Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

24 The New York Library. _— thought the situation worth applying for. Neverthe- | ** Now, if we onl knew the rice of a hog in this less, Mr. Hicks was impressed with the immense re- | country,” observed Easy, “wes ould be able to calcu sponsibility of his office. It was, however, a place of | late our exact value, Ned.” ~ some little emolument at this moment, and Mr. Hicks “A hog, being an unclean animal, is not— had plenty on his hands besides hiS sister, who, being **Hush!”’ said Jack. ay. the only English lady there, set the fashion of the ““Mr. Hicks, eo Miss Julia, ‘‘I am mistress of place, and usurped all the attention of the gentlemen myself and my fortune, and I shall do as I please. mariners who occasionally came for bullocks. But ‘Depend upon it, you shall not, Julia. I consider it Miss Hicks knew her own importance, and had suc- | my duty to prevent you from making an improper cessively refused three midshipmen, one master’s mate, | match; and, as his majesty’s representative here, I can- and an acting purser. African bullocks were plentiful _ not allow you to mar. this young man, at Tetuan, but English ladies were scarce; more- “Mercy on us! said Gascoigne, “‘ his majesty’s rep- over, she had a pretty little fortune of her own, to wit, | resentative! three hundred dollars in a canvas bag, left her by her| ‘‘ I shall not ask your consent,” —— the lady. father, and entirely at her own disposal. Miss Hicks | “‘ Yes, but you shall not marry without my consent. was very like her brother, except that she was more | I have, as you know, Julia, from my situation here as was so generous that he reserved none for ire os in her figure, with flaxen hair; her features | one of his majesty’s ‘corps diplomatic,’ great pow- were rather pretty, and her skin very fair. As soon as | er, and I shall forbid the banns; in fact it is only I who the preliminaries had been entered into, and arrange- | can m you.” ments made in a small room with bare walls, which Mr. | Then marry elsewhere.” Hicks denominated his office, they were asked to walk | “ And what will ae do on board of the transport un- into the parlor to be introduced to the vice-consul’s sis- til you are able to be married ?”’ « ter. Miss Hicks tossed her head at the two midship-| _ ‘‘Ishall do as I think proper,” replied the lady; “ and men, but smiled most graciously at Captain Hogg. She I'll thank you for none of your indelicate insinuations. knew the relative ranks of midshipmen and captain. | So oe the lad bounced out of the room into her After « short time she requested the honor of Captain | own, and our midshipmen then made a noise in the Hogg’s company to dinner, and begged that he would | passage to intimate that they had come in. They bring his midshipmen with him, at which Jack and | ound Mr. Hicks pa eie d red and vice-consular in- Gascoigne looked at each other and burst out in a | deed, but he recove himself; and Captain Hogg laugh, and Miss Hicks was very near rescinding the | making his appearance, they went to dinner; but Miss | latter part of her invitation. As soon as they were out | Julia would not make her a and Mr. Hicks mi of the house, they told the captain to go on board_and | was barely civil to the cap et allready while they walked round the town. Hav- ward called out, and our shipmen went into the ng peeped into every part of it, and stared at Arabs, | office to enable the two lovers to meet. They were Moors, and Jews, till they were tired, they proceeded | heard then talking together, and after a time they said to the landing-place, where they met the captain, who | less, and their language was more tender. informed them that he had done nothing, because the ‘* Let’s see what’s going on, Jack,” said Gascoigne; men were all drunk with Jack’s doubloon. Jack replied | and they walked softly, so as to perceive the two. thet a doubloon would not last forever, and that the | lovers, who were too busy to be on the look-out. — sooner they drank it out the better. Then they returned | Captain Hogg was requesting a lock of his mistress’ to the vice-consul’s, whom they requested to procure | hair. The plump Julia could deny him nothing; she | for them fifty dozen of fowls, twenty sheep, and a great | let fall her flaxen tresses, and taking out the scissors y icl hich might be obtained at the cut off a thick bunch from her hair behind, which she | any Cee Se a e | of the vice-consul, although few had seen her face, piace; for, as Jack said, they would live well going up to Toulon, and if there were any of the stock left they would give them to the admiral, for Jack had ——— to the captain; it was at least a foot and a alf long, and an inch in circumference. The captain took it in his immense hand, and thrust it into his coat- the precaution to put his father’s philosophy pocket behind, but one thrust down to the bottom | poe fo the; proof, before he quitted Mahon. As would not get it in, so de thrust again and again until | He ae oe m it a —— | proved o e idea, an ’e more Jack gave such a liberal order, and the vice-consul | it was all coiled away like a cable in a tier. cheated him out of at least one-third of what he paid,| “That's a liberal girl,” whispered Jack; ‘“‘she gives Mr. Hicks thought he could do no less than offer beds | by wholesale what it will take some time to retail. But | to abstract one of her dresses and muslin ove but he was soon after- | = - a | ———————— ** Well, you know I only wanted to argue the point with you.”’ | “TT know that, Jack. ButIthink we're counting «> which is foolish.” chickens before they are hatched | “Inevery other case except matrimony.”’ | “Why, Jack, ty Sn becoming quite sensible.”’ | “My wisdom is for my friends, my folly for myself. _ Good-night.”’ _ But Jack did not go to sleep. “TI must not allow Gascoigne to do such a foolish thing,” thought he. “Marry a when we venture upon dark girl on midship- man’s pay, if he succeeds—get his throat cut if he does ~ not.”’ _ As Jack said, his wisdom was for his friends, and he is own _ Miss Julia Hicks, as we before observed, set the fash- ions at Tetuan, and her style of dress was not unbe- coming. The Moorish women wore | | may be called what you will, for thei ange vails, or they r head-dresses de- scend to their heels at times, and cover the whole body, leaving an eye to peep with, and hiding everyt else. rt this much more convenient than the bonnet, as she might walk out in the heat of the sun without burning her fair skin, and stare at everybody and everything without being stared atin return. She therefore never went out without one of these overalls, composed of several yards of fine muslin. Her dress in Now Miss Hicks foun the house was usually of colored sarcenet, for a small vessel came into the port one day during her father’s lifetime, unloaded a great uantity of bales of goods with English marks, and, as the vessel had gone out in ballast, there was a surmise on his part by what means they came into the captain's possessi cited the captain up to the governor, but the affair was on. He therefore amicably arranged by the vice-consul receiving about one quarter of the cargo in bales of silks and muslins. Miss Hicks had therefore all her dresses of blue, green, ' and yellow sarcenet, which, with the white muslin over- in the town had a ng all, made her as apr gm as the only Frankish lady t to be, and there was not a dog which barked in Tetuan which did not know the sister | Nowit occurred to Jac , as Gascoigne was determin- ,ed to carry on his amour, that in case of su would be as well if he dressed himself as Miss rise it icks, e the next morning, who ap- the course of the day, when Miss Hicks was busy with Captain Hogg, he contrived to our midshipmen as well as to Captain Hogg; so, as | here comes Mr. Hicks; let’s give them sania: pone which he could do in safety, as there were plenty o r soon as dinner was over, they ordered Captain Hogg to | Hogg, and as she fancies pork she shall have i o on board and bring their things on shore, which he | contrive to a them.”’ did. As the time usual for transports remaining at| That night Gascoigne went again on the roof, and Tetuan before they could be completed with bul-| after waiting for some time heard the same air re- locks was three weeks, our midshipmen decided upon | peated. He waited until it was concluded, and then, in staying at least so long if they could find anything to | a very low tone, sung it himself to the words he had do; or if they could not, —-. nothing was infinitely | arranged forit. For some time all was silent, and then ysreferable to doing duty. So they took up their quar- | the singing recommenced, but it was not to the same ae at the vice-consul’s, sending for porter and other | air. Gascoigne waited until the new air had been re- things which were not to be had but from the trans-| peated several times, and then, giving full — to his port; and Jack, to prove that he was not a swindler, | fine tenor voice, sung the air again. It echoed makers’ bills. | When Gascoigne went up on the roof the night he put on the apparel of Miss Hicks an very like her as far as fi taller. He waited for the did not Ican them, for Miss Hicks was not troubled witb mantua- {looked re went, although a little oorish girl to sing, but she over the as before ; so he crept up the ladder and look iW when he observed that she was reclini in deep thought. His head, covered wit caught her eye, and she gave a faint scream. ear not, lady,”’ said Gascoigne, it is not the first “ muslin, as Captain Tartar had called him, gave Ca tain Hogg through the silence of the night air, and then he waited, | time that Ihave beheld that sweet face. I sigh for a a hundred dollars on account, for C a stock of porter and English hixuries, which he | more, and Gascoigne retired to rest. ha brought out as a venture, and of which he had st#l| This continued for three or four nights, Gascoigne | it therefore follow that we should not a considerable portion left. As, therefore, our mid- | singing the same airs the ensuing night he had heard shipmen not only were cheated by the vice-consul, but | the preceding, until at last it appeared that the female aptain Hogg had a | but in vain; the soft voice of the female was heard no companion. What would I rot your side! Iam not of your c other?” | The Moorish girl was about to reply, when Gasco ive to be sitting by. in , tis true, but 0e8 | love each igne they also supplied his table, Mr. Hicks was very hos- had no longer any fear, but pe oe the airs so as to received an answer from a quarter whence he little ex- p it. It was from the Moor himself, who hear- itable, and everything was at their service except | be amused with the repetition of them next evening. On Miss Julia, who turned a her nose at a midshipman, | the fifth night she — the first air, and midship- | ing his daughter scream, even upon full pay; but she made great advances to the | man responding, she then sung another, until she had captain, who, on his part, was desperately in love: so | sung them all, waiting each time for the response. The the mate and the men made all ready for the bullocks, | wall was not more than eight feet high, and Gascoigne | with the dark violet?” sai Jack and Gascoigne made themselves comfortable, and | now determined, with the assistance of Jack, to have a er oye Hogg made love, and thus passed the first week. | sight of his unknown songstress. He asked Captain | roof. the sister of the vice-cons | who had come on the roo e chamber of Easy and Gascoigne was at the top | Hogg to bring on shore some inch line, and he con- | speak with his daughter. of the house, and finding it excessively warm, Gas- trived to make a ladder with three or four poles (for the houses are all built in that way in most Ma-| fixed them against the wall without noise, all ready | Gascoigne had presence of mind to coigne had forced his way up to the flat roof above which were up-stairs, used for drying linen. He | this fortunate mistake. | ‘“*T am alone, worthy homedan countries, to enable the occupants to enjoy | for the evening. It was a beautiful, clear moonlight | muslin over his face the cool of the evening, and sometimes to sleep there). | night when he went up, accompanied by Jack. The air | have been charmed b Those roofs, where houses are built next to each other, | was again sung, and repeated by Gascoigne, who then | your dwe ; but I are divided by a wall of several feet, to insure that | softly moun the ladder, held by Jack, and raised privacy which the Mahomedan customs demand. his head above the wall; he received a young heard the voice of a female einging a plaintive air in a | man, with her eyes fixed upon the moon, whose rays | low tone, on ie eee side of t o. ‘ well himself, and having a ve e ear, he was plea with the correctness of Sha noten, although he had | would iven the world to have divined her never heard the air before. He leant against the wali, | thougnts. Satisfied with what he had seen, he descend- e wall. Gascoigne sung | enabled him to observe that she was indeed beautiful. and again at intervals; Gascoigne soon caught the | and had come swiftly up to the | “Does the Frankish lily wish to mingle her rfumeg d he, for he had often seen he imagined it was she and ascended the wall te wail himself of Moor,”’ repliet he, pulling the andI pine for ,companion, I the nightingal on the roof of ought not to meet the face of a _man when I took courage to climb this ladder.” | “Tf the Frankish lily will have courage to descend, Gascoigne had not been long up there before he | Moorish girl, splendidly dressed, and lying on an otto- | she can sit by the side of the dark violet.” | he placed against the wall. _ After a pause Gascoigne » ad, “‘It is my fate; and smoked his cigar, and listened. It was repeated again | ed, and singing one of the airs, he then repeated the | he then descended, and was ed by the Moor to the mat- Gascoigne thought it advisable to make no re ‘** Fear not,” said the old Moor: * She ay Som lost in contemplation; and Gascoigne | but a woman?” and the Moor b_ought a ladder, which ve l * what is hee. man words, ‘‘Do not be afraid—I love you—I cannot speak | tress upon which his dav shter reclined. The Moor notes, which sounded so clear and pure in the silence | your language.” He then sung another of the airs, then took his seat near them, and they entered into ? of the night. , At inst they ceased, and having waited another half- | in Arabic; but there was no Awd e —_— the third hour in vain, our midshipman returned to his bed, hum- | air, and again repeated the words, when, to his delight, ming the air which had so pleased his ear. It haunted | he heard an answer in Lingua Franca. him during his sleep, and rung in his ears when he “Can you a in this tongue?” awoke, rm is well known any new air that pleases us| ‘ Yes,” replied Gascoigne, “Ican, Allah be praised! will do. Before breakfast was ready Gascoigne had | Be not d—I love you.” put English words to it, and sung them over and over | “‘T know you not; who are you? you are not of my | his women’s apartments to again. He inquired of the vice-consul who lived in the | people.”’ next house, and was answered that it was an old Moor,| ‘No, but I will do anything that you wish. Iam a who was reported to be wealthy, and to have a daugh- nk, and an English officer.”’ ter, whom many of aed gg ogy had asked in marriage At this reply of ascoigne there was a pause, but whether for her wealth or for her beauty he could ‘*Am I then despised ?”’ said Gascoigne. not tell; he had, however, heard that she was very “No, not despised; but you are not of ~4 people, or handsome. Gascoigne made no further inquiries, but | of my and ; speak no more, or you will be eard”” went out with Jack and Captain Hogg, and on board to “F a replied Gascoigne, ‘since you wish it; but see the water got in for the bullocks. I shall pine till to-morrow’s moon. I go to dream of ‘“Where did you pick up that air, Gascoigne? It is| you. Allah protect you!” very pretty, but I never heard you sing it before.” “ How amazingly poetical you were in your language, eb e and after he had finished he again repeated the words, conversation. Gascoigne knew quite enough of the | vice-consul and his daughter to — part, and he thought proper to tell the Moor that ed to i her as wife to the she abhorred, and would take er brother wish- tain of the ship, whom r toacold and fo | climate; that she had been born here, and wished to live and die here, and would — passing her life in and told Gasco eaving this count which Abd el Faza, for such was his name, felt v amorous, He to his hand to his forehead aam it, were hers, as wellas his house and himself. an hour’s conversation, in which Azar, his daughter, did not join, the old Moor asked Gascoigne to descen into the women’s apartment; and observing his daugh- ter’s silence, said to her: ; “ Azar, youare angry that this Frankish houri should come to the apartments of which | been sole mistress, Fear not, you wi At sal e that his zenana and all that were in After ou have hitherto soon be another's, ascoigne told him, and also what he had heard from | Ned,” said Easy, when they went down into their me ae fem has — thee for his wife, and I have | listen $s request.” Mr. Hicks. | room. “I’m determined, Jack, to see that girl if I can.| “To be sure, Jack. I’ve read the Arabian Nights. Hicks can talk Arabic fast enough; just ask him the | You never sawsuch eyesin your life: what a houri | aaee —_ Serge eye her nape a ascoigt nana, e Moor atten Arabic for these words—‘ Don’t be afraid—I love you— | she is,” I cannot s your tongue,’ and put them down ona | ‘Ts she as handsome as Agnes, Ned?” paper as they are pronounced.” “Twice as handsome by moonlight.”’ Jack rallied Gascoigne upon his fancy, which could; “That's all moonshine, and so will be your courting, end in nothing. for it will come to nothing.” “Perhaps not,” replied Gascoigne; ‘and I should) “Notif I can help it.” have car nothing about it if she had not sung so well. “ wy Gascoigne, what would you do with a wife?” I really believe the way to my heart is through my ear; | “* Just exactly Nee would do, Jack.” however, I shall try to-night, and soon find if she has| “I mean, ae dear Ned, can you afford to ea - the feeling which I think she has. Now let us go back; | “ Not while the old governor lives; but I know he has | Now Osman was as old as her father, and Azar and led ded them _ to the threshold, bowed, and left them. | That Gascoigne had time to press his suit, and that he did not lose such a golden opportunity, may easily _be imagined, and her father's communication relative ' cause, lingly | that is, a little above quicksilver boiling heat. who had remained in a state of some suspense all this I’m tired of looking at women in garments up to their some money in the funds. He told me one day that I | time, was not sorry to hear voices in an amicable tone, to Osman Ali very much assisted our midshipman’s He left the zenana, like most midshipmen, in love; eyes, and men in dirt up to their foreheads.” could not expect more than three thousand pounds. | and in a few minutes cpa ee he pees that Gas- e der. Itoce As they entered the house they heard an altercation | You know I have sisters.” between Mr. and Miss Hicks. ‘*And before you come into that you'll have three “T shall never give my consent, Julia; one of those | thousand children.”’ | coigne was ascending C occurred hero that it was perhaps advisable that he should | be seen, as the Moor, in his gallantry, might come up é was right, for midshipmen you turn your Dose up at is worthadozen| ‘That's a large family, Jack,” replied Gascoigne, | the ladder with his su Hoggs.”’ bursting out iato laughter, in which our hero join sed lady. to our not Abd el Faza not only followed her up the ladder on hig Geom (E(0) im (GE JOO “S