CHAPTER X.
"Bid physicians talk our veins to temper, And with an argument new-set a pulse; Then think, my lord, of reasoning into love."
YOUNG.
While the scene just related, took place in the chamber of the sick man,Admiral Bluewater, Mrs. Dutton, and Mildred left the house, in the oldfamily-coach. The rear-admiral had pertinaciously determined to adhereto his practice of sleeping in his ship; and the manner in which he hadoffered seats to his two fair companions--for Mrs. Dutton still deservedto be thus termed--has already been seen. The motive was simply toremove them from any further brutal exhibitions of Dutton's cupidity,while he continued in his present humour; and, thus influenced, it isnot probable that the gallant old sailor would be likely to dwell, morethan was absolutely necessary, on the unpleasant scene of which he hadbeen a witness. In fact, no allusion was made to it, during the quarterof an hour the party was driving from the Hall to the station-house.They all spoke, with regret,--Mildred with affectionate tenderness,even,--of poor Sir Wycherly; and several anecdotes, indicative of hisgoodness of heart, were eagerly related to Bluewater, by the twofemales, as the carriage moved heavily along. In the time mentioned, thevehicle drew up before the door of the cottage, and all three alighted.
If the morning of that day had been veiled in mist, the sun had set inas cloudless a sky, as is often arched above the island of GreatBritain. The night was, what in that region, is termed a clearmoonlight. It was certainly not the mimic day that is so often enjoyedin purer atmospheres, but the panorama of the head-land was clothed in asoft, magical sort of semi-distinctness, that rendered objectssufficiently obvious, and exceedingly beautiful. The rounded, shornswells of the land, hove upward to the eye, verdant and smooth; whilethe fine oaks of the park formed a shadowy background to the picture,inland. Seaward, the ocean was glittering, like a reversed plane of thefirmament, far as eye could reach. If our own hemisphere, or rather thislatitude, may boast of purer skies than are enjoyed by the mothercountry, the latter has a vast superiority in the tint of the water.While the whole American coast is bounded by a dull-looking sheet ofsea-green, the deep blue of the wide ocean appears to be carried closehome to the shores of Europe. This glorious tint, from which the term of"ultramarine" has been derived, is most remarkable in the Mediterranean,that sea of delights; but it is met with, all along the rock-boundcoasts of the Peninsula of Spain and Portugal, extending through theBritish Channel, until it is in a measure, lost on the shoals of theNorth Sea; to be revived, however, in the profound depths of the oceanthat laves the wild romantic coast of Norway.
"'Tis a glorious night!" exclaimed Bluewater, as he handed Mildred, thelast, from the carriage; "and one can hardly wish to enter a cot, let itswing ever so lazily."
"Sleep is out of the question," returned Mildred, sorrowfully. "Theseare nights in which even the weary are reluctant to lose theirconsciousness; but who can sleep while there is this uncertainty aboutdear Sir Wycherly."
"I rejoice to hear you say this, Mildred,"--for so the admiral hadunconsciously, and unrepelled, begun to call his sweet companion--"Irejoice to hear you say this, for I am an inveterate star-gazer andmoon-ite; and I shall hope to persuade you and Mrs. Dutton to waste yetanother hour, with me, in walking on this height. Ah! yonder is SamYoke, my coxswain, waiting to report the barge; I can send SirGervaise's message to the surgeons, by deputy, and there will be nooccasion for my hastening from this lovely spot, and pleasant company."
The orders were soon given to the coxswain. A dozen boats, it wouldseem, were in waiting for officers ashore, notwithstanding the latenessof the hour; and directions were sent for two of them to pull off, andobtain the medical men. The coach was sent round to receive the latter,and then all was tranquil, again, on the height. Mrs. Dutton entered thehouse, to attend to some of her domestic concerns, while therear-admiral took the arm of Mildred, and they walked, together, to theverge of the cliffs.
A fairer moonlight picture seldom offered itself to a seaman's eye, thanthat which now lay before the sight of Admiral Bluewater and Mildred.Beneath them rode the fleet; sixteen sail of different rigs, eleven ofwhich, however, were two-decked ships of the largest size then known innaval warfare; and all of which were in that perfect order, that anactive and intelligent commander knows how to procure, even from thedilatory and indifferent. If Admiral Bluewater was conspicuous inman[oe]uvring a fleet, and in rendering every vessel of a line thatextended a league, efficient, and that too, in her right place, SirGervaise Oakes had the reputation of being one of the best seamen, inthe ordinary sense of the word, in England. No vessel under his command,ever had a lubberly look; and no ship that had any sailing in her,failed to have it brought out of her. The vice-admiral was familiar withthat all-important fact--one that members equally of Congress and ofParliament are so apt to forgot, or rather not to know at all--that theefficiency of a whole fleet, as a fleet, is necessarily brought down tothe level of its worst ships. Of little avail is it, that four or fivevessels of a squadron sail fast, and work well, if the eight or ten thatremain, behave badly, and are dull. A separation of the vessels is theinevitable consequence, when the properties of all are thoroughly tried;and the division of a force, is the first step towards its defeat; asits proper concentration, is a leading condition of victory. As thepoorer vessels cannot imitate the better, the good are compelled toregulate their movements by the bad; which is at once essentiallybringing down the best ships of a fleet to the level of its worst; theproposition with which we commenced.
Sir Gervaise Oakes was so great a favourite, that all he asked wasusually conceded to him. One of his conditions was, that his vesselsshould sail equally well; "If you give me fast ships," he said, "I canovertake the enemy; if dull, the enemy can overtake me; and I leave youto say which course will be most likely to bring on an action. At anyrate, give me _consorts_; not one flyer, and one drag; but vessels thatcan keep within hail of each other, without anchoring." The admiraltyprofessed every desire to oblige the gallant commander; and, as he wasresolved never to quit the Plantagenet until she was worn out, it wasindispensably necessary to find as many fast vessels as possible, tokeep her company. The result was literally a fleet of "horses," asGalleygo used to call it; and it was generally said in the service, that"Oakes had a squadron of flyers, if not a flying-squadron."
Vessels like these just mentioned, are usually symmetrical and gracefulto the eye, as well as fast. This fact was apparent to Mildred,accustomed as she was to the sight of ships and she ventured to expressas much, after she and her companion had stood quite a minute on thecliff, gazing at the grand spectacle beneath them.
"Your vessels look even handsomer than common, Admiral Bluewater," shesaid, "though a ship, to me, is always an attractive sight."
"This is because they _are_ handsomer than common, my pretty critic.Vice-Admiral Oakes is an officer who will no more tolerate an ugly shipin his fleet, than a peer of the realm will marry any woman but one whois handsome; unless indeed she happen to be surpassingly rich."
"I have heard that men are accustomed to lose their hearts under such aninfluence," said Mildred, laughing; "but I did not know before, thatthey were ever frank enough to avow it!"
"The knowledge has been imparted by a prudent mother, I suppose,"returned the rear-admiral, in a musing manner; "I wish I stoodsufficiently in the parental relation to you, my young friend, toventure to give a little advice, also. Never, before, did I feel sostrong a wish to warn a human being of a great danger that I fear isimpending over her, could I presume to take the liberty."
"It is not a liberty, but a duty, to warn any one of a danger that isknown to ourselves, and not to the person who incurs the risk. At leastso it appears to the eyes of a very young girl."
"Yes, if the danger was of falling from these cliffs, or of setting fireto a house, or of any other visible calamity. The case is different,when young ladies, and setting fire to the heart, are concerned."
"Certainly, I can perceive the distinc
tion," answered Mildred, after ashort pause; "and can understand that the same person who would notscruple to give the alarm against any physical danger, would hesitateeven at hinting at one of a moral character. Nevertheless, if AdmiralBluewater think a simple girl, like me, of sufficient importance to takethe trouble to interest himself in her welfare, I should hope he wouldnot shrink from pointing out this danger. It is a terrible word to sleepon; and I confess, besides a little uneasiness, to a good deal ofcuriosity to know more."
"This is said, Mildred, because you are unaccustomed to the shocks whichthe tongue of rude man may give your sensitive feelings."
"Unaccustomed!" said Mildred, trembling so that the weakness wasapparent to her companion. "Unaccustomed! Alas! Admiral Bluewater, canthis be so, after what you have seen and heard!"
"Pardon me, dear child: nothing was farther from my thoughts, than towish to revive those unpleasant recollections. If I thought I should beforgiven, I might venture, yet, to reveal my secret; for neverbefore--though I cannot tell the reason of so sudden and soextraordinary an interest in one who is almost a stranger--"
"No--no--not a stranger, dear sir. After all that has passed to-day;after you have been admitted, though it were by accident, to one mostsacred secret;--after all that was said in the carriage, and theterrible scenes my beloved mother went through in your presence so manyyears since, you can never be a stranger to _us_, whatever may be yourown desire to fancy yourself one."
"Girl, you do not fascinate--you do not charm me, but you _bind_ me toyou in a way I did not think it in the power of any human being tosubjugate my feelings!"
This was said with so much energy, that Mildred dropped the arm sheheld, and actually recoiled a step, if not in alarm, at least insurprise. But, on looking up into the face of her companion, andperceiving large tears actually glistening on his cheek, and seeing thehair that exposure and mental cares had whitened more than time, all herconfidence returned, and she resumed the place she had abandoned, of herown accord, and as naturally as a daughter would have clung to the sideof a father.
"I am sure, sir, my gratitude for this interest ought to be quite equalto the honour it does me," Mildred said, earnestly. "And, now, AdmiralBluewater, do not hesitate to speak to me with the frankness that aparent might use. I will listen with the respect and deference of adaughter."
"Then do listen to what I have to say, and make no answer, if you findyourself wounded at the freedom I am taking. It would seem that there isbut one subject on which a man, old fellow or young fellow, can speak toa lovely young girl, when he gets her alone, under the light of a finemoon;--and that is love. Nay, start not again, my dear, for, if I amabout to speak on so awkward a subject, it is not in my own behalf Ihardly know whether you will think it in behalf of any one; as what Ihave to say, is not an appeal to your affections, but a warning againstbestowing them."
"A warning, Admiral Bluewater! Do you really think that can benecessary?"
"Nay, my child, that is best known to yourself. Of one thing I amcertain; the young man I have in my eye, affects to admire you, whetherhe does or not; and when young women are led to believe they are loved,it is a strong appeal to all their generous feelings to answer thepassion, if not with equal warmth, at least with something very likeit."
"Affects to admire, sir!--And why should any one be at the pains of_affecting_ feelings towards me, that they do not actually entertain? Ihave neither rank, nor money, to bribe any one to be guilty of anhypocrisy so mean, and which, in my ease, would be so motiveless."
"Yes, if it _were_ motiveless to win the most beautiful creature inEngland! But, no matter. We will not stop to analyze motives, when_facts_ are what we aim at. I should think there must be some passion inthis youth's suit, and that will only make it so much the more dangerousto its object. At all events, I feel a deep conviction that he isaltogether unworthy of you. This is a bold expression of opinion on anacquaintance of a day; but there are such reasons for it, that a man ofmy time of life, if unprejudiced, can scarcely be deceived."
"All this is very singular, sir, and I had almost used your own word of'alarming,'" replied Mildred, slightly agitated by curiosity, but moreamused. "I shall be as frank as yourself, and say that you judge thegentleman harshly. Mr. Rotherham may not have all the qualities that aclergyman ought to possess, but he is far from being a bad man. Good orbad, however, it is not probable that he will carry his transientpartiality any farther than he has gone already."
"Mr. Rotherham!--I have neither thought nor spoken of the pious vicar atall!"
Mildred was now sadly confused. Mr. Rotherham had made his proposals forher, only the day before, and he had been mildly, but firmly refused.The recent occurrence was naturally uppermost in her mind; and theconjecture that her rejected suitor, under the influence of wine, mighthave communicated the state of his wishes, or what he fancied to be thestate of his wishes, to her companion, was so very easy, that she hadfallen into the error, almost without reflection.
"I beg pardon, sir--I really imagined," the confused girl answered;"but, it was a natural mistake for me to suppose you meant Mr.Rotherham, as he is the only person who has ever spoken to my mother onthe subject of any thing like a preference for me."
"I should have less fear of those who spoke to your mother, Mildred,than of those who spoke only to _you_. As I hate ambiguity, however, Iwill say, at once, that my allusion was to Mr. Wychecombe."
"Mr. Wychecombe, Admiral Bluewater!"--and the veteran felt the arm thatleaned on him tremble violently, a sad confirmation of even more than heapprehended, or he would not have been so abrupt. "Surely--surely--thewarning you mean, cannot, _ought_ not to apply to a gentleman of Mr.Wychecombe's standing and character!"
"Such is the world, Miss Dutton, and we old seamen, in particular, getto know it, whether willingly or not. My sudden interest in you, therecollection of former, but painful scenes, and the events of the day,have made me watchful, and, you will add, bold--but I am resolved tospeak, even at the risk of disobliging you for ever--and, in speaking, Imust say that I never met with a young man who has made so unfavourablean impression on me, as this same Mr. Wychecombe."
Mildred, unconsciously to herself, withdrew her arm, and she feltastonished at her own levity, in so suddenly becoming sufficientlyintimate with a stranger to permit him thus to disparage a confirmedfriend.
"I am sorry, sir, that you entertain so indifferent an opinion of onewho is, I believe, a general favourite, in this part of the country,"she answered, with a coldness that rendered her manner marked.
"I perceive I shall share the fate of all unwelcome counsellors, but canonly blame my own presumption. Mildred, we live in momentous times, andGod knows what is to happen to myself, in the next few months; but, sostrong is the inexplicable interest that I feel in your welfare, that Ishall venture still to offend. I like not this Mr. Wychecombe, who is sodevout an admirer of yours--real or affected--and, as to the liking ofdependants for the heir of a considerable estate, it is so much a matterof course, that I count it nothing."
"The heir of a considerable estate!" repeated Mildred, in a voice towhich the natural sweetness returned, quietly resuming the arm, she hadso unceremoniously dropped--"Surely, dear sir, you are not speaking ofMr. Thomas Wychecombe, Sir Wycherly's nephew."
"Of whom else should I speak?--Has he not been your shadow the wholeday?--so marked in his attentions, as scarce to deem it necessary toconceal his suit?"
"Has it really struck you thus, sir?--I confess I did not so considerit. We are so much at home at the Hall, that we rather expect all ofthat family to be kind to us. But, whether you are right in yourconjecture, or not, Mr. Thomas Wychecombe can never be ought to me--andas proof, Admiral Bluewater, that I take your warning, as it is meant,in kindness and sincerity, I will add, that he is not a very particularfavourite."
"I rejoice to hear it! Now there is his namesake, our young lieutenant,as gallant and as noble a fellow as ever lived--would to Heaven be wasnot so wrapt up in his professio
n, as to be insensible to any beauties,but those of a ship. Were you my own daughter, Mildred, I could give youto that lad, with as much freedom as I would give him my estate, were hemy son."
Mildred smiled--and it was archly, though not without a shade of sorrow,too--but she had sufficient self-command, to keep her feelings toherself, and too much maiden reserve not to shrink from betraying herweakness to one who, after all, was little more than a stranger.
"I dare say, sir," she answered, with an equivocation which was perhapsvenial, "that your knowledge of the world has judged both thesegentlemen, rightly. Mr. Thomas Wychecombe, notwithstanding all you heardfrom my poor father, is not likely to think seriously of me; and I willanswer for my own feelings as regards _him_. I am, in no manner, aproper person to become Lady Wychecombe; and, I trust, I should have theprudence to decline the honour were it even offered to me. Believe me,sir, my father would have held a different language to-night, had it notbeen for Sir Wycherly's wine, and the many loyal toasts that were drunk.He _must_ be conscious, in his reflecting moments, that a child of hisis unsuited to so high a station. Our prospects in life were once betterthan they are now, Admiral Bluewater; but they have never been such asto raise these high expectations in us."
"An officer's daughter may always claim to be a gentlewoman, my dear;and, as such, you might become the wife of a duke, did he love you.Since I find my warning unnecessary, however, we will change thediscourse. Did not something extraordinary occur at this cliff, thismorning, and in connection with this very Mr. Thomas Wychecombe? SirGervaise was my informant; but he did not relate the matter veryclearly."
Mildred explained the mistake, and then gave a vivid description of thedanger in which the young lieutenant had been placed, as well as of themanner in which he had extricated himself. She particularly dwelt on theextraordinary presence of mind and resolution, by means of which he hadsaved his life, when the stone first gave way beneath his foot.
"All this is well, and what I should have expected from so active andenergetic a youth," returned the rear-admiral, a little gravely; "but, Iconfess I would rather it had not happened. Your inconsiderate andreckless young men, who risk their necks idly, in places of this sort,seldom have much in them, after all. Had there been a motive, it wouldhave altered the case."
"Oh! but there _was_ a motive, sir; he was far from doing so silly athing for nothing!"
"And what was the motive, pray?--I can see no sufficient reason why aman of sense should trust his person over a cliff as menacing as this.One may approach it, by moonlight; but in the day, I confess to you Ishould not fancy standing as near it, as we do at this moment."
Mildred was much embarrassed for an answer. Her own heart told herWycherly's motive, but that it would never do to avow to her companion,great as was the happiness she felt in avowing it to herself. Gladlywould she have changed the discourse; but, as this could not be done,she yielded to her native integrity of character, and told the truth, asfar as she told any thing.
"The flowers that grow on the sunny side of these rocks, AdmiralBluewater, are singularly fragrant and beautiful," she said; "andhearing my mother and myself speaking of them, and how much the formerdelighted in them, though they were so seldom to be had, he justventured over the cliff--not here, where it is so _very_ perpendicular,but yonder, where one _may_ cling to it, very well, with a littlecare--and it was in venturing a little--just a _very_ little too far, hetold me, himself, sir, to-day, after dinner,--that the stone broke, andthe accident occurred, I do not think Mr. Wycherly Wychecombe in theleast fool-hardy, and not at all disposed to seek a silly admiration, bya silly exploit."
"He has a most lovely and a most eloquent advocate," returned theadmiral, smiling, though the expression of his countenance wasmelancholy, even to sadness; "and he is acquitted. I think few men ofhis years would hesitate about risking their necks for flowers sofragrant and beautiful, and so much coveted by _your_ mother, Mildred."
"And he a sailor, sir, who thinks so little of standing on giddy places,and laughs at fears of this nature?"
"Quite true; though there are few cliffs on board ship. Ropes are oursources of courage."
"So I should think, by what passed to-day," returned Mildred, laughing."Mr. Wycherly called out for a rope, and we just threw him one, to helphim out of his difficulty. The moment he got his rope, though it wasonly yonder small signal-halyards, he felt himself as secure as if hestood up here, on the height, with acres of level ground around him. Ido not think he was frightened, at any time; but when he got hold ofthat little rope, he was fairly valiant!"
Mildred endeavoured to laugh at her own history, by way of veiling herinterest in the event; but her companion was too old, and toodiscerning, to be easily deceived. He continued silent, as he led heraway from the cliff; and when he entered the cottage, Mildred saw, bythe nearer light of the candles, that his countenance was still sad.
Admiral Bluewater remained half an hour longer in the cottage, when hetore himself away, from a society which, for him, possessed a charm thathe could not account for, nor yet scarcely estimate. It was past one,when he bid Mrs. Dutton and her daughter adieu; promising, however, tosee them again, before the fleet sailed. Late as it was, the mother andMildred felt no disposition to retire, after the exciting scenes theyhad gone through; but, feeling a calm on their spirits, succeeding therude interruption produced by Dutton's brutality, they walked out on thecliff, to enjoy the cool air, and the bland scenery of the head-land, atthat witching hour.
"I should feel alarm at this particularity of attention, from most men,my child," observed the prudent mother, as they left the house: "but theyears, and especially the character of Admiral Bluewater, are pledgesthat he meditates nothing foolish, nor wrong."
"His _years_ would be sufficient, mother," cried Mildred, laughing--forher laugh came easily, since the opinion she had just before heard ofWycherly's merit--"leaving the character out of the question."
"For you, perhaps, Mildred, but not for himself. Men rarely seem tothink themselves too old to win the young of our sex; and what they wantin attraction, they generally endeavour to supply by flattery andartifice. But, I acquit our new friend of all that."
"Had he been my own father, dearest mother, his language, and theinterest he took in me, could not have been more paternal. I have foundit truly delightful to listen to such counsel, from one of his sex; for,in general, they do not treat me in so sincere and fatherly a manner."
Mrs. Dutton's lip quivered, her eye-lids trembled too, and a couple oftears fell on her cheeks.
"It _is_ new to you, Mildred, to listen to the language of disinterestedaffection and wisdom from one of his years and sex. I do not censureyour listening with pleasure, but merely tell you to remember the properreserve of your years and character. Hist! there are the sounds of hisbarge's oars."
Mildred listened, and the measured but sudden jerk of oars in therullocks, ascended on the still night-air, as distinctly as they mighthave been heard in the boat. At the next instant, an eight-oared bargemoved swiftly out from under the cliff, and glided steadily on towards aship, that had one lantern suspended from the end of her gaff, anotherin her mizzen-top, and the small night-flag of a rear-admiral,fluttering at her mizzen-royal-mast-head. The cutter lay nearest to thelanding, and, as the barge approached her, the ladies heard the loudhail of "boat-ahoy!" The answer was also audible; though given in themild gentleman-like voice of Bluewater, himself. It was simply,"rear-admiral's flag." A death-like stillness succeeded thisannunciation of the rank of the officer in the passing boat, interruptedonly by the measured jerk of the oars. Once or twice, indeed, the keenhearing of Mildred made her fancy she heard the common dip of the eightoars, and the wash of the water, as they rose from the element, to gaina renewed purchase. As each vessel was approached, however, the hail andthe answer were renewed, the quiet of midnight, in every instance,succeeding. At length the barge was seen shooting along on the quarterof the Caesar, the rear-admiral's own ship, and the last hail was g
iven.This time, there was a slight stir in the vessel; and, soon after thesound of the oars ceased, the lanterns descended from the stations theyhad held, since nightfall. Two or three other lanterns were stilldisplayed at the gaffs of other vessels, the signs that their captainswere not on board; though whether they were ashore, or visiting in thefleet, were facts best known to themselves. The Plantagenet, however,had no light; it being known that Sir Gervaise did not intend to comeoff that night.
When all this was over, Mrs. Dutton and Mildred sought their pillows,after an exciting day, and, to them, one far more momentous than theywere then aware of.