CHAPTER XXIX
_Of the moon's message to Small Porges, and how he told it to Bellew--ina whisper_
Bellew walked on at a good pace with his back turned resolutely towardsthe House of Dapplemere, and thus, as he swung into that narrow, grassylane that wound away between trees, he was much surprised to hear adistant hail. Facing sharp about he espied a diminutive figure whosesmall legs trotted very fast, and whose small fist waved aweather-beaten cap.
Bellew's first impulse was to turn, and run. But Bellew rarely acted onimpulse; therefore, he set down the bulging portmanteau, seated himselfupon it, and taking out pipe and tobacco, waited for his pursuer tocome up.
"Oh Uncle Porges!" panted a voice, "you did walk so awful fast, an' Icalled, an' called, but you never heard. An' now, please,--where areyou going?"
"Going," said Bellew, searching through his pockets for a match, "going,my Porges, why--er--for a stroll, to be sure,--just a walk beforebreakfast, you know."
"But then--why have you brought your bag?"
"Bag!" repeated Bellew, stooping down to look at it, "why--so--I have!"
"Please--why?" persisted Small Porges, suddenly anxious. "Why didyou--bring it?"
"Well, I expect it was to--er--to bear me company. But how is it you areout so very early, my Porges?"
"Why, I couldn't sleep, last night, you know, 'cause I kept on thinking,and thinking 'bout the fortune. So I got up--in the middle of the night,an' dressed myself, an' sat in the big chair by the window, an' lookedat the Money Moon. An' I stared at it, an' stared at it till a wonderfulthing happened,--an' what do you s'pose?"
"I don't know."
"Well,--all at once, while I stared up at it, the moon changed itselfinto a great, big face; but I didn't mind a bit, 'cause it was a verynice sort of face,--rather like a gnome's face, only without the beard,you know. An' while I looked at it, it talked to me, an' it told me alot of things,--an' that's how I know that you are--going away, 'causeyou are, you know,--aren't you?"
"Why, my Porges," said Bellew, fumbling with his pipe, "why Shipmate,I--since you ask me--I am."
"Yes, I was 'fraid the moon was right," said Small Porges, and turnedaway. But Bellew had seen the stricken look in his eyes, therefore hetook Small Porges in the circle of his big arm, and holding him thus,explained to him how that in this great world each of us must walk hisappointed way, and that there must, and always will be, partings, butthat also there must and always shall be, meetings:
"And so, my Porges, if we have to say 'Good-bye' now,--the sooner weshall meet again,--some day--somewhere."
But Small Porges only sighed, and shook his head in hopeless dejection.
"Does--she--know you're going,--I mean my Auntie Anthea?"
"Oh yes, she knows, Porges."
"Then I s'pose that's why she was crying so, in the night--"
"Crying?"
"Yes;--she's cried an awful lot lately, hasn't she? Last night,--when Iwoke up, you know, an' couldn't sleep, I went into her room, an' she wascrying--with her face hidden in the pillow, an' her hair allabout her--"
"Crying!"
"Yes; an' she said she wished she was dead. So then, a course, I triedto comfort her, you know. An' she said 'I'm a dreadful failure, Georgydear, with the farm, an' everything else. I've tried to be a father andmother to you, an' I've failed in that too,--so now, I'm going to giveyou a real father,'--an' she told me she was going to marry--Mr.Cassilis. But I said 'No'--'cause I'd 'ranged for her to marry you an'live happy ever after. But she got awful angry again an' said she'dnever marry you if you were the last man in the world--'cause she'spised you so--"
"And that would seem to--settle it!" nodded Bellew gloomily, "so it's'Good-bye' my Porges! We may as well shake hands now, and get it over,"and Bellew rose from the portmanteau, and sighing, held out his hand.
"Oh!--but wait a minute!" cried Small Porges eagerly, "I haven't toldyou what the Moon said to me, last night--"
"Ah!--to be sure, we were forgetting that!" said Bellew with an absentlook, and a trifle wearily.
"Why then--please sit down again, so I can speak into your ear, 'causewhat the Moon told me to tell you was a secret, you know."
So, perforce, Bellew re-seated himself upon his portmanteau, and drawingSmall Porges close, bent his head down to the anxious little face; andso, Small Porges told him exactly what the Moon had said. And the Moon'smessage, (whatever it was), seemed to be very short, and concise, (asall really important messages should be); but these few words had awondrous, and magical effect upon George Bellew. For a moment he staredwide-eyed at Small Porges like one awaking from a dream, then the gloomvanished from his brow, and he sprang to his feet. And, being upon hisfeet, he smote his clenched fist down into the palm of his hand with aresounding smack.
"By heaven!" he exclaimed, and took a turn to and fro across the widthof the lane, and seeing Small Porges watching him, caught him suddenlyup in his arms, and hugged him.
"And the moon will be at the full, tonight!" said he. Thereafter he sathim down upon his portmanteau again, with Small Porges upon his knee,and they talked confidentially together with their heads very closetogether and in muffled tones.
When, at last, Bellew rose, his eyes were bright and eager, and hissquare chin, prominent, and grimly resolute.
"So--you quite understand, my Porges?"
"Yes, yes--Oh I understand!"
"Where the little bridge spans the brook,--the trees are thicker,there."
"Aye aye, Captain!"
"Then--fare thee well, Shipmate! Goodbye, my Porges,--and remember!"
So they clasped hands, very solemnly, Big Porges, and Small Porges, andturned each his appointed way, the one up, the other down, the lane. Butlo! as they went Small Porges' tears were banished quite; and Bellewstrode upon his way, his head held high, his shoulders squared, like onein whom Hope has been newborn.
The Money Moon: A Romance Page 29
