WHY A BACHELOR TOOK TO YACHTING--THE RIVAL SUITORS--A DOUBTFUL
CHARACTER.
Awakened one morning towards the close of the last London season by the
postman's rap, my friend Harcourt found, on reading his letters, that he
had become the owner of the "Amethyst" cutter, and a member of the Royal
Yacht Club. Possessing an independent fortune, a large circle of
acquaintance, several stanch friends, and few enemies, he ought to have
been a happy man--but he was not. The fact is, he did not know what to
do with himself. He had travelled not only over the Continent, but had
visited the three other quarters of the globe. He had gone through
several London seasons, and run the rounds of innumerable country-houses
where there were marriageable daughters, but had neither fallen in love,
nor been drawn into a proposal. In truth, he believed with his friends
that he was not a marrying man. He had become heartily sick of dusty
roads, passage-steamers, hot rooms, dissipation, and manoeuvring mammas,
when I, who had of old been his messmate, recommended him to try
yachting for the summer.
"What, go to sea for pleasure?" he exclaimed, in a tone of contempt.
"You surely cannot suggest such a folly. I had enough of it when I was
a poor young middy, and obliged to buffet the rude winds and waves;
but--"
"Well; think about it," were the last words I uttered as I left him.
He _did_ think about it, and thought, too, perhaps, he might like it.
He was not a novice, for he had for some years of his existence served
his country in the exalted capacity of a midshipman; but on succeeding,
by the death of an elder brother and an uncle, to some few thousands a
year, he magnanimously determined, by the advice of his lady mother, not
to stand in the way of the promotion of any of his brother-officers, and
retired from the career of glory he was following. I cannot say that
the thoughts of leaving his profession gave him much regret,
particularly as being too old to return to school, and too ignorant of
Latin and Greek to think of the university, he was henceforth to be his
own master. If now and then he acknowledged to himself that he might
have been a happier man with a pursuit in life, I cannot say--I am not
moralising. So much for his past life.
After I left him he meditated on the subject I had suggested, he told
me; and the next time we met, we talked it over, and as I was going down
to Portsmouth, he gave me _carte blanche_ to buy a vessel for him, there
not being time to build one. This letter communicated the result of my
search. Having made himself master of this and a few other bits of
information, he turned round, as was his custom after reading his
letters, to sleep off the weariness of body and mind with which he had
lately been afflicted, but as he lay dozing on his luxurious couch,
visions of the "Amethyst," flitted across his brain. A light, graceful
craft, as she probably was, with a broad spread of white canvas, gliding
like some lovely spirit over the blue ocean. "Who shall sail with me,"
he thought. "Brine, of course. Where shall we go? When shall we
start? What adventures shall we probably encounter? How shall I again
like to find myself on the surface of the fickle sea?" The case,
however, from the Then and the Now was widely different. Then he was a
midshipman in a cockpit, at the beck and order of a dozen or twenty
masters. Now he was to enjoy a command independent of the admiralty and
their sealed orders, admirals, or senior captains. His own will, and
the winds and tides, the only powers he was to obey.
"By Jove! there is something worth living for," he exclaimed, as he
jumped out of bed. "I'll forswear London forthwith. I'll hurry off
from its scheming and heartlessness, its emptiness and frivolity. I'll
go afloat at once. Brine is right. He's a capital fellow. It was a
bright idea. I'll try first how I like channel cruising. I can always
come on shore if it bores me. If I find it pleasant, I'll buy a larger
craft next year. I'll go up the Straits, perhaps out to visit my friend
Brooke at Borneo, and round the world."
He bathed, breakfasted, drove to his tailor's, looked in at the Carlton
and the Conservative, fulfilled a dinner engagement, and in the evening
went to three parties, at all of which places he astonished his
acquaintances by the exuberance of his spirits.
"The fact is," he answered to their inquiries as by what wonderful means
the sudden change had been wrought, "I've broken my trammels. I'm off.
A few days hence and London shall know me no more. To be plain, I'm
going to turn marine monster, don a monkey-jacket, cultivate a beard,
wear a tarpaulin hat, smoke cigars, and put my hands in my pockets. We
shall meet again at Cowes, Torquay, Plymouth, or one of the other salt
water places. Till then, _au revoir_."
As he was entering Lady L--'s door, who should he meet coming out but
his old friend O'Malley, whom he had not seen for ages! He knew that
his regiment had just come back from India, so he was not very much
surprised. He took his arm and returned into the rooms with him. Now,
O'Malley was an excellent fellow, agreeable, accomplished, and possessed
of a fund of good spirits, which nothing could ruffle. He was, indeed,
a good specimen of an Irish gentleman. He sang a good song, told a good
story, and made friends wherever he went. Such was just the man under
every circumstance for a _compagnon de voyage_. He hesitated not a
moment in inviting him, and, to his infinite satisfaction, he at once
accepted the offer.
A week after he had become the owner of the "Amethyst," O'Malley and he
were seated in a Southampton railroad carriage, on their way to Cowes,
where she was fitting out under my inspection. In the division opposite
to them sat a little man whom they at once perceived to belong to the
genus snob. He had a comical little face of his own, lighted by a pair
of round eyes, with a meaningless expression, fat cheeks, a somewhat
large open mouth, and a pug nose with large nostrils.
"Beg pardon, sir," he observed to O'Malley, on whose countenance he saw
a smile playing, which encouraged him. "Hope I don't interrupt the
perusal of your paper? Ah, no--concluded--topped off with births,
deaths, marriages, and advertisements. See mine there soon. Don't mean
an advertisement, nor my birth, ha, ha! too old a bird for that; nor
death, you may suppose; I mean t'other--eh, you twig? coming the tender,
wooing, and wedding--hope soon to fix the day:"--suddenly he turned
round to Harcourt--"Reading the `Daily'?--Ah, no, the `Times,' I see.--
Any news, sir?"
They did look at him with astonishment, but, at the same time, were so
amused that, of course, they humoured the little man. Harcourt,
therefore, unfroze, and smiling, offered him the paper.
"Oh dear! many thanks, didn't want it," he answered; "can't read in a
railroad, afraid to interrupt you before you'd finished. Going down to
the sea, I suppose?--So am I. Abroad, perhaps?--I'm not. Got a
yacht?--national amusement. Sail about the Wight?--pretty scenery,
smooth water, I'm told. Young lady, fond of boating--sure way to win
her heart. Come it strong--squeeze her hand, can't get away. Eh, see
I'm up to a trick or two."
In this absurdly vulgar style he ran on, while they stared, wondering
who he could be. Finding that, they said nothing, he began again.
"Fond of yachting, gentlemen?"
"I believe so," answered Harcourt.
"So am I.--Got a yacht?" he asked.
Harcourt nodded.
"What's her name?"
Harcourt told him.
"Mine's the `Dido.' Pretty name, isn't it? short and sweet. Dido was
Queen of Sheba, you know--ran away with Ulysses, the Trojan hero, and
then killed herself with an adder because he wouldn't marry her.
Learned all that when I was at school. She's at Southampton, but I
belong to the club. Only twenty-five tons--little, but good. Not a
clipper I own--stanch and steady, that's my motto. Warwick Ribbons has
always a welcome for his friends. That's me, at your service.
Christened Warwick from the great Guy. Rough it now and then. You
won't mind that. Eggs and bacon, and a plain chop, but weeds and liquor
_ad lib_. Brother yachtsmen, you know. Bond of union." They winced a
little. "Shall meet often, I hope, as my father used to say each time
he passed the bottle. David Ribbons was his name. Good man. Merchant
in the city. Cut up well. Left me and brother Barnabas a mint of
money. Barnabas sticks to trade. I've cut it. Made a lucky spec, in
railroads, and am flaring up a bit. Here we are at the end of our
journey," he exclaimed, as the train stopped at Southampton. "We shall
meet again on board the `Dido.' Remember me. Warwick Ribbons, you
know--good-by good-by." And before they were aware of his friendly
intentions, he had grasped them both warmly by the hand. "I must see
after my goods--my trunks, I mean." So saying, he set off to overtake
the porter, who was wheeling away his traps.
Harcourt never felt more inclined to give way to a hearty fit of
laughter, and O'Malley indulged himself to his heart's content.
In an hour after this they were steaming down the Southampton Water on
their way to Cowes. Just as they got clear of the pier they again
beheld their friend, Warwick Ribbons, on the deck of a remarkably ugly
little red-bottomed cutter, which they had no doubt was the "Dido." He
recognised them, apparently, for, holding on by the rigging, he jumped
on the gunwale, waving his hat vehemently to draw their attention and
that of the other passengers to himself and his craft, but of course
they did not consider it necessary to acknowledge his salute. This
vexed him, for he turned round and kicked a dirty-looking boy, which
also served to let everybody know that he was master of the "Dido." The
boy uttered a howl and ran forward, little Ribbons followed him round
and round the deck, repeating the dose as long as they could see him.
I was the first person they met on landing at Cowes, and Harcourt,
having introduced O'Malley to me, we repaired to the "Amethyst," lying
off White's Yard. We pulled round her twice, to examine her thoroughly
before we went on board. He was not disappointed in her, for though
smaller than he could have wished--she measured sixty tons--she was a
perfect model of symmetry and beauty. She was also so well fitted
within that she had accommodation equal to many vessels of nearly twice
her size.
Three days more passed, and the "Amethyst" was stored, provisioned, and
reported ready for sea. Harcourt's spirits rose to an elevation he had
not experienced for years, as, on one of the most beautiful mornings of
that beautiful season, his craft, with a light wind from the southward,
glided out of Cowes Harbour.
"What a wonderful effect has the pure fresh air, after the smoke and
heat of London!" exclaimed O'Malley. "Let me once inhale the real salt
breeze, and I shall commit a thousand unthought-of vagaries, and so will
you, let me tell you; you'll be no more like yourself, the man about
town, than the `Amethyst' to a coal-barge, or choose any other simile
you may prefer."
We had now got clear of the harbour, so I ordered the vessel to be
hove-to, that, consulting the winds and tides, we might determine the
best course to take.
"Where shall we go, then?" asked Harcourt. "The flood has just done.
See, that American ship has begun to swing, so we have the whole ebb to
get to the westward."
"We'll take a short trip to spread our wings and try their strength," I
answered. "What say you to a run through the Needles down to Weymouth?
We shall be back in time for dinner to-morrow."
We all three had an engagement for the next day to dine with Harcourt's
friends, the Granvilles, one of the few families of his acquaintance who
had yet come down.
"As you like it; but hang these dinner engagements in the yachting
season," exclaimed O'Malley. "I hope you put in a proviso that, should
the winds drive us, we were at liberty to run over to Cherbourg, or down
to Plymouth, or do as we pleased."
"No," he answered; "the fact is, I scarcely thought the vessel would be
ready so soon, and we are bound to do our best to return."
"And I see no great hardship in being obliged to eat a good dinner in
the company of such nice girls as the Miss Granvilles seem to be," I put
in.
"Well, then, that's settled," Harcourt exclaimed. "We've no time to
lose, however, though we have a soldier's wind. Up with the helm--let
draw the foresail--keep her away, Griffiths." And the sails of the
little craft filling, she glided gracefully through the water, shooting
past Egypt Point, notwithstanding the light air, at the rate of some six
knots an hour. Gradually as the sun rose the breeze freshened.
Gracefully she heeled over to it. The water bubbled and hissed round
her bows, and faster and faster she walked along.
"She's got it in her, sir, depend on't," said Griffiths, as he eyed the
gaff-topsail with a knowing look. "There won't be many who can catch
her, I'll answer. I was speaking yesterday to my brother-in-law, whose
cousin was her master last summer, from the time she was launched, and
he gave her a first-rate character--such a sea-boat, sir, as weatherly
and dry as a duck. They were one whole day hove-to in the Chops of the
Channel without shipping a drop of water, while a big ship, beating up
past them, had her decks washed fore and aft."
Griffiths' satisfactory praise of the craft was cut short by the
announcement of breakfast, and, with keen appetites, we descended to
discuss as luxurious a meal as three bachelors ever sat down to. Tea,
coffee, chocolate, hot rolls, eggs, pickled salmon, lamb chops,
kaplines, and orange marmalade, were some of the ingredients. Then came
some capital cigars, on which Harcourt and O'Malley had chosen a
committee of connoisseurs at the Garrick to sit before they selected
them.
"We bachelors lead a merry life, and few that are married lead better,"
sang O'Malley, as he lighted his first Havana.
"On my word you're right," chimed in Harcourt. "Now I should like any
one to point me out three more happy fellows than we are and ought to
be. What folly it would be for either of us to think of turning
Benedict!"
"Faith, an officer in a marching regiment, with only his pay to live on
had better not bring his thoughts into practice, at all events,"
observed O'Malley. "Such has been the conclusion to which I have always
arrived after having fallen in love with half the lovely girls I have
met in my life; and, as ill luck would have it, somehow or other if they
have been heiresses, I could not help thinking that it might be their
money which attracted me more than their pretty selves, and I have
invariably run off without proposing. I once actually went down to
marry a girl with a large fortune, whose friends said she was dying for
me, but unfortunately she had a pretty little cousin staying with her, a
perfect Hebe in form and face, and, on my life, I could not help making
love to her instead of the right lady, who, of course, discarded me, as
I deserved, on the spot."
As we opened Scratchell's Bay to the south of the Needles, O'Malley, who
had never been there before, was delighted with the view.
"The pointed chalk rocks of the Needles running like a broken wall into
the sea, the lofty white cliff presenting a daring front to the storms
of the west, the protector, as it were, of the soft and fertile lands
within; the smooth downs above, with their watchful lighthouse, the
party-coloured cliffs of Alum Bay, and Hurst Castle and its attendant
towers, invading the waters at the end of the yellow sandbank. Come,
that description will do for the next tourist who wanders this way," he
exclaimed. "Ah, now we are really at sea," he continued; "don't you
discover the difference of the land wind and the cool, salt,
exhilarating breeze which has just filled our sails, both by feel,
taste, smell? At last I begin to get rid of the fogs of London which
have hitherto been hanging about me."
As the sun rose the wind freshened, and we had a beautiful run to
Weymouth. We brought up in the bay near a fine cutter, which we
remarked particularly, as there were very few other yachts there at the
time. Manning the gig, we pulled on shore to pass away the time till
dinner, and as none of us had ever been there before, we took a turn to
the end of the esplanade to view that once favourite residence of
royalty.
As we were walking back we met a man in yachting costume, who, looking
hard at O'Malley, came up and shook him warmly by the hand. I also knew
his face, but could not recollect where I had seen him, and so it
appeared had Harcourt. Slipping his arm through that of O'Malley, who
introduced him as Mr Miles Sandgate, he turned back with us. He seemed
a jovial, hail-fellow-well-met sort of character, not refined, but very
amusing; so, without further thought, as we were about to embark,
Harcourt asked him on board to dine with us. He at once accepted the
invitation, and as we passed the yacht we had admired, we found that she
belonged to him. I remarked that she had no yacht burgee flying, and he
did not speak of belonging to any club. He might, to be sure, have
lately bought her, and not had time to be elected. But then, again, he
had evidently been constantly at sea, and was, as far as I had an
opportunity of judging, a very good seaman.
The dinner passed off very pleasantly. Harcourt's cook proved that he
was a first-rate nautical _chef_. Our new acquaintance made himself
highly amusing by his anecdotes of various people, and his adventures by
sea and land in every part of the globe. There was, however, a
recklessness in his manner, and at times a certain assumption and
bravado, which I did not altogether like. After we had despatched our
coffee, and a number of cigars, he took his leave, inviting us on board
the "Rover," the name of his yacht; but we declined, on the plea of
wishing to get under way again that evening. In fact, we had agreed to
return at once to Cowes to be in time for our dinner at the Granvilles'.
"Oh, then you must breakfast with me to-morrow morning, for I am bound
for the same place, and shall keep you company," he observed, with a
laugh; "though I have no doubt that the `Amethyst' is a fast craft, yet
I am so much larger that you must not be offended at my considering it
probable that I shall be able to keep up with you."
On this Harcourt could not, in compliment to O'Malley, help asking him
to remain longer with us, and he sending a message on board his vessel,
both yachts got under way together. Perhaps he perceived a certain want
of cordiality in Harcourt's manner towards him, as he was evidently a
keen observer of other men; for at all events he did his utmost to
ingratiate himself with him, and during the second half of his stay on
board he had entirely got rid of the manner which annoyed him, appearing
completely a man of the world, well read, and conversant with good
society. At the same time he did not hint to what profession he had
belonged, nor what had taken him to the different places of which he
spoke. In fact, we could not help feeling that there was a certain
mystery about him which he did not choose to disclose. At a late hour
he hailed his own vessel, and his boat took him on board her. The wind
was so light, that, till the tide turned to the eastward, we made but
little progress; but the moon was up, and the air soft and balmy, and
most unwillingly we turned in before we got through the Needles.
As soon as our visitor had left us, O'Malley told us that he had met him
many years before in India, at the house of a relation, he believed, of
Sandgate's; that this relation had nursed him most kindly through a
severe illness with which he had been attacked, and that he had, on his
recovery, travelled with Sandgate through the country. He met him once
or twice after that, and he then disappeared from India, nor had he seen
him again, till he encountered him in London soon after his return. He
believed that he had been connected with the opium trade, and suspected
that he had actually commanded an opium clipper in his more youthful
days, though he fancied he had engaged in the pursuit for the sake of
the excitement and danger it afforded, as he appeared superior to the
general run of men employed in it.
The next morning, the tide having made against us, we brought up off
Yarmouth, when we went on board the "Rover," to breakfast, and a very
sumptuous entertainment Mr Sandgate gave us, with some cigars, which
beat any thing I had ever tasted. The cabin we went into was handsomely
fitted up; but he did not go through the usual ceremony of showing us
over the vessel. It was late in the afternoon when the two vessels
anchored in Cowes Harbour.
Soon after we brought up we saw the "Dido" come into the harbour, and
just as we were going on shore, Mr Ribbons himself, in full nautical
costume, pulled alongside. He insisted on coming on board, and taxed
Harcourt's hospitality considerably before we could get rid of him.
Hearing me mention the Granvilles, he very coolly asked us to introduce
him. "Why, you see," he added, "there's an acquaintance of mine, I
find, staying with them whom I should like to meet." We all, of course,
positively declined the honour he intended us.
"Probably if you send a note to your friend he may do as you wish," I
observed. "I am not on sufficiently intimate terms with the family."
"Oh! why you see it's a lady--a young lady, you know--and I can't
exactly ask her."
"I regret, but it is impossible, my dear sir," I answered. "You must
excuse us, or we shall be late for dinner;" and leaving him biting his
thumbs with doubt and vexation, we pulled on shore.
The party at the Granvilles' was excessively pleasant. The Miss
Granvilles were pretty, nice girls, and they had a friend staying with
them, who struck me as being one of the most lovely creatures I had ever
seen. She had dark hair and eyes, with an alabaster complexion, a
figure slight and elegant, and features purely classical; the expression
of her countenance was intelligent and sweet in the extreme, but a shade
of melancholy occasionally passed over it, which she in vain endeavoured
to conceal. Harcourt at once became deeply interested in her, though he
could learn little more about her than that her name was Emily Manners,
and that she was staying with some friends at Ryde, the Bosleys, he
understood. Who they were he could not tell, for he had never heard
their names before. She sang very delightfully; and some more people
coming in, we even accomplished a polka. During the evening, while he
was speaking to her, he overheard O'Malley, in his usually amusing way,
describing our rencontre with Mr Warwick Ribbons, and he was surprised,
when she heard his name, to see her start and look evidently annoyed,
though she afterwards could not help smiling as he continued drawing his
picture.
"And, do you know, Miss Granville," he added, "he wanted us to bring him
here, declaring that some mutual and very dear friend of his and yours
was staying, with you."
"Absurd! Who can the man be?" said Miss Granville. "Miss Manners is
the only friend staying with us, and I am sure she cannot know such a
person, if your description of him is correct. Do you, Emily, dear?"
To my astonishment, Miss Manners blushed, and answered, "I am acquainted
with a Mr Ribbons; that is to say, he is a friend of Mr Bosley's; but
I must disclaim any intimacy with him, and I trust that he did not
assume otherwise."
O'Malley saw that he had made a mistake, and with good tact took pains
to show that he fully believed little Ribbons had imposed on us, before
he quietly dropped the subject, and branched off into some other amusing
story.
The Granvilles and their fair friend promised to take a cruise in the
"Amethyst" on the following day, but as the weather proved not very
favourable, Harcourt put off their visit till the day after. He thus
also gained an excuse for passing a greater part of it in their society.
As we walked down to the esplanade in front of the club-house to look at
the yacht, which they had expressed a wish to see, we encountered no
less a person than Warwick Ribbons himself. He passed us several times
without venturing to speak; but at last, mustering courage, he walked up
to Miss Manners and addressed her--
"Good morning, Miss Emily. Happy to see you here. Couldn't tell where
you'd run to, till old Bosley told me. Been looking for you in every
place along the coast. Venture back to Ryde in the `Dido'? Come, now,
you never yet have been on board, and I got her on purpose"--he was, I
verily believe, going to say "for you," but he lost confidence, and
finished with a smirking giggle--"to take young ladies out, you know."
Harcourt felt inclined to throw the little abomination into the water.
"Thank you," said Miss Manners; "I prefer returning by the steamer."
"Oh, dear, now that is--but I'm going to see your guardian, Miss, and
may I take a letter to him just to say you're well?" asked Mr Ribbons;
"he'll not be pleased if I don't."
"I prefer writing by the post," answered Emily, now really becoming
annoyed at his pertinacity.
"You won't come and take a sail with me, then?" he continued; "you and
your friends, I mean."
She shook her head and bowed.
"Well, then, if you won't, I'm off," he exclaimed, with a look of
reproach, and, striking his forehead, he turned round and tumbled into
his boat.
We watched him on board his vessel, and the first thing he did was to
set to and beat his boy; he then dived down below and returned with a
swimming belt, or rather jacket, on, which he immediately began to fill
with air, till he looked like a balloon or a Chinese tumbler. The
"Dido," then got under way; but her crew were apparently drunk, for she
first very nearly ran right on to the quay, and then foul of a boat
which was conveying a band of musicians across the river.
A most amusing scene ensued, Ribbons abused the musicians, who had
nothing at all to do with it, and they retorted on him, trying to fend
off the vessel with their trombones, trumpets, and cornopeans. At one
time they seemed inclined to jump on board and take forcible possession
of the "Dido," but they thought better of it, and when they got clear
they put forth such a discordant blast of derision, finishing like a
peal of laughter, that all the spectators on shore could not help
joining them, and I wonder the little man ever had courage again to set
his foot in Cowes.
We were still on the quay when Sandgate came on shore and passed us; as
he did so, he nodded to us, and I observed him looking very hard at Miss
Manners. He soon after, without much ceremony, joined us, and managed
quietly to enter into conversation with all the ladies. After some
time, however, I perceived that he devoted his attention almost
exclusively to Emily. He was just the sort of fellow to attract many
women, and I suspect that Harcourt felt a twinge of jealousy attacking
him, and regretted that O'Malley had ever introduced him; at the same
time I trusted that Emily would perceive that want of innate refinement
which I had discovered at once; but then, I thought, women have have not
the same means of judging of men which men have of each other. He did
not, however, speak of his vessel, nor offer to take out any of the
party.
I shall pass over the next two or three days which we spent in the
neighbourhood, each day taking the Granvilles and their friends on the
water; and so agreeable did we find that way of passing our time that
none of us felt any inclination to go further. It was, if I remember
rightly, on the 24th of July that we went to Spithead to see those four
magnificent ships, the "Queen," "Vengeance," "St. Vincent," and "Howe,"
riding at anchor there. Though the morning was calm, a light breeze
sprung up just as we got under way, and we arrived in time to see her
Majesty and Prince Albert come out of Portsmouth Harbour in their yacht
steamer, and cruise round the ships. We hove-to just to the southward
of the "Howe," so as to have a good view of all the ships in line, and
it was a beautiful and enlivening sight, as they all manned yards and
saluted one after the other. From every ship, also, gay flags floated,
in long lines from each masthead to the bowsprit and boom-ends, the
bands played joyous tunes, and then arose those heart-stirring cheers
such as British seamen alone can give. The ladies were delighted--
indeed, who could not be so at the proud spectacle?
On our way back to Cowes we were to land Miss Manners, who, most
unwillingly on her part, I believe, was obliged to return to her
guardian. We accordingly hove-to off the pier, and all the party landed
to conduct her to Mr Bosley's house. After taking a turn to the end of
the pier, as we were beginning our journey along its almost interminable
length, we on a sudden found ourselves confronted by two most
incongruous personages walking arm-in-arm--Warwick Ribbons and Miles
Sandgate. The latter, the instant he saw us, withdrew his arm from that
of his companion, and in his usual unembarrassed manner, advanced
towards us, putting out his hand to O'Malley and me, and bowing to the
ladies. He, as usual, placed himself at the side of Emily, who had
Harcourt's arm, and certainly did his best to draw off her attention
from him. Little Ribbons tried, also, to come up and speak to her, but
either his courage or his impudence could not overcome the cold, low bow
she gave him. By the by, she had bestowed one of a similar nature on
Sandgate. After some time, however, he ranged up outside of Harcourt,
for he had no shadow of excuse to speak to either Mrs Granville or her
daughters.
"Ah, Miss Emily," he exclaimed in a smirking way, "you said you would
prefer returning here in a steamer to a yacht, and now you've come in
one after all."
Emily did not know what to answer to his impudence, so Harcourt relieved
her by answering--
"Miss Manners selected a larger vessel, and had, also, the society of
her friends."
"In that case, I might have claimed the honour for my vessel, which is
larger than either," observed Mr Sandgate, with a tone in which I
detected a sneer lurking under a pretended laugh.
"Ah, but then I'm an old friend," interposed the little man; "ain't I,
Miss Emily?--known you ever since you was a little girl, though you do
now and then pretend not to remember it."
"Hang the fellow's impudence!" Harcourt was on the point of exclaiming,
and perhaps might have said something of the sort, when his attention
was called off by another actor in the drama. He was a corpulent,
consequential-looking gentleman, with a vulgar expression of
countenance, dressed in a broad-brimmed straw hat and shooting-coat,
with trousers of a huge plaid pattern, and he had an umbrella under his
arm though there was not a cloud in the sky. He was, in fact, just the
person I might have supposed as the friend of little Ribbons, who, as
soon as he espied him, with great glee ran on to meet him. Poor Emily,
at the same time, pronounced the words, "My guardian, Mr Bosley," in a
tone which showed little pleasure at the _rencontre_, and instantly
withdrew her arm from Harcourt's. She was evidently anxious to prevent
a meeting between the parties, for she turned round to the Miss
Granvilles and begged them not to come any further, and then holding out
her hand to Harcourt, thanked him for the pleasant excursions he had
afforded her. She was too late, however, for Mr Bosley advancing,
bowed awkwardly to the Miss Granvilles, and then addressing Emily,
said,--
"Ay, little missie, a long holiday you've been taking with your friends;
but I shan't let you play truant again, I can tell you. I've heard all
about your doings from my friend Warwick here--so come along, come
along;" and seizing her arm, without more ceremony he walked her off,
while Mr Ribbons smirked and chuckled at the thoughts of having her now
in his power, as he fancied. Miles Sandgate, at the same time, bowing
to the ladies, and nodding to us in a familiar way which verged upon
cool impudence, followed their steps. We all felt excessively annoyed
at the scene; but far more regretted that so charming a girl should be
in the power of such a coarse barbarian as Mr Bosley appeared.
On our passage back to Cowes, Miss Granville told me all she knew of
Miss Manners. She was the daughter of a Colonel Manners, who had gone
out on some mining speculation or other, to one of the South American
States, but it was believed that the ship which was conveying him to
England had foundered, with all hands, at sea.
He had left his daughter Emily under the charge of a Mr Eastway, a
merchant of high standing, and a very gentlemanly man. Mr Eastway, who
was the only person cognisant of Colonel Manners' plans, died suddenly,
and Mr Bosley, his partner, took charge of her and the little property
invested in his house for her support. She had been at the same school
with the Miss Granvilles, who there formed a friendship for her which
had rather increased than abated after they grew up. This was the
amount of the information I could extract from them. She never
complained of her guardian to them; but she was as well able as they
were to observe his excessive vulgarity, though there was probably under
it a kindliness of feeling which in some degree compensated for it.
Harcourt certainly did his best to conceal the feelings with which he
could not help acknowledging to himself she had inspired him, and was
much pleased at hearing the Granvilles say that they intended writing to
her to propose joining her at Ryde on the day of the regatta.