Part 8 (1/2)

I found it es sufficient to support Mary and me, not to speak of Nancy, than I had expected Jim and I tried to hire a boat, but we could not obtain one to suit us for any sum we could hope to pay Ours, for so we still called her, had been carried off, and locked up in a shed at Ports now and then, but so what -shore loafers” I would not desert Jim, who had served me so faithfully, and so we tried, as far as we could, to work together So off to sea, but as I could not leave Mary his heart failed hi without me

At the time appointed I called on Lawyer Chalk

”Sorry to say we are beaten, ht hard, but there's no doubt that Mr Gull's client is the nephew of Toe, who died intestate, consequently his nephew is his heir Had the old man wisely co his property to you or any one he ht have desired I am very sorry for you, but law is law, and it can't be helped I hope that you will find employment somewhere soon

Good-day to you” And he waved me out of his office

In consequence of his failure in my cause, Lawyer Chalk sank considerably in the estimation of Bob Fox and his friends, who declared that the next tial advice they would try what Lawyer Gull could do for them I should have said that a day or two before he had sent a clerk arht away our clothing and all the articles which we had purchased with our own ain set eyes on Mr Eben Swatridge, as, I understood, the son of a younger brother of old Toone into business in London andbeen left to the two brothers, or to the survivor of either, Eben had been conised uncle, and had thus been induced to pay the visit to Portsea which had produced such disastrous results to Mary and me

The house and furniture and wherry were sold, and directly afterwards he disappeared froht it wise to keep out of the way of Bob Fox and the other sturdy old salts who supported er on hi, we should have been ready, for his uncle's sake, to have been friends if he had explained to us at the first who he was and his just rights in a quiet way We had now a hard struggle to make the two ends o to school, had to attend on her, and I had to find food and, as it turned out, to pay her rent, she being no longer able to work for her own support I did not grurateful to her for her kindness to us; but though we stinted ourselves to the utmost, we often had not a sixpence in the house to buy fit nourishment for the poor old lady Nancy was ready to slave fro work, so that she ot a situation, but she would not leave Mary Whenever honest Jiht it, as he said, for the , though I knew that besides his wish to help her he was ht when the winter ca to Mary about the future, but tried to keep up her spirits, for I saw that her cheek was beco thinner and thinner every day At last onetaken a crust of bread and a drink of water for breakfast, was about to go out in search of work, Nancy came into the room, and said--

”I don't knohat has co ever so strangely all night, and her cheek is as hot as a live cinder”

I hurried into the little back roolance told h fever My heart was ready to burst, for she did not know ht of its nature

”I must run for the doctor, Nancy,” I exclai up my hat I rushed out of the house, assured that Nancy would do her best in thethe street on the previous day, so I knew that he was at hoo to hi time, and no one ventured to stop me now The doctor was on foot, early as was the hour He remembered mother and Mary and me the moment I mentioned my name

”I'll come to see your little sister directly,” he said

I waited for hiht not find the house He was soon ready, and, considering his age, I was surprised hoell he kept up withwith Mary before he sent et soh in ave it to her hi; but he would not tell ht of her

I will not dwell on this unhappy time The doctor came twice every day and so no better I had to go out to get work, but all I could make was not sufficient for our expenses, and I had to run into debt, besides which the 's rent was due, and she could not pay it

One day Jis, which he said the wateriven him, but times were bad with most of theet sos absolutely necessary for Mary and food for the rest of us The landlord called two or three times for rent, and at last said that he ht of what the consequence of this would be to Mary made me tremble with fear Ill as she and Mrs Si, be taken froht be carried off to the workhouse, and we should be turned into the street I begged hard for delay, and promised that I would do all I could to raise the ive us two daysfurther I had to say The doctor had just before called, so that I could not then tell hiiven ht Mary would recover Nancy could not leave the house, as she was required every moment to attend on her and Mrs Si, so I determined to consult Jim and Bob Fox I soon met Jim; he was ready to cry when I told hi to suggest soth ”He's got into trouble

Went away three days ago over to France in a s Lass_, and she was catched last night with tubs aboard, so he's sure to want all the et to pay Lawyer Chalk to keep him out of prison, if that's to be done, but I'm afeared even old Chalk will be nonplussed this time”

”I wonder whether Lawyer Chalk would lend et a hen's egg out of a block of granite,”

answered Jim

On inquiry I found that all htest hope of assistance were away over at Ryde, Cowes, or Southampton

”I tell you, Peter, as I knowed how o aboard the _Sood job I didn't, isn't it?”

”I alad you didn't, not only because you would have been taken, but because you would have broken the law,” I answered ”Father always set his face against s”

”Yes,rong as clearly as I did ”But nohat's to be done?”

”We'll go down to the Hard, and try to pick up a job,” I answered ”A few pence will be better than nothing”

We each got a job in different boats The one I was in took soers over to Ryde, and thence soot ho and a few pence in my pocket Mary was no better The doctor had been, and Nancy had told him of the landlord's threats, but he had made no remark