Vaughan and Gilbert consented to remain with their friends another day,
on condition that Roger Layton would accompany them to their home, in
order to explain more fully than they could do the plans he and his
father proposed. In truth, Vaughan was not sorry for the opportunity
afforded him of enjoying more of Cicely's society, and he knew Mistress
Audley did not expect their speedy return. Roger undertook afterwards
to proceed to London to search for the _Sally Rose_, a bark of fifty
tons, in which Batten had returned home, and which Vaughan had learnt
had gone round to the Thames.
The more Captain Layton talked over the matter, the more his ancient
ardour revived. "Cicely, girl, wilt thou go with me?" he exclaimed. "I
cannot leave thee behind; and yet I should fret if these young gallants
were away searching for my brave friend and I were to remain on shore,
like a weather-beaten old hulk, unfit for further service."
"Where you go, I will go, my father, as you wish it," answered Cicely;
"whether in Old England, or in New England across the ocean, there, if
you make your home, will I gladly abide with you."
"Well said, girl, well said," exclaimed the captain; "come, let me give
thee a buss for thy dutiful love--but I will not force thy
inclinations."
The next day the captain, mounted on his horse Sampson, set off for
Plymouth, the distance being too great for him to walk, in order to call
on some of his seafaring acquaintances, and to make inquiries regarding
vessels in the port of Plymouth and elsewhere, fit for a voyage to
America. Roger and Gilbert accompanied him on foot, but Master Vaughan
pleaded that, as he knew naught of naval affairs, he could be of no
service, and would prefer remaining to study the captain's sea journals
and some books on navigation, with the prospect of afterwards taking a
stroll with Mistress Cicely when she should have completed her household
duties for the day.
"As you like it," said the captain; "Cicely will bring you the books,
and pens and paper, should you wish to take notes of what you read."
Cicely thought Vaughan's plan a very proper one, and it is possible that
she hastened through her household duties with even more than her usual
alacrity, active as she always was.
The captain, with his son and Gilbert, called on several persons,
including among them some shipbuilders and shipowners, from one of whom
they learnt that the _Rainbow_, a stout bark of a hundred tons burthen,
lay in the harbour, having a short time before returned from the only
voyage she had made to the Levant, her timbers and plankings sound, her
tacklings and sails in perfect order; moreover that, in two weeks or so,
she might be got ready for sea. On going onboard, the captain and his
son were well pleased with the _Rainbow's_ appearance, though of opinion
that her tackling and sails required renewing, and that the necessary
repairs would take longer than her owner had stated. The captain, as
has been said, was a man of action; having satisfied himself as to the
fitness of the vessel, on returning on shore he concluded the purchase,
with such deductions as were considered just by her owner, Master
Holdfast, who, knowing him to be a man of substance as well as a man of
honour, was content to abide his time with regard to payment.
The next day found Vaughan and Gilbert, accompanied by Roger Layton, on
their way to the neighbourhood of Dartmouth. Lettice, who had been
anxiously waiting for their return, seeing them come over the hill in
the distance, hastened down to the gate to receive them. After
bestowing on her an affectionate embrace, they introduced Roger as the
son of their friend Captain Layton, returned from the Indies, who was
ready to sail forth again in search of their father. It is needless to
say that he received a warm welcome from Mistress Audley, as well as
from Lettice. Roger had thought his sister Cicely was as near
perfection as a damsel could reach, but he could not help acknowledging
that Lettice Audley was her superior.
Mistress Audley was anxious to hear Captain Layton's opinion and what
plans he proposed. "He is, indeed, a true, generous friend," she
exclaimed, when Roger told her that his father had actually purchased a
stout ship in which he was about to sail in the hopes of recovering her
husband.
"But the first thing we have to do is to ascertain, more exactly than we
now know, the part of the country to which he has been carried,"
observed Roger. "I therefore propose setting off at once to London, to
learn, from those with whom the seaman Richard Batten returned, the
place where they received him on board; and then, with your leave,
Mistress Audley, I will come back here to make our final arrangements.
Do you yourself propose accompanying your sons? or will you remain here
with your daughter till we have concluded our search, and returned, as I
hope, successful?"
"I cannot so far restrain my anxiety as to remain at a distance while
others are engaged in the search, and if a way is opened out to us, my
daughter Lettice and I have resolved to proceed to Virginia," answered
Mistress Audley.
"You are a brave lady, truly," exclaimed Roger; "my sister Cicely
purposes going for the sake of being with our father, and it would be an
honour and satisfaction if you would take a passage on board his ship."
Mistress Audley expressed her gratitude, and said she would consult her
son Vaughan on the subject.
Roger Layton did not attempt to conceal the admiration he felt for
Lettice Audley, and he would gladly have remained another day could he
have found sufficient excuse. Duty had, however, always been his
guiding star, and he accordingly the next morning at daybreak was ready
to depart. He had taken leave of Mistress Audley and Lettice the night
before, but when the morning came Lettice was in the parlour to serve
him with breakfast, and he enjoyed some minutes of her society before
her brothers made their appearance. They came down booted and spurred,
prepared to accompany him part of the way. He promised not to spare his
good steed; but even so, he could not hope to be back much within a
fortnight, and soon after that time he expected that the _Rainbow_ would
be ready for sea, and he thus could not remain more than a day at
Mistress Audley's on his way to Plymouth.
In the evening Vaughan and Gilbert returned home. As they reached the
gate, they were surprised to see two stout horses, held by a groom,
standing before it. They inquired who had arrived. "Your worships'
cousin, master Harry Rolfe and a stranger, a stout and comely gentleman,
who has the air and speech of a sea-captain--though he may be, judging
by his looks, some great lord," answered the groom.
"Poor Harry! I thought after the unkind treatment as he called it which
he received from our sister, that he would not come back again to this
house--but I shall be glad to see him," observed Vaughan to his brother.
As they entered the parlour, they found their mother and Lettice with
the two gentlemen who had just arrived. Their cousin, Harry Rolfe,
whose appearance was much in his favour, sprang from his seat to greet
them, and introduced his companion as Captain John Smith, "With whom, in
the company of many other right worshipful gentlemen, I am about to sail
for Virginia," he added. "I could not quit England without coming to
bid you farewell: for it may be my lot, as it has been that of many
others, not to return."
Mistress Audley sighed as he spoke. "Pardon me, kind aunt, for the
inadvertence of my expression," he exclaimed.
"You are thinking of our father," said Gilbert; "but we have had news
that he is still alive, and you will, I know, gladly join us in
searching for him."
Captain Smith on this made inquiries regarding the subject of which they
were speaking, and such information as they possessed was given him. He
listened attentively, and promised to use all the means in his power in
searching for Captain Audley. His words greatly raised Mistress
Audley's spirits; for he was evidently a man who would carry out
whatever he purposed. Already advancing towards middle life, he
possessed an eagle eye, a determined expression of countenance, and a
strongly-knit figure capable of enduring fatigue and hardship.
Harry Rolfe further informed his relations that he and Captain Smith
were on their way to join their ship, the _Hector_, at Plymouth, into
which port she and several others were to put before proceeding on their
voyage. The countenance of Harry Rolfe brightened as he heard that his
relatives purposed proceeding to Virginia; but Lettice turning away her
head as he expressed his pleasure at the thoughts of their coming, he
looked disappointed and grieved. Mistress Audley, as in courtesy bound,
invited her visitors to remain to supper; but they excused themselves on
the plea that they must hasten on in case their ship should arrive at
Plymouth, and expected to sleep some ten miles further on their road.
Taking their leave, therefore, they proceeded on their journey.
Mistress Audley was naturally agitated with many doubts and fears as to
the propriety of proceeding. She herself was ready to encounter any
dangers or hardships for the purpose of encouraging the search for her
husband, and for the sake of sooner meeting him, but she doubted whether
it was right to expose her young daughter Lettice to such risk; while
her eldest son, though without him she could not proceed, would be drawn
away from his studies at Cambridge and from the career he had chosen;
but her children were unanimous in their desire to go to Virginia, and
Lettice declared that even without such a motive she would willingly
undertake the voyage.
She had a near neighbour, Captain Massey White, once Governor so called
of Virginia, though there had been few men to govern, and those very
ungovernable. He was now advanced in life and broken in health. Him
she consulted: he spoke cautiously. If the new adventurers acted wisely
they might succeed. The country was of exceeding richness, and the
natives, though savage, might be won over. He could not advise a wife
against seeking her husband, though many dangers must be encountered.
To him the subject brought sad recollection. His only daughter and her
husband, Ananias Dane, with their infant, a little girl, had been
slaughtered with many others by the Indians, their only other child,
their son Oliver, happily escaping, having been left with his grandame
in England when they went to the colony. Oliver Dane, a boy of spirit
and intelligence some years younger than Gilbert, was a frequent visitor
at the house of Mistress Audley and a great favourite of hers. She
pitied him also, for his grandfather could but ill manage him or afford
him the amusements suited to his age. He, like many boys of those days,
was longing to go to sea--to visit strange countries, and to engage in
the adventures of which he often heard from the mariners he met with in
Dartmouth. The result of her conversation with Captain White
strengthened the resolution of Mistress Audley to proceed to Virginia.
When young Dane heard of it, he was mad to go also. He begged Vaughan,
who had a great liking for the lad, to take him. He had no need to ask
Gilbert, who declared that they would not leave him behind.
Mistress Audley and Lettice were pleased at the thoughts of having him
with them.
Strange to say, the old man was willing to part with him. He must ere
long go into the world to seek his fortune, and he could not be placed
under better superintendence than that of Vaughan Audley, for whom he
had a high esteem, and who would afford him instruction and watch over
his interests. It was thus settled, to the great delight of Oliver
Dane, after much more had been said than need be repeated, that he
should accompany Mistress Audley and her family to Virginia.
Such of their goods as they considered likely to be of use, were packed
up in fitting packages for stowage on board ship, and such other
arrangements for the disposal of their property as were deemed necessary
were made with the help of a trustworthy lawyer at Dartmouth. Seeing
that the task was new to all of them, it was only just accomplished when
Roger Layton arrived from London, accompanied by two men, Ben Tarbox and
Nicholas Flowers by name, who had belonged to the _Sally Rose_, in which
Richard Batten had escaped from Virginia. They were both willing to
return to the country, and gave so circumstantial an account of the part
they had visited, and were so certain that they could find their way to
it again, that Roger had no doubt about the matter. Vaughan, who
examined them much as a lawyer would a witness, was well satisfied on
that score, but not so in other respects with one of the men, Nicholas
Flowers, whom he set down in his mind from the first as an arrant rogue.
Of Ben Tarbox Vaughan formed a better opinion, that he was an honest
fellow, with a fair amount of wits.
Roger brought also a letter from Sir George Summers, to whom he had been
introduced in London, and who had known and esteemed Captain Audley,
offering to give a passage to Mistress Audley and her family on board
the _Sea Venture_, which ship was about to sail from the Thames, and to
come round to Plymouth, where she was to be joined by seven others, so
the letter stated, though their names were not mentioned. Sir George
was most kind and pressing; for the regard he bore her husband, he
assured Mistress Audley that she should be put to no expense, and as the
ship was large and well-found, she might hope to have a prosperous
voyage, with fewer discomforts than are the lot generally of those who
tempt the dangers of the sea.
"For Sir George's offer we should indeed be thankful," observed Mistress
Audley, when she came to the end of the letter; "it seems like the
guiding of Providence, and we are in duty bound not to refuse it."
To this Roger could raise no objection, though he confessed that he was
disappointed at not having Mistress Audley and her daughter as
passengers on board the _Rainbow_. They would, however, sail in
company, and in calm weather he might hope to pay them a visit, and at
all events they would meet at the end of their voyage. Roger found a
letter waiting him from his father, stating that the _Rainbow_ was
nearly ready for sea, and advising that Mistress Audley and her family
should come round by water from Dartmouth, as the easiest means of
transporting their goods. Roger was glad of this opportunity of
remaining longer in the company of Mistress Lettice, and of offering
that assistance which his experience enabled him to give. He at once
hastened to Dartmouth, where he engaged a pinnace with eight rowers, the
master of which undertook, the sea being calm, to carry them to Plymouth
between sunrise and sunset.
There were many tears shed by those on whom Mistress Audley and Lettice
had bestowed kindness, as they set out from the home they were leaving,
probably for ever, mounted on pillions; the pack-horses with their goods
following in a long line. Mistress Audley rode behind Vaughan, and
Lettice sat on the horse with her younger brother, beside whom rode
Roger Layton, while Oliver Dane on his grandfather's nag--seldom now
bestrode by the old man--trotted up now to one party, now to the other,
but found Vaughan more ready to talk than was Roger, who had ears only
for what Mistress Lettice might please to say. Thus they proceeded till
they reached Dartmouth, close to which lay the pinnace Roger had hired.
The goods were placed on board that evening, that they might sail
without hindrance at dawn on the following morning.
The calm harbour lay in deepest shade, although the summits of the rocks
on the western side were already tinged with the rays of the rising sun,
as the pinnace, propelled by eight stout rowers, glided out towards the
blue sea, rippled over by a gentle breeze from the eastward. The
pinnace coasted along the rocky shore till the long, low point of the
Start was rounded, when, altering her course, she steered for Plymouth
Sound, keeping well inside that fearful rock, the Eddystone, on which
many a bark has left her shattered ribs. Roger talked much to Lettice
as he sat by her side. He told her of the voyages he had made, of his
last ship, when their brave pilot, that renowned navigator, John Davis,
with many of his followers, was treacherously slain by the crew of a
Chinese ship they had captured,--Roger himself, with a few fighting
desperately, having alone regained their boat as the Chinaman, bursting
into flame, blew up, all on board perishing. Lettice gasped for breath
as she listened to the tale; then Roger changed the subject and told her
of the wonderful islands of the East, with their spice-groves and
fragrant flowers; of the curious tea-plant; of the rich dresses of the
natives; of the beautiful carved work and ornaments of all sorts which
he had brought home.
"I have had them placed in my father's house, and they will please you
to look at, Mistress Lettice," he observed; "for it may be some days
before the fleet sails, and as my father could not bring himself to part
with his house, it will afford you a home while you remain at Plymouth."
Gilbert and Oliver Dane were interested listeners to Roger's tales,
though the descriptions of battles fought and hair-breadth escapes
produced a very different effect in them; while she trembled and turned
pale, they only longed to have been with Roger, and looked forward to
the opportunity some day of imitating him.
Both wind and tide had favoured the voyagers, and before sunset the
pinnace lay at anchor directly in front of Captain Layton's house. The
captain had seen them coming, and with Cicely beside him was on the
shore to welcome them. With becoming gallantry he pressed Mistress
Audley's hand to his lips, while he bestowed a kiss on Lettice's fair
brow, telling her how glad he was to greet her father's daughter.
Cicely then took her hand, and led her towards the house, while the
captain assisted Mistress Audley up the steep ascent.
The captain having well calculated the time they would arrive, a
handsome repast was already laid in the hall, to which the superior
officers of the _Rainbow_, and some of those of gentle birth intending
to go passengers by her, were invited. Three of the other vessels
destined to form the fleet had arrived, but the admiral's ship, the _Sea
Venture_, had not yet come round from the Thames. The time was spent by
the young people with much satisfaction to themselves, and so well
pleased was Mistress Audley with Cicely that when Vaughan told her that
he wished to make her his wife, she did not object to his pledging his
troth, though she warned him that the present was not a time to take
upon himself the cares of a wife and family, and that all his thoughts
must be employed in the sacred duty in which he was engaged.
At length a tall ship was seen sailing up the harbour with gay flags
flying from the mastheads. The other vessels as she approached saluted
her with their guns; the captain, who was on the watch, pronounced her
to be the _Sea Venture_, the ship of the good admiral, Sir George
Summers, commanded by Captain Newport, with Sir Thomas Gates, the new
Governor of Virginia, on board. Soon after she dropped anchor the
admiral's barge was seen leaving the ship, and Captain Layton went down
to beg that he would remain at his house till the fleet was ready to
sail. Sir George, whose shipmate he had formerly been, was well pleased
to accept his offer; Mistress Audley had thus an early opportunity of
thanking the admiral for his generous offer.
"The thanks are due from me, Mistress Audley, that you condescend to
take passage with your family on board my ship," he answered, with
proper gallantry.
Mistress Audley told Sir George of Captain Layton's desire that she
should sail on board his ship. "I will not act the hypocrite, and say
that I am sorry to deprive him of the pleasure," answered Sir George,
"and having gained your promise to sail on board my ship, I intend to
keep you to it."
Sir George was accompanied by several cabin boys, one of whom he brought
on shore, and introduced as the son of his old friend, that brave
sea-captain and good knight, Sir Edward Fenton, lately deceased. Ned
Fenton, who was now going for his first voyage, and Gilbert soon became
fast friends, and were well pleased to find that they were to continue
together. The remainder of the passengers of the fleet now arrived,
most of whom were gentlemen of good family, though of broken fortunes--a
class ill fitted for the work before them; while the remainder were
artisans far more likely to succeed than the former in a new colony.
At length the whole of the fleet to which the _Rainbow_ was joined
gathered in the Sound, and a brave appearance they presented as seen
from the windows of the captain's house, their flags flying and their
sails hanging in the brails ready to sheet home as soon as the admiral
should give the signal to weigh anchor. The wind, however, continued
blowing from the westward, and eager as they were to depart, the admiral
knew that it would be useless to proceed to sea when no progress could
be made towards their destination.
Gilbert and Oliver spent most of their time on board the _Sea Venture_,
to which, through the kindness of Sir George Summers, they had been
appointed as officers, that they might receive wages from the company;
but Vaughan, who had no fancy for a sea-life, found ample occupation on
shore in attending on Mistress Cicely, while she had no objection to be
so attended. She consenting to his proposal of marriage, he had spoken
to her father. "I would not desire a more worthy son-in-law," answered
the captain; "but she and you are young, and can afford to wait till we
have founded our new settlement, and have houses to dwell in, and lands
we can call our own to cultivate. You may deem me unkind; but I were
more unkind to grant your request, judging as I do what is best for you
both. A sea voyage, even though you are in different ships, will not
cool your love, and if, as I am sure will be the case, some months hence
you are of the same mind, your mother and, as I hope, your father also
agreeing thereto, I will no longer prohibit your marriage."
Thus Vaughan and Cicely, as many other young people have had to do, had
to wait patiently, looking forward with hope to the future.