arm on high, and shouted, "Hullay!"
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"What strange children!" said Miss Scragley to her niece. "They're notat all like our little knights of the gutter down in the village wherewe visit. This opens up life to me in quite a new phase. I'm sureCaptain Weathereye would be much interested. There is good, in thosepoor canal children, dear, only it wants developing. I wonder how wecould befriend them without appearing officious or obtrusive. Consultthe captain, did you say?"
"I did not speak at all, aunt."
"Didn't you? However, that _would_ be best, as you suggested."
Miss Scragley did not call at Hangman's Hall next day--it lookedshowery; but about twelve o'clock, while Ransey Tansey was stewing thatleveret with potatoes and a morsel of bacon, and Babs was nursing herdolly-bone in the bassinette, where Ransey had placed her to be out ofthe way, some one knocked sharply and loudly at the door.
The Admiral, swaying aloft in the gibbet-tree, sounded his tocsin, andBob barked furiously.
"Down, Bob!" cried Ransey, running to the door. He half expected thepostman.
He was mistaken, however, for there stood a smart but pale-faced flunkeyin a brown coat with gilt buttons.
Now Ransey could never thoroughly appreciate "gentlemen's gentlemen" anymore than he could gamekeepers.
The flunkey had a large parcel under his arm, which he appeared to berather ashamed of.
"Aw!" he began haughtily, "am I right in my conjecture that this is'Angman's 'All?"
"Your conjecture," replied Ransey, mimicking the flunkey's tone andmanner, "is about as neah wight as conjectures gener'ly aw. What may bethe naychure of your business?"
"Aw! An' may I enquiah if you are the--the--the waggamuffin who sawMiss Scwagley in the wood yestah-day?"
"I'm the young _gentleman_" said Ransey, hitching up his suspender, "whohad the honah of 'alf an hour's convehsation with the lady. I am RanseyTansey, Esq., eldest and only son of Captain Tansey of the _MewwyMaiden_. And," he added emphatically, "this is my dog _Bob_."
Bob uttered a low, ominous growl, and walked round behind the flunkey ona tour of inspection.
The only comfort the flunkey had at that moment arose from the fact thathis calves were stuffed with hay.
"Aw! Beautiful animal, to be shuah. May I ask if this is the doag thatneahly killed the postman fellah?"
"That's the doag," replied Ransey, "who _would_ have killed the postmanfellah dead out, if I had tipped him the wink."
"Aw! Well, my business is vewy bwief. Heah is a pawcel from MissScwagley, of which she begs your acceptance."
"Ah, thank you. Dee--lighted. Pray walk in. Sorry my butler is out atpwesent. But what will you dwink--sherry, port, champagne--wum? Canhighly wecommend the wum."
"Oh, thanks. Then I'll have just a spot of wum."
Ransey brought out his father's bottle--a bottle that had lain untouchedfor a long time indeed--and his father's glass, and the flunkey drankhis "spot," and really seemed to enjoy it.
Ransey opened the door for him.
"Convey my best thanks to Miss Scwagley," he said, "and inform her thatwe will be ree--joiced to receive her, and that Miss Tansey and myselfwill not fail to return the call at a future day. Good mo'ning."
"Good mawning, I'm shuah."
And the elegant flunkey lifted his hat and bowed.
Ransey ran in, gave the leveret stew just a couple of stirs to keep itfrom burning, then threw himself into his father's chair, stretched outhis legs, and laughed till the very rafters rang.
Book 1--CHAPTER FIVE.
"OH, NO! I'LL NEVER LEAVE 'ANSEY TILL WE IS BOF DEADED."
The day had looked showery, but the sun was now shining very brightly,and so Ransey Tansey laid dinner out of doors on the grass.
As far as curiosity went, Babs was quite on an equality with her sex,and the meal finished, and the bones eaten by Bob, she wanted to know atonce what the man with the pretty buttons had brought.
Ransey's eyes, as well as his sister's, were very large, but they grewbigger when that big parcel was opened.
There was a note from Miss Scragley herself right on the top, and thiswas worded as delicately, and with apparently as much fear of givingoffence, as if Ransey had been the son of a real captain, instead of acanal bargee.
Why, here was a complete outfit: two suits of nice brown serge forRansey himself, stockings and light shoes, to say nothing of real Balticshirts, a neck-tie, and sailor's cap.
"She's oceans too good to live, that lady is!" exclaimed Ransey,rapturously.
"Me see!--me see! Babs wants pletty tlothes."
"Yes, dear Babs, look! There's pretty clothes."
That crimson frock would match Babs's rosy cheeks and yellow curly hair"all to little bits," as Ransey expressed it.
After all the things had been admired over and over again, they wererefolded and put carefully away in father's strong locker.
I think that the Admiral knew there was gladness in the children's eyes,for he suddenly hopped high up the hill, and did a dance that would havedelighted the heart of a Pawnee Indian.
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"No," said Miss Scragley that same day after dinner, as she and herfriends sat out in the great veranda, "one doesn't exactly know, MrDavies, how to benefit children like these."
The parson placed the tips of his fingers together meditatively, andlooked down at Miss Scragley's beautiful setter.
"Of course," he said, slowly and meditatively, "teaching is essential totheir bodily as well as to their spiritual welfare."
"Very prettily put, Mr Davies," said Miss Scragley; "don't _you_ thinkso, Dr Fairincks?"
"Certainly, Miss Scragley, certainly; and I was just wondering if theyhad been vaccinated. I'd get the little one into a home, and the boysent to a Board school. And the father--drinks rum, eh?--get him intothe house. Let him end his days there. What should you propose,Weathereye?"
"Eh? Humph! Do what you like with the little one. Send the boy toschool--a school for a year or two where he'll be flogged twice a day.Hardens 'em. So much for the bodily welfare, parson. As to thespiritual, why, send him to sea. Too young, Miss Scragley?Fiddlesticks! Look at me. Ran away to sea at ten. In at thehawse-hole, in a manner o' speaking. Just fed the dogs and the ship'scat at first, and emptied the cook's slush-bucket. Got buffeted about abit, I can tell you. When I went aft, steward's mate kicked me for'ard;when I got for'ard, cook's mate kicked me aft. No place of quiet andcomfort for me except swinging in the foretop with the purser's monkey.But--it made a man of me. Look at me now, Miss Scragley."
Miss Scragley looked.
"Staff-commander of the Royal Navy. Three stripes. Present arms fromthe sentries, and all that sort of thing. Ahem!"
And the bold mariner helped himself to another glass of Miss Scragley'sport.
"But you won't go to the wars again, Captain Weathereye?" ventured MissScragley.
The Captain rounded on her at once--put his helm hard up, so to speak,till he was bows on to his charming hostess.
His face was like a full moon rising red over the city's haze.
"How do _you_ know, madam? Not so very old, am I? War, indeed!Humph!--I'll be sorry when that's done," he added.
"What! the war, Captain Weathereye?" said the lady.
"Fiddlesticks! No, madam, the _port_--if you will have it."
"As for the father of these children," he continued, after looking downa little, "if he's been a sailor, as you say, the house won't hold him.As well expect an eagle to live with the hens. Rum? Bah! I've drunkas much myself as would float the _Majestic_."
"But I say, you know," he presently remarked as he took Eedie on hisknee; "Little Sweetheart here and I will run over to see the childrento-morrow forenoon, and we'll take the setter with us. Anything for alittle excitement, when one can't hunt or shoot. And we'll take you aswell
, madam."
Miss Scragley said she would be delighted; at the same time she couldnot help thinking the gallant captain's sentences might have been betterworded. He might have put _her_ before the setter, to say the least.
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Next morning was a very busy one at Hangman's Hall.
Ransey Tansey was up betimes, but he allowed Babs to sleep on until hehad lit the fire, hung on the kettle, and run for the milk.
Ransey was only a boy, and boys will be