"What singular emotions fill
Their bosoms, who have been induced to roam,
With flattering doubts, if all be well or ill,
With love for many, and with fears for some!"
BYRON.
The China fleet arrived without encountering any further danger; the
commodore and commanders of the several ships composing the fleet received
that praise from their countrymen to which their conduct had so fully
entitled them. As soon as the _Bombay Castle_ had entered the basin of the
East India docks, Newton requested, and easily obtained, permission to
leave the ship. He immediately directed his steps to Greenwich, that he
might ascertain if his father was in existence; for he had received no
letters since his departure, although he had taken several opportunities to
write. It is true that he had not expected any; he knew that his father was
too absent ever to think about writing to him, and his uncle much too busy
to throw away any portion of his time in unnecessary correspondence.
When we approach the dwelling containing, or supposed to contain, an object
of solicitude, of whose existence we are uncertain, what a thrill of
anxiety pervades the frame! How quickened is the throbbing of the heart!
how checked the respiration! Thus it was with Newton Forster as he raised
his hand to the latch of the door. He opened it, and the first object which
delighted his eyes was his father seated upon a high stool smoking his
pipe, in the company of two veterans of the hospital, who had brought their
old bones to an anchor upon a large trunk. They were in earnest
conversation, and did not perceive the company of Newton, who waited a
little while, holding the door ajar, as he contemplated the group.
One of the pensioners was speaking, and continued:--"May be, or may not be,
Mr Forster, that's _dubersome_; but if so be as how he is alive, why you'll
see him soon, that's sartain--take my word for it. A good son, as you say
he was, as soon as he can get over the side of the ship, always bears up
for his parent's house. With the help of your barnacles, I worked my way
clean through the whole yarn, and I seed the report of killed and wounded;
and I'll take my affidavy that there warn't an officer in the fleet as lost
the number of his mess in that action, and a most clipping affair it was;
only think of mounseer turning tail to marchant vessels! Damn my old
buttons! what will our jolly fellows do next?"
"Next, Bill! why there be nothing to do, 'less they shave off the beard of
the grand Turk to make a swab for the cabin of the king's yacht, and sarve
out his seven hundred wives amongst the fleet. I say, I wonder how he keeps
so many of them craft in good order?"
"I knows," replied the other, "for I axed the very question when I was up
the Dardanelles. There be a black fellow, a _unique_ they calls him, with a
large sword and a bag of sawdust, as always stands sentry at the door, and
if so be a woman kicks up a bobbery, why plump her head goes into the bag."
"Well, that's one way to make a good woman on her; but as I was saying, Mr
Forster, you mustn't be down in the mouth; a seaman as knows his duty,
never cares for leave till all the work be done. I'd bet a yard of pigtail
that Mr Newton--"
"Is here, my good fellow!" interrupted Newton. "My dear father!"
Nicholas sprang off his seat and embraced his son.
"My dear, dear boy! why did you not come to me before? I was afraid that
you had been killed. Well, I'm glad to see you, Newton. How did you like
the West Indies?"
"The East Hinges, you mean, Mr Forster.--Newton," continued the old
pensioner, wiping both sides of his hand upon his blue breeches, and then
extending it--"Tip us your daddle, my lad; I like to touch the flipper of
one who has helped to shame the enemy; and it will be no disgrace for you
to grapple with an old seaman, who did his duty as long as he had a pin to
stand upon."
"With pleasure, my friend," replied Newton, taking the old man's hand,
while the other veteran seized the one unoccupied, and, surveying Newton
from top to toe, observed, "If your ship be manned with all such lads as
you--why, she be damned well manned, that's all."
Newton laughed and turned to his father.
"Well, father, how are you?--have you been quite well? And how do you like
your berth here?"
"Why, Newton, I get on much better than I did at Bristol."
"It be Liverpool he mean, Mr Newton; but your good father be a little
damaged in his upper works; his memory box is like a sieve.--Come, Bill, we
be two too many. When father and son meet after a India voyage, there be
much to say as wants no listeners.--Good-bye, Mr Forster; may you never
want a son, and may he never want a ship!"
Newton smiled his thanks to the considerate old pensioners, as they stumped
out of the door, and left him alone with his father. The communications of
Nicholas were as concise as usual. He liked his situation, liked his
company, had as much work as he wished for, and had enjoyed good health.
When Newton entered upon pecuniary matters, which he was the sooner induced
to do by observing that his father's coat and smallclothes were in a most
ruinous condition, he discovered, that although the old gentleman had
provided himself with money from the bankers, during the first year, to
purchase a new suit of clothes, latterly he not only had quite forgotten
that there were funds at his disposal, but even that he had procured the
clothes, which had remained in the chest from the day they had been sent
home without having been tried on.
"Dear me! now I recollect, so I did; and I put them upstairs somewhere. I
was busy at the time with my improvement on the duplex."
"Have you seen much of my uncle, sir?" inquired Newton.
"Your uncle!--dear me, no! I don't know where he lives; so I waited until
you came back. We'll go tomorrow, Newton, or he may think me unkind. I'll
see if his watch goes well; I recollect he said it did. But, Newton, tell
me all about your voyage, and the action with the French ships."
Newton entered into a detail, during which he perceived by his father's
questions that his memory had become more impaired, and that he was more
absent than ever. He arranged to call upon his uncle the ensuing day; and
then it was his intention, without communicating it to his father, to make
every inquiry and advertise to ascertain the fate of his mother. This was a
duty which he had long wished to repeat; but his necessities and want of
time had hitherto precluded the renewal of the task.
Early the next morning, Newton and his father went up to London by the
Greenwich coach; and a walk of a few minutes after they were put down
brought them to the chambers of Mr John Forster.
"How do you do, Mr Scratton? Is my uncle at home?" inquired Newton.
Mr Scratton immediately recognised him, and very graciously replied, that
his uncle was at home and would be very glad to see him, having talked very
often of him lately.
Newton and his father were ushered into the parlour, where he found his
uncle precisely in the same position as when he last saw him;--it would
almost have appeared that he had not quitted his seat during Newton's
tedious voyage.
"Nephew," said Mr John Forster, without rising from his chair, "I am very
glad to see you.--Brother Nicholas, I am very glad to see you too.--Chairs,
Scratton," continued the old lawyer, taking his watch off the table, and
placing it in his fob. "Well, nephew, I am very glad to hear such good
accounts of you. I saw Mr Bosanquet yesterday, and he told me that you had
for your good conduct been promoted to the rank of second mate."
"It is more than I am aware of," replied Newton, much pleased with the
information. "I am much obliged to you for the intelligence, as I am for
your many other acts of kindness."
"Well, so you ought to be; it's no bad thing, as I told you before, to find
out an uncle. By-the-bye, there has been some alteration in my
establishment since we parted, nephew. I have a house in Lincoln's Inn
Fields, and a spare bed, if you will accept of it. We dine at six; brother
Nicholas, I shall be very happy to see you, if you can stay. It will be too
late to go home after dinner, but you can share my nephew's bed."
"I shall be most happy to accept your kind offer for a few days, sir, if it
does not incommode you," replied Newton.
"No; you will not incommode me _there_, but you do very much _here_, where
I am always busy. So good-bye, my boy; I shall be at home at six. Brother
Nicholas, you did not vouchsafe me an answer."
"About what, brother John?" replied Nicholas, who had been "in the clouds."
"Oh, I'll tell you all about it, father," said Newton, laughing. "Come away
now--my uncle is busy." And Nicholas rose up, with the observation--
"Brother John, you appear to me to read a great deal."
"Yes, I do, brother."
"How much do you read a day?"
"I really cannot say; much depends upon whether I am interrupted or not."
"It must be very bad for your eyes, brother John."
"It certainly does not improve them," replied the lawyer, impatiently.
"Come, father, my uncle is very busy," said Newton, touching Nicholas on
the arm.
"Well, good-bye, brother John. I had something to say--oh! I hope you are
not displeased at my not coming to see you before?"
"Humph! not in the least, I can assure you, brother Nicholas; so good-bye.
Newton, you'll bring him with you at six," said Mr John Forster; and he
resumed his brief before they had quitted the room.
Newton was much surprised to hear that his uncle had taken a house, and he
surmised whether he had not also been induced to take a wife. He felt an
inclination to put the question to Mr Scratton, as he passed through the
office; but checked the wish, lest it should appear like prying into his
uncle's affairs. Being the month of February, it was dark long before six
o'clock, and Newton was puzzled what to do with his father until that time.
He returned to the Salopian Coffee-house, opposite to which they had been
put down by the Greenwich coach; and taking possession of a box, called for
some biscuits and a pint of sherry; and requesting his father to stay there
until his return, went out to purchase a sextant, and some other nautical
luxuries, which his pay enabled him to procure without trespassing upon the
funds supplied by the generosity of his uncle. He then returned to his
father, who had finished the wine and biscuits, and had his eyes fixed upon
the ceiling of the room; and calling a hackney coach, drove to the
direction which his uncle had pointed out as his residence.
Mr John Forster had already come home, and they found him in the
dining-room, decanting the wine for dinner, with Amber by his side. Newton
was surprised at the appearance of a little girl; and, as he took her
proffered hand, inquired her name.
"Amber. Papa says it's a very foolish name; don't you, papa?"
"Yes, my dear, I do; but now we are going to dinner, and you must go to Mrs
Smith: so good-night."
Amber kissed the old lawyer, as he stooped to her; and wishing the company
good-night, she left the room.
"Brother John," said Nicholas, "I really had no idea that you were a
married man."
"Humph! I am not a married man, brother."
"Then pray, brother, how is it possible for that little girl to be your
daughter?"
"I did not say she was my daughter: but now we will go upstairs into the
drawing-room, while they put the dinner on the table."
The dinner was soon announced; the cookery was plain, but good, the wine
excellent. When the dessert was placed on the table, Mr John Forster rose,
and taking two bottles of port-wine from the side-board, placed them on the
table, and addressed Newton.
"Nephew, I have no time to _sip_ wine, although it is necessary that I
drink it. Now, we must drink fast, as I have only ten minutes to spare; not
that I wish you to drink more than you like, but I must push the bottle
round, whether you fill or no, as I have an appointment, what we call a
consultation, at my chambers. Pass the bottle, brother," continued the
lawyer, helping himself, and shoving the decanter to Nicholas.
Nicholas, who had been little accustomed to wine, obeyed mechanically,
swallowing down each glass _à gorge déployée_, as he was awoke from his
meditations by the return of the bottle, and then filling up his glass
again. Newton, who could take his allowance as well as most people, could
not, however, venture to drink glass for glass with his uncle, and the
bottle was passed several times without his filling. When the ten minutes
had elapsed, Mr John Forster took his watch from the table, replaced it in
his fob, and rose from his chair. Locking up the remainder of the wine, he
quitted the house without apology, leaving his guests to entertain
themselves, and order tea when they felt inclined.
"My brother seems to be very busy, Newton," observed Nicholas. "What wine
was that we have been drinking? It was very strong; I declare my head turns
round;" and in a few moments more Nicholas dropped his head upon the table,
and was fast asleep.
Newton, who perceived that his father was affected by the wine which he had
been drinking, which was, in the sum total, a pint of sherry at the
coffee-house before dinner, and at least a bottle during and after his
meal, thought it better that he should be allowed to take his nap. He
therefore put out the candles, and went up into the drawing-room, where he
amused himself with a book until the clock struck twelve. According to the
regulations of the house, the servants had retired to bed, leaving a light
in the passage for their master on his return, which sometimes was at a
very late hour, or rather, it should be said, at a very early one. Newton
lighted a chamber-candlestick, and went down into the parlour to rouse his
father; but all his attempts were in vain. The wine had taken such an
effect upon him, that he was in a state of lethargy. Newton observed that
the servant had cleared the table, and that the fire was out: and, as there
was no help for it, he removed the chairs to the end of the room, that his
father might not tumble over them if he awoke in the dark, and then retired
to his own bed.