THE LITTLE MAID, AND THE MIDSHIPMAN.
In this sad predicament, I looked from one to other of them, hoping for
some counsel. There was Moxy, crying quite as if it were her own child
almost; and there was Peggy the milking-maid, allowed to offer her
opinion (having had a child, although not authorised to produce one);
also myself in uniform, and Black Evan coming up softly, with a
newly-discovered walk. And yet not one had a word to say except "poor
little dear!" sometimes; and sometimes, "we must trust in God."
"I tell you," I cried; "that never does. And I never knew good come of
it. A man's first place is to trust to himself, and to pray to the Lord
to help him. Have you nothing more to say?"
"Here be all her little things," Black Evan whispered to his wife; "put
them ready to go with her." His two great hands were full of little odds
and ends which she had gathered in her lonely play along the beach, and
on the sandhills.
"Is that all that you can do? Watkin could do more than that. And now
where is young Watkin?"
They assured me there was no more to do. They were tired of trying
everything. As for Watkin, he it was who had brought the malady into the
house, and now they had sent him for change of air to an uncle he had at
Llynvi. Concerning Delushy, there was nothing for her to do, but to die,
and to go to heaven.
"She shan't die, I tell you," I cried out strongly: "you are a set of
hopeless ones. Twice have I saved her life before, when I was only a
fisherman. I am a man in authority now; and please God, I am just in
time to save her life, once more, my friends. Do you give her up, you
stupids?"
They plainly thought that I was gone mad, by reason of my rise in life;
and tenfold sure of it they were, when I called for a gown of red
Pembrokeshire flannel, belonging to Moxy for ten years now. However poor
Moxy herself went for it; and I took the child out of her stuffy bed,
and the hot close room containing it, and bore her gently in my arms
with the red flannel round her, and was shocked to find how light she
was. Down the great staircase I took her, and then feeling her breath
still going, and even a stir of her toes, as if the life was coming back
to her, what did I do but go out of doors, into the bright May sunshine?
I held her uncommon and clearly-shaped face on my bosom, to front the
sunlight, and her long eyelashes lifted, and her small breast gave three
sighs.
"Good-bye all of you," I cried: "she comes away with me this minute.
Peggy may come, if she likes, with half a sheep on her back to-morrow."
And so she did: and I could not give her less than half-a-crown for it;
because of the difference and the grace of God to darling Bardie. In my
arms the whole way home, she lay like a new-born lamb almost, with her
breath overcome at first, and heavily drawn, while her eyes were waking.
Then as the air of the open heaven found its way to her worn-out lungs,
down her quiet eyelids dropped, with a sleepy sense of happiness, and
her weak lips dreamed of smiling, and her infant breast began to rise
and fall quite steadily. And so she fell into a great deep sleep, and so
I took her to my home, and the air of Newton saved her.
Our Bunny was very good. There could hardly have been any better child,
when her victuals were not invaded. She entered into Bardie's condition,
and took quite a motherly attitude towards her. And while the tiny one
lay so weak, Bunny felt that the lead of mind was hers for the present,
and might be established by a vigorous policy. However in this point she
was wrong, or at any rate failed to work it out. In a fortnight Bardie
was mistress again; and poor Bunny had to trot after her.
Now although it was very pleasant to see the thankfulness of Black Evan,
when he came over every day, and brought his pockets full of things, and
tried to look pleased when truthful Bardie refused downright to kiss
him; pleasant also for me to be begged not only to fish, but even to
shoot--perhaps because now the wrong time of year--in and over and
through a place, where the mere sight of my hat had been sure to lead to
a black eye under it; in despite of all these pleasures, I perceived
that business must be thoroughly attended to. And taking this view I was
strengthened in my own opinions, by the concurrence of every neighbour
possessing a particle of sense. Not only Mother Jones--who might be
hard, from so much family--but also the landlord of the Jolly quite
agreed with the landlady, and even Crumpy, a man of the utmost
tenderness ever known almost, and who must admire children, because he
never yet had owned any--all these authorities agreed that I must take
care what I was about. For my part, finding their opinions go beyond my
own almost, or at any rate take a form of words different from my own,
and having no assurance how it might end, I felt inclined to go back,
and give fair-play to both sides of the argument.
But, as often happens when a man desires to see the right, and act
strictly up to it, the whole affair was interrupted, and my attention
called away by another important matter, and the duties springing out of
it. And this came to pass in the following manner. It happened upon
Oak-apple morning that I was down on a little sandhill, smoking a
pipe, and with both children building houses upon my pumps. These pumps
had lovely buckles of the very latest regulation; and it was a pleasure
to regard them when at leisure, and reflect upon their quality, as well
as signification. The children, however, took this matter from another
point of view; and there was scarcely anything to their little minds
more delightful than to obscure my pumps with sand, and put up a tower
over them. And then if I moved, down came the whole; and instead of
themselves, they laughed at me. I had worked very hard in the Alcestis,
and for almost a week after landing found it a most delicious thing,
because so incomprehensible, to have nothing whatever to do. But long
before now, I was tired of it, and yearned to put on my old slops again,
and have a long day of fishing as if Bunny's life and mine hung on it.
And when I gave a feast of turbot caught by that excellent Sandy Macraw
(and paid for at just what he chose to charge), you would not have
guessed it, but such were my feelings, that I only could make believe to
eat. And Sandy himself, by special desire, took the foot of the table,
and went largely into everything; but behaved uncommonly well, for him.
Now this is just the way I keep on going out of the proper track. If I
could not train a gun, much straighter than I can tell a story, France
would have conquered England, I believe, in spite of Nelson. It is the
excess of windage, coming down to me from great bards, which prevents my
shot from flying point-blank, as it ought to do. Nevertheless the
village children loved my style, especially since his Majesty had
embellished me. And this was why I shunned the well, and sate among the
sandhills; for really it was too hard to be expected to have in throat
a new story, never heard before, every time a little pitcher came on the
head of a little maid, to be filled, and then to go off again. Bardie
and Bunny knew better than that, and never came for stories, till the
proper time--the twilight.
Now, as I was longing much to sacrifice all dignity, and throw off
gold-lace and blue-cloth, and verily go at the congers (which I did the
next day, and defied the parish to think what it chose of me), I beheld
a pair of horses, with a carriage after them, coming in a lively manner
towards my nest of refuge.
"It is useless now," I cried aloud; "I can hope for no more peace.
Everybody knows me, or believes it right to know me."
Nevertheless, on the whole, I felt pleased, when I saw that the harness
was very bright, and the running-gear knopped with silver. And my
amazement was what you may enter into, when really the driver proved to
be no bigger than that little Master Rodney Bluett. He had the proper
coachman by his side, for fear of accidents; but to me, who had seen so
much of horses now in Devonshire, it appeared a most rash thing to allow
such a boy to navigate.
However, having caught me thus, he jumped out without accident, while
the coachman touched his hat to me, or to his Majesty as now represented
by me.
Then that noble boy--as he ought no doubt to be entitled, being the son
of a nobleman, although in common parlance styled an honourable boy,
which to my mind is no more than a simple contradiction--up he ran with
his usual haste, expecting to find only Bunny and me. But his
astonishment was worth seeing, on account of his being such a fair young
chap, when suddenly he beheld poor Bardie, standing weakly on her legs
not quite re-established yet, and in her shy manner of inner doctrine
taking observation of him. A more free-and-easy schoolboy there could
scarcely be than Rodney; and as for our Bunny, he used to toss her,
until her weight overpowered him. But with this little lady looking so
pale, and drawn, and delicate, he knew (as if by instinct) that he must
begin very gingerly.
"Captain Llewellyn," he said; "I am come to tell you that my mind is
quite made up. I mean to go to sea as soon as I can have my clothes
made."
"But, young sir," I answered, with a wish to humour this fine boy, yet a
desire to escape the noble Colonel's anger; "it is useless now to go to
sea. There is no war. We must wait, and trust the Lord to send one."
"And how shall I be fit to manage a ship, and fight our enemies, unless
I begin at once, and practise, Captain Llewellyn?"
In this there was so much truth, as well as sense of discipline,
moreover such fine power of hope for another good bout at the French,
that I looked at my pocket-lappets for an answer; and found none.
"I can stand a great deal," he cried; "on account of my age, and so on.
But I can't stand Latin and Greek, and I cannot stand being put off
always. I know what they want me to do. They want me to grow too old for
the Navy! And I do believe they will manage it. I am getting twelve,
every day almost, and I can pull a pair of oars, and fire a cannon nine
inches long, and sail a boat, if it doesn't blow."
"For all that I can answer, sir," my words were, being proud of him;
"and you know who taught you this, and that. And you know that he always
did impress upon your early mind the necessity of stern discipline, and
obedience to superiors. Your first duty is to your King and country, in
the glorious time of war. But with a wretched peace prevailing, your
duty is to the powers placed by Providence to look after you."
"I have heard that till I am sick of it," he answered rather rudely, for
I seemed to myself to have put it well: "is that all you can do for me?
I had better not have come at all. Look, I have five guineas here, given
me yesterday, and all good ones. I will put them just in there--and my
word of honour----"
"My boy, if it were fifty, five hundred, or five thousand, would an
officer of the Royal Navy think of listening to them? You have hurt my
sense of honour."
"I beg your pardon, Captain Llewellyn," he said, hanging down his head:
"but you used not to be quite so proud. You used to like five shillings
even."
"That is neither here nor there," I answered very loftily, and
increasing his confusion: "five shillings honourably earned no man need
be ashamed of. But what you have offered me is a bribe, for the low
purpose of cheating your good uncle and dear mother. You ought to sink
into the sand, sir."
He seemed pretty nearly fit to do so, for I put a stern face on, though
all the time I could hardly keep from laughing most good-naturedly; when
a little hand went into his, and a little face defied me. Poor sick
Bardie had watched every word, and though unable to understand, she took
hot sides with the weaker one.
"'E san't sink into 'e sand, I tell 'a, 'e yicked bad old Davy. 'Hot's a
done to be 'colded so? I's very angy with 'a indeed, to go on so to a
gentleyum."
By what instinct could she tell that this was a young gentleman? By the
same, I suppose, by which he knew that she was a young lady. And each of
them ready to stand up for the other immediately! It made me laugh: and
yet it is a sad thing to go into.
"Now, my boy," I began for fear of losing the upper hand of them; "you
are old enough to understand good sense when put before you. It is true
enough that if you mean to walk the planks like a sailor, you can hardly
begin too soon at the time of life you are come to. I was afloat at
half your age, so far as I can remember. But I am bound to lay before
you two very serious questions. You will have to meet, and never escape
from, every kind of dirt, and hardship, narrowness, and
half-starving--not an atom of comfort left, such as you are accustomed
to. Danger I will not speak of, because it would only lead you on to it.
But the other thing is this: By going to sea, you will for ever grieve
and drive out of your prospects not only your good uncle, but perhaps
almost your mother."
I thought I had made a most excellent speech, and Bardie looked up with
admiration, to know when I meant to finish. But to my surprise, young
Rodney took very little heed of it.
"That shows how much you know, old Davy! Why I was come on purpose to
tell you that they are tired out at last: and that I may go to sea, if
only you will appoint me a place on board of your ship Alcestis. Now do,
Captain Llewellyn, do, and I will never forget it to you, if ever I
become a great man."
"My dear boy, I would do it this minute if I had the power. But though
they call me 'Captain' here, I am only Captain of a gun, and Instructor
of Artillery. And even our Captain himself could not do it. He could
only take you as a volunteer, and now there is no call for them. You
must get your appointment as midshipman in the regular way from London.
And the chances are fifty to one against your joining the Alcestis. That
is to say, of course, unless you have some special interest."
His countenance fell to the lowest ebb, and great tears stood in his
bold blue eyes; but presently the hopeful spirit of youth and brave
lineage returned.
"I will write to my brother in London," he said; "he has never done me a
good turn yet; perhaps he will begin this time."
Not to be too long about it, either by that or some other influence, he
obtained his heart's desire, and was appointed midshipman, with orders
to join the Alcestis, upon her next appearance off our coast. You should
have seen the fuss he made, and his mother too, about his outfit; and
even Colonel Lougher could not help being much excited. As for me, I was
forced to go to and fro betwixt Newton and Candleston Court every day,
and twice a-day, for the purpose of delivering judgment upon every box
that came. But when Master Rodney made me toss his spelling-books and
grammar at his breast, to practise parrying with his little dirk, I
begged him to let me take them home, as soon as he was tired. I have
them now with his little stabs in them, and they make me almost
independent of the schoolmaster in writing.
Not only was I treated so that I need not have bought any food at
all--except for Bardie and Bunny--but also employed at a pleasant price
to deliver lessons every morning as to the names of sails and ropes and
the proper style of handling them. We used to walk down to the hard
sea-shore, with a couple of sharp sticks, whenever the tide allowed fair
drawing-room. And the two little children enjoyed it almost as much as
the rising hero did. The difficulty was to keep the village children,
who paid nothing, from taking the benefit of my lecture as much as
Midshipman Bluett did. And they might have done so, if they cared to do
it, for I like a good large audience; but they always went into playing
hopscotch, in among my ropes and yards, when all done beautifully in
fine sand, and ready to begin almost--for the proper way is to have a
ship spread naked first, and then hoist sail, if you want to show its
meaning. I could not bear to be hard upon these young ones--and some of
them good Mother Jones's own--all in a mess of activity; and I tried to
think that it was all right, because money was earning anyhow. But I
could not reconcile it with my sense of duty to make a game of well-paid
work; therefore I kept the children out, in a manner I need not now
describe, only you may rely upon it for real ingenuity; for children are
worse to manage than folk who have been through having them.