Part 11 (1/2)
”Take a seat, sir. By the way, I do not know your name.”
”Strelinski,” the man said.
”I am told that you are desirous of giving lessons in languages.”
”I am, sir, most desirous.”
”Mr. Wyatt, this gentleman here, is anxious to learn Russian.”
The man looked with some surprise at Frank. ”I should be glad to teach it, sir,” he said doubtfully, ”but Russian is not like French or English. It is a very difficult language to learn, and one that would require a good deal of study. I should not like to take money without doing something in return, and I fear that this gentleman would be disappointed at the small progress he would make.”
”Mr. Wyatt has just obtained a commission, and he thinks that as there are few, if any, officers in the army who speak it fluently, it might be of great advantage to him. He is, therefore, prepared to work hard at it. I myself,” he went on in Russian, ”speak it a little, as you see; I have already warned him of the difficulty of the language, and he is not dismayed. He is going down to Canterbury to join the depot of his regiment in the course of a few days, and he proposes that you should accompany him and take a lodging there.”
The young man's face had a look of surprise when he was addressed in the Russian language, and Frank saw a faint flush come across his face and tears flow to his eyes as he heard the offer.
”What terms would you ask? He might require your services for a year.”
”Any terms that would keep me from starving,” the man said.
”May I ask what you were in your own country, Mr. Strelinski?”
”I was educated for the law,” the Pole said. ”I took my degree at the University of Warsaw, but I was suspected of having a leaning towards the French-as who had not, when Napoleon had promised to deliver us from our slavery-and had to fly. I had intended at first to enter one of the Polish regiments in the French service, but I could not get across the frontier, and had to make north, getting here in an English s.h.i.+p. The war between you and France prevented my crossing the sea again, and then I resolved to earn my living here, but-” and he stopped.
”You have found it hard work. I can quite understand that, Mr. Strelinski. It is terribly hard for any foreigner, even with good introductions, to earn a living here, and to one unprovided with such recommendations well-nigh impossible. Please to sit here for a moment. Frank, come into the next room with me.”
”Well, what do you think?” he asked when they were alone.
”I should think that he will do splendidly, sir, and his being a gentleman will make it very pleasant for me. But I should not like to offer him as little as thirty s.h.i.+llings a week.”
”I have no doubt that he would be delighted with it, Frank, but as he will have to pay his lodgings out of it and furnish his wardrobe, we might say two pounds, if you can afford it.”
”I can afford it very well, sir. My aunt gave me a hundred pounds when I came away from home, and that will pay for it for one year. I am sure I shall like him.”
”He impresses me very favourably too,” Sir Robert said, ”and perhaps I may find a post for him here if we go out, though we need not think of that at present. Well, let us go in to him again. I have no doubt that the poor fellow is on thorns.”
”I have talked it over with Mr. Wyatt,” he went on when they had returned to the sitting-room; ”he will probably require your services for a year, though possibly he may have to join his regiment sooner than that. He is willing to pay two pounds a week for your services as his instructor. Will that suit you?”
”It is more than sufficient,” the Pole said in a broken voice. ”For half of that I could keep myself.”
”Yes, but there will be your lodgings to pay, and other matters; and if you are willing to accept two pounds, which appears to us a fair rate of remuneration, we will consider that as settled. It is a cold night, Mr. Strelinski. You had better take a gla.s.s of wine and a biscuit before you venture out.”
He fetched a decanter of port and a tin of biscuits from the sideboard, and placed them in front of him; then he made a sign to Frank to leave the room. In a few minutes he called him back again. Frank found the Pole standing with his hat in his hand ready to leave. There was a look of brightness and hope in his face, which was a strong contrast to his expression on entering. He bowed deeply to Sir Robert, and took the hand that Frank held out to him.
”You have saved me,” he said, and then, without another word, turned and left the room.
”I have insisted upon his taking ten pounds on account of his salary, as I told him that he must have warm clothes and make a decent figure in Canterbury. You are to deduct ten s.h.i.+llings a week from his pay till it is made up. The poor fellow fairly broke down when I offered it to him. There is no doubt that he is almost starved, and is as weak as a rat. He is to come to-morrow at twelve o'clock. I have business that will take me out all day, so you can have a quiet chat with him and break the ice.”
CHAPTER VII