CHAPTER LVI.
THE DEPARTURE OF THE BANNERWORTHS FROM THE HALL.--THE NEW ABODE.--JACKPRINGLE, PILOT.
During that very evening, on which the house of Sir Francis Varney wasfired by the mob, another scene, and one of different character, wasenacted at Bannerworth Hall, where the owners of that ancient place weredeparting from it.
It was towards the latter part of the day, that Flora Bannerworth, Mrs.Bannerworth, and Henry Bannerworth, were preparing themselves to departfrom the house of their ancestors. The intended proprietor was, as wehave already been made acquainted with, the old admiral, who had takenthe place somewhat mysteriously, considering the way in which he usuallydid business.
The admiral was walking up and down the lawn before the house, andlooking up at the windows every now and then; and turning to JackPringle, he said,--
"Jack, you dog."
"Ay--ay, sir."
"Mind you convoy these women into the right port; do you hear? and nomistaking the bearings; do you hear?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"These crafts want care; and you are pilot, commander, and all; so mindand keep your weather eye open."
"Ay, ay, sir. I knows the craft well enough, and I knows the roads, too;there'll be no end of foundering against the breakers to find where theylie."
"No, no, Jack; you needn't do that; but mind your bearings. Jack, mindyour bearings."
"Never fear; I know 'em, well enough; my eyes ain't laid up in ordinaryyet."
"Eh? What do you mean by that, you dog, eh?"
"Nothing; only I can see without helps to read, or glasses either; so Iknow one place from another."
There was now some one moving within; and the admiral, followed by JackPringle, entered the Hall. Henry Bannerworth was there. They were allready to go when the coach came for them, which the admiral had orderedfor them.
"Jack, you lubber; where are you?"
"Ay, ay, sir, here am I."
"Go, and station yourself up in some place where you can keep a goodlook-out for the coach, and come and report when you see it."
"Ay--ay, sir," said Jack, and away he went from the room, and stationedhimself up in one of the trees, that commanded a good view of the mainroad for some distance.
"Admiral Bell," said Henry, "here we are, trusting implicitly to you;and in doing so, I am sure I am doing right."
"You will see that," said the admiral. "All's fair and honest as yet;and what is to come, will speak for itself."
"I hope you won't suffer from any of these nocturnal visits," saidHenry.
"I don't much care about them; but old Admiral Bell don't strike hiscolours to an enemy, however ugly he may look. No, no; it must be abetter craft than his own that'll take him; and one who won't run away,but that will grapple yard-arm and yard-arm, you know."
"Why, admiral, you must have seen many dangers in your time, and be usedto all kinds of disturbances and conflicts. You have had a life ofexperience."
"Yes; and experience has come pretty thick sometimes, I can tell you,when it comes in the shape of Frenchmen's broadsides."
"I dare say, then, it must be rather awkward."
"Death by the law," said the admiral, "to stop one of them with yourhead, I assure you. I dare not make the attempt myself, though I haveoften seen it done."
"I dare say; but here are Flora and my mother."
As he spoke, Flora and her mother entered the apartment.
"Well, admiral, we are all ready; and, though I may feel somewhat sorryat leaving the old Hall, yet it arises from attachment to the place, andnot any disinclination to be beyond the reach of these dreadful alarms."
"And I, too, shall be by no means sorry," said Flora; "I am sure it issome gratification to know we leave a friend here, rather than someothers, who would have had the place, if they could have got it, by anymeans."
"Ah, that's true enough, Miss Flora," said the admiral; "but we'll runthe enemy down yet, depend upon it. But once away, you will be free fromthese terrors; and now, as you have promised, do not let yourselves beseen any where at all."
"You have our promises, admiral; and they shall be religiously kept, Ican assure you."
"Boat, ahoy--ahoy!" shouted Jack.
"What boat?" said the admiral, surprised; and then he muttered,"Confound you for a lubber! Didn't I tell you to mind your bearings, youdog-fish you?"
"Ay, ay, sir--and so I did."
"You did."
"Yes, here they are. Squint over the larboard bulk-heads, as they callwalls, and then atween the two trees on the starboard side of thecourse, then straight ahead for a few hundred fathoms, when you come toa funnel as is smoking like the crater of Mount Vesuvius, and then in aline with that on the top of the hill, comes our boat."
"Well," said the admiral, "that'll do. Now go open the gates, and keep abright look out, and if you see anybody near your watch, why douse theirglim."
"Ay--ay, sir," said Jack, and he disappeared.
"Rather a lucid description," said Henry, as he thought of Jack's reportto the admiral.
"Oh, it's a seaman's report. I know what he means; it's quicker andplainer than the land lingo, to my ears, and Jack can't talk any other,you see."
By this time the coach came into the yard, and the whole party descendedinto the court-yard, where they came to take leave of the old place.
"Farewell, admiral."
"Good bye," said the admiral. "I hope the place you are going to will besuch as please you--I hope it will."
"I am sure we shall endeavour to be pleased with it, and I am prettysure we shall."
"Good bye."
"Farewell, Admiral Bell," said Henry.
"You remember your promises?"
"I do. Good bye, Mr. Chillingworth."
"Good bye," said Mr. Chillingworth, who came up to bid them farewell; "apleasant journey, and may you all be the happier for it."
"You do not come with us?"
"No; I have some business of importance to attend to, else I should havethe greatest pleasure in doing so. But good bye; we shall not be longapart, I dare say."
"I hope not," said Henry.
The door of the carriage was shut by the admiral, who looked round,saying,--
"Jack--Jack Pringle, where are you, you dog?"
"Here am I," said Jack.
"Where have you been to?"
"Only been for pigtail," said Jack. "I forgot it, and couldn't set sailwithout it."
"You dog you; didn't I tell you to mind your bearings?"
"So I will," said Jack, "fore and aft--fore and aft, admiral."
"You had better," said the admiral, who, however, relaxed into a broadgrin, which he concealed from Jack Pringle.
Jack mounted the coach-box, and away it went, just as it was gettingdark. The old admiral had locked up all the rooms in the presence ofHenry Bannerworth; and when the coach had gone out of sight, Mr.Chillingworth came back to the Hall, where he joined the admiral.
"Well," he said, "they are gone, Admiral Bell, and we are alone; we havea clear stage and no favour."
"The two things of all others I most desire. Now, they will be strangerswhere they are going to, and that will be something gained. I willendeavour to do some thing if I get yard-arm and yard-arm with thesepirates. I'll make 'em feel the weight of true metal; I'll board'em--d----e, I'll do everything."
"Everything that can be done."
"Ay--ay."
* * * * *
The coach in which the family of the Bannerworths were carried awaycontinued its course without any let or hindrance, and they met no oneon their road during the whole drive. The fact was, nearly everybody wasat the conflagration at Sir Francis Varney's house.
Flora knew not which way they were going, and, after a time, all traceof the road was lost. Darkness set in, and they all sat in silence inthe coach.
At length, after some time had been spent thus, Flora Bannerworth turnedto Jack Pringle, and said,--
"Are w
e near, or have we much further to go?"
"Not very much, ma'am," said Jack. "All's right, however--ship in thedirect course, and no breakers ahead--no lookout necessary; howeverthere's a land-lubber aloft to keep a look out."
As this was not very intelligible, and Jack seemed to have his ownreasons for silence, they asked him no further questions; but in aboutthree-quarters of an hour, during which time the coach had been drivingthrough the trees, they came to a standstill by a sudden pull of thecheck-string from Jack, who said,--
"Hilloa!--take in sails, and drop anchor."
"Is this the place?"
"Yes, here we are," said Jack; "we're in port now, at all events;" andhe began to sing,--
"The trials and the dangers of the voyage is past,"
when the coach door opened, and they all got out and looked about themwhere they were.
"Up the garden if you please, ma'am--as quick as you can; the night airis very cold."
Flora and her mother and brother took the hint, which was meant by Jackto mean that they were not to be seen outside. They at once entered apretty garden, and then they came to a very neat and picturesquecottage. They had no time to look up at it, as the door was immediatelyopened by an elderly female, who was intended to wait upon them.
Soon after, Jack Pringle and the coachman entered the passage with thesmall amount of luggage which they had brought with them. This wasdeposited in the passage, and then Jack went out again, and, after a fewminutes, there was the sound of wheels, which intimated that the coachhad driven off.
Jack, however, returned in a few minutes afterwards, having secured thewicket-gate at the end of the garden, and then entered the house,shutting the door carefully after him.
Flora and her mother looked over the apartments in which they were shownwith some surprise. It was, in everything, such as they could wish;indeed, though it could not be termed handsomely or extravagantlyfurnished, or that the things were new, yet, there was all thatconvenience and comfort could require, and some little of the luxuries.
"Well," said Flora, "this is very thoughtful of the admiral. The placewill really be charming, and the garden, too, delightful."
"Mustn't be made use of just now," said Jack, "if you please, ma'am;them's the orders at present."
"Very well," said Flora, smiling. "I suppose, Mr. Pringle, we must obeythem."
"Jack Pringle, if you please," said Jack. "My commands only temporary. Iain't got a commission."
Varney the Vampire; Or, the Feast of Blood Page 55
