Chapter XVI
In which we change the scene, and the sex of our performers.
We must now leave the cutter to return to Portsmouth, while we introduceto our readers a new and strange association. We stated that the boatshad been ensconced in a very small cove at the back of the Isle ofWight. Above these hung the terrific cliff of the Black Gang Chyne,which, to all appearance, was inaccessible. But this was not the case,or the smugglers would not have resorted there to disembark their cargo.At that time, for since that period much of the cliff has fallen down,and the aspect is much changed, the rocks rose up from the water nearlyperpendicularly, to the height of fifty or sixty feet. At that heightthere was a flat of about one hundred feet square in front of a cave ofvery great depth. The flat, so called in contradistinction to theperpendicular cliff, descended from the seaward to the cave, so that thelatter was not to be seen either by vessels passing by, or by those whomight be adventurous enough to peep over the ridge above; and fragmentsof rocks, dispersed here and there on this flat, or platform, inducedpeople to imagine that the upper cliff was a continuation of the lower.The lower cliff, on which this platform in front of the cave wassituated, was on the eastern side as abrupt as on that fronting the seato the southward; but on the western side, its height was decreased toabout fifteen feet, which was surmounted by a ladder removed atpleasure. To this means of access to the cave there was a zigzag path,used only by the smugglers, leading from the small cove, and anothermuch more tedious, by which they could transport their goods to thesummit of this apparently inaccessible mass of rocks. The cave itselfwas large, and with several diverging galleries, most of which were dry;but in one or two there was a continual filtering of clear pure waterthrough the limestone rock, which was collected in pits dug for thatpurpose on the floor below; these pits were always full of water, theexcess being carried off by small open drains which trickled over theeastern side of the platform. Some attention to comfort had been paid bythe inhabitants of these caverns, which were portioned off here andthere by sail-cloth and boards, so as to form separate rooms andstorehouses. The cookery was carried on outside at the edge of theplatform nearest the sea, under an immense fragment of rock, which layat the very edge; and by an ingenious arrangement of smaller portions ofthe rock neither the flame was to be distinguished, nor was the smoke,which was divided and made to find its passage through a variety offissures, never in such a volume as to be supposed to be anything morethan the vapours drawn up by the heat of the sun.
In this abode there were at least thirty people residing, and generallyspeaking, it might be called a convent, for it was tenanted by women.Their husbands, who brought over the cargoes, returning immediately intheir boat to the opposite shore, for two reasons; one, that their boatscould only land in particular seasons, and could never remain in thecove without risk of being dashed to pieces; and the other, that theabsence of all men prevented suspicion; the whole of the interiorsmuggling being carried on by the other sex, who fearlessly showedthemselves on every part of the island, and purchased their necessarysupplies of provisions here and there, without exciting any misgivingsas to the nature of their employment. A few isolated cottages, not farfrom the beetling brow of the cliff above, were their supposed abodes;but no one ever troubled them with a visit, and if they did, and foundthat they could gain no admittance, they imagined that the occupants hadlocked their doors for security, while they were busied with theirlabours in the field. Accustomed to climb up the tortuous path from thecave to the summit, the women would, on the darkest night, carry uptheir burdens and deposit them in the cottages above, until they had anopportunity of delivering their contraband articles into the hands oftheir agents; and this traffic had been carried on for many years,without the government or excise having the slightest suspicion by whatmeans the smuggling was accomplished. As we before observed, the greatarticles in request, and which were now smuggled from France, werealamodes and lutestrings. The attention of government had been called tocheck the admission of these goods, but hitherto their attempts had notbeen attended with much success.
At the grey of the morning after the attempt to seize the smugglers hadbeen defeated by the instrumentality of Snarleyyow, upon the top of theimmense fragment of the rock which we have described as lying upon thesea-edge of the platform, was perched a fair, slight-made little girl,of about twelve years of age. She was simply clad in a short worstedpetticoat and bodice of a dark colour; her head was bare, and her hairfluttered with the breeze; her small feet, notwithstanding the severityof the weather, were also naked, and her short petticoat discovered herlegs half way up to the knee. She stood there, within a few inches ofthe precipice below, carelessly surveying the waves as they dashed overthe rocks, for she was waiting until the light would enable her to seefurther on the horizon. By those who might have leaned over the ridgeabove, as well as by those who sailed below, she might have been taken,had she been seen to move, for some sea bird reposing after a flight, sosmall was her frame in juxtaposition with the wildness and majesty ofnature which surrounded her on every side. Accustomed from infancy toher mode of life, and this unusual domicile, her eye quailed not, nordid her heart beat quicker, as she looked down into the abyss below, orturned her eyes up to the beetling mass of rock which appeared, eachmoment, ready to fall down and overwhelm her. She passed her hand acrossher temples to throw back the hair which the wind had blown over hereyes, and again scanned the distance as the sun's light increased, andthe fog gradually cleared away.
"A sharp look out, Lilly, dear; you've the best eyes among us, and wemust have a clue from whence last night's surprise proceeded."
"I can see nothing yet, mother; but the fog is driving back fast."
"It's but a cheerless night your poor father had, to pull twice acrossthe channel, and find himself just where he was. God speed them, and maythey be safe in port again by this time."
"I say so too, mother, and amen."
"D'ye see nothing, child?"
"Nothing, dear mother; but it clears up fast to the eastward, and thesun is bursting out of the bank, and I think I see something underthe sun."
"Watch well, Lilly," replied the woman, who was throwing more wood onthe fire.
"I see a vessel, mother. It is a sloop beating to the eastward."
"A coaster, child?"
"No, mother, I think not. No, it is no coaster--it is that king'svessel, I think, but the glare of the sun is too great. When he riseshigher I shall make it out better."
"Which do you mean, the king's cutter on the station, the _Yungfrau_?"
"Yes, mother," replied Lilly, "it is. I'm sure it is the _Yungfrau_."
"Then it is from her that the boats came last night. She must havereceived some information. There must be treachery somewhere; but we'llsoon find that out."
It may appear singular that Lilly could speak so positively as to avessel at a great distance; but it must be remembered that she had beenbrought up to it, nearly all her life. It was her profession, and shehad lived wholly with seamen and seamen's wives, which will account forher technical language being so correct. What Lilly said was true; itwas the _Yungfrau_, which was beating up to regain her port, and havingto stem a strong ebb-tide during the night, had not made verygreat progress.
"There are three other vessels in the offing," said Lilly, lookinground, "a ship and two brigs, both going down channel:" and as she saidthis, the little thing dropped lightly from rock to rock till she stoodby her mother, and commenced rubbing her hands before the nowblazing fire.
"Nancy must go over to Portsmouth," observed the mother, "and find outall about this. I hardly know whom to suspect; but let Nancy alone,she'll ferret out the truth--she has many gossips at the Point. Whoeverinformed against the landing, must know of this cave."
But we must introduce the mother of Lilly to the reader. She was a tall,finely-featured woman, her arms beautifully moulded, and bare. She wasrather inclined to be stout, but her figure was magnificent. She wasdressed in the same costum
e as her daughter, with the exception of a networsted shawl of many colours over her shoulders. Her appearance gaveyou the idea that she was never intended for the situation which she wasnow in; but of that hereafter. As the reader may have observed, herlanguage was correct, as was that of the child, and proved that she hadnot only been educated herself, but had paid attention to the bringingup of Lilly. The most perfect confidence appeared to subsist between themother and daughter: the former treated her child as her equal, andconfided everything to her; and Lilly was far advanced beyond her age inknowledge and reflection; her countenance beamed with intelligence;perhaps a more beautiful and more promising creature never existed.
A third party now appeared from the cave; although not in canonicals,his dress indicated his profession of a priest. He approached themother and daughter with, "Peace be with you, ladies."
"You forget, good father," replied the elder of the females, "my name isAlice--nothing more."
"I crave pardon for my forgetting who you were. I will be more mindful.Well, then, Alice--yet that familiar term sounds strangely, and mytongue will not accustom itself, even were I to remain here weeks,instead of but two days--I was about to say, that the affair of lastnight was most untoward. My presence is much wished for, and muchrequired, at St Germains. It was unfortunate, because it proves that wehave traitors among us somewhere; but of that, and of the whole affair,I will have cognizance in a few days."
"And should you discover the party?"
"His doom is sealed."
"You are right."
"In so important and so righteous a cause, we must not stop at aughtnecessary to secure our purpose. But, tell me, think you that yourhusband will soon be here again?"
"I should think not to-night, but to-morrow or the next he will be off;and if we can show the signals of surety he will land, if the weatherwill permit."
"'Tis indeed time that I were over. Something might now be done."
"I would so too, father; it is a tedious time that I have spent here."
"And most unfitting for you, were it not that you laboured in a greatcause; but it must soon be decided, and then that fair lily shall betransplanted, like a wild flower from the rock, and be nurtured in aconservatory."
"Nay, for that, the time is hardly come. She is better here, as you seeher, father, than in the chambers of a court. For her sake I would stillremain; but for my husband's sake, and the perils he encounters, I wishthat one way or the other it were decided."
"Had there been faith in that Italian, it had been so before how,"replied the priest, grinding his teeth, and turning away.
But the conversation was closed at the appearance of some women who cameout of the cave. They were variously clothed, some coarsely, and otherswith greater pretensions to finery: they brought with them theimplements for cooking, and appeared surprised at the fire being alreadylighted. Among them was one about twenty-five years of age, and althoughmore faded than she ought to have been at that early age, still withpretensions to almost extreme beauty. She was more gaily dressed thanthe others, and had a careless, easy air about her, which suited to herhandsome, slight figure. It was impossible to see her without beinginterested, and desiring to know who she was.
This person was the Nancy mentioned by Alice in her conversation withLilly. Her original name had been Nancy Dawson, but she had married oneof the smugglers, of the name of Corbett. Her original profession,previous to her marriage, we will not dwell upon; suffice it to say,that she was the most celebrated person of that class in Portsmouth,both for her talent and extreme beauty. Had she lived in the days ofKing Charles II., and had he seen her, she would have been more renownedthan ever was Eleanor Gwynne; even as it was, she had been celebrated ina song, which has not been lost to posterity. After a few years ofdissipated life, Nancy reformed, and became an honest woman, and anhonest wife. By her marriage with the smuggler, she had become one ofthe fraternity, and had taken up her abode in the cave, which she wasnot sorry to do, as she had become too famous at Portsmouth to remainthere as a married woman. Still she occasionally made her appearance,and to a certain degree kept up her old acquaintances, that she mightdiscover what was going on--very necessary information for thesmugglers. She would laugh, and joke, and have her repartee as usual,but in other points she was truly reformed. Her acquaintance was sogeneral, and she was such a favourite, that she was of the greatest useto the band, and was always sent over to Portsmouth when her serviceswere required. It was supposed there, for she had reported it, that shehad retired to the Isle of Wight, and lived there with her husband, whowas a pilot, and that she came over to Portsmouth occasionally, toinquire after her old friends, and upon business.
"Nancy Corbett, I must speak to you," said Alice. "Come aside: I wishyou, Nancy, to go over immediately. Can you go up, do you think, withoutbeing perceived?"
"Yes, Mistress Alice, provided there is no one to see me."
"The case is so important, that we must run the risk."
"We've run cargoes of more value than that."
"But still you must use discretion, Nancy."
"That's a commodity that I've not been very well provided with throughlife; but I have my wits in its stead."
"Then you must use your wit, Nancy."
"It's like an old knife, well worn, but all the sharper."
Alice then entered into a detail of what she would find out, and gaveher instructions to Nancy. The first point was, to ascertain whether itwas the cutter which had received the information; the second, who theinformer was.
Nancy, having received her orders, tied the strings of her bonnet,caught up a handful of the victuals which were at the fire, and biddingthe others a laughing good-bye, with her mouth full, and one hand alsooccupied, descended the ladder, previously to mounting the cliff.
"Nancy," said Lilly, who stood by the ladder, "bring me some pens."
"Yes, dear; will you have them alive, or dead?"
"Nonsense, I mean some quills."
"So do I, Miss Lilly; but if you want them dead, I shall bring them inmy pocket--if alive, I shall bring the goose under my arm."
"I only want the quills, Nancy," replied Lilly, laughing.
"And I think I shall want the feathers of them before I'm at the top,"replied Nancy, looking up at the majestic cliff above her. "Good-bye,Miss Lilly."
Nancy Corbett again filled her handsome mouth with bread, and commencedher ascent. In less than a quarter of an hour she had disappeared overthe ridge.