Newton smiled his thanks to the considerate old pensioners, as they stumped out of the door, and left him alone with his father. The communications of Nicholas were as concise as usual. He liked his situation, liked his company, had as much work as he wished for, and had enjoyed good health. When Newton entered upon pecuniary matters, which he was the sooner induced to do by observing that his father’s coat and smallclothes were in a most ruinous condition, he discovered, that though the old gentleman had provided himself with money from the bankers, during the first year, to purchase a new suit of clothes, latterly he not only had quite forgotten that there were funds at his disposal, but even that he had procured the clothes, which had remained in the chest from the day they had been sent home without having been tried on.
“Dear me! now I recollect, so I did; and I put them upstairs somewhere. I was busy at the time with my improvement on the duplex.”
“Have you seen much of my uncle, sir?” inquired Newton.
“Your uncle!—dear me, no! I don’t know where he lives; so I waited until you came back. We’ll go to-morrow, Newton, or he may think me unkind. I’ll see if his watch goes well; I recollect he said it did. But, Newton, tell me all about your voyage, and the action with the French ships.”
Newton entered into a detail, during which he perceived by his father’s questions that his memory had become more impaired, and that he was more absent than ever. He arranged to call upon his uncle the ensuing day; and then it was his intention, without communicating it to his father, to make every inquiry and advertise to ascertain the fate of his mother. This was a duty which he had long wished to repeat; but his necessities and want of time had hitherto prevented the renewal of the task.
Early the next morning, Newton and his father went up to London by the Greenwich coach; and a walk of a few minutes after they were put down, brought them to the chambers of Mr John Forster.
“How do you do, Mr Scratton? Is my uncle at home?” inquired Mr Newton.
Mr Scratton immediately recognised him, and very graciously replied, that his uncle was at home and would be very glad to see him, having talked very often of him lately.
Newton and his father were ushered into the parlour, where he found his uncle precisely in the same position as when he last saw him;—it would almost have appeared that he had not quitted his seat during Newton’s tedious voyage.
“Nephew,” said Mr John Forster, without rising from his chair, “I am very glad to see you.—Brother Nicholas, I am very glad to see you too.—Chairs, Scratton,” continued the old lawyer, taking his watch off the table, and placing it in his fob. “Well, nephew, I am very glad to hear such good accounts of you. I saw Mr Bosanquet yesterday, and he told me that you had for your good conduct been promoted to the rank of second-mate.”