by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER I.
A HOME BROKEN UP.
"Well, mother, one thing is certain--something has got to be done. It isno use crying over spilt milk, that I can see. It is a horribly badbusiness, but grieving over it won't make it any better. What one hasgot to do is to decide on some plan or other, and then set to work tocarry it out."
The speaker, Wilfrid Renshaw, was a boy between fifteen and sixteenyears old. He was standing with his back to an empty fireplace, his feetwell apart, his hands deep in his pockets. He was rather short for hisage, but very squarely built. His hair was dark, cut rather short, andso ruffled over his head that there were no signs of a parting; hiseyebrows were heavy, his eyes bright but rather deeply set; his chin wassquare and his jaw heavy; his nose was a little upturned, and thistogether with his eyes gave a merry expression to a face that wouldotherwise have been heavy and stern.
At school Wilfrid Renshaw had been regarded as rather a queer fellow.He was full of quiet fun, and saw a humorous side in everything. He didnot take a very leading part in the various school sports, though therewas a general idea that if Renshaw only chose to exert himself he couldexcel in any of them. In point of actual strength, although there wereseveral boys in the school older than himself, it was generally admittedthat he was by far the strongest there. But he always went his own wayand always knew his own mind, and when he had once given his decisionevery one knew that it was of no use attempting to alter it; indeed, hisreputation for obstinacy was so great that when he had once said "Iwon't" or "I will," no one ever attempted to argue with him.
He was given to long walks and to collecting insects or flowers. Hecould never be persuaded to make one of the cricket eleven; but inwinter, when there was little scope for his favourite pursuit, he threwhimself into football; and although he absolutely refused to accept thecaptaincy when unanimously elected to that honour, he was considered byfar the most valuable member of the team. He was scarcely popular amongthe boys of his own age; for although his fun and general good temperwere appreciated by them, his determination to go his own way, and hisentire disregard for the opinion of others, caused him to be consideredan unsociable sort of fellow, an impression increased by the fact thathe had no particular chums.
Among the smaller boys he was greatly liked. He would never allow anybullying when he was present; and although his interference was oftenresented by some of the elders, his reputation for strength andobstinacy was so great that he had never been called upon to take activemeasures to support his decisively expressed opinions. His father livedin a pretty house a quarter of a mile outside Reading; and as Wilfridattended the grammar-school there, he was much more free to indulge hisown tastes and go his own way than if he had been in a boarding-school.His chief companion in his rambles was his only sister Marion, who was ayear his senior, although strangers would not have taken her to be so,either from her appearance or manner. She had an active lithe figure,and was able to keep up with him even during his longest excursions.They were in fact great chums and allies, and Marion would haveindignantly scouted the idea had anyone suggested to her that herbrother was either obstinate or unsociable.
Mr. Renshaw had been intended for the bar, and had indeed been called tothat profession; but shortly afterwards he came into a fortune at thedeath of his father, and at once abandoned all idea of practising. Aftertravelling for a few years on the Continent and in the East, he marriedand settled down near Reading. His time was for the most part devoted toarchaeology. He had a rare collection of ancient British, Saxon, andNorman arms, ornaments, and remains of all sorts; had written severalbooks on the antiquities of Berkshire and Oxfordshire; was an authorityupon tumuli and stone weapons; and was regarded by his acquaintances asa man of much learning.
The management of the house and children, and indeed of all affairsunconnected with his favourite hobby, he left to his wife, who was,fortunately for him, a clear-headed and sensible woman. Mr. Renshaw was,in fact, an eminently impractical man, weak and easy in disposition,averse to exertion of any kind, and without a shadow of the decision ofcharacter that distinguished his son. Except when away upon antiquarianexcursions he passed his time entirely in his own study, engaged upon awork which, he anticipated, would gain for him a very high positionamong the antiquarians of the country, the subject being the exact spotat which Julius Caesar landed in Britain.
He made his appearance only at meal-times, and then paid but littleattention to what was going on around him, although he was kind to hischildren in a gentle indifferent sort of way. For many years he had beenengaged in making up his mind as to the school to which Wilfrid shouldbe sent; and the boy had at first only been sent to the grammar-schoolat the suggestion of his mother as a temporary measure until theimportant decision should be arrived at. This had been six years before,and Mr. Renshaw had postponed his decision until it was too late forWilfrid to enter at any of the great public schools.
Knowing from long experience what would be the result were he consultedas to Marion's education, Mrs. Renshaw had, when the girl was nine yearsold, engaged a governess for her without any previous consultation withher husband, simply telling him of the arrangement after it wasconcluded, saying: "I know, Alfred, that you have not yet decidedwhether an education at home or at school is best for a girl, and I haveconsequently arranged with a young lady to come as governess until youcan come to a conclusion upon the point."
Wilfrid Renshaw was extremely fond of his mother. His father he regardedwith a somewhat contemptuous kind of affection. He did not doubt that hewas a very learned man, but he had small patience with his inability tomake up his mind, his total want of energy, and his habit of leavingeverything for his wife to decide upon and carry out.
"It would do father an immense deal of good if something were to happenthat would wake him up a bit and get him to take an interest in things,"he had said over and over again to Marion. "I cannot understand a manhaving no opinion of his own about anything."
"I do not think you ought to speak in that sort of way, Wil, aboutfather."
"Oh, that is all nonsense, Marion. One cannot be blind about a personeven if he is one's own father. Of course he is very kind and veryindulgent, but it would be very much pleasanter if he were so because hewished to give us pleasure, instead of because it is the easiest thingto do. I should be downright pleased if sometimes when I ask him foranything he would say positively I could not have it."
Now the something that Wilfrid had hoped might occur to rouse his fatherhad taken place, and had come in a form very unpleasantly violent andunexpected. The papers a week before had brought the news of the failureof the bank in which the greater portion of Mr. Renshaw's property wasinvested, and a letter had the following morning been received from abrother of Mrs. Renshaw, who was also a shareholder in the bank, sayingthat the liabilities were very large, and that the shareholders wouldundoubtedly be called upon to pay even their last penny to make up thedeficiency. This news had been confirmed, and there could be no doubtabsolute ruin had fallen upon them.
Mr. Renshaw had been completely overwhelmed by the tidings, and hadtaken to his bed. Wilfrid's holidays had begun a few days before, andhis mother at once acquainted him with the misfortune that had befallenthem, and she now told him that the calls that would be made upon theshares would more than swallow up the rest of their fortune.
"There will be absolutely nothing remaining, Wilfrid, except a thousandpounds that I had at my marriage, and which were fortunately settledupon me. This cannot be touched. Everything else will have to go."
"Well, it's a bad business, mother. I will go for a walk and think itover. Marion, put on your hat and come out with me."
They had been for their walk--a long one, and he was now expressing theresult at which they had arrived.
"One thing is certain--something has got to be done."
"Yes," Mrs. Renshaw replied with a faint smile. "The question is, Whatis it?"
"Well, mother, it is quite certain that we four cannot live on
theinterest of a thousand pounds unless we go into a hovel and live onbread and water."
"I quite see that, Wilfrid; but I am sure I do not see how we are toearn money. It is far too late for your father to go back to the barnow, and it might be years before he got a brief. At any rate, we couldnot afford to live in London till he does so. I have been thinking Imight open a little school somewhere."
Sketch Map of WAIROA AND POVERTY BAY DISTRICTS NORTHISLAND, NEW ZEALAND]
The boy waved his hand.
"No, mother, you are not going to take us all on to your shoulders. Youhave got to look after father; that will be a full share of the work, Iam sure. Marion and I have been talking it over, and the only possiblething we can see is for us to emigrate."
"To emigrate!" Mrs. Renshaw repeated in astonishment. "Why, my dear boy,what should we be fit for in the colonies more than here?"
"A good deal, mother. A thousand pounds is nothing here, and it would bea good deal out there. It would be horrible to come down to live in alittle cottage like working people here, after living like this; but itwould be nothing out there. We could buy land for next to nothing in NewZealand, and could employ a couple of men to work with me to clear itand cultivate it; and get a few cows and sheep to start with, and stillhave a little money in hand. You and Marion could look after thingsindoors; I should look after things out of doors."
"You don't seem to count your father at all," Mrs. Renshaw said a littlereproachfully.
"No, mother, I don't," Wilfrid said bluntly. "You know as well as I dothat father would be of no use to speak of in a life like that. Still, Ithink he could make himself happy out there as well as here. He couldtake all his books with him, and could inquire into the manners andcustoms of the natives, who are every bit as good as the ancientBritons; better, I should say. But whatever we do, mother, whether it ishere or anywhere else, we must settle upon it and do it. Of course wemust consult him; but we must quite make up our minds before we do so.If you wait a few weeks for father to make up his mind what we hadbetter do, we shall wait till this thousand pounds is spent and there isnothing to do but to go into the workhouse.
"I am sure that my plan is the best for us. I am as strong as a greatmany men; and anyhow, out there, there ought to be no fear about ourkeeping ourselves. I have no doubt that when we get out there fatherwill be able to help in many ways, though I do not know at present whatthey are. Anyhow, we shall have a house to live in, even if it is only alog hut, and I have no doubt have plenty to eat and drink; and that ismore than we shall do if we stay here. I could not earn anything tospeak of here: the most I could expect to get would be ten shillings aweek as an office-boy. And as to your idea of a school, you might beyears before you got pupils; and, besides, when there are two men in afamily it would be shameful to depend upon a woman to keep them."
"Why do you think of New Zealand more than Canada, Wil?"
"Because, in the first place, the climate is a great deal pleasanter,and, in the second place, I believe that as the passage-money is higherthe emigrants are of a better class, and we are likely to have morepleasant neighbours--people that you and father can associate with--thanwe should have if we went to a backwood clearing in Canada. Tom Fairfaxhas an uncle in New Zealand, and I have heard him say there are lots ofofficers in the army and people of that sort who have settled there. Ofcourse I know it is going to be hard work, and that it will be veryrough for you and father when we land at first, but I expect it will bebetter after a time; and anyhow, mother, I do not think we can starvethere, and I feel sure that it will come to that if we stop here. At anyrate, you had better think it over.
"Of course if you hit on anything better I shall be ready to agree atonce; but whatever it is we must quite make up our minds together andthen tell father. But when we do tell him we shall have to say that weare quite convinced that the plan we have fixed on is the only one thatoffers a hope of success. Of course I do not expect that he will see itas we do, but if we put it that if he can suggest anything better to bedone we will set about it at once, I think he's pretty certain to letthings go on as we arrange. I do not mean to speak disrespectfully offather," he went on seeing that his mother's face was a little clouded"but you know, mother, that people who are learned, scientific, and allthat sort of thing are very often bad hands at everyday matters. SirIsaac Newton, and lots of other fellows I have read about, were likethat; and though father is a splendid hand at anything to do with theBritons or Danes, and can tell you the story of every old ruin in thekingdom, he is no good about practical matters. So that we take all thetrouble off his hands, I think he will be quite ready to agree to dowhatever you think is the best. At any rate, mother, I think my plan iswell worth thinking over, and the sooner we make up our minds thebetter; after all it is a great thing having something to look forwardto and plan about."
Three or four days later Mrs. Renshaw told Wilfrid that think as shewould she could see no better plan for utilizing her little capital thanfor them to emigrate.
"It is putting great responsibility on your shoulders, my boy," shesaid; "for I do not disguise from myself that it is upon you that wemust principally depend. Still you will be sixteen by the time we canarrive there, and I think we should be able to manage. Besides, as yousay, we can hire a man or two to help, and shall have some money to fallback upon until things begin to pay. There are plenty of women whomanage even without the assistance of a son, and I do not know why Ishould not be able to get on with you and Marion to help me, especiallyas farming is a comparatively simple business, in a new country. At anyrate, as you say, with two or three cows and plenty of ducks and hens,and what we can grow on the ground, there will be no fear of ourstarving."
The next day Mr. Renshaw came downstairs for the first time since he hadheard of the misfortune. He had received a letter that morning sayingthat a call was at once to be made on each shareholder for the amountstill standing on each share, and this sum was in itself more than hecould meet even after the sale of his house and its contents. He was ina state of profound depression. He had, while upstairs, beenendeavouring to think of some means of supporting his family, but hadbeen wholly unable to think of any plan whatever. He knew that at hisage he should find it next to impossible to obtain employment, even asa clerk at the lowest salary; his knowledge of archaeology would beabsolutely useless to him, for the books he had already published hadnot even paid the expenses of printing.
Few words were spoken at breakfast, but when the meal was finished Mrs.Renshaw began: "My dear Alfred, Wilfrid and I have been talking overwhat we had better do under the circumstances. I have told him that thefailure of the bank involves the loss of all our property, that thehouse will have to be sold, and that, in fact, there remains nothing butthe thousand pounds of my settlement. We have talked it over in everylight, and have quite arrived at the conclusion as to what we think thebest thing to be done if you see matters in the same light and willconsent to our plan. I had at first thought of starting a littleschool."
"I would never agree to that," Mr. Renshaw said; "never. I must dosomething, my dear, though I have not made up my mind in what direction.But whatever it is, it is for me to work, and not for you."
"Well, we have already given up the idea," Mrs. Renshaw went on."Wilfrid was sure that you would not like it, and, as he pointed out,the money might be spent before I could obtain sufficient pupils to pay.Besides, he is anxious to be of use; but the difficulty struck us ofobtaining any kind of remunerative work here."
"That is what I have been thinking," Mr. Renshaw said. "I shall bewilling to work at anything in my power, but I don't see what possiblework I can get."
"Quite so, my dear. In this country it is of course terribly difficultfor anyone to get employment unless he has been trained in someparticular line, therefore Wil and I are agreed that the very best plan,indeed the only plan we can think of, is for us to go out to a newcountry. My little money will take us to New Zealand, buy a good-sizedpiece of land there, and suffice to enable us
to clear it and stock itto some extent. The life will no doubt be rough for us all for a time;but none of us will care for that, and at any rate we are sure to beable to keep the wolf from the door."
"To New Zealand!" Mr. Renshaw repeated aghast. "That is a terribleundertaking. Besides, I know nothing whatever about farming, and I fearthat I am quite unfit for hard work."
"I do not think it will be at all necessary for you to work yourself,Alfred. Of course we can hire men there just as we can in England. Ibelieve the natives are willing to work at very low rates of pay, so weneed have no difficulty on that score. Wilfrid is growing up now, andwill soon be able to relieve you of all responsibility, and then youwill be able to devote yourself to your favourite studies; and I shouldthink that a book from your hand upon native manners and customs wouldbe sure to be a great success. Accustomed as you are to tracing thingsup from small remains, and with your knowledge of primitive peoples,your work would be very different from those written by men without anyprevious acquaintance with such matters."
"The idea certainly pleases me," Mr. Renshaw said; "but, of course, Ishall want time to think over your startling proposal, Helen."
"Of course, my dear. In the meantime we will go on packing up andpreparing to move at once from here, as you say that there must be asale of everything; then you can think the matter over, and if youdecide upon any better scheme than ours we can carry that out. If not,we shall be ready to put ours into execution."
The next month was a busy one. There was great sympathy evinced by allthe Renshaw's neighbours and acquaintances when it was heard that theirwhole fortune was swept away by the failure of the bank. There werefarewell visits to be paid, not only to these, but to their poorerneighbours. In answer to inquiries as to their plans, Mr. Renshaw alwaysreplied that at present nothing whatever was settled. Mrs. Renshawhinted that, although their plans were not definitely fixed, she thoughtit probable that they would go abroad; while Wilfrid and Marion bothinformed their friends confidently that they were going to New Zealand.
The work of packing went on. A few articles of furniture that werespecial favourites with them all were packed up and sent to bewarehoused in London, in order that they might some day be forwarded tothem when they had made themselves a home; but nothing else was takenbeyond their clothes, a good selection of books for their generalreading, a large box of those which Mr. Renshaw declared absolutelyindispensable to himself, and a few nick-nacks specially prized.Everything else was handed over for sale for the benefit of thecreditors of the bank. During these weeks Mr. Renshaw continued to speakas if he regarded the New Zealand project as wholly impracticable, andon each occasion when he did so his wife replied cheerfully: "Well, mydear, we are in no way wedded to it, and are quite ready to give it upand adopt any plan you may decide upon. The matter is entirely in yourhands."
But Mr. Renshaw could hit upon no other scheme; and, indeed, his wife'ssuggestion as to a book on the natives of New Zealand had much taken hisfancy. Certainly he, a trained antiquarian, should be able to produce abook upon such a subject that would be of vastly greater value thanthose written by settlers and others having no training whatever thatwould qualify them for such work. It was probable that he should be ableto throw some entirely new light upon the origin and history of theMaoris or natives of New Zealand, and that his book would greatly add tohis reputation, and would sell well. Really the idea was not such a verybad one, and, for himself, he should certainly prefer a life in a newcountry to shabby lodgings in some out-of-the-way place, after havingfor so many years been a personage of importance in his ownneighbourhood.
"I see one great objection to your scheme, Helen, and that is that thereis a war going on with the Maoris."
"I know there is," Mrs. Renshaw, who had talked the matter over withWilfrid, replied; "but it is confined to two or three of the tribes, andthe settlers in other parts have been in no way disturbed. The troopshave taken most of their strongholds, and the troubles are considered tobe approaching an end; therefore I do not think there is any occasionto be uneasy on that score. Besides, in some respects the trouble willbe advantageous, as we should probably be able to buy land cheaper thanwe otherwise should have done, and the land will rapidly rise in valueagain when the disturbances are over. But, of course, we should not goto the disturbed districts. These are round Auckland and New Plymouth,and the troubles are confined to the tribes there. Everything isperfectly peaceable along the other parts of the coast."
It was not until two or three days before the move was to be made fromthe house that Mrs. Renshaw recurred to the subject.
"You have not said yet, Alfred, what plans you have decided upon. As weshall leave here in three days it is quite time that we made up ourminds about it, as, of course, our movements must depend on yourdecision. If you have fixed upon any place for us to settle down in, itwould be cheaper for us to move there at once instead of wasting moneyby going up to London first. Another reason I have for asking is, thatRobert and William Grimstone, the gardener's sons, who have got an ideafrom something Wilfrid said to them that we might be going abroad, haveasked him to ask you if you would take them with you. They have beenworking in the garden under their father for the last two or threeyears, and are strong active young fellows of nineteen and twenty. Astheir father has worked here ever since we came, and we have known theyoung fellows since they were children, such an arrangement would havebeen a very pleasant one had you liked my plan of emigrating, as itwould have been much more agreeable having two young fellows we knewwith us instead of strangers. Of course I told Wilfrid to tell them thatnothing whatever was settled, and that our plans were not in any wayformed, and that they had better, therefore, look out for situationsabout here, and that I was sure you would give them good letters ofrecommendation."
Mr. Renshaw was silent. "I really do not see that there is any occasionto come to a decision in a hurry," he said irritably.
"Not in a hurry, Alfred," his wife said quietly. "You see, we have had amonth to think it over, and I do not see that we shall be more likely tosettle upon an advantageous scheme at the end of six months than we arenow. From the day we leave here and hand over everything to the receiverof the bank we shall be drawing on our little capital, and every poundis of importance. I think, therefore, Alfred, that you and I should makeup our minds before we leave here as to what course we are going toadopt. As I have said, I myself see no scheme by which we are likely tobe able to maintain ourselves in England, even in a very humble way. Alife in the colonies would, to me, be very much more pleasant than thestruggle to make ends meet here.
"It would afford an opening for Wilfrid, and be vastly more advantageousfor him than anything we should hope to get for him here; and I think itwill be far better for Marion too. Of course, if we decided to emigrate,we could, should you prefer it, go to Canada, Australia, or the UnitedStates in preference to New Zealand. I only incline to New Zealandbecause I have heard that there is a larger proportion of officers andgentlemen there than in other colonies, and because I believe that theclimate is a particularly pleasant one. But, of course, this is merely asuggestion at present, and it is for you to decide."
"If we are to emigrate at all," Mr. Renshaw replied, "I should certainlyprefer New Zealand myself. The Maoris are a most interesting people.Their origin is a matter of doubt, their customs and religion arepeculiar, and I have no doubt that I should, after studying them, beable to throw much new and valuable light upon the subject. Personally,I am sure that I am in no way fitted for the life of a settler. I knownothing of farming, and could neither drive a plough nor wield an axe;but if I could make the native subject my own, I might probably be ableto do my share towards our expenses by my books, while Wilfrid couldlook after the men. The offer of these two young fellows to go with ushas removed several of my objections to the plan, and I agree with youthat it would be more advantageous for Wilfrid and Marion than to beliving in wretched lodgings. Therefore, my dear, I have decided to fallin with your plan, and only hope tha
t it will turn out as well as youseem to expect. It will be a great change and a great trial; but sinceyou seem to have set your heart upon it, I am willing to adopt yourplans instead of my own, and we will therefore consider it settled thatwe will go to New Zealand."
Mrs. Renshaw was too wise a woman to point out that her husband had not,so far as she was aware, any plans whatever of his own, and shecontented herself by saying quietly: "I am glad you have decided so, mydear. I do think it is the best thing for us all, and I am quite sure itis the best for Wilfrid and Marion. If it had not been for them I shouldhave said let us take a tiny cottage near some town where I might add toour income by giving lessons in music or other things, and you mighthave the companionship of people of your own tastes; but, being as itis, I think it far better to give them a start in a new country,although I know that such a life as we shall lead there must entail, atany rate at first, some hardships, and the loss of much to which we havebeen accustomed."
Wilfrid and Marion were delighted when they heard from their mother thatthe matter was settled. Both had had great hopes that Wilfrid's schemewould be finally accepted, as there did not seem any other plan that waspossible. Still Wilfrid knew the difficulty that his father would havein making up his mind, and feared there might be a long delay before hecould bring himself to accept the plan proposed to him. Mrs. Renshaw,who was a good business woman, lost no time in arranging with Robert andWilliam Grimstone as to their accompanying them. Their passage-money wasto be paid, and they were to bind themselves to remain for three yearsin Mr. Renshaw's service on wages similar to those they would haveobtained at home; after that, they were to be paid whatever might be thecolonial rate of wages.
The excitement that the prospect of emigration caused to the youngpeople lessened their pain at leaving the house where they had been bornand brought up, with all its pleasant associations and materialcomforts. It was, however, very trying to them when they bade good-byefor the last time to their surroundings and shook hands with their oldservants.
"If ever we get rich in New Zealand, father," Wilfrid said, "we willcome back and buy the house again."
Mr. Renshaw shook his head. Just at present he was disposed to regardhimself as a martyr, and considered that he had made an unprecedentedsacrifice of his own wishes and comforts for the sake of his children,and that no good could be expected to arise from the plan to which hehad consented. A good many friends had gathered at the station to saygood-bye, and it was some time after the train had started on its way toLondon before any of the party felt themselves inclined to speak.
On arriving in town they went at once to lodgings they had engaged inEastbourne Terrace, facing the station. Once settled there, no time waslost in making preparations for their voyage. The files of theadvertisements had already been searched and the names of the vesselssailing for New Zealand and the addresses of their owners noted, andafter paying a visit to several shipping offices the choice of vesselsremained at last between the _Flying Scud_ and the _Mayflower_. Theywere vessels of about the same size, both bore a good reputation assailers, and they heard excellent accounts of the captains who commandedthem.
The _Mayflower_ was to sail direct to Wellington round the Cape. The_Flying Scud_ was taking in cargo for Rio and Buenos-Ayres, and wouldproceed thence via Cape Horn. Her rates of passage were somewhat lowerthan those of the _Mayflower_, as the route via the Cape of Good Hopewas that more generally used, and the number of passengers who hadsecured berths by her were very much smaller than those who intended totravel by the _Mayflower_. It was this that principally decided them inchoosing the western route; Mr. Renshaw was in a depressed and nervousstate, and his wife considered that he would be far more comfortablewith a comparatively small number of fellow-passengers than in a crowdedship.
Marion quite agreed with her mother; and Wilfrid was also in favour ofthe _Flying Scud_, as he thought it would be pleasant to break thepassage by putting into the great South American ports and getting aglimpse of their inhabitants. Mr. Renshaw himself was quite satisfied toaccept his wife's decision, whatever it might be. The _Flying Scud_ wastherefore selected, and passages for the party secured in her.