Provings

Chapter 12

William stood with his uncle on the docks by Peck's Slip, having come to book their passage to Norwich to find his father. The docks were a mangle of carts and people and boxes, with all parts moving at once, and William had to hold tight his uncle's hand for fear of losing him in the fray. When they got to the water, the way cleared enough for him to see a series of tables with large signs overhead with the pictures and names of ships. At every stand was a man shouting the name of the vessel and the details of the passage, each vying for attention. When they saw William and his uncle take notice, several of the shouting men came up to them. 

"Good Sir, young gentleman, come to book your passage?" A lanky young man with a good hat and freckles was the first to reach them. "The Water Witch is the finest vessel plying the Hudson," he said, trotting along beside them. "She'll make Albany in under 12 hours in the highest degree of luxury. Only $3.99 an adult with a special rate for the young man."  

"We're seeking passage to Norwich," Lucius answered him. 

"Then it's the Norwich or the Henry Eckford you'd be wanting." 

"We're looking for the Henry Eckford." 

"A fine vessel she is. Used to do the Albany run in record time for her day. You'll find her at the Steven's slip, just down that way." 

Lucius nodded and they continued the way the youth had indicated. 

"Good day to you Sir!" He called out behind them.  

William still had his head in a bit of a whirl over what had happened over the last day, with his father becoming so sick and taken away and the rough boys in the street. His uncle took him to his own house after that row with Pelatiah. He and Aunt Ann Marie and his cousin Marie Louise lived several blocks away from William's house near the north docks, and it was a perilous walk to William's mind. It was full dark by the time they reached the house and they had had to walk past several taverns filled with angry shouting men. And there were women out on the street as well, being very forward toward them as they passed, one even to the point of patting him on the head and calling him a pretty boy in a way that did not seem kindly at all. His uncle had to wave her off with stern words. When they finally reached the house, it was not at all what he had expected - not like his own house. It was small and made of wood instead of brick and they had only the top two floors and garret. Another family, whom he never saw, lived on the first floor and shared the basement kitchen. Still, they had two servants, like William's family had on Oliver Street, one to cook and clean, who they shared with the family below, and one as governess for Marie Louise. 

Marie Louise was four and a half and had black ringlet curls and the biggest, darkest eyes William had ever seen. When he was left alone with her, she told him she was reading Latin and doing sums. He didn't believe her because she was so young and a girl and he told her so, so she pinched him and said he was a horrid little boy.  

Marie Louise's grandmother also lived in the house. Lucius told him to call her Mrs. Moore. William didn't much like her. She didn't smile once the whole time he was there and was forever telling his aunt what to do and yelling at the servants. He liked his Aunt Ann Marie. She was pretty and quiet and smiled all the time. When he first came to the house she told him how very much she liked his father and was sorry for his illness and hoped he got better soon. She hugged him and when she did he smelled sweet nectar on her breath, like honey and cherries. It made him think of the candies in the drug store. But after that she went to her room and he didn't see her again, not even at dinner. She wasn't feeling well, Uncle Lucius had said. Marie Louise leaned over then and said, "Mother never feels well in the evenings." 

William had to sleep in the nursery with Marie Louise. It was in the third floor garret and had a window that looked over the roofs and onto the buildings near the pier. There was room enough for two beds but the space was mostly taken up with a large doll house full of tiny furniture and little people. He didn't much like the nursery because it was a girl's room, with calico curtains and pink walls, and the bed he was in squeaked every time he moved. It took him a long time to fall asleep at night and when he woke up in the middle of the night after a bad dream, he found Marie Louise standing at the end of his bed staring down at him. 

"You had a bad dream," she said, and then went back to her bed and didn't say another word. He couldn't get to sleep after that, worrying about his father and the boy who had stolen the medicine and whether Marie Louise might pinch him again if he fell back asleep. He was also not a little excited about going on a steamer, and already there he was on the wharf booking the passage. 

As William and his uncle continued along the pier they came upon a group of men and boys huddled together in a circle yelling mightily over some contest. 

"What's that about?" He asked his uncle. 

Lucius shook his head. "I don't know boy, a fight, some wager. It could be anything." 

As they neared the pack, a shout rose up and the circle jostled loose. A large rat ran out from between the restless feet of the crowd and right towards him. "Uncle Lucius!" he called out and jumped to one side. 

"What's this?" His uncle said, quickly moving out of the way of the rat and the group of boys that had started after it. "Hey, you there! Watch what you are about!" 

But the boys didn't seem to hear him and disappeared after the rat behind some barrels. When William turned back from watching them, he looked right into the face of the ruffian that had taken the bottle of his father's medicine, standing not ten feet away. He didn't have that green kerchief on any more, but he was sure it was the same one, the one they called Johnny Cork. 

"Uncle Lucius," he said quietly, and pulled on his uncle's arm. "That's him, there. That's the boy that took Papa's medicine. Won't you go and get it back from him?" 

Lucius looked over at the boy. "Walk on William," he said and pulled him away. "I'll have nothing to do with that riffraff and you'll do the same." William had no choice but to follow, but he couldn't help looking back.  

For a distance of several yards, the boy stalked after them, glowering at William every time he looked back. Then the boy raised his fist and started shaking it at him in a menacing way. William thought it strange the boy would be so angry at him, for wasn't he the one who had been punched and robbed? He stopped looking back and hurried along beside his uncle. Then, not five more paces down the pier William felt something strike him hard in the back of the head. 

"Hey," he called out and turned, ready to fight him if that was what the boy wanted. But the boy didn't come any closer, just stared hard at him. 

Uncle Lucius tugged William forward, but he couldn't take his eyes from the boy. 

"Me Da's dead!" the boy yelled then. "I gave him that tonic and he died!" 

William stopped and Lucius dropped his hand and stepped in between them. "Hey, boy!" Lucius shouted, moving toward him. "Come over here!" 

The boy's face flamed red; he stared at Lucius for a moment and then turned and fled. 

"Come on William," Lucius said, grabbing his arm more forcefully this time.  

William tripped along beside his uncle, working to keep up. "But, what he said?" he asked, breathless. "Do you think it was true?" 

"I would put no stock in anything that boy says," Uncle Lucius answered without breaking pace. "And neither should you." 

"Because the formula is good, isn't it Uncle Lucius? The formula will make Papa well?" 

"Yes, William." 

"So, we're still going to go to the store later and make some more? You have the recipe?" 

"Yes William. Now hurry along. We should linger here no longer than we must."