The Money Moon | Page 7

hand upon Bellew's sleeve, "please--if
it isn't too much trouble--would you mind coming with me--to--to help
me to find the fortune?--you see, you are so very big, an'--Oh!--will
you please?"
George Bellew sat up suddenly, and smiled; Bellew's smile was, at all
times, wonderfully pleasant to see, at least, the boy thought so.
"Georgy Porgy," said he, "you can just bet your small life, I will,--and
there's my hand on it, old chap." Bellew's lips were solemn now, but all
the best of his smile seemed, somehow, to have got into his gray eyes.
So the big hand clasped the small one, and as they looked at each other,
there sprang up a certain understanding that was to be an enduring bond
between them.
"I think," said Bellew, as he lay, and puffed at his pipe again, "I think
I'll call you Porges, it's shorter, easier, and I think, altogether apt; I'll be
Big Porges, and you shall be Small Porges,--what do you say?"
"Yes, it's lots better than Georgy Porgy," nodded the boy. And so Small
Porges he became, thenceforth. "But," said he, after a thoughtful pause,
"I think, if you don't mind, I'd rather call you----Uncle Porges. You see,
Dick Bennet--the black-smith's boy, has three uncles an' I've only got a
single aunt,--so, if you don't mind--"
"Uncle Porges it shall be, now and for ever, Amen!" murmured Bellew.
"An' when d'you s'pose we'd better start?" enquired Small Porges,

beginning to re-tie his bundle.
"Start where, nephew?"
"To find the fortune."
"Hum!" said Bellew.
"If we could manage to find some,--even if it was only a very little, it
would cheer her up so."
"To be sure it would," said Bellew, and, sitting up, he pitched loaf,
cheese, and clasp-knife back into the knap-sack, fastened it, slung it
upon his shoulders, and rising, took up his stick.
"Come on, my Porges," said he, "and, whatever you do--keep your
'weather eye' on your uncle."
"Where do you s'pose we'd better look first?" enquired Small Porges,
eagerly.
"Why, first, I think we'd better find your Auntie Anthea."
"But,--" began Porges, his face falling.
"But me no buts, my Porges," smiled Bellew, laying his hand upon his
new-found nephew's shoulder, "but me no buts, boy, and, as I said
before,--just keep your eye on your uncle."

CHAPTER V
How Bellew came to Arcadia So, they set out together, Big Porges and
Small Porges, walking side by side over sun-kissed field and meadow,
slowly and thoughtfully, to be sure, for Bellew disliked hurry; often
pausing to listen to the music of running waters, or to stare away across
the purple valley, for the sun was getting low. And, ever as they went,
they talked to one another whole-heartedly as good friends should.

And, from the boy's eager lips, Bellew heard much of "Auntie Anthea,"
and learned, little by little, something of the brave fight she had made,
lonely and unaided, and burdened with ancient debt, to make the farm
of Dapplemere pay. Likewise Small Porges spoke learnedly of the
condition of the markets, and of the distressing fall in prices in regard
to hay, and wheat.
"Old Adam,--he's our man, you know, he says that farming isn't what it
was in his young days, 'specially if you happen to be a woman, like my
Auntie Anthea, an' he told me yesterday that if he were Auntie he'd
give up trying, an' take Mr. Cassilis at his word."
"Cassilis, ah!--And who is Mr. Cassilis?"
"He lives at 'Brampton Court'--a great, big house 'bout a mile from
Dapplemere; an' he's always asking my Auntie to marry him, but
'course she won't you know."
"Why not?"
"Well, I think it's 'cause he's got such big, white teeth when he
smiles,--an' he's always smiling, you know; but Old Adam says that if
he'd been born a woman he'd marry a man all teeth, or no teeth at all, if
he had as much money as Mr. Cassilis."
The sun was low in the West as, skirting a wood, they came out upon a
grassy lane that presently led them into the great, broad highway.
Now, as they trudged along together, Small Porges with one hand
clasped in Bellew's, and the other supporting the bundle on his shoulder,
there appeared, galloping towards them a man on a fine black horse, at
sight of whom, Porges' clasp tightened, and he drew nearer to Bellew's
side.
When he was nearly abreast of them, the horse-man checked his career
so suddenly that his animal was thrown back on his haunches.
"Why--Georgy!" he exclaimed.

"Good evening, Mr. Cassilis!" said Small Porges, lifting his cap.
Mr. Cassilis was tall, handsome, well built, and very particular as to
dress. Bellew noticed that his teeth were, indeed, very large and white,
beneath the small, carefully trained