“Come, sir, none o’ that in business hours,” cried the captain, “and heave that list overboard. It would take us half the night to get through with it. Come to the plans, sir; open the plans.”
Putting aside the list, the obedient secretary took up a large document, and, unfolding it, spread it on the table.
“This,” said Jeff, with business-like gravity, “is a plan of the Cranby Swimming Bath. The coast near the town being rocky, and in many ways inconvenient for bathing, sea-water is to be pumped into this bath daily by a steam-engine. A professor of swimming is appointed to give gratuitous instruction in his art. The bath is to be in two parts—one for ladies, one for gentlemen—and will have dressing-boxes all round, besides diving-boards and every sort of convenience. At certain hours of the morning and evening it will be open free of charge to all comers; so that there will be no excuse for any man, woman, or child in Cranby being dirty or unable to swim.”
“What a blessing it would be,” exclaimed the enthusiastic Miss Millet, “if such baths existed all over the kingdom!”
“It is a disgrace to the kingdom,” said Jeff, “that a bath such as this does not exist in every town of the kingdom. A mere tithe of the money wasted on drink and tobacco,” (“and tea,” muttered the captain, pushing in his cup for more), “would suffice to do it.”
“Come, Jeff, clap a stopper on your long-winded lectures, and go ahead wi’ the next plan,” said the captain, “and don’t moralise if you can help it.”
“But, brother, can you afford all this?” asked Miss Millet.
“Afford it? Of course I can. It’s wonderful, Molly, what men can afford when they’re willing to spend. Why, I’ve known a man myself who was so uncommon willin’ to spend that he ruined his baker an’ butcher an’ greengrocer before he had done spendin’. If that’s so with them as hasn’t got money to spend, surely it’s for a man like me to do so who’s rollin’ in four thousand a year, more or less. Besides, I’m goin’ to invest some o’ the capital in a way that’ll pay back three or four hundred per cent interest! I’m not goin’ to leave it all to my Rosebud. A reasonable provision she shall have—not more. You see, Molly, I’m of opinion that whatever a man has—whether he makes it by the use of his talents, or inherits it from his father, or has it sent to him unexpected, like mine—he holds it all in trust, to be used for the glory of God and the good of men. Now, cut along, secretary.”
“This,” said Jeff, “is the plan of the People’s Free Library. The purchase of the site was effected last week, and the building is to be commenced next month.”
“Ay, and the Prince of Wales is coming to lay the foundation stone,” cried the captain; “leastwise I’ve asked him to do it, and no doubt he’ll come if he’s got time. But look here, Molly,” he added, becoming impatient and opening out all the plans at once—“here you’ve got the lecture-hall an’ the gymnasium, an’ the church, an’ the ragged school—all ship-shape—an’ what d’ye think this is? Explain it, secretary.”