THE FIRE OF TEMPTATION
Captain de Banyan sauntered gracefully up the saloon, with Somers at his
side. He appeared to be perfectly at home, and to have all the ease and
finish of a thorough man of the world. His movements were calculated to
make a sensation; and, as he passed along, old topers and gay young
bloods paused to glance at him. If the captain had been in command of the
Army of the Potomac, his elevated position would hardly have justified a
more extensive flourish than he made.
Lieutenant Somers was duly impressed by the magnificence of his
companion, though the surroundings of the place created some painful
misgivings in his mind. The captain sat down at one of the little tables
where the frequenters of the saloon who were disposed to prolong the
enjoyment of their drams discussed "juleps," "cobblers," and other
villainous compounds.
Somers could not do less than seat himself at the other side of the
table. He was ill at ease, even while he was endeavoring to seem
indifferent and at home. I am sorry to say he was haunted by that
abominable bugbear which often takes possession of the minds of young men
when they find themselves in the presence of those who are adepts in the
arts of vice--a fear of being thought "green," "verdant," or being
measured by some other adjective used in fast circles to caricature the
innocence of a soul unsullied by contact with the vices and follies of
the city. He half expected that some of the dissolute young wretches who
were drinking, swearing, and pouring the filth of a poisoned mind from
their lips, would ask him if "his mother knew he was out." He tried to
maintain his self-possession, and to seem at home where ruin was rioting
in the souls of young men. If he did not entirely succeed, it was all the
more to his credit.
"What will you take?" demanded Captain de Banyan, after they had sat at
the table long enough to examine the prominent features of the saloon.
"Take a walk," replied Lieutenant Somers.
"No, no! What will you drink?"
"Nothing, thank you. I've just been to supper, and don't want anything."
"Yes; but people who come in here, and listen to the music, are expected
to patronize the establishment. I'm going to have a brandy smash: shall I
order one for you?"
"No, I thank you."
"But I can't drink alone."
"I never drink."
"Nonsense! A lieutenant in our regiment, and not drink! I see! You
haven't learned yet; but it won't take you long. Your case is exactly my
own. I was about your age when I went to the Crimea, and didn't know wine
from brandy. After the battle of Balaclava, where I did some little thing
which excited the admiration of the nobs in command, Lord Raglan sent for
me, and invited me to take a glass of wine with him. Of course, I could
not refuse his lordship, especially as he was in the very act of
complimenting me for what he was pleased to call my gallant conduct. I
drank my first glass of wine then. It was Sicily Madeira, and light,
sweet wine; and, my dear fellow, you shall begin with the same, and we
will drink the health of Senator Guilford and his fair daughter. Waiter,
one brandy smash and one Sicily Madeira."
"Really, Captain de Banyan, you must excuse me," stammered Somers,
completely bewildered by the eloquent and insinuating manners of his
brilliant companion, who had spoken loud enough to attract the attention
of a dozen idlers greedy for excitement of any kind, and to whom the
latter part of his remarks seemed to be addressed, rather than to the
timid young man in front of him.
Captain de Banyan appeared to have a point to carry; which was nothing
less than to overcome the conscientious scruples of the young officer. He
had spoken loud enough to attract the attention of these miserable
tipplers, that Somers might be over-awed by their presence, and
intimidated by their sneers, and thus compelled to taste the intoxicating
cup. The squad of fast men who had taken positions near the table were
interested in the scene, and impatient to see the pure soul tumbled from
its lofty eminence.
"Here's the nectar!" almost shouted the captain as the waiter placed the
drinks upon the table. "Wine for you; brandy for me. You will be promoted
to brandy one of these days, my boy, when your head is stronger and your
nerves stiffer. Lieutenant Somers, here's to the health of the patriot
statesman, Senator Guilford, and his lovely daughter;" and the captain
pushed aside the straw in the vile compound, and raised the glass to his
lips.
Somers was embarrassed at his position, and bewildered by the dashing
speeches of his companion. A dozen pair of leering eyes were fixed upon
him; a dozen mouths were wrinkled into sottish smiles, called up by his
sufferings at that critical moment. He reached forth his hand, and
grasped the slender stem of the wine-glass; but his arm trembled more
than that of the most hardened toper in the group before him. He had been
trembling in the presence of that squad of tyrants--those leer-eyed
grinning debauchees, who seemed to be opening the gate of hell, and
bidding him enter.
"Tom Somers," said the still small voice which had spoken to him a
thousand times before in the perils and temptations through which he had
passed, "you have behaved yourself very well thus far. You have been
promoted for bravery on the battlefield; and now will you cower in the
presence of this brilliant brawler, and these weak-minded, cowardly
tipplers? What would your mother say if she could see you now, with your
shaking hand fastened to the wine-cup? What would Lilian Ashford say?
Dare you drink the health of Emmie Guilford in such a place as this? You
should have smote the lips that mentioned her name in such a presence!"
He drew back his hand from the glass. His muscles tightened up, as they
had on the bloody field of Williamsburg. Tom Somers was himself again.
"Come, Somers, you don't drink," added the captain sarcastically.
"No, I thank you; I never drink," he answered resolutely, as he cast a
steady glance of pity and contempt at the bloated crew who had been
reveling in his embarrassment.
"You won't refuse now?"
"Most decidedly."
"Lieutenant Somers, I took you for a young man of pluck. I'm
disappointed. You will pardon me, my dear fellow; but I can't help
regarding your conduct as rather shabby."
"I never drink, as I have said before, and I do not intend to begin now.
If I have been shabby, I hope you will excuse me."
"Certainly I will excuse you, when you atone for your folly, and drink
with me."
The spectators laughed, and evidently thought the captain had made a
point.
"Then I can never atone for my folly, as you call it," replied Somers,
his courage increasing as the trial demanded it.
"What would Lord Raglan have said if I had refused to drink his Sicily
Madeira?"
"Very likely he would have said just what you said; but there would have
been no more sense in it then than now."
"Bully for young 'un!" said a seedy dandy, whose love of fancy drinks had
made a compromise with his love of dress.
"I will leave it to these gentlemen to decide whether I have not spoken
reason and good sense."
"I will leave you and these _gentlemen_ to settle that question to suit
yourselves, and I will bid you good-evening," said Somers, rising from
his chair.
The unpleasant emphasis which he placed upon the word "gentlemen" created
a decided sensation among the group of idlers; and, as he stepped from
behind the table, he was confronted by a young man with bloodshot eyes
and bloated cheeks, but dressed in the extreme of fashion.
"Sir, you wear the colors of the United States Army," said the juvenile
tippler; "but you can't be permitted to insult a gentleman with
impunity."
Lieutenant Somers wanted to laugh in the face of this specimen of
bar-room chivalry, for he forcibly reminded him of a belligerent little
bantam-rooster that paraded the barnyard of his mother's cottage at
Pinchbrook; but he was prudent enough not to give any further cause of
offense. Bestowing one glance at this champion of the tippler's coterie,
he turned aside, and attempted to move towards the door.
"Stop, sir," continued the young man, who plainly wanted to make a little
capital out of a fight, in defense of the dignity of his friends. "You
can't go without an apology, or--or a fight," added the bully, shaking
his head significantly, as he placed himself in front of the young
lieutenant.
"What am I to apologize for?" asked Somers.
"You insulted the whole party of us. You intimated that we were no
gentlemen."
"I haven't spoken to any of you since I came in," protested Somers. "I
never had anything to do with you, and I don't know whether you are
gentlemen or not."
"You hear that, gentlemen!" added the bully.
"I think I have said all that is necessary to say; with your leave I will
go," said Somers.
"Stop, sir!" snarled the young ruffian, putting his hand on the
lieutenant's collar.
"Take your hand off!" said he sternly.
The fellow complied.
"This thing has gone far enough, sir," said Captain de Banyan, stepping
between Somers and his assailant. "Lieutenant Somers is my friend; and,
if you put the weight of your little finger upon him, I'll annihilate you
quicker than I did a certain Austrian field-marshal at the battle of
Solferino. Gentlemen, permit me to apologize for my inexperienced friend
if he has uttered any indiscreet word."
"He must apologize!" blustered the young ruffian. "He says we are no
gentlemen. Let him prove it."
"You have proved it yourself, you little ape," replied the captain, as he
stepped up to the bar, and paid his reckoning, bestowing no more
attention upon the ruffled little bully than if he had been a very small
puppy; which perhaps he was not, by a strict construction of terms.
"I demand satisfaction!" roared the flashy little toper. "Apologize, or
fight!"
"Neither, my gay and festive lark," said the captain with abundant good
humor, as he took Somers's arm, and sauntered leisurely towards the door.
"Now, my dear fellow, we will go and hear what Lieutenant-Colonel
Staggerback has to say about the battle of Bull Run. I was in that
action, and rallied the Fire Zouaves when Colonel Ellsworth was killed."
"Colonel Ellsworth! He wasn't killed at Bull Run!" exclaimed Somers,
astonished beyond measure at the singular character which his companion
was developing.
"You are right; he was killed at Ball's Bluff."
"I think not; but were you at Bull Run?"
"Certainly I was. I was on General Frémont's staff."
"Were you, indeed? Whew!"
"What may be the precise meaning of that whistle? Do you think I was not
there?"
"Well, I don't remember to have seen you there?"
"Very likely you did not; but you will call to mind the fact, that things
were rather mixed up in that action. But never mind that: we will talk
those things over when we get down upon the Peninsula, and have nothing
else to think about. Do you really mean to say, my dear fellow, that you
never drink at all?"
"I do not."
"Well, I have heard of a man climbing up to the moon on a greased
rainbow; but I never heard of an officer before that didn't drink."
"I'm afraid you haven't been very careful in the choice of your
companions. I know a great many that never taste liquor under any
circumstances."
"It may be so; and I am willing to confess that I have found one. I
wouldn't have believed it before if I had read it in the Constitution of
the United States. I owe you an apology, then, for letting on in that
saloon. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, my dear fellow; but I
thought you were joking."
"I hope you will not repeat the experiment, then; though I shall consider
myself fair game if I ever enter another rum-shop," replied Somers.
They proceeded to the place designated for the lecture; and Captain de
Banyan betrayed his interest in that memorable battle, where he had
served on the staff of General Frémont, by going to sleep before the
eloquent "participant" had got half-way through the exordium. Lieutenant
Somers listened attentively until he was satisfied that Colonel
Staggerback either was not in the battle, or that he had escorted "Bull
Run Russell" off the field.
When the lecture was finished, Somers awakened his edified companion, and
they returned to the hotel; though the captain hinted several times on
the way that the "elephant" could be seen to better advantage in New York
than in any other city in the Union. The young lieutenant had an utter
disgust for the elephant, and took no hints. Before he retired that
night, he thanked God, more earnestly and devoutly than usual, that he
had been enabled to pass unscathed through the fires of temptation. He
was still in condition to look his mother in the face.