SPRINGHAVEN:

A Tale of the Great War

By R. D. Blackmore

1887

CHAPTER I

WHEN THE SHIP COMES HOME

In the days when England trusted mainly to the vigor and valor of oneman, against a world of enemies, no part of her coast was in greaterperil than the fair vale of Springhaven. But lying to the west of thenarrow seas, and the shouts both of menace and vigilance, the quietlittle village in the tranquil valley forbore to be uneasy. 

For the nature of the place and race, since time has outlived memory, continually has been, and must be, to let the world pass easily. Littleto talk of, and nothing to do, is the healthy condition of mankind justthere. To all who love repose and shelter, freedom from the cares ofmoney and the cark of fashion, and (in lieu of these) refreshing air, bright water, and green country, there is scarcely any valley left tocompare with that of Springhaven. This valley does not interrupt theland, but comes in as a pleasant relief to it. No glaring chalk, nogrim sandstone, no rugged flint, outface it; but deep rich meadows, andfoliage thick, and cool arcades of ancient trees, defy the noise thatmen make. And above the trees, in shelving distance, rise the crests ofupland, a soft gray lias, where orchards thrive, and greensward strokesdown the rigor of the rocks, and quick rills lace the bosom of the slopewith tags of twisted silver. 

In the murmur of the valley twenty little waters meet, and discoursingtheir way to the sea, give name to the bay that receives them and theanchorage they make. And here no muddy harbor reeks, no foul mouthof rat-haunted drains, no slimy and scraggy wall runs out, to mar themeeting of sweet and salt. With one or two mooring posts to watch it, and a course of stepping-stones, the brook slides into the peaceful bay, and is lost in larger waters. Even so, however, it is kindly still, forit forms a tranquil haven. 

Because, where the ruffle of the land stream merges into the heavierdisquietude of sea, slopes of shell sand and white gravel give welcomepillow to the weary keel. No southerly tempest smites the bark, no longgroundswell upheaves her; for a bold point, known as the "Haven-head, "baffles the storm in the offing, while the bulky rollers of a strongspring-tide, that need no wind to urge them, are broken by the shiftingof the shore into a tier of white-frilled steps. So the deep-waistedsmacks that fish for many generations, and even the famous "Londontrader" (a schooner of five-and-forty tons), have rest from theirlabors, whenever they wish or whenever they can afford it, in thearms of the land, and the mouth of the water, and under the eyes ofSpringhaven. 

At the corner of the wall, where the brook comes down, and pebble turnsinto shingle, there has always been a good white gate, respected (as awhite gate always is) from its strong declaration of purpose. Outsideof it, things may belong to the Crown, the Admiralty, Manor, or TrinityBrethren, or perhaps the sea itself--according to the latest ebb orflow of the fickle tide of Law Courts--but inside that gate everythingbelongs to the fine old family of Darling. 

Concerning the origin of these Darlings divers tales are told, accordingto the good-will or otherwise of the diver. The Darlings themselvescontend and prove that stock and name are Saxon, and the true form ofthe name is "Deerlung, " as witness the family bearings. But the foes ofthe race, and especially the Carnes, of ancient Sussex lineage, declarethat the name describes itself. Forsooth, these Darlings are nothingmore, to their contemptuous certainty, than the offset of somecourt favorite, too low to have won nobility, in the reign of somelight-affectioned king. 

If ever there was any truth in that, it has been worn out long ago byfriction of its own antiquity. Admiral Darling owns that gate, andall the land inside it, as far as a Preventive man can see with hisspy-glass upon the top bar of it. And this includes nearly all thevillage of Springhaven, and the Hall, and the valley, and the hills thatmake it. And how much more does all this redound to the credit of thefamily when the gazer reflects that this is nothing but their youngertenement! For this is only Springhaven Hall, while Darling Holt, theheadquarters of the race, stands far inland, and belongs to Sir Francis, the Admiral's elder brother. 

When the tides were at their spring, and the year 1802 of our era inthe same condition, Horatia Dorothy Darling, younger daughter of theaforesaid Admiral, choosing a very quiet path among thick shrubs andunder-wood, came all alone to a wooden building, which her father calledhis Round-house. In the war, which had been patched over now, but wouldvery soon break out again, that veteran officer held command of thecoast defense (westward of Nelson's charge) from Beachy Head to SelseyBill. No real danger had existed then, and no solid intent of invasion, but many sharp outlooks had been set up, and among them was this atSpringhaven. 

Here was established under thatch, and with sliding lights before it, the Admiral's favorite Munich glass, mounted by an old ship's carpenter(who had followed the fortunes of his captain) on a stand which wouldhave puzzled anybody but the maker, with the added security of a lanyardfrom the roof. The gear, though rough, was very strong and solid, and afforded more range and firmer rest to the seven-feet tube andadjustments than a costly mounting by a London optician would have beenlikely to supply. It was a pleasure to look through such a glass, soclear, and full of light, and firm; and one who could have borne tobe looked at through it, or examined even by a microscope, came now toenjoy that pleasure. 

Miss Dolly Darling could not be happy--though her chief point was tobe so--without a little bit of excitement, though it were of her ownconstruction. Her imagination, being bright and tender and lively, rather than powerful, was compelled to make its own material, out ofvery little stuff sometimes. She was always longing for something sweetand thrilling and romantic, and what chance of finding it in thisdull place, even with the longest telescope? For the war, with all itsstirring rumors and perpetual motion on shore and sea, and access ofgallant visitors, was gone for the moment, and dull peace was signed. 

This evening, as yet, there seemed little chance of anything to enlivenher. The village, in the valley and up the stream, was hidden by turnsof the land and trees; her father's house beneath the hill crest was outof sight and hearing; not even a child was on the beach; and the onlymovement was of wavelets leisurely advancing toward the sea-wall fringedwith tamarisk. The only thing she could hope to see was the happy returnof the fishing-smacks, and perhaps the "London trader, " inasmuch as thefishermen (now released from fencible duty and from French alarm) didtheir best to return on Saturday night to their moorings, their homes, the disposal of fish, and then the deep slumber of Sunday. If the breezeshould enable them to round the Head, and the tide avail for landing, the lane to the village, the beach, and even the sea itself would swarmwith life and bustle and flurry and incident. But Dolly's desire was forscenes more warlike and actors more august than these. 

Beauty, however, has an eye for beauty beyond its own looking-glass. Deeply as Dolly began to feel the joy of her own loveliness, she hadmanaged to learn, and to feel as well, that so far as the strength andvigor of beauty may compare with its grace and refinement, she hadher own match at Springhaven. Quite a hardworking youth, of no socialposition and no needless education, had such a fine countenance and suchbright eyes that she neither could bear to look at him nor forbear tothink of him. And she knew that if the fleet came home she would see himon board of the Rosalie. 

Flinging on a shelf the small white hat which had scarcely covered herdark brown curls, she lifted and shored with a wooden prop the southerncasement of leaded glass. This being up, free range was given to theswinging telescope along the beach to the right and left, and over theopen sea for miles, and into the measureless haze of air. She couldmanage this glass to the best advantage, through her father's teaching, and could take out the slide and clean the lenses, and even part theobject-glass, and refix it as well as possible. She belonged to theorder of the clever virgins, but scarcely to that of the wise ones. 

CHAPTER II

WITH HER CREW AND CARGO

Long after the time of those who write and those who read this history, the name of Zebedee Tugwell will be flourishing at Springhaven. 

To achieve unmerited honor is the special gift of thousands, but todeserve and win befalls some few in every century, and one of these fewwas Zebedee. To be the head-man of any other village, and the captain ofits fishing fleet, might prove no lofty eminence; but to be the leaderof Springhaven was true and arduous greatness. From Selsey Bill toOrfordness, taking in all the Cinque Ports and all the port of London, there was not a place that insisted on, and therefore possessed, allits own rights so firmly as this village did. Not less than seven stoutfishing-smacks--six of them sloops, and the seventh a dandy--formed themarine power of this place, and behaved as one multiplied by seven. Allthe bold fishermen held their line from long-established ancestry, andstuck to the stock of their grandfathers, and their wisdom and freedomfrom prejudice. Strength was condensed into clear law with them--assinew boils down into jelly--and character carried out its force as thestamp of solid impress. What the father had been, the son became, as thegeneration squared itself, and the slates for the children to do theircopies were the tombstones of their granddads. Thus brave Etruria grew, and thus the Rome which was not built in a day became the flower of theworld, and girt in unity of self seven citadels. 

There was Roman blood--of the Tenth Legion, perhaps--in the generalvein of Springhaven. There was scarcely a man who pretended to know muchoutside of his own business, and there was not a woman unable towait (when her breath was quite gone) for sound reason. Solidity, self-respect, pure absence of frivolous humor, ennobled the race andenabled them to hold together, so that everybody not born in Springhavenmight lament, but never repair, his loss. 

This people had many ancient rules befitting a fine corporation, andamong them were the following: "Never do a job for a stranger; sleep inyour own bed when you can; be at home in good time on a Saturday; neverwork harder than you need; throw your fish away rather than undersellit; answer no question, but ask another; spend all your money among yourfriends; and above all, never let any stranger come a-nigh your properfishing ground, nor land any fish at Springhaven. "

These were golden laws, and made a snug and plump community. From theForeland to the Isle of Wight their nets and lines were sacred, and noother village could be found so thriving, orderly, well-conducted, andalmost well-contented. For the men were not of rash enterprise, hotlabor, or fervid ambition; and although they counted things by money, they did not count one another so. They never encouraged a friend towork so hard as to grow too wealthy, and if he did so, they expected himto grow more generous than he liked to be. And as soon as he failed uponthat point, instead of adoring, they growled at him, because every oneof them might have had as full a worsted stocking if his mind had beensmall enough to forget the difference betwixt the land and sea, the tideof labor and the time of leisure. 

To these local and tribal distinctions they added the lofty expansion ofsons of the sea. The habit of rising on the surge and falling into thetrough behind it enables a biped, as soon as he lands, to take thingsthat are flat with indifference. His head and legs have got into a stateof firm confidence in one another, and all these declare--with the restof the body performing as chorus gratis--that now they are come to asmaller affair, upon which they intend to enjoy themselves. So that, while strenuous and quick of movement--whenever they could not helpit--and sometimes even brisk of mind (if anybody strove to cheat them), these men generally made no griefs beyond what they were born to. 

Zebedee Tugwell was now their chief, and well deserved to be so. Everycommunity of common-sense demands to have somebody over it, and nobodycould have felt ashamed to be under Captain Tugwell. He had built withhis own hands, and bought--for no man's work is his own until he haspaid for as well as made it--the biggest and smartest of all the fleet, that dandy-rigged smack, the Rosalie. He was proud of her, as he wellmight be, and spent most of his time in thinking of her; but even shewas scarcely up to the size of his ideas. "Stiff in the joints, " he nowsaid daily--"stiff in the joints is my complaint, and I never would havebelieved it. But for all that, you shall see, my son, if the Lord shouldspare you long enough, whether I don't beat her out and out with thecraft as have been in my mind this ten year. "

But what man could be built to beat Zebedee himself, in an age likethis, when yachts and men take the prize by profundity of false keel?Tugwell yearned for no hot speed in his friends, or his house, or hiswife, or his walk, or even his way of thinking. He had seen more harmcome from one hour's hurry than a hundred years of care could cure, andthe longer he lived the more loath he grew to disturb the air aroundhim. 

"Admirable Nelson, " he used to say--for his education had not been solarge as the parts allotted to receive it; "to my mind he is a braveyoung man, with great understanding of his dooties. But he goeth toofast, without clearing of his way. With a man like me 'longside of 'un, he'd have brought they boats out of Bulong. See how I brings my boatsin, most particular of a Saturday!"

It was Saturday now, when Miss Dolly was waiting to see this greatperformance, of which she considered herself, as the daughter ofan admiral, no mean critic. And sure enough, as punctual as in awell-conducted scheme of war, and with nice forecast of wind and tide, and science of the supper-time, around the westward headland came thebold fleet of Springhaven!

Seven ships of the line--the fishing line--arranged in perfect order, with the Rosalie as the flag-ship leading, and three upon eitherquarter, in the comfort and leisure of the new-born peace, they spreadtheir sails with sunshine. Even the warlike Dolly could not help somethoughts of peacefulness, and a gentle tide of large good-will submergedthe rocks of glory. 

"Why should those poor men all be killed?" she asked herself, as a newthing, while she made out, by their faces, hats, fling of knee orelbow, patch upon breeches, or sprawl of walking toward the attentivetelescope, pretty nearly who everybody of them was, and whatever elsethere was about him. "After all, it is very hard, " she said, "that theyshould have to lose their lives because the countries fight so. "

But these jolly fellows had no idea of losing their lives, or a hair oftheir heads, or anything more than their appetites, after waging hotwar upon victuals. Peace was proclaimed, and peace was reigning; andthe proper British feeling of contempt for snivelly Frenchmen, whichproduces the entente cordiale, had replaced the wholesome dread of them. Not that Springhaven had ever known fear, but still it was glad to leaveoff terrifying the enemy. Lightness of heart and good-will prevailed, and every man's sixpence was going to be a shilling. 

In the tranquil afternoon the sun was making it clear to the coastof Albion that he had crossed the line once more, and rediscovered acharming island. After a chilly and foggy season, worse than a bravecold winter, there was joy in the greeting the land held out, and in themore versatile expression of the sea. And not beneath the contempt ofone who strives to get into everything, were the creases and patches ofthe sails of smacks, and the pattern of the resin-wood they called theirmasts, and even the little striped things (like frogs with hats on, inthe distance) which had grown to believe themselves the only object thesun was made to shine upon. 

But he shone upon the wide sea far behind, and the broad stretch ofland before them, and among their slowly gliding canvas scattered softtouches of wandering light. Especially on the spritsail of the Rosalie, whereunder was sitting, with the tiller in his hand and a very long pipein his mouth, Captain Zebedee Tugwell. His mighty legs were spread atease, his shoulders solid against a cask, his breast (like an elephant'sback in width, and bearing a bright blue crown tattooed) shone out ofthe scarlet woolsey, whose plaits were filled with the golden shower ofa curly beard, untouched with gray. And his face was quite as worthy asthe substance leading up to it, being large and strengthful and slow tomove, though quick to make others do so. The forehead was heavy, and thenose thickset, the lower jaw backed up the resolution of the other, andthe wide apart eyes, of a bright steel blue, were as steady as a braceof pole-stars. 

"What a wonderful man!" fair Dolly thought, as the great figure, lookingeven grander in the glass, came rising upon a long slow wave--"what awonderful man that Tugwell is! So firmly resolved to have his own way, so thoroughly dauntless, and such a grand beard! Ten times more like anadmiral than old Flapfin or my father is, if he only knew how to holdhis pipe. There is something about him so dignified, so calm, and somajestic; but, for all that, I like the young man better. I have a greatmind to take half a peep at him; somebody might ask whether he was thereor not. "

Being a young and bashful maid, as well as by birth a lady, she hadfelt that it might be a very nice thing to contemplate sailors in thedistance, abstract sailors, old men who pulled ropes, or lounged on thedeck, if there was one. But to steal an unsuspected view at a young manvery well known to her, and acknowledged (not only by his motherand himself, but also by every girl in the parish) as the Adonis ofSpringhaven--this was a very different thing, and difficult to justifyeven to one's self. The proper plan, therefore, was to do it, instead ofwaiting to consider it. 

"How very hard upon him it does seem, " she whispered to herself, after agood gaze at him, "that he must not even dream of having any hope ofme, because he has not happened to be born a gentleman! But he looks athousand times more like one than nine out of ten of the great gentlemenI know--or at any rate he would if his mother didn't make his clothes. "

For Zebedee Tugwell had a son called "Dan, " as like him as a tender peacan be like a tough one; promising also to be tough, in course of time, by chafing of the world and weather. But at present Dan Tugwell was astender to the core as a marrowfat dallying till its young duck should beready; because Dan was podding into his first love. To the sympathetictelescope his heart was low, and his mind gone beyond astronomicalrange, and his hands (instead of briskly pairing soles) hung asunder, and sprawled like a star-fish. 

"Indeed he does look sad, " said Miss Dolly, "he is thinking of me, ashe always does; but I don't see how anybody can blame me. But here comesdaddy, with dear old Flapfin! I am not a bit afraid of either of them;but perhaps I had better run away. "

CHAPTER III

AND HER TRUE COMMANDER

The nature of "Flapfin"--as Miss Dolly Darling and other young peoplewere pleased to call him--was to make his enemies run away, but hisfriends keep very near to him. He was one of the simplest-minded menthat ever trod the British oak. Whatever he thought he generally said;and whatever he said he meant and did. Yet of tricks and frauds he hadquick perception, whenever they were tried against him, as well as amarvellous power of seeing the shortest way to everything. He enjoyed alittle gentle piece of vanity, not vainglory, and he never could sec anyjustice in losing the credit of any of his exploits. Moreover, he wasgifted with the highest faith in the hand of the Almighty over him (tohelp him in all his righteous deeds), and over his enemies, to destroythem. Though he never insisted on any deep piety in his own behavior, hehad a good deal in his heart when time allowed, and the linstocks werewaiting the signal. His trust was supreme in the Lord and himself; andhe loved to be called "My Lord Admiral. "

And a man of this noble type deserved to be met with his own nobility. But the English government, according to its lights--which appear to beeverlasting--regarded him as the right man, when wanted, but at othertimes the wrong one. They liked him to do them a very good turn, butwould not let him do himself one; and whenever he looked for some fairchance of a little snug prize-money, they took him away from the likelyplaces, and set him to hard work and hard knocks. But his sense of dutyand love of country enabled him to bear it, with grumbling. 

"I don't care a rope's end, " he was saying, with a truthfulness simpleand solid as beefsteak is, "whether we have peace or war; but letus have one or the other of them. I love peace--it is a very finething--and I hate to see poor fellows killed. All I want is to spend therest of my life ashore, and lay out the garden. You must come and seewhat a bridge I have made to throw across the fish-pond. I can do wellenough with what I have got, as soon as my farm begins to pay, and Ihope I may never hear another shotted cannon; but, my dear Lingo, youknow as well as I do how much chance there is of that. "

"Laudo manentem. Let us praise her while we have got her. Parson Twemlowkeeps up my Latin, but you have forgotten all yours, my friend. Ibrought you down here to see the fish come in, and to choose what youlike best for dinner. In the days when you were my smallest youngster, and as proud as Punch to dine with me, your taste was the finest in theship, because your stomach was the weakest. How often I thought that thefish would eat you! and but for your wonderful spirit, my friend, thatmust have happened long ago. But your nature was to fight, and youfought through, as you always do. A drumstick for your praise of peace!"

Admiral Darling, a tall, stout man in the sixty-fifth year of his age, looked down at his welcome and famous guest as if he knew a great dealmore of his nature than the owner did. And this made that owner, whothought very highly of his own perception, look up and laugh. 

"Here comes the fish!" he cried. "Come along, Darling. Never lose amoment--that's my rule. You can't get along as fast as I can. I'll goand settle all the business for you. "

"Why should you be in such a hurry always? You will never come to myage if you carry on so. You ought to tow a spar astern. Thank God, theydon't know who he is, and I'll take good care not to let them know. Ifthis is what comes of quick promotion, I am glad that I got on slowly. Well, he may do as he likes for me. He always does--that's one thing. "

Stoutly grumbling thus, the elder and far heavier Admiral descended thehill to the white gate slowly, as behooved the owner. And, by the timehe halted there, the other had been upon the beach five minutes, andtaken command of the fishing fleet. 

"Starboard there! Brail up your gaff! Is that the way to take theground? Ease helm, Rosalie. Smartly, smartly. Have a care, you lubberthere. Fenders out! So, so. Now stand by, all! There are two smartlads among you, and no more. All the rest are no better than a packof Crappos. You want six months in a man-of-war's launch. This is whatcomes of peace already!"

The fishermen stared at this extraordinary man, who had taken all thebusiness out of Master Tugwell's hands; but without thinking twice aboutit, all obeyed him with a speed that must have robbed them of a quantityof rust. For although he was not in uniform, and bore no sword, hisdress was conspicuous, as he liked to have it, and his looks and deedskept suit with it. For he wore a blue coat (very badly made, with giltbuttons and lappets too big for him), a waistcoat of dove-colored silk, very long, coming over the place where his stomach should have been, andwhite plush breeches, made while he was blockading Boulogne in 1801, andtherefore had scarcely any flesh upon his bones. Peace having fattenedhim a little, these breeches had tightened upon him (as their way iswith a boy having six weeks' holiday); but still they could not make hislegs look big, though they showed them sharp and muscular. Below themwere brisk little sinewy calves in white silk hose, with a taper descentto ankles as fine as a lady's, and insteps bright with large silverbuckles. Yet that which surpassed all the beauty of the clothes was thevigor of the man inside them, who seemed to quicken and invigorate thewhole, even to the right sleeve, doubled up from the want of any arminside it. But the loss of the right arm, and the right eye also, seemedto be of no account to the former owner, so hard did he work with theresidue of his body, and so much did he express with it. 

His noble cocked hat was in its leathern box yet, for he was only justcome from Merton; but the broad felt he wore was looped up in front, and displayed all the power of his countenance, or rather the vigor; forpower is heavy, and his face was light and quickness. Softness also, anda melancholy gift of dreaminess and reflection, enlarged and impressedthe effect of a gaze and a smile which have conquered history. 

"Why don't 'ee speak up to 'un, Cap'en Zeb?" cried young Harry Shanks, of the Peggy, the smartest smack next to the Rosalie. "Whoever can 'abe, to make thee so dumb? Doth 'a know our own business afore our ownselves? If 'ee don't speak up to 'un, Cap'en Zeb, I'll never take nomore commands from thee. "

"Harry Shanks, you was always a fool, and you always will be, " MasterTugwell replied, with his deep chest voice, which no gale of wind couldblow away. "Whether he be wrong or right--and I won't say but what Imight have done it better--none but a fool like you would dare to sethis squeak up against Admirable Lord Nelson. "

CHAPTER IV

AND HER FAITHFUL CHAPLAIN

"I am not a man of the world, but a man of the Word, " said ParsonTwemlow, the Rector of Springhaven; "and I shall not feel that I havedone my duty unless I stir him up to-morrow. His valor and glory arenothing to me, nor even his value to the country. He does his duty, andI shall do mine. It is useless to talk to me, Maria; I never shall havesuch a chance again. "

"Well, dear, you know best, " replied Mrs. Twemlow; "and duty is alwaysthe highest and best and most sacred consideration. But you surelyshould remember, for Eliza's sake, that we never shall dine at the Hallagain. "

"I don't care a snap for their dinners, or the chance of Eliza catchingsome young officer; and very few come while this peace goes on. I won'tshirk my duty for any of that. "

"Nothing would ever make you shirk your duty, Joshua. And I hope thatyou know me too well to suppose that I ever would dream of suggestingit. But I do want to see you a Canon, and I know that he begins to haveinfluence in the Church, and therefore the Church is not at all theplace to allude to his private affairs in. And, after all, what do weknow about them? It does seem so low to be led away by gossip. "

"Maria, " said the Rector, severely sorry, "I must beg you to leave meto my conscience. I shall not refer to his private affairs. I shall putleading truths in a general way, and let him make the home application. "

"Put the cap on if it fits. Very well: you will injure yourself, and dono one any good. Lord Nelson won't know it; he is too simple-minded. But Admiral Darling will never forgive us for insulting him while he isstaying at the Hall. "

"Maria! Well, I have long given up all attempts at reasoning withyou. If I see a man walking into a furnace, do I insult him by sayingbeware?"

"As I am beyond all reason, Joshua, it is far above me to understandthat. But if you escape insulting him, what you do is far worse, andquite unlike a gentleman. You heap a whole pile of insults upon your ownbrother clergymen. "

"I do not at all understand you, Maria: you fly off in such a way fromone thing to another!"

"Not at all. Anybody who is not above paying attention must understandme. When he is at Merton he goes to church, and his Rector is bound tolook after him. When he is at sea, he has his Chaplain, who preacheswhenever the weather permits, and dare not neglect his duties. But thestrongest point of all is this--his very own father and brother areclergymen, and bound to do their best for him. All these you insult, and in so many words condemn for neglecting their duty, because you areunable to resist the pleasure of a stray shot at a celebrated man whenhe comes down here for hospitality. "

"My dear, you have put the matter in a new light, " said the Rev. JoshuaTwemlow; "I would be the last man in the world to cast a slur upon anybrother clergyman. But it is a sad denial to me, because I had put it soneatly, and a line of Latin at the end of it. "

"Never mind, dear. That will do for some one else who deserves it, andhas got no influence. And if you could only put instead of it one ofyour beautifully turned expressions about our debt of gratitude to thenoble defender of our country--"

"No, no, Maria!" said her husband, with a smile; "be content withoutpushing your victory further than Nelson himself would push it. It maybe my duty to spare him, but I will not fall down and worship him. "

Joshua Twemlow, Bachelor of Divinity, was not very likely to worshipanybody, nor even to admire, without due cause shown. He did not pretendto be a learned man, any more than he made any other pretense which hecould not justify. But he loved a bit of Latin, whenever he could findanybody to share it with him, and even in lack of intelligent partnershe indulged sometimes in that utterance. This was a grievance to theSquire of the parish, because he was expected to enjoy at ear-shot thatwhich had passed out of the other ear in boyhood, with a painful echobehind it. But the Admiral had his revenge by passing the Rector's bitsof Latin on--when he could remember them--to some one entitled to anexplanation, which he, with a pleasant smile, vouchsafed. This is one ofthe many benefits of a classical education. 

But what are such little tags, compared with the pith and marrow of theman himself? Parson Twemlow was no prig, no pedant, and no popinjay, but a sensible, upright, honorable man, whose chief defect was a quicktemper. In parish affairs he loved to show his independence of the Hall, and having a stronger will than Admiral Darling, he mostly conqueredhim. But he knew very well how far to go, and never pressed thesupremacy of the Church beyond endurance. 

His wife, who was one of the Carnes of Carne Castle, some few milesto the westward, encouraged him strongly in holding his own when theAdmiral strove to override him. That was her manner of putting thecase; while Admiral Darling would rather have a score of nightmares thanoverride any one. But the Carnes were a falling as much as the Darlingswere a rising family, and offense comes down the hill like stonesdislodged by the upward traveller. Mrs. Twemlow knew nothing shedisliked so much as any form of haughtiness; it was so small, so petty, so opposed to all true Christianity. And this made her think that theDarlings were always endeavoring to patronize her--a thing she wouldmuch rather die than put up with. 

This excellent couple had allowed, however, their only son Erle, avery fine young man, to give his heart entirely to Faith Darling, theAdmiral's eldest daughter, and to win hers to an equal extent; andinstead of displaying any haughtiness, her father had simply said: "Letthem wait two years; they are both very young, and may change theirminds. If they keep of the same mind for two years, they are welcome toone another. "

For a kinder-hearted man than Admiral Darling never saw the sun. There was nothing about him wonderful in the way of genius, heroism, large-mindedness, or unselfishness. But people liked him much betterthan if he combined all those vast rarities; because he was lively, genial, simple, easily moved to wrath or grief, free-handed, a littlefond, perhaps, of quiet and confidential brag, and very fond of gossip. 

"I tell you, " he said to Lord Nelson now, as they walked down the hillto the church together that lovely Sunday morning, "you will not haveseen a finer sight than our fishermen in church--I dare say never. Of course they don't all go. Nobody could expect it. But as many as areasonable man could desire come there, because they know I like it. Twemlow thinks that they come to please him; but he finds a mightydifference in his congregation when I and my daughters are out of theparish. But if he goes away, there they are all the same, or perhapseven more, to get a change from him. That will show which of us theycare about pleasing. "

"And they are quite right. I hate the levelling system, " the hero of theNile replied. "A man should go to church to please his landlord, not toplease the parson. Is the Chaplain to settle how many come to prayers?"

"That is the right way to look at the thing, " said the larger-bodiedAdmiral; "and I only wish Twemlow could have heard you. I asked him todine with us yesterday, as you know, because you would have done him somuch good; but he sent some trumpery excuse, although his wife was askedto come with him. She stopped him, no doubt; to look big, I dare say; asif they could dine with a Lord Nelson every day!"

"They can do that every day, when they dine with a man who has done hisduty. But where is my pretty godchild Dolly? Horatia seems too long foryou. What a long name they gave me! It may have done very well for mygranduncle. But, my dear Lingo, look sharp for your Dolly. She has nomother, nor even a duenna--she has turned her off, she said yesterday. Your daughter Faith is an angel, but Dolly--"

"My Dolly is a little devil, I suppose! You always found out everything. What have you found my Dolly at? Perhaps she got it at her baptism. " Aword against his pet child was steel upon flint to Admiral Darling. 

"I am not concerned with your opinion, " Lord Nelson answered, loftily. "But Horatia Dorothy Darling is my godchild by baptism, and you willfind her down in my will for a thousand pounds, if she behaves well, and if it should please the Lord to send me some of the prize-money Ideserve. "

This was announced in such a manner, with the future testator's usefuleye bearing brightly on his comrade, and his cocked hat lifted as hespoke of the great Awarder of prizes, that no one able to smile couldhelp a friendly and simple smile at him. So Admiral Darling forgot hiswrath, which never had long memory, and scorning even to look round forDolly, in whom he felt such confidence, took the mighty warrior by thegood arm and led him toward the peaceful bells. 

"Hurry; we shall be late, " he said. "You remember when we called you'Hurry, ' because of being always foremost? But they know better than tostop the bells till they see me in the church porch. Twemlow wanted toupset that, for the parsons want to upset everything. And I said: 'Verywell; then I shall square it by locking the gate from your shrubbery. That will give me five minutes to come down the hill. ' For mygrandfather put up that gate, you must know, and of course the keybelongs to me. It saves Twemlow a cable's-length every time, and theparsons go to church so often now, he would have to make at leastanother knot a month. So the bells go on as they used to do. How manybells do you make it, Mr. Nelson?"

"Eight bells, sir, " Lord Nelson replied, saluting like the middy incharge of the watch. And at this little turn they both laughed, and wenton, with memory of ancient days, to church. 

CHAPTER V

OPINION, MALE AND FEMALE

The fine young parsons of the present generation are too fond of askingus why we come to church, and assigning fifty reasons out of their ownheads, not one of which is to our credit or theirs; whereas their properbusiness is to cure the fish they have caught, instead of asking howthey caught them. Mr. Twemlow had sense enough for this, and treated thelargest congregation he had ever preached to as if they were come forthe good of their souls, and should have it, in spite of Lord Nelson. But, alas! their bodies fared not so well, and scarcely a man got hisSunday dinner according to his liking. Never a woman would stay by thefire for the sake of a ten-pound leg of mutton, and the baker put hisshutters up at half past ten against every veal pie and every loinof pork. Because in the church there would be seen this day (as theservants at the Hall told every one) the man whom no Englishman couldbehold without pride, and no Frenchman with it--the victor of the Nile, and of Copenhagen, and countless other conflicts. Knowing that he wouldbe stared at well, he was equal to the occasion, and the people who sawhim were so proud of the sight that they would talk of it now if theywere alive. 

But those who were not there would exhibit more confidence thanconscience by describing every item of his raiment, which verily evenof those who beheld it none could do well, except a tailor or a woman. Enough that he shone in the light of the sun (which came through awindowful of bull's-eyes upon him, and was surprised to see stars bydaylight), but the glint of his jewels and glow of his gold diverted noeye from the calm, sad face which in the day of battle could outflashthem all. That sensitive, mild, complaisant face (humble, and evenhomely now, with scathe and scald and the lines of middle age) presenteditself as a great surprise to the many who came to gaze at it. Withits child-like simplicity and latent fire, it was rather the face of adreamer and poet than of a warrior and hero. 

Mrs. Cheeseman, the wife of Mr. Cheeseman, who kept the main shop inthe village, put this conclusion into better English, when Mrs. Shanks(Harry's mother) came on Monday to buy a rasher and compare opinions. 

"If I could have fetched it to my mind, " she said, "that Squire Darlingwere a tarradiddle, and all his wenches liars--which some of them be, and no mistake--and if I could refuse my own eyes about gold-lace, andcrown jewels, and arms off, happier would I sleep in my bed, ma'am, every night the Lord seeth good for it. I would sooner have foundhoppers in the best ham in the shop than have gone to church so todelude myself. But there! that Cheeseman would make me do it. I didbelieve as we had somebody fit to do battle for us against Boney, and Ilaughed about all they invasion and scares. But now--why, 'a can't saybo to a goose! If 'a was to come and stand this moment where you bea-standing, and say, 'Mrs. Cheeseman, I want a fine rasher, ' not a bitof gristle would I trim out, nor put it up in paper for him, as I do foryou, ma'am. "

And Widow Shanks quite agreed with her. 

"Never can I tell you what my feelings was, when I seed him a-standingby the monument, ma'am. But I said to myself--'why, my poor John, as isnow in heaven, poor fellow, would 'a took you up with one hand, my lord, stars and garters and crowns and all, and put you into his sow-westpocket. ' And so he could have done, Mrs. Cheeseman. "

But the opinion of the men was different, because they knew a bee from abull's foot. 

"He may not be so very big, " they said, "nor so outrageous thunderin', as the missus looked out for from what she have read. They always goesby their own opinions, and wrong a score of times out of twenty. But anyone with a fork to his leg can see the sort of stuff he is made of. He'tended his duty in the house of the Lord, and he wouldn't look afterthe women; but he kept his live eye upon every young chap as were fitfor a man-of-war's-man--Dan Tugwell especial, and young Harry Shanks. You see if he don't have both of they afore ever the war comes onagain!"

Conscious of filling the public eye, with the privilege of being uponprivate view, Lord Nelson had faced the position without flinching, anddrawn all the fire of the enemy. After that he began to make reprisals, according to his manner, taking no trouble to regard the women--whichdebarred them from thinking much of him--but settling with a steadygaze at each sea-faring man, whether he was made of good stuff or ofpie-crust. And to the credit of the place it must be said that he foundvery little of that soft material, but plenty of good stuff, slow, perhaps, and heavy, but needing only such a soul as his to rouse it. 

"What a fine set of fellows you have in your village!" he said to MissDarling after dinner, as she sat at the head of her father's table, for the Admiral had long been a widower. "The finest I have seen onthe south coast anywhere. And they look as if they had been under sometraining. I suppose your father had most of them in the Fencibles, lastsummer?"

"Not one of them, " Faith answered, with a sweet smile of pride. "Theyhave their own opinions, and nothing will disturb them. Nobody could getthem to believe for a moment that there was any danger of invasion. Andthey carried on all their fishing business almost as calmly as they donow. For that, of course, they may thank you, Lord Nelson; but they havenot the smallest sense of the obligation. "

"I am used to that, as your father knows; but more among the noble thanthe simple. For the best thing I ever did I got no praise, or at anyrate very little. As to the Boulogne affair, Springhaven was quiteright. There was never much danger of invasion. I only wish the villainswould have tried it. Horatia, would you like to see your godfather atwork? I hope not. Young ladies should be peaceful. "

"Then I am not peaceful at all, " cried Dolly, who was sitting by themaimed side of her "Flapfin, " as her young brother Johnny had nicknamedhim. "Why, if there was always peace, what on earth would any but verylow people find to do? There could scarcely be an admiral, or a general, or even a captain, or--well, a boy to beat the drums. "

"But no drum would want to be beaten, Horatia, " her elder sister Faithreplied, with the superior mind of twenty-one; "and the admirals and thegenerals would have to be--"

"Doctors, or clergymen, or something of that sort, or perhaps evenworse--nasty lawyers. " Then Dolly (whose name was "Horatia" onlyin presence of her great godfather) blushed, as befitted the age ofseventeen, at her daring, and looked at her father. 

"That last cut was meant for me, " Frank Darling, the eldest of thefamily, explained from the opposite side of the table. "Your lordship, though so well known to us, can hardly be expected to know or rememberall the little particulars of our race. We are four, as you know; andthe elder two are peaceful, while the younger pair are warlike. And Iam to be the 'nasty lawyer, ' called to the bar in the fullness oftime--which means after dining sufficiently--to the great disgust ofyour little godchild, whose desire from her babyhood has been to get meshot. "

"LITTLE, indeed! What a word to use about me! You told a great story. But now you'll make it true. "

"To wit--as we say at Lincoln's Inn--she has not longed always for mydeath in battle, but henceforth will do so; but I never shall affordher that gratification. I shall keep out of danger as zealously as yourlordship rushes into it. "

"Franky going on, I suppose, with some of his usual nonsense, " AdmiralDarling, who was rather deaf, called out from the bottom of the table. "Nobody pays much attention to him, because he does not mean a word ofit. He belongs to the peace--peace--peace-at-any-price lot. But when aman wanted to rob him last winter, he knocked him down, and took him bythe throat, and very nearly killed him. "

"That's the only game to play, " exclaimed Lord Nelson, who had beenlooking at Frank Darling with undisguised disgust. "My young friend, youare not such a fool after all. And why should you try to be one?"

"My brother, " said the sweet-tempered Faith, "never tries to be a fool, Lord Nelson; he only tries to be a poet. "

This made people laugh; and Nelson, feeling that he had been rude to ayouth who could not fairly answer him, jumped from his chair with thelightness of a boy, and went round to Frank Darling, with his thinfigure leaning forward, and his gray unpowdered hair tossed about, andupon his wrinkled face that smile which none could ever resist, becauseit was so warm and yet so sad. 

"Shake hands, my dear young friend, " he cried, "though I can not offerthe right one. I was wrong to call you a fool because you don't look atthings as I do. Poets are almost as good as sailors, and a great dealbetter than soldiers. I have felt a gift that way myself, and turned outsome very tidy lines. But I believe they were mainly about myself, and Inever had time to go on with them. "

Such little touches of simplicity and kindness, from a man who neverknew the fear of men, helped largely to produce that love of Nelsonwhich England felt, and will always feel. 

"My lord, " replied the young man, bending low--for he was half a cubithigher than the mighty captain--"it is good for the world that you haveno right arm, when you disarm it so with your left one. "

CHAPTER VI

AS OTHERS SEE US

Admiral Darling was very particular in trying to keep his grounds andgarden tolerably tidy always. But he never succeeded, for the simplereason that he listened to every one's excuses; and not understanding awalk or a lawn half so well as the deck of a battle-ship, he was alwaysdefeated in argument. 

"Here's a state of things!" he used to say in summer-time; "thistlesfull of seed within a biscuit-heave of my front door, and otherthings--I forget their names--with heads like the head of a capstanbursting, all as full of seeds as a purser is of lies!"

"Your lordship do not understand them subjects, " Mr. Swipes, the headgardener, was in the habit of replying; "and small blame to you, in myopinion, after so many years upon the briny wave. Ah! they can't growthem things there. "

"Swipes, that is true, but to my mind not at all a satisfactory reasonfor growing them here, just in front of the house and the windows. Idon't mind a few in the kitchen-garden, but you know as well as I do, Swipes, that they can have no proper business here. "

"I did hear tell down to the Club, last night, " Mr. Swipes would reply, after wiping his forehead, as if his whole mind were perspired away, "though I don't pretend to say how far true it may be, that all theland of England is to be cultivated for the public good, same as onthe continence, without no propriety or privacy, my lord. But I don'taltogether see how they be to do it. So I thought I'd better ask yourlordship. "

"For the public good! The public-house good, you mean. " The Admiralanswered nine times out of ten, being easily led from the track of hiswrath, and tired of telling Swipes that he was not a lord. "Howmany times more must I tell you, Swipes, that I hate that Jacobinassociation? Can you tell me of one seaman belonging to it? A set offish-jobbers, and men with barrows, and cheap-jacks from up the country. Not one of my tenants would be such a fool as to go there, even if Iallowed him. I make great allowances for you, Swipes, because of yourobstinate nature. But don't let me hear of that Club any more, or YOUmay go and cultivate for the public good. "

"Your lordship knows that I goes there for nothing except to keep up myburial. And with all the work there is upon this place, the Lord onlyknows when I may be requiring of it. Ah! I never see the like; I neverdid. And a blade of grass the wrong way comes down on poor old Swipes!"

Hereupon the master, having done his duty, was relieved from overdoingit, and went on other business with a peaceful mind. The feelings, however, of Mr. Swipes were not to be appeased so lightly, but demandedthe immediate satisfaction of a pint of beer. And so large was hischarity that if his master fell short of duty upon that point, heaccredited him with the good intention, and enabled him to discharge it. 

"My dear soul, " he said, with symptoms of exhaustion, to good Mrs. Cloam, the housekeeper, who had all the keys at her girdle, about teno'clock on the Monday morning, "what a day we did have yesterday!"

"A mercy upon me, Mr. Swipes, " cried Mrs. Cloam, who was also short ofbreath, "how you did exaggerate my poor narves, a-rushing up so soft, with the cold steel in both your hands!"

"Ah! ma'am, it have right to be a good deal wuss than that, " thechivalrous Swipes made answer, with the scythe beside his ear. "It don'tconsarn what the masters say, though enough to take one's legs off. Butthe ladies, Mrs. Cloam, the ladies--it's them as takes our heads off. "

"Go 'long with you, Mr. Swipes! You are so disastrous at turning things. And how much did he say you was to have this time? Here's Jenny Shankscoming up the passage. "

"Well, he left it to myself; he have that confidence in me. And littleit is I should ever care to take, with the power of my own will, ma'am. Why, the little brown jug, ma'am, is as much as I can manage even of oursmall beer now. Ah! I know the time when I would no more have thoughtof rounding of my mouth for such small stuff than of your growing up, ma'am, to be a young woman with the sponsorship of this big place uponyou. Wonderful! wonderful! And only yesterday, as a man with a gardeningmind looks at it, you was the prettiest young maiden on the green, andthe same--barring marriage--if you was to encounter with the young mennow. "

"Oh, " said Mrs. Cloam, who was fifty, if a day, "how you do make methink of sad troubles, Mr. Swipes! Jenny, take the yellow jug with thethree beef-eaters on it, and go to the third cask from the door--the keyturns upside down, mind--and let me hear you whistle till you bring meback the key. Don't tell me nonsense about your lips being dry. You canwhistle like a blackbird when you choose. "

"Here's to your excellent health, Mrs. Cloam, and as blooming as itfinds you now, ma'am! As pretty a tap as I taste since Christmas, andanother dash of malt would 'a made it worthy a'most to speak your healthin. Well, ma'am, a leetle drop in crystal for yourself, and then formy business, which is to inquire after your poor dear health to-day. Blooming as you are, ma'am, you must bear in mind that beauty is onlyskin-deep, Mrs. Cloam; and the purtier a flower is, the more delicate itgrows. I've a-been a-thinking of you every night, ma'am, knowing howyou must 'a been put about and driven. The Admiral have gone down to thevillage, and Miss Dolly to stare at the boats going out. "

"Then I may speak a word for once at ease, Mr. Swipes, though the Lordalone knows what a load is on my tongue. It requires a fine gardener, being used to delicacy, to enter into half the worry we have to put upwith. Heroes of the Nile, indeed, and bucklers of the country! Why, hecould not buckle his own shoe, and Jenny Shanks had to do it for him. Not that I blame him for having one arm, and a brave man he is to havelost it, but that he might have said something about the things I gotup at a quarter to five every morning to make up for him. For cook isno more than a smoke-jack, Mr. Swipes; if she keeps the joint turning, that's as much as she can do. "

"And a little too fond of good beer, I'm afeard, " replied Mr. Swipes, having emptied his pot. "Men's heads was made for it, but not women's, till they come to superior stations in life. But, oh, Mrs. Cloam, what alife we lead with the crotchets of they gentry!"

"It isn't that so much, Mr. Swipes, if only there was any way of givingsatisfaction. I wish everybody who is born to it to have the very bestof everything, likewise all who have fought up to it. But to make allthe things and have nothing made of them, whether indigestion or wantof appetite, turns one quite into the Negroes almost, that two or threepeople go on with. "

"I don't look at what he hath aten or left, " Mr. Swipes made answer, loftily; "that lieth between him and his own stommick. But what hath a'left for me, ma'am? He hath looked out over the garden when he pleased, and this time of year no weeds is up, and he don't know enough of thingsto think nothing of them. When his chaise come down I was out by thegate with a broom in my hand, and I pulled off my hat, but his eye neverseemed to lay hold of me. "

"His eye lays hold of everything, whether he makes 'em feel or no. One thing I'm sure of--he was quite up to Miss Dolly, and the way shecarries on with you know who, every blessed Sunday. If that is what theygo to church for--"

"But, my dear soul, " said the genial Swipes, whose heart was enlargedwith the power of good beer, "when you and I was young folk, what didwe go to church for? I can't speak for you, ma'am, being ever so muchyounger, and a baby in the gallery in long clothes, if born by thattime; but so far as myself goes, it was the girls I went to look at, andmost of 'em come as well to have it done to them. "

"That never was my style, Mr. Swipes, though I know there were some notabove it. And amongst equals I won't say that there need be much harmin it. But for a young man in the gallery, with a long stick of thevile-base in his hand, and the only clean shirt of the week on his back, and nothing but a plank of pitch to keep him, however good-looking hemay be, to be looking at the daughter, and the prettiest one too, thoughnot the best, some people think, of the gentleman that owns all thehouses and the haven--presumption is the smallest word that I canfind to use for it; and for her to allow it, fat--fat something in thenation. "

"Well, ma'am, " said Mr. Swipes, whose views were loose and liberal, "itseems a little shock at first to those on trust in families. But Dannelis a brave boy, and might fight his way to glory, and then they hasthe pick of the femmels up to a thousand pound a year. You know whathappened the miller's son, no further off than Upton. And if it hadn'tbeen for Dannel, when she was a little chit, where would proud MissDolly be, with her feathers and her furbelows? Natur' is the thingI holds by, and I sees a deal of it. And betwixt you and me and thebedpost, ma'am, whoever hath Miss Dolly will have to ride to London onthis here scythe. Miss Faith is the lass for a good quiet man, withoutno airs and graces, and to my judgment every bit as comely, and moreof her to hold on by. But the Lord 'a mercy upon us. Mrs. Cloam, you'vea-been married like my poor self; and you knows what we be, and we knowswhat you be. Looks 'ain't much to do with it after the first week ortwo. It's the cooking, and the natur', and the not going contrairy. B'lieve Miss Dolly would go contrairy to a hangel, if her was j'ined tohim three days. "

"Prejudice! prejudice!" the housekeeper replied, while shaking herfinger severely at him. "You ought to be above such opinions, Mr. Swipes, a superior man, such as you are. If Miss Faith came into yourgarden reading books, and finding fault here and there, and sniffingat the flowers, a quarter so often as pretty Dolly does, perhaps youwouldn't make such a perfect angel of her, and run down her sister incomparison. But your wonderful Miss Faith comes peeping here and pokingthere into pots and pans, and asking the maids how their mothers are, asif her father kept no housekeeper. She provoked me so in the simple-roomlast week, as if I was hiding thieves there, that I asked her at lastwhether she expected to find Mr. Erle there. And you should have seenhow she burst out crying; for something had turned on her mind before. "

"Well, I couldn't have said that to her, " quoth the tender-heartedSwipes--"not if she had come and routed out every key and every box, pot, pan, and pannier in the tool-house and stoke-hole and vinery! Thepretty dear! the pretty dear! And such a lady as she is! Ah, you womenare hard-hearted to one another, when your minds are up! But take myword for it, Mrs. Cloam, no one will ever have the chance of making yourbeautiful Miss Dolly cry by asking her where her sweetheart is. "

CHAPTER VII

A SQUADRON IN THE DOWNS

"My dear girls, all your courage is gone, " said Admiral Darling to hisdaughters at luncheon, that same Monday; "departed perhaps with LordNelson and Frank. I hate the new style of such come-and-go visits, asif there was no time for anything. Directly a man knows the ways of thehouse, and you can take him easily, off he goes. Just like Hurry, henever can stop quiet. He talks as if peace was the joy of his life, anda quiet farm his paradise, and very likely he believes it. But my beliefis that a year of peace would kill him, now that he has made himself sofamous. When that sort of thing begins, it seems as if it must go on. "

"But, father dear, " exclaimed the elder daughter, "you could have doneevery single thing that Lord Nelson has ever contrived to do, if youhad only happened to be there, and equally eager for destruction. Ihave heard you say many times, though not of course before him, that youcould have managed the battle of the Nile considerably better than hedid. And instead of allowing the great vessel to blow up, you would havebrought her safe to Spithead. "

"My dear, you must have quite misunderstood me. Be sure that you neverexpress such opinions, which are entirely your own, in the presenceof naval officers. Though I will not say that they are quite withoutfoundation. "

"Why, papa, " cried Miss Dolly, who was very truthful, when her owninterests were not involved, "you have often said twice as much as that. How well I remember having heard you say--"

"You young people always back up one another, and you don't care whatyou make your poor father say. I wonder you don't vow that I declaredI could jump over the moon with my uniform on. But I'll tell you whatwe'll do, to bring back your senses--we will go for a long ride thisfine afternoon. I've a great mind to go as far as Stonnington. "

"Now how many times have you told us that? I won't believe it till weget there, " young Dolly answered, with her bright eyes full of joy. "Youmust be ashamed of yourself, papa, for neglecting your old friend's sonso long. "

"Well, to tell you the truth, I am, my dear, " confessed the good-naturedAdmiral; "but no one but myself has the least idea of the quantity ofthings I have to do. "

"Exactly what old Swipes said this very morning, only much moreimpressively. And I really did believe him, till I saw a yellow jug, anda horn that holds a pint, in the summer-house. He threw his coat overthem, but it was too late. "

"Dolly, I shall have to put you in the blackhole. You belong too muchto the rising generation, or the upstart generation is the proper word. What would Lord Nelson say? I must have him back again. He is the manfor strict discipline. "

"Oh, I want to ask one thing about my great godfather. You know he onlycame down with one portmanteau, and his cocked-hat box, and two hampers. But when I went into his bedroom to see, as a goddaughter should, thathis pillow was smooth, there he had got tacked up at the head of hisbed a picture of some very beautiful lady, and another at the side, andanother at the foot! And Jenny Shanks, who couldn't help peeping in, tosee how a great hero goes to sleep, wishes that she may be an old maidforever if she did not see him say his prayers to them. Now the samefate befall me if I don't find out who it is. You must know, papa, soyou had better tell at once. "

"That hussy shall leave the house tomorrow. I never heard of anything soshameless. Mrs. Cloam seems to have no authority whatever. And youtoo, Dolly, had no business there. If any one went to see the roomcomfortable, it should have been Faith, as the lady of the house. Eversince you persuaded me that you were too old for a governess, you seemto be under no discipline at all. "

"Now you know that you don't mean that, papa. You say those cruel thingsjust to make me kiss you, " cried Dolly, with the action suited to theword, and with her bright hair falling upon his snowy beard the fathercould not help returning the salute; "but I must know who that lady is. And what can he want with three pictures of her?"

"How should I know, Dolly? Perhaps it is his mother, or perhaps it isthe Queen of Naples, who made a Duke of him for what he did out there. Now be quick, both of you, or no ride to-day. It is fifteen long milesto Stonnington, I am sure, and I am not going to break my neck. Asit is, we must put dinner off till half past six, and we shall all bestarved by that time. Quick, girls, quick! I can only give you twentyminutes. "

The Admiral, riding with all the vigor of an ancient mariner, lookedwell between his two fair daughters, as they turned their horses' headsinland, and made over the downs for Stonnington. Here was beautifulcantering ground, without much furze or many rabbit-holes, and lovelyair flowing over green waves of land, to greet and to deepen the roseupon young cheeks. Behind them was the broad sea, looking steadfast, and spread with slowly travelling tints; before them and around lay thebeauty of the earth, with the goodness of the sky thrown over it. Thebright world quivered with the breath of spring, and her smile was shedon everything. 

"What a lovely country we have been through! I should like to come hereevery day, " said Faith, as they struck into the London road again. "IfStonnington is as nice as this, Mr. Scudamore must be happy there. "

"Well, we shall see, " her father answered. "My business has been uponthe coast so much, that I know very little about Stonnington. ButScudamore has such a happy nature that nothing would come much amiss tohim. You know why he is here, of course?"

"No, I don't, papa. You are getting so mysterious that you never tell usanything now, " replied Dolly. "I only know that he was in the navy, andnow he is in a grammar school. The last time I saw him he was about ayard high. "

"He is a good bit short of two yards now, " said the Admiral, smiling ashe thought of him, "but quite tall enough for a sailor, Dolly, and themost active young man I ever saw in my life, every inch of him sound andquick and true. I shall think very little of your judgment unless youlike him heartily; not at first, perhaps, because he is so shy, but assoon as you begin to know him. I mean to ask him to come down as soonas he can get a holiday. His captain told me, when he served in theDiomede, that there was not a man in the ship to come near him fornimbleness and quiet fearlessness. "

"Then what made him take to his books again? Oh, how terribly dull hemust find them! Why, that must be Stonnington church, on the hill!"

"Yes, and the old grammar school close by. I was very near going thereonce myself, but they sent me to Winchester instead. It was partlythrough me that he got his berth here, though not much to thank me for, I am afraid. Sixty pounds a year and his rations isn't much for a manwho has been at Cambridge. But even that he could not get in the navywhen the slack time came last year. He held no commission, like manyother fine young fellows, but had entered as a first-class volunteer. And so he had no rating when this vile peace was patched up--excuse me, my dear, what I meant to say was, when the blessings of tranquillitywere restored. And before that his father, my dear old friend, died verysuddenly, as you have heard me say, without leaving more than would buryhim. Don't talk any more of it. It makes me sad to think of it. "

"But, " persisted Dolly, "I could never understand why a famous man likeSir Edmond Scudamore--a physician in large practice, and head doctor tothe King, as you have often told us--could possibly have died in thatsort of way, without leaving any money, or at least a quantity ofvaluable furniture and jewels. And he had not a number of children, papa, to spend all his money, as I do yours, whenever I get the chance;though you are growing so dreadfully stingy now that I never can lookeven decent. "

"My dear, it is a very long sad story. Not about my stinginess, Imean--though that is a sad story, in another sense, but will not move mycompassion. As to Sir Edmond, I can only tell you now that, while he wasa man of great scientific knowledge, he knew very little indeed of moneymatters, and was not only far too generous, but what is a thousandtimes worse, too trustful. Being of an honorable race himself, and anhonorable sample of it, he supposed that a man of good family must bea gentleman; which is not always the case. He advanced large sums ofmoney, and signed bonds for a gentleman, or rather a man of that rank, whose name does not concern you; and by that man he was vilely betrayed;and I would rather not tell you the rest of it. Poor Blyth had to leaveCambridge first, where he was sure to have done very well indeed, and athis wish he was sent afloat, where he would have done even better; andthen, as his father's troubles deepened, and ended in his death of heartcomplaint, the poor boy was left to keep his broken-hearted mother uponnothing but a Latin Grammar. And I fear it is like a purser's dip. Buthere we are at Stonnington--a long steep pitch. Let us slacken sail, mydears, as we have brought no cockswain. Neither of you need land, youknow, but I shall go into the schoolroom. "

"One thing I want to know, " said the active-minded Dolly, as the horsescame blowing their breath up the hill: "if his father was Sir Edmond, and he is the only child, according to all the laws of nature, he oughtto be Sir Blyth Scudamore. "

"It shows how little you have been out--as good Mrs. Twemlow expressesit--that you do not even understand the laws of nature as between abaronet and a knight. "

"Oh, to be sure; I recollect! How very stupid of me! The one goes on, and the other doesn't, after the individual stops. But whose fault isit that I go out so little? So you see you are caught in your own trap, papa. "

CHAPTER VIII

A LESSON IN THE AENEID

In those days Stonnington was a very pretty village, and such itcontinued to be until it was ravaged by a railway. With the railway cameall that is hideous and foul, and from it fled all that is comely. Thecattle-shed, called by rail-highwaymen "the Station, " with its roof ofiron Pan-pipes and red bull's-eyes stuck on stack-poles, whistles andstares where the grand trees stood and the village green lay sleeping. On the site of the gray-stone grammar school is an "OperativeInstitute, " whose front (not so thick as the skin of a young ass) isgayly tattooed with a ringworm of wind-bricks. And the old manor-house, where great authors used to dine, and look out with long pipes throughthe ivy, has been stripped of every shred of leaf, and painted red andyellow, and barge-boarded into "the Temperance Tap. "

Ere ever these heathen so furiously raged, there was peace and content, and the pleasure of the eyes, and of neighborly feeling abundance. The men never burst with that bubble of hurry which every man now isinflated with; and the women had time enough to mind one another'saffairs, without which they grow scandalous. And the trees, that keptcompany with the houses, found matter for reflection in their calm bluesmoke, and the green crop that promised a little grove upon the roof. So that as the road went up the hill, the traveller was content to leavehis legs to nature, while his eyes took their leisure of pleasant views, and of just enough people to dwell upon. 

At the top of the hill rose the fine old church, and next to it, facingon the road itself, without any kind of fence before it, stood thegrammar school of many generations. This was a long low building, ridgedwith mossy slabs, and ribbed with green, where the drip oozed downthe buttresses. But the long reach of the front was divided by a gableprojecting a little into the broad high-road. And here was the way, beneath a low stone arch, into a porch with oak beams bulging and abell-rope dangling, and thence with an oaken door flung back into thedark arcade of learning. 

This was the place to learn things in, with some possibility of keepingthem, and herein lay the wisdom of our ancestors. Could they ever haveknown half as much as they did, and ten times as much as we know, ifthey had let the sun come in to dry it all up, as we do? Will even thefourteen-coated onion root, with its bottom exposed to the sun, or willa clever puppy grow long ears, in the power of strong daylight?

The nature and nurture of solid learning were better understood whenschools were built from which came Shakespeare and Bacon and Raleigh;and the glare of the sun was not let in to baffle the light of theeyes upon the mind. And another consideration is that wherever there islight, boys make a noise, which conduces but little to doctrine; whereasin soft shadow their muscles relax, and their minds become apprehensive. Thus had this ancient grammar school of Stonnington fostered manyscholars, some of whom had written grammars for themselves and theirposterity. 

The year being only at the end of March, and the day going on for fiveo'clock, the light was just right, in the long low room, for correctionof manners and for discipline. Two boys had been horsed and brushed upwell, which had strengthened the conscience of all the rest, while sobsand rubs of the part affected diffused a tender silence. Dr. Swinks, the head-master, was leaning back in his canopied oaken chair, with thepride inspired by noble actions. 

"What wonderfully good boys!" Dolly whispered, as she peeped in throughthe dark porch with Faith, while her father was giving the horses incharge to the hostler from the inn across the way; "I declare that Ishall be frightened even to look at Mr. Scudamore, if this is a specimenof what he does. There is scarcely a boy looking off his book. Buthow old he does look! I suppose it must be the effect of so much hardteaching. "

"You silly thing, " her sister answered; "you are looking at the greathead-master. Mr. Scudamore is here at the bottom of the school. Betweenthese big hinges you can see him; and he looks as young as you do. "

Miss Dolly, who dearly loved any sly peep, kept her light figure backand the long skirt pulled in, as she brought her bright eyes to the slitbetween the heavy black door and the stone-work. And she speedily gaveher opinion. 

"He is nothing but a regular frump. I declare I am dreadfullydisappointed. No wonder the title did not come on! He is nothing but avery soft-natured stupe. Why, the boys can do what they like with him!"

Certainly the scholars of the Virgil class, which Blyth Scudamore wasdealing with, had recovered from the querimonies of those two sons ofOvid, on the further side of Ister, and were having a good laugh at theface of "Captain Scuddy, " as they called their beloved preceptor. Forhe, being gifted with a gentle sense of humor, together with a patientlove of the origin of things, was questing in his quiet mind what hadled a boy to render a well-known line as follows: "Such a quantity ofsalt there was, to season the Roman nation. " Presently he hit upon theclue to this great mystery. "Mola, the salted cake, " he said; "and thenext a little error of conjugation. You have looked out your words, Smith, but chanced upon the wrong ones. "

"Oh, Captain Scuddy, " cried the head boy, grinning wisely, though hemight have made just the same blunder himself; "after that, do tellus one of your sea-stories. It will strike five in about five minutes. Something about Nelson, and killing ten great Frenchmen. "

"Oh, do, " cried the other little fellows, crowding round him. "It isever so much better than Virgil, Captain Scuddy!"

"I am not Captain Scuddy, as I tell you every day. I'm afraid I am agreat deal too good-natured with you. I shall have to send a dozen ofyou up to be caned. "

"No, you couldn't do that if you tried, Captain Scuddy. But what are youthinking of, all this time? There are two pretty ladies in riding-habitspeeping at you from the bell porch. Why, you have got sweethearts, Captain Scuddy! What a shame of you never to have told us!"

The youngest and fairest of all the boys there could scarcely haveblushed more deeply than their classical tutor did, as he stooped forhis hat, and shyly went between the old desks to the door in the porch. All the boys looked after him with the deepest interest, and madeup their minds to see everything he did. This was not at all what hedesired, and the sense of it increased his hesitation and confusion. Ofthe Admiral's lovely daughters he had heard while in the navy, andnow he was frightened to think that perhaps they were come here toreconnoitre him. But luckily the Admiral was by this time to the fore, and he marched into the school-room and saluted the head-master. 

"Dr. Swinks, " he said, "I am your very humble servant, Vice-Admiral ofthe Blue, Charles Darling, and beg a thousand pardons for intrusion ondeep learning. But they tell me that your watch is over in some half aminute. Allow me to ask for the son of an old friend, Blyth Scudamore, late of the Diomede frigate, but now of this ancient and learned grammarschool. When his labors are over, I would gladly speak with him. "

"Boys may go, " the head-master pronounced, as the old clock wheezedinstead of striking. "Sir, my valued young coadjutor is advancing fromthe fourth form toward you. "

The Doctor was nice in his choice of words, and prided himself onJohnsonian precision, but his young coadjutor's advance was hardly to bedistinguished from a fine retreat. Like leaves before the wind, theboys rushed out by a back door into the play-ground, while the mastersolemnly passed to his house, with a deep slow bow to the ladies; andthere was poor Scudamore--most diffident of men whenever it came tolady-work--left to face the visitors with a pleasing knowledge that hisneckcloth was dishevelled, and his hair sheafed up, the furrows of hiscoat broadcast with pounce, and one of his hands gone to sleep fromholding a heavy Delphin for three-quarters of an hour. 

As he came out thus into the evening light, which dazed his blue eyesfor a moment, Miss Dolly turned away to hide a smile, but Faith, uponher father's introduction, took his hand and looked at him tenderly. Forshe was a very soft-hearted young woman, and the tale of his troublesand goodness to his mother had moved her affection toward him, whileas one who was forever pledged--according to her own ideas--to a herobeyond comparison, she was able to regard young men with mercy, and withpity, if they had none to love. "How hard you have been at work!" shesaid; "it makes us seem so lazy! But we never can find any good thing todo. "

"That's a cut at me, " cried the Admiral. "Scudamore, when you come to myage, be wiser than to have any daughters. Sure enough, they find no goodto do; and they not only put all the fault of that on me, but they makeme the victim of all the mischief they invent. Dolly, my darling, wearthat cap if it fits. But you have not shaken hands with Mr. Scudamoreyet. I hope you will do so, some hundreds of times. "

"Not all at once, papa; or how thankful he would be! But stop, I havenot got half my glove off; this fur makes them stick so. "

Miss Dolly was proud of her hands, and lost few chances of getting themlooked at. Then with a little smile, partly at herself for petulance, partly to him for forgiveness, she offered her soft warm rich whitehand, and looked at him beautifully as he took it. Alack and alas forpoor "Captain Scuddy"!

His eyes, with a quick shy glance, met hers; and hers with soft inquiryanswered, "I wonder what you think of me?" Whenever she met a new face, this was her manner of considering it. 

"Scudamore, I shall not allow you any time to think about it, " AdmiralDarling broke in suddenly, so that the young man almost jumped. "Although you have cut the service for a while, because of our stingypeacefulness, you are sure to come back to us again when England wantsEnglish, not Latin and Greek. I am your commanding officer, and myorders are that you come to us from Saturday till Monday. I shall senda boat--or at least I mean a buggy--to fetch you, as soon as you are offduty, and return you the same way on Monday. Come, girls, 'twill be darkbefore we are home; and since the patrols were withdrawn, I hear there'sa highwayman down this road again. That is one of the blessingsof peace, Scudamore; even as Latin and Greek are. 'Apertis otiaportis'--Open the gates for laziness. Ah, I should have done well at oldWinton, they tell me, if I had not happened to run away to sea. "

CHAPTER IX

THE MAROON

If yet there remained upon our southern coast a home for the rarervirtues, such as gratitude, content, liberality (not of other people'sgoods alone), faith in a gracious Providence, and strict abstinence fromrash labor, that home and stronghold was Springhaven. To most men goodsuccess brings neither comfort, nor tranquillity, nor so much as a stoolto sit upon, but comes as a tread-mill which must be trodden without anygetting to the top of it. Not so did these wise men take their luck. Ifever they came from the fickle wave-bosom to the firm breast of land ona Saturday, with a fine catch of fish, and sold it well--and such wastheir sagacity that sooner would they keep it for cannibal temptationthan sell it badly--did they rush into the waves again, before they haddried their breeches? Not they; nor did their wives, who were nearlyall good women, stir them up to be off again. Especially at this time ofyear, with the days pulling out, and the season quickening, and the fishcoming back to wag their tails upon the shallows, a pleasant race of menshould take their pleasure, and leave flints to be skinned by the sonsof flint. 

This was the reason why Miss Dolly Darling had watched in vain atthe Monday morning tide for the bold issue of the fishing fleet. Theweariless tide came up and lifted the bedded keel and the plungedforefoot, and gurgled with a quiet wash among the straky bends, thenlurched the boats to this side and to that, to get their heft correctly, and dandled them at last with their bowsprits dipped and their littlemast-heads nodding. Every brave smack then was mounted, and riding, andready for a canter upon the broad sea: but not a blessed man came to sether free. Tethered by head and by heel, she could only enjoy the poisedpace of the rocking-horse, instead of the racer's delight in careeringacross the free sweep of the distance. 

Springhaven had done so well last week, that this week it meant to dostill better, by stopping at home till the money was gone, and makingshort work afterward. Every man thoroughly enjoyed himself, keepingsober whenever good manners allowed, foregoing all business, andsauntering about to see the folk hard at work who had got no money. OnWednesday, however, an order was issued by Captain Zebedee Tugwell thatall must be ready for a three days' trip when the tide should serve, which would be at the first of the ebb, about ten in the morning. Thetides were slackening now, and the smacks had required some change ofberth, but still they were not very far from the Admiral's white gate. 

"I shall go down to see them, papa, if you please, " Dolly said to herfather at breakfast-time. "They should have gone on Monday; but theywere too rich; and I think it very shameful of them. I dare say theyhave not got a halfpenny left, and that makes them look so lively. Ofcourse they've been stuffing, and they won't move fast, and they can'texpect any more dinner till they catch it. But they have got so muchbacon that they don't care. "

"What could they have better, I should like to know?" asked the Admiral, who had seen hard times. "Why, I gave seven men three dozen apiece forturning their noses up at salt horse, just because he whisked his tailin the copper. Lord bless my soul! what is the nation coming to, when aman can't dine upon cold bacon?"

"No, it is not that, papa. They are very good in that way, as theirwives will tell you. Jenny Shanks tells me the very same thing, andof course she knows all about them. She knew they would never think ofgoing out on Monday, and if I had asked her I might have known it too. But she says that they are sure to catch this tide. "

"Very well, Dolly. Go you and catch them. You are never content withoutseeing something. Though what there is to see in a lot of lubberly craftpushing off with punt-poles--"

"Hush, papa, hush! Don't be so contemptuous. What did my godfather saythe other day? And I suppose he understands things. "

"Don't quote your godfather against your father. It was never intendedin the Catechism. And if it was, I would never put up with it. "

Dolly made off; for she knew that her father, while proud of his greatimpartiality, candor, and scorn of all trumpery feeling, was sometimesunable to make out the reason why a queer little middy of his own shouldnow stand upon the giddy truck of fame, while himself, still ahead ofhim in the Navy List, might pace his quarter-deck and have hats touchedto him, but never a heart beat one pulse quicker. Jealous he was not;but still, at least in his own family--

Leaving her dear father to his meditations, which Faith ran up to kissaway, fair Dolly put on a plain hat and scarf, quite good enough forthe fishermen, and set off in haste for the Round-house, to see theexpedition start. By the time she was there, and had lifted the sashes, and got the spy-glass ready, the flow of the tide was almost spent, andthe brimming moment of the slack was nigh. For this all the folk of thevillage waited, according to the tradition of the place; the manhoodand boyhood, to launch forth; old age, womanhood, and childhood, tocontribute the comfort of kind looks and good-by. The tides, though notto be compared to the winds in fickleness, are capricious here, havingsallies of irregularity when there has been a long period of northeastwinds, bringing a counter-flow to the Atlantic influx. And a man mustbe thoroughly acquainted with the coast, as well as the moon and theweather, to foretell how the water will rise and fall there. For thepresent, however, there was no such puzzle. The last lift of the quiettide shone along the beach in three straight waves, shallow steps thatarose inshore, and spent themselves without breaking. 

"Toorn o' the tide!" the Captain shouted; "all aboord, aboord, my lads!The more 'ee bide ashore, the wuss 'ee be. See to Master Cheeseman'scraft! Got a good hour afront of us. Dannel, what be mooning at? Fetch'un a clout on his head, Harry Shanks; or Tim, you run up and do it. Doubt the young hosebird were struck last moon, and his brains put tosalt in a herring-tub. Home with you, wife! And take Dan, if you will. He'd do more good at the chipping job, with the full moon in his headso. "

"Then home I will take my son, Master Tugwell, " his wife answered, withmuch dignity, for all the good wives of Springhaven heard him, and whatwould they think of her if she said nothing? "Home I will take my sonand yours, and the wisest place for him to abide in, with his father setagin him so. Dannel, you come along of me. I won't have my eldest boygainsaid so. "

Zebedee Tugwell closed his lips, and went on with his proper business. All the women would side with him if he left them the use of their ownminds, and the sound of his wife's voice last; while all the men intheir hearts felt wisdom. But the young man, loath to be left behind, came doubtfully down to the stern of the boat, which was pushed off forthe Rosalie. And he looked at the place where he generally sat, and thenat his father and the rest of them. 

"No gappermouths here!" cried his father, sternly. "Get theezell homewith the vemmelvolk. Shove off without him, Tim! How many more tideswould 'ee lose?"

Young Dan, whose stout legs were in the swirling water, snatched up hisstriped woolsey from under the tiller, threw it on his shoulder, andwalked off, without a farewell to any one. The whole of Springhaven thatcould see saw it, and they never had seen such a thing before. CaptainZeb stood up and stared, with his big forehead coming out under hishat, and his golden beard shining in the morning sun; but the onlysatisfaction for his eyes was the back of his son growing smaller andsmaller. 

"Chip of the old block!" "Sarve 'ee right, Cap'en!" "Starve 'un backto his manners again!" the inferior chieftains of the expedition cried, according to their several views of life. But Zebedee Tugwell paid noheed to thoughts outside of his own hat and coat. "Spake when I ax you, "he said, urbanely, but with a glance which conveyed to any too urgentsympathizer that he would be knocked down, when accessible. 

But, alas! the less-disciplined women rejoiced, with a wink at theirdeparting lords, as Mrs. Zebedee set off in chase of her long-stridingDaniel. The mother, enriched by home affections and course of dutieswell performed, was of a rounded and ample figure, while the son wastall, and thin as might be one of strong and well-knit frame. And thesense of wrong would not permit him to turn his neck, or take a glanceat the enterprise which had rejected him. 

"How grand he does look! what a noble profile!" thought Dolly, who hadseen everything without the glass, but now brought it to bear upon hiscountenance. "He is like the centurion in the painted window, or a Romanmedallion with a hat on. But that old woman will never catch him. Shemight just as well go home again. He is walking about ten miles an hour, and how beautifully straight his legs are! What a shame that he shouldnot be a gentleman! He is ten times more like one than most of theofficers that used to come bothering me so. I wonder how far he meansto go? I do hope he won't make away with himself. It is almost enoughto make him do it, to be so insulted by his own father, and disgracedbefore all the village, simply because he can't help having his poorhead so full of me! Nobody shall ever say that I did anything to givehim the faintest encouragement, because it would be so very wicked andso cruel, considering all he has done for me. But if he comes back, when his father is out of sight, and he has walked off his righteousindignation, and all these people are gone to dinner, it might give aturn to his thoughts if I were to put on my shell-colored frock andthe pale blue sash, and just go and see, on the other side of thestepping-stones, how much longer they mean to be with that boat theybegan so long ago. "

CHAPTER X

ACROSS THE STEPPING-STONES

Very good boats were built at this time in the south of England, stout, that is to say, and strong, and fit to ride over a heavy sea, and plungegallantly into the trough of it. But as the strongest men are seldomswift of foot or light of turn, so these robust and sturdy boats musthave their own time and swing allowed them, ere ever they would comeround or step out. Having met a good deal of the sea, they knew, likea man who has felt a good deal of the world, that heavy enduranceand patient bluffness are safer to get through the waves somehow thansensitive fibre and elegant frame. 

But the sea-going folk of Springhaven had learned, by lore ofgenerations, to build a boat with an especial sheer forward, beam farback, and deep run of stern, so that she was lively in the heaviest ofweather, and strong enough to take a good thump smiling, when unable todance over it. Yet as a little thing often makes all the difference ingreat things, it was very difficult for anybody to find out exactlythe difference between a boat built here and a boat built ten or twentymiles off, in imitation of her. The sea, however, knew the difference ina moment between the true thing and the counterfeit, and encouragedthe one to go merrily on, while it sent back the other staggering. Thesecret lay chiefly in a hollow curve forward of nine or ten planks uponeither side, which could only be compassed by skilful use of adze andchisel, frame-saw and small tools, after choice of the very best timber, free from knots, tough, and flexible. And the best judge of these pointswas Zebedee Tugwell. 

Not having cash enough just at present (by reason of family expenses, and the high price of bread and of everything else) to set upon thestocks the great smack of the future, which should sail round theRosalie, Captain Tugwell was easing his mind by building a boat forstormy weather, such as they very seldom have inshore, but are likely tomeet with outside the Head. As yet there were not many rowing boats herefit to go far in tumbling water, though the few that could do it didit well, and Tugwell's intention was to beat them all, in power, andspring, and buoyancy. The fame of his meaning was spread for as much astwenty leagues along the coast; and jealous people laughed, instead ofwaiting for him to finish it. 

Young Daniel had been well brought up in the mysteries of his father'scraft, and having a vigorous turn of wrist, as well as a true eye andquick brain, he was even outgrowing the paternal skill, with experimentsagainst experience. He had beautiful theories of his own, and feltcertain that he could prove them, if any one with cash could be broughtto see their beauty. His father admitted that he had good ideas, andmight try them, if any fool would find the money. 

Wroth as he had been at the sharp rebuff and contumely of his father, young Daniel, after a long strong walk, began to look at things morepeaceably. The power of the land and the greatness of the sea and thegoodness of the sky unangered him, and the air that came from someoyster beds, as the tide was falling, hungered him. Home he went, ingood time for dinner, as the duty of a young man is; and instead oflaughing when he came by, the maids of Springhaven smiled at him. Thisquite righted him in his own opinion, yet leaving him the benefit ofthe doubt which comes from a shake in that cradle lately. He made a gooddinner, and shouldered his adze, with a frail of tools hanging onthe neck of it, and troubled with nothing but love--which is a woe ofself-infliction--whistled his way to the beach, to let all the womenunderstand that he was not a bit ashamed. And they felt for him all themore, because he stood up for himself a little. 

Doubtful rights go cheap; and so the foreshore westward of the brookbeing claimed by divers authorities, a tidy little cantle of it hadbeen leased by Admiral Darling, lord of the manor, to Zebedee Tugwell, boat-builder, for the yearly provent of two and sixpence sterling. TheAdmiral's man of law, Mr. Furkettle, had strongly advised, andwell prepared the necessary instrument, which would grow into valueby-and-by, as evidence of title. And who could serve summary process ofejectment upon an interloper in a manner so valid as Zebedee's would be?Possession was certain as long as he lived; ousters and filibusters, inthe form of railway companies and communists, were a bubble as yet inthe womb of ages. 

This piece of land, or sand, or rush, seemed very unlikely to be worthdispute. If seisin corporeal, user immemorial, and prescription forlevance and couchance conferred any title indefeasible, then were therabbits the owners in fee-simple, absolute, paramount, and source ofpedigree. But they, while thoroughly aware of this, took very littleheed to go into it, nor troubled their gentle natures much about afew yards of sand or grass, as the two-legged creatures near them did. Inasmuch as they had soft banks of herb and vivid moss to sit upon, sweet crisp grass and juicy clover for unlabored victuals--as well asa thousand other nibbles which we are too gross to understand--and forbeverage not only all the abundance of the brook (whose brilliance mighttaste of men), but also a little spring of their own which came out ofits hole like a rabbit; and then for scenery all the sea, with strangethings running over it, as well as a great park of their own havingcountless avenues of rush, ragwort, and thistle-stump--where would theyhave deserved to be, if they had not been contented? Content theywere, and even joyful at the proper time of day. Joyful in the morning, because the sun was come again; joyful in the middle day to see how wellthe world went; and in the evening merry with the tricks of their ownshadows. 

Quite fifteen stepping-stones stepped up--if you counted three that weremade of wood--to soothe the dignity of the brook in its last fresh-watermoments, rather than to gratify the dry-skin'd soles of gentlefolk. Forany one, with a five-shilling pair of boots to terminate in, might skipdry-footed across the sandy purlings of the rivulet. And only when aflood came down, or the head of some springtide came up, did any butplayful children tread the lichened cracks of the stepping-stones. Andnobody knew this better than Horatia Dorothy Darling. 

The bunnies who lived to the west of the brook had reconciled theirminds entirely now to the rising of that boat among them. At first itmade a noise, and scratched the sand, and creaking things came down toit; and when the moon came through its ribs in the evening, tail wasthe quarter to show to it. But as it went on naturally growing, seldomappearing to make much noise, unless there was a man very near it, andeven then keeping him from doing any harm--outside the disturbance thathe lives in--without so much as a council called, they tolerated thisencroachment. Some of the bolder fathers came and sat inside toconsider it, and left their compliments all round to the masters of theenterprise. And even when Daniel came to work, as he happened to do thisafternoon, they carried on their own work in its highest form--that ofplay--upon the premises they lent him. 

Though not very large, it was a lively, punctual, well-conducted, andpleasant rabbit-warren. Sudden death was avoidable on the part of mostof its members, nets, ferrets, gins, and wires being alike forbidden, foxes scarcely ever seen, and even guns a rare and very memorablevisitation. The headland staves the southern storm, sand-hills shevelledwith long rush disarm the western fury, while inland gales from northand east leap into the clouds from the uplands. Well aware of all theirbliss, and feeling worthy of it, the blameless citizens pour forth, upona mild spring evening, to give one another the time of day, to gazeat the labors of men upon the sea, and to take the sweet leisure, the breeze, and the browse. The gray old conies of curule rank, primesenators of the sandy beach, and father of the father-land, hold ajust session upon the head borough, and look like brown loaves in thedistance. But these are conies of great mark and special character, fullof light and leading, because they have been shot at, and understand howto avoid it henceforth. They are satisfied to chew very little bits ofstuff, and particular to have no sand in it, and they hunch their roundbacks almost into one another, and double up their legs to keep themwarm, and reflect on their friends' gray whiskers. And one of theirtruest pleasures is, sitting snug at their own doors, to watch theirchildren's gambols. 

For this is the time, with the light upon the slope, and the freshnessof salt flowing in from the sea, when the spirit of youth must be freeof the air, and the quickness of life is abounding. Without any heedof the cares that are coming, or the prick-eared fears of the elders, afine lot of young bunnies with tails on the frisk scour everywhere overthe warren. Up and down the grassy dips and yellow piles of wind-drift, and in and out of the ferny coves and tussocks of rush and ragwort, theyscamper, and caper, and chase one another, in joy that the winter isbanished at last, and the glorious sun come back again. 

Suddenly, as at the wave of a wand, they all stop short and listen. Thesun is behind them, low and calm, there is not a breath of wind tostir their flax, not even the feather of a last year's bloom has moved, unless they moved it. Yet signal of peril has passed among them; theycurve their soft ears for the sound of it, and open their sensitivenostrils, and pat upon the ground with one little foot to encouragethemselves against the panting of their hearts and the traitorous lengthof their shadows. 

Ha! Not for nothing was their fear this day. An active and dangerousspecimen of the human race was coming, lightly and gracefully skimmingthe moss, above salt-water reach, of the stepping-stones. The stepsare said to be a thousand years old, and probably are of half that age, belonging to a time when sound work was, and a monastery flourishedin the valley. Even though they come down from great Hercules himself, never have they been crossed by a prettier foot or a fairer form thannow came gayly over them. But the rabbits made no account of that. Tothe young man with the adze they were quite accustomed, and they likedhim, because he minded his own business, and cared nothing about theirs;but of this wandering maiden they had no safe knowledge, and judged theworst, and all rushed away, some tenscore strong, giving notice to himas they passed the boat that he also had better be cautious. 

Daniel was in a sweet temper now, by virtue of hard labor and gratifiedwit. By skill and persistence and bodily strength he had compassed acurve his father had declared impossible without a dock-yard. Threeplanks being fixed, he was sure of the rest, and could well afford tostop, to admire the effect, and feel proud of his work, and of himselfthe worker. Then the panic of the conies made him turn his head, and thequick beat of his heart was quickened by worse than bodily labor. 

Miss Dolly Darling was sauntering sweetly, as if there were only onesex in the world, and that an entirely divine one. The gleam of springsunset was bright in her hair, and in the soft garnish of health onher cheeks, and the vigorous play of young life in her eyes; while thesilvery glance of the sloping shore, and breezy ruffle of the darkeningsea, did nothing but offer a foil for the form of the shell-coloredfrock and the sky-blue sash. 

Young Daniel fell back upon his half-shaped work, and despised it, andhimself, and everything, except what he was afraid to look at. In thehollow among the sand-hills where the cradle of the boat was, finerushes grew, and tufts of ragwort, and stalks of last year's thistles, and sea-osiers where the spring oozed down. Through these the whiteribs of the rising boat shone forth like an elephant's skeleton; butthe builder entertained some hope, as well as some fear, of beingunperceived. 

But a far greater power than his own was here. Curved and hollow shipsare female in almost all languages, not only because of their curves andhollows, but also because they are craft--so to speak. 

"Oh, Captain Tugwell, are you at work still? Why, you really ought tohave gone with the smacks. But perhaps you sent your son instead. Iam so glad to see you! It is such nice company to hear you! I did notexpect to be left alone, like this. "

"If you please, miss, it isn't father at all. Father is gone with thefishing long ago. It is only me, Daniel, if you please, miss. "

"No, Daniel, I am not pleased at all. I am quite surprised that youshould work so late. It scarcely seems respectable. "

At this the young man was so much amazed that he could only stare whileshe walked off, until the clear duty of righting himself in her goodopinion struck him. Then he threw on his coat and ran after her. 

"If you please, Miss Dolly--will you please, Miss Dolly?" he called, asshe made off for the stepping-stones; but she did not turn round, thoughher name was "Miss Dolly" all over Springhaven, and she liked it. "Youare bound to stop, miss, " he said, sternly; and she stopped, and cried, "What do you mean by such words to me?"

"Not any sort of harm, miss, " he answered, humbly, inasmuch as she hadobeyed him; "and I ask your pardon for speaking so. But if you thinktwice you are bound to explain what you said concerning me, now just. "

"Oh, about your working so late, you mean. I offered good advice to you. I think it is wrong that you should go on, when everybody else has leftoff long ago. But perhaps your father makes you. "

"Father is a just man, " said young Tugwell, drawing up his ownintegrity; "now and then he may take a crooked twist, or such like; buthe never goeth out of fair play to his knowledge. He hath a-been hardupon me this day; but the main of it was to check mother of her ways. You understand, miss, how the women-folk go on in a house, till theother women hear of it. And then out-of-doors they are the same aslambs. "

"It is most ungrateful and traitorous of you to your own mother to talkso. Your mother spoils you, and this is all the thanks she gets! Waittill you have a wife of your own, Master Daniel!"

"Wait till I am dead then I may, Miss Dolly, " he answered, with a depthof voice which frightened her for a moment; and then he smiled and said, "I beg your pardon, " as gracefully as any gentleman could say it; "butlet me see you safe to your own gate; there are very rough people abouthere now, and the times are not quite as they used to be, when we werea-fighting daily. "

He followed her at a respectful distance, and then ran forward andopened the white gate. "Good-night, Daniel, " the young lady said, ashe lifted his working cap to her, showing his bright curls against thedarkening sea; "I am very much obliged to you, and I do hope I have notsaid anything to vex you. I have never forgotten all you did for me, andyou must not mind the way I have of saying things. "

"What a shame it does appear--what a fearful shame it is, " she whisperedto herself as she hurried through the trees--"that he should benothing but a fisherman! He is a gentleman in everything but birth andeducation; and so strong, and so brave, and so good-looking!"

CHAPTER XI

NO PROMOTION

"Do it again now, Captain Scuddy; do it again; you know you must. "

"You touched the rim with your shoe, last time. You are bound to do itclean, once more. "

"No, he didn't. You are a liar; it was only the ribbon of his shoe. "

"I'll punch your head if you say that again. It was his heel, and here'sthe mark. "

"Oh, Scuddy dear, don't notice them. You can do it fifty times running, if you like. Nobody can run or jump like you. Do it just once more toplease me. "

Kitty Fanshawe, a boy with large blue eyes and a purely gentle face, looked up at Blyth Scudamore so faithfully that to resist him wasimpossible. 

"Very well, then; once more for Kitty, " said the sweetest-tempered ofmankind, as he vaulted back into the tub. "But you know that I alwaysleave off at a dozen. Thirteen--thirteen I could never stop at. I shallhave to do fourteen at least; and it is too bad, just after dinner. Nowall of you watch whether I touch it anywhere. "

A barrel almost five feet in height, and less than a yard in breadth, stood under a clump of trees in the play-ground; and Blyth Scudamore hadmade a clean leap one day, for his own satisfaction, out of it. Sharpeyes saw him, and sharp wits were pleased, and a strong demand hadarisen that he should perform this feat perpetually. Good nerve, as wellas strong spring, and compactness of power are needed for it; and evenin this athletic age there are few who find it easy. 

"Come, now, " he said, as he landed lightly, with both heels together;"one of you big fellows come and do it. You are three inches taller thanI am. And you have only got to make up your minds. "

But all the big fellows hung back, or began to stimulate one another, and to prove to each other how easy it was, by every proof but practice. "Well, then, I must do it once more, " said Blyth, "for I dare not leaveoff at thirteen, for fear of some great calamity, such as I never couldjump out of. "

But before he could get into the tub again, to prepare for the clearspring out of it, he beheld a man with silver buttons coming acrossthe playing-field. His heart fell into his heels, and no more agilityremained in him. He had made up his mind that Admiral Darling wouldforget all about him by Saturday; and though the fair image of Dollywould abide in that quiet mind for a long while, the balance of hiswishes (cast by shyness) was heavily against this visit. And the boys, who understood his nature, with a poignant love--like that of ourfriends in this world--began to probe his tender places. 

"One more jump, Captain Scuddy! You must; to show the flunky what youcan do. "

"Oh, don't I wish I was going? He'll have turtle soup, and venison, andtwo men behind his chair. "

"And the beautiful young ladies looking at him every time he takes amouthful. "

"But he dare not go courting after thirteen jumps. And he has vowed thathe will have another. Come, Captain Scuddy, no time to lose. "

But Scudamore set off to face his doom, with his old hat hanging on theback of his head--as it generally did--and his ruddy face and mild blueeyes full of humorous diffidence and perplexity. 

"If you please, sir, his honour the Hadmiral have sent me to fetch 'eand your things; and hoss be baiting along of the Blue Dragon. "

"I am sorry to say that I forgot all about it, or, at least, I thoughtthat he would. How long before we ought to start?"

"My name is Gregory, sir--Coachman Gregory--accustomed always to a pair, but doesn't mind a single hoss, to oblige the Hadmiral, once in a way. About half an hour, sir, will suit me, unless they comes down to theskittle-alley, as ought to be always on a Saturday afternoon; but not asoul there when I looked in. "

Any man in Scudamore's position, except himself, would have grieved andgroaned. For the evening dress of that time, though less gorgeous thanof the age before, was still an expensive and elaborate affair; and theyoung man, in this ebb of fortune, was poorly stocked with raiment. Buthe passed this trouble with his usual calmness and disregard of trifles. "If I wear the best I have got, " he thought, "I cannot be charged withdisrespect. The Admiral knows what a sailor is; and, after all, who willlook at me?" Accordingly he went just as he was, for he never wore anovercoat, but taking a little canvas kit, with pumps and silk stockingsfor evening wear, and all the best that he could muster of his Volunteerequipment. 

The Admiral came to the door of the Hall, and met him with such heartywarmth, and a glance of such kind approval at his open throat andglowing cheeks, that the young man felt a bound of love and tenderveneration towards him, which endured for lifetime. 

"Your father was my dearest friend, and the very best man I ever knew. I must call you 'Blyth, '" said the Admiral, "for if I call you'Scudamore, ' I shall think perpetually of my loss. "

At dinner that day there was no other guest, and nothing to disturb thepresent one, except a young lady's quick glances, of which he endeavoredto have no knowledge. Faith Darling, a gentle and beautiful youngwoman, had taken a natural liking to him, because of his troubles, andsimplicity, and devotion to his widowed mother. But to the younger, Dolly Darling, he was only a visitor, dull and stupid, requiring, without at all repaying, the trouble of some attention. He was not tall, nor handsome, nor of striking appearance in any way; and although he wasclearly a gentleman, to her judgment he was not an accomplished, oreven a clever one. His inborn modesty and shyness placed him at greatdisadvantage, until well known; and the simple truth of his natureforbade any of the large talk and bold utterance which pleased her asyet among young officers. 

"What a plague he will be all day tomorrow!" she said to her sister inthe drawing-room. "Father was obliged, I suppose, to invite him; butwhat can we do with him all the day? Sundays are dull enough, I am sure, already, without our having to amuse a gentleman who has scarcelygot two ideas of his own, and is afraid to say 'bo' to a goose, I dobelieve. Did you hear what he said when I asked him whether he was fondof riding?"

"Yes; and I thought it so good of him, to answer so straightforwardly. He said that he used to be very fond of it, but was afraid that heshould fall off now. "

"I should like to see him. I tell you what we'll do. We will make himride back on Monday morning, and put him on 'Blue Bangles, ' who won'thave seen daylight since Friday. Won't he jump about a bit! What a shameit is, not to let us ride on Sundays!"

Ignorant of these kind intentions, Scudamore was enjoying himself inhis quiet, observant way. Mr. Twemlow, the rector of the parish, hadchanced--as he often chanced on a Saturday, after buckling up a braceof sermons--to issue his mind (with his body outside it) for a littlerelief of neighbourhood. And these little airings of his chasteninglove--for he loved everybody, when he had done his sermon--came, whenever there was a fair chance of it, to a glass of the fine old portwhich is the true haven for an ancient Admiral. 

"Just in time, Rector, " cried Admiral Darling, who had added by manya hardship to his inborn hospitality. "This is my young friend BlythScudamore, the son of one of my oldest friends. You have heard of SirEdmond Scudamore?"

"And seen him and felt him. And to him I owe, under a mercifulProvidence, the power of drinking in this fine port the health of hisson, which I do with deep pleasure, for the excellence both of end andmeans. "

The old man bowed at the praise of his wine, and the young one at thatof his father. Then, after the usual pinch of snuff from the Rector'slong gold box, the host returned to the subject he had been full ofbefore this interruption. 

"The question we have in hand is this. What is to be done with ourfriend Blyth? He was getting on famously, till this vile peace came. Twemlow, you called it that yourself, so that argument about words isuseless. Blyth's lieutenancy was on the books, and the way they carrythings on now, and shoot poor fellows' heads off, he might have beena post-captain in a twelvemonth. And now there seems nothing on earthbefore him better than Holy-Orders. "

"Admiral Darling is kind enough to think, " said Scudamore, in his mild, hesitative way, blushing outwardly, but smiling inwardly, "that I am toogood to be a clergyman. "

"And so you are, and Heaven knows it, Blyth, unless there was a chanceof getting on by goodness, which there is in the Navy, but not in theChurch. Twemlow, what is your opinion?"

"It would not be modest in me, " said the Rector, "to stand up too muchfor my own order. We do our duty, and we don't get on. "

"Exactly. You could not have put it better. You get no vacancies by shotand shell, and being fit for another world, you keep out of it. Have youever heard me tell the story about Gunner MacCrab, of the Bellerophon?"

"Fifty times, and more than that, " replied the sturdy parson, who likedto make a little cut at the Church sometimes, but would not allow anyother hand to do it. "But now about our young friend here. Surely, withall that we know by this time of the character of that Bony, we can seethat this peace is a mere trick of his to bamboozle us while he getsready. In six months we shall be at war again, hammer and tongs, as sureas my name is Twemlow. "

"So be it!" cried the Admiral, with a stamp on his oak floor, whileScudamore's gentle eyes flashed and fell; "if it is the will of God, sobe it. But if it once begins again, God alone knows where France will bebefore you and I are in our graves. They have drained all our patience, and our pockets very nearly; but they have scarcely put a tap into ourenergy and endurance. But what are they? A gang of slaves, rammed intothe cannon by a Despot. "

"They seem to like it, and the question is for them. But the strugglewill be desperate, mountains of carnage, oceans of blood, universalmourning, lamentation, and woe. And I have had enough trouble with mytithes already. "

"Tithes are dependent on the will of the Almighty, " said the Admiral, who paid more than he altogether liked; "but a war goes by reason andgood management. It encourages the best men of the day, and it bringsout the difference between right and wrong, which are quite smothered upin peace time. It keeps out a quantity of foreign rubbish and stuff onlymade to be looked at, and it makes people trust one another, and knowwhat country they belong to, and feel how much they have left to bethankful for. And what is the use of a noble fleet, unless it can getsome fighting? Blyth, what say you? You know something about that. "

"No, sir, I have never been at close quarters yet. And I doubt--or atleast I am certain that I should not like it. I am afraid that I shouldwant to run down below. "

Mr. Twemlow, having never smelled hostile powder, gazed at him ratherloftily, while the young man blushed at his own truth, yet looked upbravely to confirm it. 

"Of all I have ever known or met, " said Admiral Darling, quietly, "there are but three--Nelson and two others, and one of those two washalf-witted--who could fetch up muzzle to muzzle without a feeling ofthat sort. The true courage lies in resisting the impulse, more thanbeing free from it. I know that I was in a precious fright the firsttime I was shot at, even at a decent distance; and I don't pretend tolike it even now. But I am pretty safe now from any further chance, Ifear. When we cut our wisdom-teeth, they shelf us. Twemlow, how muchwiser you are in the Church! The older a man gets, the higher theypromote him. "

"Then let them begin with me, " the Rector answered, smiling; "I am oldenough now for almost anything, and the only promotion I get is stiffjoints, and teeth that crave peace from an olive. Placitam paci, Mr. Scudamore knows the rest, being fresh from the learned Stonnington. But, Squire, you know that I am content. I love Springhaven, Springhavenloves me, and we chasten one another. "

"A man who knows all the Latin you know, Rector--for I own that you beatme to the spelling-book--should be at least an Archdeacon in the Church, which is equal to the rank of Rear-Admiral. But you never have pushedas you should do; and you let it all off in quotations. Those are verycomforting to the mind, but I never knew a man do good with them, unlessthey come out of the Bible. When Gunner Matthew of the Erigdoupos waswaiting to have his leg off, with no prospect before him--except abetter world--you know what our Chaplain said to him; and the effectupon his mind was such, that I have got him to this day upon my land. "

"Of course you have--the biggest old poacher in the county. He shootshalf your pheasants with his wooden leg by moonlight. What your Chaplainsaid to him was entirely profane in the turn of a text of Holy-Writ;and it shows how our cloth is spoiled by contact with yours"--for theAdmiral was laughing to himself at this old tale, which he wouldnot produce before young Scudamore, but loved to have out with theRector--"and I hope it will be a good warning to you, Squire, tosettle no more old gunners on your property. You must understand, Mr. Scudamore, that the Admiral makes a sort of Naval Hospital, for all hisold salts, on his own Estates. "

"I am sure it is wonderfully kind in him, " the young man answered, bravely, "for the poor old fellows are thrown to the dogs by thecountry, when it has disabled them. I have not seen much of the service, but quite enough to know that, Mr. Twemlow. "

"I have seen a great deal, and I say that it is so. And my good friendknows it as well as I do, and is one of the first to lend a helpinghand. In all such cases he does more than I do, whenever they comewithin his knowledge. But let us return to the matter in hand. Here isa young man, a first-rate sailor, who would have been under myguardianship, I know, but for--but for sad circumstances. Is he to begrinding at Virgil and Ovid till all his spirit goes out of him, becausewe have patched up a very shabby peace? It can never last long. EveryEnglishman hates it, although it may seem to save his pocket. Twemlow, I am no politician. You read the papers more than I do. How much longerwill this wretched compact hold? You have predicted the course of thingsbefore. "

"And so I will again, " replied the Rector. "Atheism, mockery, cynicism, blasphemy, lust, and blood-thirstyness cannot rage and raven withina few leagues of a godly and just nation without stinking in theirnostrils. Sir, it is our mission from the Lord to quench Bony, andto conquer the bullies of Europe. We don't look like doing it now, Iconfess. But do it we shall, in the end, as sure as the name of ourcountry is England. "

"I have no doubt of it, " said the Admiral, simply; "but there will be adeal of fighting betwixt this and then. Blyth, will you leave me to seewhat I can do, whenever we get to work again?"

"I should think that I would, sir, and never forget it. I am not fond offighting; but how I have longed to feel myself afloat again!"

CHAPTER XII

AT THE YEW-TREE

All the common-sense of England, more abundant in those days than now, felt that the war had not been fought out, and the way to the lap ofpeace could only be won by vigorous use of the arms. Some few therewere even then, as now there is a cackling multitude, besotted enough tobelieve that facts can be undone by blinking them. But our forefatherson the whole were wise, and knew that nothing is trampled more baselythan right that will not right itself. 

Therefore they set their faces hard, and toughened their hearts likeknotted oak, against all that man could do to them. There were nomagnificent proclamations, no big vaunts of victory at the bucklingon of armour, but the quiet strength of steadfast wills, and the sternresolve to strike when stricken, and try to last the longest. And sotheir mother-land became the mother of men and freedom. 

In November, 1802, the speech from the throne apprised the world thatEngland was preparing. The widest, longest, and deadliest war, since thedate of gunpowder, was lowering; and the hearts of all who loved theirkin were heavy, but found no help for it. 

The sermon which Mr. Twemlow preached in Springhaven church wasmagnificent. Some parishioners, keeping memory more alert thanconscience, declared that they had received it all nine, or it might beten, years since, when the fighting first was called for. If so, thatproved it none the worse, but themselves, for again requiring it. TheirRector told them that they thought too much of their own flesh-pots andfish-kettles, and their country might go to the bottom of the sea, if itleft them their own fishing-grounds. And he said that they would wake upsome day and find themselves turned into Frenchmen, for all things werepossible with the Lord; and then they might smite their breasts, butmust confess that they had deserved it. Neither would years of prayerand fasting fetch them back into decent Englishmen; the abomination ofdesolation would be set up over their doorways, and the scarlet woman ofBabylon would revel in their sanctuaries. 

"Now don't let none of us be in no hurry, " Captain Tugwell said, afterdwelling and sleeping upon this form of doctrine; "a man knoweth his owntrade the best, the very same way as the parson doth. And I never knewno good to come of any hurry. Our lives are given us by the Lord. And Henever would 'a made 'em threescore and ten, or for men of any strengthfourscore, if His will had been to jerk us over them. Never did I see noFrenchman as could be turned to an Englishman, not if he was to fast andpray all day, and cut himself with knives at the going down of the sun. My opinion is that Parson Twemlow were touched up by his own consciencefor having a nephew more French than English; and 'Caryl Carne' is thename thereof, with more French than English sound to it. "

"Why, he have been gone for years and years, " said the landlord of theDarling Arms, where the village was holding council; "he have neverbeen seen in these parts since the death of the last Squire Carne, to myknowledge. "

"And what did the old Squire die of, John Prater? Not that he were to becalled old--younger, I dare say, than I be now. What did he die of, butmarrying with a long outlandish 'ooman? A femmel as couldn't speak aword of English, to be anyhow sure of her meaning! Ah, them was badtimes at Carne Castle; and as nice a place as need be then, until theydipped the property. Six grey horses they were used to go with to LondonParliament every year, before the last Squire come of age, as I haveheered my father say scores of times, and no lie ever come from hismouth, no more than it could from mine, almost. Then they dropped tofour, and then to two, and pretended that the roads were easier. "

"When I was down the coast, last week, so far as Littlehampton, " saida stout young man in the corner, "a very coorous thing happened me, leastways by my own opinion, and glad shall I be to have the judgmentof Cappen Zeb consarning it. There come in there a queer-rigged craftof some sixty ton from Halvers, desiring to set up trade again, or to dosome smoogling, or spying perhaps. Her name was the Doctor Humm, whichseem a great favorite with they Crappos, and her skipper had a queername too, as if he was two men in one, for he called himself 'Jacks'; afellow about forty year old, as I hauled out of the sea with a boat-hookone night on the Varners. Well, he seemed to think a good deal of that, though contrary to their nature, and nothing would do but I must go tobe fated with him everywhere, if the folk would change his money. He hadpicked up a decent bit of talk from shipping in the oyster line beforethe war; and I put his lingo into order for him, for which he was verythankful. "

"And so he was bound to be. But you had no call to do it, CharleyBowles. " Captain Tugwell spoke severely, and the young man felt that hewas wrong, for the elders shook their heads at him, as a traitor to theEnglish language. 

"Well, main likely, I went amiss. But he seemed to take it so uncommonkind of me hitching him with a boat-hook, that we got on togetherwonderful, and he called me 'Friar Sharley, ' and he tried to take upwith our manners and customs; but his head was outlandish for Englishgrog. One night he was three sheets in the wind, at a snug little cribby the river, and he took to the brag as is born with them. 'All discontray in one year now, ' says he, nodding over his glass at me, 'shallbe of the grand nashong, and I will make a great man of you, FriarSharley. Do you know what prawns are, my good friend?' Well, I said Ihad caught a good many in my time; but he laughed and said, 'Prawns willcatch you this time. One tousand prawns, all with two hondred men insidehim, and the leetle prawns will come to land at your house, Sharley. Bootiful place, quiet sea, no bad rocks. You look out in the morning, and the white coast is made black with them. ' Now what do you say tothat, Cappen Tugwell?"

"I've a-heered that style of talk many times afore, " Master Tugwellanswered, solidly; "and all I can say is that I should have punched hishead. And you deserve the same thing, Charley Bowles, unless you've gotmore than that to tell us. "

"So I might, Cappen, and I won't deny you there. But the discourse wereconsarning Squire Carne now just, and the troubles he fell into, beforeI was come to my judgment yet. Why, an uncle of mine served footmanthere--Jeremiah Bowles, known to every one, until he was no more heardof. "

Nods of assent to the fame of Jeremiah encouraged the stout young man inhis tale, and a wedge of tobacco rekindled him. 

"Yes, it were a coorous thing indeed, and coorous for me to hear of it, out of all mast-head of Springhaven. Says Moosoo Jacks to me, that nightwhen I boused him up unpretending: 'You keep your feather eye open, mytear, ' for such was his way of pronouncing it, 'and you shall arrive tolaglore, laglore--and what is still nobler, de monnay. In one two treemonth, you shall see a young captain returned to his contray dominion, and then you will go to his side and say Jacks, and he will make presentto you a sack of silver. ' Well, I hailed the chance of this prettysmart, you may suppose, and I asked him what the sailor's name would be, and surprised I was when he answered Carne, or Carny, for he gave it intwo syllables. Next morning's tide, the Doctor Humm cleared out, and Ihad no other chance of discourse with Moosoo Jacks. But I want to knowwhat you think, Cappen Zeb. "

"So you shall, " said the captain of Springhaven, sternly. "I thinkyou had better call your Moosoo Jacks 'Master Jackass, ' or 'MasterJackanapes, ' and put your own name on the back of him. You been with aFrenchman hob and nobbing, and you don't even know how they pronouncethemselves, unchristian as it is to do so. 'Jarks' were his name, thevery same as Navy beef, and a common one in that country. But to speakof any Carne coming nigh us with French plottings, and of prawns landinghere at Springhaven--'tis as likely as I should drop French money intothe till of this baccy-box. And you can see that I be not going to playsuch a trick as that, John Prater. "

"Why to my mind there never was bigger stuff talked, " the landlord spokeout, without fear of offence, for there was no other sign-board withinthree miles, "than to carry on in that way, Charley. What they may doat Littlehampton is beyond my knowledge, never having kept a snug cribthere, as you was pleased to call it. But at Springhaven 'twould be thewrong place for hatching of French treacheries. We all know one anothera deal too well for that, I hope. "

"Prater, you are right, " exclaimed Mr. Cheeseman, owner of the main shopin the village, and universally respected. "Bowles, you must have animagination the same as your uncle Jerry had. And to speak of the Carnesin a light way of talking, after all their misfortunes, is terrible. Why, I passed the old castle one night last week, with the moon to oneside of it, and only me in my one-horse shay to the other, and none buta man with a first-rate conscience would have had the stomach to do so. However, I seed no ghosts that time, though I did hear some noises asmade me use the whip; and the swing of the ivy was black as a hearse. Alittle drop more of my own rum, John: it gives me quite a chill to thinkof it. "

"I don't take much account of what people say, " Harry Shanks, who had adeep clear voice, observed, "without it is in my own family. But myown cousin Bob was coming home one night from a bit of sweethearting atPebbleridge, when, to save the risk of rabbit-holes in the dark, for heput out his knee-cap one time, what does he do but take the path inlandthrough the wood below Carne Castle--the opposite side to where youwas, Master Cheeseman, and the same side as the moon would be, only shewasn't up that night. Well, he had some misgivings, as anybody must;still he pushed along, whistling and swinging his stick, and saying tohimself that there was no such thing as cowardice in our family;till just at the corner where the big yew-tree is, that we sometimesstarboard helm by when the tide is making with a nor'west wind; thereBob seed a sight as made his hair crawl. But I won't say another wordabout it now, and have to go home in the dark by myself arter'ards. "

"Come, now, Harry!" "Oh, we can't stand that!" "We'll see you to yourdoor, lad, if you out with it, fair and forcible. "

Of these and other exhortations Harry took no notice, but folded hisarms across his breast, and gazed at something which his mind presented. 

"Harry Shanks, you will have the manners"--Captain Tugwell spokeimpressively, not for his own sake, for he knew the tale, and had beenconsulted about it, but from sense of public dignity--"to finish thestory which you began. To begin a yarn of your own accord, and thendrop it all of a heap, is not respectful to present company. Springhavennever did allow such tricks, and will not put up with them from anyyoung fellow. If your meaning was to drop it, you should never havebegun. "

Glasses and even pipes rang sharply upon the old oak table in applauseof this British sentiment, and the young man, with a sheepish look, submitted to the voice of the public. 

"Well, then, all of you know where the big yew-tree stands, at the breakof the hill about half a mile inland, and how black it looms among theother stuff. But Bob, with his sweetheart in his head, no doubt, wasthat full of courage that he forgot all about the old tree, and themurder done inside it a hundred and twenty years ago, they say, untilthere it was, over his head a'most, with the gaps in it staring likeribs at him. 'Bout ship was the word, pretty sharp, you may be sure, when he come to his wits consarning it, and the purse of his lips, aswas whistling a jig, went as dry as a bag with the bottom out. Throughthe grey of the night there was sounds coming to him, such as had noright to be in the air, and a sort of a shiver laid hold of his heart, like a cold hand flung over his shoulder. As hard as he could lay footto the ground, away he went down hill, forgetting of his kneecap, forsuch was the condition of his mind and body. 

"You must understand, mates, that he hadn't seen nothing to skeer him, but only heard sounds, which come into his ears to make his hair rise;and his mind might have put into them more than there was, for the wantof intarpreting. Perhaps this come across him, as soon as he felt ata better distance with his wind short; anyhow, he brought up again'a piece of rock-stuff in a hollow of the ground, and begun to lookskeerily backward. For a bit of a while there was nothing to distemperhim, only the dark of the hill and the trees, and the grey lighta-coming from the sea in front. But just as he were beginning for tocall himself a fool, and to pick himself onto his legs for trudginghome, he seed a thing as skeered him worse than ever, and fetched himflat upon his lower end. 

"From the black of the yew-tree there burst a big light, brighter thana lighthouse or a blue thunder-bolt, and flying with a long streak downthe hollow, just as if all the world was a-blazing. Three times it come, with three different colours, first blue, and then white, and thenred as new blood; and poor Bob was in a condition of mind must be seenbefore saying more of it. If he had been brought up to follow the sea, instead of the shoemaking, maybe his wits would have been more abouthim, and the narves of his symptom more ship-shape. But it never wasborne into his mind whatever, to keep a lookout upon the offing, noreven to lie snug in the ferns and watch the yew-tree. All he was upfor was to make all sail, the moment his sticks would carry it; and hefeared to go nigh his sweetheart any more, till she took up with anotherfellow. "

"And sarve him quite right, " was the judgment of the room, in highfettle with hot rum and water; "to be skeered of his life by asmuggler's signal! Eh, Cappen Zebedee, you know that were it?"

But the captain of Springhaven shook his head. 

CHAPTER XIII

WHENCE, AND WHEREFORE?

At the rectory, too, ere the end of that week, there was no littleshaking of heads almost as wise as Zebedee Tugwell's. Mrs. Twemlow, though nearly sixty years of age, and acquainted with many a sorrow, wasas lively and busy and notable as ever, and even more determined tobe the mistress of the house. For by this time her daughter Eliza, beginning to be twenty-five years old--a job which takes some years infinishing--began at the same time to approve her birth by a vigorous aimat the mastery. For, as everybody said, Miss Eliza was a Carne inblood and breed and fibre. There was little of the Twemlow stock abouther--for the Twemlows were mild and humorous--but plenty of the strengthand dash and wildness and contemptuous spirit of the ancient Carnes. 

Carne a carne, as Mr. Twemlow said, when his wife was inclined to bemasterful--a derivation confirmed by the family motto, "Carne noncaret carne. " In the case, however, of Mrs. Twemlow, age, affliction, experience, affection, and perhaps above all her good husband's largerbenevolence and placidity, had wrought a great change for the better, and made a nice old lady of her. She was tall and straight and slenderstill; and knew how to make the most, by grave attire and gracefulattitude, of the bodily excellence entailed for ages on the lineageof Carne. Of moral goodness there had not been an equally strictsettlement, at least in male heredity. So that Mrs. Twemlow's thoughtsabout her kith and kindred were rather sad than proud, unless someignorance was shown about them. 

"Poor as I am, " said Mr. Twemlow, now consulting with her, "and poor asevery beneficed clergyman must be, if this war returns, I would ratherhave lost a hundred pounds than have heard what you tell me, Maria. "

"My dear, I cannot quite see that, " his wife made thoughtful answer;"if he only had money to keep up the place, and clear off those nastyincumbrances, I should rejoice at his coming back to live where we havebeen for centuries. "

"My dear, you are too poetical, though the feeling is a fine one. Withinthe old walls there can scarcely be a room that has a sound floor toit. And as for the roof, when that thunder-storm was, and I took shelterwith my pony--well, you know the state I came home in, and all my bestclothes on for the Visitation. Luckily there seems to be no rheumatismin your family, Maria; and perhaps he is too young as yet to pay out forit till he gets older. But if he comes for business, and to see to therelics of his property, surely he might have a bedroom here, and comeand go at his liking. After all his foreign fanglements, a course ofquiet English life and the tone of English principles might be of thegreatest use to him. He would never wish to see the Continent again. "

"It is not to be thought of, " said Mrs. Twemlow. "I would not have himto live in this house for fifty thousand pounds a year. You are agreat deal wiser than I am, Joshua; but of his nature you know nothing, whereas I know it from his childhood. And Eliza is so strong-willedand stubborn--you dislike, of course, to hear me say it, but it is thefact--it is, my dear. And I would rather stand by our daughter's gravethan see her fall in love with Caryl Carne. You know what a handsomeyoung man he must be now, and full of French style and frippery. I amsure it is most kind of you to desire to help my poor family; but youwould rue the day, my dear, that brought him beneath our quiet roof. I have lost my only son, as it seems, by the will of the Lord, whoafflicts us. But I will not lose my only daughter, by any such folly ofmy own. "

Tears rolled down Mrs. Twemlow's cheeks as she spoke of her mysteriousaffliction; and her husband, who knew that she was not weak-minded, consoled her by sharing her sorrow. 

"It shall be exactly as you like, " he said, after a quiet interval. "Yousay that no answer is needed; and there is no address to send one to. Weshall hear of it, of course, when he takes possession, if, indeed, he isallowed to do so. "

"Who is to prevent him from coming, if he chooses, to live in the homeof his ancestors? The estates are all mortgaged, and the park is gone, turned into a pound for Scotch cattle-breeding. But the poor old castlebelongs to us still, because no one would take the expense of it. "

"And because of the stories concerning it, Maria. Your nephew Caryl isa brave young fellow if he means to live there all alone, and I fear hecan afford himself no company. You understand him so much better: whatdo you suppose his motive is?"

"I make no pretence to understand him, dear, any more than his poorfather could. My dear brother was of headstrong order, and it did himno good to contradict him, and indeed it was dangerous to do so; but hisnature was as simple as a child's almost, to any one accustomed to him. If he had not married that grand French lady, who revelled in everyextravagance, though she knew how we all were impoverished, he mighthave been living and in high position now, though a good many years mysenior. And the worst of it was that he did it at a time when he oughtto have known so much better. However, he paid for it bitterly enough, and his only child was set against him. "

"A very sad case altogether, " said the rector. "I remember, as if itwere yesterday, how angry poor Montagu was with me. You remember whatwords he used, and his threat of attacking me with his horsewhip. But hebegged my pardon, most humbly, as soon as he saw how thoroughly right Iwas. You are like him in some things, as I often notice, but not quiteso generous in confessing you were wrong. "

"Because I don't do it as he did, Joshua. You would never understand meif I did. But of course for a man you can make allowance. My rule is todo it both for men and women, quite as fairly as if one was the other. "

"Certainly, Maria--certainly. And therefore you can do it, and havealways done it, even for poor Josephine. No doubt there is much to bepleaded, by a candid and gentle mind, on her behalf. "

"What! that dreadful creature who ruined my poor brother, and calledherself the Countess de Lune, or some such nonsense! No, Joshua, no!I have not so entirely lost all English principle as to quite do that. Instead of being largeness, that would be mere looseness. "

"There are many things, however, that we never understood, and perhapsnever shall in this world, " Mr. Twemlow continued, as if talking tohimself, for reason on that subject would be misaddressed to her; "andnothing is more natural than that young Caryl should side with hismother, who so petted him, against his poor father, who was violent andharsh, especially when he had to pay such bills. But perhaps our goodnephew has amassed some cash, though there seems to be but little on theContinent, after all this devastation. Is there anything, Maria, in hisletter to enable us to hope that he is coming home with money?"

"Not a word, I am afraid, " Mrs. Twemlow answered, sadly. "But take it, my dear, and read it to me slowly. You make things so plain, becauseof practice every Sunday. Oh, Joshua, I never can be sure which youare greatest in--the Lessons or the Sermon. But before you begin I willshoot the bolt a little, as if it had caught by accident. Eliza doesrush in upon us sometimes in the most unbecoming, unladylike way. And Inever can get you to reprove her. "

"It would be as much as my place is worth, as the maids say whenimagined to have stolen sugar. And I must not read this letter so loudas the Lessons, unless you wish Lizzie to hear every word, for she hasall her mother's quick senses. There is not much of it, and the scrawlseems hasty. We might have had more for three and fourpence. But I amnot the one to grumble about bad measure--as the boy said about oldBusby. Now, Maria, listen, but say nothing; if feminine capacity maycompass it. Why, bless my heart, every word of it is French!" The rectorthrew down his spectacles, and gazed at his wife reproachfully. But shesmiled with superior innocence. 

"What else could you expect, after all his years abroad? I cannotmake out the whole of it, for certain. But surely it is not beyond thecompass of masculine capacity. "

"Yes, it is, Maria; and you know it well enough. No honest Englishmancan endure a word of French. Latin, or Greek, or even Hebrew--though Itook to that rather late in life. But French is only fit for women, andvery few of them can manage it. Let us hear what this Frenchman says. "

"He is not a Frenchman, Joshua. He is an Englishman, and probably a veryfine one. I won't be sure about all of his letter, because it is so longsince I was at school; and French books are generally unfit to read. Butthe general meaning is something like this:

'MY BELOVED AND HIGHLY VALUED AUNT, --Since I heard from you thereare many years now, but I hope you have held me in memory. I have theintention of returning to the country of England, even in this bad timeof winter, when the climate is most funereal. I shall do my best to callback, if possible, the scattered ruins of the property, and to instituteagain the name which my father made displeasing. In this good work youwill, I have faith, afford me your best assistance, and the influenceof your high connection in the neighbourhood. Accept, dear aunt, theassurance of my highest consideration, of the most sincere and the mostdevoted, and allow me the honour of writing myself your most loving andrespectful nephew, 'CARYL CARNE. '

Now, Joshua, what do you think of that?"

"Fine words and no substance; like all French stuff. And he never evenmentions me, who gave him a top, when he should have had the whip. Iwill not pretend to understand him, for he always was beyond me. Darkand excitable, moody and capricious, haughty and sarcastic, and devoidof love for animals. You remember his pony, and what he did to it, andthe little dog that crawled upon her stomach towards him. For yoursake I would have put up with him, my dear, and striven to improve hisnature, which is sure to be much worse at six-and-twenty, after so manyyears abroad. But I confess it is a great relief to me that you wiselyprefer not to have him in this house, any more at least than we can helpit. But who comes here? What a hurry we are in! Lizzie, my darling, bepatient. "

"Here's this plague of a door barred and bolted again! Am I not to havean atom of breakfast, because I just happened to oversleep myself? Themornings get darker and darker; it is almost impossible to see to dressoneself. "

"There is plenty of tinder in the house, Eliza, and plenty of goodtallow candles, " Mrs. Twemlow replied, having put away the letter, whileher husband let the complainant in. "For the third time this weekwe have had prayers without you, and the example is shocking for theservants. We shall have to establish the rule you suggest--too late topray for food, too late to get it. But I have kept your help of baconhot, quite hot, by the fire. And the teapot is under the cozy. "

"Thank you, dear mother, " the young lady answered, careless of words, if deeds were in her favour, and too clever to argue the question. "Isuppose there is no kind of news this morning to reward one for gettingup so early. "

"Nothing whatever for you, Miss Lizzie, " said her father, as soon as hehad kissed her. "But the paper is full of the prospects of war, and theextent of the preparations. If we are driven to fight again, we shall doit in earnest, and not spare ourselves. "

"Nor our enemies either, I do hope with all my heart. How long are we tobe afraid of them? We have always invaded the French till now. And forthem to talk of invading us! There is not a bit of spirit left in thisisland, except in the heart of Lord Nelson. "

"What a hot little patriot this child is!" said the father, with a quietsmile at her. "What would she say to an Englishman, who was more Frenchthan English, and would only write French letters? And yet it might bepossible to find such people. "

"If such a wretch existed, " cried Miss Twemlow, "I should like tocrunch him as I crunch this toast. For a Frenchman I can make all fairallowance, because he cannot help his birth. But for an Englishman toturn Frenchman--"

"However reluctant we may be to allow it, " the candid rector argued, "they are the foremost nation in the world, just now, for energy, valour, decision, discipline, and I fear I must add patriotism. Themost wonderful man who has appeared in the world for centuries is theirleader, and by land his success has been almost unbroken. If we musthave war again, as I fear we must, and very speedily, our chief hopemust be that the Lord will support His cause against the scoffer and theinfidel, the libertine and the assassin. "

"You see how beautifully your father puts it, Eliza; but he never abusespeople. That is a habit in which, I am sorry to say, you indulge toofreely. You show no good feeling to anybody who differs from you inopinion, and you talk as if Frenchmen had no religion, no principles, and no humanity. And what do you know about them, pray? Have you everspoken to a Frenchman? Have you ever even seen one? Would you know oneif you even set eyes upon him?"

"Well, I am not at all sure that I should, " the young lady replied, being thoroughly truthful; "and I have no wish for the opportunity. ButI have seen a French woman, mother; and that is quite enough for me. Ifthey are so, what must the men be?"

"There is a name for this process of feminine reasoning, this cumulativeand syncopetic process of the mind, entirely feminine (but regarded byitself as rational), a name which I used to know well in the days when Ihad the ten Fallacies at my fingers' ends, more tenaciously perhapsthan the Decalogue. Strange to say, the name is gone from my memory;but--but--"

"But then you had better go after it, my dear, " his wife suggested withauthority. "If your only impulse when you hear reason is to search afterhard names for it, you are safer outside of its sphere altogether. "

"I am struck with the truth of that remark, " observed the rector; "andthe more so because I descry a male member of our race approaching, witha hat--at once the emblem and the crown of sound reason. Away with allfallacies; it is Church-warden Cheeseman!"

CHAPTER XIV

A HORRIBLE SUGGESTION

"Can you guess what has brought me down here in this hurry?" LordNelson asked Admiral Darling, having jumped like a boy from his yellowpost-chaise, and shaken his old friend's broad right hand with hisslender but strenuous left one, even as a big bell is swung by a thinrope. "I have no time to spare--not a day, not an hour; but I made up mymind to see you before I start. I cannot expect to come home alive, and, except for one reason, I should not wish it. "

"Nonsense!" said the Admiral, who was sauntering near his upper gate, and enjoying the world this fine spring morning; "you are always insuch a confounded hurry! When you come to my time of life, you will knowbetter. What is it this time? The Channel fleet again?"

"No, no; Billy Blue keeps that, thank God! I hate looking after a schoolof herring-boats. The Mediterranean for me, my friend. I received theorder yesterday, and shall be at sea by the twentieth. "

"I am very glad to hear it, for your sake. If ever there was a restlessfellow--in the good old times we were not like that. Come up to thehouse and talk about it; at least they must take the horses out. Theyare not like you; they can't work forever. "

"And they don't get knocked about like me; though one of them has losthis starboard eye, and he sails and steers all the better for it. Letthem go up to the stable, Darling, while you come down to the beach withme. I want to show you something. "

"What crotchet is in his too active brain now?" the elder and strongerman asked himself, as he found himself hooked by the right arm, and leddown a track through the trees scarcely known to himself, and quiteout of sight from the village. "Why, this is not the way to the beach!However, it is never any good to oppose him. He gets his own way sobecause of his fame. Or perhaps that's the way he got his fame. But toshow me about over my own land! But let him go on, let him go on. "

"You are wondering, I dare say, what I am about, " cried Nelson, stoppingsuddenly, and fixing his sound eye--which was wonderfully keen, thoughhe was always in a fright about it--upon the large and peaceful blinkersof his ancient commander; "but now I shall be able to convince you, though I am not a land-surveyor, nor even a general of land-forces. IfGod Almighty prolongs my life--which is not very likely--it will be thatI may meet that scoundrel, Napoleon Bonaparte, on dry land. I hearthat he is eager to encounter me on the waves, himself commanding aline-of-battle ship. I should send him to the devil in a quarter of anhour. And ashore I could astonish him, I think, a little, if I had agood army to back me up. Remember what I did at Bastia, in the land thatproduced this monster, and where I was called the Brigadier; and again, upon the coast of Italy, I showed that I understood all their dry-groundbusiness. Tush! I can beat him, ashore and afloat; and I shall, if Ilive long enough. But this time the villain is in earnest, I believe, with his trumpery invasion; and as soon as he hears that I am gone, he will make sure of having his own way. We know, of course, there arefifty men as good as myself to stop him, including you, my dear Darling;but everything goes by reputation--the noise of the people--praise-puff. That's all I get; while the luckier fellows, like Cathcart, get theprize-money. But I don't want to grumble. Now what do you see?"

"Well, I see you, for one thing, " the Admiral answered, at his leisure, being quite inured to his friend's quick fire, "and wearing a coat thatwould be a disgrace to any other man in the navy. And further on I seesome land that I never shall get my rent for; and beyond that nothingbut the sea, with a few fishing-craft inshore, and in the offing a sail, an outward-bound East Indiaman--some fool who wouldn't wait for convoy, with war as good as proclaimed again. "

"Nothing but the sea, indeed? The sweep of the land, and the shelterof the bay, the shoaling of the shore without a rock to break it, theheadland that shuts out both wind and waves; and outside the headland, off Pebbleridge, deep water for a fleet of line-of-battle ships toanchor and command the land approaches--moreover, a stream of the purestwater from deep and never-failing springs--Darling, the place of allplaces in England for the French to land is opposite to your frontdoor. "

"I am truly obliged to you for predicting, and to them for doing it, ifever they attempt such impudence. If they find out that you are away, they can also find out that I am here, as commander of the sea defences, from Dungeness to Selsey-Bill. "

"That will make it all the more delightful to land at your front door, my friend; and all the easier to do it. My own plan is to strike withall force at the head-quarters of the enemy, because the most likely tobe unprepared. About a year ago, when I was down here, a little beforemy dear father's death, without your commission I took command of yourfishing-craft coming home for their Sunday, and showed them how totake the beach, partly to confirm my own suspicions. There is no otherlanding on all the south coast, this side of Hayling Island, fit to becompared with it for the use of flat-bottomed craft, such as most ofBoney's are. And remember the set of the tide, which makes the fortunesof your fishermen. To be sure, he knows nothing of that himself; but hehas sharp rogues about him. If they once made good their landing here, it would be difficult to dislodge them. It must all be done from theland side then, for even a 42-gun frigate could scarcely come nearenough to pepper them. They love shoal water, the skulks--and that hasenabled them to baffle me so often. Not that they would conquer thecountry--all brag--but still it would be a nasty predicament, and scarethe poor cockneys like the very devil. "

"But remember the distance from Boulogne, Hurry. If they cannot crosstwenty-five miles of channel in the teeth of our ships, what chancewould they have when the distance is nearer eighty?"

"A much better chance, if they knew how to do it. All our cruisers wouldbe to the eastward. One afternoon perhaps, when a haze is on, they makea feint with light craft toward the Scheldt--every British ship crowdssail after them. Then, at dusk, the main body of the expedition slipswith the first of the ebb to the westward; they meet the flood tide inmid-channel, and using their long sweeps are in Springhaven, or at anyrate the lightest of them, by the top of that tide, just when youare shaving. You laugh at such a thought of mine. I tell you, my dearfriend, that with skill and good luck it is easy; and do it they should, if they were under my command. "

If anybody else had even talked of such a plan as within the bounds oflikelihood, Admiral Darling would have been almost enraged. But now helooked doubtfully, first at the sea (as if it might be thick with pramesalready), and then at the land--which was his own--as if the rent mightgo into a Frenchman's pocket, and then at his old and admired friend, who had ruined his sleep for the summer. 

"Happily they are not under your command, and they have no man tocompare with you;" he spoke rather nervously; while Nelson smiled, for he loved the praise which he had so well earned; "and if it werepossible for you to talk nonsense, I should say that you had done itnow. But two things surely you have overlooked. In the first place, theFrench can have no idea of the special opportunities this place affords. And again, if they had, they could do nothing, without a pilot wellacquainted with the spot. Though the landing is so easy, there areshoals outside, very intricate and dangerous, and known to none exceptthe natives of the place, who are jealous to the last degree about theirknowledge. "

"That is true enough; and even I should want a pilot here, though Iknow every spit of sand eastward. But away fly both your difficulties ifthere should happen to be a local traitor. "

"A traitor at Springhaven! Such a thing is quite impossible. You wouldlaugh at yourself, if you only knew the character of our people. Therenever has been, and there never will be, a Springhaven man capable oftreachery. "

"That is good news, ay, and strange news too, " the visitor answered, with his left hand on his sword, for he was now in full though rathershabby uniform. "There are not many traitors in England, I believe; butthey are as likely to be found in one place as another, according to myexperience. Well, well, I am very glad you have no such scoundrels here. I won't say a single word against your people, who are as fine a lotas any in the south of England, and as obstinate as any I could wish tosee. Of an obstinate man I can always make good; with a limp one I cando nothing. But bear in mind every word you have heard me say, because Icame down on purpose about it; and I generally penetrate the devices ofthe enemy, though they lead me on a wild-goose-chase sometimes, but onlywhen our own folk back them up, either by lies or stupidity. Now lookonce more, for you are slower as well as a great deal wiser than I am. You see how this land-locked bight of Springhaven seems made by theAlmighty for flat-bottomed craft, if once they can find their way intoit; while the trend of the coast towards Pebbleridge is equally suitedfor the covering fleet, unless a gale from southwest comes on, inwhich case they must run for it. And you see that the landed force, bycrowning the hill above your house and across the valley, might defyour noble Volunteers, and all that could be brought against them, till ahundred thousand cutthroats were established here. And Boney would makehis head-quarters at the Hall, with a French cook in your kitchen, anda German butler in your cellar, and my pretty godchild to wait upon him, for the rogue loves pretty maidens. "

"That will do. That is quite enough. No wonder you have written poems, Nelson, as you told us the last time you were here. If my son had onlygot your imagination--but perhaps you know something more than you havetold me. Perhaps you have been told--"

"Never mind about that, " the great sea-captain answered, turning awayas if on springs; "it is high time for me to be off again, and my chaisehas springs on her cables. "

"Not she. I have ordered her to be docked. Dine with us you shall thisday, if we have to dine two hours earlier, and though Mother Cloam ragefuriously. How much longer do you suppose you can carry on at this pace?Look at me. I have double your bodily substance; but if I went on asyou do--you remember the twenty-four-pounder old Hotcoppers put into thelaunch, and fired it, in spite of all I could say to him? Well, you arejust the same. You have not got the scantling for the metal you carryand are always working. You will either blow up, or else scuttleyourself. Look here, how your seams are opening!" Here Admiral Darlingthrust his thumb through the ravelled seam of his old friend's coat, which made him jump back, for he loved his old coat. "Yes, and you willgo in the very same way. I wonder how any coat lasts so much as a month, with you inside it. "

"This coat, " said Nelson, who was most sweet-tempered with any one heloved, though hot as pepper when stirred up by strangers--"this coat isthe one I wore at Copenhagen, and a sounder and kinder coat never cameon a man's back. Charles Darling, you have made a bad hit this time. If I am no more worn out than this coat is, I am fit to go to sea for anumber of years yet. And I hope to show it to a good many Frenchmen, andtake as many ships, every time they show fight, as there are buttons onit. "

"Then you will double all your captures at the Nile;" such a series ofbuttons had this coat, though mostly loose upon their moorings, for hisguardian angel was not "domestic"; "but you may be trusted not to letthem drift so. You have given me a lesson in coast-defence, and now youshall be boarded by the ladies. You possess some gifts of the tongue, my friend, as well as great gifts of hand and eye; but I will back mydaughters to beat you there. Come up to the house. No turning of tail. "

"I spoke very well in the House of Lords, " said Nelson, in his simpleway, "in reply to the speech of his Majesty, and again about theCommissioner's Bill; or at least everybody tells me so. But in the Houseof Ladies I hold my tongue, because there is abundance without it. "

This, however, he failed to do when the matter came to the issue; forhis godchild Horatia, more commonly called Dolly, happened to be in themood for taking outrageous liberties with him. She possessed very littleof that gift--most precious among women--the sense of veneration; and toher a hero was only a man heroic in acts of utility. "He shall do it, "she said to Faith, when she heard that he was come again; "if I have tokiss him, he shall do it; and I don't like kissing those old men. "

"Hush!" said her elder sister. "Dolly, you do say things so recklessly. One would think that you liked to kiss younger men! But I am sure thatis not your meaning. I would rather kiss Lord Nelson than all the youngmen in the kingdom. "

"Well done, Faith! All the young men in the kingdom! How recklessly youdo say things! And you can't kiss him--he is MY godfather. But just seehow I get round him, if you have wits enough to understand it. "

So these two joined in their kind endeavour to make the visitor useful, the object being so good that doubtful means might be excused for it. In different ways and for divers reasons, each of these young ladies nowhad taken to like Blyth Scudamore. Faith, by power of pity first, and ofgrief for her own misfortunes, and of admiration for his goodness to hiswidowed mother--which made his best breeches shine hard at the knees;and Dolly, because of his shy adoration, and dauntless defence of heragainst a cow (whose calf was on the road to terminate in veal), as wellas his special skill with his pocket-knife in cutting out figures thatcould dance, and almost sing; also his great gifts, when the tide wasout, of making rare creatures run after him. What avails to explorefemale reason precisely?--their minds were made up that he must be acaptain, if Nelson had to build the ship with his one hand for him. 

"After that, there is nothing more to be said, " confessed the vanquishedwarrior; "but the daughters of an Admiral should know that no man can beposted until he has served his time as lieutenant; and this young heroof yours has never even held the King's commission yet. But as he hasseen some service, and is beyond the age of a middy, in the presentrush he might get appointed as junior lieutenant, if he had any stoutseconders. Your father is the man, he is always at hand, and can watchhis opportunity. He knows more big-wigs than I do, and he has not givenoffence where I have. Get your father, my dears, to attend to it. "

But the ladies were not to be so put off, for they understood thedifference of character. Lord Nelson was as sure to do a thing asAdmiral Darling was to drop it if it grew too heavy. Hence it cameto pass that Blyth Scudamore, though failing of the Victory andAmphion--which he would have chosen, if the choice were his--receivedwith that cheerful philosophy (which had made him so dear to theschool-boys, and was largely required among them) his appointment asjunior lieutenant to the 38-gun frigate Leda, attached to the Channelfleet under Cornwallis, whose business it was to deal with the Frenchflotilla of invasion. 

CHAPTER XV

ORDEAL OF AUDIT

England saw the growing danger, and prepared, with an even mind andwell-girt body, to confront it. As yet stood up no other country to helpor even comfort her, so cowed was all the Continent by the lash, andspur of an upstart. Alone, encumbered with the pack of Ireland, pinchedwith hunger and dearth of victuals, and cramped with the colic ofWhiggery, she set her strong shoulder to the wheel of fortune, and sokept it till the hill was behind her. Some nations (which owe theirexistence to her) have forgotten these things conveniently; anEnglishman hates to speak of them, through his unjust abhorrence ofself-praise; and so does a Frenchman, by virtue of motives equallyrespectable. 

But now the especial danger lay in the special strength of England. Scarcely any man along the coast, who had ever come across a Frenchman, could be led (by quotations from history or even from newspapers) tobelieve that there was any sense in this menace of his to come andconquer us. Even if he landed, which was not likely--for none of themcould box the compass--the only thing he took would be a jolly goodthrashing, and a few pills of lead for his garlic. This lofty contempton the part of the seafaring men had been enhanced by Nelson, and throvewith stoutest vigour in the enlightened breasts of Springhaven. 

Yet military men thought otherwise, and so did the owners of crops andricks, and so did the dealers in bacon and eggs and crockery, and evenhardware. Mr. Cheeseman, for instance, who left nothing unsold that hecould turn a penny by, was anything but easy in his mind, and dreamedsuch dreams as he could not impart to his wife--on account of hertendency to hysterics--but told with much power to his daughter Polly, now the recognised belle of Springhaven. This vigilant grocer andbutterman, tea, coffee, tobacco, and snuffman, hosier also, and generalprovider for the outer as well as the inner man, had much of thatenterprise in his nature which the country believes to come from London. His possession of this was ascribed by all persons of a thoughtful turnto his ownership of that well-built schooner the London Trader. Sailingas she did, when the weather was fine, nearly every other week, forLondon, and returning with equal frequency, to the women who had neverbeen ten miles from home she was a mystery and a watchword. Not one ofthem would allow lad of hers to join this romantic galleon, and temptthe black cloud of the distance; neither did Mr. Cheeseman yearn (forreasons of his own about city prices) to navigate this good ship withnatives. Moreover, it was absurd, as he said, with a keen sense of hisown cheapness, to suppose that he could find the funds to buy and plysuch a ship as that!

Truth is a fugitive creature, even when she deigns to be visible, oreven to exist. The truth of Mr. Cheeseman's statement had existed, butwas long since flown. Such was his worth that he could now afford to buythe London Trader three times over, and pay ready money every time. Butwhen he first invested hard cash in her--against the solid tears of hisprudent wife--true enough it was that he could only scrape together onequarter of the sum required. Mrs. Cheeseman, who was then in a conditionof absorbing interest with Polly, made it her last request in thisworld--for she never expected to get over it--that Jemmy should notrun in debt on a goose-chase, and fetch her poor spirit from its graveagain. James Cheeseman was compelled--as the noblest man may be--todissemble and even deny his intentions until the blessed period ofcaudle-cup, when, the weather being pleasant and the wind along theshore, he found himself encouraged to put up the window gently. Thetide was coming in with a long seesaw, and upon it, like the baby in thecradle full of sleep, lay rocking another little stranger, or rather avery big one, to the lady's conception. 

Let bygones be bygones. There were some reproaches; but the weakervessel, Mrs. Cheeseman, at last struck flag, without sinking, as shethreatened to do. And when little Polly went for her first airing, theLondon Trader had accomplished her first voyage, and was sailing intriumphantly with a box of "tops and bottoms" from the ancient firm inThreadneedle Street, which has saved so many infants from the power thatcuts the thread. After that, everything went as it should go, includingthis addition to the commercial strength of Britain, which the lady wasenabled soon to talk of as "our ship, " and to cite when any questionrose of the latest London fashion. But even now, when a score of years, save one, had made their score and gone, Mrs. Cheeseman only guessed anddoubted as to the purchase of her ship. James Cheeseman knew the valueof his own counsel, and so kept it; and was patted on both shoulders bythe world, while he patted his own butter. 

He wore an apron of the purest white, with shoulder-straps of linentape, and upon his counter he had a desk, with a carved oak rail infront of it and returned at either end. The joy of his life was here tostand, with goodly shirt sleeves shining, his bright cheeks also shiningin the sun, unless it were hot enough to hurt his goods. He was not agreat man, but a good one--in the opinion of all who owed him nothing, and even in his own estimate, though he owed so much to himself. It wasenough to make any one who possessed a shilling hungry to see him soclean, so ready, and ruddy among the many good things which his looksand manner, as well as his words, commended. And as soon as he beganto smack his rosy lips, which nature had fitted up on purpose, over arasher, or a cut of gammon, or a keg of best Aylesbury, or a fine redherring, no customer having a penny in his pocket might struggle hardenough to keep it there. For the half-hearted policy of fingeringone's money, and asking a price theoretically, would recoil upon theconstitution of the strongest man, unless he could detach from allcooperation the congenial researches of his eyes and nose. When theweather was cool and the air full of appetite, and a fine smack of saltfrom the sea was sparkling on the margin of the plate of expectation, there was Mr. Cheeseman, with a knife and fork, amid a presence ofhungrifying goods that beat the weak efforts of imagination. Hams ofthe first rank and highest education, springs of pork sweeter than thepurest spring of poetry, pats of butter fragrant as the most deliciousflattery, chicks with breast too ample to require to be broken, andsometimes prawns from round the headland, fresh enough to saw oneanother's heads off, but for being boiled already. 

Memory fails to record one-tenth of all the good things gathered there. And why? Because hope was the power aroused, and how seldom can memoryendorse it! Even in the case of Mr. Cheeseman's wares there were peoplewho said, after making short work with them, that short weight hadenabled them to do so. And every one living in the village was surprisedto find his own scales require balancing again every time he sent hislittle girl to Cheeseman's. 

This upright tradesman was attending to his business one cold day inMay, 1803, soon after Nelson sailed from Portsmouth, and he stood withhis beloved pounds of farm-house butter, bladders of lard, and new-laideggs, and squares of cream-cheese behind him, with a broad butter-spatheof white wood in his hand, a long goose-pen tucked over his left ear, and the great copper scales hanging handy. So strict was his style, though he was not above a joke, that only his own hands might serveforth an ounce of best butter to the public. And whenever this wasweighed, and the beam adjusted handsomely to the satisfaction of thepurchaser, down went the butter to be packed upon a shelf uninvaded bythe public eye. Persons too scantily endowed with the greatest of allChristian virtues had the hardihood to say that Mr. Cheeseman hereindulged in a process of high art discovered by himself. Discoursingof the weather, or the crops, or perhaps the war, and mourning thedishonesty of statesmen nowadays, by dexterous undersweep of keen steelblade, from the bottom of the round, or pat, or roll, he would have awaya thin slice, and with that motion jerk it into the barrel which he keptbeneath his desk. 

"Is this, then, the establishment of the illustrious Mr. Cheeseman?"The time was yet early, and the gentleman who put this question was inriding dress. The worthy tradesman looked at him, and the rosy hue uponhis cheeks was marbled with a paler tint. 

"This is the shop of the 'umble James Cheeseman, " he answered, but notwith the alacrity of business. "All things good that are in season, andnothing kept unseasonable. With what can I have the honor of servingyou, sir?"

"With a little talk. " The stranger's manner was not unpleasantlycontemptuous, but lofty, and such as the English shopman loves, andcalls "aristocratic. "

"To talk with a gentleman is a pleasure as well as an honour, " saidCheeseman. 

"But not in this public establishment. " The visitor waved both hands ashe spoke, in a style not then common with Englishmen--though they arelearning eloquent gesticulation now. "It is fine, Mr. Cheeseman; but itis not--bah, I forget your English words. "

"It is fine, sir, as you are good enough to observe"--the humble JamesCheeseman was proud of his shop--"but not, as you remarked, altogetherprivate. That can hardly be expected, where business is conducted tosuit universal requirements. Polly, my dear, if your mother can spareyou, come and take my place at the desk a few minutes. I have businessinside with this gentleman. You may sell almost anything, except butter. If any one wants that, they must wait till I come back. "

A very pretty damsel, with a cap of foreign lace both adorning andadorned by her beautiful bright hair, came shyly from a little doorbehind the counter, receiving with a quick blush the stranger's earnestgaze, and returning with a curtsey the courteous flourish of hislooped-up riding-hat. "What a handsome gentleman!" said Polly toherself; "but there is something very sad and very wild in hisappearance. " Her father's conclusion was the same, and his heart misgavehim as he led in this unexpected guest. 

"There is no cause for apologies. This place is a very good one, "the stranger replied, laying down his heavy whip on the table of astone-floored room, to which he had been shown. "You are a man ofbusiness, and I am come upon dry business. You can conjecture--is it notso?--who I am by this time, although I am told that I do not bear anystrong resemblance to my father. "

He took off his hat as he spoke, shook back his long black hair, andfixed his jet-black eyes upon Cheeseman. That upright dealer had notrecovered his usual self-possession yet, but managed to look up--for hewas shorter by a head than his visitor--with a doubtful and enquiringsmile. 

"I am Caryl Carne, of Carne Castle, as you are pleased to call it. Ihave not been in England these many years; from the death of my father Ihave been afar; and now, for causes of my own, I am returned, with hopeof collecting the fragments of the property of my ancestors. It appearsto have been their custom to scatter, but not gather up again. Myintention is to make a sheaf of the relics spread by squanderers, andsnapped up by scoundrels. "

"To be sure, to be sure, " cried the general dealer; "this is vastly toyour credit, sir, and I wish you all success, sir, and so will all whohave so long respected your ancient and honourable family, sir. Take achair, sir--please to take a chair. "

"I find very little to my credit, " Mr. Carne said, dryly, as he took theoffered chair, but kept his eyes still upon Cheeseman's; "but among thatlittle is a bond from you, given nearly twenty years agone, and of whichyou will retain, no doubt, a vivid recollection. "

"A bond, sir--a bond!" exclaimed the other, with his bright eyestwinkling, as in some business enterprise. "I never signed a bond in allmy life, sir. Why, a bond requires sureties, and nobody ever went suretyfor me. "

"Bond may not be the proper legal term. It is possible. I know nothingof the English law. But a document it is, under hand and seal, and yoursignature is witnessed, Mr. Cheeseman. "

"Ah well! Let me consider. I begin to remember something. But my memoryis not as it used to be, and twenty years makes a great hole in it. Willyou kindly allow me to see this paper, if you have it with you, sir?"

"It is not a paper; it is written upon parchment, and I have not broughtit with me. But I have written down the intention of it, and it is asfollows:

"'This indenture made between James Cheeseman (with a long description), of the one part, and Montagu Carne (treated likewise), of the otherpart, after a long account of some arrangement made between them, witnesseth that in consideration of the sum of 300 pounds well and trulypaid by the said Montagu Carne to Cheeseman, he, the said Cheeseman, doth assign, transfer, set over, and so on, to the said Carne, etc. , oneequal undivided moiety and one half part of the other moiety of and in acertain vessel, ship, trading-craft, and so forth, known or thenceforthto be known as the London Trader, of Springhaven, in the county ofSussex, by way of security for the interest at the rate of five percent. Per annum, payable half-yearly, as well as for the principal sumof 300 pounds, so advanced as aforesaid. '"

"If it should prove, sir, that money is owing, " Mr. Cheeseman said, withthat exalted candour which made a weak customer condemn his own eyes andnose, "no effort on my part shall be wanting, bad as the times are, to procure it and discharge it. In every commercial transaction Ihave found, and my experience is now considerable, that confidence, asbetween man and man, is the only true footing to go upon. And how cantrue confidence exist, unless--"

"Unless a man shows some honesty. And a man who keeps books such asthese, " pursued the visitor, suggesting a small kick to a pile ofledgers, "can hardly help knowing whether he owes a large sum or whetherhe has paid it. But that is not the only question now. In continuationof that document I find a condition, a clause provisional, that itshall be at the option of the aforesaid Montagu Carne, and hisrepresentatives, either to receive the interest at the rate beforementioned and thereby secured, or, if he or they should so prefer, totake for their own benefit absolutely three-fourths of the net profits, proceeds, or other increment realised by the trading ventures, or otheremployment from time to time, of the said London Trader. Also there is acovenant for the insurance of the said vessel, and a power of sale, andsome other provisions about access to trading books, etc. , with whichyou have, no doubt, a good acquaintance, Mr. Cheeseman. "

That enterprising merchant, importer of commodities, and wholesale andretail dealer was fond of assuring his numerous friends that "nothingever came amiss to him. " But some of them now would have doubted aboutthis if they had watched his face as carefully as Caryl Carne waswatching it. Mr. Cheeseman could look a hundred people in the face, andwith great vigour too, when a small account was running. But thesad, contemptuous, and piercing gaze--as if he were hardly worthpenetrating--and the twirl of the black tuft above the lip, and the firmconviction on the broad white forehead that it was confronting a roguetoo common and shallow to be worth frowning at--all these, and the factsthat were under them, came amiss to the true James Cheeseman. 

"I scarcely see how to take this, " he said, being clever enough tosuppose that a dash of candour might sweeten the embroilment. "I willnot deny that I was under obligation to your highly respectedfather, who was greatly beloved for his good-will to his neighbours. 'Cheeseman, ' he used to say, 'I will stand by you. You are the only manof enterprise in these here parts. Whatever you do is for the good ofSpringhaven, which belonged to my family for centuries before thosenew-fangled Darlings came. And, Cheeseman, you may trust to the honourof the Carnes not to grind down a poor man who has his way to make. 'Them were his words, sir; how well I recollect them!"

"Too well almost, " replied the young man, coldly, "considering howscanty was your memory just now. But it may save time, and painfulefforts of your memory, if I tell you at once that I am not concerned inany way with the sentiments of my father. I owe him very little, as youmust be well aware; and the matter betwixt you and me is strictly oneof business. The position in which I am left is such that I must pressevery legal claim to the extremest. And having the option under thisgood document, I have determined to insist upon three-quarters of theclear proceeds of this trading-ship, from the date of the purchase untilthe present day, as well as the capital sum invested on this security. "

"Very well, sir, if you do, there is only one course left me--to go intothe Court of Bankruptcy, see all my little stock in trade sold up, andstart in life again at the age of fifty-seven, with a curse upon all oldfamilies. "

"Your curse, my good friend, will not add sixpence to your credit. Andthe heat you exhibit is not well adapted for calculations commercial. There is one other course which I am able to propose, though I will notgive a promise yet to do so--a course which would relieve me from takingpossession of this noble ship which has made your fortune, and perhapsfrom enforcing the strict examination of your trading-books, to which Iam entitled. But before I propose any such concession, which will bea grand abdication of rights, one or two things become necessary. For example, I must have some acquaintance with your character, somecertitude that you can keep your own counsel, and not divulge everythingthat arrives within your knowledge; also that you have some courage, some freedom of mind from small insular sentiments, some desire topromote the true interests of mankind, and the destruction of nationalprejudices. "

"Certainly, sir; all of those I can approve of. They are very gloriousthings, " cried Cheeseman--a man of fine liberal vein, whenever twohalf-crowns were as good as a crown. "We are cramped and trampled anddown-trodden by the airs big people give themselves, and the longing ofsuch of us as thinks is to speak our minds about it. Upon that pointof freedom, sir, I can heartily go with you, and every stick upon mypremises is well insured. "

"Including, I hope, the London Trader, according to your covenant. Andthat reminds me of another question--is it well-found, well-manned, anda good rapid ship to make the voyage? No falsehood, if you please, aboutthis matter. "

"She is the fastest sailer on the English coast, built at Dunkirk, andas sound as a bell. She could show her taffrail, in light weather, toany British cruiser in the Channel. She could run a fine cargo of Frenchcognac and foreign laces any day. "

"It is not my desire, " Caryl Carne replied, "to cheat the BritishRevenue. For that purpose exist already plenty of British tradesmen. Forthe present I impress upon you one thing only, that you shall observesilence, a sacred silence, regarding this conversation. For your ownsake you will be inclined to do so, and that is the only sake a man paysmuch attention to. But how much for your own sake you are obliged tokeep your counsel, you will very soon find out if you betray it. "

CHAPTER XVI

FOX-HILL

When it was known in this fine old village that young Squire Carne fromforeign parts was come back to live in the ancient castle, there wasmuch larger outlay (both of words and thoughts) about that than aboutany French invasion. "Let them land if they can, " said the able-bodiedmen, in discussion of the latter question; "they won't find it so easyto get away again as they seem to put into their reckoning. But theplague of it all is the damage to the fishing. "

Not that the squadron of Captain Tugwell was shorn as yet of its number, though all the young men were under notice to hold themselves ready as"Sea-Fencibles. " The injury to their trade lay rather in the difficultyof getting to their fishing-grounds, and in the disturbance of these bycruisers, with little respect for their nets and lines. Again, as thetidings of French preparation waxed more and more outrageous, Zebedeehad as much as he could do to keep all his young hands loyal. All theirsolid interest lay (as he told them every morning) in sticking tothe Springhaven flag--a pair of soles couchant, herring salient, and mackerel regardant, all upon a bright sea-green--rather than inhankering after roll of drum and Union-Jack. What could come of thesebut hardship, want of victuals, wounds, and death; or else to stumpabout on one leg, and hold out a hat for a penny with one arm? They feltthat it was true; they had seen enough of that; it had happened in alltheir own families. 

Yet such is the love of the native land and the yearning to stand infront of it, and such is the hate of being triumphed over by fellows whokiss one another and weep, and such is the tingling of the knuckles fora blow when the body has been kicked in sore places, that the heartwill at last get the better of the head--or at least it used to be soin England. Wherefore Charley Bowles was in arms already against hiscountry's enemies; and Harry Shanks waited for little except a clearproclamation of prize-money; and even young Daniel was tearing at hiskedge like a lively craft riding in a brisk sea-way. He had seen LordNelson, and had spoken to Lord Nelson, and that great man would havepatted him on the head--so patriotic were his sentiments--if the greatman had been a little taller. 

But the one thing that kept Dan Tugwell firm to his moorings atSpringhaven was the deep hold of his steadfast heart in a love which itknew to be hopeless. To die for his country might become a stern duty, about which he would rather not be hurried; but to die for Miss Dollywould be a wild delight; and how could he do it unless he were at hand?And now there were so many young officers again, landing in boats, coming in post-chaises, or charging down the road on horseback, thatDaniel, while touching up the finish of his boat with paint and varnishand Venetian Red, was not so happy as an artist should be who knows howto place the whole. Sometimes, with the paint stirred up and creaming, and the ooze of the brush trimmed warily, through the rushes and ragwortand sea-willow his keen, unconquerable eyes would spy the only figurethat quelled them, faraway, shown against the shining water, or shadowedupon the flat mirror of the sand. But, alas! there was always anotherfigure near it, bigger, bulkier, framed with ugly angles, jerking aboutwith the elbow sticking out, instead of gliding gracefully. Likelyenough the lovely form, brought nearer to the eyes and heart by love, would flit about beautifully for two sweet moments, filling with raptureall the flashes of the sea and calm of the evening sky beyond; and thenthe third moment would be hideous. For the figure of the ungainly foewould stride across the delicious vision, huge against the waves likeCyclops, and like him gesticulant, but unhappily not so single-eyed thatthe slippery fair might despise him. Then away would fly all sense ofart and joy in the touch of perfection, and a very nasty feeling wouldensue, as if nothing were worth living for, and nobody could be believedin. 

That plaguesome Polypheme was Captain Stubbard, begirt with a wife, and endowed with a family almost in excess of benediction, and dancingattendance upon Miss Dolly, too stoutly for his own comfort, in the hopeof procuring for his own Penates something to eat and to sit upon. Someevil genius had whispered, or rather trumpeted, into his ear--for hehad but one left, and that worked very seldom, through alarm about thebullet which had carried off its fellow--that if he desired, as he didwith heart and stomach, to get a clear widening by 200 pounds of hisstrait ways and restricted means, through Admiral Darling it mightbe done, and Miss Dolly was the proper one to make him do it. For theInspectorship of Sea-Fencibles from Selsea-Bill to Dungeness was worthall that money in hard cash yearly; and the late Inspector havingquitted this life--through pork boiled in a copper kettle--the situationwas naturally vacant; and the Admiral being the man for whose check theInspectorship was appointed, it is needless to say that (in the spiritof fair play) the appointment was vested in the Admiral. 

The opinion of all who knew him was that Captain Stubbard was fairlyentitled to look for something higher. And he shared that opinion, taking loftier aim than figures could be made to square with, till thelatter prevailed, as they generally do, because they can work withoutvictuals. For although the brave Captain had lost three ribs--or at anyrate more than he could spare of them (not being a pig)--in the serviceof his country, he required as much as ever to put inside them; andhis children, not having inherited that loss as scientifically asthey should have done, were hard to bring up upon the 15 pounds yearlyallowed by Great Britain for each of the gone bones. From the ear thatwas gone he derived no income, having rashly compounded for 25 pounds. 

In the nature of things, which the names have followed, the father isthe feeder; and the world is full of remarks unless he becomes a goodclothier also. But everything went against this father, with nine littleStubbards running after him, and no ninepence in any of his pockets, because he was shelfed upon half-pay, on account of the depression ofthe times and of his ribs. But Miss Dolly Darling was resolved to seehim righted, for she hated all national meanness. 

"What is the use of having any influence, " she asked her good father, "unless you employ it for your own friends? I should be quite ashamedto have it said of me, or thought, that I could get a good thing for anyone I was fond of, and was mean enough not to do it, for fear of paltryjealousy. Mean is much too weak a word; it is downright dishonest, andwhat is much worse, cowardly. What is the government meant for, unlessit is to do good to people?"

"Certainly, my dear child, certainly. To the people at large, that is tosay, and the higher interests of the country. "

"Can there be any people more at large than Captain Stubbard and hiswife and children? Their elbows are coming out of their clothes, andthey have scarcely got a bed to sleep upon. My income is not enough tostop to count, even when I get it paid punctually. But every farthing Ireceive shall go--that is to say, if it ever does come--into the lap ofMrs. Stubbard, anonymously and respectfully. "

"Pay your bills, first, " said the Admiral, taking the weather-gage ofthe discussion: "a little bird tells me that you owe a good trifle, evenin Springhaven. "

"Then the little bird has got a false bill, " replied Dolly, who was notvery easy to fluster. "Who is there to spend sixpence with in a littlehole of this kind? I am not a customer for tea, coffee, tobacco, snuff, or pepper, nor even for whiting, soles, or conger. Old Cheeseman importsall the fashions, as he says; but I go by my own judgment. And trumperyas my income is, very little of it goes into his till. But I should liketo know who told you such a wicked story, father?"

"Things are mentioned in confidence, and I put them together, " said theAdmiral. "Don't say another word, or look as if you would be happier ifyou had something to cry about. Your dear mother used to do it; and itbeats me always. I have long had my eye upon Captain Stubbard, and Iremember well that gallant action when his three ribs flew away. Wecalled him Adam, because of his wife coming just when his middle ribwent, and his name was Adam Stubbard, sure enough. Such men, in theprime of their life, should be promoted, instead of being disabled, fora scratch like that. Why, he walks every bit as well as I do, andhis watch-ribbon covers it. And nine children! Lord bless my heart! Iscarcely know which way to turn, with only four!"

Within a short fortnight Captain Stubbard was appointed, with anoffice established at the house of Widow Shanks--though his real officenaturally was at the public-house--and Royal Proclamations aroused thevalour of nearly everybody who could read them. Nine little Stubbardssoon were rigged too smart to know themselves, as the style is of alldandies; and even Mrs. Stubbard had a new belt made to go round her, when the weather was elastic. 

"These are the things that prove the eye of an All-wise Providence overus, " said the Captain to the Admiral, pointing out six pairs of shortlegs, galligaskined from one roll of cloth; "these are the things thatmake one feel the force of the words of David. "

"Certainly, yes, to be sure!" replied the gallant senior officer, allat sea as to the passage suggested. "Good legs they have got, and nomistake; like the polished corners of the temple. Let them go and dipthem in the sea, while you give the benefit of your opinion here. Nothere, I mean, but upon Fox-hill yonder; if Mrs. Stubbard will spare youfor a couple of hours, most kindly. "

Of the heights that look down with a breezy air upon the snug nest ofSpringhaven, the fairest to see from a distance, and to tread with briskfoot, is Fox-hill. For the downs, which are channelled with the springsthat form the brook, keep this for their own last spring into the air, before bathing in the vigorous composure of the sea. All the other hillsfall back a little, to let Fox-hill have the first choice of aspect--orbear the first brunt, as itself would state the matter. And to anybodycoming up, and ten times to a stranger, this resolute foreland offersmore invitation to go home again, than to come visiting. For the bulgeof the breast is steep, and ribbed with hoops coming up in denial, concrete with chalk, muricated with flint, and thornily crested withgood stout furze. And the forefront of the head, when gained, is stiffwith brambles, and stubbed with sloes, and mitred with a choice band ofstanch sting-nettles. 

"It would take a better Frenchman, " said the Admiral, with that brevitywhich is the happy result of stoutness up steep hill, "than any of 'theyflat-bottoms, ' as Swipes, my gardener, calls them, to get throughthese prickles, Stubbard, without Sark-blewing. Such a wonderfullythin-skinned lot they are! Did I ever tell you the story of ourboatswain's mate? But that takes a better sailing breeze than I've gotnow. You see where we are, don't you?"

"Certainly, Admiral, " replied Captain Stubbard, disdaining to lay handto his injured side, painfully as it yearned for pressure; "we have hada long pull, and we get a fine outlook over the country for leagues, andthe Channel. How close at hand everything looks! I suppose we shall haverain, and we want it. I could thump that old castle among the trees intosmash, and your church looks as if I could put a shot with a rifle-guninto the bell-chamber. "

"And so you could. What I want to show you is that very point, andthe importance of it. With a battery of long twenty-fours up here, thelanding, the bay, and all the roads are at our mercy. My dear old friendNelson drew my attention to it. "

"It is plain as a pikestaff to Tom, Dick, or Harry:" Captain Stubbardwas a frank, straightforward man, and much as he owed to the Admiral'said, not a farthing would he pay in flattery. "But why should we want tocommand this spot? There is nothing to protect but a few common houses, and some half-score of fishing-craft, and a schooner that trades toLondon, and yonder old church, and--oh yes, to be sure, your own houseand property, Admiral. "

"Those must take their chance, like others. I hope I know better than tothink of them in comparison with the good of the country. But if we failto occupy this important post, the enemy might take us by surprise, anddo so. "

"Possible, but most improbable. This little place lies, by the trend ofthe coast, quite out of their course from Boulogne to London; and whatis there here to tempt them? No rich town to sack, no great commerce torob, no valuable shipping to lay hands on. "

"No; but there's my house and my two girls; and I don't want my oldroof burned, and my daughters put to wait on Boney. But to think ofself-interest is below contempt, with our country going through suchtrials. Neither should we add any needless expense to a treasury alreadyoverburdened. "

"Certainly not. It would be absolutely wicked. We have a long and costlywar before us, and not a shilling should be spent except in case ofclear necessity. "

"I am very glad indeed to find your opinion so decided, so untaintedwith petty self-interest. " As Admiral Darling spoke he closed a littlesilver telescope, with which he had been gazing through the woodedcoronet of the hill. "I thought it my duty to consult you, Stubbard, before despatching this letter, which, being backed by Nelson's opinion, would probably have received attention. If a strong battery were thrownup here, as it would be in a fortnight from the receipt of this bit offoolscap, the appointment of commandant would rest with me, and I couldappoint nobody but your good self, because of your well-known experiencein earthworks. The appointment would have doubled your present pay, which, though better than nothing, is far below your merits. But youropinion settles the question otherwise, and I must burn my letter. Letus lose no more time. Mrs. Stubbard will call me a savage, for keepingyou away so long. "

"Important business, " replied the Captain, "will not wait even forladies, or, rather, they must try to wait for it, and give way to morereasonable urgency. Some time is required for considering this matter, and deciding what is most for the interest of the nation. Oblige me withyour spy-glass, Admiral. There is one side on which I have neglectedto look out, and that may of all be the most important. A conclusionarrived at by yourself and Nelson is not to be hastily set aside. Yourknowledge of the country is so far beyond mine, though I may havehad more to do with land-works. We ought to think twice, sir, if thegovernment will pay for it, about a valuable job of this kind. "

With these words Captain Stubbard began to use the telescope carefully, forming his opinion through it, and wisely shaking his head, now andthen, with a longer and longer focus. Then he closed the glass, and hisown lips firmly--whereby a man announces that no other should open hisagainst them--and sternly striding the yard exact, took measurement forthe battery. The hill was crowned with a ring of Scotch firs, castinga quiet shade upon the warlike haste of the Captain. If Admiral Darlingsmiled, it was to the landscape and the offing, for he knew thatStubbard was of rather touchy fibre, and relished no jokes unless ofhome production. His slow, solid face was enough to show this, and thesquareness of his outline, and the forward thrust of his knees as hewalked, and the larkspur impress of his lingering heels. And he seldomsaid much, without something to say. 

"Well, " cried the Admiral, growing tired of sitting so long upon afallen trunk, "what conclusion do you feel inclined to come to? 'Tisa fine breezy place to clear the brain, and a briny air to sharpen thejudgment. "

"Only one tree need come down--this crooked one at the southeastcorner. " Captain Stubbard began to swing his arms about, like a windmilluncertain of the wind. "All gentlemen hate to have a tree cut down, all blackguards delight in the process. Admiral, we will not hurtyour trees. They will add to our strength, by masking it. Six longtwenty-fours of the new make, here in front, and two eighteens uponeither flank, and I should like to see the whole of the Boulogneflotilla try to take yonder shore by daylight. That is to say, ofcourse, if I commanded, with good old salts to second me. Withyour common artillery officers, landlubbers, smell-the-wicks, cross-the-braces sons of guns, there had better not be anything at allput up. They can't make a fortification; and when they have made it, they can't work it. Admiral Darling, you know that, though you have nothad the bad luck to deal with them as I have. I may thank one of themfor being up here on the shelf. "

"Of one thing you may be quite certain, " replied the commander of thesea defence; "if we have any battery on this Fox-hill, it shall beconstructed and manned by blue-jackets. I have a large draft of them nowat discretion. Every man in Springhaven will lend a hand, if paid forit. It would take at least a twelvemonth to get it done from Woolwich. Aseaman does a thing before a landsman thinks about it. "

CHAPTER XVII

SEA-SIDE LODGINGS

To set a dog barking is easier than to stop him by the soundestreasoning. Even if the roof above his honest head, growing loose on itsnails, is being mended, he comes out to ask about the matter, and instrong terms proclaims his opinion to the distance. 

After this kind behaved the people about to be protected by thisbattery. They had dreamed of no danger till they saw their housesbeginning to be protected, and for this--though it added to theirimportance--they were not truly thankful. They took it in various ways, according to their rich variety of reflection; but the way in whichnobody took it was that of gratitude and humility. 

"Everything upside down, " they said, "everything gone clean topsy-turvy!And the deep meaning of it is to rob our fishing, under pretence of theNationals. It may bring a good bit of money to the place, for the liningof one or two pockets, such as John Prater's and Cheeseman's; but Inever did hold so much with money, when shattery ways comes along of it. No daughter of mine stirs out-of-doors after sundown, I can tell them. "

Thus were the minds of the men disturbed, or at any rate those of theelder ones; while the women, on the whole, were pleased, although theypretended to be contemptuous. "I'll tell you what I think, ma'am, " Mrs. Cheeseman said to Widow Shanks quite early, "if you take a farthing lessthan half a guinea a week for your dimity-parlour, with the window upthe hill, and the little door under the big sweet-briar, I shall thinkthat you are not as you used to be. "

"And right you would be, ma'am, and too right there;" Mrs. Shanks sigheddeeply as she thought of it. "There is nobody but you can understandit, and I don't mind saying it on that account to you. Whenever I havewanted for a little bit of money, as the nature of lone widows generallydoes, it has always been out of your power, Mrs. Cheeseman, to obligeme, and quite right of you. But I have a good son, thank the Lord, by the name of Harry, to provide for me; and a guinea a week is theagreement now for the dimity-parlour, and the three leg'd bed, and colddinner to be paid for extra, such as I might send for to your good shop, with the money ready in the hand of my little girl, and jug below herapron for refreshment from the Darling. "

"Well, I never! My dear soul, you have taken all my breath away. Why, it must be the captain of all the gunners. How gunpowder do pay, to besure!"

"Lor, ma'am, why, don't you know, " replied Mrs. Shanks, with somecontempt, "that the man with three ribs is the captain of thegunners--the man in my back sitting-room? No dimity-parlour for him withhis family, not for a guinea and a half a week. But if I was to tellyou who the gentleman is, and one of the highest all round these parts, truthful as you know me, Mrs. Cheeseman, you would say to yourself, whata liar she is!"

"Mrs. Shanks, I never use coarse expressions, even to myself in private. And perhaps I could tell you a thing or two would astonish you more thanme, ma'am. Suppose I should tell you, to begin with, who your guinealodger is?"

"That you could never do, Mrs. Cheeseman, with all your time a-countingchanges. He is not of the rank for a twopenny rasher, or a wedge ofcheese packed in old petticoat. "

These two ladies now looked at one another. They had not had a quarrelfor almost three months, and a large arrear of little pricks on eitherside was pending. Sooner or later it would have to be fought out (likea feud between two nations), with a houseful of loss and woe to eitherside, but a thimbleful of pride and glory. Yet so much wiser were thesewomen than the most sagacious nations that they put off to a cheapertime their grudge against each other. 

"His rank may be royal, " said the wife of Mr. Cheeseman, "though agoing-downhill kind of royalty, perhaps, and yet he might be glad, Mrs. Shanks, to come where the butter has the milk spots, and none is in thecheese, ma'am. "

"If such should be his wish, ma'am, for supper or for breakfast, or evenfor dinner on a Sunday when the rain comes through the Castle, you maytrust me to know where to send him, but not to guarantee him at all ofhis money. "

"They high ones is very apt to slip in that, " Mrs. Cheeseman answered, thoughtfully; "they seem to be less particular in paying for a thingthan they was to have it good. But a burnt child dreads the fire, asthey say; and a young man with a castleful of owls and rats, by reasonof going for these hundred years on credit, will have it brought hometo him to pay ready money. But the Lord be over us! if I don't see hima-going your way already! Good-by, my dear soul--good-by, and preserveyou; and if at any time short of table or bed linen, a loan from an oldfriend, and coming back well washed, and it sha'n't be, as the childrensing, 'A friend with a loan has the pick of your bone, and he won't letyou very long alone. '"

"Many thanks to you for friendly meaning, ma'am, " said the widow, as shetook up her basket to go home, "and glad I may be to profit by it, withthe time commanding. But as yet I have had neither sleepers or feedersin my little house, but the children. Though both of them reservesthe right to do it, if nature should so compel them--the three-ribbedgentleman with one ear, at five shillings a week, in the sitting-room, and the young man up over him. Their meaning is for business, andstudying, and keeping of accounts, and having of a quiet place in badweather, though feed they must, sooner or later, I depend; and then whois there but Mr. Cheeseman?"

"How grand he do look upon that black horse, quite as solid as if he wasglued to it!" the lady of the shop replied, as she put away the money;"and to do that without victuals is beyond a young man's power. Helooks like what they used to call a knight upon an errand, in thepicture-books, when I was romantic, only for the hair that comes underhis nose. Ah! his errand will be to break the hearts of the young ladiesthat goes down upon the sands in their blue gowns, I'm afraid, if theycan only manage with the hair below his nose. "

"And do them good, some of them, and be a judgment from the Lord, forthe French style in their skirts is a shocking thing to see. What shouldwe have said when you and I were young, my dear? But quick step is theword for me, for I expect my Jenny home on her day out from the Admiral, and no Harry in the house to look after her. Ah! dimity-parlours is athing as may happen to cut both ways, Mrs. Cheeseman. "

Widow Shanks had good cause to be proud of her cottage, which was theprettiest in Springhaven, and one of the most commodious. She had foughta hard fight, when her widowhood began, and the children were too youngto help her, rather than give up the home of her love-time, and thecradle of her little ones. Some of her neighbours (who wanted the house)were sadly pained at her stubbornness, and even dishonesty, as they putit, when she knew that she never could pay her rent. But "never is along time, " according to the proverb; and with the forbearance ofthe Admiral, the kindness of his daughters, and the growth of her ownchildren, she stood clear of all debt now, except the sweet one ofgratitude. 

And now she could listen to the moaning of the sea (which used to makeher weep all night) with a milder sense of the cruel woe that it haddrowned her husband, and a lull of sorrow that was almost hope; untilthe dark visions of wrecks and corpses melted into sweet dreams of herson upon the waters, finishing his supper, and getting ready for hispipe. For Harry was making his own track well in the wake of his dearfather. 

Now if she had gone inland to dwell, from the stroke of her greatcalamity--as most people told her to make haste and do--not only thesympathy of the sea, but many of the little cares, which are the antsthat bury heavy grief, would have been wholly lost to her. And amongstthese cares the foremost always, and the most distracting, was thatof keeping her husband's cottage--as she still would call it--tidy, comfortable, bright, and snug, as if he were coming on Saturday. 

Where the brook runs into the first hearing of the sea, to defer its ownextinction it takes a lively turn inland, leaving a pleasant breadth ofgreen between itself and its destiny. At the breath of salt the largertrees hang back, and turn their boughs up; but plenty of pretty shrubscome forth, and shade the cottage garden. Neither have the cottage wallsany lack of leafy mantle, where the summer sun works his own defeat byfostering cool obstruction. For here are the tamarisk, and jasmin, andthe old-fashioned corchorus flowering all the summer through, as wellas the myrtle that loves the shore, with a thicket of stiff young sprigsarising, slow of growth, but hiding yearly the havoc made in its headand body by the frost of 1795, when the mark of every wave upon thesands was ice. And a vine, that seems to have been evolved from amiller, or to have prejected him, clambers with grey silver pointrelsthrough the more glossy and darker green. And over these you behold thethatch, thick and long and parti-coloured, eaved with little windows, where a bird may nest for ever. 

But it was not for this outward beauty that Widow Shanks, stuck to herhouse, and paid the rent at intervals. To her steadfast and well-managedmind, the number of rooms, and the separate staircase which a solventlodger might enjoy, were the choicest grant of the household gods. Thetimes were bad--as they always are when conscientious people thinkof them--and poor Mrs. Shanks was desirous of paying her rent, by thepayment of somebody. Every now and then some well-fed family, hungering(after long carnage) for fish, would come from village pastures or townshambles, to gaze at the sea, and to taste its contents. For in thosedays fish were still in their duty, to fry well, to boil well, and togo into the mouth well, instead of being dissolute--as nowadays thebest is--with dirty ice, and flabby with arrested fermentation. In thepleasant dimity-parlour then, commanding a fair view of the lively seaand the stream that sparkled into it, were noble dinners of sole, andmackerel, and smelt that smelled of cucumber, and dainty dory, andpearl-buttoned turbot, and sometimes even the crisp sand-lance, happilyfor himself, unhappily for whitebait, still unknown in London. Then, after long rovings ashore or afloat, these diners came back with a newlight shed upon them--that of the moon outside the house, of the suppercandles inside. There was sure to be a crab or lobster ready, and a dishof prawns sprigged with parsley; if the sea were beginning to get coolagain, a keg of philanthropic oysters; or if these were not hospitablyon their hinges yet, certainly there would be choice-bodied creatures, dried with a dash of salt upon the sunny shingle, and lacking ofperfection nothing more than to be warmed through upon a toasting-fork. 

By none, however, of these delights was the newly won lodger tempted. All that he wanted was peace and quiet, time to go through a great trunkfull of papers and parchments, which he brought with him, and a breathof fresh air from the downs on the north, and the sea to the south, to enliven him. And in good truth he wanted to be enlivened, as WidowShanks said to her daughter Jenny; for his eyes were gloomy, and hisface was stern, and he seldom said anything good-natured. He seemed toavoid all company, and to be wrapped up wholly in his own concerns, andto take little pleasure in anything. As yet he had not used the bed athis lodgings, nor broken his fast there to her knowledge, though he rodedown early every morning and put up his horse at Cheeseman's, and neverrode away again until the dark had fallen. Neither had he cared to makethe acquaintance of Captain Stubbarb, who occupied the room beneathhis for a Royal Office--as the landlady proudly entitled it; nor hadhe received, to the best of her knowledge, so much as a single visitor, though such might come by his private entrance among the shrubsunnoticed. All these things stirred with deep interest and wonder theenquiring mind of the widow. 

"And what do they say of him up at the Hall?" she asked her daughterJenny, who was come to spend holiday at home. "What do they say of mynew gentleman, young Squire Carne from the Castle? The Carnes and theDarlings was never great friends, as every one knows in Springhaven. Still, it do seem hard and unchristianlike to keep up them old enmities;most of all, when the one side is down in the world, with the owls andthe bats and the coneys. "

"No, mother, no. They are not a bit like that, " replied Jenny--a maidof good loyalty; "it is only that he has not called upon them. Allgentlefolks have their proper rules of behaviour. You can't be expectedto understand them, mother. "

"But why should he go to them more than they should come to him, particular with young ladies there? And him with only one horse totheir seven or eight. I am right, you may depend upon it, Jenny; andmy mother, your grandmother, was a lady's-maid in a higher family thanDarling--it depends upon them to come and look him up first, and he haveno call to knock at their door without it. Why, it stands to reason, poor young man! And not a bit hath he eaten from Monday. "

"Well, I believe I am right, but I'll ask Miss Dolly. She is that sharp, she knows everything, and I don't mind what I say to her, when shethinks that she looks handsome. And it takes a very bad dress, I cantell you, to put her out of that opinion. "

"She is right enough there:" Mrs. Shanks shook her head at her daughterfor speaking in this way. "The ugliest frock as ever came from Francecouldn't make her any but a booty. And the Lord knows the quality havecome to queer shapes now. Undecent would be the name for it in our ranksof women. Why, the last of her frocks she gave you, Jenny, how much didI put on, at top and bottom, and you three inches shorter than she is!And the slips they ties round them--oh dear! oh dear! as if that was tohold them up and buckle them together! Won't they have the groanings bythe time they come to my age?"

CHAPTER XVIII

FRENCH AND ENGLISH

Admiral Darling was now so busy, and so continually called from home bythe duties of his commandership, that he could not fairly be expectedto call upon Mr. Caryl Carne. Yet that gentleman, being rathersensitive--which sometimes means very spiteful--resented as a personalslight this failure; although, if the overture had been made, he wouldhave ascribed it to intrusive curiosity, and a low desire to behold himin his ruins. But truly in the old man's kindly heart there was no sourcorner for ill blood to lurk in, and no dull fibre for ill-will to feedon. He kept on meaning to go and call on Caryl Carne, and he had quitemade up his mind to do it, but something always happened to prevent him. 

Neither did he care a groat for his old friend Twemlow's advice uponthat subject. "Don't go near him, " said the Rector, taking care thathis wife was quite safe out of hearing; "it would ill become me to saya word against my dear wife's own nephew, and the representative of herfamily. And, to the utmost of my knowledge, there is nothing to be saidagainst him. But I can't get on with him at all. I don't know why. Hehas only honored us with a visit twice, and he would not even come todinner. Nice manners they learn on the Continent! But none of us weptwhen he declined; not even his good aunt, my wife. Though he must havegot a good deal to tell us, and an extraordinary knowledge of foreignways. But instead of doing that, he seems to sneer at us. I can lookat a question from every point of view, and I defy anybody to call menarrow-minded. But still, one must draw the line somewhere, or throwoverboard all principles; and I draw it, my dear Admiral, againstinfidels and against Frenchmen. "

"No rational person can do otherwise"--the Admiral's opinion wasdecisive--"but this young man is of good English birth, and one can'thelp feeling sorry for his circumstances. And I assure you, Twemlow, that I feel respect as well for the courage that he shows, and theperseverance, in coming home and facing those vile usurers. And your ownwife's nephew! Why, you ought to take his part through thick and thin, whatever you may think of him. From all I hear he must be a young man ofexceedingly high principle; and I shall make a point of calling upon himthe first half-hour I get to spare. To-morrow, if possible; or if not, the day after, at the very latest. "

But the needful half-hour had not yet been found; and Carne, who waswont to think the worst of everybody, concluded that the Darling racestill cherished the old grudge, which had always been on his own side. For this he cared little, and perhaps was rather glad of it. For theold dwelling-place of his family (the Carne Castle besieged by theRoundheads a hundred and sixty years agone) now threatened to tumbleabout the ears of any one knocking at the gate too hard. Or rather theremnants of its walls did so; the greater part, having already fallen, lay harmless, and produced fine blackberries. 

As a castle, it had been well respected in its day, though not of mightybulwarks or impregnable position. Standing on a knoll, between theramp of high land and the slope of shore, it would still have beenconspicuous to traveller and to voyager but for the tall trees aroundit. These hid the moat, and the relics of the drawbridge, the groinedarchway, and cloven tower of the keep--which had twice been struck bylightning--as well as the windows of the armoury, and the chapel hushedwith ivy. The banqueting hall was in better repair, for the Carnes hadbeen hospitable to the last; but the windows kept no wind off, neitherdid the roof repulse the rain. In short, all the front was in a prettystate of ruin, very nice to look at, very nasty to live in, except fortoads, and bats, and owls, and rats, and efts, and brindled slugs withyellow stripes; or on a summer eve the cockroach and the carrion-beetle. 

At the back, however, and above the road which Cheeseman travelled inhis pony-chaise, was a range of rooms still fit to dwell in, thoughpoorly furnished, and floored with stone. In better times these had beenthe domain of the house-keeper and the butler, the cook and the otherupper servants, who had minded their duty and heeded their comfort moretruly than the master and mistress did. For the downfall of this family, as of very many others, had been chiefly caused by unwise marriage. Instead of choosing sensible and active wives to look after their homeaffairs and regulate the household, the Carnes for several generationsnow had wedded flighty ladies of good birth and pretty manners, noneof whom brought them a pipkinful of money, while all helped to spend apotful. Therefore their descendant was now living in the kitchens, andhad no idea how to make use of them, in spite of his French education;of comfort also he had not much idea, which was all the better for him;and he scarcely knew what it was to earn and enjoy soft quietude. 

One night, when the summer was in full prime, and the weather almostblameless, this young Squire Carne rode slowly back from Springhaven tohis worn-out castle. The beauty of the night had kept him back, forhe hated to meet people on the road. The lingering gossips, the tiredfagot-bearers, the youths going home from the hay-rick, the man witha gun who knows where the hares play, and beyond them all thetruant sweethearts, who cannot have enough of one another, and wish"good-night" at every corner of the lane, till they tumble over oneanother's cottage steps--all these to Caryl Carne were a smell to beavoided, an eyesore to shut the eyes at. He let them get home and pulltheir boots off, and set the frying-pan a-bubbling--for they ended theday with a bit of bacon, whenever they could cash or credit it--and thenhe set forth upon his lonely ride, striking fear into the heart of anybad child that lay awake. 

"Almost as good as France is this, " he muttered in French, though foronce enjoying the pleasure of good English air; "and better than Francewould it be, if only it were not cut short so suddenly. There will comea cold wind by-and-by, or a chilly black cloud from the east, and thenall is shivers and rawness. But if it only remained like this, I couldforgive it for producing me. After all, it is my native land; and I sawthe loveliest girl to-day that ever I set eyes on. None of their made-upand highly finished demoiselles is fit to look at her--such simplebeauty, such charms of nature, such enchanting innocence! Ah, that iswhere those French girls fail--they are always studying how they look, instead of leaving us to think of it. Bah! What odds to me? I havehigher stakes to play for. But according to old Twemlow's description, she must be the daughter of that old bear Darling, with whom I shallhave to pick a bone some day. Ha! How amusing is that battery to me! Howlittle John Bull knows the nature of French troops! To-morrow we areto have a grand practice-day; and I hope they won't shoot me in my newlodgings. Nothing is impossible to such an idiot as Stubbard. What a setof imbeciles I have found to do with! They have scarcely wit enough toamuse oneself with. Pest of my soul! Is that you, Charron? Again youhave broken my orders. "

"Names should be avoided in the open air, " answered the man, who wasswinging on a gate with the simple delight of a Picard. "The climate isof France so much to-night that I found it my duty to encourage it. For what reason shall not I do that? It is not so often that I haveoccasion. My dear friend, scold not, but accept the compliment veryseldom truthful to your native land. There are none of your clod-patesabout to-night. "

"Come in at once. The mere sound of your breath is enough to set theneighbourhood wondering. Could I ever have been burdened with a moreFrench Frenchman, though you speak as good English as I do?"

"It was all of that miserable Cheray, " the French gentleman said, whenthey sat in the kitchen, and Jerry Bowles was feeding the fine blackhorse. "Fruit is a thing that my mouth prepares for, directly there isany warmth in the sun. It puts itself up, it is elevated, it will nothave meat, or any substance coarse. Wine of the softest and fruit ofthe finest is what it must then have, or unmouth itself. That miserableCheray, his maledictioned name put me forth to be on fire for the goodthing he designs. Cherays you call them, and for cherays I despatchedhim, suspended between the leaves in the good sun. Bah! there is nothingever fit to eat in England. The cherays look very fine, very fineindeed; and so many did I consume that to travel on a gate was theonly palliation. Would you have me stay all day in this long cellar?No diversion, no solace, no change, no conversation! Old Cheray maysit with his hands upon his knees, but to Renaud Charron that is notsufficient. How much longer before I sally forth to do the things, to fight, to conquer the nations? Where is even my little ship ofdespatch?"

"Captain, " answered Caryl Carne, preparing calmly for his frugal supper, "you are placed under my command, and another such speech will despatchyou to Dunkirk, bound hand and foot, in the hold of the Little Corporal, with which I am now in communication. Unless by the time I have severedthis bone you hand me your sword in submission, my supper will have tobe postponed, while I march you to the yew-tree, signal for a boat, andlay you strapped beneath the oarsmen. "

Captain Charron, who had held the command of a French corvette, staredfuriously at this man, younger than himself, so strongly establishedover him. Carne was not concerned to look at him; all he cared about wasto divide the joint of a wing-rib of cold roast beef, where some goodpickings lurked in the hollow. Then the French man, whose chance wouldhave been very small in a personal encounter with his chief, arose andtook a naval sword, short but rather heavy, from a hook which in betterdays had held a big dish-cover, and making a salute rather graceful thangracious, presented the fringed handle to the carver. 

"This behaviour is sensible, my friend, and worthy of your distinguishedabilities. " Carne's resolute face seldom yielded to a smile, but thesmile when it came was a sweet one. "Pardon me for speaking strongly, but my instructions must be the law to you. If you were my commander(as, but for local knowledge, and questions of position here, you wouldbe), do you think then that you would allow me to rebel, to grumble, to wander, to demand my own pleasure, when you knew that it would ruinthings?"

"Bravo! It is well spoken. My captain, I embrace you. In you lives thespirit of the Grand Army, which we of the sea and of the ships admirealways, and always desire to emulate. Ah, if England possessed manyEnglishmen like you, she would be hard to conquer. "

The owner of this old English castle shot a glance at the Frenchmanfor any sign of irony in his words. Seeing none, he continued, in thefriendly vein:

"Our business here demands the greatest caution, skill, reserve, andself-denial. We are fortunate in having no man of any keen penetrationin the neighbourhood, at least of those in authority and concerned withpublic matters. As one of an ancient family, possessing the land forcenturies, I have every right to be here, and to pursue my privatebusiness in privacy. But if it once gets talked about that a Frenchofficer is with me, these stupid people will awake their suspicions morestrongly by their own stupidity. In this queer island you may do whatyou like till the neighbourhood turns against you; and then, if yourevolve upon a pin, you cannot suit them. You understand? You have heardme before. It is this that I never can knock into you. "

Renaud Charron, who considered himself--as all Frenchmen did then, andperhaps do now--far swifter of intellect than any Englishman, foundhimself not well pleased at this, and desired to know more about it. 

"Nothing can be simpler, " the Englishman replied; "and therefore nothingsurer. You know the old proverb--'Everything in turn, except scandal, whose turn is always. ' And again another saying of our own land--'Thesecond side of the bread takes less time to toast. ' We must not let thefirst side of ours be toasted; we will shun all the fire of suspicion. And to do this, you must not be seen, my dear friend. I may go abroadfreely; you must hide your gallant head until matters are ripe foraction. You know that you may trust me not to keep you in the dark a daylonger than is needful. I have got the old shopkeeper under my thumb, and can do what I please with his trading-ship. But before I place youin command I must change some more of the crew, and do it warily. Thereis an obstinate Cornishman to get rid of, who sticks to the planks likea limpet. If we throw him overboard, we shall alarm the others; if wedischarge him without showing cause, he will go to the old Admiral andtell all his suspicions. He must be got rid of in London with skill, and then we ship three or four Americans, first-rate seamen, afraid ofnothing, who will pass here as fellows from Lancashire. After that wemay run among the cruisers as we like, with the boldness and skill of acertain Captain Charron, who must be ill in his cabin when his ship isboarded. "

"It is famous, it is very good, my friend. The patience I will have, andthe obedience, and the courage; and so much the more readily because mypay is good, and keeps itself going on dry land as well as sea. "

CHAPTER XIX

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

No wonder there had been a great deal of talking in the village all thatevening, for the following notice had appeared in a dozen conspicuousplaces, beginning with the gate of the church-yard, and ending with twoof the biggest mooring-posts, and not even sparing the Admiral's whitegate, where it flapped between the two upper rails. It was not printed, but written in round hand, with a liberal supply of capitals, on a stiffsheet of official paper, stamped with the Royal Arms at the top. And those who were in the secret knew that Master Bob Stubbard, theCaptain's eldest son, had accomplished this great literary feat at aguerdon of one shilling from the public service funds every time hesucked his pen at the end of it. 

"By order of His Majesty King George III. To-morrow being Wednesday, andthe fishing-boats at sea, Artillery practice from Fox-hill fort will becarried on from twelve at noon until three P. M. At a mark-boat mooredhalf a mile from the shore. Therefore His Majesty's loyal subjectsare warned to avoid the beach westward of the brook between the whiteflagstaffs, as well as the sea in front of it, and not to cross the lineof fire below the village but at their own risk and peril. 

"(Signed) ADAM JACKSON STUBBARD, R. N. , commanding Fox-hill Battery. "

Some indignation was aroused by this; for Mrs. Caper junior (who wasMrs. Prater's cousin) had been confined, out of proper calculation, andfor the very first time, the moment the boats were gone on Monday; andher house, being nearest to the fort, and in a hollow where the noisewould be certain to keep going round and round, the effect upon herhead, not to mention the dear baby's, was more than any one dared tothink of, with the poor father so far away. And if Squire Darling hadonly been at home, not a woman who could walk would have thought twiceabout it, but gone all together to insist upon it that he should stopthis wicked bombardment. And this was most unselfish of all of them, they were sure, because they had so long looked forward to puttingcotton-wool in their ears, and seeing how all the enemies of Englandwould be demolished. But Mrs. Caper junior, and Caper, natu minimus, fell fast asleep together, as things turned out, and heard not a singlebang of it. 

And so it turned out, in another line of life, with things againstall calculation, resenting to be reckoned as they always do, like thecountless children of Israel. For Admiral Darling was gone far awayinspecting, leaving his daughters to inspect themselves. 

"You may just say exactly what you consider right, dear, " said MissDolly Darling to her sister Faith; "and I dare say it makes you morecomfortable. But you know as well as I do, that there is no reason init. Father is a darling; but he must be wrong sometimes. And how canhe tell whether he is wrong or right, when he goes away fifty milesto attend to other people? Of course I would never disobey his orders, anymore than you would. But facts change according to circumstances, andI feel convinced that if he were here he would say, 'Go down and see it, Dolly. '"

"We have no right to speculate as to what he might say, " replied Faith, who was very clear-headed. "His orders were definite: 'Keep within thegrounds, when notice is given of artillery practice. ' And those orders Imean to obey. "

"And so do I; but not to misunderstand them. The beach is a part of ourgrounds, as I have heard him say fifty times in argument, when peopletried to come encroaching. And I mean to go on that part of his grounds, because I can't see well from the other part. That is clearly what hemeant; and he would laugh at us, if we could tell him nothing when hecomes home. Why, he promised to take us as far as Portsmouth to see someartillery practice. "

"That is a different thing altogether, because we should be under hiscontrol. If you disobey him, it is at your own risk, and I shall not letone of the servants go with you, for I am mistress of the household, ifnot of you. "

"What trumpery airs you do give yourself! One would think you were fiftyyears old at least. Stay at home, if you are such a coward! I am suredear daddy would be quite ashamed of you. They are popping already, andI mean to watch them. "

"You won't go so very far, I am quite sure of that, " answered Faith, whounderstood her sister. "You know your own value, darling Dolly, and youwould not go at all, if you had not been forbidden. "

"When people talk like that, it goads me up to almost anything. I intendto go, and stand, as near as can be, in the middle of the space that ismarked off 'dangerous. '"

"Do, that's a dear. I will lend you my shell-silk that measures twentyyards, that you may be sure of being hit, dear. "

"Inhuman, selfish, wicked creature!" cried Dolly, and it was almostcrying; "you shall see what comes of your cold-bloodedness! I shall paceto and fro in the direct line of fire, and hang on my back the king'sproclamation, inside out, and written on it in large letters--'By orderof my sister I do this. ' Then what will be said of you, if they onlykill me? My feelings might be very sad, but I should not envy yours, Faith. "

"Kiss me, at any rate, before you perish, in token of forgiveness;" andDolly (who dearly loved her sister at the keenest height of rebellion)ran up and kissed Faith, with a smile for her, and a tear for her ownself-sacrifice. "I shall put on my shell-pink, " she said, "and theywon't have the heart to fire shells at it. "

The dress of the ladies of the present passing period had been largelyaffected by the recent peace, which allowed the "French babies"--asthe milliners' dolls were called--to come in as quickly as they wereconceived. In war time scores of these "doxy-dummies"--as the rough tarscalled them--were tossed overboard from captured vessels or set up asa mark for tobacco-juice, while sweet eyes in London wept for want ofthem. And even Mr. Cheeseman had failed to bring any type genuinelyFrench from the wholesale house in St. Mary's Axe, which was famed forcanonical issue. But blessed are the patient, if their patience lastslong enough. The ladies of England were now in full enjoyment of all thenew French discoveries, which proved to be the right name, inasmuch asthey banished all reputable forms of covering. At least, so Mrs. Twemlowsaid; and the Rector went further than she did, obtaining for hissympathy a recommendation to attend to his own business. But when heshowed the Admiral his wife's last book of patterns--from a drawer whichhe had no right to go to--great laughter was held between the twain, with some glancing over shoulders, and much dread of bad example. "Whatever you do, don't let my girls see it; I'll be bound you won'tlet your Eliza, " said the Admiral, after a pinch of snuff to restore thetrue balance of his principles; "Faith would pitch it straight into thefire; but I am not quite so sure that my Dolly would. She loves a bit offinery, and she looks well in it. "

"Tonnish females, " as the magazine of fashion called the higher classof popinjays, would have stared with contempt at both Faith and DollyDarling in their simple walking-dress that day. Dowdies would have beenthe name for them, or frumps, or frights, or country gawks, becausetheir attire was not statuesque or classic, as it should have been, which means that they were not half naked. 

Faith, the eldest sister, had meant to let young Dolly take the courseof her own stubbornness; but no sooner did she see her go forth alonethan she threw on cloak and hat, and followed. The day was unsuited forclassic apparel, as English days are apt to be, and a lady of fashionwould have looked more foolish, and even more indecent, than usual. Abrisk and rather crisp east wind had arisen, which had no respect forpersons, and even Faith and Dolly in their high-necked country dresseshad to handle their tackle warily. 

Dolly had a good start, and growing much excited with the petulance ofthe wind and with her own audacity, crossed the mouth of the brook at avery fine pace, with the easterly gusts to second her. She could seethe little mark-boat well out in the offing, with a red flag flaringmerrily, defying all the efforts of the gunners on the hill to plunge itinto the bright dance of the waves. And now and then she heard what sheknew to be the rush of a round shot far above her head, and followingthe sound saw a little silver fountain leap up into the sunshine andskim before the breeze; then glancing up the hill she saw the gray puffdrifting, and presently felt the dull rumble of the air. At the rootof the smoke-puffs, once or twice, she descried a stocky figure movingleisurely, and in spite of the distance and huddle of vapour coulddeclare that it was Captain Stubbard. Then a dense mass of smoke wasbrought down by an eddy of wind, and set her coughing. 

"Come away, come away this very moment, Dolly, " cried Faith, who hadhurried up and seized her hand; "you are past the danger-post, and I meta man back there who says they are going to fire shells, and they havegot two short guns on purpose. He says it will be very dangerous tillthey get the range, and he begged me most earnestly not to come on here. If I were anybody else, he said, he would lay hands on me and hold meback. "

"Some old fisherman, no doubt. What do they know about gun practice? Ican see Captain Stubbard up there; he would rather shoot himself thanme, he said yesterday. "

While Dolly was repeating this assurance, the following words were beingexchanged upon the smoky parapet: "If you please, sir, I can see twowomen on the beach, half-way between the posts a'most. " "Can't helpit--wouldn't stop for all the petticoats in the kingdom. If they chooseto go there, they must take their chance. A bit more up, and to you, mygood man. Are you sure you put in twenty-three? Steady! so, so--that'sbeautiful. "

"What a noisy thing! What does it come here for? I never saw it fall. There must be some mistake. I hope there's nothing nasty inside it. Runfor your life, Faith; it means to burst, I do believe. "

"Down on your faces!" cried a loud, stern voice; and Dolly obeyed inan instant. But Faith stood calmly, and said to the man who rushed pasther, "I trust in the Lord, sir. "

There was no time to answer. The shell had left off rolling, andsputtered more fiercely as the fuse thickened. The man laid hold ofthis, and tried to pull it out, but could not, and jumped with both feeton it; while Faith, who quite expected to be blown to pieces, said toherself, "What pretty boots he has!"

"A fine bit of gunnery!" said the young man, stooping over it, aftertreading the last spark into the springy sand. "The little artillery manis wanted here. Ladies, you may safely stay here now. They will not maketwo hits in proximity to each other. "

"You shall not go, " said Faith, as he was hurrying away, "until we knowwho has been so reckless of his life, to save the lives of others. Bothyour hands are burned--very seriously, I fear. "

"And your clothes, sir, " cried Dolly, running up in hot terror, as soonas the danger was over; "your clothes are spoiled sadly. Oh, how goodit was of you! And the whole fault was mine--or at least CaptainStubbard's. He will never dare to face me again, I should hope. "

"Young ladies, if I have been of any service to you, " said the stranger, with a smile at their excitement, "I beg you to be silent to the CaptainStubbard concerning my share in this occasion. He would not be gratifiedby the interest I feel in his beautiful little bombardments, especiallythat of fair ladies. Ha, there goes another shell! They will make betteraim now; but you must not delay. I beseech you to hasten home, if youwould do me kindness. "

The fair daughters of the Admiral had enjoyed enough of warfare to lastthem till the end of their honeymoon, and they could not reject theentreaty of a man who had risked his life to save them. Trembling andbewildered, they made off at the quickest step permitted by maidendignity, with one or two kindly turns of neck, to show that he wasmeant to follow them. But another sulphurous cloud rushed down from theindefatigable Stubbard, and when it had passed them, they looked backvainly for the gentleman who had spoiled his boots. 

CHAPTER XX

AMONG THE LADIES

It would have surprised the stout Captain Stubbard, who thought no smallbeer of his gunnery, to hear that it was held in very light esteem bythe "Frenchified young man overhead, " as he called Caryl Carne, to hislandlady. And it would have amazed him to learn that this young man wasa captain of artillery, in the grand army mustering across the sea, andone of the most able among plenty of ability, and favoured by the greatFirst Consul. 

In the gully where the Tugwell boats were built, behind a fringeof rough longshore growth, young Carne had been sitting with a goodfield-glass, observing the practice of the battery. He had also beenable to observe unseen the disobedient practices of young ladies, whentheir father is widely out of sight. Upon Faith, however, no blame couldfall, for she went against her wish, and only to retrieve the rebelliousDolly. 

Secure from the danger, these two held council in the comfort of theAdmiral's Round-house. There Miss Dolly, who considered it her domain, kept sundry snug appliances congenial to young ladies, for removingall traces of sudden excitement, and making them fit to be seen again. Simple and unfashionable as they were in dress, they were sure to havesomething to do to themselves after the late derangement, ere ever theycould run the risk of meeting any of the brave young officers, who wereso mysteriously fond of coming for orders to Springhaven Hall. 

"You look well enough, dear, " said Faith at last, "and much better thanyou deserve to look, after leading me such a dance by your self-will. But one thing must be settled before we go back--are we to speak of thismatter, or not?"

"How can you ask such a question, Faith?" Miss Dolly loved a bit ofsecrecy. "Of course we must rather bite our tongues out, than break thesolemn pledges which we have given. " She had cried a good deal, and shebegan to cry again. 

"Don't cry, that's a darling, " said the simple-hearted sister. "Youmake the whole world seem so cruel when you cry, because you look soinnocent. It shall be as you please, if I can only think it right. ButI cannot see how we gave a pledge of any sort, considering that we ranaway without speaking. The question is--have we any right to conceal it, when father has a right to know everything?"

"He would be in such a sad passion, " pleaded Dolly, with a stock offresh tears only waiting, "and he never would look again at poor CaptainStubbard, and what would become of all his family?"

"Father is a just and conscientious man, " replied the daughter whoinherited those qualities; "he would not blame Captain Stubbard; hewould blame us, and no others. "

"Oh, I could not bear to hear you blamed, Faith. I should have tosay that it was all my fault. And then how I should catch it, and bepunished for a month! Confined to the grounds for a month at least, and never have a bit of appetite. But I am not thinking of myself, I amquite sure of that. You know that I never do that much. I am thinking ofthat heroic gentleman, who stamped out the sparks so cleverly. All thetime I lay on the sand I watched him, though I expected to be blownto pieces every single moment. Oh! what a nasty sensation it was! Iexpected to find all my hair turned grey. But, thank Heaven, I don't seea streak in it!" To make sure of that, she went to the glass again. 

"If all mine had turned grey, 'twould be no odds to nobody--as CaptainZeb says about his income--because I am intended for an old maid. " MissDarling, whose beauty still lacked many years of its prime, turned awayfor a moment, because her eyes were glistening, and her sister wastired of the subject. "But for yours there are fifty to weep, Dolly. Especially perhaps this young gentleman, towards whom you feel so muchgratitude. "

"How unkind you are, Faith! All the gratitude I owe him is for savingyour life. As for myself, I was flat upon the sand, with a heap ofsea-weed between me and the thing. If it had gone off, it would havegone over me; but you chose to stand up, like a stupid. Your life wassaved, beyond all doubt, by him; and the way you acknowledge it is to goand tell his chief enemy that he was there observing him!"

"Well, I never!" Faith exclaimed, with more vigour than grace oflanguage. "A minute ago you knew nothing of him, and even wondered whohe was, and now you know all about his enemies! I am afraid that youstick at nothing. "

"I don't stick thinking, as you do, Miss, " Dolly answered, withoutabashment, and knowing that the elder hated to be so addressed; "butthings come to me by the light of nature, without a twelvemonth ofbrown-study. When I said what you remind me of, in such a hurry, it wasperfectly true--so true that you need have no trouble about it, with allyour truth. But since that, a sudden idea flashed across me, the sort ofidea that proves itself. Your hero you are in such a hurry to betray canbe nobody but the mysterious lodger in Widow Shanks' dimity-parlour, asshe calls it; and Jenny has told me all she knows about him, which isa great deal less than she ought to know. I meant to have told you, butyou are so grand in your lofty contempt of what you call gossip, butwhich I call good neighbourly intercourse! You know that he is Mr. CarylCarne, of course. Everybody knows that, and there the knowledge seems toterminate. Even the Twemlows, his own aunt and uncle, are scarcely everfavoured with his company; and I, who am always on the beach, or in thevillage, have never had the honour of beholding him, until--until itcame to this"--here she imitated with her lips the spluttering of thefuse so well that her sister could not keep from laughing. "He nevergoes out, and he never asks questions, any more than he answers them, and he never cares to hear what fish they have caught, or anything else, about anybody. He never eats or drinks, and he never says a word aboutthe flowers they put upon his table; and what he does all day longnobody knows, except that he has a lot of books with him. Widow Shanks, who has the best right to know all about him, has made up her mind thathis head has been turned by the troubles of his family, except forhis going without dinner, which no lunatic ever does, according to herknowledge. And he seems to have got 'Butter Cheeseman, ' as they callhim, entirely at his beck and call. He leaves his black horse thereevery morning, and rides home at night to his ancestral ruins. There, now, you know as much as I do. "

"There is mischief at the bottom of all this, " said Faith; "in thesedangerous times, it must not be neglected. We are bound, as you say, to consider his wishes, after all that he has done for us. But thetale about us will be over the place in a few hours, at the latest. Thegunners will have known where their bad shot fell, and perhaps they willhave seen us with their glasses. How will it be possible to keep thisaffair from gossip?"

"They may have seen us, without seeing him at all, on account of thesmoke that came afterwards. At any rate, let us say nothing about ituntil we hear what other people say. The shell will be washed awayor buried in the sand, for it fell upon the shingle, and then rolledtowards the sea; and there need be no fuss unless we choose to make it, and so perhaps ruin Captain Stubbard and his family. And his wife hasmade such pretty things for us. If he knew what he had done, he would goand shoot himself. He is so excessively humane and kind. "

"We will not urge his humanity to that extreme. I hate all mystery, asyou know well. But about this affair I will say nothing, unless there iscause to do so, at least until father comes back; and then I shall tellhim if it seems to be my duty. "

"It won't be your duty, it can't be your duty, to get good people intotrouble, Faith. I find it my duty to keep out of trouble, and I like totreat others the same as myself. "

"You are such a lover of duty, dear Dolly, because everything youlike becomes your duty. And now your next duty is to your dinner. Mrs. Twemlow is coming--I forgot to tell you--as well as Eliza, and Mrs. Stubbard. And if Johnny comes home in time from Harrow, to be Jack amongthe ladies, we shall hear some wonders, you may be quite sure. "

"Oh, I vow, I forgot all about that wicked Johnny. What a blessing thathe was not here just now! It is my black Monday when his holidays begin. Instead of getting steadier, he grows more plaguesome. And the wonder ofit is that he would tie your kid shoes; while he pulls out my jaconet, and sits on my French hat. How I wish he was old enough for hiscommission! To-morrow he will be dancing in and out of every cottage, boat, or gun, or rabbit-hole, and nothing shall be hidden from his eyesand ears. Let him come. 'I am accustomed to have all things go awry, 'as somebody says in some tragedy. The only chance is to make him fallin love, deeply in love, with Miss Stubbard. He did it with somebody forhis Easter week, and became as harmless as a sucking dove, till he foundhis nymph eating onions raw with a pocketful of boiled limpets. MaggieStubbard is too perfect in her style for that. She is twelve years old, and has lots of hair, and eyes as large as oysters. I shall introduceJohnny to-morrow, and hope to keep him melancholy all his holidays. "

"Perhaps it will be for his good, " said Faith, "because, without somehigh ideas, he gets into such dreadful scrapes; and certainly it will befor our good. "

After making light of young love thus, these girls deserved the shaftsof Cupid, in addition to Captain Stubbard's shells. And it would havebeen hard to find fairer marks when they came down dressed for dinner. Mrs. Twemlow arrived with her daughter Eliza, but without her husband, who was to fetch her in the evening; and Mrs. Stubbard came quitealone, for her walkable children--as she called them--were all up at thebattery. "Can't smell powder too young in such days as these, " was theCaptain's utterance; and, sure enough, they took to it, like sons ofguns. 

"I should be so frightened, " Mrs. Twemlow said, when Johnny (who sat atthe foot of the table representing his father most gallantly) had saidgrace in Latin, to astonish their weak minds, "so nervous all the time, so excessively anxious, the whole time that dreadful din was proceeding!It is over now, thank goodness! But how can you have endured it, howcan you have gone about your household duties calmly, with seven of yourchildren--I think you said--going about in that fiery furnace?"

"Because, ma'am, " replied Mrs. Stubbard, who was dry of speech, and fitmother of heroes, "the cannons are so made, if you can understand, thatthey do not shoot out of their back ends. "

"We are quite aware of that"--Miss Twemlow came to her mother's reliefvery sharply--"but still they are apt to burst, or to be overloaded, orbadly directed, or even to fly back suddenly, as I have heard on goodauthority. "

"Very likely, miss, when they are commanded by young women. "

Eliza Twemlow coloured, for she was rather quick of temper; but she didnot condescend to pay rudeness in kind. 

"It would hardly be a lady-like position, I suppose, " she answered, witha curve of her graceful neck--the Carnes had been celebrated for theirnecks, which were longer than those of the Darlings; "but even underthe command of a most skilful man, for instance Captain Stubbard, littleaccidents will happen, like the fall of a shell upon the beach thisafternoon. Some people were close to it, according to the rumour; butluckily it did not explode. "

"How providential!" cried Mrs. Twemlow; "but the stupid people wouldhave gone without much pity, whatever had befallen them, unless theywere blind, or too ignorant to read. Don't you think so, Faith, mydear?"

"I don't believe a single word of that story, " Mrs. Stubbard cut shortthe question; "for the simple reason that it never could have happened. My husband was to direct every gun himself. Is it likely he would haveshelled the beach?"

"Well, the beach is the proper place for shells; but if I had only knownit, wouldn't I have come a few hours earlier?" said Johnny. "Even nowthere must be something left to see; and I am bound to understand thatsort of thing. Ladies, I entreat you not to think me rude, if I goas soon as ever you can do without me. I think I have got you nearlyeverything you want; and perhaps you would rather be without me. "

With many thanks and compliments--such a pretty boy he was--the ladiesreleased him gladly; and then Mrs. Twemlow, having reasons of her own, drew nigh to Mrs. Stubbard with lively interest in her children. Atfirst, she received short answers only; for the Captain's wife had drawnmore sour juices than sweet uses from adversity. But the wife of theman of peace outflanked the better half of the man of war, drove in heroutposts, and secured the key of all her communications. 

"I can scarcely believe that you are so kind. My dear Mrs. Twemlow, howgood you are! My Bob is a nice boy, so manly and clever, so gentle andwell-behaved, even when he knows that I am not likely to find him out. But that you should have noticed it, is what surprises me--so fewpeople now know the difference! But in the House of God--as you so wellobserve--you can very soon see what a boy is. When I tell him that hemay ride your grey pony, I wish you could be there to watch the fineexpression of his face. How he does love dumb animals! It was only lastSaturday, he knocked down a boy nearly three times his own size forpoking a pin into a poor donkey with the fish. And Maggie to have aflower-bed on your front lawn! They won't let her touch a plant, at ourcottage, though she understands gardening so thoroughly. She won'tsleep a wink to-night, if I tell her, and I had better keep that for themorning. Poor children! They have had a hard time of it; but they havecome out like pure gold from the fire--I mean as many of them as can usetheir legs. But to be on horseback--what will Bob say?"

"You must have met with very little kindness, Mrs. Stubbard, to attachany importance to such mere trifles. It makes me blush to think thatthere can be a spot in England where such children as yours could passunnoticed. It is not a question of religious feeling only. Far fromit; in fact, quite the opposite; though my husband, of course, is quiteright in insisting that all our opinions and actions must be referredto that one standard. But I look at things also from a motherly pointof view, because I have suffered such sad trials. Three dear ones in thechurchyard, and the dearest of all--the Almighty only knows where he is. Sometimes it is more than I can bear, to live on in this dark and mostdreadful uncertainty. My medical man has forbidden me to speak of it. But how can he know what it is to be a mother? But hush! Or darlingFaith may hear me. Sometimes I lose all self-command. "

Mrs. Twemlow's eyes were in need of wiping, and stout Mrs. Stubbard'sin the same condition. "How I wish I could help you, " said the latter, softly: "is there anything in the world that I can do?"

"No, my dear friend; I wish there was, for I'm sure that it would bea pleasure to you. But another anxiety, though far less painful, isworrying me as well just now. My poor brother's son is behaving moststrangely. He hardly ever comes near us, and he seems to dislike my dearhusband. He has taken rooms over your brave husband's Office, and hecomes and goes very mysteriously. It is my duty to know something aboutthis; but I dare not ask Captain Stubbard. "

"My dear Mrs. Twemlow, it has puzzled me too. But thinking that you knewall about it, I concluded that everything must be quite right. Whatyou tell me has surprised me more than I can tell. I shall go to workquietly to find out all about it. Mystery and secrecy are such hatefulthings; and a woman is always the best hand at either. "

CHAPTER XXI

A GRACIOUS MERCY

As a matter of course, every gunner at the fort was ready to make oathby every colour of the rainbow, that never shot, shell, wad, sponge, oreven powder-flake could by any possibility have fallen on the beach. Andbefore they had time to grow much more than doubly positive--that is tosay, within three days' time--the sound of guns fired in earnest drownedall questions of bad practice. 

For the following Sunday beheld Springhaven in a state of excitementbeyond the memory of the very oldest inhabitant, or the imagination ofthe youngest. Excitement is a crop that, to be large, must grow--thoughit thrives all the better without much root--and in this particularfield it began to grow before noon of Saturday. For the men who weretoo old to go to sea, and the boys who were too young, and the womenwho were never of the proper age, all these kept looking from the bestlookouts, but nothing could they see to enable them to say when thekettle, or the frying-pan, or gridiron, would be wanted. They rubbedtheir eyes grievously, and spun round three times, if time had broughtor left them the power so to spin; and they pulled an Irishhalfpenny, with the harp on, from their pockets, and moistened it withsaliva--which in English means spat on it--and then threw it into thepocket on the other side of body. But none of these accredited appealsto heaven put a speck upon the sea where the boats ought to have been, or cast upon the clouds a shade of any sail approaching. Uneasilywondering, the grannies, wives, and little ones went home, when thenightfall quenched all eyesight, and told one another ancient tales ofwoe. 

Yet there is a salve for every sore, a bung for every bunghole. Upon theSunday morning, when the tide was coming in, and a golden haze hungupon the peaceful sea, and the seven bells of the old grey church werespeaking of the service cheerfully, suddenly a deep boom moved the bosomof distance, and palpitated all along the shore. Six or seven haleold gaffers (not too stiff to walk, with the help of a staff, a littlefurther than the rest) were coming to hear parson by the path below thewarren, where a smack of salt would season them for doctrine. They knewfrom long experience, the grandmother of science, that the mist of thesea, coming on at breakfast-time, in the month of August (with the windwhere it was and the tides as they were), would be sure to hold fastuntil dinner-time. Else, good as they were, and preparing punctuallyonce a week for a better world, the hind buttons of their Sunday coatswould have been towards the church, and the front ones to the headland. For the bodies of their sons were dearer to them, substantially dearer, than their own old souls. 

They were all beginning to be deaf, or rather going on with it veryagreeably, losing thereby a great deal of disturbance, and gaining greatroom for reflection. And now when the sound of a gun from the sea hungshaking in the web of vapour, each of these wise men gazed steadfastlyat the rest, to see his own conclusion reflected, or concluded. A gunit was indeed--a big well-shotted gun, and no deafness could throw anydoubt on it. There might not be anything to see, but still there wouldbe plenty to hear at the headland--a sound more arousing than theparson's voice, a roar beyond that of all the gallery. "'Tis a battle!"said one, and his neighbour cried, "A rare one!" They turned to theparish church the quarters of farewell, and those of salutation to thebattle out at sea. 

It was all over the village, in the time it takes to put a hat on, thatthe British and the French fleets were hammer and tongs at it, withinthe distance you may throw an apple off Springhaven headland. 

Even the young women knew that this was quite impossible, because therewas no water there for a collier-brig to anchor; nevertheless, in thehurry and scare, the thoughts of that new battery and Lord Nelson, andabove all in the fog, they believed it. So that there was scarcely anyroom to stand, at the Watch-point, inside the Shag-rock; while in churchthere was no one who could help being there, by force of holy office, orexample. 

These latter were not in a devout frame of mind, and (but for the lookof it) would have done more good by joining the other congregation. For the sound of cannon-shot came into their ears, like balls ofunadulterated pepper, and every report made them look at one another, and whisper--"Ah! there goes some poor fellow's head. " For the sacredbuilding was constructed so that the sounds outside of it had more powerthan the good things offered in the inside. 

However, as many, or as few, as did their duty, by joining the goodcompany of the minister, found themselves all the better for it, andmore fresh for a start than the runagates. Inasmuch as these latter hadnearly got enough of listening without seeing anything, while the steadychurch-goers had refreshed the entire system by looking about withoutlistening. And to show the truant people where their duty should havebound them, the haze had been thickening all over the sea, while the sunkept the time on the old church dial. This was spoken of for many years, throughout the village, as a Scriptural token of the proper thing to do. 

"Well, and what have 'e seen?" asked the senior church-warden--notCheeseman, who was only the junior, and had neither been at churchnor on the headland--but Farmer Graves, the tenant of the Glebe and ofUp-farm, the Admiral's best holding; "what have 'e seen, good peopleall, to leave parson to prache to hisself a'most a sarmon as he'shathn't prached for five year, to my knowledge? Have 'e seen fat bullsof Basan?"

"Naw; but us have heer'd un roar, " replied one who was sure to saysomething. "Wust of it is, there be no making out what language un doroar in. "

"One Englishman, I tell 'e, and two Frenchmen, " said an ancient tar whohad served under Keppel; "by the ring of the guns I could swear to thatmuch. And they loads them so different, that they do. "

Before the others had well finished laughing at him, it became his turnto laugh at them. The wind was in the east, and the weather set fair, and but for the sea-mist the power of the sun would have been enough todazzle all beholders. Already this vapour was beginning to clear off, coiling up in fleecy wisps above the glistening water, but clingingstill to any bluff or cliff it could lay hold on. 

"Halloa, Jem! Where be going of now?" shouted one or two voices from theOar-stone point, the furthest outlook of the Havenhead hill. 

"To see them Frenchy hoppers get a jolly hiding, " Jem Prater replied, without easing his sculls. He was John Prater's nephew, of the "DarlingArms, " and had stopped behind the fishing to see his uncle's monthlybeer in. "You can't see up there, I reckon, the same as I do here. One English ship have got a job to tackle two Crappos. But, by George!she'll do it, mates. Good bye, and the Lord defend you!"

He had nobody but his little brother Sam, who was holding the tiller, to help him, and his uncle's boat (which he had taken without leave)was neither stout nor handy. But the stir of the battle had fetched himforth, and he meant to see the whole of it without taking harm. EveryEnglishman had a full right to do this, in a case of such Frenchaudacity, and the English sea and air began to give him fair occasion. For now the sun had swept the mist with a besom of gold wire, wideningevery sweep, and throwing brilliant prospect down it. The gentle heaveof the sea flashed forth with the white birds hovering over it, and thecurdles of fugitive vapour glowed like pillars of fire as they floatedoff. Then out of the drift appeared three ships, partly shrouded intheir own fog. 

The wind was too light for manoeuvring much, and the combatants swung totheir broadsides, having taken the breath of the air away by the fury oftheir fire. All three were standing to the north-north-west, under easysail, and on the starboard tack, but scarcely holding steerage-way, and taking little heed of it. Close quarters, closer and closer still, muzzle to muzzle, and beard to beard, clinched teeth, and hard pounding, were the order of the day, with the crash of shattered timber and thecries of dying men. And still the ships came onward, forgetting wherethey were, heaving too much iron to have thought of heaving lead, readyto be shipwrecks, if they could but wreck the enemy. 

Between the bulky curls of smoke could be seen the scars of furiousbattle, splintered masts and shivered yards, tattered sails and yawningbulwarks, and great gaps even of the solid side; and above the ruck ofsmoke appeared the tricolor flag upon the right hand and the left, andthe Union-jack in the middle. 

"She've a'got more than she can do, I reckon, " said an old man famous inthe lobster line; "other a one of they is as big as she be, and two toone seemeth onfair odds. Wish her well out of it--that's all as can bedone. "

"Kelks, you're a fool, " replied the ancient navyman, steadying hisspy-glass upon a ledge of rock. "In my time we made very little of that;and the breed may be slacked off a little, but not quite so bad as thatwould be. Ah! you should a' heard what old Keppel--on the twenty-seventhday of July it was, in the year of our Lord 1778. Talk about Nelson! tomy mind old Keppel could have boxed his compass backward. Not but whatthese men know how to fight quite as well as need be nowadays. Why, if Iwas aboard of that there frigate, I couldn't do much more than she havedone. She'll have one of them, you see if she don't, though she look tohave the worst of it, till you comes to understand. The Leader her nameis, of thirty-eight guns, and she'll lead one of they into Portsmouth, to refit. "

It was hard to understand the matter, in its present aspect, at all asthe ancient sailor did; for the fire of the Leda ceased suddenly, andshe fell behind the others, as if hampered with her canvas. A thrill ofpain ran through all the gazing Britons. 

"How now, old Navy-Mike?" cried the lobster man. "Strike is the word, and no mistake. And small blame to her either. She hathn't got a soundthread to draw, I do believe. Who is the fool now, Mike? Though vexed Ibe to ask it. "

"Wait a bit, old lobster-pot. Ah, there now, she breezes! Whistle fora wind, lads, whistle, whistle. Sure as I'm a sinner, yes! She's layingher course to board the Frenchman on the weather quarter. With a slantof wind she'll do it, too, if it only holds two minutes. Whistle on yournails, my boys, for the glory of old England. "

In reply to their shrill appeal--for even the women tried to whistle--orperhaps in compulsory sequence of the sun, the wind freshened brisklyfrom the sunny side of east. The tattered sails of the brave shipfilled, with the light falling through them upon one another, the headswung round at the command of helm, the pennons flew gaily and theensign flapped, and she bore down smoothly on the outer and thereforeunwounded side of the enemy. 

"That's what I call judgmatical, " old Mike shouted, with a voice thatrivalled cannon; "whoever thought of that deserves three epulets, oneon each shoulder and one upon his head. Doubt if old Keppel would havethought of that, now. You see, mates, the other Crappo can't fire at herwithout first hitting of her own consort. And better than that--ever somuch better--the tilt of the charge will throw her over on her wounds. Master Muncher hath two great holes 'twixt wind and water on hislarboard side, and won't they suck the briny, with the weight of ourbows upon the starboard beam? 'Twill take fifty hands to stop leaks, instead of stopping boarders. "

The smoke was drifting off, and the sun shone bravely. The battle hadbeen gliding toward the feet of the spectators; and now from the heightof the cliff they could descry the decks, the guns, the coils of rope, the turmoil, and dark rush of men to their fate. Small fights, man toman, demanded still the power of a telescope, and distance made thetrenchant arms of heroes, working right and left, appear like thenippers of an earwig. The only thing certain was that men were beingkilled, and glory was being manufactured largely. 

"She've a doed it, she've a doed it rarely. There's not a d----d froggyleft to go to heaven; or if there be so he's a' battened down below, "old Mike shouted, flourishing his spy-glass, which rattled in its jointsas much as he did; "down comes the blood, froth, and blue blazes, as they call the Republican emrods, and up goes the Union-jack, myhearties. Three cheers! three cheers! Again! again! again!"

From the sea far below, and far away, came also the volume of a nobleEnglish shout, as the flag began to flutter in the quickening breeze, and the sea arose and danced with sunshine. No one, who had got all hisblood left in him, could think of anything but glory. 

"My certy, they had better mind their soundings, though!" said the oldnavy-man, with a stitch in his side and a lump in his throat, from loudutterance; "five fathoms is every inch of it where they be now, andthe tide making strong, and precious little wind to claw off with. JemPrater! Jem Prater! Oar up, and give signal. Ah, he's too far off todo any good. In five minutes more they'll be on the White Pig, where noship ever got off again. Oh, thank the Lord, mates, thank the Lord, forhis mercy endureth forever! The other froggy is stuck hard and fast, andour lads will just fetch out in time. "

Old Navy-Mike had made no mistake. The consort of the captured frigate, a corvette of twenty-four guns, had boldly stood on with the intentionof rounding to the wind, crossing the bows of the other twain, andretrieving the fortunes of the day perhaps, by a broadside into theshattered upper works of the terribly hampered British ship. The ideawas clever and spirited, and had a very fair chance of success; butthe land below the sea forefended it. Full of fine ardour and the noblethirst for fame, speeding on for the palm of high enterprise and theglory of the native land, alas, they stuck fast in a soft bit of Englishsand! It was in their power now to swear by all they disbelieved in, and in everything visible and too tangible; but their power was limitedstrictly to that; and the faster they swore, the faster they were boundto stick. 

Springhaven dined well, with its enemy so placed, and a message fromthe Leda by Jem Prater, that the fishing fleet was rescued, and wouldbe home to early supper, and so much to be talked about all dinner-time, that for once in his life nearly everybody found it more expedient toeat with his fork than his knife. Then all who could be spared fromwashing up, and getting ready for further cookery, went duly to churchin the afternoon, to hear the good rector return humble thanks for aGracious Mercy to the British arms, and to see a young man, who hadlanded with despatches, put a face full of gunpowder in at window, tolearn whether Admiral Darling was there. 

CHAPTER XXII

A SPECIAL URGENCY

Admiral Darling was not in church. His duty to his country kept himup the hill, and in close consultation with Captain Stubbard, who wasburning to fire his battery. 

"I never knew such bad luck in all my life. The devil has been appointedFirst Lord of the weather ever since I came to Springhaven. " As Stubbarddeclared these great truths he strode about in his little fortress, delivering a kick at the heels of things which had no right to belumbering there. "To think that I should never have seen those beggars, when but for the fog I could have smashed them right and left. Admiral, these things make a Christian an infidel. "

"Nonsense, sir!" said the Admiral, sternly, for a man of his kindnature; "you forget that without the fog, or rather the mist--for itwas only that--those fellows would never have come within range. We havevery great blessings to be thankful for, though the credit falls not toour battery. The Frenchmen fought wonderfully well, as well as the bestEnglishman could have done, and to capture them both is a miracle ofluck, if indeed we can manage to secure them. My friend, young Honyman, of the Leda, has proved himself just what I said he would be; and hasperformed a very gallant exploit, though I fear he is severely wounded. But we shall know more now, for I see a young fellow jumping up thehill, like a kangaroo, and probably he comes for orders. One thing wehave learned, Stubbard, and must take the hint to-morrow--put a hut onthe Haven head, and keep a watchman there. Why, bless my heart, it isBlyth Scudamore that's coming! There is nobody else that can skip likethat. "

The young lieutenant entered between two guns--the gunners weredismissed in great disgust to dinner--with his pleasant face still alittle grimed with gunpowder, and flushed by his hurry up the steephill-side. 

"This for you, sir, " he said, saluting the Admiral, presenting hisletter, and then drawing back; "and I am to wait your convenience forreply. "

"What next will the service come to, " asked the Admiral of CaptainStubbard, "when a young man just commissioned gives himself such mightyairs? Shake hands, Blyth, and promise you will come and dine with us, unless you are ordered to return on board at once. How is your goodcaptain? I knew him when he wore Nankins. Jem Prater brought word thathe was wounded. I hope it is not serious. "

"No, sir; not much to speak of. He has only lost three fingers. That waswhy I wrote this letter--or report, I ought to call it, if anybody elsehad written it. Oh, sir! I cannot bear to think of it! I was fifth luffwhen the fight began, and now there is only one left above me, and he isin command of our biggest prize, the Ville d'Anvers. But, Admiral, hereyou will find it all, as I wrote it, from the lips, when they tied upthe fingers, of Captain Honyman. "

"How could you tie them up when they were gone?" Captain Stubbardenquired, with a sneer at such a youth. He had got on very slowly in hisearly days, and could not bear to see a young man with such vacanciesbefore him. "Why, you are the luckiest lad I ever saw! Sure to go up atleast three steps. How well you must have kept out of it! And how happyyou must feel, Lieutenant Scudamore!"

"I am not at all happy at losing dear friends, " the young man answered, gently, as he turned away and patted the breech of a gun, upon whichthere was a little rust next day; "that feeling comes later in life, Isuppose. "

The Admiral was not attending to them now, but absorbed in thebrief account of the conflict, begun by Captain Honyman in his ownhandwriting, and finished by his voice, but not his pen. Any onedesirous to read this may do so in the proper place. For the presentpurpose it is enough to say that the modesty of the language wasscarcely surpassed by the brilliancy of the exploit. And if anythingwere needed to commend the writer to the deepest good will of thereader, it was found in the fact that this enterprise sprang from warmzeal for the commerce of Springhaven. The Leda had been ordered onFriday last to protect the peaceful little fishing fleet from a craftydesign for their capture, and this she had done with good effect, havingjustice on her side, and fortune. The particulars of the combat were notso clear, after the captain's three fingers were gone; but if one madeproper allowance for that, there was not very much to complain of. The Admiral considered it a very good report; and then put on hisspectacles, and thought it still better. 

"Why! why! why!" he said--for without affectation many officers hadcaught the style of His then Gracious Majesty--"What's this? what'sthis? Something on the other side, in a different man's handwriting, andmighty difficult to read, in my opinion. Stubbard, did you ever see sucha scrawl? Make it out for me. You have good eyes, like a hawk, or theman who saw through a milestone. Scudamore, what was his name? Youknow. "

"Three fingers at five pounds apiece per annum as long as he lives!"Captain Stubbard computed on his own: "fifteen pounds a year perhaps forforty years, as you seem to say how young he is; that comes to just 600pounds, and his hand as good as ever"--("I'll be hanged if it is, if hewrote this!" the Admiral interjected)--"and better, I must say, from aselfish point of view, because of only two nails left to clean, andhis other hand increased in value; why, the scale is disgraceful, iniquitous, boobyish, and made without any knowledge of the human frame, and the comparative value of its members. Lieutenant Scudamore, look atme. Here you see me without an ear, damaged in the fore-hatch, and withthe larboard bow stove in--and how much do I get, though so much older?"

"Well, if you won't help me, Stubbard, " said the Admiral, who knewhow long his friend would carry on upon that tack, "I must even getScudamore to read it, though it seems to have been written on purpose toelude him. Blyth, my dear boy, can you explain it?"

"It was--it was only something, sir"--the lieutenant blushed, andhesitated, and looked away unmanfully--"which I asked Captain Honymanto leave out, because--because it had nothing to do with it. I mean, because it was of no importance, even if he happened to have thatopinion. His hand was tied up so, that I did not like to say too much, and I thought that he would go to sleep, because the doctor had made himdrink a poppy head boiled down with pigtail. But it seems as if he hadgot up after that--for he always will have his own way--while I was goneto put this coat on; and perhaps he wrote that with his left hand, sir. But it is no part of the business. "

"Then we will leave it, " said Admiral Darling, "for younger eyes thanmine to read. Nelson wrote better with his left hand than ever he didwith his right, to my thinking, the very first time that he tried it. But we can't expect everybody to do that. There is no sign of any changeof weather, is there, Stubbard? My orders will depend very much uponthat. I must go home and look at the quicksilver before I know what isbest to do. You had better come with me, Scudamore. "

Admiral Darling was quite right in this. Everything depended upon theweather; and although the rough autumn was not come yet, the prime ofthe hopeful year was past. The summer had not been a grand one, suchas we get about once in a decade, but of loose and uncertain character, such as an Englishman has to make the best of. It might be taking up fora golden autumn, ripening corn, and fruit, and tree, or it might breakup into shower and tempest, sodden earth, and weltering sky. 

"Your captain refers to me for orders, " said Admiral Darling toScudamore, while they were hastening to the Hall, "as Commander of theCoast Defence, because he has been brought too far inshore, and one ofthe Frenchmen is stranded. The frigate you boarded and carried is theVille d'Anvers, of forty guns. The corvette that took the ground, soluckily for you, when half of your hands were aboard the prize, is theBlonde, teak-built, and only launched last year. We must try to haveher, whatever happens. She won't hurt where she is, unless it comeson to blow. Our sands hold fast without nipping, as you know, like awell-bred sheep-dog, and the White Pig is the toughest of all of them. She may stay there till the equinox, without much mischief, if thepresent light airs continue. But the worst job will be with theprisoners; they are the plague of all these affairs, and we can'timitate Boney by poisoning them. On the whole, it had better not havehappened, perhaps. Though you must not tell Honyman that I said so. Itwas a very gallant action, very skilful, very beautiful; and I hope hewill get a fine lift for it; and you too, my dear Blyth, for you musthave fought well. "

"But, Admiral, surely you would have been grieved if so many of yourtenants, and their boats as well, had been swept away into a Frenchharbour. What would Springhaven be without its Captain Zebedee?"

"You are right, Blyth; I forgot that for the moment. There would havebeen weeping and wailing indeed, even in our own household. But theycould not have kept them long, though the loss of their boats would havebeen most terrible. But I cannot make out why the French should havewanted to catch a few harmless fishing-smacks. Aquila non captat muscas, as you taught the boys at Stonnington. And two ships despatched upona paltry job of that sort! Either Captain Honyman was strangelymisinformed, or there is something in the background, entirely beyondour knowledge. Pay attention to this matter, and let me know what youhear of it--as a friend, Blyth, as a friend, I mean. But here we are!You must want feeding. Mrs. Cloam will take care of you, and find allthat is needful for a warrior's cleanup. I must look at the barometer, and consider my despatches. Let us have dinner, Mrs. Cloam, in twentyminutes, if possible. For we stand in real need of it. "

Concerning that there could be no doubt. Glory, as all English officersknow, is no durable stay for the stomach. The urgency of mankindfor victuals may roughly be gauged by the length of the jaw. CaptainStubbard had jaws of tremendous length, and always carried a bag ofcaptain's biscuits, to which he was obliged to have recourse in theheight of the hottest engagement. Scudamore had short jaws, well set up, and powerful, without rapacity. But even these, after twelve hours offasting, demanded something better than gunpowder. He could not helpthinking that his host was regarding the condition of affairs verycalmly, until he remembered that the day was Sunday, when no Briton hasany call to be disturbed by any but sacred insistency. At any rate, hewas under orders now, and those orders were entirely to his liking. Sohe freshened up his cheerful and simple-minded face, put his sailor-knotneckcloth askew, as usual, and with some trepidation went down todinner. 

The young ladies would not have been young women if they had notreceived him warmly. Kind Faith, who loved him as a sister might--forshe had long discovered his good qualities--had tears in her beautifuleyes, as she gave him both hands, and smiled sweetly at his bashfulness. And even the critical Dolly, who looked so sharply at the outsideof everything, allowed her fair hand to stay well in his, and saidsomething which was melody to him. Then Johnny, who was of a warlikecast, and hoped soon to destroy the French nation, shook hands with thispublic benefactor already employed in that great work. 

"I shall scarcely have time for a bit of dinner, " said Admiral Darling, as they sat down. "I have sent word to have the Protector launched, andto give little Billy a feed of corn. All you young people may take yourleisure. Youth is the time that commands time and space. But for mypart, if I can only manage this plate of soup, and a slice of that fish, and then one help of mutton, and just an apple-fritter, or some trifleof that sort, I shall be quite as lucky as I can hope to be. Dutyperpetually spoils my dinner, and I must get some clever fellow toinvent a plate that will keep as hot as duty is in these volcanic times. But I never complain; I am so used to it. Eat your dinners, children, and don't think of mine. "

Having scarcely afforded himself an hour, the Admiral, in full uniform, embarked upon little Billy, a gentle-minded pony from the west country, who conducted his own digestion while he consulted that of his rider. Atthe haven they found the Protector ready, a ten-oared galley manned byCaptain Stubbard's men, good samples of Sea-Fencibles. And the Captainhimself was there, to take the tiller, and do any fighting if the chanceshould arise, for he had been disappointed all the morning. The boatwhich brought Scudamore had been recalled by signal from the Leda, andthat active young officer having sought her vainly, and thereby missedthe Protector, followed steadily in Mr. Prater's boat, with the nephew, Jem, pulling the other oar, and Johnny Darling, who raged at the thoughtof being left behind, steering vaguely. And just as they rounded theharbour-head, the long glassy sweep of the palpitating sea bore inwardand homeward the peaceful squadron, so wistfully watched for and sodearly welcome. 

CHAPTER XXIII

YOH-HEAVE-OH!

"Her condition was very bad, as bad as could be, without going straightto the bottom, " the Admiral said to the Rector that night, as theysmoked a pipe together; "and to the bottom she must have gone, if thesea had got up, before we thrummed her. Honyman wanted to have herbrought inside the Head; but even if we could have got there, she wouldground at low water and fill with the tide. And what could we do withall those prisoners? With our fresh hands at the pumps, we very soonfetched the water out of her, and made her as tight as we could; andI think they will manage to take her to Portsmouth. She has beautifullines. I never saw a smarter ship. How she came to the wind, with allthat water in her! The wind is all right for Portsmouth, and she will bea fine addition to the Navy. "

"But what is become of the other vessel, craft, corvette, or whateveryou call her? You say that she is scarcely hurt at all. And if she getsoff the White Pig's back in the night, she may come up and bombard us. Not that I am afraid; but my wife is nervous, and the Rectory facesthe sea so much. If you have ordered away the Leda, which seems to haveconquered both of them, the least you can do is to keep Captain Stubbardunder arms all night in his battery. "

"I have a great mind to do so; it would be a good idea, for he was verymuch inclined to cut up rough to-day. But he never would forgive me, heis such a hog at hammock--as we used to say, until we grew too elegant. And he knows that the Blonde has hauled down her colours, and Scudamoreis now prize-captain. I have sent away most of her crew in the Leda, andI am not at all sure that we ought not to blow her up. In the end, weshall have to do so, no doubt; for nothing larger than a smack has evergot off that sand, and floated. But let our young friend try; let himhave a fair trial. He has the stuff of a very fine seaman in him. And ifhe should succeed, it would be scored with a long leg for him. Halloa!Why, I thought the girls were fast asleep long ago!"

"As if we could sleep, papa, with this upon our minds!" Dolly waved anopen letter in the air, and then presented it. "Perhaps Faith might, butI am sure I never could. You defied us to make out this, which is on theother leaf; and then, without giving us fair play, you took it to thedesk in your Oak-room, and there you left it. Well, I took the libertyof going there for it, for there can't be any secret about a thing thatwill be printed; and how are they to print it, if they can't contrive toread it? How much will you pay me for interpreting, papa? Mr. Twemlow, I think I ought to have a guinea. Can you read it, now, with all yourlearning, and knowledge of dead languages?"

"My dear, it is not my duty to read it, and not at all my business. Itseems to be written with the end of a stick, by a boy who was learninghis letters. If you can interpret it, you must be almost a Daniel. "

"Do you hear that, papa, you who think I am so stupid? Faith gave it up;she has no perseverance, or perhaps no curiosity. And I was very nearlybeaten too, till a very fine idea came into my head, and I have madeout every word except three, and perhaps even those three, if CaptainHonyman is not very particular in his spelling. Can you tell me anythingabout that, papa?"

"Yes, Dolly, just what you have heard from me before. Honyman is a goodofficer; a very good one, as he has just proved. No good officer everspells well, whether in the army or the navy. Look at Nelson's letters. I am inclined to ascribe my own slow promotion to the unnatural accuracyof my spelling, which offended my lords, because it puzzled them. "

"Then all is straight sailing, as you say, papa. But I must tell youfirst how I found it out, or perhaps you won't believe me. I knew thatCaptain Honyman wrote this postscript, or whatever it is, with hisleft hand, so I took a pen in my own left hand, and practised all theletters, and the way they join, which is quite different from the otherhand. And here is the copy of the words, as my left hand taught my rightto put them down, after inking ever so many fingers:

"'We never could have done it without Scudamore. He jumped a mostwonderful jump from our jib-boom into her mizzen chains, when ourgrapples had slipped, and we could get no nearer, and there he madefast, though the enemy came at him with cutlasses, pikes, and muskets. By this means we borded and carried the ship, with a loss as abovereported. When I grew faint from a trifling wound, Luff Scudamore ledthe borders with a cool courage that discomfited the fo. '"

"Robert Honyman all over!" cried the Admiral, with delight. "I couldswear that he wrote it, if it was written with his toes. 'Twas an oldjoke against him, when he was lieutenant, that he never could spell hisown title; and he never would put an e after an o in any word. He isfar too straightforward a man to spell well; and now the loss of threefingers will cut his words shorter than ever, and be a fine excusefor him. He was faint again, when I boarded the Leda, partly no doubtthrough strong medical measures; for the doctor, who is an ornament tohis profession, had cauterised his stumps with a marlinspike, for fearof inflammation. And I heard that he had singed the other finger off. But I hope that may prove incorrect. At any rate, I could not bear todisturb him, but left written orders with Scudamore; for the senior wason board the prize. Dolly, be off to bed, this moment. "

"Well, now, " said the Rector, drawing near, and filling anotherdeliberative pipe, "I have no right to ask what your orders were, andperhaps you have no right to tell me. But as to the ship that remains inmy parish, or at any rate on its borders, if you can tell me anything, I shall be very grateful, both as a question of parochial duty, and alsobecause of the many questions I am sure to have to answer from my wifeand daughter. "

"There is no cause for secrecy; I will tell you everything:" the Admiralhated mystery. "Why, the London papers will publish the whole of it, anda great deal more than that, in three days' time. I have sent off theLeda with her prize to Portsmouth. With this easterly breeze and smoothwater, they will get there, crippled as they are, in some twenty-fourhours. There the wounded will be cared for, and the prisoners draftedoff. The Blonde, the corvette which is aground, surrendered, as youknow, when she found herself helpless, and within range of our newbattery. Stubbard's men longed to have a few shots at her; but of coursewe stopped any such outrage. Nearly all her officers and most of hercrew are on board the Leda, having given their parole to attempt norising; and Frenchmen are always honourable, unless they have some verywicked leader. But we left in the corvette her captain, an exceedinglyfine fellow, and about a score of hands who volunteered to stay to helpto work the ship, upon condition that if we can float her, they shallhave their freedom. And we put a prize crew from the Leda on board her, only eight-and-twenty hands, which was all that could be spared, andin command of them our friend Blyth Scudamore. I sent him to ask RobertHonyman about it, when he managed to survive the doctor, for a captainis the master of his own luffs; and he answered that it was exactlywhat he wished. Our gallant frigate lost three lieutenants in this veryspirited action, two killed and one heavily wounded. And the first isin charge of the Ville d'Anvers, so there was nobody for this enterpriseexcept the gentle Scuddy, as they call him. He is very young for such abusiness, and we must do all we can to help him. "

"I have confidence in that young man, " said Mr. Twemlow, as if it werea question of theology; "he has very sound views, and his principles arehigh; and he would have taken holy orders, I believe, if his father'sassets had permitted it. He perceives all the rapidly growing dangerswith which the Church is surrounded, and when I was in doubt about aline of Horace, he showed the finest diffidence, and yet proved thatI was right. The 'White Pig, ' as the name of a submarine bank, is mostclearly of classic origin. We find it in Homer, and in Virgil too; andprobably the Romans, who undoubtedly had a naval station in Springhaven, and exterminated the oyster, as they always did--"

"Come, come, Twemlow, " said the Admiral, with a smile which smoothed thebreach of interruption, "you carry me out of my depth so far that I longto be stranded on my pillow. When your great book comes out, we shallhave in perfect form all the pile of your discoveries, which you breakup into little bits too liberally. The Blonde on the Pig is like Beautyand the Beast. If gentle Scuddy rescues her, it won't be by Homer, orHorace, or even holy orders, but by hard tugs and stout seamanship. "

"With the blessing of the Lord, it shall be done, " said the Rector, knocking his pipe out; "and I trust that Providence may see fit to haveit done very speedily; for I dread the effect which so many gallantstrangers, all working hard and apparently in peril, may produce uponthe females of this parish. "

But the Admiral laughed, and said, "Pooh, pooh!" for he had faith in themaids of Springhaven. 

For these there was a fine time now in store--young men up and downeverywhere, people running in and out with some new news, before theycould get their hats on, the kettle to boil half a dozen times a day, and almost as much to see as they could talk of. At every high-waterthat came by daylight--and sometimes there were two of them--every maidin the parish was bound to run to the top of a sand-hill high enough tosee over the neck of the Head, and there to be up among the rushes alltogether, and repulse disdainfully the society of lads. These took thematter in a very different light, and thought it quite a pity and apiece of fickle-mindedness, that they might go the round of crab-pots, or of inshore lug-lines, without anybody to watch them off, or come downwith a basket to meet them. 

For be it understood that the great fishing fleet had not launched forthupon its labours. Their narrow escape from the two French cruisers wouldlast them a long time to think over, and to say the same thing to eachother about it that each other had said to them every time they met. Andthey knew that they could not do this so well as to make a new credit ofit every time, when once they were in the same craft together, and couldnot go asunder more than ten yards and a half. And better, far better, than all these reasons for staying at home and enjoying themselves, was the great fact that they could make more money by leisure than bylabour, in this nobly golden time. 

Luck fostered skill in this great affair, which deserves to be recordedfor the good of any village gifted with like opportunity. It appearsthat the British Admiralty had long been eager for the capture of theBlonde, because of her speed and strength and beauty, and the mischiefshe had done to English trade. To destroy her would be a great comfort, but to employ her aright would be glorious; and her proper employmentwas to serve as a model for English frigates first, and then to fightagainst her native land. Therefore, no sooner did their lordships hearwhat had happened at Springhaven than they sent down a rider express, to say that the ship must be saved at any price. And as nothing couldbe spared from the blockading force, or the fleet in the Downs, or thecruising squadron, the Commander of the coast-defence was instructed toenrol, impress, or adapt somehow all the men and the matter available. Something was said about free use of money in the service of HisMajesty, but not a penny was sent to begin upon. But Admiral Darlingcarried out his orders, as if he had received them framed in gold. "Theyare pretty sure to pay me in the end, " he said; "and if they don't, itwon't break me. I would give 500 pounds on my own account, to carrythat corvette to Spithead. And it would be the making of Scudamore, whoreminds me of his father more and more, every time I come across him. "

The fleet under Captain Tugwell had quite lately fallen off from sevento five, through the fierce patriotism of some younger members, andtheir sanguine belief in bounty-money. Captain Zeb had presented themwith his experience in a long harangue--nearly fifty words long--andthey looked as if they were convinced by it. However, in the morningthey were gone, having mostly had tiffs with their sweethearts--whichare fervent incentives to patriotism--and they chartered themselves, and their boats were numbered for the service of their Country. They haddone their work well, because they had none to do, except to draw smallwages, and they found themselves qualified now for more money, and camehome at the earliest chance of it. 

Two guineas a day for each smack and four hands, were the termsoffered by the Admiral, whose hard-working conscience was twitched intoherring-bones by the strife between native land and native spot. "I havehad many tussles with uncertainty before, " he told Dolly, going downone evening, "but never such vexation of the mind as now. All our peopleexpect to get more for a day, than a month of fine fishing would bringthem; while the Government goes by the worst time they make, and expectsthem to throw in their boats for nothing. 'The same as our breeches, 'Tugwell said to me; 'whenever we works, we throws in they, and we oughtto do the very same with our boats. ' This makes it very hard for me. "

But by doing his best, he got over the hardship, as people generally do. He settled the daily wages as above, with a bonus of double thatamount for the day that saw the Blonde upon her legs again. Indignationprevailed, or pretended to do so; but common-sense conquered, and allset to work. Hawsers, and chains, and buoys, and all other needful gearand tackle were provided by the Admiralty from the store-house built notlong ago for the Fencibles. And Zebedee Tugwell, by right of position, and without a word said for it--because who could say a word againstit?--became the commander of the Rescue fleet, and drew double paynaturally for himself and family. 

"I does it, " he said, "if you ask me why I does it, without anyintention of bettering myself, for the Lord hath placed me above need ofthat; but mainly for the sake of discipline, and the respectability ofthings. Suppose I was under you, sir, and knew you was getting no morethan I was, why, my stomach would fly every time that you gave me anorder without a 'Please, Zebedee!' But as soon as I feels that youpocket a shilling, in the time I take pocketing twopence, the value ofyour brain ariseth plain before me; and instead of thinking what yousays, I does it. "

CHAPTER XXIV

ACCORDING TO CONTRACT

When the Blonde had been on the White Pig for a week, in spite of allthe science of Scudamore, ready money of the Admiral, and efforts of thenatives, there began to be signs of a change in the weather. The sea wasas smooth, and the sky as bright, and the land as brown as ever; but thefeel of the air was not the same, and the sounds that came through itwere different. "Rain afore Friday, " said Captain Zeb, "and a blow fromsowwest afore Sunday. 'Twill break up the Blunder, I reckon, my lads. "

With various aspects they looked at him, all holding sweet converse atthe Darling Arms, after the manifold struggles of the day. The eyes ofthe younger men were filled with disappointment and anger, as at a sureseer of evil; the elder, to whom cash was more important, gazed withanxiety and dismay; while a pair, old enough to be sires of Zebedee, nodded approval, and looked at one another, expecting to receive, buttoo discreet to give, a wink. Then a lively discourse arose and throveamong the younger; and the elders let them hold it, while they talked ofsomething else. 

On the following morning two dialogues were held upon different partsof Springhaven shore, but each of great import to the beautiful captivestill fast aground in the offing. The first was between Captain ZebedeeTugwell and Lieutenant Scudamore. The gentle Scuddy, still hopingagainst hope, had stuck fast to his charge, upon whose fortunes so muchof his own depended. If he could only succeed in floating and carryingher into Portsmouth, his mark would be made, his position secured farquicker than by ten gallant actions; and that which he cared for ahundredfold, the comfort of his widowed mother, would be advanced andestablished. For, upon the valuation of the prizes, a considerable sumwould fall to him, and every farthing of it would be sent to her. Brightwith youthful hope, and trustful in the rising spring of tide, which hadall but released them yesterday, according to his firm belief, he ranfrom the Hall through the Admiral's grounds, to meet the boat whichwas waiting for him, while he was having breakfast and council with hischief. Between the Round-house and the old white gate he heard a lowwhistle from a clump of shrubs, and turning that way, met Tugwell. Withthat prince of fishermen he shook hands, according to the manner ofSpringhaven, for he had learned to admire the brave habit of the man, his strong mind, and frank taciturnity. And Tugwell on his part hadtaken a liking to the simple and cheerful young officer, who receivedhis suggestions, was kind to all hands, and so manfully bore the dailydisappointment. 

"Nobody in there?" asked Zeb, with one finger pointing to theRound-house; "then sit down on this bit of bank, sir, a minute. Lesschance to be shot at by any French ship. "

The bit of bank really was a bit of hollow, where no one could see themfrom the beach, or lane, or even from the Round-house. Scudamore, whounderstood his man, obeyed; and Tugwell came to his bearings on a clumpof fern before him. 

"How much will Government pay the chaps as fetches her out of that snuglittle berth? For division to self and partners, how much? For divisionto self and family, how much?"

"I have thought about that, " the lieutenant answered, with littlesurprise at the question, but much at the secrecy thrown around it; "andI think it would be very unsafe to count upon getting a penny beyond theAdmiral's terms--double pay for the day that we float her. "

Captain Zebedee shook his head, and the golden sheaf of his Olympianbeard ruffled and crisped, as to an adverse wind. 

"Can't a'most believe it, " he replied, with his bright eyes steadilysettled on Scudamore's; "the English country, as I belongs to, can'tquite 'a coom to that yet!"

"I fear that it has indeed, " Blyth answered, very gravely; "at least Iam sure of this, Master Tugwell, that you must not look forward toany bounty, bonus, or premium, or whatever it is called, from theAuthorities who should provide it. But for myself, and the difference itwill make to me whether we succeed or fail, I shall be happy, and willgive my word, to send you 50 pounds, to be divided at your discretionamong the smacks. I mean, of course, as soon as I get paid. "

Scudamore was frightened by the size of his own promise; for he hadnever yet owned 50 pounds in the solid. And then he was scared at thewholesale loss of so large a sum to his mother. 

"Never fear, lad, " honest Tugwell replied, for the young man's face wasfair to read; "we'll not take a farden of thy hard airnings, not a brassfarden, so help me Bob! Gentlefolks has so much call for money, as noneof us know nothing of. And thou hast helped to save all the lot of usfrom Frenchies, and been the most forwardest, as I hear tell. But if uscould 'a got 50 pounds out of Government, why so much more for us, andnone the less for they. But a Englishman must do his duty, in reason, and when 'a don't hurt his self by the same. There's a change inthe weather, as forbids more sport. You shall have the Blunder offto-morrow, lad. Wouldn't do to be too sudden like. "

"I fear I am very stupid, Master Tugwell. But I don't see how you canmanage it so surely, after labouring nine days all in vain. "

Zebedee hesitated half a moment, betwixt discretion and the pride ofknowledge. Then the latter vanquished and relieved his mind. 

"I trust in your honour, sir, of course, to keep me clear. I might havebrought 'e off the Pig, first day, or second to the latest, if it weresound business. But with winter time coming, and the week's fishinglost, our duty to our families and this place was to pull 'e on harder, sir, to pull 'e aground firmer; and with the help of the Lord we havea-doed it well. We wasn't a-going to kill the goose as laid the goldeneggs. No offence to you, sir; it wasn't you as was the goose. "

Master Tugwell rubbed his pockets with a very pleasant smile, and thenput his elbows on his great square knees, and complacently studied thelieutenant's smaller mind. 

"I can understand how you could do such a thing, " said Scudamore, afterhe had rubbed his eyes, and then looked away for fear of laughing, "butI cannot understand by what power on earth you are enabled to look at meand tell me this. For nine days you have been paid every night, and paidpretty well, as you yourself acknowledge, to haul a ship off a shoal;and all the time you have been hauling her harder upon it!"

"Young man, " replied Tugwell, with just indignation, "a hofficer shouldbe above such words. But I forgive 'e, and hope the Lord will do thesame, with allowance for youth and ill-convenience. I might 'a knowed nobetter, at your age and training. "

"But what were you paid for, just answer me that, unless it was to pullthe Blonde off the sand-bank? And how can you pretend that you have donean honest thing by pulling her further upon the bank?"

"I won't ask 'e, sir, to beg my pardon for saying what never man saidto me, without reading the words of the contraction;" Zeb pulled outa paper from his hat, and spread it, and laid a stone at every corner;"this contraction was signed by yourself and Squire Darling, for and onbehalf of the kingdom; and the words are for us to give our services, topull, haul, tow, warp, or otherwise as directed, release, relieve, setfree, and rescue the aforesaid ship, or bark, or vessel, craft, or--"

"Please not to read all that, " cried Scuddy, "or a gale of wind may comebefore you are half-way through. It was Admiral Darling's lawyer, Mr. Furkettle, who prepared it, to prevent any chance of misunderstanding. "

"Provided always, " continued Tugwell, slowly, "and the meaning, condition, purport, object, sense, and intention of this agreement is, that the aforesaid Zebedee Tugwell shall submit in everything to theorders, commands, instructions, counsel, directions, injunctions, authority, or discretion, whether in writing or otherwise, of theaforesaid--"

"I would not interrupt you if I could help it"--Scudamore had a largestock of patience (enhanced by laborious practice at Stonnington), butwho might abide, when time was precious, to see Zebedee feeling his waywith his fingers along the bottom and to the end of every word, and thenstopping to congratulate himself at the conquest of every one over twosyllables? "But excuse me for saying that I know all these conditions;and the tide will be lost, if we stop here. "

"Very good, sir; then you see how it standeth. Who hath broken them?Not us! We was paid for to haul; and haul we did, according to superiororders. She grounded from the south, with the tide making upp'ard, somewhere about three-quarter flow; and the Squire, and you, and allthe rest of 'e, without no knowledge of the Pig whatsomever, fastens allyour pulley-haulies by the starn, and says, 'now pull!' And pull we did, to the tune of sixteen guineas a day for the good of Springhaven. "

"And you knew all the time that it was wrong! Well, I never came acrosssuch people. But surely some one of you would have had the honesty--Ibeg pardon, I mean the good-will--to tell us. I can scarcely imaginesome forty men and boys preserving such a secret for nine whole days, hauling for their lives in the wrong direction, and never even by a winkor smile--"

"Springhaven is like that, " said Master Tugwell, proudly; "we does athing one and all together, even if us reasons consarning it. And overand above that, sir, there is but two men in Springhaven as understandsthe White Pig, barring my own self. The young 'uns might 'a smelt a rat, but they knew better than to say so. Where the Blunder grounded--and shehath airned her name, for the good of the dwellers in this village--isthe chine of the Pig; and he hath a double back, with the outer sidehigher than the inner one. She came through a narrow nick in his outerback, and then plumped, stem on, upon the inner one. You may haul ather forever by the starn, and there she'll 'bide, or lay up again on theother back. But bring her weight forrard, and tackle her by the head, and off she comes, the very next fair tide; for she hath berthed herselfover the biggest of it, and there bain't but a basketful under herforefoot. "

"Then, Master Tugwell, let us lose no time, but have at her at once, andbe done with it. " Scudamore jumped up, to give action to his words; butTugwell sate aground still, as firmly as the Blonde. 

"Begging of your pardon, sir, I would invite of you not to be in no sartof hurry hasting forwardly. Us must come off gradual, after holding onso long there, and better to have Squire Darling round the corner first, sir. Not that he knoweth much about it, but 'a might make believe todo so. And when 'a hath seen us pull wrong ways, a hundred and twentyguineas' worth, a' might grudge us the reward for pulling right ways. I've a-knowed 'un get into that state of mind, although it was his owntenants. "

The lieutenant was at length compelled to laugh, though for many reasonsloth to do so. But the quiet contempt for the Admiral's skill, and thebrief hint about his character, touched his sense of the ludicrous moresoftly than the explanation of his own mishaps. Then the Captain ofSpringhaven smiled almost imperceptibly; for he was a serious man, andhis smiles were accustomed to be interior. 

"I did hear tell, " he said, stroking his beard, for fear of havingdiscomposed it, "that the Squire were under compulsion to go a bitwestward again to-morrow. And when he cometh back he would be glad tofind us had managed the job without him. No fear of the weather breakingup afore Friday, and her can't take no harm for a tide or two. If youthinks well, sir, let us heave at her to-day, as afore, by superiororders. Then it come into your mind to try t'other end a bit, and youshift all the guns and heavy lumber forrard to give weight to the bowsand lift the starn, and off her will glide at the first tug to-morrow, so sure as my name is Zebedee. But mind one thing, sir, that you keepher, when you've got her. She hath too many furriner natives aboard ofher, to be any way to my liking. "

"Oh, there need be no doubt about them, " replied Blyth; "we treat themlike ourselves, and they are all upon their honour, which no Frenchmanever thinks of breaking. But my men will be tired of waiting for me. Ishall leave you to your plans, Tugwell. "

"Ah, I know the natur' of they young men, " Captain Zebedee mused, as hesate in his hollow, till Scudamore's boat was far away; "they be fullof scruples for themselves and faith in other fellows. He'll never tellSquire, nor no one else here, what I laid him under, and the laugh wouldgo again' him, if he did. We shall get to-day's money, I reckon, as wellas double pay to-morrow, and airn it. Well, it might 'a been better, andit might be wuss. "

About two miles westward of the brook, some rocks marked the end of thefine Springhaven sands and the beginning of a far more rugged beach, theshingles and flint shelves of Pebbleridge. Here the chalk of the Sussexbackbone (which has been plumped over and sleeked by the flesh of thevalley) juts forth, like the scrags of a skeleton, and crumbles in lowbut rugged cliffs into the flat domain of sea. Here the landing is bad, and the anchorage worse, for a slippery shale rejects the fluke, and thewater is usually kept in a fidget between the orders of the west windand scurry of the tide. 

This very quiet morning, with the wind off shore, and scarcely enough ofit to comb the sea, four smart-looking Frenchmen, with red caps on theirheads, were barely holding way upon the light gig of the Blonde, whiletheir Captain was keeping an appointment with a stranger, not farfrom the weed-strewn line of waves. In a deep rocky channel where aland-spring rose (which was still-born except at low water), and laverand dilsk and claw-coral showed that the sea had more dominion therethan the sky, two men stood facing each other; and their words, thoughbelonging to the most polite of tongues, were not so courteous as mightbe. Each man stood with his back to a rock--not touching it, however, because it was too wet--one was as cold and as firm as the rock, the other like the sea, tumultuous. The passionate man was CaptainDesportes, and the cold one Caryl Carne. 

"Then you wish me to conclude, monsieur, " Carne spoke as one offeringrepentance, "that you will not do your duty to your country, in thesubject set before you? I pray you to deliberate, because your positionhangs upon it. "

"Never! Never! Once more, Captain, with all thanks for yourconsideration, I refuse. My duty to my own honour has first place. Afterthat my duty to my country. Speak of it no more, sir; it quite is toinsult me. "

"No, Captain Desportes, it is nothing of that kind, or I should notbe here to propose it. Your parole is given only as long as your shipcontinues upon the sand. The moment she floats, you are liberated. Then is the time for a noble stroke of fortune. Is it not so, my dearfriend?"

"No, sir. This affair is impossible. My honour has been pledged, notuntil the ship is floating, but until I am myself set free in France. Iam sorry not to see things as you see them for me; but the question isfor my own consideration. "

Captain Desportes had resented, as an honest man must do, especiallywhen more advanced in years, the other's calm settlement, withoutinvitation, of matters which concerned his own conscience. And as mostmankind--if at all perceptive--like or dislike one another at a glance, Desportes, being very quick and warm of nature, had felt at first sighta strong repulsion from the cold and arrogant man who faced him. His agewas at least twice that of Carne, he had seen much service in the betterdays of France, and had risen slowly by his own skill and valour; heknew that his future in the service depended upon his decision inthis matter, and he had a large family to maintain. But his honour waspledged, and he held fast by it. 

"There is one consideration, " Carne replied, with rancour slowlykindling in his great black eyes, "which precedes all others, eventhat of honour, in the mind of a trusted officer. It is not that ofpatriotism--which has not its usual weight with monsieur--but it is thatof obedience, discipline, loyalty, faith, towards those who have placedfaith in him. Captain Desportes, as commander of a ship, is entrustedwith property; and that confidence is the first debt upon his honour. "

To Desportes, as to most men of action, the right was plainer than thereason. He knew that this final plea was unsound, but he did not see howto contest it. So he came back to fact, which was easier for him. 

"How am I to know, monsieur, what would be the wishes of those who haveentrusted me with my position? You are placed in authority by some meanshere, in your own country, but against it. That much you have proved tome, by papers. But your credentials are general only. They do not applyto this especial case. If the Chief of the State knew my position, hewould wish me to act as I mean to act, for the honour and credit of ournation. "

"Are you then acquainted with his signature? If so, perhaps you willverify this, even if you are resolved to reject it. "

Carne drew a letter from an inner pocket, and carefully unfolded it. There were many words and minute directions upon various subjects, written by the hand of the most minute, and yet most comprehensive, ofmankind. 

"There is nothing in this that concerns you, " he said, after showingthe date, only four days old, "except these few words at the end, which perhaps you may like to read, before you make final decision. Thesignature of the Chief is clear. "

Captain Desportes read aloud--"It is of the utmost importance to me, that the Blonde should not be captured by the enemy, as the Villed'Anvers has been. You tell me that it is ashore near you, and theCaptain and crew upon parole, to be liberated if they assist in theextrication of the vessel. This must not be. In the service of theState, I demand that they consider not at all their parole. Thewell-known speed and light draught of that vessel have rendered heralmost indispensable to me. When the vessel is free, they must rise uponthe enemy, and make for the nearest of our ports without delay. Uponthis I insist, and place confidence in your established courage andmanagement, to accomplish it to my satisfaction. "

"Your orders are clear enough, " said Caryl Carne. "What reason can yougive, as an officer of the Republic, for disobeying them?"

Desportes looked at his ship in the distance, and then at the sea andthe sky, with a groan, as if he were bidding farewell to them. Carnefelt sure that he had prevailed, and a smile shed light, but not a softlight, on his hard pale countenance. 

"Be in no rash haste, " said the French sea-captain, and he could nothave found words more annoying to the cold proud man before him; "I donot recognise in this mandate the voice of my country, of the honourableFrance, which would never say, 'Let my sons break their word of honour!'This man speaks, not as Chief of a grand State, not as leader of noblegentlemen, but as Emperor of a society of serfs. France is no empire;she is a grand nation of spirit, of valour, above all, of honour. TheEnglish have treated me, as I would treat them, with kindness, withlargeness, with confidence. In the name of fair France, I will not dothis thing. "

Carne was naturally pale, but now he grew white with rage, and his blackeyes flashed. 

"France will be an empire within six months; and your honour will be putupon prison diet, while your family starve for the sake of it. "

"If I ever meet you under other circumstances, " replied the braveFrenchman, now equally pale, "I shall demand reparation, sir. "

"With great pleasure, " replied Carne, contemptuously; "meanwhilemonsieur will have enough to do to repair his broken fortunes. "

Captain Desportes turned his back, and gave a whistle for his crew, then stepped with much dignity into his boat. "To the Blonde, lads, "he cried, "to the unsullied Blonde!" Then he sate, looking at her, andstroked his grizzled beard, into which there came trickling a bittertear or two, as he thought of his wife and family. He had acted well;but, according to the measure of the present world, unwisely. 

CHAPTER XXV

NO CONCERN OF OURS

The very next morning it was known to the faithful of Springhaventhat the glory of the place would be trebled that day, and its incomeincreased desirably. That day, the fair stranger (which had so longawakened the admiration of the women, and the jealousy of the men) wouldby the consummate skill of Captain Zeb--who had triumphed over all theofficers of the British Navy--float forth magnificently from her narrowbed, hoist her white sails, and under British ensign salute the newfort, and shape a course for Portsmouth. That she had stuck fast and indanger so long was simply because the cocked hats were too proud to giveear to the wisdom in an old otter-skin. Now Admiral Darling was baffledand gone; and Captain Tugwell would show the world what he could do, andwhat stuff his men were made of, if they only had their way. From oldDaddy Stakes, the bald father of the village, to Mrs. Caper junior'sbaby--equally bald, but with a crop as sure of coming as mustard andcress beneath his flannel--some in arms, some on legs, some upon bravecrutches, all were abroad in the soft air from the west, which hadstolen up under the stiff steel skirt of the east wind, exactly as wiseCaptain Zeb predicted. 

"My dear, " said Mrs. Twemlow to the solid Mrs. Stubbard, for a verysweet friendship had sprung up between these ladies, and would lastuntil their interests should happen to diverge, "this will be a greatday for my dear husband's parish. Perhaps there is no other parishin the kingdom capable of acting as Springhaven has, so obedient, sodisciplined, so faithful to their contract! I am told that they evenpulled the vessel more aground, in preference to setting up their ownopinions. I am told that as soon as the Admiral was gone--for betweenyou and me he is a little overbearing, with the very best intentions inthe world, but too confident in his own sagacity--then that clever butexceedingly modest young man, Lieutenant Scudamore, was allowed at lastto listen to our great man Tugwell, who has long been the oracle of theneighbourhood about the sea, and the weather, and all questions of thatkind. And between you and me, my dear, the poor old Admiral seems alittle bit jealous of his reputation. And what do you think he saidbefore he went, which shows his high opinion of his own abilities?Tugwell said something in his rough and ready way, which, I suppose, puthis mightiness upon the high ropes, for he shouted out in everybody'shearing, 'I'll tell you what it is, my man, if you can get her off, byany of your'--something I must not repeat--'devices, I'll give you fiftyguineas, five-and-twenty for yourself, and the rest to be divided amongthese other fellows. ' Then Zebedee pulled out a Testament from hispocket, for he is a man of deep religious convictions, and can readalmost all the easy places, though he thinks most of the hard ones, andhe made his son Dan (who is a great scholar, as they say, and a veryfine-looking youth as well) put down at the end what the Admiral hadsaid. Now, what do you think of that, dear Mrs. Stubbard?"

"I think, " replied that strong-minded lady, "that Tugwell is an arrantold fox; and if he gets the fifty guineas, he will put every farthinginto his own pocket. "

"Oh, no! He is honest as the day itself. He will take his owntwenty-five, and then leave the rest to settle whether he should sharein their twenty-five. But we must be quick, or we shall lose the sight. Quite a number of people are come from inland. How wonderfully quicklythese things spread! They came the first day, and then made up theirminds that nothing could be done, and so they stopped at home. But now, here they are again, as if by magic! If the ship gets off, it will beknown halfway to London before nightfall. But I see Captain Stubbardgoing up the hill to your charming battery. That shows implicit faith inTugwell, to return the salute of the fair captive! It is indeed a proudday for Springhaven!"

"But it isn't done yet. And perhaps it won't be done. I would rathertrust officers of the navy than people who catch crabs and oysters. Iwould go up to the battery, to laugh at my husband, but for the tricksthe children play me. My authority is gone, at the very first puff ofsmoke. How children do delight in that vile gunpowder!"

"So they ought, in the present state of our country, with five hundredthousand of Frenchmen coming. My dear Mrs. Stubbard, how thankful weshould be to have children who love gunpowder!"

"But not when they blow up their mother, ma'am. "

"Oh, here comes Eliza!" cried Mrs. Twemlow. "I am so glad, because sheknows everything. I thought we had missed her. My dear child, where areFaith and Dolly Darling gone? There are so many strangers about to-daythat the better class should keep together. "

"Here are three of us at any rate, " replied the young lady, whoconsidered her mother old-fashioned: "enough to secure one another'ssanctity from the lower orders. Faith has gone on to the headland, withthat heroic mannikin, Johnny. Dolly was to follow, with that Shanks maidto protect her, as soon as her hat was trimmed, or some such era. ButI'll answer for it that she loses herself in the crowd, or some fib ofthat sort. "

"Eliza!" said her mother, and very severely, because Mrs. Stubbard waspresent, "I am quite astonished at your talking so. You might do thegreatest injury to a very lively and harmless, but not over-prudentgirl, if any one heard you who would repeat it. We all know that theAdmiral is so wrapped up in Dolly that he lets her do many things whicha mother would forbid. But that is no concern of ours; and once for all, if such things must be said, I beg that they may not be said by you. "

In the present age, Mrs. Twemlow would have got sharp answer. But herdaughter only looked aggrieved, and glanced at Mrs. Stubbard, as if tosay, "Well, time will show whether I deserve it. " And then they hastenedon, among the worse class, to the headland. 

Not only all the fishing-smacks, and Captain Stubbard's galley, butevery boat half as sound as a hat, might now be seen near the groundedvessel, preparing to labour or look on. And though the White Pig wasallowed to be three-quarters of a mile from the nearest point, themighty voice of Captain Zeb rode over the flickering breadth of sea, and through the soft babble of the waves ashore. The wind was lightfrom southwest, and the warp being nearly in the same direction now, theBlonde began to set her courses, to catch a lift of air, when the tideshould come busily working under her. And this would be the best tidesince she took the ground, last Sunday week, when the springs were goingoff. As soon as the hawsers were made fast, and the shouts of Zebedeeredoubled with great strength (both of sound and of language), and thelong ropes lifted with a flash of splashes, and a creak of heavy wood, and the cry was, "With a will! with a will, my gay lads!" every bodyhaving a sound eye in it was gazing intently, and every heart wasfluttering, except the loveliest eyes and quickest heart in allSpringhaven. 

Miss Dolly had made up her mind to go, and would have had warm wordsready for any one rash enough to try to prevent her. But a very shortnote which was put into her hand about 10 A. M. Distracted her. 

"If you wish to do me a real service, according to your kind words ofSaturday, be in the upper shrubbery at half past eleven; but tell no oneexcept the bearer. You will see all that happens better there than onthe beach, and I will bring a telescope. "

Dolly knew at once who had written this, and admired it all the morebecause it was followed by no signature. For years she had longed fora bit of romance; and the common-sense of all the world irked her. Sheknew as well as possible that what she ought to do was to take thisletter to her sister Faith, and be guided by her advice about it. Faithwas her elder by three years or more, and as steadfast as a rock, yet astender as young moss. There was no fear that Faith would ride the highhorse with her, or lay down the law severely; she was much more likelyto be too indulgent, though certain not to play with wrong. 

All this the younger sister knew, and therefore resolved to eschewthat knowledge. She liked her own way, and she meant to have it, in aharmless sort of way; her own high spirit should be her guide, and shewas old enough now to be her own judge. Mr. Carne had saved her sister'slife, when she stood up in that senseless way; and if Faith had nogratitude, Dolly must feel, and endeavour to express it for her. 

Reasoning thus, and much better than this, she was very particular abouther hat, and French pelerine of fluted lawn, and frock of pale violettrimmed on either side with gathered muslin. Her little heart flutteredat being drawn in, when it should have been plumped up to her neck, andvery nearly displayed to the public; but her father was stern upon somepoints, and never would hear of the classic discoveries. She had noteven Grecian sandals, nor a "surprise fan" to flutter from her wrist, nor hair oiled into flat Lesbian coils, but freedom of rich youngtresses, and of graceful figure, and taper limbs. There was no one whocould say her nay, of the lovers of maiden nature. 

However, maidens must be discreet, even when most adventurous; andso she took another maid to help her, of respected but not romanticname--Jenny Shanks, who had brought her that letter. Jenny was muchprettier than her name, and the ground she trod on was worshipped bymany, even when her shoes were down at heel. Especially in this trackremained the finer part of Charley Bowles's heart (while the coarserwas up against the Frenchmen), as well as a good deal of Mr. Prater'snephew's, and of several other sole-fishers. This enabled Jenny to enterkindly into tender questions. And she fetched her Sunday bonnet down thetrap-ladder where she kept it--because the other maids were so nasty--assoon as her letter was delivered. 

"Your place, Jenny, is to go behind, " Miss Dolly said, with no smalldignity, as this zealous attendant kept step for step with her, andswung her red arm against the lady's fair one. "I am come upon importantbusiness, Jenny, such as you cannot understand, but may stay at a properdistance. "

"Lor, miss, I am sure I begs your pardon. I thought it was a kind ofcoorting-match, and you might be glad of my experience. "

"Such things I never do, and have no idea what you mean. I shall be muchobliged to you, Jenny, if you will hold your tongue. "

"Oh yes, miss; no fear of my telling anybody. Wild horses would neverpull a syllable out of me. The young men is so aggravating that I keepmy proper distance from them. But the mind must be made up, at one timeor other. "

Dolly looked down at her with vast contempt, which she would not lowerherself by expressing, even with favour of time and place. Then turninga corner of the grassy walk, between ground-ash and young larches, theycame upon an opening planted round with ilex, arbutus, juniper, andlaurel, and backed by one of the rocks which form the outworks of thevalley. From a niche in this rock, like the port-hole of a ship, a rillof sparkling water poured, and beginning to make a noise already, cutcorner's--of its own production--short, in its hurry to be a brook, andthen to help the sea. And across its exit from the rock (like a measureof its insignificance) a very comfortable seat was fixed, so that anygentleman--or even a lady with divided skirts--might freely sit with onefoot on either bank of this menacing but not yet very formidable stream. So that on the whole this nook of shelter under the coronet of rock wasa favourite place for a sage cock-pheasant, or even a woodcock in wintryweather. 

Upon that bench (where the Admiral loved to sit, in the afternoon ofpeace and leisure, observing with a spy-glass the manoeuvres of histranquil fishing fleet) Caryl Carne was sitting now, with his long andstrong legs well spread out, his shoulders comfortably settled back, andhis head cast a little on one side, as if he were trying to compute hisproperty. Then, as Dolly came into the opening, he arose, made a bowbeyond the compass of any true Briton, and swinging his hat, came tomeet her. Dolly made a curtsey in the style impressed upon her by herlast governess but one--a French lady of exceedingly high ancestry andmanners--and Carne recognised it as a fine thing out of date. 

"Jenny, get away!" said Dolly--words not meant for him to hear, but hehad grave command of countenance. 

"This lays me under one more obligation:" Carne spoke in a low voice, and with a smile of diffidence which reminded her of Scudamore, thoughthe two smiles were as different as night and day. "I have taken a greatliberty in asking you to come, and that multiplies my gratitude foryour good-will. For my own sake alone I would not have dared to sue thisgreat favour from you, though I put it so, in terror of alarming you. But it is for my own sake also, since anything evil to you would beterrible to me. "

"No one can wish to hurt me, " she answered, looking up at him bravely, and yet frightened by his gaze, "because I have never harmed any one. And I assure you, sir, that I have many to defend me, even when myfather is gone from home. "

"It is beyond doubt. Who would not rush to do so? But it is from thosewho are least suspected that the danger comes the worst. The most modestof all gentlemen, who blushes like a damsel, or the gallant officerdevoted to his wife and children, or the simple veteran with his stars, and scars, and downright speech--these are the people that do the wrong, because no one believes it is in them. "

"Then which of the three is to carry me off from home, and friends, andfamily--Lieutenant Scudamore, Captain Stubbard, or my own godfather, Lord Nelson?"

This young man nourished a large contempt for the intellect of women, and was therefore surprised at the quickness and spirit of the girl whomhe wished to terrify. A sterner tone must be used with her. 

"I never deal in jokes, " he said, with a smile of sad sympathy forthose who do; "my life is one perpetual peril, and that restrainsfacetiousness. But I can make allowance for those who like it. "

Miss Dolly, the pet child of the house, and all the peopleround it--except the gardener, Mr. Swipes, who found her tooinquisitive--quick as she was, could not realise at once the possibilityof being looked down upon. 

"I am sorry that you have to be so grave, " she said, "because itprevents all enjoyment. But why should you be in such continual danger?You promised to explain it, on Saturday, only you had no time then. We are all in danger from the French, of course, if they ever shouldsucceed in landing. But you mean something more than that; and it seemsso hard, after all your losses, that you should not be safe from harm. "

With all her many faults--many more than she dreamed of--fair Dolly hada warm and gentle heart, which filled her eyes with tender loveliness, whenever it obtained command of them. Carne, who was watching themsteadfastly for his own purpose, forgot that purpose, and dropped hisdark eyes, and lost the way to tell a lie. 

"If I may ask you, " he said, almost stammering, and longing withoutknowledge for the blessing of her touch, "to--to allow me just to leadyou to this seat, I may perhaps be able--I will not take the liberty ofsitting at your side--but I may perhaps be able to explain as much of myaffairs as you can wish to hear of them, and a great deal more, I fear, a great deal more, Miss Darling. "

Dolly blushed at the rich tone in which he pronounced her name, almostas if it were an adjective; but she allowed him to take her hand, and lead her to the bench beneath the rock. Then, regardless of hisbreeches, although of fine padusoy, and his coat, though of purplevelvet, he sate down on the bank of the rill at her feet, and waited forher to say something. The young lady loved mainly to take the lead, butwould liefer have followed suit just now. 

"You have promised to tell me, " she said, very softly, and with anunusual timidity, which added to her face and manner almost the onlycharm they lacked, "some things which I do not understand, and which Ihave no right to ask you of, except for your own offer. Why should you, without injuring any one, but only having suffered loss of all yourfamily property, and of all your rights and comforts, and living inthat lonely place which used to be full of company--why should you bein danger now, when you have nothing more to be robbed of? I beg yourpardon--I mean when all your enemies must have done their worst. "

"You are too young yet to understand the world, " he answered, with awell-drawn sigh; "and I hope most truly that you may never do so. Inyour gentle presence I cannot speak with bitterness, even if I couldfeel it. I will not speak harshly of any one, however I may have beentreated. But you will understand that my life alone remains betwixt theplunderers and their prey, and that my errand here prevents them fromlegally swallowing up the spoil. "

Miss Dolly's idea of the law, in common with that of most young ladies, suggested a horrible monster ravening to devour the fallen. And the fallof the Carnes had long been a subject of romantic interest to her. 

"Oh, I see!" she exclaimed, with a look of deep wisdom. "I can quiteunderstand a thing like that, from what I have heard about witnesses. Ihope you will be very careful. My sister owes so much to you, and so doI. "

"You must never speak of that again, unless you wish to grieve me. Iknow that I have said too much about myself; but you alone care to knowanything about me; and that beguiles one out--out of one's wits. If Ispeak bad English, you will forgive me. I have passed so many yearson the Continent, and am picking up the language of my childhoodvery slowly. You will pardon me, when I am misled by--by my ownsignification. "

"Well done!" cried the innocent Dolly. "Now that is the very first pieceof bad English you have used, to the best of my belief, and I am ratherquick in that. But you have not yet explained to me my own danger, though you asked me to come here for that purpose, I believe. "

"But you shall not be so; you shall not be in danger. My life shall begiven for your defence. What imports my peril compared with yours? I amnot of cold blood. I will sacrifice all. Have faith in me purely, andall shall be done. "

"All what?" Dolly asked, with a turn of common-sense, which is the mostprovoking of all things sometimes; and she looked at him steadily, tofollow up her question. 

"You cannot be persuaded that you are in any danger. It is possible thatI have been too anxious. Do you speak the French language easily? Do youcomprehend it, when spoken quickly?"

"Not a word of it. I have had to learn, of course, and can pronouncevery well, my last mistress said; but I cannot make it out at all in theway the French people pronounce it, when one comes to talk with them. "

"It is very wrong of them, and the loss is theirs. They expect us tocopy them even in their language, because we do it in everything else. Pardon me--one moment. May I look at the great enterprise which is toglorify Springhaven? It is more than kind of you to be here instead ofthere. But this, as I ventured to say, is a far better place to observethe operation. Your words reminded me of Captain Desportes, who hasbeen, I think, your father's guest. A very gallant sailor, and famed forthe most unexpected exploits. Without doubt, he would have captured allthree ships, if he had not contrived to run his own aground. "

"How could he capture his own ship? I thought that you never dealt injokes. But if you dislike them, you seem to be fond of a little mystery. I like the French captain very much, and he took the trouble to speakslowly for me. My father says that he bears his misfortune nobly, andlike a perfect gentleman. Mr. Scudamore admires him, and they are greatfriends. And yet, sir, you seem inclined to hint that I am in dangerfrom Captain Desportes!"

"Ha! she is afloat! They have succeeded. I thought that they had soarranged it. The brave ship spreads her pinions. How clever the peopleof Springhaven are! If you will condescend to look through this glass, you will see much embracing of the Saxon and the Gaul, or rather, Ishould say, of the Saxon by the Gaul. Old Tugwell is not fond to beembraced. "

"Oh, let me see that! I must see that!" cried Dolly, with all reserveand caution flown; "to see Capp'en Zeb in the arms of a Frenchman--yes, I declare, two have got him, if not three, and he puts his great backagainst the mast to disentangle it. Oh, what will he do next? He hasknocked down two, in reply to excessive cordiality. What wonderfulcreatures Frenchmen are! How kind it is of you to show me this! Butexcuse me, Mr. Carne; there will be twenty people coming to the housebefore I can get back almost. And the ship will salute the battery, and the battery will return it. Look! there goes a great puff of smokealready. They can see me up here, when they get to that corner. "

"But this spot is not private? I trust that I have not intruded. Your father allows a sort of foot-path through this upper end of hisgrounds?"

"Yes, to all the villagers, and you are almost one of them; there isno right of way at all; and they very seldom come this way, because itleads to nowhere. Faith is fond of sitting here, to watch the sea, andthink of things. And so am I--sometimes, I mean. "

CHAPTER XXVI

LONG-PIPE TIMES

Daily now the roar and clank of war grew loud and louder, across thenarrow seas, and up the rivers, and around the quiet homes of England. If any unusual cloud of dust, any moving shade, appeared afar, if thetramp of horses in the lane were heard, or neigh of a colt from thefour-cross roads, people at dinner would start up and cry, "The French, the French have landed!" while the men in the fields would get nearerthe hedge to peep through it, and then run away down the ditch. 

But the nation at large, and the governing powers, certainly were notin any great fright. Nay, rather they erred, if at all, on the sideof tranquillity and self-confidence; as one who has been fired at withblank-cartridge forgets that the click of the trigger will not tell himwhen the bullet has been dropped in. The bullet was there this time; andit missed the heart of Britannia, only through the failure of the powderto explode all at once. 

It was some years before all this was known; even Nelson had noperception of it; and although much alarm was indulged in on the sly, the few who gave voice to it were condemned as faint-hearted fellowsand "alarmists. " How then could Springhaven, which never had fearedany enemies, or even neighbours, depart from its habits, while stillan eye-witness of what had befallen the Frenchman? And in this state ofmind, having plenty to talk of, it did not (as otherwise must have beendone) attach any deep importance to the strange vagaries of the LondonTrader. 

That great Institution, and Royal Exchange, as well as central embassyof Fashion, had lately become most uncertain in its dates, which foryears had announced to loose-reckoning housewives the day of the weekand the hour to buy candles. Instead of coming home on a Saturday eve, in the van of all the fishing fleet, returning their cheers and those ofcustomers on the beach, the London Trader arrived anywhen, as often inthe dark as daylight, never took the ground at all, and gave a very wideberth to Captain Zeb Tugwell, his craft, and his crews. At times shelanded packages big and bulky, which would have been searched (in spiteof London bills of lading) if there had been any Custom-house here, or any keen Officer of Customs. But these were delivered by daylightalways, and carted by Mr. Cheeseman's horse direct to his master'scellars; and Cheeseman had told everybody that his wife, having comeinto a little legacy, was resolved in spite of his advice to try a bitof speculation in hardware, through her sister miles away at Uckfield. Most of the neighbours liked Mrs. Cheeseman, because she gave goodweight (scarcely half an ounce short, with her conscience to her familythrown in against it), as well as the soundest piece of gossip to be hadfor the money in Springhaven. And therefore they wished her well, andboxed their children's ears if they found them poking nose into herpackages. Mrs. Cheeseman shook her head when enquired of on the subject, and said with grave truth that the Lord alone can tell how any of poorpeople's doings may turn out. 

Some other things puzzled the village, and would in more sensible timeshave produced a sensation. Why did Mr. Cheeseman now think nothing of asmuch as three spots on his white linen apron, even in the first half ofthe week? Why was he seldom at John Prater's now, and silent in a cornereven when he did appear? What was become of the ruddy polish, like thatof a Winter Redstrake, on his cheeks, which made a man long for a sliceof his ham? Why, the only joke he had made for the last three months wasa terrible one at his own expense. He had rushed down the street aboutten o'clock one morning, at a pace quite insane for a middle-aged man, with no hat on his head and no coat on his back, but the strings ofhis apron dashed wild on the breeze, and his biggest ham-carver makingflashes in his hand. It was thought that some boy must have run off witha penny, or some visitor changed a bad shilling; but no, there was nosuch good reason to give for it. 

The yearning of all ages, especially dotage, is for a relapse to theinfantile state when all playthings were held in common. And this wisestof all places (in its own opinion) had a certain eccentric inclinationtowards the poetic perfection when it will be impossible to steal, because there will be nothing left worth stealing. Still everybodyhere stuck to his own rights, and would knock down anybody across them, though finding it very nice to talk as if others could have no suchstanding-point. Moreover, they had sufficient common-sense to begin withthe right end foremost, and to take a tender interest in one another'sgoods, moveable, handy, and divisible; instead of hungering after hungryland, which feeds nobody, until itself well fed and tended, and is asuseless without a master as a donkey or a man is. The knowledge of theserudiments of civilization was not yet lost at Springhaven; and whileeverybody felt and even proved his desire to share a neighbour'strouble, nobody meddled with any right of his, save his right to beassisted. 

Among them throve the old English feeling of respect for ancientfamilies, which is nowadays called "toadyism" by those whom it baulksof robbery. To trade upon this good-will is almost as low a thing as anyman can do, even when he does it for good uses. But to trade upon it, for the harm of those who feel it, and the ruin of his country, iswithout exception the very lowest--and this was what Caryl Carne was at. 

He looked at the matter in a wholly different light, and would havestabbed any man who put it as above; for his sense of honour was asquick and hot as it was crooked and misguided. His father had beena true Carne, of the old stamp--hot-blooded, headstrong, stubborn, wayward, narrow-minded, and often arrogant; but--to balance these faultsand many others--truthful, generous, kind-hearted, affectionate, staunchto his friends, to his inferiors genial, loyal to his country, andrespectful to religion. And he might have done well, but for two sadevils--he took a burdened property, and he plunged into a bad marriage. 

His wife, on the other hand, might have done well, if she had marriedalmost anybody else. But her nature was too like his own, with femininevanity and caprice, French conceit, and the pride of noble birth--in theproudest age of nobility--hardening all her faults, and hammering therivets of her strong self-will. To these little difficulties must beadded the difference of religion; and though neither of them cared twopins for that, it was a matter for crossed daggers. A pound of feathersweighs as much as (and in some poise more than) a pound of lead, andthe leaden-headed Squire and the feather-headed Madame swung always atopposite ends of the beam, until it broke between them. Tales of roughconflict, imprisonment, starvation, and even vile blows, were told aboutthem for several years; and then "Madame la Comtesse" (as her husbanddisdainfully called her) disappeared, carrying off her one child, Caryl. She was still of very comely face and form; and the Squire made known toall whom it concerned, and many whom it did not concern, that his Frenchwife had run away with a young Frenchman, according to the habit ofher race and kind. In support of this charge he had nothing whatever toshow, and his friends disbelieved it, knowing him to be the last man inthe world to leave such a wrong unresented. 

During the last three generations the fortunes of the Carnes had beendeclining, slowly at first, and then faster and faster; and now theyfell with the final crash. The lady of high birth and great beauty hadbrought nothing else into the family, but rather had impoverished it byher settlement, and wild extravagance afterwards. Her husband MontaguCarne staved off the evil day just for the present, by raising a largesum upon second mortgage and the security of a trustful friend. But thissum was dissipated, like the rest; for the Squire, being deeply woundedby his wife's desertion, proved to the world his indifference about itby plunging into still more reckless ways. He had none to succeed him;for he vowed that the son of the adulteress--as he called her--shouldnever have Carne Castle; and his last mad act was to buy five-and-twentybarrels of powder, wherewith to blow up his ancestral home. But ere hecould accomplish that stroke of business he stumbled and fell down theold chapel steps, and was found the next morning by faithful Jeremiah, as cold as the ivy which had caught his feet, and as dead as the stoneshe would have sent to heaven. 

No marvel that his son had no love for his memory, and little for theland that gave him birth. In very early days this boy had shown thathis French blood was predominant. He would bite, and kick, and scratch, instead of striking, as an English child does, and he never cared fordogs or horses, neither worshipped he the gamekeeper. France was theproper land for him, as his mother always said with a sweet proud smile, and his father with a sneer, or a brief word now condemned. And Francewas the land for him (as facts ordained) to be nourished, and taught, and grown into tall manhood, and formed into the principles and habitudeand character which every nation stamps upon the nature of its members. 

However, our strong point--like that of all others--is absolute freedomfrom prejudice; and the few English people who met Caryl Carne werewell pleased with his difference from themselves. Even the enlightenedfishermen, imbued with a due contempt for Crappos, felt a kindly willtowards him, and were touched by his return to a ruined home and alonely life. But the women, romantic as they ought to be, felt a tenderinterest in a young man so handsome and so unlucky, who lifted his hatto them, and paid his way. 

Among the rising spirits of the place, who liked to take a largerview, on the strength of more education, than their fathers had foundconfirmed by life, Dan Tugwell was perhaps the foremost. In the presentdays he might have been a hot radical, even a socialist; but things werenot come to that pass yet among people brought up to their duty. AndDan's free sentiments had not been worked by those who make a trade ofsuch work now. So that he was pleased and respectful, instead of carpingand contradictory, when persons of higher position than his own woulddiscuss the condition of the times with him. Carne had discovered this, although as a rule he said little to his neighbours, and for reasons ofhis own he was striving to get a good hold upon this young fellow. He knew that it could not be done in a moment, nor by any commoncorruption; the mind of the youth being keen, clear-sighted, andsimple--by reason of soundness. Then Carne accidentally heard ofsomething, which encouraged and helped him in his design upon Dan. 

Business was slack upon the sea just now, but unusually active uponland, a tide of gold having flowed into Springhaven, and bubbled up infrying-pans and sparkled in new bonnets. The fishing fleet had capturedthe finest French frigate--according to feminine history--that everendeavoured to capture them. After such a prisoner, let the fish gofree, till hunger should spring again in the human breast, or the partthat stands up under it. The hero of the whole (unlike most heroes) hadnot succeeded in ruining himself by his services to his country, but wasable to go about patting his pocket, with an echo in his heart, everytime it tinkled, that a quantity more to come into it was lyinglocked up in a drawer at home. These are the things that breed presenthappiness in a noble human nature, all else being either of the futureor the past; and this is the reason why gold outweighs everything thatcan be said against it. 

Captain Tugwell, in his pithy style, was wont to divide all human lifeinto two distinctive tenses--the long-pipe time and the short-pipe time. The long-pipe time was of ease and leisure, comfort in the way of hotvictuals and cool pots, the stretching of legs without strain of muscle, and that ever-fresh well-spring of delight to the hard worker, thecensorial but not censorious contemplation of equally fine fellows, equally lazy, yet pegging hard, because of nothing in their pockets totap. Such were the golden periods of standing, or, still better, sittingwith his back against a tree, and a cool yard of clay between his gentlysmiling lips, shaving with his girdle-knife a cake of rich tobacco, andthen milling it complacently betwixt his horny palms, with his resoluteeyes relaxing into a gentle gaze at the labouring sea, and the part(where his supper soon would be) warming into a fine condition for it, by good-will towards all the world. As for the short-pipe times, witha bitter gale dashing the cold spray into his eyes, legs drenched withsleet, and shivering to the fork, and shoulders racked with rheumatismagainst the groaning mast, and the stump of a pipe keeping chatter withhis teeth--away with all thought of such hardship now, except what wouldserve to fatten present comfort. 

But fatherly feeling and sense of right compelled Captain Zeb to checkidle enjoyment from going too far--i. E. , further than himself. Everyother member of his family but himself, however good the times mightbe, must work away as hard as ever, and earn whatever victuals it shouldplease the Lord to send them. There was always a job to be found, heknew that, if a young man or maid had a mind for it; and "no silver nosupper" was the order of his house. His eldest son Dan was the first tobe driven--for a good example to the younger ones--and now he was set towork full time and overtime, upon a heavy job at Pebbleridge. 

Young Daniel was not at all afraid of work, whenever there was any kindof skill to be shown, or bodily strength to be proved by it. But thepresent task was hateful to him; for any big-armed yokel, or commonwood-hewer, might have done as much as he could do, and perhaps more, at it, and could have taken the same wage over it. Mr. Coggs, ofPebbleridge, the only wheelwright within ten miles of Springhaven, hadtaken a Government contract to supply within a certain time five hundredspoke-wheels for ammunition tumbrils, and as many block-wheels for smallartillery; and to hack out these latter for better men to finish was thedaily task of Dan Tugwell. 

This job swelled his muscles and enlarged his calves, and fetched awayall the fat he had been enabled to form in loftier walks of art; butthese outward improvements were made at the expense of his inner andnobler qualities. To hack and hew timber by the cubic foot, without anygrowing pleasure of proportion or design, to knit the brows hard for astruggle with knots, and smile the stern smile of destruction; andthen, after a long and rough walk in the dark--for the equinox now wasimpending--to be joked at by his father (who had lounged about allday), and have all his money told into the paternal pocket, with narrowenquiries, each Saturday night. But worst of all to know that because hewas not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had no heart--no heartthat he could offer where he laid it; but there it must lie, andbe trodden on in silence, while rakish-looking popinjays--But thisreflection stopped him, for it was too bitter to be thought out, andfetched down his quivering hand upon his axe. Enough that these thingsdid not tend to a healthy condition of mind, or the proper worship ofthe British Constitution. However, he was not quite a Radical yet. 

CHAPTER XXVII

FAIR IN THEORY

One Saturday evening, when the dusk was just beginning to smoothe thebreak of billow and to blunt the edge of rock, young Dan Tugwell swunghis axe upon his shoulder, with the flag basket hanging from it in whichhis food had been, and in a rather crusty state of mind set forth uponhis long walk home to Springhaven. As Harry Shanks had said, andalmost everybody knew, an ancient foot-path, little used, but never yetobstructed, cut off a large bend of the shore, and saved half a mileof plodding over rock and shingle. This path was very lonesome, andinfested with dark places, as well as waylaid with a very piteous ghost, who never would keep to the spot where he was murdered, but might appearat any shady stretch or woody corner. Dan Tugwell knew three courageousmen who had seen this ghost, and would take good care to avoid anyfurther interview, and his own faith in ghosts was as stanch as in gold;yet such was his mood this evening that he determined to go that wayand chance it, not for the saving of distance, but simply because hehad been told in the yard that day that the foot-path was stopped by thelandowner. "We'll see about that, " said Dan; and now he was going to seeabout it. 

For the first field or two there was no impediment, except the usualstile or gate; but when he had crossed a little woodland hollow, wherethe fence of the castle grounds ran down to the brow of the cliff, hefound entrance barred. Three stout oak rails had been nailed acrossfrom tree to tree, and on a board above them was roughly painted: "Nothoroughfare. Tresspassers will be prosecuted. " For a moment the youngman hesitated, his dread of the law being virtuously deep, and hismind well assured that his father would not back him up against settledauthorities. But the shame of turning back, and the quick sense ofwrong, which had long been demanding some outlet, conquered his calmerjudgment, and he cast the basket from his back. Then swinging hisfavourite axe, he rushed at the oaken bars, and with a few strokes sentthem rolling down the steep bank-side. 

"That for your stoppage of a right of way!" he cried; "and now perhapsyou'll want to know who done it. "

To gratify this natural curiosity he drew a piece of chalk from hispocket, and wrote on the notice-board in large round hand, "DanielTugwell, son of Zebedee Tugwell, of Springhaven. " But suddenly his smileof satisfaction fled, and his face turned as white as the chalk in hishand. At the next turn of the path, a few yards before him, in the graygloom cast by an ivy-mantled tree, stood a tall dark figure, with theright arm raised. The face was indistinct, but (as Dan's consciencetold him) hostile and unforgiving; there was nothing to reflect a rayof light, and there seemed to be a rustle of some departure, like thespirit fleeing. 

The ghost! What could it be but the ghost? Ghosts ought to be white; butterror scorns all prejudice. Probably this murdered one was buried inhis breeches. Dan's heart beat quicker than his axe had struck; and hisfeet were off to beat the ground still quicker. But no Springhaven ladever left his baggage. Dan leaped aside first to catch up his basket, and while he stooped for it, he heard a clear strong voice. 

"Who are you, that have dared to come and cut my fence down?"

No ghost could speak like that, even if he could put a fence up. Theinborn courage of the youth revived, and the shame of his fright madehim hardier. He stepped forward again, catching breath as he spoke, andeager to meet any man in the flesh. 

"I am Daniel Tugwell, of Springhaven. And no living man shall deny me ofmy rights. I have a right to pass here, and I mean to do it. "

Caryl Carne, looking stately in his suit of black velvet, drew sword andstood behind the shattered barrier. "Are you ready to run against this?"he asked. "Poor peasant, go back; what are your rights worth?"

"I could smash that skewer at a blow, " said Daniel, flourishing his axeas if to do it; "but my rights, as you say, are not worth the hazard. What has a poor man to do with rights? Would you stop a man of your ownrank, Squire Carne?"

"Ah, that would be a different thing indeed! Justice wears a sword, because she is of gentle birth. Work-people with axes must not prateof rights, or a prison will be their next one. Your right is to bedisdained, young man, because you were not born a gentleman; and yourduty is to receive scorn with your hat off. You like it, probably, because your father did. But come in, Daniel; I will not deny you of theonly right an English peasant has--the right of the foot to plod inhis father's footsteps. The right of the hand, and the tongue, and thestomach--even the right of the eye is denied him; but by some freak oflaw he has some little right of foot, doubtless to enable him to go andserve his master. "

Dan was amazed, and his better sense aroused. Why should this gentlemanstep out of the rank of his birth, to talk in this way? Now and then Danhimself had indulged in such ideas, but always with a doubt that theywere wicked, and not long enough to make them seem good in his eyes. Heknew that some fellows at "the Club" talked thus; but they were a lot ofidle strangers, who came there chiefly to corrupt the natives, and workthe fish trade out of their hands. These wholesome reflections made himdoubt about accepting Squire Carne's invitation; and it would have beengood for him if that doubt had prevailed, though he trudged a thousandmiles for it. 

"What! Break down a fence, and then be afraid to enter! That is thestyle of your race, friend Daniel. That is why you never get yourrights, even when you dare to talk of them. I thought you were made ofdifferent stuff. Go home and boast that you shattered my fence, andthen feared to come through it, when I asked you. " Carne smiled at hisantagonist, and waved his hand. 

Dan leaped in a moment through the hanging splinters, and stood beforethe other, with a frown upon his face. "Then mind one thing, sir, " hesaid, with a look of defiance, while touching his hat from force ofhabit, "I pass here, not with your permission, but of right. "

"Very well. Let us not split words, " said Carne, who had now quiterecovered his native language. "I am glad to find a man that dares toclaim his rights, in the present state of England. I am going towardsSpringhaven. Give me the pleasure of your company, and the benefit ofyour opinion upon politics. I have heard the highest praise of yourabilities, my friend. Speak to me just as you would to one of yourbrother fishermen. By the accident of birth I am placed differently fromyou; and in this country that makes all the difference between a manand a dog, in our value. Though you may be, and probably are, the betterman--more truthful, more courageous, more generous, more true-hearted, and certain to be the more humble of the two. I have been brought upwhere all men are equal, and the things I see here make a new world tome. Very likely these are right, and all the rest of the world quitewrong. Englishmen always are certain of that; and as I belong to theprivileged classes, my great desire is to believe it. Only I want toknow how the lower orders--the dregs, the scum, the dirt under ourfeet, the slaves that do all the work and get starved for it--how thesetrampled wretches regard the question. If they are happy, submissive, contented, delighted to lick the boots of their betters, my consciencewill be clear to accept their homage, and their money for any stickof mine they look at. But you have amazed me by a most outrageous act. Because the lower orders have owned a path here for some centuries, youthink it wrong that they should lose their right. Explain to me, Daniel, these extraordinary sentiments. "

"If you please, sir, " said Dan, who was following in the track, thoughinvited to walk by the side, of Caryl Carne, "I can hardly tell you howthe lower orders feel, because father and me don't belong to them. Ourfamily have always owned their own boat, and worked for their own hand, this two hundred years, and, for all we know, ever since the Romans washere. We call them the lower orders, as come round to pick up jobs, andhave no settlement in our village. "

"A sound and very excellent distinction, Dan. But as against those whomake the laws, and take good care to enforce them, even you (though ofthe upper rank here) must be counted of the lower order. For instance, can you look at a pheasant, or a hare, without being put into prison?Can you dine in the same room with Admiral Darling, or ask how his goutis, without being stared at?"

"No, sir. He would think it a great impertinence, even if I dared to dosuch a thing. But my father might do it, as a tenant and old neighbour. Though he never gets the gout, when he rides about so much. "

"What a matter-of-fact youth it is! But to come to things every man hasa right to. If you saved the life of one of the Admiral's daughters, and she fell in love with you, as young people will, would you dare evenlift your eyes to her? Would you not be kicked out of the house and theparish, if you dared to indulge the right of every honest heart?Would you dare to look upon her as a human being, of the same order ofcreation as yourself, who might one day be your wife, if you were trueand honest, and helped to break down the absurd distinctions built up byvile tyranny between you? In a word, are you a man--as every man is onthe Continent--or only an English slave, of the lower classes?"

The hot flush of wrath, and the soft glow of shame, met and deepenedeach other on the fair cheeks of this "slave"; while his mind wouldnot come to him to make a fit reply. That his passion for Dolly, hishopeless passion, should thus be discovered by a man of her own rank, but not scorned or ridiculed, only pitied, because of his want of manlyspirit; that he should be called a "slave" because of honest modesty, and even encouraged in his wild hopes by a gentleman, who had seen allthe world, and looked down from a lofty distance on it; that in histrue estimate of things there should be nothing but prejudice, low andselfish prejudice, between--Well, he could not think it out; that wouldtake him many hours; let this large-minded man begin again. It was sodark now, that if he turned round on him, unless he was a cat, he wouldbe no wiser. 

"You do well to take these things with some doubt, " continued Carne, toosagacious to set up argument, which inures even young men in their ownopinions; "if I were in your place, I should do the same. Centuries ofoppression have stamped out the plain light of truth in those who arenot allowed it. To me, as an individual, it is better so. Chance hasordained that I should belong to the order of those who profit by it. It is against my interest to speak as I have done. Am I likely to desirethat my fences should be broken, my property invaded, the distinction sopleasing to me set aside, simply because I consider it a false one? No, no, friend Daniel; it is not for me to move. The present state of thingsis entirely in my favour. And I never give expression to my sense ofright and wrong, unless it is surprised from me by circumstances. Yourbold and entirely just proceedings have forced me to explain why Ifeel no resentment, but rather admiration, at a thing which any otherland-owner in England would not rest in his bed until he had avenged. Hewould drag you before a bench of magistrates and fine you. Your father, if I know him, would refuse to pay the fine; and to prison you wouldgo, with the taint of it to lie upon your good name forever. The penaltywould be wrong, outrageous, ruinous; no rich man would submit to it, buta poor man must. Is this the truth, Daniel, or is it what it ought tobe--a scandalous misdescription of the laws of England?"

"No, sir; it is true enough, and too true, I am afraid. I never thoughtof consequences, when I used my axe. I only thought of what was right, and fair, and honest, as between a man who has a right, and one whotakes it from him. "

"That is the natural way to look at things, but never permitted inthis country. You are fortunate in having to deal with one who has beenbrought up in a juster land, where all mankind are equal. But one thingI insist upon; and remember it is the condition of my forbearance. Nota single word to any one about your dashing exploit. No gentleman in thecounty would ever speak to me again, if I were known to have put up withit. "

"I am sure, sir, " said Daniel, in a truly contrite tone, "I never shouldhave done such an impudent thing against you, if I had only known what anice gentleman you are. I took you for nothing but a haughty land-owner, without a word to fling at a poor fisherman. And now you go ever so farbeyond what the Club doth, in speaking of the right that every poor manhasn't. I could listen to you by the hour, sir, and learn the differencebetween us and abroad. "

"Tugwell, I could tell you things that would make a real man of you. Butwhy should I? You are better as you are; and so are we who get all thegood out of you. And besides, I have no time for politics at present. All my time is occupied with stern business--collecting the ruins of myproperty. "

"But, sir--but you come down here sometimes from the castle in theevening; and if I might cross, without claiming right of way, sometimesI might have the luck to meet you. "

"Certainly you may pass, as often as you please, and so may anybody whosets value on his rights. And if I should meet you again, I shall beglad of it. You can open my eyes, doubtless, quite as much as I canyours. Good-night, my friend, and better fortunes to you!"

"It was worth my while to nail up those rails, " Carne said to himself, as he went home to his ruins. "I have hooked that clod, as firm as everhe hooked a cod. But, thousand thunders! what does he mean, by goingaway without touching his hat to me?"

CHAPTER XXVIII

FOUL IN PRACTICE

"I hope, my dear, that your ride has done you good, " said the Rector'swife to the Rector, as he came into the hall with a wonderfully redface, one fine afternoon in October. "If colour proves health, you havegained it. "

"Maria, I have not been so upset for many years. Unwholesome indignationdyes my cheeks, and that is almost as bad as indigestion. I have hadquite a turn--as you women always put it. I am never moved by littlethings, as you know well, and sometimes to your great disgust; butto-day my troubles have conspired to devour me. I am not so young as Iwas, Maria. And what will the parish come to, if I give in?"

"Exactly, dear; and therefore you must not give in. " Mrs. Twemlowreplied with great spirit, but her hands were trembling as she helpedhim to pull off his new riding-coat. "Remember your own exhortations, Joshua--I am sure they were beautiful--last Sunday. But take something, dear, to restore your circulation. A reaction in the system is sodangerous. "

"Not anything at present, " Mr. Twemlow answered, firmly; "these mentalcares are beyond the reach of bodily refreshments. Let me sit down, andbe sure where I am, and then you may give me a glass of treble X. Inthe first place, the pony nearly kicked me off, when that idiot of aStubbard began firing from his battery. What have I done, or my peacefulflock, that a noisy set of guns should be set up amidst us? However, Ishowed Juniper that he had a master, though I shall find it hard tocome down-stairs tomorrow. Well, the next thing was that I saw JamesCheeseman, Church-warden Cheeseman, Buttery Cheeseman, as the bad boyscall him, in the lane, in front of me not more than thirty yards, asplainly as I now have the pleasure of seeing you, Maria; and while Isaid 'kuck' to the pony, he was gone! I particularly wished to speak toCheeseman, to ask him some questions about things I have observed, andespecially his sad neglect of public worship--a most shameful exampleon the part of a church-warden--and I was thinking how to put it, affectionately yet firmly, when, to my great surprise, there was noCheeseman to receive it! I called at his house on my return, about threehours afterwards, having made up my mind to have it out with him, whenthey positively told me--or at least Polly Cheeseman did--that I must bemistaken about her 'dear papa, ' because he was gone in the pony-shay allthe way to Uckfield, and would not be back till night. "

"The nasty little story-teller!" Mrs. Twemlow cried. "But I am not atall surprised at it, when I saw how she had got her hair done up, lastSunday. "

"No; Polly believed it. I am quite sure of that. But what I want to tellyou is much stranger and more important, though it cannot have anythingat all to do with Cheeseman. You know, I told you I was going for a goodlong ride; but I did not tell you where, because I knew that you wouldtry to stop me. But the fact was that I had made up my mind to see whatCaryl Carne is at, among his owls and ivy. You remember the last timeI went to the old place I knocked till I was tired, but could get noanswer, and the window was stopped with some rusty old spiked railings, where we used to be able to get in at the side. All the others are outof reach, as you know well; and being of a yielding nature, I camesadly home. And at that time I still had some faith in your friend Mrs. Stubbard, who promised to find out all about him, by means of WidowShanks and the Dimity-parlour. But nothing has come of that. Poor Mrs. Stubbard is almost as stupid as her husband; and as for Widow Shanks--Iam quite sure, Maria, if your nephew were plotting the overthrow ofKing, Church, and Government, that deluded woman would not listen to aword against him. "

"She calls him a model, and a blessed martyr"--Mrs. Twemlow was smilingat the thought of it; "and she says she is a woman of great penetration, and never will listen to anything. But it only shows what I have alwayssaid, that our family has a peculiar power, a sort of attraction, asuperior gift of knowledge of their own minds, which makes them--Butthere, you are laughing at me, Joshua!"

"Not I; but smiling at my own good fortune, that ever I get my ownway at all. But, Maria, you are right; your family has alwaysbeen distinguished for having its own way--a masterful race, and amistressful. And so much the more do the rest of mankind grow eager toknow all about them. In an ordinary mind, such as mine, that feelingbecomes at last irresistible; and finding no other way to gratify it, I resolved to take the bull by the horns, or rather by the tail, thismorning. The poor old castle has been breaking up most grievously, evenwithin the last twenty years, and you, who have played as a child amongthe ruins of the ramparts, would scarcely know them now. You cannot bearto go there, which is natural enough, after all the sad things that havehappened; but if you did, you would be surprised, Maria; and I believe agreat part has been knocked down on purpose. But you remember the littleway in from the copse, where you and I, five-and-thirty years ago--"

"Of course I do, darling. It seems but yesterday; and I have a flowernow which you gathered for me there. It grew at a very giddy height uponthe wall, full of cracks and places where the evening-star came through;but up you went, like a rocket or a race-horse; and what a fright I wasin, until you came down safe! I think that must have made up my mind tohave nobody except my Joshua. "

"Well, my dear, you might have done much worse. But I happened to thinkof that way in, this morning, when you put up your elbow, as you madethe tea, exactly as you used to do when I might come up there. And thatset me thinking of a quantity of things, and among them this plan whichI resolved to carry out. I took the trouble first to be sure that Carylwas down here for the day, under the roof of Widow Shanks; and then Iset off by the road up the hill, for the stronghold of all the Carnes. Without further peril than the fight with the pony, and the strangeapparition of Cheeseman about half a mile from the back entrance, I cameto the copse where the violets used to be, and the sorrel, and the lordsand ladies. There I tethered our friend Juniper in a quiet little nook, and crossed the soft ground, without making any noise, to the place weused to call our little postern. It looked so sad, compared with whatit used to be, so desolate and brambled up and ruinous, that I scarcelyshould have known it, except for the gray pedestal of the prostrate dialwe used to moralise about. And the ground inside it, that was nice turfonce, with the rill running down it that perhaps supplied the moat--allstony now, and overgrown, and tangled, with ugly-looking elder-bushessprawling through the ivy. To a painter it might have proved veryattractive; but to me it seemed so dreary, and so sombre, andoppressive, that, although I am not sentimental, as you know, I actuallyturned away, to put my little visit off, until I should be in betterspirits for it. And that, my dear Maria, would in all probability havebeen never. 

"But before I had time to begin my retreat, a very extraordinary sound, which I cannot describe by any word I know, reached my ears. It was nota roar, nor a clank, nor a boom, nor a clap, nor a crash, nor a thud, but if you have ever heard a noise combining all those elements, with asmall percentage of screech to enliven them, that comes as near it as Ican contrive to tell. We know from Holy Scripture that there used to besuch creatures as dragons, though we have never seen them; but I seemedto be hearing one as I stood there. It was just the sort of groan youmight have expected from a dragon, who had swallowed something highlyindigestible. "

"My dear! And he might have swallowed you, if you had stopped. How couldyou help running away, my Joshua? I should have insisted immediatelyupon it. But you are so terribly intrepid!"

"Far from it, Maria. Quite the contrary, I assure you. In fact, I didmake off, for a considerable distance; not rapidly as a youth might do, but with self-reproach at my tardiness. But the sound ceased coming; andthen I remembered how wholly we are in the hand of the Lord. A sense ofthe power of right rose within me, backed up by a strong curiosity; andI said to myself that if I went home, with nothing more than that totell you, I should not have at all an easy time of it. Therefore Iresolved to face the question again, and ascertain, if possible, withoutself-sacrifice, what was going on among the ruins. You know every stickand stone, as they used to be, but not as they are at present; thereforeI must tell you. The wall at the bottom of the little Dial-court, wherethere used to be a sweet-briar hedge to come through, is entirely gone, either tumbled down or knocked down--the latter I believe to be thetrue reason of it. Also, instead of sweet-briar, there is now a veryflourishing crop of sting-nettles. But the wall at the side of thelittle court stands almost as sound as ever; and what surprised me mostwas to see, when I got further, proceeding of course very quietly, thatthe large court beyond (which used to be the servants' yard, and thedrying-ground, and general lounging-place) had a timber floor laid downit, with a rope on either side, a long heavy rope on either side;and these ropes were still quivering, as if from a heavy strain justloosened. All this I could see, because the high door with the spikes, that used to part the Dial-court from this place of common business, wasfallen forward from its upper hinge, and splayed out so that I could putmy fist through. 

"By this time I had quite recovered all my self-command, and was as calmas I am now, or even calmer, because I was under that reaction whichensues when a sensible man has made a fool of himself. I perceived, without thinking, that the sound which had so scared me proceeded fromthis gangway, or timberway, or staging, or whatever may be the rightword for it; and I made up my mind to stay where I was, only stooping alittle with my body towards the wall, to get some idea of what might begoing forward. And then I heard a sort of small hubbub of voices, suchas foreigners make when they are ordered to keep quiet, and have tocarry on a struggle with their noisy nature. 

"This was enough to settle my decision not to budge an inch, untilI knew what they were up to. I could not see round the corner, mind--though ladies seem capable of doing that, Maria--and so thesefellows, who seemed to be in two lots, some at the top and some at thebottom of the plankway, were entirely out of my sight as yet, though Ihad a good view of their sliding-plane. But presently the ropes began tostrain and creak, drawn taut--as our fishermen express it--eitherfrom the upper or the lower end, and I saw three barrels come slidingdown--sliding, not rolling (you must understand), and not as a brewerdelivers beer into a cellar. These passed by me; and after a littlewhile there came again that strange sepulchral sound, which had made mefeel so uneasy. 

"Maria, you know that I can hold my own against almost anybody inthe world but you; and although this place is far outside my parishboundaries, I felt that as the Uncle of the present owner--so far atleast as the lawyers have not snapped him up--and the brother-in-lawof the previous proprietor, I possessed an undeniable legal right--quowarranto, or whatever it is called--to look into all proceedings onthese premises. Next to Holy Scripture, Horace is my guide and guardian;and I called to mind a well-known passage, which may roughly be renderedthus: 'If the crushed world tumble on him, the ruins shall strike himundismayed. ' With this in my head, I went softly down the side-wall ofthe Dial-court (for there was no getting through the place where I hadbeen peeping) to the bottom, where there used to be an old flint wall, and a hedge of sweet-briar in front of it. You remember the prettyconceit I made--quaint and wholesome as one of Herrick's--when you saidsomething--but I verily believe we were better in those days than weever have been since. Now don't interrupt me about that, my dear. 

"Some of these briars still were there, or perhaps some of theirdescendants, straggling weakly among the nettles, and mullein, and otherwild stuff, but making all together a pretty good screen, through whichI could get a safe side-view of the bottom of the timber gangway. SoI took off my hat, for some ruffian fellows like foreign sailors werestanding below, throwing out their arms, and making noises in theirthroats, because not allowed to scream as usual. It was plain enough atonce to any one who knew the place, that a large hole had been cut inthe solid castle wall, or rather, a loophole had been enlarged veryfreely on either side, and brought down almost to the level of theground outside. On either side of this great opening stood three heavymuskets at full cock, and it made my blood run cold to think how likelysome fatal discharge appeared. If I had been brought up to war, Maria, as all the young people are bound to be now, I might have been more athome with such matters, and able to reconnoitre calmly; but I thought ofmyself, and of you, and Eliza, and what a shocking thing it would be forall of us--but a merciful Providence was over me. 

"Too late I regretted the desire for knowledge, which had led me intothis predicament, for I durst not rush off from my very sad position, for my breath would soon fail me, and my lower limbs are thick from theexercise of hospitality. How I longed for the wings of a dove, or atany rate for the legs of Lieutenant Blyth Scudamore! And my darkapprehensions gained double force when a stone was dislodged by my foot(which may have trembled), and rolled with a sharp echo down into theballium, or whatever it should be called, where these desperadoes stood. In an instant three of them had their long guns pointed at the verythicket which sheltered me, and if I had moved or attempted to makeoff, there would have been a vacancy in this preferment. But luckily arabbit, who had been lying as close as I had, and as much afraid of meperhaps as I was of those ruffians, set off at full speed from the hopof the stone, and they saw him, and took him for the cause of it. Thisenabled me to draw my breath again, and consider the best way of makingmy escape, for I cared to see nothing more, except my own house-door. 

"Happily the chance was not long in coming. At a shout from below--whichseemed to me to be in English, and sounded uncommonly like 'now, then!'--all those fellows turned their backs to me, and began verycarefully to lower, one by one, the barrels that had been let downthe incline. And other things were standing there, besides barrels:packing-cases, crates, very bulky-looking boxes, and low massive wheels, such as you often see to artillery. You know what a vast extent thereis of cellars and vaults below your old castle, most of them nearly assound as ever, and occupied mainly by empty bottles, and the refuseof past hospitality. Well, they are going to fill these withsomething--French wines, smuggled brandy, contraband goods of every kindyou can think of, so long as high profit can be made of them. That ishow your nephew Caryl means to redeem his patrimony. No wonder that hehas been so dark and distant! It never would have done to let us get theleast suspicion of it, because of my position in the Church, and in theDiocese. By this light a thousand things are clear to me, which exceededall the powers of the Sphinx till now. "

"But how did you get away, my darling Joshua?" Mrs. Twemlow enquired, as behoved her. "So fearless, so devoted, so alive to every call ofduty--how could you stand there, and let the wretches shoot at you?"

"By taking good care not to do it, " the Rector answered, simply. "Nosooner were all their backs towards me, than I said to myself thatthe human race happily is not spiderine. I girt up my loins, or ratherfetched my tails up under my arms very closely, and glided away, withthe silence of the serpent, and the craft of the enemy of our fallenrace. Great care was needful, and I exercised it; and here you beholdme, unshot and unshot-at, and free from all anxiety, except a pressingurgency for a bowl of your admirable soup, Maria, and a cut from thesaddle I saw hanging in the cellar. "

CHAPTER XXIX

MATERNAL ELOQUENCE

Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; and more than sufficientwith most of us. Mr. Twemlow and his wife resolved discreetly, after afireside council, to have nothing to say to Carne Castle, or about it, save what might be forced out of them. They perceived most clearly, andvery deeply felt, how exceedingly wrong it is for anybody to transgress, or even go aside of, the laws of his country, as by Statute settled. Still, if his ruin had been chiefly legal; if he had been brought upunder different laws, and in places where they made those things whichhe desired to deal in; if it was clear that those things were good, andtheir benefit might be extended to persons who otherwise could have notaste of them; above all, if it were the first and best desire of allwho heard of it to have their own fingers in the pie--then let othersstop it, who by duty and interest were so minded; the Rector was not inthe Commission of the Peace--though he ought to have been there yearsago--and the breach of the law, if it came to that, was outside of hisparish boundary. The voice of the neighbourhood would be with him, fornot turning against his own nephew, even if it ever should come to beknown that he had reason for suspicions. 

It is hard to see things in their proper light, if only one eye has afly in it; but if both are in that sad condition, who shall be blamedfor winking? Not only the pastor, but all his flock, were in need ofwire spectacles now, to keep their vision clear and their foreheadscalm. Thicker than flies around the milk-pail, rumours came flittingdaily; and even the night--that fair time of thinking--was busy withbuzzing multitude. 

"Long time have I lived, and a sight have I seed, " said Zebedee Tugwellto his wife, "of things as I couldn't make no head nor tail of; butnothing to my knowledge ever coom nigh the sort of way our folk hastaken to go on. Parson Twemlow told us, when the war began again, thatthe Lord could turn us all into Frenchmen, if we sinned against Himmore than He could bear. I were fool enough to laugh about it then, not intaking how it could be on this side of Kingdom Come, where nodistinction is of persons. But now, there it is--a thing the Almightyhath in hand; and who shall say Him nay, when He layeth His hand to it?"

"I reckon, 'a hath begun with you too, Zeb, " Mrs. Tugwell would answer, undesirably. "To be always going on so about trash trifles, as a womanhath a right to fly up at, but no man! Surely Dan hath a right to hispolitics and his parables, as much as any lame old chap that sitteth ona bench. He works hard all day, and he airns his money; and any man hatha right to wag his tongue of night-time, when his arms and his legs havebeen wagging all day. "

"Depends upon how he wags 'un. " The glance of old Tugwell was stern, ashe spoke, and his eyebrows knitted over it. "If for a yarn, to plaisechildren or maidens, or a bit of argyment about his business, or talkabout his neighbours, or aught that consarns him--why, lads must befools, and I can smoke my pipe and think that at his age I was like him. But when it comes to talking of his betters, and the Government, andthe right of everybody to command the ship, and the soup--soup, what wasit?"

"Superior position of the working classes, dignity of labour, undefeasible rights of mankind to the soil as they was born in, andsoshallistick--something. "

"So--shall--I--stick equality, " Mr. Tugwell amended, triumphantly; "andso shall I stick him, by the holy poker, afore the end of the week isout. I've a-been fool enough to leave off ropesending of him now for amatter of two years, because 'a was good, and outgrowing of it like, andbecause you always coom between us. But mind you, mother, I'll have noneof that, next time. Business I means, and good measure it shall be. "

"Zeb Tugwell, " said his wife, longing greatly to defy him, butfrightened by the steadfast gaze she met, "you can never mean to saythat you would lay your hand on Dan--a grown man, a'most as big asyourself, and a good half-head taller! Suppose he was to hit you backagain!"

"If he did, I should just kill him, " Zeb answered, calmly. "He wouldbe but a jellyfish in my two hands. But there, I'll not talk about it, mother. No need to trouble you with it. 'Tis none of my seeking--theLord in heaven knows--but a job as He hath dutified for me to do. I'llgo out, and have my pipe, and dwell on it. "

"And I may lay a deal of it on myself, " Mrs. Tugwell began to moan, assoon as he was gone; "for I have cockered Dan up, and there's no denyingit, afore Tim, or Tryphena, or Tabby, or Debby, or even little Solomon. Because he were the first, and so like his dear father, afore he goton in the world so. Oh, it all comes of that, all the troubles comes ofthat, and of laying up of money, apart from your wife, and forgettingalmost of her Christian name! And the very same thing of it--money, money, and the getting on with breeches that requireth no mending, andthe looking over Church-books at gay young ladies--all of it leadethto the same bad end of his betters, and the Government, and theSoshallistick Quality. 

"Why, with all these mercies, " continued Mrs. Tugwell, though not in acontinuous frame of mind, as Daniel came in, with a slow heavy step, andsat down by the fire in silence, "all these mercies, as are bought andpaid for, from one and sixpence up to three half-crowns, and gives nomore trouble beyond dusting once a week--how any one can lay his eyeson other people's property, without consideration of his own, as will beafter his poor mother's time, is to me quite a puzzle and a pin-prick. Not as if they was owing for, or bought at auction, or so much as beatendown by sixpence, but all at full price and own judgment, paid for byairnings of labour and perils of the deep. And as Widow Shanks said, thelast time she was here, by spoiling of the enemies of England, who makesus pay tremenjious for 'most everything we lives on. And I know whowould understand them crackeries, and dust them when I be gone todust, and see her own pretty face in them, whenever they has theback-varnish. "

Dan knew that the future fair owner and duster designed by his motherwas Miss Cheeseman, towards whom he had cherished tender yearnings inthe sensible and wholesome days. And if Polly Cheeseman had hung herselfon high--which she might have done without a bit of arrogance--perhapsshe would still have been to this young man the star of fate and glory, instead of a dip, thirty-two to the pound; the like whereof she soldfor a farthing. Distance makes the difference. "He that won't allow heedshall pay dear in his need;" the good mother grew warm, as the son beganto whistle; "and to my mind, Master Dan, it won't be long afore you havehomer things to think of than politics. 'Politics is fiddle-sticks' waswhat men of my age used to say; sensible men with a house and freehold, and a pig of their own, and experience. And such a man I might have had, and sensible children by him, children as never would have whistled attheir mother, if it hadn't been for your poor father, Dan. Misguided hemay be, and too much of his own way, and not well enough in his own mindto take in a woman's--but for all that he hath a right to be honoured byhis children, and to lead their minds in matters touching of the King, and Church, and true religion. Why only last night, no, the night aforelast, I met Mrs. Prater, and I said to her--"

"You told me all that, mother; and it must have been a week ago; for Ihave heard it every night this week. What is it you desire that I shoulddo, or say, or think?"

"Holy mercy!" cried Mrs. Tugwell, "what a way to put things, Dan! AllI desire is for your good only, and so leading on to the comfort of therest. For the whole place goes wrong, and the cat sits in the corner, when you go on with politics as your dear father grunts at. No doubt itmay all be very fine and just, and worth a man giving his life for, ifhe don't care about it, nor nobody else--but even if it was to keep theFrench out, and yourn goeth nearer to letting them in, what differenceof a button would it make to us, Dan, compared to our sticking together, and feeding with a knowledge and a yielding to the fancies of eachother?"

"I am sure it's no fault of mine, " said Daniel, moved from his highropes by this last appeal; "to me it never matters twopence what I havefor dinner, and you saw me give Tim all the brown of the baked potatoesthe very last time I had my dinner here. But what comes above all thoselittle bothers is the necessity for insisting upon freedom of opinion. Idon't pretend to be so old as my father, nor to know so much as he knowsabout the world in general. But I have read a great deal more than hehas, of course, because he takes a long time to get a book with theright end to him; and I have thought, without knowing it, about what Ihave read, and I have heard very clever men (who could have no desireto go wrong, but quite the other way) carrying on about these highsubjects, beyond me, but full of plain language. And I won't be forcedout of a word of it by fear. "

"But for love of your mother you might keep it under, and think it allinside you, without bringing of it out, in the presence of your elders. You know what your father is--a man as never yet laid his tongue to athing without doing of it--right or wrong, right or wrong; and this timehe hath right, and the law, and the Lord, and the King himself, to theside of him. And a rope's-end in his pocket, Dan, as I tried to stealaway, but he were too wide-awake. Such a big hard one you never didsee!"

"A rope's end for me, well turned twenty years of age!" cried Daniel, with a laugh, but not a merry one; "two can play at that game, mother. I'll not be ropes ended by nobody. "

"Then you'll be rope-noosed;" the poor mother fell into the settle, awayfrom the fire-light, and put both hands over her eyes, to shut out thespectacle of Dan dangling; "or else your father will be, for you. Eversince the Romans, Dan, there have been Tugwells, and respected ten timesmore than they was. Oh do 'e, do 'e think; and not bring us all to thegrave, and then the gallows! Why I can mind the time, no more agone thanlast Sunday, when you used to lie here in the hollow of my arm, withouta stitch of clothes on, and kind people was tempted to smack you inpleasure, because you did stick out so prettily. For a better-formedbaby there never was seen, nor a finer-tempered one, when he had hisway. And the many nights I walked the floor with you, Dan, when yourfirst tooth was coming through, the size of a horse-radish, and yourfather most wonderful to put up with my coo to you, when he had not hada night in bed for nigh three weeks--oh, Dan, do 'e think of things asconsarneth your homer life, and things as is above all reason; and letthey blessed politics go home to them as trades in them. "

Mrs. Tugwell's tender recollections had given her a pain in the partwhere Dan was nursed, and driven her out of true logical course; but shecame back to it, before Dan had time to finish the interesting picturesof himself which she had suggested. 

"Now can you deny a word of that, Dan? And if not, what is there more tosay? You was smacked as a little babe, by many people kindly, when everso much tenderer than you now can claim to be. And in those days younever could have deserved it yet, not having framed a word beyond 'Mam, 'and 'Da, ' and both of those made much of, because doubtful. There wasnothing about the Constitooshun then, but the colour of the tongue andthe condition of the bowels; and if any fool had asked you what politicswas, you would have sucked your thumb, and offered them to suck it; forgenerous you always was, and just came after. And what cry have biggerfolk, grown upright and wicked, to make about being smacked, when theydeserve it, for meddling with matters outside of their business, bythose in authority over them?"

"Well, mother, I daresay you are right, though I don't altogether seethe lines of it. But one thing I will promise you--whatever father doesto me, I will not lift a hand against him. But I must be off. I am latealready. "

"Where to, Dan? Where to? I always used to know, even if you was goingcourting. Go a-courting, Dan, as much as ever you like, only don't makeno promises. But whatever you do, keep away from that bad, wicked, Freeand Frisky Club, my dear. "

"Mother, that's the very place I am just bound to. After all you havesaid, I would have stayed away to-night, except for being on the list, and pledged in honour to twenty-eight questions, all bearing upon thegrand issues of the age. "

"I don't know no more than the dead, what that means, Dan. But I knowwhat your father has got in his pocket for you. And he said the nexttime you went there, you should have it. "

CHAPTER XXX

PATERNAL DISCIPLINE

"The Fair, Free, and Frisky"--as they called themselves, were not ofa violent order at all, neither treasonable, nor even disloyal. TheirClub, if it deserved the name, had not been of political, social, oreven convivial intention, but had lapsed unawares into all three uses, and most of all that last mentioned. The harder the times are, the moreconfidential (and therefore convivial) do Englishmen become; and ifFree-trade survives with us for another decade, it will be the death oftotal abstinence. But now they had bad times, without Free-trade--thatGoddess being still in the goose-egg--and when two friends met, withouta river between them, they were bound to drink one another's health, anddid it, without the unstable and cold-blooded element. The sense of thisduty was paramount among the "Free and Frisky, " and without it theirfinal cause would have vanished long ago, and therewith their formalone. 

None of the old-established folk of the blue blood of Springhaven, such as the Tugwells, the Shankses, the Praters, the Bowleses, theStickfasts, the Blocks, or the Kedgers, would have anything to dowith this Association, which had formed itself among them, likean anti-corn-law league, for the destruction of their rights andproperties. Its origin had been commercial, and its principlesaggressive, no less an outrage being contemplated than the purchase offish at low figures on the beach, and the speedy distribution of thatslippery ware among the nearest villages and towns. But from timeimmemorial the trade had been in the hands of a few staunch factors, who paid a price governed by the seasons and the weather, and sentthe commodity as far as it would go, with soundness, and the hope offreshness. Springhaven believed that it supplied all London, and wasproud and blest in so believing. With these barrowmen, hucksters andpedlars of fish, it would have no manifest dealing; but if the factorswho managed the trade chose to sell their refuse or surplus to them, that was their own business. In this way perhaps, and by bargains onthe sly, these petty dealers managed to procure enough to carry ontheir weekly enterprise, and for a certain good reason took a room andcourt-yard handy to the Darling Arms, to discuss other people's businessand their own. The good reason was that they were not allowed to leavethe village, with their barrows or trucks or baskets, until the nighthad fallen, on penalty of being pelted with their own wares. Such wasthe dignity of this place, and its noble abhorrence of anything low. 

The vision of lofty institutions, which one may not participate, inspires in the lower human nature more jealousy than admiration. These higglers may have been very honest fellows, in all but pecuniaryquestions, and possibly continued to be so in the bosom of their ownfamilies. But here in Springhaven, by the force of circumstances theywere almost compelled to be radicals: even as the sweetest cow's milkturns sour, when she can just reach red clover with her breath, butnot her lips. But still they were not without manners, and reason, andgood-will to people who had patience with them. This enabled them toargue lofty questions, without black eyes, or kicking, or even tweak ofnoses; and a very lofty question was now before them. 

To get once into Admiral Darling's employment was to obtain a vestedinterest; so kind was his nature and so forgiving, especially when hehad scolded anybody. Mr. Swipes, the head gardener for so many years, held an estate of freehold in the garden--although he had no head, andwould never be a gardener, till the hanging gardens of Babylon shouldbe hung on the top of the tower of Babel--with a vested remainder to hisson, and a contingent one to all descendants. Yet this man, althoughhis hands were generally in his pockets, had not enough sense of theirlinings to feel that continuance, usage, institution, orderly sequence, heredity, and such like, were the buttons of his coat and the texture ofhis breeches, and the warmth of his body inside them. Therefore he nevercould hold aloof from the Free and Frisky gatherings, and accepted thechair upon Bumper-nights, when it was a sinecure benefice. 

This was a Bumper-night, and in the chair sat Mr. Swipes, discharginggracefully the arduous duties of the office, which consisted mainlyin calling upon members for a speech, a sentiment, or a song, and indefault of mental satisfaction, bodily amendment by a pint all round. But as soon as Dan Tugwell entered the room, the Free and Friskies withone accord returned to loftier business. Mr. Swipes, the gay Liber ofthe genial hour, retired from the chair, and his place was taken by aLiberal--though the name was not yet invented--estranged from his owngodfather. This was a hard man, who made salt herrings, and longed tocure everything fresh in the world. 

Dan, being still a very tender youth, and quite unaccustomed to publicspeaking, was abashed by these tokens of his own importance, andheartily wished that he had stopped at home. It never occurred tohis simple mind that his value was not political, but commercial; not"anthropological, " but fishy, the main ambition of the Free and FriskyClub having long been the capture of his father. If once Zeb Tugwellcould be brought to treat, a golden era would dawn upon them, and aboundless vision of free-trade, when a man might be paid for refusing tosell fish, as he now is for keeping to himself his screws. Dan knew notthese things, and his heart misgave him, and he wished that he had neverheard of the twenty-eight questions set down in his name for solution. 

However, his disturbance of mind was needless, concerning those greatissues. All the members, except the chairman, had forgotten all aboutthem; and the only matter they cared about was to make a new member ofDaniel. A little flourish went on about large things (which nobody knew, or cared to know), then the table was hammered with the heel of a pipe, and Dan was made a Free and Frisky. An honorary member, with nothing topay, and the honour on their side, they told him; and every man rose, with his pot in one hand and his pipe in the other, yet able to stand, and to thump with his heels, being careful. Then the President madeentry in a book, and bowed, and Dan was requested to sign it. In thefervour of good-will, and fine feeling, and the pride of popularity, theyoung man was not old enough to resist, but set his name down firmly. Then all shook hands with him, and the meeting was declared to befestive, in honour of a new and noble member. 

It is altogether wrong to say--though many people said it--that youngDan Tugwell was even a quarter of a sheet in the wind, when he steeredhis way home. His head was as solid as that of his father; which, instead of growing light, increased in specific, generic, anddifferential gravity, under circumstances which tend otherwise, with anage like ours, that insists upon sobriety, without allowing practice. All Springhaven folk had long practice in the art of keeping sober, andif ever a man walked with his legs outside his influence, it was alwaysfrom defect of proper average quite lately. 

Be that as it may, the young man came home with an enlarged map of thefuture in his mind, a brisk and elastic rise in his walk, and his headmuch encouraged to go on with liberal and indescribable feelings. Inaccordance with these, he expected his mother to be ready to embracehim at the door, while a saucepan simmered on the good-night of thewood-ash, with just as much gentle breath of onion from the cover as ayouth may taste dreamily from the lips of love. But oh, instead of this, he met his father, spread out and yet solid across the doorway, withvery large arms bare and lumpy in the gleam of a fireplace uncrowned byany pot. Dan's large ideas vanished, like a blaze without a bottom. 

"Rather late, Daniel, " said the captain of Springhaven, with a nod ofhis great head, made gigantic on the ceiling. "All the rest are abed, the proper place for honest folk. I suppose you've been airning money, overtime?"

"Not I, " said Dan; "I work hard enough all day. I just looked in at theClub, and had a little talk of politics. "

"The Club, indeed! The stinking barrow-grinders! Did I tell you, or didI forget to tell you, never to go there no more?"

"You told me fast enough, father; no doubt about that. But I am notaboard your boat, when I happen on dry land, and I am old enough now tohave opinions of my own. "

"Oh, that's it, is it? And to upset all the State, the King, the Houseof Lords, and the Parliamentary House, and all as is descended from theRomans? Well, and what did their Wusships say to you? Did they anointyou king of slooshings?"

"Father, they did this--and you have a right to know it;" Dan spoke witha grave debative tone, though his voice became doubtful, as he saw thathis father was quietly seeking for something; "almost before I knew whatwas coming, they had made me a member, and I signed the book. They haveno desire to upset the kingdom; I heard no talk of that kind; only thatevery man should have his own opinions, and be free to show what can besaid for them. And you know, father, that the world goes on by reason, and justice, and good-will, and fair play--"

"No, it don't, " cried the captain, who had found what he wanted; "ifit had to wait for they, it would never go on at all. It goes on bygovernment, and management, and discipline, and the stopping of younkersfrom their blessed foolery, and by the ten commandments, and theproverbs of King Solomon. You to teach your father how the world goeson! Off with your coat, and I'll teach you. "

"Father, " said Dan, with his milder nature trembling at the sternresolution in his father's eyes, as the hearth-fire flashing up showedtheir stronger flash, "you will never do such a thing, at my age andsize?"

"Won't I?" answered Zebedee, cracking in the air the three knottedtails of the stout hempen twist. "As for your age, why, it ought to knowbetter; and as for your size, why, the more room for this!"

It never came into Daniel's head that he should either resist or runaway. But into his heart came the deadly sense of disgrace at beingflogged, even by his own father, at full age to have a wife and evenchildren of his own. 

"Father, " he said, as he pulled off his coat and red striped shirt, andshowed his broad white back, "if you do this thing, you will never seteyes on my face again--so help me God!"

"Don't care if I don't, " the captain shouted. "You was never son ofmine, to be a runagate, and traitor. How old be you, Master Free andFrisky, to larn me how the world goes on?"

"As if you didn't know, father! The fifteenth of last March I was twentyyears of age. "

"Then one for each year of your life, my lad, and another to make aman of thee. This little tickler hath three tails; seven threes istwenty-one--comes just right. "

When his father had done with him, Dan went softly up the dark staircaseof old ship timber, and entering his own little room, struck a light. He saw that his bed was turned down for him, by the loving hand of hismother, and that his favourite brother Solomon, the youngest of theTugwell race, was sleeping sweetly in the opposite cot. Then he caught aside view of his own poor back in the little black-framed looking-glass, and was quite amazed; for he had not felt much pain, neither flinched, nor winced, nor spoken. In a moment self-pity did more than pain, indignation, outrage, or shame could do; it brought large tears into hissoftened eyes, and a long sob into his swelling throat. 

He had borne himself like a man when flogged; but now he behaved inthe manner of a boy. "He shall never hear the last of this job, " hemuttered, "as long as mother has a tongue in her head. " To this end hefilled a wet sponge with the red proofs of his scourging, laid it whereit must be seen, and beside it a leaf torn from his wage-book, on whichhe had written with a trembling hand: "He says that I am no son of his, and this looks like it. Signed, Daniel Tugwell, or whatever my nameought to be. "

Then he washed and dressed with neat's-foot oil all of his wounds thathe could reach, and tied a band of linen over them, and, in spite ofincreasing smarts and pangs, dressed himself carefully in his Sundayclothes. From time to time he listened for his father's step, inasmuchas there was no bolt to his door, and to burn a light so late wasagainst all law. But nobody came to disturb him; his mother at the endof the passage slept heavily, and his two child-sisters in the roomclose by, Tabby and Debby, were in the land of dreams, as far goneas little Solly was. Having turned out his tools from their flat flagbasket, or at least all but three or four favourites, he filled it withother clothes likely to be needed, and buckled it over his hatchet-head. Then the beating of his heart was like a flail inside a barn, as hestole along silently for one terrible good-bye. 

This was to his darling pet of all pets, Debby, who worshipped thisbrother a great deal more than she worshipped her heavenly Father;because, as she said to her mother, when rebuked--"I can see Dan, mother, but I can't see Him. Can I sit in His lap, mother, and lookinto His face, and be told pretty stories, and eat apples all the time?"Tabby was of different grain, and her deity was Tim; for she was ofthe Tomboy kind, and had no imagination. But Debby was enough to make asound and seasoned heart to ache, as she lay in her little bed, withthe flush of sleep deepening the delicate tint of her cheeks, sheddingbright innocence fresh from heaven on the tranquil droop of eyelid andthe smiling curve of lip. Her hair lay fluttered, as if by play with theangels that protected her; and if she could not see her heavenly Father, it was not because she was out of His sight. 

A better tear than was ever shed by self-pity, or any other selfishness, ran down the cheek she had kissed so often, and fell upon her coaxing, nestling neck. Then Dan, with his candle behind the curtain, set a longlight kiss upon the forehead of his darling, and with a heart so full, and yet so empty, took one more gaze at her, and then was gone. With thebasket in his hand, he dropped softly from his window upon the pileof seaweed at the back of the house--collected to make the wallswholesome--and then, caring little what his course might be, was ledperhaps by the force of habit down the foot-path towards the beach. Solate at night, it was not likely that any one would disturb him there, and no one in the cottage which he had left would miss him before themorning. The end of October now was near, the nights were long, and heneed not hurry. He might even lie down in his favourite boat, the bestof her size in Springhaven, the one he had built among the rabbits. There he could say good-bye to all that he had known and loved so long, and be off before dawn, to some place where he might earn his crust andthink his thoughts. 

CHAPTER XXXI

SORE TEMPTATION

When a man's spirit and heart are low, and the world seems turnedagainst him, he had better stop both ears than hearken to the sound ofthe sad sea waves at night. Even if he can see their movement, with themoon behind them, drawing paths of rippled light, and boats (with whitesails pluming shadow, or thin oars that dive for gems), and perhaps amerry crew with music, coming home not all sea-sick--well, even so, inthe summer sparkle, the long low fall of the waves is sad. But how muchmore on a winter night, when the moon is away below the sea, and wearywaters roll unseen from a vast profundity of gloom, fall unreckoned, andare no more than a wistful moan, as man is!

The tide was at quarter-ebb, and a dismal haze lay thick on shore andsea. It was not enough to be called a fog, or even a mist, but quiteenough to deaden the gray light, always flowing along the boundary ofsky and sea. But over the wet sand and the white frill of the gentlygurgling waves more of faint light, or rather perhaps, less of heavynight, prevailed. But Dan had keen eyes, and was well accustomed to thetricks of darkness; and he came to take his leave forever of thefishing squadron, with a certainty of knowing all the five, as if bydaylight--for now there were only five again. 

As the tide withdrew, the fishing-smacks (which had scarcely earnedtheir name of late) were compelled to make the best of the world untilthe tide came back again. To judge by creakings, strainings, groanings, and even grindings of timber millstones [if there yet lives in Irelandthe good-will for a loan to us], all these little craft were makingdreadful hardship of the abandonment which man and nature inflicted onthem every thirteenth hour. But all things do make more noise atnight, when they get the chance (perhaps in order to assert their ownprerogative), and they seem to know that noise goes further, and assumesa higher character, when men have left off making it. 

The poor young fisherman's back was getting very sore by this time, andhe began to look about for the white side-streak which he had paintedalong the water-line of that new boat, to distract the meddlesome gazeof rivals from the peculiar curve below, which even Admiral Darlinghad not noticed, when he passed her on the beach; but Nelson would havespied it out in half a second, and known all about it in the other half. Dan knew that he should find a very fair berth there, with a roll or twoof stuff to lay his back on, and a piece of tarpauling to draw over hislegs. In the faint light that hovered from the breaking of the waveletshe soon found his boat, and saw a tall man standing by her. 

"Daniel, " said the tall man, without moving, "my sight is very bad atnight, but unless it is worse than usual, you are my admired friendDaniel. A young man in a thousand--one who dares to think. "

"Yes, Squire Carne, " the admired friend replied, with a touch of hatprotesting against any claim to friendship: "Dan Tugwell, at yourservice. And I have thought too much, and been paid out for it. "

"You see me in a melancholy attitude, and among melancholysurroundings. " Caryl Carne offered his hand as he spoke, and Dan tookit with great reverence. "The truth is, that anger at a gross injustice, which has just come to my knowledge, drove me from my books and sadfamily papers, in the room beneath the roof of our good Widow Shanks. And I needs must come down here, to think beside the sea, which seems tobe the only free thing in England. But I little expected to see you. "

"And I little expected to be here, Squire Carne. But if not making toobold to ask--was it anybody that was beaten?"

"Beaten is not the right word for it, Dan; cruelly flogged and lashed, a dear young friend of mine has been, as fine a young fellow as everlived--and now he has not got a sound place on his back. And why?Because he was poor, and dared to lift his eyes to a rich young lady. "

"But he was not flogged by his own father?" asked Dan, deeply interestedin this romance, and rubbing his back, as the pain increased withsympathy. 

"Not quite so bad as that, " replied the other; "such a thing would beimpossible, even in England. No; his father took his part, as any fatherin the world would do; even if the great man, the young lady's father, should happen to be his own landlord. "

A very black suspicion crossed the mind of Dan, for Carne possessed theart of suggesting vile suspicions: might Admiral Darling have discoveredsomething, and requested Dan's father to correct him? It was certainthat the Admiral, so kind of heart, would never have desired suchseverity; but he might have told Captain Tugwell, with whom he had atalk almost every time they met, that his eldest son wanted a littlediscipline; and the Club might have served as a pretext for this, whenthe true crime must not be declared, by reason of its enormity. Danclosed his teeth, and English air grew bitter in his mouth, as thisbelief ran through him. 

"Good-night, my young friend; I am beginning to recover, " Carnecontinued, briskly, for he knew that a nail snaps in good oak, when thehammer falls too heavily. "What is a little bit of outrage, after all?When I have been in England a few years more, I shall laugh at myselffor having loved fair play and self-respect, in this innocent youngfreshness. We must wag as the world does; and you know the proverb, Whatmakes the world wag, but the weight of the bag?"

"But if you were more in earnest, sir--or at least--I mean, if you werenot bound here by property and business, and an ancient family, andthings you could not get away from, and if you wanted only to be allowedfair play, and treated as a man by other men, and be able to keep yourown money when you earned it, or at least to buy your own victuals withit--what would you try to do, or what part of the country would youthink best to go to?"

"Dan, you must belong to a very clever family. It is useless toshake your head--you must; or you never could put such questions, soimpossible to answer. In all this blessed island, there is no spot yetdiscovered, where such absurd visions can be realized. Nay, nay, myromantic friend; be content with more than the average blessings ofthis land. You are not starved, you are not imprisoned, you are not evenbeaten; and if you are not allowed to think, what harm of that? If youthought all day, you would never dare to act upon your thoughts, andso you are better without them. Tush! an Englishman was never born forfreedom. Good-night. "

"But, sir, Squire Carne, " cried Dan, pursuing him, "there is onething which you do not seem to know. I am driven away from this placeto-night; and it would have been so kind of you to advise me where to goto. "

"Driven away!" exclaimed Carne, with amazement. "The pride of thevillage driven out of it! You may be driving yourself away, Tugwell, through some scrape, or love affair; but when that blows over you willsoon come back. What would Springhaven do without you? And your deargood father would never let you go. "

"I am not the pride, but the shame, of the village. " Dan forgot all hishome-pride at last. "And my dear good father is the man who has done it. He has leathered me worse than the gentleman you spoke of, and withouthalf so much to be said against him. For nothing but going to the Clubto-night, where I am sure we drank King George's health, my father haslashed me so, that I am ashamed to tell it. And I am sure that I nevermeant to tell it, until your kindness, in a way of speaking, almostdrove it out of me. "

"Daniel Tugwell, " Carne answered, with solemnity, "this is beyondbelief, even in England. You must have fallen asleep, Dan, in the middleof large thoughts, and dreamed this great impossibility. "

"My back knows whether it has been a dream, sir. I never heard of dreamsas left one-and-twenty lines behind them. But whether it be one, orwhether it be twenty, makes no odds of value. The disgrace it is thatdrives me out. "

"Is there no way of healing this sad breach?" Carne asked, in a tone ofdeep compassion; "if your father could be brought to beg your pardon, oreven to say that he was sorry--"

"He, sir! If such a thing was put before him, his answer would be justto do it again, if I were fool enough to go near him. You are too mildof nature, sir, to understand what father is. "

"It is indeed horrible, too horrible to think of"--the voice of thiskind gentleman betrayed that he was shuddering. "If a Frenchman did sucha thing, he would be torn to pieces. But no French father would everdream of such atrocity. He would rather flog himself within an inch ofhis own life. "

"Are they so much better, then, and kinder, than us Englishmen?" Inspite of all his pain and grief, Dan could not help smiling at thethought of his father ropesending himself. "So superior to us, sir, inevery way?"

"In almost every way, I am sorry to confess. I fear, indeed, inevery way, except bodily strength, and obstinate, ignorant endurance, miscalled 'courage, ' and those rough qualities--whatever they maybe--which seem needful for the making of a seaman. But in good manners, justice, the sense of what is due from one man to another, in dignity, equality, temperance, benevolence, largeness of feeling, and quicknessof mind, and above all in love of freedom, they are very, very sadly farbeyond us. And indeed I have been led to think from some of your finerperceptions, Dan, that you must have a share of French blood in yourveins. "

"Me, sir!" cried Dan, jumping back, in a style which showed the distancebetween faith and argument; "no, sir, thank God there was never noneof that; but all English, with some of the Romans, who was pretty nearequal to us, from what I hear. I suppose, Squire Carne, you thoughtthat low of me because I made a fuss about being larruped, the same asa Frenchman I pulled out of the water did about my doing of it, as if Icould have helped it. No Englishman would have said much about that;but they seem to make more fuss than we do. And I dare say it wasFrench-like of me, to go on about my hiding. "

"Daniel, " answered Caryl Carne, in alarm at this British sentiment; "asa man of self-respect, you have only one course left, if your fatherrefuses to apologise. You must cast off his tyranny; you must proveyourself a man; you must begin life upon your own account. No moreof this drudgery, and slavery for others, who allow you no rights inreturn. But a nobler employment among free people, with a chance ofasserting your courage and manhood, and a certainty that no man willthink you his bondslave because you were born upon his land, or in hishouse. My father behaved to me--well, it does not matter. He might haverepented of it, if he had lived longer; and I feel ashamed to speak ofit, after such a case as yours. But behold, how greatly it has beenfor my advantage! Without that, I might now have been a true and simpleEnglishman!"

Carne (who had taken most kindly to the fortune which made him anuntrue Englishman) clapped his breast with both hands; not proudly, asa Frenchman does, nor yet with that abashment and contempt ofdemonstration which make a true Briton very clumsy in such doings; whileDaniel Tugwell, being very solid, and by no means "emotional"--as peoplecall it nowadays--was looking at him, to the utmost of his power (whichwould have been greater by daylight), with gratitude, and wonder, andconsideration, and some hesitation about his foreign sentiments. 

"Well, sir, " said Dan, with the usual impulse of the British workman, "is there any sort of work as you could find for me, to earn my ownliving, and be able to think afterwards?"

"There is work of a noble kind, such as any man of high nature may beproud to share in, to which it is possible that I might get an entrancefor you, if there should be a vacancy; work of high character, such asadmits of no higgling and haggling, and splitting of halfpence, but anindependent feeling, and a sense of advancing the liberty of mankind, without risking a penny, but putting many guineas into one's own pocket, and so becoming fitted for a loftier line of life. "

"Is it smuggling, sir?" Daniel asked, with sore misgivings, for he hadbeen brought up to be very shy of that. "Many folk consider that quitehonest; but father calls it roguery--though I never shall hear any moreof his opinions now. "

"Sigh not, friend Daniel; sigh not so heavily at your own emancipation. "Carne never could resist the chance of a little bit of sarcasm, thoughit often injured his own plots. "Smuggling is a very fine pursuit, nodoubt, but petty in comparison with large affairs like ours. No, DanTugwell, I am not a smuggler, but a high politician, and a polisher ofmankind. How soon do you think of leaving this outrageous hole?"

Despite the stupid outrage upon himself, Dan was too loyal and generousof nature to be pleased with this description of his native place. ButCarne, too quick of temper for a really fine intriguer, cut short hisexpostulations. 

"Call it what you please, " he said; "only make your mind up quickly. Ifyou wish to remain here, do so: a man of no spirit is useless to me. But if you resolve to push your fortunes among brave and lofty comrades, stirring scenes, and brisk adventures, meet me at six to-morrow evening, at the place where you chopped down my rails. All you want will beprovided, and your course of promotion begins at once. But remember, all must be honour bright. No shilly-shallying, no lukewarmness, noindifference to a noble cause. Faint heart never won fair lady. "

The waning moon had risen, and now shone upon Carne's face, lighting upall its gloomy beauty, and strange power of sadness. Dan seemed to losehis clear keen sight beneath the dark influence of the other's gaze; andhis will, though not a weak one, dropped before a larger and stronger. "He knows all about me and Miss Dolly, " said the poor young fisherman tohimself; "I thought so before, and I am certain of it now. And, forsome reason beyond my knowledge, he wishes to encourage it. Oh, perhapsbecause the Carnes have always been against the Darlings! I neverthought of that before. "

This was a bitter reflection to him, and might have inclined him theright way, if time had allowed him to work it out. But no such time wasafforded; and in the confusion and gratitude of the moment, he answered, "Sir, I shall be always at your service, and do my very best inevery way to please you. " Caryl Carne smiled; and the church clock ofSpringhaven solemnly struck midnight. 

CHAPTER XXXII

THE TRIALS OF FAITH

He following day, the 27th of October, was a dark one in the calendar ofa fair and good young lady. Two years would then have passed since FaithDarling, at the age of twenty, had received sad tidings, which wouldmake the rest of her life flow on in shadow. So at least she thought, forgetful (or rather perhaps unconscious, for she had not yet learnedthe facts of life) that time and the tide of years submerge the loftiestyouthful sorrow. To a warm and stedfast heart like hers, and a naturestrong but self-controlled, no casual change, or light diversion, orsudden interest in other matters, could take the place of the motivelost. Therefore, being of a deep true faith, and staunch in the beliefof a great God, good to all who seek His goodness, she never went awayfrom what she meant, that faith and hope should feed each other. 

This saved her from being a trouble to any one, or damping anybody'scheerfulness, or diminishing the gaiety around her. She took a livelyinterest in the affairs of other people, which a "blighted being"declines to do; and their pleasures ministered to her own good cheerwithout, or at any rate beyond, her knowledge. Therefore she was likedby everybody, and beloved by all who had any heart for a brave andpitiful story. Thus a sweet flower, half closed by the storm, continuesto breathe forth its sweetness. 

However, there were times when even Faith was lost in sad remembrance, and her bright young spirit became depressed by the hope deferred thatmaketh sick the heart. As time grew longer, hope grew less; and even thecheerful Admiral, well versed in perils of the deep, and acquainted withmany a wandering story, had made up his mind that Erle Twemlow wasdead, and would never more be heard of. The rector also, the young man'sfather, could hold out no longer against that conclusion; and even themother, disdaining the mention, yet understood the meaning, of despair. And so among those to whom the subject was the most interesting in theworld, it was now the strict rule to avoid it with the lips, though theeyes were often filled with it. 

Faith Darling at first scorned this hard law. "It does seem so unkind, "she used to say, "that even his name should be interdicted, as if he haddisgraced himself. If he is dead, he has died with honour. None who eversaw him can doubt that. But he is not dead. He will come back to us, perhaps next week, perhaps to-morrow, perhaps even while we are afraidto speak of him. If it is for my sake that you behave thus, I am notquite so weak as to require it. "

The peculiar circumstances of the case had not only baffled enquiry, but from the very beginning precluded it. The man with the keenest eyes, sharpest nose, biggest ears, and longest head, of all the many sneakswho now conduct what they call "special enquiries, " could have donenothing with a case like this, because there was no beginning it. Evennow, in fair peace, and with large knowledge added, the matter wouldnot have been easy; but in war universal, and blank ignorance, there wasnothing to be done but to sit down and think. And the story invited agood deal of thinking, because of its disappointing turn. 

During the negotiations for peace in 1801, and before any articles weresigned, orders were sent to the Cape of Good Hope for the return of aregiment of the line, which had not been more than three months there. But the Cape was likely to be restored to Holland, and two emptytransports returning from India were to call under convoy, and bringhome these troops. One of the officers was Captain Erle Twemlow, thenabout twenty-five years of age, and under probation, by the Admiral'sdecree, for the hand of the maiden whose heart had been his from a timeto itself immemorial. After tiresome days of impatience, the transportsarrived under conduct of a frigate; and after another week, the soldiersembarked with fine readiness for their native land. 

But before they had cleared the Bay, they met a brig-of-war directfrom Portsmouth, carrying despatches for the officer in command of thetroops, as well as for the captain of the frigate. Some barbarous tribeson the coast of Guinea, the part that is called the Ivory Coast, hadplundered and burnt a British trading station within a few miles of CapePalmas, and had killed and devoured the traders. These natives must bepunished, and a stern example made, and a negro monarch of the name ofHunko Jum must have his palace burned, if he possessed one; while hisrival, the king of the Crumbo tribe, whose name was Bandeliah, who hadstriven to protect the traders, must be rewarded, and have a treatymade with him, if he could be brought to understand it. Both sailorsand soldiers were ready enough to undertake this little spree, as theycalled it, expecting to have a pleasant run ashore, a fine bit of sportwith the negroes, and perhaps a few noserings of gold to take home totheir wives and sweethearts. 

But, alas! the reality was not so fine. The negroes who had done allthe mischief made off, carrying most of their houses with them; andthe palace of Hunko Jum, if he possessed one, was always a littleway further on. The Colonel was a stubborn man, and so was thesea-captain--good Tories both, and not desirous to skulk out of scrapes, and leave better men to pick up their clumsy breakages. Blue and redvied with one another to scour the country, and punish the natives--ifonly they could catch them--and to vindicate, with much strong language, the dignity of Great Britain, and to make an eternal example. 

But white bones are what the white man makes, under that slimy sunshineand putrefying moon. Weary, slack-jointed, low-hearted as they were, thedeadly coast-fever fell upon them, and they shivered, and burned, andgroaned, and raved, and leaped into holes, or rolled into camp fires. The Colonel died early, and the Naval Captain followed him; none stoodupon the order of their going; but man followed man, as in a funeral, tothe grave, until there was no grave to go to. The hand of the Lordwas stretched out against them; and never would one have come backto England, out of more than five hundred who landed, except for themanhood and vigour of a seaman, Captain Southcombe, of the transportGwalior. 

This brave and sensible man had been left with his ship lying off to besignalled for, in case of mishap, while his consort and the frigate weredespatched in advance to a creek, about twenty leagues westward, wherethe land-force triumphant was to join them. Captain Southcombe, withevery hand he could muster, traced the unfortunate party inland, andfound them led many leagues in the wrong direction, lost among quagmiresbreathing death, worn out with vermin, venom, and despair, and hemmedin by savages lurking for the night, to rush in upon and make an end ofthem. What need of many words? This man, and his comrades, did more thanany other men on the face of this earth could have done without Britishblood in them. They buried the many who had died without hope of thedecent concealment which our life has had, and therefore our death longsfor; they took on their shoulders, or on cane wattles, the many who hadmade up their minds to die, and were in much doubt about having done it, and they roused up and worked up by the scruff of their loose places thefew who could get along on their own legs. And so, with great spirit, and still greater patience, they managed to save quite as many asdeserved it. 

Because, when they came within signal of the Gwalior, CaptainSouthcombe, marching slowly with his long limp burdens, found ready onthe sand the little barrel, about as big as a kilderkin, of true andunsullied Stockholm pitch, which he had taken, as his brother tookMadeira, for ripeness and for betterance, by right of change of climate. With a little of this given choicely and carefully at the back of everysick man's tongue, and a little more spread across the hollow of hisstomach, he found them so enabled in the afternoon that they were gladto sit up in the bottom of a boat, and resign themselves to an All-wiseProvidence. 

Many survived, and blessed Captain Southcombe, not at firstcordially--for the man yet remains to be discovered who is grateful tohis doctor--but gradually more and more, and with that healthy actionof the human bosom which is called expectoration, whenever gratefulmemories were rekindled by the smell of tar. But this is a trifle; manyuseful lives were saved, and the Nation should have thanked CaptainSouthcombe, but did not. 

After these sad incidents, when sorrow for old friends was tempered bythe friendly warmth afforded by their shoes, a muster was held by theMajor in command, and there was only one officer who could neitherassert himself alive, nor be certified as dead. That one was ErleTwemlow, and the regiment would rather have lost any other two officers. Urgent as it was, for the safety of the rest, to fly with every featherfrom this pestilential coast, sails were handed, boats despatched, anddealings tried with Hunko Jum, who had reappeared with promptitude, themoment he was not wanted. From this noble monarch, and his chiefs, andall his nation, it was hard to get any clear intelligence, because theirown was absorbed in absorbing. They had found upon the sands a cask ofAdmiralty rum, as well as a stout residue of unadulterated pitch. Noses, and tongues, and historical romance--for a cask had been washed ashorefive generations since, and set up for a god, when the last drop waslicked--induced this brave nation to begin upon the rum; and fashion (aspowerful with them as with us) compelled them to drink the tar likewise, because they had seen the white men doing it. This would have made ithard to understand them, even if they had been English scholars, whichtheir ignorance of rum proved them not to be; and our sailors verynearly went their way, after sadly ascertaining nothing, except that thecask was empty. 

But luckily, just as they were pushing off, a very large, black headappeared from behind a vegetable-ivory tree, less than a quarter of amile away, and they knew that this belonged to Bandeliah, the reveredking of the Crumbos, who had evidently smelled rum far inland. Withhim they were enabled to hold discourse, partly by signs, and partly bymeans of an old and highly polished negro, who had been the rat-catcherat the factory now consumed; and the conclusion, or perhaps theconfusion, arrived at from signs, grunts, grins, nods, waggings offingers and twistings of toes, translated grandiloquently into brokenEnglish, was not far from being to the following effect:

To wit, that two great kings reigned inland, either of them able to eatup Hunko Jum and Bandeliah at a mouthful, but both of them too proud toset foot upon land that was flat, or in water that was salt. They ruledover two great nations called the Houlas, and the Quackwas, going out ofsight among great rivers and lands with clear water standing over them. And if the white men could not understand this, it was because theydrank salt-water. 

Moreover, they said that of these two kings, the king of the Houlas wasa woman, the most beautiful ever seen in all the world, and able tojump over any man's head. But the king of the Quackwas was a man, andalthough he had more than two thousand wives, and was taller by ajoint of a bamboo than Bandeliah--whose stature was at least six feetfour--yet nothing would be of any use to him, unless he could come to anagreement with Mabonga, the queen of the Houlas, to split a durra strawwith him. But Mabonga was coy, and understanding men, as well as jumpingover them, would grant them no other favour than the acceptance of theirpresents. However, the other great king was determined to have herfor his wife, if he abolished all the rest, and for this reason he hadcaught and kept the lost Englishman as a medicine-man; and it was notlikely that he would kill him, until he failed or succeeded. 

To further enquiries Bandeliah answered that to rescue the prisoner wasimpossible. If it had been his own newest wife, he would not push out atoe for her. The great king Golo lived up in high places that overlookedthe ground, as he would these white men, and his armies went like windand spread like fire. None of his warriors ate white man's flesh; theywere afraid it would make them cowardly. 

A brave heart is generally tender in the middle, to make up for being sofirm outside, even as the Durian fruit is. Captain Southcombe had walkedthe poop-deck of the Gwalior many a time, in the cool of the night, withErle Twemlow for his companion, and had taken a very warm liking to him. So that when the survivors of the regiment were landed at Portsmouth, this brave sailor travelled at his own cost to Springhaven, and toldthe Rector the whole sad story, making it clear to him beyond all doubt, that nothing whatever could be done to rescue the poor young man fromthose savages, or even to ascertain his fate. For the Quackwas were aninland tribe, inhabiting vast regions wholly unknown to any European, and believed to extend to some mighty rivers, and lakes resemblinginland seas. 

Therefore Mr. Twemlow, in a deep quiet voice, asked Captain Southcombeone question only--whether he might keep any hope of ever having, bythe mercy of the Lord, his only son restored to him. And the sailorsaid--yes; the mistake would be ever to abandon such a hope, for atthe moment he least expected it, his son might stand before him. Hepretended to no experience of the western coast of Africa, and niggershe knew were a very queer lot, acting according to their own lights, which differed according to their natures. But he was free to say, thatin such a condition he never would think of despairing, though it mightbecome very hard not to do so, as time went on without bringing anynews. He himself had been in sad peril more than once, and once itappeared quite hopeless; but he thought of his wife and his children athome, and the Lord had been pleased to deliver him. 

The parson was rebuked by this brave man's faith, who made no pretencewhatever to piety; and when they said Goodbye, their eyes were brightwith the goodwill and pity of the human race, who know trouble notinflicted as yet upon monkeys. Mr. Twemlow's heart fell when the sailorwas gone, quite as if he had lost his own mainstay; but he bracedhimself up to the heavy duty of imparting sad news to his wife anddaughter, and worst of all to Faith Darling. But the latter surprisedhim by the way in which she bore it; for while she made no pretenceto hide her tears, she was speaking as if they were needless. Andthe strangest thing of all, in Mr. Twemlow's opinion, was her curiouspersistence about Queen Mabonga. Could any black woman--and she supposedshe must be that--be considered by white people to be beautiful? HadCaptain Southcombe ever even seen her; and if not, how could he be insuch raptures about her attractions? She did not like to say a word, because he had been so kind and so faithful to those poor soldiers, whomit was his duty to bring home safe; but if it had not been for that, shemight have thought that with so many children and a wife at Limehouse, he should not have allowed his mind to dwell so fondly on the personalappearance of a negress!

The Rector was astonished at this injustice, and began to revise hisopinion about Faith as the fairest and sweetest girl in all the world;but Mrs. Twemlow smiled, when she had left off crying, and said thatshe liked the dear child all the better for concluding that Ponga--orwhatever her name was--must of necessity and at the first glance falldesperately in love with her own Erle. Then the Rector cried, "Oh, tobe sure, that explained it! But he never could have thought of that, without his wife's assistance. "

Two years now, two years of quiet patience, of busy cheerfulness now andthen, and of kindness to others always, had made of Faith Darling a ladyto be loved for a hundred years, and for ever. The sense of her sorrowwas never far from her, yet never brought near to any other by herself;and her smile was as warm, and her eyes as bright, as if there had neverbeen a shadow on her youth. To be greeted by her, and to receive herhand, and one sweet glance of her large goodwill, was enough to make anold man feel that he must have been good at some time, and a young manhope that he should be so by-and-by; though the tendency was generallycontented with the hope. 

CHAPTER XXXIII

FAREWELL, DANIEL

Thoughtful for others as she always was, this lovely and loveable youngwoman went alone, on the morning of the day that was so sorrowful forher, to bear a little share of an elder lady's sorrow, and comfort herwith hopes, or at any rate with kindness. They had shed tears togetherwhen the bad news arrived, and again when a twelvemonth had weakenedfeeble hope; and now that another year had well-nigh killed it in oldhearts too conversant with the cruelties of the world, a little talk, atender look, a gentle repetition of things that had been said at least ahundred times before, might enter by some subtle passage to the cells ofcomfort. Who knows how the welted vine leaf, when we give it shadeand moisture, crisps its curves again, and breathes new bloom uponits veinage? And who can tell how the flagging heart, beneath the coolmantle of time, revives, shapes itself into keen sympathies again, andspreads itself congenially to the altered light?

Without thinking about it, but only desiring to do a little good, if possible, Faith took the private way through her father's groundsleading to the rectory, eastward of the village. It was scarcely twoo'clock, and the sun was shining, and the air clear and happy, as it canbe in October. She was walking rather fast, for fear of dropping intothe brooding vein, when in the little fir plantation a man came forth onher path, and stood within a few yards in front of her. She was startledfor an instant, because the place was lonely, and Captain Stubbard'sbattery crew had established their power to repulse the French bypounding their fellow-countrymen. But presently she saw that it was DanTugwell, looking as unlike himself as any man can do (without the aid ofan artist), and with some surprise she went on to meet him. 

Instead of looking bright, and bold, and fearless, with the freedom ofthe sea in his open face, and that of the sun in his clustering curls, young Daniel appeared careworn and battered, not only unlike his properself, but afraid of and ashamed of it. He stood not firmly on theground, nor lightly poised like a gallant sailor, but loosely andclumsily like a ploughman who leaves off at the end of his furrow toease the cramp. His hat looked as if he had slept in it, and his eyes asif he had not slept with them. 

Miss Darling had always been fond of Dan, from the days when they playedon the beach together, in childhood's contempt of social law. Her oldnurse used to shut her eyes, after looking round to make sure that therewas "nobody coming to tell on them, " while as pretty a pair of childrenas the benevolent sea ever prattled with were making mirth and musicand romance along its margin. And though in ripe boyhood the unfaithfulDaniel transferred the hot part of his homage to the more coquettishDolly, Faith had not made any grievance of that, but rather thought allthe more of him, especially when he saved her sister's life in a veryrash boating adventure. 

So now she went up to him with a friendly mind, and asked him softly andpitifully what trouble had fallen upon him. At the sweet sound of hervoice, and the bright encouragement of her eyes, he felt as if he wasgetting better. 

"If you please, miss, " he said, with a meek salutation, which proved hispanisic ideas to be not properly wrought into his system as yet--"if youplease, miss, things are very hard upon me. "

"Is it money?" she asked, with the true British instinct that all commonwoes have their origin there; "if it is, I shall be so glad that Ihappen to have a good bit put by just now. "

But Dan shook his head with such dignified sadness that Faith was quiteafraid of having hurt his feelings. "Oh, I might have known, " she said, "that it was nothing of that kind. You are always so industrious andsteady. But what can it be? Is it anything about Captain Stubbardand his men, because I know you do not like them, and none of the oldSpringhaven people seem to do so? Have you been obliged to fight withany of them, Daniel?"

"No, miss, no. I would not soil my hand by laying it on any of suchchaps as those. Unless they should go for to insult me, I mean, or anyone belonging to me. No, miss, no. It is ten times worse than money, orassault and battery. "

"Well, Daniel, I would not on any account, " said Faith, with her desireof knowledge growing hotter by delay, as a kettle boils by waiting--"onno account would I desire to know anything that you do not seem to thinkmy advice might help you to get out of. I am not in a hurry, but stillmy time is getting rather late for what I have to do. By the time I comeback from the rectory, perhaps you will have made up your mind about it. Till then, good-bye to you, Daniel. "

He stepped out of the path, that she might go by, and only said, "Thengoodbye, miss; I shall be far away when you come back. "

This was more than the best-regulated, or largest--which generally isthe worst-regulated--feminine mind could put up with. Miss Darling cameback, with her mind made up to learn all, or to know the reason why. 

"Dan, this is unworthy of you, " she said, with her sweet voice full ofsorrow. "Have I ever been hard or unkind to you, Dan, that you should beso afraid of me?"

"No, miss, never. But too much the other way. That makes it so bad forme to say good-bye. I am going away, miss. I must be off this evening. Inever shall see Springhaven no more, nor you, miss--nor nobody else. "

"It is quite impossible, Dan. You must be dreaming. You don't look atall like yourself to-day. You have been doing too much over-time. I haveheard all about it, and how very hard you work. I have been quite sorryfor you on Sundays, to see you in the gallery, without a bit of rest, still obliged to give the time with your elbow. I have often beenastonished that your mother could allow it. Why, Dan, if you goaway, you will break her heart, and I don't know how many more inSpringhaven. "

"No, miss, no. They very soon mends them. It is the one as goes awaythat gets a deal the worst of it. I am sure I don't know whatever Ishall do, without the old work to attend to. But it will get on just aswell without me. "

"No, it won't, " replied Faith, looking at him very sadly, and shakingher head at such cynical views; "nothing will be the same, when you aregone, Daniel; and you ought to have more consideration. "

"I am going with a good man, at any rate, " he answered, "thefreest-minded gentleman that ever came to these parts. Squire Carne, ofCarne Castle, if you please, miss. "

"Mr. Caryl Carne!" cried Faith, in a tone which made Daniel look at herwith some surprise. "Is he going away? Oh, I am so glad!"

"No, miss; not Squire Carne himself. Only to provide for me work faraway, and not to be beholden any more to my own people. And work wherea man may earn and keep his own money, and hold up his head while adoingof it. "

"Oh, Dan, you know more of such things than I do. And every man has aright to be independent, and ought to be so, and I should despisehim otherwise. But don't be driven by it into the opposite extreme ofdisliking the people in a different rank--"

"No, miss, there is no fear of that--the only fear is liking some ofthem too much. "

"And then, " continued Faith, who was now upon one of her favouritesubjects past interruption, "you must try to remember that if you workhard, so do we, or nearly all of us. From the time my father gets up inthe morning, to the time when he goes to bed at night, he has not gotfive minutes--as he tells us every day--for attending to anythingbut business. Even at dinner, when you get a good hour, and won't bedisturbed--now will you?"

"No, miss; not if all the work was tumbling down. No workman as respectshimself would take fifty-nine minutes for sixty. "

"Exactly so; and you are right. You stand up for your rights. Yourdinner you have earned, and you will have it. And the same with yourbreakfast, and your supper too, and a good long night to get over it. Doyou jump up in bed, before you have shut both eyes, hearing or fancyingyou have heard the bell, that calls you out into the cold, and the dark, and a wet saddle, from a warm pillow? And putting that by, as a troubleof the war, and the chance of being shot at by dark tall men"--hereFaith shuddered at her own presentment, as the image of Caryl Carnepassed before her--"have you to consider, at every turn, that whateveryou do--though you mean it for the best--will be twisted and turnedagainst you by some one, and made into wickedness that you never dreamedof, by envious people, whose grudge against you is that they fancy youlook down on them? Though I am sure of one thing, and that is that myfather, instead of looking down upon any honest man because he is poor, looks up to him; and so do I; and so does every gentleman or lady. And any one who goes about to persuade the working-people--as they arecalled, because they have to use their hands more--that people likemy father look down upon them, and treat them like dogs, and all thosewicked stories--all I can say is, any man who does it deserves to be putin the stocks, or the pillory, or even to be transported as an enemy tohis country. "

Dan looked at the lady with great surprise. He had always known herto be kind and gentle, and what the old people called "mannersome, " toevery living body that came near her. But to hear her put, better thanhe could put them, his own budding sentiments (which he thought to benew, with the timeworn illusion of young Liberals), and to know from herbright cheeks, and brighter eyes, that her heart was in every word ofit, and to feel himself rebuked for the evil he had thought, and themischief he had given ear to--all this was enough to make him angry withhimself, and uncertain how to answer. 

"I am certain that you never thought of such things, " Miss Darlingcontinued, with her gentle smile returning; "you are much tooindustrious and sensible for that. But I hear that some persons are nowin our parish who make it their business, for some reason of their own, to spread ill-will and jealousy and hatred everywhere, to make us allstrangers and foes to one another, and foreigners to our own country. Wehave enemies enough, by the will of the Lord (as Mr. Twemlow says), fora sharp trial to us, and a lesson to our pride, and a deep source ofgratitude, and charity, and good-will--though I scarcely understand howthey come in--and, above all, a warning to us to stick together, and notexactly hate, but still abhor, everybody who has a word to say againsthis own country at a time like this. And ten thousand times as much, if he is afraid to say it, but crawls with crafty poison into simpleEnglish bosoms. "

"There is nothing of that, miss, to my knowledge, here, " the youngfisherman answered, simply; "Springhaven would never stand none ofthat; and the club drinks the health of King George every night of theirmeeting, and stamps on the floor for him. But I never shall help to dothat any more. I must be going, miss--and thank you. "

"Then you will not tell me why you go? You speak of it as if it wasagainst your will, and yet refuse to say what drives you. Have you beenpoaching, Dan? Ah, that is it! But I can beg you off immediately. Myfather is very good even to strangers, and as for his doing anything toyou--have no fear, Dan; you shall not be charged with it, even if youhave been in Brown Bushes. "

Brown Bushes, a copse about a mile inland, was the Admiral's most sacredspot, when peace allowed him to go shooting, because it was beloved bywoodcocks, his favourite birds both for trigger and for fork. But Danielonly shook his head; he had not been near Brown Bushes. Few thingsperhaps will endure more wear than feminine curiosity. But when a traphas been set too long, it gets tongue-bound, and grows content withoutcontents. 

"Daniel Tugwell, " said Miss Darling, severely, "if you have not beenfighting, or conspiring against society, or even poaching, I can wellunderstand that you may have reasons for not desiring my assistance oradvice. And I only wonder that under such circumstances you took thetrouble to wait for me here, as you appear to have done. Good-bye. "

"Oh, don't be cross, miss! please not to be cross, " cried Daniel, running after her; "I would tell you all about it this very instantmoment, if it were behoving to me. You will hear all about it when youget to Parson Twemlow's, for I saw mother going there, afore she had herbreakfast, though I was not concernable to let her see me. If the Squirehad been home, she would have gone up to Hall first. No, miss, no. Idone nothing to be ashamed of; and if you turn back on me, you'll besorry afterwards. "

Faith was more apt to think that she had been too sharp than to be so inbehaviour to any one. She began at once, with a blush for her bad ideas, to beg Dan's pardon, and he saw his way to say what he was come to say. 

"You always were too good, Miss Faith, too good to be hard upon any one, and I am sure you have not been hard upon me; for I know that I lookdisrespectable. But I couldn't find words to say what I wanted, untilyou spoke so soft and kind. And perhaps, when I say it, you'll be angrywith me, and think that I trespass upon you. "

"No, I won't, Dan; I will promise you that. You may tell me, as if Iwere Mr. Swipes, who says that he never lost his temper in his life, because he is always right, and other people wrong. "

"Well, miss, I'm afraid that I am not like that, and that makes me feelso uncomfortable with the difference between us. Because it is all aboutMiss Dolly, and I might seem so impudent. But you know that I wouldgo through fire and water to serve Miss Dolly, and I durstn't go awayforever without one message to her. If I was in her own rank of life, God Almighty alone should part us, whether I was rich or whether Iwas poor, and I'd like to see any one come near her! But being only anignorant fellow without any birth or book-learning, I am not such a foolas to forget that the breadth of the world lies between us. Only I maywish her well, all the same--I may wish her well and happy, miss?"

"Certainly you may. " Faith blushed at the passion of his words, andsighed at their despair. "You have saved her life. She respects andlikes you, the same as my father and I do. You may trust me with yourmessage, Dan. "

"I suppose it would not be the proper thing for me to see her oncebefore I go; just for one minute, with you standing by her, that Imight--that she might--"

"No, " answered Faith, though it grieved her to say it; "we must notthink of that, Dan. It could do you no good, and it might do her harm. But if you have any message, to be useful to her--"

"The useful part of it must be through you, miss, and not sent to her atall, I think, or it would be very impertinent. The kind part is to giveher my good-bye, and say that I would die to help her. And the usefulpart is for yourself. For God's sake, miss, do keep Miss Dolly out ofthe way of Squire Carne! He hath a tongue equal to any woman, with themind of a man beneath it. He hath gotten me body and soul; because Icare not the skin of a dab what befalls me. But oh, miss, he nevermust get Miss Dolly. He may be a very good man in some ways, and he iswonderful free-minded; but any young lady as marries him had better haveleaped into the Culver Hole. Farewell, miss, now that I have told you. "He was gone before Faith could even offer him her hand, but he tookoff his hat and put one finger to his curls, as he looked back fromthe clearing; and her eyes filled with tears, as she waved her hand andanswered, "Farewell, Daniel!"

CHAPTER XXXIV

CAULIFLOWERS

"They cocks and hens, " Mr. Swipes used to say in the earlier days ofhis empire--"bless you, my lord, they cocks and hens knows a good bit ofgardening as well as I do. They calls one another, and they comes to seeit, and they puts their heads to one side and talks about it, and theysay to one another, 'Must be something good there, or he wouldn't havemade it so bootiful'; and then up go their combs, and they tear awayinto it, like a passel of Scotchmen at a scratching-match. If yourlordship won't put a lock on the door, you will never taste a bit ofgood vegetable. "

Admiral Darling was at length persuaded to allow Mr. Swipes theprivilege of locking himself in the kitchen-garden; and then, forthe purpose of getting at him, a bell was put in the gable of thetool-house, with a long handle hanging outside the door in the courtyardtowards the kitchen. Thus he was able to rest from his labours, withoutincurring unjust reproach; and gradually as he declined, with increasingdecision, to answer the bell when it rang, according to the highest lawsof nature it left off ringing altogether. So Mr. Swipes in the walledkitchen-garden sought peace and ensued it. 

One quiet November afternoon, when the disappearance of Dan Tugwell hadbeen talked out and done with, a sad mishap befell this gardener, duringthe performance, or, to speak more correctly, the contemplation of hiswork. A yawn of such length and breadth and height and profundity tookpossession of him that the space it had so well occupied still retainedthe tender memory. In plainer words, he had ricked his jaw, not fromgeneral want of usage, but from the momentary excess. 

"Sarves me right, " he muttered, "for carrying on so, without nothinginside of 'un. Must go to doctor, quick step, and no mistake. "

In this strait he set off for John Prater's (for it was a matter ofluck to get ale at the Hall, and in such emergency he must not trust tofortune), and passing hastily through the door, left it unlocked behindhim. Going down the hill he remembered this, and had a great mind to goback again, but the unanimous demand of his system for beer impelledhim downwards. He never could get up that hill again without hydraulicpressure. 

All might have gone well, and all would have gone well, except for thegrievous mistake of Nature in furnishing women with eyes whose keennessis only exceeded by that of their tongues. The cook at the Hall, asuperior person--though lightly esteemed by Mrs. Cloam--had long beenambitious to have a voice in the selection of her raw material. Ifanything was good, who got the credit? Mr. Swipes, immediately. But ifeverything was bad, as more often happened, who received the blame? MaryKnuckledown. Her lawful name was "Knuckleup, " but early misfortuneshad reduced her to such mildness that her name became converted--as sheexpressed it--in harmony with her nature. Facts having generally beenadverse to her, she found some comfort in warm affection for theirnatural enemies and ever-victorious rivals--words. Any words coming witha brave rush are able to scatter to the winds the strongest facts; butbig words--as all our great orators know--knock them at once on the headand cremate them. But the cook was a kind-hearted woman, and liked bothlittle and big words, without thinking of them. 

She had put down her joint, a good aitch-bone, for roasting--than which, if well treated, are few better treats--to revolve in the distant saluteof the fire (until it should ripen for the close embrace, where thetints of gold and chestnut vie), when it came into her provident mindwith a flash that neither horse-radish nor cauliflower had yet beendelivered by Mr. Swipes. She must run out and pull the long handle inthe yard, and remind him gently of her needs, for she stood in some aweof his character, as a great annalist of little people's lives. 

Leaving the small dog Dandolo with stern orders to keep the jacksteadily going, with a stick on the dresser to intimidate one eye, anda sop in the dripping-pan to encourage the other, Mrs. Knuckledown raninto the court-yard, just in time to see the last swing of the skirt ofthat noble gardener's coat, as he turned the wall corner on his marchtowards the tap. She longed to call him back, but remembered just intime how fearfully cross that had made him once before, and she wasyielding with a sigh to her usual bad luck, when an eager and triumphantcluck made her look about. The monarch and patriarch of cocks, amagnificent old Dorking, not idly endowed with five claws for thescratch, had discovered something great, and was calling all his wives, and even his sons, as many as yet crowed not against him, to share thisspecial luck of fortune, or kind mood of Providence. In a minute or twohe had levied an army, some half-hundred strong, and all spurring theland, to practise their liberal claws betimes for the gorgeous joy ofscattering it. Then the grand old cock, whose name was "Bill, " madethem all fall in behind him, and strutting till he almost tumbled on hishead, led the march of destruction to the garden door. 

But, alas, he had waited for his followers too long, eager as they werefor rapine. When he came to his portal of delight, there stood, stoutas Britannia herself, and sweeping a long knife for her trident, thevaliant cook, to protect her cauliflowers. "You be off, Bill, " shecried. "I don't want to hurt you, because you have been a good bird inyour time, but now you be growing outrageous. " Bill made a rush for it, but losing a slice of his top-heavy comb, retired. 

"Now's my opportunity, " said Mary to herself, "for to cut my own cabbagefor once in my life, and to see what that old beast does in here. Oh my!The old villain, and robber that he is! Bamboozlement is the languagefor it. " Embezzlement she should have said, and to one who knew as shedid how badly the table of the master was supplied, the suspicion wasalmost unavoidable. For here she saw in plenteous show, and appetisingexcellence, a many many of the very things she had vainly craved fromMr. Swipes. And if it was so now in November, what must it have been twomonths ago? Why, poor Miss Faith--Mary Knuckledown's idol, because ofher kindness and sad disappointment--had asked a little while ago for abit of salsify, not for herself--she never thought of herself--but for aguest who was fond of it; also the Admiral himself had called out for agood dish of skirrets. But no; Mr. Swipes said the weather and the blackblight had destroyed them. Yet here they were; Mary could swear to themboth, with their necks above-ground, as if waiting for the washing!Cauliflowers also (as the cooks call broccoli of every kind), here theywere in abundance, ten long rows all across the middle square, verybeautiful to behold. Some were just curling in their crinkled coronets, to conceal the young heart that was forming, as Miss in her teens drawsher tresses around the first peep of her own palpitation; others wereshowing their broad candid bosoms, with bold sprigs of nature's greenlace crisping round; while others had their ripe breasts shielded fromthe air by the breakage of their own broad fringe upon them. 

Mary knew that this was done by Mr. Swipes himself, because he hadbrought her some in that condition; but the unsuspicious master hadaccepted his assurance that "they was only fit for pigs as soon as thebreak-stalk blight come on 'em"; and then the next day he had boughtthe very same, perhaps at ninepence apiece, from Mr. Cheeseman's window, trimmed and shorn close, like the head of a monk. "I'll see every bit of'un, now that I be here. " Mrs. Knuckledown spoke aloud, to keep up hercourage. "Too bad for that old beast to keep us locked out from the veryplace us ought to have for pommylarding, because he saith all the fruitwould go into our pockets. And what goes into his'en, I should like toknow? Suppose I lock him out, as he hath locked us out. He won't be backyet for half an hour, anyway. Wish I could write--what a list I wouldmake, if it was only of the things he denieth he hath got!"

Strong in her own honesty and loyalty to her master, the cook turned thekey in the lock, and left Swipes to ring himself into his own garden, ashe always called it. That is to say, if he should return, which was notvery likely, before she had time for a good look round. But she sawsuch a sight of things she had longed for, to redeem her repute in thevegetable way, as well as such herbs for dainty stuffing, of which sheknew more than cooks generally do, that her cap nearly came off her headwith amazement, and time flew by unheeded. Until she was startled andterrified sadly by the loud, angry clang of the bell in the gable. Notonly was Mr. Swipes come back, but he was in a furious rage outside, though his fury was chilled with some shivers of fear. At first, when hefound the door locked against him, he thought that the Admiral must havecome home unexpected, and failing to find him at work, had turned thekey against him, while himself inside. If so, his situation would be insad peril, and many acres of lies would be required to redeem it. Fortrusting in his master's long times of absence, and full times of publicduty when at home, Mr. Swipes had grown more private stock, as hecalled it, and denied the kitchen more, than he had ever done before, in special preparation for some public dinners about to be given at theDarling Arms, by military officers to naval, and in turn by the latterto the former; for those were hospitable days, when all true Britonsstuck their country's enemy with knife and fork, as well as sword. 

But learning, as he soon did at the stables, that the Admiral was stillaway, and both the young ladies were gone for a ride with Miss Twemlow, the gardener came back in a rage, and rang the bell. "Oh, whatever shallI do?" the trembling Mary asked herself. "Best take the upper hand ifI can. He's a thief, and a rogue, and he ought to be frighted. Doeshe know I can't write? No, for certain he dothn't. One of his big liesabout me was a letter I wrote to poor Jonadab. "

With her courage renewed by the sense of that wrong, she opened thedoor, and stood facing Mr. Swipes, with a piece of paper in her hand, which a woman's quick wit bade her fetch from her pocket. 

"Halloa, madam!" the gardener exclaimed, with a sweep of his hat anda low salute, which he meant to be vastly satirical; "so your ladyshiphave come to take the air in my poor garden, instead of tending thespit. And what do your ladyship think of it, so please you? Sorry as Ihad any dung about, but hadn't no warning of this royal honour. "

"Sir, " said Mrs. Knuckledown, pretending to be frightened a great dealmore than she was--"oh, sir, forgive me! I am sure I meant no harm. Butthe fowls was running in, and I ran up to stop them. "

"Oh, that was how your ladyship condescended; and to keep out the fowls, you locked out me! Allow me the royal and unapparelled honour of showingyour ladyship to her carriage; and if I ever catch her in here again, I'll pitch you down the court-yard pretty quick. Be off, you dirtybaggage, or I won't answer for it now!"

"Oh, you are too kind, Mr. Swipes; I am sure you are too gentle, toforgive me, like of that! And the little list I made of the flowersin your garden, I shall put it in a teapot till the Quality wantssomething. "

Mr. Swipes gave a start, and his over-watered eyes could not meet thoseof Mary, which were mildly set upon them. "List!" he muttered--"littlelist! What do you please to mean, Miss?"

"Well, the 'dirty baggage' means nothing unparalleled, sir, but just thesame as anybody else might do. Some people calls it a Inventionary, andsome an Emmarandum, and some a Catalogue. It don't interfere with you, Mr. Swipes; only the next time as Miss Dolly asks, the same as she wasdoing the other day--"

"Oh, she was, was she? The little -----!" Mr. Swipes used a wordconcerning that young lady which would have insured his immediatedischarge, together with one from the Admiral's best toe. "And pray, what was her observations, ma'am?"

"It was Charles told me, for he was waiting at dinner. Seems that theturnip was not to her liking, though I picked out the very best of whatfew you sent in, so she looks up from her plate, and she says: 'Well, Icannot understand it! To me it is the greatest mistress in the world, 'she says, 'that we never can get a bit of vegetable fit for eating. We've got, ' she says, 'a kitchen-garden close upon two acres, and a manwho calls himself head gardener, by the name of Swipes'--my pardoningto you, Mr. Swipes, for the young lady's way of saying it--'and his twosons, and his nephew, and I dare say soon his grandsons. Well, and whatcomes of it?' says she. 'Why, that we never has a bit of any kindof vegetable, much less of fruit, fit to lay a fork to!' Charles wasa-pricking up his ears at this, because of his own grumbles, and themaster saw it, and he says, 'Hush, Dolly!' But she up and answersspiritly: 'No, I won't hush, papa, because it is too bad. Only youleave it to me, ' she says, 'and if I don't keep the key from that oldthief--excoose me, Mr. Swipes, for her shocking language--'and find outwhat he locks up in there, my name's not Horatia Dorothy Darling. ' Oh, don't let it dwell so on your mind, Mr. Swipes! You know what youngladies be. They says things random, and then goes away and neverthinks no more about it. Oh, don't be upset so--or I shall have to callCharles!"

Mr. Swipes took his hat off to ease his poor mind, which had lost itsway altogether in other people's wickedness. "May I never set eyes onthat young man no more!" he exclaimed, with more pathetic force thanreasoning power. "Either him or me quits this establishment to-morrow. Ah, I know well why he left his last place, and somebody else shall knowto-morrow!"

"What harm have poor Charles done?" the cook asked sharply; "itwasn't him that said it; it was Miss Dolly. Charley only told meconferentially. "

"Oh, I know what 'conferentially' means, when anything once gets amongthe womenkind! But I know a thing or two about Miss Dolly, as will giveher enough to do at home, I'll warrant, without coming spying after meand my affairs. Don't you be surprised, cook, whatever you may hear, assoon as ever the Admiral returneth. He's a soft man enough in a numberof ways, but he won't put up with everything. The nasty little vixen, ifshe don't smart for this!"

"Oh, don't 'e, now don't 'e, Mr. Swipes, that's a dear!" cried thesoft-hearted Mrs. Knuckledown; "don't 'e tell on her, the poor youngthing. If her hath been carrying on a bit with some of them younghofficers, why, it's only natteral, and her such a young booty. Don't 'ebe Dick-tell-tale, with a name to it, or without. And perhaps her neversaid half the things that Charles hath contributed to her. " The truthwas that poor Dolly had said scarcely one of them. 

"Bain't no young hofficer, " Mr. Swipes replied, contemptuously; "tentimes wuss than that, and madder for the Admiral. Give me that paper, Miss, and then, perhaps, I'll tell 'e. Be no good to you, and might beuseful to me. "

Mary could not give up the paper, because it was a letter from one ofher adorers, which, with the aid of Jenny Shanks, she had interpreted. "No, no, " she said, with a coaxing look; "by-and-by, Mr. Swipes, whenyou have told me who it is, and when you have promised not to tell onpoor Miss Dolly. But nobody sha'n't see it, without your permission. We'll have another talk about that to-morrow. But, oh my! look at thetime you have kept me, with all the good things to make a hangel'smouth water! Bring me two cauliflowers in two seconds. My beef will wantbasting long ago; and if Dandy hathn't left his job, he'll be prettywell roasted hisself by now. "

Mr. Swipes went muttering up the walk, and was forced to cut two of thefinest cauliflowers intended for Cheeseman's adornment to-morrow. Thisturned his heart very sour again, and he shook his head, growling inself-commune: "You see if I don't do it, my young lady. You speaks againme, behind my back, and I writes again you, before your face; though, incourse, I need not put my name to it. "

CHAPTER XXXV

LOYAL, AYE LOYAL

One of the dinners at the Darling Arms, and perhaps the most brilliantand exciting of the whole, because even the waiters understood thesubject, was the entertainment given in the month of December, A. D. 1803, not only by the officers of two regiments quartered for the timenear Stonnington, but also by all the leading people round about thoseparts, in celebration of the great work done by His Majesty's 38-gunfrigate Leda. Several smaller dinners had been consumed already, by wayof practice, both for the cooks and the waiters and the chairman, andMr. John Prater, who always stood behind him, with a napkin in one handand a corkscrew in the other, and his heart in the middle, ready eitherto assuage or stimulate. As for the guests, it was always found that nopractice had been required. 

"But now, but now"--as Mr. Prater said, when his wife pretended to makenothing of it, for no other purpose than to aggravate him, because shethought that he was making too much money, in proportion to what he wasgiving her--"now we shall see what Springhaven can do for the good ofthe Country and the glory of herself. Two bottles and a half a head isthe lowest that can be charged for, with the treble X outside, and thepunch to follow after. His lordship is the gentleman to keep the bottlegoing. "

For the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, the popular Marquis of Southdown, had promised to preside at this grand dinner; and everybody knew whatthat meant. "Short tongue and long throat, " was his lordship's motto inthe discharge of all public business, and "Bottle to the gentleman onmy left!" was the practical form of his eulogies. In a small space likethis, there would be no chance for a sober-minded guest to escape hissearching eye, and Blyth Scudamore (appointed to represent the officersof the Leda, and therefore the hero of the evening) felt as happy as adog being led to be drowned, in view of this liquid ordeal. For Blythwas a temperate and moderate young man, neither such a savage as to turnhis wine to poison, nor yet so Anti-Christian as to turn it into water. 

Many finer places had been offered for the feast, and foremost amongstthem the Admiral's house; but the committee with sound judgment haddeclined them all. The great point was to have a place within easy reachof boats, and where gallant naval officers could be recalled at once, if the French should do anything outrageous, which they are apt to doat the most outrageous time. But when a partition had been knocked down, and the breach tacked over with festoons of laurel, Mr. Prater was quitejustified in rubbing his red hands and declaring it as snug a boxas could be for the business. There was even a dark elbow where thestaircase jutted out, below the big bressemer of the partition, and madea little gallery for ladies to hear speeches, and behold the festiveheroes while still fit to be beholden. And Admiral Darling, asvice-chairman, entering into facts masculine and feminine, had promisedhis daughters and Miss Twemlow, under charge of the rector's wife andMrs. Stubbard, a peep at this heroic scene, before it should become tooconvivial. The rescuers also of the Blonde, the flesh and bone, withoutwhich the master brain must still have lain stranded, were to have agrand supper in the covered skittle-alley, as the joints came away fromtheir betters, this lower deck being in command of Captain Tugwell, whocould rouse up his crew as fast as his lordship roused his officers. 

Admiral Darling had been engaged of late in the service of his Countryso continually, and kept up and down the great roads so much, or in andout of any little port where sailors grew, that his own door had nearlyforgotten his shadow, and his dining-room table the reflection of hisface. For, in those days, to keep a good table implied that the tablemust be good, as well as what was put upon it; and calico spread uponturpentine was not yet considered the proper footing for the hospitableand social glass. 

"When shall Twemlow and I have a hobnob again?" the Admiral askedhimself many a time. "How the dear old fellow loves to see the image ofhis glass upon the table, and the ruby of his port reflected! Heigho!I am getting very stiff in the back, and never a decent bit of dinnerfor'ard. And as for a glass of good wine--oh Lord! my timbers will bebroken up, before it comes to mend them. And when I come home for evenhalf an hour, there is all this small rubbish to attend to. I musthave Frank home, to take this stuff off my hands, or else keep what Iabominate, a private secretary. "

Among the pile of letters that had lain unopened was one which he leftto the last, because he disliked both the look and the smell of it. Adirty, ugly scrawl it was, bulged out with clumsy folding, and dabbedwith wax in the creases. With some dislike he tore it open; and thedislike became loathing, as he read:

"Hon'd Sir. These foo lines comes from a umble but arty frend tocommand. Rekwesting of your pardon sir, i have kep a hi same been fatherof good dawters on the goings on of your fammeley. Miss Faith she isa hangel sir but Miss Dolly I fere no better than she ort to be, andwonderful fond of been noticed. I see her keeping company and carryin ondreadful with a tall dark young man as meens no good and lives to WidowShankses. Too nites running when the days was short she been up to thecornder of your grounds to meat he there ever so long. Only you hask herif you don't believe me and wash her fase same time sir. Too other peplebesides me nose it. Excoose hon'd sir this trubble from your obejiantservant

"FAX AND NO MISSTAKE. "

The Admiral's healthy face turned blue with rage and contempt, and hestamped with his heel, as if he had the writer under it. To write astabbing letter, and to dare to deal the stab, and yet fear to show thehand that deals it, was at that time considered a low thing to do. Evennow there are people who so regard it, though a still better tool for ablackguard--the anonymous post-card--is now superseding it. 

All the old man's pleasure, and cheer, and comfort, and joy in havingone day at home at last, were dashed and shattered and turned intowretched anxiety by this vile scrawl. He meant to have gone down, lightof heart, with a smiling daughter upon either arm, to the gallant littlefestival where everybody knew him, and every one admired and loved him. His two pretty daughters would sit upstairs, watching from a bow-window(though themselves unseen) all the dashing arrivals and the grandapparel. Then when the Marquis made his speech, and the King and Queenand Royal Family rode upon the clouds, and the grandeur of Great Britainwas above the stars of heaven, the ladies in the gallery would venturejust to show themselves, not for one moment with a dream of being lookedat, but from romantic loyalty, and the fervour of great sentiments. People pretending not to know would ask, "Who are those very lovelyladies?" And he would make believe to know nothing at all about it, buthis heart would know whether he knew it or not. 

On the very eve of all this well-earned bliss, when it would haverefreshed his fagged body and soul--which were now not so young as theyused to be--to hear from some scoundrel without a name, that his petchild, the life of his life, was no better than she ought to be, whichbeing said of a woman means that she is as bad as she can be! This fineold gentleman had never received such a cowardly back-handed blow tillnow, and for a moment he bent under it. 

Then, greatly ashamed of himself, he arose, and with one strong word, which even Mr. Twemlow might have used under such provocation, he trodthe vile stuff under foot, and pitched it with the fire-tongs into thefire. After this he felt better, and resolving most stoutly that henever would let it cross his mind again, made a light and cheerfulanswer to the profligate one--his young girl who came seeking him. 

"Oh, father, and you ought to be dressed!" she cried. "Shall we keep HisMajesty the Lord-Lieutenant waiting? Don't let us go at all. Let us stopat home, papa. We never see you now, more than once in a month; and wedon't want to see you from a staircase hole, where we mustn't even blowa kiss to you. I have got such a lot of things to tell you, dear father;and I could make you laugh much more than they will. "

"But, my darling--all these grand things?" said the father, gentlyfingering but half afraid to look at her, because of what had been inhis own mind; "the sweetest Navy blue, and the brightest Army red, andlittle bits of silver lace so quiet in between them! I am sure I don'tknow what to call a quarter of it; but the finest ship ever seen underfull sail, with the sun coming through her from her royals to hercourses--"

"Now, papa, don't be so ridiculous. You know that I am not a fine shipat all, but only a small frigate, about eighteen guns at the outside, Ishould say--though she would be a sloop of war, wouldn't she?--and comehere at any rate for you to command her, if you are not far too lofty anAdmiral. "

"Do you love your old father, my dear?" said he, being carried beyondhis usual state by the joy in her eyes as she touched him. 

"What a shame to ask me such a question? Oh, papa, I ought to say, 'Doyou love me?' when you go away weeks and months almost together! Takethat, papa; and be quite ashamed of yourself. "

She swept all her breast-knots away anyhow--that had taken an hour toarbitrate--and flung back her hair that would never be coiled, and witha flash of tears leaping into laughing eyes, threw both arms round herfather's neck, and pressed her cool sweet lips to his, which were not atall in the same condition. 

"There, see what you've done for me now!" she cried. "It will takethree-quarters of an hour, papa, to make me look fit to be looked atagain. The fashions are growing so ridiculous now--it is a happy thingfor us that we are a hundred years behind them, as Eliza Twemlow had theimpudence to say; and really, for the daughter of a clergyman--"

"I don't care that for Eliza Twemlow, " the Admiral exclaimed, with asnap of his thumb. "Let her show herself as much as there is demand for. Or rather, what I mean to say is, let Miss Twemlow be as beautiful asnature has made her, my dear; and no doubt that is very considerable. But I like you to be different; and you are. I like you to be simple, and shy, and retiring, and not to care twopence what any one thinks ofyou, so long as your father is contented. "

Dolly looked at her father, as if there were no other man in the worldfor the moment. Then her conscience made her bright eyes fall, as shewhispered: "To be sure, papa. I only put these things on to please you;and if you don't like them, away they go. Perhaps I should look nicer inmy great-aunt's shawl. And my feet would be warmer, oh ever so much! Iknow where it is, and if you prefer the look of it--"

"No, no!" cried the simple old father, as the girl tripped away in hothaste to seek for it; "I forbid you to make such a guy of yourself. Youmust not take my little banter, darling, in such a matter-of-fact way, or I must hold my tongue. "

"Thank God, " he continued to himself, as Miss Dolly ran away, to repairher damages; "the simple little soul thinks of nobody but me! How couldI be such a fool as to imagine harm of her? Why, she is quite a child, abigger child than I am. I shall enjoy my evening all the more for this. "

And truly there seemed to be no reason why all the guests at that greatfestival, save those who had speeches to make, should not enjoy theirevening thoroughly. Great preparations had been made, and goodlypresents contributed; plenty of serving-men would be there, and JohnPrater (now growing white-headed and portly) was becoming so skilful acaterer that if anything was suggested to him, he had always thought ofit long ago. The only grief was that the hour should be so late--fiveo'clock, an unchristian time, as they said, for who could have mannersafter starving so long?

There was some sense in this; but the unreasonable lateness of the hourcould not be helped, because the Lord-Lieutenant had to wait upon theKing at eight o'clock that morning. That he could do so, and yet be inSpringhaven by five, seemed almost impossible; for only ten years agothe journey took two days. But the war seemed to make everything goquicker, and it was no use to wonder at anything. Only if everythingelse went quicker, why should dinner (the most important of them all)come slower? And as yet there was nobody to answer this; though perhapsthere is no one to ask it now. 

All things began very beautifully. The young ladies slipped inunobserved, and the elder blessings of mankind came after, escortingthemselves with dignity. Then the heroes who had fought, and thegallants who had not had the luck yet, but were eager for it, camepleasantly clanking in, well girt to demolish ox and sheep, like Ajax, in lack of loftier carnage. The rector said grace, and the Marquis amen, and in less than two minutes every elbow was up, and every mouth atbusiness. There was very little talking for the first half hour. Inthose days emptiness was not allowed to make the process of filling amisery. 

While these fine fellows were still in the prime of their feeding, bentover and upon it, two men with empty stomachs, and a long way betweenthem and their victuals, stood afar regarding them. That is to say, justfar enough to be quite out of sight from the windows, in the gloom ofthe December evening; but at the same time near enough, to their ownunhappiness, to see and even smell the choice affairs across the road. 

"For what, then, hast thou brought me here?" the shorter man sharplyasked the tall one, both being in an uncomfortable place in a hedge, andwith briars that scratched them. "Is it to see other people eat, whento eat myself is impossible? You have promised to show me a very finething, and leagues have I traversed to please you. Fie, then, what isit? To see eat, eat, eat, and drink, drink, drink, and have nothing formyself!"

"My friend, " said the tall man, "I have not brought you here with anydesire to improve your appetite, which is always abundant, and cannot begratified for several hours, and with poor stuff then, compared to whatyou are beholding. Those men are feeding well. You can see how theyenjoy it. There is not a morsel in their mouths that has not a verychoice flavour of its own distinguished relish. See, there is thevenison just waiting to be carved, and a pheasant between every two ofthem. If only the wind was a little more that way, and the covers takenoff the sauce-boats, and the gravy--ah, do I perceive a fine fragrance, or is it a desirous imagination?"

"Bah! you are of the cold-blood, the wicked self-command. For me it iseither to rush in, or rush away. No longer can I hold my nose and mouth. And behold they have wine--grand wine--the wine of Sillery, of Medoc, ofBarsac, and of Burgundy! By the bottles I can tell them, and by all theSaints--"

"Be not so excited, for you cannot smack the lips. It is too late now toenvy them their solids, because they have made such speed with them. Butlisten, my dear friend"--and here the tall man whispered into the ear ofhis brisk companion, who danced with delight in the ungenial hedge, tillhis face was scarred with brambles. 

"It is magnificent, it is droll, it is what you call in England onegrand spree, though of that you understand not the signification. But, my faith, it is at the same time barbarous, and almost too malignant. "

"Too benevolent Charron, " said the tall stern man, "that shall restupon my conscience, not on yours. The object is not to spoil their noisyrevel, but to gain instruction of importance. To obtain a clear ideaof the measures they adopt--ah, you see, you are as quick as lightning. This urgent message is upon official paper, which I have taken from thedesk of that very stupid Stubbard. Take the horse Jerry holds at thecorner, and the officer's hat and cape provided are ample disguise forso dark a night. Take the lane behind the hills, and gallop two mileseastward, till you come to the shore again, then turn back towards thevillage by way of the beach, and you will meet the Coast-guard on duty, a stupid fellow called Vickers. Your horse by that time will be pipingand roaring: he can go like the wind, but his own is broken. The momentyou see Vickers, begin to swear at your horse. I have practised you ind--ns, for an emergency. "

"Ten thousand thunders, I can say d--n now to equal and surpass thepurest born of all Britons. "

"Not so loud, my friend, until by-and-by. The Coast-guard will cometo you, and you pull up with your horse hanging down his head, as ifdead-beaten. Using your accomplishment again, you say: 'Here, takethis on to Admiral Darling. My nag is quite done, and I must get toStonnington to call Colonel James. For your life, run, run. You'll get aguinea, if you look sharp. ' Before he can think of it, turn your horse, and make back to the lane, as if for Stonnington. But instead of that, gallop back to our ruins; and we'll go up the hill, and see what comesof it. "

"It is very good, it is magnificent. But will not the sentinel perceivemy voice and accent?"

"Not he; he is a very honest and therefore stupid fellow. Give him notime, answer no questions. Be all in a rush, as you so generally are. Iwould do it myself, but I am too well known. Say, will you undertake it?It will be a fine joke for you. "

About half an hour after this, the Lord-Lieutenant having hammered onthe table with an empty bottle, stood up to propose the chief toastof the evening--the gallant crew of the Leda, and the bold sailors ofSpringhaven. His lordship had scarcely had a bottle and a half, andwas now in the prime of his intellect. A very large man, with a longbrocaded coat of ruby-coloured cloth, and white satin breeches, awaistcoat of primrose plush emblazoned with the Union-jack (then thepopular device) in gorgeous silks with a margin of bright gold, and aneckcloth pointed and plaited in with the rarest lace, worth all therest put together--what a pity it seemed that such a man should getdrunk, or at any rate try so hard to do it. There was not a pimple onhis face, his cheeks were rosy and glistening, but not flushed; and hiseyes were as bright and clear and deep as a couple of large sapphires. 

This nobleman said a few words, without any excitement, or desire tocreate it, every word to the point, and the best that could be chosennot to go beyond the point. There was no attempt at eloquence, and yetthe speech was eloquent, because it suggested so much more than wassaid. More excitable natures, overcome by half a bottle, resolved tohave the other half, in honour of that toast. 

Then the Marquis did a very kind and thoughtful thing, for which hedeserved a bottle of the Royal Tokay, such as even Napoleon could notobtain. When the cheering was done, and every eye was fixed upon theblushing Scudamore--who felt himself, under that fixture, like an insectunder a lens which the sun is turning into a burning-glass--the Chairmanperceived his sad plight, and to give him more time and more spirit, rose again. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "or I would rather call you brother Englishmen atthis moment, I have forgotten one thing. Before our young hero repliesto his health, let us give him that spirited song 'Billy Blue, ' which iswell known to every man here, I'll be bound. Tell the drummer downthere to be ready for chorus. " Billy Blue, though almost forgotten now(because the enemy would not fight him), the blockader of Brest, thehardy, skilful, and ever watchful Admiral Cornwallis, would be known tous nearly as well as Nelson, if fame were not a lottery. 

As the Lord-Lieutenant waved his hand, the company rose with one accord, and followed the lead of his strong clear voice in the popular song, called

 "BILLY BLUE"

 1

 "'Tis a terrible time for Englishmen; All tyrants do abhor them; Every one of them hath to fight with ten, And the Lord alone is for them. But the Lord hath given the strong right hand, And the courage to face the thunder; If a Frenchman treads this English land, He shall find his grave thereunder. 

 CHORUS

 Britannia is the Ocean-Queen, and she standeth staunch and true, With Nelson for her faulchion keen, and her buckler Billy Blue. 

 2

 "They are mustering on yon Gallic coasts, You can see them from this high land, The biggest of all the outlandish hosts That ever devoured an island. There are steeds that have scoured the Continent, Ere ever one might say, 'Whoa, there!' And ships that would fill the Thames and Trent, If we would let them go there. 

 CHORUS

 But England is the Ocean-Queen, and it shall be hard to do; Not a Frenchman shall skulk in between herself and her Billy Blue. 

 3

 "From the smiling bays of Devonshire To the frowning cliffs of Filey, Leaps forth every son of an English sire, To fight for his native isley. He hath drawn the sword of his father now From the rusty sheath it rattled in; And Dobbin, who dragged the peaceful plough, Is neighing for the battle-din. 

 CHORUS

 For Albion still is Ocean-Queen, and though her sons be few, They challenge the world with a dauntless mien, and the flag of Billy Blue. 

 4

 "Then pledge me your English palm, my lad; Keep the knuckles for Sir Frenchman; No slave can you be till you change your dad, And no son of yours a henchman. The fight is to come; and we will not brag, Nor expect whatever we sigh for, But stand as the rock that bears the flag Our duty is to die for. 

 CHORUS

 For Englishmen confront serene whatever them betideth; And England shall be Ocean's Queen as long as the world abideth. "

What with the drum and the fifes of one of the regiments now atStonnington, and the mighty bass of some sea-captains vehement inchorus, these rough and rolling lines were enough to frighten a thousandFrenchmen, while proving the vigour of British nerve, and fortitude bothof heart and ear. When people have done a thing well, they know it, andapplaud one another to include themselves; and even the ladies, who weremeant to be unseen, forgot that and waved their handkerchiefs. Then upand spoke Blyth Scudamore, in the spirit of the moment; and all that hesaid was good and true, well-balanced and well-condensed, like himself. His quiet melodious voice went further than the Lord-Lieutenant's, because it was new to the air of noise, and that fickle element lovesnovelty. All was silence while he spoke, and when he ceased--greatuproar. 

"That lad will do, " said the Marquis to his supporter on the right hand;"I was just like him at that age myself. Let me draw this cork--it isthe bottle of the evening. None but my own fellows understand a cork, and they seem to have got away somewhere. What the doose are theyabout--why, halloa, Darling! What's the meaning of all this, at such atime?"

"Well, my lord, you must judge for yourself, " said the Admiral, who hadmade his way quietly from the bottom of the table. "We know that falsealarms are plentiful. But this looks like business, from the paper it iswritten on; and I know that old Dudgeon is as solid as myself. Vickersthe Coast-guard brought it in, from an officer whose horse was blown, who had orders to get somehow to Stonnington. "

"Is Vickers a knave, or a fool who is likely to be made the victim of avery low joke? There are hundreds of jealous scoundrels eager to spoilevery patriotic gathering. Ah, this looks rather serious, though, if youcan vouch for the paper. "

"I can vouch for the paper, my lord, and for Vickers; but not forDudgeon's signature. Of that I have no knowledge--though it looks rightenough, so far as I know. Shall I read it aloud, and let officers whoare not under my command judge for themselves, as I shall judge forthose I have the honour to command?"

The Lord-Lieutenant, with his cork just squeaking in the neck of thebottle, nodded; and the Admiral, with officers crowding round, readaloud as follows, part being in type, and part in manuscript:

"Commander of Coast-defence at Hythe, to Vice-Admiral Darling, Springhaven. 

"French fleet standing in, must have slipped Cornwallis. Do all you can. Not a moment to lose. 

(Signed) "BELLAMY DUDGEON. "

"Well, it may be true, or it may be a lie, " said the Marquis, pouringcarefully; "my opinion is the latter; but I have nothing to do withit officially, according to the new arrangements. Every gentlemanmust judge for himself. And I mean to abide by my own judgment, whichstrongly recommends me to finish this bottle. "

"Probably you are right enough; and in your place perhaps I should dothe same, " the Admiral answered, quietly; "but be the alarm either trueor false, I am bound to act otherwise. All Naval Officers present willbe good enough to follow me, and prepare to rejoin if ordered. We shallvery soon know from the signal-point, unless fog has set in suddenly, whether we are bound to beat a general alarm. "

All the sons of the sea arose quietly, and were despatched with brieforders to the right and left, to communicate with their signal stations, while Stubbard hurried back to his battery. 

"What cold blood they do display!" whispered the Frenchman, who hadreturned with the author of the plot to watch the issue from a point ofvantage. "My faith, they march slowly for their native land! Not lessthan six bottles of great French wine did I anticipate to steal throughthe window, while they fell out precipitous. But there sits a man bigenough to leave me nothing--not even a remainder of my own body. Soul ofSt. Denis, can it be that they question the word of a gentleman?"

"Not they!" replied Carne, who was vexed, however; "they are takingthings easily, according to the custom of the nation. But two goodthings we have done, friend Charron; we have learned their proceedings, and we have spoiled their feasting. "

"But not at all; they are all coming back to enjoy it all the more!"cried the Frenchman. "Oh that I were an Englishman, to get such adinner, and to be so loyal to it!"

CHAPTER XXXVI

FAIR CRITICISM

Few things can be worse for a very young woman than to want to be ledby somebody, and yet find nobody fit to do it. Or at any rate, throughsuperior quickness and the knowledge of it, to regard old friends andrelatives of experience as very slow coaches, and prigs or prudes, whocannot enter into quick young feelings, but deal in old saws which grateupon them. 

Not to moralise about it--for if young ladies hate anything, it is suchmoralising--Miss Dolly Darling was now in that uncomfortable frame ofmind when advice is most needed, yet most certain to be spurned. Shelooked upon her loving and sensible sister as one who was fated to bean old maid, and was meant perhaps by nature for that condition, whichappeared to herself the most abject in the world. And even without thatconclusion about Faith she would have been loth to seek counsel fromher, having always resented most unduly what she called her "superiorair of wisdom. " Dolly knew that she was quicker of wit than hersister--as shallow waters run more rapidly--and she fancied that shepossessed a world of lively feelings into which the slower intellectcould not enter. For instance, their elder brother Frank had justpublished a volume of poems, very noble in their way, and glowing withardour for freedom, democracy, and the like, as well as exhibiting fineperception of sound, and great boldness in matters beyond sounding, yetlargely ungifted with knowledge of nature, whether human or superior. 

"Better stick to his law-books, " the Admiral had said, after singing outsome of the rhyme of it to the tune of "Billy Benbow"; "never sit on thewool-sack by spewing oakum this way. "

Faith had tried, as a matter of duty, to peruse this book to its cover;but she found it beyond even her good-will, and mild sympathy witheverything, to do so. There was not the touch of nature in it whichmakes humble people feel, and tickles even the very highest with desireto enter into it. So Faith declared that it must be very clever, and nodoubt very beautiful, but she herself was so stupid that she could notmake out very clearly what it was all about. 

"Well, I understand every word of it, " Miss Dolly cried, with a literarylook. "I don't see how you can help doing that, when you know all aboutFrank, who wrote it. Whenever it is not quite clear, it is because hewants us to think that he knows too much, or else because he is notquite certain what he wants to mean himself. And as for his talk aboutfreedom, and all that, I don't see why you should object to it. It isquite the fashion with all clever people now, and it stops them fromdoing any mischief. And nobody pays much attention to them, after thecruel things done in France when I was seven or eight years old. If Isee Frank, I shall tell him that I like it. "

"And I shall tell him that I don't, " said Faith. "It cannot do anybodyany good. And what they call 'freedom' seems to mean making free withother people's property. "

These poems were issued in one volume, and under one title--TheHarmodiad--although there must have been some half-hundred of them, and not more than nine odes to freedom in the lot. Some were almosttolerable, and others lofty rubbish, and the critics (not knowing theauthor) spoke their bright opinions freely. The poet, though shy as amouse in his preface, expected a mountain of inquiry as to the identityof this new bard, and modestly signed himself "Asteroid, " which madehis own father stare and swear. Growing sore prematurely from muchkeelhauling--for the reviewers of the period were patriotic, and theEnglish public anti-Gallic--Frank quitted his chambers at Lincoln's Inn, and came home to be comforted for Christmas. This was the wisest thingthat he could do, though he felt that it was not Harmodian. In spite ofall crotchets, he was not a bad fellow, and not likely to make a goodlawyer. 

As the fates would have it (being naturally hostile to poets who defythem), by the same coach to Stonnington came Master Johnny, in highfeather for his Christmas holidays. Now these two brothers were asdifferent of nature as their sisters were, or more so; and unlike thegentler pair, each of these cherished lofty disdain for the other. Franklooked down upon the school-boy as an unlicked cub without twoideas; the bodily defect he endeavoured to cure by frequent outwardapplications, but the mental shortcoming was beneath his efforts. Johnnymeanwhile, who was as hard as nails, no sooner recovered from a thumpingthan he renewed and redoubled his loud contempt for a great lout oversix feet high, who had never drawn a sword or pulled a trigger. And nowfor the winter this book would be a perpetual snowball for him to pelthis big brother with, and yet (like a critic) be scarcely fair objectfor a hiding. In season out of season, upstairs down-stairs, even inthe breakfast and the dinner chambers, this young imp poked clumsysplinters--worse than thorns, because so dull--into the tender poeticside; and people, who laugh at the less wit the better, laughed verykindly, to please the boy, without asking whether they vexed the man. And the worst of it was that the author too must laugh. 

All this might be looked down at by a soul well hoisted upon theguy-ropes of contempt; and now and then a very solid drubbing givenhandsomely (upon other grounds) to the chief tormentor solaced the mindof unacknowledged merit. But as the most vindictive measure to the manwho has written an abusive letter is to vouchsafe him no reply, so tothe poet who rebukes the age the bitterest answer it can give is none. Frank Darling could retaliate upon his brother Johnny, and did sowhenever he could lay hold of him alone; but the stedfast silence of hissister Faith (to whom one of his loftiest odes was addressed), and ofhis lively father, irked him far more than a thousand low parodies. Dolly alone was some comfort to him, some little vindication of trueinsight; and he was surprised to find how quickly her intelligence(which until now he had despised) had strengthened, deepened, andenlarged itself. Still he wanted some one older, bigger, more capable ofshutting up the mouth, and nodding (instead of showing such a lot of redtongue and white teeth), before he could be half as snug as a truepoet should be, upon the hobs of his own fire. And happily he found hisAnti-Zoilus ere long. 

One day he was walking in a melancholy mood along the beach towardsPebbleridge, doubting deeply in his honest mind whether he ever shoulddo any good, in versification, or anything else. He said to himself thathe had been too sanguine, eager, self-confident, ardent, impetuous, and, if the nasty word must be faced, even too self-conceited. Only yesterdayhe had tried, by delicate setting of little word-traps, to leadMr. Twemlow towards the subject, and obtain that kind-hearted man'scomforting opinion. But no; the gentle Rector would not be brought tobook, or at any rate not to that book; and the author had sense enoughto know without a wink that his volume had won volumes of dislike. 

Parnassus could never have lived till now without two heads--one tocarry on with, while the other is being thumped to pieces. While thecritics demolish one peak, the poet withdraws to the other, and assureshimself that the general public, the larger voice of the nation, willsalute him there. But alas, Frank Darling had just discovered that eventhat eminence was not his, except as a desert out of human sight. Forhe had in his pocket a letter from his publishers, received that drearymorning, announcing a great many copies gone gratis, six sold to thetrade at a frightful discount, and six to the enterprising public. Allthese facts combined to make him feel uncommonly sad and sore to-day. 

A man of experience could have told him that this disappointment was forhis good; but he failed to see it in that light, and did not bless theblessing. Slowly and heavily he went on, without much heed of anything, swinging his clouded cane now and then, as some slashing reviewsoccurred to him, yet becoming more peaceful and impartial of mind underthe long monotonous cadence and quiet repetitions of the soothing sea. For now he was beyond the Haven head--the bulwark that makes the bay apond in all common westerly weather--and waves that were worthy of thename flowed towards him, with a gentle breeze stepping over them. 

The brisk air was like a fresh beverage to him, and the fall of thewaves sweet music. He took off his hat, and stopped, and listened, andhis eyes grew brighter. Although the waves had nothing very distinct tosay in dying, yet no two (if you hearkened well), or at any rate no twoin succession, died with exactly the same expression, or vanished withprecisely the same farewell. Continual shifts went on among them, andmomentary changes; each in proper sequence marching, and allowed itsproper time, yet at any angle traversed, even in its crowning curl, not only by the wind its father, but by the penitent return and whitecontrition of its shattered elder brother. And if this were not enoughto make a samely man take interest in perpetually flowing changes, thesun and clouds, at every look and breath, varied variety. 

Frank Darling thought how small his griefs were, and how vain hisvanity. Of all the bubbly clots of froth, or frayed and shattered dabsof drift, flying beside him or falling at his feet, every one wasas good as his ideas, and as valuable as his labours. And of all theunreckoned waves advancing, lifting their fugitive crests, and roaring, there certainly was not one that fell with weight so futile as hisown. Who cared even to hear his sound? What ear was soothed by his longrhythm, or what mind solaced by the magnitude of his rolling?

Suddenly he found that some mind was so. For when he had been standinga long while thus, chewing the salt cud of marine reflections, he seemedto hear something more intelligible than the sea. With more surprisethan interest he walked towards the sound, and stood behind the cornerof a jutting rock to listen. In another second his interest overpoweredhis surprise, for he knew every word of the lines brought to his ears, for the very simple reason that they were his own. Round the corner ofthat rock, so absorbed in admiration that he could hear no footstep, avery fine young man of the highest order was reading aloud in a powerfulvoice, and with extremely ardent gesticulation, a fine passage from thatgreatly undervalued poem, the Harmodiad, of and concerning the beautiesof Freedom--

 "No crown upon her comely head she bore, No wreath her affluent tresses to restrain; A smile the only ornament she wore, Her only gem a tear for others' pain. Herself did not her own mishaps deplore, Because she lives immortal as the dew, Which falling from the stars soon mounts again; And in this wise all space she travels through, Beneficent as heaven, and to the earth more true. 

 "Her blessings all may win who seek the prize, If only they be faithful, meek, and strong, And crave not that which others' right denies, But march against the citadel of wrong. A glorious army this, that finds allies Wherever God hath built the heart of man With attributes that to Himself belong; By Him ordained to crown what He began, And shatter despotism, which is the foul fiend's ban. "

Frank thought that he had never heard nobler reading, sonorous, clear, well timed, well poised, and of harmonious cadence. The curved rock gavea melodious ring, and the husky waves a fine contrast to it, whilethe reader was so engrossed with grandeur--the grandeur of Frank's ownmind!--that his hat could evidently not contain his head, but was flungat the mercy of his feet. What a fine, expressive, and commanding face!

If Frank Darling had been a Frenchman--which he sometimes longed to be, for the sake of that fair Liberty--the scene, instead of being awkward, would have been elegant, rapturous, ennobling. But being of the clumsyEnglish race, he was quite at a loss what to do with himself. On paperhe could be effusive, ardent, eloquent, sentimental; but not a bit ofthat to meet the world in his own waistcoat. He gave a swing to hisstick, and walked across the opening as if he were looking at sea-gulls. And on he would have walked without further notice, except a big gulp inhis throat, if it had not been for a trifling accident. 

Somehow or other the recitative gentleman's hat turned over to the wind, and that active body (which never neglects any sportive opportunity) gotinto the crown, with the speed of an upstart, and made off with it alongthe stones. A costly hat it was, and comely with rich braid and satinloops, becoming also to a well-shaped head, unlike the chimney-pot ofthe present day, which any man must thank God for losing. However, theowner was so wrapped up in poetry that his breeches might have gonewithout his being any wiser. 

"Sir, " said Frank Darling, after chasing the hat (which could nottrundle as our pots do, combining every possible absurdity), "excuse mefor interrupting you, but this appears to be your hat, and it was on itsway to a pool of salt-water. "

"Hat!--my hat?" replied the other gentleman. "Oh, to be sure! I hadquite forgotten. Sir, I am very much obliged to you. My hat might havegone to the devil, I believe, I was so delightfully occupied. Such athing never happened to me before, for I am very hard indeed to please;but I was reading, sir; I was reading. Accept my thanks, sir; and Isuppose I must leave off. "

"I thought that I heard a voice, " said Frank, growing bold with fearthat he should know no more, for the other was closing his book withgreat care, and committing it to a pouch buckled over his shoulder; "andI fear that I broke in upon a pleasant moment. Perhaps I should havepleased you better if I had left this hat to drown. "

"I seem ungrateful, " the stranger answered, with a sweet but melancholysmile, as he donned his hat and then lifted it gracefully to salute itsrescuer; "but it is only because I have been carried far away from allthoughts of self, by the power of a much larger mind. Such a thing mayhave occurred to you, sir, though it happens very seldom in one life. Ifso, you will know how to forgive me. "

"I scarcely dare ask--or rather I would say"--stammered the anxiouspoet--"that I cannot expect you to tell me the name of the fortunatewriter who has moved you so. "

"Would to Heaven that I could!" exclaimed the other. "But this greatpoet has withheld his name--all great poets are always modest--but itcannot long remain unknown. Such grandeur of conception and force oflanguage, combined with such gifts of melody, must produce universaldemand to know the name of this benefactor. I cannot express myself as Iwould desire, because I have been brought up in France, where literatureis so different, and people judge a work more liberally, withoutrecourse to politics. This is a new work, only out last week; and afriend of mine, a very fine judge of literature, was so enchantedwith it that he bought a score of copies at once, and as my good starsprevailed, he sent me one. You are welcome to see it, sir. It is unknownin these parts; but will soon be known all over Europe, unless thesecruel wars retard it. "

With a face of deep gravity, Caryl Carne put into Frank Darling's handa copy of his own book, quite young, but already scored with many lovingmarks of admiration and keen sympathy. Frank took it, and reddened withwarm delight. 

"You may not understand it at first, " said the other; "though I beg yourpardon for saying that. What I mean is, that I can well suppose thatan Englishman, though a good judge in general, would probably have hisjudgment darkened by insular prejudices, and the petty feeling whichcalls itself patriotism, and condemns whatever is nobler and larger thanitself. My friend tells me that the critics have begun to vent theirlittle spite already. The author would treat them with calm disdain!"

"Horribly nasty fellows!" cried Frank. "They ought to be kicked; butthey are below contempt. But if I could only catch them here--"

"I am delighted to find, " replied Carne, looking at him with kindsurprise, "that you agree with me about that, sir. Read a few lines, andyour indignation against that low lot will grow hotter. "

"It cannot grow hotter, " cried the author; "I know every word that thevillains have said. Why, in that first line that I heard you reading, the wretches actually asked me whether I expected my beautiful goddessto wear her crown upon her comely tail!"

"I am quite at a loss to understand you, sir. Why, you speak as if thisgreat work were your own!"

"So it is, every word of it, " cried Frank, hurried out of all reserveby excitement. "At least, I don't mean that it is a great work--thoughothers, besides your good self, have said--Are you sure that your friendbought twenty copies? My publishers will have to clear up that. Why, they say, under date of yesterday, that they have only sold six copiesaltogether. And it was out on Guy Fawkes' Day, two months ago!"

Caryl Carne's face was full of wonder. And the greatest wonder of allwas its gravity. He drew back a little, in this vast surprise, andshaded his forehead with one hand, that he might think. 

"I can hardly help laughing at myself, " he said, "for being so stupidand so slow of mind. But a coincidence like this is enough to excuseanything. If I could be sure that you are not jesting with me, seeinghow my whole mind is taken up with this book--"

"Sir, I can feel for your surprise, " answered Frank, handing back thebook, for which the other had made a sign, "because my own is evengreater; for I never have been read aloud before--by anybody elseI mean, of course; and the sound is very strange, and highlygratifying--at least, when done as you do it. But to prove my claim tothe authorship of the little work which you so kindly esteem, I willshow you the letter I spoke of. "

The single-minded poet produced from near his heart a very large letterwith much sealing-wax endorsed, and the fervent admirer of his geniusread:

"DEAR SIR, --In answer to your favour to hand, we beg to state that yourpoetical work the Harmodiad, published by our firm, begins to move. Following the instructions in your last, we have already disposed ofmore than fifty copies. Forty-two of these have been distributed tothose who will forward the interests of the book, by commending it tothe Public; six have been sold to the trade at a discount of 75 percent. ; and six have been taken by private purchasers, at the fullprice of ten shillings. We have reason to anticipate a more rapid salehereafter. But the political views expressed in the poems--as we franklystated to you at first--are not likely to be popular just now, when theCountry is in peril, and the Book trade incommoded, by the immediateprospect of a French invasion. We are, dear sir, your obedient servants, TICKLEBOIS, LATHERUP, BLINKERS, & Co. --To Mr. FRANK DARLING, SpringhavenHall. "

"You cannot call that much encouragement, " said Frank; "and it is a mosttrusty and honourable house. I cannot do what a friend of mine hasdone, who went to inferior publishers--denounce them as rogues, andcall myself a martyr. If the book had been good, it would have sold;especially as all the poets now are writing vague national songs, fullof slaughter and brag, like that 'Billy Blue' thing all our fishermenare humming. "

"You have nothing to do but to bide your time. In the long-run, finework is sure to make its way. Meanwhile I must apologise for praisingyou to your face, in utter ignorance, of course. But it must have madeyou feel uncomfortable. "

"Not at all; far otherwise, " said the truthful Frank. "It has been thevery greatest comfort to me. And strange to say, it came just when Iwanted it most sadly. I shall never forget your most kind approval. "

"In that case I may take the liberty of introducing myself, I trust. You have told me who you are, in the most delightful way. I have no suchclaim upon your attention, or upon that of the world at large. I amonly the last of an ill-fated race, famous for nothing except ruiningthemselves. I am Caryl Carne, of yonder ruin, which you, must have knownfrom childhood. "

Frank Darling lifted his hat in reply to the other's more gracefulsalutation, and then shook hands with him heartily. "I ought tohave known who you are, " he said; "for I have heard of you often atSpringhaven. But you have not been there since I came down, and wethought that you had left the neighbourhood. Our little village islike the ear of the tyrant, except that it carries more false than truesound. I hope you are come to remain among us, and I hope that we shallsee you at my father's house. Years ago I have heard that there used tobe no especial good-will between your family and mine--petty disputesabout boundaries, no doubt. How narrow and ridiculous such things are!We live in a better age than that, at any rate, although we are smallenough still in many ways. "

"You are not; and you will enlarge many others, " Carne answered, asif the matter were beyond debate. "As for boundaries now, I have none, because the estates are gone, and I am all the richer. That is thesurest way to liberate the mind. "

"Will you oblige me, " said Frank, to change the subject, for his minddid not seek to be liberated so, and yet wished its new admirer toremain in admiration, "by looking along the shore towards Springhaven asfar as you can see, and telling me whether any one is coming? My sisterswere to follow me, if the weather kept fine, as soon as they had paida little visit at the rectory. And my sight is not good for longdistances. "

"I think I can see two ladies coming, or at any rate two figures moving, about a mile or more away, where the sands are shining in a gleam ofsunlight. Yes, they are ladies. I know by their walk. Good-bye. I have away up the cliff from here. You must not be surprised if you do not seeme again. I may have to be off for France. I have business there, ofwhich I should like to talk to you. You are so far above mean prejudice. If I go, I shall carry this precious volume with me. Farewell, myfriend, if I may call you so. "

"Do wait a minute, " cried the much admiring Frank; "or walk a few yardswith me towards Springhaven. It would give me such pleasure to introduceyou to my sisters. And I am sure they will be so glad to know you, whenI tell them what I think. I very seldom get such a chance as this. "

"There is no resisting that!" replied the graceful Carne; "I have notthe honour of knowing a lady in England, except my aunt Mrs. Twemlow, and my cousin Eliza--both very good, but to the last degree insular. "

"It is very hard to help being that, when people have never been out ofan island. But I fear that I am taking you out of your way. "

In a few minutes these two young men drew near to the two young women, whose manners were hard put to hide surprise. When their brotherintroduced Mr. Carne to them, Faith bowed rather stiffly, for she hadformed without reason a dark and obstinate dislike to him. But theimpetuous Dolly ran up and offered him both her hands, and said, "Why, Mr. Carne saved both our lives only a few days ago. "

CHAPTER XXXVII

NEITHER AT HOME

Though Admiral Darling had not deigned to speak to his younger daughterabout that vile anonymous charge, he was not always quite comfortablein his inner mind concerning it. More than once he thought of askingFaith's opinion, for he knew her good sense and discretion; but eventhis was repugnant to him, and might give her the idea that he cherishedlow suspicions. And then he was called from home again, being occupiedamong other things with a vain enquiry about the recent false alarm. For Carne and Charron had managed too well, and judged too correctly thecharacter of Vickers, to afford any chance of discovery. So that, whenthe Admiral came home again, his calm and--in its fair state--gentlenature was ruffled by the prosperity of the wicked. 

"Oh, he is a fine judge of poetry, is he?" he said, more sarcasticallythan his wont; "that means, I suppose, that he admires yours, Frank. Remember what Nelson said about you. The longer I live, the more I findhis views confirmed. "

"Papa, you are too bad! You are come home cross!" cried Dolly, whoalways took Frank's part now. "What does my godfather know of poetry, indeed? If he ever had any ear for it, the guns would have ruined itlong ago. "

"No mostacchio in my house!" said the master, without heeding her. "Ibelieve that is the correct way to pronounce the filthy thing--a foreignabomination altogether. Who could keep his lips clean, with that dirtover them? A more tolerant man than myself never lived--a great deal tootolerant, as everybody knows. But I'll never tolerate a son of mine indisgusting French hairiness of that sort. "

"Papa, you are come home as cross as a bear!" cried Dolly, presuming onher favour. "Lord Dashville was here the other day with a very nice one, and I hear that all Cavalry Officers mean to have one, when they can. And Mr. Carne, Frank's friend, encourages it. "

"The less you have to say about that young man, the better. And the lesshe has to say to any child of mine, the better, both for him and her, Isay. I know that the age is turned upside down. But I'll not have thatsort of thing at my table. "

When a kind and indulgent father breaks forth thus, the result isconsternation, followed by anxiety about his health. Faith glanced atDolly, who was looking quite bewildered, and the two girls withdrewwithout a word. Johnny was already gone to visit Captain Stubbard, withwhose eldest daughter Maggie and the cannons of the battery he was bythis time desperately in love; and poor Frank was left to have it outwith the angry father. 

"I very seldom speak harshly, my boy, " said the Admiral, drawing nearhis son gradually, for his wrath (like good vegetables) was very shortof staple; "and when I do so you may feel quite certain that there issound reason at the bottom of it"--here he looked as if his depth wasunfathomable. "It is not only that I am not myself, because of the manyhours spent upon hard leather, and vile chalks of flint that go by mehalf asleep, when I ought to be snoring in the feathers; neither has itanything to do with my consuming the hide of some quadruped for dinner, instead of meat. And the bread is made of rye, if of any grain at all;I rather think of spent tan, kneaded up with tallow ends, such as I haveseen cast by in bushels, when the times were good. And every loaf ofthat costs two shillings--one for me, and one for Government. They allseem to acknowledge that I can put up with that; and I make a strictpoint of mild language, which enables them to do it again with me. And all up and down the roads, everybody likes me. But if I was shotto-morrow, would they care twopence?"

"I am sure they would, sir; and a good deal more than that, " answeredFrank, who perceived that his father was out of his usual lines ofthinking, perhaps because he had just had a good dinner--so ill do wedigest our mercies. "I am sure that there is nobody in Sussex, Kent, orHampshire who does not admire and respect and trust you. "

"I dare say, and rejoice to see me do the work they ought to do. Theyhave long nights in bed, every one of them, and they get their mealswhen they want them. I am not at all astonished at what Nelson said. Heis younger than I am by a good many years, but he seems to have pickedup more than I have, in the way of common sentiments, and such like. 'You may do everybody's work, if you are fool enough, ' he said to me thelast time I saw him; 'and ease them of their souls as well, if you arerogue enough, as they do in the Popish countries. I am nearly sick ofdoing it, ' he said, and he looked it. 'If you once begin with it, youmust go on. ' I find it more true every day of my life. Don't interruptme; don't go on with comfortable stuff about doing good, and one's dutytowards one's Country--though I fear that you think very little of that. If I thought I had done good enough to make up for my back-aches, andthree fine stumps lost through chewing patriotic sentiments, why, ofcourse I should be thankful, and make the best of my reward. But charitybegins at home, my boy, and one's shirt should be considered beforeone's cloak. A man's family is the nearest piece of his country, and thedearest one. "

"I am sure, sir, I hope, " replied Frank, who had never heard his fathertalk like this before, "that nothing is going on amiss with us here. When you are away, I keep a sharp lookout. And if I saw anything goingwrong, I should let you know of it immediately. "

"No doubt you would; but you are much too soft. You are quite aseasygoing as I used to be at your age"--here the Admiral looked as ifhe felt himself to be uncommonly hard-going now--"and that sort of thingwill not do in these days. For my own discomforts I care nothing. Icould live on lobscouse, or soap and bully, for a year, and thank Godfor getting more than I deserved. But my children, Frank, are verydifferent. From me you would never hear a grumble, or a syllable ofanything but perfect satisfaction, so long as I felt that I was doinggood work, and having it appreciated. And all my old comrades have justthe same feeling. But you, who come after us, are not like that. Youmust have everything made to fit you, instead of making yourselves fitthem. The result will be, I have very little doubt, the downfall ofEngland in the scale of nations. I was talking to my old friend St. Vincent last week, and he most heartily agreed with me. However, I don'tmean to blame you, Frank. You cannot help your unfortunate nature forstringing ends of words together that happen to sound alike. Johnny willmake a fine Officer, not in the Navy, but of Artillery--Stubbard saysthat he has the rarest eyes he ever came across in one so young, and hewishes he could put them into his Bob's head. He shall not go back toHarrow; he can spell his own name, which seems to be all they teach themthere, instead of fine scholarship, such as I obtained at Winton. But tospell his own name is quite enough for a soldier. In the Navy we alwayswere better educated. Johnny shall go to Chatham, when his togs areready. I settled all about it in London, last week. Nothing hurts him. He is water-proof and thunder-proof. Toss him up anyhow, he falls uponhis feet. But that sort of nature very seldom goes up high. But you, Frank, you might have done some good, without that nasty twist ofyours for writing and for rhyming, which is a sure indication of spinalcomplaint. Don't interrupt me; I speak from long experience. Thingsmight be worse, and I ought to be thankful. None of my children willever disgrace me. At the same time, things would go on better if I wereable to be more at home. That Caryl Carne, for instance, what does hecome here for?"

"Well, sir, he has only been here twice. And it took a long time topersuade him at all. He said that as you had not called upon him, hefelt that he might be intruding here. And Faith, who is sometimes veryspiteful, bowed, as much as to say that he had better wait. But Dolly, who is very kind-hearted, assured him that she had heard you say atleast a dozen times: 'Be sure that I call upon Mr. Carne to-day. Whatwill he think of my neglect? But I hope that he will set it down to theright cause--the perpetual demands upon my time. ' And when she told himthat, he said that he would call the next day, and so he did. "

"Ah!" cried the old man, not well pleased; "it was Dolly who took thatlittle business off my shoulders! She might have been content with herelder sister's judgment, in a family question of that sort. But I daresay she thought it right to make my excuses. Very well, I'll do that formyself. To-morrow I shall call upon that young man, unless I get anotherdespatch to-night. But I hear he wants nobody at his ruins. I suppose hehas not asked even you to go there?"

"No, sir; I think he took his little place here, because it would be sopainful for him to receive any friends at that tumble-down castle. Hehas not yet been able to do any repairs. "

"I respect him for that, " said the Admiral, with his generous sympathiesaroused; "they have been a grand old family, though I can't say much forthose I knew--except, of course, Mrs. Twemlow. But he may be a very fineyoung fellow, though a great deal too Frenchified, from all I hear. Andwhy my friend Twemlow cold-shoulders him so, is something of a mysteryto me. Twemlow is generally a judicious man in things that have nothingto do with the Church. When it comes to that, he is very stiff-backed, as I have often had to tell him. Perhaps this young man is a Papist. Hismother was, and she brought him up. "

"I am sure I don't know, sir, " answered Frank. "I should think nonethe worse of him if he were, unless he allowed it to interfere with hisproper respect for liberty. "

"Liberty be hanged!" cried the Admiral; "and that's the proper end formost of those who prate about it, when they ought to be fighting fortheir Country. I shall sound him about that stuff to-morrow. If he isone of that lot, he won't come here with my good-will, I can assurehim. What time is he generally to be found down there? He is right overStubbard's head, I believe, and yet friend Adam knows nothing about him. Nor even Mrs. Adam! I should have thought that worthy pair would havedrawn any badger in the kingdom. I suppose the youth will see me, if Icall. I don't want to go round that way for nothing. I did want to havea quiet day at home, and saunter in the garden, as the weather is somild, and consult poor Swipes about Spring crops, and then have a pipeor two, and take my gun to Brown Bushes for a woodcock, or a hare, andcome home with a fine appetite to a good dinner. But I never must hopefor a bit of pleasure now. "

"You may depend upon it, sir, " said Frank, "that Caryl Carne will begreatly pleased to see you. And I think you will agree with me that amore straightforward and simple-minded man is not to be found in thiscountry. He combines what we are pleased to call our national dignityand self-respect with the elegant manners, and fraternal warmth, andbonhomie--as they themselves express it--of our friends across thewater. "

"You be off! I don't want to be cross any more. Two hundred thousandfriends there at this moment eager to burn down our homes and cutour throats! Tired as I am, I ought to take a stick to you, as friendTugwell did to his son for much less. I have the greatest mind not to gonear that young man. I wish I had Twemlow here to talk it over. Pay yourfine for a French word, and be off!"

Frank Darling gravely laid down five shillings on his dessert plate, andwalked off. The fine for a French word in that house, and in hundredsof other English houses at this patriotic period, was a crown for agentleman, and a shilling for a lady, the latter not being liable exceptwhen gentlemen were present. The poet knew well that another word on hispart would irritate his father to such a degree that no visit would bepaid to-morrow to the admirer of the Harmodiad, whose admiration hewas longing to reward with a series of good dinners. And so he did hisutmost to ensure his father's visit. 

But when the Admiral, going warily--because he was so stiff fromsaddle-work--made his way down to the house of Widow Shanks, and winkingat the Royal Arms in the lower front window, where Stubbard kept Officeand convenience, knocked with the knocker at the private door, thereseemed to be a great deal of thought required before anybody came toanswer. 

"Susie, " said the visitor, who had an especial knack of rememberingChristian names, which endeared him to the bearers, "I am come to seeMr. Carne, and I hope he is at home. "

"No, that 'a bain't, sir, " the little girl made answer, after looking atthe Admiral as if he was an elephant, and wiping her nose with unwonteddiligence; "he be gone away, sir; and please, sir, mother said so. "

"Well, here's a penny for you, my dear, because you are the best littleneedle-woman in the school, they tell me. Run and tell your mother tocome and see me. --Oh, Mrs. Shanks, I am very glad to see you, and soblooming in spite of all your hard work. Ah, it is no easy thing inthese hard times to maintain a large family and keep the pot boiling. And everything clean as a quarter-deck! My certy, you are a woman in athousand!"

"No, sir, no. It is all the Lord's doing. And you to the back of Him, asI alway say. Not a penny can they make out as I owes justly, bad as I beat the figures, Squire. Do 'e come in, and sit down, there's a dear. Ah, I mind the time when you was like a dart, Squire!"

"Well, and now I am like a cannon-ball, " said the Admiral, whounderstood and liked this unflattering talk; "only I don't travel quiteso fast as that. I scarcely get time to see any old friends. But Icame to look out for a young friend now, the gentleman you makeso comfortable upstairs. Don't I wish I was a young man withoutincumbrance, to come and lodge with such a wonderful landlady!"

"Ah, if there was more of your sort, sir, there'd be a deal less troublein the world, there would. Not that my young gentleman is troublesome, mind you, only so full of them outlandish furrin ways--abideth all daylong without ating ort, so different from a honest Englishman. First Iused to think as he couldn't afford it, and long to send him up a bitof my own dinner, but dursn't for the life of me--too grand for that, by ever so--till one day little Susie there comes a-running downthe stairs, and she sings out, with her face as red as ever a boiledlobster: 'Looky see, mother! Oh, do 'e come and looky see! Pollyon hathgot a heap of guineas on his table; wouldn't go into the big yellowpudding-basin!' And sure enough he had, your Honour, in piles, as ifhe was telling of them. He had slipped out suddenly, and thoughtthe passage door was bolted. What a comfort it was to me, I can'tconfigurate. Because I could eat my dinner comfortable now, for such abig heap of money never I did see. "

"I am very glad--heartily glad, " exclaimed the smiling Admiral. "I hopehe may get cash enough to buy back all the great Carne property, andkick out those rascally Jews and lawyers. But what makes Susie call himthat?"

"Well, sir, the young ones must have a nickname for anything beyondthem; and because he never takes any notice of them--so different fromyour handsome Master Frank--and some simility of his black horse, or hisproud walk, to the pictur', 'Pollyon' is the name they give him, out ofPilgrim's Progress. Though not a bit like him, for such a gentleman topay his rent and keep his place untroublesome I never had before. And afortnight he paid me last night, afore going, and took away the keys ofall three doors. "

"He is gone, then, is he? To London, I dare say. It would be useless tolook for him at the castle. My son will be disappointed more than I am. To tell you the truth, Mrs. Shanks, in these days the great thing is tostick to the people that we know. The world is so full, not of rogues, but of people who are always wanting something out of one, that to talkwith a thoroughly kind, honest person, like yourself, is a real luxury. When the gentleman comes back, let him know that I have called. "

"And my Jenny, sir?" cried the anxious mother, running after him intothe passage; "not a word have you said about my Jenny. I hope she showno sign of flightiness?"

"Jenny is as steady as the church, " replied the Admiral. "We are goingto put her on a pound a year from next quarter-day, by Mrs. Cloam'sadvice. She'll have a good stocking by the time she gets married. "

"There never was such a pleasant gentleman, nor such a kind-hearted one, I do believe, " said Widow Shanks, as she came in with bright eyes. "Whatare they Carnes to the Darlings, after all? As different as night andday. "

But the Admiral's next visit was not quite so pleasant; for when he gotback into the village road, expecting a nice walk to his luncheon andhis pipe, a man running furiously almost knocked him down, and had notime to beg his pardon. The runner's hat was off his head, and hishair blowing out, but luckily for itself his tongue was not between histeeth. 

"Has the devil got hold of you at last, Jem Prater?" the Admiral asked, not profanely; for he had seen a good deal of mankind, and believed indiabolical possession. 

"For Parson! for Parson!" cried Jem, starting off again as hard as hecould go. "Butter Cheeseman hath hanged his self in his own scales. Andnobody is any good but Parson. "

Admiral Darling was much disturbed. "What will the world come to? Inever knew such times, " he exclaimed to himself, with some solemnity;and then set off, as fast as his overridden state permitted, for thehouse of Mr. Cheeseman. Passing through the shop, which had nobody init, he was led by the sound of voices into a little room beyond it--theroom in which Mr. Cheeseman had first received Caryl Carne. Herehe beheld an extraordinary scene, of which he often had to dreamthereafter. 

From a beam in the roof (which had nothing to do with his scales, as JemPrater had imagined), by a long but not well-plaited cord, was danglingthe respected Church-warden Cheeseman. Happily for him, he had relied onhis own goods; and the rope being therefore of very bad hemp, had failedin this sad and too practical proof. The weight of its vendor had addedto its length some fifteen inches--as he loved to pull out things--andhis toes touched the floor, which relieved him now and then. 

"Why don't you cut him down, you old fools?" cried the Admiral to threegaffers, who stood moralising, while Mrs. Cheeseman sat upon a barrel, sobbing heavily, with both hands spread to conceal the sad sight. 

"We was afraid of hurting of him, " said the quickest-witted of thegaffers; "Us wanted to know why 'a doed it, " said the deepest; and, "Thewill of the Lord must be done, " said the wisest. 

After fumbling in vain for his knife, and looking round, the Admiral ranback into the shop, and caught up the sharp steel blade with which thevictim of a troubled mind had often unsold a sold ounce in the days ofhappy commerce. In a moment the Admiral had the poor Church-warden inhis sturdy arms, and with a sailor's skill had unknotted the chokingnoose, and was shouting for brandy, as he kept the blue head fromfalling back. 

When a little of the finest eau de vie that ever was smuggled had beenadministered, the patient rallied, and becoming comparatively cheerful, was enabled to explain that "it was all a mistake altogether. " Thisremoved all misunderstanding; but Rector Twemlow, arriving too latefor anything but exhortation, asked a little too sternly--as everybodyfelt--under what influence of the Evil One Cheeseman had committed thatmistake. The reply was worthy of an enterprising tradesman, and broughthim such orders from a score of miles around that the resources of theestablishment could only book them. 

"Sir, " he said, looking at the parson sadly, with his right hand laidupon his heart, which was feeble, and his left hand intimating that hisneck was sore, "if anything has happened that had better not have been, it must have been by reason of the weight I give, and the value such adeal above the prices. "

CHAPTER XXXVIII

EVERYBODY'S MASTER

The peril of England was now growing fast; all the faster from being inthe dark. The real design of the enemy escaped the penetration evenof Nelson, and our Government showed more anxiety about their greatadversary landing on the coast of Egypt than on that of England. Navalmen laughed at his flat-bottomed boats, and declared that one frigatecould sink a hundred of them; whereas it is probable that two of them, with their powerful guns and level fire, would have sunk any frigate wethen possessed. But the crafty and far-seeing foe did not mean to allowany frigate, or line-of-battle ship, the chance of enquiring how thatmight be. 

His true scheme, as everybody now knows well, was to send the Englishfleet upon a wild-goose chase, whether to Egypt, the west coast ofIreland, or the West Indies, as the case might be; and then, by a rapidconcentration of his ships, to obtain command of the English Channel, if only for twenty-four hours at a time. Twenty-four hours of clearancefrom our cruisers would have seen a hundred thousand men landed on ourcoast, throwing up entrenchments, and covering the landing of anotherhundred thousand, coming close upon their heels. Who would have facedthem? A few good regiments, badly found, and perhaps worse led, and amob of militia and raw volunteers, the reward of whose courage would becarnage. 

But as a chip smells like the tree, and a hair like the dog it belongsto, so Springhaven was a very fair sample of the England whereof (in itsown opinion) it formed a most important part. Contempt for the body ofa man leads rashly to an under-estimate of his mind; and one of thegreatest men that ever grew on earth--if greatness can be withoutgoodness--was held in low account because not of high inches, andlaughed at as "little Boney. "

However, there were, as there always are, thousands of sensibleEnglishmen then; and rogues had not yet made a wreck of grandInstitutions to scramble for what should wash up. Abuses existed, asthey always must; but the greatest abuse of all (the destruction ofevery good usage) was undreamed of yet. And the right man was even nowapproaching to the rescue, the greatest Prime-Minister of any age orcountry. 

Unwitting perhaps of the fine time afforded by the feeble delays ofMr. Addington, and absorbed in the tissue of plot and counterplotnow thickening fast in Paris--the arch-plotter in all of them beinghimself--the First Consul had slackened awhile his hot haste to set footupon the shore of England. His bottomless ambition for the moment hada top, and that top was the crown of France; and as soon as he had gotthat on his head, the head would have no rest until the crown was thatof Europe. 

But before any crown could be put on at all, the tender hearts ofFrenchmen must be touched by the appearance of great danger--the dangerwhich is of all the greatest, that to their nearest and dearest selves. A bloody farce was in preparation, noble lives were to be perjured away, and above all, the only great rival in the hearts of soldiers must beturned out of France. This foul job worked--as foul Radical jobs donow--for the good of England. If the French invasion had come to pass, as it was fully meant to do, in the month of February, 1804, perhaps itshistory must have been written in French, for us to understand it. 

So, at any rate, thought Caryl Carne, who knew the resources of eitherside, and the difference between a fine army and a mob. He felt quitesure that his mother's country would conquer his father's without muchtrouble, and he knew that his horn would be exalted in the land, when hehad guided the conqueror into it. Sure enough then he would recover hisancestral property with interest and be able to punish his enemies well, and reward his friends if they deserved it. Thinking of these things, and believing that his own preparations would soon be finished, heleft Widow Shanks to proclaim his merits, while under the bold and ableconduct of Captain Renaud Charron he ran the gauntlet of the Englishfleet, and was put ashore southward of Cape Grisnez. Here is a longreach of dreary exposure, facing the west unprofitably, with a shallowslope of brown sand, and a scour of tide, and no pleasant moorings. Jotted as the coast was all along (whereon dry batteries grinneddefiance, or sands just awash smiled treachery) with shallow transports, gun-boats, prames, scows, bilanders, brigs, and schooners, row-galleys, luggers, and every sort of craft that has a mast, or gets on withoutone, and even a few good ships of war pondering malice in the saferroadsteads, yet here the sweep of the west wind, and the long rollfrom the ocean following, kept a league or two, northward of the mightydefences of Boulogne, inviolate by the petty enmities of man. Along theslight curve of the coast might be seen, beyond Ambleteuse and Wimereux, the vast extent of the French flotilla, ranged in three divisions, before the great lunette of the central camp, and hills jotted withtents thick as limpets on a rock. 

Carne (whose dealings were quite unknown to all of the Frenchauthorities save one, and that the supreme one) was come by appointmentto meet his commander in a quiet and secluded spot. It was earlyFebruary now, and although the day was waning, and the wind, which wasdrawing to the north of west, delivered a cold blow from the sea, yetthe breath of Spring was in the air already, and the beat of her pulsecame through the ground. Almost any man, except those two concertingto shed blood and spread fire, would have looked about a little at thepleasure of the earth, and felt a touch of happiness in the goodness ofthe sky. 

Caryl Carne waited in the shelter of a tree, scarcely deserving to becalled a tree, except for its stiff tenacity. All the branches weredriven by the western gales, and scourged flat in one direction--that inwhich they best could hold together, and try to believe that their lifewas their own. Like the wings of a sea bird striving with a tempest, all the sprays were frayed alike, and all the twigs hackled with theself-same pile. Whoever observes a tree like this should stop to wonderhow ever it managed to make itself any sort of trunk at all, and howit was persuaded to go up just high enough to lose the chance of evercoming down again. But Carne cared for nothing of this sort, and heededvery little that did not concern himself. All he thought of was how hemight persuade his master to try the great issue at once. 

While he leaned heavily against the tree, with his long sea-cloakflapping round his legs, two horsemen struck out of the Ambleteuse road, and came at hand-gallop towards him. The foremost, who rode with shortstirrups, and sat his horse as if he despised him, was the foremost manof the world just now, and for ten years yet to come. 

Carne ran forward to show himself, and the master of France dismounted. He always looked best upon horseback, as short men generally do, if theyride well; and his face (which helped to make his fortune) appearedeven more commanding at a little distance. An astonishing face, in itssculptured beauty, set aspect, and stern haughtiness, calm with thepower of transcendant mind, and a will that never met its equal. EvenCarne, void of much imagination, and contemptuous of all the humancharacter he shared, was the slave of that face when in its presence, and could never meet steadily those piercing eyes. And yet, to the studyof a neutral dog, or a man of abstract science, the face was as bad asit was beautiful. 

Napoleon--as he was soon to be called by a cringing world--smiledaffably, and offered his firm white hand, which Carne barely touched, and bent over with deference. Then the foaming horse was sent away incharge of the attendant trooper, and the master began to take shortquick steps, to and fro, in front of the weather-beaten tree; for tostand still was not in his nature. Carne, being beckoned to keep at hisside, lost a good deal of what he had meant to say, from the trouble hefound in timing his wonted stride to the brisk pace of the other. 

"You have done well--on the whole very well, " said Napoleon, whose voicewas deep, yet clear and distinct as the sound of a bell. "You havekept me well informed; you are not suspected; you are enlarging yourknowledge of the enemy and of his resources; every day you become morecapable of conducting us to the safe landing. For what, then, thishurry, this demand to see me, this exposing of yourself to the risk ofcapture?"

Carne was about to answer; but the speaker, who undershot the thoughtsof others before they were shaped--as the shuttle of the lightningunderweaves a cloud--raised his hand to stop him, and went on:

"Because you suppose that all is ripe. Because you believe that the slowbeasts of islanders will strengthen their defences more by delay thanwe shall strengthen our attack. Because you are afraid of incurringsuspicion, if you continue to prepare. And most of all, my friend, because you are impatient to secure the end of a long enterprise. But, Captain, it must be longer yet. It is not for you, but for me, tofix the time. Behold me! I am come from a grand review. We have againrehearsed the embarkation. We have again put two thousand horses onboard. The horses did it well; but not the men. They are as brave aseagles, but as clumsy as the ostrich, and as fond of the sand withoutwater. They will all be sea-sick. It is in their countenances, thoughmany have been practised in the mouths of rivers. Those infamous Englishwill not permit us to proceed far enough from our native land to acquirewhat they call the legs of the sea. If our braves are sea-sick, how canthey work the cannon, or even navigate well for the accursed island?They must have time. They must undergo more waves, and a system of dietbefore embarkation. Return, my trusted Captain, and continue yourmost esteemed services for three months. I have written these newinstructions for you. You may trust me to remember this addition to yourgood works. "

Carne's heart fell, and his face was gloomy, though he did his bestto hide it. So well he knew the arrogance and fierce self-will of hiscommanding officer that he durst not put his own opposite view of thecase directly before him. This arrogance grew with the growth of hispower; so that in many important matters Napoleon lost the true state ofthe case through the terror felt by his subordinates. So great was themastery of his presence that Carne felt himself guilty of impertinencein carrying his head above the level of the General's plume, and stoopedunconsciously--as hundreds of tall men are said to have done--to lessenthis anomaly of Nature. 

"All shall be done to your orders, my General, " he replied, submissively. "For my own position I have no fear. I might remain therefrom year to year without any suspicion arising, so stupid are thepeople all around, and so well is my name known among them. The onlyperil is in the landing of stores, and I think we should desist fromthat. A few people have been wondering about that, though hitherto wehave been most fortunate. They have set it down so far to smugglingoperations, with which in that tyrannical land all the lower orderssympathise. But it would be wiser to desist awhile, unless you, myGeneral, have anything of moment which you still desire to send in. "

"What sort of fellow is that Sheeseman?" asked Napoleon, with hiswonderful memory of details. "Is he more to be confided in as a rogue oras a fool?"

"As both, sir; but more especially as a rogue, though he has thecompunctions of a fool sometimes. But he is as entirely under my thumb, as I am under that of my Commander. "

"That is very good, " answered the First Consul, smiling with the senseof his own power; "and at an hour's notice, with fifty chosen men landedfrom the London Trader--ah, I love that name; it is appropriate--youcould spike all the guns of that pretentious little battery, and lockthe Commander of the Coast-Defence in one of his own cellars. Is it notso, my good Captain? Answer me not. That is enough. One question more, and you may return. Are you certain of the pilotage of the proud youngfisherman who knows every grain of sand along his native shore? Surelyyou can bribe him, if he hesitates at all, or hold a pistol at his earas he steers the leading prame into the bay! Charron would be the manfor that. Between you and Charron, there should be no mistake. "

"He requires to be handled with much delicacy. He has no idea yet whathe is meant to do. And if I understand his nature, neither bribes norfear would move him. He is stubborn as a Breton, and of that simplecharacter. "

"One can always befool a Breton; but I hate that race, " said Napoleon. "If he cannot be made useful, tie a round shot to him, throw himoverheard, and get a gentler native. "

"Alas, I fear that we cannot indulge in that pleasure, " said Carne, witha smile of regret. "It cost me a large outlay of skill to catch him, andthe natives of that place are all equally stubborn. But I have a planfor making him do our work without being at all aware of it. Is it yourwish, my General, that I should now describe that plan?"

"Not now, " replied Napoleon, pulling out a watch of English make, "butin your next letter. I start for Paris in an hour's time. You will hearof things soon which will add very greatly to the weight and success ofthis grand enterprise. We shall have perfidious Albion caught in her ownnoose, as you shall see. You have not heard of one Captain Wright, and the landing-place at Biville. We will have our little Bivilleat Springhaven. There will be too many of us to swing up by a rope. Courage, my friend! The future is with you. Our regiments are castingdice for the fairest English counties. But your native county isreserved for you. You shall possess the whole of it--I swear it bythe god of war--and command the Southern army. Be brave, be wise, bevigilant, and above all things be patient. "

The great man held up his hand, as a sign that he wanted his horse, andthen offered it to Caryl Carne, who touched it lightly with his lips, and bent one knee. "My Emperor!" he said, "my Emperor!"

"Wait until the proper time, " said Napoleon, gravely, and yet wellpleased. "You are not the first, and you will not be the last. Observediscretion. Farewell, my friend!"

In another minute he was gone, and the place looked empty without him. Carne stood gloomily watching the horsemen as their figures grew smallin the distance, the large man behind pounding heavily away, like anEnglish dragoon, on the scanty sod, of no importance to anybody--unlesshe had a wife or children--the little man in front (with the white plumewaving, and the well-bred horse going easily), the one whose body wouldaffect more bodies, and certainly send more souls out of them, thanany other born upon this earth as yet, and--we hope--as long as ever itendureth. 

Caryl Carne cared not a jot about that. He was anything but aphilanthropist; his weaknesses, if he had any, were not dispersive, butthoroughly concentric. He gathered his long cloak round his body, and went to the highest spot within his reach, about a mile from thewatch-tower at Cape Grisnez, and thence he had a fine view of the vastinvasive fleet and the vaster host behind it. 

An Englishman who loved his Country would have turned sick at heart andfaint of spirit at the sight before him. The foe was gathered togetherthere to eat us up on every side, to get us into his net and rend us, to tear us asunder as a lamb is torn when its mother has dropped it inflight from the wolves. For forty square miles there was not an acrewithout a score of tents upon it, or else of huts thrown up with slabsof wood to keep the powder dry, and the steel and iron bright and sharpto go into the vitals of England. Mighty docks had been scooped out bywarlike hands, and shone with ships crowded with guns and alive withmen. And all along the shore for leagues, wherever any shelter lay, andgreat batteries protected them, hundreds of other ships tore at theirmoorings, to dash across the smooth narrow line, and blacken with fireand redden with blood the white cliffs of the land they loathed. 

And what was there to stop them? The steam of the multitude rose inthe air, and the clang of armour filled it. Numbers irresistible, andrelentless power urged them. At the beck of the hand that had called thehorse, the grey sea would have been black with ships, and the pale waveswould have been red with fire. Carne looked at the water way touchedwith silver by the soft descent of the winter sun, and upon it, so faras his gaze could reach, there were but a dozen little objects moving, puny creatures in the distance--mice in front of a lion's den. And muchas he hated with his tainted heart the land of his father, the landof his birth, some reluctant pride arose that he was by right anEnglishman. 

"It is the dread of the English seaman, it is the fame of Nelson, it isthe habit of being beaten when England meets them upon the sea--nothingelse keeps this mighty host like a set of trembling captives here, whenthey might launch forth irresistibly. And what is a great deal worse, it will keep me still in my ruined dungeons, a spy, an intriguer, anunderstrapper, when I am fit to be one of the foremost. What a fool I amso to be cowed and enslaved, by a man no better endowed than myself withanything, except self-confidence! I should have looked over his head, and told him that I had had enough of it, and if he would not takeadvantage of my toils, I would toil for him no longer. Why, he nevereven thanked me, that I can remember, and my pay is no more thanCharron's! And a pretty strict account I have to render of everyRepublican coin he sends. He will have his own head on them withinsix months, unless he is assassinated. His manners are not those of agentleman. While I was speaking to him, he actually turned his back uponme, and cleared his throat! Every one hates him as much as fears him, ofall who are in the rank of gentlemen. How would it pay me to throw himover, denounce my own doings, excuse them as those of a Frenchman and aFrench officer, and bow the knee to Farmer George? Truly if it were notfor my mother, who has sacrificed her life for me, I would take thatcourse, and have done with it. Such all-important news would compelthem to replace me in the property of my forefathers; and if neighbourslooked coldly on me at first, I could very soon conquer that nonsense. Ishould marry little Dolly, of course, and that would go half-way towardsdoing it. I hate that country, but I might come to like it, if enough ofit belonged to me. Aha! What would my mother say, if she dreamed thatI could have such ideas? And the whole of my life belongs to her. Well, let me get back to my ruins first. It would never do to be captured bya British frigate. We had a narrow shave of it last time. And there willbe a vile great moon to-night. "

With these reflections--which were upon the whole more to his creditthan the wonted web of thought--Carne with his long stride struck intoa path towards the beach where his boat was waiting. Although he knewwhere to find several officers who had once been his comrades, he kepthimself gladly to his loneliness; less perhaps by reason of Napoleon'sorders than from the growing charm which Solitude has for all who beginto understand her. 

CHAPTER XXXIX

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

Though Carne had made light, in his impatient mood, of the power ofthe blockading fleet, he felt in his heart a sincere respect for itsvigilance and activity. La Liberte (as the unhappy Cheeseman's schoonerwas called within gunshot of France) was glad enough to drop thatpretentious name, and become again the peaceful London Trader, when shefound herself beyond the reach of French batteries. The practice of hercaptain, the lively Charron, was to give a wide berth to any Britishcruiser appearing singly; but whenever more than one hove in sight, to run into the midst of them and dip his flag. From the speed of hisschooner he could always, in a light wind, show a clean pair of heels toany single heavy ship, and he had not yet come across any cutter, brigof war, or light corvette that could collar the Liberte in any sort ofweather. Renaud Charron was a brave young Frenchman, as fair a specimenas could be found, of a truly engaging but not overpowering type, kindly, warm-hearted, full of enterprise, lax of morals (unlesshonour--their veneer--was touched), loving excitement, and capable ofanything, except skulking, or sulking, or running away slowly. 

"None of your risky tricks to-night!" said Carne, as he stood on theschooner's deck, in the dusk of the February evening, himself in a darkmood growing darker--for his English blood supplied the elements ofgloom, and he felt a dull pleasure in goading a Frenchman, after beingtrampled on by one of French position. "You will just make straight, asthe tide and shoals allow, for our usual landing-place, set me ashore, and follow me to the old quarters. I have orders to give you, which canbe given only there. "

"My commanding officer shall be obeyed, " the Frenchman answered, with alight salute and smile, for he was not endowed with the power of hating, or he might have indulged that bad power towards Carne; "but I fear thathe has not found things to his liking. "

"What concern is that of yours? Your duty is to carry out my orders, tothe utmost of your ability, and offer opinion when asked for. "

The light-hearted Frenchman shrugged his shoulders. "My commandingofficer is right, " he said; "but the sea is getting up, and there willbe wind, unless I mistake the arising of the moon. My commanding officerhad better retire, until his commands are needed. He has been knownto feel the effects of high tossing, in spite of his unequalledconstitution. Is it not so, my commander? I ask with deference, andanxiety. "

Carne, who liked to have the joke on his side only, swore at the moonand the wind, in clear English, which was shorter and more efficaciousthan French. He longed to say, "Try to keep me out of rough water, " buthis pride, and the fear of suggesting the opposite to this sailor wholoved a joke, kept him silent, and he withdrew to his little cuddy, chewing a biscuit, to feed, if it must be so, the approaching malady. 

"We shall have some game, and a fine game too, " said Renaud Charron tohimself, as he ordered more sail to be made. "Milord gives himself suchmighty airs! We will take him to the cross-run off the Middle Bank, and offer him a basin through the key-hole. To make sea-sick anEnglishman--for, after all, what other is he?--will be a fine piece ofrevenge for fair France. "

Widow Shanks had remarked with tender sorrow--more perhaps because sheadmired the young man, and was herself a hearty soul, than from any lossof profit in victualling him--that "he was one of they folk as seems togo about their business, and do their jobs, and keep their skins as fullas other people, without putting nort inside of them. " She knew oneof that kind before, and he was shot by the Coast-guard, and when theypostmartyred him, an eel twenty foot long was found inside him, doubledup for all the world like a love-knot. Squire Carne was of too higha family for that; but she would give a week's rent to know what wasinside him. 

There was no little justice in these remarks, as is pretty sure to bethe case with all good-natured criticism. The best cook that ever wasroasted cannot get out of a pot more than was put in it; and the weightof a cask, as a general rule, diminishes if the tap is turned, withoutany redress at the bung-hole. Carne ran off his contents too fast, before he had arranged for fresh receipts; and all who have felt whatcomes of that will be able to feel for him in the result. 

But a further decrease was in store for him now. As the moon arose, thewind got higher, and chopped round to one point north of west, raising aperkish head-sea, and grinning with white teeth against any flapping ofsails. The schooner was put upon the starboard tack as near to the windas she would lie, bearing so for the French coast more than the English, and making for the Vergoyers, instead of the Varne, as intended. Thiscarried them into wider water, and a long roll from the southwestcrossing the pointed squabble of the strong new wind. 

"General, " cried Charron, now as merry as a grig, and skipping to thedoor of Carne's close little cabin, about an hour before midnight, "itwould afford us pleasure if you would kindly come on deck and give usthe benefit of your advice. I fear that you are a little confined downhere, and in need of more solid sustenance. My General, arise; there ismuch briskness upon deck, and the waves are dancing beautifully in thefull moon. Two sail are in sight, one upon the weather bow, and theother on the weather quarter. Ah, how superior your sea-words areto ours! If I were born an Englishman, you need not seek far for asuccessor to Nelson, when he gets shot, as he is sure to be before verylong. "

"Get out!" muttered Carne, whose troubles were faintly illuminated by asputtering wick. "Get out, you scoundrel, as you love plain English. Godirect to the devil--only let me die in peace. "

"All language is excusable in those affected with the malady of thesea, " replied the Frenchman, dancing a little to encourage his friend. "Behold, if you would get up and do this, you would be as happy insideas I am. But stay--I know what will ease you in an instant, and enableyou to order us right and left. The indefatigable Sherray put a finepiece of fat pork in store before we sailed; I have just had it cooked, for I was almost starving. It floats in brown liquor of the richestorder, such as no Englishman can refuse. Take a sip of pure rum, and youwill enjoy it surely. Say, my brave General, will you come and join me?It will cure any little disquietude down here. "

With a pleasant smile Charron laid his hand on the part of his commanderwhich he supposed to be blameable. Carne made an effort to get up andkick him, but fell back with everything whirling around, and all humanstandards inverted. Then the kindly Frenchman tucked him up, for hisface was blue and the chill of exhaustion striking into him. "I wishyou could eat a little bit, " said Charron, gently; but Carne gave a pushwith his elbow. "Well, you'll be worse before you are better, as theold women say in your country. But what am I to do about the two Britishships--for they are sure to be British--now in sight?" But Carne turnedhis back, and his black boots dangled from the rim of his bunk as ifthere was nothing in them. 

"This is going a little too far, " cried Charron; "I must have someorders, my commander. You understand that two English ships aremanifestly bearing down upon us--"

"Let them come and send us to the bottom--the sooner the better, " hiscommander groaned, and then raised his limp knuckles with a final effortto stop his poor ears forever. 

"But I am not ready to go to the bottom, nor all the other people of ourfourteen hands"--the Frenchman spoke now to himself alone--"neither willI even go to prison. I will do as they do at Springhaven, and doubtlessat every other place in England. I will have my dish of pork, which isnow just crackling--I am capable of smelling it even here--and I willgive some to Sam Polwhele, and we will put heads together over it. Tooutsail friend Englishman is a great delight, and to out-gun him wouldbe still greater; but if we cannot accomplish those, there will be somepleasure of outwitting him. "

Renaud Charron was never disposed to make the worst of anything. When hewent upon deck again, to look out while his supper was waiting, he foundno change, except that the wind was freshening and the sea increasing, and the strangers whose company he did not covet seemed waiting for noinvitation. With a light wind he would have had little fear of givingthem the go-by, or on a dark night he might have contrived to slipbetween or away from them. But everything was against him now. The windwas so strong, blowing nearly half a gale, and threatening to blowa whole one, that he durst not carry much canvas, and the full moon, approaching the meridian now, spread the white sea with a broad flood oflight. He could see that both enemies had descried him, and were actingin concert to cut him off. The ship on his weather bow was a frigate, riding the waves in gallant style, with the wind upon her beam, andtravelling two feet for every one the close-hauled schooner couldaccomplish. If the latter continued her present course, in anotherhalf-league she would be under the port-holes of the frigate. 

The other enemy, though further off, was far more difficult toescape. This was a gun-brig, not so very much bigger than La Liberteherself--for gun-brigs in those days were very small craft--and for thatvery reason more dangerous. She bore about two points east of north fromthe greatly persecuted Charron, and was holding on steadily under easysail, neither gaining much upon the chase nor losing. 

"Carry on as we are for about ten minutes, " said Charron to his mate, Sam Polwhele; "that will give us period to eat our pork. Come, then, mygood friend, let us do it. "

Polwhele--as he was called to make believe that he and other hands wereCornishmen, whereas they were Yankees of the sharpest order, owing noallegiance and unhappily no good-will to their grandmother--this man, whose true name was Perkins, gave the needful orders, and followed down. Charron could talk, like many Frenchmen, quite as fast with his mouthfull as empty, and he had a man to talk to who did not require anythingto be said twice to him. 

"No fear of me!" was all he said. "You keep out of sight, because ofyour twang. I'll teach them a little good English--better than ever cameout of Cornwall. The best of all English is not to say too much. "

The captain and his mate enjoyed their supper, while Carne in thedistance bore the pangs of a malady called bulimus, that is to say, agiant's ravening for victuals, without a babe's power of receiving them. For he was turning the corner of his sickness now, but prostrate andcold as a fallen stalactite. 

"Aha! We have done well. We have warmed our wits up. One glass of whatyou call the grog; and then we will play a pleasant game with thoseEnglishmen!" Carne heard him say it, and in his heart hoped that theEnglish would pitch him overboard. 

It was high time for those two to finish their supper. The schoonerhad no wheel, but steered--as light craft did then, and longafterwards--with a bulky ash tiller, having iron eyes for lashing it inheavy weather. Three strong men stood by it now, obedient, yet mutteringto one another, for another cable's length would bring them into dangerof being run down by the frigate. 

"All clear for stays!" cried Polwhele, under orders from Charron. "Downhelm! Helm's alee! Steady so. Let draw! Easy! easy! There she fills!"And after a few more rapid orders the handy little craft was dashingaway, with the wind abaft the beam, and her head about two points northof east. "Uncommon quick in stays!" cried Polwhele, who had taken to thehelm, and now stood there. "Wonder what Britishers will think of that?"

The British ship soon let him know her opinion, by a roar and a longstreak of smoke blown toward him, as she put up her helm to considerthe case. It was below the dignity of a fine frigate to run after littlesmuggling craft, such as she voted this to be, and a large ship had beensighted from her tops down channel, which might afford her nobler sport. She contented herself with a harmless shot, and leaving the gun-brig topursue the chase, bore away for more important business. 

"Nonplussed the big 'un; shall have trouble with the little 'un, " saidMaster Polwhele to his captain. "She don't draw half a fathom more thanwe do. No good running inside the shoals. And with this wind, she hasthe foot of us. "

"Bear straight for her, and let her board us, " Charron answered, pleasantly. "Down with all French hands into the forepart of the hold, and stow the spare foresail over them. Show our last bills of lading, and ask them to trade. You know all about Cheeseman; double his prices. If we make any cash, we'll divide it. Say we are out of our course, through supplying a cruiser that wanted our goods for nothing. I shallkeep out of sight on account of my twang, as you politely call it. Therest I may safely leave to your invention. But if you can get any readyrhino, Sam Polwhele is not the man to neglect it. "

"Bully for you!" cried the Yankee, looking at him with more admirationthan he expected ever to entertain for a Frenchman. "There's five tonof cheeses that have been seven voyages, and a hundred firkins of Irishbutter, and five-and-thirty cases of Russian tongues, as old as oldNick, and ne'er a sign of weevil! Lor' no, never a tail of weevil!Skipper, you deserve to go to heaven out of West Street. But how abouthim, down yonder?"

"Captain Carne? Leave him to me to arrange. I shall be ready, if theyintrude. Announce that you have a sick gentleman on board, a passengerafflicted with a foreign illness, and having a foreign physician. MonDieu! It is good. Every Englishman believes that anything foreignwill kill him with a vault. Arrange you the trading, and I will be thedoctor--a German; I can do the German. "

"And I can do the trading, " the American replied, without any rashself-confidence; "any fool can sell good stuff; but it requireth a goodman to sell bad goods. "

The gun-brig bore down on them at a great pace, feeling happy certitudethat she had got a prize--not a very big one, but still worth catching. She saw that the frigate had fired a shot, and believed that it was doneto call her own attention to a matter below that of the frigate. Onshe came, heeling to the lively wind, very beautiful in the moonlight, tossing the dark sea in white showers, and with all her taut canvasarched and gleaming, hovered with the shades of one another. 

"Heave to, or we sink you!" cried a mighty voice through a speakingtrumpet, as she luffed a little, bringing her port broadside to bear;and the schooner, which had hoisted British colours, obeyed the commandimmediately. In a very few seconds a boat was manned, and dancing onthe hillocks of the sea; and soon, with some danger and much care, thevisitors stood upon the London Trader's deck, and Sam Polwhele came tomeet them. 

"We have no wish to put you to any trouble, " said the officer incommand, very quietly, "if you can show that you are what you profess tobe. You sail under British colours; and the name on your stern is LondonTrader. We will soon dismiss you, if you prove that. But appearances arestrongly against you. What has brought you here? And why did you runthe risk of being fired at, instead of submitting to his Majesty's shipMinerva?"

"Because she haven't got any ready money, skipper, and we don't likethree months' bills, " said the tall Bostonian, looking loftily at theBritish officer. "Such things is nothing but piracy, and we had betterbe shot at than lose such goods as we carry fresh shipped, and in primecondition. Come and see them, all with Cheeseman's brand, the celebratedCheeseman of Springhaven--name guarantees the quality. But one thing, mind you--no use to hanker after them unless you come provided with theready. "

"We don't want your goods; we want you, " answered Scudamore, now firstluff of the brig of war Delia, and staring a little with his mild blueeyes at this man's effrontery. "That is to say, our duty is to know allabout you. Produce your papers. Prove where you cleared from last, andwhat you are doing here, some thirty miles south of your course, if youare a genuine British trader. "

"Papers all in order, sir. First-chop wafers, as they puts on now, tosave sealing-wax. Charter-party, and all the rest. Last bills of ladingfrom Gravesend, but you mustn't judge our goods by that. Bulk of themfrom St. Mary Axe, where Cheeseman hath freighted from these thirtyyears. If ever you have been at Springhaven, Captain, you'd jump atanything with Cheeseman's brand. But have you brought that little bag ofguineas with you?"

"Once more, we want none of your goods. You might praise them as muchas you liked, if time permitted. Show me to the cabin, and produce yourpapers. After that we shall see what is in the hold. "

"Supercargo very ill in best cabin. Plague, or black fever, the Germandoctor says. None of our hands will go near him but myself. But youwon't be like that, will you?"

Less for his own sake than his mother's--who had none but him to helpher--Scudamore dreaded especially that class of disease which is nowcalled "zymotic. " His father, an eminent physician, had observed andhad written a short work to establish that certain families and typesof constitution lie almost at the mercy of such contagion, and find nomercy from it. And among those families was his own. "Fly, my boy, fly, "he had often said to Blyth, "if you ever come near such subjects. "

"Captain, I will fetch them, " continued Mr. Polwhele, looking grave athis hesitation. "By good rights they ought to be smoked, I dare say, though I don't hold much with such stuff myself. And the doctor keepsdoing a heap of herbs hot. You can see him, if you just come down thesefew steps. Perhaps you wouldn't mind looking into the hold, to findsomething to suit your judgment--quality combined with low figuresthere--while I go into the infected den, as the cleverest of my chapscalls it. Why, it makes me laugh! I've been in and out, with thisstand-up coat on, fifty times, and you can't smell a flue of it, thoughwonderful strong down there. "

Scudamore shuddered, and drew back a little, and then stole a glanceround the corner. He saw a thick smoke, and a figure prostrate, andanother tied up in a long white robe, waving a pan of burning stuff inone hand and a bottle in the other, and plainly conjuring Polwhele tokeep off. Then the latter returned, quite complacently. 

"Can't find all of them, " he said, presenting a pile of papers bigenough to taint Sahara. "That doctor goes on as bad as opening a coffin. Says he understands it, and I don't. The old figure-head! What does heknow about it?"

"Much more than you do, perhaps, " replied Blyth, standing up for theprofession, as he was bound to do. "Perhaps we had better look at theseon deck, if you will bring up your lantern. "

"But, Captain, you will have a look at our hold, and make us a bid--weneed not take it, any more than you need to double it--for as prime alot of cheese, and sides of bacon--"

"If your papers are correct, it will not be my duty to meddle with yourcargo. But what are you doing the wrong side of our fleet?"

"Why, that was a bad job. There's no fair trade now, no sort of dealingon the square nohow. We run all this risk of being caught by Crappos onpurpose to supply British ship Gorgeous, soweastern station; and blow metight if I couldn't swear she had been supplied chock-full by a Crappo!Only took ten cheeses and fifteen sides of bacon, though she neverknew nought of our black fever case! But, Captain, sit down here, andoverhaul our flimsies. Not like rags, you know; don't hold plague much. "

The young lieutenant compelled himself to discharge his duty ofinspection behind a combing, where the wind was broken; but even so hetook good care to keep on the weather side of the documents; and thedates perhaps flew away to leeward. "They seem all right, " he said, "butone thing will save any further trouble to both of us. You belong toSpringhaven. I know most people there. Have you any Springhaven hands onboard?"

"I should think so. Send Tugwell aft; pass the word for Dan Tugwell. Captain, there's a family of that name there--settled as long as we havebeen at Mevagissey. Ah, that sort of thing is a credit to the place, andthe people too, in my opinion. "

Dan Tugwell came slowly, and with a heavy step, looking quite unlike thespruce young fisherman whom Scudamore had noticed as first and smartestin the rescue of the stranded Blonde. But he could not doubt that thiswas Dan, the Dan of happier times and thoughts; in whom, without usinghis mind about it, he had felt some likeness to himself. It was not inhis power to glance sharply, because his eyes were kindly open to allthe little incidents of mankind, but he managed to let Dan know thatduty compelled him to be particular. Dan Tugwell touched the slouchedhat upon his head, and stood waiting to know what he was wanted for. 

"Daniel, " said Scudamore, who could not speak condescendingly to anyone, even from the official point of view, because he felt that everyhonest man was his equal, "are you here of your own accord, as one ofthe crew of this schooner?"

Dan Tugwell had a hazy sense of being put upon an untrue balance. Notby this kind gentleman's words, but through his own proceedings. In hishonest mind he longed to say: "I fear I have been bamboozled. Ihave cast my lot in with these fellows through passion, and in hastyignorance. How I should like to go with you, and fight the French, instead of getting mixed up with a lot of things I can't make out!"

But his equally honest heart said to him: "You have been well treated. You are well paid. You shipped of your own accord. You have no right topeach, even if you had anything to peach of; and all you have seen issome queer trading. None but a sneak would turn against his shipmatesand his ship, when overhauled by the Royal Navy. "

Betwixt the two voices, Dan said nothing, but looked at the lieutenantwith that gaze which the receiver takes to mean doubt of his meaning, while the doubt more often is--what to do with it. 

"Are you here of your own accord? Do you belong to this schooner of yourown accord? Are you one of this crew, of your own free-will?"

Scudamore rang the changes on his simple question, as he had often beenobliged to do in the Grammar-school at Stonnington, with the slow-wittedboys, who could not, or would not, know the top from the bottom of asign-post. "Do you eat with your eyes?" he had asked them sometimes; andthey had put their thumbs into their mouths to enquire. 

"S'pose I am, " said Dan at last, assuming stupidity, to coverhesitation; "yes, sir, I come aboard of my own free-will. "

"Very well. Then I am glad to find you comfortable. I shall see yourfather next week, perhaps. Shall I give him any message for you?"

"No, sir! For God's sake, don't let him know a word about where youhave seen me. I came away all of a heap, and I don't want one of them tobother about me. "

"As you wish, Dan. I shall not say a word about you, until you returnwith your earnings. But if you found the fishing business dull, surelyyou might have come to us, Dan. Any volunteers here for His Majesty'sservice?" Scudamore raised his voice, with the usual question. "Goodpay, good victuals, fine promotion, and prize-money, with the glory offighting for their native country, and provision for life if disabled!"

Not a man came forward, though one man longed to do so; but his senseof honour, whether true or false, forbade him. Dan Tugwell went heavilyback to his work, trying to be certain that it was his duty. But saddoubts arose as he watched the brave boat, lifting over the waves in themoonlight, with loyal arms tugging towards a loyal British ship; and hefelt that he had thrown away his last chance. 

CHAPTER XL

SHELFING THE QUESTION

There is a time of day (as everybody must have noticed who is kindenough to attend to things) not to be told by the clock, nor measured toa nicety by the position of the sun, even when he has the manners to saywhere he is--a time of day dependent on a multiplicity of things unknownto us (who have made our own brains, by perceiving that we had none, and working away till we got them), yet palpable to all those lessself-exalted beings, who, or which, are of infinitely nobler origin thanwe, and have shown it, by humility. At this time of day every decentand good animal feels an unthought-of and untraced desire to shift itsposition, to come out and see its fellows, to learn what is happeningin the humble grateful world--out of which man has hoisted himself longago, and is therefore a spectre to them--to breathe a little sample ofthe turn the world is taking, and sue their share of pleasure in thequiet earth and air. 

This time is more observable because it follows a period of the oppositetendency, a period of heaviness, and rest, and silence, when no birdsings and no quadruped plays, for about half an hour of the afternoon. Then suddenly, without any alteration of the light, or weather, or eventemperature, or anything else that we know of, a change of mood flashesinto every living creature, a spirit of life, and activity, and stir, and desire to use their own voice and hear their neighbour's. The usualbeginning is to come out first into a place that cannot knock theirheads, and there to run a little way, and after that to hop, and takea peep for any people around, and espying none--or only one of the veryfew admitted to be friends--speedily to dismiss all misgivings, take avery little bit of food, if handy (more as a duty to one's family thanoneself, for the all-important supper-time is not come yet), and then, if gifted by the Lord with wings--for what bird can stoop at such amoment to believe that his own grandfather made them?--up to the topmostspray that feathers in the breeze, and pour upon the grateful air thevoice of free thanksgiving. But an if the blade behind the heart isstill unplumed for flying, and only gentle flax or fur blows out on thewind, instead of beating it, does the owner of four legs sit and sulk, like a man defrauded of his merits? He answers the question with a skipand jump; ere a man can look twice at him he has cut a caper, frolickedan intricate dance upon the grass, and brightened his eyes for anotherround of joy. 

At any time of year almost, the time of day commands these deeds, unlessthe weather is outrageous; but never more undeniably than in the monthof April. The growth of the year is well established, and its mannerbeginning to be schooled by then; childish petulance may still survive, and the tears of penitence be frequent; yet upon the whole there is--orused to be--a sense of responsibility forming, and an elemental inklingof true duty towards the earth. Even man (the least observant of thepowers that walk the ground, going for the signs of weather to the cows, or crows, or pigs, swallows, spiders, gnats, and leeches, or the finalassertion of his own corns) sometimes is moved a little, and enlargedby influence of life beyond his own, and tickled by a pen above histhoughts, and touched for one second by the hand that made him. Then hesees a brother man who owes him a shilling, and his soul is swallowed upin the resolve to get it. 

But well in the sky-like period of youth, when the wind sits lightly, and the clouds go by in puffs, these little jumps of inspiration takethe most respectable young man sometimes off his legs, and the youngmaid likewise--if she continues in these fine days to possess suchcontinuation. Blyth Scudamore had been appointed now, partly throughhis own good deserts, and wholly through good influence--for Lord St. Vincent was an ancient friend of the excellent Admiral Darling--to thecommand of the Blonde, refitted, thoroughly overhauled at Portsmouth, and pronounced by the dock-yard people to be the fastest and soundestcorvette afloat, and in every way a credit to the British navy. "The manthat floated her shall float in her, " said the Earl, when somebody, whowanted the appointment, suggested that the young man was too young. "Hehas seen sharp service, and done sharp work. It is waste of time to talkof it; the job is done. " "Job is the word for it, " thought the other, but wisely reserved that great truth for his wife. However, it was notat all a bad job for England. And Scudamore had now seen four years ofactive service, counting the former years of volunteering, and was morethan twenty-five years old. 

None of these things exalted him at all in his own opinion, or, atany rate, not very much. Because he had always regarded himself witha proper amount of self-respect, as modest men are almost sure to do, desiring less to know what the world thinks of them than to try to thinkrightly of it for themselves. His opinion of it seemed to be that it wasvery good just now, very kind, and fair, and gentle, and a thing for theheart of man to enter into. 

For Dolly Darling was close beside him, sitting on a very pretty bench, made of twisted oak, and turned up at the back and both ends, so thata gentleman could not get very far away from a lady without frighteningher. Not only in this way was the spot well adapted for tender feelings, but itself truly ready to suggest them, with nature and the time of yearto help. There was no stream issuing here, to puzzle and perpetuallydivert the human mind (whose origin clearly was spring-water poured intothe frame of the jelly-fish), neither was there any big rock, like anobstinate barrier rising; but gentle slopes of daisied pasture led theeye complacently, sleek cows sniffed the herbage here and there, andbrushed it with the underlip to fetch up the blades for supper-time, andplacable trees, forgetting all the rudeness of the winter winds, beganto disclose to the fond deceiving breeze, with many a glimpse toattract a glance, all the cream of their summer intentions. And in fullenjoyment of all these doings, the poet of the whole stood singing--thesimple-minded thrush, proclaiming that the world was good and kind, buthimself perhaps the kindest, and his nest, beyond doubt, the best of it. 

"How lovely everything is to-day!" Blyth Scudamore spoke slowly, andgazing shyly at the loveliest thing of all, in his opinion--the face ofDolly Darling. "No wonder that your brother is a poet!"

"But he never writes about this sort of thing, " said Dolly, smilingpleasantly. "His poems are all about liberty, and the rights of men, and the wrongs of war. And if he ever mentions cows or sheep, it isgenerally to say what a shame it is to kill them. "

"But surely it is much worse to kill men. And who is to be blamed forthat, Miss Darling? The Power that wants to overrun all the rest, or theCountry that only defends itself? I hope he has not converted you tothe worship of the new Emperor; for the army and all the great cities ofFrance have begged him to condescend to be that; and the King of Prussiawill add his entreaties, according to what we have heard. "

"I think anything of him!" cried Dolly, as if her opinion would settlethe point. "After all his horrible murders--worst of all of that veryhandsome and brave young man shot with a lantern, and buried in a ditch!I was told that he had to hold the lantern above his poor head, and hishand never shook! It makes me cry every time I think of it. Only letFrank come back, and he won't find me admire his book so very much! Theydid the same sort of thing when I was a little girl, and could scarcelysleep at night on account of it. And then they seemed to get a littlebetter, for a time, and fought with their enemies, instead of oneanother, and made everybody wild about liberty, and citizens, and thenoble march of intellect, and the dignity of mankind, and the rightsof labour--when they wouldn't work a stroke themselves--and the blacksuperstition of believing anything, except what they chose to make afuss about themselves. And thousands of people, even in this country, who have been brought up so much better, were foolish enough to thinkit very grand indeed, especially the poets, and the ones that are tooyoung. But they ought to begin to get wiser now; even Frank will find ithard to make another poem on them. "

"How glad I am to hear you speak like that! I had no idea--at least Idid not understand--"

"That I had so much common-sense?" enquired Dolly, with a glance ofsubtle yet humble reproach. "Oh yes, I have a great deal sometimes, Ican assure you. But I suppose one never does get credit for anything, without claiming it. "

"I am sure that you deserve credit for everything that can possiblybe imagined, " Scudamore answered, scarcely knowing, with all his owncommon-sense to help him, that he was talking nonsense. "Every time Isee you I find something I had never found before to--to wonder at--ifyou can understand--and to admire, and to think about, and to--to beastonished at. "

Dolly knew as well as he did the word he longed to use, but feared. She liked this state of mind in him, and she liked him too for all hiskindness, and his humble worship; and she could not help admiring himfor his bravery and simplicity. But she did not know the value yet of asteadfast and unselfish heart, and her own was not quite of that order. So many gallant officers were now to be seen at her father's house, halfa cubit taller than poor Blyth, and a hundred cubits higher in rank, andwealth, and knowledge of the world, and the power of making their wivesgreat ladies. Moreover, she liked a dark man, and Scudamore was fair andfresh as a rose called Hebe's Cup in June. Another thing against him wasthat she knew how much her father liked him; and though she loved herfather well, she was not bound to follow his leadings. And yet she didnot wish to lose this useful and pleasant admirer. 

"I am not at all ambitious, " she replied, without a moment's hesitation, for the above reflections had long been dealt with, "but how I wish Icould do something to deserve even half that you say of me! But Ifear that you find the air getting rather cold. The weather is sochangeable. "

"Are you sure that you are not ambitious?" Scudamore was too deeplyplunged to get out of it now upon her last hint; and to-morrow he mustbe far away. "You have every right to be ambitious, if such a word canbe used of you, who are yourself the height of so many ambitions. It wasthe only fault I could imagine you to have, and it seems too bad thatyou should have none at all. "

"You don't know anything about it, " said Dolly, with a lovely expressionin her face of candour, penitence, and pleasantry combined; "I am notonly full of faults, but entirely made up of them. I am told of them toooften not to know. "

"By miserably jealous and false people. " It was impossible to look ather and not think that. "By people who cannot have a single atom ofperception, or judgment, or even proper feeling. I should like tohear one of them, if you would even condescend to mention it. Tellme one--only one--if you can think of it. I am not at all a judge ofcharacter, but--but I have often had to study it a good deal among theboys. "

This made Miss Dolly laugh, and drop her eyes, and smoothe her dress, asif to be sure that his penetration had not been brought to bear on her. And the gentle Scuddy blushed at his clumsiness, and hoped that shewould understand the difference. 

"You do say such things!" She also was blushing beautifully as shespoke, and took a long time before she looked at him again. "Things thatnobody else ever says. And that is one reason why I like you so. "

"Oh, do you like me--do you like me in earnest? I can hardly dare todream even for one moment--"

"I am not going to talk about that any more. I like Mr. Twemlow, I likeCaptain Stubbard, I like old Tugwell--though I should have liked himbetter if he had not been so abominably cruel to his son. Now I am sureit is time to go and get ready for dinner. "

"Ah, when shall I dine with you again? Perhaps never, " said the youngman, endeavouring to look very miserable and to inspire sadness. "ButI ought to be very happy, on the whole, to think of all the pleasures Ihave enjoyed, and how much better I have got on than I had any right inthe world to hope for. "

"Yes, to be the Commander of a beautiful ship, little more than a yearfrom the date of your commission. Captain Stubbard is in such a rageabout it!"

"I don't mean about that--though that of course is rare luck--I mean amuch more important thing; I mean about getting on well with you. Thefirst time I saw you in that fine old school, you did not even want toshake hands with me, and you thought what a queer kind of animal I was;and then the first time or two I dined at the Hall, nothing but finehospitality stopped you from laughing at my want of practice. Butgradually, through your own kind nature, and my humble endeavours to beof use, I began to get on with you better and better; and now you arebeginning almost to like me. "

"Not almost, but altogether, " she answered, with quite an affectionateglance. "I can tell you there are very few, outside of my own family, that I like half so well as I like you. But how can it matter to you somuch?"

She looked at him so that he was afraid to speak, for fear of spoilingeverything; and being a very good-natured girl, and pleased with hisdeep admiration, she sighed--just enough to make him think that he mighthope. 

"We are all so sorry to lose you. " she said; "and no one will miss youso much as I shall, because we have had such pleasant times together. But if we can carry out our little plot, we shall hear of you veryoften, and I dare say not very unfavourably. Faith and I have beenputting our heads together, and for our own benefit, and that of all thehouse, if we can get you to second it. My father jumped at the idea, and said how stupid we were not to think of it before. You know how verylittle he can be at home this summer, and he says he has to sacrificehis children to his country. So we suggested that he should invite LadyScudamore to spend the summer with us, if she can be persuaded to leavehome so long. We will do our very utmost to make her comfortable, andshe will be a tower of strength to us; for you know sometimes it is veryawkward to have only two young ladies. But we dare not do anything untilwe asked you. Do you think she would take compassion upon us? A wordfrom you perhaps would decide her; and Faith would write a letter foryou to send. "

Scudamore reddened with delight, and took her hand. "How can I thankyou? I had better not try, " he answered, with some very tender playof thumb and fore-finger, and a strong impulse to bring lips too intoaction. "You are almost as clever as you are good; you will know whatI mean without my telling you. My mother will be only too glad to come. She knows what you are, she has heard so much from me. And the realitywill put to shame all my descriptions. "

"Tell me what you told her I was like. The truth, now, and not a wordof afterthought or flattery. I am always so irritated by any sort offlattery. "

"Then you must let me hold your hands, to subdue your irritation; foryou are sure to think that it was flattery--you are so entirely ignorantof yourself, because you never think of it. I told my dear mother thatyou were the best, and sweetest, and wisest, and loveliest, and mostperfect, and exquisite, and innocent, and unselfish of all the humanbeings she had ever seen, or heard, or read of. And I said it was quiteimpossible for any one after one look at you to think of himself anymore in this world. "

"Well done!" exclaimed Dolly, showing no irritation, unless a gleam ofpearls inside an arch of coral showed it. "It is as well to do thingsthoroughly, while one is about it. I can understand now how you get onso fast. But, alas, your dear mother will only laugh at all that. Ladiesare so different from gentlemen. Perhaps that is why gentlemen neverunderstand them. And I would always a great deal rather be judged by agentleman than a lady. Ladies pick such a lot of holes in one another, whereas gentlemen are too large-minded. And I am very glad upon thewhole that you are not a lady, though you are much more gentle thanthey make believe to be. Oh dear! We must run; or the ladies will neverforgive us for keeping them starving all this time. "

CHAPTER XLI

LISTENERS HEAR NO GOOD

"Not that there is anything to make one so very uneasy, " said Mr. Twemlow, "only that one has a right to know the meaning of what we areexpected to put up with. Nothing is clear, except that we have not oneman in the Government who knows his own mind, or at any rate dares topronounce it. Addington is an old woman, and the rest--oh, when shallwe have Pitt back again? People talk of it, and long for it; but theCountry is so slow. We put up with everything, instead of demanding thatthe right thing shall be done at once. Here is Boney, a fellow raised upby Satan as the scourge of this island for its manifold sins; and now heis to be the Emperor forsooth--not of France, but of Europe, continentalEurope. We have only one man fit to cope with him at all, and the voiceof the nation has been shouting for him; but who pays any attentionto it? This state of things is childish--simply childish; or perhaps Iought to say babyish. Why, even the children on the sea-shore know, whenthey make their little sand walls against the tide, how soon they mustbe swept away. But the difference is this, that they don't live insidethem, and they haven't got all that belongs to them inside them. Nobodymust suppose for a moment that a clergyman's family would fail to knowwhere to look for help and strength and support against all visitations;but, in common with the laity, we ask for Billy Pitt. "

"And in another fortnight you will have him, " replied Captain Stubbard, who was dining there that day. "Allow me to tell you a little thing thathappened to my very own self only yesterday. You know that I am one ofthe last people in the world to be accused of any--what's the properword for it? Mrs. Stubbard, you know what I mean--Jemima, why the deucedon't you tell them?"

"Captain Stubbard always has more meaning than he can well put intowords, " said his wife; "his mind is too strong for any dictionary. Hallucination is the word he means. "

"Exactly!" cried the Captain. "That expresses the whole of what I wantedto say, but went aside of it. I am one of the last men in the world tobecome the victim of any--there, I've lost it again! But never mind. Youunderstand now; or if you don't, Mrs. Stubbard will repeat it. What Imean is that I see all things square, and straight, and with their owncorners to them. Well, I know London pretty well; not, of course, asI know Portsmouth. Still, nobody need come along with me to go fromCharing Cross to St. Paul's Church-yard; and pretty tight I keep all myhatches battened down, and a sharp pair of eyes in the crow's-nest--forto have them in the foretop won't do there. It was strictly on duty thatI went up--the duty of getting a fresh stock of powder, for guns are notmuch good without it; and I had written three times, without answer orpowder. But it seems that my letters were going the rounds, and wouldturn up somewhere, when our guns were stormed, without a bit of stuff tomake answer. "

"Ah, that's the way they do everything now!" interrupted Mr. Twemlow. "Ithought you had been very quiet lately; but I did not know what a goodreason you had. We might all have been shot, and you could not havefired a salute, to inform the neighbourhood!"

"Well, never mind, " replied the Captain, calmly; "I am not complaining, for I never do so. Young men might; but not old hands, whose duty it isto keep their situation in life. Well, you must understand that the airof London always makes me hungry. There are so many thousands of peoplethere that you can't name a time when there is nobody eating, and thismakes a man from the country long to help them. Anyhow, I smelled roastmutton at a place where a little side street comes up into the Strand;and although it was scarcely half past twelve, it reminded me of Mrs. Stubbard. So I called a halt, and stood to think upon a grating, and thescent became flavoured with baked potatoes. This is always more than Ican resist, after all the heavy trials of a chequered life. So I pushedthe door open, and saw a lot of little cabins, right and left of a foreand aft gangway, all rigged up alike for victualling. Jemima, I told youall about it. You describe it to the Rector and Mrs. Twemlow. "

"Don't let us trouble Mrs. Stubbard, " said the host; "I know the sort ofthing exactly, though I don't go to that sort of place myself. "

"No, of course you don't. And I was a little scared at first, forthere was sawdust enough to soak up every drop of my blood, if they hadpistolled me. Mrs. Twemlow, I beg you not to be alarmed. My wife hassuch nerves that I often forget that all ladies are not like her. Nowdon't contradict me, Mrs. Stubbard. Well, sir, I went to the end of thiscockpit--if you like to call it so--and got into the starboard berth, and shouted for a ration of what I had smelled outside. And althoughit was far from being equal to its smell--as the character is ofeverything--you might have thought it uncommon good, if you had nevertasted Mrs. Stubbard's cooking, after she had been to the butcherherself. Very well. I don't care for kickshaws, even if I could affordthem, which has never yet been my destiny. So I called for anotherration of hot sheep--beg your pardon, ladies, what I mean is mutton--andhalf a dozen more of baked potatoes; and they reminded me of being athome so much that I called for a pint of best pine-apple rum and abrace of lemons, to know where I was--to remind me that I wasn't where Icouldn't get them. "

"Oh, Adam!" cried Mrs. Stubbard, "what will you say next? Not onweekdays, of course, but nearly every Sunday--and the samples of hispowder in his pocket, Mr. Twemlow!"

"Jemima, you are spoiling my story altogether. Well, you mustunderstand that this room was low, scarcely higher than the cabin of afore-and-after, with no skylights to it, or wind-sail, or port-hole thatwould open. And so, with the summer coming on, as it is now--though aprecious long time about it--and the smell of the meat, and the thoughtsof the grog, and the feeling of being at home again, what did I do butfall as fast asleep as the captain of the watch in a heavy gale of wind!My back was to the light, so far as there was any, and to make sure ofthe top of my head, I fetched down my hat--the soft-edged one, the sameas you see me wear on fine Sundays. 

"Well, I may have gone on in that way for an hour, not snoring, as Mrs. Stubbard calls it, but breathing to myself a little in my sleep, when Iseemed to hear somebody calling me, not properly, but as people do ina dream--'Stoobar--Stoobar--Stoobar, ' was the sound in my ears, like myconscience hauling me over the coals in bad English. This made me wakeup, for I always have it out with that part of me when it mutinies; butI did not move more than to feel for my glass. And then I perceived thatit was nothing more or less than a pair of Frenchmen talking about mein the berth next to mine, within the length of a marlin-spike from myblessed surviving ear. 

"Some wiseacre says that listeners never hear good of themselves, andupon my word he was right enough this time, so far as I made out. TheFrench language is beyond me, so far as speaking goes, for I never canlay hold of the word I want; but I can make out most of what those queerpeople say, from being a prisoner among them once, and twice in commandof a prize crew over them. And the sound of my own name pricked me up tolisten sharply with my one good ear. You must bear in mind, Rector, that I could not see them, and durst not get up to peep over thequarter-rail, for fear of scaring them. But I was wearing a shorthanger, like a middy's dirk--the one I always carry in the battery. "

"I made Adam promise, before he went to London, " Mrs. Stubbard explainedto Mrs. Twemlow, "that he would never walk the streets without steel orfirearms. Portsmouth is a very wicked place indeed, but a garden of Edencompared with London. "

"Well, sir, " continued Captain Stubbard, "the first thing I heard thoseFrenchmen say was: 'Stoobar is a stupid beast, like the ox that takesthe prize up here, except that he has no claim to good looks, but thecontrary--wholly the contrary. ' Mrs. Stubbard, I beg you to preserveyour temper; you have heard others say it, and you should now despisesuch falsehoods. 'But the ox has his horns, and Stoobar has none. Forall his great guns there is not one little cup of powder. ' The villainslaughed at this, as a very fine joke, and you may well suppose that Ialmost boiled over. 'You have then the command of this beast Stoobar?'the other fellow asked him, as if I were a jackass. 'How then have youso very well obtained it?' 'In a manner the most simple. Our chief hashim by the head and heels: by the head, by being over him; and by theheels, because nothing can come in the rear without his knowledge. Behold! you have all. ' 'It is very good, ' the other villain answered;'but when is it to be, my most admirable Charron?--how much longer?--howmany months?' 'Behold my fingers, ' said the one who had abused me; 'Iput these into those, and then you know. It would have been already, except for the business that you have been employed upon in this blackhole. Hippolyte, you have done well, though crookedly; but all isstraight for the native land. You have made this Government appear moretreacherous in the eyes of France and Europe than our own is, and youhave given a good jump to his instep for the saddle. But all this throwsus back. I am tired of tricks; I want fighting; though I find themquite a jolly people. ' 'I don't, ' said the other, who was clearly a lowscoundrel, for his voice was enough to settle that; 'I hate them; theyare of thick head and thick hand, and would come in sabots to catchtheir enemy asleep. And now there is no chance to entangle any more. Their Government will be of the old brutal kind, hard knocks, and nostratagems. In less than a fortnight Pitt will be master again. I knowit from the very best authority. You know what access I have. ' 'Thenthat is past, ' the other fellow answered, who seemed to speak more likea gentleman, although he was the one that ran down me; 'that is theDevil. They will have their wits again, and that very fat Stoobar willbe supplied with powder. Hippolyte, it is a very grand joke. Withinthree miles of his head (which is empty, like his guns) we have nearlytwo hundred barrels of powder, which we fear to bring over in thoseflat-bottoms for fear of a volley among them. Ha! ha! Stoobar is onefine fat ox!'

"This was all I heard, for they began to move, having had enough sugarand water, I suppose; and they sauntered away to pay their bill at thehatch put up at the doorway. It was hopeless to attempt to follow them;but although I am not so quick in stays as I was, I slewed myself roundto have a squint at them. One was a slight little active chap, withdapper legs, and jerks like a Frenchman all over. I could pardon himfor calling me a great fat ox, for want of a bit of flesh upon his ownbones. But he knows more about me than I do of him, for I never clappedeyes on him before, to my knowledge. The other was better built, and ofsome substance, but a nasty, slouchy-looking sort of cur, with high furcollars and a long grey cloak. And that was the one called Hippolyte, who knows all about our Government. And just the sort of fellow whowould do so in these days, when no honest man knows what they are upto. "

"That is true, " said the Rector--"too true by half. But honest mensoon will have their turn, if that vile spy was well informed. Theastonishing thing is that England ever puts up with such shamefulanarchy. What has been done to defend us? Nothing, except your battery, without a pinch of powder! With Pitt at the helm, would that havehappened? How could we have slept in our beds, if we had known it?Fourteen guns, and not a pinch of powder!"

"But you used to sleep well enough before a gun was put there. " Mrs. Stubbard's right to spare nobody was well established by this time. "Better have the guns, though they could not be fired, than no guns atall, if they would frighten the enemy. "

"That is true, ma'am, " replied Mr. Twemlow; "but until the guns came, we had no sense of our danger. Having taught us that, they were bound toact up to their teaching. It is not for ourselves that I have any fear. We have long since learned to rest with perfect faith in the Hand thatoverruleth all. And more than that--if there should be a disturbance, mynephew and my godson Joshua has a house of fourteen rooms in a Wiltshirevalley, quite out of the track of invaders. He would have to fight, forhe is Captain in the Yeomanry; and we would keep house for him till allwas over. So that it is for my parish I fear, for my people, my schools, and my church, ma'am. "

"Needn't be afraid, sir; no call to run away, " cried the Captain ofthe battery, having now well manned his own portholes with the Rector'ssound wine; "we shall have our powder in to-morrow, and the French can'tcome to-night; there is too much moon. They never dare show their nosesnor'ard of their sands, with the man in the moon--the John Bull in themoon--looking at them. And more than that, why, that cursed Boney--"

"Adam, in Mr. Twemlow's house! You must please to excuse him, all goodpeople. He has sate such a long time, without saying what he likes. "

"Jemima, I have used the right word. The parson will back me up in everyletter of it, having said the same thing of him, last Sunday week. ButI beg Mrs. Twemlow's pardon, if I said it loud enough to disturb her. Well, then, this blessed Boney, if you prefer it, is a deal too full ofhis own dirty tricks for mounting the throne of the King they murdered, to get into a flat-bottomed boat at Boulogne, and a long sight toojealous a villain he is, to let any one command instead of him. Why, the man who set foot upon our shore, and beat us--if such a thing can besupposed--would be ten times bigger than Boney in a month, and would situpon his crown, if he gets one. "

"Well, I don't believe they will ever come at all, " the solid Mrs. Stubbard pronounced, with decision. "I believe it is all a sham, andwhat they want is to keep us from attacking them in France. However, itis a good thing on the whole, and enables poor Officers, who havefought well for their country, to keep out of the Workhouse with theirfamilies. "

"Hearken, hearken to Mrs. Stubbard!" the veteran cried, as he patted hiswaistcoat--a better one than he could have worn, and a larger one thanhe could have wanted, except for the promised invasion. "I will back mywife against any lady in the land for common-sense, and for putting itplainly. I am not ashamed to say thank God for the existence ofthat blessed Boney. All I hope is that he will only try to land atSpringhaven--I mean, of course, when I've got my powder. "

"Keep it dry, Captain, " said the Rector, in good spirits. "Yourconfidence makes us feel comfortable; and of course you would draw alltheir fire from the village, and the houses standing near it, as thisdoes. However, I pray earnestly every night that they may attempt it insome other parish. But what was it you heard that Frenchman say abouttwo or three hundred barrels of powder almost within three miles of us?Suppose it was to blow up, where should we be?"

"Oh, I don't believe a word of that. It must be brag and nonsense. Tobegin with, there is no place where they could store it. I know all theneighbourhood, and every house in it. And there are no caves on thiscoast in the cliff, or holes of that kind such as smugglers use. However, I shall think it my duty to get a search-order from AdmiralDarling, and inspect large farm-buildings, such as Farmer Graves hasgot, and another man the other side of Pebbleridge. Those are the onlyplaces that could accommodate large stores of ammunition. Why, we cantake only forty barrels in the fire-proof magazine we have built. Weall know what liars those Frenchmen are. I have no more faith in the 200barrels of powder than I have in the 2000 ships prepared on the oppositecoast to demolish us. "

"Well, I hope you are right, " Mr. Twemlow answered. "It does seem a veryunlikely tale. But the ladies are gone. Let us have a quiet pipe. A manwho works as hard as you and I do is entitled to a little repose now andthen. "

CHAPTER XLII

ANSWERING THE QUESTION

If Scudamore had not seen Dan Tugwell on board of the London Trader, andheard from his own lips that he was one of her crew, it is certain thathe would have made a strict search of her hold, according to his ordersin suspicious cases. And if he had done this, it is probable that henever would have set his nimble feet on deck again, for Perkins (theAmerican who passed as Sam Polwhele) had a heavy ship-pistol in hisgreat rough pocket, ready for the back of the young officer's head ifhe had probed below the cheeses and firkins of butter. Only two men hadfollowed the lieutenant from their boat, the rest being needed for hersafety in the strong sea running, and those two at the signal would havebeen flung overboard, and the schooner (put about for the mouth of theCanche, where heavy batteries were mounted) would have had a fair chanceof escape, with a good start, while the gun-brig was picking up herboat. Unless, indeed, a shot from the Delia should carry away animportant spar, which was not very likely at night, and with a quicksurf to baffle gunnery. However, none of these things came to pass, andso the chances require no measurement. 

Carne landed his freight with his usual luck, and resolved very wiselyto leave off that dangerous work until further urgency. He had now avery fine stock of military stores for the ruin of his native land, and especially of gunpowder, which the gallant Frenchmen were afraid ofstowing largely in their flat-bottomed craft. And knowing that he owedhis success to moderation, and the good-will of his neighbours towardsevasion of the Revenue, he thought it much better to arrange hismagazine than to add to it for a month or two. 

Moreover, he was vexed at the neglect of his advice, on the part of hisarrogant Commander, a man who was never known to take advice fromany mind external to his own body, and not even from that clear powersometimes, when his passionate heart got the uppermost. Carne, though ofinfinitely smaller mind, had one great advantage--he seldom allowed itto be curdled or crossed in its clear operations by turbulent bodilyelements. And now, when he heard from the light-hearted Charron, who hadlately been at work in London, that the only man they feared was aboutto take the lead once more against the enemies of Great Britain, CarylCarne grew bitter against his Chief, and began for the first time todoubt his success. 

"I have a great mind to go to Mr. Pitt myself, tell him everything, and throw myself upon his generosity, " he thought, as he sate amonghis ruins sadly. "I could not be brought to trial as a common traitor. Although by accident of birth I am an Englishman, I am a French officer, and within my duty in acting as a pioneer for the French army. Butthen, again, they would call me at the best a spy, and in that capacityoutside the rules of war. It is a toss-up how they might take it, andthe result would depend perhaps on popular clamour. The mighty Emperorhas snubbed me. He is not a gentleman. He has not even invited me toParis, to share in the festivities and honours he proclaims. I wouldrisk it, for I believe it is the safer game, except for two obstacles, and both of those are women. Matters are growing very ticklish now. Thatold bat of a Stubbard has got scent of a rat, and is hunting about thefarm-houses. It would be bad for him if he came prowling here; that stepfor inspectors is well contrived. Twenty feet fall on his head for myfriend; even his bull-neck would get the worst of that. And then, again, there is that wretch of a Cheeseman, who could not even hang himselfeffectually. If it were not for Polly, we would pretty soon enablehim, as the Emperor enabled poor Pichegru. And after his own bona fideeffort, who would be surprised to find him sus. Per coll. ? But Polly isa nice girl, though becoming too affectionate. And jealous--good lack!a grocer's daughter jealous, and a Carne compelled to humour her! Whatidiots women are in the hands of a strong man! Only my mother--my motherwas not; or else my father was a weak one; which I can well believe frommy own remembrance of him. Well, one point at least shall be settledto-morrow. "

It was early in May, 1804, and Napoleon having made away to the best ofhis ability--which in that way was pre-eminent--with all possible rivalsand probable foes, was receiving addresses, and appointing dummies, andestablishing foolscap guarantees against his poor fallible and flexibleself--as he had the effrontery to call it--with all the gravity, grandbenevolence, confidence in mankind (as fools), immensity of yearningfor universal good, and intensity of planning for his own, which havehoodwinked the zanies in every age, and never more than in the presentage and country. And if France licked the dust, she could plead morethan we can--it had not been cast off from her enemy's shoes. 

Carne's love of liberty, like that of most people who talk very largelyabout it, was about as deep as beauty is declared to be; or even lessthan that, for he would not have imperilled the gloss of his epiderm forthe fair goddess. So that it irked him very little that his Chief hadsmashed up the Republic, but very greatly that his own hand shouldbe out in the cold, and have nothing put inside it to restore itscirculation. "If I had stuck to my proper line of work, in theArtillery, which has made his fortune"--he could not help saying tohimself sometimes--"instead of losing more than a year over here, andperhaps another year to follow, and all for the sake of these dirty oldruins, and my mother's revenge upon this country, I might have been aGeneral by this time almost--for nothing depends upon age in France--andworthy to claim something lofty and grand, or else to be bought off ata truly high figure. The little gunner has made a great mistake if hethinks that his flat thumb of low breed can press me down shuddering, and starving, and crouching, just until it suits him to hold up a fingerfor me. My true course is now to consider myself, to watch events, andact accordingly. My honour is free to go either way, because he has notkept his word with me; he promised to act upon my advice, and to landwithin a twelvemonth. "

There was some truth in this, for Napoleon had promised that hisagent's perilous commission in England should be discharged within atwelvemonth, and that time had elapsed without any renewal. But Carnewas clear-minded enough to know that he was bound in honour to give fairnotice, before throwing up the engagement; and that even then it wouldbe darkest dishonour to betray his confidence. He had his own sense ofhonour still, though warped by the underhand work he had stooped to; andeven while he reasoned with himself so basely, he felt that he could notdo the things he threatened. 

To a resolute man it is a misery to waver, as even the most resolutemust do sometimes; for instance, the mighty Napoleon himself. Thatgreat man felt the misery so keenly, and grew so angry with himself forletting in the mental pain, that he walked about vehemently, as a horseis walked when cold water upon a hot stomach has made colic--onlythere was nobody to hit him in the ribs, as the groom serves the nobleranimal. Carne did not stride about in that style, to cast his wrath outof his toes, because his body never tingled with the sting-nettling ofhis mind--as it is bound to do with all correct Frenchmen--and hislegs being long, he might have fallen down a hole into ancestral vaultsbefore he knew what he was up to. Being as he was, he sate still, andthought it out, and resolved to play his own game for a while, as hismaster was playing for himself in Paris. 

The next day he reappeared at his seaside lodgings, looking as comelyand stately as of old; and the kind Widow Shanks was so glad to see himthat he felt a rare emotion--good-will towards her; as the hardest manmust do sometimes, especially if others have been hard upon him. He evenchucked little Susy under the chin, which amazed her so much that shestroked her face, to make sure of its being her own, and ran awayto tell her mother that the gentleman was come home so nice. Then heordered a special repast from John Prater's--for John, on the strengthof all his winter dinners, had now painted on his sign-board "UniversalVictualler, " caring not a fig for the offence to Cheeseman, who nevercame now to have a glass with him, and had spoiled all the appetiteinspired by his windows through the dismal suggestions of his rash acton the premises. Instead of flattening their noses and opening theirmouths, and exclaiming, "Oh, shouldn't I like a bit of that?" thechildren, if they ventured to peep in at all, now did it with an anxioushope of horrors, and a stealthy glance between the hams and bacon forsomething that might be hanging up among the candles. And the worst ofit was that the wisest man in the village had failed to ascertain as yet"the reason why 'a doed it. " Until that was known, the most charitableneighbours could have no hope of forgiving him. 

Miss Dolly Darling had not seen her hero of romance for a long time; butsomething told her--or perhaps somebody--that he was now at hand; and tomake sure about it, she resolved to have a walk. Faith was very busy, asthe lady of the house, in preparing for a visitor, the mother of BlythScudamore, whom she, with her usual kindness, intended to meet and bringback from the coach-road that evening; for no less than three coachesa day passed now within eight miles of Springhaven, and several of thenatives had seen them. Dolly was not to go in the carriage, becausenobody knew how many boxes the visitor might bring, inasmuch as she wasto stop ever so long. "I am tired of all this fuss, " cried Dolly; "onewould think Queen Charlotte was coming, at the least; and I daresay nearly all her luggage would go into the door-pocket. They aredreadfully poor; and it serves them right, for being so dreadfullyhonest. "

"If you ever fall into poverty, " said Faith, "it will not be from thatcause. When you get your money, you don't pay your debts. You think thatpeople should be proud to work for you for nothing. There is one houseI am quite ashamed to pass by with you. How long have you owed poorShoemaker Stickfast fifteen shillings and sixpence? And you takeadvantage of him, because he dare not send it in to father. "

"Fashionable ladies never pay their debts, " Dolly answered, as she spunround on one light heel, to float out a new petticoat that she was veryproud of; "this isn't paid for, nor this, nor this; and you with yourslow head have no idea how it adds to the interest they possess. If Iam not allowed to have a bit of fashion in my dress, I can be in thefashion by not paying for it. "

"It is a most happy thing for you, dear child, that you are kept undersome little control. What you would do, I have not the least idea, ifyou were not afraid of dear father, as you are. The worst of it is thathe is never here now for as much as two days together. And then he is soglad to see us that he cannot attend to our discipline or take notice ofour dresses. "

"Ha! you have inspired me!" exclaimed Dolly, who rejoiced in teasingFaith. "The suggestion is yours, and I will act upon it. From thevillage of Brighthelmstone, which is growing very fine, I willprocure upon the strictest credit a new Classic dress, with all tacklecomplete--as dear father so well expresses it--and then I will promenademe on the beach, with Charles in best livery and a big stick behind me. How then will Springhaven rejoice, and every one that hath eyes clap aspy-glass to them! And what will old Twemlow say, and that frump ofan Eliza, who condescends to give me little hints sometimes abouttightening up SO, perhaps, and letting out so, and permitting a littleair to come in HERE--"

"Do be off, you wicked little animal!" cried Faith, who in spite ofherself could not help laughing, so well was Dolly mimicking ElizaTwemlow's voice, and manner, and attitude, and even her figure, lessfitted by nature for the Classic attire; "you are wasting all my time, and doing worse with your own. Be off, or I'll take a stick to 'e, asold Daddy Stakes says to the boys. "

Taking advantage of this state of things, the younger Miss Darling setforth by herself to dwell upon the beauty of the calm May sea, and herown pretty figure glassed in tidal pools. She knew that she would showto the utmost of her gifts, with her bright complexion softly gleamingin the sun, and dark gray eyes through their deep fringe receiving andreturning tenfold the limpid glimmer of the shore. And she felt that thespring of the year was with her, the bound of old Time that renews hisyouth and powers of going at any pace; when the desire of the young isto ride him at full gallop, and the pleasure of the old is to stroke hisnose and think. 

Dolly, with everything in her favour, youth and beauty, the time ofyear, the time of day, and the power of the place, as well as her ownwish to look lovely, and to be loved beyond reason, nevertheless camealong very strictly, and kept herself most careful not to look aboutat all. At any rate, not towards the houses, where people live, andtherefore must look out. At the breadth of sea, with distant shipsjotted against the sky like chips, or dotted with boats like bits ofstick; also at the playing of the little waves that ran at the bottomof the sands, just now, after one another with a lively turn, and thenjostled into white confusion, like a flock of sheep huddled up andhurrying from a dog--at these and at the warm clouds loitering in thesun she might use her bright eyes without prejudice. But soon she had toturn them upon a nearer object. 

"How absorbed we are in distant contemplation! A happy sign, I hope, inthese turbulent times. Miss Darling, will you condescend to include mein your view?"

"I only understand simple English, " answered Dolly. "Most of the othercomes from France, perhaps. We believed that you were gone abroadagain. "

"I wish that the subject had more interest for you, " Carne answered, with his keen eyes fixed on hers, in the manner that half angered andhalf conquered her. "My time is not like that of happy young ladies, with the world at their feet, and their chief business in it, todiscover some new amusement. "

"You are not at all polite. But you never were that, in spite of yourFrench education. "

"Ah, there it is again! You are so accustomed to the flattery of greatpeople that a simple-minded person like myself has not the smallestchance of pleasing you. Ah, well! It is my fate, and I must yield toit. "

"Not at all, " replied Dolly, who could never see the beauty of that kindof resignation, even in the case of Dan Tugwell. "There is no such thingas fate for a strong-willed man, though there may be for poor women. "

"May I tell you my ideas about that matter? If so, come and rest fora moment in a quiet little shelter where the wind is not so cold. Forthere is no such thing as Spring in England. "

Dolly hesitated, and with the proverbial result. To prove himself morepolite than she supposed, Caryl Carne, hat in hand and with low bowspreserving a respectful distance, conducted her to a little place ofshelter, so pretty and humble and secluded by its own want of art, andsimplicity of skill, that she was equally pleased and surprised with it. 

"Why, it is quite a little bower!" she exclaimed; "as pretty a littlenest as any bird could wish for. And what a lovely view towards the westand beyond Pebbleridge! One could sit here forever and see the sun set. But I must have passed it fifty times without the least suspicion of it. How on earth have you managed to conceal it so? That is to say, if it isyour doing. Surely the children must have found it out, because they goeverywhere. "

"One brat did. But I gave him such a scare that he never stopped roaringtill next Sunday, and it frightened all the rest from looking round thatcorner. If any other comes, I shall pitch-plaster him, for I could notendure that noise again. But you see, at a glance, why you have failedto see it, as we always do with our little oversights, when humblypointed out to us. It is the colour of the ground and the backgroundtoo, and the grayness of the scanty growth that hides it. Nobody findsit out by walking across it, because of this swampy place on your side, and the shoot of flints down from the cliff on the other, all sharp asa knife, and as rough as a saw. And nobody comes down to this end of thewarren, neither is it seen from the battery on the hill. Only from theback is it likely to be invaded, and there is nothing to make peoplelook, or come, up here. So you have me altogether at your mercy, MissDarling. "

Dolly thought within herself that it was much the other way, but couldnot well express her thoughts to that effect. And being of a brisk andversatile--not to say volatile--order, she went astray into a course ofwonder concerning the pretty little structure she beheld. Structure wasnot the proper word for it at all; for it seemed to have grown from thenature around, with a little aid of human hands to guide it. Branches ofsea-willow radiant with spring, and supple sprays of tamarisk recoveringfrom the winter, were lightly inwoven and arched together, with thesoft compliance of reed and rush from the marsh close by, and the stoutassistance of hazel rods from the westward cliff. The back was affordedby a grassy hillock, with a tuft or two of brake-fern throwing up theirbronzy crockets among the sprayed russet of last year's pride. Andbeneath them a ledge of firm turf afforded as fair a seat as even twosweet lovers need desire. 

"How clever he is, and how full of fine taste!" thought thesimple-minded Dolly; "and all this time I have been taking him for agloomy, hard-hearted, unnatural man. Blyth Scudamore never could havemade this lovely bower. "

In this conclusion she was altogether wrong. Scudamore could have madeit, and would have made it gladly, with bright love to help him. ButCarne never could, and would have scorned the pleasant task. It wasCharron, the lively Frenchman, who, with the aid of old Jerry, hadachieved this pretty feat, working to relieve his dull detention, witha Frenchman's playful industry and tasteful joy in nature. But Carne wasnot likely to forego this credit. 

"I think I have done it pretty well, " he said, in reply to her smile ofadmiration; "with such scanty materials, I mean, of course. And I shallthink I have done it very well indeed, if you say that you like it, andcrown it with new glory by sitting for a moment in its unpretentiousshade. If your brother comes down, as I hope he will, next week, I shallbeg him to come and write a poem here. The place is fitter for a poetthan a prosy vagabond like me. "

"It is very hard that you should be a--a wanderer, I mean, " Dollyanswered, looking at him with a sweet thrill of pity; "you have donenothing to deserve it. How unfairly fortune has always treated you!"

"Fortune could make me a thousand times more than the just compensationeven now, if she would. Such a glorious return for all my bitter lossesand outcast condition, that I should--but it is useless to think of suchthings, in my low state. The fates have been hard with me, but nevershall they boast that they drove me from my pure sense of honour. Ohyes, it is damp. But let me cure it thus. "

For Dolly, growing anxious about his meaning, yet ready to think aboutanother proposal, was desirous to sit down on the sweet ledge of grass, yet uneasy about her pale blue sarsenet, and uncertain that she had notseen something of a little sea-snail (living in a yellow house, dadoedwith red), whom to crush would be a cruel act to her dainty fabric. Butif he was there, he was sat upon unavenged; for Carne, pulling off hislight buff cloak, flung it on the seat; after which the young lady couldscarcely be rude enough not to sit. 

"Oh, I am so sorry now! Perhaps it will be spoiled, " she said; "foryou say that the fates are against you always. And I am sure that theyalways combine against me, when I wear anything of that colour. "

"I am going the wrong way to work, " thought Carne. "What a little vixenit is; but what a beauty!" For his love for her was chiefly a man'sadmiration. And bodily she looked worthy now of all that could be donein that way, with the light flowing in through the budded arch andflashing upon the sweet flush of her cheeks. Carne gazed at her withouta word or thought, simply admiring, as he never had admired anything, except himself, till now. Then she felt all the meaning of his gaze, andturned away. 

"But you must look at me and tell me something, " he said, in a lowvoice, and taking both her hands; "you shall tell me what my fate mustbe. Whether you can ever come to love me, as I have loved you, long andlong. "

"You have no right to speak to me like that, " she answered, stillavoiding his eyes, and striving to show proper anger; "no gentlemanwould think of taking advantage of a lady so. "

"I care not what is right or wrong. Look up, and tell me that you hateme. Dolly, I suppose you do. "

"Then you are quite wrong"--she gave him one bright glance ofcontradiction; "no. I have always been so sorry for you, and for allyour troubles. You must not ask me to say more. "

"But I must; I must. That is the very thing that I must do. Only saythat you love me, Dolly. Dolly darling, tell me that. Or let your lovelyeyes say it for you. "

"My lovely eyes must not tell stories"--they were gazing softly at himnow--"and I don't think I can say it--yet. "

"But you will--you shall!" he exclaimed, with passion growing as he drewher near; "you shall not slip from me, you shall not stir, until youhave answered me one question--is there anybody else, my Dolly?"

"You frighten me. You forget who I am. Of course there are a great manyelse, as you call it; and I am not to be called, for a moment, YOURDOLLY. "

"No, not for a moment, but forever. " Carne was accustomed to the ways ofgirls, and read all their words by the light of their eyes. "Yourlittle heart begins to know who loves it better than all the worldput together. And for that reason I will leave you now. Farewell, mydarling; I conquer myself, for the sake of what is worth a thousand ofit. "

Dolly was in very sad confusion, and scarcely knew what she might donext--that is to say, if he still went on. Pleasant conceit and brightcoquetry ill supply the place of honest pride and gentle self-respect, such as Faith was blest with. Carne might have kissed Dolly a hundredtimes, without much resistance, for his stronger will had mastered hers;but she would have hated him afterwards. He did not kiss her once;and she almost wished that he had offered one--one little tribute ofaffection (as the Valentines express it)--as soon as he was gone, andthe crisis of not knowing what to do was past. "I should have let him--Ibelieve I should, " she reflected, sagely recovering herself; "but howglad I ought to be that he didn't! And I do hope he won't come backagain. The next time I meet him, I shall sink into the earth. "

For her hat had fallen off, and her hair was out of order, and she sawtwo crinkles near the buckle of her waist; and she had not so much as alooking-glass to be sure that she looked nice again. With a heavy sighfor all these woes, she gathered a flossy bud of willow, and fixed it onher breast-knot, to defy the world; and then, without heed of the sea, sun, or sands, went home with short breath, and quick blushes, and somewonder; for no man's arm, except her father's, had ever been round herwaist till now. 

CHAPTER XLIII

LITTLE AND GREAT PEOPLE

If ever a wise man departed from wisdom, or a sober place from sobriety, the man was John Prater, and the place Springhaven, towards the middleof June, 1804. There had been some sharp rumours of great things before;but the best people, having been misled so often, shook their headswithout produce of their contents; until Captain Stubbard came out inhis shirt sleeves one bright summer morning at half past nine, with alarge printed paper in one hand and a slop basin full of hot paste inthe other. His second boy, George, in the absence of Bob (who was nowdrawing rations at Woolwich), followed, with a green baize apron on, andcarrying a hearth-brush tied round with a string to keep the hair stiff. 

"Lay it on thick on the shutter, my son. Never mind about any othernotices, except the one about young men wanted. No hurry; keep yourelbow up; only don't dab my breeches, nor the shirt you had on Sunday. "

By this time there were half a dozen people waiting; for this shutter ofWidow Shanks was now accepted as the central board and official panelof all public business and authorised intelligence. Not only because allRoyal Proclamations, Offers of reward, and Issues of menace wereposted on that shutter and the one beyond the window (which served asa postscript and glossary to it), but also inasmuch as the kind-heartedCaptain, beginning now to understand the natives--which was not to bedone pugnaciously, as he had first attempted it, neither by any show ofinterest in them (than which they detested nothing more), but by takingthem coolly, as they took themselves, and gradually sliding, without anythought about it, into the wholesome contagion of their minds, and thedivine gift of taking things easily--our Captain Stubbard may be fairlynow declared to have made himself almost as good as a native, by the wayin which he ministered to their content. 

For nothing delighted them more than to hear of great wonders going onin other places--of battles, plague, pestilence, famine, and fire; ofpeople whose wives ran away with other people, or highwaymen stoppingthe coach of a bishop. Being full of good-nature, they enjoyed thesethings, because of the fine sympathies called out to their own credit, and the sense of pious gratitude aroused towards Heaven, that theynever permitted such things among them. Perceiving this genial desire oftheirs, the stout Captain of the Foxhill battery was kind enough to meetit with worthy subjects. Receiving officially a London newspaper almostevery other day, as soon as it had trodden the round of his friends, his regular practice was to cut out all the pieces of lofty publicinterest--the first-rate murders, the exploits of highwaymen, theepisodes of high life, the gallant executions, the embezzlements ofdemagogues, in a word, whatever quiet people find a fond delightin ruminating--and these he pasted (sometimes upside down) upon hisshutter. Springhaven had a good deal of education, and enjoyed most ofall what was hardest to read. 

But this great piece of news, that should smother all the rest, seemednow to take a terrible time in coming. All the gaffers were waitingwho had waited to see the result of Mr. Cheeseman's suicide, and theirpatience was less on this occasion. At length the great Captain unfoldedhis broad sheet, but even then held it upside down for a minute. It wasbelow their dignity to do anything but grunt, put their specs on theirnoses, and lean chin upon staff. They deserved to be rewarded, and sothey were. 

For this grand poster, which overlapped the shutters, was a RoyalProclamation, all printed in red ink, announcing that His Majesty KingGeorge the 3rd would on the 25th of June then ensuing hold a grandreview upon Shotbury Down of all the Volunteer forces and Reserve, mounted, footmen, or artillery, of the four counties forming theSoutheast Division, to wit, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, and Hants. Certainregiments of the line would be appointed to act with them; and officersin command were ordered to report at once, &c. , &c. God save the King. 

If Shotbury Down had been ten miles off, Springhaven would have thoughtvery little of the matter; for no one would walk ten miles inland tosee all the sojers that ever were shot, or even the "King and Queen, andtheir fifteen little ones. " Most of the little ones were very large now;but the village had seen them in a travelling show, and expected them tocontinue like it. But Shotbury Down was only three miles inland; and thepeople (who thought nothing of twenty miles along the coast) resolved toface a league of perils of the solid earth, because if they only turnedround upon their trudge, they could see where they lived from everycorner of the road. They always did all things with one accord; thefishing fleet all should stand still on the sand, and the houses shouldhave to keep house for themselves. That is to say, perhaps, all exceptone. 

"Do as you like, " said Mrs. Tugwell to her husband; "nothing as youdo makes much differ to me now. If you feel you can be happy with themthousands of young men, and me without one left fit to lift a big crock, go your way, Zeb; but you don't catch me going, with the tears cominginto my eyes every time I see a young man to remind me of Dan--thoughthere won't be one there fit to stand at his side. And him perhapsfighting against his own King now!"

"Whatever hath coom to Dannel is all along of your own fault, I tell'e. " Captain Tugwell had scarcely enjoyed a long pipe since the nightwhen he discharged his paternal duty, with so much vigour, and such sadresults. Not that he felt any qualms of conscience, though his heart wassometimes heavy, but because his good wife was a good wife no longer, inthe important sphere of the pan, pot, and kettle, or even in listeningto his adventures with the proper exclamations in the proper places. And not only she, but all his children, from Timothy down to Solomon, instead of a pleasant chatter around him, and little attentions, and asmile to catch a smile, seemed now to shrink from him, and hold whispersin a corner, and watch him with timid eyes, and wonder how soon theirown time would come to be lashed and turned away. And as for the women, whether up or down the road--but as he would not admit, even to himself, that he cared twopence what they thought, it is useless to give voice totheir opinions, which they did quite sufficiently. Zebedee Tugwell feltsure that he had done the right thing, and therefore admired himself, but would have enjoyed himself more if he had done the wrong one. 

"What fault of mine, or of his, poor lamb?" Mrs. Tugwell asked, withsome irony. She knew that her husband could never dare to go to see theKing without her--for no married man in the place would venture to lookat him twice if he did such a thing--and she had made up her own mindto go from the first; but still, he should humble himself before she didit. "Was it I as colted him? Or was it him as gashed himself, like theprophets of Baal, when 'a was gone hunting?"

"No; but you cockered him up, the same as was done to they, by thewicked king, and his wife--the worst woman as ever lived. If they hadn'tgashed theirselves, I reckon, the true man of God would 'a done it forthem, the same as he cut their throats into the brook Kishon. Solomonwas the wisest man as ever lived, and Job the most patient--the same asI be--and Elijah, the Tishbite, the most justest. "

"You better finish up with all the Psalms of David, and the HolyChildren, and the Burial Service. No more call for Parson Twemlow, orthe new Churchwarden come in place of Cheeseman, because 'a tried tohang his self. Zebedee Tugwell in the pulpit! Zebedee, come roundwith the plate! Parson Tugwell, if you please, a-reading out the tencommandments! But 'un ought to leave out the sixth, for fear of spoiling's own dinner afterwards; and the seventh, if 'a hopes to go to see KingGeorge the third, with another man's woman to his elbow!"

"When you begins to go on like that, " Captain Tugwell replied, with somedignity, "the only thing as a quiet man can do is to go out of houze, and have a half-pint of small ale. " He put his hat on his head and wentto do it. 

Notwithstanding all this and much more, when the great day came forthe Grand Review, very few people saw more of the King, or entered morekindly into all his thoughts--or rather the thoughts that they made himthink--than Zebedee Tugwell and his wife Kezia. The place being so nearhome, and the smoke of their own chimneys and masts of their smack asgood as in sight--if you knew where to look--it was natural for them toregard the King as a stranger requiring to be taught about their place. This sense of proprietary right is strong in dogs and birds and cows andrabbits, and everything that acts by nature's laws. When a dog sits infront of his kennel, fast chained, every stranger dog that comes in atthe gate confesses that the premises are his, and all the treasures theycontain; and if he hunts about--which he is like enough to do, unlessfull of self-respect and fresh victuals--for any bones invested in theearth to ripen, by the vested owner, he does it with a low tail and manypricks of conscience, perhaps hoping in his heart that he may discovernothing to tempt him into breach of self-respect. But now men areordered, in this matter, to be of lower principle than their dogs. 

King George the third, who hated pomp and show, and had in his blood theold German sense of patriarchal kingship, would have enjoyed a good talkwith Zebedee and his wife Kezia, if he had met them on the downs alone;but, alas, he was surrounded with great people, and obliged to restricthimself to the upper order, with whom he had less sympathy. Zebedee, perceiving this, made all allowance for him, and bought a new Sunday hatthe very next day, for fear of wearing out the one he had taken off toHis Majesty, when His Majesty looked at him, and Her Majesty as well, and they manifestly said to one another, what a very fine subject theyhad found. Such was loyalty--aye, and royalty--in those times that wedespise. 

But larger events demand our heed. There were forty thousand gallantfellows, from the age of fifteen upwards, doing their best to look likesoldiers, and some almost succeeding. True it is that their legs andarms were not all of one pattern, nor their hats put on their headsalike--any more than the heads on their shoulders were--neither did theyswing together, as they would have done to a good swathe of grass; butfor all that, and making due allowance for the necessity they were underof staring incessantly at the King, any man who understood themwould have praised them wonderfully. And they went about in suchwide formation, and occupied so much of their native land, that thebest-drilled regiment Napoleon possessed would have looked quite smallamong them. 

"They understand furze, " said a fine young officer of the staff, whohad ridden up to Admiral Darling's carriage and saluted three ladies whokept watch there. "I doubt whether many of the Regular forces wouldhave got through that brake half so well; certainly not without doublegaiters. If the French ever land, we must endeavour to draw them intofurzy ground, and then set the Volunteers at them. No Frenchman can domuch with prickles in his legs. "

Lady Scudamore smiled, for she was thinking of her son, who would havejumped over any furze-bush there--and the fir-trees too, according toher conviction; Dolly also showed her very beautiful teeth; but Faithlooked at him gratefully. 

"It is very kind of you, Lord Dashville, to say the best of us that youcan find to say. But I fear that you are laughing to yourself. You knowhow well they mean; but you think they cannot do much. "

"No, that is not what I think at all. So far as I can judge, which isnot much, I believe that they would be of the greatest service, if theCountry should unfortunately need them. Man for man, they are as braveas trained troops, and many of them can shoot better. I don't mean tosay that they are fit to meet a French army in the open; but for actingon their flanks, or rear, or in a wooded country--However, I have noright to venture an opinion, having never seen active service. "

Miss Darling looked at him with some surprise, and much approval ofhis modesty. So strongly did most of the young officers who came to herfather's house lay down the law, and criticise even Napoleon's tactics. 

"How beautiful Springhaven must be looking now!" he said, after Dollyhad offered her opinion, which she seldom long withheld. "The cottagesmust be quite covered with roses, whenever they are not too near thesea; and the trees at their best, full of leaves and blossoms, by theside of the brook that feeds them. All the rest of the coast is so hardand barren, and covered with chalk instead of grass, and the shore sostraight and staring. But I have never been there at this time of year. How much you must enjoy it! Surely we ought to be able to see it, fromthis high ground somewhere. "

"Yes, if you will ride to that shattered tree, " said Faith, "you willhave a very fine view of all the valley. You can see round the cornerof Foxhill there, which shuts out most of it just here. I think you havemet our Captain Stubbard. "

"Ah, I must not go now; I may be wanted at any moment"--Lord Dashvillehad very fine taste, but it was not the inanimate beauties ofSpringhaven that he cared a dash for--"and I fear that I could never seethe roses there. I think there is nothing in all nature to compare witha rose--except one thing. "

Faith had a lovely moss-rose in her hat--a rose just peeping throughits lattice at mankind, before it should open and blush at them--and sheknew what it was that he admired more than the sweetest rose thatever gemmed itself with dew. Lord Dashville had loved her, as she wasfrightened to remember, for more than a year, because he could not helpit, being a young man of great common-sense, as well as fine taste, andsome knowledge of the world. "He knows to which side his bread will bebuttered, " Mr. Swipes had remarked, as a keen observer. "If 'a can onlyget Miss Faith, his bread 'll be buttered to both sides for life--hisself to one side, and her to do the tother. The same as I told MotherCloam--a man that knoweth his duty to head gardeners, as his noblelordship doth, the same know the differ atwixt Miss Faith--as fine ayoung 'ooman as ever looked into a pink--and that blow-away froth of athing, Miss Dolly. "

This fine young woman, to use the words of Mr. Swipes, coloured softly, at his noble lordship's gaze, to the tint of the rose-bud in her hat;and then spoke coldly to countervail her blush. 

"There is evidently something to be done directly. All the people aremoving towards the middle of the down. We must not be so selfish as tokeep you here, Lord Dashville. "

"Why, don't you see what it is?" exclaimed Miss Dolly, hotly resentingthe part of second fiddle; "they are going to have the grand march-past. These affairs always conclude with that. And we are in the worst part ofthe whole down for seeing it. Lord Dashville will tell us where we oughtto go. "

"You had better not attempt to move now, " he answered, smiling as healways smiled at Dolly, as if she were a charming but impatient child;"you might cause some confusion, and perhaps see nothing. And now Imust discharge my commission, which I am quite ashamed of having leftso long. His Majesty hopes, when the march-past is over, to receive amarch-up of fair ladies. He has a most wonderful memory, as you know, and his nature is the kindest of the kind. As soon as he heard that LadyScudamore was here, and Admiral Darling's daughters with her, he said:'Bring them all to me, every one of them; young Scudamore has done goodwork, good work. And I want to congratulate his mother about him. AndDarling's daughters, I must see them. Why, we owe the security of thecoast to him. ' And so, if you please, ladies, be quite ready, and allowme the honour of conducting you. "

With a low bow, he set off about his business, leaving the ladies in astate of sweet disturbance. Blyth Scudamore's mother wept a little, forancient troubles and present pleasure. Lord Dashville could not repeatbefore her all that the blunt old King had said: "Monstrous ill-treatedwoman, shameful, left without a penny, after all her poor husband didfor me and the children! Not my fault a bit--fault of the Whigs--alwaysstingy--said he made away with himself--bad example--don't believe aword of it; very cheerful man. Blown by now, at any rate--must seewhat can be done for her--obliged to go for governess--disgrace to theCrown!"

Faith, with her quiet self-respect, and the largeness learned fromsorrow, was almost capable of not weeping that she had left at home herapple-green Poland mantlet and jockey bonnet of lilac satin checked withmaroon. But Dolly had no such weight of by-gone sorrow to balanceher present woe, and the things she had left at home were infinitelybrighter than that dowdy Faith's. 

"Is there time to drive back? Is there time to drive home? The Kingknows father, and he will be astonished to see a pair of frumps, andhe won't understand one bit about the dust, or the sun that takes thecolour out. He will think we have got all our best things on. Oh, Lady Scudamore, how could you do it? You told us to put on quite plainthings, because of the dust, and the sun, and all that; and it mightcome to rain, you said--as if it was likely, when the King was on thehill! And with all your experience of the King and Queen, that you toldus about last evening, you must have known that they would send for us. Gregory, how long would it take you to go home, at full gallop, allow ushalf an hour in the house, and be back here again, when all these peopleare gone by?"

"Well, miss, there be a steepish bit of road, and a many ockardcornders; I should say 'a might do it in two hours and a half, with afresh pair of nags put in while you ladies be a-cleaning of yourselves, miss. Leastways, if Hadmiral not object. "

"Hadmiral, as you call him, would have nothing to do with it"--Dolly wasalways free-spoken with the servants, which made her very popular withsome of them--"he has heavier duty than he can discharge. But two hoursand a half is hopeless; we must even go as we are. "

Coachman Gregory smiled in his sleeve. He knew that the Admiral had thatday a duty far beyond his powers--to bring up his Sea-Fencibles to seethe King--upon which they had insisted--and then to fetch them allback again, and send them on board of their several craft in a state ofstrict sobriety. And Gregory meant to bear a hand, and lift it prettyfrequently towards the most loyal part of man, in the large festivitiesof that night. He smacked his lips at the thought of this, and gave alittle flick to his horses. 

After a long time, long enough for two fair drives to Springhaven andback, and when even the youngest were growing weary of glare, and dust, and clank, and din, and blare, and roar, and screeching music, LordDashville rode up through a cloud of roving chalk, and after a littletalk with the ladies, ordered the coachman to follow him. Then stoppingthe carriage at a proper distance, he led the three ladies towards theKing, who was thoroughly tired, and had forgotten all about them. HisMajesty's sole desire was to get into his carriage and go to sleep; forhe was threescore years and six of age, and his health not such as itused to be. Ever since twelve o'clock he had been sitting in a box madeof feather-edged boards, which the newspapers called a pavilion, havingtwo little curtains (both of which stuck fast) for his only defenceagainst sun, noise, and dust. Moreover, his seat was a board full ofknots, with a strip of thin velvet thrown over it; and Her Majestysitting towards the other end (that the public might see between them), and weighing more than he did, every time she jumped up, he went down, and every time she plumped down, he went up. But he never complained, and only slowly got tired. "Thank God!" he said, gently, "it's all overnow. My dear, you must be monstrous tired; and scarcely a bit to eat allday. But I locked some in the seat-box this morning--no trusting anybodybut oneself. Let us get into the coach and have at them. " "Ja, ja, meinherr, " said the Queen. 

"If it please your Majesties"--a clear voice entered between thebonnet-hoods of the curtains--"here are the ladies whose attendance Iwas ordered to require. "

"Ladies!--what ladies?" asked King George, rubbing his eyes, andyawning. "Oh yes, to be sure! I mustn't get up so early to-morrow. Won'ttake a minute, my dear. Let them come. Not much time to spare. "

But as soon as he saw Lady Scudamore, the King's good-nature overcamethe weariness of the moment. He took her kindly by the hand, and lookedat her face, which bore the mark of many heavy trials; and she, who hadoften seen him when the world was bright before her, could not smotherone low sob, as she thought of all that had been since. 

"Don't cry, don't cry, my dear, " said the King, with his kind heartshowing in his eyes; "we must bow to the will of the Lord, who gives sadtrials to every one of us. We must think of the good, and not the evil. Bless me, keep your spirits up. Your son is doing very well indeed, very well indeed, from all I hear. Good chip of the old block, very goodchip. Will cure my grandchildren, as soon as they want it; and nobody isever in good health now. "

"No, your Majesty, if you please, my son is in the Royal Navy, fightingfor his Country and his King. And he has already captured--"

"Three French frigates. To be sure, I know. Better than curing threehundred people. Fine young officer--very fine young officer. Must cometo see me when he gets older. There, you are laughing! That's as itshould be. Goodbye, young ladies. Forty miles to go tonight, and veryrough roads--very rough indeed. Monstrous pretty girls! Uncommon gladthat George wasn't here to see them. Better stay in the country--toogood for London. Must be off; sha'n't have a bit o' sleep to-night, because of sleeping the whole way there, and then sure to be late inthe morning, not a bit of breakfast till eight o'clock, and all the daythrown upside down! Darlings, Darlings--the right name for them! Butthey mustn't come to London. No, no, no. Too much wickedness therealready. Very glad George wasn't here to-day!"

His Majesty was talking, as he always did, with the firm convictionthat his words intended for the public ear would reach it, whilethose addressed, without change of tone, to himself, would be strictlyprivate. But instead of offending any one, this on the whole gave greatsatisfaction, and impressed nine people out of ten with a strong andspecial regard for him, because almost every one supposed himself to beadmitted at first sight to the inner confidence of the King. And to whatcould he attribute this? He would do his own merits great demerit unlesshe attributed it to them, and to the King an unusual share of sagacityin perceiving them. 

CHAPTER XLIV

DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN

That grand review at Shotbury was declared by all who took part in it, or at all understood the subject, to have been a most remarkable andquite unparalleled success. Not only did it show what noble stuff thereis in Englishmen, and how naturally they take to arms, but also itinspired with martial feeling and happy faith the wives and mothers ofall the gallant warriors there. It would make the blood-stained despotcower upon his throne of murder, and teach him the madness of invadingany land so fortified. 

However, Napoleon failed to see the matter in that wholesome light, andsmiled a grim and unkind smile as he read Caryl Carne's report of those"left-handed and uncouth manoeuvres. " "One of your Majesty's feeblestregiments would send the whole of those louts to the devil; and Iam bound to impress once more, with all deference to your infalliblejudgment, the vast importance of carrying out your grand designs atthe first moment. All is prepared on my part. One day's notice is all Ineed. "

So wrote Carne; and perhaps the truth, as usual, lay about half-waybetween the two opinions. Even Carne was not admitted to a perfectknowledge of his master's schemes. But to keep things moving and menalert, the Emperor came to the coast at once, busy as he was in Paris, and occupied for several weeks, with short intervals of absence, thehouse prepared for him near Boulogne, whence he watched and quickenedthe ripening of his mighty plans against us. 

Now Carne himself, while working with new vigour and fresh enterprise, had a narrow escape from invasion. Captain Stubbard, stirred up now andagain by Mr. Twemlow, had thoroughly searched all covered places, likelyto harbour gunpowder, within at least six miles of his fort, that is tosay, all likely places, save and except the right one. By doing thishe had done for himself--as regards sweet hospitality--among all theleading farmers, maltsters, tanners, and millers for miles around. Eventhose whose premises were not entered, as if they had been Frenchmen, had a brother-in-law, or at least a cousin, whose wooden bars had beenknocked up. And the most atrocious thing of all, if there could beanything worse than worst, was that the Captain dined one day, at amarket-ordinary, with Farmer, or you might say Squire Hanger--for thebest part of his land followed to him from his father--and had rum andwater with him, and spoke his health, and tucked Mrs. Hanger up into theshay, and rode alongside to guarantee them; and then the next day, onthe very same horse, up he comes at Hanger-dene, and overhauls every tubon the premises, with a parchment as big as a malt-shovel! Such a manwas not fit to lay a knife and fork by. 

Some sense of the harm he had done to himself, without a bit of good toany one, dwelt heavily in the Captain's mind, as he rode up slowly uponthe most amiable of the battery-horses--for all sailors can ride, fromlong practice on the waves--and struck a stern stroke, with a stick likea linstock, upon the old shutter that served for a door and thefront entrance to Carne Castle. There used to be a fine old pieceof workmanship in solid and bold oak here, a door divided in themiddle--else no man might swing it back--and even so pierced with awicket, for small people to get through. That mighty door was not wornout, for it was not three hundred years old yet, and therefore scarcelyin middle life; but the mortgagees who had sacked the place of all thatwas worth a sack to hold it, these had a very fine offer for that door, from a rich man come out of a dust-bin. And this was one of the manylittle things that made Caryl Carne unpleasant. 

"I do not require production of your warrant. The whole place is open toyour inspection, " said Carne, who had long been prepared for this visit;"open to all the winds and rains, and the lower part sometimes filledwith water. The upper rooms, or rather the few that remain of them, arescarcely safe for a person of any weight to walk in, but you are mostwelcome to try them, if you like; and this gentleman, I think, might notfall through. Here are my quarters; not quite so snug as my little roomat the widow's; but I can offer you some bread and cheese, and a glassof country cider. The vaults or cellars have held good wine in theirtime, but only empty casks and broken bottles now. "

Captain Stubbard had known for many years the silent woes of poverty, and now he observed with some good-will the young man's sad but haughtysmile. Then he ordered his young subaltern, his battery-mate, as hecalled him, to ascend the broad crumbling staircase, and glance into thedismantled chambers, while himself with the third of the party--a trustyold gunner--should inspect the cellarage. 

"We will not keep you long, sir, " he said to Carne; "and if you are kindenough to show us the way, which is easily lost in a place of this kind, we shall be all the quicker. Wilkins, when you have done up there, waithere for us. Shall we want a light, sir?"

"In the winter, you could hardly do without one, but at this time ofyear, I think you may. At any rate I will bring a lantern, and we canlight it if wanted. But the truth is that I know next to nothing ofthose sepulchral places. They would not be very tempting, even without aghost, which they are said to have. "

"A ghost!" cried the Captain; "I don't like that. Not that I have muchfaith in them; although one never can be sure. But at this time ofday--What is it like?"

"I have never seen her, and am quite content without it. It is said tobe an ancestress of mine, a Lady Cordelia Carne, who was murdered, whenher husband was away, and buried down there, after being thrown into themoat. The old people say that whenever her ghost is walking, the waterof the moat bursts in and covers the floor of the vaults, that she mayflit along it, as she used to do. But of course one must not listen tothat sort of fable. "

"Perhaps you will go in front, sir, because you know the way. It is myduty to inspect these places; and I am devilish sorry for it; but myduty must be done. "

"You shall see every hole and corner, including the stone that was putup to commemorate her murder and keep her quiet. But I should explainthat these vaults extend for the entire length of the building, exceptjust in the middle, where we now stand. For a few yards the centre ofthe building seems to have never been excavated, as to which you willconvince yourself. You may call the cellars east and west, or right andleft, or north and south, or uphill and downhill, or anything else, forreally they are so much alike, and partitioned into cells so much alike, that I scarcely know which is which myself, coming suddenly from thedaylight. But you understand those things much better. A sailor alwaysknows his bearings. This leads to the entrance of one set. "

Carne led the Captain and old Gunner Bob--as he was called in thebattery--along a dark and narrow passage, whose mouth was browed withivy. Half-way through, they found an archway on the right-hand side, opening at right angles into long and badly lighted vaults. In this archthere was no door; but a black step-ladder (made of oak, no doubt), verysteep and rather rickety, was planted to tempt any venturesome foot. 

"Are you sure this ladder is safe?"--the Captain was by no means in lovewith the look of it. "My weight has increased remarkably in the fine airof Springhaven. If the bottom is rotten, the top won't help us. "

"Let me go first. It is my duty, as the owner; and I have no familydependent on me. My neck is of no value, compared to yours, Captain. "

"How I have mistaken this young man!" thought the brave yet prudentStubbard. "I called him a Frenchified fool, whereas he is a downrightEnglishman! I shall ask him to dinner next week, if Jemima can get a newleg for the dripping-pan. "

Following warily, with Gunner Bob behind him, and not disdaining thestrong arm of the owner, the Captain of Foxhill was landed in the vault, and being there, made a strict examination. He even poked his shortsword into the bung-holes of three or four empty barrels, that Bob mightbe satisfied also in his conscience. "Matter of form, " he said, "matterof form, sir, when we know who people are; but you might have to do ityourself, sir, if you were in the service of your King. You ought to bethat, Mr. Carne; and it is not too late, in such days as these are, tobegin. Take my advice--such a fine young man!"

"Alas, my dear sir, I cannot afford it. What officer can live upon hispay for a generation?"

"Gospel truth!" cried the Captain, warmly; "Gospel truth! and more thanthat--he must be the last of his generation, or else send his young 'unsto the workhouse. What things I could tell you, Mr. Carne! But here weare at the end of the vaults; all empty, as I can certify; and I hope, my dear sir, that you may live to see them filled with good wine, asthey used to be. "

"Thank you, but there is no hope of that. Shall we take the vaultsof the other end next, or examine the chapel, and the outerbuildings--outer ruins, I should say?"

"Oh, a little open air first, for goodness sake!" said the Captain, going heavily up the old steps; "I am pretty nearly choked with all thismildew. A little fresh air, before we undertake the other lot. "

As soon as the echo of their steps was dead, Charron, old Jerry, andanother man jumped down from a loop-hole into the vault they had left, piled up a hoarding at the entrance, and with a crowbar swung back aheavy oak hatch in the footings of the outer wall. A volume of waterpoured in from the moat, or rather from the stream which had oncesupplied it. Seeing this, they disappeared with a soft and pleasantchuckle. 

The owner kept Stubbard such a time among the ruins, telling him somefine old legends, and otherwise leading him in and out, that when a bitof food and a glass of old Cognac was proposed by way of interlude, the Captain heartily embraced the offer. Then Carne conducted his threevisitors, for Wilkins had now rejoined them, into a low room poorlyfurnished, and regaled them beyond his promise. "Rare stuff!" exclaimedStubbard, with a wink at Carne. "Ah, I see that free-trade still exists. No concern of mine, except to enjoy its benefits. Here's to your verygood health, sir, and I am proud to have made your acquaintance. "

"Have another drop; it can hurt no one, " Carne declared, and the Captainacquiesced. 

"Well, I suppose we must finish our job, " the official visitor at lengthpronounced; "a matter of form, sir, and no offence; but we are boundto carry out our duty. There is nothing left, except the other lot ofvaults; but the light begins to fail us, for underground work. I hopethey are not so dark as those we have been through. "

"Just about the same. You would hardly know one set from the other, asI told you, except for the stone that records the murder. Perhaps we hadbetter light the lantern now?"

"By all means. I don't half like that story of the lady that walks onthe water. It does seem so gashly and unchristian altogether. Not that Ihave any fear of ghosts--not likely, for I have never even seen one. "

"I have, " said Gunner Bob, in a deep voice, which made them all glancethrough the ivy. "I have, and a fearful one it were. "

"Don't be a fool, Bob, " the Captain whispered; "we don't want to hearabout that now. Allow me to carry the lantern, Mr. Carne; it throws suchshadows from the way you hold it. Why, surely, this is where we werebefore!"

"You might easily fancy so, " Carne answered, smiling, "especially with amind at all excited--"

"My mind is not excited, sir; not at all excited; but as calm as it everwas in all its life. "

"Then two things will show you that these are the other vaults. The archis on your left hand, instead of on your right"--he had brought them innow from the other end of the passage--"and this entrance, as you see, has a door in it, which the other had not. Perhaps the door is to keepthe ghost in"--his laugh sounded hollow, and like a mocking challengealong the dark roof--"for this is the part she is supposed to walk in. But so much for the door! The money-lenders have not left us a door thatwill stand a good kick. You may find our old doors in Wardour Street. "

As he spoke, he set foot against the makeshift door, and away it went, as he had predicted. Crashing on the steps as it fell, it turned over, and a great splash arose at the bottom. 

"Why, bless my heart, there is a flood of water there!" cried Stubbard, peeping timidly down the steps, on which (if the light had been clear, and that of his mind in the same condition) he might have seen the marksof his own boots. "A flood of water, perhaps six feet deep! I couldscarcely have believed, but for that and the door, that these were notthe very vaults that we have examined. But what business has the waterthere?"

"No business at all, any more than we have, " Carne answered, with somerudeness, for it did not suit him to encourage too warmly the friendshipof Captain Stubbard; "but I told you that the place becomes covered withwater whenever the ghost intends to walk. Probably there is not morethan a foot of water"--there was in fact about three inches--"and as youare bound to carry out your duty--"

"My dear sir, I am satisfied, perfectly satisfied. Who could keepgunpowder under water, or even in a flooded cellar? I shall have thegreatest pleasure in reporting that I searched Carne Castle--not ofcourse suspiciously, but narrowly, as we are bound to do, in executionof our warrant--"

"If you would not mind looking in this direction, " whispered Carne, whocould never be contented, "I think I could show you, just beyond themurder-stone--yes, and it seems to be coming towards us, as white as awinding-sheet; do come and look. "

"No, sir, no; it is not my duty"--the Captain turned away, with his hairupon the rise. "I was sent here to look for saltpetre, not spectres. Noofficer in His Majesty's service can be expected--Bob, and Wilkins, areyou there?"

"Yes, sir, yes--we have had quite enough of this; and unless you givethe orders--"

"Here she comes, I do declare!" whispered Carne, with extraordinarycalmness. 

"Bob, and Wilkins, give me one arm each. Make for daylight in closeorder. You may be glad to see your grandmother, young man; but I declineto have anything to say to her. Bob, and Wilkins, bear a hand; I feel alittle shaky in my lower timbers. Run for your lives, but don't leaveme behind. Run, lads, like the very devil!" For a groan of sepulchraldepth, and big enough to lift a granite tombstone, issued from thevault, and wailed along the sombre archway. All the Artillerymen fled, as if the muzzle of their biggest gun was slewed upon them, and verysoon the sound of horses' heels, urged at a perilous pace down the hill, rang back as the echo of that grand groan. 

"I think I did that pretty well, my Captain, " cried Charron, ascendingfrom the vault with dripping boots; "I deserve a glass of Cognac, ifthey have left me any. Happy is Stoobar that he was contented, withoutbreaking his neck at the inspector's step. "

"He has satisfied his conscience, " Carne answered, grimly; "yet itcannot be blameless, to make him run so fast. I am glad we have beensaved from killing them. It would have been hard to know what to donext. But he will never trouble us here again. "

CHAPTER XLV

FATHER, AND CHILD

"Tell Miss Faith, when she comes in, that I shall be glad to see her, "said Admiral Darling to his trusty butler, one hot afternoon in August. He had just come home from a long rough ride, to spend at least one dayin his own house, and after overhauling his correspondence, went intothe dining-room, as the coolest in the house, to refresh himself alittle with a glass of light wine before going up to dress for dinner. There he sat in an arm-chair, and looked at his hands, which werebrowned by the sun, and trembling from a long period of heavy work andlight sleep. He was getting too old to endure it with impunity, yetangry with himself for showing it. But he was not thinking of himselfalone. 

"I hope she will be sensible"--he was talking to himself, as elderlypeople are apt to do, especially after being left to themselves; "I hopeshe will see the folly of it--of living all her life as the bride ofa ghost; and herself such a beautiful, cheerful darling! Loving, warm-hearted, sweet-tempered, adoring children, and adored by them;obedient, gentle--I can't think of anything good that she hasn't got, except common-sense. And even for that, I like her all the more; becauseit is so different from all the other girls. They have got too much--onelover out of sight, even for a month or two, gone fighting for hisCountry, what do they do but take up with another, as I very greatlyfear our Dolly would? But Faith--Why, my darling, how well you look!"

"How I wish that I could say the same of you, dear father!" said thelovely young woman, while kissing him, and smoothing with her soft handhis wrinkled forehead; "you never used to have these little tucks andgathers here. I would rather almost that the French should come anddevour us all, than see my father, whenever we do see him, once in amonth, say, gauffred like this--as their laundresses do it--and gettingreduced to the Classical shape, so that I can put one arm round him. "

"My darling, " said the Admiral, though proud at heart of theconsiderable reduction of his stomach, "you should not say such thingsto me, to remind me how very old I am!"

Fathers are crafty, and daughters childish, as behoves the both of them. The Admiral knew, as well as if he had ordered it, what Faith would do. And she must have perceived his depth, if only she had taken a moment tothink of it. Because when she plumped, like a child, into his arms, howcame his arms to be so wide open? and when two great tears rolled downher cheeks, how sprang his handkerchief so impromptu out from beneathhis braided lappet?

"Tell me what harm I have done, " she asked, with a bright smile dawningthrough the dew of her dark eyes; "what have I done to vex you, father, that you say things fit to make me cry? And yet I ought to laugh, because I know so well that you are only fishing for compliments. Youare getting so active that I shall be frightened to go for a walk ora ride with you. Only I do love to see you look fat, and your darlingforehead smooth and white. "

"My dear child, I must get up my substance. This very day I begin inearnest. Because I am to be a great man, Faith. How would you like tohave to call me 'Sir Charles'?"

"Not at all, darling; except when you deserve it, by being cross to me;and that never, never happens. I wish there was more chance of it. "

"Well, dear, if you won't, the other people must; for His Majesty hasbeen graciously pleased to turn me into a Baronet. He says that I haveearned it; and perhaps I have; at any rate, he put it so nicely thatwithout being churlish I could not refuse. And it will be a good thingfor Frank, I hope, by bringing him back from his democratic stuff. Tomyself it is useless; but my children ought to like it. "

"And so they will, father, for your own dear sake. Let me be the firstto salute you, father. Oh, Dolly will be in such a rage because you toldme, without telling her!"

"I never thought of that, " said the Admiral, simply; "I am afraid thatI shall get in for it. However, I have a right to please myself, and youneed not tell her until I do. But that is not all my news, and not byany means the best of it. The King was reminded, the other day, of allthat he and his family owe to the late Sir Edmond Scudamore, and betterlate than never, he has ordered your governess, as he called her, to beput on the list for a pension of 300 pounds a year. Nothing that oncegets into his head can ever be got out of it, and he was shocked atseeing his old physician's widow 'gone out as a governess--gone out asa governess--great disgrace to the royal family!' I am very glad that ithappened so. "

"And so am I. She ought to have had it long and long ago, especiallyafter the sad misfortune of her husband. You will let me tell her? Itwill be such a pleasure. "

"Certainly, my dear; you are the very one to do it. Tell her that hereldest pupil is come with a little piece of news for her; it will makeher smile--she has a very pretty smile, which reminds me of thegallant Blyth. And now, my child, the third piece of news concernsyourself--your good, and dutiful, and exceedingly sensible self. Ahem!"cried the Admiral, as he always did, when he feared that he might haveoverstepped the truth. 

"I know what it is; you need not tell me, " Faith answered, confirmingher fear at once. "It is no use, father; it is no good at all--unlessyou intend to forget your own promise. "

"That I shall never do, " he replied, while looking at her sadly; "no, mydear child, I shall never attempt to drive instead of lead you. But youhave not heard me out as yet. You don't even know who it is I mean. "

"Oh yes, I do; I know well enough, father. I am not like Dolly, universally admired. Because I do not want to be. You mean LordDashville--can you tell me that you don't?"

"No, my dear"--Sir Charles was a little surprised that Faith should beso quick, for (like most people of gentle nature) she was taken tobe slow, because she never snapped--"I cannot deny that it is LordDashville, because that is the man, and no other. But how you could tellsurpasses me, and it shows that he must be very often in your mind:"the Admiral thought he had caught her there. "Now can you say anythingagainst him? Is he not honest, manly, single-minded, faithful asyourself, I do believe, good-looking, well-bred, a Tory, and agentleman, certain to make any woman happy whom he loves? Can you say asyllable against all that?"

"No, " replied Faith--a very long, slow "no, " as if she only wished shecould say something hard about him. 

"Very well, " her father went on, with triumph, "and can you deny thathe is just the person you might have taken a great liking to--fallenin love with, as they call it--if only he had come before your mindwas full of somebody else--a very fine young fellow, no doubt; but--mydarling, I won't say a word against him, only you know what I mean toowell. And are you forever to be like a nun because it has pleased theLord to take him from you?"

"Lord Dashville has not advanced himself in my good opinion, if he caresfor that, " said Faith, starting sideways, as a woman always does, fromthe direct issue, "by going to you, when I declined to have anythingmore to say to him. "

"My dear, you are unjust, " replied Sir Charles; "not purposely, I know, for you are the most upright darling that can be, in general. But youaccuse young Dashville of what he never did. It was his good mother, theCountess of Blankton, a most kind-hearted and lady-like person, withoutany nonsense about her, who gave me the best cup of tea I ever tasted, and spoke with the very best feeling possible. She put it so sweetlythat I only wish you could have been there to hear her. "

"Father, what is the good of it all? You hate turncoats even worse thantraitors. Would you like your daughter to be one? And when she wouldseem to have turned her coat--for the ladies wear coats now, the horridugly things!--for the sake of position, and title, and all that. If LordDashville had been a poor man, with his own way to make in the world, aplain Mister, there might have been more to be said for it. But tothink that I should throw over my poor darling because he will come homewithout a penny, and perhaps tattoed, but at any rate turned black, forthe sake of a coronet, and a heap of gold--oh, father, I shall breakdown, if you go on so!"

"My dear girl, I will not say a word to vex you. But you are famous forcommon-sense, as well as every other good quality, and I would ask youto employ just a little of it. Can you bear me to speak of your trouble, darling?"

"Oh yes, I am so well accustomed to it now; and I know that it isnothing compared to what thousands of people have to bear. Sometimes Iam quite ashamed of giving way to it. "

"You do not give way to it, Faith. No person can possibly say that ofyou. You are my brave, unselfish, cheerful, sweet-natured, upright, andloving child. Nobody knows, but you and I--and perhaps I know it evenmore than you do--the greatness of the self-command you use, to bepleasant and gay and agreeable, simply for the sake of those aroundyou. "

"Then, father, " cried Faith, who was surprised at this, for the Admiralhad never said a word about such matters, "you think, after all, that Iam--that I am almost as good as Dolly!"

"You jealous little vixen, I shall recall every word I have said in yourfavour! My child, and my pride, you are not only as good as Dolly, butmy best hope is that when Dolly grows older she may be like you. Don'tcry, darling; I can't stand crying, when it comes from eyes that soseldom do it. And now that you know what I think of you, allow me tothink a little for you. I have some right to interfere in your life; youwill allow that--won't you?"

"Father, you have all right, and a thousand times as much, because youare so gentle about using it. "

"I calls that bad English, as Zeb Tugwell says when he doesn't want tounderstand a thing. But, my pretty dear, you must remember that youwill not have a father always. Who will look after you, when I am gone, except the Almighty?--and He does not do it, except for the few wholook after themselves. It is my duty to consider these points, and theyoverride sentimentality. To me it is nothing that Dashville will bean Earl, and a man of great influence, if he keeps up his present highcharacter; but it is something to me that I find him modest, truthful, not led away by phantoms, a gentleman--which is more than anobleman--and with his whole heart given to my dear child Faith. "

Faith sighed heavily, partly for herself, but mainly, perhaps, for thesake of a fine heart sadly thrown away on her. "I believe he is allthat, " she said. 

"In that case, what more can you have?" pursued the triumphant Admiral. "It is one of the clearest things I ever knew, and one of the mostconsistent"--consistent was a great word in those days--"as well as inevery way desirable. Consider, not yourself--which you never do--butthe state of the Country, and of Dolly. They have made me a baronet, for being away from home nearly every night of my life; and if I hadDashville to see to things here, I might stay away long enough to be alord myself, like my late middy the present Duke of Bronte. "

Faith laughed heartily. "You call me jealous! My dear father, I knowthat you could have done a great deal more than Lord Nelson has, becausehe learned all that he knows from you. And now who is it that reallydefends the whole south coast of England against the French? Is it LordNelson? He has as much as he can do to look after their fleet in theMediterranean. Admiral Cornwallis and Sir Charles Darling are the realdefenders of England. "

"No, my dear, you must never say that, except of course in private. There may be some truth in it, but it would be laughed at in the presentcondition of the public mind. History may do me justice; but after allit is immaterial. A man who does his duty should be indifferent to theopinion of the public, which begins more and more to be formed lessby fact than by the newspapers of the day. But let us return to moreimportant matters. You are now in a very sensible frame of mind. You seewhat my wishes are about you, and how reasonable they are. I should beso happy, my darling child, if you would consider them sensibly, andyield some little of your romantic views. I would not ask you unlessI were sure that this man loves you as you deserve, and in his owncharacter deserves your love. "

"Then, father, will this content you, dear? Unless I hear something ofErle Twemlow, to show that he is living, and still holds to me, in thecourse of another twelvemonth, Lord Dashville, or anybody else, maytry--may try to take his place with me. Only I must not be worried--Imean, I must not hear another word about it, until the time has quiteexpired. "

"It is a very poor concession, Faith. Surely you might say half a year. Consider, it is nearly three years now--"

"No, papa, I should despise myself if I were so unjust to one sounlucky. And I only go so much from my own wishes because you are such adear and good father. Not a bit of it for Lord Dashville's sake. "

"Well, my poor darling, " the Admiral replied, for he saw that she wasupon the brink of tears, and might hate Lord Dashville if further urged, "half a loaf is better than no bread. If Dashville is worthy of yourconstant heart, he will stand this long trial of his constancy. This isthe tenth day of August, 1804. I hope that the Lord may be pleased tospare me till the 10th of August, 1805. High time for them to come andlay the cloth. I am as hungry as a hunter. "

CHAPTER XLVI

CATAMARANS

Napoleon had shown no proper dread of the valiant British volunteers, but kept his festival in August, and carried on his sea-side plans, asif there were no such fellows. Not content with that, he even floutedour blockading fleet by coming out to look at them. And if one of ourfrigates had shot straight, she might have saved millions of lives andbillions of money, at the cost of one greatly bad life. But the poorship knew not her opportunity, or she would rather have gone to thebottom than waste it. 

Now the French made much of this affair, according to their nature; andhistories of it, full of life and growth, ran swiftly along theshallow shore, and even to Paris, the navel of the earth. Frenchmen ofletters--or rather of papers--declared that all England was smitten withdismay; and so she might have been, if she had heard of it. But as ourneighbours went home again, as soon as the water was six fathomsdeep, few Englishmen knew that they had tried to smell a little of thesea-breeze, outside the smell of their inshore powder. They were pleasedto get ashore again, and talk it over, with vivid description of thethings that did not happen. 

"Such scenes as these tended much to agitate England, " writes a greatFrench historian. "The British Press, arrogant and calumnious, as thePress always is in a free country, railed much at Napoleon and hispreparations; but railed as one who trembles at that which he would fainexhibit as the object of his laughter. " It may have been so, but it isnot to be seen in any serious journal of that time. He seems to haveconfounded coarse caricaturists with refined and thoughtful journalists, even as, in the account of that inshore skirmish, he turns a gun-briginto a British frigate. However, such matters are too large for us. 

It was resolved at any rate to try some sort of a hit at all thesevery gallant Frenchmen, moored under their own batteries, and makinghorse-marines of themselves, whenever Neptune, the father of the horse, permitted. The jolly English tars, riding well upon the waves, sent manya broad grin through a spy-glass at Muncher Crappo tugging hard to gethis nag into his gun-boat and then to get him out again, because hispresent set of shoes would not be worn out in England. Every sailorloves a horse, regarding him as a boat on legs, and therefore knowingmore about him than any landlubber may feign to know. 

But although they would have been loth to train a gun on the nobleanimal, who was duly kept beyond their range, all the British sailorslonged to have a bout with the double tier of hostile craft mooredoff the shore within shelter of French batteries. Every day they couldreckon at least two hundred sail of every kind of rig invented sincethe time of Noah, but all prepared to destroy instead of succouring thegodly. It was truly grievous to see them there and not be able to get atthem, for no ship of the line or even frigate could get near enough totackle them. Then the British Admiral, Lord Keith, resolved after muchconsultation to try what could be done with fire-ships. 

Blyth Scudamore, now in command of the Blonde, had done much excellentservice, in cutting off stragglers from the French flotilla, and drivingashore near Vimereux some prames and luggers coming from Ostend. Hebegan to know the French coast and the run of the shoals like a nativepilot; for the post of the Blonde, and some other light ships, wasbetween the blockading fleet and the blockaded, where perpetualvigilance was needed. This sharp service was the very thing required toimprove his character, to stamp it with decision and self-reliance, andto burnish his quiet, contemplative vein with the very frequent frictionof the tricks of mankind. These he now was strictly bound not to study, but anticipate, taking it as first postulate that every one wouldcheat him, if permitted. To a scrimpy and screwy man, of the type mostabundant, such a position would have done a deal of harm, shutting himup into his own shell harder, and flinting its muricated horns againstthe world. But with the gentle Scuddy, as the boys at school had calledhim, the process of hardening was beneficial, as it is with pure gold, which cannot stand the wear and tear of the human race until it has beenreduced by them at least to the mark of their twenty carats. 

And now it was a fine thing for Scudamore--even as a man toophilanthropic was strengthened in his moral tone (as his wife found out)by being compelled to discharge the least pleasant of the duties of acounty sheriff--or if not a fine thing, at least it was a wholesome anddurable corrective to all excess of lenience, that duty to his countryand mankind compelled the gentle Scuddy to conduct the western divisionof this night-attack. 

At this time there was in the public mind, which is quite of fullfeminine agility, a strong prejudice against the use of fire-ships. Red-hot cannon-balls, and shrapnel, langrage, chain-shot, andGreek-fire--these and the like were all fair warfare, and France mightuse them freely. But England (which never is allowed to do, withouthooting and execration, what every other country does with loudapplause)--England must rather burn off her right hand than send afire-ship against the ships full of fire for her houses, her cottages, and churches. Lord Keith had the sense to laugh at all that stuff, buthe had not the grand mechanical powers which have now enabled the humanrace, not to go, but to send one another to the stars. A clumsy affaircalled a catamaran, the acephalous ancestor of the torpedo, was expectedto relieve the sea of some thousands of people who had no businessthere. This catamaran was a water-proof box about twenty feet long, andfour feet wide, narrowed at the ends, like a coffin for a giant. Itwas filled with gunpowder, and ballasted so that its lid, or deck, wasalmost awash; and near its stern was a box containing clock movementsthat would go for about ten minutes, upon the withdrawal of a pegoutside, and then would draw a trigger and explode the charge. Thiswondrous creature had neither oar nor sail, but demanded to be towed tothe tideward of the enemy, then have the death-watch set going, and becast adrift within hail of the enemy's line. Then as soon as it cameacross their mooring cables, its duty was to slide for a little wayalong them in a friendly manner, lay hold of them kindly with its longtail, which consisted of a series of grappling-hooks buoyed with cork, and then bringing up smartly alongside of the gun-boats, blow itself up, and carry them up with it. How many there were of these catamarans isnot quite certain, but perhaps about a score, the intention being tohave ten times as many, on the next occasion, if these did well. And nodoubt they would have done well, if permitted; but they failed of theirpurpose, like the great Guy Fawkes, because they were prevented. 

For the French, by means of treacherous agents--of whom perhaps CarylCarne was one, though his name does not appear in the despatches--knewall about this neat little scheme beforehand, and set their wits at workto defeat it. Moreover, they knew that there were four fire-ships, one of which was the Peggy of Springhaven, intended to add to theconsternation and destruction wrought by the catamarans. But they didnot know that, by some irony of fate, the least destructive and mostgentle of mankind was ordered to take a leading part in shattering man, and horse, and even good dogs, into vapours. 

Many quiet horses, and sweet-natured dogs, whose want of breeding hadimproved their manners, lived in this part of the great flotilla, andwere satisfied to have their home where it pleased the Lord to feedthem. The horses were led to feed out of the guns, that they might notbe afraid of them; and they struggled against early prejudice, to likewood as well as grass, and to get sea-legs. Man put them here to suithis own ideas; of that they were quite aware, and took it kindly, accepting superior powers, and inferior use of them, without a shadeof question in their eyes. To their innocent minds it was never broughthome that they were tethered here, and cropping clots instead ofclover, for the purpose of inspiring in their timid friends ashore theconfidence a horse reposes in a brother horse, but very wisely doubtsabout investing in mankind. For instance, whenever a wild young animal, a new recruit for the cavalry, was haled against his judgment by a manon either side to the hollow-sounding gangway over dancing depth ofperil, these veteran salts of horses would assure him, with a neigh fromthe billowy distance, that they were not drowned yet, but were walkingon a sort of gate, and got their victuals regular. On the other hand, as to the presence of the dogs, that requires no explanation. Wasthere ever a time or place in which a dog grudged his sprightly anddisinterested service, or failed to do his best when called upon? TheseFrench dogs, whom the mildest English mastiff would have looked upon, or rather would have shut his eyes at, as a lot of curs below contempt, were as full of fine ardour for their cause and country as any noblehound that ever sate like a statue on a marble terrace. 

On the first of October all was ready for this audacious squibbing ofthe hornet's nest, and the fleet of investment (which kept its distanceaccording to the weather and the tides) stood in, not bodily so as toarouse excitement, but a ship at a time sidling in towards the coast, and traversing one another's track, as if they were simply exchangingstations. The French pretended to take no heed, and did not call in asingle scouting craft, but showed every sign of having all eyes shut. Nothing, however, was done that night, by reason perhaps of the weather;but the following night being favourable, and the British fleet broughtas nigh as it durst come, the four fire-ships were despatched afterdark, when the enemy was likely to be engaged with supper. The sky wasconveniently overcast, with a faint light wandering here and there, fromthe lift of the horizon, just enough to show the rig of a vessel andher length, at a distance of about a hundred yards. Nothing could bebetter--thought the Englishmen; and the French were of that opinion too, especially as Nelson was not there. 

Scudamore had nothing to do with the loose adventure of the fire-ships, the object of which was to huddle together this advanced part of theflotilla, so that the catamarans might sweep unseen into a goodlythicket of vessels, and shatter at least half a dozen at once. 

But somehow the scheme was not well carried out, though it looked verynice upon paper. One very great drawback, to begin with, was that theenemy were quite aware of all our kind intentions; and another scarcelyless fatal was the want of punctuality on our part. All the floatingcoffins should have come together, like a funeral of fifty from acolliery; but instead of that they dribbled in one by one, and werecast off by their tow-boats promiscuously. Scudamore did his part wellenough, though the whole thing went against his grain, and the fourcatamarans under his direction were the only ones that did their duty. The boats of the Blonde had these in tow, and cast them off handsomelyat the proper distance, and drew the plugs which set their clock-springsgoing. But even of these four only two exploded, although the clockswere not American, and those two made a tremendous noise, but onlysinged a few French beards off. Except, indeed, that a fine old horse, with a white Roman nose and a bright chestnut mane, who was living ina flat-bottomed boat, broke his halter, and rushed up to the bows, andgave vent to his amazement, as if he had been gifted with a trumpet. 

Hereupon a dog, loth to be behind the times, scampered up to his side, and with his forefeet on the gunwale, contributed a howl of incalculablelength and unfathomable sadness. 

In the hurly of the combat and confusion of the night, with the dimnessstreaked with tumult, and the water gashed with fire, that horse andthis dog might have gone on for ever, bewailing the nature of the sonsof men, unless a special fortune had put power into their mouths. Oneof the fire-ships, as scandal did declare, was that very ancient tubindeed--that could not float on its bottom--the Peggy of Springhaven, bought at thrice her value, through the influence of Admiral Darling. Ifone has to meet every calumny that arises, and deal with it before goingfurther, the battle that lasted for a fortnight and then turned intoan earthquake would be a quick affair compared with the one now inprogress. Enough that the Peggy proved by the light she gave, and hergrand style of burning to the water's edge before she blew up, that shewas worth at least the hundred pounds Widow Shanks received for her. Shestartled the French more than any of the others, and the strong lightshe afforded in her last moments shone redly on the anguish of that poorhorse and dog. There was no sign of any one to help them, and the flamesin the background redoubled their woe. 

Now this apparently deserted prame, near the centre of the line, wasthe Ville de Mayence; and the flag of Rear-Admiral Lacrosse was even nowflying at her peak. "We must have her, my lads, " cried Scudamore, whowas wondering what to do next, until he descried the horse and dog andthat fine flag; "let us board her, and make off with all of them. "

The crew of his launch were delighted with that. To destroy is verygood; but to capture is still better; and a dash into the midst of theenemy was the very thing they longed for. "Ay, ay, sir, " they cried, settheir backs to their oars, and through the broad light that still shoneupon the waves, and among the thick crowd of weltering shadows, thelaunch shot like a dart to the side of the foe. 

"Easy all! Throw a grapple on board, " cried the young commander; and asthe stern swung round he leaped from it, and over the shallow bulwarks, and stood all alone on the enemy's fore-deck. And alone he remained, forat that moment a loud crash was heard, and the launch filled and sank, with her crew of sixteen plunging wildly in the waves. 

This came to pass through no fault of their own, but a clever deviceof the enemy. Admiral Lacrosse, being called away, had left hisfirst officer to see to the safety of the flag-ship and her immediateneighbours, and this brave man had obtained permission to try a littleplan of his own, if assailed by any adventurous British boats in chargeof the vessels explosive. In the bows of some stout but handy boats hehad rigged up a mast with a long spar attached, and by means of a guy atthe end of that spar, a brace of heavy chain-shot could be swung up andpitched headlong into any boat alongside. While the crew of Scudamore'slaunch were intent upon boarding the prame, one of these boats cameswiftly from under her stern, and with one fling swamped the enemy. Thenthe Frenchmen laughed heartily, and offered oars and buoys for the poorBritish seamen to come up as prisoners. 

Scudamore saw that he was trapped beyond escape, for no other Britishboat was anywhere in hail. His first impulse was to jump overboard andhelp his own drowning men, but before he could do so an officer stoodbefore him, and said, "Monsieur is my prisoner. His men will be safe, and I cannot permit him to risk his own life. Mon Dieu, it is my dearfriend Captain Scudamore!"

"And you, my old friend, Captain Desportes! I see it is hopeless toresist"--for by this time a score of Frenchmen were round him--"I canonly congratulate myself that if I must fall, it is into such goodhands. "

"My dear friend, how glad I am to see you!" replied the French captain, embracing him warmly; "to you I owe more than to any man of your nation. I will not take your sword. No, no, my friend. You shall not bea prisoner, except in word. And how much you have advanced in theknowledge of our language, chiefly, I fear, at the expense of France. And now you will grow perfect, at the expense of England. "

CHAPTER XLVII

ENTER AND EXIT

The summer having been fine upon the whole, and a very fair quantityof fish brought in, Miss Twemlow had picked up a sweetheart, as theunromantic mothers of the place expressed it. And the circumstances wereof such a nature that very large interest was aroused at once, and notonly so, but was fed well and grew fast. 

The most complete of chronicles is no better than a sponge of inferiortexture and with many mouths shut. Parts that are full of suctive powerget no chance of sucking; other parts have a flood of juice bubbling atthem, but are waterproof. This is the only excuse--except one--forthe shameful neglect of the family of Blocks, in any little treatisepretending to give the dullest of glimpses at Springhaven. 

The other excuse--if self-accusation does not poke a finger throughit--is that the Blockses were mainly of the dry land, and never went tosea when they could help it. If they had lived beyond the two trees andthe stile that marked the parish boundary upon the hill towards London, they might have been spotless, and grand, and even honest, yet musthave been the depth of the hills below contempt. But they dwelt in thevillage for more generations than would go upon any woman's fingers, and they did a little business with the fish caught by the others, whichenabled it to look after three days' journey as if it swam into townupon its own fins. The inventions for wronging mankind pay a great dealbetter than those for righting them. 

Now the news came from John Prater's first, that a gentleman of greatrenown was coming down from London city to live on fish fresh out ofthe sea. His doctors had ordered him to leave off butcher's meat, andbaker's bread, and tea-grocer's tea, and almost every kind of inlandvictuals, because of the state of his--something big, which evenSpringhaven could not pronounce. He must keep himself up, for at leastthree months, upon nothing but breezes of the sea, and malt-liquor, andfarm-house bread and milk and new-laid eggs, and anything he fanciedthat came out of the sea, shelly, or scaly, or jellified, or weedy. News from a public-house grows fast--as seeds come up quicker forsoaking--and a strong competition for this gentleman arose; but heknew what he was doing, and brought down his cook and house-maid, anddisliking the noise at the Darling Arms, took no less than five rooms atthe house of Matthew Blocks, on the rise of the hill, where he could seethe fish come in. 

He was called at once Sir Parsley Sugarloaf, for his name was PercivalShargeloes; and his cook rebuked his housemaid sternly, for meddlingwith matters beyond her sphere, when she told Mrs. Blocks that he wasnot Sir Percival, but only Percival Shargeloes, Esquire, very high upin the Corporation, but too young to be Lord Mayor of London for someyears. He appeared to be well on the right side of forty; and everyyoung lady on the wrong side of thirty possessing a pony, or even adonkey, with legs enough to come down the hill, immediately began totake a rose-coloured view of the many beauties of Springhaven. 

If Mr. Shargeloes had any ambition for title, it lay rather in amilitary direction. He had joined a regiment of City Volunteers, andmust have been a Captain, if he could have stood the drill. But this, though not arduous, had outgone his ambition, nature having gifted himwith a remarkable power of extracting nourishment from food, which isnow called assimilation. He was not a great feeder--people so blessedseldom are--but nothing short of painful starvation would keep him lean. He had consulted all the foremost physicians about this, and one said, "take acids, " another said, "walk twenty miles every day with two Witneyblankets on, " a third said, "thank God for it, and drink before youeat, " and a fourth (a man of wide experience) bade him marry theworst-tempered woman he knew. Then they all gave him pills to upset hisstomach; but such was its power that it assimilated them. Despairing ofthese, he consulted a Quack, and received the directions which broughthim to Springhaven. And a lucky day for him it was, as he confessed forthe rest of his life, whenever any ladies asked him. 

Because Miss Twemlow was intended for him by the nicest adjustment ofnature. How can two round things fit together, except superficially?And in that case one must be upper and the other under; which is not theproper thing in matrimony, though generally the prevailing one. But takea full-moon and a half-moon, or even a square and a tidy triangle--withmanners enough to have one right angle--and when you have put them intoone another's arms, there they stick, all the firmer for friction. JackSpratt and his wife are a case in point; and how much more pointed thecase becomes when the question is not about what is on the plate, butthe gentleman is in his own body fat, and the lady in her elegant personlean!

Mr. Sugarloaf--which he could not bear to be called--being an ardentadmirer of the Church, and aware that her ministers know what is good, returned with great speed the Rector's call, having earnest hopes ofsome heart-felt words upon the difference between a right andleft handed sole. One of these is ever so much better than theother--according to our evolutionists, because when he was a cod, a fewmilliards of years back, he chose the right side to begin lying down on, that his descendants in the thirty-millionth generation might get flat. His wife, from sheer perversity, lay down upon the other side, and thisexplains how some of their descendants pulled their eyes through theirheads to one side, and some (though comparatively few) to the other. Andthe worst of it is that the fittest for the frying-pan did not survivethis well-intended involution, except at a very long figure in themarket. 

As it fell out upon that day, Miss Twemlow was sitting in thedrawing-room alone, waiting till her mother's hair was quite done up, her own abundant locks being not done up at all, for she had latelytaken to set her face against all foreign fashions. "I have not beenintroduced to the King, " she said, "nor even to the Queen, like thoseforward Darlings, and I shall do my hair to please myself. " When herfather objected, she quenched him with St. Paul; and even her mother, though shocked, began to think that Eliza knew what she was about. Therelease of her fine hair, which fell in natural waves about her statelyneck, made her look nearly ten years younger than she was, for by thistime she must have been eight-and-twenty. The ladies of the Carne race, as their pictures showed (until they were sold to be the grandmothersof dry-salters), had always been endowed with shapely necks, fitcolumns for their small round heads. And this young lady's hair, with noconstraint but that of a narrow band across the forehead, clustered andgleamed like a bower of acanthus round that Parian column. 

Mr. Shargeloes, having obeyed his orders always to dine early, wasthrilled with a vision of poetry and romance, as he crossed the firstsquare of the carpet. The lady sat just where the light fell best from afiltered sunbeam to illumine her, without entering into the shady parts;and the poetry of her attitude was inspired by some very fine poetryupon her lap. "I don't care what the doctors say, I shall marry thatgirl, " said Mr. Shargeloes to himself. 

He was a man who knew his own mind, and a man with that gift makesothers know it. Miss Twemlow clenched in the coat upon his back the nailshe had driven through his heart, by calling him, at every other breath, "Colonel Shargeloes. " He said he was not that; but she felt that he was, as indeed every patriotic man must be. Her contempt for every manwho forsook his country in this bitter, bitter strait was at once soruthless and so bewitching that he was quite surprised into confessingthat he had given 10, 000 pounds, all in solid gold, for the comfort ofthe Royal Volunteers, as soon as the autumnal damps came on. He couldnot tell such an elegant creature that what he had paid for was flanneldrawers, though she had so much strength of mind that he was enabled totell her before very long. 

A great deal of nonsense is talked about ladies who are getting thebetter of their first youth, as if they then hung themselves out as oldslates for any man to write his name on. The truth is that they havebetter judgment then, less trouble in their hearts about a gentleman'sappearance, and more enquiry in their minds as to his temper, tastes, and principles, not to mention his prospects of supporting them. Andeven as concerns appearance, Mr. Shargeloes was very good. Nature hadgiven him a fine stout frame, and a very pleasant countenance; andhis life in the busy world had added that quickness of decision andimmediate sense of right which a clever woman knows to be the verythings she wants. Moreover, his dress, which goes a very long way intothe heart of a lady, was most correct and particular. For his coat wasof the latest Bond Street fashion, the "Jean de Brie, " improved andbeautified by suggestions from the Prince of Wales himself. Brightclaret was the colour, and the buttons were of gold, bright enough toshow the road before him as he walked. The shoulders were padded, as ifa jam pot stood there, and the waist buttoned tight, too tight for anyhappiness, to show the bright laticlave of brocaded waistcoat. Thenfollowed breeches of rich purple padusoy, having white satin bows at theknee, among which the little silver bells of the Hessian boots jingled. 

Miss Twemlow was superior to all small feeling, but had great breadth ofsympathy with the sterling truth in fashion. The volume of love, likea pattern-book, fell open, and this well-dressed gentleman was engravedupon her heart. The most captious young chit, such as Dolly herself, could scarcely have called him either corpulent or old. Every day hecould be seen to be growing younger, with the aid of fresh fish as atotally novel ingredient in his system; his muscle increased with thegrowth of brain-power, and the shoemaker was punching a fresh holein his belt, an inch further back, every week he stopped there. Afterbuckling up three holes, he proposed. Miss Twemlow referred him to herdear papa; and the Rector took a week to enquire and meditate. "Take amonth, if you like, " said Mr. Shargeloes. 

This reply increased the speed. Mr. Twemlow had the deepest respect forthe Corporation, and to live to be the father of a Lord Mayor of Londonbecame a new ambition to lead on his waning years. "Come and dine withus on Saturday, and we will tell you all about it, " he said, with apleasant smile, and warm shake of the hand; and Shargeloes knew that theneck and the curls would bend over the broad gold chain some day. 

How grievous it is to throw a big stone into a pool which has plenty ofdepth and length and width for the rings to travel pleasantly, yet notto make one ring, because of wind upon the water! In the days that werenot more than two years old, Springhaven could have taken all this news, with a swiftly expanding and smoothly fluent circle, with a lift ofself-importance at the centre of the movement, and a heave of gentleinterest in the far reflective corners. Even now, with a tumult ofthings to consider, and a tempest of judgment to do it in, peoplecontrived to be positive about a quantity of things still pending. SirParsley Sugarloaf had bought Miss Twemlow for 50, 000 pounds, they said, and he made her let her curls down so outrageous, because she was to bemarried at Guildhall, with a guinea at the end of every hair. MissFaith would be dirt-cheap at all that money; but as for Miss Eliza, theywished him better knowledge, which was sure to come, when it was no goodto him. 

"What a corner of the world this is for gossip!" Mr. Shargeloes said, pleasantly, to his Eliza, having heard from his cook, who desired no newmistress, some few of the things said about him. "I am not such a foolas to care what they say. But I am greatly surprised at one thing. You know that I am a thorough Englishman; may I tell you what I think, without offending you? It is a delicate matter, because it concerns arelative of your own, my dear. "

"I know what you mean. You will not offend me. Percival, I know howstraightforward you are, and how keen of perception. I have expectedthis. "

"And yet it seems presumptuous of me to say that you are all blindhere, from the highest to the lowest. Except indeed yourself, as I nowperceive. I will tell you my suspicions, or more than suspicions--myfirm belief--about your cousin, Mr. Carne. I can trust you to keep thiseven from your father. Caryl Carne is a spy, in the pay of the French. "

"I have long thought something, though not quite so bad as that, "Miss Twemlow answered, calmly; "because he has behaved to us so verystrangely. My mother is his own father's sister, as you know, and yet hehas never dined with us more than once, and then he scarcely said a wordto any one. And he never yet has asked us to visit him at the castle;though for that we can make all allowance, of course, because of its sadcondition. Then everybody thought he had taken to smuggling, and afterall his losses, no one blamed him, especially as all the Carnes had doneit, even when they were the owners of the land. But ever since poorMr. Cheeseman, our church-warden, tried to destroy himself with his ownrope, all the parish began to doubt about the smuggling, because it paysso well and makes the people very cheerful. But from something hehad seen, my father felt quite certain that the true explanation wassmuggling. "

"Indeed! Do you know at all what it was he saw, and when, and under whatcircumstances?" Mr. Shargeloes put these questions with more urgencythan Miss Twemlow liked. 

"Really I cannot tell you all those things; they are scarcely of generalinterest. My dear father said little about it: all knowledge is deniedin this good world to women. But no doubt he would tell you, if youasked him, when there were no ladies present. "

"I will, " said Mr. Shargeloes. "He is most judicious; he knows when tospeak, and when to hold his tongue. And I think that you combine withbeauty one of those two gifts--which is the utmost to be expected. "

"Percival, you put things very nicely, which is all that could beexpected of a man. But do take my advice in this matter, and say no moreabout it. "

Mr. Shargeloes feigned to comply, and perhaps at the moment meant to doso. But unluckily he was in an enterprising temper, proud of recoveredactivity, and determined to act up to the phosphate supplied by fishdiet. Therefore when the Rector, rejoicing in an outlet for his longpent-up discoveries, and regarding this sage man as one of his family, repeated the whole of his adventure at Carne Castle, Mr. Shargeloessaid, briefly, "It must be seen to. "

"Stubbard has been there, " replied Mr. Twemlow, repenting perhaps of hisconfidence; "Stubbard has made an official inspection, which relieves usof all concern with it. "

"Captain Stubbard is an ass. It is a burning shame that importantaffairs should be entrusted to such fellows. The country is in peril, deadly peril; and every Englishman is bound to act as if he were anofficer. "

That very same evening Carne rode back to his ruins in a very grim stateof mind. He had received from the Emperor a curt and haughty answer tohis last appeal for immediate action, and the prospect of another gloomywinter here, with dangers thickening round him, and no motion to enliventhem, was almost more than he could endure. The nights were drawing in, and a damp fog from the sea had drizzled the trees, and the ivy, andeven his own moustache with cold misery. 

"Bring me a lantern, " he said to old Jerry, as he swung his stiff legsfrom the back of the jaded horse, "and the little flask of oil with thefeather in it. It is high time to put the Inspector's step in order. "

Jerry Bowles, whose back and knees were bent with rheumatism and dullservice, trotted (like a horse who has become too stiff to walk) for thethings commanded, and came back with them. Then his master, withouta word, strode towards the passage giving entry to the vaults whichStubbard had not seen--the vaults containing all the powder, and theweapons for arming the peasantry of England, whom Napoleon fondlyexpected to rise in his favour at the sight of his eagles. 

"How does it work? Quite stiff with rust. I thought so. Nothing is everin order, unless I see to it myself. Give me the lantern. Now oil thebearings thoroughly. Put the feather into the socket, and work the pinin and out, that the oil may go all round. Now pour in some oil from thelip of the flask; but not upon the treadle, you old blockhead. Now dothe other end the same. Ah, now it would go with the weight of a mouse!I have a great mind to make you try it. "

"What would you do, sir, if my neck was broken? Who would do your work, as I do?"

They were under an arch of mouldy stone, opening into the deep darkvaults, where the faint light of the lantern glanced on burnishedleather, brass, and steel, or fell without flash upon dull round bulk. The old man, kneeling on the round chalk-flints set in lime forthe flooring of the passage, was handling the first step of narrowstep-ladder leading to the cellar-depth. This top step had been takenout of the old oak mortice, and cut shorter, and then replaced in theframe, with an iron pin working in an iron collar, just as the gudgeonof a wheelbarrow revolves. Any one stepping upon it unawares would godown without the aid of any other step. 

"Goes like spittle now, sir, " said old Jerry; "but I don't want nomore harm in this crick of life. The Lord be pleased to keep all themExaminers at home. Might have none to find their corpusses until nextleap-year. I hope with all my heart they won't come poking their longnoses here. "

"Well, I rather hope they will. They want a lesson in thisneighbourhood, " muttered Carne, who was shivering, and hungry, andunsweetened. 

CHAPTER XLVIII

MOTHER SCUDAMORE

If we want to know how a tree or flower has borne the gale that floggedlast night, or the frost that stung the morning, the only sure plan isto go and see. And the only way to understand how a friend has takenaffliction is to go--if it may be done without intrusion--and let himtell you, if he likes. 

Admiral Darling was so much vexed when he heard of Blyth Scudamore'scapture by the French, and duty compelled him to inform the mother, thathe would rather have ridden a thousand miles upon barley-bread thanface her. He knew how the whole of her life was now bound up with thefortunes of her son, and he longed to send Faith with the bad news, ashe had sent her with the good before; but he feared that it might seemunkind. So he went himself, with the hope of putting the best complexionupon it, yet fully expecting sad distress, and perhaps a burst ofweeping. But the lady received his tidings in a manner that surprisedhim. At first she indulged in a tear or two, but they only introduced asmile. 

"In some ways it is a sad thing, " she said, "and will be a terrible blowto him, just when he was rising so fast in the service. But we must notrebel more than we can help, against the will of the Lord, Sir Charles. "

"How philosophical, and how commonplace!" thought the Admiral; but heonly bowed, and paid her some compliment upon her common-sense. 

"Perhaps you scarcely understand my views, and perhaps I am wrong inhaving them, " Lady Scudamore continued, quietly. "My son's advancementis very dear to me, and this will of course retard it. But I care mostof all for his life, and now that will be safe for a long while. Theynever kill their prisoners, do they?"

"No, ma'am, no. They behave very well to them; better, I'm afraid, thanwe do to ours. They treat them quite as guests, when they fall into goodhands. Though Napoleon himself is not too mild in that way. "

"My son has fallen into very good hands, as you yourself assure me--thatCaptain Desportes, a gallant officer and kind gentleman, as I know fromyour daughter's description. Blyth is quite equal to Lord Nelson inpersonal daring, and possibly not behind him in abilities. Consider howshockingly poor Nelson has been injured, and he feels convinced himselfthat they will have his life at last. No officer can be a hero withoutgetting very sad wounds, and perhaps losing his life. Every one who doeshis duty must at least be wounded. "

The Admiral, who had never received a scratch, was not at all charmedwith this view of naval duty; but he was too polite to enter protest, and only made one of his old-fashioned scrapes. 

"I am sure every time I have heard a gun coming from the sea, andespecially after dark, " the lady resumed, without thinking of him, "ithas made me miserable to know that probably Blyth was rushing into somedeadly conflict. But now I shall feel that he cannot do that; and I hopethey will keep him until the fighting grows milder. He used to send meall his money, poor dear boy! And now I shall try to send him some ofmine, if it can be arranged about bank-notes. And now I can do it veryeasily, thanks to your kindness, Sir Charles, his father's best friend, and his own, and mine. "

Lady Scudamore shed another tear or two, not of sorrow, but of pride, while she put her hand into her pocket, as if to begin the remittance atonce. "You owe me no thanks, ma'am, " said the Admiral, smiling; "if anythanks are due, they are due to the King, for remembering at last whathe should have done before. "

"Would he ever have thought of me, but for you? It is useless to talkin that way, Sir Charles; it only increases the obligation, which I mustentreat you not to do. How I wish I could help you in anything!"

"Every day you are helping me, " he replied, with truth; "although I amaway too often to know all about it, or even to thank you. I hope mydear Faith has persuaded you not to leave us for the winter, as youthreatened. "

"Faith can persuade me to anything she pleases. She possesses the powerof her name, " replied the lady; "but the power is not called for, whenthe persuasion is so pleasant. For a month, I must be away to visit mydear mother, as I always have done at this time of year; and then, butfor one thing, I would return most gladly. For I am very selfish, youmust know, Sir Charles--I have a better chance of hearing of my dearson at these head-quarters of the defence of England, than I should haveeven in London. "

"Certainly, " cried the Admiral, who magnified his office; "such a numberof despatches pass through my hands; and if I can't make them out, why, my daughter Dolly can. I don't suppose, Lady Scudamore, that even whenyou lived in the midst of the world you ever saw any girl half soclever as my Dolly. I don't let her know it--that would never do, ofcourse--but she always gets the best of me, upon almost any question. "

Sir Charles, for the moment, forgot his best manners, and spread hiscoat so that one might see between his legs. "I stand like this, " hesaid, "and she stands there; and I take her to task for not paying herbills--for some of those fellows have had to come to me, which is notas it should be in a country place, where people don't understand thefashionable system. She stands there, ma'am, and I feel as sure as if Iwere an English twenty-four bearing down upon a Frenchman of fiftyguns, that she can only haul her colours down and rig out gangwayladders--when, bless me and keep me! I am carried by surprise, anddriven under hatchways, and if there is a guinea in my hold, it fliesinto the enemy's locker! If it happened only once, I should thinknothing of it. But when I know exactly what is coming, and havedouble-shotted every gun, and set up hammock-nettings, and takenuncommon care to have the weather-gage, 'tis the Devil, LadyScudamore--excuse me, madam--'tis the Devil to a ditty-bag that I haveher at my mercy. And yet it always comes to money out of pocket, madam!"

"She certainly has a great power over gentlemen"--Blyth's mother smileddemurely, as if she were sorry to confess it; "but she is exceedinglyyoung, Sir Charles, and every allowance must be made for her. "

"And by the Lord Harry, she gets it, madam. She takes uncommonly goodcare of that. But what is the one thing you mentioned that would preventyou from coming back to us with pleasure?"

"I scarcely like to speak of it. But it is about that self-same Dolly. She is not fond of advice, and she knows how quick she is, and thatmakes her resent a word from slower people. She has taken it into herhead, I fear, that I am here as a restraint upon her; a sort of ladyspy, a duenna, a dictatress, all combined in one, and all unpleasant. This often makes me fancy that I have no right to be here. And then yoursweet Faith comes, and all is smooth again. "

"Dolly has the least little possible touch of the vixen about her. Ihave found it out lately, " said the Admiral, as if he were half doubtfulstill; "Nelson told me so, and I was angry with him. But I believe hewas right, as he generally is. His one eye sees more than a score ofmine would. But, my dear madam, if that is your only objection to comingback to us, or rather to my daughters, I beg you not to let it weigh afeather's weight with you. Or, at any rate, enhance the obligation tous, by putting it entirely on one side. Dolly has the very finest heartin all the world; not so steady perhaps as Faith's, nor quite so fair toother people, but wonderfully warm, ma'am, and as sound as--as a roach. "

Lady Scudamore could not help laughing a little, and she hoped for herson's sake that this account was true. Her gratitude and good-will tothe Admiral, as well as her duty to her son, made her give the promisesought for; and she began to prepare for her journey at once, that shemight be back in good time for the winter. But she felt very doubtful, at leaving the Hall, whether she had done quite right in keeping hersuspicions of Dolly from Dolly's father. For with eyes which weresharpened by jealousy for the interests, or at least the affections, of her son, she had long perceived that his lady-love was playing adangerous game with Caryl Carne. Sometimes she believed that she oughtto speak of this, for the good of the family; because she felt thedeepest mistrust and dislike of Carne, who strictly avoided her wheneverhe could; but on the other hand she found the subject most delicate anddifficult to handle. For she had taken good care at the outset not to behere upon any false pretences. At the very first interview with her hostshe had spoken of Blyth's attachment to his younger daughter, of whichthe Admiral had heard already from that youthful sailor. And the Admiralhad simply said, as in Captain Twemlow's case: "Let us leave them tothemselves. I admire the young man. If she likes him, I shall make noobjection, when they are old enough, and things are favourable. " And nowif she told him of the other love-affair, it would look like jealousyof a rival. Perhaps a hundred times a day, as her love for gentle Faithgrew faster than her liking for the sprightly Dolly, she would sighthat her son did not see things like herself; but bitter affliction hadtaught her that the course of this life follows our own wishes aboutas much as another man's dog heeds our whistle. But, for all that, thisgood lady hoped some day to see things come round as she would like tobring them. 

"No wonder that we like her son so much, " said Faith when they had donewaving handkerchiefs at the great yellow coach going slowly up the hill, with its vast wicker basket behind, and the guard perched over it withhis blunderbus; "he takes after his mother in so many ways. They areboth so simple and unsuspicious, and they make the best of every one. "

"Including themselves, I suppose, " answered Dolly. "Well I like peoplewho have something on their minds, and make the worst of everybody. Theyhave so much more to talk about. "

"You should never try to be sarcastic, dear. And you know that you don'tmean it. I am sure you don't like to have the worst made of yourself. "

"Oh, I have long been used to that. And I never care about it, when Iknow it is not true. I am sure that Mother Scudamore runs me down, whenI am out of hearing. I never did like those perfect people. "

"Mother Scudamore, indeed! You are getting into a low way of talking, which is not at all pretty in a girl. And I never heard her say anunkind word about you. Though she may not have found you quite soperfect as she hoped. "

"I tell you, Miss Darling, " cried Dolly, with her bright colourdeepened, and her grey eyes flashing, "that I don't care a--somethingthat papa often says--what she thinks about me, or you either. I knowthat she has come here to spy out all my ways. "

"You should not have any to be spied out, Dolly, " Faith answered, withsome sternness, and a keen look at her sister, whose eyes fell beneathher gaze. "You will be sorry, when you think of what you said to me, whohave done nothing whatever to offend you. But that is a trifle comparedwith acting unfairly to our father. Father is the kindest man that everlived; but he can be stern in great matters, I warn you. If he everbelieves that you have deceived him, you will never be again to him whatyou have always been. "

They had sent the carriage home that they might walk across the fields, and this little scene between the sisters took place upon a foot-pathwhich led back to their grounds. Dolly knew that she was in the wrong, and that increased her anger. 

"So you are another spy upon me, I suppose. 'Tis a pretty thing to haveone's sister for an old duenna. Pray who gave you authority to lord itover me?"

"You know as well as I do"--Faith spoke with a smile of superiorcalmness, as Dolly tossed her head--"that I am about the last person inthe world to be a spy. Neither do I ever lord it over you. If anything, that matter is very much the other way. But being so much older, andyour principal companion, it would be very odd of me, and as I thinkmost unkind, if I did not take an interest in all your goings on. "

"My goings on! What a lady-like expression! Who has got into a low wayof talking now? Well, if you please, madam, what have you found out?"

"I have found out nothing, and made no attempt to do so. But I see thatyou are altered very much from what you used to be; and I am sure thatthere is something on your mind. Why not tell me all about it? I wouldpromise to let it go no further, and I would not pretend to advise, unless you wished. I am your only sister, and we have always beentogether. It would make you so much more comfortable, I am certain ofthat, in your own mind, darling. And you know when we were little girls, dear mother on her death-bed put her hands upon our heads and said, 'Beloving sisters always, and never let anything come between you. ' Andfor father's sake, too, you should try to do it. Put aside all nonsenseabout spies and domineering, and trust me as your sister, that's my owndarling Dolly. "

"How can I resist you? I will make a clean breast of it;" Dolly sigheddeeply, but a wicked smile lay ambushed in her bright eyes and upon herrosy lips. "The sad truth is that my heart has been quite sore since Iheard the shocking tidings about poor old Daddy Stokes. He went to bedthe other night with his best hat on, both his arms in an old muff hefound in the ditch, and his leathern breeches turned inside out. "

"Then the poor old man had a cleaner breast than yours, " cried Faith, who had prepared her heart and eyes for tears of sympathy; "he goes uponhis knees every night, stiff as they are, and his granddaughter hasto help him up. But as for you, you are the most unfeeling, mocking, godless, unnatural creature that ever never cared what became ofanybody. Here we are at the corner where the path divides. You go homethat way, and I'll go home by this. "

"Well, I'm so glad! I really did believe that it was quite impossible toput you in a rage. Now don't be in a hurry, dear, to beg my pardon. "

"Of that you may be quite sure, " cried Faith across the corner of themeadow where the paths diverged; "I never was less in a passion in mylife; and it will be your place to apologise. "

Dolly sent a merry laugh across the widening interval; and Faith, whowas just beginning to fear that she had been in a passion, wasconvinced by that laugh that she had not. But the weight lifted from herconscience fell more heavily upon her heart. 

CHAPTER XLIX

EVIL COMMUNICATIONS

Although she pretended to be so merry, and really was so self-confident(whenever anybody wanted to help her), Miss Dolly Darling, when left toherself, was not like herself, as it used to be. Her nature was lively, and her spirit very high; every one had petted her, before she couldhave earned it by aught except childish beauty; and no one had left offdoing it, when she was bound to show better claim to it. All this madedoubt, and darkness, and the sense of not being her own mistress, verysnappish things to her, and she gained relief--sweet-tempered as she waswhen pleased--by a snap at others. For although she was not given, anymore than other young people are, to plaguesome self-inspection, shecould not help feeling that she was no longer the playful young Dollythat she loved so well. A stronger, and clearer, yet more mysteriouswill than her own had conquered hers; but she would not confess it, andyield entire obedience; neither could she cast it off. Her pride stillexisted, as strong as ever, whenever temper roused it; but there was toomuch of vanity in its composition, and too little of firm self-respect. Contempt from a woman she could not endure; neither from a man, if mademanifest; but Carne so calmly took the upper hand, without any show ofhaving it, that she fell more and more beneath his influence. 

He, knowing thoroughly what he was about, did nothing to arouseresistance. So far as he was capable of loving any one, he was now inlove with Dolly. He admired her quickness, and pretty girlish ways, andgaiety of nature (so unlike his own), and most of all her beauty. Hehad made up his mind that she should be his wife when fitted for thatdignity; but he meant to make her useful first, and he saw his way to doso. He knew that she acted more and more as her father's secretary, forshe wrote much faster than her sister Faith, and was quicker in catchingup a meaning. Only it was needful to sap her little prejudices--candour, to wit, and the sense of trust, and above all, patriotic feeling. Herejoiced when he heard that Lady Scudamore was gone, and the Rector hadtaken his wife and daughter for change of air to Tunbridge Wells, Miss Twemlow being seriously out of health through anxiety about Mr. Shargeloes. For that gentleman had disappeared, without a line ormessage, just when Mr. Furkettle, the chief lawyer in the neighbourhood, was beginning to prepare the marriage-settlement; and although his cookand house-maid were furious at the story, Mrs. Blocks had said, and allthe parish now believed, that Sir Parsley Sugarloaf had flown awayto Scotland rather than be brought to book--that fatal part of thePrayer-book--by the Rector and three or four brother clergymen. 

This being so, and Frank Darling absorbed in London with the publicationof another batch of poems, dedicated to Napoleon, while Faith stoodaloof with her feelings hurt, and the Admiral stood off and on in thewearisome cruise of duty, Carne had the coast unusually clear for theentry and arrangement of his contraband ideas. He met the fair Dollyalmost every day, and their interviews did not grow shorter, althoughthe days were doing so. 

"You should have been born in France, " he said, one bright Novembermorning, when they sat more comfortable than they had any right to be, upon the very same seat where the honest but hapless Captain Scuddyhad tried to venture to lisp his love; "that is the land you belong to, darling, by beauty and manners and mind and taste, and most of all byyour freedom from prejudice, and great liberality of sentiment. "

"But I thought we were quite as good-looking in England;" Dolly liftedher long black lashes, with a flash which might challenge the brillianceof any French eyes; "but of course you know best. I know nothing ofFrench ladies. "

"Don't be a fool, Dolly;" Carne spoke rudely, but made up for it inanother way. "There never was a French girl to equal you in loveliness;but you must not suppose that you beat them all round. One pointparticularly you are far behind in. A French woman leaves all politicalquestions, and national matters, and public affairs, entirely to herhusband, or her lover, as the case may be. Whatever he wishes is the lawfor her. Thy gods shall be my gods. "

"But you said they had great liberality of sentiment, and now you saythey have no opinions of their own! How can the two things go together?"

"Very easily, " said Carne, who was accustomed to be baffled by suchlittle sallies; "they take their opinions from their husbands, who arealways liberal. This produces happiness on both sides--a state of thingsunknown in England. Let me tell you of something important, mainly asit concerns yourself, sweet Dolly. The French are certain to unite withEngland, and then we shall be the grandest nation in the world. No powerin Europe can stand before us. All will be freedom, and civilization, and great ideas, and fine taste in dress. I shall recover the largeestates, that would now be mine, but for usury and fraud. And you willbe one of the first ladies in the world, as nature has always intendedyou to be. "

"That sounds very well; but how is it to be done? How can France unitewith England, when they are bitter enemies? Is France to conquer Englandfirst? Or are we to conquer France, as we always used to do?"

"That would be a hard job now, when France is the mistress of theContinent. No, there need be no conquering, sweet Dolly, but only alittle removal. The true interest of this country is--as that mightyparty, the Whigs, perceive--to get rid of all the paltry forms and drybones of a dynasty which is no more English than Napoleon is, and tojoin that great man in his warfare against all oppression. Your brotherFrank is a leading spirit; he has long cast off that wretched insularprejudice which defeats all good. In the grand new scheme of universalright, which must prevail very shortly, Frank Darling will obtain thatforemost place to which his noble views entitle him. You, as his sister, and my wife, will be adored almost as much as you could wish. "

"It sounds very grand, " answered Dolly, with a smile, though a littlealarmed at this turn of it; "but what is to become of the King, andQueen, and all the royal family? And what is my father to do, and Faith?Although she has not behaved well to me. "

"Those details will be arranged to everybody's satisfaction. Littleprejudices will subside, when it is seen that they are useless. Everypossible care will be taken not to injure any one. "

"But how is it all to be done?" asked Dolly, whose mind was practical, though romantic. "Are the French to land, and overrun the country? I amsure I never should agree to that. Are all our defenders to be throwninto prison?"

"Certainly not. There will be no prisons. The French might have to land, as a matter of form; but not to overrun the country, only to secureBritish liberties and justice. All sensible people would hasten to jointhem, and any opposition would be quenched at once. Then such a gloriouscondition of mankind would ensue as has never been known in thisworld--peace, wealth, universal happiness, gaiety, dancing everywhere, no more shabby clothes, no more dreary Sundays. How do you like thethought of it?"

"Well, some of it sounds very nice; but I don't see the use of universaljustice. Justice means having one's own rights; and it is impossiblefor everybody to do that, because of other people. And as for the Frenchcoming to put things right, they had better attend to their own affairsfirst. And as if any Englishman would permit it! Why, even Frank wouldmount his wig and gown (for he is a full-fledged barrister now, youknow), and come and help to push them back into the sea. And I hope thatyou would do so too. I am not going to marry a Frenchman. You belong toan old English family, and you were born in England, and your name isEnglish, and the property that ought to belong to you. I hope you don'tconsider yourself a Frenchman because your mother is a great Frenchlady, after so many generations of Carnes, all English, every bit ofthem. I am an English girl, and I care very little for things that Idon't see--such as justice, liberty, rights of people, and all that. ButI do care about my relations, and our friends, and the people that livehere, and the boats, and all the trees, and the land that belongs tomy father. Very likely you would want to take that away, and give it tosome miserable Frenchman. "

"Dolly, my dear, you must not be excited, " Carne answered, in the mannerof a father; "powerful as your comprehension is, for the moment thesethings are beyond it. Your meaning is excellent, very good, very great;but to bring it to bear requires further information. We will sit bythe side of the sea to-morrow, darling, if you grant me a view of yourloveliness again; and there you will see things in a larger light thanupon this narrow bench, with your father's trees around us, and yourfather's cows enquiring whether I am good to eat. Get away, cow! Do youtake me for a calf?"

One of the cows best loved by Dolly, who was very fond of good animals, had come up to ask who this man was that had been sitting here so longwith her. She was gifted with a white face and large soft eyes--evenbeyond the common measure of a cow--short little horns, that she wouldscarcely think of pushing even at a dog (unless he made mouths at herinfant), a flat broad nose ever genial to be rubbed, and a delicatefringe of finely pointed yellow hairs around her pleasant nostrils andabove her clovery lips. With single-hearted charity and enviable faithshe was able to combine the hope that Dolly had obtained a lover as goodas could be found upon a single pair of legs. Carne was attired withsome bravery, of the French manner rather than the English, and hewanted no butter on his velvet and fine lace. So he swung round his caneof heavy snakewood at the cow, and struck her poor horns so sharply thather head went round. 

"Is that universal peace, and gentleness, and justice?" cried Dolly, springing up and hastening to console her cow. "Is this the way thelofty French redress the wrongs of England? What had poor Dewlips done, I should like to know? Kiss me, my pretty, and tell me how you wouldlike the French army to land, as a matter of form? The form you wouldtake would be beef, I'm afraid; not even good roast beef, but bouillon, potage, fricandeau, friture--anything one cannot taste any meat in; andthat is how your wrongs would be redressed, after having had both yourhorns knocked off. And about the same fate for John Bull, your master, unless he keeps his horns well sharpened. Do I not speak the truth, monsieur?"

When Carne did anything to vex Miss Dolly--which happened pretty often, for he could not stop to study much her little prejudices--she addressedhim as if he were a Frenchman, never doubting that this must reduce himsadly in his self-esteem. 

"Never mind matters political, " he said, perceiving that his power mustnot be pressed until he had deepened its foundations; "what are all thepolitics in the world compared with your good opinion, Beauty?" Dollyliked to be called "Beauty, " and the name always made her try to deserveit by looking sweet. "You must be quite certain that I would do nothingto injure a country which contains my Dolly. And as for Madam Cow, Iwill beg her pardon, though my cane is hurt a great deal more than herprecious horns are. Behold me snap it in twain, although it is the onlyhandsome one I possess, because it has offended you!"

"Oh, what a pity! What a lovely piece of wood!" cried Dolly; and theyparted on the best of terms, after a warm vow upon either side that nonasty politics should ever come between them. 

But Carne was annoyed and discontented. He came to the edge of thecliff that evening below his ruined castle; for there are no cliffs atSpringhaven, unless the headland deserves that name; and there he satgloomily for some hours, revolving the chances of his enterprise. Theweather had changed since the morning, and a chill November wind beganto urge the waves ashore. The sky was not very dark, but shredded withloose grey vapours from the west, where a heavy bank of clouds lay underthe pale crescent of a watery moon. In the distance two British cruisersshone, light ships of outlook, under easy sail, prepared to send thesignal for a hundred leagues, from ship to ship and cliff to cliff, if any of England's foes appeared. They shone upon the dark sea, withcanvas touched by moonlight, and seemed ready to spring against thelowering sky, if it held any menace to the land they watched, or thelong reach of water they had made their own. 

"A pest upon those watch-dogs!" muttered Carne. "They are alwayswide-awake, and forever at their stations. Instead of growing tired, they get sharper every day. Even Charron can scarcely run through themnow. But I know who could do it, if he could only be trusted. With apilot-boat--it is a fine idea--a pilot-boat entered as of Pebbleridge. The Pebbleridge people hate Springhaven, through a feud of centuries, and Springhaven despises Pebbleridge. It would answer well, although thelanding is so bad, and no anchorage possible in rough weather. I musttry if Dan Tugwell will undertake it. None of the rest know the coastas he does, and few of them have the bravery. But Dan is a very sulkyfellow, very difficult to manage. He will never betray us; he iswonderfully grateful; and after that battle with the press-gang, when heknocked down the officer and broke his arm, he will keep pretty clear ofthe Union-jack. But he goes about moping, and wondering, and mooning, asif he were wretched about what he has to do. Bless my soul, where is myinvention? I see the way to have him under my thumb. Reason is an oldcoat hanging on a peg; passion is the fool who puts it on and runs awaywith it. Halloa! Who are you? And what do you want at such a time asthis? Surely you can see that I am not at leisure now. Why, Tugwell, Ithought that you were far away at sea!"

"So I was, sir; but she travels fast. I never would believe the oldLondon Trader could be driven through the water so. Sam Polwhele knowshow to pile it on a craft, as well as he do upon a man, sir. I won'tserve under him no more, nor Captain Charcoal either. I have done myduty by you. Squire Carne, the same as you did by me, sir; and thankingyou for finding me work so long, my meaning is to go upon the searchto-morrow. "

"What fools they must have been to let this fellow come ashore!" thoughtCarne, while he failed to see the wisest way to take it. "Tugwell, youcannot do this with any honour, after we have shown you all the secretsof our enterprise. You know that what we do is of the very highesthonour, kind and humane and charitable, though strictly forbidden by amost inhuman government. How would you like, if you were a prisoner inFrance, to be debarred from all chance of getting any message from yourfamily, your wife, your sweetheart, or your children, from year's endto year's end, and perhaps be dead for months without their knowinganything about it?"

"Well, sir, I should think it very hard indeed; though, if I was dead, I shouldn't know much more about it. But, without reproach to you, Icannot make out altogether that our only business is to carry lettersfor the prisoners, as now may be in England, from their loving friendsto command in their native country. I won't say against you, sir, ifyou say it is--that is, to the outside of all your knowledge. And twentythousand of them may need letters by the sack. But what use they couldmake, sir, of cannon as big as I be, and muskets that would kill a mana hundred yards of distance, and bayonets more larger and more sharperthan ever I see before, even with the Royal Volunteers--this goes out ofall my calculation. "

"Daniel, you have expressed your views, which are remarkable--as indeedthey always are--with your usual precision. But you have not observedthings with equal accuracy. Do you know when a gun is past service?"

"No, sir; I never was a poacher, no-how. Squire Darling, that is to say, Sir Charles Darling now, according to a chap on board, he was always sogood upon his land that nobody durst go a-poaching. "

"I mean a cannon, Dan. They don't poach with cannon yet, though they maycome to do it, as the game-laws increase. Do you know when a cannon isunsafe to fire, though it may look as bright as ever, like a worn-outpoker? All those things that have frightened you are only meant forornament. You know that every ancient building ought to have itsarmoury, as this castle always had, until they were taken away and sold. My intention is to restore it, when I can afford to do so. And havinga lot of worn-out weapons offered me for next to nothing, I seized thechance of bringing them. When times are better, and the war is over, Imay find time to arrange them. But that is not of much importance. Thegreat point is to secure the delivery of letters from their nativeland to the brave men here as prisoners. I cannot afford to do that fornothing, though I make no profit out of it. I have so many things tothink about that I scarcely know which to consider first. And after all, what matters to us whether those poor men are allowed to die, and beburied like dogs, without knowledge of their friends? Why should we runthe risk of being punished for them?"

"Well, sir, that seems hard doctrine, if I may be allowed to say so, and not like your kind-heartedness. Our Government have no right to stopthem of their letters. "

"It is a cruel thing. But how are we to help it? The London Trader istoo large for the purpose, and she is under suspicion now. I tell youeverything, Daniel, because I know that you are a true-hearted fellow, and far above all blabbing. I have thought once or twice of obtainingleave to purchase a stout and handy pilot-boat, with her licence and allthat transferred to us, and so running to and fro when needful. The onlyrisk then would be from perils of the sea; and even the pressmen darenot meddle with a pilot-boat. By-the-by, I have heard that you knockedsome of them about. Tugwell, you might have got us all into sadtrouble. "

"Was I to think of what I was doing, Squire Carne, when they wantedto make a slave of me? I would serve King George with a good heart, inspite of all that father has said against it. But it must be with a freewill, Squire Carne, and not to be tied hand and foot to it. How wouldyou like that yourself, sir?"

"Well, I think I should have done as you did, Dan, if I had been aBritish sailor. But as to this pilot-boat, I must have a bold and goodseaman to command it. A man who knows the coast, and is not afraid ofweather. Of course we should expect to pay good wages; 3 pounds a week, perhaps, and a guinea for every bag of letters landed safe. There areplenty of men who would jump at such a chance, Dan. "

"I'll be bound there are, sir. And it is more than I am worth, if youmean offering the place to me. It would suit me wonderful, if I wascertain that the job was honest. "

"Daniel Tugwell"--Carne spoke with great severity--"I will not lose mytemper, for I am sure you mean no insult. But you must be of a very low, suspicious nature, and quite unfit for any work of a lofty and unselfishorder, if you can imagine that a man in my position, a man of my largesentiments--"

"Oh, no, sir, no; it was not at all that"--Dan scarcely knew how totell what it was--"it was nothing at all of that manner of thinking. Iheartily ask your pardon, sir, if it seemed to go in that way. "

"Don't do that, " replied Carne, "because I can make allowances. I knowwhat a fine nature is, and how it takes alarm at shadows. I am alwaystender with honest scruples, because I find so many of them in myself. I should not have been pleased with you, if you had accepted myoffer--although so advantageous, and full of romantic interest--untilyou were convinced of its honourable nature. I have no time forargument, and I am sorry that you must not come up to the castle forsupper, because we have an old Springhaven man there, who would tellyour father all about you, which you especially wish to avoid. But ifyou feel inclined for this berth--as you sailors seem to call it--andhesitate through some patriotic doubts, though I cannot understand whatthey are, I will bring you a document (if you meet me here to-morrownight) from Admiral Sir Charles Darling, which I think will satisfyyou. "

"And shall I be allowed to keep it, sir, to show, in case of trouble?"

"Very likely. But I cannot say for certain. Some of those official formsmust be returned, others not; all depends upon their rules. Now go andmake yourself comfortable. How are you off for money?"

"Plenty, sir, plenty. I must not go where anybody knows me, or to-morrowhalf the talk at old Springhaven would be about me. Good-night, sir, andGod bless you. "

CHAPTER L

HIS SAVAGE SPIRIT

At this time letters came very badly, not only to French prisoners inEngland, but even to the highest authorities, who had the very bestmeans of getting them. Admiral Darling had often written to his oldfriend Nelson, but had long been without any tidings from him, throughno default on the hero's part. Lord Nelson was almost as prompt withthe pen as he was with the sword, but despatches were most irregular anduncertain. 

"Here at last we have him!" cried Sir Charles one morning early inDecember; "and not more than five weeks old, I declare! Dolly, beready, and call Faith down. Now read it, my dear, for our benefit. Yourgodfather writes a most excellent hand, considering that it is his lefthand; but my eyes are sore from so much night-work. Put on my specs, Dolly; I should like to see you in them. "

"Am I to read every word, papa, just as it comes? You know that hegenerally puts in words that are rather strong for me. "

"Nelson never thought or wrote a single word unfit for the nicestyoung lady. But you may hold up your hand if you come to any strongexpressions, and we shall understand them. "

"Then I shall want both hands as soon as ever we come to the very firstFrenchman. But this is what my godfather says:

"'VICTORY, OFF TOULON, October 31st, 1804. 

"'MY DEAR LINGO, --It was only yesterday that I received your letter ofJuly 21st; it went in a Spanish smuggling boat to the coast of Italy andreturned again to Spain, not having met any of our ships. And now I hopethat you will see me before you see this letter. We are certain to be atwar with Spain before another month is out, and I am heartily sorry forit, for I like those fellows better than the French, because they arenot such liars. My successor has been appointed, I have reason to hope, and must be far on his way by this time; probably Keith, but I cannotsay. Ministers cannot suppose that I want to fly the service; my wholelife has proved the contrary; if they refuse, I shall most certainlyleave in March or April, for a few months' rest I must have, or elsedie. My cough is very bad, and my side where I was struck off Cape St. Vincent is very much swelled, at times a lump as large as my fist isbrought on by violent coughing, but I hope and believe my lungs aresound. I hope to do good service yet, or else I should not care so much. But if I am in my grave, how can I serve the Country?

"'You will say, this is not at all like Nelson, to write about nothingbut his own poor self; and thank God, Lingo, I can say that youare right; for if ever a man lived for the good of England and thedestruction of those'"--here Dolly held a hand up--"'Frenchmen, it isthe man in front of this ink-bottle. The Lord has appointed me to thatduty, and I shall carry out my orders. Mons. La Touche, who was preachedabout in France as the man that was to extinguish me, and even inthe scurvy English newspapers, but never dared to show his snivellycountenance outside of the inner buoys, is dead of his debosheries, forwhich I am deeply grieved, as I fully intended to send him to the devil. 

"'I have been most unlucky for some time now, and to tell the truth Imay say always. But I am the last man in the world to grumble--as you, my dear Lingo, can testify. I always do the utmost, with a single mind, and leave the thought of miserable pelf to others, men perhaps who neversaw a shotted cannon fired. You know who made eighty thousand pounds, without having to wipe his pigtail--dirty things, I am glad they aregone out--but my business is to pay other people's debts, and receiveall my credits in the shape of cannon-balls. This is always so, and Ishould let it pass as usual, except for a blacker trick than I have everknown before. For fear of giving me a single chance of earning twopence, they knew that there was a million and a half of money coming into Cadizfrom South America in four Spanish frigates, and instead of leaving meto catch them, they sent out Graham Moore--you know him very well--withorders to pocket everything. This will create a war with Spain, a warbegun with robbery on our part, though it must have come soon in anycase. For everywhere now, except where I am, that fiend of a Corsican issupreme. 

"'There is not a sick man in this fleet, unless it is the one inside mycoat. That liar La Touche said HE CHASED ME AND I RAN. I keep a copy ofhis letter, which it would have been my duty to make him eat, if he hadventured out again. But he is gone to the lake of brimstone now, and Ihave the good feeling to forgive him. If my character is not fixed bythis time, it is not worth my trouble to put the world right. YesterdayI took a look into the port within easy reach of their batteries. Theylay like a lot of mice holed in a trap, but the weather was too thick tocount them. They are certainly nearly twice our number; and if any onewas here except poor little Nelson, I believe they would venture out. But my reputation deprives me always of any fair chance to increase it. 

"'And now, my dear Lingo, allow me to enquire how you are getting onwith your Coast-defence. I never did attach much importance to theirsenseless invasion scheme. The only thing to make it formidable wouldbe some infernal traitor on the coast, some devilish spy who would keepthem well informed, and enable them to land where least expected. Ifthere is such a scoundrel, may the Lord Almighty'"--here both Dolly'shands went up, with the letter in them, and her face turned as white asthe paper. 

"'I have often told you, as you may remember, that Springhaven is thevery place I should choose, if I were commander of the French flotilla. It would turn the flank of all the inland defences, and no Britishship could attack their intrenchments, if once they were snug below thewindows of the Hall. But they are not likely to know this, thank God;and if they did, they would have a job to get there. However, it is wiseto keep a sharp lookout, for they know very well that I am far away. 

"'And now that I have got to your own doors, which I heartily hope todo, perhaps before you see this, let me ask for yourself and all yourdear family. Lingo, the longer I live the more I feel that all thetrue happiness of life is found at home. My glory is very great, andsatisfies me, except when it scares the enemy; but I very often feelthat I would give it all away for a quiet life among those who love me. Your daughter Faith is a sweet young woman, just what I should wishfor a child of mine to be. And Horatia, my godchild, will turn out verywell, if a sharp hand is kept over her. But she takes after me, she isdaring and ambitious, and requires a firm hand at the helm. Read thisto her, with my love, and I dare say she will only laugh at it. If shemarries to my liking, she will be down for a good thing in my will, someday. God bless us all. Amen. Amen. 

"'Yours affectionately, "'NELSON AND BRONTE. '"

"Take it to heart, my dear; and so must I, " said the Admiral, laughingat the face his daughter made; "your godfather is a most excellent judgeof everybody's character except his own. But, bless me, my dear, why, you are crying! You silly little thing! I was only in fun. You shallmarry to his liking, and be down for the good thing. Look up, and laughat everybody, my darling. No one laughs so merrily as my pretty Dolly. Why, Faith, what does she mean by this?"

To the coaxing voice of her father, and the playful glance that she usedto play with, Dolly had not rushed up at all, either with mind, or, ifthat failed, with body, as she always used to do. She hurried towardsthe door, as if she longed to be away from them; and then, as if shewould rather not make any stir about it, sat down and pretended to havecaught her dress in something. 

"The only thing is to let her go on as she likes, " Faith said aloud, so that Dolly might hear all of it; "I have done all I can, but shebelieves herself superior. She cannot bear any sort of contradiction, and she expects one to know what she says, without her saying it. Thereis nothing to be done but to treat her the same way. If she is left toherself, she may come back to it. "

"Well, my dear children, " said the Admiral, much alarmed at the prospectof a broil between them, such as he remembered about three years back, "I make no pretence to understand your ways. If you were boys, it wouldbe different altogether. But the Almighty has been pleased to makeyou girls, and very good ones too; in fact, there are none to be foundbetter. You have always been bound up with one another and with me; andevery one admires all the three of us. So that we must be content ifa little thing arises, not to make too much of it, but bear with oneanother, and defy anybody to come in between us. Kiss one another, mydears, and be off; for I have much correspondence to attend to, besidesthe great Nelson's, though I took him first, hoping for somethingsensible. But I have not much to learn about Springhaven, even from hislordship. However, he is a man in ten thousand, and we must not be vexedabout any of his crotchets, because he has never had children to talkabout; and he gets out of soundings when he talks about mine. I wishLady Scudamore was come back. She always agrees with me, and she takes agreat load off my shoulders. "

The girls laughed at this, as they were meant to do. And theyhurried off together, to compare opinions. After all these years ofindependence, no one should be set up over them. Upon that point Faithwas quite as resolute as Dolly; and her ladyship would have refused tocome back, if she had overheard their council. For even in the loftiestfeminine nature lurks a small tincture of jealousy. 

But Dolly was now in an evil frame of mind about many things which shecould not explain even to herself, with any satisfaction. Even thatharmless and pleasant letter from her great godfather went amiss withher; and instead of laughing at the words about herself, as with a soundconscience she must have done, she brooded over them, and turned thembitter. No man could have mixed up things as she did, but her mind wasnimble. For the moment, she hated patriotism, because Nelson representedit; and feeling how wrong he had been about herself, she felt that hewas wrong in everything. The French were fine fellows, and had quite asmuch right to come here as we had to go and harass them, and a littleabatement of English conceit might be a good thing in the long-run. Notthat she would let them stay here long; that was not to be thought of, and they would not wish it. But a little excitement would be delightful, and a great many things might be changed for the better, such as thetreatment of women in this country, which was barbarous, compared towhat it was in France. Caryl had told her a great deal about that; andthe longer she knew him the more she was convinced of his wisdom andthe largeness of his views, so different from the savage spirit of LordNelson. 

CHAPTER LI

STRANGE CRAFT

While his love was lapsing from him thus, and from her own true self yetmore, the gallant young sailor, whose last prize had been that usefulone misfortune, was dwelling continually upon her image, because hehad very little else to do. English prisoners in France were treatedsometimes very badly, which they took good care to proclaim to Europe;but more often with pity, and good-will, and a pleasant study of theirmodes of thought. For an Englishman then was a strange and ever freshcuriosity to a Frenchman, a specimen of another race of bipeds, withdoubts whether marriage could make parentage between them. And a centuryof intercourse, good-will, and admiration has left us still inquisitiveabout each other. 

Napoleon felt such confidence in his plans for the conquest of Englandthat if any British officer belonging to the fleet in the narrow seaswas taken (which did not happen largely), he sent for him, upon hisarrival at Boulogne, and held a little talk with any one who couldunderstand and answer. He was especially pleased at hearing of thecapture of Blyth Scudamore (who had robbed him of his beloved Blonde), and at once restored Desportes to favour, which he had begun to dobefore, knowing as well as any man on earth the value of good officers. "Bring your prisoner here to-morrow at twelve o'clock, " was his order;"you have turned the tables upon him well. "

Scudamore felt a little nervous tingling as he passed through thesentries, with his friend before him, into the pavilion of the greatestman in Europe. But the Emperor, being in high good-humour, and pleasedwith the young man's modest face and gentle demeanour, soon set him athis ease, and spoke to him as affably as if he had been his equal. Forthis man of almost universal mind could win every heart, when he sethimself to do it. Scudamore rubbed his eyes, which was a trick of his, as if he could scarcely believe them. Napoleon looked--not insignificant(that was impossible for a man with such a countenance), but mild, andpleasing, and benevolent, as he walked to and fro, for he never couldstay still, in the place which was neither a tent nor a room, but amixture of the two, and not a happy one. His hat, looped up with adiamond and quivering with an ostrich feather, was flung anyhow upon thetable. But his wonderful eyes were the brightest thing there. 

"Ha! ha!" said the Emperor, a very keen judge of faces; "you expectedto find me a monster, as I am portrayed by your caricaturists. Yourcountrymen are not kind to me, except the foremost of them--the greatpoets. But they will understand me better by-and-by, when justiceprevails, and the blessings of peace, for which I am strivingperpetually. But the English nation, if it were allowed a voice, wouldproclaim me its only true friend and ally. You know that, if you are oneof the people, and not of the hateful House of Lords, which engrossesall the army and the navy. Are you in connection with the House ofLords?"

Scudamore shook his head and smiled. He was anxious to say that he hada cousin, not more than twice removed, now an entire viscount; butNapoleon never encouraged conversation, unless it was his own, or inanswer to his questions. 

"Very well. Then you can speak the truth. What do they think of all thisgrand army? Are they aware that, for their own good, it will very soonoccupy London? Are they forming themselves to act as my allies, when Ihave reduced them to reason? Is it now made entirely familiar to theirminds that resistance to me is as hopeless as it has been from the firstunwise? If they would submit, without my crossing, it would save themsome disturbance, and me a great expense. I have often hoped to hear ofit. "

"You will never do that, sire, " Scudamore answered, looking calmly andfirmly at the deep gray eyes, whose gaze could be met by none of themillions who dread passion; "England will not submit, even if youconquer her. "

"It is well said, and doubtless you believe it, " Napoleon continued, with a smile so slight that to smile in reply to it would have beenimpertinent; "but England is the same as other nations, although themost obstinate among them. When her capital is occupied, her creditruined, her great lords unable to obtain a dinner, the government (whichis not the country) will yield, and the country must follow it. I haveheard that the King, and the Court, and the Parliament, talk offlying to the north, and there remaining, while the navy cuts off ourcommunications, and the inferior classes starve us. Have you heard ofany such romance as that?"

"No, sire:" Scudamore scarcely knew what to call him, but adopted thisvocative for want of any better. "I have never heard of any suchplan, and no one would think of packing up, until our fleet has beendemolished. "

"Your fleet? Yes, yes. How many ships are now parading to and fro, andgetting very tired of it?"

"Your Majesty's officers know that best, " Scudamore answered, with hispleasant open smile. "I have been a prisoner for a month and more, andkept ten miles inland, out of sight of the sea. "

"But you have been well treated, I hope. You have no complaint to make, Monsieur Scutamour? Your name is French, and you speak the languagewell. We set the fair example in the treatment of brave men. "

"Sire, I have been treated, " the young officer replied, with a low bow, and eyes full of gratitude, "as a gentleman amongst gentlemen. I mightsay as a friend among kind friends. "

"That is as it should be. It is my wish always. Few of your Englishfabrications annoy me more than the falsehoods about that. It is mostungenerous, when I do my best, to charge me with strangling braveEnglish captains. But Desportes fought well, before you took his vessel. Is it not so? Speak exactly as you think. I like to hear the enemy'saccount of every action. "

"Captain Desportes, sire, fought like a hero, and so did all his crew. It was only his mishap in sticking fast upon a sand-bank that enabled usto overpower him. "

"And now he has done the like to you. You speak with a brave man'scandour. You shall be at liberty to see the sea, monsieur; for a sailoralways pines for that. I will give full instructions to your friendDesportes about you. But one more question before you go--is there muchanxiety in England?"

"Yes, sire, a great deal. But we hope not to allow your Majesty'sarmament to enter and increase it. "

"Ah, we shall see, we shall see how that will be. Now farewell, Captain. Tell Desportes to come to me. "

"Well, my dear friend, you have made a good impression, " said the Frenchsailor, when he rejoined Scudamore, after a few words with the Master ofthe State; "all you have to do is to give your word of honour to avoidour lines, and keep away from the beach, and of course to have nocommunication with your friends upon military subjects. I am allowedto place you for the present at Beutin, a pleasant little hamlet onthe Canche, where lives an old relative of mine, a Monsieur Jalais, anancient widower, with a large house and one servant. I shall be afloat, and shall see but little of you, which is the only sad part of thebusiness. You will have to report yourself to your landlord at eightevery morning and at eight o'clock at night, and only to leave the housebetween those hours, and not to wander more than six miles from home. How do these conditions approve themselves to you?"

"I call them very liberal, and very handsome, " Scudamore answered, ashe well might do. "Two miles' range is all that we allow in England toFrench officers upon parole. These generous terms are due to your kindfriendship. "

Before very long the gentle Scuddy was as happy as a prisoner can expectto be, in his comfortable quarters at Beutin. Through friendly exchangeshe had received a loving letter from his mother, with an amiableenclosure, and M. Jalais being far from wealthy, a pleasant arrangementwas made between them. Scudamore took all his meals with his host, whocould manage sound victuals like an Englishman, and the house-keeper, house-cleaner, and house-feeder (misdescribed by Desportes as a servant, according to our distinctions), being a widow of mark, sat down toconsider her cookery upon choice occasions. Then for a long time wouldprevail a conscientious gravity, and reserve of judgment inwardly, everybody waiting for some other body's sentiments; until the author ofthe work, as a female, might no more abide the malignant silence of malereviewers. 

Scudamore, being very easily amused, as any good-natured young man is, entered with zest into all these doings, and became an authority uponappeal; and being gifted with depth of simplicity as well as highcourtesy of taste, was never known to pronounce a wrong decision. Thatis to say, he decided always in favour of the lady, which has been themajestic course of Justice for centuries, till the appearance of Mrs. -----, the lady who should have married the great Home-Ruler. 

Thus the wily Scudamore obtained a sitting-room, with the prettiestoutlook in the house, or indeed in any house in that part of the worldfor many leagues of seeking. For the mansion of M. Jalais stood in anelbow of the little river, and one window of this room showed the curveof tidal water widening towards the sea, while the other pleasantly gaveeye to the upper reaches of the stream, where an angler of rose-colouredmind might almost hope to hook a trout. The sun glanced down the streamin the morning, and up it to see what he had done before he set; andalthough M. Jalais' trees were leafless now, they had sleeved their bentarms with green velvetry of moss. 

Scudamore brought his comfortable chair to the nook between thesewindows, and there, with a book or two belonging to his host, and thepipe whose silver clouds enthrone the gods of contemplation, many apleasant hour was passed, seldom invaded by the sounds of war. For thecourse of the roads, and sands of the river, kept this happy spot alooffrom bad communications. Like many other streams in northern France, the Canche had been deepened and its mouth improved, not for uses ofcommerce, but of warfare. Veteran soldier and raw recruit, bugler, baker, and farrier, man who came to fight and man who came to writeabout it, all had been turned into navvies, diggers, drivers of piles, or of horses, or wheelbarrows, by the man who turned everybody intohis own teetotum. The Providence that guides the world showed mercy insending that engine of destruction before there was a Railway for him torun upon. 

Now Scudamore being of a different sort, and therefore having pleasedNapoleon (who detested any one at all of his own pattern), might havebeen very well contented here, and certainly must have been so, if hehad been without those two windows. Many a bird has lost his nest, andhis eggs, and his mate, and even his own tail, by cocking his eyes tothe right and left, when he should have drawn their shutters up. Andwhy? Because the brilliance of his too projecting eyes has twinkledthrough the leaves upon the narrow oblong of the pupils of a spotty-eyedcat going stealthily under the comb of the hedge, with her stomach wiredin, and her spinal column fluted, to look like a wrinkled blackthornsnag. But still worse is it for that poor thrush, or lintie, or robin, or warbler-wren, if he flutters in his bosom when he spies that cat, andsets up his feathers, and begins to hop about, making a sad little chirpto his mate, and appealing to the sky to protect him and his family. 

Blyth Scudamore's case was a mixture of those two. It would have beenbetter for his comfort if he had shut his eyes; but having opened them, he should have stayed where he was, without any fluttering. However, heacted for the best; and when a man does that, can those who never do sofind a word to say against him?

According to the best of his recollection, which was generally near themark, it was upon Christmas Eve, A. D. 1804, that his curiosity was firstaroused. He had made up his room to look a little bit like home, witha few sprigs of holly, and a sheaf of laurel, not placed daintily as alady dresses them, but as sprightly as a man can make them look, and asbright as a captive Christmas could expect. The decorator shed a littlesigh--if that expression may be pardoned by analogy, for he certainlyneither fetched nor heaved it--and then he lit his pipe to reflect uponhome blessings, and consider the free world outside, in which he hadvery little share at present. 

Mild blue eyes, such as this young man possessed, are oftenshort-sighted at a moderate range, and would be fitted up with glassesin these artificial times, and yet at long distance they are mostefficient, and can make out objects that would puzzle keener organs. Andso it was that Scudamore, with the sinking sun to help him, descried ata long distance down the tidal reach a peaceful-looking boat, which madehis heart beat faster. For a sailor's glance assured him that she wasEnglish--English in her rig and the stiff cut of her canvas, and in allthose points of character to a seaman so distinctive, which apprise himof his kindred through the length of air and water, as clearly as welandsmen know a man from a woman at the measure of a furlong, or aquarter of a mile. He perceived that it was an English pilot-boat, andthat she was standing towards him. At first his heart fluttered witha warm idea, that there must be good news for him on board that boat. Perhaps, without his knowledge, an exchange of prisoners might have beenagreed upon; and what a grand Christmas-box for him, if the order forhis release was there! But another thought showed him the absurdityof this hope, for orders of release do not come so. Nevertheless, hewatched that boat with interest and wonder. 

Presently, just as the sun was setting, and shadows crossed the water, the sail (which had been gleaming like a candle-flame against the hazeand upon the glaze) flickered and fell, and the bows swung round, andher figure was drawn upon the tideway. She was now within half a mileof M. Jalais' house, and Scudamore, though longing for a spy-glass, wasable to make out a good deal without one. He saw that she was anEnglish pilot-boat, undecked, but fitted with a cuddy forward, riggedluggerwise, and built for speed, yet fit to encounter almost any Channelsurges. She was light in the water, and bore little except ballast. Hecould not be sure at that distance, but he thought that the sailors mustbe Englishmen, especially the man at the helm, who was beyond reasonabledoubt the captain. 

Then two long sweeps were manned amidship, with two sturdy fellows totug at each; and the quiet evening air led through the soft rehearsal ofthe water to its banks the creak of tough ash thole-pins, and the groanof gunwale, and the splash of oars, and even a sound of human staple, such as is accepted by the civilized world as our national diapason. 

The captive Scuddy, who observed all this, was thoroughly puzzled atthat last turn. Though the craft was visibly English, the crew mightstill have been doubtful, if they had held their tongues, or kept themin submission. But that word stamped them, or at any rate the one whohad been struck in the breast by the heavy timber, as of genuine Britishbirth. Yet there was no sign that these men were prisoners, or acting bycompulsion. No French boat was near them, no batteries there commandedtheir course, and the pilot-boat carried no prize-crew to directreluctant labours. At the mouth of the river was a floating bridge, forthe use of the forces on either side, and no boat could have passed itwithout permission. Therefore these could be no venturesome Britons, spying out the quarters of the enemy; either they must have been allowedto pass for some special purpose, under flag of truce, or else theywere traitors, in league with the French, and despatched upon some darkerrand. 

In a few minutes, as the evening dusk began to deepen round her, themysterious little craft disappeared in a hollow of the uplands on theother side of the water, where a narrow creek or inlet--such asis called a "pill" in some parts of England--formed a shelteredlanding-place, overhung with clustering trees. Then Scudamore rose, andfilled another pipe, to meditate upon this strange affair. "I amjustly forbidden, " he thought, as it grew dark, "to visit the camp, orendeavour to learn anything done by the army of invasion. And I havepledged myself to that effect. But this is a different case altogether. When Englishmen come here as traitors to their country, and in a placewell within my range, my duty is to learn the meaning of it; and ifI find treachery of importance working, then I must consider about myparole, and probably withdraw it. That would be a terrible blow to me, because I should certainly be sent far inland, and kept in a Frenchprison perhaps for years, with little chance of hearing from my friendsagain. And then she would give me up as lost, that faithful darling, who has put aside all her bright prospects for my sake. How I wish I hadnever seen that boat! and I thought it was coming to bring me such goodnews! I am bound to give them one day's grace, for they might notknow where to find me at once, and to-night I could not get near them, without overstaying my time to be in-doors. But if I hear nothingto-morrow, and see nothing, I must go round, so as not to be seen, andlearn something about her the very next morning. "

Hearing nothing and seeing no more, he spent an uncomfortable ChristmasDay, disappointing his host and kind Madame Fropot, who had done allthey knew to enliven him with a genuine English plum-pudding. And thenext day, with a light foot but rather heavy heart, he made the longround by the bridge up-stream, and examined the creek which the Englishboat had entered. He approached the place very cautiously, knowing thatif his suspicions were correct, they might be confirmed too decisively, and his countrymen, if they had fire-arms, would give him a warmreception. However, there was no living creature to be seen, excepta poor terrified ox, who had escaped from the slaughter-houses of thedistant camp, and hoped for a little rest in this dark thicket. He wasworn out with his long flight and sadly wounded, for many men had shotat him, when he desired to save his life; and although his mouth waslittle more than the length of his tail from water, there he lay gaspingwith his lips stretched out, and his dry tongue quivering between hisyellow teeth, and the only moisture he could get was running out insteadof into his mouth. 

Scudamore, seeing that the coast was clear, and no enemy in chase ofthis poor creature, immediately filled his hat with fresh water--for thetide was out now, and the residue was sweet--and speaking very gently inthe English language, for he saw that he must have been hard-shoutedat in French, was allowed without any more disturbance of the system tosupply a little glad refreshment. The sorely afflicted animal licked hislips, and looked up for another hatful. 

Captain Scuddy deserved a new hat for this--though very few Englishmenwould not have done the like--and in the end he got it, though he musthave caught a bad cold if he had gone without a hat till then. 

Pursuing his search, with grateful eyes pursuing him, he soon discoveredwhere the boat had grounded, by the impress of her keel and forefoot onthe stiff retentive mud. He could even see where a hawser had been madefast to a staunch old trunk, and where the soil had been prodded witha pole in pushing her off at the turn of tide. Also deep tracks of somevery large hound, or wolf, or unknown quadruped, in various places, scarred the bank. And these marks were so fresh and bright that theymust have been made within the last few hours, probably when the lastebb began. If so, the mysterious craft had spent the whole of ChristmasDay in that snug berth; and he blamed himself for permitting his host'sfestivities to detain him. Then he took a few bearings to mark thespot, and fed the poor crippled ox with all the herbage he could gather, resolving to come with a rope to-morrow, and lead him home, if possible, as a Christmas present to M. Jalais. 

CHAPTER LII

KIND ENQUIRIES

That notable year, and signal mark in all the great annals of England, the year 1805, began with gloom and great depression. Food was scarce, and so was money; wars, and rumours of worse than war; discontent of menwho owed it to their birth and country to stand fast, and trust inGod, and vigorously defy the devil; sinkings even of strong hearts, andquailing of spirits that had never quailed before; passionate outcry forpeace without honour, and even without safety; savage murmurings at wisemeasures and at the burdens that must be borne--none but those who livedthrough all these troubles could count half of them. If such came now, would the body of the nation strive to stand against them, or fall inthe dust, and be kicked and trampled, sputtering namby-pamby? Britannianow is always wrong, in the opinion of her wisest sons, if she dares todefend herself even against weak enemies; what then would her crimebe if she buckled her corselet against the world! To prostitute theirmother is the philanthropy of Communists. 

But while the anxious people who had no belief in foreigners werewatching by the dark waves, or at the twilight window trembling (if evera shooting-star drew train, like a distant rocket-signal), or in theirsleepy beds scared, and jumping up if a bladder burst upon a jam-pot, no one attempted to ridicule them, and no public journal pronounced thatthe true British flag was the white feather. It has been left for timeswhen the power of England is tenfold what it was then, and her dutiesa hundredfold, to tell us that sooner than use the one for the properdischarge of the other, we must break it up and let them go to pot uponit, for fear of hurting somebody that stuck us in the back. 

But who of a right mind knows not this, and who with a wrong onewill heed it? The only point is that the commonest truisms come uponutterance sometimes, and take didactic form too late; even as we shoutto our comrade prone, and beginning to rub his poor nose, "Look out!"And this is what everybody did with one accord, when he was down uponhis luck--which is far more momentous than his nose to any man--in thecase of Rector Twemlow. 

That gentleman now had good reason for being in less than his usualcheer and comfort. Everything around him was uneasy, and everybodyseemed to look at him, instead of looking up to him, as the manner usedto be. This was enough to make him feel unlike himself; for although hewas resolute in his way, and could manage to have it with most people, he was not of that iron style which takes the world as wax to writeupon. Mr. Twemlow liked to heave his text at the people of his parish onSunday, and to have his joke with them on Monday; as the fire that hasburned a man makes the kettle sing to comfort him. And all who met himthroughout the week were pleased with him doubly, when they rememberedhis faithfulness in the pulpit. 

But now he did his duty softly, as if some of it had been done to him;and if anybody thanked him for a fine discourse, he never endeavouredto let him have it all again. So far was he gone from his natural statethat he would rather hear nothing about himself than be praised enoughto demand reply; and this shows a world-wide depression to have arrivedin the latitude of a British waistcoat. However, he went through hiswork, as a Briton always does, until he hangs himself; and he triedto try some of the higher consolation, which he knew so well how toadminister to others. 

Those who do not understand the difference of this might have beeninclined to blame him; but all who have seen a clever dentist with thetoothache are aware that his knowledge adds acuteness to the pain. Mr. Twemlow had borne great troubles well, and been cheerful even underlong suspense; but now a disappointment close at home, and the griefof beholding his last hopes fade, were embittered by mystery and darksuspicions. In despair at last of recovering his son, he had fastenedupon his only daughter the interest of his declining life; and now hewas vexed with misgivings about her, which varied as frequently as shedid. It was very unpleasant to lose the chance of having a grandchildcapable of rocking in a silver cradle; but that was a trifle comparedwith the prospect of having no grandchild at all, and perhaps not evena child to close his eyes. And even his wife, of long habit and fairharmony, from whom he had never kept any secret--frightful as might bethe cost to his honour--even Mrs. Twemlow shook her head sometimes, whenthe arrangement of her hair permitted it, and doubted whether any of theCarne Castle Carnes would have borne with such indignity. 

"Prosecute him, prosecute him, " this good lady always said. "You oughtto have been a magistrate, Joshua--the first magistrate in the Bible wasthat--and then you would have known how to do things. But because youwould have to go to Sir Charles Darling--whose Sir can never put him onthe level of the Carnes--you have some right feeling against taking outa summons. In that I agree with you; it would be very dreadful here. Butin London he might be punished, I am sure; and I know a great dealabout the law, for I never had any one connected with me who was nota magistrate; the Lord Mayor has a Court of his own for trying thecorporation under the chair; and if this was put properly before him bya man like Mr. Furkettle, upon the understanding that he should not bepaid unless he won his case, I am sure the result would be three years'imprisonment. By that time he would have worn out his coat with jailer'skeys upon it, which first attracted our poor Eliza; or if he was notallowed to wear it, it would go out of fashion, and be harmless. No oneneed know a word about it here, for Captain Stubbard would oblige usgladly by cutting it out of the London papers. My dear, you have nobodyill in the parish; I will put up your things, and see you off to-morrow. We will dine late on Friday, to suit the coach; and you will be quitefit for Sunday work again, if you keep up your legs on a chair allSaturday. "

"If ever I saw a straightforward man, " Mr. Twemlow used to answer, "itwas poor Percival Shargeloes. He is gone to a better world, my dear. And if he continued to be amenable to law, this is not a criminal, but acivil case. "

"A nice case of civility, Joshua! But you always stand up for your sex. Does the coach take people to a better world? A stout gentleman, likehim, was seen inside the coach, muffled up in a cravat of three colours, and eating at frequent intervals. "

"The very thing poor Percival never did. That disposes to my mind ofthat foolish story. My dear, when all truth comes to light, you will dojustice to his memory. "

"Yes, I dare say. But I should like to do it now. If you entertain anydark ideas, it is your duty to investigate them. Also to let me sharethem, Joshua, as I have every right to do. "

This was just what the Rector could not do; otherwise he might have beenfar more happy. Remembering that last conversation with his prospectiveson-in-law, and the poor man's declaration that the suspicious matter atthe castle ought to be thoroughly searched out at once, he nourished adark suspicion, which he feared to impart to his better half, theaunt of the person suspected. But the longer he concealed it, the moreunbearable grew this misery to a candid nature, until he was compelled, in self-defence, to allow it some sort of outlet. "I will speak to thefellow myself, " he said, heartily disliking the young man now, "andjudge from his manner what next I ought to do. "

This resolution gave him comfort, much as he hated any interview withCarne, who treated him generally with cold contempt. And, like mostpeople who have formed a decision for the easing of the conscience, heaccepted very patiently the obstacles encountered. In the first place, Carne was away upon business; then he was laid up with a heavy cold;then he was much too hard at work (after losing so much time) to be ableto visit Springhaven; and to seek him in his ruins was most unsafe, evenif one liked to do it. For now it was said that two gigantic dogs, asbig as a bull and as fierce as a tiger, roved among the ruins all day, and being always famished, would devour in two minutes any temptingstranger with a bit of flesh or fat on him. The Rector, patting hisgaiters, felt that instead of a pastor he might become a very sweetrepast to them, and his delicacy was renewed and deepened. He was boundto wait until his nephew appeared at least inside his parish. 

Therefore the time of year was come almost to the middle of Februarywhen Mr. Twemlow at last obtained the chance he required and dreaded. Heheard that his nephew had been seen that day to put up his horse in thevillage, and would probably take the homeward road as soon as it grewtoo dark to read. So he got through his own work (consisting chiefly ofnewspaper, dinner, and a cool clay pipe, to equalise mind with matter), and having thus escaped the ladies, off he set by the lobby door, carrying a good thick stick. As the tide would be up, and only deepsand left for the heavy track of the traveller, he chose the inland wayacross the lower part of the Admiral's grounds, leading to the villageby a narrow plank bridge across the little stream among some trees. Herewere banks of earth and thicket, shadowy dells where the primrose grew, and the cuckoo-pint, and wood-sorrel, and perhaps in summer the glowwormbreathed her mossy gleam under the blackberries. 

And here Parson Twemlow was astonished, though he had promised himselfto be surprised no more, after all he had been through lately. As heturned a sharp corner by an ivied tree, a breathless young woman raninto his arms. 

"Oh!" cried the Rector, for he was walking briskly, with awell-nourished part of his system forward--"oh, I hope you have not hurtyourself. No doubt it was my fault. Why, Dolly! What a hurry you are in!And all alone--all alone, almost after dark!"

"To be sure; and that makes me in such a hurry;" Miss Dolly was in sadconfusion. "But I suppose I am safe in my father's own grounds. "

"From everybody, except yourself, my dear, " Mr. Twemlow replied, severely. "Is your father aware, does your sister know, that you areat this distance from the house after dark, and wholly without acompanion?"

"It is not after dark, Mr. Twemlow; although it is getting darker thanI meant it to be. I beg your pardon for terrifying you. I hope youwill meet with no other perils! Good-night! Or at least I mean, good-afternoon!"

"The brazen creature!" thought Mr. Twemlow, as the girl without anotherword disappeared. "Not even to offer me any excuse! But I suppose shehad no fib handy. She will come to no good, I am very much afraid. Mariatold me that she was getting very wilful; but I had no idea that it wasquite so bad as this. I am sorry for poor Scudamore, who thinks her suchan angel. I wonder if Carne is at the bottom of this? There is nothingtoo bad for that dark young man. I shall ascertain at any rate whetherhe is in the village. But unless I look sharp I shall be too late tomeet him. Oh, I can't walk so fast as I did ten years ago. "

Impelled by duty to put best leg foremost, and taking a short-cut abovethe village, he came out upon the lane leading towards the castle, somehalf-mile or so beyond the last house of Springhaven. Here he waited torecover breath, and prepare for what he meant to say, and he was sorryto perceive that light would fail him for strict observation of hisnephew's face. But he chose the most open spot he could find, where thehedges were low, and nothing overhung the road. 

Presently he heard the sound of hoofs approaching leisurely up the hill, and could see from his resting-place that Carne was coming, sittingloosely and wearily on his high black horse. Then the Rector, to cutshort an unpleasant business, stood boldly forth and hailed him. 

"No time for anything now, " shouted Carne; "too late already. Do youwant my money? You are come to the wrong man for that; but the rightone, I can tell you, for a bullet. "

"Caryl, it is I, your uncle Twemlow, or at any rate the husband of youraunt. Put up your pistol, and speak to me a minute. I have somethingimportant to say to you. And I never can find you at the castle. "

"Then be quick, sir, if you please;" Carne had never condescended tocall this gentleman his uncle. "I have little time to spare. Out withit. "

"You were riding very slowly for a man in a hurry, " said the Rector, annoyed at his roughness. "But I will not keep you long, young man. Forsome good reasons of your own you have made a point of avoiding us, yournearest relatives in this country, and to whom you addressed yourselfbefore you landed in a manner far more becoming. Have I ever pressed myattentions upon you?"

"No, I confess that you have not done that. You perceived as a gentlemanhow little there was in common between the son of a devoted Catholic anda heretic clergyman. "

"That is one way to put it, " Mr. Twemlow answered, smiling in spite ofhis anger at being called a heretic; "but I was not aware that you hadstrong religious views. However that may be, we should have many thingsin common, as Englishmen, at a time like this. But what I came to speakof is not that. We can still continue to get on without you, althoughwe would rather have met with friendly feeling and candour, as becomesrelatives. But little as you know of us, you must be well aware thatyour cousin Eliza was engaged to be married to a gentleman from London, Mr. Percival Shargeloes, and that he--"

"I am sure I wish her all happiness, and congratulate you, my dear sir, as well as my aunt Maria. I shall call, as soon as possible, to offermy best wishes. It was very kind of you to tell me. Goodnight, sir, good-night! There is a shower coming. "

"But, " exclaimed the Rector, nonplussed for the moment by this viewof the subject, yet standing square before the horse, "Shargeloes hasdisappeared. What have you done with him?"

Carne looked at his excellent uncle as if he had much doubt about hissanity. "Try to explain yourself, my dear sir. Try to connect yourideas, " he said, "and offer me the benefit another time. My horse isimpatient; he may strike you with his foot. "

"If he does, I shall strike him upon the head, " Mr. Twemlow replied, with his heavy stick ready. "It will be better for you to hear me out. Otherwise I shall procure a search-warrant, and myself examine yourruins, of which I know every crick and cranny. And your aunt Maria shallcome with me, who knows every stone even better than you do. That wouldbe a very different thing from an overhauling by Captain Stubbard. Ithink we should find a good many barrels and bales that had paid noduty. "

"My dear uncle, " cried Carne, with more affection than he ever yet hadshown, "that is no concern of yours; you have no connection with theRevenue; and I am sure that Aunt Maria would be loth to help in pullingdown the family once more. But do as you please. I am accustomed toill fortune. Only I should like to know what this is about poor CousinEliza. If any man has wronged her, leave the case to me. You have no sonnow, and the honour of the family shall not suffer in my hands. I willthrow up everything, busy as I am, to make such a rascal bite the dust. And Eliza so proud, and so upright herself!"

"Caryl, " said his uncle, moved more than he liked to show by thisfine feeling, "you know more, I see, than you liked to show at first, doubtless through goodwill to us. Your dear aunt wished to keep thematter quiet, for the sake of poor Eliza, and her future chances. But Isaid--No. Let us have it all out. If there is wrong, we have suffered, not done it. Concealment is odious to every honest mind. "

"Deeply, deeply odious. Upon that point there can be no twoopinions"--he forgets his barrels, thought the Rector--"but surely thisman, whatever his name is--Charleygoes--must have been hiding from yousomething in his own history. Probably he had a wife already. City menoften do that when young, and then put their wives somewhere whenthey get rich, and pay visits, and even give dinners, as if they werebachelors to be sought after. Was Charleygoes that sort of a man?"

"His name is 'Shargeloes, ' a name well known, as I am assured, in thehighest quarters. And he certainly was not sought after by us, but cameto me with an important question bearing on ichthyology. He may be awanderer, as you suggest, and as all the ladies seem to think. But myfirm belief is to the contrary. And my reason for asking you about himis a very clear one. He had met you twice, and felt interest in you asa future member of our family. You had never invited him to the castle;and the last intention he expressed in my hearing was to call upon youwithout one. Has he met with an accident in your cellars? Or have yourdogs devoured him? He carried a good deal of flesh, in spite of all hecould do to the contrary; and any man naturally might endeavour to hushup such an incident. Tell me the truth, Caryl. And we will try to meetit. "

"My two dogs (who would never eat any one, though they might pull downa stranger, and perhaps pretend to bite him) arrived here the first weekin January. When did Charleygoes disappear? I am not up in dates, but itmust have been weeks and weeks before that time. And I must have heardof it, if it had happened. I may give you my honour that Orso and Leohave not eaten Charleygoes. "

"You speak too lightly of a man in high position, who would have beenLord Mayor of London, if he had never come to Springhaven. But livingor dead, he shall never be that now. Can you answer me, in the samestraightforward manner, as to an accident in your cellars; which, as agentleman upon a private tour, he had clearly no right to intrude upon?"

"I can answer you quite as clearly. Nothing accidental has happened inmy cellars. You may come and see them, if you have any doubt about it. And you need not apply for a search-warrant. "

"God forbid, my dear fellow, " cried the uncle, "that I should intrudeupon any little matters of delicacy, such as are apt to arise betweenartificial laws and gentlemen who happen to live near the sea, and tohave large places that require restoring! I shall go home with alighter heart. There is nothing in this world that brings the comfort ofstraightforwardness. "

CHAPTER LIII

TIME AND PLACE

In a matter like that French invasion, which had been threatened forsuch a time, and kept so long impending, "the cry of wolf" grows staleat last, and then the real danger comes. Napoleon had reckoned uponthis, as he always did upon everything, and for that good reason he hadnot grudged the time devoted to his home affairs. These being settledaccording to his will, and mob turned into pomp as gaily as grub turnsinto butterfly, a strong desire for a little more glory arose in hismighty but ill-regulated mind. If he could only conquer England, or evenwithout that fetch her down on her knees and make her lick her own dustoff the feet of Frenchmen, from that day forth all the nations of theearth must bow down before him. Russia, Prussia, Austria, Spain, thoughthey might have had the power, never would have plucked the spirit up, to resist him hand in hand, any more than skittle-pins can back oneanother up against the well-aimed ball. 

The balance of to-be or not-to-be, as concerned our country (which manynow despise, as the mother of such disloyal children), after all thatlong suspension, hung in the clouds of that great year; and a verycloudy year it was, and thick with storms on land and sea. Storm waswhat the Frenchmen longed for, to disperse the British ships; thoughstorm made many an Englishman, pulling up the counterpane as the windowrattled, thank the Father of the weather for keeping the enemy ashoreand in a fright. But the greatest peril of all would be in the case offog succeeding storm, when the mighty flotilla might sweep across beforeour ships could resume blockade, or even a frigate intercept. 

One of the strangest points in all this period of wonders, to us whoafter the event are wise, is that even far-sighted Nelson and hiswatchful colleagues seem to have had no inkling of the enemy's mainproject. Nelson believed Napoleon to be especially intent on Egypt;Collingwood expected a sudden dash on Ireland; others were sure thathis object was Jamaica; and many maintained that he would step ashorein India. And these last came nearest to the mark upon the whole, for agreat historian (who declares, like Caryl Carne, that a French invasionis a blessing to any country) shows that, for at least a month in thespring of 1805, his hero was revolving a mighty scheme for robbing poorEngland of blissful ravage, and transferring it to India. 

However, the master of the world--as he was called already, and meantsoon to be--suddenly returned to his earlier design, and fixed the vastpower of his mind upon it. He pushed with new vigour his preparations, which had been slackened awhile, he added 30, 000 well-trained soldiersto his force already so enormous, and he breathed the quick spiritof enterprise into the mighty mass he moved. Then, to clear off allobstacles, and ensure clear speed of passage, he sent sharp orders tohis Admirals to elude and delude the British fleets, and resolved toenhance that delusion by his own brief absence from the scene. 

Meanwhile a man of no importance to the world, and of very moderateambition, was passing a pleasant time in a quiet spot, content tobe scarcely a spectator even of the drama in rehearsal around him. Scudamore still abode with M. Jalais, and had won his hearty friendship, as well as the warm good-will of that important personage Madame Fropot. Neither of these could believe at first that any Englishman was kindand gentle, playful in manner, and light-hearted, easily pleased, andtherefore truly pleasing. But as soon as they saw the poor wounded oxbrought home by a ford, and settled happily in the orchard, and receivedhim as a free gift from their guest, national prejudices dwindled veryfast, and domestic good feeling grew faster. M. Jalais, although a soundFrenchman, hated the Empire and all that led up to it; and as forMadame Fropot, her choicest piece of cookery might turn into cinders, if anybody mentioned conscription in her presence. For she had losther only son, the entire hope of her old days, as well as her onlydaughter's lover, in that lottery of murder. 

Nine out of ten of the people in the village were of the same way ofthinking. A great army cannot be quartered anywhere, even for a week, without scattering brands of ill-will all around it. The swagger of thetroops, their warlike airs, and loud contempt of the undrilled swain, the dash of a coin on the counter when they deign to pay for anything, the insolent wink at every modest girl, and the coarse joke runningalong apish mouths--even before dark crime begins, native antipathy issown and thrives. And now for nearly four years this coast had neverbeen free from the arrogant strut, the clanking spur, and the loudguffaw, which in every age and every clime have been considered thestamp of valour by plough-boys at the paps of Bellona. So weary was theneighbourhood of this race, new conscripts always keeping up the pest, that even the good M. Jalais longed to hear that the armament lay atthe bottom of the Channel. And Scudamore would have been followed by thegood wishes of every house in the village, if he had lifted his hat andsaid, "Good-bye, my dear friends; I am breaking my parole. "

For this, though encouraged by the popular voice, he was notsufficiently liberal, but stayed within bounds of space and time morecarefully than if he had been watched. Captain Desportes, who had beenin every way a true friend to him, came to see him now and then, beingnow in command of a division of the prames, and naturally anxious forthe signal to unmoor. Much discourse was held, without brag on eitherside, but with equal certainty on both sides of success. And in one ofthese talks the Englishman in the simplest manner told the Frenchman allthat he had seen on Christmas Eve, and his own suspicions about it. 

"Understand this well, " continued Scudamore; "if I discover anytreachery on the part of my own countrymen, I shall not be able to stophere on the terms that have been allowed me. Whatever the plan may be, I shall feel as if I were a party to it, if I accepted my free rangeand swallowed my suspicions. With your proceedings I do not meddle, according to fair compact, and the liberal conditions offered. But tosee my own countrymen playing my country false is more than I couldstand. You know more of such things than I do. But if you were anEnglishman, could you endure to stand by and hide treachery, for thesake of your own comfort?"

"Beyond a doubt, no, " Captain Desportes answered, spreading his handwith decision: "in such a case I should throw up my parole. But a meresuspicion does not justify an act so ungracious to the commander, andpersonally so unkind to me. I hoped that bright eyes might persuade youto forego hard knocks, and wear none but gentle chains among us. Natureintended you for a Frenchman. You have the gay heart, and the easymanner, and the grand philosophy of our great nation. Your name isBlyth, and I know what that intends. "

Scudamore blushed, for he knew that Madame Fropot was doing her best tocommit him with a lovely young lady not far off, who had felt a tenderinterest in the cheerful English captive. But after trying to expressonce more the deep gratitude he felt towards those who had been sowonderfully kind and friendly, he asked with a smile, and a little sighbehind it, what he must do, if compelled by duty to resign his presentprivileges. 

"My faith! I scarcely know, " replied Desportes; "I have never had sucha case before. But I think you must give me a written notice, signed byyourself and by M. Jalais, and allow a week to pass, and then, unlessyou have heard from me, present yourself to the commandant of thenearest post, which must be, I suppose, at Etaples. Rather a rough manhe is; and I fear you will have reason for regret. The duty will thenremain with him. But I beg you, my dear friend, to continue as you are. Tush, it is nothing but some smuggler's work. "

Scudamore hoped that he might be right, and for some little time was notdisturbed by any appearance to the contrary. But early in the afternoonone day, when the month of March was near its close, he left his booksfor a little fresh air, and strolled into the orchard, where his friendthe ox was dwelling. This worthy animal, endowed with a virtue denied tonone except the human race, approached him lovingly, and begged to drawattention to the gratifying difference betwixt wounds and scars. Heoffered his broad brow to the hand, and his charitable ears to betickled, and breathed a quick issue of good feeling and fine feeding, from the sensitive tucks of his nostrils, as a large-hearted smokermakes the air go up with gratitude. 

But as a burnt child dreads the fire, the seriously perforated animalkept one eye vigilant of the northern aspect, and the other studiousof the south. And the gentle Scuddy (who was finding all things happy, which is the only way to make them so) was startled by a sharp jerk ofhis dear friend's head. Following the clue of gaze, there he saw, comingup the river with a rollicking self-trust, a craft uncommonly like thatcraft which had mounted every sort of rig and flag, and carried everykind of crew, in his many dreams about her. This made him run back tohis room at once, not only in fear of being seen upon the bank, but alsothat he might command a better view, with the help of his landlord's oldspy-glass. 

Using this, which he had cleaned from the dust of ages, he could clearlysee the faces of the men on board. Of these there were six, of whom fiveat least were Englishmen, or of English breed. As the pilot-boat drewnearer, and the sunlight fell upon her, to his great surprise he becameconvinced that the young man at the tiller was Dan Tugwell, the sonof the captain of Springhaven. Four of the others were unknown to him, though he fancied that he had seen two of them before, but could notremember when or where. But he watched with special interest the tallman lounging against the little door of the cuddy in the bows, whoseprofile only was presented to him. Then the boat canted round towardsthe entrance of the creek, and having his glass upon the full face ofthe man, he recognised him as Caryl Carne, whom he had met more thanonce at Springhaven. 

His darkest suspicions were at once redoubled, and a gush of latentjealousy was added to them. In happier days, when he was near hislady-love, some whispers had reached him about this fellow, whosecountenance had always been repulsive to him, arrogant, moody, andmysterious. His good mother also, though most careful not to harasshim, had mentioned that Carne in her latest letter, and by no means ina manner to remove his old misgivings. As a matter now of duty to hiscountry and himself, the young sailor resolved to discover, at any risk, what traitorous scheme had brought this dark man over here. 

To escape the long circuit by the upper bridge, he had obtained leave, through M. Jalais, to use an old boat which was kept in a bend of theriver about a mile above the house. And now, after seeing that Englishboat make for the creek where she had been berthed on Christmas Eve, hebegged Madame Fropot to tell his host not to be uneasy about him, andtaking no weapon but a ground-ash stick, set forth to play spy upontraitors. As surely as one foot came after the other, he knew that everystep was towards his grave, if he made a mistake, or even met bad luck;but he twirled his light stick in his broad brown hand, and gentlyinvaded the French trees around with an old English song of the dayswhen still an Englishman could compose a song. But this made him thinkof that old-fashioned place Springhaven; and sadness fell upon him, thatthe son of its captain should be a traitor. 

Instead of pulling across the river, to avoid the splash of oars hesculled with a single oar astern, not standing up and wallowing in theboat, but sitting and cutting the figure of 8 with less noise than askater makes. The tide being just at slack-water, this gave him quiteas much way as he wanted, and he steered into a little bight of thesouthern bank, and made fast to a stump, and looked about; for he durstnot approach the creek until the light should fade and the men havestowed tackle and begun to feed. The vale of the stream afforded shelterto a very decent company of trees, which could not have put up with thetyranny of the west wind upon the bare brow of the coast. Most of thesetrees stood back a little from the margin of high tide, reluctant to seethemselves in the water, for fear of the fate of Narcissus. But wherethat clandestine boat had glided into gloom and greyness, a fosse ofNature's digging, deeply lined with wood and thicket, offered snugharbourage to craft and fraud. 

Scudamore had taken care to learn the ups and downs of the riverside erethis, and knew them now as well as a native, for he had paid many visitsto the wounded ox, whom he could not lead home quite as soon as he hadhoped, and he had found a firm place of the little river, easy to crosswhen the tide was out. With the help of this knowledge he made his wayto the creek, without much risk of being observed, and then, as he cameto the crest of the thicket, he lay down and watched the interlopers. 

There was the boat, now imbedded in the mud, for the little creek wasnearly dry by this time. Her crew had all landed, and kindled a fire, over which hung a kettle full of something good, which they seemed toregard with tender interest; while upon a grassy slope some few yards tothe right a trooper's horse was tethered. Carne was not with them, buthad crossed the creek, as the marks of his boots in the mud declared;and creeping some little way along the thicket, Scudamore descriedhim walking to and fro impatiently in a little hollow place, where thesailors could not see him. This was on Scudamore's side of the creek, and scarcely fifty yards below him. "He is waiting for an interviewwith somebody, " thought Scuddy: "if I could only get down to that littleshanty, perhaps I should hear some fine treason. The wind is the rightway to bring me every word he says. "

Keeping in shelter when the traitor walked towards him, and stealing onsilently when his back was turned, the young sailor managed to ensconcehimself unseen in the rough little wattle shed made by his own hands forthe shelter of his patient, when a snow-storm had visited the valley ofthe Canche last winter. Nothing could be better fitted for his presentpurpose, inasmuch as his lurking-place could scarcely be descried frombelow, being sheltered by two large trees and a screen of droopingivy, betwixt and below which it looked no more than a casual meetingof bushes; while on the other hand the open space beneath it was curvedlike a human ear, to catch the voice and forward it. 

While Scudamore was waiting here and keenly watching everything, thelight began to falter, and the latest gleam of sunset trembled with thebreath of Spring among the buds and catkins. But the tall man continuedhis long, firm stride, as if the watch in his pocket were the only thingworth heeding. Until, as the shadows lost their lines and flowed intothe general depth, Carne sprang forward, and a horse and rider burstinto the silence of the grass and moss and trees. 

Carne made a low obeisance, retired a little, and stood hat in hand, until it should please the other man to speak. And Scudamore saw, with astart of surprise, that the other man was Napoleon. 

This great man appeared, to the mild English eyes that were watchinghim so intently, of a very different mood and visage from those of theirlast view of him. Then the face, which combined the beauty of Athenswith the strength of Rome, was calm, and gentle, and even sweet, withthe rare indulgence of a kindly turn. But now, though not disturbed withwrath, nor troubled by disappointment, that face (which had helped tomake his fortune, more than any woman's had ever done for her) was cast, even if the mould could be the same, in a very different metal. Sternforce and triumphant vigour shone in every lineament, and the hardbright eyes were intent with purpose that would have no denial. 

Refusing Carne's aid, he remained on his horse, and stroked his mane fora moment, for he loved any creature that served him well, and was tenderof heart when he could afford it; which added to his power with mankind. 

"Are all your men well out of earshot?" he asked; and receivingassurance from Carne, went on. "Now you will be satisfied at length. Youhave long been impatient. It is useless to deny it. All is arranged, andall comes to a head within three months, and perhaps within two. Onlyfour men will know it besides yourself, and three of those four arecommanders of my fleet. A short time will be occupied in misleadingthose British ships that beleaguer us; then we concentrate ours, andcommand the Channel; if only for three days, that will be enough. Idepart for Italy in three days or in four, to increase the security ofthe enemy. But I shall return, without a word to any one, and as fastas horses can lay belly to the ground, when I hear that our ships havebroken out. I shall command the invasion, and it will be for England tofind a man to set against me. "

"England will have difficulty, sire, in doing that, " Carne answered, with a grim smile, for he shared the contempt of English Generals thenprevalent. "If the Continent cannot do it, how can the poor England?Once let your Majesty land, and all is over. But what are your Majesty'sorders for me? And where do you propose to make the landing?"

"Never ask more than one question at a time, " Napoleon answered, withhis usual curtness; "my orders to you are to return at once. Prepareyour supplies for a moment's notice. Through private influence ofsome fair lady, you have command of the despatches of that officer atSpringport, who has the control of the naval forces there. Ha! whatwas that? I heard a sound up yonder. Hasten up, and see if there is anylistener. It seemed to be there, where the wood grows thick. "

Blyth Scudamore, forgetful of himself, had moved, and a dry stickcracked beneath his foot. Carne, at the Emperor's glance and signal, sprang up the bank, with the help of some bushes, drew his sword andpassed it between the wattles, then parted them and rushed through, butsaw no sign of any one. For Scuddy had slipped away, as lightly as ashadow, and keeping in a mossy trough, had gained another shelter. Herehe was obliged to slink in the smallest possible compass, kneelingupon both knees, and shrugging in both shoulders. Peering very sharplythrough an intertwist of suckers (for his shelter was a stool of hazel, thrown up to repair the loss of stem), he perceived that the Emperor hadmoved his horse a little when Carne rejoined and reassured him. And thisprevented Scudamore from being half so certain as he would have liked tobe, about further particulars of this fine arrangement. 

"No, " was the next thing he heard Napoleon say whose power of saying"no" had made his "yes" invincible; "no, it is not to be done like that. You will await your instructions, and not move until you receive themfrom my own hand. Make no attempt to surprise anybody or anything, untilI have ten thousand men ashore. Ten thousand will in six hours attain tofifty thousand, if the shore proves to be as you describe; so great isthe merit of flat-bottomed boats. Your duty will be to leave the rightsurprise to us, and create a false one among the enemy. This you must doin the distance of the West, as if my Brest fleet were ravaging there, and perhaps destroying Plymouth. You are sure that you can command thesignals for this?"

"Sire, I know everything as if I sat among it. I can do as I please withthe fair secretary; and her father is an ancient fool. "

"Then success is more easy than I wish to have it, because it will notmake good esteem. If Nelson comes at all, he will be too late, as hegenerally is too early. London will be in our hands by the middle ofJuly at the latest, probably much earlier, and then Captain Carne shallname his own reward. Meanwhile forget not any word of what I said. Makethe passage no more. You will not be wanted here. Your services are farmore important where you are. You may risk the brave Charron, but notyourself. Send over by the 20th of May a letter to me, under care ofDecres, to be opened by no hand but mine, upon my return from Italy, andlet the messengers wait for my reply. Among them must be the young manwho knows the coast, and we will detain him for pilot. My reply will fixthe exact date of our landing, and then you will despatch, through themeans at your command, any English force that might oppose our landing, to the West, where we shall create a false alarm. Is all this clear toyou? You are not stupid. The great point is to do all at the right time, having consideration of the weather. "

"All is clear, and shall be carried out clearly, to the best of yourMajesty's humble servant's power. "

Napoleon offered his beautiful white hand, which Carne raised to hislips, and then the Emperor was gone. Carne returned slowly to theboat, with triumph written prematurely on his dark stern face; whileScudamore's brisk and ruddy features were drawn out to a wholly unwontedlength, as he quietly made his way out of the covert. 

CHAPTER LIV

IN A SAD PLIGHT

"How shall I get out of this parole? Or shall I break it, instead ofgetting out? Which shall I think of first, my honour, or my country? Thesafety of millions, or the pride of one? An old Roman would have settledit very simply. But a Christian cannot do things so. Thank God there isno hurry, for a few days yet! But I must send a letter to Desportes thisvery night. Then I must consider about waiting for a week. "

Scudamore, unable to think out his case as yet--especially after runningas if his wind could turn a vane--was sitting on the bank, to let theriver-bed get darker, before he put his legs into the mud to get across. For the tide was out, and the old boat high and dry, and a very weakwater remained to be crossed (though, like nearly all things that areweak, it was muddy), but the channel had a moist gleam in the dry springair, and anybody moving would be magnified afar. He felt that it wouldnever do for him, with such a secret, to be caught, and brought to book, or even to awake suspicion of his having it. The ancient Roman of whomhe had thought would have broken parole for his country's sake, and thenfallen on his sword for his own sake; but although such behaviour shouldbe much admired, it is nicer to read of such things than to do them. Captain Scuddy was of large and steady nature, and nothing came to himwith a jerk or jump--perhaps because he was such a jumper--and he worehis hat well on the back of his head, because he had no fear of losingit. But for all that he found himself in a sad quandary now. 

To begin with, his parole was not an ordinary leave, afforded by hiscaptors to save themselves trouble; but a special grace, issuing fromfriendship, and therefore requiring to be treated in a friendly vein. The liberality of these terms had enabled him to dwell as a friendamong friends, and to overhear all that he had heard. In the balanceof perplexities, this weighed heavily against his first impulse to castaway all except paramount duty to his country. In the next place, heknew that private feeling urged him as hotly as public duty to cast awayall thought of honour, and make off. For what he had heard about the"fair secretary" was rankling bitterly in his deep heart. He recalledat this moment the admirable precept of an ancient sage, that in sucha conflict of duties the doubter should incline to the course leastagreeable to himself, inasmuch as the reasons against it are sure to beurged the most feebly in self-council. Upon the whole, the question wasa nice one for a casuist; and if there had not been a day to spare, dutyto his country must have overridden private faith. 

However, as there was time to spare, he resolved to reconcile privatehonour with the sense of public duty; and returning to his room, wrote acareful letter (of which he kept a copy) to his friend Desportes, now onboard, and commanding the flagship of one division of the flotilla. Hesimply said, without giving his reason, that his parole must expire ineight days after date, allowing one day for delivery of his letter. Then he told M. Jalais what he had done, and much sorrow was felt inthe household. When the time had expired without any answer from CaptainDesportes, who meant to come and see him but was unable to do so, Scudamore packed up a few things needful, expecting to be placed incustody, and resolved to escape from it, at any risk of life. Then hewalked to Etaples, a few miles down the river, and surrendered himselfto the commandant there. This was a rough man--as Desportes hadsaid--and with more work to do than he could manage. With very littleceremony he placed the English prisoner in charge of a veteran corporal, with orders to take him to the lock-up in the barracks, and there awaitfurther instructions. And then the commandant, in the hurry of hisduties, forgot all about him. 

Captain Scuddy now found himself in quarters and under treatment verytrying to his philosophy. Not that the men who had him in charge werepurposely unkind to him, only they were careless about his comfort, andhaving more important work to see to, fed him at their leisure, whichdid not always coincide with his appetite. Much of his food was wateryand dirty, and seemed to be growing its own vegetables, and sometimesto have overripened them. Therefore he began to lose substance, and hischeeks became strangers to the buxom gloss which had been the delight ofMadame Fropot. But although they did not feed him well, they took goodcare of him in other ways, affording no chance of exit. 

But sour fruit often contains good pips. Scudamore's food was not worthsaying grace for, and yet a true blessing attended it: forasmuch as theFrenchmen diminished the width of their prisoner, but not of the window. Falling away very rapidly, for his mind was faring as badly as his body(having nothing but regrets to feed upon, which are no better diet thandaisy soup), the gentle Scuddy, who must have become a good wrangler ifhe had stopped at Cambridge, began to frame a table of cubic measure, and consider the ratio of his body to that window, or rather theaperture thereof. One night, when his supper had been quite forgottenby everybody except himself, he lay awake thinking for hours and hoursabout his fair Dolly and the wicked Carne, and all the lies he must havetold about her--for not a single syllable would Scudamore believe--andthe next day he found himself become so soft and limp, as well asreduced to his lowest dimension, that he knew, by that just measurewhich a man takes of himself when he has but a shred of it left, thatnow he was small enough to go between the bars. And now it was high timeto feel that assurance, for the morning brought news that the order forhis removal to a great prison far inland was come, and would be carriedout the next day. "Now or never" was the only chance before him. 

Having made up his mind, he felt refreshed, and took his food withgratitude. Then, as soon as the night was dark and quiet, and themighty host for leagues and leagues launched into the realms of slumber, springing with both feet well together, as he sprang from the tub atStonnington, Scuddy laid hold of the iron bars which spanned the windowvertically, opened the lattice softly, and peeped out in quest ofsentinels. There were none on duty very near him, though he heard onepacing in the distance. Then flinging himself on his side, he managed, with some pain to his well-rounded chest, to squeeze it through thenarrow slit, and hanging from the bar, dropped gently. The drop wasdeep, and in spite of all precautions he rolled to the bottom of agrassy ditch. There he lay quiet to rest his bruises, and watch whetherany alarm was raised. Luckily for him, the moon was down, and no onehad observed his venture. Crawling on all fours along a hollow place, hepassed the outposts, and was free. 

Free in mind as well as body, acquitted from all claims of honour, and able without a taint upon his name to bear most important news toEngland, if he could only get away from France. This would be difficult, as he was well aware; but his plan had been thoroughly considered in hisprison, and he set forth to make the best of it. Before his escape hadbeen discovered, he was under M. Jalais' roof once more, and found hisgood friends resolved never to betray him. "But I must not expose you tothe risk, " said he, "of heavy fine and imprisonment. I shall have to saygood-bye to all your goodness in an hour. And I shall not even allowyou to know what road I take, lest you should be blamed for sending mypursuers on the wrong one. But search my room in three days' time, andyou will find a packet to pay for something which I must steal for thepresent. I pray you, ask nothing, for your own sake. "

They fed him well, and he took three loaves, and a little keg of cider, as well as the bag he had packed before he surrendered himself atEtaples. Madame Fropot wept and kissed him, because he reminded her ofher lost son; and M. Jalais embraced him, because he was not at all likeany son of his. With hearty good wishes, and sweet regret, and promisesnever to forget them, the Englishman quitted this kind French house, andbecame at once a lawful and a likely mark for bullets. 

The year was now filled with the flurry of Spring, the quick nick oftime when a man is astonished at the power of Nature's memory. Agreat many things had been left behind, mainly for their own good, nodoubt--some of the animal, some of the vegetable, some of the mineralkingdom even--yet none of them started for anarchy. All were content tobe picked up and brought on according to the power of the world, makingallowance for the pinches of hard times, and the blows of east windsthat had blown themselves out. Even the prime grumbler of the earth--abiped, who looks up to heaven for that purpose mainly--was as nearlycontent with the present state of things as he can be with anything, until it is the past. Scudamore only met one man, but that one declaredit was a lovely night; and perhaps he was easier to please because hehad only one leg left. 

The stars had appeared, and the young leaves turned the freshness oftheir freedom towards them, whether from the crisp impulse of night, or the buoyant influence of kindness in the air. There was very littlewind, and it was laden with no sound, except the distant voice ofan indefatigable dog; but Scudamore perceived that when the tide setdownwards, a gentle breeze would follow down the funnel of the river. Then he drew the ancient boat which he had used before to the mossybank, and having placed his goods on board, fetched a pair of oars andthe short mast and brown sail from the shed where they were kept, andat the top of a full tide launched forth alone upon his desperateenterprise. 

There was faint light in the channel, but the banks looked very dark;and just as he cast loose he heard the big clock at Montreuil, a greatway up the valley, slowly striking midnight. And he took it for goodomen, as he swiftly passed the orchard, that his old friend the oxtrotted down to the corner, and showed his white forehead under asprawling apple-tree, and gave him a salute, though he scarcely couldhave known him. By this time the breeze was freshening nicely, andScudamore, ceasing to row, stepped the mast, and hoisting the brownsail, glided along at a merry pace and with a hopeful heart. Passing themouth of the creek, he saw no sign of the traitorous pilot-boat, neitherdid he meet any other craft in channel, although he saw many moored ateither bank. But nobody challenged him, as he kept in mid-stream, andbraced up his courage for the two great perils still before him ere hegained the open sea. The first of these would be the outposts on eitherside at Etaples, not far from the barracks where he had been jailed, andhere no doubt the sentinels would call him to account. But a far greaterdanger would be near the river's mouth, where a bridge of boats, with abroad gangway for troops, spanned the tidal opening. 

There was no bridge across the river yet near the town itself, but, upon challenge from a sentry, Scudamore stood up and waved his hat, andshouted in fine nasal and provincial French, "The fisherman, AugusteBaudry, of Montreuil!" and the man withdrew his musket, and wished himgood success. Then he passed a sandy island with some men asleep uponit, and began to fear the daybreak as he neared the bridge of boats. This crossed the estuary at a narrow part, and having to bear muchheavy traffic, was as solid as a floating bridge can be. A double row ofbarges was lashed and chained together, between piles driven deep intothe river's bed; along them a road of heavy planks was laid, risingand falling as they rose and fell with tide, and a drawbridge near themiddle of about eight yards' span must suffice for the traffic of thelittle river. This fabric was protected from the heavy western surgesby the shoals of the bar, and from any English dash by a strong shorebattery at either end. At first sight it looked like a black wall acrossthe river. 

The darkness of night is supposed to be deepest just before dawn--butthat depends upon the weather--and the sleep of weary men is often inits prime at that time. Scudamore (although his life, and all that lifehangs on from heaven, were quivering at the puff of every breeze) wasenabled to derive some satisfaction from a yawn, such as goes the roundof a good company sometimes, like the smell of the supper of sleepthat is to come. Then he saw the dark line of the military bridge, andlowered his sail, and unstepped his little mast. The strength of thetide was almost spent, so that he could deal with this barrier at hisleisure, instead of being hurled against it. 

Unshipping the rudder and laying one oar astern, Scudamore fetched alongthe inner row of piles, for he durst not pass under the drawbridge, steering his boat to an inch while he sat with his face to the oar, working noiselessly. Then he spied a narrow opening between two barges, and drove his boat under the chain that joined them, and after somefending and groping with his hands in the darkness under the planksof the bridge, contrived to get out, when he almost despaired of it, through the lower tier of the supporters. He was quit of that formidablebarrier now, but a faint flush of dawn and of reflection from the seacompelled him to be very crafty. Instead of pushing straightway for thebar and hoisting sail--which might have brought a charge of grape-shotafter him--he kept in the gloom of the piles nearly into the left bank, and then hugged the shadow it afforded. Nothing but the desolate sandssurveyed him, and the piles of wrack cast up by gales from the west. Then with a stout heart he stepped his little mast, and the breeze, which freshened towards the rising of the sun, carried him brisklythrough the tumble of the bar. 

The young man knelt and said his morning prayer, with one hand stillupon the tiller; for, like most men who have fought well for England, he had staunch faith in the Power that has made and guides the nations, until they rebel against it. So far his success had been more than hisown unaided hand might work, or his brain with the utmost of its labourssecond. Of himself he cast all thoughts away, for his love seemed lost, and his delight was gone; the shores of his country, if he ever reachedthem, would contain no pleasure for him; but the happiness of millionsmight depend upon his life, and first of all that of his mother. 

All by himself in this frail old tub, he could scarcely hope to crossthe Channel, even in the best of weather, and if he should escape theenemy, while his scanty supplies held out. He had nothing to subsist onbut three small loaves, and a little keg of cider, and an old tar tubwhich he had filled with brackish water, upon which the oily curdle ofthe tar was floating. But, for all that, he trusted that he might holdout, and retain his wits long enough to do good service. 

The French coast, trending here for leagues and leagues nearly due northand south, is exposed to the long accumulating power of a western gale, and the mountain roll of billows that have known no check. If even asmart breeze from the west sprang up, his rickety little craft, intendedonly for inland navigation, would have small chance of living throughthe tumult. But his first care was to give a wide berth to the land andthe many French vessels that were moored or moving, whether belongingto the great flotilla, or hastening to supply its wants. Many a time hewould have stood forth boldly, as fast as the breeze and tide permitted;but no sooner had he shaped a course for the open sea than some hostilesail appeared ahead and forced him to bear away until she was faronward. Thus, after a long day of vigilance and care, he was not morethan five miles from land when the sun set, and probably further fromthe English coast than when he set forth in the morning; because he hadstood towards the south of west all day, to keep out of sight of theleft wing of the enemy; and as the straight outline of the coast beganto fade, he supposed himself to be about half-way between the mouth ofthe Canche and that of the little Authie. 

Watching with the eyes of one accustomed to the air the lastcommunication of the sun, and his postscript (which, like a lady's, isthe gist of what he means), Scudamore perceived that a change of weathermight come shortly, and must come ere long. There was nothing veryangry in the sky, nor even threatening; only a general uncertaintyand wavering; "I wish you well all round, " instead of "Here's a guineaapiece for you. " Scuddy understood it, and resolved to carry on. 

Having no compass, and small knowledge of the coast--which lay out ofrange of the British investment--he had made up his mind to lie by forthe night, or at any rate to move no more than he could help, forfear of going altogether in the wrong direction. He could steer by thestars--as great mariners did, when the world was all discovery--so longas the stars held their skirts up; but, on the other hand, those starsmight lead him into the thick of the enemy. Of this, however, he mustnow take his chance, rather than wait and let the wind turn against him. For his main hope was to get into the track where British frigates, and ships of light draught like his own dear Blonde, were upon patrol, inside of the course of the great war chariots, the ships of the line, that drave heavily. Revolving much grist in the mill of his mind, asthe sage Ulysses used to do, he found it essential to supply the motivepower bodily. One of Madame Fropot's loaves was very soon disposed of, and a good draught of sound cider helped to renew his flagging energy. 

Throughout that night he kept wide-awake, and managed to make fairprogress, steering, as well as he could judge, a little to the west ofnorth. But before sunrise the arrears of sleep increased at compoundinterest, and he lowered his sail, and discharged a part of the heavysum scored against him. But when he awoke, and glanced around him witheyes that resented scanty measure, even a sleepy glance sufficed to showmuch more than he wished to see. Both sky and sea were overcast withdoubt, and alarm, and evil foreboding. A dim streak lay where the landhad been, and a white gleam quivered from the sunrise on the waves, asif he were spreading water-lilies instead of scattering roses. As theearth has its dew that foretells a bright day--whenever the dew is ofthe proper sort, for three kinds are established now--so the sea has aflit of bloom in the early morning (neither a colour, nor a sparkle, nora vapour) which indicates peace and content for the day. But now therewas no such fair token upon it, but a heavy and surly and treacherouslook, with lumps here and there; as a man who intends to abuse usthrusts his tongue to get sharp in his cheek. 

Scudamore saw that his poor old boat, scarcely sound enough for the menof Gotham, was already complaining of the uncouth manners of the strangeplace to which she had been carried in the dark. That is to say, shewas beginning to groan, at a very quiet slap in the cheeks, or even athoroughly well-meaning push in the rear. 

"You are welcome to groan, if you don't strain, " exclaimed the heartlessCaptain Scuddy. 

Even as he spoke he beheld a trickle of water glistening down theforward bends, and then a little rill, and then a spurt, as if a seriousleak was sprung. He found the source of this, and contrived to caulkit with a strand of tarred rope for the present; but the sinking of hisknife into the forward timber showed him that a great part of the bowswas rotten. If a head-sea arose, the crazy old frame would be prone tobreak in bodily, whereas if he attempted to run before the sea, alreadybeginning to rise heavily from the west, there was nothing to save thefrail craft from being pooped. On every side it was a bad lookout, therewas every sign of a gale impending, which he could not even hope toweather, and the only chance of rescue lay in the prompt appearance ofsome British ship. 

Even in this sad plight his courage and love of native land prevailedagainst the acceptance of aid from Frenchmen, if any should approachto offer it. Rather would he lie at the bottom of the Channel, or driftabout among contending fishes, than become again a prisoner with hissecret in his mind, and no chance of sending it to save his country. Asa forlorn hope, he pulled out a stump of pencil, and wrote on the backof a letter from his mother a brief memorandum of what he had heard, andof the urgency of the matter. Then taking a last draught of his tarrywater, he emptied the little tub, and fixed the head in, after he hadenclosed his letter. Then he fastened the tub to an oar, to improve thechance of its being observed, and laid the oar so that it would floatoff, in case of the frail boat foundering. The other oar he kept athand to steer with, as long as the boat should live, and to help him tofloat, when she should have disappeared. 

This being done, he felt easier in his mind, as a man who has preparedfor the worst should do. He renewed his vigour, which had begun to flagunder constant labour and long solitude, by consuming another of hisloaves, and taking almost the last draught of his cider, and afterthat he battled throughout the dreary day against the increase of badweather. Towards the afternoon he saw several ships, one of which hetook to be a British frigate; but none of them espied his poor labouringcraft, or at any rate showed signs of doing so. Then a pilot-boat ran byhim, standing probably for Boulogne, and at one time less than a leagueaway. She appeared to be English, and he was just about to make signalfor aid, when a patch in her foresail almost convinced him that she wasthe traitor of the Canche returning. She was probably out of her propercourse in order to avoid the investing fleet, and she would run insideit when the darkness fell. Better to go to the bottom than invoke suchaid; and he dropped the oar with his neckerchief upon it, and faced theangry sea again and the lonely despair of impending night. 

What followed was wiped from his memory for years, and the loss was notmuch to be regretted. When he tried to think about it, he found nothingbut a roaring of wind and of waves in his ears, a numbness of arms as helaboured with the oar tholed abaft to keep her heavy head up, a pricklychill in his legs as the brine in the wallowing boat ran up them, andthen a great wallop and gollop of the element too abundant round him. 

But at last, when long years should have brought more wisdom, he wentpoaching for supper upon Welsh rabbits. That night all the ghastly timecame back, and stood minute by minute before him. Every swing of hisbody, and sway of his head, and swell of his heart, was repeated, thebuffet of the billows when the planks were gone, the numb grasp ofthe slippery oar, the sucking down of legs which seemed turning intosea-weed, the dashing of dollops of surf into mouth and nose closed everso carefully, and then the last sense of having fought a good fight, butfallen away from human arms, into "Oh Lord, receive my spirit!"

CHAPTER LV

IN SAVAGE GUISE

"A man came out of the sea to-day, and made me believe we were all foundout, " said the gay Charron to the gloomy Carne, a day or two after poorScudamore's wreck. "I never beheld a more strange-looking creature asthe owner of our human face divine, as some of your poets have foundto say. He has hair from his head all down to here"--the little Captainpointed to a part of his system which would have been larger in moretranquil times--"and his clothes were so thin that one was able to seethrough them, and the tint of his face was of roasted sugar, such as itis not to obtain in England. A fine place for fat things, but not forthin ones. "

"My friend, you arouse my curiosity, " the master of the feast, which wasnot a very fat one, answered, as he lazily crossed his long legs; "youare always apprehensive about detection, of which I have ceased toentertain all fear, during the short time that remains. This stranger ofyours must have been very wet, if he had just appeared out of the sea. Was it that which made his clothes transparent, like those of the higherclass of ladies?"

"You have not the right understanding of words. He was appeared out ofthe sea, but the wood of a boat was spread between them. He was as dryas I am; and that is saying much, with nothing but this squeezing of badapples for to drink. "

"Ah, we shall have better soon. What an impatient throat it is! Well, what became of this transparent man, made of burnt sugar, and with hairbelow his belt?"

"I tell you that you take it in a very different way. But he was a longman, as long almost as you are, and with much less of indolence in themoving of his legs. It was not sincerely wise for me to exhibit myself, in the land. I was watching for a signal from the sea, and a large ship, not of the navy but of merchants, was hanging off about a league anddelaying for her boat. For this reason I prevented him from seeing me, and that created difficulty of my beholding him. But he was going alongthe basin of the sea towards Springhaven--'Springport' it is designatedby the Little Corporal; ah ha, how the language of the English comesleft to him!"

"And how right it comes to you, my friend, through your fine self-denialin speaking it with me! It is well for our cause that it is notsincerely wise for you to exhibit yourself in the land, or we shouldhave you making sweet eyes at English young ladies, and settling downto roast beef and nut-brown ale. Fie, then, my friend! where is yourpatriotism?"

"These English young ladies, " said the Frenchman, unabashed, "are veryfine, in my opinion--very fine indeed; and they could be made to dress, which is sincerely an external thing. By occasion, I have seen the verymost belle, and charming and adorable of all the creatures ever made bythe good God. And if she was to say to me, 'Abandon France, my Captain, and become my good husband'--and she has the money also--the fair Francewould go to the bottom, and the good ship Charron hoist the Union-jack. "

"This becomes serious:" Carne had long learned to treat his Frenchcolleague with a large contempt: "I shall have to confine you in theYellow Jar, my friend. But what young lady has bewitched you so, and ledyour most powerful mind astray?"

"I will tell you. I will make no secret of it. You have none of thoselofty feelings, but you will be able in another to comprehend them. Itis the daughter of the Coast-Defender--Admiral Charles Sir Darling. "

"Admiral Darling has two daughters. Which of them has the distinguishedhonour of winning the regard of Captain Charron?"

"If there are two, it is so much more better. If I succeed not with one, I will try with the other. But the one who has made me captive for thepresent is the lady with the dark hair done up like this. "

In a moment Charron had put up his hair, which was thick but short, intoa double sheaf; and Carne knew at once that it was Faith whose charmshad made havoc of the patriotism of his colleague. Then he smiled andsaid, "My friend, that is the elder daughter. "

"I have some knowledge of the laws of England, " the Frenchman continued, complacently; "the elder will have the most money, and I am not rich, though I am courageous. In the confusion that ensues I shall have thevery best chance of commending myself; and I confide in your honourablefeeling to give me the push forward by occasion. Say, is it wellconceived, my friend? We never shall conquer these Englishmen, but wemay be triumphant with their ladies. "

"It is a most excellent scheme of invasion, " Carne answered, with hisslow sarcastic smile, "and you may rely on me for what you call the pushforward, if a Frenchman ever needs it with a lady. But I wish to hearmore about that brown man. "

"I can tell you no more. But the matter is strange. Perhaps he wasvisiting the fat Captain Stoobar. I feel no solicitude concerning himwith my angel. She would never look twice at such a savage. "

But the gallant French Captain missed the mark this time. Thestrange-looking man with the long brown beard quitted the shore beforehe reached the stepping-stones, and making a short-cut across therabbit-warren, entered the cottage of Zebedee Tugwell, without evenstopping to knock at the door. The master was away, and so were all thechildren; but stout Mrs. Tugwell, with her back to the door, was tendingthe pot that hung over the fire. At the sound of a footstep she turnedround, and her red face grew whiter than the ashes she was stirring. 

"Oh, Mr. Erle, is it you, or your ghostie?" she cried, as she fellagainst the door of the brick oven. "Do 'e speak, for God's sake, if Hehave given the power to 'e. "

"He has almost taken it away again, so far as the English languagegoes, " Erle Twemlow answered, with a smile which was visible only in hiseyes, through long want of a razor; "but I am picking up a little. Shake hands, Kezia, and then you will know me. Though I have not quiterecovered that art as yet. "

"Oh, Mr. Erle!" exclaimed Zebedee's wife, with tears ready to start forhis sake and her own, "how many a time I've had you on my knees, aforeI was blessed with any of my own, and a bad sort of blessing the best of'em proves. Not that I would listen to a word again' him. I suppose younever did happen to run again' my Dan'el, in any of they furrin parts, from the way they makes the hair grow. I did hear tell of him over toPebbleridge; but not likely, so nigh to his own mother, and never comeno nigher. And if they furrin parts puts on the hair so heavily, whocould 'a known him to Pebbleridge? They never was like we be. They'd aslief tell a lie as look at you, over there. "

In spite of his own long years of trouble, or perhaps by reason of them, Erle Twemlow, eager as he was to get on, listened to the sad tale thatsought for his advice, and departed from wisdom--as good-nature alwaysdoes--by offering useless counsel--counsel that could not be taken, andyet was far from being worthless, because it stirred anew the fount ofhope, towards which the parched affections creep. 

"But Lor bless me, sir, I never thought of you!" Mrs. Tugwell exclaimed, having thought out her self. "What did Parson say, and your mother, andMiss Faith? It must 'a been better than a play to see them. "

"Not one of them knows a word about it yet; nor anybody in Springhaven, except you, Kezia. You were as good as my nurse, you know; I have neverhad a chance of writing to them, and I want you to help me to let themknow it slowly. "

"Oh, Mr. Erle, what a lovely young woman your Miss Faith is grown up bynow! Some thinks more of Miss Dolly, but, to my mind, you may as wellput a mackerel before a salmon, for the sake of the stripes and theglittering. Now what can I do to make you decent, sir, for them dudsand that hair is barbarious? My Tabby and Debby will be back in half anhour, and them growing up into young maidens now. "

Twemlow explained that after living so long among savages in a burningclime, he had found it impossible to wear thick clothes, and had beenrigged up in some Indian stuff by the tailor of the ship which hadrescued him. But now he supposed he must reconcile himself by degrees tothe old imprisonment. But as for his hair, that should never be touched, unless he was restored to the British Army, and obliged to do as theothers did. With many little jokes of a homely order, Mrs. Tugwell, regarding him still as a child, supplied him with her husband's summersuit of thin duck, which was ample enough not to gall him; and then shesent her daughters with a note to the Rector, begging him to come atseven o'clock to meet a gentleman who wished to see him upon importantbusiness, near the plank bridge across the little river. Erle wrote thatnote, but did not sign it; and after many years of happy freedom fromthe pen, his handwriting was so changed that his own father would notknow it. What he feared was the sudden shock to his good mother; hisfather's nerves were strong, and must be used as buffers. 

"Another trouble, probably; there is nothing now but trouble, " Mr. Twemlow was thinking, as he walked unwillingly towards the placeappointed. "I wish I could only guess what I can have done to deserveall these trials, as I become less fit to bear them. I would neverhave come to this lonely spot, except that it may be about Shargeloes. Everything now is turned upside down; but the Lord knows best, and Imust bear it. Sir, who are you? And what do you want me for?"

At the corner where Miss Dolly had rushed into the Rector's open arms sofast, a tall man, clad in white, was standing, with a staff abouteight feet long in his hand. Having carried a spear for four years now, Captain Twemlow found no comfort in his native land until he had cut thetallest growth in Admiral Darling's osier bed, and peeled it, and shavedit to a seven-sided taper. He rested this point in a socket of moss, that it might not be blunted, and then replied:

"Father, you ought to know me, although you have grown much stouter inmy absence; and perhaps I am thinner than I used to be. But the climatedisagreed with me, until I got to like it. "

"Erle! Do you mean to say you are my boy Erle?" The Rector wasparticular about his clothes. "Don't think of touching me. You are hairall over, and I dare say never had a comb. I won't believe a word of ituntil you prove it. "

"Well, mother will know me, if you don't. " The young man answeredcalmly, having been tossed upon so many horns of adventure that nonecould make a hole in him. "I thought that you would have been glad tosee me; and I managed to bring a good many presents; only they aregone on to London. They could not be got at, to land them with me; butCaptain Southcombe will be sure to send them. You must not suppose, because I am empty-handed now--"

"My dear son, " cried the father, deeply hurt, "do you think that yourwelcome depends upon presents? You have indeed fallen into savage ways. Come, and let me examine you through your hair; though the light isscarcely strong enough now to go through it. To think that you should bemy own Erle, alive after such a time, and with such a lot of hair! Only, if there is any palm-oil on it--this is my last new coat but one. "

"No, father, nothing that you ever can have dreamed of. Something thatwill make you a bishop, if you like, and me a member of the Houseof Lords. But I did not find it out myself--which makes success morecertain. "

"They have taught you some great truths, my dear boy. The man who beginsa thing never gets on. But I am so astonished that I know not what Isay. I ought to have thanked the Lord long ago. Have you got a placewithout any hair upon it large enough for me to kiss you?"

Erle Twemlow, whose hand in spite of all adventures trembled a littleupon his spear, lifted his hat and found a smooth front, sure to be allthe smoother for a father's kiss. 

"Let us go home, " said the old man, trying to exclude all excitementfrom his throat and heart; "but you must stay outside until I come tofetch you. I feel a little anxious, my dear boy, as to how your dearmother will get over it. She has never been strong since the bad newscame about you. And somebody else has to be considered. But that muststand over till to-morrow. "

CHAPTER LVI

THE SILVER VOICE

Many shrewd writers have observed that Britannia has a specialluck--which the more devout call Providence--in holding her own, againstnot only her true and lawful enemies, but even those of her own bosomwho labour most to ruin her. And truly she had need of all her fortunenow, to save her from the skulking traitor, as well as the ragingadversary. 

"Now I will have my revenge, " said Carne, "on all who have outraged andplundered me. Crows--carrion-crows--I will turn them into owls withouta nest. Prowling owls, to come blinking even now at the last of my poorrelics! Charron, what did that fellow say to old Jerry, the day I tiedthe dogs up?"

"He said, my dear friend, that he missed from the paintings which he hadtaken to his house the most precious of them all--the picture of yourdear grandmother, by a man whose name it is hard to pronounce, but aCaptain in the British Army, very much fond of beloving and paintingall the most beautiful ladies; and since he had painted the mother ofVash--Vash--the man that conquered England in America--all his work wasgone up to a wonderful price, and old Sheray should have one guinea ifhe would exhibit to him where to find it. Meedle or Beedle--he had sethis heart on getting it. He declared by the good God that he would haveit, and that you had got it under a tombstone. "

"A sample of their persecutions! You know that I have never seen it, nor even heard of the Captain Middleton who went on his rovings fromSpringhaven. And, again, about my own front-door, or rather the door ofmy family for some four centuries, because it was carved as they cannotcarve now, it was put into that vile Indenture. I care very little formy ancestors--benighted Britons of the county type--but these things arepersonal insults to me. I seldom talk about them, and I will not do sonow. "

"My Captain, you should talk much about it. That would be the goodrelief to your extensive mind. Revenge is not of the bright Frenchnature; but the sky of this island procreates it. My faith! how I wouldrage at England, if it were not for the people, and their daughters! Weshall see; in a few days more we shall astonish the fat John Bull; andthen his little kittens--what do you call them?--calves of an ox, willcome running to us. "

"Enough of your foolish talk, " said Carne. "The women are as resolute asthe men. Even when we have taken London, not an English woman will comenear us, until all the men have yielded. Go down to your station andwatch for the boat. I expect an important despatch to-night. But Icannot stay here for the chance of it. I have business in Springhaven. "

His business in Springhaven was to turn young love to the basest use, tomake a maiden (rash and flighty, but not as yet dishonourable) a traitorto her friends and father-land, and most of all to her own father. Hehad tried to poison Dolly's mind with doses of social nonsense--in whichhe believed about as much as a quack believes in his own pills--but hismain reliance now was placed in his hold upon her romantic heart, and inher vague ambitions. Pure and faithful love was not to be expected fromhis nature; but he had invested in Dolly all the affection he couldspare from self. He had laboured long, and suffered much, and the redcrown of his work was nigh. 

Riding slowly down the hill about half a mile from the village, Carnesaw a tall man coming towards him with a firm, deliberate walk. Thestranger was dressed very lightly, and wore a hat that looked like atobacco leaf, and carried a long wand in his hand, as if he were goingto keep order in church. These things took the eye afar, but at shorterrange became as nothing, compared with the aspect of the man himself. This was grand, with its steadfast gaze--no stare, but a calm and kindregard--its large tranquillity and power of receiving without believingthe words of men; and most of all in the depth of expression reserved byexperience in the forest of its hair. 

Carne was about to pass in silent wonder and uneasiness, but the othergently laid the rod across his breast and stopped him, and then waitedfor him to ask the reason why. 

"Have you any business with me, good sir?" Carne would have spokenrudely, but saw that rudeness would leave no mark upon a man like this. "If so, I must ask you to be quick. And perhaps you will tell me who youare. "

"I think that you are Caryl Carne, " said the stranger, not unpleasantly, but as if it mattered very little who was Caryl Carne, or whether therewas any such existence. 

Carne stared fiercely, for he was of touchy temper; but he might aswell have stared at a bucket of water in the hope of deranging itstranquillity. "You know me. But I don't know you, " he answered at last, with a jerk of his reins. 

"Be in no hurry, " said the other, mildly; "the weather is fine, and timeplentiful. I hope to have much pleasant knowledge of you. I have thehonour to be your first cousin, Erle Twemlow. Shake hands with yourkinsman. "

Carne offered his hand, but without his usual grace and self-possession. Twemlow took it in his broad brown palm, in which it seemed to meltaway, firm though it was and muscular. 

"I was going up to call on you, " said Twemlow, who had acquired ahabit of speaking as if he meant all the world to hear. "I feel a deepinterest in your fortunes, and hope to improve them enormously. Youshall hear all about it when I come up. I have passed four years in thewilds of Africa, where no white man ever trod before, and I have foundout things no white man knows. We call those people savages, but theyknow a great deal more than we do. Shall I call to-morrow, and have along talk?"

"I fear, " replied Carne, who was cursing his luck for bringing thisfellow home just now, "that I shall have no time for a week or two. Iam engaged upon important business now, which will occupy my wholeattention. Let me see! You are staying at the rectory, I suppose. Thebest plan will be for me to let you know when I can afford the pleasureof receiving you. In a fortnight, or three weeks at the latest--"

"Very well. I am never in a hurry. And I want to go to London to seeabout my things. But I dare say you will not object to my roving aboutthe old castle now and then. I loved the old place as a boy, and I knowevery crick and cranny and snake-hole in it. "

"How glad they must have been to see you--restored from the dead, and with such rich discoveries! But you must be more careful, my goodcousin, and create no more anxiety. Glad as I shall be to see you, when time allows that indulgence, I must not encourage you to furtherrovings, which might end in your final disappearance. Two boar-hounds, exceedingly fierce and strong, and compelled by my straitenedcircumstances to pick up their own living, are at large on my premisesnight and day, to remonstrate with my creditors. We fear that they atea man last night, who had stolen a valuable picture, and was eager foranother by the same distinguished artist. His boots and hat were foundunhurt; but of his clothes not a shred remained, to afford anypattern for enquiry. What would my feelings be if Aunt Maria arrivedhysterically in the pony-carriage, and at great personal riskenquired--"

"I fear no dogs, " said Erle Twemlow, without any flash of anger in hissteadfast eyes. "I can bring any dog to lick my feet. But I fear any manwho sinks lower than a dog, by obtaining a voice and speaking lies withit. If you wish, for some reason of your own, to have nought to do withme, you should have said so; and I might have respected you afterwards. But flimsy excuses and trumpery lies belong to the lowest race ofsavages, who live near the coast, and have been taught by Frenchmen. "

Erle Twemlow stood, as he left off speaking, just before the shoulderof Carne's horse, ready to receive a blow, if offered, but withoutpreparation for returning it. But Carne, for many good reasons--whichoccurred to his mind long afterwards--controlled his fury, and consoledhis self-respect by repaying in kind the contempt he received. 

"Well done, Mr. Savage!" he said, with a violent effort to look amiable. "You and I are accustomed to the opposite extremes of society, and theless we meet, the better. When a barbarian insults me, I take it as afoul word from a clodhopper, which does not hurt me, but may damage hisown self-respect, if he cherishes such an illusion. Perhaps you willallow me to ride on, while you curb your very natural curiosity about acivilized gentleman. "

Twemlow made no answer, but looked at him with a gentle pity, whichinfuriated Carne more than the keenest insult. He lashed his horse, andgalloped down the hill, while his cousin stroked his beard, and lookedafter him with sorrow. 

"Everything goes against me now, " thought Caryl Carne, while he put uphis horse and set off for the Admiral's Roundhouse. "I want to be coolas a cucumber, and that insolent villain has made pepper of me. Whatdevil sent him here at such a time?"

For the moment it did not cross his mind that this man of lofty rudenesswas the long-expected lover of Faith Darling, and therefore in somesort entitled to a voice about the doings of the younger sister. By manyquiet sneers, and much expressive silence, he had set the brisk Dollyup against the quiet Faith, as a man who understands fowl nature can seteven two young pullets pulling each other's hackles out. 

"So you are come at last!" said Dolly. "No one who knows me keeps mewaiting, because I am not accustomed to it. I expect to be called for atany moment, by matters of real importance--not like this. "

"Your mind is a little disturbed, " replied Carne, as he took her handand kissed it, with less than the proper rapture; "is it because of thebrown and hairy man just returned from Africa?"

"Not altogether. But that may be something. He is not a man to belaughed at. I wish you could have seen my sister. "

"I would rather see you; and I have no love of savages. He is my firstcousin, and that affords me a domestic right to object to him. As abrother-in-law I will have none of him. "

"You forget, " answered Dolly, with a flash of her old spirit, which hewas subduing too heavily, "that a matter of that sort depends upon us, and our father, and not upon the gentlemen. If the gentlemen don't likeit, they can always go away. "

"How can they go, when they are chained up like a dog? Women may wanderfrom this one to that, because they have nothing to bind them; but a manis of steadfast material. "

"Erle Twemlow is, at any rate--though it is hard to see his materialthrough his hair; but that must come off, and I mean to do it. He is thebest-natured man I have ever yet known, except one; and that one had gotnothing to shave. Men never seem to understand about their hair, andthe interest we feel concerning it. But it does not matter very much, compared to their higher principles. "

"That is where I carry every vote, of whatever sex you please"--Carnesaw that this girl must be humoured for the moment. "Anybody can seewhat I am. Straightforward, and ready to show my teeth. Why should anhonest man live in a bush?"

"Faith likes it very much; though she always used to say that it didseem so unchristian. Could you manage to come and meet him, Caryl? Weshall have a little dinner on Saturday, I believe, that every one maysee Erle Twemlow. His beloved parents will be there, who are gone quitewild about him. Father will be at home for once; and the Marquis ofSouthdown, and some officers, and Captain Stubbard and his wife willcome, and perhaps my brother Frank, who admires you so much. You shallhave an invitation in the morning. "

"Such delights are not for me, " Carne answered, with a superior smile;"unhappily my time is too important. But perhaps these festivities willfavour me with the chance of a few words with my darling. How I long tosee her, and how little chance I get!"

"Because, when you get it, you spend three-quarters of the time inarguing, and the rest in finding fault. I am sure I go as far as anybodycan; and I won't take you into my father's Roundhouse, because I don'tthink it would be proper. "

"Ladies alone understand such subjects; and a gentleman is thankfulthat they do. I am quite content to be outside the Roundhouse--so calledbecause it is square, perhaps--though the wind is gone back to the eastagain, as it always does now in an English summer, according to a manwho has studied the subject--Zebedee Tugwell, the captain of the fleet. Dolly, beloved, and most worthy to be more so, clear your bright mindfrom all false impressions, whose only merit is that they are yours, andallow it to look clearly at a matter of plain sense. "

She was pleased to have compliments paid to her mind, even more than toher body--because there was no doubt about the merits of the latter--andshe said: "That is very nice. Go on. "

"Well, beauty, you know that I trust you in everything, because of yourvery keen discretion, and freedom from stupid little prejudice. I havebeen surprised at times, when I thought of it in your absence, thatany one so young, who has never been through any course of politicaleconomy, should be able to take such a clear view of subjects which arefar beyond the intellect of even the oldest ladies. But it must be yourbrother; no doubt he has helped you to--"

"Not he!" cried the innocent Dolly, with fine pride; "I rather look downupon his reasoning powers; though I never could make such a prettytink of rhymes--like the bells of the sheep when the ground is full ofturnips. "

"He approves of your elevated views, " said Carne, looking as grave as acrow at a church clock; "they may not have come from him, because theyare your own, quite as much as his poetry is his. But he perceives theirtruth, and he knows that they must prevail. In a year or two we shall bewondering, sweet Dolly, when you and I sit side by side, as thestupid old King and Queen do now, that it ever has been possible fornarrow-minded nonsense to prevail as it did until we rose above it. Weshall be admired as the benefactors, not of this country only, but ofthe whole world. "

Miss Dolly was fairly endowed with common-sense, but often failed touse it. She would fain have said now, "That sounds wonderfully fine; butwhat does it mean, and how are we to work it?" But unluckily shecould not bring herself to say it. And when millions are fooled by theglibness of one man--even in these days of wisdom--who can be surprisedat a young maid's weakness?

"You wish me to help you in some way, " she said; "your object is sure tobe good; and you trust me in everything, because of my discretion. Thenwhy not tell me everything?"

"You know everything, " Carne replied, with a smile of affection andsweet reproach. "My object is the largest that a man can have; anduntil I saw you, there was not the least taint of self-interest in myproceedings. But now it is not for the universe alone, for the grandeurof humanity, and the triumph of peace, that I have to strive, but alsofor another little somebody, who has come--I am ashamed to say--tooutweigh all the rest in the balance of my too tender heart. "

This was so good, and so well delivered, that the lady of such lovecould do no less than vouchsafe a soft hand and a softer glance, insteadof pursuing hard reason. 

"Beauty, it is plain enough to you, though it might not be so to stupidpeople, " Carne continued, as he pressed her hand, and vanquished thedoubt of her enquiring eyes with the strength of his resolute gaze, "that bold measures are sometimes the only wise ones. Many English girlswould stand aghast to hear that it was needful for the good of Englandthat a certain number, a strictly limited number, of Frenchmen shouldland upon this coast. "

"I should rather think they would!" cried Dolly; "and I would be one ofthem--you may be quite sure of that. "

"For a moment you might, until you came to understand. " Carne's voicealways took a silver tone when his words were big with roguery; asthe man who is touting for his neighbour's bees strikes the frying-pansoftly at first, to tone the pulsations of the murmuring mob. "Butevery safeguard and every guarantee that can be demanded by the wildestprudence will be afforded before a step is taken. In plain truth, alarge mind is almost shocked at such deference to antique prejudice. But the feelings of old women must be considered; and our measures arefenced with such securities that even the most timid must be satisfied. There must be a nominal landing, of course, of a strictly limitednumber, and they must be secured for a measurable period from anyill-judged interruption. But the great point of all is to have noblood-guiltiness, no outbreak of fanatic natives against benefactorscoming in the garb of peace. A truly noble offer of the olive-branchmust not be misinterpreted. It is the finest idea that has ever beenconceived; and no one possessing a liberal mind can help admiring theperfection of this plan. For the sake of this country, and the world, and ourselves, we must contribute our little share, darling. "

Carne, with the grace of a lofty protector, as well as the face ofan ardent lover, drew the bewildered maiden towards him, and tenderlykissed her pretty forehead, holding up his hand against all protest. 

"It is useless to dream of drawing back, " he continued; "my beauty, and my poor outcast self, are in the same boat, and must sail on tosuccess--such success as there never has been before, because it willbless the whole world, as well as secure our own perfect happiness. Youwill be more than the Queen of England. Statues of you will be set upeverywhere; and where could the sculptors find such another model? I maycount upon your steadfast heart, I know, and your wonderful quickness ofperception. "

"Yes, if I could only see that everything was right. But I feel that Iought to consult somebody of more experience in such things. My father, for instance, or my brother Frank, or even Mr. Twemlow, or perhapsCaptain Stubbard. "

"If you had thought of it a little sooner, and allowed me time to reasonwith them, " Carne replied, with a candid smile, "that would have beenthe very thing I should have wished, as taking a great responsibilityfrom me. But alas, it would be fatal now. The main object now is toremove all chance of an ill-judged conflict, which would ruin all goodfeeling, and cost many valuable lives, perhaps even that of your trulygallant father. No, my Dolly, you must not open your beautiful lips toany one. The peace and happiness of the world depend entirely upon yourdiscretion. All will be arranged to a nicety, and a happy result iscertain. Only I must see you, about some small points, as well as tosatisfy my own craving. On Saturday you have that dinner party, whensomebody will sit by your side instead of me. How miserably jealous Ishall be! When the gentlemen are at their wine, you must console me byslipping away from the ladies, and coming to the window of the littleroom where your father keeps his papers. I shall quit everything andwatch there for you among the shrubs, when it grows dark enough. "

CHAPTER LVII

BELOW THE LINE

Of the British Admirals then on duty, Collingwood alone, so far as nowappears, had any suspicion of Napoleon's real plan. 

"I have always had an idea that Ireland alone was the object they havein view, " he wrote in July, 1805, "and still believe that to be theirultimate destination--that they [i. E. , the Toulon fleet] will nowliberate the Ferrol squadron from Calder, make the round of the bay, andtaking the Rochefort people with them, appear off Ushant, perhapswith 34 sail, there to be joined by 20 more. Cornwallis collecting hisout-squadrons may have 30 and upwards. This appears to be a probableplan; for unless it is to bring their great fleets and armies to somepoint of service--some rash attempt at conquest--they have been onlysubjecting them to chance of loss; which I do not believe the Corsicanwould do, without the hope of an adequate reward. This summer is bigwith events. "

This was written to Lord Nelson upon his return to Europe, after chasingthat Toulon fleet to the West Indies and back again. And a day ortwo later, the same Vice-Admiral wrote to his friend very clearly, asbefore:

"Truly glad will I be to see you, and to give you my best opinion on thepresent state of affairs, which are in the highest degree intricate. Butreasoning on the policy of the present French government, who never aimat little things while great objects are in view, I have considered theinvasion of Ireland as the real mark and butt of all their operations. The flight to the West Indies was to take off the naval force, whichis the great impediment to their undertaking. The Rochefort squadron'sreturn confirmed me. I think they will now collect their force atFerrol--which Calder tells me are in motion--pick up those at Rochefort, who, I am told, are equally ready, and will make them above thirty sail;and then, without going near Ushant or the Channel fleet, proceed toIreland. Detachments must go from the Channel fleet to succour Ireland, when the Brest fleet--21 I believe of them--will sail, either to anotherpart of Ireland, or up the Channel--a sort of force that has not beenseen in those seas, perhaps ever. "

Lord Nelson just lately had suffered so much from the disadvantage ofnot "following his own head, and so being much more correct in judgmentthan following the opinion of others, " that his head was not at all ina receptive state; and like all who have doubted about being right, and found the doubt wrong, he was hardened into the merits of his ownconclusion. "Why have I gone on a goose-chase?" he asked; "because Ihave twice as many ears as eyes. "

This being so, he stuck fast to the conviction which he had nourishedall along, that the scheme of invasion was a sham, intended to keep theBritish fleet at home, while the enemy ravaged our commerce and coloniesafar. And by this time the country, grown heartily tired of groundlessalarms and suspended menace, was beginning to view with contempt a campthat was wearing out its own encampment. Little was it dreamed in thesweet rose gardens of England, or the fragrant hay-fields, that the curlof blue smoke while the dinner was cooking, the call of milkmaids, thehaymaker's laugh, or the whinny of Dobbin between his mouthfuls, mightbe turned (ere a man of good appetite was full) into foreign shouts, andshriek of English maiden, crackling homestead, and blazing stack-yard, blare of trumpets, and roar of artillery, cold flash of steel, and thesoft warm trickle of a father's or a husband's blood. 

But the chance of this hung upon a hair just now. One hundred and sixtythousand soldiers--the finest sons of Mars that demon has ever yetbegotten--fifteen thousand warlike horses, ready to devour all the oatsof England, cannons that never could be counted (because it was notalways safe to go near them), and ships that no reckoner could get tothe end of, because he was always beginning again. 

Who was there now to meet all these? Admiral Darling, and CaptainStubbard, and Zebedee Tugwell (if he found them intrusive), and ErleTwemlow, as soon as he got his things from London. There might be a fewmore to come forward, as soon as they saw the necessity; but Mr. JohnPrater could not be relied on--because of the trade he might expectto drive; Mr. Shargeloes had never turned up again; and as for poorCheeseman, he had lost himself so entirely now that he made up theweight of a pound of sausages, in the broad summer light, with a tallowcandle. Like others concerned in this history, he had jumped at thestars, and cracked his head against a beam, in manner to be recorded. 

The country being destitute thus of defenders--for even Stubbard'sbattery was not half manned, because it had never been wanted--the planof invasion was thriving well, in all but one particular. The fleetunder Villeneuve was at large, so was that under Lallemand, who hadsuperseded Missiessy, so was the force of Gravina and another Spanishadmiral; but Ganteaume had failed to elude the vigilance of that hero ofstorms, Cornwallis. Napoleon arrived at Boulogne on the 3rd of August, and reviewed his troops, in a line on the beach some eight miles long. A finer sight he had never seen, and he wrote in his pride: "The Englishknow not what is hanging over their ears. If we are masters of thepassage for twelve hours, England is conquered. " But all depended onVilleneuve, and happily he could not depend upon his nerves. 

Meanwhile the young man who was charged with a message which he wouldgladly have died to discharge was far away, eating out his heart insilence, or vainly relieving it with unknown words. At the last gasp, orafter he ceased to gasp for the time, and was drifting insensible, buthappily with his honest face still upward, a Dutchman, keeping a sharplookout for English cruisers, espied him. He was taken on board of afine bark bound from Rotterdam for Java, with orders to choose the trackleast infested by that ravenous shark Britannia. Scudamore was treatedwith the warmest kindness and the most gentle attention, for thecaptain's wife was on board, and her tender heart was moved withcompassion. Yet even so, three days passed by with no more knowledgeof time on his part than the face of a clock has of its hands; and morethan a week was gone before both body and mind were in tone and tuneagain. By that time the stout Dutch bark, having given a wide berthto the wakes of war, was forty leagues west of Cape Finisterre, underorders to touch no land short of the Cape, except for fresh water at St. Jago. 

Blyth Scudamore was blest with that natural feeling of preference forone's own kin and country which the much larger minds of the presentperiod flout, and scout as barbarous. Happily our periodical blightis expiring, like cuckoo-spit, in its own bubbles; and the time isreturning when the bottle-blister will not be accepted as the good ripepeach. Scudamore was of the times that have been (and perhaps maybe coming again, in the teeth and the jaw of universal suffrage), ofresolute, vigorous, loyal people, holding fast all that God gives them, and declining to be led by the tail, by a gentleman who tacked theirtail on as his handle. 

This certainty of belonging still to a firm and substantial race of men(whose extinction would leave the world nothing to breed from) made thegallant Scudamore so anxious to do his duty, that he could not do it. Why do we whistle to a horse overburdened with a heavy load uphill? Thathis mind may grow tranquil, and his ears train forward, his eyes losetheir nervous contraction, and a fine sense of leisure pervade him. Butif he has a long hill to surmount, with none to restrain his ardour, thesense of duty grows stronger than any consideration of his own good, and the best man has not the conscience needful to understand half hisemotions. 

Thus the sense of duty kept Blyth Scudamore full of misery. Every daycarried him further from the all-important issues; and the chance ofreturning in time grew faint, and fainter at every sunset. The kindlyDutchman and his wife were aware of some burden on his mind, because ofits many groaning sallies while astray from judgment. But as soon as hiswits were clear again, and his body fit to second them, Blyth saw thathe could not crave their help, against the present interests of theirown land. Holland was at enmity with England, not of its own accord, but under the pressure of the man who worked so hard the great Europeanmangle. Captain Van Oort had picked up some English, and his wife coulduse tongue and ears in French, while Scudamore afforded himself and themsome little diversion by attempts in Dutch. Being of a wonderfully happynature--for happiness is the greatest wonder in this world--he could nothelp many a wholesome laugh, in spite of all the projects of Napoleon. 

Little things seldom jump into bigness, till a man sets his microscopeat them. According to the everlasting harmonies, Blyth had not got apenny, because he had not got a pocket to put it in. A pocketful ofmoney would have sent him to the bottom of the sea, that breezy Aprilnight, when he drifted for hours, with eyes full of salt, twinklingfeeble answer to the twinkle of the stars. But he had made himself lightof his little cash left, in his preparation for a slow decease, and perhaps the fish had paid tribute with it to the Caesar of thisMillennium. Captain Van Oort was a man of his inches in length, but inbreadth about one-third more, being thickened and spread by the yearsthat do this to a body containing a Christian mind. "You will never getout of them, " said Mrs. Van Oort, when he got into her husband's largesmallclothes; but he who had often jumped out of a tub felt nodespair about jumping out of two. In every way Scudamore hoped for thebest--which is the only right course for a man who has done his ownbest, and is helpless. 

Keeping out of the usual track of commerce, because of the privateersand other pests of war waylaying it, they met no sail of either friendor foe until they cast anchor at St. Jago. Here there was no ship boundfor England, and little chance of finding one, for weeks or perhaps formonths to come. The best chance of getting home lay clearly in going yetfurther away from home, and so he stuck to the good ship still, and theyweighed for the Cape on the 12th of May. Everything set against poorScuddy--wind, and wave, and the power of man. It had been the 16th ofApril when he was rescued from the devouring sea; some days had beenspent by the leisurely Dutchman in providing fresh supplies, and thestout bark's favourite maxim seemed to be, "the more haste the lessspeed. " Baffling winds and a dead calm helped to second this philosophy, and the first week of June was past before they swung to their mooringsin Table Bay. 

"What chance is there now of my doing any good?" the young Englishmanasked himself, bitterly. "This place is again in the hands of the Dutch, and the English ships stand clear of it, or only receive supplies bystealth. I am friendless here, I am penniless; and worst of all, if Ieven get a passage home, there will be no home left. Too late! too late!What use is there in striving?"

Tears stood in his blue eyes, which were gentle as a lady's; and hisforehead (usually calm and smooth and ready for the flicker of a verypleasant smile) was as grave and determined as the brow of Caryl Carne. Captain Van Oort would have lent him 500 guilders with the greatestpleasure, but Scudamore would not take more than fifty, to support himuntil he could obtain a ship. Then with hearty good-will, and life-longfaith in each other, the two men parted, and Scudamore's heart wasuncommonly low--for a substance that was not a "Jack-in-the-box"--as hewatched from the shore the slow fading into dream-land of the Katterina. 

Nothing except patriotic feeling may justify a man, who has done noharm, in long-continued misery. The sense of violent bodily pain, or ofperpetual misfortune, or of the baseness of all in whom he trusted, andother steady influx of many-fountained sorrow, may wear him for a time, and even fetch his spirit lower than the more vicarious woe can do. Butthe firm conviction that the family of man to which one belongs, andis proud of belonging, has fallen into the hands of traitors, eloquentliars, and vile hypocrites, and cannot escape without crawling in thedust--this produces a large deep gloom, and a crushing sense of doombeyond philosophy. Scudamore could have endured the loss and thedisillusion of his love--pure and strong as that power had been--butthe ruin of his native land would turn his lively heart into a lump ofstone. 

For two or three days he roved about among the people of thewater-side--boatmen, pilots, shipping agents, store-keepers, stevedores, crimps, or any others likely to know anything to help him. Some of thesecould speak a little English, and many had some knowledge of French; butall shook their heads at his eagerness to get to England. "You maywait weeks, or you may wait months, " said the one who knew most ofthe subject; "we are very jealous of the English ships. That countryswallows up the sea so. It has been forbidden to supply the Englishships; but for plenty money it is done sometimes; but the finger mustbe placed upon the nose, and upon the two eyes what you call the guinea;and in six hours where are they? Swallowed up by the mist from themountain. No, sir! If you have the great money, it is very difficult. But if you have not that, it is impossible. "

"I have not the great money; and the little money also has escaped froma quicksand in the bottom of my pocket. "

"Then you will never get to England, sir, " this gentleman answered, pleasantly; "and unless I have been told things too severely, the bestman that lives had better not go there, without a rock of gold in hispocket grand enough to fill a thousand quicksands. "

Scudamore lifted the relics of his hat, and went in search of some otherJob's comforter. Instead of a passage to England, he saw in a straightline before him the only journey which a mortal may take without payinghis fare. 

To save himself from this gratuitous tour, he earned a little money ina porter's gang, till his quick step roused the indignation of the rest. With the loftiest perception of the rights of man, they turned himout of that employment (for the one "sacred principle of labour" is toplay), and he, understanding now the nature, of democracy, perceivedthat of all the many short-cuts to starvation, the one with the fewestelbows to it is--to work. 

While he was meditating upon these points--which persons of big wordslove to call "questions of political economy"--his hat, now become apatent ventilator, sat according to custom on the back of hishead, exposing his large calm forehead, and the kind honesty of hiscountenance. Then he started a little, for his nerves were not quiteas strong as when they had good feeding, at the sudden sense of beingscrutinized by the most piercing gaze he had ever encountered. 

The stranger was an old man of tall spare frame, wearing a shovel-hatand long black gown drawn in with a belt, and around his bare neck was asteel chain supporting an ebony cross. With a smile, which displayed thefirm angles of his face, he addressed the young man in a language whichScudamore could not understand, but believed to be Portuguese. 

"Thy words I am not able to understand. But the Latin tongue, as it ispronounced in England, I am able to interpret, and to speak, nottoo abundantly. " Scudamore spoke the best Latin he could muster at amoment's notice, for he saw that this gentleman was a Catholic priest, and probably therefore of good education. 

"Art thou, then, an Englishman, my son?" the stranger replied, in thesame good tongue. "From thy countenance and walk, that opinion stoodfast in my mind at first sight of thee. Every Englishman is to mebeloved, and every Frenchman unfriendly--as many, at least, as nowgovern the state. Father Bartholomew is my name, and though most menhere are heretical, among the faithful I avail sufficiently. What saiththe great Venusian? 'In straitened fortunes quit thyself as a man ofspirit and of mettle. ' I find thee in straitened fortunes, and wouldgladly enlarge thee, if that which thou art doing is pleasing to the Godomnipotent. "

After a few more words, he led the hapless and hungry Englishman toa quiet little cot which overlooked the noble bay, and itself wasoverlooked by a tall flag-staff bearing the colours of Portugal. Here inthe first place he regaled his guest with the flank of a kid served withcucumber, and fruit gathered early, and some native wine, scarcely goodenough for the Venusian bard, but as rich as ambrosia to Scudamore. Thenhe supplied him with the finest tobacco that ever ascended in spiralincense to the cloud-compelling Jove. At every soft puff, away flew theblue-devils, pagan, or Christian, or even scientific; and the brightnessof the sleep-forbidden eyes returned, and the sweetness of the smileso long gone hence in dread of trespass. Father Bartholomew, neithereating, drinking, nor smoking, till the sun should set--for this was oneof his fast-days--was heartily pleased with his guest's good cheer, andsmiled with the large benevolence which a lean face expresses with moredecision than a plump and jolly one. "And now, my son, " he began again, in Latin more fluent and classical than the sailor could compass afterCicero thrown by, "thou hast returned thanks to Almighty God, for whichI the more esteem thee. Oblige me, therefore, if it irk thee not, amongsmoke of the genial Nicotium, by telling thy tale, and explaining whathard necessity hath driven thee to these distant shores. Fear not, forthou seest a lover of England, and hater of France the infidel. "

Then Scudamore, sometimes hesitating and laughing at his own bad Latin, told as much of his story as was needful, striving especially to makeclear the importance of his swift return, and his fear that even so itwould be too late. 

"Man may believe himself too late, but the Lord ariseth early, " the goodpriest answered, with a smile of courage refreshing the heart of theEnglishman. "Behold how the hand of the Lord is steadfast over those whoserve him! To-morrow I might have been far away; to-day I am in time tohelp thee. Whilst thou wert feeding, I received the signal of a swiftship for Lisbon, whose captain is my friend, and would neglect nothingto serve me. This night he will arrive, and with favourable breezes, which have set in this morning, he shall spread his sails againto-morrow, though he meant to linger perhaps for three days. Be of goodcheer, my son; thou shalt sail to-morrow. I will supply thee with allthat is needful, and thank God for a privilege so great. Thou shalt havemoney as well for the passage from Lisbon to England, which is notlong. Remember in thy prayers--for thou art devout--that old man, FatherBartholomew. "

CHAPTER LVIII

IN EARLY MORN

One Saturday morning in the month of August, an hour and a half beforesunrise, Carne walked down to the big yew-tree, which stood far enoughfrom the brink of the cliff to escape the salt, and yet near enoughto command an extensive sea-view. This was the place where the youngshoemaker, belonging to the race of Shanks, had been scared so sadlythat he lost his sweetheart, some two years and a half ago; and this wasthe tree that had been loved by painters, especially the conscientiousSharples, a pupil of Romney, who studied the nicks and the tricks ofthe bole, and the many fantastic frets of time, with all the lovingcare which ensured the truth of his simple and powerful portraits. ButSharples had long been away in the West; and Carne, having taste forno art except his own, had despatched his dog Orso, the fiercer of thepair, at the only son of a brush who had lately made ready to encampagainst that tree; upon which he decamped, and went over the cliff, witha loss of much personal property. 

The tree looked ghostly in the shady light, and gaunt armstretch ofdeparting darkness, going as if it had not slept its sleep out. Nowwas the time when the day is afraid of coming, and the night unsure ofgoing, and a large reluctance to acknowledge any change keeps everythingwaiting for another thing to move. What is the use of light and shadow, the fuss of the morning, and struggle for the sun? Fair darkness hasfilled all the gaps between them, and why should they be sever'd intosingle life again? For the gladness of daybreak is not come yet, northe pleasure of seeing the way again, the lifting of the darkness leavesheaviness beneath it, and if a rashly early bird flops down upon thegrass, he cannot count his distance, but quivers like a moth. 

"Pest on this abominable early work!" muttered Carne with a yawn, as hegroped his way through the deep gloom of black foliage, and entered thehollow of the ancient trunk; "it is all very well for sailors, but toohard upon a quiet gentleman. Very likely that fellow won't come for twohours. What a cursed uncomfortable maggoty place! But I'll have putthe sleep he has robbed me of. " He stretched his long form on the roughbench inside, gathered his cloak around him, and roused the dull echo ofthe honey-combed hollow with long loud snores. 

"Awake, my vigilant commander, and behold me! Happy are the landsmen, towhom the stars bring sleep. I have not slept for three nights, and thefruits are here for you. "

It was the lively voice of Renaud Charron; and the rosy fan of the dawn, unfolded over the sea and the gray rocks, glanced with a flutter ofshade into the deep-ribbed tree. Affecting a lofty indifference, Carne, who had a large sense of his own dignity, rose slowly and came out intothe better light. "Sit down, my dear friend, " he said, taking the sealedpacket; "there is bread and meat here, and a bottle of good Macon. Youare nearly always hungry, and you must be starved now. "

Charron perceived that his mouth was offered employment at the expenseof his eyes; but the kernel of the matter was his own already, and hesmiled to himself at the mystery of his chief. "In this matter, I shouldimplore the tree to crush me, if my father were an Englishman, " hethought; "but every one to his taste; it is no affair of mine. " Just ashe was getting on good terms with his refreshment, Carne came back, andwatched him with a patronising smile. 

"You are the brother of my toil, " he said, "and I will tell you asmuch as it is good for you to know. A few hours now will complete ourenterprise. Napoleon is at Boulogne again, and even he can scarcelyrestrain the rush of the spirits he has provoked. The first Division ison board already, with a week's supplies, and a thousand horses, readyto sail when a hand is held up. The hand will be held up at my signal, and that I shall trust you to convey to-night, as soon as I have settledcertain matters. Where is that sullen young Tugwell? What have you donewith him?"

"Wonderfully clever is your new device, my friend, " Charron replied, after a long pull at the bottle. "To vanquish the mind by a mindsuperior is a glory of high reason; but to let it remain in itselfand compel it to perform what is desired by the other, is a stroke ofgenius. And under your pharmacy he must do it--that has been provedalready. The idea was grand, very noble, magnificent. It never wouldhave shown itself to my mind. "

"Probably not. When that has been accomplished, we will hang him for atraitor. But, my dear friend, I have sad news for you, even in this hourof triumph. The lady of your adoration, the Admiral's eldest daughter, Faith, has recovered the man for whom she has waited four years, and shemeans to marry him. The father has given his consent, and her pride isbeyond description. She has long loved a mystery--what woman can helpit? And now she has one for life, a husband eclipsed in his own hair. My Renaud, all rivalry is futile. Your hair, alas, is quite short andscanty. But this man has discovered in Africa a nut which turns a maninto the husk of himself. No wonder that he came out of the sea alldry!"

"Tush! he is a pig. It is a pig that finds the nuts. I will be thebutcher for that long pig, and the lady will rush into the arms ofconquest. Then will I possess all the Admiral's lands, and pursue thefine chase of the rabbits. And I will give dinners, such dinners, myfaith! Ha! that is excellent said--embrace me--my Faith will sit at theright side of the table, and explain to the English company that suchdinners could proceed from nobody except a French gentleman comminglingall the knowledge of the joint with the loftier conception of the hash, the mince--the what you call? Ah, you have no name for it, becauseyou do not know the proper thing. Then, in the presence of admiringEnglishmen, I will lean back in my chair, the most comfortable chairthat can be found--"

"Stop. You have got to get into it yet, " Carne interrupted, rudely; "andthe way to do that is not to lean back in it. The fault of your systemhas always been that you want to enjoy everything before you get it. "

"And of yours, " retorted Charron, beginning to imbibe the pugnacity ofan English landlord, "that when you have got everything, you will enjoywhat? Nothing!"

"Even a man of your levity hits the nail on the head sometimes, " saidCarne, "though the blow cannot be a very heavy one. Nature has notfashioned me for enjoyment, and therefore affords me very little. Butsome little I do expect in the great inversion coming, in the upset ofthe scoundrels who have fattened on my flesh, and stolen my land, tomake country gentlemen--if it were possible--of themselves. It will takea large chimney to burn their title-deeds, for the robbery has lastedfor a century. But I hold the great Emperor's process signed forthat; and if you come to my cookery, you will say that I am capableof enjoyment. Fighting I enjoy not, as hot men do, nor guzzling, norswigging, nor singing of songs; for all of which you have a talent, myfriend. But the triumph of quiet skill I like; and I love to turn thebalance on my enemies. Of these there are plenty, and among them all wholive in that fishy little hole down there. "

Carne pointed contemptuously at Springhaven, that poor little villagein the valley. But the sun had just lifted his impartial face above thelast highland that baulked his contemplation of the home of so many andgreat virtues; and in the brisk moisture of his early salute the villagein the vale looked lovely. For a silvery mist was flushed with rose, like a bridal veil warmed by the blushes of the bride, and the curves ofthe land, like a dewy palm leaf, shone and sank alternate. 

"What a rare blaze they will make!" continued Carne, as the sunlightglanced along the russet thatch, and the blue smoke arose from theearliest chimney. "Every cottage there shall be a bonfire, because ithas cast off allegiance to me. The whole race of Darling will be at mymercy--the pompous old Admiral, who refused to call on me till his idiotof a son persuaded him--that wretched poetaster, who reduced me to theignominy of reading his own rubbish to him--and the haughty young womanthat worships a savage who has treated me with insult. I have them allnow in the hollow of my hand, and a thorough good crumpling is preparedfor them. The first house to burn shall be Zebedee Tugwell's, thatconceited old dolt of a fishing fellow, who gives me a nod of suspicion, instead of pulling off his dirty hat to me. Then we blow up the church, and old Twemlow's house, and the Admiral's, when we have done with it. The fishing-fleet, as they call their wretched tubs, will come home, with the usual fuss, to-night, and on Monday it shall be ashes. How likeyou my programme? Is it complete?"

"Too much, too much complete; too barbarous, " answered the kindlyhearted Frenchman. "What harm have all the poor men done to you? Andwhat insanity to provoke enemies of the people all around who wouldbring us things to eat! And worse--if the houses are consumed with fire, where will be the revenue that is designed for me, as the fair son ofthe Admiral? No, no; I will allow none of that. When the landing ismade, you will not be my master. Soult will have charge of the subjectsinferior, and he is not a man of rapine. To him will I address myself infavour of the village. Thus shall I ascend in the favour of my charming, and secure my property. "

"Captain, I am your master yet, and I will have no interference. No moretalk; but obey me to the letter. There is no sign of any rough weather, I suppose? You sailors see things which we do not observe. "

"This summer has not been of fine weather, and the sky is alwayschanging here. But there is not any token of a tempest now. Though thereis a little prospect of rain always. "

"If it rains, all the better, for it obscures the sea. You have fedenough now to last even you till the evening; or if not, you can takesome with you. Remain to the westward, where the cliffs are higher, andlook out especially for British ships of war that may be appearing upChannel. Take this second spy-glass; it is quite strong enough. Butfirst of all tell Perkins to stand off again with the pilot-boat, asif he was looking out for a job, and if he sees even a frigate comingeastward, to run back and let you know by a signal arranged between you. Dan Tugwell, I see, was shipped yesterday on board of Prame No. 801, avery handy vessel, which will lead the van, and five hundred will followin her track on Sunday evening. My excellent uncle will be at the heightof his eloquence just when his favourite Sunday-school boy is bringingan addition to his congregation. But the church shall not be blown upuntil Monday, for fear of premature excitement. By Monday night abouttwo hundred thousand such soldiers as Britain could never produce willbe able to quell any childish excitement such as Great Britain is apt togive way to. "

"But what is for me, this same Saturday night? I like very much to makepolite the people, and to marry the most beautiful and the richest; butnot to kill more than there is to be helped. "

"The breaking of the egg may cut the fingers that have been sucked tilltheir skin is gone. You have plagued me all along with your Englishhankerings, which in your post of trust are traitorous. "

Charron was accustomed to submit to the infinitely stronger will ofCarne. Moreover, his sense of discipline often checked the speed of histemper. But he had never been able to get rid of a secret contempt forhis superior, as a traitor to the race to which he really belonged, atleast in the Frenchman's opinion. And that such a man should charge himwith treachery was more than his honest soul could quite endure, and hisquick face flushed with indignation as he spoke:

"Your position, my commander, does not excuse such words. You shallanswer for them, when I am discharged from your command; which, I hope, will be the case next week. To be spoken of as a traitor by you is verygrand. "

"Take it as you please, " Carne replied, with that cold contemptuoussmile which the other detested. "For the present, however, you will notbe grand, but carry out the orders which I give you. As soon as it isdark, you will return, keep the pilot-boat in readiness for my lastdespatch, with which you will meet the frigate Torche about midnight, asarranged on Thursday. All that and the signals you already understand. Wait for me by this tree, and I may go with you; but that will dependupon circumstances. I will take good care that you shall not be keptstarving; for you may have to wait here three or four hours for me. Butbe sure that you do not go until I come. "

"But what am I to do if I have seen some British ships, or Perkins hasgiven me token of them?"

"Observe their course, and learn where they are likely to be atnightfall. There will probably be none. All I fear is that they mayintercept the Torche. Farewell, my friend, and let your sense of dutysubdue the small sufferings of temper. "

CHAPTER LIX

NEAR OUR SHORES

"This is how it is, " said Captain Tugwell, that same day, to ErleTwemlow: "the folk they goes on with a thing, till a man as has anyhead left twists it round on his neck, with his chin looking down hisstarn-post. Then the enemy cometh, with his spy-glass and his guns, andafore he can look round, he hath nothing left to look for. "

"Then you think, Tugwell, that the danger is not over?--that the Frenchmean business even now, when every one is tired of hearing of it? I havebeen away so long that I know nothing. But the universal opinion is--"

"Opinion of the universe be dashed!" Master Zebedee answered, with apuff of smoke. "We calls ourselves the universe, when we be the ropethat drags astarn of it. Cappen, to my mind there is mischief in thewind, more than there hath been for these three years; and that's whyyou see me here, instead of going with the smacks. Holy Scripture saitha dream cometh from the Lord; leastways, to a man of sense, as hardlyever dreameth. The wind was so bad again us, Monday afternoon, that weput off sailing till the Tuesday, and Monday night I lay on my own bed, without a thought of nothing but to sleep till five o'clock. I hadn'ttaken nothing but a quart of John Prater's ale--and you know what hismeasures is--not a single sip of grog; but the Hangel of the Lord hecome and stand by me in the middle of the night. And he took me by thehand, or if he didn't it come to the same thing of my getting there, andhe set me up in a dark high place, the like of the yew-tree near CarneCastle. And then he saith, 'Look back, Zeb'; and I looked, and beholdSpringhaven was all afire, like the bottomless pit, or the thunder-stormof Egypt, or the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And two figures wasjumping about in the flames, like the furnace in the plain of Dura, andone of them was young Squire Carne, and the other was my son Daniel, asbehaveth below his name. And I called out, 'Daniel, thou son of Zebedeeand Kezia Tugwell, come forth from the burning fiery furnace'; but heanswered not, neither heeded me. And then Squire Darling, Sir Charles isnow the name of him, out he come from his Round-house, and by the whitegate above high-water mark, to order out the fire, because they was allhis own cottages. But while he was going about, as he doth for fear ofbeing hard upon any one, out jumps Squire Carne, from the thickest ofthe blazes, and takes the poor Squire by the forepart of his neck, whichhe liketh to keep open when he getteth off of duty, and away with himinto the burning fiery furnace made of his own houses! That was morethan I could put up with, even under the Hangel, and I give such a kickthat Kezia, though she saith she is the most quietest of women, feltherself a forced to bounce me up. "

"A dream of that sort deserves notice, " answered Erle, who had passedmany months among sailors; "and over and above that, I see proofs ofa foolish security in England, and of sharp activity in France. LastMonday I was only five miles from Boulogne, on board of our frigatethe Melpomene, for I wanted the captain's evidence to help me in myown affairs; and upon my word I was quite amazed at the massing of theFrench forces there, and the evident readiness of their hundreds oftroop-ships. Scores of them even had horses on board, for I saw themquite clearly with a spy-glass. But the officers only laughed at me, andsaid they were tired of seeing that. And another thing I don't likeat all is the landing of a French boat this side of Pebbleridge. I wascoming home after dark one night, and as soon as they saw me they pushedoff, and pretended to be English fishermen; but if ever I saw Frenchmen, these were French; and I believe they had a ship not far away, for I sawa light shown and then turned off. I examined the place in the morning, and saw the footprints of men on a path up the cliff, as if they hadgone inland towards Carne Castle. When the Admiral came home, I told himof it; but he seemed to think it was only some smuggling. "

"Ah, there's smooglin' of a bad kind over there, to my belief. Iwouldn't tell your honour not a quarter what I thinks, because of theyoung gentleman being near akin to you. But a thing or two have come tomy ears, very much again a young squire over that way. A man as will dowhat he have done is a black one in some ways; and if some, why not inall?"

"Tell me what you mean, " said Twemlow, sternly. "After saying so much, you are bound to say more. Caryl Carne is no friend of mine, although heis my cousin. I dislike the man, though I know but little of him. "

"For sartin then a kind gentleman like you won't like him none thebetter for betraying of a nice young maid as put her trust in him, aslively and pretty a young maid as ever stepped, and might have had thepick of all the young men in the parish. "

"What!" exclaimed Erle, with a sudden chill of heart, for Faith had notconcealed from him her anxiety about Dolly. "Tugwell, do you mean tosay--"

"Yes, sir; only you must keep it to yourself, for the sake of the pooryoung thing; though too many knows it already, I'm afeared. And thatwas how poor Jem Cheeseman changed from a dapper money-turning man, aspleasant as could be, to a down-hearted, stick-in-doors, honest-weightedfellow. Poor little Polly was as simple as a dove, and her meant tobreak none of the Lord's commandments, unless it was a sin to look somuch above her. He took her aboard her father's trading-craft, andmade pretence to marry her across the water, her knowing nothing ofthe lingo, to be sure; and then when there come a thumping boy, andher demanded for the sake of the young 'un that her marriage should besartified in the face of all the world, what does he do but turn roundand ask her if she was fool enough to suppose that a Carne had married abutter-man's daughter? With a few words more, she went off of her head, and have never been right again, they say; and her father, who wasmighty proud to have a grandson heir to an old ancient castle, he wasso took aback with this disappointment that he puzzled all the village, including of me, as I am free to own, by jumping into his own rope. 'Twas only now just that I heard all this; and as the captain of thishere place, I shall ask leave of Cheeseman to have it out with MasterCarne, as soon as may be done without hurting the poor thing. If shehad been my child, the rope should have gone round his neck first, if itcome to mine there-arter!"

"The ----- villain!" Twemlow used a strong short word, without addingheavily, it may be hoped, to the score against him. "And to think thatall this time he has been daring to address himself--But never mind thatnow. It will be a bad time for him when I catch him by himself, though Imust not speak of Polly. Poor little Polly! what a pretty child she was!I used to carry sugar-plums on purpose for her. Good-bye, Tugwell; Imust think about all this. "

"And so must I, sir. What a strapping chap 'a be!" Captain Zebedeecontinued to himself, as Twemlow strode away with the light step of amountain savage, carrying a long staff from force of habit, and lookingeven larger than himself from the flow of chestnut hair and beard aroundhim. "Never did see such a hairy chap. Never showed no signs of it when'a was a lad, and Miss 'Liza quite smooth in the front of her neck. Mustcome of Hottentot climate, I reckon. They calls it the bush, fromthe folk been so bushy. I used to think as my beard was a pretty goodexample; but, Lord bless me and keep me, it would all go on his nose! If'a spreadeth that over the face of Squire Carne, 'a will ravish him, asthe wicked doth ravish the poor. "

Twemlow had many sad things to consider, and among them the impendingloss of this grand mane. After divers delays, and infinitude of forms, and much evidence of things self-evident--in the spirit which drove SirHoratio Nelson to pin a certificate of amputation to the sleeve of hislost arm--this Twemlow had established that he was the Twemlow leftbehind upon the coast of Africa, and having been captured in the serviceof his country, was entitled at least to restoration. In such a casesmall liberality was shown in those days, even as now prevaileth, theobject of all in authority being to be hard upon those who are outof it. At last, when he was becoming well weary, and nothing but anEnglishman's love of his country and desire to help in her dangersprevented him from turning to private pursuits--wherein he held a keyto fortune--he found himself restored to his rank in the Army, andappointed to another regiment, which happened to be short of officers. Then he flung to the winds, until peace should return, his prospect ofwealth beyond reckoning, and locked in a black leather trunk materialsworth their weight in diamonds. But, as life is uncertain, he toldhis beloved one the secret of his great discovery, which she, in sweetignorance of mankind, regarded as of no importance. 

But as wars appear and disappear, nations wax and wane, and the holiestprinciples of one age become the scoff of the next, yet human nature isthe same throughout, it would be wrong to cast no glance--even with theFrench so near our shores--at the remarkable discovery of this youngman, and the circumstances leading up to it. For with keen insightinto civilized thought, which yearns with the deepest remorse for thoseblessings which itself has banished, he knew that he held a master-keyto the treasuries of Croesus, Mycerinus, Attalus, and every other Kingwho has dazzled the world with his talents. The man who can minister tohuman needs may, when he is lucky, earn a little towards his own; theman who contributes to the pleasure of his fellows must find reward inhis own; but he who can gratify the vanity of his race is the master oftheir pockets. 

Twemlow had been carried from the deadly coast (as before related byCaptain Southcombe) to the mountainous district far inland, by the greatKing Golo of the Quackwas nation, mighty warriors of lofty stature. Herehe was treated well, and soon learned enough of their simple language tounderstand and be understood; while the King, who considered all whitemen as of canine origin, was pleased with him, and prepared to make himuseful. Then Twemlow was sent, with an escort of chiefs, to the land ofthe Houlas, as a medicine-man, to win Queen Mabonga for the great KingGolo. But she--so strange is the perversity of women--beholding this manof a pearly tint, as fair as the moon, and as soft as a river--for hetook many months to get properly tanned--with one long gaze of amazementyielded to him what he sought for another. A dwarf and a whipster hemight be among the great darkies around her--for he had only six feetand one inch of stature, and forty-two inches round the chest--but, toher fine taste, tone and quality more than covered defect of quantity. The sight of male members of her race had never moved her, because shehad heard of their wickedness; but the gaze of this white man, so tenderand so innocent, set her on a long course of wondering about herself. Then she drew back, and passed into the private hut behind, where no onewas allowed to disturb her. For she never had felt like this before, andshe wanted nobody to notice it. 

But the Houla maidens, with the deepest interest in matters that camehome to them outside their understanding, held council with theirmothers, and these imparted to the angelic stranger, as plainly asmodesty permitted, the distressing results of his whiteness, andimplored him to depart, before further harm was done. Twemlow perceivedthat he had tumbled into a difficult position, and the only way out ofit was to make off. Giving pledges to return in two moons at the latest, he made his salaam to the sensitive young Queen, whose dignity wasonly surpassed by her grace, and expecting to be shortened by the head, returned with all speed to the great King Golo. Honesty is the bestpolicy--as we all know so well that we forbear to prove it--and theEnglishman saw that the tale would be darker from the lips of his blackattendants. The negro monarch was of much-enduring mind, but thesetidings outwent his philosophy. He ordered Twemlow's head to come off bydinner-time, and, alas, that royal household kept very early hours; andthe poor captain, corded to a tree, sniffed sadly the growth of goodroast, which he never should taste, and could only succeed in successionof fare. For although that enlightened King had discarded the taste ofthe nations around him, it was not half so certain as the prisoner couldhave wished that his prejudice would resist the relish of a candid rivalin prime condition. 

While Twemlow was dwelling upon this nice question, and sympathisingdeeply with the animal on the spit, Tuloo, the head councillor ofthe realm, appeared, an ancient negro full of wisdom and resource. Discovering that the white man set more value on his head than is usualwith these philosophers, he proposed conditions which were eagerlyaccepted, and releasing the captive, led him into his own hut. Here theman of wisdom spat three times into his very ample bosom, to exorciseevil spells, and took from a hole in the corner something which hehandled very carefully, and with a touch as light as possible. Followingeverything with his best eyes, Twemlow perceived in the hand of Tulooa spongy-looking substance of conical form, and in colour and size verylike a morel, but possessing a peculiar golden glow. "Kneel here, myson, and move not until I tell you, " the old man whispered, and wasobeyed. Then he stripped off all covering from the white neck andshoulders, and beginning immediately below the eyes, brushed all thecheeks and the chin, throat and neck and upper part of the bosom, withthe substance in his hand, from which a yellow powder passed, moistrather than dusty, into the open pores. "In one moon you will be a beastof the woods, and in two you shall return to the Queen that loves you, "said Councillor Tuloo, with a sly little grin. 

But Twemlow was robbed of no self-respect by the growth of a forestabout him; and when he was sent again to Queen Mabonga, and the dewyglance of love died at the very first wink into a stony glare--becauseof his face being covered with hair--he said to himself that he knewwhere he could inflict a very different impression upon ladies. Forthese cannot have too much hair in England, at the back of their ownheads, and front of their admirers'. 

Councillor Tuloo was gifted with a deep understanding of a thing whichlooks shallow to a man who has never yet heard of false bottoms. He saidto King Golo: "I know what women are. As long as she never had thoughtabout men, you might crawl, and be only a hog to her. But her eyes havebeen opened to this white man, and there is room for a black one togo into them. And unless you are at hand, it will be done by some oneelse. "

In short, all was managed so beautifully that in six more moons the coyMabonga split the Durra straw with King Golo, amid vast rejoicings andin din almost equal to that which a wedding in Wales arouses. Butfrom time to time it was considered needful to keep up her Majesty'srepulsion by serving Erle Twemlow with another dose of that which wouldhave created for the English fair capillary attraction. Thus he becamea great favourite with the King, who listened with deep interest tohis descriptions of the houseful of beads and buttons to be earned inEngland by a little proper management of Tuloo's magic dust. Beforevery long it was arranged that as soon as a good supply of Pong could becollected, Twemlow should be sent back to the coast and placed underthe charge of Bandeliah, who was now a tributary of this great King. Andhere he might have waited years and years--for the trading station wasabandoned now--but for the benevolence of Captain Southcombe, who, beingdriven to the eastward of his course upon one of his returns from India, stood in a little further to enquire about his friend, and with no smallpleasure conveyed him home. 

CHAPTER LX

NO DANGER, GENTLEMEN

The little dinner at Springhaven Hall, appointed for that same Saturday, had now grown into a large one. Carne had refused Dolly's offer to gethim an invitation, and for many reasons he was not invited. He oughtto have been glad of this, because he did not want to be there; but hisnature, like a saw's, was full of teeth, and however he was used, hegrated. But without any aid of his teeth, a good dinner, well plannedand well served, bade fair in due course to be well digested also byforty at least of the forty-two people who sat down to consider it. For as yet the use of tongue was understood, and it was not allowed toobstruct by perpetual motion the duties of the palate. And now everyperson in the parish of high culture--which seems to be akin to theLatin for a knife, though a fork expels nature more forcibly--as wellas many others of locality less favoured, joined in this muster of goodpeople and good things. At the outset, the Admiral had intended nothingmore than a quiet recognition of the goodness of the Lord in bringinghome a husband for the daughter of the house; but what Englishman canforbear the pleasure of killing two birds with one stone?

It was Stubbard who first suggested this, and Sir Charles at oncesaw the force of it, especially with the Marquis of Southdown coming. Captain Stubbard had never admired anybody, not even himself--withoutwhich there is no happiness--much less Mr. Pitt, or Lord Nelson, or theKing, until justice was done to the race of Stubbard, and their handswere plunged into the Revenue. But now, ever since the return of the warto its proper home in England, this Captain had been paid well for doingthe very best thing that a man can do, i. E. , nothing. He could not helpdesiring to celebrate this, and as soon as he received his invitation, he went to the host and put it clearly. The Admiral soon entered intohis views, and as guests were not farmed by the head as yet at tablesentertaining self-respect, he perceived the advantage of a good dinnerscored to his credit with forty at the cost of twenty; and Stubbard'sproposal seemed thoroughly well timed, so long was it now since theleaders of Defence had celebrated their own vigilance. Twenty-two, allowing for the ladies needful, were thus added to the score of chairsintended, and the founder of the feast could scarcely tell whetherthe toast of the evening was to be the return of the traveller, or thediscomfiture of Boney. That would mainly depend upon the wishes of theMarquis, and these again were likely to be guided by the treatmenthe had met with from the government lately and the commanders of hisDivision. 

This nobleman was of a character not uncommon eighty years ago, but nowvery rare among public men, because a more flexible fibre has chokedit. Steadfast, honourable, simple, and straightforward, able to laughwithout bitterness at the arrogant ignorance of mobs, but never to smileat the rogues who led them, scorning all shuffle of words, foul haze, and snaky maze of evasion, and refusing to believe at first sight thathis country must be in the wrong and her enemies in the right, headded to all these exterminated foibles a leisurely dignity now equallyextinct. Trimmers, time-servers, and hypocrites feared him, as thievesfear an honourable dog; and none could quote his words against oneanother. This would have made him unpopular now, when perjury meanspopularity. For the present, however, self-respect existed, and no onethought any the worse of his lordship for not having found him a liar. Especially with ladies, who insist on truth in men as a pleasant proofof their sex, Lord Southdown had always been a prime favourite, and anauthority largely misquoted. And to add to his influence, he possesseda quick turn of temper, which rendered it very agreeable to agree withhim. 

Lord Southdown was thinking, as he led Miss Darling to her chair at thehead of the table, that he never had seen a more pleasing young woman, though he grieved at her taste in preferring the brown young man on herleft to his elegant friend Lord Dashville. Also he marvelled at hearingso much, among the young officers of his acquaintance, concerning thebeauty of the younger sister, and so little about this far sweeter youngperson--at least in his opinion. For verily Dolly was not at her best;her beautiful colour was gone, her neck had lost its sprightly turn, andher gray eyes moved heavily instead of sparkling. "That girl has someburden upon her mind, " he thought as he watched her with interest andpity; "she has put on her dress anyhow, and she does not even look tosee who is looking at her!"

For the "Belle of all Sussex, " as the young sparks entitled her, wasill at ease with herself, and ready to quarrel with every one exceptherself. She had conscience enough to confess, whenever she could notget away from it, that for weeks and months she had been slipping farand further from the true and honest course. Sometimes, with a pain likea stitch in the side, the truth would spring upon her; and perhaps for amoment she would wonder at herself, and hate the man misleading her. Butthis happened chiefly when he was present, and said or did something tovex her; and then he soon set it to rights again, and made everythingfeel delightful. And this way of having her misgivings eased made themeasier when they came again with no one to appease them. For she beganto think of what he had done, and how kind and considerate his mind mustbe, and how hard it must seem to mistrust him. 

Another thing that urged her to keep on now, without making any fussabout it, was the wonderful style her sister Faith had shown since thathairy monster came back again. It was manifest that the world containedonly one man of any high qualities, and nobody must dare to think eventwice about any conclusion he laid down. He had said to her, with apenetrating glance--and it must have been that to get through such athicket--that dangerous people were about, and no girl possessing anyself-respect must think of wandering on the shore alone. The more shewas spied upon and admonished, the more she would do what she thoughtright; and a man who had lived among savages for years must be a queerjudge of propriety. But, in spite of all these defiant thoughts, herheart was very low, and her mind in a sad flutter, and she couldnot even smile as she met her father's gaze. Supposing that she wasfrightened at the number of the guests, and the noise of many tongues, and the grandeur of the people, the gentle old man made a little signalto her to come and have a whisper with him, as a child might do, undercourtesy of the good company. But Dolly feigned not to understand, atthe penalty of many a heart-pang. 

The dinner went on with a very merry sound, and a genuine strength ofenjoyment, such as hearty folk have who know one another, and are mettogether not to cut capers of wit, but refresh their goodwill and fineprinciples. And if any dinner party can be so arranged that only fiveper cent. Has any trouble on its mind, the gentleman who whips away theplates, at a guinea a mouth, will have to go home with a face of willowpattern. 

The other whose mind was away from her food, and reckless of its ownnourishment, was Blyth Scudamore's mother, as gentle a lady as evertried never to think of herself. In spite of all goodness, and faith inthe like, she had enough to make her very miserable now, whenever sheallowed herself to think about it, and that was fifty-nine minutesout of sixty. For a brief account of her son's escape from Etaples hadreached her, through the kindness of Captain Desportes, who found meansto get a letter delivered to the Admiral. That brave French officerspoke most highly of the honourable conduct of his English friend, buthad very small hope of his safety. For he added the result of his owninquiries to the statement of M. Jalais, and from these it was clearthat poor Scuddy had set forth alone in a rickety boat, ill found andill fitted to meet even moderate weather in the open Channel. Anotheryoung Englishman had done the like, after lurking in the forest ofHardelot, but he had been recaptured by the French at the outset of hishopeless voyage. Scudamore had not been so retaken; and the Captain(who had not received his letter until it was too late to interfere, by reason of his own despatch to Dieppe) had encountered a sharp summergale just then, which must have proved fatal to the poor old boat. The only chance was that some English ship might have picked up thewanderer, and if so the highly respected Admiral would have heard of itbefore he received this letter. As no such tidings had been received, there could be little doubt about the issue in any reasonable mind. Butthe heart of a woman is not a mind, or the man that is born of her mightas well forego the honour. 

However, as forty people were quite happy, the wisest course is torejoin them. The ladies were resolved upon this occasion to storm thelaws of usage which required their withdrawal before the toasts began;and so many gentle voices challenged the garrison of men behind theirbottles that terms of unusual scope were arranged. It was known that theMarquis would make a fine speech--short, and therefore all the finer--inproposing the toast of the evening, to wit, "Our King, and our Country. "Under the vigorous lead of Mrs. Stubbard, the ladies demanded to hearevery word; after which they would go, and discuss their own affairs, orpossibly those of their neighbours. But the gentlemen must endure theirpresence till his lordship had spoken, and the Admiral replied. Faithwas against this arrangement, because she foresaw that it would makethem very late; but she yielded to the wishes of so many of her guests, consoled with the thought that she would be supported by some one on herleft hand, who would be her support for life. 

When all had done well, except the two aforesaid, and good-will born ofgood deeds was crowning comfort with jocund pleasure, and the long oaktable, rich of grain and dark with the friction of a hundred years, shone in the wavering flow of dusk with the gleam of purple and goldenfruit, the glance of brilliant glass that puzzles the light with itsclaim to shadow, and the glow of amber and amethyst wine decanted tosettle that question--then the bold Admiral, standing up, said, "Bringin the lights, that we may see his lordship. "

"I like to speak to some intelligence, " said the guest, who was shrewdat an answer. And Dolly, being quick at occasion, seized it, and in theshifting of chairs left her own for some one else. 

The curtains were drawn across the western window, to close the conflictbetween God's light and man's, and then this well-known gentleman, having placed his bottle handily--for he never "put wine into twowhites, " to use his own expression--arose with his solid frame astranquil as a rock, and his full-fronted head like a piece of it. Everygentleman bowed to his bow, and waited with silent respect for hiswords, because they would be true and simple. 

"My friends, I will take it for granted that we all love our country, and hate its enemies. We may like and respect them personally, for theyare as good as we are; but we are bound to hate them collectively, as men who would ruin all we love. For the stuff that is talked aboutfreedom, democracy, march of intellect, and so forth, I have nothing tosay, except to bid you look at the result among themselves. Is there aman in France whose body is his own if he can carry arms, or his soul ifit ventures to seek its own good? As for mind--there is only the mindof one man; a large one in many ways; in others a small one, because itconsiders its owner alone. 

"But we of England have refused to be stripped of all that we hold dear, at the will of a foreign upstart. We have fought for years, and we stillare fighting, without any brag or dream of glory, for the rights ofourselves and of all mankind. There have been among us weak-mindedfellows, babblers of abstract nonsense, and even, I grieve tosay--traitors. But, on the whole, we have stood together, and thereforehave not been trodden on. How it may end is within the knowledge of theAlmighty only; but already there are signs that we shall be helped, ifwe continue to help ourselves. 

"And now for the occasion of our meeting here. We rejoice most heartilywith our good host, the vigilant Defender of these shores, at therestoration to his arms--or rather, to a still more delightfulembrace--of a British officer, who has proved a truth we knew already, that nothing stops a British officer. I see a gentleman struck so keenlywith the force of that remark, because he himself has proved it, that Imust beg his next neighbour to fill up his glass, and allow nothing tostop him from tossing it off. And as I am getting astray from my text, Iwill clear my poor head with what you can see through. "

The Marquis of Southdown filled his glass from a bottle of grand oldChambertin--six of which had been laid most softly in a cupboard ofthe wainscote for his use--and then he had it filled again, and saw hismeaning brilliantly. 

"Our second point is the defeat of the French, and of this we may nowassure ourselves. They have not been defeated, for the very good reasonthat they never would come out to fight; but it comes to the same thing, because they are giving it over as a hopeless job. I have seen too manyups and downs to say that we are out of danger yet; but when our fleetshave been chasing theirs all over the world, are they likely to comeand meet us in our own waters? Nelson has anchored at Spithead, andis rushing up to London, as our host has heard to-day, with his usualimpetuosity. Every man must stick to his own business, even the mightyNelson; and he might not meddle with Billy Blue, or anybody else upChannel. Still, Nelson is not the sort of man to jump into a chaise atPortsmouth if there was the very smallest chance of the French comingover to devour us. 

"Well, my friends, we have done our best, and have some right to beproud of it; but we should depart from our nature if we even exercisedthat right. The nature of an Englishman is this--to be afraid of nothingbut his own renown. Feeling this great truth, I will avoid offence byhiding as a crime my admiration of the glorious soldiers and sailorshere, yet beg them for once to remember themselves, as having enabledme to propose, and all present to pledge, the welfare of our King andCountry. "

The Marquis waved his glass above his head, without spilling a singledrop, although it was a bumper, then drained it at a draught, invertedit, and cleverly snapped it in twain upon the table, with his other handlaid on his heart, and a long low reverence to the company. Thereupon upstood squires and dames, and repeating the good toast, pledged it, witha deep bow to the proposer; and as many of the gentlemen as understoodthe art, without peril to fair neighbours, snapped the glass. 

His lordship was delighted, and in the spirit of the moment held uphis hand, which meant, "Silence, silence, till we all sing the NationalAnthem!" In a clear loud voice he led off the strain, Erle Twemlow fromhis hairy depths struck in, then every man, following as he might, andwith all his might, sustained it, and the ladies, according to theirwont, gave proof of the heights they can scale upon rapture. 

The Admiral, standing, and beating time now and then with hisheel--though all the time deserved incessant beating--enjoyed theperformance a great deal more than if it had been much better, andjoined in the main roar as loudly as he thought his position as hostpermitted. For although he was nearing the haven now of threescore yearsand ten, his throat and heart were so sea-worthy that he could verysweetly have outroared them all. But while he was preparing just toprove this, if encouraged, and smiling very pleasantly at a friend whosaid, "Strike up, Admiral, " he was called from the room, and in theclimax of the roar slipped away for a moment, unheeded, and meaning tomake due apology to his guests as soon as he came back. 

CHAPTER LXI

DISCHARGED FROM DUTY

While loyalty thus rejoiced and throve in the warmth of its owngeniality, a man who was loyal to himself alone, and had no genialityabout him, was watching with contempt these British doings. Carne hadtethered his stout black horse, who deserved a better master, in a duskydell of dark-winged trees at the back of the eastern shrubbery. Here thegood horse might rest unseen, and consider the mysterious ways of men;for the main approach was by the western road, and the shades of eveningstretched their arms to the peaceful yawn of sunset. And here he foundgood stuff spread by nature, more worthy of his attention, andtucking back his forelegs, fared as well as the iron between his teethpermitted. 

Then the master drew his green riding-coat of thin velvet closer roundhim, and buttoned the lappet in front, because he had heavy weight inthe pockets. Keeping warily along the lines of shadow, he gained a placeof vantage in the shrubbery, a spot of thick shelter having loops ofoutlook. Above and around him hung a curtain of many-pointed ilex, and before him a barberry bush, whose coral clusters caught the waninglight. In this snug nook he rested calmly, leaning against the ilextrunk, and finished his little preparations for anything adverse to hisplans. In a belt which was hidden by his velvet coat he wore a shortdagger in a sheath of shagreen, and he fixed it so that he could draw itin a moment, without unfastening the riding-coat. Then from the pocketson either side he drew a pair of pistols, primed them well from a littleflask, and replaced them with the butts beneath the lappets. "Death forat least three men, " he muttered, "if they are fools enough to meddlewith me. My faith, these Darlings are grown very grand, on the strengthof the land that belongs to us!"

For he heard the popping of champagne corks, and the clink of abundantsilver, and tuning of instruments by the band, and he saw the flash oflights, and the dash of serving-men, and the rush of hot hospitality;and although he had not enough true fibre in his stomach to yearn fora taste of the good things going round, there can be little doubt, fromwhat he did thereafter, that his gastric juices must have turned togall. 

With all these sounds and sights and scents of things that he had noright to despise, his patience was tried for an hour and a half, or atany rate he believed so. The beautiful glow in the west died out, wherethe sun had been ripening his harvest-field of sheafy gold and awnycloud; and the pulse of quivering dusk beat slowly, so that a man mightseem to count it, or rather a child, who sees such things, which latermen lose sight of. The forms of the deepening distances against thedeparture of light grew faint, and prominent points became obscure, andlines retired into masses, while Carne maintained his dreary watch, with his mood becoming darker. As the sound of joyful voices, and ofgood-will doubled by good fare, came to his unfed vigil from the openwindows of the dining-room, his heart was not enlarged at all, andthe only solace for his lips was to swear at British revelry. For thedining-room was at the western end, some fifty yards away from him, andits principal window faced the sunset, but his lurking-place afforded aview of the southern casements obliquely. Through these he had seenthat the lamps were brought, and heard the increase of merry noise, theclapping of hands, and the jovial cheers at the rising of the popularMarquis. 

At last he saw a white kerchief waved at the window nearest to him, thewindow of the Admiral's little study, which opened like a double doorupon the eastern grass-plat. With an ill-conditioned mind, and bodystiff and lacking nourishment, he crossed the grass in a few longstrides, and was admitted without a word. 

"What a time you have been! I was giving it up, " he whispered to thetrembling Dolly. "Where are the candles? I must strike a light. Surelyyou might have brought one. Bolt the door, while I make a light, andclose the curtains quietly, but leave the window open. Don't shake, likea child that is going to be whipped. Too late now for nonsense. What areyou afraid of? Silly child!"

As he spoke he was striking a light in a little French box containing acube of jade, and with very little noise he lit two candles standing onthe high oak desk. Dolly drew a curtain across the window, and thenwent softly to the door, which opened opposite the corner of a narrowpassage, and made pretence to bolt it, but shot the bolt outside thesocket. 

"Come and let me look at you, " said Carne, for he knew that he hadbeen rough with her, and she was not of the kind that submits to that. "Beauty, how pale you look, and yet how perfectly lovely in this eveninggown! I should like to kill the two gentlemen who sat next to you atdinner. Darling, you know that whatever I do is only for your own sweetsake. "

"If you please not to touch me, it will be better, " said the lady, not in a whisper, but a firm and quiet voice, although her hands weretrembling; "you are come upon business, and you should do it. "

If Carne had but caught her in his arms, and held her to his heart, andvowed that all business might go to the devil while he held his angelso, possibly the glow of nobler feelings might have been lost inthe fire of passion. But he kept his selfish end alone in view, andneglected the womanly road to it. 

"A despatch from London arrived today; I must see it, " he said, shortly;"as well as the copy of the answer sent. And then my beauty must inserta NOT in the order to be issued in the morning, or otherwise invert itsmeaning, simply to save useless bloodshed. The key for a moment, thekey, my darling, of this fine old piece of furniture!"

"Is it likely that I would give you the key? My father always keeps it. What right have you with his private desk? I never promised anything sobad as that. "

"I am not to be trifled with, " he whispered, sternly. "Do you think thatI came here for kissing? The key I must have, or break it open; and howwill you explain that away?"

His rudeness settled her growing purpose. The misery of indecisionvanished; she would do what was right, if it cost her life. Her face wasas white as her satin dress, but her dark eyes flashed with menace. 

"There is a key that opens it, " she said, as she pointed to thebookcase; "but I forbid you to touch it, sir. "

Carne's only reply was to snatch the key from the upper glass door ofthe book-shelves, which fitted the lock of the Admiral's desk, thoughthe owner was not aware of it. In a moment the intruder had unlocked thehigh and massive standing-desk, thrown back the cover, and placed onecandlestick among the documents. Many of them he brushed aside, asuseless for his purpose, and became bewildered among the rest, for theCommander of the Coast-defence was not a man of order. He never knewwhere to put a thing, nor even where it might have put itself, but founda casual home for any paper that deserved it. This lack of method hasone compensation, like other human defects, to wit, that it puzzles aclandestine searcher more deeply than cypher or cryptogram. Carne hadthe Admiral's desk as wide as an oyster thrown back on his valve, andjust being undertucked with the knife, to make him go down easily. Yetso great was the power of disorder that nothing could be made out ofanything. "Watch at the door, " he had said to Dolly; and this suited herintention. 

For while he was thus absorbed, with his back towards her, she openedthe door a little, and presently saw the trusty Charles come hurryingby, as if England hung upon his labours. "Tell my father to come herethis moment; go softly, and say that I sent you. " As she finished herwhisper she closed the door, without any sound, and stood patiently. 

"Show me where it is; come and find it for me. Everything here is inthe vilest mess, " cried Carne, growing reckless with wrath and hurry. "I want the despatch of this morning, and I find tailors' bills, way tomake water-proof blacking, a list of old women, and a stump of old pipe!Come here, this instant, and show me where it is. "

"If you forget your good manners, " answered Dolly, still keeping in thedark near the door, "I shall have to leave you. Surely you have practiceenough in spying, to find what you want, with two candles. "

Carne turned for a moment, and stared at her. Her attitude surprisedhim, but he could not believe in her courage to rebel. She stood withher back to the door, and met his gaze without a sign of fear. 

"There are no official papers here, " he said, after another shortransack; "there must have been some, if this desk is the one. Have youdared to delude me by showing the wrong desk?"

Dolly met his gaze still, and then walked towards him. The band hadstruck up, and the company were singing with a fine patriotic roar, which rang very nobly in the distance--"Britannia, rule the waves!"Dolly felt like a Briton as the words rolled through her, and the melodylifted her proud heart. 

"You have deluded yourself, " she said, standing proudly before thebaffled spy; "you have ransacked my father's private desk, which Iallowed you to do, because my father has no secrets. He leaves it openhalf the time, because he is a man of honour. He is not a man of plots, and wiles, and trickery upon women. And you have deluded yourself, indreaming that a daughter of his would betray her Country. "

"By the God that made me, I will have your life!" cried Carne inFrench, as he dashed his hand under his coat to draw his dagger; but thepressure of the desk had displaced that, so that he could not find it. She thought that her time was come, and shrieked--for she was not at allheroic, and loved life very dearly--but she could not take her eyes fromhis, nor turn to fly from the spell of them; all she could do was tostep back; and she did so into her father's arms. 

"Ho!" cried the Admiral, who had entered with the smile of good cheerand good company glowing on his fine old countenance; "my Dolly and astranger at my private desk! Mr. Carne! I have had a glass or two ofwine, but my eyes must be playing me extraordinary tricks. A gentlemansearching my desk, and apparently threatening my dear daughter! Have thekindness to explain, before you attempt to leave us. "

If the curtain had not been drawn across the window, Carne would havemade his escape, and left the situation to explain itself. But the stuffwas thick, and it got between his legs; and before he could slipaway, the stout old Admiral had him by the collar with a sturdy grasp, attesting the substance of the passing generation. And a twinkle ofgood-humour was in the old eyes still--such a wonder was his Dolly thathe might be doing wrong in laying hands of force upon a visitor of hers. Things as strange as this had been within his knowledge, and proved tobe of little harm--with forbearance. But his eyes grew stern, as Carnetried to dash his hand off. 

"If you value your life, you will let me go, " said the young man to theold one. 

"I will not let you go, sir, till you clear up this. A gentleman mustsee that he is bound to do so. If I prove to be wrong, I will apologise. What! Are you going to fire at me? You would never be such a coward!"

He dropped upon the floor, with a bullet in his brain, and his course ofduty ended. Carne dashed aside the curtain, and was nearly through thewindow, when two white arms were cast round his waist. He threw himselfforward with all his might, and wrenched at the little hands claspedaround him, but they held together like clenched iron. "Will you forceme to kill you?" "You may, if you like"--was the dialogue of theselovers. 

The strength of a fit was in her despair. She set her bent knees againstthe window-frame, and a shower of glass fell between them; but sheflinched not from her convulsive grasp. "Let me come back, that I mayshoot myself, " Carne panted, for his breath was straitened; "what islife to me after losing you?" She made no answer, but took good carenot to release so fond a lover. Then he threw himself back with all hisweight, and she fell on the floor beneath him. Her clasp relaxed, andhe was free; for her eyes had encountered her father's blood, and sheswooned away, and lay as dead. 

Carne arose quickly, and bolted the door. His breath was short, and hisbody trembling, but the wits of the traitor were active still. "I musthave something to show for all this, " he thought as he glanced at thebodies on the floor. "Those revellers may not have heard this noise. Iknow where it is now, and I will get it. "

But the sound of the pistol, and shriek of the girl, had rung throughthe guests, when the wine was at their lips, and all were nodding to oneanother. Faith sprang up, and then fell back trembling, and several menran towards the door. Charles, the footman, met them there, with hisface whiter than his napkin, and held up his hands, but could not speak. Erle Twemlow dashed past him and down the passage; and Lord Southdownsaid: "Gentlemen, see to the ladies. There has been some little mishap, I fear. Bob, and Arthur, come with me. "

Twemlow was first at the study door, and finding it fastened, struckwith all his force, and shouted, at the very moment when Carne stoodbefore the true desk of office. "Good door, and good bolt, " mutteredCarne; "my rule is never to be hurried by noises. Dolly will be quietfor a quarter of an hour, and the old gentleman forever. All I want isabout two minutes. "

Twemlow stepped back a few yards, and then with a good start delivered arushing kick; but the only result was a jar of his leg through the soleof his thin dress sandal. 

"The window!" cried the Marquis. "We'll stop here; you know the house;take the shortest cut to the window. Whoever is there, we shall have himso. I am too slow. Boy Bob, go with him. "

"What a fool I was not to think of that!" shouted Twemlow, as he set offfor the nearest house door, and unluckily Carne heard him. He had struckup the ledge of the desk with the butt of the pistol he had fired, andpocketing a roll of fresh despatches, he strode across the body of theAdmiral, and with a glance at Dolly--whose eyes were wide open, buther face drawn aside, like a peach with a split stone--out he went. Hesmiled as he heard the thundering of full-bodied gentlemen againstthe study door, and their oaths, as they damaged their knuckles andknee-caps. Then he set off hot-foot, but was stopped by a figureadvancing from the corner of the house. 

This was not a graceful figure, as of gentle maiden, nor venerable andslow of foot, as that of an ancient mariner, but a man in the prime ofstrength, and largely endowed with that blessing--the mate of truth. Carne perceived that he had met his equal, and perhaps his better, in about of muscle, and he tried to escape by superior mind. 

"Twemlow, how glad I am that I have met you! You are the very man Iwanted. There has been a sad accident in there with one of the Admiral'spistols, and the dear old man is badly wounded. I am off for a doctor, for my horse is at hand. For God's sake run in, and hold his head up, and try to staunch the bleeding. I shall be back in half an hour withthe man that lives at Pebbleridge. Don't lose a moment. Particularshereafter. "

"Particulars now!" replied Twemlow, sternly, as he planted himselfbefore his cousin. "For years I have lived among liars, and they calleda lie Crom, and worshipped it. If this is not Crom, why did you bolt thedoor?"

"You shall answer for this, when time allows. If the door was bolted, hemust have done it. Let me pass; the last chance depends on my speed. "

Carne made a rush to pass, but Twemlow caught him by the breast, andheld him. "Come back, " he said, fiercely, "and prove your words. Withoutthat, you go no further. "

Carne seized him by the throat, but his mighty beard, like a collar ofhemp, protected him, and he brought his big brown fist like a hammerupon the traitor's forehead. Carne wrenched at his dagger, but failed todraw it, and the two strong men rolled on the grass, fighting like twobull-dogs. Reason, and thought, and even sense of pain were lost inbrutal fury, as they writhed, and clutched, and dug at one another, gashing their knuckles, and gnashing their teeth, frothing with oneanother's blood, for Carne bit like a tiger. At length tough conditionand power of endurance got the mastery, and Twemlow planted his kneeupon the gasping breast of Carne. 

"Surrend, " he said, for his short breath could not fetch up the thirdsyllable; and Carne with a sign of surrender lay on his back, andput his chin up, and shut his eyes as if he had fainted. Twemlow withself-congratulation waited a little to recover breath, still keepinghis knee in the post of triumph, and pinning the foe's right arm to hisside. But the foe's left hand was free, and with the eyes still shut, and a continuance of gasping, that left hand stole its way to the leftpocket, quietly drew forth the second pistol, pressed back the hammer onthe grass, and with a flash (both of eyes and of flint) fired into thevictor's forehead. The triumphant knee rolled off the chest, the bodyswung over, as a log is rolled by the woodman's crowbar, and Twemlow'sback was on the grass, and his eyes were closed to the moonlight. 

Carne scrambled up and shook himself, to be sure that all his limbs weresound. "Ho, ho, ho!" he chuckled; "it is not so easy to beat me. Why, who are you? Down with you, then!"

Lord Robert Chancton, a lad of about sixteen, the eldest son ofthe Marquis, had lost his way inside the house, in trying to find ashort-cut to the door, and coming up after the pistol was fired, made avery gallant rush at the enemy. With a blow of the butt Carne sent himsprawling; then dashing among the shrubs and trees, in another minutewas in the saddle, and galloping towards the ancestral ruins. 

As he struck into the main road through the grounds, Carne passed andjust missed by a turn of the bridle another horseman ascending the hill, and urging a weary animal. The faces of the men shot past each otherwithin a short yard, and gaze met gaze; but neither in the dark flashknew the other, for a big tree barred the moonlight. But Carne, inanother moment, thought that the man who had passed must be Scudamore, probably fraught with hot tidings. And the thought was confirmed, ashe met two troopers riding as hard as ride they might; and then saw thebeacon on the headland flare. From point to point, and from height toheight, like a sprinkle of blood, the red lights ran; and the roar ofguns from the moon-lit sea made echo that they were ready. Then therub-a-dub-dub of the drum arose, and the thrilling blare of trumpet;the great deep of the night was heaved and broken with the stir of humanstorm; and the staunchest and strongest piece of earth--our England--wasready to defend herself. 

CHAPTER LXII

THE WAY OUT OF IT

"My father! my father! I must see my father. Who are you, that dare tokeep me out? Let me know the worst, and try to bear it. What are any ofyou to him?"

"But, my dear child, " Lord Southdown answered, holding the door againstpoor Faith, as she strove to enter the room of death, "wait just oneminute, until we have lifted him to the sofa, and let us bring your poorsister out. "

"I have no sister. She has killed my father, and the best thing she cando is to die. I feel that I could shoot her, if I had a pistol. Let mesee him, where he lies. "

"But, my poor dear, you must think of others. Your dear father is beyondall help. Your gallant lover lies on the grass. They hope to bring himround, God willing! Go where you can be of use. "

"How cruel you are! You must want to drive me mad. Let his father andmother see to him, while I see to my own father. If you had a daughter, you would understand. Am I crying? Do I even tremble?"

The Marquis offered his arm, and she took it in fear of falling, thoughshe did not tremble; so he led her to her father's last repose. The poorAdmiral lay by the open window, with his head upon a stool which Faithhad worked. The ghastly wound was in his broad smooth forehead, and hisfair round cheeks were white with death. But the heart had not quiteceased to beat, and some remnant of the mind still hovered somewherein the lacerated brain. Stubbard, sobbing like a child, was liftingand clumsily chafing one numb hand; while his wife, who had sponged thewound, was making the white curls wave with a fan she had shaped from along official paper found upon the floor. 

Dolly was recovering from her swoon, and sat upon a stool by thebookcase, faintly wondering what had happened, but afraid to ask orthink. The corner of the bookcase, and the burly form of Stubbard, concealed the window from her, and the torpid oppression which ensuesupon a fit lay between her and her agony. Faith, as she passed, dartedone glance at her, not of pity, not of love, but of cold contempt andsatisfaction at her misery. 

Then Faith, the quiet and gentle maid, the tranquil and theself-controlled (whom every one had charged with want of heart, becauseshe had borne her own grief so well), stood with the body of her fatherat her feet, and uttered an exceeding bitter cry. The others had seenenough of grief, as every human being must, but nothing half so sadas this. They feared to look at her face, and durst not open lips tocomfort her. 

"Don't speak. Don't look at him. You have no right here. When he comesto himself, he will want none but me. I have always done everything forhim since dear mother died; and I shall get him to sit up. He will beso much better when he sits up. I can get him to do it, if you willonly go. Oh, father, father, it is your own Faith come to make you well, dear, if you will only look at me!"

As she took his cold limp hand and kissed it, and wiped a red splashfrom his soft white hair, the dying man felt, by nature's feeling, thathe was being touched by a child of his. A faint gleam flitted throughthe dimness of his eyes, which he had not the power to close, and thelonging to say "farewell" contended with the drooping of the underlip. She was sure that he whispered, "Bless you, darling!" though nobody elsecould have made it out; but a sudden rush of tears improved her hearing, as rain brings higher voices down. 

"Dolly too!" he seemed to whisper next; and Faith made a sign to Mrs. Stubbard. Then Dolly was brought, and fell upon her knees, at the otherside of her father, and did not know how to lament as yet, and wasscarcely sure of having anything to mourn. But she spread out her hands, as if for somebody to take them, and bowed her pale face, and closed herlips, that she might be rebuked without answering. 

Her father knew her; and his yearning was not to rebuke, but to blessand comfort her. He had forgotten everything, except that he was dying, with a daughter at each side of him. This appeared to make him veryhappy, about everything, except those two. He could not be expectedto have much mind left; but the last of it was busy for his children'sgood. Once more he tried to see them both, and whispered his lastmessage to them--"Forgive and love each other. "

Faith bowed her head, as his fell back, and silently offered to kiss hersister; but Dolly neither moved nor looked at her. "As you please, "said Faith; "and perhaps you would like to see a little more of yourhandiwork. "

For even as she spoke, her lover's body was carried past the window, with his father and mother on either side, supporting his limp arms andsobbing. Then Dolly arose, and with one hand grasping the selvage ofthe curtain, fixed one long gaze upon her father's corpse. There wereno tears in her eyes, no sign of anguish in her face, no proof that sheknew or felt what she had done. And without a word she left the room. 

"Hard to the last, even hard to you!" cried Faith, as her tears fellupon the cold forehead. "Oh, darling, how could you have loved her so?"

"It is not hardness; it is madness. Follow your sister, " Lord Southdownsaid. "We have had calamities enough. "

But Faith was fighting with all her strength against an attack ofhysterics, and fetching long gasps to control herself. "I will go, "replied Mrs. Stubbard; "this poor child is quite unfit. What on earth isbecome of Lady Scudamore? A doctor's widow might have done some good. "

The doctor's widow was doing good elsewhere. In the first rush from thedining-room, Lady Scudamore had been pushed back by no less a personthan Mrs. Stubbard; when at last she reached the study door she foundit closed against her, and entering the next room, saw the flash of thepistol fired at Twemlow. Bravely hurrying to the spot by the nearestoutlet she could find, she became at once entirely occupied with thisnew disaster. For two men who ran up with a carriage lamp declared thatthe gentleman was as dead as a door-nail, and hastened to make goodtheir words by swinging him up heels over head. But the lady made themset him down and support his head, while she bathed the wound, and sentto the house for his father and mother, and when he could be safelybrought in-doors, helped with her soft hands beneath his hair, and thenbecame so engrossed with him that the arrival of her long-lost son wasfor several hours unknown to her. 

For so many things coming all at once were enough to upset any one. Urgent despatches came hot for the hand that now was cold for ever; nota moment to lose, when time had ceased for the man who was to urge it. There were plenty of officers there, but no one clearly entitled to takecommand. Moreover, the public service clashed with the personal rage ofthe moment. Some were for rushing to the stables, mounting every horsethat could be found, and scouring the country, sword in hand, for thatinfernal murderer. Some, having just descried the flash of beacon fromthe headland, and heard the alarm-guns from shore and sea, were forhurrying to their regiments, or ships, or homes and families (accordingto the head-quarters of their life), while others put their coats onto ride for all the doctors in the county, who should fetch backthe Admiral to this world, that he might tell everybody what to do. Scudamore stood with his urgent despatches in the large well-candledhall, and vainly desired to deliver them. "Send for the Marquis, "suggested some one. 

Lord Southdown came, without being sent for. "I shall take this dutyupon myself, " he said, "as Lord-Lieutenant of the county. CaptainStubbard, as commander of the nearest post, will come with me and readthese orders. Gentlemen, see that your horses are ready, and have allof the Admiral's saddled. Captain Scudamore, you have discharged yourtrust, and doubtless ridden far and hard. My orders to you are a bottleof wine and a sirloin of roast beef at once. "

For the sailor was now in very low condition, weary, and worried, and inwant of food. Riding express, and changing horses twice, not once had herecruited the inner man, who was therefore quite unfit to wrestle withthe power of sudden grief. When he heard of the Admiral's death, hestaggered as if a horse had stumbled under him, and his legs being stifffrom hard sticking to saddle, had as much as they could do to hold himup. Yet he felt that he could not do the right thing now, he could notgo and deal with the expedient victuals, neither might he dare intrudeupon the ladies now; so he went out to comfort himself by attending tothe troubles of his foundered horse, and by shedding unseen among thetrees the tears which had gathered in his gentle eyes. 

According to the surest law of nature, that broken-down animal had beenforgotten as soon as he was done with. He would have given his fourlegs--if he could legally dispose of them--for a single draught ofsweet delicious rapturous ecstatic water; but his bloodshot eyes soughtvainly, and his welted tongue found nothing wet, except the flakes ofhis own salt foam. Until, with the help of the moon, a sparkle (worthmore to his mind than all the diamonds he could draw)--a sparkle of thepurest water gleamed into his dim eyes from the distance. Recalling tohis mind's eyes the grand date of his existence when he was a colt, andhad a meadow to himself, with a sparkling river at the end of it, he setforth in good faith, and, although his legs were weary, "negotiated"--asthe sporting writers say--the distance between him and the object ofhis desire. He had not the least idea that this had cost ten guineas--asmuch as his own good self was worth; for it happened to be the firstdahlia seen in that part of the country. That gaudy flower at its firstappearance made such a stir among gardeners that Mr. Swipes gave theAdmiral no peace until he allowed him to order one. And so great wasthis gardener's pride in his profession that he would not take an orderfor a rooted slip or cutting, from the richest man in the neighbourhood, for less than half a guinea. Therefore Mr. Swipes was attending to theplant with the diligence of a wet-nurse, and the weather being dry, hehad soaked it overhead, even before he did that duty to himself. 

A man of no teeth can take his nourishment in soup; and nature, inverting her manifold devices--which she would much rather do than bebeaten--has provided that a horse can chew his solids into liquids, ifthere is a drop of juice in their composition, when his artificial lifehas failed to supply him with the bucket. This horse, being very dry, laid his tongue to the water-drops that sparkled on the foliage. Hefound them delicious, and he longed for more, and very soon his readymind suggested that the wet must have come out of the leaves, and theremust be more there. Proceeding on this argument, he found it quitecorrect, and ten guineas' worth of dahlia was gone into his stomach bythe time that Captain Scudamore came courteously to look after him. 

Blyth, in equal ignorance of his sumptuous repast, gave him a pat ofapproval, and was turning his head towards the stable yard, when hesaw a white figure gliding swiftly through the trees beyond the beltof shrubbery. Weary and melancholy as he was, and bewildered with thetumult of disasters, his heart bounded hotly as he perceived that thefigure was that of his Dolly--Dolly, the one love of his life, stealingforth, probably to mourn alone the loss of her beloved father. As yethe knew nothing of her share in that sad tale, and therefore felt noanxiety at first about her purpose. He would not intrude upon her grief;he had no right to be her comforter; but still she should have some oneto look after her, at that time of night, and with so much excitementand danger in the air. So the poor horse was again abandoned to his ownresources, and being well used to such treatment, gazed as wistfully anddelicately after the young man Scudamore as that young man gazed afterhis lady-love. 

To follow a person stealthily is not conducive to one's self-respect, but something in the lady's walk and gesture impelled the young sailorto follow her. She appeared to be hastening, with some set purpose, andwithout any heed of circumstance, towards a part of the grounds whereno house was, no living creature for company, nor even a bench to restupon. There was no foot-path in that direction, nor anything to go to, but the inland cliff that screened the Hall from northeastern winds, and at its foot a dark pool having no good name in the legends of theneighbourhood. Even Parson Twemlow would not go near it later than theafternoon milking of the cows, and Captain Zeb would much rather facea whole gale of wind in a twelve-foot boat than give one glance at itsdead calm face when the moon like a ghost stood over it. 

"She is going towards Corpse-walk pit, " thought Scuddy--"a cheerfulplace at this time of night! She might even fall into it unawares, inher present state of distraction. I am absolutely bound to follow her. "

Duty fell in with his wishes, as it has a knack of doing. Forgetting hisweariness, he followed, and became more anxious at every step. For themaiden walked as in a dream, without regard of anything, herself morelike a vision than a good substantial being. To escape Mrs. Stubbard shehad gone upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom, and then slippedout without changing dress, but throwing a dark mantle over it. This hadfallen off, and she had not cared to stop or think about it, but went onto her death exactly as she went in to dinner. Her dress of white silktook the moonlight with a soft gleam like itself, and her clusteringcurls (released from fashion by the power of passion) fell, like theshadows, on her sweet white neck. But she never even asked herself howshe looked; she never turned round to admire her shadow: tomorrow shewould throw no shade, but be one; and how she looked, or what she was, would matter, to the world she used to think so much of, never more. 

Suddenly she passed from the moonlight into the blackness of a lonelythicket, and forced her way through it, without heed of bruise or rent. At the bottom of the steep lay the long dark pit, and she stood uponthe brink and gazed into it. To a sane mind nothing could look lessinviting. All above was air and light, freedom of the wind and play ofmoon with summer foliage; all below was gloom and horror, cold eternalstillness, and oblivion everlasting. Even the new white frock awoke noflutter upon that sullen breast. 

Dolly heaved a sigh and shuddered, but she did not hesitate. Her mindwas wandering, but her heart was fixed to make atonement, to give itslife for the life destroyed, and to lie too deep for shame or sorrow. Suddenly a faint gleam caught her eyes. The sob of self-pity from herfair young breast had brought into view her cherished treasures, brightkeepsakes of the girlish days when many a lover worshipped her. Takingfrom her neck the silken braid, she kissed them, and laid them on thebank. "They were all too good for me, " she thought; "they shall notperish with me. "

Then, with one long sigh, she called up all her fleeting courage, andsprang upon a fallen trunk which overhung the water. "There will be noDan to save me now, " she said as she reached the end of it. "Poor Dan!He will be sorry for me. This is the way out of it. "

Her white satin shoes for a moment shone upon the black bark of thetree, and, with one despairing prayer to Heaven, she leaped into theliquid grave. 

Dan was afar, but another was near, who loved her even more than Dan. Blyth Scudamore heard the plunge, and rushed to the brink of the pit, and tore his coat off. For a moment he saw nothing but black waterheaving silently; then something white appeared, and moved, and a faintcry arose, and a hopeless struggle with engulfing death began. 

"Keep still, don't struggle, only spread your arms, and throw your headback as far as you can, " he cried, as he swam with long strokes towardsher. But if she heard, she could not heed, as the lights of the deep skycame and went, and the choking water flashed between, and gurgled intoher ears and mouth, and smothered her face with her own long hair. She dashed her poor helpless form about, and flung out her feet forsomething solid, and grasped in dim agony at the waves herself had made. Then her dress became heavily bagged with water, and the love of lifewas quenched, and the night of death enveloped her. Without a murmur, down she went, and the bubbles of her breath came up. 

Scudamore uttered a bitter cry, for his heart was almost broken--withinan arm's-length of his love, and she was gone for ever! For the momenthe did not perceive that the clasp of despair must have drowned themboth. Pointing his hands and throwing up his heels, he made one vaindive after her, then he knew that the pit was too deep for the bottomto be reached in that way. He swam to the trunk from which Dolly hadleaped, and judging the distance by the sullen ripple, dashed in witha dive like a terrified frog. Like a bullet he sank to the bottom, andgroped with three fathoms of water above him. Just as his lungs weregiving out, he felt something soft and limp and round. Grasping thisby the trailing hair, he struck mightily up for the surface, and drew along breath, and sustained above water the head that fell back upon hispanting breast. 

Some three hours later, Dolly Darling lay in her own little bed, as paleas death, but sleeping the sleep of the world that sees the sun; whileher only sister knelt by her side, weeping the tears of a higher worldthan that. "How could I be so brutal, and so hard?" sobbed Faith. "If father has seen it, will he ever forgive me? His last wordswere--'forgive, and love. '"

CHAPTER LXIII

THE FATAL STEP

As Carne rode up the hill that night towards his ruined castle, theflush of fierce excitement and triumphant struggle died away, andself-reproach and miserable doubt struck into him like ague. For thedeath of Twemlow--as he supposed--he felt no remorse whatever. Him hehad shot in furious combat, and as a last necessity; the fellow hadtwice insulted him, and then insolently collared him. And Faith, who hadthwarted him with Dolly, and been from the first his enemy, now wouldhave to weep and wail, and waste her youth in constancy. All that wasgood; but he could not regard with equal satisfaction the death of theancient Admiral. The old man had brought it upon himself by his stupidstubbornness; and looking fairly upon that matter, Carne scarcely sawhow to blame himself. Still, it was a most unlucky thing, and must leadto a quantity of mischief. To-morrow, or at the latest Monday, was tohave crowned with grand success his years of toil and danger. Therestill might be the landing, and he would sail that night to hasten it, instead of arranging all ashore; but it could no longer be a triumph ofcrafty management. The country was up, the Admiral's death wouldspread the alarm and treble it; and worst of all, in the hot pursuit ofhimself, which was sure to follow when people's wits came back to them, all the stores and ammunition, brought together by so much skill andpatience and hardihood, must of necessity be discovered and fall intothe hands of the enemy. Farewell to his long-cherished hope of speciallyneat retribution, to wit, that the ruins of his family should be theruin of the land which had rejected him! Then a fierce thought crossedhis mind, and became at once a stern resolve. If he could never restoreCarne Castle, and dwell there in prosperity, neither should any of hisoppressors. The only trace of his ancestral home should be a vast blackhole in earth. 

For even if the landing still succeeded, and the country were subdued, he could never make his home there, after what he had done to-night. Dolly was lost to him for ever; and although he had loved her with allthe ardor he could spare from his higher purposes, he must make up hismind to do without her, and perhaps it was all the better for him. Ifhe had married her, no doubt he could soon have taught her her properplace; but no one could tell how she might fly out, through herself-will and long indulgence. He would marry a French woman; that wouldbe the best; perhaps one connected with the Empress Josephine. As soonas he had made up his mind to this, his conscience ceased to troublehim. 

From the crest of the hill at the eastern gate many a bend of shore wasclear, and many a league of summer sea lay wavering in the moonlight. Along the beach red torches flared, as men of the Coast-Defence pushedforth, and yellow flash of cannon inland signalled for the Volunteers, while the lights gleamed (like windows opened from the depth) wheresloop and gun-boat, frigate and ship of the line, were crowding sailto rescue England. For the semaphore, and when day was out thebeacon-lights, had glowed along the backbone of the English hills, andEngland called every Englishman to show what he was made of. 

"That will do. Enough of that, John Bull!" Defying his native land, Carne shook his fist in the native manner. "Stupid old savage, I shalllive to make you howl. This country has become too hot to hold me, andI'll make it hotter before I have done. Here, Orso and Leo, good dogs, good dogs! You can kill a hundred British bull-dogs. Mount guard foran hour, till I call you down the hill. You can pull down a score ofVolunteers apiece, if they dare to come after me. I have an hour tospare, and I know how to employ it. Jerry, old Jerry Bowles, stir yourcrooked shanks. What are you rubbing your blear eyes at?"

The huge boar-hounds, who obeyed no voice but his, took post upon therugged road (which had never been repaired since the Carnes were a powerin the land), and sat side by side beneath the crumbling arch, with their long fangs glistening and red eyes rolling in the silvermoonlight, while their deep chests panted for the chance of good freshhuman victuals. Then Carne gave his horse to ancient Jerry, saying, "Feed him, and take him with his saddle on to the old yew-tree in halfan hour. Wait there for Captain Charron, and for me. You are not to goaway till I come to you. Who is in the old place now? Think well beforeyou answer me. "

"No one now in the place but her"--the old man lifted his elbow, asa coachman does in passing--"and him down in the yellow jug. All theFrench sailors are at sea. Only she won't go away; and she moanethworse than all the owls and ghosts. Ah, your honour should never 'a donethat--respectable folk to Springhaven too!"

"It was a slight error of judgment, Jerry. What a mealy lot theseEnglish are, to make such a fuss about a trifle! But I am toosoft-hearted to blow her up. Tell her to meet me in half an hour by thebroken dial, and to bring the brat, and all her affairs in a bundle suchas she can carry, or kick down the hill before her. In half an hour, doyou understand? And if you care for your stiff old bones, get out of theway by that time. "

In that half-hour Carne gathered in small compass, and strapped up in alittle "mail"--as such light baggage then was called--all his importantdocuments, despatches, letters, and papers of every kind, and the cashhe was entrusted with, which he used to think safer at Springhaven. Thenhe took from a desk which was fixed to the wall a locket bright withdiamonds, and kissed it, and fastened it beneath his neck-cloth. Thewisp of hair inside it came not from any young or lovely head, but fromthe resolute brow of his mother, the woman who hated England. He shouldhave put something better to his mouth; for instance, a good beefsandwich. But one great token of his perversion was that he never didfeed well--a sure proof of the unrighteous man, as suggested by theholy Psalmist, and more distinctly put by Livy in the character he givesHannibal. 

Regarding as a light thing his poor unfurnished stomach, Carne mountedthe broken staircase, in a style which might else have been difficult. He had made up his mind to have one last look at the broad lands of hisancestors, from the last that ever should be seen of the walls they hadreared and ruined. He stood upon the highest vantage-point that he couldattain with safety, where a shaggy gnarl of the all-pervading ivy servedas a friendly stay. To the right and left and far behind him all hadonce been their domain--every tree, and meadow, and rock that faced themoon, had belonged to his ancestors. "Is it a wonder that I am fierce?"he cried, with unwonted self-inspection; "who, that has been robbed asI have, would not try to rob in turn? The only thing amazing is mypatience and my justice. But I will come back yet, and have my revenge. "

Descending to his hyena den--as Charron always called it--he caughtup his packet, and took a lantern, and a coil of tow which had beenprepared, and strode forth for the last time into the sloping courtbehind the walls. Passing towards the eastern vaults, he saw the form ofsome one by the broken dial, above the hedge of brambles, which hadonce been of roses and sweetbriar. "Oh, that woman! I had forgotten thataffair!" he muttered, with annoyance, as he pushed through the thorns tomeet her. 

Polly Cheeseman, the former belle of Springhaven, was leaning againstthe wrecked dial, with a child in her arms and a bundle at her feet. Her pride and gaiety had left her now, and she looked very wan throughfrequent weeping, and very thin from nursing. Her beauty (like herfriends) had proved unfaithful under shame and sorrow, and little ofit now remained except the long brown tresses and the large blue eyes. Those eyes she fixed upon Carne with more of terror than of love inthem; although the fear was such as turns with a very little kindness toadoring love. 

Carne left her to begin, for he really was not without shame in thismatter; and Polly was far better suited than Dolly for a scornful andarrogant will like his. Deeply despising all the female race--as theGreek tragedian calls them--save only the one who had given him to theworld, he might have been a God to Polly if he had but behaved as aman to her. She looked at him now with an imploring gaze, from thegentleness of her ill-used heart. 

Their child, a fine boy about ten months old, broke the silence bysaying "booh, booh, " very well, and holding out little hands to hisfather, who had often been scornfully kind to him. 

"Oh, Caryl, Caryl, you will never forsake him!" cried the young mother, holding him up with rapture, and supporting his fat arms in thatposition; "he is the very image of you, and he seems to know it. Baby, say 'Da-da. ' There, he has put his mouth up, and his memory is sowonderful! Oh, Caryl, what do you think of that--and the first time oftrying it by moonlight?"

"There is no time for this nonsense, Polly. He is a wonderful baby, I dare say; and so is every baby, till he gets too old. You must obeyorders, and be off with him. "

"Oh no! You are come to take us with you. There, I have covered his faceup, that he may not suppose you look cross at me. Oh, Caryl, you wouldnever leave him behind, even if you could do that to me. We are notgrand people, and you can put us anywhere, and now I am nearly as wellas ever. I have put up all his little things; it does not matter aboutmy own. I was never brought up to be idle, and I can earn my own livinganywhere; and it might be a real comfort for you, with the great peoplegoing against you, to have somebody, not very grand, of course, but astrue to you as yourself, and belonging altogether to you. I know manypeople who would give their eyes for such a baby. "

"There is no time for this, " Carne answered, sternly; "my arrangementsare made, and I cannot take you. I have no fault to find with you, butargument is useless. "

"Yes, I know that, Caryl; and I am sure that I never would attempt toargue with you. You should have everything your own way, and I couldattend to so many things that no man ever does properly. I will be aslave to you, and this little darling love you, and then you will feelthat you have two to love you, wherever you go, and whatever you do. And if I spoke crossly when first I found out that--that I went away fornothing with you, you must have forgiven me by this time, and I neverwill remind you again of it; if I do, send me back to the place I belongto. I belong to you now, Caryl, and so does he; and when we are awayfrom the people who know me, I shall be pleasant and cheerful again. Iwas only two-and-twenty the day the boats came home last week, and theyused to say the young men jumped into the water as soon as they caughtsight of me. Try to be kind to me, and I shall be so happy that I shalllook almost as I used to do, when you said that the great ladies mightbe grander, but none of them fit to look into my looking-glass. DearCaryl, I am ready; I don't care where it is, or what I may have to putup with, so long as you will make room for your Polly, and your baby. "

"I am not at all a hard man, " said Carne, retreating as the impulsivePolly offered him the baby, "but once for all, no more of this. I havequite forgiven any strong expressions you may have made use of when yourhead was light; and if all goes well, I shall provide for you and thechild, according to your rank in life. But now you must run down thehill, if you wish to save your life and his. "

"I have run down the hill already. I care not a pin for my own life;and hard as you are you would never have the heart to destroy yourown little Caryl. He may be called Caryl--you will not deny him that, although he has no right to be called Carne. Oh, Caryl, Caryl, you canbe so good, when you think there is something to gain by it. Only begood to us now, and God will bless you for it, darling. I have given upall the world for you, and you cannot have the heart to cast me off. "

"What a fool the woman is! Have you ever known me change my mind? Ifyou scorn your own life, through your own folly, you must care for thebrat's. If you stop here ten minutes, you will both be blown to pieces. "

"Through my own folly! Oh, God in heaven, that you should speak so of mylove for you! Squire Carne, you are the worst man that ever lived; andit serves me right for trusting you. But where am I to go? Who will takeme and support me, and my poor abandoned child?"

"Your parents, of course, are your natural supporters. You are hurtingyour child by this low abuse of me. Now put aside excitement, and runhome, like a sensible woman, before your good father goes to bed. "

She had watched his face all the time, as if she could scarcely believethat he was in earnest, but he proved it by leaving her with a wave ofhis hat, and hastening back to his lantern. Then taking up that, and thecoil of tow, but leaving his package against the wall, he disappearedin the narrow passage leading to the powder vaults. Polly stood stillby the broken dial, with her eyes upon the moon, and her arms aroundthe baby, and a pang in her heart which prevented her from speaking, ormoving, or even knowing where she was. 

Then Carne, stepping warily, unlocked the heavy oak door at the entranceof the cellarage, held down his lantern, and fixed with a wedge the topstep of the ladder, which had been made to revolve with a pin and collarat either end, as before described. After trying the step with his hand, to be sure that it was now wedged safely, he flung his coil into thevault and followed. Some recollection made him smile as he was goingdown the steps: it was that of a stout man lying at the bottom, shakenin every bone, yet sound as a grape ensconced in jelly. As he touchedthe bottom he heard a little noise as of some small substance falling, but seeing a piece of old mortar dislodged, he did not turn round toexamine the place. If he had done so he would have found behind theladder the wedge he had just inserted to secure the level of the"Inspector's step. "

Unwinding his coil of tow, which had been steeped in saltpetre to makea long fuse, with a toss of his long legs he crossed the barricade ofsolid oak rails about six feet high securely fastened across the vault, for the enclosure of the dangerous storage. Inside it was a passage, between chests of arms, dismounted cannon, and cases from everydepartment of supply, to the explosive part of the magazine, the devourer of the human race, the pulp of the marrow of theFuries--gunpowder. 

Of this there was now collected here, and stored in tiers that reachedthe roof, enough to blow up half the people of England, or lay themall low with a bullet before it; yet not enough, not a millionth partenough, to move for the breadth of a hair the barrier betwixt rightand wrong, which a very few barrels are enough to do with a man who hassapped the foundations. Treading softly for fear of a spark from hisboots, and guarding the lantern well, Carne approached one of the casksin the lower tier, and lifted the tarpaulin. Then he slipped the woodenslide in the groove, and allowed some five or six pounds to run out uponthe floor, from which the cask was raised by timber baulks. Leaving theslide partly open, he spread one end of his coil like a broad lamp-wickin the pile of powder which had run out, and put a brick upon the towto keep it from shifting. Then he paid out the rest of the coil on thefloor like a snake some thirty feet long, with the tail about a yardinside the barricade. With a very steady hand he took the candle frominside the horn, and kindled that tail of the fuse; and then replacinghis light, he recrossed the open timber-work, and swiftly remounted theladder of escape. "Twenty minutes' or half an hour's grace, " he thought, "and long before that I shall be at the yew-tree. "

But, as he planted his right foot sharply upon the top step of theladder, that step swung back, and cast him heavily backwards to thebottom. The wedge had dropped out, and the step revolved like thetreadle of a fox-trap. 

For a minute or two he lay stunned and senseless, with the lanternbefore him on its side, and the candle burning a hole in the bubblyhorn. Slowly recovering his wits, he strove to rise, as the deadly perilwas borne in upon him. But instead of rising, he fell back again with acurse, and then a long-drawn groan; for pain (like the thrills of a manon the rack) had got hold of him and meant to keep him. His right armwas snapped at the elbow, and his left leg just above the knee, and thejar of his spine made him feel as if his core had been split out of him. He had no fat, like Shargeloes, to protect him, and no sheath of hairlike Twemlow's. 

Writhing with anguish, he heard a sound which did not improve hiscondition. It was the spluttering of the fuse, eating its merry waytowards the five hundred casks of gunpowder. In the fury of peril hecontrived to rise, and stood on his right foot with the other hanginglimp, while he stayed himself with his left hand upon the ladder. Evenif he could crawl up this, it would benefit him nothing. Before hecould drag himself ten yards, the explosion would overtake him. His onlychance was to quench the fuse, or draw it away from the priming. Witha hobble of agony he reached the barricade, and strove to lift hiscrippled frame over it. It was hopeless; the power of his back was gone, and his limbs were unable to obey his brain. Then he tried to crawlthrough at the bottom, but the opening of the rails would not admit hisbody, and the train of ductile fire had left only ash for him to graspat. 

Quivering with terror, and mad with pain, he returned to the foot of thesteps, and clung till a gasp of breath came back. Then he shouted, withall his remaining power, "Polly, oh, Polly, my own Polly!"

Polly had been standing, like a statue of despair, beside the brokendial. To her it mattered little whether earth should open and swallowher, or fire cast her up to heaven. But his shout aroused her fromthis trance, and her heart leaped up with the fond belief that he hadrelented, and was calling her and the child to share his fortunes. Thereshe stood in the archway and looked down, and the terror of the sceneoverwhelmed her. Through a broken arch beyond the barricade palemoonbeams crossed the darkness, like the bars of some soft melody; inthe middle the serpent coil was hissing with the deadly nitre; atthe foot of the steps was her false lover--husband he had calledhimself--with his hat off, and his white face turned in the lastsupplication towards her, as hers had been turned towards him just now. Should a woman be as pitiless as a man?

"Come down, for God's sake, and climb that cursed wood, and pull backthe fuse, pull it back from the powder. Oh, Polly! and then we will goaway together. "

"It is too late. I will not risk my baby. You have made me so weak thatI could never climb that fence. You are blowing up the castle which youpromised to my baby; but you shall not blow up him. You told me to runaway, and run I must. Good-bye; I am going to my natural supporters. "

Carne heard her steps as she fled, and he fancied that he heardtherewith a mocking laugh, but it was a sob, a hysterical sob. She wouldhave helped him, if she dared; but her wits were gone in panic. She knewnot of his shattered limbs and horrible plight; and it flashed acrossher that this was another trick of his--to destroy her and the baby, while he fled. She had proved that all his vows were lies. 

Then Carne made his mind up to die like a man, for he saw that escapewas impossible. Limping back to the fatal barrier, he raised himselfto his full height, and stood proudly to see, as he put it, the lastof himself. Not a quiver of his haughty features showed the bodily painthat racked him, nor a flinch of his deep eyes confessed the tumultmoving in his mind and soul. He pulled out his watch and laid it on thetop rail of the old oak fence: there was not enough light to read thetime, but he could count the ticks he had to live. Suddenly hope flashedthrough his heart, like the crack of a gun, like a lightning fork--a bigrat was biting an elbow of the yarn where some tallow had fallen uponit. Would he cut it, would he drag it away to his hole? would he pull ita little from its fatal end? He was strong enough to do it, if he onlyunderstood. The fizz of saltpetre disturbed the rat, and he hoisted histail and skipped back to his home. 

The last thoughts of this unhappy man went back upon his early days; andthings, which he had passed without thinking of, stood before him likehis tombstone. None of his recent crimes came now to his memory todisturb it--there was time enough after the body for them--but trifleswhich had first depraved the mind, and slips whose repetition had madeslippery the soul, like the alphabet of death, grew plain to him. Thenhe thought of his mother, and crossed himself, and said a little prayerto the Virgin. 

 * * * * *

Charron was waiting by the old yew-tree, and Jerry sat trembling, withhis eyes upon the castle, while the black horse, roped to a branch, wasmourning the scarcity of oats and the abundance of gnats. 

"Pest and the devil, but the coast is all alive!" cried the Frenchman, soothing anxiety with solid and liquid comforts. "Something has gonewrong behind the tail of everything. And there goes that big Stoobar, blazing with his sordid battery! Arouse thee, old Cheray! The time toolate is over. Those lights thrice accursed will display our little boat, and John Bull is rushing with a thousand sails. The Commander is mad. They will have him, and us too. Shall I dance by a rope? It is the onlydancing probable for me in England. "

"I have never expected any good to come, " the old man answered, withoutmoving. "The curse of the house is upon the young Squire. I saw it inhis eyes this morning, the same as I saw in his father's eyes, when thesun was going down the very night he died. I shall never see him more, sir, nor you either, nor any other man that bides to the right side ofhis coffin. "

"Bah! what a set you are of funerals, you Englishmen! But if I thoughthe was in risk, I would stay to see the end of it. "

"Here comes the end of it!" the old man cried, leaping up and catchingat a rugged cord of trunk, with his other hand pointing up the hill. From the base of the castle a broad blaze rushed, showing window andbattlement, arch and tower, as in a flicker of the Northern lights. Thenup went all the length of fabric, as a wanton child tosses his Noah'sark. Keep and buttress, tower and arch, mullioned window and battlement, in a fiery furnace leaped on high, like the outburst of a volcano. Then, with a roar that rocked the earth, they broke into a storm of ruin, sweeping the heavens with a flood of fire, and spreading the sea witha mantle of blood. Following slowly in stately spires, and calmlyswallowing everything, a fountain of dun smoke arose, and solemn silencefilled the night. 

"All over now, thank the angels and the saints! My faith, but I made upmy mind to join them, " cried Charron, who had fallen, or been felled bythe concussion. "Cheray, art thou still alive? The smoke is in my neck. I cannot liberate my words, but the lumps must be all come down by thistime, without adding to the weight of our poor brains. Something fell inthis old tree, a long way up, as high as where the crows build. Itwas like a long body, with one leg and one arm. I hope it was not theCommander; but one thing is certain--he is gone to heaven. Let us praythat he may stop there, if St. Peter admits a man who was selling thekeys of his country to the enemy. But we must do duty to ourselves, myCheray. Let us hasten to the sea, and give the signal for the boat. LaTorche will be a weak light after this. "

"I will not go. I will abide my time. " The old man staggered to a brokencolumn of the ancient gateway which had fallen near them, and flung hisarms around it. "I remember this since I first could toddle. The ways ofthe Lord are wonderful. "

"Come away, you old fool, " cried the Frenchman; "I hear the tramp ofsoldiers in the valley. If they catch you here, it will be drum-headwork, and you will swing before morning in the ruins. "

"I am very old. My time is short. I would liefer hang from an Englishbeam than deal any more with your outlandish lot. "

"Farewell to thee, then! Thou art a faithful clod. Here are five guineasfor thee, of English stamp. I doubt if napoleons shall ever be coined inEngland. "

He was off while he might--a gallant Frenchman, and an honest enemy;such as our country has respected always, and often endeavoured to turninto fast friends. But the old man stood and watched the long gap, wherefor centuries the castle of the Carnes had towered. And his sturdy faithwas rewarded. 

"I am starving"--these words came feebly from a gaunt, ragged figurethat approached him. "For three days my food has been forgotten; andbad as it was, I missed it. There came a great rumble, and my walls felldown. Ancient Jerry, I can go no further. I am empty as a shank bonewhen the marrow-toast is serving. Your duty was to feed me, withinferior stuff at any rate. "

"No, sir, no;" the old servitor was roused by the charge of neglectedduty. "Sir Parsley, it was no fault of mine whatever. Squire undertookto see to all of it himself. Don't blame me, sir; don't blame me. "

"Never mind the blame, but make it good, " Mr. Shargeloes answered, meagrely, for he felt as if he could never be fat again. "What do I seethere? It is like a crust of bread, but I am too weak to stoop for it. "

"Come inside the tree, sir. " The old man led him, as a grandsire leads afamished child. "What a shame to starve you, and you so hearty! But theSquire clean forgotten it, I doubt, with his foreign tricks coming tothis great blow-up. Here, sir, here; please to sit down a moment, whileI light a candle. They French chaps are so wasteful always, and alwaysgrumbling at good English victual. Here's enough to feed a familyCaptain Charron has throwed by--bread, and good mutton, and pretty nearhalf a ham, and a bottle or so of thin nasty foreign wine. Eat away, SirParsley; why, it does me good to see you. You feeds something like anEnglishman. But you know, sir, it were all your own fault at bottom, forcoming among them foreigners a-meddling. "

"You are a fine fellow. You shall be my head butler, " PercivalShargeloes replied, while he made such a meal as he never madebefore, and never should make again, even when he came to be the RightHonourable the Lord Mayor of London. 

CHAPTER LXIV

WRATH AND SORROW

The two most conspicuous men of the age were saddened and cast downjust now--one by the natural kindly sorrow into which all men live forothers, till others live into it for them; and one by the petulantturns of fortune, twisting and breaking his best-woven web. Lord Nelsonarrived at Springhaven on Monday, to show his affection for his dearold friend; and the Emperor Napoleon, at the same time, was pacing theopposite cliffs in grief and dudgeon. 

He had taken his post on some high white land, about a league southwardof Boulogne, and with strong field-glasses, which he pettishly exchangedin doubt of their power and truth, he was scanning all the roadways ofthe shore and the trackless breadths of sea. His quick brain was burningfor despatches overland--whether from the coast road past Etaples, orfurther inland by the great route from Paris, or away to the southeastby special courier from the Austrian frontier--as well as for signalsout at sea, and the movements of the British ships, to show that his ownwere coming. He had treated with disdain the suggestions of his faithfulAdmiral Decres, who had feared to put the truth too plainly, that thefleet ordered up from the west had failed, and with it the Master'smighty scheme. Having yet to learn the lesson that his best plans mightbe foiled, he was furious when doubt was cast upon this pet design. Likea giant of a spider at the nucleus of his web, he watched the broad fanof radiant threads, and the hovering of filmy woof, but without the mildphilosophy of that spider, who is versed in the very sad capriciousnessof flies. 

Just within hearing (and fain to be further, in his present state ofmind) were several young officers of the staff, making little mouths atone another, for want of better pastime, but looking as grave, when themighty man glanced round, as schoolboys do under the master's eye. "Send Admiral Decres to me, " the Emperor shouted, as he laid down histelescope and returned to his petulant to-and-fro. 

In a few minutes Admiral Decres arrived, and after a salute which wasnot acknowledged, walked in silence at his master's side. The great man, talking to himself aloud, and reviling almost every one except himself, took no more notice of his comrade for some minutes than if he had beena poodle keeping pace with him. Then he turned upon him fiercely, withone hand thrown out, as if he would have liked to strike him. 

"What then is the meaning of all this?" He spoke too fast for the otherto catch all his words. "You have lost me three days of it. How muchlonger will you conceal your knowledge? Carne's scheme has failed, through treachery--probably his own. I never liked the man. He wanted tobe the master of me--of me! I can do without him; it is all the better, if my fleet will come. I have three fleets, besides these. Any one ofthem would do. They would do, if even half their crews were dead, solong as they disturbed the enemy. You know where Villeneuve is, but youwill not tell me. "

"I told your Majesty what I thought, " M. Decres replied, with dignity, "but it did not please you to listen to me. Shall I now tell yourMajesty what I know?"

"Ha! You have dared to have secret despatches! You know more of themovements of my fleets than I do! You have been screening him all along. Which of you is the worse traitor?"

"Your Majesty will regret these words. Villeneuve and myself are devotedto you. I have not heard from him. I have received no despatches. But ina private letter just received, which is here at your Majesty's service, I find these words, which your Majesty can see. 'From my brother onthe Spanish coast I have just heard. Admiral Villeneuve has sailed forCadiz, believing Nelson to be in chase of him. My brother saw the wholefleet crowding sail southward. No doubt it is the best thing they coulddo. If they came across Nelson, they would be knocked to pieces. 'Your Majesty, that is an opinion only; but it seems to be shared by M. Villeneuve. "

Napoleon's wrath was never speechless--except upon one greatoccasion--and its outburst put every other in the wrong, even while heknew that he was in the right. Regarding Decres with a glare of fury, such as no other eyes could pour, or meet--a glare as of burnished steelfired from a cannon--he drove him out of every self-defence or shelter, and shattered him in the dust of his own principles. It was not thedifference of rank between them, but the difference in the power oftheir minds, that chased like a straw before the wind the very stablesenses of the man who understood things. He knew that he was right, butthe right was routed, and away with it flew all capacity of reason inthe pitiless torrent of passion, like a man in a barrel, and the barrelin Niagara. 

M. Decres knew not head from tail, in the rush of invective poured uponhim; but he took off his hat in soft search for his head, and to let inthe compliments rained upon it. 

"It is good, " replied the Emperor, replying to himself, as the foamof his fury began to pass; "you will understand, Decres, that I am notangry, but only lament that I have such a set of fools. You are not theworst. I have bigger fools than you. Alas that I should confess it!"

Admiral Decres put his hat upon his head, for the purpose of taking itoff, to acknowledge the kindness of this compliment. It was the firstpolite expression he had received for half an hour. And it would havebeen the last, if he had dared to answer. 

"Villeneuve cannot help it that he is a fool, " continued Napoleon, ina milder strain; "but he owes it to his rank that he should not be acoward. Nelson is his black beast. Nelson has reduced him to a conditionof wet pulp. I shall send a braver man to supersede him. Are Frenchfleets forever to turn tail to an inferior force of stupid English? IfI were on the seas, I would sweep Nelson from them. Our men are farbraver, when they learn to spread their legs. As soon as I have finishedwith those filthy Germans, I will take the command of the fleets myself. It will be a bad day for that bragging Nelson. Give me pen and paper, and send Daru to me. I must conquer the Continent once more, I suppose;and then I will return and deal with England. "

In a couple of hours he had shaped and finished the plan of a campaignthe most triumphant that even he ever planned and accomplished. Then hismind became satisfied with good work, and he mounted his horse, andfor the last time rode through the grandest encampment the sun has everseen, distributing his calm smile, as if his nature were too large fortempests. 

 * * * * *

On the sacred white coast, which the greatest of Frenchmen should onlyapproach as a prisoner, stood a man of less imperious mould, and ofsweet and gentle presence--a man who was able to command himself in thekeenest disappointment, because he combined a quick sense of humour withthe power of prompt action, and was able to appreciate his own greatqualities without concluding that there were no other. His face, at alltimes except those of hot battle, was filled with quiet sadness, as ifhe were sent into the world for some great purpose beyond his knowledge, yet surely not above his aim. Years of deep anxiety and ever urgent dutyhad made him look old before his time, but in no wise abated his naturalforce. He knew that he had duty before him still, and he felt that theonly discharge was death. 

But now, in the tenderness of his heart, he had forgotten all abouthimself, and even for the moment about his country. Nelson had taken thelast fond look at the dear old friend of many changeful years, so trueand so pleasant throughout every change. Though one eye had failed forthe work of the brain, it still was in sympathy with his heart; and atear shone upon either wrinkled cheek, as the uses of sadness outlastthe brighter view. He held Faith by the hand, or she held by his, asthey came forth, without knowing it, through nature's demand for an openspace, when the air is choked with sorrow. 

"My dear, you must check it; you must leave off, " said Nelson, althoughhe was going on himself. "It is useless for me to say a word to you, because I am almost as bad myself. But still I am older, and I feel thatI ought to be able to comfort you, if I only knew the way. "

"You do comfort me, more than I can tell, although you don't sayanything. For any one to sit here, and be sorry with me, makes it comea little lighter. And when it is a man like you, Lord Nelson, I feel asort of love that makes me feel less bitter. Mr. Twemlow drove me wildwith a quantity of texts, and a great amount of talk about a betterland. How would he like to go to it himself, I wonder? There is a greathole in my heart, and nothing that anybody says can fill it. "

"And nothing that any one can do, my dear, " her father's friendanswered, softly, "unless it is your own good self, with the kindnessof the Lord to help you. One of the best things to begin with is to helpsomebody else, if you can, and lead yourself away into another person'stroubles. Is there any one here very miserable?"

"None that I can think of half so miserable as I am. There is greatexcitement, but no misery. Miss Twemlow has recovered her LordMayor--the gentleman that wore that extraordinary coat--oh, I forgot, you were not here then. And although he has had a very sad time of it, every one says that the total want of diet will be much better for himthan any mere change. I am ashamed to be talking of such trifles now;but I respect that man, he was so straightforward. If my brother Frankhad been at all like him, we should never have been as we are this day. "

"My dear, you must not blame poor Frank. He would not come down to thedinner because he hated warlike speeches. But he has seen the error ofhis ways. No more treasonable stuff for him. He thought it was large, and poetic, and all that, like giving one's shirt to an impostor. Allof us make mistakes sometimes. I have made a great many myself, andhave always been the foremost to perceive them. But your own bravelover--have you forgotten him? He fought like a hero, I am told;and nothing could save his life except that he wore a new-fashionedperiwig. "

"I would rather not talk of him now, Lord Nelson, although he had noperiwig. I am deeply thankful that he escaped; and no doubt did hisbest, as he was bound to do. I try to be fair to everybody, but I cannothelp blaming every one, when I come to remember how blind we have been. Captain Stubbard must have been so blind, and Mrs. Stubbard a great dealworse, and worst of all his own aunt, Mrs. Twemlow. Oh, Lord Nelson, ifyou had only stopped here, instead of hurrying away for more glory! Yousaw the whole of it; you predicted everything; you even warned usagain in your last letter! And yet you must go away, and leave us toourselves; and this is how the whole of it has ended. "

"My dear child, I will not deny that the eye of Nelson has a specialgift for piercing the wiles of the scoundrelly foe. But I was underorders, and must go. The nation believed that it could not do withoutme, although there are other men every bit as good, and in their ownopinion superior. But the enemy has never been of that opinion; and agreat deal depends upon what they think. And the rule has been alwaysto send me where there are many kicks but few coppers. I have never beenknown to repine. We all err; but if we do our duty as your dear fatherdid his, the Lord will forgive us, when our enemies escape. When my timecomes, as it must do soon, there will be plenty to carp at me; but Ishall not care, if I have done my best. Your father did his best, and ishappy. "

Faith Darling took his hand again, and her tears were for him quiteas much as for herself. "Give me one of the buttons of your coat, " shesaid; "here is one that cannot last till you get home. "

It was hanging by a thread, and yet the hero was very loth to partwith it, though if it had parted with him, the chances were ten toone against his missing it. However, he conquered himself, but not soentirely as to let her cut it off. If it must go, it should be by hisown hand. He pulled out a knife and cut it off, and she kissed it whenhe gave it to her. 

"I should like to do more than that, " he said, though he would soonerhave parted with many guineas. "Is there nobody here that I can help, from my long good-will to Springhaven?"

"Oh, yes! How stupid I am!" cried Faith. "I forget everybody in my owntrouble. There is a poor young man with a broken heart, who came to methis morning. He has done no harm that I know of, but he fell into thepower of that wicked--but I will use no harsh words, because he is gonemost dreadfully to his last account. This poor youth said that he onlycared to die, after all the things that had happened here, for he hasalways been fond of my father. At first I refused to see him, but theytold me such things that I could not help it. He is the son of our chiefman here, and you said what a fine British seaman he would make. "

"I remember two or three of that description, especially young DanTugwell. " Nelson had an amazing memory of all who had served underhim, or even had wished to do so. "I see by your eyes that it is youngTugwell. If it will be any pleasure to you, I will see him, and do whatI can for him. What has he done, my dear, and what can I do for him?"

"He has fallen into black disgrace, and his only desire is to redeemit by dying for his country. His own father has refused to see him, although he was mainly the cause of it; and his mother, who was ErleTwemlow's nurse, is almost out of her mind with grief. A braver youngman never lived, and he was once the pride of Springhaven. He saved poorDolly from drowning, when she was very young, and the boat upset. Hisfather chastised him cruelly for falling under bad influence. Then heran away from the village, and seems to have been in French employment. But he was kept in the dark, and had no idea that he was acting againsthis own country. "

"He has been a traitor, " said Lord Nelson, sternly. "I cannot help sucha man, even for your sake. "

"He has not been a traitor, but betrayed, " cried Faith; "he believedthat his only employment was to convey private letters for the poorFrench prisoners, of whom we have so many hundreds. I will not contendthat he was right in that; but still it was no very great offence. Even you must have often longed to send letters to those you loved inEngland; and you know how hard it is in war time. But what they reallywanted him for was to serve as their pilot upon this coast. And themoment he discovered that, though they offered him bags of gold to doit, he faced his death like an Englishman. They attempted to keep himin a stupid state with drugs, so that he might work like a mere machine. But he found out that, and would eat nothing but hard biscuit. They hadhim in one of their shallow boats, or prames, as they call them, whichwas to lead them in upon signal from the arch-traitor. This was onSaturday, Saturday night--that dreadful time when we were all so gay. They held a pair of pistols at poor Dan's head, or at least a man washolding one to each of his ears, and they corded his arms, because heventured to remonstrate. That was before they had even started, so youmay suppose what they would have done to us. Poor Daniel made up hismind to die, and it would have eased his mind, he says now, if he haddone so. But while they were waiting for the signal, which through dearfather's vigilance they never did receive, Dan managed to free bothhis hands in the dark, and as soon as he saw the men getting sleepy, he knocked them both down, and jumped overboard; for he can swim like afish, or even better. He had very little hopes of escaping, as he says, and the French fired fifty shots after him. With great presence of mind, he gave a dreadful scream, as if he was shot through the head at least, then he flung up his legs, as if he was gone down; but he swam underwater for perhaps a hundred yards, and luckily the moon went behinda black cloud. Then he came to a boat, which had broken adrift, andalthough he did not dare to climb into her, he held on by her, on thefurther side from them. She was drifting away with the tide, and at lasthe ventured to get on board of her, and found a pair of oars, and waspicked up at daylight by a smuggling boat running for Newhaven. He waslanded last night, and he heard the dreadful news, and having plentyof money, he hired a post-chaise, and never stopped until he reachedSpringhaven. He looks worn out now; but if his mind was easier, he wouldsoon be as strong as ever. "

"It is a strange story, my dear, " said Nelson; "but I see that it hasdone you good to tell it, and I have known many still stranger. But howcould he have money, after such a hard escape?"

"That shows as much as anything how brave he is. He had made up his mindthat if he succeeded in knocking down both those sentinels, he wouldhave the bag of gold which was put for his reward in case of hissteering them successfully. And before he jumped overboard he snatchedit up, and it helped him to dive and to swim under water. He put itin his flannel shirt by way of ballast, and he sticks to it up to thepresent moment. "

"My dear, " replied Lord Nelson, much impressed, "such a man deserves tobe in my own crew. If he can show me that bag, and stand questions, Iwill send him to Portsmouth at my own expense, with a letter to my dearfriend Captain Hardy. "

CHAPTER LXV

TRAFALGAR

Lord Nelson sailed from Portsmouth on the 15th of September, in hisfavourite ship the Victory, to take his last command. He knew that henever should come home, except as a corpse for burial, but he fastenedhis mind on the work before him, and neglected nothing. "A fair fight, and no favour, " was the only thing he longed for. 

And this he did obtain at last. The French commander-in-chief cameforth, with all his mighty armament, not of his own desire, but goadedby imperious sneers, and stings that made his manhood tingle. He spreadthe sea-power of two nations in a stately crescent, double-lined (as themoon is doubled when beheld through fine plate-glass)--a noble sight, aparamount temptation for the British tow-rope. 

"What a lot for we to take to Spithead!" was the British tar's remark, as forty ships of the line and frigates showed their glossy sides, andcanvas bosomed with the gentle air and veined with gliding sunlight. Agrander spectacle never was of laborious man's creation; and the workof the Lord combined to show it to the best advantage--dark headlandsin the distance standing as a massive background, long pellucid billowslifting bulk Titanic, and lace-like maze, sweet air wandering fromheaven, early sun come fresh from dew, all the good-will of the worldinspiring men to merriness. 

Nelson was not fierce of nature, but as gentle as a lamb. His greatdesire, as he always proved, was never to destroy his enemies by thenumber of one man spareable. He had always been led by the force ofeducation, confirmed by that of experience, to know that the duty of anEnglishman is to lessen the stock of Frenchmen; yet he never was freefrom regret when compelled to act up to his conscience, upon a largescale. 

It is an old saying that nature has provided for every disease itsremedy, and challenges men to find it out, which they are clever enoughnot to do. For that deadly disease Napoleon, the remedy was Nelson; andas soon as he should be consumed, another would appear in Wellington. Such is the fortune of Britannia, because she never boasts, but grumblesalways. The boaster soon exhausts his subject; the grumbler has matterthat lasts for ever. 

Nelson had much of this national virtue. "Half of them will get away, "he said to Captain Blackwood, of the Euryalus, who was come for hislatest orders, "because of that rascally port to leeward. If the windhad held as it was last night, we should have had every one of them. Itdoes seem hard, after waiting so long. And the sky looks like a gale ofwind. It will blow to-night, though I shall not hear it. A gale of windwith disabled ships means terrible destruction. Do all you can to savethose poor fellows. When they are beaten, we must consider their liveseven more than our own, you know, because we have been the cause of it. You know my wishes as well as I do. Remember this one especially. "

"Good-bye, my lord, till the fight is over. " Captain Blackwood loved hischief with even more than the warm affection felt by all the fleet forhim. "When we have got them, I shall come back, and find you safe andglorious. "

"God bless you, Blackwood!" Lord Nelson answered, looking at him with acheerful smile. "But you will never see me alive again. "

The hero of a hundred fights, who knew that this would be his last, puton his favourite ancient coat, threadbare through many a conflict withhard time and harder enemies. Its beauty, like his own, had sufferedin the cause of duty; the gold embroidery had taken leave of absence insome places, and in others showed more fray of silk than gleam of yellowglory; and the four stars fastened on the left breast wanted a littleplate-powder sadly. But Nelson was quite contented with them, and likea child--for he always kept in his heart the childhood's freshness--hegazed at the star he was proudest of, the Star of the Bath, and througha fond smile sighed. Through the rays of that star his death was coming, ere a quarter of a day should be added to his life. 

With less pretension and air of greatness than the captain of a pennysteamer now displays, Nelson went from deck to deck, and visited everyman at quarters, as if the battle hung on every one. There was scarcelya man whom he did not know, as well as a farmer knows his winter hands;and loud cheers rang from gun to gun when his order had been answered. His order was, "Reserve your fire until you are sure of every shot. "Then he took his stand upon the quarter-deck, assured of victory, andassured that his last bequest to the British nation would be honouredsacredly--about which the less we say the better. 

In this great battle, which crushed the naval power of France, and savedour land from further threat of inroad, Blyth Scudamore was not engaged, being still attached to the Channel fleet; but young Dan Tugwell borea share, and no small share by his own account and that of his nativevillage, which received him proudly when he came home. Placed at a gunon the upper deck, on the starboard side near the mizzen-mast, he foughtlike a Briton, though dazed at first by the roar, and the smoke, and thecrash of timber. Lord Nelson had noticed him more than once, as one ofthe smartest of his crew, and had said to him that very morning, "Forthe honour of Springhaven, Dan, behave well in your first action. " Andthe youth had never forgotten that, when the sulphurous fog envelopedhim, and the rush of death lifted his curly hair, and his feet weresodden and his stockings hot with the blood of shattered messmates. 

In the wildest of the wild pell-mell, as the Victory lay like a peltedlog, rolling to the storm of shot, with three ships at close quartershurling all their metal at her, and a fourth alongside clutched so closethat muzzle was tompion for muzzle, while the cannon-balls so thicklyflew that many sailors with good eyes saw them meet in the air andshatter one another, an order was issued for the starboard guns on theupper deck to cease firing. An eager-minded Frenchman, adapting hisdesires as a spring-board to his conclusions, was actually able tobelieve that Nelson's own ship had surrendered! He must have been offhis head; and his inductive process was soon amended by the logic offacts, for his head was off him. The reason for silencing those guns wasgood--they were likely to do more damage to an English ship which laybeyond than to the foe at the portholes. The men who had served thoseguns were ordered below, to take the place of men who never should firea gun again. Dan Tugwell, as he turned to obey the order, cast a glanceat the Admiral, who gave him a little nod, meaning, "Well done, Dan. "

Lord Nelson had just made a little joke, such as he often indulged in, not from any carelessness about the scene around him--which was trulyawful--but simply to keep up his spirits, and those of his brave andbeloved companion. Captain Hardy, a tall and portly man, clad in brightuniform, and advancing with a martial stride, cast into shade the mightyhero quietly walking at his left side. And Nelson was covered with dustfrom the quarter-gallery of a pounded ship, which he had not stopped tobrush away. 

"Thank God, " thought Dan, "if those fellows in the tops, who are pickingus off so, shoot at either of them, they will be sure to hit the big manfirst. "

In the very instant of his thought, he saw Lord Nelson give a suddenstart, and then reel, and fall upon both knees, striving for a moment tosupport himself with his one hand on the deck. Then his hand gave way, and he fell on his left side, while Hardy, who was just before him, turned at the cabin ladderway, and stooped with a loud cry over him. Danran up, and placed his bare arms under the wounded shoulder, and helpedto raise and set him on his staggering legs. 

"I hope you are not much hurt, my lord?" said the Captain, doing hisbest to smile. 

"They have done for me at last, " the hero gasped. "Hardy, my backbone isshot through. "

Through the roar of battle, sobs of dear love sounded along theblood-stained deck, as Dan and another seaman took the pride of ournation tenderly, and carried him down to the orlop-deck. Yet even so, inthe deadly pang and draining of the life-blood, the sense of duty neverfailed, and the love of country conquered death. With his feeble handhe contrived to reach the handkerchief in his pocket, and spread it overhis face and breast, lest the crew should be disheartened. 

"I know who fired that shot, " cried Dan, when he saw that he could helpno more. "He never shall live to boast of it, if I have to board theFrench ship to fetch him. "

He ran back quickly to the quarterdeck, and there found three or fourothers eager to give their lives for Nelson's death. The mizzen-top ofthe Redoutable, whence the fatal shot had come, was scarcely so muchas fifty feet from the starboard rail of the Victory. The men who werestationed in that top, although they had no brass cohorn there, suchas those in the main and fore tops plied, had taken many English lives, while the thick smoke surged around them. 

For some time they had worked unheeded in the louder roar of cannon, andwhen at last they were observed, it was hard to get a fair shot at them, not only from the rolling of the entangled ships, and clouds of blindingvapour, but because they retired out of sight to load, and onlycame forward to catch their aim. However, by the exertions of ourmarines--who should have been at them long ago--these sharp-shootersfrom the coign of vantage were now reduced to three brave fellows. Theyhad only done their duty, and perhaps had no idea how completely theyhad done it; but naturally enough our men looked at them as if they were"too bad for hanging. " Smoky as the air was, the three men saw that avery strong feeling was aroused against them, and that none of theirown side was at hand to back them up. And the language of theEnglish--though they could not understand it--was clearly that of bittercondemnation. 

The least resolute of them became depressed by this, being doubtless aRadical who had been taught that Vox populi is Vox Dei. He endeavoured, therefore, to slide down the rigging, but was shot through the heart, and dead before he had time to know it. At the very same moment themost desperate villain of the three--as we should call him--or the mostheroic of these patriots (as the French historians describe him) poppedforward and shot a worthy Englishman, who was shaking his fist insteadof pointing his gun. 

Then an old quartermaster, who was standing on the poop, with his legsspread out as comfortably as if he had his Sunday dinner on the spitbefore him, shouted--"That's him, boys--that glazed hat beggar! Haveat him all together, next time he comes forrard. " As he spoke, hefell dead, with his teeth in his throat, from the fire of the otherFrenchman. But the carbine dropped from the man who had fired, and hisbody fell dead as the one he had destroyed, for a sharp little Middy, behind the quartermaster, sent a bullet through the head, as the handdrew trigger. The slayer of Nelson remained alone, and he kept backwarily, where none could see him. 

"All of you fire, quick one after other, " cried Dan, who had picked up aloaded musket, and was kneeling in the embrasure of a gun; "fire so thathe may tell the shots; that will fetch him out again. Sing out first, 'There he is!' as if you saw him. "

The men on the quarter-deck and poop did so, and the Frenchman, who waswatching through a hole, came forward for a safe shot while they wereloading. He pointed the long gun which had killed Nelson at the smartyoung officer on the poop, but the muzzle flew up ere he pulled thetrigger, and leaning forward he fell dead, with his legs and armsspread, like a jack for oiling axles. Dan had gone through somesmall-arm drill in the fortnight he spent at Portsmouth, and his eyeswere too keen for the bull's-eye. With a rest for his muzzle he laidit truly for the spot where the Frenchman would reappear; with extremepunctuality he shot him in the throat; and the gallant man who deprivedthe world of Nelson was thus despatched to a better one, three hours infront of his victim. 

CHAPTER LXVI

THE LAST BULLETIN

To Britannia this was but feeble comfort, even if she heard of it. Shehad lost her pet hero, the simplest and dearest of all the thousandsshe has borne and nursed, and for every penny she had grudged him in theflesh, she would lay a thousand pounds upon his bones. To put itmore poetically, her smiles were turned to tears--which cost hersomething--and the laurel drooped in the cypress shade. The hostilefleet was destroyed; brave France would never more come out of harbourto contend with England; the foggy fear of invasion was like a morningfog dispersed; and yet the funds (the pulse of England) fell at the lossof that one defender. 

It was a gloomy evening, and come time for good people to be in-doors, when the big news reached Springhaven. Since the Admiral slept in thegreen churchyard, with no despatch to receive or send, the importance ofSpringhaven had declined in all opinion except its own, and even CaptainStubbard could not keep it up. When the Squire was shot, and Master Erleas well, and Carne Castle went higher than a lark could soar, and folkwere fools enough to believe that Boney would dare put his foot downthere, John Prater had done a most wonderful trade, and never a man whocould lay his tongue justly with the pens that came spluttering fromLondon had any call for a fortnight together to go to bed sober at hisown expense. But this bright season ended quite as suddenly as it hadbegun; and when these great "hungers"--as those veterans were entitledwho dealt most freely with the marvellous--had laid their heads togetherto produce and confirm another guinea's worth of fiction, the Londonpress would have none of it. Public interest had rushed into anotherchannel; and the men who had thriven for a fortnight on their tongueswere driven to employ them on their hands again. 

But now, on the sixth of November, a new excitement was in store forthem. The calm obscurity of night flowed in, through the trees thatbelonged to Sir Francis now, and along his misty meadows; and the onlysound in the village lane was the murmur of the brook beside it, or thegentle sigh of the retiring seas. Boys of age enough to make muchnoise, or at least to prolong it after nightfall, were away in thefishing-boats, receiving whacks almost as often as they needed them; forthose times (unlike these) were equal to their fundamental duties. In the winding lane outside the grounds of the Hall, and shaping itsconvenience naturally by that of the more urgent brook, a man--to showwhat the times were come to--had lately set up a shoeing forge. He haddone it on the strength of the troopers' horses coming down the hill sofast, and often with their cogs worn out, yet going as hard as if theyhad no knees, or at least none belonging to their riders. And althoughhe was not a Springhaven man, he had been allowed to marry a Springhavenwoman, one of the Capers up the hill; and John Prater (who was akin tohim by marriage, and perhaps had an eye to the inevitable ailment of aman whose horse is ailing) backed up his daring scheme so strongly thatthe Admiral, anxious for the public good, had allowed this smithy to beset up here. 

John Keatch was the man who established this, of the very same family(still thriving in West Middlesex) which for the service of the statesupplied an official whose mantle it is now found hard to fill; and theblacksmith was known as "Jack Ketch" in the village, while his forge wasbecoming the centre of news. Captain Stubbard employed him for batteryuses, and finding his swing-shutters larger than those of Widow Shanks, and more cheaply lit up by the glow of the forge, was now beginning, inspite of her remonstrance, to post all his very big proclamations there. 

"Rouse up your fire, Ketch, " he said that evening, as he stood at thedoor of the smithy, with half a dozen of his children at his heels. "Bring a dozen clout-nails; here's a tremendous piece of news!"

The blacksmith made a blaze with a few strokes of his bellows, and swunghis shutter forward, so that all might read. 

"GREAT AND GLORIOUS VICTORY. Twenty line-of-battle ships destroyed orcaptured. Lord Nelson shot dead. God save the King!"

"Keep your fire up. I'll pay a shilling for the coal, " cried theCaptain, in the flush of excitement. "Bring out your cow's horn, andgo and blow it at the corner. And that drum you had to mend, my boy andgirl will beat it. Jack, run up to the battery, and tell them to blazeaway for their very lives. "

In less than five minutes all the village was there, with the readersput foremost, all reading together at the top of their voices, for thebenefit of the rest. Behind them stood Polly Cheeseman, peeping, withthe glare of the fire on her sad pale face and the ruddy cheeks of herinfant. "Make way for Widow Carne, and the young Squire Carne, " the loudvoice of Captain Zeb commanded; "any man as stands afront of her willhave me upon him. Now, ma'am, stand forth, and let them look at you. "

This was a sudden thought of Captain Tugwell's; but it fixed her rankamong them, as the order of the King might. The strong sense of justice, always ready in Springhaven, backed up her right to be what shehad believed herself, and would have been, but for foul deceit andfalsehood. And if the proud spirit of Carne ever wandered around theancestral property, it would have received in the next generation arighteous shock at descrying in large letters, well picked out withshade: "Caryl Carne, Grocer and Butterman, Cheese-monger, Dealer inBacon and Sausages. Licensed to sell Tea, Coffee, Snuff, Pepper, andTobacco. "

For Cheeseman raised his head again, with the spirit of a true Britishtradesman, as soon as the nightmare of traitorous plots and contrabandimports was over. Captain Tugwell on his behalf led the fishing fleetagainst that renegade La Liberte, and casting the foreigners overboard, they restored her integrity as the London Trader. Mr. Cheeseman shed atear, and put on a new apron, and entirely reformed his political views, which had been loose and Whiggish. Uprightness of the most sensitiveorder--that which has slipped and strained its tendons--stamped allhis dealings, even in the butter line; and facts having furnished acreditable motive for his rash reliance upon his own cord, he turnedamid applause to the pleasant pastimes of a smug church-warden. And whenhe was wafted to a still sublimer sphere, his grandson carried on thebusiness well. 

Having spread the great news in this striking manner, CaptainStubbard--though growing very bulky now with good living, ever since hispay was doubled--set off at a conscientious pace against the stomach ofthe hill, lest haply the Hall should feel aggrieved at hearing allthis noise and having to wonder what the reason was. He knew, and wasgrateful at knowing, that Carne's black crime and devilish plot hadwrought an entire revulsion in the candid but naturally too soft mindof the author of the Harmodiad. Sir Francis was still of a liberal mind, and still admired his own works. But forgetting that nobody read them, he feared the extensive harm they might produce, although he was nowresolved to write even better in the opposite direction. On the impulseof literary conscience, he held a council with the gardener Swipes, asto the best composition of bonfire for the consumption of poetry. Mr. Swipes recommended dead pea-haulm, with the sticks left in it toensure a draught. Then the poet in the garden with a long bean-stickadministered fire to the whole edition, not only of the Harmodiad, but also of the Theiodemos, his later and even grander work. Personsincapable of lofty thought attributed this--the most sage and practicalof all forms of palinode--to no higher source than the pretty face andfigure, and sweet patriotism, of Lady Alice, the youngest sister ofLord Dashville. And subsequent facts, to some extent, confirmed thisinterpretation. 

The old house looked gloomy and dull of brow, with only three windowsshowing light, as stout Captain Stubbard, with his short sword swingingfrom the bulky position where his waist had been, strode along thewinding of the hill towards the door. At a sharp corner, under sometrees, he came almost shoulder to shoulder with a tall man striking intothe road from a foot-path. The Captain drew his sword, for his nerveshad been flurried ever since the great explosion, which laid him on hisback among his own cannon. 

"A friend, " cried the other, "and a great admirer of your valour, Captain, but not a worthy object for its display. "

"My dear friend Shargeloes!" replied the Captain, a little ashamed ofhis own vigilance. "How are you, my dear sir? and how is the system?"

"The system will never recover from the tricks that infernal Carne hasplayed with it. But never mind that, if the intellect survives; we allowe a debt to our country. I have met you in the very nick of time. Yesterday was Guy Fawkes' Day, and I wanted to be married then; butthe people were not ready. I intend to have it now on New-Year's Day, because then I shall always remember the date. I am going up here tomake a strange request, and I want you to say that it is right andproper. An opinion from a distinguished sailor will go a long waywith the daughters of an Admiral. I want the young ladies to be mybridesmaids--and then for the little ones, your Maggy and your Kitty. Iam bound to go to London for a month to-morrow, and then I could orderall the bracelets and the brooches, if I were only certain who theblessed four would be. "

"I never had any bridesmaids myself, and I don't know anything aboutthem. I thought that the ladies were the people to settle that. "

"The ladies are glad to be relieved of the expense, and I wish to startwell, " replied Shargeloes. "Why are ninety-nine men out of a hundredhenpecked?"

"I am sure I don't know, except that they can't help it. But have youheard the great news of this evening?"

"The reason is, " continued the member of the Corporation, "that theybegin with being nobodies. They leave the whole management of theirweddings to the women, and they never recover the reins. Miss Twemlowis one of the most charming of her sex; but she has a decided character, which properly guided will be admirable. But to give it the lead at theoutset would be fatal to future happiness. Therefore I take this affairupon myself. I pay for it all, and I mean to do it all. "

"What things you do learn in London!" the Captain answered, with a sigh. "Oh, if I had only had the money--but it is too late to talk of that. Once more, have you heard the news?"

"About the great battle, and the death of Nelson? Yes, I heard of allthat this morning. But I left it to come in proper course from you. Nowhere we are; mind you back me up. The Lord Mayor is coming to be my bestman. "

The two sisters, dressed in the deepest mourning, and pale with longsorrow and loneliness, looked wholly unfit for festive scenes; and assoon as they heard of this new distress--the loss of their father'sdearest friend, and their own beloved hero--they left the room, to havea good cry together, while their brother entertained the visitors. "Itcan't be done now, " Mr. Shargeloes confessed; "and after all, Eliza isthe proper person. I must leave that to her, but nothing else that I canthink of. There can't be much harm in my letting her do that. "

It was done by a gentleman after all, for the worthy Rector did it. Thebride would liefer have dispensed with bridesmaids so much fairer thanherself, and although unable to advance that reason, found fifty othersagainst asking them. But her father had set his mind upon it, andtogether with his wife so pressed the matter that Faith and Dolly, muchagainst their will, consented to come out of mourning for a day, but notinto gay habiliments. 

The bride was attired wonderfully, stunningly, carnageously--as Johnny, just gifted with his commission, and thereby with much slang, describedher; and in truth she carried her bunting well, as Captain Stubbard toldhis wife, and Captain Tugwell confirmed it. But the eyes of everybodywith half an eye followed the two forms in silver-grey. That was thenearest approach to brightness those lovers of their father allowedthemselves, within five months of his tragic death; though if the oldAdmiral could have looked down from the main-top, probably he would haveshouted, "No flags at half-mast for me, my pets!"

Two young men with melancholy glances followed these fair bridesmaids, being tantalized by these nuptial rites, because they knew no better. One of them hoped that his time would come, when he had pushed his greatdiscovery; and if the art of photography had been known, his face wouldhave been his fortune. For he bore at the very top of it the seal andstamp of his patent--the manifest impact of a bullet, diffracted by thepower of Pong. The roots of his hair--the terminus of blushes, accordingto all good novelists--had served an even more useful purpose, byenabling him to blush again. Strengthened by Pong, they had defied thelead, and deflected it into a shallow channel, already beginning tobe overgrown by the aid of that same potent drug. Erle Twemlow lookedlittle the worse for his wound; to a lady perhaps, to a man of sciencecertainly, more interesting than he had been before. As he gazed at thebride all bespangled with gold, he felt that he had in his trunk themeans of bespangling his bride with diamonds. But the worst of it wasthat he must wait, and fight, and perhaps get killed, before he couldsettle in life and make his fortune. As an officer of a marchingregiment, ordered to rejoin immediately, he must flesh his sword inlather first--for he had found no razor strong enough--and postpone theday of riches till the golden date of peace. 

The other young man had no solace of wealth, even in the blue distance, to whisper to his troubled heart. Although he was a real "CaptainScuddy" now, being posted to the Danae, 42-gun frigate, the capacity ofhis cocked hat would be tried by no shower of gold impending. For mightydread of the Union-jack had fallen upon the tricolor; that gallant flagperceived at last that its proper flight was upon dry land, where as yetthere was none to flout it. Trafalgar had reduced by 50 per cent. TheBritish sailor's chance of prize-money. 

Such computations were not, however, the chief distress of Scudamore. The happiness of his fair round face was less pronounced than usual, because he had vainly striven for an interview with his loved one. Withall her faults he loved her still, and longed to make them all his own. He could not help being sadly shocked by her fatal coquetry with thetraitor Carne, and slippery conduct to his own poor self. But love inhis faithful heart maintained that she had already atoned for thattoo bitterly and too deeply; and the settled sorrow of her face, andlistless submission of her movements, showed that she was now a verydifferent Dolly. Faith, who had always been grave enough, seemed gaietyitself in comparison with her younger sister, once so gay. In theirsimple dresses--grey jaconet muslin, sparely trimmed with lavender--andwearing no jewel or ornament, but a single snow-drop in the breast, thelovely bridesmaids looked as if they defied all the world to make thembrides. 

But the Rector would not let them off from coming to the breakfastparty, and with the well-bred sense of fitness they obeyed his bidding. Captain Stubbard (whose jokes had missed fire too often to be satisfiedwith a small touch-hole now) was broadly facetious at their expense;and Johnny, returning thanks for them, surprised the good company by hismanly tone, and contempt of life before beginning it. This invigoratedScudamore, by renewing his faith in human nature as a thing beyondcalculation. He whispered a word or so to his friend Johnny while Mr. And Mrs. Shargeloes were bowing farewell from the windows of a greatfamily coach from London, which the Lord Mayor had lent them, to makeup for not coming. For come he could not--though he longed to do so, andall Springhaven expected him--on account of the great preparations inhand for the funeral of Lord Nelson. 

"Thy servant will see to it, " the boy replied, with a wink at hissisters, whom he was to lead home; for Sir Francis had made his way downto the beach, to meditate his new poem, Theriodemos. 

"His behaviour, " thought Dolly, as she put on her cloak, "has beenperfect. How thankful I feel for it! He never cast one glance at me. Hequite enters into my feelings towards him. But how much more credit tohis mind than to his heart!"

Scudamore, at a wary distance, kept his eyes upon her, as if she hadbeen a French frigate gliding under strong land batteries, from whichhe must try to cut her out. Presently he saw that his good friend Johnnyhad done him the service requested. At a fork of the path leading to theHall, Miss Dolly departed towards the left upon some errand amongthe trees, while her brother and sister went on towards the house. Forgetting the dignity of a Post-Captain, the gallant Scuddy made a cutacross the grass, as if he were playing prisoner's base with the boysat Stonnington, and intercepted the fair prize in a bend of the brook, where the winter sun was nursing the first primrose. 

"You, Captain Scudamore!" said the bridesmaid, turning as if she couldnever trust her eyes again. "You must have lost your way. This pathleads nowhere. "

"If it only leads to you, that is all that I could wish for. I amcontent to go to nothing, if I may only go with you. "

"My brother sent me, " said Dolly, looking down, with more colour on hercheeks than they had owned for months, and the snow-drop quivering onher breast, "to search for a primrose or two for him to wear when hedines at the rectory this evening. We shall not go, of course. We havedone enough. But Frank and Johnny think they ought to go. "

"May I help you to look? I am lucky in that way. I used to find so manythings with you, in the happy times that used to be. " Blyth saw that hereyelids were quivering with tears. "I will go away, if you would ratherhave it so. But you used to be so good-natured to me. "

"So I am still. Or at least I mean that people should now begood-natured to me. Oh, Captain Scudamore, how foolish I have been!"

"Don't say so, don't think it, don't believe it for a moment, " saidScudamore, scarcely knowing what he said, as she burst into a storm ofsobbing. "Oh, Dolly, Dolly, you know you meant no harm. You are breakingyour darling heart, when you don't deserve it. I could not bear to lookat you, and think of it, this morning. Everybody loves you still, asmuch and more than ever. Oh, Dolly, I would rather die than see you cryso terribly. "

"Nobody loves me, and I hate myself. I could never have believed Ishould ever hate myself. Go away, you are too good to be near me. Goaway, or I shall think you want to kill me. And I wish you would do it, Captain Scudamore. "

"Then let me stop, " said the Captain, very softly. She smiled at theturn of his logic, through her tears. Then she wept with new anguish, that she had no right to smile. 

"Only tell me one thing--may I hold you? Not of course from any right todo it, but because you are so overcome, my own, own Dolly. " The Captainvery cleverly put one arm round her, at first with a very light touch, and then with a firmer clasp, as she did not draw away. Her cloak wasnot very cumbrous, and her tumultuous heart was but a little way fromhis. 

"You know that I never could help loving you, " he whispered, as sheseemed to wonder what the meaning was. "May I ever hope that you willlike me?"

"Me! How can it matter now to anybody? I used to think it did; but Iwas very foolish then. I know my own value. It is less than this. Thislittle flower has been a good creature. It has been true to its place, and hurt nobody. "

Instead of seeking for any more flowers, she was taking from her breastthe one she had--the snow-drop, and threatening to tear it in pieces. 

"If you give it to me, I shall have some hope. " As he spoke, he lookedat her steadfastly, without any shyness or fear in his eyes, but as onewho knows his own good heart, and has a right to be answered clearly. The maiden in one glance understood all the tales of his wonderfuldaring, which she never used to believe, because he seemed afraid tolook at her. 

"You may have it, if you like, " she said; "but, Blyth, I shall neverdeserve you. I have behaved to you shamefully. And I feel as if I couldnever bear to be forgiven for it. "

For the sake of peace and happiness, it must be hoped that she conqueredthis feminine feeling, which springs from an equity of nature--thedesire that none should do to us more than we ever could do to them. Certain it is that when the Rector held his dinner party, two gallantbosoms throbbed beneath the emblem of purity and content. The militaryCaptain's snow-drop hung where every one might observe it, and somegentle-witted jokes were made about its whereabouts that morning. By-and-by it grew weary on its stalk and fell, and Erle Twemlow nevermissed it. But the other snow-drop was not seen, except by the wearerwith a stolen glance, when people were making a loyal noise--a littleglance stolen at his own heart. He had made a little cuddy thereinside his inner sarcenet, and down his plaited neck-cloth ran a slycompanionway to it, so that his eyes might steal a visit to the joy thatwas over his heart and in it. Thus are women adored by men, especiallythose who deserve it least. 

"Attention, my dear friends, attention, if you please, " cried theRector, rising, with a keen glance at Scuddy. "I will crave yourattention before the ladies go, and theirs, for it concerns themequally. We have passed through a period of dark peril, a long timeof trouble and anxiety and doubt. By the mercy of the Lord, we haveescaped; but with losses that have emptied our poor hearts. England haslost her two foremost defenders, Lord Nelson, and Admiral Darling. Tothem we owe it that we are now beginning the New Year happily, with theblessing of Heaven, and my dear daughter married. Next week we shallattend the grand funeral of the hero, and obtain good places by dueinfluence. My son-in-law, Percival Shargeloes, can do just as he pleasesat St. Paul's. Therefore let us now, with deep thanksgiving, and onehand upon our hearts, lift up our glasses, and in silence pledge thememory of our greatest men. With the spirit of Britons we echo the lastwords that fell from the lips of our dying hero--'Thank God, I havedone my duty!' His memory shall abide for ever, because he loved hiscountry. "

The company rose, laid hand on heart, and deeply bowing, said--"Amen!"

THE END.