CHAPTER XIX
"More than once that night," resumed Captain Collins, "I woke up with astart, at thought of our late adventures in the river Nouries--fancyingI was still waiting for the turn of tide to bring down the boats or theschooner, and had gone to sleep, when that horrible sound through thecabin skylight seemed full in my ears again. However, the weltering washof the water under the ship's timbers below one's head was proof enoughwe were well to sea; and, being dog-tired, I turned over each time witha new gusto--not to speak of the happy sort of feeling that ran allthrough me, I scarce knew why; though no doubt one might have dreamtplenty of delightful dreams without remembering them, more especiallyafter such a perfect seventh heaven as I had found myself in for amoment or two, when Violet Hyde's hand first touched mine, and when Icarried her in after she had actually saved my life.
"The broad daylight through our quarter-gallery window roused me at lastaltogether; and on starting up I saw Tom Westwood, half-dressed, shavinghimself by an inch or two of broken looking-glass in regular nauticalstyle--that's to say, watching for the rise of the ship--as she had thewind evidently on her opposite beam, and there appeared to be prettymuch of a long swell afloat, with a breeze brisk enough to make her heelto it; while the clear horizon, seen shining through the port tonorth-westward, over the dark-blue heave of water, showed it was far onin the morning. 'Well, Ned,' said Westwood, turning round, 'you seemedto be enjoying it, in spite of the warm work you must have had lastnight on board here. Why, I thought you had been with us in the boats,after all, till I found, by the good joke the cadets made of it, thatthat puppy of a mate had left you still locked up, on account of somefancy he had got into his head of your being in partnership with theschooner! For heaven's sake, though, my dear fellow, wash your face andshave--you look fearfully suspicious just now!'
"'No wonder!' said I: and I gave him an account of the matter, leavingout most of what regarded the young lady; Westwood telling me, in histurn, so much about their boat expedition as I didn't know before fromthe planter. Everything went to certify what I believed all along, tillthis sudden affair in the river. The schooner's people had plainly somecue in keeping hold of our passengers, but hadn't expected to see us sosoon again, or perhaps at all--as was shown by their hailing the boatsat once in a pretended friendly way, whenever they came in sight up thecreek; while Ford and the rest shouted with delight, off her bulwarks,at sound of the mate's voice.
"'I tell you what, Collins,' continued Westwood, 'this may be all verywell for _you_, who are continually getting into scrapes and out ofthem, and don't seem to care much whether you ship on board an Indiamanor a corn-brig--you can always find something to do--but to me theservice is _everything_!' 'Well, well,' said I, hastily, 'I'm muchmistaken if we don't find something to do in India, Tom--only wait, andthat uncle of yours will make all right; for all we know, there may benews from Europe to meet us, and I must say I don't like the notion ofbeing born too late for turning out an admiral. I'm sure, for my part, Iwish old Nap well out of that stone cage of his!' 'No, no, Ned,' saidWestwood, 'I ought to clear myself at home first; and sorry I am that Igave in to you by leaving England, when I should have faced theconsequences, whatever they were. Running only made matters worse,Collins!' 'No doubt,' I said; 'and as it was my fault, why, deuce takeme, Tom, if I don't manage to carry you out scot-free! Depend on it,Captain Duncombe's friends would have you strung up like a dog, with theinterest he had and sharp as discipline is just now.' Westwood shudderedat the thought. 'I fear it would go hard with me, Ned,' said he, 'and Ishan't deny that these few weeks have brought me back a taste for life.But, in spite of all, I'd deliver myself up to the first king's ship wespeak, or go home in some Indiaman from the Cape--but for one thing,Collins!' 'Ah!' said I, 'what's that?' Westwood gave me a curioushalf-look, and said, 'One _person_ I mean, Ned--and I shouldn't like_her_ to hear of me being----' 'Yes, yes,' said I, stiffly, 'I know.''It must have been by guess, then!' answered he. 'Often as we've talkedof her during the voyage, I thought you didn't know we had metfrequently in London before you came home, and--and--the fact is, Iwasn't sure you would like _me_ to----' 'Westwood,' said I, quickly,'Tom Westwood--what I have to ask is--do you love her?' 'If ever a manloved a woman, Ned,' was his answer, 'I do _her_; but if _you_----''Have you any chance, then?' I broke out. 'Ay, true--true enough, youhave the best of chances--your way is as clear as could be, Westwood, ifyou knew it! Only I _must_ know if she is willing--does she----' 'I gotleave to write to her in London,' answered Westwood, 'and I did sopretty often, you may be sure; but I only had one short little note inanswer to the last, I think it was--which I had in my breast thatmorning on Southsea beach, when I expected the bullet would come throughit!'
"Here Westwood stooped down to his trunk, and took out a rose-colourednote wrapped in a bit of paper; I standing the while fixed to the deck,not able to speak, till he was handing it to me. 'No, no!' said I,turning from him angrily, and like to choke; 'that's too much, MrWestwood--pray keep your own love-letters for your own reading!''There's nothing particular in it, Ned,' answered he, flushing a little,'only there's a few words in it I'd like you to see--don't look at itjust now, but tell me afterwards what you think. You ought to see it, asthe matter seems to depend on you, Ned; and if _you_ object, you may besure, so far as I'm concerned, 'tis all over!'
"Somehow or other, the look of the little folded piece of paper, withthe touch and the scent of it, as Westwood slipped it into my hand, madeit stick to me. I caught one glance of the address on the back, writtenas if fairy fingers had done it, and I suppose I slipped it into my coatas I went out of the berth, meaning to go aloft in the foretop andsicken over the thought at my leisure, of Violet Hyde's having everfavoured another man so far, and that man Tom Westwood. The strangenessof the whole affair, as I took it, never once struck me; all that Iminded was the wretched feeling I had in me, as I wished I could put theAtlantic betwixt me and them all; in fact, a hundred things before wesailed, and during the passage, seemed all at once to agree with whatI'd just heard; and I'd have given thousands that moment it had beensomeone else than Westwood, just that I might wait the voyage outcoolly, for the satisfaction of meeting him at twelve paces the firstmorning ashore.
"On the larboard side of the berth-gangway, opposite our door, I saw theold planter's standing half open, and Mr Rollock himself with his shirtand trousers on, taking in his boots. 'Hallo, Collins, my boy,' he sangout, eagerly, 'come here a moment, I've got something to showyou!--Look,' said he, standing on tiptoe to see better through thehalf-port, 'there's something new been put in my picture-frame hereovernight, I think--ha! ha!'
"The first thing that caught my eye, accordingly, was the gleam of asail rising from over the swell to windward, far away off our larboardquarter, seemingly rolling before the south-easter; while the Indiamanhove her big side steadily out of water, with her head across theother's course, and gave us a sight of the strange sail swinging to thefair wind, every time we rose on the surge. 'What is it, eh?' said theplanter, turning to me, 'back or face, Collins? for, bless me, if I candistinguish tub from bucket, with all this bobbing about--great deal ofcapital indigo wasted hereabouts, my dear fellow!' 'Why, you may makeout the two breasts of her royals,' said I--'a brig, I think, sir.' 'Notthat abominable schooner in her first shape again, I hope!' exclaimedhe; 'perhaps bringing back the Yankee.' 'Too square-shouldered for that,Mr Rollock,' I said; 'in fact, she seems to be signalling us; yes, byJove! there's the long pennant at her fore-royal mast-head--she's a brigof war. They're surely asleep on deck, and we shall have a shotdirectly, if they don't look sharp!' 'You'd better say nothing about theYankee's absence, Collins,' put in the planter, 'till we're fairly away.For my part, I really have no notion of waiting for anyone--particularlya fellow who _must_ have some go-ahead scheme in his noddle, which weIndians don't want. Quietly speaking, my dear fellow, I shall be glad ifwe're rid of him!'
"On my mentioning what sort of 'notions' were found in Mr Snout's berth,and the drowning of his he
athen images, the worthy planter went intoperfect convulsions, till I thought I should have to slap him on theback to give him breath. 'What the deuce!' said he at last; 'Daniel mustreally have something worth his while to expect before he'd fail to lookafter such a treasure!' 'Ah,' said I, not attending to him, as I heard astir on deck, 'there we go at last, cluing up the topsails, I suppose.''Seriously, now,' continued Mr Rollock, 'I can _not_ fathom that vesseland her designs; but I bless my stars at getting clear off from thecompany of that tall Frenchman with his moustache--can't bear amoustache, Collins--always reminds me of those cursed Mahrattas thatburnt my factory once. Couldn't the man shave like a Christian, Iwonder? I defy you to enjoy mulligatawny soup and not make a beast ofyourself, with ever so much hair over your mouth. By-the-way, Collins,'added he, eyeing me, 'since I saw you last, you've let your whiskersgrow, and look more like one of your nauticals than Fordhimself!--should scarce have known you! Any of it owing to the fair oneup yonder, eh?' And the jolly old chap, whose own huge white whiskersgave him the cut of a royal Bengal tiger, pointed with his thumb overhis shoulder towards the round-house above, with a wink of his funnyround eye, that looked at you like a bird's. 'What do you suppose theFrenchman to be then, sir?' asked I, gloomily. 'Oh, either a madman, aspy, or something worse! Just guess what he asked me suddenly onemorning--why, if I weren't a distinguished _savant_, and wouldn't liketo study the botany of some island! "No, monsieur, not at all," repliedI, in fearfully bad French. "The geology, then?" persisted he, with acurious gleam in his fierce black eyes--"does the research of monsieurlie in that direction?" "Why, no," I answered, carelessly, "I don'tcare a _sacre_ about stones, or anything of the kind, indeed; indigo is_my_ particular line, which may be called botany, in a way--I'm perhapsprejudiced in favour of it, monsieur!" The Frenchman leant his tuftedchin on his hand,' continued Mr Rollock, 'meditated a bit, then glancedat me again, as if he didn't care though I were studying seaweed in thedepths of the ocean rolling round us, and stalked downstairs. Then hetook to Mrs Brady again, and lastly to the Yankee, whose conversationswith him, I fancy, had a twang of both commerce and politics.' 'What doyou think of it all, Mr Rollock?' inquired I, rather listlessly. 'Itdidn't strike me at the time,' said the planter, 'but now I just askyou, Collins, if there ain't a certain great personage studying geologyat present in a certain island, not very far away, I suppose, wherethere's plenty of it, and deuced little botany, too, I imagine?' To thisquestion of the old gentleman's I gave nothing but a half-stupid sort ofstare, thinking as I was at the same time of something else I cared moreabout.
"By Jupiter! though,' cried I, on a sudden, 'instead of heaving the shipto, I do believe we've set topmast-stu'nsails, judging from the way shepitches into the water; there's the brig nearing the wind a point or twoin chase, too; why, the fellow that has charge of the deck must be mad,sir!' Next minute the fire out of one of her bowchasers flashed outbehind the blue back of a swell, and the sudden _thud_ of it camerolling down to leeward over the space betwixt us, angrily, so to speak;as the brig's fore-course mounted with a wave, the sun shining clear onthe seams and reef-points, till you caught sight of the anchor hangingfrom one bow, and the men running in her lee stun'sail-booms upon theyard-arms. The planter and I went on deck at once, where we found a finebreeze blowing, far out of sight of land, the Indiaman rushing aheadstately enough; while our young fourth officer appeared to have justwoke up, and the watch were still rubbing their eyes, as if every manhad been 'caulking it,' after last night's work. Even Mr Finch, when hecame hastily up, seemed rather doubtful what to do, till the salt oldthird-mate assured him the brig was a British sloop-of-war, as anyoneaccustomed to reckoning sticks and canvas at sea could tell by thistime; upon which our topsails were clued up, stu'nsails boom-ended, andthe ship hove into the wind to wait for the brig.
"When the brig's main-yard swung aback within fifty fathoms of ourweather-quarter, hailing us as she brought to, I had plenty to think of,for my part. There she was, as square-countered and flat-breasted aten-gun model as ever ran her nose under salt water, or turned theturtle in a Bahama squall; though pleasant enough she looked, dipping aswe rose, and prancing up opposite us again with a curtsey, the brinedripping from her bright copper sheathing, the epaulets and gold bandsglancing above her black bulwarks, topped by the white hammock-cloth;marines in her waist, the men clustering forward to see us, andsquinting sharp up at our top-hamper. It made one ashamed, to take inthe taut, lightsome set her spars had, tall and white, with a rake inthem, and every rope running clean to its place; not a spot about her,hull or rig, but all English and ship-shape, to the very gather of hercourses and topgallant-sails in the lines, and the snowy hollow her twobroad topsails made for the wind, as they brought it in betwixt them tokeep her steady on the spot.
"'His Britannic Majesty's sloop _Podargus_!' came back in exchange forour mate's answer; and though 'twas curious to me to think of meetingthe uniform again in five minutes, I saw plainly this was one of thenice points that Westwood and I might have to weather. Yourbrig-cruisers are the very sharpest fellows alive, so far as regardsboarding a merchant craft; if they find the least smell of a rat,they'll overhaul your hold to the very dunnage about the keelson; and Iknew that, if they made out Westwood, they'd be sure to have me too; soyou may fancy that, during the short time her boat took to drop and pullunder our quarter, I was making up my mind as to the course. In fact, Iwas almost resolved to leave the ship at any rate, feeling as I didafter what I'd heard; but while most of the passengers were runningabout and calling below for their shoes and what not, the judge and hisdaughter came out of the round-house, and I caught a single glance fromher for a moment, as she turned to look at the brig, that held me at theinstant like an anchor in a strong tideway.
"I kept my breath as the lieutenant's hand laid hold of the man-rope atthe head of the side-ladder, expecting his first question; while heswung himself actively on deck, looking round for a second, and followedby another; the wide-awake looking young middy in the boat folding hisarms, and squinting up sideways at the ladies with an air as knowing asif he'd lived fifty years in the world, instead of perhaps thirteen.
"The younger of the lieutenants took off his cap most politely, eyeingthe fair passengers with as much respect as he gave cool indifference tothe cadets; the other, who was a careful-like working first-luff, saiddirectly to Mr Finch, 'Well, sir, you seem inclined to lead us a bit ofa chase; but I don't think,' added he, smiling from the Indiaman to thebrig, 'you'd have cost us much trouble after all!' Here Finch hurriedout his explanation, in a half-sulky way, when the naval man cut himshort by saying that 'Captain Wallis desired to know' if we had touchedat St Helena. 'May I ask, sir,' went on the officer, finding we hadpreferred the Cape, 'if _you_ command this vessel--or is the master noton deck--Captain--Captain Wilson, I think you said?' The mate saidsomething in a lower voice, and the lieutenant bared his head morerespectfully than before, seeing the Company's ensign, which had beenlowered half-apeak while the boat was under our side; after which Finchdrew him to the capstan, telling him, as I guessed, the whole affair ofthe schooner, by way of a great exploit, with hints of her being apirate or such-like.
"The brig's officer, however, was evidently too busy a man, andseemingly in too great a hurry to get back, for listening much to such arigmarole, as he no doubt thought it; they had been at the Cape, andwere bound for St Helena again where she was one of the cruisers onguard; so that what with Finch's story, and what with the crowd roundthe second lieutenant, all anxious to get the news, I saw it wouldn'tcost Westwood and me great pains to keep clear of notice.
"There were some riots in London, and three men hanged for a horridmurder, the Duke of Northumberland's death, not to speak of a child bornwith two heads, or something--all since we left England. Then there wasLord Exmouth come home from Algiers; and Fort Hattrass, I think it was,taken in India, which made every cadet prick up his ears; AdmiralPlampin was arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, too, in the _Conqueror_,seventy-four, and on his way steering fo
r St Helena, to take SirPulteney Malcolm's place. All of a sudden, I heard the young luff beginto mention a captain of a frigate's having been shot two months ago, byhis own first lieutenant, on Southsea beach, and the lieutenant beingsupposed to have gone off in some outward-bound ship. 'By-the-by,' saidthe officer to Mr Rollock, 'you must have left about that time--did youtouch at Portsmouth?' 'Why, yes,' answered the planter, 'we did. Whatwere the parties' names?' I edged over to Westwood near the head of thecompanion, and whispered to him to go below to our berth, in case oftheir happening to attend to us more particularly; and the farther apartwe two kept the better, I thought. The officer at once gave CaptainDuncombe's name, but didn't remember the other; on which he turned tohis first lieutenant with, 'I say, Mr Aldridge, d'you recollect theman's name that shot the captain of the _N'Oreste_, as they called her?''What, that bad business?' said the other; 'no, Mr Moore, I reallydon't--I hope he's far enough off by this time!' My breath came again atthis, for it had just come into my mind that Finch, who was close by,had got hold of the name, although he fancied it mine.
"I was sauntering down the stair, thinking how much may hang at times ona man's good memory, when I heard the first lieutenant say, 'By-the-by,though, now I recollect, wasn't it Westwood?' 'Yes, yes, Westwood itwas!' said the other. Then came an exclamation from Finch, and shortlyafter he and the first lieutenant stepped down together, talkingprivately of the matter, I suppose, to the cuddy, where I had gonemyself. The lieutenant looked up at me seriously once or twice, thenwent on deck, and a few minutes afterwards the brig's boat was pullingtowards her again, while the passengers flocked below to breakfast. Isaw the thing was settled; the mate could scarcely keep in his triumph,as he eyed me betwixt surprise and dislike, though rather morerespectfully than before. As for Westwood, he sat down with the rest,quite ignorant of what had turned up; notwithstanding he threw an uneasylook or two through the cuddy port at the brig, still curveting towindward of us, with her main-yard aback; for my part, I made up mymind, in the meanwhile, to bear the brunt of it.
"'Twas no matter to me _now_ where I went; whereas, with Westwood, itwas but a toss-up betwixt a rope and a prison, if they sent him back toEngland. No fear of _my_ being tried in his place, of course; but ifthere had been, why, to get away both from him and _her_, I'd have torun the chance! There was a bitter sort of a pleasure, even, in thethought of taking oneself out of the way--to some purpose, too, if Isaved a fellow like my old schoolmate from a court-martial sentence, anda man far worthier to win the heart of such a creature than myself:while the worst of it was, I was afraid I'd have come to hate TomWestwood if we had stayed near each other much longer.
"Accordingly, I no sooner heard the dip of the gig's oars comingalongside again, than one of the stewards brought me a quiet messagefrom Mr Finch, that he wanted to see me on deck; upon which I rose offmy chair just as quietly, and walked up the companion. The fact was--asthe fellow could scarce have ventured to look his passengers in the faceagain after a low piece of work like this--'twas his cue to keep allunderhand, and probably lay it to the score of my actions aboard, orsomething; however, he couldn't throw any dust of the kind in the secondlieutenant's eyes, who gave him a cold glance as he stepped on deck,and, picking me out at once where I stood, inquired if I were theperson. The first mate nodded, whereupon the brig's officer walkedtowards me, with a gentlemanly enough bow, and, 'I regret to have tostate, sir,' said he, 'that Captain Wallis desires to see you,_particularly_, aboard the brig.' 'Indeed, sir,' answered I, showingvery little surprise, I daresay, gloomy as I felt; 'then the sooner thebetter, I suppose.' 'Why, yes,' said the lieutenant, seemingly confusedlest he should meet my eye, 'we're anxious to make use of this breeze,you--you know, sir.' 'Hadn't Mr Collins--this gentleman--better take histraps with him, Lieutenant Moore?' said Finch, free and easy wise. 'No,sir,' said the young officer sternly, 'we can spare time to send forthem, if necessary; of course you will keep the Indiaman in the wind,sir, till the brig squares her main-yard.' I gave Finch a single look ofsheer contempt, and swung myself down by the man-ropes from the gangwayinto the boat; the lieutenant followed me, and next minute we werepulling for the brig's quarter. The moment I found myself out of the_Seringapatam_, however, my heart nigh-hand failed me, more especiallyat sight of the quarter-gallery window I had seen the light from, on thesmooth of the swell, that first night we got to sea. I even began tothink if there weren't some way of passing myself clear off, withouthauling in Westwood; but it wouldn't do. Before I well knew, we were onboard, and the lieutenant showing me down the after-hatchway to thecaptain's cabin.