The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands - Robert Michael Ballantyne 6 стр.

Let it be understood that the old gentleman was employed in Yarmouth under one of the departments of the Board of Trade. We refrain from entering into particulars as to which department, lest the vindictive spirit which was accredited to that branch of the Government by Miss Katiewho being a lady, must of course have been rightshould induce it to lay hold of our estimable friend and make an example of him for permitting his independent daughter to expose its true character. In addition to his office in this connection Mr Durant also held the position of a retired merchant and ship-owner, and was a man of considerable wealth, although he lived in a quiet unostentatious way. In fact, his post under Government was retained chiefly for the purpose of extending his influence in his native townfor he counted himself a bloaterand enabling him to carry out more vigorously his schemes of Christian philanthropy.

Cousin Fanny Hennings was a darling girl in Katies estimation, probably because she was her opposite in many respects, though not in all. In good-humour and affection they were similar, but Fanny had none of Katies fire, or enthusiasm, or intellect, or mischief; she had, however, a great appreciation of fun, and was an inordinate giggler. Fat, fair, and fifteen, with flaxen curls, pink cheeks, and blue eyes, she was the beau-idéal of a wax-doll, and possessed about as much self-assertion as may be supposed to belong to that class of the doll-community which is constructed so as to squeak when squeezed. As Katie Durant squeezed her friend pretty often, both mentally and physically, cousin Fanny squeaked a good deal more than usual during her occasional visits to Yarmouth, and even after her return home to Margate, where she and her widowed mother dweltas Queeker poetically saidin a cottage by the sea. It was usually acknowledged by all her friends that Fanny had increased her powers amazingly while absent, in so much that she learned at last to squeak on her own account without being squeezed at all.

After the cousins had talked in private until they had made themselves almost too late for the singing-class, they issued from the house and betook themselves to the temple of music, where some amazing pieces were performed by some thirty young vocalists of both sexes to their own entire satisfaction, and to the entire dissatisfaction, apparently, of their teacher, whose chief delight seemed to be to check the flow of gushing melody at a critical point, and exclaim, Try it again! Being ignorant of classical music we do not venture to give an opinion on these points, but it is important to state, as bearing on the subject in a sanitary point of view, that all the pupils usually left the class in high spirits, with the exception of Queeker, who had a voice like a cracked tea-kettle, knew no more about music than Katies catwhich he adored because it was Katiesand who went to the class, which was indebted for its discord chiefly to him, wholly and solely because Katie Durant went to it, and thus afforded him an opportunity of occasionally shaking hands with her.

On the present evening, however, being of a shy disposition, he could not bring himself to face cousin Fanny. He therefore left the hall miserable, and went home with desperate intentions as to the moon. Unfortunately that luminary was not visible, the sun having just set, but from his bedroom window, which commanded a view of the roadstead, he beheld the lantern of the Saint Nicolas Gatt floating-light, and addressed the following lines to it with all the fervour incident to a hopeless affection:

Queeker fetched a long deep-drawn sigh at this point, the agony of intense composition being for a moment relaxed. Then, catching his breath and glaring, he went on in a somewhat gentler strain

The effect of composition upon Queeker was such that when he had completed his task he felt greatly tranquillised, and, having shut up his portfolio, formed the sudden resolution of dropping in upon the Durants to tea.

Meantime, and before the love-sick youth had begun the lines above quoted, Katie and her cousin walked home by a road which conducted them close past the edge of those extensive sandy plains called the Denes of Yarmouth. Here, at the corner of a quiet street, they were arrested by the sobbing of a little boy who sat on a railing by the roadside, swaying himself to and fro in an agony of grief.

Katies sympathetic heart was instantly touched. She at once went up to the boy, and made earnest inquiries into the cause of his distress.

Please, maam, said the boy, Ive lost a shillin, and I cant find it nowheres. Oh, wot ever shall I do? My mother gave it me to give with two other bobs to my poor sick brother whom Ive comed all this way to see, and there Ive gone an lost it, an Ill ave to lay out all night in the cold, for I dursnt go to see im without the moneyboo, hoo!

Oh, how very unfortunate! exclaimed Katie with real feeling for the boy, whose soul was thus steeped to all appearance in woe unutterable, was very small, and very dirty and ragged, and had an extremely handsome intelligent face, with a profusion of wild brown curls. But I can make that up to you, poor boy, she added, drawing out her purse, here is a shilling for you. Where do you live?

At Ramsgate, maam.

At Ramsgate? exclaimed Katie in surprise, why, how did you manage to get here?

I come in a lugger, maam, as blongs to a friend o ourn. Weve just arrived, an we goes away agin to-morrow.

Indeed! That will give you little time to see your sick brother. What is the matter with him?

Oh, hes took very bad, maam. Im sorry to say hes bad altogether, maam. Bin an rund away from ome. Amost broke his mothers eart, he has, an falld sick here, he did.

The small boy paused abruptly at this point, and looked earnestly in Katies kind and pitiful face.

Where does your brother live? asked Katie.

The small boy looked rather perplexed, and said that he couldnt rightly remember the name of the street, but that the owner of the lugger knowd it. Whereat Katie seemed disappointed, and said she would have been so glad to have visited him, and given him such little comforts as his disease might warrant.

Where does your brother live? asked Katie.

The small boy looked rather perplexed, and said that he couldnt rightly remember the name of the street, but that the owner of the lugger knowd it. Whereat Katie seemed disappointed, and said she would have been so glad to have visited him, and given him such little comforts as his disease might warrant.

Oh, maam, exclaimed the small boy, looking wistfully at her with his large blue eyes, wot a pity Ive forgot it! The doctor ordered im wine tooit was as much as is life was worth not to ave wine,but of course they couldnt afford to git im wineeven cheap wine would do well enough, at two bob or one bob the bottle. If you was to give me two bobshillins I mean, maamId git it for im to-night.

Katie and her cousin conversed aside in low tones for a minute or two as to the propriety of complying with this proposal, and came to the conclusion that the boy was such a nice outspoken honest-like fellow, that it would do no harm to risk that sum in the circumstances. Two shillings were therefore put into the boys dirty little hand, and he was earnestly cautioned to take care of it, which he earnestly, and no doubt honestly, promised to do.

What is your name, boy? asked Katie, as she was about to leave him.

BillyBilly Towler, maam, answered the urchin, pulling his forelock by way of respectful acknowledgment, but my friends they calls me Walleye, chiefly in consikence o my bein wery much the rewerse of blind, maam, and niver capable of bein cotched in a state o slumber at no time.

This reply had the effect of slightly damaging the small boys character for simplicity in Katies mind, although it caused both herself and her companion to laugh.

Well, Billy, she said, opening her card-case, here is my cardgive it to your sick brother, and when he sends it to me with his address written on the back of it Ill call on him.

Thankee, maam, said the small boy.

After he had said this, he stood silently watching the retiring figure of his benefactress, until she was out of sight, and then dashing round the corner of a bye-street which was somewhat retired, he there went off into uncontrollable fits of laughterslapped his small thighs, held his lean little sides with both hands, threw his ragged cap into the air, and in various other ways gave evidence of ecstatic delight. He was still engaged in these violent demonstrations of feeling when Morley Joneshaving just landed at Yarmouth, and left the sloop Nora in charge of young Weltoncame smartly round the corner, and, applying his heavy boot to the small boys person, kicked him into the middle of the road.

Chapter Six.

The Tempter and the Tempted

What are ye howlin there for, an blockin up the Queens highway like that, you precious young villain? demanded Morley Jones.

An wot are you breakin the Queens laws for like that? retorted Billy Towler, dancing into the middle of the road and revolving his small fists in pugilistic fashion. You big hairy walrus, I dont know whether to ave you up before the beaks for assault and battery or turn to an give ee a good lickin.

Mr Jones showed all his teeth with an approving grin, and the small boy grinned in return, but still kept on revolving his fists, and warning the walrus to look hout and defend hisself if he didnt want his daylights knocked out or his bows stove in!

Youre a smart youth, you are, said Jones.

Ha! youre afraid, are you? an wants to make friends, but I wont ave it at no price. Come on, will you?

Jones, still grinning from ear to ear, made a rush at the urchin, who, however, evaded him with such ease that the man perceived he had not the smallest chance of catching him.

I say, my lad, he asked, stopping and becoming suddenly grave, where dyou come from?

I comes from where I blongs to, and where Im agoin back to wen it suits me.

Very good, retorted Jones, and I suppose you dont object to earn a little money in an easy way?

Yes, I do object, replied Billy; it aint worth my while to earn a little money in any way, no matter how easy; I never deals in small sums. A fi pun note is the lowest figur as I can stoop to.

Youll not object, however, to a gift, I daresay, remarked Jones, as he tossed a half-crown towards the boy.

Billy caught it as deftly as a dog catches a bit of biscuit, looked at it in great surprise, tossed it in the air, bit its rim critically, and finally slid it into his trousers pocket.

Well, you know, he said slowly, to obleege a friend, Im willin to accept.

Now then, youngster, if Im willing to trust that half-crown in your clutches, you may believe I have got something to say to ee worth your while listenin to; for you may see Im not the man to give it to ee out o Christian charity.

Thats true, remarked Billy, who by this time had become serious, and stood with his hands in his pockets, still, however, at a respectful distance.

Well, the fact is, said Mr Jones, that Ive bin lookin out of late for a smart lad with a light heart and a light pocket, and that aint troubled with much of a conscience.

Thats me to a tee, said Billy promptly; my arts as light as a feather, and my pocket is as light as a maginstrates wisdom. As for conscience, the last beak as I wos introdooced to said I must have bin born without a conscience altogether; an pon my honour I think he wos right, for I never felt it yet, though Ive often triedxcept once, wen Id cleaned out the pocket of a old ooman as was starin in at a shop winder in Cheapside, and she fainted dead away wen she found it out, and her little grand-darter looked so pale and pitiful that I says to myself, Hallo! Walleye, youve bin to the wrong shop this time; go an put it back, ye young dog; so I obeyed orders, an slipped back the purse while pretendin to help the old ooman. It wos risky work, though, for a bobby twigged me, and it was only my good wind and tough pair o shanks that saved me. Now, continued the urchin, knitting his brows as he contemplated the knotty point, Ive had my doubts whether that wos conscience, or a sort o natral weakness pecooliar to my constitootion. Ive half a mind to call on the Bishop of London on the point one o these days.

So, youre a city bird, observed Jones, admiringly.

Ah, and I can see that youre a provincial one, replied Billy, jingling the half-crown against the silver in his pocket.

What brings you so far out of your beat, Walleye? inquired Jones.

Oh, Im on circuit just now, makin a tower of the provinces. I tried a case just before you came up, an made three shillins out of it, besides no end o promiseswhich, unfortnately, I cant awail myself offrom a sweet young lady, with such a pleasant face, that I wished I could adopt her for a darter. But thats an expensive luxury, you see; cant afford it yet.

Well, youngster, said Jones, assuming a more grave yet off-hand air, if you choose to trust me, Ill put you in the way of makin some money without much trouble. It only requires a little false swearing, which I daresay you are used to.

No, I aint, retorted the urchin indignantly; I never tells a lie xcept wen I cant help it. Then, of course, a feller must do it!