It would be splendid, Horace said. But do you think, Marco, my father meant me to have such a large boat as this?
The Greek nodded. Master said buy a good big safe boat. No use getting a little thing Mr. Horace tire of in a year or two. Can always get a man or two in the holidays. I think that is just the boat.
Tide has nearly reached her, William Martyn said. We shall be able to get off to her in an hour. We will go and overhaul the gear now. I will get the key of the cabins.
It took them a good hour to get out the sails and inspect them, and examine the ropes and gear. All were pronounced in good order.
The sails are as good for all practical purposes as the day they were turned out, Martyn said. They may not be quite as white as the fresh-water sailors about here think necessary for their pleasure craft, but they are sound and strong, and were well scrubbed before they were put away. And you may be sure Burrows used none but the best rope money could buy. Now we will go on board. She will look a different craft when her decks are holy-stoned, and she gets two or three coats of paint, the young officer went on as they stepped on board. A landsman can never judge of a boat when she is dismantled, and he cant judge much at any time. He thinks more of paint and polish than he does of a ships lines.
But Horace had seen enough of boats to be able to appreciate to some extent the easy lines of her bow and her fine run, and the Greek was delighted with her. Below she was in good order, except that she wanted a coat of paint. The cabins were of course entirely dismantled, but Horace was surprised at their roominess, accustomed as he was to the close little focastles of the fishing-boats.
She was fitted up in a regular man-of-war fashion, Martyn said. This was just a captains cabin on board a frigate, but on a small scale, and so was the state-room. We did not see the furniture, but it is all upstairs in an attic of the cottage we went to.
How long would it take to get her ready? Horace asked.
About ten days. Most of her ballast is out of her, but the rest ought to come out so as to give her a regular clean down, and a coat of whitewash below, before it is all put in again. If you like, young un, I will look after that. I have got nothing to do, and it will be an amusement to me. I am looking for a berth at present in a merchantman, but there are such a number of men out of harness that it isnt easy to get a job. Look here, if you really want to learn some day to be fit to take charge of this craft yourself, you could not do better than persuade your father to let you come over here and see her fitted up, then you will know where every rope goes, and learn more than you would sitting about on deck in the course of a year. There will be no difficulty in getting a couple of rooms ready for you and your man in the town.
Can we get home to-night, sir?
Yes, the coach goes through here at six oclock.
My father will write to-morrow, at least I expect he will, Horace said. It isnt very easy to get him to do things, but I expect I shall manage.
He will write, Marco said confidently; and as the boy knew that the Greek had far more opportunities of getting at his father than he had, he felt sure that he would manage it.
We are very much obliged to you, Mr. Martyn, he said.
All right, young sir. If your father decides to take the boat get him to write to me; or if he is bad at writing, write to me yourself after settling it with him, and I will put on men and see that she is ready for sea in a fortnight.
Do you feel sure father will let me have the boat, Marco? Horace said as soon as they were alone.
It is done, the Greek said with a wave of his hand. He said to me, Go and buy a proper boat, see that everything is right about it, but dont worry me. So when I say, I have bought the boat; it is just the thing we want; it will cost a hundred pounds by the time it is ready for sea, he will say he is glad to hear it, and there will be an end of it. Mr. Beveridge never troubles.
And will you tell him that it would be a good thing for me to go over and see her fitted up?
I will tell him. He will be glad to know that you have got something to do.
It was half-past ten oclock when they got home. The other Greek opened the door.
Is the master in bed yet, Zaimes?
He went upstairs ten minutes ago. I think he had forgotten all about Horace not being at home. He did not mention his name to me.
What a nuisance! Horace said. Now I shall have to wait till morning before I know about it, and I am so anxious to hear what he says.
It will be all the pleasanter when you hear, Zaimes said quietly.
The two men were brothers, Zaimes being ten years senior. He was Mr. Beveridges valet, his brother being a sort of general assistant, waiting at meals except when Horace was at home, when he was considered specially told off to him. They lived apart from the other servants, having a room of their own where they cooked their meals in their own fashion. Both were extremely attached to their master, and would have given their lives for him.
Marco will tell me all about it, and I will talk to the master while I am dressing him. You are making Marco again a boy like yourself, Horace. He is as eager about this boat as you are; and he smiled indulgently at his brother, whom he still regarded as a boy, although he was now nearly forty.
That will be the best plan, Zaimes. I shall be glad for him to know all about it before breakfast time, for I am sure I should not like to tell him that we had fixed on a boat like that.
Horace was a long time before he got to sleep. He had never dreamt of anything bigger than an open boat, and the thought of having a craft that he could sail anywhere along the coast, and even sleep on board, seemed almost too good to be true. He woke an hour before his time, dressed hastily, went out into the garden, and stood there looking over the sea. The fishing-boats were going out, and he pictured to himself the boat he had seen, gliding along among them, bigger and ever so much handsomer than any of them; and how he would be able to take out his cousins, and perhaps some day have a school friend to spend the holidays with him and cruise about. So deep was he in his thoughts that he was surprised when he heard the bell ring for breakfast.
Now, then, he said to himself as he walked back to the house, I shall know. Of course it will be a horrible disappointment if he says no, but I shant show it, because it is too much to expect him to do this. I should never have dreamt of such a thing if it had not been for Marco. Well, here goes; and he walked into the parlour.
Good morning, father!
Good morning, Horace. I am glad to hear that Marco has found just the boat that he thinks will suit the place. He tells me you want to go over and see her fitted out. I think that that will be a very good plan. When you do a thing, Horace, do it well if it is worth doing at all. Marco will go back with you by the coach this morning.
Oh, thank you, father; it is awfully kind of you!
I wish you to enjoy yourself, his father said; it is no more than the price of another horse. It is a fine sport and a healthy one, and I dont know that it is more dangerous than galloping about the country on horseback. I have told Marco to make all arrangements, and not to worry me about things. At the beginning of each holiday he will say how much he will require for provisions on board, and the payment of the wages of a man and a boy. I shall give him a cheque, and there will be an end of it as far as I am concerned. I shall be much more at my ease knowing that you are enjoying yourself on board than wondering what you will do to amuse yourself from day to day.