At Sunwich Port | Page 9

but made no comment. As
to any action on his own part, he realized to the full the impotence of a
law-abiding and dignified citizen when confronted by lawless youth.
But Master Hardy came to church no more. Indeed, the following
Sunday he was fully occupied on the beach, enacting the part of David,
after first impressing the raving Mr. Wilks into that of Goliath.
[Illustration: "Master Hardy on the beach enacting the part of David."]
CHAPTER IV
For the next month or two Master Hardy's existence was brightened by
the efforts of an elderly steward who made no secret of his intentions of

putting an end to it. Mr. Wilks at first placed great reliance on the saw
that "it is the early bird that catches the worm," but lost faith in it when
he found that it made no provision for cases in which the worm leaning
from its bedroom window addressed spirited remonstrances to the bird
on the subject of its personal appearance.
To the anxious inquiries of Miss Nugent, Mr. Wilks replied that he was
biding his time. Every delay, he hinted, made it worse for Master
Hardy when the day of retribution should dawn, and although she
pleaded earnestly for a little on account he was unable to meet her
wishes. Before that day came, however, Captain Nugent heard of the
proceedings, and after a painful interview with the steward, during
which the latter's failings by no means escaped attention, confined him
to the house.
[Illustration: "Mr. Wilks replied that he was biding his time."]
An excellent reason for absenting himself from school was thus denied
to Master Hardy; but it has been well said that when one door closes
another opens, and to his great satisfaction the old servant, who had
been in poor health for some time, suddenly took to her bed and
required his undivided attention.
He treated her at first with patent medicines purchased at the chemist's,
a doctor being regarded by both of them as a piece of unnecessary
extravagance; but in spite of four infallible remedies she got steadily
worse. Then a doctor was called in, and by the time Captain Hardy
returned home she had made a partial recovery, but was clearly
incapable of further work. She left in a cab to accept a home with a
niece, leaving the captain confronted with a problem which he had seen
growing for some time past.
"I can't make up my mind what to do with you," he observed, regarding
his son.
"I'm very comfortable," was the reply.
"You're too comfortable," said his father.

You're running wild. It's just as well poor old Martha has gone; it has
brought things to a head."
"We could have somebody else," suggested his son.
The captain shook his head. "I'll give up the house and send you to
London to your Aunt Mary," he said, slowly; "she doesn't know you,
and once I'm at sea and the house given up, she won't be able to send
you back."
Master Hardy, who was much averse to leaving Sunwich and had heard
accounts of the lady in question which referred principally to her
strength of mind, made tender inquiries concerning his father's comfort
while ashore.
"I'll take rooms," was the reply, "and I shall spend as much time as I
can with you in London. You want looking after, my son; I've heard all
about you."
His son, without inquiring as to the nature of the information, denied it
at once upon principle; he also alluded darkly to his education, and
shook his head over the effects of a change at such a critical period of
his existence.
"And you talk too much for your age," was his father's comment when
he had finished. "A year or two with your aunt ought to make a nice
boy of you; there's plenty of room for improvement."
He put his plans in hand at once, and a week before he sailed again had
disposed of the house. Some of the furniture he kept for himself; but
the bulk of it went to his sister as conscience-money.
Master Hardy, in very low spirits, watched it taken away. Big men in
hob-nailed boots ran noisily up the bare stairs, and came down slowly,
steering large pieces of furniture through narrow passages, and using
much vain repetition when they found their hands acting as fenders.
The wardrobe, a piece of furniture which had been built for larger
premises, was a particularly hard nut to crack, but they succeeded at

last--in three places.
[Illustration: "A particularly hard nut to crack."]
A few of his intimates came down to see the last of him, and Miss
Nugent, who in some feminine fashion regarded the move as a triumph
for her family, passed by several times.