The Pacha of Many Tales
Page 10
VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER THREE.
The next day the renegade commenced his fourth voyage, in the followingwords:--
FOURTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.
Your highness may imagine, that I ought to have been pretty well tiredof going to sea, after so many mishaps; but there is a restlessnessattending a person who has once been a rover, that drives him fromcomfort and affluence in possession, to seek variety through danger anddifficulty in perspective. Yet I cannot say that it was my case in thepresent instance, for I was forced to embark against my inclination. Ihad travelled through France to Marseilles, with a small sum of moneypresented me by the captain of the ship who gave me a passage home, forI could no longer bear the idea of not again seeing my father, if he wasalive; and I felt no apprehensions from the circumstance of the ladyabbess, as I knew how soon every thing in this world is forgotten, andthat I was so altered from time and hardship, that I was not likely tobe recognised.
On my arrival at my native city, I proceeded to the well-known shop,where I had been accustomed to exercise my talents, under my father'ssuperintendence. The pole was extended from the door, the bason stillturned round in obedience to the wind; but when I entered the shop,which was crowded with people (for it was Saturday afternoon), Iperceived that all the operators were unknown to me, and that my fatherwas not there. One of the expectants, who waited his turn, politelymade room for me beside him on the bench, and I had time to look aboutme before I made any interrogations.
The shop had been newly painted, a looking-glass of considerabledimensions had been added, and the whole wore the appearance of a morethriving establishment.
"You are a stranger, monsieur," observed my neighbour.
"I am," replied I; "but I have been at Marseilles before, and when I waslast here I used to frequent this shop. There was a short stout man whowas at the head of it, but I do not recollect his name."
"Oh--Monsieur Maurepas. He is dead; he died about two months since."
"And what has become of his family?"
"He had but one son, who had an intrigue with the daughter of an oldofficer in this town, and was obliged to leave it. No one has heard ofhim since: he is supposed to have been lost at sea, as the vessel inwhich he embarked never arrived at the port to which she was bound. Theold man died worth money, and there is a law-suit for his property nowcarried on between two distant relations."
"What became of the lady you were speaking of?"
"She retired to a convent, not three miles off, and is since dead.There was some mystery about the abbess, and she was supposed to be ableto explain it. I believe she was pronounced `contumacious' by theinquisition, and put into prison, where she died from the severity ofher treatment."
My heart smote me when I heard this. The poor girl had endured all thisseverity on my account, and was faithful even to the last. I fell intoa reverie of most painful feelings. Cerise, too, whose fate I hadbefore ascertained when I was at Toulouse--dear, dear Cerise!
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"I tell you again, Huckaback; I wish to have no more of Cerise," criedthe pacha. "She is dead, and there's an end of her."
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The information that I received made me doubtful how to proceed; I couldeasily prove my identity, but I had a degree of apprehension that Imight be catechised in such a manner as to raise suspicions. At thesame time without a sou in the world, I did not much like the idea ofabandoning all claim to my father's property. I had formerly dressedthe peruke of an elderly gentleman who practised in the law, and withwhom I was a great favourite. Although five years had elapsed since Ifirst ran away from my father, I thought it very likely that he might bestill alive. I resolved to call at his house. When I knocked and askedif he was at home, the girl who opened the door replied in theaffirmative; and I was shown into the same little study, littered withpapers, into which I formerly used to bring him his peruke.
"Your pleasure, sir?" inquired the old man, peering at me through hisspectacles.
"I wish," replied I, "to ask your opinion relative to a disputedsuccession."
"What is the property?"
"That of Monsieur Maurepas, who died some short time since."
"What, have we another claimant? If so, as I am employed by one partyalready, you must go elsewhere. I wish Francois would make hisappearance and claim his own, poor fellow."
Delighted to find that the old gentleman had still a regard for me, Imade no scruple of making myself known.
"I am Francois, sir," replied I.
The old gentlemen rose from his seat, and coming close to me, looked atme earnestly in the face. After a minute's scrutiny--
"Well--I do believe you are; and pray, sir, where have you been all thiswhile?"
"That's what I cannot very well tell; but I have seen, and sufferedmuch."
"But that's what you must tell, if you wish to obtain your property--that is to say, you must tell me. Don't be afraid, Francois: it is apart of our profession to be confidants to strange secrets; and I thinkthere are many locked up in this breast of more importance than anywhich you can disclose."
"But, sir, if my life is concerned."
"What then--your life will be safe. If I told all I knew, I could hanghalf Marseilles. But laying my professional duty aside, I wish youwell; so now sit down, and let me hear your narrative."
I felt that I could confide in my old acquaintance, and I thereforecommenced a detail of my adventures. When I stated my being wreckednear Marseilles, he interrupted me, laughing--
"And you were the holy abbess?"
"I was."
"Well, I thought I recollected your face, when I came with the rest ofthe tom fools to pay my respects to you: and when it was whispered thata man had personified the holy abbess, I said to myself, `that it waseither Francois or the devil,' but I never mentioned my suspicions."
When I had finished my narrative, he observed, "Now, Francois, therewill be some risk of proving your identity in a court of justice, whichthe other parties will insist upon. What I should advise you to do, is,to compromise with the party that employs me. Make over to him aconveyance of all the property, on condition of your receiving one half,or more if we can get it. I will represent you as a careless young man,anxious to obtain money and spend it. If he agrees, you will obtain agood round sum without risk, and I shall oblige both my clients, whichis always my endeavour."
I agreed to the good sense of the proposal, and my old friend advancedme some louis to enable me to improve my appearance. Advising me not toshow myself too much, he offered me a bed at his house. I left him toprocure a more decent wardrobe; and for better disguise, fitted myselfwith an officer's undress suit, and having purchased a few othernecessaries returned to his house.
"Well, upon my honour, you do justice to your dress. I don't wonder atMademoiselle de Fonseca falling in love with you. That is a sad storythough--I don't know whether I ought to trust you with my housekeeper,for she is very young and very pretty. Promise me, on your honour, thatyou will not make love to the poor girl, for I have an affection forher, and will not have her added to your list of broken hearts."
"Mention it not, I beg, sir," replied I, mournfully; "my heart is deadand buried with her whose name I have just mentioned."
"Well, then, go up stairs and introduce yourself. I have people waitingin the next room."
I obeyed his directions, and when I entered the parlour above, perceiveda youthful figure working at her needle, with her back towards me. Sheturned her head at my approach what was my amazement, what was mydelight, when I beheld Cerise!
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"Holy Prophet," exclaimed the pacha, "is that woman come to life again?"
"She was never dead, your highness, and will occupy your attention morethan once, if I am to proceed with my voyages."
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"But I hope there will be no more love scenes."
"Only the present one, your highness: for after that we were married."
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Cerise looked at me for one moment, screamed, and fell lifeless on thefloor. I caught her in my arms, and, as she lay senseless, called herby her name, and imprinted a hundred kisses on her lips.
The noise had alarmed the old gentleman, who, unobserved by me came in,and witnessed the scene. "Upon my honour, sir, considering your promiseto me just now, you are making rather free."
"'Tis Cerise, my dear sir--Cerise!"
"Cerise de Fonseca?"
"Yes, the same; the dear girl whom I have ever lamented."
"Upon my soul, Mr Francois, you've a talent for adventures," said theold gentleman, leaving the room, and returning with a tumbler of water.Cerise was soon restored, and lay trembling in my arms. Our old friend,who considered that he was `_de trop_,' quitted the room, and left ustogether.
I will not dwell upon a scene which can have no charms to those, who,like your highness, buy love ready made; I shall therefore narrate thehistory of Cerise, which at my request was imparted, previous to herreceiving a similar confidence on my part.
"Allow me to observe, Felix, or what is your name, you impostor?" saidCerise, half reproachfully and half in jest.
"My name is Francois."
"Well, then, Francois; but I never shall like that name so well asFelix, for it was to Felix that--but there's nothing in a name afterall--except that the first is engraven on my heart, and cannot beeffaced. But let me tell my story, and allow me to commence with anobservation, which my acquaintance with you, and subsequent reflectionshave deeply impressed upon my mind. It unfortunately happens, thatthose who are highest in rank in this world pay dearly for it in a pointupon which almost all the real happiness of life consists. I mean inthe choice of the partner with whom they are destined to walk thepilgrimage of life hand in hand; and the higher their rank, the morestrictly are they debarred from making a selection which the meanestpeasant can enjoy without control.
"A king has no choice, he must submit to the wishes of his subjects, andthe interests of his country. The aristocracy in our country are littlebetter off, at least the female part of it, for they are dragged fromconvents to the altar, and offered up as a sacrifice to familyconnection. At the time that we were, or were supposed to be (for asyet it is a mystery to me), assisted by you on the road--"
"In one point not a supposition certainly, my Cerise, for I took off myonly garment to cover you."
"You did--you did--I think I see you now, leaving the side of thechariot; I loved you from that moment. But to continue: I was thengoing down to the chateau, to be introduced to my future husband, whom Ihad never seen, although the affair had been long arranged.
"My father had no idea that any harm could result from a few days'acquaintance; and he felt too grateful to forbid you the house; but helittle knew how situation and opportunity will overcome time; and I knewmore of you in a few days than I thought I could have known of any manin so many years. That I loved you--loved you dearly--you know well.
"But to proceed: (nay, don't kiss me so, or I shall never tell mystory.) The next morning I heard that you had gone, as you had told meit was your intention; but my father's horse did not come back--myfather was grave, and the bishop more gloomy than usual. Two daysafterwards I was informed by my father that you were an impostor, thatall had been discovered, and that if taken you would probably be seizedby the inquisition; but you had fled the country, and were supposed tohave embarked at Toulon. He added, that my intended husband wouldarrive in a few days.
"I considered all that he had told me, and I formed the followingconclusions:--First, that you were not the person you described yourselfto be; and, Secondly, that he had discovered our attachment, and hadinsisted upon your not re-appearing--but that you had deserted me, andleft the country, I knew, after what had passed, _to be impossible_.But whether you were Monsieur de Rouille or not, you were all I coveted,and all that I adored; and I vowed that for you I would live or die. Ifelt assured that one day or another, you would come back; and thatconviction supported me. My future husband appeared--he was odious.The time fixed for our wedding drew nigh--I had but one resource, whichwas flight. A young girl who attended me (you recollect her, she cameand told us the bishop was coming, when we were in the garden), I knewto be attached to me. I took her in confidence, and through her means Iobtained a peasant's dress, with the promise of shelter in her father'scottage, some leagues distant. The night before the marriage was totake place, I ran down to the river that flows past the chateau, threwmy bonnet and shawl on the bank, and then made my escape to where herfather was waiting to receive me, in a cart which he had provided as aconveyance. The girl, who was left, managed admirably: it was supposedthat I had drowned myself; and as they had no further occasion for herservices, she was dismissed, and joined me at her father's cottage. Iremained there for more than a year, when I thought it advisable tomove, and come to Marseilles I where I obtained the situation ofhousekeeper to this old gentleman, who has treated me more like adaughter than a domestic. Now, Mr Francois, can you give so good anaccount of yourself?"
"Not quite, Cerise; but I can honestly declare, that when I thought youalive, I never forgot you; and believing you dead, I never ceased tolament you, nor have I looked at a woman since. Our old friend belowcan prove it, by my answer when he cautioned me against the charms ofhis housekeeper."
I did not, your highness, tell the whole truth to Cerise; for I havealways considered it perfectly justifiable to retain facts which cannotadd to people's happiness. I declared that I left her because my lifewould have been forfeited if I had remained, and I valued it only forher sake. That I always intended to return; and when I quittedValencia, and had become a man of property, I immediately proceeded tomake inquiries, and heard the news of her death. Neither did I acquainther with the profession which I had followed; I merely stated that myfather was a man of eminence, and that he had died rich--for althoughpeople of good family will sometimes bow to love, taking the risk ofhigh or low birth, they are always mortified when they discover thattheir ticket in the lottery has turned up a blank.
Cerise was satisfied--we renewed our vows--and the old gentleman, whodeclared that of all the secrets in his possession ours would be themost dangerous to him if discovered, was not sorry to see us united, andquit the house.
I obtained two thirds of my fortune from the claimant; and with it andmy wife repaired to Toulon.
For one year I enjoyed uninterrupted happiness. My wife was every thingto me, and so far from leaving her in search of variety, I could notbear to go out of the house unless she accompanied me: but we wereliving much too fast, and at the end of the year I found one third of myproperty had been spent. My affection would not permit me to reduce mywife to beggary, and I determined to take some measures to secure themeans of future existence. Consulting her on the occasion, with manytears Cerise acknowledged my prudence; and having divided the remainderof my property, one half of which I laid out in merchandise, and theother I gave to her, for her support during my absence, I embarked onboard of a vessel bound to the West Indies.
We made the islands without any accident, and I was extremely successfulin my speculations; I began to think that fortune was tired ofpersecuting me, but knowing how treacherous she was, I shipped one halfof my return cargo in another vessel, that I might have more than onechance.
When our captain was ready to sail, the passengers repaired on board,and amongst others a rich old gentleman who had come from Mexico, andwho had been waiting for a passage home to France. He was very ill whenhe came on board, and I recommended his losing a little blood, offeringmy services on the occasion. They were accepted; the old gentlemanrecovered, and we were very intimate afterwards. We had been about afortnight clear of the island, when a hurricane came on, the eq
ual towhich in force I never beheld. The sea was one sheet of foam, the airwas loaded with spray, which was thrown with such violence against ourfaces that we were blinded; and the wind blew so strong that no onecould stand up against it. The vessel was thrown on her beam ends, andwe all gave ourselves up for lost. Fortunately the masts went by theboard, and the ship righted. But when the hurricane abated, we were inan awkward predicament; the spare spars had been washed overboard, andwe had no means of rigging jury-masts and making sail. There we layrolling in a perfect calm which had succeeded, and drifting to thenorthward by the influence of what is called the Gulf stream.
One morning, as we were anxiously looking out for a vessel, we perceivedsomething at a distance, but could not ascertain what it was.
At first we imagined that it was several casks floating, which had beenthrown overboard, or had forced their way out of the hold of some vesselwhich had foundered at sea. But at last we discovered that it was anenormous serpent, coming directly on towards the vessel, at the rate offifteen or twenty miles an hour. As it approached, we perceived to ourhorror, that it was about a hundred feet long, and as thick as themain-mast of a seventy-four; it occasionally reared its head many feetabove the surface, and then plunging it down again continued its rapidcourse. When it neared us to within a mile, we were so alarmed that weall ran down below. The animal came to the ship, and rearing its bodymore than half way out of the water, so that if our masts had beenstanding, his head would have been as high as our topsail-yards, lookeddown on deck. He then lowered his great diamond-shaped head, andthrusting it down the hatchway, seized one of the men in his teeth,plunged into the sea and disappeared.
We were all horror-struck, for we expected his re-appearance, and had nomeans of securing ourselves below, every grating and sky-light havingbeen washed overboard in the hurricane. The old gentleman was morealarmed than the rest. He sent for me, and said--
"I did look forward to once more seeing my relations in France, but thathope is now abandoned. My name is Fonseca, I am a younger brother of anoble family of that name, and I intended, if not to enrich my brother,at least to endow his daughter with the wealth I have brought with me.Should my fears be verified, I trust to your honour for the performanceof my request. It is, to deliver this casket, which is of great value,into the hand of either one or the other. Here is a letter with theiraddress, and here is the key; the remainder of my property on board, ifsaved, in case of my death, is yours; and here is a voucher for you toshow in case of necessity."
I took the casket, but did not tell him that I was the husband of hisniece--as he might have disinherited her for having married so muchbelow her rank in life. The old gentleman was right in his supposition,the serpent returned in the afternoon, and seizing him as he had thesailor, in the morning, again plunged into the sea; and so he continuedbearing two or three off every day, until I was the only one left. Onthe eighth day he had taken off the last but me, and I knew that my fatemust be decided in the evening; for large as he was, he could penetrateevery part of the ship, and could draw you to him, when you were manyfeet distant, by sucking in his breath.
There happened to be two casks, of a material lately invented inEngland, which we were taking to France on trial; during the hurricane,one had burst, and the stench proceeding from it was intolerable.Although it had gradually evaporated, I perceived that whenever theserpent approached any thing that had been defiled with it, heimmediately turned away, as if the smell was as unbearable to him as itwas to us. I don't know what it was composed of, but the English calledit _coal tar_. It struck me that I might save myself by means of thisoffensive composition. I knocked out the head of the remaining cask,and arming myself with a broom dipped in it, I jumped into the caskwhich contained the remainder, and awaited any fate with anxiety. Theserpent came; as usual, forced his head and part of his body down thehatchway, perceived me, and with eyes darting fire reached out his headto seize me. I dashed the broom into his mouth, and bobbed my headimmediately under the coal tar. When I lifted it up again, almostsuffocated, the animal had disappeared. I crawled out, and looking overthe side, perceived him lashing the ocean in his fury, plunging anddiving to rid himself of the composition with which I had filled hismouth. After exhausting himself with his furious endeavours, he wentdown, and I saw him no more.
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"Did you never see him again?" inquired the pacha.
"Never but that once; nor has the animal been seen before or since,except by the Americans, who have much better eyes than the people ofEurope can boast of."
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The vessel drifted to the northward with the Gulf stream, until she wasclose to the land, when a pilot boat came out and boarded her. Thepeople belonging to her were much annoyed to find me on board. Hadthere been no one in her, they would have claimed the whole vessel andcargo, whereas they were now only entitled to one eighth. I understoodEnglish enough to hear them propose and agree to throw me overboard. Iimmediately ran down below to secure my casket, and when I returned ondeck, they launched me over the side. I sank down, and diving under thecounter, laid hold of the rudder chains, unperceived by them. In themean time another pilot boat came to us, and sent her boat on board; Iswam to it and was hauled in. The captains being rivals, I was taken toNew York as evidence against the people who had attempted my life. Istaid there just long enough to sell my seven eights of the cargo, andsee the men hung, and I then took a passage in a vessel bound toBordeaux, where I arrived in safety. From thence I repaired to Toulon,and found my dear Cerise as beautiful and as fond as ever.
I was now a rich man; I bought a large estate, with a marquisateattached to it. I also purchased the chateau of Fonseca, and made agift of it to my dear wife. I was pleased at having the means ofraising her again to that rank in society, which she had quitted for mysake. For some years we lived happily, although we had no children.After that, events happened which again sent me to sea. Such, yourhighness, is the history of my Fourth Voyage.
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"Well," observed the pacha, "I never heard of so large a snake before;did you, Mustapha?"
"Never, your highness; but travellers see strange things. What is to bethe extent of your highness's bounty?"
"Give him ten pieces of gold," said the pacha, rising from the throne,and waddling behind the curtain.
Mustapha told out the sequins. "Selim, if I might advise you, it wouldplease his highness better, if you continued more at sea, and dealt alittle more in the marvellous. That wife of yours, Cerise as you callher, is rather a bore."
"Well, I'll get rid of her to-morrow; but I can tell you, vizier, that Ideserve all my pay, for its rather fatiguing work--besides, myconscience."
"Holy Prophet! hear him--his conscience! go, hypocrite, drown it in wineto-night, and it will be dead tomorrow; and don't forget to kill yourwife."
"Allow me to observe, that you Turks have very little taste;nevertheless, I will get rid of her after your own fashion, for sheshall go to the bottom of the sea--Bashem ustun, on my head be it."