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cried Mrs Oakley - 'don't do it.'
'You hear,' said Ben, 'what the lady advises. Now, I am quite different; I advise you to do it - for, if you don't, I shan't hurt you; but it strikes me I shall be obliged to fall on you and crush you.'
'I think I will,' said Mr Lupin; 'the saints were always forced to yield to the Philistines.'
'If you call me any names,' said Ben, 'I'll just wring your neck.'
'Young man, young man, let me exhort you. Allow me to go, and I will put up prayers for your conversion.
'Confound your impudence! what do you suppose the beasts in the Tower would do, if I was converted? Why, that 'ere tiger we have had lately, would eat his own tail, to think I had turned out such an ass. Come, I can't waste any more of my precious time; and if you don't get down on your knees directly, we'll see what we can do.'
'I must,' said Mr Lupin, 'I must, I suppose'; and down he flopped on his knees.
'Very good; now repeat after me. I am a wolf that stole sheep's clothing.'
'Yes; I am a wolf that stole sheep's clothing - the Lord forgive me.'
'Perhaps he may, and perhaps he mayn't. Now go on - all that's wirtuous is my loathing.'
'Oh dear, yes - all that's wirtuous is my loathing.'
'Mr Oakley; I have offended.'
'Yes; I am a miserable sinner, Mr Oakley, I have offended.'
'And ask his pardon, on my bended -'
'Oh dear, yes - I asks his pardon on my bended - The Lord have mercy on us miserable sinners.'
'Knees - I won't do so more.'
'Yes - knees, I won't do so more.'
'As sure as I lies on this floor.'
'Yes - as sure as I lies on this floor. Death and the devil, you've killed me!'
Ben took hold of the reverend gentleman by the back of the neck, and pressed his head down upon the floor, until his nose, which had before been such a sufferer, was nearly completely flattened with his face.
'Now; you may go,' said Ben.
Mr Lupin scrambled to his feet; but Ben followed him into the passage, and did not yet let him go, until he had accelerated his movements by two hearty kicks. And then the victorious beefeater returned to the parlour.
'Why, Ben,' said Mr Oakley, 'you are quite a poet.'
'I believe you, Oakley, my boy,' said Ben, 'and now let us be off, and have a pint round the corner.'
'What!' exclaimed Mrs Oakley, 'and leave me here, you wretches?'
'Yes,' said Ben, 'unless you promises never to be a female variety of the useful animal again, and begs pardon of Mr Oakley, for giving him all this trouble; as for me, I'll let you off cheap, you shall only have to give me a kiss, and say you loves me.'
'If I do, may I be -'
'Damned, you mean.'
'No, I don't; choked I was going to say.'
'Then you may be choked, for you have nothing to do but to let your legs go from under you, and you will be hung as comfortable as possible - come along, Oakley.'
'Mr Oakley - stop - stop - don't leave me here. I am sorry.'
'That's enough,' said Mr Oakley; 'and now, my dear, bear in mind one thing from me. I intend from this time forward to be master in my own house. If you and I are to live together, we must do so on very different terms to what we have been living, and if you won't make yourself agreeable, Lawyer Hutchins tells me that I can turn you out and give you a maintenance; and, in that case, I'll have home my sister Rachel to mind house for me; so now you know my determination, and what you have to expect. If you wish to begin, well do so at once, by getting something nice and tasty for Ben's supper.'
Mrs Oakley made the required promise, and being released, she set about preparations for the supper in real earnest; but whether she was really subdued or not, we shall, in due time, see.
X. The Colonel and His Friend
Colonel Jeffery was not at all satisfied with the state of affairs, as regarded the disappearance of Mr Thornhill, for whom he entertained a very sincere regard, both on account of the private estimation in which he held him, and on account of actual services rendered by Thornhill to him.
Not to detain Johanna Oakley in the Temple-gardens, he had stopped his narrative, completely at the point when what concerned her had ceased, and had said nothing of much danger which the ship Neptune and its crew and passengers has gone through, after Mr Thornhill had been taken on board with his dog.
The fact is, the storm which he had mentioned was only the first of a series of gales of wind that buffeted the ship for some weeks, doing it much damage, and enforcing almost the necessity of puffing in somewhere for repairs.
But a glance at the map will be sufficient to show, that situated as the Neptune was, the nearest port at which they could at all expect assistance, was the British colony, at the Cape of Good Hope; but such was the contrary nature of the winds and waves, that just upon the evening of a tempestuous day, they found themselves bearing down close in shore, on the eastern coast of Madagascar.
There was much apprehension that the vessel would strike on a rocky shore; but the water was deep, and the vessel rode well; there was a squall, and they let go both anchors to secure the vessel, as they were so close in shore, lest they should be driven in and stranded.
It was fortunate they had so secured themselves, for the gale while it lasted blew half a hurricane, and the ship lost some of her masts, and some other trifling damage, which, however, entailed upon them the necessity of remaining there a few days, to cut timber to repair their masts, and to obtain a few supplies.
There is but little to interest a general reader in the description of a gale. Order after order was given until the masts and spars went one by one, and then the orders for clearing the wreck were given.
There was much work to be done, and but little pleasure in doing it, for it was wet and miserable while it lasted, and there was the danger of being driven upon a lee shore, and knocked to pieces upon the rocks.
This danger was averted, and they anchored safe at a very short distance from the shore in comparative safety and security.
'We are safe now,' remarked the captain, as he gave his second in command charge of the deck, and approached Mr Thornhill and Colonel Jeffery.
'I am happy it is so,' replied Jeffery.
'Well, captain,' said Mr Thornhill, 'I am glad we have done with being knocked about; we are anchored, and the water here appears smooth enough.'
'It is so, and I dare say it will remain so; it is a beautiful basin of deep water - deep and good anchorage; but you see it is not large enough to make a fine harbour.'
'True; but it is rocky.'
'It is; and that may make it sometimes dangerous, though I don't know that it would be so in some gales. The sea may beat in at the opening, which is deep enough for anything to enter - even Noah's ark would enter there easily enough.'
'What will you do now?'
'Stay here for a day or so, and send boats ashore to cut some pine trees, to refit the ship with masts.'
'You have no staves, then?'
'Not enough for such a purpose; and we never do go out stored with such things.'
'You obtain them wherever you may go to.'
'Yes, any part of the world will furnish them in some shape or other.'
'When you send ashore, will you permit