STILL ON THE TRACK.
One sole desire, one passion now remains,
To keep life's fever still within his veins,--
Vengeance! Dire vengeance on the wretch who cast
On him and all he loved that ruinous blast.
--_Moore_.
Our party drove back to the hotel to await the coming of the steward
with Sally. Mr. Brudenell had not yet returned.
Ishmael sent for the clerk of the house and bespoke proper
accommodations for the servants.
But Katie rebelled, and protested that she would not leave her old
master until bedtime, when she should insist upon his locking her in
her bedroom and taking charge of the key, for fear she should be
bewitched and stolen again.
At about six o'clock Miguel Manello arrived, having Sally in charge.
According to instructions left with the waiters they were
immediately shown up to the apartments of Judge Merlin.
Miguel Manello, a little, dried-up, mahogany-colored old man with
blue-gray hair, came in, bowing profoundly.
Sally followed him, but suddenly stopped, opened her mouth and eyes
as wide as they could be extended, and stood dumb with astonishment.
As she could not speak a word of Spanish, nor the steward of
English, she could not be made to understand where he was bringing
her. So she had not the remotest suspicion that she was approaching
her master until she actually stood in his presence. Astonishment
makes people break into exclamations; but Sally it always struck
speechless. So it had been with her when the viscount and his
accomplices entered her room that night of the abduction. So it was
with her now that she was brought unexpectedly to the presence of
the beloved old master whom she had never hoped to see again on this
side of the grave.
How long she might have remained standing there, dumfounded, had she
not been interrupted, is not known; for old Katie made a dash
forward, caught her in an embrace, kissed her, burst into tears, and
said:
"Oh, Sally, it is all come right! Ole marster done come here and he
gwine to buy us all back and take us to my ladyship, and we gwine be
witness ag'in my lordship and de shamvally--which I hopes dey'll be
hung, and likewise de whited saltpeter as is de wuss ob de t'ree!"
The tears began to steal down poor Sally's cheeks and she looked
appealingly from old Katie to Judge Merlin and Ishmael, as if to
entreat confirmation of the good news.
"It is all quite true, Sally. You are to return to England with us,
and then, I hope, we shall all come back to old Maryland, never to
leave it again," said Ishmael.
"Oh, Marse Ishmael, dat would be like coming out'n purgatory into
heaben! Thank de Lord!" fervently exclaimed the girl, while tears--
tears of joy--now streamed down her cheeks.
"There, now, Sally; go with your aunty into the next room, and have
a glorious old talk, while we settle some business with the
steward," said Ishmael, pointing to the door of the anteroom.
When they had retired he beckoned the steward to approach. Miguel
Manello advanced with a series of genuflexions, and laid upon the
table a document which proved to be a bill of sale for the girl,
Sally.
"The senor will perceive," he said, "that I paid the trader twelve
hundred dollars for the negress. My mistress, the Senora Donna
Eleanora Pacheco, has instructed me to deliver the girl up to the
senor at his own price. But the senor will not, perhaps, object to
paying the same sum I paid for the girl."
"Certainly not," answered Ishmael.
Judge Merlin produced the money, and the sale was immediately
effected. The steward took up his hat to depart, but Ishmael made a
sign for him to stop.
"You were present at the sale of this girl?"
"Assuredly, senor; since I purchased her."
"There was an old woman sold at the same time?"
"Yes, senor; the one that I found in here."
"Exactly. There was also a young man?"
"Yes, senor."
"Can you tell me who became his purchaser?"
"Certainly, senor. He was bought by the Senor Don Filipo Martinez,
who lives in the Suburb Regla."
"Can you give me directions how to find the place?"
"Certainly, senor. I will write it down, if the senor will permit me
the use of his writing-case."
Ishmael placed a chair at the table, and signed for the steward to
take it. Miguel Manello sat down, wrote out the directions, handed
them to Ishmael, and then with a deep bow took his leave.
When they were alone Ishmael said:
"The Suburb Regla is on the other side of the harbor. We cannot with
propriety visit it this evening. In the morning we will set out
early. We must either make a long circuit by land, or else take the
shorter cut across the harbor. I think the last mentioned the best
plan."
"I agree with you," said the judge; "but I fear we are greatly
trespassing on the time and the official duties of our friend," he
added, turning with a smile to the consul.
"Oh, not at all! I am sufficiently attentive to my business to
afford to take a day now and then, when necessity demands it,"
replied Mr. Tourneysee pleasantly, as he arose and bid his friends
good-evening.
He had scarcely left the scene when the door opened and the truant,
Herman Brudenell, entered.
"You are a pretty fellow to back your friends. Here we have been
overwhelmed with business and beset with adventures, and you gone!"
exclaimed the judge, whose spirits were much elated with the
successes of the day. "Give an account of yourself, sir!" he added.
"Well," said Mr. Brudenell, throwing himself into a chair and
setting his hat upon the table with a wearied, but cheerful air, "I
have been walking around the city to see all that was interesting in
it. I visited the cathedral, where the ashes of Columbus repose; saw
the Government Palace; the Admiralty; the Royal Tobacco Factory;
several interesting old churches, and so forth. Last of all, I ran
up against a very dear friend of mine, whose acquaintance I made at
the court of Queen Isabella when I was at Madrid, some years ago.
And Don Filipo insisted on my returning home with him to the Suburb
Regla, where he has a beautiful house standing in the midst of
equally beautiful grounds. Well, I dined there; and I got away as
soon after dinner as I decently could."
"'Don Filipo? Suburb Regla?'" repeated Judge Merlin, as his thoughts
ran upon the purchaser of the negro boy Jim.
"Yes. Do you know him? Senor Don Filipo Martinez--"
"No, not personally; we have heard of him, though. Sit still,
Brudenell, I have got something to tell you. We have met some old
acquaintances also since you left us," said the judge.
"Ah, who are they? The Tourneysees, I presume."
"We have met the Tourneysees of course; but we have met others."
"Then you will have to tell me, judge, for I should never be able to
guess among your thousands of friends and acquaintances who were the
individuals encountered here."
"What would you say to me if I should tell you that Ishmael met our
old Katie in the street and brought her hither?"
"I should say that you or I were mad or dreaming," said Mr.
Brudenell, staring at the judge.
"And yet I tell you the sober truth. That infamous villain, Malcolm,
Lord Vincent, taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by his
residence on a remote part of the sea coast, and his connection with
a crew of smugglers, actually succeeded in kidnaping Lady Vincent's
three servants and selling them to the trader, who brought them to
this island and sold them again."
"Am I awake?" exclaimed Mr. Brudenell, in amazement.
"As much as any of us, I suppose. There are times when I fancy
myself in a strange dream."
"What could have been the man's motive for such a crime?"
"Partly, no doubt, cupidity; for he is as mean as marsh mud! partly
revenge; for he hates these negroes for their devotion to their
mistress; but mostly caution; for one of these negroes became
possessed of a secret compromising the reputation, and even the
personal liberty of the viscount."
"Good Heavens! I never heard of such a transaction in all my life.
Do give me the particulars of this affair."
"By and by. Just now I must tell you that, with the aid of our
consul, who has just left us, we have ferreted out the purchasers of
the negroes, and we have just repurchased two of them--old Katie and
Sally; who are at this present moment in the next room, enjoying
their reunion."
"But--why the deuce did you repurchase these negroes, when, by
appealing to the law, and proving their felonious abduction and
illegal sale, you might have recovered possession of them without
paying a dollar?"
"Yes, I might; but then again I mightn't, as the children say. In
the first impetuosity of my anger, at discovering these crimes, I
would have instantly sued for the recovery of the negroes, and
sought out and prosecuted the traders, had it not been for Ishmael.
God bless that young man, how much I owe him! He interposed his
warning voice and wise counsels. He indicated several questionable
features in the case, that would make the issue of any lawsuit that
I might bring for the recovery of the negroes very uncertain. He
reminded me that if I involved myself in any lawsuit, either civil
or criminal, it would detain me on the island for weeks or months,
while it is of the utmost importance that I should be at the side of
my injured child. I could but acknowledge the truth and justice of
his argument, and therefore I have, at some sacrifice of money and
temper, repurchased the negroes."
"And looking at the affair from Ishmael's point of view, I think you
have done quite right, sir," said Mr. Brudenell.
"And there is another consideration," put in Ishmael. "Judge Merlin
mentioned to you, as one of the motives that instigated Vincent to
the perpetration of the crime, the fear of the negroes, who had
become possessed of a secret involving the liberty of the viscount.
This secret was neither more nor less than the knowledge of a
conspiracy formed by the viscount and two of his accomplices against
the honor of Lady Vincent. Thus, you see, it is absolutely necessary
that these negroes should be taken to England without delay as
witnesses--"
"In the divorce trial, certainly."
"No; not in the divorce trial; though their testimony in such a
trial would be conclusive for the lady. But we wish, if possible, to
prevent the divorce trial. We will not have the daughter of Randolph
Merlin assailed in such unseemly manner. No woman, however innocent
she may be, comes out unscarred from such a struggle; for the simple
reason that the bare fact of such a suit having brought against her
attaches a life-long reproach to her."
"There is truth in what you say, Ishmael, but I do not see how the
trial is to be avoided, since Lord Vincent is determined to sue for
a dissolution of his marriage."
"In this way, sir. By placing Lord Vincent hors-du-combat at the
very onset. When we reach Edinboro' our first visit will be to a
magistrate's office, where we will lodge information and cause
warrants to be issued for the arrest of Lord Vincent and his
accomplices upon the charge of conspiracy and kidnaping. Do you
suppose that Lord Vincent, lodged in jail and awaiting his trial for
abduction and conspiracy, will be in a condition to prosecute his
suit for divorce?"
"Certainly not. I see that you are right, Ishmael. But poor Claudia!
In any case, how she must suffer."
"Heaven comfort her! Yes. But we chose the least of two evils for
her. Delivered from the fiend who has tormented her for so long a
time, and restored to her native country and to the bosom of her
family, we will hope that Lady Vincent's youth will enable her to
rally from the depressing influences of these early troubles, and
that she will yet regain her peace and cheerfulness."
"Heaven grant it, Heaven grant it!" said the judge fervently. "Oh,
Ishmael," he continued, "when I think that I shall have my child
back again, I almost feel reconciled to the storm of sorrow that
must drive her for shelter into my arms. Is that selfish? I do not
know. But I do know that I shall love her more, indulge her more
than I ever did before. She must, she shall be, satisfied and happy
with me."
Ishmael pressed his hand in silent sympathy, and then to divert his
thoughts from a subject fraught with so much emotion he said:
"It occurs to me, judge, to say that Mr. Brudenell will probably be
able very much to facilitate our negotiations with his friend, Don
Filipo."
"Yes, I should think he would," replied the judge, with difficulty
tearing his thoughts from the image of his daughter restored to his
home, sitting by his fireside, or at the head of the table; "yes, I
should think Brudenell would be able to smooth our way in that
quarter."
"What is that, Ishmael? What are you both talking of in connection
with myself and friend?" demanded Mr. Brudenell.
"Why, sir, your friend, Senor Don Filipo Martinez, is just precisely
the same gentleman who became the purchaser of the boy Jim. We
intend to pay him a visit to-morrow, for the purpose of trying to
repurchase the boy. It is rather a delicate matter to propose to a
Spanish hidalgo; and therefore we feel very much pleased to find
that he is a friend of yours, and we hope that your introduction
will recommend us to a favorable hearing."
"Certainly, I will go with you and introduce you. But I do not think
your cause needs my advocacy; and I am very much mistaken in my
estimation of Don Filipo's character, if when he has heard all the
facts he does not at once deliver the negro boy into your hands and
decline to accept any payment."
"But to that I would never consent," said the judge.
"I do not see how you can help it, if you cannot get your witness on
any other terms. Don Filipo is a Spanish nobleman; he has high ideas
of honor. The manner in which he will look upon this affair will be
probably this--he will see that he has been deceived into the
purchase of stolen property, and into a sort of unconscious
complicity with the thieves. He will drop the property 'like a hot
potato,' as the Irish say. In other words, he would consider his
honor ineffaceably stained by either keeping the boy on the one hand
or receiving any payment on the other. Don Filipo would lose ten
times the amount of the purchase money rather than suffer the shadow
of a shade of reproach to rest for one instant on his 'scutcheon."
"I think if it is as Mr. Brudenell says, judge, that you had better
not make any difficulty about this 'point of honor' with the Senor
Don Filipo. Get the negro back on his own terms. Afterwards, when
you reach England you can easily and delicately remunerate him by
sending him a complimentary present of equal or greater value than
the purchase money he refuses, supposing that he does refuse it,"
said Ishmael.
"He will refuse it," persisted Mr. Brudenell.
"That will do, Ishmael. You have shown me a way out of this
difficulty. And now suppose we ring for supper? We have had nothing
since breakfast except the light repast set before us by the Senora
Donna--et cetera."
Ishmael touched the bell, which brought up a waiter. Judge Merlin
ordered supper to be served immediately. When it was ready he called
in Katie and Sally to wait on the table--to remind him of old times,
he said.
After supper he sent for the housekeeper and gave his two female
servants into her charge, requesting her to see that their wants
were supplied. And Katie, now that she had Sally with her, went away
willing enough without insisting on being locked in her bedchamber
for safe-keeping. And soon after this our wearied party separated
and retired to rest.
The next morning, directly after an early breakfast, they set off
for the Suburb Regla, calling on their way at the office of the
consul, to discharge that gentleman from the duty of accompanying
them; a measure now rendered unnecessary by the presence of Mr.
Brudenell, and the fact of the latter being an intimate friend of
Don Filipo, and therefore quite competent to indorse these
strangers.
Mr. Tourneysee was excessively busy, and was very glad to be
released from his promise to attend his friends. He gave them,
however, his best wishes for their success, bid them adieu, and
suffered them to depart.
It was about eleven o'clock in the forenoon when they reached the
residence of Don Filipo. It was an imposing edifice, built of white
granite, and standing within its own spacious grounds. A broad
avenue, paved with granite, and shaded with tropical trees, led up
to the front of the house.
Arrived here, Mr. Brudenell alighted from his carriage, rang the
doorbell, and sent in the cards of his party with his own. In a few
minutes they were admitted by a mulatto footman, in rich though
plain livery, who conducted them to a handsome library, where Don
Filipo stood ready to receive them.
The Senor Don Filipo Martinez, Marquis de la Santo Espirito, was not
a creole. That any spectator might know at a glance. He was, as has
been said, a Spanish hidalgo, of the glorious old Castilian order.
He had been born and brought up near the Court of Madrid; he had
graced an enviable position about the person of his sovereign; and
lately, he had been sent out to fill a responsible office in the
government of the island. He was even now talked of as the next
Captain General.
He was a very distinguished-looking man, somewhat past middle age,
with a tall, finely proportioned though very spare form; a long,
thin face, Roman nose, piercing black eyes, heavy black eyebrows,
olive complexion, and iron-gray hair and beard.
He advanced with grave and stately courtesy to welcome his visitors,
whom Mr. Brudenell presented in due order.
When they were all seated, Mr. Brudenell undertook at once to
introduce the subject of the business upon which they had come.
Don Filipo gave the speaker his most serious attention, and heard
the narrative with surprise and mortification, somewhat modified by
his habitual and dignified self-restraint.
At its conclusion, he turned to Judge Merlin, and said:
"I am deeply grieved, senor, in having done you, however
unconsciously, so great a wrong. I must pray you to accept my
apologies, and the only atonement I can make you--the restitution of
your slave."
"Sir, I am pained that you should accuse yourself so unjustly; I
cannot feel that you have done me any wrong, or owe me any apology,
or restitution. I shall be very glad to get the boy back; and I
thank you heartily for your willingness to give him up. But I am
quite willing and ready to refund to you the purchase money paid for
him," said Judge Merlin.
"Senor, it is impossible for me to receive it," answered Don Filipo
gravely.
"But, sir, I cannot think of permitting you to be the loser by this
transaction. I really must insist upon you accepting the purchase
money."
"Senor, it is impossible for me to do so," very gravely replied Don
Filipo.
"But, my dear sir, pray reflect. You have actually disbursed a large
sum of money in the purchase of this boy. I do but offer you your
own. I pray you accept it."
"It is impossible, senor," very, very gravely replied the Spaniard.
And at that moment Judge Merlin caught the eye of Ishmael fixed upon
him with an anxious gaze. This gaze caused Judge Merlin to glance up
at the face of his interlocutor.
The countenance of Don Filipo had assumed a severe and haughty
aspect, although his words and tones were still courteous and
gentle, as he repeated:
"It is impossible, senor."
And then Judge Merlin seemed to understand that to continue to press
money upon this proud old Castilian nobleman would be simply to
insult him.
With a deep bow, he said:
"I yield the point to you, Senor Don Filipo. And must remain your
debtor for this great favor."
The stern face of the old Castilian melted into a fascinating smile,
as he offered his hand to the judge, and said courteously:
"I esteem myself happy in being able to restore to the senor his
slave. The boy is absent now exercising my favorite saddle horse;
but as soon as he returns he shall be sent to the senor."
Our party then arose to depart; but Don Filipo would not allow them
to go before they had partaken of a tempting repast of cakes,
fruits, sweetmeats, and wine.
Then, with a real regret at parting with this "fine old Spanish
gentleman," they took leave and returned to their hotel.
In the course of the afternoon Jim arrived in the custody of Don
Filipo's steward, and was regularly delivered over to the safe-
keeping of Judge Merlin.
The meeting of poor Jim with his old master and friends, and with
his mother and his sweetheart, was at once so touching and so
absurd, that it inclined the spectator at the same time to tears and
laughter.
"Now," said Judge Merlin, as they sat together in his rooms that
evening, "our work is over. And this is Tuesday evening, and we
cannot sail until Saturday morning! What the deuce shall we do with
the three intervening days?"
"To-morrow," answered Ishmael, "we had better see to providing
ourselves with an outfit for the voyage. Remember that since our
wardrobe was lost on the 'Oceana,' we have had nothing but the
single change provided us by the captain of the 'Santiago.'"
"True, we must have an outfit. The purchase of that will occupy one
day; but there will be still two left to dispose of."
"On Thursday we can spend the morning in seeing whatever is
interesting in the city and its suburbs, and in the evening you know
we are engaged to dine with Mr. Tourneysee."
"Exactly! But what shall we do on Friday?"
"Continue our sight-seeing through the city in the morning, and have
Mr. Tourneysee and the Senor Don----"
"Et cetera, to dine with us in the evening. Is that what you mean,
Ishmael?"
"Yes, sir."
"That will do then. Now we will go to bed," said the judge, rising
and taking his bedroom candle.
And that was the signal for the party to disperse and go to rest.
The remainder of the week was passed in the manner sketched out by
Ishmael. Nevertheless the three days of waiting seemed to the
anxious father of Claudia three years in length. On Saturday morning
our whole party, consisting now of three gentlemen and four
servants, embarked on the "Cadiz" for Europe.
Mr. Tourneysee and Don Filipo "Et cetera," as the judge called him,
accompanied them to the steamer, and remained with them to the
latest possible moment. Then with many fervent wishes for their
prosperity in the voyage, the two gentlemen took leave of our party
and went on shore. The steamer sailed at nine o'clock. When it was
well under way Ishmael looked around among his fellow-passengers,
and was pleased to recognize many of the companions of his
disastrous voyage on the "Oceana." Among the others was the family
of Dr. Kerr. Later in the day, as Ishmael and his shadow, the
professor, were standing leaning over the bulwarks of the ship and
watching the setting sun sink into the water, leaving a trail of
light upon the surface of the sea, he heard a familiar voice
exclaim:
"Fader Abraham! Tere ish tat yunk shentleman ant hish olt man
again!"
And Ishmael turned and saw the German Jew standing near him. Ishmael
smiled and held out his hand; and Isaacs came and grasped it,
expressing his pleasure in having "von drue shentleman" for his
fellow-passenger once more. And from this day quite a friendship
grew up between the young Christian and the old Jew. Without making
the least effort to do so, Ishmael won his entire confidence.
Isaacs, reserved and uncommunicative with everyone else, seemed to
find pleasure in talking to Ishmael.
Among other voluntary revelations, Isaacs informed Ishmael that he
was going to England to see his niece, who was "von gread laty." She
was the daughter, he said, of his only sister, who had been the wife
of a rich English Jew. She had married an Englishman of high rank;
but her husband, as well as her father and mother, was dead; all
were dead; and she was living in widowhood and loneliness; and, ah!
a great wrong had been done her! And here the Jew would sigh
dismally and shake his head.
Now Ishmael, in the delicacy of his nature, would receive all the
Jew's voluntary communications and sympathize with all his
complaints, without ever asking him a question. And thus, as the Jew
never happened to mention the name of his niece, and Ishmael never
inquired it, he remained in ignorance of it.
The voyage of the "Cadiz," considering the season of the year, might
be said to have been very prosperous. The weather continued clear,
with a light wind from the northwest, alternating with calms. Our
party having served out their time at seasickness on the "Oceana,"
were not called to suffer any more from that malady on this voyage.
On the fourteenth day out they arrived at Cadiz, whence they took a
steamer bound for Liverpool, where they landed on the first of
February, late in the night.
They went to a hotel to spend the remaining hours in sleep. And the
next morning, after a hurried breakfast, eaten by candlelight, they
took the express train for Edinboro'.