CHAPTER XXXVIII

cruisetothewestward,withtheElephant.ByG—,Iwishyoumay!ButoldScholeywassaying,justnow,thathethoughtyouwouldbesentfirsttotheTexel.Well,well,weareready,whateverhappens.ButbyG—,youlostafinesightbynotbeinghereinthemorningtoseetheThrushgooutofharbour!Iwouldnothavebeenoutofthewayforathousandpounds.OldScholeyraninatbreakfast-time,tosayshehadslippedhermooringsandwascomingout,Ijumpedup,andmadebuttwostepstotheplatform.Ifevertherewasaperfectbeautyafloat,sheisoneandthereshelaysatSpithead,andanybodyinEnglandwouldtakeherforaneight-and-twenty.Iwasupontheplatformtwohoursthisafternoonlookingather.ShelaysclosetotheEndymion,betweenherandtheCleopatra,justtotheeastwardofthesheerhulk.” “Ha!”criedWilliam,“that’sjustwhereIshouldhaveputhermyself.It’sthebestberthatSpithead.Buthereismysister,sirhereisFanny,”turningandleadingherforward“itissodarkyoudonotseeher.” Withanacknowledgmentthathehadquiteforgother,Mr.Pricenowreceivedhisdaughterandhavinggivenheracordialhug,andobservedthatshewasgrownintoawoman,andhesupposedwouldbewantingahusbandsoon,seemedverymuchinclinedtoforgetheragain.Fannyshrunkbacktoherseat,withfeelingssadlypainedbyhislanguageandhissmellofspiritsandhetalkedononlytohisson,andonlyoftheThrush,thoughWilliam,warmlyinterestedashewasinthatsubject,morethanoncetriedtomakehisfatherthinkofFanny,andherlongabsenceandlongjourney. Aftersittingsometimelonger,acandlewasobtainedbutastherewasstillnoappearanceoftea,nor,fromBetsey’sreportsfromthekitchen,muchhopeofanyunderaconsiderableperiod,Williamdeterminedtogoandchangehisdress,andmakethenecessarypreparationsforhisremovalonboarddirectly,thathemighthavehisteaincomfortafterwards. Ashelefttheroom,tworosy-facedboys,raggedanddirty,abouteightandnineyearsold,rushedintoitjustreleasedfromschool,andcomingeagerlytoseetheirsister,andtellthattheThrushwasgoneoutofharbourTomandCharles.CharleshadbeenbornsinceFanny’sgoingaway,butTomshehadoftenhelpedtonurse,andnowfeltaparticularpleasureinseeingagain.Bothwerekissedverytenderly,butTomshewantedtokeepbyher,totrytotracethefeaturesofthebabyshehadloved,andtalkedto,ofhisinfantpreferenceofherself.Tom,however,hadnomindforsuchtreatment:hecamehomenottostandandbetalkedto,buttorunaboutandmakeanoiseandbothboyshadsoonburstfromher,andslammedtheparlour-doortillhertemplesached. ShehadnowseenallthatwereathomethereremainedonlytwobrothersbetweenherselfandSusan,oneofwhomwasaclerkinapublicofficeinLondon,andtheothermidshipmanonboardanIndiaman.Butthoughshehadseenallthemembersofthefamily,shehadnotyetheardallthenoisetheycouldmake.Anotherquarterofanhourbroughtheragreatdealmore.Williamwassooncallingoutfromthelanding-placeofthesecondstoryforhismotherandforRebecca.Hewasindistressforsomethingthathehadleftthere,anddidnotfindagain.Akeywasmislaid,Betseyaccusedofhavinggotathisnewhat,andsomeslight,butessentialalterationofhisuniformwaistcoat,whichhehadbeenpromisedtohavedoneforhim,entirelyneglected. Mrs.Price,Rebecca,andBetseyallwentuptodefendthemselves,alltalkingtogether,butRebeccaloudest,andthejobwastobedoneaswellasitcouldinagreathurryWilliamtryinginvaintosendBetseydownagain,orkeepherfrombeingtroublesomewhereshewasthewholeofwhich,asalmosteverydoorinthehousewasopen,couldbeplainlydistinguishedintheparlour,exceptwhendrownedatintervalsbythesuperiornoiseofSam,Tom,andCharleschasingeachotherupanddownstairs,andtumblingaboutandhallooing. Fannywasalmoststunned.Thesmallnessofthehouseandthinnessofthewallsbroughteverythingsoclosetoher,that,addedtothefatigueofherjourney,andallherrecentagitation,shehardlyknewhowtobearit.Withintheroomallwastranquilenough,forSusanhavingdisappearedwiththeothers,thereweresoononlyherfatherandherselfremainingandhe,takingoutanewspaper,theaccustomaryloanofaneighbour,appliedhimselftostudyingit,withoutseemingtorecollectherexistence.Thesolitarycandlewasheldbetweenhimselfandthepaper,withoutanyreferencetoherpossibleconveniencebutshehadnothingtodo,andwasgladtohavethelightscreenedfromherachinghead,asshesatinbewildered,broken,sorrowfulcontemplation. Shewasathome.But,alas!itwasnotsuchahome,shehadnotsuchawelcome,as—shecheckedherselfshewasunreasonable.Whatrighthadshetobeofimportancetoherfamily?Shecouldhavenone,solonglostsightof!William’sconcernsmustbedearest,theyalwayshadbeen,andhehadeveryright.Yettohavesolittlesaidoraskedaboutherself,tohavescarcelyaninquirymadeafte