When London Burned

ed his shop. "I have been thinking of the news you gave me last week, a

ow in Holborn," Cyril replie

r to make a change after a loss. I don't want to interfere in your b

ow a soul in London s

o work and made their way without a friend to help them as you have done; it shows that there is right good stuff in you. There, I am so long getting under weigh that I shall never get into port if I don't steer a straight course. Now, my ideas and my wife's come to this: if you have got no friends you will have to take a lodging somewhere among strangers, and then it would be one of two things-you would either stop at home and mope by yourself, or you would go out, and maybe get

ould like; but of course I should wish to pay you for my board. I can

kes and the two apprentices, and one mouth extra will make but little difference. I don't want it to be a matter of ob

t tell you what a load your kind offer takes off

; they have heard me speak of you so often that they will be glad to see you. In the first place, though, I mu

yril, sir-Cyr

A motherly looking woman rose from the seat where sh

you about. His name is Cyril; he has accepted the proposal we talked ov

was bothered nearly out of his wits; he used to sit here worrying over his books, and writing from the time the shop closed till the hour for bed, and Nellie

Captain Dave has been good enough to make me. You cannot tell the pleasure it has given me, for you cannot understand how lonely and friendle

e into the room. She was a pretty

ather's assistant, Nel

u. Father has been praising you up to the skies so often that

Mistress Nellie, and makes far more

o live with us, mo

has accepted you

lapped h

go into the fields; but I want to go sometimes to see the fashions, and there is no one to take me, for John Wilkes always goes off to smoke a pipe with so

hough I fear that I shall make but a poor escort, for indeed

, nodding approvingly. "Is it true that you ha

ed almost all my

you spea

k it as well

been very ha

e to me naturally,

hen he has done that, to go and pack up his things and see that they are brought here b

move took him but a short time, and two hours later he was installed in a little attic in the ship-chand

ahoy! Suppe

ok her seat at the head; her husband sat on one side of her, and Nellie on the other. John Wilkes sat next to his mast

," Captain Dave said. "We have

have been short-handed in that respect; bu

ng up the log, and keeping the reckoning, I make but a poor hand at it. It was getting to be as ba

And what a trouble there was with

brush with a Barbary corsair. I shall never forget that day. Wh

r voyage?' said the littlest of the

the supercargo got killed at Lemn

m-he was a prim, sanctimonious sor

us, says I, but we left him sure

d you manage

, and I have brought back a freight of six tons of Turkey figs, and f

ht the books wit

the best I could at each port. The books are on board, made out up to the day before the

I said I had not bothered about invoices. I knew pretty well the prices such things cost in England. I clapped on so much more for the expenses of the voyage and a fair profit. I could tell them what I had paid for the figs and the currants, and for some bags of Smyrna sponges I had bought, but a

mad. The sanctimonious partner was the worst of the lot. He threatened me with th

hire of the ship. I will pay you for them and settle up with the crew, and take the cargo and sell it. That is a fair offer. And I adv

n they saw that I was in earnest, and they just sat as mum as

would wrong us; but no merchant in the City of London could hear that his business had been conducted in such a way as

id; and if there hasn't been reason a

oat on again, Captain, and l

n hour they were busy reckoning up figures; then they opened the bags and counted up the gold we had brought home. Well, when they had done, you would hardly have known them for the same men. First of all, they went through all their calculations agai

I may almost say very satisfactory, and that you must have disposed of the goods to much advantage. It has been a new and somewhat extraordinary way of

in the stream just above the Tower. You will find her in order and shipshape; but never again d

ten days later I started for the Levant again in comma

rines, and I reckon there are some of the poor fellows working as slaves there now; for though Blake did blow the place pretty nigh out of

ur story, that you can manage very well

clear and above board. But it is a different thing in this ship altogether, when, instead of paying down on the nail for what they get, you h

father. You have been talking e

s at once retired. Cyril would have don

he officers of the ship, and we shall be always glad to have you here, though of

e times a week to work

shall be glad indeed

ell what a pleasure i

home lik

g before John

ht mine till he goes. I can't persuade him to take his with m

en mother's friends or mine come in they are well-nigh choked; they are not accustome

ball and other circumstances have made a trader of me, sorely against my will; and if I could not have my pipe and my glass of grog here I wou

ite right to go out to take his pipe. And I must say I think so too. You know that when you have se

n't want to turn your

l things. I suppose y

ri

n France it is the fashion to take snuff, but the habit seemed to me

for some time, "that after living in sight of the s

hat they could not even write their own names. My thoughts have turned rather to the Army; and when I get older I think of entering some foreign service, either that of Sweden or of one of the Protestant German pr

sword, Cyril?" Nel

ng," Cyril replied, "and hop

ed with this mode of life

But rather than settle down for life as a city scrivener, I would go down to the river

band tells me how clever you are at figures, and you might some

would ill suit me. I have truly a great desire to ear

of money, Cyril?" Nellie laughed, while

, "and though I know well enough that it is not likely I shall ever d

ugh I did hear that you were the son of a Royalist. It is a worthy ambition, boy, thou

but he was one of the many who sold their estates for far less than their value in order to raise money in the King's service, and, as you are aware, none of those who did so have been reinstated, but only those who, having had their land taken from them by Parliament, recovered them becau

nfair," Nellie s

value, to be turned out again unless they received their money back. It is not easy to see where that money could come from, for assuredly the

now how you stand, I blame, you in no way that you long more for a life of adventure than to settle dow

ht, though it was easy enough to see that his manners accord not with his present position. Still

tirring employment; but it was always my father's wish and intention that, should there be no chance of his

d to any work that may come to you. You have shown a manly spirit, my boy, and I honour you for it; and by St. Anthony I believe

and then betook himself to bed. After he had

n of a Knight, it would be more becoming to give him the ro

sailor

to live, and I fancy that he has fared no better since he came home. His father would never have consented to his going out to earn money by keeping the accounts of little city traders like myself had it not been that he was driven to it by want. No, no, wife; let the boy go on as he is, and make no difference in any way. I liked him before, and I like him all the better now, for putting his gentlemanship in his pocket and setting manfully to work instead of hanging on the skirts of some Royalist who has fared better than his fath

scorted by him instead of having your apprentice, Robert Ashford, in attendance

myself for him; he never seems to look one well in the face, which, I take it, is always a bad sign. I know no harm of him; but when his

gular in his ways; he goes twice every Sunday to the Church o

ptain

ut having heard it. I have my doubts whether he goes as regularly to St.

administrations of Mr.

parson is not one o

foremost. However, I don't suppose there is much harm in the lad, and it may be that his failure to look one in the face is not so much his f

ned. He blamed himself sometimes during the first fortnight of his stay here for the feeling of light-heartedness that at times came over him. He had loved his father in spite of his faults, and should, he told himself, have felt deeply depressed at his loss; but nature was too strong for him. The pleasant evenings with Captain Dave and his family were to him delightful; he was like a traveller who, after a cold and cheerless journey, comes in to the warmth of a fire, and

l," she would argue, "and

carry their swords, which indeed are necessary to protect them from the ruffians who, in spite of the city watch, oftentimes attack quiet passers-by; and if at any time I escort you to the house of one of your friends, I shall be ready to take my sword with me. But in t

young mistress when she went out, and had no doubt liked these expeditions, as a change from the measuring out of ropes and weighing of iron in the store. Then, again, the apprentices did not join in the conversation at table unless a remark was specially addressed to them; and as Captain Dave was by no means fon

tice him as he passed through the shop, were sufficient indications of ill-will. The younger apprentice, Tom Frost, was but a boy of fifteen; he gave Cyril the idea of being a timid lad. He did not appear to share

d not attempt such a thing as that, though I am by no means certain that Robert Ashford, with his foxy face and cross eyes, would not steal his master's goods or any one else's did he get the chance. U

one afternoon when his employer came in

ced up to to-day. Here is the book of goods sold, the book of goods received, and the ledger with t

th a stock-book?"

he year; but unless you have a stock-book you do not know whether the difference between the receipts and expenditure represents pro

Dave asked. "I get a fair

ver, if there is a stock-book you can tell at any time, without the trouble of opening bins and wei

ld you d

ve a page or more to itself, and every day I should enter from John Wilkes's sales-book a list of the goods that have gone out, each under its own

ce. It was only yesterday John Wilkes was say

ave. I suppose you have got the account of

onderful lot of trouble to do, and I had a clerk and two men in for a fortnight, for of course John and the boys were attending to their usu

, sir; it is a trouble, no doubt, bu

you think it n

ave. You will see the ad

he Captain said, with a sigh; "but it will be giving

will be a simple matter to keep the daily work straight. I shall

had some books that he wanted to make up in his room before go

ead and said he would assuredly injure

ibing under their different heads the amount of each description of goods kept in stock at the last stock-taking, and then entered under their respective heads all the sales that