The Golden Dream | Page 8

greater certainty than any one else.
On the present occasion, however, the grunt above referred to was all
he said.
It is not necessary to trouble the reader with the lengthened discourse
that the captain delivered to his kinsman. When he concluded, Mr.
Shirley pushed his spectacles up on his bald head, gazed at the fire, and
said, "Odd, very odd; and interesting too--very interesting." After a
short pause, he pulled his spectacles down on his nose, and looking
over them at the captain, said, "And what part of America are you
bound for now?"
"California," answered the captain, slowly.
Mr. Shirley started, as if some prophetic vision had been called up by
the word and the tone in which it was uttered.
"And that," continued the captain, "brings me to the point. I came here
chiefly for the purpose of asking you to let your nephew go with me, as

I am in want of a youth to assist me, as a sort of supercargo and
Jack-of-all-trades. In fact, I like your nephew much, and have long had
my eye on him. I think him the very man for my purpose. I want a
companion, too, in my business--one who is good at the pen and can
turn his hand to anything. In short, it would be difficult to explain all
the outs and ins of why I want him. But he's a tight, clever fellow, as I
know, and I do want him, and if you'll let him go, I promise to bring
him safe back again in the course of two years--if we are all spared.
From what you've told me, I've no doubt the lad will be delighted to go.
And, believe me, his golden dreams will be all washed out by the time
he comes back. Now, what say you!"
For the space of five minutes Mr. Shirley gazed at the captain over his
spectacles in amazement, and said nothing. Then he threw himself back
on his chair, pushed his spectacles up on his forehead, and gazed at him
from underneath these assistants to vision. The alteration did not seem
to improve matters, for he still continued to gaze in silent surprise. At
last his lips moved, and he said, slowly but emphatically--
"Now, that is the most remarkable coincidence I ever heard of."
"How so?" inquired the captain.
"Why, that my nephew should be raving about going to California, and
that you should be raving about getting him to go, and that these things
should suddenly come to a climax on the same forenoon. It's absolutely
incredible. If I had read it in a tale, now, or a romance, I would not
have been surprised, for authors are such blockheads, generally, that
they always make things of this kind fit in with the exactness of a
dove-tail; but that it should really come to pass in my own experience,
is quite incomprehensible. And so suddenly, too!"
"As to that," remarked the captain, with a serious, philosophical
expression of countenance, "most things come to a climax suddenly,
and coincidences invariably happen together; but, after all, it doesn't
seem so strange to me, for vessels are setting sail for California every
other day, and--"

"Well," interrupted Mr. Shirley, starting up with energy, as if he had
suddenly formed a great resolve, "I will let the boy go. Perhaps it will
do him good. Besides, I have my own reasons for not caring much
about his losing a year or two in regard to business. Come with me to
the city, captain, and we'll talk over it as we go along." So saying, Mr.
Shirley took his kinsman by the arm, and they left the house together.
Chapter IV.
The End of the Beginning--Farewell to Old England.
As Captain Bunting sagaciously remarked, "most things come to a
climax suddenly."
On the evening of the day in which our tale begins, Edward
Sinton--still standing at zero--walked into his uncle's parlour. The old
gentleman was looking earnestly, though unintentionally, at the cat,
which sat on the rug; and the cat was looking attentively at the kettle,
which sat on the fire, hissing furiously, as if it were disgusted at being
kept so long from tea.
Ned's face was very long and sad as he entered the room.
"Dear uncle," said he, taking Mr. Shirley by the hand, "I'm not going to
take a week to think over it. I have made up my mind to remain at
home, and become a lawyer."
"Ned," replied Mr. Shirley, returning his nephew's grasp, "I'm not
going to take a week to think over it either. I have made up my mind
that you are to go to California, and become a--a--whatever you like,
my dear boy; so sit down to tea, and I'll tell