It is not necessary to drag the reader through the affecting scene of meeting between mother and son. Two days after his arrival we find them both seated at tea in the old drawing-room drinking out of the old mug, with the name William emblazoned on it, in which, in days gone by, he was wont to dip his infantine lips and nose. Not that he had selected this vessel of his own free will, but his mother, who was a romantic old lady, insisted on his using it, in order to bring back to her more vividly the days of his childhood, and Will, in the fulness of his heart, said he would be glad to drink tea out of the coal-scuttle if that would give her pleasure. The good lady even sent to the lumber-room for the old arm-chair of his babyhood, but as neither ingenuity nor perseverance could enable him to squeeze his stout person into that, he was fain to content himself with an ordinary chair.
Now, dear mother, said Will, commencing the fifth slice of toast, under pressure (having eaten the fourth with difficulty), you have not yet told me about this wonderful estate which everybody seems to know of except myself.
Ah! darling Will, sighed Mrs Osten, I have avoided the subject as long as possible, for I know it is to be the cause of our being separated again. But there is no help for it, because I promised your dear father when he was dying that I would tell you his wishes in regard to it, and that I would not attempt to dissuade you from doing your duty. Well, you remember uncle Edward, I suppose?
His nameyes, said Will, but I never knew anything else about him. I had nothing to remember or to forget, except, indeed, that he got the name of being a wild scapegrace, something like myself!
Like yourself, darling, exclaimed the old lady, with a look of indignationno indeed! Have not you repented and come back, like a good prodigal son; and didnt the dear beautiful letter that you wrote from that awful islandwhats its namewhere you were all but eaten alive
The coral island, suggested Will.
Yes, the coral islanddidnt that dear letter give more delight to your beloved father than any letter he ever received in his life, and more than made up to him for your running away, and cheered him to his last hour, whereas uncle Edward was wicked to the lastat least so it is said, but I dont know, and its not right to speak ill of the dead. Well, as I was going to say, uncle Edward died in some outlandish place in North America, I never can remember the name, but its in the papers, so youll see itsomewhere on the other side of the something mountainsI forget
Rocky, perhaps.
Yes, thats it, the Rocky Mountains, and I wish they were not so rocky, for your sake, darling, for youve got to go there and take possession (or serve yourself heir to, or something of that sort) of the property. Not that its large, so they say (I wish with all my heart it did not exist at all), but they tell me there is gold on it, though whether it is lying on the fields or down in holes Im sure I dont know, and oh dear, I dont care, for it entails your going away again, my darling boy.
Here the poor old lady broke down, and, throwing her arms round Wills neckregardless of the fact that in so doing she upset and broke one of her best china tea-cupswept upon his bosom.
Such was the manner of the announcement of the news in the drawing-room.
In the kitchen the same subject was being discussed by a select party, consisting of Maryann, Mr Richards the coachman, his spouse Jemimaformerly Scrubbinsthe baby Richardswho has already been referred to as being reduced in the matter of his ablutions to a bread canand Larry OHale with his faithful Indian friend Bunco.
To think, said Maryann, with a quiet laugh, as she handed a cup of tea to Buncoto think that I should ever come for to sit at tea with a live red Indian from Amerikynot that hes red either, for Im sure that hany one with eyes in their ead could see that hes only brown.
Ah, my dear, thats cause hes changed colour, said Larry, pushing in his cup for more tea. He wasnt always like that. Sure, when I first knowd Bunco he was scarletpure scarlet, only he took a fancy one day, when he was in a wild mood, to run his canoe over the falls of Niagara for a wager, an, faix, when he came up out o the wather after it he was turned brown, ans bin that same ever since.
Gammon, exclaimed Maryann.
Sure ye dont misdoubt me word, Maryann, said Larry reproachfully; isnt it true, Bunco?
Yoos a norribable liar, Larry, answered Bunco with a broad grin.
Richards the coachman, who had been for some minutes too busy with the buttered toast and bacon to do more than listen and chuckle, here burst into a loud guffaw and choked himself partially. Jemima and Maryann also laughed, whereupon the baby, not to be outdone, broke suddenly into a tremendous crow, and waved its fat arms so furiously that it overturned a tea-cup and sent the contents into Buncos lap. This created a momentary confusion, and when calm was restored, Mrs Richards asked Maryann if hanythink noo ad turned up in regard to the estate? which she seemed to know so much about, but in regard to which she was, apparently, so unwilling to be communicative.
Not so, Jemimar, said Maryann, with a look of offended dignity, unwillin to speak I am not, though unable I may beat least I was so until yesterday, but I have come to know a little more about it since Master Will came ome while I chanced to be near
Maryann hesitated a moment, and Richards, through a mouthful of toast, muttered the keyhole.
Did you speak, sir? said Maryann, bridling.
No, oh! no, not by no means, replied Richards, only the crust o this ere toast is rayther ard, and Im apt to growl wen thats so.
If the crust is ard, Mr Richards, your teeth is arder, so you ought to scrunch em without growling.
Brayvo, my dear, exclaimed Larry, coming to the rescue; youre more nor match for him, so be marciful, like a good sowl, an lets hear about this estate, for it seems to me, from what Ive heard, it must be somewhere in the neighbourhood of Buncos native place.
Maryann, darting a look of mingled defiance and triumph at Richards, who became more than ever devoted to the toast and bacon, proceeded
Well, as I was a-sayin, I eard Mrs Osten say to Master Will that his uncle Edwardas was a scape somethin or otherhad died an left a small estate behind the Rocky Mountains in Ameriky or Afriky, I aint sure which.
Ameriky, my dear, observed Larry.
An she said as ow they ad discovered gold on it, which could be picked up in andfuls, an it was somewhere near a place called Kally somethin
Calliforny? cried Larry.
Yes, that was it.
I towld ye that, Bunco! exclaimed the Irishman, becoming excited; go on, dear.
Well, it seems theres some difficulties in the matter, wich Im sure dont surprise me, for I never eard of things as ad to do with estates and law as didnt create difficulties, and Im thankful as Ive got nothin to do with none of such things. Well, the end of it all is that, wen master was dyin, he made missis swear as shed urge Master Will to go to see after things hisself, an missis, poor dear, she would rather let the estate and all the gold go, if she could only keep the dear boy at ome, but shes faithful to her promise, an advises him to gothe sooner the betterbecause that would let him come back to her all the quicker. Master Will, he vowed at first that he would never more leave her, and I blieve he was in earnest, but when she spoke of his fathers wish, he gave in an said he would go, if she thought it his dooty so for to do.