Mr. Somers

“ Linden smiling,—"and very stormy."
"Ah?"—said Mr. Somers,—"very good and very stormy? Well I shouldn't have thought that. But I suppose you have got to be such a traveller that you don't mind which way the wind blows, if it blows you on, ha?—like Dr. Harrison. He never minds the weather. Dr. Harrison's a great loss to Pattaquasset too," said Mr. Somers looking at Faith and smiling a little more openly;—"all our—ha!—our pleasantest members of society seem to be running away from us! That's what Mrs. Somers says." ”

“ Unlike the austere parent, whose brows are ever contracted with a frown, and whose step, when heard, is sufficient to strike terror into the minds of his children, if their faults required correction, Mr. Somers possessed the happy art of reproving with such gentle arguments as proved [Pg 28] superior judgment without wounding affection, and entered with spirit into all their trifling pastimes.
“As the birthday of Fanny drew near, the indulgent Somers promised them a rural jubilee, and the farm soon became a scene of pleasing bustle. ”

“ Somers to him. "Come here, Herbert." And then they walked along the road in such a way that Aby was forced to allow his horse to walk after them.
"These are the men who are doing it," said Mr. Somers in a whisper to his companion. "Whatever is in the wind, whatever may be the cause of your father's trouble, they are concerned in it. They are probably getting money from him in some way." ”

“ CHAPTER XII. "It occurs to me, Parson Somers," said that gentleman's lady wife, as she salted and sugared his morning bowl of porridge; "it occurs to me, that Pattaquasset is getting stirred up with a long pole."
"Ah, my dear?" said Mr. Somers—"'Stirred up! Well—what makes you think so?"
"Why—" said Mrs. Somers tasting the porridge—"Jenny! fetch some more milk. How do you suppose Mr. Somers is going to eat such thick stuff as that?—and when do you suppose he is going to get his breakfast, at this rate? If you let your head run upon Jem Waters in this style, Jenny, I shall forbid him the house. ”

“ Mr. Somers was chilled in his attempt at a mutual confidence.
"Can you raise money, if Desmond should marry?" asked Ben. "Enough for both of us?"
"Desmond? he will never marry."
"It is certainly possible."
"You know how I am clogged."
I rang for some ice-water, and when the waiter brought it, said that it was time to retire.
"Now," said Mr. Somers, "I shall give you just such a breakfast as will enable you to travel well—a beefsteak, and old bread made into toast. Don't drink that ice-water; take some wine." ”

“ What would the world be without them?"
"The world would not be heart-broken," said Mrs. Somers. "Faith—which of you came to first? who picked you up?"
"I don't know, Mrs. Somers. Sam Stoutenburgh was passing just at the time and Dr. Harrison called him. I don't know who picked me up."
"Sam Stoutenburgh!" said Mrs. Somers,—"well, he's made, if nobody else is! He'll bless Julius for the rest of his life for giving him such a chance. Do you know how that boy watches you, Faith?—I mean to speak to Mr. Linden about it the very first time I see him." ”

“ Somers not a little.
"He writes," said the gentleman, "that he has received an offer which he considers very liberal."
"What is the land like, dad?" asked Bob.
"A rather desolate tract, partly wooded," answered his father. "When I went there, about a year ago, I found that the nearest town, a mere village, is miles away."
"Then why should any one wish to buy it?"
"That is just the question which is interesting me at present," said Mr. Somers, dryly. "Of course the timber may be of value."
"Did Mr. Jenkins state the name of the intending purchaser?" asked Mrs. Somers. ”

“ He walked straight up to Somers, then he turned extremely red,
Hesitated, hummed and hawed a bit, then cleared his throat, and said:
[Pg 544]
"I beg your pardon—pray forgive me if I seem too bold,
But you have breathed a name I knew familiarly of old.
You spoke aloud of Robinson—I happened to be by—
You know him?" "Yes, extremely well." "Allow me—so do I!"
It was enough: they felt they could more sociably get on,
For (ah, the magic of the fact!) they each knew Robinson!
And Mr. Somers' turtle was at Peter's service quite,
And Mr. Somers punished Peter's oyster-beds all night. ”

“ Stoutenburgh sings round his hearth in the shape of a black cricket. Mr. Linden passes unnoticed in the invisibility of a midge—nothing more dangerous. Mr. Somers does all the mischief he can in the way of devouring widows' houses. The two Messrs. De Staff" (two very spruce and moustachioed young gentlemen) "figure as wasp and snail—one would hardly think they belonged to the same family—but there is no accounting for these things. Mr. George Somers professes to have the taste of a bee—but luckily the garden belongs to the butterfly." ”

“ Somers had not left them the recipe for that medicine, on account of the new little 'Possums that would be coming along. But they didn't need the recipe. That medicine was strong enough, the amount they took, to do our family at least a thousand generations, and maybe more. Somers never came back, and they never heard of him again. Some of my ancestors used to say that he was not a real person at all, but something that could take different shapes and work magic, just as Mr. Painter believed he did. ”

“ He was educated at Worcester and Oxford, and became a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 1689.
Mr. Somers became Solicitor-General in 1688, when he received the honour of Knighthood, and he represented Worcester in Parliament. Sir John was sworn of the Privy Council in 1693, and shortly afterwards was made Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Speaker of the House of Lords, and Lord Chancellor. In 1697 he was created Baron Somers of Evesham. Lord Somers was President of the Royal Society. ”

“ Habberd's eyes brightened. “Most bothersome. You know anybody knows him? Speak quick. Got to cable to-day.”
Angela hesitated. Then she said quietly: “I know him.”
“Well?”
She gave John Somers an excellent character, while her employer studied her. At the end Mr. Habberd said “Humph!” and dismissed her. But later he summoned her and said gruffly: “Now about Captain Somers—know any one who would go his bond? One can't be too careful these days, and those Auckland chaps are evidently leary of him.”
“How much of a bond?” Angela asked.
“Five thousand dollars.” ”

“ Somers did not like the looks of things at all; and if he had not been interested in De Banyan, he would have retired in disgust from the house: as it was, he entered the room. As he did so he heard the sounds of coarse revelry, which suddenly burst upon his ear from an apartment farther in the rear of the mansion.
“Mr. Skinley, I wish to see the gentleman who came in before me,” said Somers, putting his hand on his pistol.
“Do yer?”
“I do.”
“Well, yer needn’t yell no more; there ain’t none so deef as them that won’t hear. ”

“ I saw no one in that compartment but yourself. Beg pardon, sir; my time's up."
And with this the ruddy guard touched his cap and was gone. In another minute the heavy panting of the engine began afresh, and the train glided slowly out of the station.
We looked at each other for some moments in silence. I was the first to speak.
"Mr. Benjamin Somers knows more than he chooses to tell," I said.
"Humph! do you think so?"
"It must be. He could not have come to the door without seeing him; it's impossible."
"There is one thing not impossible, my dear fellow." ”

“ The astral lamp from the center table in the parlor shone into our room, intercepting any view toward us. I sat by the window, the curtain of which was drawn apart, and the shutters unclosed. A few yellow leaves stuck against the panes, unstirred by the melancholy wind, which sighed through the crevices. Charles was at my right hand, by the mantel; the light from a candelabra illuminated him and Mr. Somers, while Helen and I were in shadow. Mr. Somers dealt the cards, and we began the game.
"We shall beat you," he said to Charles.
"Not unless Cassandra has improved," he replied. ”

“ And day by day they learned to love each other more and more.
At last, to their astonishment, on getting up one day,
They saw a frigate anchored in the offing of the bay.
To Peter an idea occurred. “Suppose we cross the main?
So good an opportunity may not be found again.”
And Somers thought a minute, then ejaculated, “Done!
I wonder how my business in the City’s getting on?”
“But stay,” said Mr. Peter; “when in England, as you know,
I earned a living tasting teas for Baker, Croop, and Co.,
I may be superseded—my employers think me dead!” ”

“ When Somers pulled himself up into the saddle the foreman delivered a parting admonition:
“If th’ trouble’s on when you reach th’ pass, better not ride too close. Mr. Fielding wouldn’t have Dixie hurt for half th’ ranch. Wouldn’t ride him hisself for fear he might get crippled in th’ muss.”
There being no evidence of “trouble”—past, present or prospective—when Somers reached the pass, he tethered the roan securely up a little ravine and climbed to a point where he could witness the approach of the chase—provided Sonora Jack had not disobligingly changed his course. ”

“ We'll only handle the bond if we are secured in full right here in San Francisco. You see, they'll ship a rich old cargo on the Challenger, and it's too risky to chance a man we don't know all about.”
“I think I know a friend of his,” Angela said slowly. “You'll take property?”
“Certainly, Miss Gaskell.”
Angela returned to her office and went to her employer. “I would like this afternoon off,” she told him. “A friend of Captain Somers is ready to go his bond and wants me to help arrange it. My—my friend saw the bonding company.”
Mr. Habberd stared and nodded. ”

“ Crosbie. "You are putting every dish out of its place! Surely Mr. Somers knows how to carve as well as you do."
"But papa is afraid Mr. Somers won't give him all the nice bits," said Miss Betsy.
"Learn to be silent, miss!" said Mr. Crosbie.
Miss Betsy was going to answer her father, when Miss Crosbie came into the room, newly dressed in a very elegant manner. She came smiling in, followed by Lucy and Emily, who went to sit at a small table with Henry.
"Sister," said Mrs. Crosbie, "where was the need of your dressing again? If we had waited for you, the dinner would have been spoiled." ”

“ Must get somebody else.
She filed the letter carefully and went on with her work. That night she lay awake a long time and, in the end, whispered her perplexity into the darkness. Whatever answer came, she slept.
THE next morning her employer was surprised that Miss Gaskell did not, as usual, leave his office immediately after receiving her instructions for the day. He lowered at her.
“What is it? Want a raise?”
Angela shook her head. “Not that, Mr. Habberd. But I noticed you could find nobody that knew Captain Somers—the man Giddings, Ltd., thought might bring the Challenger here.” ”

“ Israel?” inquired the commodore blandly.
“N—no, sir,” faltered Pickle, turning very red, and unconsciously beginning to practice the goose step in his embarrassment.
“Very well, sir,” replied the commodore, still excessively polite, “until Captain Somers asks for an officer of your age and experience, I shall not request him to take you or any other midshipman in the squadron.”
“The truth is, commodore,” said Decatur, who could not but respect the boy’s indomitable pluck, “Mr. Israel has the courage and spirit of a man, and he forgets that he is, after all, a very young gentleman.” ”

“ Here Decatur, seeing that the little midshipman was really in earnest, thought they had amused themselves at his expense quite enough; so he said kindly:
“Now, Mr. Israel, let us talk common sense. You are as brave a little fellow as ever stepped—both Captain Somers and I know that—but you could be picked up and thrown overboard like a handspike by any full-grown man. Macdonough is several years older than you, and as strong and able to take care of himself as any lieutenant in the squadron. ”

“ If Tom had not been born in Pinchbrook, and had a home by the sea, where boating is an appreciated accomplishment, he would probably have been borne into the arms of the expectant rebel, or received in his vitals the ounce of cold lead which that gentleman’s musket contained. As it was, he had the skill to do what he seemed not to be doing. Mr. Johnny Reb evidently did not suspect that Tom was “playing ’possum,” as the Tennessee sharpshooters would have expressed it. The voyager’s efforts appeared to be made in good faith ”

“ The Gray Ghost smiled malevolently. “Beagle wanted to know, Mr. Pelham—but you heard me repeat his question. Here's the answer: only a brilliant man would have conceived the idea of pretending to become a criminal himself in order to win his way to me. At least, only an extraordinarily brilliant man would have conceived this particular plan. I congratulate you, Mr. Pelham, and I regret that the association for which I had hoped can never be realized. But no falsehood can successfully impersonate a truth for long. You had a weak spot in your plan, Mr. Pelham.” ”

“ It is no light offense to batter down the doors of a respectable private house. And if I'm mistaken, the laugh that will go up——"
"We've been laughted at a lot already, Mr. Pelham," replied Jerry grimly. "Let's go."
Beneath their overcoats four of the operatives carried axes and crowbars. The door of the house which Ferry had entered gave way in thirty seconds. Pelham had been tricked before; this time there were men in the yard behind and on the roofs of the adjacent buildings. Of the twenty-four men that were in the building not one escaped. And seven of them did not wish to escape. ”