Very perplexing; what shall I do? said Ruby.
Clear out, cried the captain emphatically.
What! fly like a real criminal, just as I have returned home? Never. What say you, Minnie?
Stand your trial, Ruby. They cannotthey dare notcondemn the innocent.
And you, mother?
Im sure I dont know what to say, replied Mrs Brand, with a look of deep anxiety, as she passed her fingers through her sons hair, and kissed his brow. I have seen the innocent condemned and the guilty go free more than once in my life.
Nevertheless, mother, I will give myself up, and take my chance. To fly would be to give them reason to believe me guilty.
Give yourself up! exclaimed the captain, youll do nothing of the sort. Come, lad, remember Im an old man, and an uncle. Ive got a plan in my head, which I think will keep you out of harms way for a time. You see my old chronometer is but a poor one,the worse of the wear, like its master,and Ive never been able to make out the exact time that we went aboard the Termagant the night you went away. Now, can you tell me what oclock it was?
I can.
Xactly?
Yes, exactly, for it happened that I was a little later than I promised, and the skipper pointed to his watch, as I came up the side, and jocularly shook his head at me. It was exactly eleven p.m.
Sure and sartin o that? enquired the captain, earnestly.
Quite, and his watch must have been right, for the town-clock rung the hour at the same time.
Is that skipper alive?
Yes.
Would he swear to that?
I think he would.
Dye know where he is?
I do. Hes on a voyage to the West Indies, and wont be home for two months, I believe.
Humph! said the captain, with a disappointed look. However, it cant be helped; but I see my way now to get you out o this fix. You know, I suppose, that theyre buildin a lighthouse on the Bell Rock just now; well, the workmen go off to it for a month at a time, I believe, if not longer, and dont come ashore, and its such a dangerous place, and troublesome to get to, that nobody almost ever goes out to it from this place, except those who have to do with it. Now, lad, youll go down to the workyard the first thing in the mornin, before daylight, and engage to go off to work at the Bell Rock. Youll keep all snug and quiet, and nobodyll be a bit the wiser. Youll be earnin good wages, and in the meantime Ill set about gettin things in trim to put you all square.
But I see many difficulties ahead, objected Ruby.
Of course ye do, retorted the captain. Did ye ever hear or see anything on this earth that hadnt rocks ahead o some sort? Its our business to steer past em, lad, not to bout ship and steer away. But state yer difficulties.
Well, in the first place, Im not a stonemason or a carpenter, and I suppose masons and carpenters are the men most wanted there.
Not at all, blacksmiths are wanted there, said the captain, and I know that you were trained to that work as a boy.
True, I can do somewhat with the hammer, but mayhap they wont engage me.
But they will engage you, lad, for they are hard up for an assistant blacksmith just now, and I happen to be hand-and-glove with some o the chief men of the yard, wholl be happy to take anyone recommended by me.
Well, uncle, but suppose I do go off to the rock, what chance have you of making things appear better than they are at present?
Ill explain that, lad. In the first place, Major Stewart is a gentleman, out-and-out, and will listen to the truth. He swears that the robbery took place at one oclock in the mornin, for he looked at his watch and at the clock of the house, and heard it ring in the town, just as the thieves cleared off over the wall. Now, if I can get your old skipper to take a run here on his return from the West Indies, hell swear that you was sailin out to the North Sea before twelve, and thatll prove that you couldnt have had nothin to do with it, dye see?
It sounds well, said Ruby dubiously, but do you think the lawyers will see things in the light you do?
Hang the lawyers! dye think they will shut their eyes to the truth?
Perhaps they may, in which case they will hang me, and so prevent my taking your advice to hang them, said Ruby.
Well, well, but you agree to my plan? asked the captain.
Shall I agree, Minnie? it will separate me from you again for some time.
Yet it is necessary, answered Minnie, sadly; yes, I think you should agree to go.
Very well, then, thats settled, said Ruby, and now let us drop the subject, because I have other things to speak of; and if I must start before daylight my time with you will be short
Come here a bit, nephy, I want to have a private word with ee in my cabin, said the captain, interrupting him, and going into his own room. Ruby rose and followed.
You havent any
The captain stopped, stroked his bald head, and looked perplexed.
Well, uncle?
Well, nephy, you haventin short, have ye got any money about you, lad?
Money? yes, a little; but why do you ask?
Well, the fact is, that your poor mother is hard up just now, said the captain earnestly, an Ive given her the last penny I have o my own; but shes quite
Ruby interrupted his uncle at this point with a boisterous laugh. At the same time he flung open the door and dragged the old man with gentle violence back to the kitchen.
Come here, uncle.
But, avast! nephy, I havent told ye all yet.
Oh! dont bother me with such trifles just now, cried Ruby, thrusting his uncle into a chair and resuming his own seat at his mothers side; well speak of that at some other time; meanwhile let me talk to mother.
Minnie, dear, he continued, who keeps the cash here; you or mother?
Well, we keep it between us, said Minnie, smiling; your mother keeps it in her drawer and gives me the key when I want any, and I keep an account of it.
Ah! well, mother, I have a favour to ask of you before I go.
Well, Ruby?
It is that you will take care of my cash for me. I have got a goodish lot of it, and find it rather heavy to carry in my pocketsso, hold your apron steady and Ill give it to you.
Saying this he began to empty handful after handful of coppers into the old womans apron; then, remarking that that was all the browns, he began to place handful after handful of shillings and sixpences on the top of the pile until the copper was hid by silver.
The old lady, as usual when surprised, became speechless; the captain smiled and Minnie laughed, but when Ruby put his hand into another pocket and began to draw forth golden sovereigns, and pour them into his mothers lap, the captain became supremely amazed, the old woman laughed, and,so strangely contradictory and unaccountable is human nature,Minnie began to cry.
Poor girl! the tax upon her strength had been heavier than anyone knew, heavier than she could bear, and the sorrow of knowing, as she had come to know, that it was all in vain, and that her utmost efforts had failed to keep the wolf from the door, had almost broken her down. Little wonder, then, that the sight of sudden and ample relief upset her altogether.