Harry, as he galloped off from Texford with the dragoons, had left the
party in the house in a state of considerable anxiety.
Several of the other gentlemen had hurried out on foot towards the
park-gates, near which they found General Sampson dismounted, and
bending over the steward.
"He is alive, I am thankful to say," said the general; "and as I shall
have no chance of overtaking Castleton and the dragoons, I shall be of
more service in looking after this worthy man."
Mr Groocock was accordingly carried to the Hall by the general, the two
noblemen, and Sir John, a footman who had followed them leading the
former's horse.
"Oh, is it Harry?" cried Julia.
No sooner had she uttered the words than Lady Castleton started forward,
and would have fallen fainting to the ground had not her husband and Mr
Hastings supported her.
Julia's alarm for her brother's safety was soon set at rest by the
arrival of the party, but it was long before Lady Castleton recovered.
A groom was in the meantime sent off for the surgeon. The general
having examined the steward's wounds, pronounced them not likely to
prove serious.
The attack of the smugglers, and the pursuit, had aroused Sir Ralph
Castleton's keenest interest, but the presence of Mr Hastings still
more disquieted him. There was something in his presence which made a
more intimate conversation imperative, and now the baronet, who was
unusually pale and agitated, had invited his guest to meet him in his
study.
What transpired during the conversation was not known.
The surgeon arrived sooner than expected, the groom having fortunately
met him on the road. He corroborated the general's favourable opinion
of Mr Groocock's wounds.
"The old man seems highly flattered at the way he was brought back to
the house by the general and his friends, and I believe it will
contribute greatly to his recovery," he observed, smiling.
Lady Castleton appeared, however, much to require the surgeon's
attention. She had remarked the agitation Mr Hastings' appearance had
caused her husband, and dreaded the effect it might produce on him. She
frequently inquired whether he had yet come out of the study, and Julia
could with difficulty prevent her from attempting to get up, and join
him there.
The general, who had been bustling about the house, giving directions to
the servants, and trying to entertain the other guests, at length
entered the drawing-room to which Lady Castleton had been conveyed.
There she lay, still unable to move, on a sofa.
"Oh, General Sampson, who is that terrible man?" she exclaimed, catching
a glimpse of the general, who, not aware that she was there, was about
to retire.
"They tell me that he is a ruffian called Gaffin, but my friend Harry
and the dragoons will soon give a good account of him, I suspect,"
answered the general, not understanding her question.
"The person who is now with Sir Ralph," cried Lady Castleton; "he called
himself Mr Hastings."
"I beg your ladyship ten thousand pardons," answered the general. "I
had no idea of whom you were speaking. There is nothing terrible about
him; he is a most gentlemanly refined person, has evidently mixed in
good society all his life. He tells me that I knew him in our younger
days, and he is certainly an old acquaintance of Sir Ralph's."
Julia was perfectly ready to believe the general's account, and assisted
him at length in sufficiently calming her mother's fears to induce her
to retire to her chamber.
At last the hungry guests, whose dinner had been so long postponed,
assembled in the dining-room, where they were joined by the master of
the house and Mr Hastings. Sir Ralph still looked nervous, and instead
of exhibiting his usual self-possession, his manner was subdued, and his
mind evidently distracted, as he appeared frequently not to have heard
the remarks made to him. He treated Mr Hastings with the most marked
attention, while he seemed almost at times to forget the presence of the
marquis and his other titled guests. Julia excused herself from coming
downstairs on the plea of having to attend to her mother.
The general tried to make amends for Sir Ralph's want of attention to
his guests, and talked away for the whole party.
"I hope, Mr Hastings," said the general, drawing him aside after
dinner, "you have convinced my friend Sir Ralph that your gallant son is
a fit match for his fair daughter, Miss Julia. I should like to be able
to give the young lady a hint to calm her anxiety on the subject."
"I think, my dear general, that her father will no longer object to the
match; but I have agreed to retain my incognito till the arrival of my
son, whose ship was announced as having reached Spithead yesterday
evening, and as I obtained leave for him at the Admiralty, he will come
on here at once."
The general, who was as much at home at Texford as at his own house,
found means to communicate with Julia, and to give her the satisfactory
intelligence.
He was too good a soldier to neglect placing sentinels on the watch
during the night, which, however, passed without any appearance of the
enemy in the neighbourhood of the Hall.
Next morning the marquis and Lord Frederick, who had not been
unobservant of what was taking place, though somewhat puzzled, were
prepared for the hint which the general conveyed to them, that the heart
and hand of Miss Julia Castleton were engaged. Regretting that their
stay should have been so short, they paid their respects to the master
and mistress of the house, and took their departure, much to Sir Ralph's
satisfaction.
Julia, who had become somewhat alarmed at not hearing of Harry, was much
relieved during the course of the morning by receiving a message from
him, saying that he was at Downside, and hoped shortly to return to
Texford. She hurried to Lady Castleton to inform her, and then went to
Sir Ralph, who was alone in his study, engaged in writing. He was so
absorbed that he scarcely noticed her entrance. She had to repeat what
she had said.
"Foolish boy!" he exclaimed, without expressing any satisfaction. "If
he knew the position in which I am placed, he would see that I have
greater reason than ever for objecting to his making that match. If a
proper pride, and a sense of what is due to his family no longer
restrains him, let him understand that his father is a mere beggar,
dependent on the will of another, though you have nothing to fear, as I
may tell you that he acknowledges your lover as his son, and insists on
my sanction to your marriage."
"My dear father," exclaimed Julia, "I had hoped, indeed, that all
impediments to my happiness would be removed, but how can that affect
you or Harry?"
"You shall know all in time," answered Sir Ralph, gloomily. "Till the
arrival of Captain Headland, I am prohibited from saying more. Leave me
now, only if you have any feelings of affection and duty you will use
your influence with Harry. I do not wish to make an enemy of my only
son, but tell him while I live I will never be a party to his committing
the rash act he contemplates. Go, girl, go," and Sir Ralph waved his
daughter from the room.
She returned to her mother, who had sufficiently recovered to come
downstairs. The guests had gone into the grounds with the exception of
Mr Hastings and General Sampson. The general came hurrying into the
drawing-room from the hall, exclaiming--
"A post-chaise is driving up the avenue," and taking Mr Hastings by the
arm, he added, "I do not know whether you or Miss Castleton should be
the first to greet the occupant; I must leave you to decide."
"Let my future daughter have that happiness," answered Mr Hastings, by
a violent effort calming his evident agitation.
He imprinted a kiss as he spoke on the young lady's brow.
"Go and bring my son to me when you have exchanged greetings. Do not
detain him long."
Julia hastened to the ante-room, scarcely daring to hope that the
general was not mistaken. From the window she saw the carriage
approaching. She had not long to wait. Captain Headland sprang from
it, followed by another person whom her eyes, from the mist which stole
over them, failed to recognise. She heard his step in the hall. In
another minute he was supporting her and listening to the account she
had to give. She led him into the drawing-room, where Mr Hastings was
seated alone.
"I require no one to tell me you are my son," he said, embracing them
both.
They spoke for some time. Julia would have retired to leave the father
and his son alone, but the former detained her.
"For your sakes alone should I desire to resume my name, and take the
title which is lawfully mine," he continued. "I am your father's elder
brother, my dear Julia, but I know that when you become my son Ranald's
wife, you will endeavour to console him and your brother Harry for the
loss of an empty title of which I may be compelled to deprive him. But
I am happily able to leave him in possession of a fortune equal to that
which he at present enjoys."
"Believing that you did not desire to hold the baronetcy, I would gladly
have resigned my future right to it in favour of Harry," said Headland.
"As, however, you gave me leave to consult any friend in whom I had
confidence, I at once went to my old captain, Admiral Fancourt, who, of
all people, as my uncle's brother-in-law, was the most capable of giving
me advice. I placed the whole matter before him, and he assures me that
should my uncle desire a baronetcy, Government will readily grant him
one for his political services, so that he will consequently not be
deprived of the rank he prizes. Having known me from my early days, and
being convinced of the truth of the account I gave him, he accompanied
me here that he might satisfy my uncle's mind, and assist in arranging
matters."
As Headland, or rather Captain Castleton, ceased speaking, the door
opened, and Admiral Fancourt entered the room. He at once recognised
Sir Ranald Castleton, as Mr Hastings was henceforth to be called, and
expressed his satisfaction at his return, assuring him that he would
have no difficulty in establishing his claims.
Lady Castleton shortly afterwards joined the party, and having been
introduced to her brother-in-law, warmly welcomed her nephew.
Headland received a still more enthusiastic welcome from the old
general, who quickly made his appearance.
"And here comes Harry and another gentleman galloping along the avenue
as if the fate of the kingdom depended on their speed," he exclaimed.
Julia and the captain went out to meet them, and in another minute
returned accompanied by Harry and the lawyer. Harry could scarcely
speak. Julia knew by the way he embraced her and his mother, that his
heart was bounding with joy.
"She can no longer be looked upon as unworthy of marrying a Castleton,
for she is a Castleton herself, though all my May desires is to bear my
name," he exclaimed at length; "but Mr Shallard will explain the
discovery we have made more clearly than I can. Our good cousins
promise to bring her here as soon as a carriage can be obtained."
Sir Ranald, as may be supposed, listened to this announcement with the
deepest interest, as he did to the account given by the lawyer.
Mr Shallard, after briefly describing the discovery of the chest which
had been so long hid by Martin Goul in the old mill, then went on to
state that, having examined the documents in it, he had no doubt
whatever that the little girl who had been rescued from the wreck on
board which the chest had been found, was the child of the long lost
Ranald Castleton. This was corroborated by the locket with the initials
of M.C. which she had on, and with the dress which had been carefully
preserved by Dame Halliburt, while several of the articles in the chest
had the Castleton arms and crest.
The eyes of those who knew Sir Ranald were turned towards him.
"Through the mercy of heaven my two children have been restored to me on
the same day," he exclaimed. "I had embarked for England after her
mother's death, with my little daughter and her native nurse. While we
were still in ignorance that the war had broken out, we were captured by
a French privateer. A heavy gale was blowing at the time, and I, with
other passengers, had just been removed, when all further communication
between the ships was prevented by the fury of the wind and sea. I was
almost driven to despair when I found that the ships had separated
during the night. It was the opinion of our captors that only a few men
having been put on board, the crew had risen and retaken the vessel.
They searched in vain for her. It was believed, with savage
satisfaction by the French, that a wreck we fell in with two days
afterwards, which went down before she could be boarded, was her. I had
no reason to doubt that they were wrong in their suspicions, and mourned
my child as lost to me for ever."
All listened with breathless interest to what Sir Ranald Castleton was
saying. Harry's satisfaction can better be imagined than described.
"I am very sure that you are Sir Ranald Castleton; those who doubt it
have only to examine your picture in the study. Though I recognise you,
I doubt not so will the old steward, Mr Groocock, and many others who
knew you in your youth," said Mr Shallard, as Sir Ranald warmly greeted
him as an old friend.
Harry, after a satisfactory interview with his father, could no longer
restrain his eagerness. He set off again for Downside. He had not to
go far, however, before he met the carriage. Returning with it, he had
the happiness of handing out his beloved Maiden May, and introducing her
to her father and brother.
Two weddings shortly afterwards took place by special licence at Texford
Hall, Sir Ranald and Sir Ralph giving their daughters away.
A fete was held in honour of the occasion in the park, to which the Miss
Pembertons came, where Adam and Dame Halliburt, with their two sons, for
Sam had just returned from sea, were among the most honoured guests.
"I knew our Maiden May was a real young lady, though little did I think
she would one day be Lady Castleton," said Adam.
Sir Ranald, who the dame had at once recognised, insisted on settling an
annuity on old Adam and his wife.
Honest Jack Headland, the only one now of the name, not unwilling to
remain on shore, was appointed to a post at Morbury, suited to his
taste, though the comfortable income settled on him by Sir Ranald
Castleton, might have enabled him to enjoy a life of ease and idleness
to the end of his days.
Though the young officers, while the war continued, again went afloat,
they did not object to being employed on home service, and Harry, who
had purchased Downside on the death of his cousins, spent a portion of
every summer at the place which was so endeared to him and his beloved
and still blooming May.