Chapter XL
In which a most horrid spectre disturbs the equanimity of MrVanslyperken.
Two days was the cutter striving with light winds for the Texel, duringwhich Mr Vanslyperken kept himself altogether in his cabin. He wasoccasionally haunted with the memory of the scene in his mother'sroom.--Smallbones dead, and the stream of blood running along the floor,and his mother's diabolical countenance, with the hammer raised in herpalsied hands; but he had an instigator to his vengeance beside him,which appeared to relieve his mind whenever it was oppressed; it was thestump of Snarleyyow, and when he looked at that he no longer regretted,but congratulated himself on the deed being done. His time was fullyoccupied during the day, for with locked doors he was transcribing theletters sent to Ramsay, and confided to him.
He was not content with taking extracts, as he did of the governmentdespatches for Ramsay; he copied every word, and he replaced the sealswith great dexterity. At night his mind was troubled, and he dare notlie himself down to rest until he had fortified himself with severalglasses of scheedam; even then his dreams frightened him; but he was tobe more frightened yet.
Corporal Van Spitter came into the cabin on the third morning with avery anxious face.--"Mein Gott! Mynheer Vanslyperken, de whole crew bein de mutinys."
"Mutiny!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, "what's the matter?"
"They say, sir, dat dey see de ghost of Smallbones last night on debowsprit, with one great cut on his head, and de blood all overde face."
"Saw what? who saw him?"
"Mein Gott, mynheer! it all true, I really think I see it myself at detaffrail, he sit there and have great wound from here down to," said thecorporal, pointing to his own head, and describing the wound exactly."The people say that he must have been murdered, and dey kick upde mutiny."
"I did not do it, corporal, at all events," replied Vanslyperken, paleand trembling.
"So Smallbones tell Dick Short, when he speak to him on bowsprit."
"Did it speak to Short?" inquired Vanslyperken, catching the corporal'sarm.
"Yes, mynheer; Mynheer Short speak first, and den the ghost say dat younot do it, but dat you give gold to old woman to do it, and she knockhim brain out vid de hammer."
To portray Vanslyperken's dismay at this intelligence would beimpossible. He could not but be certain that there had been asupernatural communication. His knees knocked and trembled, and heturned sick and faint.
"O Lord, O Lord! corporal, I am a great sinner," cried he at last, quiteunaware of what he was saying. "Some water, corporal." Corporal VanSpitter handed some water, and Vanslyperken waved his hand to be leftalone; and Mr Vanslyperken attempted to pray, but it ended inblaspheming.
"It's a lie, all a lie," exclaimed he, at last, pouring out a tumbler ofscheedam. "They have frightened the corporal. But--no--he must have seenhim, or how could they know how he was murdered. He must have told them;and him I saw dead and stiff, with these own eyes. Well, I did not dothe deed," continued Vanslyperken, attempting to palliate his crime tohimself; but it would not do, and Mr Vanslyperken paced the little cabinracked by fear and guilt.
Remorse he felt none, for there was before his eyes the unhealed stumpof Snarleyyow. In the evening Mr Vanslyperken went on deck; the weatherwas now very warm, for it was the beginning of July; and MrVanslyperken, followed by Snarleyyow, was in a deep reverie, and heturned and turned again.
The sun had set, and Mr Vanslyperken still continued his walk, but hissteps were agitated and uneven, and his face was haggard. It was ratherthe rapid and angry pacing of a tiger in his den, who has just beencaptured, than that of a person in deep contemplation. Still MrVanslyperken continued to tread the deck, and it was quite light with abright and pale moon.
The men were standing here and there about the forecastle and near thebooms in silence and speaking in low whispers, and Vanslyperken's eyewas often directed towards them, for he had not forgotten the report ofthe corporal, that they were in a state of mutiny.
Of a sudden, Mr Vanslyperken was roused by a loud cry from forward, anda rush of all the men aft. He thought that the crew had risen, and thatthey were about to seize him, but, on the contrary, they passed him andhastened to the taffrail with exclamations of horror.
"What! what is it?" exclaimed Vanslyperken, fully prepared for the replyby his own fears.
"O Lord! have mercy upon us," cried Bill Spurey.
"Good God, deliver us!" exclaimed another.
"Ah, Mein Gott!" screamed Jansen, rushing against Vanslyperken andknocking him down on the deck.
"Well, well, murder will out!--that's sartain," said Coble, who stood byVanslyperken when he had recovered his legs.
"What, what!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, breathless.
"There, sir,--look there," said Coble, breathless, pointing to thefigure of Smallbones, who now appeared from the shade in the broadmoonshine.
His head was not bound up, and his face appeared pale and streaked withblood. He was in the same clothes in which he had gone on shore, and inhis hand he held the hammer which had done the deed.
The figure slowly advanced to the quarter-deck, Vanslyperken attemptedto retreat, but his legs failed him, he dropped down on his knees,uttered a loud yell of despair, and then threw himself flat on the deckface downwards.
Certainly, the pantomime was inimitably got up, but it had all beenarranged by Moggy, the corporal, and the others. There was not one manof the crew who had not been sworn to secrecy, and whose life would nothave been endangered if, by undeceiving Vanslyperken, they had beendeprived of such just and legitimate revenges.
Smallbones disappeared as soon as Vanslyperken had fallen down.
He was allowed to remain there for some time to ascertain if he wouldsay anything, but as he still continued silent, they raised him up andfound that he was insensible. He was consequently taken down into thecabin and put into his bed.
The effect produced by this trial of Mr Vanslyperken's nerves, was mostserious. Already too much heated with the use of ardent spirits, itbrought on convulsions, in which he continued during the major part ofthe night. Towards the morning, he sank into a perturbed slumber.
It was not till eleven o'clock in the forenoon that he awoke andperceived his _faithful_ corporal standing by the side of the bed.
"Have I not been ill, corporal?" said Mr Vanslyperken, whose memory wasimpaired for the time.
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"There was something happened, was not there?"
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"I've had a fit; have I not?"
"Mein Gott! yes, mynheer."
"My head swims now; what was it, corporal?"
"It was de ghost of de poy," replied the corporal.
"Yes, yes," replied Vanslyperken, falling back on his pillow.
It had been intended by the conspirators, that Smallbones should makehis appearance in the cabin, as the bell struck one o'clock; but theeffect had already been so serious that it was thought advisable todefer any further attempts. As for Smallbones being concealed in thevessel for any length of time there was no difficulty in that; forallowing that Vanslyperken should go forward on the lower deck of thevessel, which he never did, Smallbones had only to retreat into the eyesof her, and it was there so dark that he could not be seen. Theytherefore regulated their conduct much in the same way as the members ofthe inquisition used to do in former days; they allowed their patientto recover, that he might be subjected to more torture.
It was not until the fourth day, that the cutter arrived at the port ofAmsterdam, and Mr Vanslyperken had kept his bed ever since he had beenput into it; but this he could do no longer, he rose weak and emaciated,dressed himself, and went on shore with the despatches which he firstdelivered, and then bent his steps to the syndic's house, where hedelivered his letters to Ramsay.
The arrival of the cutter had been duly notified to the widowVandersloosh, before she had dropped her anchor, and in pursuance withher resolution she immediately despatched Babet
te to track MrVanslyperken, and watch his motions. Babette took care not to be seen byMr Vanslyperken, but shrouding herself close in her cotton print cloak,she followed him to the Stadt House, and from the Stadt House to themansion of Mynheer Van Krause, at a short distance from the gates ofwhich she remained till he came out. Wishing to ascertain whether hewent to any other place, she did not discover herself until sheperceived that he was proceeding to the widow's--she then quickened herpace so as to come up with him.
"Oh! Mynheer Vanslyperken, is this you? I heard you had come in and sodid my mistress, and she has been expecting you this last half-hour."
"I have made all the haste I can, Babette. But I was obliged to delivermy despatches first," replied Vanslyperken.
"But I thought you always took your despatches to the Stadt House?"
"Well, so I do, Babette; I have just come from thence."
This was enough for Babette, it proved that his visit to the syndic'swas intended to be concealed; she was too prudent to let him know thatshe had traced him.
"Why, Mr Vanslyperken, you look very ill. What has been the matter withyou? My mistress will be quite frightened."
"I have not been well, Babette," replied Vanslyperken.
"I really must run home as fast as I can. I will tell my mistress youhave been unwell, for otherwise she will be in such a quandary;" andBabette hastened ahead of Mr Vanslyperken, who was in too weak a stateto walk fast.
"The syndic's house--heh!"--said the widow, "Mynheer Van Krause. Why heis thorough king's man, by all report," continued she. "I don'tunderstand it. But there is no trusting any man now-a-days.
"Babette, you must go there by-and-bye and see if you can find outwhether that person he brought over, and he called a king's messenger,is living at the syndic's house. I think he must be, or why wouldVanslyperken go there? and if he is, there's treason going on--that'sall! and I'll find it out, or my name is not Vandersloosh."
Shortly after, Mr Vanslyperken arrived at the house and was receivedwith the usual treacherous cordiality; but he had not remained more thanan hour when Coble came to him (having been despatched by Short), toinform Mr Vanslyperken that a frigate was coming in with the royalstandard at the main, indicating that King William was on board of her.
This intelligence obliged Mr Vanslyperken to hasten on board, as it wasnecessary to salute, and also to pay his respects on board ofthe frigate.
The frigate was within a mile when Mr Vanslyperken arrived on board ofthe cutter, and when the batteries saluted, the cutter did the same.Shortly afterwards the frigate dropped her anchor and returned thesalute. Mr Vanslyperken, attired in his full uniform, ordered his boatto be manned and pulled on board.
On his arrival on the quarter-deck Vanslyperken was received by thecaptain of the frigate, and then presented to King William of Nassau,who was standing on the other side of the deck, attended by the Duke ofPortland, Lord Albemarle, and several others of his courtiers, not allof them quite as faithful as the two whom we have named.
When Mr Vanslyperken was brought forward to the presence of his Majesty,he trembled almost as much as when he had beheld the supposed spirit ofSmallbones, and well he might, for his conscience told him as he bowedhis knee that he was a traitor. His agitation was, however, ascribed tohis being daunted by the unusual presence of royalty. And Albemarle, asVanslyperken retreated with a cold sweat on his forehead, observed tothe king with a smile,
"That worthy lieutenant would show a little more courage, I doubt not,your Majesty, if he were in the presence of your enemies."
"It is to be hoped so," replied the king, with a smile. "I agree withyou, Keppel."
But his Majesty and Lord Albemarle did not know Mr Vanslyperken, as thereader will acknowledge.