"What shall we do? Which way shall we go?" was the cry from all hands.
"Accompany the yachts to the eastward, and haul our wind in time to be
back before the flood makes," was Will Bubble's suggestion, and it was
approved of and acted on.
We watched the yachts starting, and a very pretty sight it was; but I
have not the slightest recollection of their names, except that they are
mostly those which have sailed before at Ryde. It is the _tout
ensemble_ of a regatta which makes up the interest; the white sails
moving about, the number of craft dressed out with gay colours, the
bands of music, the cheers as the winners pass the starting vessel, the
eagerness of the men in the boats pulling about with orders, the firing
of guns, the crowd on shore, the noise and bustle; and yet no dust, nor
heat, nor odours disagreeable as at horse-races, where abominations
innumerable take away half the pleasure of the spectacle. A gun was
fired for the yachts to take their stations and prepare; a quarter of an
hour flew by--another was heard loud booming along the water, and up
went the white folds of canvas like magic--mainsail, gaff-topsail,
foresail, and jib altogether. A hand ran aloft to make fast the
gaff-topsail-sheet the moment the throat was up, and while they were
still swaying away on the peak.
Every man exerts himself to the utmost--what muscular power and activity
is displayed! There is not one on board who is not as eager for victory
as the owner. What a crowd of canvas each tiny hull supports. What a
head to the gaff-topsail, as long as that of the mainsail itself! And
then the jib, well may it be called a balloon; it looks as if it could
lift the vessel out of the water and carry her bodily along; it can only
be set when she is going free; another is stopped along the bowsprit
ready to hoist as she hauls close up to beat back. Huzza! away glide
the beautiful beings--they look as if they had life in them; altogether,
not two seconds' difference in setting their sails--a magnificent start!
This beats the turf hollow: no slashing and cutting the flanks of the
unfortunate horses, no training of the still more miserable jockeys;
after all of which, you see a flash of yellow, or green, or blue
jackets, and in a few minutes every thing is over, and you hear that
some horse has won, and some thousands have slipped out of the hands of
one set of fools into those of another set, who, if wiser, are perhaps
not more respectable. Now, consider what science is required to plan a
fast yacht, what knowledge to build her, to cut and fashion her canvas--
to rig her. What skill and hardihood in master and crew to sail her.
What fine manly qualities are drawn out by the life they lead. Again I
say, Huzza for yachting!
Away glided the "Frolic" from her moorings, as the racing-yachts,
accompanied with a crowd of others, ran dead before the wind to the
eastward through Cowes Roads. The whole Channel appeared covered with a
wide spread of canvas, as we saw them stem on with their mainsails over
on one side, and their immense square-sails boomed out on the other.
Everybody on board was pleased, some uttered loud exclamations of
delight, even the Miss Sandons smiled. They never expressed their
pleasure by any more extravagant method; in fact, they were not given to
admiration, however willing to receive it.
I wish two persons to be noted more particularly than the rest--our hero
and heroine, at least for the present; for what is a story, however
true, without them? They were to be seen at the after-part of the
vessel--the one, the fair Jane Seaton, sitting on a pile of cushions,
and leaning against the side, while Harry Loring, the other, reclined on
a wrap-rascal at her feet, employed in looking up into her bright blue
eyes, as she unconsciously pulled to pieces a flower he had taken out of
his button-hole and given her.
"Wouldn't it be delightful to take a cruise to the Antipodes?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered.
"Just as we are now," he added, "with such a heaven above me." He
looked meaningly into her blue eyes.
Sweet Jane blushed, as well she might. What more in the same style he
said I don't know, for as she bent her head down, and he put his face
into her blue hood, not a word reached me. By the by, all the ladies
wore blue silk hoods, formed after the model of the front of a
bathing-machine, and they were considered admirable contrivances to help
a quiet flirtation, as in the present instance, besides aiding in
preserving the complexion.
Hearty was rather bothered, I fancied. He liked to be making love to
somebody, he declared, and Jane Seaton appeared to be a girl so much to
his taste, that, as he confessed, he felt rather spooney on her, and had
almost made up his mind to try his luck. Foolish Jane! Here was ten
thousand a year ready to throw himself at your feet instead of the
penniless youth who had so easily placed himself there. How you would
have kicked had you known the truth!
"I say, Hearty, can't you find something for all these young people to
do to keep them out of mischief?" sung out Sir Francis. "Remember the
proverb about idleness. I tremble for the consequences."
"Fie, fie!" said Mrs Skyscraper.
"Fie, fie!" echoed Mrs Topgallant; "I'm ashamed of you."
"We'll try what can be done, Sir Francis," answered Hearty. "Can you,
Bubble, devise something?"
"I have it," replied Will. "Tablecloths, napkins, towels, and all sorts
of household linen came on board yesterday at Portsmouth unhemmed, so I
laid in a supply of needles and thread this morning on purpose for the
present emergency."
The rogue had put Sir Francis up to making the observation he had done.
In a few minutes a number of rolls of various sorts of linen were
brought on deck. Some of the damsels protested that they had no
needles, and couldn't work and wouldn't work, till Sir Francis slyly
suggested that it was a trial to see who would make the most notable
wife; and without another objection being offered, all the fair hands
were employed in sewing away at a great rate, the gentlemen, meantime,
holding their parasols to shade them from the sun. Carstairs was the
only exception. He slyly went forward, and, taking out pencil and
paper, made a capital sketch of the various groups, under which he
wrote, "All for Love," and headed, "Distressed Needlewomen;" much to the
scandal of those who saw it.
The ladies, old and young, soon got tired of doing any thing, and the
announcement that dinner would be ready as soon as the company were, was
received with evident signs of satisfaction. Hearty was a sensible
fellow, and determined to get rid of all bad London habits, so we dined
early on board; and then when we got back to port in the evening, we
used generally to repair to the house of one or other of the guests, and
enjoy a meal called by some a glorious tea, by others a yachting tea--in
fact, it was something like the supper of our ancestors, with tea and
coffee. It mattered, therefore, nothing to us whether we got back at
eight, nine, or ten; no one waited dinner for us; indeed, Hearty never
would undertake to get back in time. I should advise all yachting
people to follow the good example thus set them.
By general acclamation it was determined that we should dine on deck;
and Sir Francis, Bubble, and some of the more nautical gentlemen, set to
work to rig tables, which we accomplished in a very satisfactory manner,
and never was a better feast set before a more hungry party of ladies
and gentlemen. Champagne was the favourite beverage; and certainly
Hearty did not stint his friends in it, though there was no lack of less
refined liquors. Sir Francis, of course, proposed the health of Ned
Hearty; "and may there soon be a Mrs Hearty to steady the helm of the
Frolic!" were the last words of his speech.
Ned got up to return thanks. He looked at Jane Seaton, but she had the
front of her bathing-machine turned toward Harry Loring, so did not see
him. He made a long oration, and concluded by observing,--
"How can there be any difficulty in following the advice my gallant
friend, Sir Francis Futtock, has given me, when I see myself surrounded
by so many angelic creatures, any of whom a prince might be proud to
make his bride?"
Loud shouts of applause from the gentlemen--odd looks and doubtful
smiles from the chaperones--blushes deep from the young ladies--each one
of whom, who was not already in love, thought she should like to become
Mrs Hearty, provided Lord Lorimer did not ask her to become Lady
Lorimer; while Henry Flareup was discovered squeezing the hand of Miss
Mary Masthead.
"Oh that I were a prince, then!" whispered Loring into Miss Seaton's
blue shade.
Thus passed on the day. If there was not much real wit, there was a
great deal of hearty laughter; and stores of health and good spirits
were laid in for the future. Loring sang some capital songs, Carstairs
spouted, and Bubble floated about, throwing in a word whenever he saw
any one silent, or looking as if about to become dull; while young
Flareup, who was anxious to do his best, laughed loudly, for want of any
other talent to amuse the company. As the vessels came to haul their
wind in order to save the tide back to Cowes, it was curious to observe
how they appeared to vanish. One could scarcely tell what had become of
the immense crowd we had just before seen astern of us. Scattered far
and wide in every direction, there seemed not to be one-quarter of the
number which were before to be seen. We got back soon after eight
o'clock, every one assuring Hearty that they had spent a most delightful
day.