Percival Keene

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

  I had written to Cross, informing him of my promotion, and his beingappointed to the Diligente.

  I had been a fortnight with the admiral when the Naiad arrived with theprizes in company, and, my wound being now cured, I took leave of theadmiral, and went down, that I might superintend the fitting out of mynew vessel. As there were supernumerary men expected out of England,the admiral, at my suggestion, allowed me to turn over the crew of theFirefly to form the nucleus of my ship's company, and made up mycomplement from his own ship.

  In two months I was ready for sea, and most anxious to be off. Theadmiral perceived my impatience, but, as there was no other vessel inthe harbour, he would not let me go until another arrived, to be at hisdisposal in case of emergency. The weariness of so long remaining inharbour was, however, a little relieved by a circumstance which tookplace, and which probably will make my readers imagine that mypropensity for playing tricks was not quite eradicated.

  I lodged at a sort of hotel, kept by a mulatto woman of the name ofCrissobella, as the negroes termed her, originally Christobela. She wasof Spanish blood by the father's side, and had come down from theHavannah. She was very portly; very proud and dignified in hercarriage, and demanded as much attention from her lodgers as a ladywould who had received us as her guests, so that, to gain and retainadmittance into her hostelry, it was necessary not only to pay a largebill, but compliments to an equal amount. She was very rich, possessednumerous slaves, and was perfectly independent of keeping an hotel. Ibelieved she preferred to have something for her slaves and herself todo, and moreover, probably, she felt that if she retired she should bethought a person of no consequence, whereas in her present position shereceived a great deal of attention. One thing was certain, that ifthose who lodged and boarded with her were very polite, and, on theirreturn from any other place, brought her small presents, she was veryindifferent as to their paying their bill; nay, to those who were herfavourites, her purse was open, and a handful of doubloons was freelytendered, if required.

  The living was the same as at a boarding-house. Breakfast was ready inthe large hall by nine o'clock, and remained there until every one hadcome down at their own hour. Dinner was always ready at five o'clock,and then Crissobella presided at the table. She admitted civilians,army officers, and navy, down to midshipmen; but warrant officers andcaptains of merchant vessels were considered too low. On the whole, itwas a very pleasant establishment, as the private rooms were wellfurnished, the slaves numerous, and the attendance very good.Considering the price of most eatables on that island, it could not beconsidered as very dear, although the wines, etcetera, made up aformidable bill at the end of the month.

  This kind of exclusiveness on the part of Signora Crissobella made thehotel quite the fashion, and certainly it was by far the best in thetown. The inmates of it at this time were besides me Lieut. ThomasDott and Lieut. William Maxwell, both appointed to the Diligente; threeor four young civilians, on mercantile speculations from New York; threemidshipmen, who had been left behind on account of fever, and who werepromising fair, by the life they were now leading, to be very soon sentto the hospital again; and one or two planters from the other islands.The latter and I were very well behaved, but the civilians were noisy,drinking and smoking from morning till night. The midshipmen wereequally troublesome; and as for the new-made lieutenants, they were soauthoritative and so disagreeable, and gave themselves suchconsequential airs, that Mammy Crissobella, as the slaves called her,was quite indignant--she had never had such a disorderly set in herhouse.

  She complained to me, and I spoke to them, but that was of little use.I had no power over the young merchants, and the three midshipmen didnot belong to my ship. As for my lieutenants, I could not say much attheir giving themselves airs at an hotel where they paid for what theyhad. It was not an offence that a captain could remonstrate upon. Itherefore merely said, that Mammy Crissobella could not have them in herhouse if they did not leave off their treatment of the slaves, and ifthey continued to give her so much trouble and annoyance. At last ourhostess would stand their behaviour no longer, and ordered them all toleave the hotel, sending in their bills; but they all were unanimous indeclaring that they would not go, and it was not very easy to use forceon such occasions. I tried all I could to make matters right, but myefforts were of little avail. At last Mammy Crissobella became quitefurious. She did not make any alteration in the meals, as that would bepunishing all of us; but she refused wine and spirits; this they did notcare for, as they sent for it elsewhere by their own servants, and therewas nothing but noise and confusion all day along. Mammy often came toappeal to me, and wished to go to the governor, but I persuaded her notto do so; and the mutiny continued, and every day there was nothing butaltercation at the meals.

  "So help me God, gemmen, you no gemmen. You make wish me dead, dat youdo. I tak obeah water some day. I not live like this," said MammyCrissobella. "I take pepper-pot--I kill myself."

  "Pray don't do that," replied Tommy Dott; "we shall be put to theexpense of mourning."

  "And I shall weep my eyes out," continued one of the mercantilegentlemen.

  "Weep your eyes out--is that all? I shall blow my brains out," saidanother.

  "And I will lie down on your grave and die," said the third.

  "Dat all very well, gemmen; you say dat and laugh--but I no slave.'Pose I not get you out my house, I ab _vengeance_, now I tell you, solook to that. Yes," continued Mammy Crissobella, striking the tablewith her fist, "I ab revenge."

  "I have been thinking," said one of the mids, "what I shall do if MammyCrissobella takes pepper-pot; I shall marry Leila, and keep the hotel.Mammy, you'll leave me the plate and furniture."

  Leila was the head female slave--a very well-featured young mulattogirl, and a great favourite, as she was always laughing, always in goodhumour, and very kind and attentive. At this remark Leila laughed, andMammy Crissobella, who observed her showing her white teeth, "You laugh,you huzzy: what you laugh for, Leila? Get away--get out of room. Igive you nice flogging, by-by. You dare laugh--you take side againstme, you nigger."

  I must here observe that Mammy Crissobella had been closeted with me forsome time previous to this scene, and that Leila and the two planterswere in the secret; this was, of course, unknown, and the hostess'sanger appeared now to be extended towards me and the two planters, withwhom she had been on good terms.

  Shortly afterwards Mammy rose and left the room, and then I spoke to theparty, and told them that they were driving the poor woman toextremities. The planters agreed with me, and we argued the case withthem, but the majority were, of course, against us, and the youngmerchants appeared to be very much inclined to be personal with me. Atlast I replied, "Very well, gentlemen--as you please; but as I happen tobe well known both to the admiral and governor I give you fair warningthat, if this continues much longer, I will report the affair. I shouldbe very sorry to do so; but the house is now very uncomfortable, and youhave no right to remain when the landlady insists upon your going."

  At this reply of mine the naval portion of the guests were silent, butthe civilians more insolent than before. I did not wish to come to openwar, so I said nothing more, and left the table. After I was gone, therefractory parties made more noise than ever. Just before the dinnerhour on the following day, Mammy Crissobella sent a circular round tothe young men, stating that she could not receive them at dinner. Theyall laughed, and went down to table as before. The dinner was betterthan usual, and they complimented Mammy upon it. Mammy, who had takenher seat with a scowl on her brow, and had not spoken a word, merelybowed her head in reply to their observations.

  Dinner was over, and then Mammy desired Leila to bring her a gobletwhich was on the sideboard, and a small white jug which was in the_buffet_. She appeared much distressed, and hesitated a good deal,putting the goblet to her lips, and then putting it down on the tablewithout tasting it. This conduct induced us all to look
seriously ather. At last she took it up, sighed deeply, and drank the whole off ata draught. For a few seconds she held her hand over her forehead, withher elbows resting on the table. At last she looked up and said,"Gemmen, I got a little speech to make--I very sorry dat I not drinkyour health; but it no use--dat why you see me drink; I tell plenty timeyou make me mad--you make me drink obeah water--make me kill myself.Now I ab done it--I drink pison water just now. In two hour I deadwoman."

  At this communication, the truth of which appeared confirmed by thewoman's behaviour, all the company started from their chairs.

  "Gemmen, I dare say you all very sorry; you be more sorry by-and-by.Captain, I beg your pardon; Mr W---, Mr G (the two planters), I begyour pardon; I not mean hurt you, but could not help it. Now I tell allcompany, all drink the pison water--because I not like die on thejibbit, I drink de pison water--Gemmen your dinner all pison, and youall pisoned. Yes, all pisoned," cried Mammy Crissobella at the highestpitch of her voice, and rushing out of the room.

  At this announcement, I started from my chair and clasped my hands, asif in agony. I looked round me--never did I witness such a variety ofhorror as was expressed in the different faces at the hotel. The oldplanter; Mr D, who sat next to me, and who was in the secret as well asMr G, laid his head on the table with a groan. "The Lord have mercy onmy sins," exclaimed Mr G; Mr Lieutenant Maxwell looked me in the face,and then burst into tears; Mr Lieutenant Dott put his fingers down histhroat, and with three or four more getting rid of their dinner as fastas they could.

  At last I sprang up to ring the bell; no one answered. I rang againmore furiously. At last a slave appeared.

  "Where's my servant?"

  "Not here, sar."

  "Where's all the people of the house?"

  "All with missy, sar; Mammy Crissobella die."

  "Run down then to the beach, and desire the surgeon of the brig to comeup immediately."

  "Yes, sar," replied the negro, leaving the room.

  "Oh, I feel it now--here," exclaimed I, putting my hand to my chest;"I'm suffocating."

  "And so do I," replied one of the midshipmen, weeping.

  The girl Leila now entered the room in tears. "Mammy dead," said she."Oh Captain Keene, I very sorry for you: you come with me, I give yousomething. I know how stop pison."

  "Do you, Leila? then give it me; quick, quick."

  "Yes, yes; give it us quick."

  "I not stuff enough but I make more when I gib what I ab to CaptainKeene. You all stay still, not move; pose you move about, make pisonwork. I come back soon as I can."

  Leila then took my arm and led me tottering out of the room, when I wentto Mammy Crissobella, and laughed till I cried; but the punishment wasnot over. After remaining about ten minutes looking at each other, butneither speaking nor moving, in pursuance of Leila's direction, with theutmost despair in their countenances, they were gladdened by the returnof Leila with a large jug, out of which she administered a glass of somecompound or another to each of them. I watched at the door, and theeagerness with which they jostled and pushed each other to obtain thedose before the rest was very amusing, and never did they swallow anyliquor with so much avidity, little imagining that, instead of takingwhat was to cure them, they were now taking what was to make them verysick; but so it was; and in a few minutes afterwards the scene ofgroaning, crying, screaming, writhing with pain, was quite awful.

  After a time, the slaves came in and carried them all to theirrespective beds, leaving them to their own reflections, and the violenteffects of the drugs administered, which left them no repose for thatnight, and in a state of utter exhaustion on the following morning.

  At daylight I went into Mr Dott's room with the surgeon, to whom I hadconfided the secret. Tommy was a miserable object.

  "Thank heaven! here is one still alive," said the surgeon to me.

  "Oh! Captain Keene," said Tommy, "I'm glad to see that you are so well;but you had the remedy given you long before we had."

  "Yes," replied I, "it was given me in good time; but I hope it was nottoo late with you."

  "I feel very bad," replied Tommy. "Doctor, do you think I shall live?"

  The doctor felt his pulse, and looked very grave; at last he said, "Ifyou get over the next twelve hours, I think you may."

  "How many are dead?" inquired Tommy.

  "I don't know; you are the first that I have visited; it's a shockingbusiness."

  "I've been thinking that we were very wrong," said Tommy; "we ought notto have driven the poor woman to desperation. If I do recover, herdeath will be on my conscience."

  "I'm glad to hear you say that, Tommy," replied I; "but the doctor saysyou must remain very quiet, and therefore I shall leave you. Good-bye;I will see you again this evening."

  "Good-bye, sir, and I hope you'll forgive me for not having been sorespectful as I should have been."

  "Yes, yes, Tommy; we have been friends too long for that."

  Mammy Crissobella's dose had certainly put an end to all Tommy's spiritof resistance. All the others who had been victims to our plot werekept in the dark as to the real facts, and, as soon as they were able tobe moved, paid their bills to Leila, and left the house.