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Willum keeps up his guard stoutly, but glances for a moment towards the voice. No guard will do it, Willum, without the eye. The shepherd steps round and strikes, and the point of his stick just grazes Willum's forehead, fetching off the skin, and the blood flows, and the umpire cries, "Hold!" and poor Willum's chance is up for the day.
He tries them one after another, and very nearly gets at Willum's head by coming in near, and playing over his guard at the half-stick; but somehow Willum blunders through, catching the stick on his shoulders, neck, sides, every now and then, anywhere but on his head, and his returns are heavy and straight, and he is the youngest gamester and a favourite in the parish, and his gallant stand brings down shouts and cheers, and the knowing ones think he'll win if he keeps steady; and Tom, on the groom's shoulder, holds his hands together, and can hardly breathe for excitement.
"Captain Wopper," she suddenly exclaimed, looking up and drawing a note from her pocket, "do you know this?" I never was good at pot-hooks and hangers." "And do you know this letter?" said Emma, holding up to the seaman's eyes her uncle William's last letter to herself. The Captain looked surprised, then became suddenly red and confused. "W'y ye-es, it's Willum's, ain't it?"
However, he consoled himself with the hope that time and consideration would bring her to a right state of mind. Meanwhile he would go to the parties interested, and communicate the contents of Willum's letter. He went first to Doctor Lawrence, who was delighted as well as pleased at what it contained.
"You see, his father before him did a great deal for the poor in a quiet way here, as I have reason to know, this district lying near his office, and handy, as it were. Long after the time when he saved Willum's life, he married a sweet young creeter, who helped him in visitin' the poor, but she caught fever among 'em and died, when their only son George was about ten year old.
"Now, ma'am, I've three questions to ask: in the first place, as it's not possible now to do a good turn to old Mr Lawrence, I must do it to his son. Can you tell me where he lives?" Mrs Roby told him that it was in a street not far from where they sat, in a rather poor lodging. "Secondly, ma'am, can you tell me where Willum's sister-in-law lives, Mrs Stout, alias Stoutley?"
And ain't got tuppence in his pocket to bless hisself with, I'll go bail!" Willum's eyes followed his master's pointing thumb with contemptuous interest. "Do 'e, for sure?" he said. But Robert spoke, though both the girls were now pulling at his jacket and begging him to "come along." He spoke, and he was very angry; he said "I'm not a young duke, and I never pretended to be.
She was very good to me, that old 'oom was, when she was young, as I've told you before. You go an' give her my blessin' Willum's blessin' and this here bag and that there letter. `Yes, says I, `Willum, I'll do it, my boy, as soon as ever I set futt on British soil. I did set futt on British soil this morning, and there's the letter; also the bag; so, you see, old lady, I've kep' my promise."
Well, then, I'm Willum's buzzum friend, and, knowin' exactly what he'll say an' do in the circumstances, what more nat'ral an' proper than that Willum's chum should anticipate Willum's wishes, and advance the money some of it at least say three thousand pounds to start with. Now, Lawrence," continued Lewis, "what should we do? Should we accept this offer?
And ain't got tuppence in his pocket to bless hisself with, I'll go bail! Willum's eyes followed his master's pointing thumb with contemptuous interest. 'Do 'e, for sure? he said. But Robert spoke, though both the girls were now pulling at his jacket and begging him to 'come along'. He spoke, and he was very angry; he said: 'I'm not a young duke, and I never pretended to be.
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