CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A MEETING--A DEATH, AND A DISCOVERY.
Resuming our story, we remind the reader that we left off just as theRamsgate lifeboat had gained a glorious victory over a great storm.
Availing ourselves of an author's privilege, we now change the scene tothe parlour of Mrs Foster's temporary lodgings at Ramsgate, whither theworthy lady had gone for change of air, in company with her son Guy, herdaughter-in-law Lucy, her little grandson Charlie, and her adopteddaughter Amy Russell.
Bax is standing there alone. He looks like his former self in regard tocostume, for the only man approaching his own size, who could lend him asuit of dry clothing, happened to be a boatman, so he is clad in thefamiliar rough coat with huge buttons, the wide pantaloons, and thesou'-wester of former days. His countenance is changed, however; it ispale and troubled.
On the way up from the harbour Guy had told him that he was married, andwas surprised when Bax, instead of expressing a desire to be introducedto his wife, made some wild proposal about going and looking after thepeople who had been saved! He was pleased, however, when Bax suddenlycongratulated him with great warmth, and thereafter said, with muchfirmness, that he would go up to the house and see her. On thisoccasion, also, Bax had told his friend that all the produce of hislabour since he went away now lay buried in the Goodwin Sands.
Bax was ruminating on these things when the door opened, and Guyentered, leading Lucy by the hand.
"Miss Burton!" exclaimed Bax, springing forward.
"My _wife_," said Guy, with a puzzled look.
"Bax!" exclaimed Lucy, grasping his hand warmly and kissing it; "surelyyou knew that I was married to Guy?"
Bax did not reply. His chest heaved, his lips were tightly compressed,and his nostrils dilated, as he gazed alternately at Guy and Lucy. Atlast he spoke in deep, almost inaudible tones:
"Miss Russell--is she still--"
"My sister is still with us. I have told her you are come. She will behere directly," said Guy.
As he spoke the door opened, and Mrs Foster entered, with Amy leaningon her arm. The latter was very pale, and trembled slightly. On seeingBax the blood rushed to her temples, and then fled back to her heart.She sank on a chair. The sailor was at her side in a moment; he caughther as she was in the act of falling, and going down on one knee,supported her head on his shoulder.
"Bring water, she has fainted," he cried. "Dear Miss Russell!--dearestAmy!--oh my beloved girl, look up."
Stunned and terrified though poor Mrs Foster was, as she rushed aboutthe room in search of water and scent-bottles, she was taken abacksomewhat by the warmth of these expressions, which Bax, in the strengthof his feelings, and the excitement of the moment, uttered quiteunconsciously. Guy was utterly confounded, for the truth now for thefirst time flashed upon him, and when he beheld his friend tenderlypress his lips on the fair forehead of the still insensible Amy, itbecame clear beyond a doubt. Lucy was also amazed, for although she wasaware of Amy's love for Bax, she had never dreamed that it was returned.
Suddenly Guy's pent-up surprise and excitement broke forth. SeizingMrs Foster by the shoulders, he stared into her face, and said,"Mother, I have been an ass! an absolute donkey!--and a blind one, too.Oh!--ha! come along, I'll explain myself. Lucy, I shall require yourassistance."
Without more ado Guy led his mother and Lucy forcibly out of the room,and Bax and Amy were left alone.
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Again we change the scene. The Sandhills lying to the north of Deal arebefore us, and the shadows of night are beginning to deepen over thebleak expanse of downs. A fortnight has passed away.
During that period Bax experienced the great delight of feeling assuredthat Amy loved him, and the great misery of knowing that he had not asixpence in the world. Of course, Guy sought to cheer him by sayingthat there would be no difficulty in getting him the command of a ship;but Bax was not cheered by the suggestion; he felt depressed, andproposed to Guy that they should take a ramble together over theSandhills.
Leaving the cottage, to which the family had returned the day before,the two friends walked in the direction of Sandown Castle.
"What say you to visit old Jeph?" said Guy; "I have never felt easyabout him since he made me order his coffin and pay his debts."
"With all my heart," said Bax. "I spent a couple of hours with him thisforenoon, and he appeared to me better than usual. Seeing Tommy and meagain has cheered him greatly, poor old man."
"Stay, I will run back for the packet he left with me to give to you.He may perhaps wish to give it you with his own hand."
Guy ran back to the cottage, and quickly returned with the packet.
Old Jeph's door was open when they approached his humble abode. Guyknocked gently, but, receiving no answer, entered the house. To theirsurprise and alarm they found the old man's bed empty. Everything elsein the room was in its usual place. The little table stood at thebedside, with the large old Bible on it and the bundle of receipts thatGuy had placed there on the day he paid the old man's debts. In acorner lay the black coffin, with the winding-sheet carefully folded onthe lid. There was no sign of violence having been done, and thefriends were forced to the conclusion that Jeph had quitted the place ofhis own accord. As he had been confined to bed ever since his illness--about two weeks--this sudden disappearance was naturally alarming.
"There seems to have been no foul play," said Bax, examining hastily theseveral closets in the room. "Where _can_ he have gone?"
"The tomb!" said Guy, as Jeph's old habit recurred to his memory.
"Right," exclaimed Bax, eagerly. "Come, let's go quickly."
They hastened out, and, breaking into a smart run, soon reached theSandhills. Neither of them spoke, for each felt deep anxiety about theold man, whose weak condition rendered it extremely improbable that hecould long survive the shock that his system must have sustained by sucha walk at such an hour.
Passing the Checkers of the Hope, they soon reached Mary Bax's tomb.The solitary stone threw a long dark shadow over the waste as the moonrose slowly behind it. This shadow concealed the grave until they wereclose beside it.
"Ah! he is here," said Bax, kneeling down.
Guy knelt beside him, and assisted to raise their old friend, who layextended on the grave. Bax moved him so as to get from beneath theshadow of the stone, and called him gently by name, but he did notanswer. When the moonlight next moment fell on his countenance, thereason of his silence was sufficiently obvious.
Old Jeph was dead!
With tender care they lifted the body in their arms and bore it to thecottage, where they laid it on the bed, and, sitting down beside it,conversed for some time in low sad tones.
"Bax," said Guy, pulling the sealed packet from his breast-pocket, "hadyou not better open this? It may perhaps contain some instructionshaving reference to his last resting-place."
"True," replied Bax, breaking the seals. "Dear old Jeph, it is sad tolose you in this sudden way, without a parting word or blessing. Whathave we here?" he continued, unrolling several pieces of brown paper."It feels like a key."
As he spoke a small letter dropt from the folds of the brown paper, withan old-fashioned key tied to it by a piece of twine. Opening the letterhe read as follows:--
"DEAR BAX,--When you get this I shall be where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. There is a hide in the north-west corner of my room in the old house, between the beam and the wall. The key that is enclosed herewith will open it. I used to hide baccy there in my smugglin' days, but since I left off that I've never used it. There you will find a bag of gold. How much is in it I know not. It was placed there by an old mate of mine more than forty years ago. He was a great man for the guinea trade that was carried on with France in the time of Boney's wars. I never rightly myself understood that business. I'm told that Boney tried to get all the gold out
o' this country, by payin' three shillings more than each guinea was worth for it, but that seems unreasonable to me. Hows'ever, although I never could rightly understand it, there is no doubt that some of our lads were consarned in smugglin' guineas across the channel, and two or three of 'em made a good thing of it. My mate was one o' the lucky ones. One night he came home with a bag o' gold and tumbled it out on the table before me. I had my suspicions that he had not come honestly by it, so would have nothin' to do with it. When I told him so, he put it back into the bag, tied it up, and replaced it in the hide, and went away in a rage. He never came back. There was a storm from the east'ard that night. Two or three boats were capsized, and my mate and one or two more lads were drowned. The guineas have lain in the hide ever since. I've often thought o' usin' them; but somehow or other never could make up my mind. You may call this foolish, mayhap it was; anyhow I now leave the gold to you;--to Tommy, if you never come back, or to Guy if he don't turn up. Bluenose don't want it: it would only bother him if I put it in his way.
"This is all I've got to say: The old house ain't worth much, but such as it is, it's yours, or it may go the same way as the guineas.
"Now, Bax, may God bless you, and make you one of His own children, through Jesus Christ. My heart warms to you for your own sake, and for the sake of her whose name you bear. Farewell.--Your old friend and mate, JEPH."
Bax stooped over the bed, and pressed his lips to the dead man'sforehead, when he had finished reading this letter. For some time thetwo friends sat talking of old Jeph's sayings and doings in former days,forgetful of the treasure of which the epistle spoke. At last Bax roseand drew a table to the corner mentioned in the letter. Getting uponthis, he found an old board nailed against the wall.
"Hand me that axe, Guy; it must be behind this."
The board was soon wrenched off, and a small door revealed in the wall.The key opened it at once, and inside a bag was found. Untying this,Bax emptied the glittering contents on the table. It was a large heap,amounting to five hundred guineas!
"I congratulate you, Bax," said Guy; "this removes a great difficultyout of your way. Five hundred guineas will give you a fair start."
"Do you suppose that I will appropriate this to myself?" said Bax. "Youand Tommy are mentioned in the letter as well as me."
"You may do as you please in regard to Tommy," said Guy, "but as for me,I have a good salary, and won't touch a guinea of it."
"Well, well," said Bax, with a sad smile, "this is neither the time norplace to talk of such matters. It is time to give notice of the oldman's death."
Saying this, he returned the gold to its former place, locked the hide,and replaced the board. As he was doing this, a peculiar cut in thebeam over his head caught his eye.
"I do believe here is another hide," said he. "Hand the axe again."
A piece of wood was soon forced out of the side of the beam next thewall, and it was discovered that the beam itself was hollow. Nothingwas found in it, however, except a crumpled piece of paper.
"See here, there is writing on this," said Guy, picking up the paperwhich Bax flung down. "It is a crabbed hand, but I think I can make itout:--`Dear Bogue, you will find the tubs down Pegwell Bay, with thesinkers on 'em; the rest of the swag in Fiddler's Cave.'"
"Humph! an old smuggler's letter," said Bax. "Mayhap the tubs and swagare there yet!"
We may remark here, that, long after the events now related, Bax and Guyremembered this note and visited the spots mentioned out of curiosity,but neither "tubs" nor "swag" were found!
Quitting the room with heavy hearts, the two friends locked the door,and went in search of those who are wont to perform the last offices tothe dead.
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