CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
The next day, being the first of September, we were all very busy, andwe continued to shoot every day for a week, when I thought it time toreturn to Portsmouth. I mentioned my intentions to Lord de Versely, andwas pressed to stay until the following Saturday, it being then Tuesday.On Wednesday Mr Warden made his appearance, attended by his clerk, whocarried a bag of papers. He remained half an hour and then went home;but, before he went, he asked me to dine with him on the following day,and I consented.
After we returned from shooting the next day, I changed my clothes, and,leaving word with the butler that I dined out, I took my way across thefields. I was walking very quietly on the grass, by the side of a highhedge, when I perceived two other men on the opposite side; one Irecognised as Colonel Delmar; the other I could not at first make out;but, as I approached them, I perceived that the colonel was talking withthe clerk of Mr Warden. I passed them without notice, for they werevery earnestly engaged in conversation. What they said, I did not know;but I thought it singular that so proud a person as Colonel Delmarshould be so engaged with an inferior; a little reflection, however mademe consider that there was nothing very surprising in Colonel Delmar'sentering into conversation with a man in the country. They might betalking about the game, or a hundred other things.
I had a very friendly dinner with Mr Warden, who, after dinner, gave mea hint that I should not be the worse for the papers signed the daybefore. He did not however, say anything positive, as it would havebeen a breach of trust. When I spoke of my soon being afloat again, hesaid that he would not fail to watch over my interests at the Hallduring my absence, and he requested that I would write to him, andconsider him as my sincere friend. "Of course, my dear Captain Keene, Ido not expect that you will at present give me your entire confidence;but I trust you will when you know me, and at all events that you willnot fail to do so when my advice may be of use to you. I have a debt ofobligation to pay, and I shall be most happy to do so, if it is in mypower!" I thanked Mr Warden for his kind offers, and promised to availmyself of them, and we parted great friends.
The next day, Friday, we had a large addition to our shooting party. Ihad not been out more than an hour, when, as I was standing near Lord deVersely, who was re-loading his gun, a report, close to us, was heard,and I fell down close to his feet, apparently dead. A keeper, who waswith us, ran to see who had discharged the gun, and found that it wasColonel Delmar, who now ran up to us, stating, in hurried terms, to Lordde Versely, that his gun had gone off accidentally as he was putting ona copper cap, and bitterly lamenting the circumstance. Lord de Verselywas at the time kneeling down by my side (as I was afterwards informed),showing the greatest anxiety and grief. My hat had been taken off; itwas full of blood and the back of my head was much torn with the shot.I remained insensible, although breathing heavily; a gate was taken offits hinges, and I was laid upon it, and carried to the Hall.
Before the surgeon had arrived, I had recovered my senses. Onexamination, I had had a very narrow escape; the better part of thecharge of shot had entered the back part of my head, but fortunately notany had penetrated through the skull. After a tedious hour, employed inextracting this load, my head was bound up, and I was made comfortablein my bed. I must say that Lord de Versely and Colonel Delmar vied witheach other in their attentions to me; the latter constantly accusinghimself as the author of the mischief, and watching by my bed the majorpart of the day.
This accident delayed my departure, and it was not until three weeksafterwards, that I was sufficiently recovered to leave my room. In themeantime, Lord de Versely, assured that I was out of danger, went backto London. The colonel, however, remained. His kindness and attentionhad given me great pleasure, and we had become very intimate. He hadoffered to go with me to Portsmouth, and I had expressed the pleasure Ishould have in his company. The Honourable Miss Delmar had shown thegreatest feeling and anxiety for me during my illness; so had MrWarden, who often called to see me; in fact, I found myself sosurrounded by well-wishers and friends, that I hardly regretted myaccident.
At the end of the fifth week, I was sufficiently recovered to be able toreturn to Portsmouth, where I was now very anxious to arrive, as theCirce had been launched and had already received her lower masts. Itook my leave of Miss Delmar, who requested my early return to MadelineHall, and, accompanied by Colonel Delmar, was once more established atBillett's Hotel.
Bob Cross was the first who made his appearance; for I had written tohim to acquaint him with my intended return. He had heard of my narrowescape, as it had been put into the newspaper; his information wastrifling, but to the purpose. All was right as to the frigate: she saton the water like a duck; the rigging was far advanced, and the officersseemed of the right sort. All was right, also, as to his matrimonialaffairs; his wife was every thing he wished; the old gentleman was assweet as molasses, and he had laid the keel of a young Cross. We thenentered upon business, and I gave him some directions as to the rigging,and he left me.
The next morning, the first lieutenant called to pay his respects, andhis appearance and conversation proved him to be what he had beenrecommended as, a good seaman and a brave man. I went with him to thedockyard to look at the frigate in the basin, and afterwards on boardthe hulk to see the other officers and the men, who had been entered. Ihad every reason to be satisfied, and I then returned to the hotel, todine with Colonel Delmar. This officer appeared to have taken a stronginterest in me, and ever since the accident of his gun going off, whichhad so nearly been fatal to me, was unbounded in his professions ofregard. I must say, that a more gentleman-like or more amusingcompanion I never met with. A great intimacy was established betweenus; he was constantly making me presents of value, which I would fainhave prevented his doing; occasionally, when we were alone, he wouldhint something about my family and parentage; but this was a subjectupon which I was invariably silent, and I immediately changed theconversation; once only I replied, that my father and mother were bothdead.
On my arrival at Portsmouth, I found several letters waiting for me, andamong them two or three from my mother, who had seen the report in thenewspaper of the escape that I had had, and, of course, was excessivelyanxious to hear from my own hand how I was. Had I thought that it wouldhave come to her knowledge, I certainly should have written to mygrandmother from Madeline Hall; but I imagined that she knew nothingabout it, until my return to Portsmouth, when her anxious letters provedthe contrary; for in her anxiety she had quite forgotten her promisethat all communication should be through my grandmother.
As soon as I had read the letters I locked them up in my desk, andhastened to reply to them, assuring my mother of my perfect restorationto health, and cautioned her not to break through the agreement we hadmade for the future, pointing out to her that had these letters beenforwarded to Madeline Hall, her handwriting would have been recognised.I said, in conclusion, "I must say, my dear mother, that I now heartilyrepent that we should have resorted to the step we have done inpretending that you are dead. That some advantage was gained by it atthe time, I really believe; but I have a feeling that eventually somemischief may occur from it. I hope I may be mistaken; but if I am not,it will only be the punishment which I deserve for an act of duplicitywhich I have repented of ever since."