CHAPTER VI.
MOONLIGHT AND MUSIC ON BOARD.
Owen called the steward and the waiter, and directed them to move allhis luggage from the state-room. He assisted himself in the work, andseemed to be very much in earnest.
"I don't ask you to do this, Owen; and I didn't expect you to do it," Iprotested.
"Did you expect me to be a swine?" demanded he indignantly.
"No, certainly not; but I have no right to do anything to deprive youof the comfort you pay for," I replied.
"But who are these people, Alick?"
"They haven't even given me their names; I know nothing whatever inregard to them. Rather than have them stay out in the street, I wasready to give up my room."
"It's all right, Alick. Give the lady my state-room, and I will take aberth. The curtains draw out in such a way as to make a little room infront of each bunk, and I shall be just as well off as in my room."
"I don't like to have you do this. Won't you take my room? I will haveit fitted up for you in as good style as this cabin; and it is twice aslarge as this room."
"No, I thank you, Alick. I shall be very comfortable in one of theseberths. Let me hear no more objections. Now bring the gentleman and hisdaughter down into the cabin, and assure them they are as welcome asthey would be in their own house."
It was useless to say anything more to Owen; for when he insisted onhaving his own way, he had it. I went forward and invited the strangersbelow. Ben brought their trunks and other baggage after them, and theywere soon installed in their new quarters.
"What a lovely little room!" exclaimed Miss Margie, as I showed thestate-room. "It is ever so much nicer than the one I had in the steamerI came across the ocean in!"
"I am sorry I have not another state-room for you, sir," I said to herfather, as I came out of the daughter's room. "But we will do the bestwe can for you."
I pulled out the slide to which the curtains were attached, in front ofone of the berths.
"Nothing could be better than that," replied the gentleman, withenthusiasm. "We are better lodged than we were in that boarding-house.The only fear is that we are intruding."
"Not at all, sir. The gentleman that charters the yacht wished me tosay to you that you are as welcome as you could be in your own house."
"I will soon pay my respects to him. I dare say he is the owner of thisdelightful little craft."
"No, sir; he only charters her."
"And who is the owner of her?"
"I am the owner, sir."
"Bless me! You are quite a young man to be the owner of such a finelittle vessel," said the new passenger. "Will you favor me with yourname?"
"Alexander Garningham," I replied, not supposing my name could be ofany particular consequence to him.
"Garningham! I half suspected it!" ejaculated the gentleman. "I have aletter for you."
"A letter for me, sir!" I exclaimed, wondering who could have given himsuch a missive.
"It is very strange that I should stumble on you in this manner, when Ihave been looking for you all over the country," continued thegentleman, fumbling his pockets for the letter.
I almost came to the conclusion that he was a "fraud," trying to playsome trick upon me, in the interest of Captain Boomsby, or some otherdesigning person, when he produced the letter. He handed it to me. Iinstantly recognized the peculiar handwriting of my father. It thrilledme to my very soul. I glanced at the superscription. It was my name inthe familiar writing. Under it was, "By the hand of the Hon. PardonTiffany."
"Mr. Tiffany, I am very happy to meet you," I said, when I had readwhat was on the outside of the letter.
"Captain Alick Garningham, I am more than happy to see you," hereplied, grasping my hand. "I know all about you from your father."
I excused myself, and opened the letter; but it was only anintroduction, written just before my father started for India. He spokeof Mr. Tiffany as his best and truest friend in England, who was totravel a year or more in America.
"How long have you been in this country, Mr. Tiffany?" I asked,thinking it very strange, from the date of the letter, that I had notseen him before.
"Less than four months. I was ill after your father started for India,and was unable to leave home till six months later than I hadintended," he replied. "I suppose you hear from your fatheroccasionally?"
"I have not heard from him since he left for India," I replied.
I saw that he knew nothing of the events which had occurred since Ileft Lake St. Clair. It took me an hour to tell the story in full. Heseemed to be greatly astonished when I told him that the person whochartered the steam-yacht was my cousin, Owen Garningham. He knew mostof the family, though he had never met Owen, who had been away atschool, or on his travels on the Continent, when he visited my father.
Miss Margie had come out of her state-room some time before I finishedmy story; but she busied herself with a book till we had concluded ourconference. I asked them both to go on deck with me, and I introducedthem to my passengers. Owen did not appear to know Mr. Tiffany, or toknow of him when his name was mentioned. I thought it was best not tosay anything at present. Both of the guests were treated with theutmost consideration and kindness by Owen and the Shepards. The storyof the fire was rehearsed, and Miss Margie was the heroine of the hour.
The afternoon was wearing away, and I had yet made no inquiries inregard to Cornwood. I knew not where to find the person to whom he hadreferred me at the house which had been burned. I ordered the boatagain, and went on shore. I found a party at one of the hotels who hademployed the Floridian, and they spoke in the highest terms of him. Thenatives of St. Augustine usually smiled when I asked about Cornwood;but no one said anything against him that I did not know--that he was"airy" and given to "brag." It was about dark when I returned, but theFloridian was still on board.
"I am sorry to hear that Colonel Estwell's house has been burned," saidCornwood, as I came on deck. "It was doing a good business, and thefire will be a heavy blow to the Colonel. I suppose you heard nothingbad about me."
"Nothing very bad. I engage you at the terms you named for the time thesteam-yacht remains in Florida," I added. "You will have a berth in theforward cabin, and mess with the officers."
"You will have no occasion to regret what you have done," said theFloridian, confidently.
"I hope not. Now, can you find a waiter for me?" I continued,explaining the need of additional help in the steward's department.
"A waiter! Fifty more than there are in the city could find places inone hour," said he, laughing at the apparent absurdity of the question."However, as you have applied to me, I have no doubt I can find one foryou."
"Do you think you can?" I asked, rather anxiously. "I have added twomore persons to the company to be cared for at the cabin-table, and weshall get nothing to eat in the forward cabin if we don't have morehelp."
"You shall have a waiter if I have to take him out of the dining-roomof the St. Augustine Hotel," replied Mr. Cornwood, with as muchassurance as though all the waiters in the city were under his charge.
I sent him ashore in the starboard boat; and Buck and Landy, the crew,were glad to spend an hour in the city. In less than that time theFloridian returned, and with him was the waiter. When the new man cameinto my room to see me, I was not a little surprised to find he was thesame "yellow man" I had seen in the boat that brought off the guide thefirst time he boarded the Sylvania.
He was a remarkably good-looking fellow, and I soon ascertained that hewas as intelligent as he was handsome. His name was Griffin Leeds. Hewas neither a Spaniard nor an Italian, but an octoroon.
Both the guide and the waiter brought off their baggage in the boat.Among the effects of Griffin Leeds I noticed a violin-case. Tom Sands,the cabin-waiter, whom I had obtained at Jacksonville, played the banjoin the most artistic manner. Neither of the waiters were any commonsort of colored men; and I soon found that race distinctions werevastly more insisted on by these men than by any white
man on board,unless it was the Floridian.
We had a full table in the forward cabin at supper that night, andGriffin Leeds showed that he thoroughly understood his business, andthat he was active and zealous besides. I was very well pleased withhim, and so were all the other officers of the steamer.
It was a bright moonlight evening, and the air was soft and balmy. Isat with the passengers under the awning on the quarter-deck. By thistime Edith and Margie had got along far enough to sit with their armsaround each other's waists. One would think they had known each otherfor years, they were so affectionate. We were talking about the voyagedown from the Great Lakes, when the attention of the whole party wasattracted by the music of a violin on the hurricane-deck. Theinstrument was well played. Presently the volume of the music wasincreased by the addition of a banjo.
"That's good," said Owen. "I think music, even if it isn't first-class,is delightful on the water."
"It is perfectly charming!" exclaimed Edith.
"It seems almost like fairy-land!" added Margie.
I saw that all hands were in the gangway; then a violoncello, of whoseexistence on board I was not aware, was passed up to thehurricane-deck. Landy Perkins played on this instrument, which had beenpurchased at St. George. I knew that Ben Bowman had formerly played inthe Montomercy Brass Band, and I saw him mount the ladder with hiscornet. In a few minutes our band was playing "There's music in theair," though the first attempts were evidently not entirelysatisfactory to the musicians. After an hour's practice together themusic improved.
We sat on deck till a late hour. The next day, under the guidance ofMr. Cornwood, the party visited the coquina quarries on AnastasiaIsland, and wandered over the city again. In the evening the bandplayed again, reinforced by the Floridian, who played the cornet. Hetold me confidentially that he was not in the habit of playing with"niggers," but he was willing to do anything to contribute to thepleasure of the party. I thought it was very condescending in him.
After three days at St. Augustine we sailed for Jacksonville.