The Stokesley Secret [66]
me doubt whether there can be stuff enough in him. I might not be able to look after him, nor do I know what his messmates may be; and I should not choose to risk it, except with a boy I could thoroughly trust."
"Those young Grevilles seem to me Hal's bane and temptation."
"Ay, ay; but if a boy is of the sort, he'll find someone to be his bane, wherever he goes. I'll have no more of the Grevilles though. If he should not go with me, my brother John would take him into his house, and keep a sharp look out after him. Just tell me, if you have no objection, how the boy strikes you. Most people think him the most taking of the lot."
"So he is," said Christabel thoughtfully; "he has more ease and readiness, and he is affectionate and warm-hearted; but then he is a great talker, and fond of boasting."
"Exactly. I told him that was the very way he learnt falsehood."
"I am afraid, too," she was obliged to add, "that his resolutions run away in talk. He has not much perseverance; and he is easily led."
"Well, I believe you are right; but then what's to be done? I can hardly afford to lose this chance; but Sam was always backward; and I doubt his even caring to go to sea."
"Oh! Captain Merrifield!"
"What! has he given you reason to think that he does?" She told him how she had found Sam struggling with his longing for the sea and his father; and how patiently the boy had resigned himself to see his brother put before him, and himself condemned for being too dull and slow.
"Did I say so? I suppose he had put me past my patience with blundering over his lessons. I never meant to make any decision; but I did not think he wished it."
"He said it had been his desire from the time he could remember, especially when he felt the want of you during your last voyage."
"Very odd; how reserved some boys are! I declare I was vexed that it had gone out of his head; though I thought it might be for the best. You know I was not born to this place. I never dreamt of it till my poor brother Sam's little boy went off in a fever six years ago, and we had to settle down here. Before that, we meant my eldest to follow my own profession; but when he seemed to take to the soil so kindly, I thought, after all, he might make the happier squire for never having learnt the smell of salt water, nor the spirit of enterprise; but if it were done already, the first choice is due to him. You are sure?"
"Ask the girls."
He leant back and shouted out the question, "Sue! do you know whether Sam wishes to go to sea?"
"There's nothing he ever wished so much," was the answer.
"Then why didn't he say so?"
"Because he thought it would be no use," screamed Susan back.
"No use! why?"
"Because Hal says Admiral Penrose promised him. O Papa! are you going to take Sam?"
"Oh dear! we can't get on without him!" sighed Elizabeth.
"Are you sure he would like it?" said her father. "I thought he never cared to hear of the sea."
"He can't bear to talk of it, because it makes him so sorry," said Susan.
"And," cried Bessie, "he burnt his dear little ship, the Victory, because he couldn't bear to look at it after you said THAT, Papa."
"After I said what?"
"That he was not smart enough to learn the ropes."
"Very silly of him," said the Captain, "to take in despair what was only meant to spur him on. I suppose now I shall find he has dawdled so much that he couldn't get through an examination."
This shut up the mouths of both the girls, who were afraid that he might not, since they saw a good deal of his droning habits over his lessons, and heard more of Hal's superior cleverness.
Miss Fosbrook ventured to say, "You may expect a great deal of a boy who works on a pure principle of obedience."
"You think a great deal of that youngster," said the Captain, highly gratified. "It is the first time I ever knew a stranger take to him."
"I did not take to him as a stranger. I thought him uncouth and dull. I only learnt to love and respect him, as I felt how perfectly I might rely on him, and
"Those young Grevilles seem to me Hal's bane and temptation."
"Ay, ay; but if a boy is of the sort, he'll find someone to be his bane, wherever he goes. I'll have no more of the Grevilles though. If he should not go with me, my brother John would take him into his house, and keep a sharp look out after him. Just tell me, if you have no objection, how the boy strikes you. Most people think him the most taking of the lot."
"So he is," said Christabel thoughtfully; "he has more ease and readiness, and he is affectionate and warm-hearted; but then he is a great talker, and fond of boasting."
"Exactly. I told him that was the very way he learnt falsehood."
"I am afraid, too," she was obliged to add, "that his resolutions run away in talk. He has not much perseverance; and he is easily led."
"Well, I believe you are right; but then what's to be done? I can hardly afford to lose this chance; but Sam was always backward; and I doubt his even caring to go to sea."
"Oh! Captain Merrifield!"
"What! has he given you reason to think that he does?" She told him how she had found Sam struggling with his longing for the sea and his father; and how patiently the boy had resigned himself to see his brother put before him, and himself condemned for being too dull and slow.
"Did I say so? I suppose he had put me past my patience with blundering over his lessons. I never meant to make any decision; but I did not think he wished it."
"He said it had been his desire from the time he could remember, especially when he felt the want of you during your last voyage."
"Very odd; how reserved some boys are! I declare I was vexed that it had gone out of his head; though I thought it might be for the best. You know I was not born to this place. I never dreamt of it till my poor brother Sam's little boy went off in a fever six years ago, and we had to settle down here. Before that, we meant my eldest to follow my own profession; but when he seemed to take to the soil so kindly, I thought, after all, he might make the happier squire for never having learnt the smell of salt water, nor the spirit of enterprise; but if it were done already, the first choice is due to him. You are sure?"
"Ask the girls."
He leant back and shouted out the question, "Sue! do you know whether Sam wishes to go to sea?"
"There's nothing he ever wished so much," was the answer.
"Then why didn't he say so?"
"Because he thought it would be no use," screamed Susan back.
"No use! why?"
"Because Hal says Admiral Penrose promised him. O Papa! are you going to take Sam?"
"Oh dear! we can't get on without him!" sighed Elizabeth.
"Are you sure he would like it?" said her father. "I thought he never cared to hear of the sea."
"He can't bear to talk of it, because it makes him so sorry," said Susan.
"And," cried Bessie, "he burnt his dear little ship, the Victory, because he couldn't bear to look at it after you said THAT, Papa."
"After I said what?"
"That he was not smart enough to learn the ropes."
"Very silly of him," said the Captain, "to take in despair what was only meant to spur him on. I suppose now I shall find he has dawdled so much that he couldn't get through an examination."
This shut up the mouths of both the girls, who were afraid that he might not, since they saw a good deal of his droning habits over his lessons, and heard more of Hal's superior cleverness.
Miss Fosbrook ventured to say, "You may expect a great deal of a boy who works on a pure principle of obedience."
"You think a great deal of that youngster," said the Captain, highly gratified. "It is the first time I ever knew a stranger take to him."
"I did not take to him as a stranger. I thought him uncouth and dull. I only learnt to love and respect him, as I felt how perfectly I might rely on him, and