Part 7 (2/2)

”Hallo!” shouted the deep voice of a man within.

”Hallo, indeed! Who may _you_ be?” growled Mr Jones with an angry oath. ”Open the door, will you?”

The door was opened at once by James Welton, who stood aside to let the other pa.s.s.

”Oh! it's you, is it?” said Mr Jones. ”Didn't recognise your voice through the door. I thought you couldn't have got the sloop made snug so soon. Well, la.s.s, how are 'ee; and how's the old ooman?”

As the man made these inquiries in a half-hearty voice, he advanced into a poorly-furnished apartment, so small and low that it seemed a couple of sizes too small for him, and bestowed a kiss first upon the cheek of his old mother, who sat cowering over the fire, but brightened up on hearing his voice, and then upon the forehead of his daughter Nora, the cheerfulness of whose greeting, however, was somewhat checked when she observed the intoxicated state of her father.

Nora had a face which, though not absolutely pretty, was intensely winsome in consequence of an air of quiet womanly tenderness which surrounded it as with a halo. She was barely eighteen, but her soft eyes possessed a look of sorrow and suffering which, if not natural to them, had, at all events, become habitual.

”Who is this little boy, father?” she said, turning towards Billy Towler, who still stood in the doorway a silent but acute observer of all that went on.

”Oh, that? why--a--that's my noo 'prentice just come down from Gravesend. He's been helpin' for some time in the `hang'” (by which Mr Jones meant the place where his fish were cured), ”and I'm goin' to take him to sea with me next trip. Come in, Billy, and make yourself at home.”

The boy obeyed with alacrity, and made no objection to a cup of tea and slice of bread and b.u.t.ter which Nora placed before him--supper being just then in progress.

”You'd better get aboard as soon as may be,” said Jones to Jim Welton somewhat sternly. ”I didn't expect you to leave the sloop tonight.”

”And I didn't intend to leave her,” replied Jim, taking no notice of the tone in which this was said; ”but I thought I'd come up to ask if you wished me to begin dischargin' early to-morrow morning.”

”No, we're not going to discharge,” returned Jones.

”Not going to discharge!” echoed Jim in surprise. ”No. I find that it's not worth while discharging any part of the cargo here. On the contrary, I mean to fill up with bloaters and run over with them to the coast of France; so you can go and stow the top tier of casks more firmly, and get ready for the noo ones. Good-night.”

The tone in which this was said left no excuse for Jim to linger, so he bade the household good-night and departed.

He had not gone far, however, when he was arrested by the sound of a light footstep. It was that of Nora, who had followed him.

”Nora!” exclaimed the young sailor in surprise, returning quickly and taking one of the girl's hands in both of his.

”Oh, Jim!” said Nora, with a look and tone of earnest entreaty, ”don't, don't forsake him just now--if the love which you have so often professed for me be true, don't forsake him, I beseech you.”

Jim protested in the most emphatic terms that he had no intention of forsaking anybody, and made a great many more protestations, in the midst of which there were numerous ardent and more or less appropriate references to hearts that never deserted their colours, sheet-anchors that held on through thick and thin, and needles that pointed, without the smallest shadow of variation, to the pole.

”But what makes you think I'm going to leave him?” he asked, at the end of one of those flights.

”Because he is so rough to 'ee, Jim,” replied the girl, leaning her head on her lover's shoulder; ”he spoke so gruff even now, and I thought you went away huffed. Oh, Jim, you are the only one that has any influence over him--”

”Not the only one,” returned Jim, quietly smoothing the fair girl's hair with his hard strong hand.

”Well, the only _man_, at any rate,” continued Nora, ”especially when he is overcome with that dreadful drink. Dear Jim, you won't forsake him, will you, even though he should insult, even though he should _strike_ you?”

”No, never! Because he is your father, Nora, I'll stick by him in spite of all he can say or do to me, and try, G.o.d helping me, to save him.

But I cannot stick by him if--”

”If what?” asked the girl anxiously, observing that he hesitated.

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