CHAPTER VII.
ON BOARD THE "WILD WAVE."
MRS. GODSTONE found no difficulty whatever in persuading Jack's motherto allow him to take advantage of her husband's offer. Mrs. Robson hadat her husband's death decided at once that, with the small sum of moneyat her disposal, the only method she could see of making ends meet wasto go down to Leigh and invest it in a bawley. She had never told Jackthat she had even thought of allowing him to carry out his wish to go tosea; but she had thought it over, and had only decided on making afisherman of him after much deliberation. The desire to keep him withher had of course weighed with her, but this was a secondaryconsideration. She had so decided, because it was evident that had hegone to sea it must have been as a ship's-boy. In such a rough life hewould have had no time whatever to continue his studies, and wouldspeedily have forgotten most that he had learned, and he might haveremained many years before the mast before he could pass as a thirdmate. She thought therefore that he would do better by remaining atLeigh and becoming in time master of a bawley.
In the two years that had passed she had come to have doubts as towhether she had decided wisely. The profits of fishing were exceedinglysmall, and the prospects were but poor. She knew well that her husbandhad hoped that his son would follow some line that would maintain him inhis own rank of life, and she fretted at the thought that Jack wouldsettle down for life as a Leigh fisherman, and that Lily would probablyin time become a fisherman's wife. When therefore Mrs. Godstone told herthat her husband was ready to place Jack on board one of his ships asmidshipman, and that he would take care he had every chance of makinghis way up, Mrs. Robson thankfully accepted the offer.
"The boy has always wished for a life at sea," she said; "and I amthankful indeed that he should have such a chance of getting on. I ammost grateful to Mr. Godstone for his offer, and most gladly accept it."
"It is the least my husband can do, Mrs. Robson, considering the shareyour son took in saving his life. But you must not consider that thisdischarges the debt that I owe for myself and Mildred. That is anothermatter altogether. Now, in the first place, I am sure you must wishsometimes that your little girl could have an education of a differentkind to that which she can obtain here. Now, I should like to send herto a good school where she would be well educated. We need not lookfarther forward than that at present. She is only ten years old now, andin another seven or eight her brother may be a second mate, and, withthe prospect of becoming a captain in another three or four, would likehis sister to be educated as a lady."
"You are very kind, Mrs. Godstone," Mrs. Robson said with tears in hereyes. "But in the first place, I don't think I could bring myself topart with her, and in the second, I do not like to take advantage ofyour kindness."
"The second reason is absurd," Mrs. Godstone said decidedly. "Supposeinstead of saving all our lives your son had helped to get out anchorsand had got the ship off, he would have had his share of the salvage,which might have come to many hundreds of pounds; and it is nonsensebecause he saved lives instead of goods there should be no reward forthe service. As to your first reason, I can quite enter into it; and Iknow that I should not have liked to be parted from Mildred. Therefore Ido not propose to send her away from you, but to do it in another way.To send your girl to a really good school will not cost less than ahundred a year, and that sum I shall be very glad to pay until she is ofan age to leave school.
"Now, I understand that your principal reason in coming to Leigh wasthat your son should in time be able to sail your boat. That reason doesnot exist any longer, and you might therefore be as well anywhere elseas here. Your brother can look after your interests in your boat, andyou will get the same share of its profits as if you were living here. Ithink for your son's sake as well as your daughter's, it would bepleasanter and better that you were away from here.
"Now I am going to pay a hundred a year for your girl to be educated,but it makes no difference to me how that hundred is spent, providingshe gets the education. It seems to me, therefore, that it would bebetter if you were to move again, say to Dulwich, where no doubt youhave still friends, having lived there for so long. Then you could sendher as a day-boarder in a good school for some thirty or forty pounds ayear. You could still keep her with you, and have a nice home for Jackwhenever he comes back from sea.
"Well, think this over. It seems to me and to Mr. Godstone to be by farthe best plan for all parties. And it will be much the most pleasant tous; as I should then hope to see you often, and to see for myself howyour child is getting on. Do not give an answer to me now: it will beanother week before my husband can be moved up to town, so there will beplenty of time for you to look at it in all lights before you decide. Iknow that it will be a sacrifice for you to leave Leigh where you haveso many relations and friends; but I am sure this will not weigh withyou as against the interest of your children."
So saying the ship-owner's wife shook hands with Mrs. Robson and at oncewent out. Half-way down the street she met Jack.
"It is all settled, Jack," she said, in answer to his look. "Your motherhas agreed to your going."
"Has she?" Jack exclaimed in delight. "Hurrah! Thank you so much,ma'am," and throwing his cap in the air he caught it again, and thenstarted home at a run at the top of his speed. Bursting in at the doorhe was sobered instantly by seeing his mother in tears.
"My dear mother!" he exclaimed, "don't cry over it. Of course I shouldlike to go to sea and always wanted it, still I would not think of doingit if it makes you unhappy. Although you did tell Mrs. Godstone that youconsented, I will go off at once and tell them that I have changed mymind, and that on thinking it over I have concluded to stay here withyou."
"No, no, Jack," his mother said, as he turned to carry his offer intoeffect. "It is not that at all. I am quite willing that you should go,my boy. Of course I shall miss you; but other women have to see theirsons go to sea or abroad, and I shall be no worse off than they are. Iam very pleased, indeed, that you should have the life you wish for opento you. There is now a far better prospect of your getting on and doingwell than there was when your father consented that you should go to seasome day. I am not crying about that at all, Jack, but from pleasure,with perhaps a little pain in it, at the kind offer Mrs. Godstone hasjust made me with regard to Lily and myself."
And she then told Jack the proposal that had been made to her.
"And are you going to accept it, mother? Oh, I do hope you will. I havenever cared for myself, but I have sometimes been so sorry when Ithought that Lily would grow up so different from what my father wouldhave wished her."
"And so have I, Jack. Boys are boys, and can to some extent makethemselves what they like. Poor men's sons can, if they are steady andindustrious and clever, rise in the world; rich men's sons can come downto beggary. But it is different with girls. And it always has been agreat grief to me too when I have thought of Lily's future. For myself,I do not like taking the money--that you can well believe,--but for hersake I should be very wrong to refuse the offer. I shall be sorry toleave Leigh; and yet, you see, after living for thirteen years such adifferent life, I do not see things as I did when I was a girl, andhave blamed myself often because I have felt the difference. But I havefelt it, and therefore the idea of going back to Dulwich again is not sopainful to me as I think it ought to be."
"Of course it is quite natural, mother," Jack said; "and it would becurious if you did not feel so after living there so long and mixingwith people so different in their ways. And won't it be splendid havinga nice little home like that to come back to, and Lily being educated asa lady, and I making my way on. It will be grand, mother!"
"I shall have a talk with my father and Ben," Mrs. Robson said. "My ownmind is quite made up; still I should like to speak to them before I seeMrs. Godstone again."
Tripper senior and Ben quite agreed with Mrs. Robson that she ought toaccept the offer.
"We shall be always glad to see you down here, Bessy, you know, wheneveryou like to come; but
it is certainly best for you and the young onesfor you to accept the offer. It is a grand thing for Lily; and though weshall be very sorry to lose you, it would be awfully foolish to say noto such a proposal as that."
At heart, perhaps Tripper senior and his son were not altogether so verysorry that Bessy should go to London. They felt that she was now not oneof themselves; and Tripper senior, who was much more fond of his glassthan was good for him, felt her presence in Leigh as a sort of restraintupon himself, and had often informed Ben confidentially that Bessy hadgrown altogether too nice for him. When, therefore, Mrs. Godstone calledagain at the end of the week, Bessy thankfully accepted her offer, andit was settled that she should move up to London as soon as she couldfind a house. She would, she knew, have no difficulty in obtaining atenant for her present residence; for houses were scarce at Leigh, andone so conveniently situated would find many eager for it as soon as itwas generally known that it was to let.
Accordingly, two days after Mr. Godstone and his wife had left Leigh,Mrs. Robson went up to town with Jack, and going down to Dulwich had nodifficulty in finding a little cottage that would suit them well, and tothis a fortnight later they moved up with their belongings. The very dayafter they moved in, Jack received a letter from Captain Murchisontelling him to come down on the following morning to St. KatharineDocks, as the _Wild Wave_ had now been purchased by Mr. Godstone, andwould at once be fitted out for sea.
At eight o'clock next morning Jack found himself alongside the _WildWave_, a fine barque-rigged ship of about eight hundred and fifty tons.A number of riggers were at work on board, and Captain Murchison was onthe poop talking to an officer, whom Jack at once guessed to be thefirst mate.
"That's right, Jack," the captain said as the lad mounted to the poop;"nothing like getting into harness in good time. We only took possessionof the barque yesterday, and have put the hands to work this morning. Ithought you had better come to work at once, because there is nothinglike learning things from the beginning; and if you keep your eyes openyou will learn as much as to the way things should be done as you woulddo in six months afloat. Mr. Timmins, this is Jack Robson, who sailswith us as a midshipman. He is the lad I told you of who aided in savingall our lives on board the _Petrel_. If it had not been for him and thetwo men with him the house of Godstone & Son would have lost its head.As the owner as well as myself owe so much to him, I am sure you will doall you can to help him to learn his work. He is not like a new handaltogether, having already had two years' experience in a fore-and-aftcraft. Of course the work is very different here; still it is a capitalapprenticeship, and men who can manage a bawley in such a sea as was onwhen the _Petrel_ was wrecked are fine sailors, and would soon be athome on any craft that ever floated."
"I will do the best I can for him, Captain Murchison, and will make asailor out of him--never fear. There is nothing for you to do on boardyet, my boy, except to keep your eyes open. Watch all that is going on.This is a rigger's job; but it is well to learn how everything is done,because you may be called upon to do it any moment. Do not be afraid ofasking me questions about anything you do not understand, and do notmind if I answer you sharp if I happen to be busy when you ask me--thatis my way; and I daresay the riggers, when they see that you really wantto learn, will be willing enough to give you a hint or two."
"I am going ashore with him now for a couple of hours, Mr. Timmins.After that he will be at your disposal."
Jack followed the captain across the gangway on to the wharf. "I amgoing with you to order your outfit," the captain said. "I had intendedto have done it on my own account, but Mr. Godstone would not hear ofit; so I must obey orders. Your own things will do well enough until weget the riggers out of the ship and the painting done. Till then Mr.Timmins will be the only officer on board; the others will not join tillshe begins to take in her cargo. The second and third mates of thePetrel will sail with me again, and so will all the men who wererescued. Naturally they like a run ashore as long as they can; and thereis nothing for them to do till the ship is out of the painter's hands."
Captain Murchison took Jack to an outfitter's in Fenchurch Street, andordered him a complete midshipman's outfit. Then Jack went back to thedocks, and for the rest of the day watched the operations of theriggers. With many of the processes he was already familiar, but heobserved several differences in the methods pursued on board a largeship. As soon as he had come on board he had asked the first mate ifthere was any objection to his lending a hand if the riggers would allowhim.
"None at all, my lad. An officer ought to be able to show his men how todo everything, and he can never do that if he is afraid of dirtying hishands. Of course you do know a good deal already about the serving andparcelling of ropes and stays, but likely enough they are done in adifferent fashion here to what they are on board a smack. I will speakto the head-rigger myself, and tell him you want to learn your business,and are ready to do anything that he likes to set you to; and as youhave been already two years at the work he will not find you a lubber."
The rigger at once placed Jack at work with one of the gangs, and heworked steadily until four bells sounded, and the men knocked off.
"You need not get here till eight in the morning," Mr. Timmins said tohim as he was about to leave. "The captain said you were living atDulwich, and that it would take you an hour to get here; so as atpresent you are a sort of volunteer, it will be quite time enough if youare here by eight. I am glad to see that you are handy at your work; butthat I expected. There is no better training for a sailor than a coupleof years on board a smack. You learn to turn your hand to everythingthere very much better than you can on a large craft."