‘An old friend. The oldest he’s got, I think he’ll say, when he sees me and hears my name.’
His enthusiastic supporters dropped Herbert, who came forward to speak to the inquirer.
‘It’s himself, himself, by all that’s holy! Hercules Albert, don’t you remember me?’ cried the man, as he seized both Herbert’s hands, shaking them furiously, and seeming to wish to hug him in his arms.
It was the old Sergeant Larkins, his stepfather, for whom he had so long searched in vain.
‘I heard them calling out the name, and it sounded so queer that I thought I’d have a look at you. How you’ve grown! But tell me all about yourself. Quick, lad. I want to hear, and the mother she—’
‘She’s all right and well, I hope,’ Herbert asked, as soon as he could put in a word. ‘Let’s go to her at once. How comes it I’ve never seen you before?’
‘Only landed from Malta on transfer last week, myself, the missus, and three of the bairns, that’s how it was. But come along, come to the mother at once; she’ll be crazy with delight when she sees you, and so will all the rest.’