CHAPTER XII.
LADY BIDDY GIVES ME A WORD OF COMFORT.
I reached Fane Court eighteen months, as near as may be, from the timeour first unhappy expedition set out.
When I asked for Sir Bartlemy, the hall servant, seeing me all dustywith travel and out at the heel, told me I must bide my time, as theknight and Lady Biddy Fane were at dinner.
"No matter for that," says I; "tell him his nephew, Benet Pengilly, ishere, and I warrant you will fare better than if you kept him waitingfor the news."
The fellow started in amaze hearing my name, which was better known tohim than my face, and went without a word to carry the tidings of myreturn to Sir Bartlemy. Almost immediately, afterwards my uncle came outinto the hall, and as quickly after him Lady Biddy--Sir Bartlemy as haleand hearty as ever, and Lady Biddy, to my eyes, more beautiful thanbefore; but both pale and greatly amazed in countenance.
"Benet!" gasps the old knight, and that was all he could say. But heheld out his hand, which I took and pressed with great love, for myfeelings were much softened by hardship, and I was grieved to think ofthe pain I was to give him instead of the joyful news he looked for.Lady Biddy stepped forward, and her face lighting up with hope, shelooked for the moment as if she also might be kind to me, and welcome mefor the sake of her lover. But of a sudden she checked herself, seeingmy downcast complexion, and bating her breath, she says:
"Where is he? Where are the rest?"
Then says I, with as much courage as I could muster, but with pain thatwent to my heart--
"I am the only man who has come back." And with that I hung my head, notto see their grief.
"He is not dead--they are not all lost!" I heard her say, in a tone thatseemed mingled with, a silent prayer to merciful God.
"No," says I; "Sir Harry is not dead. I left him out there in Guiana;but for the rest, if they be lost, 'tis their just reward."
Then Lady Biddy burst into tears to know that her lover lived, and SirBartlemy, taking her by the arm and me by mine, led us into thedining-hall without speaking.
By this time, Lady Biddy's emotion being passed, and her pridereturning, she took her arm from her uncle's, as if she would not acceptof kindness that was equally bestowed on such as I.
"Sit ye down there, Benet," says my uncle, pushing me to a seat; "andnow tell us all as briefly as you may; for I perceive that the case isbad (with a plague to it!) though Harry live (God be thanked!); and ifthere be a tooth to come out, the quicker it's done the better."
Then I told the bare truth: how Rodrigues and Ned Parsons had led thecrew astray and set us ashore, and the means of my coming again toEngland, in as few words as I could shift with. When I had made an endof this, Lady Biddy was the first to speak.
"Why did not Sir Harry come back with you?" says she.
"He scorns to come back a beggar," says I. "He will never return toEngland until he can repay his obligations to Sir Bartlemy and ask youto be his wife."
This gave her great joy, admiring in him that quality of pride which shecherished in herself, so that her eyes sparkled again, and her fairbosom swelled with a sigh of satisfaction. Presently she turned againupon me, her pretty lips curved with disdain, and says she:
"And you left him there in that desert alone! Content to save your ownlife, you abandoned him to hopeless solitude. Oh, that I had been a manin your place!"
I hung my head again in silence, feeling it were better to bear herreproach than to attempt an excuse; for I could not trust my tongue toreveal the main reason of my escaping, for fear I should betray hisintention of turning pirate; and this, for the love I bore them, I wasresolved to keep secret.
"Nay," says Sir Bartlemy, coming to my help, but with no greatenthusiasm neither; "never beat the dog that comes home." He paused, andI could fancy his adding to himself, "Curse him, for a mean-spiritedhound, all the same!" Then he continues, in a more hopeful tone, "If hehad not come home, how could we have known of Harry's peril? Come,Benet; tell me that in coming hither you hoped to get succor for Harry."
"You might believe that," says I, "of a man with less heart than youcredit me withal. I came to beg for help because Sir Harry was too proudto beg it himself."
"I knew as much," says he, taking my hand and shaking it heartily. Thenturning to my Lady Biddy, "And now, my dear, what's to do? I have nomoney, and an expense I must be to you all the days that I live, nowthat my all is lost, with a pox to those rascals that robbed me! But youof your plenty will charter a ship to go out and fetch this poor man?"
"More than that must be done," says I. "He will only accept such help aswill enable him to recover all he has lost."
There was approval in Lady Biddy's looks when I said this.
"Odds my life! he's in the right of it," cries Sir Bartlemy, bumping thetable with his fist. "Plague take me if ever I'd come sneaking home withmy tail twixt my legs like a whipped cur that has neither the stomach tobite nor to keep away from his sop. I mean nothing ill with regard toyou, Benet," he adds, turning about to me, "for I hold you have done thepart of a true friend and a good, and have shown more courage and highspirit in this matter than many another. Well, what's to do, girl,eh?"--turning now to Lady Biddy, and rubbing his thighs with his broadhands cheerily.
Lady Biddy, with not less eagerness in her manner, looked to me, andnodded that I should speak all that was in my mind.
"As much must be found as has been lost," says I. "For nothing less inmen or treasure will suffice Sir Harry to reach Manoa. And with that itis a venture, and naught can be done without God's good help, for neverman saw a country so difficult to penetrate or such currents of riversto mount. And first, money must be raised."
"Money shall not lack. I will venture my fortune to the last piece,"says Lady Biddy.
"Ay, and so would I, if I had aught to lose," cried Sir Bartlemy. "Butyou, my girl, may well spare enough for this venture, and yet have asmuch to lay by for another, if that fail."
"No time must be lost," says I.
"Not a moment," cries Lady Biddy, starting up as if she had but to fetchmoney from her strong chest to accomplish all. "You must see about shipsand men at once, uncle."
"Ay," says he, "but who is to command them, and carry help to yoursweetheart in Guiana?"
Lady Biddy looked at him, and he at her, wetting his lips, as one with adainty dish set before him that he would fain eat of.
"I'm an old fellow, but there's life in me yet: there's vigor--there'smanhood," says he; "and if I decay 'twill be only for want of use. And Iknow the seas as well as any man, and I warrant me no crew of mineshould take my ship from me, as from this poor lad, who put too greatfaith in the honesty of seamen. I dream o' nights of ocean seas; andfeather-beds I do hate more than any man can--"
"Then why should not you command this expedition?" says Lady Biddy.
He tried to look astonished at this design; then putting his beardbetwixt his fingers and thumb, and shaking his head doubtfully, he triedto look grave, but his merry eye twinkled with delight at this notion.Yet presently his chap fell, and he looked truly serious.
"My dear," said he, "what am I to do with you? I can not leave a younggirl alone in this place, and you have no relative but me, nor anysteadfast friend to whom I may confide you, and a scurvy to it. Lord!I'd have done it, but for this plaguy obstacle."
Then Lady Biddy, as mad as he and as fond, cries:
"Do you think I will be left at home to mope, as I have in these pastmonths? Nay--where my fortune goes, there go I also."
"And why not?" cries my uncle, banging the table again. "Was there ere abetter governor than Queen Bess, and she was a woman? And no queen thatever lived had a higher spirit or a braver heart than thou, my dear!Kiss me, for I love you. Now go fetch the chart from my closet. Benet"(turning to me), "you shall go with me and be my counsel (as much as youmay, being but a poor sailor, I take it). We'll set to this at once;ships must be bought and men got--honest men--and none of your rascalswho have come home with gold, and te
ll of getting it from the Ingas." Inthis way he ran on, till Lady Biddy came in bringing the chart; and avery good chart it was, so that I had no difficulty in pointing out theisland where we had been set ashore, as I have said.
Then did this uncle and niece lay out their plans gleefully as anychildren designing a holiday jaunt--reckoning nothing of the perils andterrors that I knew lay before us. But this sanguine temper was of thatfamily's nature. And beautiful it was to see that graceful, lovely girlleaning over beside the old knight, following the course he laid down onthe card--her face all aglow with eager hope and love, her eyessparkling, and her rich, ruddy lips sweetly curved in a smile about herlittle white teeth.
I know not how it came about--whether it was the pang which shot throughmy heart as I reflected that this adorable creature was for another andnot for me--that for his sake was she hazarding her fortune and life,while, if she thought of me, it was but with scorn; or whether my bodywas exhausted by the fatigue it had endured in hastening hither and mylong fast (I had walked all night and eaten nothing but scraps ofcow-salad torn from the banks), I cannot say; only this I know that,while I sat there watching that sweet girl, a great sickness andfaintness came upon me, so that I had to rise and go to the window forair.
Then Sir Bartlemy spying me, and how my face was white and the coldsweat standing in beads on my brow, perceived that I was sick. So hebrought me a mug of ale and some meat, which was his remedy for allills. But what did comfort more than these victuals was the kindnessthat filled Lady Biddy's heart when she saw my case. No angel could havebeen more tender. And while this mood was yet upon her, she said in myear:
"Benet, I did you wrong in my too great haste; for I see now that youhave served him with great love, and I must love you for so loving him."
The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane Page 12