The Two Admirals (26 page)

When Bluewater landed, he returned the profound and general salute of
all on or near the rock, by a sweeping, but courteous bow, which was
nevertheless given in a vacant, slovenly manner; and immediately began
to ascend the ravine. He had actually reached the grassy acclivity
above, before he was at all aware of any person's being near him.
Turning, he perceived that the midshipman was at his heels, respect
alone preventing one of the latter's active limbs and years from
skipping past his superior on the ascent. The admiral recollected how
little there was to amuse one of the boy's habits in a place like
Wychecombe, and he good-naturedly determined to take him along with
himself.

"You are little likely to find any diversion here, Lord Geoffrey," he
said; "if you will accept of the society of a dull old fellow, like
myself, you shall see all I see, be it more or less."

"I've shipped for the cruise, sir, and am ready and happy, too, to
follow your motions, with or without signals," returned the laughing
youngster. "I suppose Wychecombe is about as good as Portsmouth, or
Plymouth; and I'm sure these green fields are handsomer than the streets
of any dirty town I ever entered."

"Ay, green fields are, indeed, pleasant to the eyes of us sailors, who
see nothing but water, for months at a time. Turn to the right, if you
please, my lord; I wish to call at yonder signal-station, on my way to
the Hall."

The boy, as is not usual with lads of his age, inclined in "the way he
was told to go," and in a few minutes both stood on the head-land. As it
would not have done for the master to be absent from his staff, during
the day, with a fleet in the roads, Dutton was already at his post,
cleanly dressed as usual, but trembling again with the effect of the
last night's debauch on his nerves. He arose, with great deference of
manner, to receive the rear-admiral, and not without many misgivings of
conscience; for, while memory furnished a tolerable outline of what had
occurred in the interview between himself and his wife and daughter,
wine had lost its influence, and no longer helped to sustain his
self-command. He was much relieved, however, by the discreet manner in
which he was met by Bluewater.

"How is Sir Wycherly?" inquired the admiral saluting the master, as if
nothing had happened; "a note from Sir Gervaise, written about
day-break, tells me he was not, then, essentially better."

"I wish it were in my power to give you any good news, sir. He must be
conscious, notwithstanding; for Dick, his groom, has just ridden over
with a note from Mr. Rotherham, to say that the excellent old baronet
particularly desires to see my wife and daughter; and that the coach
will be here, to take them over in a few minutes. If you are bound to
the Hall, this morning, sir, I'm certain the ladies would be delighted
to give you a seat."

"Then I will profit by their kindness," returned Bluewater, seating
himself on the bench at the foot of the staff; "more especially, if you
think they will excuse my adding Lord Geoffrey Cleveland, one of
Stowel's midshipmen, to the party. He has entered, to follow my motions,
with or without signals."

Dutton uncovered again, and bowed profoundly, at this announcement of
the lad's name and rank; the boy himself, taking the salute in an
off-hand and indifferent way, like one already wearied with vulgar
adulation, while he gazed about him, with some curiosity, at the
head-land and flag-staff.

"This a good look-out, sir," observed the midshipman; "and one that is
somewhat loftier than our cross-trees. A pair of sharp eyes might see
every thing that passes within twenty miles; and, as a proof of it, I
shall be the first to sing out, 'sail, ho!'"

"Where-away, my young lord?" said Dutton, fidgeting, as if he had
neglected his duty, in the presence of a superior; "I'm sure, your
lordship can see nothing but the fleet at anchor, and a few boats
passing between the different ships and the landing!"

"Where-away, sure enough, youngster?" added the admiral. "I see some
gulls glancing along the surface of the water, a mile or two outside the
ships, but nothing like a sail."

The boy caught up Dutton's glass, which lay on the seat, and, in a
minute, he had it levelled at the expanse of water. It was some little
time, and not without much sighting along the barrel of the instrument,
that he got it to suit himself.

"Well, Master Sharp-eyes," said Bluewater, drily, "is it a Frenchman, or
a Spaniard?"

"Hold on, a moment, sir, until I can get this awkward glass to bear on
it.—Ay—now I have her—she's but a speck, at the best—royals and head
of top-gallant-sails—no, sir, by George, it's our own cutter, the
Active, with her square-sail set, and the heads of her lower sails just
rising. I know her by the way she carries her gaff."

"The Active!—that betokens news," observed Bluewater, thoughtfully—for
the march of events, at that moment, must necessarily brink on a crisis
in his own career. "Sir Gervaise sent her to look into Cherbourg."

"Yes, sir; we all know that—and, there she comes to tell us, I hope,
that Monsieur de Vervillin, has, at last, made up his mind to come out
and face us, like a man. Will you look at the sail, sir?"

Bluewater took the glass, and sweeping the horizon, he soon caught a
view of his object. A short survey sufficed, for one so experienced, and
he handed the glass back to the boy.

"You have quick eyes, sir," he said, as he did so; "that is a cutter,
certainly, standing in for the roads, and I believe you may be right in
taking her for the Active."

"'Tis a long way to know so small a craft!" observed Dutton, who also
took his look at the stranger.

"Very true, sir," answered the boy; "but one ought to tell a friend as
far as he can see him. The Active carries a longer and a lower gaff,
than any other cutter in the navy, which is the way we all tell her from
the Gnat, the cutter we have with us."

"I am glad to find your lordship is so close an observer," returned the
complaisant Dutton; "a certain sign, my lord, that your lordship will
make a good sailor, in time."

"Geoffrey is a good sailor, already," observed the admiral, who knew
that the youngster was never better pleased, than when he dropped the
distance of using his title, and spoke to, or of him, as of a
connection; which, in truth, he was. "He has now been with me four
years; having joined when he was only twelve. Two more years will make
an officer of him."

"Yes, sir," said Dutton, bowing first to one, and then to the other.
"Yes, sir; his lordship may well look forward to that, with
his
particular merit,
your
esteemed favour, and his
own
great name. Ah!
sir, they've caught a sight of the stranger in the fleet, and bunting is
at work, already."

In anchoring his ships, Admiral Bluewater had kept them as close
together, as the fog rendered safe; for one of the great difficulties of
a naval commander is to retain his vessels in compact order, in thick or
heavy weather. Orders had been given, however, for a sloop and a frigate
to weigh, and stretch out into the offing a league or two, as soon as
the fog left them, the preceding day, in order to sweep as wide a reach
of the horizon as was convenient. In order to maintain their ground in a
light wind, and with a strong tide running, these two cruisers had
anchored; one, at the distance of a league from the fleet, and the
other, a mile or two farther outside, though more to the eastward. The
sloop lay nearest to the stranger, and signals were flying at her
main-royal-mast-head, which the frigate was repeating, and transmitting
to the flag-ship of the commander-in-chief. Bluewater was so familiar
with all the ordinary signals, that it was seldom he had recourse to his
book for the explanations; and, in the present instance, he saw at once
that it was the Active's number that was shown. Other signals, however,
followed, which it surpassed the rear-admiral's knowledge to read,
without assistance; from all which he was satisfied that the stranger
brought intelligence of importance, and which could only be understood
by referring to the private signal-book.

While these facts were in the course of occurrence, the coach arrived to
convey Mrs. Dutton and Mildred to the Hall. Bluewater now presented
himself to the ladies, and was received as kindly as they had separated
from him a few hours before; nor were the latter displeased at hearing
he was to be their companion back to the dwelling of Sir Wycherly.

"I fear this summons bodes evil tidings," said Mrs. Dutton; "he would
hardly think of desiring to see us, unless something quite serious were
on his mind; and the messenger said he was no better."

"We shall learn all, my dear lady, when we reach the Hall," returned
Bluewater; "and the sooner we reach it, the sooner our doubts will be
removed. Before we enter the carriage, let me make you acquainted with
my young friend, Lord Geoffrey Cleveland, whom I have presumed to invite
to be of the party."

The handsome young midshipman was well received, though Mrs. Dutton had
been too much accustomed, in early life, to see people of condition, to
betray the same deference as her husband for the boy's rank. The ladies
occupied, as usual, the hind seat of the coach, leaving that in front to
their male companions. The arrangement accidentally brought Mildred and
the midshipman opposite each other; a circumstance that soon attracted
the attention of the admiral, in a way that was a little odd; if not
remarkable. There is a charm in youth, that no other period of life
possesses; infancy, with its helpless beauty, scarcely seizing upon the
imagination and senses with an equal force. Both the young persons in
question, possessed this advantage in a high degree; and had there been
no other peculiarity, the sight might readily have proved pleasing to
one of Bluewater's benevolence and truth of feeling. The boy was turned
of sixteen; an age in England when youth does not yet put on the
appearance of manhood; and he retained all the evidences of a gay,
generous boyhood, rendered a little
piquant
, by the dash of archness,
roguery, and fun, that a man-of-war is tolerably certain to impart to a
lad of spirit. Nevertheless, his countenance retained an expression of
ingenuousness and of sensitive feeling, that was singularly striking in
one of his sex, and which, in spite of her beauty of feature, hair, and
complexion, formed the strongest attraction in the loveliness of
Mildred; that expression, which had so much struck and charmed
Bluewater—haunted him, we might add—since the previous day, by
appearing so familiar, even while so extraordinary, and for which he had
been unable to recollect a counterpart. As she now sat, face to face
with Lord Geoffrey, to his great surprise, the rear-admiral found much
of the same character of this very expression in the handsome boy, as in
the lovely girl. It is true, the look of ingenuousness and of sensitive
feeling, was far less marked in young Cleveland, than in Mildred, and
there was little general resemblance of feature or countenance between
the two; still, the first was to be found in both, and so distinctly, as
to be easily traced, when placed in so close contact. Geoffrey Cleveland
had the reputation of being like his mother; and, furnished with this
clue, the fact suddenly flashed on Bluewater's mind, that the being whom
Mildred so nearly and strikingly resembled, was a deceased sister of the
Duchess, and a beloved cousin of his own. Miss Hedworth, the young lady
in question, had long been dead; but, all who had known her, retained
the most pleasing impressions equally of her charms of person and of
mind. Between her and Bluewater there had existed a tender friendship,
in which, however, no shade of passion had mingled; a circumstance that
was in part owing to the difference in their years, Captain Bluewater
having been nearly twice his young relative's age; and in part,
probably, to the invincible manner in which the latter seemed wedded to
his profession, and his ship. Agnes Hedworth, notwithstanding, had been
very dear to our sailor, from a variety of causes,—far more so, than
her sister, the Duchess, though
she
was a favourite—and the
rear-admiral, when his mind glanced rapidly through the chain of
association, that traced the accidental resemblance of Mildred to this
esteemed object, had a sincere delight in finding he had thus been
unconsciously attracted by one whose every look and smile now forcibly
reminded him of the countenance of a being whom, in her day, he had
thought so near perfection. This delight, however, was blended with
sadness, on various accounts; and the short excursion proved to be so
melancholy, that no one was sorry when it terminated.

"
Nath.
Truly, Master Holofernes, the epithets are sweetly varied,
like a scholar at the least. But, sir, I assure ye, it was a buck of
the first head.
Hol.
Sir Nathaniel,
haud credo
.
Bull.
'Twas not a
haud credo
, 'twas a pricket."

LOVER'S LABOUR LOST.

Every appearance of the jolly negligence which had been so
characteristic of life at Wychecombe-Hall, had vanished, when the old
coach drew up in the court, to permit the party it had brought from the
station to alight. As no one was expected but Mrs. Dutton and her
daughter, not even a footman appeared to open the door of the carriage;
the vulgar-minded usually revenging their own homage to the powerful, by
manifesting as many slights as possible to the weak. Galleygo let the
new-comers out, and, consequently, he was the first person of whom
inquiries were made, as to the state of things in the house.

"Well," said Admiral Bluewater, looking earnestly at the steward; "how
is Sir Wycherly, and what is the news?"

"Sir Wycherly is still on the doctor's list, your honour; and I expects
his case is set down as a hard 'un. We's as well as can be expected, and
altogether in good heart. Sir Jarvy turned out with the sun, thof he
didn't turn in 'till the middle-watch was half gone—or
two
bells, as
they calls 'em aboard this house—
four
bells, as we should say in the
old Planter—and chickens, I hears, has riz, a shillin' a head, since
our first boat landed."