Several persons were carried off the decks of the wreck, and had it not
been for the hardihood of those who rushed into the water, would
inevitably have been swept away. Some of the crew, as the sea receded,
leaped overboard and endeavoured to gain the shore. They also were
helped in the same manner. Several poor fellows, however, were unable
to reach the friendly hands held out to them, and were carried out by
the waves. One of the number was, in another minute, dimly seen to be
struggling forward on the curling summit of a foaming sea. Harry, who
had ever been a bold swimmer, casting a rope about himself, now dashed
in towards the almost exhausted man. Bravely he swam forward. He
clasped him in his arms, and then shouting to his companions, was hauled
up the beach in safety. A few more seas, came rushing in, and scarce a
plank or timber of the lugger hung together. The greater number of the
persons on board had been saved. They seemed, however, to be no
strangers to most of the people on the beach. For some minutes Harry
had been so busily engaged in rescuing others that he had not had time
to speak to the person he had drawn out of the water. Great was his
surprise, on returning to the drier part of the beach, when the light of
a lantern fell on a man's countenance he recognised--the features of his
old acquaintance, Captain Falwasser. Several other persons were seated
near him: one was a female, and the other an old man.
"What, my friend Harry Tryon!" exclaimed the captain, grasping him. "My
life, I know, is not the first you have saved. Harry, I have news for
you," he said, as if recollecting himself. "You shall have it
by-and-bye. But these poor people require to be housed. They are
shivering with the cold, and I must confess that I should like to find
myself before a warm fire."
"Our cottage is at the service of as many as can get into it," said Mr.
Kyffin, coming up to the captain. "Our friends here will, I have no
doubt, take care of the rest."
The lugger had come across empty, greatly to the disappointment of most
of the bystanders.
"As fine a craft as ever floated has come to her end this night,"
observed one of them. "Well, lads, there is nothing more to be done, so
we will back to our homes and get some of these poor fellows put into
warm beds."
The captain and two old French people, with two or three more persons,
accompanied Mr. Kyffin and Harry to the cottage. As they reached the
top of the cliffs, they saw, far and near, the beacon fires bursting
forth, and heard the sound of guns firing in the distance.
"Why the people must suppose that the French are coming," observed Mr.
Kyffin. "Depend upon it that is the idea. We shall have the whole army
of volunteers down upon us before long, and when they find that you,
captain, and your two old friends are the only invaders, they may be apt
to feel rather irate; our safest plan will be to get housed comfortably
before they come. It will do the young soldiers no harm to give them
some useful exercise. I only hope, should the enemy ever come, that the
guardians of our native land may be as wide awake as they appear to be
to-night."
The cottage was shortly reached. Susan, Harry's old nurse, now grown
into a comely matron, acted as housekeeper; a blazing fire in the
kitchen soon restored warmth to their limbs, while all the garments
which the house could furnish were brought forth to supply them with dry
clothes. A steaming hot supper was after this placed on the table,
round which Mr. Kyffin's guests thankfully assembled.
"Well, Harry, you wish to know the news I have brought, I doubt not,"
said the captain, when at length he was sufficiently recovered to find
the use of his tongue. "Had you not come down to-night to assist in
saving me and these two country people of mine, in all human probability
your friend Captain Everard would not have recovered possession of
Stanmore. I am thankful to say, after much risk and anxiety, I
succeeded in getting a copy of the marriage certificate which was of
such importance, and to make security doubly sure, I brought over these
two old people who were witnesses to his father's marriage."
"How can he ever repay you sufficiently?" said Harry; "I must set out
immediately to let him know the result of your mission."
"No, no, my dear boy, you have gone through sufficient fatigue
to-night," said Mr. Kyffin. "You must do no such thing. The captain
will not be the worse for spending another night without knowing that he
can regain his property, and to-morrow morning we will go in due form,
when, perhaps, as the gale last night must have blown away all your
fever, you may be admitted into the presence of Mistress Mabel."
Harry's countenance lighted up with pleasure at this suggestion of his
guardian. "Do you think she will see me?" he exclaimed. "She will not
deem me unworthy to appear in her presence?"
"I don't know what the young lady will think of your past doings, Master
Harry," observed Captain Falwasser, "but I rather think that, as you
will take her a pretty fair certificate of your good conduct, you may
have reason to hope that she will receive you condescendingly. I tell
you, in my opinion, had it not been for you, Stanmore would have
remained in the possession of the Sleech family as long as any of that
sweet-sounding name exists. But see, my old friends, who do not
understand the words that have been said, are nodding. Your kind
housekeeper will, I dare say, see them put to roost."
Before day had dawned, the sound of drums and fifes was heard, and
looking out of the window, Harry saw approaching from various
directions, and forming on the downs, numerous companies of volunteers.
Several officers on horseback rode along the cliff at a rapid rate,
stopping every now and then, sweeping with their spy-glasses the distant
horizon. Not a sail, however, was to be seen. They consulted together,
and were evidently disconcerted at finding no enemy to resist. He was
about to go out and meet them, but remembering his guardian's remarks on
the previous evening, he thought that they might possibly cause some
annoyance to the French captain.
"They may as well find out all about the lugger by themselves," he
thought.
After a time several of the coastguard appeared, when the military
having fired their muskets towards the south in defiance of their
expected invaders, once more wheeled about, and marched away to their
respective homes.
"I like to see that sort of thing," observed Mr. Kyffin. "Englishmen
will ever be found ready to defend their native shores."
Mr. Kyffin had sent in for a carriage at an early hour to Lynderton, and
soon after breakfast he, with Harry and their three visitors, set forth
for that town. They stopped before the bow-windowed house where Captain
Everard was residing with his aunt and daughter. Madam Everard was on
the steps preparing to go out, and just behind her stood Mabel. As
Harry descended from the carriage, why did Mabel start back and retreat
a little within the passage? Madam Everard kindly took Harry's hand,
and shook that of Mr. Kyffin. She cast an inquiring glance at the
captain, whom at first she did not recognise.
"May we come in?" asked Harry, looking up eagerly towards Mabel. For an
instant he hesitated, then sprang up the steps past the old lady. Madam
Everard detained Mr. Kyffin and the captain for some minutes by making
inquiries and receiving answers.
"Come in, come in," at length she answered. "Little did I expect to
receive such joyful intelligence. Accept my gratitude, Captain Rochard,
on my own account, and doubly thankful I am that by your means my dear
nephew and his daughter will recover their rights."
A minute afterwards Mary was seen tripping down the street to the
news-room to summon the captain. He had gone there to read the account
just received of Lord Duncan's great victory at Camperdown.
"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Mary, as she saw the captain, "it is happy news,
sir, happy news, better news than that about the battle. The French
captain has come back and brought two old country people with him, and
Madam Everard says we shall all get back to Stanmore."
Mr. Wallace was in the room at the time, and the captain, scarcely
crediting the news, begged the lawyer to accompany him home.
"The evidence is complete," observed Mr. Wallace, after he had looked
over the document brought by Captain Rochard, and by the help of that
gentleman had examined the old French people. "We can go with perfect
confidence of victory into a court of law, should Mr. Sleech venture to
oppose the claims of Captain Everard."
"I trust that everything may be done in a peaceable way," observed Madam
Everard. "I cannot pretend to have any regard for that unhappy man, Mr.
Sleech, though his children are, it must be owned, my nephews and
nieces. I trust, however, that he will yield without opposition."
Mr. Wallace promised to manage matters in as gentle a way as possible,
and that no time might be lost, he set out forthwith for Stanmore. Paul
Gauntlett, who very soon heard what was taking place, begged to
accompany him.
"No, no," said the lawyer. "You, my friend, are a man of war. We will
call you in if it is necessary to proceed by ejectment, but at present I
hope the enemy will capitulate without an assault."
The answer satisfied Paul.
At that moment Dr. Jessop looked in to pay a professional visit to
Mabel.
"I think she scarcely requires your services, doctor," observed Madam
Everard; "but if you, as a friend of the family, will accompany Mr.
Wallace, perhaps you may be able to aid him in his delicate and somewhat
painful mission."
"Come, brother physic, come along then," said Mr. Wallace, as they
stepped into the carriage which had brought the party from Sea View
Cottage. "The sooner this matter is settled the better."
Mr. Sleech was seated in his study in a flowery dressing-gown, the
hairdresser from Lynderton having just curled and powdered his peruke,
when a footman in the Stanmore livery, which he had lately assumed,
announced the lawyer and doctor.
"What can they want with me?" he exclaimed. "Really, a man of rank and
position can scarcely call his time his own. Let them in, however."
At that moment the Misses Sleech and one of their brothers came in from
the grounds.
"Papa," exclaimed the young Mr. Sleech, "those fellows have not cut down
another tree. They say they don't mind putting the fences in order and
digging out the ditches, but that not one of them will lay an axe to a
root."
"Impertinent fellows!" exclaimed Mr. Sleech. "I will see how they dare
disobey me."
At that moment the visitors entered the room.
"Your servant, gentlemen," said the master of Stanmore, performing one
of his newly-learned bows. "To what cause am I indebted for the honour
of this visit? Doctor, you are always welcome, whether you come as a
visitor or professionally," he added, holding out his hand, at the same
time turning a dark frown towards his brother lawyer, who took his seat
in silence.
"As you ask me, Mr. Sleech," said Dr. Jessop, "I come now as a friend--
as a friend of your family and that of the Everards. I wish that you
could have heard the expressions uttered but lately by your excellent
sister-in-law, Madam Everard. You must be aware that it was very
painful to her to leave Stanmore. The law allowed you to take
possession, it being supposed that no marriage had taken place between
Captain Everard's father and mother, notwithstanding the assertion of
the former that he had married in France. Of course Captain Everard has
taken every means to prove his legitimacy, and I must ask you now to be
prepared to receive the information, that not only is he in possession
of the certificate of the marriage, properly attested by the French
authorities, but that actually two French persons of respectability who
were present are at this moment in England, indeed at Lynderton."
Mr. Sleech gasped for breath as the doctor proceeded, turning his
rolling eyeballs first at him and then at the lawyer.
"Is it true what he says? Is it true, Wallace? Tell me," he exclaimed.
"Perfectly true, Mr. Sleech," answered the lawyer. "You have no more
right to be in this house than I have; at the same time, the owners
desire that you should be treated with every kindness and
consideration."
Mr. Sleech rose from his seat, and appeared as if he were about to rush
on his brother lawyer.
"It is false! It is a vile conspiracy! They are impostors!" he
exclaimed. "I will not yield: I will die first!"
"My good sir," exclaimed the doctor, placing himself between Mr. Sleech,
whose doubled fist was raised to strike Mr. Wallace, "let me entreat you
to becalm. This violence will do you no good, and is discreditable to
you."
The unfortunate man stopped and gasped, and had not the doctor held him
up, he would have sunk to the ground. He was placed in a chair.
Restoratives were administered, and at length he recovered.
"I yield," at last he said; "I played for a high stake, and I have lost.
They will have pity on me. That wretched boy of mine, his fate has
well-nigh broken my heart."
In a few days Mr. Sleech and his family returned to the old red brick
building with the high roof in the High Street of Lynderton, which he
had inhabited since he entered business.
The bells rang merrily out when Captain Everard and his daughter,
accompanied by Madam Everard and several friends, drove up the avenue
once more to Stanmore. Harry Tryon, however, never became its master.
The charms of Miss Coppinger had for some time before captured the heart
of the gallant captain, and in a short time after this she became his
bride, and, ultimately, the mother of a considerable number of fine sons
and girls, of whom, notwithstanding, Mabel was not in the slightest
degree jealous, as she by that time could boast of an equal number of
her own. The fortune her godfather had given her, and a very handsome
settlement made by Mr. Kyffin, enabled her to accept Harry Tryon's hand.
At the same time, the Baron de Ruvigny consoled himself for his past
disappointments by marrying Sybella Coppinger, and both he and Harry
joined Mr. Coppinger's firm, and by the time a permanent peace was once
more restored to Europe, had become among the first merchants of London.
With regard to Captain Falwasser, or Rochard, as he also called
himself, he was a true patriot, though a royalist, and had for some
political cause been compelled to leave France before the outbreak of
the revolution. He had been introduced to Mr. Pitt, and had been
employed by him in gaining information of proceedings in France. For
this purpose he had engaged the famous smuggling lugger, from which he
could land without observation on either coast. Disguised in a variety
of ways, he had been able to traverse France. Had he been captured, he
knew well that his life would have been sacrificed. For many years he
persevered, and at length, escaping all dangers, settled down at
Lynderton, where he was ever an honoured guest at Stanmore. Paul
Gauntlett once more took up his former office at the park, which he held
to a green old age; and Jacob Tuttle came home with the loss of an arm,
and married his faithful Mary.