CHAPTER XX. THIEF AND PIRATE
Captain Blood paced the poop of his ship alone in the tepid dusk, andthe growing golden radiance of the great poop lantern in which a seamanhad just lighted the three lamps. About him all was peace. The signs ofthe day's battle had been effaced, the decks had been swabbed, and orderwas restored above and below. A group of men squatting about the mainhatch were drowsily chanting, their hardened natures softened, perhaps,by the calm and beauty of the night. They were the men of the larboardwatch, waiting for eight bells which was imminent.
Captain Blood did not hear them; he did not hear anything save the echoof those cruel words which had dubbed him thief and pirate.
Thief and pirate!
It is an odd fact of human nature that a man may for years possess theknowledge that a certain thing must be of a certain fashion, and yet beshocked to discover through his own senses that the fact is in perfectharmony with his beliefs. When first, three years ago, at Tortuga hehad been urged upon the adventurer's course which he had followed eversince, he had known in what opinion Arabella Bishop must hold him ifhe succumbed. Only the conviction that already she was for ever lost tohim, by introducing a certain desperate recklessness into his soul hadsupplied the final impulse to drive him upon his rover's course.
That he should ever meet her again had not entered his calculations, hadfound no place in his dreams. They were, he conceived, irrevocably andfor ever parted. Yet, in spite of this, in spite even of the persuasionthat to her this reflection that was his torment could bring no regrets,he had kept the thought of her ever before him in all those wild yearsof filibustering. He had used it as a curb not only upon himself, butalso upon those who followed him. Never had buccaneers been so rigidlyheld in hand, never had they been so firmly restrained, never sodebarred from the excesses of rapine and lust that were usual in theirkind as those who sailed with Captain Blood. It was, you will remember,stipulated in their articles that in these as in other matters they mustsubmit to the commands of their leader. And because of the singular goodfortune which had attended his leadership, he had been able to imposethat stern condition of a discipline unknown before among buccaneers.How would not these men laugh at him now if he were to tell them thatthis he had done out of respect for a slip of a girl of whom he hadfallen romantically enamoured? How would not that laughter swell if headded that this girl had that day informed him that she did not numberthieves and pirates among her acquaintance.
Thief and pirate!
How the words clung, how they stung and burnt his brain!
It did not occur to him, being no psychologist, nor learned in thetortuous workings of the feminine mind, that the fact that she shouldbestow upon him those epithets in the very moment and circumstance oftheir meeting was in itself curious. He did not perceive the problemthus presented; therefore he could not probe it. Else he might haveconcluded that if in a moment in which by delivering her from captivityhe deserved her gratitude, yet she expressed herself in bitterness,it must be because that bitterness was anterior to the gratitude anddeep-seated. She had been moved to it by hearing of the course he hadtaken. Why? It was what he did not ask himself, or some ray of lightmight have come to brighten his dark, his utterly evil despondency.Surely she would never have been so moved had she not cared--had she notfelt that in what he did there was a personal wrong to herself. Surely,he might have reasoned, nothing short of this could have moved her tosuch a degree of bitterness and scorn as that which she had displayed.
That is how you will reason. Not so, however, reasoned Captain Blood.Indeed, that night he reasoned not at all. His soul was given up toconflict between the almost sacred love he had borne her in all theseyears and the evil passion which she had now awakened in him.Extremes touch, and in touching may for a space become confused,indistinguishable. And the extremes of love and hate were to-night soconfused in the soul of Captain Blood that in their fusion they made upa monstrous passion.
Thief and pirate!
That was what she deemed him, without qualification, oblivious ofthe deep wrongs he had suffered, the desperate case in which he foundhimself after his escape from Barbados, and all the rest that had goneto make him what he was. That he should have conducted his filibusteringwith hands as clean as were possible to a man engaged in suchundertakings had also not occurred to her as a charitable thought withwhich to mitigate her judgment of a man she had once esteemed. She hadno charity for him, no mercy. She had summed him up, convicted him andsentenced him in that one phrase. He was thief and pirate in her eyes;nothing more, nothing less. What, then, was she? What are those who haveno charity? he asked the stars.
Well, as she had shaped him hitherto, so let her shape him now. Thiefand pirate she had branded him. She should be justified. Thief andpirate should he prove henceforth; no more nor less; as bowelless, asremorseless, as all those others who had deserved those names. He wouldcast out the maudlin ideals by which he had sought to steer a course;put an end to this idiotic struggle to make the best of two worlds. Shehad shown him clearly to which world he belonged. Let him now justifyher. She was aboard his ship, in his power, and he desired her.
He laughed softly, jeeringly, as he leaned on the taffrail, looking downat the phosphorescent gleam in the ship's wake, and his own laughterstartled him by its evil note. He checked suddenly, and shivered. A sobbroke from him to end that ribald burst of mirth. He took his face inhis hands and found a chill moisture on his brow.
Meanwhile, Lord Julian, who knew the feminine part of humanity ratherbetter than Captain Blood, was engaged in solving the curious problemthat had so completely escaped the buccaneer. He was spurred to it, Isuspect, by certain vague stirrings of jealousy. Miss Bishop's conductin the perils through which they had come had brought him at lastto perceive that a woman may lack the simpering graces of culturedfemininity and yet because of that lack be the more admirable. Hewondered what precisely might have been her earlier relations withCaptain Blood, and was conscious of a certain uneasiness which urged himnow to probe the matter.
His lordship's pale, dreamy eyes had, as I have said, a habit ofobserving things, and his wits were tolerably acute.
He was blaming himself now for not having observed certain thingsbefore, or, at least, for not having studied them more closely, and hewas busily connecting them with more recent observations made that veryday.
He had observed, for instance, that Blood's ship was named the Arabella,and he knew that Arabella was Miss Bishop's name. And he had observedall the odd particulars of the meeting of Captain Blood and Miss Bishop,and the curious change that meeting had wrought in each.
The lady had been monstrously uncivil to the Captain. It was a veryfoolish attitude for a lady in her circumstances to adopt towards a manin Blood's; and his lordship could not imagine Miss Bishop as normallyfoolish. Yet, in spite of her rudeness, in spite of the fact that shewas the niece of a man whom Blood must regard as his enemy, Miss Bishopand his lordship had been shown the utmost consideration aboard theCaptain's ship. A cabin had been placed at the disposal of each, towhich their scanty remaining belongings and Miss Bishop's woman had beenduly transferred. They were given the freedom of the great cabin, andthey had sat down to table with Pitt, the master, and Wolverstone, whowas Blood's lieutenant, both of whom had shown them the utmost courtesy.Also there was the fact that Blood, himself, had kept almost studiouslyfrom intruding upon them.
His lordship's mind went swiftly but carefully down these avenues ofthought, observing and connecting. Having exhausted them, he decidedto seek additional information from Miss Bishop. For this he must waituntil Pitt and Wolverstone should have withdrawn. He was hardly made towait so long, for as Pitt rose from table to follow Wolverstone, who hadalready departed, Miss Bishop detained him with a question:
"Mr. Pitt," she asked, "were you not one of those who escaped fromBarbados with Captain Blood?"
"I was. I, too, was one of your uncle's slaves."
"And you have been with Captain Blood ever since?"
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"His shipmaster always, ma'am."
She nodded. She was very calm and self-contained; but his lordshipobserved that she was unusually pale, though considering what she hadthat day undergone this afforded no matter for wonder.
"Did you ever sail with a Frenchman named Cahusac?"
"Cahusac?" Pitt laughed. The name evoked a ridiculous memory. "Aye. Hewas with us at Maracaybo."
"And another Frenchman named Levasseur?"
His lordship marvelled at her memory of these names.
"Aye. Cahusac was Levasseur's lieutenant, until he died."
"Until who died?"
"Levasseur. He was killed on one of the Virgin Islands two years ago."
There was a pause. Then, in an even quieter voice than before, MissBishop asked:
"Who killed him?"
Pitt answered readily. There was no reason why he should not, though hebegan to find the catechism intriguing.
"Captain Blood killed him."
"Why?"
Pitt hesitated. It was not a tale for a maid's ears.
"They quarrelled," he said shortly.
"Was it about a... a lady?" Miss Bishop relentlessly pursued him.
"You might put it that way."
"What was the lady's name?"
Pitt's eyebrows went up; still he answered.
"Miss d'Ogeron. She was the daughter of the Governor of Tortuga. She hadgone off with this fellow Levasseur, and... and Peter delivered her outof his dirty clutches. He was a black-hearted scoundrel, and deservedwhat Peter gave him."
"I see. And... and yet Captain Blood has not married her?"
"Not yet," laughed Pitt, who knew the utter groundlessness of the commongossip in Tortuga which pronounced Mdlle. d'Ogeron the Captain's futurewife.
Miss Bishop nodded in silence, and Jeremy Pitt turned to depart,relieved that the catechism was ended. He paused in the doorway toimpart a piece of information.
"Maybe it'll comfort you to know that the Captain has altered our coursefor your benefit. It's his intention to put you both ashore on the coastof Jamaica, as near Port Royal as we dare venture. We've gone about, andif this wind holds ye'll soon be home again, mistress."
"Vastly obliging of him," drawled his lordship, seeing that Miss Bishopmade no shift to answer. Sombre-eyed she sat, staring into vacancy.
"Indeed, ye may say so," Pitt agreed. "He's taking risks that few wouldtake in his place. But that's always been his way."
He went out, leaving his lordship pensive, those dreamy blue eyes of hisintently studying Miss Bishop's face for all their dreaminess; his mindincreasingly uneasy. At length Miss Bishop looked at him, and spoke.
"Your Cahusac told you no more than the truth, it seems."
"I perceived that you were testing it," said his lordship. "I amwondering precisely why."
Receiving no answer, he continued to observe her silently, his long,tapering fingers toying with a ringlet of the golden periwig in whichhis long face was set.
Miss Bishop sat bemused, her brows knit, her brooding glance seemingto study the fine Spanish point that edged the tablecloth. At last hislordship broke the silence.
"He amazes me, this man," said he, in his slow, languid voice that neverseemed to change its level. "That he should alter his course for usis in itself matter for wonder; but that he should take a risk on ourbehalf--that he should venture into Jamaica waters.... It amazes me, asI have said."
Miss Bishop raised her eyes, and looked at him. She appeared to be verythoughtful. Then her lip flickered curiously, almost scornfully, itseemed to him. Her slender fingers drummed the table.
"What is still more amazing is that he does not hold us to ransom," saidshe at last.
"It's what you deserve."
"Oh, and why, if you please?"
"For speaking to him as you did."
"I usually call things by their names."
"Do you? Stab me! I shouldn't boast of it. It argues either extremeyouth or extreme foolishness." His lordship, you see, belonged to myLord Sunderland's school of philosophy. He added after a moment: "Sodoes the display of ingratitude."
A faint colour stirred in her cheeks. "Your lordship is evidentlyaggrieved with me. I am disconsolate. I hope your lordship's grievanceis sounder than your views of life. It is news to me that ingratitude isa fault only to be found in the young and the foolish."
"I didn't say so, ma'am." There was a tartness in his tone evoked bythe tartness she had used. "If you would do me the honour to listen,you would not misapprehend me. For if unlike you I do not always sayprecisely what I think, at least I say precisely what I wish to convey.To be ungrateful may be human; but to display it is childish."
"I... I don't think I understand." Her brows were knit. "How have I beenungrateful and to whom?"
"To whom? To Captain Blood. Didn't he come to our rescue?"
"Did he?" Her manner was frigid. "I wasn't aware that he knew of ourpresence aboard the Milagrosa."
His lordship permitted himself the slightest gesture of impatience.
"You are probably aware that he delivered us," said he. "And living asyou have done in these savage places of the world, you can hardly failto be aware of what is known even in England: that this fellow Bloodstrictly confines himself to making war upon the Spaniards. So that tocall him thief and pirate as you did was to overstate the case againsthim at a time when it would have been more prudent to have understatedit."
"Prudence?" Her voice was scornful. "What have I to do with prudence?"
"Nothing--as I perceive. But, at least, study generosity. I tell youfrankly, ma'am, that in Blood's place I should never have been so nice.Sink me! When you consider what he has suffered at the hands of hisfellow-countrymen, you may marvel with me that he should trouble todiscriminate between Spanish and English. To be sold into slavery! Ugh!"His lordship shuddered. "And to a damned colonial planter!" He checkedabruptly. "I beg your pardon, Miss Bishop. For the moment...."
"You were carried away by your heat in defence of this... sea-robber."Miss Bishop's scorn was almost fierce.
His lordship stared at her again. Then he half-closed his large, paleeyes, and tilted his head a little. "I wonder why you hate him so," hesaid softly.
He saw the sudden scarlet flame upon her cheeks, the heavy frown thatdescended upon her brow. He had made her very angry, he judged. Butthere was no explosion. She recovered.
"Hate him? Lord! What a thought! I don't regard the fellow at all."
"Then ye should, ma'am." His lordship spoke his thought frankly. "He'sworth regarding. He'd be an acquisition to the King's navy--a man thatcan do the things he did this morning. His service under de Ruyterwasn't wasted on him. That was a great seaman, and--blister me!--thepupil's worthy the master if I am a judge of anything. I doubt if theRoyal Navy can show his equal. To thrust himself deliberately betweenthose two, at point-blank range, and so turn the tables on them! It askscourage, resource, and invention. And we land-lubbers were not the onlyones he tricked by his manoeuvre. That Spanish Admiral never guessed theintent until it was too late and Blood held him in check. A great man,Miss Bishop. A man worth regarding."
Miss Bishop was moved to sarcasm.
"You should use your influence with my Lord Sunderland to have the Kingoffer him a commission."
His lordship laughed softly. "Faith, it's done already. I have hiscommission in my pocket." And he increased her amazement by a briefexposition of the circumstances. In that amazement he left her, and wentin quest of Blood. But he was still intrigued. If she were a little lessuncompromising in her attitude towards Blood, his lordship would havebeen happier.
He found the Captain pacing the quarter-deck, a man mentally exhaustedfrom wrestling with the Devil, although of this particular occupationhis lordship could have no possible suspicion. With the amiablefamiliarity he used, Lord Julian slipped an arm through one of theCaptain's, and fell into step beside him.
"What's this?" snapped Blood, whose mood was fierce and raw. Hislordship
was not disturbed.
"I desire, sir, that we be friends," said he suavely.
"That's mighty condescending of you!"
Lord Julian ignored the obvious sarcasm.
"It's an odd coincidence that we should have been brought together inthis fashion, considering that I came out to the Indies especially toseek you."
"Ye're not by any means the first to do that," the other scoffed. "Butthey've mainly been Spaniards, and they hadn't your luck."
"You misapprehend me completely," said Lord Julian. And on that heproceeded to explain himself and his mission.
When he had done, Captain Blood, who until that moment had stoodstill under the spell of his astonishment, disengaged his arm from hislordship's, and stood squarely before him.
"Ye're my guest aboard this ship," said he, "and I still have somenotion of decent behaviour left me from other days, thief and piratethough I may be. So I'll not be telling you what I think of you fordaring to bring me this offer, or of my Lord Sunderland--since he's yourkinsman for having the impudence to send it. But it does not surprise meat all that one who is a minister of James Stuart's should conceivethat every man is to be seduced by bribes into betraying those who trusthim." He flung out an arm in the direction of the waist, whence came thehalf-melancholy chant of the lounging buccaneers.
"Again you misapprehend me," cried Lord Julian, between concern andindignation. "That is not intended. Your followers will be included inyour commission."
"And d' ye think they'll go with me to hunt their brethren--theBrethren of the Coast? On my soul, Lord Julian, it is yourself does themisapprehending. Are there not even notions of honour left in England?Oh, and there's more to it than that, even. D'ye think I could take acommission of King James's? I tell you I wouldn't be soiling my handswith it--thief and pirate's hands though they be. Thief and pirate iswhat you heard Miss Bishop call me to-day--a thing of scorn, an outcast.And who made me that? Who made me thief and pirate?"
"If you were a rebel...?" his lordship was beginning.
"Ye must know that I was no such thing--no rebel at all. It wasn't evenpretended. If it were, I could forgive them. But not even that cloakcould they cast upon their foulness. Oh, no; there was no mistake. Iwas convicted for what I did, neither more nor less. That bloody vampireJeffreys--bad cess to him!--sentenced me to death, and his worthy masterJames Stuart afterwards sent me into slavery, because I had performed anact of mercy; because compassionately and without thought for creed orpolitics I had sought to relieve the sufferings of a fellow-creature;because I had dressed the wounds of a man who was convicted of treason.That was all my offence. You'll find it in the records. And for that Iwas sold into slavery: because by the law of England, as administered byJames Stuart in violation of the laws of God, who harbours or comfortsa rebel is himself adjudged guilty of rebellion. D'ye dream man, what itis to be a slave?"
He checked suddenly at the very height of his passion. A moment hepaused, then cast it from him as if it had been a cloak. His voice sankagain. He uttered a little laugh of weariness and contempt.
"But there! I grow hot for nothing at all. I explain myself, I think,and God knows, it is not my custom. I am grateful to you, Lord Julian,for your kindly intentions. I am so. But ye'll understand, perhaps. Yelook as if ye might."
Lord Julian stood still. He was deeply stricken by the other's words,the passionate, eloquent outburst that in a few sharp, clear-cut strokeshad so convincingly presented the man's bitter case against humanity,his complete apologia and justification for all that could be laid tohis charge. His lordship looked at that keen, intrepid face gleaminglividly in the light of the great poop lantern, and his own eyes weretroubled. He was abashed.
He fetched a heavy sigh. "A pity," he said slowly. "Oh, blister me--acursed pity!" He held out his hand, moved to it on a sudden generousimpulse. "But no offence between us, Captain Blood!"
"Oh, no offence. But... I'm a thief and a pirate." He laughed withoutmirth, and, disregarding the proffered hand, swung on his heel.
Lord Julian stood a moment, watching the tall figure as it moved awaytowards the taffrail. Then letting his arms fall helplessly to his sidesin dejection, he departed.
Just within the doorway of the alley leading to the cabin, he ran intoMiss Bishop. Yet she had not been coming out, for her back was towardshim, and she was moving in the same direction. He followed her, his mindtoo full of Captain Blood to be concerned just then with her movements.
In the cabin he flung into a chair, and exploded, with a violencealtogether foreign to his nature.
"Damme if ever I met a man I liked better, or even a man I liked aswell. Yet there's nothing to be done with him."
"So I heard," she admitted in a small voice. She was very white, and shekept her eyes upon her folded hands.
He looked up in surprise, and then sat conning her with brooding glance."I wonder, now," he said presently, "if the mischief is of your working.Your words have rankled with him. He threw them at me again and again.He wouldn't take the King's commission; he wouldn't take my hand even.What's to be done with a fellow like that? He'll end on a yardarmfor all his luck. And the quixotic fool is running into danger at thepresent moment on our behalf."
"How?" she asked him with a sudden startled interest.
"How? Have you forgotten that he's sailing to Jamaica, and that Jamaicais the headquarters of the English fleet? True, your uncle commandsit...."
She leaned across the table to interrupt him, and he observed that herbreathing had grown labored, that her eyes were dilating in alarm.
"But there is no hope for him in that!" she cried. "Oh, don't imagineit! He has no bitterer enemy in the world! My uncle is a hard,unforgiving man. I believe that it was nothing but the hope of takingand hanging Captain Blood that made my uncle leave his Barbadosplantations to accept the deputy-governorship of Jamaica. Captain Blooddoesn't know that, of course...." She paused with a little gesture ofhelplessness.
"I can't think that it would make the least difference if he did," saidhis lordship gravely. "A man who can forgive such an enemy as Don Migueland take up this uncompromising attitude with me isn't to be judged byordinary rules. He's chivalrous to the point of idiocy."
"And yet he has been what he has been and done what he has done in theselast three years," said she, but she said it sorrowfully now, withoutany of her earlier scorn.
Lord Julian was sententious, as I gather that he often was. "Life can beinfernally complex," he sighed.