CHAPTER XXVI.
"At the piping of all hands, When the judgment signal's spread-- When the islands and the lands, And the seas give up the dead, And the south and the north shall come; When the sinner is dismay'd, And the just man is afraid, Then heaven be thy aid, Poor _Tom_.'" BRAINARD.
The two ships, in the haste of their respective crews to get clear ofeach other, were now running in the troughs; and the same idea wouldseem to have suggested itself to me and the other master, at the sameinstant. Instead of endeavouring to keep away again, one kept his helmhard a-port, the other as hard a-starboard, until we both came by thewind, though on opposite tacks. The Englishman set his mizen-stay-sail,and though he made bad weather of it, he evidently ran much less riskthan in scudding. The seas came on board him constantly; but not in away to do any material damage. As for the Dawn, she lay-to, like aduck, under bare poles. I had a spare stay-sail, stopped up in hermizen-rigging, from the top down, and after that the ship was both easyand dry. Once in a while, it is true, her bows would meet some fellowheavier than common, and then we got a few hogsheads of water forward;but it went out to leeward as fast as it came in to windward. At theturn of the day, however, the gale broke, and the weather moderatedsensibly; both sea and wind beginning to go down.
Had we been alone, I should not have hesitated about bearing up, gettingsome sail on the ship, and running off on my course, again; but, thedesire to speak the stranger, and have some communication with Marble,was so strong, that I could not make up my mind to do so. Includingmyself, Talcott, Neb, the cabin-steward, and six of the people forward,there were ten of us on board, who knew the ex-mate; and, of thewhole ten, there was not a dissenting voice concerning his identity.I determined, therefore, to stick by the Englishman, and at least havesome communication with my old friend. As for myself, I own I lovedMarble, uncouth and peculiar as he sometimes was. I owed him morethan any other man living, Mr. Hardinge excepted; for he had made me aseaman, having been of use to me professionally, in a hundred ways. Thenwe had seen so much in company, that I regarded him as a portion of myexperience, and as, in some measure, identified with my own nauticalcareer.
I was afraid at one moment, that the Englishman intended to remain ashe was, all night; but, about an hour before sunset, I had thegratification to see him set his fore-sail, and keep off. I had woreround, two hours before, to get the Dawn's head on the same tackwith him, and followed under bare poles. As the stranger soon set hismain-top-sail close reefed, and then his fore, it enabled us to makea little sail also, in order to keep up with him. This we did all thatnight; and, in the morning, both ships were under everything that woulddraw, with a moderate breeze from the northward, and no great matter ofsea going. The English vessel was about a league to leeward of us, anda little ahead. Under such circumstances, it was easy to close.Accordingly, just as the two ships' companies were about to go tobreakfast, the Dawn ranged up under the lee-quarter of the stranger.
"What ship's that?" I hailed, in the usual manner.
"The Dundee; Robert Ferguson, master--what ship's that?"
"The Dawn; Miles Wallingford. Where are you from?"
"From Rio de Janeiro, bound to London. Where are _you_ from?"
"From New York, to Bordeaux. A heavy blow we have just had of it."
"Quite; the like of it, I've not seen in many a day. You've a prattysea-boat, yon!"
"She made capital weather, in the late gale, and I've every reason to besatisfied with her. Pray, haven't you an American on board, of the nameof Marble? We fancied that we saw the face of an old shipmate on yourtaffrail, yesterday, and have kept you company in order to inquire afterhis news."
"Ay, ay," answered the Scotch master, waving his hand. "The chiel willbe visiting you prasently. He's below, stowing away his dunnage; andwill be thanking you for a passage home, I'm thinking."
As these words were uttered, Marble appeared on deck, and waved his hat,again, in recognition. This was enough; as we understood each other, thetwo ships took sufficient room, and hove-to. We lowered our boat, andTalcott went alongside of the Dundee, in quest of our old shipmate.Newspapers and news were exchanged; and, in twenty minutes, I had theextreme gratification of grasping Marble once more by the hand.
My old friend was too much affected to speak, for some little time.He shook hands with everybody, and seemed as much astonished as he wasdelighted at finding so many of us together again; but not a syllabledid he utter for several minutes. I had his chest passed into thecabin, and then went and took my seat alongside of him on the hen-coops,intending to hear his story, as soon as he was disposed to give it. But,it was no easy matter to get out of ear-shot of my passengers. Duringthe gale, they had been tongue-tied, and I had a little peace; but,no sooner did the wind and sea go down, than they broke out in the oldspot, and began to do Boston, in the way they had commenced. Now, Marblehad come on board, in a manner so unusual, and it was evident asecret history was to be revealed, that all three took post in thecompanion-way, in a manner to render it impossible anything materialcould escape them. I knew the folly of attempting a change of positionon deck; we should certainly be followed up; and, people of this class,so long as they can make the excuse of saying they heard any part of asecret, never scruple about inventing the portions that happen to escapetheir ears. Consequently, I desired Marble and Talcott to follow me;and, incontinently, I led the way into the main-top. I was obeyed, thesecond-mate having the watch, and all three of us were soon seated withour legs over the top-rim, as comfortable as so many gossips, who hadjust finished their last cups, have stirred the fire, and drawn theirheads together to open a fresh-budget. Neither Sarah nor Jane couldfollow us, thank God!
"There, d--n 'em" said I, a little pointedly; for it was enough tomake a much more, scrupulous person swear, "we've got the length of themain-rigging between us, and I do not think they'll venture into thetop, this fine morning, in order to overhear what shall be said. Itwould puzzle even Wallace Mortimer to do that, Talcott."
"If they do," observed Talcott, laughing, "we can retreat to thecross-trees, and thence to the royal-yard."
Marble looked inquisitive, but, at the same time, he looked knowing.
"I understand," he said, with a nod; "three people with six sets ofears--is it not so, Miles?"
"Precisely; though you only do them credit by halves, for you shouldhave added to this inventory forty tongues."
"Well, that is a large supply. The man, or woman, who is so wellprovided, should carry plenty of ballast. However, as you say, they'reout of hail now, and must guess at all they repeat, if repeating it canbe called."
"Quite as much as nine-tenths of what they give as coming from others,"observed Talcott. "People never can tell so much of other person'saffairs, without bailing out most of their ideas from their ownscuttle-butts."
"Well, let them go to--Bordeaux--" said I, "since they are bound there.And now, my dear Marble, here we are, and dying to know all that hashappened to you. You have firm friends in Talcott and myself; either ofus, ready to give you his berth for the asking."
"Thank'ee, my dear boys--thank'ee, with all my heart and soul," returnedthe honest fellow, dashing the moisture from his eyes, with the backof his hand. "I believe you would, boys; I do believe you would, one orboth. I am glad, Miles, you came up into this bloody top, for I wouldn'tlike to let your reg'lar 'long-shore harpies see a man of my time oflife, and one that has been to sea, now, man and boy, close on to fortyyears, with as much blubber about him, as one of your right whales.Well--and now for the log; for I suppose you'll insist on overhaulingit, lads?"
"That we shall; and see you miss no leaf of it. Be as particular as ifit were overhauled in an insurance case."
"Ay; they're bloody knaves, sometimes, them underwriters; und a fellowneed be careful to get his dues out of them--that is to say, _some_;others, ag'in, are gentlemen, down to their shoe-buckles, and no soonersee a poor shipwrecked devil, than they open their tills, and begin tocount out, before he has ope
ned his mouth."
"Well, but your own adventures, my old friend; you forget we are dyingwith curiosity."
"Ay--your cur'osity's a troublesome inmate, and will never be quiet aslong as one tries to keep it under hatches; especially female cur'osity.Well, I must gratify you; and so I'll make no more bones about it,though its giving an account of my own obstinacy and folly. I reckon,now, my boys, you missed me the day the ship sailed from the island?"
"That we did, and supposed you had got tired of your experiment beforeit began," I answered, "so were off, before we were ourselves."
"You had reason for so thinking; though you were out in your reckoning,too. No; it happened in this fashion. After you left me, I began togeneralize over my sitiation, and I says to myself, says I, 'MosesMarble, them lads will never consent to sail and leave you here, on thisisland, alone like a bloody hermit,' says I. 'If you want to hold on,'says I, 'and try your hand at a hermitage,' says I, 'or to playRobinson Crusoe,' says I, 'you must be out, of the way when the Crisis,sails'--boys, what's become of the old ship? Not a word have I heardabout her, yet!"
"She was loading for London, when we sailed, her owners intending tosend her the same voyage over again."
"And they refused to let you have her, Miles, on account of your youth,notwithstanding all you did for them?"
"Not so; they pressed me to keep her, but I preferred a ship of my own.The Dawn is my property, Master Moses!"
"Thank God! then there is one honest chap among the owners. And how didshe behave? Had you any trouble with the pirates?"
Perceiving the utter uselessness of attempting to hear his own storybefore I rendered an account of the Crisis, and her exploits, I gaveMarble a history of our voyage, from the time we parted down to the daywe reached New York.
"And that scaramouch of a schooner that the Frenchman gave us, in hischarity?"
"The Pretty Poll! She got home safe, was sold, and is now in theWest-India trade. There is a handsome balance, amounting to somefourteen hundred dollars, in the owners' hands, coming to you fromprize-money and wages."
It is not in nature, for any man to be sorry he has money. I saw byMarble's eyes, that this sum, so unusually large for him to possess,formed a new tie to the world, and that he fancied himself a muchhappier man in possessing it. He looked at me earnestly, for quite aminute, and then remarked, I make no doubt with sincere regret--
"Miles, if I had a mother living, now, that money might make her oldage comfortable! It seems that they who have no mothers, have money, andthey who have no money, have mothers."
I waited a moment for Marble to recover his self-command, and then urgedhim to continue his story.
"I was telling you how I generalized over my sitiation," resumed theex-mate, "as soon as I found myself alone in the hut. I came to theconclusion that I should be carried off by force, if I remained tillnext day; and so I got into the launch, carried her out of the lagoon,taking care to give the ship a berth, went through the reef, and keptturning to windward, until day-break. By that time, the island was quiteout of sight, though I saw the upper sails of the ship, as soon as yougot her under way. I kept the top-gallant-sails in sight, until I madethe island, again; and as you went off, I ran in, and took possession ofmy dominions, with no one to dispute my will, or to try to reason me outof my consait."
"I am glad to hear you term that notion a conceit, for, certainly, itwas not reason. You soon discovered your mistake, my old mess-mate, andbegan to think of home."
"I soon discovered, Miles, that if I had neither father, nor mother,brother nor sister, that I had a country and friends. The bit of marbleon which I was found in the stone-cutter's yard, then seemed as dear tome as a gold cradle is to a king's son; and I thought of you, and allthe rest of you--nay, I yearned after you, as a mother would yearn forher children."
"Poor fellow, you were solitary enough, I dare say--had you no amusementwith your pigs and poultry?"
"For a day or two, they kept me pretty busy. But, by the end of a week,I discovered that pigs and poultry were not made to keep company withman. I had consaited that I could pass the rest of my days in the bosomof my own family, like any other man who had made, his fortune andretired; but, I found my household too small for such a life as that. Mygreat mistake was in supposing that the Marble family could be happy inits own circle."
This was said bitterly, though it was said drolly, and, while it made
Talcott and myself laugh, it also made us sorry.
"I fell into another mistake, however, boys," Marble continued, "andit might as well be owned. I took it into my head that I should be allalone on the island, but I found to my cost, that the devil insisted onhaving his share. I'll tell you how it is, Miles; a man must either lookahead, or look astarn; there is no such thing as satisfying himselfwith the present moorings. Now, this was my misfortune; for, ahead Ihad nothing to look forward to; and astarn, what comfort had I inoverhauling past sins!"
"I think I can understand your difficulties, my friend; how did youmanage to get rid of them?"
"I left the island. You had put the Frenchman's launch in capitalcondition, and all I had to do was to fill up the breakers with freshwater, kill a hog and salt him away, put on board a quantity of biscuit,and be off. As for eatables, you know there was no scarcity on theisland, and I took my choice. I make no doubt there are twenty hogsheadsof undamaged sugars, at this very moment, in the hold of that wreck,and on the beach of the island. I fed my poultry on it, the whole time Istaid."
"And so you abandoned Marble Land to the pig's and the fowls?"
"I did, indeed, Miles; and I hope the poor creaturs will have acomfortable time of it. I gave 'em what the lawyers call a quit-claim,and sailed two months to a day after you went off in the Crisis."
"I should think, old shipmate, that your voyage must have been assolitary and desperate as your life ashore."
"I'm amazed to hear, you say that. I'm never solitary at sea, one hasso much to do in taking care of his craft; and then he can always lookforward to the day he'll get in. But this generalizing, night and day,without any port ahead, and little comfort in looking astarn, will soonfit a man for Bedlam. I just: weathered Cape Crazy, I can tell you,lads; and that, too, in the white water! As for my v'y'ge beingdesperate, what was there to make it so, I should like to know?"
"You must have been twelve or fifteen hundred miles from any islandwhere you could look forward to anything like safety; and that is adistance one would rather not travel all alone on the high seas."
"Pshaw! all consait. You're getting notional, Miles, now you're a masterand owner. What's a run of a thousand or fifteen hundred miles, in atight boat, and with plenty of grub and water? It was the easiest matterin the world; and if it warn't for that bloody Cape Horn, I should havemade as straight a wake for Coenties' Slip, as the trending of the landwould have allowed. As it was, I turned to windward, for I knew thesavages to leeward weren't to be trusted. You see, it was as easy asworking out a day's work. I kept the boat on a wind all day, and longbits of the night, too, until I wanted sleep; and then I hove her to,under a reefed mainsail, and slept as sound as a lord. I hadn't anuncomfortable moment, after I got outside of the reef again; and thehappiest hour of my life was that in which I saw the tree-tops of theisland dip."
"And how long were you navigating in this manner, and what land did youfirst make?"
"Seven weeks, though I made half a dozen islands, every one of them justsuch a looking object as that I had left. You weren't about to catchme ashore again in any of them miserable places! I gave the old boat aslap, and promised to stick by her as long as she would stick by me, andI kept my word. I saw savages, moreover, on one or two of the islands,and gave them a berth, having no fancy for being barbacued."
"And where did you finally make your land-fall?"
"Nowhere, so; far as the launch was concerned. I fell in with a Manillaship, bound to Valparaiso, and got on board her; and sorry enough was Ifor the change, when I came to find out how they l
ived. The captaintook me in, however, and I worked my passage into port. Finding no shiplikely to sail soon, I entered with a native who was about to cross theAndes, bound over on this side, for the east coast. Don't you remember,Miles, monsters of mountains that we could see, a bit inland, andcovered with snow, all along the west side of South America? You mustremember the chaps I mean?"
"Certainly--they are much too plain, and objects much too striking, everto be forgotten, when once seen."
"Well them's the Andes; and rough customers they be, let me tell you,boys. You know there is little amusement in a sailor's walking on thelevellest 'arth and handsomest highways, on account of the bloody upsand downs a fellow meets with; and so you may get some idee of the timewe had of it, when I tell you, had all the seas we saw in the lastblow been piled on top of each other, they would have made but a largepancake, compared to them 'ere Andes. Natur' must have outdone herselfin making 'em; and when they were thrown together, what good comes ofit all? Such mountains might be of some use in keeping the French andEnglish apart; but you leave nothing but bloody Spaniards on one sideof them Andes, and find bloody Spaniards and Portugeese on the other.However, we found our way over them, and brought up at a place calledBuenos Ayres, from which I worked my passage round to Rio in a coaster.At Rio, you know, I felt quite at home, having stopped in there often,in going backward and forward."
"And thence you took passage in the Dundee for London, intending to geta passage home by the first opportunity?"
"It needs no witch to tell that. I had to scull about Rio for severalmonths, doing odd jobs as a rigger, and the like of that, until, findingno Yankee came in, I got a passage in a Scotchman. I'll not complain ofSawney, who was kind enough to me as a shipwrecked mariner; for that wasthe character I sailed under, hermits being no way fashionable among usProtestants, though it's very different among them Catholic chaps, I cantell you. I happened to mention to a landlady on the road, that I wasa sort of a hermit on his travels; when I thought the poor woman wouldhave gone down on her knees and worshipped me."
Here then was the history of Moses Marble, and the end of the colonyof Marble Land, pigs and poultry excepted. It was now my turn to beexamined. I had to answer fifty curious inquiries, some of which Ifound sufficiently embarrassing. When, in answer to his interrogatories,Marble learned that the Major and Miss Merton had actually been left atClawbonny, I saw the ex-mate wink at Talcott, who smiled in reply. Then,where was Rupert, and how came on the law? The farm and mills were notforgotten; and, as for Neb, he was actually ordered up into the top, inorder that there might be another shake of the hand, and that he mightanswer for himself. In a word, nothing could be more apparent than thedelight of Marble at finding himself among us once more. I believed eventhen, that the man really loved me; and the reader will remember howlong we had sailed together, and how much we had seen in company. Morethan once did my old shipmate dash the tears from his eyes, as he spokeof his satisfaction.
"I say, Miles--I say, Roger," he cried--"this is like being at home, andnone of your bloody hermitages! Blast me, if I think, now, I shoulddare pass through a wood all alone. I'm never satisfied unless I seea fellow-creatur', for fear of being left. I did pretty well with theScotchman, who _has_ a heart, though it's stowed away in oatmeal, but_this_ is _home._ I must ship as your steward, Miles, for hang on to youI will."
"If we ever part, again, until one or both go into dock, it will be yourfault, my old friend. If I have thought of you once, since we parted,I have dreamed of you fifty times! Talcott and I were talking of you inthe late gale, and wondering what sail you would advise us to put theship under."
"The old lessons have not all been forgotten, boys; it was easy enoughto see that. I said to myself, as you stood down upon us, 'that chaphas a real sea-dog aboard, as is plain by the manner in which he haseverything snug, while he walks ahead like an owner in a hurry to befirst in the market.'"
It was then agreed Marble should keep a watch; whenever it suited him,and that he should do just as he pleased aboard. At some future day,some other arrangement might be made, though he declared his intentionto stick by the ship, and also announced a determination to be myfirst-mate for life, as soon as Talcott got a vessel, as doubtless hewould, through the influence of his friends, as soon as he returnedhome. I laughed at all this, though I bade him heartily welcome, andthen I nick-named him commodore, adding that he should sail with mein that capacity, doing just as much, and just as little duty as hepleased. As for money, there was a bag of dollars in the cabin, and hehad only to put his hand in, and take what he wanted. The key of thelocker was in my pocket, and could be had for asking. Nobody was moredelighted with this arrangement than Neb, who had even taken a fancy toMarble, from the moment when the latter led him up from the steerage ofthe John, by the ear.
"I say, Miles, what sort of bloody animals are them passengers ofyour's?" Marble next demanded, looking over the rim of the top, downat the trio on deck, with a good deal of curiosity expressed in hiscountenance. "This is the first time I ever knew a ship-master drivenaloft by his passengers, in order to talk secrets!"
"That is because you never sailed with the Brigham family, my friend.They'll pump you till you suck, in the first twenty-four hours, rely onit. They'll get every fact about your birth, the island where you firstsaw me, what you have been about, and what you mean to do; in a word,the past, present, and future."
"Leave me to overlay their cur'osity," answered the ex-mate, or newcommodore--"I got my hand in, by boarding six weeks with a Connecticutold maid, once, and I'll defy the keenest questioner of them all."
We had a little more discourse, when we all went below, and I introducedMarble to my passengers, as one who was to join our mess. After this,things went on in their usual train. In the course of the day, however,I overheard the following brief dialogue between Brigham and Marble, theladies being much too delicate to question so rough a mariner.
"You came on board us, somewhat unexpectedly, I rather conclude, CaptainMarble?" commenced the gentleman.
"Not in the least; I have been expecting to meet the Dawn, just aboutthis spot, more than a month, now."
"Well, that is odd! I do not comprehend how such a thing could well beforeseen?"
"Do you understand spherical trigonometry, sir?"
"I cannot say I am at all expert--I've looked into mathematics, but haveno great turn for the study."
"It would be hopeless, then, to attempt to explain the matter. If youhad your hand in at the spherical, I could make it all as plain as thecapstan."
"You and Captain Wallingford must be somewhat old acquaintances, Iconclude?"
"Somewhat," answered Marble, very drily.
"Have you ever been at the place that he calls Clawbonny? A queer name,I rather think, Captain!"
"Not at all, sir. I know a place, down in the Eastern States, that wascalled Scratch and Claw, and a very pretty spot it was."
"It's not usual for us to the eastward, to give names to farms andplaces. It is done a little by the Boston folk, but they are notional,as everybody knows."
"Exactly; I suppose it was for want of use, the chap I mean made out nobetter in naming his place."
Mr. Brigham was no fool; he was merely a gossip. He took the hint, andasked no more questions of Marble. He tried Neb, notwithstanding; butthe black having his orders, obeyed them so literally, that I reallybelieve we parted in Bordeaux, a fortnight later, without any of thefamily's making the least discovery. Glad enough was I to get rid ofthem; yet, brief as had been our intercourse, they produced a sensibleinfluence on my future happiness. Such is the evil of this habit ofloose talking, men giving credit to words conceived in ignorance anduttered in the indulgence of one of the most contemptible of all ourpropensities. To return to my ship.
We reached Bordeaux without any further accident, or delay. I dischargedin the usual way, and began to look about me, for another freight. Ithad been my intention to return to New York, and to keep the festivitiesof attaining my majori
ty, at Clawbonny; but, I confess the discourse ofthese eternal gossips, the Brighams, had greatly lessened the desire tosee home again, so soon. A freight for New York was offered me, but Ipostponed an answer, until it was given to another ship. At length anoffer was made me to go to Cronstadt, in Russia, with a cargo ofwines and brandies, and I accepted it. The great and better informedmerchants, as it would seem, distrusted the continuance of the hollowpeace that then existed, and a company of them thought it might be wellto transfer their liquors to the capital of the czar, in readiness forcontingencies. An American ship was preferred, on account of her greaterspeed, as well as on account of her probable neutral character, in theevent of troubles occurring at any unlooked-for moment. The Dawn took inher wines and brandies accordingly, and sailed for the Baltic aboutthe last of August. She had a long, but a safe passage, delivering thefreight according to the charter-party, in good condition. While atCronstadt, the American consul, and the consignees of an American shipthat had lost her master and chief-mate by the smallpox, applied tome to let Marble carry the vessel home. I pressed the offer on my oldfriend, but he obstinately refused to have anything to do with thevessel. I then recommended Talcott, and after some negotiation, thelatter took charge of the Hyperion. I was sorry to part with my mate, towhom I had become strongly attached; but the preferment was so clearlyto his advantage, that I could take no other course. The vessel beingready, she sailed the day after Talcott joined her; and, sorry am I tobe compelled to add, that she was never heard of, after clearing theCattegat. The equinox of that season was tremendously severe, and itcaused the loss of many vessels; that of the Hyperion doubtless amongthe rest.
Marble insisted on taking Talcott's place, and he now became mychief-mate, as I had once been his. After a little delay, I took infreight on Russian government account, and sailed for Odessa. It wasthought the Sublime Porte would let an American through; but, afterreaching the Dardanelles, I was ordered back, and was obliged to leavemy cargo in Malta, which it was expected would be in possession of itsown knights by that time, agreeably to the terms of the late treaty.From Malta I sailed for Leghorn, in quest of another freight. I passover the details of these voyages, as really nothing worthy of beingrecorded occurred. They consumed a good deal of time; the delay at theDardanelles alone exceeding six weeks, during which negotiations weregoing on up at Constantinople, but all in vain. In consequence ofall these detentions, and the length of the passages, I did notreach Leghorn until near the close of March, I wrote to Grace and Mr.Hardinge, whenever a favourable occasion offered, but I did not get aletter from home, during the whole period. It was not in the power ofmy sister or guardian--_late_ guardian would be the most accurateexpression, as I had been of age since the previous October--to write,it being impossible for me to let them know when, or where, a letterwould find me. It followed, that while my friends at home were kepttolerably apprised of my movements, I was absolutely in the dark asrespected them. That this ignorance gave me great concern, it would beidle to deny; yet, I had a species of desperate satisfaction in keepingaloof, and in leaving the course clear to Mr. Andrew Drewett. Asrespects substantials, I had sent a proper power of attorney to Mr.Hardinge, who, I doubted not, would take the same care of my temporalinterests he had never ceased to do since the day of my beloved mother'sdeath.
Freights were not offering freely at Leghorn, when the Dawn arrived.After waiting a fortnight, however, I began to take in for America, andon American account. In the meantime, the cargo coming to hand slowly,I left Marble to receive it, and proceeded on a little excursion inTuscany, or Etruria, as that part of the world was then called. Ivisited Pisa, Lucca, Florence, and several other intermediate towns. AtFlorence, I passed a week looking at sights, and amusing myself the bestway I could. The gallery and the churches kept me pretty busy, and thereader will judge of my surprise one day, at hearing my own name utteredon a pretty high key, by a female voice, in the Duomo, or Cathedral ofthe place. On turning, I found myself in the presence of the Brighams! Iwas overwhelmed with questions in a minute. Where had I been? Where wasTalcott? Where was the ship? When did I sail, and whither did I sail?After this came the communications. _They_ had been to Paris; hadseen the French Consul, and had dined with Mr. R. N. Livingston, thennegotiating the treaty of Louisiana; had seen the Louvre; had been toGeneva; had seen the Lake; had seen Mont Blanc; had crossed Mont Cenis;had been at Milan; Rome; had seen the Pope; Naples; had seen Vesuvius;had been at Paestum; had come back to Florence, and _nous voici!_ Gladenough was I, when I got them fairly within the gates of the City of theLily. Next came America; from which part of the world they received suchdelightful letters! One from Mrs. Jonathan Little, a Salem lady thenresiding in New York, had just reached them. It contained four sheets,and was full of _news._ Then commenced the details; and I was compelledto listen to a string of gossip that connected nearly all the people ofmark, my informants had ever heard of in the great _Commercial_ Emporiumthat was to be. How suitable is this name! Emporium would not have beensufficiently distinctive for a town in which "the merchants" are all inall; in which they must have the post-office; in which they support thenation by paying all the revenue; in which the sun must shine and thedew fall to suit their wants; and in which the winds, themselves, maybe recreant to their duty, when they happen to be foul! Like the HolyCatholic Protestant Episcopal Church, Trading Commercial TraffickingEmporium should have been the style of such a place; and I hope, erelong, some of the "Manor Born" genii of that great town, will see thematter rectified.
"By the way, Captain Wallingford," cut in Jane, at one of Sarah'sbreathing intervals, that reminded me strongly of the colloquialFrenchman's "_s'il crache il est perdu,_" "You know something of poorMrs. Bradfort, I believe?"
I assented by a bow.
"It was just as we told you," cried Sarah, taking her revenge. "The poorwoman is dead! and, no doubt, of that cancer. What a frightful disease!and how accurate has our information been, in all that affair!"
"I think her will the most extraordinary of all," added Mr. Brigham,who, as a man, kept an eye more to the main chance. "I suppose you haveheard all about her will, Captain Wallingford?"
I reminded the gentleman that this was the first I had ever heard of thelady's death.
"She has left every dollar to young Mr. Hardinge, her cousin's son;"added Jane, "cutting off that handsome, genteel, young lady his sister,as well as her father, without a cent"--in 1803, they just began tospeak of _cents_, instead of farthings--"and everybody says it was socruel!"
"That is not the worst of it," put in Sarah. "They _do_ say, MissMerton, the English lady that made so much noise in New York--let mesee, Mr. Brigham, what Earl's grand-daughter did we hear she was?--"
This was a most injudicious question, as it gave the husband anopportunity to take the word out of her mouth.
"Lord Cumberland's, I believe, or some such person---but, no matterwhose. It is quite certain, General Merton, her father, consents to lether marry young Mr. Hardinge, now Mrs. Bradfort's will is known; and, asfor the sister, he declares he will never give her a dollar."
"He will have sixteen thousand dollars a year," said Jane, withemphasis.
"Six, my dear, six"--returned the brother, who had reasonably accuratenotions touching dollars and cents, or he never would have beentravelling in Italy; "six thousand dollars a year, was just Mrs.Bradfort's income, as my old school-fellow Upham told me, and thereisn't another man in York, who can tell fortunes as true as himself. Hemakes a business of it, and don't fail one time in twenty."
"And is it quite certain that Mr. Rupert Hardinge gets all the fortuneof Mrs. Bradfort?" I asked, with a strong effort to seem composed.
"Not the least doubt of it, in the world. Everybody is talking aboutit; and there cannot well be a mistake, you know, as it was thought thesister would be an heiress, and people generally take care to be prettycertain about that class. But, of course, a young man with that fortunewill be snapped up, as a swallow catches a fly. I've bet Sarah a pair ofgloves we
hear of his marriage in three months."
The Brighams talked an hour longer, and made me promise to visit themat their hotel, a place I could not succeed in finding. That evening, Ileft Florence for Leghorn, writing a note of apology, in order not to berude. Of course, I did not believe half these people had told me; buta part, I made no doubt, was true. Mrs. Bradfort was dead, out of allquestion; and I thought it possible she might not so far have learned todistinguish between the merit of Lucy, and that of Rupert, to leave herentire fortune to the last. As for the declaration of the brother thathe would give his sister nothing, that seemed to me to be rather strongfor even Rupert. I knew the dear girl too well, and was certain shewould not repine; and I was burning with the desire to be in the field,now she was again penniless.
What a change was this! Here were the Hardinges, those whom I had knownas poor almost as dependants on my own family, suddenly enriched. Iknew Mrs. Bradfort had a large six thousand a year, besides her owndwelling-house, which stood in Wall Street, a part of the commercialemporium that was just beginning to be the focus of banking, and allother monied operations, and which even then promised to become afortune of itself. It is true, that old Daniel M'Cormick still held hislevees on his venerable stoop, where all the heavy men in town used tocongregate, and joke, and buy and sell, and abuse Boney; and that theWinthrops, the Wilkeses, the Jaunceys, the Verplancks, the Whites, theLudlows, and other families of mark, then had their town residences inthis well-known street; but coming events were beginning "to cast theirshadows before," and it was easy to foresee that this single dwellingmight at least double Rupert's income, under the rapid increase of thecountry and the town. Though Lucy was still poor, Rupert was now rich.
If family connection, that all-important and magical influence, couldmake so broad a distinction between us, while I was comparativelywealthy, and Lucy had nothing, what, to regard the worst side of thepicture, might I not expect from it, when the golden scale preponderatedon her side. That Andrew Drewett would still marry her, I began to fearagain. Well, why not? I had never mentioned love to the sweet girl,fondly, ardently as I was attached to her; and what reason had I forsupposing that one in her situation could reserve her affections for atruant sailor? I am afraid I was unjust enough to regret that this pieceof good fortune should have befallen Rupert. He must do something forhis sister, and every dollar seemed to raise a new barrier between us.
From that hour, I was all impatience to get home. Had not the freightbeen engaged, I think I should have sailed in ballast. By urging themerchants, however, we got to sea May 15th, with a full cargo, a portionof which I had purchased on my own account, with the money earned bythe ship, within the last ten months. Nothing occurred worthy of notice,until the Dawn neared the Straits of Gibraltar. Here we were boardedby an English frigate, and first learned the declaration of a new warbetween France and England; a contest that, in the end, involved init all the rest of christendom. Hostilities had already commenced, theFirst Consul having thrown aside the mask, just three days after we leftport. The frigate treated us well, it being too soon for the abuses thatfollowed, and we got through the pass without further molestation.
As soon as in the Atlantic, I took care to avoid everything we saw,and nothing got near us, until we had actually made the Highlands ofNavesink. An English sloop-of-war, however, had stood into the angles ofthe coast, formed by Long Island and the Jersey shore, giving us arace for the Hook. I did not know whether I ought to be afraid of thiscruiser, or not, but my mind was made up, not to be boarded if it couldbe helped. We succeeded in passing ahead, and entered the Hook, whilehe was still a mile outside of the bar. I got a pilot on the bar, as wasthen very usual, and stood up towards the town with studding-sailsset, it being just a twelvemoth, almost to an hour, from the day whenI passed up the bay in the Crisis. The pilot took the ship in nearCoenties slip, Marble's favourite berth, and we had her secured, and hersails unbent before the sun set.
Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale Page 27
