"Well, good-bye, old chap; keep a stiff upper lip, and hope for the
best; the truth is pretty sure to come out some day, somehow, and then
they will be bound to reinstate you. And be sure you call on the Pater,
and tell him the whole yarn. I'll bet he will be able to give you some
advice worth having. Also give my love to the Mater, and tell her that
I'm looking forward to Christmas. Perhaps I may see you then. Good-bye
again, and good luck to you."
The speaker was young Ronald Gordon, one of the midshipmen belonging to
H.M.S. _Terrible_, and my particular chum; and the words were spoken as
we parted company on the platform of Portland railway station, Gordon to
return to his ship, while I, an outcast, was bound for London to seek my
fortune.
Yes; after doing splendidly at Dartmouth, heading the list at the
passing-out exam, and so at once gaining the rating of midshipman; doing
equally well afloat during the subsequent three years and a half,
qualifying for Gunnery, Torpedo, and Navigating duties, serving for six
months aboard a destroyer, and everywhere gaining the esteem and
goodwill of my superiors, here was I, Paul Swinburne, at the age of
seventeen and a half, an outcast kicked out of the Navy with ignominy
and my career ruined, through the machinations of another, and he my
cousin!
He, Bob Carr,--like myself, a midshipman aboard the _Terrible_,--had
committed a crime of a particularly mean and disgraceful character--
there is no need for me to specify its precise nature--and with
diabolical ingenuity, knowing that discovery was inevitable, had
succeeded in diverting suspicion so strongly toward me that I had been
accused, court martialled, and--although I had pleaded not guilty--found
guilty and dismissed the Service.
Now, it is necessary for me to say here just a word or two in
self-defence; for there is no reason whatever why the reader should be
allowed to believe me guilty, although, for certain reasons of my own, I
permitted the officers who tried me to think so.
I am an orphan, both my parents having died within a few months of each
other when I was less than three years old, leaving me to the mercy of
the world. My nearest relation was Aunt Betsy Carr, my father's only
sister, and at my mother's death she and Uncle Bob adopted me as their
own, although they had a baby boy of their own, at that time nearly two
years old--the Cousin Bob who was responsible for my present trouble.
They took me not only into their home but also into their hearts; they
made not the slightest difference in their treatment of Bob and me; I
was as much a son to them as he was; and the result was that I soon grew
to love them both as much as though they had been my own parents.
At first, as children, Bob and I got on splendidly together; but later
on, when we were respectively about seven and eight years of age, my
cousin gradually developed a feeling of jealousy that at length became
inordinate--although he was very careful to conceal the fact from his
parents; so that when, in my second year at Dartmouth, the matter of
sending him there also was mooted, I was exceedingly sorry, although I
of course gladly promised to help him to the utmost, in the event of his
being entered. And when in due time he turned up there, I redeemed my
promise, so far as Bob would let me; and it cost me a good deal to do
so, for he soon became exceedingly unpopular. But he managed to scrape
through his final, and, some six months before the opening of this
story, was appointed to the _Terrible_--to my great chagrin, for I had a
presentiment that his coming meant trouble for me.
And now the trouble had come, with a vengeance. It was really Bob, and
not I, who had committed the crime of which I was accused; and clever as
the young rascal had been in diverting suspicion from himself to me, I
could have cleared myself, had I so chosen, but only by fixing the guilt
upon him. And that I could not bring myself to do, after all the
kindness which I--had received at the hands of my aunt and uncle; for
they not only idolised the lad but believed in him implicitly, and I
knew that disillusion would simply break their hearts--they would never
again be able to hold up their heads and look others in the face.
Therefore when I was summoned to be tried by court martial, I simply
pleaded Not Guilty--which was regarded as an aggravation of my offence--
and did not attempt to defend myself, with the result that I was found
guilty, and expelled.
Of course I knew that this would be a bitter blow to my uncle and aunt;
but it would not be nearly so bitter as it would have been had the guilt
been fixed upon Bob, therefore of the two evils I chose what I
considered the least, although it involved the ruin of my career--a
career which I loved and of which I was intensely proud.
And now I was not only without a career, but also without a home; for I
simply could not endure the idea of going back to my aunt and uncle, and
witnessing their grief as well as enduring their reproaches. I
therefore wrote them a brief letter informing them of the misfortune
which had befallen me, assuring them of my innocence, and announcing my
determination to start afresh, fight my own battle, and rehabilitate
myself as best I could.
In making my plans I was greatly helped by my chum, Gordon. He had been
with me at Dartmouth, after that in the _Vengeance_, and now again in
the _Terrible_; he therefore knew me well enough to implicitly believe
me when I assured him upon my word of honour that I was innocent. He
was a good chum; not only did he believe in my innocence but he also
stoutly maintained it to others, whenever the matter was referred to,
although the evidence so cunningly woven was strong enough to secure my
conviction. And when the result of the court martial was known, he not
only sat down and wrote a long account of the affair to his parents, but
insisted--taking no denial--that, before doing anything else, I should
call upon his parents and consult with his father, Sir Robert. And this
I at length, somewhat reluctantly, agreed to do, although I was by no
means sure that his people would be so ready as he was to take me upon
trust. Yet, apart from my uncle and aunt, Sir Robert and Lady Gordon
were the only friends I had; and now was the time when of all others I
most urgently needed the help of friends. At first I permitted myself
to entertain certain high-flown ideas of going out into the world and
fighting my battle alone and unaided; but Gordon was a level-headed
youngster, and although he was a year younger than myself I was fain to
admit the wisdom of his assertion that no fellow is sufficiently
independent to ignore the advice and help of friends. Besides, I had
already met Sir Robert and his wife--had indeed on one occasion spent
ten days' leave with Ronald under their roof; and more genial, kindly,
warmer-hearted people it would be impossible to imagine; so I felt
hopeful that, with Ronald for my sponsor and advocate, Sir Robert would
not refuse to give me his best advice and assistance.
It was late in the afternoon when I arrived at Waterloo--too late, I
knew, to catch Sir Robert Gordon at his office; I therefore slung my
chest on top of a cab, and ordered the driver to take me to a certain
quiet and unassuming but comfortable hotel near the Embankment, where I
proposed to take up my quarters until I could see my way a little more
clearly. Here I dined, took a walk along the Embankment afterwards, and
turned in early, not feeling in cue for amusement of any kind.
On the following morning I rose late, of deliberate purpose, had my
breakfast, and then sauntered along the Embankment toward Sir Robert's
office, timing myself to arrive there about eleven o'clock, by which
time I calculated that Ronald's father would about have gone through his
morning's correspondence, and would be able to spare me a few minutes of
his time.
As it chanced, I could not have timed my movements better, for as I was
shown up to Sir Robert's private room I encountered his secretary just
coming out, with a notebook in one hand and a goodly batch of letters in
the other.
I may here explain that Sir Robert Gordon was an official of high
position and very considerable importance in the Foreign Office. He
received me very kindly, bade me be seated, and then said:
"Well, Swinburne, here you are at last. From Ronald's letter I rather
gathered that I might see you some time yesterday. And now, before we
go any farther, let me say how exceedingly sorry Lady Gordon and I are
to hear of your misfortune--for a misfortune it is, and not a fault,
Ronald assures me. Now,"--looking at his watch--"I can spare you just a
quarter of an hour; so go ahead and tell me as much of the matter as you
can in that time."
Thereupon I proceeded to relate, in as few words as possible, the
particulars of the whole affair, not concealing the fact that my cousin
was the actual culprit--for I knew that my confidence would be
respected, and explaining my reasons for taking the onus upon myself
instead of allowing the real culprit to suffer. But a quarter of an
hour soon passes, when one is talking of oneself and one's own
misfortunes; and the announcement that a certain important personage had
called by appointment gave me the signal that it was time for me to go,
though as I rose to take my leave I had the satisfaction of knowing that
I had succeeded in convincing my friend of my innocence, for as we shook
hands, Sir Robert said:
"We must talk this matter over again at our leisure, Swinburne, possibly
this evening. Now, before you go, let me say that my wife and I expect
you to take up your quarters with us until your future is definitely
arranged. No, we will take no refusal; you are Ronald's chum, and we
should not think of allowing you to stay at an hotel while there is a
spare room for you at Maycroft. So off you go; get your luggage at once
and make the best of your way to Norwood, where Lady Gordon will expect
you to arrive in time for luncheon at one o'clock. I shall 'phone to
her that you are coming."
What could one do but gratefully accept an invitation proffered in such
friendly terms? It would have been boorish to refuse. I therefore
returned to my modest hotel, paid my bill, and made the best of my way
to Maycroft, where I was received with such kindness and cordiality as I
have no words to describe.
Lady Gordon was a fit mate for her distinguished husband; smart, clever,
accomplished, of attractive appearance, and so irresistibly fascinating
a manner that within two minutes she succeeded in not only making me
feel absolutely welcome and at home in her house, but also in some
subtle fashion imbued me with the conviction that, serious as my
misfortune undoubtedly was, it was by no means irretrievable. We could
not talk confidentially at luncheon, the servants being present, but
afterward, the weather being fine and the air warm for the time of
year--it was the first day of December 1903--we adjourned to the garden,
and there I told my tale all over again, this time in full detail, and
received all the sympathy that my aching heart craved for.
Sir Robert reached home that night only just in time to dress for
dinner, so there was therefore neither time nor opportunity for the
discussion of my affairs until the meal was over and we had adjourned to
the drawing-room. Then, while we were sipping our coffee, my host
turned to me and said:
"I have been thinking a good deal about you, to-day, between whiles,
Swinburne; and at last I think I have discovered a way to help you. By
a lucky chance it happens that Viscount Hayashi--the Japanese Minister
to Great Britain, you know--with whom I have been brought into very
close touch of late, is dining here, _en famille_, to-morrow night, in
order to have the opportunity to discuss certain rather delicate matters
in private with me; and when we have finished talking business
together--which will probably not occupy us more than an hour--I will
put your case to him, giving him all the details of it--for we must be
perfectly honest with him, you know--and ask him whether, under the
circumstances, there is any likelihood of your being able to obtain
employment in the Japanese Navy. Things are looking very black in the
Far East just now; war between Russia and Japan is practically
inevitable; and although the Japanese have long been preparing for it,
and seem confident of success, I should imagine that they would be only
too glad of the opportunity to secure the services of a smart and
specially qualified young officer like yourself."
Much more was said upon the same subject which it is unnecessary to
repeat here, and I also completed the story which I had begun in Sir
Robert's office that morning, with the result that I was able to make my
innocence as clear to him as I had already done to his wife. Sir Robert
expressed the opinion that my action in taking the blame upon myself had
been somewhat quixotic; but when I explained my reasons in full for
doing so, he admitted that it seemed to be the only thing possible, and
was good enough to say that it reflected the greatest credit upon me.
On the following night the Viscount and Sir Robert arrived at Maycroft
together in the latter's limousine; and after introducing his wife and
myself our host excused himself and hurried away to dress, leaving Lady
Gordon and me to entertain our distinguished guest.
The conversation before and during dinner was exceedingly lively and
interesting, the Ambassador telling us many remarkable things about
Japan. Then the talk veered round toward naval matters, and my kind
hostess afforded me the opportunity to parade my special knowledge by
asking me to explain the difference between armoured and protected
cruisers, one question leading to another, until at length His
Excellency, who had been listening most courteously and attentively,
said:
"Am I mistaken, sir, in supposing that you are an officer in the
honourable Navy of Great Britain?"
That was the opportunity for which Lady Gordon had been waiting, and she
at once replied:
"Mr Swinburne was, until a few days ago, senior midshipman on the same
ship as my son--the battleship _Terrible_. But a very exalted sense of
gratitude on his part has resulted in a grave miscarriage of justice
whereby, through accepting the blame for another's fault, he has been
dismissed from the Service, to his great grief, for he was passionately
devoted to his profession."
The Viscount rather raised his eyebrows at this, and regarded me keenly,
as though seeking to read my character from my face.
"Really?" he said. "That is indeed a terrible misfortune, which I
should scarcely have thought could possibly happen in such a Service as
yours, where, I have always understood, such matters are inquired into
with the most scrupulous fairness."
"So they are, Your Excellency," I replied. "But my expulsion was not in
any sense due to remissness on the part of the officers who tried me.
It was due to the fact that, for the reason named by Lady Gordon, I
deliberately refrained from producing evidence which would have resulted
in my own acquittal and the conviction of the actual culprit; and thus
the members of the court martial were, in the course of their duty,
compelled to find me guilty and to pass upon me sentence of dismissal."
"I see. Yes, I think I understand," observed the Viscount. "The
feeling of gratitude which could induce you to take the extreme step of
ruining your entire career must have been wonderfully strong. I find
the incident remarkably interesting, Mr--er--Swinburne, so much so,
indeed, that when my friend Gordon and I have concluded the business
talk which has brought me down here to-night I should very much like to
hear all the particulars of your story, if you will do me the favour to
confide them to me."
I replied that I would do so with great pleasure; and then, the meal
being at an end, our hostess rose from the table and retired to the
drawing-room, while Sir Robert, apologising for leaving me alone,
carried off the Ambassador to the study, where he had ordered coffee to
be served.
Naturally, I did not linger at the table after the others had gone, but
followed my hostess to the drawing-room, where I at once proceeded to
thank her for the kindly tact with which she had made my case known to
so influential a personage as Viscount Hayashi. On her part, she was
just as pleased as I was that so exceptionally favourable an opportunity
to restore my wrecked fortunes had presented itself, and for some time
we sat talking the matter over. Then Lady Gordon insisted upon my
singing to her while she played my accompaniments; and in this manner
the time passed rapidly, and before we dared expect them her husband and
the Viscount reappeared. But even then we did not stop at once, His
Excellency being polite enough to beg us to continue. At length,
however, our guest rose and, beckoning me to his side, said:
"Before I go, Mr Swinburne, let me say that Sir Robert Gordon has
confided to me the full particulars of your remarkable story. And,
having heard it, I should like you to know that, not only am I fully
convinced of your entire innocence of the foul charge preferred against
you, but also that I, as a native of a country in which filial affection
is held in the highest honour and esteem, am full of admiration for your
conduct. I am proud to have the honour of knowing a young man
possessing the courage to act as you have done; and I have no hesitation
in expressing the opinion that, in dispensing with your services, your
country has lost a most promising and valuable servant. But if Great
Britain is unable to appreciate your value, there are other countries
which can, and Japan is one of them. You are doubtless aware that war
between Russia and Japan is inevitable; it is merely a question of
weeks, perhaps only of days; the Japanese naval service will afford many
opportunities for an officer, qualified as I understand you are, to
distinguish himself, and rapidly advance his fortunes. If you would
care to enter that service I believe the affair might be easily managed,
backed up as you are by the recommendation of a gentleman of Sir Robert
Gordon's position. Think the matter over, will you? And when you have
decided, call upon me at this address, and let me know." And he handed
me his card.
On the spur of the moment I was very much inclined to close with His
Excellency's offer there and then; but even as the words of acceptance
leapt to my lips I bethought myself that it would only be courteous to
wait and hear what my kind host and hostess had to say upon the matter
before taking the irrevocable step. I therefore expressed my hearty
thanks for the offer, and promised to give it my best and most careful
consideration.
When the Viscount had gone, Sir Robert, his wife, and I formed ourselves
into a little committee to discuss His Excellency's proposal. Of course
there was never a moment's doubt as to the wisdom of accepting the
offer, but Sir Robert expressed his satisfaction at my self-control. He
and his wife were quite of one mind that there was nothing to be gained
by my appearing to be too eager, and they strongly advised me to allow
at least one whole day to pass before presenting myself at the
Ambassador's residence; they also advised me not to accept any rank
below that of a full lieutenant, which was quite in accordance with my
own views.
Accordingly, on the day but one following that of His Excellency's visit
to Maycroft, I journeyed up to town with Sir Robert and, upon parting
from him at the Foreign Office, made the best of my way to Viscount
Hayashi's residence.
His Excellency was at home, and I was at once received. He was polite
enough to express extreme satisfaction when I informed him that I had
definitely decided to accept his offer, provided that the conditions
could be satisfactorily arranged; and within half an hour we had come to
terms, the arrangement being that I was to enter the Japanese naval
service with the rank of a full lieutenant, my commission to bear date
of my landing in Japan; that a passage was to be provided for me; and
that I was to hold myself in readiness to depart at twenty-four hours'
notice. A letter to this effect was given me to hand to a certain
subordinate official whose business it was to arrange all such details;
and I then made my exit, the recipient of many good wishes on His
Excellency's part for my success.
My next visit was to a Mr Yuri Kuroda, the subordinate official above
mentioned, who, having read the letter of which I was the bearer,
immediately became very polite, requested to be favoured with my
honourable name and address, which he at once entered in a big book, and
then proceeded to discuss the question of my passage out to Japan. It
transpired that his Government was negotiating with the Argentine
Republic for the purchase of two powerful armoured cruisers, built for
the Government of the latter country at Genoa; and Mr Kuroda suggested
that if the negotiations resulted successfully, it might suit me to go
out in one of them as an officer, the date of my commission to be
advanced accordingly. I asked for some particulars of the ships; and
upon learning that they measured 7700 tons, that they were entirely
sheathed amidships in 6 inches of Krupp steel, and that they were armed
with four 8-inch guns in their turrets, with a central battery
consisting of fourteen 6-inch guns, I quickly replied that there was
nothing I should like better. And so it was arranged, Kuroda
undertaking to inform me in good time when my services would be likely
to be required.
Two days later, however, I received a telegram from Kuroda, requesting
me to call upon him at the earliest possible moment. It came while we
were sitting down to dinner, and Lady Gordon expressed the opinion that
if I made my call on the following morning it would be early enough, and
Sir Robert was rather inclined to agree with her. But the receipt of
the telegram seemed to suggest that something unexpected had happened,
and I therefore determined to obey the summons that night. I
accordingly scribbled a reply saying that I would present myself at nine
o'clock; and within ten minutes of that hour I was once more in the
Ambassador's house. His Excellency was out; but Mr Kuroda was in and
waiting for me; and he expressed his gratification at my prompt response
to his summons. He then proceeded to inform me that certain news had
arrived--he did not state the nature of it--which rendered it highly
desirable that I should expedite my departure for Japan, instead of
awaiting the issue of the negotiations for the purchase of the Argentine
cruisers, and inquired when I could be ready to start. My reply that I
could start on the morrow, if necessary, pleased him greatly, but he
intimated that the earliest date upon which it would be possible to
dispatch me would be the 8th of the month--it was then the 5th--and
requested me to make my arrangements accordingly, and to call upon him
again on the morning of the 7th, when he would give me my final
instructions and hand me my credentials, with railway and steamer
tickets, etcetera.
The Gordons received the news of my impending departure with mixed
feelings. They were delighted that, through their help and influence, I
had been able to so quickly find another opening for my energies, but
were exceedingly sorry that I was to leave them so soon, as they had
confidently reckoned upon my spending the Christmas holidays with them
and Ronald. However, Sir Robert took me up to town with him, in his
car, on the morning of the 7th, and Lady Gordon accompanied us, saying
that she had some shopping to do. I left them at the entrance to Sir
Robert's office, and in due time found myself once more in Mr Kuroda's
presence.
It was easy to see that the little man was so busy that he scarcely knew
which way to turn, but he was as smiling and polite as ever, and had
everything ready for me, neatly enclosed in a stout official envelope,
the contents of which he turned out for my inspection. There was my
railway ticket from London to Dover, my steamer ticket from Dover to
Calais, my railway ticket from Calais to Marseilles, _via_ Paris, my
steamer ticket from Marseilles to Yokohama, and my credentials, which
were to be presented to a certain official in Tokio, who would hand me
my commission and give me my final instructions. Everything was cut and
dried, even to a travelling schedule giving me the train and steamer
times of departure and arrival; therefore, having looked them through
and satisfied myself that nothing had been omitted, I returned the
several documents to the envelope, thrust the latter into my pocket, and
bade Mr Kuroda farewell. He replied with hearty good wishes for my
welfare and success, expressed his deep regret that he was not going
with me instead of remaining in London, shook my hand with great fervour
and friendliness, and, as he bowed me out, touched the bell which was
the signal for another visitor to be ushered in.
When Sir Robert came home that night, he brought with him two parcels
wrapped in stout brown paper, one of them being rather long and slim;
but I thought nothing of it, as I knew that it was a custom, when things
were urgently needed, to have them sent to his office, so that they
might be brought home at night in his car. After dinner, however, the
two parcels were produced, opened, and found to contain, the one a
handsome oak case containing a pair of heavy and very business-like Colt
automatic pistols, with all necessary tools, bottle of oil, and one
hundred cartridges; while the other was a beautiful naval sword and
sheath, the blade perfectly plain but of such exquisite temper that, by
exerting my full strength, I was able to bend it until the point met the
hilt. The pistols were a farewell gift to me from dear Lady Gordon,
while the sword was from Sir Robert. The gifts were accompanied by the
heartfelt good wishes of the donors for my welfare, happiness, and
safety in the strenuous times that seemed to be looming ahead, and the
hope that the weapons would prove useful to me in my new service. They
were, as will be seen from the account of my adventures, set forth in
the following pages.