Newton Forster; Or, The Merchant Service

by Frederick Marryat

  VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER ELEVEN.

  _Hamlet_. Is not parchment made of sheepskin? _Horatio_. Ay, my lord, and of calves' skins too. _Hamlet_. They are sheep and calves which Seek out their assurance in that-- SHAKESPEARE.

  The door opened, as intimated at the end of our last chapter, and Newtonobeyed the injunction from the lawyer's eye to follow him into the room.

  "Now, sir, your pleasure?" said Mr Forster.

  "I must introduce myself," replied Newton: "I am your nephew, NewtonForster."

  "Humph! where's your documents in proof of your assertion?"

  "I did not consider that any thing further than my word was necessary.I am the son of your brother, Nicholas Forster, who resided many yearsat Overton."

  "I never heard of Overton: Nicholas I recollect to have been the name ofmy third brother; but it is upwards of thirty years since I have seen orheard of him. I did not know whether he was alive or dead. Well, forthe sake of argument, we'll allow that you are my nephew--what then?"

  Newton coloured up at this peculiar reception. "What then, uncle?--whyI did hope that you would have been glad to have seen me; but as youappear to be otherwise, I will wish you good morning;"--and Newton movedtowards the door.

  "Stop, young man; I presume that you did not come for nothing? Beforeyou go, tell me what you came for."

  "To tell you the truth," replied Newton, with emotion, "it was to askyour assistance and your advice; but--"

  "But jumping up in a huff is not the way to obtain either. Sit down onthat chair, and tell me what you came for."

  "To request you would interest yourself in behalf of my father andmyself; we are both out of employ, and require your assistance."

  "Or probably I never should have seen you!"

  "Most probably: we knew that you were in good circumstances, andthriving in the world; and as long as we could support ourselveshonestly, should not have thrust ourselves upon you. All we wish now isthat you will, by your interest and recommendation, put us in the way ofbeing again independent by our own exertions; which we did not considertoo much to ask from a brother, and an uncle."

  "Humph!--so first you keep aloof from me, because you knew that I wasable to assist you, and now you come to me for the same reason!"

  "Had we received the least intimation from you that our presence wouldhave been welcome, you would have seen us before."

  "Perhaps so; but I did not know whether I had any relations alive."

  "Had I been in your circumstances, uncle, I should have inquired."

  "Humph!--Well, young man, as I find that I have relations, I should liketo hear a little about them;--so now tell me all about your father andyourself."

  Newton entered into a detail of the circumstances, with which the readeris already acquainted. When he had finished, his uncle, who hadlistened with profound attention, his eye fixed upon that of Newton, asif to read his inmost thoughts, said, "It appears, then, that yourfather wishes to prosecute his business as optician. I am afraid that Icannot help him. I wear spectacles certainly when I read; but this pairhas lasted me eleven years, and probably will as many more. You wish meto procure you a situation in an East Indiaman as third or fourth mate.I know nothing about the sea; I never saw it in my life; nor am I awarethat I have a sailor in my acquaintance."

  "Then, uncle, I will take my leave."

  "Not so fast, young man; you said that you wanted my _assistance_ and my_advice_. My assistance I cannot promise you for the reasons I havestated; but my advice is at your service. Is it a legal point?"

  "Not exactly, sir," replied Newton, who was mortified almost to tears;"still I must acknowledge that I now more than ever wish that thearticles were in safe keeping, and out of my hands." Newton thenentered into a detail of the trunk being picked up at sea; and statedhis having brought with him the most valuable of the property, that itmight be deposited in safe bands.

  "Humph!" observed his uncle, when he had finished. "You say that thearticles are of value."

  "Those who are judges consider the diamonds and the other articles to beworth nearly one hundred pounds; I cannot pretend to say what their realvalue is."

  "And you have had these things in your possession these seven years?"

  "I have, sir."

  "Did it never occur to you, since you have been in distress, that thesale of these articles would have assisted you?"

  "It often has occurred to me, when I have found that the little I couldearn was not sufficient for my father's support; but we had alreadydecided that the property was not _legally mine_, and I dismissed theidea as soon as I could from my thoughts. Since then I have ascertainedto whom the property belongs, and of course it has become more sacred."

  "You said a minute ago that you now more than ever wished the propertyin safe keeping. Why so?"

  "Because, disappointed in the hopes I had entertained of receiving yourassistance, I foresaw that we should have more difficulties than ever tostruggle against, and wished not to be in the way of temptation."

  "You were right. Well, then bring me those articles to-morrow, by oneo'clock precisely; I will take charge of them, and give you a receipt.Good morning, nephew; very happy to have had the pleasure of making youracquaintance. Remember me kindly to my brother, and tell him I shall behappy to see him at one, precisely."

  "Good morning, sir," replied Newton, with a faltering voice, as hehurried away to conceal his disappointment and indignation, which hefelt at this cool reception and dismissal.

  "Not _legally_ mine--humph! I like that boy," muttered the old lawyerto himself, when Newton had disappeared.--"Scratton!"

  "Yes, sir," replied the clerk, opening the door.

  "Fill up a check for five hundred pounds, self or bearer, and bring itto me to sign."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Is it this evening or to-morrow, that I attend the arbitrationmeeting?"

  "This evening, seven o'clock."

  "What is the name of the party by whom I am employed?"

  "Bosanquet, sir."

  "East India director, is he not?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Humph!--That will do."

  The clerk brought in the draft, which was put into his pocket-bookwithout being signed; his coat was then buttoned up, and Mr JohnForster repaired to the chop-house, at which for twenty-five years hehad seldom failed to make his appearance at the hour of three or four atthe latest.

  It was with a heavy heart that Newton returned to the inn in theBorough, at which he left his father, whom he found looking out ofwindow, precisely in the same seat and position where he had left him.

  "Well, Newton, my boy, did you see my brother?"

  "Yes, sir; but I am sorry to say that I have little hopes of his beingof service to us."

  Newton then entered into a narration of what had passed.

  "Why really, Newton," said his father in his single-heartedness, "I donot see such cause of despair. If he did doubt your being his nephew,how could he tell that you were? and if he had no interest with navalpeople why it's not his fault. As for my expecting him to break hisspectacles on purpose to buy new ones of me, that's too much, and itwould be foolish on his part. He said that he was very happy to havemade your acquaintance, and that he should be glad to see me. I reallydon't know what more you could expect. I will call upon him to-morrow,since he wishes it. At five o'clock precisely, don't you say?"

  "No, sir, at one."

  "Well, then, at one; those who have nothing to do must suit their hoursto those who are full of business. Recollect now, two o'clockprecisely."

  "One o'clock, sir."

  "Ay, very true, one o'clock I meant; now let's go to dinner."

  Nicholas Forster appeared in excellent spirits: and Newton, who did notlike to undeceive him, was glad to retire at an early hour, that hemight be left to his own reflections, and form some plan as to theirproceedings in consequence of this unexpected disappointment.