human
You've come after my little gal, I s'pose?
gpt
What's your name, my man?
human
Coomber.
gpt
Coomber!
human
Why, yes; what should it be? said the fisherman.
gpt
Didn't you tell my little Tiny that you knew her name was Coomber? But how you came to know----
human
Why, I never saw you before that I know of, interrupted the other, sharply;
gpt
Oh, sir, and you've come to fetch her!
human
Well, I don't know so much about that, he said, cautiously;
gpt
I am her grandfather, and I thought, when I picked up that old newspaper the other day, and read about her being saved, I'd just like to come and have a look at her. I was pretty sure she was my Tilly's little one, by the description of the silver medal she wore, for I'd given it to her mother just before she ran away to get married to that sailor Coomber.
human
Oh, sir, a sailor, and his name was Coomber! Where is he? What was he like?
gpt
He was drowned before his wife died; she never held up her head afterwards, the people tell me. I never saw her after she was married, and swore I'd never help her or hers; but when she was dying she wrote and told me she was leaving a little girl alone in the world, and had left directions for it to be brought to me after her death. With this letter she sent her own portrait, and that of her husband and child, begging me to keep them for the child until she grew up. A day or two after came another letter, saying she was dead, and a neighbour was coming from Grimsby to London by ship, and would bring the child to me; but I never heard or saw anything of either, and concluded she was drowned, when, about a month ago, an old newspaper came in my way, and glancing over it, I saw the account of a little girl being saved from a wreck, and where she might be heard of. I went to the place, and they sent me here, and the minute I saw the child, I knew her for my Tilly's.
human
Have you got them pictures now?
gpt
Yes, said the old man, promptly, taking out his pocket-book as he spoke.
human
Here they are; I took care to bring 'em with me;
gpt
It is him! It is my Jack! he gasped.
human
Oh, sir, tell me more about him.
gpt
I know nothing about him, I tell you, said the other, coldly;
human
I never saw or spoke to my daughter after she married him; but I'm willing to do something for the little child, seeing it was my girl's last wish.
gpt
The child, repeated Coomber.
human
Do you mean to say little Tiny is my Jack's child?
gpt
Well, yes, of course I do. What else could I mean?
human
Then--then I'm her grandfather, and have as much right to her as you have,
gpt
Well, I s'pose you have, he said;
human
I'm not going to dispute it. I'm willing to do my duty by her. But mind, I'm not a rich man--not a rich man,
gpt
Now, hear me first. Let me have my say, and then, perhaps, we can come to terms about the matter. You've got a wife, I s'pose, that can look after this child. I haven't; and if she came to me, I shouldn't know what to do with her. Well now, that being the case, she'd better stay here--for the present at least; she's happy enough, I s'pose; and I'll pay you twenty pounds a year as my share towards her expenses.