Todd almost thought that he was saved, when he felt himself fairly upon the deck of the Lively William. It seemed to him such a miracle to get so far, that his faith in completely getting the better of his enemies increased wonderfully. "Oh, this is a relief," he said. "This is, indeed, a vast relief."
"What do you mean?" said one of the men of the cart to him, as he eyed him keenly.
Todd was very anxious not to excite any suspicion that he was other than what he had represented himself to be; so he answered quickly—
"I mean that it is a relief to get out of the small boat into the ship. Ever so little a distance in a boat disagrees with me."
"Oh, that's it, is it?"
"Yes; and if you have no particular objection, I will go below at once. I daresay the cabin accommodation is very good on board the Lively William."
"Oh, quite wonderful!" said the captain. "If you will come with me Mr.—a—a—what's your name?"
"Wilkins," said Todd.
"Oh, Mr. Wilkins. Well, if you will come with me, I shall have the very great pleasure of showing you what a capital berth we can give you."
"Thank you," said Todd, and then, rather timidly, for the staircase down which the captain dived seemed to Todd better adapted for poultry than for human beings, he carefully followed his new friend.
The cabin of the Lively William was a woful place. Any industrious house-wife would have sneered at it as a linen-cupboard; and if it had been mentioned as a store-room in any establishment of pretentions, it would have excited universal reprobation. It had a roof which nobbed Todd's head if he attempted to stand upright; and the walls sloped to the shape of the sides of the Lively William. The window was a square hole, with a sliding shutter; and the furniture would have made the dingiest broker's shop in London blush to own it.
"This is the state cabin," said the captain.
"Really?" said Todd.
"Why, don't you see it is by its size and looks? You won't often see in a craft of this size a handsomer cabin than that of the Lively William."
"I dare say not," said Todd. "It will do very well for me, my friend. When a man is travelling, he must not be very particular, as it is soon over."
"That true; but now I want to say something to you, if you please, that's rather particular. It's quite clear to me and my mate, that you want to get out of England as quickly as possible. What you have done, or what you haven't is not much matter to us, except, so far as that, we daresay you have swindled the public to a tolerable tune. We don't mean to take you for nothing."
"Nor do I wish you," said Todd. "Nothing can possibly be further from my thoughts."
"Very good; then, in a word, we don't intend to do the thing unhandsome; and you shall have all the capital accommodation that the Lively William can give you to the Port of Havre for twenty pounds."
"Twenty pounds?"
"Yes. If you think it is too much, you may go on shore again, and there is no harm done, you know."
"Oh, no—no. That is, I cannot help thinking it is a large price; and if I were to say I thought otherwise, you would not believe me; but as I really wish to go, and you say you will not take less, I must give it."
"Very good. That's settled, then. We shall be off at ebb-tide, and I only hope we shall have good luck, for if we do, we ought to make Havre, at all events, this time to-morrow."
"I hope we shall."
"Keep up your heart, and make yourself comfortable. Here's lots of the most amusing books on this shelf. Let me see. Here is the 'Navy List' for about ten years ago, and here's a 'Ready-reckoner,' and here is 'The Exciseman's Vade Mecum,' and here is a 'Chart of the Soundings of Baffin's Bay,' so you can't say you are out of books."
"Oh, how kind," said Todd.
"And you can order whatever you like to eat and drink, provided you don't think of anything but boiled beef, biscuits, and brandy."
"Oh, I shall do well enough. Rest is now what I want, and a quick voyage."
"Very good," said the captain. "You will not be at all interrupted here, so you can lie down in this magnificent berth."
"What, on that shelf?"
"Shelf? Do you call the state berth of the 'Lively William,' a shelf!"
"Well—well, I dare say it is very comfortable, though the roof, I see, is only eight inches or so from one's nose. I am very much obliged. Oh, very!"
The captain now left Todd to himself and to his own thoughts, and as he really felt fatigued, he got into the state berth of the Lively William, which, to tell the truth, would have been very comfortable if it had only been a little wider and a little longer, and the roof higher, and not quite so damp and hard as it was.
But, after all, what where all these little disagreeables, provided he, Todd, fairly escaped? If he once set his foot upon the shores of France, he felt that, with the great continent before him, he should be free, and he did not doubt for a moment getting in any capital a ready enough market among the Jews for the watches and jewellery that he had about him.
The ship as the tide washed slowly by it, moved to and fro with a sluggish motion that rocked Todd to sleep, and he dropped off from a perception of the world and all its cares.
How long he slept he knew not, but when he awoke all was darkness around him, and the first attempt he made to move brought his head into violent contact with the partition of his berth.
Then Todd felt that the ship was tossing upon the water, and he could hear the dash and ripple of the sea pass her sides, while every now and then a loud splash against the closed shutter of the cabin-window war............