“H.M.S. _Ajax_, May 17, 1799.
“CAPTAIN PHILIP OVERTON:
“_Dear Sir_,--This is to inform you that I have reached Portsmouth,
after a very successful cruise in the _Ajax_, when we took the
_Indomptable_ and the _Xantippe_ and a large sum in specie. My shair
is considerable--more money in short than I ever saw, much less
handled, in my life. I would like a month in London to spend this
money before offering my carkass to be made full of holes by you. Dear
sir, consider. If I escape your marksmanship, the month more or less
will be of little account; and if I fall, I shall miss the finest
chance of seeing the world I ever had in my life. I think, sir, with
difidence I say it, that my record in the _Ajax_ is enough to make
plain I am not shurking the satisfaction I owe you, but I would take
it as a personal favor if you would put it off to this day month,
when I will be in London. And as I shall eat and drink of the best,
’tis ten to one I will be much fater and therefore be a much better
mark for you. I am, dear sir,
“Your obliged and
“Obedient servant,
“GILES VERNON.”
I pointed out to Giles that, although the tone of the letter was quite
correct, the writing and spelling were scarce up to standard--I was
more bookish than Giles. But he replied with some heat,--
“Who, while reading the communication of a gentleman, will be so base
as to sneer at the grammar or spelling?” So the letter went as it
was, and in reply came a very handsome, well-expressed letter from
Captain Overton, not only agreeing to postpone it a month, but for six
weeks, which pleased Giles mightily. I wish to say, although Giles was
inexpert with the pen, he had no lack of either polish or ideas, and
was as fine an officer as ever walked the deck.
The matter with Overton finally settled, and the ship being paid off,
Giles and I started for London, as happy as two youngsters could
be, with liberty and two thousand pounds apiece to spend, for I
acknowledge that I had no more thought of saving than Giles. We took a
chaise and four to London--no stage-coach for us!--and reached there
in a day. We had planned to take the finest rooms at Mivart’s Hotel,
but fate and Lady Hawkshaw prevented me from enjoying them except for
the first night of our arrival. Next morning on presenting myself at
the Admiralty to ask for letters,--never dreaming I should have any,--I
received one from Sir Peter Hawkshaw, which read--
“GRAND-NEPHEW.--My Lady Hawkshaw desires that you will come and bring
your money with you to our house in Berkeley Square, and remain there.
“Yours, etc.,
“P. HAWKSHAW, C.B.”
Great was my distress when I got this letter, as I foresaw there would
not be much chance under Lady Hawkshaw’s eagle eye of seeing the kind
of life I wished to see. And I was obliged to go, for Sir Peter was the
only person on earth likely to interest himself at the Admiralty for
me; and I might stay and wither on shore while others more fortunate
got ships, if I antagonized him. And when Lady Hawkshaw commanded,
there was but one thing to do, and that was to obey.
So, with a heavy heart, I took myself and my portmanteau and, in a
canvas bag, my two thousand guineas to the admiral’s great fine house
in Berkeley Square. My parting with Giles was melancholy enough; for,
with the womanish jealousy of a boy, I was unhappy to think he would be
enjoying himself with some one else, while I was suffering the hardship
of having my money taken care of for me.
Giles had no more forgotten the Lady Arabella than I had, and, on
reading this note, exclaimed,--
“Zounds! I wish Peter and Polly had sent for me to stay in Berkeley
Square, with that divine creature under the same roof. Do you think,
Dicky, we could exchange identities, so to speak?” But on my reminding
him that Lady Hawkshaw had demanded my prize-money, and would certainly
get it, his ardor to stand in my shoes somewhat abated.
[Illustration: With her were Daphne and the glorious Lady Arabella.
_Page 69_]
When I reached Sir Peter’s house about noon, the same tall and
insolent footman that I had seen on my first visit opened the door for
me. Lady Hawkshaw, wearing the same black velvet gown and the identical
feathers, received me, and sitting with her were Daphne Carmichael and
the glorious, the beautiful, the enchanting Lady Arabella Stormont.
If I had fallen madly in love with her when I was but fourteen, and
had only seven and sixpence, one may imagine where I found myself
when I was near seventeen, and had two thousand pounds in a bag in my
hands. Lady Hawkshaw’s greeting was stiff, but far from unkind; and she
introduced me to the young ladies, who curtsied most beautifully to me,
and, I may say, looked at me not unkindly.
“Is that your prize-money in that bag, Richard?” asked Lady Hawkshaw
immediately.