Second-cousin Willis did not reply for a week, and he said it was the
duty of one of my uncles to provide for me; and he should make a point
of bringing them both to book if they did not see about something for me
before long.
One or two other relatives wrote to me that they were not in
circumstances to help me, and that if they were strong, stout boys such
as I was, they would try and get a situation, for it was no disgrace to
earn my living; and they wished me well.
I took all these letters over to Mr Brownsmith, and he read them day
after day as they came; but he did not say a word, and it made my heart
sink, as it seemed to me that he was repenting of his offer.
And so a month slipped by; and when I was not reading or writing I found
myself gazing out of the window at the pleasant old garden, where the
fruit was being gathered day after day. The time was passing, and the
chances of my going over to Brownsmith's seemed to me growing remote,
while I never seemed to have seen so much of Shock.
It appeared to me that he must know of my disappointment; for whenever
he saw me at the window, and could do so unseen, he threw dabs of clay,
or indulged in derisive gestures more extravagant than ever.
I affected to take no heed of these antics, but they annoyed me all the
same; and I found myself wishing at times that Mr Brownsmith would take
me, if only to give me a chance of some day thrashing that objectionable
boy.
I was sitting very disconsolately at the window one day, with a table on
which I had been writing drawn up very close to the bay, when I heard a
footstep below, and looking down there was Old Brownsmith, who nodded to
me familiarly and came up.
"Well," he said, "how are you? Nice weather for my work."
He sat down, pursed up his lips, and looked about him for some minutes
without speaking.
"News," he said, "any news?"
"No, sir," I replied.
"Humph! Not going to make you manager of the Bank of England or Master
of the Mint--eh?"
"No, sir. I have had no more news."
"I was afraid you wouldn't," he continued. "Well, I told you the other
day not to be rash, for there was plenty of time."
"Yes, sir."
"Now I'm going to change my tune."
I jumped up excitedly.
"Yes, change my tune," he said. "You're wasting time now. What do you
say after thinking it over?--like to come?"
"May I, sir?" I cried joyfully.
"I'm a man of my word, my boy," he replied drily.