The Middy and the Moors: An Algerine Story by R. M. Ballantyne (best books to read in your 20s TXT) đ
- Author: R. M. Ballantyne
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The caution which they had therefore to observe in prosecuting the search was all in favour of the runaway.
As time passed by, Hester, alias Geoâgiana, began to feel more at ease in her poor abode and among her new friends, who, although unrefined in manners, were full to overflowing with the milk of human kindness, so that at last the unfortunate English girl began to entertain positive affection for Mrs Lilly and her black handmaiden.
She also began to feel more at ease in traversing the intricate streets of the city, for the crowds that passed her daily had evidently too much to do attending to their own business to bestow more than an indifferent glance at two negro girls. And if the features of one of the two was not according to the familiar negro type, it is probable that all the inhabitants of Algiers were aware of the fact that some of the tribes of black people in the interior of Africa possess the well-formed features and comparatively thin lips of Europeans.
As Hesterâs anxieties about herself began to abate, however, her desire to find out where and how her father was became more and more intense. But the poor child was doomed to many months of hope deferred before that desire was gratified.
Peter the Great did indeed make a few efforts to meet with him againâsometimes in company with George Foster, more frequently alone, and occasionally he visited Hesterâhaving been informed by his sister Dinah where to find herâin order to tell of his want of success, and to comfort her with earnest assurances that he would âneber forsake her,â but would keep up a constant look-out for her fadder anâ an eye on herself.
Consideration for the girlâs safety rendered it necessary that these visits should be few and far between, and, of course, owing to the same necessity, our middy was not permitted to visit her at all. Indeed, Peter refused to tell him even where she was hiding, all the information he condescended to give being that she was safe.
âYou see, my dear,â said Peter to Hester, in a paternal tone, on the occasion of the first of these visits, âif I was to come yar oftin, massaâspecâally Osmanâwould âgin to wonder, anâ de moment a man âgins to wonder he âgins to suspecâ, anâ den he âgins to watch; anâ if it comes to dat itâs all up wid you anâ me. So you musâ jest keep close anâ say nuffin till de tide âgins to turn anâ de wind blow fair. De good Lord kin turn wind anâ tide when He likes, so keep your heart up, Geoâgiana!â
As he uttered the last word the negro put his great hand on the girlâs shoulder and patted it.
âWhat a good name Geoâgiana am,â he continued, bringing his eyes to bear on the slender little black creature before him; âanâ what a good nigger you would make if onây you had an elegant flat nose anâ bootiful thick hips. Neber mind, youâs better lookinâ dan Sally, anyhow, anâ no mortal could guess who you was, eben if he was told to look hard at you!â
âBut oh, Peter, this is such an anxious, weary life,â began Hester, with a trembling lip.
âNow, hold on dar!â interrupted the negro, almost sternly; âyou musâ not cry, whateber you do, for it washes off de black. You musâ larn to cumtroul your feelinâs.â
âI will try,â returned Hester, attempting to smile. âBut it is not that I am discontented with my lot, for they are as kind to me here as if they were my mother and sister, and I like doing the embroidery work very muchâitâs not that. It is the weary waiting, and hoping for, and expecting news of my darling fatherânews which never comes.â
âNow, donât you tâink like dat, Geoâgiana, but larn to submitâsubmitâdas de word. De newsâll come all in good time. Anâ news allers comes in a heapâsuddently, so to speak. It neber comes slow. Now, look yar. I wants you to make me a solum promise.â
âWhat is that?â asked Hester, smiling in spite of herself at the intensity of her dark friendâs look and manner.
âIt am dis. Dat you will neber look surprised, nor speak surprised, no matter howeber much you may feel surprised.â
âYou impose a difficult task on me, Peter.â
âOb course I do, Geoâgiana, but as your lifeâanâ pârâaps mine, but dat ainât muchâdepends on it, youâll see de needcessity.â
âI will certainly tryâfor your sake as well as my own,â returned Hester fervently.
âWell, I tâink you will, but it ainât easy, anâ Iâll test you some day.â
It was more than a month after that before Peter the Great paid her another visit, and, to the poor girlâs grief, he still came without news of her father. He had been all over the Kasba, he said, and many other places where the slaves worked, but he meant to persevere. The city was big, and it would take time, but âGeoâgianaâ was to cheer up, for he would neber gib in.
One morning Peter announced to Foster that he was going into town to make purchases, and he wanted his assistance to carry the basket.
âAre we going to make another search for poor Mr Sommers?â asked the middy, as he walked along the road holding one handle of the empty basket.
âNo, weâs got no time for dat to-day. I musâ be back early. Got time onây for one call on a friend ob mine. Das all.â
As the negro did not seem inclined for conversation, Foster forebore to trouble him, but observed, without remarking on the circumstance, that, instead of taking their accustomed way to the market-place, they passed along many narrow, steep, and intricate streets until they reached what the midshipman conceived to be the very heart of the city.
âDis am de house ob my friend,â said Peter, stopping in front of an opening which descended into a cellar. âFoller me, Geoâge, anâ bring down de baskit wid you. Hallo, Missis Lilly! Is you widin?â
âHi! Das you, Peter de Great?â came in shrill tones from below as they descended.
âDumb!â exclaimed Peter, with peculiar emphasis on reaching the cellar. âHow you do, Missis Lilly? Oberjoyed to see you lookinâ so fresh. Just looked in to ax how youâs gettinâ along.â
Need we say that Peterâs warning word was not thrown away on Hester Sommers, who was seated in her corner embroidering with gold thread a pair of red morocco slippers. But, forewarned though she was, her presence of mind was put to a tremendous test when, all unexpectedly, George Foster descended the steps and stood before her. Fortunately, while the youth was bestowing a hearty nautical greeting on Mrs Lillyâfor his greeting was always hearty, as well to new acquaintances as to old friendsâHester had time to bend over her work and thus conceal the sudden pallor followed by an equally sudden flush which changed her complexion from a bluish grey to a burnt sienna. When George turned to glance carelessly at her she was totally absorbed in the slipper.
The negro watched the midshipmanâs glance with keen interest. When he saw that only a passing look was bestowed on Hester, and that he then turned his eyes with some interest to the hole where Sally was pounding coffee and gasping away with her wonted energy, he said to himself mentally, âHo, Dinah, but you am a cleber woman! Geoâge donât rignise her moreân if she was a rigler coloured gal! I do bâlieve her own fadder wouldnât know her!â
He then proceeded to have a talk with Mrs Lilly, and while he was thus engaged the middy, who had an inquiring disposition, began to look round the cellar and take mental-artistic notes of its appearance. Then he went up to Hester, and, taking up one of the finished slippers, examined it.
âMost beautiful! Exquisite!â he said. âDoes it take you long to do this sort of thing?â
The girl did not reply.
âSheâs dumb!â said Peter quickly.
âAh, poor thing!â returned Foster, in a voice of pity. âDeaf, too, I suppose?â
âWell, I donât know as to dat, Geoâge.â
âIs this one dumb too?â asked the middy, pointing to the coffee-hole.
âOh dear no!â interposed Lilly. âSally aânât dumb; sheâs awrful sharp with âer tongue!â
âShe ought to be deaf anyhow, considering the row she kicks up down there!â
âCome now, Geoâge, itâs time we was goinâ. So pick up de baskit anâ go ahead.â
Bidding Mrs Lilly an affectionate adieu, the two shaves left the cellar, to the intense relief of poor Hester, who scarce knew whether to laugh or cry over the visit. She had been so eagerly anxious to speak to Foster, yet had managed to keep her promise in spite of the peculiarly trying circumstances.
âPeter,â said the middy, when they had got well out of the town on their way home, âwhat made you say âdumbâ so emphatically when you descended into that cellar?â
âDid I say âdumb?ââ returned the negro, with an inquiring look at the clouds.
âYou certainly did.â
ââPhatically, too?â
âYes, most emphatically.â
âWell, now, das most remarkably strange!â
âNot so strange as my finding Hester Sommers in a coal-hole making golden slippers!â
At this Peter set down the basket, threw back his head, and took a prolonged silent laugh.
âNow dat is de strangest tâing ob all. Didnât I tâink you not rignise her one bit!â
âPeter,â returned the midshipman gravely, âyou ought to know from experience that true love pierces every disguise.â
âDas troo, Geoâge,â said Peter, as he lifted his end of the basket and resumed the journey. âLub is a wonderful tâing, anâ I ainât sure what might come ob it if I was took unawares to see my Angelica arter sheâd bin painted white. But dereâs one tâing as comforts me a leetle, anâ dat is, dat Peter de Great ainât de biggest hyperkrite in de world arter all, for de way you purtended not to know dat gal, anâ de way she purtended not to know you, hab took de wind out ob my sails altogidder!â
It was probably an advantage to Hester Sommers that she had been subjected to so severe a test at that time, for, not many weeks afterwards, she experienced a shock which put her powers of self-restraint to a much severer trial.
It happened thus. Sally and she were on their way home from market one day; the former with a large basket of vegetables on her head, and the latter with a lighter basket of oranges on her arm, for the use of the master at home. They had come to one of the wider of the narrow streets of the town, where the small shops were numerous, and the throng of passers-by was considerableâas also was the noise, for Jews, Moors, Cabyles, and negroes were conversing and jostling each other in all directions.
Presently a band of slaves approached, and, as it passed, Hester nearly fainted, for among them she beheld her father, with irons on his legs, and a shovel and pick on his shoulder.
âFather!â she exclaimed, in a faint voice, and, stretching out her arms, made an effort to run towards him.
Quick as lightning Sally grasped the situation, and, rising to the occasion with that prompt energy which betokens true genius, she seized Hester by the nape of the neck, hurled her to the ground, and sent her oranges flying in all directions! At the same time she began to storm at her with a volubility of invective that astonished herself as well as the amused bystanders. As for poor Hugh Sommers, the noise had prevented him from hearing the word âfather!â and all that met his eyes was one black girl roughly using another. Alas! the poor man had
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