Part 22 (1/2)
He was awakened by a bland voice saying, ”It is time to get up, sir.
Shall I help you to dress?”
True Blue opened his eyes and saw before him a personage in a very fine coat, with powdered hair, who he thought must be some great lord or other, even though he held a can of hot water in his hand.
The young sailor sat up, and, seeing no one else in the room, said, pulling a front lock of his hair, ”Did you speak to me, sir?”
”Sir Henry sent me to ascertain if you wanted anything,” answered the footman, somewhat puzzled, as he had not been told who the occupant of the room was.
When, however, he came to examine the clothes by the bedside, he guessed that he was some naval follower of his young master. He was about to carry off the clothes to brush them.
True Blue saw the proceeding with dismay. ”Don't take them away, please. I have no others!” he exclaimed. ”But, I say, I'm very hungry, and shouldn't mind some bread and cheese if there's any served out yet.”
”I can get it for you at once; but breakfast will be ready directly, and you will find better things to eat then,” said the footman, smiling.
”Oh, I'll be dressed in a jiffy, then,” answered True Blue, jumping out of bed and forthwith commencing his ablutions in sea fas.h.i.+on, and almost before the footman had left the room he was ready to go downstairs.
Sir Henry came for him.
”Come along, Freeborn. My mother and sisters are anxious to see you.
They are in the breakfast-room. I am sure that you will like them.”
True Blue, looking every inch the sailor, with his rich light curling hair, sunburnt countenance, laughing blue eye, and white strong teeth, followed the mids.h.i.+pman. He felt rather strange when the door opened and a handsome, tall lady came forward, and, taking him by both his hands, said:
”You saved my dear boy's life at the risk of your own. I owe you all the grat.i.tude a mother can offer.”
She shook his hands warmly. He made no answer, for he did not know exactly what to say, except, ”Oh, marm, it's nothing!”
Two tall girls then followed her example, and he thought that they were going to kiss him; but they did not, which he was glad of, as it would have made him feel very bashful.
Mr Leslie came down, and the party were soon seated round the breakfast-table. True Blue was very hungry, but at first everything seemed so strange about him that he could not eat. However, the ladies spoke in such kind, sweet voices, while they in no way seemed to notice what he was about, that he quickly gained courage and made the beef, and ham, and eggs, and bread and b.u.t.ter, rapidly disappear.
After the meal was over, some time was spent by Sir Henry with his mother and sisters, while Mr Leslie remained with True Blue, talking with him in a friendly way; and then he gave him a number of books with prints to look over, which interested him very much.
At last his host came back. ”Come along, Freeborn,” he said. ”The coach is at the door, and we have numberless sights to see, which, truth to say, I have never seen myself; so my mother will go with us to show them. Is there anything you have heard of you would particularly like to see?”
True Blue thought a little. ”Yes, indeed there is, Sir Henry,” he answered. ”There is one thing I'd rather see than anything else. It is what I have always longed to have a sight of, and that is His Majesty the King we fight for. Paul Pringle says he would go a hundred miles any day to see him; and so would I--two hundred for that matter. Every true sailor is ready enough to shed his blood for him, marm; but we should all of us like to see him just once, at all events.”
”I daresay that we shall be able to manage that without difficulty,”
said Lady Elmore. ”His Majesty will probably soon come up to deliver a speech in Parliament, and we shall then have a good opportunity of seeing him.”
This promise highly delighted True Blue; and he evidently looked forward to seeing the King with more satisfaction than to any sight he expected to witness during his visit to London.
True Blue was taken one evening to the play, but, unfortunately, what was called a naval drama was acted. Here both he and the mids.h.i.+pman were well qualified to criticise. He certainly was the more severe.
”Does that fellow call himself a sailor, marm?” he asked, turning to Lady Elmore. ”Don't believe it. He isn't a bit more like a sailor than that thing they are hauling across the deck is like a s.h.i.+p--that is to say, any s.h.i.+p I ever saw. If she came to be launched, she'd do nothing but go round boxing the compa.s.s till she went to the bottom. Would she, Sir Henry?”
The mids.h.i.+pman was highly diverted. ”The manager little thought that he had us to criticise his arrangements,” he answered, laughing. ”The play is only got up for the amus.e.m.e.nt of landsmen, and to show them how we sailors fight for them.”
”But wouldn't they like us to go and do that just now ourselves, Sir Henry?” exclaimed True Blue with eagerness. ”If they'd give us a cutla.s.s apiece, and would get those Frenchmen we saw just now to stand up like men, we would show them how we boarded and took the French frigate in our first cruise.”
Lady Elmore said she thought some confusion might be created if the proposal was carried out, and persuaded True Blue to give up the idea.