"Well, young man," continued the Custos, in an affable tone, "you, I
believe, are one of the Maroons of Trelawney?"
"Yes, worship," bluntly rejoined Cubina. "The captain of a town, are
you not?"
"Only a few families, worship. Ours is a small settlement."
"And your name is--?"
"Cubina."
"Ah! I've heard the name," said the Custos. "I think," added he, with
a significant smile, "we have a young girl here on the plantation who
knows you?"
Cubina blushed, as he stammered out an affirmative.
"Oh! that's all right," said the planter, encouragingly. "So long as
there's no harm meant, there's no harm done. Mr Trusty tells me you
have business with me. Is it about that?"
"About what, your worship?" inquired the Maroon, a little taken by
surprise at the question so unexpectedly put to him. "About your
sweetheart!"
"My sweetheart, worship?"
"Ay, Yola. Is she not your sweetheart?"
"Well, Mr Vaughan," rejoined the Maroon, "I'm not going to deny that
something has passed between me and the young girl; but it wasn't
exactly about her I've come to see you, though now, bein' here, I might
as well talk about that matter, too, if it so please your worship."
"Very good, Captain Cubina. I'm ready to hear what you have to say. Go
on!"
"Well, then, your worship, the truth is, I want to buy Yola."
"What? Buy your own sweetheart?"
"Just so, worship. Of course, as soon as she would be mine, I'd set her
free."
"That is, you would change the bonds she now wears for the bonds of
matrimony?--ha! ha! ha! Is that it, Captain Cubina?" and the Custos
laughed at the conceit he had so neatly expressed.
"Something of that sort, your worship," replied the Maroon, slightly
participating in the worthy magistrate's mirth.
"And do you think Yola desires to become Mrs Cubina?"
"If I didn't think so, your worship, I wouldn't propose to buy her. It
would be nothing to me to own the girl, if she wasn't agreeable."
"She _is_ agreeable, then?"
"Well, worship, I think so. Not that she don't like the young mistress
that owns her at present; but, you see, your worship--but--"
"But there's somebody she likes better than her mistress; and that's
yourself, Master Cubina?"
"Well, you see, worship, that's a different sort of liking, and--"
"True enough--true enough!" interrupted Mr Vaughan, as if wishing to
come to the end of the conversation--at least, upon that particular
topic.
"Well, Captain Cubina," he added, "suppose I was willing to part with
Yola, how much could you afford to give for her? Mind you, I don't say
I am willing: for, after all, the girl belongs to my daughter; and _she_
would have something to say in the matter."
"Ah, sir!" exclaimed Cubina, in a tone of tender confidence, "Miss
Vaughan is good and generous. I've often heard say so. I am sure she
would never stand in the way of Yola's being happy."
"Oh, you think it would make Yola happy, do you?"
"I hope so, your worship," answered the Maroon, modestly dropping his
eyelids as he made the reply.
"After all," said the planter, "it would be a matter of business. My
daughter, even if she wished it, could not afford to part with the girl
for less than the market price; which in Yola's case would be a large
one. How much do you suppose I have been offered for her?"
"I've heard two hundred pounds, your worship."
"Just so; and I refused that, too."
"Maybe, Mr Vaughan, you would not have refused it from another--from
me, for instance?"
"Ah, I don't know about that! But could _you_ raise that large sum?"
"Not just now, your worship. I am sorry to say I could not. I had
scraped together as good as a hundred--thinking that would be enough--
when, to my sorrow, I learnt I had only got half-way. But, if your
worship will only allow me time, I think I can manage--in a month or
two--to get the other hundred, and then--"
"Then, worthy captain, it will be time to talk about buying Yola.
Meanwhile, I can promise you that she shan't be sold to anybody else.
Will that satisfy you?"
"Oh, thank your worship! It is very kind of you, Mr Vaughan: I'll not
fail to be grateful. So long as Yola--"
"Yola will be safe enough in my daughter's keeping. But now, my young
fellow, since you say this was not exactly the business that brought you
here, you have some other, I suppose? Pray tell me what it is."
The Custos, as he made this request, set himself to listen, in a more
attentive attitude than he had yet assumed.
"Well, your worship!" proceeded Cubina, "I've come over to ask you for
some advice about a matter I have with Mr Jessuron--he as keeps penn
close by here."
Mr Vaughan became doubly attentive.
"What matter?" asked he, in a simple phrase--lest any circumlocution
might distract the speaker from his voluntary declaration.
"It's an ugly business, your worship; and I wouldn't bother about it,
but that the poor young fellow who's been robbed out of his rights,
turns out to be neyther more nor less than the brother of Yola herself.
It's a queer story altogether; and if it wasn't the old Jew that's done
the thing, one could hardly believe it."
"What thing? Pray be explicit, my friend."
"Well, your worship, if you'll have patience to hear me, I'll tell you
the whole story from beginning to end--that is, as far as it has gone:
for it ain't ended yet."
"Go on!" commanded the Custos. "I'll hear it patiently. And don't be
afraid, Captain Cubina," added he, encouragingly. "Tell me all you
know--every circumstance. If it's a case for justice, I promise you
justice shall be done."
And with this magisterial commonplace, the Custos resumed his attitude
of extreme attention.
"I'll make no secrets, your worship, whether it gets me into trouble or
no. I'll tell you all--leastwise, all that's come to my knowledge."
And with this proviso, the Maroon captain proceeded to detail the
circumstances connected with the capture of the runaway; the singular
encounter between brother and sister; and the mutual recognition that
followed. Then afterwards the disclosures made by the young man: how he
was an African prince; how he had been sent in search of his sister; the
ransom he had brought with him; his landing from the ship, consigned by
Captain Jowler to the care of Jessuron; his treatment and betrayal by
the Jew; the branding of his person, and robbing him of his property;
his escape from the penn; his capture by Cubina, already described; and,
finally, his detention by the latter, in spite of several messages and
menaces, sent by the Jew, to deliver him up.
"Good!" cried Loftus Vaughan, starting from his chair, and evidently
delighted by the recital, somewhat dramatically delivered by the Maroon.
"A melodrama, I declare! wanting only one act to complete it. Egad, I
shall feel inclined to be one of the actors before it's played out.
Ho!" exclaimed he, as if some thought had suddenly struck him; "this may
explain why the old rascal wanted to buy the wench--though I don't
clearly see his purpose in that. It'll come clear yet, no doubt."