“No, madam; he must go with the other students, and do precisely as they do.”
“Where will his servant lodge?”
“His servant?”
“Yes, James. He will want a servant, for I don’t know that he ever dressed himself alone.”
“He can have no servant, except those of the ship.”
“That’s very, very hard.”
“Perhaps it is, but if the boy can’t dress himself alone, he must lie in his berth till he acquires the art by hard thinking. I wish you to understand the matter thoroughly before you leave him, madam.”
Mrs. Blacklock struggled with the hard terms; but even to her the case seemed like a desperate one, and she was willing at last to try the experiment, though she intended to follow the ship wherever she went, to save him from suicide when his situation became absolutely hopeless. The terms arranged, she followed Mr. Lowington on deck, where Clyde was discovered in the loving embrace of the big boatswain, who released him as soon as he saw the lady.
“Now, Clyde, my dear, we have arranged it all,” said Mrs. Blacklock; and it ought to be added that such a result would have been utterly impossible if the subject of the negotiations had been present.
“I don’t care if you have,” replied Clyde, bestowing a fiery glance upon the boatswain, who was smiling as blandly as though earth had no naughty boys.