The Firm of Girdlestone | Page 3

of oak with ground-glass panels, and the other covered with green
baize. The room itself was small, but lofty, and the walls were
ornamented by numerous sections of ships stuck upon long flat boards,
very much as the remains of fossil fish are exhibited in museums,
together with maps, charts, photographs, and lists of sailings
innumerable. Above the fire-place was a large water-colour painting of
the barque Belinda as she appeared when on a reef to the north of Cape
Palmas. An inscription beneath this work of art announced that it had
been painted by the second officer and presented by him to the head of
the firm. It was generally rumoured that the merchants had lost heavily
over this disaster, and there were some who quoted it as an instance of
Girdlestone's habitual strength of mind that he should decorate his wall
with so melancholy a souvenir. This view of the matter did not appear
to commend itself to a flippant member of Lloyd's agency, who
contrived to intimate, by a dexterous use of his left eyelid and right
forefinger, that the vessel may not have been so much under-insured,
nor the loss to the firm so enormous as was commonly reported.
John Girdlestone, as he sat at his square office-table waiting for his son,
was undeniably a remarkable-looking man. For good or for evil no
weak character lay beneath that hard angular face, with the strongly
marked features and deep-set eyes. He was clean shaven, save for an
iron-grey fringe of ragged whisker under each ear, which blended with
the grizzled hair above. So self-contained, hard-set, and immutable was
his expression that it was impossible to read anything from it except
sternness and resolution, qualities which are as likely to be associated
with the highest natures as with the most dangerous. It may have been
on account of this ambiguity of expression that the world's estimate of

the old merchant was a very varying one. He was known to be a fanatic
in religion, a purist in morals, and a man of the strictest commercial
integrity. Yet there were some few who looked askance at him, and
none, save one, who could apply the word "friend" to him.
He rose and stood with his back to the fire-place as his son entered. He
was so tall that he towered above the younger man, but the latter's
square and compact frame made him, apart from the difference of age,
the stronger man.
The young man had dropped the air of sarcasm which he found was
most effective with the clerks, and had resumed his natural manner,
which was harsh and brusque.
"What's up!" he asked, dropping back into a chair, and jingling the
loose coins in his trouser pockets.
"I have had news of the Black Eagle," his father answered. "She is
reported from Madeira."
"Ah!" cried the junior partner eagerly. "What luck?"
"She is full, or nearly so, according to Captain Hamilton Miggs'
report."
"I wonder Miggs was able to send a report at all, and I wonder still
more that you should put any faith in it," his son said impatiently. "The
fellow is never sober."
"Miggs is a good seaman, and popular on the coast. He may indulge at
times, but we all have our failings. Here is the list as vouched for by
our agent. 'Six hundred barrels of palm oil'--"
"Oil is down to-day," the other interrupted.
"It will rise before the Black Eagle arrives," the merchant rejoined
confidently. "Then he has palm nuts in bulk, gum, ebony, skins,
cochineal, and ivory."

The young man gave a whistle of satisfaction. "Not bad for old Miggs!"
he said. "Ivory is at a fancy figure."
"We are sorely in need of a few good voyages," Girdlestone remarked,
"for things have been very slack of late. There is one very sad piece of
intelligence here which takes away the satisfaction which we might
otherwise feel. Three of the crew have died of fever. He does not
mention the names."
"The devil!" said Ezra. "We know very well what that means. Three
women, each with an armful of brats, besieging the office and
clamouring for a pension. Why are seamen such improvident dogs?"
His father held up his white hand deprecatingly. "I wish," he said, "that
you would treat these subjects with more reverence. What could be
sadder than that the bread-winner of a family should be cut off? It has
grieved me more than I can tell."
"Then you intend to pension the wives?" Ezra said, with a sly smile.
"By no means," his father returned with decision. "Girdlestone and Co.
are not an insurance office. The labourer is worthy of his hire, but when
his work in this world is over, his family must fall back upon what