Produced by David Widger
SAILORS' KNOTS
By W.W. Jacobs
1909
DOUBLE DEALING
Mr. Fred Carter stood on the spacious common, inhaling with all the joy ofthe holiday-making Londoner the salt smell of the sea below, andregarding with some interest the movements of a couple of men who hadcome to a stop a short distance away. As he looked they came on again,eying him closely as they approached--a strongly built, shambling man offifty, and a younger man, evidently his son.
"Stood on the spacious common, inhaling the salt smell ofthe sea below."]
"Good-evening," said the former, as they came abreast of Mr. Carter.
"Good-evening," he replied.
"That's him," said both together.
They stood regarding him in a fashion unmistakably hostile. Mr. Carter,with an uneasy smile, awaited developments.
"What have you got to say for yourself?" demanded the elder man, at last."Do you call yourself a man?"
"I don't call myself anything," said the puzzled Mr. Carter. "Perhapsyou're mistaking me for somebody else."
"Didn't I tell you," said the younger man, turning to the other--"didn'tI tell you he'd say that?"
"He can say what he likes," said the other, "but we've got him now. Ifhe gets away from me he'll be cleverer than what he thinks he is."
"What are we to do with him now we've got him?" inquired his son.
The elder man clenched a huge fist and eyed Mr. Carter savagely. "If Iwas just considering myself," he said, "I should hammer him till I wastired and then chuck him into the sea."
His son nodded. "That wouldn't do Nancy much good, though," he remarked.
"I want to do everything for the best," said the other, "and I s'pose theright and proper thing to do is to take him by the scruff of his neck andrun him along to Nancy."
"You try it," said Mr. Carter, hotly. "Who is Nancy?"
The other growled, and was about to aim a blow at him when his son threwhimself upon him and besought him to be calm.
"Just one," said his father, struggling, "only one. It would do me good;and perhaps he'd come along the quieter for it."
"Look here!" said Mr. Carter. "You're mistaking me for somebody else,that's what you are doing. What am I supposed to have done?"
"You're supposed to have come courting my daughter, Mr. Somebody Else,"said the other, re-leasing himself and thrusting his face into Mr.Carter's, "and, after getting her promise to marry you, nipping off toLondon to arrange for the wedding. She's been mourning over you for fouryears now, having an idea that you had been made away with."
"Being true to your memory, you skunk," said the son.
"And won't look at decent chaps that want to marry her," added the other.
"It's all a mistake," said Mr. Carter. "I came down here this morningfor the first time in my life."
"Bring him along," said the son, impatiently. "It's a waste of timetalking to him."
Mr. Carter took a step back and parleyed. "I'll come along with you ofmy own free will," he said, hastily, "just to show you that you arewrong; but I won't be forced."
He turned and walked back with them towards the town, pausingoccasionally to admire the view. Once he paused so long that an ominousgrowl arose from the elder of his captors.
"I was just thinking," said Mr. Carter, eying him in consternation;"suppose that she makes the same mistake that you have made? Oh, Lord!"
"Keeps it up pretty well, don't he, Jim?" said the father.
The other grunted and, drawing nearer to Mr. Carter as they entered thetown, stepped along in silence. Questions which Mr. Carter asked withthe laudable desire of showing his ignorance concerning the neighborhoodelicited no reply. His discomfiture was increased by the behavior of anelderly boatman, who, after looking at him hard, took his pipe from hismouth and bade him "Good-evening." Father and son exchanged significantglances.
"An elderly boatman, who, after looking at him hard, tookhis pipe from his mouth and bade him 'Good-evening.'"]
They turned at last into a small street, and the elder man, opening thedoor of a neat cottage, laid his hand on the prisoner's shoulder andmotioned him in. Mr. Carter obeyed, and, entering a spotless living-room, removed his hat and with affected composure seated himself in aneasy-chair.
"I'll go up and tell Nan," said Jim. "Don't let him run away."
He sprang up the stairs, which led from a corner of the room, and thenext moment the voice of a young lady, laboring under intense excitement,fell on the ears of Mr. Carter. With a fine attempt at unconcern he roseand inspected an aged engraving of "The Sailor's Return."
"She'll be down in a minute," said Jim, returning
"P'r'aps it's as well that I didn't set about him, after all," said hisfather. "If I had done what I should like to do, his own mother wouldn'thave known him."
Mr. Carter sniffed defiantly and, with a bored air, resumed his seat.Ten minutes passed--fifteen; at the end of half an hour the elder man'simpatience found vent in a tirade against the entire sex.
"She's dressing up; that's what it is," explained Jim. "For him!"
A door opened above and a step sounded on the stairs. Mr. Carter lookedup uneasily, and, after the first sensation of astonishment had passed,wondered vaguely what his double had run away for. The girl, her lipsparted and her eyes bright, came swiftly down into the room.
"Where is he?" she said, quickly.
"Eh?" said her father, in surprise. "Why, there! Can't you see?"
The light died out of the girl's face and she looked round in dismay.The watchful Mr. Carter thought that he also detected in her glance aspice of that temper which had made her relatives so objectionable.
"That!" she said, loudly. "That! That's not my Bert!"
"That's what I told 'em," said Mr. Carter, deferentially, "over and overagain."
"What!" said her father, loudly. "Look again."
"If I looked all night it wouldn't make any difference," said thedisappointed Miss Evans. "The idea of making such a mistake!"
"We're all liable to mistakes," said Mr. Carter, magnanimously, "even thebest of us."
"You take a good look at him," urged her brother, "and don't forget thatit's four years since you saw him. Isn't that Bert's nose?"
"No," said the girl, glancing at the feature in question, "not a bit likeit. Bert had a beautiful nose."
"Look at his eyes," said Jim.
Miss Evans looked, and meeting Mr. Carter's steady gaze tossed her headscornfully and endeavored to stare him down. Realizing too late themagnitude of the task, but unwilling to accept defeat, she stoodconfronting him with indignant eyes.
"Well?" said Mr. Evans, misunderstanding.
"Not a bit like," said his daughter, turning thank-fully. "And if youdon't like Bert, you needn't insult him."
She sat down with her back towards Mr. Carter and looked out at thewindow.
"Well, I could ha' sworn it was Bert Simmons," said the discomfited Mr.Evans.
"Me, too," said his son. "I'd ha' sworn to him anywhere. It's the mostextraordinary likeness I've ever seen."
He caught his father's eye, and with a jerk of his thumb telegraphed forinstructions as to the disposal of Mr. Carter.
"He can go," said Mr. Evans, with an attempt at dignity; "he can go thistime, and I hope that this'll be a lesson to him not to go about lookinglike other people. If he does, next time, p'r'aps, he won't escape soeasy."
"You're quite right," said Mr. Carter, blandly. "I'll get a new facefirst thing to-morrow morning. I ought to have done it before."
He crossed to the door and, nodding to the fermenting Mr. Evans, bowed tothe profile of Miss Evans and walked slowly out. Envy of Mr. Simmons wasmin
gled with amazement at his deplorable lack of taste and common sense.He would willingly have changed places with him. There was evidently astrong likeness, and----
Busy with his thoughts he came to a standstill in the centre of thefootpath, and then, with a sudden air of determination, walked slowlyback to the