"Yes, I did, Mr Forster: if I did not look after your business, I should like to know what would become of us; and I can tell, you Mr Forster, that if you do not contrive to get more business, there will soon be nothing to eat; seventeen and sixpence is all that I have received this last week; and how rent and fire, meat and drink, are to be paid for with that, you must explain, for I can"t."
"How can I help it, my dear? I never refuse a job."
"Never refuse a job? no; but you must contrive to make more business."
"I can mend a watch, and make a telescope, but I can"t make business, my dear," replied Nicholas.
"Yes, you can, and you must, Mr Forster," continued the lady, sweeping off the remains of the mutton, just as her husband had fixed his eye upon the next cut, and locking it up in the cupboard--"if you do not, you will have nothing to eat, Mr Forster."
"So it appears, my dear," replied the meek Nicholas, taking a pinch of snuff; "but I really don"t--"
"Why, Mr Forster, if you were not one of the greatest--"
"No, no, my dear," interrupted Nicholas, from extreme modesty, "I am not one of the greatest opticians of the present day; although when I"ve made my improve--"
"Greatest opticians!" interrupted the lady. "One of the greatest _fools_, I meant!"
"That"s quite another thing, my dear; but--"
"No _buts_, Mr Forster; please to listen, and not interrupt me in that bearish manner. Why do you repair in the way you do? Who ever brings you a watch or a gla.s.s that you have handled a second time?"
"But why should they, my dear, when I have put them in good order?"
"Put them in order! but why do you put them in order?"
"Why do I put them in order, my dear?" replied Forster, with astonishment.
"Yes; why don"t you leave a screw loose, somewhere? then they must come again. That"s the proper way to do business."
"The proper way to do my business, my dear, is to see that all the screws are tight."
"And starve!" continued the lady.
"If it please G.o.d," replied the honest Nicholas.
But this matrimonial duet was interrupted by the appearance of their son, whom we must introduce to the reader, as he will play a conspicuous part in our narrative.
Newton Forster, for thus had he been christened by his father, out of respect _for the great Sir Isaac_, who was now about seventeen years"
old--athletic and well proportioned in person, handsome in features, and equally gifted in mind. There was a frankness and sincerity in his open brow, an honesty in his smile, which immediately won upon the beholder; and his countenance was but an index to his mind. His father had bestowed all his own leisure, and some expense, which he could ill afford, upon his education, trusting one day that he would rival the genius after whom he had been christened; but Newton was not of a disposition to _sit_ down either at a desk or a work-bench. Whenever he could escape from home or from school, he was to be found either on the beach or at the pier, under the shelter of which the coasting vessels discharged or received their cargoes; and he had for some years declared his intention to follow the profession of a sailor. To this his father had reluctantly consented, with the proviso that he would first finish his education; and the mutual compact had been strictly adhered to by each party.
At the age of fifteen Newton had acquired all that could be imparted to him by the pedagogue of the vicinity, and had then, until something better should turn up, shipped himself on board of a coasting vessel, in which, during the last two years he had made several trips, being usually absent about six weeks, and remaining in port about the same time, until another cargo could be procured.
Young as he was, the superiority of his education had obtained him the situation of mate of the vessel; and his pay enabled him to a.s.sist his father, whose business, as Mrs Forster declared, was not sufficient to "make both ends meet." Upon his return, his love of knowledge and active habits induced him to glean as much as he could of his father"s profession, and he could repair most articles that were sent in.
Although Newton amused himself with the peculiarities and eccentricity of his father, he still had high respect for him, as he knew him to be a worthy, honest man. For his mother he certainly had none: he was indignant at her treatment of his father, and could find no redeeming quality to make amends for her catalogue of imperfections. Still he had a peculiar tact, by which he avoided any serious altercation. Never losing his own temper, yet quietly and firmly resisting all control, he a.s.sumed a dominion over her, from which her feelings towards him, whatever they may have been in his early years, were now changed into those of positive hatred. His absence this morning had been occasioned by his a.s.sistance being required in the fitting of a new main-stay for the sloop to which he belonged. "Please G.o.d, what, father?" said Newton, as he came in, catching his father"s last words.
"Why, your mother says that we must starve, or be dishonest."
"Then we"ll starve, father, with a clear conscience; but I hope things are not so had yet, for I am devilish hungry," continued Newton, looking at the dinner-table, which offered to his view nothing but a table-cloth, with the salt-cellar and the snuff-box. "Why, mother, is it dead low water, or have you stowed all away in the locker?"--and Newton repaired to the cupboard, which was locked.
Now Mrs Forster was violent with others, but with Newton she was always sulky.
"There"s nothing in the cupboard," growled the lady.
"Then why lock up nothing?" rejoined Newton, who was aware that veracity was not among Mrs Forster"s catalogue of virtues. "Come, mother, hand me the key, and I"ll ferret out something, I"ll answer for it." Mrs Forster replied, that the cupboard was her own, and she was mistress of the house.
"Just as you please, mother. But, before I take the trouble, tell me, father, is there any thing in the cupboard?"
"Why, yes, Newton, there"s some mutton. At least, if I recollect right, I did not eat it all--did I, my dear?"
Mrs Forster did not condescend an answer. Newton went into the shop, and returned with a chisel and hammer. Taking a chair to stand upon, he very coolly began to force the lock.
"I am very sorry, mother, but I must have something to eat; and since you won"t give me the key, why--" observed Newton, giving the handle of the chisel a smart blow with the hammer--
"Here"s the key, sir," cried Mrs Forster with indignation, throwing it on the table, and bouncing out of the room.
A smile was exchanged between the father and son, as she went backwards, screaming, "Betty--I say, Betty, you idle s.l.u.t, where are you?" as if determined to vent her spleen upon somebody.
"Have you dined, father?" inquired Newton, who had now placed the contents of the cupboard upon the table.
"Why, I really don"t quite recollect; but I feel very hungry," replied the optician, putting in his plate to receive two large slices; and father and son sat down to a hearty meal, proving the truth of the wise man"s observation, that, "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than the stalled ox and hatred therewith."
VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER FIVE.
Whate"er it be, "Tis wondrous heavy. Wrench it open straight.
If the sea"s stomach be o"ercharged with gold, It is a good constraint of fortune, that It belches on us.
SHAKESPEARE.
About three weeks after the events narrated in the preceding chapter, Newton Forster sailed in his vessel with a cargo to be delivered at the sea-port of Waterford. The master of her was immoderately addicted to liquor; and, during the time that he remained in port, seldom was to be found in a state of perfect sobriety, even on a Sunday. But, to do him justice, when his vessel was declared ready for sea, he abstained from his usual indulgence, that he might be enabled to take charge of the property committed to his care, and find his way to his destined port.
It was a point on which his interest overcame, for a time, his darling propensity: and his rigid adherence to sobriety, when afloat, was so well ascertained, that his character as a trustworthy seaman was not injured by his continual intemperance when in harbour. Latterly, however, since Newton had sailed with him, he had not acted up to his important resolution. He found that the vessel was as safe under the charge of Forster as under his own; and having taken great pains to instruct him in seamanship, and make him well acquainted with the dangers of the coast, he thought that, as Newton was fully equal to the charge of the vessel, he might as well indulge himself with an occasional gla.s.s or two, to while away the tedium of embarkation. A stone pitcher of liquor was now his constant attendant when he pulled on board to weigh his anchor; which said pitcher, for fear of accidents, he carried down into the cabin himself. As soon as sail was on the vessel, and her course shaped, he followed his darling companion down into the cabin, and until the contents were exhausted was never sufficiently sober to make his appearance on deck; so that Newton Forster was, in fact, the _responsible_ master of the vessel.
The wind, which had been favourable at the time of heaving up the anchor, changed, and blew directly in their teeth, before they were well out of sight of the port of Overton. On the third day they were stretching off the land, to meet the first of the tide, under a light breeze and smooth water, when Newton perceived various objects floating in the offing. A small thing is a good prize to a coaster; even an empty breaker is not to be despised; and Newton kept away a point or two, that he might close and discover what the objects were. He soon distinguished one or two casks, swimming deeply, broken spars, and a variety of other articles. When the sloop was in the midst of them, Newton hove to, tossed out the little skiff, and in the course of an hour, unknown to his captain, who was in bed sleeping off the effect of his last potations, brought alongside, and contrived to parbuckle in, the casks, and as many others of the floating articles as he could conveniently stow upon her decks. The boat was again hoisted in, by the united exertions of himself and his crew, consisting of _one_ man and _one_ boy; and the sloop, wearing round, reached in for the land.
It was evident to Newton that some large vessel had lately been wrecked, for the spars were fresh in the fracture, and clean--not like those long in the water, covered with sea-weed, and encircled by a shoal of fish, who, finding sustenance from the animalculae collected, follow the floating pieces of wood up and down, as their adopted parent, wherever they may be swept by the inconstant winds and tides.
Newton examined the heels of the spars, but they were not marked with the name of the vessel to which they had belonged. The two casks had only initials branded upon the heads; but nothing could be found which would designate the owners of the property. A large trunk riveted his attention; but he would not open it until the master of the vessel came upon deck. Having ascertained by spiling that the contents of the casks were _real Jamaica_, he went down into the cabin to announce what he knew would be most grateful intelligence.
It was some time before Newton could rouse his stupified senior.
"Spars--wrecked!"
"What spars? d.a.m.n the wreck!" growled old Thompson (for such was his name), as he turned his back in no very ceremonious manner, and recommenced his snore.
"There"s a trunk besides, sir--a large trunk; but I did not open it, as you were not on deck. A large trunk, and rather heavy."
"Trunk!--well, what then? Trunk!--oh, d.a.m.n the trunk!--let me go to sleep," muttered the master.