CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.
Ah me! what perils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron; What plaguey mischiefs and mishaps To dog him still with after-claps. HUDIBRAS.
The melancholy loss of lives which we have detailed, occurred upon areef of rocks close to Cape ---, on the coast of Galway, and not fourmiles from the castle and property held by Mr Rainscourt. Theintelligence had been communicated to McElvina by some of his tenants,early in the morning of the day on which the survivors had gained theshore. The western gales, sweeping the Atlantic, and blowing with suchfury on the coast, would not permit any vegetation or culture so nearthe beach; but when once past the range of hills which exposed theirrugged sides as barriers to the blast, the land was of good quality, andthickly tenanted. The people were barbarous to an excess, and, as theyhad stated, claimed a traditionary right to whatever property might bethrown up from the numerous wrecks which took place upon the dangerousand iron-bound coast. This will account for the tragical events of theday.
When McElvina was informed of vessels having been stranded, heimmediately went up to the castle to procure the means of assistance,which were always held there in readiness, and as many of Rainscourt'speople as could be collected. This, however, required some littledelay; and Emily, shocked at the imperfect intelligence which had beenconveyed to her, determined to ride down immediately, in company withMrs McElvina, and a young friend who was staying with her during herfather's absence. On their arrival at the sea-range of hills, theexplosion of the shealing, and subsequent conflict between the parties,met their eyes. Emily's fears, and knowledge of the Irish peasantry,immediately suggested the cause, and, aware of her influence with theRainscourt tenants, she made all the haste that the roads would permitto arrive at the spot, galloping down the hill, in so bold and dexterousa style, that her companions neither could nor would have dared to keeppace with her. How fortunate was her arrival need hardly be observed,as in all probability the English seamen would eventually have beensacrificed to the cupidity and resentment of the natives.
"William, do you know me?" whispered Emily, as the tears ran down hercheeks, and her countenance betrayed the anguish of her mind.
Seymour pressed the small white hand that trembled in his own, and afaint smile illuminated his features; but the excitement at theappearance of Emily was too great--the blood again gushed from hiswound, his eyes closed, and his head fell on his shoulder, as he swoonedfrom the loss of blood.
"Oh, God, preserve him!" cried Emily clasping her hands, and raising hereyes to Heaven, and then sinking down in mental and fervent prayer.
"My dear McElvina, I am so glad that you have come at last," said Susan,bursting into tears. "Look at whose side Emily is kneeling--'tisWilliam Seymour, dying."
"Seymour!" cried McElvina, who had but that moment arrived; but aware ofthe importance of prompt assistance, he called for the basket containingthe restoratives, and gently removing Emily, he took her situation bythe side of our wounded hero.
To strip off his clothes, examine the wound, bandage it, so as toprevent a further loss of blood, and pour down his throat some dilutedwine, was the work of a few minutes. Seymour, who had only fainted,reopened his eyes, and soon showed the good effects of McElvina'spresence of mind.
"McElvina,--is it not?--Did not I see Emily?"
"Yes, you did, my dear fellow; but keep quiet. I do not think yourwound is dangerous."
"I am better now, McElvina--much better; but I must see Emily."
McElvina thought it advisable to accede to his wish, and returned to hiswife, who was supporting the fainting girl. A glass of water, theassurance that Seymour would do well, if not too much agitated, and apromise exacted from her to say but little, was followed by an interviewwhich had a reviving effect upon both.
Medical practitioners, who dive into the inmost recesses of the humanframe in pursuit of knowledge, and who search through the mineral andvegetable kingdom for relief, when will you produce a balm so healing, aspecific so powerful, an elixir so instantaneous or restorative, as--joy?
McElvina was in the meantime occupied in preparations for removing thewounded, and portioning out food and necessaries to the rest of theparty. When he beheld the sad relics in the shealing, and heard fromthe boatswain the tragical events of the day, his indignation was beyondbounds. Seven Frenchmen, fifteen Englishmen, and eight Irishmen, hadbeen burnt alive; three Englishmen and five Irishmen had been killed inthe affray; making, independently of many severely wounded, a total ofthirty-eight who had perished on this disastrous morning.
The Irish who had attacked them were all tenants of the propertybelonging either to him or Rainscourt--an immediate notice to quit wasgiven to them on the spot, and the dreadful word, emigration, thunderedin their ears. This brought them on their knees, with such crying andbeseeching, such uncouth and ridiculous gestures, as almost to create alaugh among the English seamen who were witnesses to the scene.
"Well, if them ain't funny beggars, I'll be blowed," cried one of theEnglish seamen.
"Just the wae wid 'em," observed Conolly, "all honey or all vinegar--there's never a good turn they won't do ye now. If it had not been forthe `cratur', there wouldn't have been this blow-up."
But to continue. The bodies of the dead in the shealing were consignedto the earth as they lay, the four walls composing a mausoleum whereanimosity was buried. The corpses of McDermot, and the Irish who hadbeen killed in the conflict, were removed by their friends, that theymight be waked. By the direction of McElvina the wounded English werecarried up by their former antagonists to the small town at the foot ofthe castle, where surgical assistance was to be obtained. Seymour wasplaced on a sort of bier that had been constructed for him, Emily andher companions riding by his side; and the cavalcade wound up the hill,the rear brought up by Mr Hardsett and the remainder of the Englishcrew. In two hours all were at their respective destinations; andSeymour, who had been examined by the surgeon upon his arrival at thecastle, and whose wound had been pronounced by no means dangerous, wasin bed and fast asleep, Susan and Emily watching by his side.
Debriseau, who had recognised his quondam friend McElvina, and perceivedby his appearance, and the respect that was shown to him, that he hadbeen more fortunate in his career, since they had parted, than he hadhimself, from a proud feeling of the moment, did not make himself known.That McElvina, who had no idea of meeting him in such a quarter, shouldnot, in the hurry of the scene, distinguish his former associate,covered as he was with dust and blood, and having the appearance more ofa New Zealand warrior than of any other living being, was notsurprising--and Debriseau joined the English party in the rear of thecavalcade, and remained with them at the town, while McElvina and therest of the cortege continued their route to the castle, with thewounded Seymour.
As soon as our hero's wound had been dressed, and the favourable opinionof the surgeon had been pronounced, McElvina rode down to the town, tomake arrangements for the board and lodging of the English seamen. Itwas then that he was asked by Mr Hardsett, what was to be done with theFrenchman who had been saved.
"Where is he?" demanded McElvina.
Debriseau was summoned to the magistrate, and having cleaned himself ofthe dust and gore, was immediately recognised.
"Debriseau!" exclaimed McElvina, with astonishment, and a look ofdispleasure.
"Even so, Captain McElvina," replied Debriseau haughtily; "you do notseem very well pleased at meeting an old acquaintance."
"Captain Debriseau, will you do me the favour to step on one side withme. I will `be honest,' with you," continued McElvina to theGuernseyman, when they were out of hearing of the boatswain and therest; "and confess that, although I wish you well, I was not pleased atmeeting with you here. You addressed me as Captain McElvina--that titlehas long been dropped. I did once confide to you the secret of myformer life, and will own, what I little imagined at the time, that Ihave in consequence put it into your power to do me serious injury. Youmust now li
sten to me, while I give you a sketch of my memoirs, from thetime that we parted at Cherbourg."
McElvina then entered into a short history of what the reader isacquainted with.--"Judge, then, Debriseau," pursued he, "if, after whathas passed, I could `_honestly_' say that I was glad to see you--who notonly, by your presence, reminded me of my former irregularities, but hadthe means, if you thought proper, of acquainting my friends andacquaintances with what I wish I could forget myself."
"Captain--I beg your pardon--Mr McElvina," replied Debriseau withdignity, "I will be as honest as you. I am here without a sou, andwithout a shirt, and when I leave this, I know not where to lay my handupon either; but rather than betray a confidence reposed in me, ratherthan injure one who always was my friend, or, what is still moreunworthy, attempt to work upon your fears to my own advantage, I wouldsuffer death, nay, more--_Sacristie_--I would sooner turn custom-houseofficer. No, no, McElvina--_je suis Francais, moi_--bah, I mean I am atrue Englishman. Never mind what I am--all countries are alike, if aman's heart is in the right place. I sincerely wish you joy of yourgood fortune, and know nobody that in my opinion deserves it more. Ishall go to prison with some resignation, now that I know you have beenso fortunate; and do me not the injustice to imagine that you will everbe troubled by either seeing or hearing from me."
"I waited for this answer, Debriseau: had you made any other, I wouldhave run the risk and defied you; nothing would have induced me to haveoffered to bribe your silence. But I rejoice in your honest and manlyconduct--`Honesty is the best policy,' Debriseau. I can now offer, andyou can accept, without blushing on either side, that assistance which Ihave both the power and will to grant. There is no occasion for yourgoing to prison. I make the returns as magistrate, and, as you are anEnglish subject, will be answerable for the omission. We are too farfrom the world here to have any questions asked. And now let me knowhow I can be of any service to you, for my purse and interest you maycommand."
"Well, then, to tell you the truth, I am fit for nothing on shore. Imust have another vessel, if I can get one."
"Not a smuggling vessel, I hope," replied McElvina, gravely.
"I should prefer it certainly. Why, there's no harm in smuggling, if Irecollect your arguments right," replied Debriseau, smiling. "Do youremember the night that you convinced me?"
"I do, very well," said McElvina; "but I have reconsidered the subject,and I have one little remark to make, which will upset the whole theory,which is, that other people acting wrong cannot be urged as an excusefor our own conduct. If it were, the world would soon be left withoutvirtue or honesty. You may think me scrupulous; but I am sincere.Cannot you hit upon something else?"
"Why, I should have no objection to command a fine merchant vessel, if Icould obtain such a thing."
"That you shall," replied McElvina; "and to make sure of it, and renderyou more independent, you shall be part owner. Consider it as _uneaffaire arrangee_. And now allow me to offer you the means of improvingyour personal appearance--I presume the leathern bag is empty?"
"Bah! a long while ago. After I had lost my vessel, I made up toMademoiselle Picardon; I thought it would not be a bad speculation--butshe never forgave me kicking that dirty puppy down stairs--littlebeast!"
"Ah! you forget some of my remarks," replied McElvina, laughing--"`Loveme, love my dog.' Now oblige me by accepting this; and, Debriseau(excuse me), there's a capital barber in this street. _Au revoir_."