"Tell me--the truth," she cried, rising and laying her hand on my
shoulder.
"The truth is, Mrs Dean, that we have both lost our situations, and
that I'm afraid Mr Dempster will be so malicious that he will keep us
from getting others."
"Yes, I'm afraid of that," she said sadly.
"So as we have heard that any one who likes to try can get on out there,
we did think of going."
"And we do think of going, mother dear," said Esau gently. "Come, try
and look at it sensibly. I know you will not like me to go, and when it
comes to the time, I shan't like to leave you; but I'm such a
sleepy-headed chap, I shall never get on here, and if I go over there it
will wake me up."
"But I couldn't part with you, my boy," cried Mrs Dean. "I should be
all alone. What would become of me?"
"Why you'd go on just as you are, and I should send you home some money
sometimes; and when I've made my fortune I shall come back and make a
lady of you."
"No, no, no," she said, with the tears running down her cheeks; "I'd
rather stop as we are, Esau."
"Yes, but we can't."
"Yes, we can, dear. I've saved a few pounds now, and it only means
working a little harder. I can keep you, and I'm sure--"
"Stop!" roared Esau huskily. "I'm ashamed of you, mother. Do you think
I'm going to be such a sop of a fellow as to sit down here and let you
keep me? I suppose you'll want to keep Mr Gordon next."
"Then you've got nothing to be ashamed of, I'm sure, sir," said the
little woman tartly. "What's enough for two's enough for three, and I
was going to say, when you went on like that, that if Mr Gordon
wouldn't mind, and not be too proud at things not being quite so
plentiful, which everything should be clean as clean, it's very, very
welcome you'd be, my dear, for you never could have been nicer if you
had been my own boy."
"Mrs Dean," I cried, with a curious feeling in my throat, while Esau
looked at me searchingly, as if he thought I was going to accept the
offer, "that is quite impossible. Neither Esau nor I could do that.
Why, I should be ashamed even to think of it."
"Oh no," said Esau, sarcastically, "it's all right. Let mother do the
work, and we two will play at tops and marbles all day."
"Be quiet, Esau. I know you're only teasing. But why not, my dear? I
know I'm a very little woman, but I'm very strong."
"It's be quiet, mother, I think," cried Esau angrily. "What do you mean
by talking like that to Mr Gordon? I often calls him Gordon, 'cause
he's always been such a good chap to me; but I don't forget he's a
gentleman's son, and his mother was a born lady. I'm ashamed of you,
mother, that I am."
"But it's so dreadful, my boy--worse than your being a soldier. I could
come down to Woolwich to see you sometimes."
"No, no, Mrs Dean," I said; "don't say that. It really would be wise
for us to go. People do get on out there, and those friends of mine,
Mr John Dempster and Mrs John, are going."
"That's it then," cried the little lady angrily. "It's their doing, and
it's a shame."
"Here, hold hard, mother!" cried Esau. "I say, is that true?"
"Quite."
"And now you're trying to blind me, Esau," cried Mrs Dean; "but you
can't cheat me."
"Who's trying to blind you?"
"You, sir. Just as if you didn't know all the time."
"He did not know, neither did I know till I went up there to-day," I
said.
"Ah, I never liked those people. They're only Dempsters, and not
content with weaning you away from me, they've done the same now with my
boy."
"Did you ever hear such an unbelieving old creature," cried Esau
excitedly. "Mr and Mrs John D. going! Why you've coaxed 'em into
it."
"You don't deceive me; you don't deceive me," said Mrs Dean, sobbing.
"Be quiet, mother!--But how is it they're going?"
"For Mrs John's health. I told you before they said they might go to
Canada."
"So you did."
"Of course you did," said Mrs Dean, scornfully.
"They are going to join Mrs John's brother, who is manager out at a
Hudson's Bay Company's station."
"Hudson's Bay," said Esau, making a grimace; "that's up at the North
Pole. I don't want to go there."
"Nonsense!" I said; "it's somewhere in British Columbia."
"Hudson's Bay, Baffin's Bay, Davis' Straits--all up at the North Pole.
Think nobody never learnt jography but you?"
"Ah, well, never mind where it is," I said impatiently; "they're going
out there."
"And they've coaxed you two boys away from a poor lone widow woman to go
with them," cried Mrs Dean; "and it's a sin and a shame."
"I assure you, Mrs Dean--"
"No, sir, you can't."
"Will you be quiet, mother!" cried Esau angrily, "and go on with your
supper, and let us. You're crying right into the salt."
"I'm not, sir! and I will not be put down by a boy like you. I say you
shan't go."
"And I say I shall," replied Esau surlily. "If you don't know what's
for the best, I do."
"It isn't for the best, and it's cruel of you, Esau."
"Well," said Esau, turning to me, "I've made up my mind, Gordon; she
won't care when it's all over, and then she'll see it's for the best for
all of us. So once for all, will you stick to it?"
"Yes," I said, "I am quite determined now."
"Hear that, mother?"
"Oh yes, I hear, sir."
"Then don't say sir; and let's finish supper comfortably, for I haven't
had half enough. But let's have it all over, and then settle down to
it. So once for all, I'm going out to British Columbia to make my
fortune."
Mrs Dean had been sitting down for some little time now, and as Esau
said these last words she started up, gave the table a sharp slap with
her hand, looked defiantly at us both, and exclaimed--
"Then I shall come too."
We two lads sank back in our chairs astonished. Then we looked at each
other, and we ended by bursting out laughing.
"Oh, all right," said Esau at last. "That's right, mother.--She's
coming to do the shooting for us while we build up the house."
"Ah, you may laugh, sir. But if that's a place that is good for two
lads like you to get on in, it's a good place for a respectable
hard-working woman who can wash, and cook, and bake bread, whether it's
loaves or cakes."
"Well, mother can make cakes," said Esau, "and good ones."
"Of course I can, sir; and very glad you'll be of 'em too when you're
thousands of miles from a baker's shop."
"Yes; but the idee of your coming!" cried Esau. "Haw, haw, haw!"
Somehow it did not seem to me such a very preposterous "idee," as Esau
called it, for just then I too had an idea. Mrs John was going that
long waggon journey; what could be better for her than to have a clever
little managing, hard-working woman like Mrs Dean with her?
But I did not say anything about it then, for I had to think the matter
over. Only a few hours ago it had seemed as if my connection with Esau
was likely to be in the way of my accompanying the Dempsters; now
matters were taking a form that looked as if my friendliness with him
was to be the reason, not only for my being their companion, but of
helping them admirably as well.
But matters were not quite in shape yet, and we all went to bed that
night feeling as if Esau's opinion was correct--that the little supper
had not been a success.