Black Hearts in Battersea by Aiken Joan

Author:Aiken, Joan [Aiken, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Humorous Stories, London (England), Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, General, Great Britain, Orphans
ISBN: 9780395971284
Publisher: Sandpiper
Published: 1964-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

9

The dinner that the Duke of Battersea gave Dr. Furneaux's students was long remembered at the Academy of Art. As the Duke explained apologetically, the menu was put together at such short notice that the guests could only expect pot luck; just a neatish meal. There were but three courses: the first consisted of oysters, lobsters, salmon, turtle soup, and some haunches of turbot; this was followed by turkeys, chickens, a side of beef, and a whole roast pig; the last course consisted of veal-and-ham pies, venison pasties, salads, vegetables, jellies, creams, and fruit. "Just a picnic," as the Duke observed, "but as we are all such near neighbors I hope you won't take offense that we haven't been able to do better in the time."

Neither Dr. Furrneaux nor his students showed any tendency to take offense. The students many of whom had never seen so much food in their lives before, ate like famished wolves. Gus, sitting by Simon, and surrounded by high ramparts of oyster shells, had eaten steadily and in silence for an hour when at last he broke off to announce with a sigh, "It's no use; I couldn't cram in another crumb, not if you was to pay me. It does seem a waste with all that's left! Ah well, this dinner ought to do me for a week, then it's back to apple peel and Mrs. Gropp's parsley. I must say, his Grace is a prime host, ain't he, Fothers? Nothing behindhand about this setout, is there?"

Fothers could not reply; he had eaten nineteen jellies and was leaning back in his chair with a glazed expression.

The Duke stood up and cleared his throat rather shyly, amid shouts of "Three cheers for his Grace!" "Silence for the Dook!" "Pray hush for old Batters!"

"Gentlemen," the Duke said. "My wife and I are very happy to welcome you here tonight. You saved our lives yesterday and we shan't forget it. There has always been a bond between my family and the Academy of Art ever since it was founded by Marius Rivière who, as you may know, married my aunt, Lady Helen Bayswater. From now on the bond will be even closer. I should like to make this dinner an annual event"—("Hooroar for Battersea!" "Good health to old Strawberry Leaves!")—"and I am also going to endow the academy with five scholarships for needy and deserving students. They will be known as the Thames Rescue Bursaries. The first two have already been awarded by myself and Dr. Furrneaux in consultation, to Mr. Augustus Smallacombe and to Mr. Simon—I'm afraid I don't know your last name," the Duke ended, breaking off and looking apologetically at Simon, who was so astonished that he stammered, "M-mine, your G-grace? I don't know it either."

"Were you never christened?" asked his Grace, much interested, "or had your parents no surname?"

"Why, you see, sir, I was an orphan," Simon explained. "I never knew my parents."

"Then where—" The Duke's further question was interrupted by Jabwing the

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