by G. A. Henty
Chapter 19.
As Frank stood gazing at the scene, George Lechmere touched him.Frank, looking round, saw that he wished to speak to him privately.
"What is it, George?" he asked, when he had stepped a few pacesfrom Bertha.
"Look there, Major," George said, handing him a field glass. "Ithought I had settled old scores with him, but the devil has lookedafter his own."
"You don't mean to say, George, that it is Carthew again."
"It is he, sure enough, sir. I would have sworn that I had done forhim. If I had thought there had been the slightest doubt about it,I would have put a pistol ball through his head."
Frank raised the glass to his eyes. Just where the torches werethickest, he could make out a man's figure raised above the headsof the rest. He was supported on a litter. His head was swathedwith bandages. He had raised himself into a sitting position,supported by one arm, while he waved the other passionately. He wasevidently haranguing the crowd.
As Frank looked, he saw the figure sink down. Then there was a deeproll of the drum, and a fantastic-looking figure, daubed as itseemed with paint and wearing a huge mask, appeared in his place.The drum and the horns were silent, and the shouting of the negroeswas at once hushed. This man, too, harangued the crowd, and when heceased there was a loud yell and a general movement among thethrong. At that moment, Hawkins came up.
"The chain is up and down, sir. Shall I make sail? The wind is verylight, but I think that it is enough to take her out."
"Yes, make sail, Hawkins, as quickly as you can. I am afraid thatthose fellows are coming out to attack us, and I don't want to killany of the poor devils. There is a small boat coming out from theshore towards that craft. The white sailors are on board, and weshall have them on us, too."
"Up with the anchor," Hawkins shouted. "Make sail at once. Looksharp, my hearties, work with a will, or we shall have thoseniggers on us again."
Never was sail made on the Osprey more quickly, and by the timethat the anchor was apeak all the lower sails were set.
"Shall I tell the blacks to tow their boat behind us?" Hawkinsasked Frank, as the yacht began to steal through the water.
"No; let them tow alongside, Hawkins. I don't suppose the peopleashore know that we have a native boat with us. If they did, theywould be sure that it came from Nipes, and it might set up a feudand cost them their lives, especially as that Obi scoundrel isconcerned in the affair."
Then he moved away to George Lechmere.
"Don't say a word about that fellow Carthew," he said. "MissGreendale thinks he is killed; and it is just as well that sheshould continue to think that she is safe from him in the future."
"So far as she is concerned, I think that is true; but I would notanswer for you, Major. You have ruined his plans, and burned hisyacht, and as long as he lives he will never forgive you."
"Well, it is of no use to worry about it now, George; but I expectthat we shall hear more about him someday."
"What are they doing, Frank?" Bertha asked, as he rejoined her. "Ithink that they are getting into the boats again."
"Yes. I fancy they are going to try to take us, but they have nomore chance of doing so than they have of flying. The Obi man hasworked them up to a state of frenzy, but it will evaporate prettyquickly when they get within range of our muskets."
"But we have got the cannon on board, have we not?"
"Yes; but we did not bring off any ammunition with us. It was themen's idea to bring them as a trophy. However, I have plenty ofpowder and can load them with bullets; but I certainly won't usethem if it can be possibly avoided. I have no grudge against thepoor fellows who have been told that we are desperate pirates, andwho are only doing what they believe to be a meritorious action intrying to capture us."
In a few minutes six boats put out from the shore. The Osprey wasnot going through the water more than two miles an hour, though shehad every stitch of canvas spread. Frank had the guns taken aft andloaded. As the boats came within the circle of the light of theburning yacht, it could be seen that they were crowded with men,who encouraged themselves with defiant yells and shouts, whichexcited the derision of the Osprey's crew. When they got within aquarter of a mile they opened a fusillade of musketry, but theballs dropped in the water some distance astern of the yacht. Asthe boats came nearer, however, they began to drop round her.
"Sit down behind the bulwarks," Frank said. "They are not goodshots, but a stray ball might come on board, and there is no userunning risks."
By this time he had persuaded Bertha to go below. The boats rowedon until some seventy or eighty yards off the Osprey. The shoutinghad gradually died away, for the silence on board the yachtoppressed them. There was something unnatural about it, and theirsuperstitious fear of the Obi man disappeared before their dread ofthe unknown.
As if affected simultaneously by the disquietude of theircompanions, the rowers all stopped work at the same moment.Dominique had already received instructions, and at once hailedthem in French.
"If you value your lives, turn back. We have the guns of thebrigantine. They are crammed with bullets and are pointed at you.The owner has but to give the word, and you will all be blown topieces. He is a good man, and wishes you no harm. We have come herenot to quarrel with you poor ignorant black fellows, but to rescuetwo ladies the villain that ship belongs to had carried off.Therefore, go away back to your wives and families while you areable to, for if you come but one foot nearer not one of you willlive to return."
The news, that the Osprey had the cannon from the brigantine onboard, came like a thunderbolt upon the negroes. The prospect of afight with the men who had so easily captured the brigantine wasunpleasant enough, but that they were also to encounter cannon wasaltogether too much for them, and a general shout of "Don't fire;we go back!" rose from the boats.
For a minute or two they lay motionless, afraid even to dip an oarin the water lest it should bring down a storm upon them, but asthe Osprey glided slowly away the rearmost boat began to turnround, the others followed her example, and they were soon rowingback even more rapidly than they had come.
"You can cast off that boat, Hawkins, as soon as we are out intothe bay," Frank said, and then went down below.
"Our troubles are all over at last, dear, and we can have a quiettalk," he said. "As I expected, the negroes lost heart as soon asthey came near, and the threat of a round of grape from the gunsfinally settled them. They are off for home, and we shall hear nomore of them. Now you had best be off to bed at once. You have hada terrible day of it, and it is just two o'clock.
"Ah! that is right," he broke off, as the steward entered carryinga tray with tea things. "I had forgotten all about that necessity.You had better call Anna in; she must want a cup too, poor girl."
"Yes, I should like a cup of tea," Bertha said, as she sat down tothe tray, "but I really don't feel so tired as you would think."
"You will feel it all the more afterwards, I am afraid," Frankreplied. "The excitement has kept you up."
"Yes, we felt dreadfully tired, didn't we, Anna, before we gave up?But the two hours' row in the boat, and all this excitement here,have made me almost forget it. It seems to me now quite impossiblethat it can be only about nine hours since you rushed out sosuddenly with your men. It seems to me quite far off; further thanmany things do that happened a week ago. And please to rememberthat your advice to go to bed is quite as seasonable in your caseas in mine."
When he had seen them leave the saloon, Frank went on deck for alast look round.
"I don't think that there is a chance of anything happening beforemorning, Hawkins, but you will, of course, keep a sharp lookout andlet me know."
"I will look out, sir. I have sent the four hands who were with youdown to their berths, as soon as the niggers turned back. Lechmerehas turned in, too."
"Is the wind freshening at all?"
"Not yet, sir. I don't suppose that we shall get more than we havenow till day begins to break. Still, we are crawling
on and shallbe out in the bay in another quarter of an hour."
When Frank got up at sunrise he found that the yacht was justrounding the point of the bay. He looked behind. No boat was inview.
"Nothing moving, I see," he said as the first mate, who was incharge, came up.
"We have not seen a thing on the water, sir."
"I hardly expected that there would be. It is probable that, assoon as the boats got back, Carthew sent his skipper or mate offwith a couple of the men to Port au Prince, to lay a complaint forpiracy against me. But, even if they got horses, it would take thema couple of days to get there; that is, if they are not much betterriders than the majority of sailors are. Then it is likely thatthere would be some time lost in formalities, and even if there wasa Government steamer lying in the port, it would take her a longtime to get up steam. Moreover, I am by no means sure that evenCarthew would venture on such an impudent thing as that. It iscertain that we should get into a bad scrape for boarding andburning a vessel in Haytian waters, but that is all the harm hecould do us. The British Consul would certainly be more likely tobelieve the story of the owner of a Royal Squadron yacht, backed bythat of her captain, mates and crew, and by Miss Greendale and hermaid; than the tale of the owner of a vessel that could give nosatisfactory explanation for being here. Besides, he will know thatbefore a steamer could start in chase we should be certainly two,or perhaps three, days away, and whether we should make for Jamaicaor Bermuda, or round the northwestern point of the bay, and thenfor England, he could have no clue whatever."
"How shall I lay her course, sir? The wind has freshened already,and we are slipping through the water at a good four knots now."
"We will keep along this side, as far as the Point at any rate. IfCarthew has sent for a steamer, he is likely to have ordered a mandown to this headland to see which course we are taking. When wehave got so far that we cannot be made out from there, we will sailnorth for Cape la Mole. I think it would be safe enough to lay ourcourse at once, but I do not wish to run the slightest risk thatcan be avoided."
The wind continued to freshen, and to Frank's satisfaction theywere, when Bertha came on deck at eight o'clock, running along thecoast at seven knots an hour.
"Have you slept well?" he asked, as he took her hand.
"Yes. I thought when I lay down that it would be impossible for meto sleep at all--it had been such a wonderful day, it was all sostrange, so sudden, and so happy--and just as I was thinking so, Isuppose I dropped off and slept till Anna woke me three quarters ofan hour ago, and told me what time it was.
"Frank, I did not say anything yesterday, not even a single word ofthanks, for all that you have done for me; but you know very wellthat it was not because I did not feel it, but because if I hadsaid anything at all I should have broken down, and that was thevery thing that I knew I ought not to do. But you know, don't you,that I shall have all my life to prove how thankful I am."
"I know, dear, and between us surely nothing need be said. I am asthankful that I have been the means of saving you, as you can bethat I was almost miraculously enabled to follow your track sosuccessfully."
"Breakfast is ready, sir," the steward announced from thecompanion.
"Coming, steward.
"I have told them, Bertha, to lay for three. I thought that itwould be pleasanter for you to have Anna with you at meals, as Isuppose she has taken them with you since you were carried off."
"Thank you," she said, gratefully. "It won't be quite so nice foryou, I know, but perhaps it will be better."
"Well, Anna, you are looking very well," Frank said as he sat down.
"You must officiate with the coffee, Bertha. I will see after theeatables."
"Yes, Anna does look well," Bertha said. "She has borne upcapitally, ever since the first two days. We have had all our mealstogether in our cabin."
"Miss Greendale has been a great deal braver than I have, sir,"Anna said, quietly. "She has been wonderfully brave, and though sheis very good to say that I have borne up well, I know very wellthat I have not been as brave as I ought; and I could not helpbreaking down and crying sometimes, for I did think that we shouldnever get home again."
"Except carrying you away, Carthew did not behave altogether sobadly, Bertha?"
"No. The first day that we got on board he told me that I was tostay there until I consented to marry him. I told him that in thatcase I should become a permanent resident on board, but that sooneror later I should be rescued. He only said then, that he hoped thatI should change my mind in time. He admitted that his conduct hadbeen inexcusable, but that his love for me had driven him to it,and that he had only won me as many a knight had won a bride beforenow.
"At first I made sure that, when we put into a port, I should beable somehow to make my condition known; but I realised for thefirst time what it was going to be, when I saw us stand off theLizard and lay her head for the south. Up to that time I hadscarcely exchanged a word with him. I had said at once that unlessI had my meals in my own cabin with Anna, I would eat nothing atall, and he said, quite courteously, I must confess, that I shouldin all respects do as I pleased, consistent with safety.
"From that time he said 'Good morning,' gravely when I came up ondeck with Anna, and made a remark about the weather. I made noreply, and did not speak until he came to me in the morning, andsaid quietly, 'That is the Lizard astern of us, Miss Greendale. Weare bound for the West Indies, the finest cruising ground in theworld, full of quiet little bays where we can anchor for weeks.'
"'It is monstrous,' I said desperately, for I own that for thefirst time I was really frightened. 'Some day you will be punishedfor this.'
"'I must risk that,' he said, quietly. 'Of course, at present youare angry. It is natural that you should be so, but in time youwill forgive me, and will make allowance for the length to which myaffection for you has driven me. It may be six months, it may beten years, but however long it may be, I can promise you that, savefor this initial offence, you will have no cause to complain of me.I am possessed of boundless patience, and can wait for anindefinite time. In the end I feel sure that your heart will softentowards me.'
"That was his tone all along. He was perfectly respectful,perfectly polite. Sometimes for days not a word would be exchangedbetween us; sometimes he would come up and talk, or rather, try totalk, for it was seldom that he got any answer from me. As a rule Isat in my deck chair with Anna beside me, and he sat on the otherside of the deck, or walked up and down, smoking or talking withthat man who was with him.
"So it went on till the afternoon when we saw you. As I told you,he made us go down at once. I could see that he was furiously angryand excited. The steward came to our cabin early in the morning,and said that Mr. Carthew requested that we would dress and come upat once. As I was anxious to know what was going on, I did so; andhe said when we came on deck, 'I am very sorry, Miss Greendale, butI have to ask you to go on shore with us at once.'
"I had no idea where we were, save that it was somewhere in theisland of San Domingo; but I was ready enough to go ashore,thinking that I might see some white people that I could appeal to.
"I did speak to some negroes as we landed, but he said, 'It is ofno use your speaking to them, Miss Greendale, for none of themunderstands any language but his own.'
"I saw that they did not understand me, at any rate. I wasfrightened when I saw that four of the sailors were going with us,and that a dozen of the blacks, armed with muskets, also formedround us. I said that I would not go afoot, but Carthew answered:
"'It would pain me greatly were I obliged to take such a step; butif you will not go, there is no course open to me but to have youcarried. I am sorry that it should be so, but for various reasonsit is imperative that you should take up your abode on shore forthe present.'
"Seeing that it was useless to resist, I started with him. A shortdistance on, two blacks came up with the horses, which hadevidently been sent for. We mounted, and were taken up among thehills to the place where you
found us. Every mile that we went Igrew more frightened, for it seemed to me that it was infinitelyworse being in his power up in those hills, than on board hisyacht, where something might happen by which I might be releasedfrom him. Those huts you saw had been built beforehand, so that hehad evidently been preparing to take us there if there should beany reason for leaving the yacht. There was bedding and a couple ofchairs and a table in ours.
"In the morning, while still speaking politely, he made it evidentto me that he considered he could take a stronger tone than before.
"'I assure you, Miss Greendale,' he said, 'that this poor hut isbut a temporary affair. I will shortly have a more comfortable oneerected for you. You see, your residence here is likely to be along one, unless you change your mind. Pray do not nourish any ideathat you can someday escape me. It is out of the question; andcertainly no white man is ever likely to come to this valley, noris any negro, except those who live in this village. Its head is anObi man, whose will is law to the negroes. Their belief in hispower is unlimited, and I believe that they imagine that he couldslay them with the look of his eye, or turn them into frogs ortoads by his magic power. I pray you to think the matter overseriously. Why should you waste your life here You did not alwaysregard me as so hateful; and the love that I bear you isunchangeable. Even could you, months or years hence, make yourescape, which I regard as impossible, what would your position beif you returned to England? What story would you have to tell? Itmight be a true one, but would it be believed?'
"'I have my maid, sir,' I said, passionately, 'who would confirm myreport of what I have suffered.'
"'No doubt she would,' he said quietly, 'but a maid's testimony asto her mistress's doings does not go for very much. I endeavouredto make the voyage, which I foresaw might be a long one, pleasantto you by requesting you to bring her with you, and I believe thatladies who elope not unfrequently take their maids with them. Butwe need not discuss that. This valley will be your home, MissGreendale, until you consent to leave it as my wife. I do not saythat I shall always share your solitude here. I shall cruise about,and may even for a time return to England, but that will in no wayalter your position. I have been in communication with the Obigentleman since I first put into the bay, and he has arranged totake charge of your safety while I am away. He is not a pleasantman to look at, and I have no doubt that he is an unmitigatedscoundrel--but his powers are unlimited. If he ordered hisfollowers to offer you and your maid as sacrifices to his fetish,they would carry out his orders, not only willingly, but joyfully.He is a gentleman who, like his class, has a keen eye to the mainchance, and will, I doubt not, take every precaution to prevent asource of considerable income from escaping him.'
"'You understand,' he went on, in a different manner, 'I do notwish to threaten you--very far from it. I have endeavoured from thetime that you set foot on board to make you as comfortable aspossible, and to abstain from thrusting myself upon you in theslightest degree, and I shall always pursue the same course. Butplease understand that nothing will shake my resolution. It willpain me deeply to have to keep you in a place like this, but keepyou I must until you consent to be mine. You must see yourself thehopelessness, as well as the folly, of holding out. On the one sideis a life wasted here, on the other you will be the wife of a manwho loves you above all things; who has risked everything by thestep that he has taken, and who, when you consent, will devote hislife to your happiness. You will be restored to your friends and toyour position, and nought will be known, except that we made arunaway match, as many have done before us. Do not answer now. Atany rate I will remain here for a couple of months, and by the endof that time you may see that the alternative is not so terrible aone.'
"Then, without another word, he turned and walked away; and nothingfurther passed between us until in the afternoon, when you sosuddenly arrived."
"Thank God, he behaved better than I should have given him creditfor," Frank said, when she had finished. "He must have feltabsolutely certain that there was no chance whatever of yourrescue, and that in time you would be forced to accept him, or hewould hardly have refrained from pushing his suit more urgently.His calculations were well made, and if we had not noticed thatbrigantine at Cowes, and I had not had the luck to come upon someof his crew and pick up his track, he might have been successful."
"You don't think that I should ever have consented to marry him?"Bertha said, indignantly.
"I am sure that such a thought never entered your head, Bertha; butyou cannot tell what the effect of a hopeless captivity would havehad upon you. The fellow had judged you well, and he saw that theattitude of respect he adopted would afford him a far better chanceof winning you, than roughness or threats would do. But he mighthave resorted to them afterwards, and you were so wholly andabsolutely in his power, that you would almost have been driven toaccept the alternative and become his wife."
She shook her head decidedly.
"I would have killed him first," she said. "I suppose some girlswould say, 'I would have killed myself;' but I should not havethought of that--at any rate not until I had failed to kill him.Every woman has the same right to defend herself that a man has,and I should have no more felt that I was to blame, if I had killedhim, than you would do when you killed a man who had done you noindividual harm, in battle."
"We only want mamma here," she said a little later, as she took herseat in a deck chair, "to complete the illusion that we are sailingalong somewhere on the Devonshire coast. The hills are higher andmore wooded, but the general idea is the same. I suppose I ought tofeel it very shocking, cruising about with you, without anyone butAnna with me; but somehow it does not feel so."
"No wonder, dear. You see, we have been looking forward to doingexactly the same thing in the spring."
"I think we had better not talk about that now," she said,flushing. "I intend to make believe, till we get to England, thatmamma is down below, and that I may be called at any moment. Howlong shall we be before we are there?"
"I cannot say, Bertha. I shall have a talk with Hawkins, presently,as to what course we had better take. It may be best to sail toBermuda. If we find a mail steamer about to start from there, wemight go home in it, and get there a fortnight earlier than weshould do in the yacht, perhaps more. However, that we can talkover. I can see there may be difficulties, but undoubtedly thesooner you are home the better. You see, we are well in Novembernow.
"What day is it?" he reflected.
"I have lost all count, Frank."
He consulted a pocketbook.
"Today is the twenty-first of November. I should think that if weget favourable winds, we might make Bermuda in a week--ten days atthe outside; and if we could catch a steamer a day or two aftergetting there, you might be able to spend your Christmas atGreendale."
"That would be very nice. The difficulty would be, that I mightafterwards meet some of the people who were with us on thesteamer."
"It would not be likely," he said. "Still, we can talk it over. Atany rate, from the Bermudas we can send a letter to your mother,and set her mind at rest."
The captain and Purvis, consulting the book of sailing directions,came to the conclusion that the passage via the Bermudas would bedistinctly the best and shortest. The wind was abeam and steady,and with all sail set the Osprey maintained a speed of nine knotsan hour until Bermuda was in sight. They were still undecided as towhether they had better go home by the mail, but it was settled forthem by their finding, on entering the port, that the steamer hadtouched there the day before and gone on the same evening, and thatit was not probable that any other steamer would be sailing forEngland for another ten days.
They stopped only long enough to lay in a store of fresh provisionsand water, of which the supply was now beginning to run very short.Indeed, had not the wind been so steady, all hands would have beenplaced on half rations of water.
Bertha did not land. She was nervously afraid of meeting anyone whomight recognise her afterwards, and six hours after entering theport th
e Osprey was again under way. The wind, as is usual atBarbadoes, was blowing from the southwest; and it held with themthe whole way home, so that after a remarkably quick run theydropped anchor off Southampton on the fifteenth of December. Frankhad already made all arrangements with the captain to lay up theOsprey at once.
"I shall want her out again in the first week in April, so that shewill not be long in winter quarters."
On landing, Frank despatched a telegram to Lady Greendale:
"Returned all safe and well. Just starting for town. Shall be withyou about six o'clock."
The train was punctual, and five minutes before six Frank arrivedwith Bertha at Lady Greendale's. He had already told Bertha that heshould not come in.
"It is much better that you should be alone with her for a time.She will have innumerable questions to ask, and would, of course,prefer to have you to herself. I will come round tomorrow morningafter breakfast."
Anna had been instructed very carefully, by her mistress, not tosay anything of what had happened, and in order that she mightavoid questions, George Lechmere had seen her into a cab forLiverpool Street, as she wished to spend a week with some friendsat Chelmsford. Then she was to join Bertha at Greendale.
Frank went to his chambers, where George Lechmere had driven withthe luggage. The next morning he went early to Lady Greendale's, soearly that he found her and Bertha at breakfast.
"My dear Frank," the former said, embracing him warmly, "how can Iever thank you for all that you have done for us! Bertha has beentelling me all about how you rescued her. I hear that you werewounded, too."
"The wound was of no great importance, and, as you see, I havethrown aside my sling this morning. Yes, we went through someexciting adventures, which will furnish us with a store of memoriesall our lives.
"How have you been, Lady Greendale? I am glad to see that, at anyrate, you are looking well."
"I have had a terribly anxious time of it, as you may suppose; butyour letters were always so bright and hopeful that they helped mewonderfully. The first fortnight was the worst. Your letter fromGibraltar was a great relief, and of course the next, saying thatyou had heard that the yacht really did touch at Madeira, showedthat you were on the right track. When you wrote from Madeira, Isent to Wild's for the largest map of the West Indies that theyhad, and thus when I got your letters, I was able to follow yourcourse and understand all about it. You are looking better thanwhen I saw you last."
"You should have seen him when I first met him, mamma. I hardlyknew him, he looked so thin and worn; but during the last threeweeks he has filled out again, and he seems to me to be lookingquite himself."
"And Bertha is looking well, too."
"So I ought to do, mamma. I don't think I ever looked very bad, inspite of my troubles, and the splendid voyage we have had wouldhave set anyone up."
"It has been a wonderful comfort to me," Lady Greendale said, "thatI have met hardly anyone that I know. The last three weeks or so Ihave met two or three people, but I only said that I was up in townfor a short time. Of course, they asked after you, and I said thatyou were not with me, as you were spending a short time with somepeople whom you knew. We intend to go down home tomorrow."
"The best thing that you can do, Lady Greendale. I shall be downfor Christmas, and the first week in April, you know, I am to carryher off. So, you see, this excursion of ours has not altered any ofour plans."
Chapter 20.
Christmas passed off quietly. As soon as it was known that LadyGreendale had returned, the neighbours called, and for the next fewmonths there was the usual round of dinner parties. To all remarksas to the length of time that she had been away, Lady Greendalemerely replied that Bertha had been staying among friends, and thatas she herself had not been in very good health, she had preferredstaying in town, where she could always find a physician close athand if she needed one.
It was not until they had been back for more than a month, that theengagement between Bertha and Major Mallett was announced by LadyGreendale to her friends, and it was generally supposed that it hadbut just taken place. The announcement gave great satisfaction, forthe general opinion had been that Bertha would get engaged inLondon, and that Greendale would be virtually lost to the county.
The marriage was to take place in April.
"There is no reason for a long delay," Lady Greendale explained."They have known each other ever since Bertha was a child. Theyintend to spend their honeymoon on board Major Mallett's yacht, theOsprey, and will go up the Mediterranean until the heat begins toget too oppressive, when they talk about sailing round the islands,or, at any rate, cruising for some time off the west of Scotland."
About the same time, George Lechmere, in a rather mysteriousmanner, told Frank that he wished for a few minutes' conversationwith him.
"What is it, George? Anything wrong with the cellar?"
"No, sir, it is not that. The fact is that Anna Parsons, MissGreendale's maid, you know, and I, have settled to get married,too."
"Capital, George, I am heartily glad of it," Frank said, shakinghim warmly by the hand.
"I never thought that I should get to care for anyone again, butyou see we were thrown a good deal together on the voyage home, andI don't know how it came about, but we had pretty well arranged itbefore we got back, and now we have settled it altogether."
"I am not surprised to hear it, George. I rather fancied, from whatI saw on board, that something was likely to come of it. It is thebest thing by far for you."
"Well, sir, as I said, I never thought that I should care foranyone else, but I am sure that I shall make a better husband, now,than I should have done had I married five years ago."
"That I am sure you will. You have had a rough lesson, and it hasmade a great impression, and I doubt whether your marriage wouldhave been a happy one had you married then, after what you told meof your jealous temper. Now I am sure that neither Anna, nor anyoneelse, could wish for a better husband than you will make. Well now,what are you thinking of doing, for I suppose you have thought itover well?"
"That is what we cannot quite settle, Major. I should like to staywith you all my life, just as I am."
"I don't see that you could do that--at least, not in your presentcondition. There is no farm vacant, and if there were one I mustgive the late tenant's son the option of it. That has always beenthe rule on the estate. However, we need not settle on that atpresent. When are you going to get married? I should like it to beat the same time as we are. I am sure that Miss Greendale would bepleased. We both owe you a great deal, and, as you know, I regardyou as my closest friend."
"Thank you, Major, but I am sure that neither Anna nor I would careto be married before a church full of grand people, and we haveagreed that we won't do it until after you come back from yourtrip. Miss Bertha has promised Anna that she shall go with her asher maid, and of course, Major, I shall want to go with you."
"Well, you might get married the week before, and still go withus."
George shook his head.
"I think that it would be better the other way, Major. We will gowith you as we are, and get married after you come back."
The next day Frank had a long talk with Mr. Norton.
"Well, sir, your plan would suit me very well. Nothing could bebetter," said the old steward. "In fact, I was going to tell youthat I was beginning to find that the outdoor work was getting toomuch for me, and that though I should be very sorry to give it upaltogether, I must either arrange with you to have help, or elsefind a successor. I am sure that the arrangement you propose wouldsuit me exactly.
"George Lechmere would be just the man for the work. We used tothink him the best judge of livestock in the county, and he is agood all-round farmer. If he were to take the work of the home farmoff my hands, I could keep on very well with the rest of the estatefor another two or three years, and as he would act as my assistanthe would, by the end of that time, be quite capable of taking itover altogether. I should then move into Chippen
ham. We have twomarried daughters living, and now that we have no one at home, mywife has been saying for some time that she would rather settlethere than go on living in the country, and there is really no moreoccasion for me to go on working. So, as soon as Lechmere has gotthe whole thing in hand, I shall be quite ready to hand it over tohim."
"Well, I am very glad that it is so, Norton. Of course, I shouldnever have made any change until you yourself were perfectlywilling to give it up, but as you are willing, I am certainly gladto be able to put him into it. As you know, he saved my life, andhas done me many other great services, and I regard him as a friendand want to keep him near me. Of course, he will go into thefarmhouse, and after you retire he can either move into yours, orremain there, as he likes. Naturally, as long as you live, Norton,I shall continue the rate of pay you have always had. You were overthirty years with my father, and I should certainly make nodifference in that respect."
"Well, George, I have arranged your business," Frank said thatevening. "Norton is getting on in life now, and he begins to findhis work in winter a little too hard for him, so I have arrangedthat you are to take the management of the home farm altogether offhis hands, and will, of course, establish yourself at the house.You will be a sort of assistant to him in other matters, and get upthe work, and in the course of a couple of years, at the outside,he will retire altogether, and you will be steward. If you like youcan work the home farm on your own account, but that will be foryour consideration. How do you think that you will like that?"
"I should like it above everything, Major, and I am grateful toyou, indeed."
"Well, I am glad that you like the arrangement, George. I had it inmy mind when I was talking to you two days ago, but until I sawNorton, and found that he was willing to retire, I did not proposeit."
Towards the end of February, Lady Greendale and Bertha went up totown for a fortnight, intimating to Frank that they would be sobusy with important business that his presence there would not bedesired. He, however, travelled with them to London, and then wentround to Southampton, where he had a consultation with the firm inwhose yard the yacht was laid up, and the head of the greatupholstering firm there, and arranged for material alterations inthe plans of the cabins, and their redecoration. Everything was tobe completed by the beginning of April. He had written to Hawkinsto meet him on board.
"You must have everything ready by the fifth," he said. "We shallarrive late in the afternoon, or perhaps in the evening of thefifth, and shall get under way next morning. I hope that you havebeen able to get the same crew."
"There is no fear of their not all coming, sir, except Purvis. Hehas been bad all the winter, and I doubt whether he will be able togo with us."
"I am sorry to hear that. Tell him that I shall make him anallowance of a pound a week for the season, and that I shall givehim a little pension, of ten shillings a week, as long as he lives.I shall consider that all who went with me on that cruise to theWest Indies have a claim upon me."
The time for the wedding approached. There was some consultation,between Frank and Lady Greendale, as to whether the dinner to thetenants should be given on that occasion, or on their return; andit was settled that it would be more convenient to postpone it.
"I am sure they would rather have you and Bertha here, and it wouldbe much more convenient in every way. We have so much to thinkabout now, and there will be so many arrangements to be made."
"I quite agree with you. I will put it all in the hands of Rafters,of Chippenham. I think that it is only right to give it to localpeople. We shall want two big marquees, one for your tenants andmine and their wives and families, and the other for all thelabourers and farm servants."
"And there must be another for all the children," Bertha put in.
"Very well, Bertha.
"Then, of course, we must have a military band and fireworks, andwe had better have a big platform put down for those who like todance, and a lot of shows and things for the elders and children,and a conjurer with a big lucky basket, and things of that sort. Ofcourse, at present one cannot give even an approximate date, but Iwill tell them that they shall have a fortnight's notice."
"I wonder what has become of Carthew, Major?" George Lechmere said,as he was having a last talk with Frank on the eve of the wedding."He will gnash his teeth when he sees it in the papers."
"I have thought of him a good many times, George. He is an evilscoundrel, and nothing would please me more than to hear that hewas dead. When I remember how many years he kept up his maliceagainst me, for having beaten him in a fight; I know how intensemust be his hatred of me, now that I have thwarted all his plansand burned his yacht. It is not that I am afraid of him personally,but there is no saying what form his vengeance will take, for thathe will sooner or later try to be revenged I feel absolutelycertain."
"I have often thought of it myself, sir. Perhaps he is out in Haytistill."
"No chance of that, George. Miss Greendale said that he told herthat he had money sufficient to pay for a ten years' cruise. Thatmay have been a lie, but he must have had money sufficient to lasthim for some time, anyhow, and you may be sure that he took it onshore with him. He may have died from the effects of that wound yougave him, but if he is alive I have no doubt that he is in Englandsomewhere. Of course, he would not show himself where he was known,having been a heavy defaulter last year; but he may have let hisbeard grow, and so disguised himself that he would not be easilyrecognised. As to what he is doing, of course I have not theslightest idea; but we may be quite sure that he is not up to anygood.
"Well, George, then it is quite settled that you and Anna are to gooff with the luggage directly the wedding is over. You will comeashore with the gig and meet us at eight o'clock at the station,with a carriage to take us down to the boat."
"I will be there, Major, and see that everything is ready for youon board."
When packing up his things in the morning, George Lechmere putaside a pistol and a dagger that he had taken from the sash of amutineer, whom he had killed in India.
"They are not the sort of things a man generally carries at awedding," he said, grimly, "but until I know something of what thatvillain is doing, I mean to keep them handy for use. There is neverany saying what he may be up to, and I know well enough that theMajor, whatever he says, will never give the matter a thought."
He loaded the pistol and dropped it into his coat pocket. Then heopened his waistcoat, cut a slit in the lining under his left arm,and pushed the dagger down it until it was stopped by the slendersteel crosspiece at the handle.
"I will make a neater job of it afterwards," he said to himself."That will do for the present, and I can get at it in a moment."
The wedding went off as such things generally do. The church wascrowded, the girls of the village school lined the path from thegate to the church door, and strewed flowers as the bridal partyarrived; and as they drove off to Greendale tenants of bothestates, collected in the churchyard, cheered them heartily. Therewas a large gathering at breakfast, but at last the toasts were alldrunk, and the awkward time of waiting over, and at three o'clockMajor Mallett and his wife drove off amidst the cheers of the crowdassembled to see them start.
"Thank God that is all over," Frank said heartily as they passedout through the lodge gates.
At half-past eight Captain Hawkins was standing at the landingstage in a furious passion.
"Where can that fellow Jackson have got to?" he said, stamping hisfoot. "I said that you were all to be back in a quarter of an hourwhen we landed, and it is three quarters of an hour now. I neverknew him to do such a thing before, and I would not have had such athing happen this evening for any money. What will the Major thinkwhen he finds only five men instead of six in the gig, on such anoccasion as this? We shall be having them down in a minute or two.Jackson had better not show his face on board after this. It is themost provoking thing I ever knew."
"It ain't his way, captain," one of the men said. "Jackson can goon the spree like
the rest of us, but I never knew him to do such athing all the years I have known him, when there was work to bedone; and I am sure he would not do so this evening. He may havegot knocked down or run over or something."
"I will take an oar if you like, captain," said a man in ayachtsman's suit, who was loitering near. "I have nothing to do,and may as well row off as do anything else. You can put me onshore in the dinghy afterwards."
"All right, my lad, take number two athwart. It is too dark to seefaces, and the owner is not likely to notice that there is astrange hand on board. I will give you half a crown gladly for thejob."
The man got into the boat and took his seat.
"Here they come," the captain went on. "We are only just in time.Up-end your oars, lads. We ain't strong enough to cheer, but wewill give them a hearty 'God bless you!' as they come down."
George Lechmere came on first, and handed in a bundle of wraps,parasols, and umbrellas. The captain stood at the top of the steps,and as Frank and Bertha came up took off his hat.
"God bless you and your wife, sir," he said, and the men re-echoedthe words in a deep chorus.
"Thank you, captain.
"Thank you all, lads, for my wife and myself," Frank said,heartily, and a minute later the boat pushed off.
The tide was running out strong, and they were halfway across ittowards the dark mass of yachts, when there was a sudden crashforward.
"What is it?" Frank exclaimed.
"This fellow has stove in the boat, sir," the bow oar exclaimed,and then came a series of hurried exclamations.
Frank had not caught the words, but the rush of water aft told himthat something serious had happened.
"Row, men, row!" he shouted.
"Steer to the nearest yacht, Hawkins."
"We shall never get there, sir. She will be full in half a minute."
"Let each man stick to his oar," Frank said, standing up. "We aftwill hold on to the boat."
Then he raised his voice in a shout:
"Yachts, ahoy! Send boats; we are sinking!
"Don't be frightened, darling," he said to Bertha. "Keep hold ofthe gunwale. I can keep you up easily enough until help comes, butit is better to stick to the boat. We must have run againstsomething that has stove her in."
A moment later the water was up to the thwarts, the boat gave alurch, and then rolled over. Frank threw his arm round Bertha, andas the boat capsized clung to it with his disengaged hand.
"Don't try to get hold of the keel," he said. "It would turn herover again. Just let your hands rest on her, and take hold of theedge of one of the planks.
"That is it, Hawkins. Do you get the other side and just keep herfloating as she is. We shall have help in a minute or two.
"Are you all right, George?"
"Yes, I am at her stern. Do you want assistance, sir?"
"No, we are all right, George."
A moment later a man came up beside the Major, and put his handheavily on his shoulder.
"You won last time, Mallett," he hissed in his ear. "It is my turnnow."
The man's weight was pressing him under water, and the boat gave alurch.
Frank loosed his hold of Bertha with the words, "Hold on, dear, fora minute," and, turning, grappled with his enemy, at the samemoment grasping his right wrist as the arm was raised to strike himwith a knife.
In a moment both went below the water. They came up beyond thestern, and Frank said:
"Take care of Bertha, George--Carthew--" and then went down again.
Furiously they struggled. They were well matched in strength, butFrank felt that his antagonist was careless of his own life, for hehad wound his legs round him, and, unable to wrench his arm fromhis grasp, was doing his utmost to prevent their coming to thesurface.
Suddenly, when he felt that he could no longer retain his breath,he felt arms thrown round them both, and a moment later came to thesurface. Then he heard an exclamation of "Thank God!" An arm wasraised, and two blows struck rapidly.
Carthew's grasp relaxed, the knife dropped from his hand, and, asFrank shook himself free, he sank under the water.
"Are you all right, Major?" his rescuer said.
"Yes," he gasped.
"Put your hand on my shoulder. The boat is not a length away."
A minute later Frank was beside Bertha again.
"Where have you been, Frank? I was frightened."
"One of the men grasped me," he said, "and I should have turned theboat over if I had not let go. However, thanks to George Lechmere,who came to my rescue, I have shaken him off.
"Ah! here is help."
Three or four boats from the yachts were indeed rowing up. The fourclinging to the gig were taken on board by one of them, while theothers picked up the men who were floating supported by their oars.
"Don't say a word about it, George," Frank whispered.
The Osprey was lying but two or three hundred yards away, and theywere soon alongside.
"This is not the sort of welcome I thought to give you on board,dear," he said, as he helped Bertha on deck, and went down thecompanion with her.
Anna burst into exclamations of dismay at seeing the drippingfigures.
"We have had an accident, Anna," Frank said, cheerfully, "but Idon't think that we are any the worse for it. Please take yourmistress aft and get her into dry things at once.
"Steward, open one of those bottles of champagne, and give me halfa tumbler full."
He hurried after the others with it.
"Please drink this at once, Bertha," he said. "Yes, you shall havesome tea directly, but start with this. It will soon put you in aglow. Oh! yes, I am going to have one, too; but a ducking is noodds to me."
Then he ran up on deck.
"You have saved my life again, George, for that scoundrel wouldhave drowned us both."
"I saw the knife in his hand as you went down, and knew that youwanted me more than Miss--I mean Mrs. Mallett did."
"How did you make him let go so quickly?"
"I had a sort of fear that, sooner or later, that villain would beup to something; and had made up my mind that I would always have aweapon handy. This morning I stuck that dagger of mine inside thelining of my waistcoat, so that it might be handy. And it washandy. You were not five yards from me when you went down, and Idived for you, but could not find you at first, and had to come uponce for air. Of course, I could not use the dagger until I foundwhich was which, and then I put an end to it."
"Then you killed him, George?"
"I don't think that he will trouble you any more, sir; and if evera chap deserved his fate that villain did. Why, sir, do you knowhow it all happened?"
"No, I did not catch what the man at the bow said. There was such aconfusion forward."
"He said that he had staved the boat in somehow. He must have takenthe place of one of the men on purpose to do it."
"Well, George, I can't say that I'm sorry."
"I am heartily glad, sir. I am no more sorry for killing him thanfor shooting one of those murderous niggers. Less sorry, a greatdeal. The man deserved hanging. He was intending to murder you, andperhaps Mrs. Mallett, and I killed him as I should have killed amad dog that was attacking you."
"Well, say nothing about it at present, George. It would be a greatshock to my wife if she were to know it. Now you had better go andchange your things at once, as I am going to do. Are all the menrescued?"
"Yes, sir, they are all five on board."
"Hawkins," Frank said, putting his hand in his pocket, "give themen who came to help us a couple of sovereigns each, and tell ourmen that I don't want them to talk about the affair. I will see youabout it again."
Frank was not long in getting into dry clothes, and a few minuteslater Bertha came in.
"Are you none the worse for it, dear?"
"Not a bit, Frank. That champagne has thoroughly warmed me. What asudden affair it all was. Is everyone safe?"
"Yes, they stuck to the oars, and all our crew were picked
up. Itwas a bad start, was it not? But it has never happened to mebefore, and I hope that it will never happen to me again."
"Some people would be inclined to think this an unlucky beginning,"said Bertha, with a slight tone of interrogation.
"I am certainly not one of them," he laughed. "I had only onesuperstition, and that is at an end. You know what it was, dear,but the spell is broken. He had a long run of minor successes, butI have won the only prize worth having, for which we have beenrivals."
Some days later the body of a sailor was washed ashore near SelseyBill. An inquest was held, and a verdict returned that the man hadbeen murdered by some person or persons unknown; but although thepolice of Portsmouth, Southampton, Cowes, and Ryde made vigilantinquiries, they were unable to ascertain that any yacht sailorhailing from those ports had suddenly disappeared.
There was much discussion, in the forecastle of the Osprey, as tothe identity and motives of the man who had first got intoconversation with Jackson, and then asked him to take a drink,which must have been hocussed, for Jackson remembered nothingafterwards. It was evident that the fellow had done it in order totake his place. He had staved in the boat, and, as they supposed,afterwards swam to shore; but the crime seemed so singularlymotiveless that they finally put it down as the work of a madman.
It was not until the day before the Osprey anchored again in Cowes,three months later, that Bertha, on expressing some apprehension offurther trouble from Carthew, if he had survived the wound GeorgeLechmere gave him, learned the true account of the sinking of thegig, as she went on board at Southampton on her wedding day.
