by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XI
AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE
It was lunch-time when the visitors landed, and they proceeded to theSt. George's Hotel in Market Square, to attend to this mid-day duty. Inthe coffee-room they found quite a number of guests, and the only spareseat the detective found was at a large table at which a gentleman inuniform was seated.
"Wit your permis-si-on, I take one of the places here," said M. Rubemprewith his politest flourish.
"Certainly," replied the gentleman, as politely as the Frenchman; and heseated himself at the table, Christy remaining standing.
"_Demandez un garcon_" (ask for a waiter), "Christophe." Then in Frenchhe asked the stranger opposite him if he spoke that language.
"A little, sir; but I am not fluent in it," replied the gentleman in thesame language.
"Ah, my dear sir, you speak very well; and you have the Parisianaccent," added the Frenchman, who, like his countrymen, counted upon theeffect of a little well-administered flattery.
"You are very kind to say so, sir. I have been in Paris a few months,and was always able to make my way with the language," said thestranger, evidently pleased with the commendation bestowed upon hisFrench accent; for many people take more pride in their foreign accentthan in the proper use of their own language.
"Christophe, find a place for yourself, and order what you desire,"continued the Frenchman, as a waiter, summoned by the acting servant,presented himself to take the order.
At this moment a gentleman behind the detective vacated his place at thetable, and Christy took a seat close to his companion. The lunch of bothwas ordered, and the stranger opposite had but just commenced his meal.M. Rubempre "laid himself out" to make himself as agreeable as possible,and he seemed to be succeeding admirably, for the stranger appeared tobe absolutely charmed with him. Speaking slowly and clearly, so that theperson in uniform, who did not speak French fluently, could understandhim, he told him all about his brother in the Confederate army, andstrongly expressed his desire to join him, and perhaps the army, for hehad very strong sympathy for the right in the great conflict; in fact,he was disposed to engage in fighting for the right.
Then he inquired of his new friend what wine was the best in the island.The stranger preferred sherry, but perhaps a Frenchman might take adifferent view of the subject. M. Rubempre ordered both sherry andclaret, and then filled the glasses of his _vis-a-vis_ and his own. Hedid not offer any to his servant, for he knew that he never touched it.They drank claret first to each other's health.
"You are in the military, my friend?" continued the detective.
"No, sir; I am a sailor. Allow me to introduce myself as CaptainRombold, of the steamer Dornoch."
"I am extremely happy to make your acquaintance, Captain Rombold. Toreciprocate, I am M. Rubempre, of Paris," added the Frenchman, as hefilled his companion's glass, and they tippled again with an abundanceof compliments. "I presume that you are in the British navy, CaptainRombold?"
"At present I am not, though I was formerly in that service, andresigned to engage in a more lucrative occupation."
"Indeed, what could be better than the position of an officer in theRoyal navy?"
"I am now a commander in the navy of the Confederate States," added thecaptain, looking with interest into the face of his companion. "I amtaking in coal and cargo, and shall sail at five to-morrow afternoon forWilmington."
"Is it possible?" said M. Rubempre, who appeared to be greatly impressedby what was said to him. "I wish I was a sailor, but I am not. You willbreak through the blockade?"
"I apprehend no difficulty in doing that, for the Dornoch is good forfourteen knots an hour, and most of the Federal fleet cannot make morethan twelve."
Christy was very glad to hear this acknowledgment of the speed of theintended cruiser, for it assured him that the Chateaugay could outsailher. The two gentlemen at the other table passed the wine very freely,and both of them seemed to be considerably exhilarated; but he was gladto perceive that his friend allowed the captain to do the most of thetalking. The lunch was finished at last, and both of them rose from thetable.
"I am exceedingly obliged to you, M. Rubempre, for the pleasure I havederived from this interview," said Captain Rombold, as he grasped thehand of his companion. "I have had more practice with my French than forseveral years, and I take great delight in speaking the language. I hopewe shall meet again."
"Thanks! Thanks! I am very sure that we shall meet again; and almost assure that we shall meet fighting for the right," added the Frenchman.
"But I hope you will be a passenger on board of the Dornoch, as yousuggested to me a little while ago. I will give you a good stateroom,though I cannot absolutely promise to take you to the port of ourdestination, for accidents may happen in the midst of the blockaders."
"If I can go with you, my dear Captain Rombold, I shall be on board ofyour ship by four to-morrow afternoon," replied the detective, as hetook the hand of his new friend for the last time.
Christy had finished his lunch, and they left the hotel together. Thecarriage in which they had come called for them at the appointed time,and they returned to Hamilton. The conversation was continued in French,so that the driver was none the wiser for what he heard. At the Atlanticthey went to their rooms, where the information they had obtained wascollaborated, and written down in French, the detective concealing it ina belt pocket he wore on his body.
"The wonder to me has been that these officers talked so freely," saidChristy, as they seated themselves at a window. "They talked to you asplainly as though you had been their friend for life."
"Why shouldn't they? They can't help knowing that I am a Frenchman; andI am sorry to say that my countrymen, like so many of the English,sympathize with the South in the great Civil War. They take me for afriend at once. Besides, as they understand the matter here, why shouldthese blockade-runners, or even the Confederate commander, object totelling what they are going to do. There will be no mail steamer to NewYork till after they have all gone off; and there is no telegraph yet."
"Perhaps you are right, M. Rubempre; but I think a good deal morediscretion would become them better, as they are likely to ascertainvery soon," added Christy.
"I suppose none of these people here would consider it possible orpracticable to land at these islands and pick up the news, as we havedone. This was my plan for Nassau, but I did not think of applying it tothe Bermudas, till Captain Chantor told me his difficulty as to waitingfor the Dornoch."
"It seems to me we have done all we can do here, and there is nothingmore to do."
"That is very true; but I supposed it would take at least two days to doour business. We have been much more successful than I anticipated, andperformed the duty in half the time I supposed it would require. But itwas better to have too much time than too little."
"It is nearly night now, and we have another day to spend here."
"We can rest from our labors in the hope that our works will follow us.I am ready to do a good deal of sleeping in the time that remains to us,for we may not be able to sleep any to-morrow night," added thedetective as he threw himself on his bed, and was soon fast asleep.
Christy had slept enough the night before and during the morning; and hewent out to take a walk in the town. He had taken off his suit of black,and put on the costume he had worn from the ship. He was inclined to seewhat there was in the town; and he walked about till it was dark, atwhich time he found himself in the vicinity of the Hamilton Hotel, thelargest and best appointed in the town. He was dressed very plainly, butthere was nothing shabby in his appearance; and he thought he wouldinspect the interior of the hotel.
He began to mount the piazza, when he suddenly halted, and started backwith astonishment, and his hair almost stood on end. Directly in frontof him, and not ten feet distant, sat his uncle, Homer Passford, ofGlenfield, talking with a gentleman in uniform. The lantern that hungnear him enabled him to see the features of the planter, but he couldnot see the face of the
officer, with whom he was engaged in a veryearnest conversation.
Christy's first impulse was to put a long distance between himself andhis uncle, for his father's brother might identify him in spite of thecolor on his face. Such a discovery was likely to prove very annoying tohim, and might render useless the information the detective and himselfhad obtained with so much trouble and risk. But the first question thatcame into his head was the inquiry as to what his uncle was doing inBermuda. He was a Confederate of the most positive type, had doneeverything in his power for his government, as he understood it, and waswilling to sacrifice his life and all that he had in the world in itsservice.
Colonel Passford must be there on some mission. He was a prominent anduseful man in his State; and he would not have left it without some verystrong motive. The nephew would have given a great deal, and exposedhimself to no little peril, to be able to fathom this motive. He movedaway from the piazza, and went upon it at another place. If he couldhear some of the conversation he might be able to form some idea of theoccasion of his uncle's visit.
Walking along the platform, he obtained a position behind ColonelPassford, and at the same time saw the face of the person with whom hewas in conversation. He was not a little surprised to discover that thegentleman was Captain Rombold, commander of the Dornoch. He had hardlyseen this officer, and he had no fear that he would recognize him; and,if he did, it was of little consequence, for he was there in thecapacity of a servant. He took a vacant chair, turned his back to bothof the speakers, and opened wide his ears. Probably nine-tenths of thepeople in the hotel were directly or indirectly concerned in thebusiness of blockade-running; and secrecy was hardly necessary in thatlocality.
"As I say, Captain Rombold, we need more fast steamers, not to run theblockade, but to prey upon the enemy's commerce. In that way we canbring the people of the North to their senses, and put this unhallowedstrife on the part of the Federals to an end," said Colonel Passford.
"Well, Colonel, there are ships enough to be had on the other side ofthe Atlantic, and your money or your cotton will buy them," added thenaval officer.
"We have been rather unfortunate in running cotton out this last year.Several steamers and sailing vessels that I fitted out with cottonmyself were captured by my own nephew, who was in command of a smallsteamer called the Bronx."
"Of course those things could not be helped," replied Captain Rombold;"but with the Gateshead and the Kilmarnock, larger and more powerfulsteamers than any that have been sent over, you can scour the ocean.They are ready for you when your money is ready."
"It is ready now, for I have sacrificed my entire fortune for thepurchase of these steamers; and I wait only for a vessel that will takeme to Scotland," replied Colonel Passford.
Christy promptly decided that the steamers mentioned should not bepurchased to prey on the commerce of the United States, if he couldpossibly prevent it.