Great Britain -- History -- James I, 1603-1625 -- Fiction; Witchcraft -- Fiction
Night passed. Morning broke—English summer, soft and sweet. Here
was the Thames mouth, here other winged ships and ships at anchor,
here the green shores, the waving trees, the clustered houses, here
England—England!
As they stood watching with full hearts the agent of the Company came
to them from the poop deck. “You have no money?”
“No.”
“Have you friends in London?”
“No.”
He held out to Aderhold a woolen purse, open, showing two gold nobles
and some silver pieces. “Yes, take it—and no need for thanks! I have
gotten good from you.—You will want work?”
“Yes.”
“I have weight enough with the Company to get you a clerkship.”
Aderhold thanked him again, and with warmth of feeling, but shook his
head. He had plans, he said.—But when the agent was gone the two
smiled at each other. Gold and plans!... They had had plans—they had
planned. What they had planned was to lose themselves, immediately upon
leaving the ship, in the crowd which doubtless would gather at the
waterside, then to slip into some street or lane and begone. Somewhere
in the tangled heart of London, in some poor street, in some garret,
they might find a lodging. Then work to live by.... There had risen a
vision, not unhomely, comforting, hopeful—physician’s work among the
poor and obscure, sempstress or spinster’s work, quiet life in the
shadow but with gleams of sun.... But now the plans seemed hardly even
gossamer.
The Eagle came slowly into port. Aboard was bustle and confusion. With
the rattling down of her anchor appeared the small boats, the wherries,
clamouring to take all ashore. A barge brought port officers. These
came up the side.... All was well, all might go ashore. The agent of
the Company would go, it seemed, in the port barge. Giles and Ellice
Herne watched him leave the ship. He had been a friend; they felt
gratitude and liking; they watched the dwindling boat and thought it
doubtful if, in this round of life, they would ever see the agent
again....
Their time came—they were to go with the second mate, a
broad-shouldered, surly, watchful man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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