CHAPTER SEVEN.
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERER.
One day when I came home from school I was surprised to find a tall darkgentleman in the drawing-room with my uncle and aunt. He was so darkthat he looked to me at first to be a foreigner, and his dark keen eyesand long black beard all grizzled with white hairs made him so verydifferent to Uncle Joseph that I could not help comparing one with theother.
"This is Master Nathaniel, I suppose," said the stranger in a quicksharp way, just as if he was accustomed to order people about.
"Yes, that's Joseph's nephew," said my aunt tartly, "and a nice boy heis."
"You mean a nasty one," I said to myself, as I coloured up, "but youneedn't have told a stranger."
"Yes," said Uncle Joseph, "he is a very nice boy, Richard, and I'm veryproud of him."
My aunt gave a very loud sniff.
"Suppose we shake hands then, Nathaniel," said the stranger, whom Iimmediately guessed to be my Aunt Sophia's brother Richard, who was alearned man and a doctor, I had heard.
He seemed to order me to shake hands with him, and I went up and heldout mine, gazing full in his dark eyes, and wondering how much he knew.
"Well done, youngster," he said, giving my hand a squeeze that hurt meever so, but I would not flinch. "I like to see a boy able to look onefull in the face."
"Oh! he has impudence enough for anything," said my aunt.
"Oh! has he?" said our visitor smiling. "Well, I would rather see a boyimpudent than a milksop."
"Nat was never impudent to me," said my uncle, speaking up for me in away that made my aunt stare.
"I see--I see," said our visitor. "You never were fond of boys, Sophy."
"No, indeed," said my aunt.
"Cats and dogs were always more in your way," said our visitor. "Getout!"
This was to Nap, who had been smelling about him for some time, and hegave him so rough a kick that the dog yelped out, and in a moment thetemper that I had promised my uncle to keep under flashed forth again,as I caught at Nap to protect him, and flushing scarlet--
"Don't kick our dog," I said sharply.
I've often thought since that my aunt ought to have been pleased with mefor taking the part of my old friend and her favourite, but she turnedupon me quickly.
"Leave the room, sir, directly. How dare you!" she cried. "To dare tospeak to a visitor like that!" and I had to go out in disgrace, but as Iclosed the door I saw our visitor laughing and showing his white teeth.
"I shall hate him," I said to myself, as I put my hands in my pocketsand began to wander up and down the garden; but I had hardly gone to andfro half a dozen times before I heard voices, and I was about to creepround by the side path and get indoors out of the way when Mr RichardBurnett caught sight of me, and shouted to me to come.
I went up looking hurt and ill-used as he was coming down the path withUncle Joe; but he clapped me on the shoulder, swung me round, andkeeping his arm half round my neck, walked me up and down with them, andI listened as he kept on telling Uncle Joseph about where he had been.
"Five years in South America, wandering about away from civilisation, isa long time, Joe; but I shall soon be off again."
I pricked up my ears.
"Back to South America, Dick?"
"No, my dear boy, I shall go in another direction this time."
"Where shall you go this time, sir?" I said eagerly.
"Eh? where shall I go, squire?" he said sharply. "Right away to Borneoand New Guinea, wherever I am likely to collect specimens and find newvarieties."
"Do you collect, sir?" I said excitedly.
"To be sure I do, my boy. Do you?" he added with a smile.
"Yes, sir, all I can."
"Oh yes! he has quite a wonderful collection down in the tool-house,Richard. Come and see."
Our visitor smiled in such a contemptuous way that I coloured up again,and felt as if I should have liked to cry, "You sha'n't see them to makefun of my work." But by that time we were at the tool-house door, andjust inside was my cabinet full of drawers that uncle had let thecarpenter make for me, and my cases and boxes, and the birds I hadstuffed. In fact by that time, after a couple of years collecting, thetools had been ousted to hang in another shed, and the tool-house waspretty well taken up with my lumber.
"Why, hallo!" cried our visitor; "who stuffed those birds?"
I answered modestly enough that it was I.
"And what's in these drawers, eh?" he said, pulling them out sharply oneafter the other, and then opening my cases.
"Nat's collections," said my uncle very proudly. "Here's hiscatalogue."
"Neatly written out--numbered--Latin names," he said, half to himself."Why, hallo, young fellow, I don't wonder that your Aunt Sophia says youare a bad character."
"But he isn't, Dick," said Uncle Joe warmly; "he's a very good lad, andSophy don't mean what she says."
"She used to tell me I should come to no good in the old days when Ibegan to make a mess at home, Joe," he said merrily. "Why, Nat, my boy,you and I must be good friends. You would like to come and see mycollection, eh?"
"Will you--will you show it to me, sir?" I said, catching him in myexcitement by the sleeve.
"Well, I don't know," he said drily; "you looked daggers at me because Ikicked your aunt's pet."
"I couldn't help it, sir," I said; "Nap has always been such goodfriends with me that I didn't like to see him hurt."
"Then I beg Nap's pardon," he said smiling. "I thought he was only auseless pet; but if he can be a good friend to you he is a better dogthan I thought for."
"He'd be a splendid dog to hunt with, sir, if he had a chance."
"Would he? Well, I'm glad of it, and you shall come and see mycollection, and help me catalogue and arrange them if you like. Here,hi! stop a minute: where are you going?"
"Only to fetch my cap, sir," I said excitedly, for the idea of seeingthe collections of a man who had been five years in South America seemedto set me on fire.
"Plenty of time yet, my boy," he said, showing white teeth in a pleasantsmile; "they are in the docks at Southampton, on board ship. Wait abit, and you shall see all."