Part 28 (2/2)

'One h it, I believe, as well as e and previous habits'

'You need be able to,' said the o on board shi+p; but you won't'

'Why not?'

'Because there's not a skipper or et a practised hand,' replied the er; 'and they as plentiful there, as the oysters in the streets'

'What do you mean?' asked Nicholas, alarmed by this prediction, and the confident tone in which it had been uttered 'Men are not born able seamen They must be reared, I suppose?'

Mr Vincent Crue, or froentlemen like you'

There was a pause The countenance of Nicholas fell, and he gazed ruefully at the fire

'Does no other profession occur to you, which a young ure and address could take up easily, and see the world to advantage in?' asked thehis head

'Why, then, I'll tell you one,' said Mr Cru his voice 'The stage'

'The stage!' cried Nicholas, in a voice almost as loud

'The theatrical profession,' said Mr Vincent Crummles 'I am in the theatrical profession myself, my wife is in the theatrical profession,that lived and died in it frooes on, in Ti you out, and your friend too Say the word I want a novelty'

'I don't know anything about it,' rejoined Nicholas, whose breath had been almost taken away by this sudden proposal 'I never acted a part in enteel coedy in your eye, and touch-and-go farce in your laugh,' said Mr Vincent Cru else but the laht of the se that would re the tavern bill; and he hesitated

'You can be useful to us in a hundred ways,' said Mr Crummles 'Think what capital bills a man of your education could write for the shop-s'

'Well, I think I could e that department,' said Nicholas

'To be sure you could,' replied Mr Cruht have half a volume in every one of 'e out the whole strength of the company, whenever anted one'

'I am not quite so confident about that,' replied Nicholas 'But I dare say I could scribble so now and then, that would suit you'

'We'll have a ne-piece out directly,' said the er 'Let me see-peculiar resources of this establishe to introduce a real pu-tubs'

'Into the piece?' said Nicholas

'Yes,' replied the ht 'em cheap, at a sale the other day, and they'll come in admirably That's the London plan They look up some dresses, and properties, and have a piece written to fit 'em Most of the theatres keep an author on purpose'

'Indeed!' cried Nicholas

'Oh, yes,' said theIt'll look very well in the bills in separate lines-Real pump!-Splendid tubs!-Great attraction! You don't happen to be anything of an artist, do you?'

'That is not one of my accomplishments,' rejoined Nicholas

'Ah! Then it can't be helped,' said the e woodcut of the last scene for the posters, showing the whole depth of the stage, with the pump and tubs in the middle; but, however, if you're not, it can't be helped'

'What should I get for all this?' inquired Nicholas, after a few moments' reflection 'Could I live by it?'

'Live by it!' said the er 'Like a prince! With your own salary, and your friend's, and your writings, you'd make-ah! you'd make a pound a week!'

'You don't say so!'

'I do indeed, and if we had a run of good houses, nearly double the ed his shoulders; but sheer destitution was before hio the extremes of want and hardshi+p, for what had he rescued his helpless charge if it were only to bear as hard a fate as that from which he had wrested hi, when he was in the same toith the hts; but now, it seeh What if he went abroad, and his mother or Kate were to die the while?

Without ain, and gave Mr Vincent Crummles his hand upon it

CHAPTER 23

Treats of the Company of Mr Vincent Crummles, and of his Affairs, Doed animal in the inn stables, which he called a pony, and a vehicle of unknown design, on which he bestowed the appellation of a four-wheeled phaeton, Nicholas proceeded on his journey next er and hi the front seat: and the Master Cruether behind, in company with a wicker basket defended from wet by a stout oilskin, in which were the broad-swords, pistols, pigtails, nautical costu gentlemen

The pony took his time upon the road, and-possibly in consequence of his theatrical education-evinced, every now and then, a strong inclination to lie down However, Mr Vincent Cru the whip; and when these means failed, and the aniot out and kicked hiements, he was persuaded to ed on (as Mr Crummles truly observed) very coood pony at bottoht have been at botto that his coat was of the roughest and most ill-favoured kind So, Nicholas merely observed that he shouldn't wonder if he was

'Many and one,' said Mr Cru him skilfully on the eyelid for old acquaintance' sake 'He is quite one of us His e'

'Was she?' rejoined Nicholas

'She ate apple-pie at a circus for upwards of fourteen years,' said the htcap; and, in short, took the low comedy entirely His father was a dancer'

'Was he at all distinguished?'

'Not very,' said the er 'He was rather a low sort of pony The fact is, he had been originally jobbed out by the day, and he never quite got over his old habits He was clever in melodrama too, but too broad-too broad When the mother died, he took the port-wine business'

'The port-wine business!' cried Nicholas

'Drinking port-ith the clown,' said the ht bit off the bowl of the glass, and choked hiarity was the death of him at last'

The descendant of this ill-starred aniressed in his day's work, that gentleman had very little time for conversation Nicholas was thus left at leisure to entertain hihts, until they arrived at the drawbridge at Portset down here,' said the er, 'and the boys will take hie You had better let yours be taken there, for the present'