Part 10 (2/2)
”Good, good!” returned the boy, with the air of a connoisseur; ”that's worthy of the East End. You should 'ave bin one of us.--Now then, old six-foot! wot's your business?”
”To deliver this parcel.”
”'And it over, then.”
”But I am also to see Mrs Willis, and ask how she is.”
”Walk in, then, an' wipe your feet. We ain't got a door-mat to-day.
It's a-comin', like Christmas; but you may use the boards in the meantime.”
The footman turned out to be a pleasant, gossipy man, and soon won the hearts of old Mrs Willis and her young guardian. He had been sent, he said, by a Dr McTougall with a parcel containing wine, tea, sugar, rice, and a few other articles of food, and with a message that the doctor would call and see Mrs Willis that afternoon.
”Deary me, that's very kind,” said the old woman; ”but I wonder why he sent such things to me, and who told him I was in want of 'em?”
”It was a young gentleman who rescued most of the doctor's family from a fire last night. His name, I believe, is Mellon--”
”Wot! Doctor John Mellon?” exclaimed Slidder, with widening eyes.
”Whether he's John or doctor I cannot tell. All I know is that he's _Mister_ Mellon, and he's bin rather knocked up by--But, bless me, I forgot: I was to say nothing about the--the fire till Dr McTougall had seen you. How stoopid of me; but things _will_ slip out!”
He stopped abruptly, and placed his brown paper parcel on the bed.
”Now, I say, look here, Mister Six-foot or wotever's your name,” said Slidder, with intense eagerness. ”It's of no use your tyin' up the mouth o' the bag now. The cat's got out an' can't be got in again by no manner o' means. Just make a clean breast of it, an' tell it all out like a man,--there's a good feller! If you don't, I'll tell Dr McTougall that you gave me an' the old lady a full, true, an' partikler account o' the whole affair, from the fust bustin' out o' the flames, an' the calling o' the _ingines_, to the last crash o' the fallin' roof, and the roastin' alive of the 'ousehold cat. I will, as sure as you're a six-foot flunkey!”
Thus adjured and threatened, the gossipy footman made a clean breast of it. He told them how that I had acted like a hero at the fire, and then, after giving, in minute detail, an account of all that the reader already knows, he went on to say that the whole family, except Dr McTougall, was laid up with colds; that the governess was in a high fever; that the maid-servants, having been rescued on the shoulders of firemen from the attics, were completely broken down in their nerves; and that I had received an injury to my right leg, which, although I had said nothing about it on the night of the fire, had become so much worse in the morning that I could scarcely walk across the room. In these circ.u.mstances, he added, Dr McTougall had agreed to visit my poor people for me until I should recover.
”You see,” continued the footman, ”I only heard a little of their conversation. Dr McTougall was saying when I come into the room: `Well, Mr Mellon,' he said, `you must of necessity remain where you are, and you could not, let me tell you, be in better quarters. I will look after your patients till you are able to go about again--which won't be long, I hope--and I'll make a particular note of your old woman, and send her some wine and things immediately.' I suppose he meant you, ma'am,” added the footman, ”but having to leave the room again owing to some of the children howling for jam and pudding, I heard no more.”
Having thus delivered himself of his tale and parcel, the tall footman took his leave with many expressions of good-will.
”Now, granny,” remarked young Slidder, as he untied the parcel, and spread its contents on the small deal table, ”I've got a wague suspicion that the 'ouse w'ich 'as gone to hashes is the wery 'ouse in w'ich Dr Mellon put his little dog last night. 'Cause why? Ain't it the same identical street, an' the same side o' the street, and about the same part o' the street? An' didn't both him and me forgit to ask the name o' the people o' the 'ouse, or to look at the number--so took up was we with partin' from Punch? Wot more nat'ral than for him to go round on 'is way back to look at the 'ouse--supposin' he was too late to call?
Then, didn't that six-footer say a terrier dog _was_ reskooed from the lower premises? To be sure there's many a terrier dog in London, but then didn't he likewise say that the gov'ness o' the family is a pretty gal? Wot more likely than that she's _my_ young lady? All that, you see, granny, is what the magistrates would call presumptuous evidence.
But I'll go and inquire for myself this wery evenin' w'en you're all settled an comf'rable, an' w'en I've got Mrs Jones to look arter you.”
That evening, accordingly, when Robin Slidder--as I shall now call him-- was away making his inquiries, Dr McTougall called on Mrs Willis. She was very weak and low at the time. The memory of her lost Edie had been heavy upon her, and she felt strangely disinclined to talk. The kindly doctor did not disturb her more than was sufficient to fully investigate her case.
When about to depart he took Mrs Jones into the pa.s.sage.
”Now, my good woman,” he said, ”I hope you will see the instructions you heard me give to Mrs Willis carried out. She is very low, but with good food and careful nursing may do well. Can you give her much of your time?”
”La, sir! yes. I'm a lone woman, sir, with nothin' to do but take care of myself; an' I'm that fond of Mrs Willis--she's like my own mother.”
”Very good. And what of this boy who has come to live with her? D'you think he is steady--to be depended on?”
”Indeed I do, sir!” replied Mrs Jones, with much earnestness. ”Though he did come from nowheres in partiklar, an' don't b'long to n.o.body, he's a good boy, is little Slidder, and a better nurse you'll not find in all the hospitals.”
”I wish I had found him at home. Will you give him this card, and tell him to call on me to-morrow morning between eight and nine? Let him ask particularly for me--Dr McTougall. I'm not in my own house, but in a friend's at present; I was burnt out of my house last night.”
”Oh, sir!” exclaimed Mrs Jones with a shocked expression.
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