Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 277 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

— ——_—_ -—--— —— — a we 7 —— - - i .*- — = =~ a an ee ee eee _ 1 a Pa , a “ -— i a eS el on ~ alge peas s . - ter f . + ; L # —_ -~—* . i i & pi ite * ’ ee reo a ~ sed Cg ones hep =e - th. € _ a f *, _- ~ = : ‘ * ® Ds Md ° ry ‘ = * a » t.% || 18 — S$ eens — ‘*Mr. Eaton, sir—I mean, my lord—from the | So we managed to crippe the frigate a second pirate, to treat for the ransom of another pris- oner, I suppose.” Eaton colored high, and retorted: | | “Tf that is a specimen of your British man- | ners, sir, I am more than ever glad that the | thirteen colonies threw off their allegiance to the mother country. I am no pirate, and I come to treat for no ransom. I come with a letter from Lady Jane Blair to ber father; and after it is delivered | shall bold yon responsible for the language you have just used, if you are willing to back it up.” Ferris looked him in the eye and answered, in a tone as haughty at his own: ‘* At any time you please, sir. I am always willing to oblige a man who wishes what you wish.” The earl bad been listening to the little pass- age of arms between the two young men in the listless silence that bad marked his demeanor ever since the escapade of the night before. He looked at Eaton, as he spoke, in the same vague way, and asked: ‘** Did you say, sir, that you had a letter from my daughter?” “T did, my lord. Will it please you to read it, and give me an answer to take back to her ladyship?” ‘““Where is she now, sir?’ asked the old man, in a low voice. ‘*On board the Saucy Jane, Privateer,” was the proud answer of Eaton, who bad grown very fond of the little vessel, since she had done so nobly. “The lady is on board a _ vessel named after herself, my lord; and she is per- ee ———S ee — fectly willing to stay, if your lordsbip will con- | sent to ber marriage with Captain Blair, who. commands the Saucy Jane.” The old earl’s face blanched as he listened to the privateersman, and he asked in return: “And suppose I do not consent, sir—what then?” is Eaton hesitated not a moment, but looked the | old nobleman in the eye, as he answerea bim, in > a very distinct tone of voice: “Then my lord will be ding an injustice to his own daughter that I do not think his conscience will ever approve in the future. Lady Jane Blair is on board our vessel, and there are no other ladies to act as chaperons to her. In such a case, my lord, what will the world say to the father who is willing to cast on his daughter a needless disgrace? If the schooner sails without a legal marriage between Lady Jane and the captain, my lord, a stain will rest forever on the fame of your daugbter, placed there by her father; and I can assure you, my lord, that we are not the people to let | that remain a matter unsettled forever. Wil your ee read that letter, or shall I go back’ a and tell ber ladysbip that her father retuses to have anything more to do with ber?” - The cid earl trembled and hesitated; but at last said: ‘‘ Yes, sir, I will read the letter. Give mea little time, sir. Il am not as young as I once was; and these events have shocked me,” Eaton was struck by the fact that, for the first time in the interview the old man’s voice trembled, and the sound smote him; for the » ty told him that the Earl of Gowrie hada art. He waved his band respectfully and retired, while the old noble, with an evident effort, ry Age the letter that bis daughter bad sent 2 m from an enemy’s vessel, and began to read Ferris, on the other hand, though he stayed back and pretended not to notice what was go- | ing on, bad an ugly sneer on bis face, and could | | time, and thereby secured about three hours more, for your lordship to decide in. And now, your lordship knows the whole circum- stances, I hope to be favored with an early answer; for the frigate is certain to pursue us here, and we cannot expect to be always = lucky as we have been in the conflicts with er. The old earl stood up, with an expression of great sorrow and humiliation on bis face, but said: “You are quite right, sir; and I thank you for your efforts in behalf of the lady’s good name. I will go with you, if you please, on board the schooner, and take the chaplain of | the Government House with me. your wishes, sir?” Eaton bowed silently and the old man took his arm, and said to Ferris, with a sort of rueful smile: ‘All fights must have an end, Ferris. -The Kari of Gowrie surrenders at last.’ Then to Eaton, with a courtly bow: ‘* Lead on, sir. I will go in your boat.” ‘But is not your lordsbip afraid to trust yourself in the power of the Yankees?” asked Ferris eagerly. ** Would it not be better to or- der out a sufficient force to protect your lord- ship in case of treachery?’ Lord Gowrie shook bis bead. * No, no, Ferris. devil. These gentlemen cannot mean to show us treaehery, or they would not have put them- selves in our power for the sake of doing me a personal favor—true, not much of a favor, after last night; but still a favor. No, sir, [ have concluded to trust them, and | shall do 0. ; Ferris bit bis lips; but could not make any answer to his chief, and followed bim mutely to the port, where the idle negroes of half the town, gathered round the wharf where the strang boat was lying, stared at the Yankees with all their eyes and teeth. “Do you wish me to go with you, my lord?” he asked, as the old man was about to descend the stairs that led to the boat. “ Certainly, Ferris. Isball want you for my witness,’”’ was the reply. ‘Go for Doctor Jones, Tell him | want him to come with me, and perform a marriage. Send the barge after us.’ Ferris bowed with a very ill grace; but went away, to return, in a short time, with an elder- ly clergyman, who carried ‘‘chaplain” on every lineament of his countenance, rosy with good living and fall of the milk (punch) of bu- man kindness inspired by plenty of good rum and sangaree. Doctor Jones was the Governor’s chaplain, and had brought with bim bis bands and gown, ‘Ere | am, my lord,” be said, in as pro- nounced a cockney accent as Ragers. ‘‘ And what was your lordship pleased towantof your ‘urnble servant this morning?’ ‘*| want you to come with me to the Ameri- can schooner, out yonder,” was the answer, “‘and marry acouple. That is all.” Doctor Joves stared at the ear! asif he thought that Lord Gowrie was going crazy, and stam- mered : ‘* But,my lord,if you please, I—I—I ain’t what you may call a fighting man, and they say that schooner is an euemy’s vessel,” The ear! turned on him with a remnant of his old temper, apd said in bis sternest tones : ‘‘ Doctor Jones, 1 believe Jam the Governor of Jamaica, and you are my chaplain. 1 order you to get into that boat.’ ‘I'he good doctor was cowed, but had just not dissemble his anger and impatience, as he | enough = left, to say: ? watched the earl. plot to take the place of those which had failed already, and the letter was a part of the plot. The oid’ man seemed to be much affected by the contents of the epistle, whatever they were; aa for some time after be had finished, he re- ma For Ferris was hatching a | ned gazing out of the window at the - schooner, which was in full sight therefrom, and appeared to be thinking what he should say in answer. At last he turned to Eaton, and asked bim: + you know the contents of this letter, Eaton bowed. “Ido, my lord. The letter was written, by my advice, by Captain Blair and Lady Jane.” ‘And under what circumstances?’ asked the old peer, with a look as as if he wanted to know the whole thing. ) Eaton smiled as he answered: “ Well, sir—I mean, my lord—we were under the guns of one of your frigates at the time, and in order to get a chance to deliver it to you, we had to ig oe her, so as to secure our ownescape. Then | told Captain Blair that it was certain the whole English squadron must be coming up to the West Indies, and we could not expect to find all their ships as badly armed and bandied as those we had met so far. I nted out, also, that, if we left this pert be- ore the expiration of the twenty-four hou we bad — we might b» justly reproach- ed with having exposed her ladyship’s reputa- tion to cavere damage withcutany justification, —- oe we —— ut Pam a married man, my lord, and I’ve got a family to take care‘of, besides, ‘’OQo’s a-going to take care of them, if this Yankee chooses to cut off my ’ead?” ‘* 1’) do that myself,” cried the earl impa- tiently, “if you don’t get into the boat.” The threat finished Dr. Jones, and he step- ped into the boat, which rowed away to the schooner, over the long swells of the Atlantic, calm enough, from the shore; but tossing the little boat about like a cockle-shell. Ferris got in with his chief, and sat in the stern-sheets, in sullen silence; « bile Eaton, with a desire to make the trip as little disagrer able as possible to the old ear), talked away as bard as he could, to interest Lord Gowrie; and suc- ceeded in getting the old man to ask quite a number of questions. | Perhaps it was because Ferris was so sullen, that he kept all the sharper lookout for the English frigate. He had the pleasure of seeing Let us be just, even to the | Will that suit | | | | : } | | | | | NN eee een eG OO eV her topsails, just rising over the edge of the | horizon, and saw, too, that she was coming down, this time, with the wind in her favor and was likely to give the schooner a good chase, He kept bis exultation to himself, and even his eyes from wandering in the direction of the ship, after the first glance, he boat rowed on, and at last grated against the side of the Saucy Jane, when the earl was helped on deck, and met by Blair, who greeted him with a grave bow, say tog : ‘‘T am sorry, my lord, that I sbave had to re- —* The Saucy Jane, Privateer. sort to violent means; but I had no option, as your lordship knows, and in time of war ail things are fair.” The earl only bowed in the stiffest possible manner, and replied: ‘*] have come here, sir, not to pass any words, but to save my daughter from a still worse fate than has befailen her. Where is she, sir?’ Blair pointed to the cabin. ‘‘ She awaits your lordship there,” was all the answer he made, Lipa. CHAPTER XIX, A HURRIED WEDDING. Or what passed at that interview between father and daughter no one but themselves ever knew Pe oni for Captain Blair left the cabin, and Ferris was detained on deck by the polite privateersman, to ask him questions, and bore him with all sorts of talk, till the Earl of Gowrie was seen once more, at the door of the cabin, to beckon to Dr. Jones. The chaplain obeyed the gesture with all the alacrity of a parson, in the days when parsons of the English Church were looked on as a species of upper servant in the bouses of all great men. ‘‘What was your lordship pleased to want?” he inquired, with all the insinuating deference of which he was capable, Lady Jane shuddered slightly, and asked her father in a low tone: ‘* Was there no one else you could get?” Gowrie knew well enough what she meant. Lady Jane bad always bad a great contempt for Jones, on account of bis allowing his office to be treated with such familiarity and want of respect by all persons, especially her own father. She wanted to be married by some one else, if it were possible; and did not like to say so be- fore the chaplain. The old ear! shook his head solemnly, and answered her aloud: ‘‘Nay, Jeanie, it must be as it is, child. ‘Tis thine own fault that thou art not married in a satin gown, and by a bishop. But as thou bast made thy bed, so must thou lie, Dr. Jones will be able to tie thee so fast to this man, that no laws, English or American, will be able to part thee from him till deatb.” Then the old nobleman turned to the little group on deck, consisting of Blair, Eaton, Ferris and the chaplain, saying, in a sadly dignified manner that gave Katon a feeling of respect for him: ‘*Gentlemen, I have the honor to invite you to witness the nuptials of my daughter with the Captain of this vessel, and to sign the document which will be the attestation, in case of any future caviling as to the facts.” Blair bowed low, and preceded the rest into the cabin, where they found that the privateers- man had altered the usual aspect of the apart- ment so that it resembled a ladv’s boudoir, more — a ship’s cabin, and was all dressed with ags, Dr. Jones took bis place, and opened at the marriage-service, without any preliminary re- marks, The opening words—‘ Dearly beloved "— brought all to their feet, In attitudes of pro- found respect and attention, and the service went on to its regular close, with a sonorous dignity, on the part of Dr. Jones, that showed how he could do bis work on occasion. When it was all over, the privateersman folded his bride in bi# arms, and then handed her over to her father, who said as be motioned her away: ‘No, sir, no. Iclaim no further right over that lady. She has chosen ber nation and henceforth sbe is an enemy to her father’s country. I desire no furtber knowledge of the any or yourself.” e drew back from his daughter with a ges- ture of something so like aversion, that Blair, with the instinct to protect bis newly-made wife, took her arm in is, and retorted, as proudly as the earl bimself could bave spoken: “T am thankful to you, my Ierd, for the courtesy you have shown your davghter, As for this lady, she is now my wife, and has no need of a nation which, as you Bay, is now at war with our own. I thank your lordship for your visit.” Lord Gowrie bowed coldly, and, without an- other word or look at his daughter, went cut of the cabin. Eaton, as he followed, could not help a sly glance at the face of Lady Jane, and saw that it was very pale, and that she had great ¢ ffi- culty in keeping back the tears, in spite of her generally firm and bigh-tempered disposition, He went on deck, to find a large boat along- side the schooner, with a number of negroes on board, who were unloading some trunks and placing therm on the schooner. He went to the side and asked the men; ‘* What trunks are those?” ‘‘Dem’s Lady Jane’s, Marse Yankee,” an- swered one of the men, with a smirk; “and Cappen Ferris told us to bring dem abo’d, as fass as we c’u’d, fur de wessel’s gwins to leabe de po’t ’stantery, sab.” Eaton saw that there were quite a number of trunks, and that it would take some time for EGomicbooks oe ae | eom |: IP ea ; + ; « of ad