CHAPTER IX.
THE FOUR MEN AT THE "WHITE LAMB".
"Well, my son," began Captain Salt, as the Earl reascended thestairs. "Thanks be that we are alone together at last! Do I notkeep my promises?"
"Indeed, father, you are kind. There is only one thing--"
"What is that?"
"I should prefer to return to Harwich alive; and seeing that I haveeaten nothing for a day and a half--"
His father interrupted him by taking his arm and hurrying him off tothe kitchen of the auberge, where a fat woman was basting a couple ofducks before a roaring fire.
"Pardon me, mistress," he began in Dutch; "but can you give thisyoung man a breakfast?"
The hostess seemed to be annoyed.
"What does he want?" she inquired sharply.
The question being interpreted to Tristram, he answered that hewanted everything, but that in the meantime the ducks would serve tobreak the edge of his fast.
"But these are for his Majesty."
"What have you besides?"
"Salt fish."
"I will begin with salt fish."
"Bacon."
"I see," said Tristram, nodding up at a regiment of hams thatdepended from a rack overhead; "I will eat these also. What else?"
"Cheese."
"On second thoughts, I will begin with cheese while the fish is beingprepared. Is that all?"
"Mother of God! Is it not enough?"
"How can I tell yet? Let me see your bread and cheese."
The woman left her ducks, and in a minute had dumped down a loaf anda huge round cheese of an orange colour before our hero.
"When do we start?" he asked, with his mouth full.
"Shortly after dark."
"Then I have plenty of time."
"I should hope so. Hostess, bring a bottle of wine."
"Two bottles," Tristram interrupted.
"It will get into your head."
"I hope so, for my head is something light at present."
"You propose, then, to spend the day in eating and drinking?"
"Unless you know of some better amusement with which we can beguilethe time."
"None whatever. And as I must leave you for some time while I makearrangements for our return--"
"I shall not be lonely," said Tristram, with a glance at the ducks,followed by an upward look of resignation directed at the rows ofhams.
It was dark when Captain Salt returned, and found his son on thesettle where he had left him. Tristram was not sitting, however, butstretched at length and breathing heavily. At the farther end of thetable sat the host and hostess of the inn, engaged in making out thebill.
"One--two--three--six bottles!" exclaimed his father, counting theruins on the board. "Why, the boy is drunk!"
"No, father," Tristram interrupted, sitting up and rubbing his eyes;"not so much drunk as asleep, and not so much asleep but that I couldsee the landlord here add three empty bottles to the two I hadfinished, without counting one that came full to the table and wasemptied by him for his supper."
Captain Salt shot a searching glance at the couple, who coloured andseemed confused.
"What is this?" he cried, examining the reckoning. "Two ducks!"
"Ah, I'm afraid it is true that I ate one of the ducks."
"But they were for his Majesty!"
"It appears they were cooked on the chance of pleasing his Majesty,who left, however, without inquiring for them. The landlord and hiswife have just eaten the other. Is it time to start?"
"Yes."
Tristram jumped up and stretched himself, smiling amiably on the hostand hostess, who returned his look with no very good will. CaptainSalt, having made the proper deductions calmly, paid the reckoning,and they left the house.
Outside the weather was still dirty, and a wind, which had graduallyrisen since the morning, blew in their faces charged with chillymoisture. The mist, however, had cleared a little, and Tristram, ashe rammed his hat tightly on his head before facing the night, couldsee the lights of the squadron far out upon the black and brokenwaters of the Maese.
"In what ship do we return?" he asked.
The wind apparently drowned his question; for Captain Salt startedoff without replying and led the way down across the sandbanks.It seemed to Tristram that their path lay to the left of that bywhich they had approached the inn early in the morning. He wasstraining his eyes on the look out for the wooden landing-stage, whensuddenly, on climbing a ridge somewhat higher than the rest, he sawthe white fringe of the waves glimmering close under his feet and theinky shadow of a boat, in which sat a couple of dark forms. One ofthem, hearing the low whistle uttered by Captain Salt, scrambledforward to the bows and held out a hand.
Tristram looked at his father, who nodded. They entered the boat insilence, and within a minute were being rowed rapidly across thetide. It struck our hero that the oars made remarkably little noise,in spite of the energy with which they were plied. He was about tospeak, but checked himself on seeing his father raise a finger to hislips. "What is the meaning of this?" he wondered. His enormous mealhad made him drowsy; and deciding that, if not allowed to speak, hemight at least nod, he closed his eyes.
He opened them again with a start. From the shore behind them theroar of guns had just burst out upon the night.
This was his first impression; but the sound was not repeated, and ina moment or two he fancied he must have been dreaming of the salutehe had heard in the lazarette of the _Good Intent_, as the squadronsailed out of Harwich. The boat was still moving with unabatedspeed, and the dark, choppy water stretched all round them.Through the murky night the ships' lanterns still shone steadilyenough, but farther off than before, and at a sharp angle behind hisright shoulder.
"It seems we are not steering very straight for the fleet," he couldnot help remarking.
"We are not steering for the fleet," said his father.
"But I thought--"
He broke off as a series of sharp flashes danced out in the distance,followed by the rattle of musketry and a dull, confused shouting.
"You perceive," Captain Salt remarked, "that the squadron is not thesafest means of reaching Harwich."
"What are they doing out there?"
"They are killing each other."
"That sounds very unpleasant."
"And as the night is too dark to distinguish faces with anycertainty, I thought you would prefer to go home by another way."
"A longer way?"
"It is certainly a trifle longer; but then, as it won't expose you tothe risk of being killed--"
"That's true. I won't grudge the time."
The explosions of musketry, meanwhile, had been following each otherfaster and faster, and at length became incessant.
"Bravo!" muttered Captain Salt to himself; "this will take some timeto quell."
"What did you say?"
"I was thinking, my son, that 'tis lucky you have somebody to lookafter you."
Tristram sought for his father's hand and pressed it. "I am notungrateful, as you think."
"Why should I think so? You will have more yet to thank me for, Ihope."
The boat at this moment swung to the left, around a sandy promontorythat hid the jets of firearms behind them; but waves of light stillflickered across the black sky and the shouting still went on, thoughgrowing fainter as they hurried forward. By one of the flashes, morevivid than the rest and accompanied by the crackle of a whole volley,Tristram saw that the boat was now being propelled down a narrowchannel, both shores of which he could just perceive across thegloom.
Captain Salt suddenly raised both hands to his mouth, and hollowingthe palms, uttered three mournful cries, long and loud, like thewailing of a gull.
Within half a minute the sound was echoed back from the darkness onthe right shore, for which the boat immediately headed. After thirtystrokes Tristram felt the sand rub beneath the keel, and they came toa stand.
"Show the light!" his f
ather called, jumping out into the water thathardly covered the insteps of his riding-boots.
The red glow of a lantern appeared as if by magic, and revealed a manstanding but twenty yards ahead on a gentle slope of sand. He heldthe lantern in one hand, and his right arm was slipped through thebridles of two horses that waited, side by side, and ready saddled,their breath smoking out on the night wind.
"Dear me," Captain Salt observed, reaching a hand to Tristram, andhelping him to land; "I forgot to ask if you could ride."
"A very little, my father."
"You will find it difficult, then, to trot. Therefore we willgallop."
"You intend me to climb upon one of these beasts?"
"That is easy enough."
"I do not deny it; but I suppose you also wish me to stay on."
"Come; we must lose no time."
"Luckily the soil of Holland, as far as I am acquainted with it, issoft and sandy. On the other hand--"
"Well?"
"I was about to remark that they grow an immense quantity of tulipsin this country, which demand a harder soil."
"We shall pass none."
"That is fortunate. For when I reach home and they ask me,'Well, what have you done in Holland?' it would be sad to own,'I have done little beyond rolling on a bed of tulips.'"
With this he climbed into the saddle and thrust his feet well intothe stirrups, while his father whispered a word or two to theboatmen, who were about to push off on their return journey.
"Are you ready, my son?" he asked, returning and mounting beside him.
"Quite."
"Forward, then!"
The two horses broke into a trot. "Ugh," exclaimed Tristram, bobbingup and down.
"I told you we must go faster. Stick your knees tightly into thesaddle--so."
The wind and the night began to race by Tristram's ears as his horseleapt forward. The motion became easier, but the pace was terrifyingto a desperate degree; for it seemed that he sat upon nothing, butwas being whirled through the air as from a catapult at the heels ofhis father, who pounded furiously through the darkness a dozenyards ahead. For three minutes at least he felt at every stride anextreme uncertainty as to his chances of realighting in the saddle.It reminded him of cup-and-ball, and he reflected with envy that theball in that game is always attached to the cup with a string.
At the end of ten minutes Captain Salt reined up, and Tristram'shorse, after being carried past for twenty yards by his mere impetus,stopped of his own accord and to his rider's intense satisfaction.
"Look," said the Captain, pointing to the sky behind them, which wasnow illumined by a broad scarlet glare.
"What is that?"
"One of the ships on fire."
"Then I am better off where I am."
"Did you doubt it?"
"I was beginning to. . . . How much farther must we ride?"
"Two leagues."
Tristram groaned, and they set off again, but more slowly, for theroad now was paved with bricks instead of the loose sand over whichthey had travelled hitherto, and moreover it ran, without fence orparapet, along the top of a formidable dyke, the black waters ofwhich far beneath him caused Tristram the most painful apprehension.Captain Salt, guessing this, slackened the pace to a walk. The glarestill reddened the sky behind: but either the firing had ceased orthey had passed beyond sound of it. At any rate, they heard only thewater lapping in the dykes and the wind that howled over the wastesaround.
Tristram had long since lost his hat, and his nose was bleeding froma sharp blow against his horse's neck. He was trying to stanch theflow when the chimes of a clock pealed down the wind from somewhereahead and upon his right. His father halted again, and afterscanning the gloom for a minute uttered again the three calls thatwere like the wailing of a gull.
Again the signal was answered, this time from their left, and thespark of a lantern appeared. "Dismount, my son," said the Captain,setting the example and leading his horse by the bridle towards thelight; "we leave our horses here."
"For others?"
"No, for a canal-boat."
"This country may be flat," thought Tristram; "but decidedly thetravelling is not monotonous."
As he drew near the lantern, he saw indeed that they were on the edgeof a canal, wherein lay a long black barge, with a boy on horsebackwaiting on the tow-path, a little ahead of it. On the barge's deckby the tiller an immensely fat boatman leant and smoked his pipe,which he withdrew placidly from his lips as Captain Salt gave thepassword to the man with the lantern and handed over the smokinghorses.
"_Modena!_"
The fat man spat, stood upright and prepared for business as thepassengers stumbled on board. Not a word more was spoken untilTristram found himself in a long, low cabin divided into two parts bya deal partition. By the light of a swinging lamp he saw that abench ran along the after-compartment, and asked if he might stretchhimself out to sleep.
"By all means," said his father. "I was going to propose it myself.We shall travel without halting till morning."
"Then 'good night.'"
"You appear in a hurry."
"It seems to me that it's my turn."
The barge was hardly in motion before Tristram began to snore.Nor did he awake till the sun was up and shining in through thelittle opening by the stern, through which he could see the legs ofthe fat steersman on deck. While he rubbed his eyes his fatherappeared at the cabin door with a bundle in one hand and a bigmarket-basket in the other.
"You sleep late, my son. I have already been marketing, as you see."
"Then we are at a standstill."
"Yes, but we move on again in three minutes."
"What have you bought?"
"Your breakfast. See--" and the Captain spread on the cabin table anenormous sausage, two loaves of bread and a bottle of red wine.
"That is good, for I warn you I am hungry."
"But first of all you must dress."
"Am I not already dressed?"
"Let me point out that the uniform of a private soldier in hisMajesty's Coldstream Guards differs in so many respects from thenative costume of these parts that it can hardly fail to exciteremark. Listen: I have here two suits of clothes, in which we musttravel for the next day or two; I as a private gentleman and you asmy lackey."
"I begin to see that this way back to Harwich has its difficulties aswell as the other," sighed Tristram while they changed their suits.This reflection threw him into a melancholy which lasted throughoutthe day, insomuch that he hardly found heart to go on deck, but saton his bench in the cabin, feeding his heart on the prospect ofSophia's joy at his return and listening to his father, who sat andwhistled on the cabin hatch, to the thuds of the towing-horse'shoofs, and to the monotonous "huy!" and "vull!" of the boatmanwhenever their barge encountered another and one of the twainslackened rope to allow passage.
Occasionally they were hailed from the bank by travellers who desiredto journey downstream; but the invariable answer was that this bargehad been hired by a nobleman who wished to travel without company andat his leisure. As Tristram, however, knew nothing of the Dutchlanguage, he imagined these to be but kindly salutations of theinhabitants designed to enliven a voyage which (as he judged) must beinexpressibly tedious to anyone who made it with any other purposethan that of being restored to Sophia's embrace.
Towards sunset he went on deck, and observed his father steadilygazing at the left bank of the canal, parallel to which, and at adistance of five hundred yards or less, there ran an embankment witha highroad along the top of it. Following the direction of CaptainSalt's eyes, he descried a party of four horsemen about half a milebehind them advancing down this road at a steady trot. The Captainhad paused in his whistling--which had been pretty continuous allday--and was regarding these horsemen with great interest.
"I do not like them," he said reflectively, and spoke a few words tothe steersman, who glanced back over his shoulder.
"You have met them b
efore?" Tristram inquired.
"Not that I know of. Nevertheless, I do not like them."
Tristram thought this odd, for it was impossible at that distance todescry the features of the riders.
"We will go below," his father announced, rising in a leisurelymanner.
They did so, and stood by the cabin door, so that their forms werehidden while they could see perfectly all that passed on the bank.The four horsemen drew near and trotted by at the same pace withoutseeming to turn their heads towards the canal. Two rode horses of adark bay colour, the third a dapple grey, and the fourth a sorrel.As soon as they had passed out of sight, Captain Salt ascended to thedeck again and entered into a long conversation in Dutch with the fatboatman. As this did not amuse Tristram any more than the windmillsof which the scenery was mainly composed, he remained below and,stretching himself again on the bench, began to dream of Sophia.
Three hours later he awoke, said his prayers, and was preparing to goto sleep again, when his father entered the cabin.
"Hullo! What are you doing?"
"I was just thanking Heaven, which, against my inclinations, makesour journey a slow one."
"You do not wish to reach home in a hurry?"
"On the contrary, I desire it ardently. But having remarked thatwhenever I travel fast I am either seasick or jolted raw, I feelgrateful for every restraint put upon my ardour."
"In that case I almost fear to announce that we shall move fasterto-morrow."
"I am willing to be coerced," said Tristram, and dropped off again.
It was but an hour after dawn when his father aroused him. The boatlay moored by a little quay, beyond which his eye travelled toclusters of red roofs glowing in the easterly sunshine, and adominant spire, the weathercock of which dazzled the eye with itsbrightness. The town was just waking up, as could be perceived fromthe blue wreaths of smoke that poured out of the chimneys.
Captain Salt was in an evident hurry. Without giving Tristram timeto wash in the fore-cabin, he hustled him on shore and up a narrowstreet to an inn, over the archway of which hung the sign of a WhiteLamb with a flag between its forelegs. Here they rang a bell, andwere admitted after ten minutes by a sleepy chambermaid, who led themupstairs to a low-browed sitting-room facing the street, as theyperceived when she drew back the shutters. At the back of this roomlay two bedchambers; and Tristram withdrew into the nearer, while hisfather ordered breakfast.
It happened that these two bedrooms overlooked a broad court orstable-yard behind the White Lamb. Captain Salt, having given hisinstructions, retired, whistling cheerfully, to perform his toilet.He was in the best of spirits, and broke now and again into snatchesof song, which he trolled out in a tenor voice of great richness andflexibility. Tristram listened in admiration on the other side ofthe partition. The songs were those of Tom d'Urfey and hisimitators, and dealt in a strain of easy sentimentality withhay-rakes, milking-pails and all the apparatus of a country lifeas etherealised by a cockney fancy; but the Captain sang withsuch a gusto, such bravura, and such an appealing tremolo in thepathetic passages, that you might have mistaken the splashing ofwater in his basin, as he broke off to wash his face, for tears ofuncontrollable regret that he had not been born a "swain" (as he putit). Suddenly, however, one of his roulades ceased with moreabruptness than usual and the enchanted Tristram waited in vain forthe ditty to be resumed. The fact was that Captain Salt had glancedout of the window and seen at a stable door across the court a manstooping with his back to the inn and washing down the legs of a darkbay horse.
The Captain contemplated this group for a moment; then hastilydonning his coat and turning into the parlour looked out upon thestreet.
Immediately under the signboard of the White Lamb, and before thefront-door, stood a couple of men who chatted as they passed atankard of beer to each other. Captain Salt could not see theirfaces owing to the extreme width of their hat-brims. But he turned ashade paler, and drawing back from the window stepped to the door,which opened upon the landing. Moving softly to the balusters, hepeered over. Directly beneath him, at the foot of the stairs, satyet another man in a broad-brimmed hat, who was engaged verytranquilly in polishing a pistol with an oily rag. The barrelglimmered in the light that shone down the well of the staircase froma skylight above Captain Salt's head.
He retired to the parlour again and, after trying the lock of thedoor, walked to and fro in deep thought for awhile. Then, from thebedroom, he fetched his sword and belt, with the two pistols which hehad carried throughout the journey. He was examining the priming ofthese very narrowly when Tristram appeared, red and glowing from hisablutions. Almost at the same instant footsteps were heard ascendingthe stairs. The Captain went quickly to the door pistol in hand.
It was only the waitress, however, with the tray containing theirbreakfast. He told her to set it down, looked at the tray and,announcing that he was hungrier than he had imagined, desired her tobring up a ham, another loaf, and four bottles of wine. Tristramstared.
"You seem puzzled, my son."
"It is my turn again. Let me remind you that two days ago youmarvelled at my appetite."
"But this has to last us for a whole day, and perhaps longer."
"Are we not, then, to proceed farther to-day?"
"I doubt if we can."
"Decidedly this journey gets slower and slower."
The waitress came back with the additional provisions and set them onthe table. As soon as she was gone Captain Salt locked the door.
"Why is that?"
"Merely that I don't wish to be interrupted."
They ate their breakfast in silence. Tristram, as soon as it wasover, rose, and, strolling across the room, was about to gaze outupon the street, when his father begged him to come away from thewindow.
"Why?"
"My son, you should obey your father without questioning," theCaptain answered somewhat tartly.
"Forgive me."
Tristram had been taught to obey, but considering the wide views forwhich this country was notorious, he began to reflect withastonishment on the small amount he was able to see. Also heremarked, as the morning wore on, that his father was perpetually atone window or another, moving from parlour to bedroom and back, andscanning now the street, now the stable-yard, yet always with acertain amount of caution. Captain Salt, indeed, was graduallyworking himself into a state of restless irritation. The man in thestable-yard groomed away at the four horses, one after another,saddled them, led them back to the stable again, then composedhimself to sleep on the stool outside the stable door, with a strawin his mouth and his hat-brim well over his eyes. The others stilllounged in the sunshine before the inn door. He could hear the soundof their voices and occasional laughter, but not the words of theirconversation.
It was about six in the evening when the Captain was struck with anidea. At first it staggered him a little: then he thought it overand looked at it from several sides. Each time he reviewed the planhe got rid of a scruple or two, and by degrees began to like itexceedingly. His restlessness diminished, and in the end he becamequite still.
Tristram, yawning before the fire, glanced up and found his father'seyes fixed upon him.
"My company wearies you, dear lad?"
The dear lad disclaimed weariness. But Captain Salt advanced,sighed, and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, Tristram; let us not deceive ourselves. I have done you awrong, for which you must forgive me. I hoped, by delaying yourreturn and keeping you near me--I hoped that perhaps--" Here hesighed again, and appeared to struggle with an inward grief."Do not make it hard for me by bearing malice!" he implored, breakingoff his explanation.
"I don't quite understand. Are you telling me that you have kept mehere unnecessarily?"
"Alas! my boy--I hoped that your affection for me might grow withthis opportunity, as mine has grown for you."
Tristram thought that to spend a morning in pacing from one window toanother was an odd way of enco
uraging affection; but he merelyanswered:
"My dear father, I have a confession to make."
"A confession?"
"One that will not only explain my eagerness to get home, but alsowill, I trust, soothe your disappointment. The fact is, I am inlove."
"Oh! that certainly alters matters. With whom?"
"With Sophia."
"Who is Sophia?"
"She is Captain Runacles' only daughter, and lives on the other sideof our hedge."
"My dear lad, why did you not tell me this? Detain you! No.You shall fly on the wings of the wind. We will set out this veryafternoon on the swiftest horses this inn can furnish."
Tristram winced. "There are limits even to a lover's zeal," hemurmured.
"No, no. Ah, my boy!--I too have been in love--I can find the key toyour feelings by searching my memory. May you be happier than I!"
He passed the back of his hand across his eyes and continued morecheerfully, hilariously almost:
"But away with an old man's memories! I was young then, and ardentas you. Nay, as I look upon you I see my very self reflected acrossa score of sorrowful years. We are extraordinarily alike, Tristram.Stand up and measure with me, back to back."
They did so. The Captain found himself the taller by a mere shade.
"It is the wig," he said. "Come, twist up your natural hair and letme see you in this wig."
Tristram obeyed, and his father fell back in astonishment. "It isextraordinary!"
"Certainly I perceive the likeness," admitted Tristram, contemplatinghimself in the mirror that hung above the mantelpiece.
"It is nothing to what could be produced by the merest touch or twoof art. Give me five minutes, and I warrant you shall deceive thewaitress here."
He drew the curtain, took down a candle from the mantelshelf, lit itand set it on the table; then, picking up the cork of an emptybottle, held it to the flame for two seconds or so and began tooperate on his son's face.
"Ah!" he said, "to think that each wrinkle, each line, that I copywith a piece of cork has been traced in the original by a separatesorrow! Tristram, your presence makes me young again, young andchildish. And in return I make you old--a pretty recompense!"
Tristram, whose nature was profoundly serious, stood up very stiffand blinked at the hand which wandered over his face, touching ithere and there as softly as with a feather.
"Are we not wasting time?" he protested.
"Not at all: and to prove it, I am about to send you downstairs toorder horses. It is wonderful! I wager the people of the inn shallnot know you. Order a couple of fleet horses to be waiting in anhour from now: that will give us plenty of time to reach Nieupoort,and take a night's rest before sailing to-morrow. Here, kick offthose clumsy boots and take mine; also my cloak here, and sword.Your breeches and stockings will do. Afterwards you can stroll outinto the town, if you will, and purchase a keepsake for Sophia.I, myself, will buy a ring at Nieupoort for you to fit upon herpretty finger, if you succeed in tricking the folk below-stairs.Farewell, my son, and God bless you!--only, be back within the hour."
As the door closed upon Tristram, Captain Salt advanced to thekeyhole and listened.
"A sound skin," he muttered to himself, "is better than a dull son.Moreover, at the worst he'll be taken back to The Hague, and therethe Earl will keep him from me." He examined his pistols for amoment, opened the door softly, and, creeping out on the landing,began to listen with all his ears.
Meanwhile our hero marched downstairs, and, encountering the waitressin the passage below, gave the order for the horses. The waitresssummoned a lethargic, round-bellied man from an inner parlour, whobowed as well as his waist would let him, and straddled out to thestables to repeat the order. Somewhat pleased to find he had notbeen recognised, Tristram sauntered up the dusky passage and forth atthe front-door. As he passed out leisurably, he took careless noteof a party of three men seated a few paces to the right of the dooraround a rough wooden table. On the other hand, the effect of hisexit upon this party was extraordinary. For a moment they gazedafter him, their faces expressing sheer amazement. Then theywhispered together and stared again. Finally all three stood ontheir legs and buckled on their sword-belts. Two of them started offto follow Tristram, who had by this time reached the street corner,and was gazing up at the house fronts on each hand with raptinterest. The third man waited until they had gone a dozen yards,and then blew a whistle. In less than half a minute he was joined bythe man from the stable-yard, and after a short colloquy this pairalso linked arms and strolled up the street.
It was drawing towards sunset, and lights began to appear in severalof the houses as Tristram passed along. The few foot-passengers inthe street wished him "Good night" in the Dutch tongue, and heanswered their salutations amiably in English, guessing the good willin their voices. He was greatly pleased, also, by the number ofvillas and small gardens that diversified the houses of business,each with a painted summer-house over-topping the wall and a paintedmotto on the gate. He longed to explore these gardens and take hometo Harwich some report of the famous Dutch tulip-beds on whichCaptain Barker was perpetually descanting. A row of thesegarden-walls enticed him down a street to the right and out towardsthe suburbs, where the prospect at the end of the road was closed bya long line of windmills.
All this while he had been sauntering along at the idlest pace, witha score of pauses. Suddenly he bethought him that it must be time toreturn, and was about to do so when his eye was caught by a littleshop on the other side of the road. He could not read theinscription above it; but the window was crowded with bulbs and rootsof all kinds and bags of seed in small stacks. He crossed the roadand entered the low door, meaning to buy a present for Sophia, whomfor the last half an hour he had completely forgotten.
The proprietor of the shop sat inside behind a low counter, reading abook by the light of a defective oil-lamp, the smoke of which hadsmeared the rafters in a large, irregular circle. He was a little,wizened man, with a pair of horn spectacles, which he pushed highupon his brow as his customer entered.
"Since my father has engaged to buy Sophia a ring," said Tristram tohimself, "I will get her a tulip. We will sit hand in hand and watchit unfold."
The prospect so engaged his fancy that he entered and began asentence in excellent English. The shopman replied by shaking hishead and uttering a few unintelligible words.
This was dashing. Tristram cast about for a few seconds, and beganagain in dog-Latin, a tongue which he had acquired in order to readthe herbals to Captain Barker on winter evenings. To his delight thelittle man answered him promptly. Within a minute they were charmedwith each other; within two, they had the highest opinion of eachother; within ten, the counter was heaped with trays of the rarestbulbs, insomuch that Tristram found a grave difficulty in choosingthat which should give the greatest pleasure to his Sophia. But,alas, in changing clothes with his son, Captain Salt had found itunnecessary to change breeches! Tristram put a hand into his pocketand discovered that it contained one coin only--the shilling withwhich he had been presented when forcibly enlisted in his Majesty'sColdstream Guards.
The Latin of the enthusiastic shopman was becoming almost Ciceronian,when Tristram pulled out the coin, and holding it under his nosebriefly stated the case. Then the wizened face fell a full inch, andthe eloquent voice broke off to explain that an English shilling,though doubtless a valid tender in England, was not worth more than astiver, if that, to a Dutch tradesman.
Tristram apologised, adding that, if the shopman had a pennyworth ofany kind of seed, he would purchase it as a small reparation for hisintrusion on the time of so learned a man.
The shopman took the shilling and tossed upon the counter a packet ofpepper-cress seed.
Our hero pocketed it, and was leaving the shop; but paused on thethreshold and began to renew his apologies.
The little man had picked up his book again, and turned a deaf ear.
Tristram stepped
out into the street. As he did so a hand was laidon his arm, and a voice said in good English:
"I arrest you in the name of King William!"