“So I have had a talk with the Captain here about you,” the purser went on; “and if you want to be my assistant purser on the Trinidad at one hundred dollars a month, you have only to say the word.”
For a few moments Kit hardly knew how to reply. Mr. Clark had been jesting, he was sure, in talking about his dislike of work; and he was still jesting. Kit thought, when he first spoke of Kit’s working for him. But there was no joke about such an offer as he had just made. That was sober earnest, and required an answer.
“Why, I should like to have one hundred dollars a month, sir,” he replied, “very much indeed. And I should like to be with you. But on the other hand I should dislike to leave Captain Griffith and the old North Cape. And there is one thing that would interfere with my going into a new place just now. I don’t know whether I told you about my father, how he was shipwrecked and has been missing for a long time. There is a man in New Zealand, in a hospital, who may prove to be my father; and if he should, it might be necessary for me to go over there to bring him home.”
“Yes, Captain Griffith has told me all about that,” Mr. Clark answered, “and that need not be any objection. It is quite right that you should do everything possible for your father. But it is not such a long voyage to New Zealand in these days of steam, and I could put some one in your place while you were gone. Besides, it takes money for such a trip, and you would get the money much faster as my assistant than you can make it as a supercargo.”
“Yes, sir, that is true,” Kit said; “I thought of that at once. And it is very kind in you to make me such a liberal offer. But can you let me have a little time to think of it in, Mr. Clark? Say a week or ten days? I have always had a sort of horror of changing about from one place to another, and should not like to do it without consulting Captain Griffith and my mother.”
“Take a week and welcome to think it over in, my lad,” the purser answered. “I can’t say more than a week, because I must have some one before I start on the next voyage. But you can do a heap of thinking in a week, if you set about it. And I hope you will make up your mind to go with me. I think it will be to your advantage and mine too.”
After the purser was gone Kit had to look after his soap-boxes; but as soon as they were attended to he returned to the cabin and had a serious talk with Captain Griffith.
“I don’t like the idea of your leaving us, Silburn,” the Captain said; “don’t like it at all. But it would be selfish in me to stand in the way of your bettering yourself. The Quebec company is a good company, the Trinidad is a fine ship, and Mr. Clark is a good man to be with. I have known him slightly for a long time. To be sure, he has some odd ways, but then most of us have. He is always talking about not believing in work, yet he works as hard as any man I know.
“And the one hundred dollars a month is a great object,” he continued. “It is really large pay, considering that you would live on the ship and would have hardly any expenses. You would have to wear the company’s uniform, of course, and keep well dressed on account of the passengers; but that does not amount to much. And you would likely become one of their pursers in time, if you gave satisfaction. Much as I should dislike to lose you, it is only fair for me to say that I think it is a very fine offer. I don’t see how you can do anything but accept it.”
To add to the unsettled state of Kit’s mind, the next day brought him a letter from Vieve saying that they had heard from the consul at Wellington. But she did not say whether the man in the hospital had proved to be their father or not. This he looked upon as a bad sign, for if there had been good news, she would have been in a hurry to tell it. So with this matter to be discussed, and his Marseilles experiences to be related, and his new offer to be considered and decided upon, he felt as if a week at home would hardly be half long enough.