CHAPTER VII.
THE CAPTAINS MAKE A FALSE START.
It was past midnight when Captain Runacles left his friend's pavilionand let himself through the little blue door to his own garden.The heavens were clear and starry, and he paused for a moment on thegrass-plot, his hands clasped behind him, his head tilted back andhis eyes fixed on the Great Bear that hung directly overhead.
"Poor Jack!" he muttered, shaking his head at the constellation, asif gently accusing Fate. His nature had been considerably softenedby the little man's distress, and he had come away with a generoustrouble in his heart.
"I shan't sleep a wink to-night," he decided; and went oninconsequently, "After all, a girl is less anxiety than a boy.People don't find it worth their while to kidnap a girl and flog herwith a cat-o'-nine-tails. A turn of a die, and I'd have been inJack's shoes to-night; while, as it is--"
As it was, however, he seemed hardly to enjoy his good fortune, forhe added, still looking up:
"Plague seize it! I shan't sleep a wink--I know I shan't. What amagnificent show of stars! Let me see, how long is it beforedaybreak? One-two-three-five hours only. I won't go to bed at all--I'll have a turn at the telescope."
He stole into the house softly and climbed up the spiral staircase.A faint light shone out on the first landing from the half-open doorof his workroom. He entered and turned up the lamp.
Its light revealed a scene of amazing disorder. The walls werecovered with books and charts; the floor was littered withmanuscripts, mathematical instruments, huge folios, piledhiggledy-piggledy, carpenter's tools, retorts, bottles of chemicals.In one corner, beside a door leading to his bedroom, stood aturning-lathe three inches deep in sawdust and shavings; in another,a human skeleton hung against the wall, its feet concealed by themodel of a pumping-engine. Hard by was nailed a rack containing acouple of antique swords, a walking-cane and a large telescope.
Captain Runacles took down this telescope and tucked it under hisarm. Then, unhitching a dressing-gown of faded purple from a pegbehind the door, he turned the lamp low again and stepped out uponthe landing. Here he paused for a minute and listened. The housewas still. From the floor below ascended the sound of breathing,regular and stertorous, which proved that Simeon was asleep.
He put his hand on the stair-rail and ascended to the next floor,passing his daughter's room on tiptoe. Above this, a flight of stepsthat was little more than a ladder led up into the obscurity of theattics. He climbed these steps, and, entering a lumber-room, wherehe had to duck his head to avoid striking the sloping roof, felt hisway to a shuttered window, with the bolt of which he fumbled for amoment. When at length he drew the shutter open, a whiff of cold airstreamed into the room and a parallelogram of purple sky was visible,studded with stars and crossed by the bars of a little balcony.
Captain Runacles stepped out upon this balcony. He had constructedit two years before, and it ran completely round the roof. Under hisfeet he heard the pigeons murmuring in their cote. Below were spreadthe dim grass-plots and flower-beds of the two gardens; and, far uponhis right, the misty leagues of the North Sea. Full in front of him,over Harwich town, hung the dainty constellation of Cassiopeia'schair, and all around the vast army of heaven moved, silent andradiant. One seemed to hear its breathing up there, across the deepcalm of the firmament.
He turned to the western horizon, to the spot where the Pleiades hadjust set for the summer months, and lifting his glass moved it slowlyup towards Capella and the Kids, thence on to Perseus, and that mostgorgeous tract of the Milky Way which lies thereby. Now, in thesword-handle of Perseus, as it is called, are set two clusters ofgems, by trying to count which the Captain had, before now, amusedhimself for hours together. He was about to make another attempt,and in fact had reached fifty-six, when he felt a light touch on hiselbow.
He faced quickly round. Behind him, on the balcony, stood hisdaughter.
"Don't be angry," she entreated in a whisper. "I heard you come up.I couldn't sleep until I saw you."
He looked at her sternly. Her feet were bare, and she wore but adark cloak over her night-rail. In the years since we last saw hershe had grown from an awkward girl into a lovely woman. Thick wavesof dark hair, disarranged with much tossing on her pillow, fell uponher shoulders and straggled over the lace upon her bosom. The facethey framed was pale in the starlight, but the lips were red, and theblack eyes feverishly bright.
"Father," she went on, "I have something I must tell you."
Then, as he continued to regard her with displeasure, she broke off,and put the question that of all her trouble was uppermost.
"What has become of Tristram?"
"He has gone to make the campaign against the French. He wasenlisted to-day. It was--unexpected," her father answered slowly,with his eyes fixed on hers.
"He went unwillingly," she said, speaking in a quick whisper; "hewas dragged off--trepanned! Simeon told me about it, and besides, Iknow--"
"What do you know?"
"I know he never went willingly. Oh, father, listen"--with a swiftand pretty impulse she stepped forward, and reaching up her claspedhands laid them on his shoulder--"Tristram--Tristram is very fond ofme."
"Good Lord!"
Captain Jemmy raised a hand to disengage her grasp from his shoulder,but let it fall again.
"He told me so this morning at sunrise," she went on rapidly. "Yousee, it was May morning, and I went out to gather the dew, and he wasthere, in the garden already, and he said--well, he said what I toldyou; and being so masterful--"
"I can't say I've observed that quality in the young man; but nodoubt you've had better opportunities of judging."
"You shan't talk like that!" she broke out almost fiercely. It wascurious that this girl, who until this moment had always trembledbefore her father, now began to dominate him by force of her passion.
"Oh, I mustn't, eh? Devil take the fellow! He tumbles out of onemess into another, and plays skittles with my peace of mind, and inreturn I'm not allowed a word!"
"Father, you will fetch him back?"
"Now, how the--"
"But you must."
"Indeed!"
"Because I love him dearly--there! I have nobody left but you,father." She knelt and caught his hand, exchanging audacity forentreaty in a second.
"Little maid," said her father, with a tenderness as sudden,"get up--your feet must be as cold as ice, on these slates.Go in, and go to bed."
"Let me stay a little. I can't sleep indoors. It was so happy thismorning, and to-night the trouble is so heavy!"
Captain Jemmy vanished into the lumber-room for a moment, andreappeared, tugging an old mattress after him and bearing a tatteredwindow-curtain under his left arm. He spread the mattress on thebalcony, motioned his daughter to sit, and wrapped her feet warmly inhis purple dressing-gown. Then, as she lay back, he spread thecurtain over her, tucking it close round her young body. She thankedhim with dim eyes.
"Sophia," he began, with much severity, "you say you have only yourold father in the world, and I'm bound to say you seem to find itlittle enough. My dear, are you aware that you've just beendisappointing my dearest hopes?"
"Don't say that!"
"I begin to think I mustn't say anything. I have brought you upcarefully, instructing you in all polite learning, and even in someof the abstruser sciences. I have meant you, all along, to be theornament of your sex, and now--the devil take it!--you prefer, afterall, to be an ornament of the other! I intended you, by youraccomplishments, to make that young man look foolish."
"And I assure you, father dear, he did look foolish this morning, andagain this afternoon in the summer-house."
"Now, upon my soul, Sophia! I call your attention to the fact I'vebeen suspecting ever since you began to speak, that you're at thebottom of all to-day's mischief. If that unfortunate youth hadn'tbeen making love to you when he should have been attending to thebees, the chances are they would never have taken it into their
headsto swarm upon that accursed arch, and consequently . . ."
There was nothing which Captain Runacles enjoyed so thoroughly as todiscover the connection between effects and their causes. When sucha chance offered, it was a common experience with him to be drawninto prolixity. But he was pained and surprised, nevertheless, aftertwenty minutes' discourse (in which he proved Sophia, and Sophiaalone, to be responsible for the disasters of the day), to find thatshe had dropped asleep. He looked down for a minute or so upon herclosed lids, then moved to the rail of the balcony and ejaculatedunder his breath:
"O woman--woman! Wise art thou as the dove, and about as harmless asthe serpent!"
He considered the heavens for some moments, and added with sometartness but with a far-off look at the stars, as though aiming theremark at the late Mrs. Runacles:
"Her charm, at any rate, is not derived from her mother!"
He turned abruptly and considered her as she slept under the stars.Stooping after a minute or two, and lifting her very gently, he boreher into the house and down to her own room. As they descended theladder from the attic, she stirred and opened her eyes drowsily:
"You will bring Tristram back?" she murmured, but so softly that hehad to bend his head to catch the syllables.
Her eyes closed again before he could answer. He carried her to herbed and laid her upon it; then, after waiting a while to assurehimself that she was fast asleep, retraced his steps softly to thelittle balcony.
He was pacing it, round and round, like a caged beast, when the starsgrew faint and the silver ripple of the dayspring broke over the sea.For two hours and more he had been thinking hard, and he rested hiselbows on the balcony and paused for a minute or two to watch the redball of the sun as it heaved above the waters. To the north, beyondthe roofs of Harwich, he saw the lights of the royal squadron stillclear in the grey dawn. Next his gaze turned to the triumphal archin the road below, which wore a peculiarly dissipated look at thishour. Then it strayed back to the garden below him and beyond theparty hedge; and was suddenly arrested.
On a rustic seat, in the far corner, sat Captain Barker, trying toread in a book.
The little man, too, had obviously passed the night out of his bed.His clothes were dishevelled and his attitude was one of extremedejection. He kept his head bowed over the book and was whollyunaware of the eyes that watched him from the opposite pavilion.
But his friend above on the balcony displayed the most nervousapprehension of being seen. He took his hand from the rail, as iffearful of making the slightest sound, and stole back through thewindow into the lumber-room. Once within the house, however, hebehaved with the briskest determination. Descending first of all tohis own room, he washed his face and towelled it till it glowed.Then, changing his coat and wig, he took up hat and cane, descendedto the front-door, and crossing the grass-plot, let himself intoCaptain Barker's garden.
Captain Barker still sat and read in his book; and as he read thetears coursed down his wrinkled cheeks. For it was the first of thefamous green volumes.
He looked up as his friend advanced; and Captain Jemmy was forced toregard the weathercock on the roof for a minute or so to make sure ofthe quarter in which the wind lay.
"It's due west," said Captain John, as he stared up; "and it'sebb-tide till nine o'clock. They'll sail early."
"H'm; I shouldn't wonder. You're early out of bed."
"Well, for the matter of that, so are you--eh?"
"I haven't been to bed."
"Nor have I."
"I've been thinking," said Captain Runacles.
"And I've been trying not to think."
"Well, but I've come to a conclusion. Go and get your hat, Jack."
"Why?"
"We've got to fetch Tristram back."
"How?"
"By tossing our consciences over the hedge and going to see KingWilliam."
The little man shook his head.
"No, Jemmy. You mean it kindly, and God bless you! But I can't doit."
"Why not? If _I_ can do it--"
"You'd repent it, Jemmy. You're letting your love for me carry youtoo far."
"What put it into your head that I'd do this for love of _you_?"
"For Tristram, then."
"Damn Tristram! That youngster strikes me as causing a fuss quiteout of proportion to his intrinsic worth."
"Well, but--"
"My dear Jack, I have reasons for wishing Tristram back. You needn'task what they are, because I shan't tell you; but they're at leastas intelligible as all the reasons you can find in that volume."He caught it out of his friend's hand, and read: "_June 12th.--T.to-day refused his biscuit and milk at six in the morning, but tookit an hour later. Peevish all night; in part (I think) because notyet recovered of his weaning, and also because his teeth (second pairon lower jaw) are troubling him. Query: If the biscuit should beboiled in the milk, or milk merely poured over the biscuit_--" Herehe glanced up, and seeing the anguish on the hunchback's face, handedback the book.
"I beg your pardon, Jack. But get your hat and come along."
"You forget, Jemmy. We gave our word, you know."
Captain Runacles stared.
"Trouble has unhinged your wits, my friend. Did you seriouslyimagine I intended to disclose to his Majesty the proposal we heardlast night?"
"What, then?"
"My notion was that we should go and offer him our swords and ourservices in ransom for Tristram. He may rebuff us. On the otherhand, there's a chance that he will not. You remember that he began,yesterday, by offering you this way of escape. You are to take mewith you and beg for a renewal of that offer. Maybe he'll demur.You'll then point out that you have two men's service to tender himin lieu of one. I _have_ smelt powder in my time, Jack, and I oncehad the luck to run De Ruyter's pet captain through the sword-arm andto carry his ship. It's the very devil that I never could master thefellow's Dutch name sufficiently to remember it; but his Majesty--whohas a greater grasp of his mother tongue--may be able to recall it,and the recollection may turn the scale. Anyhow, we'll try."
"You can serve this William?"
"I can; for the matter stands thus: We go and say, 'Your Majesty haslaid hands on a young man. Will it please your Majesty to take twoold men in exchange?' We're a couple of old hulks, Jack; but we mayserve, as well as a youngster, to be battered by the French."
"But suppose that this plot breaks out?--I mean that which the Earlhinted at."
"My friend, that proposal may be divided into two parts. The firstis mutiny; the second is desertion to the French. How do you likethem? Could you stand by and help either?"
"Why, no," answered Captain Barker, with a brightening face;"because, after all, one could always die first."
"To be sure. Make haste, then, and fetch your hat, or we shall betoo late to save the boy."
Captain Runacles waited at the foot of the garden, while his friendhurried into the house and returned in something like glee.
"We are lucky. Narcissus tells me his Majesty is sleeping ashore atThomas Langley's house in Church Street. It seems that his cabin wasnot put rightly in order aboard the _Mary_ yacht, and he won't embarkuntil he has broken his fast."
"Come along, then!" said Captain Jemmy, opening the gate. "We maycatch him before he goes on board."
But scarcely had the pair set foot in the road outside when a voicecommanded them to halt.
In front of them, barring the highway towards Harwich, stood asergeant, with half a dozen soldiers at his back. They seemed tohave sprung out of the hedge.
"Pardon, gentlemen; but you are walking towards Harwich."
"We are."
"My orders are to forbid it."
"Who gave you that order?"
"The General."
"What? The Earl of Marlborough?"
"Yes."
"So this is how he trusts our word!" muttered Captain Runacles."But, excuse me," he added aloud, "our business is with his Majesty."
/>
"I am truly sorry, gentlemen."
"You decline to let us pass?"
"I hope you will not insist."
"Well, but I have an idea. You can march us into Harwich as yourprisoners. Take us into his Majesty's presence--that's all I ask,and I don't care how it's done. You shall have our _parole_ if youplease."
The sergeant shook his head. "It's against my orders."
"Then we must try to pass you."
"Suffer me to point out that we are seven to two."
"Thank you. But this is an affair of conscience."
"Nevertheless--"
"Confound it, sir!" broke in the little hunchback. "You are here, itseems, to frustrate our intentions; but I'm hanged if you shallcriticise them too. Guard, sirs, if you please!"
And whipping out their swords, these indomitable old gentlemen fellwith fury on their seven adversaries and engaged them.
The struggle, however, lasted but a minute. Six bayonets are not tobe charged with a couple of small-swords; and just as Captain Barkerwas on the point of spitting himself like an over-hasty game chicken,the sergeant raised his side-arm and dealt him a cut over the head.Hat and wig broke the blow somewhat; but the little man dropped witha moan and lay quite still in the road.
Hearing the sound, Captain Jemmy turned, dropped his sword, and ranto lift his friend. The stroke had stunned him, and a trickle ofblood ran from a slight scalp-wound and mingled with the dust.
"Jack, Jack!" sobbed his friend, kneeling and peering eagerly intohis face. The hunchback opened his eyes a little and stared upvacantly.
As he did so the dull roar of heavy guns broke out in the directionof Harwich, shaking the earth under Captain Jemmy's feet. It was thetown's parting salute to his Majesty King William the Third. And atthe same moment the leading ship of the royal squadron swung out ofharbour on the ebb-tide and, rounding the Guard Sandbank, stoodmajestically towards the open sea, her colours streaming and whitecanvas bellying over the blue waters.
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