" The
boy blushed and could hardly be got to come in spite of our previous
blandishments; he had had pennies given him before, but shillings never.
His father caught him good-naturedly by the ear and lugged him to us.
"He's a good boy, Jack is," said Ernest to Mr Rollings, "I'm sure of
that."
"Yes," said Mr Rollings, "he's a werry good boy, only that I can't get
him to learn his reading and writing. He don't like going to school,
that's the only complaint I have against him. I don't know what's the
matter with all my children, and yours, Mr Pontifex, is just as bad, but
they none of 'em likes book learning, though they learn anything else
fast enough. Why, as for Jack here, he's almost as good a bargeman as I
am." And he looked fondly and patronisingly towards his offspring.
"I think," said Ernest to Mr Rollings, "if he wants to marry Alice when
he gets older he had better do so, and he shall have as many barges as he
likes. In the meantime, Mr Rollings, say in what way money can be of use
to you, and whatever you can make useful is at your disposal."
I need hardly say that Ernest made matters easy for this good couple; one
stipulation, however, he insisted on, namely, there was to be no more
smuggling, and that the young people were to be kept out of this; for a
little bird had told Ernest that smuggling in a quiet way was one of the
resources of the Rollings family.
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