_Hamlet_.
Is not parchment made of sheepskin?
_Horatio_.
Ay, my lord, and of calves' skins too.
_Hamlet_.
They are sheep and calves which
Seek out their assurance in that--
SHAKESPEARE.
The door opened, as intimated at the end of our last chapter, and Newton
obeyed the injunction from the lawyer's eye to follow him into the room.
"Now, sir, your pleasure?" said Mr Forster.
"I must introduce myself," replied Newton: "I am your nephew, Newton
Forster."
"Humph! where's your documents in proof of your assertion?"
"I did not consider that any thing further than my word was necessary.
I am the son of your brother, Nicholas Forster, who resided many years
at Overton."
"I never heard of Overton: Nicholas I recollect to have been the name of
my third brother; but it is upwards of thirty years since I have seen or
heard of him. I did not know whether he was alive or dead. Well, for
the sake of argument, we'll allow that you are my nephew--what then?"
Newton coloured up at this peculiar reception. "What then, uncle?--why
I did hope that you would have been glad to have seen me; but as you
appear to be otherwise, I will wish you good morning;"--and Newton moved
towards the door.
"Stop, young man; I presume that you did not come for nothing? Before
you go, tell me what you came for."
"To tell you the truth," replied Newton, with emotion, "it was to ask
your assistance and your advice; but--"
"But jumping up in a huff is not the way to obtain either. Sit down on
that chair, and tell me what you came for."
"To request you would interest yourself in behalf of my father and
myself; we are both out of employ, and require your assistance."
"Or probably I never should have seen you!"
"Most probably: we knew that you were in good circumstances, and
thriving in the world; and as long as we could support ourselves
honestly, should not have thrust ourselves upon you. All we wish now is
that you will, by your interest and recommendation, put us in the way of
being again independent by our own exertions; which we did not consider
too much to ask from a brother, and an uncle."
"Humph!--so first you keep aloof from me, because you knew that I was
able to assist you, and now you come to me for the same reason!"
"Had we received the least intimation from you that our presence would
have been welcome, you would have seen us before."
"Perhaps so; but I did not know whether I had any relations alive."
"Had I been in your circumstances, uncle, I should have inquired."
"Humph!--Well, young man, as I find that I have relations, I should like
to hear a little about them;--so now tell me all about your father and
yourself."
Newton entered into a detail of the circumstances, with which the reader
is already acquainted. When he had finished, his uncle, who had
listened with profound attention, his eye fixed upon that of Newton, as
if to read his inmost thoughts, said, "It appears, then, that your
father wishes to prosecute his business as optician. I am afraid that I
cannot help him. I wear spectacles certainly when I read; but this pair
has lasted me eleven years, and probably will as many more. You wish me
to procure you a situation in an East Indiaman as third or fourth mate.
I know nothing about the sea; I never saw it in my life; nor am I aware
that I have a sailor in my acquaintance."
"Then, uncle, I will take my leave."
"Not so fast, young man; you said that you wanted my _assistance_ and my
_advice_. My assistance I cannot promise you for the reasons I have
stated; but my advice is at your service. Is it a legal point?"
"Not exactly, sir," replied Newton, who was mortified almost to tears;
"still I must acknowledge that I now more than ever wish that the
articles were in safe keeping, and out of my hands." Newton then
entered into a detail of the trunk being picked up at sea; and stated
his having brought with him the most valuable of the property, that it
might be deposited in safe bands.
"Humph!" observed his uncle, when he had finished. "You say that the
articles are of value."
"Those who are judges consider the diamonds and the other articles to be
worth nearly one hundred pounds; I cannot pretend to say what their real
value is."
"And you have had these things in your possession these seven years?"
"I have, sir."
"Did it never occur to you, since you have been in distress, that the
sale of these articles would have assisted you?"
"It often has occurred to me, when I have found that the little I could
earn was not sufficient for my father's support; but we had already
decided that the property was not _legally mine_, and I dismissed the
idea as soon as I could from my thoughts. Since then I have ascertained
to whom the property belongs, and of course it has become more sacred."
"You said a minute ago that you now more than ever wished the property
in safe keeping. Why so?"
"Because, disappointed in the hopes I had entertained of receiving your
assistance, I foresaw that we should have more difficulties than ever to
struggle against, and wished not to be in the way of temptation."
"You were right. Well, then bring me those articles to-morrow, by one
o'clock precisely; I will take charge of them, and give you a receipt.
Good morning, nephew; very happy to have had the pleasure of making your
acquaintance. Remember me kindly to my brother, and tell him I shall be
happy to see him at one, precisely."
"Good morning, sir," replied Newton, with a faltering voice, as he
hurried away to conceal his disappointment and indignation, which he
felt at this cool reception and dismissal.
"Not _legally_ mine--humph! I like that boy," muttered the old lawyer
to himself, when Newton had disappeared.--"Scratton!"
"Yes, sir," replied the clerk, opening the door.
"Fill up a check for five hundred pounds, self or bearer, and bring it
to me to sign."
"Yes, sir."
"Is it this evening or to-morrow, that I attend the arbitration
meeting?"
"This evening, seven o'clock."
"What is the name of the party by whom I am employed?"
"Bosanquet, sir."
"East India director, is he not?"
"Yes, sir."
"Humph!--That will do."
The clerk brought in the draft, which was put into his pocket-book
without being signed; his coat was then buttoned up, and Mr John
Forster repaired to the chop-house, at which for twenty-five years he
had seldom failed to make his appearance at the hour of three or four at
the latest.
It was with a heavy heart that Newton returned to the inn in the
Borough, at which he left his father, whom he found looking out of
window, precisely in the same seat and position where he had left him.
"Well, Newton, my boy, did you see my brother?"
"Yes, sir; but I am sorry to say that I have little hopes of his being
of service to us."
Newton then entered into a narration of what had passed.
"Why really, Newton," said his father in his single-heartedness, "I do
not see such cause of despair. If he did doubt your being his nephew,
how could he tell that you were? and if he had no interest with naval
people why it's not his fault. As for my expecting him to break his
spectacles on purpose to buy new ones of me, that's too much, and it
would be foolish on his part. He said that he was very happy to have
made your acquaintance, and that he should be glad to see me. I really
don't know what more you could expect. I will call upon him to-morrow,
since he wishes it. At five o'clock precisely, don't you say?"
"No, sir, at one."
"Well, then, at one; those who have nothing to do must suit their hours
to those who are full of business. Recollect now, two o'clock
precisely."
"One o'clock, sir."
"Ay, very true, one o'clock I meant; now let's go to dinner."
Nicholas Forster appeared in excellent spirits: and Newton, who did not
like to undeceive him, was glad to retire at an early hour, that he
might be left to his own reflections, and form some plan as to their
proceedings in consequence of this unexpected disappointment.