Love me, love my dog.
PROVERB.
It is the misfortune of those who have been in constant habits of deceit
that they always imagine others are attempting the same dishonest
practices. For some time McElvina felt convinced that our little hero
had swerved from truth in the account which he gave of himself; and it
was not until after repeated catechisings, in which he found that,
strange and improbable as the narrative appeared, Willy never altered
from or contradicted his original statement, that he believed the boy to
be as honest and ingenuous as might have been inferred from his
prepossessing countenance.
To this conviction, how ever, did he arrive at last; and our hero--who
seemed no sooner to have lost one protector than to have the good
fortune to find another--became the favourite and companion of his new
captain, instead of his domestic, as had been originally contemplated.
A lad of Willy's age, who is treated with kindness and consideration, is
soon attached, and becomes reconciled to any change of circumstances.
It was a matter of indifference to our hero whether he was on the
quarter-deck of a man-of-war or in the cabin of a smuggling sloop.
Contented with his present lot,--with the happy thoughtlessness of
youth, he never permitted the future to disturb his repose or affect his
digestion.
Willy had been nearly a month at Cherbourg when McElvina's sloop took in
another cargo. "Willy," said McElvina, one evening as they sat together
in the apartment at the cabaret, "to-morrow I shall, in all probability,
sail for the English coast. I have been thinking what I shall do with
you. I do not much like parting with you; but, on reflection, I think
it will be better that I should leave you behind. You can be of no use,
and may be in the way if we should be obliged to take to our boat."
Willy pleaded hard against this arrangement. "I never have a friend but
I lose him directly," said the boy, and the tears started into his eyes.
"I trust you will not lose me, my dear fellow," replied McElvina, moved
at this proof of affection; "but I must explain to you why I leave you.
In the first place," added he, laughing, "with that mark on your
shoulder, it would be felony without benefit of clergy for you to be
found in my possession; but of that I would run the risk. My serious
reasons are as follow:--If this trip proves fortunate, I shall not
return to Cherbourg. I have business of importance in London, which may
require my presence for some weeks in that metropolis and its vicinity.
I told you before, that I am about to take the command of a very
different vessel from this paltry sloop, and upon a more dangerous
service. In four or five months she will be ready to sail, and during
that time I shall be constantly on the move, and shall hardly know what
to do with you. Now, Willy, you are not aware of the advantages of
education--I am: and as mine was given to me by strangers, so will I in
return bestow as much upon you as I can afford. You must, therefore, go
to school until my return. You will at least acquire the French
language, and you will find that of no little use to you hereafter."
Willy, accustomed to discipline and to breathe the air of passive
obedience, submitted without raising any more objections. Debriseau
joined, and they all three sallied forth to make arrangements for
placing our hero "_en pension_," where they had been recommended.
Having effected this, they agreed to lounge on the _Place d'Armes_ till
sunset, when they took possession of one of the benches. McElvina and
Debriseau lighted their cigars, and puffed away in silence, while Willy
amused himself with watching the promenaders as they passed in review
before him.
They had not remained there many minutes when a poodle-dog, _bien
tondu_, and white as a sheep from the river before the day of shearing,
walked up to them with an air of sagacious curiosity, and looked
McElvina steadfastly in the face. McElvina, taking his cigar from his
mouth, held it to the dog, who ran up to it, as if to smell it; the
lighted end coming in contact with his cold nose, induced the animal to
set up a loud yell, and retreat to his master much faster than he came,
passing first one fore-paw and then the other over his nose, to wipe
away the pain, in such a ridiculous manner as to excite loud merriment,
not only from our party on the bench, but also from others who had
witnessed the scene.
"So much for curiosity," said McElvina, continuing his mirth. The
proprietor of the dog, a young Frenchman, dressed very much "_en
calicot_," did not, however, seem quite so much amused with this
practical joke; he cocked his hat fiercely on one side, raised his
figure to the utmost of its height, and walking up, _en grand militaire_
addressed McElvina, with "_Comment, monsieur, vous avez fait une grande
betise-la--vous m'insultez_--"
"I think I had better not understand French," said McElvina, aside to
Debriseau; then turning to the Frenchman, with a grave face, and air of
incomprehension,--"What did you say, sir?"
"Ah! you are Inglishman. You not speak French?"--McElvina shook his
head, and began to puff away his cigar.
"Den, sare, if you not speak de French language, I speak de Englis like
von natif; and I tell you, sare, _que vous m'avez insulte_. Got for
dam!--you burnt my dog nose; vat you mean, sare?"
"The dog burnt his own nose," answered McElvina, mildly.
"Vat you mean? de dog burnt his own nose! How is a dog capable to burn
his own nose? Sare, you put de cigar to my dog nose. I must have de
_satisfaction_ or de apology _tout de suite_."
"But, sir, I have not insulted you."
"Sare, you insult my dog--he is von and de same ting--_mon chien est un
chien de sentiment_. He feel de affront all de same vid me--I feel de
affront all de same vid him. _Vous n'avez qu'a choisir, monsieur_."
"Between you and your dog," answered McElvina--"Well, then, I'd rather
fight the dog."
"Bah! fight de dog--de dog cannot fight, sare: _mais je suis son maitre
et son ami_ and I vill fight for him."
"Well, then, monsieur, I did insult your dog, I must acknowledge, and I
will give him the satisfaction which you require."
"And how vill you give de satisfaction to de dog?"
"Why, sir, you said just now that he was _un chien de beaucoup de
sentiment_:--if he is so, he will accept and properly appreciate my
apology."
"Ah, sare," replied the Frenchman, relaxing the stern wrinkles of his
brow, "_c'est bien dit_; you will make de apology to de dog. _Sans
doute_, he is de principal, I am only de second. _C'est une affaire
arrangee. Moustache, viens ici Moustache_" (the dog came up to his
master). _Monsieur est tres fache de t'avoir brule le nez_.
"Monsieur Moustache," said McElvina, taking off his hat with mock
gravity to the dog, who seemed determined to keep at a respectful
distance, "_je vous demande mille excuses_."
"_Ah! que c'est charmant_!" cried some of the fair sex, who, as well as
the men, had been attracted by, and were listening to the dispute.
"_Que Monsieur l'Anglais est drole: et voyez Moustache, comme il a l'air
content--vraiment c'est un chien d'esprit_."
"_Allez, Moustache_," said his master, who was now all smiles, "_donnez
la patte a monsieur--donnez donc_. Ah, sare, he forgive you, I am very
sure--_il n'a pas de malice_, but he is afraid of de cigar. De burnt
shild dred de _vater_, as your great Shakespeare say."
"_C'est un chien de talent: il a beaucoup de sentiment. Je suis bien
fache de t'avoir blesse, monsieur_."
"_Et monsieur parle Francais_?"
"I should esteem myself fortunate, if I spoke your language as well as
you do mine," replied McElvina, in French.
This compliment, before so many bystanders, completely won the heart of
the vain and choleric Frenchman.
"Ah, sare, you are too complaisant. I hope I shall have de pleasure to
make your acquaintance. _Je m'appelle Monsieur Auguste de Poivre. J'ai
l'honneur de vous presenter une carte d'adresse_. I live on de top
of my mother's,--_sur l'entresol_. My mother live on de
ground--_rez-de-chaussee_. Madame _ma mere_ will be delighted to
receive a monsieur of so much vit and adresse." So saying, away went
Monsieur Auguste de Poivre, followed by Moustache, who was "_all von and
de same ting_."
"Well, we live and learn," said McElvina, laughing, as soon as the
Frenchman was at a little distance; "I never thought that I should have
made an apology to a dog."
"Oh, but," replied Debriseau, "you forget that he was _Un chien de
sentiment_."
"You may imagine, from my behaviour, that I consider him a wiser puppy
than his master, for he ran away from fire, whereas his master tried all
he could to get into it. Some of our countrymen would have humoured
him, and turned a comedy into a tragedy--I set a proper value on my
life, and do not choose to risk it about trifles."
"There has been more than one valuable life thrown away about a dog, in
my remembrance," said Debriseau. "I think you behaved in a sensible
manner to get rid of the affair as you did; but you would have done
better not to have burnt the dog's nose."
"Granted," replied McElvina; "the more so, as I have often remarked,
that there is no object in the world, except your children or your own
self; in which the _meum_ is so powerful, and the _tuum_ so weak. You
caress your own dog, and kick a strange one; you are pleased with the
clamorous barking of your own cur, and you curse the same noise from
another. The feeling is as powerful, almost, as that of a mother, who
thinks her own ugly cub a cherub compared to others, and its squallings
the music of the spheres. It is because there is no being that
administers so much to the self-love of his master. He submits, with
humility, to the blows inflicted in the moment of irritation, and licks
the hand that corrects. He bears no revengeful feelings, and is ready
to fondle and caress you the moment that your good humour returns. He
is, what man looks in vain for among his kind, a faithful friend,
without contradiction--the _very perfection of a slave_. The abject
submission on his part, which would induce you to despise him, becomes a
merit, when you consider his courage, his fidelity, and his gratitude.
I cannot think what Mahomet was about when he pronounced his fiat
against them, as _unclean_."
"Well," said Debriseau, "I agree with Mahomet that they are _not clean_,
especially puppies. There's that little beast at Monsieur Picardon's, I
declare--"
"Pooh," interrupted McElvina, laughing, "I don't mean it in that sense--
I mean that, in a despotic country, the conduct of a dog towards his
master should be held up as an example for imitation; and I think that
the banner of the Moslem should have borne the dog, instead of the
crescent, as an emblem of blind fidelity and tacit submission."
"That's very true," said Debriseau; "but, nevertheless, I wish
mademoiselle's puppy were either taught manners or thrown over the
quay."
"_Ce n'est pas un chien de sentiment_," replied McElvina, laughing.
"But it is nearly dark. _Allons au cabaret_."
They returned to the inn; and the wind, on the ensuing morning, blowing
strong from a favourable quarter, Willy and Debriseau accompanied
McElvina down to the mole, from whence he embarked on board of the
sloop, which was already under way, and in the course of an hour was out
of sight.
On the following day, Captain Debriseau accompanied Willy to the
_pension_, where our hero remained nearly five months, occasionally
visited by the Guernsey captain, when he returned from his smuggling
trips, and more rarely receiving a letter from McElvina, who had safely
landed his cargo, and was latterly at Havre, superintending the fitting
out of his new vessel. Our hero made good progress during the few
months that he remained at the _pension_, and when McElvina returned to
take him away, not only could speak the French language with fluency,
but had also made considerable progress in what Sir W. C--- used to
designate in his toast as "the three R's,"--viz., "Reading, 'Riting, and
'Rithmetic."
The lugger which had been built for McElvina by his employer was now
ready, and, bidding farewell to Debriseau, who continued in the
Cherbourg trade, our hero and his protector journeyed _en diligence_ to
Havre.