We are anxious to proceed with our narrative, but we must first explain
the unexpected appearance of Smallbones. When Corporal Van Spitter was
requested by Vanslyperken to bring a pistol and cartridge, the corporal,
who had not forgotten the hints thrown out by Vanslyperken during their
last consultation, immediately imagined that it was for Smallbones'
benefit. And he was strengthened in his opinion, when he learnt that
Smallbones was to go on shore with his master after it was dusk. Now
Corporal Van Spitter had no notion of the poor lad's brains being blown
out; and when Mr Vanslyperken went on deck and left the pistol, he went
into the cabin, searched for it, and drew the bullet, which
Vanslyperken, of course, was not aware of. It then occurred to the
corporal, that if the pistol were aimed at Smallbones, and he was
uninjured, it would greatly add to the idea, already half entertained by
the superstitious lieutenant, of there hem something supernatural about
Smallbones, if he were loft to suppose that he had been killed, and had
reappeared. He therefore, communicated his suspicions to the lad, told
him what he had done, and advised him, if the pistol were fired to
pretend to be killed, and, when left by his master, to come on board
quietly in the night. Smallbones, who perceived the drift of all this,
promised to act accordingly, and in the last chapter it will be observed
how he contrived to deceive his master. As soon as the lieutenant was
out of hearing, Smallbones rose, and leaving the bag where it lay,
hastened back to Portsmouth, and came on board about two hours before
Vanslyperken rang his bell. He narrated what had passed, but, of
course, could not exactly swear that it was Vanslyperken who fired the
pistol, as it was fired from behind, but even if he could have so sworn,
at that time he would have obtained but little redress.
It was considered much more advisable that Smallbones should pretend to
believe that he had been attacked by robbers, and that the ball had
missed him, after he had frightened his master by his unexpected
appearance, for Vanslyperken would still be of opinion that the lad
possessed a charmed life.
The state of Mr Vanslyperken during the remainder of that night was
pitiable, but we must leave the reader to suppose rather than attempt to
describe it.
In the morning the corporal came in, and after asking after his
superior's health, informed him that Smallbones had come on board; that
the lad said that the robbers had fired a pistol at him, and then
knocked him down with the butt end of it, and that he had escaped, but
with the loss of the bag.
This was a great relief to the mind of Mr Vanslyperken, who had
imagined that he had been visited by the ghost of Smallbones daring the
night: he expressed himself glad at his return, and a wish to be left
alone, upon which the corporal retired. As soon as Vanslyperken found
out that Smallbones was still alive, his desire to kill him returned;
although, when he supposed him dead, he would, to escape from his own
feelings, have resuscitated him. One chief idea now whirled in his
brain, which was, that the lad must have a charmed life; he had floated
out to the Nab buoy and back again, and now he had had a pistol-bullet
passed through his scull without injury. He felt too much fear to
attempt anything against him for the future, but his desire to do so was
stronger than ever.
Excitement and vexation brought on a slow fever, and Mr Vanslyperken
lay for three or four days in bed; at the end of which period he
received a message from the admiral, directing him to come or send on
shore (for his state had been made known) for his despatches, and to
sail as soon as possible.
Upon receiving the message, Mr Vanslyperken recollected his engagement
at the house of the Jew Lazarus, and weak as he was, felt too much
afraid of the results, should he fail, not to get out of bed and go on
shore. It was with difficulty he could walk so far. When he arrived he
found Ramsay ready to receive him.
"To sail as soon as possible:--'tis well, sir. Have you your
despatches?"
"I sent to the admiral's for them," replied Vanslyperken.
"Well then, be all ready to start at midnight. I shall come on board
about a quarter of an hour before; you may go, sir."
Vanslyperken quailed under the keen eye and stern look of Ramsay, and
obeyed the uncourteous order in silence; still he thought of revenge as
he walked back to the boat and re-embarked in the cutter.
"What's this, Short?" observed Coble: "here is a new freak; we start at
midnight, I hear."
"Yes," replied Short.
"Something quite new, any how:--don't understand it, do you?"
"No," replied Dick.
"Well, now Jemmy's gone, I don't care how soon I follow, Dick."
"Nor I," replied Short.
"I've a notion there's some mystery in all this. For," continued Coble,
"the admiral would never have ordered us out till to-morrow morning, if
he did not make us sail this evening. It's not a man-of-war fashion, is
it Dick?"
"No," replied Short.
"Well, we shall see," replied Coble. "I shall turn in now. You've
heard all about Smallbones, heh! Dick?"
Short nodded his head.
"Well, we shall see: but I'll back the boy 'gainst master and dog too,
in the long run. Damn his Dutch carcase--he seems to make but small
count of English subjects, heh!"
Short leant over the gunwale and whistled.
Coble, finding it impossible to extract one monosyllable more from him,
walked forward, and went down below.
A little before twelve o'clock a boat came alongside, and Ramsay stepped
out of it into the cutter. Vanslyperken had been walking the deck to
receive him, and immediately showed him down into the cabin, where he
left him to go on deck and get the cutter under way. There was a small
stove in the cabin, for the weather was still cold: they were advanced
into the month of March. Ramsay threw off his coat, laid two pair of
loaded pistols on the table, locked the door of the cabin, and then
proceeded to warm himself, while Vanslyperken was employed on deck.
In an hour the cutter was outside and clear of all danger, and
Vanslyperken had to knock to gain admittance into his own cabin. Ramsay
opened the door, and Vanslyperken, who thought he must say something,
observed gloomily--
"We are all clear, sir."
"Very good," replied Ramsay; "and now, sir, I believe that you have
despatches on board?"
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken.
"You will oblige me by letting me look at them."
"My despatches!" said Vanslyperken, with surprise.
"Yes, sir, your despatches; immediately, if you please--no trifling."
"You forget, sir," replied Vanslyperken angrily, "that I am not any
longer in your power, but on board of my own vessel."
"You appear not to know, sir, that you are in my power even on board of
your own vessel," replied Ramsay, starting up, and laying his hand over
the pistols, which he drew towards him, and replaced in his belt. "If
you trust to your ship's company you are mistaken, as you will soon
discover. I demand the despatches."
"But, sir, you will ruin me and ruin yourself," replied Vanslyperken,
alarmed.
"Fear not," replied Ramsay; "for my own sake, and that of the good
cause, I shall not hurt you. No one will know that the despatches have
been ever examined and--"
"And what?" replied Vanslyperken, gloomily.
"For the passage, and this service, you will receive one hundred
guineas."
Vanslyperken no longer hesitated: he opened the drawer in which he had
deposited the letters, and produced them.
"Now lock the door," said Ramsay, taking his seat.
He then examined the seals, pulled some out of his pocket, and compared
them; sorted the letters according to the seals, and laid one
corresponding at the heading of each file, for there were three
different Government seals upon the despatches. He then took a long
Dutch earthen pipe which was hanging above, broke off the bowl, and put
one end of the stem into the fire. When it was of a red heat he took it
out, and applying his lips to the cool end, and the hot one close to the
sealing-wax, he blew through it, and the heated blast soon dissolved the
wax, and the despatches were opened one after another without the
slightest difficulty or injury to the paper. He then commenced reading,
taking memorandums on his tablets as he proceeded.
When he had finished, he again heated the pipe, melted the wax, which
had become cold and hard again, and resealed all the letters with his
counterfeit seals.
During this occupation, which lasted upwards of an hour, Vanslyperken
looked on with surprise, leaning against the bulkhead of the cabin.
"There, sir, are your despatches," said Ramsay, rising from his chair:
"you may now put them away; and, as you may observe, you are not
compromised."
"No, indeed," replied Vanslyperken, who was struck with the ingenuity of
the method; "but you have given me an idea."
"I will tell you what that is," replied Ramsay. "You are thinking, if I
left you these false seals, you could give me the contents of the
despatches, provided you were well paid. Is it not so?"
"It was," replied Vanslyperken, who had immediately been struck with
such a new source of wealth; for he eared little what he did--all he
cared for was discovery.
"Had you not proposed it yourself, I intended that you should have done
it, sir," replied Ramsay; "and that you should also be paid for it. I
will arrange all that before I leave the vessel. But now I shall retire
to my bed. Have you one ready."
"I have none but what you see," replied Vanslyperken. "It is my own,
but at your service."
"I shall accept it," replied Ramsay, putting his pistols under his
pillow, after having thrown himself on the outside of the bedclothes,
pulling his roquelaure over him. "And now you will oblige me by turning
that cur out of the cabin, for his smell is anything but pleasant."
Vanslyperken had no idea of his passenger so coolly taking possession of
his bed, but to turn out Snarleyyow as well as himself appeared an
unwarrantable liberty. But he felt that he had but to submit, for
Ramsay was despotic, and he was afraid of him.
After much resistance, Snarleyyow was kicked out by his master, who then
went on deck not in the very best of humours at finding he had so
completely sold himself to those who might betray and hang him the very
next day. "At all events," thought Vanslyperken, "I'm well paid for
it."
It was now daylight, and the cutter was running with a favourable
breeze; the hands were turned up, and Corporal Van Spitter came on deck.
Vanslyperken, who had been running over in his mind all the events
which had latterly taken place, he considered that, as he had lost the
Portsmouth widow, he might as well pursue his suit with the widow
Vandersloosh, especially as she had sent such a conciliating message by
the corporal; and perceiving the corporal on deck, he beckoned to him to
approach. Vanslyperken then observed, that he was angry the other day,
and that the corporal need not give that message to the Frau
Vandersloosh, as he intended to call upon her himself upon his arrival.
Van Spitter, who did not know anything about the Portsmouth widow, and
could not imagine why the angry message had been given, of course
assented, although he was fully determined, that the widow should be
informed of the insult. The question was now, how to be able to go on
shore himself; and to compass that without suspicion he remarked that
the maid. Babette was a very fine maid and he should like to see her
again.
This little piece of confidence was not thrown away. Vanslyperken was
too anxious to secure the corporal, and he replied, that the corporal
should go ashore and see her, if he pleased; upon which Corporal Van
Spitter made his best military salute, turned round on his heel, and
walked away laughing in his sleeve at having so easily gulled his
superior.
On the third morning the cutter had arrived at her destined port.
During the passage Ramsay had taken possession of the cabin, ordering
everything as he pleased, much to the surprise of the crew. Mr
Vanslyperken spoke of him as a king's messenger; but still Smallbones,
who took care to hear what was going on, reported the abject submission
shown to Ramsay by the lieutenant, and this was the occasion of great
marvel; moreover, they doubted his being a king's messenger, for, as
Smallbones very shrewdly observed, "Why, if he was a king's messenger,
did he not come with the despatches?" However, they could only surmise,
and no more. But the dog being turned out of the cabin in compliance
with Ramsay's wish was the most important point of all. They could have
got over all the rest, but that was quite incomprehensible; and they all
agreed with Coble, when he observed, hitching up his trousers "Depend
upon it, there's a screw loose somewhere."
As soon as the cutter was at anchor, Ramsay ordered his portmanteau into
the boat, and Vanslyperken having accompanied him on shore, they
separated, Ramsay informing Vanslyperken that he would wish to see him
the next day, and giving him his address.
Vanslyperken delivered his despatches, and then hastened to the widow
Vandersloosh, who received him with a well assumed appearance of mingled
pleasure and reserve.
Vanslyperken led her to the sofa, poured forth a multitudinous compound
composed of regret, devotion, and apologies, which at last appeared to
have melted the heart of the widow, who once more gave him her hand to
salute.
Vanslyperken was all rapture at so unexpected a reconciliation: the name
of the cur was not mentioned; and Vanslyperken thought to himself, "This
will do--let me only once get you, my Frau, and I'll teach you to wish
my dog dead at your porch."
On the other hand the widow thought, "And so this atomy really believes
that I would look upon him! Well, well, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see
how it ends. Your cur under my bed, indeed, so sure do you never--.
Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken."
There is a great deal of humbug in this world, that is certain.