The King's Own

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER ELEVEN.

  Through tattered clothes small vices do appear; Robes and furred gowns hide all.

  LEAR.

  Willy, who was tired out with the extreme mental and bodily exertionthat he had undergone, gave no answer to McElvina's injunction, except aloud snore, which satisfied the captain that his caution in thisinstance was not heard.

  "Well," said Debriseau, after a short pause, "how long did this honestfit last?"

  "What do you mean?--how long did it last? Why, it has lasted,--CaptainDebriseau,--it has lasted until now; and shall last, too, as long asthis frame of mine shall hold together. But to proceed. The nextmorning I called upon the old gentleman according to his request. Heagain told me, `honesty was a scarce commodity.' I could have informedhim that it had always been so with me, but I kept my own counsel. Hethen asked me what were my profession and pursuits? Now, as I had twoprofessions to choose between, and as my last was considered to be justas abundant in the commodity he prized so much, as my former one wasknown to be deficient, I replied that I was a seafaring man. `Then Imay find some employment for you,' replied the old gentleman; and havingput several questions to me as to the nature of the service I had seen,he desired me to take a walk till three o'clock, when he would be happyto see me at dinner:--`We'll then be able to have a little conversationtogether, without being over-heard.'

  "I was exact to my appointment, and my old friend, who was punctualityitself, did not allow me to remain in the parlour two minutes beforedinner was on the table. As soon as it was over, he dismissed theservant girl who attended, and turned the key in the door. Aftersounding me on many points, during a rapid discussion of the firstbottle of port, he proceeded to inform me, that a friend of his wanted asmart fellow as captain of a vessel, if I would like the employment.This suited me; and he then observed that I must have some notion of howofficers were managed, as I had been in the China trade, and that he_thought_ that the vessel was to be employed in the contraband trade onthe English coast.

  "This startled me a little, for I was afraid that the old gentleman waslaying a trap for my newly-acquired commodity; and I was about to refusewith some slight show of indignation, when I perceived a change in hiscountenance, indicative of disappointment--so I only demurred until hehad sufficient time to prove that there was no dishonesty in thetransaction, when, being convinced that he was in earnest, I consented.Before the second bottle was finished, I found out that it was not for a_friend_, but for himself, and for one of his own vessels, that he wasanxious to procure a smart captain; and that he had a large capitalembarked in the concern, which was very profitable. The pocket-bookwhich I had returned was of no little importance: had it fallen intoother hands, it might have told tales.

  "I have now been three years in the old gentleman's employ, and agenerous good master he has been: and his daughter is a sweet prettygirl. I lost my last vessel, but not until she had cleared him 10,000pounds; and now the old gentleman is building me another at Havre. Notto be quite idle, I have in the meantime taken command of one of theirsloops: for the old gentleman has a good many shares in the_speculation_, and his recommendations are always attended to.

  "_Voici, Monsieur Beaujou, avec les habits_," said the maitre d'aubergeopening the door and ushering in the marchand des modes _maritimes_,with a huge bundle.

  "Now, then, boy, rouse out," said McElvina, shaking our hero for a longwhile, without any symptoms of recovering him from his lethargy.

  "Try him on the other tack," said the captain, lifting him off the sofa,and placing him upright on his legs.

  "There's no sugar in it yet," said Willy, who was dreaming that he wassupplying the mulled claret to the old master's mate.

  "Ah," said Debriseau, laughing, "he thinks his mamma is giving him histea."

  "The lying little rascal told me this morning that he had no mother.Come, Mr William Seymour, I _believe_" (mimicking)--"officer, I_believe_--Oh, you're a nice honest boy. Have you a mother, or do youtell fibs in your sleep as well as awake? `Be honest.'"

  The last words that Willy had heard repeated so often during the day notonly unsealed his eyes, but recalled to his recollection where he was.

  "Now, my youngster, let us rig you out; you recollect you stated thatyou were going home for your outfit, and now I'll give you one, that youmay have one fib less on your conscience."

  By the generosity of McElvina, Willy was soon fitted with two suits ofclothes, requiring little alteration, and Mr Beaujou, having received afurther order for a supply of shirts, and other articles necessary tocomplete, made his bow and disappeared.

  The two captains resumed their chairs, and our hero again coiled himselfon the sofa, and in one minute was as sound asleep as before.

  "And now, McElvina," resumed Debriseau, "I should like to know by whatarguments your employer contrived to reconcile your present vocationwith your punctilious regard for honesty? For I must confess, for myown part, that although I have followed smuggling as a livelihood, Ihave never defended it as an honest calling, and have looked forwardwith occasional impatience to the time when I should be able to leave itoff."

  "Defend it! Why I'll just repeat to you the arguments used by the oldgentleman. They convinced me. As I said before, I am always open toconviction. Captain Debriseau, you will acknowledge, I trust, that lawsare made for the benefit of all parties, high and low, rich and poor?"

  "Granted."

  "You'll allow also, that law-makers should not be lawbreakers; and thatif they are so, they cannot expect that others will regard what theydisregard themselves."

  "Granted also."

  "Once more--by the laws of our country, the receiver is as bad as thethief, and they who instigate others to commit an offence are equallyguilty with the offending party."

  "It cannot be denied," replied Debriseau.

  "Then you have acceded to all the propositions that I wish, and we shallcome to an undeniable and mathematical conclusion. Observe, law-makersshould not be law-breakers. Who enacted these laws?--the aristocracy ofthe nation, seated in their respective houses, the Lords and theCommons. Go, any night you please, to the Opera, or any other place ofpublic resort, in which you can have a view of their wives and daughter.I'll stake my existence that every female there shall be disened out insome contraband article of dress--not one but shall prove to be areceiver of smuggled goods, and, therefore, as bad as those whom theyhave instigated to _infringe_ the laws of their country. If there wereno demand there would be no supply."

  "Surely they don't _all_ drink gin?" replied Debriseau.

  "Drink gin! You're thinking of your damned Cherbourg trade,--your ideasare confined. Is there nothing smuggled besides gin? Now, if thehusbands and fathers of these ladies,--those who have themselves enactedthe laws,--wink at their _infringement_, why should not others do so?The only distinction between the equally offending parties is, thatthose who are in power,--who possess all the comforts and luxuries whichthis world can afford,--who offend the laws from vanity and caprice, andentice the needy to administer to their love of display, are protectedand unpunished; while the adventurous seaman, whose means of supportinghis family depend upon his administering to their wishes, or the poordevil who is unfortunately detected with a gallon of spirits, is throwninto gaol as if he were a _felon_. There cannot be one law for the richand another for the poor, Debriseau. When I hear that the wives of thearistocracy have been seized by the revenue officers, and the contrabandarticles which they wear have been taken off their backs, and that theyhave been sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, by a committal fromthe magistrate, then--and not till then--will I acknowledge ourprofession to be _dishonest_."

  "Very true," said Debriseau; "it shows the folly of men attempting tomake laws for their _masters_."

  "Is it not shocking," continued McElvina, "to reflect upon the conductof the magistrate, who has just sentenced perhaps four or five unhappywretches to a dungeon for an offence against these laws? He leaves thes
eat of Justice, and returns to the bosom of his family. Here hiswife," (mimicking)--"`Well, my dear, you're come at last--dinner hasbeen put back this half-hour. I thought you would never have finishedwith those odious smugglers.' `Why, my love, it was a very difficultcase to prove; but we managed it at last, and I have signed the warrantfor their committal to the county gaol. They're sad, troublesomefellows, these smugglers.'--Now look at the lady: `What dress is thatyou put on to greet your husband?' `Gros de Naples de Lyon.'--`The laceit is trimmed with?' `Valenciennes,'--`Your gloves, madam?' `Fabriquede Paris.'--`Your ribands, your shoes, your handkerchief?' All, allcontraband.--Worthy magistrate, if you would hold the scales of Justicewith an even hand, make out _one more_ mittimus before you sit down totable. Send your wife to languish a twelvemonth in company with thepoor smugglers, and then `to dinner with what appetite you may.' Andnow, Debriseau, have I convinced you that I may follow my presentcalling, and still say--`_be honest_?'"

  "Why, yes, I think we both may; but would not this evil be removed byfree trade?"

  "Heaven forbid!" replied McElvina, laughing; "then there would be no_smuggling_."