Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs: A Tale of Land and Sea Read online

  CHAPTER TWO.

  David Rowe had been a week in London engaged in the search for Owen'srelatives. At last a letter came from him, desiring that the trap mightbe sent over to Reston, as he would be down, God willing, by the coachthat day.

  His arrival was eagerly looked for by all at Fenside Farm. David'slaconic letter had not mentioned anything to satisfy their curiosity.

  "Well, lad, what news?" exclaimed the farmer, as David stood while hismother and sister Sarah assisted him off with his great-coat. "Have youfound out friends likely to help young Owen?"

  "As to that I cannot exactly say," answered David; "I have discovered arelative who ought to help him--the identical Simon Fluke who gave thebook to Susan Walford. Simon Fluke must be the boy's cousin, althoughremoved a couple of degrees; but that should make no difference if Simonhad any affection for his cousin, for the boy is certainly her onlysurviving descendant."

  "But have you had any communication with Simon Fluke?" inquired thefarmer.

  "No, I thought that would be imprudent; it would be politic to let theboy introduce himself. I made all inquiries in my power, however, andascertained that Simon Fluke is a bachelor, reputed to be rich, and hasa flourishing business as a ship's chandler. As to his character, all Ican learn is, that he is looked upon as a man of honour and credit inhis business, although of somewhat eccentric habits. In regard to hisprivate character I could gain no information; he may be as hard-heartedas a rock, or kind and generous. I went to his place of business in thehopes of having the opportunity of forming an opinion for myself, but Ifailed to see him, and therefore had to come away as wise as I went."

  "What step do you advise us to take next?" asked the farmer.

  "Send him up at once, and let him present himself at Simon Fluke's--saywho he is, that his parents are dead, and that he wishes for employment.Do not let him appear like a beggar asking for alms; he will succeedbest by exhibiting an independent spirit, and showing that he is readyto do any work which is given to him. We know he is quick, intelligent,writes a beautiful hand, and has as good a head on his shoulders as manya much older person."

  "But surely we cannot send the boy up by himself," urged Mrs Rowe; "andyou, I suppose, cannot go again! David?"

  "I'll go with him, mother," said John, the eldest son, "and willinglybear the charge, for I should be glad to get a chance of seeing the bigcity. If Simon Fluke were to refuse to receive young Owen, what wouldbecome of the boy? I have heard of dreadful things happening to lads inLondon, especially when they have no friends to care for them."

  And so it was settled. John undertook to start the very next morning,if Owen was willing to go.

  Owen, who had been out in the garden making himself useful, now came in.David gave him the information he had obtained, and inquired whether hewished to pay a visit to his supposed relative?

  "If he is likely to give me something to do, I am willing to go and askhim," answered Owen.

  "There is nothing like trying, and you can lose little by asking forit," observed David.

  Susan had prepared Owen's wardrobe to the best of her ability, so thathe was ready the next morning to start with John Rowe. They dulyreached the great city, and John and Owen managed to find their way toWapping. They walked about for some time, making inquiries for PaulKelson, Fluke and Company, whose place of business was at last pointedout to them. They had passed it once before, but the name on the sideof the door was so obliterated by time that it was scarcely legible.

  "Now, Owen, you go in, and success attend you," said John, shaking himby the hand, as if they were about to separate for an indefinite period."Do not be afraid, I will not desert you!"

  Owen, mustering courage, entered the dingy-looking office. Johnremained outside while Owen presented himself, as has been alreadydescribed, to Simon Fluke.

  Faithful John walked up and down, keeping a watchful eye on the door, incase Owen might be summarily ejected, and resolved not to quit his postuntil he had ascertained to a certainty that the boy was likely to bewell cared for. "If the old man disowns him, I will take him to someLondon sights, and then we will go back to Fenside, and let him turnfarmer if he likes, and I'll help him; or it may be that David will hearof something more to his advantage, or perhaps find out some of hisother relatives. David is as keen as a ferret, and he'll not let achance pass of serving the lad." John's patience was seriously tried.He saw seafaring men of various grades pass in and out, corroboratingthe account of the flourishing business of Paul Kelson, Fluke andCompany, and he concluded, while Simon Fluke was engaged with them, thatyoung Owen would have but small chance of being attended to.

  "Well, I can but wait until they are about to close the place; then, ifOwen does not come out, I must go in and look for him," thought John.He was resolved, however, not to do anything which might interfere withthe boy's interests; it took a good deal to put John out of temper.

  Meantime Owen's patience was undergoing a severe trial. The twobrown-coated old gentlemen appeared to him to be a long time lookingover those big books. They had just concluded, when a junior clerk camein to say that Captain Truck wished to see Mr Fluke. Glancing at Owenas he passed, Mr Fluke hurried into his private room, while the oldclerk, tucking the big books under his arm, and filling his hands withthe papers, left the office. He stopped as he was passing young Owen.

  "Sit down there, boy," he said, pointing to a bench near the door; "MrFluke will speak to you when he is disengaged."

  Several persons came in, however, before Captain Truck had gone away.They were admitted in succession to speak to Mr Fluke; so Owen had towait and wait on, watching the clerks as they sat at their desks, andobserving the visitors as they paced up and down, while waiting theirturns to have an interview with the principal of the establishment.This impressed Owen with the idea that the brown, snuffy old gentlemanwas a far more important personage than he had at first supposed.Several of the clerks who were moving about with papers in their handsfrequently passed the young stranger, but no one spoke, or bestowed evenan inquiring glance at him. Owen, who was tired with his journey andlong walk, was, in spite of his anxiety, nearly dropping asleep, when heheard the words--

  "Well, boy, what is it you want? Quick, say your business, I have notime to spare."

  The words were spoken by the brown-coated old gentleman. Owen, startingup, followed him into the inner office. Here Mr Fluke, nimbly takinghis seat on his high stool with his back to the desk, again asked in atesty tone, "What is it you want?" Owen stood, hat in hand, as he haddone nearly two hours before, and began briefly recounting his history.

  "Tut, tut, what's all that to me?" exclaimed the old gentleman, pushingup his spectacles, and taking a huge pinch of snuff, as he narrowlyscrutinised the boy with his sharp grey eyes. "What more have you gotto say for yourself?"

  "I did not explain, sir, as I ought to have done at first, that mymother's name was Walford, and that she was the daughter of a Miss SusanFluke, who married my grandfather, Mr Henry Walford."

  The old gentleman had not hitherto ceased kicking his legs against thehigh stool, a custom which had become habitual. He stopped, however, onhearing this, and looked more keenly than ever at Owen.

  "What proof have you got, boy, that your mother was once Susan Fluke?"he asked in a sharp tone.

  "David Rowe, who is clerk to Mr Orlando Browne the lawyer, found thename in a book which had once been my grandmother's, and left by her tomy mother, called `Sturm's Reflections.'"

  "I should like to see the book," said Mr Fluke, in a tone which showedmore interest than he had hitherto exhibited.

  "David Rowe has the book at Fenside, but I could get it sent to you,sir, if you wish to see it," said Owen.

  "I do wish to see it; I want proof of the strange story you tell me,"said the old man, taking another pinch of snuff. "And suppose it istrue, what do you want of me?"

  "I want to find employment, sir, and the means of supporting myself. Idon't wish to be a burden on Fa
rmer Rowe, the only friend I have besideJane Hayes, my old nurse."

  Mr Fluke surveyed Owen from head to foot. "What can such a boy as youdo, except run errands, or sweep out the office?" he asked in a tone ofcontempt. "What do you happen to know? Can you write? Have you anyknowledge of arithmetic?"

  "Yes, sir," said Owen, "I am tolerably well acquainted with quadraticequations; I have gone through the first six books of Euclid, and havebegun trigonometry, but have not got very far. I am pretty well up inLatin. I have read Caesar and Virgil, and a little of Horace; and inGreek, the New Testament, Xenophon, and two plays of Aeschylus; and myfather considered me well acquainted with English history andgeography."

  "Umph! a prodigy of learning!" muttered the old gentleman. "Can you dothe rule of three and sum up?--that's more to the purpose. What sort offist do you write? Can you do as well as this?" and he exhibited acrabbed scrawl barely legible.

  "I hope that my writing would be more easily read than that, sir,"answered Owen. "I could do the rule of three several years ago, and ampretty correct at summing up."

  "Umph!" repeated the old gentleman, "if I take you at your word, I mustset you down as a genius. I don't know that the learning you boast ofwill be of much use to you in the world. If, however, I find theaccount I have just heard correct, I may perhaps give you a trial. I amnot to be taken in by impostors, old or young; you will understand,therefore, that I make no promises. I am busy now and cannot spend moretime on you, so you must go. I suppose that you did not come up here byyourself?"

  "No, sir, John Howe, Farmer Rowe's eldest son, accompanied me, and iswaiting outside; if you cannot give me employment, he wants me to goback with him to Fenside."

  "Tell him to stay in town until I have seen the book, and have had timeto look into the matter," said Mr Fluke. "Where are you stopping, incase I may wish to send to you? But I am not likely to do that. Comeagain when you have got the book."

  "We are stopping at the `Green Dragon,' Bishopsgate Street, sir," saidOwen.

  "Well, write down your address and the name of your friend," and SimonFluke handed a pen to Owen, and placed a piece of paper on the deskbefore him. "Umph! a clear hand, more like a man's than a boy's,"muttered the old gentlemen to himself as he examined what Owen hadwritten. "You may go now, and remember what I told you."

  Saying this, Mr Fluke turned round on his stool, and applied himself tohis work without another parting word to Owen, who, making the best ofhis way through the office, hastened out at the door. He looked up anddown the street, wondering whether John would have got tired and goneaway, but John was too faithful a friend to do that. He had merelycrossed over the street, keeping his eye on Paul Kelson, Fluke andCompany's office. Seeing Owen, John hastened over to meet him.

  "Well, what news, Owen?" he asked, without uttering a word of complaintat the time he had been kept waiting.

  Owen described his interview with Simon Fluke.

  "Not very promising," observed John; "I suspect that Simon Fluke's heartis very like what David thought it might be, hard as a rock, or he wouldhave shown more interest in you when he heard that you were SusanFluke's grandson. However, we will do as he asks, and send for thebook, and in the meantime you and I'll go and see this big city ofLondon. There's the Tower, and Exeter Change, the British Museum, SaintPaul's, and Westminster Abbey, and other places I have heard speak of.The Tower is not far from here--we passed it as we came along; we willgo and see that first."

  On their way, however, they began to feel very hungry, and were thankfulto find an eating-house where they could satisfy their appetites. Thefare was not of the most refined character, nor were the people who camein. Two or three, seeing at a glance that John was fresh from thecountry, offered to show him and his son the way about London.

  "Maybe you'd like to take a glass for good fellowship," said one of themen who addressed him.

  But John, suspecting the object of the offer, declined it, as he didothers subsequently made him, and taking Owen by the hand, he gladly gotout of the neighbourhood. They made but a short visit to the Tower, asJohn was anxious to get back to the "Green Dragon," that he might writeto David for the book.

  "We will show it to the suspicious old gentleman, but we must take carehe does not keep it," said John. "I don't think, Owen, you must raiseyour hopes too high. If he gives you the cold shoulder, you will not beworse off than you were before, and you shall come back with me. Youwill not be left without friends while father, David, and I are alive,so cheer up whatever happens."

  John, who, although country-born and bred, had his wits about him,managed to see as many of the sights of London as he intended. Owen wasmuch interested by all he saw, and the days passed quickly by. Theimportant volume, which was, he hoped, to convince Simon Fluke of hisrelationship, safely arrived one evening, and he and John the followingmorning set off with it to Wapping. John insisted on remaining outsidewhile Owen had his interview with Simon Fluke, and ascertained whetherany employment was to be given him.

  "If I find you are comfortably settled, then I shall go home happy in mymind," said John; "if not, as I said before, you shall come back withme; I won't leave you alone in this big city."

  Owen entered the office with the book in his hand. Mr Fluke wasengaged in his private room. Mr Tarwig, the head clerk, got off hisstool to speak to him, and had Owen put a proper value on this piece ofcondescension, he would have considered it a good sign.

  "Sit down, my boy, the master will be out soon, and he has something tosay to you," said Mr Tarwig, pointing to a bench, and nodding to Owen,he returned to his seat. In a few minutes the door opened, and afine-looking seafaring man, evidently the master of a ship, came out.As he passed by he gave a glance at Owen, who heard him addressed by MrTarwig as Captain Aggett. "What a pleasant look he has," thought Owen;"I should like to be under him. I wonder if he can give me anything todo?" Mr Fluke put his head out directly afterwards, and seeing Owen,beckoned him in.

  "Well, lad, have you got the book?" he asked.

  Owen undid the parcel, and handed him the volume. The old man examinedit minutely, but Owen could detect no change in his countenance.

  "That's my handwriting, there's no doubt about it, written when I gavethe book to my cousin Susan, as she was about to marry Henry Walford,"muttered Mr Fluke to himself. He was then silent for some time,forgetting, apparently, that any one was in the room. "Have you anybooks with the name of Walford in them?" he asked, fixing his keenglance on Owen; "that would be more clear proof that you are the personwhom you say you are."

  "Yes, sir, I remember several of my mother's books which she had beforeher marriage, and others which had belonged to my grandmother, withtheir names in them; I do not know, however, whether they can berecovered. A bookseller purchased the whole of them at the sale whichtook place at the vicarage, but perhaps he has not yet disposed ofthem."

  "Boy, the books must be got at any price," exclaimed the old man, in anauthoritative tone, like that of a person not accustomed to becontradicted. "Write to your friends, and tell them to buy them all up;I will send them a cheque for the amount. We must not let them go tothe grocer's to wrap up butter and cheese."

  "I will do as you desire, sir," said Owen.

  "I am inclined to believe the account you give of yourself, boy, and youshall have a trial," said Mr Fluke; his manner was far less abrupt thanit had hitherto been, and comparatively gentle. "Go to the outeroffice, I am busy now; Mr Tarwig will look after you, and tell me whathe thinks."

  He went to the door, and summoned his head clerk.

  "Try him," said Mr Fluke, pointing to Owen.

  "Come along with me," said Mr Tarwig, and he made a sign to Owen to getup on a high stool, handing him, at the same time, the draft of aletter. "There, copy that."

  Owen transcribed it in a clear, regular hand, correcting two or threeerrors in spelling.

  "Good," said Mr Tarwig, as he glanced over it, perhaps not discoveringthe improvement in t
he latter respect. "Now cast up these figures," andhe handed him a long account.

  Owen performed the work rapidly, and when checked by Mr Tarwig, it wasfound to be perfectly correct.

  "Good," said the head clerk; "you'll do."

  He handed him several accounts in succession, and which requiredconsiderable calculation.

  "Ah me!" exclaimed Mr Tarwig, and taking the papers he actually wentacross the office to show them to his immediate surbordinate, who lookedround with a surprised glance at the young stranger.

  What "Ah me!" meant Owen could not tell, but he judged that Mr Tarwigwas satisfied with his performance. Owen had not forgotten John.

  "A friend is waiting for me outside, sir," he said; "if I am not wanted,I must rejoin him."

  "Stay and hear what Mr Fluke has got to say to you," answered MrTarwig; "or go out and call your friend in, perhaps the master may havea word to say to him."

  Owen gladly did as he desired.

  "I think they are pleased with me," he said to John; "and I understandthat Mr Fluke wants to speak to you, I suppose it is about getting backmy mother's books," and Owen related what had occurred.

  "A good sign," said John. "Things look brighter than I expected theywould, but we must not raise our hopes too high."

  Owen ushered John into the office, feeling almost at home there already.In a short time Owen and John were summoned into Mr Fluke's room.John was not prepossessed by that worthy's manner.

  "You are John Rowe, I understand," he began. "Believing this boy'saccount of himself I am going to give him a trial; if he behaves well,he will rise in this office, for there is no doubt that he possesses thetalents he boasts of. He shall come and stop at my house. Go and gethis things and bring them here, for I shall take him home with me. Nowlisten, Mr John Rowe, I want you to perform a commission for me. Hereis a cheque, you can get it cashed in the country. Buy up all the bookswith the name of Walford in them which were sold at the Fenside Vicaragesale."

  As he spoke, he handed a cheque for 10 pounds to John, adding, "Do nottell the bookseller why you want them, or he will raise the price. Buythem in your own name. If this sum is not sufficient, let me know;should it be more than you require, take it to defray the expenses youhave been at on the boy's account."

  John thanked Mr Fluke, and promised to carry out his wishes, highlypleased at what he considered Owen's good fortune.

  Owen, however, felt somewhat disappointed at not being able to spendanother evening with his friend.

  From Mr Fluke's manner, John saw that it was time to take hisdeparture, and Owen followed him to the door. John had to return withOwen's box of clothes, but there probably would not then be time for anyconversation.

  Owen sent many grateful messages to Fenside Farm. "I hope that MrFluke will let me go down and see you sometimes," he added, "for I nevercan forget all the kindness you, your father, and David have shown me,and your mother and sisters."

  "Well, if you are not happy here, mind you must tell us so, and youshall ever be welcome at Fenside," said John, as they parted.