CHAPTER XXI--A RECOGNITION
Nothing occurred in the night to flutter the tired dove; and the dovearose refreshed. With Mr. Grewgious, when the clock struck ten in themorning, came Mr. Crisparkle, who had come at one plunge out of the riverat Cloisterham.
'Miss Twinkleton was so uneasy, Miss Rosa,' he explained to her, 'andcame round to Ma and me with your note, in such a state of wonder, that,to quiet her, I volunteered on this service by the very first train to becaught in the morning. I wished at the time that you had come to me; butnow I think it best that you did _as_ you did, and came to yourguardian.'
'I did think of you,' Rosa told him; 'but Minor Canon Corner was so nearhim--'
'I understand. It was quite natural.'
'I have told Mr. Crisparkle,' said Mr. Grewgious, 'all that you told melast night, my dear. Of course I should have written it to himimmediately; but his coming was most opportune. And it was particularlykind of him to come, for he had but just gone.'
'Have you settled,' asked Rosa, appealing to them both, 'what is to bedone for Helena and her brother?'
'Why really,' said Mr. Crisparkle, 'I am in great perplexity. If evenMr. Grewgious, whose head is much longer than mine, and who is a wholenight's cogitation in advance of me, is undecided, what must I be!'
The Unlimited here put her head in at the door--after having rapped, andbeen authorised to present herself--announcing that a gentleman wishedfor a word with another gentleman named Crisparkle, if any such gentlemanwere there. If no such gentleman were there, he begged pardon for beingmistaken.
'Such a gentleman is here,' said Mr. Crisparkle, 'but is engaged justnow.'
'Is it a dark gentleman?' interposed Rosa, retreating on her guardian.
'No, Miss, more of a brown gentleman.'
'You are sure not with black hair?' asked Rosa, taking courage.
'Quite sure of that, Miss. Brown hair and blue eyes.'
'Perhaps,' hinted Mr. Grewgious, with habitual caution, 'it might be wellto see him, reverend sir, if you don't object. When one is in adifficulty or at a loss, one never knows in what direction a way out maychance to open. It is a business principle of mine, in such a case, notto close up any direction, but to keep an eye on every direction that maypresent itself. I could relate an anecdote in point, but that it wouldbe premature.'
'If Miss Rosa will allow me, then? Let the gentleman come in,' said Mr.Crisparkle.
The gentleman came in; apologised, with a frank but modest grace, for notfinding Mr. Crisparkle alone; turned to Mr. Crisparkle, and smilinglyasked the unexpected question: 'Who am I?'
'You are the gentleman I saw smoking under the trees in Staple Inn, a fewminutes ago.'
'True. There I saw you. Who else am I?'
Mr. Crisparkle concentrated his attention on a handsome face, muchsunburnt; and the ghost of some departed boy seemed to rise, graduallyand dimly, in the room.
The gentleman saw a struggling recollection lighten up the Minor Canon'sfeatures, and smiling again, said: 'What will you have for breakfast thismorning? You are out of jam.'
'Wait a moment!' cried Mr. Crisparkle, raising his right hand. 'Give meanother instant! Tartar!'
The two shook hands with the greatest heartiness, and then went thewonderful length--for Englishmen--of laying their hands each on theother's shoulders, and looking joyfully each into the other's face.
'My old fag!' said Mr. Crisparkle.
'My old master!' said Mr. Tartar.
'You saved me from drowning!' said Mr. Crisparkle.
'After which you took to swimming, you know!' said Mr. Tartar.
'God bless my soul!' said Mr. Crisparkle.
'Amen!' said Mr. Tartar.
And then they fell to shaking hands most heartily again.
'Imagine,' exclaimed Mr. Crisparkle, with glistening eyes: 'Miss Rosa Budand Mr. Grewgious, imagine Mr. Tartar, when he was the smallest ofjuniors, diving for me, catching me, a big heavy senior, by the hair ofthe head, and striking out for the shore with me like a water-giant!'
'Imagine my not letting him sink, as I was his fag!' said Mr. Tartar.'But the truth being that he was my best protector and friend, and did memore good than all the masters put together, an irrational impulse seizedme to pick him up, or go down with him.'
'Hem! Permit me, sir, to have the honour,' said Mr. Grewgious, advancingwith extended hand, 'for an honour I truly esteem it. I am proud to makeyour acquaintance. I hope you didn't take cold. I hope you were notinconvenienced by swallowing too much water. How have you been since?'
It was by no means apparent that Mr. Grewgious knew what he said, thoughit was very apparent that he meant to say something highly friendly andappreciative.
If Heaven, Rosa thought, had but sent such courage and skill to her poormother's aid! And he to have been so slight and young then!
'I don't wish to be complimented upon it, I thank you; but I think I havean idea,' Mr. Grewgious announced, after taking a jog-trot or two acrossthe room, so unexpected and unaccountable that they all stared at him,doubtful whether he was choking or had the cramp--'I _think_ I have anidea. I believe I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Tartar's name astenant of the top set in the house next the top set in the corner?'
'Yes, sir,' returned Mr. Tartar. 'You are right so far.'
'I am right so far,' said Mr. Grewgious. 'Tick that off;' which he did,with his right thumb on his left. 'Might you happen to know the name ofyour neighbour in the top set on the other side of the party-wall?'coming very close to Mr. Tartar, to lose nothing of his face, in hisshortness of sight.
'Landless.'
'Tick that off,' said Mr. Grewgious, taking another trot, and then comingback. 'No personal knowledge, I suppose, sir?'
'Slight, but some.'
'Tick that off,' said Mr. Grewgious, taking another trot, and againcoming back. 'Nature of knowledge, Mr. Tartar?'
'I thought he seemed to be a young fellow in a poor way, and I asked hisleave--only within a day or so--to share my flowers up there with him;that is to say, to extend my flower-garden to his windows.'
'Would you have the kindness to take seats?' said Mr. Grewgious. 'I_have_ an idea!'
They complied; Mr. Tartar none the less readily, for being all abroad;and Mr. Grewgious, seated in the centre, with his hands upon his knees,thus stated his idea, with his usual manner of having got the statementby heart.
'I cannot as yet make up my mind whether it is prudent to hold opencommunication under present circumstances, and on the part of the fairmember of the present company, with Mr. Neville or Miss Helena. I havereason to know that a local friend of ours (on whom I beg to bestow apassing but a hearty malediction, with the kind permission of my reverendfriend) sneaks to and fro, and dodges up and down. When not doing sohimself, he may have some informant skulking about, in the person of awatchman, porter, or such-like hanger-on of Staple. On the other hand,Miss Rosa very naturally wishes to see her friend Miss Helena, and itwould seem important that at least Miss Helena (if not her brother too,through her) should privately know from Miss Rosa's lips what hasoccurred, and what has been threatened. Am I agreed with generally inthe views I take?'
'I entirely coincide with them,' said Mr. Crisparkle, who had been veryattentive.
'As I have no doubt I should,' added Mr. Tartar, smiling, 'if Iunderstood them.'
'Fair and softly, sir,' said Mr. Grewgious; 'we shall fully confide inyou directly, if you will favour us with your permission. Now, if ourlocal friend should have any informant on the spot, it is tolerably clearthat such informant can only be set to watch the chambers in theoccupation of Mr. Neville. He reporting, to our local friend, who comesand goes there, our local friend would supply for himself, from his ownprevious knowledge, the identity of the parties. Nobody can be set towatch all Staple, or to concern himself with comers and goers to othersets of chambers: unless, indeed, mine.'
'I begin to understand to what you tend,' said Mr. Crisparkle, 'andhighly ap
prove of your caution.'
'I needn't repeat that I know nothing yet of the why and wherefore,' saidMr. Tartar; 'but I also understand to what you tend, so let me say atonce that my chambers are freely at your disposal.'
'There!' cried Mr. Grewgious, smoothing his head triumphantly, 'now wehave all got the idea. You have it, my dear?'
'I think I have,' said Rosa, blushing a little as Mr. Tartar lookedquickly towards her.
'You see, you go over to Staple with Mr. Crisparkle and Mr. Tartar,' saidMr. Grewgious; 'I going in and out, and out and in alone, in my usualway; you go up with those gentlemen to Mr. Tartar's rooms; you look intoMr. Tartar's flower-garden; you wait for Miss Helena's appearance there,or you signify to Miss Helena that you are close by; and you communicatewith her freely, and no spy can be the wiser.'
'I am very much afraid I shall be--'
'Be what, my dear?' asked Mr. Grewgious, as she hesitated. 'Notfrightened?'
'No, not that,' said Rosa, shyly; 'in Mr. Tartar's way. We seem to beappropriating Mr. Tartar's residence so very coolly.'
'I protest to you,' returned that gentleman, 'that I shall think thebetter of it for evermore, if your voice sounds in it only once.'
Rosa, not quite knowing what to say about that, cast down her eyes, andturning to Mr. Grewgious, dutifully asked if she should put her hat on?Mr. Grewgious being of opinion that she could not do better, she withdrewfor the purpose. Mr. Crisparkle took the opportunity of giving Mr.Tartar a summary of the distresses of Neville and his sister; theopportunity was quite long enough, as the hat happened to require alittle extra fitting on.
Mr. Tartar gave his arm to Rosa, and Mr. Crisparkle walked, detached, infront.
'Poor, poor Eddy!' thought Rosa, as they went along.
Mr. Tartar waved his right hand as he bent his head down over Rosa,talking in an animated way.
'It was not so powerful or so sun-browned when it saved Mr. Crisparkle,'thought Rosa, glancing at it; 'but it must have been very steady anddetermined even then.'
Mr. Tartar told her he had been a sailor, roving everywhere for years andyears.
'When are you going to sea again?' asked Rosa.
'Never!'
Rosa wondered what the girls would say if they could see her crossing thewide street on the sailor's arm. And she fancied that the passers-bymust think her very little and very helpless, contrasted with the strongfigure that could have caught her up and carried her out of any danger,miles and miles without resting.
She was thinking further, that his far-seeing blue eyes looked as if theyhad been used to watch danger afar off, and to watch it withoutflinching, drawing nearer and nearer: when, happening to raise her owneyes, she found that he seemed to be thinking something about _them_.
This a little confused Rosebud, and may account for her never afterwardsquite knowing how she ascended (with his help) to his garden in the air,and seemed to get into a marvellous country that came into sudden bloomlike the country on the summit of the magic bean-stalk. May it flourishfor ever!