"I have been thinking, Julius, what is best to be done about your
education. You are peculiarly situated: you are in age and appearance
quite a young man, and I have discovered that you are very observant and
have sound common sense; but you know nothing of those things which are
esteemed in the world, such as mathematics, accounts, Latin, French, and
other matters. I don't think it would be pleasant for you to go to a
school and mix with other boys, who would be so much younger than you
are, but who know so much more. I have decided therefore to secure a
private tutor, who will come to this house each morning and work with
you till half-past-four. You will, if you are in earnest, progress much
more rapidly by this means, and I wish to know when you would like to
begin to work."
"At once," I replied. "I had thought exactly the same about going to
school, and should certainly have been ashamed of myself for knowing so
little."
"It is no fault of yours," replied my uncle. "You know more of some
things than many men learn during the whole of their lives; for whilst
others have been acquiring a knowledge of Greek, Latin, and mathematics,
you have learned how to think for yourself and to reason on what you
see. It is rare to find a youngster like you as much a philosopher as
you are, and all your life you will derive a great advantage from
knowing how to do things for yourself."
My life now became one of routine; the tutor who came was a
comparatively young man, but was a very able teacher. We were more like
companions than master and pupil, and when in our leisure hours I had
told him of my past life, he took great interest in me.
My uncle had a dinner-party about once a week, to which he invited men
who were remarkable in some way--authors, artists, men of science, and
travellers. I took great interest in such society, and my knowledge of
South Africa and the private life of the Zulus caused me to be listened
to with attention whenever I was asked questions.
Two years passed in this way, and I made such rapid progress that I had
become a fair mathematician, understood book-keeping by double entry,
had gone through the six books of Euclid, could read and write French,
and might be said to be well educated. My tutor was surprised at the
rapidity with which I acquired knowledge. I, however, attributed it to
the cultivation of my powers of observation, which had been developed
during the wild life I had led in Africa.
My uncle at this period informed me that my tutor had told him, that I
had made such rapid progress, that there was no necessity for my
continuing my studies, and that he now considered it desirable that I
should decide what course I should adopt in life.
I knew my uncle must have already made up his mind, and so considered it
desirable that I should tell him that I had not sufficient experience to
make any selection, but would rather follow his advice.
"Then," said my uncle, "what do you think of coming into my office, and
learning the business which I have followed with tolerable success? The
army is poor pay, and often great hardship. The Indian Civil Service is
better, but I think you are too old for that, and I don't know any other
line that would suit you. You can live here with me as long as you find
it comfortable, and perhaps in time you may take my place."
During the whole of my residence with my uncle I had never been to his
office, which I now learned was in Fenchurch Street; and in a few days I
was taken by him and introduced to the head clerk, who, having received
instructions from my uncle, took me into an outer office and made me
acquainted with four young men who were clerks. These four young men
were considerably older than I was, as far as years were concerned, but
their manners and conversation soon caused me to look upon them as mere
boys; they seemed to have but little powers of reflection, to avoid
thinking deeply on any matter, and to endeavour to do as little work as
was possible. They indulged greatly in chaff; but, I suppose, from the
fact of my being the nephew of their chief, as they termed my uncle,
they never chaffed me. I felt but slight inclination for their society,
and before I had been a week in the office there was a sort of
antagonism between these clerks and myself.
My uncle did not seem displeased that I had not become very intimate
with these clerks. He asked me one day how I liked them. I replied
that I found nothing really to dislike, but they seemed to me
particularly foolish, and to be too fond of trifles.
My uncle smiled, and said, "The fact is, Julius, you are very old,
though young in years. The scenes through which you have passed have
aged you, and you look for realities in life. The clerks in my office
are thoughtless and superficial."
It would not interest the reader if I were to describe in detail the
life I led during the next three years. It was passed without any
important events. I learned the details of my father's life in India
from letters received nearly every month from him. I had become
thoroughly acquainted with my uncle's business, and obtained a knowledge
of the largeness of his transactions. Considering what must have been
his wealth, I should have been surprised at the quiet way in which he
lived, had I not discovered that he had a great dislike to display. He
had often expressed the opinion that a man should be more than he
seemed, instead of seeming more than he was. This he carried out
practically. He lived very comfortably, but even with me in the house
could not have spent much more than a thousand pounds a year, whereas
his annual income must have been seven or eight times that amount.
I had become acquainted with several people in London, all friends of my
uncle. To the houses of these I was frequently asked, and great
attention was shown me. It seemed to be understood that I should be my
uncle's heir; and I knew enough of the ways of the world, to be aware
that this fact, had probably more to do with the attention paid me, than
any special qualities in myself. I was not, therefore, carried away by
such attentions, nor did I become vain in consequence, both dangers to
which some young people are liable. I visited everything in London
worth seeing, my uncle putting no restrictions on me. He was fond of
the opera, and we often attended it together, as also some of the
principal theatres. He allowed me an income for my work at the office,
and told me that although he did not wish to restrict me as regards
anything essential, yet he thought I ought to live within this income.
After two years' experience I found I could do so, and one day mentioned
to my uncle that I had not only done so, but had saved fifty pounds.
But one event occurred during this period, which broke the monotony of
civilised life.
It was on a Sunday afternoon, during the winter time, that my uncle
accompanied me, to call on a family who lived on the borders of
Hampstead Heath. Some of the members of this family were much
interested in my adventures in Africa, and I had promised to bring over
a knob-kerrie made of the horn of a rhinoceros, to show one of the
daughters who was an invalid, and could not visit my uncle's house to
see the few African curiosities that I had there. We stayed at this
house till it became dusk, and then set out on our walk home. At that
date Hampstead Heath was a lonely place, and robberies were not
unfrequent. It occurred to me, soon after we had commenced our walk,
that if I were alone I might possibly have an adventure, which I
believed would have been amusing. Armed as I was with this formidable
knob-kerrie, I could have felled an ox; then I had not neglected my
running, and I felt certain that not one Englishman in a thousand could
catch me, in case I chose to run. I did not expect that two men walking
across the Heath were likely to be stopped by highwaymen. As these
ideas crossed my mind, my uncle said, "This heath is rather a dangerous
locality to be in late at night: there have been several robberies here
lately."
"I was just thinking of that," I replied, "but I suppose the robbers
don't use firearms."
"Not if they can help it," said my uncle, "as that would make too much
noise."
As we wended our way across the heath, I watched carefully the ground in
advance. Although it was a darkish evening I could still see several
yards in front of me. Everything was quiet, and we seemed the only
people out at the hour. Suddenly, from some bushes near the path, three
men jumped up, and were at once within a yard of us.
"Now then," said one of these men, "just hand out what you've got,
before we knock your brains out."
He had scarcely spoken, before I had lunged at the lower part of his
chest with my knob-kerrie, the point of which was sharp as a knife.
Shifting my hand to the sharp end, I brought the heavy knob down on the
head of the man next to me, who fell as though he had been shot. The
third man had grappled with my uncle, and the two were struggling
together; for my uncle, although old, was still powerful. Watching my
chance, I dropped my knob-kerrie on the shoulder of the highwayman. His
arm fell helplessly to his side; at the same time my uncle struck him
with his fist and he fell to the ground.
We did not wait to see more, because these men were usually provided
with pistols, and after the treatment they had received, we believed
they would not be very particular about their use. We therefore moved
off as rapidly as we could, and reached home in safety; my uncle little
the worse for his struggle, except that his coat was torn. At that date
the regular police did not exist, and our report of the affair produced
no results. We, the next day, visited the scene of our encounter, and
found unmistakable "spoor" of the highwaymen having suffered, as there
was a great deal of blood on the ground where the man whom I had struck
had fallen.
I was much complimented by all my friends, to whom my uncle related the
adventure; but I explained to them that such scenes were not new to me,
that the life I had formerly led had trained me specially so as not to
be surprised or taken at an advantage, and it would be strange indeed
if, now that I had come to civilisation, I should forget all my early
education.
Whether it was this adventure, or merely the memory of the past that
caused me to become unsettled, yet it was a fact that I had a growing
desire to once more visit the country where I had passed such eventful
years. In the solitude of my bedroom I used to carry on imaginary
conversations in Caffre with my old companions, and retraced my career
through the various adventures that had occurred. Weeks passed without
my mentioning this feeling to my uncle; but one evening he was speaking
about Mr Rossmar, when I said that I believed a very profitable trip
might be made to Natal, where ivory, ostrich-feathers, and leopard-skins
could be procured for a few beads or some cheap guns.
My uncle remarked that Mr Rossmar had, curiously enough, suggested the
same thing, the difficulty being to find a trustworthy person who knew
the country, and who would undertake the business.
I at once said, "I could do it myself. I know the country, can speak
the language, and should be able to do away with `middle men,'" middle
men being the intermediate traders who make their profit by buying cheap
and selling dear.
"Would you like such a trip?" said my uncle.
"Most certainly I should," I replied. "Lately I have thought how much I
should like to visit the country again and see some of my old friends
there. I am certain that there is a great quantity of ivory in many
parts, and ostrich-feathers could be procured, as ostriches are
plentiful."
"We will think about it," said my uncle, "and perhaps it may be
managed."
After this conversation I became unsettled. I was always thinking of
the wild life I had led, of its freedom from all forms and
conventionalities, and the beauty of the country.
My uncle said nothing more for some weeks, but again referred one
morning to our previous conversation, and asked if I were still willing
to pursue my adventures in South Africa. He said that I could sail to
the Cape in one of the ordinary Indiamen, and charter at the Cape a
small vessel which could cross the bar at Natal. When this ship was
loaded I could return with her to Cape Town, transfer my goods to an
Indiaman, and return home. The whole business, he thought, might occupy
a year; and, if carefully carried out, ought to be profitable.