CHAPTER III.
NO. FIVE FORT STREET.
Cuthbert Lloyd's home was a happy one in every way. The house was sosituated that the sunshine might have free play upon it all day, pouringin at the back windows in the morning and flooding the front ones withrich and rare splendour at evening. A quiet little street passed by thedoor, the gardens opposite being filled with noble trees that cast agrateful shade during the dog days. At the back of the house was the oldfort, its turfed casemates sloping down to a sandy beach, from whosecentre a stone wharf projected out into the plashing water. Looking overthe casemates, one could see clear out to the lighthouse which keptwatch at the entrance to the harbour, and could follow the ships as theyrose slowly on the horizon or sped away with favouring breeze.
A right pleasant house to live in was No. Five Fort Street, and rightpleasant were the people who lived in it. Cuthbert certainly had nodoubt upon either point, and who had a better opportunity of forming anopinion? Mr. Lloyd, the head of the household, was also the head of oneof the leading legal firms in Halifax. His son, and perhaps his wife anddaughter, too, thought him the finest-looking man in the city. That wasno doubt an extravagant estimate, yet it was not without excuse; fortall, erect, and stalwart, with regular features, large brown eyes thatlooked straight at you, fine whiskers and moustache, and a kindlycordial expression, Mr. Lloyd made a very good appearance in the world.Especially did he, since he never forgot the neatness and good taste indress of his bachelor days, as so many married men are apt to do.
Cuthbert's mother was of quite a different type. Her husband used tojoke her about her being good for a standard of measurement because shestood just five feet in height, and weighed precisely one hundredpounds. Bert, one day, seemed to realise what a mite of a woman she was;for, after looking her all over, he said, very gravely:
"What a little mother you are! I will soon be as big as you, won't I?"
Brown of hair and eyes, like Mr. Lloyd, her face was a rare combinationof sweetness and strength. Bert thought it lovelier than any angel's hehad ever seen in a picture. Indeed, there was much of the angelic in hismother's nature. She had marvellous control over her feelings, and neverby any chance gave way to temper openly, so that in all his young lifeher boy had no remembrance of receiving from her a harsh word, or ahasty, angry blow. Not that she was weak or indulgent. On the contrary,not only Bert, but Bert's playmates, and some of their mothers, too,thought her quite too strict at times, for she was a firm believer indiscipline, and Master Bert was taught to abide by rules from theoutset.
The third member of the household was the only daughter, Mary, a tall,graceful girl, who had inherited many of her father's qualities,together with her mother's sweetness. In Bert's eyes she was just simplyperfect. She was twice as old as he when he had six years to his credit,and the difference in age made her seem like a second mother to him,except that he felt free to take more liberties with her than with hismother. But she did not mind this much, for she was passionately fond ofher little brother, and was inclined to spoil him, if anything.
As for Bert himself--well, he was just a stout, sturdy, hearty boy, withnothing very remarkable about him, unless, perhaps, it was hissuperabundant health and spirits. Nobody, unless it was that mostpartial judge, Mary, thought him handsome, but everybody admitted thathe was good-looking in every sense of the term. He promised to beneither tall, like his father, nor short, like his mother, but of ahandy, serviceable medium height, with plenty of strength and endurancein his tough little frame. Not only were both eyes and hair brown, asmight be expected, but his face, too, as might also be expected, seeingthat no bounds were placed upon his being out of doors, so long as theday was fine, and he himself was keeping out of mischief.
Father, mother, daughter, and son, these four made up a veryaffectionate and happy family, pulling well together; and, so far as thethree older ones were concerned, with their faces and hearts set towardJerusalem, and of one mind as to taking Bert along with them. Mr. Lloydand his wife were thoroughly in accord with Dr. Austin Phelps as tothis:--That the children of Christians should be Christian from thecradle. They accordingly saw no reason why the only son that God hadgiven them should ever go out into sin, and then be brought back from afar off land. Surely, if they did their duty, he need never stray faraway. That was the way they reasoned; and although, of course, littleBert knew nothing about it, that was the plan upon which they sought tobring him up. The task was not altogether an easy one, as succeedingchapters of Bert's history will make plain. But the plan was adhered to,and the result justified its wisdom.