Toilers of Babylon: A Novel. Farjeon Benjamin Leopold

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СКАЧАТЬ have to leave the house. Mr. Loveday calmed her down, and then entered into a sensible consideration of the case.

      "So many hours have passed," he said, "since the child was left here, that it seems more than likely that the person who placed it on your counter has no intention of redeeming the pledge. In a few days, or weeks, the matter may be traced; in the meantime something must be done. I suggest that a woman be sought who, for three or four shillings a week, will undertake the care of the child. I don't mind bearing half the expense if you will bear the other half."

      The benevolent offer was eagerly accepted by the pawnbroker, whose only anxiety now was to get the baby out of his house. Before the evening a poor woman was found who consented to take charge of the helpless bundle of humanity. Having come into the neighborhood by a mysterious chance, the child was called Chance, to which, when or how could not afterwards be recalled, the Christian name of Timothy was prefixed. Endeavors were made to solve the mystery of his birth, but, in the absence of the slightest clew, nothing was discovered. For four years Mr. Loveday and the pawnbroker paid the expenses of the child's bringing up between them; then, somehow or other, Timothy Chance began to take care of himself, nursing babies bigger than himself for mothers whose quivers were too full, and getting a bit of straw to sleep on and a crust of bread to keep life in him. He was full of health and strength, and willingness, and even in those early days he developed a surprising independence which served him in good stead. As he grew in years the task of looking after himself and obtaining shelter and food became less difficult; he throve where others would have starved; if he could not get crumb he put up with crust; if he could not get straw to lie upon he put up with boards, if not boards the earth, if not a roof the sky. From time to time he disappeared from the neighborhood, went hopping in the season, attaching himself to some family bent on the same errand, took service with a tinker and went about the country, and did anything and everything to keep body and soul together. He succeeded in a good and worthy way, and the partnership of his boyish frame with a cheerful, willing spirit, was a passport wherever he went, and would have carried him all over the world. He did well for others, and better for himself, as will be seen, although he was penniless nine days out of ten. This did not trouble him; he was healthy, strong, and happy, and had ideas-in the germ at present, and not by himself understood; but there they were, working in his fertile, healthy brain, to ripen and bear fruit one day perhaps. Such, imperfectly limned, was Timothy Chance as he stood before Mr. Loveday the bookseller.

      CHAPTER X

      "Just come back, Timothy?"

      "Yes, sir, just come back."

      "You've been away a long time?"

      "Seven months, sir."

      "Done any good for yourself?"

      "Yes, sir."

      "Ah, you've got a pocketful of money, then?"

      "Not a penny, sir."

      "Yet you say you've done well?"

      "Yes, sir. I've worked hard, and had plenty to eat, and I'm stronger than ever."

      "Ah, that's what you mean by doing well?"

      "Yes, sir, and I'm willinger-I mean, more willing than ever."

      At this slip of language and its correction Mr. Loveday cocked up his ears, and took a longer look at the lad. Timothy met his gaze ingenuously.

      "I think there's an improvement in you, Timothy."

      "I hope so, sir."

      "Where have you been?"

      "In a lot of places, sir, but most of the time in a school."

      "Oh, in a school. Doing what? Studying?"

      "A little, sir," said Timothy, modestly; "but I wasn't engaged for that."

      "For what, then?"

      "Garden work, knife-cleaning, boot-cleaning, running of errands, making myself generally useful."

      "And picking up scholarship."

      "As much of it as ever I could, sir."

      "There is certainly an improvement in you, Timothy. You speak more correctly than you did."

      Timothy was silent, but his face flushed with pleasure.

      "How did you get into the school?"

      "By a bit of good-luck, sir-though it wasn't good-luck to another boy who had the place."

      "What is one man's meat, Timothy, is another man's poison."

      "Is it, sir?"

      "So they say, and so it often happens. Go on."

      "I was in Essex, sir, looking for a job. It was half-past ten in the morning."

      "Carried a watch, eh?"

      "No, sir, I was passing a church. But I didn't pass it. I stopped.

      "What for?"

      "There was a fight going on. Two boys, pegging away at each other like one o'clock. The road was muddy, and they rolled over and over in it, then got up and went at it again. When they'd had enough they ran off different ways, and I lost sight of 'em. I was walking off myself when I noticed something in the mud. It was a letter, and I picked it up and looked at it. I couldn't read the address, it had been dug into the mud so; but in a corner, in very plain writing, I saw the name of Dr. Porter. I went into a baker's shop, and asked if they knew Dr. Porter, and they said he kept a school a little way off. I asked them to show me where it was, as I thought it wouldn't be a bad thing to take the letter to him myself and ask him for a job. They showed me, and I saw Dr. Porter himself; he was in the grounds in front of the schoolhouse, and one of the boys who had been fighting was there too. I gave the doctor the letter, and asked him if it was his, and he said it was. I found out afterwards that it was a very particular letter, and had some money in it. The boy was sent out to post it, and he got fighting and dropped it in the mud. Then the doctor said he supposed I wanted a reward, and I said no, that I wanted a job. Not to make too long a story, sir, he put a lot of questions to me, and seemed pleased with me, and he sent the fighting boy away and took me on in his place to do the rough work."

      "How much a week, Timothy?" inquired Mr. Loveday.

      "Two shillings a week and my keep."

      "You slept there?"

      "Yes, sir."

      "And out of the two shillings a week for some months you saved nothing? You come back here without a penny?"

      "You shall hear, sir. My clothes were pretty bad, the same as I've got on now, and I thought I'd save as much as I could, and buy a new suit. I did buy a new suit the week before last, but I didn't wear 'em for garden work. Well, sir, while I was with the doctor I was very happy. Plenty of work, but plenty to eat. He hadn't many young gentlemen to teach, and I've found out that he wasn't well off. He had a daughter, a beautiful young lady, not as old as I am, and she had a bit of garden that I used to look after for her. I took a lot of pains with her flowers, and she was so pleased that she used to give me lessons. I can write pretty well, sir."

      "You can, eh? I'll try you presently. Go on with your story."

      "I learnt a bit of grammar, and a bit of history, and a bit of arithmetic. It was a great bit of luck for me, but it ended СКАЧАТЬ