Springhaven: A Tale of the Great War

by R. D. Blackmore

  CHAPTER LXIV

  WRATH AND SORROW

  The two most conspicuous men of the age were saddened and cast downjust now--one by the natural kindly sorrow into which all men live forothers, till others live into it for them; and one by the petulantturns of fortune, twisting and breaking his best-woven web. Lord Nelsonarrived at Springhaven on Monday, to show his affection for his dearold friend; and the Emperor Napoleon, at the same time, was pacing theopposite cliffs in grief and dudgeon.

  He had taken his post on some high white land, about a league southwardof Boulogne, and with strong field-glasses, which he pettishly exchangedin doubt of their power and truth, he was scanning all the roadways ofthe shore and the trackless breadths of sea. His quick brain was burningfor despatches overland--whether from the coast road past Etaples, orfurther inland by the great route from Paris, or away to the southeastby special courier from the Austrian frontier--as well as for signalsout at sea, and the movements of the British ships, to show that his ownwere coming. He had treated with disdain the suggestions of his faithfulAdmiral Decres, who had feared to put the truth too plainly, that thefleet ordered up from the west had failed, and with it the Master'smighty scheme. Having yet to learn the lesson that his best plans mightbe foiled, he was furious when doubt was cast upon this pet design. Likea giant of a spider at the nucleus of his web, he watched the broad fanof radiant threads, and the hovering of filmy woof, but without the mildphilosophy of that spider, who is versed in the very sad capriciousnessof flies.

  Just within hearing (and fain to be further, in his present state ofmind) were several young officers of the staff, making little mouths atone another, for want of better pastime, but looking as grave, when themighty man glanced round, as schoolboys do under the master's eye."Send Admiral Decres to me," the Emperor shouted, as he laid down histelescope and returned to his petulant to-and-fro.

  In a few minutes Admiral Decres arrived, and after a salute which wasnot acknowledged, walked in silence at his master's side. The great man,talking to himself aloud, and reviling almost every one except himself,took no more notice of his comrade for some minutes than if he had beena poodle keeping pace with him. Then he turned upon him fiercely, withone hand thrown out, as if he would have liked to strike him.

  "What then is the meaning of all this?" He spoke too fast for the otherto catch all his words. "You have lost me three days of it. How muchlonger will you conceal your knowledge? Carne's scheme has failed,through treachery--probably his own. I never liked the man. He wanted tobe the master of me--of me! I can do without him; it is all the better,if my fleet will come. I have three fleets, besides these. Any one ofthem would do. They would do, if even half their crews were dead, solong as they disturbed the enemy. You know where Villeneuve is, but youwill not tell me."

  "I told your Majesty what I thought," M. Decres replied, with dignity,"but it did not please you to listen to me. Shall I now tell yourMajesty what I know?"

  "Ha! You have dared to have secret despatches! You know more of themovements of my fleets than I do! You have been screening him all along.Which of you is the worse traitor?"

  "Your Majesty will regret these words. Villeneuve and myself are devotedto you. I have not heard from him. I have received no despatches. But ina private letter just received, which is here at your Majesty's service,I find these words, which your Majesty can see. 'From my brother onthe Spanish coast I have just heard. Admiral Villeneuve has sailed forCadiz, believing Nelson to be in chase of him. My brother saw the wholefleet crowding sail southward. No doubt it is the best thing they coulddo. If they came across Nelson, they would be knocked to pieces.'Your Majesty, that is an opinion only; but it seems to be shared by M.Villeneuve."

  Napoleon's wrath was never speechless--except upon one greatoccasion--and its outburst put every other in the wrong, even while heknew that he was in the right. Regarding Decres with a glare of fury,such as no other eyes could pour, or meet--a glare as of burnished steelfired from a cannon--he drove him out of every self-defence or shelter,and shattered him in the dust of his own principles. It was not thedifference of rank between them, but the difference in the power oftheir minds, that chased like a straw before the wind the very stablesenses of the man who understood things. He knew that he was right, butthe right was routed, and away with it flew all capacity of reason inthe pitiless torrent of passion, like a man in a barrel, and the barrelin Niagara.

  M. Decres knew not head from tail, in the rush of invective poured uponhim; but he took off his hat in soft search for his head, and to let inthe compliments rained upon it.

  "It is good," replied the Emperor, replying to himself, as the foamof his fury began to pass; "you will understand, Decres, that I am notangry, but only lament that I have such a set of fools. You are not theworst. I have bigger fools than you. Alas that I should confess it!"

  Admiral Decres put his hat upon his head, for the purpose of taking itoff, to acknowledge the kindness of this compliment. It was the firstpolite expression he had received for half an hour. And it would havebeen the last, if he had dared to answer.

  "Villeneuve cannot help it that he is a fool," continued Napoleon, ina milder strain; "but he owes it to his rank that he should not be acoward. Nelson is his black beast. Nelson has reduced him to a conditionof wet pulp. I shall send a braver man to supersede him. Are Frenchfleets forever to turn tail to an inferior force of stupid English? IfI were on the seas, I would sweep Nelson from them. Our men are farbraver, when they learn to spread their legs. As soon as I have finishedwith those filthy Germans, I will take the command of the fleets myself.It will be a bad day for that bragging Nelson. Give me pen and paper,and send Daru to me. I must conquer the Continent once more, I suppose;and then I will return and deal with England."

  In a couple of hours he had shaped and finished the plan of a campaignthe most triumphant that even he ever planned and accomplished. Then hismind became satisfied with good work, and he mounted his horse, andfor the last time rode through the grandest encampment the sun has everseen, distributing his calm smile, as if his nature were too large fortempests.

  * * * * *

  On the sacred white coast, which the greatest of Frenchmen should onlyapproach as a prisoner, stood a man of less imperious mould, and ofsweet and gentle presence--a man who was able to command himself in thekeenest disappointment, because he combined a quick sense of humour withthe power of prompt action, and was able to appreciate his own greatqualities without concluding that there were no other. His face, at alltimes except those of hot battle, was filled with quiet sadness, as ifhe were sent into the world for some great purpose beyond his knowledge,yet surely not above his aim. Years of deep anxiety and ever urgent dutyhad made him look old before his time, but in no wise abated his naturalforce. He knew that he had duty before him still, and he felt that theonly discharge was death.

  But now, in the tenderness of his heart, he had forgotten all abouthimself, and even for the moment about his country. Nelson had taken thelast fond look at the dear old friend of many changeful years, so trueand so pleasant throughout every change. Though one eye had failed forthe work of the brain, it still was in sympathy with his heart; and atear shone upon either wrinkled cheek, as the uses of sadness outlastthe brighter view. He held Faith by the hand, or she held by his, asthey came forth, without knowing it, through nature's demand for an openspace, when the air is choked with sorrow.

  "My dear, you must check it; you must leave off," said Nelson, althoughhe was going on himself. "It is useless for me to say a word to you,because I am almost as bad myself. But still I am older, and I feel thatI ought to be able to comfort you, if I only knew the way."

  "You do comfort me, more than I can tell, although you don't sayanything. For any one to sit here, and be sorry with me, makes it comea little lighter. And when it is a man like you, Lord Nelson, I feel asort of love that makes me feel less bitter. Mr. Twemlow drove me wildwith a quantity of texts, and a great amount of talk about
a betterland. How would he like to go to it himself, I wonder? There is a greathole in my heart, and nothing that anybody says can fill it."

  "And nothing that any one can do, my dear," her father's friendanswered, softly, "unless it is your own good self, with the kindnessof the Lord to help you. One of the best things to begin with is to helpsomebody else, if you can, and lead yourself away into another person'stroubles. Is there any one here very miserable?"

  "None that I can think of half so miserable as I am. There is greatexcitement, but no misery. Miss Twemlow has recovered her LordMayor--the gentleman that wore that extraordinary coat--oh, I forgot,you were not here then. And although he has had a very sad time of it,every one says that the total want of diet will be much better for himthan any mere change. I am ashamed to be talking of such trifles now;but I respect that man, he was so straightforward. If my brother Frankhad been at all like him, we should never have been as we are this day."

  "My dear, you must not blame poor Frank. He would not come down to thedinner because he hated warlike speeches. But he has seen the error ofhis ways. No more treasonable stuff for him. He thought it was large,and poetic, and all that, like giving one's shirt to an impostor. Allof us make mistakes sometimes. I have made a great many myself, andhave always been the foremost to perceive them. But your own bravelover--have you forgotten him? He fought like a hero, I am told;and nothing could save his life except that he wore a new-fashionedperiwig."

  "I would rather not talk of him now, Lord Nelson, although he had noperiwig. I am deeply thankful that he escaped; and no doubt did hisbest, as he was bound to do. I try to be fair to everybody, but I cannothelp blaming every one, when I come to remember how blind we have been.Captain Stubbard must have been so blind, and Mrs. Stubbard a great dealworse, and worst of all his own aunt, Mrs. Twemlow. Oh, Lord Nelson, ifyou had only stopped here, instead of hurrying away for more glory! Yousaw the whole of it; you predicted everything; you even warned usagain in your last letter! And yet you must go away, and leave us toourselves; and this is how the whole of it has ended."

  "My dear child, I will not deny that the eye of Nelson has a specialgift for piercing the wiles of the scoundrelly foe. But I was underorders, and must go. The nation believed that it could not do withoutme, although there are other men every bit as good, and in their ownopinion superior. But the enemy has never been of that opinion; and agreat deal depends upon what they think. And the rule has been alwaysto send me where there are many kicks but few coppers. I have never beenknown to repine. We all err; but if we do our duty as your dear fatherdid his, the Lord will forgive us, when our enemies escape. When my timecomes, as it must do soon, there will be plenty to carp at me; but Ishall not care, if I have done my best. Your father did his best, and ishappy."

  Faith Darling took his hand again, and her tears were for him quiteas much as for herself. "Give me one of the buttons of your coat," shesaid; "here is one that cannot last till you get home."

  It was hanging by a thread, and yet the hero was very loth to partwith it, though if it had parted with him, the chances were ten toone against his missing it. However, he conquered himself, but not soentirely as to let her cut it off. If it must go, it should be by hisown hand. He pulled out a knife and cut it off, and she kissed it whenhe gave it to her.

  "I should like to do more than that," he said, though he would soonerhave parted with many guineas. "Is there nobody here that I can help,from my long good-will to Springhaven?"

  "Oh, yes! How stupid I am!" cried Faith. "I forget everybody in my owntrouble. There is a poor young man with a broken heart, who came to methis morning. He has done no harm that I know of, but he fell into thepower of that wicked--but I will use no harsh words, because he is gonemost dreadfully to his last account. This poor youth said that he onlycared to die, after all the things that had happened here, for he hasalways been fond of my father. At first I refused to see him, but theytold me such things that I could not help it. He is the son of our chiefman here, and you said what a fine British seaman he would make."

  "I remember two or three of that description, especially young DanTugwell." Nelson had an amazing memory of all who had served underhim, or even had wished to do so. "I see by your eyes that it is youngTugwell. If it will be any pleasure to you, I will see him, and do whatI can for him. What has he done, my dear, and what can I do for him?"

  "He has fallen into black disgrace, and his only desire is to redeemit by dying for his country. His own father has refused to see him,although he was mainly the cause of it; and his mother, who was ErleTwemlow's nurse, is almost out of her mind with grief. A braver youngman never lived, and he was once the pride of Springhaven. He saved poorDolly from drowning, when she was very young, and the boat upset. Hisfather chastised him cruelly for falling under bad influence. Then heran away from the village, and seems to have been in French employment.But he was kept in the dark, and had no idea that he was acting againsthis own country."

  "He has been a traitor," said Lord Nelson, sternly. "I cannot help sucha man, even for your sake."

  "He has not been a traitor, but betrayed," cried Faith; "he believedthat his only employment was to convey private letters for the poorFrench prisoners, of whom we have so many hundreds. I will not contendthat he was right in that; but still it was no very great offence.Even you must have often longed to send letters to those you loved inEngland; and you know how hard it is in war time. But what they reallywanted him for was to serve as their pilot upon this coast. And themoment he discovered that, though they offered him bags of gold to doit, he faced his death like an Englishman. They attempted to keep himin a stupid state with drugs, so that he might work like a mere machine.But he found out that, and would eat nothing but hard biscuit. They hadhim in one of their shallow boats, or prames, as they call them, whichwas to lead them in upon signal from the arch-traitor. This was onSaturday, Saturday night--that dreadful time when we were all so gay.They held a pair of pistols at poor Dan's head, or at least a man washolding one to each of his ears, and they corded his arms, because heventured to remonstrate. That was before they had even started, so youmay suppose what they would have done to us. Poor Daniel made up hismind to die, and it would have eased his mind, he says now, if he haddone so. But while they were waiting for the signal, which through dearfather's vigilance they never did receive, Dan managed to free bothhis hands in the dark, and as soon as he saw the men getting sleepy,he knocked them both down, and jumped overboard; for he can swim like afish, or even better. He had very little hopes of escaping, as he says,and the French fired fifty shots after him. With great presence of mind,he gave a dreadful scream, as if he was shot through the head at least,then he flung up his legs, as if he was gone down; but he swam underwater for perhaps a hundred yards, and luckily the moon went behinda black cloud. Then he came to a boat, which had broken adrift, andalthough he did not dare to climb into her, he held on by her, on thefurther side from them. She was drifting away with the tide, and at lasthe ventured to get on board of her, and found a pair of oars, and waspicked up at daylight by a smuggling boat running for Newhaven. He waslanded last night, and he heard the dreadful news, and having plentyof money, he hired a post-chaise, and never stopped until he reachedSpringhaven. He looks worn out now; but if his mind was easier, he wouldsoon be as strong as ever."

  "It is a strange story, my dear," said Nelson; "but I see that it hasdone you good to tell it, and I have known many still stranger. But howcould he have money, after such a hard escape?"

  "That shows as much as anything how brave he is. He had made up his mindthat if he succeeded in knocking down both those sentinels, he wouldhave the bag of gold which was put for his reward in case of hissteering them successfully. And before he jumped overboard he snatchedit up, and it helped him to dive and to swim under water. He put itin his flannel shirt by way of ballast, and he sticks to it up to thepresent moment."

  "My dear," replied Lord Nelson, much impressed, "such a man deserves tobe in my own crew. If he can sho
w me that bag, and stand questions, Iwill send him to Portsmouth at my own expense, with a letter to my dearfriend Captain Hardy."