Chapter XLII
"What singular emotions fill Their bosoms, who have been induced to roam, With flattering doubts, if all be well or ill, With love for many, and with fears for some!"
BYRON.
The China fleet arrived without encountering any further danger; thecommodore and commanders of the several ships composing the fleet receivedthat praise from their countrymen to which their conduct had so fullyentitled them. As soon as the _Bombay Castle_ had entered the basin of theEast India docks, Newton requested, and easily obtained, permission toleave the ship. He immediately directed his steps to Greenwich, that hemight ascertain if his father was in existence; for he had received noletters since his departure, although he had taken several opportunities towrite. It is true that he had not expected any; he knew that his father wastoo absent ever to think about writing to him, and his uncle much too busyto throw away any portion of his time in unnecessary correspondence.
When we approach the dwelling containing, or supposed to contain, an objectof solicitude, of whose existence we are uncertain, what a thrill ofanxiety pervades the frame! How quickened is the throbbing of the heart!how checked the respiration! Thus it was with Newton Forster as he raisedhis hand to the latch of the door. He opened it, and the first object whichdelighted his eyes was his father seated upon a high stool smoking hispipe, in the company of two veterans of the hospital, who had brought theirold bones to an anchor upon a large trunk. They were in earnestconversation, and did not perceive the company of Newton, who waited alittle while, holding the door ajar, as he contemplated the group.
One of the pensioners was speaking, and continued:--"May be, or may not be,Mr Forster, that's _dubersome_; but if so be as how he is alive, why you'llsee him soon, that's sartain--take my word for it. A good son, as you sayhe was, as soon as he can get over the side of the ship, always bears upfor his parent's house. With the help of your barnacles, I worked my wayclean through the whole yarn, and I seed the report of killed and wounded;and I'll take my affidavy that there warn't an officer in the fleet as lostthe number of his mess in that action, and a most clipping affair it was;only think of mounseer turning tail to marchant vessels! Damn my oldbuttons! what will our jolly fellows do next?"
"Next, Bill! why there be nothing to do, 'less they shave off the beard ofthe grand Turk to make a swab for the cabin of the king's yacht, and sarveout his seven hundred wives amongst the fleet. I say, I wonder how he keepsso many of them craft in good order?"
"I knows," replied the other, "for I axed the very question when I was upthe Dardanelles. There be a black fellow, a _unique_ they calls him, with alarge sword and a bag of sawdust, as always stands sentry at the door, andif so be a woman kicks up a bobbery, why plump her head goes into the bag."
"Well, that's one way to make a good woman on her; but as I was saying, MrForster, you mustn't be down in the mouth; a seaman as knows his duty,never cares for leave till all the work be done. I'd bet a yard of pigtailthat Mr Newton--"
"Is here, my good fellow!" interrupted Newton. "My dear father!"
Nicholas sprang off his seat and embraced his son.
"My dear, dear boy! why did you not come to me before? I was afraid thatyou had been killed. Well, I'm glad to see you, Newton. How did you likethe West Indies?"
"The East Hinges, you mean, Mr Forster.--Newton," continued the oldpensioner, wiping both sides of his hand upon his blue breeches, and thenextending it--"Tip us your daddle, my lad; I like to touch the flipper ofone who has helped to shame the enemy; and it will be no disgrace for youto grapple with an old seaman, who did his duty as long as he had a pin tostand upon."
"With pleasure, my friend," replied Newton, taking the old man's hand,while the other veteran seized the one unoccupied, and, surveying Newtonfrom top to toe, observed, "If your ship be manned with all such lads asyou--why, she be damned well manned, that's all."
Newton laughed and turned to his father.
"Well, father, how are you?--have you been quite well? And how do you likeyour berth here?"
"Why, Newton, I get on much better than I did at Bristol."
"It be Liverpool he mean, Mr Newton; but your good father be a littledamaged in his upper works; his memory box is like a sieve.--Come, Bill, webe two too many. When father and son meet after a India voyage, there bemuch to say as wants no listeners.--Good-bye, Mr Forster; may you neverwant a son, and may he never want a ship!"
Newton smiled his thanks to the considerate old pensioners, as they stumpedout of the door, and left him alone with his father. The communications ofNicholas were as concise as usual. He liked his situation, liked hiscompany, had as much work as he wished for, and had enjoyed good health.When Newton entered upon pecuniary matters, which he was the sooner inducedto do by observing that his father's coat and smallclothes were in a mostruinous condition, he discovered, that although the old gentleman hadprovided himself with money from the bankers, during the first year, topurchase a new suit of clothes, latterly he not only had quite forgottenthat there were funds at his disposal, but even that he had procured theclothes, which had remained in the chest from the day they had been senthome without having been tried on.
"Dear me! now I recollect, so I did; and I put them upstairs somewhere. Iwas busy at the time with my improvement on the duplex."
"Have you seen much of my uncle, sir?" inquired Newton.
"Your uncle!--dear me, no! I don't know where he lives; so I waited untilyou came back. We'll go tomorrow, Newton, or he may think me unkind. I'llsee if his watch goes well; I recollect he said it did. But, Newton, tellme all about your voyage, and the action with the French ships."
Newton entered into a detail, during which he perceived by his father'squestions that his memory had become more impaired, and that he was moreabsent than ever. He arranged to call upon his uncle the ensuing day; andthen it was his intention, without communicating it to his father, to makeevery inquiry and advertise to ascertain the fate of his mother. This was aduty which he had long wished to repeat; but his necessities and want oftime had hitherto precluded the renewal of the task.
Early the next morning, Newton and his father went up to London by theGreenwich coach; and a walk of a few minutes after they were put downbrought them to the chambers of Mr John Forster.
"How do you do, Mr Scratton? Is my uncle at home?" inquired Newton.
Mr Scratton immediately recognised him, and very graciously replied, thathis uncle was at home and would be very glad to see him, having talked veryoften of him lately.
Newton and his father were ushered into the parlour, where he found hisuncle precisely in the same position as when he last saw him;--it wouldalmost have appeared that he had not quitted his seat during Newton'stedious voyage.
"Nephew," said Mr John Forster, without rising from his chair, "I am veryglad to see you.--Brother Nicholas, I am very glad to see you too.--Chairs,Scratton," continued the old lawyer, taking his watch off the table, andplacing it in his fob. "Well, nephew, I am very glad to hear such goodaccounts of you. I saw Mr Bosanquet yesterday, and he told me that you hadfor your good conduct been promoted to the rank of second mate."
"It is more than I am aware of," replied Newton, much pleased with theinformation. "I am much obliged to you for the intelligence, as I am foryour many other acts of kindness."
"Well, so you ought to be; it's no bad thing, as I told you before, to findout an uncle. By-the-bye, there has been some alteration in myestablishment since we parted, nephew. I have a house in Lincoln's InnFields, and a spare bed, if you will accept of it. We dine at six; brotherNicholas, I shall be very happy to see you, if you can stay. It will be toolate to go home after dinner, but you can share my nephew's bed."
"I shall be most happy to accept your kind offer for a few days, sir, if itdoes not incommode you," replied Newton.
"No; you will not incommode me _there_, but you do very much _here_, whereI am always busy. So good-bye, my boy; I shall be at home at six. BrotherNicholas, you did not vo
uchsafe me an answer."
"About what, brother John?" replied Nicholas, who had been "in the clouds."
"Oh, I'll tell you all about it, father," said Newton, laughing. "Come awaynow--my uncle is busy." And Nicholas rose up, with the observation--
"Brother John, you appear to me to read a great deal."
"Yes, I do, brother."
"How much do you read a day?"
"I really cannot say; much depends upon whether I am interrupted or not."
"It must be very bad for your eyes, brother John."
"It certainly does not improve them," replied the lawyer, impatiently.
"Come, father, my uncle is very busy," said Newton, touching Nicholas onthe arm.
"Well, good-bye, brother John. I had something to say--oh! I hope you arenot displeased at my not coming to see you before?"
"Humph! not in the least, I can assure you, brother Nicholas; so good-bye.Newton, you'll bring him with you at six," said Mr John Forster; and heresumed his brief before they had quitted the room.
Newton was much surprised to hear that his uncle had taken a house, and hesurmised whether he had not also been induced to take a wife. He felt aninclination to put the question to Mr Scratton, as he passed through theoffice; but checked the wish, lest it should appear like prying into hisuncle's affairs. Being the month of February, it was dark long before sixo'clock, and Newton was puzzled what to do with his father until that time.He returned to the Salopian Coffee-house, opposite to which they had beenput down by the Greenwich coach; and taking possession of a box, called forsome biscuits and a pint of sherry; and requesting his father to stay thereuntil his return, went out to purchase a sextant, and some other nauticalluxuries, which his pay enabled him to procure without trespassing upon thefunds supplied by the generosity of his uncle. He then returned to hisfather, who had finished the wine and biscuits, and had his eyes fixed uponthe ceiling of the room; and calling a hackney coach, drove to thedirection which his uncle had pointed out as his residence.
Mr John Forster had already come home, and they found him in thedining-room, decanting the wine for dinner, with Amber by his side. Newtonwas surprised at the appearance of a little girl; and, as he took herproffered hand, inquired her name.
"Amber. Papa says it's a very foolish name; don't you, papa?"
"Yes, my dear, I do; but now we are going to dinner, and you must go to MrsSmith: so good-night."
Amber kissed the old lawyer, as he stooped to her; and wishing the companygood-night, she left the room.
"Brother John," said Nicholas, "I really had no idea that you were amarried man."
"Humph! I am not a married man, brother."
"Then pray, brother, how is it possible for that little girl to be yourdaughter?"
"I did not say she was my daughter: but now we will go upstairs into thedrawing-room, while they put the dinner on the table."
The dinner was soon announced; the cookery was plain, but good, the wineexcellent. When the dessert was placed on the table, Mr John Forster rose,and taking two bottles of port-wine from the side-board, placed them on thetable, and addressed Newton.
"Nephew, I have no time to _sip_ wine, although it is necessary that Idrink it. Now, we must drink fast, as I have only ten minutes to spare; notthat I wish you to drink more than you like, but I must push the bottleround, whether you fill or no, as I have an appointment, what we call aconsultation, at my chambers. Pass the bottle, brother," continued thelawyer, helping himself, and shoving the decanter to Nicholas.
Nicholas, who had been little accustomed to wine, obeyed mechanically,swallowing down each glass _a gorge deployee_, as he was awoke from hismeditations by the return of the bottle, and then filling up his glassagain. Newton, who could take his allowance as well as most people, couldnot, however, venture to drink glass for glass with his uncle, and thebottle was passed several times without his filling. When the ten minuteshad elapsed, Mr John Forster took his watch from the table, replaced it inhis fob, and rose from his chair. Locking up the remainder of the wine, hequitted the house without apology, leaving his guests to entertainthemselves, and order tea when they felt inclined.
"My brother seems to be very busy, Newton," observed Nicholas. "What winewas that we have been drinking? It was very strong; I declare my head turnsround;" and in a few moments more Nicholas dropped his head upon the table,and was fast asleep.
Newton, who perceived that his father was affected by the wine which he hadbeen drinking, which was, in the sum total, a pint of sherry at thecoffee-house before dinner, and at least a bottle during and after hismeal, thought it better that he should be allowed to take his nap. Hetherefore put out the candles, and went up into the drawing-room, where heamused himself with a book until the clock struck twelve. According to theregulations of the house, the servants had retired to bed, leaving a lightin the passage for their master on his return, which sometimes was at avery late hour, or rather, it should be said, at a very early one. Newtonlighted a chamber-candlestick, and went down into the parlour to rouse hisfather; but all his attempts were in vain. The wine had taken such aneffect upon him, that he was in a state of lethargy. Newton observed thatthe servant had cleared the table, and that the fire was out: and, as therewas no help for it, he removed the chairs to the end of the room, that hisfather might not tumble over them if he awoke in the dark, and then retiredto his own bed.