The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane

by Frank Barrett

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE CROSSED HEART.

  When two impetuous streams join and flow together, their course mustneeds be swift--whether to flow into the sweet and happy valley, or intothe dark and horrid gulf. Thus while my uncle occupied himself in onematter, Lady Biddy busied herself in another, and both to the equipmentof this new expedition; so that in an incredible short space of time allprovision was achieved, and we were ready to set out.

  First there were ships to be procured, and seamen to serve them. Forbetter choice, Sir Bartlemy journeyed over to Portsmouth, taking me withhim, and a well-stuffed purse, together with a dozen lusty servants forour safe escort through those lawless and dangerous parts which laybetwixt Truro and Exeter, where no man rides safe.

  Being come without mishap to Portsmouth, Sir Bartlemy went to an oldacquaintance of his, a broker and a very honest man, and with him wewent and examined all those ships that were to sell, choosing in the endtwo that were after his heart; excellent fair ships too, sound andswift, that had sailed the seas, one two years and the other four; forSir Bartlemy would have no new ships, but only such as had stood thetest of tempest, and were fully seasoned.

  While this was a-doing I made a discovery which gave me no littleconcern. The broker would have us look at a French ship, albeit SirBartlemy declared he would trust himself in no timbers that had notgrown in England; however, to humor him, we went to the side of theharbor where she lay. But at the first sight of her my uncle turned uphis nose, and began to find a hundred faults, finally declaring thatnothing good ever came out of France save her wines, and that it wouldbe time better spent to drink a pint of Bordeaux than to go further withthe examination of such a cursed piece of shipbuilding. With that heinvited the broker to crack a bottle in an adjacent tavern, which theydid without further ado. But something in the look of this ship arousingmy curiosity, I feigned to have no liking for wine, and getting thebroker's leave to visit the ship, I hired a wherry and was carried toher.

  _La Belle Esperance_ was her name, and she was painted quite fresh invery lively colors, after the sort of French ships; but for all thatwhen I got on board my suspicions were stronger than ever; for the makeof the ship (being little altered) was, as I may say, familiar to me.And straight I went into the coach, and so to the little cabin on thelarboard side, and there on a certain timber I sought and found thismark, cut deep in the wood:

  Heart with horizontal line through center]

  Then I knew beyond doubt that this ship, despite its new name and freshpaint, was none other than the _Sure Hawk_. For this crossed heart wasmy cipher (making the letters B. P. after a fashion if looked atsidelong) which I had engraved with my own hand and of my own invention.

  I needed no further proof, but, being greatly troubled, went straightwayashore. And there finding occasion to speak privately with the broker, Iquestioned him concerning this ship: how long she had lain atPortsmouth, etc.

  "Why, sir," says he, very civilly, "she has been here three weeks, andno more. To tell you the truth, she was a French pirate, though I saidnothing of that matter to Sir Bartlemy to add to his prejudice. But sheis a good ship, and was taken by some honest Englishmen trading inspices."

  "And what was the name of their ship who took this?" I asked.

  "That I cannot tell you," he replies, "for their ship was so disabled inthe fight that they had to abandon her and come home in this."

  "Do you know these men or their captain?"

  "No, sir, for they were of Hull; but I believe the captain's name wasAdams, for I heard of him yesterday."

  "In what respect?"

  "It was in this wise. He bought a new ship of a brother broker here--theFrench vessel being not to his taste, nor big enough for hispurpose--and sailed it hence to fit out and victual at Hull, where hiscrew would fain see their friends; and to Hull we thought he had gone.But my friend having necessity to go to St. Ives, in Cornwall, did theresee this very ship, and Captain Adams with his men ashore, all drunk asany fiddlers; which amazed him, so that he spoke of it as a thing not tobe understood."

  But I understood this well enough, and therefore I laid the whole matterbefore my uncle, and would have had him go with me to St. Ives, where Idoubted not but we should find Captain Adams to be Rodrigues, and so layhim and his rascally crew by the heels, besides seizing his ship for ourredress.

  But my uncle would not agree to this.

  "For," says he, "in the first place, it is a tedious business to stirthe Admiralty to our profit, and in that time this Rodrigues--curse hisbones!--may get wind of our intent and slip through our fingers; and,secondly, I hold it best not to stir up a sleeping dog, but to get onwhile one is safe. Added to which, every moment's delay is as much as ayear of suffering to Harry."

  To this I could make no objection, so I agreed to keep what I knewsecret. But I perceived full well that my uncle, had he not openlyexpressed to his friend such contempt for the French ship (as he thoughther) would have let Sir Harry wait until he had proved her to be the_Sure Hawk_ and brought Rodrigues to justice, for he was very revengefulwhen roused, and full of hatred for the man who cheated him; but becausehe feared ridicule--having condemned that for worthless which but twelvemonths before he had bought for the best ship ever built--he would donothing. For which weakness, God knows, he was fully punished in theend.

  Our business being brought to an end at Portsmouth, we sailed our newships into Falmouth Haven; and their names were the _Sea Lion_ and the_Faithful Friend_. And here were piles of merchandise waiting to beshipped, for Lady Biddy Fane had faithfully bought and prepared everysort of thing in just proportion as before our going Sir Bartlemy hadset down an inventory; and none but a capable woman of stout purpose andstrong heart could have done so much.

  To work went all to get this store aboard--the very house servants beingpressed into service (such as they could compass), under the directionof Lady Biddy; yet could not all be done in a day, nor much less thanthree weeks, and no time lost.

  All this time my mind was exceedingly uneasy, less Rodrigues should hearof our expedition, and seek to do us harm. And with this dread I madeinquiries (privately) if during my absence any one had called to see me,and I found no one had asked for me. Then I felt sure that Rodrigues orParsons and his men were at Penzance, and none others but they. Forotherwise to a certainty the wives and sweethearts of those men drawnfrom Penny-come-quick and Truro to our first venture, hearing as theymust of my return, would have sought me for tidings of them. And if theywere in communication with those men, then must our enemies know that Ihad come back, and that another expedition was fitting out. I knew thenature of Rodrigues--subtile and daring wretch!--merciless in thepursuit of plunder, and bloody as those beasts of prey which will kill,though they be too surfeited to eat, their quarry.

  At length all was ready for our departure. Lady Biddy having paid offall her servants (save a good wench whom she took with her) sent herplate and treasures to a silver-smith in Exeter; and so, to cut thismatter short, put her estate in the hands of a trusty steward, and badefarewell to her friends. We all got on board: my uncle and Lady Biddy inthe _Faithful Friend_, which was the larger and better ship of the two,and I in the _Sea Lion_. For though Sir Bartlemy would have had me withhim, and Lady Biddy said nothing to discourage me therefrom, yet did Ifeel that it would be better that I should not see her, fearing herbeauty might stir up the passion in my breast, and lead me again intoevil thoughts.

  It was arranged that the breeze proving prosperous the next morning weshould depart at break of day; and license was given to the crew to makemerry on board till ten o'clock, that they might start with a cheerfulheart.

  Now while the men were rejoicing after the fashion of mariners, therecomes a wherry alongside with a woman in it; and this woman cries out toknow if Jack Stone is aboard that ship or the _Faithful Friend_. Therewas no man of our crew with that name; but this woman being comely andbuxom, with a merry face, the men did pretend that Jack Stone wasaboard, but too drunk to
stir; and with that they asked her to come upand give him a kiss for farewell.

  "Why," says she, coming up the side without more ado, "do you start sosoon? Jack told me yesterday you did not set out for a week."

  "We sail at daybreak, sweetheart," says the gunner, taking her about thewaist.

  And this was what she had come to learn, as I feel convinced; for assoon as she had heard as much as was to be pumped out of these fuddledfellows, she left them, and was rowed ashore, never having again askedafter the man she called Jack Stone.

  The purser being a sober man, I asked him if he knew the woman, and hetold me he knew her well for a Penzance woman.

  "Then," thinks I, "Rodrigues has brought his ship round to be near us,and he has sent this woman for a spy. From Penzance she has come on thismission, and to Penzance she has returned; and so God help us."