Part 7 (1/2)
We had just landed the gaily-dressed individual who had announced hiht possibly be the person he said he was, and not knohat tricks he entle ladies and a boy, who I knew by their dress to be Quakers, ca to take a row round the harbour, and afterwards to visit the Victualling Yard
After we had pulled off soo aboard the _Victory_
”No, thank thee, young friend, we take no pleasure in visiting scenes, afloat or on shore, where the blood of our fellow-creatures has been shed,” answered the gentleht by his look and the tone of his voice that he must be Mr Silas Gray, who had co, but I did not like to ask hian to ask Ji as ere, we came to have a boat by ourselves
”I suppose thy father is ill on shore?” he said
Then I told him hoas lost at Spithead, and mother had died, and old To there was no one else to own her; and how Mary and Nancy and I lived on in his house
”And art thou and this other lad brothers?” he inquired
”No, sir; but Jim Pulley and I feel very much as if ere,” I answered ”My name is Peter Trawl”
”And was thy mother a bumboat-woman, a true, honest soul, one of the excellent of the earth?” he asked
”Ay, ay, sir! That waswith pleasure to hear her so spoken of
Then he told me that he was Mr Silas Gray, and asked if I remembered the visits he used to pay to our house Of course I did The young ladies and his son joined in the conversation, and very pleasant it was to hear them talk
We were out the whole afternoon, and it was quite late e got back to Portsea Mr Gray said that he was going away the nextwith his family to London, but that when he returned he would pay Mary a visit, and hoped before the summer was over to take some more trips in ave us kind smiles and nods as they stepped on shore
While ere out I had not thought ht across fro what he had said, I hurried home, anxious to hear if he had found out the house I had not to ask, for directly I appeared Nancy told me that while Mary was at school an ie had once lived there, and when she said ”Yes,” had taken a note of everything, and then sat down and lighted his pipe, and told her to run out and bring hi, indeed!' I answered him,” said Nancy; ”'what! When I co carried off, or hed when I said this--a nasty sort of a laugh it was--and said, 'Ay! Just so' I didn't know exactly what he one yet, gal?' 'No, and I shan't,' I answered; 'and when Peter and Jio' On this he thundered out, trying to frighten e's nephew and heir-at-law,' [I think that's what he called hi in it is mine, and the wherry, and any money the old chap left behind him? I'll soon prove that you and your brother are swindlers, and you'll be sent off to prison, let me tell you' He tookto undeceive him? I felt so I walked to the orking withwhen he ca you and Jiive hirew tired, and, saying I should see hi, he walked away”
”What do you think, Peter? Can he really be old To
”One thing is certain, that if he proves himself to be so we shall be bound to turn out of this house, and to give up the wherry,” I answered
”Oh, Peter! What shall we do, then?” exclaimed Mary
”The best we can, my sister,” I said ”Perhaps the man may not be able to prove that he is what he calls hi all sorts of tricks We'll hope for the best And now, Nancy, let us have soh I tried to keep up the spirits of Mary and Nancy, I felt very anxious, and could scarcely sleep for thinking on the subject Whatever reatly troubled about what Mary and Nancy would do I naturally thought of Co, though he had promised to cooing away again, so that I could not obtain advice froht, and I soon dropped off to sleep
The nextI re out a man came to the door, who said he was sent by Lawyer Gull, and put a paper intoI could not exactly make out, to quit the house within twenty-four hours
”His client, the owner of the property, wishes not to act harshly, so refrains froerperformed his task, went away I stopped a few minutes to talk with Mary and Nancy Mary said quietly that if we o we s at once Nancy was very indignant, and declared that we had no business to turn out for such a sca a nephew; she did not believe the felloas his nephew, and certainly, if he was, Tom would not have left his property to hiet advice from soly set off for the Hard, where I was sure to find several friends aot far when Ivery disconsolate
”What is the matter, Jim,” I asked
”We've lost the wherry!” he exclai fellows ca what boat she was, told me to step ashore: and when I said I wouldn't for them, or for any one but you, they took me, crop and heels, and trundled me out of her”
”That is only what I feared,” I said ”I was co down to find some one to advise us what to do”
”Then you couldn't ask any better man than Bob Fox, he's been in prison half a score of tihty deal about law,” he answered
We soon found Bob Fox, as considered an oracle on the Hard, and a nuathered round while he expressed his opinion