The Guardian Angel Page #2

"The Guardian Angel" by W. W. Jacobs is a humorous short story that revolves around a lighthearted and whimsical tale of an angel who intervenes during a critical moment in a man's life. The protagonist, faced with a dilemma, finds himself under the watchful eye of a celestial guardian who attempts to guide him through his troubles. Jacobs weaves themes of fate, morality, and the absurdity of life with his signature wit, delivering both entertainment and thoughtful reflection on human nature.

• Humour
• Short story

								

bit o' fun on 'is part, and telling 'im wot a fancy he 'ad taken to 'im
from the fust, put Ginger's watch and chain into his 'ands and eighteen
pounds four shillings and sevenpence.  Sam put it into his pocket, and,
arter going through the lodger's pockets to make sure he 'adn't forgot
anything, opened the door and flung 'im into the street.  He stopped on
the landing to put the money in a belt he was wearing under 'is clothes,
and then 'e went back on tip-toe to 'is corner and went to sleep with one
eye open and the 'appiest smile that had been on his face for years.

"He shut both eyes when he 'eard Ginger wake up, and he slept like a
child through the 'orrible noise that Peter and Ginger see fit to make
when they started to put their clothes on.  He got tired of it afore they
did, and, arter opening 'is eyes slowly and yawning, he asked Ginger wot
he meant by it.

"'You'll wake your lodger up if you ain't careful, making that noise,' he
ses.  'Wot's the matter?'

"'Sam,' ses Ginger, in a very different voice to wot he 'ad used the
night before, 'Sam, old pal, he's taken all our money and bolted.'

"'Wot?' ses Sam, sitting up on the floor and blinking, 'Nonsense!'

"'Robbed me and Peter,' ses Ginger, in a trembling voice; 'taken every
penny we've got, and my watch and chain.'

"'You're dreaming,' ses Sam.

"'I wish I was,' ses Ginger.

"'But surely, Ginger,' ses Sam, standing up, 'surely you didn't take a
lodger without a character?'

"'He seemed such a nice chap,' ses Peter.  'We was only saying wot a much
nicer chap he was than--than----'

"'Go on, Peter,' ses Sam, very perlite.

"'Than he might ha' been,' ses Ginger, very quick.

"'Well, I've 'ad a wonderful escape,' ses Sam.  'If it hadn't ha' been
for sleeping in my clothes I suppose he'd ha' 'ad my money as well.'

"He felt in 'is pockets anxious-like, then he smiled, and stood there
letting 'is money fall through 'is fingers into his pocket over and over
agin.

"'Pore chap,' he ses; 'pore chap; p'r'aps he'd got a starving wife and
family.  Who knows?  It ain't for us to judge 'im, Ginger.'

"He stood a little while longer chinking 'is money, and when he took off
his coat to wash Ginger Dick poured the water out for im and Peter Russet
picked up the soap, which 'ad fallen on the floor.  Then they started
pitying themselves, looking very 'ard at the back of old Sam while they
did it.

"'I s'pose we've got to starve, Peter,' ses Ginger, in, a sad voice.

"'Looks like it,' ses Peter, dressing hisself very slowly.

"'There's nobody'll mourn for me, that's one comfort,' ses Ginger.

"'Or me,' ses Peter.

"'P'r'aps Sam'll miss us a bit,' ses Ginger, grinding 'is teeth as old
Sam went on washing as if he was deaf.  'He'ss the only real pal we ever
'ad.'

"'Wot are you talking about?' ses Sam, turning round with the soap in
his eyes, and feeling for the towel.  'Wot d'ye want to starve for?  Why
don't you get a ship?'

"'I thought we was all going to sign on in the Cheaspeake agin, Sam,' ses
Ginger, very mild.

"'She won't be ready for sea for pretty near three weeks,' ses Sam.  'You
know that.'

"'P'r'aps Sam would lend us a trifle to go on with, Ginger,' ses Peter
Russet.  'Just enough to keep body and soul together, so as we can hold
out and 'ave the pleasure of sailing with 'im agin.'

"'P'r'aps he wouldn't,' ses Sam, afore Ginger could open his mouth.
'I've just got about enough to last myself; I 'aven't got any to lend.
Sailormen wot turns on their best friends and makes them sleep on the
cold 'ard floor while their new pal is in his bed don't get money lent to
'em.  My neck is so stiff it creaks every time I move it, and I've got
the rheumatics in my legs something cruel.'

"He began to 'um a song, and putting on 'is cap went out to get some
brekfuss.  He went to a little eating-'ouse near by, where they was in
the 'abit of going, and 'ad just started on a plate of eggs and bacon
when Ginger Dick and Peter came into the place with a pocket-'ankercher
of 'is wot they 'ad found in the fender.

"'We thought you might want it, Sam,' ses Peter.

"'So we brought it along,' ses Ginger.  'I 'ope you're enjoying of your
brekfuss, Sam.'

"Sam took the 'ankercher and thanked 'em very perlite, and arter standing
there for a minute or two as if they wanted to say something they
couldn't remember, they sheered off.  When Sam left the place
'arf-an-hour afterwards they was still hanging about, and as Sam passed
Ginger asked 'im if he was going for a walk.

"'Walk?' ses Sam.  'Cert'nly not.  I'm going to bed; I didn't 'ave a good
night's rest like you and your lodger.'

"He went back 'ome, and arter taking off 'is coat and boots got into bed
and slept like a top till one o'clock, when he woke up to find Ginger
shaking 'im by the shoulders.

"'Wot's the matter?' he ses.  'Wot are you up to?'

"'It's dinner-time,' ses Ginger.  'I thought p'r'aps you'd like to know,
in case you missed it.'

"'You leave me alone,' ses Sam, cuddling into the clothes agin.  'I don't
want no dinner.  You go and look arter your own dinners.'

"He stayed in bed for another 'arf-hour, listening to Peter and Ginger
telling each other in loud whispers 'ow hungry they was, and then he got
up and put 'is things on and went to the door.

"'I'm going to get a bit o' dinner,' he ses.  'And mind, I've got my
pocket 'ankercher.'

"He went out and 'ad a steak and onions and a pint o' beer, but, although
he kept looking up sudden from 'is plate, he didn't see Peter or Ginger.
It spoilt 'is dinner a bit, but arter he got outside 'e saw them standing
at the corner, and, pretending not to see them, he went off for a walk
down the Mile End Road.

"He walked as far as Bow with them follering'im, and then he jumped on a
bus and rode back as far as Whitechapel.  There was no sign of 'em when
he got off, and, feeling a bit lonesome, he stood about looking in
shop-windows until 'e see them coming along as hard as they could come.

"'Why, halloa!' he ses.  'Where did you spring from?'

"'We--we--we've been--for a bit of a walk,' ses Ginger Dick, puffing and
blowing like a grampus.

"'To-keep down the 'unger,' ses Peter Russet.

"Old Sam looked at 'em very stern for a moment, then he beckoned 'em to
foller 'im, and, stopping at a little public-'ouse, he went in and
ordered a pint o' bitter.

"'And give them two pore fellers a crust o' bread and cheese and
'arf-a-pint of four ale each,' he ses to the barmaid.

"Ginger and Peter looked at each other, but they was so hungry they
didn't say a word; they just stood waiting.

"'Put that inside you my pore fellers,' ses Sam, with a oily smile.  'I
can't bear to see people suffering for want o' food,' he ses to the
barmaid, as he chucked down a sovereign on the counter.

"The barmaid, a very nice gal with black 'air and her fingers covered all

								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes