Your name is Roby, I believe, continued the seaman, advancing, and looking so large in comparison with the little room that he seemed almost to fill it.
The little old woman admitted that that was her name.
My name, said the seaman, is Wopper, tho Im oftener called Skipper, also Cappn, by those who know me.
Mrs Roby pointed to a chair and begged Captain Wopper to sit down, which he did after bestowing a somewhat pointed glance at the chair, as if to make sure that it could bear him.
You was a nuss once, Im told, continued the seaman, looking steadily at Mrs Roby as he sat down.
I was, answered the old woman, glancing at the photographs over the chimney-piece, in the same family for many years.
Youll excuse me, maam, continued the seaman, if I appear something inquisitive, I want to make sure that Ive boarded the right craft dee seeI mean, that you are the right ooman.
A look of surprise, not unmingled with humour, beamed from Mrs Robys twinkling black eyes as she gazed steadily in the seamans face, but she made no other acknowledgment of his speech than a slight inclination of her head, which caused her tall cap to quiver. Captain Wopper, regarding this as a favourable sign, went on.
You was once, maam, Im told, before bein a nuss in the family of which youve made mention, a matron, or somethin o that sort, in a foundlin hospitalin your young days, maam?
Again Mrs Roby admitted the charge, and demanded to know, what then?
Ah, jus sothats what Im comin to, said Captain Wopper, drawing his large hand over his beard. You was present in that hospital, maam, was you not, one dark November morning, when a porter-cask was left at the door by some person unknown, who cut his cable and cleared off before the door was opened,which cask, havin on its head two Xs, and bein labelled, This side up, with care, contained two healthy little babby boys?
Mrs Roby, becoming suddenly grave and interested, again said, I was.
Jus so, continued the captain, you seem to be the right craftooman, I meanthat Im in search of. These two boys, who were supposed to be brothers, because of their each havin a brown mole of exactly the same size and shape on their left arms, just below their elbows, were named Stout, after the thing in which they was headed up, the one bein christened James, the other Willum?
Yes, yes, replied the little old woman eagerly, and a sweet lovely pair they was when the head of that barrel was took off, lookin out of the straw in which they was packed like two little cheruphims, though they did smell strong of the double X, and was a little elevated because of the fumes that ung about the wood. But how do you come to know all this, sir, and why do you ask?
Excuse me, maam, replied the sailor with a smile, which curled up his huge moustache expressively,you shall know presently, but I must make quite sure that Im aboard ofthat is to say, that you are the right ooman. May I ask, maam, what became of these two cheruphims, as youve very properly named em?
Certainly, answered Mrs Roby, the elder boywe considered him the elder, because he was the first took out of the barrelwas a stoodious lad, and clever. He got into a railway company, I believe, and became a rich manmarried a lady, Im told,and changed his name to Stoutley, so tis said, not thinkin his right name suitable to his circumstances, which, to say truth, it wasnt, because he was very thin. Ive heard it said that his family was extravagant, and that he went to California to seek his brother, and look after some property, and died there, but Im not rightly sure, for he was a close boy, and latterly I lost all knowledge of him and his family.
And the other cheruphim, Willum, said the sailor, what of him?
Ah! exclaimed Mrs Roby, a flush suffusing her wrinkled countenance, while her black eyes twinkled more than usual, he was a jewel, he was. They said in the hospital that he was a wild good-for-nothing boy, but I never thought him so. He was always fond of mevery fond of me, and I of him. It is true he could never settle to anythink, and at last ran away to sea, when about twelve year old; but he didnt remain long at that either, for when he got to California, he left his ship, and was not heard of for a long time after that. I thought he was dead or drowned, but at last I got a letter from him, enclosing money, an saying he had been up at the noo gold-diggings, an had been lucky, dear boy, and he wanted to share his luck with me, an would never, never, forget me; but he didnt need to send me money to prove that. He has continued to send me a little every year since then;ah! its many, many years now,ay, ay, many years.
She sighed, and looked wistfully at the spark of fire in the grate that was making ineffectual attempts to boil the little tea-kettle with the defiant spout; but why, she continued, looking up suddenly, why do you ask about him?
Because I knew him, replied Captain Wopper, searching for something which appeared to be lost in the depths of one of his capacious pockets. Willum Stout was a chum of mine. We worked together at the Californy gold-mines for many a year as partners, and, when at last wed made what we thought enough, we gave it up an came down to San Francisco together, an set up a hotel, under the name of the Jolly Tars, by Stout and Company. I was the Company, maam; an, for the matter o that I may say I was the Stout too, for both of us answered to the Stout or the Company, accordin as we was addressed, dee see? When Company thought hed made enough money to entitle him to a holiday, he came home, as you see; but before leavin, Willum said to him, Company, my lad, wen you get home, youll go and see that old oom of the name of Roby, whom Ive often told you about. She lives in Lunun, somewheres down by the river in a place called Grubbs Court. She was very good to me, that old oom was, when she was young, as Ive told you before. You go an give her my blessinWillums blessinand this here bag and that there letter. Yes, says I, Willum, Ill do it, my boy, as soon as ever I set futt on British soil. I did set futt on British soil this morning, and theres the letter; also the bag; so, you see, old lady, Ive kep my promise.
Captain Wopper concluded by placing a small but heavy canvas bag, and a much-soiled letter, in Mrs Robys lap.
To say that the little old woman seized the letter with eager delight, would convey but a faint idea of her feelings as she opened it with trembling hands, and read it with her bright black eyes.
She read it half aloud, mingled with commentary, as she proceeded, and once or twice came to a pause over an illegible word, on which occasions her visitor helped her to the word without looking at the letter. This circumstance struck her at last as somewhat singular, for she looked up suddenly, and said, You appear, sir, to be familiar with the contents of my letter.
Thats true, maam, replied Captain Wopper, who had been regarding the old woman with a benignant smile; Willum read it to me before I left, a-purpose to enable me to translate the ill-made pot-hooks and hangers, because, dee see, we were more used to handlin the pick and shovel out there than the pen, an Willum used to say he never was much of a dab at a letter. He never wrote you very long ones, maam, I believe?
Mrs Roby looked at the fire pensively, and said, in a low voice, as if to herself rather than her visitor, No, they were not longnever very longbut always kind and sweet to mevery sweetay, ay, its a long, long time now, a long time, since he came to me here and asked for a nights lodging.
Did you give it him, maam? asked the captain. Give it him! exclaimed Mrs Roby, with sudden energy, of course I did. The poor boy was nigh starving. How could I refuse him? It is true I had not much to give, for the family I was with as nuss had failed and left me in great distress, through my savings bein in their hands; and thats what brought me to this little room long, long agoay, ay. But no blame to the family, sir, no blame at all. They couldnt help failin, an the young ones, when they grew up, did not forget their old nuss, though they aint rich, far from it; and its what they give me that enables me to pay my rent and stay on hereGod bless em.
She looked affectionately at the daguerreotypes which hung, in the midst of the sheen and glory of pot-lids, beads, and looking-glasses, above the chimney-piece.
You gave him, meanin Willum, nothing else, I suppose? asked the captain, with a knowing look; such, for instance, as a noo suit of clothes, because of his bein so uncommon ragged that he looked as if he had bin captured in a clumsy sort of net that it would not have been difficult to break through and escape from naked; also a few shillins, bein your last, to pay his way down to Gravesend, where the ship was lyin, that you had, through interest with the owners, got him a berth aboard?
Ah! returned Mrs Roby, shaking her head and smiling gently, I see that William has told you all about it.
He has, maam, replied Captain Wopper, with a decisive nod. You see, out in the gold-fields of Californy, we had long nights together in our tent, with nothin to do but smoke our pipes, eat our grub, and spin yarns, for we had no books nor papers, nothin to read except a noo Testament, and we wouldnt have had even that, maam, but for yourself. It was the Testament you gave to Willum at partin, an very fond of it he was, bein your gift. You see, at the time we went to Californy, there warnt many of us as cared for the Word of God. Most of us was idolaters that had run away from home, our chief godsfor we had many of embein named Adventure, Excitement and Gold; though there was some noble exceptions, too. But, as I was saying, we had so much time on our hands that we recalled all our past adventures together over and over again, and, you may be sure, maam, that your name and kindness was not forgotten. There was another name, continued Captain Wopper, drawing his chair nearer the fire, crossing his legs and stroking his beard as he looked up at the dingy ceiling, that Willum often thought about and spoke of. It was the name of a gentleman, a clerk in the Customs, I believe, who saved his life one day when he fell into the river just below the bridge.
Mr Lawrence, said the old woman, promptly.
Ah! Mr Lawrence; yes, thats the name, continued the Captain. Willum was very grateful to him, and bid me try to find him out and tell him so. Is he alive?
Dead, said Mrs Roby, shaking her head sadly.
The seaman appeared much concerned on hearing this. For some time he did not speak, and then said that he had been greatly interested in that gentleman through Willums account of him.
Had he left any children?
Yes, Mrs Roby told him; one son, who had been educated as a doctor, and had become a sort of a city missionary, and was as pleasant a young gentleman as she ever knew.
So, then, you know him? said the Captain.
Know him! I should think so. Why, this is the district where he visits, and a kind friend he is to the poor, though he is bashful a bit, an seems to shrink from pushin himself where hes not wanted.
Not the less a friend to the poor on that account, thought Captain Wopper; but he said nothing, and Mrs Roby went on:
You see, his father before him did a great deal for the poor in a quiet way here, as I have reason to know, this district lying near his office, and handy, as it were. Long after the time when he saved Willums life, he married a sweet young creeter, who helped him in visitin the poor, but she caught fever among em and died, when their only son George was about ten year old. George had been goin about with his mother on her visits, and seemed very fond of her and of the people, dear child; and after she died, he used to continue coming with his father. Then he went to school and college and became a young doctor, and only last year he came back to us, so changed for the better that none of us would have known him but for his kindly voice and fine manly-looking manner. His shyness, too, has stuck to him a little, but it does not seem to hinder him now as it once did. Ah! continued Mrs Roby, in a sympathetic tone, its a great misfortune to be shy.
She looked pensively at the little fire and shook her tall cap at it, as if it or the defiant tea-kettle were answerable for something in reference to shyness.
Yes, its a great misfortune to be shy, she repeated. Were you ever troubled with that complaint, Captain Wopper?
The Captains moustache curled at the corners as he stroked his beard, and said that really, on consideration, he was free to confess that he never had been convicted of that sin.
Mrs Roby bestowed on him a look of admiration, and continued, Well, as I have said
She was interrupted at this point by the entrance of an active little girl, with the dirtiest face and sweetest expression imaginable, with garments excessively ragged, blue eyes that sparkled as they looked at you, a mouth that seemed made for kissing, if only it had been clean, and golden hair that would have fallen in clustering curls on her neck, if it had not been allowed to twist itself into something like a yellow door-mat which rendered a bonnet unnecessary.
Bestowing a glance of surprise on the seaman, but without uttering a word, she went smartly to a corner and drew into the middle of the room a round table with one leg and three feet, whose accommodating top having been previously flat against the wall, fell down horizontal and fixed itself with a snap. On this the earnest little woman, quickly and neatly, spread a fairish linen cloth, and proceeded to arrange thereon a small tea-pot and cup and saucer, with other materials, for an early tea.
Two cups, Netta, my dear, said Mrs Roby.
Yes, grannie, replied Netta, in a soft quick, little voice.
Your grandchild? asked the Captain.
No; a neighbours child, who is very kind to me. She calls me grannie, because I like it. But, as I was saying, continued Mrs Roby, young Dr Lawrence came back last year and began to visit us in the old way, intending to continue, he said, until he got a situation of some sort in the colonies, I believe; but I do hope hell not be obliged to leave us, for he has bin a great blessin to this neighbourhood, only he gets little pay for his work, I fear, and appears to have little of his own to live on, poor young man.Now, Captain Wopper, youll stop and have a cup of tea with me. I take it early, you see,in truth, I make a sort of dinner of it,and we can have a talk about William over it. Im proud to have a friend of his at my table, sir, I do assure you, though it is a poor one.
Captain Wopper accepted the invitation heartily, and thought, though he said nothing, that it was indeed a poor table, seeing that the only food on it besides the very weak tea in the wonderfully small pot, consisted of one small loaf of bread.