Part 12 (1/2)
CHAPTER NINE.
Mr b.u.t.terfield's office--My future prospects--I again visit the ”Emu”--Aunt Deb's good advice--I rebel--All sailors are not beggars-- My next visit to the ”Emu”--Shall I stow myself away?--Conflicting ideas--Looking over the s.h.i.+p, I meet with an accident--Once more a prisoner--The hold of the ”Emu”--Not a stowaway--My possible fate--No bones broken--”The blue above and the blue below”--Perseverance conquers all difficulties--On the high seas--Sea-sick--On the kelson-- I give way to despair--”Help! Help!”--The yarn of Sam Switch's ghost--I feel the pangs of hunger--I review my past life--Never say die--Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink--My efforts meet with some success.
Aunt Deb made her appearance at the breakfast-table, but nothing was said about my plans for the future. As soon as I had finished, Mr b.u.t.terfield, looking at his watch, told me to run out for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, and said that when I came back he would take me down with him to his office.
”I shall not keep you there,” he remarked; ”you will afterwards come back to your aunt, who will probably find something for you to do.”
I obeyed, and as soon as I got out of the house I ran off in the direction of the country. I wanted to see green fields and hedges and trees. I enjoyed the fresh air and exercise, and was longer away than I intended. On my return I found Mr b.u.t.terfield waiting for me at the door.
”Punctuality is the soul of business. Remember that,” he remarked.
”You have kept me waiting for ten minutes. Come along.”
I begged pardon, saying that the time had pa.s.sed faster than I had expected.
He walked along with sedate steps, for he was not given to rapid locomotion, his gold-headed cane heavily striking the ground as he went.
He had not spoken since we left the house, and I felt that I was pa.s.sing from the position of a guest to that of a junior clerk. Still, not being overwhelmed with bashfulness at any time, and as I was anxious to know what had pa.s.sed between him and Aunt Deb regarding my future career, I looked up and asked him.
”Your aunt will communicate her wishes to you,” he answered. ”You will see presently the sort of work you will be expected to perform in my office. Let me tell you that many lads would consider themselves fortunate if they had the opportunity I am ready to give you.”
He said no more. His manner, it struck me, was far less cordial than it had been, and I could not help thinking that I was indebted for this to Aunt Deb, who had probably given him an account of my adventures at home. Now I am bound to say that I consider Mr b.u.t.terfield was right; but I did not think so at the time.
We at length reached Water Street, and entered the office of Tallow, Candlemas, and Co. It was a dingy-looking place, consisting of a small outer room, the walls covered over with posters announcing the sailing of s.h.i.+ps and other information. In it was an enclosed s.p.a.ce, behind which sat on high stools two venerable-looking clerks, busily engaged in writing. Speaking a few words to them, Mr b.u.t.terfield pa.s.sed on to an inner room, where, at a long desk running from one side to the other were arranged eight or ten persons of various ages, all scribbling away as fast as their pens could move. Their thin and pallid faces did not prepossess me in favour of the life they were leading. At the farther end, in a darker corner, was a vacant stool.
”That will be your place, Richard, when you come here to-morrow or next day,” said Mr b.u.t.terfield. ”You will gradually rise, till one day I may hope to see you one of my head clerks.”
I looked askance at the dark corner, and I then scanned the faces of the occupants of the other seats. I could say nothing likely to please Mr b.u.t.terfield, and I therefore kept silence.
”You will begin work on Monday. Now go back to your aunt, who wishes to have you with her for the present.”
I longed to say, ”I thought, sir, you were going to talk to my aunt about my going to sea;” but before I could speak, Mr b.u.t.terfield, turning round, walked into his private office and left me standing by myself and looking, I felt, very foolish. As I did not wish to undergo a long inspection from the younger clerks, who were peering at me from over the desks, I pa.s.sed out, breathing more freely when I found myself in the open street.
Of course I ought to have returned home; but instead of that I made my way down to the docks to amuse myself as before, by looking at the vessels. I was not long in finding out the ”Emu.” She was now considerably lower in the water, having apparently got most of her cargo on board, although there were still some bales and packages lying alongside ready to be s.h.i.+pped. I had a great longing to go on board and try to see the captain, and to ask him if he would take me. I could see no one, however, whom I could imagine to be the captain; and I therefore, after walking up and down the quay for some time, and looking at a number of other vessels, guessed by my hunger that it must be near luncheon-time, and took my way homewards. On entering the house I met Aunt Deb, who was coming down into the dining-room, by which I knew that I was not late.
”I am glad to find that you are more punctual than usual, d.i.c.k,” she said. ”You will soon, I hope, become regular in your habits. Follow the example of so excellent a man as my cousin, G.o.dfrey b.u.t.terfield.
You are pleased with your excellent prospects in his office, I hope?”
To this remark I made no reply, but said, ”I thought, Aunt Deb, that Mr b.u.t.terfield was going to speak to you about my wish to go to sea. He told me that he would do so, and that he would have no difficulty in getting me on board a s.h.i.+p.”
”Fiddle-de-dee about going to sea!” replied Aunt Deb. ”My cousin did speak to me on the subject, and I told him at once that I would never consent to your doing so, and that I felt sure your father would not do so either. What! To throw away the brilliant prospects which through my means have been opened out to you? What! Desert your family and me, your affectionate aunt, and the kind friend who so generously consents to become your patron from the regard he has for me? What! Go and run all the risks of a turbulent ocean, and perhaps lose your life, and cause sorrow to those who have an affection for you, merely to gratify an insane fancy? No, d.i.c.k--no! I told my cousin G.o.dfrey b.u.t.terfield, at once, that if he had any regard for me he would never encourage you in so mad a proceeding; and I begged him, as soon as possible, to give you employment in his office, so as to turn your mind away from the silly ideas you have entertained.”
”I'm not at all obliged to you, Aunt Deb, for what you have done,” I said, my choler rising. ”It was no idle fancy in my mind, but my fixed resolution to become a sailor; and a sailor I'll be, notwithstanding your opposition.”
”Hoity-toity!” exclaimed Aunt Deb, who was not accustomed to be set at defiance. ”You will understand, d.i.c.k, that you were placed in my charge, and must obey my directions; and that I intend you to go into Mr b.u.t.terfield's office, and to work hard there, so that you may do credit to my recommendation some day, and render support to your family.
In case of your father's death, what would become of you all? I, who have devoted my life to your family, should have the charge of their maintenance.”
”Sailors are not beggars, and I should very likely make as much money by going to sea as by any other means.”
”Fiddle-de-dee,” again exclaimed Aunt Deb; ”eat your luncheon, and don't talk nonsense.”
As I was very hungry, I obeyed her, but at first I felt as if the food I put in my mouth would choke me. Ultimately, however, I was able to get on as well as usual. Aunt Deb's behaviour to me during the next few days did not contribute to reconcile me to my proposed lot. She kept me working at writing and adding up long columns of figures, not failing to scold me when I made mistakes. I pictured to myself my future dreary life--to have to sit in a dull office all day, and then to have to come home with no other society than that of Mr b.u.t.terfield and Aunt Deb as long as she remained at Liverpool. I knew n.o.body at Liverpool, and did not see how I was to form any acquaintances of my own. After luncheon, on Sat.u.r.day, Aunt Deb, in consideration, she said, of my diligence, allowed me to go and take a walk by myself, as she felt indisposed to leave the house. I very naturally wandered down to the docks to have a look at the ”Emu” before she sailed, and to inspect any other vessels that might take my fancy. I much missed my cutter yacht, as I found there existed places where I could have sailed her. I had spent some time in walking about, when I again got back to the quay where the ”Emu”
was moored. As I was pacing to and fro, I thought of the high stool in the dark corner of Mr b.u.t.terfield's office; the dreary, dreary days I was doomed to sit there; the dull, dull evenings in the society of Aunt Deb and her cousin, and the not more lively Sundays, with attendances at three services, for Aunt Deb was very strict in this respect. Hapless fate, with nothing better to expect than a head clerks.h.i.+p. The business I knew I should detest. Then I thought of the free life on the ocean, the strange lands I should visit, the curious people I should see, and the liberty I fancied I should enjoy.