Bob Strongs Holidays | Page 4

an old one, put on the shelf after fighting the battles of my country for many a long year!" said the old gentleman, with a deep sigh that almost made the carriage shake. He then extracted a silver snuff- box from his waistcoat-pocket; and taking a pinch, which seemed to relieve his feelings, added, as if to change the subject, "But, my young friends, you haven't told me where you are going."
"Why, to Portsmouth, to be sure, sir," said Bob promptly. "I thought you knew it; and--"
"And we are to stop at aunt Polly's till papa and mamma come down," again interposed Miss Nellie, who had lost all her timidity and wanted to have her share in the talk. "Dear aunt Polly, how glad I shall be to see her again!"
"Oh, indeed! But, who is aunt Polly?"
Really, he was a most inquisitive old gentleman!
The children, however, did not seem to notice this; and went on to tell how their aunt Polly was the dearest aunt they believed any one ever had, and the nicest.
They informed the old gentleman, likewise, that this loved aunt of theirs came up to town every year regularly at Christmas-time to pay them a visit; although they, on their part, had never been able to go down to see her until now, something or other having always happened to prevent their proceeding to the sea.
"Well, better late than never," said their fellow-traveller, whom Bob and Nellie began to look upon now quite as an old acquaintance--"I've no doubt you'll enjoy yourselves. But, my dears, you haven't mentioned your aunt's name--her surname, I mean. Perhaps I might know her, for I'm an old resident of Portsmouth, or rather Southsea, which is just outside the lines and where all the best people live now."
"Mrs Gilmour, sir," replied Nellie. "That's aunt Polly's name."
"What, Polly Gilmour, the widow of my old shipmate Ted Gilmour, who commanded the Bucephalus on the West Coast for two commissions and died of fever in the Bight of Benin? Bless my soul, who'd have thought it!"
"Yes, sir, Uncle Gilmour was in the Navy," put in Bob as if to corroborate the surmise of the old gentleman. "He was Captain Gilmour, sir."
His questioner, though, appeared for the moment lost in thought, his mind evidently occupied with a flood of old memories connected with his lost friend and their life afloat together.
"Dear, dear, who'd have thought it!" he repeated, as if speaking to himself. Then, presently, recovering his composure with an effort, aided by another pinch of snuff, he said aloud--"And so, you two children are poor Ted Gilmour's niece and nephew, eh?"
"Yes, sir," replied Bob and Nellie in one breath, answering the question. "You just ask auntie and see what she says, sir."
"I'm very glad to hear it," said the old gentleman, hastily pulling Nellie towards him and giving her a kiss, much to her astonishment, the action was so sudden; while he next proceeded to shake Bob by the hand until his arm ached. "I am very glad, very glad indeed to meet you; and, if it be any satisfaction to know, I may tell you that I go round to your aunt Polly's every evening to have a game of cribbage, summer and winter alike, except those three weeks when she goes to London to stop with your father, whose name, of course, I recollect now, although I did not think of that when you told it me awhile ago--"
"Then, you're Captain Dresser?" interrupted Bob at this point, anxious to show that he had heard the old gentleman's name before and recognised it. "I'm sure you're Captain Dresser, sir."
"Yes, I'm Captain Dresser," replied that individual, smiling all over his face, his queer little beady black eyes twinkling more than ever with excitement, and his bushy eyebrows moving up and down. "Yes, I'm Captain Dresser--Jack Dresser, as your uncle and all my old shipmates in the service used to call me, much at your service, ha, ha, ha!"
Bob and Nellie could not help joining in with the old gentleman's laugh at his little joke, the Captain's "Ha, ha, ha!" was so cheery and catching.
It was a regular jolly "Ha, ha, ha!"
The trio, thereupon, got very confidential together, Bob telling how they had got their dog Rover with them, only he was travelling in the guard's van, being too big to be put in the box under the carriage, as he would have been if he'd been a little dog instead of a fine big black retriever, which he, Bob, was very glad to say he was, and "not a mere lady's pet like a pug or a toy terrier," while Nellie, in her turn, intimated her intention of making a collection of shells and seaweed when she got to the shore, which, she said, she