"Hm! ha!" exclaimed the strapping young woman--whereat there was exchanged a significant laugh; but May took no notice of it, being too deeply engrossed with the proceedings on sh.o.r.e and sea.
Again the fishermen ran out the life-buoy and soon hauled it back with another woman; then a third. After that came the old gentleman, quite self-possessed and calm, though very pale and dishevelled; and, following him, the crew, one by one, were rescued. Then came the hero of the hour, and last of all, as in duty bound, the skipper--not much too soon, for he had barely reached the land when the brig was overwhelmed and engulfed in the raging sea.
CHAPTER THREE.
"IT"S AN ILL WIND THAT BLAWS NAEBODY GUID."
That many if not most names have originated in the character or condition of individuals seems obvious, else why is it that so many people take after their names? We have no desire to argue the question, but hasten on to remark that old Jacob Crossley was said to be--observe, we do not say that he was--a notable ill.u.s.tration of what we refer to.
Jacob was "as cross as two sticks," if we are to believe Mrs Bland, his housekeeper--and Mrs Bland was worthy of belief, for she was an honest widow who held prevarication to be equivalent to lying, and who, besides having been in the old bachelor"s service for many years, had on one occasion been plucked by him from under the feet of a pair of horses when attempting the more dangerous than nor"-west pa.s.sage of a London crossing. Grat.i.tude, therefore, rendered it probable that Mrs Bland spake truly when she said that her master was as cross as two sticks.
Of course we admit that her judgment may have been faulty.
Strange to say Mr Crossley had no reason--at least no very apparent reason--for being cross, unless, indeed, the mere fact of his being an old bachelor was a sufficient reason. Perhaps it was! But in regard to everything else he had, as the saying goes, nothing to complain of. He was a prosperous East India merchant--not a miser, though a cross old bachelor, and not a millionaire, though comfortably rich. His business was prosperous, his friends were numerous, his digestion was good, his nervous system was apparently all that could be desired, and he slept well!
Standing one morning in the familiar British position before his dining-room fire in London, he frowningly contemplated his housekeeper as that indefatigable woman removed the breakfast equipage.
"Has the young man called this morning?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Well, when he comes tell him I had business in the city and could wait no--"
A ring and a sharp knock interrupted him. A few moments later Charlie Brooke was ushered into the room. It was a smallish room, for Mr Crossley, although well off, did not see the propriety of wasting money on unnecessary s.p.a.ce or rent, and the doorway was so low that Charlie"s hair brushed against the top as he entered.
"I called, Mr Crossley, in accordance with the wish expressed in your letter. Although, being a stranger, I do not--"
The young man stopped at this point and looked steadily at the old gentleman with a peculiarly questioning expression.
"You recognise me, I see," said the old man, with a very slight smile.
"Well--I may be mistaken, but you do bear some resemblance to--"
"Just so, I"m the man that you hauled so violently out of the cabin of the wreck last week, and shoved so unceremoniously into the life-buoy, and I have sent for you, first, to thank you for saving my life, because they tell me that, but for your swimming off with a rope, we should certainly have all been lost; and, secondly, to offer you aid in any course of life you may wish to adopt, for I have been informed that you are not at present engaged in any special employment."
"You are very kind, sir, very kind," returned Charlie, somewhat embarra.s.sed. "I can scarcely claim, however, to have saved your life, though I thankfully admit having had the opportunity to lend a hand.
The rocket-men, in reality, did the work, for without their splendid working of the apparatus my swimming off would have been useless."
Mr Crossley frowned while the youth was speaking, and regarded him with some suspicion.
"You admit, I suppose," he rejoined sternly, "that if you had _not_ swum off, the rocket apparatus would have been equally useless."
"By no means," returned Charlie, with that benignant smile that always accompanied his opposition in argument. "I do not admit that, because, if I had not done it, a.s.suredly some one else would. In fact a friend of mine was on the point of making the attempt when I pulled him back and prevented him."
"And why did you prevent him?"
"Because he was not so well able to do it as I."
"Oh! I see. In other words, you have a pretty high opinion of your own powers."
"Possibly I have," returned the youth, somewhat sharply. "I lay claim to no exemption from the universal law of vanity which seems to affect the entire human race--especially the cynical part of it. At the same time, knowing from long experience that I am physically stronger, can swim better, and have greater power of endurance, though not greater courage, than my friend, it would be mere pretence were I to a.s.sume that in such matters I was his inferior. You asked me why I prevented him: I gave you the reason exactly and straightforwardly. I now repeat it."
"Don"t be so ready to fire up, young man," said Crossley, with a deprecating smile. "I had no intention of hurting your feelings."
"You have not hurt them, sir," returned Charlie, with almost provoking urbanity of manner and sweetness of voice, "you have only misunderstood me."
"Well, well, let it pa.s.s. Tell me, now, can I do anything for you?"
"Nothing, thank you."
"Eh?" exclaimed the old gentleman in surprise.
"Nothing, thank you," repeated his visitor. "I did not save you for the purpose of being rewarded, and I refuse to accept reward for saving you."
For a second or two Mr Crossley regarded his visitor in silence, with a conflicting mixture of frown and smile--a sort of acidulated-drop expression on his rugged face. Then he asked--
"What is the name of this friend whom you prevented from swimming off to us?"
"Shank Leather."
"Is he a very great friend of yours?"
"Very. We have been playmates from childhood, and school-fellows till now."
"What is he?--his profession, I mean?"
"Nothing at present. That is to say, he has, like myself, been trained to no special profession, and the failure of the firm in the counting-house of which we have both served for some months has cast us adrift at the same time."
"Would it give you much satisfaction if I were to find good employment for your friend?"
"Indeed it would--the highest possible satisfaction," exclaimed Charlie, with the first symptom of enthusiasm in his tone and look.
"What can your friend Shank Leather do?" asked the old man brusquely.
"Oh! many things. He"s capital at figures, thoroughly understands book-keeping, and--and is a hard-working fellow, whatever he puts his hand to."
"Is he steady?"
Charlie was silent for a few moments.
"Well, one cannot be sure," he answered, with some hesitation, "what meaning you attach to the word `steady." I--"
"Yes, yes, I see," interrupted Crossley, consulting his watch. "No time to discuss meanings of words just now. Will you tell your friend to call on me here the day after to-morrow at six o"clock? You live in Sealford, I have been told; does he live near you?"
"Yes, within a few minutes" walk."
"Well, tell him to be punctual. Punctuality is the soul of business.
Hope I won"t find your friend as independent as you seem to be! You are quite sure, are you, that I can do nothing for you? I have both money and influence."