CHAPTER XXVIII. SOME NEW ACQUAINTANCES
I went to bed at night in all apparent health; save from the flurry andexcitement of an anxious mind, I was in no respect different from myusual mood; and yet, when I awoke next morning, my head was distractedwith a racking pain, cramps were in all my limbs, and I could not turnor even move without intense suffering. The long exposure to rain, whilemy mind was in a condition of extreme excitement, had brought onan attack of fever, and before evening set in, I was raving in wilddelirium. Every scene I had passed through, each eventful incident of mylife, came flashing in disjointed portions through my poor brain, andI raved away of France, of Germany, of the dreadful days of terror,and the fearful orgies of the 'Revolution.' Scenes of strife andstruggle--the terrible conflicts of the streets--all rose before me;and the names of every blood-stained hero of France now mingled with theobscure titles of Irish insurrection.
What narratives of my early life I may have given--what stories I mayhave revealed of my strange career, I cannot tell; but the interest mykind hosts took in me grew stronger every day. There was no care norkindness they did not lavish on me. Taking alternate nights to sit upwith me, they watched beside my bed like brothers. All that affectioncould give they rendered me; and even from their narrow fortunes theypaid a physician, who came from a distant town to visit me. When I wassufficiently recovered to leave my bed, and sit at the window, or strollslowly in the garden, I became aware of the full extent to which theirkindness had carried them, and in the precautions for secrecy I sawthe peril to which my presence exposed them. From an excess of delicacytowards me, they did not allude to the subject, nor show the slightestuneasiness about the matter; but day by day some little circumstancewould occur, some slight and trivial fact reveal the state of anxietythey lived in.
They were averse, too, from all discussion of late events, and eitheranswered my questions vaguely or with a certain reserve; and when Ihinted at my hope of being soon able to appear before a magistrate andestablish my claim as a French citizen, they replied that the momentwas an unfavourable one: the lenity of the Government had latterly beenabused, their gracious intentions misstated and perverted--that, infact, a reaction towards severity had occurred, and military law andcourts-martial were summarily disposing of cases that a short time backwould have received the mildest sentences of civil tribunals. It wasclear, from all they said, that if the rebellion was suppressed, theinsurrectionary feeling was not extinguished, and that England was thevery reverse of tranquil on the subject of Ireland.
It was to no purpose that I repeated my personal indifference to allthese measures of severity, that in my capacity as a Frenchman and anofficer I stood exempt from all the consequences they alluded to. Theirreply was, that in times of trouble and alarm things were done whichquieter periods would never have sanctioned, and that indiscreet andover-zealous men would venture on acts that neither law nor justicecould substantiate. In fact, they gave me to believe, that such was theexcitement of the moment, such the embittered vengeance of those whosefamilies or fortunes had suffered by the rebellion, that no reprisalswould be thought too heavy, nor any harshness too great, for those whoaided the movement.
Whatever I might have said against the injustice of this proceeding, inmy secret heart I had to confess that it was only what might have beenexpected; and coming from a country where it was enough to call a man anaristocrat, and then cry _a la lanterne!_ I saw nothing unreasonable init all.
My friends advised me, therefore, instead of preferring any formal claimto immunity, to take the first occasion of escaping to America, whence Icould not fail, later on, of returning to France. At first, the counselonly irritated me, but by degrees, as I came to think more calmly andseriously of the difficulties, I began to regard it in a differentlight; and at last I fully concurred in the wisdom of the advice, andresolved on adopting it.
To sit on the cliffs, and watch the ocean for hours, became now thepractice of my life--to gaze from daybreak almost to the falling ofnight oyer the wide expanse of sea, straining my eyes at each sail, andconjecturing to what distant shore they were tending. The hopes which atfirst sustained at last deserted me, as week after week passed over,and no prospect of escape appeared. The life of inactivity graduallydepressed my spirits, and I fell into a low and moping condition, inwhich my hours rolled over without thought or notice. Still, I returnedeach day to my accustomed spot, a lofty peak of rock that stood over thesea, and from which the view extended for miles on every side. There,half hid in the wild heath, I used to lie for hours long, my eyes bentupon the sea, but my thoughts wandering away to a past that never was tobe renewed, and a future I was never destined to experience.
Although late in the autumn, the season was mild and genial, and thesea calm and waveless, save along the shore, where, even in the stillestweather, the great breakers came tumbling in with a force independent ofstorm; and, listening to their booming thunder, I have dreamed awayhour after hour unconsciously. It was one day, as I lay thus, that myattention was caught by the sight of three large vessels on the veryverge of the horizon. Habit had now given me a certain acuteness, and Icould perceive from their height and size that they were ships of war.For a while they seemed as if steering for the entrance of the lough,but afterwards they changed their course, and headed towards the west.At length they separated, and one of smaller size, and probably afrigate from her speed, shot forward beyond the rest, and, in lessthan half an hour, disappeared from view. The other two graduallysank beneath the horizon, and not a sail was to be seen over thewide expanse. While speculating on what errand the squadron might beemployed, I thought I could hear the deep and rolling sound of distantcannonading. My ear was too practised in the thundering crash of thebreakers along shore to confound the noises; and as I listened I fanciedthat I could distinguish the sound of single guns from the louder roarof a whole broadside. This could not mean saluting, nor was it likelyto be a mere exercise of the fleet. They were not times when much powderwas expended un-profitably. Was it then an engagement? But with what orwhom? Tandy's expedition, as it was called, had long since sailed, andmust ere this have been captured or safe in France. I tried a hundredconjectures to explain the mystery, which now, from the long continuanceof the sounds, seemed to denote a desperately contested engagement. Itwas not till after three hours that the cannonading ceased, and then Icould descry a thick dark canopy of smoke that hung hazily over one spotin the horizon, as if marking out the scene of the struggle. With whataching, torturing anxiety I burned to know what had happened, and withwhich side rested the victory!
Well habituated to hear of the English as victors in every navalengagement, I yet went on hoping against hope itself, that Fortune mightfor once have favoured us; nor was it till the falling night preventedmy being able to trace out distant objects, that I could leave the spotand turn homewards. With wishes so directly opposed to theirs, I did notventure to tell my two friends what I had witnessed, nor trust myselfto speak on a subject where my feelings might have betrayed me intounseemly expressions of my hopes. I was glad to find that they knewnothing of the matter, and talked away indifferently of other subjects.By daybreak the next morning I was at my post, a sharp nor'-westerblowing, and a heavy sea rolling in from the Atlantic. Instinctivelycarrying my eyes to the spot where I had heard the cannonade, I coulddistinctly see the tops of spars, as if the upper rigging of somevessels beyond the horizon.
Gradually they rose higher and higher, till I could detect the yard-armsand cross-trees, and finally the great hulls of five vessels that werebearing towards me.
For above an hour I could see their every movement, as with all canvasspread they held on majestically towards the land, when at length alofty promontory of the bay intervened, and they were lost to my view.I jumped to my legs at once, and set off down the cliff to reach theheadland, from whence an uninterrupted prospect extended. The distancewas greater than I had supposed, and in my eagerness to take a directline to it, I got entangled in difficult gorges among the
hills, andimpeded by mountain torrents which often compelled me to go back aconsiderable distance; it was already late in the afternoon as I gainedthe crest of a ridge over the bay of Lough Swilly. Beneath me lay thecalm surface of the lough, landlocked and still; but farther out seawardthere was a sight that made my very limbs tremble, and sickened my heartas I beheld it. There was a large frigate, that, with studding-sailsset, stood boldly up the bay, followed by a dismasted three-decker, atwhose mizzen floated the ensign of England over the French tricolour.Several other vessels were grouped about the offing, all of themdisplaying English colours.
The dreadful secret was out. There had been a tremendous sea-fight, andthe _Hoche_, of seventy-four guns, was the sad spectacle which, withshattered sides and ragged rigging, I now beheld entering the bay. Oh,the humiliation of that sight! I can never forget it. And although onall the surrounding hills scarcely fifty country-people were assembled,I felt as if the whole of Europe were spectators of our defeat. Theflag I had always believed triumphant now hung ignominiously beneath theensign of the enemy, and the decks of our noble ship were crowded withthe uniforms of English sailors and marines.
The blue water surged and spouted from the shot-holes as the great hullloomed heavily from side to side, and broken spars and ropes stillhung over the side, as she went, a perfect picture of defeat. Never wasdisaster more legibly written. I watched her till the anchor dropped,and then, in a burst of emotion, I turned away, unable to endure more.As I hastened homeward I met the elder of my two hosts coming to meetme, in considerable anxiety. He had heard of the capture of the _Hoche_,but his mind was far more intent on another and less important event.Two men had just been at his cottage with a warrant for my arrest.The document bore my name and rank, as well as a description of myappearance, and significantly alleged that, although Irish by birth, Iaffected a foreign accent for the sake of concealment.
'There is no chance of escape now,' said my friend; 'we are surroundedwith spies on every hand. My advice is, therefore, to hasten to LordCavan's quarters--he is now at Letterkenny--and give yourself up as aprisoner. There is at least the chance of your being treated like therest of your countrymen. I have already provided you with a horse and aguide, for I must not accompany you myself. Go, then, Maurice. We shallnever see each other again; but we'll not forget you, nor do we fearthat you will forget us. My brother could not trust himself to takeleave of you, but his best wishes and prayers go with you.'
Such were the last words my kind-hearted friend spoke to me; nor do Iknow what reply I made, as, overcome by emotion, my voice becamethick and broken. I wanted to tell all my gratitude, and yet could saynothing. To this hour I know not with what impression of me he wentaway. I can only assert, that in all the long career of vicissitudes ofa troubled and adventurous life, these brothers have occupied the chosenspot of my affection for everything that was disinterested in kindnessand generous in good feeling.
They have done more; for they have often reconciled me to a worldof harsh injustice and illiberality, by remembering that two suchexceptions existed, and that others may have experienced what fell to mylot.
For a mile or two my way lay through the mountains, but after reachingthe highroad I had not proceeded far when I was overtaken by ajaunting-car, on which a gentleman was seated, with his leg supported bya cushion, and bearing all the signs of a severe injury.
'Keep the near side of the way, sir, I beg of you,' cried he; 'I have abroken leg, and am excessively uneasy when a horse passes close to me.'
I touched my cap in salute, and immediately turned my horse's head tocomply with his request.
'Did you see that, George?' cried another gentleman, who sat on theopposite side of the vehicle; 'did you remark that fellow's salute? Mylife on't he's a French soldier.'
'Nonsense, man; he's the steward of a Clyde smack, or a clerk in acounting-house,' said the first, in a voice which, though purposely low,my quick hearing could catch perfectly.
'Are we far from Letterkenny just now, sir?' said the other, addressingme.
'I believe about five miles,' said I, with a prodigious effort to makemy pronunciation pass muster.
'You're a stranger in these parts, I see, sir,' rejoined he, with acunning glance at his friend, while he added, lower, 'Was I right,Hill?'
Although seeing that all concealment was now hopeless, I was in nowisedisposed to plead guilty at once, and therefore, with a cut of myswitch, pushed my beast into a sharp canter to get forward.
My friends, however, gave chase, and now the jaunting-car,notwithstanding the sufferings of the invalid, was clattering after meat about nine miles an hour. At first I rather enjoyed the malice ofthe penalty their curiosity was costing, but as I remembered that theinvalid was not the chief offender, I began to feel compunction at theseverity of the lesson, and drew up to a walk.
They at once shortened their pace, and came up beside me.
'A clever hack you're riding, sir,' said the inquisitive man.
'Not so bad for an animal of this country,' said I superciliously.
'Oh, then, what kind of a horse are you accustomed to?' asked he, halfinsolently.
'The Limousin,' said I coolly, 'what we always mount in our hussarregiments in France.'
'And you are a French soldier, then,' cried he, in evident astonishmentat my frankness.
'At your service, sir,' said I, saluting; 'a lieutenant of hussars; andif you are tormented by any further curiosity concerning me, I mayas well relieve you by stating that I am proceeding to Lord Cavan'sheadquarters to surrender as a prisoner.'
'Frank enough that!' said he of the broken leg, laughing heartily as hespoke. 'Well, sir,' said the other, 'you are, as your countrymen wouldcall it, _bien venu_, for we are bound in that direction ourselves, andwill be happy to have your company.'
One piece of tact my worldly experience had profoundly impressed uponme, and that was, the necessity of always assuming an air of easyunconcern in every circumstance of doubtful issue. There was quiteenough of difficulty in the present case to excite my anxiety, but Irode along beside the jaunting-car, chatting familiarly with my newacquaintances, and, I believe, without exhibiting the slightest degreeof uneasiness regarding my own position.
From them I learned so much as they had heard of the late navalengagement. The report was that Bompard's fleet had fallen in with SirJohn Warren's squadron; and having given orders for his fastest sailersto make the best of their way to France, had, with the _Hoche_, the_Loire_, and the _Resolve_, given battle to the enemy. These had allbeen captured, as well as four others which fled, two alone of the wholesucceeding in their escape. I think now, that, grievous as these tidingswere, there was nothing of either boastfulness or insolence in the tonein which they were communicated to me. Every praise was accorded toBompard for skill and bravery, and the defence was spoken of in termsof generous eulogy. The only trait of acrimony that showed itself in therecital was a regret that a number of Irish rebels should have escapedin the _Biche_, one of the smaller frigates; and several emissaries ofthe people, who had been deputed to the admiral, were also alleged tohave been on board of that vessel.
'You are sorry to have missed your friend the priest of Murrah,' saidHill jocularly.
'Yes, by George, that fellow should have graced a gallows if I had beenlucky enough to have taken him.'
'What was his crime, sir?' asked I, with seeming unconcern.
'Nothing more than exciting to rebellion a people with whom he had notie of blood or kindred! He was a Frenchman, and devoted himself to thecause of Ireland,* as they call it, from pure sympathy----'
'And a dash of Popery,' broke in Hill.
'It's hard to say even that; my own opinion is, that French Jacobinismcares very little for the Pope. Am I right, young gentleman--you don'tgo very often to confession?'
'I should do so less frequently if I were to be subjected to such asystem of interrogatory as yours,' said I tartly.
They both took my impertinent speech in good part, and la
ughed heartilyat it; and thus, half amicably, half in earnest, we entered the littletown of Letterkenny, just as night was falling.
'If you'll be our guest for this evening, sir,' said Hill, 'we shall behappy to have your company.'
I accepted the invitation, and followed them into the inn.