CHAPTER NINETEEN.
IN WHICH OUR HERO FOLLOWS HIS DESTINY AND FORMS A TABLEAU.
Our hero and his comrade climbed the precipice, and, after some minutes'severe toil, arrived at the summit, when they sat down to recoverthemselves. The sky was clear, although the gale blew strong. They hadan extensive view of the coast, lashed by the angry waves.
"It's my opinion, Ned," said Jack, as he surveyed the expanse oftroubled water, "that we're just as well out of that."
"I agree with you, Jack; but it's also my opinion that we should be justas well out of this, for the wind blows through one. Suppose we go alittle farther inland, where we may find some shelter till the morning."
"It's rather dark to find anything," rejoined our hero; "but, however, awesterly gale on the top of a mountain with wet clothes in the middle ofthe night with nothing to eat or drink, is not the most comfortableposition in the world, and we may change for the better."
They proceed over a flat of a hundred yards, and then descended--thechange in the atmosphere was immediate. As they continued their marchinland, they came to a high-road, which appeared to run along the shore,and they turned into it; for, as Jack said very truly, a road must leadto something. After a quarter of an hour's walk, they again heard therolling of the surf, and perceived the white walls of houses.
"Here we are at last," said Jack. "I wonder if any one will turn out totake us in, or shall we stow away for the night in one of those vesselshauled up on the beach?"
"Recollect this time, Easy," said Gascoigne, "not to show your money;that is, show only a dollar, and say you have no more, or promise to paywhen we arrive at Palermo; and if they will neither trust us, nor giveto us, we must make it out as we can."
"How the cursed dogs bark! I think we shall do very well this time,Gascoigne: we do not look as if we were worth robbing, at all events,and we have the pistols to defend ourselves with if we are attacked.Depend upon it I will show no more gold. And now let us make ourarrangements. Take you one pistol, and take half the gold--I have itall in my right-hand pocket--my dollars and pistarenes in my left. Youshall take half of them too. We have silver enough to go on with tillwe are in a safe place."
Jack then divided the money in the dark, and also gave Gascoigne apistol.
"Now then, shall we knock for admittance?--Let's first walk through thevillage, and see if there's anything like an inn. Those yelping curswill soon be at our heels; they come nearer and nearer every time.There's a cart, and it's full of straw--suppose we go to bed tillto-morrow morning--we shall be warm, at all events."
"Yes," replied Gascoigne, "and sleep much better than in any of thecottages. I have been in Sicily before, and you have no idea how thefleas bite."
Our two midshipmen climbed up into the cart, nestled themselves into thestraw, or rather Indian corn-leaves, and were soon fast asleep. As theyhad not slept for two nights, it is not to be wondered at that theyslept soundly--so soundly, indeed, that about two hours after they hadgot into their comfortable bed, the peasant, who had brought to thevillage some casks of wine to be shipped and taken down the coast in afelucca, yoked his bullocks, and not being aware of his freight, droveoff without, in any way, disturbing their repose, although the roads inSicily are not yet macadamised.
The jolting of the roads rather increased than disturbed the sleep ofour adventurers; and, although there were some rude shocks, it only hadthe effect of making them fancy in their dreams that they were again inthe boat, and that she was still dashing against the rocks. In abouttwo hours, the cart arrived at its destination--the peasant unyoked hisbullocks and led them away. The same cause will often produce contraryeffects: the stopping of the motion of the cart disturbed the rest ofour two midshipmen; they turned round in the straw, yawned, spread outtheir arms, and then awoke. Gascoigne, who felt considerable pain inhis shoulder, was the first to recall his scattered senses.
"Easy," cried he, as he sat up and shook off the corn-leaves.
"Port it is," said Jack, half dreaming.
"Come, Easy, you are not on board now. Rouse and bitt."
Jack then sat up and looked at Gascoigne. The forage in the cart was sohigh round them that they could not see above it; they rubbed theireyes, yawned, and looked at each other.
"Have you any faith in dreams," said Jack to Gascoigne, "because I had avery queer one last night."
"Well, so had I," replied Gascoigne. "I dreamt that the cart rolled byitself into the sea, and went away with us right in the wind's eye backto Malta; and, considering that it never was built for such service, shebehaved uncommonly well. Now what was your dream?"
"Mine was, that we woke up and found ourselves in the very town fromwhich the speronare had sailed, and that they had found the fore-part ofthe speronare among the rocks, and recognised her, and picked up one ofour pistols. That they had laid hold of us, and had insisted that wehad been thrown on shore in the boat, and asked us what had become ofthe crew--they were just seizing us, when I awoke."
"Your dream is more likely to come true than mine, Easy; but still Ithink we need not fear that. At the same time, we had better not remainhere any longer; and it occurs to me, that if we tore our clothes more,it would be advisable--we shall, in the first place, look more wretched;and, in the next place, can replace them with the dress of the country,and so travel without exciting suspicion. You know that I can speakItalian pretty well."
"I have no objection to tear my clothes if you wish," replied Jack; "atthe same time give me your pistol; I will draw the charges and load themagain. They must be wet."
Having reloaded the pistols and rent their garments, the two midshipmenstood up in the cart and looked about them.
"Halloo!--why, how's this, Gascoigne? last night we were close to thebeach, and among houses, and now--where the devil are we? You dreamtnearer the mark than I did, for the cart has certainly taken a cruise."
"We must have slept like midshipmen, then," replied Gascoigne: "surelyit cannot have gone far."
"Here we are, surrounded by hills on every side, for at least a coupleof miles. Surely some good genius has transported us into the interior,that we might escape from the relatives of the crew whom I dreamtabout," said Jack, looking at Gascoigne.
As it afterwards was known to them, the speronare had sailed from thevery seaport in which they had arrived that night, and where they hadgot into the cart. The wreck of the speronare had been found, and hadbeen recognised, and it was considered by the inhabitants that thepadrone and his crew had perished in the gale. Had they found our twomidshipmen and questioned them, it is not improbable that suspicionmight have been excited, and the results have been such as our hero hadconjured up in his dream. But, as we said before, there is a peculiarprovidence for midshipmen.
On a minute survey, they found that they were in an open space which,apparently, had been used for thrashing and winnowing maize, and thatthe cart was standing under a clump of trees in the shade.
"There ought to be a house hereabouts," said Gascoigne; "I should thinkthat behind the trees we shall find one. Come, Jack, you are as hungryas I am, I'll answer for it; we must look out for a breakfastsomewhere."
"If they won't give us something to eat, or sell it," replied Jack, whowas ravenous, clutching his pistol, "I shall take it--I consider it norobbery. The fruits of the earth were made for us all, and it never wasintended that one man should have a superfluity and another starve. Thelaws of equality--"
"May appear very good arguments to a starving man, I grant, but still,won't prevent his fellow creatures from hanging him," replied Gascoigne."None of your confounded nonsense, Jack; no man starves with money inhis pocket, and as long as you have that, leave those that have none totalk about equality and the rights of man."
"I should like to argue that point with you, Gascoigne."
"Tell me, do you prefer sitting down here to argue, or to look out forsome breakfast, Jack?"
"Oh, the argument may be put off, but hunger
cannot."
"That's very good philosophy, Jack, so let's go on."
They went through the copse of wood, which was very thick, and soondiscovered the wall of a large house on the other side.
"All right," said Jack; "but still let us reconnoitre. It's not afarm-house; it must belong to a person of some consequence--all thebetter--they will see that we are gentlemen, notwithstanding ourtattered dress. I suppose we are to stick to the story of the sea-mewsat Gozo?"
"Yes," replied Gascoigne; "I can think of nothing better. But theEnglish are well received in this island; we have troops at Palermo."
"Have we? I wish I was sitting down at the mess-table--but what's that?a woman screaming?--Yes, by heavens!--come along, Ned." And away dashedJack towards the house, followed by Gascoigne. As they advanced thescreams redoubled; they entered the porch, burst into the room fromwhence they proceeded, and found an elderly gentleman defending himselfagainst two young men, who were held back by an elderly and a younglady. Our hero and his comrade had both drawn their pistols, and justas they burst open the door, the old gentleman who defended himselfagainst such odds had fallen down. The two others burst from the women,and were about to pierce him with their swords, when Jack seized one bythe collar of his coat and held him fast, pointing the muzzle of thepistol to his ear: Gascoigne did the same to the other. It was a verydramatic tableau. The two women flew to the elderly gentleman andraised him up; the two assailants being held just as dogs hold pigs bythe ear, trembling with fright, with the points of their rapiersdropped, looked at the midshipmen and the muzzles of their pistols withequal dismay; at the same time, the astonishment of the elderlygentleman and the women, at such an unexpected deliverance, was equallygreat. There was a silence for a few seconds.
"Ned," at last said Jack, "tell these chaps to drop their swords, or wefire."
Gascoigne gave the order in Italian, and it was complied with. Themidshipmen then possessed themselves of the rapiers, and gave the youngmen their liberty.
The elderly gentleman at last broke the silence.
"It would appear, signors, that there was an especial interference ofProvidence, to prevent you from committing a foul and unjust murder.Who these are that have so opportunely come to my rescue, I know not,but thanking them as I do now, I think that you will yourselves, whenyou are calm, also thank them for having prevented you from committingan act which would have loaded you with remorse and embittered yourfuture existence. Gentlemen, you are free to depart: you, Don Silvio,have indeed disappointed me; your gratitude should have rendered youincapable of such conduct: as for you, Don Scipio, you have been misled;but you both have, in one point, disgraced yourselves. Ten days back mysons were both here--why did you not come then? If you sought revengeon me, you could not have inflicted it deeper than through my children,and at least you would not have acted the part of assassins in attackingan old man. Take your swords, gentlemen, and use them betterhenceforth. Against future attacks I shall be well prepared."
Gascoigne, who perfectly understood what was said, presented the swordto the young gentleman from whom he had taken it--our hero did the same.The two young men returned them to their sheaths, and quitted the roomwithout saying a word.
"Whoever you are, I owe to you and thank you for my life," said theelderly gentleman, scanning the outward appearance of our twomidshipmen.
"We are," said Gascoigne, "officers in the English navy, and gentlemen;we were wrecked in our boat last night, and have wandered here in thedark, seeking for assistance, and food, and some conveyance to Palermo,where we shall find friends, and the means of appearing like gentlemen."
"Was your ship wrecked, gentlemen?" inquired the Sicilian, "and manylives lost?"
"No, our ship is at Malta; we were in a boat on a party of pleasure,were caught by a gale, and driven on the coast. To satisfy you of thetruth, observe that our pistols have the king's mark, and that we arenot paupers, we show you gold."
Gascoigne pulled out his doubloons--and Jack did the same, coollyobserving:
"I thought we were only to show silver, Ned!"
"It needed not that," replied the gentleman; "your conduct in thisaffair, your manners and address, fully convince me that you are whatyou represent--but were you common peasants, I am equally indebted toyou for my life, and you may command me. Tell me in what way I can beof service."
"In giving us something to eat, for we have had nothing for many, manyhours. After that we may, perhaps, trespass a little more upon yourkind offices."
"You must, of course, be surprised at what has passed, and curious toknow the occasion," said the gentleman; "you have a right to be informedof it, and shall be, as soon as you are more comfortable; in themeantime, allow me to introduce myself as Don Rebiera de Silva."
"I wish," said Jack, who, from his knowledge of Spanish, couldunderstand the whole of the last part of the Don's speech, "that hewould introduce us to his breakfast."
"So do I," said Gascoigne; "but we must wait a little--he ordered theladies to prepare something instantly."
"Your friend does not speak Italian," said Don Rebiera.
"No, Don Rebiera, he speaks French and Spanish."
"If he speaks Spanish my daughter can converse with him; she has butshortly arrived from Spain. We are closely united with a noble house inthat country."
Don Rebiera then led the way to another room, and in a short time therewas a repast brought in, to which our midshipmen did great justice.
"I will now," said the Don, "relate to you, sir, for the information ofyourself and friend, the causes which produced this scene of violence,which you so opportunely defeated. But first, as it must be verytedious to your friend, I will send for Donna Clara and my daughterAgnes to talk to him; my wife understands a little Spanish, and mydaughter, as I said before, has but just left the country, where, fromcircumstances, she remained some years."
As soon as Donna Clara and Donna Agnes made their appearance and wereintroduced, Jack, who had not before paid attention to them, said tohimself, "I have seen a face like that girl's before." If so, he hadnever seen many like it, for it was the quintessence of brunette beauty,and her figure was equally perfect; although, not having yet completedher fifteenth year, it required still a little more development.
Donna Clara was extremely gracious, and as, perhaps, she was aware thather voice would drown that of her husband, she proposed to our hero towalk in the garden, and in a few minutes they took their seats in apavilion at the end of it. The old lady did not talk much Spanish, butwhen at a loss for a word she put in an Italian one, and Jack understoodher perfectly well. She told him her sister had married a Spanishnobleman many years since, and that before the war broke out between theSpanish and the English, they had gone over with all their children tosee her; that when they wished to return, her daughter Agnes, then achild, was suffering under a lingering complaint, and it was thoughtadvisable, as she was very weak, to leave her under the charge of heraunt, who had a little girl of nearly the same age; that they wereeducated together at a convent near Tarragona, and that she had onlyreturned two months ago; that she had a very narrow escape, as the shipin which her uncle, and aunt, and cousins, as well as herself, were onboard, returning from Genoa, where her brother-in-law had been obligedto go to secure a succession to some property bequeathed to him, hadbeen captured in the night by the English; but the officer, who was verypolite, had allowed them to go away next day, and very handsomelypermitted them to take all their effects.
"Oh, oh," thought Jack; "I thought I had seen her face before; this thenwas one of the girls in the corner of the cabin--now, I'll have somefun."
During the conversation with the mother, Donna Agnes had remained somepaces behind, picking now and then a flower, and not attending to whatpassed.
When our hero and her mother sat down in the pavilion she joined them,when Jack addressed her with his usual politeness.
"I am almost ashamed to be sitting by you, Donna Agnes, in this ragged
dress--but the rocks of your coast have no respect for persons."
"We are under great obligations, signor, and do not regard suchtrifles."
"You are all kindness, signora," replied Jack; "I little thought thismorning of my good fortune--I can tell the fortunes of others, but notof my own."
"You can tell fortunes!" replied the old lady.
"Yes, madam, I am famous for it--shall I tell your daughter hers?"
Donna Agnes looked at our hero, and smiled.
"I perceive that the young lady does not believe me; I must prove myart, by telling her of what has already happened to her. The signorawill then give me credit."
"Certainly, if you do that," replied Agnes.
"Oblige me, by showing me the palm of your hand."
Agnes extended her little hand, and Jack felt so very polite, that hewas nearly kissing it. However, he restrained himself, and examiningthe lines:
"That you were educated in Spain--that you arrived here but two monthsago--that you were captured and released by the English, your mother hasalready told me; but to prove to you that I knew all that, I must now bemore particular. You were in a ship mounting fourteen guns--was it notso?"
Donna Agnes nodded her head.
"I never told the signor that," cried Donna Clara. "She was taken bysurprise in the night, and there was no fighting. The next morning theEnglish burst open the cabin door; your uncle and your cousin firedtheir pistols."
"Holy Virgin!" cried Agnes, with surprise.
"The English officer was a young man, not very good-looking."
"There you are wrong, signor; he was very handsome."
"There is no accounting for taste, signora; you were frightened out ofyour wits, and with your cousin you crouched down in the corner of thecabin. Let me examine that little line closer--you had--yes, it's nomistake, you had very little clothes on."
Agnes tore away her hand and covered her face.
"E vero, e vero; Holy Jesus! how could you know that?"
Of a sudden Agnes looked at our hero, and after a minute appeared torecognise him.
"Oh, mother, 'tis he--I recollect now, 'tis he!"
"Who, my child?" replied Donna Clara, who had been struck dumb withJack's astonishing power of fortune-telling.
"The officer who captured us, and was so kind."
Jack burst out into laughter, not to be controlled for some minutes, anthen acknowledged that she had discovered him.
"At all events, Donna Agnes," said he at last, "acknowledge that, raggedas I am, I have seen you in a much greater deshabille."
Agnes sprang up and took to her heels, that she might hide herconfusion, and at the same time go to her father and tell him who he hadas his guest.
Although Don Rebiera had not yet finished his narrative, thisannouncement of Agnes, who ran in breathless to communicate it,immediately brought all the parties together, and Jack received theirthanks.
"I little thought," said the Don, "that I should have been so doublyindebted to you, sir. Command my services as you please, both of you.My sons are at Palermo, and I trust you will allow them the pleasure ofyour friendship when you are tired of remaining with us."
Jack made his politest bow, and then with a shrug of his shoulders,looked down upon his habiliments, which, to please Gascoigne, he hadtorn into ribands, as much as to say, We are not provided for alengthened stay.
"My brothers' clothes will fit them, I think," said Agnes to her father;"they have left plenty in their wardrobes."
"If the signors will condescend to wear them till they can replace theirown."
Midshipmen are very condescending--they followed Don Rebiera, andcondescended to put on clean shirts belonging to Don Philip and DonMartin; also to put on their trousers--to select their best waistcoatsand coats--in short, they condescended to have a regular fit-out--and itso happened that the fit-out was not far from a regular _fit_.
Having condescended, they then descended, and the intimacy between allparties became so great that it appeared as if they not only wore theyoung men's clothes, but also stood in their shoes. Having thus madethemselves presentable, Jack presented his hand to both ladies, and ledthem into the garden, that Don Rebiera might finish his long story toGascoigne without further interruption, and resuming their seats in thepavilion, he entertained the ladies with a history of his cruise in theship after her capture. Agnes soon recovered from her reserve, and Jackhad the forbearance not to allude again to the scene in the cabin, whichwas the only thing she dreaded. After dinner, when the family,according to custom, had retired for the siesta, Gascoigne and Jack, whohad slept enough in the cart to last for a week, went out together inthe garden.
"Well, Ned," said Jack, "do you wish yourself on board the _Harpy_again?"
"No," replied Gascoigne; "we have fallen on our feet at last, but stillnot without first being knocked about like peas in a rattle. What alovely little creature that Agnes is! How strange that you should fallin with her again! How odd that we should come here!"
"My good fellow, we did not come here. Destiny brought us in a cart.She may take us to Tyburn in the same way."
"Yes, if you sport your philosophy as you did when we awoke thismorning."
"Nevertheless, I'll be hanged if I'm not right. Suppose we argue thepoint?"
"Right or wrong, you will be hanged, Jack; so instead of arguing thepoint, suppose I tell you what the Don made such a long story about."
"With all my heart; let us go to the pavilion."
Our hero and his friend took their seats, and Gascoigne thencommunicated the history of Don Rebiera, to which we shall dedicate theensuing chapter.
Mr. Midshipman Easy Page 19