The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗

Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 110

I Did Not Require To Be Invited A Second Time; And After I Had Received

My Money, I Calculated How Many More Tons I Should Have To Dispose Of

Before I Could Call My Funds Whole.

 

In The Midst Of My Calculation, I Was Disturbed By A Message From

Messrs. Hennetit & Co. They Desired To See Me Immediately, And Requested

To Know When It Would Suit My Convenience To Call On Them. I Replied, In

Half An Hour; And When I Was Leaving The Store To Keep My Appointment,

My Blunt Friend Stopped Me.

 

"Hennetit & Co.," He Said, "Have Received A Number Of Orders For Flour,

And They Must Fill Them. Don't Sell For Less Than What I Paid You;

Perhaps You Can Get More."

 

I Thanked My Acquaintance For His Hint, And Acted On It. When Mr.

Hennetit Talked About Purchasing A Few Barrels, I Put Him Off By

Replying That It Was Hardly Worth While To Retail Them, And That I Had

Received Proposals For All That I Held, And That I Probably Should

Accept.

 

This Information Rather Startled The Cautious Gentleman, And The

Question Was Put To Me Without Equivocation,--

 

"How Much Advance Did I Demand For The Flour Which They Held For For

Me?"

 

"Fifty-Six Pounds Per Ton," I Replied, Promptly And Firmly.

 

"Would I Not Take Fifty Pounds?"

 

"No"

 

"Would I Sell All That I Held In The City To The Firm Of Hennetit & Co.

For That Price?"

 

I Replied That I Would, Provided The Transaction Was Cashed That

Afternoon.

 

There Was A Short Discussion Among The Members Of The Firm; And I Saw

The Junior Partner Go Out In Great Haste. He Returned In A Few Minutes,

And Reported, I Knew What He Went After. He Desired To Learn The

Direction Of The Wind Before Completing The Bargain. Fortune Favored Me.

It Was Blowing A Gale Directly Off Shore.

 

"Will You Take A Check On The Bank, Or Do You Desire Gold Dust?" Was Mr.

Hennetit's Polite Interrogation.

 

I Replied That I Preferred The Dust, If It Was Clean, And Had Been

Received From The Government Office. It Was Warranted Free Of Sand; And

While The Weighing Commenced, I Drew Up Orders For The Delivery Of Flour

Held By The Several Firms In The City. By The Time That I Had Concluded,

The Dust Was Put Into Bags, Marked With My Name, The Amount In Each Bag,

And I Found Myself Thy Possessor Of Ten Thousand Pounds In Hard Cash, Or

Nearly Fifty Thousand Dollars.

Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 111

 

In Less Than An Hour The Money Was Safely Locked Up In The Vaults Of The

Bank; And Then I Began To Feel As Though I Had Passed Through An Ordeal

That Had Left Me, At Least, Ten Years Older Than I Really Was; And I

Almost Made A Solemn Vow Never To Attempt Another Speculation; But I Am

Glad That I Hesitated, Because Before I Left Australia I Indulged In

Many; And While Some Were Unfortunate, Others, I Am Happy To State,

Turned Out Well, And Enable Me To Live At The Present Time, A Life Of

Such Comparative Idleness, That I Almost Repent Being A Bachelor, And

Sometimes Think That The Sea Of Matrimony Would Relieve My Life Of

_Ennui_.

 

I Owe An Apology To The Reader, Perhaps, For Thus Taking So Much Space

To Relate A Transaction That Made Some Noise In Melbourne, Owing To The

Boldness Of My Strike, And The Success That Attended It. It Was A

Lottery, With The Chances In My Favor, And Had I Not Improved It There

Were Others Who Would.

 

The Vessels Expected Did Not Arrive For Three Days After I Sold Out; Yet

The Messrs. Hennetits & Co. Made Money Out Of The Operation, And

Whenever I Met Them, After Our Business Relations Were Ended, Always

Joked Me About Selling To Them For So Low A Price, While They Were

Prepared To Give Me At Least Five Pounds More Per Ton.

 

But I Will Retrace My Steps, And Return To Our Store At Ballarat, From

Which Place I Took Flight On The Very Day That We Found Our Nugget.

 

"I Think," Said Mr. Critchet, As We Sat Smoking Our Pipes After Tea, The

Store Being Closed For The Night, "That I Shall Be Well Enough In A Few

Days To Go To Work Myself. I Feel The Spirit In Me, But The Flesh Is Yet

Weak."

 

"You Will Not Be Fit For A Day's Work In The Mines For A Month Yet,"

Returned Fred.

 

"I Can't Remain Idle For That Length Of Time," Mr. Critchet Said; "I

Have Already Trespassed On Your Hospitality, And Am Laboring Under A

Debt For Kind Attention, That I Shall Have Hard Work To Repay. I Am Not

Rich, But If The Few Thousand Pounds Which I Have Accumulated, And Which

Are On Deposit At The Government Office, Can Recompense You, They Are

Yours."

 

"I Suppose," Said Fred, Re-Filling His Pipe, Lighting It, And Then

Puffing Away Vigorously, "That You Imagine That It Is Best To Surrender

All Your Property In The Most Gracious Manner Possible. If That Is Your

Opinion, You Misjudge Us."

 

"My Dear Young Friend!" Cried Mr. Critchet, "I Certainly Did Not

Entertain Any Such Opinion. I Have Been Treated As Kindly And Carefully

As Though You Were My Own Sons; And Through Your Exertions And

Attentions My Life Has Been Saved. I Feel As Though I Cannot Repay You

With Empty Thanks, For I Have Caused An Expenditure Of Much Time And

Money. Let Me Feel As Though I Had Endeavored To Requite Your Kindness."

 

Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 112

"So You Can," Returned Fred, Composedly.

 

Mr. Critchet Brightened Up. I Looked At My Friend Anxiously, And Feared

That He Had Forgotten Our Agreement On The Subject Under Discussion.

 

"The Fact Is," Said Fred, Knocking The Ashes From His Pipe, "If You Wish

To Deserve Our Friendship, Never Speak Again In Reference To The Subject

Of A Recompense."

 

"But--" Exclaimed The Old Man.

 

"No Buts About It. You Sought Our House As A Refuge For Safety, And If

You Found It, None Can Be More Satisfied Than Ourselves. The First Night

I Saw Your Gray Hairs I Thought Of My Dead Father, And I Determined To

Do All That I Could For The Honor Of His Name. God Bless His Memory--He

Was A Good Man, And I Am Certain That If His Spirit Is Allowed To Visit

This Earth, It Would Approve Of My Conduct."

 

"Then All Recompense Is Refused?" Demanded Our Guest, After A Moment's

Silence.

 

"Decidedly So."

 

"Then Let Me Make A Proposition To This Effect: My Claim Is Lying Idle,

And Is Probably Half Full Of Water. I Feel That I Am Not Strong Enough

To Work It, And Will Tend The Store Until Well, And One Or Both Of You

Can Take My Mine And Carry It On, And, If You Choose, Divide The

Profits Between Us Three. By Such A Process You Will Be Spared From

Being Under Pecuniary Obligations To Me, And I Shall Feel As Though I

Was In Some Measure, However Slight, Repaying The Expense Of My Board

And Lodging."

 

How Carefully The Old Gentleman Concealed The Fact, That The Mine Which

He Owned, And Had Partially Worked, Was One Of The Most Valuable, In

Ballarat, And That It We Consented To The Arrangement We Should, In All

Probability, Make Two Or Three Thousand Pounds With But A Trifling

Amount Of Labor!

 

"If You Will Do As I Wish," Mr. Critchet Continued, "I Shall Feel As

Though I Was Not Intruding Upon Your Privacy, Or Upon Your Generosity.

If My Offer Is Not Accepted, Then To-Morrow I Return To My Tent, And

Trouble You No More."

 

"But Consider," I Said, "You Have No Knowledge Of Storekeeping, And Will

Make But A Poor Clerk For Attending Upon These Rough Miners."

 

"My Dear Boy," Our Guest Exclaimed, "Before You Were Born, As A British

Merchant, I Sold Thousands Of Pounds Worth Of West India Goods; And

Should Now, If I Had My Rights, Be In Possession Of A Princely Fortune.

Do Not Think That I Am Speaking Boastingly, For I Am Humble. All Pride,

Excepting The Love Of Honesty, And A Desire To See My Family Once More

In Comfortable Circumstances, Has Left Me; And Now I Labor For Love Of

My Children, At Whatever Business I Can Make The Most Money."

 

"You Have A Family, Then?" I Asked.

 

The Old Gentleman Nodded; And Through The Tobacco Smoke I Saw That His

Eyes Grow Moist At The Question. We Sat Silent For A Few Minutes, For We

Did Not Wish To Interrogate Him In Relation To His Family Affairs,

Although I Must Confess That I Felt Something Of A Yankee's Curiosity In

Regard To His Position In Life.

 

"I Have No Desire To Keep From You My Story," Mr. Critchet Said,

"Although It May Not Interest You, And Is But A Repetition Of Trust And

Wrong--Of Confidence And Betrayal. Such As It Is, However, I Will

Confide To You, And Hope That It May Prevent You From Being Shipwrecked

On The Same Sea."

 

The Old Gentleman Moistened His Lips With A Drink Of Cold Tea, And

Began:--

 

"My Father Was A Merchant Before Me, And Dealt Largely In West India And

India Goods; And, When I Was Of Sufficient Age, I Occupied A Stool In

His Counting Room, And Learned The Mysteries Of Buying Low And Selling

High, For The Purpose Of Taking His Place When He Felt Rich Enough To

Retire.

 

"When He Did, Which Was At A Ripe Old Age, I Was Left In Possession Of

Two Thirds Of His Property, It Being Shared By My Sister And Myself; And

When My Sister Married, Which She Did Without My Consent, And Almost

Before I Knew Her Husband By Reputation, I Paid Over To Her Every Penny

That Belonged To Her, And Wished Her God Speed On Her Journey Through

Life. We Were Nearly Strangers To Each Other, Owing To The Death Of Our

Mother During Her Infancy, When An Aunt Had Volunteered To Assume The

Control Of Her Education, And That Was One Reason Why, Perhaps, My

Advice Was Not Listened To In Regard To The Choice Of A Husband.

 

"Well, Time Passed On, And At Length I Too Married, And Was Blessed With

A Daughter, And Then I Renewed My Exertions For Wealth For My Child's

Sake; For Then I Was A Silly And Ambitious Man, And Hoped That I Could

Connect Myself By Marriage With Some Peer Or Lord, Or Even A Baronet.

That Was Eighteen Years Ago, My Friends, And Since That Period I Have

Grown Wiser, And, As You See, Older. If I Can Live To See My Daughter

Wedded To An Honest Man My Ambition Will Be Satisfied."

 

I Began To Reflect And Ponder Over Those Words. How Did I Know But That

I Might Suit Her