Afloat and Ashore (38 page)

The terms of the capitulation—and they differed but little from
surrendering at discretion—were no sooner agreed to, than our people
were ordered into the forecastle, whence they were transferred to the
boats, in readiness to be sent ashore. All the chests, and private
effects, were moved out, in the most honourable manner, and sent into
la Pauline's boats, which lay prepared to receive them. As for us
officers, we were put in the gig, Neb and the cabin steward being
charged with the duty of looking after our private property. When
everybody, the blacks excepted, was in a boat, we shoved off, and
proceeded towards the landing, as chop-fallen and melancholy a party
as ever took possession of a newly-discovered country. Marble affected
to whistle, for he was secretly furious at the
nonchalance
manifested by Captain Le Compte; but I detected him in getting parts
of Monny Musk and the Irish Washerwoman, into the same strain. To own
the truth, the ex-mate was morally much disturbed. As for myself, I
considered the affair as an incident of war, and cared much less.

"
Voila, messieurs
," exclaimed Monsieur Le Compte, flourishing
his arm, with an air of unsurpassed generosity; "you shall be master
here, so soon after we shall go away, and take our leetl' property wid
us!"

"He's d—d generous, Miles," growled Marble, in my ear. "He'll leave
us the island, and the reef, and the cocoa-nuts, when he has gone off
with our ship, and her cargo. I'll bet all I'm worth, he tows off his
bloody schooner, in the bargain."

"There is no use in complaining, sir; and by keeping on good terms
with the French, we may fare the better."

The truth of this was soon apparent. Captain Le Compte invited us all
to share his breakfast, and we repaired to the tent of the French
officers, with that purpose. In the mean time, the French sailors were
transferring the few articles they intended to carry away, to the
ship, with the generous object of leaving their own tents to the
immediate occupation of us prisoners. As Monsieur Le Compte's plan was
to proceed to the Spanish Main, in order to complete his contemplated
traffic in that quarter, no sooner were the tents prepared, than the
French began also to ship such articles of their own, as it had
originally been proposed to exchange for Spanish dollars. In the mean
time, we sat down to breakfast.

"
C'est la fortune de guerre!
—vat you call fortune of war,
messieurs
," observed Captain Le Compte, whirling the stick in a
vessel of chocolate, in a very artistical manner, all the
while. "
Bon—c'est excellente—Antoin—
"

Antoin appeared in the shape of a well-smoked, copper-coloured
cabin-boy. He was told to take a small pitcher of the chocolate, with
Captain Le Compte's compliments to
mademoiselle
, and to tell
her there was now every prospect of their quitting the island in a
very few days, and of seeing
la belle France
, in the course of
the next four or five months. This was said in French, and rapidly,
with the vehemence of one who felt all he uttered, and more too but I
knew enough of the language to understand its drift.

"I suppose the fellow is generalizing on our misfortunes, in his
d—d lingo," growled Marble; "but, let him look out—he's not home
yet, by many a thousand miles!"

I endeavoured to explain it all to Marble; but it was useless; he
insisted the Frenchman was sending chocolate from his own table, to
his crew, in order to play the magnifico, on the score of his own good
luck. There was no use in "kicking against the pricks," and I let
Marble enjoy the pleasure of believing the worst of his captor; a sort
of Anglo-Saxon propensity, that has garnished many a page in English
and American history—to say nothing of the propensities and histories
of others, among the great family of nations.

When breakfast was over, Monsieur Le Compte led me aside, in a walk
under the trees, to explain his views and intentions. He gave me to
understand I had been selected for this communication, on account of
his observing the state of mind of my captain. I also comprehended a
little French, which was quite convenient in a conversation with one
who interlarded his English so much with phrases taken from his mother
tongue. I was given to understand that the French would put the
schooner into the water that very evening, and that we should find her
masts, rigging, and sails all fitted for her. With activity, she could
be ready to quit the island in a fortnight, at the farthest. A portion
of our own provisions would be landed, as better suited to our habits
than those which had been taken from la Pauline, while a portion of
the last would be transferred to the Crisis, for the same reason, as
applied to the French. As for water-casks, &c., they were all
arranged; everything, of the sort having been taken from the wreck,
with little or no difficulty, immediately after the loss of the
ship. In a word, we should have little more to do, than to step the
masts, rig our craft, stow her hold, and proceed at once to the
nearest friendly port.

"I zink you shall go to Canton," added Monsieur Le Compte. "Ze
distance shall not be much more than to Sout' America; and zere you
shall find plenty of your
compatriotes
. Of course, you can
sleep and go
chez vous
—vat you call 'home,' with
toute la
facilité
. Oui—
cet arrangement est admirable.
" So the
arrangement might appear to him, though I confess to a decided
'preference to remaining in the "blind Crisis," as our men had got to
call her, after her blundering through the Straits of Magellan.
"
Allons!
" exclaimed the French captain, suddenly. "We are near
ze tent of Mademoiselle—we shall go and demand how she carry herself
ce beau matin!
" On looking up, I saw two small tents within
fifty yards of us. They were beautifully placed, in the midst of a
thicker portion of the grove than usual, and near a spring of the most
exquisitely limpid water I ever beheld. These tents were made of new
canvass, and had been fashioned with care and skill. I could see that
the one we first approached was carpeted over, and that it had many of
the appliances of a comfortable abode. Mons. Le Compte, who was really
a good-looking fellow under forty, put on his most amiable appearance
as he got near the canvass-door; and he hemmed once or twice, as
respectfully as he could, by way of letting his presence be known. In
an instant, a maid-servant came out to receive him. The moment I laid
eyes on this woman, it struck me her face was familiar, though I could
not recall the place, or time, where, or when, we had before met. The
occurrence was so singular, that I was still ruminating on it, when I
unexpectedly found myself standing in the tent, face to face with
Emily Merton and her father! We recognised each other at a glance,
and, to Mons. Le Compte's amazement, hearty greetings passed between
us, as old acquaintances. Old acquaintances, however, we could scarce
be called; but, on an uninhabited island in the South Seas, one is
glad to meet any face that he has ever met before. Emily looked less
blooming than when we had parted, near a twelvemonth before, in
London; but she was still pretty and pleasing. Both she and her father
were in mourning, and, the mother not appearing, I at once guessed the
truth. Mrs. Merton was an invalid when I knew her, though I had not
anticipated for her so speedy a death. I thought Captain Le Compte
appeared vexed at my reception. Still, he did not forget his good
manners; and he rose, saying he would leave me with my friends to make
mutual explanations, while he proceeded to overlook the duty of the
day. On taking his leave, I was not pleased to see him approach and
kiss Emily's hand. The act was done respectfully, and not entirely
without grace; but there were a feeling and manner in it that could
not well be mistaken. Emily blushed, as she wished him good morning,
and turning to look at me, in spite of a kind of dog-in-the-manger
sensation, I could not forbear smiling.

"Never, Mr. Wallingford, never!" Emily said, with emphasis, the
instant her admirer was out of hearing. "We are at his mercy, and must
keep terms with him; but I can never marry a
foreigner
."

"That is poor encouragement for Wallingford, my dear," said her
father, laughing, "should he happen to take a fancy to you himself."

Emily looked confused, but, what, for the circumstances, was better
still, she looked concerned.

"I am sure, dear sir," she answered, with a quickness I thought
charming, "I am sure Mr. Wallingford will not suppose I meant anything
so rude. Then, he is no importunate suitor of mine, like this
disagreeable Frenchman, who always seems to me more like a Turkish
master, than like one who really respects a woman. Besides—"

"Besides what, Miss Merton?" I ventured to ask, perceiving that she
hesitated.

"Besides, Americans are hardly foreigners to
us
," added Emily,
smiling; "for we have even American relatives, you know, father."

"Quite true, my dear, and came near being Americans ourselves. Had my
father established himself where he married, as had been his first
intention, such would have been our national character. But, Mons. Le
Compte has given us a moment to tell our stories to each other, and I
think it will not be a very long moment. Let one of us commence, if we
wish the offices done without unpleasant listeners."

Emily urged me to begin, and I did not hesitate. My story was soon
told. Major Merton and his daughter understood all about the capture
of the ship in the basin, though they were ignorant of the vessel's
name. I had only to relate our voyage on the main, and the death of
Captain Williams, therefore, to have my whole story told. I made it
all the shorter, from an impatience to hear the circumstances which
had thrown my friends into their present extraordinary position.

"It seems extraordinary enough, beyond doubt," Major Merton began, the
moment I left him an opening by my closing remark, "but it is all very
simple, when you commence at the right end of the sad story, and
follow events in the order in which they occurred."

"When you left us in London, Wallingford, I supposed we were on the
point of sailing for the West Indies, but a better appointment soon
after offering in the East, my destination was changed to Bombay. It
was important that I should reach my port at as early a day as
possible; and, no regular Indiaman being ready, I took passage in a
licensed running vessel, a ship of no size, or force. Nothing occurred
until we had got within three or four days' sail of our port, when we
fell in with la Pauline, and were captured. At first, I think Captain
Le Compte would have been willing to let me go on parole, but no
opportunity offered, and we went with the ship to Manilla. While
there, the melancholy loss happened, which, no doubt, you have
comprehended from our mourning; and I was strongly in hopes of making
some arrangements that would still enable me to save my
situation. But, by this time, Monsieur Le Compte had become an open
admirer of Emily, and I suppose it is hopeless to expect any
liberation, so long as he can invent excuses to frustrate it."

"I trust he does not abuse his power, in any way, and annoy Miss
Merton with importunities that are unpleasant to her."

Emily rewarded me for the warmth with which I spoke, with a sweet
smile and a slight blush.

"Of that I cannot accuse him, in one sense at least," resumed Major
Merton. "Mons. Le Compte does all for us that his sense of delicacy
can suggest; and it was not possible for passengers to be more
comfortable, or retired, on board ship, than we were in the
Pauline. That vessel had a poop, and its cabin was given up entirely
to our use. At Manilla, I was permitted to go at large, on a mere
verbal assurance of returning; and, in all other particulars, we have
been treated as well as circumstances would very well allow.
Nevertheless, Emily is too young to admire a suitor of forty, too
English to admire a foreigner, and too well-born to accept one who is
merely a merchant sailor—I mean one who is nothing, and has nothing,
but what his ship makes him, or can give him."

I understood Major Merton's distinction; he saw a difference between
the heir of Clawbonny, pursuing his adventures for the love of the
sea, and a man who pursued the sea as an adventurer. It was not very
delicately made, but it was pretty well, as coming from an European to
an American; the latter being assumed
ex gratia
, to be a being
of an inferior order, morally, politically, physically, socially and
in every other sense, but the pecuniary. Thank Heaven! the American
dollar is admitted, pennyweight for pennyweight, to a precedency
immediately next to that of the metal dollar of Europe. It even goes
before the paper
thaler
of Prussia.

"I can readily imagine Miss Merton would look higher than Captain Le
Compte, for various reasons," I answered, making a sort of
acknowledgment for the distinction in my favour, by bowing
involuntarily, "and I should hope that gentleman would cease to be
importunate as soon as convinced he cannot succeed."

"You do not know a Frenchman, Mr. Wallingford," rejoined Emily. "He is
the hardest creature on earth to persuade into the notion that he is
not adorable."

"I can hardly believe that this weakness extends as far as the
sailors," said I, laughing. "At all events, you will be released the
instant you reach France."

"Sooner too, I trust, Wallingford," resumed the father. "These
Frenchmen can have it their own way, out here in the solitude of the
Pacific; but, once in the Atlantic, I shall expect some British
cruiser to pick us up, long ere we can reach France."

This was a reasonable expectation, and we conversed about it for some
time. I shall not repeat all that passed; but the reader can have no
difficulty in understanding, that Major Merton and myself communicated
to each other every fact that was likely to be of interest to men in
our situation. When I thought it prudent to take my leave, he walked
some distance with me, holding his way to a point on the outer side of
the island, where I could get a view of the wreck. Here he left me,
for the moment, while I proceeded along the beach, ruminating on all
that had passed.