an feet. My top-coat stuffed inll put that to rights. But youll have to furl the flummery topslsto lower em altogether would be safer.
He took hold of the muslin curtains with great tenderness as he spoke, fearing, apparently, to damage them.
You see, he continued, apologetically, Im not used to this sort o thing. Moreover, Ive a tendency to nightmare. Dont alarm yourselves, ladies, I never do anything worse to disturb folk than give a shout or a yell or two, but occasionally I do let fly with a leg or an arm when the fits on me, an if I should get entangled with this flummery, you know Id be apt to damage it. Yes, the safest way will be to douse the topsls altogether. As to the chairwell, Ill supply a noo one thatll stand rough weather. If youll also clear away the petticoats from the table itll do well enough. In regard to the lookin-glass, I know pretty well what Im like, an dont have any desire to study my portrait. As for shavin, Ive got a bulls-eye sort of glass in the lid o my soap-box that serves all my purpose, and I shave wi cold water, so I wont be botherin you in the mornins for hot. Ive got a paintin of my last shipthe Daisydone in water-coloursits a pretty big un, but by hangin Samuel on the other bulk-head, an stickin that black thing over the door, we can make room for it.
As Captain Bream ran on in this fashion, smoothing down all difficulties, and making everything comfortable, the poor sisters grew more and more desperate, and Kate felt a tendency to recklessness coming on. Suddenly a happy thought occurred to her.
But sir, she interposed with much firmness of tone and manner, there is one great difficulty in the way of our letting the room to you which I fear cannot be overcome.
The captain looked at her inquiringly, and Jessie regarded her with admiration and wonder, for she could not conceive what this insurmountable difficulty could be.
My sister and I, continued Kate, have both an unconquerable dislike to tobacco
Oh! thats no objection, cried the captain with a light laughwhich in him, however, was an ear-splitting guffawfor I dont smoke!
Dont smoke? repeated both sisters in tones of incredulity, for in their imagination a seaman who did not smoke seemed as great an impossibility as a street boy who did not whistle.
An whats more, continued the captain, I dont drink. Im a tee-total abstainer. I leave smokin to steam-funnels, an drinkin to the fish.
But, persisted Kate, on whom another happy thought had descended, my sister and I keep very early hours, and a latch-key we could never
Pooh! thats no difficulty, again interrupted this unconquerable man of the sea; I hate late hours myself, when Im ashore, havin more than enough of em when afloat. Ill go to bed regularly at nine oclock, an wont want a latch-key.
Pooh! thats no difficulty, again interrupted this unconquerable man of the sea; I hate late hours myself, when Im ashore, havin more than enough of em when afloat. Ill go to bed regularly at nine oclock, an wont want a latch-key.
The idea of such a man going to bed at all was awesome enough, but the notion of his doing so in that small room, and in that delicately arranged little bed under that roof-tree, was so perplexing, that the sisters anxiously rummaged their minds for a new objection, but could find none until their visitor asked the rent of the room. Then Kate was assailed by another happy thought, and promptly named double the amount which she and Jessie had previously fixed as its valuewhich amount she felt sure would prove prohibitory.
Her dismay, then, may be imagined when the captain exclaimed with a sighperhaps it were better to say a breezeof relief:
Well, then, thats all comfortably settled. I consider the rent quite moderate. Ill send up my chest to-morrow mornin, an will turn up myself in the evenin. Ill bid ye good-day now, ladies, an beg your pardon for keepin you so long about this little matter.
He held out his hand. One after another the crushed sisters put their delicate little hands into the seamans enormous paw, and meekly bade him good-bye, after which the nautical giant strode noisily out of the house, shut the door with an inadvertent bang, stumbled heavily down the dark stair and passage, and finally vanished from the scene.
Then Jessie and Kate Seaward returned to their little parlour, sat down at opposite sides of the miniature grate, and gazed at each other for some minutes in solemn silenceboth strongly impressed with the feeling that they had passed through a tremendous storm, and got suddenly into a profoundly dead calm.
Chapter Four.
Billy Bright the Fisher-Boy visits Londonhas a Fightenlarges his Mind, and undertakes Business
We must now return to the Evening Star fishing-smack, but only for a few minutes at present. Later on we shall have occasion to visit her under stirring circumstances. We saw her last heading eastward to her fishing-ground in the North Sea. We present her now, after a two months trip, sailing to the west, homeward bound.
Eight weeks at sea; nine days on shore, is the unvarying routine of the North Sea smacksmans life, summer and winter, all the year round. Two months of toil and exposure of the severest kind, fair-weather or foul, and little more than one week of repose in the bosom of his familyvaried by visits more or less frequent to the tap-room of the public-house. It is a rugged life to body and soul. Severest toil and little rest for the one; strong temptation and little refreshment to the other.
Strong temptation! you exclaim, what! out on the heaving billows and among the howling gales of winter on the North Sea?
Ay, stronger temptation than you might suppose, as, in the sequel, you shall see.
But we are homeward bound just now. One of the gales above referred to is blowing itself out and the Evening Star is threading her way among the shoals to her brief repose in Yarmouth.
The crew are standing about the deck looking eagerly towards the land, and little Billy is steering. (See Frontispiece.)
Yes, that ridiculous atom of humanity, with a rope, or steering lanyard, round the tiller to prevent its knocking him down or sweeping him overboard, stands there guiding the plunging smack on her course through the dangerous shoals. Of course Billys father has an eye on him, but he does not require to say more than an occasional word at long intervals.
Need we observe that our little hero is no longer subject to the demon which felled him at starting, and made his rosy face so pale? One glance at the healthy brown cheeks will settle that question. Another glance at his costume will suffice to explain, without words, much of Billys life during the past eight weeks. The sou-wester is crushed and soiled, the coat is limp, rent, mended, button-bereaved more or less, and bespattered, and the boots wear the aspect of having seen service. The little hands too, which even while ashore were not particularly white, now bear traces of having had much to do with tar, and grease, and fishy substances, besides being red with cold, swelled with sundry bruises, and seamed with several scarsfor Billy is reckless by nature, and it takes time and much experience of suffering to teach a man how to take care of his hands in the fisheries of the North Sea!
An hour or two more sufficed to carry our smack into port, and then the various members of the crew hurried home.
Billy swaggered beside his father and tried to look manly until he reached his own door, where all thought of personal appearance suddenly vanished, and he leaped with an unmanly squeal of delight into his mothers arms. You may be sure that those arms did not spare him!
Youll not go down to-night, David? said Mrs Bright, when, having half choked her son, she turned to her husband.
No, lass,I wont, said the skipper in a tone of decision.
Mrs Bright was much gratified by the promise, for well did she know, from bitter experience, that if her David went down to meet his comrades at the public-house on his arrival, his brief holidays would probably be spent in a state of semi-intoxication. Indeed, even with this promise she knew that much of his time and a good deal of his hardly earned money would be devoted to the publican.
Well not have much of Billys company this week, I fear, said Mrs Bright, with a glance of pride at her son, who returned it with a look of surprise.
Why so, Nell? asked her husband.
Because he has got to go to London.
To Lunon! exclaimed the father.
Lunon! echoed the son.
Yes; it seems that Miss Ruththat dear young lady, Miss Ruth Dotropyyou remember her, Billy?
Remember her! I should think I does, said the boy, emphatically, if I was to live as long as Meethusilim Id never forget Miss Dotropy.
Well, continued Mrs Bright, she wrote and asked Joe Davidsons wife to send her a fisher-boy to London for a day or two, and shed pay his railway fare up an back, and all his expenses. What ever Miss Ruth wants to do with him I dont know, nor any one else. Mrs Davidson couldnt find a boy that was fit to send, so she said shed wait till you came back, Billy, and send you up.
Well, wonders aint a-goin to cease yet a while, exclaimed Billy, with a look of gratified pride. Howsever, Im game for anythinkfrom pitch an toss upards. When am I to start, mother?
To-morrow, by the first train.
All rightan what sort o rig? I couldnt go in them ere slops, you know. It wouldnt give em a krect idear o Yarmouth boys, would it?
Of course not sonny, an Ive got ready your old Sunday coat, it aint too small for you yetan some other things.
Accordingly, rigged out, as he expressed it, in a well-mended and brushed pilot-cloth coat; a round blue-cloth cap; a pair of trousers to match, and a pair of new shoes, Billy found himself speeding towards the great city with what he styled a stiff breakfast under hatches, four or five shillings in the locker, an a bustin heart beneath his veskit.
In a few hours he found himself in the bewildering streets, inquiring his way to the great square in the West End where Mrs Dotropy dwelt.
The first person of whom he made inquiry was a street boy, and while he was speaking the city Arab regarded the provincial boys innocent facefor it was a peculiarly innocent face when in reposewith a look of mingled curiosity and cunning.