Littlebourne Lock Part 21

As soon as his loud deep voice was heard, Philip got into the _Fairy_ and went across to fetch him. While this was doing the four boats got through the lock, and Rowles came back to talk to his friends.

"I suppose you can swim?" he said to Mitch.e.l.l.

"Yes; and so can my boy Albert. Swimming-baths in London, you know, where you get clean and learn to swim all in one."

"A better bath here," returned Rowles, "and nothing to pay."

He looked lovingly at the beautiful river, rippled by the soft wind into a deeper blue than the clear blue overhead. Mitch.e.l.l, too, was learning to love the Thames.

"And what are you waiting for now?" Mrs. Rowles asked.

"Why, for a friend; that is to say, Mr. Robert from the House."

"Ah, he can't get along very fast on account of his rheumatics. But he won't keep you standing about very long; and here's Mrs. Bosher's brother to fill up the time." And Rowles turned to greet the new arrival, who looked indeed big enough to fill up any amount of time or s.p.a.ce, even had he been without the great yellow rose which he wore in his b.u.t.ton-hole.

While they were in friendly talk with Mrs. Bosher's brother, the party on the eyot did not notice who was coming along the road from the village. It was a middle-aged man, who walked rather limpingly, and who made most extraordinary gestures as he approached the group. First he stood and stared, then he rubbed his eyes and stared again. Then he took out his spectacles and put them on, took them off, rubbed them, and put them on again.

He advanced a few steps, cast his hands up in the air, leaned heavily on his stick, and exclaimed under his breath, "I can't believe it! Who could have thought it? It is like a story-book!"

Then he went on a few steps further and came close behind the group, which was gathered round Mrs. Bosher's brother, listening to his loud, hearty remarks.

Rowles was the first who saw the new-comer. He looked over his shoulder and nodded. Then Mrs. Bosher's brother roared out, "Hullo!

here you are at last! How do you feel?"

And before the new-comer could reply to this greeting all the other eyes were turned upon him, with expressions of surprise and bewilderment.

"You! What brings you here?"

"What brings _you_ here?"

Mrs. Bosher's brother was the only person who remained calm. "What's the matter?" said he. "Are you old friends or old enemies?"

"It is so odd," said Mitch.e.l.l; "I can't make it out."

"Well, shake hands," cried Roberts; and he shook hands all round.

When that was over Mr. Rowles said he would like to know what it was all about, and so at last matters were explained.

"It is Daniel Roberts, who married my poor sister Nan, that died nine years come the 1st of November." While Mitch.e.l.l said this he was gazing harder than ever at Roberts.

"Why did you never tell me his name?" Mrs. Mitch.e.l.l asked of Juliet.

"I did," Juliet replied. "I always called him Mr. Robert."

"Ain't he Mr. Robert then?" asked Rowles, still perplexed.

"No," said the butler; "I am Daniel Roberts. Roberts is my surname, and Robert is not my Christian name. But some people have no ear for music, and can't hear an S when it is at the end of the word."

Mrs. Mitch.e.l.l turned to her children. "It is your Uncle Roberts. I _am_ surprised at finding him here. Why, Daniel, Mrs. Johnson said she thought it was partly owing to you that Mr. Burnet had us brought down here."

"So it was, Mary. But, mind you, I did not know it was you. That girl there, they called her Juliet, and then they talked about Juliet's father being a printer and out of health, and all that; and I thinks to myself that there was Mitch.e.l.l, poor Nan's brother, who was a printer, and I should not like to think that he was out of health and out of work, and that gave me a kind of feeling for all printers, and I put in a word for Juliet's father. But I little thought that Juliet's father was poor Nan's brother."

"Ain't you glad, man?" said Mrs. Bosher's brother, giving a squeeze to Roberts's rheumatic arm; "ain't you glad?"

"Glad--oh, it's agony!--yes, glad as I can be."

"Well, I can't make it out now!" said Mitch.e.l.l, taking off his hat to cool his head. "Just to think that Mr. Robert the butler is my brother-in-law!"

"Are you sorry, man?" roared Mrs. Bosher's brother, putting his great rose into Mitch.e.l.l's face; "are you sorry?"

"Sorry!--phew, it's delicious, but stifling--no, I'm certainly not sorry."

"Then get into the boat, and do the rest of your talking there."

They took the hint. Mrs. Bosher's brother rowed them gently down the stream to Banksome Weir, the scene of Juliet's escape, and afterwards he rowed them gently back again. He said he could do that kind of rowing in his sleep.

They were all very happy; a happy family party.

And not the least happy was Juliet Mitch.e.l.l, who had put away from her all her former follies and ill-humours, and had begun a new life of gentleness, obedience, and industry.

Mr. Burnet and Leonard pa.s.sed them in another boat, and smiled and nodded at them.

Mr. and Mrs. Webster pa.s.sed them, walking on the towing-path, and nodded and smiled at them.

Mrs. Bosher's bonnet came to see them in the evening, and nodded more than ever.

And a very kind letter came from Miss Sutton, with a hymn-book as a special present to Juliet.

THE END.