So saying, Gorman went out, and slammed the door after him.
Meanwhile, Miss Matty Merryon, having purchased a small phial of turpentine, returned to Number 6, and ushered Willie Willders into the presence of her mistress.
Miss Emelina Tippet was neither tall nor stiff, nor angular nor bony; on the contrary, she was little and plump, and not bad-looking. And people often wondered why Miss Tippet was Miss Tippet and was not Mrs Somebody-else. Whatever the reason was, Miss Tippet never divulged it, so we wont speculate about it here.
A note, boy, from Mr Auberly? exclaimed Miss Tippet, with a beaming smile; give it methank you.
She opened it and read attentively, while Master Willie glanced round the parlour and took mental notes. Miss Emma Ward sat down on a stool in the window, ostensibly to do sums, but really to draw faces, all of which bore a strong caricatured resemblance to Willie, at whom she glanced slyly over the top of her slate.
Matty remained standing at the door to hear what the note was about. She did not pretend to busy herself about anything. There was no subterfuge in Matty. She had been Miss Tippets confidential servant before entering the service of Mr Auberly, and her extremely short stay in Beverly Square had not altered that condition. She had come to feel that she had a right to know all Miss Tippets affairs, and so waited for information.
Ah! exclaimed Miss Tippet, still reading, yes; get him a situation in your brothers office, (oh, certainly, Ill be sure to get that); he seems smart, I might almost say impu Ahem! Yes, well.
Boy, said Miss Tippet, turning suddenly to Willie, your name is William Willders, I believe?
Yes, maam.
Well, William, Mr Auberly, my relative, asks me to get you into my brothersmy brothers, whats is nameoffice. Of course, I shall be happy to try. I am always extremely happy to do anything foryes, I suppose of course you can write, and, what dye call itcountyou can do arithmetic?
Yes, maam, replied Willie.
And you can spelleh? I hope you can spell, Edward, aI mean Thomasis it, or William?
Miss Tippet looked at Willie so earnestly and put this question in tones so solemn that he was much impressed, and felt as if all his earthly hopes hung on his reply, so he admitted that he could spell.
Good, continued Miss Tippet. You are, I suppose, in rather poor circumstances. Is your father poor?
Hes dead, maam; was drowned.
Oh! shocking, thats very sad. Was your mother drowned, too?
No, maam, shes alive and wellat least shes well for her, but she ant over strong. Thats why I want to get work, that I may help her; and she wants me to be a clerk in a office, but Id rather be a fireman. You couldnt make me a fireman, could you, maam?
At this point Willie caught Miss Ward gazing intently at him over the top of her slate, so he threw her into violent confusion by winking at her.
No, boy, I cant make you a fireman. Strange wishwhy dyou want to be one?
Cause its such jolly fun, replied Willie; with real enthusiasm, reglar bangin crashin sort o workas good as fightin any day! An my brother Franks a fireman. Such a one, too, youve no notion; six fut four he is, an as strong asoh, why, maam, he could take you up in one hand, maam, an twirl you round his head like an old hat! He was at the fire in Beverly Square last night.
This speech was delivered with such vehemence, contained so many objectionable sentiments, and involved such a dreadful supposition in regard to the treatment of Miss Tippets person, that the worthy lady was shocked beyond all expression. The concluding sentence, however, diverted her thoughts.
Ah! was he indeed at that sad fire, and did he help to put it out?
Sure, an he did more than that, exclaimed Matty, regarding the boy with sudden interest. If that was yer brother that saved Miss Loo hes a raal man
Saved Loo! cried Miss Tippet; was it your brother that saved Loo?
Yes, maam, it was.
Bless him; he is a noble fellow, and I have great pleasure in taking you by the hand for his sake.
Miss Tippet suited the action to the word, and seized Willies hand, which she squeezed warmly. Matty Merryon, with tears in her eyes, embraced him, and said that she only wished she had the chance of embracing his brother, too. Then they all said he must stay to lunch, as it was about lunchtime, and Miss Tippet added that he deserved to have been born in a higher position in lifeat least his brother did, which was the same thing, for he was a true whats-is-name, who ought to be crowned with thingumyjigs.
Emma, who had latterly been looking at Willie with deepening respect, immediately crowned him with laurels on the slate, and then Matty rushed away for the lunch-trayrejoicing in the fire, that had sent her back so soon to the old mistress whom she never wanted to leave; that had afforded scope for the display of such heroism, and had brought about altogether such an agreeable state of unwonted excitation.
Just as the party were on the point of sitting down to luncheon, the street-door knocker was applied to the door with an extremely firm touch.
Miss Deemas! exclaimed Miss Tippet. Oh! Im so glad. Rush, Matty.
Matty rushed, and immediately there was a sound on the wooden passage as of a gentleman with heavy boots. A moment later, and Matty ushered in a very tall, broad-shouldered, strapping lady; if we may venture to use that expression in reference to one of the fair sex.
Miss Deemas was a sort of human eagle. She had an eagle eye, an aquiline nose, an eagle flounce, and an eagle heart. Going up to Miss Tippet, she put a hand on each of her shoulders, and stooping down, pecked her, so to speak, on each cheek.
How are you, my dear? said Miss Deemas, not by any means tenderly; but much in the tone in which one would expect to have ones money or ones life demanded.
Quite well, dear Julia, and so glad to see you. It is so good of you to take me by surprise this way; just at lunch-time, too. Another plate and knife, Matty. This is a little boya friendnot exactly a friend, but aa thingumy, you know.
No, I dont know, Emelina, what is the precise thingumy you refer to this time, said the uncompromising and matter-of-fact Miss Deemas.
Youre so particular, dear Julia, replied Miss Tippet with a little sigh; a whats-is-n, a protégé, you know.
Indeed, said Miss Deemas, regarding Willie with a severe frown, as if in her estimation all protégés were necessarily villains.
Yes, dear Julia, and, would you believe it, that this boys brother-in-law
Brother, maam, interrupted Willie.
Yes, brother, actually saved my darlings life last night, at thethe thing in Beverly Square.
What darlings life, and what thing in Beverly Square? demanded Miss Deemas.
What! have you not heard of the fire last night in Beverly Squaremy relative, James Auberlyliving there with his familyall burnt to ashesand my sweet Loo, too? A whats-is-name was brought, and a brave fireman went up it, through fire and water and smoke. Young Auberly went up before him and fellheat and suffocationand saved her in his arms, and his name is Frank, and hes this boys brother-in-law!
What! have you not heard of the fire last night in Beverly Squaremy relative, James Auberlyliving there with his familyall burnt to ashesand my sweet Loo, too? A whats-is-name was brought, and a brave fireman went up it, through fire and water and smoke. Young Auberly went up before him and fellheat and suffocationand saved her in his arms, and his name is Frank, and hes this boys brother-in-law!
To this brief summary, given with much excitement, Miss Deemas listened with quiet composure, and then said with grim sarcasm, and very slowly:
Let me see; there was a fire in Beverly Square last night, and James Auberly, living there with his family, were all burned to ashes.
Miss Tippet here interrupted with, No, no; but her stern friend imposing silence, with an eagle look, continued:
All burned to ashes, and also your sweet Loo. A whats-his-name having been brought, a brave fireman goes up it, and apparently never comes down again (burned to ashes also, I fancy); but young Auberly, who went up before him, and fellheat and suffocation being the resultsaved some one named her in his arms; his name being Frank (owing no doubt to his having been re-baptised, for ever since I knew him he has been named Frederick), and he is this boys brother-in-law!
By way of putting an extremely fine point on her sarcasm, Miss Deemas turned to Willie, with a very condescending air, and said:
Pray, when did your sister marry Mr Frederick Auberly?
Willie, with a face of meekness, that can only be likened to that of a young turtle-dove, replied:
Please, maam, it isnt my sister as has married Mr Auberly; but its my brother, Frank Willders, as hopes to marry Miss Loo Auberly, on account o havin saved her life, wen she comes of age, maam.
Miss Deemas stood aghast, or rather sat aghast, on receiving this reply, and scanned Willies face with one of her most eagle glances; but that small piece of impudence wore an expression of weak good-nature, and winked its eyes with the humility of a subdued pup, while Miss Tippet looked half-horrified and half-amused; Matty grinned, and Emma squeaked through her nose.
Boy, said Miss Deemas severely, your looks belie you.
Yes, maam, answered Willie, my mother always said I wasnt half so bad as I looked; and shes aware that Im absent from home.
At this point Willie allowed a gleam of intelligence to shoot across his face, and he winked to Emma, who thereupon went into private convulsions in her handkerchief.
Emelina, said Miss Deemas solemnly, let me warn you against that boy. He is a bad specimen of a bad sex. He is a precocious type of that base, domineering, proud and perfidious creature that calls itself lord of creation, and which, in virtue of its superior physical power, takes up every position in life worth having, (except that of wife and mother, meekly suggested Miss Tippet), worth having (repeated the eagle sternly, as if the position of wife and mother were not worth having), worth having, and leaves nothing for poor weak-bodied, though not weak-minded woman to do, except sew and teach brats. Bah! I hate men, and they hate me, I know it, and I would not have it otherwise. I wish they had never been made. I wish there had been none in the world but women. What a blessed world it would have been then!
Miss Deemas hit the table with her hand, in a masculine manner, so forcibly, that the plates and glasses rattled, then she resumed, for she was now on a favourite theme, and was delivering a lecture to a select audience.
But, mark you, Im not going to be put down by men. I mean to fight em with their own weapons. I mean to
She paused suddenly at this point, and, descending from her platform, advised Miss Tippet to dismiss the boy at once.
Poor Miss Tippet prepared to do so. She was completely under the power of Miss Deemas, whom, strange to say, she loved dearly. She really believed that they agreed with each other on most points, although it was quite evident that they were utterly opposed to each other in everything. Wherein the bond lay no philosopher could discover. Possibly it lay in the fact that they were absolute extremes, and, in verification of the proverb, had met.
Be this as it may, a note was quickly written to her brother, Thomas Tippet, Esquire, which was delivered to Willie, with orders to take it the following evening to London Bridge, in the neighbourhood of which Mr Tippet dwelt and carried on his business.
Chapter Eight
A Hidden Fire
In the afternoon of the following day Willie set off to the City in quest of Mr Thomas Tippet. Having to pass the King Street fire station, he resolved to look in on his brother.
The folding-doors of the engine-house were wide open, and the engine itself, clean and business-like, with its brass-work polished bright, stood ready for instant action. Two of the firemen were conversing at the open door, while several others could be seen lounging about inside. In one of the former Willie recognised the strong man who had collared him on a well-remembered occasion.
Please, sir, said Willie, going up to him, is Frank Willders inside?
Why, youngster, said Dale, laying his hand on Willies head, aint you the boy that pulled our bell for a lark the other night?
Yes, sir, I am; but you let me off, you know, so I hope you wont bear me ill-will now.
That depends on how you behave in future, said Dale with a laugh; but what dyou want with Frank Willders?
I want to see him. Hes my brother.
Oh, indeed! Youll find him inside.
Willie entered the place with feelings of interest, for his respect for firemen had increased greatly since he had witnessed their recent doings at the Beverly Square fire.
He found his brother writing at the little desk that stood in the window, while five or six of his comrades were chatting by the fire, and a group in a corner were playing draughts, and spinning yarns of their old experiences. All assisted in loading the air with tobacco-smoke.
The round cloth caps worn by the men gave them a much more sailor-like and much less fireman-like appearance than the helmets, which, with their respective hatchets, hung on the walls, rendering the apartment somewhat like a cavalry guard-room. This change in the head-piece, and the removal of the hatchet, was the only alteration in their costume in what may be styled times of peace. In other respects they were at all times accoutred, and in readiness to commence instant battle with the flames.
Hallo, Blazes! how are ye? said Willie, touching his brother on the shoulder.
That you, Willie? said Frank, without looking up from his work. Where away now?
Come to tell ye theres a fire, said Willie, with a serious look.
Eh? what dye mean? asked Frank, looking at his brother, as if he half believed he was in earnest.
I mean what I saya fire here, said Willie, solemnly striking his breast with his clenched fist, here in Heart Street, Buzzum Square, ragin like fury, and all the ingins o the fire brigade, includin the float, couldnt put it out, no, nor even so much as squeanch it!
Then its of no use our turning out, I suppose? said Frank with a smile, as he wiped his pen; what set it alight, lad?
A wax doll with flaxen hair and blue eyes, answered Willie; thems the things as has all along done for me. When I was a boy I falled in love with a noo wax doll every other day. Not that I ever owned one myself; I only took a squint at em in toy-shop winders, and they always had flaxen hair and blue peepers. Now that Ive become a man, Ive bin an falled in love with a livin wax doll, an shes got flaxen hair an blue eyes; moreover, she draws.