Certainly, I do, said Denham with a frown. I have bitter cause to know that. The loss occasioned by the wreck of the Sea-gull last winter was very severe indeed. The subject is not a pleasant one; have you any good reason for alluding to it?
I have, uncle; as you say, the loss of the Sea-gull was severe, for, besides the loss of a fine vessel and a rich cargo, there was the infinitely more terrible loss of the lives of twenty-two human beings.
As Mr Denham had not happened to think of the loss of life that occurred on the occasion, and had referred solely to the loss of ship and cargo, which, by a flagrant oversight on the part of one of his clerks, had not been insured; he made no rejoinder, and Guy, after a moments pause, went on
The effect of this calamity was so powerful on the minds of the people of Deal and Walmer, near which the wreck took place, that a public meeting was called, and a proposal made that a lifeboat should be established there.
Well? said Mr Denham.
Well, continued the youth, my mother gave a subscription; but being poor she could not give much.
Well, well, said Mr Denham impatiently.
Andand I gave a little, a very little, towards it too, said Guy.
Your salary is not large; it was very foolish of you to waste your money in this way.
Waste it, uncle!
Come, sir, what does all this tend to? said Denham, sternly.
I thoughtI hopedindeed I felt assured, said Guy earnestly, that you would give something towards this good object
Oh, did you? said the merchant, cutting him short; then, sir, allow me to say that you were never more mistaken in your life. I never give money in charity. I believe it to be a false principle, which tends to the increase of beggars and criminals. You can go now.
But consider, uncle, entreated Guy, this is no ordinary charity. A lifeboat there might be the means of saving hundreds of lives; and oh! if you could have seen, as I did, the despairing faces of these poor people as they clung to the rigging scarcely a stones-cast from the shore, on which the waves beat so furiously that no boat except a lifeboat could have lived for a moment; if you could have heard, as I did, the wild shriek of despair as the masts went by the board, and plunged every living soul into the raging sea, I am certain that you would gladly give a hundred pounds or more towards this philanthropic object.
Nephew, said Denham, I will not give a sixpence. Your inexperience and enthusiasm lead you astray, sir, in this matter. Lifeboats are capable of being upset as well as ordinary boats, and there are cases on record in which the crews of them have been drowned as well as the people whom they recklessly went out to save. My opinion is, that persons who devote themselves to a sea-faring life must make up their minds to the chances and risks attending such a life. Now you have my answergood-bye, and give my best regards to your sister. I will expect you back next Saturday week.
I have still another favour to ask, sir, said Guy, after some hesitation.
Has it anything to do with what you are pleased to term a philanthropic object?
It has.
Then, said Mr Denham, save me the trouble of refusing, and yourself the pain of a refusal, by holding your tongue,and retiring.
Guy coloured, and was about to turn away in disgust, but, repressing his indignation by a powerful effort, he advanced with a cheerful countenance, and held out his hand.
Well, good-bye, uncle. If ever you go to the coast, and happen to see a storm and a shipwreck, youll change your mind, I think, in regard to this matter.
Mr Denham did go to the coast, and, did see a storm and a shipwreck, but whether this prediction ever came true is a point that shall not be revealed at this part of our narrative.
Chapter Two.
In Which more Important Personages are Introduced, and Display their Characters by their Actions More or Less
The Three Jolly Tars was one of those low taverns where seamen were wont to congregatenot because it was a low tavern, but because there was no other sort of tavernhigh or lowin that neighbourhood.
The world (that is to say, the delicately-nurtured and carefully-tended world) is apt to form erroneous opinions in regard to low taverns, and degradation, and sin in general,arising from partial ignorance and absolute inexperience, which it is important that we should correct in order that the characters of our story may not be falsely judged. God forbid that it should be for a moment supposed that we have a word to say in favour of low taverns. Our aim just now is, not to consider these, but, to convince the reader, if possible, that every man who enters one of them is not necessarily a lost or utterly depraved creature.
It is undoubtedly true that these low taverns are moral pig-sties. Nay, we owe an apology to the pigs for the comparison. Sties appear to be places of abode suited to the nature and tastes of their occupants, and the grumps who inhabit them seem not only to rejoice in them (for this alone would be no argument, inasmuch as the same may be affirmed of men who rejoice in low taverns), but to be utterly incapable of higher enjoyment out of them. Let a pig out of his stye, afford him every conceivable opportunity of intellectual and physical improvement, and he will carefully search out the nearest mudholeunhappy until he finds itwill thrust not only his nose but his body into it, and will find supreme enjoyment in wallowing in the mire; and no blame to him for this; he is grumpish by nature. Yes, a low tavern is beneath the level of a pig-stye!
Nevertheless, as it is possible that, for a time, man may, through sin, or circumstances, or both, be reduced to such a condition as to take shelter in a pig-stye, without exposing himself to the charge of being a pig; so, it is possible that a man may frequent a low tavern, not without detriment, but, without becoming thereby worthy of being classed with the lowest of the low. Do not misunderstand us, gentle reader. We do not wish in the slightest degree to palliate the coarse language, the debasement, the harsh villainy, which shock the virtuous when visiting the haunts of poverty. Our simple desire is to assure the sceptical that goodness and truth are sometimes found in strange questionable places, although it is undoubtedly true that they do not deliberately search out such places for an abode, but prefer a pure atmosphere and pleasant companionship if they can get it.
It must not be supposed, then, that our friend John Baxsometimes called captain, sometimes skipper, not unfrequently mister, but most commonly Bax, without any modificationwas a hopeless castaway, because he was found by his friend Guy Foster in a room full of careless foul-mouthed seamen, eating his bread and cheese and drinking his beer in an atmosphere so impregnated with tobacco smoke that he could scarcely see, and so redolent of gin that he could scarcely smell the smoke!
In those days there were not so many sailors homes and temperance coffee-houses as there are now. In the locality about which we write there were none. If Jack wanted his lunch or his dinner he found the low tavern almost the only place in which he could get it comfortably. Tobacco smoke was no objection to him;he rather liked it. Swearing did not shock him;he was used to it. Gentle folk are apt to err here too. Being shocked at gross sin does not necessarily imply goodness of heart; it implies nothing more than the being unused to witness gross sin. Goodness of heart may go along with this capacity of being shocked, so, equally, may badness of heart; but neither of them is implied by it.
What a grand thing is truthsimple abstract truth! and yet how little do we appreciate it in regard to the inconceivably important matter of reasoning. We analyse our chemicals and subject them to the severest tests in order to ascertain their true properties;truth is all we aim at; but how many of us can say that we analyse our thoughts and subject our reasoning to the test of logic in order simply to ascertain the truth.
Smoke for ever! I say, Bill, open that there port a bit, else well be choked, cried a stentorian voice, as Guy entered the little apartment, where some dozen of noisy sailors were creating the cloud, which was a little too strong for them.
For some moments Guy glanced round inquiringly, unable to pierce the dim curtain that enshrouded everything, as with a veil of dirty gauze.
Lost your reckoning, I guess, drawled a Yankee skipper.
Never mind, let go your anchor, my lad, cried a voice from the densest quarter of the smoke, its not a bad berth, and good holdin ground.
Whatll you take to drink, my boy, supposin you gits the offer? inquired another man, giving him a facetious poke in the ribs.
Is John Bax here? inquired Guy.
Hallo, messmatehere you are, port your helm and heave a-headsteady! rocks to leeward; starboard hard! ah, I knew youd never clear these rocks without touchin, said Bax, as his young friend tripped over three or four spittoons, and plunged into the corner from which the sailors deep bass voice issued. There now, sit down; whatll you have?
Nothing, Bax; what a horrible hole to feed in! Couldnt you come out and talk with me in the fresh air?
It must indeed have been a wonderfully impure place when Guy could venture by contrast to speak of the air outside as being fresh.
Couldnt do it, my lad, replied Bax, with his mouth full. I havent had a bit since six oclock this morning, and Im only half through.
The fact was evident, for a large plate of biscuit and cheese stood on the small table before the seaman, with a tumbler of hot gin and water. So Guy sat down, and, observing that the waiter stood at his elbow, ordered half a pint of stout. Guy did not drink spirits, but he had no objection to beer, so he took occasion to remonstrate with Bax on his tendency to drink gin, and recommended beer instead, as it would do him more good. It did not occur to Guy that a young man in robust health does not require physical good to be done to him at all, beyond what food, and rest, and exercise can achieve, and that, therefore, artificial stimulant of any kind is unnecessary!
Skipper ahoy! shouted, a gruff voice in the doorway.
Ay, ay! cried several of the party in reply.
Is John Bax in this here port?
Here you are, replied the man in request, port your helm, old boy! rocks on the lee bow, look out!
Steady, so, said a fat burly seaman, as he steered in obedience to these sailing directions, and finally cast anchor beside our two friends.
How are ye, Captain Bluenose? said Bax, holding out his hand.
Same to you, lad, replied the Captain, seizing the offered hand in his own enormous fist, which was knotty and fleshy, seamed with old cuts and scars, and stained with tar. Hallo! Guy, is this you? he added, turning suddenly to the youth. Why, whod a thought to see you here? I do blieve I hant seen ye since the last time down at the coast. But, I say, Guy, my boy, you hant took to drinkin, have ye?
No, Captain, said Guy, with a smile, nothing stronger than beer, and not much of that. I merely came here to meet Bax.
Captain Bluenosewhose name, by the way, had no reference to his nose, for that was small and redscratched his chin and stared into vacancy, as if he were meditating.
Why, boy, he said at length, seems to me as if youd as good cause to suspec me of drinkin as I have to suspec you, cause were both here, dye see? Howsever, Ive been cruisin after the same craft, an so weve met, dye see, an thats natral, so it is.
Well, and now you have found me, what dye want with me? said Bax, finishing the bread and cheese, and applying to the gin and water.
Shipmet, Im goin home, and wants a berth a-board the Nancy, said Bluenose.
Couldnt do it, Captain, said Bax, shaking his head, gainst rules.
Ill go as a hextra handa suppernummerary, urged the Captain.
Why, Captain, said Guy, is it not strange that I should have come here to make the very same request? Come, Bax, youre a good fellow, and will take us both. I will guarantee that my uncle will not find fault with you.
Ah, that alters the case, said Bax, if you choose to take the responsibility on your own shoulders, Guy, youre welcome to the best berth a-board the old Nancy. Dye know, Ive a fondness for that old craft, though she is about as unseaworthy a schooner as sails out o the port of London. You see, shes the only craft bigger than a Deal lugger that I ever had command of. Shes my first love, is the old Nancy, and I hope we wont have to part for many a day.
Quite right, young man, said Captain Bluenose, nodding his head approvingly, and filling his pipe from a supply of tobacco he always carried in the right pocket of his capacious blue waistcoat. The Captain gazed with a look of grave solemnity in the manly countenance of the young sailor, for whom he entertained feelings of unbounded admiration. He had dandled Bax on his knee when he was a baby, had taught him to make boats and to swim and row when he became a boy, and had sailed with him many a time in the same lugger when they put off in wild storms to rescue lives or property from ships wrecked on the famous Goodwin Sands.
Quite right, young man, repeated the Captain, as he lighted his pipe, your sentiments does you credit. Wen a mans got his first love, dye see, an finds as how shes all trim and ship-shape, and taut, and well ballasted, and all that sort o thing, stick to her to the last, through thick and thin. Thats wot I say, dye see? Theres no two ways about it, for wots right cant be wrong. If it can, show me how, and then Ill knock under, but not before.
Certainly not, Captain, cried Bax, laughing, never give inthats my motto.
There, said Bluenose, gravely, youre wrongcause why? Youre not right, an wen a mans not right he ought always to give in.
But how is a fellow to know when hes right and when hes wrong? asked Bax.
Con-sideration, said Bluenose.
Bravo! Captain, cried Guy, with a laugh, if it be true that brevity is the soul of wit, you must be the wittiest fellow on Deal beach.
I dun-know, retorted the Captain, slowly, whether its the soul or the body o wit, an wots more, I dont care; but its a fact, dye see, that considerationll do it; least-wise if consideration wont, nothin will. See now, here it is,(he became very earnest at this point),wen a thing puzzles people, wot does people do? why, they begins right off to talk about it, an state their opinions afore they hant got no opinions to state. Praps they takes the puzzler up by the middle an talks wild about that part of it; then they give a look at the end of it, an mayhap theyll come back and glance at the beginnin, mayhap they wont, and then theyll tell you as grave as owls that theyve made up their minds about it, and so nail their colours to the mast.