ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
The _Arcadia_, Lord Lydstone's yacht, was a fine three-masted schooner
of a couple of hundred tons. She was lying far out in the bay, amidst
a crowd of shipping of every kind--coal-hulks, black and grimy; H.M.S.
_Samarang_, receiving-ship, and home of the captain of the port;
British vessels, steamers and sailing-ships, of every rig; foreign
craft of every aspect native to its waters: zebecques, faluchas, and
polaccas, with their curved spars and heavy lateen sails.
A fleet of small boats surrounded the yacht, native boats of curious
build, and manned by dark-skinned natives of the Rock, in nondescript
attire--a noisy, pushing, quarrelsome lot, eager to do business,
gesticulating wildly, and jabbering loudly in many strange tongues.
Here was a pure Spaniard, with a red sash round his waist, and a
velvet cap, round as a cartwheel, on his head, with a boatful of
vegetables and early fruit. There was a grave and sedate Moor, in
green turban and white flowing robes, with an assortment of
gold-braided slippers and large brass trays. Next a Maltese
milk-seller, in scanty garments, nothing but short canvas trousers and
a shirt, who had come with cans full of goats'-milk from the herds he
kept on the barren slopes of the Rock. Not far off was the galley of
the health-officer, with a crew of "scorpion" boatmen in neat white
jackets and straw hats.
On the deck of the yacht, under an awning--for the spring sun already
beat down hotly at noon--were the owner and his guests. Lord Lydstone,
cigar in mouth, lounged lazily upon a heap of rugs and cushions at the
feet of Mrs. Wilders, who took her ease luxuriantly in a comfortable
cane arm-chair.
Blanche Cyprienne, Countess of St. Clair, had changed little since her
marriage. Her beauty had gained rather than lost; her manner was more
commanding, her look more haughty. Her fine eyes flashed insolently,
or were veiled in lazy disdain, and her voice spoke scornfully or
drawled with careless contempt, according to her mood.
"So that is the Rock--the great Rock of Gibraltar," she was saying.
"What an extraordinary-looking place!"
"You will say so, Countess, when you get on shore," said Lord
Lydstone.
"Is there anything really to see?" she asked. "Is it worth the trouble
of landing?"
"Why, of course! I thought it was all settled. The general sent some
hours ago to say he proposed to pay his respect to the Governor. You
cannot help yourself now."
"Oh! the general," remarked Mrs. Wilders, as she was generally
styled--the title Countess was only used by intimate friends--in a
tone that implied she was not at all bound by her husband's plans.
"Where is the good man just now?" inquired Lord Lydstone, in much the
same tone.
"There, forward," said Mrs. Wilders, pointing to the part of the deck
beyond the awning. "Trying to get a sunstroke by walking about with
his head bare."
"He does that on principle, Countess, don't you know. He wants to
harden his cranium, in case he loses his hat some day in action."
"I hope he may never go into action. If he does, I should be sorry for
his men."
"Not for him?"
"That may be taken for granted," she replied, in a matter-of-fact way.
"How fond you are of him! What devoted affection! It's lucky you have
little to spare!"
"I keep it for the proper person."
"Is there none for his relatives?" asked Lydstone, with a meaning
look.
"Do any of them deserve my affection?"
"I try very hard, Countess; and I should so value the smallest crumb."
"Don't be foolish, Lord Lydstone! you must not try to make love to me;
it would be wrong. Besides, we are too nearly connected now."
"You never throw me a single kind word, Blanche."
"Certainly not. I won't have it on my conscience that I led you
astray, poor innocent lamb! A fine thing! What would your people say?
They're bitter enough against me as it is!"
The Essendines had never properly acknowledged Colonel Wilders's
marriage, or treated his wife, the foreign countess, other than with
the coldest contempt. Lord Lydstone knew this, and knew too that his
mother was right; yet he could not defend her when this woman, whom he
admired still--too much, indeed, for his peace of mind--resented her
treatment.
"Your mother has behaved disgracefully to me--that you must admit,
Lord Lydstone."
"She is an old-fashioned, old-world lady, with peculiar straitlaced
notions of her own. But, if you please, we won't talk about her."
"Why not? You cannot pretend that she was right in ignoring me,
flouting me, insulting me! Am I not your near relative's wife? Why,
Bill is only four off the title now."
"One of them being your humble servant, who devoutly hopes that all
four will long interpose between him and the succession," said Lord
Lydstone, with a pleasant laugh.
"I don't wish you any harm, of course; still it is as I say, and my
son--"
"Aged two, and at present in England at nurse."
"--May be the future Earl of Essendine."
"He shan't be, if I can prevent it!" cried Lord Lydstone, gaily; "you
may rely on that. But, I say, here is a smart gig coming off from the
shore. I believe the Governor has sent his own barge for you. Here,
Bill! I say, Bill!"
General Wilders came aft.
"You had better put on your best clothes, general; they are coming to
fetch you in state."
"I suppose, on this occasion only, you will wear a hat, Bill?" said
Mrs. Wilders.
"I wish you would go down and get ready, my dear; we ought not to keep
the gig," said the general, as he himself went below to dress.
"I am not so sure I shall go on shore at all," replied his wife.
"No!" cried Lord Lydstone. "Throw the general over, and stay on board
with me."
"That would be too great penance," said Mrs. Wilders, as she moved
towards the companion-ladder. "I've had enough of your lordship for
one day."
Lydstone got up, looking rather vexed, and followed her across the
deck. When he was quite close to her side he whispered with suppressed
but manifest feeling--
"Why do you torture me so? Sometimes I think you care for me;
sometimes that you hate and detest me. What am I think?"
"What you choose," she answered, in a low, quick voice, evidently much
displeased. "I have given you no right to speak to me in this way. Let
me pass, or I shall appeal to my lawful protector!"
Presently Mrs. Wilders reappeared, dressed to perfection in some cool
light fabric, serene and smiling to everyone but Lord Lydstone. She
was especially gracious to young Mr. Wilders, who had come off in the
Governor's gig, and had been cordially welcomed by his brother.
"Another cousin," said the general, introducing him. He was now in
uniform--the general--in uniform to suit his own fancy rather than the
regulations. The only orthodox articles of apparel were his twisted
general's scimitar and a forage-cap with a broad gold band. His coat
and waistcoat were of white cloth; he had a wide crimson sash round
his waist, and his lower limbs were encased in hunting-breeches and
long boots. "Anastasius, one of the Royal Picts."
"All soldiers, you Wilders, all--except one." This was specially
intended to annoy Lydstone. "The future head of the house is kept in
cotton-wool; he is too precious, I suppose, to be risked."
"It is not my fault," began Lydstone. It was a sore point with him
that he had not been permitted--in deference to his mother's fond
protests--to enter the army.
"Are you not coming with us, Lydstone?" said his young brother,
greatly disappointed. "I did want to show you our mess."
"I know Gibraltar by heart, and I have letters to write. I hope you
will enjoy yourself, Countess," he added, sarcastically, as they went
down the side.
"There's no fear of that, now we have left you behind," replied Mrs.
Wilders, sharply.
"Why can't you and Lydstone keep better friends?" said General
Wilders, a little shocked at this remark.
"It's his fault, not mine, and that's enough about it," replied Mrs.
Wilders, rather petulantly. "Did you ever quarrel with your brother,"
she went on to Anastasius, "when you were boys?"
"I would not have dared. Not that I wanted to: we three brothers were
always the best of friends."
"You are an affectionate family, Mr. Wilders; I have long been
convinced of that," said Mrs. Wilders, who could not leave the subject
alone.
But now the gig, impelled by six stout oarsmen, was nearing the
Waterport Guard, and was already under the shadow of the frowning
batteries of the Devil's Tongue. High above them rose the sheer
straight wall of the rock, bristling with frowning fortifications,
line above line, and countless embrasures armed with heavy artillery.
The wharf itself was crowded with the usual motley polyglot
gathering--sailors of all nations, soldiers of the garrison, Spanish
peasants from the neighbouring villages, native scorpions, policemen,
and inspectors of strangers.
"How amusing! How interesting! It's like a scene in a play!" cried
Mrs. Wilders, as she stepped ashore.
Escorted by her husband and cousin, they pushed their way through the
crowd towards the Waterport gateway, and under it into the main ditch.
As they approached there was a cry of "Guard, turn out!" and the
Waterport Guard, under its officer, fell in with open ranks to give
the general a salute. General Wilders acknowledged the compliment,
and, while he stood there with two fingers to his hat, Sergeant McKay
advanced and reported himself.
"Your orderly, sir."
"Eh! what?" said the general, a little surprised. "My orderly! Very
considerate of Sir Thomas," he went on. "One of the Royal Picts, too,
and a guard from the same regiment! Most attentive, I'm sure!"
The general went up at once to the front rank of the guard, and
proceeded to inspect the men carefully. With his own hands he altered
the hang of the knapsacks and the position of the belts; he measured
in the regular way, with two fingers, the length of the pouch below
the elbow, grumbling to himself as he went along.
"So you use harness-blacking for your pouches. I don't approve of
that. And your pipe-clay; it's got too blue a tinge."
While he lingered thus fondly over the trifling details that, to his
mind, summed up the whole duty of a general officer, his wife's voice
was heard impatiently calling him to her side.
"Come, general, don't be all day! How can you waste time over such
nonsense!"
"My dear," said her husband, gravely, as he rejoined her, "this
regiment is to form part of my brigade"--McKay pricked up his
ears--"it is the first time I have seen any of it. You must allow
me--"
"I am going on into the town; inspecting guards doesn't amuse me," and
the general discreetly abandoned his professional duties and walked on
by her side.
The guard was dismissed by its commander; the men "lodged arms" and
went back to the guard-room. Only Sergeant Hyde remained outside,
watching the retreating figures of the Wilders' party.
"I should have known her voice again amongst a thousand," said the old
sergeant, shaking his head; "and from the glimpse I caught of her she
seemed but little changed. I wonder whether she saw me. Not that she
would have recognised me; I am not what I was. No one here has made me
out, although a dozen years ago I was well known all over the Rock.
Besides, how could she see me? I was on the other flank, and,
fortunately, she left the general to inspect us by himself. Poor man!
I had rather be a sergeant--a private even--than stand in that
general's shoes."