Midsummer's Eve

He would not have a chance this time, but it might be that in a few years the name would be forgotten and he would pursue his ambition. For the time being he had gone up North and was working with a company in which his father had interests.

As for Peterkin himself, he was seeing Frances frequently and becoming more and more interested in the work she was doing.

He said: "My father is not averse to this. He thinks it is good publicity to have a son who is interested in social welfare; and it makes a nice touch that I am working with the daughter of Joseph Cresswell, because as you know there have been rumours that my father trapped Joseph Cresswell into that situation. So for once I have his approval of what I am doing." He smiled at me. "It suits me. For the first time I feel I am doing something I really want to do. My father has given money to the Mission ... a sizeable sum, so that Frances is going to get that house she wants. Of course, Papa likes the press to know where the money comes from.”

"I suppose he feels it's a sort of expiation.”

"Not him. He just feels it's a neat touch for people to ask if the money goes to do such good service does it matter how it was come by?”

"He's very cynical.”

"He's just about the shrewdest and most cunning person I know.”

"And you and Frances-you don't mind using his money?”

Peterkin looked at me quizzically. "No. I suppose we ought to. Frances and I have talked about it. Not that she thought of refusing it for a moment. Frances would take money from any source if it helped with her work. She needs that money. If you could see some of those people, you'd understand. Frances is a very wise young woman.

'If good cometh out of evil,' she says, 'let's make the most of the good.'“

I thought a good deal about them all and it was brought home to me that life is not neatly divided between good and evil; and after that I began to make less critical judgements.

After that brief visit we went down to Tilbury to join our ship which was taking ready-made garments, corn, oats, sugar, tea and coffee as well as some livestock out to Australia. There were only a few passengers so I supposed we should get to know our fellow travellers well during the voyage.

Helena and I shared a small cabin with two bunks, one above the other, a little cupboard for our clothes and a small table on which was fixed a mirror. It was fortunate that most of our baggage had been put into the hold until our arrival. My parents had a similar cabin next to ours and Jacco was sharing with another young man.

It was an exciting moment when we slipped away from the dock.

The Captain invited us to his cabin. He was a pleasant man with a dark curly beard, the same dark curly hair and heavy-lidded brown eyes.

"Welcome," he said. "I hope you are going to have a pleasant voyage with us. Have you travelled on a cargo ship before?”

We said we hadn't and my father added that he had been out to Australia, but had travelled on a different kind of ship and that was roore than twenty years ago.

"Things have changed," said the Captain, "In fact they are changIn8 all the time.

There are three other passengers besides yourselves. A young man who is going out to study something and a couple who want to settle. We should all get along fairly well. It just needs a little and take if you know what I mean.”

"I understand," said my father. "To be in such close proximity for long could in some cases be rather trying.”

"We shall try to make the voyage as pleasant as possible. There are card games, and there is a piano in one of the rooms. We have a good pianist among us. We'll make it tolerable but the main purpose of our voyage is to carry goods. That is why we are never quite sure how long we stay at certain ports, or even which ports we shall be calling at.”

"We understand all that," said my father. "What we want is to be taken to Australia as quickly as possible.”

"Then we shall be able to satisfy you. I have invited the other passengers here so that we can all get acquainted. Ah, here are Mr. and Mrs. Prevost. This is Sir Jake and Lady Cador and their son and daughter ..." He looked at Helena and added, "...

and their niece.”

We shook hands. The Prevosts were a pleasant-looking couple in their early thirties, I imagined, and while we were exchanging a few pleasantries with them the other passenger arrived. He was the one who was sharing a cabin with Jacco and as soon as he came in I thought there was something familiar about him.

"This is Mr. Matthew Hume," said the captain, introducing us.

The young man smiled as we shook hands. He looked steadily at me and said: "We have met before.”

"I thought so," I replied. "I was wondering ...”

"Frances Cresswell's Mission.”

"Of course. You let us in when we called.”

"We only met briefly but I remembered.”

"That's a strange coincidence," said my father. "There are only three passengers apart from my family and one of these knows one of us.”