CHAPTER SEVEN.
MY CIRCUMSTANCES BEGIN TO BRIGHTEN.
"Robin," said old Mrs Willis from her bed, in the wheeziest of voices.
"Who's Robin, granny?" demanded young Slidder, in some surprise, lookingover his shoulder as he stooped at the fire to stir a pan of gruel.
"You are Robin," returned the old lady following up the remark with afeeble sneeze. "I can't stand Slidder. It is such an ugly name.Besides, you ought to have a Christian name, child. Don't you likeRobin?"
The boy chuckled a little as he stirred the gruel.
"Vell, I ain't had it long enough to 'ave made up my mind on the p'int,but you may call me wot you please, granny, s'long as you don't swear.I'll answer to Robin, or Bobin, or Dobin, or Nobin, or Flogin--no, bythe way, I won't answer to Flogin. I don't like that. But why call meRobin?"
"Ah!" sighed the old woman, "because I once had a dear little son sonamed. He died when he was about your age, and your kindly ways are solike his that--"
"Hallo, granny!" interrupted Slidder, standing up with a look of intensesurprise, "are you took bad?"
"No. Why?"
"'Cause you said suthin' about _my ways_ that looks suspicious."
"Did I, Robin? I didn't mean to. But as I was saying, I'd like to callyou Robin because it reminds me of my little darling who is now inheaven. Ah! Robin was so gentle, and loving, and tender, and true, andkind. He _was_ a good boy!"
A wheezing, which culminated in another feeble sneeze, here silenced thepoor old thing.
For some minutes after that Slidder devoted himself to vigorous stirringof the gruel, and to repressed laughter, which latter made him very redin the face, and caused his shoulders to heave convulsively. At last hesought relief in occasional mutterings.
"On'y think!" he said, quoting Mrs Willis's words, in a scarcelyaudible whisper, "`so gentle, an' lovin', an' tender, an' true, an'kind'--an' sitch a good boy too--an' _my_ kindly ways is like _his_, arethey? Well, well, Mrs W, it's quite clear that a loo-natic asylum mustbe your native 'ome arter this."
"What are you muttering about, Robin?"
"Nuffin' partikler, granny. On'y suthin' about your futur' prospec's.The gruel's ready, I think. Will you 'ave it now, or vait till you getit?"
"There--even in your little touches of humour you're so like him!" saidthe old woman, with a mingled smile and sneeze, as she slowly rose to asitting posture, making a cone of the bedclothes with her knees, onwhich she laid her thin hands.
"Come now, old 'ooman," said Slidder seriously, "if you go on jokin'like that you'll make me larf and spill your gruel--p'raps let it fallbash on the floor. There! Don't let it tumble off your knees, now; I'dadwise you to lower 'em for the time bein'. Here's the spoon; it ain'tas bright as I could wish, but you can't expect much of pewter; an' thenapkin--that's your sort; an' the bit of bread--which it isn't too muchfor a 'ealthy happetite. Now then, granny, go in and win!"
"_So_ like," murmured the old woman, as she gazed in Slidder's face."And it is so good of you to give up your play and come to look after ahelpless old creature like me."
"Yes, it _is_ wery good of me," assented the boy, with an air ofprofound gravity; "I was used to sleep under a damp archway or in a wetcask, _now_ I slumbers in a 'ouse by a fire, under a blankit. Vunce ona time I got wittles any'ow--sometimes didn't get 'em at all; _now_ I'ave 'em riglar, as well as good, an' 'ot. In wot poets call `the daysgone by'--an' nights too, let me tell you--I wos kicked an' cuffed byeverybody, an' 'unted to death by bobbies. _Now_ I'm--let alone!'Eavenly condition--let _alone_! sometimes even complimented with suchpleasant greetings as `Go it, Ginger!' or `Does your mother know you'reout?' Oh yes, granny! I made great sacrifices, I did, w'en I come 'ereto look arter _you_!"
Mrs Willis smiled, sneezed, and began her gruel. Slidder, who lookedat her with deep interest, was called away by a knock at the door.Opening it he beheld a tall footman, with a parcel in his hand.
"Does a Mrs Willis live here?" he asked.
"No," replied Slidder; "a Mrs Willis don't live here, but _the_ MrsWillis--the on'y one vurth speakin' of--does."
"Ah!" replied the man, with a smile--for he was an amiable footman--"andI suppose you are young Slidder?"
"I am _Mister_ Slidder, sir! And I would 'ave you remember," said theurchin, with dignity, "that every Englishman's 'ouse is his castle, andthat neither imperence nor flunkies 'as a right to enter."
"Indeed!" exclaimed the man, with affected surprise, "then I'm afraidthis castle can't be a strong one, or it ain't well guarded, for`Imperence' got into it somehow when _you_ entered."
"Good, good!" returned the boy, with the air of a connoisseur; "that'sworthy of the East End. You should 'ave bin one of us.--Now then, oldsix-foot! wot's your business?"
"To deliver this parcel."
"'And it over, then."
"But I am also to see Mrs Willis, and ask how she is."
"Walk in, then, an' wipe your feet. We ain't got a door-mat to-day.It's a-comin', like Christmas; but you may use the boards in themeantime."
The footman turned out to be a pleasant, gossipy man, and soon won thehearts of old Mrs Willis and her young guardian. He had been sent, hesaid, by a Dr McTougall with a parcel containing wine, tea, sugar,rice, and a few other articles of food, and with a message that thedoctor would call and see Mrs Willis that afternoon.
"Deary me, that's very kind," said the old woman; "but I wonder why hesent such things to me, and who told him I was in want of 'em?"
"It was a young gentleman who rescued most of the doctor's family from afire last night. His name, I believe, is Mellon--"
"Wot! Doctor John Mellon?" exclaimed Slidder, with widening eyes.
"Whether he's John or doctor I cannot tell. All I know is that he's_Mister_ Mellon, and he's bin rather knocked up by--But, bless me, Iforgot: I was to say nothing about the--the fire till Dr McTougall hadseen you. How stoopid of me; but things _will_ slip out!"
He stopped abruptly, and placed his brown paper parcel on the bed.
"Now, I say, look here, Mister Six-foot or wotever's your name," saidSlidder, with intense eagerness. "It's of no use your tyin' up themouth o' the bag now. The cat's got out an' can't be got in again by nomanner o' means. Just make a clean breast of it, an' tell it all outlike a man,--there's a good feller! If you don't, I'll tell DrMcTougall that you gave me an' the old lady a full, true, an' partikleraccount o' the whole affair, from the fust bustin' out o' the flames,an' the calling o' the _ingines_, to the last crash o' the fallin' roof,and the roastin' alive of the 'ousehold cat. I will, as sure as you'rea six-foot flunkey!"
Thus adjured and threatened, the gossipy footman made a clean breast ofit. He told them how that I had acted like a hero at the fire, andthen, after giving, in minute detail, an account of all that the readeralready knows, he went on to say that the whole family, except DrMcTougall, was laid up with colds; that the governess was in a highfever; that the maid-servants, having been rescued on the shoulders offiremen from the attics, were completely broken down in their nerves;and that I had received an injury to my right leg, which, although I hadsaid nothing about it on the night of the fire, had become so much worsein the morning that I could scarcely walk across the room. In thesecircumstances, he added, Dr McTougall had agreed to visit my poorpeople for me until I should recover.
"You see," continued the footman, "I only heard a little of theirconversation. Dr McTougall was saying when I come into the room:`Well, Mr Mellon,' he said, `you must of necessity remain where youare, and you could not, let me tell you, be in better quarters. I willlook after your patients till you are able to go about again--whichwon't be long, I hope--and I'll make a particular note of your oldwoman, and send her some wine and things immediately.' I suppose hemeant you, ma'am," added the footman, "but having to leave the roomagain owing to some of the children howling for jam and pudding, I heardno more."
Having thus delivered himself of his tale and parcel, the tall footm
antook his leave with many expressions of good-will.
"Now, granny," remarked young Slidder, as he untied the parcel, andspread its contents on the small deal table, "I've got a wague suspicionthat the 'ouse w'ich 'as gone to hashes is the wery 'ouse in w'ich DrMellon put his little dog last night. 'Cause why? Ain't it the sameidentical street, an' the same side o' the street, and about the samepart o' the street? An' didn't both him and me forgit to ask the nameo' the people o' the 'ouse, or to look at the number--so took up was wewith partin' from Punch? Wot more nat'ral than for him to go round on'is way back to look at the 'ouse--supposin' he was too late to call?Then, didn't that six-footer say a terrier dog _was_ reskooed from thelower premises? To be sure there's many a terrier dog in London, butthen didn't he likewise say that the gov'ness o' the family is a prettygal? Wot more likely than that she's _my_ young lady? All that, yousee, granny, is what the magistrates would call presumptuous evidence.But I'll go and inquire for myself this wery evenin' w'en you're allsettled an comf'rable, an' w'en I've got Mrs Jones to look arter you."
That evening, accordingly, when Robin Slidder--as I shall now call him--was away making his inquiries, Dr McTougall called on Mrs Willis. Shewas very weak and low at the time. The memory of her lost Edie had beenheavy upon her, and she felt strangely disinclined to talk. The kindlydoctor did not disturb her more than was sufficient to fully investigateher case.
When about to depart he took Mrs Jones into the passage.
"Now, my good woman," he said, "I hope you will see the instructions youheard me give to Mrs Willis carried out. She is very low, but withgood food and careful nursing may do well. Can you give her much ofyour time?"
"La, sir! yes. I'm a lone woman, sir, with nothin' to do but take careof myself; an' I'm that fond of Mrs Willis--she's like my own mother."
"Very good. And what of this boy who has come to live with her? D'youthink he is steady--to be depended on?"
"Indeed I do, sir!" replied Mrs Jones, with much earnestness. "Thoughhe did come from nowheres in partiklar, an' don't b'long to nobody, he'sa good boy, is little Slidder, and a better nurse you'll not find in allthe hospitals."
"I wish I had found him at home. Will you give him this card, and tellhim to call on me to-morrow morning between eight and nine? Let him askparticularly for me--Dr McTougall. I'm not in my own house, but in afriend's at present; I was burnt out of my house last night."
"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Mrs Jones with a shocked expression.
"Yes; accidents will happen, you know, to the most careful among us,Mrs Jones," said the little doctor, with a smile, as he drew on hisgloves. "Good evening. Take care of your patient now; I'm muchinterested in her case--because of the young doctor who visits hersometimes."
"Dr Mellon?" exclaimed the woman.
"Yes. You know him?"
"Know him! I should think I do! He has great consideration for thepoor. Ah! he _is_ a gentleman, is Mr Mellon!"
"He is more than a gentleman, Mrs Jones," said the little doctor with akindly nod, as he turned and hurried away.
It may perhaps seem to savour of vanity and egotism my recording thisconversation, but I do it chiefly for the purpose of showing how much ofhearty gratitude there is for mere trifles among the poor, for the womanwho was thus complimentary to me never received a farthing of money frommy hands, and I am not aware of having ever taken any notice of her,except now and then wishing her a respectful good-evening, and making afew inquiries as to her health.
That night Dr McTougall came to me, on returning from his rounds, toreport upon my district. I was in bed at the time, and sufferingconsiderable pain from my bruised and swollen limb. Dumps was lying atmy feet--dried, refreshed, and none the worse for his adventures. I maymention that I occupied a comfortable room in the house of the "Cityman," who insisted on my staying with him until I should be quite ableto walk to my lodgings. As Dr McTougall had taken my district, a briefnote to Mrs Miff, my landlady, relieved my mind of all anxieties,professional and domestic, so that my doggie and I could enjoy ourselvesas well as the swollen leg would permit.
"My dear young friend," said the little doctor, as he entered, "yourpatients are all going on admirably, and as I mean to send my assistantto them regularly, you may make your mind quite easy. I've seen yourold woman too, and she is charming. I don't wonder you lost your heartto her. Your young _protege_, however, was absent--the scamp!--but hehad provided a good nurse to take his place in the person of MrsJones."
"I know her--well," said I; "she is a capital nurse. Little Slidderhas, I am told, been here in your absence, but unfortunately the maidwho opened the door to him would not let him see me, as I happened to beasleep at the time. However, he'll be sure to call again. But you havenot told me yet how Miss Blythe is."
"Well, I've not had time to tell you," replied the doctor, with a smile."I'm sorry to say she is rather feverish; the excitement and exposureto the night air were a severe trial to her, for although she isnaturally strong, it is not long since she recovered from a severeillness. Nothing, however, surprises me so much as the way in which mydear wife has come through it all. It seems to have given her quite aturn in the right direction. Why, she used to be as timid as a mouse!Now she scoffs at burglars. After what occurred last night she says shewill fear nothing under the sun. Isn't it odd? As for the children,I'm afraid the event has roused all that is wild and savage in theirnatures! They were kicking up a horrible shindy when I passed thedining-room--the hospital, as Dobson calls it--so I opened the door andpeeped in. There they were, all standing up on their beds, shouting`Fire! fire! p'leece! p'leece!--engines! escapes! Come qui-i-i-ck!'
"`Silence!' I shouted.
"`Oh, papa!' they screamed, in delight, `what _do_ you think we've hadfor supper?'
"`Well, what?'
"`Pudding and jam-pudding and jam--nearly _all_ jam!'
"Then they burst again into a chorus of yells for engines andfire-escapes, while little Dolly's voice rang high above the rest`Pudding and dam!--_all_ dam!--p'leece! p'leece! fire and feeves!' as Ishut the door.
"But now, a word in your ear before I leave you for the night. Perhapsit may not surprise you to be told that I have an extensive practice.After getting into a new house, which I must do immediately, I shallwant an assistant, who may in course of time, perhaps, become a partner.D'you understand? Are you open to a proposal?"
"My dear sir," said I, "your kindness is very great, but you know that Iam not yet--"
"Yes, yes, I know all about that. I merely wish to inject an idea intoyour brain, and leave it there to fructify. Go to sleep now, my dearyoung fellow, and let me wish you agreeable dreams."
With a warm squeeze of the hand, and a pleasant nod, my new friend saidgood-night, and left me to my meditations.