A NEW CHARACTER INTRODUCED, WHO CLAIMETH OLD ACQUAINTANCESHIP--NOT VERY
HONEST BY HIS OWN ACCOUNT, WHICH GIVETH HIM MORE THE APPEARANCE OF
HONESTY THAN HE DESERVETH--HE PROVETH TO BE A STEWARD NOT INCLINED TO
HIDE HIS TALENT IN A NAPKIN.
During all the time that these West Indian events had been occurring,
that is, nearly three years, I had no other communication with England
than regularly and repeatedly sending there various pieces of paper thus
headed, "This, my first of exchange, my second and third not paid;" or
for variety's sake, "This, my second of exchange, my first and third,"
etcetera; or, to be more various still, "This, my third, my first and
second,"--all of which received more attention than their strange
phraseology seemed to entitle them to.
But I must now introduce a new character; one that attended me for
years, like an evil shadow, nor left me until the "beginning of the
end."
The ship had been hove down, the wound in her forefoot healed, that is
to say, the huge rent stopped up; and we were beginning to get water and
stores on board, and I was walking on the quay of the dockyard, when I
was civilly accosted by a man having the appearance of a captain's
steward. He was pale and handsome, with small white hands; and, if not
actually genteel in his deportment, had that metropolitan refinement of
look that indicated contact with genteel society. Though dressed in the
blue jacket and white duck trousers of the sailor's Sunday best, at a
glance you would pronounce him to be no seaman. Before he spoke to me,
he had looked attentively at several other midshipmen, some belonging to
my own ship, others, young gentlemen who were on shore on dockyard duty.
At length, after a scrutiny sufficient to make me rather angry, he took
off his hat very respectfully, and said:
"Have I the honour of speaking to Mr Ralph Rattlin?"
"You have: well, my man?"
"Ah, sir, you forget me, and no wonder. My name, sir, is Daunton--
Joshua Daunton."
"Never heard the name before in my life."
"Oh yes, you have, sir, begging your pardon, very often indeed. Why,
you used to call me Jossey; little Jossey, come here you little
vagabond, and let me ride you pick-aback."
"The devil I did!"
"Why, Mr Rattlin, I was your fag at Mr Roots' school."
Now I knew this to be a lie; for, under that very respectable pedagogue,
and in that very respectable seminary, as the reader well knows, I was
the _fagged_, and not the fagger.
"Now, really, Joshua Daunton," said I, "I am inclined to think that you
may be Joshua, the little vagabond, still; for, upon my honour, I
remember nothing about you. Seeing there were so many hundred boys
under Mr Roots, my schoolfellow you might have been; but may I be
vexed, if ever I fagged you or any one else! Now, my good man, prove to
me that you have been my schoolfellow first, and then let me know what I
can do for you afterwards, for I suppose that you have some favour to
ask, or some motive in seeking me."
"I have, indeed," he replied, with a peculiar intonation of voice, that
might have been construed in many ways. He then proceeded to give me
many details of the school at Islington, which convinced me, if there he
had never been, he had conversed with some one who had. Still, he
evaded all my attempts at cross-examination, with a skill which gave me
a much higher opinion of his intellect than of his honesty. With the
utmost efforts of my recollection, I could not call him to mind, and I
bluntly told him so. I then bade him tell me who he was and what he
wanted.
"I am the only son of an honest pawnbroker of Shoreditch. He was
tolerably rich, and determined to give me a good education. He sent me
to Mr Roots' school. It was there that I had the happiness of being
honoured by your friendship. Now, sir, you perceive that, though I am
not so tall as you by some inches, I am at least seven or eight years
older. Shortly after, you left school to go to another at Stickenham.
I also left, with my education, as my father fondly supposed, finished.
Sir, I turned out bad. I confess it with shame--I was a rascal. My
father turned me out of doors. I have had several ups and downs in the
world since, and I am now steward on board of the _London_, the West
Indiaman that arrived here the day before yesterday."
"Very well, Joshua; but how came you to know that I went to school at
Stickenham?"
"Because, in my tramping about the country, I saw you with the other
young gentlemen in the playground on the common."
"Hum! but how, in the name of all that is curious, came you to know that
I was here at Port Royal dockyard, and a young gentleman belonging to
the _Eos_?"
"Oh! very naturally, sir. About two years ago, I passed again over the
same common with my associates. I could not resist the wish to see if
you were still in the playground. I did not see you among the rest, and
I made bold to inquire of one of the elder boys where you were. He told
me the name of the ship, and of your captain. The first thing on coming
into the harbour that struck my eye was your very frigate alongside the
dockyard. I got leave to come on shore, and I knew you directly that I
saw you."
"But why examine so many before you spoke to me? However, I have no
reason to be suspicious, for time makes great changes. Now, what shall
I do for you?"
"Give me your protection, and as much of your friendliness as is
compatible with our different stations."
"But, Daunton, according to your own words, you have been a sad fellow.
Before I extend to you what you require, I ought to know what you really
have done. You spoke of tramping--have you been a tramper--a gipsy?"
"I have."
"Have you ever committed theft?"
"Only in a small way."
"Ah! and swindled--only in a small way, of course?"
"The temptations were great."
"Where will this fellow stop?" thought I; "let us see, however, how far
he will go;" and then, giving utterance to my thoughts, I continued,
"The step between swindling and forgery is but very short," and I
paused--for even I had not the confidence to ask him, "Are you a
forger?"
"Very," was the short, dry answer. I was astonished. Perhaps he will
confess to the commission of murder.
"Oh! as you were just saying to yourself, we are the mere passive tools
of fate--we are drawn on, in spite of ourselves. If a man comes in our
way, why, you know, in self-defence--hey?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"A little prick under the ribs in a quiet way. The wanderings and
jerkings of the angry hand will happen. You understand me?"
"Too well, I am afraid, sir. I have never yet shed man's blood--I never
will. Perhaps, sir, you would not depend upon my virtue for this--you
may upon my cowardice. I tremble--I sicken at the sight of blood. I
have endeavoured to win your confidence by candour--I have not
succeeded. May I be permitted to wish you a good day?"
"Stop, Daunton; this is a singular encounter, and a still more singular
conference. As an old schoolfellow, you ask me to give you my
protection. The protection of a reefer is, in itself, something
laughable; and then, as an inducement, you confess to me that you are a
villain, only in guilt just short of murder. Perhaps, by this bravado
sort of confession, you have endeavoured to give me a worse impression
of your character than it really deserves, that you might give me the
better opinion of your sincerity. Is it not so?"
"In a great measure, it is."
"I thought so. Now let me tell you, Daunton, that that very
circumstance makes me afraid of you. But, still, I will not cast aside
the appeal of an old schoolfellow. What can I do for you?"
"Give me the protection afforded me by a man-of-war, by taking me as
your servant."
"Utterly impossible! I can press you directly, or give the hint to any
of the many men-of-war here to do so. But the rules of the service do
not permit a midshipman to have a separate servant. Do you wish to
enter?"
"Only on board of your ship, and with the privilege of waiting upon you,
and being constantly near your person."
"Thank you; but what prevents my impressing you, even as you stand
there?"
"These very ample protections." And he produced them.
"Yes! I see that you are well provided. But why give up your good
berth on board the _London_?"
"Mr Rattlin, I have my reasons. Permit them, as yet, to remain secret.
There is no guilt attached to them. May I sail with you in the
capacity of your servant?"
"I have told you before that you cannot be my servant solely; you must
be the servant of the midshipmen's berth."
"Yes, with all my heart, provided that you pledge me your honour that I
shall never be put to any other duty."
I was astonished at this perseverance, and very honestly told him all
the miseries of the situation for which he seemed so ambitious. They
did not shake his resolution. I then left him, and spoke to Mr Farmer.
"Let the fool enter," was the laconic reply.
"But he will not enter but on the conditions I have mentioned, and his
protections are too good to be violated."
"Then I authorise you to make them. We are short of men."
But Joshua would not enter; he required to be pressed; so I went on
board his own merchant-ship, according to previous arrangement, and
pressed him. He made no resistance and produced no documents; he only
called the master of the ship, and the first and second officer, to
witness that he was a pressed man, and then, taking his kit with him, he
even cheerfully tripped down the side into the boat; and thus, for
nearly an eventful year, I was the instrument of placing my evil genius
near me.