第 49 页

thought the clown was older than they had taken him to be last night?

Kit was not surprised to hear her say so--not he. He had already had a

misgiving that the inconstant actors in that dazzling vision had been

doing the same thing the night before last, and would do it again that

night, and the next, and for weeks and months to come, though he would

not be there. Such is the difference between yesterday and today. We

are all going to the play, or coming home from it.

However, the Sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers

strength and courage as the day gets on. By degrees, they began to

recall circumstances more and more pleasant in their nature, until,

what between talking, walking, and laughing, they reached Finchley in

such good heart, that Barbara's mother declared she never felt less

tired or in better spirits. And so said Kit. Barbara had been silent

all the way, but she said so too. Poor little Barbara! She was very

quiet.

They were at home in such good time that Kit had rubbed down the pony

and made him as spruce as a race-horse, before Mr Garland came down to

breakfast; which punctual and industrious conduct the old lady, and the

old gentleman, and Mr Abel, highly extolled. At his usual hour (or

rather at his usual minute and second, for he was the soul of

punctuality) Mr Abel walked out, to be overtaken by the London coach,

and Kit and the old gentleman went to work in the garden.

This was not the least pleasant of Kit's employments. On a fine day

they were quite a family party; the old lady sitting hard by with her

work-basket on a little table; the old gentleman digging, or pruning,

or clipping about with a large pair of shears, or helping Kit in some

way or other with great assiduity; and Whisker looking on from his

paddock in placid contemplation of them all. To-day they were to trim

the grape-vine, so Kit mounted half-way up a short ladder, and began to

snip and hammer away, while the old gentleman, with a great interest in

his proceedings, handed up the nails and shreds of cloth as he wanted

them. The old lady and Whisker looked on as usual.

'Well, Christopher,' said Mr Garland, 'and so you have made a new

friend, eh?'

'I beg your pardon, Sir?' returned Kit, looking down from the ladder.

'You have made a new friend, I hear from Mr Abel,' said the old

gentleman, 'at the office!'

'Oh! Yes Sir, yes. He behaved very handsome, Sir.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' returned the old gentlemen with a smile. 'He is

disposed to behave more handsomely still, though, Christopher.'

'Indeed, Sir! It's very kind in him, but I don't want him to, I'm

sure,' said Kit, hammering stoutly at an obdurate nail.

'He is rather anxious,' pursued the old gentleman, 'to have you in his

own service--take care what you're doing, or you will fall down and

hurt yourself.'

'To have me in his service, Sir?' cried Kit, who had stopped short in

his work and faced about on the ladder like some dexterous tumbler.

'Why, Sir, I don't think he can be in earnest when he says that.'

'Oh! But he is indeed,' said Mr Garland. 'And he has told Mr Abel so.'

'I never heard of such a thing!' muttered Kit, looking ruefully at his

master and mistress. 'I wonder at him; that I do.'

'You see, Christopher,' said Mr Garland, 'this is a point of much

importance to you, and you should understand and consider it in that

light. This gentleman is able to give you more money than I--not, I

hope, to carry through the various relations of master and servant,

more kindness and confidence, but certainly, Christopher, to give you

more money.'

'Well,' said Kit, 'after that, Sir--'

'Wait a moment,' interposed Mr Garland. 'That is not all. You were a

very faithful servant to your old employers, as I understand, and

should this gentleman recover them, as it is his purpose to attempt

doing by every means in his power, I have no doubt that you, being in

his service, would meet with your reward. Besides,' added the old

gentleman with stronger emphasis, 'besides having the pleasure of being

again brought into communication with those to whom you seem to be very

strongly and disinterestedly attached. You must think of all this,

Christopher, and not be rash or hasty in your choice.'

Kit did suffer one twinge, one momentary pang, in keeping the

resolution he had already formed, when this last argument passed

swiftly into his thoughts, and conjured up the realization of all his

hopes and fancies. But it was gone in a minute, and he sturdily

rejoined that the gentleman must look out for somebody else, as he did

think he might have done at first.

'He has no right to think that I'd be led away to go to him, sir,' said

Kit, turning round again after half a minute's hammering. 'Does he

think I'm a fool?'

'He may, perhaps, Christopher, if you refuse his offer,' said Mr

Garland gravely.

'Then let him, sir,' retorted Kit; 'what do I care, sir, what he

thinks? why should I care for his thinking, sir, when I know that I

should be a fool, and worse than a fool, sir, to leave the kindest

master and mistress that ever was or can be, who took me out of the

streets a very poor and hungry lad indeed--poorer and hungrier perhaps

than even you think for, sir--to go to him or anybody? If Miss Nell

was to come back, ma'am,' added Kit, turning suddenly to his mistress,

'why that would be another thing, and perhaps if she wanted me, I might

ask you now and then to let me work for her when all was done at home.

But when she comes back, I see now that she'll be rich as old master

always said she would, and being a rich young lady, what could she want

of me? No, no,' added Kit, shaking his head sorrowfully, 'she'll never

want me any more, and bless her, I hope she never may, though I should

like to see her too!'

Here Kit drove a nail into the wall, very hard--much harder than was

necessary--and having done so, faced about again.

'There's the pony, sir,' said Kit--'Whisker, ma'am (and he knows so

well I'm talking about him that he begins to neigh directly,

Sir)--would he let anybody come near him but me, ma'am? Here's the

garden, sir, and Mr Abel, ma'am. Would Mr Abel part with me, Sir, or

is there anybody that could be fonder of the garden, ma'am? It would

break mother's heart, Sir, and even little Jacob would have sense

enough to cry his eyes out, ma'am, if he thought that Mr Abel could

wish to part with me so soon, after having told me, only the other day,

that he hoped we might be together for years to come--'

There is no telling how long Kit might have stood upon the ladder,

addressing his master and mistress by turns, and generally turning

towards the wrong person, if Barbara had not at that moment come

running up to say that a messenger from the office had brought a note,

which, with an expression of some surprise at Kit's oratorical

appearance, she put into her master's hand.

'Oh!' said the old gentleman after reading it, 'ask the messenger to

walk this way.' Barbara tripping off to do as she was bid, he turned

to Kit and said that they would not pursue the subject any further, and

that Kit could not be more unwilling to part with them, than they would

be to part with Kit; a sentiment which the old lady very generously

echoed.

'At the same time, Christopher,' added Mr Garland, glancing at the note

in his hand, 'if the gentleman should want to borrow you now and then

for an hour or so, or even a day or so, at a time, we must consent to

lend you, and you must consent to be lent.--Oh! here is the young

gentleman. How do you do, Sir?'

This salutation was addressed to Mr Chuckster, who, with his hat

extremely on one side, and his hair a long way beyond it, came

swaggering up the walk.

'Hope I see you well sir,' returned that gentleman. 'Hope I see YOU

well, ma'am. Charming box this, sir. Delicious country to be sure.'

'You want to take Kit back with you, I find?' observed Mr Garland.

'I have got a chariot-cab waiting on purpose,' replied the clerk. 'A

very spanking grey in that cab, sir, if you're a judge of horse-flesh.'

Declining to inspect the spanking grey, on the plea that he was but

poorly acquainted with such matters, and would but imperfectly

appreciate his beauties, Mr Garland invited Mr Chuckster to partake of

a slight repast in the way of lunch. That gentleman readily

consenting, certain cold viands, flanked with ale and wine, were

speedily prepared for his refreshment.

At this repast, Mr Chuckster exerted his utmost abilities to enchant

his entertainers, and impress them with a conviction of the mental

superiority of those who dwelt in town; with which view he led the

discourse to the small scandal of the day, in which he was justly

considered by his friends to shine prodigiously. Thus, he was in a

condition to relate the exact circumstances of the difference between

the Marquis of Mizzler and Lord Bobby, which it appeared originated in

a disputed bottle of champagne, and not in a pigeon-pie, as erroneously

reported in the newspapers; neither had Lord Bobby said to the Marquis

of Mizzler, 'Mizzler, one of us two tells a lie, and I'm not the man,'

as incorrectly stated by the same authorities; but 'Mizzler, you know

where I'm to be found, and damme, sir, find me if you want me'--which,

of course, entirely changed the aspect of this interesting question,

and placed it in a very different light. He also acquainted them with

the precise amount of the income guaranteed by the Duke of Thigsberry

to Violetta Stetta of the Italian Opera, which it appeared was payable

quarterly, and not half-yearly, as the public had been given to

understand, and which was EXclusive, and not INclusive (as had been

monstrously stated,) of jewellery, perfumery, hair-powder for five

footmen, and two daily changes of kid-gloves for a page. Having

entreated the old lady and gentleman to set their minds at rest on

these absorbing points, for they might rely on his statement being the

correct one, Mr Chuckster entertained them with theatrical chit-chat

and the court circular; and so wound up a brilliant and fascinating

conversation which he had maintained alone, and without any assistance

whatever, for upwards of three-quarters of an hour.

'And now that the nag has got his wind again,' said Mr Chuckster rising

in a graceful manner, 'I'm afraid I must cut my stick.'

Neither Mr nor Mrs Garland offered any opposition to his tearing

himself away (feeling, no doubt, that such a man could ill be spared

from his proper sphere of action), and therefore Mr Chuckster and Kit

were shortly afterwards upon their way to town; Kit being perched upon

the box of the cabriolet beside the driver, and Mr Chuckster seated in

solitary state inside, with one of his boots sticking out at each of

the front windows.

When they reached the Notary's house, Kit followed into the office, and

was desired by Mr Abel to sit down and wait, for the gentleman who

wanted him had gone out, and perhaps might not return for some time.

This anticipation was strictly verified, for Kit had had his dinner,

and his tea, and had read all the lighter matter in the Law-List, and

the Post-Office Directory, and had fallen asleep a great many times,

before the gentleman whom he had seen before, came in; which he did at

last in a very great hurry.

He was closeted with Mr Witherden for some little time, and Mr Abel had

been called in to assist at the conference, before Kit, wondering very

much what he was wanted for, was summoned to attend them.

'Christopher,' said the gentleman, turning to him directly he entered

the room, 'I have found your old master and young mistress.'

'No, Sir! Have you, though?' returned Kit, his eyes sparkling with

delight. 'Where are they, Sir? How are they, Sir? Are they--are they

near here?'

'A long way from here,' returned the gentleman, shaking his head. 'But

I am going away to-night to bring them back, and I want you to go with

me.'

'Me, Sir?' cried Kit, full of joy and surprise.

'The place,' said the strange gentleman, turning thoughtfully to the

Notary, 'indicated by this man of the dogs, is--how far from

here--sixty miles?'

'From sixty to seventy.'

'Humph! If we travel post all night, we shall reach there in good time

to-morrow morning. Now, the only question is, as they will not know

me, and the child, God bless her, would think that any stranger

pursuing them had a design upon her grandfather's liberty--can I do

better than take this lad, whom they both know and will readily

remember, as an assurance to them of my friendly intentions?'

'Certainly not,' replied the Notary. 'Take Christopher by all means.'

'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Kit, who had listened to this discourse

with a lengthening countenance, 'but if that's the reason, I'm afraid I

should do more harm than good--Miss Nell, Sir, she knows me, and would

trust in me, I am sure; but old master--I don't know why, gentlemen;

nobody does--would not bear me in his sight after he had been ill, and

Miss Nell herself told me that I must not go near him or let him see me

any more. I should spoil all that you were doing if I went, I'm

afraid. I'd give the world to go, but you had better not take me, Sir.'

'Another difficulty!' cried the impetuous gentleman. 'Was ever man so

beset as I? Is there nobody else that knew them, nobody else in whom

they had any confidence? Solitary as their lives were, is there no one