Tom Porter had a way of his own when he was puzzled as to his course,
and that was to go to the door and keep a bright look-out; in other
words, follow old Gemp's example, and stare up and down the street until
he had attained a correct idea as to which way he had better steer.
He had been looking thoughtfully out for about an hour on this
particular night before he came to the conclusion that he knew the right
way. But once determined, he entered, and, closing the door softly, he
stopped for a minute to pull himself together, rearranging his necktie,
pulling down his vest, and carefully fastening the top and bottom
buttons, which had a rollicking habit of working themselves clear of
their respective holes. His hair, too, required a little attention,
being carefully smoothed with his fingers. This done, he moistened his
hands, as if about to haul a rope, before going straight up to where his
master was seated in front of the fire which the cool spring night made
comfortable, who, as he sat there gazing very thoughtfully in between
the bars, said:
"Well, Tom, what is it?"
"Been a-thinking, Sir Gordon--hard."
"Well, what about?"
"'Bout you, Sir Gordon. It's these here east winds getting into your
bones again; as if I might be so bold--"
"There, there, man, don't stand hammering and stammering like that! You
want to say something. Say it."
"'Bout the east wind, Sir Gordon, and whether you wouldn't think it as
well to take a trip."
"Yes, yes, man, I'm going on one--Mediterranean--in a few days," said
the old man dreamily.
"Glad to hear it, Sir Gordon; but, if I might make so bold, why not make
a longer trip?"
"Not safe--yacht not big enough, my man. There, that will do: I want to
think."
"I mean aboard ship, Sir Gordon. Why shouldn't we go as far as
Australia? We've seen a deal of the world, Sir Gordon, but we haven't
been there."
Tom Porter's master gave him a peculiar look, and then nodded towards
the door, when the man made a nautical bow, with a very apologetic
smile, and backed out.
"Went a bit too nigh the rocks that time. It warn't like me--but, lor!
what a man will do when there's a woman in the way!"
He had hardly settled himself in his pantry when the bell rang, and he
went up, expecting a severe talking to.
"Means a wigging!" he said, as he went up slowly, to find Sir Gordon
pacing the room.
Tom Porter did not know it, but his words had fallen just at that time
when his master was pondering upon the possibility of such a trip, and,
though he would not have owned to it, his man's words had turned the
balance.
"Pack up at once," he said.
"Long cruise or short, Sir Gordon?"
"Long."
"Ay, ay, Sir Gordon. Special dispatches, Sir Gordon?"
"No; longer cruise than usual, that's all."
"He's going! I'd bet ten hundred thousand pounds he's going!" said Tom
Porter; "and I'm done for! She was a bit more easy last time we met;
and I shall make a fool o' myself--I know I shall!"
He stood in the middle of his pantry, turning his right and left hands
into a pestle and mortar, and grinding something invisible therein.
Then, after a long silence:
"Its fate, that's about what it is!" said Tom Porter; "and that's a
current that you can't fight agen."
After which philosophical declaration he began to pack, working well on
into what he called the morning watch, and long after Sir Gordon had
been comfortably asleep.
The next day Tom Porter had orders to go with his master to the
Admiralty, where he waited for about a couple of hours; and two days
later he was on his way to Plymouth with the sea-chests, as he termed
them, perfectly happy, and with his shore togs, as he called his livery,
locked up in one of the presses in the chambers in St James's.
His sailing orders were brief, and he put into port at the chief hotel
to wait for his master; and he waited. Meantime there had been the
painful partings between those who loved, and who, in spite of hopeful
words, felt that in all human probability the parting was final.
Through the interest of Sir Gordon, a passage had been obtained for Mrs
Hallam and her daughter on board the _Sea King_, a fine ship, chartered
by the Government to take out a large detachment of troops, as well as
several important officials, bound to the Antipodes on the mission of
trying to foster what promised to be one of our most important colonies.
"You will be more comfortable," Sir Gordon said. "There will be ladies
on board, and I will get you some introductions to them, as well as to
the Governor at Port Jackson."
Mrs Hallam gave Bayle a piteous look, as if asking him to intercede for
her.
Bayle, however, seemed not to comprehend her look, and remained silent.
It was a painful task, but Millicent Hallam was accustomed to painful
tasks, and, turning to Sir Gordon, she said, in a quiet, resigned way:
"You forget my position. I know how kindly all this is meant; but I
must not be going out on false pretences. My fellow-passengers should
not be deceived as to who and what I am. I may seem ungrateful to you,
but it would have been far better for me to have gone out in some common
ship."
"My dear child," cried Sir Gordon, wringing his hands, "don't be
unreasonable! Do you suppose the womenkind on board the _Sea King_ are
going to be so contemptible as to visit the sins of--My dear Bayle, you
have more influence than I!" he cried hastily; "tell Mrs Hallam
everything is settled, and she must go, and--there, there, we've had
knots and tangles enough, don't, pray, let us have any more!"
The old gentleman, who seemed terribly perplexed, turned away, but
paused as he felt a little hand upon his arm.
"Don't speak angrily to mamma," whispered Julia; and the old man's
countenance became wholly sunny again.
"No, no," he said; "but you two must leave matters to Mr Bayle and me.
We are acting for the best, my child. You cannot conceive what it would
have been to let you go out as your mother proposed. It was madness!"
"It is for Julie's sake," Mrs Hallam said to herself, when she
consented to various little arrangements, though she shivered at the
thought of being brought face to face with her fellow-passengers.
"Indeed, we are acting with all the foresight we can bring to bear,"
Bayle said, in answer to another remonstrance made in the hurry and
bustle of preparation.
"Yes," she replied; "but you are doing too much. You make me tremble
for the consequence."
Bayle smiled, and bade her take comfort. He was present with her almost
daily, to report little matters that he had arranged for her as to money
and baggage. Since he had accompanied her and Julia back to town he had
been indefatigable, working with the most cheery good-humour, and
smiling as he reported the success of the furniture sale; how capitally
he had managed about the little investments of the wreck of Mrs
Hallam's money; and how he had obtained letters of credit for her at the
Colonial Bank.
Julia watched Bayle's countenance day by day with a curious, wistful
look, that would at times be pitiful, at other times full of resentment;
and one day she turned to the doctor--the old gentleman and Mrs
Luttrell having insisted upon coming to town, and following their child
to Portsmouth, where they were to embark.
"I believe, grandpa," she said half angrily, "that Mr Bayle is tired of
us, and that he is glad to get us off his hands."
"Nothing would ever tire Mr Bayle, my dear," said Mrs Luttrell
reprovingly.
Julia turned to her quickly and put her arms round the old lady's neck,
the tears in her eyes brimming over.
"No; it was very unkind and ungenerous of me," she said. "He has always
been so good."
In the midst of what was almost a wild excitement of preparation,
mingled with fits of despondency, Millicent Hallam noticed this too, and
found time to feel hurt.
"He is such an old friend," she said to herself. "He has been like a
brother; and it seems hard that he should appear to be less moved at our
approaching farewell than Mr Thickens and his wife."
For, instigated by the latter, Thickens had come up and followed them to
Portsmouth.
"It would have about killed her, Mrs Hallam," he said in confidence, as
he sat chatting with her aside in the hotel room on the eve of their
sailing. "But now a bit of business. I've been trying ever since I
came to get a few words with you alone, only Sir Gordon and Mr Bayle
were always in the way."
"Business, Mr Thickens?"
"Yes, look here! I'm an actuary, you see, and money adviser, and that
sort of thing. Now you are going out there on a long voyage, and you
ought to be prepared for any little emergencies that may occur in a land
that I find is not so barbarous as I thought, for I see they have a
regular banking establishment there, and business regularly carried on
in paper and bullion."
Mrs Hallam looked at him wonderingly.
"Ah, I see you don't understand me, so to be short," he continued, "fact
is I talked it over with, madam, and we settled it between us."
"Settled what?" said Mrs Hallam, wonderingly.
"Well, the fact is, we've two hundred pounds fallen in. Been out on a
good mortgage at five per cent, and just now I can't place it anywhere
at more than four, and that won't do, you know, will it?"
"Of course it would not be so advantageous."
"No, to be sure not, so we thought we'd ask you to take it at five.
Money's valuable out there. You could easily send us the dividend once
a-year--ten pounds, you know, by credit note, and it would be useful to
you, and doing your old friends a good turn. I hate to see money lying
idle."
Mrs Hallam glanced across the room to see that little Mrs Thickens was
watching them anxiously, and she felt the tears rise in her eyes as she
darted a grateful look back, before turning to dry, drab-looking
Thickens, who now and then put his hand up to his ear, as if expecting
to find a pen there.
"It is very good and very generous of you," she said huskily, "and I can
never be grateful enough for all this kindness. Believe me, I shall
never forget it."
"That's right. I shall have it all arranged, so that you can draw at
the Colonial Bank."
"No, no," cried Mrs Hallam with energy, "it is impossible. Besides, I
have a sufficiency for our wants, ample for the present--the remains of
my little property. Mr Bayle has managed it so well for me; my
furniture brought in a nice little sum, and--"
"Your what?" said Thickens in a puzzled tone.
"My property. You remember what I had when--"
"When you were married? Why, my dear madam, you don't think any of that
was left?"
"Mr Thickens!"
"Ah, I see," he cried with a good-humoured smile, for delicacy was not
the forte of the bank clerk of the little country town. "Mr Bayle
patched up that story. Why, my dear madam, when the crash came you
hadn't a halfpenny. Here, quick, my dear! Mrs Hallam has turned
faint!"
"No, it is nothing," she cried hastily. "I am better now, Mr Thickens.
Go back to our friends, Julie--to grandma. It is past."
"I--I'm afraid I've spoken too plainly," said Thickens apologetically,
as soon as they were alone once more. "I wish I'd held my tongue."
"I am very glad that you spoke, Mr Thickens," said Mrs Hallam in a low
voice. "It was better that I should know."
"Then you will let me lend you that money?" eagerly.
"No. It is impossible. I am deeper in obligations than I thought.
Pray spare me by not saying more."
"I want to do everything you wish," said Thickens uneasily.
"Then say no word about what you have told me to any one."
"Pooh! Mrs Hallam, as if I should. Money matters are always sacred
with me. That comes of Mr Bayle banking in town. If he had trusted me
with his money matters, I should never have spoken like this."