Percival Keene

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

  The sun rose and chased away the clouds, and the heat was overpowering.What would have been our situation if it had not pleased Heaven torefresh us?

  The consequence of their thirst being appeased made the demand for foodimperative, and a raw potato was given to each man. The day passed, andso did a third, and fourth, and our hopes began to fail us, when atdaylight the next morning I spied a sail to the westward. The breezewas light but the vessel was evidently coming down towards us, andbefore noon we made it out to be the cutter.

  We then sat on the bulwarks, and held out a white shirt, as a signal toattract their attention. When about three miles from us, the cutterrounded to, not appearing to notice us, and for two hours we were leftin this state of maddening anxiety and suspense, when at last weperceived her bows pay off, and she again stood towards us. They had atlast seen us, and as soon as they had run down to within three cables'length, the boat was lowered and sent to take us off. In three trips wewere all on board, and devoutly thanked Heaven for our preservation.

  The lieutenant of the cutter said that at first the sun prevented hisseeing us, which I believe was the fact; but he acknowledged that he hadno idea that we had been wrecked, although he thought that the Dryadwas, as he had seen a mast floating, and, sending a boat to look at it,found her name on the cross-trees. We were, however, too much exhaustedto enter into much conversation. As soon as we had been supplied withfood, we were all put to bed in their hammocks; the first lieutenantresigned his standing bed-place to me. A long sleep recovered me, and Ifelt little the worse for what I had suffered, and sat down to abreakfast at noon on the following day with a good appetite. The cutterhad, by my directions, shaped a course for the island of Heligoland,where we should find means of returning to England.

  "I have letters for you, Captain Keene," said the lieutenant, "if youare well enough to read them."

  "Thank you, Mr D---; I am now quite well, and will be happy to havethem."

  The lieutenant brought me a large packet, and I took a position on thesofa to read them comfortably while he went on deck. I first openedthose on service--those, of course, had little interest for me, now thatI had lost my ship--I skimmed them over, and then threw them on thetable one after another. There were three private letters from England,one of which was in Lord de Versely's hand-writing; I opened it first.It was very kind, but short, complaining that he had not been very welllately. The second was from my mother. I read it; it contained nothingof importance; and then I took up the third, which had a black seal. Iopened it; it was from Mr Warden, acquainting me that Lord de Verselyhad expired very suddenly, on his return from the House of Lords, of anossification of the heart.

  In my weak state this blow was too much for me, and I fainted. How longI remained in that state I cannot say; but when I came to my senses Ifound myself still down in the cabin. I rallied as well as I could, butit was some time before I could take up the letter again, and finish it.He stated that his lordship had left me all his personal property,which was all that he could leave--that the library and wines were ofsome value, and that there would be about a thousand pounds left at thebanker's, when the funeral expenses and debts had been paid. "Oh! if hecould but have left me his family name!" I cried, "it was all Icoveted. My father! my kind father! I may really say who will lamentyour loss as I do?" I threw myself on the pillow of the sofa, and for along while shed bitter tears, not unmixed, I must own; for my grief athis death was increased by my disappointment in having for ever lost thegreat object of my wishes.

  The lieutenant of the cutter came down into the cabin, and I wascompelled to hide my emotion. I complained of headache and weakness,and, collecting the letters, I again lay down in the standing bed-place,and, drawing the curtains, I was left to my own reflections. But therewas a sad tumult in my mind. I could not keep my ideas upon one subjectfor a moment. I was feverish and excited, and at last my head was sopainful that I could think no more. Fortunately exhaustion threw meagain into a sound sleep, and I did not wake till the next morning.When I did, I had to recollect where I was and what had happened. Iknew that there was something dreadful which had occurred; again itflashed into my memory. Lord de Versely was dead. I groaned, and fellback on the pillow.

  "Are you very ill, Captain Keene!" said a voice close to me. I openedthe curtains, and perceived that it was Cross, who was standing by mybedside.

  "I am indeed, Cross, very ill; I have very bad news. Lord de Versely isdead."

  "That is bad news, sir," replied Cross--"very bad news, worse thanlosing the frigate. But, Captain Keene, we must have our ups and downsin this world. You have had a long run of good fortune, and you mustnot be surprised at a change. It is hard to lose your frigate and yourfather at the same time--but you have not lost your life, which is agreat mercy to be thankful for."

  I turned away, for my heart was full of bitterness. Cross, perceivingmy mood, left me, and I remained in a state of some indifference, neverrising from the bed-place during the remainder of the time that I was onboard.

  On the second day we arrived at Heligoland, and I was requested by thegovernor to take up my quarters with him, until an opportunity occurredfor my return to England. My spirits were, however, so much weigheddown that I could not rally. I brooded over my misfortunes, and Ithought that the time was now come when I was to meet a reverse of theprosperity which I had so long enjoyed.

  The sudden death of Lord de Versely, at the age of fifty-six, left mewithout a patron, and had destroyed all my hopes centred in him. Theobject of my ambition was, I considered, for ever lost to me. There wasnow no chance of my being acknowledged as a member of his family. Thenthe loss of so fine a frigate, and such a noble ship's company. That Ishould be honourably acquitted by a court-martial I had not a doubt; butI had no chance of future employment; for, now that Lord de Versely wasdead, I had no one to support my claims. My prospects, therefore, inthe service were all gone, as well as the visions I had indulged in. Idwelt with some pleasure upon the idea that Lord de Versely had left mehis personal property--it proved his regard; but I wanted his familyname, and I preferred that to thousands per annum. The second day afterour arrival Cross called, and was admitted. He found me in bad spirits,and tried all he could to rouse me. At last he said, "As for the lossof the frigate, Captain Keene, no human endeavour could have saved her,and no one could have done his duty better than you did, as thecourt-martial will prove; but sir, I think it would be proper just nowto show that your zeal for the service is as strong as ever."

  "And how am I to do that, Cross?"

  "Why, sir, you know as well as we all do how the Frenchmen are going tothe wall; that they have been thrashed out of Russia, and that they areretreating everywhere. They say that they have left Hamburg, and Iunderstand that the gun-brigs here are going on an expedition from thisisland, either to-morrow or next day, to storm the batteries ofCuxhaven, and so create a diversion, as they call it--and very gooddiversion it is--licking those French rascals. Now, Captain Keene, if Imay take the liberty of saying so, would it not be as well to take asmany of your men as are able to go and join the storming party? Muchbetter than sitting here all day, melancholy, and doing nothing."

  "It's the first I've heard of it, Cross; are you sure you are correct?"

  "How should you hear it, sir, shut up here, and seeing nobody? It'strue enough, sir; they were telling off the men as I came up, and Ithink they start at daylight to-morrow."

  "Well, Cross, I will think of it, and let you know my decision if youcall here in half an hour."

  Cross left me, and I was still undecided, when the governor called topay me a visit. After the first exchange of civilities, I asked him ifthe report was true that there was an expedition about to proceed toCuxhaven. His reply was that the Russians had entered Hamburg, whichthe French had evacuated on the 11th, and that the French garrisons atCuxhaven were reported to be in a very distressed state, and, inconsequence, the Bl
azer, and another gun-brig, were about to proceed toattack the forts.

  Hamburg! thought I; why, Minnie Vanderwelt is at Hamburg with herfather. I will go and try if I cannot get to Hamburg. The remembranceof Minnie gave a spur to my energies, and created a new stimulus. Ithen told the governor that I had a few men doing nothing; that I wouldjoin them to the expedition, and serve as a volunteer. The governorthanked me for my zeal, and I left him to go down and communicate myintentions to the commanding officer of the gun-brig, who expressedhimself most happy at my assistance and co-operation.