CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE CONSULTATION.--THE DUEL AND ITS RESULTS.
Independent of this interview which Flora had had with the much dreadedSir Francis Varney, the circumstances in which she and all who were dearto her, happened at that moment to be placed, certainly required anamount of consideration, which could not be too soon bestowed.
By a combination of disagreeables, everything that could possibly occurto disturb the peace of the family seemed to have taken place at once;like Macbeth's, their troubles had truly come in battalions, and nowthat the serenity of their domestic position was destroyed, minor evilsand annoyances which that very serenity had enabled them to hold atarm's-length became gigantic, and added much to their distress.
The small income, which, when all was happiness, health and peace, wasmade to constitute a comfortable household, was now totally inadequateto do so--the power to economise and to make the most of a little, hadflown along with that contentedness of spirit which the harmony ofcircumstances alone could produce.
It was not to be supposed that poor Mrs. Bannerworth could now, as shehad formerly done, when her mind was free from anxiety, attend to thosedomestic matters which make up the comforts of a family--distracted atthe situation of her daughter, and bewildered by the rapid succession oftroublesome events which so short a period of time had given birth to,she fell into an inert state of mind as different as anything couldpossibly be, from her former active existence.
It has likewise been seen how the very domestics fled from BannerworthHall in dismay, rather than remain beneath the same roof with a familybelieved to be subject to the visitations of so awful a being as avampyre.
Among the class who occupy positions of servitude, certainly there mighthave been found some, who, with feelings and understandings above suchconsiderations, would have clung sympathetically to that family indistress, which they had known under a happier aspect; but it had notbeen the good fortune of the Bannerworths to have such as these aboutthem; hence selfishness had its way, and they were deserted. It was notlikely, then, that strangers would willingly accept service in a familyso situated, without some powerful impulse in the shape of a higherpecuniary consideration, as was completely out of the power of theBannerworths to offer.
Thus was it, then, that most cruelly, at the very time that they hadmost need of assistance and of sympathy, this unfortunate family almostbecame isolated from their kind; and, apart from every otherconsideration, it would have been almost impossible for them to continueinhabitants of the Hall, with anything like comfort, or advantage.
And then, although the disappearance of Charles Holland no longerawakened those feelings of indignation at his supposed perfidy whichwere first produced by that event; still, view it in which way theymight, it was a severe blow of fate, and after it, they one and allfound themselves still less able to contend against the sea of troublesthat surrounded them.
The reader, too, will not have failed to remark that there was about thewhole of the family that pride of independence which induced them toshrink from living upon extraneous aid; and hence, although they feltand felt truly, that when Admiral Bell, in his frank manner, offeredthem pecuniary assistance, that it was no idle compliment, yet with asensitiveness such as they might well be expected to feel, they heldback, and asked each other what prospect there was of emerging from sucha state of things, and if it were justifiable to commence a life ofdependence, the end of which was not evident or tangible.
Notwithstanding, too, the noble confidence of Flora in her lover, andnotwithstanding that confidence had been echoed by her brothers, therewould at times obtrude into the minds of the latter, a feeling of thepossibility, that after all they might be mistaken; and Charles Hollandmight, from some sudden impulse, fancying his future happiness was allat stake, have withdrawn himself from the Hall, and really written theletters attributed to him.
We say this only obtruded itself occasionally, for all their realfeelings and aspirations were the other way, although Mr. Marchdale,they could perceive, had his doubts, and they could not but confess thathe was more likely to view the matter calmly and dispassionately thanthey.
In fact, the very hesitation with which he spoke upon the subject,convinced them of his doubt; for they attributed that hesitation to afear of giving them pain, or of wounding the prejudices of Admiral Bell,with whom he had already had words so nearly approaching to a quarrel.
Henry's visit to Mr. Chillingworth was not likely to be productive ofany results beyond those of a conjectural character. All that thatgentleman could do was to express a willingness to be directed by themin any way, rather than suggest any course of conduct himself uponcircumstances which he could not be expected to judge of as they whowere on the spot, and had witnessed their actual occurrence.
And now we will suppose that the reader is enabled with us to look intoone of the principal rooms of Bannerworth Hall. It is evening, and somecandles are shedding a sickly light on the ample proportions of the oncehandsome apartment. At solemn consultation the whole of the family areassembled. As well as the admiral, Mr. Chillingworth, and Marchdale,Jack Pringle, too, walked in, by the sufferance of his master, as if heconsidered he had a perfect right to do so.
The occasion of the meeting had been a communication which Flora hadmade concerning her most singular and deeply interesting interview withthe vampyre. The details of this interview had produced a deep effectupon the whole of the family. Flora was there, and she looked better,calmer, and more collected than she had done for some days past.
No doubt the interview she had had with Varney in the summer-house inthe garden had dispelled a host of imaginary terrors with which she hadsurrounded him, although it had confirmed her fully that he and he onlywas the dreadful being who had caused her so much misery.
That interview had tended to show her that about him there was yetsomething human, and that there was not a danger of her being hunteddown from place to place by so horrible an existence.
Such a feeling as this was, of course, a source of deep consolation; andwith a firmer voice, and more of her old spirit of cheerfulness abouther than she had lately exhibited, she again detailed the particulars ofthe interview to all who had assembled, concluding by saying,--
"And this has given me hope of happier days. If it be a delusion, it isa happy one; and now that but a frightful veil of mystery still hangsover the fate of Charles Holland, I how gladly would I bid adieu to thisplace, and all that has made it terrible. I could almost pity SirFrancis Varney, rather than condemn him."
"That may be true," said Henry, "to a certain extent, sister; but wenever can forget the amount of misery he has brought upon us. It is noslight thing to be forced from our old and much-loved home, even if suchproceeding does succeed in freeing us from his persecutions."
"But, my young friend," said Marchdale, "you must recollect, thatthrough life it is continually the lot of humanity to be endeavouring tofly from great evils to those which do not present themselves to themind in so bad an aspect. It is something, surely, to alleviateaffliction, if we cannot entirely remove it."
"That is true," said Mr. Chillingworth, "to a considerable extent, butthen it takes too much for granted to please me."
"How so, sir?"
"Why, certainly, to remove from Bannerworth Hall is a much less evilthan to remain at Bannerworth Hall, and be haunted by a vampyre; butthen that proposition takes for granted that vampyre business, which Iwill never grant. I repeat, again and again, it is contrary to allexperience, to philosophy, and to all the laws of ordinary nature."
"Facts are stubborn things," said Marchdale.
"Apparently," remarked Mr. Chillingworth.
"Well, sir; and here we have the fact of a vampyre."
"The presumed fact. One swallow don't make a summer, Mr. Marchdale."
"This is waste of time," said Henry--"of course, the amount of evidencethat will suffice to bring conviction to one man's mind will fail indoing so to another. The question is, what ar
e we to do?"
All eyes were turned upon Flora, as if this question was moreparticularly addressed to her, and it behoved her, above all others, toanswer it. She did so; and in a firm, clear voice, she said,--
"I will discover the fate of Charles Holland, and then leave the Hall."
"The fate of Charles Holland!" said Marchdale. "Why, really, unless thatyoung gentleman chooses to be communicative himself upon so interestinga subject, we may be a long while discovering his fate. I know that itis not a romantic view to take of the question, to suppose simply thathe wrote the three letters found upon his dressing-table, and thendecamped; but to my mind, it savours most wonderfully of matter-of-fact.I now speak more freely than I have otherwise done, for I am now uponthe eve of my departure. I have no wish to remain here, and breeddissension in any family, or to run a tilt against anybody'sprejudices." Here he looked at Admiral Bell. "I leave this houseto-night."
"You're a d----d lubberly thief," said the admiral; "the sooner youleave it the better. Why, you bad-looking son of a gun, what do youmean? I thought we'd had enough of that."
"I fully expected this abuse," said Marchdale.
"Did you expect that?" said the admiral, as he snatched up an inkstand,and threw at Marchdale, hitting him a hard knock on the chin, andbespattering its contents on his breast. "Now I'll give yousatisfaction, you lubber. D--me, if you ain't a second Jones, and enoughto sink the ship. Shiver my timbers if I sha'n't say something strongpresently."
"I really," said Henry, "must protest, Admiral Bell, against thisconduct."
"Protest and be d----d."
"Mr. Marchdale may be right, sir, or he may be wrong, it's a matter ofopinion."
"Oh, never mind," said Marchdale; "I look upon this old nautical ruffianas something between a fool and a madman. If he were a younger man Ishould chastise him upon the spot; but as it is I live in hopes yet ofgetting him into some comfortable lunatic asylum."
"Me into an asylum!" shouted the admiral. "Jack, did you hear that?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Farewell all of you," said Marchdale; "my best wishes be with thisfamily. I cannot remain under this roof to be so insulted."
"A good riddance," cried the admiral. "I'd rather sail round the worldwith a shipload of vampyres than with such a humbugging son of a gun asyou are. D----e, you're worse than a lawyer."
"Nay, nay," cried they, "Mr. Marchdale, stay."
"Stay, stay," cried George, and Mrs. Bannerworth, likewise, said stay;but at the moment Flora stepped forward, and in a clear voice shesaid,--
"No, let him go, he doubts Charles Holland; let all go who doubt CharlesHolland. Mr. Marchdale, Heaven forgive you this injustice you are doing.We may never meet again. Farewell, sir!"
These words were spoken in so decided a tone, that no one contradictedthem. Marchdale cast a strange kind of look round upon the familycircle, and in another instant he was gone.
"Huzza!" shouted Jack Pringle; "that's one good job."
Henry looked rather resentful, which the admiral could not but observe,and so, less with the devil-may-care manner in which he usually spoke,the old man addressed him.
"Hark ye, Mr. Henry Bannerworth, you ain't best pleased with me, and inthat case I don't know that I shall stay to trouble you any longer, asfor your friend who has left you, sooner or later you'll find him out--Itell you there's no good in that fellow. Do you think I've been cruizingabout for a matter of sixty years, and don't know an honest man when Isee him. But never mind, I'm going on a voyage of discovery for mynephew, and you can do as you like."
"Heaven only knows, Admiral Bell," said Henry, "who is right and who iswrong. I do much regret that you have quarrelled with Mr. Marchdale; butwhat is done can't be undone."
"Do not leave us," said Flora; "let me beg of you, Admiral Bell, not toleave us; for my sake remain here, for to you I can speak freely andwith confidence, of Charles, when probably I can do so to no one else.You knew him well and have a confidence in him, which no one else canaspire to. I pray you, therefore, to stay with us."
"Only on one condition," said the admiral.
"Name it--name it!
"You think of letting the Hall?"
"Yes, yes."
"Let me have it, then, and let me pay a few years in advance. If youdon't, I'm d----d if I stay another night in the place. You must give meimmediate possession, too, and stay here as my guests until you suityourselves elsewhere. Those are my terms and conditions. Say yes, andall's right; say no, and I'm off like a round shot from a carronade.D----me, that's the thing, Jack, isn't it?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
There was a silence of some few moments after this extraordinary offerhad been made, and then they spoke, saying,--
"Admiral Bell, your generous offer, and the feelings which dictated it,are by far too transparent for us to affect not to understand them. Youractions, Admiral--"
"Oh, bother my actions! what are they to you? Come, now, I considermyself master of the house, d--n you! I invite you all to dinner, orsupper, or to whatever meal comes next. Mrs. Bannerworth, will youoblige me, as I'm an old fool in family affairs, by buying what's wantedfor me and my guests? There's the money, ma'am. Come along, Jack, we'lltake a look over our new house. What do you think of it?"
"Wants some sheathing, sir, here and there."
"Very like; but, however, it will do well enough for us; we're in port,you know. Come along."
"Ay, ay, sir."
And off went the admiral and Jack, after leaving a twenty pound note inMrs. Bannerworth's lap.
Varney the Vampire; Or, the Feast of Blood Page 38
