Part 8 (1/2)
At a signal between us, just as _Mrs Haller_ was giving a paper to her husband did we give our shower of snuff to the audience, jerking it right across the theatre. In a few minutes the effect was prodigious; Captain Delmar's party being right beneath us, probably received a greater share, for they commenced sneezing fast, then the boxes on the other side, the pit followed, and at last _Mr and Mrs Haller_ and the _Stranger_ were taken with such a fit of sneezing that they could no longer talk to each other.
The children were brought out to their parents to effect their reconciliation, but they did nothing but sneeze, poor things; and at last the uproar was tremendous, and the curtain was dropped, not to loud plaudits, but to loud sneezings from every part of the theatre.
Never was there anything so ludicrous; the manager sent officers up to discover the offenders but no one could tell who had played the trick; he then came before the curtain to make a speech upon the occasion, but, having sneezed seven or eight times, he was obliged to retire with his handkerchief to his nose; and the audience, finding it impossible to check the t.i.tillation of the olfactory nerves, abandoned the theatre as fast as they could, leaving the farce of _Raising the Wind_ to be performed to empty beaches.
I hardly need say, that as soon as we had thrown the snuff, Mr Dott and I had gone down and taken our places very demurely in the box by the side of my mother, and appeared just as astonished, and indeed added as much as possible to the company of sneezers.
Captain Delmar was very furious at this want of respect of certain parties unknown, and had we been discovered, whatever might have been my fate, it would have gone hard with Tommy Dott; but we kept our own counsel, and escaped.
That I was suspected by Aunt Milly and Captain Bridgeman is certain, and my aunt taxed me with it, but I would not confess; my mother also had her suspicions, but as Captain Delmar had none, that was of no consequence.
The success of this trick was a great temptation to try another or two upon the n.o.ble captain. He was, however saved by the simple fact of H.M. s.h.i.+p Calliope being reported manned and ready for sea; orders were sent down for his going round to Portsmouth to await the commands of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and Captain Delmar came to pay his farewell visit.
The report from the schoolmaster had been very favourable and Captain Delmar then asked me, for the first time, if I would like to be a sailor. As Captain Bridgeman had advised me not to reject any good offer on the part of the honourable captain, I answered in the affirmative; whereupon the captain replied, that if I paid attention to my learning, in a year's time he would take me with him on board of his frigate.
He then patted my head, forgot to give me half a crown, and, shaking hands with my mother and aunt, quitted the house, followed by Tommy Dott, who, as he went away, turned and laughed his adieu.
I have not mentioned my grandmother lately. The fact is, that when Captain Delmar made his appearance, for some cause or another, which I could not comprehend, she declared her intention of going away and paying a visit to her old acquaintances at the Hall. She did so. As I afterwards found out from what I overheard, she had a very great aversion to the n.o.ble captain: but the cause of her aversion was never communicated to me. Soon after the sailing of the Calliope, she again made her appearance, took her old seat in the easy-chair, and resumed her eternal knitting as before.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
Another year of my existence pa.s.sed rapidly away; I was nearly thirteen years old, a st.u.r.dy bold boy, well fitted for the naval profession, which I now considered decided upon, and began to be impatient to leave school, and wondered that we heard nothing of Captain Delmar, when news was received from another quarter.
One morning Captain Bridgeman came much earlier than usual, and with a very grave face put on especially for the occasion. I had not set off for school, and ran up to him; but he checked me, and said, ”I must see your mother directly, I have very important news for her.”
I went in to tell my mother, who requested Captain Bridgeman to come into the parlour, and not being aware of the nature of the communication, ordered Aunt Milly and me into the shop; we waited for some minutes, and then Captain Bridgeman made his appearance.
”What is the matter?” said Milly.
”Read this newspaper,” said he; ”there is a despatch from India, it will tell you all about it, and you can show it to your sister, when she is more composed.”
Curious to know what the matter could be, I quitted the shop, and went into the parlour, where I saw my mother with her face buried in the sofa pillow, and apparently in great distress.
”What's the matter, mother?” said I.
”Oh! my child, my child!” replied my mother, wringing her hands, ”you are an orphan, and I am a lonely widow.”
”How's that?” said I.
”How's that?” said my grandmother, ”why, are you such a fool, as not to understand that your father is dead?”
”Father's dead, is he?” replied I, ”I'll go and tell Aunt Milly;” and away I went out of the parlour to Milly, whom I found reading the newspaper.
”Aunt,” said I, ”father's dead, only to think! I wonder how he died!”
”He was killed in action, dear,” said my aunt; ”look here, here is the account, and the list of killed and wounded. D'ye see your father's name--Benjamin Keene, marine?”
”Let me read all about it, Aunt Milly,” replied I, taking the paper from her; and I was soon very busy with the account of the action.