The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch | Page 6

grow nervous. If this was a sample of what I was to expect, I
had indeed need be the healthy, hardy watch I was represented to be by
my maker.
And yet I could not be angry with my brave, honest little tormentor.
It was a sight to see him during that long journey, in all the glory of a
new suit, with a high hat on his head for the first time, and a watch in
his pocket. In his pocket, did I say? I was hardly ever so lucky. Every
five minutes he whipped me out to see how the time was going. If he
polished me up once with his handkerchief, he did it twenty times, and
each time with such vigour that I was nearly red-hot under the
operation. And no sooner was he tired of polishing me, than he took to
paying his hat the same attention, till that wretched article of
decoration must have trembled for its nap. Then he would take to
whistling and singing (what boy can help doing one or the other in a
train?) and as I heard all his little artless songs and gay chirping, I
thought it the pleasantest music one could possibly listen to. And, not to
let his hands be less busy than his throat, he would bring out the
wonderful six-bladed knife his uncle had given him, and exploring all
its wonders, and opening all its blades at the same time, together with
the corkscrew, the gimlet, the pincers, and the button-hook, at different
angles, would terrify the lives out of his fellow-passengers by twirling
the awful bristling weapon in his fingers within a foot or so of their
faces.
"Mind, dear," said an old lady on the seat opposite, "you'll cut your
fingers off, I'm certain."
"Oh, no, I won't," exclaimed he, taking out his handkerchief, and

beginning to polish the blades one after another.
The old lady trembled as she watched him, and sighed with relief when
the operation was over.
Presently, having nothing particular to do, he stared at her. "Would
you like to know the time, ma'am?" he inquired.
"If you please," replied the good old soul.
"Well, it's just seventeen minutes and nineteen seconds past three by my
watch. Would you like to see for yourself, ma'am?"
And, pleased to have a confidant of his possessions, he loosed my chain,
and flourished me bodily before the eyes of his new friend.
She took me kindly, and said, "What a fine watch you've got, dear?"
"Yes," replied he, with lofty condescension; "like to see his works?"
"You should be careful, you know," she said, "watches so easily get out
of order."
"Oh, I won't hurt it," said he, proceeding to take off my coat and
waistcoat. "There! there are his works. Don't breathe hard, or you'll
damp them."
So the old lady held her breath and peeped in, much to my young
master's gratification.
"And so you're going to school, my man?" said she presently.
"Yes; who told you! Did my father tell you?"
"No, I guessed."
"Did you though? Can you guess what the name of the school is?"
"No, I can't do that."

"Have a try."
"Well, then, I guess Randlebury, because my boy is there, and it's the
only one I can think of."
The boy stared at her. "How ever did you know that?"
"What!" she exclaimed, "you don't mean to tell me you are going to
Randlebury?"
"I am, though."
"Well, I never," cried the good old soul, "who would have believed it!
Think of your going to the same school as my Tom."
"Is Tom your boy's name?"
"Yes."
"Is he a nice boy?"
Such a question to ask any one's mother!
The old lady burst into tears instead of answering--a proceeding which
greatly alarmed and disconcerted my master.
"Don't cry," he said excitedly. "Look here! I didn't mean--oh, don't!
Look here, shall I tell you the time? It's--it's sixteen minutes to four--I
didn't mean, you know. Of course he's a nice boy--oh, don't cry!"
And he got into such a state that the old lady dried her eyes at once.
"Never mind me, dear," said she, "it wasn't you made me cry: it was
thinking of my Tom. You'll be a good friend to him, won't you, dear?"
"Perhaps he won't like me."
"Now I'm sure he will," exclaimed the lady warmly; so warmly that I
quite loved her for my little master's sake. Both were silent for some

time, and then Charlie asked,--
"I say, has he got a watch?"
"No."
"Oh, never mind," said he, in a tone of evident relief, "I can tell him the
time, you know, whenever he wants to know."
"To be sure you can."
Then Charlie took to polishing me