Chapter XX
An Invite Accepted
“This is very hard for me, Jonathan and Adelaide,” said old Mr. Highcrofft, “being the one responsible for setting these horrible wheels in motion. What you two must be feeling is beyond my powers to imagine.”
“Well, I have to say my feelings would be far different if I weren’t sitting here holding this precious baby, Grandfather,” said Adelaide Highcrofft. “As it is, all I can feel is a profound gratitude for having him come back to us.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, my dear,” said old Mr. Highcrofft. “Nonetheless, what Franklin has done is past belief. You’re being very good to him, I must say, Jonathan.”
“And I’ve explained why,” returned his grandson. “But I’d also like to think of the good that’s coming from this terrible incident in our lives. I’m thinking about the new buildings that will be going up to replace those miserable tenements, Grandfather, and about the poor wretches who will be given the chance to live a decent life because of the new buildings. But we’ll talk about all that later. Right now I wish to introduce you formally to Robin, who is the one who saved your great-grandson’s life. Robin is going to join our family, Grandfather, and we intend to put the legal wheels in motion immediately so that he will very soon become a Highcrofft, and our baby’s official brother. Robin, shake hands with your soon-to-be great-grandfather.”
Robin quickly ran to shake the hand of the old man who was smiling warmly at him. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
“And I, you,” said old Mr. Highcrofft. “But as to saving the baby’s life, I believe there’s a great deal missing in this story that I haven’t yet been told.”
“There is, Grandfather. A great deal!” said Jonathan Highcrofft. “But because of the late hour, I’d like to ask, if it’s all right with you, that we put off telling the whole story until tomorrow.”
“I’ll try to be patient,” said the old man. “But one thing you can at least tell me is what you’ll be calling this baby of yours.”
Jonathan Highcrofft sent Robin a twinkling glance. “You mean we haven’t mentioned it? Why, his name is going to be Daniel, although of course we’ll be calling him Danny. It’s a name both Adelaide and I like very much.”
“And well you should!” said Danny’s great-grandfather. “After all, you have at least four ancestors with that name.”
“I didn’t know that,” said his grandson with a contrite grin. “I don’t suppose there’s a Robin stuck away in there someplace, is there?”
Old Mr. Highcrofft laughed. “Actually, I believe there is!”
“What fun!” said Adelaide Highcrofft. “You wouldn’t look it up for us, would you, Grandfather?”
“With pleasure!” replied the old man.
“But now, Grandfather,” said Jonathan Highcrofft as he went over to ring the bell, “another reason for asking you to stay on a while was not just to meet another great-grandson, but to be introduced to the four young boys who probably made it possible for Robin and Danny even to be here at all, isn’t that right, Robin?”
“Oh yes!” he replied, so fervently there, could be little doubt his whole heart was in his reply.
“Fletcher, would you be kind enough to bring in the four young gentlemen now in the kitchen?” Jonathan Highcrofft asked his butler, who had now arrived.
And it was but a few minutes before Fletcher returned with his small parade of boys, who, now filled with roast chicken and cream cake, came jauntily through the doorway, only to freeze into four stone statues as soon as they entered the grand drawing room. Only their round eyes moved, roaming around the room until they happily lighted on something they knew, Robin and Danny.
“Grandfather,” said Jonathan Highcrofft, “I’d like to introduce you to Danny’s Uncle Piggy, his Uncle Duck, his Uncle Mouse, and his Uncle Spider. I’m sorry I still don’t know which is which, but Robin, would you like to do the honors?”
Robin went over to the boys, and with an enormous grin on his face, held a hand over each boy’s head as he put the right name to it.
“I want you to know, Grandfather,” said Jonathan Highcrofft, “that these boys, who all ran away from homes where their fathers beat them on a regular basis, used to live under a pier. I still have to learn how it was accomplished, but they recently took up residence in the cellar of our church.”
“You mean St. Katherine’s?” asked the astonished old man.
At this point, it suddenly beecame too much for the boys to stand by with their mouths hanging open listening to someone tell their story.
“We calls it St. Somethin’!” Duck burst out.
“And where did that name come from?” inquired the curious senior Mr. Highcrofft.
“We ain’t able ter read n’r write,” said Mouse. “So we wasn’t able ter read the sign wot’s in front o’ the church. But most churches wot we knowed was St. Somethin’ or other, so St. Somethin’ ’s wot we called the one we was livin’ in.”
“I see,” said old Mr. Highcrofft, who was now resting his chin on his folded hands and staring at the boys with a bemused expression on his face.
“But Robin were teachin’ us our letters ’fore he got caught by Hawker,” said Spider. “We been practicin’ ’em whilst you was gone, Robin.”
“Only thing we never done were finish sewin’ our clothes like you was doin’,” said Piggy. “You done sich good work, none o’ us wanted ter sperl it.”
“But one thing we done, Robin, were start worshin’ our clothes. You might o’ seen as how we was lookin’ cleaner,” Spider said. “Weren’t easy doin’ it, cause we ain’t got no changes, but we done it.”
“Duck’s put it in them promises we made ter the Landlord,” said Mouse. “Now it’s no lyin’, no cheatin’, no gamblin’, an’ keepin’ clean.”
Jonathan Highcrofft exchanged a puzzled look with his wife. “What’s
