A Message From Sea

8/17/2019 A Message From Sea

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A Message from the Sea

CHAPTER I -- THE VILLAGE

"And a mighty sing'lar and pretty place it is, as ever I saw in all the days ofmy life!" said Captain Jorgan, looking up at it.

Captain Jorgan had to look high to look at it, for the village was uilt sheer up

the face of a steep and lofty cli. here was no road in it, there was no

wheeled vehicle in it, there was not a level yard in it. #rom the sea$each to

the cli$top two irregular rows of white houses, placed opposite to one

another, and twisting here and there, and there and here, rose, like the sides

of a long succession of stages of crooked ladders, and you climed up the

village or climed down the village y the staves etween, some si% feet wideor so, and made of sharp irregular stones. he old pack$ saddle, long laid

aside in most parts of &ngland as one of the appendages of its infancy,

ourished here intact. (trings of pack$ horses and pack$donkeys toiled slowly

up the staves of the ladders, earing )sh, and coal, and such other cargo as

was unshipping at the pier from the dancing eet of village oats, and from

two or three little coasting traders. As the easts of urden ascended laden,

or descended light, they got so lost at intervals in the oating clouds of

village smoke, that they seemed to dive down some of the village chimneys,

and come to the surface again far o, high aove others. *o two houses in

the village were alike, in chimney, si+e, shape, door, window, gale, roof$tree,anything. he sides of the ladders were musical with water, running clear and

right. he staves were musical with the clattering feet of the pack$horses

and pack$donkeys, and the voices of the )shermen urging them up, mingled

with the voices of the )shermen's wives and their many children. he pier

was musical with the wash of the sea, the creaking of capstans and

windlasses, and the airy uttering of little vanes and sails. he rough, sea$

leached oulders of which the pier was made, and the whiter oulders of the

shore, were rown with drying nets. he red$rown clis, richly wooded to

their e%tremest verge, had their softened and eautiful forms reected in the

luest water, under the clear *orth evonshire sky of a *ovemer day

without a cloud. he village itself was so steeped in autumnal foliage, from

the houses lying on the pier to the topmost round of the topmost ladder, that

one might have fancied it was out a ird's$ nesting, and was -as indeed it

was a wonderful climer. And mentioning irds, the place was not without

some music from them too/ for the rook was very usy on the higher levels,

and the gull with his apping wings was )shing in the ay, and the lusty little

roin was hopping among the great stone locks and iron rings of the



reakwater, fearless in the faith of his ancestors, and the Children in the

0ood.

hus it came to pass that Captain Jorgan, sitting alancing himself on the

pier$wall, struck his leg with his open hand, as some men do when they are

pleased$$and as he always did when he was pleased$$and said, $

"A mighty sing'lar and pretty place it is, as ever I saw in all the days of my

life!"

Captain Jorgan had not een through the village, ut had come down to the

pier y a winding side$road, to have a preliminary look at it from the level ofhis own natural element. 1e had seen many things and places, and had

stowed them all away in a shrewd intellect and a vigorous memory. 1e was

an American orn, was Captain Jorgan,$$a *ew$&nglander,$$ut he was a

citi+en of the world, and a comination of most of the est 2ualities of most

of its est countries.

#or Captain Jorgan to sit anywhere in his long$skirted lue coat and lue

trousers, without holding converse with everyody within speaking distance,

was a sheer impossiility. (o the captain fell to talking with the )shermen,and to asking them knowing 2uestions aout the )shery, and the tides, and

the currents, and the race of water o that point yonder, and what you kept

in your eye, and got into a line with what else when you ran into the little

harour/ and other nautical profundities. Among the men who e%changed

ideas with the captain was a young fellow, who e%actly hit his fancy,$$a young

)sherman of two or three and twenty, in the rough sea$dress of his craft, with

a rown face, dark curling hair, and right, modest eyes under his (ou'wester

hat, and with a frank, ut simple and retiring manner, which the captain

found uncommonly taking. "I'd et a thousand dollars," said the captain to

himself, "that your father was an honest man!"

"3ight you e married now4" asked the captain, when he had had some talk

with this new ac2uaintance.

"*ot yet."



"5oing to e4" said the captain.

"I hope so."

he captain's keen glance followed the slightest possile turn of the dark eye,

and the slightest possile tilt of the (ou'wester hat. he captain then slapped

oth his legs, and said to himself, $

"*ever knew such a good thing in all my life! here's his sweetheart looking

over the wall!"

here was a very pretty girl looking over the wall, from a little platform of

cottage, vine, and fuchsia/ and she certainly dig not look as if the presence of

this young )sherman in the landscape made it any the less sunny and

hopeful for her.

Captain Jorgan, having douled himself up to laugh with that hearty good$

nature which is 2uite e%ultant in the innocent happiness of other people, hadundouted himself, and was going to start a new su6ect, when there

appeared coming down the lower ladders of stones, a man whom he hailed as

"om 7ettifer, 1o!" om 7ettifer, 1o, responded with alacrity, and in speedy

course descended on the pier.

"Afraid of a sun$stroke in &ngland in *ovemer, om, that you wear your

tropical hat, strongly paid outside and paper$lined inside, here4" said the

captain, eyeing it.

"It's as well to e on the safe side, sir," replied om.

"(afe side!" repeated the captain, laughing. "8ou'd guard against a sun$

stroke, with that old hat, in an Ice 7ack. 0a'al! 0hat have you made out at



the 7ost$o9ce4"

"It is the 7ost$o9ce, sir."

"0hat's the 7ost$o9ce4" said the captain.

"he name, sir. he name keeps the 7ost$o9ce."

"A coincidence!" said the captain. "A lucky it! (how me where it is. 5ood$

ye, shipmates, for the present! I shall come and have another look at you,

afore I leave, this afternoon."

his was addressed to all there, ut especially the young )sherman/ so all

there acknowledged it, ut especially the young )sherman. "1e's a sailor!"

said one to another, as they looked after the captain moving away. hat he

was/ and so outspeaking was the sailor in him, that although his dress had

nothing nautical aout it, with the single e%ception of its colour, ut was a

suit of a shore$going shape and form, too long in the sleeves and too short in

the legs, and too unaccommodating everywhere, terminating earthward in a

pair of 0ellington oots, and surmounted y a tall, sti hat, which no mortalcould have worn at sea in any wind under heaven/ nevertheless, a glimpse of

his sagacious, weather$eaten face, or his strong, rown hand, would have

estalished the captain's calling. 0hereas 3r. 7ettifer$$a man of a certain

plump neatness, with a curly whisker, and elaorately nautical in a 6acket,

and shoes, and all things correspondent$$looked no more like a seaman,

eside Captain Jorgan, than he looked like a sea$serpent.

he two climed high up the village,$$which had the most aritrary turns and

twists in it, so that the coler's house came dead across the ladder, and tohave held a reasonale course, you must have gone through his house, and

through him too, as he sat at his work etween two little windows,$$with one

eye microscopically on the geological formation of that part of evonshire,

and the other telescopically on the open sea,$$the two climed high up the

village, and stopped efore a 2uaint little house, on which was painted, "3:(.

:A8;:<C=, :A7&:/" and also "7<($<##IC&." ;efore it, ran a rill of

murmuring water, and access to it was gained y a little plank$ridge.



"1ere's the name," said Captain Jorgan, "sure enough. 8ou can come in if you

like, om."

he captain opened the door, and passed into an odd little shop, aout si%

feet high, with a great variety of eams and umps in the ceiling, and,

esides the principal window giving on the ladder of stones, a purlind little

window of a single pane of glass, peeping out of an autting corner at the

sun$lighted ocean, and winking at its rightness.

"1ow do you do, ma'am4" said the captain. "I am very glad to see you. I have

come a long way to see you."

"1ave you, sir4 hen I am sure I am very glad to see you, though I don't know

you from Adam."

hus a comely elderly woman, short of stature, plump of form, sparkling and

dark of eye, who, perfectly clean and neat herself, stood in the midst of her

perfectly clean and neat arrangements, and surveyed Captain Jorgan with

smiling curiosity. "Ah! ut you are a sailor, sir," she added, almost

immediately, and with a slight movement of her hands, that was not very

unlike wringing them/ "then you are heartily welcome."

"hank'ee, ma'am," said the captain, "I don't know what it is, I am sure/ that

rings out the salt in me, ut everyody seems to see it on the crown of my

hat and the collar of my coat. 8es, ma'am, I am in that way of life."

"And the other gentleman, too," said 3rs. :ayrock.

"0ell now, ma'am," said the captain, glancing shrewdly at the other

gentleman, "you are that nigh right, that he goes to sea,$$if that makes him a

sailor. his is my steward, ma'am, om 7ettifer/ he's een a'most all trades

you could name, in the course of his life,$$ would have ought all your chairs

and tales once, if you had wished to sell 'em,$$ut now he's my steward. 3y



name's Jorgan, and I'm a ship$owner, and I sail my own and my partners'

ships, and have done so this )ve$and$twenty year. According to custom I am

called Captain Jorgan, ut I am no more a captain, less your heart, than you

are."

"7erhaps you'll come into my parlour, sir, and take a chair4" said 3rs.

:ayrock.

"&%$actly what I was going to propose myself, ma'am. After you."

hus replying, and en6oining om to give an eye to the shop, Captain Jorgan

followed 3rs. :ayrock into the little, low ack$room,$$ decorated with diversplants in pots, tea$trays, old china teapots, and punch$owls,$$which was at

once the private sitting$room of the :ayrock family and the inner cainet of

the post$o9ce of the village of (teepways.

"*ow, ma'am," said the captain, "it don't signify a cent to you where I was

orn, e%cept$$" ;ut here the shadow of some one entering fell upon the

captain's )gure, and he roke o to doule himself up, slap oth his legs, and

e6aculate, "*ever knew such a thing in all my life! 1ere he is again! 1ow are

you4"

hese words referred to the young fellow who had so taken Captain Jorgan's

fancy down at the pier. o make it all 2uite complete he came in accompanied

y the sweetheart whom the captain had detected looking over the wall. A

prettier sweetheart the sun could not have shone upon that shining day. As

she stood efore the captain, with her rosy lips 6ust parted in surprise, her

rown eyes a little wider open than was usual from the same cause, and her

reathing a little 2uickened y the ascent -and possily y some mysterious

hurry and urry at the parlour door, in which the captain had oserved her

face to e for a moment totally eclipsed y the (ou'wester hat, she looked so

charming, that the captain felt himself under a moral oligation to slap oth

his legs again. (he was very simply dressed, with no other ornament than an

autumnal ower in her osom. (he wore neither hat nor onnet, ut merely a

scarf or kerchief, folded s2uarely ack over the head, to keep the sun o,$$

according to a fashion that may e sometimes seen in the more genial parts

of &ngland as well as of Italy, and which is proaly the )rst fashion of head$



dress that came into the world when grasses and leaves went out.

"In my country," said the captain, rising to give her his chair, and de%terously

sliding it close to another chair on which the young )sherman must

necessarily estalish himself,$$"in my country we should call evonshire

eauty )rst$rate!"

0henever a frank manner is oensive, it is ecause it is strained or feigned/

for there may e 2uite as much intolerale aectation in plainness as in

mincing nicety. All that the captain said and did was honestly according to his

nature/ and his nature was open nature and good nature/ therefore, when he

paid this little compliment, and e%pressed with a sparkle or two of his

knowing eye, "I see how it is, and nothing could e etter," he had

estalished a delicate con)dence on that su6ect with the family.

"I was saying to your worthy mother," said the captain to the young man,

after again introducing himself y name and occupation,$$"I was saying to

your mother -and you're very like her that it didn't signify where I was orn,

e%cept that I was raised on 2uestion$ asking ground, where the aies as

soon as ever they come into the world, in2uire of their mothers, '*eow, how

old may you e, and wa'at air you a goin' to name me4'$$which is a fact."

1ere he slapped his leg. "(uch eing the case, I may e e%cused for asking

you if your name's Alfred4"

"8es, sir, my name is Alfred," returned the young man.

"I am not a con6urer," pursued the captain, "and don't think me so, or I shall

right soon undeceive you. >ikewise don't think, if you please, though I do

come from that country of the aies, that I am asking 2uestions for

2uestion$asking's sake, for I am not. (omeody elonging to you went to

sea4"

"3y elder rother, 1ugh," returned the young man. 1e said it in an altered

and lower voice, and glanced at his mother, who raised her hands hurriedly,

and put them together across her lack gown, and looked eagerly at the

visitor.



"*o! #or 5od's sake, don't think that!" said the captain, in a solemn way/ "I

ring no good tidings of him."

here was a silence, and the mother turned her face to the )re and put her

hand etween it and her eyes. he young )sherman slightly motioned toward

the window, and the captain, looking in that direction, saw a young widow,

sitting at a neighouring window across a little garden, engaged in

needlework, with a young child sleeping on her osom. he silence continued

until the captain asked of Alfred, $

"1ow long is it since it happened4"

"1e shipped for his last voyage etter than three years ago."

"(hip struck upon some reef or rock, as I take it," said the captain, "and all

hands lost4"

"8es."

"0a'al!" said the captain, after a shorter silence, "1ere I sit who may come to

the same end, like enough. 1e holds the seas in the hollow of 1is hand. 0e

must all strike somewhere and go down. <ur comfort, then, for ourselves and

one another is to have done our duty. I'd wager your rother did his!"

"1e did!" answered the young )sherman. "If ever man strove faithfully on all

occasions to do his duty, my rother did. 3y rother was not a 2uick man-anything ut that, ut he was a faithful, true, and 6ust man. 0e were the

sons of only a small tradesman in this county, sir/ yet our father was as

watchful of his good name as if he had een a king."

"A precious sight more so, I hope$$earing in mind the general run of that



class of crittur," said the captain. ";ut I interrupt."

"3y rother considered that our father left the good name to us, to keep clear

and true."

"8our rother considered right," said the captain/ "and you couldn't take care

of a etter legacy. ;ut again I interrupt."

"*o/ for I have nothing more to say. 0e know that 1ugh lived well for the

good name, and we feel certain that he died well for the good name. And now

it has come into my keeping. And that's all."

"0ell spoken!" cried the captain. "0ell spoken, young man! Concerning the

manner of your rother's death,"$$y this time the captain had released the

hand he had shaken, and sat with his own road, rown hands spread out on

his knees, and spoke aside,$$ "concerning the manner of your rother's death,

it may e that I have some information to give you/ though it may not e, for

I am far from sure. Can we have a little talk alone4"

he young man rose/ ut not efore the captain's 2uick eye had noticed that,on the pretty sweetheart's turning to the window to greet the young widow

with a nod and a wave of the hand, the young widow had held up to her the

needlework on which she was engaged, with a patient and pleasant smile. (o

the captain said, eing on his legs, $

"0hat might she e making now4"

"0hat is 3argaret making, =itty4" asked the young )sherman,$$with one of

his arms apparently mislaid somewhere.

As =itty only lushed in reply, the captain douled himself up as far as he

could, standing, and said, with a slap of his leg, $



"In my country we should call it wedding$clothes. #act! 0e should, I do assure

you."

;ut it seemed to strike the captain in another light too/ for his laugh was not

a long one, and he added, in 2uite a gentle tone, $

"And it's very pretty, my dear, to see her$$poor young thing, with her

fatherless child upon her osom$$giving up her thoughts to your home and

your happiness. It's very pretty, my dear, and it's very good. 3ay your

marriage e more prosperous than hers, and e a comfort to her too. 3ay the

lessed sun see you all happy together, in possession of the good name, long

after I have done ploughing the great salt )eld that is never sown!"

=itty answered very earnestly, "<! hank you, sir, with all my heart!" And, in

her loving little way, kissed her hand to him, and possily y implication to

the young )sherman, too, as the latter held the parlour$door open for the

captain to pass out.

C1A7&: II $$ 1& 3<*&8

"he stairs are very narrow, sir," said Alfred :ayrock to Captain Jorgan.

">ike my cain$stairs," returned the captain, "on many a voyage."

"And they are rather inconvenient for the head."

"If my head can't take care of itself y this time, after all the knocking aout

the world it has had," replied the captain, as unconcernedly as if he had no

connection with it, "it's not worth looking after."



hus they came into the young )sherman's edroom, which was as perfectly

neat and clean as the shop and parlour elow/ though it was ut a little place,

with a sliding window, and a phrenological ceiling e%pressive of all the

peculiarities of the house$roof. 1ere the captain sat down on the foot of the

ed, and glancing at a dreadful liel on =itty which ornamented the wall,$$the

production of some wandering limner, whom the captain secretly admired ashaving studied portraiture from the )gure$heads of ships,$$motioned to the

young man to take the rush$chair on the other side of the small round tale.

hat done, the captain put his hand in the deep reast$pocket of his long$

skirted lue coat, and took out of it a strong s2uare case$ottle,$$not a large

ottle, ut such as may e seen in any ordinary ship's medicine$chest.

(etting this ottle on the tale without removing his hand from it, Captain

Jorgan then spake as follows?$

"In my last voyage homeward$ound," said the captain, "and that's thevoyage o of which I now come straight, I encountered such weather o the

1orn as is not very often met with, even there. I have rounded that stormy

Cape pretty often, and I elieve I )rst eat aout there in the identical storms

that lew the evil's horns and tail o, and led to the horns eing worked up

into tooth$picks for the plantation overseers in my country, who may e seen

-if you travel down (outh, or away 0est, fur enough picking their teeth with

'em, while the whips, made of the tail, og hard. In this last voyage,

homeward$ound for >iverpool from (outh America, I say to you, my young

friend, it lew. 0hole measures! *o half measures, nor making elieve to

low/ it lew! *ow I warn't lown clean out of the water into the sky,$$though

I e%pected to e even that,$$ut I was lown clean out of my course/ and

when at last it fell calm, it fell dead calm, and a strong current set one way,

day and night, night and day, and I drifted$$drifted$$drifted$$out of all the

ordinary tracks and courses of ships, and drifted yet, and yet drifted. It

ehooves a man who takes charge of fellow$critturs' lives, never to rest from

making himself master of his calling. I never did rest, and conse2uently I

knew pretty well -'specially looking over the side in the dead calm of that

strong current what dangers to e%pect, and what precautions to take against

'em. In short, we were driving head on to an island. here was no island in

the chart, and, therefore, you may say it was ill$manners in the island to e

there/ I don't dispute its ad reeding, ut there it was. hanks e to 1eaven,I was as ready for the island as the island was ready for me. I made it out

myself from the masthead, and I got enough way upon her in good time to

keep her o. I ordered a oat to e lowered and manned, and went in that

oat myself to e%plore the island. here was a reef outside it, and, oating in

a corner of the smooth water within the reef, was a heap of sea$weed, and

entangled in that sea$weed was this ottle."



1ere the captain took his hand from the ottle for a moment, that the young

)sherman might direct a wondering glance at it/ and then replaced his and

and went on?$

"If ever you come$$or even if ever you don't come$$to a desert place, use you

your eyes and your spy$glass well/ for the smallest thing you see may prove

of use to you/ and may have some information or some warning in it. hat's

the principle on which I came to see this ottle. I picked up the ottle and ran

the oat alongside the island, and made fast and went ashore armed, with a

part of my oat's crew. 0e found that every scrap of vegetation on the island

-I give it you as my opinion, ut scant and scruy at the est of times had

een consumed y )re. As we were making our way, cautiously and

toilsomely, over the pulverised emers, one of my people sank into the earth

reast$high. 1e turned pale, and '1aul me out smart, shipmates,' says he, 'for

my feet are among ones.' 0e soon got him on his legs again, and then we

dug up the spot, and we found that the man was right, and that his feet had

een among ones. 3ore than that, they were human ones/ though whether

the remains of one man, or of two or three men, what with calcination and

ashes, and what with a poor practical knowledge of anatomy, I can't

undertake to say. 0e e%amined the whole island and made out nothing else,

save and e%cept that, from its opposite side, I sighted a considerale tract of

land, which land I was ale to identify, and according to the earings of which

-not to troule you with my log I took a fresh departure. 0hen I got aoard

again I opened the ottle, which was oilskin$covered as you see, and glass$stoppered as you see. Inside of it," pursued the captain, suiting his action to

his words, "I found this little crumpled, folded paper, 6ust as you see. <utside

of it was written, as you see, these words? '0hoever )nds this, is solemnly

entreated y the dead to convey it unread to Alfred :ayrock, (teepways,

*orth evon, &ngland.' A sacred charge," said the captain, concluding his

narrative, "and, Alfred :ayrock, there it is!"

"his is my poor rother's writing!"

"I suppose so," said Captain Jorgan. "I'll take a look out of this little window

while you read it."

"7ray no, sir! I should e hurt. 3y rother couldn't know it would fall into such



hands as yours."

he captain sat down again on the foot of the ed, and the young man

opened the folded paper with a tremling hand, and spread it on the tale.

he ragged paper, evidently creased and torn oth efore and after eing

written on, was much lotted and stained, and the ink had faded and run, and

many words were wanting. 0hat the captain and the young )sherman made

out together, after much re$reading and much humouring of the folds of the

paper, is given on the ne%t page.

he young )sherman had ecome more and more agitated, as the writing

had ecome clearer to him. 1e now left it lying efore the captain, over

whose shoulder he had een reading it, and dropping into his former seat,

leaned forward on the tale and laid his face in his hands.

"0hat, man," urged the captain, "don't give in! ;e up and doing like a man!"

"It is sel)sh, I know,$$ut doing what, doing what4" cried the young

)sherman, in complete despair, and stamping his sea$oot on the ground.

"oing what4" returned the captain. "(omething! I'd go down to the little

reakwater elow yonder, and take a wrench at one of the salt$rusted iron

rings there, and either wrench it up y the roots or wrench my teeth out of

my head, sooner than I'd do nothing. *othing!" e6aculated the captain. "Any

fool or fainting heart can do that, and nothing can come of nothing,$$which

was pretended to e found out, I elieve, y one of them >atin critters," said

the captain with the deepest disdain/ "as if Adam hadn't found it out, afore

ever he so much as named the easts!"

8et the captain saw, in spite of his old words, that there was some greater

reason than he yet understood for the young man's distress. And he eyed him

with a sympathising curiosity.

"Come, come!" continued the captain, "(peak out. 0hat is it, oy!"



"8ou have seen how eautiful she is, sir," said the young man, looking up for

the moment, with a ushed face and rumpled hair.

"id any man ever say she warn't eautiful4" retorted the captain. "If so, go

and lick him."

he young man laughed fretfully in spite of himself, and said $

"It's not that, it's not that."

"0a'al, then, what is it4" said the captain in a more soothing tone.

he young )sherman mournfully composed himself to tell the captain what it

was, and egan? "0e were to have een married ne%t 3onday week$$"

"0ere to have een!" interrupted Captain Jorgan. "And are to e4 1ey4"

8oung :ayrock shook his head, and traced out with his fore$)nger the words,

"poor father's )ve hundred pounds," in the written paper.

"5o along," said the captain. "#ive hundred pounds4 8es4"

"hat sum of money," pursued the young )sherman, entering with thegreatest earnestness on his demonstration, while the captain eyed him with

e2ual earnestness, "was all my late father possessed. 0hen he died, he owed

no man more than he left means to pay, ut he had een ale to lay y only

)ve hundred pounds."



"#ive hundred pounds," repeated the captain. "8es4"

"In his lifetime, years efore, he had e%pressly laid the money aside to leave

to my mother,$$like to settle upon her, if I make myself understood."

"8es4"

"1e had risked it once$$my father put down in writing at that time, respecting

the money$$and was resolved never to risk it again."

"*ot a spectator," said the captain. "3y country wouldn't have suited him. 8es4"

"3y mother has never touched the money till now. And now it was to have

een laid out, this very ne%t week, in uying me a handsome share in our

neighouring )shery here, to settle me in life with =itty."

he captain's face fell, and he passed and repassed his sun$rowned right

hand over his thin hair, in a discom)ted manner.

"=itty's father has no more than enough to live on, even in the sparing way in

which we live aout here. 1e is a kind of aili or steward of manor rights

here, and they are not much, and it is ut a poor little o9ce. 1e was etter

o once, and =itty must never marry to mere drudgery and hard living."

he captain still sat stroking his thin hair, and looking at the young )sherman.

"I am as certain that my father had no knowledge that any one was wronged

as to this money, or that any restitution ought to e made, as I am certain

that the sun now shines. ;ut, after this solemn warning from my rother's

grave in the sea, that the money is (tolen 3oney," said 8oung :ayrock,



forcing himself to the utterance of the words, "can I dout it4 Can I touch it4"

"Aout not douting, I ain't so sure," oserved the captain/ "ut aout not

touching$$no$$I don't think you can."

"(ee then," said 8oung :ayrock, "why I am so grieved. hink of =itty. hink

what I have got to tell her!"

1is heart 2uite failed him again when he had come round to that, and he

once more eat his sea$oot softly on the oor. ;ut not for long/ he soon

egan again, in a 2uietly resolute tone.

"1owever! &nough of that! 8ou spoke some rave words to me 6ust now,

Captain Jorgan, and they shall not e spoken in vain. I have got to do

something. 0hat I have got to do, efore all other things, is to trace out the

meaning of this paper, for the sake of the 5ood *ame that has no one else to

put it right. And still for the sake of the 5ood *ame, and my father's memory,

not a word of this writing must e reathed to my mother, or to =itty, or to

any human creature. 8ou agree in this4"

"I don't know what they'll think of us elow," said the captain, "ut for certain

I can't oppose it. *ow, as to tracing. 1ow will you do4"

hey oth, as y consent, ent over the paper again, and again carefully

pu++led out the whole of the writing.

"I make out that this would stand, if all the writing was here, 'In2uire among

the old men living there, for'$$some one. 3ost like, you'll go to this village

named here4" said the captain, musing, with his )nger on the name.

"8es! And 3r. regarthen is a Cornishman, and$$to e sure!$$comes from

>anrean."



"oes he4" said the captain 2uietly. "As I ain't ac2uainted with him, who may

he e4"

"3r. regarthen is =itty's father."

"Ay, ay!" cried the captain. "*ow you speak! regarthen knows this village of

>anrean, then4"

";eyond all dout he does. I have often heard him mention it, as eing his

native place. 1e knows it well."

"(top half a moment," said the captain. "0e want a name here. 8ou could ask

regarthen -or if you couldn't I could what names of old men he rememers

in his time in those diggings4 1ey4"

"I can go straight to his cottage, and ask him now."

"ake me with you," said the captain, rising in a solid way that had a most

comfortale reliaility in it, "and 6ust a word more )rst. I have knocked aout

harder than you, and have got along further than you. I have had, all my sea$

going life long, to keep my wits polished right with acid and friction, like the

rass cases of the ship's instruments. I'll keep you company on this

e%pedition. *ow you don't live y talking any more than I do. Clench that

hand of yours in this hand of mine, and that's a speech on oth sides."

Captain Jorgan took command of the e%pedition with that hearty shake. 1e atonce refolded the paper e%actly as efore, replaced it in the ottle, put the

stopper in, put the oilskin over the stopper, con)ded the whole to 8oung

:ayrock's keeping, and led the way down$stairs.

;ut it was harder navigation elow$stairs than aove. he instant they set



foot in the parlour the 2uick, womanly eye detected that there was

something wrong. =itty e%claimed, frightened, as she ran to her lover's side,

"Alfred! 0hat's the matter4" 3rs. :ayrock cried out to the captain,

"5racious! what have you done to my son to change him like this all in a

minute4" And the young widow$$who was there with her work upon her arm$$

was at )rst so agitated that she frightened the little girl she held in her hand,who hid her face in her mother's skirts and screamed. he captain, conscious

of eing held responsile for this domestic change, contemplated it with 2uite

a guilty e%pression of countenance, and looked to the young )sherman to

come to his rescue.

"=itty, darling," said 8oung :ayrock, "=itty, dearest love, I must go away to

>anrean, and I don't know where else or how much further, this very day.

0orse than that$$our marriage, =itty, must e put o, and I don't know for

how long."

=itty stared at him, in dout and wonder and in anger, and pushed him from

her with her hand.

"7ut o4" cried 3rs. :ayrock. "he marriage put o4 And you going to

>anrean! 0hy, in the name of the dear >ord4"

"3other dear, I can't say why/ I must not say why. It would e dishonourale

and undutiful to say why."

"ishonourale and undutiful4" returned the dame. "And is there nothing

dishonourale or undutiful in the oy's reaking the heart of his own plighted

love, and his mother's heart too, for the sake of the dark secrets and counsels

of a wicked stranger4 0hy did you ever come here4" she apostrophised the

innocent captain. "0ho wanted you4 0here did you come from4 0hy couldn't

you rest in your own ad place, wherever it is, instead of disturing the peace

of 2uiet unoending folk like us4"

"And what," soed the poor little =itty, "have I ever done to you, you hard

and cruel captain, that you should come and serve me so4"



And then they oth egan to weep most pitifully, while the captain could only

look from the one to the other, and lay hold of himself y the coat collar.

"3argaret," said the poor young )sherman, on his knees at =itty's feet, while

=itty kept oth her hands efore her tearful face, to shut out the traitor from

her view,$$ut kept her )ngers wide asunder and looked at him all the

time,$$"3argaret, you have suered so much, so uncomplainingly, and are

always so careful and considerate! o take my part, for poor 1ugh's sake!"

he 2uiet 3argaret was not appealed to in vain. "I will, Alfred," she returned,

"and I do. I wish this gentleman had never come near us/" whereupon the

captain laid hold of himself the tighter/ "ut I take your part for all that. I amsure you have some strong reason and some su9cient reason for what you

do, strange as it is, and even for not saying why you do it, strange as that is.

And, =itty darling, you are ound to think so more than any one, for true love

elieves everything, and ears everything, and trusts everything. And,

mother dear, you are ound to think so too, for you know you have een

lest with good sons, whose word was always as good as their oath, and who

were rought up in as true a sense of honour as any gentleman in this land.

And I am sure you have no more call, mother, to dout your living son than to

dout your dead son/ and for the sake of the dear dead, I stand up for the

dear living."

"0a'al now," the captain struck in, with enthusiasm, "this I say, hat whether

your opinions atter me or not, you are a young woman of sense, and spirit,

and feeling/ and I'd sooner have you y my side in the hour of danger, than a

good half of the men I've ever fallen in with$$or fallen out with, ayther."

3argaret did not return the captain's compliment, or appear fully to

reciprocate his good opinion, ut she applied herself to the consolation of=itty, and of =itty's mother$in$law that was to have een ne%t 3onday week,

and soon restored the parlour to a 2uiet condition.

"=itty, my darling," said the young )sherman, "I must go to your father to

entreat him still to trust me in spite of this wretched change and mystery,



and to ask him for some directions concerning >anrean. 0ill you come home4

0ill you come with me, =itty4"

=itty answered not a word, ut rose soing, with the end of her simple head$

dress at her eyes. Captain Jorgan followed the lovers out, 2uite sheepishly,

pausing in the shop to give an instruction to 3r. 7ettifer.

"1ere, om!" said the captain, in a low voice. "1ere's something in your line.

1ere's an old lady poorly and low in her spirits. Cheer her up a it, om. Cheer

'em all up."

3r. 7ettifer, with a risk nod of intelligence, immediately assumed his stewardface, and went with his 2uiet, helpful, steward step into the parlour, where

the captain had the great satisfaction of seeing him, through the glass door,

take the child in his arms -who oered no o6ection, and end over 3rs.

:ayrock, administering soft words of consolation.

"hough what he )nds to say, unless he's telling her that 't'll soon e over, or

that most people is so at )rst, or that it'll do her good afterward, I cannot

imaginate!" was the captain's reection as he followed the lovers.

1e had not far to follow them, since it was ut a short descent down the

stony ways to the cottage of =itty's father. ;ut short as the distance was, it

was long enough to enale the captain to oserve that he was fast ecoming

the village <gre/ for there was not a woman standing working at her door, or

a )sherman coming up or going down, who saw 8oung :ayrock unhappy and

little =itty in tears, ut he or she instantly darted a suspicious and indignant

glance at the captain, as the foreigner who must somehow e responsile for

this unusual spectacle. Conse2uently, when they came into regarthen's little

garden,$$which formed the platform from which the captain had seen =itty

peeping over the wall,$$the captain rought to, and stood o and on at the

gate, while =itty hurried to hide her tears in her own room, and Alfred spoke

with her father, who was working in the garden. 1e was a rather in)rm man,

ut could scarcely e called old yet, with an agreeale face and a promising

air of making the est of things. he conversation egan on his side with

great cheerfulness and good humour, ut soon ecame distrustful, and soon

angry. hat was the captain's cue for striking oth into the conversation and



the garden.

"3orning, sir!" said Captain Jorgan. "1ow do you do4"

"he gentleman I am going away with," said the young )sherman to

regarthen.

"<!" returned =itty's father, surveying the unfortunate captain with a look of

e%treme disfavour. "I confess that I can't say I am glad to see you."

"*o," said the captain, "and, to admit the truth, that seems to e the generalopinion in these parts. ;ut don't e hasty/ you may think etter of me y$

and$y."

"I hope so," oserved regarthen.

"0a'al, I hope so," oserved the captain, 2uite at his ease/ "more than that, I

elieve so,$$though you don't. *ow, 3r. regarthen, you don't want to

e%change words of mistrust with me/ and if you did, you couldn't, ecause I

wouldn't. 8ou and I are old enough to know etter than to 6udge against

e%perience from surfaces and appearances/ and if you haven't lived to )nd

out the evil and in6ustice of such 6udgments, you are a lucky man."

he other seemed to shrink under this remark, and replied, "(ir, I have lived

to feel it deeply."

"0a'al," said the captain, molli)ed, "then I've made a good cast without

knowing it. *ow, regarthen, there stands the lover of your only child, and

here stand I who know his secret. I warrant it a righteous secret, and none of

his making, though ound to e of his keeping. I want to help him out with it,

and tewwards that end we ask you to favour us with the names of two or

three old residents in the village of >anrean. As I am taking out my pocket$

ook and pencil to put the names down, I may as well oserve to you that



this, wrote atop of the )rst page here, is my name and address? '(ilas Jonas

Jorgan, (alem, 3assachusetts, @nited (tates.' If ever you take it in your head

to run over any morning, I shall e glad to welcome you. *ow, what may e

the spelling of these said names4"

"here was an elderly man," said regarthen, "named avid 7olreath. 1e may

e dead."

"0a'al," said the captain, cheerfully, "if 7olreath's dead and uried, and can

e made of any service to us, 7olreath won't o6ect to our digging of him up.

7olreath's down, anyhow."

"here was another named 7enrewen. I don't know his Christian name."

"*ever mind his Chris'en name," said the captain/ "7enrewen, for short."

"here was another named John redgear."

"And a pleasant$sounding name, too," said the captain/ "John redgear's

ooked."

"I can recall no other e%cept old 7arvis."

"<ne of old 7arvis's fam'ly I reckon," said the captain, "kept a dry$goods store

in *ew 8ork city, and realised a handsome competency y urning his house

to ashes. (ame name, anyhow. avid 7olreath, @nchris'en 7enrewen, John redgear, and old Arson 7arvis."

"I cannot recall any others at the moment."



"hank'ee," said the captain. "And so, regarthen, hoping for your good

opinion yet, and likewise for the fair evonshire #lower's, your daughter's, I

give you my hand, sir, and wish you good day."

8oung :ayrock accompanied him disconsolately/ for there was no =itty at

the window when he looked up, no =itty in the garden when he shut the gate,

no =itty ga+ing after them along the stony ways when they egin to clim

ack.

"*ow I tell you what," said the captain. "*ot eing at present calculated to

promote harmony in your family, I won't come in. 8ou go and get your dinner

at home, and I'll get mine at the little hotel. >et our hour of meeting e two

o'clock, and you'll )nd me smoking a cigar in the sun afore the hotel door. ell

om 7ettifer, my steward, to consider himself on duty, and to look after your

people till we come ack/ you'll )nd he'll have made himself useful to 'em

already, and will e 2uite acceptale."

All was done as Captain Jorgan directed. 7unctually at two o'clock the young

)sherman appeared with his knapsack at his ack/ and punctually at two

o'clock the captain 6erked away the last feather$ end of his cigar.

">et me carry your aggage, Captain Jorgan/ I can easily take it with mine."

"hank'ee," said the captain. "I'll carry it myself. It's only a com."

hey climed out of the village, and paused among the trees and fern on the

summit of the hill aove, to take reath, and to look down at the eautiful

sea. (uddenly the captain gave his leg a resounding slap, and cried, "*ever

knew such a right thing in all my life!"$$ and ran away.

he cause of this arupt retirement on the part of the captain was little =itty

among the trees. he captain went out of sight and waited, and kept out of

sight and waited, until it occurred to him to eguile the time with another

cigar. 1e lighted it, and smoked it out, and still he was out of sight and



waiting. 1e stole within sight at last, and saw the lovers, with their arms

entwined and their ent heads touching, moving slowly among the trees. It

was the golden time of the afternoon then, and the captain said to himself,

"5olden sun, golden sea, golden sails, golden leaves, golden love, golden

youth,$$a golden state of things altogether!"

*evertheless the captain found it necessary to hail his young companion

efore going out of sight again. In a few moments more he came up and they

egan their 6ourney.

"hat still young woman with the fatherless child," said Captain Jorgan, as

they fell into step, "didn't throw her words away/ ut good honest words are

never thrown away. And now that I am conveying you o from that tender

little thing that loves, and relies, and hopes, I feel 6ust as if I was the snarling

crittur in the picters, with the tight legs, the long nose, and the feather in his

cap, the tips of whose moustaches get up nearer to his eyes the wickeder he

gets."

he young )sherman knew nothing of 3ephistopheles/ ut he smiled when

the captain stopped to doule himself up and slap his leg, and they went

along in right goodfellowship.

*ote? ickens didn't write chapters three and four and they are omitted in

this edition. he story continues with Captain Jorgan and Alfred at >anrean.

C1A7&: $$ 1& :&(I@I<*

Captain Jorgan, up and out etimes, had put the whole village of >anrean

under an amicale cross$e%amination, and was returning to the =ing Arthur's

Arms to reakfast, none the wiser for his troule, when he eheld the young

)sherman advancing to meet him, accompanied y a stranger. A glance at

this stranger assured the captain that he could e no other than the



(eafaring 3an/ and the captain was aout to hail him as a fellow$craftsman,

when the two stood still and silent efore the captain, and the captain stood

still, silent, and wondering efore them.

"0hy, what's this4" cried the captain, when at last he roke the silence. "8ou

two are alike. 8ou two are much alike. 0hat's this4"

*ot a word was answered on the other side, until after the sea$ faring rother

had got hold of the captain's right hand, and the )sherman rother had got

hold of the captain's left hand/ and if ever the captain had had his )ll of hand$

shaking, from his irth to that hour, he had it then. And presently up and

spoke the two rothers, one at a time, two at a time, two do+en at a time for

the ewilderment into which they plunged the captain, until he gradually had

1ugh :ayrock's deliverance made clear to him, and also unravelled the fact

that the person referred to in the half$ oliterated paper was regarthen

himself.

"#ormerly, dear Captain Jorgan," said Alfred, "of >anrean, you recollect4 =itty

and her father came to live at (teepways after 1ugh shipped on his last

voyage."

"Ay, ay!" cried the captain, fetching a reath. "*ow you have me in tow. hen

your rother here don't know his sister$in$law that is to e so much as y

name4"

"*ever saw her/ never heard of her!"

"Ay, ay, ay!" cried the captain. "0hy then we every one go ack together$$

paper, writer, and all$$and take regarthen into the secret we kept from him4"

"(urely," said Alfred, "we can't help it now. 0e must go through with our

duty."



"*ot a dout," returned the captain. "5ive me an arm apiece, and let us set

this ship$shape."

(o walking up and down in the shrill wind on the wild moor, while the

neglected reakfast cooled within, the captain and the rothers settled their

course of action.

It was that they should all proceed y the 2uickest means they could secure

to ;arnstaple, and there look over the father's ooks and papers in the

lawyer's keeping/ as 1ugh had proposed to himself to do if ever he reached

home. hat, enlightened or unenlightened, they should then return to

(teepways and go straight to 3r. regarthen, and tell him all they knew, and

see what came of it, and act accordingly. >astly, that when they got there

they should enter the village with all precautions against 1ugh's eing

recognised y any chance/ and that to the captain should e consigned the

task of preparing his wife and mother for his restoration to this life.

"#or you see," 2uoth Captain Jorgan, touching the last head, "it re2uires

caution any way, great 6oys eing as dangerous as great griefs, if not more

dangerous, as eing more uncommon -and therefore less provided against in

this round world of ours. And esides, I should like to free my name with the

ladies, and take you home again at your rightest and luckiest/ so don't let's

throw away a chance of success."

he captain was highly lauded y the rothers for his kind interest and

foresight.

"And now stop!" said the captain, coming to a standstill, and looking from one

rother to the other, with 2uite a new rigging of wrinkles aout each eye/

"you are of opinion," to the elder, "that you are ra'ather slow4"

"I assure you I am very slow," said the honest 1ugh.

"0a'al," replied the captain, "I assure you that to the est of my elief I am



ra'ather smart. *ow a slow man ain't good at 2uick usiness, is he4"

hat was clear to oth.

"8ou," said the captain, turning to the younger rother, "are a little in love/

ain't you4"

"*ot a little, Captain Jorgan."

"3uch or little, you're sort preoccupied/ ain't you4"

It was impossile to e denied.

"And a sort preoccupied man ain't good at 2uick usiness, is he4" said the

captain.

&2ually clear on all sides.

"*ow," said the captain, "I ain't in love myself, and I've made many a smart

run across the ocean, and I should like to carry on and go ahead with this

aair of yours, and make a run slick through it. (hall I try4 0ill you hand it

over to me4"

hey were oth delighted to do so, and thanked him heartily.

"5ood," said the captain, taking out his watch. "his is half$past eight a.m.,

#riday morning. I'll 6ot that down, and we'll compute how many hours we've

een out when we run into your mother's post$ o9ce. here! he entry's

made, and now we go ahead."



hey went ahead so well that efore the ;arnstaple lawyer's o9ce was open

ne%t morning, the captain was sitting whistling on the step of the door,

waiting for the clerk to come down the street with his key and open it. ;ut

instead of the clerk there came the master, with whom the captainfraternised on the spot to an e%tent that utterly confounded him.

As he personally knew oth 1ugh and Alfred, there was no di9culty in

otaining immediate access to such of the father's papers as were in his

keeping. hese were chiey old letters and cash accounts/ from which the

captain, with a shrewdness and despatch that left the lawyer far ehind,

estalished with perfect clearness, y noon, the following particulars?$

hat one >awrence Clissold had orrowed of the deceased, at a time when he

was a thriving young tradesman in the town of ;arnstaple, the sum of )ve

hundred pounds. hat he had orrowed it on the written statement that it

was to e laid out in furtherance of a speculation which he e%pected would

raise him to independence/ he eing, at the time of writing that letter, no

more than a clerk in the house of ringworth ;rothers, America (2uare,

>ondon. hat the money was orrowed for a stipulated period/ ut that, when

the term was out, the aforesaid speculation failed, and Clissold was without

means of repayment. hat, hereupon, he had written to his creditor, in no

very persuasive terms, vaguely re2uesting further time. hat the creditor had

refused this concession, declaring that he could not aord delay. hat Clissold

then paid the det, accompanying the remittance of the money with an angry

letter descriing it as having een advanced y a relative to save him from

ruin. hat, in acknowlodging the receipt, :ayrock had cautioned Clissold to

seek to orrow money of him no more, as he would never so risk money

again.

;efore the lawyer the captain said never a word in reference to these

discoveries. ;ut when the papers had een put ack in their o%, and he and

his two companions were well out of the o9ce, his right leg suered for it,

and he said, $

"(o far this run's egun with a fair wind and a prosperous/ for don't you see

that all this agrees with that dutiful trust in his father maintained y the slow

memer of the :ayrock family4"



0hether the rothers had seen it efore or no, they saw it now. *ot that the

captain gave them much time to contemplate the state of things at their

ease, for he instantly whipped them into a chaise again, and ore them o to

(teepways. Although the afternoon was ut 6ust eginning to decline whenthey reached it, and it was road day$light, still they had no di9culty, y dint

of mu9ng the returned sailor up, and ascending the village rather than

descending it, in reaching regarthen's cottage unoserved. =itty was not

visile, and they surprised regarthen sitting writing in the small ay$window

of his little room.

"(ir," said the captain, instantly shaking hands with him, pen and all, "I'm

glad to see you, sir. 1ow do you do, sir4 I told you you'd think etter of me

y$and$y, and I congratulate you on going to do it."

1ere the captain's eye fell on om 7ettifer 1o, engaged in preparing some

cookery at the )re.

"hat critter," said the captain, smiting his leg, "is a orn steward, and never

ought to have een in any other way of life. (top where you are, om, and

make yourself useful. *ow, regarthen, I'm going to try a chair."

Accordingly the captain drew one close to him, and went on?$

"his loving memer of the :ayrock family you know, sir. his slow memer

of the same family you don't know, sir. 0a'al, these two are rothers,$$fact!

1ugh's come to life again, and here he stands. *ow see here, my friend! 8ou

don't want to e told that he was cast away, ut you do want to e told -for

there's a purpose in it that he was cast away with another man. hat man y

name was >awrence Clissold."

At the mention of this name regarthen started and changed colour. "0hat's

the matter4" said the captain.



"1e was a fellow$clerk of mine thirty$$)ve$and$thirty$$years ago."

"rue," said the captain, immediately catching at the clew? "ringworth

;rothers, America (2uare, >ondon City."

he other started again, nodded, and said, "hat was the house."

"*ow," pursued the captain, "etween those two men cast away there arose

a mystery concerning the round sum of )ve hundred pound."

Again regarthen started, changing colour. Again the captain said, "0hat'sthe matter4"

As regarthen only answered, "7lease to go on," the captain recounted, very

tersely and plainly, the nature of Clissold's wanderings on the arren island,

as he had condensed them in his mind from the seafaring man. regarthen

ecame greatly agitated during this recital, and at length e%claimed, $

"Clissold was the man who ruined me! I have suspected it for many a long

year, and now I know it."

"And how," said the captain, drawing his chair still closer to regarthen, and

clapping his hand upon his shoulder,$$"how may you know it4"

"0hen we were fellow$clerks," replied regarthen, "in that >ondon house, it

was one of my duties to enter daily in a certain ook an account of the sumsreceived that day y the )rm, and afterward paid into the ankers'. <ne

memorale day,$$a 0ednesday, the lack day of my life,$$among the sums I

so entered was one of )ve hundred pounds."

"I egin to make it out," said the captain. "8es4"



"It was one of Clissold's duties to copy from this entry a memorandum of the

sums which the clerk employed to go to the ankers' paid in there. It was my

duty to hand the money to Clissold/ it was Clissold's to hand it to the clerk,

with that memorandum of his writing. <n that 0ednesday I entered a sum of)ve hundred pounds received. I handed that sum, as I handed the other sums

in the day's entry, to Clissold. I was asolutely certain of it at the time/ I have

een asolutely certain of it ever since. A sum of )ve hundred pounds was

afterward found y the house to have een that day wanting from the ag,

from Clissold's memorandum, and from the entries in my ook. Clissold,

eing 2uestioned, stood upon his perfect clearness in the matter, and

emphatically declared that he asked no etter than to e tested y

'regarthen's ook.' 3y ook was e%amined, and the entry of )ve hundred

pounds was not there."

"1ow not there," said the captain, "when you made it yourself4"

regarthen continued?$

"I was then 2uestioned. 1ad I made the entry4 Certainly I had. he house

produced my ook, and it was not there. I could not deny my ook/ I could

not deny my writing. I knew there must e forgery y some one/ ut thewriting was wonderfully like mine, and I could impeach no one if the house

could not. I was re2uired to pay the money ack. I did so/ and I left the house,

almost roken$hearted, rather than remain there,$$even if I could have done

so,$$with a dark shadow of suspicion always on me. I returned to my native

place, >anrean, and remained there, clerk to a mine, until I was appointed to

my little post here."

"I well rememer," said the captain, "that I told you that if you had no

e%perience of ill 6udgments on deceiving appearances, you were a lucky man. 8ou went hurt at that, and I see why. I'm sorry."

"hus it is," said regarthen. "<f my own innocence I have of course een

sure/ it has een at once my comfort and my trial. <f Clissold I have always

had suspicions almost amounting to certainty/ ut they have never een



con)rmed until now. #or my daughter's sake and for my own I have carried

this su6ect in my own heart, as the only secret of my life, and have long

elieved that it would die with me."

"0a'al, my good sir," said the captain cordially, "the present 2uestion is, and

will e long, I hope, concerning living, and not dying. *ow, here are our two

honest friends, the loving :ayrock and the slow. 1ere they stand, agreed on

one point, on which I'd ack 'em round the world, and right across it from

north to south, and then again from east to west, and through it, from your

deepest Cornish mine to China. It is, that they will never use this same so$

often$mentioned sum of money, and that restitution of it must e made to

you. hese two, the loving memer and the slow, for the sake of the right and

of their father's memory, will have it ready for you to$morrow. ake it, and

ease their minds and mine, and end a most unfortunate transaction."

regarthen took the captain y the hand, and gave his hand to each of the

young men, ut positively and )nally answered *o. 1e said, they trusted to

his word, and he was glad of it, and at rest in his mind/ ut there was no

proof, and the money must remain as it was. All were very earnest over this/

and earnestness in men, when they are right and true, is so impressive, that

3r. 7ettifer deserted his cookery and looked on 2uite moved.

"And so," said the captain, "so we come$$as that lawyer$crittur over yonder

where we were this morning might$$to mere proof/ do we4 0e must have it/

must we4 1ow4 #rom this Clissold's wanderings, and from what you say, it

ain't hard to make out that there was a neat forgery of your writing

committed y the too smart rowdy that was grease and ashes when I made

his ac2uaintance, and a sustitution of a forged leaf in your ook for a real

and torn leaf torn out. *ow was that real and true leaf then and there

destroyed4 *o,$$for says he, in his drunken way, he slipped it into a crack in

his own desk, ecause you came into the o9ce efore there was time to urn

it, and could never get ack to it arterwards. 0ait a it. 0here is that desk

now4 o you consider it likely to e in America (2uare, >ondon City4"

regarthen shook his head.

"he house has not, for years, transacted usiness in that place. I have heard



of it, and read of it, as removed, enlarged, every way altered. hings alter so

fast in these times."

"8ou think so," returned the captain, with compassion/ "ut you should come

over and see me afore you talk aout that. 0a'al, now. his desk, this paper,$$

this paper, this desk," said the captain, ruminating and walking aout, and

looking, in his uneasy astraction, into 3r. 7ettifer's hat on a tale, among

other things. "his desk, this paper,$$this paper, this desk," the captain

continued, musing and roaming aout the room, "I'd give$$"

1owever, he gave nothing, ut took up his steward's hat instead, and stood

looking into it, as if he had 6ust come into church. After that he roamed again,

and again said, "his desk, elonging to this house of ringworth ;rothers,

America (2uare, >ondon City$$"

3r. 7ettifer, still strangely moved, and now more moved than efore, cut the

captain o as he acked across the room, and espake him thus?$

"Captain Jorgan, I have een wishful to engage your attention, ut I couldn't

do it. I am unwilling to interrupt Captain Jorgan, ut I must do it. I knew

something aout that house."

he captain stood stock$still and looked at him,$$with his -3r. 7ettifer's hat

under his arm.

"8ou're aware," pursued his steward, "that I was once in the roking usiness,

Captain Jorgan4"

"I was aware," said the captain, "that you had failed in that calling, and in half

the usinesses going, om."

"*ot 2uite so, Captain Jorgan/ ut I failed in the roking usiness. I was

partners with my rother, sir. here was a sale of old o9ce furniture at



ringworth ;rothers' when the house was moved from America (2uare, and

me and my rother made what we call in the trade a eal there, sir. And I'll

make old to say, sir, that the only thing I ever had from my rother, or from

any relation,$$for my relations have mostly taken property from me instead of

giving me any,$$was an old desk we ought at that same sale, with a crack in

it. 3y rother wouldn't have given me even that, when we roke partnership,if it had een worth anything."

"0here is that desk now4" said the captain.

"0ell, Captain Jorgan," replied the steward, "I couldn't say for certain where it

is now/ ut when I saw it last,$$which was last time we were outward ound,$$

it was at a very nice lady's at 0apping, along with a little chest of mine which

was detained for a small matter of a ill owing."

he captain, instead of paying that rapt attention to his steward which was

rendered y the other three persons present, went to Church again, in

respect of the steward's hat. And a most especially agitated and memorale

face the captain produced from it, after a short pause.

"*ow, om," said the captain, "I spoke to you, when we )rst came here,respecting your constitutional weakness on the su6ect of sunstroke."

"8ou did, sir."

"0ill my slow friend," said the captain, "lend me his arm, or I shall sink right

ack'ards into this lessed steward's cookery4 *ow, om," pursued the

captain, when the re2uired assistance was given, "on your oath as a steward,

didn't you take that desk to pieces to make a etter one of it, and put ittogether fresh,$$or something of the kind4"

"<n my oath I did, sir," replied the steward.



"And y the lessing of 1eaven, my friends, one and all," cried the captain,

radiant with 6oy,$$"of the 1eaven that put it into this om 7ettifer's head to

take so much care of his head against the right sun,$$he lined his hat with

the original leaf in regarthen's writing,$$and here it is!"

0ith that the captain, to the utter destruction of 3r. 7ettifer's favourite hat,

produced the ook$leaf, very much worn, ut still legile, and gave oth his

legs such tremendous slaps that they were heard far o in the ay, and never

accounted for.

"A 2uarter past )ve p.m.," said the captain, pulling out his watch, "and that's

thirty$three hours and a 2uarter in all, and a pritty run!"

1ow they were all overpowered with delight and triumph/ how the money was

restored, then and there, to regarthen/ how regarthen, then and there, gave

it all to his daughter/ how the captain undertook to go to ringworth ;rothers

and re$estalish the reputation of their forgotten old clerk/ how =itty came in,

and was nearly torn to pieces, and the marriage was reappointed, needs not

to e told. *or how she and the young )sherman went home to the post$

o9ce to prepare the way for the captain's coming, y declaring him to e the

mightiest of men, who had made all their fortunes,$$and then dutifully

withdrew together, in order that he might have the domestic coast entirely to

himself. 1ow he availed himself of it is all that remains to tell.

eeply delighted with his trust, and putting his heart into it, he raised the

latch of the post$o9ce parlour where 3rs. :ayrock and the young widow sat,

and said, $

"3ay I come in4"

"(ure you may, Captain Jorgan!" replied the old lady. "And good reason you

have to e free of the house, though you have not een too well used in it y

some who ought to have known etter. I ask your pardon."



"*o you don't, ma'am," said the captain, "for I won't let you. 0a'al, to e

sure!"

;y this time he had taken a chair on the hearth etween them.

"*ever felt such an evil spirit in the whole course of my life! here! I tell you!

I could a'most have cut my own connection. >ike the dealer in my country,

away 0est, who when he had let himself e outdone in a argain, said to

himself, '*ow I tell you what! I'll never speak to you again.' And he never did,

ut 6oined a settlement of oysters, and translated the multiplication tale into

their language,$$which is a fact that can e proved. If you dout it, mention it

to any oyster you come across, and see if he'll have the face to contradict it."

1e took the child from her mother's lap and set it on his knee.

"*ot a it afraid of me now, you see. =nows I am fond of small people. I have

a child, and she's a girl, and I sing to her sometimes."

"0hat do you sing4" asked 3argaret.

"*ot a long song, my dear.

(ilas Jorgan

7layed the organ.

hat's aout all. And sometimes I tell her stories,$$stories of sailors supposed

to e lost, and recovered after all hope was aandoned." 1ere the captain

musingly went ack to his song, $

(ilas Jorgan



7layed the organ/

repeating it with his eyes on the )re, as he softly danced the child on his

knee. #or he felt that 3argaret had stopped working.

"8es," said the captain, still looking at the )re, "I make up stories and tell 'em

to that child. (tories of shipwreck on desert islands, and long delay in getting

ack to civilised lauds. It is to stories the like of that, mostly, that

(ilas Jorgan

7lays the organ."

here was no light in the room ut the light of the )re/ for the shades of night

were on the village, and the stars had egun to peep out of the sky one y

one, as the houses of the village peeped out from among the foliage when

the night departed. he captain felt that 3argaret's eyes were upon him, and

thought it discreetest to keep his own eyes on the )re.

"8es/ I make 'em up," said the captain. "I make up stories of rothers roughttogether y the good providence of 5<,$$of sons rought ack to mothers,

husands rought ack to wives, fathers raised from the deep, for little

children like herself."

3argaret's touch was on his arm, and he could not choose ut look round

now. *e%t moment her hand moved imploringly to his reast, and she was on

her knees efore him,$$supporting the mother, who was also kneeling.

"0hat's the matter4" said the captain. "0hat's the matter4

(ilas Jorgan

7layed the $$$$$



heir looks and tears were too much for him, and he could not )nish the

song, short as it was.

"3istress 3argaret, you have orne ill fortune well. Could you ear good

fortune e2ually well, if it was to come4"

"I hope so. I thankfully and humly and earnestly hope so!"

"0a'al, my dear," said the captain, "p'rhaps it has come. 1e's$$ don't e

frightened$$shall I say the word$$"

"Alive4"

"8es!"

he thanks they fervently addressed to 1eaven were again too much for the

captain, who openly took out his handkerchief and dried his eyes.

"1e's no further o," resumed the captain, "than my country. Indeed, he's no

further o than his own native country. o tell you the truth, he's no further

o than #almouth. Indeed, I dout if he's 2uite so fur. Indeed, if you was sure

you could ear it nicely, and I was to do no more than whistle for him$$"

he captain's trust was discharged. A rush came, and they were all together

again.

his was a )ne opportunity for om 7ettifer to appear with a tumler of cold

water, and he presently appeared with it, and administered it to the ladies/ at

the same time soothing them, and composing their dresses, e%actly as if they

had een passengers crossing the Channel. he e%tent to which the captain



slapped his legs, when 3r. 7ettifer ac2uitted himself of this act of

stewardship, could have een thoroughly appreciated y no one ut himself/

inasmuch as he must have slapped them lack and lue, and they must have

smarted tremendously.

1e couldn't stay for the wedding, having a few appointments to keep at the

irreconcilale distance of aout four thousand miles. (o ne%t morning all the

village cheered him up to the level ground aove, and there he shook hands

with a complete Census of its population, and invited the whole, without

e%ception, to come and stay several months with him at (alem, 3ass., @.(.

And there as he stood on the spot where he had seen that little golden

picture of love and parting, and from which he could that morning

contemplate another golden picture with a vista of golden years in it, little

=itty put her arms around his neck, and kissed him on oth his ron+ed

cheeks, and laid her pretty face upon his storm$eaten reast, in sight of all,$$ashamed to have called such a nole captain names. And there the captain

waved his hat over his head three )nal times/ and there he was last seen,

going away accompanied y om 7ettifer 1o, and carrying his hands in his

pockets. And there, efore that ground was softened with the fallen leaves of

three more summers, a rosy little oy took his )rst unsteady run to a fair

young mother's reast, and the name of that infant )sherman was Jorgan

:ayrock.

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A Message From Sea