CHAPTER FORTY ONE.
ALL THE LITTLE BOYS ARE LET LOOSE, AND THE DOMINIE IS CAUGHT--ANXIOUS TOSUPPLY MY TEETH, HE FALLS IN WITH OTHER TEETH, AND MRS. BATELY ALSOSHOWS HER TEETH--GIN OUTSIDE, GIN IN, AND GIN OUT AGAIN, AND OLD WOMANOUT ALSO--DOMINIE IN FOR IT AGAIN--MORE LIKE A WHIG MINISTRY THAN ANOVEL.
I found the worthy old Dominie in the school-room, seated at hiselevated desk, the usher not present, and the boys making a din enoughto have awaked a person from a trance. That he was in one of his deepreveries, and that the boys had taken advantage of it, was evident."Mr Dobbs," said I, walking close up to the desk, but the Dominieanswered not. I repeated his name in a louder voice.
"Cosine of _X plus AB minus Z minus a half_; such must be the result,"said the Dominie talking to himself. "Yet it doth not prove correct. Imay be in error. Let me revise my work," and the Dominie lifted up hisdesk to take out another piece of paper. When the desk lid was raised,I removed his work and held it behind me.
"But how is this?" exclaimed the Dominie, and he looked everywhere forhis previous calculations. "Nay," continued he, "it must have been thewind;" and then he cast his eyes about until they fixed upon me laughingat him. "Eheu! what do my eyes perceive?--It is--yet it is not--yes,most truly it is, my son Jacob. Welcome, most welcome," cried the oldman, descending from his desk, and clasping me in his arms. "Long is itsince I have seen thee, my son, _Interea magnum sol circumvolviturannum_. Long, yes long, have I yearned for thy return, fearful lest,_nudus ignota arena_, thou mightest, like another Palinurus, have beencast away. Thou art returned, and all is well; as the father said inthe Scripture: I have found my son which I had lost; but no prodigalthou, though I use the quotation as apt. Now all is well; thou hastescaped the danger of the battle, the fire, and the wreck, and now thoumayest hang up thy wet garment as a votive offering; as Horace hath it,_Uvida suspendisse potenti vestimenta maris Deo_."
During the apostrophe of the Dominie, the boys perceiving that he was nolonger wrapped up in his algebra, had partly settled to their desks, andin their apparent attention to their lessons reminded me of the hummingof bees before a hive on a summer's day.
"Boys," cried the Dominie, "_nunc est ludendum_; verily ye shall have aholiday; put up your books, and depart in peace."
The books were hastily put up, in obedience to the command; the departin peace was not so rigidly adhered to--they gave a loud shout, and in afew seconds the Dominie and I stood alone in the school-room.
"Come, Jacob, let us adjourn to my sanctum; there may we commune withoutinterruption. Thou shalt tell me thine adventures, and I willcommunicate to thee what hath been made known to me relative to thosewith whom thou wert acquainted."
"First let me beg you to give me something to eat, for I am not a littlehungry," interrupted I, as we gained the kitchen.
"Verily shalt thou have all that we possess, Jacob; yet now, I think,that will not be much, seeing that I and our worthy matron did pick thebones of a shoulder of mutton, this having been our fourth day of repastupon it. She is out, yet I will venture to intrude into the privacy ofher cupboard, for thy sake. Peradventure she may be wroth, yet will Irisk her displeasure." So saying, the old Dominie opened the cupboard,and, one by one, handed to me the dishes with their contents. "HereJacob are two hard dumplings from yesterday. Canst thou relish cold,hard, dumplings?--but, stop, here is something more savoury--half of acold cabbage, which was left this day. We will look again. Here ismeat--yes, it is meat; but now do I perceive it is a piece of lightsreserved for the dinner of the cat to-morrow. I am fearful that we mustnot venture upon that, for the dame will be wroth."
"Pray put it back, sir; I would not interfere with puss on any account."
"Nay, then, Jacob, I see naught else, unless there may be viands on theupper shelf. Sir, here is bread, the staff of life, and also a fragmentof cheese; and now, methinks, I discern something dark at the back ofthe shelf." The Dominie extended his hand, and immediately withdrew it,jumping from his chair, with a loud cry. He had put his fingers into arat gin, set by the old woman for those intruders, and he held up hisarm and stamped as he shouted out with the pain. I hastened to him, andpressing down the spring, released his fingers from the teeth, which,however, had drawn blood, as well as bruised him; fortunately, like mostof the articles of their menage, the trap was a very old one, and he wasnot much hurt. The Dominie thrust his fingers into his capacious mouth,and held them there some time without speaking. He began to feel alittle ease, when in came the matron.
"Why, what's all this!" said she, in a querulous tone. "Jacob here, andall my cupboard on the table. Jacob, how dare you go to my cupboard?"
"It was the Dominie, Mrs Bately, who looked there for something for meto eat, and he has been caught in a rat-trap."
"Serve him right; I have forbade him that cupboard. Have I not, MrDobbs?"
"Yea, and verily," quoth the Dominie, "and I do repent me that I tooknot thine advice, for look at my fingers;" and the Dominie extended hislacerated digits.
"Dear me! well I'd no idea that a rat-trap pinched so hard," replied theold woman, whose wrath was appeased. "How it must hurt the poorthings--I won't set it again, but leave them all to the cat; he'll killthem, if he only can get at them." The old lady went to a drawer,unlocked it, brought out some fragments of rags, and a bottle of friar'sbalsam, which she applied to the Dominie's hand, and then bound it up,scolding him the whole time. "How stupid of you, Mr Dobbs; you knowthat I was only out for a few minutes. Why didn't you wait--and why didyou go to the cupboard? Hav'n't I always told you not to look into it?and now you see the consequences."
"Verily my hand burneth," replied the Dominie.
"I will go for cold water, and it will ease you. What a deal of troubleyou do give, Mr Dobbs; you're worse than a charity boy;" and the oldlady departed to the pump.
"Vinegar is a better thing, sir," said I, "and there is a bottle in thecupboard, which I dare say is vinegar." I went to the cupboard, andbrought out the bottle, took out the cork and smelt it. "This is notvinegar, sir, it is Hollands or gin."
"Then would I like a glass, Jacob, for I feel a sickening faintness uponme; yet be quick, peradventure the old woman may return."
"Drink out of the bottle, sir," said I, perceiving that the Dominielooked very pale, "and I will give you notice of her approach." TheDominie put the bottle to his mouth, and was taking a sufficientdraught, when the old woman returned by another door which was behindus; she had gone that way for a wash-basin. Before we could perceiveher, she came behind the Dominie, snatched the bottle from his mouthwith a jerk that threw a portion of the spirits in his eyes, and blindedhim.
"That's why you went to my cupboard, is it, Mr Dobbs?" cried she, in apassion. "That's it, is it? I thought my bottle went very fast; seeingthat I don't take more than a tea-spoonful every night, for the windwhich vexes me so much. I'll set the rat-trap again, you may dependupon it; and now you may get somebody else to bind your fingers."
"It was I who took it out, Mrs Bately; the Dominie would have faintedwith pain. It was very lucky that he has a housekeeper who is carefulto have something of the kind in the house, or he might have been dead.You surely don't begrudge a little of your medicine to recover MrDobbs?"
"Peace, woman, peace," said the Dominie, who had gained courage by hispotation. "Peace, I say; I knew not that thou hadst in thy cupboardeither a gin for my hand, or gin for my mouth; since I have been takenin the one, it is but fair that I should take in the other. In futureboth thy gins will not be interfered with by me. Bring me the basin,that I may appease my angry wounds, and then hasten to procure someviands to appease the hunger of my son Jacob; lastly, appease thine ownwrath. _Pax_. Peace, I say;" and the old woman, who perceived that theDominie had asserted his right of dominion, went to obey his orders,grumbling till she was out of hearing. The application of the coldpump-water soon relieved the pain of the good old Dominie, and with hishand remaining in the basin, we commenced a long conver
sation.
At first I narrated to him the events which had occurred during myservice on board of the frigate. When I told him of my parting withTom, he observed, "Verily do I remember that young Tom, a jocund,pleasant, yet intrusive lad. Yet do I wish him well, and am grievedthat he should be so taken by that maiden Mary. Well may we say of her,as Horace hath of Pyrrha--`_Quis multa gracilis te puer in rosa,perfusis liquidis urgit odoribus, grate, Pyrrha, sub antro. Cui flavamreligas comam, simplex munditiis_.' I grieve at it, yea, grieve much._Heu, quoties fidem mutatosque Deos flebit_! Verily, Jacob, I doprophesy that she will lead him into error, yea, perhaps intoperdition."
"I trust not, sir," replied I; but the Dominie made no answer. Forhalf-an-hour he was in deep and serious thought, during which MrsBately entered, and spreading a cloth, brought in from the other roomsome rashers of bacon and eggs, upon which I made a hasty and heartymeal. The old matron's temper was now smoothed, and she welcomed mekindly, and shortly after went out for a fresh basin of cold water forthe Dominie to bathe his hand. This roused him, and he recommenced theconversation.
"Jacob, I have not yet congratulated thee upon thy accession to wealth;not that I do not sincerely rejoice in it, but because the pleasure ofthy presence has made me unmindful of it. Still, was it fortunate forthee that thou hadst raised up such a friend as Mr Turnbull; otherwisewhat would have been the result of thy boasted independence? Thouwouldst probably have remained many years on board of a man-of-war, andhave been killed, or have returned mutilated, to die unknown."
"You were right, sir," replied I; "my independence was nothing butpride; and I did bitterly repent, as you said I should do, even before Iwas pressed into the king's service--but Mr Drummond never repeated hisoffers."
"He never did, Jacob; but as I have since been informed by him, althoughhe was taken by surprise at thy being forced away to serve thy country,still he was not sure that you would accept them; and he, moreover,wished you fully to feel thine own folly. Long before you had madefriends with him, he had attested the will of Mr Turnbull, and wasacquainted with the contents. Yet, did he watch over thee, and had hethought that thy way of life had led thee into that which was wrong, hewould have interfered to save thee; but he considered with Shakespearethat `sweet were the uses of adversity,' and that thou wouldst be moreschooled by remaining some time under her unprepossessing frowns. Hehath ever been thy friend."
"I can believe it. I trust he is well, and his family."
"They were well and prosperous, but a little while ago, Jacob; yet Ihave seen but little of them since the death of Mr Turnbull. It willpain thee to hear that affliction at thy absence hastened hisdissolution. I was at his death-bed, Jacob; and I verily believe he wasa good man, and will meet the reward of one; yet did he talk moststrangely, and reminded me of that remnant of a man you call old Tom.`It's no use, old gentleman,' said he, as he lay in his bed supported bypillows, for he had wasted away till he was but a skeleton, havingbroken a blood-vessel with his violent coughing--`It's no use pouringthat doctor's stuff down my throat; my anchor's short stay a-peak, andin a few minutes I shall trip it, I trust for heaven, where I hope thereare moorings laid down for me.' `I would fain comprehend thee,' repliedI, `but thou speakest in parables.' `I mean to say that death hasdriven his harpoon in up to the shank, and that I struggle in vain. Ihave run out all my line. I shall turn up in a few minutes--so give mylove and blessing to Jacob--he saved my life once--but now I'm gone.'With these last words his spirit took its flight; and thus, Jacob, didyour benefactor breathe his last, invoking a blessing on your head."
I remained silent for a few minutes, for I was much affected by theDominie's description; he at length resumed the conversation.
"Thou hast not yet seen the Drummonds, Jacob?"
"I have not," I replied, "but I will call upon them tomorrow; but it istime that I should go, for I have to return to London."
"Thou needst not, Jacob. Thine own house is at hand."
"My own house!"
"Yes; by the will of Mr Turnbull, his wife has been left a handsomejointure, but, for reasons which he did not explain, the house andfurniture are not left to her, but, as residuary legatee, belong tothee."
"Indeed!--then where is Mrs Turnbull?"
"At Bath, where she hath taken up her residence. Mr Drummond, who hathacted in thy behalf, permitted her to take away such articles as shemight wish, but they were but few, chiefly those little objects whichfilled up rather than adorned the drawing-room. The house is all readyfor thy reception, and thou mayst take possession this evening."
"But why did not Mr Turnbull leave it to his widow?"
"I cannot exactly say, but I think he did not wish her to remain in thisplace. He, therefore, left her 5000 pounds at her own disposal, toenable her to purchase and furnish another."
I then took my leave of the Dominie, and it being rather late, Iresolved to walk to the house and sleep there.
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