第49章

If you could have seen me, Mr. Pinch, at the head of my regiment on the coast of Africa, charging in the form of a hollow square, with the women and children and the regimental plate-chest in the centre you would not have known me for the same man. You would have respected me, sir.'

Tom had certain ideas of his own upon the subject of glory; and consequently he was not quite so much excited by this picture as Mr. Tigg could have desired.

`But no matter!' said that gentleman. `The school-boy writing home to his parents and describing the milk-and-water, said "This is indeed weakness."

I repeat that assertion in reference to myself at the present moment: and I ask your pardon. Sir, you have seen my friend Slyme?'

`No doubt,' said Mr. Pinch.

`Sir, you have been impressed by my friend Slyme?'

`Not very pleasantly, I must say,' answered Tom, after a little hesitation.

`I am grieved but not surprised,' cried Mr. Tigg, detaining him with both hands, `to hear that you have come to that conclusion; for it is my own. But, Mr. Pinch, though I am a rough and thoughtless man, I can honour Mind. I honour Mind in following my friend. To you of all men, Mr. Pinch, I have a right to make appeal on Mind's behalf, when it has not the art to push its fortune in the world. And so, sir -- not for myself, who have no claim upon you, but for my crushed, my sensitive and independent friend, who has -- I ask the loan of three half-crowns. I ask you for the loan of three half-crowns, distinctly, and without a blush. I ask it, almost as a right. And when I add that they will be returned by post, this week, I feel that you will blame me for that sordid stipulation.'

Mr. Pinch took from his pocket an old-fashioned red-leather purse with a steel clasp, which had probably once belonged to his deceased grandmother.

It held one half-sovereign and no more. All Tom's worldly wealth until next quarter-day.

`Stay!' cried Mr. Tigg, who had watched this proceeding keenly. `I vas just about to say, that for the convenience of posting you had better make it gold. Thank you. A general direction, I suppose, to Mr. Pinch at Mr. Pecksniff's, will find you?'

`That'll find me,' said Tom. `You had better put Esquire to Mr. Pecksniff's name, if you please. Direct to me, you know, at Seth Pecksniff's, Esquire.'

`At Seth Pecksniff's, Esquire,' repeated Mr. Tigg, taking an exact note of it with a stump of pencil. `We said this week, I believe?'

`Yes: or Monday will do,' observed Tom.

`No, no, I beg your pardon. Monday will not do,' said Mr. Tigg.

`If we stipulated for this week, Saturday is the latest day. Did we stipulate for this week?'

`Since you are so particular about it,' said Tom, `I think we did.'

Mr. Tigg added this condition to his memorandum; read the entry over to himself with a severe frown; and that the transaction might be the more correct and business-like, appended his initials to the whole. That done, he assured Mr. Pinch that everything was now perfectly regular; and, after squeezing his hand with g.eat fervour, departed.

Tom entertained enough suspicion that Martin might possibly turn this interview into a jest, to render him desirous to avoid the company of that young gentleman for the present. With this view he took a few turns up and down the skittle-ground, and did not re-enter the house until Mr. Tigg and his friend had quitted it, and the new pupil and Mark were watching their departure from one of the windows.

`I was just a-saying, sir, that if one could live by it,' observed Mark, pointing after their late guests, `that would be the sort of service for me. Waiting on such individuals as them would be better than grave-digging, sir.'

`And staying here would be better than either, Mark,' replied Tom. `So take my advice, and continue to swim easily in smooth water.'

`It's too late to take it now, sir,' said Mark. `I have broke it to her, sir. I am off to-morrow morning.'

`Off!' cried Mr. Pinch, `where to?'

`I shall go up to London, sir.'

`What to be?' asked Mr. Pinch.

`Well! I don't know yet, sir. Nothing turned up that day I opened my mind to you, as was at all likely to suit me. All them trades I thought of was a deal too jolly; there was no credit at all to be got in any of 'em. I must look for a private service, I suppose, sir. I might be brought out strong, perhaps, in a serious family, Mr. Pinch.'

`Perhaps you might come out rather too strong for a serious family's taste, Mark.'

`That's possible, sir. If I could get into a wicked family, I might do myself justice: but the difficulty is to make sure of one's ground, because a young man can't very well advertise that he wants a place, and wages an't so much an object as a wicked situation; can he, sir?'

`Why, no,' said Mr. Pinch, `I don't think he can.'

`An envious family,' pursued Mark, with a thoughtful face; `or a quarrelsome family, or a malicious family, or even a good out-and-out mean family, would open a field of action as I might do something in. The man as would have suited me of all other men was that old gentleman as was took ill here, for he really was a trying customer. Howsever, I must wait and see what turns up, sir; and hope for the worst.'

`You are determined to go then?' said Mr. Pinch.

`My box is gone already, sir, by the waggon, and I'm going to walk on to-morrow morning, and get a lift by the day coach when it overtakes me.

So I wish you good-bye, Mr. Pinch -- and you too, sir, -- and all good luck and happiness!'

They both returned his greeting laughingly, and walked home arm-in-arm.

Mr. Pinch imparting to his new friend, as they went, such further particulars of Mark Tapley's whimsical restlessness as the reader is already acquainted with.