Percival Keene

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

  I had not called upon old Waghorn, the uncle of Jane; as I was fearfulthat he might recognise the pretended agent of former days with the nowcaptain of the Circe. The blind are very acute in all their othersenses,--a species of reparation made by nature by way ofindemnification for the severe loss which they have sustained.

  As I grew older I grew wiser, and I could not help remarking, that theacts of deceit, which as a midshipman I thought not only veryjustifiable, but good fun, were invariably attended with unpleasantresults. Even in this trifle my heart misgave me, whether on myappearance at the wedding I might not I be recognised, and be the causeof creating a breach, by raising suspicions on the part of the blind manwhich might prevent the wedding; and I had stated my fears to Bob Cross."Well, Captain Keene, it was all done with good intentions, and I donot think that there is much fear. It's a long while back, and you werenot so much of a man as you are now. They do say, that cheating neverthrives, and I believe that it seldom does in the long run. Jane willbe much disappointed if you do not come."

  "There is no help for it, Bob; I must disguise my voice; I must cheat alittle now to hide the first cheat. That's always the case in thisworld."

  "I don't call it cheating, sir; my ideas are, that if you cheat to getadvantage for yourself, then you do cheat; but when you do so to helpanother, there's no great cheating in the case."

  "I cannot agree with you, Bob; but let us say no more about it. I willbe with you at ten o'clock, which you say is the hour that you go tochurch."

  This conversation took place on the morning of the wedding. About eighto'clock, I dressed and breakfasted, and then took a wherry over toGosport, and in half an hour was at the house, which was full of peoplewith white favours, and in such a bustle, that it reminded me of a hiveof bees just previous to a swarm.

  "Here's the captain come, sir," said Bob, who had received me; for thebride was still in her room with her mother.

  "Happy to see you, sir; I wish you joy, Mr Waghorn," replied I, takinghis hand.

  "You're Captain Keene, then, whose letters to the Admiralty Jane has sooften read to me in the newspapers. Where have we met? I've heard thatvoice before."

  "Indeed sir," replied I, rather confused.

  "Yes, I have; I always know a voice again; let me see--why, captain, youwere here with Cross, the first time I ever heard him--you were anagent, and now you're a captain," continued the old man, looking verygrave.

  "Hush, sir," replied I: "pray don't speak so loud. Do you recollectwhat I came about? Do you suppose that when I was a party to the escapeof a prisoner I could let you know, being a perfect stranger, that I wasan officer in his Majesty's service?"

  "Very true," replied the old man, "I cannot blame you for that. But wasCross an officer in the service at that time?"

  "No, sir, he was not," replied I; "he was appointed boatswain to my shipby the admiral in the West Indies."

  "I'm glad to hear that. I thought Cross might have deceived me also;every one tries to cheat a blind man--and the blind are suspicious. I'mglad that Cross did not deceive me, or I would have seen my niece in hercoffin before--but say no more about it, you could not do otherwise;all's right, sir, and I'm very glad to see you, and to have the honourof your company. Sit down, sir, I beg. By the bye, Captain Keene, haveyou heard of the girl since?"

  "My dear sir," replied I, glad to give him my confidence, "there are nosecrets between us now; it was no girl, but the son of the captain ofthe Dutch frigate, and an officer, whose escape you assisted in."

  "I don't wonder, then, at your not making yourself known," replied theold man. "Why, if I had known it had been an officer, I never wouldhave had a hand in the job--but a poor girl, it was mere charity toassist her, and I thought I was acting the part of a Christian, poorblind sinner that I am."

  "You did a kind act, sir, and Heaven will reward you."

  "We are sad, wicked creatures, Captain Keene," replied he. "I wish thisday was over, and my poor Jane made happy; and then I should havenothing to do but to read my Bible, and prepare for being called away;it's never too soon, depend upon it, sir."

  The appearance of the bride with her bridesmaids put an end to ourconversation, which I was not sorry for. The order of march wasarranged, and we started off for the church on foot, making a very longand very gay procession. In half an hour it was all over, and wereturned. I then had an opportunity of telling Cross what had passedbetween me and old Waghorn.

  "It was touch and go, sir, that's sartin," replied Bob; "for if the oldgentleman had not been satisfied, he is so obstinate that the matchwould have been broken off at the church door. Well, sir, I always saidthat you were the best to get out of a scrape that I ever knew when youwere a middy, and you don't appear to have lost the talent; it was wellmanaged."

  "Perhaps so, Bob; but in future I do not intend to get into them, whichwill be managing better still." I then left Cross, and went to talk toJane, who certainly looked very handsome. The tables for dinner werelaid out in the garden, for it was a beautiful warm autumnal day. Wesat down about twenty, and a merrier party I never was at. Old Waghornwas the only one who got tipsy on the occasion, and it was veryridiculous to hear him quoting scraps of Scripture in extenuation, andthen calling himself a poor blind old sinner. It was not till eighto'clock in the evening that the party broke up, and I had then somedifficulty to persuade some to go away. As for the old man, he had beenput to bed an hour before. I staid a few minutes after all were gone,and then, kissing Jane, and shaking hands with Bob, I went back toPortsmouth.