CHAPTERI——THEVILLAGE
\"Andamightysing’larandprettyplaceitis,aseverIsawinallthedaysofmylife!\"saidCaptainJorgan,lookingupatit。
CaptainJorganhadtolookhightolookatit,forthevillagewasbuiltsheerupthefaceofasteepandloftycliff。Therewasnoroadinit,therewasnowheeledvehicleinit,therewasnotalevelyardinit。Fromthesea—beachtothecliff—toptwoirregularrowsofwhitehouses,placedoppositetooneanother,andtwistinghereandthere,andthereandhere,rose,likethesidesofalongsuccessionofstagesofcrookedladders,andyouclimbedupthevillageorclimbeddownthevillagebythestavesbetween,somesixfeetwideorso,andmadeofsharpirregularstones。Theoldpack—
saddle,longlaidasideinmostpartsofEnglandasoneoftheappendagesofitsinfancy,flourishedhereintact。Stringsofpack—
horsesandpack—donkeystoiledslowlyupthestavesoftheladders,bearingfish,andcoal,andsuchothercargoaswasunshippingatthepierfromthedancingfleetofvillageboats,andfromtwoorthreelittlecoastingtraders。Asthebeastsofburdenascendedladen,ordescendedlight,theygotsolostatintervalsinthefloatingcloudsofvillagesmoke,thattheyseemedtodivedownsomeofthevillagechimneys,andcometothesurfaceagainfaroff,highaboveothers。Notwohousesinthevillagewerealike,inchimney,size,shape,door,window,gable,roof—tree,anything。Thesidesoftheladdersweremusicalwithwater,runningclearandbright。Thestavesweremusicalwiththeclatteringfeetofthepack—horsesandpack—donkeys,andthevoicesofthefishermenurgingthemup,mingledwiththevoicesofthefishermen’swivesandtheirmanychildren。Thepierwasmusicalwiththewashofthesea,thecreakingofcapstansandwindlasses,andtheairyflutteringoflittlevanesandsails。Therough,sea—bleachedbouldersofwhichthepierwasmade,andthewhiterbouldersoftheshore,werebrownwithdryingnets。Thered—browncliffs,richlywoodedtotheirextremestverge,hadtheirsoftenedandbeautifulformsreflectedinthebluestwater,undertheclearNorthDevonshireskyofaNovemberdaywithoutacloud。Thevillageitselfwassosteepedinautumnalfoliage,fromthehouseslyingonthepiertothetopmostroundofthetopmostladder,thatonemighthavefancieditwasoutabird’s—
nesting,andwas(asindeeditwas)awonderfulclimber。Andmentioningbirds,theplacewasnotwithoutsomemusicfromthemtoo;fortherookwasverybusyonthehigherlevels,andthegullwithhisflappingwingswasfishinginthebay,andthelustylittlerobinwashoppingamongthegreatstoneblocksandironringsofthebreakwater,fearlessinthefaithofhisancestors,andtheChildrenintheWood。
ThusitcametopassthatCaptainJorgan,sittingbalancinghimselfonthepier—wall,struckhislegwithhisopenhand,assomemendowhentheyarepleased——andashealwaysdidwhenhewaspleased——andsaid,—
\"Amightysing’larandprettyplaceitis,aseverIsawinallthedaysofmylife!\"
CaptainJorganhadnotbeenthroughthevillage,buthadcomedowntothepierbyawindingside—road,tohaveapreliminarylookatitfromthelevelofhisownnaturalelement。Hehadseenmanythingsandplaces,andhadstowedthemallawayinashrewdintellectandavigorousmemory。HewasanAmericanborn,wasCaptainJorgan,——aNew—Englander,——buthewasacitizenoftheworld,andacombinationofmostofthebestqualitiesofmostofitsbestcountries。
ForCaptainJorgantositanywhereinhislong—skirtedbluecoatandbluetrousers,withoutholdingconversewitheverybodywithinspeakingdistance,wasasheerimpossibility。Sothecaptainfelltotalkingwiththefishermen,andtoaskingthemknowingquestionsaboutthefishery,andthetides,andthecurrents,andtheraceofwateroffthatpointyonder,andwhatyoukeptinyoureye,andgotintoalinewithwhatelsewhenyouranintothelittleharbour;andothernauticalprofundities。Amongthemenwhoexchangedideaswiththecaptainwasayoungfellow,whoexactlyhithisfancy,——ayoungfishermanoftwoorthreeandtwenty,intheroughsea—dressofhiscraft,withabrownface,darkcurlinghair,andbright,modesteyesunderhisSou’westerhat,andwithafrank,butsimpleandretiringmanner,whichthecaptainfounduncommonlytaking。\"I’dbetathousanddollars,\"saidthecaptaintohimself,\"thatyourfatherwasanhonestman!\"
\"Mightyoubemarriednow?\"askedthecaptain,whenhehadhadsometalkwiththisnewacquaintance。
\"Notyet。\"
\"Goingtobe?\"saidthecaptain。
\"Ihopeso。\"
Thecaptain’skeenglancefollowedtheslightestpossibleturnofthedarkeye,andtheslightestpossibletiltoftheSou’westerhat。
Thecaptainthenslappedbothhislegs,andsaidtohimself,—
\"Neverknewsuchagoodthinginallmylife!There’shissweetheartlookingoverthewall!\"
Therewasaveryprettygirllookingoverthewall,fromalittleplatformofcottage,vine,andfuchsia;andshecertainlydignotlookasifthepresenceofthisyoungfishermaninthelandscapemadeitanythelesssunnyandhopefulforher。
CaptainJorgan,havingdoubledhimselfuptolaughwiththatheartygood—naturewhichisquiteexultantintheinnocenthappinessofotherpeople,hadundoubtedhimself,andwasgoingtostartanewsubject,whenthereappearedcomingdownthelowerladdersofstones,amanwhomhehailedas\"TomPettifer,Ho!\"TomPettifer,Ho,respondedwithalacrity,andinspeedycoursedescendedonthepier。
\"Afraidofasun—strokeinEnglandinNovember,Tom,thatyouwearyourtropicalhat,stronglypaidoutsideandpaper—linedinside,here?\"saidthecaptain,eyeingit。
\"It’saswelltobeonthesafeside,sir,\"repliedTom。
\"Safeside!\"repeatedthecaptain,laughing。\"You’dguardagainstasun—stroke,withthatoldhat,inanIcePack。Wa’al!WhathaveyoumadeoutatthePost—office?\"
\"ItisthePost—office,sir。\"
\"What’sthePost—office?\"saidthecaptain。
\"Thename,sir。ThenamekeepsthePost—office。\"
\"Acoincidence!\"saidthecaptain。\"Aluckybit!Showmewhereitis。Good—bye,shipmates,forthepresent!Ishallcomeandhaveanotherlookatyou,aforeIleave,thisafternoon。\"
Thiswasaddressedtoallthere,butespeciallytheyoungfisherman;
soallthereacknowledgedit,butespeciallytheyoungfisherman。
\"He’sasailor!\"saidonetoanother,astheylookedafterthecaptainmovingaway。Thathewas;andsooutspeakingwasthesailorinhim,thatalthoughhisdresshadnothingnauticalaboutit,withthesingleexceptionofitscolour,butwasasuitofashore—goingshapeandform,toolonginthesleevesandtooshortinthelegs,andtoounaccommodatingeverywhere,terminatingearthwardinapairofWellingtonboots,andsurmountedbyatall,stiffhat,whichnomortalcouldhavewornatseainanywindunderheaven;
nevertheless,aglimpseofhissagacious,weather—beatenface,orhisstrong,brownhand,wouldhaveestablishedthecaptain’scalling。WhereasMr。Pettifer——amanofacertainplumpneatness,withacurlywhisker,andelaboratelynauticalinajacket,andshoes,andallthingscorrespondent——lookednomorelikeaseaman,besideCaptainJorgan,thanhelookedlikeasea—serpent。
Thetwoclimbedhighupthevillage,——whichhadthemostarbitraryturnsandtwistsinit,sothatthecobbler’shousecamedeadacrosstheladder,andtohaveheldareasonablecourse,youmusthavegonethroughhishouse,andthroughhimtoo,ashesatathisworkbetweentwolittlewindows,——withoneeyemicroscopicallyonthegeologicalformationofthatpartofDevonshire,andtheothertelescopicallyontheopensea,——thetwoclimbedhighupthevillage,andstoppedbeforeaquaintlittlehouse,onwhichwaspainted,\"MRS。RAYBROCK,DRAPER;\"andalso\"POST—OFFICE。\"Beforeit,ranarillofmurmuringwater,andaccesstoitwasgainedbyalittleplank—bridge。
\"Here’sthename,\"saidCaptainJorgan,\"sureenough。Youcancomeinifyoulike,Tom。\"
Thecaptainopenedthedoor,andpassedintoanoddlittleshop,aboutsixfeethigh,withagreatvarietyofbeamsandbumpsintheceiling,and,besidestheprincipalwindowgivingontheladderofstones,apurblindlittlewindowofasinglepaneofglass,peepingoutofanabuttingcorneratthesun—lightedocean,andwinkingatitsbrightness。
\"Howdoyoudo,ma’am?\"saidthecaptain。\"Iamverygladtoseeyou。Ihavecomealongwaytoseeyou。\"
\"Haveyou,sir?ThenIamsureIamverygladtoseeyou,thoughI
don’tknowyoufromAdam。\"
Thusacomelyelderlywoman,shortofstature,plumpofform,sparklinganddarkofeye,who,perfectlycleanandneatherself,stoodinthemidstofherperfectlycleanandneatarrangements,andsurveyedCaptainJorganwithsmilingcuriosity。\"Ah!butyouareasailor,sir,\"sheadded,almostimmediately,andwithaslightmovementofherhands,thatwasnotveryunlikewringingthem;\"thenyouareheartilywelcome。\"
\"Thank’ee,ma’am,\"saidthecaptain,\"Idon’tknowwhatitis,Iamsure;thatbringsoutthesaltinme,buteverybodyseemstoseeitonthecrownofmyhatandthecollarofmycoat。Yes,ma’am,Iaminthatwayoflife。\"
\"Andtheothergentleman,too,\"saidMrs。Raybrock。
\"Wellnow,ma’am,\"saidthecaptain,glancingshrewdlyattheothergentleman,\"youarethatnighright,thathegoestosea,——ifthatmakeshimasailor。Thisismysteward,ma’am,TomPettifer;he’sbeena’mostalltradesyoucouldname,inthecourseofhislife,——
wouldhaveboughtallyourchairsandtablesonce,ifyouhadwishedtosell’em,——butnowhe’smysteward。Myname’sJorgan,andI’maship—owner,andIsailmyownandmypartners’ships,andhavedonesothisfive—and—twentyyear。AccordingtocustomIamcalledCaptainJorgan,butIamnomoreacaptain,blessyourheart,thanyouare。\"
\"Perhapsyou’llcomeintomyparlour,sir,andtakeachair?\"saidMrs。Raybrock。
\"Ex—actlywhatIwasgoingtoproposemyself,ma’am。Afteryou。\"
Thusreplying,andenjoiningTomtogiveaneyetotheshop,CaptainJorganfollowedMrs。Raybrockintothelittle,lowback—room,——
decoratedwithdiversplantsinpots,tea—trays,oldchinateapots,andpunch—bowls,——whichwasatoncetheprivatesitting—roomoftheRaybrockfamilyandtheinnercabinetofthepost—officeofthevillageofSteepways。
\"Now,ma’am,\"saidthecaptain,\"itdon’tsignifyacenttoyouwhereIwasborn,except——\"Butheretheshadowofsomeoneenteringfelluponthecaptain’sfigure,andhebrokeofftodoublehimselfup,slapbothhislegs,andejaculate,\"Neverknewsuchathinginallmylife!Hereheisagain!Howareyou?\"
ThesewordsreferredtotheyoungfellowwhohadsotakenCaptainJorgan’sfancydownatthepier。Tomakeitallquitecompletehecameinaccompaniedbythesweetheartwhomthecaptainhaddetectedlookingoverthewall。Aprettiersweetheartthesuncouldnothaveshoneuponthatshiningday。Asshestoodbeforethecaptain,withherrosylipsjustpartedinsurprise,herbrowneyesalittlewideropenthanwasusualfromthesamecause,andherbreathingalittlequickenedbytheascent(andpossiblybysomemysterioushurryandflurryattheparlourdoor,inwhichthecaptainhadobservedherfacetobeforamomenttotallyeclipsedbytheSou’westerhat),shelookedsocharming,thatthecaptainfelthimselfunderamoralobligationtoslapbothhislegsagain。Shewasverysimplydressed,withnootherornamentthananautumnalflowerinherbosom。Sheworeneitherhatnorbonnet,butmerelyascarforkerchief,foldedsquarelybackoverthehead,tokeepthesunoff,——
accordingtoafashionthatmaybesometimesseeninthemoregenialpartsofEnglandaswellasofItaly,andwhichisprobablythefirstfashionofhead—dressthatcameintotheworldwhengrassesandleaveswentout。
\"Inmycountry,\"saidthecaptain,risingtogiveherhischair,anddexterouslyslidingitclosetoanotherchaironwhichtheyoungfishermanmustnecessarilyestablishhimself,——\"inmycountryweshouldcallDevonshirebeautyfirst—rate!\"
Wheneverafrankmannerisoffensive,itisbecauseitisstrainedorfeigned;fortheremaybequiteasmuchintolerableaffectationinplainnessasinmincingnicety。Allthatthecaptainsaidanddidwashonestlyaccordingtohisnature;andhisnaturewasopennatureandgoodnature;therefore,whenhepaidthislittlecompliment,andexpressedwithasparkleortwoofhisknowingeye,\"Iseehowitis,andnothingcouldbebetter,\"hehadestablishedadelicateconfidenceonthatsubjectwiththefamily。
\"Iwassayingtoyourworthymother,\"saidthecaptaintotheyoungman,afteragainintroducinghimselfbynameandoccupation,——\"Iwassayingtoyourmother(andyou’reverylikeher)thatitdidn’tsignifywhereIwasborn,exceptthatIwasraisedonquestion—
askingground,wherethebabiesassoonasevertheycomeintotheworld,inquireoftheirmothers,’Neow,howoldmayyoube,andwa’atairyouagoin’tonameme?’——whichisafact。\"Hereheslappedhisleg。\"Suchbeingthecase,Imaybeexcusedforaskingyouifyourname’sAlfred?\"
\"Yes,sir,mynameisAlfred,\"returnedtheyoungman。
\"Iamnotaconjurer,\"pursuedthecaptain,\"anddon’tthinkmeso,orIshallrightsoonundeceiveyou。Likewisedon’tthink,ifyouplease,thoughIdocomefromthatcountryofthebabies,thatIamaskingquestionsforquestion—asking’ssake,forIamnot。Somebodybelongingtoyouwenttosea?\"
\"Myelderbrother,Hugh,\"returnedtheyoungman。Hesaiditinanalteredandlowervoice,andglancedathismother,whoraisedherhandshurriedly,andputthemtogetheracrossherblackgown,andlookedeagerlyatthevisitor。
\"No!ForGod’ssake,don’tthinkthat!\"saidthecaptain,inasolemnway;\"Ibringnogoodtidingsofhim。\"
Therewasasilence,andthemotherturnedherfacetothefireandputherhandbetweenitandhereyes。Theyoungfishermanslightlymotionedtowardthewindow,andthecaptain,lookinginthatdirection,sawayoungwidow,sittingataneighbouringwindowacrossalittlegarden,engagedinneedlework,withayoungchildsleepingonherbosom。ThesilencecontinueduntilthecaptainaskedofAlfred,—
\"Howlongisitsinceithappened?\"
\"Heshippedforhislastvoyagebetterthanthreeyearsago。\"
\"Shipstruckuponsomereeforrock,asItakeit,\"saidthecaptain,\"andallhandslost?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Wa’al!\"saidthecaptain,afterashortersilence,\"HereIsitwhomaycometothesameend,likeenough。HeholdstheseasinthehollowofHishand。Wemustallstrikesomewhereandgodown。Ourcomfort,then,forourselvesandoneanotheristohavedoneourduty。I’dwageryourbrotherdidhis!\"
\"Hedid!\"answeredtheyoungfisherman。\"Ifevermanstrovefaithfullyonalloccasionstodohisduty,mybrotherdid。Mybrotherwasnotaquickman(anythingbutthat),buthewasafaithful,true,andjustman。Wewerethesonsofonlyasmalltradesmaninthiscounty,sir;yetourfatherwasaswatchfulofhisgoodnameasifhehadbeenaking。\"
\"Aprecioussightmoreso,Ihope——bearinginmindthegeneralrunofthatclassofcrittur,\"saidthecaptain。\"ButIinterrupt。\"
\"Mybrotherconsideredthatourfatherleftthegoodnametous,tokeepclearandtrue。\"
\"Yourbrotherconsideredright,\"saidthecaptain;\"andyoucouldn’ttakecareofabetterlegacy。ButagainIinterrupt。\"
\"No;forIhavenothingmoretosay。WeknowthatHughlivedwellforthegoodname,andwefeelcertainthathediedwellforthegoodname。Andnowithascomeintomykeeping。Andthat’sall。\"
\"Wellspoken!\"criedthecaptain。\"Wellspoken,youngman!
Concerningthemannerofyourbrother’sdeath,\"——bythistimethecaptainhadreleasedthehandhehadshaken,andsatwithhisownbroad,brownhandsspreadoutonhisknees,andspokeaside,——
\"concerningthemannerofyourbrother’sdeath,itmaybethatI
havesomeinformationtogiveyou;thoughitmaynotbe,forIamfarfromsure。Canwehavealittletalkalone?\"
Theyoungmanrose;butnotbeforethecaptain’squickeyehadnoticedthat,ontheprettysweetheart’sturningtothewindowtogreettheyoungwidowwithanodandawaveofthehand,theyoungwidowhadhelduptohertheneedleworkonwhichshewasengaged,withapatientandpleasantsmile。Sothecaptainsaid,beingonhislegs,—
\"Whatmightshebemakingnow?\"
\"WhatisMargaretmaking,Kitty?\"askedtheyoungfisherman,——withoneofhisarmsapparentlymislaidsomewhere。
AsKittyonlyblushedinreply,thecaptaindoubledhimselfupasfarashecould,standing,andsaid,withaslapofhisleg,—
\"Inmycountryweshouldcallitwedding—clothes。Fact!Weshould,Idoassureyou。\"
Butitseemedtostrikethecaptaininanotherlighttoo;forhislaughwasnotalongone,andheadded,inquiteagentletone,—
\"Andit’sverypretty,mydear,toseeher——pooryoungthing,withherfatherlesschilduponherbosom——givingupherthoughtstoyourhomeandyourhappiness。It’sverypretty,mydear,andit’sverygood。Mayyourmarriagebemoreprosperousthanhers,andbeacomforttohertoo。Maytheblessedsunseeyouallhappytogether,inpossessionofthegoodname,longafterIhavedoneploughingthegreatsaltfieldthatisneversown!\"
Kittyansweredveryearnestly,\"O!Thankyou,sir,withallmyheart!\"And,inherlovinglittleway,kissedherhandtohim,andpossiblybyimplicationtotheyoungfisherman,too,asthelatterheldtheparlour—dooropenforthecaptaintopassout。
CHAPTERII——THEMONEY
\"Thestairsareverynarrow,sir,\"saidAlfredRaybrocktoCaptainJorgan。
\"Likemycabin—stairs,\"returnedthecaptain,\"onmanyavoyage。\"
\"Andtheyareratherinconvenientforthehead。\"
\"Ifmyheadcan’ttakecareofitselfbythistime,afteralltheknockingabouttheworldithashad,\"repliedthecaptain,asunconcernedlyasifhehadnoconnectionwithit,\"it’snotworthlookingafter。\"
Thustheycameintotheyoungfisherman’sbedroom,whichwasasperfectlyneatandcleanastheshopandparlourbelow;thoughitwasbutalittleplace,withaslidingwindow,andaphrenologicalceilingexpressiveofallthepeculiaritiesofthehouse—roof。Herethecaptainsatdownonthefootofthebed,andglancingatadreadfullibelonKittywhichornamentedthewall,——theproductionofsomewanderinglimner,whomthecaptainsecretlyadmiredashavingstudiedportraiturefromthefigure—headsofships,——motionedtotheyoungmantotaketherush—chairontheothersideofthesmallroundtable。Thatdone,thecaptainputhishandinthedeepbreast—pocketofhislong—skirtedbluecoat,andtookoutofitastrongsquarecase—bottle,——notalargebottle,butsuchasmaybeseeninanyordinaryship’smedicine—chest。Settingthisbottleonthetablewithoutremovinghishandfromit,CaptainJorganthenspakeasfollows:—
\"Inmylastvoyagehomeward—bound,\"saidthecaptain,\"andthat’sthevoyageoffofwhichInowcomestraight,IencounteredsuchweatherofftheHornasisnotveryoftenmetwith,eventhere。I
haveroundedthatstormyCapeprettyoften,andIbelieveIfirstbeataboutthereintheidenticalstormsthatblewtheDevil’shornsandtailoff,andledtothehornsbeingworkedupintotooth—picksfortheplantationoverseersinmycountry,whomaybeseen(ifyoutraveldownSouth,orawayWest,furenough)pickingtheirteethwith’em,whilethewhips,madeofthetail,floghard。Inthislastvoyage,homeward—boundforLiverpoolfromSouthAmerica,Isaytoyou,myyoungfriend,itblew。Wholemeasures!Nohalfmeasures,normakingbelievetoblow;itblew!NowIwarn’tblowncleanoutofthewaterintothesky,——thoughIexpectedtobeeventhat,——butIwasblowncleanoutofmycourse;andwhenatlastitfellcalm,itfelldeadcalm,andastrongcurrentsetoneway,dayandnight,nightandday,andIdrifted——drifted——drifted——outofalltheordinarytracksandcoursesofships,anddriftedyet,andyetdrifted。Itbehoovesamanwhotakeschargeoffellow—critturs’
lives,nevertorestfrommakinghimselfmasterofhiscalling。I
neverdidrest,andconsequentlyIknewprettywell(’speciallylookingoverthesideinthedeadcalmofthatstrongcurrent)whatdangerstoexpect,andwhatprecautionstotakeagainst’em。Inshort,weweredrivingheadontoanisland。Therewasnoislandinthechart,and,therefore,youmaysayitwasill—mannersintheislandtobethere;Idon’tdisputeitsbadbreeding,butthereitwas。ThanksbetoHeaven,Iwasasreadyfortheislandastheislandwasreadyforme。Imadeitoutmyselffromthemasthead,andIgotenoughwayuponheringoodtimetokeepheroff。I
orderedaboattobeloweredandmanned,andwentinthatboatmyselftoexploretheisland。Therewasareefoutsideit,and,floatinginacornerofthesmoothwaterwithinthereef,wasaheapofsea—weed,andentangledinthatsea—weedwasthisbottle。\"
Herethecaptaintookhishandfromthebottleforamoment,thattheyoungfishermanmightdirectawonderingglanceatit;andthenreplacedhisbandandwenton:—
\"Ifeveryoucome——orevenifeveryoudon’tcome——toadesertplace,useyouyoureyesandyourspy—glasswell;forthesmallestthingyouseemayproveofusetoyou;andmayhavesomeinformationorsomewarninginit。That’stheprincipleonwhichIcametoseethisbottle。Ipickedupthebottleandrantheboatalongsidetheisland,andmadefastandwentashorearmed,withapartofmyboat’screw。Wefoundthateveryscrapofvegetationontheisland(Igiveityouasmyopinion,butscantandscrubbyatthebestoftimes)hadbeenconsumedbyfire。Asweweremakingourway,cautiouslyandtoilsomely,overthepulverisedembers,oneofmypeoplesankintotheearthbreast—high。Heturnedpale,and’Haulmeoutsmart,shipmates,’sayshe,’formyfeetareamongbones。’
Wesoongothimonhislegsagain,andthenwedugupthespot,andwefoundthatthemanwasright,andthathisfeethadbeenamongbones。Morethanthat,theywerehumanbones;thoughwhethertheremainsofoneman,oroftwoorthreemen,whatwithcalcinationandashes,andwhatwithapoorpracticalknowledgeofanatomy,I
can’tundertaketosay。Weexaminedthewholeislandandmadeoutnothingelse,saveandexceptthat,fromitsoppositeside,I
sightedaconsiderabletractofland,whichlandIwasabletoidentify,andaccordingtothebearingsofwhich(nottotroubleyouwithmylog)Itookafreshdeparture。WhenIgotaboardagainI
openedthebottle,whichwasoilskin—coveredasyousee,andglass—
stopperedasyousee。Insideofit,\"pursuedthecaptain,suitinghisactiontohiswords,\"Ifoundthislittlecrumpled,foldedpaper,justasyousee。Outsideofitwaswritten,asyousee,thesewords:’Whoeverfindsthis,issolemnlyentreatedbythedeadtoconveyitunreadtoAlfredRaybrock,Steepways,NorthDevon,England。’Asacredcharge,\"saidthecaptain,concludinghisnarrative,\"and,AlfredRaybrock,thereitis!\"
\"Thisismypoorbrother’swriting!\"
\"Isupposeso,\"saidCaptainJorgan。\"I’lltakealookoutofthislittlewindowwhileyoureadit。\"
\"Prayno,sir!Ishouldbehurt。Mybrothercouldn’tknowitwouldfallintosuchhandsasyours。\"
Thecaptainsatdownagainonthefootofthebed,andtheyoungmanopenedthefoldedpaperwithatremblinghand,andspreaditonthetable。Theraggedpaper,evidentlycreasedandtornbothbeforeandafterbeingwrittenon,wasmuchblottedandstained,andtheinkhadfadedandrun,andmanywordswerewanting。Whatthecaptainandtheyoungfishermanmadeouttogether,aftermuchre—readingandmuchhumouringofthefoldsofthepaper,isgivenonthenextpage。
Theyoungfishermanhadbecomemoreandmoreagitated,asthewritinghadbecomeclearertohim。Henowleftitlyingbeforethecaptain,overwhoseshoulderhehadbeenreadingit,anddroppingintohisformerseat,leanedforwardonthetableandlaidhisfaceinhishands。
\"What,man,\"urgedthecaptain,\"don’tgivein!Beupanddoinglikeaman!\"
\"Itisselfish,Iknow,——butdoingwhat,doingwhat?\"criedtheyoungfisherman,incompletedespair,andstampinghissea—bootontheground。
\"Doingwhat?\"returnedthecaptain。\"Something!I’dgodowntothelittlebreakwaterbelowyonder,andtakeawrenchatoneofthesalt—rustedironringsthere,andeitherwrenchitupbytherootsorwrenchmyteethoutofmyhead,soonerthanI’ddonothing。
Nothing!\"ejaculatedthecaptain。\"Anyfoolorfaintingheartcandothat,andnothingcancomeofnothing,——whichwaspretendedtobefoundout,Ibelieve,byoneofthemLatincritters,\"saidthecaptainwiththedeepestdisdain;\"asifAdamhadn’tfounditout,aforeeverhesomuchasnamedthebeasts!\"
Yetthecaptainsaw,inspiteofhisboldwords,thattherewassomegreaterreasonthanheyetunderstoodfortheyoungman’sdistress。
Andheeyedhimwithasympathisingcuriosity。
\"Come,come!\"continuedthecaptain,\"Speakout。Whatisit,boy!\"
\"Youhaveseenhowbeautifulsheis,sir,\"saidtheyoungman,lookingupforthemoment,withaflushedfaceandrumpledhair。
\"Didanymaneversayshewarn’tbeautiful?\"retortedthecaptain。
\"Ifso,goandlickhim。\"
Theyoungmanlaughedfretfullyinspiteofhimself,andsaid—
\"It’snotthat,it’snotthat。\"
\"Wa’al,then,whatisit?\"saidthecaptaininamoresoothingtone。
Theyoungfishermanmournfullycomposedhimselftotellthecaptainwhatitwas,andbegan:\"WeweretohavebeenmarriednextMondayweek——\"
\"Weretohavebeen!\"interruptedCaptainJorgan。\"Andaretobe?
Hey?\"
YoungRaybrockshookhishead,andtracedoutwithhisfore—fingerthewords,\"poorfather’sfivehundredpounds,\"inthewrittenpaper。
\"Goalong,\"saidthecaptain。\"Fivehundredpounds?Yes?\"
\"Thatsumofmoney,\"pursuedtheyoungfisherman,enteringwiththegreatestearnestnessonhisdemonstration,whilethecaptaineyedhimwithequalearnestness,\"wasallmylatefatherpossessed。Whenhedied,heowednomanmorethanheleftmeanstopay,buthehadbeenabletolaybyonlyfivehundredpounds。\"
\"Fivehundredpounds,\"repeatedthecaptain。\"Yes?\"
\"Inhislifetime,yearsbefore,hehadexpresslylaidthemoneyasidetoleavetomymother,——liketosettleuponher,ifImakemyselfunderstood。\"
\"Yes?\"
\"Hehadriskeditonce——myfatherputdowninwritingatthattime,respectingthemoney——andwasresolvednevertoriskitagain。\"
\"Notaspectator,\"saidthecaptain。\"Mycountrywouldn’thavesuitedhim。Yes?\"
\"Mymotherhasnevertouchedthemoneytillnow。Andnowitwastohavebeenlaidout,thisverynextweek,inbuyingmeahandsomeshareinourneighbouringfisheryhere,tosettlemeinlifewithKitty。\"
Thecaptain’sfacefell,andhepassedandrepassedhissun—brownedrighthandoverhisthinhair,inadiscomfitedmanner。
\"Kitty’sfatherhasnomorethanenoughtoliveon,eveninthesparingwayinwhichweliveabouthere。Heisakindofbailifforstewardofmanorrightshere,andtheyarenotmuch,anditisbutapoorlittleoffice。Hewasbetteroffonce,andKittymustnevermarrytomeredrudgeryandhardliving。\"
Thecaptainstillsatstrokinghisthinhair,andlookingattheyoungfisherman。
\"Iamascertainthatmyfatherhadnoknowledgethatanyonewaswrongedastothismoney,orthatanyrestitutionoughttobemade,asIamcertainthatthesunnowshines。But,afterthissolemnwarningfrommybrother’sgraveinthesea,thatthemoneyisStolenMoney,\"saidYoungRaybrock,forcinghimselftotheutteranceofthewords,\"canIdoubtit?CanItouchit?\"
\"Aboutnotdoubting,Iain’tsosure,\"observedthecaptain;\"butaboutnottouching——no——Idon’tthinkyoucan。\"
\"Seethen,\"saidYoungRaybrock,\"whyIamsogrieved。ThinkofKitty。ThinkwhatIhavegottotellher!\"
Hisheartquitefailedhimagainwhenhehadcomeroundtothat,andheoncemorebeathissea—bootsoftlyonthefloor。Butnotforlong;hesoonbeganagain,inaquietlyresolutetone。
\"However!Enoughofthat!Youspokesomebravewordstomejustnow,CaptainJorgan,andtheyshallnotbespokeninvain。Ihavegottodosomething。WhatIhavegottodo,beforeallotherthings,istotraceoutthemeaningofthispaper,forthesakeoftheGoodNamethathasnooneelsetoputitright。AndstillforthesakeoftheGoodName,andmyfather’smemory,notawordofthiswritingmustbebreathedtomymother,ortoKitty,ortoanyhumancreature。Youagreeinthis?\"
\"Idon’tknowwhatthey’llthinkofusbelow,\"saidthecaptain,\"butforcertainIcan’topposeit。Now,astotracing。Howwillyoudo?\"
Theyboth,asbyconsent,bentoverthepaperagain,andagaincarefullypuzzledoutthewholeofthewriting。
\"Imakeoutthatthiswouldstand,ifallthewritingwashere,’Inquireamongtheoldmenlivingthere,for’——someone。Mostlike,you’llgotothisvillagenamedhere?\"saidthecaptain,musing,withhisfingeronthename。
\"Yes!AndMr。TregarthenisaCornishman,and——tobesure!——comesfromLanrean。\"
\"Doeshe?\"saidthecaptainquietly。\"AsIain’tacquaintedwithhim,whomayhebe?\"
\"Mr。TregarthenisKitty’sfather。\"
\"Ay,ay!\"criedthecaptain。\"Nowyouspeak!TregarthenknowsthisvillageofLanrean,then?\"
\"Beyondalldoubthedoes。Ihaveoftenheardhimmentionit,asbeinghisnativeplace。Heknowsitwell。\"
\"Stophalfamoment,\"saidthecaptain。\"Wewantanamehere。YoucouldaskTregarthen(orifyoucouldn’tIcould)whatnamesofoldmenheremembersinhistimeinthosediggings?Hey?\"
\"Icangostraighttohiscottage,andaskhimnow。\"
\"Takemewithyou,\"saidthecaptain,risinginasolidwaythathadamostcomfortablereliabilityinit,\"andjustawordmorefirst。
Ihaveknockedaboutharderthanyou,andhavegotalongfurtherthanyou。Ihavehad,allmysea—goinglifelong,tokeepmywitspolishedbrightwithacidandfriction,likethebrasscasesoftheship’sinstruments。I’llkeepyoucompanyonthisexpedition。Nowyoudon’tlivebytalkinganymorethanIdo。Clenchthathandofyoursinthishandofmine,andthat’saspeechonbothsides。\"
CaptainJorgantookcommandoftheexpeditionwiththatheartyshake。Heatoncerefoldedthepaperexactlyasbefore,replaceditinthebottle,putthestopperin,puttheoilskinoverthestopper,confidedthewholetoYoungRaybrock’skeeping,andledthewaydown—stairs。
Butitwashardernavigationbelow—stairsthanabove。Theinstanttheysetfootintheparlourthequick,womanlyeyedetectedthattherewassomethingwrong。Kittyexclaimed,frightened,assherantoherlover’sside,\"Alfred!What’sthematter?\"Mrs。Raybrockcriedouttothecaptain,\"Gracious!whathaveyoudonetomysontochangehimlikethisallinaminute?\"Andtheyoungwidow——whowastherewithherworkuponherarm——wasatfirstsoagitatedthatshefrightenedthelittlegirlsheheldinherhand,whohidherfaceinhermother’sskirtsandscreamed。Thecaptain,consciousofbeingheldresponsibleforthisdomesticchange,contemplateditwithquiteaguiltyexpressionofcountenance,andlookedtotheyoungfishermantocometohisrescue。
\"Kitty,darling,\"saidYoungRaybrock,\"Kitty,dearestlove,ImustgoawaytoLanrean,andIdon’tknowwhereelseorhowmuchfurther,thisveryday。Worsethanthat——ourmarriage,Kitty,mustbeputoff,andIdon’tknowforhowlong。\"
Kittystaredathim,indoubtandwonderandinanger,andpushedhimfromherwithherhand。
\"Putoff?\"criedMrs。Raybrock。\"Themarriageputoff?AndyougoingtoLanrean!Why,inthenameofthedearLord?\"
\"Motherdear,Ican’tsaywhy;Imustnotsaywhy。Itwouldbedishonourableandundutifultosaywhy。\"
\"Dishonourableandundutiful?\"returnedthedame。\"Andistherenothingdishonourableorundutifulintheboy’sbreakingtheheartofhisownplightedlove,andhismother’shearttoo,forthesakeofthedarksecretsandcounselsofawickedstranger?Whydidyouevercomehere?\"sheapostrophisedtheinnocentcaptain。\"Whowantedyou?Wheredidyoucomefrom?Whycouldn’tyourestinyourownbadplace,whereveritis,insteadofdisturbingthepeaceofquietunoffendingfolklikeus?\"
\"Andwhat,\"sobbedthepoorlittleKitty,\"haveIeverdonetoyou,youhardandcruelcaptain,thatyoushouldcomeandservemeso?\"
Andthentheybothbegantoweepmostpitifully,whilethecaptaincouldonlylookfromtheonetotheother,andlayholdofhimselfbythecoatcollar。
\"Margaret,\"saidthepooryoungfisherman,onhiskneesatKitty’sfeet,whileKittykeptbothherhandsbeforehertearfulface,toshutoutthetraitorfromherview,——butkeptherfingerswideasunderandlookedathimallthetime,——\"Margaret,youhavesufferedsomuch,souncomplainingly,andarealwayssocarefulandconsiderate!Dotakemypart,forpoorHugh’ssake!\"
ThequietMargaretwasnotappealedtoinvain。\"Iwill,Alfred,\"
shereturned,\"andIdo。Iwishthisgentlemanhadnevercomenearus;\"whereuponthecaptainlaidholdofhimselfthetighter;\"butI
takeyourpartforallthat。Iamsureyouhavesomestrongreasonandsomesufficientreasonforwhatyoudo,strangeasitis,andevenfornotsayingwhyyoudoit,strangeasthatis。And,Kittydarling,youareboundtothinksomorethananyone,fortruelovebelieveseverything,andbearseverything,andtrustseverything。
And,motherdear,youareboundtothinksotoo,foryouknowyouhavebeenblestwithgoodsons,whosewordwasalwaysasgoodastheiroath,andwhowerebroughtupinastrueasenseofhonourasanygentlemaninthisland。AndIamsureyouhavenomorecall,mother,todoubtyourlivingsonthantodoubtyourdeadson;andforthesakeofthedeardead,Istandupforthedearliving。\"
\"Wa’alnow,\"thecaptainstruckin,withenthusiasm,\"thisIsay,Thatwhetheryouropinionsflattermeornot,youareayoungwomanofsense,andspirit,andfeeling;andI’dsoonerhaveyoubymysideinthehourofdanger,thanagoodhalfofthemenI’veeverfalleninwith——orfallenoutwith,ayther。\"
Margaretdidnotreturnthecaptain’scompliment,orappearfullytoreciprocatehisgoodopinion,butsheappliedherselftotheconsolationofKitty,andofKitty’smother—in—lawthatwastohavebeennextMondayweek,andsoonrestoredtheparlourtoaquietcondition。
\"Kitty,mydarling,\"saidtheyoungfisherman,\"Imustgotoyourfathertoentreathimstilltotrustmeinspiteofthiswretchedchangeandmystery,andtoaskhimforsomedirectionsconcerningLanrean。Willyoucomehome?Willyoucomewithme,Kitty?\"
Kittyanswerednotaword,butrosesobbing,withtheendofhersimplehead—dressathereyes。CaptainJorganfollowedtheloversout,quitesheepishly,pausingintheshoptogiveaninstructiontoMr。Pettifer。
\"Here,Tom!\"saidthecaptain,inalowvoice。\"Here’ssomethinginyourline。Here’sanoldladypoorlyandlowinherspirits。Cheerherupabit,Tom。Cheer’emallup。\"
Mr。Pettifer,withabrisknodofintelligence,immediatelyassumedhisstewardface,andwentwithhisquiet,helpful,stewardstepintotheparlour,wherethecaptainhadthegreatsatisfactionofseeinghim,throughtheglassdoor,takethechildinhisarms(whoofferednoobjection),andbendoverMrs。Raybrock,administeringsoftwordsofconsolation。
\"Thoughwhathefindstosay,unlesshe’stellingherthat’t’llsoonbeover,orthatmostpeopleissoatfirst,orthatit’lldohergoodafterward,Icannotimaginate!\"wasthecaptain’sreflectionashefollowedthelovers。
Hehadnotfartofollowthem,sinceitwasbutashortdescentdownthestonywaystothecottageofKitty’sfather。Butshortasthedistancewas,itwaslongenoughtoenablethecaptaintoobservethathewasfastbecomingthevillageOgre;fortherewasnotawomanstandingworkingatherdoor,orafishermancominguporgoingdown,whosawYoungRaybrockunhappyandlittleKittyintears,butheorsheinstantlydartedasuspiciousandindignantglanceatthecaptain,astheforeignerwhomustsomehowberesponsibleforthisunusualspectacle。Consequently,whentheycameintoTregarthen’slittlegarden,——whichformedtheplatformfromwhichthecaptainhadseenKittypeepingoverthewall,——thecaptainbroughtto,andstoodoffandonatthegate,whileKittyhurriedtohidehertearsinherownroom,andAlfredspokewithherfather,whowasworkinginthegarden。Hewasaratherinfirmman,butcouldscarcelybecalledoldyet,withanagreeablefaceandapromisingairofmakingthebestofthings。Theconversationbeganonhissidewithgreatcheerfulnessandgoodhumour,butsoonbecamedistrustful,andsoonangry。Thatwasthecaptain’scueforstrikingbothintotheconversationandthegarden。