“I hope so, Timothy; as for the one who is with
me at present, I can easily procure him other employment,
and he will not be sorry to go, for he is a married
man, and does not like the confinement.”
“I have some money,” said Timothy, taking
out of his old clothes a dirty rag, and producing
nearly twenty pounds. “I am well off, you
see.”
“You are, indeed,” replied I.
“Yes, there is nothing like being a sailor with
one leg, singing ballads. Do you know, Japhet,
that sometimes I have taken more than a pound
a day since I have shammed the sailor?”
“Not very honestly, Tim.”
“Perhaps not, Japhet; but it is very strange,
and yet very true, that when honest I could make nothing,
and when I deceived, I have done very well.”
Timothy commences his
narrative of his search after Japhet.
I could not help calling to mind that the same consequences
as Timothy related in the last chapter had occurred
to me during my eventful career; but I had long considered
that there was no excuse for dishonesty, and that,
in the end, it would only lead to exposure and disgrace.
I went home early in the evening to introduce Timothy
to Mr Cophagus, who received him with great kindness,
and agreed immediately that he ought to be with me
in the shop. Timothy paid his respects to the
ladies, and then went down with Ephraim, who took
him under his protection. In a few days, he was
as established with us as if he had been living with
us for months. I had some trouble, at first,
in checking his vivacity and turn for ridicule; but
that was gradually effected, and I found him not only
a great acquisition, but, as he always was, a cheerful
and affectionate companion. I had, during the
first days of our meeting, recounted my adventures,
and made many inquiries of Timothy relative to my few
friends. He told me that from Mr Masterton he
had learnt that Lady de Clare and Fleta had called
upon him very much afflicted with the contents of
my letter—that Lord Windermear also had
been very much vexed and annoyed—that Mr
Masterton had advised him to obtain another situation
as a valet, which he had refused, and, at the same
time, told him his intention of searching for me.
He had promised Mr Masterton to let him know if he
found me, and then bade him farewell.
“I used to lie in bed, Japhet,” continued
Timothy, “and think upon the best method of
proceeding. At last, I agreed to myself, that
to look for you as you looked after your father, would
be a wild-goose chase, and that my money would soon
be gone; so I reflected whether I might not take up
some roving trade which would support me, and, at the
same time, enable me to proceed from place to place.
What do you think was my first speculation? Why,
I saw a man with a dog harnessed in a little cart,
crying dog’s meat and cat’s meat, and I
said to myself, ’Now there’s the very
