The Shipwreck Page 2

  CHAPTER II.

  Sad Tidings.

  A very few moments after Willy with the help of Peppo had climbed thegarden wall the bell called Brother Onufrio to the door. There stood astranger. He wore a cap marked with a golden anchor and inquired foran Irish lad named Willy Brown.

  "Yes, Willy is here. You are his father, are you not? For days he hastalked of nothing but your coming. He will be so pleased to see you.Come in, Captain, I'll announce your arrival to the Father Prefect, andcall Willy."

  With these words the Brother showed the Captain into the smallreception-room near the door, and would have left quickly had not thestranger motioned him to wait.

  "Hm,--hm,--my coming," he said, "will not give the boy so much pleasureas you think. I am not his father but his guardian. His father diedsuddenly last week at sea."

  "Oh, how sad! And the poor child knows nothing of it," sighed theBrother. "I'll first speak to the Father Prefect in private; he mustprepare him somewhat for this sad news. Wait a moment. Father Somazzowill be here immediately."

  The Captain gave the gray-haired man a sinister look as he left theroom, then muttered to himself: "Prepared! As if such a piece of newscould have much effect on a healthy child. If it would only frightenhim to death.--Well, there'd be no great damage done. Then I'd havehis inheritance--which is really not a trifling sum--instead of beingmerely the administrator, and my creditors would not be driving mealmost out of my senses. If his father had only given me a lump sum ofat least ten thousand pounds, as I begged him to do before hedied!--Our ship will be confiscated in Melbourne. The 'St. George'does not belong to me but to my nephew, my ward.--Oh, if I only knewhow to get myself out of this predicament! One fortunate thing hashappened since the death of my brother. I have managed to get all thebooks and accounts out of the way, and perhaps things will go better,if I once get the boy in my power." These were the thoughts whichoccupied the mind of John Brown, as, with downcast eyes and sullenmien, he paced up and down the reception-room.

  John Brown was the younger brother of George Brown, Willy's father.Both men had received from their parents, in Dublin, a large amount ofmoney, but they had not managed it equally well. George, choosing togo to sea had invested his in a merchantman, and in a short timethrough prosperous voyages to the Indian and Chinese Seas doubled hiscapital. In Hongkong he married a Catholic maiden, who unfortunatelydied, leaving a child, Willy, now barely eight years old. Inaccordance with her last wish this child was taken to the MissionaryCollege of the Holy Saviour to be educated. Here the father hadfrequent opportunities of seeing him, as his trading expeditions oftentook him to Hongkong. The reports of the child's progress and behaviorwere always good, and he seemed so happy and contented that the fatherquestioned the advisability of taking him to a larger Europeaninstitution, especially as Willy begged to remain where he was.Oftentimes the Captain took his little son with him on short trips tothe neighboring ports of Canton and Malacca; and for one of these Willywas now hoping, as his father was just returning from a voyage toIreland. But instead of the father, there came the uncle, whom he hadnever seen, and of whose existence he did not even know, bringing thesad news of the death of George Brown.

  John Brown was a man of an altogether different stamp, and had lived analtogether different life. Possessed of a passion for drinking andgambling he had indulged in riotous living until he made an end of hispatrimony, then appealed to his brother to pay his debts. In order tosave the family name from disgrace George furnished him money, but theappeals for more were so constant that he was obliged to give no heedto them or else ruin himself. On the occasion of his last visit toDublin he found his brother in trouble, and, to escape the chargespreferred against him in the criminal courts, took him with him on whatproved to be his last voyage. Captain Brown died a few days out fromHongkong and was buried at sea.

  John Brown was innocent of his brother's death, and so the officers andcrew of the "St. George" believed, yet the death came so suddenly andopportunely that it gave grounds for suspicion. John was leftadministrator of the estate of his nephew, and, directly on landing inHongkong, had himself, as next of kin, appointed Willy's guardian, withthe idea of taking him with him on board the "St. George." But how toget him away from the school in the middle of the term was a puzzlingquestion.

  Father Somazzo appeared in the doorway and greeted the strangerpolitely, but with utmost reserve. "You are the brother of theesteemed Captain Brown, the father of dear little Willy," began thepriest, noting as he spoke the dark features of the man and thestriking resemblance which he bore to his brother.

  "I am the Captain's younger brother and the guardian of his son.George died at sea last week, as the door-keeper undoubtedly told you,"said the man with a stiff bow. "How is my nephew? Is he doing well?Is he advanced sufficiently so that he can take business training orhave the schooling of life at sea prove of value to him?"

  "We are much pleased with Willy and the progress he is making,"answered Father Somazzo, inviting the stranger to be seated. "He is agood, pious child, only somewhat stubborn and capable of playing madtricks at times. Just now he has been guilty of disobedience for whichwe would punish him, were it not that he must be told of the death ofhis father. That, of course, drives away all thought of harshtreatment."

  "What has my nephew been doing?"

  "Oh, nothing so very bad. He climbed to the dome of the Cathedral onthe scaffolding, or, rather worse than that, he went after beingexpressly forbidden to go. Of course, he did it--he can in a measurebe excused--out of love of his father, whose ship--"

  "Is that the careless way in which you watch over the boys in thisinstitution?" interrupted the Captain. "On a bright day like this canyour pupils climb the scaffolding on that dome at will without beingstopped? Now, what if my nephew, for whose welfare I, as guardian,have a care, had fallen headlong and been killed or crippled for life?My dear Father, that decides me right now to take my nephew out of yourinstitution immediately."

  "Captain Brown, before I give the boy over to your care you must giveproof of being his guardian. And, then, too, before taking such a rashstep you ought to consider well what is for his best interest. Hisrevered father would have sanctioned no such thing as this; yourreasons for taking him away from here are groundless. He is neitherready to go into business, nor into training on shipboard, and what ismore has no desire for any such thing. Of that I'm very sure."

  Father Somazzo spoke very quietly and firmly, yet not without anger, ashe scrutinized the man before him, and pictured what Willy's life wouldbe on board the "St. George."

  Captain Brown gave the priest a wicked look and said sarcastically:"Indeed, my ward is to be neither a sea-faring man nor a businessman--but a priest, I suppose, in which case you would inherit the notunimportant property which has been left him by his father?--Oh, do notlook so angry--holy intentions of such a sort as that are not unheardof. That is another reason for my taking the boy away from yourinfluence. Here is the official proof that I am his guardian, and Iwish him given over to me at once."

  Father Somazzo examined the paper. It was legal, therefore he couldnot refuse the request, but he asked permission to keep the child untilthe following day to comfort him as much as he could over the death ofhis father. The Captain objected and Willy was sent for. Frightenedand with tears streaming from his eyes he was led into thereception-room by Brother Onufrio. At sight of his uncle he screamed,"I won't go, I won't go with him," and buried his face in FatherSomazzo's skirts. "Father, send the bad man away that says he is myuncle, and that my father is dead. He doesn't tell the truth. I haveno uncle. My father never told me anything at all about having anuncle. And see what wicked eyes he has. I don't want to, and I won'tgo with him."

  With difficulty Father Somazzo quieted the child, saying:

  "God knows that I am willing to keep you here, Willy, but youruncle--the Captain is your uncle, even though you never have seen orheard of him--has control over you,
and you owe obedience to him in allthings which are not sinful. Go with him, and may God and his guardianangels watch over you. We will pray to the Blessed Virgin for you, andI hope she will safely bring you back to us. Perhaps you will comesooner than you think for."

  Blessing the boy the priest sprinkled him with holy water and then gavehim over to the Captain, saying:

  "Only because I am compelled to, Captain, do I give this boy into yourcare. He is good and innocent. Bear in mind that from now on you areaccountable to God for his soul."

  The Captain muttered something which could not be understood and triedto make an end to the scene. He took the boy by the arm, made a stiffbow, and stepped to the door. Here, on hearing the news that Willy wasabout to leave the school, most of his companions had assembled to bidhim good-bye. Many shed tears, and Peppo, at the last moment, cameflying in breathless. "Oh, Willy, Willy," he cried embracing him,"never, never shall I forget how good you were to me. Who will protectme now when they all tease me?"

  "Oh, but you are all here together and like each other so much,"answered Willy. "Who is going to protect me from this bad man?" Thelast words he whispered in the ear of his little friend.

  "Your holy guardian angel," he answered, "and we will all pray for you."

  "Come on, nephew, I don't want to stay here any longer," urged theCaptain, and a moment later the two had left the College of the HolySaviour and were out in the street.

  Immediately after their departure Father Somazzo called his pupils intothe chapel and there they commended their small companion to theBlessed Virgin and the holy guardian angels. Of all there assembledsmall Peppo prayed most earnestly.

  "O holy guardian angel, thou who art my protector," he said in hischildish simplicity, "Willy will now have need of two guardian angelsinstead of one, if God will permit, go and help Willy's guardian angelto protect him from the bad man who has taken him away. You see herewhere I am the good Fathers will watch over me, and it will be enoughif each day you but look at me and then fly away to Willy. But, dearangel, come to me when I am in danger and call for help."

  After this the boys returned to the schoolroom, and as soon as theywere at work, Father Somazzo took his hat and walking-stick and went tothe city to consult Mr. Black, an English lawyer. To him he stated thecase assuring the learned gentleman that the father would not willinglyhave placed his child under the guardianship of this younger brother,who was a gambler and a spendthrift, and asked if there was any way ofgetting the boy a way from him. Mr. Black said that according to lawthe uncle, as next of kin, could claim the guardianship of hisbrother's children, and unless sufficient proof that he was not a fitperson to have such guardianship could be secured immediately, monthsmight elapse before he could be taken from him. At the time of ourstory Hongkong was not connected with Europe by telegraph, as it nowis, and it took from eight to ten weeks to communicate with people inDublin.