_The Gentile loses her fore-topsail._
The hours flew like lightning until Friday arrived. I went to the
convent in the morning, and in an interview with Sister Agatha
informed her that in the evening she would probably be called to the
sick bed of Ellen. Mr. Stowe bade us good-bye and sailed in the Havana
steamboat at noon, that his presence at the catastrophe might not
seem suspicious. At sunset I bade farewell to dear little Ellen, who
was indeed as pale as death, and in an hour afterward was on board the
ship, where I found every thing in readiness for a hasty departure,
the top-sails, jib and spanker were loosed, the anchor at the bows,
and its place supplied by a small kedge, attached to the ship by a
hawser, easily cut in case of need; the awnings were struck, and the
decks covered with rigging and sails. The boat's crew who were to go
on the expedition of the evening had already been selected, and were
in high spirits at the probable danger, romance and novelty of the
affair.
"By thunder! Frank," said Jack Reeves, shaking my hand furiously when
I appeared on the forecastle, "you're a trump and no mistake."
"Arrah! now, Masther Frank, how yaller it is ye're lookin'; but it's
you that's the boy to get the weather gage of Yaller Jack, let alone
the nuns; wont we have a thumping time this night?"
"Why, Teddy, are you going with us? You are the last man I should have
thought to enlist in an expedition of this kind!"
"Ay, ay, Masther Frank, its rather agen my conscience, to be sure; but
it's the skipper's orders, and I alwus goes by that maxum, ''bey
orders if you break owners.'"
"Then the skipper has ordered you to go--"
"Of coorse; in the first place he says that he'll send no man into
danger widout tellin' him of it, the jewel, and then he just stated
the case, and sez he, 'which of yees will go, b'ys?' an' wid that uz
all stipt for'ard. 'What,' sez the owld man, sez he, 'Teddy, I thought
you was a Catholic!' 'Faix! an' I am that, yer honor,' sez I, makin' a
big sign of the cross, 'long life to the Pope and the clargy!' 'It's a
nun we're goin' to abductionize to-night,' sez he, 'I thought you
understood that.' 'I know that, yer honor,' sez I, 'but if you will
jist plaze to order me to go, I can't help meself, and so your own
sowl will be damned, beggin' yer honor's pardon,' sez I, 'and not
mine.' The officers all laughed, and the owld man, sez he, 'Teddy,
you're quite ingenuous!' 'Thank yer honor,' sez I, 'but I'll cotton
to Ichabod Green in that line, since he invinted the new spun-yarn
mill.'"
Soon after sundown the land wind from the south set in smartly, and by
eight o'clock we were not a little fearful lest our kedge might drag.
The captain's gig was brought to the stairs, and the party chosen for
the expedition took their places, the first mate and ship's cousin and
six stout seamen, well armed. Stewart was very nervous and silent; the
only remark he made after we left the ship was when we swept by the
end of the mole.
It was just nine o'clock when we hauled into the shade of the
summer-house and its vines at the foot of Mr. Stowe's garden. I was
commissioned to go to the house while the rest staid by the boat. On
the stairs of the back verandah I met Mary Stowe.
"Is it you, Frank?" she asked.
"Ay, ay; is Cousin Clara here?"
"Oh, yes! in Ellen's room, and the Superior is in the parlor with
mother. Ellen has been terribly sick, but she was well enough to
whisper just now, 'Give Frank my best love.'"
"Here, Mary," said I, "give her this kiss a thousand times."
"Oh, heavens! what a pretty one! But I must go and send Sister Agatha
to you; we've got a hard part to act when her flight is discovered. I
say, Frank, give Langley my love; don't wonder at it now, adieu! I'll
see you in two years."
"I waited impatiently for two minutes, which seemed two hours; at last
I heard a light step on the stairs, and in a moment more held the
runaway nun in my arms.
"Courage!" said I, "you are safe."
Throwing a cloak over her, we hastily ran down the orange-walk. I
could not suppress a sigh as I passed the place where Ellen had told
me that she thought she loved me. In a moment we reached the boat;
Stewart stood upon the shore to receive us, caught the fainting form
of Cousin Clara in his arms, and bore her apparently lifeless to the
stern-sheets; the men shipped their oars, and I seized the
rudder-lines, and gave the word of command.
"Push off--let fall--give way--and now pull for your lives."
The boat shot like lightning down the narrow river to its mouth, then
across the broad bay, glittering in the first rays of the just risen
moon. The band was playing as we rapidly shot past the barracks.
I sat near the lovers in the stern-sheets, and heard Stewart whisper,
"Dearest, do you remember that old Castilian air?" The answer was
inaudible, but from the long kiss that Stewart pressed upon the lips
which replied to him, I judged that the reply was in the affirmative.
At last the ship was reached, and the passengers of the boat were
safely transferred to the broad, firm deck of the old Gentile.
The reader will excuse my describing the scene which ensued, for, as I
have before said, and as the reader has probably assented, description
is not my forte; beside, I am in a devil of a hurry to get the ship
under weigh, or all will be lost.
The hawser was cut, and we wore round under our jib; the top-sails
were hoisted and filled out before the breeze, and we began our voyage
toward home. Sail after sail was set, and the noble old ship danced
merrily and swiftly along, leaving the scene of my cousin's suffering
far astern; and, alas! every moment adding to the distance between
Ellen and me. The lights of the distant city, shining through the mazy
rigging of the shipping before it, grew dimmer and more faint, and
finally, entirely disappeared; the wide ocean was before us.
The next morning we were seventy miles from the nearest land of Cuba;
and ten days afterward the marine lists of the Boston papers announced
the arrival of the ship Gentile, Smith, from Matanzas.