A RASH YOUNG CAPTAIN.
Now if I had been sewn up well in a hammock, and cast overboard (as the
surgeon advised), who, I should like to know, would have been left
capable of going to the bottom of these strange proceedings? Hezekiah
was alive, of course, and prepared to swear to anything, especially
after a round-shot must have killed him, but for his greasiness. And
clever enough no doubt he was, and suspicious, and busy-minded, and
expecting to have all Wales under his thumb, because he was somewhere
about on the skirts of the great battle I led them into. But granting
him skill, and that narrow knowledge of the world which I call
"cunning;" granting him also a restless desire to get to the bottom of
everything, and a sniffing sense like a turnspit-dog's, of the shank-end
bone he is roasting,--none the more for all that could we grant him the
downright power, now loudly called for, to put two and two together.
Happily for all parties, poor Hezekiah was not required to make any
further fool of himself. The stump of my arm was in a fine condition
when ordered home with the prizes; and as soon as I felt the old Bay of
Biscay, over I knocked the doctor. He fitted me with a hook after this,
in consistence with an old fisherman; and now I have such a whole boxful
of tools to screw on, that they beat any hand I ever had in the
world--if my neighbours would only not borrow them.
Tush--I am railing at myself again! Always running down, and holding up
myself to ridicule, out of pure contrariety, just because every one else
overvalues me. There are better men in the world than myself; there are
wiser; there are braver;--I will not be argued down about it--there are
some (I am sure) as honest, in their way; and a few almost as truthful.
However, I never yet did come across any other man half so modest. This
I am forced to allude to now, in departure from my usual practice,
because this quality and nothing else had prevented me from dwelling
upon, and far more from following up, some shrewd thoughts which had
occurred to me, loosely, I own, and in a random manner,--still they had
occurred to me once or twice, and had been dismissed. Why so? Simply
because I trusted other men's judgment, and public impression, instead
of my own superior instinct, and knowledge of weather and tideways.
How bitterly it repented me now of this ill-founded diffidence, when, as
we lay in the Chops of the Channel about the end of October, with a
nasty head-wind baffling us, Captain Rodney Bluett came on board of us
from the Leader! He asked if the doctor could report the Master as
strong enough to support an interview; whereupon our worthy bone-joiner
laughed, and showed him into me where I sate at the latter end of a fine
aitch-bone of beef. And then Captain Rodney produced his papers, and
told me the whole of his story. I was deeply moved by Jack Wildman's
death, though edified much by the manner of it, and some of his last
observations. For a naked heathen to turn so soon into a trousered
Christian, and still more a good fore-top-man, was an evidence of
unusual grace, even under such doctrine as mine was. Captain Bluett
spoke much of this, although his religious convictions were not by any
means so intense as mine, while my sinews were under treatment; but even
with only one arm and a quarter I seemed to be better fitted to handle
events than this young Captain was. His ability was of no common order,
as he had proved by running his frigate under the very chains of the
thundering big Frenchman, so that they could not be down on him. And yet
he could not see half the bearings of Jack Wildman's evidence. We had a
long talk, with some hot rum-and-water, for the evenings already were
chilly; and my natural candour carried me almost into too much of it.
And the Honourable Rodney gazed with a flush of colour at me, when I
gave him my opinions like a raking broadside.
"You may be right," he said; "you were always so wonderful at a long
shot, Llewellyn. But really it does seem impossible."
"Captain," I answered; "how many things seem so, yet come to pass
continually!"
"I cannot gainsay you, Llewellyn, after all my experience of the world.
I would give my life to find it true. But how are we to establish it?"
"Leave me alone for that, Captain Bluett; if it can be done it shall be
done. The idea is entirely my own, remember. It had never occurred to
you, had it?"
"Certainly not," he replied, with his usual downright honesty; "my
reason for coming to you with that poor fellow's dying testimony was
chiefly to cheer you up with the proofs of our old Captain's innocence,
and to show you the turn of luck for young Harry, who has long been so
shamefully treated. And now I have another thing to tell you about him;
that is if you have not heard it."
"No, I have heard nothing at all. I did not even know what had become of
him, until you read Jack's confession. With Nelson, on board the
Vanguard!"
"That was my doing," said the Honourable Rodney. "I recommended him to
volunteer, and he was accepted immediately, with the character I gave
him. But it is his own doing, and proud I am of it, that he is now
junior lieutenant of Admiral Lord Nelson's own ship the Vanguard. Just
before Nelson received his wound, and while powder was being handed up,
there came a shell hissing among them, and hung with a sputtering fuse
in the coil of a cable, and the men fell down to escape it. But young
Harry with wonderful quickness leaped (as he did, to save me in San
Domingo), and sent the fuse over the side with a dash. Then Nelson came
up, for the firing was hot, and of course he must be in the thick of
it, and he saw in a moment what Harry had done, and he took down his
name for promotion, being just what himself would have loved to do. It
will have to be confirmed, of course; but of that there can be no
question, after all that we have done; and when it turns out who he is."
"I am heartily glad of it, Captain," I cried; "the boy was worthy of any
rank. Worth goes a little way; birth a long way. But all these things
have to be lawfully proven."
"Oh, you old village-lawyer; as we used to call you, at Old Newton. And
you deserved it, you rogue, you did. You may have lost your left hand;
but your right has not lost its cunning." He spoke in the purest play
and jest; and with mutual esteem we parted. Only I stipulated for a good
talk with him about our measures, when I should have determined them; or
at the latest on reaching port.
The boldest counsel is often the best, and naturally recommends itself
to a man of warlike character. My first opinion, especially during the
indignant period, was that nothing could be wiser, or more spirited, or
more striking, than to march straight up to Parson Chowne and confront
him with all this evidence, taken down by a magistrate, and dare him to
deny it; and then hale him off to prison, and (if the law permitted)
hang him. That this was too good for him, every one who has read my
words must acknowledge; the best thing, moreover, that could befall him;
for his body was good, though his soul was bad; and he might have some
hopes to redeem the latter at the expense of the former. And if he had
not, through life, looked forward to hanging as his latter end and
salvation, it is quite impossible to account for the licence he allowed
himself.
However, on second thoughts I perceived that the really weighty concern
before us, and what we were bound to think first of, was to restore such
a fine old family to its health and happiness. To reinstate, before he
died, that noble and most kind-hearted man, full of religious feeling
also, and of confidence that the Lord having made a good man would look
after him--which is the very spirit of King David, when his self-respect
returns--in a word, to replace in the world's esteem, and (what matters
far more) in true family love, that fine and pure old gentleman, the
much-troubled Sir Philip Bampfylde,--this, I say, was the very first
duty of a fellow nursed by a general and a baronet through the
small-pox; while it was also a feat well worthy of the master of a
line-of-battle ship, which was not lost in the battle of the Nile. And
scarcely second even to this was the duty and joy of restoring to their
proper rank in life two horribly injured and innocent creatures, one of
whom was our own Bardie. Therefore, upon the whole, it seemed best to go
to work very warily.
So it came to pass that I followed my usual practice of wholly
forgetting myself; and receiving from the Honourable Rodney Bluett that
most important document, I sewed it up in the watered silk-bag with my
caul and other muniments, and set out for Narnton Court, where I found
both Polly, and the cook, and the other comforts. But nothing would do
for our Captain Rodney--all young men are so inconsiderate--except to be
off at racing speed for Candleston Court, and his sweetheart Delushy,
and the excellent Colonel's old port wine. And as he was so brisk, I
will take him first, with your good leave, if ever words of mine can
keep up with him. But of course you will understand that I tell what
came to my knowledge afterwards.
With all the speed of men and horses, young Rodney Bluett made off for
home, and when he got there his luck was such as to find Delushy in the
house. It happened to be her visiting time, according to the old
arrangement, and this crafty sailor found it out from the fine old woman
at the lodge. So what did he do but discharge his carriage, and leave
all his kit with her, and go on, with the spright foot of a mariner, to
the ancient house which he knew so well. Then this tall and bold young
Captain entered by the butler's door, the trick of which was well known
to him, and in a room out of the lobby he stood, without his own mother
knowing it. It was the fall of autumnal night, when everything is so
rich and mellow, when the waning daylight ebbs, like a great spring-tide
exhausted, into the quickening flow of starlight. And the plates were
being cleared away after a snug dinner-party.
The good Colonel sat at the head of his table, after the ladies'
withdrawal, with that modest and graceful kindliness, which is the sure
mark of true blood. Around him were a few choice old friends, such as
only good men have; friends, who would scout the evidence of their own
eyes against him. According to our fine old fashion, these were drinking
healths all round, not with undue love of rare port, so much as with
truth and sincerity.
Rodney made a sign to Crumpy (who had been shaking him by both hands,
until the tears prevented him), just to please to keep all quiet
touching his arrival; and to let him have a slice or two of the haunch
of venison put to grill, if there was any left of it, and give it him
all on a plate: together with a twelve-pound loaf of farmhouse bread,
such as is not to be had outside of Great Britain. This was done in
about five minutes (for even Mrs Cook respected Crumpy); and being
served up, with a quart of ale, in Crumpy's own head privacy, it had
such a good effect that the Captain was ready to face anybody.
Old Crumpy was a most crafty old fellow--which was one reason why I
liked him, as a contrast to my frankness--and he managed it all, and
kept such a look-out, that no one suspected him of any more than an
honoured old chum in his stronghold. Captain Bluett also knew exactly
what his bearings were, and from a loftier point of view than would ever
occur to Crumpy. A man who had carried a 50-gun ship right under the
lower port-holes of a 120-gun enemy, and without any orders to that
effect, and only from want of some easier business, he (I think) may be
trusted to get on in almost anything.
This was the very thing--I do believe--occurring to the mind of somebody
sitting, as nearly as might be now, upon a very beautiful sofa. The
loveliest work that you can imagine lay between her fingers; and she was
doing her very best to carry it on consistently. But on her lap lay a
London paper, full of the highest authority; and there any young eyes
might discover a regular pit-pat of tears.
"My dear, my dear," said Lady Bluett, being not so very much better
herself, although improved by spectacles; "it is a dreadful, dreadful
thing to think of those poor Frenchmen killed, so many at a time, and
all in their sins. I do hope they had time to think, ever so little, of
their latter end. It makes me feel quite ill to think of such a dreadful
carnage, and to know that my own son was foremost in it. Do you think,
my dear, that your delicate throat would be any worse in the morning, if
you were to read it once more to me? The people in the papers are so
clever; and there was something I did not quite catch about poor
Rodney's recklessness. How like his dear father, to be sure! I see him
in every word of it."
"Auntie, the first time I read it was best. The second and third time, I
cried worse and worse; and the fourth time, you know what you said of
me. And I know that I deserved it, Auntie, for having such foolish weak
eyes like that. You know what I told you about Captain Rodney, and
begged you to let me come here no more. And you know what you said--that
it was a child's fancy; and if it were not, it should take its course.
The Colonel was wiser. Oh, Auntie, Auntie! why don't you always harken
him!"
"For a very good reason, my dear child--he always proves wrong in the
end; and I don't. I have the very highest and purest respect for my dear
brother's judgment. Every one knows what his mind is, and every one
values his judgment. And no stranger, of course, can enter into him, his
views, and his largeness, and intellect; as I do, when I agree with him.
There, you have made me quite warm, my dear; I am so compelled to
vindicate him."
"I am so sorry--I did not mean--you know what I am, Auntie."
"My dear, I know what you are, and therefore it is that I love you so.
Now go and wash your pretty eyes, and read that again to me, and to the
Colonel. Many mothers would be proud perhaps. I feel no pride whatever,
because my son could not help doing it."
There was something else this excellent lady's son could not help doing.
He caught the beautiful maid of Sker in her pure white dress in a nook
of the passage, and with tears of pride for him rolling from her dark
grey eyes, and he could not help--but all lovers, I trow, know how much
to expect of him.
"Thank you, Rodney," Delushy cried; "to a certain extent, I am grateful.
But, if you please, no more of it. And you need not suppose that I was
crying about, about,--about anything."
"Of course not, you darling. How long have I lived, not to know that
girls cry about nothing? nine times out of ten at least. Pearly tears,
now prove your substance."
"Rodney, will you let me alone? I am not a French decker of 500 guns,
for you to do just what you like with. And I don't believe any one knows
you are here. Yes, yes, yes! Ever so many darlings, if you like--and
'with my whole heart I do love you,' as darling Moxy says. But one
thing, this moment, I insist upon--no, not in your ear, nor yet through
your hair, you conceited curly creature; but at the distance of a yard I
pronounce that you shall come to your mother."
"Oh, what a shame!" And with that unfilial view of the subject, he
rendered himself, after all those mortal perils, into the arms of his
mother. With her usual quickness Delushy fled, but came back to the
drawing-room very sedately, and with a rose-coloured change of dress, in
about half an hour afterwards.
"How do you do, Captain Rodney Bluett?"
"Madam, I hope that I see you well."
Lady Bluett was amazed at the coolness of them, and in her heart
disappointed; although she was trying to argue it down, and to say to
herself, "How wise of them!" She knew how the Colonel loved this young
maid, yet never could bear to think of his nephew taking to wife a mere
waif of the sea. The lady had faith in herself that she might in the end
overcome this prejudice. But of course if the young ones had ceased to
care for it, she could only say that young people were not of the stuff
that young people used to be.
While she revolved these things in her tender, warm, and motherly bosom,
the gentlemen came from the dining-room, to pay their compliments to the
ladies, and to have their tea and all that, according to the recent
style of it. They bowed very decently, as they came in, not being topers
by any means: and the lady of the house arose and curtsied to them most
gracefully. Then Rodney, who had found occasion ere this to salute
Colonel Lougher and his visitors, led forward the maid, and presented
her to them, with a very excellent naval bow.
"My dear uncle, and friends of the family," he began, while she trembled
a little, and looked at him with astonishment; "allow me the favour of
presenting to you a lady who will do me the honour of becoming my wife,
very shortly, I hope."
The Colonel drew back with a frown on his face. Lady Bluett on the other
hand ran up.
"What is the meaning of this?" she cried. "And not a word of it to your
own mother! Oh, Andalusia, how shocking of you!"
"I think, sir," said the Colonel, looking straight at the youth, "that
you might have chosen a better moment to defy your uncle, than in the
presence of his oldest friends. It is not like a gentleman, sir. It cuts
me to the heart to say such a thing to the son of my own sister. But,
sir, it is not like a gentleman."
The old friends nodded to one another, in approval of this sentiment;
and turned to withdraw from a family scene.
"Wait, if you please," cried Rodney Bluett. "Colonel Lougher, I should
deserve your reproach, if I had done anything of the kind. My intention
is not to defy you, sir; but to please you and gratify you, my dear
uncle, as your lifelong kindness to me and to this young lady deserves.
And I have chosen to do it before old friends, that your pleasure may be
increased by their congratulations. Instead of being ashamed, sir, of
the origin of your future niece--or you my dear mother of your daughter,
you may well be proud of it. She belongs to one of the oldest families
in the West of England. She is the grandchild of Sir Philip Bampfylde of
Narnton Court, near Barnstaple. And I think I have heard my mother speak
of him as an old friend of my father."
"To be sure, to be sure!" exclaimed Lady Bluett, ere the Colonel could
recover himself: "the Bluetts are an old west-country family; but the
Bampfyldes even older. Come to me, my pretty darling. There, don't cry
so; or if you must, come in here, and I will help you. Rodney, my dear,
you have delighted us, and you have done it most cleverly. But excuse my
saying that an officer in the army would have known a little better what
ladies are, than to have thrown them into this excitement, even in the
presence of valued friends. Come here, my precious. The gentlemen will
excuse us for a little while."
"Let me kiss Colonel Lougher first," whispered Delushy; all frightened,
crying, and quivering as she was, she could not forget her gratitude. So
she bowed her white forehead, and drooped her dark lashes under the old
man's benevolent gaze.
"Sit down, my dear friends," said Colonel Lougher, as soon as the ladies
had left the room. "My good nephew's tactics have been rather blunt, and
of the Aboukir order. However, he may be quite right if this matter
requires at once to be spread abroad. At any rate, my dear boy, I owe
you an apology. Rodney, I beg your pardon for the very harsh terms I
used to you."
With these words he stood up, and bowed to his nephew; who did the same
to him in silence, and then they shook hands warmly. After which the
young Captain told his story, to which they all listened intently--five
being justices of the shire, and one the lord-lieutenant--all accustomed
to examine evidence.
"It seems very likely," said Colonel Lougher, as they waited for his
opinion. "That David Llewellyn is a most shrewd fellow. But he ought to
have said more about the boat. There is one thing, however, to be done
at once--to collect confirmative evidence."
"There is another thing to be done at once," cried Rodney Bluett,
warmly--"to pull Chowne's nose. And despite his cloth, I will do it
roundly."
"My young friend," said the Lord-Lieutenant; "prove it first. And then,
I think, there are some people who would pardon you."