The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane

by Frank Barrett

  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  IN WHICH PROVIDENCE, NOT TO BE ALWAYS SCOURGING OF US, PROVIDES US WITHGOOD ENTERTAINMENT.

  After marching best part of an hour we came to a storehouse and farm,where our guide procured mules (to Lady Biddy's great relief and mycontentment), and with this help we came about eleven o'clock to a smalltown, build on the side of a hill, at the mouth of a fair river, andcovered by a stout fortress; and here were we conducted at once to thehouse of the governor, which stood in the midst of a fine garden, aspretty a seat as one could hope to see in such an outlandish part. Afterwaiting in the courtyard, where we dismounted, some little while, theservant who had carried a message from our two friends (as I may callthose fellows to whom we owed our lives) came back, and led us through agateway into the midst of the garden, where on a fair green lawn, underthe shade of a striped sheet of silk, fastened with colored cords (veryfine) to high palmettos at the four corners of the green, sat half adozen gentlemen and a lady about a table, on which was spread a repastthat set my mouth watering. The gentlemen were all very handsomelydressed in the Spanish mode, and the lady (who was the governor's wife)was also very richly arrayed in a lace farthingale, but as ugly a womanof fifty or thereabouts as ever I did see; and particularly insolent,for ere we had got near her by five yards she held up her hand to bid usstay; and, clapping a scent-bottle to her hooky nose, put on anexpression of loathing and disgust, as though we had been dirty dogs.

  This disdain, however, was by no means obvious in the rest of thecompany, who, taking but slight notice of me, did gaze at Lady Biddy asthough they would stare her out of countenance; so that I know not if Iwas better pleased with their impudence than with the old tabby'sinsolence.

  The governor, who was as handsome as his wife was ordinary, with asnow-white beard and mustaches, but jet black eyebrows over his softdark eyes, made a slight inclination of his head to Lady Biddy (as muchas he dared in his wife's presence), and, turning to our friends, spoketo them, asking (as I guess) how we had fallen into their hands:whereupon the fellows, with their hats in their hands, very humbly laidthe whole matter before him, the gentlemen listening with growingastonishment, glancing from the speakers to me, and then to Lady Biddy,while the governor's wife, fanning herself with a tuft of marabout, fromtime to time put in a word to our disadvantage, as I conceived by hergestures. When the men had made an end of their history, the governor,turning to me spoke a word or two in Portuguese--for I learnt afterwardsthat all the company were Portugals--to which I answered in English tillhe stopped me with a shrug of his shoulders, when I tried him in lowDutch; but he only shook his head at that. Then Lady Biddy, in hersweet, clear voice, ventured a word or two in Italian, as beingsomething like the language he spoke. Upon which the governor, with avery amiable smile, replied in the same tongue, and my lady proceeded intelling our story.

  And now was I heartily glad I had not made myself understood; for I musthave made a sad bungling business of it in comparison with herperformance. I knew not a word of what she said, yet could I notsufficiently admire her noble calm, her easy self-command, her gracefultone and gestures, and fearless mien.

  I might have pleaded for compassion; she did nothing of the kind. Shetold of the wrong we had suffered with no mournful note, but with a toneof contempt for those who were so base as to abandon the respect due toher. She spoke in another key of the attack made by the barbarians, forthey were rather to be pitied for a savage cruelty sprung from theirmisfortunes: she turned with a gracious inclination of her head to thetwo men in acknowledging their courtesy, and then, facing the governor'swife, she seemed to be demanding of her the courtesy of one lady towardsanother; and in conclusion, with a deep curtsey, thanked the governor inadvance for the hospitality which the representative of a proud kingwould undoubtedly extend to the unfortunate subjects of abrother-sovereign thrown upon his coast.

  I knew, I say, not one word of the tongue she spoke; yet had I been asproficient in the language as she, I could not have better understoodthat which she was saying, and this simply by the consummate eloquenceof her manner.

  Her speech ended, the governor rose, and before he spoke placed hischair for her use, standing erect until the servant ran forward withanother chair for him and one for me. Indeed, her speech had a marvelouseffect upon the whole company. The governor's lady absolutely smiledupon us--for Lady Biddy had not omitted to state that she was noble bybirth, and that I was her cousin--and the gentlemen, taking shame fortheir impudence, were now less prepared to meet her eyes than shetheirs. All this did comfort me greatly to perceive, and my heartswelled with pride for that I was the companion of such an excellent andbeautiful lady.

  The governor, being seated, made a little speech in an amiable tone,which Lady Biddy at once translated to me, that he might see I was to beher partner in good fortune as I had been in ill; and the gist of hismatter, divested of fine compliments, was that as soon as he hadproperly fulfilled his personal duty as a host, he should take propermeans to convey us to our country.

  "Tell him," says I, "that though I shall be happy to leave his roof adebtor, yet I do fear we shall have to cry quite before I go."

  Lady Biddy looked perplexed, but she gave my message.

  "The governor wishes to know," says she, when he had replied, "what youimply by your message, and so do I," adds she, in the same tone.

  "Ask him if he knows a man with pointed teeth named Rodrigues."

  After a little consideration among the company, the governor repliedthrough Lady Biddy that he knew no one with pointed teeth.

  "Tell him," says I again, "that Rodrigues is the pirate from whom weescaped; that he is an excellent navigator as ever sailed the sea, andknows this coast by heart; wherefore I do think by his anchoring half adozen leagues off to search for water, instead of coming in here forrefreshments--which had been the simpler and surer means--that heharbors some sinister design upon the riches of this town."

  The governor looked grave on hearing this, and his lady set to crossingherself and calling on her saint for succor. Presently the governorreplied.

  "I am to tell you," says Lady Biddy, "that Dom Sebastian d'Estovalderosis prepared to meet any foe, and fears none. At the same time he thanksyou for your hint, and I think by his manner the old gentleman will bevery glad of a few more."

  "Tell him," says I, "that I could not presume to offer advice to aPortugal and a soldier, with any other flattery you think proper; but Ishould feel more sure of my own skin if he would send out spies alongthe coast to the west to warn us of the pirate's movements."

  Dom Sebastian took this in very good part, and at once gave orders tothe men who had brought us in, and they departing at once, he eagerlyasked if he could make any other arrangement to increase my sense ofsecurity.

  I bade Lady Biddy let him know that Rodrigues was a man of extremesubtlety and a crafty villain, who, understanding the temper of thesavages towards their masters, might secretly stir them up to rebellionwith a view to diverting attention from his attack, and that therefore Ishould feel easier if the naturals were for a time deprived of theirbows and arrows.

  The governor vowed they should all be sent in irons up the country atthe first approach of Rodrigues, but that, as to their bows, it wasimpossible to find where they kept them adding that to conceal thesecherished arms they had so quickly scattered at the first musket-shot ofhis factors. Further, he wished to know what else he could do for me.

  "Tell him," says I, getting weary of this business, "that I will let himknow while I am eating if any other precaution occurs to my mind; butthat, before anything else, I would be glad to have a basin of water anda clean shirt."

  I know not how Lady Biddy suggested this, but certain it is that, aftera few more civilities were exchanged a lackey led me off to one part ofthe house, while Mistress Sebastian herself carried Lady Biddy toanother. And here was I waited on hand and foot, my old suit strippedoff, and a very handsome dress laid out for me, which the governorbegged I would accept until his t
ailor could make me a better; and whileone fellow was tying my garters and buckling my shoes, another waspointing my beard and cropping my head in the Spanish fashion. In fine,betwixt one and the other, I was so changed that when I came to look inthe glass I did not know myself for Benet Pengilly. But I was notdispleased with my appearance; nay, on the contrary--to tell thetruth--I was as vain of myself as any coxcomb, and if I had possessedit, I would freely have given a piece to the fellow who trimmed my head,and another to him who had tied my garters, etc. And now I went out intothe garden with a strut and a flourish, as though this bravery wasnaught to me, though my heart was all of a flutter to know how LadyBiddy would take my looks.

  She had not yet descended when I came to the company, who were alllaying their heads together very close in discussion, standing in a knotsome way from the table, which was laid out with a very elegant repast.

  Seeing me approach, the gentlemen broke off their conversation, and DomSebastian made a sign that I should sit down to table, but this I wouldnot do in the absence of Lady Biddy, albeit I was very sharp-set.Presently she came from the house with the governor's lady. I made thema prodigious fine bow, and they curtsied to me; and was flattered to thetop of my bent to perceive how my lady did regard me from the corner ofher eye with pleasure and approval.

  She also had changed her torn frock for a gown of black silk, and withthis she wore a kerchief of lace thrown loosely over her head, which,like a dark setting to a fair pearl, did add to the lustre of herdelicate skin and sparkling eyes--if it be possible to increase thebeauty of that which in itself is perfect; in a word, she did ravish theeye.

  And if those Portugals had before admired her, disheveled andill-arrayed, there is no word to express their regard now. A littlemurmur arose amongst them as she gracefully took her seat at the table;and while one betook himself to get a posey for her bosom, and anotherset a cushion for her feet, the rest clustered around her like beesabout a honey-bloom, offering her delicacies from the store set beforeus.

  Lady Biddy was pleased to receive this homage, and, despite the accursedjealousy of my nature, I bore them no ill-will for their attentions toher, feeling that I was as good as any grandee amongst them, and betterin my dear Lady Biddy's esteem.

  After we had eaten to our heart's content, the governor very politelyoffered me some tobacco, which there they do not use in pipes, butrolled up in sticks about the bigness of a farthing candle, whichtobacco is very excellent smoking indeed; and so, being risen, thegovernor gave his arm to Lady Biddy, and we strolled to that part of thegrounds which commanded a wide view of the town, the river, and the seabeyond.

  At that moment a runner came in, sweating with haste, to tell that aship was in sight; but we needed not his warning, for I had alreadyspied in the distance a sail which I knew at a glance for the _BlackDeath_.