“H'm,” said my uncle. “What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?”
“A tall man, with a beard,” I answered. I thought it wrong to mention that I knew the beard to be false. “He's always stroking the bridge of his nose with his hand.”
“Ha,” my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. “But with a beard, you tell me?”
“H'm,” he answered, musing, “I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I know a little more of what he is. You understand?”
“One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that before.”
“Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the street? I'm used to boats.”
“Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind.”
“Beg pardon, sir,” Ephraim put in. “The fall at the Bridge is very risky, sir.”
“It is?” said my uncle, testily. “Then of course you can't go in a boat, Martin. You must play in the garden, or read.”
I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the house, after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when he had occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my being a charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most servants, he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of his about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I would find out everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, but having made sure that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was only doing right in rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the pantry, washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me rebellious to my finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, I would go aboard all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that I could handle a boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. I was in the boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like the young rogue that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of disobedience. It was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of.