I felt very sorry at the thought of leaving Miss Kitty, and would gladly
have remained with her and Mr and Mrs Newton, but Dick would not hear
of my doing so; and Captain Renton insisted that I should return home
with him, and go to school and obtain that instruction which I certainly
greatly required.
"We will take good care of the young lady, Charley," said Mr Newton;
"and should you meet with Mr Falconer, tell him that she is still as
well cared for as at first."
Once more the _Phoebe_ was at sea. Captain Renton gave me a berth in
his cabin, and took so much pains to instruct me, that before the voyage
was over I had made good progress in various branches of knowledge.
"Why, Charley," said Dick, who was proud of the information I displayed,
"you have become quite a scholar. Should not be surprised to hear of
your bearing up to be a judge, or a bishop, or a big-wig of some sort."
"No, no, Dick," I answered; "my only wish is to be a sailor, though I
own I should like to be a captain some day or other, though, of course,
I must study to become that."
"No fear of you, if you go on as you have begun," remarked Dick, gazing
approvingly at me.
We were about the latitude of Madeira, when one morning we sighted a
ship standing to the south'ard. As the day drew on, just as we were
close to her, it fell calm, and she made a signal that she would send
letters on board us to carry home. A boat put off from her, and came
alongside. The second mate of the ship came on deck with the letters.
"Captain Falconer, of the _Harmony_, begs that you will post these on
your arrival in England," he said, presenting them to Captain Renton, by
whose side I was standing.
"Captain Falconer!" I exclaimed, turning eagerly to my captain. "May I
go on board and see him, sir? I cannot help thinking that he was the
mate of the _Dolphin_, who saved that young lady from the savages."
Captain Renton at once ordered a boat to be lowered, to carry me on
board the _Harmony_, letting Dick accompany me. Dick, who pulled the
stroke-oar, gave way with a will, for he felt as eager as I was about
the matter. We were soon alongside, and without waiting for the mate,
who commanded the boat, I scrambled on board, followed by Dick. There,
to my great delight, I saw Mr Falconer. He did not recognise me, as
without ceremony I hurried aft, but when he saw Dick, he started, and
then looked inquiringly at me.
"What, are you Dick Driver?" he exclaimed, as Dick, not forgetting his
manners, touched his hat to him.
"Yes, sir. I am myself, and I am right glad to see you alive and well;
and this is Charley Laurel, who, may be, you remember."
"Indeed I do," said Mr Falconer, shaking me warmly by the hand, and
inviting us down in his cabin. "I feared that you had been both killed
by the savages."
I briefly narrated how we had escaped, and when I told him that we had
visited Mr Newton, and left Miss Kitty well, only a few months before,
I judged by the agitation and interest he showed that she had not
misplaced her confidence in him.
"I am bound out to the South Seas, where I have hitherto in vain
attempted to go," he observed. "As soon as I reached England, I
obtained a berth on board a ship bound for the Pacific, but she was
unhappily wrecked not far from Cape Horn. I, with some of the crew who
had reached the land, was taken off by a homeward-bound ship, in which I
returned to England. I should immediately have again sailed, but
hearing that my father was ill, I went to visit him. I had the
happiness of being reconciled to him before he died, when I found myself
the possessor of a small fortune. It is not, however, sufficient to
enable me to live without a profession, and through the recommendation
of the late captain of the _Harmony_, which her owners were about to
send again to the Pacific, I obtained command of her, and trust before
long of again having the happiness of seeing Miss Raglan."
"I am sure, sir, she will be very glad to see you," I could not help
saying; and I told him that none of his letters had been received.
Captain Falconer kept me on board all day, and nearly the whole time was
spent by him in asking me questions, and hearing all I could tell him
about Miss Kitty. In the evening, he sent me and Dick back to the
_Phoebe_ in one of the _Harmony's_ boats.
Next morning a westerly breeze sprang up, and the two ships stood on
their respective courses.
After this we had a quick run to England, and, arriving in the Thames,
Captain Renton took me with him to the owners, Messrs. Dear and Ashe, to
whom he gave an account of my adventures. Mr Dear, the head of the
firm, was a mild-looking pleasant old gentleman. He called me into his
room, and asked me a number of questions, and then desired Captain
Renton to send Dick Driver next day up to the office.
"If you can spare the lad, I will take him home with me, as Mrs Dear
will like to see him," he observed.
"I intended to have taken you to my house, Charley," said Captain
Renton, as he wished me good-bye, "but I am sure it will be to your
advantage to accept Mr Dear's invitation."
In the afternoon, I drove out with Mr Dear to his country house, in the
neighbourhood of London. It appeared to me a perfect palace. I had
never before since I could recollect been in any house larger than Mr
Newton's cottage.
Mrs Dear, a very kind lady, soon made me feel perfectly at home.
"We are much interested in you, Charley," she said, "and Mr Dear will
do his best to discover your relations in the West Indies. In the mean
time we think you will benefit by going to school."
I was very sorry to leave Captain Renton, but said I was ready to do
whatever she and Mr Dear thought best.
The next evening, when Mr Dear returned, he said that he could not
ascertain from Dick Driver the name of the island from which I had been
taken away. At the same time he observed: "I conclude that I shall be
able to learn at the Admiralty what place it was the _Laurel_ and her
consorts attacked."
I spent a couple of weeks with my new friends before they found a school
to which I could be sent. Captain Renton, accompanied by Dick, came out
to see me. Dick had agreed to sail again in the _Phoebe_, and promised
that, on his return, he would not fail to pay me a visit. He looked
very downcast.
"We have been together for the best part of ten years, Charley," he
said, as he wrung my hand, "and if I did not know it was for your good,
I could not bear the thoughts of parting from you; but you are in kind
hands, and I know it's better for you to remain on shore, and I am not
one to stand in your way--I love you too well for that."
The next day Mr Dear drove me down to a large school at Hammersmith. I
was introduced to the master, Mr Rushton, a tall gentleman with white
hair, who looked very well able to keep a number of boys in order, and
Mr Dear gave him a brief account of my history.
"The lad will do very well," he said, patting me on the head. "I have
boys from all parts of the world, and he will soon find himself at home
among them."
As soon as Mr Dear had gone, Mr Rushton, taking me by the hand, led me
into the playground, where upwards of a hundred boys were rushing about,
engaged in all sorts of games. He shouted "Fenwick," and a boy of my
own age came up. He told the boy that he wished him to look after me,
and teach me the ways of the school. Having done this, he re-entered
the house.
As soon as the master was gone, I found myself surrounded by a number of
boys, who, having examined me from head to foot, began asking me
questions.
Though I was ignorant of all their games, and had scarcely heard of
cricket and football, yet I knew a number of things which they did not.
"Who is your father?" asked one fellow.
"I don't know," I replied.
"Who is your mother?" inquired another.