the asthmatic old gentleman and his riddles—i play truant again—in the big garden

it was perhaps partly because, like most only children, i was accustomed to be with grown-up people, that i liked the way in which mr. andrewes treated me, and resented the very different style of another friend of my father, who always bantered me in a playful, nonsensical fashion, which he deemed suitable to my years.

the friend in question was an old gentleman, and a very benevolent one. i think he was fond of children, and i am sure he was kind.

he never came without giving me half-a-guinea before he left, generally slipping it down the back of my neck, or hiding it under my plate at dinner, or burying it in an orange. he had a whole store of funny tricks, which would have amused and pleased me if i might have enjoyed them in peace. but he never ceased teasing me, and playing practical jokes on me. and the worst of it was, he teased rubens also.

mr. andrewes often afterwards told of the day when i walked into the rectory—my indignant air, he vowed, faithfully copied by the dog at my heels, and without preface began:

"i know i ought to forgive them that trespass[140] against us, but i can't. he put cayenne pepper on to rubens' nose."

in justice to ourselves, i must say that neither rubens nor i bore malice on this point, but it added to the anxiety which i always felt to get out of the old gentleman's way.

by him i was put through those riddles which puzzle all childish brains in turn: "if a herring and a half cost threehalfpence," etc. and if i successfully accomplished this calculation, i was tripped up by the unfair problem, "if your grate is of such and such dimensions, what will the coals come to?" i can hear his voice now (hoarse from a combination of asthma and snuff-taking) as he poked me jocosely but unmercifully "under the fifth rib," as he called it, crying—

"ashes! my little man. d'ye see? ashes! ashes!"

after which he took more snuff, and nearly choked himself with laughing at my chagrin.

greatly was nurse bundle puzzled that night, when i stood, ready for bed, fumbling with both hands under my nightshirt, and an expression of face becoming a surgeon conducting a capital operation.

"bless the dear boy!" she cried. "what are you doing to yourself, my dear?"

"how does he know which is the fifth rib?" i almost howled in my vexation. "i don't believe it was the fifth rib! i wish i hadn't a fifth rib! i wish i might hurt his fifth rib!"

i think the old gentleman would have choked with laughter if he could have seen and heard me.

one day, to my father's horror, i candidly remarked,[141]

"it always makes me think of the first of april, sir, when you're here."

i did not mean to be rude. it was simply true that the succession of "sells" and practical jokes of which rubens and i were the victims during his visits did recall the tricks supposed to be sacred to the festival of all fools.

to do the old gentleman justice, he heartily enjoyed the joke at his own expense; laughed and took snuff in extra proportions, and gave me a whole guinea instead of half a one, saying that i should go to live with him in fools' paradise, where little pigs ran about ready roasted with knives and forks in their backs; adding more banter and nonsense of the same kind, to the utter bewilderment of my brain.

he was the occasion of my playing truant to the rectory a second time. once, when he was expected, i took my nightshirt from my pillow, and followed by rubens, presented myself before the rector as he sat at breakfast, saying, "mr. carpenter is coming, and we can't endure it. we really can't endure it. and please, sir, can you give us a bed for the night? and i'm very sorry it isn't a clean one, but nurse keeps the nightgowns on the top shelf, and i didn't want her to know we were coming."

mr. andrewes kept me with him for some hours, but he persuaded me to return and meet the old gentleman, saying that it was only due to his real kindness to bear with his little jokes; and that i ought to try and learn to make allowances, and "put up with" things that were not quite to my mind. so i went back, and partly because of my efforts to be less easily annoyed, and partly because i was older than at his latest visit, and knew all[142] the riddles, and could see through his jokes more quickly, i got on very well with him.

very glad i was afterwards that i had gone back and spent a friendly evening with the kind old man; for the following spring his asthma became worse and worse, and he died. that visit was his last to us. he teased me and rubens no more. but when i heard of his death, i felt what i said, that i was very sorry. he had been very kind and his pokes and jokes were trifles to look back upon.

mr. andrewes kept up his interest in my garden. indeed, i soon got beyond the childish way of gardening; i ceased to use my watering-pot recklessly, and to take up my plants to see how they were getting on. i was promoted from my little beds to some share in the large flower-garden. my father was very fond of his flowers, and greatly pleased to find me useful.

some of the happiest hours i ever spent were those in which i worked with him in "the big garden;" rubens lying in the sun, keeping imaginary guard over my father's coat. we had a friendly rivalry with the rectory, in which i felt the highest interest. sometimes, however, i helped mr. andrewes himself, when he rewarded me with plants and good advice. the latter often in quaint rhymes, such as

"this rule in gardening never forget,

to sow dry, and to set wet."

but after a time, and to my deep regret, mr. andrewes gave up the care of my education. he said his duties in the parish did not allow of his giving much time to me; and though my father had no special wish to press my studies, and was[143] more anxious for the benefit of the rector's influence, mr. andrewes at last persuaded him that he ought to get a resident tutor and prepare me for a public school.

by this time i had almost forgotten my foolish prejudice against the imaginary mr. gray, and was only sorry that i could no longer do lessons with the rector.

i suppose it was in answer to some inquiries that he made that my father heard of a gentleman who wanted such a situation as ours. he heard of him from leo damer's guardian, and the gentleman proved to be the very tutor whom i had seen from the nursery windows of aunt maria's house. he had remained with leo ever since, but as leo's guardian had now sent him to school, the tutor was at liberty.

in these circumstances, i felt that he was not quite a stranger, and was prepared to receive him favourably.

indeed, when his arrival was close at hand, nurse bundle and i took an hospitable pleasure in looking over the arrangements of his room, and planning little details for his comfort.

he came at last, and my father was able to announce to aunt maria (who had never approved of what she called "mr. andrewes' desultory style of teaching") that my education was now placed in the hands of a resident tutor.