Sketches by Seymour Part 32

"Well, can we go forward, then?" demanded the anxious and wearied traveller.

"Noa, ee cawnt, 'cause the roads are under water;" replied the joskin, with a grin.

This was certainly a situation more ridiculous than interesting; and I smiled when I heard the story told, little suspecting that Fortune would one day throw me into a similar dilemina--so blindly do we mortals hug ourselves in the supposed security of our tact and foresight.

"How d'ye do, Mr. Andrew," said Mr. Crobble, when he had seated himself, and sufficiently inflated his lungs, after the fatiguing operation of mounting the stairs.

"Where's Timmis?--tell him I want a word with him."

I quickly summoned my patron, and followed him into the office.

"Well, old puff and blow!" exclaimed Mr. Timmis, with his usual familiarity.

"What's in the wind? Want to sell out? The fives are fallen three per cent. since Friday. All the 'Change is as busy as the devil in a high wind."

"No--no more dabbling, Timmis," replied Mr. Crobble; "I lost a cool hundred last account; I want a word in private with you"--and he glanced towards me; upon which I seized my hat, and took up my position at my old post on the landing. How were my feelings altered since I first loitered there, listening to the marvels of poor Matthew!

I was lost in a pleasant reverie, when the sharp voice of Mr. Timmis recalled me.

"Andrew," said he, "my friend Crobble wants a clerk, and has cast his eye upon you. What do you say?"

I scarcely knew what to say. On one side stood my master, to whom I really owed so much--on the other his friend, who offered me a promotion, which I felt, on many accounts, was most attractive. "I should have no objection," I replied, "but great pleasure in serving Mr. Crobble, sir--but--I have received so many favours from you, that I'm afraid I might seem ungrateful."

The good-natured Mr. Wallis happily stepped in at this moment to my relief.

"Nonsense," replied Mr. Timmis; "the stock is delivered to the highest bidder; here Crobble backs eighteen s.h.i.+llings a week against my half-a-crown-take him."

I still felt some hesitation, although it was evident, from his expression, that Mr. Timmis valued the servant much less than the servant valued the master.

"Only look here, Wally," cried he; "here stands Andrew, like an a.s.s between two bundles of hay."

"Rather like a bundle of hay between two a.s.ses, I think," replied Mr.

Wallis; and good-naturedly tapping me on the shoulder, he continued-- "accept Mr. Crobble's offer, Master Andrew: you're much too good for Timmis--he can soon get a grubby half-crown boy--but you may wait a long time for such an eligible offer."

"Eighteen s.h.i.+llings a week," said Mr. Crobble; who, I must confess, without any particular stretch of self-esteem, appeared anxious to engage me--, "but I shall want security."

That word "security" fell like an avalanche on my mounting spirit, and cast me headlong down the imaginary ascent my busy thoughts had climbed to!

"Five hundred pounds," continued Mr. Crobble; "d'ye think--have you any friends?"

"None, sir; my father is a poor man, and quite unable." I could scarcely speak--like the driver of the one-horse chaise, I could neither advance nor recede.

"The father," said Mr. Timmis, "is only a poor shoe-maker--a good fellow tho'--an excellent fit!"

"You mean to say," cried Mr. Wallis, "it were bootless to seek security of the shoe-maker."

A laugh ensued; and, notwithstanding my agitated feelings, I could not forbear being tickled by Mr. Wallis's humour, and joining in the merriment.

This sally gave a most favourable turn to the discussion. "Come," said Mr. Wallis, "I'll stand two hundred and fifty--and you, Timmis, must go the other."

"No; d___ me, he may bolt with the cash-box, and let me in, perhaps,"

exclaimed Mr. Timmis. I burst into tears; I felt, that from my long and faithful services, I deserved a better opinion--although I had no right to expect so great a favour.

Rude as he was, he felt some compunction at having wounded my feelings; and swore a round oath that he was only joking, and I was a fool. "Did I think, for a moment, that Wally should get the start of him; no--I was an honest chap, and he'd put his fist to double the amount to serve me;" and then bade me "sit to the books," and make all square before I cut my stick: and thus happily concluded this most momentous change in my circ.u.mstances.

CHAPTER XV.--An Old Acquaintance.

"Only three holidays left, and still this plaguey gla.s.s says 'very wet;'--I can't bear it--I can't--and I won't."

How impatiently did I count the minutes 'till the office was closed, for I longed to communicate the glad tidings of my good fortune to my worthy father. The old man wept with joy at the prospect, and a.s.sisted me in rearing those beautiful fabrics termed castles in the air.

His own trade, by the recommendation of the rough, ill-mannered, but good-natured Mr. Timmis, had wonderfully increased; and, by making some temporary sacrifices, he was enabled to give me an appearance more suitable to the new position in which I was so unexpectedly placed. In a narrow alley, on the south side of the Royal Exchange, on the ground-floor, I found the counting-house of Mr. Crobble. Under his directions, I quickly made myself master of the details of the business.

Alas! it was but the slender fragment of a once flouris.h.i.+ng mercantile house, of which time had gradually lopped off the correspondents, whilst his own inertness had not supplied the deficiency by a new connexion; for his father had left him such an ample fortune, that he was almost careless of the pursuit, although he could not make up his mind, as he said, to abandon the "old shop," where his present independence had been acc.u.mulated. I consequently found plenty of leisure, uninterrupted by the continual hurry and bustle of a broker's office, to pursue my favourite studies, and went on, not only to the entire satisfaction of Mr. Crobble, but to my own, and really began to find myself a man of some importance.

In the course of business, I one day fell in with an old acquaintance.

"A parcel for Cornelius Crobble, Esq.," said a little porter, of that peculiar stamp which is seen hanging about coach-offices--"Two and-sixpence."

I looked at the direction, and drew out the "petty cash" to defray the demand; when, then, first looking at the man, I thought I recognised his features.

"What!" cried I, "Isn't your name--"

"Matthew," answered he quickly.

"Matthew!--why, don't you know me?"

"No, sir," replied he, staring vacantly at me.

"Indeed!--Have I so outgrown all knowledge? Don't you recollect Andrew Mullins?"

"Good heavins!" exclaimed he, with his well-remembered nasal tw.a.n.g; "are you--"

"Yes."

"Well, I declare now you've growed into a gentleman. I should'nt--I really should'nt--" He did not say what he really "should not"--but extended his hand.--"Hope you ain't too proud to shake hands with an old friend?--"

I shook him heartily by the hand, and made some enquiries touching his history.

Poor Matthew seated himself with all the ease imaginable, and laid his knot beside him, and began, after the manner of his favourite heroes, to "unbosom himself."

"You've a father," said he; "but I'm a horphan, without father nor mother--a houtcast!"--and he sunk his head upon his bosom; and I observed that his scrubby crop was already becoming thin and bald.

"Since I left the place in the 'lane,' I've bin a-going--down--down"--and he nearly touched the floor with his hand. "That gal, Mary, was the ruin of me--I shall never forget her.--My hopes is sunk, like the sun in the ocean, never to rise agin!" I was rather amused by this romantic, though incorrect, figure; but I let him proceed: "I've got several places, but lost 'em all. I think there's a spell upon me; and who can struggle against his fate?"