madge—whose proper name was marjory stevens—was absent when may’s letter arrived the following day. on her return to the cottage she was taken into the committee which sat upon the subject of phil’s appointment.
“it’s not a very grand appointment,” said mrs maylands, with a sigh.
“sure it’s not an appointment at all yet, mother,” returned phil, who held in his hand the paper of instructions enclosed in may’s letter. “beggars, you know, mustn’t be choosers; an’ if i’m not a beggar, it’s next thing to it i am. besides, if the position of a boy-telegraph-messenger isn’t very exalted in itself, it’s the first step to better things. isn’t the first round of a ladder connected with the top round?”
“that’s true, phil,” said madge; “there’s nothing to prevent your becoming postmaster-general in course of time.”
“nothing whatever, that i know of,” returned phil.
“perhaps somebody else knows of something that may prevent it,” said his mother with an amused smile.
“perhaps!” exclaimed the boy, with a twinkle in his eye; “don’t talk to me of perhapses, i’m not to be damped by such things. now, just consider this,” he continued, looking over the paper in his hand, “here we have it all in print. i must apply for the situation in writin’ no less. well, i can do it in copperplate, if they please. then my age must be not less than fourteen, and not more than fifteen.”
“that suits to a t,” said madge.
“yes; and, but hallo! what have we here?” said phil, with a look of dismay.
“what is it?” asked his mother and madge in the same breath, with looks of real anxiety.
“well, well, it’s too bad,” said phil slowly, “it says here that i’m to have ‘no claim on the superannuation fund.’ isn’t that hard?”
a smile from mrs maylands, and a laugh from madge, greeted this. it was also received with an appalling yell from the baby, which caused mother and nurse to leap to the rescue. that sprout of mischief, in the course of an experimental tour of the premises, had climbed upon a side-table, had twisted his right foot into the loop of the window-curtains, had fallen back, and hung, head downwards, howling.
having been comforted with bread and treacle, and put to bed, the committee meeting was resumed.
“well, then,” said phil, consulting his paper again, “i give up the superannuation advantages. then, as to wages, seven shillings a week, rising to eight shillings after one year’s service. why, it’s a fortune! any man at my age can live on sixpence a day easy—that’s three-and-six, leaving three-and-six a week clear for you, mother. then there’s a uniform; just think o’ that!”
“i wonder what sort of uniform it is,” said madge.
“a red coat, madge, and blue trousers with silver lace and a brass helmet, for certain—”
“don’t talk nonsense, boy,” interrupted mrs maylands, “but go on with the paper.”
“oh! there’s nothing more worth mentioning,” said phil, folding the paper, “except that boy-messengers, if they behave themselves, have a chance of promotion to boy-sorterships, indoor-telegraph-messengerships, junior sorterships, and letter-carrierships, on their reaching the age of seventeen, and, i suppose, secretaryships, and postmaster-generalships, with a baronetcy, on their attaining the age of methuselah. it’s the very thing for me, mother, so i’ll be off to-morrow if—”
phil was cut short by the bursting open of the door and the sudden entrance of his friend george aspel.
“come, phil,” he cried, blazing with excitement, “there’s a wreck in the bay. quick! there’s no time to lose.”
the boy leaped up at once, and dashed out after his friend.
it was evening. the gale, which had blown for two days was only beginning to abate. dark clouds were split in the western sky by gleams of fiery light as the sun declined towards its troubled ocean-bed.
hurrying over the fields, and bending low to the furious blast, aspel and philip made their way to the neighbouring cliffs. but before we follow them, reader, to the wave-lashed shore, it is necessary, for the satisfactory elucidation of our tale, that we should go backward a short way in time, and bound forward a long way into space.
