The Circe, thirty-two, to which I had been appointed, was a small but
very beautiful frigate and as far as I could judge by her build as she
lay on the stocks, had every requisite for sailing well.
When I took my leave of Lord de Versely, he told me that he should come
down on the first of the following month (September) to Madeline Hall,
where his aunt, Miss de Versely, was still flourishing at a green old
age. "Here is a letter of introduction to her, Keene," said he, "as she
has not seen you since you were a few months old, and therefore it is
not very likely that she would recognise you. Take my advice, and make
yourself as agreeable to the old lady as you can; you will find Madeline
Hall a very pleasant place, when you are tired of the dockyard and the
smell of pitch and tar."
I thanked his lordship, and we parted with much more cordiality shown by
him than I had experienced.
I hardly need say, that the first person who came to congratulate me on
my arrival at Portsmouth was my old friend an adviser Bob Cross. "Well,
Captain Keene," said Bob, as I shook him warmly by the hand, "I'm
delighted at your success, and I know you will not be sorry to hear that
I am getting on as well as I could wish in my small way; Jane and I are
to be married in a few days, and I hope you will honour me by being
present at the wedding."
"That I will, Bob, with pleasure," replied I; "let me hear all that has
taken place."
"Why, sir, it's told in a few words. I took your advice, and brought
the old gentleman presents, and I sat with him and heard all his old
stories at least fifty times over, and laughed at his jokes as regularly
the last time as the first; and he told Jane and her mother that I was a
very pleasant, sensible and amusing young man--although he had all the
talk, and I had none. The fact is, sir, it was he who first brought up
the subject of my splicing his niece; that is to say, he hinted how he
should like to see her well settled, and that if she married according
to his wishes, he would leave her all he had.
"Well, sir, it was the opinion of Jane and her mother, that, as he was a
whimsical, changeable old chap, it would be right for her to refuse me
at first; and so she did, very much to the old man's annoyance, who then
set his mind upon it, and swore that if she did not marry me, he would
not leave her a farthing. After a few days of quarrelling, Jane gave
in, and the old chap swears that we shall be married immediately, and
that he will give us half his property down at once."
"Strike the iron while it's hot, Bob," replied I. "Is the day fixed?"
"Not exactly, sir; but we are to be put up in church next Sunday, and it
takes three Sundays. I hope you won't part with me, sir," continued
Bob. "The Diligente will be paid off on Tuesday, they say, and if you
could get me appointed to the Circe--"
"Why, Cross, you are thinking of going to sea again, even before you are
married. I should advise you not to be in such a hurry. You must not
displease the old gentleman; besides, you must not leave a young wife so
soon."
"That's very true, Captain Keene, but I don't think I should be
comfortable if I knew you were afloat without me."
"I suppose you think that I cannot take care of myself."
"Yes, I do, sir; but still I know that I should fret; and, sir, it will
be four months at least before the Circe is ready for sea and I may just
as well be appointed to her, and I can decide whether I do go to sea or
not when the time comes."
"Well, Cross, I will certainly apply for you; but, if you take my
advice, you will give up the sea altogether, and live on shore."
"I have nothing to do, sir."
"Yes, you have; you have to cherish your wife, and look after the old
gentleman."
"Well he is rather shakey, they say sir; the old woman is often called
out to him at nights."
"Well, Cross, I will do as you wish, and time will decide how you are to
act. I am going over to Southampton for a few days perhaps, and will
take care to be back by the wedding. By-the-bye, have you heard
anything about prize-money?"
"Yes, sir; it's payable for the Diligente and schooner, and all our
recaptures in the West Indies when we were in the Firefly. The Dutch
frigate has been for distribution some time; but as I was only petty
officer then, it won't come to much."
"Well, I can tell you that the government have taken the schooner which
we captured in the chops of the channel, and the East India Company have
given us salvage for the ship. My agent has received already 7,400
pounds on my account, which I have ordered to be purchased into the
funds. As there were so few warrant officers, your share will not be
less than 1,500 pounds, perhaps more. As you said, the salvage of the
Indiaman has proved more valuable to us than all the rest of our
prize-money put together."
"Well, Captain Keene, if my prize-money comes to as much as that, I
think I shall be nearly as well off as my little Jane will be. Will you
have the kindness to let your agent put it by for me in the same way
that you have done yours?"
"Yes, Cross, I will see to it immediately; I shall write to him
to-morrow, or the day after."
After a little conversation, Cross took leave. The next day I took
post-horses, and went over to Madeline Hall, having two or three days
before received a note from the Honourable Miss Delmar, saying how glad
she should be to see me as a friend and shipmate of her nephew, Lord de
Versely; so that it appeared the old lady had been written to by Lord de
Versely respecting me.
I arrived early in the afternoon, and the post-chaise drove up the
avenue of magnificent chestnut-trees which led to the mansion.