AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE
It was lunch-time when the visitors landed, and they proceeded to the
St. George's Hotel in Market Square, to attend to this mid-day duty. In
the coffee-room they found quite a number of guests, and the only spare
seat the detective found was at a large table at which a gentleman in
uniform was seated.
"Wit your permis-si-on, I take one of the places here," said M. Rubempré
with his politest flourish.
"Certainly," replied the gentleman, as politely as the Frenchman; and he
seated himself at the table, Christy remaining standing.
"_Demandez un garcon_" (ask for a waiter), "Christophe." Then in French
he asked the stranger opposite him if he spoke that language.
"A little, sir; but I am not fluent in it," replied the gentleman in the
same language.
"Ah, my dear sir, you speak very well; and you have the Parisian
accent," added the Frenchman, who, like his countrymen, counted upon the
effect of a little well-administered flattery.
"You are very kind to say so, sir. I have been in Paris a few months,
and was always able to make my way with the language," said the
stranger, evidently pleased with the commendation bestowed upon his
French accent; for many people take more pride in their foreign accent
than in the proper use of their own language.
"Christophe, find a place for yourself, and order what you desire,"
continued the Frenchman, as a waiter, summoned by the acting servant,
presented himself to take the order.
At this moment a gentleman behind the detective vacated his place at the
table, and Christy took a seat close to his companion. The lunch of both
was ordered, and the stranger opposite had but just commenced his meal.
M. Rubempré "laid himself out" to make himself as agreeable as possible,
and he seemed to be succeeding admirably, for the stranger appeared to
be absolutely charmed with him. Speaking slowly and clearly, so that the
person in uniform, who did not speak French fluently, could understand
him, he told him all about his brother in the Confederate army, and
strongly expressed his desire to join him, and perhaps the army, for he
had very strong sympathy for the right in the great conflict; in fact,
he was disposed to engage in fighting for the right.
Then he inquired of his new friend what wine was the best in the island.
The stranger preferred sherry, but perhaps a Frenchman might take a
different view of the subject. M. Rubempré ordered both sherry and
claret, and then filled the glasses of his _vis-a-vis_ and his own. He
did not offer any to his servant, for he knew that he never touched it.
They drank claret first to each other's health.
"You are in the military, my friend?" continued the detective.
"No, sir; I am a sailor. Allow me to introduce myself as Captain
Rombold, of the steamer Dornoch."
"I am extremely happy to make your acquaintance, Captain Rombold. To
reciprocate, I am M. Rubempré, of Paris," added the Frenchman, as he
filled his companion's glass, and they tippled again with an abundance
of compliments. "I presume that you are in the British navy, Captain
Rombold?"
"At present I am not, though I was formerly in that service, and
resigned to engage in a more lucrative occupation."
"Indeed, what could be better than the position of an officer in the
Royal navy?"
"I am now a commander in the navy of the Confederate States," added the
captain, looking with interest into the face of his companion. "I am
taking in coal and cargo, and shall sail at five to-morrow afternoon for
Wilmington."
"Is it possible?" said M. Rubempré, who appeared to be greatly impressed
by what was said to him. "I wish I was a sailor, but I am not. You will
break through the blockade?"
"I apprehend no difficulty in doing that, for the Dornoch is good for
fourteen knots an hour, and most of the Federal fleet cannot make more
than twelve."
Christy was very glad to hear this acknowledgment of the speed of the
intended cruiser, for it assured him that the Chateaugay could outsail
her. The two gentlemen at the other table passed the wine very freely,
and both of them seemed to be considerably exhilarated; but he was glad
to perceive that his friend allowed the captain to do the most of the
talking. The lunch was finished at last, and both of them rose from the
table.
"I am exceedingly obliged to you, M. Rubempré, for the pleasure I have
derived from this interview," said Captain Rombold, as he grasped the
hand of his companion. "I have had more practice with my French than for
several years, and I take great delight in speaking the language. I hope
we shall meet again."
"Thanks! Thanks! I am very sure that we shall meet again; and almost as
sure that we shall meet fighting for the right," added the Frenchman.
"But I hope you will be a passenger on board of the Dornoch, as you
suggested to me a little while ago. I will give you a good stateroom,
though I cannot absolutely promise to take you to the port of our
destination, for accidents may happen in the midst of the blockaders."
"If I can go with you, my dear Captain Rombold, I shall be on board of
your ship by four to-morrow afternoon," replied the detective, as he
took the hand of his new friend for the last time.
Christy had finished his lunch, and they left the hotel together. The
carriage in which they had come called for them at the appointed time,
and they returned to Hamilton. The conversation was continued in French,
so that the driver was none the wiser for what he heard. At the Atlantic
they went to their rooms, where the information they had obtained was
collaborated, and written down in French, the detective concealing it in
a belt pocket he wore on his body.
"The wonder to me has been that these officers talked so freely," said
Christy, as they seated themselves at a window. "They talked to you as
plainly as though you had been their friend for life."
"Why shouldn't they? They can't help knowing that I am a Frenchman; and
I am sorry to say that my countrymen, like so many of the English,
sympathize with the South in the great Civil War. They take me for a
friend at once. Besides, as they understand the matter here, why should
these blockade-runners, or even the Confederate commander, object to
telling what they are going to do. There will be no mail steamer to New
York till after they have all gone off; and there is no telegraph yet."
"Perhaps you are right, M. Rubempré; but I think a good deal more
discretion would become them better, as they are likely to ascertain
very soon," added Christy.
"I suppose none of these people here would consider it possible or
practicable to land at these islands and pick up the news, as we have
done. This was my plan for Nassau, but I did not think of applying it to
the Bermudas, till Captain Chantor told me his difficulty as to waiting
for the Dornoch."
"It seems to me we have done all we can do here, and there is nothing
more to do."
"That is very true; but I supposed it would take at least two days to do
our business. We have been much more successful than I anticipated, and
performed the duty in half the time I supposed it would require. But it
was better to have too much time than too little."
"It is nearly night now, and we have another day to spend here."
"We can rest from our labors in the hope that our works will follow us.
I am ready to do a good deal of sleeping in the time that remains to us,
for we may not be able to sleep any to-morrow night," added the
detective as he threw himself on his bed, and was soon fast asleep.
Christy had slept enough the night before and during the morning; and he
went out to take a walk in the town. He had taken off his suit of black,
and put on the costume he had worn from the ship. He was inclined to see
what there was in the town; and he walked about till it was dark, at
which time he found himself in the vicinity of the Hamilton Hotel, the
largest and best appointed in the town. He was dressed very plainly, but
there was nothing shabby in his appearance; and he thought he would
inspect the interior of the hotel.
He began to mount the piazza, when he suddenly halted, and started back
with astonishment, and his hair almost stood on end. Directly in front
of him, and not ten feet distant, sat his uncle, Homer Passford, of
Glenfield, talking with a gentleman in uniform. The lantern that hung
near him enabled him to see the features of the planter, but he could
not see the face of the officer, with whom he was engaged in a very
earnest conversation.
Christy's first impulse was to put a long distance between himself and
his uncle, for his father's brother might identify him in spite of the
color on his face. Such a discovery was likely to prove very annoying to
him, and might render useless the information the detective and himself
had obtained with so much trouble and risk. But the first question that
came into his head was the inquiry as to what his uncle was doing in
Bermuda. He was a Confederate of the most positive type, had done
everything in his power for his government, as he understood it, and was
willing to sacrifice his life and all that he had in the world in its
service.
Colonel Passford must be there on some mission. He was a prominent and
useful man in his State; and he would not have left it without some very
strong motive. The nephew would have given a great deal, and exposed
himself to no little peril, to be able to fathom this motive. He moved
away from the piazza, and went upon it at another place. If he could
hear some of the conversation he might be able to form some idea of the
occasion of his uncle's visit.
Walking along the platform, he obtained a position behind Colonel
Passford, and at the same time saw the face of the person with whom he
was in conversation. He was not a little surprised to discover that the
gentleman was Captain Rombold, commander of the Dornoch. He had hardly
seen this officer, and he had no fear that he would recognize him; and,
if he did, it was of little consequence, for he was there in the
capacity of a servant. He took a vacant chair, turned his back to both
of the speakers, and opened wide his ears. Probably nine-tenths of the
people in the hotel were directly or indirectly concerned in the
business of blockade-running; and secrecy was hardly necessary in that
locality.
"As I say, Captain Rombold, we need more fast steamers, not to run the
blockade, but to prey upon the enemy's commerce. In that way we can
bring the people of the North to their senses, and put this unhallowed
strife on the part of the Federals to an end," said Colonel Passford.
"Well, Colonel, there are ships enough to be had on the other side of
the Atlantic, and your money or your cotton will buy them," added the
naval officer.
"We have been rather unfortunate in running cotton out this last year.
Several steamers and sailing vessels that I fitted out with cotton
myself were captured by my own nephew, who was in command of a small
steamer called the Bronx."
"Of course those things could not be helped," replied Captain Rombold;
"but with the Gateshead and the Kilmarnock, larger and more powerful
steamers than any that have been sent over, you can scour the ocean.
They are ready for you when your money is ready."
"It is ready now, for I have sacrificed my entire fortune for the
purchase of these steamers; and I wait only for a vessel that will take
me to Scotland," replied Colonel Passford.
Christy promptly decided that the steamers mentioned should not be
purchased to prey on the commerce of the United States, if he could
possibly prevent it.