CHAPTER XLII
_In Which the Tale Comes to a Good End: Archie and Billy Make Ready for Dinner, Toby Farr is Taken for Good and All by Sir Archibald, and Billy Topsail, Having Been Declared Wrong by Archie's Father, Takes the Path That Leads to a New Shingle, After Which the Author Asks a Small Favour of the Reader_
Well, now, we have come to the end of the tale of Billy Topsail. I neednot describe the grief of the Colony when the tragedy of the ice-floeswas disclosed. Newfoundlanders are warm-hearted folk; they are easilytouched to sympathy--they grieved, indeed, even to the remotestharbours, when news of the death of the men of the _Rough and Tumble_was spread forth. It was a catastrophe that impended every sealingseason--rare, perhaps, in its degree, but forever a thing to beexpected. Yet you are not to think of Newfoundland in visions wholly ofwind and snow and ice. Newfoundland is not an Arctic country by anymeans. Nor does the wind blow all the while; nor is the sea all thewhile in a turmoil. It is a lovely coast after all; and the folk wholive there are simple, self-respecting, cheerful--a lovable, admirablefolk. To be sure they have summer weather. What is written in this bookis of the spring of the year--the tempestuous season, with the icebreaking up. As a matter of fact, Newfoundland seems to me, inretrospect, to be far less a land of tempest and frost than of sunlithills and a rippling blue sea.
Ashore, at last, and making ready for dinner, in Sir ArchibaldArmstrong's great house, while Archie's mother mothered little TobyFarr, who was to live in the great house thereafter, and be reared bySir Archibald, like a brother of Archie's own--alone in Archie's rooms,Billy and Archie talked a little while.
"Somehow, Archie," said Billy, with a puzzled frown, "it didn't seemnothin' much t' do at the time."
"What, Billy?"
"What Jonathan done."
"No," Archie agreed.
"Somehow," Billy went on, "it jus' seemed as if everybody was dyin', orgoin' t' die, an' one more wouldn't make no very great difference.Didn't it seem that way t' you, Archie?"
"Just that way, Billy."
"Queer, isn't it?"
"I didn't care very much, Billy, what happened to me."
"Nor I what happened t' me."
"Sometimes I _wanted_ to die. I just wanted to lie down and----"
"Me too, Archie."
"Looking back, though, it isn't the same. I'm glad I'm alive."
There was a silence.
"Archie," said Billy, "that was a pretty fine thing that Jonathan done."
"It was, Billy."
"An' the way he done it was fine. It was a man's way t' do a thing likethat. No fuss about it. Jus' a quiet way--jus' goin' ahead an' doin'what he thought he ought t' do, an' sayin' nothin' about it."
"That was the best of it, Billy."
"It was a _great_ thing, Archie. I can't get over it. I thinks of itagain an' again an' again. I'd like t' be big enough t' do a thing likethat in jus' that way."
"And I, Billy."
"I bet you, Archie, Jonathan was _glad_ t' be able t' do it."
"I think he was."
"Yes," Billy repeated; "a big thing like that in a big way like that.I'd like t' be man enough. An' I knows only one other man in the worldwho could do it--in jus' that quiet way."
"Who's that, Billy?"
"Doctor Luke."
"Yes," Archie agreed; "he's big enough for anything."
"I'd like t' be like he!" Billy sighed.
Then the boys went down to dinner. Archie had something in mind of whichBilly Topsail was not aware.
* * * * *
After dinner, Toby Farr was put to bed. He was a soft little fellow,perhaps, and Archie's mother, too, was tender. At any rate, she wascalling Toby "Son" by that time; and Toby didn't mind, and Archie wasdelighted, and Sir Archibald was smiling as though he enjoyed it. Tobywas not happy--not by any means; no prospect of luxury, no new love,could ease the wish for his grandfather's voice and presence. Yet he wasas happy as he very well could be--and as safe as any lad ever was. Whenhe said good-night, he said it gravely, in the mannerly way he had--acourteous voice, a serious air, a little bow. Sir Archibald smiled, andArchie clapped him on the back, and Archie's mother put her arms aroundthe lad, smiling, too, and led him off to stow him away.
Archie and Billy were then left alone with Sir Archibald.
"Dad," Archie began, "Billy and I have been talking."
"Well, well!" said Sir Archibald.
Billy chuckled.
"I mean _really_ talking, dad."
"What about, son?"
"Well, quite a number of things."
"You surprise me!" said Sir Archibald.
Archie ignored the banter.
"Look here, dad," he said, "I want Billy to do something that he won'tdo."
"Then," said Sir Archibald, "I should recommend you to ask him to dosomething else."
"But that won't do."
"Must he do this thing?"
"If it's right."
"Is it right?"
"_I_ think so."
"What is it?"
Archie explained the matter in dispute, with all its provisions forguarding Billy Topsail's self-respect, and Sir Archibald listened.
"I agree with you," said Sir Archibald, promptly, when Archie came tothe end. "I think it right."
* * * * *
And that is how Billy Topsail found a proper way to study medicine--thatis how it came about that a new shingle declares to the world of thenorth Newfoundland Coast the whereabouts of--
WILLIAM TOPSAIL, M. D.
You may find Billy Topsail in the surgery (when he happens to be athome) if you land from the mail-boat and follow the road overTinkle-Tinkle Hill to Broad Cove--a hearty, smiling, rather quiet chap,of a scientific turn, who goes where he is called, and has thereputation of being the most promising physician and surgeon inNewfoundland. He has been advised to go to St. John's, of course; butthat he will not do--for reasons of his own, which have to do with theobligations of service. Well, then, there he is--in the surgery, when heis at home; and if you _should_ happen to go ashore from the mail-boat,and if you should take Tinkle-Tinkle Road to Broad Cove, and if yourseeking eye should alight upon a new shingle, inscribed WILLIAM TOPSAIL,M. D., and if you should knock on the door, and if a stalwart,fine-looking, rather quiet chap, with a twinkling smile, should open thedoor, and if you should tell him that you know me, and that I hadinvited you to call--
He'll laugh. And he'll say:
"Come in! Glad t' see you!"
And you go in--don't fail to. You'll have a good time. And give Billy mycompliments and tell him I'll be up to see him one of these summers.Thanks. I'm much obliged.
_Printed in the United States of America_
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes
Variations in spelling are kept.
Printer errors and punctuation errors are silently corrected.
Billy Topsail, M.D.: A Tale of Adventure With Doctor Luke of the Labrador Page 44