CHAPTER XXII.
THE FRUITS OF REPENTANCE.
The mail for the squadron—forwarded by theprincipal’s banker in Barcelona—had beenfollowing the fleet down the coast for a week, but wasreceived soon after it anchored at Carthagena. Amongthe letters was one from Don Manuel, Raymond’suncle in New York. He was astonished that hisnephew had ventured into Spain, when he had beencautioned not to do so. He was glad he had left hisvessel, and hoped the principal would do nothing tobring him back. It was extremely important that hisnephew should not be restored to his uncle in Barcelona,for reasons which Henry would explain if necessary.If the fugitive was, by any mischance, capturedby Don Alejandro or his agents, Don Manuel wishedto be informed of the fact at once by cable; andit would be his duty to hasten to Spain withoutdelay.
Mr. Lowington was greatly astonished at this letter,and handed it to Dr. Winstock. It seemed to indicatethat a satisfactory explanation could be given of thesingular conduct of the second master of the Tritonia,and that he would be able to justify his course.
“That is not the kind of letter I expected to receive,”said the principal, when the surgeon had read it.
“There is evidently some family quarrel which DonManuel does not wish to disclose to others,” repliedthe doctor.
“But Don Manuel ought to have informed methat he did not wish to have his nephew taken intoSpain.”
“We can’t tell about that till we know all the factsin the case. I have no doubt that the uncle in Barcelonais the legal guardian of Enrique Raimundo,” continuedthe doctor.
“Then how did the boy come into the possession ofDon Manuel?”
“I don’t know; but he seems to be actuated by verystrong motives, for he is coming to Spain if the youngman falls into the hands of his legal guardian. I don’tunderstand it; but I am satisfied that it is a case forthe lawyers to work upon.”
“I think not; for Don Manuel seems to believe thatthe safety of his nephew can only be secured by keepinghim out of Spain; in other words, that he has no casewhich he is willing to take into a Spanish court.”
“Perhaps you are right; but it looks to me like afortune for the lawyers to pick upon; though I mustsay that Don Francisco is one of the most gentlemanlyand obliging attorneys I ever met, and seems to askfor nothing that is not perfectly fair.”
They could not solve the problem; and it was nouse to discuss it. The principal had done all he couldto recover the second master of the Tritonia, or ratherto assist the detective who was in search of him. Thelast news of him, brought by Bill Stout, was that thefugitive had gone to Africa. The _alguacil_ had gone toAfrica, but Raimundo had left before he arrived. Hewas unable to obtain any clew to him, for Raymondlooked like Spaniards in general; and in the dress hehad put on in Valencia he did not look like Raymondin the uniform of an officer. While the fugitive wassunning himself in Gibraltar, the pursuer was lookingfor him in Italy and Egypt. The principal was confidenthe had gone to the East, for runaways would notexpose themselves to capture till their money was allgone. Besides, some of the officers of the Tritoniasaid that Raymond had often expressed a desire to visitEgypt and the Holy Land.
The affairs of the squadron went along smoothly forsix weeks. The students were studious, now that theyhad nothing to distract their attention. Bill Stout staidin the brig till he promised to learn his lessons, andthen was let out. He did not like the brig after thetrap in the floor was screwed down so that he could notraise it. Ben Pardee and Lon Gibbs fell out with him;first, because he had run away without them, and, second,because he was a disagreeable and unreasonablefellow. Bill did study his lessons in order to keep outof the brig; but he was behind every class in the vessel,and his ignorance was so dense that the professorswere disgusted with him. It was about six weeks afterthe squadron took up its quarters in the harbor of Carthagena,that a shore–boat came up to the gangway, andBark Lingall stepped upon the deck of the Tritonia.Of course his heart beat violently; but he came backlike the Prodigal Son. He was wiser and better thanwhen he left, and he was ready to submit cheerfully tothe penalty of his offence; and he expected to be committedto the brig as soon as he showed himself to theprincipal.
It was nearly dark when the prodigal boarded theTritonia, and Scott was in charge of the anchor watchwhich had been set for the night. He looked at Barkas he came up the side; and, though the fugitive hadchanged his dress, he recognized him at once.
“Lingall!” exclaimed Scott. “You haven’t made amistake as Stout did; have you?”
“I don’t know what mistake Stout made, except themistake of running away; and I made that one withhim,” replied Bark.
“Stout came on board of the Prince at Lisbon, thinkingshe was a steamer bound to England,” laughedScott.
“I could not mistake the Tritonia for a steamer,even if I wanted to go to England.”
“Where did you leave Raimundo?” asked theofficer anxiously.
“Here is a letter from him for you; and that willexplain it all. I wish to see the vice–principal,” continuedBark.
Mr. Pelham was summoned, and he gave a good–naturedgreeting to the returned fugitive, not doubtingthat he had spent all his money in riotous living, andhad come back because he could not travel any morewithout funds.
“Money all gone, Lingall?” asked the vice–principal,who, like his superior, believed that satire was aneffective means of discipline at times.
“No, sir: I have over fifty pounds left,” repliedBark, more respectfully than he had formerly been inthe habit of speaking, even to the principal.
“What did you come back for, then?” demandedMr. Pelham.
“Because I am sorry for what I have done, and askto be forgiven,” answered Bark, taking off his hat, andfixing his gaze upon the deck, while his bosom wasswelling with emotion.
The vice–principal was touched by his manner. Hehad stood in the same position before the principalfive years before; and he indulged in no more lightwords. He took the prodigal down into his cabin, sothat whatever passed between them might have nowitnesses.
“Do you come back voluntarily, Lingall?” askedthe vice–principal in gentle tones.
“I do, sir: I left Cadiz three days ago. I had beenwaiting there a month for the squadron to arrive. Wedid not know where it was, for the last we could learnof it was its arrival in Carthagena.”
“You say we: were you not alone?”
“No, sir: Raymond was with me.”
“Who is Raymond?”
“Raimundo: he has translated his name into English,and now prefers to be called by that name.”
“And you left him in Cadiz?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is he there now?”
“I don’t know, sir; but I think not. He did nottell me where he was going, and I did not wish toknow.”
“I see,” added Mr. Pelham. “I hope he will notbe taken by those who are after him.”
Bark looked up, utterly astonished at this lastremark; for he supposed the sympathies of the officerswere with Don Francisco, as they had been at the timehe left the Tritonia. As Mr. Pelham was in the confidenceof the principal in regard to the affair of thesecond master, he had been permitted to read theletter from Don Manuel; and this fact will explainthe remark.
“Raymond does not know from what port thesquadron will sail for the islands; but he wants toreturn to his ship as soon as he can,” added Bark.
As Raymond’s case seemed to be of more interestthan his own, Bark told all he knew about his latecompanion; but no one was any wiser in regard to hispresent hiding–place.
“Where have you been all this time?” asked thevice–principal, when his curiosity was fully satisfiedconcerning Raymond.
“I have been a good deal worse than you think Ihave; and I wish that running away was the worstthing I had on my conscience,” replied Bark, in answerto this question.
“I am sorry to hear you say that; but, whatever youhave done, it is better to make a clean breast of it,”added Mr. Pelham.
“That is what I am going to do, sir,” replied Bark;and he prefaced his confession with what had passedbetween Raymond and himself when he decided uponhis course of action.
He related the substance of his conversations withBill Stout at the beginning of the conspiracy, and thenproceeded to inform the vice–principal what had occurredwhile they were in the brig together, including the settingof the fire in the hold.
“Do you mean to say that Stout intended to burnthe vessel?” demanded Mr. Pelham, astonished andshocked at the revelation.
“He and I so intended; and we actually started thefire three or four times,” answered Bark, detailing allthe particulars.
“You are very tender of Stout—the villain!” exclaimedthe vice–principal. “It appears that he proposedthe plan, and set the fire, while you assented tothe act.”
“I don’t wish to make it out that I am not just asguilty as Stout.”
“I understand you perfectly,” added Mr. Pelham.“The villain pretended to be penitent when he cameback, and told lies enough to sink the ship, if they hadhad any weight with me. Mr. Marline reported to methat there had been fire in the old stuff in the hold. Ithought there was some mistake about it; but it is allplain enough now.”
Bark proceeded with his narrative of the escape,which had been before related by Bill Stout; but thetwo stories differed in some respects, especially in respectto the conduct of Bill in the affray with the Catalonianin the felucca. He told about his wanderingsand waitings with Raymond, which explained why hehad not come back before.
“Stout said that you and he pulled the boatman downwhen Raimundo missed him with the tiller,” said Mr.Pelham.
“I mean to tell the truth, if I know how; but Billdid not lift his finger to do any thing, not even afterRaymond and I had the fellow down,” replied Bark.“Raymond called him a coward on the spot; and Iwish he were here to tell you so, for I know you wouldbelieve him.”
“And I believe you, Lingall.”
At this moment there was a knock at the state–roomdoor.
“Come in,” said the principal; and Scott openedthe door at this summons.
“I have a letter from Mr. Raimundo, sir, in whichhe has a great deal to say about Lingall,” said thelieutenant. “I thought you might wish to know whathe says before you settle this case. I will leave itwith you, sir; for there is nothing private in it.”
“Thank you, Mr. Scott,” replied the vice–principal,as he took the letter.
He opened and read the letter. It related entirelyto the affairs of Lingall, and was an earnest plea forhis forgiveness. It recited all the incidents of thecruise in the felucca, and the particulars of Bark’sreformation. The writer added that he hoped to beable to join his ship soon; and should do so, if hecould, when she was out of Spanish waters.
“Now, Lingall, you may go on board of the Princewith me,” said Mr. Pelham, when he had finished readingthe letter.
A boat was manned, and they were pulled to thesteamer. The whole story was gone over again; andMr. Lowington read the letter of Raymond. Theprincipal and Mr. Pelham had a long consultationalone; and then Bark was ordered to return to his duty,without so much as a reprimand. Bark was bewilderedat this unexpected clemency. He was satisfied thatit was Raymond’s letter that saved him, because itassured the principal of the thorough reformation ofthe culprit. The vice–principal told him afterwards,that it was as much his own confession of the conspiracy,which was not even suspected on board, as itwas the letter, that produced the leniency in the mindsof the authorities. The boat that brought Mr. Pelhamand Bark back to the Tritonia immediately conveyedBill Stout, in charge of Peaks, to the Prince, where hewas committed to the brig, without any explanation ofthe charge against him.
Bill did not know what to make of this sharp discipline;and he felt very much like a martyr, for hebelieved he had been “a good boy,” as he called thechaplain’s lambs. He had time to think about itwhen the bars separated him from the rest of his shipmates.The news that Bark Lingall had returned wascirculated through the Tritonia before he left the vessel.He could only explain his present situation bythe supposition that Bark had told about the conspiracyto burn the vessel. This must be the reason whyhe was caged in the Prince rather than in the Tritonia.
For three days the stewards brought him his food;and for an hour, each forenoon, the big boatswainwalked him up and down the deck to give him hisexercise; but it was in vain that he asked them whathe was caged for. As none of these officials knew,none of them could tell him. On the fourth day of hisconfinement, a meeting of the faculty was held for consultationin regard to the affairs of the squadron. Thiswas the high court of the academy, and consisted ofthe principal, the vice–principals, the chaplain, the surgeon,and the professors,—fourteen in all. Thoughthe authority of the principal was supreme, he preferredto have this council to advise him in importantmatters.
When the faculty had assembled, Peaks brought BillStout into the cabin, and placed him at the end of thelong table at which the members were seated. He wasawed and impressed by the situation. The principalstated that the culprit was charged with attempting toset fire to the Tritonia, and asked what he had to sayfor himself. Bill made haste to deny the charge withall his might; but he might as well have denied hisown existence. Raymond’s letter describing what hesaw in the hold was read, but the parts relating to Barkwere omitted. Bill supposed the letter was the onlyevidence against him, and the writer had spared Barkbecause he was a friend. Bill declared that Raymondhated him, and had made up this story to injure him.He had been trying to do his duty, and no complainthad been made against him since the fleet had been atanchor.
The chaplain thought a student ought not to be condemnedon the evidence of one who had run awayfrom his vessel. As Bill would not be satisfied, itbecame necessary to call Bark Lingall. The reformedseaman gave his evidence in the form of a confession;and, when he had finished his story, no one doubtedhis sincerity, or the truth of his statement. By a unanimousvote of the faculty, approved by the principal,Bill Stout was dismissed from the academy as onewhom it was not safe to have on board any of thevessels, and as one whose character was too bad toallow him to associate with the students. A letter tohis father was written; and he was sent home in chargeof the carpenter of the Josephine, who was about toreturn to New York on account of the illness of hisson.
The particulars of this affair were kept from thestudents; for the principal did not wish to have themknow that any one had attempted to burn one of thevessels, lest it might tempt some other pupil to seek adismissal by the same means. Bill Stout was glad tobe sent away, even in disgrace.
Early in March Mr. Lowington received a letter fromDon Francisco, asking if any thing had been heardfrom Raymond, and informing him that his client DonAlejandro was dangerously sick. The principal, sincehe had received the letter from Don Manuel, had declinedto assist in the search for the absentee, thoughhe had not communicated his views to the lawyer.The detective had not returned from his tour in theEast, and was doubtless willing to continue the searchas long as he was paid for it. The principal was “asquare man;” and he informed Don Francisco that hisviews on the subject had changed, and that he hopedthe fugitive would not be captured. Ten days afterthis letter was answered came Don Francisco himself.He went on board of the Prince; and, in spite of thereply of the principal, he was as cordial and courteousas ever.
“I suppose you have received my letter, declining todo any thing more to secure the return of the absentee,”Mr. Lowington began, when they were seated inthe grand saloon.
“I have received it,” replied Don Francisco; “butnow all the circumstances of the case are changed, andI am confident that you will do all you can to find theyoung man. Your letter came to me on the day beforethe funeral of my client.”
“Then Don Alejandro is dead!” exclaimed theprincipal, startled by the intelligence.
“He died in the greatest agony and remorse,” addedthe lawyer. “He was sick four weeks, and sufferedthe most intense pain
till death relieved him. He confessedto me, when I went to make his will, that he hadintended to get his nephew out of the way in somemanner, before the boy was of an age to inherit hisfather’s property. Don Manuel had charged him withthis purpose before he left Spain, and had repeated thecharge in his letters. He confessed because he wantedhis brother’s forgiveness, as well as that of the Church.He wished me to see that justice was done to hisnephew. When I wrote you that last letter, my clientdesired to see the young man, and to implore his forgivenessfor the injury he had done him as a child, andfor that he had meditated.”
“This is a very singular story,” said Mr. Lowington.“You did not give me the reason for which Don Alejandrowished to see his nephew.”
“I did not know it myself. What I have relatedtranspired since I wrote that letter. The case is oneof the remarkable ones; but I have known a few justlike it,” continued the lawyer. “My client was toldby the physicians that he could not recover. Such anannouncement to a Christian who has committed acrime—and to meditate it is the same thing in the eyeof the Church, though not of the law—could not butchange the whole current of his thoughts. I know thatit caused my client more suffering than his bodily ailments,severe as the latter were. The terrors of theworld to come haunted him; and he believed, that, ifhe did not do justice to that young man before he died,he would suffer for his crime through all the ages ofeternity; and I believe so too. I think he confessedthe crime to me, after he had done so to the priest,because he believed his son, who had been in his confidence,would carry out his wicked purpose after hisfather was gone; for this son would inherit the estate asthe next heir under the will of the grandfather.”
“I can understand how things appear to a man aswicked as your client was, when death stares him in theface,” added Mr. Lowington.
“Now the young man is wanted. He is not of age,but he ought to have a voice in the selection of hisguardian.”
“I don’t know where he is under the altered circumstances,any more than I did before,” replied theprincipal; “but I am willing to make an effort to findhim. Is he in any danger from the son of your lateclient?”
“None at all: the son denies that he ever had anyknowledge of the business; and, since the confessionof the father, the son would not dare to do any thingwrong. Besides, my client put all the property in myhands before he died.”
The next thing was to find Raymond. He might seethe announcement of the death of his uncle in thenewspapers; but, if he did not, he would be sure tokeep out of the way till the squadron was ready to sailfor the “isles of the sea.” Mr. Lowington sent forBark Lingall, who had by this time established hischaracter as one of the best–behaved and most earneststudents in his vessel. The principal rehearsed theevents that made it desirable to find Raymond.
“Do you think you could find him, Lingall?” askedMr. Lowington.
“I think I might if I could speak Spanish,” repliedBark modestly.
“You and Scott are the only students who know hishistory; and he would allow you to approach him, whilehe would keep out of the way of any other person connectedwith the squadron. We shall sail for Malagato–morrow; and you shall have a courier to do yourtalking for you,” continued the principal.
Bark was pleased with the mission. He was furnishedwith a letter from Don Francisco; and, as hehad some idea of what Raymond’s plans were, he washopeful of success. The squadron sailed the next day,and arrived at Malaga in thirty hours.