There is a proud modesty in merit
Averse to asking, and resolved to pay
Ten times the gift it asks.
--Dryden.
Early the next morning the professor made his appearance at the Hill
Hut. Ishmael and Hannah had eaten breakfast, and the boy was helping his
aunt to put the warp in the loom for a new piece of cloth.
"Morning, Miss Hannah; morning, young Ishmael! You are wanted, sir, up
to the Hall this morning, and I am come to fetch you," said the
professor, as he stood within the door, hat in hand.
"Yes, I thought I would be; there must be no end of the rubbish to clear
away, and the work to do up there now, and I knew you would be expecting
me to help you, and so I meant to go up to your house just as soon as
ever I had done helping aunt to put the warp in her loom," answered
Ishmael simply.
"Oh, you think you are wanted only to be set to work, do you? All right!
But now as we are in a hurry, I'll just lend a hand to this little job,
and help it on a bit." And with that the artist, who was as expert at
one thing as at another, began to aid Hannah with such good will that
the job was soon done.
"And now, young Ishmael, get your hat and come along. We must be going."
But now, Hannah, who had been far too much interested in her loom to
stop to talk until its arrangements were complete, found time to ask: "What about that fire at Brudenell Hall?"
"Didn't young Ishmael tell you, ma'am?" inquired the professor.
"Very little! I was asleep when he came in last night, and this morning,
when I saw that his clothes were all scorched, and his hair singed, and
his hands and face red and blistered, and I asked him what in the world
he had been doing to himself, he told me there had been a fire at the
Hall; but that it was put out before any great damage had been done;
nothing but that old wing, that they talked about pulling down, burnt,
as if to save them the trouble," answered Hannah.
"Well, ma'am, that was a cheerful way of putting it, certainly; and it
was also a true one; there wasn't much damage done, as the wing that was
burnt was doomed to be pulled down this very spring. But did young
Ishmael tell you how he received his injuries?"
"No; but I suppose of course he got them, boy-like, bobbing about among
the firemen, where he had no business to be!"
"Ma'am, he got burned in saving Commodore Burghe's sons, who were fast
asleep in that burning wing! Mrs. Middleton offered freedom to any slave
who would venture through the house to wake them up, and get them out.
Not a man would run the risk! Then she offered freedom, not only to any
slave, but also to the wife and children of any slave who would go in
and save the boys. Not a man would venture! And when all the women were
a-howling like a pack of she-wolves, what does your nephew do but rush
into the burning wing, rouse up the boys and convoy them out! Just in
time, too! for they were sleeping in the chamber over the burning room,
and in two minutes after they got out the floor of that room fell in!"
said Morris.