And then
the captain broke in upon his speech with a great laugh.
"Gad, Mr. Attorney, you have o'ershot your bolt," he cried. "Mark
you the sparkle in the boy's eyes and the catch in his breath? The
bogies you raise are beacons to him. D'you think to frighten him as
you would a girl? Spare your breath, man, to cool your porridge;
what fellow of spirit would be deterred from a life of action by
your vision of slippers and a basin of gruel?"
And indeed the lawyer's eloquence fell on deaf ears; or rather, as
the captain said, all his reasons did but whet my eagerness until I
fairly tingled with the imagined delight of matching myself against
the hostility of the elements and man. And so he at last desisted,
and gave a grudging compliance to my purpose; and Mistress
Pennyquick concluded the discussion with a shot at Captain
Galsworthy.
"This is all along o' you, Captain," she cried. "This is what comes
of teaching little boys to fight. I knew years ago 't'ud have a bad
end, and I told his poor father so, and I'm sure I hope you are
satisfied."
"Abundantly, ma'am," says the captain, bobbing her a bow. "My pupil
does me credit, and will do me more."
My preparations were soon made; indeed, I had nothing to prepare
save a few garments, which poor Becky blessed with a copious
baptism of tears. Then, one fine spring morning, when the buds on
tree and hedge were bursting and the air was full of song, I set
off on my long journey.
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