Its a snug berth, you see, said the Captain, stumbling among the dusty lumber, and knocking his head against the beams, wants cleaning up, tho, and puttin to rights a bit, but Ill soon manage that; and when I git the dirt and cobwebs cleared away, glass putt in the port-holes, and a whitewash on the roof and walls, itll be a cabin fit for an admiral. See what a splendid view of the river! Just suited to a seafarin man.
Capital! cried Lawrence, going down on his knees to obtain the view referred to. Rather low in the roof, however, dont you think?
Low? not at all! exclaimed the Captain. Its nothin to what Ive been used to on the coastin trade off Californy. Why, Ive had to live in cabins so small that a tall man couldnt keep his back straight when he was sittin on the lockers; but we didnt sit much in em; we was chiefly used to go into em to lie down. This is a palace to such cabins.
The doctor expressed satisfaction at finding that his new charitable contributor took such enlarged views of a pigeon-hole, and, promising to pay him another visit when the cabin should have been put to rights, said good-bye, and went to relieve the wants of the sick woman.
As the captain accompanied him along the passage, they heard the voice and step of poor Mrs Levens dissipated son, as he came stumbling and singing up the stair.
He was a stout good-looking youth, and cast a half impudent half supercilious look at Captain Wopper on approaching. He also bestowed a nod of careless recognition on Dr Lawrence.
Thinking it better to be out of the way, the Captain said good-bye again to his friend, and returned to the cabin, where he expressed to Mrs Roby the opinion that, that young feller Leven was goin to the dogs at railway speed.
Thereafter he went aloft, and, as he expressed it, rigged himself out, in a spruce blue coat with brass buttons; blue vest and trousers to match; a white dicky with a collar attached and imitation carbuncle studs down the front. To these he added a black silk neckerchief tied in a true sailors knot but with the ends separated and carefully tucked away under his vest to prevent their interfering with the effulgence of the carbuncle studs; a pair of light shoes with a superabundance of new tie; a green silk handkerchief, to be carried in his hat, for the purpose of mopping his forehead when warm, and a red silk ditto to be carried in his pocket for the benefit of his nose. In addition to the studs, Captain Wopper wore, as ornaments, a solid gold ring, the rude workmanship of which induced the belief that he must have made it himself, and a large gold watch, with a gold chain in the form of a cable, and a rough gold nugget attached to it in place of a seal or key. We class the watch among simple ornaments because, although it wentvery demonstratively too, with a loud self-asserting tickits going was irregular and uncertain. Sometimes it went too slow without apparent cause. At other times it went too fast without provocation. Frequently it struck altogether, and only consented to resume work after a good deal of gentle and persuasive threatening to wind it the wrong way. It had chronic internal complaints, too, which produced sundry ominous clicks and sounds at certain periods of the day. These passed off, however, towards evening. Occasionally such sounds rushed as it were into a sudden whirr and series of convulsions, ending in a dead stop, which was an unmistakeable intimation to the Captain that something vital had given way; that the watch had gone into open mutiny, and nothing short of a visit to the watchmaker could restore it to life and duty.
Im off now, said the Captain, descending when he was fully rigged. What about the door-key, mother?youve no objection to my calling you mother, have you?
None whatever, Captain, replied Mrs Roby, with a pleasant smile, an old friend of William may call me whatever he pleasesshort, she added after momentary pause, of swearin.
Trust me, Ill stop short of that. You see, old lady, I never knowd a mother, and I should like to try to feel what its like to have one. Its true Im not just a lad, but you are old enough to be my mother for all that, so Ill make the experiment. But what about the key of the door, mother? I cant expect you to let me in, you know.
Just lock it, and take the key away with you, said Mrs Roby.
But what if a fire should break out? said the Captain, with a look of indecision.
Im not afraid of fire. Weve got a splendid brigade and plenty of fire-escapes, and a good kick from a fireman would open my door without a key.
Mother, youre a trump! Ill lock you in and leave you with an easy mind
He stopped abruptly, and Mrs Roby asked what was the matter.
Well, its what I said about an easy mind that threw me all aback, replied the Captain, for to tell ee the truth, I havent got an easy mind.
Not done anything wicked, I hope? said Mrs Roby, anxiously.
No, no; nothin o that sort; but there is somethin lyin heavy on my mind, and I dont see why I shouldnt make a confidant o you, bein my mother, dee see; and, besides, it consarns Willum.
The old woman looked eagerly at her lodger as he knitted his brows in perplexity and smoothed down his forelock.
Heres where it is, he continued, drawing his chair closer to that of Mrs Roby; when Willum made me his exikooter, so to speak, he said to me, Wopper, says he, Im not one o them fellers that holds on to his cash till he dies with it in his pocket. Ive got neither wife nor chick, as you know, an so, wot I means to do is to give the bulk of it to them that I love while Im alivedee see? I do, Willum, says I. Well then, says he, besides them little matters that I axed you to do for me, I want you to take partikler notice of two people. One is the man as saved my life wen I was a youngster, or, if hes dead, take notice of his childn. The other is that sweet young creeter, Emma Gray, who has done the correspondence with me so long for my poor brother. You keep a sharp look-out an find out how these two are off for money. If Emmas rich, of course its no use to give her what she dont need, and Ill give the most of what Ive had the good fortune to dig up here to old Mr Lawrence, or his family, for my brothers widow, bein rich, dont need it. If both Emma and Lawrence are rich, why then, just let me know, and Ill try to hit on some other plan to make away with it, for you know well enough I couldnt use it all upon myself without going into wicked extravagance, and my dear old Mrs Roby wouldnt know what to do with so much cash if I sent it to her. Now, you promise to do this for me? says he. Willum, says I, I do.
Now, mother, continued the Captain, what troubles me is this, that instead o findin Miss Emma rich, and Mr Lawrence poor, or wice wersa, or findin em both rich, I finds em both poor. Thats where my difficulty lies.
Mrs Roby offered a prompt solution of this difficulty by suggesting that William should divide the money between them.
That would do all well enough, returned the Captain, if there were no under-currents drivin the ship out of her true course. But you see, mother, I find that the late Mr Stoutleys family is also poorat least in difficultiesalthough they live in great style, and seem to be rich; and from what I heard the other day, I know that the son is given to gamblin, and the mother seems to be extravagant, and both of em are ready enough to sponge on Miss Emma, who is quite willinfar too willinto be sponged upon, so that whatever Willum gave to her would be just thrown away. Now the question is, continued the Captain, looking seriously at the kettle with the defiant spout, what am I to advise Willum to do?
Advise him, replied Mrs Roby, promptly, to give all the money to Dr Lawrence, and get Dr Lawrence to marry Miss Gray, and so theyll both get the whole of it.
A beaming smile crossed the Captains visage.
Not a bad notion, mother; but what if Dr Lawrence, after gettin the money, didnt want to marry Miss Gray?
Get him to marry her first and give the money afterwards, returned Mrs Roby.
Ay, that might do, replied the Captain, nodding slowly, only it may be that a man without means may hesitate about marryin a girl without means, especially if he didnt want her, and she didnt want him. I dont quite see how to get over all these difficulties.
Theres only one way of getting over them, said Mrs Roby, and that is, by bringin the young people together, and givin em a chance to fall in love.
True, true, mother, but, so far as I know, Dr Lawrence dont know the family. We couldnt, said the Captain, looking round the room, dubiously, ask em to take a quiet cup of tea here with useh? You might ask Dr Lawrence, as your medical man, and I might ask Miss Emma, as an old friend of her uncle, quite in an off-hand way, you know, as if by chance. Theyd never see through the dodge, and would fall in love at once, perhapseh?
Captain Wopper said all this in a dubious tone, looking at the defiant kettle the while, as if propitiating its favourable reception of the idea, but it continued defiant, and hissed uncompromisingly, while its mistress laughed outright.
Youre not much of a match-maker, I see, she said, on recovering composure. No, Captain, it wouldnt do to ask em here to tea.
Well, well, said the Captain, rising, well let match-makin alone for the present. Its like tryin to beat to windard against a cyclone. The best way is to square the yards, furl the sails, and scud under bare poles till its over. Its blowin too hard just now for me to make headway, so Ill wear ship and scud.
In pursuance of this resolve, Captain Wopper put on his wide-awake, locked up his mother, and went off to dine at the west end.
Chapter Five.
In which Several Important Matters are arranged, and Gillie White undergoes some Remarkable and hitherto Unknown Experiences
It is not necessary to inflict on the reader Mrs Stoutleys dinner in detail; suffice it to say, that Captain Wopper conducted himself, on the whole, much more creditably than his hostess had anticipated, and made himself so entertaining, especially to Lewis, that that young gentleman invited him to accompany the family to Switzerland, much to the amusement of his cousin Emma and the horror of his mother, who, although she enjoyed a private visit of the Captain, did not relish the thought of his becoming a travelling companion of the family. She pretended not to hear the invitation given, but when Lewis, knowing full well the state of her mind, pressed the invitation, she shook her head at him covertly and frowned. This by-play her son pretended not to see, and continued his entreaties, the Captain not having replied.
Now, do come with us, Captain Wopper, he said; it will be such fun, and we should all enjoy you so muchwouldnt we, Emma? (Yes, indeed, from Emma); and it would just be suited to your tastes and habits, for the fine, fresh air of the mountains bears a wonderful resemblance to that of the sea. Youve been accustomed no doubt to climb up the shrouds to the crosstrees; well, in Switzerland, you may climb up the hills to any sort of trees you like, and get shrouded in mist, or tumble over a precipice and get put into your shroud altogether; and
Really, Lewie, you ought to be ashamed of making such bad puns, interrupted his mother. Doubtless it would be very agreeable to have Captain Wopper with us, but I am quite sure it would be anything but pleasant for him to travel through such a wild country with such a wild goose as you for a companion.
You have modestly forgotten yourself and Emma, said Lewis; but come, let the Captain answer for himself. You know, mother, it has been your wish, if not your intention, to get a companion for me on this tripa fellow older than myselfa sort of travelling tutor, who could teach me something of the geology and botany of the country as we went along. Well, the Captain is older than me, I think, which is one of the requisites, and he could teach me astronomy, no doubt, and show me how to box the compass; in return for which, I could show him how to box an adversarys nose, as practised by the best authorities of the ring. As to geology and botany, I know a little of these sciences already, and could impart my knowledge to the Captain, which would have the effect of fixing it more firmly in my own memory; and every one knows that it is of far greater importance to lay a good, solid groundwork of education, than to build a showy, superficial structure, on a bad foundation. Come, then, Captain, you see your advantages. This is the last time of asking. If you dont speak now, henceforth and for ever hold your tongue.
Well, my lad, said the Captain, with much gravity, Ive turned the thing over in my mind, and since Mrs Stoutley is so good as to say it would be agreeable to her, I think Ill accept your invitation!
Bravo! Captain, youre a true blue; come, have another glass of wine on the strength of it.
No wine, thank ee, said the Captain, placing his hand over his glass, Ive had my beer; and I make it a rule never to mix my liquor. Excuse me, maam, he continued, addressing his hostess, your son made mention of a tootera travellin tooter; may I ask if youve provided yourself with one yet!
Not yet, answered Mrs Stoutley, feeling, but not looking, a little surprised at the question, I have no young friend at present quite suited for the position, and at short notice it is not easy to find a youth of talent willing to go, and on whom one can depend. Can you recommend one?
Mrs Stoutley accompanied the question with a smile, for she put it in jest. She was, therefore, not a little surprised when the Captain said promptly that he couldthat he knew a young mana doctorwho was just the very ticket (these were his exact words), a regular clipper, with everything about him trim, taut, and ship-shape, who would suit every member of the family to a tee!
A hearty laugh from every member of the family greeted the Captains enthusiastic recommendation, and Emma exclaimed that he must be a most charming youth, while Lewis pulled out pencil and note-book to take down his name and address.
You are a most valuable friend at this crisis in our affairs, said Lewis, Ill make mother write to him immediately.
But have a care, said the Captain, that you never mention who it was that recommended him. Im not sure that he would regard it as a compliment. You must promise me that.
I promise, said Lewis, and whatever I promise mother will fulfil, so make your mind easy on that head. Now, mother, I shouldnt wonder if Captain Wopper could provide you with that other little inexpensive luxury you mentioned this morning. Dyou think you could recommend a page?
Whats a page, lad?
What! have you never heard of a pagea page in buttons? asked Lewis in surprise.
Never, replied the Captain, shaking his head.
Why, a page is a small boy, usually clad in blue tights, to make him look as like a spider as possible, with three rows of brass buttons up the front of his jackettwo of the rows being merely ornamental, and going over his shoulders. He usually wears a mans hat for the sake of congruity, and is invariably as full of mischief as an egg is of meat. Can you find such an article?