Though I was a few minutes late for dinner, Miss Herbert did not chide
me for delay. She was charming in her reception of me; nor was the
fascination diminished to me by feeling with what generous warmth she
had defended and upheld me.
There is a marvellous charm in the being defended by one you love,
and of whose kind feeling towards you you had never dared to assure
yourself till the very moment that confirmed it. I don't know if I ever
felt in such spirits in my life. Not that I was gay or light-hearted so
much as happy,--happy in the sense of a self-esteem I had not known till
then. And what a spirit of cordial familiarity was there now between us!
She spoke to me of her daily life, its habits and even of its trials;
not complain-ingly nor fretfully,--far from it,--but in a way to imply
that these were the burdens meted out to all, and that none should
arrogantly imagine he was to escape the lot of his fellows. And then we
talked of the Croftons, of whom she was curious to hear details,--their
ages, appearance, manner, and so on; lastly, how I came to know them,
and thus imperceptibly led me to tell of myself and of my story. I am
sure that we each of us had enough of care upon our hearts, and yet
none would have ever guessed it to have seen how joyously and merrily we
laughed over some of the incidents of my checkered career. She bantered
me, too, on the feeble and wayward impulses by which I had suffered
myself to be moved, and gravely asked me, had I accomplished any single
one of all the objects I had set before my mind in starting.
Far more earnestly, however, did we discuss the future. She heard
with joy that I had already secured a passage for Constantinople, and
declared that she could not dismiss from her mind the impression that
I was destined to aid their return to happiness and prosperity. I liked
the notion, too, of there being a fate in our first meeting; a fate in
that acquaintanceship with the Croftons, which gave the occasion to
seek her out again; and, last of all, if it might be so, a fate in the
influence I was to exercise over their fortunes. I was so absorbed in
these pleasant themes that I, with as little of the lion in my heart as
any man breathing, never once thought of the quarrel and its impending
consequences. How my heart beat as her soft breath fanned me while she
spoke! As she was telling me when and from whence I was to write to
her, the servant came to say that a gentleman outside begged to see Mr.
Potts. I hurried to the hail.
“Not come to disturb you, Potts,” said the skipper, in a brisk tone;
“only thought it best to make your mind easy. It's all right.”
“A thousand thanks, Captain,” said I, warmly. “I knew when the
negotiation was in your hands it would be so.”
“Yes; his friend, a Major Colesby, boggled a bit at first Could n't see
the thing in the light I put it. Asked very often 'who were you?' asked,
too, 'who I was?' Good that! it made me laugh. Rather late in the day,
I take it, to ask who Bob Rogers is! But in the end, as I said, it all
comes right, quite right.”
“And his apology was full, ample, and explicit? Was it in writing,
Rogers? I 'd like it in writing.”
“Like what in writing.”
“His apology, or explanation, or whatever you like to call it.”
“Who ever spoke of such a thing? Who so much as dreamed of it? Haven't
I told you the affair is all right? and what does all right mean,
eh?--what does it mean?”
“I know what it ought to mean,” said I, angrily.
“So do I, and so do most men in this island, sir. It means twelve
paces under the Battery wall, fire together, and as many shots as the
aggrieved asks for. That's all right, isn't it?”
“In one sense it is so,” said I, with a mock composure.
“Well, that's the only sense I ever meant to consider it by. Go back now
to your tea, or your sugar-and-water, or whatever it is; and when you
come home to-night, step into my room, and we'll have a cosey chat and
a cigar. There 's one or two trifling things that I don't understand in
this affair, and I put my own explanation on them, and maybe it ain't
the right one. Not that it signifies _now_, you perceive, because
you are here to the fore, and can set them right. But as by this time
to-morrow you might be where--I won't mention'--we may as well put them
straight this evening.”
“I'll beat you up, depend upon it,” said I, affecting a slap-dash style.
“I can't tell you how glad I am to have fallen into your hands, Rogers.
You suit me exactly.”
“Well, it's more than I expected when I saw you first, and I kept saying
to myself, 'Whatever could have persuaded Joe to send me a creature like
that?' To tell you the truth, I thought you were in the cheap funeral
line.”
“Droll dog!” said I, while my fingers were writhing and twisting with
passion.
“Not that it's fair to take a fellow by his looks. I'm aware of that,
Potts. But go back to the parlor; that's the second time the maid has
come out to see what keeps you. Go back, and enjoy yourself; maybe you
won't have so pleasant an opportunity soon again.”
This was the parting speech of the wretch as he buttoned the collar of
his coat, and with a short nod bade me goodbye, and left me.
“Why did you not ask your friend to take a cup of tea with us?'” said
Kate, as I re-entered the drawing-room.
“Oh! it was the skipper, a rough sort of creature, not exactly made for
drawing-room life; besides, he only came to ask me a question.”
“I hope it was not a very unpleasant one, for you look pale and
anxious.”
“Nothing of the kind; a mere formal matter about my baggage.”
It was no use; from that moment, I was the most miserable of mankind.
What availed it to speculate any longer on the future? How could I
interest myself in what years might bring forth? Hours, and a very few
of them, were all that were left to me. Poor girl! how tenderly she
tried to divert my sorrow! She, most probably, ascribed it to the
prospect of our speedy separation; and with delicacy and tact, she
tried to trace out some faint outlines of what painters call “extreme
distance,”--a sort of future where all the skies would be rose-colored
and all the mountains blue. I am sure, if a choice had been given me
at that instant, I would rather have been a courageous man than the
greatest genius in the universe. I knew better what was before. At last
it came to ten o'clock, and I arose to say good-bye. I found it very
hard not to fall upon her neck and say, “Don't be angry with poor Potts;
this is his last as it is his first embrace.”
“Wear that ring for me and for my sake,” said she, giving me one from
her finger; “don't refuse me,--it has no value save what you may attach
to it from having been mine.”
Oh dear! what a gulp it cost me not to say, “I 'll never take it off
while I live,” and then add, “which will be about eight hours and a half
more.”
When I got into the open air, I ran as if a pack of wolves were in
pursuit of me. I cannot say why; but the rapid motion served to warm
my blood, so that when I reached the hotel, I felt more assured and more
resolute.
Rogers was asleep, and so soundly that I had to pull the pillow from
beneath his head before I could awaken him; and when I had accomplished
the feat, either the remote effect of his brandy-and-water or his
drowsiness had so obscured his faculties, that all he could mumble
out was, “Hit him where he can't be spliced,--hit him where they
can't splice him!” I tried for a long time to recall him to sense
and intelligence, but I got nothing from him save the one inestimable
precept; and so I went to my room, and, throwing myself on my bed in
my cloak, prepared for a night of gloomy retrospect and gloomier
anticipation; but, odd enough, I was asleep the moment I lay down.
“Get up, old fellow,” cried Rogers, shaking me violently, just as the
dawn was breaking; “we 're lucky if we can get aboard before they catch
us.”
“What do you mean?” said I. “What's happened?”
“The Governor has got wind of our shindy, and put all the red-coats in
arrest, and ordered the police to nab us too.”
“Bless him! bless him!” muttered I.
“Ay, so say I. He be blessed!” cried he, catching up my words. “But let
us make off through the garden; my gig is down in the offing, and they
'll pull in when they hear my whistle. Ain't it provoking,--ain't it
enough to make a man swear?”
“I have no words for what I feel, Rogers,” said I, bustling about to
collect my stray articles through the room. “If I ever chance upon that
Governor--he has only five years of it--I believe--”
“Come along! I see the boat coming round the point yonder.” And with
this we slipped noiselessly down the stairs, down the street, and gained
the Jetty.
“Steam up?” asked the skipper, as he jumped into the gig.
“Ay, ay, sir; and we're short on the anchor too.” In less than half
an hour we were under weigh, and I don't think I ever admired a land
prospect receding from view with more intense delight than I did that,
my last glimpse of Malta.