answered Mabel; "he is dead."
"Ah! dear, dear," said the King; "I had heard of it; my friends diequickly, and there are few to replace them; I ought to have remembered.But tell me what you require of me--what can I do for you?"
Mabel endeavoured to explain in a few words, and as clearly as possible,the object of her visit to the King. He listened attentively.
"A sad thing that mutiny, though; but are you certain that young man isnot guilty? Can you prove it? There's the question," said the King."People want proofs in these matters. We must not be governed by ourfeelings."
"Oh, yes, your Majesty, I know, I am sure he is not guilty!" exclaimedMabel, clasping her hands, and looking up imploringly at the King. "Myliege, you have the power of saving him; oh! let me entreat you to doso. Exert your royal prerogative, and save the life of one who isinnocent of the fearful charges brought against him."
"I should like to do so, young lady, indeed I should," said the King,kindly, "but I want proofs. Those are what the lawyers require. Whatproofs can you bring forward?"
"Here, your Majesty, are two men who were on board the ship in which Mr.Tryon served, and they are able to bear evidence that he was compelledby the ringleader to perform the acts for which he has been condemned."
"Ah! let them come forward, and I will hear what they have to say," saidthe King. "Are those the men outside who came with you? Let them beadmitted immediately!"
On this Jacob and Jack Veal were allowed instantly to go on the terrace,Paul Gauntlett slipping in with them. The King beckoned them forward.Doffing their hats, they stood in a row before his Majesty, Paul alittle behind the others ready to make a military salute, while Jacoband Jack kept hauling away at one of the love-locks with which theirforeheads were bedecked.
"Let me hear all about it. What have you got to say, my man?" asked theKing, looking at Jacob.
"Please your Majesty, he no more wanted to mutiny against your Majestythan the babe unborn," began Jacob. "Please your Majesty, there's not amore loyal subject of your Majesty's in England, not except old Pike,whom your Majesty recollects at Lynderton, and who used to get drunkregularly on your Majesty's birthday drinking your Majesty's health."
"What, do you know old Pike?" exclaimed the King, laughing; "I hope heis well."
"Oh! bless you, your Majesty, he was well and as merry as a cricket whenI was last at home. I have been foreign since then, and have not seenhim or my old mother for many a day."
"Ah, well, I wish all my subjects were as loyal as old Pike," observedthe King, turning round and narrating the anecdote of the prostrationperformed by the old mace-bearer before him. "And now about this youngman, you say he is innocent, but how can you prove it?"
"Why, your Majesty, I can swear my Bible oath that I saw Richard Parkerclap a pistol to his head and tell him if he did not obey orders hewould blow his brains out. Now, your Majesty, do you see, he thought tohimself, `If my brains are blown out I can never serve the King again,and if I merely write as I am made to do there can be no great harm inthat, and the time will come when I may be able to serve my good King asbefore.' Now, your Majesty, I ask if a man was to treat you like that,whether you would not think it was wiser to obey him than to kick up arow about it?"
"As to that, it would depend very much upon what the man wanted me todo," answered the King. "However, it is clear your young friend actedon compulsion, if your oath is of any value; and what does your shipmatethere say?"
"Please your Majesty, I can swear the same thing," answered Jack Veal,"and what is more, we can bring several other men to prove that what wesay is the truth."
"And what do you say, my tall friend?" said the King, looking up atPaul.
"Please your Majesty, I have known the lad from his boyhood. He is trueand loyal to the backbone," answered Paul, making a salute. "Hisgrandfather, General Tryon, served your Majesty, and perhaps yourMajesty remembers the ride he took with you through the forest afteryour Majesty's visit to Stanmore."
"Ah! yes, yes, let me see. I remember the youth well," said the King."A well-mannered, intelligent lad. It would be a great pity to have himhung, of course it would," he remarked, turning round, to the Queen andprincesses who were standing with him. "But, my dear young lady, Icannot act in this matter without the advice of my ministers. You mustgo and see Mr. Pitt, and learn what he has to say. If he consents, Iwill pardon the lad with all my heart."
"Most deeply do I thank your Majesty for those kind words," answeredMabel; "but time is precious. Any instant he may be led out toexecution, and some time would pass before we could apply to theminister."
"Oh, that gentleman will help you," answered the King, turning to Mr.Kyffin, "he looks like a lawyer, a clever man, I am sure. You will helpthe young lady, will you not?" said the King.
"Armed with a line signed by your Majesty I certainly could do so,"answered Mr. Kyffin, bowing. "We will hasten back to town and see Mr.Pitt, and in the meantime, provided with the order to stay theexecution, we will proceed to the ship where the prisoner is confined."
"Come along, then," said the King, with a kind encouraging glance atMabel. "You shall have the paper; I hope it is not unconstitutional.What is the lad's name?"
"Harry Tryon," answered Mabel.
"Please your Majesty, that is his real name," put in Jacob Tuttle,hearing the answer; "but the name he is to be hung by is Andrew Brown;and please your Majesty, if you only give the order to stop Harry Tryonbeing hung, poor Andrew Brown may be hung up notwithstanding."
"I see, I see," said the King. "Well, then, as you are in a hurry, mydear young lady, we will draw out the paper."
On this the King, with several members of the royal family, attended byMabel and Mr. Kyffin, entered the castle by the side door. The Kingwalked rapidly on through several passages till he entered his privateroom. Sitting down at a desk he began to write, the rest of the partystanding at a respectful distance round him.
"There, my dear young lady, this, I believe, will have its effect," heobserved, as he finished the papers and handed them to Mabel. "You willnot lose them, eh? The one you can send on board the ship and the otherto the minister. He will attend to my request, I hope. Now speed yewell, and God bless you."
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
THE PRISON SHIP.--THE GREAT MINISTER.--A GLEAM OF SUNSHINE.
Some way up the Thames lay a large hulk. Her decks were housed in, herhulk was black; she bore but little resemblance to the stout ship shehad once been, except from the ports which were to be seen on eitherside. They were very thickly grated. It was the prison ship. Low downin one of the dark cells below the water-line, with manacles on hisankles, lay Harry Tryon. His cheeks had become pale, his eye had lostmuch of its brightness, but hope had not altogether died within him.Still he was fully sensible of the dangerous position in which he wasplaced. He had become of late a wiser and a sadder man than he had everbeen before. Still as day after day passed by and no friends came nearhim, his spirits sank lower and lower.
"Have they all deserted me?" he said to himself, clasping his hands."Mr. Kyffin would not, I am sure, and Mabel--she knows nothing of mydesperate state. Would that I had written to her. Some effort mighthave been made to save me; but I could not bear the thought of writingto her as a felon, to let her hand touch the paper smelling of this foulprison. Better far that I should die unknown. When the wretched AndrewBrown is run up to the yard-arm there will be no one to mourn him, andHarry Tryon may disappear without a stain of disgrace upon the name."
He attempted to rise--he could do so with difficulty--to take a fewturns up and down the narrow cell. Scarcely ever was he left insilence. There was the ripple of the water against the ship's side;above him the steps of other prisoners as they, like him, paced to andfro. Now and then there were shouts and cries of men driven to despairby their approaching fate, others singing and shouting with carelessindifference. It was weary work, that prison walk, for the chains wereheavy. The gyves hurt his legs. Again he
sat himself down, and claspedhis hands upon his knees.
"Death! death will be welcome!" he exclaimed, "the only termination tomy misery and shame."
As he thus sat his ears caught the sound of footsteps moving along thepassage outside. The lock in the heavy door moved, it opened, and abright light which dazzled his eyes burst in.
"They are come," he thought, "to carry me off."
"I am ready," he said, starting up, expecting to see the gaoler and theguard of soldiers. Instead, as his eyes recovered their vision, he sawstanding before him his ever faithful guardian
Roger Kyffin's Ward Page 41