IN WHICH A MOST HORRID SPECTRE DISTURBS THE EQUANIMITY OF MR.
VANSLYPERKEN.
Two days was the cutter striving with the light winds for the Texel,
during which Mr Vanslyperken kept himself altogether in his cabin. He
was occasionally haunted with the memory of the scene in his mother's
room--Smallbones dead, and the stream of blood running along the floor,
and his mother's diabolical countenance, with the hammer raised in her
palsied hands; but he had an instigator to his vengeance beside him,
which appeared to relieve his mind whenever it was oppressed; it was the
stump of Snarleyyow, and when he looked at that he was no longer
regretted, but congratulated himself on the deed being done. His time
was fully occupied during the day, for with locked doors he was
transcribing the letters sent to Ramsay, and confided to him.
He was not content with taking extracts, as he did of the Government
despatches for Ramsay; he copied every word, and he replaced the seals
with great dexterity. At night his mind was troubled, and he dare not
lay himself down to rest until he had fortified himself with several
glasses of scheedam; even then his dreams frightened him; but he was to
be more frightened yet.
Corporal Spitter came into the cabin on the third morning with a very
anxious face. "Mein Gott! Mynheer Vanslyperken, de whole crew be in de
mutinys."
"Mutiny!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, "what's the matter?"
"They say, sir, dat dey see de ghost of Smallbones last night on de
bowsprit, with one great cut on his head, and de blood all over de
face."
"Saw what? who saw him?"
"Mein Gott, mynheer! it all true, I really think I see it myself at de
taffrail; he sit there, and have great wound from here down to," said
the corporal, pointing to his own head, and describing the wound
exactly. "The people say that he must have been murdered, and dey kick
up de mutiny."
"I did not do it, corporal, at all events," replied Vanslyperken, pale
and trembling.
"So Smallbones tell Dick Short, when he speak to him on bowsprit."
"Did it speak to Short?" inquired Vanslyperken, catching the corporal's
arm.
"Yes, mynheer; Mynheer Short speak first, and den the ghost say dat you
not do it, but dat you give gold to old woman to do it, and she knock
him brain out vid de hammer."
To portray Vanslyperken's dismay at this intelligence would be
impossible. He could not but be certain that there had been a
supernatural communication. His knees knocked and trembled, and he
turned sick and faint.
"O Lord, O Lord! corporal, I'm a great sinner," cried he at last, quite
unaware of what he was saying. "Some water, corporal." Corporal Van
Spitter handed some water, and Vanslyperken waved his hand to be left
alone; and Mr Vanslyperken attempted to pray, but it ended in
blaspheming.
"It's a lie, all a lie," exclaimed he, at last, pouring out a tumbler of
scheedam. "They have frightened the corporal. But--no--he must have
seen him, or how could they know how was murdered? He must have told
them; and him I saw and stiff with these own eyes. Well, I did not do
the deed," continued Vanslyperken, attempting to palliate his crime to
himself; but it would not do, and Mr Vanslyperken paced the little
cabin, racked by fear and guilt.
Remorse he felt none, for there was before his eyes the un-healed stump
of Snarleyyow. In the evening Mr Vanslyperken went on deck; the
weather was now very warm, for it was the beginning of July; and Mr
Vanslyperken, followed by Snarleyyow, was in a deep reverie, and he
turned and turned again.
The sun had set, and Mr Vanslyperken still continued his walk, but his
steps were agitated and uneven, and his face was haggard. It was rather
the rapid and angry pacing of a tiger in his den, who has just been
captured, than that of a person in deep contemplation. Still Mr
Vanslyperken continued to tread the deck, and it was quite light with a
bright and pale moon.
The men were standing here and there about the forecastle and near the
booms in silence, and speaking in low whispers, and Vanslyperken's eye
was often directed towards them, for he had not forgotten the report of
the corporal, that they were in a state of mutiny.
Of a sudden, Mr Vanslyperken was aroused by a loud cry from forward,
and a rush of all the men aft. He thought that the crew had risen, and
that they were about to seize him; but, on the contrary, they passed him
and hastened to the taffrail with exclamations of horror.
"What! what is it?" exclaimed Vanslyperken, fully prepared for the reply
by his own fears.
"O Lord! have mercy upon us," cried Bill Spurey.
"Good God, deliver us!" exclaimed another.
"Ah, mein Gott!" screamed Jansen, rushing against Vanslyperken, and
knocking him down on the deck.
"Well, well, murder will out!--that's sartain," said Coble, who stood by
Vanslyperken when he had recovered his legs.
"What, what!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, breathless.
"There, sir--look there," said Coble, breathless, pointing to the figure
of Smallbones, who now appeared from the shade in the broad moonshine.
His head was not bound up, and his face appeared pale and streaked with
blood. He was in the same clothes in which he had gone on shore, and in
his hand he held the hammer which had done the deed.
The figure slowly advanced to the quarter-deck, Vanslyperken attempted
to retreat, but his legs failed him, he dropped down on his knees,
uttered a loud yell of despair, and then threw himself flat on the deck
face downwards.
Certainly, the pantomime was inimitably got up, but it had all been
arranged by Moggy, the corporal, and the others. There was not one man
of the crew who had not been sworn to secrecy, and whose life would have
been endangered if, by undeceiving Vanslyperken, they had been deprived
of such just and legitimate revenges.
Smallbones disappeared as soon as Vanslyperken had fallen down.
He was allowed to remain there for some time to ascertain if he would
say anything, but as he still continued silent, they raised him up, and
found that he was insensible. He was consequently taken down into the
cabin and put into his bed.
The effect produced by this trial of Mr Vanslyperken's nerves was most
serious. Already too much heated with the use of ardent spirits, it
brought on convulsions, in which he continued during the major part of
the night. Towards the morning, he sank into a perturbed slumber.
It was not till eleven o'clock in the forenoon that he awoke and
perceived his _faithful_ corporal standing by the side of the bed.
"Have I not been ill, corporal?" said Mr Vanslyperken, whose memory was
impaired for the time.
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"There was something happened, was not there?"
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"I've had a fit; have I not?"
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"My head swims now; what was it, corporal?"
"It was de ghost of de poy," replied the corporal.
"Yes, yes," replied Vanslyperken, falling back on his pillow.
It had been intended by the conspirators, that Smallbones should make
his appearance in the cabin, as the bell struck one o'clock; but the
effect had already been so serious that it was thought advisable to
defer any further attempts. As for Smallbones being concealed in the
vessel for any length of time, there was no difficulty in that; for
allowing that Vanslyperken should go forward on the lower deck of the
vessel, which he never did, Smallbones had only to retreat into the eyes
of her, and it was there so dark that he could not be seen. They
therefore regulated their conduct much in the same way as the members of
the inquisition used to do in former days; they allowed their patient to
recover, that he might be subjected to more torture.
It was not until the fourth day that the cutter arrived at the port of
Amsterdam, and Mr Vanslyperken had kept his bed ever since he had been
put into it; but this he could do no longer: he rose weak and emaciated,
dressed himself, and went on shore with the despatches which he first
delivered, and then bent his steps to the syndic's house, where he
delivered his letters to Ramsay.
The arrival of the cutter had been duly notified to the widow
Vandersloosh, before she had dropped her anchor, and in pursuance with
her resolution she immediately dispatched Babette to track Mr
Vanslyperken, and watch his motions. Babette took care not to be seen
by Mr Vanslyperken, but shrouding herself close in her cotton print
cloak, she followed him to the Stadt House, and from the Stadt House to
the mansion of Mynheer Van Krause, at a short distance from the gates of
which she remained till he came out. Wishing to ascertain whether he
went to any other place, she did not discover herself until she
perceived that he was proceeding to the widow's--she then quickened her
pace so as to come up with him.
"Oh! Mynheer Vanslyperken, is this you? I heard you had come in and so
did my mistress, and she has been expecting you this last half-hour."
"I have made all the haste I can, Babette. But I was obliged to deliver
my despatches first," replied Vanslyperken.
"But I thought you always took your despatches to the Stadt House?"
"Well, so I do, Babette; I have just come from thence."
This was enough for Babette; it proved that his visit to the syndic's
was intended to be concealed! she was too prudent to let him know that
she had traced him.
"Why, Mr Vanslyperken, you look very ill. What has been the matter
with you? My mistress will be quite frightened."
"I have not been well, Babette," replied Vanslyperken.
"I really must run home as fast as I can. I will tell my mistress you
have been unwell, for otherwise she will be in such a quandary:" and
Babette hastened ahead of Mr Vanslyperken, who was in too weak a state
to walk fast.
"The syndic's house--heh!" said the widow--"Mynheer Van Krause. Why he
is thorough king's man, by all report," continued she. "I don't
understand it. But there is no trusting any man now-a-days. Babette,
you must go there by-and-bye, and see if you can find out whether that
person he brought over, and he called a king's messenger, is living at
the syndic's house. I think he must be, or why would Vanslyperken go
there? and if he is, there's treason going on--that's all! and I'll find
it out, or my name is not Vandersloosh."
Shortly after, Mr Vanslyperken arrived at the house, and was received
with the usual treacherous cordiality; but he had not remained more than
an hour when Coble came to him (having been dispatched by Short), to
inform Mr Vanslyperken that a frigate was coming in with a royal
standard at the main, indicating that King William was on board of her.
This intelligence obliged Mr Vanslyperken to hasten on board, as it was
necessary to salute, and also to pay his respects on board of the
frigate.
The frigate was within a mile when Mr Vanslyperken arrived on board of
the cutter, and when the batteries saluted, the cutter did the same.
Shortly afterwards the frigate dropped her anchor and returned the
salute. Mr Vanslyperken, attired in his full uniform, ordered his boat
to be manned and pulled on board.
On his arrival on the quarter-deck Vanslyperken was received by the
captain of the frigate, and then presented to King William of Nassau,
who was standing on the other side of the deck, attended by the Duke of
Portland, Lord Albemarle, and several others of his courtiers, not all
of them quite so faithful as the two whom we have named.
When Mr Vanslyperken was brought forward to the presence of his
majesty, he trembled almost as much as when he had beheld the supposed
spirit of Smallbones; and well he might, for his conscience told him, as
he bowed his knee, that he was a traitor. His agitation was, however,
ascribed to his being daunted by the unusual presence of royalty. And
Albemarle, as Vanslyperken retreated with a cold sweat on his forehead,
observed to the king with a smile--
"That worthy lieutenant would show a little more courage, I doubt not,
your majesty, if he were in the presence of your enemies."
"It is to be hoped so," replied the king with a smile. "I agree with
you, Keppel."
But his majesty and Lord Albemarle did not know Mr Vanslyperken, as the
reader will acknowledge.