"But your mother don"t, sir?"
"Yes, Jem, she believes me guilty too."
"I never did!" cried Jem, excitedly. "But sure-_lie_ Miss Kitty don"t?"
"Yes, Jem, they all think I"m a thief. Everybody does," cried Don, pa.s.sionately.
"No, everybody don"t," said Jem, fiercely; "so don"t talk like that, Mas" Don. Why, even I couldn"t ha" stole that money--me, as is only yard-man, and nothing o" no consequence t"other day. So if I couldn"t ha" done it, I"m quite sure as you, as is a young gentleman born and bred, couldn"t."
"But they think I did. Everybody thinks so."
"Tell yer everybody don"t think so," cried Jem, sharply. "I don"t, and as for them, they"ve all got dust in their eyes, that"s what"s the matter with them, and they can"t see clear. But didn"t you tell "em as you didn"t?"
"Yes, Jem," said Don, despondently; "at first."
"Then why didn"t you at last, too? Here, cheer up, my lad; it"ll all blow over and be forgotten, same as the row was about that sugar-hogshead as I let them take away. I don"t say shake hands "cause you"re like master and me only man, but I shakes hands with you in my "art, my lad, and I says, don"t be down over it."
"You couldn"t shake hands with a thief, you mean, Jem," said Don, bitterly.
"Look here, Mas" Don, I can"t punch your head because, as aforesaid, you"re young master, and I"m only man; but for that there same what you said just now I hits you in my "art. Thief indeed! But ah, my lad, it was a pity as you ever let Mike come into the office to tell you his lies about furren parts."
"Yes, Jem, it was."
"When you might ha" got all he told you out o" books, and the stories wouldn"t ha" been quite so black."
"Ah, well, it"s all over now."
"What"s all over?"
"My life here, Jem. I shall go right away."
"Go? What?"
"Right away. Abroad, I think."
"And what"ll your mother do?"
"Forget me, I hope. I always was an unlucky fellow Jem."
"What d"yer mean? Run away?"
"Yes, I shall go away."
"Well, that"s clever, that is. Why, that"s just the way to make "em think you did it. Tshah! You stop like a man and face it out."
"When everybody believes me guilty?"
"Don"t be so precious aggrawatin", my lad," cried Jem, plaintively.
"Don"t I keep on a-telling you that I don"t believe you guilty. Why, I"d just as soon believe that I stole our sugar and sold bundles of tobacco-leaves to the marine store shops."
Don shook his head.
"Well, of all the aggrawatin" chaps I ever did see, you"re "bout the worst, Mas" Don. Don"t I tell you it"ll be all right?"
"No, Jem, it will not be all right. I shall have to go before the magistrates."
"Well, what of that?"
"What of that?" cried Don, pa.s.sionately. "Why, that scoundrel Mike will keep to his story."
"Let him!" cried Jem, contemptuously. "Why, who"d ever believe him i"
preference to you?"
"My uncle--my mother--my cousin."
"Not they, my boy. They don"t believe it. They only think they do.
They"re sore just now, while it"s all fresh. To-morrow by this time they will be a-hanging o" themselves round about your neck, and a-askin"
of your pardon, and kissin" of you."
"No, Jem, no."
"Well, I don"t mean as your uncle will be kissin" of you, of course; but he"ll be sorry too, and a-shaking of your hand."
Don shook his head.
"There, don"t get wagging your head like a Chinee figger, my lad. Take it like a man."
"It seems that the only thing for me to do, Jem, is to tie up a bundle and take a stick, and go and try my luck somewhere else."
"And you free and independent! Why, what would you say if you was me, tied up and married, and allus getting into trouble at home."
"Not such trouble as this, Jem."
"Not such trouble as this, my lad? Worser ever so much, for you don"t deserve it, and I do, leastwise, my Sally says I do, and I suppose I do for being such a fool as to marry her."
"You ought to be ashamed to talk like that, Jem."
"So ought you, Mas" Don. I"ve often felt as if I should like to do as you say and run right off, but I don"t do it."
"You have felt like that, Jem?" cried Don, eagerly.
"Yes, often, my lad."
"Then let"s go, Jem. n.o.body cares for us here. Let"s go right away to one of the beautiful foreign countries Mike told me about, and begin a new life."
"Shall us, Mas" Don?"
"Yes; why not? Get a pa.s.sage in some ship, and stop where we like. He has told me of dozens of places that must be glorious."