AND BECOMES A PERSONAGE.
The strange pair travelled in state. Comethup had been given such a sum
of money by his aunt that the mere handling of the yellow and white
coins in his pocket almost sufficed to take his breath away. The old
lady was so jealous that the boy's sovereignty should begin at once
that she left the paying of porters and the purchase of first-class
railway tickets entirely to him, merely telling him the amounts he was
to pay, and being careful, in every instance, that the necessary homage
in return for the coin was exacted from the man to whom it was given.
"Did he touch his cap to you? Was the rascal respectful?" These
were her constant inquiries; and, to do her justice, it may be said
that she held her head higher, as she walked with her hand on the
boy's shoulder, than she had been in the habit of doing. Indeed, her
blindness seemed to affect her more than it had ever done before; she
seemed anxious to know what was going on about her, and what notice
they attracted. "Do people stare at us? Do they whisper? Why don't you
tell me everything, just as you would tell it to yourself? You must
remember I'm walking in the dark; you are my eyes for the future."
Again, when London was reached and he had helped her out of the railway
carriage, she chuckled softly to herself as she leaned upon him, and
nodded her head approvingly. "You walk well, boy; you carry yourself
like a gentleman. A man always can, or a boy either, when he has money
jingling in his pockets. And I swear that yours shall never be empty."
A servant in livery approached them and touched his hat. He glanced
with some surprise at the boy, and spoke to his mistress and offered
his arm to her. But Miss Carlaw waved him scornfully aside. "You
needn't trouble, William; I can dispense with your help in the future.
Where's the carriage?"
The servant led the way across the station to where a fine carriage
with two horses was drawn up; he opened the door, and Miss Carlaw got
in, followed by Comethup, who began to realize that he had indeed
entered upon a life of luxury. The noise and roar of the streets
through which they drove surprised and startled him, after the
sleepy quiet of the old town he had left. His aunt was eager with
anticipations of all they were to do, and of all the changes she
contemplated making in her own mode of life, for the boy's comfort.
"Oh, we'll do big things with you, Comethup; you shall be the
best-known boy in London. By the Lord! I've never had a chance like
this before. I'll dress you like a prince, and let them see that I've
got some one young and handsome--for you _are_ handsome, you dog,
there's not a doubt of that--some one young and handsome about me, who
loves me. Oh, I'll be good to you, Comethup, if you keep to your part
of the bargain, for I'm precious hungry for somebody's love, I can
assure you. I've waited a devilish long time for it."
The carriage drew up at the door of a large house in a square, with
a huge garden, protected by an iron railing, in the center of the
square. As they alighted, Comethup felt that it must be a very grand
neighbourhood indeed, for other carriages were stopping at other doors,
and elegant ladies were getting in and out of them. Almost before his
aunt had alighted from her carriage the wide door at the top of the
steps was opened, and Comethup had a glimpse of a hall beautifully
furnished and hung with old-fashioned armour, such as he had heard the
captain describe in giving accounts of historic battles--a hall large
enough, the boy thought, to be a room itself, and not a mere passageway
to other rooms, as it proved to be when they had passed through it.
There seemed to be servants everywhere, both male and female, opening
doors, and coming in noiselessly with tea, and bringing letters and
other things which had arrived for Miss Carlaw during her absence.
It appeared to have been the work of a confidential servant--an
elderly, staid woman, who was apparently the housekeeper--to open and
read these letters aloud to her mistress; but when she was about to
do this now, Miss Carlaw stopped her and turned to Comethup. "Can you
read?" she asked, sharply.
"A little," replied Comethup. "The captain taught me."
"Give me one of those letters," said Miss Carlaw, holding out her hand
to the housekeeper. A letter was handed to her, over the back of which
she swiftly passed her hand; she appeared to know in an instant from
whom it came, by the crest on the back, and even muttered the name.
This she handed to Comethup. "Open it," she said, "and read it."
Comethup opened it tremblingly, and floundered about for a moment among
the strange, cramped handwriting; then blushingly confessed that he had
not been used to reading writing.
"No, of course not; very foolish of me to think you would be able to,"
replied his aunt, taking the letter from him. "For the present we shall
have to go on in the old way, until you've learned a little more,
Comethup; and then we'll dispense with everybody else for our private
matters."
The letters were opened by the housekeeper, and read aloud, Miss
Charlotte Carlaw making audible comments upon them as the reading
proceeded. Then a minute account was given of all that had occurred
in her absence--the names of callers, and what they had said and
what messages they had left. When all was finished, and Miss Carlaw
had drunk her tea and had seen that Comethup was also provided with
refreshment, she gave orders that all the servants in the place were to
be brought to her.
"Every Jack and Jill of 'em," she exclaimed, emphatically; "I've
something to say to them."
When they were all wonderingly and somewhat sheepishly assembled, she
delivered herself, proudly and firmly, of what she had made up her mind
to say.
"Now, just attend to me, all of you, for I'm in deadly earnest, and
I mean to see that my orders are carried, out. You see this young
gentleman"--she indicated Comethup, who was seated beside her--"this
is Master Willis, my nephew. For the future he takes a place in this
house, and wherever I may be, second only to mine. If he says a thing
is to be done, understand that it is to be done; if he gives an order
to any one of you, it must be obeyed, as swiftly as though I had given
it myself. You needn't be alarmed, any of you; he's not the sort of
fellow to give any of you any trouble. But, trouble or no trouble, you
will understand he's the young master here, and the Lord help the
man or the woman that forgets it! You know me, or you should by this
time, and you know that, although I can't actually see you, I know
what you're doing, every one of you, by night or by day. I know your
tricks, and your humours, and your little tempers, and all the rest of
it; but we'll have no tricks or humours or tempers with Master Willis.
As I say, you won't find him exacting; but what he wants he's to have.
That's all; I've nothing more to say."
They appeared to understand very perfectly. One of them--Comethup
thought it was the butler--even stepped forward and murmured a little
incoherent speech, intended to convey the loyalty of himself and his
fellow-servants to the young master. Miss Charlotte Carlaw nodded
approval, even punctuated the broken speech with nods, and dismissed
them all with a wave of her hand.
"Now you understand, Comethup," she said, turning to the boy when they
had gone, and putting her hand on his shoulder, "what your power here
is. You'll find, although I don't think you need the advice, that all
the money in the world won't enable you to hold that power if you don't
set about your life in the right way. If you're peevish, or tyrannical,
or unjust--well, you must expect to get sour looks and unwilling
service; if you are a gentleman, and show that you only demand what is
your right, and demand it courteously--for servants are human beings,
and have their feelings--you'll be served gladly and faithfully; at
least that's what _I_'ve found. Now come with me, and I'll show you
over the house, and I'll show you your rooms."
She appeared to know every inch of the great house, from the lowest
floor to the garret, telling him instantly what each room was, even
to the servants' rooms. "I keep a butler and a housekeeper," she
explained, "but I like to know everything myself, and what everybody is
doing. They used to think once they could cheat me because I couldn't
see 'em; but they found out their mistake long since."
It was indeed a beautiful house, scrupulously kept, and very richly
furnished. Rare pictures hung on the walls, and wonderful china stood
on shelves in cabinets; and the tables and chairs and other articles of
furniture were many of them richly inlaid with rare and precious woods.
"I can't see any of these things, you know, Comethup; I can only tell
the shape of them, and I'm a pretty good judge in that way. But all
these things are here because it pleases me to think that I can afford
to buy them, and to delight other people's eyes with them, perhaps even
to make some of 'em a little envious. I was born to have eyes, if ever
any creature was, for I love rich and beautiful things, even pictures.
I've got a man who happens to be honest, and knows a good picture when
he sees one. When you've grown older, and studied hard, you'll know the
value of all these things, Comethup, and you'll be able to describe, in
your own way, all the pictures to me; and that will please us both. Now
come and look at your own rooms."
The two rooms which had been allotted to him seemed, to his delighted
eyes, the most beautiful in the house. They were quite high up, and
quite simply furnished; but the windows of both looked out over the
square, where all the life and bustle that were so fascinating went on;
and each seemed to contain exactly everything that a boy could possibly
need. In the sitting room were pictures of battle scenes, and deeds of
daring generally, choice engravings and etchings for the most part; and
on the tables and on shelves were numbers of books, beautifully bound,
whose very titles, as he glanced at them, gave promise of the delights
to be found within.
Miss Charlotte Carlaw stood perfectly still, with her hand upon his
shoulder, until she heard his astonished gasps; then she chuckled with
satisfaction and marched him through into the bedroom. Here a young man
in a sober brown suit was unpacking his box and carefully arranging its
contents in the wardrobe and in a huge press that stood at one side of
the room. He was a round-faced, good-humoured-looking young man, and
Comethup liked his appearance.
"Ah, is that you, Gwilt?" cried Miss Carlaw. "This is your young
master, Master Willis.--Comethup, Gwilt will attend to you, and do
everything you want--brush your clothes and keep them in order, and
assist you to dress when necessary. He is your special servant, and
will have no other duties. Now tell me; do you like these rooms?"
"I think they're beautiful," said Comethup.
"Well, just look round them, and tell me if you think there's anything
else you would like. What do you think of the pictures? I got a man
specially to choose them, told him they must be bright, and just the
sort of things a boy would like; no sickly love-making, or cottage
interiors, or nonsense of that kind, but just a few with some blood
in 'em--fighting, and chopping up, and highwaymen, and nice little
delicacies of that kind. Like 'em, eh?"
"I don't think I shall ever get tired of looking at them," said
Comethup. "And there are a heap of books here, too, aunt--quite the
most beautiful books I've ever seen," he added.
"Of course, I'd forgotten the books. I wrote to a bookseller to send me
all he could think of that would be likely to appeal to you--same style
as the pictures, you know. Now there isn't much time before dinner, so
just wash your hands, and come down to the drawing room when you hear
the first bell. I'll go and change my frock."
She was going out of the room, with her stick moving before her, when
Comethup sprang to her side. "Won't you let me--let me take you----" he
began.
She understood in a moment, and her face lighted up as she looked down
at him. She did not merely put her hand on his shoulder, as she had
done before; she drew it round his neck. "That's my dear boy!" she
said, almost in a whisper.
He conducted her safely to the door of her room, and then dashed
upstairs again to his own. It was quite a new sensation to have some
one to attend on him, to anticipate his smallest wants, and be ready
silently and respectfully with each thing he required. The young man
was deft and quick, and seemed really proud of his young charge; he
even delicately turned him round for inspection at the last moment, and
smiled and nodded approval.
"There's a tailor, and a bootmaker, and other people a-coming
to-morrow, sir; Miss Carlaw's orders, you know. Miss Carlaw says as
she'll be present for the measurin', sir, so as to tell the men what
she wants you to have, sir. They'll be here at eleven in the morning,
sir."
"Oh, thank you," said Comethup, a little staggered by the intelligence.
He found his aunt in the drawing room, pacing up and down in her old
fashion, with her black stick lightly touching the carpet before her.
Her hand upon his shoulder, as they went into the dining room, reminded
her of the subject of his clothes; she moved her fingers over the cloth
impatiently.
"Yes, we'll change all this, Comethup," she said. "I told you we'd
dress you like a prince; we'll have a velvet dinner suit for you. Lord!
I'll make 'em stare at you; I'll give 'em something to talk about. They
talk of their brats to me, and the beauty of them, and the cleverness,
and the devil knows what; we'll outshine 'em all, Comethup."
They dined in solemn state that evening, Comethup sitting near his aunt
at one end of the long table, with the grave butler--who looked so very
great and so awe-inspiring that Comethup had felt a sudden inclination,
on entering the room, to bow to him--and some three or four gigantic
footmen in attendance. There were many courses, and Comethup was
considerably at a loss as to how to manage, until he began to watch his
aunt and to do exactly as she did, after which he got on pretty well.
Soon after dinner she dismissed him, telling him that she knew he must
be tired, and that she should go soon to bed herself. He kissed her,
and, out of the fulness of his heart, murmured a few grateful words
to her; she laughed and thrust him gently away, telling him, as he
went out, to ring for his man if he wanted him. Comethup was too full
of the joy of those wondrous rooms of his to want a stranger near him
then; he rambled happily about the rooms for some time, looking at the
pictures, and opening the books, and examining everything that was to
be examined. Finally he undressed and got into bed and fell asleep, and
dreamed that Gwilt had turned suddenly into an ogre and swallowed all
his clothes, so that he could not get up, although his aunt was calling
him from the bottom of the stairs, and a perfect army of servants were
lined up and down the staircase, bowing and waiting for him to pass.
He was awakened in the morning by Gwilt, who looked anything but an
ogre, with his fresh, cheerful, smiling face, with the information
that his bath was ready. He was getting a little used by now to this
wondrous change in his fortunes, and to the fact that grown men
and women seemed to take a delight in ministering to the needs of
such a small and insignificant boy as himself. He got through the
day very well, passing through the ordeal of being measured for an
enormous quantity of clothing, which he felt he should never under any
circumstances wear out, and noting with surprise how completely his
aunt seemed to understand exactly what she wanted him to wear, and how
unerringly she knew the texture of cloth and velvet and laces by the
mere touch of those quick fingers of hers.
On this second day there were again no visitors, a fact which Miss
Carlaw explained to Comethup after the servants had been dismissed
and while she was drinking her wine after dinner. "You see, Comethup,
I don't believe in half-measures. I've made up my mind to spring you
on them all at once, as it were, to show you forth in all your glory.
I'm quite sure you're a handsome boy, even as you are in your country
clothes; but I'm going to make you look handsomer yet. By the Lord,
I'll dazzle 'em!"
The clothes began to arrive in an incredibly short space of time, and
in about a week from Comethup's first appearance in London his aunt
informed him one morning that a big dinner party was to be given that
night at which he was to be present. She was evidently very anxious
about the matter--so much so that she communicated some of her anxiety
to him, and it was an exciting day for both of them.
"The people who are coming are chatterers, fools, every one of 'em; but
they're just the people we want to give you a send-off and to blazon
the whole thing right and left. You shall be dressed like a prince
to-night, indeed; I've given Gwilt his orders. And understand that
when you've taken me to my set, _you_ are to take the one at the other
end of the table; don't forget that. You've nothing to be frightened
at, child; they'll rally you, and tease you, some of 'em, but you've
only got to be yourself, and to be quite simple and natural, and I'm
sure I sha'n't blush for you. There are two golden rules for any one
of the male sex entering society: one is, that every man he meets is
a fine fellow, worthy of his admiration; and the other, that every
woman, even if she's ninety, and ugly as the devil, is a goddess to be
bowed before. Let him remember that always, and, by the Lord! he'll be
popular."
Comethup was dressed early that night, by his aunt's instructions, in
a soft, loose suit of brown velvet, with a wide lace collar on his
shoulders--lace of a value which had made Comethup blink at the mere
naming of the price in his hearing. Deep lace ruffles fell over his
small hands, and he looked altogether a captivating little figure as he
joined his aunt in the drawing room, where she was awaiting the arrival
of her guests. She drew him toward her and ran her hands quickly all
over him, to assure herself that everything was right.
"I wish I had eyes to-night, child," she said, with a little sigh. "But
I shall know what you look like by the impression you create."
Comethup only dimly remembered that evening afterward. He knew that
a great number of people came, all very richly dressed, and most of
the ladies blazing with diamonds; that a number of the ladies went
into raptures over him, and that one of the gentlemen, who chuckled
tremendously at everything any one said, dubbed him "Prince Charming";
that, seated at his end of the table, with a gigantic footman standing
behind him, he sent every one within hearing into paroxysms of laughter
by returning what he thought were perfectly polite and natural
answers to questions which were asked him; that Miss Carlaw leaned
her head sideways to catch what was said, and nodded and smiled, and
was altogether immensely delighted with the success her nephew was
achieving.
Indeed, the astute old lady made quite a mystery of him; hinted at a
romantic parentage, and refused to say where she had discovered him, or
anything about him. She called him to her, as the ladies were leaving
the room, and put her arm about his neck and bent down and whispered:
"You're a wonder, Comethup; I'm very well pleased with you, Prince
Charming."
His last sleepy recollection of that night was of standing with his
aunt in the hall, where she was bidding her guests good-night, with the
summer-night wind blowing in upon them through the open door, and the
lights of the carriages outside, while every man gravely shook hands
with him, and every woman insisted on kissing him. He wondered then
what they would have thought if he had suddenly saluted in the fashion
the captain had taught him. And with that thought he wondered what the
captain was doing then, and whether he had missed his small boy friend.