The next thing had to do urgently was to go and see the Taylors, well, Amy at least. He didn't want her to hear the story from anyone else.
Gabriel was barely a block away from the police station and heading home towards the boarding house when he sensed that he was being followed.
The afternoon was waning and the street seemed quieter than usual as the constant flow of traffic began to cease. Fewer heavy draught horses than usual were clopping along with jingling harness hauling drays and lorries. The shouts of the carters as they jockeyed for position at the warehouse doors seemed muted; the roars of encouragement as they backed their teams up with cracking whips to the loading entrances of the warehouses were less raucous than usual
Christmas was still three days away but the town seemed eager to begin the celebrations after a hard year.
Many of the carters who had already delivered their loads had not sought other jobs. Their horses were already stabled and they had gone off to celebrate the approach of Christmas, so there were more patrons in the hotels than was usual at that hour.
As he passed the doors and open windows the noise of loud conversation and calling out would rise to a crescendo and die away again from his hearing as he walked on.
Those inside seemed comfortable and though a few people went in none came out. Other, more sober souls, like himself, were going home, but there were no drunk people staggering out of the hotels; it was a too early for drunks to be thrown out because they had spent all their money and closing time would not be for hours yet.
Later when time and money had cut out they would have to waver home to nearby boarding houses or cottages and face their irritated spouses.
Between hotels and warehouses the street was quiet and the footsteps of a few pedestrians echoed clearly against the bluestone and brick walls of the buildings. After working hours it was a quiet, respectable neighbourhood for people who laboured in the offices and factories close by and lived in the cheap boarding houses and residential hotels that were plentiful at the western end of town.
Many had finished early because of the pull of Christmas slowing down trade like a falling tide.
He turned several times to see if there really was someone following behind. When he did so people walking nearby stared back but by no means could he believe that any of them cared about his movements. Perhaps a plain clothes policeman had been ordered to follow him in case he was going to meet Benno. He shrugged that thought off. The sergeant who took down his words knew that he never, ever wanted to meet that man again.
He was soon at Mrs Byer's house and went in, but not before looking up and down the street, still with the uneasy feeling that some unseen person was following.
One or two of Mrs Byer's boarders edged past and went inside as he stood in the door. He nodded, recognising them vaguely, but was sure that none would have any interest in following him anywhere.
He went up to the Taylor's room, but was told by a servant that they were in the common room with a guest.
As he entered Amy rose and flashed at him one of her smiles. His breath was constricted for a moment but he managed to smile back. There was no kiss this time. After a long, heated argument with her mother she had promised not to kiss him again, at least not in public. Queen Victoria was still on the throne and it was improper for unmarried couples to kiss in the presence of others. If they were engaged a kiss on the cheek was permissible, and that was quite enough.
As soon as could take his eyes off Amy he saw the guest they were entertaining, It was an old friend.
''Sir Thomas,'' he cried. This was the man he had last seen wearing an all white suit. The one who owned the ship and saved Gabriel frolm being sent back in disgrace to third class, where he belonged.
''Hello Gabriel,'' he said. ''I knew if I found the Taylors I'd find you. You wouldn't have let Amy go that easily,
''Actually she found me, In the middle of a crowd in Bourke Street.''
''Well done Amy. He wasn't going to escape just because he was hiding in the middle of a crowd, was he.''
''I think we have discussed the matter quite enough,'' said Mrs Taylor.’Amy was brought up to be a lady. She would never dream of searching for a young man in a crowd of people in a busy street’.
There were several witnesses in the room who knew Amy had done exactly that but said nothing. They didn't want to stir up an argument with Mrs Taylor.
Sir Thomas thought it time to change the subject, ''I was about to tell how I found where you were staying, it was simple. I was walking along Swanston, opposite Saint Paul's Church when I saw a display of bibles in a shop window. It was a religious tract society, and I thought Alfred may have called in on them already, perhaps he had a letter of introduction.''
"Well, I did!'' cried Mr Taylor. Did you meet the Reverend Mr Wade? We're great friends now, he is a true believer in what is revealed in the bible.''
''Yes, he holds you in high estimation, and as well he told me where you were living.
Now Gabriel. I have to congratulate you. Amy has been saying wonderful things about the business you're running now. Tell us about it.''
''Well sir, I'm glad she gave you such a good report, but I got into an awful scrape today.'' He told them of Benno smashing the music shop windows, and how Mr Gladman had accused him of inciting Benno to the attack. He told them of the scene outside Mr Gladman's shop, of the fight in the police station and how Benno had made his escape
''Oh, you poor thing,'' said Amy. ''I wish I'd been there, I would have given them a piece of my mind.''
Sir Thomas seemed amused. ''I wish I'd been there too, I would have enjoyed that, especially the brawl in the police station,I haven't seen a decent brawl in years, not since I was last in Hong Kong.
Mrs Taylor was wondering if they should drop their acquaintance with Sir Thomas Black He would encourage criminal behaviour by regarding it as amusing, and he could well have a bad influence on Mr Fox.
They all stopped talking because of the noise of an argument on the stairs near the common room. Such things happened from time to time but Mrs Byers was there and they could hear her raised voice remonstrating sternly with some unknown person.
The listeners paid little attention to what was going on. Mrs Byers was equal to any situation involving troublesome lodgers. She put them down promptly but this time the altercation, now in the passage, was not easily resolved. Her pained voice was heard getting louder as she cross examined some unseen person, but the replies were unheard. A very brisk double rap on their door followed. It was opened to reveal Mrs Byers who stood outside with an appearance of suspicion and concern.
"Mr Fox," she said accusingly. "I have just met an individual on my stairs who claims he was looking for you but did not know what room you were in. Perhaps you could reassure me that he is a friend of yours as he claims."
Benno was outside the door with her, his hat pulled well down over his eyes, which were badly bloodshot, and with his coat collar turned up. He appeared to have difficulty in standing upright even though his back was against the wall opposite. It was not surprising Mrs Byers had challenged him on the stairs.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Byers," Gabriel said, and would have ground his teeth with rage if he had been a more demonstrative person.
"That's 'im," said Benno, brightening up at the sight of his friend. "I told you he was me mate, missus, but you wouldn't believe me. 'Ow,s it goin' Gabby?" he enquired cheerfully, "Haven't seen you for a while." He screwed up his face and winked to indicate this was to put Mrs Byers off the scent in case she had heard of the events of the afternoon."
Mrs Byers noticed both the grimace and the wink. She said, in a frosty tone. "You understand, Mr Fox, it is my duty to keep my lodgers from being molested by persons wandering in off the street. My boarding house has always been noted for its quietness and respectability, and I am sure you will agree with my desire not to admit undesirable visitors. Mr and Mrs Taylor came with the highest references and have been model lodgers in the few weeks they have been in my house. It would be a matter of great regret if we had to part company through any complaints from other lodgers."
"He's not a friend of mine, Mrs Byers, and he won't be here long, and he won't be back again. You need not worry, he can come in for a few minutes and then I will see him safely downstairs and out into the street."
Mrs Byers nodded, sniffed, and turned away She was a small woman, but formidable, and walked quickly down the stairs absentmindedly rubbing the stair rail with a polishing rag as she went.
Fox grabbed Benno by the arm and hauled him into the room just as the sound of the dressing gong echoed through the house. "What the hell are you playing at?" He demanded fiercely. "Haven't you done enough for one day what with smashing Gladman's window and getting me into trouble with the police?"
"Gimme a drink," demanded Benno. "I haven't had a drop all day." He slumped into an armchair and seemed to be about to go to sleep.
He was shaken awake. "You can't sleep here, what do you want?"
Benno leered up at him. "I'm dead sick of being sober; I want a drink. There's Amy, she's a mate of mine; she'll get me a drink."
"You've been drinking all day," said Fox "Look at you!" He indicated Benno's bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and air of collapse as he lay awkwardly in the chair.
"Not a drop," was the indignant response. "All I've had was a bit of medicine to keep me goin'. You don't know how crook I been and I got some of Doctor Smith's Miracle Cure and its fixed me up a treat. I wouldn't have been able to get through the day without it. You'n Amy can have a swig if you like. There's some left in the bottle and it'll make you feel better."
With uncertain fingers he groped in his pocket and at last pulled out a half emptied bottle of the colonial elixir. It was about to smash on the floor when Fox took it away.
"How many did you buy?" asked Fox, sniffing distastefully at the bottle he held in his hand.
"Five," answered Benno after struggling with memory for a minute, "and that's the last one. You'll have to give me money for more. I'm not cured yet."
"Tip this out," ordered Fox, handing the bottle to Mrs Taylor, who looked as though she was being ordered to dispose of a snake.
''I'll do it,'' said Amy, and took the bottle from her mother's cringing hand. I'll take it down to the kitchen and get rid of it.''
If Mrs Byers is not around ask the girls for a cup of coffee. Hot and strong and maybe a bit of sugar.''
''Oh, that's alright, Mrs Byers likes me. She'll give me coffee if I ask for it.''
Gabriel looked down on the afflicted man. "He'll poison himself if he keeps on drinking the stuff. Five bottles at 1/6 that's, seven and sixpence,.half a day's wages thrown away on this dangerous rubbish. It's no wonder you broke Gladman's windows. You were mad drunk; don't you realise it must be stronger than rum?
''I like Melbourne,'' said Sir Thomas cheerfully. ''There's always something happening here. This has made my evening, and it's not over yet. I know exactly what we can do with your friend and at the same time save our friends from having to look for new lodgings.
's good stuff. It's gunna restore me to health; Gabbby, y'say it's gunna kill me. Well, so do the hospitals. They'll kill you off quicker than Doctor Smith's medicine's gunna do."
''Shut your mouth, my man!'' said Sir Thomas. I've been dealing with drunken sailors all me working life.and I'm treating you as just another one only this time it's a bit more complicated. I've never had a tough boarding housekeeper'' standing over me before.''
''We're not going to leave him here,'' said Sir Thomas. ''If Mrs Byers finds that he spent the night in her house she'll ask you to leave tomorrow morning
Benno was sprawled even lower in the arm chair and now lay with his head tilted uncomfortably over the back of the chair and his mouth open. He was starting to snore very loudly when they shook him awake."Come on, you can't sleep here."
"Gotta sleep somewhere. They chucked me stuff out of me room on to the footpath and changed the locks," he mumbled. "They said I haven't been payin' the rent. Now I got nowhere to go. You and Amy'll have to take me in an' I'll get another place in the mornin', if the traps don't catch me first."
Gabriel could imagine that Benno would be thrown out again in the morning if he was found on the premises by Mrs Byers, and they would go with him. The landlady would not have a low, wharf labouring type character like Benno in her house no matter what the circumstances, nor would she listen kindly to any excuses Fox might dream up.
When Amy returned with a cup of coffee the dinner gong had sounded and they could hear doors opening and shutting and footsteps on the stairs as the lodgers went down to the dining room.
Holding the coffee under Benno's nose had no effect. He was now snoring loudly and Gabriel was glad their neighbours had gone to eat else they would have been tapping on the door and complaining of the noise.
They got the coffee into him after a while in spite of his grimaces and complaints. "You're not staying here; don't think that!'' Said Sir Thomas We're going now to the sixpenny rooms and you can just sleep off your medicine, and don't come back tomorrow. we'll come round and see you. What time do they turn you out in the morning?"
"Ar pas' seven, Gabby, and y' can't do this t'me. I thought you was me mate. Why can't I sleep here? I can doss down on the floor and I won't be a nuisance to anyone. Jus' gimme a go will ya? I don' wanna sleep in the sixpenny place; they turn you out in the morning without no breakfast."
"I'll give you money for breakfast but I won't give you a penny tonight because you'll go straight down to the pubs with it, and you won't get any if you come here for it, not a penny. I don't want to see you anywhere near here again."
''What's the sixpenny place?'' asked Amy.'' It sounds very cheap, is it nice?'
''No it's not my girl. And you can't come with us three because it's for men only. When your father loses all his money and can't borrow from anyone you and your mother will have to go to the women's sixpenny. I won't be here but I'm sure Gabriel will give you six pence each every night so you don't have to sleep on the streets.''
''You're horrible, I hope your ship sinks and you have to sail home on a raft.''
''Amy, '' cried her mother, ''What a dreadful thing to say, now apologise to Sir Thomas immediately.''
''It''s alright Ivy, Amy and I understand each other.I'll get my own back one of these days.
''What form will your revenge take?''asked.Gabriel.
Sir Thomas said, ''I was thinking of kidnapping the girl, taking her on a ship, and when it sank, and we we were on the raft together I would cut down her rations of food and water until she begged for mercy.
''Well, you'd better not fall asleep. The moment you start snoring I'll roll you off the edge of the raft, and leave you to the sharks.''
''This conversation is most unseemly,'' said Mrs Taylor. We do not want hear about possible criminal acts being discussed so lightly.When the men go, Amy, we, and your father will have a little talk about the duties of a lady in society.''
''Amy pulled a face at Gabriel. She knew very well who would do most of the talking for the next half hour or so.
In spite of Benno's bitter complaints and pleas for mercy on account of it being Christmas they got him out of the chair and with an arm each over their shoulders they proceeded clumsily down the stairs. Their progress was enlivened by Benno's loud conversation and complaints as they attempted to sneak quietly by the dining room door. Benno wanted to go in and have a confrontation with Mrs Byers but they got past safely and no one challenged them.
The sixpenny doss-house was not far from their lodgings. ''We'll make him walk the rest of the way,''said Sir Thomas. 'Exercise is better for him than hanging on to us, besides, he pongs a bit, doesn't he?''
''How did you find this place?'' asked Gabriel.
''Walking, As an officer on a ship I don't get much exercise so when I'm ashore I like to get around and see as much as possible. So far I've seen a kangaroo and a platypus. And I've been to a corroboree. I must tell you that the best way to learn about a city is to walk the streets and talk to the people. That's how I found the doss house. It's in King Street, between Little Collins and Bourke, I was passing so I stuck my head in the door and had a good look around''
They made Benno walk ahead, not wanting to be seen in the company of a staggering, inebriated wharf labourer who shouted abuse over his shoulder now and again followed by pleas and invitations to come into the next pub and have a drink. They kept a strict distance behind him. Apart from any other consideration th separation might give them time to disappear if Benno was accosted by an alert policeman.
Gabriel knew they had arrived when a shabby man in the remains of a military red coat with the frogs torn or missing asked for a shilling, enough to buy him a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning.
Sir Thomas gave the the man his shilling, and received a smart military salute in return. The man shuffled off at once, not to the lodging house but down the street towards the nearest hotel.
{ 25 }
Benno in the sixpenny dosshouse.
They were outside a large, plain, red brick building of three stories. The entrance was arched and sheltered a short flight of steps which led up to heavy double doors that had been much kicked on the bottom panels where all the paint had flaked away. A sign painted over the arch and repeated on the door A a small spy-hole announced they were at THE NEW MODEL LODGING HOUSE. Another sign attached to the brickwork carried the information that clean beds could be had for sixpence per night and breakfast for another sixpence.
In spite of Benno's pleas to be shouted a parting drink his companions marched him inside to the ticket box where a man behind a glass window was accepting sixpences and shillings from a queue of prospective lodgers.
Signs on the painted brick interior announced that no liquor of any kind could be brought into the dormitories. No women would be admitted. No food could be permitted to be eaten in bed and the outer doors would be locked and all lights extinguished precisely at 10.30pm.
Fox would not trust Benno with a shilling. He stood in the queue and paid the money himself while Benno stood glumly with Sir Thomas.
The man gave him two tickets, one for bed the other for breakfast. The bed ticket was numbered to indicate which bed Benno was to occupy and his name was written in pencil on the back.
Benno looked at his tickets. "312," he whined, "that's the third floor and it's a long way up those steps. I need something to give me the strength to get up there and I haven't had nothin' to eat all day."
Gabriel and Sir Thomas had, by now missed dinner themselves. Mrs Byers would not serve up another just for them. Gabriel hoped Amy had had hers ,but decided that as they were there they might as well see the rest of the sixpenny lodgings.
The place smelled musty and there were taints of other odours in the air, but not much worse than one would smell in most parts of Melbourne at that time. They tramped up to the third floor to find that it was all one large dormitory with dozens of black painted iron beds set out in rows with just enough room to walk up and down between. Wooden lockers were set around the wall and on the payment of fourpence, with the promise of a penny refund on return of the key, it was possible to hire a locker for the night. Any lodger who could not afford the fourpence had to take his clothes and valuables to bed with him at night.
Benno's bed, like the others, was numbered. A board had been mounted over the head of every bed with a number painted on it. This was convenient because some lodgers were sitting up on the beds before turning in and used the board as a back-rest with the pillow as padding. Benno's bed was situated near a half-round window through which a tall man standing on tiptoe could get a glimpse of the roof and chimney pots of the warehouse opposite. There were several windows just the same around the walls but all were firmly shut in spite of the warmth of the night and the pervading smell, to which they soon became accustomed. There were signs painted on the brick walls repeating earlier warnings about smoking, drinking, swearing and so on, and further useful information about service times at local churches.
Even at that hour it was clear some of the inmates had nowhere else to go and were sitting on their beds sunk in apathy. Others were chatting or visiting as they encountered old friends; many were accustomed to spending their nights in the place and were quite at home.
Near Benno’s bed they startled a man smoking a pipe in spite of
prominent notices around the walls to say that smoking was strictly forbidden. He palmed the pipe in his hand in the vain hope that no one would notice.
"It's about time they opened the windows and let some air in here," he said. "There was a man here a second ago, I have no wish to call him a gentleman, who was smoking like a chimney, he just went out as you entered and the smoke hasn't had time to clear. Look at that!" He waved the smoke away vigorously to prove his point.
"You can smoke if you want to retorted Sir Thomas, it's nothing to do with me, but if you were on my ship and smoked that damned thing below decks I'd kick the living.daylights out of yer, and do it twice if it was a wooden ship.''
The man looked at him keenly. "I thought you were the manager. Do you have any managerial connection with this abode of antipodean luxury?"
Sir Thomas shook his head and the man relaxed. His pipe reappeared and he began puffing contentedly though now keeping a close watch on the head of the stairs lest anyone from the management should appear and catch him defying house regulations.
He glanced up at them again. "Will I have the pleasure of the company of you two gentlemen tonight? If so I advise you to take any valuables you may possess to bed with you and to keep a firm hold on them even when you are asleep. I would not put much faith in the lockers; there are such things as skeleton keys, you know; If you have anything of value keep an eye on it. Some of the persons who frequent this establishment are a little short-sighted and tend to mistake other people's property for their own."
"Anyone who tries to pinch my stuff gets stoushed," announced Benno ,"not that I got anything worth pinching."
"Do I detect a fellow Englishman?" asked the stranger, ignoring Benno and looking at Sir Thomas. "Your voice tells me that you are from one of the southern counties. I'm sorry that you are down on your luck and have to join us in this mean place." He nodded. "You do well to keep up appearances; that's important, and put your trousers and shirt under your mattress. It helps to keep them pressed and as well you can be sure they will still be there in the morning."
Gabriel would have listened but was jolted by a sudden, excited jab in the ribs from Benno's elbow. "F'Gaw's sake look at that."
Gabriel turned to where he was pointing. It was at a young man who had just come up the stairs and was walking slowly between the beds looking at the numbers. In his hand was one of the sixpenny tickets. It was Henry Flanagan.
"Henry! What are you doing here?"
"Henry jumped and was about to flee down the steps when he saw who it was speaking. A sullen look appeared on his face. "I aint goin' home. I don't care what you say, even if it is nearly Christmas; and don't you tell Ma or the girls where I am."
Fox shrugged. "Your mother is not likely to talk to Benno or me so we won't be telling her anything. What about your father? Does he know where you are?"
"Dunno! I asked him for some money this morning and he give it to me. I reckon he had an idea I was going to bolt because I couldn't stand it at home any longer. I thought I'd try and get a job on the Exhibition Buildings. I read in the paper they'll need all the workers they can get if it’s going to be ready next year for the opening."
''Is this another soul in torment?'' enquired Sir Thomas cheerfully. ''Has this young lad, Henry, I believe you said, run away from home at Christmastime.''
He addressed Henry. ''Lad, I judge you to be about fourteen or fifteen, and I was fourteen when I ran away from home, but I was shrewder than you. I didn't run away until after I had my Christmas dinner. What are your plans now?''
''Me mother and sisters want me to go into an office and I can't stand the idea, I want to work in a factory, or build things.''
''You've won me over, Henry. Working in an office would be a living death to a lad like you. Anyone that's ready to give up his Christmas dinner for the sake of a dream has my sympathy.I ran away to sea many years ago, after Christmas of course,and I haven't regretted it, at least not yet''
He turned to Gabriel. ''Would you and the Taylors object to having dinner at my expense somewhere, and we'll invite Henry too.''
''I'm sure they'll be delighted, but if not Amy and I will come, and I think we can count on Henry being there as well.''
''Too right!'' said Henry.
''I believe Young and Jacksons turn on a pretty good spread. I'll make some enquiries.''
''Sounds good,'' said Benno. I'll come too, if you like.
'' No Benno, you're not on my guest list, because you're already on the police guest list. If the police come to my party as well as you they could arrest Gabriel and me and charge us both for habouring a police fugitive.
The stranger who had been caught sm0king, and Benno. defended Henry's right to run away from home and make a living as best he could. The stranger was all for it, and his line was to get as much money as possible out the parents. "Look at me," he stated proudly. "I haven't seen England these 25 years and I get a remittance every month from the family to make sure I stay away. They say if I ever set foot in England again that will be the finish; not another penny from them. Not that I care; I have turned my back on the old Dart forever. However, as you can see, I am a little reduced at the moment; my remittance didn't arrive on time but when it does I will repay all debts, and," he added for emphasis, "with interest, down to the last farthing."
He looked benevolently at Henry. "Of course I've taken a fancy to this young shaver. I liked the cut of his jib as soon as I saw him. You know, young Henry reminds me of what I was like at his age, free-handed, always ready to help a chum down on his luck, and I must admit if a friend was to lend me a pound right now it would come in very handy indeed. Punctually repaid the moment my remittance arrives and, as I said, with interest."
Benno was firm. "Henry don't lend money to no one! and I'll be here to job anyone that tries to get it away from him. Henry's alright; I'll look after him. Don't you worry, Gabby, his own father wouldn't take better care. I'll see 'e takes a little walk before 'e turns in; just down to the corner and back."
"And I'll come too," said the man. "You never know what could happen to an innocent boy in a city like this unless he has some moral, Christian men with him to keep him out of trouble."
Gabriel's heart sank at the thought of Henry being in the care of these moral, Christian sin