CHAPTER XII
THE CAPTAIN'S AMBITION
"Jack," said the captain, "I am now resolved that Molly shall make herappearance at the assembly, and that as the heiress that she is. Notlowly and humbly. She shall take her place at once among the fineladies."
"But she is not a gentlewoman, captain," I objected.
"She shall be finer than any gentlewoman of the whole company--just asshe is better to look at without any finery."
"Will the company," I asked, "welcome her among them?"
"The women, Jack, will flout and slight her--I have watched them. Theyflout and slight each other. That breaks no bones. She shall go."
He went on to explain his designs. As you have heard, they wereambitious.
"I have this day acquainted Molly, for the first time, with the truth.She now knows that she is richer than any one believed. As forherself, she never thought about her fortune, knowing, she says, thatit was safe in my hands. I have opened her father's strong place--itis in the cellar, behind a stone, and I have taken out the treasuresthat even her mother never saw, because her father wished to lead ahomely life, and concealed his treasures. There are jewels and goldchains, bracelets, necklaces, rings--all kinds of things--Molly hasthem all--she is even now hugging them all in her lap and trying themon before her looking-glass. She shall go to the assembly covered withjewels."
"Is there any one among the whole company fit for her?" I asked.
"There is one, Jack. He is the noble Lord--the Lord Fylingdale--a verygreat man, indeed."
"Lord Fylingdale? Captain, are you serious?"
"Why, Jack, who can be too high and too grand for my Molly? He is saidto be of a virtuous character and pious disposition; he neithergambles nor drinks, nor is a libertine, as is too common among many ofhis rank."
"But, captain, he will marry one of his own rank."
"Ta-ta! he will marry a fine girl, virtuously brought up, made finerby her fortune. What more can he expect than beauty, modesty, virtue,and a great--a noble fortune? If the girl pleases him--why, Jack, cometo think of it, the girl must please him--she would move the heart ofan ice-berg--then, I say, I shall see my girl raised to her properplace, and I shall die happy."
"But, captain, you will raise her above her mother and above yourself,and above all her old friends. You will lose her altogether."
"Ay, there's the rub. But I shall be contented even with that loss ifshe is happy."
I can see even now the honest eyes of the good old man humid for amoment as he contemplated his own loss, and I can hear his voice shakea little at thinking of the happiness he designed for his ward.
No one would believe that the captain could be so cunning. No one whoreads this history would believe, either, that a man could be soignorant and so simple. We were all as ignorant and as simple. We allbelieved what these lying people--these creatures of the devil--(whenI say the devil I mean Lord Fylingdale)--told us. Sir Harry said thathe was too virtuous and too serious for the world of fashion; theparson said that he was the most cleanly liver of all young men; thepoet swore that he was all day long doing and scheming acts of charityand goodness towards the unfortunate. They were all in a tale--thesevillains--and we were simple and ignorant folk, credulous sailors andhonest citizens living remote from the vices of town, who knew nothingand suspected nothing. As for myself, I was carried away, as much asthe old captain, with the thought of the honour and glory that awaitedour Molly. I concluded, in my simplicity, that the mere appearance andsight of the lovely girl would make all the men fall madly in lovewith her, without considering the hundred thousand additional charmsheld in trust for her by her guardian.
After this talk with the captain I sought Molly. She was in thesummerhouse up the garden with her treasures spread out before her. Itwas a most wonderful sight--but it filled me with madness. I neverimagined such a pile of gold and of precious stones. There werediamonds, and rubies, and blue sapphires; there were all kinds ofgems, with chains of gold and bracelets--a glittering pile of gold andjewels. Yet my heart sank at the spectacle.
"Look, Jack, look," she cried. "They are all mine! All mine!" Shegathered up a handful, and let them roll through her fingers. "Allmine! Only think, and yesterday I was thinking how delightful it mustbe to have even one gold chain to hang round my neck! All mine!"
"Has your mother seen them, Molly?"
"Yes; she knew that there were things somewhere, but my father keptthem put away. Mother didn't want jewels and chains. They came to usfrom grandfather, who sailed to the East Indies and brought them home.Look at the dainty delicate work!" She held up a chain most wonderfulfor its fine small work. "Did you ever see anything more beautiful?"
I turned away. The sight of the treasures made me sick. For, you see,they showed me how wide was the gulf between Molly and me.
"You want no jewels, Molly. I wish you were poor with all my heart."
"Oh! Jack! and so not to have these lovely things? That is cruel ofyou. And oh! Jack, I am to go to the assembly to-morrow evening."
"So the captain tells me."
"At last. Victory and Amanda"--Victory was the daughter of the curateof St. Nicholas, and Amanda was the daughter of the doctor--"have beenalready, and I have been kept at home. The dear, bewitching assembly!The music! The dancing! The fine ladies!"
"There will be none finer than you, Molly."
"That is what the captain says. I am to wear my gold chains and myjewels. My dress is waiting to be tried on. It came from Norwich. Ishall not let you see it till the evening. The hairdresser is engagedfor to-morrow afternoon. Victory says that the fine ladies turn uptheir noses and hide their faces with their fans when the girls of theplace pass before them. Why? Victory does not thrust her company uponthem. Nor shall I. As for that, I can bear their disdainful looks andtheir flouts with patience, I dare say."
"If these are the manners of the Great," I said, "give me our ownmanners."
"We are not gentlefolk, Jack, you and I and the captain. We must notcomplain. If we intrude upon the Quality they will show what theythink of us. To be sure, the captain says that I could buy up thewhole room. But I don't want to buy up anybody. I would rather letthem go their own way, so that I may go mine. Jack, if I were a greatlady I think I would be kind to a girl who was not so well born, ifonly she knew her place."
"You need not be humble, Molly. When they know who you are, and whatis your fortune, you will make these fine ladies ashamed."
"The captain wants me to marry some great person," she laughed. "Oh!If the great person could see me making the bed and baking the applepie and beating the eggs for the custard, with my sleeves turned upand my apron tied round my waist! What a fine lady I shall make, to besure!"
"Well, but, Molly, remember that you are rich. You cannot marryanybody in Lynn. You must look higher."
"Jack, it makes me laugh. How shall I learn to be a great lady? Howshould I command an army of servants who have had but my faithfulblack? How should I sit in a gilded coach, who am used to ride a ponyor to sail a boat?"
"You will soon get accustomed, Molly, even to a coach and six andrunning footmen, such as Lord Fylingdale has. You are not like Victoryand Amanda, and the rest of the girls of Lynn, portionless andpenniless. You must remember the station to which your fortune callsyou."
"Money makes not a gentleman," she returned. "Nor a gentlewoman. Iknow my station. It is here, with my guardian, among my old friends.Well, perhaps I shall not take my place in what you call my stationthis year--or next year." Her face cleared, and became once more fullof sunshine. "Jack," she said, "has the captain told you? No one is todance with me to-morrow except yourself. We are to have the lastminuet and first country dance together. None of the pretty fellows atthe assembly are to speak to me. It is arranged with Mr. Prappet. Theymay look on with admiration and longing, Mr. Prappet says."
Since the arrival of our master of the ceremonies, Mr. Prappet, thedancing master of Norwich, he had been giving Molly lessons in thosearts of dan
cing and the carriage of the body, the arms, the face, thehead, which are considered to mark the polite world. As for myself, Iwas called upon to be her partner. Truth to say, I was always betterat a hornpipe or a jig than in any of the fashionable dances; but, ina way, I could make shift to go through the steps.
"Now," she said, "let us practise once more by ourselves."
So we stepped out upon the grass, and there--she in her stuff frock,her apron, her hair lying about her neck and shoulders, and I in myworkaday garb--we practised the dance which belongs to the assembly,to courts, to stately ladies and to gentlemen of birth and rank.
The captain was more cunning than one could have believed possible. Hewould produce this girl before the astonished company. They should seethat she was more beautiful than any other woman in the whole room;more finely dressed; covered with gold chains and jewels; thusproclaiming herself as an heiress of great wealth. She should dance,at first, with none but one of her own station, or near it, and herold companion. She would first make all the world talk about her; butshe should be kept apart. It should be understood that she was not forany of the young fellows of the company. Then, if she attracted theattention of this young nobleman, so virtuous, so pious, and of suchrare qualities of heart and head--the thing which most he desired--hermarriage with some man of high position, fit for such a girl, mighttake place. That was his design, thinking of Lord Fylingdale. If itfailed he would withdraw the girl from the company and cast about forsome other way.
While we were practising he came into the garden and stood leaning onhis stick to look at us.
"Body and bones!" he said; "you've caught the very trick of it.Prappet has taught you how they do it. Sprawl, Jack; sprawl with awill. Twist and turn your body. Shake your leg, man. It's a fine leg;better than most. Shake it lustily. Slide, Molly, slide; slide withzeal. Slide and bend and twist, and shake your fan. I don't call thatdancing! Why, there isn't a lad in any fo'k'sle couldn't do it better.Give them the hornpipe, Jack, when the sliding and sprawling isfinished. Stand up and say, 'Ladies, your most obedient. I will nowshow a dance that is a dance.'"
When we finished he went on with his discourse.
"Molly has told you, I suppose. She will dance to-morrow evening withnone but you. After the country dance lead her to her chair, and wewill walk home beside her."
"Jack will look very fine among all the beaux," said Molly, laughing.
Truly, I had not considered the matter of dress, and I stood in myworkaday things--to wit, a brown frieze coat with black buttons, adrugget waistcoat, shag breeches, and black stockings. I rememberedthe grand silk and velvet of the beaux and stood abashed.
"Show him, captain," said Molly, laughing, "what we have got for him."
The captain shook his head. "My mind misgives me," he said. "That boywill feel awkward in this new gear. However, fine feathers make finebirds. Also fine birds flock together. Since thou art to dance withMolly, my lad, thy rig must do credit to her as well as thyself, socome with me."
If you believe me, the captain, who thought of everything, hadprovided such a dress as might have been worn by any gentleman in theroom without discredit. It consisted of a blue coat with silverbuttons and silver braid; a waistcoat of pink silk, velvet breeches,and white silk stockings. There was added a gold laced hat with lacefor throat and sleeves.
"So," said the captain when I stood before him arrayed in this guise,"'tis a gentleman born and bred, to look upon. Powder thy hair, mylad; tie it with a white ribbon and a large bow. There will not be afribble in the whole company, even including the poor old atomy, SirHarry, to compare with you."
"'TIS A GENTLEMAN BORN AND BRED, TO LOOK UPON."]
Molly clapped her hands. "Jack!" she cried, "if I pretend to be agreat lady you must pretend to be an admiral, at least. Why, sir, Ifeel as if we had never known you before. As for me--but you shallsee." She sighed. "It is only for the evening," she said. "We shallcome home and I shall put on my old homespun again and you your shagand your frieze. I am Cinderella and you are Cinderella's brother, andthe captain is the Fairy."
So we laughed and made merry. Yet still I felt that sinking of theheart which weighed upon me from the first night of the greatdiscovery and never left me. There are sailors--I have known such--Ithink that I am myself one--who know beforehand by such a premonitorysinking when the voyage will be stormy. Nay, there are some who knowand can foretell when the ship will be cast away and all her crewdrowned in the sea or broken to pieces against the rocks.
I looked into the parlour and found Molly's mother. She sat with herwork in her hands, her lips moving, her eyes fixed. And I saw that shewas unhappy. She was a homely body always. One could understand thather husband was right in judging that she was not likely to wantjewels and gold chains or to show them to advantage. Like many womenof the station in which she was born (which was beneath that of herhusband) she was unlearned, and could not read; but she was a notablehousewife.
"Jack," she said, coming to herself, "Molly has told you, I suppose."
"I have seen her treasures, and have heard that she is to go to theassembly."
"She is richer than I suspected. Oh, Jack, she will marry some greatman, the captain says--and so I shall lose my girl--and she is all Ihave in the world--all I have--all I have!"
She threw her apron over her head--and I slipped away, my heart fullof forebodings. It is wonderful to remember these forebodings becausethey were so fully justified. Patience! You shall hear.
The Lady of Lynn Page 14
