We pass over our hero's long voyage round "the Horn," and introduce him
in a totally new scene and under widely different circumstances--seated
near a magnificent tree of which he is making a study, and clad in a
white linen coat and pantaloons and a broad-brimmed straw hat.
Just the day before, the "House" to which he had been sent had failed.
Two years had he spent in grinding at its account books, perched on a
three-legged stool, and now he found himself suddenly cast loose on the
world. Of course when the stool was knocked from under him his salary
was stopped, and he was told by his employers that it would be necessary
for him to go elsewhere to earn a subsistence.
This was rather a startling piece of advice, and for a time Frank felt
much depressed, but on returning to his lodgings, the day he received
his dismissal, his eye fell on his palette and brushes, which he at once
seized, and, hastening out to his favourite tree, was soon so thoroughly
absorbed in the study of "nature" that his sorrows vanished like morning
mist.
After three hours' steady work he arose refreshed in soul and comforted.
Thereafter he returned to his lodgings and sat down to think over his
prospects. His cogitations were temporarily interrupted, and afterwards
materially assisted, by a short thick-set man of about thirty years of
age who entered with a deferential air, and pulled his forelock.
"Come in, Joe. I was just thinking over my future plans, and I daresay
you can assist me, being, I suppose, in the same fix with myself."
Joe Graddy had been a porter in the "House" which had failed, and was
indeed in the "same fix," as Frank said, with himself.
"I've comed, sir," said Joe, "to ax yer advice, an' to offer ye my
sarvice, it it's of any use," said the porter, who was a shrewd
straightforward man, and had originally been a sailor.
"If you had come to offer me advice and ask my services," said Frank, "I
would have been better pleased to see you. However, sit down and let me
hear what you have to say."
"Well, sir," said Joe; "this is wot I've got for to say, that we are in
what the Yankees call a pretty considerable fix."
"I know it, Joe; but how do you think we are to get out of the fix?"
"That's just wot I comed for to ax," said the man; "and when you've told
me how, I'll lend a hand to weigh anchor an' set sail. The fact is, I'm
in want of a place, and I'm willing to engage with _you_, sir."
Frank Allfrey experienced a strange mingling of feelings when he heard
this. Of course he felt much gratified by the fact that a man so grave
and sensible as Joe Graddy should come and deferentially offer to become
his servant at a time when he possessed nothing but the remnant of a
month's salary; and when he considered his own youth, he felt amazed
that one so old and manly should volunteer to place himself under his
orders. The fact is that Frank was not aware that his straightforward
earnest manner had commended him very strongly to those, with whom he
had lately come in contact. He was one of those attractive men whose
countenances express exactly what they feel, who usually walk with a
quick earnest step, if we may say so, and with a somewhat downcast
contemplative look. Frank knew well enough that he was strong and tall,
unusually so for his age, and therefore did not continually _assert_ the
fact by walking as if he was afraid to fall forward, which is a common
practice among men who wish to look bigger than they are. Besides,
being an ardent student of nature, Frank was himself natural, as well as
amiable, and these qualities had endeared him to many people without his
being aware of it.
"Why, Joe!" he exclaimed, "what do you mean?"
"I mean wot I says, sir."
"Are you aware," said Frank, smiling, "that I do not possess a shilling
beyond the few dollars that I saved off my last month's salary?"
"I s'posed as much, sir."
"Then if you engage with me, as you express it, how do you expect to be
paid?"
"I don't expect to be paid, sir."
"Come, Joe, explain your meaning, for I don't pretend to be a diviner of
men's thoughts."
"Well, sir, this is how it is. W'en we got the sack the other day, says
I to myself, says I, now you're afloat on the world without rudder,
compass, or charts, but you've got a tight craft of your own,--somewhat
scrubbed, no doubt, with rough usage, but sound,--so it's time for you
to look out for rudder, compass, and charts, and it seems to me that
thems to be found with young Mister Allfrey, so you'd better go an' git
him to become skipper o' your ship without delay. You see, sir, havin'
said that to myself, I've took my own advice, so if you'll take command
of me, sir, you may steer me where you please, for I'm ready to be your
sarvant for love, seein' that you han't got no money."
"Most obliging of you," said Frank, laughing, "and by this offer I
understand that you wish to become my companion."
"Of coorse, in a country o' this kind," replied Graddy, "it's
difficult,--I might a'most say unpossible,--to be a man's sarvant
without bein' his companion likewise."
"But here is a great difficulty at the outset, Joe. I have not yet made
up my mind what course to pursue."
"Just so, sir," said the ex-seaman, with a look of satisfaction, "I
know'd you wouldn't be doin' that in a hurry, so I've comed to have a
talk with 'e about it."
"Very good, sit down," said Frank, "and let us consider it. In the
first place, I regret to say that I have not been taught any trade, so
that I cannot become a blacksmith or a carpenter or anything of that
sort. A clerk's duties I can undertake, but it seems to me that clerks
are not much wanted here just now. Porterage is heavy work and rather
slow. I may be reduced to that if nothing better turns up, but it has
occurred to me that I might try painting with success. What would you
say to that, Joe?"
The man looked at Frank in surprise. "Well," said he, "people don't
look as if they wanted to paint their houses here, an' most of 'em's got
no houses."
"Why, man, I don't mean house-painting. It is portrait and landscape
painting that I refer to," said Frank, laughing.