Held Fast For England: A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar (1779-83). G. A. Henty

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      "It seems to me that a way has opened out of the difficulty. I don't want him to go back to school again. He knows quite as much Latin as is required, in an importer of wines. I want him to learn Spanish and Portuguese, and to become a gentleman, and a man of the world. I have stuck to Philpot Lane, all my life; but there is no reason why he should do so, after me. Things are changing in the city, and many of our merchants no longer live there, but have houses in the country, and drive or ride to them. Some people shake their heads over what they call newfangled notions. I think it is good for a man to get right away from his business, when he has done work.

      "But this is not the point. Bob is too young to begin to learn the business abroad. Two years too young, at least. But there is no reason why he should not begin to learn Spanish. Now, I thought if I could find someone I could intrust him to, where his home would be bright and pleasant, he might go there for a couple of years. Naturally I should be prepared to pay a fair sum--say 200 pounds a year--for him, for of course no one is going to be bothered with a boy, without being paid for it."

      Carrie listened for something further to come. Then her husband broke in:

      "I see what you are driving at, Mr. Bale, and Carrie and myself would be delighted to have him.

      "Don't you see, Carrie? Your uncle means that Bob shall stop with us, and learn the language there."

      "That would be delightful!" Carrie exclaimed, enthusiastically. "Do you really mean that, uncle?"

      "That is really what I do mean, niece. It seems to me that that is the very best thing we could do with the young scamp."

      "It would be capital!" Carrie went on. "It is what I should like above everything."

      "A nicer arrangement couldn't be, Mr. Bale. It will suit us all. Bob will learn the language, he will be a companion to Carrie when I am on duty, and we will make a man of him. But he won't be able to go out with us, I am afraid. Officers' wives and families get their passages in the transports, but I am afraid it would be no use to ask for one for Bob. Besides, we sail in four days."

      "No, I will arrange about his passage, and so on.

      "Well, I am glad that my proposal suits you both. The matter has been worrying me for the last three months, and it is a comfort that it is off my mind.

      "I will go back to my hotel now. I will send Bob round in the morning, and you can tell him about it."

Chapter 4: Preparations For A Voyage.

       Table of Contents

      Bob went round to the barracks at half past nine.

      "Uncle says you have a piece of news to tell me, Carrie."

      "My dear Bob," Captain O'Halloran said, "your uncle is a broth of a boy. He would do credit to Galway; and if anyone says anything to the contrary, I will have him out tomorrow morning."

      "What has he been doing?" Bob asked.

      "I told you, Carrie, yesterday, he wasn't a bit like what he seemed."

      "Well, Bob, you are not going to stay at his place of business any longer."

      "No! Where is he going to send me--to school again? I am not sure I should like that, Carrie. I didn't want to leave, but I don't think I should like to go back to Caesar, and Euclid, and all those wretched old books again."

      "Well, you are not going, Bob."

      "Hurry up, Carrie!" her husband said. "Don't you see that you are keeping the boy on thorns? Tell him the news, without beating about the bush."

      "Well, it is just this, Bob. You are to come out for two years to live with us, at Gibraltar, and learn Spanish."

      Bob threw his cap up to the ceiling, with a shout of delight; executed a wild dance, rushed at his sister and kissed her violently, and shook hands with her husband.

      "That is glorious!" he said, when he had sufficiently recovered himself for speech. "I said uncle was a brick, didn't I? But I never dreamt of such a thing as this."

      "He is going to pay, very handsomely, while you are with us, Bob, so it will be really a great help to us. Besides, we will like to have you with us. But you will have to work hard at Spanish, you know."

      "Oh, I will work hard," Bob said, confidently.

      "And be very steady," Captain O'Halloran said, gravely.

      "Of course," Bob replied. "But who are you going to hire to teach me that?"

      "You are an impudent boy, Bob," his sister said, while Captain O'Halloran burst out laughing.

      "Sure, he has us both there, Carrie. I wonder your uncle did not make a proviso that we were to get one of the padres to look after him."

      "As if I would let a Spanish priest look after me!" Bob said.

      "I didn't mean a Spanish priest, Bob. I meant one of the army chaplains. We always call them padres.

      "That would be worth thinking about, Carrie."

      "Oh, I say," Bob exclaimed in alarm, "that would spoil it, altogether!"

      "Well, we will see how you go on, Bob. We may not find it necessary, you know; but you will find you have to mind your P's and Q's, at Gib. It is a garrison place, you know, and they won't stand nonsense there. If you played any tricks, they would turn you outside the lines, or send you up to one of the caverns to live with the apes."

      "Are there apes?" Bob asked, eagerly. "They would be awful fun, I should think. I have seen them at Exeter 'Change."

      "There are apes, Bob; but if you think you are going to get near enough to put salt on their tails, you are mistaken."

      "But am I going out with you?" Bob asked. "Why, tomorrow is Christmas Day, and you sail two days after, don't you? And I shouldn't have time even to go up to town, and down to Putney, to say goodbye to the fellows. I should like to do that, and tell them that I am going abroad."

      "You are not going with us, Bob, and you will have time for all that. We could not take you in the transport, and uncle will arrange for a passage for you, in some ship going out. Of course, he knows all about vessels trading with Spain."

      "Well, we sha'n't have to say goodbye, now," Bob said. "I haven't said much about it, but I have been thinking a lot about how horrid it would be, after being so jolly here, to have to say goodbye; knowing that I shouldn't see you again, for years and years. Now that is all over."

      A few minutes later, Mr. Bale came in. He had assumed his most businesslike expression, but Bob rushed up to him.

      "Oh, uncle, I am so obliged to you! It is awfully kind."

      "I thought the arrangement would be a suitable one," Mr. Bale began.

      "No, no, uncle," Bob broke in. "You would say that, if you were in Philpot Lane. Now you know you can say that you thought it would be the very jolliest thing that СКАЧАТЬ