On Board the Esmeralda | Page 4

associations of the Islington villa; for, from the window of the third-
class carriage, whence I was peering out eagerly to see all that was to
be seen, the marine horizon that stretched out before my gaze appeared
more like a large inverted wash-hand basin than anything else, with the
ships that were going up and down Channel, seeming to be sailing in a
curve along its outer rim; while, instead of the vivid hue of cerulean
blue that had been pictured in my imagination as the invariable tint of
Neptune's domain, the sober tone of the tumid element was that of a
dull brownish-grey, reflecting the unwholesome leaden-tinged sky
above, and, there being no wind to speak of, there wasn't the ghost of a
ripple perceptible on its sullen, silent surface!
Even novelty tires after a time, and long before I had reached my
destination I had got heartily sick of railway travelling; so, I was very
glad when, after changing carriages at a junction between Brighton and
somewhere else on the line, sometimes going fast, sometimes slow, and
thus crawling along landwise and seaward through miles of country for
four hours or more, the train came to a standstill beside the platform of
the little station to which I had been consigned on leaving London.
"'Champt'n! 'Champt'n!" cried out somebody with a cracked voice, and

this sound approximating to the name of the place I was looking out for,
combined with the fact that the engine began vigorously to blow off
steam, I became convinced that I had arrived at my goal; so, out I got
from the uncomfortable and cushionless carriage in which I had
performed the toilsome journey, not forgetting, you may be sure, the
box containing my grand rig-out of new clothes, which Aunt Matilda
would not let me wear on the journey for fear, as she said, of my
spoiling them. This box I had carefully kept on a seat beside me, in full
view of my watchful eye, all the way, lest some accident might befall it,
although not another soul save myself occupied the compartment.
When taking leave of me, Uncle George had said that some responsible
person would meet me on my arrival at the station to take charge of me,
from the "scholastic establishment;" and as I had conceived the most
magnificent ideas of this place from a lithograph I had seen at the top
of the prospectus referring to it, representing a palatial mansion
standing in its own grounds, with a commanding view of the adjacent
sea, I stared about the platform, expecting to see a gorgeous footman in
livery or some other imposing personage, who would presently step up
requesting me to take a seat in a coach-and-four or similar stately
vehicle, and then drive me off in triumph to the educational mansion.
But, lo and behold! no footman or imposing personage made his
appearance; nor did any one seem to be on the look-out for my
insignificant self. My spirits began to sink almost to zero, which point
they reached anon in the descending scale, when, as soon as everybody
else who had come by the train had bustled out of the station, an old
and broken-down looking porter, in a shabby velveteen jacket, standing
on the other side of the line, shouted out to me across the rails in a tone
of inquiry, and in a voice which I immediately recognised as that which
had screeched out the name of the place as the train ran in--
"B'y fur Hellyer's, hey?"
I felt annihilated.
"Do you mean to ask whether I am the new pupil for Dr Hellyer's
establishment?" I said--with some dignity, I flatter myself.

But that horrible porter was not a bit abashed!
"Yees," he drawled out in his cracked accents, with an intonation that
clearly evinced the fact of his having been born in Sussex. "Hellyer's
school i' the village, b'y, that's wat I mean! Y'er to come along o' me.
Poot yer box on yer shoulder and crass the line, young maister, an' I'll
shoo yer way down."
This was not to be borne.
I had been treated like a menial in my uncle's household, and had
perforce to bear it, but I had made up my mind on leaving Tapioca
Villa that I should never be so degraded again if I could possibly help
it.
It wasn't likely, therefore, that I was now going to be at the beck and
call of a railway porter, after all my boastful resolves--not quite!
I flew into a passion at once: I felt inclined to kill the unfortunate man.
"Come over and take up my box yourself, porter," I cried angrily, my
face flaring up furiously as I spoke, I have no doubt. "I shall not