TAKING POSSESSION
Cyril stayed a week at Oxford. He greatly enjoyed the visit; and not
only was he most warmly received by his former comrades on board the
_Henrietta_, but Prince Rupert spoke so strongly in his favour to
other gentlemen to whom he introduced him that he no longer felt a
stranger at Court. Much of his spare time he spent with Harry Parton,
and in his rooms saw something of college life, which seemed to him a
very pleasant and merry one. He had ascertained, as soon as he
arrived, that the Earl of Wisbech and his family were down at his
estate, near the place from which he took his title, and had at once
written to Sydney, from whom he received an answer on the last day of
his stay at Oxford. It contained a warm invitation for him to come
down to Wisbech.
"You say you will be going to Norwich to take possession of your
estate. If you ride direct from Oxford, our place will be but little
out of your way, therefore we shall take no excuse for your not
coming to see us, and shall look for you within a week or so from the
date of this. We were all delighted to get your missive, for although
what you say about infection carried by letters is true enough, and,
indeed there was no post out of London for months, we had begun to
fear that the worst must have befallen you when no letter arrived
from you in December. Still, we thought that you might not know where
we were, and so hoped that you might be waiting until you could find
that out. My father bids me say that he will take no refusal. Since
my return he more than ever regards you as being the good genius of
the family, and it is certainly passing strange that, after saving my
sisters' lives from fire you should, though in so different a way,
have saved me from a similar death. So set off as soon as you get
this--that is, if you can tear yourself away from the gaieties of
Oxford."
Cyril had, indeed, been specially waiting for Sydney's answer, having
told him that he should remain at Oxford until he received it, and on
the following morning he packed his valise and rode for Wisbech,
where he arrived three days' later. His welcome at the Earl's was a
most cordial one. He spent a week there, at the end of which time
Sydney, at his earnest request, started for Norwich with him. The
Earl had insisted on Cyril's accepting a splendid horse, and behind
him, on his other animal, rode a young fellow, the son of a small
tenant on the Earl's estate, whom he had engaged as a servant. He had
written, three days before, to Mr. Popham, telling him that he would
shortly arrive, and begging him to order the two old servants of his
father, whom he had, at his request, engaged to take care of the
house to get two or three chambers in readiness for him, which could
doubtless be easily done, as he had learnt from the deed that the
furniture and all contents of the house had been included in the
gift. After putting up at the inn, he went to the lawyer's. Mr.
Popham, he found, had had a room prepared in readiness for him at his
house, but Cyril, while thanking him for so doing, said that, as Lord
Oliphant was with him, he would stay at the inn for the night.
The next morning they rode over with Mr. Popham to Upmead, which was
six miles distant from the town.
"That is the house," the lawyer said, as a fine old mansion came in
sight. "There are larger residences in the county, but few more
handsome. Indeed, it is almost too large for the estate, but, as
perhaps you know, that was at one time a good deal larger than it is
at present, for it was diminished by one of your ancestors in the
days of Elizabeth."
At the gate where they turned into the Park an arch of evergreens had
been erected.
"You don't mean to say you let them know that I was coming home?"
Cyril said, in a tone of such alarm that Lord Oliphant laughed and
Mr. Popham said apologetically,--
"I certainly wrote to the tenants, sir, when I received your letter,
and sent off a message saying that you would be here this morning.
Most of them or their fathers were here in the old time, for Mr.
Harvey made no changes, and I am sure they would have been very
disappointed if they had not had notice that Sir Aubrey's son was
coming home."
"Of course it was quite right for you to do so, Mr. Popham, but you
see I am quite unaccustomed to such things, and would personally have
been much more pleased to have come home quietly. Still, as you say,
it is only right that the tenants should have been informed, and at
any rate it will be a satisfaction to get it all over at once."
There were indeed quite a large number of men and women assembled in
front of the house--all the tenants, with their wives and families,
having gathered to greet their young landlord--and loud bursts of
cheering arose as he rode up, Sydney and Mr. Popham reining back
their horses a little to allow him to precede them. Cyril took off
his hat, and bowed repeatedly in reply to the acclamations that
greeted him. The tenants crowded round, many of the older men
pressing forward to shake him by the hand.
"Welcome back to your own again, Sir Cyril!"
"I fought under your father, sir, and a good landlord he was to us
all."
Such were the exclamations that rose round him until he reached the
door of the mansion, and, dismounting, took his place at the top of
the steps. Then he took off his hat again, and when there was silence
he said,--
"I thank you heartily, one and all, good friends, for the welcome
that you have given me. Glad indeed I am to come down to my father's
home, and to be so greeted by those who knew him, and especially by
those who followed him in the field in the evil days which have, we
may hope, passed away for ever. You all know, perhaps, that I owe my
return here as master to the noble generosity of Mr. Harvey, your
late landlord, who restored me the estates, not being bound in any
way to do so, but solely because he considered that he had already
been repaid the money he gave for them. This may be true, but,
nevertheless, there is not one man in a hundred thousand who would so
despoil himself of the benefits of a bargain lawfully made, and I beg
you therefore to give three cheers, as hearty as those with which you
greeted me, for Mr. Harvey."
Three cheers, as long and loud as those that had before risen,
responded to the appeal.
"Such a man," Cyril went on, when they subsided, "must have been a
just and good landlord to you all, and I shall do my best to give you
no cause for regret at the change that has come about."
He paused for a moment to speak to Mr. Popham, who stood beside him,
and then went on,--
"I did not know whether I could ask you to drink to my health, but I
learn from Mr. Popham that the cellars have been left well filled;
therefore, my first orders on coming to the house of my fathers will
be that a cask of wine shall be speedily broached, and that you shall
be enabled to drink my health. While that is being done, Mr. Popham
will introduce you to me one by one."
Another loud cheer arose, and then the tenants came forward with
their wives and families.
Cyril shook hands with them all, and said a few words to each. The
elder men had all ridden by his father in battle, and most of the
younger ones said, as he shook hands with them,--
"My father fell, under Sir Aubrey, at Naseby," or "at Worcester," or
in other battles.
By the time all had been introduced, a great cask of wine had been
broached, and after the tenants had drunk to his health, and he had,
in turn, pledged them, Cyril entered the house with Sydney and Mr.
Popham, and proceeded to examine it under the guidance of the old man
who had been his father's butler, and whose wife had also been a
servant in Sir Aubrey's time.
"Everything is just as it was then, Sir Cyril. A few fresh articles
of furniture have been added, but Mr. Harvey would have no general
change made. The family pictures hang just where they did, and your
father himself would scarce notice the changes."
"It is indeed a fine old mansion, Cyril," Lord Oliphant said, when
they had made a tour of the house; "and now that I see it and its
furniture I am even more inclined than before to admire the man who
could voluntarily resign them. I shall have to modify my ideas of the
Puritans. They have shown themselves ready to leave the country and
cross the ocean to America, and begin life anew for conscience'
sake--that is to say, to escape persecution--and they fought very
doughtily, and we must own, very successfully, for the same reason,
but this is the first time I have ever heard of one of them
relinquishing a fine estate for conscience' sake."
"Mr. Harvey is indeed a most worthy gentleman," Mr. Popham said, "and
has the esteem and respect of all, even of those who are of wholly
different politics. Still, it may be that although he would in any
case, I believe, have left this property to Sir Cyril, he might not
have handed it over to him in his lifetime, had not he received so
great a service at his hands."
"Why, what is this, Cyril?" Sydney said, turning upon him. "You have
told us nothing whatever of any services rendered. I never saw such a
fellow as you are for helping other people."
"There was nothing worth speaking of," Cyril said, much vexed.
Mr. Popham smiled.
"Most people would think it was a very great service, Lord Oliphant.
However, I may not tell you what it was, although I have heard all
the details from my father-in-law, Mr. Goldsworthy. They were told in
confidence, and in order to enlighten me as to the relations between
Mr. Harvey and Sir Cyril, and as they relate to painful family
matters I am bound to preserve an absolute silence."
"I will be content to wait, Cyril, till I get you to myself. It is a
peculiarity of Sir Cyril Shenstone, Mr. Popham, that he goes through
life doing all sorts of services for all sorts of people. You may not
know that he saved the lives of my three sisters in a fire at our
mansion in the Savoy; he also performed the trifling service of
saving Prince Rupert's ship and the lives of all on board, among whom
was myself, from a Dutch fire-ship, in the battle of Lowestoft. These
are insignificant affairs, that he would not think it worth while to
allude to, even if you knew him for twenty years."
"You do not know Lord Oliphant, Mr. Popham," Cyril laughed, "or you
would be aware that his custom is to make mountains out of molehills.
But let us sit down to dinner. I suppose it is your forethought, Mr.
Popham, that I have to thank for having warned them to make this
provision? I had thought that we should be lucky if the resources of
the establishment sufficed to furnish us with a meal of bread and
cheese."
"I sent on a few things with my messenger yesterday evening, Sir
Cyril, but for the hare and those wild ducks methinks you have to
thank your tenants, who doubtless guessed that an addition to the
larder would be welcome. I have no doubt that, good landlord as Mr.
Harvey was, they are really delighted to have you among them again.
As you know, these eastern counties were the stronghold of
Puritanism, and that feeling is still held by the majority. It is
only among the tenants of many gentlemen who, like your father, were
devoted Royalists, that there is any very strong feeling the other
way. As you heard from their lips, most of your older tenants fought
under Sir Aubrey, while the fathers of the younger ones fell under
his banner. Consequently, it was galling to them that one of
altogether opposite politics should be their landlord, and although
in every other respect they had reason to like him, he was, as it
were, a symbol of their defeat, and I suppose they viewed him a good
deal as the Saxons of old times regarded their Norman lords."
"I can quite understand that, Mr. Popham."
"Another feeling has worked in your favour, Sir Cyril," the lawyer
went on. "It may perhaps be a relic of feudalism, but there can be no
doubt that there exists, in the minds of English country folks, a
feeling of respect and of something like affection for their
landlords when men of old family, and that feeling is never
transferred to new men who may take their place. Mr. Harvey was, in
their eyes, a new man--a wealthy one, no doubt, but owing his wealth
to his own exertions--and he would never have excited among them the
same feeling as they gave to the family who had, for several hundred
years, been owners of the soil."
Cyril remained for a fortnight at Upmead, calling on all the tenants,
and interesting himself in them and their families. The day after his
arrival he rode into Norwich, and paid a visit to Mr. Harvey. He had,
in compliance to his wishes, written but a short letter of
acknowledgment of the restitution of the estate, but he now expressed
the deep feeling of gratitude that he entertained.
"I have only done what is right," Mr. Harvey said quietly, "and would
rather not be thanked for it; but your feelings are natural, and I
have therefore not checked your words. It was assuredly God's doing
in so strangely bringing us together, and making you an instrument in
saving our lives, and so awakening an uneasy conscience into
activity. I have had but small pleasure from Upmead. I have a house
here which is more than sufficient for all my wants, and I have, I
hope, the respect of my townsfellows, and the affection of my
workmen. At Upmead I was always uncomfortable. Such of the county
gentlemen who retained their estates looked askance at me. The
tenants, I knew, though they doffed their hats as I passed them,
regarded me as a usurper. I had no taste for the sports and pleasures
of country life, being born and bred a townsman. The ill-doing of my
son cast a gloom over my life of late. I have lived chiefly here with
the society of friends of my own religious and political feeling.
Therefore, I have made no sacrifice in resigning my tenancy of
Upmead, and I pray you say no further word of your gratitude. I have
heard, from one who was there yesterday, how generously you spoke of
me to your tenants, and I thank you for so doing, for it is pleasant
for me to stand well in the thoughts of those whose welfare I have
had at heart."
"I trust that Mrs. Harvey is in good health?" Cyril said.
"She is far from well, Cyril. The events of that night in London have
told heavily upon her, as is not wonderful, for she has suffered much
sorrow for years, and this last blow has broken her sorely. She
mourns, as David mourned over the death of Absalom, over the
wickedness of her son, but she is quite as one with me in the
measures that I have taken concerning him, save that, at her earnest
prayer, I have made a provision for him which will keep him from
absolute want, and will leave him no excuse to urge that he was
driven by poverty into crime. Mr. Goldsworthy has not yet discovered
means of communicating with him, but when he does so he will notify
him that he has my instructions to pay to him fifteen pounds on the
first of every month, and that the offer of assistance to pay his
passage to America is still open to him, and that on arriving there
he will receive for three years the same allowance as here. Then if a
favourable report of his conduct is forthcoming from the magistrates
and deacons of the town where he takes up his residence, a
correspondent of Mr. Goldsworthy's will be authorised to expend four
thousand pounds on the purchase of an estate for him, and to hand to
him another thousand for the due working and maintenance of the same.
For these purposes I have already made provisions in my will, with
proviso that if, at the end of five years after my death, no news of
him shall be obtained, the money set aside for these purposes shall
revert to the main provisions of the will. It may be that he died of
the Plague. It may be that he has fallen, or will fall, a victim to
his own evil courses and evil passions. But I am convinced that,
should he be alive, Mr. Goldsworthy will be able to obtain tidings of
him long before the five years have expired. And now," he said,
abruptly changing the subject, "what are you thinking of doing, Sir
Cyril?"
"In the first place, sir, I am going to sea again with the Fleet very
shortly. I entered as a Volunteer for the war, and could not well,
even if I wished it, draw back."
"They are a stiff-necked people," Mr. Harvey said. "That the
Sovereigns of Europe should have viewed with displeasure the
overthrow of the monarchy here was natural enough; but in Holland, if
anywhere, we might have looked for sympathy, seeing that as they had
battled for freedom of conscience, so had we done here; and yet they
were our worst enemies, and again and again had Blake to sail forth
to chastise them. They say that Monk is to command this time?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Monk is the bruised reed that pierced our hand, but he is a good
fighter. And after the war is over, Sir Cyril, you will not, I trust,
waste your life in the Court of the profligate King?"
"Certainly not," Cyril said earnestly. "As soon as the war is over I
shall return to Upmead and take up my residence there. I have lived
too hard a life to care for the gaieties of Court, still less of a
Court like that of King Charles. I shall travel for a while in Europe
if there is a genuine peace. I have lost the opportunity of
completing my education, and am too old now to go to either of the
Universities. Not too old perhaps; but I have seen too much of the
hard side of life to care to pass three years among those who, no
older than myself, are still as boys in their feelings. The next best
thing, therefore, as it seems to me, would be to travel, and perhaps
to spend a year or two in one of the great Universities abroad."
"The matter is worth thinking over," Mr. Harvey said. "You are
assuredly young yet to settle down alone at Upmead, and will reap
much advantage from speaking French which is everywhere current, and
may greatly aid you in making your travels useful to you. I have no
fear of your falling into Popish error, Sir Cyril; but if my wishes
have any weight with you I would pray you to choose the schools of
Leyden or Haarlem, should you enter a foreign University, for they
turn out learned men and good divines."
"Certainly your wishes have weight with me, Mr. Harvey, and should
events so turn out that I can enter one of the foreign Universities,
it shall be one of those you name--that is, should we, after this war
is ended, come into peaceful relations with the Dutch."
Before leaving the Earl's, Cyril had promised faithfully that he
would return thither with Sydney, and accordingly, at the end of the
fortnight, he rode back with him there, and, three weeks later,
journeyed up to London with the Earl and his family.
It was the middle of March when they reached London. The Court had
come up a day or two before, and the Fleet was, as Cyril learnt,
being fitted out in great haste. The French had now, after hesitating
all through the winter, declared war against us, and it was certain
that we should have their fleet as well as that of the Dutch to cope
with. Calling upon Prince Rupert on the day he arrived, Cyril learnt
that the Fleet would assuredly put to sea in a month's time.
"Would you rather join at once, or wait until I go on board?" the
Prince asked.
"I would rather join at once, sir. I have no business to do in
London, and it would be of no use for me to take an apartment when I
am to leave so soon; therefore, if I can be of any use, I would
gladly join at once."
"You would be of no use on board," the Prince said, "but assuredly
you could be of use in carrying messages, and letting me know
frequently, from your own report, how matters are going on. I heard
yesterday that the _Fan Fan_ is now fitted out. You shall take the
command of her. I will give you a letter to the boatswain, who is at
present in charge, saying that I have placed her wholly under your
orders. You will, of course, live on board. You will be chiefly at
Chatham and Sheerness. If you call early to-morrow I will have a
letter prepared for you, addressed to all captains holding commands
in the White Squadron, bidding them to acquaint you, whensoever you
go on board, with all particulars of how matters have been pushed
forward, and to give you a list of all things lacking. Then, twice a
week you will sail up to town, and report to me, or, should there be
any special news at other times, send it to me by a mounted
messenger. Mr. Pepys, the secretary, is a diligent and hard-working
man, but he cannot see to everything, and Albemarle so pushes him
that I think the White Squadron does not get a fair share of
attention; but if I can go to him with your reports in hand, I may
succeed in getting what is necessary done."
Bidding farewell to the Earl and his family, and thanking him for his
kindness, Cyril stopped that night at Captain Dave's, and told him of
all that had happened since they met. The next morning he went early
to Prince Rupert's, received the two letters, and rode down to
Chatham. Then, sending the horses back by his servant, who was to
take them to the Earl's stable, where they would be cared for until
his return, Cyril went on board the _Fan Fan_. For the next month he
was occupied early and late with his duties. The cabin was small, but
very comfortable. The crew was a strong one, for the yacht rowed
twelve oars, with which she could make good progress even without her
sails. He was waited on by his servant, who returned as soon as he
had left the horses in the Earl's stables; his cooking was done for
him in the yacht's galley. On occasions, as the tide suited, he
either sailed up to London in the afternoon, gave his report to the
Prince late in the evening, and was back at Sheerness by daybreak, or
he sailed up at night, saw the Prince as soon as he rose, and
returned at once.
The Prince highly commended his diligence, and told him that his
reports were of great use to him, as, with them in his hand, he could
not be put off at the Admiralty with vague assurances. Every day one
or more ships went out to join the Fleet that was gathering in the
Downs, and on April 20th Cyril sailed in the _Fan Fan_, in company
with the last vessel of the White Squadron, and there again took up
his quarters on board the _Henrietta_, the _Fan Fan_ being anchored
hard by in charge of the boatswain.
On the 23rd, the Prince, with the Duke of Albemarle, and a great
company of noblemen and gentlemen, arrived at Deal, and came on board
the Fleet, which, on May 1st, weighed anchor.
Lord Oliphant was among the volunteers who came down with the Prince,
and, as many of the other gentlemen had also been on board during the
first voyage, Cyril felt that he was among friends, and had none of
the feeling of strangeness and isolation he had before experienced.
The party was indeed a merry one. For upwards of a year the fear of
the Plague had weighed on all England. At the time it increased so
terribly in London, that all thought it would, like the Black Death,
spread over England, and that, once again, half the population of the
country might be swept away. Great as the mortality had been, it had
been confined almost entirely to London and some of the great towns,
and now that it had died away even in these, there was great relief
in men's minds, and all felt that they had personally escaped from a
terrible and imminent danger. That they were about to face peril even
greater than that from which they had escaped did not weigh on the
spirits of the gentlemen on board Prince Rupert's ship. To be killed
fighting for their country was an honourable death that none feared,
while there had been, in the minds of even the bravest, a horror of
death by the Plague, with all its ghastly accompaniments. Sailing out
to sea to the Downs, then, they felt that the past year's events lay
behind them as an evil dream, and laughed and jested and sang with
light-hearted mirth.
As yet, the Dutch had not put out from port, and for three weeks the
Fleet cruised off their coast. Then, finding that the enemy could not
be tempted to come out, they sailed back to the Downs. The day after
they arrived there, a messenger came down from London with orders to
Prince Rupert to sail at once with the White Squadron to engage the
French Fleet, which was reported to be on the point of putting to
sea. The Prince had very little belief that the French really
intended to fight. Hitherto, although they had been liberal in their
promises to the Dutch, they had done nothing whatever to aid them,
and the general opinion was that France rejoiced at seeing her rivals
damage each other, but had no idea of risking her ships or men in the
struggle.
"I believe, gentlemen," Prince Rupert said to his officers, "that
this is but a ruse on the part of Louis to aid his Dutch allies by
getting part of our fleet out of the way. Still, I have nothing to do
but to obey orders, though I fear it is but a fool's errand on which
we are sent."
The wind was from the north-east, and was blowing a fresh gale. The
Prince prepared to put to sea. While the men were heaving at the
anchors a message came to Cyril that Prince Rupert wished to speak to
him in his cabin.
"Sir Cyril, I am going to restore you to your command. The wind is so
strong and the sea will be so heavy that I would not risk my yacht
and the lives of the men by sending her down the Channel. I do not
think there is any chance of our meeting the French, and believe that
it is here that the battle will be fought, for with this wind the
Dutch can be here in a few hours, and I doubt not that as soon as
they learn that one of our squadrons has sailed away they will be
out. The _Fan Fan_ will sail with us, but will run into Dover as we
pass. Here is a letter that I have written ordering you to do so, and
authorising you to put out and join the Admiral's Fleet, should the
Dutch attack before my return. If you like to have young Lord
Oliphant with you he can go, but he must go as a Volunteer under you.
You are the captain of the _Fan Fan_, and have been so for the last
two months; therefore, although your friend is older than you are, he
must, if he choose to go, be content to serve under you. Stay, I will
put it to him myself."
He touched the bell, and ordered Sydney to be sent for.
"Lord Oliphant," he said, "I know that you and Sir Cyril are great
friends. I do not consider that the _Fan Fan_, of which he has for
some time been commander, is fit to keep the sea in a gale like this,
and I have therefore ordered him to take her into Dover. If the Dutch
come out to fight the Admiral, as I think they will, he will join the
Fleet, and although the _Fan Fan_ can take but small share in the
fighting, she may be useful in carrying messages from the Duke while
the battle is going on. It seems to me that, as the _Fan Fan_ is
more likely to see fighting than my ships, you, as a Volunteer, might
prefer to transfer yourself to her until she again joins us. Sir
Cyril is younger than you are, but if you go, you must necessarily be
under his command seeing that he is captain of the yacht. It is for
you to choose whether you will remain here or go with him."
"I should like to go with him, sir. He has had a good deal of
experience of the sea, while I have never set foot on board ship till
last year. And after what he did at Lowestoft I should say that any
gentleman would be glad to serve under him."
"That is the right feeling," Prince Rupert said warmly. "Then get
your things transferred to the yacht. If you join Albemarle's Fleet,
Sir Cyril, you will of course report yourself to him, and say that I
directed you to place yourself under his orders."
Five minutes later Cyril and his friend were on board the _Fan Fan._
Scarcely had they reached her, when a gun was fired from Prince
Rupert's ship as a signal, and the ships of the White Squadron shook
out their sails, and, with the wind free, raced down towards the
South Foreland.
"We are to put into Dover," Cyril said to the boatswain, a
weatherbeaten old sailor.
"The Lord be praised for that, sir! She is a tight little craft, but
there will be a heavy sea on as soon we are beyond shelter of the
sands, and with these two guns on board of her she will make bad
weather. Besides, in a wind like this, it ain't pleasant being in a
little craft in the middle of a lot of big ones, for if we were not
swamped by the sea, we might very well be run down. We had better
keep her close to the Point, yer honour, and then run along, under
shelter of the cliffs, into Dover. The water will be pretty smooth in
there, though we had best carry as little sail as we can, for the
gusts will come down from above fit to take the mast out of her."
"I am awfully glad you came with me, Sydney," Cyril said, as he took
his place with his friend near the helmsman, "but I wish the Prince
had put you in command. Of course, it is only a nominal thing, for
the boatswain is really the captain in everything that concerns
making sail and giving orders to the crew. Still, it would have been
much nicer the other way."
"I don't see that it would, Cyril," Sydney laughed, "for you know as
much more about handling a boat like this than I do, as the boatswain
does than yourself. You have been on board her night and day for more
than a month, and even if you knew nothing about her at all, Prince
Rupert would have been right to choose you as a recognition of your
great services last time. Don't think anything about it. We are
friends, and it does not matter a fig which is the nominal commander.
I was delighted to come, not only to be with you, but because it will
be a very great deal pleasanter being our own masters on board this
pretty little yacht than being officers on board the _Henrietta_
where we would have been only in the way except when we went into
action."
As soon as they rounded the Point most of the sail was taken off the
_Fan Fan,_ but even under the small canvas she carried she lay over
until her lee rail was almost under water when the heavy squalls
swooped down on her from the cliffs. The rest of the squadron was
keeping some distance out, presenting a fine sight as the ships lay
over, sending the spray flying high into the air from their bluff
bows, and plunging deeply into the waves.
"Yes, it is very distinctly better being where we are," Lord Oliphant
said, as he gazed at them. "I was beginning to feel qualmish before
we got under shelter of the Point, and by this time, if I had been on
board the _Henrietta,_ I should have been prostrate, and should have
had I know not how long misery before me."
A quarter of an hour later they were snugly moored in Dover Harbour.
For twenty-four hours the gale continued; the wind then fell
somewhat, but continued to blow strongly from the same quarter. Two
days later it veered round to the south-west, and shortly afterwards
the English Fleet could be seen coming out past the Point. As soon as
they did so they headed eastward.
"They are going out to meet the Dutch," Sydney said, as they watched
the ships from the cliffs, "The news must have arrived that their
fleet has put out to sea."
"Then we may as well be off after them, Sydney; they will sail faster
than we shall in this wind, for it is blowing too strongly for us to
carry much sail."
They hurried on board. A quarter of an hour later the _Fan Fan_ put
out from the harbour. The change of wind had caused an ugly cross sea
and the yacht made bad weather of it, the waves constantly washing
over her decks, but before they were off Calais she had overtaken
some of the slower sailers of the Fleet. The sea was less violent as
they held on, for they were now, to some extent, sheltered by the
coast.
In a short time Cyril ran down into the cabin where Sydney was lying
ill.
"The Admiral has given the signal to anchor, and the leading ships
are already bringing up. We will choose a berth as near the shore as
we can; with our light draught we can lie well inside of the others,
and shall be in comparatively smooth water."
Before dusk the Fleet was at anchor, with the exception of two or
three of the fastest frigates, which were sent on to endeavour to
obtain some news of the enemy.