His sister told me to my face it was an
evil day for him when he and I first met--that was at Uncle
Fountain's."
"Well, and what am I to do, Lucy?"
"Dear Uncle, what I thought was, if you would be so kind as to use
your influence with the Company in his favor. Tell them that if he did
miss his ship it was not by a fault, but by a noble virtue; tell them
that it was to save a fellow creature's life--a young lady's life--one
that did not deserve it from him, your own niece's; tell them it is
not for your honor he should be disgraced. Oh, uncle, you know what to
say so much better than I do."
Bazalgette grinned, and straightway resolved to perpetrate a practical
joke, and a very innocent one. "Well," said he, "the best way I can
think of to meet your views will be, I think, to get him appointed to
the new ship the Company is building."
Lucy opened her eyes, and the blood rushed to her cheek. "Oh uncle, do
I hear right? a ship? Are you so powerful? are you so kind? do you
love your poor niece so well as all this? Oh, Uncle Bazalgette!"
"There is no end to my power," said the old man, solemnly; "no limit
to my goodness, no bounds to my love for my poor niece. Are you in a
hurry, my poor niece? Shall we have his commission down to-morrow, or
wait a month?"
"To-morrow? is it possible? Oh, yes! I count the minutes till I say to
his sister, 'There, Miss Dodd, I have friends who value me too highly
to let me lie under these galling obligations.
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