Percival Keene Part 10

My mother sank down on the sofa, with her handkerchief to her eyes.

Bob Cross caught up the bundle, and led me away. I was very melancholy, for I loved my mother, and could not bear to see her so distressed, and for some time we walked on without speaking.

The c.o.xswain first broke the silence:--"What's your name, my little Trojan?" said he.

"Percival Keene."

"Well I'm blessed if I didn't think that you were one of the Delmar breed, by the cut of your jib; howsomever, it's a wise child that knows its own father."

"Father's dead," replied I.

"Dead! Well, fathers do die sometimes; you must get on how you can without one. I don't think fathers are of much use, for, you see, mothers take care of you till you're old enough to go to sea. My father did nothing for me, except to help mother to lick me, when I was obstropolous."

The reader, from what he has already been informed about Ben, the marine, may easily conceive that I was very much of Bob Cross's opinion.

"I suppose you don't know anybody on board--do you?"

"Yes, I know Tommy Dott--I knew him when the s.h.i.+p was at Chatham."

"Oh! Mr Tommy Dott; I dare say you're just like him, for you look full of mischief. He's a very nice young man for a small party, as the saying is; there is more devil in his little carcase than in two women's, and that's not a trifle; you'll hunt in couples, I dare say, and get well flogged at the same gun, if you don't take care. Now, here we are, and I must report my arrival with you under convoy."

Bob Cross sent a waiter for the captain's steward, who went up to Captain Delmar. I was ordered to go upstairs, and again found myself in the presence of the n.o.ble captain, and a very stout elderly man, with a flaxen wig.

"This is the lad," said Captain Delmar, when I came into the room and walked up to him; "you know exactly what he requires; oblige me by seeing him properly fitted out and the bill sent in to me."

"Your orders shall be strictly obeyed, Captain Delmar," said the old gentleman, with a profound bow.

"You had better not order too many things, as he is growing fast; it will be easy to make good any deficiencies as they may be required."

"Your orders shall be most strictly obeyed, Captain Delmar," replied the old gentleman, with another bow.

"I hardly know what to do with him for to-day and to-morrow, until his uniforms are made," continued the captain: "I suppose he must go on board."

"If you have no objection, Captain Delmar," said the old gentleman, with another low bow, "I am sure that Mrs Culpepper will be most proud to take charge of any _protege_ of yours; we have a spare bed, and the young gentleman can remain with us until he is ready to embark in the uniform of his rank."

"Be it so, Mr Culpepper; let your wife take care of him until all is complete, and his chest is ready. You'll oblige me by arranging about his mess."

"Your wishes shall be most strictly attended to, Captain Delmar,"

replied Mr Culpepper, with another profound inclination, which made me feel very much inclined to laugh.

"If you have no further orders, Captain Delmar, I will now take the young gentleman with me."

"Nothing more, Mr Culpepper--good morning," replied Captain Delmar, who neither said how d'ye do to me when I came in, or good bye when I went away in company with Mr Culpepper. I had yet to learn what a thing of no consequence was a "sucking Nelson."

I followed Mr Culpepper down stairs, who desired me to remain with the c.o.xswain, who was standing under the archway, while he spoke to the captain's steward.

"Well," said Bob Cross, "what's the ticket, youngster,--are you to go abroad with me?"

"No," said I; "I am to stay on sh.o.r.e with that old chap, who does nothing but bob his head up and down. Who is he?"

"That's our nipcheese."

"Nipcheese!"

"Yes; nipcheese means purser of the s.h.i.+p--you'll find all that out by-and-by; you've got lots to larn, and, by way of a hint, make him your friend if you can, for he earwigs the captain in fine style."

Perceiving that I did not understand him, Bob Cross continued: "I mean that our captain's very fond of the officers paying him great respect, and he likes all that bowing and sc.r.a.ping; he don't like officers or men to touch their hats, but to take them right off their heads when they speak to him. You see, he's a sprig of n.o.bility, as they call it, and what's more he's also a post-captain, and thinks no small beer of himself; so don't forget what I say--here comes the purser."

Mr Culpepper now came out, and, taking my hand, led me away to his own house, which was at Southsea. He did not speak a word during the walk, but appeared to be in deep cogitation: at last we arrived at his door.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Why is it that I detain the reader with Mr Culpepper and his family? I don't know, but I certainly have an inclination to linger over every little detail of events which occurred upon my first plunging into the sea of life, just as naked boys on the New River side stand s.h.i.+vering a while, before they can make up their minds to dash into the unnatural element; for men are not ducks, although they do show some affinity to geese by their venturing upon the treacherous fluid.

The door was opened, and I found myself in the presence of Mrs Culpepper and her daughter,--the heiress, as I afterwards discovered, to all Mr Culpepper's savings, which were a.s.serted to be something considerable after thirty years' employment as purser of various vessels belonging to his Majesty.

Mrs Culpepper was in person enormous--she looked like a feather-bed standing on end; her cheeks were as large as a dinner-plate, eyes almost as imperceptible as a mole's, nose just visible, mouth like a round O.

It was said that she was once a great Devons.h.i.+re beauty. Time, who has been denominated _Edax rerum_, certainly had as yet left her untouched, reserving her for a _bonne bouche_ on some future occasion.

She sat in a very large arm-chair--indeed, no common-sized chair could have received her capacious person. She did not get up when I entered; indeed, as I discovered, she made but two attempts to stand during the twenty-four hours; one was to come out of her bedroom, which was on the same floor as the parlour, and the other to go in again.

Miss Culpepper was somewhat of her mother's build. She might have been twenty years old, and was, for a girl of her age, exuberantly fat; yet as her skin and complexion were not coa.r.s.e, many thought her handsome; but she promised to be as large as her mother, and certainly was not at all suited for a wife to a subaltern of a marching regiment.

"Who have we here?" said Mrs Culpepper to her husband, in a sort of low croak; for she was so smothered with fat that she could not get her voice out.

"Well, I hardly know," replied the gentleman, wiping his forehead; "but I've my own opinion."

"Mercy on me, how very like!" exclaimed Miss Culpepper, looking at me, and then at her father. "Would not you like to go into the garden, little boy?" continued she: "there, through the pa.s.sage, out of the door,--you can't miss it."

As this was almost a command, I did not refuse to go; but as soon as I was in the garden, which was a small patch of ground behind the house, as the window to the parlour was open, and my curiosity was excited by their evidently wis.h.i.+ng to say something which they did not wish me to hear, I stopped under the window and listened.

"The very picture of him," continued the young lady.

"Yes, yes, very like indeed," croaked the old one.

"All I know is," said Mr Culpepper, "Captain Delmar has desired me to fit him out, and that he pays all the expenses."

"Well, that's another proof," said the young lady; "he wouldn't pay for other people's children."

"He was brought down here by a very respectable-looking, I may say interesting, and rather pretty woman,--I should think about thirty."

"Then she must have been handsome when this boy was born," replied the young lady: "I consider that another proof. Where is she?"

"Went away this morning by the day-coach, leaving the boy with the captain, who sent his c.o.xswain for him."

"There's mystery about that," rejoined the daughter, "and therefore I consider it another proof."