Springhaven: A Tale of the Great War

by R. D. Blackmore

  CHAPTER XXXV

  LOYAL, AYE LOYAL

  One of the dinners at the Darling Arms, and perhaps the most brilliantand exciting of the whole, because even the waiters understood thesubject, was the entertainment given in the month of December, A.D.1803, not only by the officers of two regiments quartered for the timenear Stonnington, but also by all the leading people round about thoseparts, in celebration of the great work done by His Majesty's 38-gunfrigate Leda. Several smaller dinners had been consumed already, by wayof practice, both for the cooks and the waiters and the chairman, andMr. John Prater, who always stood behind him, with a napkin in one handand a corkscrew in the other, and his heart in the middle, ready eitherto assuage or stimulate. As for the guests, it was always found that nopractice had been required.

  "But now, but now"--as Mr. Prater said, when his wife pretended to makenothing of it, for no other purpose than to aggravate him, because shethought that he was making too much money, in proportion to what he wasgiving her--"now we shall see what Springhaven can do for the good ofthe Country and the glory of herself. Two bottles and a half a head isthe lowest that can be charged for, with the treble X outside, and thepunch to follow after. His lordship is the gentleman to keep the bottlegoing."

  For the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, the popular Marquis of Southdown,had promised to preside at this grand dinner; and everybody knew whatthat meant. "Short tongue and long throat," was his lordship's motto inthe discharge of all public business, and "Bottle to the gentleman onmy left!" was the practical form of his eulogies. In a small space likethis, there would be no chance for a sober-minded guest to escape hissearching eye, and Blyth Scudamore (appointed to represent the officersof the Leda, and therefore the hero of the evening) felt as happy as adog being led to be drowned, in view of this liquid ordeal. For Blythwas a temperate and moderate young man, neither such a savage as to turnhis wine to poison, nor yet so Anti-Christian as to turn it into water.

  Many finer places had been offered for the feast, and foremost amongstthem the Admiral's house; but the committee with sound judgment haddeclined them all. The great point was to have a place within easy reachof boats, and where gallant naval officers could be recalled at once,if the French should do anything outrageous, which they are apt to doat the most outrageous time. But when a partition had been knocked down,and the breach tacked over with festoons of laurel, Mr. Prater was quitejustified in rubbing his red hands and declaring it as snug a boxas could be for the business. There was even a dark elbow where thestaircase jutted out, below the big bressemer of the partition, and madea little gallery for ladies to hear speeches, and behold the festiveheroes while still fit to be beholden. And Admiral Darling, asvice-chairman, entering into facts masculine and feminine, had promisedhis daughters and Miss Twemlow, under charge of the rector's wife andMrs. Stubbard, a peep at this heroic scene, before it should become tooconvivial. The rescuers also of the Blonde, the flesh and bone, withoutwhich the master brain must still have lain stranded, were to have agrand supper in the covered skittle-alley, as the joints came away fromtheir betters, this lower deck being in command of Captain Tugwell, whocould rouse up his crew as fast as his lordship roused his officers.

  Admiral Darling had been engaged of late in the service of his Countryso continually, and kept up and down the great roads so much, or in andout of any little port where sailors grew, that his own door had nearlyforgotten his shadow, and his dining-room table the reflection of hisface. For, in those days, to keep a good table implied that the tablemust be good, as well as what was put upon it; and calico spread uponturpentine was not yet considered the proper footing for the hospitableand social glass.

  "When shall Twemlow and I have a hobnob again?" the Admiral askedhimself many a time. "How the dear old fellow loves to see the image ofhis glass upon the table, and the ruby of his port reflected! Heigho!I am getting very stiff in the back, and never a decent bit of dinnerfor'ard. And as for a glass of good wine--oh Lord! my timbers will bebroken up, before it comes to mend them. And when I come home for evenhalf an hour, there is all this small rubbish to attend to. I musthave Frank home, to take this stuff off my hands, or else keep what Iabominate, a private secretary."

  Among the pile of letters that had lain unopened was one which he leftto the last, because he disliked both the look and the smell of it. Adirty, ugly scrawl it was, bulged out with clumsy folding, and dabbedwith wax in the creases. With some dislike he tore it open; and thedislike became loathing, as he read:

  "Hon'd Sir. These foo lines comes from a umble but arty frend tocommand. Rekwesting of your pardon sir, i have kep a hi same been fatherof good dawters on the goings on of your fammeley. Miss Faith she isa hangel sir but Miss Dolly I fere no better than she ort to be, andwonderful fond of been noticed. I see her keeping company and carryin ondreadful with a tall dark young man as meens no good and lives to WidowShankses. Too nites running when the days was short she been up to thecornder of your grounds to meat he there ever so long. Only you hask herif you don't believe me and wash her fase same time sir. Too other peplebesides me nose it. Excoose hon'd sir this trubble from your obejiantservant

  "FAX AND NO MISSTAKE."

  The Admiral's healthy face turned blue with rage and contempt, and hestamped with his heel, as if he had the writer under it. To write astabbing letter, and to dare to deal the stab, and yet fear to show thehand that deals it, was at that time considered a low thing to do. Evennow there are people who so regard it, though a still better tool for ablackguard--the anonymous post-card--is now superseding it.

  All the old man's pleasure, and cheer, and comfort, and joy in havingone day at home at last, were dashed and shattered and turned intowretched anxiety by this vile scrawl. He meant to have gone down, lightof heart, with a smiling daughter upon either arm, to the gallant littlefestival where everybody knew him, and every one admired and loved him.His two pretty daughters would sit upstairs, watching from a bow-window(though themselves unseen) all the dashing arrivals and the grandapparel. Then when the Marquis made his speech, and the King and Queenand Royal Family rode upon the clouds, and the grandeur of Great Britainwas above the stars of heaven, the ladies in the gallery would venturejust to show themselves, not for one moment with a dream of being lookedat, but from romantic loyalty, and the fervour of great sentiments.People pretending not to know would ask, "Who are those very lovelyladies?" And he would make believe to know nothing at all about it, buthis heart would know whether he knew it or not.

  On the very eve of all this well-earned bliss, when it would haverefreshed his fagged body and soul--which were now not so young as theyused to be--to hear from some scoundrel without a name, that his petchild, the life of his life, was no better than she ought to be, whichbeing said of a woman means that she is as bad as she can be! This fineold gentleman had never received such a cowardly back-handed blow tillnow, and for a moment he bent under it.

  Then, greatly ashamed of himself, he arose, and with one strong word,which even Mr. Twemlow might have used under such provocation, he trodthe vile stuff under foot, and pitched it with the fire-tongs into thefire. After this he felt better, and resolving most stoutly that henever would let it cross his mind again, made a light and cheerfulanswer to the profligate one--his young girl who came seeking him.

  "Oh, father, and you ought to be dressed!" she cried. "Shall we keep HisMajesty the Lord-Lieutenant waiting? Don't let us go at all. Let us stopat home, papa. We never see you now, more than once in a month; and wedon't want to see you from a staircase hole, where we mustn't even blowa kiss to you. I have got such a lot of things to tell you, dear father;and I could make you laugh much more than they will."

  "But, my darling--all these grand things?" said the father, gentlyfingering but half afraid to look at her, because of what had been inhis own mind; "the sweetest Navy blue, and the brightest Army red, andlittle bits of silver lace so quiet in between them! I am sure I don'tknow what to call a quarter of it; but the finest ship ever seen underfull sail, w
ith the sun coming through her from her royals to hercourses--"

  "Now, papa, don't be so ridiculous. You know that I am not a fine shipat all, but only a small frigate, about eighteen guns at the outside, Ishould say--though she would be a sloop of war, wouldn't she?--and comehere at any rate for you to command her, if you are not far too lofty anAdmiral."

  "Do you love your old father, my dear?" said he, being carried beyondhis usual state by the joy in her eyes as she touched him.

  "What a shame to ask me such a question? Oh, papa, I ought to say, 'Doyou love me?' when you go away weeks and months almost together! Takethat, papa; and be quite ashamed of yourself."

  She swept all her breast-knots away anyhow--that had taken an hour toarbitrate--and flung back her hair that would never be coiled, and witha flash of tears leaping into laughing eyes, threw both arms round herfather's neck, and pressed her cool sweet lips to his, which were not atall in the same condition.

  "There, see what you've done for me now!" she cried. "It will takethree-quarters of an hour, papa, to make me look fit to be looked atagain. The fashions are growing so ridiculous now--it is a happy thingfor us that we are a hundred years behind them, as Eliza Twemlow had theimpudence to say; and really, for the daughter of a clergyman--"

  "I don't care that for Eliza Twemlow," the Admiral exclaimed, with asnap of his thumb. "Let her show herself as much as there is demand for.Or rather, what I mean to say is, let Miss Twemlow be as beautiful asnature has made her, my dear; and no doubt that is very considerable.But I like you to be different; and you are. I like you to be simple,and shy, and retiring, and not to care twopence what any one thinks ofyou, so long as your father is contented."

  Dolly looked at her father, as if there were no other man in the worldfor the moment. Then her conscience made her bright eyes fall, as shewhispered: "To be sure, papa. I only put these things on to please you;and if you don't like them, away they go. Perhaps I should look nicer inmy great-aunt's shawl. And my feet would be warmer, oh ever so much! Iknow where it is, and if you prefer the look of it--"

  "No, no!" cried the simple old father, as the girl tripped away in hothaste to seek for it; "I forbid you to make such a guy of yourself. Youmust not take my little banter, darling, in such a matter-of-fact way,or I must hold my tongue."

  "Thank God," he continued to himself, as Miss Dolly ran away, to repairher damages; "the simple little soul thinks of nobody but me! How couldI be such a fool as to imagine harm of her? Why, she is quite a child, abigger child than I am. I shall enjoy my evening all the more for this."

  And truly there seemed to be no reason why all the guests at that greatfestival, save those who had speeches to make, should not enjoy theirevening thoroughly. Great preparations had been made, and goodlypresents contributed; plenty of serving-men would be there, and JohnPrater (now growing white-headed and portly) was becoming so skilful acaterer that if anything was suggested to him, he had always thought ofit long ago. The only grief was that the hour should be so late--fiveo'clock, an unchristian time, as they said, for who could have mannersafter starving so long?

  There was some sense in this; but the unreasonable lateness of the hourcould not be helped, because the Lord-Lieutenant had to wait upon theKing at eight o'clock that morning. That he could do so, and yet be inSpringhaven by five, seemed almost impossible; for only ten years agothe journey took two days. But the war seemed to make everything goquicker, and it was no use to wonder at anything. Only if everythingelse went quicker, why should dinner (the most important of them all)come slower? And as yet there was nobody to answer this; though perhapsthere is no one to ask it now.

  All things began very beautifully. The young ladies slipped inunobserved, and the elder blessings of mankind came after, escortingthemselves with dignity. Then the heroes who had fought, and thegallants who had not had the luck yet, but were eager for it, camepleasantly clanking in, well girt to demolish ox and sheep, like Ajax,in lack of loftier carnage. The rector said grace, and the Marquis amen,and in less than two minutes every elbow was up, and every mouth atbusiness. There was very little talking for the first half hour. Inthose days emptiness was not allowed to make the process of filling amisery.

  While these fine fellows were still in the prime of their feeding, bentover and upon it, two men with empty stomachs, and a long way betweenthem and their victuals, stood afar regarding them. That is to say, justfar enough to be quite out of sight from the windows, in the gloom ofthe December evening; but at the same time near enough, to their ownunhappiness, to see and even smell the choice affairs across the road.

  "For what, then, hast thou brought me here?" the shorter man sharplyasked the tall one, both being in an uncomfortable place in a hedge, andwith briars that scratched them. "Is it to see other people eat, whento eat myself is impossible? You have promised to show me a very finething, and leagues have I traversed to please you. Fie, then, what isit? To see eat, eat, eat, and drink, drink, drink, and have nothing formyself!"

  "My friend," said the tall man, "I have not brought you here with anydesire to improve your appetite, which is always abundant, and cannot begratified for several hours, and with poor stuff then, compared to whatyou are beholding. Those men are feeding well. You can see how theyenjoy it. There is not a morsel in their mouths that has not a verychoice flavour of its own distinguished relish. See, there is thevenison just waiting to be carved, and a pheasant between every two ofthem. If only the wind was a little more that way, and the covers takenoff the sauce-boats, and the gravy--ah, do I perceive a fine fragrance,or is it a desirous imagination?"

  "Bah! you are of the cold-blood, the wicked self-command. For me it iseither to rush in, or rush away. No longer can I hold my nose and mouth.And behold they have wine--grand wine--the wine of Sillery, of Medoc, ofBarsac, and of Burgundy! By the bottles I can tell them, and by all theSaints--"

  "Be not so excited, for you cannot smack the lips. It is too late now toenvy them their solids, because they have made such speed with them. Butlisten, my dear friend"--and here the tall man whispered into the ear ofhis brisk companion, who danced with delight in the ungenial hedge, tillhis face was scarred with brambles.

  "It is magnificent, it is droll, it is what you call in England onegrand spree, though of that you understand not the signification. But,my faith, it is at the same time barbarous, and almost too malignant."

  "Too benevolent Charron," said the tall stern man, "that shall restupon my conscience, not on yours. The object is not to spoil their noisyrevel, but to gain instruction of importance. To obtain a clear ideaof the measures they adopt--ah, you see, you are as quick as lightning.This urgent message is upon official paper, which I have taken from thedesk of that very stupid Stubbard. Take the horse Jerry holds at thecorner, and the officer's hat and cape provided are ample disguise forso dark a night. Take the lane behind the hills, and gallop two mileseastward, till you come to the shore again, then turn back towards thevillage by way of the beach, and you will meet the Coast-guard on duty,a stupid fellow called Vickers. Your horse by that time will be pipingand roaring: he can go like the wind, but his own is broken. The momentyou see Vickers, begin to swear at your horse. I have practised you ind--ns, for an emergency."

  "Ten thousand thunders, I can say d--n now to equal and surpass thepurest born of all Britons."

  "Not so loud, my friend, until by-and-by. The Coast-guard will cometo you, and you pull up with your horse hanging down his head, as ifdead-beaten. Using your accomplishment again, you say: 'Here, takethis on to Admiral Darling. My nag is quite done, and I must get toStonnington to call Colonel James. For your life, run, run. You'll get aguinea, if you look sharp.' Before he can think of it, turn your horse,and make back to the lane, as if for Stonnington. But instead of that,gallop back to our ruins; and we'll go up the hill, and see what comesof it."

  "It is very good, it is magnificent. But will not the sentinel perceivemy voice and accent?"

  "Not he; he is a very honest and therefore stupid fellow. Give
him notime, answer no questions. Be all in a rush, as you so generally are. Iwould do it myself, but I am too well known. Say, will you undertake it?It will be a fine joke for you."

  About half an hour after this, the Lord-Lieutenant having hammered onthe table with an empty bottle, stood up to propose the chief toastof the evening--the gallant crew of the Leda, and the bold sailors ofSpringhaven. His lordship had scarcely had a bottle and a half, andwas now in the prime of his intellect. A very large man, with a longbrocaded coat of ruby-coloured cloth, and white satin breeches, awaistcoat of primrose plush emblazoned with the Union-jack (then thepopular device) in gorgeous silks with a margin of bright gold, and aneckcloth pointed and plaited in with the rarest lace, worth all therest put together--what a pity it seemed that such a man should getdrunk, or at any rate try so hard to do it. There was not a pimple onhis face, his cheeks were rosy and glistening, but not flushed; and hiseyes were as bright and clear and deep as a couple of large sapphires.

  This nobleman said a few words, without any excitement, or desire tocreate it, every word to the point, and the best that could be chosennot to go beyond the point. There was no attempt at eloquence, and yetthe speech was eloquent, because it suggested so much more than wassaid. More excitable natures, overcome by half a bottle, resolved tohave the other half, in honour of that toast.

  Then the Marquis did a very kind and thoughtful thing, for which hedeserved a bottle of the Royal Tokay, such as even Napoleon could notobtain. When the cheering was done, and every eye was fixed upon theblushing Scudamore--who felt himself, under that fixture, like an insectunder a lens which the sun is turning into a burning-glass--the Chairmanperceived his sad plight, and to give him more time and more spirit,rose again.

  "Gentlemen," he said, "or I would rather call you brother Englishmen atthis moment, I have forgotten one thing. Before our young hero repliesto his health, let us give him that spirited song 'Billy Blue,' which iswell known to every man here, I'll be bound. Tell the drummer downthere to be ready for chorus." Billy Blue, though almost forgotten now(because the enemy would not fight him), the blockader of Brest, thehardy, skilful, and ever watchful Admiral Cornwallis, would be known tous nearly as well as Nelson, if fame were not a lottery.

  As the Lord-Lieutenant waved his hand, the company rose with one accord,and followed the lead of his strong clear voice in the popular song,called

  "BILLY BLUE"

  1

  "'Tis a terrible time for Englishmen; All tyrants do abhor them; Every one of them hath to fight with ten, And the Lord alone is for them. But the Lord hath given the strong right hand, And the courage to face the thunder; If a Frenchman treads this English land, He shall find his grave thereunder.

  CHORUS

  Britannia is the Ocean-Queen, and she standeth staunch and true, With Nelson for her faulchion keen, and her buckler Billy Blue.

  2

  "They are mustering on yon Gallic coasts, You can see them from this high land, The biggest of all the outlandish hosts That ever devoured an island. There are steeds that have scoured the Continent, Ere ever one might say, 'Whoa, there!' And ships that would fill the Thames and Trent, If we would let them go there.

  CHORUS

  But England is the Ocean-Queen, and it shall be hard to do; Not a Frenchman shall skulk in between herself and her Billy Blue.

  3

  "From the smiling bays of Devonshire To the frowning cliffs of Filey, Leaps forth every son of an English sire, To fight for his native isley. He hath drawn the sword of his father now From the rusty sheath it rattled in; And Dobbin, who dragged the peaceful plough, Is neighing for the battle-din.

  CHORUS

  For Albion still is Ocean-Queen, and though her sons be few, They challenge the world with a dauntless mien, and the flag of Billy Blue.

  4

  "Then pledge me your English palm, my lad; Keep the knuckles for Sir Frenchman; No slave can you be till you change your dad, And no son of yours a henchman. The fight is to come; and we will not brag, Nor expect whatever we sigh for, But stand as the rock that bears the flag Our duty is to die for.

  CHORUS

  For Englishmen confront serene whatever them betideth; And England shall be Ocean's Queen as long as the world abideth."

  What with the drum and the fifes of one of the regiments now atStonnington, and the mighty bass of some sea-captains vehement inchorus, these rough and rolling lines were enough to frighten a thousandFrenchmen, while proving the vigour of British nerve, and fortitude bothof heart and ear. When people have done a thing well, they know it, andapplaud one another to include themselves; and even the ladies, who weremeant to be unseen, forgot that and waved their handkerchiefs. Then upand spoke Blyth Scudamore, in the spirit of the moment; and all that hesaid was good and true, well-balanced and well-condensed, like himself.His quiet melodious voice went further than the Lord-Lieutenant's,because it was new to the air of noise, and that fickle element lovesnovelty. All was silence while he spoke, and when he ceased--greatuproar.

  "That lad will do," said the Marquis to his supporter on the right hand;"I was just like him at that age myself. Let me draw this cork--it isthe bottle of the evening. None but my own fellows understand a cork,and they seem to have got away somewhere. What the doose are theyabout--why, halloa, Darling! What's the meaning of all this, at such atime?"

  "Well, my lord, you must judge for yourself," said the Admiral, who hadmade his way quietly from the bottom of the table. "We know that falsealarms are plentiful. But this looks like business, from the paper it iswritten on; and I know that old Dudgeon is as solid as myself. Vickersthe Coast-guard brought it in, from an officer whose horse was blown,who had orders to get somehow to Stonnington."

  "Is Vickers a knave, or a fool who is likely to be made the victim of avery low joke? There are hundreds of jealous scoundrels eager to spoilevery patriotic gathering. Ah, this looks rather serious, though, if youcan vouch for the paper."

  "I can vouch for the paper, my lord, and for Vickers; but not forDudgeon's signature. Of that I have no knowledge--though it looks rightenough, so far as I know. Shall I read it aloud, and let officers whoare not under my command judge for themselves, as I shall judge forthose I have the honour to command?"

  The Lord-Lieutenant, with his cork just squeaking in the neck of thebottle, nodded; and the Admiral, with officers crowding round, readaloud as follows, part being in type, and part in manuscript:

  "Commander of Coast-defence at Hythe, to Vice-Admiral Darling,Springhaven.

  "French fleet standing in, must have slipped Cornwallis. Do all you can.Not a moment to lose.

  (Signed) "BELLAMY DUDGEON."

  "Well, it may be true, or it may be a lie," said the Marquis, pouringcarefully; "my opinion is the latter; but I have nothing to do withit officially, according to the new arrangements. Every gentlemanmust judge for himself. And I mean to abide by my own judgment, whichstrongly recommends me to finish this bottle."

  "Probably you are right enough; and in your place perhaps I should dothe same," the Admiral answered, quietly; "but be the alarm either trueor false, I am bound to act otherwise. All Naval Officers present willbe good enough to follow me, and prepare to rejoin if ordered. We shallvery soon know from the signal-point, unless fog has set in suddenly,whether we are bound to beat a general alarm."

  All the sons of the sea arose quietly, and were despatched with brieforders to the right and left, to communicate with their signal stations,while Stubbard hurried back to his battery.

  "What cold blood they do display!" whispered the Frenchman, who hadreturned with the author of the plot to watch the issue fro
m a point ofvantage. "My faith, they march slowly for their native land! Not lessthan six bottles of great French wine did I anticipate to steal throughthe window, while they fell out precipitous. But there sits a man bigenough to leave me nothing--not even a remainder of my own body. Soul ofSt. Denis, can it be that they question the word of a gentleman?"

  "Not they!" replied Carne, who was vexed, however; "they are takingthings easily, according to the custom of the nation. But two goodthings we have done, friend Charron; we have learned their proceedings,and we have spoiled their feasting."

  "But not at all; they are all coming back to enjoy it all the more!"cried the Frenchman. "Oh that I were an Englishman, to get such adinner, and to be so loyal to it!"