Springhaven: A Tale of the Great War

by R. D. Blackmore

  CHAPTER XLIX

  EVIL COMMUNICATIONS

  Although she pretended to be so merry, and really was so self-confident(whenever anybody wanted to help her), Miss Dolly Darling, when left toherself, was not like herself, as it used to be. Her nature was lively,and her spirit very high; every one had petted her, before she couldhave earned it by aught except childish beauty; and no one had left offdoing it, when she was bound to show better claim to it. All this madedoubt, and darkness, and the sense of not being her own mistress, verysnappish things to her, and she gained relief--sweet-tempered as she waswhen pleased--by a snap at others. For although she was not given, anymore than other young people are, to plaguesome self-inspection, shecould not help feeling that she was no longer the playful young Dollythat she loved so well. A stronger, and clearer, yet more mysteriouswill than her own had conquered hers; but she would not confess it, andyield entire obedience; neither could she cast it off. Her pride stillexisted, as strong as ever, whenever temper roused it; but there was toomuch of vanity in its composition, and too little of firm self-respect.Contempt from a woman she could not endure; neither from a man, if mademanifest; but Carne so calmly took the upper hand, without any show ofhaving it, that she fell more and more beneath his influence.

  He, knowing thoroughly what he was about, did nothing to arouseresistance. So far as he was capable of loving any one, he was now inlove with Dolly. He admired her quickness, and pretty girlish ways, andgaiety of nature (so unlike his own), and most of all her beauty. Hehad made up his mind that she should be his wife when fitted for thatdignity; but he meant to make her useful first, and he saw his way to doso. He knew that she acted more and more as her father's secretary, forshe wrote much faster than her sister Faith, and was quicker in catchingup a meaning. Only it was needful to sap her little prejudices--candour,to wit, and the sense of trust, and above all, patriotic feeling. Herejoiced when he heard that Lady Scudamore was gone, and the Rector hadtaken his wife and daughter for change of air to Tunbridge Wells,Miss Twemlow being seriously out of health through anxiety about Mr.Shargeloes. For that gentleman had disappeared, without a line ormessage, just when Mr. Furkettle, the chief lawyer in the neighbourhood,was beginning to prepare the marriage-settlement; and although his cookand house-maid were furious at the story, Mrs. Blocks had said, and allthe parish now believed, that Sir Parsley Sugarloaf had flown awayto Scotland rather than be brought to book--that fatal part of thePrayer-book--by the Rector and three or four brother clergymen.

  This being so, and Frank Darling absorbed in London with the publicationof another batch of poems, dedicated to Napoleon, while Faith stoodaloof with her feelings hurt, and the Admiral stood off and on in thewearisome cruise of duty, Carne had the coast unusually clear for theentry and arrangement of his contraband ideas. He met the fair Dollyalmost every day, and their interviews did not grow shorter, althoughthe days were doing so.

  "You should have been born in France," he said, one bright Novembermorning, when they sat more comfortable than they had any right to be,upon the very same seat where the honest but hapless Captain Scuddyhad tried to venture to lisp his love; "that is the land you belong to,darling, by beauty and manners and mind and taste, and most of all byyour freedom from prejudice, and great liberality of sentiment."

  "But I thought we were quite as good-looking in England;" Dolly liftedher long black lashes, with a flash which might challenge the brillianceof any French eyes; "but of course you know best. I know nothing ofFrench ladies."

  "Don't be a fool, Dolly;" Carne spoke rudely, but made up for it inanother way. "There never was a French girl to equal you in loveliness;but you must not suppose that you beat them all round. One pointparticularly you are far behind in. A French woman leaves all politicalquestions, and national matters, and public affairs, entirely to herhusband, or her lover, as the case may be. Whatever he wishes is the lawfor her. Thy gods shall be my gods."

  "But you said they had great liberality of sentiment, and now you saythey have no opinions of their own! How can the two things go together?"

  "Very easily," said Carne, who was accustomed to be baffled by suchlittle sallies; "they take their opinions from their husbands, who arealways liberal. This produces happiness on both sides--a state of thingsunknown in England. Let me tell you of something important, mainly asit concerns yourself, sweet Dolly. The French are certain to unite withEngland, and then we shall be the grandest nation in the world. No powerin Europe can stand before us. All will be freedom, and civilization,and great ideas, and fine taste in dress. I shall recover the largeestates, that would now be mine, but for usury and fraud. And you willbe one of the first ladies in the world, as nature has always intendedyou to be."

  "That sounds very well; but how is it to be done? How can France unitewith England, when they are bitter enemies? Is France to conquer Englandfirst? Or are we to conquer France, as we always used to do?"

  "That would be a hard job now, when France is the mistress of theContinent. No, there need be no conquering, sweet Dolly, but only alittle removal. The true interest of this country is--as that mightyparty, the Whigs, perceive--to get rid of all the paltry forms and drybones of a dynasty which is no more English than Napoleon is, and tojoin that great man in his warfare against all oppression. Your brotherFrank is a leading spirit; he has long cast off that wretched insularprejudice which defeats all good. In the grand new scheme of universalright, which must prevail very shortly, Frank Darling will obtain thatforemost place to which his noble views entitle him. You, as his sister,and my wife, will be adored almost as much as you could wish."

  "It sounds very grand," answered Dolly, with a smile, though a littlealarmed at this turn of it; "but what is to become of the King, andQueen, and all the royal family? And what is my father to do, and Faith?Although she has not behaved well to me."

  "Those details will be arranged to everybody's satisfaction. Littleprejudices will subside, when it is seen that they are useless. Everypossible care will be taken not to injure any one."

  "But how is it all to be done?" asked Dolly, whose mind was practical,though romantic. "Are the French to land, and overrun the country? I amsure I never should agree to that. Are all our defenders to be throwninto prison?"

  "Certainly not. There will be no prisons. The French might have to land,as a matter of form; but not to overrun the country, only to secureBritish liberties and justice. All sensible people would hasten to jointhem, and any opposition would be quenched at once. Then such a gloriouscondition of mankind would ensue as has never been known in thisworld--peace, wealth, universal happiness, gaiety, dancing everywhere,no more shabby clothes, no more dreary Sundays. How do you like thethought of it?"

  "Well, some of it sounds very nice; but I don't see the use of universaljustice. Justice means having one's own rights; and it is impossiblefor everybody to do that, because of other people. And as for the Frenchcoming to put things right, they had better attend to their own affairsfirst. And as if any Englishman would permit it! Why, even Frank wouldmount his wig and gown (for he is a full-fledged barrister now, youknow), and come and help to push them back into the sea. And I hope thatyou would do so too. I am not going to marry a Frenchman. You belong toan old English family, and you were born in England, and your name isEnglish, and the property that ought to belong to you. I hope you don'tconsider yourself a Frenchman because your mother is a great Frenchlady, after so many generations of Carnes, all English, every bit ofthem. I am an English girl, and I care very little for things that Idon't see--such as justice, liberty, rights of people, and all that. ButI do care about my relations, and our friends, and the people that livehere, and the boats, and all the trees, and the land that belongs tomy father. Very likely you would want to take that away, and give it tosome miserable Frenchman."

  "Dolly, my dear, you must not be excited," Carne answered, in the mannerof a father; "powerful as your comprehension is, for the moment thesethings are beyond it. Your meaning is excellent, very good, very great;but to
bring it to bear requires further information. We will sit bythe side of the sea to-morrow, darling, if you grant me a view of yourloveliness again; and there you will see things in a larger light thanupon this narrow bench, with your father's trees around us, and yourfather's cows enquiring whether I am good to eat. Get away, cow! Do youtake me for a calf?"

  One of the cows best loved by Dolly, who was very fond of good animals,had come up to ask who this man was that had been sitting here so longwith her. She was gifted with a white face and large soft eyes--evenbeyond the common measure of a cow--short little horns, that she wouldscarcely think of pushing even at a dog (unless he made mouths at herinfant), a flat broad nose ever genial to be rubbed, and a delicatefringe of finely pointed yellow hairs around her pleasant nostrils andabove her clovery lips. With single-hearted charity and enviable faithshe was able to combine the hope that Dolly had obtained a lover as goodas could be found upon a single pair of legs. Carne was attired withsome bravery, of the French manner rather than the English, and hewanted no butter on his velvet and fine lace. So he swung round his caneof heavy snakewood at the cow, and struck her poor horns so sharply thather head went round.

  "Is that universal peace, and gentleness, and justice?" cried Dolly,springing up and hastening to console her cow. "Is this the way thelofty French redress the wrongs of England? What had poor Dewlips done,I should like to know? Kiss me, my pretty, and tell me how you wouldlike the French army to land, as a matter of form? The form you wouldtake would be beef, I'm afraid; not even good roast beef, but bouillon,potage, fricandeau, friture--anything one cannot taste any meat in; andthat is how your wrongs would be redressed, after having had both yourhorns knocked off. And about the same fate for John Bull, your master,unless he keeps his horns well sharpened. Do I not speak the truth,monsieur?"

  When Carne did anything to vex Miss Dolly--which happened pretty often,for he could not stop to study much her little prejudices--she addressedhim as if he were a Frenchman, never doubting that this must reduce himsadly in his self-esteem.

  "Never mind matters political," he said, perceiving that his power mustnot be pressed until he had deepened its foundations; "what are all thepolitics in the world compared with your good opinion, Beauty?" Dollyliked to be called "Beauty," and the name always made her try to deserveit by looking sweet. "You must be quite certain that I would do nothingto injure a country which contains my Dolly. And as for Madam Cow, Iwill beg her pardon, though my cane is hurt a great deal more than herprecious horns are. Behold me snap it in twain, although it is the onlyhandsome one I possess, because it has offended you!"

  "Oh, what a pity! What a lovely piece of wood!" cried Dolly; and theyparted on the best of terms, after a warm vow upon either side that nonasty politics should ever come between them.

  But Carne was annoyed and discontented. He came to the edge of thecliff that evening below his ruined castle; for there are no cliffs atSpringhaven, unless the headland deserves that name; and there he satgloomily for some hours, revolving the chances of his enterprise. Theweather had changed since the morning, and a chill November wind beganto urge the waves ashore. The sky was not very dark, but shredded withloose grey vapours from the west, where a heavy bank of clouds lay underthe pale crescent of a watery moon. In the distance two British cruisersshone, light ships of outlook, under easy sail, prepared to send thesignal for a hundred leagues, from ship to ship and cliff to cliff,if any of England's foes appeared. They shone upon the dark sea, withcanvas touched by moonlight, and seemed ready to spring against thelowering sky, if it held any menace to the land they watched, or thelong reach of water they had made their own.

  "A pest upon those watch-dogs!" muttered Carne. "They are alwayswide-awake, and forever at their stations. Instead of growing tired,they get sharper every day. Even Charron can scarcely run through themnow. But I know who could do it, if he could only be trusted. With apilot-boat--it is a fine idea--a pilot-boat entered as of Pebbleridge.The Pebbleridge people hate Springhaven, through a feud of centuries,and Springhaven despises Pebbleridge. It would answer well, although thelanding is so bad, and no anchorage possible in rough weather. I musttry if Dan Tugwell will undertake it. None of the rest know the coastas he does, and few of them have the bravery. But Dan is a very sulkyfellow, very difficult to manage. He will never betray us; he iswonderfully grateful; and after that battle with the press-gang, when heknocked down the officer and broke his arm, he will keep pretty clear ofthe Union-jack. But he goes about moping, and wondering, and mooning, asif he were wretched about what he has to do. Bless my soul, where is myinvention? I see the way to have him under my thumb. Reason is an oldcoat hanging on a peg; passion is the fool who puts it on and runs awaywith it. Halloa! Who are you? And what do you want at such a time asthis? Surely you can see that I am not at leisure now. Why, Tugwell, Ithought that you were far away at sea!"

  "So I was, sir; but she travels fast. I never would believe the oldLondon Trader could be driven through the water so. Sam Polwhele knowshow to pile it on a craft, as well as he do upon a man, sir. I won'tserve under him no more, nor Captain Charcoal either. I have done myduty by you. Squire Carne, the same as you did by me, sir; and thankingyou for finding me work so long, my meaning is to go upon the searchto-morrow."

  "What fools they must have been to let this fellow come ashore!" thoughtCarne, while he failed to see the wisest way to take it. "Tugwell, youcannot do this with any honour, after we have shown you all the secretsof our enterprise. You know that what we do is of the very highesthonour, kind and humane and charitable, though strictly forbidden by amost inhuman government. How would you like, if you were a prisoner inFrance, to be debarred from all chance of getting any message from yourfamily, your wife, your sweetheart, or your children, from year's endto year's end, and perhaps be dead for months without their knowinganything about it?"

  "Well, sir, I should think it very hard indeed; though, if I was dead,I shouldn't know much more about it. But, without reproach to you, Icannot make out altogether that our only business is to carry lettersfor the prisoners, as now may be in England, from their loving friendsto command in their native country. I won't say against you, sir, ifyou say it is--that is, to the outside of all your knowledge. And twentythousand of them may need letters by the sack. But what use they couldmake, sir, of cannon as big as I be, and muskets that would kill a mana hundred yards of distance, and bayonets more larger and more sharperthan ever I see before, even with the Royal Volunteers--this goes out ofall my calculation."

  "Daniel, you have expressed your views, which are remarkable--as indeedthey always are--with your usual precision. But you have not observedthings with equal accuracy. Do you know when a gun is past service?"

  "No, sir; I never was a poacher, no-how. Squire Darling, that is to say,Sir Charles Darling now, according to a chap on board, he was always sogood upon his land that nobody durst go a-poaching."

  "I mean a cannon, Dan. They don't poach with cannon yet, though they maycome to do it, as the game-laws increase. Do you know when a cannon isunsafe to fire, though it may look as bright as ever, like a worn-outpoker? All those things that have frightened you are only meant forornament. You know that every ancient building ought to have itsarmoury, as this castle always had, until they were taken away and sold.My intention is to restore it, when I can afford to do so. And havinga lot of worn-out weapons offered me for next to nothing, I seized thechance of bringing them. When times are better, and the war is over, Imay find time to arrange them. But that is not of much importance. Thegreat point is to secure the delivery of letters from their nativeland to the brave men here as prisoners. I cannot afford to do that fornothing, though I make no profit out of it. I have so many things tothink about that I scarcely know which to consider first. And after all,what matters to us whether those poor men are allowed to die, and beburied like dogs, without knowledge of their friends? Why should we runthe risk of being punished for them?"

  "Well, sir, that seems hard doctrine, if I may be allowed to
say so,and not like your kind-heartedness. Our Government have no right to stopthem of their letters."

  "It is a cruel thing. But how are we to help it? The London Trader istoo large for the purpose, and she is under suspicion now. I tell youeverything, Daniel, because I know that you are a true-hearted fellow,and far above all blabbing. I have thought once or twice of obtainingleave to purchase a stout and handy pilot-boat, with her licence and allthat transferred to us, and so running to and fro when needful. The onlyrisk then would be from perils of the sea; and even the pressmen darenot meddle with a pilot-boat. By-the-by, I have heard that you knockedsome of them about. Tugwell, you might have got us all into sadtrouble."

  "Was I to think of what I was doing, Squire Carne, when they wantedto make a slave of me? I would serve King George with a good heart, inspite of all that father has said against it. But it must be with a freewill, Squire Carne, and not to be tied hand and foot to it. How wouldyou like that yourself, sir?"

  "Well, I think I should have done as you did, Dan, if I had been aBritish sailor. But as to this pilot-boat, I must have a bold and goodseaman to command it. A man who knows the coast, and is not afraid ofweather. Of course we should expect to pay good wages; 3 pounds a week,perhaps, and a guinea for every bag of letters landed safe. There areplenty of men who would jump at such a chance, Dan."

  "I'll be bound there are, sir. And it is more than I am worth, if youmean offering the place to me. It would suit me wonderful, if I wascertain that the job was honest."

  "Daniel Tugwell"--Carne spoke with great severity--"I will not lose mytemper, for I am sure you mean no insult. But you must be of a very low,suspicious nature, and quite unfit for any work of a lofty and unselfishorder, if you can imagine that a man in my position, a man of my largesentiments--"

  "Oh, no, sir, no; it was not at all that"--Dan scarcely knew how totell what it was--"it was nothing at all of that manner of thinking. Iheartily ask your pardon, sir, if it seemed to go in that way."

  "Don't do that," replied Carne, "because I can make allowances. I knowwhat a fine nature is, and how it takes alarm at shadows. I am alwaystender with honest scruples, because I find so many of them in myself.I should not have been pleased with you, if you had accepted myoffer--although so advantageous, and full of romantic interest--untilyou were convinced of its honourable nature. I have no time forargument, and I am sorry that you must not come up to the castle forsupper, because we have an old Springhaven man there, who would tellyour father all about you, which you especially wish to avoid. But ifyou feel inclined for this berth--as you sailors seem to call it--andhesitate through some patriotic doubts, though I cannot understand whatthey are, I will bring you a document (if you meet me here to-morrownight) from Admiral Sir Charles Darling, which I think will satisfyyou."

  "And shall I be allowed to keep it, sir, to show, in case of trouble?"

  "Very likely. But I cannot say for certain. Some of those official formsmust be returned, others not; all depends upon their rules. Now go andmake yourself comfortable. How are you off for money?"

  "Plenty, sir, plenty. I must not go where anybody knows me, or to-morrowhalf the talk at old Springhaven would be about me. Good-night, sir, andGod bless you."